My Happy Place

...  I was hoping to make cards everyday, but as they say the best laid plans! Mine fell apart. I didn't even make a Valentine's card for my hubby. But this morning, I woke up and remembered a new stamp set that I got and decided to make a card for him today. Here it is:

Stamps: Gina K - String of Love

Inks: Versafine Clair -Nocturne; Gina K - Sea Glass

Dies: Gina K - String of Love

Accessories: White Card; Lawn Fawn - Cloudy Stencil; Copic Markers; Clear Wink of Stella Pen; Posca - White pen

I'm entering this card to the following challenges:

CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#578 - I do love these colours

Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#510 - to use stencils and/or dies

CAS on Friday - CASOF#327 - Anything Goes as long as it's CAS

The Male Room - TMR#207 - CAS

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#83 - The stamp and die set, and the cloud stencil 

I stencilled, very lightly - you can just about see it in the photo - a cloudy sky. I used whatever ink was left on my brushes! I used my MISTI to stamp the balloons, removed it from the MISTI and coloured with Copic markers. I put the image back into the MISTI and stamped again with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink - I think this is the best black ink. I used the matching die to cut out the image, along with two blanks which I layered together for dimension. I added some highlights to the balloons with a white pen, and some sparkle with a shimmer brush - you can't really see it in the picture, but it's so pretty in real-life. I finished the front by adding a sentiment - my hubby is my happy place!! On the inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the A2 notecard. I stamped the balloons in a pale teal colour, added another greeting in black, edged the panel with a dark teal Copic and adhered it to the notecard.

I am so looking forward to the sun shining again soon - it's so hard to take a decent photo in all the grey.

I'm pleased how this turned out - no pink or red in sight, just shades of teal - Jonathan's favourite colour. That's it for now. I'll be back soon.

Snowman

... Hello! I hope everyone has had a good weekend.  I was busy this weekend, more of that below, and I made a card too - another for my Christmas stash:

Stamps: Funstamps - Scribble Snowman; Winnie & Walter (W&W) - Winter Wonderland, Sentimental Wishes

Inks: Gina K - Blue Sky, In the Navy; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; Gina K Card - In the Navy; Gina K Stencil - Glacier Lace; Copics; Glitter

This was fun to make and I'm entering the following challenges:

CAS on Friday - CASOF#325 - where they want a Snowman

Time Out Challenges - TOC#304 - they want to see glitter

Colour Hues -CH#125 - blue and white

ABC Christmas Challenges - ABCXMAS#01 - (A) Anything Goes

I started by stencilling an icy background directly on the A2 note card. I stamped the snowman on white card and used Copic markers to add colour. I stamped a few extra snowmen, then fussy cut the focal image along with the spares and layered them up for dimension. I stamped the greeting directly onto the card and adhered the snowman above. I finished the front by adding some glitter to the snowman's hat. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of dark blue card. On the white panel I stamped a Christmas greeting in dark blue ink and added some soft stencilling at the corners of the panel. I took a close-up photo of the hat to show the glitter.

So, I said above that we were busy this weekend. Jonathan had a photoshoot at the house with Bobbi; she's a bundle of fun! I watched some craft videos, caught up with the European Ice Skating Championships, which came from Sheffield, and read a bit. We also went to the cinema to see 28 Years Later The Bone Temple - it was silly and lots of fun and very bloody too!

It's been a fun weekend. That's it for now. Thanks again for stopping by to see my cards and for all the lovely comments, they are much appreciated.

