Guesting at HLS Watercolour Challenge

Evening all.

Another late evening post from me. This time it's to say that I'm guesting over at the HLS Watercolour Challenge this month. I love to watercolour so I was so pleased to be asked to join in this time.

Here is my card

The optional theme this month is rainbow.

For my card I decided to use a rather busy all over botanical stamp that came free with a mag a couple of years or more ago which featured roses. However for the rainbow twist to work I decide to leave the flowers blank and colour the spaces in between. 

I stamped the rose panel with Versamark on MM paper using my Misti and embossed in white EP.

Using my Zigs I blocked in some colour in a rainbow effect, then spritzed it with water to blend.

When dry I trimmed the panel down and mounted it on a black base, adding a white embossed sentiment and a die cut that my buddy Sarah gave me at the HLS retreat last year which I coloured black with a Copic pen.

So thanks for stopping by, check out the rest of the team here for even more watercolour goodness!

The saga of our access track continues with a new twist today. After weeks of free flowing water down it courtesy of heavy wagons crushing the old drain, the #Railtrack contactors decided, without telling us, to dig up the track and lay some new drainage pipe this afternoon. Hurray you may think but as they didn't tell us they were going to do it we couldn't use it to go out. Good job I nipped to Sainsbugs when I did just before lunch. Al was supposed to be going to a friend's place to survey ready for a new shed, so when he thought they had finished he leapt into the car only to be told it would be another 15mins before he could use the track! Just typical of the contactors, a law unto themselves. It was a good job that we have access to the main road across the field. After all the work there was still water coming down the track when he returned some time later, Hopefully they will return to finish the job!

I'd like to join in over at:-

Anything Goes

Botanical

Foliage and Flowers

Flowers Everywhere

Paper Players Sketch

Good morning folks.
It's time for a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Galz.
This time our theme is -

FAIRY NICE

Here is my take on the theme.

I've used this sweet fairy from LOTV. I'm not that big of a fan of fairies so she doesn't get much of a run out really! I usually like to use a sketch if I can and the latest from the Paper Players really had me scratching my head. In the end I used up some of my DP from the scrap box and a bit of a die cut I found in another box of bits! I cut the fairy out after I coloured her with Copics to match the DP, and replaced the original stamped grass that was too small with some Copic coloured scrap cut with a MS border punch where I also stamped the greeting. As well as the Copics I also added some hi lights with my newly acquired metallic pens courtesy of my daughter who gave them to me instead of a card on Mother's Day. Sensible girl!

After I assembled the card I realised that the purple flowers that were my inspiration for my colour choice had disappeared under the circular panel! There are a couple of smaller ones just visible towards the bottom!
For more fairy inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

ATSM Photo

Well over here in the UK, the clocks have been put forward, so I shall hopefully be in the land of nod when this post to announce the start of a brand new challenge at ATSM goes live!
Edited - The dog had other ideas!
This week it is our photo inspiration and for my card I've been pretty literal!

Here is this week's photo.

See what I mean?
My card is pretty CAS using the blue splashes and butterfly as my inspiration.
To start, I took a piece of MM paper and placed it in my MISTI. I stamped the STAMPlorations butterfly with Salty Ocean DI then gave it a generous spritz with my water mister. I wasn't too bothered about the splodging that resulted, in fact that's what I was aiming for. I inked it up again this time with Blueprint Sketch DI and repeated. With a straw I then blew across the puddling ink to create the fine lines and splashed some of both blue inks over the panel. When completely dry I stamped the same butterfly and sentiment from the new release from STAMPlorations with Blueprint Sketch DI. I was able to layer up the different images because my stamp was always in the same place thanks to my Misti. You could do it without it, but I guess you would get a slightly off edge effect unless you are A1 at lining up your stamp!
When dry I cut my panel down a little and adhered it to my base card.
Please stop by the rest of the team here for more fab inspiration.

Joining in over at-



     

Frame it

Good morning crafters.

Hope you made the most of the fantastic weather over the weekend as, as the Easter break approaches the weather is set to get a tad wet especially around here. 

When I took the dog out on Saturday it was great to just stand on the top of the hill behind the house and gaze out across the fields towards the Staffordshire moors, the Welsh foothills and the Wrekin, sun glancing off the hillsides, absolutely wonderful. I am so lucky to be living in this glorious English countryside. I actually spotted 3 female pheasants through the lounge window walking up the track on Saturday but the light was fading fast and my attempts at capturing them on camera failed dismally!

So how appropriate then that the theme for this week's challenge at Cardz4Guyz is -

IN THE COUNTRY

Here is my card using LOTV's 'In the Country' stamp.

Not quite Max and the hubster but not far off!

Over at LIM their theme is Use a Frame so I decided to incorporate a frame around my Copic coloured image rather than place the image on the surface of the card.

The top panel was made by cutting out a rectangle with a die to reveal the image below, before embossing it with a Tim Holtz EF. On the original stamp, the fence continues into a brick wall so I used this brick EF to frame the image. A happy birthday was stamped to finish off.

