King for a day!

This card is for two challenges.


First is Clean and Simple with this sketch,
                                               
and secondly, Dynamic Duos with these two colours




Here is my card

Orange and blue reminded me of a beautiful kingfisher, and so my card was born! He was stamped in black Archival and coloured with an Aqua Painter. I cut the body out and reprinted the branch he is sat on underneath him, and placed him on 3D pads. The sentiment was stamped by piecing together words from different stamp sets and added to some white card that had been through the Big Shot with a scallop circle Nestie. This white card was also on 3D pads.

Supplies :

Card = Pumpkin Pie, Naturals White, and square base FMS

Stamps = Clarity, Woodware, and Verve

Inks = Black Archival, Pumpkin Pie, and Tempting Turquoise

Tools = Big Shot, Scallop Nestie, and Stamp-a-ma-jig

Extras = 3D pads

Thanks for dropping by, hope you can call back again soon

Marshmallow the Rabbit

The card I've made today is for my Niece Sophie's 2nd birthday on 16th May. She is obsessed by rabbits at the moment, as they have rescued a baby wild rabbit that a Buzzard dropped in their field as it was trying to carry it away.

I will also be entering these two challenges :

Mojo Monday with this sketch,

and ColourQ with these colours







Here's my card

The real rabbit stamp is actually holding a small daisy, but I masked it off and have added my own flower with a false paw. I used the Big Shot to emboss the yellow and coral cards before using the Nestie labels to cut the shapes.The rabbit was stamped in black Archival and coloured with an Aqua painter and SU Write Markers, and raised on 3D pads. The age tag was also added on 3D pads, and the finishing touch was the faux stitches around the edge of the card.

Supplies :
Card = Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Pretty in Pink, Naturals White, and white base FMS
Stamps = Daisy and Dandelion Marshmallow, Ornate Flowers, Papermania, and Woodware
Inks = Black Archival, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, and Soft Suede
Tools = Big Shot, Nestabilities Labels and Scalloped circles, Fan EF, Dots EF, and Aqua Painter
Extras = 3D pads and gems

My hands are still swollen and painful after being injected at the hospital yesterday, but luckily most of the preparations I did on Thursday night, so it was just the photographing and posting that still needed to be finished tonight.

Hope to be able to get some crafting done tomorrow, so bye for now

Jane Austen

Hi All

In between my house work today, I have made a card for two challenges.

The first is Mojo Monday where we have this sketch,

and the second is Make My Monday who have the Jane Austen Novel, Persuasion, as inspiration




This is my card

I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't read this novel, so I took my inspiration from the pastel colours of the lady's dress and the blossom trees behind her. I inked up the blossom branch and stamped it on scrap paper before randomly stamping the card ( the pale pink flowers aren't very clear on my photo, sorry ). The blue and pink cards were embossed before layering on the card under the Nestabilities panel, on which I sponged the sky and grass before colouring the little girls dress with SU Write markers which I blended with an Aqua painter.

Recipe:
Card = Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Rich Razzelberry, Whisper White, Blushing Bride, and White card FMS
Stamps = Garden Silhouettes, Summer by the Sea and Woodware sentiment
Inks = Bashful Blue, Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit, Blushing Bride, Primrose Petals, Wisteria Wonder, and Basic Black
Tools = Big Shot, Butterfly Kisses and Cottage Floral embossing folders, Nestabilities and Shapeabilities, Aqua painter, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Martha Stewart border Punch
Extras = Gems

I'm off to see my 5year old nephew Nathan tomorrow, and he wants me to help him make a valentines card for his girl friend Adelaide, so I'll probably end up covered in ink again.

Last week, he had to go to school dressed as a Fairytale character and tell his class what the story was. As he believes in Elves, and has a special Elf named Boris ( it's me really !! ) watching over him and writing him letters, he decided to be the cobbler from the "Elves and the shoe maker". Nana made him an apron with a pocket for his tools, and I made him some shoes out of wallpaper with buttons on the toes. What do you think? Should Jimmy Choo be worried??

Anyway, must get something to eat now as it's 8.30pm and I'm starving.

Hope you can come back soon

H 'O' ppy Birthday

I'm really under the weather today....the hospital refused me my treatment due to my flu symptoms, and my old neighbour ( who is in hospital) has "gone down hill" so I'm worried about him.

Yesterday, I pulled out a box with my dies in and found this old friendly frog, so decided to use him for my project.

