Return of the creative ideas...

Hey blog land! I'm back from my weekend birthday camping trip and brought some very bad weather from somewhere! Very sorry! It's been a glorious weekend here in the UK and I've thoroughly enjoyed some chill time but I'm now more than ready to get back into some crafting! Especially as I still have not touched some of my lovely new stash!

Hoping to whip something up this week because typically, I'm off camping again this Sunday until Friday! Phew! I don't often go away quite so much as this - especially not when my creative mojo is ready to burst!

On that note I'm after some stash! I have a few pennies to burn and really not sure where to go with them! I'm after some really sweet yet different types of flowers, along with some items I can alter with, my ideas for the next few projects includes, altered coasters, 3D projects such as houses, I really want to make a little 3D village scene, altered clocks and some boxes... I'm bursting to get cracking! I've checked out The Ribbon Girl shop and also Inky so i am ready to spend some money for a parcel that'll be waiting for me when I'm back from my camping trip


Hope everyone's having a great day! Off to catch up on some blogs!

I've added a picture of my craft room just because I feel like I need a picture of SOMETHING to this post!

Happy Tuesday!
The-Butterfly

Updates and excitment!

Afternoon bloggers

No project update from me today but felt I needed to post something to the world and just wanted to share a few things;

Firstly, my cupcaket box has been a great hit, im really pleased... and my other half has given me a great idea to make another, but to take on a much darker theme this time... I dont want to give too much away as I am super excited but lets just say, where as my last one was a lovely happy 'eat me' inviting box... this new one will involve all the opposite... and as a real teaser.. i have just brought something specific for the project... Acetate! HmmmmM!!! :) My head is spinning with ideas!

Its my birthday this Sunday, and im being whisked away camping for this bank holiday weekend, so i wont be creating this weekend unfortunatly, but im trying to squeeze time where I can, especially as ive just brought a load of fun new embelishments (including some new colour stickles!! lol) ive got my hands on things i dont usually use with my projects, ribbon; lace, and twine! so im very curious to see what becomes of my new bag of stash... however its a birthday gift so i cant touch them until Sunday! eeek!

I also wanted to share a few new challenge blogs im loving at the moment:

House Of Cards
and
Inky impressions are looking like fab little challenge blogs, ive just applied to be on their DT, im not holding out huge hope because im still very new to this world, but hey, you never know until you try, right?

Im also very much looking forward to my digi stamp funds (yes, i get something similar to pocket money to buy my stamps with lol otherwise ill spend waaay tooo much! i have to limit myself lol) as ive found some adorable images and also a challenge blog over at: The Paper Shelter - check out those images! how sweet! im also dying to do something with the Saturated Canary images too as i have two of those to play with

All in all i need more time in my day but cant wait for the birthday fairy to bring my stash so I can have a play!

EDIT to add my excitement of my other birthday gift arriving today! My portrait sketch pens! Oh how I can't wait to play with these!



The-Butterfly

A First for something Sweet

PICTURE HEAVY POST!!

Good evening blogland people! I have finally finished my project! So let me start from the beginning....

I designed a card a while back ago, using the lovely Cupcake Anya from TGF 'Keep calm and have a cupcake' well a challenge came up shortly after that to make a card and a box, bag or tag to match.... i never got the time to enter this challenge... but i still had a gorgeous idea in my head of what i wanted to do... and ive finished it!

I really wanted to create something totally different! I was inspired by a few things lately, one of them being Krystal... who's stepped out of the box a few times herself lately with some altered projects.... Well i didnt just want to step out of the box... i wanted to alter one!

So this is my first actual, non card, 3D 'oh my god this is scary' project! and im really pleased with how its turned out!

So - I cut the mat for the box using my new portrait, and built my box, firstly out of paper that just wasn't strong enough for my idea, so i did another using some thicker pink card... then it was all about going from there really... I KNEW i wanted to use Anya and her cupcake as this just felt so right... the hard part came when i also wanted to use this box to enter this weeks TGF challenge... until i found out it was Paper piercing...Never heard of this let alone tried it! ... To make matters worse a visit to Krystal had me thinking that i might be in over my head as i got the general impression this wasn't all that straightforward.. and it wasn't! because i did exactly what she did - i over thunked!! the whole process... anyway long story short... I used a digi Anya, which might have made life harder? and i was darned if i was going to hand cut it! i wanted to use my fancy new friend to do all the hard work... I loaded Anya into Studio, traced and sent it to print and cut - easy! then i had to single out the parts i wanted to paper pierce... i went for the headband and her dress... cut out on patterened paper - must admit as i had to isolate these parts myself, my Bamboo tablet came in handy rather than fighting with the mouse!

ok, my explanation made it sound really quick and easy.. but it took way longer and i have a few more grey hairs to boot! Im going to give it ano ther go soon though! I think it could produce some great effects

Anyway... the finished box is below, i thought it would make a great gift... i also hid the Cheeky Devil Anya inside, behind the cupcake ;) i used a printed 'Calm down' sign at the back of the box, added some paper flowers and material ones, some Kandi, i gave some sparkle to the pink box using some distress inks and also used some co-ordination with cardstock and some utterly gorgeous mesh type ribbon which i need more of! 

