Time for a change

 

It's a very long time since I shared anything that wasn't a craft tutorial or samples but I thought I would take a moment to let you know a bit of news.

The end of 2023 was very hectic with highs and lows. There was the GKR karate nationals in November, Black Belt grading in December. I gained a silver medal for kata and a bronze for kumite at Nationals and then was awarded my second Dan (Nidan) at grading. Never in a thousand years would I have thought I could achieve so much in Karate, and I am eternally grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way. 

It is truly humbling to see how much love and support comes from my Karate family, both instructors and students alike.  I feel very much valued and appreciated. 

When Steve's Dad passed away only a few weeks off his 103rd birthday it wasn't really a surprise, but when Mark (63) passed only days later it was both shocking and thought provoking. If there was one thing to take from it, it was that life is too short, and to be stuck doing things that you no longer love was wasting it. After some soul searching, I decided that after 4 years it was time to step down from the Crafty Individuals DT. In the early days I loved their stamps so much, but as time has gone on I was struggling to find the inspiration to work with the more recent designs. I don't intend joining any other DTs but am very very happy doing what I am doing with Bee Crafty. Bev and Sam have been so very kind and supportive and crafting with their products is my happy place. 

Some more positives that came out of 2023 were re-connecting with my cousins. As the 'baby' of the family I have 5 female cousins who are all older than me and some I hadn't seen since I was about 5! 

I also spent a few weekends in May and June looking for wild orchids at various sites around Notts with a very knowledgeable horticultural friend, and hope to do more in 2024. My other project is going to be turning most of the vegetable patch at the bottom of the garden into a woodland garden. The trees have grown a lot since we moved in 24 years ago! 

I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends who need some support, like Dad, who will be 95 next month, and a close friend who is recently bereaved. 

Now life is as normal as it is going to be post-pandemic, I want to enjoy my retirement a bit more. During lockdown we got into the habit of doing an hours bird watch in the garden once a month. This fell by the wayside in the past 6 months, but we will make time for it once more. I am also looking forward to spending more time and head space keeping fit and healthy, going out walking and of course continuing with my karate. 

Anyway, that is enough from me for now. Hope your 2024 is full of things you love. 

New Year, New Journal

 

Hi There! Thought I would share my first completed page in my new journal today. It's a Dylusions mini journal, although this page would work equally well in any A5 notebook or sketchbook

I began by adding random patches of magenta and ocean acrylic paint to a double page. I used some Dina Wakley paints that need using up, but Dylusions paints in Blue Hawaiian and Bubblegum pink would give a similar effect. Where the paints mix they are a fabulous purple colour. I purposefully left the top left corner colour free as a place to put the sentiment.

I taped the chrysanthemum 6x6 inkable in the bottom right corner and added black gesso through it with a stencil brush. I removed the inkable carefully and left the page to dry.

Next I added a stem to the chrysanthemum, using a black sharpie pen and painted the top left corner with white gesso. I extended this gesso very lightly across the pink and blue areas and left to dry. 

Once the paint was completely dry I used wilted violet distress oxide through the circles D'inkable over the paler areas.

I used distress oxide inks to stamp some of the Doodle Art mandalas over the background. 

whilst the stamping dried I stamped two of the sentiments from mixed messages #1 onto a scrap of thin card using versafine clair inks and cut them out

I added these to the page using matte medium and added a little texture paste through the small dots D'inkable. 

Here is the finished page once more...

and here is a close up to show the stamping and texture. 

I used:

Dylusions mini journal

Acrylic paint 

6x6 inkable - Chrysanthemum

Black gesso

White gesso

Dinkables sets 2 and 3

Doodle Art Mandalas sets 1 and 2

Distress oxide inks in Tumbled Glass. Salty Ocean, Shaded Lilac and Wilted violet

Mixed messages set 1

Versafine clair ink in Monarch and Fantasia

Matte Medium

Texture paste

It was really lovely to just play in my journal and make a good start on this new one that has been lying here since I finished the previous one back in September. I will be live on the Bee Crafty facebook page tonight at 8pm. Hope you can join me!

Thanks for looking! 

Do What You Love Challenge Inspiration

 

Hi there! Here is a card I made recently using the Doodle art Rainbow Birds, following the theme of our monthly challenge (to use things beginning with B). Here is how I made it.

I began by masking the edges of a piece of mixed media card using washi tape. 

I used three colours of Versafine Clair to stamp three of the border stamps from freehand borders #2

Once this ink was dry, I lightly blended distress oxide across the panel, before splattering with a little water. 

I cut a 6cm square of black card and added a border of faux stitching using a gelly Roll white pen.

Next I stamped the smaller bird onto mixed media card using versafine clair black ink and coloured it with ecoline markers. Once dry I cut it out. 

on another scrap of black card I stamped and embossed a sentiment from small words. 

Finally I added the background panel to an A6 card, layering the elements onto the background using foam pads. 

I used:

Royal Talens Mixed media card 

Freehand Borders #2 stamp set

Versafine Clair Inks in Blue Belle, Glamorous, Monarch and Nocturne

Distress Oxide inks in Picked Raspberry, Prize ribbon and Wilted Violet

White gelly roll pen

Doodle Art Rainbow birds stamp set

Ecoline pens

Small words stamp set

Sticky pads

Black card 

white embossing powder

Versamark ink 

I used a Bird, black card, Blue ink and border stamps. I hope you can come over to the facebook group and join in the challenge. There is also a challenge running for altered playing cards too. 

