Allsorts Challenge #687

 The theme of the current Allsorts Challenge is **Butterflies/Bugs** and they would like them to be a prominent feature of the design.  I think I can safely say that mine are the main feature of the card 😉. I stamped and embossed the various 'bugs' and then die cut them using a matching set of dies.  I've had this set for some time but don't often get to use them although they are handy for those 'male card' occasions.

Bugs - stamps and matching dies from Tim Holtz Sizzix
Plaques - some ancient Spellbinder dies

Vases

I made this card a little while ago but hadn't got around to posting it - I've used a matching 'suite' of products which includes papers, stamps, dies and some ready-made embellishments.  I'd spotted it at a reduced price because it was being retired so couldn't resist because I'd liked it so much. I seem to have gone overboard somewhat on the number of vases die cut, a couple of them stamped as well, and the green leaf and sentiment were ready made embellishments which were in the pack.The die cut rectangles were cut from a piece of embossed DSP, also part of the suite.

I'm taking this card along to the Shopping our Stash challenge which this time is **WTHeck Embellishments** as they are asking for some ready made embellishments to be used.

DSP, stamps and dies all from Boho Indigo suite Stampin' Up (retired)
Leaf and Sentiment - also from the same suite
Rectangles - dies from SU 

Christmas in July - Again

It's Christmas in July for a second challenge in the Playground and with another bumper prize to be won too.   I have to admit I had to print some design paper for this card and of course I used a card blank but everything else here was cut from snippets of card from my cream and gold collections.  The poinsettias and the backing for the sentiment were cut using cream pearlescent card and the top layers were cut from some gold pearlescent card.

Poinsettias - dies from Sizzix (this year's issue I think)
Sentiment - dies from Tonic (a few years old)
DSP - printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings CD (an all time favourite)

Allsorts Challenge #686

 The theme for the latest Allsorts Challenge is **Summer** and I know that so far this year we've had lots of sunshine and record high temperatures but in the past Summer has often been about sunshine and showers so I thought that my card would fit the bill.  It came about because I was sorting out some of the 'saved' bits and pieces on my desk and I pulled out a little collection of coloured arcs which were cut in all the colours for a previous rainbow project.  As is often the case I ended up with far too many but actually when I sorted through them I only had sufficient to built one more rainbow in the correct colour sequence.  I sorted out some other stamps and dies along with pieces of card to put this together as a 'get well' card. I was tempted to keep the rest of the rainbow bits 'just in case' but made myself discard them - brave move on my part I thought as I'm a serious hoarder🤣.

Rainbow and Clouds - die set from Julie Hickey
Umbrella, Flowers and Boots - Under My Umbrella set Stampin' Up (retired)
Background Paper - free download from way back (magazine gift)

Butterfly Challenge

The Butterfly Challenge is back after a short break and this time the letter of the alphabet is 'S', with the usual theme of a card shape and various colours - read all about it HERE.  There are some lovely prizes on offer as well so why not have a go.  I've only managed two of the colours on my card (salmon pink and sage green) and of course some butterflies fluttering around the basket of flowers.  The papers were left over from a previous project and the small flowers were lying around in a container on my desk where I usually drop any oddments which I can't bear to throw away.

Bicycle - Memory Box die which I've had for years
Flowers - Flower die from John Next Door
Butterfly die - from Crafter's Companion
Papers - from a Paper Pantry USB

Cone Flowers

 This card is not quite how it started out but at least I managed to rescue it.  Background is a Gelli print which was done using fairly textured watercolour paper and the two flowers were stamped using Versamark ink and embossed with white followed by stamping all the rest of the foliage using various inks.  Unfortunately because of the texture the white embossing just didn't have the intended impact and the piece almost made it into the bin 🙄. However after a bit of thought I stamped the flower heads onto some scrap card so that I could colour and fussy cut them to layer over the offending white blooms.  As I said not quite what was intended but at least my time making the background and adding all the stamping wasn't wasted.

Hope everyone is surviving the extreme heat - thankfully the temperature seems to have returned to a more normal level.  Feeling uncomfortably hot just sitting still is a bit much isn't it🥵

Cone Flowers - stamps from Hobby Arts
Foliage - various stamps, mainly from Lavinia with some freebies

Allsorts Week 685

 Guess what the challenge is this week on Allsorts - yes it's **Christmas in July** and today is set to be the hottest on record so they say🥵.  For this card I started with two pieces of patterned paper and a narrow strip of red arranged to look like wallpaper and carpet.  Next I die cut a window and backed it with a piece of scenic DSP.  Finally die cut the Christmas tree, presents and the black cat lying on the windowsill. I decided this one didn't need a sentiment on the front as it speaks for itself.

Window - Memory Box die
Tree and parcels - Sizzix dies
Snowy scene - DSP from Stampin' Up (long retired)
Cat - die which was a free gift when I purchased the window