Dancing hippos and a big scary lion

It's not very often I make a card that I really REALLY love but this is one of them!  It was  bit of a faff in the making and went through several transitions and colour combos before we got to the finished effort!

I've used my little hippos (from Clearly Besotted) - popped up on foam pads and a couple of layers of sparkle added to their tutus.  Pink heart sequin and gems from stash.

I recently bought some stencilling brushes after a bit of debate.  I had kinda wondered if they were really the big whoop that they seemed to be .... and I wish I'd bought them ages ago!!

• I flipped the layout from CAS Colours and Sketches #355
• Time Out #154 - affectionate
• Addicted to CAS #177 - ombre

And here I've used this fab lion from Tracey Hey Alpaca Pals.  Though it's a lesson in planning your card before you get stamping as I ran out of room for my lion and I had to post him with his tail folded back!  If I'd had any sense, I would have stamped the 'be a warrior' further down in that great big space ;)

• Word Art Wednesday #424-425 - anything goes
• Penny Black and More February - animals, birds and butterflies

Flowers and bubbles

There's a couple of challenges this week to feature your favourite flower - I'm completely fickle with my favourites as it really depends on the time of year!  At the minute my current favourite is my hydrangea which is absolutely covered with fabulous blooms, unfortunately they're a bit more horizontal after a storm on Thursday night!
This stamp is an oldie from Lili of the Valley, coloured with polychromos.

• The Flower challenge #35 - use your favourite flower
• As You Like It - favourite flower
• Through the Craft room Door - anything goes

This one uses another real oldie from LOTV, I think I bought it in a sale ages ago and have maybe only inked it once before, bad me!

I added some gloss and glitter to the water (I've just noticed I missed one of the bubbles completely)

For my background I cut a couple of circles from some card and used it as a template to chalk in some 'bubbles'.  Hopefully you can see them, they look better in real life, but by the time I took this pic the light was already starting to go. I can't believe how quickly the dark nights and mornings are coming.

• Cute Card Thursday #594 - circles
• Addicted to CAS #165 - bubble (hopefully mine qualifies with my bubbly background!)
• Just Us Girls #500 - circles

An old pot of tulips

My tulips aren't quite out yet, so I thought I'd go for the stamped version instead ;)  I bought this Penny Black stamp second-hand many moons ago and it still gets an inking - I reckon it says a lot for the quality of Penny Black stamps that one from 1999 still stamps perfectly!!

Coloured with polychromo pencils and clear gloss added to the blooms.

• Penny Black Saturday March - clean and simple
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes

For this one, I smooched my background with watercolours and then added a wee heart die.  My little girl is popped up on foam pads, and then I doodled in her 'bounce''.  Nice and easy and I love how it turned out!

• CASology #333 - bounce
• My time to craft #391 - pink and girly
• AAA Cards #135 - 1+3 - die cuts, colouring pencils, stamped image

Blues and greens

It's Summer School time again over at MFT and today's theme is monochromatic

Laurie has a gorgeous card over on the blog mainly using different coloured card, but I don't have such a fabulous collection so I used my watercolour pencils instead.  I pulled out 3 similar blues to colour her jumper.  I'd some snippets of white card stock left over so used it for a few die cuts and then coloured them in the same pencils.

• Pixie's Snippets Playground #332
• Layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches #466
• Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

I'm not sure why my stamped leaves look a bit sludgy here, they're definitely greener in real life!!  I would get up and take a better pic, but I'm watching Orangutang Jungle School on telly and it's just the cutest thing ever!

Anyway, this card was made for the Library Challenge and the current book is The Jungle Book.  I've actually read the book this week ;)  And the film, in my opinion, gets the top award for the best song EVER ... you can't help but sing along with it and feel happy!
I used an oldie High Hopes stamp and added clear gloss to his teeth and eyes, and some sparkle to the vine leaves.  Background stamp from Simon Says Stamp.

• That's Crafty - animal magic
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Hot stuff

Northern Ireland very nearly broke it's own record for the hottest day today, just missed it by 0.3C, so the 30.8C record still stands!   Did you know this is how they measure temperature?: www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features


Anyway, it's lovely weather if ....
* you don't have to wear 'work' clothes and you're in your shorts and a light vest (and it would be heavenly to ditch the bra!!)
* you've your toes in the ocean
* you've a cold beer in one hand and/or an ice cream in the other
* the air conditioning on the bus actually works!

