More Butterflies

I made 2 more cards for the Card Scramble at Hero Arts flickr group : theme Butterflies, Rainbows or both.

This was my first ... just as I had planned it!

This is my third card ... using up the butterfly that I coloured for my 2nd card.

Rainbows & Butterflies

I am running the 65th Card Scramble at the Hero Arts flickr group this week. Come over and join in the fun right now. See your time zone here.

My theme is butterflies and/or rainbows. I had seen the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch earlier on this week, and I immediately thought RAINBOW. Donna Mikasa gave us a wonderful, colourful rainbow card too. 

I flipped the sketch and added ribbon and a butterfly. Even though the colours on the butterfly are not symmetrical, I think we can take artistic license ... it's like the streaks are colouring the butterfly. All the inks were Hero Arts midtones except for the yellow (Memento) and the lavender (Colorbox).

Runway Inspiration

Stella McCartney is the inspiration at Runway Inspiration 40 this week.

Using the pp from My Mind's Eye - Sweetest thing, Silhouette Cameo cuts and Hero Art arrow stamp for the yellow arrow background.

Happiness is ....

... Washi tape and iphones!

I'm new to this world of iphones - and simply loving it! However I had bought a cover that had a transparent back, so both the front and back look black. Since I need glasses, it was annoying to have to always check which side was the front. And then the inspiration came : make a washi tape backing! And I can change it whenever I feel like a new look.

London Eye

I love the July Sketch from My Mind's Eye. I just knew I was going to use it for my I spy in London  6 x 12" album.

I used The Sweetest Thing - Honey Papers, punching out the doily patterns; trimmed the zigzag pink paper into arrows. Mixed in some Cameo Cut arrows inked with Hero Arts Charcoal midtone ink.

Muse Bird

The Muse Challenge this week is ....

I saw ...

paper piecing

dots

gingham

houndstooth

colour combo : red, yellow, turquoise, brown

Tunisian Crochet

A little digression here ... and part of the reason I have been posting on and off these past weeks : I have started crocheting a Tunisian crochet blanket for a queen size bed - 2m wide! When I saw the plain Tunisian stitch, I knew I would be using it. 

Then I went online, and found that there are so many stitches! I picked the lattice pattern ...

and the net pattern ....

I wanted to have different textures in my wool, but was advised by the wool shop that it was not a good idea if you were doing straight lines as the thickness in the different wools would not make for an even edged blanket. So I chose 5 different colours in double knit with some texture differences. I like the fact that the different stitches give different textures. Originally I was going to do each colour in a different stitch, but then decided to stick to the 3 stitches as I realised how much time some of the others would take.

I found the patterns from Ambassador Crochet who gives wonderfully clear instructions on her Tunisian Sampler Scarf section (she has 12 different stitches).

A good winter project (or as much as a winter you get on a tropical island). Not sure that I'll get it finished this year though. Have done 4 repeats of the the 5 colours so far. I haven't measured it yet, but I think it's approximately 75cm. A long way to go!

English Rose

When I think of English Country Gardens, I think of roses. My second twinchie for Show us your Twinchie Challenge.

Cool Sea

So enjoyed the effect of embossing in white and then having a mix of inks on a solid stamp (see what I did here). Thought it would work well for the By the Sea challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog.

This time I used the Hero Arts splashes from their Brush Strokes set. When looking for a sentiment to go with it, I found the "just be cool", so this will be submitted to CASology's Cool Challenge too.

English Garden Twinchie

Show us your Twinchies is having an English Country Garden challenge. Having recently seen a table decorated as an English Garden, I thought I'd go with a partial stamp of my watering can.

His & Hers 50th

Hers .... using my new embossing folder which I love as it has both solid and outline details, the LOTV tags and the Hero Arts numbers.

His ... the fun sentiments from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps combined with the Single Starburst of Hero Arts. Will enter this into the CAS-ual Fridays number challenge.

Birthday Tags

Inspired by the Moxie Fab Birthday Sketch Challenge and Birthday Challenge, and also submitting to CAS-ual Fridays number challenge.

I started by making small tags with paper from the Theresa Collins Everyday Moments 6x6 paper pack. Added flowers and sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps : Bold Wishes set. Added glossy accents to the 4, and pearls and gems to the flowers. The big celebrate is from Hero Arts.

Closet Inspiration

I loved Heather's idea for OLW 149 of getting inspiration from some clothes from our closet. This is what I was wearing today ...

