Button Buddy backgrounds

I did look at the Less is More site bright and early this morning but my husband decided it was time to buy himself some shorts (just in case summer should arrive at any stage) and I offered to help. So it was quite a few hours later that I settled down to have a think about today's colour wheel challenge and this is what I came up with:

Having chosen a blue/green and red/orange colour combination I thought I'd use the cool colour for a bit of a textured background and add pops of the red as an accent.

The background squares were cut, stamped, sponged and swiped with an ink pad. They were then mounted onto a piece of Real Red card stock which in turn was mounted into a frame scored with my Simply Scored board. I added some punched flowers, decorated with brads, the vase...

... and a fussy cut sentiment for balance. The thing that entertained me most about making this card was that the stamp set I used for these backgrounds was the most unlikely set ever - Button Buddies! It is the Bilbo Baggins of background stamps!
• If you'd like to know more about the backgrounds, there are more details on my facebook page - do pop over and check it out and perhaps give it a 'like' while you're there. There'll be a give away at the end of this month so it's definitely worth keeping in touch!

Here's  the colour wheel Chrissie and Jen have provided for our inspiration:

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: Button Buddies, A Word For You (sentiment)
Ink: Island Indigo, Real Red
Card stock: Whisper White, Real Red
Other: Simply Scored, 1 1/4" square punch, Itty Bitty punch pack, Real Red brads, paper snips
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You'll be glad to know that we managed to get my husband kitted out for the summer and a certain pair of bargain sandals from TK Max managed to come home with me too - so it's perfectly possible we'll never see the sun again and it will all be our fault! 

If you're in the UK, enjoy the May bank holiday and I'll see you soon,

Three bits of CAS sunshine!

Aargh! What a day! My husband is away today so I gleefully spread my crafting supplies around the house and got down to catching up with my favourite challenges. I was thrilled to see that the challenge at Less is More today is 'Three of Anything' which, I thought in my innocence, would fit in nicely with the new CASology challenge of 'Sun' and I could even use this week's gorgeous ColourQ palette... Here's the card I came up with (see if you can spot the problem):

Three sunflowers! I used my large square punch to make them into faux chipboard tiles by glueing together a stack of Chocolate Chip squares (am I making you hungry?) and topping with the flower image.

Before stamping the flowers, I coloured the rubber directly with Daffodil Delight and More Mustard markers. Once they were stamped, I blended the colours with the Daffodil one. The centres were stamped in Chocolate Chip ink on More Mustard card stock, cut out with my 1/2" circle punch and popped up with dimensionals. Using an image from French Foliage, I added Pear Pizzazz leaves after masking the flower and sponged round the edges of the tiles.

The tiles are mounted on textured card stock and then attached to a Naturals Ivory card base which had been scored to make a home for them. The sentiment is from the wonderful Pocket Silhouettes set and was added with my stamp-a-majig to make sure it was straight.

Of course you all know what's wrong don't you: while this card fits well with the Sun theme at CASology and the colours at ColourQ, it's one layer week at Less is More and I don't think Chrissie and Mandi will let me get away with this one! Grrr... of course I had to go off and make another card then!

This one uses the group of three tea cups from Tea Shoppe - very handy! I stamped them onto a Naturals Ivory card base and added definition with a blue watercolour pencil. Then I masked them and made a swirly tablecloth pattern with a couple of the Everything Eleanor stamps.

I was rather proud of my 'steam' - can you see it? To make it I squashed the lid of my Baja Breeze ink pad so that when I opened it there was a pool of ink in the lid, and used my aquapainter to paint a wavy line from each cup which fades as it goes up.

The cups needed 'grounding' so I scribbled shadows with a So Saffron marker and added a hint of blue. Finally, I stamped the sentiment, using my stamp-a-majig.

Well this is a mammoth post so I do beg your pardon if you've all gone to sleep and I won't list the supplies I've used as I would normally (just email me if you want more info). Instead, I'll leave you with a giggle: I was planning to take my youngest son to a party in Towcester earlier. "I wonder how long it'll take to get to Towcester?" I wondered aloud. "Oh, it's only a few seconds to get to the kitchen," said my daughter waggishly. Yes, this is the kind of smart talking I have to contend with!

Edited to add: Towcester, by the way, is pronounced 'toaster'.

Thanks for looking here today and putting up with my waffling. See you soon,

Three minute Button Buddies

If you have children of school age you'll know how manic it gets in the summer term with schools making the most of the 'good weather' (holds her sides laughing) for all their trips, sports days, fund raisers, community events and fairs. I don't know whether I'm coming or going this week but I managed to rustle up a couple of quick cards using Button Buddies. Come and see:

This one was inspired by Make My Monday where they're looking for cards in the summery colours of strawberries and cream  and also Addicted to Stamps where there's a fun bingo challenge this week (I've chosen Red, Free, Buttons)!

I stamped cherries on my main panel then added these die cut buttons over the top, using the embossed side of one and the debossed side of the other. It took no time at all as I keep die-cut buttons in loads of colours all ready made in a little jar!

