New Craft Space and a Butterfly

Hello Monday!

We're very excited because tomorrow our niece arrives from the UK for a holiday.
This has brought on a spot of  Spring cleaning (starting early).  She'll be staying in our dining room, so we'll have to eat in the family room, which means I've relocated all my crafting supplies to the study upstairs.  I can't stay there all year around, because it gets way too hot for me and the supplies!
I quite like the space I've created, because it's warm and light in the morning. I create better when I don't have other people hovering. The only drawback is the wi-fi doesn't work upstairs, but I have a tech man coming in a couple of weeks.

I finished all the cleaning this morning and thought I'd break myself in to my new surroundings by making a simple card.  This card was inspired by the Scrapbook Boutique challenge.

First of all, I must comment on the weird shadow on the card - it isn't a mistake on the card.
The embossing folder is a cheap import - great bargain!
The butterfly image is from Penny Black. I used distress markers directly on to the stamp and then when dry, fussy cut and covered it with Wink of Stellar for added shimmer.
The sentiment is from Altenew and stamped with Memento Luxe ink.

Double Celebration!

Wow! I'm so excited to be sharing 2 exciting pieces of news!

Firstly, I have been invited to join the Design Team of a very fun new challenge, which is launching in July.  It is called The Mixed Media Challenge and it is the brain-child of Shery Russ, the owner of Stamplorations.

I'm really looking forward to being part of this new challenge, because I often have the urge to try out new techniques and media and get really messy! But if your style is CAS  and you think Mixed Media isn't for you, then think again.  You can actually create a Mixed Media card without getting too  messy. In fact one of my new teamies - Maria F of Reisling Mama has invented a new term for this type of creating - Cassy (CAS with messy fingers). Check out an example here.

I created a card today to celebrate and say thank you for making me part of such a amazing design team!

I masked off the edge of the water colour paper with masking fluid and also flicked a few drops in the centre. When it was dry,  I created a wash with watercolour paint and H20s.  Then I removed the masking fluid and  stamped some text and music in the background  in pink and blue for some depth and interest.  The bird and foliage are stamped with versafine onyx black. All the stamps are from Pink Paislee.  To finish it off, I added a bit more splatter with the paint, the sentiment and the sequins. I distressed the edges of the watercolour paper and mounted it on a black base card.

I hope you will get out your stencil, maybe some embossing paste, inks, paints or whatever makes you happy and join in the fun at the Mixed Media Challenge - the first challenge is on 01 July.

My other amazing news is that I was one of the lucky winners in the Winnie & Walter Playdate #2! So I will be guest designing (eek!) next month!!  Isn't it lucky I bought all of those W&W stamps for my retail therapy when I got shingles!!!

Casing Pamela Week 3

Hello, hello! I've had a little bit of of a mojo problem this week, so I haven't completed any cards until now, although I have a lot of things in my scrap box, to be possibly used in to future projects.

This card is for  the Case Study Challenge #196 . It's Pamela's third week as Muse and we had a really fun card to case.

I've use a very old stamp from Stamp It - it's my favourite cat stamp.  I had to do a bit of fussy cutting and re-arranging, because as you can see by the photo below, the tail is actually hanging below and I wanted to have the balloon attached to it.  The stamp I used to give the grass some texture is from Christy Tomlinson. The ballon die is from Penny Black.

Looking at it now, I wish I'd added some machine stitching - but it's too late!

More Runway Inspired fun!

Yesterday I made this card for the Runway Inspired challenge #62 and I said it was the first in a series of three. Well this is the second card.

The birds were cut with Silhouette Cameo and then I inked and embossed with the Allison Ellis Sparkle n Soft  ( I used a hot set powder).
The sentiment is from CAS-ual Friday and I've used Memento Luxe ink. I thought about adding more bling, but decided to emboss the border instead.

PS: My house is now decorated in in blue glitter! Although it does 

More Gelliplate Play

Yesterday I had a bit of a play again with my Gelliplate. I have so much to learn - it's all about experimentation and happy accidents at the moment!

I am entering the following card in the Mixed Media DT Call Challenge.

I think I should have taken some photos, because I've just realised I can't remeber the steps I took with this. I think I rolled out the yellow, white and pink paint and took a print. Then I used the blue with a Heidi Swapp stencil* and took the first print on scrap paper , then removed the stencil and placed the first card back on for a second 'pull'.  I hope this makes sense.  I suggest anyone wanting to know more, goes to Youtube for a Gelliplate tutorial.
  I'm still on a tag kick, so I die-cut the gelliplate design with a Penny Black die.

*thanks to Joy Taylor for the great stencil - another gift from the craft retreat.

And Another Tag....

This might be the last one! This is for Virginia's View Tag And Scrapplings Challenge. I you want to join in - then HURRY!

