New Year FIreworks

... Well, hello! No post yesterday - more of that below. So, it's a post today and I'm sharing my January calendar page:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - USA 1776; Gina K - Party Time

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne, Bluebelle, Green Oasis, Charming Pink, Summertime, Medieval Blue, Verdant

Accessories: A4 Wire Bound 2024 Calender Blank

I'm submitting this to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#78 where the theme is always, Anything Goes - you can make anything.

The calendar layout has changed a bit this year - the month and year used to be at the centre top, but is now just above the month. That actually works better - more space to fill. I guess these are not the fireworks you were expecting. I started by stamped the words, from Party Time, in bold black ink. Once done, I used my all time favourite fireworks stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps (sadly now closed) designed by the brilliant Claire Brennan and stamped using Versafine Claire inks - so bold and bright. And that's it done for the month. I guess most people put photos in the space, but I enjoy making each month different.

The reason I didn't manage a post yesterday is that I was driving our son to Crewe railway station to get his train back to Hastings. Not a journey that Ben enjoys, but, when I heard from him about 2pm the journey was going well. Unfortunately, due to the effects of Storm Henk, the second part of Ben's journey to Hastings was totally ruined. There was a tree on the line from Tunbridge Wells to Hastings, so all the passengers had to change and get a train from Ashford to Hastings. Ben finally made it home by 9.30pm. I'm so proud of Ben - he has a fear of crowds, he has ADHD (so hates change), and he's overcoming agoraphobia - so Ben could have had a complete meltdown, but he made it. So, so proud of him. 

I'm heading back to Weight Watchers today - I need the accountability of the weekly weigh-in. So, that's all from me today. See you soon.

Birthday Wishes ....

... Hello, good afternoon!  After a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend we now have rain - it's still warm, but really damp!!  I'm here to share a birthday card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Alpine Christmas, Teeny Trees, USA 1776
Inks: Gina K - Black Onyx, Innocent Pink, Sweet Mango, Red Velvet, Fresh Asparagus; Versafine Clair - Twilight, Morning Mist
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Nuvo Clear Aquashimmer Brush

A couple of days ago Kat asked me if I had an volcano stamps and sadly in my vast collection of stamps I didn't have a volcano, and I didn't have time to order one of the many cute volcano sets.  So, I checked through my catalogue and found some stamps from Waltzingmouse that I could use to create a volcano.  I stamped the mountains from Alpine Christmas in Versafine Clair ink. Then I masked the mountains and used the firework explosions from USA 1776 to make the exploding magma. I finished the card by adding some trees in the foreground and a simple birthday greeting.  On the inside, I kept it simple, just adding some more firework bursts.  I did add some sparkle to the "magma" with my clear aquashimmer brush, but you can't really see it in the photo.  And the reason for this request, Kat is going to a birthday party tonight and her friend loves volcanoes!!

I'm submitting this card to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#166 where they want a one-layer card, and also to Seize the Birthday - STB#172 where they want birthday cards.

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post.  I've been busy spending time with the family.  Kat had her AS level results on 15th August, and I'm a very proud mum - she got 4 B grades.  This is excellent as Kat has coped with so much in the last year - a move from Michigan back to Northop Hall, settling back into the UK education system and making new friends - Kat is a star!  We had a long weekend in London to celebrate - such a fun time.  Work is continuing on the garage conversion. The new bathroom is going in, we've moved some plumbing and next week the underfloor electric heating goes in. Hopefully on a few more weeks and Mum can move into her new accommodation.

Anyway, that's all for now. 

TMR - Theme ....

.... Morning all! So good to be able to get on line and type up my post! Internet still good! And, more importantly, I'm on time with my card for our new challenge at The Male Room - TMR#63. Today, depending on whether you live in the northern or southern hemispheres, has either the longest daylight hours or the shortest daylight hours. Many people celebrate at this time of year so we thought that FIREWORKS would a fun theme. Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Man of the Hour, USA 1776
Inks: Distress - Mustard Seed, Blueprint Sketch, Lucky Clover, Twisted Citron; Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Brusho Paints - Ost Blue, Lime Green, Sea Green, Gamboge
Dies: Lil Inkers - Wonky Rectangles #5
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Tim Holtz Watercolour Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Emerald Envy; Clear Embossing Powder; Shimmer Spritz

I decided to celebrate my husband, Jonathan. He's a superhero to me and to the kids - he's caring, loving, funny, supportive and just the best Dad in the world. I might be a bit biased here!! I think Jonathan deserves a firework show of his own!!

