Belated Birthday Wishes ....

.... Hi! Surprise! It's been a while since I just posted a card. I started today's card last year when I made a several cards using MFT's Spotlight Sentiments stamps and different inks. I finished some off at the time, but several were just left with a stamped panel. That's how this one started out, here's the end result:

Stamps: MFT - Spotlight Sentiments; Lawn Fawn - Blue Skies; Avery Elle - Handwritten Notes

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Fresh Greens; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Gina K - Key Lime, Christmas Pine, Stormy Sky

Dies: Gina K - Master Layouts 2; Lawn Fawn - Blue Skies

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Granny Apple Green; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#219 where the toppers option is Travel, I think a hot air balloon trip counts!

I used the smaller layering panels from Master Layouts 2 to cut a mat layer of green card and a white stitched edge panel. I stamped a number of clouds on the white panel in black ink. I adhered the panel to the centre of my ready-made card. I used my MISTI to stamp the larger hot air balloon from Blue Skies onto a piece of white card, removed it and coloured with green Copic markers, returned it to the MISTI and stamped with black Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I used the matching die to cut out the balloon. I added lots of sparkle to the hot air balloon with a clear aqua shimmer brush. I added dimensional pads to the hot air balloon and adhered it, at a slight angle to suggest movement, to the panel. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of green card. On the white panel I stamped the smaller hot air balloon in a bright green ink. I used one of my favourite sets to stamp the greeting. I stamped the main greeting in dark green and added the word 'belated' in dark green.

This card is for my nephew's birthday - and I missed the actual day, so I hope he likes this card. This is the card before adding the panel:

I've used both these cards now!! That's all from me today. See you again soon.

SHC - Easter Bunnies ....

.... Morning! We've had a super weekend here in Northop Hall - it was sunny with bright blue skies, and warm over the weekend. A bit cooler since then. Mum has been in the garden putting in plants and I've been playing in my craft room - we've both been in our happy place!! Anyway, I'm here with my regular weekly post for Seven Hills Crafts. I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and this first card is way out there:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Easter Before 'n' Afters, Celebration Scripty Sentiments, Blue Skies

Inks: Gina K - Key Lime, Jelly Bean Green, Grass Green; Distress - Tumbled Glass, Broken China; Versafine - Onyx Black; Kaleidacolor - Spectrum

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Easter Before 'n' Afters; Concord & 9th - Confetti Card Dies

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Lawn Fawn Stencil - Grassy Hillsides; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#24 - all new to me!!

I started with a top folding A2 white card and created the background using the grassy hillside stencils. I used several shades of green for the grass and two shades of blue for the sky. I then stamped various images on white card, coloured them with Copics, restamped with Versafine black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I stamped the greeting in on of the large white clouds. I used matching dies to cut out the bunnies, basket and eggs, I fussy cut the clouds. Next, I adhered two of the clouds to the right hand side of the card and used the large scalloped edged rectangle die from Confetti cards to cut out my card. I then adhered the elements to the front of the card. I used dimensional pads for the Easter basket and the red egg. On the inside, I cut a piece of white card and stamped a greeting and added a few more of the Easter elements.

My next card is more my usual style - tending towards clean and simple:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Easter Before 'n' Afters, Celebration Scripty Sentiments, Simply Celebrate Spring

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

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Simply Celebrate Spring

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

I'm submitting this card to Fusion - FUSION#0421 where I've taken the rainbow dress as my inspiration.

I stamped the row of eggs on white card, coloured them with Copic markers, restamped with black Versafine, heat embossed with clear powder and cut them out with the matching die. I worked out where I wanted the coloured eggs to be on the card and then stamped lots of eggs in soft grey ink all over the front. I used dimensional pads to add the coloured eggs. I added lots of sparkle to the eggs with a clear aquashimmer brush. I finished the front by adding a bold scripty Easter greeting. On the inside I've kept things really simple with no message, but I did add a cute bunny.

I had a few bunnies left over from my first card, so I made a final Easter card - this one is very clean and simple:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Easter Before 'n' Afters, Celebration Scripty Sentiments, Simply Celebrate

Inks: Gina K - Sweet Mango; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versmark

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Easter Before 'n' Afters

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Clear and White Embossing Powder; Gina K Card - Sweet Mango; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I cut a strip of black card an inch wide and stamped the scripty Easter greeting in Versamark and heat embossed it with white powder. I layered this piece on peach card and adhered the panel to the front of a top folding A2 card. I finished the front with the cute bunny holding the peach Easter egg - I've added sparkle, but you can't see it in the photo above. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of peach card and on the white card I stamped a greeting and added the Easter basket.

I had lots of fun making the first card - it is very much out of my comfort zone, but I did a few like that this weekend. I might not do it again for a while. That's all from me for today. See you soon.

SHC - Plentiful Pines ....

.... Morning! It was a lovely day yesterday. I went out for my walk in the afternoon and it was so nice and warm, a bit overcast, but that's fine. And today, well, we are told that it's going to be HOT!! Anyway, enough of the weather, I'm here this morning with my post for Seven Hills Craft blog. I've used Altenew's Plentiful Pine stamp set to make a birthday card - it's quite bright and cheery!