The layout came from Clean and Simple

 and the colour palette from Pals Paper Arts, my choice colour was Melon Mambo ( you know I cant help but use the green/pink combo!!)







Here's the card where my hungry frogs are trying to jump the highest to catch their prey

I sponged the frogs with Always Artichoke, and made the long tongue out of a scrap of Melon Mambo. The foliage and dragonfly were stamped in Always Artichoke, and the Melon Mambo flowers were stamped on white card and cut out to place in the grass. The sentiment was done with SU Write markers so that the green O could be added at the end, and it was raised on 3D pads.

Recipe :

Card = Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, and white card base from my stash

Stamps = Organic Grace, Out of the Box, Fresh Cuts, and Woodware sentiment

Inks = Always Artichoke, Melon Mambo, and Black fine Letraset pen for the eyes

Tools = Big Shot and Sizzix Frog

Thanks for looking, and I hope to have the energy to be back soon

With Sympathy

Today started with the sad news that one of our close friends has lost his battle with Cancer, so when I sat to make his wife a card I decided to go monochrome.

For my layout I used the sketch over at the Clean and Simple challenge , and as it's made with several die cuts, I'll try the Less is More challenge again.



Here is the card

I stamped the flower buds in Versamark and heat embossed them with black powder (that's why the camera flash has reflected off them!!). The white card was put through the Big Shot and Nestabilities labels, the side ribbons are SB border dies, and the corners are Marianne designs. The center panel is raised with 3D pads for added dimension.

Recipe :

Card = Whisper White, Basic Black, and card from my stash
Stamps =  Ornate Flowers and Woodware sentiment
Inks = Versamark and Basic Black
Tools = Big Shot, Nestabilities Labels and Border, Marianne corners, Heat gun
Extras = 3D pads, Xcut corner punch, and Black embossing powder

That's me for today, I cant concentrate after hearing the news, plus I'm still worried about my old neighbour who's still in hospital. The WRI hospital is still in Lock-Down with Norovirus so I cant even visit him, just phone him on his bedside phone, which is not the same as a personal visit, and I seem to always call when he's seeing the Dr, nurse, or is in the bathroom!.

Anyway, I may be back tomorrow, I just don't know how I'll feel.

Thanks for dropping by today and looking at my work.





Mothers Day Swing card

Hello friends

I'm still having trouble with the old Internet so I'm doing this post at my Mum's place.

I've just seen that my scenic card last week came in the MMM Top 3!!!! Thank you ladies, what a great start for the new year!!

My card today is again for the  Make My Monday challenge , they are still doing a theme of Nature but this week its Flowers and Leaves.

I made a swing card for a change, in my favourite combo of Pinks and Green, what do you think?



and here is a photo of the front.

I used a single leaf from the Vintage Vogue border, to add on the stems of the daisies.

The butterflies are on 3D pads to add some dimension, and the ribbons are wrapped around the front and back panels and finished with a bow.



Recipe :
Card = SU Whisper White and Calypso Coral
Stamps = SU Upsy Daisy, Vintage Vogue, and Woodware
Inks = Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay and Adirondack Black
Tools = Stamp-a-ma-jig
Extras = Ribbon and 3D pads


I cant wait for Monday to come so that I can have Internet access at home again, it's right what they say "you don't miss something till you cant have it!!". Soooooo true.

Anyway, please drop by again when you can, and thanks for looking today.

Reindeer Christmas

Today I've made yet another Christmas card, and I'm entering it in to mSimply Stampin Challenge#28 where they had this sketch.

I'm pushed for time so hope I make the deadline.





Anyway, here is my take on the sketch

The reindeer was stamped on white card and coloured with Pro markers and a gem added for his nose.

The large fir tree was  Versamark stamped on green card and heat embossed with white powder, as were the trees on the red card. The sentiment was stamped in red on a disc of white withe the edges sponged in green. The holly was treated the same way. All the cards were layered as per the sketch on a cream square card, with the 2 discs being stuck on 3D pads to add dimension.

I hope you like him as much as I do.

Recipe : Card = Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White, and cream card from my stash

Inks = Basic Black, Versamark, Real Red, Hunter Green, and Always Artichoke, and Pro markers

Stamps = Lovely as a Tree, Clarity, and Woodware sentiment

Tools = Heat Gun and Martha Stewart punch

Extras = White embossing powder and red gem

Thanks for dropping by today, and I hope you have a good weekend.

