Friday and the weekend looms large!

Morning readers

I've a make to share with you today .... I recently made my first postcard and enjoyed the process so thought I would have another go - this one turned out more girly than I imagined when I started it, it just sort of evolved! It's presently winging it's way to someone I haven't been able to catch up with in person, thanks to the Covid-19 lockdown.

The front of my postcard

The reverse of my postcard .. using an image from Dark Room Door's DDRS020
- interestingly enough entitled "Christmas Reindeer"!!!!

Materials used:

• Two pieces of 200gsm white card cut to 6" x 4" and glued together
• KanBan border image (Stamp 08) stamped using Versafine Clair morning mist ink - I did this using my MISTI .. just as well since I had to have three goes to get a decent (and even) impression
• Impression Obsession sentiments (MC657 Wishes) stamped using Versafine Clair purple delight ink 
• Butterfly (a Craft Stamper free image which I THINK may have been from Chocolate Baroque) stamped using Ranger Archival vibrant fuchsia ink
• Using my Aldi stencil brush I applied a small amount of Memento rosebud ink around the outer edge of my postcard and then repeated the proces using the same ink but brushing through a Dutchdoobadoo stencil 470.715.120

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

1. Penny's Paper Crafty - challenge No. 471 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Sisterhood of Crafters - May 13th challenge - BIRDS, BEES or BUTTERFLIES 
3. Creative Inspirations - May challenge - FABULOUSLY FEMININE
4. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - May challenge - MAKE IT FEMININE
5. Crafty Gals Corner - challenge No. 207 - FOR THE LADIES

Slightly different direction for a recent walk .... whilst it looks rural it's only a few hundred yards away from shopping, restaurants, offices and a busy ring road ..... still, a very pleasant walk nonetheless

You can just see the very edge of the office building

What looks like a rural foot/cycle path which is just yards from the ring road

And in the middle ... a McDonalds too!

It's Wednesday ... what's occurrin'?

Morning readers,

I'd like to welcome Hayley Ralph as my latest follower, she's popped across from facebook - hope you'll stop by again, Hayley

I've a make to share with you today .... I'm a bit late to the Distress Oxide party, having only two - this card uses both ....

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 envelopes
• Two pieces of card, cut to fit, one piece in white and one in Kraft
• Distress Oxides in candied apple and antique linen used DTP method and set aside to dry
• Dark Room Door image and sentiment (from DDRS020 Christmas Reindeer) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne and twilight inks - I used my MISTI so I could restamp a couple of times - to get a nice dense and even black image over the DO's
• Stardust stickles to bling up the image
• I used dimensional foam tape to adhere my image panel to my card blank

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

1. Christmas Card Throwdown - May 16th challenge - SILHOUETTES
2. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - challenge No. 490 - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES
3. Sparkles Monthly Challenge - challenge No. 128 - USE A REAL STAMP
4. Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog - May Challenge - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES
5. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - challenge No. 72 - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES

And now for some mail art .... I don't know why but I only JUST realised that those arrowhead images also made great "corners" .... expect to be seeing this again!

My envelope ... still has my post it mask on, to conceal the address

And a closer view of just the inky panel

Materials used:

• One white C5 envelope
• Post it - cut to fit and used as a mask, placed over the address
• Memento canteloupe ink applied around the edge of my mask, using a makeup brush
• HoneyDoo circles stencil placed over the envelope and the canteloupe ink applied through it
• StudioLight images (from SL362) stamped using Memento tangelo and rosebud inks
• And, yes, I remembered to REMOVE the mask before posting!!!!

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

1. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge No. 2020 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 132 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Corrosive Challenge - May challenge - ANYTHING GOES

With the warmer weather I find myself enjoying my daily walks even more, stopping to exchange socially distanced pleasantries with fellow walkers similarly enjoying the sunshine - please (virtually) join me on one of those walks ........

These beautiful fields are less than a mile from my home

My socially distanced walking companion

Monday and the start of another week

Morning readers,

Hope you enjoyed the gorgeous weather at the weekend, not too hot but nice and sunny ... I enjoyed my walks and I got my washing dry too ... so I'm calling that a result. I also got to spend a little time at the Table of Craftiness, see below. Please also welcome my new follower Mrs H - sorry, I don't see a blog link to add here, hope you will return again soon - EDITED TO READ Found one .. Mrs H's blog is here

I've a make to share with you today .... a little Artist Trading Coin ... not very big but packed full of craftiness AND uses three snippets of leftover card - Woo Hoo ... reSULT!

My Artist Trading COIN - 2½" diameter but packed full of stamping and stencilling!

Layer One - Memento dandelion ink

Layer Two - Memento dandelion ink through my stencil

Layer Three - Memento tangelo ink through a stencil

Layer Four - Memento rosebud stamping

Materials used:

• Snippets of leftover card in white and red
• Nesting dies to die cut my 3 circles (1 red + 1 white) at 2½" and one white at 2¼" 
• Using a makeup brush I applied Memento dandelion ink over my white circle, placing one of the two stencils used (from Tim Holtz set #13) I applied ink to one half only before changing to the numbers stencil from the same set and applying Memento tangelo ink to the other half of my white snippet
• Studiolight circle image (from SL362) stamped using Memento rosebud ink and the checkered image using Memento dandelion ink
• Paper Artsy image (EM44) stamped using Memento lady bug ink
• Happy Little Stampers sentiment and dashed line (both from Mixed Media Fun) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

What a lot of supplies for one 2½" circle!!!

