A bit of Spring

I hope you have had a lovely Mother's Day. I certainly have. I have spent most of the day Crafting with a regular supply of cups of tea and other nice things!

I have finished my DT pieces for a couple of months and had a bit of paper left over from one of my Gelli plate designs. It made a lovely CAS card, but needed a little extra, so I stamped the Indigo Blu hares (Craft stamper freebie) and dusted a background of rolling green hills behind them. I used Crafty individuals large elegant swirl to make the background, and a small text stamp from Inkylicious.  I realised this fit perfectly for this week's theme of Spring at Allsorts Challenge, so am entering it there. I have also had a lovely play with my new pearlised acrylic paint colours (Sapphire, Amethyst, Emerald Green and Blush)  and my Gelli plate. Here are some of the papers from this weeks play.

The first of these was made with a couple of stamps from the Chocolate Baroque set 'Peacock Glory'.
The second and third I made using the Hydrangea set by Inkylicious and Art Impressions serpentine background. I am rather looking forward to using these! Only three shares from my gelli plate, but another 26 papers! The photos really don't do them justice either. Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of Mother's Day.

Using my Gelli plate papers

I made a couple of cards using my Gelli plate papers (original post is here). I didn't want to lose some of the lovely detail on the papers, so made the focal point small compared to the rest of the card. The papers were made with my gelli plate and Chocolate Baroque sunny sunflowers. I added a bit of dried Marigold DI as well. The Hero Arts butterfly was coloured with promarkers before adding stickles and then stuck to the card with pinfair glue gel, leaving the wings proud of the card. This one winged it's way to Paula who won my blog candy. I then made another very similar.

The 'With love' (chocolate baroque) at the top and some of the small text (inkylicious) was stamped in versamark and brushed over with blonde moments pearl pigments in gold. Shame you can't see the shimmer in the photo. This went to a friend for her Birthday. 

 I am itching to play with the rest now...then make some more papers too!

A couple of quick cards

I had been playing with a new stamp from Little Claire, and had coloured it with promarkers when I saw this week's challenge at Less is More was a colour theme that it fit pretty well! I made it into a card and here it is:

I hope it is CAS enough for you ladies! There is less white space than I would normally use. Looking at it now, it might need some glitter too!
I also needed another card last weekend - not the sort you ever want to make...

I used Spring Distress inks and stamps from Inkylicious and Personal Impressions.  I had intended posting this Monday evening, but then there was a phone call on Monday lunchtime, from Ofsted.They left the building at 4.15 today, so I will be relaxing this evening and recharging the batteries rather than being at school for 12 hours solid. Thanks for your lovely comments and I will do my best to pop and see you when I get the chance.

The Great Outdoors and Tropical Shores

It's the first Sunday in March and time for new Challenges at Stamping Sensations and Craft a Scene. It was my turn to choose the theme at Stamping Sensations and I chose 'The Great Outdoors'. Our sponsors this month are a favourite company of mine, Crafty Individuals, so I had no problem choosing stamps of theirs to fit this theme. I made my first card with Crafty Individuals CI-191, CI-182,CI-234 and crafty masks - fabulous ferns.

 The background was dusted with my inkylicious ink dusters and distress inks in China Blue, Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive.
My second card features CI-284, CI-182 and background papers book 6.

 The main image was stamped onto some watercolour card that I had brushed with H2Os, and has a lovely sparkly sheen. You might just be able to see it here. 

 It is also time for another challenge at Craft a Scene, where the theme this month is Tropical Shores. Here is my card. 

 I used Stampscapes stamps (Palms with Huts small set), my ink dusters and Adirondack inks in Peach Bellini, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow and Mountain Rose. I added a few highlights with white gel pen. 
There is lots more lovely inspiration at both challenge blogs from my lovely teamies, so do drop by both to take a look. Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments! 

Another play day!

On Sunday I managed to have another play session with my gelli plate. I went for yellows, oranges, reds and Chocolate Baroque stamps (oh, and the CI elegant swirl made another brief appearance!). I also tried using cuttlebug embossing folders as texture plates, which were probably more pleasing than the stencils I tried On Saturday. See what you think to these. Some of the whiter ones may need dusting with some inks I think, or a bit of stamping. I am beginning to see loads of potential - not sure I will ever buy papers again!

The stamps are the Sunny sunflowers from Chocolate Baroque. Well, that is another 20 pages of backing papers, so I'd better make some cards with them!
Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments on my backgrounds. I wasn't sure if people would like them or not. some are a bit grungy.

And the winner is...

The winner of my blog candy is Paula! Drop me an email, Paula, via the email address you can see on my profile page so I can send these goodies to you.
Right! I'm off to make the most of my last day of holidays. Baking and playing with messy stuff! Maybe see you later!

My Gelli plate has arrived!