Im pleased with it and will be using it to enter a few challenges listed below

I hope you enjoy! like.. really! lol

CHALLENGES:

TGF - and the reason i did this - Paper Piercing
As You Like It - a great new challenge here - two fave colours... any shade of purples and pinks are my face, as with Silver - this is bursting with pinks, i hope the silver inking shows up on the pics!
ABC - N for Not just one - use three or more embelishments - this box is bursting!
Simon Says Stamp - flower power!
Whimisical Designs - Mix it up - here i used paper, pens, and inks
Crafty Cardmakers - three techniques - I used, Distressing, made my own paper flowers, and Paper piercing
The Ribbon Girl - colour challenge
OneStichAtATime - Use a digi.
7Kids - Anything but a card

P.S - my other half has already gobbled the cupcake!!!

The-Butterfly

the BIG 1-0

I just wanted to create a post to recognise my lovely followers! as ive hit the BIG 1-0! lol

Firstly, thanks to all those that leave comments for me, this really means heaps as its the main reason i created this blog, so i can get some feedback and inspiration from others, i follow many people and always make time to visit their blogs, even if i dont always comment, and my current first 10 followers all have reasons to follow them, if you get a chance pop along to these blogs, their stuff is brilliant and well worth a look

Scrappingmoms-scraps Has some gorgeous bright coloured projects, im currently loving her recent cup-holder which is worth a look! I need one of these beautiful things in my life!

Pallavi Has some gorgeous items, not all cards, I love her use of flowers too - it makes me need more in my stash!

Krystal - goregous gorgeous images all of my faves! fantastic colouring and always bright cheery cards and other projects

Hazel - another bunch of lovely projetcs, great images used and once again, always bright and there to make you smile!

Tammy

Urska very sweet cards always photographed so well which all help to show off her stunning cards!

Shelle - more brilliant cards here with some great images, cards for many occasions and useful tips too!

Craftyrose - i cant falt anyone who uses magnolias! some of her last projects are gorgeous using Tilda!

Angelfish - loving some of these projects, always enjoy a sneek peek at her workdeak on a wednesday too! check it out

SolitryStar - I am absolutly miffed that i cant find your blog?! please leave a comment with a link so I can add you - thanks for following

So thats my little post just to say thank you! i never thought anyone would want to follow me let alone 10 of you! lol i'll be sure to have a giveaway of some sort when i aspire to hit the big 50! please let me know if i have the wrong links for you guys, some have more than one blog but i want to make sure ya'll get some publicity for your beautiful work :)

In crafting news, I have a few projects on the way, including a little box im planning on altering (but not sure where to start!) and also a very gorgeous cupcake box im dying to finish and show you all

Have a good day bloggers

The-Butterfly

Easy as 1..2...3

Howdy folks - its Farm Fresh Friday over at TGF so i took the challenge set and am entering this card:

basically the challenge involves - 1 main image 2 embellishments and 3 patterned papers... I have my main image... i have two embellishments (two roses in her hair and the sentiment) and three PP's
I absolutely loved colouring her and whats more, i got down and dirty with some more stickles and attacked the heck out of her horns, collar, and shoes! makes her look more cute than scary... but dont be fooled - shes a little devil!
I also may have stickled the sentiment a little... and did some Tim Holtz distressing on the edges of the card and sentiment... i dont know what it is, but i cant ever leave a sentiment plain.... its an issue i clearly have lol

Enjoy and have a great weekend all!

Also entered at AddictedToStamping - Clean and simple... 

No stamp but plenty of shine!

Evening bloggdudes and blogettes!

