My Boo-tiful Family

Hello.
I'm sharing something a little bit different today.
When I was down a Halloween Pinterest rabbit hole, I saw a couple of these ghost, family portraits and wanted to give it a go.

What do you think?

This was super easy to make. For each ghost I drew an arch of white acrylic paint, on my black card background, and used a plastic, palette knife thing, to drag the paint down. 

(It was the widest knife, from one of those cheap sets you get in Hobbycraft)

Then, I simply added eyes with a black Copic, bows for the girls and hats for the boys.

I drew a little spiders's web with a white gel pan.

If you want to see the quick reel check it out HERE

Challenge

Allsorts

🍂 🍁FALLING LEAVES 🍂 🍁

or

Anything goes

• white acrylic paint
• distress ink - pickled raspberry/salty ocean
• white gel pen
• bow and hat stamp from wplus9 unforgettable

Holiday Reindeer Vibes

Hello.
I love this cute, floral stag set, but it does take me forever to put it together. It seemed crazy to just make one card, so I had a little production line going. There was a scary moment, when the dog nearly knocked over my tray, full of tiny die cuts, but I saved it just in time and managed to make four cards.
          

I started by die cutting all my pieces and then assembled the stag and flowers. Then, I used a combination of tape, glue and foam pads to add the stag and floral bouquet onto the die cut panel.

Challenge

Moving Along With The Times

• spellbinders - floral stag
• pinkfresh studio - stitched diamonds coverplate die
• sentiment - wplus9 - heartfelt holidays
• copics / stickles glitter

When The Snow Lay Round About

Hello.
Today's Tip : don't underestimate a set of brown inks. They might not be top of your wish list, or your most exciting purchase, but they are oh so useful. I use mine for everything from little critters, cakes and pastries, to antlers, tree trunks and plant pots - and all sorts in between.

Here, I've used them for my trees and animals.

This is a stamp set I have had for ages, and it's always lovely to get it out again. I stamped the trees on a background panel and then added a 'snowy' hillside. The deer, rabbit and birds were stamped and die cut, then popped up with foam tape. 

Freshly Made Sketches

I rotated the sketch, but hopefully you can still see it.

• wplus9 - winter woodland
• pinkfresh studio inks - warm buff / doe
• distress ink - festive berries
• lawn fawn stitched hillside borders

The Cutest Reindeer Of All

Hello.

Today I'm sharing some Reindeer with you.

I watched THIS cool video from Jennifer McGuire and Lila, about making cards with small die cuts, and just had to give it a go. I don't have any silhouette dies, so I struggled to find something that might work, eventually coming across this reindeer. It's a bit big, but I think I got away with it.

• die cut lots of reindeer from snippets of design paper and white card
• layer the reindeer with the design paper on top (I used 2 layers of card and 1 of dp)
• stick the reindeer onto a card panel, leaving space for your sentiment (because my reindeer were so big, I ended up adding the sentiment with foam tape)
• trim off the reindeer pieces around the edge of the panel.
• attach panel to card base, add sentiment

I recommend watching Jennifer's video. This was just a simple version of her technique, she also shows how you can die-cut in plain colours and stamp a design on top. Plus other variations.

Challenges

Inkspirational

• hero arts - reindeer set
• mini snowflake from wplus9, stamped in distress ink salvaged patina
• various snippets of christmas dp

Find Me Where The Trees Are

Hello.

Today I'm playing along with the Color Throwdown Challenge, where the colours are mustard, navy blue and turqouise.  Not an obvious Christmas combo, but I needed to crack on with my holiday cards, and I'm pleasantly surprised. I think it works. What do you think?

• stamp and die cut trees (attach trunks/pots/stars)
• die cut panel from blue card and add some white acrylic splatter
• attach trees to background with foam tape, add sentiment and some stickles glitter
• layer onto another stitched die cut, and then a card base.

Challenge

Color Throwdown

• concorde and 9th - tiny trees
• distress ink - mustard seed, faded jeans, salvaged patina, brushed corduroy
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• wplus9 - sentiment - heartfelt holiday
• stickles gold glitter - wow gold embossing powder (stars)

Home for the Holidays

Hello.

Just a quick post today, with a simple card. My brain is on a go slow. My mum was taken into hospital 2 weeks ago with a stroke and pulmonary embolism. We found her on the bedroom floor. The dementia is making treatment more difficult. It's tough.

It's nice to get half an hour in my craft room, where I can focus on die-cuts and glitter, and forget about the everyday for a while.

sorry about the rubbish photo, irl this card really sparkles! 

Challenge
 Inspired By 

wplus9 - neighbors coloured with copics

concord and 9th - tiny trees stamped in distress ink, lucky clover

avery elle falling snow die, stickles glitter - star dust, mft - snow globe sentiment

Winter Wonderland

Hello.

I'm back in my comfort zone today, with a little, winter scene.

I really love background dies, with a stitched edge. I think they add such a pretty and subtle detail. Here I used a diagonal stitch rectangle and some stitched hillside borders. Then I added my die cut trees and popped up my animals with foam tape.

I wasn't brave enough to stamp the sentiment right onto the card, so it's on a little strip instead. 

To finish, I added a few snowflakes, and some glitter to the trees.

Inspired by Challenge

I was inspired by... the white background, the green trees, the reindeer and snowflakes and the black sentiment

wplus9 - winter wonderland / concord and 9th - tiny trees / distress ink - festive berries, vintage photo, lucky clover / altenew ink - evening grey / lawn fawn - stitched hillside borders / pinkfresh studios - diagonal stitched rectangle / stickles glitter - star dust

SPRING IS SWEET

Hello.
I'm in cupcake heaven today,
with the inspirational photo for this week's

                      Inspire By Challenge

There were lots of different combos to choose from there,
but I went for a cake on the top row - with lime frosting and purple violets.
I feel a craving coming on!

Inspired By Challenge

• Colorado Craft Company - Citrus Berry Cupcake, coloured with Copics
• Wplus9 - feathers and florals
• Altenew Inks - Hydrangea / Ultraviolet

 

HELLO BUNNY

Hello.
I've been looking at Easter ideas on Pinterest recently,
so when I came to play along at
Freshly Made Sketches
I had bunnies in my head :-)

I added the bunny die-cuts to a distress ink background, trimming off the pieces around the rectangle.
I file this under 'stretching your stamps',  because I think it gives them a totally different look.

Freshly Made Sketches

mft - sweet somebunny, coloured with copics / rectangle stax
hb2u - wplus9, friends for all seasons
sentiment - clearly besotted, make a wish
distress ink - spun sugar, tumbled glass, scattered straw

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 

SORRY BIRD

Hello.
Just a quick card to share with you today, using one of my favourite stamp sets.

I found this heat embossed background in my scraps box,
so I just had to add some stamped blooms and my happy bird.
Usually I give this bird a much bolder, graphic look, but I tried to soften it here - I think it works.

Challenge

Inspired By

I was inspired by the bird with florals
and the colour scheme

background stamp - mft lace, white heat embossed on blue card
avery elle - postage stamp die
wplus9 - happy birds (coloured with copics), feathers and florals, and unforgettable
inks - altenew, rouge, crimson, blush, turqoise, tide blue

JANUARY BOUQUET

Hello.
This year I want to concentrate on adding more colour to my cards.
and that means getting to grips with my zigs.

For this card I've attempted 2 of my least favourite things - 
flowers and water colouring!

I think one of the reasons I struggle with flowers and leaves, is that I find it tricky to pull all those elements together and form a bouquet.
It takes me forever to decide where every piece should go.
I'm going to try one of those sets where the die is a complete bouquet, and the elements are stamped onto it!!
I live in hope :-)

Inspired By Challenges

I took my inspiration from the flowers and the colour palette

wplus9 - modern anemones coloured with zig clean color real brush markers
background stamp - the stamp market, criss cross
avery elle postage stamp die
sentiment - my favorite things, fish tail die and party animals stamp

HOMES FOR CHRISTMAS

Hello.
Today I'm sharing the cards I made for my daughters'.
They only live 12 miles away, but they're both in a Tier 3 and we are Tier 2,
so no visiting is allowed!
We are hoping we can at least get together for a few days over Christmas.

In my ideal world, we would all live next door to each other, so the pooches can run around from house to house :-)
So I created our street, with a house for each of us, wreaths on the door, snow on the roof, and, of course, dogs at the door!

That's my little monster Buster the Border Terrier in the middle,
with Indie the Staffy, and Ollie the Puggle.

