...Lemon tea anyone?

Thank you all for the lovely comments on my wee butterfly! It gives me a lot of encouragement to read them.

Made up a little patterned paper with the stamps from the Anniversary set, Everyday Classics, (PapertreyInk) wish I had photographed it. Anyhow - it turned out quite a large scale design so I made a 5x7 card with it.

I love the flourish type image and started with that in Smokey Grey Versafine Ink on the Linen Texture Vellum from PapertreyInk - added a tea cup in Raw Sienna, Palette ink from PapertreyInk, and needled little holes to give the impression of steam. Then added the flowers - gorgeous stamps - love these.

Mounted it on Grey cardstock from my stash, added a bit of ribbon and a wee sentiment - also from the Everyday Classics set.

Hope it tickles.

...Clean and simple

Ed - as far as cutting out goes - I use a scalpel and cut slowly. I stamped the image first and then cut around the edges of the stamped image, I did my cutting out on one side and then flipped it over - I get a neater finish that way and it doesn't matter if you don't cut exactly on the edge of the stamped image because you can't see it when you flip over the card!

Wrenched 20 mins out of my day to make this wee card for the CAS challenge over at SCS. I don't do enough of these challenges, they are fab. Yesterday's was right up my alley - little bits of ribbon. Lol.

Made a Flutterby out of two weeny pieces of ribbon and two brads. Needed a setting and so I stamped the branch from PTI Beautiful blooms onto some pale blue cardstock (random stash), cut it out and flipped over the card so's you all can't see how I wasn't able to stay within the lines! lol. Needled antenna.

Mounted it all on a Ripe Avocado card base using dimensionals so's the branch would cast a few shadows. Sentiment from Beyond basic borders (PapertreyInk) stamped in Versafine Olympia Green.

Hope it tickles

...phwwh!

Where do all you folks get the time? I am constantly in awe of all the many million things everyone seems to be turning out. I feel sooo ssl...l...l...o...o...o..w...w...w... Hadn't a minute to myself all over the weekend, this is all I got squeezed out.

Phluph.

Even missed the PapertreyInk blog hop for which I purposely purchased one of Laurens' templates! AAAArrrrggghhh! (Fab template by the way - must do something with it soon).

Used the new Guidelines 2 set from PapertreyInk together with the mini flower from the Anniversary set, Everyday Classics- sentiment also from this set.

Lavender Moon cardstock (PTI) with versamark ink, Plum pudding ink and versafine Crimson on a blackened stamp to give the motley-purply-reddy tones.

Dyed a white flower with the plum pudding ink pad to match - interestingly it went very dark - perfect match for the dark reddy/purple ink.

Hope it tickles.

...it's not a card

My biggest girlie found a book that she 'needed' the other day - It's called 'Stray Sock Sewing' (Published by David and Charles, devised by a very creative chappie known simply as Daniel.) and it's full of adorable patterns for one of a kind critters....

...it's what we've been doing all day. No cards. Not a sausage.

Here is one of our growing brood. Lol - these are so easy to make! you have to try it!

Hope it tickles.

Look at it's eedie beedie wee feeties!! It's snout would have been better furnished with some Melon berry buttons, but I paid a fortune to have them shipped from America...Lol.

...stencil how-to, Embossing and printing with your Cuttlebug

Ed - I have since learned that if you wet both sides of the card it doesn't curl so bad - thanks to Kimberly! Also - if you are using a big shot - you may not need to dampen the paper at all, best thing is to experiment. I found that if i used dry cardstock for embossing, the image was not as sharp or detailed as when I dampened the cardstock. (I was using PapertreyInk cardstock) your results may vary depending on what type of card you use.

Scroll down for the previous two posts regarding the cards I made with this stencil.

I started with this wee thin metal stencil - you can get yours from this site. The manufacturers are called Country Stencils and tho' I bought mine at a craft fair here in Ireland, they originally come from the US. Check out their site for some real beauties!

The first thing to do with these stencils is to stencil with them - I tried it and they work beautifully. The guy who sold it to me also suggested embossing and wanted to sell me one of those wee embossing tools, you know the wee pen thingies with a rounded tip. Knowing this would take a little time, I wondered what would happen if I ran them through the cuttlebug. WOW.



I put the stencil on the B plate (which lies on the A plate)



Then I got the rest of the sandwich ready - A tan embossing mat (this is a spellbinders item from the wizard machine but they can be purchased separately) followed by 3 sheets of cardstock as shim( - I use the label cards that come with packs of PapertreyInk cardstock - they're perfect! NB you might need to vary the thickness of card that you use depending on the thickness of your stencil - my stencil is very thin, if your stencil is thicker, adjust the shim or you risk breaking your B plate!!!!!!) followed by the other B plate on top.


