Butterfly Birthday Card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going? I hope you haven't been too badly affected by Storm Gareth. Interestingly the next storm will be called Hannah. There was a list of names on the BBC news site. I am having a quiet week which means there is a lot of time to craft. This is great because it gives me a chance to catch up before it all gets busy again.

I was recently very lucky and a won a die set during Holley's month long celebration of 9 nines years since her successful brain surgery. Holley's blog can be visited  here http://holleybarnhartsblog.blogspot.com/

Every year in the month of February Holley gets lots sponsors and she is able to offer  many prizes around the world. I was thrilled when my prize arrived through the post. 

I had a bit of a tidy up recently and I found a stack of foiled card like the one I have used here. 

I won this wonderful butterfly die. The butterfly cuts beautifully and it has a die for a mat under the detail.  I used some paper that I had decorated using the shaving foam technique. I used the Double Pierced Square dies from Creative Expressions to cut the mats for the butterfly. 

I used a Creative Expressions die to create the sentiment. It was cut in purple and some more of the shaving foam paper. 

Thanks again to Holley for my fabulous prize. I made this card for one of my husband's work colleagues who is having a special birthday soon. I have also made a card  for the whole team to sign. 

I would like to enter the following challenges: 

Challenge 431 at the Fab 'n' Funky Challenge blog

The March Challenge at Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge

Challenge 386 at the Crafty Creations Challenge blog

Enjoy the rest of the week 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Unicorn Challenge blog - theme Make it Girly

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

I hope your week has started well. I hope you have some nice things planned for the week ahead.

This is something of a sad post for me. I have decided to step down from the Unicorn Challenge Design Team. I have been with them since the beginning so it was a hard decision to make. It is a lovely team to be part of and I have enjoyed my time with them. I wish the whole team all the best for the future.

The new challenge starts today and the theme is Make it Girly. I was asked to make a card for one of my girlfriend's friends.

It was a special birthday but I didn't want to put the age on the front some people are a bit sensitive about that. The pretty backing paper I found in my stash. 

I used the Double Pierced Circle dies from Creative Expressions to make the aperture and the frame. The oval pierced dies came from another set but I am now not sure which one. The sentiment was cut with a Crafters Companion die. The lattice was cut with an Creative Expressions die set. 

The butterfly was cut with Magical Butterflies die set from  Creative Expressions. 

Finally I made the flowers and leaves from the Christmas Rose die set also from Creative Expressions. 

I know this card was very well received. I hope you can join in with this months challenge. 

I would like to enter the TTCRD March 6th - 12th Challenge. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Floral Thank You Card

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends

How is your week going? I hope it is better than mine. I still have the cold I did go back to work yesterday and I was quite relieved that I didn't have to work all morning outside supporting P.E. for two Visually Impaired children. The weather was too bad for either of the lessons to be outside.

I wanted to make a Thank You card for a couple who have been hosting a short course that we have been attending. The course is about getting to know about the church that we have recently joined. The couple have been very kind and hospitable opening their house to us for the last four weeks.

I started with a scalloped card blank. Then I used the Sue Wilson Double Pierced Squares sets A and B to make the mats and layers. 

I stamped the Peony from the Birthday Blooms set by Stampin Up on to watercolour card with black archival and then I coloured it with my Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens. I made a frame for the Peony with the Double Pierced Sqaures so it matched the mats. 

I found this butterfly (cut with some Sue Wilson dies) in my stash. 

This greeting was with a card pack from a craft class that I won't be finishing. It was ideal for this card. 

I did struggle a bit with this card I always do when I am ill. When I am better we pop round to see the couple and take this card along with a box of chocs they have been very generous. 

I would like to enter challenge 305 at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge blog and challenge 107 at the Creative Moments Challenge blog. 

Enjoy the rest of the week, 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Creative Artiste - Challenge 19 Anything Goes

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends

I hope you have a had a good week and that you have something nice planned for the weekend. We will mostly catching up with jobs around the house and garden.

The first Friday in the month see the start of a new challenge on the Creative Artiste Challenge blog the theme is Anything Goes and the sponsor is The Dusty Attic.

I had had this little heart shaped box in my stash for ages. I was given it free when I bought some jewellery as a leaving present.

I started painting the box all over with Gesso. It isn't necessary to do this but it does make the colours of the tissue paper brighter. Then I decoupaged the box with cut up tissue paper and decoupage glue applied with a brush. The lace was in my stash. 

