Exploding Butterflies!

Don't worry I haven't been running around torturing innocent creatures, I've just been busy making my MIL's 70th Birthday card! Wow it's been a mission! Ever start a project and wish you hadn't? Well this was one of those!!! I honestly never thought I'd say this, but by the time I'd finished I was sick of the sight of butterflies!You would not believe how many times I thought I'd got enough butterflies only to discover that I needed more! It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd been my usual slap happy untidy crafting self, but in an attempt to keep my craft mess under control I've started tidying up as I go. So you guessed it I had to dig the stamps, embossing powders, paints etc out each time! If I make one of these again, I will leave everything out and also take a little more care when cutting around the butterfly's antennae!!! I'll warn you now, this post is both butterfly and picture heavy so my apologies on both counts ;o)

Anyway, this post is gonna be long enough without me blathering on, so I'll move things along! I wanted to make a something a little special for the MIL's milestone birthday, so I decided upon an exploding box using her favourite colours. I've made exploding boxes with floating butterflies in the past but not on this scale and certainly not using hand stamped, coloured and cut images!!! All I have to do now is hope that she likes it! Anyway, here it is:

The box is made from a  9" square piece of cardstock which has been covered with embossed and sanded Core-dinations card. I've distressed the edges of the cardstock very lightly before gluing the panels into place.

The flowers have been glittered before being mounted onto the box using silicone glue. I cut the wire stems from the flowers and used them to to make the glass pearl tipped tendrils.

I stamped the butterflies using Versamark Ink and then heat embossed them with a black glitter embossing powder. Hopefully you can see from this picture that the butterflies have been painted with mica paints which gives a really pretty pearlescent luminosity to them. I've added Stickles to edges of the wings and Glossy Accents to the bodies. I've also stamped and painted the reverse side of the butterflies and coloured the edges.

The sentiment has been computer generated and cut out using my nesties. I've then inked the edges with distress ink and given it a blast of Glimmer Mist.

The numerals have been die cut from th left over scraps of Core-dinations card, lightly sanded to reveal the core colour in places and then liberally covered in Stickles to give dimension and of course that all important glitz and glimmer!

Tools
Martha Stewart Scoreboard
Sizzix Big Shot
Sizzix/Tim Holtz Vintage Market Place Die
Sizzix Swirls & Dots Embossing Folder
Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels 8
Heat Gun

Materials
Image - EJ Crafts
Sentiment - Wishes by TLC
White card - The Papermill
Core-dinations Whitewash Card
Flowers - from stash
Glass Pearls - from stash
Stickles - Star Dust, Platinum
Glossy Accents
Glimmer Mist - Dazling Diamond
Heat It Up Black Glitter Embossing Powder
Mica Paints
Distress Ink - Dusty Concord

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges
By The Cute & Girly - Things with wings
Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog - Embossing
The Stampman - Anything Tim
CRAFT - Butterflies
PaperPlay Challenges - Things with wings
The Rubber Cafe - Spellbinders
Crafts & Me - Summer time
My Mum's Craft Shop - Swirls & Pearls
The Paper Shelter - Things with wings
Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
Little Claire's Designs - Things with wings

Let's Party!!

Good afternoon folks. I hope you're all having a nice weekend? Yesterday was a total washout, but today is looking more promising, so fingers crossed.

DD is going to be 13 in a couple of weeks and has decided she wants a BBQ party and some girlfriends to sleepover (deep joy)!! So I thought I'd better get the invites sorted. Now don't ask me why, but I made this job a lot more complicated than it ever needed to be and it wasn't 'til I was halfway through colouring the images it dawned on me! Doh!! Why did I bother to colour every image? Pass. Why did I just not use my graphics programme to colour the image and create a one layer card? Pass. Do I enjoy complicating things? Clearly!!! Anyway eight invites down the line and here's what I came up with!!!

Now all I have to do is pray for good weather and stock up on ear plugs!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Claire

I'd like to enter these cards into the following challenges:
Make it Colourful - Not normal hair colours

SK8R Boy!!

Well where has the last fortnight gone?? I can't believe it's time for another Sweet Pea Stampers challenge! The theme this week is Anything Goes and we're sponsored this time by the lovely Amy from The Crafty Purple Frog who is offering 3 digi sheets of the winners choice as a prize.

I decided I'd make a card for a boy this week and so have inked up one of the new Karen Middleton stamps.

