Wednesday, half way through another week!

Morning readers,

I've a make to share with you today ... a masculine Artist Trading Card (measuring just 3½" x 2½") and with the theme of Tape/Washi Tape. I kind of love that it looks like Algernon has long hair ... because of the  moustache on the washi tape behind him!

My finished ATC

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in Designer monochrome, white, textured black and grey
• Using a set of frame dies, from Pink and Main, I die cut the "polaroid" from textured b lack card
• Tim Holtz washi tape selection used to cover the insert of the polaroid die
• Acid Drops and Whatnots image (from AD-38 "All dressed up") stamped on to a white card snippet, coloured with Faber Castell polychromos pencils and then fussy cut out before attaching (and trimming) to my polaroid middle
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology sticker

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

1. Snippets Playground - challenge No. 499 - USE SNIPPETS
2. Love to Craft - challenge No. 84 - ANYTHING GOES
3. A Cut Above - Feb challenge - ANYTHING GOES (with a die cut)
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge No. 2502 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 247 - ANYTHING GOES

Monday? WOT ... Again? Doesn't seem like long ago it was Monday before!

Morning readers,

Hope you all managed a nice weekend, some of you may have been luckier with the weather than others!!! We got ... RAIN! Of course, we also got some thunderstorms - such a shame as we'd planned a hedge trimming marathon! Sunday was the Surrogate Secret Santa draw ... eight of us participate and, frankly, finding a date we could all  make proved quite tricky (I swear herding cats is probably easier!), hence us ending up having the draw in SEPTEMBER!!!! Next date we could all make (at this moment) was going to be the weekend before Christmas and we all felt that was a little TOO close to the big day! It was, as always, a hoot and a half - lots of laughter and silliness, and a little homework! 

I've a make to share with you today ... a card for a pal who found herself unexpectedly in hospital with a diagnosis none of us could have imagined just a couple of weeks ago ..... "Get well soon" or "Feel better soon" didn't quite feel quite so appropriate - this is what I came up with.

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and envelope
• Card in white and hot pink, for my card front, insert and matting
• Katzelkraft sentiment (from KTZ291 - Dec. 2023 and NBUS) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Stampers Anonymous image (from CMS214 "Runway") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Copic markers (in blue/pink and skintones) used to colour 
• Crystal stickles to add some bling

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

1. Simply Clean And Simple - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) SIGNS OF FALL
2. NBUS - challenge No. 66 - USE NBUS
3. Addicted to CAS - challenge No. 267 - JUST A NOTE
4. We Love Stamping - September challenge - ANYTHING HAD COLOURED GOES
5. Krafty Chicks - challenge No. 734 - CAS (Clean And Simple)
6. Color Hues - challenge No. 95 - BLUE & PINK

And now for an Artist Trading Card, measuring just 3½" x 2½". Many of my regular viewers/readers will recall that I do themed swaps with a trading card buddy and the theme I've been working on is "KEYS" ...

My ATC

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and pearl grey
• Avery Elle circle image (from ST-18-19) stamped using Versafine Clair morning mist ink
• Stampabilities key image (from 620161) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Avery Elle swipe image (also from ST-18-19) stamped using Versafine Clair charming pink ink
• Heffy Doodle sentiment ("Sending Smiles") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

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

1. Crafting Happiness - challenge No. 193 - POCKET LAYOUT or ATC
2. Pattie's Creations - challenge No. 222 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 285 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Crafty Catz - challenge No. 678 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 238 - ANYTHING GOES

Saturday - an unusual day for me to post these days ....

Morning readers,

Bear with me, there IS a reason I didn't post yesterday .... see the bottom of this post!

I've a make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card (measuring just 3½" x 2½") on the theme of "Spiders" - I don't have many spider themed images and those I do have are (for the most part) aimed at Halloween, thankfully, August is close enough!! Although I used quite a bit of orange ink ... it looks kind of monochromatic in the photo! Making me wonder if my ink pad is drying up .... 

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and black
• Inkadinkado sentiment and spider border (from 98303) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Using a makeup brush and Memento tangelo ink I applied colour to the image panel

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

1. Two Old Bats - August challenge - ANYTHING HALLOWEEN GOES
2. Crafts Galore Encore - August challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Love to Craft - challenge No. 81 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Critter Crazy - challenge No. 89 - ANYTHING (featuring a creature) GOES ... spiders and a small bat should hopefully count!
5. Morgan's Artworld - challenge No. 79 - ANYTHING GOES

Hubs and I decided to take a couple of days away in Cornwall, a chance to catch up with friends, it's been simply TOO  long. We were so busy catching up over an Indian meal that I COMPLETELY forget to snag a pic!! However, here are a couple I took whilst we were away! Our thanks to our genial hosts at the Walkhampton Inn - they made us very welcome too.

