Ideas of summer

What can you do on a wet and windy day but stay in and create a butterfly card? Hopefully conjuring up images of summer. 


The current Butterfly Challenge is G for Glossy Accents and/or the colour slate blue.

I started by picking out this paper which I considered to be slate blue. Then I tried to match the inks I used to the paper.

 They turned out the be nothing like it but, by using a green frame, I think linked it all together. 

I stamped the wreath using various tiny stamps and then winked the butterflies and the centres of the flowers. 

The frame is green though it looks a bit blue here. I wish I'd left off the second butterflies but it's there now. 
Finally, I cut some tiny flowers, coloured them silver and glossied them up. That idea goes to Mrs A. Thank you very much. While they were drying, I managed to get them stuck on things not once but twice. Usually I pop things on the windowsil out of the way. 

As you can see, it suddenly says 'thank you' now. I was going to leave it blank as my brain was aching and I wasn't sure how to add a greeting. Then it came to me so here it is:
 

 I'm going to run over to Pixie's Snippets Playground, too, as I've used a few snippets. I only used the green as it was lying around having failed on another project.

I've used:
MME paper
Stamps - Card-io, JustRite, Stamplorations, Kaisercraft. I can let you
details on any particular stamp.
Tonic circle die
Tattered Lace (I think) flower die 
Inks- Mountain rose, Forest moss, Lake mist

CCT - March sketch

No posts from me for ages then two come along at once!

This week at Christmas Card Throwdown we have a sketch challenge for you. 
 

It's a lovely versatile sketch which I'm sure will be interpreted in many different and clever ways. My original thought was washi tape but then I went in another direction so you can have that idea. (You're welcome).

I've used some paper which came in a goody bag from a show. It has rather odd purple swirls on what should be the front but the back is this lovey cream colour with speckles and a tiny amount of glitter.
I stamped the design then cut the ric-rac edge and slipped a bit of red paper underneath so show off the curves. 
I also coloured the ribbon slightly with pro-marker to darken it. I tried the ink pad but is just made it mucky in this case. I washed it out then I had to get out my hair straighteners to smooth out the creases. Top tip for quickly smoothing ribbon.
I love the red on the cream and the whole card in general, really. 
I hope you'll feel inspired to get creative with this sketch and get ahead on your Christmas cards. You have two weeks for the challenge.

I've used:
All stamps are Inky Doodles apart from the sentiment which is from Creative Stamping #35
Cranberry ink pad
Scraps of ribbon and a brad found lying around

Going dotty

I've got so many projects on the go just now, I've had very little time for crafting. Also very few birthdays or occasions. 

Less is More are having a birthday month and I really wanted to join in. Due to all the busyness I 've left it almost to the last day! Anyway Happy Birthday and thanks so much for all the amazing inspiration. 
This week it's a sketch:

This is not the card I set out to make but that is often the case, isn't it?

I cut out a circle, stamped a dotty background and gave a very slight inking around the edge. I knew I had some dotty ribbon, it turned out to be a bit too pink so I inked that as well and threaded it through the button.
New dies had just popped through the letterbox so I thought I'd have a go with them. I cut out 'happy birthday' then thought it looked good in white against the card. I'd meant to colour it really. So I cut out some more and lined them up accross the card. 
Easier said than done! They are straight, I assure you.

I'm not really sure how much I like it but I hope you do.

I'm also hopping over to Pixie's Snippets Playground where they will have forgotten what I look like. I've made a tiny dent in the white snippets mountain.

I've used:
Leane creatief flower die
Tonic circle die
Dove craft dotty paper - snippet
Snippet of dotty ribbon
Nameless sentiment die
Personal Impressions dotty stamp 
Lulu lavender ink

CCT technique challenge - sunburst/starburst

Here is our new challenge for you at Christmas Card Throwdown. Once you get over the shock of making cards out of season, it really is fun to make a stack of cards throughout the year and certainly takes the stress out of it. 

The challenge is to use the sunburst/starburst technique. This was new to me but turns out to be very simple. You basically cut strips about 4" long and maybe an inch to inch and half wide, then cut them into long triangles diagonally. It doesn't even have to be accurate. Bonus. Accuracy is not one of my talents.
I have a paper pad which has papers and matching transparent sheets. It's not vellum, it's thicker and less forgiving. I decided that it would be fun to use this as the card would then look pretty with the light showing through. 

