BIRTHDAY BLISS

I've been playing with a new stencil - from The Crafters Workshop called Mini Damask.  I sponged it with Tim Holtz Tattered Rose and Scattered Straw to make the soft background.  I then used a retired SU stamp set called Bliss - the main stamp looks very similar to the stencil and I inked this in Fresh Fig.  I added two oval thinlets and inked them in the same Distress Inks and then added the sentiments and some pearls.  The Happy Birthday is from my stash - I'm not sure which set.  The butterfly is from the same SU set and I used an old SU butterfly punch to cut it out.  A touch of Fresh Fig ribbon finishes off the card.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Just Add Ink - Birthday Celebration 
TGIF Challenge - Birthday 
Global Design Project - Celebration 
Make My Monday - Anything but square
Watercooler Challenges - Celebration




 

CAS - Clean and Simple

A very CAS card from me today for the challenge over at CAS Colours and Sketches #353




I started off with a layer of white card and a piece of patterned paper from Kaisercraft Enchanted paper pad.  For my panel across the front I used some thinlets in leaves and branches simply in white.  The sentiment is from a retired SU set Cottage Greetings stamped in Fresh Fig.  A single little star at the bottom completes the card.

 

INSPIRED BY..... QUIET

The challenge over at Inspired By is Quiet with a lovely image for us to follow.




In my day job when I'm not crafting I am a Reiki healer.  Quiet and mindfulness is a part of what I try and do every day and I try and instil this to my clients - take time out to just Be. I recently shared on my Facebook page  a wonderful quote I found written 125 years ago!  I wonder what Octavia Hill would think of our lives today? 

So for my card today I reached for a wonderful set of stamps by Visible Image called Mindful Moments.  I started off with a stencil from the same company called Atomic Flower and used some Tim Holtz distress ink in Shabby Shutters ( a nod to the shutters in the image) and SU Mint Macaron to sponge over the stencil.  

I then used some Distress Inks and Oxide inks and some water to make a background for the image of the main stamp.  I stamped this in Mint Macaron and then cut her out - I used some of the same paper for the sentiment and used a framelit to cut it out. I added the small stamp to represent the Chakras in Mint Macaron and then added a few sequins.  I made this a 6" x 6" square card.

 

TRY STAMPIN ON TUESDAY - #TSOT440

A double challenge again over at Try Stampin On Tuesday - I chose to go just with the sketch and I couldn't think of anything to do with wet -mad really as that's all we have in the UK at the moment is rain!  

I used a few new sets I received for Christmas for my card. I started off with a stencil from Visible Image stamps called Atomic Flower.  I used some Tim Holtz Distress inks to sponge the background.  I cut out the circle with a stitched framelit and inked it up with similar colours.  I then added the tree stamp from Visible Image stamp set Tree of Life and stamped some of the leaves.  I used the die cut from SU Colourful Seasons as a branch behind the tree. I coloured in the leaves with some Tri-Blends from Spectrum Noir and used one of their glitter pens in Smoked Quarts for the tree trunk.  The Sentiment is from the same stamp set and this was embossed with some very old SU embossing powder in brown.  

 

TIM HOLTZ WILDFLOWERS

In my small stash of new craft goodies over Christmas were some of the wildflower thinlets by Tim Holtz and I fancied having a play with them.  I was inspired by the sketch over at Sunday Stamps#SSC222  this week and decided to play along.






I started off with a circle cut out with a stitched framelit and I sponged this up wit Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Shabby Shutters.  I used a script stamp from the SU retired set Background Bits stamped in Tim Holtz Crushed Olive.  I then cut out the wildflower thinlets in various coloured card stock and used some Tri Spectrum sparkle to give them a bit of a shine.  I then started on my background using a circle stencil and Tim Holtz Ripe Persimmon and Mustard Seed Distress Inks blending the two into the middle.  I used the cut out from the thinlet to create a stencil of the flowers and inked that in the Crushed Olive.  For my banners I used some retired Washi tape.  I added some ribbon to the bottom and some Copper Thread for the bow at the top.

 

JOY OF SETS BLOG HOP - SOMETHING NEW

We are blog hopping again at Joy of Sets - this will now be a monthly event on the 2nd Saturday of the month.  Members of my Joy of Sets Facebook Group will be joining together on the hop to show you some inspiration.  Last year we were organised by Andrea Parr from Crafty Little Things and my thanks to her for all her hard work - this year the reins have been taken over by Angie McKenzie and she has set up some fabulous themes for the year.