Stopping for lunch on the way south!

LUNCH!That fish and chips was the SMALL portion!

Stopped at the Tamar Donkey Park as it was "en route"
AND close to our lunch venue - so many ears, so little time!

Mevagissey

We were quite lucky with the weather, despite the threatening skies!

Appledore - where we definitely
WEREN'T so lucky with the weather!

And just look at how gorgeous the drive across
Dartmoor was ... on the way HOME!

Friday and the weekend approaches ... ENJOY!

Morning readers,

Is it hot enough for you? We Brits like to talk about the weather and have been wishing for summer to appear, however, now it appears to be here we are all struggling in the heat - oh, if ONLY I had air conditioning!!!! How I should love a good night's sleep, oh well, I guess I should make the most of it whilst we have it!

I've a make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card (measuring 3½" x 2½") and for a swap theme of "TREES"

My ATC

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and white flocked hand made paper
• Using a Tim Holtz mini blended I added Distress Inks: tumbled glass, stormy sky, salty ocean and blueprint sketch
• MFT stencil (clouds ST-143) and Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous star/wood grain stencil (from THMM173) used to add clouds and stars to the background with the leftover ink on my blending mat
• Using a water spritzer (to add water to my fingers) I "flicked" water over my inked panel, left it to develop for a few seconds and then "mopped" up the excess water - to add interest to my ATC - setting aside to dry before completing
• Stampers Anonymous bottle brush tree image (from THMM173) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology sticker (from the "small talk" collection) added
• A quick spritz of Crafters Companion Spray and Shine - to seal the water based inks ... in case of rain whilst in transit!!! You KNOW what the British weather can be like!

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

1. Creative Knockouts - challenge No. 527 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Creative Inspiration - challenge No. 17 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Krafty Chicks - challenge No. 727 - STAMP ACT
4. Word Power - challenge No. 8 - WORD FOCUS
5. Love to Craft - challenge No. 81 - ANYTHING GOES

Monday and here comes another week - ENJOY!

Morning readers,

Hope you all had a great weekend, mine was supposed to be pretty quiet but, a pal dropped in and then stayed for dinner - that's about par for the course these days.

A card for you this morning .... it's a set I've had a number of years, I love this stamp design but it's a little large for the size of card I normally use but ... I was powerless to resist! I WAS doing well on the Christmas card front but, just lately, I've not made a lot of cards - Christmas or otherwise, so need to get a wiggle or I shan't be sending out hand made cards this Christmas!

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and envelope
• Card in white and red, for my card front, insert and matting
• Paper Artsy image and sentiments (from JOFY65 - 2019) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne and tulip red inks
• Copic markers to colour
• Stardust stickles to add some festive bling!

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

1. Krafty Chicks -  challenge No. 720 - CHRISTMAS
2. Creative Inspirations - June challenge - CHRISTMAS IN JUNE
3. The Holly and Ivy - challenge No. 165 - ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES
4. Peace on Earth - challenge No. 66 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) MOOD BOARD - see below
5. We Love Stamping - June challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) FABULOUS FLORALS

I've another make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card, a small scale at just 3½" x 2½" - this one is a themed swap with a buddy and is for her chosen theme of "SPIDERS"! Not my favourite theme but, it could have been worse, it could have been snakes! I DO, however, have to come up with a second one too, watch this space!

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Card snippets in textured black and Graphic45 stack "Steampunk spells"
• Inkadinkado spider and cobweb (from 99619) stamped using Versafine Clair morning mist and nocturne inks
• Clearly Besotted sentiment (from "mini calligraphy") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

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

1. Gem of a Challenge - challenge No. 12 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Polkadoodles - challenge No. 24 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Two Old Bats - June challenge - ANYTHING GOES HALLOWEEN
4. Allsorts - challenge No. 785 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) MASCULINE
5. Starstampz - challenge No. 59 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) FLORAL

Friday evening, I took some washing upstairs and glanced out of the window .... bearing in mind this was about 8:30pm, I was a smidge surprised to see two pigeons who looked to be sleeping in my neighbours garden! Not their smartest move but .... they were gone by Saturday morning!

And on Sunday morning - I looked out and found him/her resting in our neighbours pot! Great camouflage, I NEARLY missed him/her entirely!

Saturday, the weekend - got plans?

 Morning readers,

I've a make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card, measuring just 3½" x 2½", just love the scale of them! I tried "inchies" but those are just too small for me! This ATC is for a themed swap of "blue and silver".

