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 - TOP 3

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,

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,

Ellibelle’s Garden Party #16 - Guest DT

Hi everyone, I was delighted when my bloggy friend Ellie picked my May calendar page as  a top pick for her Ellibelle’s Garden Party challenge, and asked me to be a guest designer this month. Of course I said yes!

The challenge is always

*** Anything In or From a Garden ***

Plenty of choices there, so there’s really no excuse not to join in! Please do visit Ellie’s blog to see more fabulous inspiration, and to link up your entries here.

Here’s my card for the challenge. I decided to go with a dragonfly, and my choice of this particular image was heavily influenced by the fact that I thought it went well with my new grungy frame dies, which I was absolutely desperate to play with!

I cut the grungy frame (AALL & Create Film Drip) - outer frame from black cardstock and inner panel from white stamping card. I then created a smooshed background on the white panel using Distress Oxide inks. I stamped and heat embossed the focal image, then stamped and heat embossed again onto a separate snippet of card. I coloured the dragonfly wings with metallic watercolour paints to give an iridescent sheen then fussy cut out. I added some faint deep blue stencilling around the edges of the image, then attached the painted dragonfly on top of the original image. I added a Tim Holtz sticker sentiment then attached the finished panel to the black frame and a 6” x 4” card blank (one of the few I had as I don’t normally make cards this size!) I finished off with some faux white spatters.

The background actually has a bit more colour than the photos suggest, but it is very dark here today so not the best for photography. Here’s an angled picture to show the iridescent sheen on the dragonfly wings. 

I used several card snippets on this project, and unusually for me I even remembered to take a photo of them!

Stamps: Visible Image Dragonfly Dreams; 

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Cracked Pistachio, Blueprint Sketch); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Twilight); Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paints (Jade Mint, Sapphire Sparkle); Luminarte watercolour paints (Bolivian Blue); Posca pen (white);

Tools: AALL & Create Film Drip dies; Visible Image stencil - Off the Grid; 

Other: Tim Holtz Ideaology ‘Small Talk’ word stickers.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Colourful Options (June) - Tiffany Blue

(Aqua, teal, turquoise, blue/green)

Creative Artiste #127 - Anything Mixed Media Goes - TOP 3

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

Girlz Creative Crafts #68 - Die Cuts and/or Punches

Make My Monday #279 - Add Texture - Dry/Heat Embossing

{PIN}spirational # 338 - Blue  and Green

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add a Sentiment

Snippets Playground #534 - Use Snippets

Try It on Tuesday - Flying High - TOP 5

Word Art Wednesday #756/757 - Anything Goes

The Garden Party will end on Monday July 6th, 11:59pm US Central Time …. We look forward to seeing your entries! 

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Adventure Awaits You

Hello everyone, today I would like to show you an ATC I made specifically to swap with a lady in South Africa. This lady makes some amazing art work, and she agreed to swap two ATC's with me, but from my existing (admittedly very low) stock there was only one that she wanted ... but she loved the first ATC's I made back in April last year. I still have one of them but as it was the first ATC I ever made I can't bring myself to part with it .. it is what is known in the ATC jargon as "NFT" (Not For Trade). That being the case I agreed to make her another similar one, and here it is.

I stamped the dragonfly onto a large-ish snippet of white stamping card and heat embossed, then cut down to 3.25" x 2.25". I created the background by blending Distress Oxide inks in graduated shades, then applied dark grey DOX through a stencil to create some faded dots. I added a little background stamping in one corner in purple, and highlighted the dragonfly wings with my sparkle pen. When dry I added sentiment stickers, edged the panel with black marker pen, and matted onto a standard ATC size piece of orange card stock cut from another smaller snippet. 

Here is an angled view to show the sparkly wings.

Stamps: Visible Image Dragonfly Dreams, Where Flowers Bloom;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Hickory Smoke); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Versafine (Imperial Purple); Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen (clear);

Tools: Visible Image stencil - halftone;

Other: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Small Talk stickers.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Stencil or Freestyle Background (and why)

(I actually love both ... I can't pick a favourite, so this make incorporates a bit of both!)

Country View Challenges (February) - Be Sentimental (4th entry) - TOP 3 SPECIAL MENTION

Crafty Catz #626 - Anything Goes

Creatalicious #253 - Anything Goes with option Lots of Circles

Simon Says (Monday) - Things With Wings

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

Snippets Playground #448 - Use Snippets

Stamping Sensations (February) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Try It On Tuesday - Let's Get Messy - TOP 5

Word Art Wednesday #583/584 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

Thanks very much for visiting my blog today - I appreciate your support and kind comments.

