Celebrating bees!

Shabneez has set our challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week - she'd like to hear it for the bees! They're fantastic little creatures and so many things in the modern environment pose a threat to them, I'm happy to have any excuse to celebrate bees.

Some bees have something called a "waggle dance" - they use it to "talk" to their hive mates and tell them the direction and distance to go for patches of pollen. I thought dancing bees might well be celebrating!

I was lazy and used the die as a stencil rather than cutting one - I think it worked OK for this kind of slightly grungy look. I splattered over the inking with gold paint for a hint of honey!

Stamps:
Queen Bee (Crafty Secrets, no longer with us)
Birthday (Letter It range by Ranger)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Mustard Seed, Wild Honey)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Mixed Media 1 dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Copic markers
Clear Wink of Stella pen
Gansai Tambi Starry Colour paints
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

April elements and a link in the chain!

It’s the first Friday of a new month so it’s an elemental challenge over at Daring Cardmakers. Jenny is providing our inspiration picture this month - as ever, just choose at least three elements from it to kickstart your project. 

I chose a typewriter, script writing, hearts and the word “love” to make a clean and simple card. I added a touch of Glossy Accents to the tiny wee die cut hearts and used glue gel under the typewriter so it has just a bit of lift. The GA proved very reflective when I did the photo this morning!With hindsight I think I’d have been happier without the grey inking along the base of the card but you live and learn!

Stamps:
On the Desk (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)
Sarah’s Choice (Indigo Blu)

Say It Loud (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board
Red

Ink:
Shadow ink by Hero Arts (Soft Granite)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Confetti die (Mama Elephant)
Pinflair gel glue
Corner Chomper
Glossy Accents by Ranger

It's also reveal day over at Card Chain Challenge - my card went to Renate in The Netherlands this time. 

From the options on offer for March I chose the colour scheme of flamingo pink, sea green and sunshine yellow (I don't think I'd have ever put these together without prompting), women and friendship. Simple stamping and colouring, then a bit of masking over the show girls to create the sunburst background with a stencil. I used a fineline pen to create some grounding.

Stamps:
Show Girls (Lost Coast Designs)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Sunshine Yellow)

Other:
Copic markers
Strobes Stencil (Visible Image)
Black fineliner

There's still time to sign up for the April chain if you'd like to make and send a card and receive one in return, it's a friendly challenge with a lovely bunch of crafters.

Thanks for stopping by!

Say it loud

Nat has set our challenge over at Daring Cardmakers today and she’d like to see words take centre stage - oversized, mixed fonts, negative die cuts, just choose a way to make the words the focal point of your design. 

I opted for a subtle image in the background with a bold word on top for a card with a masculine feel. I added some grounding with a regular pencil, a few pearl dots and some white highlights on the lettering just to accentuate it a bit more.  

Stamps:
Birthday (Letter It range by Ranger)
Champagne Celebration (Crafters Companion)

Paper:
Bristol board

Strathmore toned grey

Ink:
Shadow ink by Hero Arts (Soft Granite)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Stitched rectangle dies A6 size (Paper Rose)
Black fineliner
Pearl pen by Viva Decor (Ice White)
White paint pen by Posca

Thanks for stopping by!

Box of flowers

The challenge this month over at Let’s Squash It is to make or repurpose a box and use a floral embossing folder. I’ve had this idea in my head since the challenge launched and finally managed to get it made today. 

 

I used a large matchbox (you might know the brand Cook’s Matches if you’re in the UK) as my base. I painted the tray with black acrylic paint and added a ribbon tab pull. This floral folder makes me think of chrysanthemums and to me those needs autumnal shades (they were my mum’s bridal flowers for an autumn wedding) so I rubbed a gold ink pad over the raised areas and brushed on copper, gold and bronze Perfect Pearls. The embossing wasn’t quite wide enough to do the full top and sides of the box but I managed to centre the embossing and I think the flat margins look as if they’re meant to be there along the bottom edges.

Supplies:
Empty match box
Bold Floral embossing folder by Darice
Delicata by Tsukineko (Golden Glitz)
Perfect Pearls by Ranger (Copper, Gold, Bronze)
Black cardstock
Ribbon
Small copper brad
Black acrylic paint 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Spring is in the air

Kathy is feeling the joys of spring over at Daring Cardmakers this week - she'd like to see us saying hello to the new season.

I'm still in clean and simple mode and still enjoying targeted raids on older supplies. The stamp set that contains this cute duckling is from 2010! So, as Retro Rubber have an "anything goes" theme at the moment I'm hooking up there too.

This would have been a one layer card except that I messed up stamping the sentiment so I cut a little banner to stick over the top. Probably a happy accident as I like the detail of the pierced edges, fishtail and pearl dots that prompted me to add.

Stamps:
Spring Chicks and More (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol Board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Corner Chomper
Tracing wheel
Pearl pen by Viva Decor (Ice White)

Thanks for stopping by!

Butterfly birthday

I needed a birthday card for a teen and was struggling for ideas when I remembered the current challenge at Day of the Month Card Club and decided that would make a good starting point.

It's a one layer card (if a die cut addition is allowable under that definition!) with a drop shadow added with a couple of grey Copic markers. I taped off the sides with low tack tape before stencilling for the background, drew in a border with a fineliner and added the shadow. 

