Crafting With Friends Challenge #35

Hello!

Well here we are again at the end of a week! The speed time is flying in is making me dizzy!  It's been a great week.  Recovered (work wise) from everything that piled up over the Christmas break.  House is starting to look tidy (ish) again!  And I'm been involved in some parent/teacher stuff which looks like it could be very worthwhile.  So, enthusiasm running high!  AND, even more importantly, crafty spend has been at a minimum and some really quality time has been spent doing a bit of a clear out!  Still a fair way to go though!

I did manage to "ring fence" some quality crafty time to do my DT entry for the AMAZING fortnightly challenges over at Crafting With Friends!  Working with an image from the very talented Nikki Burnette. 

I chose Cadence. 

She immediately said "nature" to me.. so I went with a simple palette of colours (and a little bit of fairy sparkle glitter!) to produce this...

I love her face!  She is such a pleasure to colour in! I used a mix of alcohol pens to get the variety of greens and blending..

I hope you like her. Please take some time to pop on over to our challenge #35, it's ANYTHING GOES, and you need to join in!

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Brown Sugar

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge

Making Memories Crafting

Crafting With An Attitude

Crafty Creations

Inspiration Destination

Thanks for reading!

Flower power!

Hello!

Brr! It's cold today but the threat of snow hasn't happened yet! High winds though - as demonstrated at around 2am this morning with a huge articulated lorry being blown over to the opposite carriageway on the Forth Road Bridge.  So it's traffic chaos for those who need to find other routes.

Half way through the week already though. I wonder if 2017 is going to be as fast as 2016?  I think it's partly due to always having to think about school holidays/terms etc, it breaks the year down into smaller chunks and they just seem to disappear!   Glad we've got our summer holidays booked though; it's nice to have something to look forward to!  Also planning some trips and can't wait to visit St. Petersburg again - one of the most fascinating cities I've visited.

Anyway, enough of holidays, time to focus on craft!  As the weather is so miserable I thought it would be nice to use these Polkadoodle flower stamps to make this card.  I've not put a sentiment on yet as the card could be for a number of different occasions.

Coloured with Spectrum Noir Illustrator markers (love love love them!)

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Creations

Creative Moments

Inspiration Destination

Chocolate Baroque

Crafty Sentiments

Creates and Makes

Everybody Art Challenges

Lemon Shortbread

Sunny Day Crafting

Through The Craft Room Door

Another little desk calendar

Hello!

I think I must be New Year obsessed!!  (either that or I bought way-too-many 2017 calendar tabs from ebay last year!!)  I was having a wee look around on Pinterest and found a little desk calendar with a pocket for little scraps of paper.  I followed the link to the very talented Stampin' Sarah and found all the instructions needed to make this little fella!

I used Tim Holtz Menagerie papers to decorate. Another quick make as I'm trying to kick my mojo into gear!!

Now, time to get on and get a couple of DT entries ready for next week!

Viva Inka Gold

How did I not know about this amazing product from Viva called Inka Gold??  This product is amazing! You get the most amazing metallic finishes using a wax based, non toxic, water based "paint".  I used Cut'n'Dry to apply it to the flower and leaves.

This is my first quick play with it.. I took inspiration for this card from one I made earlier which was inspired by a card I found on Pinterest.

Autumn gold

Hi!   Taking some inspiration from the colours of autumn for this next card and trying out some different techniques with some old and new stash!

Starting off with some Infusions coloured stains - a mix of 5 colours which I thought were kind of autumnal.  I used a make up sponge to spread a glazing medium over some mixed media cardstock (250gsm). Then dried it with a heat gun. 

I then spritzed with water and sprinkled the stains randomly.  Spritzed again and then used the heat gun to dry and move the colours.

This is before the heat gun..

I then used Tim Holtz Thinlits "Garden Greens" to cut some leaves from the random colours.

Then I found this lurking at the back of a drawer.. Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes.  So out with the 2-way glue and some dabbing of the flakes with a hard paintbrush around the edge to give a gold frame.

Here's the end result. 

And a close up of the leaves.  I love the randomness you can get with the stains and the walnut in each is so earthy.

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge (#180)

Crafty Friends (#43)

Great Impressions (October)

Simon Says Stamp (Autumn)

Craft Your Passion (#335)

Artistic Impressions (#166)

Tuesday Throwdown (Add a Border)

Through the Craft Room Door

Sunny Days

Lemon Shortbread (#27)

Crafty Sentiments

Something a little bit different

Hi!

The postman brought me something I haven't used before - 6 little pots of Infusions Coloured Stains by Paperartsy.  The best way to describe these is little pots of pure colour magic!  The background of this card is my first attempt using the stain powders with a matte gel medium.   It started off as just a play but then I thought "why waste it".  The butterfly is punched from my second attempt on a piece of scrap paper (nothing gets wasted!)

The wave die cut is by Stampin' Up!  The sentiment is Tim Holtz stamped with Dapper Denim - one of the new Stampin' Up! In Colors for 2016-2018.

