Month: March 2020

You’re cute as a bug….

Hello – I have another ladybird card for you today as I had some images left over from yesterday’s card – and I thought they were too cute not to use straight away:

I was looking for a way to use all the images I had left, so I took the Avery Elle ‘Circle Frames Elle-ments’ die and cut the four circles into a piece of white card stock.

Then I took a light blue piece of card, slightly larger, and where the circles showed the blue through then, I ink blended a light blue Distress Oxide for a little shading, even though it doesn’t show that much on the photo.

One of the circles which came out of the die was – just – the perfect size for the sentiment…………just!

Once the ladybirds were stuck in place, I then decided to add some bling. Nope – not Nuvo drops this time, but some blue sequins, placed within the circles……..and one on the sentiment – cos I had a little smudge there!

And – now I’m looking at the card in close-up……………can you see what I missed? Yep – I forgot to colour one of the ladybirds faces…………! Pretend it’s the same as the others – just pretend! I’ll probably go back and colour it. Thank goodness I took a photo of the colours I used. I knew that would come in handy one day:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

2 Sisters on the blog – dots and/or stripes (ladybird dots)

Stamplorations Theme and photo prompt – stamps and nature

Just Add Ink – something beginning with ‘E’ – embellishment – sequins

Colour Crazy Challenge – anything goes colouring

Ladybird Birthday

Hello there. I have been playing with a Stampin Up stamp and die set which I just I would have fun with:

I actually stamped all the ladybird images out at once, and played with my Copics. The little bugs around the outside are also a part of this set, as is the flower.

Once coloured and die cut with the matching dies, I used a sketch layout from a challenge listed below and that’s kinda it.

All done. Quick and clean and simple…………well – I stamped the little bugs the wrong way up at the bottom edge – so I had to have the sentiment on a strip to cover it! Maybe I shouldn’t have owned up to that one…………

I shall be entering the following challenges:

AAA Birthday – birthday and flowers

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

Watercooler Challenges – occasions

Clean and Simple on Sunday – CAS birthday

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Creative Moments Challenge – anything goes

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Or Friendship is always and Adventure

Hello. There is a new challenge beginning at The Alphabet Challenge. We are at the end of the alphabet, so the letter is ‘Z’ – and we want to see your Zoo Animals.

Here is my card:

I stamped the leopards, trees, and tree trunk from several MFT stamp sets, with Gina K Amalgam ink, then coloured with my Copics. Here are the colours I used:

Once die cut with the matching dies I started to plan my layout – wanting to create a scene – but without adding a background – if you get my drift.

The sentiments are from the Leopard stamp set, and as I had stamped the images twice, I made another card with a slightly different layout:

This time I added two extra tree branches from the ‘Squirrel‘ stamp set.

I’m getting to grips with Copic colouring, but still use any hints and tips I can get from anywhere I can get it!

My go-to colour combinations are from Yana Smakula – and you can find the combinations here. These combinations are what I tend to use most of the time, and are a great way to start and gain more confidence in the colouring – and the choice of card-stock for colouring is always the Make It Colour Blending card-stock – it blends well, and again is a confidence builder.

The right tool for the right technique, right?

I hope you can come and join us for the ‘Zoo animals’ challenge and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments – anything goes

Addicted to Stamps and More – make your mark

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Digi Choosday – anything goes

Cute Little Duckies

Hello again. I have a card to share as there is anew challenge beginning at Cardz 4 Galz. The theme this time is………..’Cute Animals’.…….

Here is my card:

I wanted to use this stamp set, and I wanted to create a scene. A scene is not something I generally have much luck with, but I’m happy with this one – it’s quite simple, a few layers, and a little ink blending and water splattering.

After stamping the images in Gina K Amalgam ink, I coloured with Copics, before using the matching dies to cut them out. here are the Copics I used:

I have found it helpful when people post a list of colours, so I thought I’d do it too.

I first ink blended a panel using two Distress Oxides for the sky, then used the Lawn Fawn Stitched Cloudy Backdrop, as I like the stitched clouds effect. I used some green card, used Lawn Fawn grass dies, added a little green Distress Oxides to the grassy edges, and stuck them down as you see.

I wasn’t going to put a sentiment on the card, but a little simple ‘Hello‘ from an Altenew stamp set in the top corner still meant this card could be for any reason – or for no reason at all.

