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) - TOP 3

Creative Moments #284 - Shimmer and Shine

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 Celebrations of Love  #30 - Birthday (4th entry)

Heart’s Quest Lovable Quotables #5 - Use a Quote (2nd entry) - WINNER

(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,

Fabulous Francoise

Hi everyone, even though I don’t own very many, I have always really liked stamps designed for Woodware by Francoise Read, so I was tempted when I saw that she had designed a stamp and stencil set for the cover gift with this month’s ‘Creative Stamping’ magazine. I managed to make a couple of cards with them yesterday - here is the first one.

I cut a piece of white stamping card, and created the dotted frame by blending Scorched Timber Distress Oxide through the dotty part of the Postage Frame stencil. I then placed the other stencil over the dots and blended Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distressed Inks to form the squares and rectangles. With the stencil still in place I stamped the focal image using Portobello VFC, coloured the flowers and pocket watch using DI’s and DOX’s, then trimmed the panel close to the edges of the dotty frame. 

I cut a 6.5” x 4.5” piece of white stamping card and created a smooshed background using Distressed Oxides, then covered in random background stamping from older Francoise Read stamp sets - ‘Additions’ and ‘Garden Snail’. I matted this onto a border of brown card stock, then attached the main focal panel. I stamped an Indigo Blu sentiment onto separate card, cut out, edged with brown ink and attached. Finally I stamped 2 butterflies from the magazine set onto separate card, coloured with Paprika Elements ink then cut out and attached. I matted the finished piece onto a 7” x 5” card blank.

Stamps:  Woodware Fabulous Francoise, Additions, Garden Snail; Indigo Blu sentiment;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo); Distress Oxide Inks (Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door, Rustic Wilderness, Scorched Timber); Lavinia Elements ink (Paprika); Versafine Clair (Portobello, Sand Dune);

Tools: Woodware Postage Frame stencil set.

Challenges I would like to enter: 

AAA Birthday #87 - For Girls

Addicted to Stamps & More #520 - Die Cuts and/or Stencils

Crafty Calendar (July) - Happy Birthday

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (July) - Use a Stencil

Daisy Chain #109 - Birthday

Krafty Chicks #827 - Birthday

NBUS #88 - Use Your Never-Before-Used Schtuff

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2627 - Anything Goes

Triple B (July) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms

Word Art Wednesday #758/759 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

With hindsight I think I would have coloured my image with Distress inks rather than DOX but hey, it’s done now 🥰 In any event I’m really thrilled with my latest magazine gift - the stamps are really beautiful and the stencil definitely fills a gap in my stash. I’ll be back soon with another card using this stamp set.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Iridescent Wings

Hi everyone, having recently made a card featuring a Visible Image dragonfly (here), I remembered I also have a beautiful contemporary style stamp set of dragonflies and flowers, which is best part of 20 years old but has hardly ever been used! I really enjoyed painting the iridescent dragonfly wings (inspired by watching ‘Springwatch’!) so I thought it was high time for me to rectify this neglect, and I determined to use the largest dragonfly stamp in the set - here’s the result.

I die cut a stitched square frame from white card, then used a separate snippet to make a piece  that would fit behind the aperture. I applied a soft wash of iridescent watercolour paints to the small panel, then when dry stamped with a Crafty Individuals script stamp using 2nd generation Twilight VFC. I stamped the focal dragonfly onto a separate snippet of white card using Twilight VFC and heat embossed, then painted the wings with iridescent watercolour paints topped with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, fussy cut and set aside. I stamped part of a large floral stamp from the same set across the corners and painted the flower petals as above. I stamped the sentiment then assembled the card, added some silver metallic Posca accents and faux spatters, then matted onto a teal border and a 6” square card blank.

