Crackle Butterflies

Hello, I hope you are having a fabulous day!

The background for this card is a piece of watercolour card dipped into Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry and Twisted Citron Distress inks which I smooshed on my craft sheet and sprayed with water and Glimmer Mist.  I dried with a heat gun then stamped the gorgeous Clarity stamp, Butterfly Montage (I have had this stamp for years and never used it before!) with Imperial Purple Versafine.  Then I stamped the main butterfly from the Montage stamp again three times on odd bits of card from my scraps box, in black Versafine and embossed with clear powder.  I water coloured them with the same inks then I fussy cut them out.  You can buy the large butterfly separate but I don't have it.  I then painted each butterfly with Ranger Rock Candy Crackle Paint and left them to dry naturally - the crackle effects looks gorgeous but I am not sure how well you can see it in the photo.  The sentiment is also Clarity, stamped in Imperial Purple and embossed with clear powder then cut out. I glued the three butterflies and the sentiment to my card. The mesh behind the two butterflies on the right is on a roll from a DIY store.  It comes white and I coloured it purple with a Promarker.  A few sequins for added bling and a purple card base then its all done!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Pixie;'s Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
That's Crafty - Get Cracking
Clarity Stamp - Fussy Cutting
Darnell's NBUS Challenge - Never before used Schtuff!

All these are wonderful challenges, please pop over and have a look!

Thank you so much for visiting me!  I am sooooo grateful!

Take care.  Christine xxx

So Sorry!

Before I post my card I just want to say that I am so very sorry I have been away from Blogland for so long, both posting and, more importantly, commenting on your wonderful blogs.  I am very intermittent anyway due to mine and my husbands ill health, but recently, a very good friend took a sharp decline with her cancer and died very much earlier than was expected and it really hit us all hard. I am going to try and get back to the crafting world and just wanted to let you know I am still here and that I appreciate your patience and support so very much, thank you!

My card is one I made for my brother's birthday last month but haven't put on the blog so thought I would do that today.

I used the resist technique for the background.  I inked the large (very old) wooden rubber stamp with Versamark ink then embossed with white detail powder.  I first used an anti static pad and took the card to the stamp as it is such a large stamp.  I then inked over the whole piece with various blue Distress Inks then wiped over the top with a baby wipe to remove any ink from the embossing.  The stars were die cut, the first three are from a free die set that came with a magazine and the two tiny ones are punched.  The sentiment is from a little clear set, not sure what make, and again embossed with white detail powder.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The Craft Barn - Blue or Blues
Pixie's Snippets Playgrouned - use snippets (my stars and sentiments are all from card in my bits box)
bizzy Becs - Anything Goes

These are all fab blogs, worth a visit for sure!

Thank you for popping by - I appreciate it so much!  Take care. Christine xxx

You're a Star!

My card today is a CAS design which I think could be used for male or female cards.  I think I will make another one with 'thank you' instead of the birthday sentiment - I think that would work really well.

The star is made of Kraft card which I first ribbled (if that's the correct work) through a ribble gadget I have had for years.  I then punched it out using a Fiskars 'thick' punch.  It punched through the Kraft card like butter - a truly awesome piece of kit!  The tail of the star is some twine taped to the reverse of the star then I adhered the star to the cream panel with double sided foam tape.  The button and the little die cut stars (Mama Elephant die) were added with Cosmic Shimmer PVA, the sentiments stamped with vintage sepia Versafine ink then the panel glued to a Kraft card base.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - use snippets - mine are snippets of Kraft card for the large star and the little stars too.
Less is More - Clean and Simple and use something tactile - the ribbled star is tactile.
Craft Barn - Clean and Simple
Bizzy Becs - Anything goes

Thank you so very much for visiting me.  As usual, I am apologising for my infrequent visits to your blogs and the lack of posts here too!  I really appreciate you sticking with me!
Take care.  Christine xxx

Darnell's Visit!

You will probably know that the awesome Darnell is currently undertaking a grand tour and meeting lots of us blogging friends.  Tuesday was the first stop which was in Southampton.  I was so pleased cause I was able to attend, Yay!  It was so cool to meet Darnell and all the other lovely ladies!

This is our happy Southampton group - I had to 'steal' the photo from Darnell's blog (I hope you don't mind Darnell) my group shot went horribly wrong!

Darnell had booked us a room all to ourselves for lunch - it was probably just as well, our laughing and screeching would have upset other diners I am sure!  We had such a fun time.  So did Hammy! Well Darnell couldn't leave him behind could she?

I had to sneak this piccie in didn't I?

Anyway, I hope Darnell has a most awesome time for the rest of her trip - I am sure there will be laughter and mayhem all across the country!!!  Along with lots of hugs and kisses too!

