Sunday, January 1st 2023 - HAPPY NEW YEAR

Morning readers, 

First order of the day - to wish a very Happy and Healthy New Year to all of my followers and readers and to thank you for visiting and commenting in 2022 and I look forward to seeing your comments in 2023 too.

I don't do "resolutions" but I am determined to get back on track with the walking and sugar/calorie reduction ... obviously, over Christmas, I've been a little lax and must get back to it with DETERMINATION now we're in 2023. If you have made any resolutions then I wish you luck, patience and determination with achieving them.

I've a make to share with you today ....... an Artist Trading Card, measuring just 3½" x 2½"

My ATC

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippet of gelli plate "play" using green/blue/white acrylic paint
• Stamplorations sentiments (from "Discover") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink, sprinkled with clear embossing powder and heat set
• White acrylic paint through which I swiped an old credit card and then used to draw my white lines
• Radiant pearls "mayan gold" paint "flicked" over my ATC

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

1. Creative Knockouts - challenge No. 484 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Polkadoodles - challenge No. 52 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Pattie's Creations - challenge No. 201 - ANYTHING GOES

It's Friday ... it's NEW YEARS EVE

Morning readers, 

I'd like to wish all my followers and readers a very Happy (and healthy) New Year, may we all see many improvements on the last 20 months - stay safe all

I'm not in the habit of making New Year Resolutions but, if I did .... it would probably be to eat and drink less and to move more, and to BE KIND - what about you?

We did get together with family between Christmas and New Year, all fully jabbed, dressed warmly and with the windows open, can't wait to get back to "normal", can you?

Yes, some of us needed a blanket with those open windows!

I, of course, was dressed for the occasion ...

I've a make to share with you today ....... a masculine birthday card ... as the New Year is about to begin, I just KNOW I'm going to need a few of those! This design kind of evolved but I can see it being a female birthday just as easily, by changing the colour, or even just a general celebratory card - can't you?

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6/A2 card and matching envelope
• White and navy card, cut to fit and mat
• Using a makeup brush and Memento Paris dusk ink I randomly applied colour in a strip across the middle of my card panel
• Hero Arts harlequin star image (E3654) stamped using Versafine Clair twilight ink
• Uniko sentiment (from Art Decoratif Anniversaire) stamped using Versafine Clair paradise ink
• Placing my Tim Holtz mini stencil (from set #38) over my image panel and using a makeup brush I applied Memento Paris dusk ink through my stencil

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

1. Water Cooler Wednesday - challenge No. 331 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Paper Funday - December challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) HOLIDAYS
3. Krafty Chicks - challenge No. 592 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Creative Knockouts - challenge No. 433 - ANYTHING GOES

Thursday and it's New Years Eve

Morning readers, 

Well, here we are at the last day of 2020 and who, like me, will be glad to see the back of it? It's been rubbish for many of us but I plan to start 2021 in a positive frame of mind ... to that end I've made a card of the type I so seldom make .. a Happy New Year card ....

My card

 

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

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to fit
• One piece of silver mirri card, cut to mat
• Inkadinkado snowflakes (from "snowflakes a-plenty" 98397) stamped using Versafine Clair twilight and morning mist inks
• Verse Rubber Stamps sentiment (CH-0162 "Happy New Year") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Wink of Stella clear glitter gel brush pen used to accentuate text and large snowflake .... not that this really shows in the photograph .... at all!

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

1. Through The Craft Room Door - December 1st challenge - ANYTHING GOES
2. Paper Minutes - challenge No. 672 - NEW YEAR CARD or GOODIES
3. Crafty Sentiments - December 15th challenge - ANYTHING GOES
4. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas - challenge No. 522 - NEW YEAR CARD
5. Crafting Happiness - challenge No. 77 - NEW YEAR PROJECT

And another New Year project, some mail art to wish a pal a Happy New Year

My mail art

Materials used:

• White DL envelope
• Full coverage post-it note, cut to the approximate size of my "usual" address panel
• With my "mask" in place and, using a makeup brush, I applied a light application of Memento Bahama blue around the edge of the post-it then, with the Dylusions circle stencil (DYS52364) on top, I applied more of the blue, fading the colour application towards the outer edges
• I then swapped out the stencil for my Time Holtz snowflake (THS050) and Memento Paris dusk ink
• Verses Rubber Stamps "Happy New Year" sentiment (CH0162) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

