Love Birds on a Wire

A fun CAS card for today's Featured Stamper Challenge at Splitcoaststampers - it's Doni, aka donidoodle and HERE is the fab card which inspired me.

I used various Ranger Distress inks after masking with post-it-notes to make a rainbow backround, then drew in the wire.  The birds are die-cut using Memory Box Nestled Bird die, and the sentiment is one I cut from a Paper Artsy image - it was just too perfect for what I had in mind, so I had to make it into a stamp I could use separately.  I think this could be used for an anniversary or engagement card!  

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Grunge Coffee

It's rare for me to make a card with no embellishments 

and this one has no colouring either but that's what the
Free for All Challenge at Splitcoaststampers is today!

I used Flourishes So Distressed to create the background 

with Ranger Distress and Stampin Up inks.

I stamped the coffee cup from Flourishes Grab a Cup in Memento 

Tuxedo Black ink twice, then sponged the the different layers 

with ink before popping up the lid and the coffee sleeve.

A quick and easy card, the grunge look is fun to play with - it's 

kind of hard to make a mistake!  :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

I Choose To Believe

Today I've got a card to share with you using a couple of sets
from the January release at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps which
I've left out on the craft table to
use again and again since I got them.

The sentiments in the set The Future are all encouraging and
inspiring but this one by Corrie Ten Boom really speaks to me,
especially knowing her story.  Her experiences in a German
prison camp during World War 2 - especially the brutality and
the death of her dear sister,
Betsie - make this statement even more meaningful.

To believe that God is both all powerful and all loving when life
 is painful takes making a choice, even if we have to askGod for
the faith to make it. Corrie Ten Boom chose to believe and
God endedup using her in the most amazing way!

I stamped the sentiment in gray (Archival Starlite) to
match the look of the weathered wood of the dp panel
and the circle is sponged lightly with Stampin Up's Pool Party ink to
give some contrast. The dp is from Prima's Fairy
Rhymes collection - Secret Garden.

The butterflies from Majestic Monarchs are so easy
to use with the new Monarch Dies - I love seeing that perfect
little border when it comes out of the Cuttlebug!  They're coloured with copics.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Vintage Bird

I was in the vintage/retro Irish shop Avoca in Belfast city centre yesterday and picked up a sheet of some vintage wrapping paper with a bird theme - it has a beautiful linen texture and I couldn't wait to get it home and try it out for some cards.  

Here's my first try, though if I cut the paper strategically, I should be able to make quite a few creations with it.  I stitched the the paper on to a panel before adding some lace, buttons, a flower and some pins.  

The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Precious Poppies, it's stamped on an oval cut using Spellbinders Ovals Petite, and sponged with Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink.  

Mother's Day here in the U.K. and Ireland is in March rather than in May as it is in North America, so I'm not working as far ahead as you might think!

Thanks for stopping by today, have a good weekend!

Fight, Hope, Believe, Pray

What better way to brighten a dark, grey, cold winter day than to work with brilliant colours and patterns - I received a Basic Grey's Knee High 6 x 6 paper pad for Christmas and it sure fits the bill!

I love the new releases from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and combined these sentiments from God is Bigger and the little birdie from Valentine Critters to make a card for someone going through a very rough time. The bird has been paper pieced and I used copics to create the grass.

The words are stamped on pennants cut using the SNSS Pennants and More Dies and the little heart is cut using SNSS Heart Dies.

Just for fun I created a little fringe on the ends of the twine this time.  

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope it's a good one for you!

SNSS January Release Hop Day 5

Hello and welcome to Day 5 of the January blog hops 

showcasing the newly released sets from Sweet 'n Sassy 

Stamps!  Today we're highlighting the fabulous set

Monarch Dies

I just can't get enough of butterflies, I love the new dies which 
coordinate with the Majestic Monarch stamp set.  After 
colouring a trio of butterflies with copics, I added a few 
punched daisies with black pearls to the stitched polka dot panels.  
The sentiment, stamped in SU's Orchid Opulence,
 is from the newly released set The Future, .