Textured card stock makes adding detail a doddle when you're in a hurry and I love the contrast it makes with the smooth Very Vanilla card stock. People often worry that they won't be able to stamp on the textured card stock but it takes ink beautifully. This simple sentiment from Thank You Kindly is a real favourite of mine!

The CASual Fridays challenge this week is to use pink and since the little piggy in the Button Buddies set was trying to catch my eye, I thought I'd give him the same treatment.

He really is a cutie with his little button schnozzle!

Here's what you'll need to make today's cards:

Stamps: Button Buddies, Thank You Kindly

Ink: Basic Grey, Lucky Limeade (cherries), Pretty In Pink (pig)

Card stock (cherries): Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade textured

Card stock (pig): Very Vanilla, Pretty In Pink smooth and textured

Other: Sweet Buttons embosslits die, Basic Grey marker, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

If you were with me yesterday, you'll know it was my daughter's prom party last night and I just have to share a photo or two with you. She'd asked me to do her hair and make up and my goodness what a pleasure it was!

She giggled the whole way through the process (and let me tell you that applying mascara to someone in gales of laughter is not easy!) Isn't she just gorgeous?! And here she is in all her finery...

... acting the goat for the camera! Needless to say I was straight off to Mumland and hunting about for the tissues!

I'll be back tomorrow with something I haven't done for a long time - a scrapbook page! Hope to see you then,

Three Minute Button Buddies

Can you guess what I think of this week's ColourQ colour palette? Yes, there are no prizes for working out that I love them as usual! There's a great inspiration photo too. I really like the floral pillow case and one of the flowers on it reminded me of the fabulous stylised flower in the Button Buddies stamp set. That flower coordinates with the small scallop circle punch which makes for a very quick and easy card! Come and have a look:

After I'd stamped the flower and cut them out with the punch, I stamped the flowers again - this time in Lucky Limeade, and cut the middles out with my 3/4" circle punch. These make lovely flower centres and add a bit of interest to the card when they're popped up with a dimensional.

The sentiment is from Sincere Salutations which is a very faithful servant to me!

Here's what you'll need to make today's card:

Stamps: Button Buddies, Sincere Salutations

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade

Card stock: Whisper White, Basic Grey

Other: Scallop circle and 3/4" circle punches, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

I'm loving having my teenage daughter home on study leave as she does some of her revising with me while I'm working and is great company. While she's at my desk I get her to pass me things which can be quite entertaining. Yesterday, for example, when I asked her to pass me my Snail adhesive, she made it slide along the sofa and added slimy noises!

Thanks for popping in today. I shall be back tomorrow with an idea I had using the new Labels framelits and you're very welcome to join me!

Fruit & Flowers meets Button Buddies

One of the projects I've enjoyed most this week has been this card - I loved its delicate colours. I've been thinking that the floral design would make the perfect landing place for a butterfly (or a dragonfly) as requested in this week's Make My Monday challenge. So I created some more - come and see:

I've used the gorgeous textured card stock for my card base again - I adore this stuff so much that the shelf it lives on is looking sadly empty... time for a re-stock I think!

The butterfly is from the Flight of the Butterfly set, stamped in Jet Black Stazon ink and cut out of acetate with the Butterfly punch. I really like the unusual shape of this butterfly and there are lots of different designs to choose from - four in Flight of the Butterfly and another three in Butterfly Prints.

I gave the butterfly a pierced trail to coordinate with the stamping on its wings, and added a double  pierced border to the top of the panel to balance the design. I love my mat pack for accurate straight line piercing  but for the wavy trail I just sketched the shape in with a soft pencil, pierced it, then rubbed the pencil line out - works a treat!

Do you like the sentiment? I've combined two of the stamps in the gorgeous hostess set Happiest of Birthdays using my stamp-a-majig for accurate placement. (You can get this set as part of your freebies when you place an order of £150 or more; or host a party where orders total £150 or more; or as part of your freebies when you join my Stampers 6 club - there are two places available for a group starting in March.)

Supplies needed for this card:

Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, Button Buddies, Flight of the Butterfly, Happiest Birthday Wishes

Ink: Calypso Coral, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Stazon jet black, plus Early Espresso marker

Card stock: So Saffron, Very Vanilla smooth and textured

Other: Window sheet, Butterfly punch, corner rounder, Mat Pack, piercing tool, Stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these supplies for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I am committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to help and advise. Just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

Click here to see all the free Sale-a-bration sets and don't forget to let me know which free Sale-a-bration set or sets you'd like - remember, one item for EVERY £45 spent!

Yesterday, when my daughter was talking to me, I was idly tapping two empty embellishment pots together. She was amused by this 'sound of horses hooves' and tossed her pony tail and pretended to gallop round the living room. I joined in at once, neighing enthusiastically. She then stopped immediately and returned to her usual sophisticated 16 year old self. "Ah yes," she said. "My mother - the horse!"

Right then, off to muck out the stable! Have a lovely weekend won't you and I'll see you very soon.

Hugs,