Happy Mother's Day

 

Hi folks, and a happy Mother's Day to all you mums out there.  I've always wondered why it's on a different date in the US, when we all agree on the same date for Father's Day?

This is my card for my mum, a bit different to my usual and it looked different in my head, but I'm happy with how it turned out!   My butterflies are from a new to me brand - Kwan Crafts.  I got some dimension to them by gluing them down at the centre and adding foam pads to their wings.  I've also highlighted parts of each butterfly with gloss and glitter so there's lots of sparkle.   I stencilled some bricks and then some words in the background but it all got a bit lost anyway so I needn't have bothered 😉

• Word Art Wednesday #481/482 - anything goes
• Love to Craft  - March anything goes
• My time to craft #452 - make it feminine

This one was inspired by Kristina's beautiful card and tutorial:. https://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/live-replay-underpainting-watercolor-technique/

A watercoloured background isn't one I'd do often as it's a bit of a faff waiting for it to dry properly and I could have been braver and went a bit darker with my colours, but I love how it turned out and I'll definitely give this technique a go again. 

• Time Out #183 - try something different
• Allsorts #615 - a stamped image
• Simply Create #168 - embossing

Floral Sympathy

Happy Saturday folks!  Such a change in the weather, no need for suncream and sandals today!  It's been more of a raincoats and heating on type of day which would have been no fun whatsoever over the Easter holidays.  My poor tulips have had their heads blown off after lasting so long and I'd say the cherry blossom trees got a good clearing today too :(

Nothing very exciting on my blog this evening -  I've no sympathy cards in my stash, so got stuck in to a few this evening.

This first one uses this pretty floral stamp from Prima.  I got my watercolour pencils out for a change.  I hadn't intended to add all those splatters but had an Oops that needed disguising, but it will probably knock me out of the LIM challenge :(

• Layout from CAS(e) this Sketch #319
•  Less Is More #394 - one layer + buds or petals
• Stamping Sensations April - April showers bring May flowers

And this one uses these pretty flowers from Impression Obsession.  It's one of those stamps I struggle with, I think it's only the 2nd time it's seen ink.

Coloured with polychromos.  

• Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
• Your Next Stamp #112 - CAS
• Crafty Creations #389 - anything goes

Sympathy card and a cheeky monkey

Happy Saturday folks!  We'd a lovely dry bright day today, I actually managed to get out to the garden and pull out dead stuff to see what's lurking underneath :)  Lots of buds and shoots and a few slugs and snails.  Yeuch.  No way could I garden without my gloves on, they give me the absolute shudders.

Anyway, I've no sympathy cards left in my stash and I like to have a few already made.  This one uses an oldie from Prima, coloured with polychromos; a few gems and a doodled stitched border to finish.  Nice and easy.  Though colouring with my pencils takes aaaaaaages!

• Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
• Sweet Stampers #29 - stitching real or faux
• Crafty Catz #449 - keep it simple

And here's a quickie using another oldie, this time from High Hopes.  I've chalked a stencil on the background to cover a bit of a dirty mark - just for a change! I'm not sure why this chalk always looks sludgy instead of green.  Image coloured with polychromos, sparkle added to the vines and clear gloss to his eyes and teeth.

• Cards 4 Guys #213 - wild animals
• Less is More #389 - one layer focus on the sentiment
• Cutie Pie #132 - one for the boys

Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

Pastel sympathy card

Here's just a quickie Sympathy card this evening, I've none in my stash and like to have a few to spare.

I've used my new polychromo pencils again, I think I need to spend some proper time studying on how to colour flowers!  I had a tough time with this colour theme too, but that was my own fault for picking such a pale pink as my base.

