Welcome to another week ... March too!

Morning all,

March was supposed to herald the commencement of spring but no such luck!! We had snow, snow, and then (for a change) just a little more  .... snow! I realise we got off pretty lightly by comparison with parts of the UK so I hope you are all doing OK and have either enough supplies or been able to get out and obtain them. It's been more like winter than winter was!!! Fingers crossed it will start to improve ... and soon! That said, most of the snow thawed on Sunday and we had rain too - not a winning combination as the street was awash, it was like a little river. Glad we live at the top of the hill and hoping those at the bottom didn't suffer any adverse effects either.

Whilst we were "snowed in" I chose to craft for England! ....

I used to do more journalling but set it aside in favour of cardmaking (I know, right?!?!) Got the chance to return to it and created the base layers (1 - 4) and then put it aside for a couple of months before returning to it one Sunday morning when I didn't feel like making a card!

My journal page

Layer 1 - Dylusions pink and purple paint applied with a brayer

Layer 2 - Pebeo pink through the Stamposaurus stencil

Layer 3 - Liquitex black acrylic through an Imagination crafts stencil

Layer 4 - Stamping with the Stamplorations Art Marks set of stamps

Materials used:

• Cook and Black journal page coated with white gesso
• Dylusions paint in crushed grape and bubblegum pink applied with a brayer
• Knocked back with a small amount of white gesso and applied with a moist babywipe
• Pebeo Studio iridescent pink paint applied through a Stamposaurus stencil using a plastic spatula
• Liquitex Basics black acrylic applied through and Imagination Crafts stencil using a plastic spatula
• Stamplorations (from Art Marks) and Creative Expressions images and text stamped randomly using Ranger Archival watering can and jet black inks
• I stamped the Prima image and flower (910518) on to a snippet of white card and used Faber Castell polychromos pencils to colour
• I stamped the text image and grid image (from Close to my Heart D1412 - noted backgrounds) using Ranger Archival watering can ink, before fussy cutting out 
• I stamped the Stamplorations words (from "It's all about you - typed and boxed) on to a white snippet using Ranger Archival jet black ink and coloured using Faber Castell polychromos pencils
• I found a large punched flower just hiding on my desk so I stamped the text and grid over my punched and cut out flowers using Ranger Archival watering can ink before layering them and adhering to my page, along with my now cut out and coloured Prima image.
• It looked OK but a bit "bright and shiny" - IYKWIM so I took my carbon sketch pencil and added a few strokes around the outside of the add on images, smudging with that most useful of tools, the finger!
• Stardust stickles added to the stars and flower centres as well as tracing round the smaller Stamplorations text

Layers 1 -3

Layer 4

Layer 5

To just grunge it up ... a little bit!

I'll be entering the above for the following challenges:-

1. Creative Artiste - March challenge - ANYTHING MIXED MEDIA GOES
2. Welove2Create - challenge No. 6 - ANYTHING MIXED MEDIA GOES

And then, following my recent discovery of my lack of non specific occasion cards .... I made another

My card

And a closer view of my image

  

The front, back and inside of my card along with the front and back of my envelope

Materials used:

• White A2/C6, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to fit
• Snippets of card in both white and red die cut using MFT faux stitched nesting rectangles
• Red satin ribbon (with glittery polka dots)
• Stampers Anonymous image (from CMS214 - RUNWAY) and MFT sentiment (from BB49 Bitty Bears) stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Faber Castell polychromos pencils
• Dimensional foam tape (for attaching my panel to the card base
• Stardust stickles to bling it up a bit

I'll be entering the above for the following challenges:-

1. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 321 - USE SNIPPETS
2. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 77 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Fashionable Stamping - challenge No. 132 - ONE FOR THE GIRLS
4. Allsorts - challenge No. 457 - LADIES ONLY
5. Morgans Artworld - February 15th challenge - ANYTHING GOES

It's also the birthday of my good friend, Wynneth today so please join me in wishing her a very