The image has been coloured with Promarkers and then decoupaged onto some embossed papers. I've doodled over the embossed papers with a white gel pen and then cut out some skateboards from the DP's and decoupaged them onto the base to finish.

Tools
Sizzix Big Shot
Nestabilities
Tim Holtz Alteraitions Brickwork Embossing Folder

Materials
Image - Karen Middleton's Sheet 7, Plate 122
Papers - Prima Little Guy
White Gel Pen
Promarkers

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - One or more circles
Ambers Crafts & Stuff - Embossing
Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
Shopping Our Stash - Out with the old or in with the new (Prima papers (old), stamp (new)
Here Come The Boys - Sporty
A Gem of a Challenge - Lets hear it for the boys

Simple Kraft Notebook

Good morning peeps, this is another quickie from me again today as I'm due at DS sports day this morning and then have twenty minutes to get across town to DD sports day.

I spotted these gorgeous notebooks a few weeks ago and as I have a little obsession with stationery products I of course had to buy one! ;)

I kept it nice and simple by masking a square on the inner page and inking with Distress Inks. I then stamped the owls in the inked square and coloured them with Promarkers. The front and back covers had two holes punched and I made a loop using some twine and stitched the button on using twine. The button goes through the loop to keep the book closed. I then stamped 3 mini flowers with DI's and threaded a length of twine through the spine of the book.

Tools
Cropadile Big Bite

Materials
Kraft Notebook
Kars Stamps
Distress Inks - Walnut Stain, Tea Dye
Promarkers - Sandstone, Walnut
Button - from stash
Twine - from stash

I'd like to enter this book into the following challenges:
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes
The Poodles Parlour - Birds Eye View
Stampin' for the Weekend - Wings & Things
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Anything but a card

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xxx

Do Ya Wanna Be In Our Gang? Delicious Doodles Is Having A DT Call!!

Delicious Doodles

DT CALL

We are seeking FOUR new members to join our wee gang here at Delicious Doodles.

Do you love Delicious Doodles images?

Are you interested in joining our Team?

Are you confident using Digital Images?

Do you have an active blog?

Can you contribute to our Challenge Blog every other week with a project (not necessarily a card) and take turns in hosting a Challenge?

If the answer to all these questions is a 'YES' then apply now!!

All you have to do to apply for the DT posts, is make a new project reflecting your preferred style and personality, and post about it on your blog. Then add your post link to the Blue Froggy over on the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog and we'll come visit you, couldn't be simpler, huh? LOL

(If you want to combine it with challenges at the same time, that's fine by us)

What do you get out of it?

You get to play with any Delicious Doodles image you want!

You also get to play with new images before they are released into the store!!

You get to be part of a lovely easy-going Team, no stress or pressure allowed!!

This DT Call will be open through our summer break, and will end on Friday 19th August at noon UK time,

so be sure to get your application in before then folks!

Successful applicants will be informed as soon as possible after that so we can get you on board and ready for the new challenges in September.

What are you waiting for folks! Off you go, get creative!

Good luck to all of you!

Teri and the girls on the DD Team

xxxx

Magnolia Tilda With Heart Confetti Get Well Card

Morning, I hope you've all had a lovely weekend. This is going to be a quick post from me today as I have masses of housework to do and and an ever increasing number of cards and gifts to make!

I made this card for a friend who is currently unwell. Hopefully it will brighten her day.

Tools
Sizzix Big Shot
Spellbinders Foliage Die
Pokey Tool
Tim Holtz Blender Tool

Materials
Magnolia Tilda With Heart Confetti
Ticket Sentiment - Caz @ At A Load Of Old Blogocks
DP's - Prima Botanical 6 x 6 Pad
Distress Ink - Mahogany, Tea Dye & Walnut Stain
Buttons - Woodware
Flowers - Prima E-line
Promarkers - Satin, Blush, Dusky Pink, Sunkissed Pink, Coral, Antique Pink, Sandstone, Primrose, Ivory
Stickles - Star Dust
White & Gold Gel Pens
Crystal Sprays - from stash
Lace - from stash
Viva Pearl Pen
Glossy Accents

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xxx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Secret Crafter - Get Well
Crafty Ann's Challenge - Get Well
Crafty Catz - Vintage
Aud Sentiments - At least two words
Charisma Cardz - Flowers
Craft Us Crazy - Vintage
Crafts & Me - Favourite stamp/image
Flutter By Wednesday's - Open
Simon Says Stamp - Stitching
A Spoonful of Sugar - Sewing
Creative Craft Challenges - Flowers
Deep Ocean - Cards
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes
The Shabby Tea Room - Photo Inspiration
Simon Says Stamp & Show - Stitching

LOTV Wedding Couple Vintage Card & A Box Envelope

Morning folks and a very happy 4th July to all my US readers.

