Spring Flowers

So it's May already and here in Australia we are looking at the gradual decline into winter. So when I am faced with the oncoming cold I want to reach for the bright colours, flowers and butterflies to remind me that winter will end eventually.
With this in mind here is my latest creation for my sister's birthday.

Card Tip:

I always try and buy embellishments I can tailor to my needs, like these flowers.
They are white; so I can make them any colour I like and personalise them to suit my card.

Card Ingredients:

Card Stock:
5" x 7" white card base slightly trimmed
Blue + powder blue + glitter cream card stock from stash

Papers:

Digitally printed green paper

Stamps:
image sourced from kattie-studio.ru via Pinterest.
Gina K Design Hello Sunshine Stamp Set for sentiment
Sizzix with Hero Arts stamp and emboss flourish folder set for flowers
Inks:
 Distress Ink tumbled glass for the edges + Memento tuxedo black ink for the greeting
Colorbox aqua pigment ink for the flowers
Markers:

Copics: Skin - E02 + E00 + R20
Colouress Blender
Flowers: RV23 + V06 + BG10 
Bic Markit: oceanview blue, blueskies blue, fandago pink, pink flamingo, margarita green, petal pink, peach parfait, summer melon, yellow blaze, polynesian purple, hot aqua, forest green.

Dies:

Spellbinders Standard Circles Large, Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Circles Large.

Other:

Gems in varying colours and sizes
Kaszazz 7.5cm white Daisies
Chrysanthemum Flower Paper Punch

Challenge List:

Dies R Us Challenge Blog #1 Anything Goes
Challenges 4 everybody Challenge #41 Anything Goes
Come and Get It Challenges May Anything Goes with a Digi Stamp
Eclectic Ellapu - Birthday
The Order of the Opus-Gluei Challenge #182 Flowers for All
That Craft Place - Anything Goes
Scrap Bitz Copics.CMC #91 - Birthday
Crazy 4 Challenges #234 April Showers Brings May Flowers
Kit and Clowder May Challenge Flowers
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #210 Flowers
Paula Holifield Crafts ALBC Flower Power
Bearly Mine May Challenge - Flowers
One Sweet May Challenge - Flowers
The Cupboard Trilogy Challenge #22 Flowers
Peachy Keen Stamps Sketch Challenge

Outlawz Alcohol Markers Challenge May Flowers

Happy Easter

Well here it is - my First Post Ever. 

I have to say pushing the publish button on this post was probably one of the hardest and scariest things I have ever done. I'm sure you know what its like; once its on the web it is open to the scrutiny of all whether you like or not. It is also a very scary prospect to talk to everyone and no-one in particular but like many things in life, if you don't dive in at the deep end how will you know if the water really is cold, so here we go!!!!

Let me start by wishing everyone a great Easter, I have had a great couple of days relaxing and eating chocolate with my family. 

Of course "Who am I?" I hear you ask.

I'm Cathie, a full time wife and mother of two munchkins. I am a part time worker and studier of Human Resources. Of course in my spare time (tee hee hee), I have many interests including crafting with or without my daughter, sewing, baking, chocolate making - (influenced by my addiction to chocolate, surprise surprise), digital scrap booking and card making. If only days were 36 hours long, with no need to sleep and I just might be able to fit it all in!

It is my card making that has lead me to succumb to the temptation of starting a blog.  I have learnt so many wonderful skills from other card makers in blogs and forums that I want to be able to pass on some of those skills to others.

So here we have a card with a difference - we are so used to making bright and colourful cards that I found the concept of only using black, charcoal, grey and white incredibly challenging.
Here are the results:

Card Tip

 If you are like me; a perfectionist and as such your free hand cutting is not as fabulous as you would like, invest in some emery boards from the supermarket. They tend to be quite small and perfect for smoothing out those edges making them look more like a die cut edge and no-one will know you cut it yourself.

Card Ingredients:

Card Stock: 
White Card Base
White, Black and Grey card stock from my stash
Stamps:
Gina K Designs Pretty Patterns Stamp Set
Gina K Designs Hello Sunshine Stamp Set (sentiment)
Dies:
Spellbinders Label 9
Other:
Black brads from my stash

Challenge List:

CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge #70 Colours

Gina K Designs Mix It Up Monday Metal Challenge
Time Out Challenge #3
Outlawz Paper A La Mode Masculine Card