Buy it - Try it Monday: butterfly birthday

Today's BiTi is a birthday card using a new butterfly die from Memory Box.

Some of the purple cardstock from last week was still on my desk, so I used that to cut the butterfly, it's quite delicate so I applied Stick It sheet adhesive before running through the machine.  The background is done with a large Justrite stamp, inked up in green/pink/lilac, then I laid the card over the stamp and pressed all over to give a complete impression - this is a much easier way to use such a large stamp!  Then I matted using the same purple cardstock, added the sentiment and some crystals to finish.

This is a nicely sized die for a card, you don't really need much else, so I am quite pleased with this purchase!

Buy it - Try it Monday: sympathy card

I find it hard to make sympathy cards, in fact they are the only card I will go into a shop and buy.  But I was asked a couple of times last year if I did bereavement cards, so I thought I ought to try it.



This card was inspired by the use of negative die cutting at this Pin.  I used two new items, the Prim Poppy die (Memory Box) and the sympathy sentiment (Crafters Companion).
I cut the poppy out of white cardstock and placed it over some purple, remembering not to throw away the inner part of the cut which was then stuck back into place!  Then I matted it onto black.  The paler shade of purple was embossed with a spotty embossing folder and cut to size.  I used the same shade to stamp the sentiment onto, then cut into a banner shape.  After assembling everything, I wrapped a black velvet ribbon down the side of the card .... I usually use satin ribbon, but could only find velvet which does have a tendency to shed fibres..... After removing all the stray bits of fibre, it was done.
It does feel a bit odd to be making such a card when there is no actual requirement.... it will go into the box with the hope that neither I nor anyone else will need it.

Cross stitch in Progress 4

As you can see, I didn't get it finished for Christmas!  I must admit, now I no longer have a deadline, my motivation has decreased a bit and I am now heartily fed up with it!

The seven trees are now done, complete with all their snow, so all I have left is the snowy ground beneath them and the snowflakes which surround them.  The ground is half cross stitch and will be quite quick to do, I have made a start on that, which you can just about see, the light is awful for photos at the moment!
It will definitely be done by next Christmas, honest.......

New challenge for 2015 - Buy it Try it Mondays

BiTi is going weekly!  I haven't yet learned how to add a linky tool, but that will come soon :-)  The idea is that you take something 'new' and use it to make ...... well, anything: a card, a layout, a decorated object and so forth.  For the purposes of this challenge, 'new' means anything bought (or gifted) during the previous four weeks.

Here is mine for this week:

It is a simple card, but having chosen the Nestie die to work with, I was a bit stuck for ideas.  The die is actually wider than I had realised, almost the full width of the card blank, so my original plan of putting it onto a panel wasn't as easy as I had thought.  So I have made an interrupted frame to connect both the butterfly and sentiment dies, then added a few flowers from the same Nestie set.  The sentiment is also new, it's a Poppystamps die.

Since this is my first post for this year - Happy New Year! - I had better mention resolutions ..... my word for 2015 is MORE. 
MORE using stash
MORE blogging
MORE entering challenges
MORE new techniques

not forgetting of course ....
MORE weight to be lost
MORE using money wisely LOL

I think the first four might be easier than the last two.......:-)