Butterfly for February Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Hello everyone. It's the second of the month, which means it's time to show you all what I created for the Card Chain Challenge. This month, my card went to Debbie in Michigan, who was participating for the very first time this month.

I went with the sketch and the product/technique option (paint).

I found some scraps in my scrap box that seemed to combine really well. I tore the green scrap (from a not so successful 'drunken acrylics' experiment) lengthwise and added die-cut circles from another scrap. If I remember correctly, I used Marabu acrylic effects paint on this scrap. I had stamped and heat-embossed the butterfly last month while working on my January CCC card, so all I had to do now was to fussy cut just the butterfly and add it to my biggest circle. I adhered the butterfly body with liquid glue and put a strip of foam tape under each wing. Both the butterfly and and sentiment are from the Block Prints set from Fun Stampers Journey.

Do check out the CCC challenge blog to see all of the wonderful cards that were exchanged worldwide last month. And while you are there, why don't to link up and join us next month? Each month, you can decide if you want to play or not.

I'm also linking up my card at:

SSS Wednesday - Anything goes

More greens

Hello everyone! I almost typed in 'Eat more greens!' as the title. I don't normally use much green on my cards but I am trying to incorporate more plants into my diet, so maybe that explains why I have 2 cards to share today that are predominantly green. Or maybe it's simply because I wanted to create cards for a few challenges LOL.

Anyway, my first card was created especially for the current Let's Squash It challenge, where I am guest designing this month. I thought this was a good moment to ink up my NBUS dandelion embossing folder (part of an embossing folder and stamp set, Fairy Wishes, Practical Publishing) that I bought last year or so. I used distress oxides and a small brayer to add colour to the EF before running it through my die cutting machine with a panel of Crafter's Companion watercolour card. I repeated my inking with the various greens until I was happy with the coverage. I stamped the block of sentiments (NBUS Subway Art: Dare, STAMPlorations) using the darkest green ink. I used the photopolymer stamp but I have just discovered that is also available as a digital set, together with the Subway Art Create sentiments. For my insect, I used this sweet ladybug brad from a NBUS set that I bought from the Eyelet Outlet many years ago. On the spur of the moment, I decided to also stamp a snail from the Fairy Wishes stamp set. I did not want to trim my panel, so I added it to an A6 card base.

I'm linking up my card at:

Let's Squash It - #17 Green + insect

We Love Stamping - AG with stamping (option: stencil)

Stamping Sensations - AG stamping (option: wings or tails)

NBUS - #35 AG with NBUS

STAMPlorations - Never-ending AG with STAMPlorations

My second card is one for my Christmas stash. I used a previously stamped and gold heat embossed panel from my UFO box. To add a little more interest, I matted the panel with a slightly larger white panel before adhering it to my green card base.

I'm linking up this card at:

52CCT - Green, white and gold

CHNC - #581 AG Christmas

HLS Christmas - AG Christmas

Let's Squash It – #17 Grasshopper Green

Hello everyone. It's time for a new challenge at Let's Squash It, and I'm thrilled to be making a guest appearance this month after being crowned the Empress of Squash for these cards that I created for the challenge back in December.

The idea of the challenge is to get out those embossing folders that many of us have been hoarding and put them to good use. If you check out the challenge blog, you'll find plenty of inspiration, especially from Gail and Jo, to use your embossing folders in different ways.

This month, we're asking you to feature an insect (or several insects), the colour green, and an embossing folder of course. Here's what I came up with:

I pulled out an old Sizzix Texture Fades EF by Tim Holtz (Winter berries – thanks Gail!) and ran it through my die cutting machine with a panel of Crafter's Companion watercolour card. I have discovered that using watercolour card gives a very crisp embossed impression and does not crack. And in most cases, the result is so smooth that no one will notice you've used watercolour card. It also works great with 3D embossing folders.

Anyway, after embossing my panel, I added colour by gently swiping several green ink pads over the raised surface. I decided to use some long neglected Studio Calico color theory inks (Yes Peas, Going Green and Lime Light) because these ink pads have a very stiff surface. When I did smudge the ink where I did not want it, I used a wet watercolour brush to scrub at the ink to make the marks less noticeable. That turned out to be a very happy accident, so that I turned it into a feature and drew out some of the ink in other places as well. I also added some splatters using the darkest green.

The butterflies (from an old (2013) stamp set by Clearly Besotted) were stamped in Versafine black and coloured in using Catherine Pooler inks and a ZIG blender brush. After fussy cutting them, I added some sparkle using a Spectrum Noir glitter brush and popped them up on foam tape.

The sentiment is from an older PTI stamp set (Bitty Butterflies).

I hope you will check out the Let's Squash It challenge blog for all of the details and play along!

I'm also linking up my card at:

SSS Wednesday - Emboss it

HLS CAS - Inky

Stamping Sensations - AG with wings or tails