An Oxide Experiment

Hello, crafting friends!

 

I had some time to play today so I brought out my new distress oxide inks, a present from my youngest son. He is not only very good at getting me to waffle on about my latest craft enthusiasms, but is also a total nerd who became very excited himself when told about the reactive nature of these hybrid inks!

 

I know I'm late to the distress oxide party but I was particularly excited about the opacity of the ink. It means light colours show up on darker card, and this card was an experiment to see what would happen if I used the inks with a stencil. I chose a dark yellow card for my background panel and blended Spun Sugar and Picked Raspberry inks into Uniko's Gerbera stencil. I added Squeezed Lemonade to the seeds in the flower centre and also sponged a little round the edges of the panel.

 

After that, I masked the flower and added some stamped lines (but wish I had used a tone on tone dark yellow instead of the black!) The sentiment from Clearly Besotted's Simply Said fits nicely in the lines though :) Before mounting the panel on a card base, I sponged Spun Sugar ink round the edges of the card front. The card was embellished with some delicate iridescent sequins from SU.

 

CHALLENGES

I used Hannelie's Yellow and Pink palette at Color Hues so I'm linking up there; also at the Stencil Fun Challenge where there's an optional theme of Spring/Flowers; The Sisterhood of Crafters' latest challenge is Showers or Flowers which amused me :D

 

AND IN OTHER NEWS

Drier weather has come at last and I am giddy with it! The golden girls and I are able to do longer walks and there's no need for any spa baths or even foot baths. What more could we ask for?

 

Perhaps, says Lulu, we could get a real puppy...? Don't tempt me Lulu, don't tempt me!!!

Sending hugs,

Stenciled Blooms

Hello, crafting friends!

 

Isn't it wonderful to receive new stash in the post?! I was lucky enough to win a voucher from The Flower Challenge a few months ago and spent it at the wonderful Seven Hills Crafts (which is the exclusive stockist of The Greetery products in the UK - and you know just how much I love those fab Greetery products!) Tara and Rick, who run Seven Hills, work tirelessly to bring popular US brands into the inky little fingers of crafters and are well worth a browse if you are in the UK or Europe and don't want to pay crazy shipping costs.

 

This card was required at short notice and I rustled it up in no time with The Greetery's Always In Bloom stencil. I stenciled the flowers on the top half of a card panel then flipped it upside down and repeated the stenciling on the bottom half. Detail was added to the flowers and leaves with coloured pencils.

 

I stamped one of my favourite Clearly Besotted birthday sentiments in between the upper and lower stenciled flowers before trimming the sides of the panel away with a stitched rectangle die. Finally, I sponged a little ink on the edges of a card base before attaching the panel to it.

CHALLENGES

I used a stencil so I'm joining in at Allsorts where Lorraine's theme is Use a Stencil or Anything Goes; also Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge where Anything Goes; and Crazy is our Fame - Stencils are our Game where Anything Goes with optional theme of Flowers. I also enjoyed using Never Before Used Schtuff so I'm sharing at Darnell's NBUS Challenge too.

 

 

AND IN OTHER NEWS

Poor Eva is exhausted today. We went for a walk a bit further afield yesterday as I'm trying to build up her tolerance to the car as she'll be coming with us to my daughter's wedding. She was not happy I'm afraid. She perked up once we started on the walk... until on the way back, our way was blocked by a group of young heifers at a gate. Eva is afraid of cows but luckily I am a farmer's daughter and nipped through the gate and herded them away to the far side of the field! She was not impressed though.

 

Today we had one of Eva's pals round for the day but Eva had no energy to play. Look at this aggrieved little face! Guess who is feeling like a very bad dog mummy today :/

Sending hugs,

A Shower of laburnum

Hello, crafting friends!

 

Every year I notice that one or other plant is doing particularly well and this year it's the turn of Laburnum. I've seen lots of fine displays in gardens and there's a tree at the entrance to one of the fields at the back of our house which is looking magnifcent at the moment. They've reminded me of a stamp I've had for a long time so I had a little rummage...

 

... and here's what I made! The stamp is from a retired Stampin' Up hostess set called Soft Spring. I stamped it repeatedly across the top of a thick card base and coloured it with Stampin' Up water-based markers. I sponged a little blue ink at the top of the card to suggest a glorious spring day :)

The sentiment is from Simply Said by Clearly Besotted, stamped on a snippet of white card and trimmed to size with a stitched rectangle die. Le voila! A very quick make :)

CHALLENGES

Retro Rubber require the use of stamps over a year old and this set was released in 2019. The current challenge is Anything Goes so I'm linking up there; I'm also joining in with Try Stampin' on Tuesday 607 where there's a word prompt of Flower Power and the option to use the sketch; Double D have a Flowers theme this fortnight so I'm playing along there too; Last but not least, the latest challenge at Try it on Tuesday is Keep It Simple and this is my entry there.

 

AND IN OTHER NEWS

Eva suggested that I took a photo of the laburnum. She said it would show off her fur nicely!