Stamps: The Stamp Man Daisy Daydreams; Crafty Individuals script stamp; Visible Image Birthday Wishes;

Media: Versafine Clair (Twilight); Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paints (Jade Mint, Sapphire Sparkle); Luminarte watercolour paint (Bolivian Blue); Posca pen (silver); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); clear embossing powder; 

Tools: Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched Square dies.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Alphabet Challenge - E is for embossing, wet or dry

Colourful Options (June) - Tiffany Blue (2nd entry)

(Aqua, teal, turquoise, blue/green)

Girlz and the Art of Letters #30 - D is for .. - WINNER

(dragonfly)

Neglected Stuff (June) - Use Your Neglected Stash

Pick 3 #6 - Pick 3

(Frame/sparkle/sentiment) - sorry but the graphic would not download from Pick 3 challenge site

{PIN}spirational # 338 - Blue  and Green (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Snippets Playground #535 - Use Snippets

Try It On Tuesday - In the Garden

Word Art Wednesday #758/759 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

I actually had a disaster with this card, which miraculously I somehow managed to rescue. The card was all finished, and the following day I went into town where I bought a silver Posca pen to replace the one I used on this card, as the nib had broken. Anyhow, when I got home, in a classic case of “can’t leave it alone” syndrome, I decided to add slightly more silver dots to the dragonfly wings. At some point I pressed down fractionally too hard, resulting in a huge blot of silver ink on one of the wings - WAH! Luckily I acted fast, blotting it off with a baby wipe then paper towel. This left a shimmery halo effect… at this point the saving grace was the fact that the wings were painted with shimmery metallic watercolour paints - I whipped them out speedily and applied another layer to the damaged wing, which effectively covered up the silver Posca shimmer … phew! Who knew I could move so fast in a heatwave??

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Siren of Spring

Hi everyone, today I would like to share another card I made recently using some new birthday stash from AALL & Create. When placing my order I chose a couple of floral stamps, but decided to also go for something a bit different to ring the changes, and selected this quirky lady stamp set designed by Soizic. I was a bit unsure, but when she arrived and I started to play with her I was very pleased with the results. This card was actually very straightforward to make, and came together quite quickly. She is called ‘Siren of Spring’ but I think she is actually perfect for a summer card.

I die cut a wavy stitched square of white card, then stamped the focal lady to the left and the cascading flowers from the same set down the right hand side, thus leaving a space for a sentiment. I coloured the stamps with Zig pens, largely following the colour scheme on the packaging, and added some sparkle pen to the flowers. I had to hunt around in my stash for an old long and thin birthday sentiment which would neatly fit the blank space, and fortunately I found it! I blended some Elements ink around the stitched border then matted the panel onto a 6” square card blank. To finish I added some coordinating teeny heart gems beneath the sentiment.

Stamps: AALL & Create TP-1398 Siren of Spring; Hero Arts Special Birthday;

Media: Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Blue Belle); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Lavinia Elements ink (Blue Lagoon); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear);

Tools: Craft Addiction UK Double Wavy Stitched Squares die.

Challenges I would like to enter: 

AAA Colourful #29 - Colour Board

Ally’s Angels #107 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Art Nudge (June) - Colour boards

(I have used most of the colours in colour board C)

Craft Rocket #137 - Birthday (2nd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #148 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - DT FAVOURITE

Creative Crafters #101 - Anything Goes  (2nd entry)

Creative Inspiration #39 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - WINNER

Creative Moments #283 - Pastels or Brights (2nd entry)

Fab ‘n’ Funky #640 - Something Beginning with B

(Birthday, blooms)

Heart’s Quest #86 - Anything with a Heart Goes

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #30 - Birthdays (3rd entry)

Passion for Markers #843 - Anything Goes

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #758/759 - Anything Goes 

I have an update on my Gemini die cutting machine woes! I eventually managed to source 2 new ‘white’ A4 cutting plates (which supersede the original clear ones) and a magnetic shim, but there is no plastic shim to be had anywhere! I have tried to flatten the original one by weighting it down in boiling water, but not terribly successfully. I then followed a hack I saw online and taped the plastic shim to one of my new cutting plates to try to keep it flat - again only with partial success. Last week I tried die cutting some stitched squares and they came out with awful pressure marks on the card - I wasn’t happy! Eventually I followed a tip I had read somewhere to place the dies at an angle when cutting, and this seemed to work much better, though large frames etc. are still a bit wavy. Mind you, I’m not sure how well that will work when I want to nest dies symmetrically to make a frame! 