So that is it from me, for more inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at:-

Golden Bells

Good afternoon. 

On a Wednesday I'm usually too busy to get a post written up, unless it's a scheduled one, as it is my craft class but for one reason or another I've been at home in the craftroom!

Whilst checking through my blog feeds I saw that the latest challenge at Merry Monday is all about bells. That reminded me that I had a Christmas card that I didn't share at the time that would fit the bill perfectly. (Sorry Nich!) Rather appropriately is was one I sent to one of the craft class girls.

I've used this layout before on a couple of other cards, using the evergreen bough, sentiment and bell from the Christmas Bell Medley set by STAMPlorations. 

I stamped and masked the bells, then added the foliage in green. I added some white gel pen over the branches to add some dimension and drew in some strings with a black fine liner. 

I coloured the bells with Copics then using a Versamark pen I inked the band and embossed with gold EP. To finish I embossed the sentiment in gold to match.

I'm joining in over at -

With Deepest Sympathy

Good morning all.

There's been a bit of a drop in temperature these last few days. All I can say is that at least it isn't raining!

Over at Cardz4Guyz, we have a brand new challenge for you.

TREE/S

Wasn't sure where to go with this, spring popped into my head along with Christmas but as it makes my daughter cringe when she sees Christmas cards on my blog so early in the year I daren't go there again so soon!

So here is my take on this week's challenge.

I know it's not the sort of card you make on a regular basis but as I have none in the stash I thought I would make a sympathy card.

The tree stamp is one I picked up at Port Sunlight last October from the Chocolate Baroque bargain bucket.

It reminds me of the oaks I can see from my bedroom window, solid and full of strength.

I stamped in Versamark then embossed with white. The coloured background panel was made using the acrylic block technique. You add marker to the block and then spritz with water and stamp, trying not to splash outside the required area! A bit of a wiggle and then remove and leave to dry, love the water look it gives. A Crafters Companion sentiment in London Fog Memento ink was stamped and the top panel trimmed with a rectangle die before mounting flat on the base card.

I'd like to join in over at -

Close to Nature

White Embossing

STAMPlorations, a reminder

Good afternoon.

Back again to remind you that there is still time to enter the theme/sketch challenge over at STAMPlorations.

Here is my card which uses the sketch as well as the theme.

I was a little stumped at first by this month's sketch and stared at it for quite awhile before inspiration struck!

I used a NEBUS stamp called Sketched:Tulips, it's one of Shery early one's but gorgeous none the less!
I used some linen effect card for this, as I was going to keep it very CAS and it gave just the right amount of texture. On a rectangular scrap of the same card, I diecut a half circle and then stamped the image a couple of times in Memento London Fog, replacing the semi circle back into the original panel after colouring with Copics. The colours I used were inspired by the challenge over at Cupcake Inspirations.
I looked through my offcuts for a green that I was happy with for my second panel, but in the end I made my own by smooshing a panel of card in some DI spritzed with water.
The top base panel was cut using a  CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Nesting Rectangle die and the bottom of the panel was made by embossing another previously cut one with an ARTplorations Foiled Again stencil. They make a good substitute for an EF even if it doesn't quite show up in the photo! A matching button from the stash and a greeting banner using text from Balloons and Banners complete. 

Well the hairdressers is calling, so I better get a wriggle on! For more fantastic inspiration check out the rest of the DT and GDs here, where you'll also find all the Ts and Cs.
Don't forget ifyou use my discount code you'll get 20% off when you order from the STAMPlorations shop.

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My choice - Die cutting, Alcohol Markers and Embossing

LOTV Fairy

Good morning all.
I think we were lulled by all the fab spring sunshine earlier in the week, there could still be a sting in March's tail! It's a bit grey and dismal this morning.
Anyway here is a card to cheer which I made for the latest challenge at the Alphabet Challenge.
We are back at the beginning of the alphabet so our new theme is -

A is for -Anything with Wings

I went with this sweet fairy from LOTV.

I used the layout at Sketch Saturday for this but you know me in that I like sometimes to be not so literal with my interpretation.

I cut some circles from my top panel then went in search of some DP from the stash to place under it so I could colour my fairy to match. I am honestly trying to use up my enormous pile of DP but in the end I used some corrugated lilac card. I coloured the fairy using Copics and then fussy cut her and popped her behind the largest circle, wings outside. I did add a little crystal Stickles to the wings but it was so fine it didn't show up in the photo! The clouds and 7 were die cut from some scraps of white card.
After putting the layout together I thought it looked a tad bare but not that bare, so decided to doodle around the circles with a fine liner. All layers were glued flat, the corrugations gave me enough depth and shadow.

For more fab wing inspired inspiration, please check out the rest of the DT here.
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I'd like to join in over at -

   

LOTV

Giftabella

Good morning all.
Is it really a fortnight since my last Thursday post for Cardz4Galz? Must be as it's time for a brand new one! This time it's -

IN THE PINK

Here is my card.

