June Guest Designer at the NBUS Challenge

Hi there everyone.  I was so thrilled when Darnell asked me to be this month's Guest Designer for the NBUS Challenge, and most of us already know that it stands for 'Never Before Used Schtuff' as coined by the lovely Darnell, and I know that we all have lots of crafty goodies just waiting to be used, or sitting in a drawer or cupboard in need of some love, and this challenge gives us the perfect opportunity to do just that.  

I decided to make a card using an old Sheena Douglass Iris stamp from her A Little Bit Floral range which doesn't seem to be available now.  It came as part of one of a few sets of different flower stamps which I bought together and I only recently discovered that this one has never been inked..how rude..lol!   I also used the largest of a set of three dies from Poppystamps Scalloped Stitch Frames (2478) bought recently, and getting it's first outing, and also a Lavinia stencil called Laurel.  I coloured with Distress Inks - Shaded Lilac, Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet, Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss, Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon and Twisted Citron.

I used a piece of white card and stamped the Iris using the Seedless Preserves and heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder, then coloured with the Distress Inks using a waterbrush with the colours mentioned above, and fussy cut.  I then found another piece of white card  and cut the largest frame.  The die cuts the scalloped and the stitched straight edge frames together in each size, but you can use them separately.. I put the two of them together for a wider frame.  I then worked out where I would place the frame on the 7" x 5" white card and pencilled lightly in places around the inner frame.  I then used the Shaded Lilac and Twisted Citron through the Lavinia Laurel stencil, with the Shaded Lilac at the bottom, changing to the Twisted Citron just over halfway up, and taking the ink a little beyond the marks I made.  

I finished by adding the double frame, and to add some dimension I used silicone glue to stick the Iris onto it, and as it was a little large I cut a piece off the stem level with the edge of the straight edge stitched rectangle.  I decided to leave the sentiment for now as although it may well end up being a birthday card it could be for any of several occasions.  

The challenge runs for the whole month so plenty of opportunity to join in the fun, and I look forward to seeing you there.  Thank you for dropping by today and I hope to see you again soon.