Mojo Daisy Circle...

Hiya!

Just thought  I'd pop in to share a card I made for this week's Mojo Sketch - it was a circle or square one and as I had just gotten my hands on the scallop circle die from the mini catty I thought I'd have a go at a circle card...

I used my new Daisies die to create that cute flower - the centre was done using the Square Lattice embossing folder on So Saffron cardstock then inked with So Saffron and distressed - love the effect you can create! The leaves are a mixture of the stem and 'wing' from the 2-step bird punch. The DSP is from the Play Date collection. I added a little tag greeting and some Old Olive satin ribbon to finish off.

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Well-dressed owl...

Hiya!

What a lovely day it has been today - a public holiday for the Royal wedding and what a beautiful wedding it was! I was preparing for a workshop tonight while watching and I came up with this card... I used the sketch from this week's Card Patterns layout:

I thought it was about time I broke out my owl punch - new in the mini catalogue - I don't know why it's taken me so long because it is SO fabulous! That little face is just the cutest thing and it is so easy to make with the new punch. I gave him a patterned waistcoast with some 'gold buttons' (brads) to dress him up a little. The branch was punched using the 2-step bird punch. The sentiment is from Party This Way (probably my favourite birthday sentiment in the catalogue - so useful). I picked up the Pumkin Pie from the waistcoat by adding a scalloped layer behind the Early Espresso DSP (from Botanical Gazette in the mini catty) and a bow with Pumpkin Pie satin ribbon. The wood-grain DSP in the background is from Woodland Walk.

That's all for now - hope you have a wonderful day wherever you are and whatever you're doing!

x Amy x

Playing with Butterflies...

Hiya!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed the long weekend!

I just wanted to pop in and share a card I made the other evening for the fabulous Play Date colour challenge this week. I loved the colours as soon as I saw them and combined them with this funky Viva la Verve sketch to create this:

The butterfly was created with the new Butterfly die from the mini catalogue - I cut the larger butterfly from Real Red, then the smaller one with Regal Rose. I then used the Beautiful Wings embosslits die to cut a smaller butterfly from Regal Rose DSP for the top layer. I added a white button to a larger red one and tied together with linen thread for the centre of the butterfly. The ribbon is arranged in a bow, with a ribbon-rose tied around the middle. The sentiment is from Notably Ornate. The background strips were created based on this tutorial - such a fun idea! I put my sewing machine to work on this, now that my sister has shown me (once again!) how to change the thread, bobbin etc (I think I've finally got the hang of it now lol!).

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Colour Q Flowers

Hiya!

I wanted to pop in and share a card I made earlier this week for the Colour Q challenge - the colours were so soft and spring-like:

I broke out some new mini-catalogue goodies to play with this one - the Fun Flowers Bigshot die is so fabulous! The dimensional flowers you can create are amazing - I created some Saffron and Pink ones for this card:

The leaves were created with the Build a Blossom stamp set and coordinating punch with Old Olive cardstock and ink. The scallop circle in the background was cut with the new Bigz die and Bashful Blue cardstock. I pierced holes in each scallop for extra detail. The white layer over the top was created by die-cutting a scallop circle, cutting off the scallops and then distressing the edges with the SU cutter kit. I added some big brads from the Hodgeposdge Hardware kit and some rhinestones to the corners of the card. The sentiment is from Just Believe - love this expression!

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Motorcycle Throwdown...

Hiya!

Two of my sisters are visiting me at the moment and we had a fun evening last night watching the TV series 'The Good Wife' on DVD until very late - lots of fun! Gave me a chance to play along with a few challenges while I watched... {grin!} I finally managed to ink up the fabulous motorcycle stamp from the mini catalogue today - it is so detailed and just perfect for guys' cards! I used the Colour Throwdown colours - white + navy + one other colour - I chose Pumpkin Pie. I used one one the Viva la Verve sketch challenges from this month for the layout.

