Let's Get SKETCH-y

 Hello and welcome to a new challenge at Shopping Our Stash I guess you have figured out it's a SKETCH challenge. It was a tad challenging for me as plan A was a bust and being at the cottage with limited supplies I really had to improvise fortunately I had a vertical image stamp but the die is at home I considered fussy cutting but due to my fussy cutting scissors hiding somewhere I just didn't want to take the chance with an unknown pair. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you can create with this sketch.

Here is my take on the sketch.

The wood block stamp I used is from The Stamp Barn, Ottawa sadly they are not in business but I know some of their designs were sold to another Canadian company as that is where I bought the die. The stamp is at least 15 years old. I used the postage stamp circle die and was very surprised to have a roll of gold ribbon here at the cottage. Dream is one of the small word dies I have and use quite often. 

Thanks for stopping by today and if you haven't checked out the Main Blog stop over and see the awesome creations the rest of the design team have made. 

Challenge 392 ~~ Make an ATC card or coin.......

At Shopping Our Stash Donna has chosen the theme and it's make an atc card or coin, An Artist Trading card is 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inches and a Coin is 2 1/2 inch circle both decorated with a theme, these are never sold only traded or given, they also make a fabulous focal point on a card.  I love ATCs but this time I wanted to try my hand at making "coins".  I used a couple of pieces of DCWV paper pad I've had for eons, at least 8 years old. For the base of the coin I used a cardboard box from halloween candy (saved it) it is very heavy, using some gel medium to glue the 2 1/2 inch circle to the same size piece of the patterned paper.  Leaving the 4 circles to dry on my table overnight and planned to finish them in the morning.

As you see there are only three coins, remember I said they were drying on my table, In the morning I cut my butterflies and embossed them with Silver Pearl embossing powder, it just puts a beautiful shimmer on no matter what you put it on. I bought this 5 or 6 years ago and I'm sure it's only the second time I used it. The sentiments were die cut out of foam core. So putting the coins together I realized one was missing and here is the culprit.

Toto delights in taking things off my table and I never found the coin, I'm sure is is in sad shape. Note to self......put things away or put something heavy on them while they dry.

On to the next set.

The first set was fun so I decided I wanted to make another "4" so I took 3 X 3 pieces of white cardstock and using distress oxide inks I made the backgrounds, I then  punched circles with the 2 1/2 inch EK punch, glued them to the chocolate bar bases, I stamped the 4 snowmen from Sunshine Designs coloured and fussy cut, stamped the snowmen on the background and added the fussy cut ones on top. The dots were made with white opal liquid pearls. 

Don't forget to head over to the main blog and see what the rest of the design team have made. 

Thanks for visiting today, remember the challenge runs for two weeks now. 

Quit Buggin' Me!!!

Challenge 369 at Shopping Our Stash is "quit buggin'me" ~~ use an insect on your card. What an easy challenge Donna thought up, I guess it's because she didn't want anything too stressful after her holidays, LOL.  I had a few ideas for the challenge and threw a few more odds and ends into my bag going back to the lake this week, my image was a digital image already printed and I have no clue who's it is, I have had it in a stack of images at the lake since May, I knew it would be handy for something.

I coloured the image with spica glitter pens (wasn't taking a chance colouring something this small with copics) the background I smooshed three shades of distress oxide ink on the teflon mat spritzed with water and had fun dabbing the cardstock in it until I liked it, then had to wait for it to dry (note to self~~do the smooshing first) The background die is 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 so covered the card I used foam core to cut it out, and it was fun getting to cut all the way through but I managed. it just gives a finished look which you can't really tell in the picture. 

Since insects are the name of the game I used butterflies but better yet I used the mini lady bug brads I bought from the Eyelet outlet Store. Aren't they just the cutest. (there are also bees too)

I didn't finish the inside yet as it's always great to have one or two around that can be used for any occasion that comes up that you need a quick card.

Thanks for visiting today and check out What's buggin' the other girls....head over to the Main Blog.

Challenge #359 at Shopping Our Stash ~~ She's a Crafting Machine!!!

Mimi want's us to be Crafting Machines for challenge #359 at Shopping Our Stash, so get out those die cutting machines and dies, sewing machines, zyron perhaps your embossing machine to make a project for the challenge. This was an easy challenge, the hardest part was figuring  out what I was using. I'm at the cottage and my sewing machine is a very small one, just does one stitch and I really need practice with it, so I used my big shot and a couple of dies.

I used Elizabeth Craft Designs scalloped frame, Elizabeth Craft Design Stitched ovals and a generic butterfly die. Pearls from my stash I added to the butterflies and flowers.

Close up of the butterflies and other die cuts. I did leave the inside blank as I need a few "can be used for any occasion" cards on hand and I think this fits the bill.

