Dancing Butterflies...

Hey!

So, are you watching it? The Olympics? I know not that everyone is a fan (including my guy), but I can safely say that the majority of my 'me' time this holiday has been spent watching a variety of events. I'm an Olympic Junkie - I can't help it! :)

Seeing as I've found a spare moment in-between events, I thought I'd better update my blogeroo with a card:

This card is for our current challenge (that actually started last week! I'm laste sharing this card on here!) on A Passion for Papertrey. We want you to be inspired by summer and see where inspiration takes you! For me, it took me to butterflies. Admittedly you don't see many purple butterflies around, but this card was created with a recipient in mind who loves both butterflies and purple :)

We hope you can join in the fun with us. Maybe you can squeeze in an inky session in-between the Olympics and making the most of the sunshine like me? *wink*

Right - back to some essential Olympic viewing!

Catch ya later!

Card Deets
{Happy Birthday}
Stamps: Frame-It (Waltzingmouse Stamps)/Fancy Flourishes (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: London Fog, Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Cardstock: White, Royal Velvet (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart)/Border Punch (Fiskars)/Gems (Stash!)/Cuttlebug Distressed Wood Embossing Folder (Provocraft)

Buttons + Balloons = Happy!

Hey!

Happy Tuesday! I'm finally getting caught up with things as school finished for the summer last Friday (yay!) and the summer school that I'm running with my colleagues this week is going like a breeze (although it's only been one day so far.....hope I'll be saying the same later on in the week! Ha!)

Anyways, I digress! I'm sharing a card today that I should have shared ages ago as it's for a challenge that's now been and gone. Yup, I've been that busy that I forgot to post a card for a challenge on our own Challenge Blog! Oh well!

This card was for a previous challenge on A Passion for Papertrey and was for my buddy, Kate's birthday. Keeping it pretty CAS with some pretty polka dots and buttons for a focal point - super quick and fun too! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by here today! I really appreciate it - especially as I know I've been MIA recently!

Psssst! Before you dash - my super duper talented friend, Jo has gone into business with her needle and thread. I'd love it if you could check out her blogeroo - she has a sweet competition going on too! Go on, take a peek - you'll be inspired! :)

Catch ya later!

Card Deets
{sending birthday wishes}
Stamps: Everyday Button Bits (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Card: Dotty Card Blank (A Muse)/White (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Pure Poppy Buttons (Papertrey Ink)

Sending Sunshine...

Hey!

Happy Saturday! Happy Summer Holidays (for me!) and Happy Release Day at The Craft's Meow!!!



Yup today you can purchase all the sets we've been previewing with the exception of 'Summertime with Fibi and Lilly' which is free with purchases over $50!!!

We're celebrating with our usual blog hop so if you've come from my buddy, Amy T's blog then you're in the right place. If not, then you'll wanna start here as if you leave a comment on each hop, then you could win the entire release!

So on to my hop project. I decided to combine two very summery sets - 'One Scoop or Two?' and 'Summertime with Fibi and Lilly'

I realised after playing around with 'One Scoop or Two?' that the solid cone image could also act as a ray image! So I die cut a circle, used the negative and stamped the rays as well as dusting shimmer chalk inbetween the stamped rays. I then die cut a small circle and used the negative to sponge ink and create the centre of the sun before stamping the sentiment over the top. I love that I've now got even more use out of that set! :)

Well that's it from me, I'm sure you'll be itching to hop along to your next stop which is another fabulous buddy of mine, Iwona Palamountain!

Thanks so much for stopping by here today!

Catch ya later!

Card Deets
{Sending Sunshine Your Way}
Stamps: One Scoop or Two?, Summertime with Fibi and Lily (The Craft's Meow)
Ink: Buttercup (A Muse)/Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, White (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Nestability Circle (Spellbinders)/Chalks (Dovecraft)

Keep cool...

Hey!

Welcome to Day 4 of The Craft's Meow July Release Countdown!



Today we're giving you a sneaky peek of yet another fabulous stamp set for the summertime. Designed by Mabelle Ramirez-Ortiz, 'Summertime with Fibi and Lilly' is a super sweet set illustrated in Mabelle's fabulous signature style. Wanna know something else sweet about this set? It's free with any purchases over $50 this month! :D

For my project, I decided to focus on a smaller stamp from the set and went ahead in creating my own sentiment by combining/masking two sentiments from the set.

I also added a good dollop of Glossy Accents to that glass as well as decorating my lemon with a bit of bling. What can I say? I think Glossy Accents is my go-to thing at the moment! :)

Now be sure to see what the rest of the TCM DT whipped up as this set features seriously sweet summertime images! And if you'd like the chance to win this set for yourself, then leave a comment on the TCM Blog by 9pm PST tonight!

Keeping it short and sweet today. TGI Friday! :)

Catch ya later!

Christmas in July...

This is my second post for today - scroll down or click here to check out my CASE Study post. Thanks! :)

Hey!

