Butterfly and brad

I've spent another happy time painting with ink. This time rather more colourful. I wanted to make a different sort of baby welcome card so this is it:

As usual I haven't managed a very good photo but I hope you can see the colours. I think it looks fun and joyful. I used a Big and Juicy ink pad. It is still big and still juicy even though it is several years old. All the colours work so well together, I love them for inking.
I printed the word. The tag started much larger but I cut it down and down until it fitted on the card but it gets the message over.
The brad has a glittery top but you can't really see that here.

I'm linking to the Butterfly challenge - Butterfly and brads - here and
the Snippets Playground - here. I've used various snippets of paper and was very happy to find the snippet of ribbon exactly the right shade. The brad came from a box my husband bought years ago and never used. I 'rescued' them and now they are in my stash!

Inky Doodles 'Caroline's Doodles' and Big and juicy Hydrangea. I embossed the flowers in white first before inking.

Thanks for visiting. x

Shades of brown

This card was mainly inspired by Sarah's, from Inky Doodles, own samples on her website. They are all so lovely. I've used the set 'Caroline's Doodles' again. One day I might be as good as Sarah at design and colour. 
I stamped and embossed the flowers on matt paper. I've discovered that the embossing 'sinks' into the paper a little giving a more muted effect which I like. Embossing also gives channels for the ink to stay in when colouring. 

I've also discovered that I'm not very good at colouring (I know, more practise needed) so I used ink to fill in.The red highlights are filled in with a pen but the flowers are painted with ink on an acrylic block. I watered it down more for the paler shades. I spent a happy time painting when I should have been vacuuming but this was much more fun. Then a touch of glossy accents. As usual, I forgot to flatten the card first.
My 'friend' stamp turned out to be bigger than I remembered but I think it looks ok. Luckily I hadn't centred the flowers so there was a wider gap at the bottom.
I'd like to enter Less is more - Friends here and
Stamplorations - Stamps and inks here.

The sentiment is Paper Smooches. 

                                             

Fancy flowers

I has some time at the weekend for crafting but was completely uninspired and didn't manage to make anything I wanted to show anyone. The suddenly this card came together.

All this stamps I've used  come from Inky Doodles - Caroline's Doodles again. I was reaching for a Happy Birthday stamp when I noticed this sentiment included in the set. I had overlooked it, being dazzled by the flowers. Of course it goes well, being from the same set. 
I added some jewels as it is for my mother's birthday and it is quite a special one. 

The sketch was from:
                                                
This weeks challenge. Challenge #106 Sketch
I love these colours. I hope you do.

Checked Christmas

I've made a Christmas card already! Last year I started in October and there was much less panic but I never thought I would make one in January. 
I was lucky enough to get the Inky Doodle Country checks stamps for Christmas and when I looked at them they suggested Christmas to me, although they are not specifically a Christmas set.
                                                             
Then I saw this lovely sketch at 52CCt:
                                                   
So off I went.

The background is stamped with the Country checks layer stamps and then all the squares filled in with the small stamps. I only used Cranberry ink. I embossed the very edges of the vellum in red to add definition. I am still very keen on the Nordic style since the 52 challenge at the end of last year. I made several in that style and I can imagine making more this year.
I was making a birthday card for my father and this sketch seemed just right for it too so I made another one:

I don't like this one quite so much but I'm sure my Dad will like it. I overstamped on the vellum here with some little stamps. I printed the text from my computer. I found this site http://www.dafont.com/ where you can find any font you desire if you don't have quite the right stamp. I liked these hanging letters. I used Adriondak Eggplant and Cloudy and Distress Faded jeans.
I know my blog sub-title tickles some of you but very little shrieking about smudging went on this time. I took my time and remembered not to ink up stamps on top of the project! 

I'm linking in with:
52 Christmas Card Throwdown Have a look at all the lovely cards there made with the above sketch.

Pixies Snippets Playground 
The snippet here is the vellum which I have has since before I started stamping (just one bit. Why?). I'm not even sure where it came from. Probably the fill a box paper shop which used to be a big temptation of mine until it closed down. Cut in half it just did for these two, with scrap left over to test for embossing and stamping.