Butterflies

 I'm sure there have been fewer butterflies around this year which is sad but I've brought out a set of dies so that butterflies can adorn this card.  I started by splodging Distress Oxide inks onto some scraps of cream card so that they could dry and be ready for die cutting.  I then cut a square of the same cream card to layer onto a kraft card blank,  adding a few splodges of DOX and allowing to dry before using a couple of stencils to add some partial detail.  A final touch was a few spatters of ink in the colours used for the butterflies which were die cut and layered to be arranged on the background along with a simple sentiment.  Just a reminder of Summer now that Autumn seems to be here - each season has beauty but in different ways.  

I spotted that today is World Card Making Day - what a lovely excuse to stay in and craft (as if we needed an excuse) 😊.

Butterflies - Die set from Tim Holtz  Brushstroke Butterflies
Stencils - from Lavinia and AAll & Create
Sentiment - generated on the computer using Word

Allsorts Challenge #800

 Another card for the special 800th Allsorts Challenge where the theme is **Anything Goes**.  This card is a stamped one using my own version of a polyplate which was inked with some Distress inks and  lightly spritzed with water before 'stamping' it onto a piece of white card to make a background panel.  I then stamped the floral/leafy image and added a simple sentiment to this CAS card.  Various polyplates are available from Crafty Roo but this one was one I made by cutting down an A5 sheet of what must be some form of clear stamping material which was purchased some time ago from John Next Door before I ventured into using genuine gelli plates.  I think both items have a place although they do behave slightly differently with inks - just need to experiment AKA play 🤣

Leafy Stamp - from Autumn Leaves set purchased in Crafty Roo's sale

Snippets Playground Challenge #490

 I'm off to visit the Playground again with my current Snippets make and this time it's a Christmas card which as it happens was inspired by  a design from Pete Hughes of Sizzix - see Sarn's post HERE.  Great minds think alike they say. Mine uses one of his ideas for constructing a reindeer from die cut shapes and I've chosen to just use a head and shoulders view within a die cut circular frame.  I started by cutting the pieces and building up the reindeer before deciding just what form the card would take.  Having decided on going  relatively CAS I cut out two matching frames using a stitched detail die and a smaller plain circle die.  These were  layered together adding a backing of a blue circle with a pattern of die cut holes to represent falling snow.  Once assembled the circle was simply glued to a white square and the sentiment added.  I actually remembered to take a photo of the small snippets left over.  As usual everything on this card came from my snippets collection apart from the card blank.  

Reindeer - constructed using Infinite Doodles #1 from Sizzix
Snow Effect - Infinite Doodles #2
Stitched Circle - Sizzix Stitched Circle die set
Sentiment - Unbranded die
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Taking a Break

 No, it's not me taking a break - Santa and one of his reindeer are having a little rest while they prepare for their busy schedule later this year 😊.  It's the 800th challenge at Allsorts this week, certainly something worth celebrating and there is the straightforward theme of **Anything Goes** along with a bumper selection of prizes.  There's lots of super inspiration from the Design Team and Guest Designer Sarn so why not pop along and take a look.

I started this card by printing a  background from my favourite seasonal CD which I've had for over 15 years, using some pearl paper  I then die cut the two little 'people' , the icicles and the starry frame, colouring was done using Copic alcohol pens.  I dithered about adding a sentiment and finally decided that it wasn't necessary as the scene speaks for itself.

Background - printed from Artylicious Seasons Greetings CD (probably no longer available)
Icicle die - unbranded
Star Frame, Santa and Reindeer - Gummiapan dies 

September Rudolph Days Challenge

 Amazing just how quickly these Rudolph Days seem to come around.  There are some lovely cards for inspiration including one from guest designer Brenda who has made a beautiful one using Lavinia stamps.  For my card this month I've used some dies which came as a freebie with the current Die Cutting magazine - couldn't resist because I've always fancied having dies to cut ice skating boots but somehow never got around to buying any.  I've combined the skates with a wreath die set which has been in my Christmas box for many years.  A combination of blue and white pearl card was used along with some kraft and a plain blue circle which was embossed using a snowfall embossing folder.  I used a die to cut the bows for the laces rather than use ribbon as suggested in the magazine

Wreath - Sizzix die from several years ago
Embossing Folder - from Sheena Douglass (no longer available)
Boots and 'Joy' - from die set which came free with the magazine
Bows - Gummiapan die

Quirky Flowers

 I've been playing this morning with some die cut shapes to see if I could make some flowers and these odd looking ones are my first effort.  I'd like to try some animals or characters but not sure I can be quite that imaginative.  I do look at YouTube videos by Deb Hallett who builds up some great ones  which must require lots of patience.  I didn't really want to copy what she's made although I don't think she has done flowers in this way.  Having made a couple of passable flowers the next thing was to decide just how to use them and I've gone for a stamped and stencilled grungy background within a framed circle.  This was fun but it took me most of the  morning 😉.

Stencil - Lavinia
Stamps - Globleland (Amazon)
Die Cutting - Abstract Elements from Sizzix (Tim Holtz)

Allsorts Challenge # 799

 For the Allsorts Challenge this week Liz has asked us for **Get Well or Sympathy Cards** - always handy to have one or two of these ready to hand if needed.  Of course there is, as always, the *Anything Goes* option.  I decided to make a Get Well card in the CAS style so I cut a panel of white card to fit onto a square card and started by stamping the sentiment and a background image using  grey Versafine ink.  I then die cut some butterflies in the same white card and these were painted using some glimmer watercolours which I've had for many years although I realise they'd not been used for a while.  I die cut a slightly larger square from light grey card to tone with the stamping.  Assembled the card, adding some tiny blue gems and that's it - a CAS Get Well card for the challenge.

Background Stamp - one of a set of mixed stamps from Amazon
Butterflies - Memory Box
Sentiment - from my favourite set of magazine freebie sentiment stamps (years old)