Butterfles and Circles

This is a scheduled post as by the time you are reading this we should have B.T. coming today to sort our phone line out. They maintain that the fault is in our house and that  there is no fault showing their end. The Doc did extensive tests on Monday isolating each piece of our equipment in turn which according to B.T. should have identified what was wrong as we would then be getting a phone signal back. Nothing, Zilch, Nada. Very quick to point out that if they come and find the fault is ours we will have to pay a call out charge plus cost of fixing. I am almost on the point of wishing it is in the house so they don't have to go digging the front garden and concrete drive way up.  We shall see. Fingers and toes all crossed.

It is the second week already of the current Butterfly challenge and here is some more inspiration  cards for you.

The first one uses Cadet Blue/Cerise/Circles/Butterflies.

The paper is from my stash and I have had a very long time. It is a favourite and I only have a small piece left now just enough for one more card. I used my Sizzix Scallop circles die to cut the front and back in pink cardstock and joined together at the top with a bridging piece. The design paper is die cut using my Xcut Circle die. I distressed the edges. It does look in the photo as if the butterflies(SU small butterfly punch) have been cut out from the circle but what you are actually seeing is three butterflies double cut in pink and then the design paper and layered up. I added silver stickles glue down the centre of the wings. The sentiment was salvaged from a previous project that I had altered.

The second one uses Cadet Blue/Candi/Butterflies.

I made a base card up using a sheet of white leather cardstock to make a card 4" x6". The die cut panel is by Creative Expressions 'Mini Striplet Butterflies in Flight'. I cut three tines and layered up, colouring one layer of the inset butterflies in Cadet Blue by using my promarker pen. I then attached the panel to the front of the card and glued the butterflies back into place. I had some white candi that I also coloured with my blue promarker pen.  I have left the sentiment off as this card could be used for several different occasions.

Final card uses Cadet Blue/Champagne/Circles/Butterflies.

The base card is made from a design sheet from a paper pad by The Works called 'Nature Blues' cut to be a 6" sq card base.   I had bought several of their  12" 12" pads for making boxed envelopes for Mother's Day Cards I had made as an order for a friend. The colours in this  paper were perfect to use here. I die cut the different sized circles using my Sizzix  Scalloped circles.  The double butterfly was punched using my large SU punch. The silver sparkly sentiment is a sticker from my stash along with the silver  sticker edging strips. I layered everything up with 3D pads for added definition.

As you can see from these cards you do not have to use the card shape element  in order to enter the challenge as there are several different  prizes to be won  depending on the elements you choose to use so I hope you can come and play. Challenge runs for another week.  Hopefully by then  my internet will be back up and running proficiently. Hands crossed behind back!!

Advent card.

Time once more for the girls in the Christmas Card Club to show our makes. It was Lorraine's turn to choose the theme and she chose Festive food. I don't have anything in my stash for that so I fell back on the Anything Goes element that we can use if needed. With the state of my internet I have also delved into my archives and found a card I made and sent last year but never showed. I have scheduled this well in advance whilst I can still post with pictures. 

I really liked this card when I received it one Christmas so it went into my used Christmas card stash.
I trimmed it down very slightly mounted onto glitter card and then onto a bright gold card stock. I then made into one of my stock Acetate fronted cards. This acetate sheet has gold falling snow on it and looked relay good with the card. The yellow ribbon was from my stash.

Hopefully  we  will know shortly  what is happening with the phone line and if it can be fixed without major disruption. Fingers and toes crossed.

Step Up.

The phone line is as dead as a dodo but we do have a very intermittent connection for the internet which only needs one line in  to be working whereas the phone line needs two lines into the house. Have managed to get the Butterfly winners post and the New challenge up but it is very slow going with the internet falling over every few minutes. . Am working when I can from my Ipad  (can't load pictures from there though )with a new sim in it so I have 12G to keep me going until B.T.  can get out to fix the fault.
So whilst I have a green light here are my Inspiration cards for the New Butterfly Challenge which is #119 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with C for Centre Step Card.

Cerise/Cadet Blue/Champagne/Circles/Candi/ Butterflies.

1st card uses 

CentreStep /Cerise/Cadet Blue/Champagne/Butterfly

 You will find  detailed instructions on how to make each of the Step cards over on the Butterfly blog under the Card Shapes tab at the top of the page under the banner heading .  This one uses 12" x  6" card folded in half to make a 6"sq. card. The digi image is the new freebie image over on the Stamplorations blog and is called Rose Blooms and Coffee.  Coloured using my Promarkers/Graph'it pens + a silver gel pen. The silver stickers are from my stash.  Butterfly is punched from white card using my SU punch and then coloured in Cerise marker. Gems also from my stash.
Entering this card into the following challenges:
STAMPlorations Never Ending Anything goes challenge

2nd card uses 

CentreStep /Cerise/Circles/Candi /Butterfly

 Centre Step Card  using card stock from The Works Design Pad 'Unique Stories' cut to 11" x 6". Circle die cut is by Spellbinders called  'Butterflies Circles'. Butterfly die cut  in the centre is from Precious Marieke  Fantstic Flowers  Butterflies. Centre die cut raised up on 3D pads for definition.  Sentiment is a foil sticker from my stash along with the Candi which has also been raised up with 3D pads.

