Life Is Short

I haven't been creating much in the last few months. Things have happened. Life has happened. We had a death in the family. I started a new job. I simply had no energy to create at all. To be honest, I also had no energy to cook, clean or exercise. This weekend I felt the call of the craft room for the first time in months. So I cranked the music up and answered that call. I'll show you what I created some other day. Today I'll show you something I had forgotten I made earlier. I knew a few months ago things were going to get tough, so I created this tag while I was grieving for things to come. I found it yesterday when I was performing an archaeological excavation in my craft room (also known as cleaning your crafting desk).

I don't usually do mixed media, so this is a bit out there for me. I have to admit, I can't even quite remember what I did to create the tag, as it now seems like a lifetime ago. I think I started with a background created with Distress Oxides, then added Gesso on top of that. I stencilled the floral using ARTplorations Bloom Boldly using texture paste mixed with Bronze Distress Paint. I then splattered some watercolours and white acrylic. I also think I stamped some grungy stamps on the background before stamping sentiments from It's a Girl Thing:Kindness and It's a Girl Thing: Sunshine onto a previously created rainbow coloured leftover piece of cardstock.

I'm linking up over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where Anything Goes, Love 2 Create and A Inky Mess where anything mixed media goes, and Tuesday Throwdown where the theme is Stenciling.

Stamps: STAMPlorations It's a Girl Thing:Kindness and It's a Girl Thing: Sunshine 

Dies: CUTplorations Maila Tags Nesting Dies

Stencil: ARTploratons Bloom Boldly

Inks and colouring: Distress Oxides, Distress Paint, Distress Ink, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping in the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

Things With Wings Blog Hop Final Reminder

Thanks for stopping by today for the final reminder of the Things With Wings Blog Hop and Linky Party over at STAMPlorations to celebrate spring. The inspiration in the linky is absolutely amazing, thank you for everyone who has linked up. I'm honoured to join a bunch of the amazing DT ladies for the final inspiration and reminder post, you still have a few more days to link up, until April 30th to join us and also for your chance to win a bunch of great prizes. And if you aren't lucky enough to bag yourself some prizes this time round, you can always use my discount code STAMPGIRLKAROLA in the store for 20% off your order. 

For my card today I wanted to use the gorgeous Bloom Boldly stencil and the super fun Dragonfly Layering dies. I stated by inking Distress Inks through the stencil and die cut the tag using the Luggage Tags Nesting Dies. I'm happy I went for a slightly different colour combo from what I usually use, I think the bright colours have such a spring feel to them. I die cut the dragonfly and the thanks for the sentiment from a piece of green card I found in my UFO box which I created using Distress Paints way back when. Last, I die cut the solid dragonfly from vellum and another "thanks" from purple card to create a bit of contrast. Last, I mounted everything onto white card and added Ice Stickles to the sentiment and dragonfly wings.

I'm linking up with the following challenges:

AAA Cards - Stencil 

CAS on Sunday - Stencil

Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - Blend

Card: 250 gsm white card, 250 gsm white hammered card, 300 gsm watercolour card, Dovecraft 110gsm premium vellum, scrap of purple card

Stencil: ARTplorations  Bloom Boldly stencil

Dies: CUTplorations Dragonfly Layering dies, Luggage Tags Nesting Dies, Thanks Word Die

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch, Wilted Violet, Distress Paints

Other: Ranger Ice Stickles

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes. If you have any questions or problems, just let me know!

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge

Today I'm very excited to be guest designing over at Cupcake Inspirations as the current challenge is sponsored by STAMPlorations.  I always love the gorgeous cupcake images for this challenge, although I have to admit they sometimes make this recovering sugaroholic crave a fix... But at least I can channel all of that sugar craving into my crafting instead! This time the colour combo is a dramatic red - white - black. 

I decided that the dramatic colours would look stunning on the equally dramatic Bloom Boldly stencil, so I inked through the stencil with Distress Inks. I love how the little hidden hearts in the stencil image match with the little hearts on the cupcakes! The Festive Berries red was absolutely perfect to match the red in the inspiration image, it's so vibrant. I then spritzed some water across the image to give it a little bit of a grunge-y and distressed look. Last, I die cut the sentiment using the Thanks Word Die and added some Crystal Effects to it although it doesn't show very well on the picture. I added three red rhinestones for a finishing touch and matted the panel onto black card before adhering to a white card base. If you got inspired to add some STAMPlorations goodies to your stash, you can use my discount code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at the check-out in the STAMPlorations store to receive 20% off your order (see below for more info)!

Card: 250 gsm white card, 250 gsm black card

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Black Soot and Festive Berries

Stencil: ARTplorations Bloom Boldly

Die: CUTplorations Thanks Word Die

Other: Stampin' Up Crystal Effects, adhesive rhinestones from my stash

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes. If you have any questions or problems, just let me know!