Layered Butterfly

Hello! I've just returned home from the most relaxing holiday in Devon - my shoulders, which were up around my ears before we left have now dropped a good six inches! Difficult to feel tense when you wake up to this...

and this...

We've been staying with some lovely people who have made our visit truly special and now I'm ready for action again.

I got back a little late to get my crafting things out but I know you'll be wanting to see a card and I've been meaning to show you this one for a while now:

I was experimenting with layering different shapes and textures when I made this one, adding a tone-on-tone Top Note shape to the card base and a stamped and pierced Crumb Cake layer with this dusky pink designer paper from the Springtime Vintage range.

The Top Note is attached to the card front using dimensionals and the layered butterfly adds to the dimensional effect.

The butterfly is made by layering die cut butterflies - the larger one from the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die and the smaller embossed one from the Beautiful Wings Embosslits die. I fixed them together with a glue dot and wrapped a little linen thread around them to make the body of the butterfly.

Supplies needed for this card:

Stamps: Fine Flourish, Trendy Trees (sentiment)

Ink: Crumb Cake, Rose Red

Card stock: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Rose Red

Other: Piercing tool, mat pack, linen thread, Springtime Vintage designer paper, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, Top Note Bigz die

You can buy any of these supplies from me and I can have them delivered to your address in the UK. Just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593 and I'll be happy to help.

Well, there's a definite feeling of things coming to an end - the holidays, summer and, of course, this month's special offer. If you've been thinking about taking advantage of this and getting your gorgeous cosmetics bag, reel of striped Rich Razzleberry ribbon and that fabulous clip assortment, then you have two days left to contact me! The offer ends at the end of tomorrow. 

Do forgive me if you've left me a message in the last week or so and haven't yet had a reply. I shall be looking forward to catching up again this week.

See you tomorrow,

Butterflies and top note card

Don't you find butterflies fun to work with? I love them and have been having lots of fun with the exclusive Stampin' Up dies - the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz and the Beautiful Wings Embosslits dies. Today I thought I'd show you my latest creation:

I've layered the largest Embosslits butterfly over the smallest Bigz one, wrapping linen thread around it and tying in a knot at the top. Once the thread is trimmed, it looks like antennae!

I like the ever-decreasing size of the layers on this card. The top note layer is attached with dimensionals and the other two layers glued flat.

Here's a close-up of that butterfly. The Crumb Cake layer it's mounted on has been stamped with the Fine Flourish background stamp. I do love this stamp, which not only makes a beautiful background (and takes on so many different looks depending on how its coloured) but is also great for adding texture.

Here's how to make this card:

• Take an A5 piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Score and fold in half to make a card base.
• Die-cut a top note shape from Very Vanilla card stock and attach it to the card front with dimensionals.
• Cut a 6.5cm x 7cm piece of pink tone-on-tone designer paper from the Springtime Vintage range and glue it to the top note shape.
• Cut a 5.5cm x 6cm piece of Crumb Cake card stock. Use Crumb Cake ink to stamp with the Fine Flourish background stamp and decorate with a pierced border. Glue this onto the designer paper layer.
• Stamp a sentiment with Rose Red ink using a stamp-a-majig to make sure it's straight.
• Die-cut the butterflies from Rose Red card stock and stick together with a thin strip of Sticky Strip. Tie linen thread around them several times and finish with a knot. Trim the ends to form antennae.
• Attach the butterfly with dimensionals.

Supplies
Stamps: Fine Flourish, Trendy Trees (sentiment)
Ink: Rose Red, Crumb Cake
Card stock: Very Vanilla, Rose Red, Crumb Cake
Other: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz, Top Note, Beautiful Wings Embosslits dies, linen thread

People sometimes ask me: "Why should I buy a Big Shot? I can just cut things out with scissors." And of course that's true... but a Big Shot does much more than just cut things out! Here's my list of invaluable things my lovely Biggie does for me:

• Cuts true curves and intricate cuts I could never cut out properly.
• Cuts large curved shapes that would be very difficult to cut.
• Cuts out 3D templates, such as the milk carton, scalloped envelope and pillow box, making multiple boxes a doddle!
• Adds texture in seconds with embossing folders!
• Makes personalising cards and scrapbook titles easy peasy! In my opinion, it's worth having for the alphabet and number dies alone!
• Die-cuts fabric, sandpaper, leather, thin plastic, cork, thin wood, thin metal... as well as many other materials. Imagine the possibilities!
• Makes gorgeous, detailed embellishments very quickly.

