Tiny Human

Hello.
The laundry is about to get super, cute around here. 
Our neighbours, to the left, have just had a baby boy, and our neighbours to the right, are expecting a baby girl in May.
So here's a clothesline of cute outfits.

I used the 'my favorite things' bundle of baby clothes dies, and kept the palette pink and girly for this card. I also found a couple of tiny, animal stickers in my stash and thought they were a cute addition.

The die cuts are layered a few times, so IRL they have some depth to them on the card.

Challenge

Inspired By...

• my favorite things - bundle of baby clothes die
• my favorite things sentiment stamp from 'welcome little one'

Hippity, Hoppity, Easter's on it's way

Hello.
Today I'm sharing an Easter card, with this cute, bunny, hiding all the eggs   :o)

I don't have any 'Easter' stamps as such, so I just altered this bunny slightly.
He's usually carrying an armful of veg, but I taped over that bit to ink him up, and replaced it with easter eggs, which are actually the dies for potato stamps in another set.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• colorado craft company - garden therapy / rooting for you
• mft - stitched rectangle die
• copic markers / white gel pen

Peekaboo!

Argh!
Shaker cards are hard. I always get a few sequins stuck around the edges.

This playful pup, hiding behind a giant gift, is for the challenge at AAAColourful,
where the palette is greens and yellows.

This is one of those cards that just evolved.
I didn't set out to make a shaker card, but once I'd stamped those streamers I didn't want to cover them up. 

Challenge

AAA Colourful

For some reason, this card was impossible to photo. 
Any attempt to brighten it makes the yellow luminescent!
IRL it's a pretty, yellow shade.

Big thanks to Nancy, for seeing my card on Insta, and recommending I enter
the challenge at Color Hues

where they too have a lemon and lime palette.

• my favorite things - pawty time / stitched rectangles
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle die
• versacolor ink - green tea/fresh green/lime/canary
• copic markers/white gel pen

Springtime Birthday

Hello.
Today I'm sharing a birthday card, with these two, playful cats.
They're all about good vibes and fun, and enjoying some spring sunshine.

I'm playing along at the Seven Hills Crafts Challenge - if you fancy it,  there's still plenty of time to join in.
This time it's a technique challenge, where they would like to see you use a stamp, a die, and a stencil. With the proviso that they aren't designed to go together. 

Challenge

Seven Hills Crafts Challenge

Hmm.. not sure I've completely nailed this challenge.

stamp - those two adorable cats
die - the birthday sentiment

stencil - the clouds and grass

• mft - pawty time, coloured with copics
• mft - rectagnle scalloped frame die 
• mft stencils - grassy edges / mini cloud edges
• distress ink - tumbled glass / twisted citron 
• sentiment - colorado craft company - citrus berry cupcake

Cupcakes are the Answer

Hello.
Recently, I've been seeing some lovely cards, where the stamped image is just left plain and uncoloured.
So, I thought I would give it a go.

I chose this big, cupcake stamp because I find it really tricky to colour, and it fits the challenge theme at Inspired By.
What do you think? To colour or not?

I stamped the cupcake off the edge of the card and, for fun, I added that cute fox, helping himself to some frosting.

I used my Copics on one cupcake, and left the other uncoloured.

I think the uncoloured one is growing on me - and it certainly saves on time  :o)

Challenge

Inspired By...

• colorado craft company - citrus berry cupcake
• mama elephant - decorate the tree / birthday messages
• copic markers / white gel pen

Feeling Ducky Today

Hello.
One day of sunshine and I'm already thinking about Spring, and Easter.
So I reached for these cute ducks when I saw the 'gingham' challenge at Inspired By...

I don't have and gingham paper, so I did a background with a copic marker.  Nothing fancy - I just used the broad edge to draw the lines. It's darker here and there, and the lines aren't equally spaced, but I thought that added to it's charm.

I used die-cut hillsides for the background, and slotted those rushes in behind. Then the ducks were added with foam tape for some extra dimension.

 Challenge

Inspired By... 

• time for tea designs - lucky duck
• lawn fawn - stitched hillside borders
• my favorite things - stitched rectangle scallop edge die
• cloud dies ( I think they are memory box)
• avery elle - merriest sentiment
• copic markers / white gel pen

Ahoy, Matey

Oo Arr! 
Happy Birthday today, to our very own pirate, Captain B.

Follow the map, brave scallywag,  find the hidden gems, and make them scurvy, land lubbers walk the plank  :o)

It's pirates all the way for us this week, with our Grandson's 4th birthday.
To say he is obsessed is an understatement. He has a pirate ship in our front room (amazing £10 deal from Hobbycraft) and a treasure chest full of gem stones, that he won't let out of his sight.

So this pirate card, and little treasure map, was a real winner.

The little elements, were die cut, coloured and placed onto a background scene.
Those wave dies from 'Time for Tea Designs, made it super easy to put together.

The map was stamped and coloured with copics.

Challenge

As You Like It Challenge

Feminine or Masculine Theme

I have gone for a masculine theme here, with the little, boy pirate.
I've always found masculine cards a bit tricky, but with 2 grandsons, I have learnt to love them.
Flowers and ribbons, and girly stuff was never really my style anyway,
so I'm embracing boy things and having fun. Boy stuff can be cute too!

• lawn fawn - ahoy, matey
• time for tea designs - ocean waves die
• copic markers

Cheers, Big Ears

Hello.
This month's sketch at Seven Hills Crafts, definitely had me scratching my head.

Lots of measuring and re-measuring was done to try and create that background.
It's not perfect, but it's ok.

After die cutting the embroidery hoop, that little bunny was stitched up in no time at all.

This was going to be an Easter card, but I don't have an Easter sentiment, so instead I went for 'thanks'.
Then, because I wasn't happy, I played around adding things here and there. 
Yeah - it's not my favourite card!

Seven Hills Crafts Challenge 

February Sketch

• waffle flower - embroidery hoops die, and stitch able hoops die
• my favorite things - peacock pattern stamp
• versa color ink - mint
• lawn fawn - thanks die and bunny cross stitch pattern
• tiny hoop stamp - mama elephant - stitched with love

'Popping' by to say Happy Birthday

Hello.
How is everyone? 
We have lots of family birthdays in February, so it's a busy, card making time for me.

Today I'm sharing this fun, balloon party.

It's my first time inking up and colouring this cute stamp and these guys are definitely party ready.

For the balloons I used an old Altenew stamp, with lots of masking. I thought I had ruined the whole card, when I added those balloon strings - urgh! I was so cross with myself. But I managed to hide the worst of them with the sentiment.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• purple onion designs - let's celebrate
• balloons - altenew - hug me
• sentiment - my favorite things - party penguins
• copic markers / wow white embossing powder / white gel pen

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