Di from Pixie's Crafty Workshop had a great tip recently from Alison on her blog recently - to add dimension by sticking snippets behind the image.  Di ... thank you for posting this!  I have such a huge bag of white card snips as I cut an A4 sheet to size for these square cards so I've always leftovers that I struggle to use up, I'll be able to play in your snippets challenge from now to eternity hahaha ;)

• The Flower Challenge #28 - pink and grey
• Pixie's Snippets playground #343
• Crafty Calendar January - make it flowery
• Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday - try something new (my pencils)

Twofer sympathy cards

Just a quickie post tonight ... the beers are chillin in the fridge and I can hear them calling to me ;)
Sorry for the dark pics, the evenings are drawing in so quickly now, I need to sort out my phtography skills!

I've no sympathy cards in my stash so here's a couple using my Prima flower stamp.  Both coloured with watercolour pencils.

• Layout from Freshly Made #353
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Stamp it for STAMPember
• CAS Colours and Sketches #288 - navy, curry and grape - I'm hoping my green leaves count as a neutral ;)
• The Flower Challenge #24 - anything goes

And here's another, this time I heat embossed my image and sentiment.

• Simply Create #142 - real or faux stitching
• Creatalicious #146 - pastels
• CAS on Friday #141 - flowers
• 
  

Retirement cards

These are some cards for members of our Board in work who's term is up, and these are the thank you cards from the staff.
First up is for Joe, he's always been super busy for us, so I reckon he'll be ready for a lie down!  I used this oldie from Penny Black.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and clouds chalked in the background.

• Cardz 4 Guys #200 - relax
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - make your own background
• Moving along with the times # 77 - for the boys
• That's Crafty - animal magic

Daily Marker Colouring Challenge

Next up is for Maire.  Apparently she's planning to spend more of her free time sailing.  My little sailboat is an oldie from High Hopes, Starfish is even older from Stampin Up and the little fishie is from my new Jane's Doodles set.

• Creative Inspirations August - holidays
• Crafting by Designs August - anything goes

And last up is for Cathy and I just took the floral route for this one - stamp from Prima - coloured with watercolours and sparkle added to the long purple flowers.  I'd a snippet of the pink card left and thought it needed a wee something, so after a lot of faffing about I added a few butterflies.

• Word Art Wednesday #346/347 - anything goes

Crafting with my niece

I'd a nice crafty evening with my 8yr old niece as she made a card for her mum.   After a bit of a hunt through some of my stamps (she says I have a lot of stuff hahaha) she decided to use this MFT penguin set.  She coloured them with pencils - her colouring is neater than mine!  She then added clear gloss and glitter to the beach towel and the ice cream and as you can see she's a fan of sequins!
I'd like to enter her card into the Simon Says Stamp Kids Summer Vacation challenge.

Here's a close up of her card - sorry it's not the best quality, it was a bit of a rush photo!

My card for this evening is for the MFT summer school challenge - complementary colours

I went for the purple/yellow theme, hope my touches of green are OK!
I've used a Prima stamp and coloured with watercolour pencils, and added a few dots of clear gloss to the long purple flowers - no idea what they're supposed to be, but they're kinda like a mini version of my delphiniums!

• That's Crafty - close to nature
• Stamping Sensations July - in my garden
• Crafting by Designs July - anything goes
• Addicted to Stamps #299 - CAS
• Word Art Wednesday #342/343 - anything goes

When to call it quits!

Did you ever plough on with a card when really you should have called it quits?  This one's for a student who's been on work placement with us.  I'd only stamped the sentiment and her name - then I stamped the bottom row of flowers and when I was lifting the stamp off it fell and left a faint impression.  That was my cut off point when I should have walked away.
But oh no.
I figured I'd keep going and try to cover up the worst of it.  So on went a few sequins, and then some more.  And then the bit in the middle looked a bit bare, so on went some die cuts too.   And it's annoyed me ever since.

So I made it again!  Much the same but a bit more balanced.  And much less bling!

Prima flower stamp.  Elizabeth Craft Designs square dies..

• Get Creative #69 - lots of flowers
• Penny Black and More May - anything goes
• Die Cuttin Divas #369 - fave colour combo - I love purple and pink together
• Addicted to Stamps and More #292 - make your mark
• Crafty Creations #366 - anything goes

Birthday flowers

Well I'm back to work ... and still going through my emails!  I'll be lucky to get them all sorted by the end of the week!  Ah well, it's much better than being at home with the flu!

