Mini Mission . Altenew Live Challenge #14

I didn't get to watch this week's Altenew Live challenge with Jen Rzasa due to being really busy at work.  I usually have my iphone on in the background so had to watch it on replay during my lunch break.... and I was super excited to see my card was Jen's winner....

Jen's challenge this week was make a project using just ONE mini stamp set (plus a die if the set has one!) I chose to use a Mini Delight set called Butterfly Dreams.  It has a stamp set that has some butterflies and sentiments and a die set that has a birdcage and a branch.  #altenewchallengelive

I wanted a bit of stamping in my background, so used the branch from the die set and cut it out of some fun foam and used it as a stamp!  That counts I'm sure!  I stamped in with one of the inks from Enchanted Garden Crisp Dye inks and one of the inks from Frosted Foliage Fresh Dye inks - stamping once in full strength and one second generation stamping.   Die cut the birdcage from some purple card and rose gold accents.   I had tried about 6 times to get the layers done on the butterflies, but gave up and used Alcohol markers to colour.  I used a craft knife to cut the panel down, leaving parts of the wings over the edge.  The sentiment is stamped in black so used black and purple for my matting layers.   Added some dots made with the same rose gold card. 

Using the die cut from fun foam, as a stamp

I made this card yesterday afternoon - what a great way to spend my birthday... playing in the craft room!  And then out to dinner with our friends - Yvonne and Micheal.  

Butterflies - two different watercolour looks

 Hi there.  Yesterday morning I was not feeling well so decided that a day of rest was required.   I spent the morning dozing in bed and by lunch time was feeling a little better.   I got up when hubby arrived home at 12.30, finished work for the day.  He pottered around outside as it was a nice day and I watched some You Tube videos, sitting on the sofa in the dinning room, with the sun streaming in the kitchen door.   One of the videos I watched was from Katie Partiet (here) using water colour crayons to "paint/stamp" a sweet butterfly.  I have some water colour crayons that I bought man, many years ago - and haven't used them for years!  So thought I'd try the technique -

For my butterfly I used one of the Altenew Dovetail Butterflies.  I used my Gallery by Mungka crayons to "paint" onto the base layer of the stamp. I got a splash of the blue paint onto my base, so ran with it by adding more blue splats and some gold watercolour paint splats as well.  I used black ink to add the outline layer of the butterfly.  I stamped the Gina K -It's all about You" sentiment in the lower corner, then liberally spritzed the whole card with Shimmer Spray - Sparkle.  In real life you can see all the shimmer and shine.  I added a black layer and added to a white card base.   

I then decided to try the same technique but to use metallic watercolour paints.   Quite a different look. 

This time I used the Brights Jasart metallic watercolours and over stamped the line image with Teal Cave Fresh Dye Ink from Altenew.  This time I used the matching dies to cut the butterfly.  I used some gold metallic paint to paint a scrap of card and die cut the Altenew Linear Crossroads die and the sentiment from Altenew's Versatile Sentiments. I stamped the sub-sentiment from Altenew's Sweetest Peas stamp set on the same gold painted scrap.    I used the same gold paint to add splatter to a black panel and then mounted the dies and sentiments together.  Another really shimmery card in real life.

Enjoyed trying out both the crayons and the metallic paints.   Did get to spend a bit of time in the craft room this afternoon, doing a card for Craft Roulette and had a lovely visit from Florence and her Daddy, when he came to borrow his Dad's edge trimmer!  She is growing so quickly, almost 10 months now! 

Still using up patterned paper -

 I really am trying hard to use up patterned paper and in my inbox this week was the February SheetLoad  of cards from Crafty Al.   If you haven't seen her videos do look her up on You Tube.  This month's is some A2 cards using 6 x 6 papers.  Al took 4 pieces of patterned paper and made 8 cards....

I decided to take 2 sheets to make 4 cards.  

I used two sheets from an Anko (KMart) paper pack called Floral.  I had some pinkish card in my stash so used that to cut the mats.  I cut the butterfly base (Memory Box - Isabella Butterfly) from pink card and the top layer (Memory Box - Pippi Butterfly) from matt Rose Gold metallic card.  I used a Gina K Master Layout circle and used different sentiments to make it into a set.  

Can you see the one that looks different....

I wasn't concentrating and stuck my cross piece, circle and butterfly upside down on my card base!  So I simply took a die and cut it off and added to another base 

The sentiment on this one is from Colorado Craft Company - Lots of Love set.  

This one is birthday card - sentiment from Altenew's Birthday Builder set. 

