Butterfly birthday card

Just a quick update on the card I was making, finally finished it with a rub on butterfly that I added some glitter to (its one of those double sided sticky ones, I have had it loose for AGES).

and the rest? From my scrap box of course!!  Yes, it is quite a big box BUT I have ordered it into small folders of similar colour ways so it does make it a bit quicker to see what I have!

What have you guys been making? 

 I hope to pop round a few blogs this weekend and check them out

Happy crafting

kyla

A scappy butterfly

My scrapbox is starting to get out of control again so I decided to challenge myself and make a card ONLY using bits from the scrap box.

There was only a small amount of the apricot metallic card so I die cut a butterfly and used some gems to indicate the flight pattern.

 

I loved the card that I used for the top and bottom but there was  so little of it I wasn't sure what I could use it for when inspiration struck and I realised that if I cut it in half there would be just enough to edge the card and voila, a card from scraps.

Now I just need to make a TON more as there are STILL LOTS of scraps in that box!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Five from one

 As promised I used the sheet of Kanban toppers that I bought at the Exeter show to make 5 cards using my own stash to stretch them.

For the first card I used a sheet of background paper, adding the topper skull strip across the bottom of the card.  I added some black stickles dots as fake gems and cut two butterflies from a masterboard of papercloth I made ages ago and have been slowly using (nearly all gone so I hope to find some time to make another batch as its a really useful item to have in your stash, though it does take a while to make because of the drying time of the glue before you attack it with the sewing machine).

 For card No 2 I used some more of the same background paper and used my scallop scissors (remember them?  I forgot I bought a pair all those years ago when they were popular, I found them during my clear up and remembered how lovely they are to use).  I added some leftover black card from my scrap box (and scalloped this also) and matted and layered the topper with black card, adding some more black stickle 'gems'.

Card No 3 was really quick, I used the large topper and placed it in the middle of the card.  I added a sentiment topper with some foam tape (from the hardware store-much cheaper) for dimension and doodled barbed wire around the edges of the card.

Card No 4 was just as quick and since I was pleased with the previous card I used the same techniques to produce this one.

 Finally Card No 5 was the last of the backing paper and some more off cut black card.  I edged the topper this time with the wedge end of a black promarker (this really is the quickest way to add a coloured border to a topper or card, but you do need a steady hand and not faff as if you falter and stop the colour will bleed).  I then added some more black stickle 'gems'.

There you go, five cards in one session from one topper.  I don't often use toppers (though I do seem to have a lot in my stash to use!) but often you have to really think outside of the box to make them a little different and that's no bad thing.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Multi layered scraps

Thought I would post one of my latest cards I made.

The background is an old 12x12 patterned scrapbook sheet I no longer like that I gesso'd, painted, wiped back, stencilled, stamped and collaged!

I then added an off-cut from an Angelina fibre die cut butterfly that I made for a previous card and attached it with coloured mini staples.

I added a butterfly with some foil adhered for a little bling and stamped a sentiment on the bottom left.

I got suitably inky and covered in paint so I was a happy bunny!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Wedding across the pond

I am hoping this is ok to show as this is a card I made my friend in America for his Wedding so hopefully he would have seen it by now!

Josh was my penfriend at school.....we 'met' through a CB Radio magazine (I know, but it was the early 80's!!) and have kept in touch ever since.  Josh recently married Caitlin (hello...waving to you both!) but we were unable to go so I thought I would make them a special card.  The photos from the day looked absolutely wonderful and I wish I could have shared it with them.

Congratulations to you both

Kyla 

 

Scrap butterfly

Not got much to show at the moment as I have been too busy with the pay the bills job.....BUT my weekly meet up with the crafting coven does mean I get a couple of hours to craft (and eat cake and drink tea!!).

Its a little like a really short crop because you take the stash you want to use with you.  

To make life easier I keep a craft organiser grab bag which has mini distress pads, some glitter glue, a few stamps, some washi tape and a couple of small boxes with brads etc in (you get the idea) and a clear pouch full of papers, off cuts, scraps and bits of ribbon, odd die cuts etc and a few blank cards.  

This means that I can usually knock out a card or maybe two and get to use up some of my scraps.

This is the card I made at last weeks session. Luckily I was about to add some stickles to add a little bling...then remembered I would have to somehow drive home with it still wet so decided against it!