Our first one is I'm sure close to all our hearts after the Christmas period - Something New - I've chosen to go with some new products I got - some Tim Hotlz Distress Inks in colours I didn't have and a lovely new set from Visible Image stamps called Curious Cats.  This was a gift from my daughter who knows what a mad cat woman I am.  Visible Image stamps are also sponsoring Joy of Sets Tic Tac Toe challenge this month - so why not come and join in there too - 

I mixed together Dusty Concord, Picked Raspberry and Peacock Feathers for my back ground - using water colour paper and a Distress Sprayer.  I added the cat image in Hero Arts Intense black and coloured in the eyes with Mustard Seed. I added a few sequins and some Spectrum Noir sparkle in clear to give it a shine.

To continue on the hop - click on the button below

Here is the complete list of our Blog Hop together with the individual links:

Angie McKenzie 

Amanda Farlinger

Libby Fens

Jane Allmark

Tricia Butts

Angelique Nederpel 

Fiona Whitehead

Sandra Roberts

Rebecca-Jo Unwin

Rochelle Laird-Smith

Brenda Nelson

Susan Webster

Anne Marie Hile

Gez Carpenter

Annette Ball

Kaylin Krawczyk

Narelle Fasulo

Jennifer Arent

Vicki Milyard

Alejandra Gomez

        

THE LIBRARY CHALLENGE No 49

Phew - talk about cutting it fine to avoid a fine lol! The Library Challenge No 49 had a great challenge I really wanted to join in with over the Christmas but just couldn't find the time - but I've just made it with a few hours to spare.  Their challenge was to choose one of their challenges through the year and as soon as I saw Chocolat by Joanne Harris I knew I had to choose that.  This is one of my favourites books - I've read all of hers and was lucky enough to see her in September 2019 giving a talk on her latest The Strawberry Thief - here's a picture of me getting my book signed by her.

 

So for my card I found a very old stamp by Tim Holtz which has the lovely image of the Eiffel Tower which features on the front of the book.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Dusty Concord for the background and spritzed it with water and then dried it with my heat tool.  I used an SU ink in Elegant Eggplant for the stamp of the Eiffel Tower. I also used a stamp from SU Background Bits which is a script stamp to represent the words in the book.  The Artist stamp from the same Tim Holtz set was embossed in Gold Embossing and I added three lovely chocolate pearls to finish off the card.  I then layered it onto some lovely gold card stock.

 

SWEET STAMPIN - THANK YOU CARDS

Our challenge over at Sweet Stampin is a timely one.  Something that should be in high demand after Christmas giving is a Thank You card - I do wonder though how many still send them?  It's not something I ever receive for gifts I send but my children (I say children they are 28 and 25 still send them out to relatives).  It's so lovely to receive one and it doesn't have to be in recognition of a gift.  

My card today uses a set from Card-io Majestix Stamps called Golden Daffodils together with a butterfly from one of their other sets Oriental Blossom together with the Thankful Thoughts set from Stampin Up.  I am Welsh and the daffodil is the National Flower of Wales so I can see lots of use for this little set.

This is a nice simple one layer card which is great for posting - I send a lot of RAK cards in my Joy of Sets group so one layers are always more economical to send and I know just the person to send this one to.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Mustard Seed and Bundled Sage - I added some ribbon from my stash which is the perfect colour combination together with some coloured pearls. 

 

STAMPIN UP ONLY CHALLENGE - DESIGNER'S CHOICE #SUOC239

We have free rein over at Stampin Up Only #SUOC239, challenge this week - and I've chosen to use SU Waterfront. As I've just started to cut up the lovely DSP Perennial Essence I used this as a background for my card and also for my choice of inks.  

I used Blackberry Bliss for the mountains and Old Olive for the trees and the grass.  Basic Gray was used for the little house and some  retired Cameo Coral ink for the background.   The sentiment is from the same set and was stamped in Blackberry Bliss - I used a stitched framelit to cut it out and layered it onto some more of the DSP.  A heart gem was added together with some Wink of Stella on the mountains. I used a piece of Blackberry Bliss as the main cardstock.

 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS - #HSSCC330

Welcome back to another year of challenges with Hand Stamped Sentiments - our first one for 2020 is a colour challenge: 

I've used some new Tim Holtz Sizzix dies for the flowers on my card.  I layered them onto some of the gorgeous SU DSP Perennial Essence - I have had it a while and just couldn't bear to cut it - you know how it is.  Once you cut into it initially you soon get over the trauma and enjoy using it! lol!  I used the same paper to cut out the flowers and leaves.  The Friends sentiment is from SU Waterfront - the Happy Birthday is from a retired set Fresh Fruit.  I added a few sequins just to finish it off.

