A little something for you

Good morning folks.

It's been a bitter couple of days here, the sky was blue but so were my fingers! Still it allowed me not to feel guilty about abandoning my gardening for the warmth of the craft room!

I received some happy mail a couple of weeks ago, a few Stampingbella stamps. I've looked at them for awhile but have now caved in and indulged! You may have noticed a few popping up in the last few weeks! Love these Uptown girl images and as I had a card to make for the latest Card4Galz challenge I decided to use another one. This week our theme is -

USE A SHAPED CARD

I'm a bit of a stick in the mud and tend not to make cards other than A6 with the odd square one so this challenge certainly challenged me!

Anyway here's what I came up with.

I started off by trying to follow the layout at Sketch Saturday but in the end I thought I needed another band of colour across the bottom and the banners didn't fit with my choice of image. I suppose I was still influenced by it, my card just evolved! The DP is from NitWits, afraid I couldn't find enough of the right DP in the bits box so ended up printing a new sheet off. I did use some odds and ends for the banners though. 

My base card was made by folding an A4 piece of linen effect card in half then using a large Spellbinders die, I placed it so that 2 parts of the scallops were at the bottom and the left hand edge was just over the fold. This meant that when cut The card would still have a join and not fall apart. Don't worry if this happens to you as you can always glue the two sides together after putting a crease line about 1/2" from the left hand edge. You can find more details here about the two techniques.

After stamping and colouring with Copics I fussy cut the image and placed her over the central panel, slipping a couple of die cut DP banners and the sentiment banner underneath.

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

I'd like to join in over at:-

One for the girls

StampingBella

Posh has a present

Hi and welcome to a schedule post to tell you about the brand new challenge over at ATSM.
Here is my inspiration card.

This week it is our CAS challenge.

We've had a bit of a discussion behind the scenes about what is a clean and simple card and here are a few guidelines which may help you.



So with my card, one main focal point.
More than half 'white space'.
No embellishments.
With hindsight perhaps I should have done away with the pads but there're only 2 layers!
Hope this helps.

So down to details. I started by stamping my image from Stampingbella and colouring in her with Copics using the colour scheme over at CAS-ual Fridays. Then, using the sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch, I cut away 2/3rds of the card, leaving my image still attached. On a piece of scrap paper I inked through a STAMPlorations stencil with Chipped Sapphire DI to create the stripes. A plain piece of white card completes the layout. As it's a CAS card no further  embellishments were added, save for a stamped blue greeting that I embossed with clear EP.
For more fab inspiration, please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

The card by Hannelie really inspired this card

Walking Boots

Good morning all.

What has happened to the weather? A gorgeous, almost summerlike weekend followed by chill winds and snow last night! We took advantage of the glorious weather on Sunday to visit the bluebells in Combermere Abbey woods. It's not really that far away and we had promised ourselves that we would go the next time there was an open day. I picked a leaflet up at the hairdressers last time I was there and made a note of the date on the blackboard. Well we nearly missed the date as we have in the past but luckily I noticed the date on Saturday afternoon so just before one, off we set. Lots of others had the same idea, for the place was rammed, old and young alike. The bluebells did themselves proud and we treated ourselves to tea and cake afterwards, I just had to buy a few plants for the border before we left! Max enjoyed himself, made a friend of a lady sheltie who kept glancing back to check he was still behind. 

Anyway the walk in the woods reminded me of this week's challenge at Cardz4Guyz which is -

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Love being out and about but don't go scrabbling over hill and dale these days, just a gentle stroll with the dog. I should have got the old boots out for the wood walk as there were lots of surface roots ready to trap the unwary walker in inappropriate footware! Here is my inspiration for you.

Knew I wanted to use this stamp from Woodware and the layout from Paper Players but what colour to use? I then stumbled across the latest challenge over at Sunday Stampers, although a picture of an orange on a branch the colours work really well here, walkers seem to go for brightly coloured laces these days!

To start I stamped the central panel with the tread stamp in Memento Espresso Truffle then the larger boots on a scrap of card. The orange edges on the central panel were made from scrap paper coloured with the darkest orange Copic marker I used for the laces. I coloured the boots with more Copics then fussy cut them out. On another scrap of card I scribbled some Copics to match the laces and cut out the CUTploratons die sentiment, then decided it needed some thing more so cut another and inked it in the same Espresso Truffle ink. Placing the orange slightly off center to allow the brown layer to show I glued them together, then attached it over my boots, weaving the lefthand lace through the first couple of letters of celebrate. On a MFT banner I stamped the rest of the greeting and placed it under the edge of the celebrate, glued flat on the sides and on pads in the center.

For more inspiration check out the rest of the team here, then why not join in.

I'd like to join in over at -

          

Sending hugs and happy thoughts

Good morning peeps. 

I fancied a bit of me time yesterday so got out my stamps and Ziggys for a bit of colouring.

Here is the end result.