 

Look at her smiling for the camera! She never complains but I think she would secretly like to be an Instagram Pup or have her very own Canine Twitter account ;)

Sending hugs,

A swoosh of bright paint

Hello, crafting friends!

 

Happy Saturday and welcome to another fun challenge at Addicted to CAS! Ceal has chosen the Code Word for this challenge and what a fun theme it is:

 

This is a great code word for creating happy mail for your crafty pals but, as usual, could be adapted to almost any kind of card.

 

My mind immediately went to a paint brush die from a set of tool dies, DIY Tools by Sweet Dixie. I teamed it with my Uniko Tiger Print stencil, which happened to be out on my desk and which I saw could look like a brush stroke! I masked off the bits I didn't want and blended pink inks into the bits I did.

The paintbrush was coloured with inks and markers and finished with some lovely glossy Crystal Effects, then glued to the brushstroke. To finish off, I mixed my own sentiment from Clearly Besotted and Greetery sets.

 

Are you ready to make your own card inspired by the word Craft? Do hop over to the Addicted to CAS challenge site and check out all the wonderful inspiration my team mates have made. You'll find the Linky Tool at the bottom of the post and you can use it to link up your own creation. Don't forget to keep your card clean and simple with lots of nice clear space - and have fun!!

CHALLENGES

I'm linking this card up at Happy Little Stampers Stencil challenge.

 

AND IN OTHER NEWS

My little Eva is fond of giving herself a colour makeover. Sometimes she is a pale golden retriever...

... but sometimes she likes to dress up as a black lab!!

Sending hugs,

Fashionably Late

Hello, crafting friends!

 

It's Thursday and time for another fun board at the Tic Tac Toe challenge! I put together the board this week and have crammed it with all my favourite items - and I hope you'll love them too!

 

For my simple card, I went with the top row: CAS/Bright Colours/Butterfly - but I also added Birthday, Flowers, Die Cut and Leaves for good measure! No Sequins or Stripes but hey, I didn't want to over-egg the pudding!

The butterfly and flowers are from a beautiful Mama Elephant set called Butterfly Kisses. I stamped them onto a card panel using a pale green ink and coloured them with alcohol markers. The panel was trimmed to size with a stitched rectangle die by Heffy Doodle.

I added some details with a black fineliner pen and a fun sentiment from Clearly Besotted's Simply Stamped before mounting the panel onto a card base.

So now it's your turn! Which row or column are you going to choose? Or will you opt for one of the diagonals? Do hop over to the Tic Tac Toe challenge site to admire the amazing samples my teamies and our wonderful guest designer Tara have made to inspire you. You'll find the Linky Tool at the bottom of the post and can use it to share your own creation with us. We can't wait to see what you make this week!

CHALLENGES

I'm joining in with We Love Stamping where Anything Goes with the option of Hot Sunny Colours; also Stamping Sensations, where the theme is Summer Flowers; and also The Flower Challenge where the theme is Clean and Simple.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

My knee is now back to normal and I'd like to say a big thank you for your get well wishes! It was really painful but the worst thing was moving about like a 100 year old woman - and I do have a few years before that's supposed to happen! Unfortunately, I passed the baton to Eva who has now hurt her leg, poor love. She is having to rest it which is really hard because we have one of her pals, Murphy, staying with us, and of course all they want to do is play! The toys have been put away and I'm giving them extra cuddles instead. Murphy has to be walked by himself...

... although, to be fair, he seems to be having a reasonably good time!!

Sending hugs,

Tulips in the grass

Hello, crafting friends!

 

It's a wonderful Thursdayy for crafting and I hope you'll come and join me because I'm hosting the inspiration board at the Tic Tac Toe Challenge today!

 

I've chosen spring-like elements to cheer us all up but as always, you can use them as starting points for your own ideas. My card is full-on spring as you can see:

 

 

I made a background on a card panel by sponging pale green ink into the grassy area of Funky Fossil's Scenic Borders. I also sponged a bit of pale blue at the top of the panel to give the impression of a nice warm spring day - I can't wait for one of those!

 

I used flowers from Spring Tulips from Clearly Besotted. They come in one clump on the stamp but I used a neutral waterbased marker to ink up the bits I wanted and stamped them in three groups, colouring them with coloured pencils and adding grass and leaves. The panel was trimmed to size but I accidentally made it wonky! To save it, I trimmed it down to correct it, mounted it onto a pink layer and attached it to a card front, adding a few gems for a bit of sparkle.

 

And now it's your turn! Which row or column on the tic tac toe board inspires you? Don't forget you can use the diagonals as well! My team mates have made some beautiful samples and you can see them here at the Tic Tac Toe challenge site. You'll find the Linky Tool at the bottom of the post and can use it to link your own creation up with us. Have fun!

CHALLENGES

I'm linking this card up at Allsorts where the challenge is to fill in the blank - I love... This cards uses Sponging, Masking, Stencilling, using only part of a stamp and colouring with coloured pencils, all  of which I love! I'm also joining in at Retro Rubber where there's a fun sketch. The Spring Tulips stamp set was released in March 2018. I'm playing along at Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge too, where the theme this month is Inky.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

There's been nothing spring-like about today - Eva and I have been hailed on twice! Roll on the spring!!

