Happy Easter ...

.... Morning! Here in the UK we have a four day weekend for Easter. Good Friday turned out to be a beautiful day - much warmer than expected with lots of sunshine. However, the forecast is not good for the rest of the weekend! And tomorrow is expected to be very cold!! However, I've an Easter card to share with you. This one is for my mum:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Nestie Eggs (now sadly discontinued); Clearly Besotted - Sweet Little Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Peach Bellini, Sweet Mango, Coral Reef, Apple Mint, Stormy Sky

Dies: Spellbinders - Cross Collection (S4-265)

Accessories: White Card

I'm submitting this card to The Card Concept - CC#152. They have an inspiration photo for the challenge and I've taken the colours, the eggs, and the message 'He is risen'. My card is very much in the clean and simple style.

I've used my Easter egg stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps for this card. I used the large egg on the front, stamping it first in soft peach, adding some subtle orange and then a deep coral at the bottom of the egg. I use a simple script greeting in grey. I die cut a cross in white card; the die has a lovely pattern and I inked over with a soft green ink. I used dimensional pads to attach the cross. On the inside, I kept things very simple. I stamped the egg outline image in shades of peach to match the front and added the 'He is risen' message in the middle in soft green and grey.

I'm not at all religious, but Mum is and I'm sure she'll appreciate this card. Anyway, that's all from me today. Take care and have a Happy Easter.

52CCT - Theme ....

.... Hello! I'm running a bit late with my card for our new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT37-16. This week is our theme challenge and Fabiola has picked a really fun one for us to play with

SNOW PEOPLE 

note the people - not just one!!

Here's my card:

Stamps: Bugaboo Digital - Snowman Family; Clearly Besotted - Sweet Little Sentiments, All Occasion Sentiments
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Real Red; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Dual Stitched Rectangles #2
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black; SU DP - Real Red; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear; Glitter

I have several fun snowman stamps, but I wanted to create a snow family, so I decided to check on the Internet. I found that Bugaboo (one of my favourite digital companies) is having a flash 70% sale (ending 18th September), so I popped over and found this image (amongst many others).

I printed the image on white card, coloured with Copic markers and cut it out with a stitch edged die. As there's some stitching on the image, albeit faux, I'm submitting to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#97. I used the colours from Just Us Girls - JUGS#361 - they are bold and bright, just right. I added lots of sparkle to the finished image with several different types of glitter and some clear Wink of Stella to the snow folk. I layered the image on black card and adhered it to the card. I finished the front with a simple greeting. On the inside I cut a mat layer of red design paper and on the white panel added another greeting along with a couple more of the snow folk.

Do visit our blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team. I am sorry that the photos are so dark - it's really dull here today, I'll try to get some better photos later this week. There is a reason why I'm late with today's card - you'll get to see it tomorrow!! See you then.

CIC - Colours ...

... Hello! I think I'm finally getting back on track. I'm here this morning with my card for our new challenge at Cupcake Creations - CIC#368. This week we have a colour challenge for you with really lush colours - magenta, midnight and papaya. Our sponsor is A Day For Daisies. I've used one of their lovely images on my card:

Stamps: A Day for Daisies Digi - Time Out Dragon; Clearly Besotted - Sweet Little Sentiments
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Dual Stitched Squares - #4, Stitched Squares #5
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Rose Red; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear

I printed this cute little dragon on white card and coloured her with Copic markers. I added clear Wink of Stella to her wings and belly - you can just about see the shimmer in the photo above. I cut out the finished image with a stitched edge die and layered it on some pink card. I finished the front with a fun sentiment. I've not done the inside just yet but will get it done before I send it out.  Do visit our blog to see more inspirational cards from the rest of the design team.

Today both Kat and I are off to a class with Finnabair - it's such fun crafting with my daughter!! That's all for now.

Simple flowers ...

... Hello again, and Good Afternoon! I'm a bit later with this card than I expected to be, but that's because I've just been out to buy some garden furniture. It looks like it's going to be a long hot summer, and I need a table, some chairs and a parasol for shade - all being delivered tomorrow! Yea!

Anyway, I've a very clean, simple card to share today:

Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Dandelion Dreams, Sweet Little Sentiments
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Rich Razzleberry, Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Wisteria Wonder; Glitter

I really like these pretty dandelion flowers and I've stamped them in shades of purple. I drew the stems by hand and finished the front with lots of glitter and a simple sentiment. On the inside, there's a mat of purple design paper and a simple greeting on the white panel.

I'm submitting this card to several challenges - Less is More - LIM#279 where the colour is purple, Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#89 where the word is Petals and to CAS-ual Fridays - CFC#149 where they want florals.

It's warming up nicely here - we expect to get to a high of 26C today and tomorrow even higher! Kat will probably spend most of the weekend in the pool - between revising for her finals. It's her last week of school next week.

Edited to add: I made this for Kat, but couldn't say anything until I gave it to her this afternoon - she's thrilled to bits with it!

I still find it strange that schools finish so early over here in the States! Kat is more than ready for her vacation.  That's all for today - do drop by tomorrow!

Simple thanks .....

.... Morning! I've a thank you card to share with you this morning - we always need a supply of thanks cards:

Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Dandelion Dreams, Sweet Little Sentiments, Everything Changes
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Smoky Slate, Calypso Coral; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Clearly Besotted - Everything Changes
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Calypso Coral; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear; Glitter

I combined several challenges to make this clean, simple card:

• Colour Throwdown - CTD#374
• AAA Cards - AAA#55 - to add real glitter to your card
• Inkspirational - INK#99 - to make a thank you card with something new
• CASology - CAS#179 - cue word SIMPLE

I cut a panel of white card slightly smaller than the base and, using my MISTI to ensure everything was where I wanted it, stamped these pretty dandilions.  I stamped the butterfly on a scrap of white card, cut it out with the matching die and coloured with Copic markers.  I added sparkle to the wings with a clear Wink of Stella brush.  I used a glue pen to dot around the dandilions and added real glitter.  I attached the buttlerfly with dimensional tape and finished the front by running a Copic marker round the edge.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of coral card and added another dandilion and butterfly, along with a greeting on the white panel.

Inkspirational wanted us to use new stuff - well all the Clearly Besotted is new, I got it for Christmas. Dandilions are simple clocks; I remember as a little girl blowing the seeds away to count the time - not terribly accurate, but fun!

I'm going to finish with a couple of videos - we woke to the news from Radio 2 that David Bowie had died.  It was a real shock and I still can't quite believe it - he was amazing and I think my favourtie song is Life on Mars:



And Space Oddity:



The sounds from my teens.  Rest in peace David and thank you for the music.