World Card Making Day.............just!!!

Didn't realise it was so late in the day! However as a cardmaker I thought I really must post today.  I don't think I'm going to make it by midnight UK time, but as its an American celebration there's still time, right? And I have been cardmaking this week using some of my old favourite Christmas stamps and a fab new set from Clare at Waltzing Mouse stamps.

Clare comes up with a design I can't resist every year and this year its Scandi Doodle Christmas. I'm a real admirer of Scandinavian design, especially at Christmas. You can probably guess which are Waltzing Mouse stamps in this picture! There are some other brands though. The two little elves are Hero Arts Stamps by Lia and the All is Calm set is from Neat & Tangled's 2014 release. The other designs (Father Christmas, Christmas Pud and Reindeer) are so old I can't remember where they came from but are real favourites I use every year.

Well its now half past midnight here in the UK so I have missed the boat big style, but I'm going with US time - its still 3rd October there! As you can see its been stamping in the sunshine here - not very Christmassy but glorious just the same.

More like midsummer than Christmas, but with the added bonus of Autumn colour! Just fabulous!

September's here!

There's a purple haze on the hills which to me means Autumn is here.  But it seems Summer doesn't want to leave us just yet. The last two days have been beautiful but there is definitely an excuse to light a fire in the evening when that nip in the air is felt.

My colouring (yes, I'm still at it!) has taken on the colours of Autumn too. I know I'm going on and on about these Zig Clean Color pens but I'm so enjoying them. I love to make single layer cards and as these colours don't bleed through to the back I can get out my outline stamps again without having to add another layer to my little cards. And an imminent birthday has allowed me to add new colours to my collection as I asked all my family to buy me a few.

I've been experimenting with larger cards too - very brave of me! A friend asked for some birthday cards so I put together a little bundle for her and packaged them up in a recycled acetate box. I'd love to do more of these boxes for an upcoming craft fair but the only ones I've found for sale are very expensive - £15 for 25 - so I'm not sure its financially practical. They do look good though.  If anyone has found less expensive boxes (C6 size) in the UK I'd love to know where.

Another hexi week

Its been another week of small hexagon patchwork and I'm still really enjoying it.  Two more sewing kits and a lavender filled pincushion came together in the last few days. My next project might be even smaller as I won some lovely Liberty Tana Lawn 2 inch squares on ebay which are now waiting for attention.

And there have been a few notecards inspired by this card on Audrey's blog that really took my fancy.  I just had to order that brush stroke stamp set and inked it up as soon as it arrived.  I coloured (with Zig watercolour pens) the daisies from Friends till the End (Papertrey Ink) after stamping with Versamark Ink and white embossing powder - something I don't do very often as its rather a palaver and I never seem to get a perfect result. The daisies were die cut and glued over the stripey background.

And finally this week, I watched a family of swallows on the wires in the same spot on the farm where I took the first photo on 14th April this year - the first swallows I'd seen locally.  I like to think these are the same pair with their successfully fledged offspring - I'm sure they are!

Gotta Stamp Again!

This little corner of blogland isn't overly visited (according to Blogger stats) but I noticed one of my most clicked-on posts was this one I wrote way back in August 2013. Well, I've had that stamping feeling again this past week, triggered by a purchase from that tempting craft store at Make the Day Special. This time I've fallen for a couple of sets from Waffle Flower.  It only takes a mouthwatering card or two spied on Pinterest for my resolve not to buy more stamps to disappear in a wink of an eye!

You will see some of those new stamps in these photos, along with some older sets from other favourite stamp brands. And if you look closely you might notice some sentiments in Welsh which are always popular at fairs here in Wales. Unfortunately Welsh language sentiment stamp choice is severely limited  and I tend to buy any I see. But I must thank my lovely blog friend Lynn at Crafty Linby for my latest "Penblwydd Hapus" (Happy Birthday) - a happy surprise in the post! Can you spot it Lynn?

Here's a closeup of cards using Waffle Flower's Loved set. As you can see I cannot give up my beloved one layer style small note cards. I buy ready made blanks 4 inches and 3 inches square. The large sentiments above are Papertrey Ink's Graceful Greetings. Just the right size to be the focal point of a 4 inch card. 

There are a few images from Wplus9's Freshcut Florals on the heart card too. I drew round a heart die lightly in pencil and stamped within the lines, rubbing the pencil marks out afterwards.

