Butterfly kisses

• Mama elephant- butterfly kisses
• Lawn fawn- thank you borders
• Watercolour cardstock
• Archival 'jet black'ink pad
• Zig clean Colorado real brush markers (052,023,021,045,041,068)
• Tim holtz 'worn lipstick & tumbled glass' distress ink pad
• Wink of Stella 'clear' glitter brush marker
• 4x6" card blank

I stamped and watercoloured my floral and butterfly images. I cut these out using the coordinating dies. 

I die cut the sentiment twice from black and a third time using cardstock that I coloured using the pink ink pad. (You could also use the watercolor marker instead). I glued these on top of each other to add dimension. 

I used the sketch as inspiration to add a bit of blue ink to the card blank, creating a soft circle. I glued all the elements on to the card blank following the sketch. I used foam on the outer edges of the butterfly wings and glued flat in the centre to add extra dimension. To finish the card I addded a bit of sparkle detail to the wings, sentiment and flower centers.

 

 Mx

I would like to enter:

freshly made sketches #329 

simon Wednesday says 'floral frenzy'

Butterflies

• SU!- butterflies thinlit die
• SU!- cottage greetings
• Wilted violet distress ink pad & aubergine dream pixie powders
• Peacock feathers distress ink pad & teal wash pixie powders
• Fossilized amber distress ink pad & straw yellow pixie powders
• Watercolour cardstock
• White glitter cardstock
• 4x6" card blanks

I used a combination of ink and pixie powder on watercolour cardstock to create three different coloured backgrounds. I squished ink onto my palette and diluted with some water. I brushed this onto the cardstock, sprayed with more water and added a sprinkle of powder. I blotted the excess water and paint at the edges, before drying with a heat tool for speed. I then used distress inks to stamp a sentiment onto each background. I also coloured the outer edges of the card blanks to coordinate, using blending foam and the distress ink pads. For the main feature, I die cut butterflies from glitter cardstock. Finally, I layered each of the backgrounds onto the card blanks then glued the butterflies in position.

I would like to enter the following challenge:
Paper players - cas butterfly

Mx

With sympathy

• W plus 9- beautiful bouquets:mums
• Avery elle- with sympathy die
• Dealer Rowney-aqua fine smooth watercolour cardstock
• Archival 'jet​ black' ink pad
• SU! 'tangerine tango, real red, pear pizzazz, tempting turquoise' ink pads
• Kraft cardstock

I cut a mat of watercolour cardstock to fit my card blank, leaving a slight border. I stamped my floral image over to the side of the card. I watercoloured using the ink pads, then attached to my card blank. I die cut the sentiment from Kraft cardstock 4 times and layered them up, before adding on to the card. This is a simple but pretty card with a little dimension on the sentiment. Although the colour palette is brighter than I would normally choose for a sympathy card, I think it creates a more modern look.

Mx

I would like to enter:

The paper players #344 colour challenge

All the best ...

• Concord & 9th- hello lovely
• LOTV- handwritten phrases (set 25)
• Daler Rowney- Aqua fine watercolour cardstock
• Archival 'jet black' ink​ pad
• Zig clean color real brush markers-082,050,052,033,043,046,044,075
• Sequins

I stamped the image onto a mat of watercolour cardstock. I then water coloured the image using my brush markers. I stamped the sentiment in position. I then created a simple mat and layer onto the card blank with pink cardstock, before adding a scatter of sequins to complete.

 

Mx

Bella & friends

• SU!- Bella & friends
• W plus 9- unforgettable (sentiment)
• Archival 'jet black' ink pad
• Daler&rowney- aquafine smooth watercolour cardstock
• Zig clean color real brush markers- 068,032,047,020,050 & 036
• Kraft 5x7" card blank

I cut a mat of white card to fit on my card blank. I then stamped my image and water coloured with my brush markers, including a small haze of blue around them for sky. I stamped my sentiment and glued the mat to the card to finish.

 

Mx

 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

case this sketch #213

ribbon girl 'use any image' challenge

50!!

 

• MDF/ laser cut wooden shape
• melody ross- homespun chic 12x12" paper pad
• studio paint and brushes
• anna marie designs- flowers etc
• pink ribbon
• scrabble tiles (travel edition)

 

I painted the edges and the base with brown paint. I covered the front and back of the '50' with patterned paper. I placed the 50 into the base. I then created arrangements of fibres and flowers for decoration, which I secured in place with hot glue. I also added 'mum' in small scrabble tiles using the hot glue gun. I finished it with a ribbon around the base and tied it in a bow, then added another bow onto the corner arrangement.

 

Mx

 

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Simon Wednesday says 'anything but a card'

shoe perfect...

 

• Do crafts artiste acrylic paint - iris & metallic silver
• Studio paint - charcoal black
• Tim holtz 'terminology' tissue wrap
• Anna Marie designs - flowers & embellishments
• Black satin ribbon

I covered the mdf shoe blanks with tissue wrap. I then coated them with the lilac paint. I drew the line to create the platform area and painted below the line with silver edged. I edged this with a black line of paint, ensuring it lined through on all sides when the pieces were assembled. To complete, I tied bows and created an arrangement of flowers, then used hot glue to secure them in place.

 

As this was made as a gift, I created a box for it using black cardstock and two sheets of acetate. Once opened, it can be used to display cards and hold photos, or just placed out on display as home décor.

 

Mx

 

challenge I would like to enter:

simon Wednesday says 'gift it'

butterfly box...

reverse of tag

• Purple and white cardstock
• SU! spring flowers embossing folder
• SU! butterflies thinlits
• SU! made for you & Christmas wishes stamps
• Sizzix scalloped circle dies

I love making gift packaging, I think it makes receiving that bit more special. I made a simple gift box and a tag to coordinate and finished it with some bakers twine to secure the tag.

