Guest Blogger Wednesday with......

This week we have the loverly Elaine as your guest blogger. So its over to Elaine

Hello Everyone, my name is Elaine and I love Butterflies and Crafting! Thank you for the Crafty Bloggers Network team for giving me this opportunity to join them as a Guest Blogger.

I have always been artistic, I used to paint with acrylics and enjoyed art at school. However I came to crafting in a different way. My Grandma passed away and she used to make cards, so I inherited her stash. I was looking for a new hobby one day and I came across the box I had inherited and began making cards. I often think it was a gift from my Grandma watching over me because I really love crafting, and I know she would have been very proud to see my creations.

I am known for my love of Butterflies, I raise them most years as well and share photos of the process on my blog alongside my creations, and often Butterflies feature in my crafts often too.

I began my blog, Craft My Life in September 2010 and it was the best thing I have ever done with my crafts, I feel it has challenged my crafting to improve and evolve and I have moved into all sorts of crafts from it, where before I mainly focused on cards. I have been blessed to have featured on Design Teams, and as Guest Designer to a few places too. I have also had my work featured on upcycled.co.uk and in various craft magazines which is a huge honour.

I have recently began my own challenge on my blog, My All Crafts Challenge, to showcase the wonderful creations around in blogland. Its a challenge which focuses on non cards or scrapbooking projects because I quite often alter items and make other things which don't fit in the usual challenges and I wanted to offer a place to show off these creations. I encourage the crafters that get involved to visit other crafters entries and make new friends!

My style is different-one of my friends recently told me she always knows when I have made a card because I have a distinct style, which I find hard to explain myself. One of my main goals though is to showcase the papers and image I have without crowding them.

In the card I have made for this post, I have used one of my favourite themes, a Monochromatic card. I used a Stampin' Up stamp which I stamped in blue ink to match my Papermania Burleigh Blue papers and embellishments. I then cut around it with a nestie and embossed it. I chose my papers and made one as a main panel underneath my image, which I then matted on Cardstock. I used the stripe paper as my base, and used another patterned paper as my border then placed the panel on top. Lastly I added Papermania ribbon and a matching bow, and three Card Candy in the opposite corner.

Thank you so much for reading this and please pop by my blog, and enter my challenge if you would like, I would love to visit you and get to know some new talented crafty friends! Elaine-xxx-

Thanks Elaine for taking part in our GDT section. And if you would like to appear on the blog as a GDT please email me at slcarrington@btinternet.com and i will fit you in the schedule. Sarah