Butterfly Framed

I let the patterned paper dictate the colour scheme, and picked out a lovely iridescent engraved-looking paper for the butterfly - I reckon it looks like the texture on butterfly wings when you see them under a microscope.  The sentiment is silver embossed.  I cut up the corner flourish diecut to make a diagonal 'flight path'.













Butterfly die: BoBunny
Frame Dies: Couture Creations
Flourish die: Couture Creations
Sentiment stamp: HeroArts
Papers from stash

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Kitty model

Another great week at the Crafters Café; the theme is Anything Goes/Transport.  I'm sure you have some ideas already, check out the design team's work here: crafterscafe

Our sponsor is Sheepski; and the image I used is : kitty-mannequin-model


I wanted it to look a bit vintage so I printed the image, then printed again onto patterned paper for her dress (paper pieced).   I printed again onto scrap paper and cut it out to use as a mask so I could stamp the car, then sponge it with Distress Inks.  When finished it reminded me of those car ads in the 70's/80's where models lounged against the cars to show them off.


Image: Sheepski Kitty-Mannequin-Model
Coloured with Copics
Car stamp: Anita's
Flower stamp: Wibra
Flag die: China
Lime cord, gems, Kindyglitz

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Roses Celebrate

What better to go with a celebration than a posy of roses?  A little bit vintage and so feminine.
I made these roses (using the pinecone die of Tim Holtz) from pink paper then sprayed them with Glimmermist.  A mirror frame and diamond brads for sparkle. 


Paper: Meg's Garden
Frame die: Couture Creations
Word die: TimHoltz
Roses die: Tim Holtz
Leaves: punch/emboss
Silver Mirror card, gem brads, liquid pearls, ribbon











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Micey Birthday

This is such a cute little micey stamp and is always a joy to use.

The stamped image and sentiment is heat embossed and the masked for the stripey stamp, which I offset so the images were inside the boundaries (except for the tail ;-D). 

Stamp: Penny Black
coloured with copics
Sentiment: Fundamentals
Stripe stamp: BoBunny
Ink: Hero Arts Ombre











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Graduation Stars

I started with a sketch for this and needed to make a simple graduation card for a man.  I wanted the star to symbolise the long journey with the graduation ceremony at the end of it.




EF: Couture Creations
Star die: China
Hat and diploma die: Impression Obsession


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Surprise!

The CAGIC, (rhymes with magic) Come And Get It Challenge this time is EMBOSSING.  Check out the DT's work here:  cagichallenge

How cute is this image?  It's from Knitty Kitty, our sponsor for this challenge.  Check it out here:
Knitty Kitty digi-stamp-instant-download-surprise

This card has both kinds of embossing - heat & dry.
The green card is dry embossed with a birthday EF, and I heat embossed the edges of the green card and the white card with gold, hardly noticeable in the photo but very glitzy in real life.

Image: Knitty Kitty (Surprise)
Coloured with Copics
EF: Cuttlebug
Square die: Couture Creations
Scallop die: Spellbinders
Word die: Sizzix/Tim Holtz
Also: yarn, Glossy Accents, WoS, gold pen, black pen

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Birthday Star

A birthday card for that budding rockstar.  Most people, at some time in their life, have dreamed of being a star. 


Image: Bugaboo
Star die: Sizzix
EF: Craft Creations
Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts
Blue staples, Kindyglitz














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-catz-challenge-371-ag- 2+ layers

Oh Hello There

Oh Hello yourself! 

At first sight, what do you think?  Maybe they are friends?  Maybe the cat is shortsighted?  Maybe the cat is trying to hypnotise the bird? or the other way around!  Maybe they are meeting for a first date?  You may have other ideas, let me know what do you think is happening?

I love the tartan paper in the soft pink and grey, which made me want to colour a grey cat.  I like cards that have a little more than is obvious at first sight.

Cat stamp: Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz
coloured with Copics
Bird: part of a Rubbernecker stamp
watercoloured with distress inks.
Sentiment stamp: Reverse Confetti
Wavy Dies: Spellbinders
Also: Glossy Accents

Click for a closer look!


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Colourful Celebration

I reckon all the anniversaries in-between the big numbers should be called rainbow anniversaries.  However this could even be used for a golden wedding.