In case you haven't heard about this challenge, the twist is to recycle something.
This tag is recycled from the rejects of homework for the Online Watercolour Class.
I actually made a mistake, whilst embossing this sentiment. I picked up the wrong embossing powder - I used clear by mistake. I decided to still heat it and then added the silver on top. I was surprised that it still came out ok.
The chain is off a shop tag and so is the peace charm.

Recycling and Playing Tag

I see that the deadline for Virginia's View challenge #4 - Tags & Scrapplings (with a recycled element) is drawing near, so the race is on to use up some more of my leftover bits and bobs!

I have 2 more tags for you today, but first I want to show you some of my 'scraps'.

Sometimes I practise a technique or try out a new tool, like stencils or gelliplate, without any card or challenge in mind and then they end up in a box. Every now and then, I browse through these items and die cut tags for future use. I really think most things look better when die-cut. 

This is my box of die-cut butterflies - the ones that didn't end up on cards - it just makes me feel happy to look through this box sometimes.

So here are my next 2 tags..

This tag was made with a stencil and distress inks. The butterfly was recycled from my box and sponged on the back with matching distress ink. The jute is also recycled from a flower arrangement.

This tag was die-cut from a reject, I ended up using different colours.

The butterfly stamp is from Penny Black and the sentiment is from CAS-ual Friday.

The epoxy dots are recycled of an old card and I've used more of the jute.

A Record!

Yes, this has to be a record! Well, for me anyway.  Three posts within a couple of hours!

This card is one of a series of 3 (I think). I found this file on Silhouette and thought it would be perfect for the Runway Inspired challenge. Have you seen this week' inspiration? It's beautiful! So I cut the swallows, which left me with a negative. I have used the negative as a stencil to make this card.
Can you guess what my other cards might be?

I used Chipped Sapphire distress ink to sponge the birds and the sentiment is from another
Cas-ual Friday set. 
I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stencil it!

Casing pamela Week 2/Take 2 and Another NBUS

Yes!  I know! Two posts within an hour! I went back to make another card for the Case Study challenge, because I wanted to go back to my original idea.

You should have seen me lying on the grass taking this photo, with 2 dogs on top of me!!!
I used the same sentiment, from CAS-ual Friday (Wonderful  Words), as the last card and this time I broke out another NBUS from Penny Black. I have been dying to use this stamp and I'm not sure why I haven't until now!
The sentiment is embossed in white and the PB Softly is black embossed and then coloured with prisma colour pencils. I added the white hi-lights (Kathy Raconsin style) for a bit more pop.

Since I've used a NBUS stamp I have another entry for Darnell's fun challenge!

I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Monday Anything Goes Challenge.

Case Study Challenge - Casing Pamela Week 2

Hello again! I've made a card for the Case Study Challenge. A strange thing happened when I was making this card - it started out as a CAS, tidy, possibly elegant card, but the left side of my brain took over and well, this is the result!

I hope you can see where I got my inspiration - the big sentiment in the middle, a bit of masking  and where Pamela got the pop of white, well I got a pop of colour!
The stamp set is new to me - CAS-ual Friday - Wonderful words.

I would also like to enter this in Darnell's challenge, which is celebrating her 500th follower (I think she may be close to 600 now!).

I can also enter the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge , which is Anything Goes.

And Another Tag!

I'm using up more of my leftover bits and pieces and have made another tag for the challenge at Virginia's View.  Don't you just love using your rejects and making something pretty?!!!

I used a Journal card to make the tag and embossed it with a cheapie embossing folder. The bird cage is a cut from a Tim Holtz  die as is the bird.  I used various pieces of washi tape on the bird.  Both of these were leftover from the Gallery Idol round 1 - I went with smaller birds on a branch instead. but this bird was to pretty to throw away!  The sentiment is from Walter & Winnie.

I will also enter this in the Simon Says Monday Anything Goes challenge.

Tag Time!

Hi, just a quick post, because I have so much to do!

This tag was created for the Virginia's View  challenge #4 Tag and Scraplings challenge.

I have mentioned before that I love blue and white, especially with these types of stamps, because it reminds me of blue and white china.
The stamps are from Kaisercraft. I actually stamp this a long tome ago, but didn't use it, so I guess it is a scrapling. The charm is off an old, unwanted bracelet of my daughters. 

I"m also linking this to the Simon Says Monday Challenge which is Anything Goes
this week.

One more for W & W Playdate #2

The deadline is nearly here for the Winnie & Walter Playdate #2 and I've had so much fun playing with my new stamp sets! I wanted to use the the Picture Perfect stamp set which I hadn't yet inked up.

I stamped the super cool camera on patterned paper. My first thought was to paper piece, but then I decided to have the picture coming out of the slot. I've used Picture Perfect, The Big, the bold and the You and the Big, the bold and Extras in the making of this card! 

