Butterfly Love

The other day I say some very pretty butterflies in our front garden and I realised it's been a long time since I've seen them. It's probably because we had a cold Spring and now it's really hot.  Coincidently,
I finally received my new Penny Black Butterfly Trio stamps, so I decided to take a break from Christmas cards and this is the result.

I stamped the butterflies using Distress Espresso Ink and clear embossed it. Then I coloured them with Ripe Permisson, Candied Apple,  Fossilized Amber and Squeezed Lemonade Distress inks mixed with water. When it was dry, I painted clear gesso over the butterflies and then added the background wash.  To finish I added the Altenew sentiment, splattered some ink, swiped the edges with distress stain and mounted it on the card base. 

I am sharing this with the CAS Watercolour Challenge - the theme is to use 'resist', which I have done in 2 ways ( embossing and clear gesso).

Mixed Media Snowflakes

Yesterday I had an idea to use the left over negative space from some wooden snowflakes to make a stencil . I was planning to use texture paste, but it's been a while since I've used it and it had all dried up:( So after searching through my supplies box, I found some Titanium White structure paint and this is the result.

this is a picture of what I used ...

I used a tag from my stash, which already had a watercolour wash on it and then carefully applied the paint through the stencil and sprinkled glitter over it.  I  let it dry overnight and then added the rhinestones in the centre of the snowflakes. The sentiment is from Avery Elle and I used my handy ScaNcut to 'fussycut'.  There was a bit of paint on the back of the tag, so I decided to layer it with a dry embossed panel and black base card.

I would like to enter this in the Craft Stamper Take it, Make it Snow & Ice Themed  Challenge
and the City Crafter Challenge - Christmas Things that Float or Fly.

Let it Snow

It looks like all the challenges are going with an Ice or Snow theme at the moment, gearing up for a White Christmas! It definitely isn't snowing here, but it's not too hot either - actually it's a perfect late Spring day today.

This card almost ended up in the rubbish as I wasn't to happy with it, but then I spritzed a bit and let it dry and decided it would do!

I began by masking the background with some die cut trees and the slope and then stamped the trees and santa is his sleigh. then I sponged the background. Using a brush and water I softened the trees and then as I said, I spritzed it all with water.
I think it looks quite misty. Can you see the subtle white trees in the background? To finish I added the deer die cut, stamped the sentiment splattered some white paint and mounted it on a dark blue base card.

I am entering the following challenges.

Craft Stamper Take it, Make it - Snow & Ice theme
Simon Monday Challenge - Let there be Snow
City Crafter - Christmas Things that Float or Fly
CAS Mix it Up Challenge - Stamping+Sponging+ one other (paint )

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

This card is just a bit of fun! I found the cut file on Silhouette and thought it would be a good card for my darling Husband!

This is also a reminder for the Mixed Media Card Challenge. The theme this month is GOLD and the optional element is STARS.

I've used gold acrylic ink, Zig CCRB Markers, Green wink Of Stellar and Gansai Tambi Watercolour to create this card.

You still have plenty of time to join in the fun at the Mixed Media Card Challenge - the deadline is 25 December and you can link up your card here.

I'm entering this card in the CASology Challenge where the code word is 'BOW.

Wish you were here ...this Christmas!

I just realised that I never got around to sharing 2 cards I had published in the Craft Stamper Magazine (UK). It's my favourite magazine, because it mostly about stamping projects and is quite in depth.

This card is jetting it's way to my Parents -in-Law who live in Scotland, so we won't get to see them this Christmas.

I am entering the first card in the Simon Monday Challenge - Let there be SNOW.

Nativity Christmas Card

We're having a late Spring here in Melbourne, which is just perfect - I hate the heat, but it's nice to feel warm and see blue skies.

Today I decided to use a Stampendous stamp I bought a few months ago. I've never made a religious Christmas card before, but I feel this is such a beautiful and peaceful scene.

I've sponged the card with various distress inks and then spritzed with water. When dry I stamped the Nativity scene and the background text. I then coloured the halo,  added the gem for the star and matted the panel on black and white card.

I'm linking this up to Kylie's 12 Days of Christmas Card Challenge.

White on white Tag

Here is a very simple tag inspired by Day 9 of the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist, which featured tags by Sharon Harnist & Jean Manis.

The front die  and sentiment stamp is from a Lia Griffith set by Hero Arts. I die cut a circle to fit behind and dry embossed it. The pearls were coloured with gold paint.

I'm also entering the Simon Wednesday Challenge - ICE

'TIS the Season

I have been feeling very guilty about not using my Silhouette for so long, so I went through the library of purchases and found this cute cut file.

The window, tree and bird are part of the cut file and I chose to back it with paper from Kaisercraft.
The sentiment is also from Kaisercraft and I used a Tim Holtz die to cut the berries.


I am entering the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies (berries) and Kylie's Twelve Days of Christmas Card Challenge.

House Mouse Tag

Hi there Crafters! I am sharing yet another tag for the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist.

This one is inspired by Sandy Allnock, because I love her mouse. I used the colours and a Stampendous stamps I bought at a weak moment, because I don't usually do cute! My colouring is not brilliant, I am going back to try to create another one and get it better!!!