Fall Colours

...Morning!! So much for making a card everyday!! Instead, I've been doing some reorganising in my craft room - it's nearly done. However, I did get chance to make a card yesterday - we had autumn sunshine and I noticed that autumn colours are creeping in already. So, here's the card:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - Multiple Fall Leaves; C&9 - Triple Step Autumn Leaf, Harvest Wreath Turnabout; Stampin' Up! - Cookie Cutter Halloween

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Gina K - Faded Brick, Fresh Asparagus, Sandy Beach; Memento - Tuxedo Black

Accessories: White Card; SU Punch - Cookie Cutter; Copic Markers

I masked off an area in the centre of the notecard, I lightly inked the background, stamped some outline leaves, which I coloured with Copic markers, and finished by adding some solid images in coloured inks. I removed the tape (sadly there was some spreading of the alcohol ink) and stamped a greeting. Next, I stamped the cute scarecrow, coloured him with Copics and used the co-ordinating punch to cut him out. For the inside of the card, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the notecard, added some autumnal leaves and a simple greeting in bold black ink.

This one is already in the post, off to my Aunt in Barry and confirming a date for our lunch next month - so looking forward to seeing her.

I'm playing along with the following challenges - CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#568 (used their sketch); Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#501 (make your mark); CAS on Friday - CASOF#317 (Theme - Fall); and Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#78 (I've had the Cookie Cutter image and punch for years, and this is the first time I've used it on a card!!!).

That's all for now - I'm spending the rest of the day finishing off the reorganisation that I started. I've got rid of a large black DVD unit (used to store SU and Uniko stamps) - it blocked the light, and now I have a much brighter room. There's no autumnal sunshine today, just rain - lots of it. I'm not going to grumble as we need the rain, but it's dull!!! Bye for now.

Speedy Recovery ....

... Good morning! I really should make sure I have enough get well/speedy recovery cards in my stash. My great-nephew was born with club feet and had to have surgery yesterday to fix them. I made this card specially for him - I think it's cute and I think he'll find it's funny:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - On the Mend

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone; Versafine - Onyx Black

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer

I'm submitting this card to Color Throwdown - CTD#625 (love these bold, bright colours), Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#396 where they want us to make our mark, and to CAS on Friday - CASOF#196 where the theme is Feel Better.

I used my MISTI to stamp the background of cute little plasters in a soft grey. I then stamped several more on white card, coloured them with Copic Markers, put them back in the MISTI and restamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then carefully cut them out. I edged each smiley plaster with a black marker pen. I adhered three plasters to the front of the card and added sparkle to each one - which, for a change, you can see in the photo above. I finished the front with a strip of white card, edged it with a black marker and stamped a greeting and adhered flat to the card. On the inside, I cut a panel of white card, edged it with black and stamped another message along with a cute little tortoise.

Nico-Lewis (guess his parents favourite sport 😊) should be going home today (provided there are no problems. He'll have a huge plaster on for at least two weeks, but hopefully after that things will improve a lot. Provided the Covid-19 vaccination programme goes well, we might be able to see him this year!!

I used a spare plaster on the envelope:

That's all from me today. See you all soon.

SHC - Friends and Christmas ....

... Hello! It's time for my weekly Seven Hills Craft post. I've made some quick and easy cards this week:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Buds and Blossoms

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocture, Summertime; Gina K - Passionate Pink

Accessories: White Card

This card is based on the sketch from the current CAS(E) this Sketch - CTS#398; it's been a while since I played along. I used two large sentiments in black ink, stamped the outline flower and then added some colour with the matching solid flower image. I also added some orange dots in the middle of the flower. This is ultra clean and simple and very quick. The inside is blank for my own message.

My next two cards use more of the smaller flower images from the stamp set:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Buds and Blossoms

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocture, Summertime, Cheerful, Charming Pink, Purple Delight

Accessories: Cream Card

The card on the left is 6¼" × 4½". I used my MISTI to make the card. I stamped the orange flower first, turned the card and stamped again in the opposite corner. I repeated this process with the yellow and purple flowers. I masked the yellow flowers and stamped them again in pink. I finished this card with a simple sentiment in the middle of the card. The card on the right is smaller at 5½" × 4¼" (a standard A2 card in the USA). Once again, I used the MISTI to stamp the card and create the floral background. I should have allowed the ink to dry more before adding the 'thank you' sentiment - you can see that the black ink has bled a little. Oh well, never mind, this is a handmade card! Once again the insides are blank for my message.