Lastly these cards use Waffle Flowers' Flower Circles set - a bit of an unusual style for me.  However I fell for that stylised lantern stamp and just had to have it. I love Japanese calligraphy and think these three cards have a little Japanese style. Do you agree? ;o)

And now for something completely different!!!  Just have to show off a few photos from last Thursday's 'Out There' concert at Liverpool's Echo Arena. Do you remember when cameras were forbidden at live performances on pain of death - well expulsion anyway! Not any more - you couldn't see the stage for cameras and phones at times.  Of course I joined in! This was my first experience of a large gig and I really enjoyed it - even if my ears were ringing for hours after.

 

 

Of course we would not normally consider spending so much on an evening out (do you know how much tickets cost!!!! I was shocked!) but we were lucky enough to be guests of one of the band, were invited to the artists lounge for pre-show nibbles and had seats down the front.  A great night I won't forget - after all I was in love with Paul when I was fourteen! ;o)

Gelatos - yes, I thought it was ice cream too!

I sometimes like to watch a couple of crafty Youtubes when I'm having my tea and happened to catch Melissa Phillips' Make it Monday for Papertrey Ink a couple of weeks ago. I was really taken with her colouring technique using Faber Castell Gelatos - a product I'd never come across of before. I ordered a set from the excellent Local Art Shop website as my 'local art shop' didn't stock them.

They arrived in double quick time and I had a go copying Melissa's technique. I stamped my first card in pastel colours and, as in the video, gingerly added the gelato colour with a piece of paper towel.  The effect was really pretty so on my next card I went a bit bolder with the colour.

There are lots of colours in the gelato range but you can 'mix' them to get the shade you need. I was able to get the right green for the leaves on my bold card by adding yellow over the lime green you can see in the box.  I love how these turned out.  Now I need to find other ways of using my new Gelatos - Youtube here I come!

Stamps used: Papertrey Ink: Honey Bee; Green Thumb; Background Basic Super Gingham

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I know - you thought I'd left the country!  I've taken a blog break but its a new year and I'm going to try to kick start my posting once again with a bit of SPARKLE. 

I'm not one for layers and embellishments on cards but I saw THIS post on the Wplus9 blog and really fancied trying a bit of watercolouring gems.  Not real watercolouring of course but using Distress Inks - there are loads of tutorials and videos using this technique around at the moment and Dawn at Wplus9 has a few on the blog.  AND I've also been drawn into the sequin craze too - something I would not have imagined just a few weeks ago - but they do look so pretty when you see them in bulk don't they.  I bought three little packets and the Sparkle & Shine stamp set and die at Make the Day Special. 

Found a use for those cute little Bonne Maman jars I've been hoarding too! :)

Pink Gooseberries

The soft fruit season is in full swing in gardens all over the country and I picked a small crop of gooseberries yesterday - I have only one small bush.  They looked so pretty in this vintage Pyrex Cinderella bowl.  The pattern is called Pink Gooseberry! 

I've been enarmoured with my new stamp set Bowl of Sunshine recently arrived from Papertrey Ink courtesy of my very good friend Yuki over there in The States (a million thanks once again Yuki!).  I just love the little bowl that looks like vintage Pyrex and thought I'd try to reproduce my gooseberries in ink.  However there's no gooseberry stamp in the set - do they even have them in North America?  I tried a bunch of grapes stamp instead, masking along the bowl's rim, and I think it does very nicely. 

I can't stop making cards with this set - its so cute.  Here's a few using the fruits that are in the set - apples, lemons and oranges.  I used vivid dye inks from the Adirondak Brights and Earthtones ranges on 3 inch square card blanks. 

Its good to stamp!

I loved Melissa Bickford's series of little flower stamp sets when they were introduced by Papertrey Ink a few years ago and collected the whole set of 12.  I remembered them when I wanted to make a stack of cards for my sister's tea party fund raiser next month.  I decided to just go with each little set, simply stamped directly onto small plain 3 inch square card bases and using the sentiments that came with each flower image.  Quick and simple - just the way I like it! 

Of course I'll need to have more than 12 cards to offer the tea party goers so I carried on stamping.  I quite liked the idea of using every stamp set in my collection and here are some more cards for the pile - the same size as before and again just one layer of ink and cardstock.

