Stampin' Up Leaf Collection Hello Card

 

Hi everyone,

Today I am sharing a card that I made for one of the lovely ladies in our Stampin' Up Class that we attend once a month:

 

I wanted to brighten my friend's day with a card plus a surprise gift that I am including.  I do love to send "happy mail" when someone least expects it.  Sure, it's lovely to get a birthday card (not that I get very many nowadays) - but it's so nice to receive a handmade card in the mail when you aren't expecting it.  I think it's sad that people just send a message on Facebook when it's your birthday.  It's like it's a cookie cutter social media task.  And to me, it feels so impersonal, robotic and obligatory rather than heartfelt.  I have been making a point in the last year to send out Thank You Cards and people really appreciate them.

This is also my card for the following Challenges - click on the underlined link to take you to each challenge:

• Splitcoaststampers - Free for All Friday F4A838 - 3 of a Kind - mine is the 3 ink colours as well as the 3 different sized clear gems

• Splitcoaststampers - Technique Lover's TLC1004 - Joseph's Coat

• Crafty Catz - #709 - Anything Goes

• Cardz for Galz - #271 - Embossing Heat or Dry 

• Just us Girls - Word Week #814 - Emboss

I used the Joseph's Coat Technique which I only learned how to do last year - but it has been around for quite a long time.  First, I took a sheet of White Cardstock and randomly coloured splotches of ink all over it using my Ink Blending Tools fitted with a Domed Pad.  I used all Stampin' Up Inks in the colours Watermelon Wonder + Delightful Dijon (both retired) and Garden Green (still current).  I was really going for an Autumn feel because it is Autumn here where I live in Australia and the leaves are just starting to turn.  You don't have to be neat nor blend colours.  This is what the panel looked like after adding the inks - and doesn't it look like a hot mess?!!

I then heat-set the panel to make sure it was completely dry before moving onto the next step. 

I used a Powder Tool all over the panel then stamped my leaves using Versamark Watermark Ink.  The image is called Stampin' Up - Leaf Collection and is one solid stamp.  This a retired stamp, but one I absolutely LOVE.  I poured on Ranger Clear Detail Embossing Powder and heat-set it.  I went over all the panel with Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and the embossed image resists the black ink.  I would definitely recommend disposable gloves for that part unless you like having black ink all over your hands!  

You then wipe over the panel using a piece of paper towel to remove the excess black ink off the embossed image.  And then the colourful image seems to magically appear which is why it is called Joseph's Coat.   It really amazes me how the ink colours change quite a bit.  You would not believe that it was Garden Green Ink as it looks more teal.  

I layered the panel onto Stampin' Up Crushed Curry Cardstock with a 1/16" border, then onto Black Cardstock with a 1/8" border which were done using my We R Memory Keepers Perfect Layer Guides.

The sentiment is also by Stampin' Up - Fabulous Sayings - which you could get for $9 in January once your order was over a certain amount - but it is actually still available when I checked tonight even though it is March.  I guess it will be available until sold out.  This is a really, really great set and definitely worth getting:

I stamped the sentiment using Versafine Onyx Black Ink onto Stampin' Up Very Vanilla Cardstock, then diecut it using my Big Shot and a Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities Die.  I layered this onto Crushed Curry Cardstock that was diecut using a Spellbinders Scalloped Oval Nestabilities Die.  I popped the panel up on scraps of cardstock.  

I added 5 x Clear Gems in 3 different sizes around the sentiment - 3 on the top RHS and 2 on the bottom LHS.  I used Art Glitter Glue to attach them because this glue dries completely clear.  I love how the clear gems look like drops of rain.

Lastly, I attached my card front to a Kaisercraft White Card Base using Tombow Mono Multi Glue.