I started by cutting a panel of watercolour card with the wonky rectangle die. I stamped the firework images in Versamark and heat embossed them with clear powder, then I stamped the sentiment in black and embossed that too. I taped the panel to a wooden block and then sprinkled on some Brusho crystals and spritzed with lots of water. I do like the burst patterns you get with this technique. I did blot off some of the colour so that the white fireworks showed clearly. I finished the panel with a light spritz of shimmer spray - sadly you can't see it in the photo above, but it looks super in real-life. I was going to adhere this to the plain white card, but it looked unfinished so I stamped some more fireworks around the card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark green card and on the white panel added a greeting and some more fireworks.

I used one of my favourite techniques on this card - emboss resist - which just happens to be the current challenge at AAA Cards - AAA#92, so I'm going to submit this card, even though I know it's not nearly CAS enough. I'm also submitting the card to Happy Little Stampers Watercolour challenge - HLSWC06 where anything goes.

You have plenty of time to join in with our new challenge. The deadline for submission is midnight (BST) on Tuesday 4th July - another day celebrated with firework displays!!! Have fun.

Happy New Year ....

... confused?  Then I'll explain.  I was invited to join Inkspirational this week as Guest Designer - and I'm absolutely delighted to join this talented team.  The challenge this week is Anything Goes with Gold.  I made a New Year's card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Celebrate New Year, Making Spirits Bright; Waltzingmouse - USA 1776
Inks: Versamark; Brilliance - Galaxy Gold; SU - Real Red
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Rectangles #2 and #3
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Real Red; Gold Mirri Card; Embossing Powders - Red Tinsel, Gold Tinsel

One of the things I really like about New Year is all the firework displays that take place around the world.  London always puts on a great show, as do many other major cities.  So I decided to have fireworks exploding behind a sentiment.  I made the base from red card, cut a panel of white slightly smaller and then stamped lots of fireworks.  Some in ink directly on the card and some in Versamark and embossed with either red or gold embossing powder.  I stamped the sentiment in Versamark, heat embossed with red tinsel powder and then cut it out with a die.  I layered it on a gold mat and attached the panel with diemsnional tape.  On the inside I went very simple - a gold mat layer, white panel with simple greeting and some glasses.

I've made so many Christmas cards recently that it was lots of fun to make a card for New Year - I think I'll make a few more!  Do check out Inkspirational's blog to see what the Design Team have made for you.  Have fun!

Creepmas Birthday Party Lights ...

.... Good morning all!  I think you all know by now that I like to mix up stamps and images and create something a bit different.  Well, here's a birthday card with a twist: 

Stamps: RSD Digi - Creepmas Tree Lights; Waltzingmouse - USA 1776, Putting on the Ritz
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Bermuda Bay; Kaisercraft DP - Violet Crush; Copic Markers

I got this super little guy a little while ago but couldn't decide what to do with him.  I printed him on white card, coloured him with Copic markers and fussy cut him out.  I came across the new challenge at Left of Centre - LOC#53 where the theme is fireworks/celebration and I decided to make a birthday card with party lights, fireworks and that gremlin causing trouble!  The layout is based on this week's sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#99.  I cut a strip of design paper to go down the side of the card, I like the elegant damask pattern, sort of like wallpaper!  Then I stamped some fireworks exploding in the background, added my little gremlin wrapped in lights and finished with a sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of teal card and stamped more fireworks and a birthday greeting on the white card.

One of the things I really like about Rick's images is that even the scary monsters are kinda cute!  On this card the monster is just a tiny bit scary - the bright colours and birthday theme make him sweet.  But if I decided to make him really scary I'd just need change up the background.  You can get this image (and many others) at Rick's Zibbet store - check it out and have fun!