The DSP is from the Sweet & Sour DSP - it has a glossy print on it so I sponged around the edges with Pumpkin Pie ink so the glossy flourishes would pop a little more. The white background was embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder. I added some Pumpkin Pie brads as well as Pumpkin Pie ribbon - to achieve the frayed look, just trim the long edges with ribbon scissors then pull some threads out either side. I tied a bit of linen thread around the bottom to gather it. The sentiment is from Party this Way and punched out with the Word Window punch.

That's all for now - I'll be back in a bit with another card from last night's marathon tv/crafting session!

x Amy x

CR84FN Sparkly Butterfly...

Hiya!

I'm enjoying my second week off - where has the time gone?? I managed to play along with this week's gorgeous CR84FN colour challenge this week - look at these pretty colours:

I used one of the Viva la Verve sketches this month for the layout and came up with this:

I used some new mini catty goodies - the Top Note die, Fun Flowers die and the Beautiful Wings embosslits die. The butterfly was die-cut then I added Tombow glue and some fabulous Baja Breeze glass glitter - also new in the mini. The papers are a mixture of the Nursery Suite DSP and the new Springtime Vintage DSP. I added some Very Vanilla satin ribbon as well as some Vanilla buttons. Here's a close-up of the flower and butterfly:

The greeting is from Perfect Punches and was punched out with the large oval punch then layered on a decorative label punched from Bashful Blue DSP.

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Springtime Card Set

Hiya!

My sister has just arrived back from a holiday in the US and managed to bring me back a copy of the Papercraftss special edition magazine '350 Cards & Gifts'. There is a big section on card sets in there that I just LOVE and I discovered that the Moxie Fab World blog has a challenge on at the moment to make a card set - so of course I had to join in! I started off with this week's Waltzingmouse sketch but got a bit carried away with adding bits as you can see...

Here's the whole set:

I started with the lovely Springtime Vintage DSP and combined it with the new mini catty set Four Frames. The roses were cut from one of the sheets of the DSP - paper snips really make this a lot easier! I added some Baja Breeze ribbon, ruffled on two and in a bow on the others. Here are some close ups of the different designs:

The Crumb Cake layer in the background was cut with the Top Note Bigz die then stamped with white Craft ink. Here's the other design:

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Four Frames, Baroque Motifs, Occasional Greetings, Fresh Cuts, Sweet Birthday, Oval All
Ink: Always Artichoke, Basic Grey, Whisper White
Paper: Springtime Vintage DSP, Basic Grey, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride, Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Baja Breeze ribbon, basics pearls, decorative label punch, Bigz Butterflies die, Bigz Top Note die, beautiful butterflies embosslits die, oval punch, scallop oval punch

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Colour Q meets CAS...

Hiya!

I really wanted to play along with this week's Colour Q challenge because as soon as I saw the inspiration piece I knew what I wanted to use. This is the pic and colours:

When I saw the flower I knew I had to use my new Flower Fusion little set & die from PTI - I was inspired by Melissa's post when this set was released so I used her tags as inspiration to get started. I really wanted to try and go with a Clean & Simple style and although it started out like that... I didn't quite get there! Here's what I came up with:

So I started out with  the white card blank (the fact that you can see so much of that is amazing for me!!) and the flower image panel as well as the strip of Kiwi Kiss across the card - that's CAS right?? Well then I added a doily, a die-cut border in Tangerine Tango, some seam binding ribbon, rhinestones, button... oh and I stamped a background pattern on the Kiwi Kiss piece... oh well! At least I gave it a go eh?? lol!

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Parisian CR84FN...

Hi again!

Third post in one day... when it rains it pours lol! I really wanted to play along with this week's CR84FN colour challenge - I loved this week's inspiration:

So pretty!! I combined the colours with the sketch over at CPS this week and came up with this:

The photo's not great because I had to take it at night so kitchen bench light was the best I could manage... oh for a light box!! I used Blushing Bride as my light pink (this is my favourite pink - so soft and pretty). The DSP is a mixture of Newsprint and Love Letter. I stamped the main image with Stazon and the sentiment (from Sincere Salutations) underneath then stamped over the top with Baroque Motifs using Blushing Bride ink. I added some ribbon, a button and some pearls, as well as some butterflies cut with the new Beautiful Butterflies Embosslits die.