I used one paper for this but it is coloured from palest lemon through blue and pink.  I even had rainbow ribbon to match.

Image die: China
Doily die (vellum): Spellbinders
Word die: Poppy Stamps
Gold mirror card, ribbon, pearls



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Sympathy butterfly trail

I think butterflies are a great choice for sympathy cards and combined two dies with butterflies to make use of both designs, matting them with pale green. I cut the butterflies with the darker green embossed patterned card, scraps of mirror card in silver & gold, plus the drop outs which I painted with WinkofStella, then inset back.









Corner die: Spellbinders
B'flies die: Memory Box
Label: Spellbinders
Sentiment stamp: Rosies (gold embossed, and edged with gold)
WoS clear, gold pen, pearls


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i heart you

I managed to keep it simple and not add stuff.  Harder than you think.  And managed not to get glue all over the silver mirror card.  Harder than you think.    ;-D


Die: Poppy
Stamp:
Corner Punch: unbranded
Silver Mirror card, ribbon

Not white, but silver mirror card.



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Mari Presente

We always need a birthday card so come and join us at the CRAFTERS CAFE for this BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE : crafterscafe

I used Presente digi-image from Mari Digis: 
maridigisstore   Lots of lovely images to check out.

Digistamp: Mari Presente
coloured with Copics, gold pen for jewellery
NestingDies: Sizzix
EF on pearlised card: Craft Concepts
Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts (gold embossed)
Sequins (I love sequins)










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Happy Wine

Whenever I use inks or spray, I smoosh onto bits of card to use up what's left.  This is one of my happy outcomes.


Watercolour smooshing

Image: From the Heart Stamps
Coloured with Copics
Rectangle Die: Couture Creations
Word die(inset): Heidi Swapp
Also: gold acrylic paint splatter, gold pen, gold ink edged

Warning: When you start seeing pink chickies, it's time to stop!




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happylittlestampers-may-watercolour-challenge-red I had to smile when I saw this - of course anything goes with red (wine)!
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Diploma graduation

Some graduation ceremonies here in NZ don't end with full regalia being worn.  I made this for someone who was graduating with a diploma; celebrating hard work and achievement just the same.


Diploma stamp: Hero Arts
Sentiment stamp, embossed: Hero Arts
Gold EP, red ribbon



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Graduation

Graduation is a time to celebrate achievement and new beginnings.  Indian yellow is the degree hood colour for our local Waikato University.  I designed this so it looked like the hats were being tossed.

EF: Couture Creations
Label Dies: Dienamics
Hat die: Impression Obsession
Stamp sentiment, embossed: Paper Xtra


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Sparkle For You

Simple but elegant with lots of sparkle.  I used the hinged card technique demonstrated by Christina Griffiths.

I diecut the pieces for the base card with the patterned card on the inside.  After diecutting all the pieces I spray-glued it and added glitter, and then when completely set assembled the base card.  The diecut circle is silver heat embossed and raised with 3d foam, flowers and leaves added to frame.





FiligreeDie: Couture Creations
Circle die: Spellbinders
Sentiment stamp:
Glitter: Twinklets Diamond Dust

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Happy Birthday 29 again

This week at Come And Get It Challenges we have a birthday theme - come and join us: cagichallenge


This image is called 29 Again - Bugaboo is our super sponsor: bugaboostamps BUGJJ29AGAIN


Image: Bugaboo
Coloured with Copics
Label dies: Spellbinders
Sentiment die: Tim Holtz/Sizzix  (new)
KindyGlitz, Glossy Accents, gems

I printed the image twice and cut out the balloons and number to raise on 3D foam tape, coating them with Glossy Accents after colouring.  I wanted the image to be the focus, so cut the sentiment in the same colour as the bigger label, so it blended a bit.  I like this colour combination.



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daranddiane-redwhiteblue-optional-stars-stripes
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Wishful Mimi

There's feminine and feminine, this is my take on the new challenge at the Crafters Café, why don't you pop in and see us here: crafterscafe


This delightful image is courtesy of Eureka and I just love the look on the cat's face (it could be wishful, blissful, smug or is she having a power nap?).  I paperpieced her, and coloured her gorgeous bow.  Her bow and tiny heart have WoS.   I love that floral paper too and haven't got a clue where I got it - I have been hoarding the last piece in my stash for ages, but decided Mimi deserved it.

Eureka has lots of zany images:  mimi-kitty-digital-stamp

Digi cat: Eureka
Die flags: Unbranded
Sentiment stamp: Mama Elephant
Grass is a dropout from another die.
Tiny heart is a drop out from the flag
Wink Of Stella, gold cord

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Bright and Beautiful

I was invited to be May guest designer for AAA cards, along with great designers and interesting challenges - so it check out here: aaacards



I think my usual style is fairly clean and simple but CAS category cards are extremely so.  I think you really do have to have the vision clear before you start ... not like other styles where you can play and jiggle until you get what you want.






Image stamp: Rubbernecker
Sentiment stamp: HeroArts (part of a stamp)




I heat embossed the stamps and coloured the birds using distress inks as watercolour paints - the blue-green-purple bird is actually more colourful than shows in the photo, don't ask me why, the green didn't even show up   (Mermaid Lagoon, Broken China, Dusty Concord plus Lipstick Red for her beak of course!).


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Little Tree

This is such a pretty little stamp and I had a bit of fun experimenting with textures and colouring.  I used the back of the clear stamp to stamp the background shape,  stamped the tree on top, then stamped on another piece of card to cut out the trunk which is on 3D foam.

Stamp:
Coloured with Distress inks

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Dog House

A lovely seasonal scene for a friend moving into a new home, and don't you just love this dog?  A beautiful paper with little areas of sugary texture - check out the close up.

















Paper: MyMindsEye
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz
stamped on kraft & coloured with copics
Curvy die: Spellbinders
Sentiment stamp: Marianne
Distress inks, Kindyglitz, white gel pen

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Holly Birthday

Holly is going to be eight and she loves blue and requested a blue birthday card ... so nice to be decisive!


This interactive card has a hidden component to discover - the little loop tab of ribbon on the right of the label pulls out to reveal a secret birthday message.

Labels die: Spellbinders
Letter/number die: Provocraft
Image: a Day for Daisies
coloured with Copics
Ribbon, gems, Wink of Stella
Click on for a closer look.

Shared on challenges:
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Jack's Box

Have you heard of Jack-in-the-box?  Well ... this is for a little 2 year old boy called Jack and it's a box.

I took advantage of a fabulous kids paper pad with coordinating papers, cutting some of the images out and because little kids like to see their name and number I made sure they were included.

Instructions for the box are on Splitcoaststampers, called a pop-up box card.  The stars are stuck onto a clear acetate strip so they 'float'.

Paper Pad: Kaisercraft
Happy die:
Jack Dies: Sizzix
Number die: Cuttlebug
Birthday stamp: MamaElephant




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Kiaora Pukeko

Pukeko is a cheeky NZ bird with red beak and legs and a large white tuft under it's tail.  It's common name is swamp hen.

Kiaora is a multi-use Maori greeting that means hello/hi, farewell, thanks, be well/healthy, greetings, good luck.

Foliage stamp: Inkadinkadoo
Bird stamp: Craft Creations
Sentiment stamp: Craft Creations
Inked edges, gold splatter

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Get Well Nurse

Sometimes we just need a little angel to come along and kiss it better, and maybe put on a plaster.

For this one I was experimenting with partial embossing to get a blank oval space.

DigiImage: Craftin Desert Divas
Coloured with copics
EF: Craft Concepts
Sentiment stamp: Fundamentals
Circle die: Marianne
Oval die shape: Spellbinders
Ribbon, gems, Kindyglitz


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Circle Flowers

Check out the challenge at Come And Get It this week - it's circles!  cagichallenge

and our wonderful sponsor Bugaboo bugaboostampsteacup-flowers-1

Here I used lots of circular motifs (9 actually, not counting the flourishes, petals and all the little round holes and dots on the ribbon!), from the centre of the flowers, the doily layers, to the embossed background and the gem. 
I don't usually do fussy and fancy but this one just needed to be done like this.  Not my usual colour palette either.    ;-)


Image: Bugaboo (coloured with Copics)
Pierced circle die:
Scallop doily die: Spellbinders
Lacy doily die: Couture Creations
EF: Cuttlebug
Flourish die:
Dotty ribbon, blue ribbon, gem




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