Third Card uses

CentreStep /Cerise/Champagne/Circles/Candi /Butterfly

 









This card shape is the Inverted Centre Step Card and you can find the instructions for making it under the Card Shapes tag on the Butterfly blog.  I have used a digi  image by A Day for Daisies called Tiny Fashionable Present and coloured with my Promarkers. Silver candi and silver sentiment sticker from my stash. The tiny butterflies are a punch by tonic studios.
Hope you will be able to come and  join in.

My Craft room makeover is nearly complete but the phone line fiasco has now taken precedence over everything else so whilst I have taken photos of the completed room I will not upload until Internet is back up and working trouble free!!

Love Birds

I'm right in the throws of a Craft room makeover. I found just the furniture and box storage that I liked and ordered from Ikea only to find when I got to the check out that the particular box colour/design I wanted you could only get instore. Not to be put off I took myself off to the nearest Ikea and found they had ample supplies of what I needed. Phew!! (A few other 'essential' items may have fallen into the trolley at the same time though.) I think the  whole world and his dog were at the store on Sunday. It was heaving and the roads jam packed. Anyway to cut a long story short the rest of the items are being delivered tomorrow. Hopefully I can then get straight. Probably won't be able to find a darn thing as I'm so used to it being piled high on my desk.

Time to show you now the next two cards for the second week of the Butterfly Challenge.

First  card for your inspiration uses   Burgundy/Bluebell/Bow/ Butterfly.

I found the check bow on the floor after I had put the yellow ribbon away from making the next card so rather than get the box back out again I decided to use it on this card. The butterfly stamp is by Inkylicious  stamp set 'Fluttrs 1.' Nearly didn't get coloured though as I couldn't remember which box I had put my Graph'it markers in and a huge search ensued. I found them more bychance than luck after looking in the fourth box.  The design papers are by Crafters Companion 'Vintage Floral Collection' . Die cut is by Cheery Lynn Designs Pierced Stacker #4  Sentiment is by Woodware from their Just to Say stamp set.

Second Card uses Bi fold/ Banana/Bow/Butterfly.  You will find the tutorial for the Bi fold  here on the card shapes page on the Butterfly Blog.
Design paper is by Dovecraft 'Natures Grace' and the clear stamp is also by Dovecraft but had not been bought at the same time so it was pure luck that they went together. Sentiment is by Julie Hickey from her Essential Sentiments 'Just to Say stamp set'. Yellow ribbon for bow and making the belly band from my stash.

 I do rather have a thing for belly band closures as I think they make a card look just that little bit different.  Below is the card opened up. I love this bird cage design paper.  The butterflies are of course fluttering amongst the birds on the front of the card.

Hope you will have time to play along. The Bi fold card shape is not compulsory so you can chose from the other elements on the current wheel which is Butterfly/Banana/Burgundy/Bluebell/Buttons/Bows.

Poinsettias

It is my turn this week to set the theme for the girls in the Christmas Card Club and I have chosen Poinsettias on our cards so without further ado here are the two that I have made.

First card
Rather a CAS style for me on this one. Card base was made from white card stock cut to size. I did use my Scor-pal to make four lines around the edges but they are not showing up too clearly.  The sentiment is by Creative Expressions which I cut 3 times (2 in white and 1 in red). I tried out some new Joy Crafts Glue - Sheets  for the first time and though the packet said quick and clean I wasn't very impressed with them. Spent more time picking the excess bits of sticky glue off afterwards. (You do need to use a pick tool and tweezers and not touch the glue sheet with your fingers. Ask me how I know that.)  The flower die is  'Blooming Poinsettia' by Poppy Stamps. I simply cut several in the different sizes and layered up with 3 leaves. Liberally applied loads of silver glitter glue to both the sentiment and the flower.

Second Card.
I already had the base card made from a  previous project showing a tutorial on how to make an Aperture card so I just added the flower, gems and silver edging.

 Poinsettia die is by Creative Dies. Layered up and used a silver brad to secure together.  The Holly die cut is from Making cards 2018.  I used red glitter glue on the flowers this time. Picture below shows the card closed so you can see it without the glare from the acetate.

Can't wait to see what the other girls have made.

Fluff sent me a photo of Kellogg to show you. He looks very happy on his cushion in the garage!!

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Bi fold Butterflies.

