Bold Butterflies

Here's my 13th ATC for The Craft Barn's Alpha/Dictionary Challenge where the letter is B.   So many words to choose from and even more difficult as we have already done A and C!

I've gone for a Brown and Blue background using Vintage Photo and Salty Ocean Distress Inks spritzed with water etc.  My main word is BUTTERFLY - I've used the Charming Butterfly stamps from Oak House Studio.  They were inked with Cocoa Bean Brilliance and clear embossed using some card I'd sprayed with Citrus Orange and Citrus Yellow Ink in a Bottle. 

So Bright Bold Butterflies ....and yes I've added 2 butterflies as a link to all the words starting with Bi !!   Again my ATC is finished with the dictionary definition and the alcohol inked vinyl Thicker.  It turned out a little darker than I imagined but then both A and C are quite light so it'll do!

Well that is halfway with the challenge so here's a photo of all 13 so far.  Not only is this challenge great fun, it's also educational too and I've learnt quite a few new words!  My next job is to create an album and make another ATC for A for my A to Z front cover - I have in mind an Abbey with an Azure Sky.  Then I may well struggle when it comes to Z and I have to make two of those!  

Anyway I'm off to see what everyone else has done - guess there'll be a few butterflies but I'm sure someone will have chosen something obscure!!  Thanks for looking.

Hexagonal Sunflower (??)

Here's my entry for the Less is More Challenge this week where the theme is HEXAGONS.

I don't have any hexagon dies or punches so wasn't sure what to do. I then decided to use the computer to print a hexagon to create a frame on some cream linen card - I cut out the middle, edged the hexagon with Olive Versacolour (so I could see where I'd inked) and then heat embossed it with gold.

For the insert I gold embossed the Sunflower stamp from Oak House Studio on some yellow card and then watercoloured it with Tombow pens and a water brush.  It's just finished with the sentiment stamped in Vermillion Archival.

Well I think summer may well be here - our rose on the front of the house is over a fortnight late flowering but the sun is shining and it's supposed to be positively hot tomorrow.....long may it continue!!  

Thanks for looking and for your comments!!

U for Undergrowth

Here's my next ATC for The Craft Barn's Alpha/Dictionary Challenge where the letter is U.

Well I looked through my dictionary and only wrote down 3 words - Ultraviolet, Undergrowth and Underwater.  I didn't want to do Ultraviolet as I did violet for V and so checked Wikipedia for other colours starting with U.  I discounted Ultramarine and Ube (a medium lavender) and so decided to go down the green Undergrowth route with a little Umber!!

The background is Old Paper and Shabby Shutters Distress Ink misted with Bundled Sage and mopped up with the ATC - I've blended on a little Vintage Photo too.   I've used stamps from Chocolate Baroque's Spring Foliage set and the fern and dragonfly from Crafty Individuals (CI - 207) inked with Pearlescent Ivy and Thyme Brilliance. And yes, hiding in the undergrowth are hares (free with Craft Stamper magazine) inked with Dark Brown Fluid Chalk Ink.  My initial idea was dark undergrowth but I used Brilliance which shines, so I also added some Aqua Stardust pen to the dragonflies to make them a little irridescent too.   My ATC is just finished with the dictionary definition and the alcohol inked vinyl Thicker.

Nearly at the halfway stage and I can see this challenge getting trickier - trying to vary the designs and getting a good mix of colours.  I think next time is week 13 so I intend laying all my ATCs out and taking a photo.  I ought to think about creating an album too!!

Thanks for stopping by to look and for your comments.  I'm off to browse everyone else's creations!

Travel the World

Here's my One Layer Card for the Less is More Challenge week 123 where the theme is NEED FOR SPEED.

I went for travelling the world in a fast jet. Firstly I stamped the Tim Holtz plane with Cocoa Bean Brilliance and then masked it off.  I then overstamped this with the Darkroom Door World Map Background inked with Ice Blue Fluid Chalk Ink - I think there must have been some brown ink left on the stamp as it's come out a bit mottled but I love the effect.  To finish I've just stamped the Oak House Studio sentiment in Brilliance.

I'm also entering this into the Artful Times Challenge number 31 where the theme is Maps/Cartography. 

Thanks for looking and your comments - they're gratefully appreciated!!

Butterfly Twinchies

No exams today so I've had chance to catch up with stuff in the house and as it's been thundering and lightening I couldn't potter in the garden.....so what better way to spend my time than craft.  I actually started tidying up my discarded pile - bits that had been inked and stamped but not used!!

I've made a couple of twinchies for the Twinchie Challenge Blog where the theme in June is Bees and Butterflies.  I've used my new Butterfly stamps and sentiment from Oak House Studio as they were also on top of my pile!!

I started with some yellow card that had been sprayed with Citrus Yellow and Glorious Gold Ink in a Bottle. For the first one, I cut one twinchie from this, blended on a little Spiced Marmalade and then stamped the Without Change sentiment stamp with Onyx Black Versafine.  I stamped the small Charming Butterfly with Onyx Black Versafine and then used Inktense Pencils to add more colour.  The antennae were stamped directly onto the twinchie and the butterfly body stuck down to allow the wings a bit of movement. 

For the second twinchie, I stamped the large Charming Butterfly on some of the yellow card and blended a little Spiced Marmalade Distress round the edges.  For the background I blended on some Broken China Distress Ink towards the top and then added grasses from Crafty Individuals (CI-207) with Thyme Brilliance.

Can't say that I've seen many butterflies in my garden yet, but hopefully summer will eventually arrive, the flowers will all come out and they'll appear!  

Thanks for looking!!

Front Door

A quick post tonight with a card for the Less is More Challenge week 122 where the subject is COLOUR OF MY FRONT DOOR.  I was a little disheartened until I looked at my door and remembered it wasn't just white, it has a stained glass oval with a kingfisher .....doh!   Here's my door from the inside:

I don't have a kingfisher stamp so used one of my first stamp purchases - Tulip Stained Glass from Inca stamps. 

I've embossed the stamp in silver to represent the leading and coloured with orange and green Pentel Brush markers.  It's just matted on kingfisher blue card and the Hero Arts Hello is stamped with Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue.  

Hope you like and thanks for looking!