Counting Humans

Good morning and happy Saturday. I'm a very happy bunny 'cos we're jetting off in search of sunshine today (though the weather forecast isn't promising much). We're leaving the kids home alone - hopefully now they're in their 20's they wont fight as much as they used to when left unattended for more than 5 seconds. I have given them lessons in how to transfer washing from their bedroom floors to the washing machine, but I don't hold out much hope!

Here is my second postcard for this months Country View Crafts challenge.

Once again I've used stamps from the fab new recent release from PaperArtsy

 I started by cutting my card to slightly less than 6x4 so that I could layer it up at the end. I've used both opaque and transparent Fresco paints and a gel plate. 

 Many layers later (but still some more to do) with lots of stamping and stencilling - I don't know where they all ended up on the finished piece!

Don't you just love these Zinski sheep! They just make me smile. All of the stamps have come from the same plate, and they've been coloured with the same watered down fresco's. Note to self, don't put a blob on your craft mat, you only use a drop from the lid, but I do it every. single. time!

I though I'd got over my phobia about buttons without thread and just stuck it down, but I couldn't live with it and had to poke holes through both layers so I could stitch it down. It's the quirky(weird) stuff that keeps us interesting isn't it - or so I keep telling Neil when he give me 'that' look.
I'm also joining  in with the  Paperbabe Anything Goes challenge 

I hope you join in with our postcard challenge, it's fun so go on, you know you want to. Have a lovely March, and I'll catch up with you when I get back (after the washing!) xx

Viva Espana

Good afternoon and welcome to my second post of the day.Over on the Lost Coast Portal To Creativity we have a new challenge, and it's a nice easy one for you, 'Anything Goes'. So this will either spark your creativity, or you will have the monkey in your brain playing the cymbals. I had the monkey, so I went with him.

 I started by stamping the Carmen's Veranda Passport Background and then painting it in the colour of the Spanish Flag. Do you like my careful colouring!

Then I stamped the wonderful Matador Monkey which is also by Carmen's Veranda. I coloured him in Distress Markers and sparkle pens.

I printed the sentiment on the computer, added a bit of stitching and washi tape and we're all done.

So please join in with our challenge, remember 'anything goes' as long as it contains some stamping and it's a new unpublished project.

Have a wonderful March, and thanks very much for looking xx

A Pretty Curious Creature

Good morning and happy Thursday - welcome to March! It's my turn to choose the theme for the new Country View Crafts challenge, and I've gone for a really easy one -  Postcards. So anything you like, the only rule is that it has to measure 6 x 4 (inches). Here's mine.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Stitches trade show in Birmingham, and while I was there PaperArtsy were running some training courses which I was REALLY happy to attend. One was with the lovely Raquel of Scrapcosy fame and she taught this class. 

What I MUST point out is that both Raquel and Leandra (Mrs PaperArtsy) are both happy for me to share these techniques. I always feel a bit iffy blogging about something I've learned on a course, but that is what these were for. So anything good is all Raquel, anything that's a bit wonky I'm claiming as my own ;-)

 First of all we made a background with 2 colours of Distress Oxides on a craft mat. At home I used 3 on a piece of card slightly smaller that 6x4. The colour was just smeared onto the mat and spritzed.

 Next came the exciting part. Do you remember when we all rushed out and bought Micro Glaze - well now we got the chance to use it. I must admit that mine is the original Judikins wax, I must have had it 10 years and it's still as good as new (and still in my top drawer - result!) The stencil just goes on top and you put a small amount of the glaze through.

Next you swoosh through another colour of D Oxide, I used Broken China and the glaze acts as a resist.

Stamping time now - I've used the beautiful seahorses and part of the sentiment stamp from set 12, and the compass from set 11. My two fossil fishes are mini's. I then matted this onto black card, so it's now 6x4.

I enjoyed this class SO much, and learned loads this is a link to Raquel's YouTube channel, you must check it out and subscribe.