Welcome to Day 3 of The Craft's Meow July Release Sneaky Peeks!





We have the sweetest set to preview today by Nina.B called 'Love Dwells Here'. Lemme tell you that you really get your dollar's worth with this set as Nina has cleverly placed as many stamps as possible into this set!

The set features many sweet house images, but for my card today I wanted to give you an idea of just how versatile this set is by creating probably the 'girliest' Christmas card ever!

There's lots of shimmer here as I've used shimmer cardstock for the card base and focal point. I stamped a heart on shimmer cardstock, coloured it with a Promarker and smothered it in Glossy Accents before attaching it to the centre of those wings (oh, and be sure to let it dry thoroughly before attaching. Go on, ask me how I know that....! Yup, my lack of patience strikes again!)

Here's the full whack of that shimmer:

Now I recommend you check out the rest of the TCM DT as you'll get a idea of all of the other fabulous stamps in this set! Oooh and if you fancy winning this set yourself, then be sure to leave a comment on the TCM Blog by 9pm PST tonight!

Thanks so much for visiting this little corner of Blogland today! :)

Catch ya later!

Bluebirds + Ice-Creams = Summer :)

Hey!

Welcome back for Day 2 of The Craft's Meow July Release Sneaky Peeks!!!


I'm super duper excited about today's sneak peeks as I get to share two more fabulous sets with you, one of which designed by myself!

First up is a super sweet set by Mabelle Ramirez-Ortiz called 'Sweet Taste of Summer'. As soon as I saw the large cute image of a gal having a picnic, I knew I wanted to fussy cut elements from it to create my own li'l scene:

This is a diddy 3x3 card. I couldn't resist the cute birdie and loved the idea of him perched on the picnic basket (hopefully there's no worms in there for him to eat though!) I'm also going to enter this into the Moxie Fab World Stamp It! Challenge - Hello Category.

Edited to add: Now I can show you the large stamp this scene was created from as the set is available for purchase!  

Our next set is called 'One Scoop or Two?' and is designed by me! (I still have to pinch myself to say that y'know!) This set captures what summer means to me: ice-cream! Hee!

Edited to add: I can now show you the whole set - yay! :D

One Scoop or Two? allows you to custom design your ice-creams to your heart's content - as many scoops as you can handle! Want a cherry on top? Sprinkles? Sauce? A chocolate flake? You can have it! You may even want to add a smiley face!

For my project I went for a classic Neopolitan combo of scoops with a glossy cherry on top:

To explain how the set works I've come up with a kinda step-by-step tutorial.

The first thing you want to do when you get this set it to create a mask of the scoop. This will make using the set fabulous for one-layered stamping should you not be in the mood to fussy cut. I simply stamped the outline scoop on a sticky post-it and cut it out (and I now keep it stuck inside my set for future inky sessions!)

You'll notice the set comes with the image of an outline scoop with the top missing. No, that's not a fault with the set, it's a masking scoop! This baby allows you to stack as many scoops as you desire!

Seeing as I want 3 scoops to my ice-cream, I simply line up the same stamp and place on top of my first scoop.

For my final scoop I use the full-outline image of a scoop.

Now for the cone - afterall - how are you going to hold that tower of ice-creamy goodness? :)

For the cone you need to place the mask you created earier on top of the bottom cone.

Next, pick your cone (there's a choice with this set!) and stamp, allowing the top of the cone to stamp over the bottom scoop with the mask on.

To finish, remove the mask!

Scrummy! :)

Fancy a chance of winning either one of these sets featured today? Well get your commenting hat on and visit the TCM Blog for your chance (comments must be left by 9pm PST tonight!)

Thanks so much for stopping by here today!

Tackling the guys and sympathy...

Hey!

Welcome to Day 1 of The Craft's Meow July Release Sneaky Peeks!


Today we're giving you a good sneaky peek of not one, but two sets!

First up is a set designed by, Elizabeta Kushner called 'Ladies and Gents'. This set will take you back in time and give your projects that gorgeous, understated elegance. I decided to create a tag for the Gents:

Very simple but that's perfectly acceptable in my book when it comes to stamping for the guys (or should that be gents?!). I've even dared to add a sparkle to that top hat in the form of a clear gem for a bit of 'pizazz'

Next up, we're featuring a beautiful set designed by Karen Baker called 'Hope Blooms'. The set is exactly what its namesake suggests: beautiful blooms and sentiments of hope.

It's not only projects for guys I find difficult to create, but sympathy cards too. Yet Karen's set made me actually want to create a sympathy card! The delicate outline of the flower is suitable for more than a sympathy card too of course :)

So how about you getting a chance to win one of these sets featured today? Simply leave a comment on the TCM Blog by 9pm PST  today and two randomly selected peeps will win one of these sets - simples!

Be sure to check out what the rest of the amazing TCM DT whipped up with these sets and don't be afraid to say 'Hi' to our Guest Designer - Naomi Gong!

Before I dash - I just wanted to fill you in on why I've been slightly MIA recently.

