Woodland Scene

Hi! Here's a card I made using one of my favourite colour combs - blues and browns. I created the background with ink dusters over the stencil, and then stamped the leaves and mushrooms in brown, and a few flowers in blue. I punched a butterfly (that doesn't sound right at all!), coloured it blue with ink dusters, and stamped with the leaf stamp. I added gems to the butterfly and flowers, and used wood-effect packing paper as a frame.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Inky Chicks: 'Happy Birthday'
4 Crafty Chicks: 'Stencils'
Unicorn Challenge: 'Butterflies and/or Hearts'
Pink Gem Challenge: 'Favourite Colour Combo'
Simon Says: 'Anything Goes'
Crafty Creations: 'Anything Goes'

Ingredients:
Lavinia Stamps: 'Creeping Vine', 'Small Mushrooms' and flower from 'Leaf Trail'
Sentiment from HOTP 'Flower Frenzy' set
Memory Box stencil 'Birch Landscape'
Artistry Ink pads: Rich Mocha
Adirondack ink: Butterscotch, Aqua
Crystal Parade topaz gems

For my Favourite Second Cousin

Hi! I made this card for my lovely and very talented cuz (actually second cousin, after a bit of Googling). Inside, I wrote 'For my favourite second cousin', and then I worried that she'd mis-read it as second favourite cousin, as she is dyslexic and things get muddled up for her. So I added '- not to be confused with second favourite cousin!'. I think I over-think things. But anyway, she's lovely, and she makes beautiful jewellery.

I created the background with ink dusters, then stamped the images. I coloured the foxgloves with inks and a water brush, and then punched some tiny flowers from black card, and added gems to the centres.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Lavinia Stamps: 'Full Moon'

Tuesday Throwdown: 'Favourite Embellishment' - gems!

Cute Card Thursday: 'Florals'

Corrosive Challenges: 'Anything Goes'
Crafts Galore 'Anything Goes'

Ingredients:

Lavinia Stamps: 'Fox 1', 'Lilly', 'Dandelions 2', 'Leaf Trail', 'Birds'
Adirondack ink: Butterscotch, Meadow, Aqua

Stampin' Up! Ink pad: Perfect Plum
Crystal Parade gems: Topaz

Guest Designer for Addicted to CAS

Hi! I am over the moon to have been invited as a Guest Designer for the Addicted to CAS challenge, 'Wood'!

I decided to create a wooded scene with a birch trees stencil and ink dusters. I outlined the trunks and some of the branches with a silver pen, then added a few stamped elements, and added gems to the flower centres. I hope it is CAS enough! And yes, I know the leaves are wrong for birch trees, but it's such a pretty stamp I'm hoping it won't matter...

Ingredients:
Lavinia Stamps: 'Creeping Vine', 'Small Mushrooms' and flower from 'Leaf Trail'
Sentiment from Cardmaking & Papercraft
Memory Box stencil 'Birch Landscape'
Artistry Ink pads: Indian Jamun, Rich Mocha
Adirondack ink: Butterscotch
Crystal Parade clear gems

Guest Designer for City Crafter!

Hi! I am very honoured to have been invited as Guest Designed for the City Crafter challenge "Old Stuff, New Look!" :)

This challenge is to take an old project and give it a new look, either by working on an old project you weren't happy about, or duplicating an old project but with a new look. I've gone for the second option, and decided to remake a more colourful version of an old card.

Here's my original card:

I like the richness of the colours against the gold embossing, but this was one of my first attempts with Brushos, and I wanted to try with a bit less paint (I find it's really easy to over do it with Brushos!) more colours, and to try to worry less about where the colours went.

I used a white embossing powder, and then red, blue and green brushos, letting them merge and run a bit. When dry, I cut it out against the border, which meant a bit of fussy cutting (which I really struggle with!), but I think it gives it a cleaner look, especially against the white cardstock underneath. I added a few gems to make it shine, and added a few extra details to the flowers with a white gel pen. I left it without a sentiment, so it could be used for various occasions.

Ingredients:
Woodware stamp: 'Love Tulips'
Brushos: Rose Red, Emerald Green, Cobalt Blue
White gel pen
Crystal Parade gems: Clear

Darwin

Last Tuesday we lost our beautiful girl, Darwin. It was very sudden, and we are still waiting for test results to find out why she died. We are completely devastated, and miss her so much. We have buried her in the garden with one of her favourite toys, and wrapped in Mark’s fluffy dressing gown, which she loved.

Emily, her sister, has had a check up and blood tests, and she is completely fine, but I can’t help worrying about her. She is getting lots of fuss, but she’s also a little bit annoyed by me checking on her every half an hour.

Darwin & Emily on the cat stairs

Darwin & Emily

Darwin was a beautiful cat, very shy with strangers, but incredibly affectionate and playful with us. She slept between us with Mark’s arm around her, and her face pressed into his hand. She shouted at us when she wanted a cuddle, or wanted to play. Her tail would tremble with happiness when we walked up to her, or when we picked up a toy or the cat treats jar, and she’d roll upside down when she wanted some fuss, often holding her face with her paws and kicking her chin, as if her face was a kick toy. She loved to play, chasing around the house with Emily, and dragging her toys around. She loved the cat tunnels, exploding through them as fast and as violently as she could. She loved being cuddled. She was such a playful, affectionate, gentle thing. I can’t put it into words how much this little cat meant to us. I miss her so much. My little bear.

 Hobbes, Darwin & Emily

Darwin, 9 weeks old

Darwin playing

 Snuggled on Mark's fluffy dressing gown

 Watching YouTube videos

Birthday Chick

Hi! Here's a birthday card I made for a lovely friend who keeps chickens. This chick image is the closest I have to a chicken, so I hope she'll like it. The image is a digistamp, and I added the sentiment. I coloured using inks and a water brush, then added gems to the flowers.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: 'Make Your Mark'
The Heart Desires:

Moving Along with the Times: 'Ring o' Roses'
Seize the Birthday: 'Anything Birthday, Optional Felt Topping'
My Time To Craft: 'Feathers'
Dragonfly Dreams: 'Hearts and Flowers'


Ingredients:
From The Heart Digi: 'Flower Chick'
Adirondack Ink: Cranberry, Butterscotch, Meadow, Aqua, Terracotta
Crystal Parade gems: Topaz

Valentine

Hi! Here's another Valentine's card I made, using heart punches borrowed from my lovely friend Linda, and a flower border punch. I layered up the coloured card and ribbon for the background, and added a silver charm.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Color Throwdown:

Cute Card Thursday: 'Be My Valentine'
Simply Create Too: 'Love'
Come And Get It: 'Valentine's Cards'
Crafty Calendar: 'Love is in the Air'
House of Cards: 'Love Theme'

Creatalicious: 'Anything Goes with Optional Hearts'