Butterflies

This card is based on the sketch at the Clean & Simple challenge 297, but by a happy accident I've just discovered that it also qualifies me for this week's LIM challenge which is to use something recycled. Possibly not CAS enough for LIM, though!

The backing paper is from my stash. The butterflies are cut from the reverse side of some of my previous stamping mistakes! That's the first bit of recycling. The butteflies were stamped then coloured in Promarker to match the backing paper. The white sections have had Anita's Clear Gloss applied to add a bit more dimension, and the largest butterfly has had clear Wink of Stella applied although the photos don't show it.

The greeting is also stamped, and the second bit of recycling is the ribbon, cut from the inside of a blouse and coloured with the same Promarker.

Backing Paper: K-Ology Addison by K & Company

Butterflies: Sizzix/Hero Arts Framelits

Cardstock: Limetree Crafts

Ink: Memento Paris Dusk

Promarker: Pear Green

Greeting: Papertrey Ink

Life!

Life seems to be getting in the way of crafting a little bit too much just lately! I've recently become a Governor at my son's school, and although I'm pleased to be able to repay his teachers' dedication & hard work, I can't help thinking that it's no wonder schools can't find people to take the job on!! To pile so much responsibility onto volunteers is unrealistic & I doubt Michael Gove would do the job himself . . . . but then, who would want him to, as he is clearly clueless about education?

Anyway, enough of the rant.

This card is for two challenges. The first is Week 177 at Less is More where the theme is Watercolour. The second is a new challenge called NBUS - "Never Before Used Schtuff"(!) where the inaugural theme is friendship.



The background was created by wiping Distress mini cubes in Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade and Gathered Twigs across an acrylic block, spritzing with water then laying it onto watercolour cardstock, leaving it to sit for a while before removing the block.

The Memory Box Prim Poppies are made from the NBUS: mica tiles I bought years ago in a sale at a long-closed craft shop. They can apparently be die cut quite easily. Oh, yeah? Hmm, I don't think so! They were a nightmare which I will never, ever repeat. The problem is that the mica tiles are in layers, which separate as soon as you breathe on them. Anyway, despite all that the finished effect is quite pleasing.

The sentiment is one I've never used before (more NBUS!) by Personal Impressions, stamped in Yinks Chocolate ink.

One for the Boys!

The challenge over at Passion for Promarkers this week is "One for the boys/men" and, as it's Father's Day I thought I'd play along. My father-in-law has always been keen on DIY so I decided to use the toolbox stamp from Little Claire, coloured with Promarkers. I love the woodgrain embossing folder used on kraft cardstock, I think it's perfect for men's cards. A brad shaped like a screw head finished it off nicely. I picked out some details of the stamped image with Anita's Clear Gloss, this is a close-up:

Stamp: Little Claire

Ink: Memento Gray Flannel

Embossing folder: Darice

Brad: Creative Expressions

Greeting: Computer generated

Make a Wish!

The cue card over at CASology this week is shine, so I took the opportunity to again use up some of the crafty stash which has been languishing unused for way too long. This time it was a shiny "Wish" sticker which I've teamed with an Inkylicious dandelion stamp, a Flower Soft greeting and some sparkly embossing glitter.

Despite the distinct lack of sunshine when I took the photos, the embossing glitter really does shine!

Sticker: "Life of the Party" by Momenta

Stamps: Inkylicious, Flower Soft

Embossing Glitter: Cosmic Shimmer "Silver Fish Sparkle"

Mojo Monday #348

A friend's 15 year old daughter is raising money for a month-long trip to Borneo as a volunteer next year, so I'm making some cards for her to sell at a fundraiser at the end of this month. This week's sketch over at Mojo Monday inspired me to use up some of the crafty supplies I've bought over the last few years, and this is the result:

The puffy sticker is from a set called "Life of the Party" by Momenta; it matched the papers by We R Memory Keepers really well. The greeting, stamped in Memento Love Letter, was free from Craft Stamper magazine a while ago.

More Than One Stamp for LIM #174

The challenge this week over at Less is More is to use more than one stamp. Well, for this card I've managed three: the flower image, "Happy" and the dotty background. I've also just realised that I can enter this months "Tags and Scraplings" challenge over at Virginia's View. I *just* qualify because the ribbon is recycled (it was originally on a blouse!)

This was one of those cards where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Still, the end result was more or less exactly what I'd set out to achieve and as it's for my oldest friend it's worth it.

The tag & birthday word (from the Birthday Words set at Miss Kate Cuttables) were cut on my Eclips. The stamped flower was coloured with Promarkers, there's a close-up of it here (and I did re-do the dodgy petal before I sent it!):

Cardstock: Limetree Crafts, Coredinations Fuchsia Fizz

Stamps: Stampin' Up Reason to Smile

Inspired by Stamping Fancy Sentiments

Personal Impressions Marion Emberson Designs Polkadot Background PICSA6186

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Brilliance Pearlescent Orchid

Promarkers: Peony, Fresh Bloom, Pear Green

Doodlebug Designs Enamel Dots