I'm entering my Curious Creature into the PaperArtsy Watercolour challenge - it would be rude not to :-) 

So please, join in with our challenge, remember the only rule is it must be 6x4, have a wonderful March, and thanks very much for looking xx

It's Birthday Card Season

Good morning and happy Wednesday. It's totally white again today, and very cold but pretty. I was meant to be going out for tea today with my old workmates but that's not going to happen. I'm very lucky in that I don't have to go out on the roads, so it's a little walk to the local shops for me!

I don't know if it's the same with every family, but in ours birthdays and anniversaries seem to come in clusters, and we're just about to enter one now. Of course the bright thing to do would be to make cards all year round then there would always be one ready, but where's the fun in that! Anyway, here's a pretty girly card.

My coloured square is made with pearlescent card that I've had since time began. It's so nice that I've kept it 'for best' and never used it (I know it's not just me that does this) The embossing folder is by Apple Blossom and is made to be interchangeable with others by cutting along the 'swoosh' 

The dove and bow came from the Apple Blossom All Occasion Bubbles and Bows set. This is a really nice die set, they all cut cleanly first time which to me is the most important thing with a die. The 'With Love' stamp is from the Everyday Sentiments. I love this font, and there really is a saying for every occasion.

Then just a bit of layering up, and some bling, 'cos my Mum likes a bit of bling.

Have a very happy day, stay warm and safe, and thanks very much for looking xx

A Birthday Card

Good morning and happy Tuesday, we've woken up to lots of snow today, it's so pretty, but I won't be happy till all my chickens are back home again safe and sound and off the roads.

I'm in full card making flow at the moment as we are entering birthday/anniversary season,  and wanted to try something a little different (for me), so here's a Z card.

There's a little bit of measuring involved in this one, but not too much thank goodness.

This is how it all looks when it's laying down. I've used the Apple Blossom All Occasion Butterflies and Flourish embossing folder, and some Tim Holtz Distress Inks. The Happy Birthday is from the Apple Blossom Everyday Sentiments set.

To finish I've used my favourite Tim Detailed Butterflies dies, and lots of DI's and paint. In the end I only used two 'cos when the card was folded there was serious wing crush, and we can't have that!

I'm entering this into the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies and the HLS Mixed Media Butterflies challenges. 

Have a very happy day, try and keep warm, and thanks very much for looking xx

Beautiful

Good morning and happy Monday. PaperArtsy currently have a watercolour challenge, and as I've recently got some new stamps I thought it would be rude not to join in!

This is made with a PaperArtsy stencilled background and 3 shades of Distress Ink. My beautiful woman is from the PA Tracy Scott 17 plate. I don't know if you can buy this directly from PaperArtsy yet but you can certainly get it from Country View Crafts. I really enjoyed making this, it was nice to just go with the flow.

I'm also entering this into the Happy Little Stampers watercolour challenge.

Have a fun day, and thanks very much for looking x 

Smile

Good morning and happy Sunday. Well the Winter Olympics have ended, which means No More Curling! How on earth is Neil going to fill 14 hours a day now that there's no more stone chucking and sweeping! The down side is he may notice if I spend the same 14 hours a day in my rather chilly craft room!

Paperbabe have a sketch challenge running at the moment - I love a nice sketch challenge so I'm in!

I know, cuteness overload or what, but these Whimsical Woodland creatures are so sweet aren't they.

Here's the sketch, nice and simple but still with lots of interest. The papers I've used are by Studio Light and they are a lovely quality and I've used 3 sheets up, which would be a result, but as I've just bought 2 pads it's not really using stuff up is it?

I hope you have a lovely Sunday whatever you're doing, it's really cold here but we have a little bit of sunshine. I think I may turn to dust if it hits my skin 'cos we've not seen the sun since mid August. Right, time for my weekend treat, a full English (Neil's cooking, it's Weetabix when I cook) and thanks very much for looking xx

The Blossoming Rose

Good morning and happy Saturday. I'm over on the Rubber Dance blog again today with this.

Please try and join me over there where you will see lots more of this beautiful stamp.

As always for free P&P on orders of 15 Euros and over just quote SDFreeShip.

Have a lovely day xx