Mid summer Christmas

Afternoon folks.

After the heat of last week we have definitely cooled down and as it is presently raining here I have been in my craft room and the grass I am trying to remove from my new herbaceous border will have to wait.

Last week I was thinking that we are never happy with the weather in this country, too hot in summer and too cold in winter. Well that got me thinking about making some Christmas cards. I will hopefully have other things happening around November and the run up to Christmas looks like being a little hectic this year as I'm off to another of Kylie's retreats for Happy Little Stampers and my daughter is expecting our 2nd Grandchild. The craft shop where I sell my cards also asked for some cards last year so I might get some done a little earlier this year!

Here is another for the stash.

I saw the sketch at Less is More yesterday and it reminded me of a card I made here nearly three years ago, couldn't believe that when I went to my archive! 

So with a little bit of inking and die cutting and a #Uniko greeting it was pretty simple. I used a couple of dies, the tree line and the shaped top panel and the scrap left over I inked with Blueprint Sketch DI and bleached out the stars/ snow with a fine paint brush and water. The inky panel was glued flat onto a white base card then the top panels were popped up on pads.

Once I'd decided on the layout it was really easy to make so I may be making some more.

Outside it is still mizzling, so I'm staying put and listening to sound of the 70's reliving my youth!

Joining in over at - 

    

M more than one (dies and trees that is)

Thanks Sew Much

Morning all, hope you are coping in the heat. We had a little rain yesterday but it only served to make the heat more oppressive. Hopefully a new day will bring cooler conditions.

Over at Cardz4Galz it's the start of a brand new challenge -

SEW n SEW

So a theme around the other crafts we love, such as quilting, dressmaking, cross stich or you could use actual sewing in your project. I did consider this but in the end dug out an ancient NitWits stamp that came free with a magazine too many years ago to remember which,it may have been part of a thimble and threads set.

Here is what I came up with.

This cute mouse from the set was stamped then coloured with Copics before being fussy cut. The embroidery ring was from a set free with Creative Stamping but I die cut a frame for it from Kraft card and placed it over the stamped one, colouring in the stitching with Copics. The sentiment is hand written in black on a strip of kraft. The background DP is from the same NitWits set and matches the little mouses pink dress.

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

Joining in over at -

    

Pink                               AG #130

Anything Goes/ with an option of Summer colours


All Creatures Great and Small
(Thanks for the reminder Sarah)

Happy Birthday Sister

Evening all. It's time for a brand new challenge over at ATSM where our theme is -

MAKE YOUR MARK

I'm getting a little fed up with these hot days and nights, I can quite see why things are a much slower pace in the hotter regions of  the world, you don't have the energy for much else!

Anyway I've managed to  keep my craft room cool by keeping the curtains closed all day and settled down for a bit of watercolour resist colouring over the weekend. On my last craft class I bought the MFT Bundles of Blossoms background stamp. It looked gorgeous but a little daunting to begin with, but I persevered and stamped it with Versamark onto MM paper then embossed with white EP The detail was a little tricky to see but I started to play then decided to use part of it for this week's inspiration card.

Here is my card using part of the finished panel.

The berry colours I used were inspired by the picture at Sunday Stamps, I used my Zig pens here as the flowers are quite detailed and I wanted a crisp final finish. The white embossing resists the w/c so although you can be quite loose with the colour within each petal, getting a really soft effect, the end result isn't messy.

When my panel was dry I trimmed off a strip then placed it flat on a white base card, adding the two top panels of matching white and raspberry pink card on pads.

The greeting, from a free set in Creative Stamping, was stamped and embossed with gold on a strip of the same white card and placed over the recessed panel and glued flat.

Please check out the rest of the team here and why not join us.

Joining in over at -

   

      

                                                                                  edited to add 23/6 (thanks for reminder Loll)

and because I used the MFT Bundles of Blossoms stamp and the embossed resist technique I will also join in here

Remarkable Resist

You're a star

Morning all, hasn't it been a hot few days? We Brits are never happy, the weather is either too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry. Still it will be good to see the back of all this hot, sticky weather and revert to a 'normal' English summer! 

Anyway down to business, here is a card for the brand new challenge at Cardz4Guyz,

STARS

I struggled to concentrate with all the heat but eventually with the help of a couple of challenges, came up with this.

Quite a simple design using a background stamp from the STAMPlorations Mixed Media set on a die cut rectangle and some assorted die cut stars, coloured with Copics, some embossed, some doodled over with a white gel pen for added interest. The sentiment is an old mag freebie and the background was popped up on pads. Simples

For more star inspiration check out the rest of the DT here, then why not join us.

Joining in over at -
    

Altenew, I Adore You

Morning all.

It's been a busy few days on this blog, nearly all my DT's have a new challenge starting and DT cards to be made but that's the way the cookie crumbles when you take on the responsibility of a DT spot. Next week is much quieter, thank goodness!

Anyway the last of my DT cards is for the new challenge over at the Alphabet Challenge Blog. We are up to the letter -

G for GIVE THANKS

Here is my card

I've used my Altenew I Adore You set and the soft dusky pink of their latest challenge. 

To begin, I stamped and embossed the greeting in white EP before stamping these fab blooms in a pale blue Memento ink. Pale blue I hear you shout, well yes but more of that in a mo.

Using masks cut from Post its I created this spray of blooms then,  masking all of them, I inked over the die cut panel with Picked Raspberry, Milled Lavender and Victorian Velvet DI to create this ombre effect. Once satisfied with the coverage, I removed the masks and using a black glitter pen I drew around the pale outline. I'd seen this technique over on the wonderful Jennifer McGuire's You Tube page and thought I would have a go. It worked really well and allowed me to correct any missed areas of inking! The pale outline allows you to see where to draw but doesn't intrude into the overall image.