The Dusty Attic are based in Australia and they make laser cut creations and embellishments. They will ship overseas. If you click on the logo you will be taken to the store. 

I made the flower with the Spellbinders Build a Sunflower die set. I used Distress inks to colour the petals. The doily was created with another Spellbinder die. The butterfly was made with a Sue Wilson die. 

I was very pleased with how this box turned out. 

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. 

I would like to enter Challenge 42 at the Crafting Musketeers Challenge Blog , Challenge 27 at Craft Girls Creations and Challenge 29 at the Crafting with Friends Challenge Blog. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Unicorn Challenge Blog - Pretty Pinks/ Halloween

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends

How has the new week started for you? I can't believe it is already Tuesday.

The first Tuesday of the month sees the start of the new challenge on the Unicorn Challenge Blog and the theme is Pretty Pinks or Halloween. That is because not all of us like making Halloween cards but some of us do. This challenge should suit everyone.

I had a hunt around in my stash and I found some long forgotten Pyramage sheets with cute images on them and they were pink.

I don't think I could have made this more pink if I tried. 

I had some off cuts of sheets I had coloured with Pixie Powders and I used a Sue Wilson butterfly die to create this butterfly. 

I do like Forever Friends images they are just so cute. I created the frame with some other Sue Wilson dies. 

Enjoy the rest of the week. Take care.

I would like to enter the Think Pink Challenge at Dragonfly Dreams , Challenge 87 Love to Scrap Challenge Blog , Challenge 103 at Creative Moments , Challenge 25 at The Crafty Addicts Challenge and Challenge 318 at 4 Crafty Chicks. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Perspective Dies by Sue Wilson

Hi  My Crafty Blog Friends

How has your week been? At the start of the week I had a migraine and then headaches. I also hurt my back. I am feeling a lot better now. I dind't get as much done this week as I was hoping to. That is just how it goes sometimes.

Some of you know that I am friends with John Lockwood. We had arranged to meet up after one of his local (to me) workshops but his plans changed (they often do). Anyway he is in the process of moving and he asked if I would make some samples with the Perspective dies by Sue Wilson for his show on Hochanda. I agreed,  though I did need to buy some. The shows showcasing these die start tonight and carry on tomorrow.

These are the samples that I sent to John. I did enjoy working with these die they were fun to use and I love how you can use the negative and the positive of the die. Sue Wilson has lots of tutorials using these dies. The dies I have are the ones I thought would be most useful. 

This is the first card I made it was going to be a shaker card but I didn't leave enough space, for the foam tape between the Happy and the Birthday. I do like the clean simple lines of this card. 

This is meant to be a shaker card. I did get the idea from watching one of Sue Wilson's videos. The trouble is I put too much confetti in the card so it doesn't shake but it does look rather pretty. I need to make a birthday card for our daughter's fiance and I had been struggling with an idea now I am going to make one of these cards for him. 

I did buy the stamp that matched the Happy and I used it to create the background. I used a sticky embossing powder and gilding flakes. It is a lot less messy using gilding flakes this way. Once I had done this I used Distress ink to colour the background. 

This card sees my first use of Pixie Powders. Now they are quite as bright as Brushos but they do sparkle. I love things that sparkle. So behind the Best Wishes background there is some water colour paper that I coloured with Pixie Powders. I cut the Best Wishes die three times. Then I cut the Happy Birthday Circle set several times in different colours and I played around until I was happy with a combination. 

I do like making boxes and I found the Circle Thank You die and the Circle Happy Birthday just right for the top of a box. 

I decided to make a card to match the box. 

Lastly this is the Circle Happy Birthday set used to decorate a box. 

I did enjoy using these dies and I have lots of ideas of how to use them in the future. I feel like I have made a good investment. 

I hope you get to watch some of John's show on Hochanda he is always full of good tips and ideas. I am hoping to watch the launch show at least. We are rather busy tomorrow. 

Have a great weekend. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Fantasy Stampers - Clean and Simple

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends

Welcome to the weekend. I hope you have something nice planned. This post will be scheduled as when is it published we will be on our way to Bristol to visit the Zoo (the venue for the wedding) with our daughter, her fiance and his parents. We are going to be shown round and we will be able to ask questions. I am hoping that we will be able to look at some hotels for accommodation for the wedding as well. It is going to be a long a busy day.

Today sees the start of a new challenge on the Fantasy Stampers Challenge blog. The theme is Clean and Simple.

. 

I do like these CAS style cards.