I'm off to sleep now - have a great day/afternoon/evening... wherever you are!

x Amy x

Waltzing Wallhanging...

Hiya!

Sorry for the quietness on the blog-front this week - it's been the first week of school holidays and I've been sorting out stuff in our house which has gotten just a tad crazy in the last term (or more!!). Nothing like a bit of sorting and culling to make the place feel a bit better!

I wanted to play along with the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge this week and had the idea of making a wall hanging with the layout. I picked up some chipboard album pieces a while ago and figured that if you use them seperately they make great little pieces of wall-art (they have two holes at the top perfect for threading ribbon through). Here's the finished piece:

I used some Kaisercraft goodies that my Mum bought me for Christmas (papers, flowers, brads, printed chipboard). Shock horror - would you believe there is no stamping on this??? That is VERY unusual for me, but it's good to break out of your comfort zone every now and again eh?

Speaking of Kaisercraft, I thought I'd show you something else I've done this week...

I bought three of these drawer sets at CHA last year (got a little carried away...!) and this was the last one to be assembled and decorated. I cannot tell you how much fun these are to make - really easy too. And with a little time and patience you can get the most fantastic storage customised for you! I used my all-time favourite papers that I have struggled to use/part with but I figured that if I use some on this project then I could look at them often lol! I painted the wooden sides with white acrylic paint with a shimmer effect in it - looks fab IRL. I've got all sorts stored in there - but one thing in particular is sponge daubers... See that top middle drawer? It's been opened... not by me... but by this little guy:

This is my gorgeous cat Jasper... who has a fettish for sponge daubers! Seriously - this cat is so clever - he can figure out where I've put them and then opens the draw with his paw (those little openings in the drawers are the perfect cat-paw size... thanks Kaisercraft!).

That's all from me for now - depending on how the house purging goes I might have a chance to make something later to share!

Thanks for stopping by...

x Amy x

Colour Me Spring...

Hiya!

Just thought I'd pop in a show you something I made for the Verve Diva Dare - Colour Me Spring. I wanted to break open the delightful Verve set 'To the Moon' I got recently and I went with cheerful colours that remind me of spring - yellow, green, aqua and pink.

Baby cards will certainly come in handy over the next few months as I have three friends who are pregnant! I used one of the Viva la Verve sketches for the layout and some old DSP  as the basis of my colour palette. The image was coloured with copics. I added some buttons, ribbon and a little doily cut from aqua cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

CR84FN Handmade Flower...

Hiya!

I managed to find a bit of time this afternoon to play along with the gorgeous CR84FN colours this week:

I used the Midnight Madness sketch for the layout and came up with this:

I wanted to make a handmade flower to achieve a {similar} effect to some of the lovely shop-bought ones I've seen all over people's cards recently. I found this tutorial a while back and the results are spectacular! I used Naturals Ivory cardstock to make the flower along with the Fancy Flower punch, 5-petal flower punch and Boho Blossoms punch. I added some glitter to highlight the petals - here's a close up:

The flower is resting on some fabulous Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon (new in our mini catty). The leaves image is from Growing Green and was stamped on watercolour card and coloured with a Pear Pizzazz marker and an aquabrush. The sentiment is from Oval All and the DSP in the background is from Elegant Soiree.

I'm off to prepare for a class tomorrow - thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Mini cards...

Hiya!

This week's been a busy one studying for an exam and writing assignments but I did manage to make a couple of mini cards for th Waltzingmouse sketch challenge...

I don't  normally  make tiny cards like this, but I really like the idea of using them as toppers for larger cards so I plan on using these to create bigger cards next week - I'll be sure to stop in and share them with you!

I used some mini catty goodies to put these together - sorry I can't stay and list all the ingredients but I'm really tired and need a good night's sleep before the exam tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by...

x Amy x

A Happy Home...

Hiya!

This is my third post today - I've had a blast getting inky with my spare time! I have to stop for a bit now and do some studying but I wanted to drop in one more time today and share a card I've just made for the Make it Monday challenge - distressing techniques. I combined the challenge with the colours from the Inkspirations challenge this week. I used some new PTI goodies that arrived through my door a week ago...