Hugs,

Dragonfly Dreams II

Hi everyone,

I’ve been rather MIA  as I’ve not had a lot of time for crafting recently due to having some work done on our house. Life seems to have been a constant roundabout of prepping for workmen, supervising them, cleaning up after them, researching, ordering, collecting (and in some cases returning faulty) soft furnishings and accessories … the house has been upside down for the last 5 weeks and it’s been a whirlwind! Things are now starting to calm down slightly, and I had a number of projects I needed to complete so I thought I’d better crack on!

Today I would like to share a set of ATC’s that I made for a monthly swap in the Visible Image FB group … you can use only VI stamps, stencils and/or dies. This month’s theme was “Mother Nature’s Marvels”, so I pulled out my favourite dragonfly stamp for my focal image. The swap is one ATC but I made a set of 4 so that I would have some extras to trade separately - I have called this series "Dragonfly Dreams II". 

 This is my first ever completed project using Brushos ... wow I love the intensity of the colours they create!!

First I cut a piece of white stamping card, spritzed with water and then tapped on some brushos and spritzed  some more to make my first ever brusho backgrounds … yay! I stamped and heat embossed my dragonfly image and highlighted the wings with Sakura stardust pen, then stamped some second generation background circles in Versafine Clair, and my DNA stamp in Versamark heat embossed with white powder. I stamped my sentiment onto separate card, heat embossed and cut out, then attached to the ATC. I then matted the image panel onto black linen cardstock and finished off with teeny heart gems.

Here's a closeup of one of the ATC's.

It is the convention in this group to enclose the ATC within a handmade greeting card, so I also made a card to match the ATC design. The only additional step for the card was to spatter the image panel with metallic gold Posca pen.

Stamps: Visible Image “Dragonfly Dreams”, “Creative Chaos”, “Butterfly Effect”;

Media: Brushos (Leaf Green, Turquoise); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Warm Breeze); Versamark; clear and white embossing powder; Sakura Stardust pen (clear); gold metallic Posca Pen.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #17 2022 - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar (August) - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations (August) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2233 - Anything Goes

Sheepski #65 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Snippets Playground #434 - Anything Goes With Snippets

(My ATC’s were all cut from snippets)

Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero (August) - It’s Hip to be Square

(square card and squares in the dragonfly stamp design)

Sweet Stampin’ - Firsts

(First brusho backgrounds)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes 

Word Art Wednesday #557/558 - Anything Goes

I'm hoping to be back soon with some more of the projects that I need to be making .. until then take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #680

Hi everyone,

The week has flown by, and I'm here with another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Brenda has chosen the theme and it is

*** Any Stamped Image ***

This means that your focal image needs to be stamped or digi, rather than eg. just  a teeny stamped sentiment in the corner.

This week we have another two brilliant prizes for you - a £15 store voucher for Stamp Addicts

and this fab stencil

Here's my card for this week.

I decided to ink up this gorgeous Visible Image dragonfly which I have to say is one of my favourites even though I have only used it a couple of times before. I created my background by splattering Wilted Violet Distress Oxide ink onto a piece of white card using acetate, then I stencilled the left hand side with Shaded Lilac DO, and second generation stamped my AALl & Create scripted hexagons down the right side and a few random numbers here and there.  I stamped my main dragonfly image in black and heat embossed with clear powder, then coloured the wings with watered down Posca sparkle pen in purple.  I stamped and heat embossed my sentiment then matted the panel onto black card stock and my card base, and finished with a few teeny purple gems and a few spatters of white Posca pen. 

Stamps: Visible Image - Dragonfly Dreams; AALl & Create #383 - Scripted Hexagons; numbers - unknown; sentiment - Crafters Companion;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Wilted Violet, Shaded Lilac); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist); Posca sparkle pen (purple); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Sweet Dixie stencil - Hexagon Mesh.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Alphabet Challenge - E is for Embossing (wet or dry)

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge #23 2022 - Anything Goes With Colouring 

Colourful Options (June) - Precious Purples - FIRST PLACE

Elliebelle’s Crafty Wednesday (June) - Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers: Stencil (June) - Anything Goes with a Stencil

Paper Funday #42 - Anything Goes with option Masculine

Path of Positivity #102 - Anything Goes Positive - TOP PICK

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

We Love Stamping (June) - Anything Stamped

Word Art Wednesday #547/548 - Anything Goes

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #5 2022 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Teeny Tiny First Edition

Hi there,

Today I would like to share something different I have made … my first ever ATC’s! Not sure really what gave me the idea to have a go at these, but I decided to try it and made a “series” of 3 which I have entitled “Dragonfly Dreams I”.