For this one I used a sentiment from a Gina K Designs stamp set - You make me Smile.

and finally

    

This one has another Altenew set for it's sentiment - Engraved Flowers. 

So another two sheets of paper used.  

Reveal day for May's Card Chain Challenge

 It's time for the May reveal at the Card Chain Challenge     You make and send a card and someone else sends one to you... There were 33 participants this month.  

My card when to Linda in Michagan.  

There were a number of options to use making our cards.   I chose to use the sketch 

TMy panels where die cut from a piece of Gelli plate background I had made a while back. The dies  for the layers  came from Gina K's Master Layouts....the butterflies from Memory Box.  I cut the lower layer from vellum and the top layer from gold card.   And the sentiment is from LDRS - I stamped and embossed the stamp which is a lot of sentiments and then used the matching die cut to cut them all out at once.   Great to have sentiments on hand.  

And I received this beautiful card from Robyn in Australia 

Isn't it just gorgeous.  

There is still time to sign up for June CCC (here)   I have already.

Blended Ink Backgrounds.

 Recently I watched a Gina K Live where she did some masking and ink blending.   I don't have any Gina K inks so pulled out my Altenew inks and did some masking and blending.  

I used soft colours in pink, blue and green.  Once I had removed the masking, I took my new Altenew Dovetail Butterflies and used Obsidian ink to stamp the butterflies and sentiment.  I layered with some dark blue card and then onto a white card base.  

I really like this card design so can see myself doing some more blending in the future.  

Catch up time.....

 Well the best laid plans etc..... I had intended to show you some more of my last weekend's projects... my week was busy and I was exhausted each night... add in physiotherapy on my shoulder, optometrist appointment and a short week.   So here's another couple of the cards I made. 

For my first one I used the Altenew layering stencil.  This time I used it, I flipped the stencil to have the flower going the other direction.  Loved how quick this card came together.   All my inks were Altenew.  

I am entering this into the latest "The Flower Challenge"  Pretty Pastels.  

Next up another floral

This one uses Altenew Natures Blossom and the matching stencil/mask and dies.   I also used the 3D embossing folder for a textured background.  Added the sentiment, white embossed onto black card.  

And I have one more card to share today.  I saw the STAMPlorations Blog Hop - Things with Wings.  I had a butterfly background that's been sitting around for a long time...and yesterday I made it into a card.  

The butterflies (Hero Arts) were stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured with Zig Markers.  I then sprayed it with some glitter spray.  I wasn't sure I liked it... so it sat around.  I trimmed it down and added a little sentiment embossed on black card.  It totally shimmers in real life.  

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you weekend is going well. 

Using a background stamp or two.

My blog friend Greta, is a guest designer over at Just Us Girls this month.  Her post the other day was for the theme - Use a background stamp.  Greta had tried out a technique by Jennifer McGuire which inspired me to try it out.  (Here is Jennifer's technique)  It's a Distress Monoprint one... and I have to say my attempt was a dismal failure!  I think my clear embossing powder is past it!  It really didn't go on smoothly and when I went to do the spritzing and running through my Cuttlebug... not a lot happened.  Hardly any ink transferred and I could see an imprint from the embossing.  Well I thought I might as well use the piece.... I had used a Hero Arts background stamp with Distress inks.

So you can see only a tiny bit of the ink transfer  so I pulled out some more Hero Arts background stamps.  This one was a cling stamp called Antique Background.  I randomly inked it with some green ink and dabbed some bits off and stamped it over the background piece.  I pulled out a very old favourite Stamp and Die set and used Lime Rickey Catherine Pooler inks to stamp up the butterfly.  I used a Spectrum Noir glitter pen to move the ink around and added some Tiki Torch ink for the circles.  Finished with a Catherine Pooler die cut sentiment.

Entering this into the JUG's challenge.  I enjoyed pulling out my older backgrounds - many of them on big blocks and not having seen the light of day for quite some time.

And as I tried something new, I'm entering this into Virginia's March "Show and Share" challenge.

Also entering the colour it in at A2Z Scrapbooking challenge
Thanks for stopping by. 

Flutterbies Card in a Box - Hero Art

Hi all.  It's Anything Goes this month at our challenge at A2Z Scrapbooking.  So I'm here to show you a card in a box I made using the Digital kit called Flutterbies Printable PT006.  A2Z are the sole supplier of Hero Arts Digital kits and stamps.  I really like the way I can choose the size I print my images at.