I dampened my cardstock - here I'm using Melon Berry from PapertreyInk.


Lay the cardstock, wet side down on the stencil, layer on the tan embossing mat followed by the cardstock shims and the B plate, Roll away!


And look what a lovely embossing this gives!! Of course you need to let it dry before use, and it will curl a little, so you might want to tape the edges to your cutting board while it dries, I don't bother, I just let them dry and then once they are trimmed out and well stuck down it's fine.

Next try Printing with your cuttlebug!!

Ink up your metal stencil - here I've used Versamark Cocoa


Layer on your cardstock (Importantly, I use dry cardstock when I am printing with a stencil!), tan emboss mat, card shims and B plate exactly as described above. Roll away!


This works beautifully for me - I love it! I must've 'printed' about 30 quilts the night I got this! Lol.

Here are a few alternative examples:


Above is what happened when I stencilled with the stencil and just decided to run the stencil through the cuttlebug before washing the ink off (I call this the first pass)- I think it gives a nice distressed look, I love how the ink lies in the depressed areas and the crisp white areas are slightly raised - it reminds me of letterpress printing! If you run the stencil through again ( I call this the second pass), without washing you get a softer image, like the one below - that's what I used on today's pink and green card.



Below is what happens when I spritzed the stencil with water before running it through on the second pass! (remember to use dry cardstock when printing with your stencil)



If you decide to add a little colour to one of your embossings, you might try rubbing an ink pad across the surface lightly - I find that the small inch cubes work best for this and I just rub them directly across the surface in any and all directions till all the wee high bits are coloured, at times a little will rub into the depressed areas but i don't eorry about that - if you find that too much comes off into the depressed bits either rub a little more gently with a lighter touch, use a less juicy ink pad or try embossing again with a slightly thicker shim, incase your embossing is not raised and defined enough. I find this works very well for me with only about one unusable image for every ten or so I chose to ink rub in this way.



And then of copurse you could always just stencil with your stencil!! Have fun!! hope this helps!

...yesterday's today!!

Feel like I lost a day - i put the wee folk to bed last night at 7.30 and slept right through!! AAAArrrgghh! missed a whole nights crafting!

Anyhow - here's yesterdays card - I'm writing up a quick tutorial - a couple of you folks also have this quilt stencil - or something like it and there's a couple of interesting things to do, more later today hopefully.

I used Quilters sampler stamp set (PapertreyInk) for the Background - printed a tiny block in versamark on the sweet blush cardstock. Also a piece of bitty dots paper (also PTI) on the bottom. Couple of wee flowers. (Prima)

Also - do you like the sentiment tag - it's actually an escutcheon shape from a keyhole and escutcheon punch that i bought at the craft fair - I put a rectangle of cream card (PTI) on it and added two pink eyelets - thought it made a dinky wee tag!

Hope it tickles!

...a mojo moment

Ed - I have a wee tutorial up my sleeve for anyone interested - prob be posting it after tomorrows card - there's a couple of neat effects you can get with a metal stencil and a cuttlebug - tomorrows card shows another look using the same stencil as today.

Took a few moments to make a Mojo Monday card yesterday - this is for the week 83 sketch. I love these sketches and I love trying to put my own spin on them but I can't claim the bow in the hole!! I saw that done on Becca Feeken's blog here - isn't that just divine - had to have a go!!

I found an adorable little metal quilt stencil at the craft show the other day, I'm so sorry I didn't buy more...anyhow - ran it through the cuttlebug with slightly dampened cardstock (PapertreyInk, vintage cream) to get a decent emboss and then rubbed over it with Distress ink - (Antique linen, Tim Holtz) I am so loving how this turns out. Matted it onto some beigy fawny cardstock that was languishing in the back of the drawer and pinked around it.

The sentiment and needle stamps are from PapertreyInk, Quilters sampler stamp set - and I curved the sentiment slightly (love those clear stamps for that reason) to follow the curve of the bottom panel. Background was swiss dotted in the cuttlebug.

To get the curve I drew round a plate and cut it with a scalpel. Same thing on the beige card, but i then cut it with pinking shears.

Click on the pic to see deets, it's pale in the photo but stands out good IRL.

Hope it tickles!!