If you haven't been to the Main Blog head over and check out what the rest of the design team have used for their crafting machines. Everything I used I've had for at least a year even the cardstock.

thanks for visiting and I'm looking forward to commenting on your projects for our challenge.

I love an ATC challenge!!!

Happy Little Stampers has an ATC challenge every month, it's the last challenge of the month and I managed to get three finished, I honestly thought I made 4 with a stencil and oxide inks but could only find three but that was fine as my sentiment were a set of three.

I made a trio of stenciled ATCs with three different gold butterflies from Cheery Lynn Designs (one of my first dies I bought)  The Live Laugh and Love dies are generic ones but I love the size, these are from a set of 10 different words. They are perfect for ATCs.

 I did the background with pink cardstock and picked raspberry distress ink over a stencil I bought at the Dollar Tree.

The background was made with the same stencil and worn lipstick distress oxide ink.

this one was done with pink piroette cardstock and worn lipstick distress ink and the same stencil

I am entering this in 

Happy Little Stampers ~~ May ATC challenge ~~ Gold

ATC Around the World Challenge ~~ #41 Anything Goes.

Thanks for visiting today and do check out the Happy Little Stampers Blog there are more challenges than the atc one,  Watercolour, Anything goes with Diecuts, mixed media, Christmas they are all there, you can find them HERE.

Time for a New Challenge at Shopping Our Stash!!!

It's Chris's turn to host Challenge #353 at Shopping Our Stash and she chose Chanson Papillon  which means add a Butterfly or more on your project. I love butterflies and one of the stash items is butterfly dies that I have had for a while but haven't had a chance to use them yet.

When I found the turquoise swirl gems in my stash I just had to use Tempting Turquoise for my base. I have had the Eyelet Outlet gems in my stash for over a year. 

The triple butterfly die is three different sized meant to be stacked, I edged them in peacock feathers distress oxide ink, flat attached the largest and popped the medium and small butterfly on top. 

The sentiment is a very old Hero Arts stamp and gets summoned into service when a vertical sentiment is required. I had an extra butterfly die cut and added it to the inside.

Well not a huge amount of stash bustin' here, I probably have much older butterfly stamps and dies but just opening the gem swirls is good for me because they are so pretty and I tend to hoard pretty things. Now you have seen what I have made I hope you will head over to the MAIN BLOG and see what the rest of the design team have made. 

I would like to enter this in:

Seize the Birthday~~ ATG

Thanks for stopping by today and have a creative day!!

What is Black & White & ONE other Colour? The Challenge at SOS

Challenge # 348 at Shopping Our Stash is ~~ Black and White and one other colour. Oh the possibilities. I love black & white cards but usually team it with RED but today I really strayed from the norm. 

I haven't used this butterfly stamp in a long time, it's probably 15 years old and from a company that has been sold but a lot of their stamps are still available at The Frogs Whiskers.  There is a die that goes with the stamp but I chose to fussy cut it out.  The butterflies were stamped in versafine black and embossed in clear embossing powder before colouing with a single copic marker.  The long rectangle spellbinders dies are rarely out of the box but I used them for this image. Patterned paper was bought earlier this year at the local dollar + store. The yellow accent cardstock was a scrap from the file folder box. Ribbon although still available from Stampin'up has been in my ribbon box for many years.

Close up to how how I elevated three of the butterflies.

Semi-finished inside, I decided I was very low on some generic cards that can be used for multiple occasions, I think it would work as a Sympathy, thinking of you, get well and even a birthday card. I even think you could send it to a man.

Thanks for coming by today and I am so looking forward to see what you add to black and white to make a card for our challenge. Don't forget to head over to the Main Blog and see what extra colour the rest of the design team have used.

Challenge #343 at Shopping Our Stash is ~~ Stencils

Another fabulously interesting challenge from Mimi!!! Stencils!!! Check out the inspiration at Shopping Our Stash, the design team have outdone themselves, while you are there check out the awesome new header on the blog, Lauren did a fabulous job of designing it. Back to Stencils......I'm really not experienced with stencils although I have a few, two have been used but the rest just sit in my stash. The one I used is from Art-C it is a stencil and stamps and I have no idea where I got it from or how long I have had it, I sat and pondered it for quite a while and nothing comes to mind all I know is I have never used it before.

I bought distress inks and applicators last year and have used them very little so this was a test of what I could do with them with a stencil, I haven't ventured into mixed media very much although have lots of things to play with. Since this is a stencil challenge I wanted to give center stage to the stencil so for embellishments I used a wildflower die-cut and a couple of butterflies.  Using broken china oxide ink and sponge applicator I covered the stencil and white cardstock making sure I darkened the centers of the design, the finished piece was layered on some turquoise cardstock then mounted on a white base 

Closer look at the wildflower die-cut and butterflies.

