Summer bees and weddings

Wow, I can hardly believe we're nearly at September already!  Our summer weather has been absolute pants, we could do with another wee blast of sunshine before it gets too late!  Plenty of bees and wasps about though!

I had a version of this card in my head, but of course the bee stamps have buzzed off somewhere.  I ended up using a mix of Paper Smooches and Janes Doodles stamps instead.

• Layout from CAS(e) This Sketch #387
• Your Next Stamp #146 - keep decorating ... I love a bit of bling and sparkle
• Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

I hadn't realised this was such a rubbish photo of this special request card, but it's away now anyway.  I kinda got a bit stuck with this one for a few days as it just didn't look right, but then I glued on my heart border and considered it finished, couldn't figure out what else to do to help it anyway!  ;)

• Word Art Wednesday #454-455 - anything goes
• Watercooler Wednesday #286 - all about occasions

Birthday Doggie

I have looked for this doggy stamp for such a long time, and I mean months and months, and he's finally turned up!  I'd started to believe I'd imagined him!

Actually now I think of it, it's Rubydoo's big birthday soon.  She was rescued from a puppy farm and the vet thought she was about 6 months old so we reckon her birthday must be September ... and she'll be the grand old age of 15!  She's getting old and creaky (like myself), and loves nothing better than snoozing the day away (love a wee sneaky snooze myself!).  Maybe we'll get her a new bed for her birthday, will have to have a wee think.

Layout from Atlantic Hearts #381
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - midsummer blues
The Male Room #141 - birthday
Your Next Stamp #145 - celebration

Homework Day 4 - Ombre

Well I finally got my final homework done for MFT summer school - day 4 Ombre
This card has been in the making for nearly a week now!  It seemed so much easier in my head and looks better in real life than it does here LOL
I think it all got difficult when I stuck my sentiment down without planning my card properly and rather than remake the bottom section I faffed about for days trying to sort it out ;)

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - use your favourite tool - mine has to be my old battered Cuttlebug.  The plates are well scored and the unit has a big crack in it, but Im hoping to add a new one to Santa's long list, so hopefully it lasts that long!
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - I've gotten a bit precious with my red sparkly card so keep every tiny snippet! 

Homework Day 5

Day 5 of homework for MFT summer school is 'white space' - I'll be getting detention as I haven't done day 4 yet.  LOL thankfully the days of detention are long gone ;)

I used this old vase of flowers - the name of the maker escapes me at the minute.  I coloured it in and then added some clear embossing to the lines when I'd finished, not sure I could be bothered doing this again, I don't really think it was worth the hasle!


Layout from Freshly Made Sketches #447

Less is More #425 - summer flowers

Homework Day 3

I'm loving playing along with the M?FT Summer School - I actually feel like my mojo is finally coming back, it has been a long haul since March!

Day 3's homework is symmetry.
I spent absolute ages in my stash trying to find an image that was symmetrical and ended up using this old favourite from High Hopes.  Though my stenciled background and sentiment aren't 100% symmetrical but hopefully I'll get away with it ;)
I think my stencil was from Elizabeth Craft (wouldn't like to swear to it!) - I saw it used somewhere and had to have it, and it's sat in my pile ever since!

• Simon Says Stamp Monday - Happy Birthday
• Stamping Sensations August - masculine
• Seize the Birthday #196 - I used 1image / monochrome / stencil

Homework day 2

I had a wee trip out to Hobbycraft today as I needed some new card and basics (and treated myself to this new sentiment die too).  It was a totally different experience to the last time I was there on its launch day and it was absolutely rammed with customers.  Today there was only 20 in the shop and it was heavenly - the obligatory queue outside was definitely worth the wait!

Day 2 of the MFT Summer School is rainbows.  So out came my trusty bears and I coloured their scarves and bucket in the rainbow colours.

• I've also only just slid under the wire for DottyJo's Christmas Kickstart challenge #34 for a starry sky.  I inked up mine and then added some splatters thinking it would look like the cosmos, but it looked more like a snowy sky, so out came my silver stars.
• Hazels Christmas Card Challenge #501

In the pink

I can't believe we're at August already, time is definitely going at double quick time now!
Hopefully August weather will be better than July's - the best that could be said about it was 'dull and damp'.  Maybe we used up all our sunny days at the start of lockdown!

I'm pleased to see the MFT Summer School is back - it's always great to learn new tips and rediscover some old ones!  Day 1 is visual triangle, so I used my silver stars for this.
For my background I masked off a square, used some pale pink ink in a starburst stencil and then layered up another little stars one on top of it with some darker pink ink.  Hippos coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss/glitter added to their tutus.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch #500
• Time Out #167 - I used the 'dance party' from the phrase
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes