Sending Hedgehugs

I'm still here despite the lack of posts recently. You would think light summer evenings would give even more time to crafting, but it seems like instead I have actually managed to be a bit sociable this week and spend two nights out of the crafting room and interacting with my fellow human beings instead. Very uncharacteristic of me, I know, but it was very nice.

And let me tell you about last night (it's not what you think, don't worry). I have never ever in my life seen a thunder storm like that. I am a big fan of a little summery thunder, and we have much more summery storms back home compared to here in the UK, but last night really knocked my socks off. I am not exaggerating (for once), but the lightning was really like strobe lights at a disco. Uninterrupted flashes of light, sometimes growing so bright it hurt my eyes as I stood there watching. But there was hardly and sound, only the occasional roar from time to time. Also, you didn't really see the actual lightning, only the flashes of light. If I hadn't known better, I would almost have thought it was an army of aliens landing with their strongly lit spaceships. And then came the heavy rain as well. When I woke up this morning, I was expecting everything in the garden to be glued to to ground from the force of it, but it seemed like everything had recovered well. It does however seem that the thunder storm did not bring a relief to the hot weather, as today is going to be a very hot day again. But I'm not complaining, this is what we have been waiting for all year, finally a real summer! 

Then onto todays main topic, my card. I absolutely adore this little stamp set from Lawn Fawn, I think the "Sending Hedghugs" sentiment is the cutest one ever! I made the background by inking Distress inks with a foam applicator through a mask I made by die cutting a sheet of scrap paper. I then stamped the hedgehogs and coloured them with Copics. I thought they made such a cute little card. My Mum has told me that we have a hedgehog living at our summer house (his name is Simo Siili, siili being the Finnish word for hedgehog) and I really hope I get to meet him when we head out there for a week of peace and quiet in a few week's time.

I would like to link up with the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Summer 
Happy Little Stampers - July CAS challenge Stamp
Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Card: White 300 gsm card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, scrap of Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Sending Hedgehugs and matching dies
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress inks Shaded Lilac, Bundled Sage, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black
Colouring: Copics E34, E39, E99
Other: Lawn Fawn Scripty Hugs die, adhesive coloured pearls from my stash

Butterfly bonanza

This set of birthday card and home-made wrapping paper were all made to match. I saw the tutorial on how to make the flowers using the Stampin' Up blossom punch here and wanted to give it a try. In addition, I had a few swallowtails I had stamped, embossed and coloured earlier. The swallowtail works so well in every card I have made with it, it brings that extra something. I love colouring the stamp, this time I did it by sponging distress ink. I embossed the background for the card using a Cuttlebug embossing folder

To make the wrapping paper, I stamped a big and smaller swallowtail stamp and stamped using Tim Holtz Distress Embossing ink and dusted with Perfect Pearls powder onto basic brown wrapping paper. This gives such a beautiful, subtle effect. The pictures really don't do it justice as the shiny powder doesn't quite show up on photos as beautifully as it does in real life. Also, to get the best result, you should only stamp one stamp at a time, add the perfect pearls and then go on to stamping the next stamp. If you stamp all the butterflies and then start adding the powder, the ink will have dried and the powder won't stick anymore.

To further snazz up the wrapped present, I added two yellow ribbons from my stash and stamped the Chalk Talk stamp and fussycut it. I also inked a doily and attached another swallowtail I had coloured. 

I would like to enter the following challenges: 

Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - For the Girls

Incy Vincy Designs - Punch or Die Cut (flower punch for the flower)

My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

Perfectly Rustics Design Challenge - Wings

Through the Purple Haze - Flowers

Vintage Stamping Challenge - Bring on those Spring Colours

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge Blog - Anything Goes with a twist: wings

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Anything Goes 

Cardstock: Hobbycraft three shades of yellow 160 gsm cardstock, Hobbycraft white 160 gsm cardstock, Craft UK kraft card
Inks: Tim Holtz Peacock Feathers, Pumice Stone, Shaded Lilac and Squeezed Lemonade, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain distress inks, Stampin' Up Markers in Bright colours
Stamps: Stampin' Up Swallowtail and Chalk Talk, Hobbycraft Butterfly clear stamp, Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Sketch CMS131
Other: Cuttlebug embossing folder textured script, Ranger Perfect Pearls in Interference Blue, Interference Green, Interference Red and Interference Violet, Papermania tinsel silver embossing powder, Stampin' Up Blossom Punch, doily and yellow ribbon from my stash, brown kraft wrapping paper