To be honest I’m pretty disgusted that Crafter’s Companion could produce such an expensive due cutting machine then within 3 or 4 years the replaceable plates be no longer available. If I had known then what I know now I would never have bought this machine, but at the price I don’t really feel I can justify jettisoning it altogether. At this rate for any dies smaller than 6” I will be reverting to my trusty ancient Cuttlebug ! (yes I do still have it in the back of my craft cupboard!) Anyway, enough of that … it’s just too hot to get hot and bothered about it!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Birthday Glitter and Sparkle

Hi everyone, today I would like to share the card I made for my husband’s aunt’s birthday. As she is close family I like to make a bigger card than usual, and this Julie Hickey floral stamp is pretty large so perfectly suited to the task at hand. I have previously coloured this stamp with bright, vibrant colours, so I decided this time to ring the changes and go for pastel hues with some metallic glimmer, shimmer and glitter!

I cut a piece of white card 19.5cm x 13.5cm, and stamped and heat embossed the focal image using a fuchsia pink embossing glitter. I coloured the flowers with watered down and mixed pink, red and blue Posca sparkle pens topped with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, then coloured the leaves and flower centres with watered down gold metallic Posca pen. When dry I added some white Posca dots to the flower centres, stamped the sentiment in Hawthorn Rose VFC, then die cut and attached the dragonfly. I matted the finished panel into gold and pink mirror card  (the pink really doesn’t show up in the photograph!) and a C5 card blank.

Stamps: Julie Hickey - Julie’s Handpicked Blossoms & Blooms; Visible Image Birthday Wishes;

Media: Versafine Clair (Hawthorn Rose); Versamark; WOW! Petalicious embossing glitter; Posca sparkle pens topped- pink, red, blue; Posca pens (gold, white); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear);

Tools: Tattered Lace Cute Critters dragonfly die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Aud Sentiments #338 - Embossing (wet or dry) and/or Flowers + a Sentiment (2nd entry)

Beautiful Blossoms #42 - Anything Floral Goes (2nd entry)

Craft Rocket #137 - Birthday

Crafter’s Cafe (June) - Anything Goes with option Blooms (2nd entry)

Creative Colour Girlz #5 - Flowers (3rd entry)

Creative Moments #283 - Pastels or Brights

A Cut Above (June) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut (3rd entry)

Die Cut Divas (June) - Anything Goes with die cuts (4th entry)

Fab ‘n’ Funky #639 - Summer Flowers (3rd entry)

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #30 - Birthdays (2nd entry) - THEME WINNER

Inkspirational #370 - Leftovers

(My pink and gold mirror card were offcuts)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings

Tic Tac Toe #295 - Tic Tac Toe

1

(Floral/Pink/Birthday)

Triple B (June) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms (3rd entry)

Unicorn #121 - Flowers (3rd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Special Birthday

Hi everyone, an old friend who I don’t really see nowadays had a special birthday this week, so I thought I’d better get busy!

First I cut a large rectangular stitched frame using stitched rectangle dies, then I stamped a floral panel stamp (which was the cover gift with a recent craft magazine) onto a snippet of white card and coloured it with Zig markers with Wink of Stella added to the flower petals for a little sparkle. I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in gold then attached the flower panel behind the aperture and matted onto gold card and a home made card blank. To finish I added die cut numbers for the age, and a die cut butterfly from copper glitter card (which actually looks more orange than in the photo). I also stamped a greeting inside the card.

Stamps: Flower panel free with Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine issue 283 (May 2026); Visible Image Birthday Wishes;

Media: Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Versamark; WOW gold embossing powder; Wink of Stella;

Tools: Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched Rectangle dies;  Craft Addiction UK Essential Number dies; Joy! Crafts Vintage Flourishes Butterfly die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #519 - Any Occasion

Aud Sentiments #338 - Embossing (wet or dry) and/or Flowers + a Sentiment

Crafting Challenge (June) - Special Birthday

Crafts Galore Encore #148 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz #715 - Anything Goes

Creative Colour Girlz #5 - Flowers - TOP 3

A Cut Above (June) - Anything Goes with a Die Cur

Die Cut Divas (June) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut (2nd entry)

Ellibelle’s Garden Party #16 - Anything In or From a Garden

Fab ‘n’ Funky #639 - Summer Flowers

Girlz Rebel #53 - Butterflies

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #30 - Birthdays 

Love to Craft #92 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Love to Scrap #179 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Make My Monday #279 - Dry/Heat Embossing

NBUS #87 - Use Your Never-Before-Used Schtuff

(Flower panel stamp and number dies)

Papercraft Challenges #30 - Botanical Beauty

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add a Sentiment (2nd entry)

Triple B (June) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms

Try It On Tuesday - Flying High (2nd entry)

Unicorn #121 - Flowers

Word Art Wednesday #756/757 - Anything Goes  (2nd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Floral Butterfly

Hi everyone, yesterday I spent the afternoon making a special card for a friend’s milestone birthday which I can’t share just yet, but I also managed to sneak in another very quick CAS card using a few bits and pieces I had lying around!

