Just for You from LOTV...

Hello everyone!! :)

I have a card to share today which was inspired by Jen over at The Tiny Blue Butterfly... after clearing out her stash, Jen has challenged herself to make a CAS card each Monday using one of her neglected LOTV stamps... I have more than a few of those too so thought I'd join in!! :)

This cute image is one I have wanted for some time and have always thought would be well suited to CAS designs :)

I am very out of practice with colouring at the mo' as, especially with my health as it has been of late, I just haven't had the energy to sit and colour in the way I was a year or so ago (tons of pens out all over the place and spending ages paying so much attention to getting my blending as good as I possibly could, etc.) so I decided to used just my FlexMarkers to colour this one as I find it easier to relax and colour with a (quicker!) more sketchy style with them... so it's far from perfect but I am relatively happy with it (all but the skin anyway- don't have my usual skin colours in my FMs so that ended up a bit of a mess!) all things considered :) And- I had the whole card put together in less time than an image would normally have taken me!!lol

The layout is CASEd from this card by Jen who in turn, CASEd it from this card by Rebecca... and I think it's one I'll keep coming back to for CAS cards :) Thanks for the inspiration ladies!! :)

{The List}

A6 top-fold white card blank

Image - LOTV Milly Just for You, stamped in Memento London Fog and coloured with FlexMarkers (sorry, no colours... I'm so out of the colouring habit that I put them all away without thinking!!lol)

Paper - Forever Friends Springtime 6x6" pad

Sentiment - PTI Happy For You set

Twine - Papermania Spots and stripes Pastels Collection

Tiny pearls from Anita's

Sakura Clear Stardust pen

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Jen's CAS Monday with LOTV #3 :) ; ATCAS #10 - Friend :) ; Allsorts - Spring has Sprung :) ; Joanna Sheen - Spring into Spring :) ; Fab 'n' Funky - Spring Colours :) ; Divas by Design - Flowers (if the flowers in my image and papers are okay) :)

Jen's challenge set me to thinking about how many character stamps I have and how much I like to make more CAS cards with them with the image taking centre stage... so... I have decided to attempt a little personal challenge of my own and have been colouring like a crafter possessed since the idea hit... Gorjuss Girls aplenty coming to a blog near you soon!!lol Though I do have a couple of Clearly Besotted Stamps cards I want to share with you first... the sudden spate of creativity around here is causing problems as I have more cards to share than I have time or energy to blog... but I'd much rather have that problem than nothing to blog 'cause I've not managed any crafting!! :D

Thanks for stopping by today!! :) See you soon I hope!! :)

Washi, crochet, buttons and twine... :)

Hi folks!! :)

Just thought I'd pop in for a flying visit to share the card I made for my Gran for Mother's Day... it was made pretty much entirely in bed while I was struggling even to sit upright for a few minutes so it had to be kept nice and simple but, given the restraints, I was relatively happy with the result and know however it had turned out my Gran would think it far more special than anything shop bought, which was the main thing!! :)

I used some washi tapes- my first time using washi and I love the look and ease- though I was a bit disappointed that I had to use my glue pen under the edges as it kept peeling back up... the same thing has happened when I have tried to use it since... do other people have the same issues??!! :S 

I stamped a couple of flourishes on the base card, added the washi and then used a few die cuts- the large heart I cut (okay, my mum cut!) from some Spring Drop paper and the others were a gift from a lovely friend and very fortuitously happened to match the colours in the washi perfectly... which saved me a huge amount of energy!! :) I was aiming for a cluster effect again and I think this is the first time I have been happy with the balance I've got!! :)

I added the crochet flower at the last minute when I remembered I had some already made in a pot on my desk from when I was practising last year... it looked okay just with the button but I think the flower really made all the difference so I'm glad I remembered it in the end!!lol

{The List}

White top-fold A6 card blank

Heidi Grace flourish stamps 

Memento ink in Summer Sky

Washi tapes- Docrafts Spots & Stripes Pastels collection

Spring Drop paper pad

X-cut Nesting Hearts die

Die cut hearts from my lovely friend- thanks hon!! :)

Sentiment from Woodware Clear Magic 'Tiny Phrases' stamp set

Crocheted flower - made by me from embriodery thread :)

Button from a The Ribbon Girl selection

Twine- Docrafts Spots & Stripes Pastels

Crystal Stickles

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes :) ; A Little Bit Crafty - Anything Goes :)