Before I go any further I’d like to give a huge thanks to Sarn, who has been incredibly helpful with my start-up queries, and fantastically encouraging about my initial efforts 😀

I cut 3 panels of white cardstock slightly smaller than standard ATC size, so I could then mat them with a border. I stamped and heat embossed various portions of my dragonfly image on each one, then created a sponged Distress Oxide background. I softly stencilled the blue areas of the background with more blue DO, then over stamped with a few random grungy squares in a darker blue DO. I stamped my words onto separate snippets of white card, heat embossed and cut out, then gently spattered the yellow and green areas of the background with water before assembling everything. I finished off with a minute heart gem on each one to decorate the “Dreams” sentiment, and a white card backing to write the details.

Here are the individual ATC's:

1/3

2/3

3/3

I read somewhere that you shouldn’t spend too long making ATC’s, but as my first ones these were a labour of love!! Once I have made a few more and got me some plastic sleeves to put them in I might start to think about swapsies, so if anyone is interested please let me know via the comments (one of these is already spoken for😀).

Stamps: Visible Image - Dragonfly Dreams; Indigo Blu Collectors Edition No. 37 - Grungy Little Squares; “Follow Your” text - unknown.

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); clear embossing powder;

Tools: Crafter’s Companion stencil from stamp/stencil set “It’s Time”.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More! #426 - Make Your Mark

A Gem of a Challenge #7 2022 - Anything Goes

Classic Design Challenge #4 2022 - Anything Goes (6th Birthday Challenge) (2nd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #98 - Anything Goes - DT FAVOURITE

Crafty Calendar (April) - Anything But Square

Crafty Catz #589 - Anything Goes or Lots of Layers 

Creative Crafters #50 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley #267 - Anything Goes

Love To Craft #67 - Anything Goes

My Time To Craft #478 - Three or More Layers (2nd entry)

Path of Positivity #100 - Anything Goes Positive

Pearly Sparkles #72 - Anything But a Card

River of Creativity #12 - Anything But a Card

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

Three Room Studio #79 - Repeat Stamping

(I have repeated across my 3 ATC’s, and also repeated my grungy squares within each ATC)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

That’s all from me for today, though I hope to have time to make a couple of Easter cards this afternoon. Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #664

Good morning everyone,

It's Saturday so here we are again with another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Lynn has chosen the theme and it is

I Love ...

We would love to see your makes featuring the things you love in crafting .. could include supplies, techniques, colours - the scope is endless!

This week we have 2 brilliant prizes on offer, kindly donated by Oakwood Direct who will be releasing their new spring 2022 stamps and stencils on the Craft Store on Monday (21st February) at 9am and 1pm (UK time). 

A surprise £15 prize bundle

and

this pretty stencil

Here's my card for this week.

There are so many things I love in crafting, including quite a few I have discovered since coming back to it last summer after several years away. My main new loves are distress oxide inks and stencilling; and I am also trying to get into a more "arty" style of stamping.  I also love dragonfly images, so this all came together for this week’s card using this stunning Visible Image stamp which just fell into my online shopping basket a couple of weeks ago!!

First I created a Distress Oxide background hexagon using my Press to Impress Art Board and stencils, which I then spattered with water to create a faux bleach effect. After stamping my main dragonfly image onto the inked background I lightly stencilled the top right and bottom left corners with an AALL & Create hexagon stencil, then did some 2nd generation background stamping in the opposite corners using AALL & Create and Indigo Blu background stamps. I mounted the finished panel onto a black cardstock border, and finished with my sentiments popped up on foam tape and a teeny tiny heart gem. 

I really am very pleased with how this card turned out as it represents a direction I'm keen to explore; though I have to say it's very easy to make a presentable card with such a stunning stamp.

Stamps: Visible Image - Dragonfly Dreams (dragonfly and "dreams" sentiment); AALL & Create #383 - Scripted Hexagons; Indigo Blu Collectors Edition No. 37 - Grungy Little Squares; "Follow Your.." sentiment - unknown;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Blueprint Sketch); Versafine (Onyx);

Tools: Crafts Too Press to Impress Art Board stencil - hexagon; AALL & Create stencil - Heapza Hexagons.

Heart gem from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Corrosive Challenge #2 2022 - Anything Goes

Crafter's Cafe #282 - Make Your Own Background

Crafts Galore Encore #96 - Anything Goes - DT FAVOURITE

Crafty Calendar (February) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Happy Little Stampers: Stencil (February) - Anything Goes

NBUS #35 - Use Never Before Used Schtuff

(mine is my main dragonfly image, and Indigo Blu background stamp)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2207 - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations (February) - Anything Stamped with option of Wings or Tails (2nd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

We Love Stamping (February) - Anything Stamped with option to add Stencilling (3rd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,