Thank you for visiting today.  Take care.  Christine xxx

Belated Happy Birthday to Darnell

Happy Birthday to Darnell for yesterday!  Lots of you will have the awesome pleasure of visiting Darnell's fabulous Blog - she is such a lovely lady and friend!  Here is the card I sent which hopefully made it across to Darnell in time for her birthday!

I masked the panel off with tape then applied Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry and Wilted Violet Distess Inks then spritzed with pearl Glimmer Mist.  I then used black Versafine to stamp these fab little images from Dee's Flowers and Frames by Stamplorations. After I removed the masking tape, I stamped the sentiment (I can't remember the make) then added splatters of the watered down Distress Inks and mounted the panel on a purple base card.  I really hope Darnell likes it!  She makes the most awesome cards!

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Penny Black and More Challenge - Anything Goes with a Stamp
Stamplorations Third Birthday - Party/Celebration/Birthday inspired by mood board (mine is birthday and I think my flowers and leaves could be sprinkles on the top of the cakes in the picture. - in my head anyway!!! There are splatters in the mood board too!)
Stamplorations Never Ending Challenge - Anything Goes







This is a bit of a short blog post.  I will try and do another in the next few days.  Sorry I haven't been around much.  In July I have a few things going on, including meeting Darnell on her visit to the UK - that is the absolute highlight for me!  But it all means I have to take things very easy to manage everything so I apologise for my very infrequent visits and posts.  I will do my best though.  I went to the Newbury craft show yesterday with my friend Julie and had a fab time.  I am pretty shattered today so apologise for any mistakes in this post or if it doesn't make sense.  Sorry Darnell it is late!

I am off to bed know so goodnight and take care and thank you for your visit and continued, very valued, support! xxx

Belated Happy Birthday to Darnell

Happy Birthday to Darnell for yesterday!  Lots of you will have the awesome pleasure of visiting Darnell's fabulous Blog - she is such a lovely lady and friend!  Here is the card I sent which hopefully made it across to Darnell in time for her birthday!

I masked the panel off with tape then applied Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry and Wilted Violet Distess Inks then spritzed with pearl Glimmer Mist.  I then used black Versafine to stamp these fab little images from Dee's Flowers and Frames by Stamplorations. After I removed the masking tape, I stamped the sentiment (I can't remember the make) then added splatters of the watered down Distress Inks and mounted the panel on a purple base card.  I really hope Darnell likes it!  She makes the most awesome cards!

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Penny Black and More Challenge - Anything Goes with a Stamp
Stamplorations Third Birthday - Party/Celebration/Birthday inspired by mood board (mine is birthday and I think my flowers and leaves could be sprinkles on the top of the cakes in the picture. - in my head anyway!!! There are splatters in the mood board too!)
Stamplorations Never Ending Challenge - Anything Goes







This is a bit of a short blog post.  I will try and do another in the next few days.  Sorry I haven't been around much.  In July I have a few things going on, including meeting Darnell on her visit to the UK - that is the absolute highlight for me!  But it all means I have to take things very easy to manage everything so I apologise for my very infrequent visits and posts.  I will do my best though.  I went to the Newbury craft show yesterday with my friend Julie and had a fab time.  I am pretty shattered today so apologise for any mistakes in this post or if it doesn't make sense.  Sorry Darnell it is late!

I am off to bed know so goodnight and take care and thank you for your visit and continued, very valued, support! xxx

Happy Father's Day!

Today I am sharing the Father's Day card I made for my fabulous Father-in-law. I hope he likes it! This makes three posts in three days for me - I don't think I have ever done that before!

I started by masking off the edges of a piece of Clarity card which has a lovely shiny silk finish then I added a Clarity moon mask.  A brayer isn't something I have used for inking for quite a while and works so well on this silk card so it had to be done!  I used a couple of colours of Distress Inks then sprayed lightly with water and dabbed with kitchen roll  for a bit of texture.  I removed the mask and coloured the sun with Distress Ink. The stamping was done using the wonderful Clarity stamp set, Birdhouse Garden and black Archival Ink. The squirrel and little bird on the top (that bird came with my Clarity 'handmade by' set) were added after I removed the masking tape.  I drew a double squiggly line around the edge of the inked picture to frame it.  Ooh and nearly forgot, the fence was coloured with a Promarker.  The panel was then adhered to a black base card.  

This fabulous stamp set has so many elements it is really versatile, I love it!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Clarity Stamp - Masculine

Stamping Sensations - Feature a Creature

Bizzy Becs - Anything Goes

Allsorts - How Does Your Garden Grow

Some fabulous challenges on these blogs - worth a peek me thinks!

Thank you for visiting me, I am so chuffed I have managed these three posts on consecutive days! It may never happen again!

Take care. Christine xxx