Delivering Love

Hello.
Happy Valentine's Day.
This cute, little bear is peddling like crazy, delivering love all around town :o)

This is my first time inking up and colouring this stamp. How did I do?
I got it a little late for Christmas cards, but with some added hearts I think it works well for Valentine's Day.

Can we ignore the round splodge near the top of the post box?
My dark red just decided to dump lots of ink there. I tried hard to blend it in.
Does anyone else have that problem with random Copics?

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps & More

I've used Copic markers for my colouring

• purple onion designs - happy mail - chilliezgraphy by pei
• copic markers
• simon says stamp - thoughtful messages

Frost Loving Friends

Hello.
Today I'm posting from a shiny, new laptop! 
Setting it up has been a steep learning curve - why do they make it so complicated?
My main issue now is just how vibrant the screen is.
Wow! Everything is in glorious technicolour.
So I have no idea how you're seeing this card, but it seems awfully bright on this end.

I followed along with the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, swapping out the stars for trees.

This little bear is super cute, and I thought it would make a lovely 'no hearts' Valentine's card for my dh.
I even managed to do some water colouring on those trees, which is a bit scary for me  :o)

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

• mft - frost loving friends, coloured with copics
• mft - tall trees dienamics, coloured with zig clean color real brush pens
• lawn fawn - stitched hillside borders

Penguin Power

Hello.
I made a card with a penguin, in a scarf, surrounded by fairy lights - 
because, who doesn't love fairy lights?

• ink up a background panel with distress inks. Splatter with water, and add some snow with a white gel pen
• die cut some fairy lights, colour the lights with copics and glue together, then attach to the card panel
• assemble the die cut penguin and attach to the card with foam tape
• stamp the sentiment

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• spellbinders dies - festive friends
• mft - snowglobe sentiments
• ranger's distress ink - salvaged patina
• copics / white gel pen

You Had Me At Woof

Hello.
Saying a last goodbye to a family dog is heartbreaking. It makes me tearful just thinking about it. 
My daughter's handsome, gentle puggle has to make his way towards the rainbow bridge.
I made this card for her -  to let her know he'll always be in her heart.

• die cut 'hearts entwined' in white card and the inlaid hearts in various reds and pinks 
• glue pieces to a pink panel
• stamp sentiment and attach with foam tape
• stamp and die cut the dog, colour with copics, attach with foam tape

Challenge

AAAColourful

• my favorite things - hearts entwined / woof pack
• my favorite things sentiment from sittin' pretty
• copic markers
• concord & 9th cardstock

Stay Wild

Hello.
Is anyone up for a WILD party?

These animals are just about to hit the dance floor.
I can already hear 'Eye of the Tiger' blasting out   :o)

• blend distress inks onto a die cut rectangle. Splatter with water and attach to card base.
• stamp the animals and colour with copics. Fussy cut the top edges, and attach with foam tape
• stamp the sentiment and attach with foam tape
• add some white, gel pen highlights

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• mama elephant - the wild roar/labeled messages
• distress ink - salty ocean/lucky clover
• copic markers/white gel pen

Make A Wish

Last week, on the spur of the moment, we decided to change rooms.
We moved our 2 grandsons into a larger bedroom, so they will have more space to play, and my craft room into their old bedroom - aka the rocket room.
It took a lot of organising and dismantling of beds and furniture, some loud, sweary shouting, and a vat of coffee, but we finally did it. And I can get back to crafting.

I wanted to start with something simple - because I haven't found my mojo yet!
So, I went for this CAS candle card, and played along with the colour challenge at Seven Hills Crafts.

If you get some crafty time, it would be nice to see you pay along.

Seven Hills Crafts Challenge

I went for pink, yellow, turquoise and orange.

• concord & 9th - make a wish stamp and die set
• concord & 9th - coloured card honeysuckle/buttercup/oceanside/peacock

And here's my new setup..   complete with rocket and moon light!

Winter Bear

How is the weather where you are?
We had snow, which turned to thick ice, so it was difficult getting around - especially on the pavements. Today, it's all miraculously disappeared, and the sun is out!

This bear, put on his cosiest jumper, and waded through all that snow, to deliver a birthday present.

I wanted this bear to be holding a present, so I drew some arms with paws and fussy cut them. Then I cut some pieces for sleeves and ran them through the same embossing folder as the jumper. I think they turned out ok.

The present was die-cut in red, and I added the hearts with a white gel pen.

Challenge

AAABirthday 

• spellbinders - festive friends
• mama elephant - labeled messages
• concord & 9th - present die from handmade holidays
• hobbycraft - knit pattern embossing folder

Hello Little One

Happy New Year everyone. 
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and are now raring to get back into your craft rooms.

I am starting the New Year with news of a little bundle of joy in the making!

I love using this super, quick way to make a card. I just stamp the image onto coloured card and die cut it. For some extra dimension ( and because this card doesn't have to go through the mail) those teddy bears are layered up, with white card, 3 times.

Not the best photos - with all those shadows. That is something I need to work on this year.
I've also discovered that my crappy, old laptop skews the colours a lot, so I hope you're seeing them better than I am!

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• my favorite things - hello little one
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

A Little Wobble And A Lot Of Joy

Hello.
Today I'm sharing a cute Santa card, with a body that wobbles with joy.
You can't help but give it a little wiggle - I think my grandsons will love it.

Santa is on a distress inked background, splattered with some water drops and snow.

The snow is a white gel pen, used through a snowfall stencil. This simple way of doing 'snow' has been a revelation for me this year. It makes it quick and easy, but still looks random, and no more of me trying (and failing) to do the dreaded splatter.

Challenge

As You Like It

Anything Christmassy

• spellbinders dancin' st nick
• distress ink - salty ocean
• my favorite things - snowglobe sentiments
• lawn fawn - stitched hillside borders
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil

Frost Loving Friends

Hello.
I'm sending a big thank you to Tara and the team at Seven Hills Crafts today.
I was the lucky winner of their October Challenge and they kindly sent me a £10 voucher to spend in store.
Oooh - what to buy - so many goodies.
I finally settled on this cute frosty friends set. It's an older set, but it had all the elements to make a pretty, winter scene.

I inked up a background panel with some distress ink. Then I used the trees die to cut the foreground and layer it on top. It was a bit stark in plain white, so I did a very light smoosh over with the same colour distress ink.

The die cut friends and elements were coloured with copics and attached with foam tape.
I held my breath whilst I stamped the sentiment, then used a stencil and white gel pen for the snow.

Challenge

Seven Hills Crafts 

December Winter Themed Challenge

• my favorite things - frost loving friends
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• distress oxide - salvaged patina
• altenew ink - fresh leaf
• white gel pen / copic markers

Open All The Presents

Hello.
I really love a good, versatile craft set, don't you?
And this handmade holidays set works perfectly, not just for Christmas gifts, but for birthdays too.
I think I will get a lot of use out of it.

I went for a pink and girly style today - with a distress ink background and using Copics and a white, gel pen to create my own gift wrap on those presents.

I was thinking about the price of postage again, when I put this together, so all the elements are flat. With hindsight, I wish I had popped them up with foam tape.
It would have looked better to have more depth. Oh well - lesson learnt.

Challenge

Seize the Birthday

I didn't go for the topping this week, as I really needed a feminine card.

• concord and 9th - handmade holiday dies
• distress ink - kitsch flamingo
• copic markers/ white gel pen
• happy birthday sentiment from my favorite things woof pack