I used the inking technique along with some resist embossing with the leaves in the background. I stamped the larger leaves in Versamark and clear-embossed first, then sponged over the top with More Mustard and Cajun Craze, then I stamped some smaller leaves over the top with More Mustard - I really love this effect and didn't want to cover it up! I added some die-cut shapes with a stamped house and some Poppy Parade ribbon to finish (and of course a button!).

That's all folks! Thanks for stopping by...

x Amy x

Mojo Butterfly Thank you...

Hello again!

I'm having lots of fun playing with my new mini goodies and I actually have time to play today - hooray! I combined this week's Mojo Monday sketch with the colours from the Colour Q challenge and came up with this card:

I created the butterfly by die-cutting some textured Pink Pirouette card with the Beautiful Butterfly die, then I cut the same sized butterfly from clear window plastic and run through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. I layered this over the pink butterfly then added a smaller butterfly from matching DSP cut with the embosslits butterflies die. I secured it all together with a big brad from the hodgepodge hardware set. Here's a close up of some details:

The frame around the greeting is from the new FABulous Four Frames set and coordinating decorative label punch. I inked up the stamp with Versamark first then with Early Espresso and embossed with clear EP. I coloured in the flowers and leaves with markers, trimmed around the border then mounted on a label punched from Early Espresso card. The sentiment inside the frame is from Occasional Greetings and I added a little banner peeking out from the frame with a coordinating sentiment from Vintage Vogue.

The ribbon is more Crumb Cake seam binding (love this stuff!) and the Crumb Cake piece of card at the top and bottom of the card was stamped with the Music Notes wheel for a bit of added interest.

Thanks for stopping by today!

x Amy x

Big Shot Butterflies...

Hiya!

I had to chuckle last night - I showed my big flower card from yesterday's post to my hubby after finishing it and he said "It hasn't got any butterflies!"... ha ha! He knows me too well! Of course, I couldn't go two days in a row with no butterflies so I thought I'd share a card I made last night using some scraps left over from other cards. It uses the utterly fabulous butterflies dies available in the new mini catalogue:

I went completely berserk when I opened the mini catty and saw these butterfly dies - I have been wanting them for SOOO long and they're finally here!! Let me warn you now - these babies will be being used a LOT on my cards from now on lol! I also used some new papers (Springtime Vintage) as well as the Top Note die (also a favourite of mine) and some new Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon - the effect you can see on this card is made by pulling a thread from the middle of the ribbon and gathering it up - so easy and effective. I added a big button in the centre of the butterfly and some pearls to the edges, as well as to the centres of the little butterflies. The Top Note piece was cut from Baja Breeze card and run through the Big Shot with the Lattice embossing folder.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Sweet Birthday
Ink: Night of Navy, Pear Pizzazz
Paper: Springtime Vintage DSP, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Shimmery White
Accessories: Bigz Beautiful Butterflies die, Beautiful Wings embosslits die, Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon, basics pearls, Springtime Vintage buttons, linen thread, square lattice & vintage wallpaper embossing folders, word window punch

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Mini catty is here!!

Hiya!

Well the day has FINALLY arrived when I can start sharing all the fabulous new goodies in our mini catalogue - woohoo! I've been making some things over the last couple of weeks that I'll be sharing here over the next little while, but for today I thought I'd start off with a card I made today with the Build a Blossom set and matching punch. I used the colours from the CR84FN challenge this week:

How gorgeous are they?? Here's what I created:

Unfortunately the light wasn't great when I took the photo so the green looks very muted - I used Pear Pizzazz which looks much brighter IRL. I used a larger card size than normal - 7x5", to accommodate that big beautiful flower. I added a big button to the centre (new in the mini) with some linen thread. Underneath the flower is a piece of shimmery white card cut out with the top note die (yes - we now have the Big Shot - yay!!) and embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. The greeting is from Basic Phrases.

This card fits nicely with the PPA challenge this week which was to use punches - well as you can see I was very punch-happy with this card!

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x