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

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 :)

Smile!

Apologies for such a delay, ive been trying out some new things and awaiting my new best friend to arrive (and we are in love already!)

So ive had this image coloured for a while, because i bloomin love it! so funny... but i have really struggled to do something with it, and im not 100% happy even now really, but i need to move on and maybe come back to it later.

The image is from Redonkulous designs. coloured with my Promarkers. i used my new best friend Portrait to cut the sentiment and mats and added plenty of Candi to qualify for the I Love Promarkers challenge this week 'Square card with something round on it'

Im hoping to play with my magnolia stamps next, i have a week off work soon so im hoping to be back with full force!

Thanks for looking!

TGF crazy!

Back again with another card - using TGF's Cupcake Anya image I specifially made this card to enter the DTT (double take tuesday) challenge - this time it was a challenge to use, funny enough, three of my least liked colours lol! YELLOW, PINK and TURQUOISE. so I put my brave face on and gave it a go! and here is the result! Im quite pleased with it really, but moreso because I have a great idea what to do with it (see below for details)

So I coloured Anya with my Promarkers, added some pinks, a few flowers and printed and added the sentiment - seemed very fitting really and rather simple!

I will eventually also enter this card, into Crafty Cardmakers with a matching box, which will contain a cupcake! (funny that! lol) ive brought a box, and need to give altering a go as ive never done this - so watch this space for that!

Im also hitting up Little Fairy's challenge blog for their clean and simple challenge with this card!




In other news - my lovely lovely Prize from the blog hop arrived today - all the way from America - my Cheshire bean stamp! how lovely is she!! Cant wait to give her a go!

Im a happy butterfly today :)

Comments welcome as always!
-The-Butterfly

Easel? Easy!

So I pretty much, started, and finished my very first easel card last night. I enjoyed it, it was different from the norm. but it really did make me miss my craft robo, just for the ease of cutting my papers for my card, id have loved some fancy edging too but hand cutting that may have driven me to a breakdown!

Anyway, I digress. I did specifically make an easle card so I could enter KennyK's challenge blog this week. It was probably a 'walk before you can run' moment. but I love a challenge and overall im happy with it. especially as im still working with limited stash!

So enough of the talk! time for some action!

Pics below. I used some generic white card to make the folds. i coloured my KennyK image with my Promarkers. added a bit of bling to her guitar, and also added a flower tattoo on her arm to pimp her up a bit. I printed and hand cut the sentiment and coloured with markers, papers and card were all random stash scraps, flower was also from my stash and I used Candi to hold the card in place and in the corners

Ill be entering this card into the following challenges:
KennyK - Easel Cards
Passion For Promarkers - Cut Out Your Image

Comments welcome!

-The-Butterfly

Card prepping!

Who knew a bit of colouring in was so relaxing!

So I'm prepping for a couple of cards, both of which I intend to enter into two separate challenges... But more on that later!

I've just finished working on two images, one being a cute little Anya from TGF 'Cupcake Anya' I wanted her to be pretty cute and cartoon-like. I love TGF images because of how simple yet so eye catching they are.

Secondly I've just finished a KennyK creation, 'Rock chick' now honestly tells me that I should point out she was a learning curve for me, especially her hair! I don't do hair very well, I prefer my people to be in hats! lol but I'm semi-pleased with her, there are some mistakes, overloading the ink and having it bleed slightly in places, but I'm hoping once she's on a card, the focus won't be so strongly on her imperfections!

I hope to get the cards finished this week!
As always comments welcome!

Stash + stamps!

Managed to bag another two lovely girls from the KennyK digi stamp collection

Presenting Rock chick! And of course, much like myself lately... Madison attitude - the shopper!

Can't wait to get colouring!

So I did the whole scrapbook thing years ago, ended up moving to a new hobby as usual and gave up the craft and the stuff, well now I'm slowly working back into card making and a recent decision, scrapbook! So I brought a few bits of stash this weekend to start me off, it's quite nice being limited as previously I had it all and was very spoilt, I find with limited stash I'm really having to think about what I use and where... It's a challenge but an enjoyable one!

Managed my first card, I might enter into a few challenges this week.. Not expecting much but it'll be nice to get out there and maybe gain some followers and feedback for future creations!

Hope everyone has had a lovely Easter!
-The-Butterfly

Introductions and formalities...

Hi, and welcome to my blog. This is one of those really boring first post where I talk about myself a little and why I am here. I'll try to keep things as light and interesting as possible.

So I'm here! New to blogging but certainly not new to crafting! I'm a bit of a Hobby butterfly in that respect and have a tendency to flutter from one thing to the next. If I'm honest, never really long enough to perfect anything I try. As my dad used to say 'jack of all trades, master of none' - that's me!

So the purpose of my butterfly stop here and this blog? A few reasons!

I'm lucky to have quite a nice collection of promarker pens, unfortunately they often go neglected and unloved. It's hard to tell, but I do actually love them!

Their so easy and versatile to use, the colours are fantastic and vibrant and blend perfectly together, I'd imagine the most novice of novices could get some fantastic results from them (speaking from experience here) let alone anyone who hangs onto them long enough to really perfect the art! (Obviously not speaking from experience!)

I'm hoping to start paying them some attention, getting them out and not being afraid to have a good go!

As for me, well I'm 27, Female, and having plenty of fun in my exploration into the world of colour, fantasy, and imagination.

Main use for markers are likely to be digi-stamps, another collection of hours spent drooling over all the fantastic images out there. I'd also like to try some manga and anime, it seems the markers were born for this type of art...

Im lucky enough to have my own 'room' which has seen one craft after another, promarkers being on of them and currently Clay-Art being my other (detailed in my other blog) - my imagination really can begin to add colour!

Please follow, comment, praise or give advice, it's time I started trying to perfect something!