Alcohol Ink Butterfly

Here is another butterfly card! I can't help myself:)

This time I stamped the butterfly on the background and framed the image with a die cut. I would have made a shaker, but I stupidly used the wrong ink and was concerned it would end up an inky mess, so I just covered the Yupo with Acetate, before I added the frame.

I can't remember which brand of stamp this is. I'll hopefully work it out and add it later.
I used a mix of Pinata and Tim Holtz AI Inks on Yupo. The sentiment die is from SSS.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

****** Insects, Bugs, Bees and Butterflies ******

A Classic Birthday Rose

This is another card I made at our Craft Retreat in bright. We were all having fun making cards with these beautiful Altenew dies and I have definitely added them to my wishlist!

The die set is Altenew 'Fantasy Floral 3D Die Set'. I coloured the dies with Daniel Smith Watercolours, adding a bit of white Wink of Stellar. I am not sure why the green granulated, but I actully don't mind the textured look it gives. I learnt thath the white W of S becomes more opaque as it dries.  The background die is from Kaisercraft and I can't remember which set the sentiment is from, but I'm fairly sure it's from Altenew.  To finish I sponged the edges of the background panel with distress inks and added a few pearls.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Inspired by a song - The Rose

Inspired b y the pink blooms

Travel and Thrills

Here is a card I made for my daughter, who will be jetting off to Scotland in a few months for exchange.

The stamps are from Impression Obsession an I used Zig Markers, colouring directly on stamp and , spritzing and stamping.

I always have lots of thrills when I travel:)

Inspired by Talking Heads 'Road to Nowhere'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKE8K-VbkjA

Watercolour Sympathy

Whilst we were at our craft retreat, some of us decided to make sympathy cards, because when it comes to the time you really need one, it's not so easy to make. Also I find it more difficult to make masculine sympathy cards, so I challenged myself to make some.

The flower silhouette is from Hero Arts, but I forget the name of the set. I used distress inks on an acrylic block to make the background.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Just a Couple more Butterfly Cards!!!

Ok, I'll admit it! I'm a butterfly addict. So what do I do when I see a challenge with a butterfly theme?Yes, I make lots of cards! Lucky it's also a Twofer challenge:)

For this card I used Zig Markers, colouring straight on to the stamp, spritzing and stamping. I did this several times to get the variation of colour. Then I stamped again with versamark and clear embossed, so that when I added the yellow highlights the colours wouldn't blend and get muddy. So then I added the yellow, by brushing the marker on my Stamp board, adding water and painting directly on to the stamped image. Next I stamped the sentiment using the first method. The Zig Markers work well for this. Then I added a splatter, die cut the panel and mounted on black card. The butterfly is from Penny Black Trio of Butterflies and the sentiment is from Stamplorations. 

This is one of my favourite style of cards. CAS Vintage/Collage/Watercolour!!! I stamped the butterfly with Versafine Clair Twilight. It's such a beautiful alternative to black and this ink is amazing. I think it's my new fave for stamping. However, be warned, it is juicy and needs to be heat set before it is waterproof. Look at the clear impression on the sentiment! The butterfly has been coloured with Gelatos, which were still out, from when I made GD cards for CAS Mix Up challenge.
You can't tell, but the butterfly is very shimmery. The background stamp is from Kaisercraft and the sentiment is from Altenew.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

NEON Gelatos!

Get out your sunnies (aussie for sunglasses)!

I won some neon Gelatos in a challenge a year or so ago and hadn't as yet used them, so this month's theme at the CAS Mix Up Challenge seemed like the perfect opportunity to christen them! I'm Guest Designer this month and I have had so many ideas on how to use Crayons! I love the CAS Mix Up challenge, because it always encourages me to try new or forgotten techniques and get out supplies I'd nearly forgotten about.

I scribbled the Gelatos on Canvas Paper and blended it with my finger and a slight touch of water. Then I stamped and 'fussy cut' the gorgeous butterfly from Kaisercraft. The background die is from Tim Holtz/Sizzix and I've forgotten the brand for the sentiment is from Avery Elle. 