I look forward to seeing what you all do and whether you are using new crafting goodies you got for Christmas 


 

JOY OF SETS TIC TAC TOE - JANUARY 2020 #JOSTTT013

Happy New Year everyone - it's the start of a brand new year for Joy of Sets Tic Tac Toe as we celebrate our first birthday. And what a year it was - thank you to all of you who joined in with us and joined us as Guest Designers.  To celebrate our 1st Anniversary I'm delighted to say that Visible Image Stamps have kindly offered to donate a £25 gift voucher.

Our grid for this month has been chosen by one of our new Design Team Members Libby Fens.  Libby is on a few Design Teams so I'm sure you have seen and enjoyed her work around blogland.

I chose the middle line Red, Hearts, Ribbon.  My card uses an old stamp set from Clearly Beloved called Spring Tulips together with a stamp set I was gifted by one of my Joy of Sets members!  Clearing away my Christmas stamps and getting ready for spring.  A bit early I  know but I can hope!  I started off by stamping the jug with the hearts and then masking it off.  I then added the CB tulips and coloured them in using Tim Holtz distress inks and a blender pen.  I used Distress Inks for the background taking care not to colour over the jar of flowers.  I layered this onto a piece of DSP from SU called Perennial Essence.  I love this paper and it was really hard to cut into it - you all know that feeling?!  I added some SU pink satin ribbon, the sentiment from the stamp set and a glitter heart to finish off the card.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020

Happy New Year Everyone - I can't believe we are going into another decade - it doesn't feel like 20 years since the whole Millennium fuss was happening! Christmas may be over but at Sparkles Christmas Challenge we can still play with all our Christmas crafting goodies.

Our theme for this month is For A Child.  I've used the lovely little penguin from a Clearly Besotted stamp set called Let It Snow.  I stamped the penguin first and made a mask and then repeat stamped all his little friends.  I coloured in their beaks with an orange marker pen.  I used some of the sparkly red paper for the background and for the little guy's hat which was made with a die cut from the same set.  I added a glitter jewel for the top of his hat.

           

CHRISTMAS BONUS

I had a nice start to my Christmas Festivities by finding out I had been published in a UK Craft Magazine - Craft Stamper.

My card used the Winter Woods stamp set from SU with the trees embossed in white embossing powder onto Soft Suede card stock.  I added white ink at the bottom for the snow drifts and the same for the snow. 

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

 Merry Little Christmas Challenge which is Anything Goes.

Allsorts Challenge - Anything Goes

Inkspirational - Christmas Tree

Sunday Stamps - Neutrals

Watercooler Wednesday - Anything Goes

Christmas Challenge Blog - Anything Goes



I was also thrilled to see I had been featured in Try it On Tuesday's spotlight for the year 2018/2019 for my Tim Holtz Bird Talk card - what a lot of work for the Design Team that must have been and such a lovely idea.

 

SWEET STAMPIN - MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR -

Wow - can you believe we are entering another decade? I can't even think where the last two went!  It must be an age thing!  I still think I'm in the 1980's lol!  Our last challenge for 2019 over at Sweet Stampin is Let's Party like it's 2020!  I used an old set from SU called Happy Hour for my card.

I used some Tim Holtz Oxide Ink in Salty Ocean for the glasses and added some white sparkling paper for the drinks.  You have to have sparkle at New Year.  I used some layered tag thinlets for the papers and a small one for the sentiment.  The touch of holly gives it a festive feel - I think our New Year this year will be quiet affair of just hubby and I and we will try to stay up to see in 2020.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and every good wish for 2020.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

It's only two weeks away! Christmas that is! And to be honest I'm all ready for it - Christmas food such as Cake and Pudding and Mincemeat made and being fed with Brandy ready for the big day - presents are bought, yet to be wrapped, cards have been made and sent, house is decorated so what's left - I know - make more cards!  

I'm joining in with two challenges with this card - the Library Challenge is fast becoming a favourite as it really is a challenge - I'm sure I have that annual somewhere in the attic that they shop for this month's inspiration!



I'm also joining in with Sweet Stampin Christmas challenge which is critters.
Merry Little Christmas - which is Anything Goes 

I've used a cute set I found at the bottom of my stash - I'm not sure where it came from or its name but it has some lovely animal images which work well with the sentiment in the set.  I started off my card by using Waterfront stamp set by SU for the snow and the trees.  I used a die cut to cut out the two green trees - they are actually in manuscript paper as the Rupert annual started me off singing that theme song!  Ahh - I couldn't get it out of my head!

I coloured in the little reindeer with Tri Spectrum Noir pens and added some Tri Spectrum glitter in Harvest Moon which shows up really dark.  I then added some shiny red gems and added the sentiment at the bottom.