It was fun trying to create 3 different houses from the stamp set, and irl the porches and trees are all popped up for a 3d effect.
I also changed up the colours for the second card.

Challenge

WaterCooler Wednesday

wplus9 - neighbors coloured with copics
trees - mft beast friends
wreaths - stampendous holiday home
sentiment - altenew hug me
distress ink tumbled glass
glamour dust

 

CUTE BEAR WISHES

Hello.
One good thing about moving you craft room, is that you unearth all sorts of thing that have been consigned to the bottom of boxes and forgotten about.
I've just re-discovered a large box of designer paper pads.
When did patterned paper go out of fashion?
I've added a panel to this card, but at this rate it's gonna take me about 10 years to use it all up!!

I stamped the simple wreath,
and then masked off the bottom so I could pop in my favourite bear.

Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Christmas or Winter/Festive

sugarpea designs, hey winter - coloured with copics

wplus9, heartfelt holidays stamped in distress ink cracked pistachio and festive berries

HAPPY ROBINS

Hello.
I've been stretching my stash today and using these non Christmassy Happy Birds
for a holiday card.
With a patch of deep red I've, hopefully, transformed them into robins.

To keep things simple I've opted for no shading, just adding a few highlights with a white gel pen, and a grey shadow.
Also, the birds have been stamped rather than my usual die-cutting to keep the card postage friendly.

Challenge

52 Christmas Card Throwdown

wplus9 -  happy birds
small leaf and sentiment - lawn fawn, winter sparrows
red dots - winnie and walter, big bang confetti, stamped in distress ink festive berries

copics

SWEET WINTER BEAR

Hello.
Do you use ALL the stamps in a stamp set?

When I bought the 'hey winter' set I was really focused on the big bear and didn't think I would use this little guy.
But, I've just inked and coloured him up...  how cute is he?

With all that snow in the background I've kept my scene very simple.
The little bear and the trees are coloured with copics and popped up with foam tape.

Challenge

AAA Cards

• sugarpea designs - hey winter
• sentiment from wplus9 - heartfelt holiday
• avery elle - falling snow die
• copic makers

GIVE A DOG A BONE

 Hello.
How could I resist this week's theme at the
Inspired By Challenge

I am definitely an autumn/winter person, and I'm excited that the weather is starting to turn cooler. I can't wait for drizzly, misty walks in the woods with my furry pal.

So, with autumn in mind, I created a little pile of leaves for my pooch to play in, with a few swirling about in the wind :o)

Inspired By Challenge

(inspiration source)

• mft - woof pack, four legged friends, grassy edges stencil
• wplus9  - friends for all seasons fall
• distress ink - mowed lawn
• copic markers

RAINBOW ROSES

Hello.

I DO love flowers, but floral cards are my nemesis.

I have banned myself from buying any more flower stamps,
but every now and then, I dig deep into my stash
and try again.

I got all my inks out and played around with various colours.

A stamp platform is brilliant for this, it makes it so much easier to line up those layers and stamp multiple roses and leaves.

Some combos worked - others were binned filed :-)

Overall, I'm pretty chuffed with how my card turned out.

Challenges

Stamping Sensations

******Spring Florals*****

Watercooler Wednesday

supplies

altenew - vintage roses

sentiment from wplus9, modern anemones

mft - stitched rectangle scallop die

inks - altenew, spring bouquet, deep blue seas

          distress ink combos - mustard seed, spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon

          abandoned coral, barn door, fired brick,

          spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon, barn door

NEW YEAR - NEW HOME

Hello.

Is anyone planning on moving house this year?
It's a stressful time, isn't it?
No moving on the cards for me but, I confess -  I love all that wrapping and packing, and boxes piled everywhere :-)

Here's a new home card to add to the pile.

Today I'm playing along at the  CAS Mix Up Challenge, where the technique they're looking for is PARTIAL DIE CUTTING

My house was stamped and partially die cut, then popped up on an inked background.
The other little dies - fences, flowers and bushes - were added in afterwards, to create a bit more interest.

CAS Mix Up Challenge

Partial die cutting, stamping, ink blending, copic marker colouring

supplies

wplus9 - neighbors, coloured with copics

distress ink - stormy sky, salty ocean, tumbled glass