Not so lovely sitting in a non-air conditioned office watching the sunshine outside, and especially not when it feels like 90% of the country is off on holiday!  (I was the only one at the bus stop yesterday morning - some days there's up to 20 of us there!)  Thankfully tomorrow's Friday, so only one more day to get through before I can get those shorts on!!  And if none of our neighbours are about I'll be ditching that bra too hahahaha

Anyway, I've been colouring in the garden, so here's a few just to use some of them up.  No mojo for fancy design, so they're dead simple

This first one uses an oldie Penny Black - coloured with watercolour pencils.  Both the bear and the frame popped up on foam pads.

• Less is More #374 - item from your bits box - I'd cut my frame for a previous card but it turned out to be too small and I knew it would come in handy for something!
• AAA Cards #118 - use a frame
• CASology #306 - bear

Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring challenge

And this one is a Whiff of Joy cutie.  Again coloured with watercolour pencils.  Clear gloss added to her shoes and headband.
I added a little heart and then embossed the white panel with an old cuttlebug folder.  And that's it really!

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• As you like it - favourite type of embossing - mine's definitely dry embossing, my heat gun and powders live in the cupboard at the far end of the kitchen and I'm usually too lazy to go get it!!
• Sparkles #105 - let's be pretty

Scary Bear. Not.

We'd another lovely sunny day today, it's just so nice being able to sit in the garden and have fun colouring!   I'd actually put away the seat pads of the chairs outside as I'd figured we'd had our summer, but hurrah, it's come back again!  Remind me I said that when I'm moaning that it's too hot in work LOL

This card is based on the last Library Challenge #9, I'm a bit late in playing as the new book is already up!
My scary bear is an olide from Stampin Up and the palm trees are from an MFT set.
Coloured with watercolour pencils.  The tree to the left and the bear are both popped up on foam pads.

• Creative with Stamps 27 - cute animals
• Love to Craft #23 - anything goes
• Sweet Stampers #21 - animals
• Penny's challenge #385 - anything goes

Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

Retirement card

My brief for this card was to make a retirement card for a lady who runs a playgroup.

The first stamps that popped into my head was this oldie set from Stampin' Up  - I think it's called Kids at Play but I wouldn't swear to it.
I repeated the stamp at the top so it looked like a load of kids were peeping over the wall and then drew in a line to join them up.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and the 2 kids at the bottom were popped up on foam pads.  Background chalked through a brick stencil.  My grass border is an old Martha Stewart punch.  Little silver stars from stash.

• Stamping Sensations June - anything goes
• Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
• Dream Valley #181 - add some bling
• Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

Everything's Peachy

We've had the most glorious run of sunny weather recently.  Though when it hits 27 degrees in work with no air-con it's a tad too hot!  And not helped either when they still have the heat on!!!!  #melted

I won this Penny Black cutie ages and ages ago and she's never seen ink until today! I've no idea why as she's so pretty!  Coloured with watercolour pencils - I'd no peachy coloured watercolours, so put a layer down first and then went over it with several shades of ordinary pencils.  Sparkle added to her apron trim, butterflies and the peach; clear gloss added to her sandals and lips.

• Penny Black Saturday June - anything goes
• Just Us Girls #443 - outside
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Addicted to Stamps #294 - CAS
• Cute Card Thursday #532 - hello summer

On the telephone and a Birthday Doggy

Ohhh we've had the most beautiful dry and sunny weather here this past week or so, and still due for more next week!  In celebration I reckon my mojo has cleared off on his holidays ... isn't it funny how it's Mr Mojo causing the trouble and not Mrs Mojo! ;)

Anyway, this little girl was coloured in the garden, not too often I would be doing that!  Usually I need to do weeding or whatever, but for a change it was all done and tidied!

I popped her up on foam dots and added clear gloss to the telephone and her eyes and lips.

• Layout from CAS(E) This Sketch #273
• Colour theme from Your Next Stamp #90 - my base card wasn't an exact match but it's more peachy than the pinky shade it looks here.
• Simon Says - inspired by a song - 'Hanging on the Telephone' by Blondie

And here's another CAS card, using my Tim Holtz doggy and MFT heart die.  I embossed a couple of lines to keep with the them of the sketch challenge and then added a few wee butterflies cut from the leftovers.

