STAMPlorations Inspiration

Hello crafters! It's time for this week's STAMPlorations Inspiration post. I am continuing my theme of using up stuff from my UFO box. I think it's a really interesting challenge as it places some constraints and often the things in the UFO box have been put there as I couldn't quite find a way to make them work in the first place so it's really interesting to look at them again with a fresh perspective as some of the things have lingered in the UFO box for a really long time. 

This time I gravitated towards a panel I made using watercolour, the Shower of Flutters stencil and Trendy Butterflies stamp set which I had then die cut with the largest of the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies. I really love the artsy feel of the butterfly panel, but it just didn't work in whatever design I originally made it for. But I thought it would go so well with one of the gorgeous Watercolour ATC Journaling Cards so I used it to create a quick and easy card by stamping a sentiment on the ATC card using Bold Sentiments: Imagine. I think this was a great way to use up the butterfly panel and I now have a pretty card to send someone. 

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bold Sentiments: Imagine, Trendy Butterflies

Stencil: ARTplorations Shower of Flutters

Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies

Other: STAMPlorations Watercolour ATC Journaling Cards

 

Note that I have received some of the stamps and other craft supplies for free as a member of the STAMPlorations Design Team, therefore this blog post has to be identified as an ad. I have been using STAMPlorations products for years before joining the Desing Team at which time I paid for all my STAMPlorations products and I love them as much today as I did then. 

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes. And if you use my code you also get to pick a freebie to the value of $7 (for details see the badge below).

Note that as a STAMPlorations affiliate, I get a small commission on any orders you place in the STAMPlorations store using the links in my blog post or my coupon code STAMPGIRLKAROLA. This is at no added cost to you. Thank you for your support to keep my craft addiction going :) 

Things With Wings Blog Hop Reminder

This is a reminder for the STAMPlorations Things With Wings Blog Hop which is taking place to celebrate spring and is going on until the end of April. I'm honoured to join in with a bunch of the super-talented ladies from the STAMPlorations DT to show you our creations for this first reminder post for the hop. I hope you will join us by either commenting on the DT creations or link up your own cards to be in the draw to win one of the many prizes from the new spring STAMPlorations release.  

For my second card, I decided to continue with the rainbow colour theme in line with my first card last week. This time I created a rainbow using Brushos. I attached the Shower of Flutters stencil to watercolour paper, sprinkled over some Brushos and sprayed with my mini mister until the colours blended. After the Brushos dried, I stamped the butterflies from Trendy Butterflies which match perfectly with the stencil. I die cut the intricate butterfly and sentiment from glittery gold card - I used a shim  made of a folded piece of paper in my cutting sandwich for the butterfly to ensure the intricate small pieces of the lattice-work popped out of the die cut cleanly. All that was left to do was to add the die cuts to the card. I just love the look you get when you sprinkle Brushos and then mist - you can't plan what comes out and you can never get the same look twice, every card is totally unique.

I'm linking up with the following challenges:

AAA cards - Shiny Spring

Shopping Our Stash - Use Punches or Dies

The Card Concept - Fresh Flutters

Card: 300 gsm Daler&Rowney watercolour paper, gold glitter card

Ink and colouring: Brushos, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Stamps: STAMPlorations Trendy Butterflies

Stencil: ARTplorations Shower of Flutters

Dies: Flutter Zen 2 Layering Dies, Hello Sunshine Phrase Die

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!

Butterfly stencil cards

Just popping in real quick to show off a few cards I made ages ago. It's been a crazy week and this weekend we will be helping my sister-out-of-law move house, so no crafty time this weekend either. Summer is always such a busy time - it just seems like life all of a sudden... well... comes to life during the few short summer months. So much to do in the garden, it's light enough to go for a run in the evening. And last night me and the Culinary Consultant celebrated our (almost) four-year anniversary by going for a nice meal and some comedy in town. We only made it back home right before midnight, so when my alarm clock went off just before six I couldn't figure out what on earth was going on and now I'm almost falling asleep on the sofa at 9 pm.

For my cards, I used Tim Holtz Distress inks on watercolour paper, letting the colours randomly run into each other. I created two panels, one using subtle pastel colours and another one using brighter colours. Then I used the STAMPlorations Shower of Flutters stencil to mask the watercoloured card, and inked using grey and black ink for each card respectively. Then I used my watercolour brush to flick some water to create the distressed patterns where the inks reacted with the water. I left a clear space in the corner to stamp a sentiment from Fond Expressions 2, which I heat embossed in our theme colour, silver. 

I'm linking up with the following challenges:
CAS on Sunday - Butterflies
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Animal Magic
One Layer Simplicity Challenge - Stencil
Cute Card Thursday - Bugs or Butterflies


Card: 300 gsm watercolour card, 240 gsm black card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Fond Expressions 2
Stencils: STAMPlorations Shower of Flutters
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks Abandoned Coral, Black Soot, Blueprint Sketch, Bundled Sage, Fossilized Amber, Hickory Smoke, Scattered Straw, Shaded Lilac, Spun Sugar, Twisted Citron, Victorian Velvet, Wilted Violet, Tsukineko Versamark
Other: Papermania Silver tinsel embossing powder, Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies

ARTplorations Stencil Blog Hop - Day one

I'm sooo excited to be part of the ARTplorations Stencil blog hop which is hip-hopping away today. And we want you to play along! You can link up your gorgeous stencil projects over at the STAMPlorations blog here. You don't have to use ARTplorations stencils to take part, but if you do have any, we would love to see how you use them. You can also win some of the gorgeous STAMPlorations stencils by leaving comments as you hop along. Several prizes will be drawn from all comments on the designer's blogs. You don't have to comment on all the DT projects, but the more comments you leave, the bigger is your chance of winning! You can comment until April 17th, and the winners will be announced on the STAMPlorations blog on April 19th. The linky for projects closes on April 15th.

For my project, I used one of my absolute favourite stencils, Shower of Flutters. I picked some bright Tim Holtz Distress inks and applied them through the stencil with a foam applicator. I just love how the inks blend to create beautiful mixes of colours. Then I stamped the matching butterfly stamps from the Trendy Butterflies set. Last, I added a sentiment from the Bold Sentiments: Discover set, heat embossing the "Discover" in silver. I just love how the stencil and stamps fit so perfectly together and how easy it is to create a gorgeous, rainbow background the for the fluttering beauties.

Dont' forget to check out what the rest of the team made! You'll find links to all our projects here.

Prizes:

• THREE (3) winners will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.
• ONE (1) winner will receive a $15 gift certificate OR her choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7). Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog. 

Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by April 15:

• TWO (2) winners whose projects feature stencils (any brand) will each receive their choice of one (1) ARTplorations stencil (standard size - 5x7)
• ONE (1) winner whose project features an ARTplorations stencil will receive her choice of three (3) ARTplorations stencils (standard size - 5x7) OR a $15 gift certificate to the shop.

Card: 300 gsm white textured card

Stencil: ARTplorations Shower of Flutters

Stamps: STAMPlorations Trendy Butterflies, Bold Sentiments: Discover

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry, Festive Berries, Wilted Violet, Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers, Twisted Citron, Peeled Paint and Hickory Smoke, Tsukineko Versamark and Memento Tuxedo Black

Other: Papermania Tinsel Silver embossing powder