I hope you can come and join us – I’d love to see you in our gallery with your ‘Cute Animals’ creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Arty Stamper Challenge – lots of layers

A Bit More Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore Challenge – anything goes

All Fun Challenge – anything goes

Spring/Easter Bunny

Hello once again. I am thrilled and honoured to be the Guest Designer for the new challenge beginning at C.R.A.F.T Challenge having won the Honour Prize for being the first of the Top 3 for challenge number 540 with this card here.

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The theme/topic for this new challenge is Spring/Easter. The sponsors for this challenge, with digis as prizes, are QKR Stampede and Oddball Art.

Sponsor 1: Oddball Art

The prize is a $10 voucher for Oddball Art.
Sponsor 2: QKR Stampede


Company Bio:
Do you have a sense of humor? Are you looking for a cute stamp? Then, we are the company for you! QKR Stampede is the somewhat cute somewhat quirky rubber and digital stamp company. We Showcase the artwork of Ken Herrod, who had a unique, somewhat quirky style with lots of humor and character. You are sure to get a chuckle out of our stamps! We have been offering our unique stamps and supplies to the craft industry for over 15 years. At QKR Stampede our images are available as unmounted, natural red rubber stamps OR as digital stamps! If QKR Stampede Stamps aren’t exactly what you are looking for, Don’t miss out on the sister companies: Eureka Stamps,  Biblical Impressions Rubber Stamps, or the newest addition; Alluring Impressions.
The prize is 5 images from QKR Stampede.

I chose the image ‘Springtime Bunny‘ digi stamp from QKR Stampede. Here is my card:

I resized and printed off the image onto Make-It Colour Blending Card – then set to colouring.

I used a variety of browns, some warm greys, a little yellow and a little pink – and went for it. I wasn’t initially pleased with the way the bunny looked – but the more I left it and went back to look at it, the more I liked the effect. I think there is certainly a cartoony and fun feel to the card – so in the end…………I do like it.

I then looked for some pastel paper or card stock to be used as a background, and came across an old Phill Martin paper pad – it’s a Christmas paper pad with Christmas designs on one side – and on the other side there are some lovely pastel solid colours……..so a Christmas paper pad used for a Spring/Easter card……

I die cut the layers with Sue Wilson ‘stitched circles‘ die set, and the bottom square layer embossed with a Sue Wilson embossing folder.

I looked for some embellishments to use – including Nuvo drops….but went with three pastel toned sticky dots, and added some white gel pen as highlights. I never know where to add these white marks – no rhyme or reason where I put them – again – I kinda wing it!

There’s some fabulous creations from the Design Team, and I do hope you can come and join us.

I shall also be entering the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Allsorts Challenge – anything in the animal kingdom

Use Your Stuff – spring

Ellibelles March Challenge – Spring is in the air

A Bit More Time To Craft – anything goes

From our house to yours….

Hello again everyone. There is a new challenge beginning at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – the theme is ‘anything goes Christmas’ as always. You can make cards, scrapbook pages, bookmarks, boxes – as long as it’s Christmas related.

Here is my card:

I wanted to create a wreath on my card, with the sentiment in the middle taking centre stage, so I turned to my new Memory Misti – a present from my mum and sister for Christmas………..which I forgot I had! I know, I know – it was put to one side very tidily, and it wasn’t until I was re-arranging my room a little to make some space for mixed media ‘stuff’ that I found it again……

I started with a 6 inch square piece of card, and arranged some boughs from a freebie stamp set, and some fill-in smaller boughs from Uniko to create the design around the wreath.

I used a Stampin Up ink for the boughs, and even stamped the little poinsettia flowers in green – I didn’t want to introduce black anywhere on this card……………

I coloured two of the three leaf layers on the stamp in Copics – it seemed a little plain without the red in them – and yes – I added some Nuvo drops to the centre of the flowers. I think I was quite restrained with them, actaully!

The sentiment is from the same freebie stamp set, and the two circle dies are from a Sue Wilson set.

I like the overall simplicity of this card, with the most difficult part for me was deciding which images to use………..