The photo looks to have taken the green out of the turquoise blooms and made them look more pale blue than in real life. The colours are from this month's Altenew challenge and the layout from the one at Seven Hills. I wasn't sure about the sentiment so decided on a vellum wrap with gold embossing to match the flowers. I scored a few lines to go with the sketch and mounted the finished panel on a piece of slightly sparkly yellow card from the stash.

Joining in over at:-

      

  

STAMPlorations, a reminder

Good afternoon peeps.

I'm back to remind you all that there is still time to enter the April theme/sketch challenge over at STAMPlorations.

This time for my interpretation I went with just the sketch.

If you prefer you could go with the theme as your inspiration,

or go mad and use both!

For my card I took inspiration from a couple or so challenges out there at the moment, spring is definitely in the air over blogland and in our own hedgerows. The cherries are in full bloom but the blackthorns are sadly past their best but the May is in tight bud. 

To start I die cut a panel and then in the bottom half  I inked some Tumbled Glass DI through an  ARTplorations Dots all Over Stencil, fading the intensity out towards the top left. From a scarp of gold mirror card I die cut a frame and glued it flat atop the panel. 

My flowers and foliage were die cut using some of the new CUTplorations Trendy Spring Blooms dies from some smooshed panels of DI and Inka Gold spritzed with water. The green and yellowy orange were in my stash but I didn't have enough of the pink so I made a brand new panel. The small flowers were pretty simple flower then center which I trimmed down but the central bloom was a little more involved.

To start I die cut the outline and popped out the inner sections of the petals, then on another piece I cut again. This time I had to do repeat runs through my BS as I didn't want to completely cut through to the center. Think it took me about 4 runs through to get it looking how I wanted it. I glued the first outline over the partially cut one then when dry pushed the petals through the outline. As they were still attached at the center you get  a more 3D effect. Love how the smooshed panel is not a solid colour and gives the die cuts more life. The center was made by die cutting a third outline from the yellowy orange panel and gluing back into the center. The leaves were simply cut and attached along with the rest of the flowers to create a corsage in the bottom right of the frame. 

To finish I stamped a thin strip of white card with Happy Birthday from the Balloons and Banners set and slipped it under the large bloom. 

For more info and all T's and C's please check out the rest of the team here then why not join in?

     I'd like to join in over at -

Use a Stencil

      

Button Wreath

Good morning.

Just popping by to share a card made for this week's Merry Monday challenge.

This is another of my made from scrap cards. While tidying up my stamped images I came across this Woodware wreath covered in some buttons but not made into a card, so I thought I would use it.

I simply attached a small ribbon bow and hanger so that the circle diecut would swing then decided that it was a little too delicate for the job and added some glue to the back of the panel, stamped a simple greeting and Bob's your uncle!

As I type there is no movement on our troubled drive saga, other than the track moving with more heavy wagons! Lots of banging coming from the compound yesterday so they are there but not willing to rectify the problem as yet.

 Onto the other sad tale of the sheep worrying, I have heard from a friend that the dogs had been 'missing' since the night before. She has been getting an awful lot of sympathy on social media about the loss of her dog sadly I can't bring myself to call her out on the cynical move she made, placing the post after the dogs had caused the death of 11 lambs! The ewes are still petrified and very jumpy. Would the 320+ commenters have been as sympathetic to her 'plight' if they knew what the dogs had done? We have some horrendous pictures that the Al and the vet took and although I have decided not to look too closely, I could tell from how shook up they all were that they were horrific. The vet has said that he wants to send them to the Farmer's Guardian to show careless dog owners what damage and pain even 'pets' can do. The one remaining dog according to statistics will attack again.  How can that woman live herself and deny her dogs were not involved!

Zentangle Butterflies

Good afternoon peeps.

Just popping by to remind you of the month long Things with Wings blog hop and Linky party over at STAMPlorations.

Here is my card using the new Trendy Butterflies 2 stamp set.

The butterflies in this set have a zentangle feel, so I went a little overboard stamping a strip of them then filling in the space left with pattern using a black fine liner. The butterflies I coloured in a rainbow of Zigs. They look to be tumbling around, just like the photo at Time Out. Couldn't really stick to one colour though with these patterns!

For more details of the blog hop and linky party check out here, where you'll also find all the Ts and Cs too. Don't forget to leave a comment here for a chance to win before you go hopping off though!

I'd like to join in over at:-

Had to be the butterflies on the gypsophila for me with this CAS card

Sailing Boat

Good morning fellow crafters.
Hope you all had a great Easter break.
We had a mixed weekend, it started very badly with a phone call from the farm to say a neighbour had spotted two dogs running around a field with lambs in. Al went off in hot pursuit only to be shocked by what he saw. Sadly of the 12 lambs attacked 11 didn't make it, the vet only able to save 1. According to the police the owner of the dogs, found through the micro chip on one was very sorry but it couldn't possibly have been her's!! Well we know one was as that was how the police found her! Apparently two 'escaped' but only one returned and judging by the carnage it must have had a thorough bath for her not to have noticed!
19/4 Update I heard late yesterday that the dogs in question had been involved in another incident of sheep worrying on the other side of town earlier this year, funny that the owner is STILL in denial. So much for her wanting to "put it all right"! I couldn't live with myself if  my dog was the cause of so much suffering. What a pity the time has passed for the police to get involved, she needs prosecuting!