Thanks for stopping by today and for your comments on my last cards!! :) I hope you all had a lovely Esater and saw some of the sunshine we had here in Manchester over the weekend... it makes such a difference to see sunshine and blue skies... even if it is still freezing!!lol

Vinatge Loveliness for Mother's Day :)

Hello!! :)

I have been dying to share the Mother's Day card I made for my amazing mum and am finally getting around to it... I was still really ill when I made this and had to enlist a little help from my mum herself (to get things out and to turn the handle on my 'bug... with extra paper to hide the actual dies so she didn't know what I/she was cutting!!lol Did I mention she was amazing btw?!!) but I was really chuffed with how it came out and she loved it too so all the effort was well worth it... hope you'll like it too!! :)

The processes are all pretty simple and self-explanatory, I think, so I will save us all the time and effort of too many details but I managed to cram in an awful lot of new stash (when I can't craft, I buy crafty stuff- ooops!!lol) on this one as well and was surprised how it all came together... usually when I try to add in too much lately, it all goes horribly wrong!!lol

So, I have some gorgeous new stamps and dies from Clearly Besotted and PTI... and I can't tell you how much I am loving all the fun I seem to be having with dies at the moment...

...to be able to cut something as delicate as this leafy vine and then stamp it too...

...and negative alpha die cuts as well... why, oh, why did it take me so long to catch on to all this!!!lol

There is also new paper and my new MS butterfly punch... well, I got that just after Christmas but hadn't used it yet!! :) I am in craft addict heaven!! :D :D

{The List}

A6 Top-fold Cream card blank plus extra card for main layer

Paper from Papermania Vintage Notes 6x6 paper pad

PTI Block Alphabet dies

Clearly Besotted Stamps Leafy Accents and Butterfly Wishes stamp sets and matching dies

Memento inks in New Sprout and Bamboo Leaves

VersaMagic Ink in Malted Mauve

Core'dinations Vintage Collection cardstock

Martha Stewart Butterflies Punch

Papermania Scalloped Border Punch

Papermania Spots and Stripes Pastels twine

Anita's 3mm and 2mm gems

Scissor blade (one half of a broken pair!) to distress papers and Corner Chomper

I know you wouldn’t believe it from the list of 'ingredients' or even the look of the card really, but it is a fairly simple card in layout too... try imagining it without that one sheet of highly patterned paper... amazing what a difference a paper can make!! :) And apparently not so much of a divergence from my recent CAS style as I originally thought!!lol

I would like to enter this in the following challenges: A Passion forPapertrey - Negative Die Cuts :) ; Bunny Zoe's Monthly Challenge - Girly :) ; Crafty Bloggers Network - Spring/Pastel :) ; Crafts and Me - Pretty in Pink (if there is enough pink for you ladies? :) ) :) ; My Mum's Craft Shop - Spring Has Sprung (...if only, we had sunshine and blue skies in the middle of a blizzard earlier!!) :) ;

Right, that's it from me 'til next time... when that will be depends very much on whether my body stops playing silly beggars on me for more than five minutes at a time!! :S Until then, I hope you are all well, as warm as possible (come on Spring, where the heck are you?!!) and have a lovely Easter weekend... as I doubt I'll be back before that somehow!! :)

Accentuate the... Negatives!?! :)

Hello everyone!! :)

I am still feeling a bit rubbish but popping a post on my lil' ol' blog last week proved such a pleasant distraction from the stresses around here that I thought I would make another flying visit to share a couple more very CAS cards I made a few weeks ago using my two fave butterfly dies... 

... 'cos butterflies and pretty papers are a sure way to make me happy!!lol I kept these really simple after being inspired by some gorgeous creations on Pinterest and around blogland :)

This first one uses a beauitiful PTI die a lovely blogging buddy gave me last year... I just love the shape and it has become a firm favourite in my stash!! :) 

I added a simple stamped greeting to suit any occassion, inked the edges and inside of the negative in the same colour for a bit of interest and popped on a bit of seam binding...