Another Mixed Media Card

Today I decided to make another card for the Mixed Media Challenge DT call.

I've made this texture paste panel one day when I was just playing with my stencils and texture paste and I thought now would be a good time to turn it in to a card!

Oh and because I have never used this stencil and the stamp before, I can also enter this card in Darnell's NBUS challenge.

I started with a piece of white card stock and used the leaf stencil and texture paste to create the texture.
Next I wiped pan Pastel over the entire panel and then hi-lighted the leaves with  distress marker. I spritzed the panel and zapped it with a heat gun. I was going for a grunge look! Then I stamped the brand new sentiment from CAS-ual Friday with Memento Luxe ink and swiped the edges of the panel with panpastel. To finish off,  I added the embossed bird,  punched confetti and twine.
PS: In case you can't tell, the bird and base card are a very dark navy (not black). I really love this colour combo!

ETA: Lyndal just reminded me about the Simon Says Wednesday challenge - stencil it - so I shall think up there as well.
Also linking to Simon Says Monday Challenge which is Anything Goes.

And guess what? the theme at City Crafter challenge is 'It's for the Birds!' - so I shall enter this card!

Celebrate today!

Happy Sunday! It seems I can't get enough of my Winnie & Walter stamps, so I made yet another card for the Playdate #2.

This bird die from Poppy Stamps is so elegant and I love decorating it in different ways. So I have stamped the rose from The Big, the bold and Extras, then heat embossed  and coloured with distress inks. The background was painted with distress inks as well. The sentiment and leaves are from the same stamp set.
ETA: I'm entering my card in the City Crafter Challenge - the theme is 'It's for the birds!'

Playdate # 2 Take 3!!!!

Yes, here I am again!  I am making the most of my sudden burst of creativity and have made another card for the Winnie & Walter Playdate #2.


I have used softer colours this time, which is actually not my normal style, but I wanted to white emboss for a different look and since I used canvas card I thought gelatos would be the perfect medium.

Another W & W/ Mixed Media Challenge DT Call

Yes I'm on a roll! I went through my box of half-done bits and pieces and found this panel which I had created with stencils, during the online stencil class and thought it would be a good background for the Playdate #2 at Winnie & Walter.

Once again I have used the sentiments from The Big, the bold and the You set. It is really easy to create a personalised card with all the little words in the W&W sets.
I wasn't sure how to add the green to this card, but in the end I was happy with my mix of colours.

I have also discovered a new challenge - The Mixed Media Challenge and they have a design Team call, so I would like to submit this card.
I have used distress inks inks with stencils on watercolour paper, I've stitched the border, stamped and embossed the sentiments, die-cut the leaves and coloured with gelatos and topped with a die-cut butterfly from glitter paper and gems.

I've just been advised about another challenge called Paper Crafting Challenge which has a Stencil theme (thanks Kimberley) so I'm linking up this card.

And as luck would have it, SSS Wednesday challenge also have a stencil theme so I shall also link up there.

Winnie & Walter Playdate #2 Take #2

I'm still having fun with my new stamps from Winnie & Walter - I just LOVE them! Today I made another card for the Playdate#2 challenge and here it is ...

The stamp sets I have used are The Big, the  Bold and You,  Scenery: Big Bang Bling and The Big, the bold and the extra.
I have used Simon Says and hero Arts inks for the images and Versafine OnOnyx Black for the sentiments.

Gelliplate Play

Today I should be going to check out the house where our dogs will stay when we go to Queensland for a week next month. But after driving my 2 kids around this morning, I was too tired to contemplate another couple of hours driving, so instead I thought I would have a bit of fun with my gelliplate.

About 6 months ago I decided I just had to have a Gelliplate, but when I got it, for some reason I was a bit intimidated and couldn't take that first step. However,  when I saw that my bloggy friend Darnell from djkardkreations was having a very special celebration, I decided that this was the impetus I needed to break out the paints and go for it! Can you believe it?  Darnell is celebrating 500 followers of her blog. Actually, it doesn't surprise me, Darnell is such a funny, kind and entertaining person and a fabulous artist as well! It was Darnell who invented the clever acronym - NBUS - and if you're a card maker you know what that means! So that is what Darnell has challenged us to do - break out something we have in our stash that has never before been used.

I really enjoyed making this. It's so much fun to just experiment with no pressure and expectations. To begin with I used stencils and made a few prints - you can see some examples below in the photo of the tags. Then I decided I might try a mask instead and this card is the result.As it happens, the moons have aligned and Simon Says Monday challenge is to use paint, so my card fits their challenge too!

There is only one problem and that is the terrible mess I have made in the process!

This is just part of it! I think I will have to work out a system!