See you soon

Christmas Tree

I must start this post with a "Hello" and "Welcome" to my new followers, Linby and Kym, Thanks for joining my Followers and I hope you like some of what I do.

Anyway, again this week has been busy, on Tuesday at Jacqueline's, I started a card for Nathans 4th birthday, but as usual more chatting than crafting was done as another friend, Louise joined us. I will show you the card when it's finished.

Meanwhile, I made a card for the Simply Stampin challenge #25 where they have this sketch to follow.

As I'm still making some Christmas cards for my friend, I thought I'd make this card in that theme.

I started with a white square card and layered it with some bright green card that I had stamped snowflakes on in Versamark and heat embossed them in white. I then cut a strip of dark green card and did the same with the snowflakes. I cut 2 strips of red card and randomly stamped them with a fir cone sprig in dark green, and all 3 were stuck down staggering each other. I then cut white, red , and dark green labels in the Big Shot, layering the white on the red, and then on just the bottom of the green. The large fir tree was then stamped in dark green on the white label and cosmic twinkles added to the branches and centers of the snowflakes. Two smaller labels with the sentiment on were added on 3D pads for dimension, and finally a thin green bow was placed on the green label.

This is how it ended up



You cant really see the Cosmic Twinkles, so here is a close up ( which still isn't brilliant, but my RA is really bad today and my hands are shaking terribly so I hope you can forgive the poor quality pictures.)


Recipe : Card = SU Whisper White, Green Galore, Real Red, Garden Green, and white square card from my stash
Inks = Always Artichoke and Versamark
Stamps = Lovely as a Tree, Woodware, and Snowflakes ( I think came in a kit from Argos?)
Tools = Big Shot, Nestabilities Labels, and Heat Gun
Extras = White embossing powder, Cosmic Twinkles, Thin green ribbon, and 3D pads

 All my family have gone down with a flu bug, and I am desperately trying to avoid it, but after playing with Nathan and Sophie yesterday, I cannot stop sneezing and blowing my streaming nose today, so I am drinking hot honey and lemon by the bucket load. Sadly though it is not stopping me from doing the housework and washing.........if only it was "Man Flu" then I could take to my bed for a few days!!!

This post was supposed to be issued hours ago, but I've been dealing with a medical emergency nextdoor, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you can come back again soon.

Bon Voyage

I've been in hospital today having my IV drip, and I'm feeling too sick at the moment to sleep, so I'm sat here trying not to think about the nausea but to concentrate on the Cas-ual Fridays challenge. It calls for us to get our inspiration from a book, and then use Black,White, and Read/Red!!

I love Murder Mystery/ Crime novels, so of course one of my favorite authors is Agatha Christie. So I chose Death on the Nile as my book ( I love the film too! )

I started with a white square card and stamped some script in red across the bottom as the Nile. I then cut a triangle in a piece of scrap paper and brayered over the hole in red ink, and then covered a section on the left side of the triangle and brayered over the hole a few more times. This leaves a shape like a pyramid, which I did a second time with a smaller triangle slightly behind, smaller, and paler than the first one. I then sponged across the bottoms of the pyramids to ground them. Next I stamped some grass and the sentiment in black ink, and unfortunately I made a few smudges so I stamped some fern leaves as a palm tree over them at the edge of the card. The placement of nearly every piece on this card would have been a nightmare if it was not for my Stamp-a-ma-jig!.

Anyway, smudges covered, here's the finished card

Recipe : Stamps = SU French Foliage (Nile), Inspired by Nature (grass), Organic Grace (Palm tree), and Woodware letters

Inks = Real Red and Basic Black 

Tools = Stamp-a-ma-jig and brayer

Card = from my stash


I'm going to bed now so hopefully I'll get some sleep.

Thanks for stopping by and looking at my blog, and I hope to be back soon.

Summer by the sea Anniversary

Hello again!

I've had time today to do another quick card, this time for the Clean and Simple challenge  (FTL 152) with this sketch as the base.


So, I started with some Clarity silk card stock and stamped the loving couple from SU Summer by the Sea in black Adirondack ink. I coloured them in roughly with Pro markers and layered them onto some Pacific Point card. I then drew a heart free hand on some Real Red card and put it through the BS in a Cuttlebug swirl embossing folder. I cut the heart in half and stuck the couple across the middle of it before layering it all on a white card from my stash that has had the corners rounded. It was finished off with a Basic Black Woodware sentiment stamped at the bottom of the heart.