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and pearl silver (DCWV stack)
• Aall & Create image (from set #140 - 2019) stamped using MFT extreme black hybrid ink
• PRS sentiment (from "Positive thoughts" - 2017) stamped using Versafine Clair paradise ink. I also used the same ink, with a makeup brush, to add some colour to the flower panel
• Arteza water colour pens used to colour my image
• Crystal stickles to add some serious sparkle to the flower

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

1. Love to Craft - challenge No. 80 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Craft Rocket - Challenge No. 115 - NO DESIGNER PAPER
3. Krafty Chicks - challenge No. 719 - STAMP ACT
4. Creative Inspiration - challenge No. 15 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Penny's Paper Crafty - challenge No. 573 - ANYTHING GOES

TGIF - bring on the weekend!

 Morning readers,

I've a make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card, measuring just 3½" x 2½". I got to use some NBUS too, initially when I sprinkled the embossing powder (and THEN realised I hadn't let the blue stamping dry quite enough) and got some on the blue .... I was vexed and then I thought "well the theme IS "Silver and Blue" so perhaps I will leave it more "rustic", rather than brush off the excess powder! Now, as I revisit my make, I find that I actually quite like the effect, a happy accident!

My completed ATC

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and navy and another white snippet for my sentiment banner
• Dipping the blue layer in to my Versamark embossing pad, to achieve a border, before sprinkling silver embossing powder and heat setting
• Crafty Roo Designs solid semicircles (from Textures" May 2024 - NBUS) stamped using Versafine Clair paradise ink and setting aside to dry .. but, plainly, not for QUITE long enough!
• I then overstamped the Crafty Roo Designs semi-circle outlines using Versamark embossing ink ink, sprinkling over silver embossing powder, shaking off (most of) the excess before heat setting
• Tim Holtz sentiment (from CMS155) stamped on to a white snippet  using Versafine Clair twilight ink, before cutting in to a banner shape and adhering to my ATC.

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

1. NBUS - challenge No. 63 - USE NBUS
2. Try It On Tuesday - May 28th challenge - EMBOSS IT
3. Unicorn Challenge - challenge No. 99 - EMBOSS IT
4. Ellibell's Crafty Wednesday Challenge - June 5th challenge - ANYTHING GOES
5. Craft Rocket - challenge No. 115 - NO DESIGNER PAPER

Wednesday, and Wheee! It's downhill to the weekend!

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today ....... an Artist Trading Card, loving the scale of these and this one follows the theme of "Your Favourite Animal"! I was torn between a dog and a guinea pig, you can see who won!

My finished ATC, measuring just 3½" x 2½"

My Distress Crayon background

My water coloured grumpy pooch!

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and red
• Using Distress Crayons in seedless preserve and festive berries (scribbled on a non-stick surface and water added) to water colour a wavy background
• Inkylicious image ("delicate vines"-2013) stamped around the edges of my water coloured panel using Versafine Clair morning mist ink
• Aall & Create image and sentiment (from set #170 - 2021) stamped on to my ATC panel and also on to a white snippet, using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• B&M water colours used to colour my grumpy dog image + a gold glitter gel pen, for the crown. 
• Once dry, I fussy cut out my dog before adhering to the water coloured panel and then spritzing the whole project with Crafters Companion spray and shine, to protect the water colours

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

1. Love to Craft - challenge No. 80 - ANYTHING GOES 
2. Critter Crazy - challenge No. 87 - ANYTHING GOES but MUST feature a creature
3. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge No. 2422 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 231 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Stamping Sensations - June challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) MOOD BOARD

I've another make to share with you today ....... and it's NOT an ATC! I got to deploy part of an Aall & Create stamp from a set which turned out to be rather larger than I had anticipated .... a dear friend (with the same set) mentioned she'd chopped hers about a bit. What a good idea, thanks Sarn.

My C6 card

And a (hopefully) better view of the
Gansai Tambi watercolour splatter

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and envelope
• Card in white and gold pearl card
• Aall & Create image (from set #896 - Jan 2024 - NBUS, this is a heart image that I separated from the floral section to make it fit .... and used separately) stamped using Versafine Clair tulip red ink 
• Crafty Impressions sentiment (PICST073) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• TCP sentiment (from S.5845-CL) stamped using Versafine Clair tulip red ink
• Gansai Tambi watercolour (starry colours - light gold) mixed with water and then splattered over the card front
• Stardust stickles to add a little sparkle to the hearts within the larger heart

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

1. Addicted to Stamps - challenge No. 469 - ANY OCCASION
2. Krafty Chicks - challenge No. 718 - ANYTHING GOES
3. NBUS - challenge No. 63 - USE NBUS
4. Hearts Quest Celebration of Love - challenge No. 6 - MUST BE EITHER ENGAGEMENT/WEDDING/ANNIVERSARY = (optional) PATRIOTIC DAYS
5. Gem of a Challenge - challenge No. 11 - ANYTHING GOES

Looked out of the window the other morning, to admire the sunshine, and was a tad surprised to see the cat enjoying the sunny spot on our lawn .... surprised why? We don't have a cat!!!