 

Look how vibrant the colours are!!

 

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Crazy 4 Challenges (Just add a butterfly)

Brown Sugar (ATG)

Creative Artiste (#15)

Jo's Scrap Shack (#144)

Simply Papercrafts (#31)

Crafting with an Attitude (#16)

Crafty Girls Creations (#21)

Southern Girls Challenge

Crafty Creations (#318)

Inspiration Destination (#91)

 

Hello Monday, Hello Friend!

Hi! I hope the start of your week has gone well!    It's been a bright, warm day here!  (considering it was sleet and snow about a week ago)
I've had a busy day but it did include catching up with crafty friends!  And I did get a little time to play so it was more Stamp Soup (from Polkadoodles) and Kuretake watercolours.  I'm still finding my feet with the stamps and watercolours so this another simple card.  It's not perfect, but actually, it's not meant to be.  I love the kind of random colour effects you get with watercolour which you don't really see until they dry!

 

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Crafting from the Heart (#111)

Craft Your Passion (#311)

Not Just Cards (#31)

Penny Black

Sunny Day Crafting (#6)

Ellibelles Creative Moments

Scrappers Delights

A Beautiful Mess 

PDE Linky Party (#122)

Simply Papercrafts (#28)

Watercolouring

Hello! Hey, it's Thursday! Who is stealing the weeks?  Ok, I guess I can forgive this week for flying in as I was on holiday at the start.  But since being back at work it just feels like a blur!

I'm not complaining though, I've had enough time to do a wee bit of colouring and prep for some DT work.  And I won a challenge over at Fresh Brewed Designs (check the link on the left handside) for my Especially For You card.  And.. I got some time to play with my new watercolours!! What better to try them out on than the fabulous Kim Dellow stamps from PaperArtsy!

So here is my first attempt..  a simple "one layer" card.  I just love the little birds!! 

 

I have to say that these Kuretake watercolours are so easy to work with!!

 

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges..

 

Jades Sparkling Butterflies (#18)

Aud Sentiments (#154)

Crafting With An Attitude (#15)

Cre8tive Hands Friends (#6)

Through The Purple Haze (#101)

Crafting By Design

7 Kids College Fund (#151)

Inspiration Destination (#84)

Crafty Sentiments Designs

 

 

 

 

 

Girl with a Bob

Hello Monday! It's a cold and wet day here.  And I'm trying to multi-task between some work, chores to do around the house, and craft.  Never a good combination.  Where does time go? 

I've been playing with some new digis from Polkadoodles.  This cute little girl is from Winnie Sugar Sprinkles - Springtime.  I've coloured her with Copics and teamed up with some Basic Grey papers (Urban Prairie) which I've had for ages!  The sentiment is Stampin' Up! from the Sale-A-Bration "Hello" set.

 

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

2 Creative Chicks (#9)

A Bit More Time to Craft (#18)

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper

Creative Craft Cottage (#62)

Cute as a Button (#21)

Petal Lu (#12)

Scrap N Challenge

Sisters Of Craft (April)

Your Scrapbook Place

 

Now I'm off to watch for the postman.. a new order which includes new Copics! Hope they come today!

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking of You

Hello!

 

A cold start here.. changing to almost tropical (for Scotland in April!) when I left work to drive home.

 

I was inspired by this sudden change in temperature to think that maybe spring was officially here! So I've gone for bright spring-like colours and a handmade flower.

 

 

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Crafting from the Heart (#108)

Craft Your Passion (#308)

Dream Valley (#129)

Love to Scrap! (#76)

Marker POP! (#93)

Not Just Cards (#31)

Our Crafty Corner (#8)

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

 

Foxy!

Hi!  New toys to play with today!   

I found this cute little foxy digi at Studio Magda Polakow.  Great fun to colour! I used Promarkers. Kept the colours simple and used the Basic Grey Archaic paper suite to get my inspiration. This is an old set of papers - I've had them for ages!  Just found them again after an almost-ruthless clear out!
Needless to say I was not going to get rid of them! Just sad I can't get more!

Teamed up the image and papers with a Stampin' Up" sentiment from "Perfect Pennants" and used a QK alpha for the "FOXY!" It's an old alphabet called Moxie.  I would NEVER part with it as I love the font and size. It's timeless.

I needed something to lift the sentiment so I used one of the scribble dies from Tim Holtz "scribbles and splats" (another MUST have!!)

I really think the quality and variety of products in the papercrafters marketplace is just amazing at the moment!  I hope (but not for my bank account!!) that it keeps going!

So here it is...

 

I'm going to enter this in the following challenges:

 

2 Creative Chicks (#9)

A Bit More Time To Craft (#18)

Crafts Galore (#28)

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper

Dreamtime Craft Supplies (#1)

Pearly Sparkles (#3)

Petal Lu (#12)

Scrap N Challenge

Sweet Stamps (April)

Sisters Of Craft (April)

Your Scrapbook Place

You Are The Apple Of My Eye

Hi!  I hope you are having a lovely week! Mine has been a little short on crafty time so I'm really looking forward to a crafty girls road trip this weekend!  I'll just have to try and resist the temptation of buying too much! (yeah, that will work!)

