Butterfly Birthday

This is a 6" square card and co-ordinating box.

The card: I used a stripey border stamp by Elzybells, stamped in dark brown Chalkeyes ink, with panels of dotty and tiny hearts decorative paper, layered onto olive green Bazzill cardstock. I stamped the 'Friendship' word onto the bottom mat, and found a lovely sentiment to go on the corrugated card panel on top, and decorated with faux gems. The butterfly is a gorgeous die-cut, and I've used my signature rosebud for its body. Can't remember how I made the antennae, but they have tiny faux gems on the ends.

The box: I used a pre-cut and scored flat-packed box from Craft Creations (just recently closed down, sadly), folded and secured into shape. So simple. Same mats and layers as with the card, some faux gems, and I picked up the corrugated card as well, to go under the pretty punched butterfly. I've used two rosebuds and a punched sprig of leaves.

When my building work is finished and I have restored my craft room and found these materials again, I'll let you know who the stamps, dies and punches are from!

Penny Black Birthday

Quite a lot to talk about on this one... I've used decorative papers as the base, purple Bazzill cardstock at the top and a strip across the lower part, and a purple organza ribbon. The stamps I've used are from Penny Black, with some (deliberately) fairly rough colouring for texture, including a purply watercolour background and grounding. There are a couple of mauve rosebuds in there, too, which have been painted with diluted glitter glue for a subtle sparkle. The K&Company dragonfly and butterfly are also slightly sparkled, and I've added some curly wire antennae. The 'Celebrate' word is a plastic embellishment, 'Happy' is a peel-off and 'Birthday' is rub-on lettering. Finally, quite a lot of black and white doodling and some green brads complete the picture.

Bloom

Flourish stamps down the edge, bordered with narrow black satin ribbon, also used for bows tucked under the red bloom. Silver button tied with black waxed cord in the centre of the bloom. Stampin' Up 'Bloom' word stamp on Spellbinders label die-cut. Paper rose heads, handwritten "where you are planted", and black Martha Stewart punched butterflies with clear gems complete the design.

Flutterby, Butterfly

This was made eight years ago for my niece's birthday. Looks really simple, doesn't it, and it is - comparatively-speaking. The circle and scalloped border were made with Stampin' Up punches, the smaller butterflies made with Martha Stewart punches. The larger butterfly was cut out of a magazine, edges inked then painted with Stickles, decorated with gems and silver wire antennae. The sentiment is computer-generated with Word Art and a font called 'I'm Bored'!! *lol* I like that it has a drop-shadow.

Basic Grey ATC

This ATC was made for the second Basic Grey challenge (now defunct, very sadly).

What is an ATC?

ATC stands for Artist's Trading Card. Originally, these were used by fine artists to produce miniature versions of their paintings to promote their work. This still happens, but their use has been expanded to cardcraft. Cardmakers use them as another avenue for their creativity, and ~ rather than selling them ~ the idea is to swap them with other enthusiasts to build a library of ATCs displaying different techniques.

Most people who produced (still produce?) ATCs swapped them through clubs, at craft events and internet forums. Personally, I found it hard to part with them. My focus has always been on card-making, but I did enjoy the few ATCs I made. They all ended up as card toppers or fridge magnets, though!

The size of an ATC is 2½ x 3½ ins (or a standard playing card size). You can purchase blanks, or make your own. (Make up a template, and use it as the ‘master’ to save you measuring out every time.)

On the back, put your name, address and/or email address, and the title of your miniature piece of art, or a reference code. If you are going to use your ATCs for swapping, it might be helpful to keep notes on how you made each one, so that if anyone contacts you for details, you will have them handy.

Any kind of artwork goes.. have fun and be expressive!

Here is my ATC for that challenge...

I used beautiful blue paper from the Basic Grey Cupcake 6"x6" pad. The main image is a cropped section of a stamped image I received in a swap. To echo the butterfly in the image, I stamped another one separately, and mounted it on the ATC, wings akimbo. The button is also BG. from the Archaic range. The 'Hope' sentiment is actually a metal embellishment for extra dimension, although that's not clear in the photo. The scroll stamp used in the corner is by Rhonna Farrer from her 'Elegant Flourishes' set in the Autumn Leaves collection.

Niece's Birthday Card..

A little card for my lovely niece, Laura... 23 tomorrow (but she definitely won't see this, so it's OK to post). Pity glitter is sooo difficult to photograph!

Navy blue Bazzill and SU punches for the scalloped circle (and the circle cut out of the middle), lighter blue Bazzill for the smaller Martha Stewart punched butterflies. The main butterfly was cut out of a magazine, edges inked then painted with Stickles, decorated with gems and silver wire antennae. Sentiment is computer-generated with Word Art and a font called 'I'm Bored'!! *lol*

One more to come.. above!

Roses are red, Violets are blue..

Errr.. I've made a card, and I'll show it to you! lol ;o)

This was commissioned by an old work friend for his wife. I hope he (and she!) likes it! He will be collecting it this evening. (I'm 100% sure she won't see this, so it's OK.) (Oh, and I haven't mis-spelt the name.. there is no 'e' on the end.)

The beautiful DP is from Papermania. Have used Nestabilities Labels #8 and EK Success border punch, Martha Stewart butterfly punch and the heart is a die-cut. Quickutz Eliza lettering, Cezanne font for the 'to my darling wife' at the bottom. Rose image from t'internet. Lots of flowers and bling.

XOXOXO

Bloomin' marvellous!

A colleague of mine is leaving us. Her husband has taken a job on the other side of the country, so they are upping sticks and moving to Bristol, and she is going to start her own business.

