Life Is Better With You

Hello.
This week, my dh and I, celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary.
Wow! That seems a crazy long time :o)
I am so happy I found my soul mate all those years ago 💘

As we've just come back from the beach, this seemed a cute stamp to use for the card.

As you can imagine, we've done our fair share of hearts and romance cards over the years, but this time I wanted something cute and fun.

This took quite a bit of masking here and there to separate these 2 critters from the full image, but I think it was worth it.

Challenge

Allsorts

🏖️At the Seaside⛱️

or Anything Goes

• colorado craft company - beach life
• my favorite things - ray of light stencil
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• ranger distress ink - mustard seed / fossilized amber
• copic markers / white pen

Sweet Treats and Summer Days

Hello.
We've just had the most amazing week away in Abersoch, North Wales.
Have you been? It's our second time there and I would thoroughly recommend it.
The beaches are stunning.

So this is a thank you card for our dd, for inviting us along to share the fun with our youngest grandson.

Lot's of ice cream was consumed on our trip (it was hot!) so this little van was perfect.
The shaker card - not so perfect. It drove me crazy.
Those little elements keep sticking on top of each other. 

I've had a tip that maybe my foam tape isn't deep enough, so next time I'll try doubling up on it.
Any other shaker tips - send them my way  :o)

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• time for tea designs - cool critters
• my favorite things - in and out stitched squares
• copic markers

Snow Falling, Fizz Flowing

Hello.
Well, what a change in the weather this week.
Here in Yorkshire, we've had just about non stop rain. It's lovely.
No sarcasm here - I LOVE the rain :o)
And it gives me time to play in my craft room.

I've kept things simple with this cute, penguin image.
I'm afraid it might be the last outing for this guy - it's one of my older stamps and is just starting to disintegrate around the edges.

I coloured him with copics, then added distress ink around him, and some snowfall.
I'm not sure why he's drinking fizz in the snow, but he's having a lovely time!

For the recently restarted

CAS Christmas Challenge

• wildrose studio - pickle with tipple
• distress ink - tumbled glass
• wplus9 - winter wonderland sentiment
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers - white gel pen

Fun In The Snow

Hello.
Today I'm an elf!
I'm excited to be joining Jo, over at the 

Christmas Kickstart Challenge 

This month I've chosen the theme of Snow Days.

I'm thinking...  building a snowman, kids on sledges, penguins with scarves, birds on snowy branches, you get the idea.
I'm looking forward to seeing all those snowy scenes, so I hope you'll play along.

Here is my card, using one of my favourite stamps.

I stamped my image and coloured it with copics. 
For the landscape, I found a little stamp with those flower tufts on,  which just helped to ground the image a bit.
The sky is distress ink and my snow is made with a white gel pen, through a snowfall stencil.

Thank you Jo, for letting me join you this month.

It was fun xxx

• purple onion designs - happy mail
• fa la la stamp - sorry! Can't remember the make
• landscape stamp - my favorite things - frost loving friends
• distress oxide - salvaged patina
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• 
  

Annabel and Friends

Hello.

Little Annabel was celebrating her first birthday - so she deserved something a bit special.

It's pretty cute to see those animal friends peeking out from her name.

The letters were individually stamped and coloured with copics.
Then they were fussy cut and popped up on a distress ink, countryside background.
I added some streamers and balloons, and that cute sentiment.

Who knew taking photos of slimline cards was so tricky!

Challenge

We Love Stamping 

 🦊🐠All Creatures Great and Small🦮🦥

• clearly besotted - as cute as abc
• my favorite things - cloud and grass stencil
• my favorite things - sentiment, streamer and balloons - pawtytime set
• distress inks - cracked pistachio / tumbled glass
• copic markers

Tiny Tipples and Bubbly Vibes

Hello.

Has anyone seen my mojo?
It seems to have deserted me.

I tried to jump start some creativity with the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge,
but I never really got into the groove with this one.

I switched out the squares, for hexagons and tried to keep it bright and cheerful.
My little critters were stamped and coloured with copics.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• clearly besotted - tiny tipples
• pinkfresh studio - simply hexagons
• copic markers

Superhero Birthday Vibes

Hello.
This week our own little, superhero grandson turned 4.
So the gang is all here, to help him celebrate.

For the background, I stamped the skyscrapers a couple of times, and then distress inked the grass and sky.

The tiny superheroes were fussy cut, and coloured with Copics.
I attached them with foam tape, and put Superman and Spiderman on a fun wobble.

Challenge

Allsorts

🐝In the Garden🌺

or anything goes

This time I've gone for anything goes

• clearly besotted - seriously super
• ranger distress ink - mowed lawn / tumbled glass / salty ocean
• copic markers / white gel pen

Flowers From A Friendly Hedgie

Hello.
I love die-cutting right now, but sometimes I just want to colour.

This sweet little hedgie, with his pretty bouquet,  is perfect for that.
Not too taxing - my Copic skills aren't up to much - but turns out looking really cute.

This is a wooden block Penny Black stamp that I have had forever - so it was lovely to give it an outing.

I stamped into the corner of a panel, and then just coloured it in with copic markers.

There's something very therapeutic about colouring, isn't there?

Challenge

We Love Stamping

🐣Spring🌷

• penny black - bountiful
• colorado craft company - citrus berry cupcake (sentiment)
• copic markers C1 C3 C7 - YG00 YG23 YG11 YG06 - G05 G14 G17 G28
• E00 E11 R05 - Y17 YR07 R29 - BV04 BV13V06

Let's Get This Party Started

Hello.
I finally got to ink up these 'tiny tipples' - and how cute are they?
Perfect for a bubbly, birthday wish.