We are onto the second letter of the Alphabet  already with the Butterfly challenge. The new challenge starting  today is

#118 Spin The Butterfly wheel with B for Bi fold.

Here are my inspiration cards for you.

On my first card I have used Bi fold/Burgundy/ Butterfly from the wheel.

I have now added a Card Shape page to the Butterfly Blog and you can see instructions/ hints/tips on how to make a Bi fold card using 3 different methods.

I have used a double sided  design paper from  a 12" square pad called  'English Moments' from The Works cut down to be 6" x 12" thus making a finished card size of 4" x 6". Butterflies have been repurposed from a previous project. The sentiment is a stamp by Julie Hickey from the ' Essential Sentiments set' which I have stamped  onto a Spellbinders (labels 4) die cut.

For My second card I have used Bluebell/Bow/ Butterfly from the wheel.
The base card is made from a digidesign paper by Pink Petticoat  Called Dandelion Clocks Blue Quartz. I cut to size and simply added the butterflies which were coloured using my Promaker Bluebell pen. The Cream bow was from my stash.  Stamp  is by Julie Hickey from the 'I Need Everyday Sentiments' set.

For last card I have used Bi fold /Banana/ Bow/ Butterfly from the wheel.
This time I have changed the sizing down to  5.5" x 10.5" to make a finished card size of  3.5" x 5.5".
Design paper is another  digipaper from The Pink Petticoat called ' Bold Daisies' from  the Isobelline papers.  The belly band uses a faux button opening detail from buttons and a piece of thin string found on my desk. Butterflies were punched using SU Butterfly punches. Sentiment is another by Julie Hickey from the same stamp set.

 Here is the card semi opened. Again  you will find the instructions on the Card Shape page on the Butterfly blog.

Hope to see you playing along. Challenge is for the usual two weeks.

Hugs

This is the latest card that I sent to our Grandson last week.  It has a tale of two stories.
The first one revolves around our Daughter, Son in Law and Grandson No2 moving recently into a new home along with their 3 cats.  Cat No1 is a black cat (called Boo)and he had adopted daughter and co. when they had moved into the house prior to the one they have just left. All was well for a few yrs until they moved again into the last house and were very quickly adopted by Cat No2 (called Piggy)  who decided a preference for living with them rather than her then owners who lived across the way. They actually had 2 cats but you very rarely saw the other cat until they moved out and left said cat to fend for itself.  My daughter then took the 3rd cat (Jinks) in and semi harmony reigned with each cat claiming a portion of the last house as their own space. When they moved to their new home The Doc and I joked that a new home meant a new cat would claim them as his own. Daughter poo poo'd this idea and said it wasn't going to happen. Na Na. They had been in their new house 2 days when a red/white 'marmalade' cat appeared at the back door demanding to be let in asap!!   Cat No 4 has now claimed the garage as his own, has a cushion in there and has been nick named Kellogg. Hence the card below.

The digi  image is 'MD Kitty Cat Love' and I have coloured using my promarkers and a silver gel pen. That's Kellogg on the left along with Cat No1 Boo.  'Hugs' stamp is by Honey Bee Stamps.  Silver edge sticker from my stash.
Entering into the following challenges:
Colour Crazy # Anything goes.
Sweet Stampin # Love your pet.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #346. Use your snippets. (silver edging was all left over offcuts)
613 Avenue Create # 218 Anything goes + use a critter.
2 Crafty Critter Crazies #23 Anything goes with a critter.
Angie's Digital Stamps #28 Anything goes /twist of love.
CCC Dig Creations #100 Valentines day /love.
Creative With Stamps #35 Love.
Sparkles #113 Include an animal.
Tales From The Craft Room # Love.


Second tale revolves around what I had enclosed for my grandson.  I had seen a wonderful video by Jennifer McQuire  (05.02.2019 You Tube) on how to make Scratch-off Valentines. She also very kindly included a free download for the backing sheets. Looked simples so off I went and collected up all the necessary items needed . I had two types of vellum card stock but very quickly realised that one was too thick and the other too thin as when I tried to peel the scratch card element away it cracked the silver paint. Ok. Quick revision of my options and then I came up with  Mark II  which involved me making a stencil circle shape up and painting the silver paint straight to the card. Worked after a fashion but the paint leaked slightly around the edges and  didn't look very neat. (I ended up giving these ones to The Doc.)

 Time was running out  as I needed the card to be in the post for the Thursday and it was now Tuesday evening.  Gulp! I'm too far down the road now to give up so I finally came up with  Mark III.  I used two downloads for each scratchcard and painted the silver  to cover up the answer. Punched out the complete circle and then adhered this onto the second card (making sure I matched the correct jokes and answers up). 

These are the finished cards that I enclosed for out grandson who btw loved them. 

I have since worked out a Mark IV version on how to make these even easier to make so will be making some more cards up to enclose in further cards. Watch this space.!