I think you could use this card for lots of different occasions.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Stampin' Up Leaf Collection #163610 (retired) + Fabulous Sayings #167972

Ink:  Stampin' Up Watermelon Wonder + Delightful Dijon (both retired) + Garden Green, Versafine Clair Nocturne, Versafine Onyx Black

Designer Paper:  None

Accessories:  Big Shot, Ink Blending Tool with Domed Pads, Heat-Gun, Powder Tool, Ranger Clear Detail Embossing Powder, WRMK Perfect Layers Guides,  Disposable Gloves, Paperartz Clear Gems, Art Glitter Glue, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, Cardstock - Stampin' Up Crushed Curry + Very Vanilla + White + Black, Kaisercraft White Card Base

Dies:  Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities + Scalloped Oval Nestabilities

Stampin' Up Thoughtful Journey Sympathy Card

 

Hi blogging friends,

I needed to make another Sympathy Card - this time for a friend whose Dad suddenly passed away:

  

I seem to have needed quite a few Sympathy Cards recently.  My husband and I are of the age where our friends have elderly parents so I have made a couple of extras for my stash.  I always think that a handmade Sympathy Card is so much nicer than a bought one - and I especially like to be able to write my own message appropriate to the recipient's circumstances taking into account whether they are religious or not.  Some of the messages on the inside of bought cards makes me cringe!

I kept things very simple as you don't need to add much to the beautiful Stampin' Up Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper.  I stamped the foliage on the LHS with Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow Ink three times using one of the stamps from the Darkroom Door Nature Walk Stamp set.  I used my Stamping Platform for all the stamping for perfect placement and in case I needed to re-stamp.

The sentiment is from an old sentiment set by Stamp-It Australia released in 2008 and was also stamped using Mossy Meadow Ink.  This sentiment set is one that I have used countless times over the years.  Stamp-It Australia no longer make stamps for cardmaking.  I think someone was going to take over that side of the business some time ago now but the sale fell through which is such a shame. 

I layered the image panel onto Anko Cream Cardstock then Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.  I trimmed the panels to 1/16" and 1/8" respectively using my WRMK Perfect Layers Guides.

As a final touch, I added a single Basic Grey Green Rhinestone next to the sentiment.  I added a tiny dot of Art Glitter Glue under the rhinestone to make sure the rhinestone stayed put.   I thought the rhinestone finished the card nicely.

Once I had finished my card front, I glued it to a Kaisercraft White Card Base using Tombow Mono Multi Glue.

Finished size is 4-1/8" x 6" or 105mm x 150mm.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Stamp-It Australia siset014 (sentiment) - retired, Darkroom Door Nature Walk DDRS194

Ink:  Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow

Designer Paper:  Stampin' Up Thoughtful Journey 6" x 6"

Accessories:  Stamping Platform, Kaisercraft Trimmer, Basic Grey Green Rhinestone, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, Art Glitter Glue, We R Memory Keepers Perfect Layers Guides, Kaisercraft White Card Base, Cardstock - Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow + Anko Cream (KMart)

Sympathy Card using Porta Craft Embossing Folder

 

Hi everyone,

My SIL's Mum passed away aged 95 so I have been working on several Sympathy Cards to pass on to family members:

It's a very simple card but it's amazing how long it can take to come up with something that is understated and unfussy!

This is also my card for the following Challenges (click on the underlined link to take you to the Challenge Blog):

• Neglected Stuff Challenge - 10/25 - which is all about using your neglected supplies - mine is the embossing folder, stamp set and heart punch

I found a rectangular embossing folder in my stash that had a border around it so thought that I could turn it on its side so that I could have some white space on the bottom and top of my card.  I have had this Porta Craft Embossing Folder for ages and probably picked it up from a Craft Show here in Australia.

I used a Stamping Platform to stamp the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black.  This sentiment is from an old set by Wendy Irving and is one of my first ever clear stamp sets and dates back to at least 2010.

I punched a heart using a very old Carl Heart Duo Punch.  This punch pre-dates dies!  I added some Designer Dries Clear glue to the heart and added some Opal Glitter which has a very soft and gentle sparkle to it which I thought was appropriate for a Sympathy Card.

This panel has had the RHS corners punched using a We R Memory Keepers 1/2" Corner Chomper.  I added the 3/8" wide White Organza Ribbon in two separate elements - and the bow itself was made using a Bow Easy.  I added Fray Stop to the cut ends to stop them from fraying.

I glued the panel to my card base using Tombow Mono Multi Glue that has also had the RHS corners punched with the same Corner Chomper.