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

1. Aud Sentiments - challenge No. 251 - ANYTHING GOES + A SENTIMENT
2. Not Just Cards - May challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Creative Crafters - challenge No. 28 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Gem of a Challenge - challenge No. 10 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 378 - USE SNIPPETS/LEFTOVERS

And now for a card ...... much has been said about Distress Oxides in the past twelve months or so but ... I have never quite persuaded myself I need yet another medium in my collection. In fact, I have two; antique linen and candied apple! A friend mentioned a few things and now .... here's a make using the antique linen - the LIM challenge was simply a perfect platform for it ...... being cream and white!

My card

 

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

And a closer view of the stencilling using the fab antique linen distress oxide

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of 300gsm white card cut to fit
• One piece of 110lb cream card, cut to mat
• Snippets of leftover card in both white and cream for die cutting my image panel
• MFT nesting dies - Faux stitched rectangles
• Dylusions circles stencil through which I applied Distress Oxide in antique linen, using a mini blending tool
• Craft Emotions foliage (from 130501/1237 "herbs/branches") image stamped on small white snippet using Versafine Clair morning mist ink
• CAS-ual Fridays sentiment (from WTF) stamped using Versafine Clair morning mist ink

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

1. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 419 - COLOUR CHALLENGE - cream and white
2. CAS Colours and Sketches - challenge No. 370 - Sketch see below
3. Cute Card Thursday - challenge No. 634 - BIRTHDAYS
4. Cardz4Galz - challenge No. 121 - BIRTHDAY
5. Addicted to CAS - challenge No. 184 - FLOWER

 

We're so lucky to have such wonderful friends/family - there's a birthday in the house and the surrogates rocked the whole cream tea thing - such a thoughtful (and tasty) giftie which we thoroughly enjoyed on Saturday - check out the sandwiches, flapjacks, banana muffins and both fruit and cheese scones - YUM. Of course, the delicious glass of bubbly at lunchtime was another decadent treat. 

Saturday .. got plans?

Morning readers

And by, "plans" I mean perhaps a picnic or BBQ in the garden!!! Perhaps a walk in the park with the lifting of some restrictions ..... at the 2m social distancing obviously .... ENJOY, looks like the weather will be quite nice in many places too.

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

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 DCWV textured lime card, cut to mat and the snippet leftovers retained
• Snippet of white card
• Nesting circle dies and Dienamics "chevron stripes" dies to cut out my lime chevron and lime/white circles
• Clearly Inspired allium image (from LCS100 Brushed flowers) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne and morning mist inks
• Happy Little Stampers sentiment (from Doodled flowers) stamped using Versafine Clair morning mist ink
• Happy Little Stampers splatter (from Mixed Media Fun) stamped using Memento pear tart ink
• Stardust stickles to add a subtle sparkle to my central allium

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

1. Addicted to Stamps and More - challenge No. 389 - CAS (Clean And Simple)
2. CAS Colours & Sketches - challenge No. 370 - SKETCH - see below
3. Happy Little Stampers - May dies challenge - ANYTHING GOES (with dies)
4. CASology - challenge No. 369 - PLANT
5. Moving Along With The Times - challenge No. 118 - FLOWERS

 
 

I've lived in my present home for many years and, recently, found some new places to walk around as part of my new exercise = healthier life plan .... I cannot believe I didn't know about so many little "hidden gems" though, in fairness, some were not easily accessible until new road layouts and housing "unveiled" them - if you knew about them before then, how lucky are you too!?!??! Here's where I discovered yesterday ...

Over a new footbridge, constructed over the recent dual carriageway build

And you have this hidden gem - once lockdown is over then it might be coffee in the
red roofed building behind those trees, it being a pub/restaurant!

And then there's this - wish I had known about this when I had my dog

TGIF! - The weekend starts here - though will we notice?!?!

Morning readers,

We're weeks in to lockdown and slowly emerging .. I'm in no hurry, in fact, I'm kind of getting used to it! I Do miss seeing my friends though, and I could use a haircut! Lockdown has, however, given me the chance to spend time at the Table of Craftiness with considerably less guilt!

I've a make to share with you today .... it's a little Artist Trading Card - they're so darn useful for using up the snippets (leftovers) that build up in a card makers stash! I even used heat embossing on this project - something I used to do all the time but haven't really done in aeons! 

My Artist Trading Card

My image panel and focal image

Showing the dimension of my ATC - DEFINITELY a "large" rate stamp to mail this!

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of  leftover card in PaperMill intense green and white
• On a snippet of white card I stamped the Hero Arts "thank You" flower (in my collection since April 2010) using Versafine nocturne ink and set aside to dry
• On my image panel snippet (3" x 2") I stamped the two Imagination Crafts images (from 12991 - in my collection since August 2017) using Versafine Clair morning mist ink and, again, set aside to dry
• Using Derwent Inktense blocks I laid down three layers of the lime green (for intensity of colour) and set aside to dry - once dry, I fussy cut out the image and mounted on dimensional foam pads, ready to adhere to my image panel 
• Using the Pam Carriker "punchinella" image (STAM000063 - in my collection since 2013) and Versamark embossing ink I stamped the image panel before liberally sprinkling Funstamps white embossing powder, shaking off the excess, and then heat embossing - I then set it aside to cool
• Using a makeup brush I applied Distress Ink in spun sugar all over the image panel, adding a little picked raspberry to the outer edge, for intensity
• Crafters Companion Spray and Shine spritzed over the inked panel, to protect the water based inks
• Using a pokey tool to curve my flower I was then able to add it to my assembled ATC

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

1. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 377 - USE SNIPPETS
2. Retro Rubber - challenge No. 134 - USE FLOWERS (stamps from 2010, 2013 & 2017)
3. Stampotique - Challenge No. SDC348 - ATC's and ATCoins
4. The Paper Shelter - challenge No. 427 - EMBELLISHMENTS .. hope a handmade flower counts
5. Penny's Paper Crafty - challenge No. 471 - ANYTHING GOES