Drip, drip, drop little April Shower

.... Good afternoon! The title of this post is entirely appropriate for the weather we've been having. And, it works as there are lots of challenges with rain/rainbows/sun as the theme. Indeed, on Tuesday I shared a rain themed card, but you can never have too many, especially in the UK!! Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Bootiful Occasions; PTI - Scattered Showers

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Powder Blue

Dies: PTI - Scattered Showers

Accessories: White Card; Dylusions Stencil - Raindrops Sm; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to four challenges:

Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#255 - Rain

Just Us Girls - JUGS#722 - Rain

Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#631 - Sketch

Inspired By - IB#284 - Photo

I embossed a raindrop stencil onto white card and trimmed it to slightly smaller than an A2 note card. I brushed the edges with blue ink and adhered it to the car. I used my MISTI to stamp the boot and sentiment, took the image out and coloured it with Copic markers, put it back in the MISTI and restamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I carefully cut out the boot with the smallest white margin. I had some umbrella dies left over from Tuesday, so I stamped a bright yellow brolly and adhered that to the card. I used dimensional pads to adhere the boot. I finished with the sentiment. I've left the inside blank for my own message.

I took a close-up photo of the background to show the embossed raindrop detail - you can just about see it in the photo above, but it's much clearer here:

I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a brighter day as I plan on taking my Mum to the local garden centre. She wants to get a new Acer for the garden, so we're garden shopping!! That's all for now. See you soon.

Chase the Gloomies Away

.... Afternoon! It's feeling like autumn here today - so much rain, so cold and so windy. And there are lots of challenges in blogland with the general theme of rain, rainbows and sunshine. So I made a card:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink: Scattered Showers, Scattered Showers Additions

Inks: Gina K - Stormy Sky, Wild Dandelion; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: PTI - Scattered Showers

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to Just Us Girls - JUGS#721 where they have these wonderful bold, bright colours, and to The Paper Players - PP#684 where the theme is rain, sunshine and rainbows.

I've been shopping my stash and realise that I've not used my Papertrey Ink stamps and dies for ages, so I have the perfect sets and I've made a clean, simple card. I stamped the raindrops (second generation impression) directly on the note card. I die cut three white umbrellas, stamped on the image and coloured the panels with Copic markers. I finished the front with this cute message - believe me, the gloomies are very present in North Wales today!!!

Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I added a fun greeting - well, after the rain, it has to be sun. And I stamped a bold, bright yellow sun in top corner.

This card will be in the post tonight - my aunt needs cheering up! Bye for now.

Oops, it's late ....

.... Morning all!  Today I've a birthday/spring card to share with you.  I've been rubbish at getting birthday cards sent out on time this year - this one is in the post now and should get to the UK next week!

Stamps: PTI - Scattered Showers, Scattered Showers Additions; Uniko Studio - Extra Time
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Melon Mambo, Gumball Green, Basic Grey
Dies: PTI - Scattered Showers; Lil Inkers - Stitched Rectangles
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Grey; SU DP - Basic Grey; SU Marker - Melon Mambo; Copic Marker

I've used the colours from Colour Throwdown - CTD#288 and the theme of using an umbrella from The Card Concept - CC#8.  I made the layers by cutting with the Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle dies - I do like the faux stitched effect.  I stamped the umbrella canopy in green on white card and coloured the flowers with a Copic marker and then fussy cut it out.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the sentiment and umbrella handle.  I adhered the umbrella canopy flat to the card (easy for posting).  On the inside I cut a mat layer of grey design paper and on the white panel stamped a belated birthday greeting.

I know that I'm perfectly safe sharing this card now as my friend doesn't use the Internet and so won't see it before she receives it!!  However, I really must get my act together and post cards to the UK in plenty of time!!!  That's all for now.

You make me happy ....

.... when skies are grey!  And they are certainly grey here today!  However, the upside is that while it's grey and wet, it is very much warmer than it has been, a good reason to be happy.  This card has been made with a couple of challenges in mind:

• Time Out Challenge - TOC#1
• Fusion Card Challenge - FUSION#6

Stamps: PTI - Scattered Showers; Stampin' Up! - See Ya Later
Inks: Memento - Cottage Ivy, Pear Tart, New Sprout
Dies: Spellbinders - Squares Lg (S4-126) #7, Squares Sm (S4-128) #7
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Green Mirri Card

My inspiration of the words "Dancing in the Rain", the theme at the new challenge Time Out Challenges, immediately reminded me of the movie Singin' in the Rain, one of our all time favourites and it always makes me happy.  So when I saw the stamp in See Ya Later, I had to combine the two.  I used the sketch and repeated stamping from Fusion.

I stamped the umbrella around the edge in two shades of green and added the handle in another green.  I die cut a mat of dark green mirri card and on the white panel stamped the sentiment and added another brolly.  On the inside I cut a mat of mirri card and on the white card I randomly stamped some raindrops and another sentiment.  I put the sentiment off to one side to allow plenty of room for me to write a message.

I mentioned the rain we are having and the warmer temperatures  - it's great, the snow is finally melting away and this is the view from my craft room window:

The grass is looking a little sad, but with some sunshine it'll soon green up!  We had 77 days continuous days with more than an inch of snow here in Northville.  I've never experienced a winter like this before!!!  That's all for now.  I'd better get on with some housework stuff!!