Now take a look at the full set with all the details below:

Die set includes 6 dies.
Dies coordinate with Majestic Monarchs Clear Stamp Set.
Dies range from approximately 3/4" x 1" to 2 1/4" x 2 3/4".
Designed by Korin Sutherland.

Check out some of the fabulous samples made by our talented DT in the thumbnails below.  

 Be sure to leave a comment of each of the blogs along your journey because we're giving away (5) $15 store credits (1 winner will be chosen from each of the 5 blog hops).

 The deadline to comment for a chance to win is midnight EST Friday, January 17th. The list of winners will be announced on our website homepage by Monday, January, 20th.

Thanks so much for joining us!

 Enjoy the hop!

SNSS January Release Hop Day 4

Hello and welcome to Day 4 of the January blog hops showcasing 

the newly released sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!  

Today we're highlighting the fabulous set

God is Bigger

This set has an amazing number of encouraging and inspirational phrases 

which can be mixed and matched in any way you choose.  

I decided to use just one of them - "praying you through it" is 

just what I want to say to someone going through a very rough time.  

 I also used the newly released Monarch Dies along with the Majestic Monarch set.

For more inspiration using the Monarch Dies, check back for the tomrrow's hop!

Now take a look at the full set with all the details below:

Stamp set includes 24 sentiments.

Set measures approximately 4" x 6".

Longest sentiment measures approximately 2/8" x 2 1/2".

Designed by Korin Sutherland.

Check out some of the fabulous samples made by our talented DT in the thumbnails below.  

 Be sure to leave a comment of each of the blogs along your journey because we're giving away (5) $15 store credits (1 winner will be chosen from each of the 5 blog hops).

 The deadline to comment for a chance to win is midnight EST Friday, January 17th. The list of winners will be announced on our website homepage by Monday, January, 20th.

Thanks so much for joining us!

 Enjoy the hop!

SNSS January Release Hop Day 3

Hello and welcome to Day 3 of the January blog hops
showcasing the newly released sets from Sweet 'n Sassy 
Stamps!  Today we're highlighting the fabulous set

Valentine Critters

Valentine Critters is so much fun - what a cute set of 
images and sentiments!  I couldn't decide which to use first but the little 
bunny was irresistible, so I coloured him with copics and popped him up on a 
circle which I sponged with SU's Blushing Bride 
ink, then spritzed with some watercolours.

Take a look at the full set and all the details below:

Stamp set includes 6 images and 10 sentiments.
Set measures 6" x 8 ".
Bunny image measures approximately 2.25" x 2.5".
Elephant image measures approximately 2.75" x 2.25".
Designed by Diane Zechman.

Check out some of the fabulous samples made by our talented DT in the thumbnails below.  

 Be sure to leave a comment of each of the blogs along your journey because we're giving away (5) $15 store credits (1 winner will be chosen from each of the 5 blog hops).

 The deadline to comment for a chance to win is midnight EST Friday, January 17th. The list of winners will be announced on our website homepage by Monday, January, 20th.

Thanks so much for joining us!

 Enjoy the hop

SNSS January Release Hop Day 2

Hello and welcome to Day 2 of the January blog hops showcasing 
the newly released sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!  
Today we're highlighting the fabulous set

The Future

I used one of the incredibly encouraging sentiments from this inspirational set to create a CAS card.  I added a butterfly using the Majestic Monarch set and the Monarch Dies, along with a flourish using the newly released Leafy Flourish Background and More set.

Now take a look at the full set with all the details below:

Stamp set includes 10 sentiments.
Set measures approximately 4" x 6".
Largest sentiment measures approximately 2" x 2".
Designed by Korin Sutherland.

Check out some of the fabulous samples made by our talented DT in the thumbnails below.  