About a week ago, my good friend Lynne told me I needed a Gelli plate. I had heard mention of them but I wasn't sure what they were, so I took a look at the website, and within half an hour I'd ordered one (from here in the UK). To cut a long story short it arrived on Friday and I have spent several hours playing today! Lets see what you think - you can click on the picture and zoom in for a closer look.

 using Crafty individuals elegant swirl

Okay, so I went a bit over the top, and this is only 7 of the twenty two pages I did (most I double sided too!). These are the better ones - the first few were a bit dull, but I'm having so much fun!!! If you want to find out about the gelli plate check out their website.

I have made a couple of cards with one of the pages already. I used some pearlised paint so there was a bit of reflection from the lights this evening.

 All paints are cheap ones (Wilkos own brand and pearlised from docrafts). I used a stamp from Stamp to your Arts Content, which was stamped onto the gelli plate and then stamped in Adirondack stream over the paper once it was dry. All dies are spellbinders Decorative labels 1. Thanks for looking and taking the time to leave a comment.

Finally, my 200 Follower Candy!

This candy is closed

It has taken me a while, but I have finally got round to getting some follower candy organised. There are a couple of stamps, an embossing folder, some papers and some ribbon. As I have taken so long to get it organised I am guessing you don't mind waiting a couple of weeks for the draw, so if you are a follower and want to be in with a chance, just leave a comment below. I will let you know the winner on Sunday 24th February. If you want to post a picture of it then thank you, but you don't have to. This is for all you lovely people who pop in regularly and leave me lovely comments.

Brightly coloured Wings

Having seen a few peoples examples of black magic technique, I decided I ought to have a go myself. Here is my first attempt.

 

Black Magic technique is where you stamp the image in white ink and then colour over the top in coloured pencils. This chocolate baroque stamp (bought back in the days of Graphicus), was a bit of a fiddly stamp to choose, but I found it very therapeutic! I dusted a little bit of white ink around the edges too.  The background paper was a freebie from a magazine, and as I had a multicoloured owl I thought I would have some multicoloured leaves as well! A punched border, some die cut leaves and a bit of faux stitching finished it off.

I am entering this card into these challenges:

Allsorts - Things with Wings

An oldie but a goodie - Bright colours

Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Birds

It is half term and I have spent most of the day up in the loft with hubby, sorting out after our new roof a few months ago. It was very dusty up there and we managed to shift about half the contents, either to the tip or to a friend with a nine month old baby (things like the fire guard, playpen and stair gate, and lots of toys!)  I am now well and truly ready for a good shower and hair wash!
Thanks for looking and for taking the time to leave a comment.

Craft a Scene let your light shine week 3

Good Afternoon, Lovely Bloggers and welcome to my latest offering for Craft a Scene. For this one I decoupaged my Michael Powell Lighthouse, the same one that is in my blog candy here, but hurry as it ends very soon!
I coloured the whole thing with promarkers and made it into a tall narrow easel card, about the same width as DL but slightly shorter. The stripy paper was a freebie from Canon Creative Park and  the sentiment was from Waltzing Mouse. I added some eyelets and faux stitching to finish it off.
There are more offerings from my very talented teamies on the challenge blog. I do hope you can join in this month.
If you want to be in with a chance of winning this stamp and several other goodies, then please leave a comment on my blog candy post.
Thanks for looking!

Ey up me duck!

That's Nottinghamshire for Hello!

A very quick post to show you the birthday card I made for Steve at the end of January, and to give you a reminder that the theme at Stamping Sensations for February is Fur and feathers. This card features the fabulous 'Oh,Duck!' Stamp from Sheena Douglass. I used up some more snippets of inky papers and some snippets of black put through the cuttlebug with the gorgeous cattails die from spellbinders. The sentiment is very old and I can't remember the make, and the fancy label is also a spellbinders die.
Yes, it has got to be that quick tonight. I am number crunching data for work.
Thanks for looking!

Love is in the Air!

As Valentines day is only next week I went in search of inspiration for some valentines cards. I am often asked at work for a few, and small and unfussy is always popular.

 As usual I needed some inspiration and went looking on Pinterest where I found several ideas that I liked. My first two cards were inspired by this one  - not a valentine card, but an amazing way of using up snippets!
 I had so many snippets in shades of red that I thought this would be a great way of using some up. (Stamps from Chocolate Baroque and Inkylicious)
My next card I am hanging on to for now as it may well end up being mine to Steve. I saw this card and fell in love with it! The clean lines, the music, the touch of red. I had to have a go at recreating something very like it, so here is my version.

I even used up snippets with this too. The music background stamp is from Inkylicious). I can't tell you how virtuous I am feeling after all this snippet use. It makes up for the time I spent drooling over lots of gorgeous creations on Pinterest (highly addictive!)
I am taking these cards to the playground where Miss Di will be waiting, for Pixie's crafty snippet challenge. I just hope all the thatch hasn't blown away as I fancy having a go at that. Not used my macrame skills for many many years, lol!
Thanks for looking!