...easy peasy

Wee simple card tonight - Stamped a shape from Guidelines 2 (PapertreyInk) onto a circle of Vintage cream cardstock (PapertreyInk), in khaki versacolour ink, stamped the sentiment (Beyond basic borders - PapertreyInk) over it in Paprika versacolour and then stitched it (sewing machine, really slowly) to a square of khaki coloured cardstock from my stash. I had turned the square a little cos I didn't wantt it to be too neat. Then I took my tool of the moment - my distresser (aka steaknife) and roughed up the edges a tad.

Made up a prima flower using two petal shapes and a wee copper eyelet and plonked it on top. Bit o' ribbon and stuck it all on a Vintage cream card base that I had polka dotted in khaki ink, Voila!

Kinda like it but I think I need more practice at this vintage lark. lol. Off to make a wee card, dying to use a wee thingumy I picked up at the craft fair the other day!! more deets tomorrow hopefully!

Hope it tickles.

...zing

I love this orange ribbon - got it from a local shop - no idea who makes it - this was the last bit I had. Used Versacolour paprika on the teacup and tea bag from the PapertreyInk set Everyday classics which was the anniversary set for this year. I know that 'technically' it's a tea bag 'string' and not a tea bag, but in my head it's a teabag! lol. Thought the teabag and cup suited the 'together forever' sentiment, I'm calling it 'formal whimsy!' lol. The swash was from the same set, used it twice, lengthways to give a frame. Stamped it in Versafine smokey grey.

Paired it with a cracking bit of Basic grey Ambrosia paper that I've been wanting to use, the charcole damask and a bit of co-ordinating orange from the same pad - thought it was quite zingy.

Hope it tickles.

Oooh PS - A few lovely people have enquired about subscribing to my blog via feedblitz, the problem is that feedblitz seem to want to charge me for this service and since I do this as a hobby and don't make any money at it, I really can't take it on just at the mo'. Apologies if this makes things awkward for anyone, as I really love to have you visit.

...ahhh stamping

Ed - ink colous are Ocean tides ( Papertreyink), Smokey grey (Versafine) and Tim Holtz distress ink Antique linen (Ranger). Ta for asking.

Finally got a moment or two to stamp - Used the Guidelines 2 set for the patterned paper and the Anniversary set teacup (all PapertreyInk stamps and card), with polka dots basics for the spotty backgrounds. Ocean tides (again!) and a wee sprinkle of PTI bitty dot paper, kindly donated by Genevieve, thank you chickie.

Used some distress Ink around the edges to make it vintagy. Lugged out the sewing machine even, full of energy last night.

And do you like my flowers? - finally gave in and bought some prima ones - really like these, also had a wee bit of felt swirly stuff in a drawer, seemed to work.

Went to the Stitch and craft show in Belfast today, have to say it was better than previous years - I love all the wee stalls with women from various groups all making lace and spinning yarn and all that. Loads of cardmaking supplies this year and found a few stamp shops I didn't know existed!! Must get my stamping buddy organised and do a wee shop hop some of these days.

Hope they tickle

...it took HOW LONG?

ED - OOOPsie! sorry - PTI is PapertreyInk - check them out here.

It ain't perfect but I kinda like it anyway - and it only took 3 days!! lol. Like my new distresser? - while ago I asked for recommendations for a distressing tool - top marks to Michelle who uses a steak knife - why didn't I think of that!! lol - so that's what I'm using - love it, fingertip control, totally free - more money for PTI (theoretically).

Stamp sets were PTI, Tags for easter (Bunny) 'grass' from With Sympathy and tree from Beyond basic borders. Polka dot basics spots as well.

It's all Ocean tides, Spring moss and Ripe Avocado (are there any other colours?).

It took 3 days beacuse the wee folk are off on hols and there's no getting them to bed before 10 these nights. Lol.

Hope it tickles, I'm off to make something!!

...couple o' reddy pinky cards...

ED - the teeny flower on the second card is from the With Sympathy set from PTI

Broke out the Guidelines 2 set from PTI!! to make the patterned paper, it's fab - check it out here. Really need some time to play around with this set but I just wanted to make a card and that's what came out. Cupcake is from the equally delicious Anniversary set! I would need an extra 24 hours in a day - so many ideas, so little time! Lol. Pure poppy, Melon Berry and Hibiscus Burst!

Second card was an attempt at a colour challenge from last week which kinda fell by the wayside, finished it in the interest of not wasting it!! Lol - I'm getting very scrupulous with scraps in the wake of the current economy. Lol. Pure poppy, Melon Berry and Sweet blush! Also a Tim Holtz distress ink - think it was that antique Linen one.

Be sure to check out the release party tonight at PTI!! they're debuting more stamp sets even as I'm just receiving my sets from the last release!!!