... and then I smudged a few dots of ink all around on the main layer... which was absolutely intended from the outset and not at all because I noticed I had got a stray ink mark on there from my mucky fingers!!lol I actually rather like the effect anyway- I do like a happy accident!! :)

And this one uses my oh-so-gorgeous Clearly Besotted Butterfly Wishes die and another lovely piece of Summer Breeze paper :)

I was looking through my sentiments for something just a bit different to go on this card and as soon as I saw this one by Sam Poole, I knew exactly who I wanted to send this card to... a lovely friend who lives far too far away... oh, how I wish I could just fly on down for a cuppa and a catch-up with her!! :)

This one has a different colour of ink and of seam binding but is essentially the same... isn't that paper gorgeous?!! :)

{The List}

White A6 top-fold card blanks plus extra card for die cut layer

PTI Butterfly Die and Clearly Besotted Stamps Butterfly Wishes Die

First Edition Summer Breeze paper pad

VersaMagic inks in Pixie Dust and Aquatic Splash

Craftwork Cards Alphabet Stamps for 'hello...' 

Creative Expressions by Sam Poole Art Sayings A5 stamp sheet

Seam Binding in Peach and Rose Petal from The Ribbon Girl

So, that was my next experiment in uber-CAS cards... I am so loving CAS right now!!! :D I still haven't been well enough to play more with my new Clearly Besotted goodies but hopefully over the weekend I'll be able to... I see more CAS in my future!! Just imagine that in a Mystic Meg-like voice!!lol

I'd like to enter these in the following challenges:  Addicted to CAS - Wings :) ; Bunny Zoe's Monthly Challnege - Girly :) ; Papertake Weekly - 1, 2, 3! (One layout, two dies and three colours- aqua, peach and white... if I'm reaching to far here then please just delete me!!) :) ; Joanna Sheen - Mum's the Word (For a Special Lady) -these are heading off to two lovely friends asap!! :) ; Allsorts - Springtime :) ; Crafty Bloggers Network - Spring or Pastel :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today- I hope you like my cards!! :) And thank you for all the comments on my last post and the well wishes too... sooo much appreciated!! :) Hope you are all well and have a lovely weekend!! :) I'll be back... soon, I hope!!lol

Besotted with Clearly Besotted!! :)

Hello folks!! :)

I'm popping in today to share a card I made a few weeks ago with some simply gorgeous new stamps but will have to try and keep my waffle to a minimum as the reason I've been away so long is that I have had a major health crash along with a lot of stressful goings on and, though I am finally doing a bit better, I am still feeling pretty ropey and having to be careful I don't overdo things...

That being said, I simply couldn't wait any longer to share this card with you...

It is made using the simply beautiful Butterfly Wishes stamp set from Clearly Besotted Stamps... I am so so happy to have discovered CBS... their stamps are fantastic and there are dies to match too... I'm in crafty heaven!!lol

The first thing I did was to die cut a whole pile of butterflies and then had a lovely time stamping them out in almost every colour of ink I have... then I had a play with colour combos and decided I'd use these pinks I have never used on anything before and wouldn't have thought to put together normally... I love when something inspires me to try something different!! :)

Alongside discovering the company, I also discovered Stephanie's amazing blog and I guess I have been soaking in a lot from her cards as this card could have been cased directly from this one of hers- one of the many, many gorgeous cards she has over there... so thank you Stephanie for the amazing inspiration as well as gorgeous products!! :)

The sentiment is also from the Butterfly Wishes set with the extra 'sending you' from the other set I got at the same time, Warm Wishes :)

{The List}

White 5"x7" top-fold card blank plus extra for diecuts

Butterfly Wishes stamp set & matching dies and Warm Wishes stamp set from Clearly Besotted Stamps

VersaMagic chalk ink pads in Pixie Dust, Pink Petunia, Malted Mauve & Perfect Plumeria

I had so much fun making this card and plan to make more in other colour combos soon :) I have also already received my second order of lovely goodies from Stephanie and had little play with some of it (it was a big order and there are still so many more sets I'd love!!lol) for my mum's Mother's Day card which I will share as soon as I have energy to get the pics edited :)

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges: Addicted to CAS - Wings :) ; CAS-ual Fridays - Colour Blocks (I hope this fits!!) :) ; CAS on Sunday - Happy Birthday :) ; Joanna Sheen - Mum's the Word (a card for a special lady- this one will be going to my oldest friend for her birthday next week!!) :) ; Allsorts - Springtime :) ; Delicious Doodles - Use Diecuts :)

I'll be back just as soon as my health allows, until then- thanks for stopping by and for your comments!! Hope you're all keeping well and wrapped up warm!! :)