Well done!

My nephew has just finished Year 1 at primary school and got a really good report for the end of the year, being graded well above his age in the national curriculum subjects (maths, science and literacy). Perhaps more importantly, he's trying hard in everything - bless him! I thought I'd send a "well done" card to add to the encouragement my brother and sister-in-law give him.

As ever with kids' cards, I struggled a bit  and this is nothing like the initial plan but I think it's OK!

The cheery little monster is mounted on foam pads for a bit of dimension and I doodled on and around the stars.

I used a white insert on this one - I often write with a gel pen if I do a dark card base but I thought my handwriting would be enough for a six year old to cope with without adding extra complications!

Stamps: Monsters Ink by Technique Tuesday

Paper: Black, white, orange

Ink: Graphite Black Brilliance by Tsukineko

Other: 
Small star squeeze punch by Fiskars
Typset die by Tim Holtz/Sizzix
Copic markers
Gesso and dry wall tape
Copic fineliner
Uni Posca white pen
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Net of wonder

We're doing one of our occasional postcard swaps on Bubbly Funk. Our theme this time was "summer" and I made a card for Kathy. I've gone totally flat with a single layer on this one. Kathy's originally from one of the towns on the beautiful Northumberland coastline and I know she has a soft spot for the sea so that's the way my mind went - something cooling and soothing on a hot summer day.

My "net of wonder" actually held onions just before I set off to the craft room - lol! I quite liked the idea of having the shells quite regimented and the pattern that you might expect to be more rigid (the grid of the net) being more fluid so I let it "drape" a bit before taping the edges down and sponging over it. Yes, I did cut masks for all the shells so that I could sponge ink without affecting them and yes, I have kept the masks in case I want to do something similar in future! It's actually a very easy shape to cut so it didn't take too long.

I've given the shells a touch of subtle colour with some pale Copics and even more subtle touch of glimmer with a Spica glitter pen.

Stamps:
Antique Engravings by Hero Arts
Sentiment from Seaside set by Crafty Secrets (retired)

Paper: smooth white

Ink: 
Graphite Black Brilliance by Tsukineko
Tumbled Glass Distress ink by Ranger

Other:
Copic markers
Clear Copic Spica glitter pen
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Hopping with Paperbabe

Some of you may know Kim Costello's name and style from her lovely work in Craft Stamper magazine. Kim's launching her very own range of Paperbabe stamps and she's invited a few stampy friends to help her celebrate with a hop featuring the debut collection.

I got my hands on the DesignAKnit set for a play. There are lots of stitch patterns (as well as some individual stiches, pompoms and sentiments) in the set. Each border style stamp represents two rows of knitting and because they're clear it's easy to line them up and repeat stamp to build a background. 

I made a beanie hat gift card holder using the wide rib stamp for the main part and a double stitch to make the edging. There's a little eyelet "hinge" under the pompom so the top part of the hat lifts to reveal a gift card underneath. Kim's offering cut files for many stamps in this debut release but I decided just to cut freehand round the stamped pompom. It's quick and easy since it doesn't need to be perfect!

The base for this is a 5" circle which means the stamps are not long enough to go all the way across but again, it's really easy to line them up and the pattern repeat is designed for easy repeated stamping so you can have any width you like!

While I was at it, I thought the chunky stocking stitch stamp would be perfect for some ombre stamping on a really quick and easy card. I used four different inks, stamping twice with each one to make my graduated colour panel. I stamped off for the little accent on the sentiment strip so the ink colour was not quite as intense.

As well as the DesignAKnit set I've been playing with, the debut releases include Tree Hugs and Ribbed Background. MayLeeDee is available as a digital download. Check out the projects on the rest of the hop to see all the images in action or see everything here in the shop!

There are prizes on offer if you hop along with us

• 1 winner of the TREE HUGS SET
• 1 winner of the DESIGN A KNIT SET (as used here)
• 1 winner of the RIBBED BACKGROUND Stamp
• 1 winner of the MAYLEEDEE DIGI
• and ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive THE ENTIRE RELEASE for JULY!

That's a LOT of chances to win! Here's who's hopping today:

Kim Costello

Chris Dark (DT)

Amy Wanford

Kath Stewart

Sandie Dunne

Joanne Allison (you are here!)

Dawny P

Kim Dellow

Paula Whittaker

Simonne Clay

Tricia Tilly

Paperbabe Stamps

Winners will be announced on the Paperbabe Blog on the 12th July - you have until the 10th to hop with us, just leave comments as you go so you can be entered into the draw!

