TGIF! It's almost the weekend!

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today .......

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and neon yellow, for my card front, insert and matting
• Piece of scrap card, from which I die cut a Pink and Main concave rectangle, to use as a mask
• Using a mini blender (and domed foam) I applied Hero Arts neon yellow ink through my mask
• With the mask still in place I overlaid my Tim Holtz stencil (THMS032) and stencilled Hero Arts neon orange ink through it
• Penny Black image (from "Allegro") and Clearly Besotted sentiment (from mini calligraphy) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

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

1. HLS - April DIES challenge - ANYTHING GOES
2. HLS - April BIRTHDAY challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Penny Black Saturday Challenge - April challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) SOMETHING FUNNY
4. Addicted to Stamps - challenge No. 444 - ANY OCCASION
5. Paper Funday - challenge No. 52 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) FLOWER POWER

I'm delighted that the LIM challenge returned as it's a challenge I always try to enter (being right in the centre of my CAS wheelhouse!) so, imagine my surprise to discover that I got showCASed for an entry to their black and aquamarine challenge - thanks so much to the Design Team, it IS appreciated.

Welcome to another weekend

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today .......

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6/A2 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and deep red, for my card front, insert and matting
• Tim Holtz stencil (THMS056) used, with a makeup brush, to apply Ranger Archival vermillion ink
• Penny Black irises (40.012 - pre 2019) stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Crystal stickles used to bling up the bloom

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

1. Penny Black Saturday challenge - Oct challenge - ANYTHING GOES
2. Retro Rubber - challenge No. 193 - ANYTHING GOES using stamps more than one year old
3. HLS - Oct STENCIL challenge - ANYTHING GOES
4. Daring Cardmakers - Oct 14th challenge - BIG ON BACKGROUNDS
5. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 240 - ANYTHING GOES

I was lucky enough to be showCASed at a challenge I love to enter, Simply Less Is More, for their challenge No. 471 - thanks so much peeps, really appreciate it. My congratulations to the winners there along with my fellow showCASE-ers!

Midweek already, where ARE the days going?

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today ....... one of the cards we cardmakers hate to make

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 240gsm, A2/C6 card and matching envelope
• White card and black card, for my card front, insert and matting
• Snippet of black card - to use as my straight edge!
• Using my straight edge and a makeup brush I applied "lines" of varying lengths using Ranger Archival shadow grey and cobalt inks
• TPC Studio image and text (from Autumn Harvest) stamped using Versafine onyx black and Ranger Archival shadow grey
• Hero Arts sentiment (from CL342) stamped using Versafine onyx black ink

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

1. Leann's World - challenge No. 50 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Stamping Sensations - May challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) FLORA or FAUNA
3. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 181 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge No. 2219 - ANYTHING GOES

And, on a brighter note - another card for the "sentiment free" commission

My C6 card

Materials used:

• White, 240gsm, A2/C6 card and matching envelope
• Card in white and turquoise, for my card front, insert and matting
• Art Impressions image (from SCO677) stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Prismacolour scholar and Derwent coloursoft pencils used to colour image

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

1. Colour Crazy - challenge No. 18 - ANYTHING (hand coloured) GOES
2. HLS - May CAS challenge - BLEND
3. We Love Stamping - May challenge - FOR A LADY or a GIRL
4. CraftyCatz - challenge No. 594 - HAND COLOURED
5. Simon Says Stamp - Monday challenge - ALCOHOL (inks or drinks!)

I was showCASed over at LIM for their "OCCUPATIONS" themed challenge - thank you so much LIM-ettes.

TGIF peeps, the weekend is nearly here!

Morning readers, 

Warning, this post is a little pic heavy as there are three makes to share today

Had a good week? Hubby's been decorating and I've been keeping out of his way by crafting, video chatting and meeting in person too - works for me. Probably works for him too, as I'm not in his way!

My first make to share with you today ....... a little Artist Trading Card

My Artist Trading Card, measuring just 3½"x2½"

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of leftover card in white and a piece of DCWV glittered "Argyle" card
• On the white snippet I lightly applied Adirondack purple twilight to the entire panel and Distress Oxide in candied apple to just the outer edges before overlaying my Tim Holtz mini "argyle" stencil (THMS048) and applying another layer of the purple twilight ink
• PRS sentiment (from "New Day") and Aall & Create images (from set #244) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Sharpie pens used to colour and I used the black sharpie to add a border to the ATC base and image panel
• Dimensional foam pads (from a £2 pack at The Works) to adhere my image panel to my ATC base

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

1. Polkadoodles - challenge No. 40 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Crafters Cafe - challenge No. 275 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Colour It, Create It - October challenge - ANYTHING GOES
4. A Perfect Time To Craft - challenge No. 10 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 413 - USE SNIPPETS

Next up is another make using a panel from my recent playdate with my gel plate! This time, I went with an ATC holder, always useful, as someone who swaps a fair few ATC's! I opted for a slightly grungier appearance with the addition of a darker ink and some stencilling and really like how this turned out too.