What I've learnt: 1. Don't try to be too clever.
                          2. Think it through before you start. 

I cut the strips as directed on the videos I'd watched. When I put it all together I realised that the triangles were not joined together along their long sides. Therefore, even with a frame it was gappy and not rigid. So that went in the bin. (Normally you would glue down onto a base card)

Hmm, didn't think that through.

 I started again with a rectangle of the transparent stuff and glued the other paper on to that so I had a solid base. Much better. 
Except that it won't flatten however long I leave it under a book. Glueing has warped the transparent sheet. Maybe if I leave it in a book for the next 10 months?
 
Here it is with the light behind, so that idea did work:

I'm not sure why I didn't just stick to something simple but once I'd had the idea that was it.

Do join in with us. The sunburst technique is not nearly as complicated as I imagined and there are numerous videos on The You Tube. Here is one. If you have a stash of Christmas papers to use, this technique is for you.
You have two weeks to join in the fun. 

Cosy up

Here is another card I made for the Christmas Card Throwdown challenge 

 Afterwards I wasn't sure why I had chosen blue. Perhaps in red or green it would have looked more like a Christmas card. It would be a fun winter birthday card, if I hadn't stamped 'Happy Christmas' on the inside.

However, I love the knitted background. It is one stamp repeated to cover the area and coloured in. I deliberately left it a bit patchy to look like knitting.

I actually made this card befor last week's offering but wasn't sure about it so I had another go. It's growing on me, though, I like the warm feel of it.

Hopefully it will make you feel warm and cosy.

  

You have one more week to join in with the challenge.  

I've used:

Stamps from Creative Stamping magazine #36 - knitted background, mug and sentiment

Xcut button dies

Blue pro-markers

Patterned paper

Brown brushos for the  hot chocolate

Wink of Stella on the gloves and sentiment. 

Saved it.

A quick post to show a card which nearly didn't make it. 
I started it a while ago but then it fell out of favour. Yesterday, I decided to finish it come what may!

It had gone wrong in various ways but I think I saved it. I'm not quite sure about the pink in the background flowers but here it is:
 

 I'm linking this the Mrs A's Butterfly challenge. The challenge is:

# 71 Butterflies + U is for Underneath

with the additional option of U is for the colour Umber.

 

I hope the umber is obvious. The sentiment is stamped under the front and the leaves are tucked under the flower. 

Also 'under' the glued on circle wreath is another stamped wreath which was horrible colours! I told you it had gone very wrong. 

The flower is cut out of some salvaged Christmas paper which I think is rather nice. I wish I saved more of it. The plain brown is the reverse of the striped side. 

So did I save it? 

Have a good crafty week. 

x

 

I've used:
Various Card-io, Hobby art and JustRite stamps
Leanecreatif flower and leaf die
Tonic circle dies
Craftwork cards candi coloured pink
Dovecraft alphabet stamps

CCT theme - drinks

How do you like my Christmas china? No I don't really have Christmas cups but if I did I might choose the pink ones here. 

This is my card for our new challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown. This time the theme is drinks. 

I found this stamp in my stash (nameless I'm afraid) so I decided do to a stack of cups. It did have it's fiddly moments as the stamp is a cup and saucer. I chose two papers and then stamped the cups. I've cut off most of the saucers and made a slit using a knife, for the next cup to slot into. 

I've been doing a bit here and there all day in between stripping wall paper so it wasn't too intense and neither was the decorating. (Guess what I'd rather be doing?)

The tea bag tags are not an original idea, I saw it on Pinterest. Cute though, I think.
I went right through all my hoard looking for the right small stamp to stamp on the tags. 
Even though I've used Christmas papers for the cups I wasn't sure it was very Christmassy so when in doubt add a bit of holly! 
It's mounted on another paper from the same pack so it's the same colour.

Do come and join us and get ahead with your Christmas cards. You have two weeks for the challenge.

 I'm also linking this to Merry Monday where the current theme is  The Magic # is 5!

I've obviously used 5 cups. I started with three but this is better.
 
I've used:
Docrafts paper which I've been hoarding for a while. 
Inky doodles heart stamp
Other stamps from Creative Stamper magazine.  
Glossy accents for the berries