Anyway onto happier things.
I need a bit of a calming session after all that, so took to my craftroom and got my Copics out for a bit of colouring. As I needed a card for this week's challenge at Cardz4Guyz I used this week's theme of

SHADES of BROWN

I had one or two ideas but decided to use some kraft card and Rich Cocoa Memento ink to stamp this.

He's one of my favourites from LOTV -Sailing Boat. I used a selection of brown Copics to colour as well as a white pencil crayon. The finished panel was mounted on dark brown and then linen cream base. 

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

I'd like to join in over at:-

Anything Goes


Not a Square

Alphabet Challenge, C is for?

Easter is upon us, shame the weather came a little early, last weekend!
Anyway, the cooler last few days have allowed me some crafty time without feeling too guilty about the state of the garden.
It's time for a brand new challenge over at the Alphabet Challenge blog, we have got to the letter C and as it was my turn to choose the theme I went with -

C is for CAKE!

Well why not, everyone likes cake. Here is my inspiration for you.

The little bear is by Fizzy Moon, one of a few I bought in the bargain bucket at The Range last year. This is his first outing, he got lost in the stamp box behind some others!

Stamping the image on a circle of white card from the bits box, I used a mixture of Copics and metallic markers to colour him.

The layout I used is from Sunday Stamps, but with a twist. Instead of simply layering up the DPs and image I die cut a circle aperture and placed him flat on the base card behind it and popped the finished panel up on pads to give a shadow. The papers I used are from NitWits and the stamped sentiment a freebie from a mag last month.

That's about it from me for today, check out the rest of the crew for more cake inspired projects.

I'd like to join in over at-

Favourite shaped base card

I always used to use a 5 x 5 square but it is quite wasteful of card and as a Yorkshire lass I couldn't thoil it as we say. I guess it means it hurt to see the cut off strip go to waste so I usually use an A6 top fold base now as my go to shape and size, 2 card bases from one piece and no waste!

Audrey loves makeup

Morning all.
It's time for a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Galz. This time it was my choice of theme and I chose:-

HANDBAGS and GLADRAGS

Not the Rod Stewart or Stereophonics single but projects that show a little bit of glamour, someone dressed up to the nines, or simply handbags and a fab outfit!
I knew the exact image I wanted to use, Uptown Girls Audrey from Stampin Bella.

Having decided on the stamp I need a colour scheme, so hit upon the colour challenge over at Cupcake Inspirations.

After colouring Audrey with Copics, I fussy cut Audrey and placed her on a panel of NitWits DP and a sentiment from another Stampin Bella Uptown Girl set, stamped in blue and embossed with clear EP.

The yellow trim along the edge of thr DP panel was cut with a die from some canary yellow card and slipped under each long edge. Not having any matching sequins I coloured some silver ones with matching Copics and left to dry before attaching to the card.

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

I'd like to join in over at:-

Have a perfect day

Hi, just popping by to announce the start of the latest challenge over at ATSM.

This week it is our Make your Mark challenge. 

Here is my card.

My inspiration for this was the latest challenge at Less is More, where it is their one layer week on the theme of curve. 

When I made this I was still in blossom mode, I really love this time of year with all the trees heavy with blossom. I would love some in the front garden, at least they would be too tall for the pesky rabbits to eat, well once they get to a certain height! One day.

For this I took a A6 base card and embossed a curve with a die and then stamped some Cardio branches in Versamark and embossed them with white EP. I then added some colour with some of my Zig brush pens and moved the colour around with a wet brush to blend. 

The sentiment by Waffle flower was embossed in gold to finish.

So for more inspiration check out the rest of the DT here-

I'd like to join in over at-

Herd it was your birthday

Good morning folks.

Well. did you enjoy the sun over the weekend? Here on the Welsh Marches we had the sun but alas also the wind, so no sitting in the garden in shorts and top like the rest of the country, fleece required for anything stationary! Still I got the washing done and a little bit of weeding in the garden.

I also managed to make a card for the new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz.

This week we would love to see cards on the theme of -

ANIMAL ANTICS

Here is my card.

This card was inspired by a friend who supports Leeds Rhino Rugby League Club, they play in blue and gold and their mascot is a rhino, obviously!

I found this cute rhino image and coloured his shirt to roughly represent the kit fussy cut him out and added a few balloons and attached then with strings through the mouth of the rhino. The sentiment was computer generated on plain card before I die cut the balloons and coloured them with Copics and white gel pen. A scrap of  bight blue NitWits DP was slotted behind the aperture and the whole mounted on a golden yellow base card. 

For more fab animal inspiration check out the rest of the DT here.

I'd like to join in over at:-

Animals or Birds

#141 Animals

4 legged friends