Flutterby dreams

It's been a bit of a funny day today. The power was due to be off in the offices all day for "essential line works" so without computers I decided to have a day off and go to Peterborough........there were a few essential I really needed from Sir Stampalot........OK lame excuse, but what else do you do when you are in the area ?

When I got back at 4ish they told me the electric never went off once and when they rung the electricity people they said the works were cancelled this morning because of the rain. Of course nobody saw the need to tell all the customers of the change of plan.

Now a card for this weeks Tuesday Taggers who have the theme 'Bugs'. I confess I was not sure if butterflies fitted that category, but as some of the DT have used them on their projects I guess the answer is yes. And they are sponsored this week by The Craft Barn who are offering a stamp to the winner.

This card is one I created last week for my demo at Sir Stamplaot using a new butterfly die from Marianne Design which I cut from DP through the Big Shot. I then traced round the cut butterfly and cut out a solid one from glitter paper to make the butterfly more dimensional. I used the same card design to make a couple more for birthday cards but added a broach pin to the back of the butterfly so it could be taken off. Not very practical I know, but fun for the day I thought.

I stamped onto pale yellow bazzil with Hero Arts F5042 Leaf Flourish and H2365 Old French Writing using Hero soft sand and the sentiment is Penny Black 4075 For the Stars using versafaine sepia and embossing with detail clear. The border is Martha Stewart 3 dot scallop and I added eyelets down the side after scoring a 'spine' and tied cord.

Easter chocolates

Hope you all had a good weekend. Judging by all the news I have read about the NEC round blogland, I am thinking there is an awful lot of new stash being pushed around craft desks today.

No NEC visit for me, but I still had a crafty indulgence at Stampalot pawing over yet more new goodies.........you only have to take your eye off the ball for a couple of days and new stash has arrived. So leisurely shopping without the frenetic crowds plus a new Japanese hole punch.

I have resisted buying a new one for weeks since my old one........probably my first 'big' craft purchase many years ago.......gave up the ghost punching more than one sheet. Little did I know when I bought it that the price would come down by £10.......and that what I spent on the original one would be like a drop in the ocean compared with future crafty buys. But needs must.

I have one creation to share which you today which is for this weeks Cupcake Craft Challenge which has the theme of "Spring or Easter - with lots of chocolate" I was tempted to use brown on my card as the chocolate element, but I am still besotted with this new Kaiser Craft DP and wanted to keep my card light and bright, so the chocolate is in the form of a bag of them.

My main image is Penny Black 4076K Gift of Flowers which I stamped several times to decoupage, colouring with a mixture of Prismacolor pencils and Promarkers. The circle sentiment is Hero Arts A4981, the punched border Martha Steward doily lace trim and flowers, pearls and leaves added to embellish. The bag was simply made with a scoreboard and the same image from the card decoupaged and placed on the front.

Butterflies, birds and bees

Good Morning peeps, hope you are all having a good weekend.

Just in case any of you have missed all my subtle hints, our Stampalot challenge starts on Thursday 1st April when a fantastic prize will be on offer. And there is still chance to enter for the Hero Arts Goody Bag, so if you have not already added your name here's where you need to go.

I have one quick share for you which is for this weeks Penny Black challenge which has the theme "Butterflies and Bees" not sure where the birds got to though eh Kath ? But a lovely theme all the same.

The main image is another of the new releases Penny Black 4042K Daisy fields. The background is stamped (after first stamping off the excess ink) with Hero Arts K5313 Silhouette Ivy using Tim Holtz bundled sage, then the main PB image inked up with Tim Holtz worn lipstick, spritzed with water then stamped over the ivy. The mat was cut with Nesties through the Big Shot and layered over another of the gorgeous new Crate Paper DP's.

Some ribbon laced down one side, gems and two butterflies stamped with Penny Black 3819D Polka Wings onto iridescent vellum and coloured with chalk inks. The swirl is a Sizzix die run through the Big Shot.

Allsorts M&S crafty meal deal

Before

(M&S foil dish, kitchen foil, old book, pearls from old card)

After

One of our new teamies, Helene has set the theme at Allsorts this week and would like to see how we interpret "Rags to Riches". So many of you joined us again last week and it seems you have decided that Allsorts is the in place to be seen lately and we really do appreciate you wonderful support.

