Distress!

Hello There! Where does a week go? Mine has been exceptionally busy; I've had a few to cards to make and hope to share over the next few days. I just wish I could work faster. I look at the blogs of some amazing talents who are just able to turn their masterpieces out at the rate of knots - I take 2 hours just to decide how I want to create something and chop and change as I go  along - and then when I'm finished I'm still not sure - something is missing, doesn't look quite right... Am I the only one who has these doubts or insecurities?! I keep hoping with experience my confidence will grow and my design abilities will improve. I know I need to grow my stash of embellies too; I think that might be part of my problem. At the end of the day, I find it difficult to be objective about my work. Ahh, if only these things came easily to me!!

So having said that, any constructive criticism is welcome.

This card was made at the request of a friend for her daughter's 12th birthday. Green is her favourite colour and she loves nature:

The bird stamp is from the same set as my last card, this time clear embossed onto white cardstock and then coloured over with distress inks. I distressed the edges  of the white cardstock and layered it onto brown, which I also distressed. I made a box flower as shown in this tutorial, but only used scalloped circles:

Products used:

Inkadinkadoo clear stamps Gem Stone Birds
Stampin' Up! Sincere Salutations
Versamark
Clear embossing powder
Tim Holtz Paper Distresser
Distress Ink Crushed Olive
Distress Ink Frayed Burlap
American Crafts Glitter Cardstock
Colorbox chalk ink Orchid Pastel
Kaisercraft bling
Wool, feather, butterfly, dp paper from stash


I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Scrappy Frogs Challenge Blog is after Handmade Flowers

Crafty Catz  are looking for Chocolate and Green

Cute Card Thursday's theme is Tweet and a Flutter

Daring Cardmakers wants to see All Up in the Air



I have been fortunate this week. I received my wonderful prize from Merry at Merrymade Cards and Crafts


Letraset Aqua Markers, paper flowers and Merry handmade crotched flowers



Sticker sheets from The Sticker Store



She also surprised me with a lovely card and some Cuttlebugged pages. I love that most of the pages she sent me were embossed from folders I don't yet have! Thankyou Merry!

Today I received some gorgeous ribbons from Marcia from The Stamp Spot as a prize from her 1st birthday celebrations last week.





Thankyou for the lovely card and congratulations Marcia! May there be many successful years ahead of you!! :)

I was also lucky enough to win a $25 voucher from Scrapbook Boutique last week for their Magnolia challenge! Thankyou so much Evelyn!! The challenges are fun and the new challenge is a colour inspiration challenge using the colours pink, lilac, white & green. Open to Australian residents. 

On the weekend I won a Facebook challenge put to followers by the talented Zoe of Make It Crafty. She asked for a 135 character ad to entice new followers to join in. It was then put to a vote requiring followers to choose their fave and I was lucky enough to receive a $35 voucher to the Make It Crafty online store. Find her Facebook page here. As a follower you will be entitled to inside information, challenges, prizes and an occasional discount. Lots of fun to be had! There is a free digi stamp in the offing at the moment from the store for a limited time. If you have an interest in copic colouring, be sure to take a look! Zoe is very helpful and has a lot of energy and ideas. Thanks again Zoe!

Phew! That's it for now. Back soon!! :)

May your days be filled with inspiration,