Hugs ...

 I spent the morning doing housework so it seemed only fair that I spend the afternoon in my craft room!!  I just have one project to share:

I was inspired by the new challenge at AAA Birthday to use a stencil background - so that was my starting point.  I don't always have much success with stencils - I always seem to get paint under the stencil!  I see some fantastic examples of crafters ink blending with stencils but whenever I try the results seem to be blurry and not to my liking - I guess I need to try harder.  I decided I would use Inktense pencils and a water brush and I'm quite happy with the result.  I did stamp and mask the flower before adding the background stencil.  I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of card and adhered it to the card with foam adhesive.

I used:

Crafters Workshop stencil

Visible Image: Creative Chaos

UNIKO Simply Said II

Inktense Pencils

The challenge details:

Keep Crafting!

Purple Cosmos ...

It's reminder time for the July/August challenge at UNIKO ... it is all about flowers and as the Guest Designer I would love it if you joined in with the challenge.  If you need inspiration pop across to the blog and see the amazing design team cards.  I've created a card using the beautiful Uniko Cosmos stamp - I hope it with provide you with some inspiration to join in with the challenge.

I used:
UNIKO - Pure Florals and Simply Said Stamp sets
Inktense pencils
Distress Oxide - Wilted Violet
Lawn Cuts Stitched Rectangle dies
Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Challenge details:

Please pop along and check out the stunning design team designs and while you are there check out the beautiful stamps and dies created by Bev.

Enjoy!

Back to the Gerbera ...

It seems that whenever I get stuck for ideas out pops my favourite Gerbera stamp set (Uniko Studio).  I'm also obsessed with trying the technique of colouring without lines - I stamped the main image with Spun Sugar distress ink which was almost too pale to see and then coloured it with Inktense pencils (another of my favourites!).

I stamped the image in spun sugar inside the card

Procrastination seems to have been my enemy today, it would seem the more time I have for crafting the less I seem to achieve!  I get easily side-tracked into trying out techniques and wandering around the internet looking for inspiration rather than getting on and doing!  I've decided that tomorrow I am going to start with a stamp set that has not seen the light of day and a colour scheme and go for it.

I'm going to enter two challenges both with the theme of "Anything Goes":

"Less is More"
Uniko Studio

Enjoy!

Pretty in pink ...

Another sunny day, another gerbera card - I promise this is the last one ... for this week!!!

Again I'm going to enter the challenge at "Less is More" as I have watercoloured the image using Inktense pencils.

Enjoy!

Lime and Lemon ...

Today has turned out to be a beautiful day - we started with a torrential downpour which didn't look as if it was ever going to stop and now the sun is shining and the sky is blue.

My first card for the weekend is simple, clean and created with my go to stamp set - Uniko Studio's Pure Florals: Gerbera - the leaves are the feature this time!  I've taken the colours from a duvet cover - this week's challenge at "Less is More" is a colour challenge and you are to use the Colours in Your Bedroom.

I used the following:

Uniko Studios - Pure Florals: Gerbera Stamp Set

                         - Today, Tomorrow, Always, TIME

Derwent Inktense Pencils

Stampin Up Lucky Limeade Ink

I'm going to enter these challenges:

"Less is More" - colour challenge

CAS(E) this sketch

TIME OUT Challenges - Summer with the optional twist of flowers

Enjoy!

Floral Hexagons ...

It's the weekend!! It's also the start of the half term holiday - a week off work for me.  An opportunity for me to craft when I want and for as long as I want, in between catching up with housework!

This is the third card I've made this week using hexagons in one form or another.

The hexagons have been die cut into the top layer

The stamped images are on the card base

I used the following:

JoFY Stamp - JM34
Clearly Besotted sentiment
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Hexagon die

I'm going to enter these challenges:

CASology - Flowers

CAS - Colour and Sketches


Enjoy!

Flowers ...

A quick second post for this evening - I started this card at the weekend but kind of lost my way with it.  The initial ideas seemed to disappear into the ether and I was left not knowing what to do - a quick wander around some wonderful blogs and ideas started to form.

I've taken the colour scheme from the challenge at Inkspirational of Pink and Green, with the sketch from STAMPlorations bi-weekly sketch challenge and the monthly challenge also at STAMPlorations where the theme is Stamps and Flowers (I'm not sure whether it is acceptable to enter one card into both challenges, apologies if it isn't).

The card

I haven't included a sentiment at this stage and will add one to suit the occasion

I used the following:

Derwent Inktense pencils
JoFY Stamp JM34

This is STAMPlorations sketch:


Enjoy!

Flower circle ...

A quick post this evening.  This is another card based on this week's sketch at "Less is More".

I used the following:

Derwent Inktense pencils
Woodware Stamp Set Square Garden

I am entering this into these challenges:

"Less is More" Sketch Challenge
Addicted to Stamps and More - Make Your Mark
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Keep It Clean and Simple

Enjoy!

Gardener's delight ...

Well not quite gardener's delight but certainly a flower inspired card.  I've decided that I am developing (what some might say is) an unhealthy obsession with masterboards - I absolutely love the act of creating them.  I find it relaxing just to be able to sit and colour with Inktense pencils (another obsession!).  I'm even finding it easier to cut them up!

Today's card takes a section from my newest masterboard created with JoFY stamps from PaperArtsy.  I've taken the sketch from Sketch Saturday and turned it on its' head to come up with this.

This is the masterboard that I used sections from:

I used the following;

PaperArsty Stamps: JOFY 09 and JOFY 24
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Distress Ink Seedless Preserves

I'm entering two challenges:

Sketch Saturday


CASology


Enjoy!

Shadow Stamping ...

Now I'm the first to admit that I do love a challenge ... but I think shadow stamping might be a challenge to far!!  

Since the start of 2014 I have been trying to enter the weekly card challenge at "Less is More" each week. This week the challenge is for a One Layer Card (which I love) with the added twist that it should involve Shadow Stamping - a technique that I haven't used before and may never use again.

I tried lots of different stamps, some I stamped twice without re-inking, some I stamped with a lighter shade and then a darker shade but each time it just didn't seem to work.  I had some success when stamping flowers on kraft card using white ink and a colour but as Jen (one of the Less is More Designers) had used this colour combination I really wanted to do something different.  I finally stamped the image twice without re-inking and then coloured the image with inktense pencils using water to blend and create a wash of colour for the shadow.

This is the result:

I added an embossed box to ground the image

I used the following:

Versafine Onyx Black Ink
Dovecraft Eastern Promise Stamp Set
Clearly Besotted Pretty Petals Plus Stamp Set
Derwent Inktense Pencils

Enjoy!