I started by sizing my digital stamp in a Word document and then copying the size so I had 6 images.  I used some Canson XL water colour paper and printed out my sheet.  I then used some watercolour paint to make lots of colourful butterflies.   I also printed one at slightly butterfly as well and water coloured.   I fussy cut all the butterflies and made my card in a box.   I used some patterned paper by Craftworks which looks like watercolour.  I added a little bit of trellis die on my back panel and added the larger butterfly.   For my front sentiment I used another Hero Art Digital kit - Say it in Pieces.  I took two of the sentiments - made a circle in Word and coloured it green and added the sentiments.  Added a teeny punched butterfly.  My green leaves are a Hero Arts Fancy Die Spring Fling (Discontinued)




Please join us in this months "Anything Goes" challenge for your chance at a $25 gift card to the a2z store.





The a2z scrapbooking store carries a wide variety of Hero Arts products! Get discounted new releases, sales, grab bags & more. Proceeds from our store benefit Celiac & Behcets disease foundations. Use my discount code Dawn15 to get 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. If you're looking for a Hero Arts product you don't see in store, use the Request Custom Order button from within the shop.

 

• Hero Arts Printable Flutterbies Digital kit
• Hero Arts Say it in Pieces Digital DK030
• Martha Stewart Butterfly Trio punch
• Fiskars Border Punch - Apron Lace
• Koh-i-noor Watercolour Paints
• Craftworks Patterned Paper

 

StampNation WCMD Challenge - Take Flight

World Card Making Day is well underway over at StampNation... All 48hrs of it! 
The next challenge I'm taking part in is called Take Flight

I was inspired by the butterflies and the rainbow colours on the photos...

Supplies:

STAMPS: Butterfly Notes (Catherine Pooler Designs – Lovely Notes Collection

INKS: Altenew Crisp inks  - Midnight Velvet, Ocean Waves, Coral Berry, Caramel Toffee.

           Distress Ink -  Lucky Charm

           Versafine Onyx Black

CARDSTOCK: Cre8tiv Black and White

ACCESSORIES: Liquid drops 3D Pearls

I did lots of masking to stamp my flying butterflies.   

Are you having fun creating over this weekend.  I've got one more challenge sample over at StampNation... coming up tomorrow.  Here's a little sneak peek

 Hoping to get a few more challenges done which I'll pop in here as I can, or over on my Flickr  page. 

Beautiful Butterflies

I was playing around with my Stamp Of Approval Lovely Notes tonight, using the butterfly set.  It is stunning.  I managed two quick cards...

First up I did some embossing - dry and wet. 

I embossed the background with a new folder I recently got.  The butterflies were stamped onto Vellum with Altenew ink and then versamark before being embossed with WOW Clear Sparkle powder.  I then fussy cut them.  I used a Spellbinders label's die to cut my sentiment panel.  Sentiment is from the same set as the butterflies.

My second card was made with the Simon Says Stamp challenge in mind... "Make for the border"

I used the bigger butterfly again, this time using some various Pixie Powders on the stamp.  I then inked the edge of the stamp with black ink.  Turned out very pretty.  The powders have quite a shimmer to them.  I used a sentiment from a previous SOA collection - Beautiful World.  And finished with a few sequins.  I layered the panel onto some purple card and used a Fiskers edge punch.  My favourite colour with my favourite theme - butterflies. 

All in all, a fun evening of crafting.

An Oldie but a Goodie

It's my day to post at A2Z Scarpbooking.   I am waiting for my new goodies from the latest catalogue to make their way to New Zealand, so today for our Color it Challenge, I am sharing an older Hero Arts stamp set (discontinued)  I am sure many of you will have this in your stash as it is an all time favourite butterfly set!

I made this for the Hero Arts Flickr group Scramble .  I stamp the butterflies all over my background and added is some 2nd generation stamped dragonflies.   I coloured up the butterflies going up the page, with some vibrant Zig Clean Color brush markers in blues and grey.   The sentiment was white embossed onto black card.  It comes from the Hello Stamp and Cut set (available HERE  in our A2Z Scrapbooking Store).  Some Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, a simple blue mat and it's all done.

Be sure to check out the Store.... there are LOTS of goodies there.  Remember  if you are in need of any items  you can use code Dawn15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. (before tax and shipping)  And don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotions!
Supplies:
DC 151 Hello Stamp and Cut
CL 383 Antique Engraving  (discontinued)
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

Watercolouring at A2Z

If you haven't seen my Die Cut Divas's post  - it's here
I seem to be on a theme.......
****************************************************************

It's time for a new challenge at A2Z Scrapbooking and it's a favourite of mine...

