Happy birthday butterfly shaker card

I'd like to enter this card into the Inkspirational challenge #102: pop and the AAA Cards Challenge #58: sequins.

Now sequins always make me think of shaker cards, so I made one, and the pop is a pop of colour if that makes sense. I think the red/purple butterfly really stands out from the white.

The backpanel to the shaker opening is a watercoloured panel with candied apple and wilted violet from Distress inks, diluted with perfect pearl mist for shimmer.

First I stamped the sentiment  from Sizzix (birthday by Stephanie Barnard) and I stamped it with Versafine, three times cos I kept messing it up, lucky for me a page has 2 sides...I think there's a dip in my table or something, because it was always the same corner that didn't transfer...ofcourse I tried to restamp on top of it..hahaha I don't know why I try, it never works ;-)

I added  some layers of craftfoam underneath the panel for my third try and it stamped perfectly.

The shaker window I made by diecutting the butterfly from Simon Says Stamp, it coordinates with a stamp but works as a standalone too.

I then attached a piece of acetate and proceeded to make the shaker frame with foamtape, double layer. I didn't use craftfoam this time as it was thinner that two layers of foamtape and I wanted depth for the clear beads.

I filled my shaker with clear beads, silver sequins in two sizes and purple and red (iridescent) butterfly confetti. Some red butterfly show up green ish on the photo, that is because they're iridescent, don't know  to fix that on the photo, but they are red! as you can see from the other photo. 

Mounted the watercolour panel to close the shaker then used taperunner to add this panel to a cardbase.

Less is More Challenge #263: one layer

Less is More Challenge #263: one layer and a DT call.


For my card I cut Neenah Solar white card to size and stamped the poppy with Memento Tuxedo black, the image is from Craft Emotions and I went outside especially to get it..it was freezing and I was quite comfortable under my blanket..lol..
But yeah I wanted it, I have a  cluster of poppies but I wanted this single one for the card I had in mind.
I stamped to the right and the sentiment from Stampendous (encouraging words) next to it.
I scribbled in the lines with a multiliner in two sizes. Freehanded as I wanted scribbled lines, not straight ruler like ones.
I coloured the image with my Spectrum Noir markers.
It, ofcourse, bled through to the inside, not sure if I will add a liner, haven't yet, will see.
Considered adding a few dewdrops, but for the occasion I thought it would be wrong, also less is more ;-)

I encourage you to join in and consider the DT spot, I am, so wish me luck!

For more information on the Less is More Challenge #263: one layer, see this

clearstamps maintenance and shammy review

Sometimes clearstamps lose their stickiness, usually this is easily remedied with a little soapbath.

I put my stamsets in a box if I find one or more our not clinging well to my blocks anymore.

Then one evening I go trough all the sets.

I'm not the kind of person that gets everything out to clean one stamp, sorry.

I prep a little bowl with warm water and a drop of dish washer soap/detergent.

Only needs one drop.

I wash the stamps with my fingers. You can feel them going from gritty to smooth again.

I rest them on a sponge cloth to soak up most water and them use a shammy to clean and dry it.

My shammy is really old and it was four times as big as you see in the video. I cut the big sheet up into four, easier to handle for this small jobs. They're used to clean windows or glass surfaces, like tables, doors or showcabinets. Also you can make it go further by cutting it up, or if you have friends over for a stampfest you'll need more ;-)

They come in natural and in an artificial kind. The natural is made of skin or leather or something, not sure, they are more expensive, work the same but they get icky when you wet them, a bit slimey and I don't like to use them for that reason ;-)

I bought two new shammy (shammies ?) today, one says shammy the other says chamoix in English.

the one with the little holes has two sheets in the pack for €1.39 the other , power shammy, is  €1.29, and has one in the pack. I don't remember how much my old (blue) one is, I had it for more than a decade I think.

These can go in the washing machine, but I don't know how clean they'll get, especially if you use archival ink or StazOn per example. Never washed mine and these two are new, so...i'll let you know ;-)

Shammies go hard when they dry up, but you moisten them and they go plaible and soft again, squeeze out the most water and clean your stamps.

No more fuzzy bits or hairs from kitchen towels and or baby wipes. I know there should be fuzzy free baby wipes, I haven't found them yet.

Also this is much better for the environment! no more wasted babywipes and kitchen towels. Also cheaper to run especially if you cut it up.

There are companies making stamp shammies, but they are much more expensive and although I don't know, I assume they work the same, in any case these from the supermarket  (and Action) work perfectly.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: one layer

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: one layer.

Showcasing Paper Smooches...I ordered some yesterday from SSS, but I'm not sure if they'll arrive in time, so in the meantime I made this one layer card without Paper Smooches. If I get them in time I will make the card I have in mind, otherwise I will still own a few fabulous Paper Smooches dies ;-)

Anyway for the card I used a stencil from Tim Holtz (splotches) I bought yesterday at my craftstore, so I kinda had no choice but to use it ;-)
I inked Distress ink through it (mermaid lagoon, mowed lawn and twisted citron).
To me it now looks like a car track, which gives me idea for more cards lol.

