Summertime Blues

Hi everyone, still not been finding much time for crafting, and I’ve also been rather put off by all the hot weather we’ve been having, but I thought I’d just pop by today with a very simple one layer card inspired by the current Simon Says (Wednesday) challenge ‘Summertime Blues’.

I took a 7” x 5” card blank and stamped a scribble background directly onto the front using various shades of Distress Oxide inks, which I then lightly spritzed with water. I stamped the flower and sentiment using Twilight VFC, then added a small scattering of dewdrop gems - that‘s it!

Stamps: Unity Stamps Insightful Meadows; Crafter’s Companion Positive Thoughts ‘Sharing the Love’; unbranded scribble stamp; 

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Speckled Egg, Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch); Versafine Clair (Twilight);

Other: Crafter’s Companion Dew Drops.

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA Colourful #31 - Colour Board

Beautiful Blossoms #44 - Anything Floral Goes

Creative Crafters #103 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations (August) - Anything Goes

Inkspirational #374 - Garden

Neglected Stuff (August) - Use Your Neglected Stuff

(all the stamps on this card)

Papercraft #133 - Back to Basics

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Summertime Blues

Simply Clean & Simple (August) - Anything CAS Goes

Word Art Wednesday #764/765 - Anything Goes

That’s all for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with my make for Ellie’s ‘I Spy With My Littke Eye’ challenge.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Shadow Blooms

Hi everyone, last week I made a couple of Christmas cards to try out the “shadow stamping” technique, and I enjoyed it so much I just kept going and made a set of 3 ATC’s as well. I had hoped to have something different to show you before posting these, but somehow the last week has just run away from me, so here they are!

Unsurprisingly I have called this series “Shadow Blooms”.

I cut 3 pieces of kraft card each 3.25” x 2.25” and stencilled the background with Lavinia “Red Brick” stencil and Distress Ink. I shadow stamped a flower onto each card using first Versafine Clair in Portobello followed by Brilliance Moonlight White, then added a stamped dragonfly or butterfly (coloured with Sakura Stardust pen) and some mini red stamped hearts. I blended darker Distress Oxide round the edges to add depth, and added silver Posca spatters. I stamped the sentiments onto separate card, cut out and blended with DOX to remove the stark whiteness before attaching, and finally edged each card in silver and matted onto dark brown card stock.

Here are some closeups.

ATC1

ATC2

ATC3

Here is an angled pic to show the gleam of the Moonlight white ink and silver spatters.

Stamps: Unity Stamps Insightful Meadows; Lavinia Fairy Bugs; AALL & Create #533 Bring On the Sentiments; Tracy Evans Boutique Deigns TE10 Quirky Birds (sentiment);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain); Versafine Clair (Portobello, Tulip Red); Sakura Stardust pen (pink); Posca pens (silver, white);

Tools: Lavinia stencil - Red Brick.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Beautiful Blossoms #17 - Anything Floral Goes (4th entry)

Krafty Chicks #718 - Anything Goes

Make My Monday #227 - B is for Blooms

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2422 - Anything Goes

{PIN}spirational #314 - Flowers

Sheepski #87 - Anything Goes

Shopping Our Stash #522 - How Does Your Garden Grow?

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

We Love Stamping (June) - Fabulous Florals

Word Art Wednesday #649/650 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Simple make today

Hi everyone,

As some of you will know, this week’s Allsorts challenge was cancelled as a mark of respect following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and I haven’t posted for a while due to being so busy with my house refurbishments. So I thought I would just share a simple card I made earlier with you today… like many people, I’m not really in the mood for crafting at the moment.

I wanted to try the technique of blending Distress Oxide inks against the edge of a piece of paper to firm stripes - a technique I have seen in various places and I also received a beautiful card from Kathy K that used it and which very much inspired this card 😀

I blended Distress Oxide inks against the edge of paper to form both horizontal and vertical stripes in 4 colours, then very lightly sponged grey DO through my dotty stencil before stamping my flowers and sentiment using Versafine Clair. 