Watercolouring 

I love watercolouring and add that to using Hero Arts stamps and dies... well it's a match made in heaven.  And add to that BUTTERFLIES... I'm estatic

My watercolour medium with this one is Pearlescent Paints.  This is a palette of  21 paints that are full of pearlescent goodness.  I started by painting a subtle rainbow of colours onto my watercolour paper.  My original idea was to stamp and cut out the butterflies(DC182 Butterfly Pair) out and add to a card but once I started stamping them, the idea to make it a background grew.  I then die cut a MFT stitched and rounded rectangle die and stamped the larger butterfly - once on the die and once onto the watercolour paper.  I then used the die to cut it out.  The die does not cut all the way through the die, so I just fussy cut the last bits and once I coloured with the paints, added it over the one on the die. 

The sentiment is from the same set.  Finished with a gold ribbon and a few coloured gems. 

And of course I had to decorate the envelope 

I heard one of my bloggy friends has been unwell, so this on it's way to cheer her up. 


Remember if you are in need of any items from the a2z Scrapbooking store  you can use code Dawn15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. (before tax and shipping)  And don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotions!  

Supplies:
Hero Arts DC182 

MFT Stitched and rounded rectangle die

Hero Hues Floral Mixed Cards 

Entered into the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp
 
edited:
thanks to Jo for reminding me that there is a new challenge blog starting today - Creative with Stamps - (my bloggy friend Monika and  Lillian started it) and their first challenge is BUTTERFLIES.  So I'm entering.  
 

   

Watercolouring and embossing with Gina K

It's time for a new challenge at Die Cut Divas and this a new sponsor ...
 

Yes we are lucky to have the wonderful Gina K designs sponsoring us this month.    The team were lucky enough to have got a discount from Gina to get some stamps to inspire you.... and what is our latest challenge....

...........make a project you associate with April (such as Easter, Rain, Storms, April Fools Day, Spring, Autumn, IRS/Taxes or April holidays (www.holidayinsights.com) 

My card is inspired by Spring.... 

 The technique I used can be found here on StampTV - Gina K's video channel.  There are literally hundreds of videos here for you to view.  A great source of inspiration.
I have used Spring Wishes set.  The leaves however are from another set as in my day's stamping the leaves from the set just up and disappeared on me!  Don't you just hate when that happens.  So far they have eluded recapture!   I used splotches of Zig markers where I thought I would place my stamps, then clear embossed the stamps.  Finished with coating of black ink - not to heavy to allow some of the white and coloured background to show through.   Die cut the panel with a Lil' Inkers die and added a sentiment die cut with Spellbinders ovals and scallop ovals with some seam binding ribbon.  

I can highly recommend getting some Gina K stamps - they are such great quality and her StampTV videos are the best.  Awesome techniques, great inspiration for using the StampTV kits available in store and just all round great viewing. 

Thanks for visiting and hope you will join us at Die Cut Divas this month 



 

Scramble # - Inside Out

Over at the Hero Arts Flickr group Cindy is running a  90 minute scramble - over a 24hr period.  So still time enter.  Anyway I got up at 8.00am for the start of the scramble.  Cindy's challenge was to do “Inside Out”. Some part of the inside of your card must show even when the card is closed, whether it is thru a window/die cut or smaller/different shape front panel.

My card was inspired by cards from Jennifer McGuire and Ilina Crouse.  I used Jennifer's idea of window and Ilina's colourful rainbow butterflies. I used the butterflies in the Butterfly Pair Stamp and cut set and a variety of Kaleidacolor inks and Brilliance Twilight ink.  The Brilliance ink is very shimmery and I used it to stamp the front of the card.   Originally I stamped the sentiment straight across the card and acetate but it smudged so I stamped in onto white card and covered up the boo boo.   Got the whole card done in under one hour.   As I used rainbow colours I'm entering it into the Rainbow challenge at A Blog named Hero

After I did the card, hubby and I went to a Bathroom sale - just to look.  We are getting our ensuite bathroom done over.  Our son is going to project manage it for us.  Boy I didn't realise there were so many different types and styles of tapware, vanity units, towel rails not to mention shower heads and sliders and toilets.  We are looking at getting it tiled floor walls and shower so there's tiles to choose as well... Narrowing it down a bit and in a couple of weeks will go with our son to order everything.   So an interesting morning - now have a stack about 6 inches high of books and pamphlets.  

Thanks for stopping by... and don't forget there is still under 12 hours if you want to have a go at the Hero Arts Flickr scramble.