I hope you can come and join us with this challenge – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Fan’n’Funky Challenges – Christmas

QKR Stampede – anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Hippo Birthday

Hi. I have a fun card to share today – and not a Nuvo drop to be seen:

I used the Big Picture Book Hippo from Simon says Stamp – die cut out of white, and some grey added in places for some shading.

The leaves from the Altenew stamp set were stamped using all three layers, then I had a play with the layout.

I felt that the hippo could be peering through some leaves and greenery to wish someone a happy birthday – that was the way my mind was going, anyway…….

I added some green sequins – instead of Nuvo drops – for some added bling and dimension.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – multi tonal greens and black and white

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – use some green

Seize The Birthday – Birthday with option of a touch of green

Time Out Challenges – Birthday with option of die cutting or fussy cutting


‘Y’ for Youngster

Hi there. A new challenge has begun at ‘The Alphabet Challenge’ and this time the letter is ‘Y’ – so we want to see your projects for ‘Youngsters‘. Here is my card:

I used a Boogaboo digital image called ‘Clyde Birthday‘, resizing and then printing out onto Make-it Colour Blending card.

I looked through my range of Copics for some colourful and varied colours and came up with what you see, using three of each colour family. Once coloured, I let him dry for a while, then added some glossy accents to the balloon…….

Yes – I know there is glossy accents all over the image – one of my cats came to ‘help’ at just the right/wrong time – and the glossy accents smeared over the dragon head – so instead of reprinting and re-colouring – I smothered the glossy accents over the whole image of Clyde…………….! And I like it!

A photo where I captured more of the glossy-ness:

As this was a colourful card for a youngster, I added some DSP behind in layers – I think they are Stampin Up – and actually the colours matched quite nicely.

Of course – as no-one has staged an intervention to stop me using Tonic Nuvo drops – I added some in the top corner, as I felt it looked a little bare.

The sentiment is from MFT, a clean and block sentiment – a style which I felt suited the card.

Before the ‘accident’ with the glossy accents, I was going to add some white gel pen lines to the image – but that obviously couldn’t happen now…..maybe next time. I found colouring this image quite a joy – and I usually find colouring a chore on larger images……

this kind of card isn’t my usual style – I don’t make cards for the children/youngsters, but I really, really enjoyed putting this card together – maybe another string to my bow?

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge, and I hope to see you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Catch the Bug Challenge – anything goes

Allsorts Challenge – anything with wings

Watercooler Challenge – occasions

Inkspirational – animals – real or magical

Digi Choosday – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Spring Flowers – Daisy

Hi there. A new challenge is beginning at Cardz 4 Galz and this time the theme is ‘Spring Flowers’. Here is my card:

I used the Altenew ‘Spring Daisy‘ stamp set and stamped the flowers in two shades of grey, and the leaves in a grey outline, and green inside layer.

I didn’t add a central colour to the flowers, as I liked the two colour combination here.

Once I had used the matching dies to cut them out, I played with the layout a little, adding and taking away several times, then adhered the flowers with 3D gel, the leaves with glue, and some of the buds with dimensionals.

I took a sentiment from a Stampin Up stamp set for the top right corner….. then went to my stash of Tonic Nuvo Crystals Drops – I think I need an intervention here – I just can’t stop using them………………..

And if they weren’t enough – I went and added some bling with some sequins:

Well – who doesn’t like a little bling? The sequins are actually greener than they appear in the pictures, and the drops a little less green than they appear in the pictures……….

I hope you can come and join us and show us your ‘spring flowers’ – I look forward to seeing what you create, and will hopefully see there in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafters Cafe – anything goes

Crafty Sentiments – add flowers

Craft Rocket Challenge – Flowers

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Happy Holidays

Hello there. There is a new challenge starting at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is – anything goes Christmas.

Here is my card:

I didn’t have much time to prepare this card, so I am pleased it came together quite quickly.

I began by stamping the branch image from a freebie stamp set several times onto a piece of Make It Colour Blending Card, and coloured the small leaves with three green Copics. The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

I was going to add it to the card base as it was, but decided it looked a little too plain, so I added the red strip down the side, and then went ahead and added some Tonic Nuvo drops – and added more of them, then more of them. I really, really, really, need to know when to stop adding those……….but I do like the little bit of added dimension and colour they give.

I hope you can come and join us in our challenge, and I look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – must have stamping

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas with option of vintage

Crafty Creations – anything goes