Visible Image - Finally got to play!

A big hello and welcome to anyone that is out there and reading my ramble for today. :D

I know have been absent from the blogging world again and somewhat detached from the real world a bit too. Luckily I have some fabulous crafting friends who are there for me, a few days away to visit my wonderful friend Diana (who also stepped in as nurse to help me look after my severely badly burnt and very painful hand) and a small spend up at the nec and a smaller craft show are all helping me try to get back on the path to my 'normal' (as if lol!) self. :)

As I've been feeling a bit down my mojo seems to have wandered off too so what better way to search for it again now that my hand is healing nicely, than playing with some new stash; and the challenge over at the visible image blog this month is to "Get Stamping!", so I have!
My card today therefore uses some fabulous, wonderful, gorgeous (yep ok, I know, you get it already, enough with the adjectives lol, but I love them!) stamps from Visible Image.

For my focal point I have used the gorgeous small butterfly which is so lifelike, detailed and delicate, oh and it looks fab using gilding flakes but I haven't made that piece into a card, yet...

Ok, so, first I stamped the butterfly onto the back of some chocolate brown card and cut around the image to give me a solid base layer, then on top of these I added a version stamped in aged mahogany distress ink (thanks Diana! x) and blended all over with tea dye.
I don't know if you can see it from the picture but I added some tiny beads from a nail art set (found in Pounland!) to their bodies for a bit of texture.

I made a horizontal a6 Kraft card base and stamped over it with the amazing Grunge Flourish in tea dye ink for a kind of watermark effect but with a bit more depth. This flourish stamp is so clever, you can just use the grungy edge, or the flourish bit or both, a great touch.

The sentiment is a new die I picked up at the nec for a bargain price, so good it would have been rude to say no. ;) I just cut it from the same chocolate brown card and added it to a Kraft strip that I snipped at the ends to make into a banner. Easy.
Now I look at it I'm thinking I might add some ribbon tied around the spine, any thoughts welcome. I'll have a play with it again tomorrow and see.

I have really enjoyed playing again thanks to having some super stamps to kick start my creativtiy and I've already ordered another one so look out for a card featuring that very soon!
Also starting from this weekend I'm going to be back with a 5 day Funky Hand feature here, sharing some projects made using their fabby new downloads.
Thanks for stopping by, Ni. x