Supplies:
Stamps: all from BuildAKnit by PaperBabe Stamps
Paper: smooth white, bitter chocolate
Ink: Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Cranberry, Currant, Raisin, Pitch Black)
Other: eyelet (to hinge the gift card holder), wooden button (to accent the card)

PS - I didn't forget about the Hero Arts draw from a couple of posts back, I just forgot to announce the winner here, sorry! Viv's name was first out of the hat and the stamps have gone to live with her.

Eagle for dad

I've just realised I meant to blog this at the start of the week and forgot to make the post live! This is the card I made for Dad for Father's Day. A quick one layer card but one that still has impact, I hope!

The handsome eagle head doesn't need a lot doing to it - just a touch of colour for the beak and eye and a few strokes of grey pencil to shade the head a bit. I masked him and stamped the script at an angle, added some smudged Pan Pastel and then stamped the sentiment (the only father's day one I could find in my stash, as it happens!).

Stamps:
Eagle Profile (Beeswax Stamps)
19th Century French Script (Hero Arts)
Father's Day Centers (CHF, retired)

 Paper: smooth white

 Ink:
Onyx Black Versafine by Tsukineko
Stonewashed Adirondack dye ink by Ranger

 Other:
Prismacolor pencils (yellow and a couple of greys)
Pan Pastel (turquoise)
Corner Chomper

The theme this week at Pan Pastels UK challenge blog is an open masculine theme so I'm hooking up there.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cosy plaid pattern!

I'm rubbish at doing the "make throughout the year" Christmas card challenges! I really should try as I just gave up last year and only sent about four handmade cards. I've been meaning to try building a plaid background for ages and when this month's Waltzingmouse Stamps Christmas card challenge had the theme "snow" I decided a nice snuggly plaid background would be just the thing - warm blankets on a sleigh ride and all that!

Of course, having done the stamping, I discovered that Claire has really good instructions on the WMS blog - that'll teach me to look before I start! I did basically what she describes though, I just used the lines on my cutting mat as a guide rather than marking with a ruler and pencil as she does. I think I did OK for a first attempt.

I threaded the sentiment strip through a little slit cut in the background and added a crazy stitched border round the plaid panel. One of the snowflakes has Stickles smeared on for a bit of festive sparkle.

Stamps:
Pic-nic Patterns (Waltzingmouse Stamps)
Compliments of the Season (Waltzingmouse Stamps)

Paper:
Cryogen white
Bitter Chocolate

Ink:
Toffee and Crimson Red Versafine by Tsukineko
 Antique Linen Distress ink by Ranger

Other:
Snowflake die by Hero Arts
Frosted Lace Stickles
Sewing machine and thread

Since Christmas usually involves sending loads of cards, I kept this reasonably flat so it won't need extra postage.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hexagon hello and a little giveaway

I haven't played at Less is More for ages but the planets have aligned this week - I recently got some Hero Arts goodies including a set of dies with hexagon shapes and as the theme for this week's challenge is hexagons it seemed right I should play! I have a brand new set of Hero Arts stamps to give away too.

I've gone monochrome for a slightly masculine feel although I think this would make a reasonable hello card for just about anybody!

I stacked black and white hexagone die cuts in two sizes, trimming them flush with the edges of the card. The pointy finger is cut out and popped up on foam pads. It's from a set with various vintage style transport-based images and I think it's a nice size!

Stamps:
Past Times by Hero Arts
Essential Messages by Hero Arts

Paper: black and white

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine by Tsukineko

Other: Geometric Shape Frame Cuts dies by Hero Arts

Now for the giveaway bit! When I got my stuff from Hero Arts, I received a stamp set that was having a bit of an identity crisis. It believed itself to be a set of script stamps where in actual fact it was a chandelier-based set (a little packaging hiccup). Having alerted them to the issue, Libby and the lovely folk at Hero Arts sent me the script stamps and said I could gift the extra set rather than sending it back.

Here it is - it's called Chandelier with Birds.

If you'd like it, just say so in your comment and I'll pop your name into a hat - comments on the card are, of course, very welcome so if you don't mention the stamps I'll assume you're not interested in the draw. I'll draw one at random next Sunday so leave a comment by midnight GMT on Saturday  22nd June 2013.

Thanks for stopping by!

Carved flowers

Do you ever get a backlog of new crafty things you've just not got round to playing with? I know I do! These carved flower stamps have been waiting patiently for me to ink them up for quite some time now. The Pan Pastels are a more recent purchase but they've still had to wait a while - oops! It was fun to try them out in anger though (having previously only tested them on the back of an envelope the day they arrived!).

The DL format of this card looks
elegant in real life but it was a swine to photograph - I hope you get the idea!