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Wendy Irving Expressions Clear Set J6412.01 (ret)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Designer Paper:  None

Accessories:  Big Shot, Porta Craft Embossing Folder #107638 (ret), Celebrations of Australia Crystal Opal Glitter Superfine .008, Knight Smooth White Cardstock, White Organza Ribbon 3/8" wide, Fray Stop, Bow Easy, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, Stamping Platform

Punches:  Carl CP-8 Heart Duo Punch (ret), WRMK 1/2" Corner Chomper

Stampin' Up Love and Sympathy Card

 

Hi everyone,

Today I am sharing a couple of Sympathy Cards that I made:

I ink-blended the retired Stampin' Up ink colour - Soft Sky - onto Knight White Cardstock using a Blending Brush.  I wanted the ink to fade from blue at the bottom to white which is easier to achieve using a soft bristle brush.  I bought a bunch of them really cheap on Amazon and they work brilliantly.  

I punched the two bottom corners using a We R Memory Keepers 1/2" Corner Chomper.

The white rose is a two part die by Frantic Stamper called Long Stemmed Rose which I have had forever.  I just checked their website and it is still available so if you want one, you need to get in quick because Frantic Stamper are closing very soon due to Fran retiring.  I glued the top layer to the bottom layer using Designer Dries Clear Adhesive which has a very fine tip on it so it made it easier for putting tiny amounts of glue where it was needed.  Isn't this rose gorgeous?!!

The sentiment is by Stampin' Up - Love and Sympathy - which is a retired set.  I used a Powder Tool on my white cardstock then stamped it using Versamark Watermark Ink and heat-set it using Ranger Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder.  I didn't want to use gold or silver embossing powder because I wanted something more subtle and the Liquid Platinum was perfect for what I needed.

I diecut the sentiment using an Oval Die from the Nellie's Multi Frames Oval 4 set then glued it on using Tombow Mono Multi Glue.

The ribbon is from my stash and is 1/4" wide and was tied using my Bow Easy.  I glued it on using Helmar's Fabric Glue then added Fray Stop to the cut ends to stop them from fraying.  I had to add a tiny glue dot to each tail to hold them down as they wanted to stick up and look weird.

I attached the panel to my White Card Base using Tombow Mono Multi Glue then punched the two bottom corners using my Corner Chomper.

Lastly, I added 3 x Kaisercraft Pearls in the colour Bliss.

And now, here is the Pink version:

The main differences are: 

I used Ranger Distress Oxide Inks for the ink blending in the colours Spun Sugar and Picked Raspberry.  The ribbon is 1/4" wide Pink Organza - and the tiny Pink Pearls are by Prima.

I had to take this picture indoors as it was too windy and my card would likely end up in the neighbour's swimming pool - so it isn't quite as bright as it should be.

So, which colour do you prefer?  I thought that I might make another one but use a really light purple.  I think it is wise to have a few Sympathy Cards on-hand because I always seem to lose my creativity spark when I need one in a hurry.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and for any comments you care to leave.

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Card #1 

Stamps:  Stampin' Up Love and Sympathy #122797 (retired)

Ink:  Versamark Watermark, Stampin' Up Soft Sky (retired)

Designer Paper:  None

Accessories:  Big Shot, Powder Tool, Heat-gun, Ranger Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder, Stamping Platform, Satin Ribbon 1/4" wide (stash), Bow Easy, Fray Stop, Glue Dots, Knight White Smooth Cardstock, Blending Brush (Amazon), Kaisercraft Pearls - Bliss SB718, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, Helmar's Fabric Glue

Punches:  WRMK 1/2" Corner Chomper

Dies:  Frantic Stamper Long Stemmed Rose (set of 2) FRA-DIE-09113, Nellie's Multi Frames MFD047 - Oval 4

Card #2 

Stamps:  Stampin' Up Love and Sympathy #122797 (retired)

Ink:  Versamark Watermark, Ranger Distress Oxide Spun Sugar + Picked Raspberry

Designer Paper:  None

Accessories:  Big Shot, Powder Tool, Heat-gun, Ranger Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder, Stamping Platform, Pink Organza Ribbon 1/4" wide (stash), Bow Easy, Fray Stop, Knight White Smooth Cardstock, Blending Brush (Amazon), Prima Pearls, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, Helmar's Fabric Glue

Punches:  WRMK 1/2" Corner Chomper

Dies:  Frantic Stamper Long Stemmed Rose (set of 2) FRA-DIE-09113, Nellie's Multi Frames MFD047 - Oval 4

Stampin' Up Frames and Flowers Get Well Card

 

Hi everyone 😊

I made another card using the fabulous Stampin' Up Frames and Flowers designer paper and diecuts.  