Dog popped up on foam pads and sparkle added to the butterflies.

• Layout from Stick it Down May
• AAA Cards #116 - 4th Birthday Bash
• Pixie's Snippets Playground #327
• As You Like It - Flora or Fauna - well my favourite animal has to be my puppy Ruby!

Camping and cows

We'd a lovely Spring day today, sunshine and a bit of heat in the air.  It's looking good for the bank holiday weekend :)   It's great to see the garden starting to take shape again after such a long wet autumn & winter.

Anyway, this is a special request card for a little girl who was going camping for her birthday and was going to be toasting marshmallows!  Which is fine, if you have camping type stamps!  I luckily found this unloved DP in my stash which was perfect.  I used the fire from part of an old High Hopes stamp; my bunny is from Eat Cake Graphics and then I drew on a stick with a marshmallow!

• Tuesday Throwdown #390 - critter crazy
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - animal magic
• Word Art Wednesday #332/333 - anything goes
• Through the Craft Room door - anything goes

This one was a challenge ... Penny Black Saturday this month want to see your favourite Penny Black stamp.  Which is a bit of an impossibility as I love all my PB stamps!  I paper pieced her wellies and added clear gloss to her horns.  Gummiapan flower die.  Not sure of make of embossing folder, it's another oldie.

• Penny Black Saturday May - use your favourite stamp
• Fab'n Funky #392 - embossing
• Layout from Your Next Stamp #88 - I misjudged the length of my central panel, so added a little pink scrap at the bottom to balance it a bit better.
• CASual Friday #198 - April showers bring May flowers

Chicks and Hedgehogs

I've a few quickie cards tonight, just trying to get back into the swing of cardmaking after our flu.

The lovely DP on both these cards does all the hard work!

I'd originially bought this Gummiapan stamp for my Easter cards, don't ya love the expression on their faces!  I reckon they're all a bit concerned about the pink dude!!
My lovely flower die is a newbie and I'm lovin it (also Gummiapan brand from Swedish House Crafts)

• Layout from Atlantic Hearts #258
• Crafty Cardmakers #208 - bunnies, chicks or eggs
• Pile it On #141 - think small
• CRAFT #462 - get well soon

This one uses a really old Penny Black Stamp - sparkle added to the flowers and clear gloss to the centres.

• Crafting by Designs #April - anything goes
• Penny Black Saturday #April - anything goes
• Love to Scrap #108 - April showers bring May flowers

Butterfly bear

So it's the last day of the Daily Marker colouring challenge - I think I only missed a couple of days, so I'm well pleased with myself, and my card stash is looking a lot healthier after the Christmas rush!

Tonight's is another wee quickie, all the hard work is done by that gorgeous DP and my dies!  Image is, of course, a Penny Black - coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss / glitter added to the flutterbyes.

• Penny Black Saturday February - use some scraps - I managed to squeeze the small frame and the heart from the scrap of the large frame! 
• CraftyHazelnut's Patterned paper challenge February
• Happy Little Stampers February Anything goes with dies
• Pile it On #139 - 3d embellishments

Frogs in pants

I didn't get a chance to make a card yesterday, and I'm determined to try and keep up with the Daily Marker colouring challenge, so I've made 2 today!

Unfortunately I've no mojo and that white page seems huge when you've no idea what to put on it!  So when I'm like that I turn to blogland - this one is inspired by this fab card that Teri shared on Simon Says Stamp :)

I've used an old froggy stamp from High Hopes - coloured with watercolour pencils and popped up on foam pads.  My sentiment is a newbie from Gummiapan stamps at Swedish House Crafts

• Less is More #363 - OLC cute
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - add a sentiment
• AAA Cards #106 - something new

A new puppy and a Fix up

This card is for a friend in work who's daughter's getting her new puppy tomorrow and she's soooooooo excited!  Rubydoo will be sending this one to say hello!

I haven't used my Brushos for a while and came across them so thought I should use them.  Image coloured with watercolour pencils and popped up on dimensionals.  Kinda wish I hadn't added those pink banners, but I reckon Erin won't care ;)

• Simon Says Stamp - add a sentiment
• Crafty Creations #348 - anything goes
• Moving along with the times #52 - beginning with B - blue, bark, banner, bowl
• Crafting by Designs August - anything goes

And here's the fix up from my previous post with the wonky sentiment.  Cheryl, you're a genius - colouring in the lines did the trick well enough!