I've got a really busy day lined up - a trip to the hair dresser, to the shops for new pillows and then the supermarket for food.  Oh yes, there's washing and ironing too!  Bye for now - see you soon.

TMR - Wood .....

.... Hello!  You guys certainly had lots of fun with our Halloween theme last time.  And now it's time for our new challenge at The Male Room.  For the next couple of weeks we'd like you to use the theme WOOD on your projects.  You can use real wood or you can go faux, but your project has to have a masculine feel.  I had fun and actually made two cards:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Man of the Hour, Wood Grain, USA 1776; Stampin' Up! - Happiest Birthday Wishes
Inks: SU - Blackberry Bliss
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Rectangles #3
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Blackberry Bliss; EK Success Punch - Notebook; BARC Wood Paper - White Birch

I used the sketch from CAS - Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#97 for the layout.  I kept the card really clean and simple.  The wood on this card is both real - the die cut panel is wood paper and faux - stamped chevron arrows. I stamped the main sentiment directly on the wood - you can see a little feathering where the ink has been absorbed by the wood, but it's quite sharp.  I stamped the birthday sentiment on some scrap card, cut it to size and adhered it behind the wood panel.  I made the horizontal strip by stamping the chevrons on white card, cutting to size and then adhering them to a punched border.  The wood panel was adhered with dimensional tape.  On the inside I cut a panel of blackberry card.  On the white card I stamped a firework burst (fourth generation image) and then a birthday greeting.

 My next card has a nautical theme and has a real wood panel too. 

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Tying the Knot, Ocean Bound
Inks: SU - Island Indigo, Mossy Meadow
Dies: WMS - Ocean Bound
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Island Indigo; BARC Wood Paper - Cherry

For this card I used the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch - CTS#97.  I cut a two inch piece of cherry wood for the central panel and used the die to cut out two ship wheels.  I stamped two wheels in blue and green and then cut them out with the die, I adhered them to the card with dimensional tape.  I added some interest to the front by stamping ropes down the edge of the card and the wood panel.  I finished the front with a simple sentiment stamped on white card, trimmed to size and then cut flags in both ends - attached with dimensional tape.  On the inside I made mat of blue card and stamped a simple greeting on the white card.

For more inspiration projects featuring wood check the blog to see what my team mates have made.  Have fun!

WMSFC - Time to Party ....

.....  Good morning everyone!  I do hope that you've enjoyed (and recovered) from your Christmas celebrations.  This is a scheduled post as we'll be flying back to the US after spending Christmas visiting our families.  It's time for our new challenge at Waltzingmouse Fanatics and we have a colour challenge for you - here's my take:

Stamps: WMS - Putting on the Ritz, USA 1776; Stampin' Up! - A Brand New Year
Inks: SU - Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Rectangles Sm (S4-130) #4; Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax #1
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; Black Card

These colours are right out of my comfort zone - I much prefer cool colours but that's why we all play along with challenges - to try out new things!  I've managed to use four of the colours from the graphic - two shades of coral, cream and black.  The layout is based on a sketch from Freshly Made Sketches - FMS116, I didn't get chance to play along with this one before Christmas, but I think it's great for this card.  I did, however, turn the panel through 90° so that the sentiment would fit.  Using the two shades of coral, I stamped fireworks over the background.  I stamped the Art Deco style frame in Calypso Coral and then stamped the stars inside in Crisp Cantaloupe and cut out the shape with a die.  I layered the stamped panel onto black card and added black ribbons either side and adhered it directly to the card.  On the inside I cut a mat layer in black and on the cream panel stamped more fireworks and a super New Year sentiment.  This is a discontinued stamp, but new to me and I think it's great!

The winner of this week's challenge will receive a prize - one of the mini stamps sets - details on the Waltzingmouse Fanatics blog.  For more inspiration with these colours visit Tara to see what she's made.  You have until 5.00pm GMT (12 noon EDT) on Thursday 9th January to submit your cards - remember you must use some Waltzingmouse stash - stamps, digis or cut files.  That's all for now.  See you soon.