I'd like to thank Bonnie and Loll for inviting me to be Guest Designer. I have had lots of fun and been very inspired by the theme.   Now I hope you'll pop over to see the creations of the Design Team and join in the fun. You can link your card up here.

Rainbow and Marble Effects

Today I have 2 cards to share, inspired by the Twofer Card challenge and CAS Watercolour Challenge.

I stamped the background of the first card with the Waffle Flower Marble background stamp. I thought it would be tricky, but once I watched a couple of videos it was easy. I added silver leaf using a glue pen. The Waffle Flower butterfly die cut was covered with Versamark ink and silver embossed a couple of times The inks are from Altenew, the tag die from Mama Elephant and the sentiment die is from Simon Says.

I die cut a tag and liberally brushed a wash of water and then dropped in the colours, letting them blend.
The butterfly die is from Waffle Flower and the sentiment is from Flora and Fauna.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

I'm hoping the black, counts as 'white space'???

Penny Black Trio of Butterflies

I'm back with more inspiration for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge. This month's theme is as always, Anything goes, with an optional twist to use your favourite PB stamp. Easy!!!

I couldn't choose one favourite, so this time I'm using another of my all time fave sets, 'Penny Black Butterfly Trio'. It's such a bold set and there are lots of different ways to use them. I couldn't stop at one, so I have a twofer!

I used Daniel Smith Watercolours for the card on the left. My aim was to create muted tones, but it didn't quite turn out as muted as I'd like, because I added some highlites with Zig Markers. The background colour (mud), was made by mixing some of the colours together. The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn - I layered the white on the black for more pop.

In the second card I stamped the butterfly on an alcohol Ink background and 'fussy cut' the image, placing it on the dry embossed background.  It's very easy to fussy cut Yupo paper.

There's more inspiration at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge blog and you can enter the challenge here.

Since I made 2 cards, using the same butterfly stamp, using different themes and methods, I'm entering the Twofer Card Challenge:-

and I'm also entering the Penny Black and More Challenge:-

Anything goes

You Colour my World

Hi there! I'm having fun making cards on a rainy day in Melbourne. We're finally catching up on the rain we should have had in April, so hopefully the gardens will soak it all up.

Although it's raining, there's no rainbow, so I thought I'd paint my own...

I had several attempts at this card. At first I had a smaller rainbow, but in the end I realised that the Rainbow should fill the cloche and then I found a sentiment to match (although the spelling annoys me). I used Zig Markers and a wet brush to paint the rainbow. The image stamps are from Flora & Fauna and the sentiment is from Altenew.

I'm entering the following callenges:-

Hey dude

This is a very quick post as I should be getting dinner!

I had an idea for another card for the Casology challenge and this is the result...

I took the photo under artificial light, so it's very grainy. Hopefully I can get a better pick tomorrow. The shark stamp is from Avery Elle and the sentiment is from Winnie & Walter. I made the stencil with the Silhouette.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

For the Boys

More May Flowers

I made this card without any planning - just stamped the image multiple times and coloured with Zig Markers, die cut the panel and sponged the edges. It was very relaxing to just make a card with no purpose. The stamps are from Kaisercraft and the butterfly die is from Penny Black.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

A Whale of a Time....

At the end of last month I was lucky enough to spend 4 wonderful days in Bright, at a craft retreat, with some other amazing papercrafters. This has become an annual event, organised by Joy Taylor of Simple by Design and it is always the highlight of my year!

We were there during the Autumn Festival this year and it was so beautiful! 

This is one of the cards I made at the retreat...

We all had fun playing with Alcohol Inks at the retreat and I used one of my backgrounds to create this card. I used Pinata and Tim Holtz  inks and Copic Markers to colour the Whale. The stamps are from MFT.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Ombre

For the Boys

Here are the lovely ladies I got to craft with 

Jenny Dix, Joy Taylor, Lyndal Higgins, Me, Cecilia Hsieh

Here are some pics of Bright...