 

I also handmade the gifts for my special friend. I wood block printed a tote bag using a butterfly design block and purple fabric paint. I also painted this mdf heart, click here to find out how I made this!!

 

  

Mx 

I would like to enter the following challenge:
Simon Wednesday says 'gift it'

friendly butterfly

front





reverse

• Heart shaped MDF blank
• tim holtz tissue wrap- terminology
• Claudine hellmuth studio paints and brushes
• stampendous- jumbo butterfly trio
• dreamees sentiment stamp
• some lilac ribbon

I created this door hanger by covering the mdf shape with the tissue using ranger matt medium. I then painted a layer of cream over the tissue and sponged some lilac paint around the edges. I stamped the sentiment and images with archival ink. I then painted the butterflies in lilac. I relined all of the black lines, with black paint for a crisp bold image. The final touch was some ribbon tied in a bow on either side with a loop to act as the hanger. 

 

Mx

 

I would like to enter the following challenge:

Simon Wednesday says 'gift it'

 

quick and beautiful...

• W plus 9- beautiful bouquets: ranunculus 
• SU!- express yourself 
• SU! Ink pads- melon mambo, daffodil delight, rich razzleberry, old olive & Bermuda bay
• Lawn fawn- large stitched rectangle dies
• Daler & Rowney- Aqua fine smooth watercolour cardstock 
• Archival 'jet black' ink pad

I was in a rush when I made this card so did a little speed watercolor. I diecut a piece of watercolour cardstock and masked off a section to stamp inside. I stamped the floral image once then masked that off and stamped it again. I removed the mask over the flowers but left the tape lines on to protect the edges. I water coloured the panel then removed the masking tape. I stamped a sentiment under the panel and glued my watercolour card to the front of a card blank to finish. 

Mx

Challenge I would like to enter:
Paper players #304

Birthday dahlias...

• W plus 9- beautiful bouquets:dahlias
• Lawn fawn- large stitched rectangle stackables 
• My favourite things- brush stroke birthday greeting die-namics
• SU! Ink pads- blushing bride, so saffron, old olive and pool party
• Daler Rowney- Aqua fine smooth cardstock 
• Kraft card blank 
• Black and Kraft cardstock 

I die cut my cardstock panel to fit the front of my card and stamped my floral images. I taped my panel onto a board to hold it flat while I water coloured it using stampin up ink pads. I die cut my sentiment, twice from black cardstock and once from Kraft card. I glued both black layers together and added the Kraft layer on top but slightly off set this to create a shadow. I glued my card panel onto the card blank and added the sentiment to the centre to complete my card.

Mx

challenge I would like to enter:
colour Q: #350

Birthday Blooms

• lawn fawn- stiched stackables cuts (large squares & small ovals)
• SU!- birthday blooms
• daler rowney- aqua fine smooth watercolour 140lb cardstock
• archival 'sepia' ink pad
• SU! subtles collection ink pads (pear pizzazz, so saffron, wisteria wonder, pink pirouette & blushing bride)

 

I die cut the panel from water colour cardstock and stamped the floral image in the two opposite corners. I used my ink pads to watercolour the flowers and add some colour to the background. I left a diagonal panel without colour to do the sketch. I stamped and die cut my sentiment and inked the outer edge with brown ink. I stuck the large panel straight onto the card, then used foam to add some dimension to the sentiment.

 

Mx

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
The paper players - colour challenge #294
sketch Saturday #411

baby love !!

• LOTV- 'baby with bunny' & 'rocking horse' stamps
• SU! 'simply wonderful' sentiment stamp
• mdf heart shape from the mdf man
• tim holtz tissue wrap- terminologie
• Claudine hellmuth studio paints and brushes
• docrafts artiste- flesh
• golden gel medium

to make this heart hanging decoration, i first painted it cream. I covered my mdf blank with the tissue wrap, then painted another coat of cream over the top. i used brown paint on a sponge to distress the edges. i stamped my chosen images and used the studio paints to colour them. i use a fine brush to do the black outline and details, to give a neater finish as most of the detail is lost during painting the colours. i threaded a ribbon through the hole at the top and tied a couple of bows to finish.

Mx

off the page crafting !!

since I haven't been blogging much whilst we have had builders in at home, I thought I would share what I have been doing. I haven't been able to craft much, so I kept busy with some upcycling and home décor projects ...

 I bought this chest of drawers and a matching dressing table (I forgot the take a 'before' picture of that). although it was painted a lovely grey colour, it didn't match the colour scheme for my bedroom. I decided to paint it using autentico chalk paint in rose, finished using their clear wax sealer. the paint went on easy and the furniture needed very little prep, just be aware that it does dry very quickly!! this is how they turned out...

i had been wanting my granddad's old bedside cabinet, so I asked my nana if I could have it... it took a little persuading but she gave me it with pleasure in the end. I sanded it down as there were a few little chips (which I fillered) and it had a polished surface.  I then painted it to match and added a matching knob. I also lined the shelf and cupboard using some pretty wallpaper. I think it looks great now and means so much more because it was my granddad's...

after sanding



after painting

I had bought some vintage lace cheap from an antiques fair, that my dad took us too. I used it as a simple way to add detail to a pair of old bedside lamps. I marked in pencil where I wanted my trim to be and used fabric glue to stick the lace on to them ...



before



after

 I also did the same to a cream lamp shade (from argos).

I'm pretty pleased with how my upcycling has turned out, adding some crafty touches to my new room. I must say a big thank you to my dad for helping me with my projects. I hope you have been inspired to have fun customizing some pieces too!!

Mx