I cut a large stitched square from a large snippet of white card, and die cut an aperture using my new Craft Addiction UK dies which I had my eye on for a while - they arrived yesterday and I had them out of the packet almost before they landed on the doormat! I then created a smooshed background on a smaller snippet and stamped the floral butterfly by dabbing with various shades of Versafine Clair - my colour scheme was inspired by a current colour challenge. I attached the butterfly panel behind the aperture then stamped the sentiment and attached the finished panel to a card blank. To finish I added two teeny gems to the butterfly’s antennae - job done! 

Unfortunately this card illustrates the main crafty problem I’m struggling with at the moment - my die cutting machine is a CC Gemini A4, and the plates are now so warped that they are wrecking my die cuts by causing creasing and waviness on the card. I really need new plates and shims but they are incredibly difficult to get hold of (quite apart from the price!) I’ve currently got my eye on some and hope to get them within the next week as I can’t carry on the way things are! To flatten this card out I had to place it under a heavy pile of books overnight!

Stamps: Chloe’s Creative Crafts Summer Florals (free with Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine issue 283 (May 2026));

Media: Lavinia Elements ink (Violet Chalk); Spectrum Noir Harmony dye ink (Pale Fig); Versafine Clair (Medieval Blue, Very Peri, Lilac Bloom, Monarch);

Tools: Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched square die; Craft Addiction UK Stitch Craft Fusion Frames (square).

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA Colourful #28 - Colour Board

Addicted to Stamps & More! #518 - Birthdays

Die Cut Divas (June) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut

Double Trouble #217 - Birthday

Girlz & the Art of Letters #28 - B is for …Butterfly

Just Us Girls #826 - Use a Die

Krafty Chicks #823 - Birthday

Paper Players #788 - Tic Tac Toe

(Die cut / free / happy sentiment)

Simply Clean & Simple (June) - Anything CAS Goes

Snippets Playground #533 - Use Snippets

I’m hoping to get another craft session in this afternoon as I have to stay in for a BT Outreach engineer to survey our property for installation of full fibre broadband. Last time I stayed in for 5 hours and they never showed up, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed the visit will be more successful this time! 

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Birthday Blooms 🌸🌼🌺

Hi everyone, today I’d like to share a card I made for a friend’s birthday. As the weather and life generally has been so dull and miserable recently, I was in the mood to create something bright, cheerful and vibrant! 

I die cut a stitched square of white stamping card then stamped and heat embossed the beautiful floral arrangement by Julie Hickey - I really do think this stamp has wow factor! I coloured the flowers with Zig pens, added some white Posca highlights then topped the two largest flowers with Wink of Stella for added sparkle. I stamped the greeting, then added gold Posca dots to the image and some spatter. When dry I matted onto a purple border and a 6” square card blank.

I was actually quite disappointed by my colouring of the purple flower - I started with the yellow one and was pleased with my shading, but the purple pens wouldn’t behave themselves very well so I ended up with a flatter colour. My Wink of Stella went a bit blobby as well, but never mind … I did my best! 

Stamps: Julie Hickey - Julie’s Handpicked Blossom and Blooms;

Media: Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Wink of Stella (clear); Posca pens (white, gold); clear embossing powder;

Tools: Hunkydory Moonstone Duo- Stitched square die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Beautiful Blossoms #38 - Anything Floral Goes with optional Mood board

Classic Design Challenge #2 2026 - Blooms and/or Butterflies

Craft Rocket #133 - Flowers (2nd entry)

Crafter’s Cafe #327 - For the Girls

Creative Color Girlz #1 - Anything Hand Coloured Goes (3rd entry)

Creative Moments #279 - Feminine

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #2 2026 - Birthday

Moving Along with the Times #186 - Floral (2nd entry)

Passion for Markers #825 - Shop Your Stash

Triple B (February) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms

Word Art Wednesday #740/741 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,