What do you think?

Recipe : Card = SU Real Red, Pacific Point, Clarity Silk card, and white card stock from my stash

Ink =  Black Adirondack and SU Basic Black

Stamps = SU Summer by the Sea and Woodware sentiment

Tools = Big Shot, Cuttlebug embossing folder, and Pro markers

That's it for today, thanks for dropping by and I hope you can come again soon.

Patriotic Owl Birthday

This afternoon I have finally got some time to craft! Yaaay!!


I popped over to the Less is More challenge and saw that their theme is the colours of "your nations flag". As I'm in the UK I decided on using the Union Jack colours of red, white, and blue.

I started with a SU Whisper White 5" square card, and stamped the naked tree and leaves from Clarity Stamps in the bottom left corner in Brilliant Blue so it looked like a branch sticking out. I then pieced together a Poppy Red owl from the SU Owl 2 step punch ( which I'd done with Jacqueline's punch on Tuesday) , and coloured the WWhite tummy as the Union Jack with Promarkers. I added his eyes, and then cut the tops off the WWhite heart for his beak as the flag was a little too busy to see the red one created by the V cut in the tummy piece. I then stamped the Woodware sentiment in Real Red, elongating the You so it would sound like an owl when read out!!

Yes, I know how daft I am, but it made me smile when I did it, and I'm sure I'm not the first person to have done it!!

Anyway, here he is in all his glory  

Recipe : card = SU Whisper White and Poppy Red
Inks = Brilliant Blue and Real Red
Stamps = Clarity and Woodware
Tools = Owl 2 step Punch

This was quite a quick card to make, but I was so engrossed in colouring his tummy, I hadn't heard the sudden heavy downpour of rain, and all my lovely, nearly dry washing that was out on the line is now soaking wet again !! Aaaaaaaaah!!

I'd better go and get it in, Thanks for dropping by and I hope you like my owl.

Clean and Simple Best Wishes

Well here we are again at Sunday. Just where does the week go???

I'm in my usual seat for the afternoon ( It's the Hungarian GP and it's raining so should be exciting!!) and I've just looked in at the Clean and Simple challenge and today there is this sketch.


I immediately knew where to start as this morning I've found some lovely ribbon in one of my drawers in the study while I looking for something else ( isn't that always the way?).

So, I started with a 6" white square card, and cut a matt out of light blue card that is faux leather effect, both from my stash. I wrapped the navy and gold ribbon around the matt before sticking it down. I then cut the flag out of SU Night of Navy and added a band of the leather effect card at the top of it after using a MS punch on it. I then stamped the Woodware sentiment in Versamark on the flag and heat embossed it with gold powder, and I did the same with the moth from Strength and Hope after stamping it onto some NNavy card and then cut it out.

Here is the end result, have a look

While dog sitting yesterday I tried to take a photo of the three mad dogs romping around in the garden, but I ended up only catching the end of a tail or just a head. Eventually I waited for them to stop for a breather and got them to sit nicely together.

And then lie down, well except Jasper as he was too busy watching a squirrel

What the photos don't show is how wet and slobbery the long fur is around Monty's neck where Duff and Jasper had been grabbing him. It sounds bad, but they loved every second of chasing each other round in circles, and if dogs could smile you would see that Monty is grinning from ear to ear with sheer pleasure.

That's it for today, and thanks for dropping by.

Get Well Soon

Would you believe it, all the dogs are now sleeping after running around all morning, so I've time for another quick card.

This is the challenge over at Cas-ual Fridays.
The long and short of it means a DL card, 4" by 8", which is a shape I haven't used for some time, as the square card seems to have become my favoured size.

Anyway, before the hounds wake up, this is what I came up with.

Out came the SU Growing Green set and I stamped the rose in Rich Razzelberry in the bottom left corner, masking it several times till there were 3 roses. Then with all roses masked I stamped the leaf frond in Certainly Celery twice, and ended with the RRazzelberry Woodware sentiment.

Here is a close up of the stamped images, and I decided that I liked the simplicity of the outlines of the roses and leaves, so resisted the temptation to get out my water colour pencils, Aqua painter, and Pro markers, and leave it well alone.

    

Well that's me for today, if you have stopped by I'd love to know what you think, as I do read all your lovely comments and really appreciate your time in writing them.

Thanks very much and hope to see you here again soon.