 Be sure to leave a comment of each of the blogs along your journey because we're giving away (5) $15 store credits (1 winner will be chosen from each of the 5 blog hops).

 The deadline to comment for a chance to win is midnight EST Friday, January 17th. The list of winners will be announced on our website homepage by Monday, January, 20th.

Thanks so much for joining us!

 Enjoy the hop!

SNSS January Release Hop Day 1

Hello and welcome to first day of the January blog hops showcasing the newly released sets 

from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!  Today we're highlighting the fabulous set

Leafy  Flourish Backround and More

I had a lot of fun creating this card and from the samples I've seen
from the rest of the design team using the 
Leafy Flourish Background and More 
set, I'm totally inspired and can't wait to get using it again!

I used white embossing ink and pearly white
embossing powder to emboss the background

before sponging with Stampin Up's Pretty in Pink, Lucky Limeade
and Lavender Lace.I created a little frame using Spellbinders 
Nestabilities Rectangles to frame 

the sentiment from the newly released set The Future.

I added a few pearls and some Prima roses to finish.

Now check out the full set with all the details below:

Designed by Korin Sutherland.

Full set is $26.

Set includes 7 images.

Set measures 6" x 8 ".

Large background stamp measures approximately 4.5" x 6 ".

Check out some of the fabulous samples made by our talented DT in the thumbnails below.  

 Be sure to leave a comment of each of the blogs along your journey because we're giving away (5) $15 store credits (1 winner will be chosen from each of the 5 blog hops).

 The deadline to comment for a chance to win is midnight EST Friday, January 17th. The list of winners will be announced on our website homepage by Monday, January, 20th.

Thanks so much for joining us!

 Enjoy the hop!

January Flourishes Beautiful World Tour

Hello and Happy New Year!

Welcome to your stop here in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 

this month's Beautiful World Tour with creations by talented designers 

from around the globe showcasing beautiful Flourishes sets!

If you've arrived here from the Sasha's blog, you're in just the right place,
but if you've just come across my blog and don't want to miss any of
the fabulous creations,you might want to head back over to the
Flourishes blog for the full list.

Don't forget that you're in with a chance to win one
of the fabulous Flourishes sets simply by leaving comments,
and you have right up until the end of January to leave your comments!

This month our hostess is Anne-Elise who is challenging us with the theme 

Vintage

For my vintage card I used one of my favorite Flourishes sets, 

Old Tea Rose - the beautiful flower image is coloured with copics 

and sponged lightly with Ranger Distress Frayed Burlap to

 "age" or tone down the colours for a more vintage hue.  

I masked the flower and sponged using a lattice stencil while 

the oval was still in the die, then splattered the whole panel 

with a little bit of Dylusions ink spray and a paintbrush.

Here's a closer look:

The edges of the butterfly are embossed with gold ink to pick up on the 

gold of the cord.  I've been hoarding a little jar of vintage buttons

that I got at St. George's Market in Belfast, and this seemed to be the 

perfect time to pick out a small gold button as the finishing touch for the butterfly!

Thank you so much for stopping by today,
I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop!  

Now it's time to head on over to Finland to see
what beautiful inspiration Anne Elise has for you!

Daisy Butterfly

Here's a card made for the Featured Stamper Challenge at Splitcoaststampers - 

this week we're honouring Joy Taylor and HERE is the lovely card which inspired me.

I used Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Grunge Elements to stamp paint splats in Stampin 

Up's Pool Party, Barely Banana, and Blushing Bride.

The dp is from My Minds Eye.  I sponged Pool Party ink on vellum for the larger 

butterfly - they have been cut using Spellbinders Butterflies.

I love this Scripture from Verve's Plain Jane collection - I use those 

verses time and time again, and this particular verse from Philippians is 

such an encouraging one, reminding me that even though I get down on myself 

at times, God isn't finished with me.  He is continually working in my life to 

make me more like Jesus, and will keep it up until I see Him face to face!

Thanks for stopping by today, have a good one!