Circles, scallops and a butterfly!

Hello blogging friends...thanks for calling in...and a warm welcome to my new follower Irene, I do hope you call in again and please I would love it if you left me a comment so I could then visit you.
On the subject of comments I must send out a big Thank You to all of you that left such wonderful comments about my snowdrop cards, I send you all a big hug...you make my day.

OK well summer is here for me this week.....in the shape of a butterfly.

This has to be a record quick card for me!! YES you heard correctly...quick! the green circle was laying on my desk...left over from the snowdrop cards and the die arrived in the post (more on that one in a bit....be patient) so I had cut that to see what it turned out like........and it just happened to fit the circle! so I cut another, snipped out the butterfly and after a bit of colour and a bit of bling layered the butterfly and card done!..........and I have to admit that I like it.....ask DH ..I often say something is OK but not often do I like it!
So while happy and in the zone I made another in lilac, but I have no lilac liquid pearls so edged the scallops with lavender Stickles instead............I like both and the lilac one is earmarked for a friends birthday next month...........YIPPEE I am ahead with those cards!!!!...not maybe as much as I would have liked mind you, but definitely ahead...next stop Mothers Day!

Right you have been patient long enough...on to the die. This butterfly die has certainly given me value for money. It was a free gift die from Create and Craft club member thingy where you just pay the P&P of £2.99. It is by Tonic Studios...Mariposa something....unfortunately the gift is different now...sorry if I raised your hopes there ( I feel really bad now) I expect it was very popular but if you are a member of the C&C club its worth checking out regularly to see what the gift is.

That's all from me today ...it's wild,blustery and a mixture of sun and showers here in West Yorkshire today. Hope the sun is shining on you where you are.
Have a good week everyone.........be kind to each other and take care.
Crafty Hugs
 Carole xx

Challenges entered :-

ABC challenge..............................D for Die Cuts
Papertake Weekly..........................Cool colours............green for my entry
Simply Create Too.#79.................Anything goes
Moving along with the Times.......Pink/lilac plus butterflies.......lilac for my entry
Snippets playground......................Week 165...................

The first signs of Spring

Hi there friends.......thank you for stopping by for a chat, make yourself comfy and grab a cuppa......no don't go........ I promise it wont be too long a post!

Spring! well it is round the corner and to me the first signs are the snowdrops. I love this little flower, it seems to battle all the cold and elements that nature throws at it.
I made two cards with this stamp...yes I know two!! whatever next.............well I knew exactly which stamp I wanted to use from Clearly Besotted.....but could I find it?............it took me an hour......yes really! I am so organised , every stamp is filed away in ring binders and labelled. I eventually found it .......not in the flowers......come on that was too obvious and I did look in there about three times....NO it was in Christmas!......mmmmmmm possibly because the set says 'Let it Snow'.....might have to refile that one.

Here is the first card

Very CAS and of course not quick...I mean when I found the stamp I then ummed and ahhed (are they actual words) about the matting and layering. Did I go all white ? or put some pale green in there. You can see what I chose in the end and the jury is still out on the green. The snowdrops were coloured with copics and then given the wink of Stella treatment....sadly not visible on my poor photos.I also used my new Memory Box stitched circles...which I love..........yes I know I wasn't buying anything else new...but...its a bit like M&S this crafting lark. If you see it and wait.... you can't get it!!

OK are you still with me?....on to the second card.
This time I cut out the same image (coloured exactly the same way) with it's coordinating die....now I knew where that was....went straight to it!

I cut an aperture in the card front and put the snowdrops peeping through and added the faux stitching. I put a green mat inside the card to show through when it was closed.

The sentiment was from stash...nice and tiny. So sorry the photos are a bit naff...the light was not good when I took them.

Where's hubbys Valentine I hear you say............looking round blogland you have all been busy with the hearts. Well DH kept telling me to buy one (a card that is not a heart)...so I have!! I think maybe he is fed up with handmade so I found one with some nice words in it  ......and bought it! NO I will not hang my head in shame.....I always do as I am told  :)

Well have you drunk that cuppa?........you have........and eaten biscuits too!! Well just one more thing to share with you before I go.
Remember my Happy card? Well it took the cake at the last Seize the Birthday challenge so it has made me a very Happy person. Well chuffed!

OK I know you have things to do so I will let you go and get on. (Leave your cup I will wash it later)
Have a super Valentine Day (if you are celebrating) and an altogether great weekend. It's M&S dinner for two for us....and a bought card.......lol
Thanks again for popping by.
Take care my friends and hopefully we can get together again next week.
Bye for now.
Hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :- Addicted to Stamps and More...Anything goes

'Presents'

Happy Friday everyone....it's the weekend...again! So that's the first week of February done. Hope it was a good one for you and you are looking forward to doing something nice this weekend. I am hoping to craft all day tomorrow as hubby is off to a model railway exhibition. Watch this space...let's see if I get distracted!

Anyway another birthday card..............loosely based on the star card that I did a while back.

This time I cut squares out of my card and put patterned paper behind. I added the stitching with a fine line pen and drew in the string and the bows. I added a 'Wink of Stella' to the parcels but it doesn't show in the photo. i wanted it subtle as the card was for a male.

The only thing I did differently was this time I put the patterned paper directly behind the apertures instead of raising the apertures forwards on foam pads. I then raised the whole panel on foam pads (hope you follow that). On reflection I think I prefer the dimension given when the pads are between the patterned paper and card front.

I used:-
Spellbinders.Dies.............basic squares small and large.
papers...............................Found these in my stash....GCD Studios - Whoop De Doo (had them ages)
Sentiments........................Uniko Studio

Well I have broken my vow of not buying anything new this week...........well I did manage a month, but this week I had to use my credit in my Create and Craft account (that's my excuse) and bought Clarity wee folk....they are so cute. How does one stop being tempted when all these fabulous goodies keep coming to the market? Now I just need to use them.It is a year since I sorted the craft room to make space and it is now fast becoming cluttered again....sound familiar?

Right well I hope you are all managing to keep warm in this cold weather and safe if you have ice and snow.If you have been under the weather then I hope you are feeling better. I had to smile today....I had one of many I am getting ...phone calls regarding home energy checks. I felt like saying the only thing round here needing help with energy is ME! Picture a wind turbo on my head and solar panels on my back.............I could become the angel form hell!
I will leave you with that image!.....lol

 Have a good weekend.Thank you so much for stopping by and if you have left me a comment you know you will have made me very happy....I love to read them.............it endorses the fact that I know I have some lovely blogging friends out there. Thank you for sharing your time with me.Come back soon.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
Tea to make!
Crafty Hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-
Crafting by Designs..................... Anything goes
Seize the Birthday........................Anything goes
Lisa B designs...............................Anything goes (just sneaking in with no 3)
Snippets challenge........................Snippets of patterned paper