Sketchy Flower ...

Good Morning Friday!  I don't usually blog at this time of day but I'm waiting for a pot of mango chutney to finish cooking so I thought this would be  a good use of my time.  I wanted to share this card I have made with my new stamp set from Rubber Dance ... it is the first set I have owned from this company so I'm excited to be giving it a try out. 

I really love this image and there are more in the set that I can't wait to have a go with.  I figured that the sketchy design worked best with a sketchy water colour!  I created the grungy background to add a base for the flower to rest on before finishing with the sentiment.

I'm entering the following challenges:

The Flower Challenge #53

NBUS Challenge #23

Stay safe and inspired!

Daffodil Delight ...

 In the blink of an eye January is no more and we are in to the second month of the year ... that is the UK remains in lockdown ... essential activities only and staying home for most of the time.  As time passes I thought it might get easier but to me it seems harder.

So once again I'm using the time to create or at least trying to create, ideas are a bit on the short side!!  Today has been different as a couple of new stamp sets arrived which provided me with some inspiration to create a couple of cards. It is very unusual for me to use new stamps minutes after they have arrived in the post but I just could not resist this new Visible Image daffodil!   The first card I'd like to share is inspired by thoughts of Spring:

I stamped and heat embossed the background before adding a watercolour wash using distress inks.  I stamped the daffodil and water coloured it with Inktense pencils before fussy cutting the image and adhering it to the panel with foam tape for added dimension.  I finished with a sentiment before adhering the panel to the card base.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Happy Little Stampers - February Water Colour Challenge

Country View Challenges - February First Signs of Spring

NBUS Challenge #23

I used:

Visible Image - Flower Art Stamp set

                       - Fibonacci Background stamp

UNIKO - Simply Said

Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Twisted Citron

Inktense Pencils

Keep Crafting!

Missing you ...

 ... I miss seeing family and friends ...

Inspired by the challenge at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge:

I used a brand new stamp set ... it only arrived this week so I'm impressed to be using it so quickly!!  So I'm going to enter the NBUS challenge a term coined by the lovely Darnell to cover all the crafty stuff that we all have sat waiting to be used!!

I used:

Visible Image - Creative Chaos

UNIKO - Simply Said II

Distress Inks for the water colouring - Chipped Sapphire, Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean

Lawn Fawn - Stitched Rectangle nesting dies

Take care!

Encouraging rainbow ...

Good morning all ... another day and another rainbow coloured card:

I inked up the background stamp with rainbow shades of distress ink and spritzed it water and then stamped it onto a panel of water colour card stock.  I stamped some of the sentiments with versafine ink and the others are from clear stickers.  I like to create cards that can be sent to friends and family when they need a bit of a boost.

I used:

Distress Inks: Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, Seedless Preserves and Wilted Violet

Memento: Dandelion Ink

Versafine: Onyx Black

UNIKO: Background Blocks Horizontal Stripes

STAMPlorations: Shine Bright Clear Stickers

Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle Nesting Dies

This is the first outing for the horizontal stripes stamp ... this was a must have stamp when I bought it and yet it has taken me absolutely ages to break it out of the packaging ... it's not on it's own I have quite a few stamps sets that have yet to be inked!!!

I'm linking this card up to the following challenges:

NBUS Challenge #14

Addicted to CAS #185

Keep well and stay safe!

Painting ...

It would seem that my days have developed into quite a routine ... housework, followed by gardening and then into the craft room ... as long as we have fine weather and are under the shadow of Coronavirus I imagine that it will remain like this.

So this afternoon I created another card:

I took a tiny individual paintbrush stamp and created the line of brushes and then coloured each one with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and a silver gel pen.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment before adhering to the card base using foam tape to add a little dimension.

I used:
STAMPlorations: Art Expressions 
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Markers

I'm entering the following challenges:

TIME OUT Challenge #161


As this is the first outing for these two stamps I will also enter:

NBUS Challenge #14


Addicted to Stamps and More #389


Stay safe  and keep crafting!

Three cards, three wise men ...

Good afternoon! I'm just back from work and decided to share these cards with you before sorting out dinner!  

Three cards - one layout, two paper pieced and one just a die cut!

I love the challenge of paper piecing but it does take time ... especially when some of the pieces are so tiny!  The die is by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions and it is part of her Festive Collection - Three Wise Men.