The wreath came already diecut and I added a scrap of white cardstock behind it so I could stamp a sentiment.  The sentiment is by Stampin' Up from their Simply Said Stamp Set and was stamped using Versafine Onyx Black ink.  I popped the wreath up on scraps of white cardstock.

I added some punched foliage using my Martha Stewart Frond and Pine Branch punches.  I used Stampin' Up cardstock in the colours Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce and Garden Green.  I glued them down using Tombow Mono Multi Glue but was careful to just glue the bottom portions so I could bend up the tips to add some dimension.

The flowers are diecuts from the Frames and Flowers set.  I added some Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush to them - not that you can tell from the photo.  

The designer paper on the base panel was layered onto Pretty Peacock Cardstock trimmed to a 1/8" border using my We R Memory Keepers Perfect Layers Guides.

I popped the card front onto a Kaisercraft White Card Base using Tombow Mono Multi Glue with a tiny white border showing.  I love using Kaisercraft White Card Bases as they are thick and really good quality.   I like to stock up when they have 50% off.  Every other week they have 50% off Kaiser branded products so that is really helpful for my budget 😃 plus I have a Kaisercraft store very close by - less than a 10 minute drive.  Uniquely Creative - another Australian company - also has excellent quality white card bases and I love that you can get slimline ones as well as the standard rectangular and square ones.   No connection to these companies - just a happy customer.

The peachy coloured satin ribbon is from my stash and was glued on using Helmar's 450 Quick Dry Adhesive. As a final touch, I added three Kaisercraft Champagne Rhinestones.

Finished size is 4-5/8" x 4-5/8" or 117mm x 117mm.

I sent this card to my sister-in-law who broke her arm and needed to have surgery to repair it.  I saw the X-ray and boy, it looked nasty - like a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle.  It must have been incredibly painful.  How in the world a surgeon can piece it all back together is quite incredible!   I hope my card brightened my sister-in-law's day just a little.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! Simply Said #163756

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Designer Paper:  Stampin' Up! Frames and Flowers including diecuts

Accessories:  Peach Stain Ribbon (stash), Kaisercraft Champagne Rhinestones RS404, Stampin' Up! Cardstock - Pretty Peacock + Shaded Spruce + Garden Green, Scraps of White Cardstock, Kaisercraft Square White Card Base, Helmar's 450 Quick Dry Adhesive, Tombow Mono Multi Glue

Punches:  Martha Stewart Frond and Pine Branch

Stampin' Up Frames and Flowers Just a Note Card

 

Hi blogging friends 😃

Today I am sharing a card that I made using the Stampin' Up Frames and Flowers designer papers and diecut elements.

I just ADORE the colour palette of this range - right up my alley.  Frames and Flowers is still current so if you want to get your hands on it, I would do so before the catalogue finishes at the end of April as it may not carry over to the new catalogue.  I bought a second set as it is only $17.50 here in Australia and you can make tons of cards with it.   If you do a search on Pinterest for ideas of how to use it, there are many, many cards so it is obviously very popular with cardmakers. 

Anyhow, onto my card:  

The foliage tucked in and around the top and bottom flowers and leaves were punched with my Martha Stewart Frond and Pine Branch punches using Stampin' Up cardstock in the colours Pretty Peacock, Garden Green and Shaded Spruce.  The palest leaves (the ones with the rounded leaves) are diecut elements from the Frames and Flowers set.  I glued the leaves on using Tombow Mono Multi Glue but just the bottoms so I could bend the leaves up to add some dimension.  Although I bought these punches a long time ago, I have seen some second-hand ones on EBay - but you could use dies instead as there are plenty of leaf dies available these days.

The designer paper on the bottom is a diecut frame and was layered onto some Peachy coloured cardstock that I had in my stash with a 1/16" border.  This was then layered onto Pretty Peacock cardstock with a 1/8" border.  