I could have gone down the flower route but I decided to use my new Stamping Bella stamp, Giftabella. If you look carefully you will see some flowers in the form of a MFT coverplate die.

The starting point for this was the sketch at Sunday Stamps and I kept very close to the brief only using shades of pink and neutrals.

The image was stamped and fussy cut after using Copics to colour and layered over the background. The circle from the sketch was used just for the sentiment and the flowers on the sketch were the parcels.

For more inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

      

     
Anything Goes                                        Ladies and Girls            

Holiday @ ATSM

Evening all. This late night post must mean that it's time for a brand new challenge over at ATSM.

This week's challenge is -

HOLIDAY

So, anything celebrating a festival, St Patrick's Day, Diwali, Easter or like me Christmas.

I have to apologise about the photo as it was a really tricky card to photograph, the gold embossing always causes problems.

Over at LIM their latest challenge is a one layer one, always tricky, the theme leaves even more so.

I wasn't going to be defeated though and was determined to enter, so as this is a Holiday challenge I thought of holly leaves. It also coincides with the latest CASology theme of foliage and as I've not been there for a few weeks what more excuses did I need? Flicking through my Christmas stash I came across a NEBUS stamp plate that came with a matching EF. I must have bought it in an end of season sale a couple of years back and hadn't used it. I found some dark green card in the stash and using my MISTI I masked off a portion and inked up the stamp. It took a few goes to get a good coverage so it was a good job I used the MISTI, no more wasted panels now! After embossing with gold EP, I masked off a thin strip below the holly panel and using a Versamark pen I drew a line which I then embossed in gold as well. I think the pen is drying out as it didn't keep as stick as it should even though it showed dark enough on the panel the EP isn't as intense. To complete I added an embossed sentiment using HLS's Everyday Sentiments. 

For more fabulous holiday inspiration please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

    

Age is only a number

Good morning all.

Well the weather has certainly perked up these last few days, perhaps March will go out like a lamb after all! However all this sunshine shows up the dust and cobwebs so I may have to do some housework! Well perhaps not yet as we have a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

This week it is-

NUMBERS

You could include a number for a particular birthday or lots, just like I did here.

I had seen a card out there somewhere in blogland where numbers were arranged like a clock face around a circular aperture, can I find it again, can I flip! So if it's you just let me know and I will give you credit for the inspiration. I used a rainbow theme that was inspired by a couple of challenges, The photo at Inspired by all the little things shows a flaming treble clef in rainbow colours and over at MAWTT it is simply the theme of rainbow or rainbows. 

Using little scraps of card I die cut loads of little numbers using my #MFT little number dies and arranged them in rainbow order around a circular aperture which I had cut with a #MFT stitched circle die. The central sentiment was computer generated and the happy happy birthday(STAMPlorations) was stamped in black then coloured with Copics to match the die cut numbers.

OK, that's all from me but for more numerical inspiration check out the rest of the team here, then why not join in.

I'd like to join in over at-

    

Rainbow or Rainbow Colours

A birthday card for Jenny

Good afternoon.

Felt the need for a bit of crafty time for myself this morning. I'd taken the dog out and sat down with a cuppa and realised that it was coming up to my friend and ex colleague Jenny's birthday. Flicking through my stash I soon decided that I needed to make a card. I think I need to explain at this point. While I had lots of cards in the stash, Jen is a Leeds Rhino's fan, they are a Rugby League team who play in blue and gold. I usually try to make her something along those lines. Last year I actually included a rhino in a team shirt but this year I decided to go more floral!

I used the photo (mainly the colour) and sketch at Fusion and the theme at Time Out as a starting point for this card.

I started by inking a panel of card with Blueprint Sketch DI and then gave it some interest by bleaching a pattern with one of the daisy stamps from STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches. The other daisy flower was stamped in Versafine them embossed with white, watercoloured with my Zigs and then fussy cut. On a scrap of white card , I stamped the same daisy in Grey Flannel Memento, then trimmed it down to size. The coloured bloom was placed over the panel and a LOTV sentiment stamped in the same Grey Flannel. The top white panel was then popped up over the base and blue panel with pads. The center of the flower was the gold of the kit and the blue panel the other colour.

The saga of the track continues. The contractors are currently pile driving the embankment at the far end, well away from the house, however the sound is still carrying to us. Thankfully with 24hour working this weekend, the sound is softened by the small hill and farmhouse between us and the railway and our 18" thick walls.

 However when Al was out on his tractor this morning, he noticed that a portakabin has appeared on the side of the track next to the pond on our land. No one has asked permission, it just appeared! 

Now we wouldn't have minded if they wanted to put a cabin there as the young lad at the top directing traffic has been out in all weathers but why after  12 weeks  has it suddenly been necessary? I was furious, but Al being Al was very calm and said he would take a pic and email it to Railtrack. Another instance of downright ignorant behaviour! They may have an agreement with the farmhouse owner but they don't have it from us.

Watch this space.

I'd like to join in over at -

Love and/or Friendship with the optional technique twist of spotlight stamping.