Card Patterns Sketch 103 -2nd Anniversary Blog Hop

I love a challenge, it really gives you the opportunity to try something different and get crafty!
Today I was taking part in the Card Patterns 2nd anniversary blog hop using their sketch challenge 103.

I'm a very literal person, so my initial thought was to use circles dies for this, and after some great inspiration during the hop I had lots of idea, but then I realised I had some great circle stamps in my Waltzingmouse Teeny Trees set, and that was my inspiration!

I stamped the images onto some cereal box cardboard (I've started saving and cutting them up!), rounded off the corners of the card, and then used 3 strands of  East of India twine, which I twisted to give a slightly different look. I used a stitch tool to make the pattern around the edges.

Hope you like my take on this pattern!

Butterfly punch and Candle stamping!

Well I've had a wonderful crafty day so far!
This morning I went around to the fabulous Kirsty Wisemans for a spot of card making. I won an amazing competition on her blog a few weeks ago (36 Promarkers and Aqua Markers!) and then realised we only live around the corner from each other.
Kirsty was extremely generous, and gave me free reign in her craft room to use whatever I wanted!(drool!)
As she had just come back from representing Tonic punches at Stiches we had a play around with some butterfly punches, something I would never normally use.

I created this lovely card, and after creating one, I decided to stick with a winning formula and made 2 very similar ones for my twin friends whose birthdays are tomorrow!

I made them the mirror image of each other, just to make them a little different!

When I came home from Kirstys I was in full on craft mode, and decided to try something I've been looking into for a few weeks, candle stamping. The basic idea is to transfer an image stamped onto tissue to a candle. You actually embed the tissue into the candle, its not an actual transfer. I wasn't confident to try it on a fresh candle, so picked a used one from our bathroom to test the technique!

I stamped a flourish onto some bog standard (no pun intended!) toilet paper. I realised quite quickly that this was an error, as cutting tissue is HARD! So I decided to go for a simpler design, a nice leaf. I used memento ink first, then distress ink. Both worked. You cut the image out, then peel away the back layer of tissue leaving the very thin layer with the image.

You need some wax/greaseproof paper to hold the image into the candle and keep it pressed against the wax as it melts.
You use a heat embossing gun to melt the wax, and its very much like embossing, because you can actually see the wax melt and the tissue embedding. Keep the wax paper really tight and when its melted slightly stop heating and roll the candle (still wrapped in wax paper) on a flat surface to set it.
It dries really quickly, and then you peel back the paper to reveal the image!

I decided to try something a little harder and went for some text. I tried some basic and some fancy texts.

Both worked really well, and I was suprised that you can't see the tissue at all. I'm planning to give this another go very soon as a gift for a friend, so pop back and see what I come up with!

Waltzingmouse Blog Hop - Buttons!

Well this months waltz theme is buttons, and I'm sure I won't be the only person who uses buttons in this way!

I started by stamping the Teeny Trees trunk onto some white card and the I inked around the edges using forest moss and tea dye distress inks. I cut a rectangle of cardboard from a box I had (cereal box thickness) and stamped the 'thanks' from the 'give thanks' stamp. I also used the tiny opal shaped stamp (I'm not quite sure what its meant to be!) along the top 3 times. I used some twine and knotted in the centre to gather it together. I considered using a button to do this, but thought it might be button overkill!

I went through my button box - inherited from my Nana who was excellent at sewing and knitting - and found 3 buttons that were a suitable size and colour, but I wanted another really small one. Unfortunately I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I found a tiny white button, inked it and then embossed to set the ink! It looks light green which is good actually! My favourite button is the one at the top, as it has a beautiful colour to it. I attached the buttons and layered it all on some dark green card and then placed it all on a cream A6 card.
I hope you like it and are inspired to use some buttons!

A flowery Birthday card- very unlike me!

Heres a very simple card which, I think, looks fantastic. All you need is 3 different colours of lightweight card. I chose pale yellow, orange and black. Apart from that you just need some ribbon and some flower punches.

I'm not a particularly flowery person, but these 3 punches came from my mums craft stash.

You start by punching a number of flowers in each colour and size (I'll be honest, I struggled with the smaller punch, as it was quite difficult to punch with, and I couldn't get the orange card to cut at all, so choose your cardstock wisely!)