Stamps: Unity Stamps - Insightful Meadows;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Twisted Citron, Fossilized Amber, Kitsch Flamingo, Ripe Persimmon, Hickory Smoke); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist, Charming Pink);

Tools: Tim Holtz stencil - Dot Fade.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #19 2022 - Anything Goes

Ally’s Angels #62 - Anything Goes

Craft Rocket #96 - Spots and/or Stripes

Crafty Catz #605 - Anything Goes with option Use a Stencil - TOP 3

Creative Inspirations (September) - Spots and/or Stripes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2236 - Anything Goes - HONORARY MENTION

Simon Says (Monday) - Stamp It

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Stamp It

Word Art Wednesday #559/560 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Just a low key card, as like many people I’m sure, I’m feeling a bit discombobulated by the sad events of this week. Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #679

Good morning everyone, and welcome to another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Lorraine has chosen the theme and it is

*** Anything Goes with option of Sun, Sea & Sand ***

This week's prize is a Marianne Design stamp set plus a Sweet Dixie stencil

Here's my card for this week - I have gone with the "Anything Goes" option, but have chosen to showcase the stencil that is one of this week's prizes.

I stencilled through the Sweet Dixie stencil using a mix of three colours of Distress Oxide ink, then stamped my flowers and sentiment using Versafine Clair. I matted onto two layers of co-ordinating pearlised cardstock, and finished off with co-ordinating punched butterflies and gems ... a pretty simple card from me this week!

Stamps: Unity Stamps "Insightful Meadows"; Penny Black "Firends Matter";

Media: Tim Holtz Distress oxide inks (Kitsch Flamingo, Salvaged Patina, Shaded Lilac); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Warm Breeze, Charming Pink);

Tools: Sweet Dixie stencil - "Fern Flourish"; X-Cut butterfly punch.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #12 2022 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz #598 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments #234 - Summer's Here

Double Trouble #112 - Something, Anything, Everything

(I have made something new, used repeat stamping of one of my flowers, and also linked up to previous partners Retro Rubber and Use Your Stuff )

Dream Valley #271 - Summer Colours (2nd entry)

(all of the stamps on this card are at least 10 years old)

Simon Says (Monday) - It's Up In the Air (butterflies)

Use Your Stuff #449 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Insightful Meadows

Good afternoon to you all,

Just a very quick post from me today to share a li'l ATC I made yesterday after I had finished making a card. This one was actually pretty quick, but I'm pleased with how it turned out - I have called it "Insightful Meadows I".

I created a smoosh background using Distress Oxide ink, then sponged more DO around a circle mask to create my moon. I then stamped my flower stamp twice - once in black and once in purple to give a sense of depth, then I background stamped my wording using 2nd generation grey. I highlighted everything with my Sakura stardust pen, added some wisps of mist using a pastel pencil, and attached three iridescent gems before matting onto black linen cardstock.

Stamps: Unity Stamps - Insightful Meadows, Lavinia - Keeping the Faith;

Media: Distress oxide inks (Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist); Versafine (Imperial Purple); Sakura sparkle pen (Stardust); pastel pencil (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #11 2022 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

A Tiny Craft #9 - ATC's - Flowers (3rd entry)

ATC's With a Heart - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Double D -  Monochromatic

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2221 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - HONORARY MENTION

Retro Rubber #183 - Anything Goes With an Old Stamp

(Insightful Meadows is older than I care to remember ... at least 10 years)

Simon Says (Monday) - Not a Card (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #545-546 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Stencilled Thankyou Notelets

Hi everyone,

Following from my post yesterday I’d like to share a couple more of the notelets I made earlier in the week. They are along the same lines as previously, except that this time I also did a little stencilling on my inked backgrounds.

Card 1

For this one I used the gorgeous new Bell Flower stamps from Lavinia’s latest release .. they are just soooo pretty!! I used the mini single head flower as an actual flower growing up from the ground .. I just masked a different flower and stamped the stems from that 😀 I also used my newly delivered field grass, inking in Morning Mist VFC and using 2nd generation stamping to give some dimension.

