A bit of Mixed Medley creepiness

Halloween is creeping up behind us (aaaargh!) so I thought I'd make my annual foray into spookiness, inspired by the colours at ColourQ and this week's One Layer Wednesday challenge, hosted by Cheryl, to 'Make a Halloween card'.

This is a simple card that relies on the fabulous mix of colours for its impact. I masked off two thirds of the card front with a post it note and sponged the three colours over the remaining third. When the mask was peeled away, the spiders web from Mixed Medley was stamped over the top and a sentiment added. Finally I drew in additional spidey threads with the fine end of my black marker so that the web didn't float about - believe me, I consider spiders' webs quite spooky enough without them being haunted as well!

You know, I didn't have a minute to join in with One Layer Wednesday last week but the challenge was very dear to my heart - Susan's challenge was to 'use one stamp two different ways'. I've completely missed the deadline of course but I'd been dying to do this with my zebra from Zoo Review:

Of course she can be a pony! I just went round the edges of the zebra with my Early Espresso marker, stamped the image, coloured in with Soft Suede ink and an aquapainter and added a mane and tail. Have you noticed how much taller the zebra looks? That is simply because I stamped that sentiment underneath the image! The pony looks quite stubby, bless her little cotton socks - a bit like a Thelwell pony but without the wicked thoughts!

Here's what you'll need to make the halloween card

Stamps: Mixed Medley, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, stazon black

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Basic Black marker, stamp-a-majig
I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and have them delivered straight to your address in the UK, France, Deutschland, Nederland or Osterreich. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on +44 (0) 1280 820593.

My morphing zebra made me think of one of my daughters favourite remarks: "They said I could be anything... so I became cold." Hmm, I know the feeling - I'm off to get a cardi!

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your crafting!

Knitted French Foliage

Can someone please tell me where autumn went? I was just waiting for the leaves to turn and winter snuck in! Well I'm not going under without a fight so I've made this one-layer card in an effort to bring autumn back into our lives:

One of the things I love about getting new stamps is the pleasure in combining them with old favourites. Here I've used the new Nicely Knit wheel from the autumn/winter catalogue to ink in a cosy background for my favourite French Foliage leaf set - it reminds me of a chilly autumn walk with scarf and gloves, kicking up the leaves with your boots!

I used one of the new in-colours, Summer Starfruit, for my knitted background. Doesn't it go well with the jewel colours of the leaves?! The sentiment is from Thank You Kindly which will retire at the end of the month.

The leaves were embossed before I wheeled in the background and I sponged ink over it to add definition, fading it out as I moved across the card.

When thinking about this card, I was inspired by CASual Fridays, where Fall Fun is the theme this week, One Layer Wednesday, where Heather wants to see a little sponging on our one-layer cards and Less is More, where we're combining three previous challenges. I chose week 41 One layer leaves, week 15 Embossing and week 28 Use ink. I'm wondering if Chrissie and Mandi will give me brownie points for keeping the card one layer but deep down I know I'm more likely to get a clip round the ear for being a smarty pants!

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: French Foliage, Nicely Knit wheel, Thank You Kindly (retiring)
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede
Card stock: Very Vanilla
Other: Versamark, clear embossing powder, heat tool, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and have them delivered straight to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593. Click here to view my regularly updated lists of retiring stamps and accessories, some at up to 40% discount.  

Right, time to go to the supermarket so that I can be ready for the return of the Ravening Hordes... brolly at the ready and... quick march!

See you tomorrow for more stamping fun,

Perfectly Preserved in three minutes!

Aargh - autumn has suddenly happened! It seems only yesterday I was disporting myself on the beaches of Kent and now suddenly I'm in a jumper and scarf and am toying with the idea of getting my boots out!

One of the things I love about the autumn around here is that people with fruit trees in their gardens share their crop and you find houses with crates and boxes outside with notices instructing passers by to help themselves. Isn't that lovely? It's what has inspired today's card which I've made for One Layer Wednesday, where Cheryl has an autumn theme, and Addicted to Stamps where the challenge is to use markers. Come and have a look:

It's Three Minute Thursday here today so this is a very quick and simple one-layer card. I've used the Perfectly Preserved set in the new autumn/winter catalogue - and actually managed NOT to use the jar today (it was a close call though!) I stamped the gingham apples first, stamping off once on scrap paper before making my impression on the card base. TIP: Stampin' Up's grid paper is useful for quickly working out the centre of your card base when stamping a symmetrical group.  Using my stamp-a-majig to get the positioning right, I stamped the other stylised apples over the top.

Once the apples were in place, I added the leaves and sentiment and finished by doodling little bows on the apples and rounding the bottom corners of the card. I used some of this year's In-Colours for this card - I am LOVING these new colours!

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: Perfectly Preserved, Thank You Kindly (retiring)
Ink: Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple
Card stock: Naturals Ivory
Other: Midnight Muse marker, corner rounder, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and have them delivered straight to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593. Click here to view my regularly updated lists of retiring stamps and accessories, some at up to 40% discount. 

