Snowy tree

Less is more- not the well known and inspirational challenge but note to self. 

~ Don't over complicate things!

The current challenge at Merry Monday is a photo inspiration. This may also inspire you to tea and biscuits.

I knew I wanted to have a white snowy tree and a blue inky sky. Getting there was more tricky. I've had blue fingers since Tuesday.

I splodged ink onto the sky in a fairly haphazard way and then wet it with lots of water and walked away while it dried. Then I stamped and embossed the tree. I'd tried masking and then inking but was never happy with it. While embossing I encouraged a few stray speckles of white in the sky, the ones we usually brush away, to look like snowflakes or stars.
I added a touch of blue pen to the lower baubles and then some yellow to the star.  Then left well alone. No glitter. Not even a ribbon or a matt!

Top tip: No-one likes wrinkles. When you glue down a panel, flatten immediately. I use a book. I spoilt one of my favourite cards last year by not doing that. It was wrinkly for ever.

 I'm also linking to the first Rudolf Days challenge of the year. This is run by ScrappyMo and she is offering an extra prize this month.

Now I'm very pleased with this, I hope you like it too.  Thank you for taking the time to visit.x

Colour challenge - CCT

Hello lovely Crafters.
It's time for another challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown. This week it's a colour challenge:

I admit I've been around the houses with this one. I had a few ideas but I was having trouble putting the colours together well. 
Top tip: start with the colour you are most comfortable with and think about adding the others as decorations and embellishments - maybe ribbons, buttons etc. 

Bearing this in mind, I got out some of my favourite Inky Doodle stamps and made the background on cream card. I love these stamps, you stamp the base and then add more or less of the tiny stamps to create your design. Then I inked a little round the edge with the same colour. You can see the card has a textured pattern on it.

 I'd already picked out the ribbon and then chose a button for a bit more cream in the centre of the snowflake. The snowflake is cut in white and inked too.

I'm not doing very well with the flat cards I promised myself I would make this year.  Last year it was touch and go whether some of mine would go in the post. I think this will be ok.

Now I love the colour combination and am very taken with the cream. I might have to get some more cream card. 
What am I saying? I will use up what I have first!

You have two weeks for the challenge so do join in and show us what you've made. 


I've used:
Inky Doodles 'Country Checks' and sentiment from 'Primitive Angel'.
Tumbled glass ink pad
Snippet of ribbon
Button and embroidery thread
Snowflake die - from China on Ebay but not named. 
Tonic circle die

NBUS snowflakes

Edit - ( I obviously mean snowdrops not flakes!. What a fool). 
 
Darnell has a new NBUS challenge running. She is celebrating some special occasions and giving away very generous prizes. You can find the post here. 

 

I looked through my stamp box being sure there was pleny of stuff in there which hadn't been used. I was suprised, and not to say impressed, to find that there was very little. 

There is an optional theme in this challenge of using coloured pencils on Kraft card. As I'd been thinking of having a go at white colouring I chose this snowflake stamp. It came on a magazine in December so not too shameful for this to be the first inking!

 I stamped it in white and then coloured very simply with the cheapest of pencils. The white pencil gives an almost transluscent look which is very pretty, but I would have preferred a snow white look for the flowers. I went round the house trying any white pencil I could find but it seems that is the effect you get on Kraft. 

I stamped on the background, using a very old and much used script stamp and a twig stamp from the same new set, just to give a bit of interest to the base. I also did

 a little sponging around the edges.

 It's a small card 10.5cm sqaure so now I need to manufacture and envelope as I only have large brown ones. Did I think of that first? No.

I'm running into Pixie's Snippets Playground at the last minute. This is ALL made from snippets. In fact that is why the card is that size. That was my last large piece of 250gsm kraft card.  

 It's going to be a while before there are any snowdrops flowering here. I've seen some shoots poking above the soil, though, so take heart. 

Thank you for visiting, stay warm and have a lovely weekend. x

I've used:

Stamps from Creative Stamper magazine. December

Inkylicious script stamp

White pigment inkpad

Latte inkpad 

JustRite dies

Hobby Art sentiment stamp

Playing with my new toys.

Running in at the last minute. I'm joining in with everyone else saying - where has the week gone. 
Here is a card for the Merry Monday challenge - Noel. 
 

I put a few crafty things on my Christmas list and was lucky enough to get these Clarity Snowflake stencils. They are lovely delicate shapes.

