Hooray for Birthday Week - Day 2: Swallowtail

 Yeah for day 2 of my birthday week!! I actually got to go shopping for my mail birthday present from hubby yesterday and I treated myself to a new camera lens. It was so much fun getting to play around with all the settings and functions.

Anyway, back to today's card which is using one of my favourite stamps in the annual catalogue. I think I will cry if they retire this gorgeous Swallowtail stamp:

During this months team meeting, one of my gorgeous team members - Robyn Goldsmith from Goldys Hooked On Stampin, designed the make and take for us to do and she did this awesome water colour background where she choose two colours and then blended them together in the middle, creating a new colour. Now I do a fair bit of water colouring but I had never thought to do this, so this card was inspired by that

I used Wisteria Wonder and Marina Mist and then blurred the two colours in the middle to make a grayish colour. I then stamped my beautiful Swallowtail over the top in Basic Black.

I finished everything of with two butterflies cut from Silver foil and Silver glimmer and then a beautifully embossed sentiment in silver embossing powder.

So would you like to be part of the Birthday Fun!!!

Remember during my birthday week, for every order of $90* placed, either through me or my online store, using the Hostess Code: QDBFNAE6, will not only get to choose a Sale-a-Bration Freebie, but will also get a Birthday present from me!!  And you will go into the draw to win all seven cards that I will be show casing this week!!

Happy Crafting,
Chlo
Product List

Swallowtail Clear Stamp Set [129216] $26.00	And Many More Clear-Mount Stamp Set [134276] $47.00	Butterflies Thinlits Dies [137360] $41.00	Wisteria Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad [126985] $11.50	Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad [126962] $11.50
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $12.25	Watercolor Paper [122959] $8.75	Wisteria Wonder A4 Card Stock [124389] $12.25	Basic Gray A4 Card Stock [121689] $12.25	Basic Black A4 Card Stock [121688] $12.25
Versamark Pad [102283] $13.00	Aqua Painters [103954] $20.00	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder [109131] $8.75	Silver Glimmer Paper [135314] $8.75	Silver Foil Sheets [132178] $7.00

Just Because - Swallow tail

I absolutely love the start of a new year. To me it always seems magical and full of promise. Hubby and I have sat down and had a huge conversation on what our goals are for this year and over the next five. And now the HUGE job of decluttering has begun.

While cleaning out one of our storage cupboards I can across some old National Geographics that I had picked up at a book sale, which were the same month and year as my Mum and Dad were born. I had brought them, thinking they would be really interesting to send them home. Well two years later and we still have them. But thanks to the decluttering plan, I'm ready to send them out to my mum, but of course needed to add a little card with them.

My card turned out to be very arty, vintage and even a little bit shabby chic, which is not my usual style at all. I blame all the reminiscing.


I watercoloured my Swallowtail using Elegant Eggplant and Mossy Meadow which I then stamped onto white cardstock. I used my aqua painter to then flick those ink colours and my Wink of Stella across the card. There's my glitz!

I finished off with two, faceted buttons for the middle of the Butterflies body and some gold thread under my sentiment.

My mum, loves receiving my cards for her birthday and Christmas, so I guess she'll be pretty excited to get this little package in the post for no reason other then I was thinking of her, which I think is the best reason to get a card.

Happy Crafting,
Chlo

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Mother's Day Swallowtail

Morning guys, and what a gorgeous morning it is here on the Mid North Coast of Australia. It's finally feeling like Autumn, which means warm sunny days and cool nights... PERFECT!!

Now here in Australia we have Mothers Day in May like our fellow Americans, but in the UK they celebrate Mothers day in March. So it usually sneaks up on me every year and my mum sometimes has to wait until our Mother's Day. Well not this year!!

I had been borrowing my gorgeous friend and downline Kim's Swallowtail stamp for, well, forever and decided it was time I gave it back to her and brought my own. As soon as it arrived I wanted to have a bit of play and decided to do some experimenting on watercolour paper and also window sheets. Well it turns out that my "playtime" turned in one of the most gorgeous cards I think I've ever made and totally perfect for my mummy:

Now I know it's my design and I might be a tad biased, but isn't it beautiful!! I stamped the butterfly image on watercolour paper and used a paintbrush to colour it in. I then used Stazon and stamped the image on a window sheet. Then on the back of the window sheet I added Dazzling Details in places to give it a gorgeous twinkle. Hopefully you can see it a bit better in this next photo:

The photo's really don't do it justice. I really didn't need to add too much more to the card as the Butterfly is simply gorgeous all by it's self.

Anyway, I am still waiting to hear from my mum that she's received it. Living in India means the postal service isn't always on time!!

Have fun,
Chlo

Ingredients
 Stamps: Swallowtail and Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Crisp Cantaloupe, Blushing Bride and Black Stazon
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Crisp Cantaloupe, Crumb Cake and Watercolour Paper
Other: Window Sheets, Typeset DSP, Hemp twine, Something Borrowed Embellishments and  Venetian Crochet Trim.

Stampin' Up! Party Time in Sydney

Wow that was one amazing weekend. I always love going to any Stampin' Up! event and the Party Time event in Sydney was awesome.

I guess I'm especially excited as A) I had two full days without my three kids, for the first in 5 weeks!! and B) I was asked to be one of the 4 demos to help with making the displays and showcase.

I can tell you now, when Teneale Williams rang me to ask if I would be interested , I literally spent the whole conversation, shouting in my head "Bloody Hell Teneale Williams is on the phone to ME!!!

So after sleepless nights and long crazy craft days, my goodies and I were all packed up in the back of the car with my mate and fellow demo Tracy. We had so much fun on the way down and after a quick trip to Ikea (Obviously) we met up with another demo and my beautiful friend Renae who offered us her spare room for the night, where we were treated like royalty and had lots of laughs. Honestly demo's are the nicest people you'll ever meet!!

I took loads of photos during Party Time, but I've managed to cut it down to just a few of the really important (and fun) ones:

Our name badges that I whipped up.

Tracy and I on the stage taking a selfie lol.

Part of the amazing display.

Renae from Crozlow Crafts and Tracy from Made By Me 2444

Girls getting busy with the Make and Takes. Never heard them so quiet!!

Time for some "Frame Time" Honestly Renae and I had far too much fun with these.

Our three gorgeous make and takes using the 'Choose Happiness' Stamp set.

Ohhhhh.... look who's name was almost up in lights lol!!

Didn't it look like fun!! I always learn so much when at these events, but what I love most it all the amazing new friends I meet.

So I'm guessing you want to see my special creations??? Ok well here they are:

Part cut-out notecards, using the Butterfly dies and Painted Petals DSP

Yet another Exploding box but using the Butterfly dies and the matching stamp set 'Butterfly basics'

Cute little notecard. I love the new hearts embossing folder

This was my favourite card. Matching the 'Swallowtail' stamp and the Butterfly die together.

Super quick card to whip up. The double mounting of the butterfly die really makes it pop.

Little notecard and a matching mini treat bag envelope.

A little fussy cutting is great for the soul!!

 Wow, longest post EVER!! I honestly had a ball and I would highly suggest, if you ever get a chance to attend a Stampin' Up! event... DO!!!

Have Fun,
Chlo