DH came home from work on Friday and said "I need a really nice card made by next weekend!" Normally it wouldn't have been a problem, but I have soooo many cards and projects on the go this month that squeezing one more in seemed like an impossibility. However, I have to say I have done very little this weekend except craft, to the extent where I had the luxury of spending the whole of yesterday just making this card and envelope. Yep that's right my DH has run the ship for the entire weekend so that I could craft :)

Anyway, I didn't have any wedding images in my stash and for some reason totally overlooked any digi ones that I did have (doh!!), so I called on my friend again to pinch another of her Lily of the Valley images. Now I'm going to make a confession here and will be probably be stoned for saying it.....but.......... I haven't bought any LOTV images (other than a sentiments set) and the ones I do own were gifts that are currently uninked, I didn't think I liked them as they were a bit too cutesy for me. However that's all changed now - I had heaps of fun colouring this pair in and do you know what? I actually really like my card! Something I've not been able to say for months!! I hope you like it too - any feedback on what I could've done to improve it will be gratefully received :)

The image has been coloured with Promarkers. I've used Stickles to highlight the bride's dress, Gypsophila and tips of the petals on the roses. The shoes and ribbons have been given a bit of shine and dimension with Glossy Accents. I've distressed the papers using my thumbnail (it gives it a softer finish than using scissors or a distressing tool) and then inked the edges with Tea Dye Distress Ink. The papers were then pricked with my pokey tool and hand stitched with embroidery thread.  Yes it took ages, yes I could've used my Sew Easy or the sewing machine, but the Sew Easy gives way too big stitches and I also didn't want a completely uniform look, so hand stitching it was!!

The doilies were cut using my Marianne Creatables (I got this die when it was first released before Christmas and am ashamed to say I've never used it, but now I have I love it and will be using it again). I used the circle part of the die to cut the message circles inside (please note I haven't made a mess of the left hand message, I'vejust  blurred out the hand written message to protect the couples privacy). I also used my Tim Holtz Alerations Ornate On The Edge Die which again has sat in my stash for ages unused.

The foliage has been cut from white card using the new Spellbinders Foliage Die and then coloured with Promarkers. The flowers were white Prima Eline's which I've coloured with Promarkers and then added faux pearls from the Viva Pearl Pen. The seam binding has again been coloured with Promarkers and the bow has been fastened with a pearl brad (I don't know why, but my photo makes the ribbon look as if it has strange texture, when infact it is just standard seam binding).

The Box Envelope was made using this tutorial on the lovely Paola's blog. I altered the measurements slightly to fit my project and decorated it to match the card. Unfortunately I didn't have anymore of the K & Co glitter paper to match the card, so I used another co-ordinating sheet from the same range.

I really hope that the happy couple like my card and that they have a long and happy marriage.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xx


Tools
Sizzix Big Shot
Spellbinders Shapeabilities Foliage Die
Marianne Creatables Doily Die
Tim Holtz Orntate Die
Pokey Tool

Materials
Image - Wedding Couple from LOTV
Sentiment - Anita's
Ticket Sentiment - Caz @ A Load of Old Bloglocks
Papers - K&Co, Prima - Botanicals
Promarkers - Pear Green, Oatmeal, Soft Peach, Tea Green, Cool Aqua, Sun kissed Pink, Satin, Dusky Pink, Blush, Sandstone, Primrose, Burnt Sienna, Cool Grey 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Stickles - Star Dust
Glossy Accents
Viva Pearl Pen
Seam Binding - Crafty Ribbons
Embroidery Thread
Prima E-line flowers
Crystal stems

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Paper Sundaes - Stitching
Dream Valley Challenges - Ribbons
Craft Your Days Away - Vintage
Card & Scrap - Punches/Dies
LOTV - Celebrate 
I ♥ ProMarkers - Flowers
Deep Ocean Challenge - Flowers
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes