Butterfly Birthday ...

 The sun is shining and we have a timetable in place to bring the country out of lockdown ... this leads to improved feelings ... it also means that I have started on the vegetable gardening!!  It is amazing how much a bit of sunshine can lift the spirits.

I would like to share this with you all:

I used:

Visible Image - Sparkle in the Rain and Wings of Change Stamp Sets

Simon Says Stamp - Happy Stamp set.

I'm entering the current challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More #399

I hope you are all keeping well and creative!

Less is More ... One Layer

Good morning!  It is time for a new challenge at Less is More and it is everyone's 'favourite' one layer!

I hope the more we create one layer cards the easier they are!  I have two cards to share one using stamps and the other a stencil.

I stamped the rose and then masked it before stamping the background.  I water coloured the rose with distress inks and stamped the sentiment. I scored the frame around the image to make it pop and to hold it together.

I used:

UNIKO - Pure Florals: Rose

               Simply Said

Indigo Blu - Honeycomb Background

Distress Inks - Twisted Citron, Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin and Peeled Paint.

My second card:

I used inktense pencils and a water brush through the stencil to create the flower - I never have much success with paint or ink blending through a stencil.  The image actually goes around back of the card.

I used:

UNIKO Stencil

Inktense pencils

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

I hope you will be able to find time to join in with the challenge and I look forward to seeing your cards.

Stay Safe and Keep Crafting!

Floral Corner ...

It has been a strange old week for me this week ... but I have found some time to get creative.  Inspired by a couple of challenges I created this 'hello' card:

I stamped and heat embossed the floral image before water colouring with distress inks, I added the sentiment and that was it! 

I used:

Rubber Dance - Sketchy Flowers #1

Distress Inks - Peeled Paint and Dried Marigold

Wow Fine White Embossing Powder.

I was inspired by:

AAA Cards #183

Color Hues #12

I hope you are all keeping safe and well.

Floral Heart ...

 As it is a month for hearts I thought I would share another heart based design with you all,

I'm entering the following challenge:

Inkspirational Challenge #232

UNIKO Challenge #63

Stay safe and Keep Crafting!

Birthday bird ...

 A quick card to share with you this afternoon ...

I used:

STAMPlorations - For the Birds Coordinating Dies

                           - Mixed Media Elements

Gemini Thorn Swirls die

I'm entering into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and more #398

Seize the Birthday #207 without the topping.

Stay Safe and Keep Crafting!

Simple Heart ...

Just popping by to share a simple card inspired by the new challenge at Inkspirational Challenges  - the theme of the challenge is 'Hearts'.

This was created using some bits and pieces leftover from another card plus some washy tape.  I should explain that I have rolls and rolls of washy tape but never (or rarely) use any of it!!  I've decided that things must change so used some for the background to anchor this design in place ... as I used only one length of about six inches long it could take me quite a while to use up my supply!

The challenge details:

Inkspirational Challenges #232

Stay safe and keep crafting!

Less is More ... Colour Challenge

Good morning, it is time for a new challenge at Less is More and it's our 10th Birthday ... every birthday celebration deserves chocolate so we would like you to create a card using the colours of chocolate!!

I've gone with the classic chocolate colour of brown ... not a colour that I often use in my card making.  I have two cards to share both using the same resources.

I began by die cutting a number of circles before stamping and heat embossing a design around the edge. I then added some texture paste to each of the circles before colouring using Brushos.  I then spent far too long trying to decide the layout!!! Some of the circles are flat and others are adhered with foam tape for added dimension.  Finishing off with the sentiment.

The second card was created from leftovers:

A smaller card on a kraft card base but using circles left over from the first card.

I hope you will join in with the challenge ... and remember to check out the blog for more inspiration.

Stay safe and keep crafting!

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!

Steampunk inspired ...

 Today I have something different to share with you on my blog ... I have been dabbling more and more in mixed media projects, quite a contrast from my Clean and Simple card style.  Most of these projects I have shared on my Instagram account but today I thought I would share two tags on my blog.  I was inspired by the current challenge at the Male Room Challenge where the theme is 'Steampunk' - I have limited resources that fit this theme but I thought I would give it a go and ended up creating two tags.

I enjoyed creating the tags - I'm not sure how well they fit the challenge but it was quite liberating to not be quite so clean and simple!

The details of the challenge are:

The Male Room Challenge #147

Stay Safe and Keep Crafting!

Red and Pink ...

 Today's inspiration came from two challenges - the CAS Mix Up challenge that requires heat embossing with and stencil and the new challenge at Color Hues to use Red and Pink.  With Valentine's day this month I created with this in mind.

I used some distress ink to blend and colour a panel of card before die cutting the hearts.  I then took a stencil and using an embossing ink dabber inked up the background before covering in magenta embossing powder which I then heat set.  Finally die cutting the sentiment and layering up the elements.

The challenge details are:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge February Stencil Challenge

Color Hues #11

Stay Safe and Keep Crafting!

Sweet Tulips ...

 Well today I saw the sun albeit briefly but it was a welcomed sight and helps to lighten the mood ... it wasn't long before the rain and gloom returned!  I even managed to spend a couple of hours pottering in the garden which always lifts my spirits.   The rest of the day has been all about paper, card, inks and embossing!  Following on from yesterday I continue to be inspired by Spring and my new stamp set from Visible Image.  This time it was the tulips that I decided to create with -

I stamped the tulips first, masking the first one before stamping the second.  I masked both before ink blending the background using a stencil ... I've decided that I need as much practise as possible with ink blending through a stencil as I've never been that happy with the result!   Once the background was complete I water coloured the tulips using distress inks.  I stamped and fussy cut the sentiment before adhering it with foam tape for dimension.  At this point I felt it needed something else so added the small panel of yellow card down one side.

I used:

Visible Image - Go to Words Stamp set

                       - Flower Art Stamp set

                       - Two Tone Stencil

Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Mustard Seed, Candied Apple and Mowed Lawn.

I'm entering these challenges:

Addicted to CAS #190

Sieze the Birthday #206 without the topping

Country View Challenges: February, First Signs of Spring

Stay Safe!

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!