A gothic thank you

Hello, crafting friends!

 

I had time to make a quick card this morning (yay!) and decided to make a floral thank you card for my stash. As I rummaged through my floral stamp collection, I came across Happy Succulents by Uniko which, ironically, I bought to make sympathy cards as I thought the image was quite sombre. I've happied it up today but I think it's turned out to be the kind of thank you card I might send to a goth! What do you think?

I used Stampin' Up inks, sponging in a rough background with Pool Party and stamping the floral image in Shaded Spruce. The outline parts of the image were coloured with coloured pencils and I added detail with black and white markers.

 

The curvy sentiment is new to me and is called Tagged Elegance from the Greetery. When I'd finished the card, I thought the background sponging was a bit too similar to the colour of the image so I added a little soft shading behind the central flowers with a dark violet pencil. That gave it a bit more oomph!

 

CHALLENGES

I'm linking this card up at The Paper Players where Joanne has a CAS challenge going on and wants to see us use One Image Only on a card; I'm also playing along at Allsorts where it's the challenge's 14th birthday - wow, what a milestone! They're celebrating with champagne and prizes (ok, maybe not champagne) and the theme is Absolutely Anything Goes - including (I hope) gothic thank you cards! I'm also joining in at Stamping Sensations where the theme is Anything Stamped Goes with optional Add a Stencil.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

It's swimming season!! Not for me I hasten to add - we don't want to frighten the horses do we?! - but for Eva. In the photo below, she has been for a walk and a swim, returned home and eaten some Meaty Chunks to keep her strength up, and is now wondering, via the medium of a Paddington Bear Stare, whether there are any of those tasty chews going.

 

I had better add, in the interests of full disclosure, that swimming season in her first eight years was all year round. I realise that I am a rubbish dog trainer and that Eva is an excellent human trainer - a lowering thought.

Sending hugs,

Sombre Succulents

Hello, crafting friends!

 

I had a quick, clean and simple crafty session this morning. I made a sympathy card which, thank goodness, I don't need, but which fits the mood here in England.

 

This is a very quick card - in fact the most amount of time was spent re-inking my black ink pad before I started! I positioned the spray from Uniko's Happy Succulents over the top of a nice, thick card base and stamped it repeatedly using my stamp positioner to get a good, crisp impression. The card was finished with a sentiment from Simply Said Blocks, also from Uniko, and I coloured the seed heads in with a fineliner pen.

 

 

CHALLENGES

I'm linking this card up with AAA Cards where the theme is No-Layer Syympath; also Less is More where the challenge is to make a CAS black and white card.

 

AND IN OTHER NEWS

The temperatures have dropped in the heart of England and it's time to clear up the garden a little and trim the hedges - if a Certain Someone might move themselves please!!

 

My darling Eva looks a little sombre in this photo doesn't she, but I can assure you she is just playing to the gallery. She has opened her eyes but is basically saying that she's not moving because she's in the middle of a snoozle thanks very much and needs her beauty sleep. I might also add that she has a variety of beds and sofas to sleep on but prefers to nap on the cold, hard paving stones!

Sending hugs,

Thinking of you in black and white

Hello, crafting friends!

Something very simple from me today - one layer and black and white. You can't get more pared back than that can you!

I've been using more of my new Uniko goodies! This stamp set is Happy Succulents and it's been on my wish list for a long time!

I stamped the largest image directly onto a card base in black ink and gave some of the leaves stripes with a black fineliner. I used my Posca white acrylic paint pen to colour the large flower and other details.

That gorgeous sentiment is from Beautiful Branches by Concorde & 9th. When I stamped it, I left room for a little bud and leaf which I coloured as I did the main image. Finally I added a doodled frame with my fineliner and called the card done!

CHALLENGES

I'm playing along with Color Hues where the current challenge is Black and White. I've not used this stamp set before so I'll also share at NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff)

AND IN OTHER NEWS

Excitement mounts here as the weather forecast is predicting temperatures more commonly seen in the summer months for the next three days. Eva and I will be in the garden pretending to be on holiday!

Sending hugs,