Finished inside of the card with a leftover wildflower die cut and a fitting sentiment for a friend's Mom that is in the hospital 

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you dig into your stash and show how you use stencils.

Smile

Here I am with my last official post for the Eyelet Outlet Blog, the DT term is over. I will be participating in the last Christmas in July Saturday for the last one for the month. I have had a lot of fun designing for the Eyelet Outlet it has been fun trying to figure out different ways to use the products and I have learned a lot from the other design team members too.  I have always used the Eyelet Outlet Brads and had quite a nice collection too but best of all I'm not as washi tape challenged as I was.  So for my  card I used Purple pearl strips. 

The card is 4 1/4 X 6 1/4 I put the strip of purple beads around the outside edge of the die cut lattice and put single beads in the centers of the cuts.  I also used the beads for the bodies of the Butterflies.

The beads are perfect for the butterfly bodies

I just used the Smile die-cut as the inside can be finished for a birthday or for a get well or just thinking of you. 

The Pearl strips come in many colours and in rhinestone as well

the also co-ordinate with the swirly bling/pearls.

Check out the Eyelet Outlet Store for all your embellishments

Don't forget to visit the Eyelet Outlet Blog on Saturday for the last Christmas in July post and there will be two winners from the comments left on the blog.

Have an Awesome Day!!!

Butterflies, Bees, Dragonflies, Ants What do they have in Common?

It's the new challenge at Shopping Our Stash!!! Challenge #313 is all about bugs we want you to use any insect/bug on your project that you want to. I love butterflies so that is what I wanted to use and in a very different (for me) colour. So here is what I made.

I used an unbranded butterfly die and the sketch from Cheerful Sketches.

The white enamel dots are from the Eyelet Outlet Store. 

I started out to make a  5  1/4 square card but as I was placing the oval on the finished card I realized the opening was in the wrong place and the sketch didn't work that way, so I cut the card at the fold and placed it on the 5 1/2 square base.  That shows I shouldn't be watching a good mystery movie while I put my card together. 

Close up of the die-cut.

I didn't put a sentiment or finish the inside as this is one of those "generic" cards to finish as it is needed.

I will be entering this in:

The Cheerful sketches Blog

Thanks for stopping by today and don't forget to check out the Main Blog and see what the rest of the design team have made.

Have a creative day!!

Hello.....................

Hello.....it's my day to post on the Eyelet Outlet Blog.   I was pondering on how to use the super cute flower brads from the Eyelet Outlet Store and thought I will make a  summer wreath (now I want poinsettia brads to make a winter wreath.)

The background was made by using green cardstock and the wide leaf washi tape (a favourite of mine) the leaf wreath is a Gina Marie die and the hello was cut twice once in green and once in black with an unbranded die and offset for dimension. Now to the fun part...placing the super cute stitched flower brads and those adorable colourful butterflies both are from the Eyelet Outlet.

Close up of the flowers and butterflies. I added some rhinestones from the Swirl Bling clear that I have been "parting" out bit by bit and there are lots left too. 

Items I used

Swirl Bling Clear

Wide Leaf Washi tape (comes in Flowers too)

Stitched flowers bright

Butterflies 

I am so in love with all these products from the Eyelet Outlet especially the brads there is a set of brads for every occasion and for every card or scrapbook.

Thanks for visiting today and see you again next Tuesday for my regular post at 3.01 EDT

Don't forget about Saturday there is a Christmas in July post at the Eyelet Outlet Blog 

Challenge #187 at Shopping Our Stash~~Getting Inky

Looking for my Clear it Out Tuesday post, scroll down or click HERE.
Another week another challenge at Shopping Our Stash, this one is a lot of fun, all you have to do is use your OLDEST INK.  I have been crafting for a long time and my oldest ink is about 14 or 15 years old, actually there are two bought at the same time and because I bought them at the Butterfly Moon they get re-inked free when they need it.  Along with the versa color #57 old rose and #91 Gold I used some dollar store faux mulberry paper that’s about as old. Even the stamps I used are a couple of the earlier stamps I bought.

I stamped the “three step tulips” on the thin paper and left them sit for several days to completely dry as the versa color ink is a pigment ink and would pick up the gold embossing powder when I embossed the Hero Arts butterfly. I made the gold layer to match the gold of the butterflies.

As you see I grabbed a negative cut from a top note die cut and covered it with versamark and gold embossing powder. It was a trick I learned from taking a class at the Butterfly Moon.

Close up of the paper and the butterflies

Here is a picture of the versa color cubes

Inside using the top note die cut for the sentiment

Thanks for visiting today and let see you dig in your stash and find that oldest ink (don’t forget to tell us what it is) and enter our Getting Inky challenge.