Following on from my butterfly, butterfly post, I thought I should share the 'other' version. Using the same pattern / template but changing up the colour combo creates a different feel to this butterfly card.
I do have a liking for the Chocolate, Orange, Teal colour combo, (and chocolate oranges I must confess :D) So here is what happened when I teamed up those shades in butterfly form.
I used card from Papermill Direct in 'Mocha' and 'Teal' shades, which I purchased as part of a pick n' mix selection box, these are really good value and allow you to try out a variety of card colours and weights, (believe 4 selections in a box). The papermill card is lovely to work with and cuts so well in the Cricut Mini, you get a nice 'clean' cut. (and I'm still using the first blade that came with the machine back in November time). I tend to use the 'medium' card setting and only adjust down if I'm cutting thinner paper.
Accompanying the papermill cardstock on this outing is some pale blue pearlescent card, seen between the 'mocha' and the 'teal', and also pearlescent white card seen just inside the white scrolls on the top layer. The patterned paper is from a 'First Edition' 8x8 paper pad called 'New Leaf'. I added stickles glitter glue in 'Mercury Glass', and some faux half pearls. On this version I also used Card Candi from Craftwork Cards. I had the orange Card Candi in my stash but used my promarkers to colour white Card Candi into a lovely mint green colour. Now I'm feeling hungry, Chocolate Oranges anyone? :)
Materials Used:Mocha Card - Papermill Direct
Teal Card - Papermill Direct
New leaf 8x8 pad - First Edition
White & blue Pearlescent cards from own stash
Mercury Glass - Stickles Glitter glue
Self Adheshive Faux pearls
Card Candi - Craftwork Cards
Tools Used:
Cricut Mini- Provocraft
I LOVE stamping!! There I said it out loud, but it's true and needed to be said. I think most crafters that work with paper, card, etc start out stamping and then either lose their way or get so amazed by new products on the market that they meander away from the path of stamping.
I've made a lot of cards lately that could be described as CAS Clean & Simple styling. Something about those crisp white card bases and regimented patterns. But every now and then, I rebel!! I get out the inks and get messy.
One of my favourite Stamp companies is Visible Image. I love their quality and the unique designs and so when i saw the brand new sets from the 'more than words' collection, I knew I had to have 1 or 2 or 3 (I ending up buying 3) I believe I do have another on the way but that's another story :)
I chose the 'Thank You' set to work with, has a lovely verse and is very versatile with the flower head stamp included which is great to make backgrounds as well as focal points.
So I planned to not plan my card!! I just assembled some basics from my craft stash, like distress inks, archival ink, gilding flakes, water spritzer etc and set to work.
First I thought I'd make a sheet of patterned card. I blended dabs of distress inks in 3 colours all over a white piece of card, taking time to blend the colours all over. Used 2 main colours of Spiced Marmalade and Worn Lipstick for larger areas and used the Tea Dye to help blend the two together. Then I thought I'd have more messy fun and filled a spritzer bottle with water and gently sprayed it randomly over my newly coloured card. I left the water droplets for a few seconds before blotting with tissue. You can leave the water longer if you want a more dramatic look of course.
When the card was dry, I stamped the flower head from the set all over it randomly, using the 2 main colours of the distress inks.
A sentiment verse from the set was stamped onto a panel of white card using Black Archival Ink, and finished the panel with a couple of stamped flower heads to match the base.
After trimming my background cards to size to suit my design and the 6x6 card blank, I then dabbed gilding glue around the edges of both sheets and applied the gilding flakes. Love doing this, it's extra messy but worth it, especially when you 'burnish' the flakes to reveal their variegated shades.
I wasn't finished stamping though, I decided to 'stamp' a couple of the flower heads in gilding glue and gild them too, helping to bring the sentiment panel and background card together. I thought the card still needed something extra to balance the black, and so I used the 'Thank You' stamp from the same set and stamped in black at the top right and bottom left of the card.
Then just a little matting and layering with my favourite black cardstock (papermill) and the card was complete.
I really like the look and warm 'feel' of this card, and the 'thank you' repeated twice is like saying 'thank you, thank you' and gives extra meaning to the sentiment, I think?
I need to get my 'Challenege Mojo' back and so I am going to enter this card in Visible Image's March Challenge http://visibleimage.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/use-your-favourite-visible-image-stamps.html
Which this month is all about using your favourite stamps, and this new range of stanmps is currently my Fav!!
