Running On Sunshine And Summer Vibes

Here's a perfect splash of summer vibes and relaxation.
Hands up, who would like to be floating in the pool, waiting for their dirty margarita to arrive. 🙋

As soon as I saw the sketch at Freshly Made, and with these dies already out on my desk, this card was a no brainer, and came together quickly.
I'm even getting the hang of glueing those pieces, so that the glue doesn't end up everywhere!

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• concord and 9th - poolside dies and stamps
• waffle flower - rainbows paper

Kick Back And Relax

Hello.
I'm sharing a fun, interactive card with you today.

This girl is living her best life, doing absolutely nothing.

As interactive cards go, this one was easy to put together. I still managed to make one significant error though. I should have used a card panel the same size as my card base. Then my pool girl would have fitted on better and been more central. Next time!!

The background was distress inked and splattered with water and white acrylic paint, for a 'pool' effect.
Then all the other pieces were die cut and glued together.
I think the trick for this set, is to allow the glue time to dry when assembling the pieces.

Challenge

Inkspirational 

I've opted for using the same colour palette as the mood board,
with the yellow, orange and greens.
I also stamped a little foliage on her bathing suit to represent the flower pattern.

• concord and 9th - poolside dies and stamp set
• distress ink - peacock feathers

Birthday Surprises, Wrapped With Love

Hello.
I'm struggling to make time to craft right now.
This card has been living rent free, in my head, for almost a week!

I finally got time to put it together.

I'm playing along with the AAA Birthday Challenge, so this card was made entirely with die cuts - no stamping at all! Whilst the card came together pretty easily, I had to rack my brains for a 'no stamp' sentiment.
I finally decided on those die cut alphas and number. I used the same cardstock as the background for them, but just to make them pop a little bit more they are 3 layers deep.

Challenge

AAA Birthday

• concord & 9th - handmade holiday dies
• memory box - parker lower case alpha
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• nestie circle die
• white gel pen - copic markers

Mischief and Martinis

Hello.
Today I'm giving these Uptown Girls a long overdue outing   :o)

They're ready to get the party started - with killer heels, and martinis in hand.

It's been a while since I coloured these girls, so they were a bit intimidating. I almost paper-pieced the dresses, but ended up using my Copics and following the colour palette at AAA Colourful.
The ink's gone over the lines in a few places, so don't look too closely ;o)

Challenge

AAA Colourful

Ooh, now that I've added the palette my card is definitely a brighter orange shade!
Can I get away with it? 

• stamping bella - uptown girls, victoria and juliette's night out
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• mft - spirited sentiments
• stickles gold glitter
• copics - white gel pen - versafine clair black ink

Inky Paws And Paper Cuts

Hello.
Here's my take on this week's tricky sketch at 

                                                      Freshly Made Sketches 

When in doubt, add dogs, right?   

I kept it really simple and used those dogs to create a 'sort of' crescent shape.
This will be a great card for the dog to give to my dh for Father's Day.
Yes, of course my dog sends cards :o)

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• my favorite things - woof pack / four legged friends
• pinkfresh studio - stitched diamonds coverplate die
• copic markers / white gel pen

Miss You, Mum

Hello.
My mum passed away in 2021, but I still make her a birthday card.
Is that weird?
I like to think she's up there, having a party with my dad and my brother.

If you visit at all, you'll know that I don't play well with flowers :o) 
But even I can make this bouquet look presentable.

I added the hand/arm from a Christmas Concord & 9th set and love how it turned out.

Challenge

Little Red Wagon

Flowers Challenge #808

• the greetery - flower market bouquet
• versacolor ink - camelia, magenta
• altenew ink - fresh leaf, fresh lemon, maple yellow, sea breeze, dark chocolate
• concord & 9th- arm/hand  handmade holidays
• pinkfresh studio - perfect sentiments, diagonal stitched rectangle

The Bigger The Cake, The Bigger the Birthday

Hello.
Today I'm sharing this cute pup, hauling along the most enormous birthday cake.
Hmmm... chocolate sponge and, raspberry and vanilla icing, I think. Yum! 

