JUST MY TYPE

Hello.

Eek! It's been almost a month since my last post.
This card took me forever... 
I've totally forgotten how to craft   :-)

I started out with the CAS(E) this Sketch,
but I don't have a star die, and my brain could not work out how to draw a star, so I swapped it for a circle :-)

The circle is stamped with polka dots, embossed with clear powder and then inked - so it does add some texture to the card.

supplies

typewriter - hero arts

inks - altenew - fuchsia, baby pink, sea breeze, turqouise

 itsy bitsy polka dots background stamp - mft

balloons - clearly besotted - make a wish

HEART BOKEH

Hello

Today I've tried out a bokeh background, for the Less is More challenge.
I've done this before with circles, but this was my first time using hearts..
isn't it pretty?

Firstly, I inked up a card panel with distress oxide, fading it towards the centre.
Then, I die cut a little heart into a piece of scrap card.
Using this as my stencil, I sponged the heart randomly, with pink shades and white ink.

To finish I inked up a sentiment and popped it up on foam tape.

Less Is More

small heart die

distress ink - worn lipstick, pickled raspberry

white ink

mama elephant - labeled messages

RAINBOW WISHES

Hello.

Sending some rainbow, get well wishes,
for anyone that needs them right now.

You can't really tell from this photo, 
but those fish tail flags are popped up on foam tape,
so IRL the card has more dimension.

Challenge

CAS(E) this Sketch

supplies

mft - stitched rectangle scallop edge die, fish tail flags

distress ink - tumbled glass, twisted citron, mustard seed, spiced marmalade, pickled raspberry

leaf die from the works

sentiment - clearly besotted, time to relax

CELEBRATE WITH CAKE

Hello

I have a box of, oh so pretty, lace and ribbon - 
and every so often, I get it out just to look through it,
but it rarely gets used on my cards anymore.

Maybe some clever crafter can make it fashionable again.

Here, I've used the smallest, snippet on a die-cut tag

Challenge

CAS(E) this Sketch

supplies

Hero Arts - birthday cake layering, white embossing powder

Avery Elle - postage stamp die

SugarPea Designs - eyelet die

Copic Markers

WITH SPRINKLES ON

Hello

It was our eldest, daughter's birthday yesterday.
And it was so strange not being able to visit her, to have a party, or even hug her.
She is a cardiac physiologist at Leeds Hospital
and is working hard to take care of her patients and stay safe.

STAY HOME :  PROTECT THE NHS : SAVE LIVES

I stamped and die-cut the ice-creams and lollies, and popped them up on a card panel.
For the background, I went a little crazy, and stamped the sprinkles everywhere!
You can never have too many sprinkles, right?

Challenge

Penny Black & More

***Anything Goes***

supplies

SugarPea Designs - Summer Scoop

Inks - Altenew, Baby Pink, Fuchsia, Maple Yellow,

Magenta, Lime

Versacolor Ink - Cyan, Cocoa

VersaMark

Hero Arts Gold Embossing Powder

ITCHING TO SEE YOU

Hello

I can't seem to concentrate on much at the moment, 
so for inspiration I've turned to my favourite sketch challenge,

CAS(E) this Sketch

I found this a tricky sketch,
 but thought I couldn't go wrong with a pop of bright yellow and a puppy :o)

supplies
mft - 4 legged friends with flowers from 'sow much cuteness'
copic markers

FREE HUGS

Hello

I think we could all do with an extra hug right now.
💓

I love designer paper pads,  but it's been a long time since I used any on my cards.

This seems as good a time as any, to drag that dusty box out from under my craft desk and start using them up.

The image was stamped once in fuchsia and turquoise inks, 

and then the fox was stamped and fussy cut, coloured with Copics and placed on top.

I added some lovely, glossy accents to the letters.

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps & More

supplies

altenew - hug me   and inks, fuchsia and turquoise

copics     white gel pen   

LET'S CHILL

Hello

I blew the crafting budget this month - why the hell not?
And, these ice lollies are from my new 'summer scoops' set by SugarPea Designs.

I kept my card nice and simple for the CAS(E) this sketch challenge, but I did manage to try 2 new tips that I picked up from the amazing Jennifer McGuire

You've probably all been doing these clever things forever, but if not give them a go... 

1. Each lolly only needed one ink colour. Stamping over your ink with Versamark gives you a darker shade. This is brilliant for layered stamps.

2. For the lolly sticks (for example) I usually stamp each stick, then place the die over the top, tape it down and cut it. Fiddly, yeah?

Instead, I die cut a template that I stuck down into my stamping platform. Then, I die cut all the sticks from white card, inlaid them into the template one at a time, and stamped them.

Does that make sense? 

I will definitely do my die cutting this way in future, it was so much quicker.

Challenge

CAS(E) this Sketch

supplies

SugarPea Designs - Summer Scoops

Inks - Altenew - Sea Breeze, Citrus Burst, Baby Pink

          Versacolor - Lime, Lavender, Bisque

VersaMark

FEEL BETTER

Hello

The latest Less is More challenge 
is a colour palette of red, raspberry and grey.

This was one of those cards that, for some reason,  proved really tricky to photograph.

IRL the raspberry frame has a lovely texture to the card, and it's popped up with foam all the way round.

My hippo was coloured with copics, and a little gold embossing for the sprinkles.

Challenge

supplies

clearly besotted - 'cooling off ' with sentiment from 'time to relax' and striped stencil

copics     wow metallic gold embossing powder

mft rectangle stax dies

HIPPO COCKTAILS

Hello

Just a quick and simple card today,
for this week's Inkspirational Challenge
where the theme is animals - real or magical.

I guess this cocktail, drinking hippo would fall into the 'magical' category!

He was coloured with a combination of copics and zig markers, then popped up onto a distress ink hillside.

Challenge

supplies

clearly besotted - cooling off and scene it more

mft - happy birthday script die

distress ink - twisted citron

copics and zig clean color real brush 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