So for more thanks inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at:-

   

Chose just the sketch, can't really claim these flowers as tulips!

Thanks for everything

Goodnight, no seriously welcome, it's just getting close to bedtime here in the UK as I write to announce the start of a brand new challenge starting at HLS Anything Goes with dies. 

Snuggling under the quilt will be a pleasure tonight as along with the last few days it has been anything but summery here in this part of the UK. We even lit the log burner the other night but the rain has certainly been welcome in the garden. However, even there, the veg look fed up and battered by the wind and rain.

Anyway poor weather = more crafty time without guilt!

 Back to the reason for this post.

Here is my inspiration for you, the photo being taken before the weather deteriorated!

I usually make a load of thank you cards for my daughter to give to her TA's at the end of term but as she doesn't like flowers I sometimes struggle for inspiration. However I saw a card here using die cut branches which appealed, it would also do for a bloke which are even more difficult to make for!

I cut a few leaf branches using an old Sizzix/ SU Sizzlet die and scraps of smooshed watercolour paper in my bits box, in summer blues and greens. The whole design reminds me of looking up through tree branches into the blue summer sky (I wish!). After gluing the die cuts down on a white base card and trimming, I used another scrap to cut the blue thanks and a scrap of white for the die cut outline. To give extra dimension I mounted the blue thanks on a die cut fun foam thanks before adding the white outline. Both the thanks dies here are from Create a Smile. To complete I stamped the 'for everything' from the HLS Simply Said set, onto a scrap of white and glued it under the thanks.

That's about it from me but please check out the rest of the girls over at HLS for more die cut inspiration.

I'd like to join in over at:-

   

 Masculine                                                         

                                             

Uptown Girls Celebrate

Morning all.

It's exam time of year here in the UK and everywhere students will be leaving after completing their courses. So at Cardz4Galz our latest challenge we are giving you the opportunity to make some girly cards for a -

GRADUATION

I had a look in my stash and didn't really have anything that fit the bill, especially for a girl. So I had a bit of a head scratch and came up with this.

I took my Up Town Girls Victoria and Juliette stamp from Stamping Bella  and added a cap or two and some certificates!

Here's how I did it.

First I fished out my MISTI and attached the stamp where I needed it, then inked it carefully with Memento Tuxedo Black, trying not to ink the tops of the heads and around the hands. A further wipe with a wet wipe removed any stray ink from those areas. After stamping I drew in the caps and the rolled certificates or diplomas, adding a few ribbons as well.

Colouring the image with Copics using the pinky blue of the succulents in the picture at Curtain Call, I then carefully cut them out and put them to one side.

On a panel of white card I stencilled the sky through a stencil made from a MFT die with Tumbled Glass DI and added a black die cut skyline to match the sketch at Sunday Stamps.

The greeting , a mixture of  HLS Simply said and another whose packet is long gone, was stamped in black. The finished panel was glued flat and so were the fussy cut girls.

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

I'd like to join in over at:-

      

                                                      Anything Goes 

Chalkboard thanks

Hi and welcome to a post to announce the start of the latest challenge over at ATSM.

Here is my card for your inspiration

which is my take on this photo.

I saw the blackboard element and thought of an actual blackboard!

I usually make a thank you card for my Grandson to give to his teacher, so I decided to combine the two with this.

On a die cut panel of kraft card I stamped my SU hardwood stamp in Memento Desert Sand, then with a MFT pierced square stacked die cut the main panel away , then moved it down and cut away the bottom rectangle to make my blackboard surround. I repeated this second step with a black base card, using the kraft panel as a template. I then glued the kraft panel onto the black so that the back appeared in the aperture, trimming where necessary. 

Using HLS's Simply Said, I stamped and embossed the greeting with white EP. The banner was made by folding some scraps of DP and using a MFT sentiment banner die to cut them out, the fishtail end of the die was placed away from the fold. These I then glued together over some twine to make the garland and attached it through a punched hole on both sides, knotting to stop it pulling back through. It also stops the card from sliding fully open so it sits up better! I added the 10/10 in a white gel pen then added some chalk dust with a white pastel pencil, rubbing gently to give a smudged look. The apple I drew and fussy cut before colouring with Copics and adding some Glossy Accents.

That's about it from me, please check out the rest of the team here and join us.

I'm joining in over at :-

Your Favourite reason to make/send a card

I usually make thank you cards for my grandson and daughter at this time of year to give to teaching assistants and class teachers. I always appreciated those I used to get at the end of term.

Any man can be a Father

Good morning all.

June is well up on us now and that means that Father's Day will soon be here, so to help you with your makes the latest challenge starting today over at Cardz4Guyz is -

SOMETHING BLUE for FATHER'S DAY

We've never celebrated the day in our family. My Dad didn't hold with this 'new fangled American thing' and my hubby is of the same opinion so I don't make them really, but I do know that lots of people do, so here is my inspiration for you.

My starting point was the sentiment stamps I got from Card-io for this very occasion!

I used a fab card by Jen Nelson as inspiration, well CASed really. I've had it in my LOTV folder for a very long time, so long I couldn't find the old LOTV inspiration post but here is a link to a Pinterest pin. 

I stamped this James the Bear from LOTV in Paris Dusk Memento onto a white panel and coloured him with blue and neutral Copcs before stamping the two part sentiment, also in blue. The white base card was covered with some dark blue DP before the panel was glued down.

So for more BLUE inspiration check out the rest of the team here. Why not join in, you've got a whole two weeks to do so.