Consider Yourself Hugged

Hello.
Have you visited the Snippets Playground yet?  They have a lovely new home - 'where the sun is always shining' and you can be assured of a friendly welcome. I'm hoping to play along more this year - not least because I have a TON of snippets to get through!
Here's my first entry.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, hearts are the order of the day right now, so I die cut a heart and covered it with some snippets in red tones. I heat embossed the sentiment onto some black card - layering the heart 4 times and then adding it with foam tape, so that it pops up a bit more.

Then I fussy cut my bear pals and added them with foam tape too.

Challenge

Snippets Playground

the stamp market - bear hugs
pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

nestie heart die     copics

Blow Out the Candles

Hello.
When I saw this birthday candle set from Concord and 9th, I couldn't resist it. I really think it's going to be a terrific set. Studies do show that the more candles you have on your birthday cake, the longer you live ;o)

I bought the stamps and dies, but I've just used the dies here, so it's super quick to put together.
One of the dies cuts 5 candles at once, which makes it even easier. The candles are coloured with zigs, and then the patterned die layered on top.
For a touch of bling I've used some gold, glitter paper on the flames.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

concord and 9th - make a wish ---  zig clean color real brush markers --- mft stitched stitched in and out square die

Everything is A-Bouquet

Hello.
Hands up, who else is dazzled by hot foiling? There are some really beautiful, gold, foiled cards out there. I'm jelly. My budget won't stretch to a glimmer machine and foil dies, but I do have some metallic, gold cardstock. Not exactly the same, but it will have to do for now.

This is definitely one of those 'more is more' cards - and I went a bit crazy cutting and layering up those bouquets and dies.  Sometimes I just have to break out of that CAS routine :o)

Challenge 

The Flower Challenge

pinkfresh studio - layered bouquet * stamp market - criss cross stamp * mama elephant - labeled messages * altenew inks - sea breeze, turquoise, tide blue * mft - stitch rectangle scallop frame die

Have a Mice Day

Hello. I feel as though November and December totally passed me by, so I'm really not ready to put away my Christmas stamps yet.
Here's another simple, winter scene for this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.

This was a surprisingly quick make for me. I stamped my little caroling mice and then inked up the sky - using a circle die to mask the moon. I tried to 'ground' the mice using a black fineliner, and completely bodged it - so don't look too closely at that!
The mice were coloured with Copics , the snow added with a white gel pen and the sentiment popped up with foam tape. Job done.

Challenge

Hmmm... because of the inking, I did debate whether this would fit the 'clean' style for the challenge - but I convinced myself I might just get away with it  ;o)
No worries if you have to delete it from the linky though xxx

Freshly Made Sketches

penny black - christmas critters, coloured with copics
mama elephant - labeleed messages
distress ink - salvaged patina

Everybunny Needs Somebunny Sometimes

Look at me! Today I'm totally out of my comfort zone and attempting a background à la Sandy Allnock.
Usually my colouring is confined to cats and dogs, and other critters (and the odd flower) but today I was inspired to give my stamped image a wintry background.

To begin with I stamped my bunny image and drew a hillside behind him with a black fineliner. Then I masked the bunny and hills, and inked up my sky with distress ink. I splattered the sky with water drops, which made my fineliner run a bit in places!! I used a very simple stamp for the trees, and overlapped it a little. After colouring my image with copics I went to work with a white gel pen. I think I went a bit crazy with it on the trees, but I kind of like the effect - and I'm pretty pleased with myself that I remembered to make sure some snow was falling on my bunny and bird :-)
Overall I'm really happy with how this turned out. But check out Sandy Allnock's blog to see the master at work.

Challenge
Stamping Sensations

***Anything stamped with option to add a die***

My bunny/bird image and trees were stamped and framed with a  large postage stamp die.

colorado craft company - christmas presents, coloured with copics
concord and 9th - tiny trees, stamped in distress ink iced spruce
distress ink - tumbled glass

avery elle - postage stamp die

Back Of The Net

Hello.
Last year wasn't all doom and gloom - it brought us a gorgeous, new grandson. So I really need to up my game on the masculine/male card front. 
This is an old stamp from Lili of the Valley, and is perfect for the Inkspirational Challenge word prompt - GOAL

I read a tip the other day, that said stamping images just off the edge can help to create the feeling of movement, so that's what I did here with my footballer. Does it work?
For a little extra interest, I fussy cut another football, popped it up with foam tape, and added some glossy accents to it. 