I stamped the sentiment in Versafine, it's from Sizzix (birthday by Stephanie Barnard).

I first attempted to make a stamp from my SSS painted happy birthday die and, although I had some successes in the past, today the craftfoam didn't want to play nice. I became all squished and flat, and layering two or three was too difficult. )sorry about the photo I had already trashed it ans used as scrap ;-) )

I needed a nice bold sentiment that would stand out from the background without layering. thought about adding a white gel pen border, but I don't think it needs it, just rhinestones...every card needs some bling lol
I didn't have a mowed lawn colored rhinestone so I used a Spectrum Noir marker to color a white or silver or colorless one, not sure which color it is ;-)

Had the blue and lime green one, but otherwise I could also have colored them with alcohol markers or alcohol ink or alike...little tip there for you ...

I thought it could be a boy or man birthday card, but not sure if they would appreciate the bling.
The splotches also remind me of confetti and punchinella...so versatile lol

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: one layer, see this

Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #160

Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #160

For my card I used a stencil I bought yesterday, it's from Tim Holtz (splotches) I thought it looked like car tracks  when used fully.
I, ofcourse, played with it yesterday and made said cartracks with Distress inks ( mermaid lagoon, mowed lawn and twisted citron)

Today when the sketch appeared I thought I could use elements from the stencil to make the 3 dots from the sketch. They could have

been any shape, but somehow this all made sense ;-)
Used the same colours as I like that combination a lot.
Did a  lot of masking to make sure I wouldn't get ink in the next splotch and then I put the lid of  mowed lawn on the panel..:-( trimmed off the ink smearing and instead of it being a one layer card it now became the panel for my card.
I wanted to also enter it into a one layer challenge, still have the other though, so...

The sentiment is from Sizzix (birthday by Stephanie Barnard) and I stamped it with Versafine ink.
Few matching rhinestones to lift the card, I'm such a magpie haha.

Mounted the panel flush to the cardbase with taperunner.

For more information on the Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge, see this

updated February 23rd:

Ink swiping and masking

I'd like to enter this card into:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Spritz and spray and the Sparkle and Shine Challenge #23.


For my card I made a panel of 9cmx9cm about 4inches square. I die cut 4 hearts out of Inkadinkadoo masking paper and  stuck them the panel as centred as I could.
I then Swiped  Distress mini inkpads across the panel, diving the panel into four (candied apple, worn lipstick, abandoned coral and ripe persimmon).

I spritzed Distress spray stains across the panel (brushed pewter and picket fence), peeled off the masks to reaveal the heart shapes.
I also sprayed the cardbase with brushed pewter and worn lipstick sprays.
Diecut the Love from Lawn Fawn and colored it with candied apple to  match.
Mounted the panel with foam tape and I adhered some enamel shapes from Create a Smile in between the squares.
Create a smile is the sponsor for the Sparkle and shine challenge so I chose those arrow like things I got as a thank you with my order instead of sequins I usually use for Sparkle and Shine.

Thank you card with colourblocks

I'd like to enter this card into the : CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge # 159 and the Addicted to CAS Challenge # 80: bloom.

Colour blocking is mostly done in fashion and interiors, where two or more contrasting blocks of colour are used next to each other, usually solids and colours you might not put together in an outfit yourself like orange and purple or yellow and hot pink etc. CAn't say I will ever wear these outfits ;-) I like a certain red and purple together but that's as brave as I get lol.

I used the idea of colourblocking for my flowers.
These are dies from Simon Says Stamp (single roses) and to get the colours I just swiped the inkpad onto some scrap cardstock. same for the background (Distress inks spun sugar with some Ranger dye ink gumball combined, picked raspberry and carved pumpkin). When you diecut these roses you're left with outlines and a nice graphic looking swirly bit I will use on another card ;-)....
So I stuck the die cuts on contrasting colours and cut them out. I swiped the inkpad along the edges to neaten them up, what you usually would do with a black marker and black outlines.

I left the leaves open.
Initially I thought to add some more stamped outlined flowers from the same stampset as the sentiment (Technique Tuesday- Fabulous by Ali Edwards) in the opposite corner, as I now have ranger dye inks to stamp with. Infact I used Cheese puff first for the sentiment, but I didn't like it, also messed  up the stamping, so turned the panel round and stamped with Versafine, I prefer black sentiments for some reason, one being the graphic look of it I suppose.
Mounted the big rose flush with the panel and the smaller ones with one or two layers of foam.
Adhered the cardpanel onto the cardbase with tape runner.
I tired to  match my colours as close as possible to the Stampin Up ones and the photo is quite dark, hideous weather here, but I think I matched them really well. I'm sorry if it doesn;t show...

update February 17th 2016:

I was a weekly winner :-D