• It's the final week of term (I'm shattered!)
• I have craft activities to plan and organise for the last two days of term.
• I have general school work to complete before Friday.....!
• I'm organising a summer school that starts next week!
• Our Internet has decided to kaput at home :(

So at some point I'll be back properly! Thanks for you emails asking where I've been - I hope this explains my absence!

Catch ya later!

The Best and Most Fabulous...

Hey!

Happy Friday-Eve! I've got this post scheduled but even though I'm not blogging live, I know I'll be grateful for Friday-Eve with the busy week I have!

So let's kick of the pre-weekend celebrations with a fabulous new CASE Study!

Yup it's time to knuckle down and study this card from our muse for July, Kristii Lockart:

You can check out the original post of this card here.

 I was inspired by the theme of Kristii's card and found it the perfect excuse to ink up Sew Happy by The Craft's Meow as well as attempt to use up some of my DP!

I also kinda stuck to Kristii's colour scheme but modernised it a bit with the addition of grey. :)

We'd love to see your take on Kristii's card so why not play along with us? If you're in need of some inspiration, then you must check out the rest of the CASE Study DT:

Amy Wanford (You're here!)

Andrea Ewen

Christina MacLaren
Clare Buswell
Debby Hughes  

Iwona Palamountain (Chupa)
Jean Martin 
Maureen Plut
Teneale Williams
Teresa Kline

Kristii Lockart (July's Muse)

Keeping it short and sweet today! Thanks for stopping by!

Catch ya later!

Card Deets
{The Best and Most Fabulous Friend}
Stamps: (The Craft's Meow)
Ink: London Fog (Memento)/Buttercup (A Muse)
Cardstock: White (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Portrait Collection (Crate Paper)
Accessories: Lemon Tart Buttons, Cream Button Twine (Papertrey Ink)

Pure Florals (& Plaid Leaves!)

Hey!

Happy Wednesday! We're halfway through the week and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than by having Uniko Studio release some fabulous new goodies! :D

Today I'm sharing projects featuring the gorgeous new stamp set, Pure Florals: Gerbera along with three new digital collections that will compliment not only Pure Florals: Gerbera but many other projects too! So, shall we get started?

First up is a card that features the lovely outline image of a gerbera (the set also contains a solid image of the same gerbera which looks fabulous when stamped over this outline!) along with a strip of coordinating DP printed from the Pure Florals: Gerbera Digital Collection.

I stamped the outline once in latte ink (A Muse) and then stamped the same image over it again in kraft ink (Papertey Ink) - it softens the lines and gives a more organic style image. Trust me, it looks better IRL!

The sentiment is one of many that comes with the Pure Florals: Gerbera stamp set and I love that the sentiments are individual stamps - allowing you create your custom sentiments for that special someone.

OK so sticking with the same stamp set for my next card, but using a pretty pastel plaid DP this time printed from the Classics Summer Digital Collection:

I decided to paper-piece the outline leaf image from Pure Florals: Gerbera (again, there's a coordinating solid image of the same leaf which will line up perfectly!) and let the plaid leaves do the talkin' on this one. I know, it's a rarity to see plaid patterned leaves but I kinda like 'em *wink*

I'm entering the two cards above into the Moxie Fab World: Stamp It! Cards Week: The Thank You Challenge.


Warning: You may need your sunglasses on now as I feature a project using some seriously scrummy paper from the Eclectic Mix Summer Digital Collection! It's fun, fabulous and bright!

Psssst! Don't tell the other digital paper packs, but I reckon this one is my fave right now....!

So there you have it - some fabulous new goodies available from Uniko Studio from today! Be sure to check out the Uniko Studio Blog for some more fabulous projects featuring today's release!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I know I've been a little MIA recently - the reason why is that I've been super busy getting work finished before our school closes for the summer holidays which is next Friday and I'm also trying to get a summer school organised at the same time. Stampy therapy and blog hopping await me at the end of next week - can't wait!

Catch ya later!

I don't care if Monday's blue...

Hey!

Monday already. Where did my weekend go?!

Couldn't resist using the lyrics from one of my favourite songs ever (Friday I'm in Love - The Cure) to suit a card of mine I should have probably shared ages ago!

Now Gallery Idol 2012 has been and gone, (HUGE congrats to the well deserved winner, Joscelyne Cutchens and a big shout out to my fellow UK peeps, Aga and Taheerah who made the Top 10!) and after making the final last year, I figured I'd enter again with this card. It's a punny take on the very popular Pantone trend.

Needless to say, I didn't make it past the open auditions round this time around. I was very happy to see 20 very talented ladies shine with their creativity and have myself cheer from the sidelines instead. In fact, half of me is glad I never made it further as memories of the stress and pressure of last year's competition came flooding back to me - LOL!

Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. That's a motto I live by and one that's bagged me some fabulous adventures in the process :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Catch ya later!

Card Deets
{Blue Skies Ahead 4U}
Cardstock: White, Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Computer Generated Sentiment