A big stamped sentiment and one of the pretty butterflies from the duo of dies and the whole thing came together quite quickly. I did add some shading to the cells of the butterfly wings with a couple of markers and some white highlight dots.

Stamps:
Birthday (Letter It range by Ranger)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Whatever was on my blending brush plus Tumbled Glass Distress ink!
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Mini Detailed Butterfly dies (Tim Holtz/Ranger)
Copic markers
Black fineliner
White paint pen by Posca
Time Tunnel stencil (Visible Image)

Thanks for stopping by! 

Floral Friday

Apparently it’s Plant a Flower day so Jenny’s challenge to us over at Daring Cardmakers this week is to feature a favourite flower or flowers. 

I don’t really have a favourite but I do have plenty of floral stamps - you might say I’m equal opps when it comes to flowers! I got this one on sale a couple of years back and have so far failed to use it. I see it is now on sale again but this time as an “end of line” item. Still, I suppose at least I managed to use it before it actually retired! 

The stamp is detailed enough that I thought a simple black and white image with some dramatic background colour might make a striking card. I masked the image, smooshed ink over it and then added some gold splatters before taking the mask off. I decided a little more colour concentration around the flower head would be good so I added a bit of Copic marker as well. 

Stamps:
BEAUtanicals Large - Peony (Bee Crafty )
Sat It All (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Tim Holtz Distress and Oxide by Ranger (Picked Raspberry)

Other:
Gansai Tambi Starry Colours
Copic marker
Corner Chomper 

Thanks for stopping by!

March elements

It’s the first Friday of the month so that means it’s an elemental challenge over at Daring Cardmakers - the lovely Nat has chosen our inspiration photo this month and there’s a huge amount to choose from. As ever, just pick at least three elements to kickstart your project. 

I chose the armchair, soft green and kraft from the colour palette, musical score and pearly dots inspired by the buttons. This started life as a genuine one layer card but the mask over the chair got too wet when I smooched ink on there so no only did colour bleed through but it lifted some of the card surface as well. Plan B involved stamping the chair on kraft, cutting it out and popping it up on a bit of gel glue. I think I managed to disguise the initial oops! (Apologies for the slightly ropy photo - too much sun in Northumberland this morning!)

Stamps:
Wish You Were Here and Say It All (Hero Arts, both retired I think)
Musical Backgrounds (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board
Kraft

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide by Ranger (Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough)

Other:
Pearl pen by Viva Decor (Ice White)
Coloured pencils
Copic markers 
Corner Chomper 
Pinflair glue gel

Here’s our inspiration photo this time. Thanks for stopping by!

Link in the chain - February

It’s reveal day at Card Chain Challenge. Mine went to the lovely Gail in Norway this time. Once I saw that one of the themes was polar bears and my mind went to this stamp (which probably hasn’t seen ink for the best part of a decade) I couldn’t seem to work in any of the other options. Never mind, one is all it takes to play!

The bears are stamped on grey paper and coloured with pencils - I think I succeeded in making the edges of the image disappear somewhat (the lines of the water stop rather abruptly). There’s a touch of sparkle on the water courtesy of Wink of Stella and an eclipse sentiment and that’s about it. 

I’ve just (re)listened to the Philip Pullman Northern Lights trilogy on Audible so of course I was imagining these bears donning their armour as I made the card! Would have been totally appropriate for its destination since they’re Svalbard bears but I’m not sure I’m up to drawing armour made of sky iron so they remained unclad (apologies if that whole paragraph meant nothing to you!).

Stamps:
Polar Bear Pair (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board
Strathmore Toned Grey

Ink:
Hero Arts shadow ink by Ranger (Soft Granite)

Other:
Spellbinder Phrases 1 dies
Coloured pencils
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Clear Wink of Stella pen

There are still a few days to sign up for the next chain if you fancy it - make and send one card, get a card from the next person in the chain. Details here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tic tac toe on the ocean

I’m delighted to be guest designing for the current challenge at Retro Rubber. It’s one of their tic tac toe challenges this time, I always enjoy playing these. I picked the middle row: neutrals-the ocean-colouring with inks, markers or pencils. 

The shells are from a Hero Arts set that is one of my all time favourites. Sadly, I believe it’s retired now. I stamped and masked the two larger shells on toned grey paper and stamped the smaller shell separately so that I could pop it up slightly with some gel glue. I used several shades of grey and a white pencil to colour the images, masked them and sponged ink over a die cut for the net effect. The sentiment is from another favourite old set by Crafty Secrets. 

The "light through water" effect at the top is a stencil -  just ink lightly over it once and then shift it slightly and do it again.

Stamps:
Antique Engravings (Hero Arts, I’ve had mine since about 2013)
Sentiment from Seaside (Crafty Secrets, no longer with us, I’ve had mine since 2008)

Paper:
Bristol board
Strathmore Toned Grey

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Hero Arts shadow ink by Ranger (Soft Granite)

Other:
Pearl pen by Viva Decor (Ice White)
Coloured pencils
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Netting  die cut (Marianne Designs)
Fibres stencil (Visible Image)