I used them to emboss the card, lightly dusted over with ink then stencilled Noel in the middle, this comes with the snowflakes. I've painted over Noel with Wink of Stella which does add a lovely sparkle but is camera shy. 
A snippet of ribbon and some gems and it's done.
I haven't managed much visiting so far but I hope I'll get time to admire some of the entries later this evening. It's always inspiring.

A spring bouquet

I've made a lovely spring looking card. Sadly nothing like spring here just now but I did see some snowdrop leaves pushing up in the verge today. 

  

I needed a card for an 80th birthday so the Butterfly challenge was perfect for that. 

The letter is Z which is for Zucchini  and/or Zero. .

I've used yellow for the flowers and green for the leaves and stems (both colours are allowed) and, obviously, a zero.

This is unusual for me in that I don't usually do colouring and don't often add many layers but 80 deserves something fancy, don't you think?

I've coloured the image with pencils and stamped and coloured the crocus layer too. The base is design paper.

I've edged most of the layers with gold embossing.

I'm liking the purply/pink colour and the yellow very much. 

I planned it all out and left it to glue down today. Even so I failed to glue it in the right order. I had a piece of sheer ribbon to go accross under the sentiment but it should have gone on with the base paper but that was stuck down firmly by the time I realised. I know it doesn't need the ribbon but I'm still cross. 

If you'd like to join in with this challenge you have until Tuesday.

I've used:
Stamps from Creative Stamper and Kanban (sentiment - one of my oldest and most used)
Pencil crayons
JustRite oval, chevron and butterfly die. 
Gold embossing powder
Gems
Number stickers

Sketch - Christmas Greenery

I know you are all just getting over Christmas, relieved that you managed to get all your cards made, written, stamped and posted by the deadline ... but here I am back with my first Christmas card for 2017!

                       
  I'm thrilled to say I'm now a member of the Christmas Card Throwdown design team. 

If you struggled to get all your cards done in time last year - we're here to help. Pop over and see what the talented team have come up with.

There will be two challenges a month, each lasting for two weeks. This time it's sketch:

Here is my card:

This picture is doing funny things to my eyes, sometimes it looks de-bossed. It isn't!

I haven't gone too mad with the glitter yet, I'll ease you in gently. I love Christmas greenery so that is what I chose.

I was rummaging for something to frame the embossing, I fancied gold but this was the nearest I had - a bit of an envelope! I worked perfectly, it is very thin so doesn't add too much weight or thickness. It wasn't quite big enough for mat so I cut four strips and used these corner dies to link them all together.

I've used:
Leane Creatif dies - 'Holly leaves and pine branches' and 'Ivy swirl'
JustRite corner dies- 'card front basic dies'
Adirondak meadow ink.
Sissix embossing folder - sorry I don't know the name.  
Sentiment - Crafty Impressions
A bit of ribbon salvaged from a cracker.  

I hope I haven't scared you. It's a nice easy sketch so have fun and link up with us. 

Fairies at the bottom of the garden

After a busy day shopping on Saturday, I sat down for a little me time. Truly I was exhausted. 
My husband fondly imagined we were 'putting the finishing touches to Christmas'. Bless him. Well, we did whip through the shopping list but he seems unaware of all the wrapping (which always takes longer than you think), decorating, food shopping and cooking still to be done.Not to mention the handful of cards still to deliver.  I have a new list for everyday but I'm getting through it and engaging help whenever I can. 

Here is the card I made. It's very small (about 10.5cm) and really doesn't reflect the inordinate amount of work involved in it.  (Shall I mention the two failed attempts in the bin?)

 I had a vision of what I wanted to do but hadn't really though through the masking so the tape went on and off half a dozen times for each section.  

The stickles look a little heavy handed here but better in real life. 


I'd like to enter this into the Christmas Butterfly challenge where the butterflies are sleeping but fairies have taken over. 

I've also used snippets so I can hop over the Pixie's Snippets playground and join in the festive fun. I'm off to see Parsnip for some mulled wine. 
Huge thanks and congratulations to Di who has been managing the Playground for FIVE years! Thank you, it's such good fun and we love popping in. You are always cheerful and always have an encouraging word in spite of of everything. (Stop blushing, I've finished now).

I used:
a  collection of small stamps Cardio (ivy, flowers, fairies, seedhead) JustRite (ferns and leaves) and Stamplorations 'Hello'
Adirondak Sunshine and Terracotta ink
Black archival ink 
Stickles