Butterfly Play

Well I've taken the weather advice 'not to venture out in this snowy weather' and it was my excuse for a play day in the craft room.

After last weeks sunny days my thoughts had been turning to Spring!  well, we can dream.

I've used Distress crayons, randomly scribbled on a piece of gessoed card, next I removed colour with a baby wipe and a couple of stencils.  Some random stamping with a grid and script stamp to add some interest and a heat embossed sentiment.  The fussy cut butterfly was colours with Distress inks.

I am entering this at Allsorts where the challenge is I Spy something beginning with B, so I think the butterfly fits and  at Country View Crafts - Anything But Cute.  Also at Make My Monday - Messy Backgrounds and this crayon scribble certainly started out very messy.
I love using the crayons, but I always end up with a sore finger - or is that just me?

Well I'm making the most of being 'snowed in' and only venturing into the garden to top up the bird feed.
Avril xx

Vintage

Hello, today sees the start of a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday and this time we're going Vintage

Recently I've been looking through some old photographs and came across this one of my Great Aunt, she was 94 when she died and my Mum and I visited weekly until she died,  she didn't have any other family and had given me all her photos.  I've always loved this on of her as a bridesmaid taken in 1914 at a cousins wedding.

I used an embossing folder on an aperture card, tinted with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo DIs, layered on another piece of embossed card, this time coloured with Aged Mahogany and Walnut Stain.  I've added a garland of tiny tattered floral roses.

This is the group photo of the same wedding and I'm sure you can spot my Great Aunt sitting on the right.

The rest of the DT have some fabulous Vintage Inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog, where you will also find the challenge details.

I am entering this a Allsorts - Handmade Flowers

Avril xx

Believe

Do you ever find yourself just wanting to make something, but not knowing what or where to start, well this was one of those times, all I knew was that I wanted to use this pretty butterfly napkin that's been sitting in the box for ages.   After applying it to a tag, I then stencilled the TH Flourish with Vintage Photo........what next?

What did we do before Tim Holtz brought out the Paperdolls, doesn't she just fit well and a computer sentiment.  I've added a piece of napkin to the back of a  money envelope and attached it to the back of the tag, so it feels more like a present.

My little mess about turned into 'useful' -  it's DIL's birthday this weekend, so I know where this is going!

Thanks for calling in,
Avril xx

Always and Forever

Hello, well  Love is still in the Air at Try it on Tuesday and there's still a week left to join us with your 'Love' themed projects, which don't have to be Valentines.

I've made a card using the Tim Holtz Cabinet die along with this lovely couple from the Paper dolls, and a computer sentiment to finish, and it's one for the stash as this could be a Wedding or Anniversary card.

If you pop over to the main blog, you'll also find out who was our Top 5 for the Fire and Ice challenge.

I'm entering this at
  Allsorts - Love is in the Air
  Crafty Cardmakers - Love and Romance
  Love to Scrap -  I Love You

Avril xx

One for the Girls

It's time for a new challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenge and this month it's 'One for the Girls' chosen by Dot.

I don't know about you, but I've been very aware that I neglect a lot of my older stamps, even though they were 'must haves', so for this challenge I've dug out an old Dark Room Door 'Chocolatier' set and repeatedly stamped the Chocolate shop for the background, along with one of the quotes.  For the main image  I've stamped 'Valerie' from IndigoBlu, masked her and stencilled a background  with Victorian Velvet Distress ink.  I've used VV, direct to paper for the mats and died the vintage seam binding.  As I was using stamps that had been neglected, I added a feather from the bits box.

There's some fabulous inspirational makes from the rest of the DT, so please pop over to the main blog where you will also find  details of our Sponsor,  InkArtDesigns  who is offering one lucky random winner a stamp from the shop.

I am entering this at Country View Crafts - Anything But Cute

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,
Avril xx

Love is in the Air

Hello, time for a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday which this fortnight is  Love is in The Air - which if you don't celebrate Valentine's Day, could also be Wedding or Anniversary or just showing some Love.

I started with a heart embossed background and shaded with Worn Lipstick, Barn door and Aged Mahogany, I've added a mini Globe, die cut in a textured silver card and randomly applied some silver EP for a bit extra texture. The sentiment is computer, the rose and leaves were cut with the Tattered Floral strip die (it looks as though a leaf is loose, but that part of the petal - which was coloured with DIs, is similar to the background and not showing too well)

The rest of the DT have some great inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog and you'll also find all the challenge details.

I am entering this at:
  Simon Says Monday Challenge - Love is in the Air

Avril xx

Time to Dance

Hello, I don't often buy magazines for the free stamps, and although I wasn't keen on the main stamps, I did like the sentiments on this set and great for girly birthday cards, even though I don't dance on the table these days!

I've used another of the Tyvek sheets that sit in the bottom of my home made spray box, there's lots of gorgeous colours and even some Silver/Pewter spray along the bottom, but difficult to capture unless it's in sunlight.  After cutting to size I stamped the sentiments and swirly music notes with black Versafine.  I did intend to heat set with clear EP but stopped just in time - Tyvek reacts with heat, you can create some fabulous textures, but that was the last thing I wanted on this!

I stamped and fussy cut the Dancing Woman from Rubber Dance and after colouring with Abandoned Coral  DI,  added her on foam pads, but still quite flat for posting.

I am entering this at Country View Crafts - Anything But Cute

Looks like we're in for some cold weather over the next few days,  and even some snow.  The spring bulbs are showing and snowdrops are all flowering and after some sunshine this week it felt like Spring could be on it's way - not yet.
Have a great day, whatever you're doing.



Avril xx