I then layered up the flowers in alternate colours and secured with some silicon glue.
Heres a close up of the flowers.

The main part of the card is a Happy birthday sentiment from the Papermania set Honey and Hugs.

 I stamped onto the pale yellow card in black ink and embossed. I then layered up with black, orange and a further layer of black card. I tried this on the main card with the flowers around, but it looked a bit bare, so I decided that I needed something else in the background. I found some orange backing paper, used my paper trimmer with the wavy blade, and then made a black card layer for underneath. It still needed something else, so I tried it with the ribbon underneath, and I think it really pulled it together. So I am now converted to these little flower punches, and have lots of ideas for how to use them in the future!

Here's another simple card I used the flowers on, and the same sentiment.

I made a quilted background by cutting 3 different complimentary background papers into 1.5" squares and pieced them together. I added the ribbon, sentiment and a simple layered flower. Sometimes the simple things are the best! I will definately be making more of these!

Papertrey Ink Anniversary Challenge card - Go to sentiments

So over on the Papertrey Ink website they are celebrating their anniversary, and as part of the celebrations various competitions are running. This card is made for the Make it Monday challenge.

The main idea of the challenge was to use a variety of sentiments as the main image on the card. If I'd have seen this challenge a few months back I wouldn't have been able to take part, as I had very few sentiments. However, due to sale shopping I have plenty now!

I chose to do a birthday card, and sourced all my birthday sentiments. I used a huge variety of stamps: Waltzingmouse, doodlebug, Heroarts and papermania.

I used the card from an old cereal box to stamp onto, and used forest moss distress ink.

I heat embossed the flames on the candles with silver embossing powder to given it an extra dimension. I matt and layered onto some dark green striped card, and then onto some silver pearlised paper.

I did two of these at once (its the kind of card that you can easily do multiples), and when it came to finishing touches I decided to do gold instead of silver, ie gold embossing powder and gold pearlised paper. It's amazing how such a small change can make a big difference!

21st Card and ELC jigsaw punch

Here's a card I made for a friend who was 21 a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera as I was making it, but I will attempt to describe what I did!
First I printed the numbers 21 from my computer onto white card so I had a template for them. I have a mask (That Special Touch Circles background) which I am now able to put through my cuttlebug with my No More Shims, but for something different I first inked the mask with clear ink and I put the 21 through the cuttlebug. This meant it was embossed and inked at the same time. I then used clear embossing powder and heated it to give the circles pattern which you can faintly see on the numbers. As it was done in clear embossing powder and clear ink it didn't become visable until I inked over the whole number with Tea Dye ditress ink. The colour didn't quite match the background paper I had picked out (Dovecraft Funky Vintage) so I added some orange and pick Colourbox inks to the numbers. I thought the card needed something else, so I used my nestabilities circle dies to cut some baby blue and orange card circle frames. I cut out about 4 of each, spent ages deciding which ones to use from those I'd cut out, and where to put them and then only used 3!!!Oh well, into the cuttlebug scrap box the others go!
The last thing was to attach some self adhesive ribbon at the bottom which matched really well!
I wish I'd taken photos, as I used some interesting techniques, but hey ho.

Now onto my newest toy...and it really is a toy!

 When I was in ELC with monkey yesterday I spotted this jigsaw maker. I'd actually seen it before christmas and thought how cool it was, but couldn't resist yesterday when I saw it almost 80% off! Its basically a huge jigsaw punch, but the kit includes 4 foam postcards which you decorate and cut into a jigsaw for a friend!#

 I just like the idea of making little jigsaw pieces, but will keep the other bits for when Monkey is older! It cuts really cleanly and I'm already thinking of how I could use them on a card!

I won blog candy!!

I can't believe it, I actually won some blog candy for commenting on a blog hop!!!woohoo!!
I took part in the March of the Snowman blog hop and won over at Stacys blog http://stacy.typepad.com/. The prize was $10 gift certificate for PTI, Two Peas in a bucket or Digi stamp characters. I decided on Two peas, as although I LOVE PaperTrey Ink as its an American website the postage would have been crazy. I am going to get some lovely digital stamps from Two Peas, but am having so much trouble choosing!!!There's too much choice!!!!
I'll let you know when I've decided!
I still can't believe I won!!!!!