Phoenix Inspirations

As the days become longer and warmer we can expect to see hoards of butterflies fluttering around our flowers. It's a beautiful sight and a sign that summer is really here.  I couldn't resist then the challenge over on  The Paper Players I also found the perfect sketch to go with this challenge over on CAS Colours & Sketches Here is my card I had an old Stampin' Up wheelie stamp of butterflies - I didn't have the wheel to attach it to so I removed it from the wheel and use it instead on an acrylic block. I've also cut it up a bit so I have a two line stamp of butterflies and also one line. I've also got a couple of single one too - very handy! I stamped my large butterfly (from Papillon Pot Pourri) with Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Coastal Cabana was my colour choice and my sentiment is from Sheltering Tree. Hope you like my card today - thanks for stopping by and taking a look. See you soo...

High Tide is a fabulous new set from Stampin' Up. It has loads of potential but here is a basic step by step tutorial to create a lovely seaside scene. Firstly take a piece of white card stock - mine is 6" x 6" square but any largish square is fine. Next take the sandy stamp and ink it up. I used Crumb Cake but any pale beige colour will work. Stamp the image at the bottom of the card stock to create a sandy bank. Make sure that the notch is uppermost at the left hand side of the card stock - this is where the lighthouse will sit. The image can be stamped multiple times to create the land turning it upside down to fill the gaps. Next take the more solid lighthouse image and stamp in a pale colour. Again I have used Crumb Cake. It's quite easy to line up the images although you may find a stamp positioner helps with this. Now take the second lighthouse image and over stamp the first with a darker colour - I used Brocade Blue (a very old SU colour!!!). ...

Just a quick post to show you a card I made for a challenge but was too late to add it in. It uses my new set Jar of Love and took next to no time to create - even though I cut the flowers by hand. I love cutting out!! That's it - short and sweet!!! See you soon xx

A clean and simple note card for you today using this week's sketch on  Mojo Monday Here is my card I was sorting through a drawer of stash and came across an old pack of Stampin' Up Christmas tags kit. It doesn't necessarily look very Christmassy so I used it for my little note card. I also found some of my little flowers that I made years ago using some air drying clay and a silicone mould - they've lasted well haven't they? My tiny sentiment is from Jar of Love. I think I need to really sort out my old drawer of stash and see what other treasures I can find!! Thank you for stopping by today - enjoy the rest of the weekend xx

Another Christmas card - wow I have two now! I am determined though to get more organised this year and get more done before December.  A great place to start is  Christmas Card Throwdown Here is my card My layers are made using square dies with a scalloped edge. I placed one on top of the other but turned the bottom one at an angle to get the star shape. Ornamental Pine was stamped on to a grey panel in Always Artichoke. It was then over stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder to give the pine needles a frosty look. Pine cones were added on dimensionals and then dusted with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. That's it for today - I hope you like my card. See you soon x

A clean and simple card for you today - take a look This is another of my favourite stamps (lets be honest though - they're all my favourites!!!!) Blended Bloom. It was stamped on to white card stock with Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Pink ink was sponged on to the flower making it a bit darker in the centre. I then fussy cut it out and added to my white panel with dimensionals. A bow and ribbon were added along with the sentiment (from Jar of Love) and then that was attached to some pink card stock on a white C6 card base. This card is being entered into the following challenges Glitter 'N' Sparkle Our Challenge Theme this week is: One for the Ladies/ Mothers Day (USA) So we need to see : Something for the lovely ladies in your life.... Addicted to CAS CAS Colours & Sketches Happy Monday everyone - have a great week - see you soon x

Today has been a good day - one with plenty of crafting!!! Today I have used a relatively new stamp set - Jar of Love. It's chock full of flowers, fish foliage and mason jars - it's beautiful! Here is my card There are dies available to help you cut the shapes out easily but I prefer to cut by hand - it just takes a little longer! Unfortunately when I was stamping the 'Love' sentiment I smudged it a bit. Enter a few sparkly gems and you wouldn't know would you?!! I am entering this card into the following challenges CAS(E) this Sketch Color Throwdown Colours used are Soft Sky, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate and Daffodil Delight. Thanks for stopping by today - see you soon x

It is a yucky gray and rainy day here in Bridgnorth which is a shame because today it is my Auntie's 70th birthday and she should have sunshine on her special day. I made her a special card to mark the occasion. She loves foxes so I ordered the foxes set from Clarity stamps - wow are they gorgeous stamps! I combined them the Winter Trees collection - also from Clarity and used the masks that come with the foxes - take a look I used Stampin' Up inks and sponges and LOADS of post it notes to create my backgrounds - I masked of the foxes with the custom made masks that come in the set so that I could create the background around the stamped foxes. I used a whole sheet of A4 card stock folded into thirds and used a label punch to cut out the legs at the bottom and a scallop edge punch to decorate the top - all Stampin' Up. Here are a couple of close ups I am entering this card into the challenge over on Seize The Birthday "Creatures or Animals...

I sort of have a new stamp set. Sort of because my order was mixed up and until mine is replaced I'm using one belonging to my Stampin' Up demonstrator. The stamp set is High Tide and I'm sure I shall be using it a lot in the future. So I couldn't wait to start using it and late last night came up with this card for this week's challenge over on Freshly Made Sketches Here is my card This is such a lovely set to use and easy although a stamp positioner may be useful when stamping the lighthouse - I had to practise that bit a lot before I was confident enough to try it on my card! Thanks for stopping by today - see you soon x

I have been working hard this last week but I shall be rewarded with four days off from tomorrow - yay!!! Today's card if the challenge over in The Male Room Here is my card This still remains one of my favourite Stampin' Up sets - By the Tide and is great for male themed cards. The background is Lost Lagoon card stock and it's stamped with matching ink with over stamping of white craft ink. My many legged lobster has been heat embossed with white embossing powder. Thanks for stopping by today - see you soon xx

The sun is shining, the sky is blue and it actually feels quite warm outside today! It feels like summer could be here and what could be more summery than a dragonfly gently buzzing around the garden? Here is my card for you today The grass stamp is from Stampin' Up's World of Dreams set and the dragonfly is a recent freebie from a magazine. I've added some dazzling diamond glitter to his wings to give him some extra sparkle. I die cut my label using Apothecary Accents and added some twine around it before attaching it to a simple doily. The background was embossed with my mosaic embossing folder - after it had been stamped. I will be entering this card into the challenge over on The Paper Players I went for 'Pink, Die-cut and Twine. That's it for today - I'm off to work now (sad face) - no time for crafting today. See you soon x