I LOVE all those postage collage cards that are everywhere, but I'm not great with stencils and I don't have a lot of inks, so I had to find a work around. I bought a couple of postage style punches - layered a piece of coloured card on top, then added my fussy cut animals.
It's not perfect, or as polished as those stencils, but it's still cute.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I swapped out the circles for my 'postage stamps' - 
and I've just noticed I missed off that foliage. Oops! 

• clearly besotted - tiny tipples
• postage stamp punches
• avery elle - postage stamp die
• copic  markers 

Find Me In The Garden

Hello.
Today I'm sharing a sweet, bunny card with you.
These guys are helping themselves to the veg patch! Let's hope Mr McGregor doesn't spot them :o)

I did a little bit of masking to get those bunnies close to each other, and some more on the bench and vegetables. I admit, trying to get my brain around which parts to mask and stamp first can be tricky - so some of those veggies are fussy cut and added afterwards.

Challenge  

We Love Stamping

🦅🌳🐿️ Wildlife 🌺🐝🐟

 

or anything goes

• colorado craft company - garden therapy/rooting for you
• I think the bench stamp is Magnolia
• Copic markers

Tied Up With A Bow

Hello.
I'm excited to be joining the Allsorts Challenge  today
as a Guest Designer.

This is such a fun and friendly challenge, and I hope you'll find time to play along. 
 Sarah has chosen the theme...

Add a Ribbon or Bow

Ooh, this one had me scratching my head for a while.
I haven't used ribbon on a card for AGES! But when I went digging through my stash I found it all beautifully packed and organised. Go me ! (I've added a pic below to show how tidy and organised I used to be)  :o)

Back to the card.
And I couldn't resist a little box of sweet doughnuts all wrapped with ribbon and a bow.

The doughnuts are stamped and die cut. The sprinkles were added with Copic markers and some glossy accents. Then I added a layer of acetate to my scalloped edge die, and taped ribbon and a bow onto the corners.

Allsorts Challenge

Add Ribbon or a Bow

• the greetery - sweet tooth
• distress ink - salvaged patina
• altenew ink - maple yellow / fuchsia
• pinkfresh studio ink - warm buff / doe / gathered twigs
• copic markers, glossy accents
• sentiment - sugar pea designs - summer scoops

Small Heroes Bring Big Joy

Hello.

Today our very own super hero grandson is 5 years old.

I had so much fun making this card for him - he is a huge fan of superheroes, and is always coming up with bits of information about them. I don't know where he gets it all from.
So this little group of  warriors is right up his street.

Those cute heroes, are stamped and fussy cut, coloured with Copics and popped up with foam tape.
I kept the background skyline neutral, so that it didn't all clash.

Batman and Superman are fitted with mini wobbles for some extra fun interaction.
(check out my Instagram post here if you want to see it )

Challenge

A Place To Start

Anything Goes with optional twist small critters

• clearly besotted seriously super
• copic markers
• mini wobble
• pink fresh studio diagonal stitch rectangle 

A Sweet Woodland Birthday

Hello.

For a minute, when I got up this morning, I thought it wasn't raining.
False alarm. 
It's still raining  :o)

That makes more than 40 + days of rain in the UK this year. 
What's a person to do, other than get comfy in their craftroom.

I couldn’t resist inking up Bugsy and Jessie from Purple Onion Designs -  they’re just too sweet.
Bugsy with his balloon and Jessie clutching that birthday present, with a stencilled birch tree background - it’s basically a little woodland party waiting to happen.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• clearly besotted - treemendous times stencil
• purple onion designs - bugsy and jessie
• time 4 tea designs - walrus (green die cut)
• mama elephant - labeled messages
• distress ink - shaded lilac
• copic markers / white gel pen

Life Is Sweeter With You... And Doughnuts!

Hello.
Here I am with another Valentine's Day card, featuring these cute, doughnut pals.

This time the challenge at Allsorts, was to create your own background.

I used some pink ink with a stencil, for that drippy effect, and then stamped it with hearts in various pink and white shades.
It doesn't come out too well on the photo, but it's really pretty IRL  o:)

Then I stamped and fussy cut those doughnut pals, and popped them up with foam tape.

Challenge

Allsorts Challenge

Create Your Own Background (Or Anything Goes)

• clearly besotted - donut worry / splat it stencil
• distress inks - worn lipstick / pickled raspberry / festive berries
• white ink
• copic markers / white gel pen

All You Need Is Love... And Doughnuts

 Hello.

Today I'm playing along at AAA Colourful, and using their pink, colour palette.
Perfect for a Valentine's card.

What's also perfect for Valentine's day?
That's right - doughnuts.  :o)

I used strips of pink card on my base and layered it with a 'peek-a-boo striped heart'.
Then, I fussy cut those cute animals, coloured them with Copics and popped them up with foam tape.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• clearly besotted - donut worry
• my favorite things - peek a boo striped heart die
• the greetery - valentine wishes sentiment from sweet tooth
• copics / white gel pen

A Little Card To Celebrate The Fun

 Hello.

I was meant to be following a sketch today.
You know when you have it in your mind, and you make your card, but it's not quite right.
It's close though - if you squint :o)

This is a Valentine's card for my dh. 

After 40 years of marriage, we're kind of over the red, love hearts and roses, so  I think this cute Eddie and Ethel stamp is more our thing.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I converted this to portrait and moved those stripes a bit. 
By which I mean a lot. It still looks a bit like the sketch though, right?

• purple onion designs - eddie and ethel
• memory box - parker alphabet dies
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• mft - sentiment from frost loving friends
• copic markers, white gel pen