Birthday Orchid

Hi, it feels like ages since I've made any cards, hopefully I've knocked this cold on the head and can get back into things.

I was inspired by a few challenges and knew I wanted to use a flower stamp that hadn't been used in ages. I fussy cut vellum flowers to pop on top of the stamped ones for extra dimension.

At Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, the theme is botanical.

At Inkspirational the theme is bloom.

At Addicted to Stamps & More it's anything goes.

At Addicted to CAS the code word is texture.

At Allsorts Challenge the team is celebrating their 5th birthday with a challenge and a bloghop. The theme is Happy Birthday!

Materials used:

Crafts Too embossing folder; Memory Box orchid stamp;Versafine ink and clear embossing powder; vellum; twinkling H2Os; Memory Box label die; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Birthday mauve and purple

Hi, things have been a bit quiet on the card front here this week as I've been battling a really bad cold. It's still hanging around but I think I'm getting used to it!

I've been asked to make a birthday card for a lady turning 90 who likes mauve and purple.

I thought something lacy would be good so used the Rebecca embossing folder again and distressed it with shaded lilac and milled lavender distress inks.

The butterflies are Hero Arts antique engravings, coloured with Inktense pencils.

I used the Spellbinders floral and oval dies for the sentiment sticker, and Memory Box Parker number die for the 90.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is to create something inspired by the letter M. I've used mauve and 90 is a pretty momentous milestone!

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is die crazy.

At Allsorts Challenge the theme is purple passion.

At A Blog named Hero it's all about embossing, wet or dry.

I've used an embossing folder and embossed my stamped butterflies with clear powder.

At Crafting with Dragonflies the team is celebrating their first anniversary, congratulations! So the theme is celebration.

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Cathy x

Alcohol Ink Flowers

Hi, I've spent the last of Mothers Day playing with some new toys.

It's my first time playing with alcohol inks, so much fun! 

I'm linking up to the challenge at CASology where the cue card is metal.

I used a leftover piece of Quick Kutz metal sheet and stuck it onto some white card, then die cut Memory Box chloe stem flowers. I used a few alcohol inks on a felt pad and was amazed at the rainbow of colours that came out! The colours look way better in real life.

Using up a scrap or a snippet means I can visit the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

I'm putting another entry into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is spring flowers.

And another entry into Addicted to Stamps & More the theme is clean and simple.

At Time Out Challenge the theme is "Time flies love lasts"". My sentiment explains my take on the challenge, because you're special.

Materials used: Quick Kutz metal sheet; alcohol inks; Hero Arts find joy sentiment stamp; versafine ink & clear embossing powder.

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Cathy x

Purple butterflies & flowers

Hi, purple is one of my favourite colours so I wanted to enter the challenge at

The Card Concept which has a monochromatic purple theme. I think my card fits the clean and simple category.

I'm also popping back to Stamplorations where the challenge is to use a stamp and a flower on your project.

I've fussy cut the Hero Arts antique engraving butterfly stamp and used petal pleasures embossing folder as my flower element.

Addicted to Stamps & More has a clean and simple theme.

Edited to add: I've realized that this card also fits the theme of time flies love lasts at the Time Out  Challenge. You can use the whole sentiment or any of the words as inspiration, so my butterflies fit. (Thanks for the suggestion Sandie).

Materials used:

Hero Arts butterfly stamp; versafine ink & clear embossing powder; prismacolor pencils & gamsol; CC petal pleasures embossing folder; sentiment sticker, stickles and bling.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Layered Mother's Day

Hi, it's Mothers Day here in Australia and in the USA too so Happy Mothers Day to everyone!

I hope you have a lovely restful day.

I'm linking up to a few challenges with this card.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge has a 5 challenge. I have used 5 items in layering my card. The base, an embossed distressed panel, a diecut oval, diecut leaves and stamped and fussy cut vellum flowers.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge has a spring flowers theme.

Stamplorations has a stamps and flower challenge.

I've used snippets of vellum to stamp my flowers and die cut my leaves, so I'm visiting the playground at 

Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Materials used: Rebecca embossing folder; SU flower shop stamp; white ink and embossing powder; vellum; Memory Box leaf die; Spellbinders floral oval die; distress inks; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Pink Birthday Rose

Hi, I've had this die cut painted for a few days and finally got it finished on a card tonight.

It's the Penny Black rose die and I've painted it with acrylics mixed with some pearl white paint. I layered an extra section on top for dimension.

I'm linking up to the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More, the theme is Clean & Simple.

Inkspirational where it's a colour theme, to use pink and green.

Seize the Birthday is anything goes birthday with a toppings option of flowers.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is spring flowers.

Materials used: Penny Black die; watercolor paper; acrylic paint; pearl white acrylic paint; leathergrain cardstock; sentiment sticker.

Hope you have a lovely weekend and thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Orange & Blue

Hi, it's unseasonably cold and windy outside today, perfect excuse to stay in my craft room!

I'm using up another of the butterflies I made a while ago, coloured with inktense pencils.

I blended some blues and a brown distress ink onto the tag and spritzed with water. I usually just leave the ink as is but I'm having fun with the water effects.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Allsorts where the theme is butterflies.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is anything goes.