Stamps : Lavinia Bell Flower Vine, Bell Flower, Dandelions (stem only), Field Grass; sentiment - Penny Black “Salutations”;

Media: Tim Holtz Diatress Oxide inks (Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry); Versafine (Onyx); Versafine Clair (Morning Mist); Sakura sparkle pens - Stardust and pink;

Tools: Lavinia circle mask; Stencil from The Range.

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA Card Challenge #207 - CAS No Layers (2nd entry)

Crafter’s Cafe #281 - CAS (2nd entry)

Creative Inspirations (January) - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Get Creative #107 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Happy Little Stampers: CAS (January) - Anything CAS 

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Through the Purple Haze #188 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Card 2

I never tire of this set of silhouette flowers by Unity Stamps, which I stamped over an inked and stencilled panel created by cutting a shape in a piece of card with a Deckled rectangle die. 

Stamps : Flowers - Unity Stamps “Insightful Meadows”; butterfly - Penny Black “Salutations”; sentiment - unknown;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Shaded Lilac, Villainous Potion); Versafine (Onyx); Sakura Sparkle pen - purple.

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Deckled Rectangles die (used to cut mask for inking and stencilling); Brick stencil from Crafter’s Companion set “Life Happens”.

Challenges I would like to enter:

C.R.A.F.T. #624 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #95 - Anything Goes  

Crafty Catz #580 - Anything Goes with option Add Flowers 

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2204 - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations (January) - Anything Goes with Stamping and option Use A Die (3rd entry)

(I used a die to create my mask for inking and stencilling)

I have only started using stencils since I returned to crafting a few months ago, but now I really like them. Blending ink through them is a very relaxing pastime which has been greatly enhanced by the arrival  of these cuties from Amazon … I like them so much I may get some more!!

Take care, and thanks for visiting today.

Hugs,

All Good Things are Wild and Free

Hi everyone,

I had another inky playtime session to do a bit more experimenting with my new DO inks. My colour scheme this time  inspired by the current Less Is More challenge, and I wanted to try making a simple card involving inks blended in an irregular shape (in this case my Spellbinders peony die) overstamped with silhouette images.

Initially I tried doing a one layer card, and cut myself a DIY stencil using some acetate in my stash. This didn’t work out too well for 2 reasons … my card base wasn’t really the best for blending, plus when I activated the ink with water spritzing the card buckled! So … I then went with die cutting a shape using Neenah smooth cardstock and blending my inks onto that, so I could the affix to my card blank. I am still experimenting with colours and found my purple DO (Seedless Preserves) was not as deep a shade as I anticipated, but as luck would have it I do also have a few older original DI’s including Dusty Concord, so I smooshed some of that on top to add a bit more depth and interest. My new stamp positioner made it easy to stamp my focal image onto the inked panel and then remove it to stamp again directly onto the card blank so I got a crisper image where the 2 surfaces meet. .. I really am loving my Press to Impress 😀

Finally I did my first experiment with splattering paint onto the finished piece. I wanted gold spatters so experimented with making a little puddle of paint on acetate using my Perfect Pearls and a little water, which I then spattered onto my inky background and card blank with a small paintbrush. I’m not too displeased with how it looks, though I wonder if acrylic paint (which I don’t currently have) would be better .. any advice much appreciated!

Stamps: flowers - Unity Stamps “Insightful Meadows”; dragonfly and sentiment - Summer Meadow set free with craft magazine;

Media: Tim Holtz DO inks (Fossilized Amber, Shaded Lilac, Seedless Preserves), and Distress Ink (Dusty Concord); Perfect Pearls “Perfect Gold”;

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities “Peony” die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

C.R.A.F.T. #613 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments #224 - Anything Goes

DRU #178 - Anything Goes using a die brand sold by DRU

(I used Spellbinders)

Happy Little Stampers (Dies): October - Anything Goes with Dies

Less Is More #453 - Purple and Yellow

Simon Says … - Happy World Card Making Day (4th entry)

The Flower Challenge #61 - Use A Shape

That’s me done for today. Thanks for visiting, and hope you have a good weekend whatever you’re doing

Hugs,

Splatters and Splodges!