Could not believe my eyes today when i did two things for the first time... firstly i didnt make a card, i actually kinda 'altered' something... secondly i didnt use a single stamp or my Promarkers,,, it felt very strange! so i promptly went and coloured up a Greeting Farm stamp to use for my next project.. more on that later

i decided my craft room actually has none of my stuff 'on display' as such.. i have a huge frame of random pictures that my dad has done over the years, some as early as last year, others date back to when i was a baby... i lost my dad just before christmas... im still dealing with a lot of emotions due to this.. my dad was my absolute world, my life... im gonna cry just writing this! he was much like me - no hobby was safe - he would flutter from one thing to the next... after he suddenly and unexpectly died, 5 days before christmas 2012 i struggled to get back into my craft room... i would always create something, show him.. get his feedback.. his encouragement... his praise ... his advice... he would also fund and fuel each hobby hop! so it was really difficult knowing id be creating something id usually show him.. but cant... it still hurts knowing he wont see any of this... especially because it seems ive finally settled on something for a change... he would be shocked!
Anyway, im very big on quotes and inspirational messages, especially those i can relate to, and for the quote in this project, is a big reason i recently settled on being a butterfly...

its a little door hanger/plaque, doublt sided, I altered a simple square piece of wood..
I cut the butterfly with my portrait, added some Bling (stickles) to the wings and the body, also the antenna
I then played with my embossing powders for the first time, using some magnolia butterfly stamps and my heat gun (in pink) added some flowers from my stash that i also added bling to. on the reverse a gorgeous quote, in a heart cut from my portrait, also added some bling - i fell in love with stickles today - i only have three colours... i need more!! (wait till you see my TGF stamp - it was stickled to death!

Anyway, its a simple little reminder of who i am and how far i have come, with and without my dad... i hope you guys like

Entered for both Whimsical challenges - Bling it and Alter it - also applied for their DT! super hopes i get a chance ad loving their blog at the mo!

Also entered at ABC - make it sparkle

Natalieandamy - things with wings

Time to fly!

Afternoon bloggers. it started off as a real wet morning as usual today so i got some crafting done, just in time for some more beautiful sunshine, so figured id take advantage so this update is coming to you from my garden :)

I specifically created this project for the challenge over at Cute Card Thursday where the theme was 'come fly with me'
Ive also entered at Simon says stamp  at Natalie and Amy and for NMWC 'Things with Wings'
I already had the most perfect Magnolia stamp ready to use so i coloured her first. I must admit, she was great fun to colour, the one seen below is actually my second attempt as my first one started to bleed a little on the shirt and as my standards start getting higher (lol) i decided to start over and im much more pleased with the results...

I also felt a change from cards would be perfect, so ive decided to start a mini project of Tagging some inspiration quotes and keeping them somewhere like a little tag book perhaps? im not sure, but i just love how this tag came together.

i used a lot of Tim Holtz distress inks here, to highlight the sentiments and some cats eye silver to highlight the tag itself. i gave her some bling to her wings in the form of stickles and cut the beautiful swirl with my portrait on some glitter cardstock, added a few delicated roses, again slightly highlighted with silver and there she is.

The quote is actually from the movie Peter Pan, and i love it! 'the moment you doubt weather you can fly. You cease forever to be able to do it'

I hope you enjoy

Say it with Flowers...

Evening bloggers in blogland!

Quick last minute entry to a challenge from me. it nearly didnt happen simply because i was not feeling this card at all, trying out some fancy things with my new portrait and just not feeling happy... i packed up my stuff and was ready to watch some TV until out the corner of my eye i spotted some patterned paper... and then some more, and then put the two together and BANG - after over an hour of trying to force a card, it all came together in minutes! and here she is:

I used my promarkers to colour this lovely tilda stamp, which ive had for aggges - some old paper i had laying around, using my Portrait to cut the fancy edging, some Tim Holtz distress inks to distress the edges of the card and stamp frame, a print and cut for the sentiment and a lovely gorgeous blue flower from my stash... once again not my' type' of card, flowers and girly etc, but what can I say, its growing on me, plus i added some bling to the centre of the flowers shes holding in the form of Stickles - What girl doesnt love Bling?! :)

im entering this card for these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp -' just because' no specific occasion, except maybe to make someone smile :)
7 Kids College Fund - Rain or flowers - as you can see - i have gone for flowers, lots O patterned paper flowers

Im also going to be dead brave a give the DT call a go over on a new challenge blog, As You like it and House Of Cards
I used a Portrait-cut frame that im loving at the moment just because of how simple yet 'fancy' it can look... i have a few cards in the making with this frame... which can be found HERE.
 im pretty new and shiny to blogging and i guess card making too, but im really keen to get on a DT and help develop my skills and get some inspiration back i spend a huge amount of time visiting others blogs and drooling over their work, so it would be great if i could give a little back and inspire at least one other person. im also pretty enthusiastic and keen new starter... OK now i'm starting to sound like im auditioning for the apprentice! ill stop :)

As always - thanks for looking, comments welcome :)