I love the expression 'Bloom where you are planted', and having recently purchased the SU set, 'Beauty in Bloom' which includes this lovely 'bloom' wordstamp, it just seemed perfect for the purpose, as I know she is a little nervous about what lies ahead.

Just treated myself to the Nestabilities Labels #8 set, and embossing mats which make such a difference to the finished effect, so used one of those here on 3D pads, along with the SU 'bloom' stamp and my own writing. The flourish stamp has become separated from its original packaging, so don't recall the name of it.. sorry.. and to finish, some black ribbon, bit o' twine behind an old silver button, some Martha Stewart punched butterflies with gems, a blossom and roses.

Roses. Again.

Aaaarrrggghhh!!! (gnash, gnash, gnash.. teeth, that is!) I am getting towards the end of my long list of cards I had to make, and I wanted to get to this challenge before it ended, but I missed it.. AGAIN! I ask you! (sigh) Oh well.

Anyways... this is for LAST week's Allsorts Challenge, No. 15, which is a fab sketch by Jules, with a twist, as you're s'posed to include some tearing somewhere on the design.

This is my take on it.. Roses. Again.

Gorgeous DP by K&Co. (Bailey). Sentiment is computer-generated in the Cezanne font. (The rosebud stems aren't really that long... I sacrificed some stems from other roses to extend them.)

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

Well.. a fairly important date, anyway! It's for a sketch that's past its sell by date, though, unfortunately, so I've missed my chance at the prize, but the sketch called to me, so I had to do it! It's for Carol's Sketch Fun #11 (HERE)...>>>

I upended the oval, but apart from that, it's true to the sketch...

Not sure where the DP is from.. I think it may be from a HOTP wedding book, but the sheet had become detached. Pretty blue roses, though, eh?

Liberal use of Cuttlebug embossing folders on the white CS (Divine Swirls and Swiss Dots), a long Sizzix border swirl, cut from dark blue Bazzill, with Martha Stewart punched butterflies, waxed cotton cord, dew drops and pretty rosebuds for a touch of contrast colour.

The ovals were cut by hand.

That's better!! :o)

Now it's just the photography that's awful! lol.. But then, the light is going and - well - there's just no pleasing some people!! ;o) But I feel tons better having removed the button and the journalling spot. I managed to prize them off without damaging the card. I had to risk it, as I couldn't ask someone to pay for a card I wasn't happy with. Now I am.

(If you missed the previous post and you're wondering what I'm whittering on about, scroll down to see the 'before' pictures! Ohh, the shame!)

Less is more. Orrrr, well.. maybe not.

Hmmm. A commissioned card, but one of those when what's in your head doesn't translate onto paper! I wasn't happy, but couldn't take anything away. There are parts of it I like, but kept adding in the hopes it might grow on me. It didn't. (sigh) Not a satisfying experience. What do you think? Be honest.

Bazzill cardstock frame, Quickutz alphabet, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing, Prima flowers, Basic Grey button, a Stempelglede flower (from the 'Grunge Collection'), Fontwerks dotty circle stamp, Martha Stewart punched butterflies and homegrown sentiment/journalling spot.

Roses Roses..

More of the same, really! Sorry to be boring.. I did warn you, you would get fed up with this style before I do! ;o)

For a colleague's 50th birthday coming up soon...

Bazzill cardstock, white panel in the centre Cuttlebugged with the Swiss Dots embossing folder
Roses stamp.. PSX, I think
Butterfly and frame: K&Co Die-Cuts, 'Madeline'
Plus pearls, roses, twine and a pink dew drop

Oh! And here's the baby... an ATC on the same theme... ahhhh...

Does anyone recognise this stamp?

Hi, all.. This gorgeous image was one that I had received in an image swap, ages ago, and I don't recall who it came from. It was cropped for use on this ATC, but I have decided that I NEEEEEED it and would love to track it down.

If you recognise it and you know what it's called or who it's by, please would leave me a comment? I'll send the first person who replies with enough info for me to find it some stamped images from it. (Or if you have it already, I'll send some of my other stamp images.)

Thank you! :o)

UPDATE

Thank you, Brenda, for the info. I have spent hours this afternoon trawling through websites where I thought she might be found... Stamp Francisco, Stampland Chicago, Lost Coast, Third Coast, coast to coast, Split Coast and all points in between, lol!! And then Brenda's message arrived, and with the maker and serial number, I was able to find the name of the stamp through Google... but nowhere that has it available. In desperation, I tried Addicted to Rubber Stamps, and sure enough.. there she was.... discontinued!!! Waaaaahhhhh!! :o(

My last resort is to post a 'Want It Now' post on Ebay, offering cash for the stamp or, failing that, some stamped images.

Fingers crossed.

Today's creation...

This card is made almost entirely from the Trimcraft prize stash I received yesterday. (Scroll down a post for a pic of the prize.) Isn't it pretty? The agonies I had to go through before cutting that stunning embossed and glittered butterfly mat down, honestly!! I think it is so beautiful, it stands on its own without the need for further embellishment.

I distressed and inked the edges of the lower panel. It was far tooooo 'clean' for me! lol ;o)

The layout is based on the sketch from the Trimcraft sketch challenge No. 2, and will be my birthday card for my lovely Auntie Pauline. Well, either mine or my mum's! She commissioned me to make a card, so I will make another and let mum choose her favourite.

Card blank: Cut down from A4 silky smooth white card from http://www.madaboutcards.com/
Sentiment: Handstamped using Versacolour inkpads
Everything else: DCWV Blossoms & Butterflies Mat stack & stickers + Dovecraft ribbon