Hi everyone,

I decided to have another inky play yesterday afternoon, this time getting out my distress ink pads and following a Youtube tutorial to create a three-tone splattered effect on a piece of cardstock. This then developed in a fairly organic way into a card ... I allowed the background panel to dry and stamped my flower stamp onto it, then enhanced the spatter background effect by using a "splodges" mini stamp to create additional shadow spatter marks both on the image panel and on my base card using a co-ordinating Versamagic chalk ink and Colorbox Cats Eye pigment ink. I also used a swirly mini stamp from the same set to create a few shadow swirls round the edge of the panel. A couple of simple sentiments and that was it .. job done! It did take half the afternoon though, most of which was taken up by experimental trial runs!

I am having a lot of fun trying a few new things with the stash I already have ... it always brings on a longing for new crafty purchases though!

Stamps: main flower - Unity Stamps "Insightful Meadows"; splodges and swirls - Butterfly Kisses clear set; sentiments - unknown.

Media: Tim Holtz distress inks - Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint; Versamagic chalk ink - Aegean Blue; Colorbox Cats Eye pigment ink - Pistachio.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Perfect Time To Craft (September) - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More #413 - Birthdays

Allsorts #640 - Anything Goes 

(does not include option of "for the love of my life")

Crafter's Cafe #273 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crafty Calendar (September) - Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers (September -Watercolour) - Anything Goes with watercolour

Simon Says (Monday) - Stamp It!

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Stamp It! (2nd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

We Love Chocolate Baroque (September) - Anything Goes with option of celebrations

Hope you're having a great day and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Insightful Meadows

Hi everyone. Since I restarted crafting a couple of months ago I have focussed almost exclusively on cute images coloured with my Promarkers, pretty papers and embellishments .... and long may it continue!!  This week however I have been feeling in the mood to try something different, and fancied trying some inky background blending. Initially I searched out my old Tim Holtz distress ink pads and at the weekend I treated myself to  blending tool, and this afternoon I sat down to have a play.  

Here's the result.

In the end I didn't actually use my distress inks, but instead sponged a background using some Versamagic chalk ink pads I found in my craft box. I also created a stamped wildflower meadow by using a variety of stamps from a couple of different sets of silhouette stamps. I then just matted the result onto two co-ordinating border layers and that was basically it... no papers, no ribbon, no flower embellishments (I needed a lie down after that!). Of course I couldn't completely leave this CAS card alone so I added a bit of glamour dust to the bee's wings and two teeny aqua gems to the sentiment.

I'm not actually tremendously well set up with supplies for this type of project, so I'm seriously thinking about buying one or two stencils and masking sheets so I can take things a bit further. However, despite a little accident right near completion where I got a bit of glue on my background I'm not too displeased with this first attempt.  

Stamps: Flowers - Unity Stamps "Insightful Meadows"; leaves, bee and sentiment - "Summer Meadow", free with Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine;

Media: background sponged with Versamagic chalk ink - Aquatic Splash, Sea Breeze and Aegean Blue. Image stamped with Memento ink.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #18 - Anything Goes

Allsorts #639 - Clean and Simple

Crafter's Cafe #273 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations #425 - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Creatalicious #218 - Anything Goes

Simon Says (Monday) - Glimmer and Sparkle

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Stamp It in STAMPtember

Sparkles #143 - Monochromatic (2nd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

So that's my crafting done for today. Thanks very much for visiting.

Hugs,

LIM – OMG!

Last week I bottled out of the Less is More challenge, ‘cos none of my sentiment stamps seemed to fit and I’m no good at generating fancy ones on the computer … so this week I just had to face my demons. But acetate ?? ACETATE??

Initially I thought I needn’t concern myself with this challenge, as I was under the impression I didn’t have any of the pesky material … but then it occurred to me that actually I once bought a pack to make a shaker card with (and what a disaster that was … the quicker we draw a veil over that little episode the better!!)

