Yes, I'm still here!

Yes, I'm still here!

Crafting has taken a little bit of a back seat this month, not because I don't want to play, 

simply that there has been a general household tidy up happening.

Not very exciting, I know, but one of those necessities of owing a house!

Oh, and my dining table where I craft, has disappeared under boxes and other bits & bobs.

But don't dispare, soon everything will be back to normal (whatever that means) and I'll be joining in with various challenges again (I've even found a new one!) .

Hehehe!  Should be "Autumn has arrived at last". 

I made this for a challenge last month, and then realised I'd got it wrong, ooops!

Anyway, I'll be back again in May, so until then

Happy Crafting!

Swapped, not Abandoned!

Just a quick blog today.

A few weeks ago, I did a swap with a lovely lady in the USA who makes glass pendants.  She sent me a lovely necklace and I, in turn, sent her four bookmarks.

These bookmarks all have loops on them for hanging.

I couldn't decide which ones to send her, so all four were posted.

I received a message this morning to say they had arrived safely.  She is planning on hanging them in her studio, so instead of just one tag, she has a choice of four.

These were such fun to put together - now to make some more ready to abandon or give away.

Happy Crafting!

Garden Friends

This week's challenge at Wicked Wednesday is

"Garden Friends"

I started by blending 'crushed olive' and 'broken china' Distress Inks for the ground/sky background, with a quick spritz of water to give it some interest.  Next the mushroom garden was stamped directly onto the ATC and another stamped onto scrap white cardstock.  The 'shrooms were individually cut out, coloured with Prismacolor pencils and glued back into position.

This cute little person was also stamped onto cardstock, coloured and popped up on dimensionals.  Every garden needs a butterfly, so one came fluttering past just at the right moment!

Stamps

Carabelle Studio - "Zinouk des marais"

Carabelle Studio - "Zinouk du sous bois"

Challenge

Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge - #204 "Garden Friends"

Happy Crafting!

Pretty as a Picture

Sometimes a challenge is indeed a challenge!  

Looking at my stash of Stampotique stamps I wondered what I could use to play along at Stampotique this week.  Although I know I can use any stamp company, I prefer to only use Stampotique, but this challenge needed some extras.

The theme is 

"Nature" but "no humans or animals"

I thought I'd try a scene, so starting with a postcard sized piece of cardstock and some torn cardstock for the hills, off I went.

I stamped the sun first, masking off the lower half.  Next the green hills took shape, followed by the colours of the sunrise and lastly the sky.

Some foliage was added to the foreground.

The picket fence was stamped onto patterned paper before being fussy cut.  This particular paper is excellent for the fence as it has the appearance of corrugated iron, which in turn means each picket is a different colour to it's neighbour - works perfectly!

Stamps

Stampotique - "Picket Fence"

Carabelle Studio - "Zinouk du jardin"

Stampin' Up! - "Pocket Silhouettes"

Distress Inks

mustard seed, fossilized amber, wild honey, worn lipstick, peeled paint, faded jeans

Challenge

Stampotique Designers Challenge - #239 "Nature"

Happy Crafting!

hello friend

The theme at "Simply Less is More" this week is

'White Space but NOT White'

so after one false start, this card should fit in perfectly.

This was a quick and easy design using a square purple card base.  The stamp was inked up using Versa Mark with white embossing powder.  A simple sentiment finishes off a simple but pretty card.

Stamps

Carabelle Studios - 'Zinouk du jardin'

Tim Holtz - 'Simple Sayings'

Challenge

Simply Less is More - #270 "White Space but NOT White"

Happy Crafting!

From Old to New

Last week I realised I needed to post three birthday cards 

(that should have already been in the mail .... oops!)

 so since I have a box full of ready-to-use cards, I had what I thought was going to be, a quick look.  Silly me, once I started looking, I also started culling.  Some got binned as I simply could not imagine who I would ever send them to; others were given an envelope and put in a cellophane bag ready to donate or sell; and some were swaps from various times and places.  The cards that were getting binned, mostly got their backs cut off for use on other projects and a couple got pulled apart to re-use.

So, (are you still with me?) today's card is one that was pulled apart, which works perfectly with a couple of themes this week -
"What's Old is New Again"

the finished card

Now, to start at the beginning of the journey from old to new ....

old scrip pulled off card backing

after inking with 'mustard seed' Distress Ink, the resist pattern shows through

'Gibi' made an appearance after a long absence, 'black soot' Distress Ink was added to the edges for contrast, washi tape was added for Gibi to stand on and some Tim Holtz word stickers finished off the card.

From Old to New, what do you think?  I'm happy with the outcome and now have a perfectly usable card, from one that was destined for the bin.

Stamps

Stampotique - 'Gibi'

Challenge

Stampotique Designers Challenge - #238 "What's Old is New Again"

Note : I entered this card in another challenge but as it isn't suitable I have deleted the links.

Happy Crafting!