I'm submitting the 'Hello Friend' card to The Flower Challenge - TFC#50 where they want us to use a sentiment. The 'Thank you' card is being submitted to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#20 - this is a brand new set!!

I was having such fun with these cards, and they were so quick to make, that I decided to make a set of Christmas cards too:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - All the Merrys, Pinstripe Background

Inks: Versafine Clair - Green Oasis, Warm Breeze, Fantasia, Acorn, Tulip Red; Gina K - Key Lime, Sea Glass, Wild Wisteria, Sweet Mango, Innocent Pink; Memento - Tuxedo Black

Accessories: White Card

For the focal sentiment, I used the two-step 'Merry Christmas' stamps from All the Merrys. I stamped first in the light shade and then in a darker co-ordinating shade. I used the matching outline letters in black to define the words. Then I played. I used the Pinstripe background to add some decoration. I left the teal card ultra clean and simple with only the sentiment in the centre. I stamped diagonals on the top left and bottom right corners of the orange and green cards. On the lilac card I added diagonals all around the words. Finally, on the red card, I stampted diagonals on the top right and bottom left - first in pink and then shifted the card and added red stripes. The insides are blank. I think my two favourite cards are the teal and red ones. I'm submitting the teal card to the current CAS on Friday - CASOF#193 challenge where they want us to use a big sentiment.

That's all from me today. Have a good week. Take care and be safe.

Two for one ....

Good morning everyone! It's the start of another week of lockdown, although here in Wales we are now allowed to go out for exercise more than once a day. And there's the possibility of some garden centres opening. Anyway, I'm here this morning to play along with Darnell's Twofer Card Challenge - TCC#27 where she wants us to use Flowers. Here are my cards:

I really enjoy this challenge, but I struggle to play along. However, this time it was easy. One of my favourite flowers is this large chrysanthemum from Uniko and I'm pleased to be able to play along this month. Full details of each card can be found below.

Stamps: Uniko - Pure Florals - Chrysanthemum; Altenew - Bad Days Happen
Inks: Gina K - Ocean Mist, Soft Stone; Delicata - Golden Glitz
Dies: Spellbinders - A2 Matting Basics A (S5-131) #1, A2 Matting Basics B (S5-132) #1
Accessories: White Card; Gina K Card - Blue Lagoon; Gold Linen Effect Foil Card

I'm submitting this card to Colour Throwdown - CTD#592 and Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#434.

I stamped the large chrysanthemum in pale aqua ink in opposite corners of the card. I cut a strip of dark turquoise card and adhered them to the card. I stamped the sentiment in soft grey on white card and used a die to cut it out, and layered it on some gold linen effect foil card which had also been die cut. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of dark aqua card and on the white panel added a greeting and a smaller, gold, chrysanthemum. I think this card is perfect for the very strange times we find ourselves in - and it's going in the post today.

My next card is very clean and simple and is a birthday card:

Stamps: Uniko - Pure Florals - Chrysanthemum; Gina K - Birthday Greetings
Inks: Gina K - Dark Chocolate; Delicata - Golden Glitz; Versamark
Dies: Uniko - Chrysanthemum
Accessories: White and Cream Card; Gold Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Less is More - LIM#419 where they want us to use White and Cream, and to CAS on Friday - CASoF#179 where they want us to use our favourite flower.

I stamped the large chrysanthemum on cream card in Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold power, and die cut with the matching die. I made the card from cream stock and cut a panel of white card slightly smaller onto which I stamped a birthday greeting in dark brown and gold. I adhered the panel to the card base and used dimensional pads to attach the large flower. On the inside, I cut a panel of white card onto which I stamped a birthday verse in dark brown and added a small gold chrysanthemum.

I'm so glad that I finally got to play along with Twofer. That's all from me today. See you again soon.