Challenges entered:
Visible Image - March Challenge - Use Your Favourite Visible Image Stamps
http://visibleimage.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/use-your-favourite-visible-image-stamps.html
Shame my camera work does not truly reflect the gilding flakes, they catch the light and provide extra interest to the card.
Materials Used:
White stamping card from Oakhouse Studio
Distress Ink pads in 'Spiced Marmalade' and 'Worn Lipstick', also 'Tea Dye' to blend
Black Archival Ink
Black card from Papermill Direct
Gilding glue
Gilding Flakes in 'Brighton Pier'
White 6 x 6 Card Blank from Craftwork Cards
Wow can't believe I waited sooo long to get stuck into this collection and now that I have, I can't seem to tear myself away. I've admired it for so long, stroked the papers, flipped through both the 12x12 and the 8x8, although I must admit that I haven't opened the little extras like the tags and pockets and chipboard embellishments yet. Saving those treats for now :D
I like interesting card bases and I'm a bit choosy about quality. So these elegant step cards from craftwork cards fit the bill nicely. Again I think the colours of this collection really 'pop' when set off against a good quality intense black. I've used many cardstocks over the years and never been 100% happy with the blacks. Not sure why, but it seems really difficult to get a good even black. So I was over the moon to recently re-discover Papermill Direct. (Used to buy from there shops instore many years ago) Anyway, I ordered some black card as part of a 'pick & mix' of 4 colours, which btw were all super quality and colours. The black really caught my eyes though, at last a proper black to play with and i think it sets off the bright colours perfectly.
For the first card I inked around all the edges of the 'step card', that's quite a lot of edges, so i double-checked to make sure. Also inked up the paper edges using 'Broken China' distress ink before matting & layering the panels onto my new found friend, the black card. Attached the panels to the card base using a combination of double sided tape and cosmic shimmer glue.
I die cut the sentiment panels and the black accent shapes and flourishes, again using the papermill cardstock, perfect through my Big Shot.
After assembling the panels and adding the card accents, I turned my attention to the finishing touches. I knew the card needed something extra, something tactile and to add dimension. So I took some vintage rose lace ribbon, that was a cream colour, and decided to sponge it with 'broken china' distress ink. I tapped some ink onto a mat, added a little water and sponged the rose trim all over. After it has dried a little I then added a touch more of the blue ink (neat this time not watered down) just applying it to the raised edges of the rose folds itself, to add a little more definition.
A couple of wired fabric leaves (from my stash) and some black liquid pearls add the finishing touches.
 |
| Blue Roses Step Card |
And next up is another step card. Again using the papermill black card to set off the beautiful colours of the G45 papers.
This time I used 'Spiced Marmalade' to ink all around the card base edges and also the edges of the patterned paper.
Using the same method as before, I dyed my cream coloured American seam binding by adding a little water to some of the ink tapped onto a mat and dragging the seam binding through it, making sure it was completely coloured before setting aside to dry. I love American seam binding, but I can't seem to find it locally, and am almost out!! So if anyone can recommend a store for me?
Okay I assembled the card panels as before using a combination of double-sided tape and cosmic shimmer glue. I die cut the sentiment panels and some flourishes from black card.
As before, I needed to add something to the design. I settled on making some die cut roses, using a die that cuts them as spirals, then I inked the cut edges and rolled them up into rose shapes, gluing the bottom of each with cosmic shimmer glue to hold them together. Now I would normally use a hot glue gun for my rolled roses, but I thought I'd experiment and try the cosmic shimmer glue, and besides I wasn't sure where I last put the glue gun. Anyway the experiment worked and the roses stayed rolled up in position. I added a tiny faux pearl to the inside centre of each.
Now I needed something to help set off my trio of roses. out came the Big Shot again and I diecut some more flourishes in black and also some trailing ivy leaves in green bazzil cardstock. I inked the edges of the ivy leaves to dampen down their greenness and co-ordinate with the rest of the card.
I added a bow made with the dyed seam binding and some black liquid pearls to finish the card.
 |
| Rose Trio Step Card |
I'm finding it hard to choose my favourite from these two. They are both standing on my craft table looking at me :D P.S. I must apologise for the quality of the photos, I'm not a good camera-woman :D
