Stamping fun

Hello, lovely crafters. 

Here are some cards I made using the Gina K Mandala Maker set. 

It's really fun and I used a combination of a wreath builder template and flying by the seat of my pants. i.e. stamping by eye - which I really enjoy. 

Dig into your stash and see what you can find to join in with our SOS #498 - Let's Hear it for the Boys Challenge  - A card for one of the men or boys in your life. So no butterflies and hearts here!

I started this one with the template for the larger central shapes and then added stamping by eye. It's frustratingly slow if you stamp one at at time but it is accurate! You can stamp a few at the same time if you get organised. 

Turning the paper every time. 

This one is stamped on a piece of inky paper from my stash. I drew some very faint pencil lines on the diagonals and then across the middle and then hand stamped all of it. Remembering to rub out the lines at the end.

There is a little blue colouring in some of the shapes which does not show much in the photo. I know my son will like this pattern. 

Both are mounted on pieces of DP with patterns I know I'm never going to use, and then I went in with Liquid pearls for some fun accents. 

And just one more. Not finished but I might add the greeting across the  middle like this. This one looks a little more flowery, perhaps. 

I'm skipping over to the Snippets Playground with these. 

The challenge is always to use snippets. I've used inky leftover scraps to stamp on and at least one to frame. I lost track and also forgot to take photos. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

 

You're so sweet

Hello lovely crafters.

Apologies to anyone on a diet or who should be being careful with what they eat (me). 

Perhaps look away now. Our latest challenge at Shopping our Stash is

You're so Sweet - #497 - create a card which features something sweet (ice-cream, cake, fruit).

Perhaps I should have focussed on fruit but instead dug out this cupcake stamp with matching tea cup coloured with pens. 

 From my stash - a gel print background made with inks and a stencil, a wood stamp offcut for the table, a scrap for the cupcake case. 

The steam is a stamp from another set stamped onto vellum and glued down. I am pleased with how it turned out as you can hardly see the vellum. Then I added some tiny Liquid pearl drops for accents and cake decoration. 

Dig into your stash and see what you have to join in. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day x

Spot the mouse!

 Hello lovely crafters. 

Here I am with a new card. We are well into May now (no-one knows how that happened) reminding us to enjoy every day as they go past so quickly. 

Today is a new challenge at Shopping our Stash. 

SOS #496 - She's a Lady - create a card that features a woman OR for a special woman in your life. 

I don't have any stamps of women so I made this for my sister in law. She is potty about cats, a real crazy cat woman (she would say that herself). I adore my cats but she really takes it to another level. So I knew this cat stamp would be perfect for her...She has a black cat too.

What I've used from my stash is a gel press background, Lavinia cat stamp plus foliage, an old Inky Doodles wood stamp I used to give the cat something to sit on and a moon mask. 

Wanting to give the cat something to look at I used this Woodware spider stamp and added the string with a pen. 

There is a mouse hidden in the foliage!

See what you have in your stash to join in with our challenge

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

Fold it up

 Hello lovely crafters!

I hope everyone is doing well and finding time to do the things you love. 

When I started cardmaking I tried a few fancy folds with varying results and since then have mainly stuck to flat cards. 

However this time at Shopping our Stash our challenge is:

SOS #495 - Fold it up - create a card which features a fun fold (easel, gatefold, stepper, trifold etc) or a card with interactive elements ( spinner, mechanical, shaker etc). Hop over and see what the rest of the DT have come up with this time. 

I tried this fold which I saw Christine Stokes doing on You Tube. You can find the pattern here.  I wasn't able to print it so I just made it up by drawing round a bowl and folding and cutting roughly where I thought it should be. Full disclosure - this was my second try with real card.

I wanted to turn it round and have the step on the other end. 

Everything is coloured and cut out, then I made slits in the pots to push the stems through. 

Back view. I intend to cut and stick a white panel on here for writing but forgot to do it before taking photos. You can also write on the inside. 

I am actually using my daughter's stash here! While searching for some base card I found this that she'd left (I am allowed to use it) so extra points I think. The rest is white card scraps plus the leftover wood effect stamped scrap which I used to ground the pots. 

So it's a really simple fold but quite effective I think. Folds flat, of course, for posting. Do join in if you can. You can find a long list of fancy folds and instructions here at Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

I love gel prints!

Hello lovely crafters!

Another one from me with a Gelli plate background. Yes, I am addicted to my new little gel presses and am making far more than is really necessary. I suspect that is not uncommon with gel prints.

This one used inks and a stencil. Love it!

Then I've added snippet flowers in lovely spring colours. It is SO good to see flowers growing again and (whispers) it has even been dry and quite warm today. 

These are Julie Hickey flowers stamped, coloured and cut out. 

Two hiccups - I messed up the greeting so was able to use another snippet to cover it up. Then when adding a Wink of Stella to the bee wings, I suddenly had a puddle. I must have squeezed too hard. Being impatient, probably. I managed to mop it up and it doesn't look too bad. 

I'm jumping over to the Snippets Playground with my homework - challenge always any thing goes but must use snippets. I've used white as usual and a small piece of brown. 

Allsorts Challenge

Create your own background - I'm good at creating backgrounds - less good at converting them into cards. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. 
 

Earth Day...

 Hello lovely crafters. 

Here is a card for the Jingle Belles - Challenge Earth Day. Remember the rules - 

Reduce what you buy, Reuse what you have and Recycle as much as you can. 

Send me your top tips for remembering challenges now we don't get the email reminders! I finally remembered to enter this one. 

So the challenge is to use at least on thing which is recycled or repurposed. 

What I've used - parts of a shiny, green envelope, a gold envelope and strips from a biscuit box. I found all of these in my stash.

Starting with a not-very-successful gelli print, I used the shiny green for the trees, gold for the hill and the star and some gold splatters. Then I wanted a frame and found the shiny gold box which was perfect. 

It's not overtly Christmassy but sometimes I want that for certain people. 

I'm also popping over to the NBUS challenge as this is the first outing for the trees. Now, I've remembered I've got them I have other plans for them. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

April Showers

 Hello lovely crafters!

It certainly seems like April here and we have the perfect challenge for you at Shopping our Stash. 

Challenge 494 - April Showers - Create a card which features a shower element - rain, umbrella, rainbow, clouds, puddles or a Wedding Shower or Baby Shower card. 

I'm looking out at sunshine and daffodils but I know that if I turn round it will be wet and windy!

I've used a Gelli print background and stamped over it. The umbrella is actually a Hot Air balloon stamp which I've repurposed and drawn the handle. I coloured with watercolour pencils and then added some puddles with clumsy blending. 

Love the boots. I live in my boots so this is very apt. 

Do dig into your stash and see what you have to join in. You have two weeks. 

I'm also splashing over to : Double D Challenges where the theme is April Showers

Stamping sensations

Stamped image with the option of CAS (which I didn't go with) Boots, umbrella and tree are stamped. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x