I love blues ... and the fabric has embossed texture. Although I had considered using an embossing folder, I needed the white to stand out, so went for heat embossing. Used the outline flower from the Hero Arts Artistic Borders set. I needed a more solid stamp to create the blue flowers. I dabbed the Painted Flower stamp with 3 shades of blue and spritzed with water before stamping.

I will also enter this into the Birthday Card Challenge in the Moxie Fab World 

Art Journal 2

On to page 2 of my art journal. This has a mini page in the middle.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches 

he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being"

The parts of the verse that I wanted to develop were the "glorious riches" and the "spirit". The colours ... Riches are gold, and spirit is like the wind - so blue. Added some flourish stamping to give the movement. I used Scattered Straw distress stains mixed with lots of gold Perfect pearls to drip down across the yellow page. I stamped the crown in yellow, then swiped over the whole image with Tarnished Brass Distress Stains, then once it was dry, restamped in Black ink and embossed. 

The Dove was embossed with Blue Pearl embossing powder which gives it a lovely nacre look.

You can see a glimmer of the pearl embossing on the tail of the dove.

As you can see, this ink would not dry! Still need to add something to the small yellow side.

Polka Dot celebration

Still going dotty. A one layer shaped card for Less is More, and for the Annabelle Stamps and CAS-ual Fridays polka dots challenges.

Cut the shape with my Silhouette Cameo.

Muse Birds

Sneaking in with a just-in-time submission to the Muse Challenge

Inspired by ....

... the one blue bird among the pinks

... the black framing

Christmas Polka Dots

I love dots! So more playing for the Annabelle Stamps and CAS-ual Fridays polka dots challenges.

This time I'm using the Christmas set from Annabelle Stamps. The circles are mounted on foam for dimension.

I added Diamond Stickles to the dots, and gems to the snowflakes. You can see the sparkle more in this photo. 

Art Journal - First Page

Having made the front cover a while back, I finally got round to making my first page. I decided I was going to start with some scriptures that I would like to learn off by heart - and since I have a visual memory, I thought what better way than to make them in technicolour.

I have a few questions and observations and would love feedback and help from those who are ahead of the game.

I Gesso'd the page first as that is what I've seen on videos. I decided to use the Hero Arts Daubers and the Distress Stains. I used the Neon yellow and pink daubers to draw the sun freehand. As it was SOOO neon, I toned it down by swiping Distress Stains picket fence over the top - as you can see it pooled. May be I need to buy some Distress Paints?

I used a mixture of Hero Arts Field Greens dauber and the Distress Stains Mowed Lawn to draw in the hills. If this gets wet (even after drying) it will just wipe off! (The Dylusions Spray inks I used on the cover also come off if made wet - was going to add a layer of modge podge / varnish, but I could see that my paint strokes would mess up the effects I had created)

I tried to sponge on blue Distress ink for the sky, and it would just not take - slides right off. I then stamped on some text, but it would wipe right off if wet. All rather precarious.

Even stamping the flowers in Memento Black Tuxedo ... gets wiped right off! But as I was paper piecing it, it wasn't so critical. Went over the stems with black pen.

So when I had to stamp father I decided it best to emboss it to fix it as I wanted to colour it. Used copics to make sure it couldn't be wiped off.

You will notice that the embossing paste seemed to draw in the colour of the ink below. How come others seem to do this, but it stays white? I ended up painting over the clouds with white acrylic.

 The finished page

I would appreciate all observations, comments, advice and suggestions.

Float away

Less is More is having a one layer challenge this week .... and the card cannot be rectangle or square.

Neon Polka Dots

I had printed these white on black polka dots a while back. When I saw the Polka dot challenges at Annabelle Stamps and CAS-ual Fridays I knew I had to use them. I punched out 3 of the circles and mounted the panel with foam tape.

I thought Neon colours would be a bright contrast, so I'll also enter this in the Neon Challenge at CASology. The Happy Birthday circle tag is also mounted on foam.

Trying a different angle to try capture the 3D on the 3 punched circles (pink, green and yellow splatters)

Inspired by Helen

I have been avoiding the mess in my studio ... but went in today and just made more mess!

I said that I would like to make card inspired by the flower arrangements I saw while visiting my mother. (See my post Come Fly with me)

Helen's arrangement inspired by Monet's garden

And my card