Whilst I am here I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2024. The end of 2023 was rather sad for us with the passing of Steve's dad (he didn't quite make his 103rd birthday) and also our dear friend Mark, who was our best man in 1989, Godfather to Megan and Steve's best friend from school days. Our Christmas was very quiet as a result. Having said that there were also many wonderful things that happened in 2023 too. I ought to try and share a few more bits of news soon. Thank goodness for good friends and happy memories - it all helps to get us through the difficult times. Thanks for looking! 

Rainbow Bird Card

 

Hi there! thought I would show you how I made this quick and simple card today. I love the contrast between the kraft background and the dayglo bird.

I began by taping mandala inkable #5 to a blank 6x6" kraft card. I blended white ink through the mandala  then removed the inkable. 

Using freehand borders #1 and brown versafine clair ink I added a border around the edge of the card. 

Using the same ink, I stamped the leaves and square of crosses from Journaling Essentials #2 onto the base card. 

I stamped one of the Doodle Art rainbow birds in Versafine Clair ink onto a scrap of mixed media card. Once this was dry, I painted the image using Dina Wakley gloss drops before cutting it out. 

I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of kraft card using brown ink and cut it out.

Finally I added both sentiment and bird to the front of the card. 

I used:

6x6" Kraft card

Mandala inkable #5

Hero Arts Unicorn white ink

Freehand Borders #1 stamp set

Versafine Clair ink in Pinecone and Nocturne

Journaling essentials #2 stamp set

mixed media card

Doodle Art Rainbow Birds stamp set

Dina Wakley Gloss Drops

Ticker tape #4 stamp set

Thanks for looking! 

Pastel Daisy card

 

Hi there! Thought I would show you how I made this card today. 

I began by blending a little dusty Concord, peacock feathers and mustard seed distress ink along one side of an A6 piece of mixed media card. 

I brushed over it with a damp brush to blend the colours a little more. 

Once this was completely dry, I stamped the script background stamp in faded lilac over most of the card. You can see where I accidentally splattered the card whilst cleaning my stamp, but I carried on regardless! 

I added a little more ink through the circles dinkable and attached the panel to a blank card.

Next I stamped the Dandedaisy onto a scrap of card in memento ink and coloured it with alcohol markers.

I cut out the daisy and added it to the front of the card along with a sentiment. 

Here is the finished card again. 

I used:

6x4 card blank

Mixed media card

Distress inks in Dusty Concord, peacock feathers, mustard seed and faded lilac

Script background stamp

Dandedaisy stamp set

Dinkables set 3

Everyday sentiments #2 stamp set (Set 1 available here)

Memento ink in black

Alcohol markers 

Matte medium

Thanks for looking! 

Snow Globe Sunrise

 

Hi there! Thought I would show you how I made this last minute Christmas card today. 

I began by inking through the snow globe aperture with Wilted violet around the edge, Saltwater Taffy next, then mustard seed in the middle.  

I removed the inkable and splattered with water, blotted, and then spattered with some white pearlized watercolour paint.

Once this was dry I stamped the text and snowflake corner stamps in opposite corners, and left to dry again. 

I inked up the snowflakes, using versamark ink and heat embossed, using fine detail silver embossing powder. 

Next I added a sentiment with versafine clair ink and matted and layered onto a base card.

Here is the finished card once more...

And here is a close up of an almost identical card but embossed in gold. 

I used:

6x6" card blank

5.5" square of smooth white card

Distress oxide inks in Wilted Violet, Saltwater Taffy and Mustard seed

6x6 inkable - tree snow globe

water/ pearlized paint/ mica powder  to splatter

Snow borders, flakes and words stamp set

Snow Blizzard stamp set (no longer available) 

Mixed messages Christmas stamp set

Distress ink in Spun Sugar

Versamark ink 

Silver (or gold) fine detail embossing powder

versafine clair ink (I used Monarch)

Paper for matting and layering. 

A tag for a cookie jar

 

Hi There! I am making a few tags to add to my jars of cookies that I will be making nearer Christmas, so thought I would do a step by step 

I began by blending distress oxide ink in Lumberjack Plaid and Wild Honey on to a large tag.

Next I also blended a little Rustic Wilderness and also added a little water and splattered it on to the tag before setting aside to dry.

On a piece of dark green card, I stamped and heat embossed the Doodle Art Christmas tree before cutting it out.

Using white ink and a tag inkable I added some stencilling. 

I also stamped a few patches of script  using Rustic Wilderness ink. 

On a separate piece of card I stamped the sentiment and embossed in gold before matting and layering onto a scrap of the dark green card.

Finally I added the tree and the sentiment to the background along with a ribbon.

I used:

a Size 10 tag

Distress oxide inks in Lumberjack Plaid. Wild Honey and Rustic Wilderness

Doodle Art Christmas tree stamp set

Mixed Messages - Christmas stamp set

Script background stamp

Fine detail Gold embossing powder

White ink

Tag inkables set 4

Versamark embossing ink 

Thanks for looking!