I've been short of inspiration recently but I'm delighted that my mojo seems to be returning (with mixed success) and was desperate to create a card that I could enter into the wonderful Darnell's NBUS challenge.  If you haven't yet met Darnell you really must visit her blog I know you will not be disappointed.  Not only does Darnell create some beautiful cards her blog posts are always eloquent and entertaining!

Enjoy!

Crafty Kraft ...

Time flies when you are busy ... doesn't it!  We are already in the middle of January and I don't feel as if I am getting as much crafty time as I would like ... and when I have the time my inspiration seems to be on a go slow!!  I started this card yesterday and all I managed to do was to stamp, heat emboss and colour the flowers onto a piece of card ... then inspiration decided to have a rest!  But I came home from work determined to finish it ... an idea popped into my tiny brain on the walk home from work (at least one of my New Year resolutions - to walk to work - is still happening!).  This is what I came up with:

As you can see I have popped the kraft panel onto card that I have stamped and heat embossed with leaves on the opposite corners.  Sorry the photographs are not brilliant - I haven't got around to the New Year resolution to improve my photography!! 

The inspiration for this card is the wonderful Darnell - if you don't know Darnell then please take this opportunity to pop along and see her blog.  She creates inspiring cards and her blog posts will brighten your day!  This month she is running a number of NBUS (never-been-used-stuff) challenges and the first one has the optional twist of using colouring pencils on Kraft card - that is exactly what I have done along with using a new stamp set.  So when I've finished here I will be popping along to enter.

I used:

Hunkdory For the Love of Stamps - Floribunda
Clearly Besotted - Many Messages
Spectrum Noir - Essentials Pencil collection
WOW White Embossing Powder
Versamark INk

Before I sign off for the evening I need to share some exciting news - one of my cards has been SHOWcased by the wonderful designers at "Less is More".  Thank you, it gave me the boost that I needed.  This is the card they liked:




Enjoy!

Citrus Smile ...

Chilly morning today but the sun is shining ... Happy Mother's Day to all mums in the UK, today is your day!!

Another day, another card ... I seem to be stuck in 'OK' mode at the moment - my cards are OK but seem to lack the 'WOW' factor.  Please don't get me wrong I am mostly happy with the cards that I create but they don't make me run around the house with excitement - mind you, it takes a lot to make me run anywhere, I'm more of a walker!!

Anyway less of the drivel! Today's card is all about colour and Spring.

I love circles so yesterday, when I accidentally (!) found myself in my local craft shop, I spotted this new (to me) Sizzix die and I knew I just had to have it.  Add in my new obsession with alcohol inks and an idea was born!!  I first created the coloured paper using a selection of inks lovingly placed (actually ... just randomly dropped and spritzed) onto some Yupo paper.  I die cut a piece of card first, then die cut the background paper and set to placing all the coloured pieces back into the outline die - very fiddly but very satisfying!!  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment onto a small strip of vellum.  I sponged around the edge of the card base to add a little colour before popping up the panel with fun foam and adhering it to the base.

I'm going to enter the following challenges:

"Less is More" It is colour week - CITRUS
TIME OUT #51 - Easter and/or Spring with the optional technique twist of masking 
STAMPlorations March CAS Challenge


NBUS #6 in support of the wonderful blogger, Darnell.  If you haven't visited Darnell's blog yet I suggest you get over there super quick!


Enjoy!

Mother's Day ...

It is Mother's Day in the UK at the weekend, so I thought I would share the card I have made for my lovely mum (she does not do internet so there is no danger of her seeing this before the day!).

This is the first outing for this stamp ... it has been resting hidden amongst lots of other unused stamps ... as my mum grows sweet peas I thought it was ideal for her card.  I've water coloured the flowers using Inktense pencils, die cut the panel with stitched rectangle dies then put it back together adhering it to the base with different thickness of foam tape to add some dimension.

I'm entering the following challenges:

NBUS Challenge  #6 - Darnell is a super lady, fabulous card designer and inspiring blog writer! NBUS stands for "Never Been Used Schtuff" - it is Darnell's idea to encourage us all to get out all the stuff that has been waiting to be used!!

Penny Black February Challenge "Anything Goes a stamp and a die"

Stamping Sensations February Challenge  Anything Goes

Enjoy!