Sending hugs,

Feeling so sad

Hello, crafting friends!

 

Welcome to another Tuesday and another fun challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches. The always-inspiring Joanne has created a beautiful sketch for us this week:

It came at just the right time for me as I had a sympathy card to make. I started by stamping the countryside image from Clearly Besotted's Scene it More onto a good thick card base in neutral ink. I masked around the scene with sticky notes and coloured it with coloured pencils.

A setting sun works as a subtle version of the circular image on the sketch and I added a sentiment, stamped on a scrap of card, snipped out and popped up on a dimensional strip. The birds add a little movement to the scene - they've been a well-used part of a Lighthouse set by Waffleflower.

Okay, now it's your turn - and there's lots of scope with this versatile sketch! Do check out the inspiration from the rest of the team at the CAS Colours and Sketches challenge site. You'll find the Linky Tool at the bottom of the post so that you can share your own creation with us. We can't wait to see what you make!

CHALLENGES

I think I'm just in time to join in with Perfectly CAS where the theme is Sympathy Cards using 1/3rd or less of a card front; I'm also joining in at Watercooler Wednesday where Tristan is hosting the All About Occasions this fortnight; this card is suitable for males so I am also playing along at Allsorts this week where Tracy has chosen From Boys To Men as her theme.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

The sympathy card is for my brother in law and his family. They have lost their beloved family dog and are all devastated. For those who think 'it's just a dog', I can assure you that the relationships we form with our dogs are incredibly close - they are absolutely members of our families. My heart is broken for them.

Rest in peace sweet Pepper.

Sending hugs,

Birthday blues (and greens)

Hello, crafting friends!

It's Tuesday and time for another fun challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches! It's all about colour this week - come and look at the pretty palette Jenny has come up with for you:

Blues and greens work so beautifully together don't they! Here's my take on the colours:

This card started with a little watercolouring on a stitched rectangle panel. I added a pretty flower from Clearly Besotted's Fresh Flowers, stamped in a neutral ink, coloured with alcohol markers and fussy cut.

To finish the card, I used a coordinating stitched strip of card stock to ground the flower, and added a popped up sentiment from Clearly Besotted's Simply Said.

Are you inspired to give these colours a whirl? Just hop over to the CAS Colours and Sketches challenge site to admire the rest of the team's samples and to share your own creation via the Linky Tool at the bottom of the post.  We can't wait to see what you come up with - but please don't forget to keep your card clean and simple with plenty of nice clear space!

CHALLENGES

I used the sketch at CAS on Friday for this card, swapping the circle for a rectangle to suit the shape of my flower (hope that's ok!); I'm also joining in with Seize The Birthday where Barbara has chosen the Topping of Faux or Real Stitching; I'm also playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More where they are celebrating Any Occasion.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

After a disappointing summer, we're having the most beautiful autumn sunshine. It's warm enough for snoozles in the garden...

... although there are constant interruptions from the papparazzi! But wait, maybe she's bringing a snack!!

Sending hugs,

Colouring over the lines

Hello, crafting friends!

Welcome to a brand new challenge at Addicted to CAS where I am hosting this week! What code word have I chosen? Well since autumn has put in an appearance here in the heart of England:

Leaves are a favourite motif of mine and I use them all year round, but I particularly like the colours of autumn and it's always fun to transition to rusts and golds after enjoying the bright colours throughout the summer.

This is the simplest of cards! I stamped three of the leaves from Reverse Confetti's Fall Foliage, using Stazon ink. These were then watercoloured with autumnal colours, washing the colour over the outlines and allowing the colour to pool in interesting shapes. 

I finished with a popped up sentiment from Clearly Besotted, stamped, heat embossed and fussy cut with paper snips. The panel was cut to size with a stitched rectangle die from Heffy Doodle and attached to a card base.

So now it's your turn and I can't wait to see your leafy creations! The team has made some glorious cards to inspire you and you can check those out on the Addicted to CAS challenge website. You'll also find the Linky Tool there so that you can link up our own cards. Have fun - and don't forget we are a clean and simple challenge so don't forget to include plenty of that all important clear space!

CHALLENGES

I'm linking this card up with Happy Little Stampers Watercolour challenge where Anything Goes; I'm also joining in again at CAS Mix Up where Leslie has chosen a theme of Autumn Colours with watercolouring; Also AAA Cards where they want to see up to 1/3rd of the card front used, with an optional theme of Leaves; I also think this works well for a masculine card so I'm linking up at The Male Room where the theme is Natures Bounty.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

Just as the spring arrives in the Southern hemisphere, our mini heat wave here in England appears to be over and the leaves are turning in earnest now. My thoughts are beginning to turn to sweaters, autumn birthdays, tidying up the garden and trimming all the hedges and maybe even unearthing some warm throws and woollies to cosy up the living spaces. How about you? How do you get ready for the cooler weather?

Sending hugs,