Sweet Sprinkles

Hello.
I had so much fun making this card.
I think the recipient is going to love it.

It's a wrapped shaker - so the shaker bit is made with some scrap, plastic packaging, 
wrapped around the card, and secured with DS tape. So easy!

The shaker confetti was the fun bit. I didn't have much in the way of pretty sprinkles,
so I made some of my own...

large and small cherries - die cut and coloured with copics

ice creams - die cut from coloured cardstock and pieced together

ice lollies - I put a strip of ds tape onto white card and made sure the 'lolly' part was cut from that piece - then I peeled off the tape and pressed the die cut into some glitter. IRL it's very sparkly.

This is definitely something I'll be trying again.
I'm already thinking of gingerbread men sprinkles, and tiny Christmas trees!!

Challenge

Just Us Girls

Nothing says summer like ice-lollies and cherries :o)

• concord & 9th - celebration squad / charmed (small cherries die)
• time for tea designs - cool critters - sentiment and ice lolly die
• sugar pea designs - summer scoops - large cherry die
• spellbinders - camp days - ice cream die

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

Ready For Winter Days

Hello.
It's turned decidedly cooler here, over the last few days.
Has anyone resorted to putting their heating on yet??
We are trying to hold out for another few weeks.
But it's almost time for woolly hats and big coats.

Here's my card for the Inkspirational Challenge

where the word prompt is HEADWEAR

I stamped 3 bears on a card panel and coloured them with Copics.

Then I gave them all hats, popped up with foam tape.
Hmm... maybe I should have given the middle bear the same woolly hat as the others,  instead of the party one. What do you think?

Challenge

Inkspirational

• sugarpea designs - hey winter
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangles
• my favorite things - snowglobe sentiments
• copic markers - white gel pen

Friends Don't Let Friends Play In The Snow Alone

Hello.
I've just managed to squeeze in another 'Christmas in July' card.
For this one I have gone for a green, inky background. A couple of weeks ago I made an attempt to organise my distress inks better, and bought some new sponge blenders - and it seems, tidying my stash, has made me want to use it more. The trick, I guess, is keeping it tidy :o)

I started off by ink blending a couple of distress inks, and then giving them the spatter treatment, with some white paint and some darker ink. I've still not mastered this spatter - it drives me crazy!

Then I added a die cut 'slope' and my sledging hedgies. A few trees were popped up on foam tape, and a simple sentiment, stamped in the corner. Job done!

Challenge

Inkspirational

My woodland wanders took me to these cute hedgies, having some fun in the snow.

• penny black - Christmas critters
• sentiment and trees - sugarpea designs - hey winter
• lawn fawn - stitched hillside border die
• distress ink - evergreen bough / lucky clover
• copic markers / stickles glitter

Gnome For The Holidays

Ok, hands up if you have no idea what you're doing with a white, gel pen.
Somewhere, in a parallel universe, there must be a white, gel pen diploma course. I need that course!

I was hoping, when I bought this fall gnome set, that I would be able to use them for Christmas cards. And here they are. I stamped some extra gnomes, so that I could cut out their hands and stick them over what they are carrying.

Inspired By Challenge

• spellbinders - fall gnomes
• candy cane from sugar pea designs -  hey winter
• lights from mama elephant - decorate the tree
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• mft dienamincs - stitch scallop edges and snow globe sentiments
• ecoline brush pens and copics

Ice Lolly Heaven

Hello.
Yikes - it's hot! I put the thermometer in my craft room yesterday (my conservatory) and it went off the charts at  40C+  That's bloody hot for Yorkshire :o)
Needless to say, I decamped to a cooler room to make this card.

I  can't get the hang of water colouring, but I have some gorgeous, vibrant, watercolour, ecoline brush pens and I really wanted to use them. I saw this easy technique to try and it worked a treat.
I used the brush pens straight onto my stamp, spritzed it with water and stamped. Simple!

On my first attempt some of the colours got a little muddy, so I kept a white strip between them and that worked better. If you wanted you could easily fill that white area by using a small brush, but I liked it that way.

If you follow me on Instagram pop over and check out my reel. It's the first proper, card making video I've done. Not perfect, but it was kind of fun. And I have a new respect for those card makers that video their process :-)

Challenge

Addicted to CAS 

I've gone for some tangy, tropical ice lollies  - I could just eat one right now!

sugarpea designs - summer scoops
ecoline brush pens
pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle, warm buff ink

Hey Winter

Hello.

Does everyone find it hard to do 'random' snowflakes, or is it just me?

I have to force myself to put down the white gel pen, otherwise that bear would look like he's in a massive snowstorm!   :o)

I've followed this week's sketch at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - using that cute bear instead of the circle. 
Does anyone remember Craftwork Cards? They're not in business anymore, but I used to buy little coloured circles from them - like card sequins -  that they called Candi.  Anyhoo, this card sentiment was one of theirs too, and I found a packet of them at the bottom of my Christmas box. I really wanted to use it, so I hope the challenge DT will forgive my sentiment being out of place.

Challenge

52 Christmas Card Throwdown 

SugarPea Designs - Hey Winter - coloured with Copics
Distress Ink - Salty Ocean
Stitched hillside borders die

Birthdays are Better with Sprinkles

Hello.
I'm playing with my new 'sweet tooth' stamps again today - with some simple donuts for the Less is More Challenge. Can you believe they are celebrating their 11th birthday! 