I stamped the flowers on an old book page and added Diarylide Yellow and Orange Pan Pastels over the top, letting the yellow blend out past the flower outline to get a "glow". I used a green pencil for the calyx area. I then smeared a liberal amount of Turquoise and a little Ultramarine on the background. I really liked the way the pastels spread and the amount of pigment is very impressive - a little goes a very long way and those pots are going to last ages!

The flowers looked pretty but I decided I'd like more definition so I used a stamp positioner and stamped again directly over the top of the original. If you planned to do this in advance I guess you could use a light coloured ink for the first stamping, just as a guide for where to spread your colour and then you wouldn't have to be quite as precise with the second impression.

That Hero Arts sentiment gets another outing - I seem to be incapable of making a birthday card without it at the moment! This one's destined for my sister-in-law but she's not a blog browser so I think it's safe to show.

Stamps:
Carved Flowers by Darkroom Door
Say It All by Hero Arts

Paper:
Old book page, black and white cardstock

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine by Tsukineko

Other:
Diarylide Yellow, Orange, Turquoise, Ultramrine Pan Pastels
Marine Green Prismacolor pencil
Krylon matt sealant
Acrylic nail art gems

The Pan Pastels UK challenge blog has an "anything goes" theme this week and since I remembered to look I'll hook this up there.

Thanks for stopping by!

Floral inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere but not always when you want it!

We have free rein for the postcard swap on UKStampers this month and I always find that the hardest challenge of all as I don't have a starting point! So I chose a challenge to give me a kick start - Indigo Blu are on their third monthly challenge and the theme is Flowers (details here).

This lovely Anemone Corner stamp has rarely seen ink so I thought I'd give it an outing. The word Inspire and the script I used to give the background a bit of interest are both from the Sarah's Choice set. Colouring with waxy pencils means there's a resist effect when you stamp with dye ink (as I did with the script stamp) which saves a masking job!

I finished with a tracing wheel and faux stitching on the white layer. As ever, the cards go through the post as genuine postcards with no envelope for protection so steering clear of embellies is a good idea!

Stamps:
Anemone Corner (Indigo Blu)
Sarah's Choice (Indigo Blu)

Paper: smooth white and black

Ink: 
Onyx Black (Versafine by Tsukineko)
Antique Linen (Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger)

Other:
Prismacolor pencils, Sansodor and blending stump
Tracing wheel
Fineliner

Thanks for stopping by! Why not come and join us in the postcard swap if you fancy some handcrafted happy mail?

Dragonfly birthday

It was my dad's birthday earlier in the week and this is the card I made for him. A little bit different for me but it was fun!

I spritzed my cardstock with water first (make sure it's something that's happy with plenty of moisture if you
do this) and dripped a little ink onto it, letting it pool and tilting the card to make it run. I used three inks and let them mix a bit where they met. I also flicked some ink from a paintbrush for some splatters of more concentrated colour.

Once dry, I stamped the dragonfly, used a wet paintbrush to lift some of the colour from his wings and used Spica glitter pens to give them a shimmery finish. A sentiment and simple white on white layering finishes it off. I actually mounted the white panel on black before sticking it down so if you view from the side there's a very thin black margin round the panel.

I think that Hero Arts "Happy Birthday" is fast becoming my favourite birthday sentiment - maybe because I wish my handwriting looked like that!

Stamps:
Wings (Darkroom Door)
Sentiment from Say It All (Hero Arts)

Paper: Cryogen White

Ink:
Distress reinkers by Ranger (Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn, Bundled Sage)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Spica glitter pens (turquoise and green)

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a lovely weekend!

Modern art?

There's a "mixed media" challenge every Friday over at Splitcoaststampers. I'm very much of the mind that mixed media is not a style, despite the predominance of a certain artsy, grungy, eclectic look that springs to many people's minds when you say the phrase. To me (and to the ladies who set the challenges, I suspect) mixed media is exactly what it says on the tin - using more than one medium!

The very talented Birgit set this week's challenge - make some modern art using at least two colouring media and doing something different than your norm.

I usually treat images pretty literally so my "difference" is to use a rose image with non-flowery colours and crop it to make it look quite abstract.

I heat embossed in black on black card and then used metallic markers and pencils to colour the sections. Some sections are just pencil so they're a matt finish, others are metallic marker shaded with pencils so those have a sheen.

I  cut it out with a Nestie and kept the setting very simple as there's a lot going on in that twinchie!

Stamps:
Rose Bloom by Stampendous
Say It All by Hero Arts

Paper: White and black

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Other:
Metallic markers (blue, green and silver)
Prismacolor pencils
Detail black embossing powder
Fineliner
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!