New beginnings

When I was driving home last night I noticed how much lighter it is getting already. Also this morning I saw the same thing....the daylight is returning...bliss. Although it has been quite chilly today here in Surrey we have really escaped any wintry weather so far. The north has seen quite a lot of snow but none here so far.

As I walked home this afternoon I actually did a double take as I saw 2 daffodils, yes daffodils in full flower. I grabbed my camera and walked back and took this shot,

 How astonishing is that! They were quite a way up someone's drive so I couldn't really go any closer I just zoomed my camera.

I decided to check how my own bulbs are going and this is what I found

daffodils springing up here in my front garden, the flower head nearly ready to burst open

 and plenty of shoots in my pots in my back garden.

Wow amazing new beginnings.

At the weekend I also decided to try something new with my card making. As I am sure you have all worked out by now I am a crafter who constantly love to try new ideas. I don't have a fixed style with my crafting and I love to use lots of different ones. The one style of card I have never made is what is know as CAS or clean and simple. I know some very clever CAS card makers who make this style of crafting look easy but it certainly isn't . The key is a very clear design and lots of white space. Less is most definitely more. Whilst having some crafty play the other day I decided to try my hand at my first CAS style card.

I came across a left over butterfly from my 2015 wall hanging, which if you have not seen is here. These are the butterflies which I stamped and embossed onto distress inked card and then cut out. The stamp is by Visible Image and is one of my favourite stamps



I decided that I would use my left over butterfly as part of the focal of my CAS card. So then it was time to think of a very simple but eye catching design for my card. Now this really does take some time and patience.
I was looking through my Craft Stamper magazines and I saw on the front of one of them the free stamp from last year still attached. I thought it would be perfect, just a simple flower. The sentiment is a Clearly Besotted stamp.
So this is what I came up with.




I was pleased with this, my first attempt at CAS
here is a close up

I also thought that this would work well in other colourways too.

So today, inspired by the wonderful daffodils I spied on my walk home,I decided to make a yellow version. I stamped and embossed some more butterflies onto some other card which I had made using various Distress inks

 ....what do you think?

I have put this card up for sale in my Etsy shop here and if it sells well I may well reproduce it in different colours.  I may also put different sentiments on as it would work for many different occasions, get well, engagement, anniversary etc. I will also try different embossed backgrounds too...............hmmm lots of possibilities. 

I really enjoyed my first dabble into CAS.

I would like to enter my yellow happy birthday card into the following challenges;

Pan Pastels clean and simple

Craft stamper Take it make it Take a stamp

Fashionable stamping something new my something new is my first attempt at CAS and the flower stamp is new.

Country View use something new to you this is a new style I have attempted...CAS and my flower stamp is new.

Natalie and Amy all things new my style and flower stamp are new

Crafty boots out with the old in with the new  it's old butterfly stamp, new CAS style and flower stamp

Winter wonderland things with wings

Papertake weekly It's all new

Addicted to stamps and more make a mark 

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

So there are lots of new beginnings going on around here...Mother Nature certainly gives me so much inspiration and she has also reminded me that spring is not so far away. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x