Saturday, 18 July 2026

Let Your Dreams Be Your Wings


Hi everyone, today I would like to share the birthday card I made for a good crafty friend who recently confided that she loves dragonflies. I love them too, and a few weeks ago felt particularly inspired after watching the UK TV series ‘Springwatch’ which featured some fabulous closeup footage of these delicate creatures.

I actually made a couple of dragonfly cards in this iridescent blue colour scheme (the other one is here), then decided that this one was most appropriate for the recipient - she has told me she loved it so fingers crossed it was the correct choice!


I die cut a wavy stitched square as I thought the wavy lines reminded me of an insect flight path, and created a central coloured square background by masking part of a larger square gel plate which I then brayered with blue and green Elements ink and spattered with water before applying to the stitched panel. I masked around the coloured section then over stamped it first with an old Penny Black script stamp, then with part of a Tracy Evans stamp from the set ‘The Great Outdoors’. I stamped a dragonfly from an Indigo Blu magazine cover gift onto a separate snippet of card using Twilight Versafine Clair and heat embossed, then painted with iridescent metallic watercolour paints topped off with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, and fussy cut out. I removed the masking and stamped the sentiments, then matted the panel onto a card blank. Finally I attached the fussy cut dragonfly to the stamped panel. 


Here’s a closeup of the iridescent dragonfly.


I also decorated the inside a little …


Stamps: dragonfly and “let your dreams” sentiment both by Indigo Blu (cover gift with different craft magazines); AALL & Create #370 The Great Outdoors; Penny Black Letter Background (1999L); Pink Frog Typewriter Sentiments; Visible Image Birthday Wishes (inside);
Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Blue Atoll, Pine); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Morning Mist); Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paints (Jade Mint, Sapphire Sparkle); Luminarte watercolour paint (Bolivian Blue); Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen (clear); clear embossing powder;
Tools: Craft Addiction UK Double Wavy Stitched Squares die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Alphabet Challenge - F is for Festivities
 (birthday)
Crafty Calendar (July) - Happy Birthday (2nd entry)
Crafty Catz #718 - Anything Goes
Creative Crafters #102 - Anything Goes
Creative Inspiration #40 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
A Cut Above (July) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut (3rd entry)
Cut It Up #360 - Create Your Own Background + a Die Cut (2nd entry)
Daisy Chain #109 - Birthday (2nd entry)
Ellibelle’s Garden Party #17 - Anything In or From a Garden  (3rd entry)
Heart’s Quest Lovable Quotables #5 - Use a Quote (2nd entry)
(anonymous motivational quote)
Seize the Birthday #330 - One or More Numbers
Simon Says (Monday) - Fun With Paint
Unicorn #122 - No Design Paper
Word Art Wednesday  #760/761 Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,

4 comments:

Alyson Mayo said...

Love, love, love that beautiful background! Fabulous card. Thanks for sharing with us at Cut It Up :)

Melanie Hungerford said...

So pretty, love the mixed media look, yet still has a very CAS feel, love it! Thanks for sharing with us at the Alphabet Challenge.

Chris said...

A really beautiful design, fabulous colours, background and dragonfly. xx
Thank you for joining in at Crafty Calendar and Crafty Catz
Challenges.
Chris
x

crafty-stamper said...

Absolutely beautiful card and Dragonfly, love the background and sentiment.
Carol x