There's a choice of sketch challenge at The Hero Arts Blog.

I chose sketch #2

At A Blog Named Hero the theme is to create a project inspired by a Hero Arts artist.

I was inspired by Jennifer McGuire and her use of distress inks.

Materials used:

Hero Arts antique engraving stamp: Memory Box journey stamp; versafine ink, clear embossing powder; inktense pencils: distress inks; birds and swirls embossing folder; MFT label die, behind my tag.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Journey Tag

I wanted to make a card that linked up with a few challenges and had hoped to be off my butterfly craze, but unfortunately I've still got a few to finish and use!

I sponged over the stamped and embossed Journey stamp with distress inks. The tag looks yellower in real life but I think when I've spritzed the water it's landed more in the centre.

I'm linking up to the Holiday challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More. 

At Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the theme is not so mellow yellow!

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is anything goes.

Materials used:

Memory Box journey; Hero Arts buterfly stamps; Versafine ink & clear embossing powder; distress inks; inktense pencils; stylized flower embossing folder.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Pink with Blue Butterflies

Hi, it's Friday here and I'm really looking forward to the weekend! First week back at work after a break is always tiring. I'm used to having afternoon naps!

I'm using up a snippet of card that I stamped with the leafy vine stamp. The other half will get used in another project. I sponged over the embossing with a couple of pink distress inks.

The butterflies are coloured with Inktense pencils. I love how the colour washes out and you can add extra just by touching the water brush to the tip of the pencil and blending it in.

I'm linking up to a few challenges.

Snippets of black and of the stamped image means I'm popping over to the snippets playground at        Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is anything goes.

Sentimental Sundays has a clean and simple challenge and remember to use a sentiment on your project.

Materials used:

Stamps: Hero Arts leafy vine; Darkroom Door butterflies;

Versafine ink and clear embossing powder; Inktense pencils; distress ink;

sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy the rest of your week.

Cathy x

Sparkly Blue Butterflies

Hi, hope you are having or have had a good weekend!

I've been making butterflies today and thought these 2 would fit a few challenges.

At Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the theme is to use a big stamp. I recently bought this Hero Arts  leafy vines stamp. I trimmed  a section off for this layout so that I could fit my butterflies in.  The stamp takes up the whole card front! 

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is Clean & Simple. The design team are also showcasing Hero Arts. This butterfly is from the Hero Arts antique engravings set. It's the first time I've used this stamp and I've had the set for quite a few years!

At Addicted to Stamps & More the theme is to make your mark. Create a project using markers, pens, pencils etc. I coloured my butterflies with Inktense pencils.

At Mrs A's butterfly challenge the theme is glamorous butterflies. I embossed the vine in silver although it's a bit hard to see in the photo and I added diamond stickles to the edge of the wings. Looks pretty glamorous in real life!

Materials used: Hero Arts stamps; Inktense pencils; silver versacolor ink and silver fine embossing powder; Versafine ink and clear embossing powder; diamond stickles; bling and sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting :)

Cathy x

Mum's Window Garden

Hi, I've been using up more bits and pieces that were lying around. Painted paper flowers from another project and some diecuts I had done a while ago.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Scrapbook Boutique where they have this gorgeous inspiration pic.



At CASology the cue card is Garden.


I used snippets for the pink window and blind, so I'm visiting the playground again at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Materials used: Poppystamps window and flower box dies; distress inks; Craft Queen paper flowers painted with twinkling H2O's; Martha Stewart branch punch; Mpress fan border die; Sizzix brick embossing folder; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Yellow Birthday Flower

I'm still enjoying getting inky so have made a few more cards while I had the distress inks out.

I finally worked out a way to use my mini tattered flower dies in my cuttlebug. I've written down the sandwich that lets it fit through easily and still cuts well! It needs 3 cardboard shims so I've labelled them so they don't accidentally get tossed out.

The centre is a little paper flower that I bought from Craft Queen years ago, painted with twinkling H2O's.

I've used snippets of watercolor paper for the petals and spritzed them with home made gold perfect pearls. It's a bit hard to see the sheen in the photo. The stem is from my offcuts, I save some of the little strips that I trim from cardstock! Need to talk to someone about that obsession!!

I'm visiting the snippets playground again at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

At Inkspirational there's a sketch challenge.

'

I hope I haven't varied the sketch too much. My card halves are straight, not on the diagonal and I've moved the flower to 1 end rather than the middle.

Addicted to Stamps & More has an anything goes challenge theme.

I'm joining in for the first time at Time Out Challenges. They have a birthday theme with the optional twist of being masculine.

At Seize the Birthday, it's a birthday theme with an optional topping of white on white.

Materials used: Mini tattered flower die; distress inks; Petal Pleasures embossing folder; Memory Box leaves die; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Golden peacock

Hi, I decided to try another peacock with gold embossing this time.

I used the same technique as last time and blended distress inks over the embossed image,

then added some twinkling H2O's to the tail feathers.

I used some snippets of black and gold in my layers so I'm popping into the snippets playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

I''m slipping a 2nd entry into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is winged things, and also into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is animal antics.