Just a wee quickie card tonight while I was making some vegetable soup for my lunch.
I've used this lovely Prima stamp - coloured with watercolour pencils and sparkle added to the longer purple blooms.
I've stacked up my 'birthday' die to give it a bit of dimension.
I hadn't quite intended to have as many enamel dots, but those dirty fingers made an appearance again ;)

• General card theme inspired by Tracey's lovely card over at the Muse challenge #261
• Creative with Stamps #25 - CAS + sentiment
• Get Creative #68 - no pattern paper
• Love to Scrap #108 - May flowers
• Simply Create Too #137 - use die cuts

Purple sympathy

Well the snow was a bit of a hoo-ha over not very much.  I know it was worse in other parts of the country, but I nearly laughed yesterday when my bus passed a snow plough (in full ploughing mode) with about half an inch of slush on the road.  Boys and their toys eh? ;)  Anyway, it's raining now, so hopefully it will be gone by morning.
ETA oops, just looked out the window and the place is white again!

Tonight's card is just a quickie based on this one I made earlier in the month, but this time in monochrome.  You wouldn't think it but I've used 4 different shades of purple here!  Clear gloss and sparkle added to the long grapey looking flowers whatever they are!

• Simon Says Stamp - add a sentiment
• Less is More #362 - purples
• Love to Scrap #105 - anything goes

Day 3 of the Daily Marker 30 days colouring challenge

Some Sympathy Cards

Tonight we have Storm Eleanor visiting, and it's certainly blowing a gale out there and lashing rain too.  Hopefully it calms down a wee bit for the morning, it's back to the grindstone for me after my Xmas hols.  Boo Hoo  :(

I've no sympathy cards in my stash, and hate making them, so thought I'd have an evening of it!

This first one, was a bit of a surprise to me!  I was looking for the flower stamp and came across this lovely sentiment.  I think I might have won it in some blog candy or a challenge, I really don't remember!!  I love how this one turned out.
Prima flower stamp; pink sequins from my stash.

• Happy Little Stampers January watercolour challenge - sequins
• Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday December - new stash

This one uses an older LOTV stamp and Paper Smooches sentiment.  I fancied doing it in a lilac colour but only had a little snippet left - so rather than adding a whole strip I just cut the little side panels.

• CRAFT #448 - anything goes
• Pixies Snippets Playground #313/314
• Stamp Ink Paper #131 - emboss it

And lastly another oldie from Whipper Snapper - I went over my flowers with my clear glitter pen, I thought the sparkle made it look sort of wintry. 

• AAA Cards #105 - sparkle
• Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

Sympathy card and a baby bunny

Oh Brrrr it's a cold one tonight, but we've the heat on, cosy PJs and cuppa tea at the ready so all is good :)
Not sure what DH has on the Movie menu tonight, we haven't watched anything good for ages!

I'd a bit of a disaster making this sympathy card - I'd rescued my sparkle pen from the bin, and then as soon as I opened the lid a huge drop splodged over my sentiment.  Aarrrgghhh. So it took ages trying to see if I could get rid of it (nope, just made a bigger mess!) and then had to figure out a cover up. I'd no blue card left so ended up doing a contrast effort with this lilac trim.  Needless to say the pen is back in the bin and it's staying there!!

• The Flower Challenge #14 - CAS
  
• Always Fun #31 - watercolour
• Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes

I'm still struggling with my mojo, and this wee baby card is the first card I've made in a long time that I've liked!!  

It still took ages to make though, I'd cut my polka dot DP too short and the dimensions weren't right, so I added the extra strip and it looked much better.  Why did such a simple solution take so long too come to?!!!

Stamps from MFT, also MFT porthole die.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #358
• Addicted to Stamps #267 - make your mark
• Sweet Stampin - babies
• Word Art Wednesday #308/309 - anything goes

Thank you flowers

I need a few thank you cards for my stash, so I've been colouring away this evening while watching the Bake Off - bread week doesn't really do it for me, I much prefer when they make the big fancy sugary creations that have your mouth drooling ;)

My first card uses this LOTV oldie, I think she may have been one of the first ones I bought.