Anyhow there was nothing else for it but to get stuck in! Now I don’t go much on apertures and I don’t have many inks that can stamp onto acetate, so to my mind there was only one way to  go …  I made the most of the space on the inside of the card, and produced an acetate front cover with only a sentiment stamped on it … voila! I also used this as an opportunity to have a go with a Tim Holtz distressing technique as per his video tutorial here ... so that I could also enter this card for the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge.

Recipe:
Main image: various stamps from Unity set “Insightful Meadows” stamped onto a wet distressed background using Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans distress inks;
Sentiment: same set as above;
Tools: Martha Stewart “scalloped dots” edge punch.

And here’s a pic of the card open – just to prove I did actually use acetate on the front lol!!  I have to admit I had several goes before I was (vaguely) satisfied … so please Chrissie and Mandi don’t ask us to use acetate again, as I’ve not got much left now lol!!

Challenges:
Less Is More #11 – Acetate
Simon Says Stamp and Show – A Lord Tim of Holtz Technique
Pile It on #16 – Smells Like Rubber
Incy Wincy #90 – Bright and Bold
Top Tip Tuesday #30 – Open Challenge

Phew … mission accomplished! Think I need to lie down now!! 

Now for something a little bit different ...

Just a very quick post today to showcase a couple of the latest crafty bits and bobs I have bought recently.

During my little crafty jaunt on Saturday to Crafts4U2Do, I just couldn't resist some fabulous glitter paper by a company called Robin's Nest. In a 12*12" sheet it really looks like a sunset sky, and is much more sparkly than the picture does justice to. I also knew straight away that I would love to do a resist technique with my recently purchased Unity "insightful meadows" stamps; so I popped a couple of suitable colour distress inks into my basket. Lastly, I could immediately visualise my image framed by my fab new nestabilities squares which I bought earlier in the week but hadn't got round to cutting out yet.

All in all this was a pretty easy card to make although very different from my ususal style - the paper and frame are so stunning that I thought they pretty much spoke for themselves and the card didn't need much else. (I never thought I would hear myself say things like that ... I think LIM-itis must be really getting hold of me - think I'll go and have a lie down lol!!)

I have also taken the opportunity to enter the Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge for the first time - it hasn't really been my kind of style up until now, but I'm liking using he distress ink sand would like to get more into it :-)

Recipe:

Main image: Unity "Insighful meadows", embossed with detail clear powder and then resist inked with "Scattered Straw" and "Marigold" distress inks;

Sentiment: Penny Black;

Paper: Robin's Nest;

Supplies: ribbon and pearls from my stash;

Tools: Fleur-de-Lys square nestabilities.

Challenges:

CES #31 - Monochromatic

One Stop Craft Challenge #126 - Monochrome

The Stamp Man - Embossing

Simon Says Stamp & Show - Distressing

Thanks for looking :-)

More Less Is More

Oh Chrissie and Mandi ... what have you started?? I've now got a real bad dose of Less Is More -itis, and just had to make a second card this week ... the idea just came to me and I had to execute it in a spare half hour before bedtime (and that included getting my stuff out and putting it away again!!)!!

This time I have flipped the sketch horizontally so the feature circle is on the top half of the card. I just stamped a long image, masked and sponged a sun using Colorbox Queue fluid chalk inks, masked the sun and stamped a band of text background stamp using distress ink, and stamped my sentiment. Job done!! It's a bit rough and ready I grant you, but I was on a mission and I have now given this card to a colleague who has left work today..

Recipe:

Main image: Unity Stamps "Insightful Meadows" stamped in Walnut stain distress ink;

Background text stamp: Butterfly Kisses;

Sentiment: Penny Black transparent set "Salutations";

Papers: None!

Tools: None!

Supplies: Papermania teeny gold gems.

Challenges:

Less Is More #8 - Sketch

Fab 'n' Funky #66 - Shabby Chic

That's all for now ... back on Saturday with the latest Penny Black Saturday Challenge and April's Crafty Calendar challenges :-)