Materials used: Inkadinkadoo stamp; gold ink and embossing powder; distress inks; twinkling H2O's.

Enjoy the rest of the Easter break and thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Inky peacock

Hi, I hope everyone is having a relaxing Easter break. I've been catching up on sleep and housework!

I bought this stamp a little while ago as I've always been fascinated by peacocks.

I'm going to link up to a few challenges.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge has a winged things challenge, while at 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the theme is animal antics.

At Addicted to Stamps & More the theme is anything goes.
At Allsorts Challenge Blog the theme is birds and feathers.

Materials used: Inkadinkadoo stamp; gold versacolor ink; Jade pearl lustre embossing powder; distress inks; twinkling H2O's.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Stencilled fern fronds

Hi everyone, hope your weekend has been a good one. We got some cattle work done today so that left me feeling quite productive!

I had a play with a new metal stencil and distress inks to create this panel. I sponged bundled sage in the background and dabbed peeled paint with a finger dauber.

I'm linking up to the challenge at Addicted to CAS where the code word is Far Away. 

 I'm sending this to a friend who's recovering from surgery. He lives about 7 hours drive away and  I can't get down to see him. I think the fern leaves look as if they're reaching out into the distance so look far away too.

At Virginia's View Challenge the theme is stencilling. Virginia has lots of links and amazing examples for inspiration.

The Card Concept has a butterfly theme with this gorgeous pic for inspiration.

I think this card fits the clean and simple category.

Materials used: Dreamweaver fern stencil; distress inks; Hero Arts Antique Engravings butterfly stamp; Inktense pencils; Memory Box butterfly delight die; blue vellum; sentiment sticker and bling.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Turquoise butterfly

Hi, I stamped and fussy cut some butterflies a while ago and I've been painting some with twinkling H2Os.

 I was  inspired by a few challenges.

  Less is More has a touch of turquoise as it's colour theme.

I mixed a couple of H2O pots to create as close to turquoise as I could get. 

At The Card Concept the theme is to use a butterfly. I think my card fits the clean and simple category.

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is celebrating their 5th year of challenges and the theme is happy birthday.

Seize the birthday is an anything goes birthday with the option of buttons and rhinestones as a topping.

At Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge, the theme is springtime at last and to use yellow in your project with a butterfly.

Materials used: Hero Arts butterfly stamp; Memory Box woodland branch & fresh foliage dies; flower punch; twinkling H2Os; bling and sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting, have a great week,

Cathy x

Hearts & Rose

I made this card for a friend at work who was celebrating, a wonderful milestone, her 40th wedding anniversary. Luckily it was handed to her so I didn't have to worry about postage with the rose embellishment.

I'm going to link up to the challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More where the theme is clean and simple.

I'm also linking  to the anything goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Materials used: Memory Box La Rue heart die; shimmer paper; Stately embossing folder; rose from Inspired by Stamping; sentiment sticker and bling.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Peony revamp

I tried another vilene peony with a slightly different design as I still wasn't happy with the final card I made here.

I also revamped the wedding card by repositioning the flower slightly lower and adding another word to the sentiment.

 I like the balance a lot better now.

Have a great week,

Cathy x

Birthday VW

I stamped and fussy cut this image ages ago and decided to do something with it today.

I used Prismacolor pencils and the gamsol technique to colour it.

We used to have an old VW this colour when my boys were babies. It was too difficult to get 2 kids into child seats in the back so we had to sell it. I remember it fondly though and since I usually smile when I see a VW I'm going to link up to the challenge at Cuttlebug Mania where the theme is "to make us smile". Hope I'm not stretching the things too far!

At Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge the theme is anything goes.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the team is celebrating their 5th year of challenges and want to see happy birthday creations.

I'm also linking to a couple of  challenges that are new to me.

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge, where the theme is all about travel, and

The Crafting Cafe where it's one for the boys.

Edited to add: I'm also linking to Paper Crafting Challenge, where the current theme is masculine, thanks for the info Kimberly :)

Materials used:

Stamps: Deep Red VW; Art Impressions aged to perfection.

Embossing Folders: Tiny Bubbles  & Heavy Duty.

Birthday sentiment sticker from stash.

Thanks for visiting, 

Cathy x

Wedding Peony

Hi, it's been one of those weeks where I get stuck on every thing I do in the craft room!

Hubby advised me to just put it all away and start again, so here we go LOL!

I wanted to join in the challenge at Inkspirational where the theme is to CASE (copy & share everything) one of Sandie's cards, from her blog London Days. I chose this one, isn't it stunning!

Sandie's card

I don't have any lacy or silk flowers so I was inspired to try some interfacing (vilene I think it's called) for my peony base by this card at Norine's blog. She used cheesecloth, which I didn't have either!

I cut another base from white shimmer paper and popped it underneath and used that for the top outline too.

I'm also linking up to the  

 Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, the theme is anything goes.

I cut my scrolls from snippets of silver shimmer paper, so I'm popping over to the snippets playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Materials used: Memory Box lovely peony base & outline, and elegant scrollwork dies; Papertrey ink impression plate; shimmer papers; bling and sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy the rest of your weekend, 

Cathy x