I have not regretted buying my Big Shot for one tiny minute and use it almost every day. You'll find loads of dies and folders in the catalogue to use with the machine too - many of them exclusive to Stampin' Up. If you'd like to know more, just send me an email and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

When my daughter was tiny I introduced her to the joys of Enid Blyton's Noddy stories, which she loved. I found the cutest little play set for her with an interlocking road, several houses and Noddy's little car as well as several plastic figures. Her favourite figures were Noddy and his friend Big Ears and she took them everywhere with her. She hadn't quite understood that Noddy's friend was called Big Ears (or perhaps she assumed no-one could possibly be that rude!) so she called him Biggie. So my Big Shot has the added advantage of reminding me that my gorgeous, feisty teenager was once a gorgeous, feisty tot!

Thank you so much for visiting me today. If you have a minute tomorrow do come back and see me again as I've got very excited today about my new In Stitches wheel, which I have vandalised modified!

See you then,

Masculine Monday

Hello, good morning! It's Monday and time for more masculine inspiration! Yet again, I'm taking my own inspiration from the lovely ladies at the  Less is More site, whose challenge this week is to produce a card with a touch of red.

I knew instantly what I wanted to do! The new mini catalogue is full of gorgeous vintage style, florals, botanicals and sewing motifs but there's also a section at the back full of individual stamps - some of which are quite masculine images. I've enjoyed using the Motorcycle stamp today:

This could be quite an old-fashioned image but using a flash of red and mounting it on the Top Note die gave it a little bit of 'edge'. (Yes, of course I had to use my lovely, new Big Shot!)

Look at the beautiful perforated detail on the edge of the Top Note die! I love the curves of this die - it's great for adding movement to a card.

The red parts of the motorbike are highlighted with Crystal Effects although I couldn't seem to capture that on camera - it looks really glossy in real life!

Here's how to make this card:

• Stamp the motorcycle onto a 9.5cm x 7cm piece of Whisper White card stock using Basic Black ink. Sprinkle quickly with clear embossing powder and heat with the heat gun.
• Colour the mud guards and petrol tank of the motorbike with a Real Red marker.
• Mask above the centre of the wheels with a piece of paper and sponge a ground on the bottom of the card stock with Early Espresso ink, using a rough 'massage' sponge to create texture.
• Hold the same piece of paper over the ground and sponge a sky with Bashful Blue ink, using a smooth piece of sponge.
• Stamp a sentiment in the corner with Basic Black ink.
• Glue the panel onto a 9.5cm x 7.5cm piece of Real Red card stock. Mount this onto Baja Breeze card stock cut using the Top Note die whisked through the Big Shot. Trim the sides of the Top Note shape flush with the sides of the motorbike panel.
• Cut 9.5cm off the length of an A4 sheet of Whisper White card stock. Score and fold in half to make a card base. Attach the focal panel to the card front.
• Add Crystal Effects to the red parts of the motorbike and leave to dry.

Supplies
Stamps: Motorbike, Vintage Labels (retired Sale-a-bration set)
Ink: Basic Black, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue
Card stock: Whisper White, Real Red, Baja Breeze
Other: Top Note die, Real Red marker, Crystal Effects

I hope you've all had a good weekend. Many of you may have been celebrating Mother's day - as I was! My three lovely children spoilt me with cards, chocolate and flowers - and so many cups of tea I was visiting the loo most of the day! It is one of my favourite days in the year as I get to go to Mumland (as my daughter puts it!) I look at the miracle that is my family and can't imagine what on earth I ever did to deserve them.

By the way, thank you so much to everyone that left a comment about my ten-year-old son's card last week. He was so excited when I showed them to him and turned to me with wide eyes and said "Mummy! I'm a star!" And the thing is, it's true - he is!

I shall look forward to checking out all the other LiM entries today and thank you for coming to see mine. If you have a minute, do come back and visit me tomorrow when I'll have pictures of my open house displays with loads of samples made with items from the new mini catalogue. Hope to see you then,