Talking of quick and easy, I had the most delicious lunch yesterday, courtesy of the lovely Irene who sent very kindly me her recipe for cheese scones.

I'm a bit of a fiend for cheese scones and had wolfed down two before anyone else in the family got a look in! They managed to elbow me aside however and the scones were voted a huge success!

I'll be back tomorrow with something quite different! See you then,

Retiring stamps with a new twist

Well I knuckled down to make an autumnal card this morning despite the fact it's blazing hot and looking like summer! The reason is that I've been able to join in with Less is More again this week (yay!) where Chrissie and Mandi want to see one-layer cards with a Foliage theme. My card was also made for One Layer Wednesday - it's Susan's turn to host and she's challenging us to make cards for her Gratitude Campaign. Come and see what I've made:

I've used the leaf from the sadly retiring Autumn Days (just check out my alphabetical index in my side bar to see how many cards I've made with that wonderful set!) but I've given it a new look by teaming it with the jar from my brand, spanking new Perfectly Preserved set. I LOVE  this jar to bits!

To get this look, I made two masks - one where I cut around the outside of the jar and one where I cut a hole inside the jar. (There are framelits available to make cutting out all the elements in this set a doddle, but they don't work as masks.) I stamped the leaves in the jar through the negative mask, stamping the jar over the top using Whisper White craft ink, then covered the whole thing with the other mask while I sponged in the background.  To finish, I discarded the masks (keeping them in the box for next time) and added more leaves.

I'm afraid I made a bit of a pigs ear of the sentiment! I stamped it in the white craft ink but left it too long before embossing in white - I should have used versamark. The finishing touch was to add dots of versamark pen and embossing those in white to give the idea that something magical's going on - and so it is: feeling thankful for what you have, no matter how little, makes you feel great!

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: Autumn Days (retiring), Sincere Salutations (retiring), Perfectly Preserved (NEW!)
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Early Espresso classic inks, Whisper White craft ink
Card stock: Crumb Cake
Other: White embossing powder, versamark pen (retiring), Heat Tool (retiring), paper snips, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and have them delivered straight to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593. Click here to view my regularly updated lists of retiring stamps and accessories, some at up to 40% discount. 

Our cat Tuppence is lying comatose in the sunshine. Did anyone read the story on the news last week about the man whose aging cat had taken to falling asleep all over the place and couldn't be roused? The cat had gone to sleep on the top of his rubbish bin and a passing cat lover had gone to stroke her; the cat was in its customary deep slumber and didn't stir and the passer by phoned the RSPCA believing it had died and been put out with the rubbish! I mentioned this story to Tuppence which is why she's sticking to her favourite chair!

I'll be back on Monday when I'll have another Perfectly Preserved idea to show you. Hope to see you then,

Need for Speed in the water

So the olympic games are over for another four years but I don't suppose I'm the only lady who will cherish the memory of David Beckham whizzing up the Thames in a speed boat to get to the opening ceremony! Today's card is my tribute to dear old Becks and I made it for One Layer Wednesday which celebrates its 100th birthday this week. This week's challenge is hosted by Cheryl and the theme is 'Transportation'.

I've not previously inked up the speed boat from Need for Speed but I'm really glad I did - it was great fun to make this scene! I masked and sponged a sea onto my card base before stamping the boat. It's coloured with ink and a blender pen and highlighted with markers -  and I found the white Watercolour Wonder crayon that comes in the neutrals tin was perfect for creating a bit of spray! Then came the exciting part...

... I used the Colour Spritzer tool to add a bit more spray-style colour. I've not used this tool before and it was brilliant fun! It's really easy too - you just put a marker into the holder so the brush end is over the hole, tighten the screw that holds it in place and squeeze the bulb.

Here's what you'll need to make today's card:
Stamps: Need for Speed, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Pool Party, Poppy Parade
Card stock: Naturals Ivory
Other: Markers, Watercolour Wonder crayons, Simply Scored, Colour Spritzer tool, stamp-a-majig
I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593. If you are placing an order of £60 or more, you will receive a free Reason to Smile stamp set in your choice of wood or clear mount. The set is also available to buy for £18.95 wood mount or £14.95 clear mount.

What a fabulous olympic closing ceremony last night - and what a wonderful games! I only managed to catch highlights of each day's action but one of the best bits was watching Charlotte Dujardin win a gold medal in the dressage. She used to live in a village just outside Buckingham, although she now lives in Gloucestershire so we won't be getting a local post box painted gold just yet - although I have high hopes they might bring in olympic Talking in which my youngest son would sweep the board!

I'll have more Need for Speed to show you tomorrow, so do pop back to see!