I added some white cardstock underneath the diecut frame so I could stamp a sentiment.  This sentiment came free with a stamp set from a Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine ages ago and is called Sincere Sentiments - SC Design by Simone Clay.   I have used many of the sentiments in this set and I love all the different fonts.  I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black.

I added some Kaisercraft Champagne Rhinestones then added some Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush to the flowers.

Lastly, I glued my finished card front to a white card base using Tombow Mono Multi Glue.

I think you could use this card for many different occasions - thank you, friendship, birthday, thinking of you etc.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:  

Stamps:  Sincere Sentiments - SC Design by Simone Clay (freebie with magazine)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Designer Paper:  Stampin' Up Frames and Flowers #163765 including diecut elements

Accessories:  Kaisercraft Champagne Rhinestones RS404, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, SU Dimensionals, Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush, We R Memory Keepers Perfect Layers Guides, Kaisercraft White Card Base, Scrap of White Cardstock, Peach Cardstock (unknown brand), Stampin' Up Cardstock - Garden Green + Pretty Peacock + Shaded Spruce

Punches:  Martha Stewart Frond + Pine Branch

Stampin' Up Thoughts and Prayers Sympathy Card

 

Hi everyone,

Today I am sharing a Sympathy Card that I made for a lady whose husband recently passed away:

The floral branch is from a retired Stampin' Up set called 'Thoughts and Prayers' and the sentiment is from a retired Stampin' Up set called 'Love and Sympathy'.  I stamped them using Versafine Onyx Black ink using a Stamp Positioning Tool.

I added two score lines above and below the images using a Martha Stewart Mini Scoring Board then dry-embossed the panel using my Big Shot and very well loved (and used) Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder. 

I corner-punched the right-hand corners of this panel using a 3/8" We R Memory Keepers Corner Punch then layered the panel onto a white card base with an 1/8" border.  I corner punched the right-hand corner of the card base using a 1/2" We R Memory Keepers Corner Punch.  Note that the main panel has been popped up a little using scraps of white cardstock.

As finishing touches, I added a 3/8" or 10mm wide White Organza Ribbon Bow which I made with my Bow Easy & glued on using Helmars Fabric Glue - and added a very small Kaisercraft Black Pearl next to the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:  

Stamps:  Stampin' Up Love and Sympathy (sentiment) + Thoughts and Prayers (floral branch) - both retired

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Accessories:  Big Shot, Cuttlebug Textile Embossing Folder (ret), Kaisercraft Pearls BR211 Black, 3/8" or 10mm wide White Organza Ribbon, Bow Easy, WRMK Corner Punches, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, Helmar Fabric Glue, Martha Stewart Mini Scoring Board, Stamp Positioning Tool, Cardstock:  White

Stamperia Forest - Father's Day Card

 

Hi everyone 😊

Today I am sharing the Father's Day card that I made yesterday for my husband.  He is a fantastic Dad to our daughter and the most gentle and kindest man you could ever know.  

This is also my card for the following Challenges.  Please click on the underlined links to take you to the Challenge.

The Male Room - September - Challenge #154 - Nature's Bounty.  I thought the beautiful eagle and nature theme of the papers fitted the Challenge perfectly.

Splitcoaststampers - Ways to Use It Challenge WT830 - Brads

In the past few months, I stumbled across some Stamperia designer papers and fell in love.  They are beautiful quality and the artwork is stunning.  I bought their Forest pad with a view to making some masculine cards as the images are just perfect for them.

The main image and the papers are from the 8" x 8" pad.   I went around them with Ranger Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress inks using my Ranger blending tool.  It was amazing the difference that it made.

The side panel was punched using my old favourite - Fiskars Scallop Border punch.  Both the light teal and brown cardstock were trimmed to 1/16" and 1/8" respectively using my Perfect Layers Tools.  The stitched grosgrain ribbon is old and is by My Memories - from their FaLaLa range - which came in a pack of 6 trims.  Technically the pack is for Christmas to match their range of designer papers but the pack just happened to be sitting on my desk for another project and it matched perfectly.  I added Fray Stop to the cut ends to stop them from fraying.