These were the panels I produced,
 using paints and my gel plate

Materials used:

• One panel of my gel plate play session (materials used and other details may be seen in my blog post here)
• Aall & Create stencil (#111) used with a makeup brush, to apply Distress Oxide in black soot
• Paperbabe sentiment stamped using Versafine onyx black ink and then sprinkled with WOW! superfine clear gloss embossing powder and then heat set

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

1. Love To Craft Challenge Blog - challenge No. 63 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Love To Scrap Challenge Blog - challenge No. 150 - ANYTHING BUT A CARD
3. Creative Artiste - challenge No. 76 - ANYTHING MIXED MEDIA GOES
4. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 216 - ANYTHING GOES

And now, the third and final make for this post .....

My 4" square Kraft card

Materials used:

• Kraft, 300gsm, 4" square card and matching envelope
• Card in white and purple, for my image and insert plus a matting layer
• Aall & Create image (from set #289 - NBUS) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink (also stamped on to Heffy Doodle repositionable wide tape, which I then fussy cut out - to use as a mask)
• Aall & Create sentiment (from set #289 - NBUS) stamped using Versafine Clair monarch ink
• With my mask in place and using a makeup brush, I applied Versafine Clair cheerful ink through my Tim Holtz argyle stencil (THMS048)
• Faber Castell polychromos pencils used to colour my little bear

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

1. Simply Less Is Moore - challenge No. 453 - COLOUR CHALLENGE (purple and yellow)
2. NBUS - challenge No. 31 - USE NBUS
3. Critter Crazy - challenge No. 275 - FEATURE A CRITTER
4. QKR Stampede - challenge No. 429 - ANYTHING GOES + A SENTIMENT
5. Stamping Sensations - October challenge - ANIMALS, BIRDS & BUGS

I also discovered that one of my makes was picked as a "FAVOURITE" over at Happy Little Stampers for their August CAS challenge of "OFF THE EDGE" - thanks so much peeps, it's great when you see that people like your work.

AND (I'm on a roll this week) I was showCASed over at the Less Is More challenge blog for their "SPARKLE" challenge - thanks so much peeps.

Wednesday once more, it will soon be the weekend!

Morning readers, 

How's your week coming along? Monday evening saw us out to dinner with a friend, for a great curry at our fave restaurant. Tuesday morning dawned good and wet so I changed things about a bit - I normally take a walk then craft but decided to go the other way round - in the hope the rain would let up! It kind of worked because I managed my three miler without getting wet but .. it was NOT a good weather day! Nor did I get to spend a great deal of time at the ToC (Table of Craftiness) but I DID fill my car with fuel (first time since 2019 though I have popped £5 worth in a couple of times) AND bought some C6 card blanks from The Range whilst I was in the vicinity - is it my imagination people, or does The Range seem to have almost stopped selling stamps (clear or wood mounted)?

I've a make to share with you today ....... the fruits of my crafting!

My C6 card and, below: the front/back inside of my card
and the front/back of my envelope

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6/A2 card and matching envelope
• White card, cut to fit, for my image panel and insert
• Using a makeup brush and a TCW stencil (176s) I applied Memento dandelion and tangelo inks until I was happy with the colour
• TCP sentiment (S.5845.CL) and Penny Black image ("A cluster" - 3124F) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

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

1. International Art & Soul - challenge No. 115 - CAS (Clean And Simple)
2. Creative Crafters - challenge No. 43 - ANYTHING GOES
3. A Bit More Time To Craft - August challenge - ANYTHING GOES
4. HLS - August Stencil challenge - ANYTHING GOES
5. Lemon Shortbread - challenge No. 152 - ANYTHING GOES

I was showCASed over at Simply Less is More, for my entry in their ShowCASe the card challenge (#448), thank you so much peeps, I'm honoured.

The last two weeks have been Balloon fortnight around here ........ we were sitting at the home of some friends, at the weekend (enjoying the sunshine), when a whole load of them went overhead ... I only had my phone with me but these are the best of the pix, followed by a GLORIOUS sunset!