Notably Ornate thank you

It's always so much fun playing along with One Layer Wednesday but I'm only just getting round to Wednesday's challenge today! It's Susan's turn to host and the theme is 'At least one star and at least one stripe'. There are lots of patriotic entries celebrating last week's American Independence Day but, since it's Masculine Monday here, I decided to go for a useful male thank you. Come and see:

This is such a quick card. I started with the notepaper - picking it out of the frame stamp with a Marina Mist marker, huffing on the stamp and stamping it on the edge of my card front. The sentiment was stamped over the top and the stars added.

Here's a close up. Making a simple collage by stamping images over each other is one of my favourite things to do. I created a little bit of interest by stamping one of the Itty Bitty stars onto watercolour paper and cutting it out with sharp paper snips before popping it up over the larger star. I used the water colour paper because (despite its name) it's really thick and has a lovely chipboard feel.

Here's what you'll need to make today's card:

Stamps: Notably Ornate, Thank You Kindly, Season of Joy, Itty Bitty Bits

Ink: Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist

Card stock: Naturals Ivory, scrap of watercolour paper

Other: Markers, paper snips, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593. Your free brad and ribbon set will be added automatically to any order of £45 or more.

We were away in Tynemouth this weekend visiting my in-laws. My daughter and I nipped into Newcastle on Saturday afternoon for a little retail therapy and I was amused to see everyone sat around on deckchairs at the monument watching Wimbledon on one of those huge screens. We missed the mens final, as we were on the road, but got back in time to watch the presentation. It broke my heart to see Andy Murray struggling to keep his composure as he thanked his supporters.

Hope you're having a happy Monday. I shall be back tomorrow with something gold - hope to see you then!

Thank you unmounted Henry!

Have you seen the builder wheels? There are lots of different designs that are intended for fixing into a roller handle either alone or with up to two other wheels. They're great fun, but sometimes I look at them and think how versatile they would be as a stamp - so I take them off the wheel, mount them onto foam mount (like this) and use them with an acrylic block. My longest acrylic block isn't quite long enough for them to completely fit on, but it doesn't seem to matter! Come and see what I did with Henry:

Henry is a wonderful linear argyle print! I've used my markers to colour the rubber before stamping and finished with a sentiment embellished with a little leaf.  Here's a close up of the pattern:

The inspiration to make today's card came from three different sources: I've used the colour swatch from this week's wonderful ColourQ challenge...

The One Layer Wednesday challenge is to be inspired by something from your kitchen and I chose this packaging:

And last but not least, I shall enter the card into the 'Make Your Mark' challenge at Addicted to Stamps where 'anything goes as long as markers are used on the creation'.  This is a brand new challenge site in blogland, so do pop over and give the ladies your support.

Here's what you'll need to make today's card:

Stamps: Henry (builder wheel), Elegant Thank You, Lovely as a Tree

Ink: Island Indigo, Pool Party, More Mustard, Calypso Coral, Basic Black (all in marker form)

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

At dinner yesterday evening, there was a football discussion and my husband asked the boys if they knew how to put their fingers in their mouths and give one of those piercing whistles to let the ref know you disapprove of his decision! (I know, I try my best to teach them table manners but what chance do I have?!) There then followed a lively practice session during which my youngest son blew his nose. "Oh that'll tell the ref!" said my daughter, adding in her best Victorian gentleman's voice: "I blow my nose at you sir!"

Have a lovely weekend won't you, and I'll see you soon.

Hugs,

One layer Need for Speed

Susan is hosting One Layer Wednesday this week where the challenge is to make a one layer card for a man - which fits in rather well with the return of my Masculine Monday series! I chose to have a play with my Need For Speed set this week - come and see what I've  made:

I love the way Poppy Parade looks on kraft card stock and it's the perfect colour choice for this plane. It took me several goes to work out how to make a Red Arrows-style trail, but I found Whisper White craft ink and a sponge dauber did the trick.

Here's a close up of that fabulous plane! I added a sentiment from the Happiest of Birthdays hostess set and scored a line to extend it across the width of the card.

Here's a landscape version I tried out with an ordinary trail - after all there are some occasions where a heart trail wouldn't be entirely appropriate!

Here's what you'll need to make today's cards:

Stamps: Need for Speed, Happiest of Birthdays

Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White craft ink

Card stock: Crumb Cake

Other: Poppy Parade marker, sponge dauber, white gel pen, Simply Scored, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

Thank you so much to everyone who has left me birthday wishes over the last few days. It's lovely of you and I've felt very touched. On Saturday I told you I was being taken away for the weekend and (after a shaky start where we sat on the motorway with a load of other cars!) we ended up in the beautiful Wye valley - an area I've always wanted to visit and for some reason never have. We all had the most wonderful time and were incredibly lucky with the weather considering a lot of the UK was sat under a very slow-moving band of rain. I'll leave you with a photo that sums up my weekend...

I hope you had a great weekend - and if you're in the UK, are continuing to have a lovely time despite the wet weather that lots of us are having. I'll be back tomorrow with a little patriotic glamour so do join me if you have a minute!

Hugs,