This is only half the image - he is pulling another mouse in a nut shell, but there's only room for one on the tag.
I coloured with Zig Markers and sponged with Distress ink. To add the green, I die cut the holly and instead of a stamped image, I dry embossed the border at the base of the tag.

 Check out Sandy's cute mouse!

Another Quick Tag

I just made another tag inspired by the amazing Jill Foster for the Ellen 
Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist.  Her tag is totally stunning and although I started out basing it loosely on her tag, it was my tag that ended up very loose!!!

I stamped and embossed the Penny Black image and then sponged on some distress inks and coloured the berries with Zig CCRB Markers and then I couldn't help myself - I spritzed and then I spritzed again!!! I let the colours pool and do what they wanted and then touched up the berries and stamped some snowflakes. To finish, I added the sentiment, the bird and some twine. It's definitely a Feminine tag!

This is Jill's amazing tag....

Honey Bear Christmas

Hi there. I have another tag to share, this time it's for the Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas (with a Feminine Twist).

The idea of this challenge is to create a tag inspired by one of the Feminine Twist tags, created by one of the 24 designers. I chose a tag made by Carly Tee Minner, which has colourful trees and a cute critter. I decided it was time to break out the Honey Bee stamps from The Ton, which I purchased earlier in the year. It really makes me happy!
So here it is...

The trees are from the Penny Black Prancer set, the sentiment, snow flakes and tag die are from
 Papertrey Ink  and the bear stamp from The Ton Stamps.

this is the tag I was inspired by:-

Penny Black Winter Song

I have a another watercolour card to share today. It's another Penny Black Stamp and such a pretty and peaceful scene.

I applied masking fluid to the birch trees and snow drops, with a few extra spots and then using Distress Inks and Memento Dye Inks I did a wash over the background.

I decided not to add a sentiment on the front, so it could be used for other occasions other than Christmas.

I'm entering the CAS Watercolour Challenge (Resist) and the Craft Stamper Take it, Make it Challenge (Snow & Ice theme).  Also the Simon Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge.
ETA: I'm also entering Kylie's 12 Days of Christmas Card Challenge.

3D Christmas

Hello there. It's another gorgeous late Spring day here in Melbourne and yet again I am making snowy scenes!

I haven't used my Silhouette for ages, so I decided I should make a gift.

After cutting the trees I inked them up and then embossed them with some pretty embossing powder I forgot I had! Then I added a bit of white embossing on the edges for snow. I stamped the deer from WPlus9 and added a Kaisercraft die. The Silhouette cutting files are designed by Ashbee Design - they have lots of similar designs, so you can make a sweet village.

I'm entering this in the Simon Monday Christmas Gifts Challenge, the Simon Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge and the Craft Stamper Take it, Make it Snow and Ice theme.

ETA: I'm entering the City Crafter Challenge - Christmas Tree.

Dashing through the Snow

It's starting to warm up here in Melbourne, but meanwhile I'm busy making Christmas cards about winter wonderland! I guess I'll be dreaming of a white christmas for a very long time!

Today I paired up some gorgeous stamps from Penny Black and Papertrey Ink, two of my favourite stamp companies. This is the result...

I stamped the border with the PB stamp from the Prancers set using Hero Arts soft sky shadow ink and
Stonewash Mid-tone. Then I stamped the trees and snowflakes with the same inks and also inked up the base card to match. Next I stamped and fussy cut the santa in sleigh image and sentiment from Papertrey Ink 'In the Meadow' set.
I amounted it all together and added the red rhinestone for a touch of bling!  

PS: I would just like to say again how much I love my MISTI stamping tool for this type of project, because I can stamp repeatedly until I get the right depth of colour with the dye inks and the solid image sometimes miss bits, so this makes it look so crisp and perfect!

I'm entering the Simon Monday Challenge - 'O' Christmas Tree and the Simon Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes and the Craft Stamper Take it, Make it Challenge (Take a Theme) Snow & Ice.

ETA: I'm also entering Kylie's 12 Days of Christmas Card Challenge.

Mixed Media Card Challenge

Hi there! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend, whether there is a chill in the air or sunshine like it is here.

I'm a few days late for the Mixed Media Card Challenge, but want to post my card now.
The theme this month is GOLD and the optional element is STAR, which I haven't included in this card.

Now at first glance, my card may not look like Mixed Media, but for the purposes of our challenge , a card that has stamps and inks PLUS at least any two other elements  is a Mixed Media card.

I stamped the image with Archival Jet Black and coloured the poinsettias and flames with Zig CCRB
Markers The candles were coloured with a pearlescent white Gansai Tambi and I went over the black sketchy bits with a black gel pen. I dry embossed the border and then added the gold glitter strip and die-cut sentiment. The gorgeous Christmas Candle stamp is from STAMPlorations and the word die is from Penny Black.

I hope you have time to play along with the Mixed Media Card Challenge this month - the deadline is 25 December and you can link up your card here as well as checking out the cards from the rest of our Design Team.

I am also entering the the Simon Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge and the Fusion Card Challenge - I was inspired by the picture with the candles.
Also entering the Stamplorations Anything Goes Never-ending Challenge and the STAMPlorations CAS Card Challenge Anything CAs Red & Green.

ETA I just remembered I meant to enter the Casology Challenge, where the Code word is  CANDLE and Inkspirational Challenge which is CAS with SPARKLE.