I admit to being a bit baffled at first, but when it eventually dawned on me it came together quite well. The flower image is Penny Black 4042K Daisy Fields stamped with black styazon onto acetate. On the reverse I dabbed Adirondack alcohol inks(always the reverse as stayzon and alcohols inks don't mix), then I smeared Diamond Glazed over the top and laid on a piece of ripped book with music notes. I added more Diamond Glaze and laid scrunched up kitchen foil over the whole piece........new foil I might add, I thought it was taking the recycling a step to far to use some that covered last nights dinner in the oven.

Another sheet from the book is punched with Martha Stewart Arched Lattice and shaded with Tim Holtz rusty hinge to act as the DP and the punched flowers also made from a book page and spritzed with Glimmer Mist Flower Power. The leaves and butterflies are punched from the M&S foil dish and coloured with the same alcohol inks as were the pearls.

And I am being a bit cheeky here and entering it for this weeks Tuesday Taggers as it seems to fut their bill perfectly.

Easter bunny basket

This one seems to have taken me forever, spent ages on the DS trying to create the basket with a variety of Cricut cartridges. It's not quite what I had in mind shape wise, but I've faffed enough for one day I think.

The Crate Paper DP is more of the new stock at Sir Stampalot which seems to be walking out of the door quicker than it arrives. Not surprising because it really is yummy, the colours are beautiful, it's double sided and the texture lovely.

I stamped Penny Black 3868J Portraits onto some of the patterned side, cut them out and stuck to the plain panels, the cut out some of the butterflies on the patterned side and decoupaged them adding some glitter. I created the handle using Martha Steward eyelet lace and attached with brads and flowers cut with a stencil through the Big Shot and ribbon on the corners.

My basket fits two challenges Stamping for the Weekend and Everybody Art Challenge who both have the theme Easter.

Blooming roses

Well whatever happened to Spring ? After a promising start to the week we have rain again.........hubby tells me that's good as we needed it to wash in the fertiliser he spread on the paddocks Monday. I know he's right, but oh for some warmer brighter weather.

I have created quite a quick and simple card following the sketch at Inspiration Card Sketches, but have twisted it a bit which hopefully they won't mind and it still fits the challenge OK. The rose image is Penny Black 3815J and I have coloured the roses with my new Prismacolor pencils drawing on the pastel shades of the Scrapbook Walls DP. I made three roses from the same DP and added a border and corner punched with Martha Steward Eyelet Lace. To embellish, some pearls, punched leaves and Diamond Glaze to the stamped roses.

A Special Blog Buddy Class - Is anyone interested in filling a space that has just come up on Saturday 5th June ? It's something I have organised by special request just for blogging friends and will consist of a whole day's class at Sir Stampalot (normal £25 class fee plus just for this special day, lunch on the go as well) where myself and Chris will be bringing everything along to make some special projects.......they are so special that we have not even decided what they are yet ! Our VIP group are coming from far and wide so if you want in, mail me a.s.a.p. as it will be on a first come basis.

Finally, there is a one last Hero Goody Bag on offer over at Stampalot Challenge blog so don't forget to add your name to be in with a chance of winning.

Yummy new DP's

I'm back again, trying to keep my promise to myself to stay busy and positive, do some crafting and blogging. So for starters a card for this weeks Penny Black challenge which has a sketch designed by Carole.

For some odd reason I always have a mental block working with circles, but am reasonably happy with what I have come up with, well at least it's growing on me. I cut a circle with a Nestie then sponging with Tim Holtz Spun Sugar and Dried Marigold distress inks created a pinwheel effect over which I stamped Penny Black 4041J Purple Folds. I stamped it three more times, cut out two and coloured with a mixture of Marvy pens and the same TH inks then dabbed all over with Versamark Dazzle Frost and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl which blended the colours and made the pieces pliable to shape before layering them onto the main image.

The Crate Paper DP's are from their yummy new range which somehow found their way home from Stampalot with me at the weekend. Do check them out because the designs and colours are just divine and the quality and texture lend themselves brilliantly to the Martha Stewart punches. I stamped Penny Black 3857H over the corner of the reverse DP and a sentiment which is from an unmounted Hero set. Some ribbon and a pearl pin made up with a hat pin from Spellbound (link on sidebar) to embellish.