A Thank you to me and A Thank you to you!

Well firstly I'd like to say a super big THANK YOU to all those who have visited my blog over the last two years. I have just reached 25000 hits! I can remember when I started this blog thinking that I'd be lucky to get any visitors, however I have come to realise that there are many wonderful people out there who do pop in and visit. Some leave comments which inspires me, whilst others just look and learn! Either way, I am happy to have shown you something that hopefully inspires you!

Remember today is the last day that you can enter into the draw to WIN a FREE pass to Inkspirations 4U Spring and Easter session. Check out this post for more details. I will announce the winners tomorrow.

Anyway onto this next card.... Well I wish I could say that I made it, but alas I didn't! It was made by Andrea Lowcock for me! It arrived in a particularly nasty group of letters last week and it took all the sting out of the bills that arrived with it!

It was really hard to photograph, but the butterfly has the most beautiful sheen over it! I am assuming it's our shimmer paint. Which I haven't used yet!

Since it's early morning as I type, I am only guessing through my tired eyes as to all the ingredients. Hopefully I get them right, or else I am sure that Andrea will let me know which are wrong ;-)

Card: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Blushing Bride
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa (retired)
Punch: Scallop Trim Border, Scallop Square
Ribbon: Bashful Blue 1" Double Stictched Grosgrain
Embellishments: Pearls, Shimmer Paint
Stamp Sets" All A Flutter, Elements of Style

Till next time, happy stamping...

Aaaawww thanks!

This is the final card that I sent to Louisa, my Secret Sister from Stampin_Up_In_Oz. I made it using the cracked glass technique. Whilst it was fun to do, I am not sure that I'll do it too often, I had a few burnt fingers by the end of it. LOL!




Card:Orchid Opulence (retired), Green Galore(retired) , Whisper White, Pixie Pink (retired)
Ink: Orchid Opulence(retired), Green Galore (retired), Pink Passion (retired), Summer Sun (retired), Only Orange (retired)
Punches: Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle
Tools: Big Shot, Polka Dot embossing folder
Stamp sets: Best Yet (retired), Echoes of Kindness (retired), All A Flutter

Hmmm... it looks like I must have been using up retiring stock when I made that one!

On another note, I found that I have been awarded another blog award from Andrea! Thanks for the compliment.


I now have to award this to five more blogs, so here goes in no particular order.


Nikki
Fiona
Leonie
Kerri
Linda


Now you too can go and enjoy some more of these ladies work, if you don't already know of them. Be inspired!


Till next time, happy stamping...

Sense of Time Butterflies

Well here, I go again with another card I made for Louisa, my Secret Sister, from Stampin_Up_In_Oz.

I tried to incorporate green into this card to give Louisa some ideas on how to use it. I am not normally a green person either, but trying to do things for a Secret Sister is just another way to challenge myself.



The Sense of Time stamp set was not available at the time I made this card, but I think that the wording is so appropriate for butterflies, as they have to "Live for Today" and "Hope for Tomorrow". In case you are wondering the Sense of Time stamp set has made it back into the current Idea Book and Catalogue! Three cheers for SU!®

Here is a close up of the butterfly. I stamped him in Stazon Black and then using my classic ink pads and blender pens coloured him it. It was so quick and easy!

Card: Certainly Celery, Tempting Torquoise, Whisper White
Ink: Black Stazon, Certainly Celery, Tempting Torquoise, Pacific Point, Apricot Appeal (retired), Soft Suede
Tools: Paper Piercing tool and Mat Pack
Stamp sets: All A Flutter, Vintage Vogue, Sense Of Time.

Till next time, happy stamping...

A challenge set by EnchantINK!

Last month my friend Andrea set a challenge on her blog and I thought I'd make sure that I entered. The challenge was to take inspiration from her blog header. I wasn't feeling too creative. Actually getting a card out of me at all was a suprise as I have been sooooo busy!

Anyway I figured I'd try to case her header and add some of the elements that I have learned from being on her blog.

I got a scrap peice of paper and punched out two Full Hearts and keep both images. Using the punched image I layered them and then brayered over the top. I then took the other peice of cardstock that I had punched the cards out of and layered it over where I had previous had the actual punched shape and sponged the inside. This left me with the white line around the hearts. And since this was Andrea's challenge it wouldn't be right, without a bit of bling, so I mixed some chunky glitter and Crystal Effects together and painted the hearts. It looks much better IRL.

I also used the scrunchy ribbon, which is made by cutting down the centre of the ribbon about 1cm and then pulling on a thread. I did this until I had enough scrunchy ribbon to sit nicely on the card. It is a little slow, but so worth it. I then made the super easy bow that Andrea taught us as well.

Anyway I can't actually remember all the colours that I used on this card, but I do know that the cardstock was the newly returned River Rock. Isn't it fantastic?

Anyway no recipe today... sorry.... perhaps I'll get back on track soon

Till next time, happy stamping...

Let's hope she doesn't check my blog....

This card is for a fabulous friend, who is having a special birthday this week. I know that she doesn't check my blog unless I tell her to, so I should be okay posting this a couple of days early!

Anyway it's that fantastic black magic technique again! Basically I stamped a section of black paper with white and coloured all the butterflies in and then checked which area I wanted as my background! It worked really, really, really well! Or at least I think so!

I don't think a butterfly card looks any good without a 3D one to make it pop! I used my classic ink pads and a blender pen to colour these in.


Do you also love the sentiment? It's from the NEW stamp set, Perfect Punches. This is one of the sets we were given, yes given, at Convention! And we've had to keep it under wraps for months. Talk about painful!

Card: Elegant Eggplant, Taken With Teal (retiring), Basic Black, Pale Plum (retiring), Whisper White
Ink: Whisper White, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum (retiring)
Tools: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Watercolour pencils
Embellishments: Vintage Brads (retiring)
Stamp Sets: All A Flutter, Perfect Punches

On the off chance, that my friend has popped onto my blog, HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACEY!

Till next time, happy stamping...