Inkspirational Challenges 

lotv footballer coloured with zigs and copics   mama elephant - labeled messages   clearly besotted striped stencil with altenew turqouise ink.

Grow A Rainbow

Hello.
Today I'm trying to jump start my mojo by playing along with the sketch challenge at freshly made sketches.

My mantra for this year is... 'Don't Overthink This' 
I see so many stunning cards out there, that I tend to try and replicate their style, and I just end up in a mess, surrounded by projects destined for the bin. I need to heed my blog title more and Keep it Sweet and Simple :o)

Here, I just switched out the sketch shapes, for my die-cut plants, and used a rainbow of colours for some interest.

Challenge
Freshly Made Sketches

mft - sittin pretty, coloured wiht copics
pinkfresh studio - diagonale stitch rectangle

Be Bold. Be Beautiful

Happy New Year Crafters.
I hope you've all had a lovely holiday time with friends and family.
Here is my first card of the year. I've gone for something bright and bold.

The budget will be tight again this year, so that means revisiting some of my less used stash. This bloom die is a good example. I'm not great with flowers anyway, but this is also one of those stamps that I just can't get to give a crisp, clean image, no matter what I try. Learning to live with it not being perfect is a challenge for me :o)

Challenge
Color Hues

Red and Purple

altenew - bold floral drape

colorado craft company - citrus berry cupcake
distress inks - festive berries, wilted violet

Bling It On

Hello.
This is NOT the year to hold back on the bling! 

I've been admiring these full panel, shaker cards for a while, and now was the perfect time to give one a go. I started by making my card front in the usual way, with my car packed with cute critters, loaded with gifts, on a die-cut snow background, and layered onto the blue card. Then I popped this inside a thin cello bag (I get mine from The Works) and added all my bling.
Ok, I went a bit crazy with the bling - using sequins, some super, glittery Diamond Dust, and some powdery/snowy Flower Soft in polar white.
Then I used ds tape to attach this to my card blank. Because I used a thin cello bag it's really easy to fold over the sides and tape it in place.
Voila - a super, cute, full of fun, shaker.

 We're not going to mention the snow and glitter that gets trapped INSIDE the car!! :o)

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps and More

This is my 2nd entry - is that allowed?

mft  - special delivery, cute caravan, beast friends (tree)

copics    Avery elle - falling snow die
Pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
diamond dust,   polar white flower soft

Birthday Road Trip

Hello.

Before I share my card with you today, I want to say a big thank you to everyone that sent their best wishes for my mum. Unfortunately, mum passed away in hospital last Sunday. In some ways it's a relief, as the dementia was making it increasingly difficult for mum to remain at home, but it's still hard.

We managed to get a funeral booked for the 22nd and right now, I'm consoling myself with thinking of my mum and dad being together again.

As always time in my craft room is a big help. Focusing on tiny die-cuts and colouring calms the mind.

Here's my car, all loaded up and setting off on a birthday road trip.

Challenge
Addicted to Stamps and More

mft - special delivery, cute caravan, party animals
pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
avery elle - falling snow die
copics

A Whole Lot of Happy is Coming Your Way

Hello.

Loaded down with suitcases and presents this car is chugging slowly up the hill - I hope it makes it without losing anything!

I inked up my background with that gorgeous violet colour, and attached some white snow banks. Then I added my packed car, making it's way up the hill, and completed the scene with a few trees and some falling snow.

It's my first time playing along with the Global Design Project and I just have time to get my entry in. Check them out for some amazing inspiration from their design team.

mft - special delivery, cute caravan,  snowglobe sentiments
lawn fawn stitched hillside borders
distress ink - wilted violet and evergreen bough
concord and 9th - tiny trees
copic markers