My Inspiration piece for this months IndigoBlu Blog Challenge.

Hello there Everyone, thanks for stopping by.

Last month, I submitted a card for the IndigoBlu Blog challenge and it was picked as one of the Top Three by the IndigoBlu Design Team. Well, talk about being excited, but even more so, when I was asked to create an Inspirational piece for this months challenge 'Flutterby'.

If you have a minute, go over to the blog and take a look. Lots of inspiration on offer. 

Why not enter something yourself, there's still time and you could be in with a chance to win  one of the new IndigoBlu's stamps!

So after a while of thinking about what I could do with the IndigoBlu butterfly stamps, I decided to do a canvas picture.

When it comes to crafting I do tend to hoard bits and pieces and the empty rolls from double                                              sided tape sprang to mind for this project.                                                                                                                        

So off  I went and painted the canvas with white Gee-Sso paint then once that was nearly dry I used some of the English Cottage Paints (Townhouse Teal,Grandma's Teacup, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin and Pink Iced Gems) as a wash to add a coloured base. Once this was dry I mixed some more paint with water until it was runny enough to drip down the canvas. I then moved on to cover the rolls with glitter giving the canvas time to dry.

Once I finished getting glitter everywhere I went back to the canvas and gave it a thin coat of Snow White paint! Great shimmer and it also toned down the runs of paint!

The next step was to create the butterflies which I did using Art Parts modeling film in white. (This is such a clever film, it softens when heated up with the heat gun and you can add movement making your stamped images more realistic)! I inked up the Big Butterfly and Dinky Flutterby Stamps with several different colours of StaZon inks then cut out the images. Once I had finished giving them a little heat gun treatment I dusted the butterflies with several colours of Mica powders and added tiny beads to the bodies! 

Once the butterflies were finished I laid them out on the canvas with the rings to see how everything looked, but felt something was missing, so out came my stencils and paste to add texture, still not quite happy I added some silver thread.

 Much better!

                  

Before gluing everything into place, I decided to add a few paint splats to the canvas in Townhouse Teal.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and to end it here are a couple of close ups of the finished canvas.

Take care and Happy Crafting, Sue xx

                        

Pocket full of Posies - IndigoBlu Blog Challenge

Good Morning / Afternoon,

Do you remember the Nursery song 'Ring a ring of Roses, a Pocket full of Posies'?

Well I decided to use this as the inspiration for my entry into the IndigoBlu Challenge this month! Why not take a look at the other entries and have a go yourself!

To start with, I chose a couple of pieces of backing paper from the New Mixed Media Paper 6x6 pad collection Flights of Fancy, 

            

I stamped the nursery rhyme lyrics onto this piece from the Vintage Nursery Rhymes Stamp Set and rounded the corners off then attached it ti a card blank. I then went ahead and cut diagonally along another piece to make a 'Pocket' for the Posy to sit in. I used the Flutterby Dinkie to decorate the inside of the pocket.

               

Ribbon was then added to highlight the folded paper pocket and attached to the center of the card. I used the stamp sets, Dancing Children and 'Live Laugh Love' and the small flowers off the Giant Peony Stamp for the main focus of the card along with some die cut leaves, tiny punched out flowers, pearls that I coloured in to suit the tone of the card and some Linen Thread to tie the 'Posy' together.

Once I had coloured in the Dancing Children I cut around the image and to add a bit more dimension to the card, I attached the image either side of the card to give it a slightly domed look! (The card fits inside a gusset type envelope. When I send it out I will put a piece of bubble wrap under the dancing children to stop it from getting flat)

I now have the nursery rhyme floating around in my head! 

Bye for now,

& Happy Crafting, 

Sue xx

IndigoBlu Stamp, 'Blue's Look Out' - Creating a Shadow Box

Good Afternoon Everyone,
I hope you have enjoyed the Bank Holiday here in the UK, and the weather has been pretty good as well hasn't it!

Well I was lucky enough to go and Visit IndigoBlu's HQ and shop earlier this week in Retford after we dropped our youngest off at Uni.
So of course I had to make the visit worth it  didn't I, so purchased a lovely bag of goodies!
You can also find the shop and HQ  at Unit 3 Ebor Court, Trinity Park, Randall Park Way, Retford, Notts, DN22 7WF. ( Two units opposite each other)!

I spoke to Becky in the shop and after I finished shopping she offered to take me over to the HQ side so I could take a look at the samples on show over there!

Such a lot to look at and so may ideas and inspiration. I then also got the opportunity to chat to Alfie Halliwell-Sutton for a short while!

The IndigoBlu Shop

IndigoBlu HQ samples on show

               

Alfie & Becky

New stamp sets- 'Plume' & 'Blue's Look Out' are a couple of the stamps I used for this project!

So I started off  by taking the glass out of the shadow box and painting the frames and inset with Gee-Soo Good. 
Once dry, I used the FlitterGlu and Gin & Tonic Mega Flakes with the Honeycomb stamp to decorate the frame along with the Anemone Corner and Dinky Anemone stamps.
Then using 'Blues Look Out' & Blazing Poppies stamps on heavy white card I used some of the English Cottage Artist Acrylic Paints to colour in the images and did some fussy cutting. I then covered the back of the frame with white card, used Pan Pastels for a sky and grass background, stamped the birds from Blues Look Out and then stamped the background twice with Summer Lovin stamp!
The 'Freedom' sentiment came from the stamp set 'Plume'.

The Cat and Poppies were glued in place just inside the frame, then the insert went back in then the back piece of the frame. I did it that way to give the piece a more layered 3D look! To finish everything off, I added a few butterflies and a little bling!

Thanks for stopping by today, hope to see you again soon.

Happy Crafting, Sue xx

Card Swap Challenge Group's Creations! 'Sharing Time'

Good Evening to you all,

Tonight I wanted to share with you some of the creations the Card Swap Group have produced for the last Swap!

The criteria was to create a card for this months Swap around the ' Four Seasons'!

The card had to be:-
5" x 5"
Have four panels on the card. One panel per season! (Any Shape you like)!
The design had to include
* Embossing powder
* Diamond Gem/s
* Something Gold
* Stamped Image/s

So here are the cards! I have also added the members Blog addresses if they have one! 

This was the card I created!

Gill Ingram was the designer behind this card! Its bright and alive! Unfortunately she doesn't have a blog!

This card was created by Tracy May and it was her first swap with the group! Check out all the little cutouts and the lovely papers for each seasons! Check out Tracy's blog http://bedlamandbutterflies.blogspot.co.uk/

This card was sent out by Sam Sweetlove! I totally agree when she wrote that the group all had the same remit but each card was so different!
Here is the link to Sam's Blog:-http://www.craftylittlebling.com/

This next card was created by Maria! From the photo I can see that the panels have been cut out of patterned paper and certain elements have been layered on top!
Here is the link to Maria's blog:- http:http://selunedesign.blogspot.co.uk/

This card is from Marie-Christine and i'm sure by now you have guessed she is French!
My blog:mchscrap.blogspot.fr

This next card is by Christine and a different take again on the challenge!
http://christine-ladylacecraftingblog.blogspot.com/

The card below is by Jacqueline and she has gone with the theme of using the same tree and the changes that happen to it through the seasons!
Find her blog here!http://deezinesart.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks for joining the group ladies and letting me share your creations.! Looking forward to seeing what you create for the next swap! xx

If you would like to join in the monthly swap, please get in touch with me for more details!

Happy Crafting, xx