Exam Congrats and a Dud!

This is a special request card for a girl who did well in her exams.  I've used this Penny Black oldie from quite a few years ago - coloured with watercolour pencils, glitter added to the flower centres and sparkle to the petals.  This pretty DP is from one of the pads I rediscovered, isn't it just a perfect match for that little hedgie!

• Layout from Retro Rubber #69
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - add a sentiment
• Tuesday Throwdown #356 - anything goes
• Word Art Wednesday #296/297 - anything goes
• My Time to Craft #352 - hats / bags

And this one I think is a possible dud!

Considering it's such a CAS card, I spent aaaages faffing about choosing my DP and deciding what colour of plain card to use, then double mounting the MFT porthole stencil.  And then it all went wrong!  I didn't have my card tucked into my stamp positioner right, and I've ended up with a double impression of the sentiment.  Hubby says he thought it was a 3-D effect, but I reckon it needs a fix up!  I'll think about it and see what I can do with it tomorrow!

• Layout from MFT Wednesday sketch club #346
• CAS on Friday #114 - Birthday
• Creative Knockouts #207 - tic-tac-toe - stamp / sentiment / twine

ETA....  Here's the updated finished card with the wonky sentiment simply coloured in!  Looks less like a visit to SpecSavers is needed ;)

Fish 'n flowers

It's such a beautiful sunny, calm evening out there. Pity it hadn't been more like it at the Antrim Agricultural Show earlier today!  It was a bit drizzly and damp, but it could have been worse and it was lovely to have a dander round with Mum and see all the animals up close.

I'm lovin this porthole die I got from MFT recently - I've doubled the layer here just to give it a bit of dimension.  Not so happy with my colouring on the fish, think it was just the wrong colour choice.  Bonus points though for using these ric rac dies I got aaaaaaages ago and never use, I kinda thought they'd look like waves.

• Layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches #412
• As you like it - I definitely prefer gems, I love a bit of sparkle!  
• Get Creative #60 - CAS
• Addicted to stamps #251 - anything goes

I've no sympathy cards in my stash, so need to get a few of these made.  

I've gone for this good old Whipper Snapper stamp, bit of a go-to one for sympathy cards!  Not sure of make of diamond DP.  Flowers coloured with water color pencils, and some sparkle added to the blooms.  I hadn't intended to add so many gems but had some inky marks that needed disguising ;)

• Sparkles #94 - sympathy
• Fab'n funky #360 - patterned paper
• Word Art Wednesday #292/293 - anything goes
• Stamping Sensations July - anything with flowers

Retirement card

Sunday evening already!  I've been tackling the Ironing Mountain this afternoon which had kinda got out of hand, so I'm glad of a sit down now!

This card is for a friend of my Mum who's retiring from her teaching job.  I couldn't find a Happy Retirement sentiment in my stash, so I reckoned this oldie LOTV postmark would do just the job.
Image from Lili of the Valley - coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to her beak / feet / spots on the card, and the little butterfly. Stencilled BG.

• Addicted to Stamps #242 - make your mark
• Crafting by Designs - you're so special
• Creative Inspirations #275 - anything goes
• Fab'n Funky #351 - create a background
• Creatalicious #115 - anything goes + option of stencil

Chocolate in her handbag

Do you ever have chocolate in your handbag?  Nah, me neither, it never gets to last that long ;)  I love it all, dark, milk doesn't matter!  Even better when it comes with a hot cuppa tea!
(ever tried a Cadbury's Wispa dunked in your tea? yummmm)

These cuties are from Eat Cake Graphics:
Eloise with her handbag
Daisy Mouse
In her handbag
Firefly

Coloured with watercolour pencils.  Sparkle added to their hats.  Clear gloss to the handbag, hat ribbons and bugs wings.

This card is also posted over at A Sprinkling of Samples and Techniques blog, where you'll find lots more loveliness from Eat Cake Graphics

• Crafting when we can #142 - one for the girls
• Allsorts #412 - I spy - beginning with B - bag, bug
• Word Art Wednesday #278/279 - anything goes
• Creative Inspirations #273 - one for the girls
• Crafty Creations #339 - 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