Making the most of my limited time I have been playing with one of the new sets I got from Clearly Besotted, which comes with a matching die (seems to be the way now! Not that I'm complaining as I HATE to cut things!!)

This is one of the sets I got recently (so more new toys to play with when I get some time!!).  It's called "An Apple a Day" and it has a partner apple die (which fits perfectly!)

Here it is.. click on the pic to go to the Clearly Besotted store..

 

And here is my card.. I started by stamping a background using "Off the Grid" by Stampin' Up! using Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Tea Dye".  The apples are stamped using Adirondack "Red Pepper" and "Lettuce".  I hope you like it!

 

 

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

 

Aud Sentiments (Anything Goes)

C.R.A.F.T Challenge (Clean and Simple)

Crafting With An Attitude (#14)

Cre8tive Hands Friends (Anything Goes)

Digital Delights By Louby Loo (#8)

Little Miss Muffet (#135)

 

 

 

New dies!

Hi!  Just a very quick post from me.. no time to have any crafty play today but the postman did deliver a new die set for me! Can't wait to play!

Hello friend..

Hello!

What a busy day it's been today so not much time to craft.  In the spirit of keeping things simple I have this little frog saying "hello friend".   Kind of appropriate for today, as I've spent it with lots of crafty friends!

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

I'm going to enter this little frog in the following challenges;

Scrappers Delight (#52)

Crafting with Dragonflies (#50)

Polychromos!

Hello! Well, it's Monday again and I guess we also have to say hello to Storm Henry who is making his arrival felt here in central Scotland.

Luckily he didn't get in the way of the crafty delivery for today.  I've been wishing the days away since ordering these..  POLYCHROMOS from Faber-Castell. 

Aren't they gorgeous!?

I got the set of 60 and the colours are amazing, although I already know I want more! Luckily you can buy them individually so I may need to see which colours I need to compliment this set!

So what better than to get a new toy, and then get to play with it!   Here's my first attempt (although I have done the hair and skin with Copics).  These pencils are lovely to work with.  They have a totally different feel to Prismacolor. 

More practice needed!

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges;

Craft Your Passion (#297)

Crafting from the Heart (#97)

Where the HeART is (#6)

Cheers!!

How Old??

Hi!  Well, it's half way through the week. The end is in sight!

A lot of the chat at work today was around our respective lengths of service.  Whilst mine is pretty long I found I was working with two colleagues with nearly 30 years each!  I think that's pretty amazing!

The only problem about talking about length of service is that it makes you then think about what age people are!  Surprisingly I work with three people who are all within 1 month of each other!   That's not as spooky as the fact I used to work with a colleague who shared my date of birth completely!

So the card for today is a grumpy cat, teamed up with the sentiment "you're how old?"

Coloured with Copics.

I wasn't sure about the kind of random bit of washi.. but after sticking it on, taking it off, sticking it on, taking it off ... (you get the idea), I decided I liked it!

I'm going to enter this card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Temptation..

I know I said less than a week about that 2016 would start off being all about using what I already have... but...  OMG!  I'm starting to have a look at some of the 2016 CHA sneak peaks and here's what will be coming soon from Tim Holtz.  You just know this will sell out here so quickly!

Click here to go to Tim Holtz' page with the CHA2016 Sneak Peaks.. 

It's been a while!

Hi!  I'm not sure if anyone still visits here as I've been so bad at not posting any updates.  I would love to make a new years resolution to get better at posting regularly but sometimes life just gets in the way.  All of that aside, I hope you have all had a very happy New Year and are looking forward to a bright new 2016.


I have made one sort-of-resolution.. and that's to craft with what I have, to re-discover, and to try not to be tempted with so many new things.  I'm also promising myself a clear out, a de-clutter, some "life-laundry"!   I think the best approach is to start small, baby steps and all that!


My first task was to start tidying my craft space.  Being able to see the floor is a good start!  The craft bug has definitely taken hold of the younger member of the household.. but not papercraft, oh no.. she's taken up jewellery making and sewing!  So that could be quite handy when it comes to de-stashing all my beads, findings and cotton!  It also means we are a two-sewing-machine family!


Having only made Christmas cards recently it's always nice to get back into birthdays.  Here are a couple of recent makes.  The first is for a very special lady's 80th, and it the second is just me practicing with Tim Holtz Distress pens on watercolour paper.  The cupcake stamp is Tim Holtz Birthday Blueprints (I love these blue print stamps!)

Faith the fairy

Prismacolor on kraft with Stamping Bella's Faith the Fairy.  Love colouring this image. Using up scraps and die cuts that were lying around my desk! Loving the turquoise and kraft combo.  I'm just amazed at how the colours seem to pop off the page with these pencils.