Coloured with watercolour pencils; clear gloss added to the butterfly and the flower.

• I used the layout from the Sugar Pea Mix it up challenge #35
• Crafting by Designs - bug time
• AAA Cards #98 - all creatures great or small
• Crafty Catz #383 - thank you

And this one is just a remake of yesterday's that I wasn't loving.  I'm definitely sticking to watercolour pencils in future ;)

• The Flower Challenge #12 - tic-tac-toe - this time I've used gems / watercolour / CAS

Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

Floral blues

I got my pencils out for a change - I haven't used them for ages and I think it's because I'm so out of love with them.  .
Anyway, here it is - a quick CAS card.  I know I would like this better if I'd used watercolour pencils.  I might remake it ;)
I've also added some blue and silver sequins and some sparkle to the flowers.
And {gasp} I've managed NOT to doodle a border hahaha

• Seize the Birthday - ocean colours
• The Flower Challenge #12 - tic-tac-toe - I used sentiment / CAS / blue
• CAS on Friday #116 - use pencils or markers
• Layout from CAS(e) this sketch #238

Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

Welcome Flowers

This card is for a friend in work who's been ill for this past year or so, so we're all delighted that she's now due back.   I've been stumped for ages what to put on this!

Cat's beautiful card over at the Muse challenge was the perfect inspiration.  I've used this Prima stamp - coloured with watercolour pencils and then the petals covered with some sparkle.

• Muse challenge #231
• That's Crafty - only cards
• Addicted to CAS #118 - friends
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Word Art Wednesday #298/299 - anything goes

Couple of sympathy cards

Whoohoo a nice long weekend for me!  We'd pc problems in work these past couple of days so I treated myself to today off, good timing with the Bank Holiday on Monday :)
I was in 'cleaning mode' today, and torpedoed through the house, so I'm nice and tidy and ready for visitors.  But sure you only get visitors when the house is a tip ;)

I've been making a couple of sympathy cards for my stash.


This first one uses my new favourite bouquet from Prima.  I really must sit down and have a proper play with the colouring as this was a bit of a rush.

• Layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches #400
• Glitter'n'Sparkle #236 - anything goes
• Time Out #82 - flowers
• Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday April - April showers bring May flowers
• My time to craft #344 - sequins or buttons

This second one was inspired by this oooold DP, and my pretty flowers from Power Poppy. 

• Layout from Power Poppy Grab that Spark - I chose sketch #2
• Penny's Paper Crafty challenge #326 - anything goes
• Crafty Catz #368 - anything goes

Get well flowers

Yippee, that's me finished work now for the Easter break till next Wednesday :)  Don't ya love a nice loooong weekend with the prospect of chocolate eggs for breakfast on Sunday ;)

I've been playing with my new Prima stamp again.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and some sparkle added to the blue blooms.
I also got out my embossing folders for a change, I should really use these more often!

• Colour theme from Cupcake Inspirations #402
• My Time to Craft #343 - no designer papers
• Word Art Wednesday #278/279 - anything goes

Brusho flowers

OMGosh how did it get to be the end of March already, it just sorta crept up on me!

I was very lucky recently to win some $$ on a Simon Says Stamp hop and treated myself to this Prima stamp designed by Christine Adolph - isn't it gorgeous!  I also splashed out a new paintbrush - I wouldn't normally have spent so much on a brush, but it's FAB and I love using it!

Coloured with watercolour pencils and then masked off so I could spritz it with water and knock in a few grains of purple Brushos. I think this is my first brushos effort that I like how it turned out!  I also went over the large purple flowers with my clear sparkle pen and added a few silver sequins for a bit of extra interest.

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• The Card Concept #70 - purple haze
• CASual Fridays #170 - no dies
• Crafty Creations #338 - anything goes
• Tuesday Throwdown #336 - sparkles