A Green Bough

Good morning and a happy Good Friday.  Here's my second Spring themed piece for the Country View Crafts Spring/Easter challenge. As we were were on holiday for most of March I made this before we went away. There was snow on the ground and it was flippin' freezing so I wanted something with colour, and the hope that Spring would eventually get here!

I started by using my lovely Dina Wakley acrylics in my favourite bright colours. 

 Then lots of stencilling and stamping again with Dina's stamps and stencils.

 Now time for a bit of paint flicking, and matting onto some black card.

 It's ages since I used my Scribbly Birds, so out they came. Nothing quite says Spring like chirping birds - or in the case of West Yorkshire, snow! I've also used some older Spelbinders and Tim Holtz dies.

 I just like how they look on my bright background. I needed black and colourful die cuts as the brights didn't show up against the background on their own, and the black was just too dull.

 I love this quote!

And there we are, all done. This was such fun to make, I really enjoyed playing with colour, though the tidying up wasn't as much fun.

Have a very happy Easter, and thanks very much for looking x

Not March but April Hares

Good morning and happy Monday, welcome to April! We have a new challenge over at Country View Crafts which is Spring and/or Easter, and this time I've gone for an Easter card.

This is a bit of a white cat in a snowstorm picture lol. It's a Clarity stencil that I've gone through with Distress Inks and blending brushes. I've not used these brushes in years but I love the soft effect they give.

The hares are from a Tracy Easson Wonky Tonk set that I got for Christmas. I've inked it within a couple of months so that's a result for me.

I water coloured them very simply with Distress Ink and then stamped the sentiment. I tried masking it for the corners, but ended up just cutting it up. Much simpler lol.

I think the hares look lovely with the stencil, and as it's 7x7 it's perfect for an 8x8 card. I hope that you will join in with our challenge, and that I'll see you over at the Country View Crafts blog. 

Have a fabulous April, and thanks very much for looking x

Happy Mother's Day

Good morning and happy Friday. This is a scheduled post, but we're hopefully home now from our holidays, but probably sleeping for a fortnight! Here's my second project for the Country View Crafts Letters and/or Numbers challenge. As it's Mother's Day on Sunday I thought I'd better make a card before I went away.

 I started by brayering a background with some DecoArt Premium Acrylics.

 Then I went over some Art By Marlene stencils with a wet wipe to remove some of the paint.

 I added some more colour with texture paste through more stencils.

 Then added some stamping with Art By Marlene clear stamps.

 Time for the scary bit! I die cut the word 'Mum' into my background.

Then just popped it up on some 3D foam, and put the pieces back in. I was a gnats digit away from cutting it out upside down eek!

I'd better set the alarm clock for Sunday to make sure my Mum gets this on time lol. Have a very happy week, and thanks so much for looking x

Letters and Numbers For Country View Crafts

Good morning and happy Friday. It's time for a brand new challenge over at Country View Crafts, and more importantly it's time for our holidays. As this post goes live we will be jetting off to the USA so it's home alone time again for the kids - they'll get over it lol.

The theme this time has been chosen by the lovely Evelyn, and it's Letters and/or Numbers. Here's mine.

I started by stamping this huge A4 stamp that Tracy Evans designed for AALL and Create. I stamped it on kraft, white, and black card.

Then I just snipped and punched away and layered up the pieces. I added a bit of stitching, then a bit more, and then I made myself walk away lol.

To finish I attached it to an A4 sketchbook and gave it a generous coat of Vintage Collage Medium. You can't really see it here, but it does give it a fab aged look.

Please check out the Country View Crafts challenge blog for lots of wonderful inspiration from my teamies and then join in with our challenge.

Have a very happy March, and I'll catch up with you after my holidays. Thanks very much for looking x

Some A-Moo-Sing New Stamps from Rubber Dance

Good morning and happy Saturday, welcome to the weekend. It's time for my second post for Rubber Dance and this is also my last one as a member of the design team.  I would like to thank Bibi, Susanne, and the rest of the team for a fab two years.  

Susanne has recently brought out some fun new stamps, and these are what I'm using here.

Aren't these cows hillarious - and so cute. The whole set is called From Moo To You

 I started by making some backgrounds with Distress Oxides then die cutting them into tag shapes.