And isn't that just a fabulous beach? Stocker strand (or, the big beach at Portsalon!) on the Fanad peninsula. The wee village on the far shore is Portsalon, crackin' wee spot!! lol.

Hope it tickles!

...quick! she made a card!!!

ED-oops forgot the card deets!! PTI stamps - life and polka dots basics, Ocean tides and Spring Moss inks on white cardstock, Fresh Snow ink on Ocean tides cardstock and 3 punches - 3/4 inch, half inch, one and a half inch.

Made this for my husband - he hasn't seen it yet! Lol. Quite simply, he's my hero and I love him to bits.

We went to Donegal for Easter, we planned it a little while ago and decided to go ahead - I'm so glad we did - OOOOhh ladies and gents, what a spot!! - If you're within striking distance, go now. If you're not, have a peep at these, we had glorious weather and we all enjoyed it - wee folks on the beach, in the park, and a bit of time for sightseeing too.

We went to the Fanad peninsula - right up there at the top, it is so pretty. It was the last part of Donegal that we hadn't seen and I think it might just be the best bit!

Top is Fanad Lighthouse, Middle is a view from the same place and bottom is the beach at Rathmullan - I have a few more snaps from Easter to share in the next day or two so if you like the pics of Ireland, call back!!

Hope they tickle.

PS. Thank you all again for all the well wishes - It's all gathered up and appreciated. I had so many that I don't think I'm going to be able to respond personally to them all, but I would like it known how much it means to me. Thank you.

...Thank you

Thank you all for the kind thoughts and prayers, I'll carry them all with me as we head towards the scans/tests etc. I have been reassured that the suspected condition is treatable and not a major issue - I'm sorry for being vague but my other little chicks like to look at mummy's blog sometimes and they have no idea.

Anyhow - couple more pics for you - back in a few days with cards etc!!

Top is Carna Beach, Connemara and below that is Ballintoy Harbour, Antrim - both taken last June/July.

...ahhhh more Ireland!

I received some news today which rather put me on the back foot, so it might be a day or two before I feel like making a card. If you're in touch with the Big Guy upstairs, you might throw one in for my little dude. In the meantime I have a couple of shots taken in and around the Mourne mountains over this past weekend.

Top is Greencastle which turns out to be quite an interesting castle - tho only open in the summer months, so I couldn't actually get into it, but it's on my list.

The following is quoted from the Ireland's Eye website:

"The castle was built by Hugh de Lacy almost certainly during the 1230s to protect the southern approaches to the Earldom of Ulster. It was escheated to the Crown after 1243, wrecked by the Irish in 1260 and from 1280 to 1326 was a favoured residence of the most powerful man in Ireland, Richard de Burgh, the "Red Earl" of Ulster. His daughters were raised here, including Elizabeth, who married Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, in 1302 although this did not dissuade Edward Bruce from sacking it in 1316."

The next is some pretty wild primroses and below that one of the many ruins scattered throughout the hills, I'm a total sucker for romantic historical settings.

...mmmm Chocolate Orange Easter Parade

Didn't realise that the Mojo Monday folks run a project parade!!!! thought I'd tune in this week and add a wee Easter project to the parade!! I apologise that I don't actually have any Verve stamps BUT hoping to rectify that soon!!! (what sets to buy??? some beauties to choose from).

Anyhow made up one of my baskets in Chocolate and Orange (if you fancy having a go, check the link in my sidebar for the Octagon Easter Basket, I put a template on SCS so's you can get it any time you need to.)

OOOOhh and isn't satin ribbon a marvellous way to find out how rough your dishwashing hands really are!!

Hope it tickles!!!

All supplies are PTI - stamps are from the With Sympathy set and Journalling lines. Vintage cream and melon berry inks.

...colour challenged? Raspberry Suite week 2

ED- would love to give a supplier for the buttons but they've been in my button jar forever!! Lol - random cut-offs from a worn out baby cardigan no doubt.

Been itching to do one of Dawn's colour challenges - bummed that I missed out on the first one!!

Had a spare hour this morning - and yes it does take me an hour to make a simple card like this - time is not my buddy, I am sooooo sloooowwwwwwww... Anyhow love it when I find things that unexpectedly match!! like buttons!! Didn't have the exact colours mentioned, so I used PTI's chocolate, Ocean tides, Spring moss and white ink. Stamps are from Dawns Damask of course!! Lol. (PTI)

Hope it tickles!

PS. I really, really want an edge distresser, anyone reccommend a goodie?? ta.