The bottom 3 copper brads are by Inque Boutique.  Brads have gone out of fashion but I still love to use them especially for masculine cards.  Although I somewhat follow the trends for cardmaking, I just love to use what I have even if they are old and retired.  I found it harder when I was on a Design Team because I had to use products that were still readily available (which was fair enough) - but I just love the freedom of using all my old stuff and find I am more creative that way.

The sentiment panel is a diecut from the Stamperia Forest Diecuts pack.  I didn't have a Father's Day wooden sentiment so just went with a 'Best Wishes' one instead - and this is by Crafts4U - Words.  I glued on some Darice twine and the wooden stars are from my stash. 

Once I had completed my card front, I glued it to a kraft card base using Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive.  I buy all my kraft card bases from KMart (Australia) as they are really nice quality and very sturdy.   Finished size is 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm.

I think you could use this card for a birthday or to say thank you - lots of occasions.

Thank you for visiting my blog - I really appreciate it 😃 

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  None

Ink:  Ranger Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress

Designer Paper:  Stamperia Forest 8" x 8" pad and Diecuts #DFLDC02

Accessories:  Ranger Ink Blending Tool, Crafts4U Wooden Sentiments - Words - #10226, wooden stars (stash), Fray Stop, twine - stash, My Memories - FaLaLa #30823 - brown stitched grosgrain ribbon, Perfect Layers Tools, Inque Boutique copper brads, Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive, Cardstock - brown, light teal, Kraft Card Base - Anko - KMart

Punches:  Fiskars Scallop Border

Bokeh Thinking of You Card

Hi blogging friends 

I have seen alot of gorgeous cards on Splitcoaststampers recently which uses the Bokeh technique - so I thought I would give the technique a try.  It is super-easy and fun - and here is the result:

This is also my entry for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge #363 of Diecuts and Punches.  

There is a tutorial for the Bokeh Technique on Splitcoaststampers HERE and I found another tutorial HERE on Shannon Lane's blog - I've got a Crush on Colour.  If you don't know what bokeh means, it relates to photography and you can read more about it HERE on Wikipedia.

I used Ranger Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry and Salty Ocean for my background by smooshing my ink pads onto my Couture Creations non-stick Craft Mat, spraying the inks with water then lay the smooth side of my Ranger Distress watercolour cardstock on top.  I let the cardstock sit in the inks for about 30 seconds then moved it around and lifted it up to check how the coverage was then kept dabbing the cardstock into the inks until I was happy with how it looked.  I was too impatient to wait for my cardstock to air-dry so dried it off using my heat-gun.

I made a stencil of various sizes of circles using clear acetate and my Lifestyle Nesting Circle dies then used a finger dauber to pounce Hero Arts white dye ink circles all over my background using the stencil.  At first my background looked pretty ordinary and I wondered whether it was going to look any good but the more circles that I added and the more that I overlapped, the better it started to look.  I also went over some of the circles to make them brighter than others which really helped the effect look more realistic.  The white circles on the blue part of my card don't show up quite as well in the photo compared to real life.

The decorative edge was made with all-time favourite edge punch:  Martha Stewart Lace Doily.  I attached the panel to white cardstock using Stampin' Up Fuse Fast adhesive then used my Perfect Layers Tools to trim the cardstock to 1/16".

I sponged two small pieces of Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper (which is sparkly white and as thick as cardstock) with the same Distress Inks that I used for my background then diecut them using my Big Shot and a Memory Box Pippi Butterfly die.  I was a bit concerned that the colour might transfer to my butterfly die so I very carefully ran my heat-gun over the glitter paper before diecutting to make sure it was dry.  I attached just the centres of the butterflies using Tombow Mono Multi glue.

The 'Hello' is a die from Mama Elephant and was diecut from the same glimmer paper and glued on using Tombow Mono Multi glue.

I rounded the corners on the bottom using the 1/8" size on my We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

Lastly, I glued on some iridescent sequins using Ranger Multi Medium Matte which is a strong adhesive and dries clear.  The card is a top folding card.