The butterflies remind me that spring has just sprung and very soon the sun will start having some warmth in it and the days will be getting longer.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Am I the only one who walks around a DIY store with scissors?

I have to come clean, I cannot pass by a freebie...especially recycled freebies.  Skips, bins, swaps, freecycle....and I am a hoarder-this does not make for a good mix!

Over the years I have amassed quite a lot of wallpaper samples.  You know, in the DIY superstore you can rip bits off to take home and decide if you would like to buy it.

Now, I have always seen this as a crafting freebie and even take scissors along so that I can take some nice cleanly cut pieces.

However, I have gotten out of the habit of using them-so I have set myself a challenge to use up some (but not all-that would be unrealistic!!) over the coming weeks.

So here is my first card

This wallpaper has a gently glitter on it and I teamed it with a quote which I mounted on purple card and blue metallic card to complement the printed butterfly.

I also added some butterfly stickers (which are on acetate with a holograph background so they sort of flutter) and hey presto, a quick card from snippets that would have gone in the bin!

One down...several more to go!

I am entering this in the Snippets playground challenge

Happy crafting

Kyla

Truly unique at 90

 Hello peeps.  I hope the weekend is treating you well.

The other week it was my Nan's 90th Birthday!!  I know, she is totally amazing.  She lives in New Zealand so I wanted to be 100% sure that she had opened the package before I blogged about it!

This is the card I made her, I used some vintage paper from an old finance book (in old money!) and stamped some butterflies.

I then mounted this on a patterned background and added a hand stamped and coloured butterfly.  I distressed the edges of the card adding some paper brads from craftworks which I coloured to match the card.

Finally I gold embossed the 90 twice and added them to the page.

Now the present was a real dilemma. I had NO idea what to make Nan.  It had to be something I made as I have been making gifts for my Nan since I was about 7 years old and made her a felt pincushion.  I made her a hand painted and stitched wall hanging for Christmas so that was no good, I made her jewelry recently too...what to do?

Then it hit me...I could cover a notebook with a felt and machine stitched embellished cover.

  So that is what I did.  I took a day off work and spent the day at the sewing machine, a fabulous day and I was really proud with what I achieved (as well as putting doing the ironing off again!!).

 

I layered different colour sheer fabrics, ribbon and hand dyed wool and first used a blue then gold thread to over stitch.

I also used a blue thread to edge the book cover so it was all nice and neat.

There you have it, a one off and truly unique gift for a one off and truly unique Nan.

Happy Crafting

Kyla

Sympathy snippets card

 Hello peeps, I hope you are all well and had a fabulous weekend.

It's that time of year again when I cannot show much of what I am making (it would spoil the surprise come the 25th!).

However, this is a card I made for a friend whose mum died recently.  Having lost my dad this year I really appreciated those cards I was sent that weren't black and white and didn't have words such as "sorry for your loss"...so I thought back to those cards and made one that hopefully she liked.

 

The great thing about this card was that it was all from the ever overflowing scrap box.  

I embossed some pearl card and punched a slim strip with my leaf punch.  I die cut some music paper with a butterfly die (borrowed from one of the coven!).  I used Tim Holtz tea dye DI to warm up the colours a bit and added a simple sentiment.

As its all from my scrap box I am entering this into the http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/ snippets playground.

Happy crafting

kyla

 

Deep breath....I used a pen nib

Now, I am sure I am not alone....you see some fab stash, finally you give in and buy it, you get home, stroke the stash, covet the stash....anything but use the stash!

Now, a few weeks ago I made this tag with the idea of using a pen nib as the body, but I only had 3 left in my stash!  After days of agonising I decided to buy some more before I used it, only to find the shop I bought them from no longer sells them!  Panic started to set in....whilst I love TH nibs (with the cute words on) they are far too expensive for everyday use.....what was I to do?

Then I had a brainwave (no idea why it took so long!)....try on line auction sites!  Hey presto, a few days later I was the proud owner of over 100 pen nibs for only a few quid!  

So this meant I can now use my nibs with no fear of running out any time soon!

I mounted the tag on some TH paper which I distressed with some wild honey (my favourite colour at the moment) and stamped the TH splatter stamp in wild honey to tie it all together.

One nib down, 99 odd to go!

Happy Crafting

Li'l  Pidge