 Then some stencilling with Oxides and gesso.

 These are the new Rubber Dance Grungy Borders and Grungy Stuff stamps and they are fabulous!

 Then I added some die cuts, and that's it, backgrounds all done.

 As well as buying the whole set you can buy each cow individually - this one is Christmas Cow.

 This is Cute Cow.

And this is Birthday Cow.

There's still loads of time left for you to join in with the colour/theme challenge, so head on over to the Rubber Dance Stamping Lounge   https://www.facebook.com/groups/311557542913461/- this month is 'Anything Goes' so what could be easier.
I'm also entering my tags into the Stamping Sensations challenge All Things Bright and Beautiful.

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

A Carabelle Play Day

Good morning and happy Friday. Earlier in the week I had a play day, just for fun, except for the tidying up, and this is what I made. 

I'd watched Leonie on Hochanda using an A4 stamp, so decided that it was time to ink mine up.

Never before been inked, but I'll show you an after picture later!

I started by making a background with Deco Art Premium Acrylics, and some Carabelle (Kate Crane) stamping plates.

I put too much paint on this one but I did like it and will use parts of it.

I have lots of different brands of stamps, and they are all kept in their own storage boxes, so I decided to stick with Carabelle for my stamping. These are all going somewhere in the background.

Along with these, and many more that got chosen as I went along.

This is why I never throw the scraps away! 

I thought I had lots more photos, but THIS is what I used, and this is only my work table, you should see the other two! There's lots of stencilling with Kate's stencils, and Viva Decor and Izink texture pastes which I really like, and for the eagle eyed amongst you, yes, this is what happened to my huge stamp...

I admit it, my name's Sue, and I'm addicted to my stamping platform! Yup I looked at my stamp and there was a place where I could cut through  - I promise no butterflies were harmed, and both pieces can now go on my TH platform separately.

There's lots of texture and crackle going on that you can't really see here.

 I also got a bit carried away with the stitching!

We're still a little bit in between indoor and outdoor photographs here, but I do like it, and it fills an A4 page. I really enjoyed my play day (or 2 or 3) and it was good to finally ink some stamps.
I'm entering my page into the Stamping Sensations All Things Bright and Beautiful challenge.

Have a happy weekend, and thanks very much for looking x

Rolodex Cards for Rubber Dance

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Rubber Dance have a fun new colour/theme challenge for February, and here's what I've made.

And here is the inspiration board.

I started by making my background with Distress Inks and Oxides using the above colours.

Then I chopped it up to make my rolodex cards. I know it's something you have to do, but I still hate chopping up a nice background lol.

 The background has been stamped with images from Crazy Flowers 2, and the main image and sentiment is Merry Magpie.

 This one is Take The Plunge.

And Owl Do Good.

I hope that you like them, and that you join in with our challenge over at the Rubber Dance Stamping Lounge.
I'm also joining in with the challenges at Simon Says Stamp Monday - Add Some Red, 
Craft Stamper TIMI February Anything Goes,
Fashionable Stamping Anything Goes, and
Stamping Sensations - All Things Bright and Beautiful
 Have a very happy week, and thanks for looking x

From Moo To You

Good morning and happy Sunday! Today I'm sharing my second Black & White/Black & white +1 piece for this month's Country View Crafts challenge. Wow that's a mouthfull isn't it, next time I shall choose something easier to type lol.

Aren't these cows adorable, they're from a new Rubber Dance set - but who would have thought that I would have chosen pink as my plus 1, certainly not me!

 I started by cutting the outer layers of my rolodex cards, one in black with white, and one in white with black.

Then I cut the inside layer on smooth white card and stamped with the new Rubber Dance Grungy Borders and Grungy Stuff stamps. These have only been out for a few days, but there is a selection of Rubber Dance stamps here.

 I love these cows, they are just so happy, and I think that pink really is their colour lol. The set is called 'From Moo To You' (of course)

 Here's Birthday Cow.

 Christmas Cow.

And Cute Cow.

So we've gone from zombies to cows in 3 days lol what other challenge brings you that!

I hope that you're enjoying our challenge and that you join in with us. Remember there's a chance to win a £20 voucher to spend in the store.

Have a happy weekend, and thanks very much for looking x