This butterfly is a Sheena Douglas stamp that came with one of the issues of the Inspiration Magazine by Crafter's Companion. The butterfly was stamped in black archival and coloured with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - I do love them. 

The sentiment is from Dreamees it was part of a members gift from Create and Craft.

I cut the border with a Crafter's Companion die set. 

I enjoyed making this card. I you check back on the Fantasy Stampers Challenge Blog tomorrow the winners of the last challenge will be announced. 

Happy Crafting.

Hugs Jackie

Butterfly with Love Always

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. We did get the rabbit room ready for our daughter's rabbits who will arrive on Wednesday. They are very cute and they will feature on the Save the Date cards we are going to make for the forthcoming wedding. Also my husband started to build my crafty storage that was delivered on Thursday. So it won't be too long before I start the mega sort out of my crafty bits and pieces.

I made this card with the left overs from the butterfly card I made last week. I also wanted the play with the new Crafter's Companion Indulgence die set my friend gave me for my birthday.

I used various shades of Centura Pearl card to make the layers.

The Sheena Douglass butterfly was stamped onto watercolour card with black archival ink and then coloured with my Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens and a brush and some water. 

Isn't this a pretty die I was thrilled when I received this for my birthday. This was the first chance I had to play. The die comes with two different edges for different looks. I cut and embossed some white Centura Pearl card with the die and I backed it with one of the shades of card from the layers to highlight the detail. 

Enjoy the rest of the week. 

I would like to enter Pixie's Snippets Playground Week 230

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

Creative Artiste - April Anything goes

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends

I do hope that you have had a very good day. This is the last post from me you will be pleased to know. Our day didn't work out as we thought it might we were at the hospital a lot longer than we expected. So we went to Port Solent for a meal and then we saw the Eddie the Eagle film which I can thoroughly recommend.

The new challenge starts today on the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog and the theme is Anything Goes with a twist to use chipboard, stencils or flowers the sponsor is The Dusty Attic an Australian company who produce laser cut creations and embellishments.

I decided to decorate a journal cover. I write a journal everyday I have been doing it for about 26 years. Just recently I realised that it was much nicer to buy plain journals and decorate them myself.

The background was created from Kraft card using the Faux Leather technique there is a tutorial showing how to do this at the top of my blog.  

The flowers were made with my Sizzix Bigz Tattered Florals die I used felt and leather to create them. I added leaves cut from paper with the Faux Quilled Leaves die set.

There was a space on the cover and I wasn't sure how to fill it and them I remembered my butterfly dies I cut one from brown card and used gold gilding wax on it. 

I am looking forward to writing in this journal. This is the last post from me for today. I am going for a lay down in a dark room. Enjoy the weekend. Take care.

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

Scribble and Scrap Challenge 47 - Always Anything Goes

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends

I had a fantastic time at the workshop yesterday. I really enjoyed it, John Lockwood  is so talented. I must admit that I messed up two of the three projects but I am going to have a try at home to see if I can do better. I was talking too much I did meet some lovely people.

This is a rather sad post. Today see the start of the last challenge at the Scribble and Scrap Challenge Blog. I have enjoyed being on the Design Team I have met some wonderful people but now it is time to move on. There will still be a prize for this challenge so why not join in one last time. The theme is always "Anything Goes".

I made this 8" x 8" card for a commission. The brief I was given was to make it girly. As you know from yesterday's post my favourite colour is mauve so that is the colour I chose to use.  The background I made with a Sue Wilson Striplet die called Eternal Rings to which I added CS white pearl PVA glue. This I left to dry for a long time. 

I made the the flower with Sue Wilson dies Delicate Daises complete and open petal. To the centre of each flower I added a punched flower and some more CS PVA glue. I also used the trailing ivy die. 

The tag was from another Sue Wilson set Pierced Tags. The sentiment was cut with some Britannia Dies.  

I had finished the card but I was not happy something was missing. Well I ended up  doing the classic thing and adding a butterfly again cut with another Sue Wilson die this one from the Magical Butterflies set. Do you get the impression that I have a lot of Sue Wilson dies. Yes I have. 

I really was there and I did meet him.  

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. I am off to the Portsmouth Sincerely Yours Papercraft show. Not exactly a Father's Day treat we are going to the cinema after. Also we are dropping off the wedding invitations they are finished. 

I would like to enter this card for Challenge 33 at the Butterfly Challenge Blog. 

Happy Crafting 

Hugs Jackie