I often overlook those little stamps in a set, but here, I've used them for the background.
The confetti and present were stamped onto some 'grapefruit' paper with versamark ink, sprinkled with white embossing powder and heat embossed.

Then I added a panel, die cut with an oval nestability, and my pup with his cake was coloured with copics and popped up with foam tape.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

I've rotated the sketch, to give me a landscape card,
but kept the sentiment at the bottom.

• mft - pawty time
• copic markers
• versamark ink and white embossing powder
• oval nestability

You Are Souper Cool

Hello.
For a while there, I was about to quit cardmaking altogether.
I was trying to mirror what other crafters were doing, and it just wasn't me.
Everything seemed to end up in the bin.
Do you ever feel like that?

For my last few cards, I've gone back to basics and what suits me.
Little animals, or people, in a basic, unfussy scene.
Keep it sweet and simple, right?   :o)

What's great for recapturing my mojo, is a sketch challenge or a colour challenge.
Here, I've managed to combine the two, with this 'souper' cool chef.

Challenges

Freshly Made Sketches

I've just rotated the sketch, for a portrait design

Color Hues

I've gone for a deeper shade of yellow (fossilized amber)

• my favorite things - recipe for happiness
• distress ink - fossilized amber
• time for tea designs - tile stencil
• copic markers
• versamark ink and hero arts white embossing powder

Tiny Paws, Big Plans

Hello.
What is this cute, little guy?  A guinea pig?  A hamster?
The description of the stamp set says 'six little mice', but I don't think he's a mouse.
Whatever he is, he's painting the town red :o)

I used a 'ray of light' stencil and some red inks for the background. Then added some water drops. I think my paint brush still had some blue paint on it, so some drops are tinged blue, but I'm ok with that :o)
The little, critter was coloured with Copics and fussy cut, then popped up with foam tape.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I've rotated the sketch, but kept the portrait aspect,
and my critter has replaced the circle.

• colorado craft company - paint the town
• my favorite things - ray of light stencil, scallop stitched edge die
• copic markers
• ranger distress inks - festive berries / fired brick
• memento ink

You Arrrrgh Awesome!

 Hello.

Pirates are big in our house right now.
We have a cardboard pirate ship in the front room for our Grandsons.
I am regularly made to walk the plank!

I die cut a circle into a card panel. Then, for the background, I used a cloud scrap that I had in my pile, and added the waves, and shoreline with die cut pieces. The boat was added into the waves, and then the pirate and his extras were placed around the sides. It took me ages to try and balance it out, hopefully it looks ok.

Challenge

Cardz 4 Guyz 

#371 Body of Water

Just for fun, I'm also sharing my Grandson's card. He's 4 years old.

If it's a family birthday he usually makes a card with some stickers and felt tips, but this time I thought he could try out some stamping.

I stamped the treasure chest for him, to show him how to do it, and then let him do the rest himself.
For a first attempt I am pretty impressed. 
I might have to start sharing my craft room!

• lawn fawn - ahoy matey
• nestie circle die
• time for tea designs - ocean waves dies
• copics / white gel pen

Football Fever

It's all about the football right now and Leeds Utd.
We smashed our last game 6 - 0 and we're going up into the Premiership next season.
Wahoo!  Bring it on.

So, no surprise that I reached for this cute, footballer stamp.

I stamped the boy and his ball and then masked them, to do a little ink smooshing. 

I found a video on YouTube, by Natalie at  NB cards, where she shows you how to make and use a very simple, smooshing tool. I am not great with 'random' so this was a game changer for me. Allowing a lot more control of where the ink goes. This was just my first attempt, and I'm well chuffed with it.

I wish I'd stamped and smooshed further down the card panel though,  but hey-ho!

Challenges

Addicted to Stamps and More

I've used distress inks on the smooshing, and copic markers for the boy.

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AAA Colourful

• LOTV - footballer stamp
• distress ink - peacock feathers / lucky clover
• sentiment - lawn fawn - scootin' by
• pinkfreshstudio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• memento black ink got the footballer
• versafine clair nocturne for the sentiment
• copic markers / white gel pen.