Just Because

Hello there,

I hope that you are all keeping well and managing to keep yourselves busy.  I don't know about you but I've never had as much free crafting time and yet I just don't know what to make.  I keep starting things but not really knowing where I'm going with them, then they end up in the bin!
Lovely Lesley Wharton at Chocolate Baroque has started a butterfly challenge and so I decided to have a go as I really wanted to enter in the spirit of things.  As it happens, it did get my creative juices flowing and here's what I made:

I started my background by sprinkling, then spritzing lemon and turquoise Brushos. I used various stencils over the top and a lovely text background by Crafty Individuals.  I finished by inking up a couple of lids that I had sitting on my desk.  The butterflies are made from a stamp by Chocolate Baroque and the sentiment is by DaliArt.  I though the sentiment was quite appropriate at this time.

Look after yourselves and keep on crafting if you can.  Crafty hugs xx

It's All In The Eyes

Hello again,

Twice in two days I hear you asking yourselves :)  Well I guess we all have quite a lot of crafting time on our hands at the moment, so I'm going to try and enter a few more challenges.  I used to enter quite a lot, then with one thing and another....life mainly, I just didn't have the time.  Anyway, I can't say that now can I!

I've admired many Pink Ink creations but until recently, I didn't actually own any of their stamps, so that has now been rectified and here's a card that I've made recently:

I love this stamp as you can go a little crazy with the eye makeup and there's obviously no limit to the amount of different colours that you can use.  I think this card has an autumnal feel in terms of it's colour.  I've used Mountain Rose and Terracotta inks and a touch of Twisted Citron as I though that they went well together.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Country View Challenges - The Eyes Have It

Happy Mother's Day

Hello there,

Now I wouldn't ordinarily be posting today as it would usually be spent with my children and grandchildren but as we are all on lockdown, I thought I would share a make with you all that I made this week:

It's a set that I've made for a special friend of mine using a beautiful stamp by Chocolate Baroque.  The card, notelets and box cover have all been coloured using Distress Victorian Velvet and I coloured the candle using Derwent Inktense pencils.  The lovely lady who I made them for has had to cancel her birthday party next week, so I hope that these might bring her a bit of birthday cheer, even though I will have to leave them at her doorstep.

Special thoughts today of my own lovely Mum who I miss each and every day but who left me with lots of happy memories x   

Whatever you're doing today,  please take good care of yourselves and stay as safe as you possibly can xx

Mid Month Inspiration - March 20

Hello there,

It's time for some mid-month inspiration over at Stamping Sensations and here's my card:

Our theme this month is 'Spring Flowers' and we asked to see lots of yellow and pinks, so this is my take on the theme.  I started by using Distress Oxide in the center and then I used a stencil and some Raspberry Adirondack ink around the edges.  I stamped the main focal image by Woodware with VersaFine Clair before heat embossing to avoid any smudges.  I water coloured the flowers using the Raspberry ink.

That's all from me for now, so I'll wish you a happy and peaceful day x

Guest Designer at 'Ink Art Designs'

Hello there on this Saturday morning,

I do hope that you've all got something nice planned for this weekend.

I'm here with you today to share a special post.  Some time ago, I was asked by the lovely Dot Leathbridge of 'Ink Art Designs' if I would like to be her Guest Designer.  Now anyone who knows me well will know that I've been a fan of Dots from way back.  Her artwork is absolutely amazing and I'm always on awe of her creations.   Through Dot's passion for crafting, she has now fulfilled her dream of running her own online shop selling an array of stamps, inks and other goodies. Anyway, needless to say, my answer was yes and here's my own creation using stamps by Crafty Individuals.  I’ve been on the design team at Crafty Individuals for around three years now and I love their products.  All of their stamps are made with the best red rubber and are an absolute joy to use.  The main focal stamp that I’ve used is one of my favourites and I think the butterfly is stunning, it looks so realistic.  Here it is and here’s how I made it:

Here's how it all started:

I took and A5 sheet of acetate and pressed some Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide onto it before spritzing with water and then pressing it onto my white card.  By doing it this way, you can see how the ink is moving around and it gives you just a little more control.

 Next came Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide

Then Blueprint Sketch Distress.  Can you see how the colours all start to blend.

Now unfortunately, this is when I started to get really caught up in what I was doing, so much so that I completely forgot to take any more photos until I'd actually finished! Sorry about that but I think you can probably get how I made my background.

Once this was completely dry, I stamped my main image with CI-517 'Fly and be Free' using VersaFine Clair Nocturn which I then heat embossed with a clear embossing powder to set the ink.  It also gives a deeper shade of black which makes the image pop.  I stamped a second butterfly that I coloured with my Koh-I-Noor water colours.  They have a great depth of colour and I wanted the butterfly to really stand out and to have some dimension.  I achieved this by bending the wings and then adding it using a hot glue gun.  Next, I added a few more circles using the lids off my embossing powder, a glue stick and some black ink, this allowed me to extend the image and it works really well with the original design.  I used some watered down Tuxedo black ink to add some shade within the circles.  Finally, I used some VersaFine Clair Twilight on CI-116 'Crackle Background' around the edges to add some texture.  The fragile sentiment is from CI-521.

Crafty Individuals and Ink Art Designs can both be found on Instagram, Pinterest and they both have very friendly private FB pages, so lot's to keep you inspired.

Thank you for taking time to visit my blog today and a very big thank you to Dot for asking me to be her Guest Designer, I've thoroughly enjoyed it, thank you.

Take care of yourselves and I wish you a very happy and colourful weekend xx

I'd like to add this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts - Anything With Wings
Craft Stamper - Anything Goes (March 20)

First Day Without Rain!

Hello there,

I'm sat here looking out of my craft room window and it's hard to believe that it's the first day we've had without rain for weeks (so far!)  Roll on warmer weather, that's what I say.

I'm here today to share with you the last of my samples that I made for the last Crafty Individuals shows on Hochanda back in February.  I hope that you like them:

Thank you for joining me today and I'll be back with you again at the weekend when I'll be sharing a special make as a Guest Designer :)  

Wherever you are, I hope that life it treating you kind xx

Spring Flowers

Hello there,

It's time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations and as Spring is nearly here, our theme this time is 'Spring Flowers' and we would love to see lots of yellow and pinks used in your creations.  Here's my card:

The main focal Poppy stamp is by Woodware and I've added a few Inkylicious stamps at the edge to fill in the gaps.  I've coloured my background with Distress Oxides and then water coloured using Giotto pens.

That's all from me for now, so I'll wish you a happy and peaceful day x