I stamped, die-cut and then popped up my donuts with foam tape, onto a simple panel. Then I held my breath whilst I stamped the sentiment. Usually I muck this up, smudge the ink, or drop the stamp, but it came out perfectly  :o)

Challenge

Less Is More

Congrats to everyone at LIM on your 11th birthday.

the greetery - sweet tooth
sugarpea designs - summer scoops
altenew inks - warm buff, cotton candy, peach sorbet, mango smoothhie
pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle die

 

Wishing You A Bear-y Christmas

Hello. 
I'm so happy to see one of my favourite challenges back -The Inspired by Challenge
And, from Aug to Dec they have a bonus theme of a Christmas/Holiday card with photo inspiration. This is definitely going to help me get my festive card making on track.
And here's my first one of the season, following their Tropical Santa photo.

I know what you're thinking.    Where's the tropical Santa?     I can explain!
I don't have any Santa stamps, but I do have my favourite winter bear, and I created a layout with him, following the inspiration photo, as closely as I could.

Challenge

Inspired By Challenges

sugar pea designs - hey winter coloured with copics
lawn fawn stitched hillsdie borders
pinkfresh studio1 - diagonal stitch rectangle
distress ink - tumbled glass
leaf dies from the works

Sending Big Bear Hugs

Hello.

I struggled for inspiration today, so I made it easy on myself and

went with a sketch challenge, and my favourite bear stamp.

I distress inked my panel pieces and added some water drops for interest.

Then I stamped my sentiment and added the bear and trees with foam pads.

I know the ladies at FMS like to keep it clean  ;o)
but, because I have FINALLY found a white pen that seems to work,
I went a bit overboard with it !!

(I kinda like how the dots on the trees look a bit like snow)

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

sugarpea designs - hey winter, coloured with copics
distress ink - tumbled glass, fossilized amber, twisted citron
pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
uni-ball signo white pen

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Anni-bearsary

 Hello.
It's my Anniversary today. 
36 years married to my soul mate.

For my hubby's card, I had to reach for my favourite bears.

Momma bear gets to wear a pink jumper - in this heat!!
And daddy bear gets some cool shorts.

The shorts were easy to create, using the stamp for the bottom of the jumper,
and just drawing in the legs and some ties with a fine liner.

Challenge

Watercooler Wednesday

sugarpea designs - hey winter
waffleflower crafts - rainbow paper
copics

RAINBOW BEAR

Hello.
Strips of coloured card seem to be all the rage right now,
so I cut a few (dozen) and used some on this birthday card.

With the strips, I used a tip from Jennifer McGuire - 
stick the strips to a piece of thin scrap paper -
then they will go through your die cutting machine easily, 
and can be added to your thicker card base afterwards.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

sugarpea designs - hey winter, coloured with copics
sentiment bubble - mftstamps woof pack

hb2u - wplus9 

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hello.

I'm sharing a quick CAS card today, for the CASology Challenge.

The theme is 'envelope' so I scoured my stash for an envelope stamp,
and was happy to find one in my favourite bear set.

I used a craft knife to cut a little strip into my bear,
so that I could push the envelope into it and it would look like he was holding it.

Challenge

CASology

sugarpeadesigns, hey winter - coloured with copics
lawn fawn sentiment, year two
altenew inks - sea breeze, turqoise, tide blue, starlight
thelovelystudio - geometric digi paper

ALL MY HEARTS

Hello.
I'm going bold and bright today, for the Inspired By Challenge

I finally got round to buying some cheap ink blending brushes - 

oh hello - now I know what all the fuss is about!
This was my first attempt with one, and I found it so easy to use, the ink just glided more smoothly onto the paper.

I also cobbled together a makeshift ink blending mat, by taping a piece of acetate to a craft mat.
This makes it easy to wipe off excess ink, and pick it up later if you need to.
I'm sure i'll discover other ways to use it too - spritzing with water etc.

Question : Do you clean your brushes? How do you do that?
For now, I brushed left over ink onto scrap card! 

Of course, I couldn't make a {heart} card, without including my favourite bear,
along with a few gems.

Challenge

Inspired By 

I was inspired by the hearts and the way some of them are cropped off

SugarPeaDesigns - Hey Winter, coloured with Copics
DoCrafts nested heart die
Mft - stitched scallop rectangle die
Distress Ink - Festive Berries

HOORAY

Hello.
Who knew that we would would still be celebrating lockdown birthdays in January?!
This is for my SIL
Strictly no visiting allowed, but we can't wait for the mahoosive party when all this is over.

Of course, I've opted for my favourite stamp from last year - this adorable bear,
and I've matched him with a rainbow HOORAY.

I die cut the HOORAY, which includes a shadow piece, and coloured the letters with my zigs. Then for added pop, I die cut it from foam, so it's nice and raised. Too much?

Challenge

How could I resist this week's Inspired By Challenge?

SugarPea Designs, Hey Winter, coloured with Copics
Stamp Market Hooray Dies
Small Sentiment, Mama Elephant, Birthday Messages
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

 

SENDING BEAR HUGS

Who doesn't need a bear hug right now?

I wanted this to look like my bear was outside in the snow, looking in at a window,
but, he looked a little lonely on his own, so I ended up adding the tree, and the present, and the hat, and the sentiment.... well, you get the picture.

Inkspirational Challenge

pinkfresh studio - simply hexagons

sugarpea designs - hey winter

copics