I'll be entering this over at the Love to Craft Challenge Blog, for their December "ANYTHING GOES" challenge and also at Polkadoodles, for their challenge 52 which is ANYTHING GOES

I'd also like to take this opportunity to reflect on the year behind us with all it's trials, tribulations, ups and downs, to remember friends and family who've had a harder time than they deserved and to spare a thought to everyone who's lost someone to Covid-19 or some other tragedy in 2020 and to wish each and every one of you an improvement in 2021. I don't plan on making any resolutions - didn't get to many of last years because of "you know what"!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Morning readers,

I've scheduled this post as I have no plans to be up and at 'em this early - it's New Years Day for heavens sake!! Although, I've probably had my eight hours - disturbed only by the fireworks at midnight (though we heard odd pops and bangs from 10pm onwards)! Do you make resolutions? I used to but never kept them so now I don't bother ... IF I did then I guess it would be to lose some weight, be nicer and to be more creative - what resolutions would you make?

I'd like to wish my family, friends, followers and visitors all the very best in 2020, make it a good one!

I've a make to share with you today .... I bought this fab stamp for a fiver quite recently but this is the first time it's seen ink ... it's a little on the large size ... but too fab not to buy!

My card

 

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

Materials used:

• White 5" square, 250gsm card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to fit
• One piece of neon pink, cut to mat
• Creative Expressions image (UMS835) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink (for the insert I partially stamped using Memento London fog ink
• Woodware sentiment (FRS632 Deco Sayings) stamped using Versafine Claire nocturne ink
• Radiant pearls sugar plum used to paint the dragonfly wings and add a pink sheen
• Stardust stickles used to bling up the image

 

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

1. Stamps and Fun - challenge No. 359 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Crafty Sentiments - December 10th challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Through The Craft Room Door - December challenge - ANYTHING GOES
4. Papercraft Challenges - challenge No. 53 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 120 - ANYTHING GOES

And, with MORE new stash there was nothing for it but to make another card ..... at least it's not a Christmas card!

My card

 

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

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to fit
• One piece of hot pink card, cut to mat
• Picture This sentiment (from "Happy Days" set 035) stamped using Versafine morning mist and purple delight inks 
• Creative Stamping's candle image (RN16D - gosh, looks like I've had this image for around 14 years -  how time flies!!!!) stamped using Memento London fog ink
• Crayola coloured pencils used to colour the image and stardust stickles to bling up the image

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

1. Make My Monday - challenge No. 112 - FEMALE BIRTHDAY
2. Colouring in Scrapland - December challenge - ANYTHING (hand coloured) GOES + (optional) CHRISTMAS
3. Tuesday Morning Sketches - challenge No. 535 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Lemon Shortbread - challenge No. 110 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Creative Inspirations - January challenge - SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW - old being my candle stamp (which I've had for MANY years) and new being my art deco sentiments ... just a couple of days before Christmas!

It's Sunday and New Years Eve

Morning all

Not really expecting too many visitors today but wanted to stop by and wish you all a very

And, in amongst the festivities and the snow, I managed to make a card using more NBUS (Never Before Used Stash, a phrase coined by Darnell)

My card

 

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

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 300gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two white card panels cut to fit
• One navy card panel cut to mat
• Snippets of card in white and navy
• With the white snippet taped down to a blending mat I applied Distress Inks in tumbled glass and stormy sky using a mini blending tool and foam mat
• Creative Expressions large chevron image (from CEC828) and Paper Artsy splatter (from HTPX01) stamped using Ranger Archival hickory smoke (a multi ink pad containing hickory smoke/vintage photo/espresso and black soot)
• Creative Expressions small chevron stamped using Ranger Archival cobalt blue ink
• Cats Pyjamas sentiment (from CL-5845S) stamped using Ranger Archival black (from the multi ink pad - not photographed)

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

1. Sweet Stampin' - 30th December - ANYTHING NEW (new stash CEC828)
2. Inkspirational - challenge No. 151 - DESIGNERS CHOICE - STAMPING ONLY (no dies/dps just stamping/inking
3. CRAFT Challenge - challenge No. 448 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Creative Knockouts - challenge No. 226 - ANYTHING GOES