Stamps: Altenew - Plentiful Pine; Lawn Fawn - Blue Skies
Inks: Gina K - Powder Blue, Blue Raspberry, Blue Denim, In the Navy, Applemint, Key Lime, Jelly Bean Green, Grass Green, Sea Glass, Ocean Mist, Turquoise Sea, Blue Lagoon, Jet Black Amalgam; Distress Oxides - Crushed Olive, Mowed Lawn, Tumbled Glass
Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Lawn Fawn Stencils - Hillside Stencils

I'm submitting this card to a few challenges. The Male Room - TMR#136 where the theme is In the Garden, hopefully this counts. The Paper Players - PP#491 where they want a card with Men in Mind - they'd like it CAS too, not sure whether this counts. Finally, I'm also playing along with Uniko - USC#59 where it's Anything Goes with the option of bright and happy, and I think this is!

I stamped the large pine tree in four shades of aqua ink - I really like the depth you build up with these stamps, they are so easy to line up too. For the smaller trees I used shades of green and blue. I know that in real-life you don't really get trees that are that blue, but I like the idea! There are dies that go with this stamp set, but I didn't use them I simply fussy cut the trees. To make the background I used Lawn Fawn's Hillside stencils and distress oxide inks. I created a couple of hills. I added a mask for the sun and used torn paper to create the suggestion of cloud banks, and stamped a few cloud outline images. I finished the front with the birthday greeting from Plentiful Pine. I've not had time to decorate the inside, but will do that later this week.

I first came across this stamp set at an Altenew workshop in November 2019 run by Lydia Evans (who lives in a town near me). We all made some Christmas cards using these stamps - they didn't get posted out last year, but were the first ones made for this year. Before I post them out, I'll add some sparkle to the trees to suggest snow, and I'll do the insides too.

That's all from me today. I've been busy doing a week long online class with Dyan Reaveley and a few hundred art buddies called Distinctly Dylusions. It was brilliant and I'll share my pages soon. We have a week off, and then I'm signed up for another week long class. So looking forward to it. See you again soon.

TMR - Theme - Fishing ....

..... Hello! I'm back from our trip to the UK - it was so much fun and so nice to catch up with family members who I've not seen in years!!! It's time for our new challenge at The Male Room - TMR#89. For the next two weeks, you should make masculine projects based on the theme of FISH/FISHING. I've never quite understood the fascination for fishing, but I do know that it is very popular both here in the States and in the UK. I took a slightly warped view of fishing:

Stamps: There She Goes - Taglines; MFT - Marble Background; Lawn Fawn - Blue Skies
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Blue Breeze; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders - Wonky Rectangles (S4-306) #6
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Tempting Turquoise; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder

I have no fishing stamps in my collection, but going through my stamp directory I came across this image from There She Goes Stamps (now discontinued) and it really made me laugh, so I created my card based around the image. I stamped the card base with the marble background using a Kaleidacolor ink pad to suggest a lake. I die cut a panel for the centre of the card and stamped the image, coloured it with Copic markers, put it back in the MISTI, restamped in Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder to make the image pop. I stamped a couple of clouds in the sky in pale grey and added more colour to create the sky and the lake beneath the boat. I also added some birds flying in the sky. I finished the front by adding some sparkle to the clouds and also to the beer can. I decided not to add anything further to the front of the card. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of turquoise card, and on the white panel, I stamped the message - which made me laugh!! I also stamped the boat again.

Do visit The Male Room to see more inspiration from the rest of the design team. You have plenty of time to join in the fun - the deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Tuesday 17th July - that's 7.00pm EDT in the States.

Today is Independence Day in the States. All over the country, there are going to be parades and firework displays and Northville is no exception. Normally, I'm in the UK at this time, but this year, I'm taking my mum into downtown Northville to see the Independence Day parade - it should be quite a spectacle!

TMR - Theme ....

.... Good morning!  It's time for our new challenge at The Male Room.  For the next couple of weeks our theme is UP IN THE AIR, but NO BIRDS.  Remember, you can make any masculine themed project - ATC, card, scrapbook layout, 3D project.  I've gone with a simple card:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Sunny Skies, Blue Skies
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lawn Fawn - Sunny Skies
Accessories: White Lustre Card; DP - Let's Fly Away (free with Quick Cards Made Easy); Copic Markers

This is such a quick and simple card to make.  I used some fabulous design paper for the background - love the fluffy clouds!  I stamped the kite and tail on white card, cut them out with the co-ordinating dies and coloured them with Copic markers.  I decided to make the kite really bold with primary colours.  I stamped the inspirational sentiment directly on the card.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of the same design paper and stamped another kite on the white panel.  I left a large blank space for my message.

Greta of GG Creations has joined us again this month as our Guest Designer - she has made a fabulous vintage style card for this challenge.  Do visit our blog to check out her card and those from the rest of the team.  Really looking forward to seeing what you make with this challenge - have fun!  See you soon.