Crafty Cardmakers Rain/Flowers

Had just printed this image and papers off from my frou frou digikit when testing it out on the printer and saw the latest challenge on Crafty Cardmakers. The theme was Rain and Flowers.

The colours are a little bright for me (again... must be the sunshine earlier this week) and I've used two patterned papers - goodness I'll have to go and lie down in a darkened room.

But they are in the kit together and  they are supposed to match.......I'm just normally not that daring! I even die cut the leaves from some DCWV glitter paper because it was the best colour match - pattern, bling and bright colours, whatever next!!
Don't you just love that frond die? It's from Memory Box and cuts like a dream.

May Art Draw - 'May I' share this project.....

I am sharing the May Art Draw with this month's challenge at Scrap our Stash. This project has been made with items that have been languishing in my stash for quite a while. Even the Clearly for Art which I have been using lately (it's all gone now!!) had been stuck in a file for over 6 months and I thought I had better use it up before it got mistaken for a sheet of acetate!

For the "MAY I?" Challenge you have to complete your project by getting inspiration from someone elses blog and that is what I did   for this month's draw. The item on offer is this altered wooden box which has been made over using some great techniques demo'd on one of my favourite altered art blogs 'Zuzu's Petals'. To create her wonderfully textured boxes and canvases Louise uses fusible/fantasy film and in response to requests from followers she generously posted a tutorial here.

I found this great fun, although I had some problems getting the film to 'stick' initially. Also although Louise did suggest that we "heat the holy crap out of it".... I may have taken this a little too literally - some of the film looked decidedly singed when I was done (nothing a touch of gold paint or metallic rub on couldn't fix LOL).

It was totally coincidental that I had also been making some rather yummy metallic looking flowers and this one really seemed to go with the box so I decided to stick it on the top rather than add lots of small embellishments like Louise has. However I have another larger box to do that may well get a lot of extra layers!! To finish off I put one of my Tim Holtz tags of 2012 inspired butterflies inside. It's wired in but the recipient could easily take it out and use it on a project.

The box is quite small, no more than 2.5" x 2.5", but if you like blingy texture and would like the chance 'win' this box then leave a message on this post before 9.00 pm on Sunday 27th MAYand I'll put you in the draw. Overseas players welcome. Please feel free to link from your own blogs if you have the technology (as per last month, if I see you have I will put you in the draw twice but no pressure!!). Alternatively maybe you will be inspired to follow the tutorial and have a go, I'd love to see what you do!!

That's it for now, hope  you like what I have made. I have a little more information to impart re making the flowers so will probably do a post about them when I have a minute but, unfortunately, decorating calls!!

See you later,

Cindy x

Mother's Day Card (No1 !!)

Well I'm not sure if  this is going to my mum or not as it may go to a commission unless they decide they don't like it. My mum would love it but I am not entirely happy with it. It's a hybrid effort with some digital elements, stamping, decoupage, promarker colouring, nesties and embellies. It sure took long enough for me not to be pleased with it. Just looks a bit unbalanced. Since I took the photo I added a little cross charm under the bow (a cross was in the brief) and I'm a little happier with it (Just can't stop fiddling that's why everything takes me so long).

I took an A4 card and cut it down a bit as I actually find A4 cards a bit too big - we need another size between A5 and A4 I think!!

Part of the commission was for 'lots of words' (you know what mums are like LOL) and so I tried to do a fancy fold up thing in the middle with a sheet of A3 and added my verses but for some reason I couldn't get the colour of the text to change which was a little annoying but it looks OK.  (Please don't laugh at my excruciating verse). Unfortunately I hadn't anticipated that a sheet of A3 folded in half and then in half again is basically A5 sized - so it doesn't cover the whole of the  card. But I'd already done the front so I wasn't going to change it!! Aaah, forward planning.........

And then, because I cut down the A4 card I had to make a box because I didn't have an envelope. I used the green hougie board rather than the enveloboxer thingy that is staring at me because I really have not worked out to use it yet. Of course, I hadn't thought about using a sensible measurement when I cut the A4 card so that was easy (NOT). LOL, I have all the 'stuff' if only I had an ounce of common sense sometimes I would make my life easier.


So it may be for my mum or someone else's mum, I'll find out tomorrow. Would save me a job if they decide to buy their own as I haven't even started on MDC No 2 yet. But there's always Saturday.....

Finally a little plug.... for the March Art Draw. There have been very few entries so far this month so if you've read this far and you haven't entered why not go to the relevant post here and leave your name. You don't even have to say anything much (although that would be nice!!).

I am pleased to announce.............

that I have been asked to join the design team over at Try It On Tuesday. This very friendly challenge blog is having a makeover with additional DT members and a re-vamp of the way the challenges are run, so why not pop over and find out what is happenning?

This is my first design team project for TIOT and I decided to make a card based around some of my favourite things - in this case, Family, Flowers and Flutterbies!!



The card is destined for my dear sister whose birthday is this week (in fact we were out yesterday having a glass or two of bubbly to celebrate).

The butterflies were made using fusible film and angelina fibres ironed on to a Clarity butterfly stamp. It gives a lovely iridescent effect  and looks great layered up.

I used an edging punch for the lace, nesties for the centrepiece and the spiral flowers were die cut from vellum which gives a lovely delicate effect - although you do have to wait a little longer than normal for the glue to 'grab' hold.

I am really excited about becoming 'part of the team' and seeing what everyone creates for the challenges. So pop on over and take a look!!