This card will be going to my Mum just to brighten her day.  Mum's last remaining sibling passed away several weeks ago so it has been a difficult time for her.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Jocelyn


Card Recipe:

Stamps and Designer Paper:  None

Ink:  Ranger Distress - Picked Raspberry and Salty Ocean, Hero Arts White dye

Accessories:  Big Shot, Couture Creations non-stick Craft Mat, Ranger Inkssentials Mister, finger dauber, sponges, Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper, white cardstock, Tombow Mono Multi glue, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Stampin' Up Fuse Fast adhesive, iridescent sequins (from stash), acetate, heat-gun, Ranger Distress Watercolour Cardstock, Perfect Layers Tools, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

Dies:  Lifestyle Nesting Circles, Memory Box Pippi Butterfly #98508, Mama Elephant Hello Script Creative Cuts

Punches:  Martha Stewart Lace Doily edge

Thinking of you butterfly acetate card

Hi blogging friends

I am back at long last!  My loved one continues to improve each day which is great so I have had a little bit of time in my craft room this past week.  I was able to go to the Craft Show as planned and had an absolute ball!  It was a cold and wet day so it was perfect weather for craft shopping - and boy, was it packed!!  I did a couple of 'Make and Take' free workshops and learned how to use Perfect Pearls and Perfect Medium which was fun.  I stocked up on lots of Docrafts goodies - Tatty Teddy, Boofle, Forever Friends and Tulip paper tole (called Decoupage in the UK), toppers, designer papers and ribbons. And a couple of Penny Black stamps begged to be bought as well as a couple of Impression Obsession dies (I didn't know they made dies!):  in fact, there were a lot of die brands that I had never heard like Lin and Lene, Joy Craft Happy's and Double do just to name a few.  None of my friends make cards so I always go to shows by myself but there is always someone to talk to who shares the same passion and gets as excited as I do over buttons, ribbons or a piece of designer paper.  I came home utterly exhausted but happy and uber-keen to do some cardmaking - hence today's card - which is very much NOT my usual style but I hope you like it:

Now, I would LOVE to say that I brayered the background but sadly, I did not.  I am sure that my blogging friend Shaz from Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz who is the brayering-queen would be able to make something this pretty but my brayer and I stopped speaking a while ago because he just wouldn't do as he was told - plus being as clumsy as I am, I just seemed to make more mess than anything else!  Bellbird Paperarts in Blackburn (Victoria) sell sheets of printed and coloured acetate and I bought various colours at the last Craft Show that I went to and have been itching to make a card with them ever since; sometimes, it just takes a while to get around to these things as you would understand.

All I had to do was cut the acetate design to the size I wanted and go from there.  I stamped the sentiment using Stazon Jet Black ink which dries on acetate very well.  The first time I stamped the sentiment, part of the image didn't come out and I thought the sheet was ruined so I was very cheesed off.  Then I had a brainwave and tried cleaning off the image with Stazon cleaner and hey presto:  it removed it perfectly!  Once the sentiment was dry, I attached some white cardstock behind the design with brads (obviously you can't glue it as the glue would show under the acetate).  That part of the card making process was a bit fiddly.  Then I simply layered that onto black cardstock, blue and then white.

Lastly, I added an acetate butterfly which I also bought from Bellbird Paperarts (came in a pack of 6 different sizes from memory and are printed on clear acetate) and popped it up using dimensionals under the butterfly's body and bent up the wings.  You can see the dimension in this next photo:

This card is for my stash but is intended for use as a Sympathy card or simply to send to someone to let them know I care or to show support.

Challenges:

I am entering my card in the following 3 challenges -

Splitcoaststampers 'Ways to use it' WT427 May Flowers - where you are to use a flower or flowers on your project

Splitcoaststampers May Fan Club Challenge - Central Theme

Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge IC390 - Jennspendants  - and I chose a pendant as my inspiration and the beautiful blue colours made me get out this acetate sheet and finally make a card with it - and obviously I echoed the squareness of the pendant in my card.

Thanks for stopping by and for any comments that you care to leave.

Jocelyn


Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Sentiment by Stamp-It Australia - siset014 sentiment set

Ink:  Stazon Jet Black

Accessories:  Printed acetate and butterfly - Bellbird Paperarts, dimensionals, aqua brads, cardstock - white, blue, black