 

And yet more..... these use 4 inch card bases.  I've not far to go before I reach my aim of using every stamp set - but I think I'll have to draw the line at Christmas cards.  No one wants to think of Christmas in July!

A Great Age Reached

Its a very long time since I made a special card, let alone blogged about one, but this week I had to create something for my Mum's 90th birthday - which is today!  In our local shops the "90 today" cards were uninspiring or just plain unsuitable so I got out my favourite Fresh Cut Floral sets from Wplus9 and came up with this.

At 90 my Mum's interests in life are few as she in not in the best of health but she does like flowers.  I suspect today the house will be rather short of vases to hold birthday bouquets - two large boxes of blooms have already arrived from distant relations.  I just had to have 90 on the card but as I don't have any number stamps or dies I printed out large numbers in a suitable font on plain paper, cut them out, traced round the shapes onto masking paper, cut those numbers out and arranged them on my card base.  Then all I had to do was fill the front with stamped images.  I love the layering opportunities of the Fresh Cut Florals sets and spent a happy hour stamping away before carefully peeling off the mask.  I'm pleased with the result.

Here's the birthday girl at her party in another age.  Mum's the little girl shading her eyes from the sun in the middle of her friends.  Probably 6 or 7 years of age in her back garden in Knighton in Mid-Wales.

And another photo includes her Mum (in the centre), the midwife that brought her into the world (left) and their little "mother's help" dressed in her lacy maid's cap for the occasion - I understand quite ordinary folks had a "treasure" to help in the house in those far off days.

Dydd Hapus Santes Dwynwen/Happy St Dwynwen's Day

Here's a quick card if you've forgotten or want to join in and celebrate Wales' day for lovers.  Dwynwen is the patron saint of sick animals too so that's another reason to celebrate her saints day.

 I die cut some hearts from sugarpaper (just love those muted shades), added a wood effect background stamp, layered them up and stitched to the front of a square card base.  Then I stamped the greeting around the edges with a small alphabet set.

Whilst searching Dwynwen on Pinterest I found this lovely young saint on Charlotte's blog.  I can't resist posting her here and what a fabulous costume she has created.  I just love the little church made from a bird house.  I hope you don't mind Charlotte.

I haven't been able to find the origins of the lovely image of Dwynwen - it looks like an old wall painting or an illumination from an ancient Celtic tome, but it could just as easily be a modern artist's creation.

Twelve Craft Days of Christmas - On the first day.....

If you've got it - flaunt it I say!  Let me explain - I'm talking about beautiful stamps and I've bought some gorgeous Christmas stamps this year from Claire at Waltzingmouse Stamps.  This set, Folk Art Christmas Additions, has to be my favourite and of the four images in the set the Reindeer is definitely the star.  And when I say flaunt it, I mean show it off - as far as I'm concerned it needs nothing else to make a perfect Scandinavian style Christmas card. 

I've used a 4 inch square plain white card blank, Festive Berries Distress Ink, and a simple sentiment.  The only embellishment I've added is a bit of glitter with a Clear Star Sakura Gelly Roll pen on the floral decoration - hard to see in the photo I'm afraid but it does add to the Christmassy feel.  I've also made gift tags in the same style using ready made stationery luggage labels.  Couldn't be easier if you are short of time..... and as always I'm short of time!

Well, its 12 days till Christmas and I want to try and post something on each of the 12 days.  It may not be something I've created every day but I hope it will be something either interesting, beautiful or inspiring and preferably all three.  Hope to see you here this time tomorrow!  Ho, ho, ho!

Sometimes you just gotta stamp!

Yes, that's how I felt yesterday.  And as these simply stamped little cards proved popular at my last craft fair I had a perfect excuse to indulge myself.  If you are a stamper and a fan of Wplus9, Paptertrey Ink, or Waltzing Mouse Stamps you might recognise some of the sets I've used.  I had a lovely time trying out a few newly acquired stamps and some old favourites.  The card blanks are just 3" (7.5cms) square (I'm very partial to small cards) and were purchased in packs of about 50 cards and envelopes at Craft Land-udno in, guess where, Llandudno! - a large rather chaotic store in Mostyn Street.  In both cream and white good quality cardstock I think they are a bargain at £4.00 a pack.

However this morning there was no time for stamping.  I found this little creature on the kitchen floor when I got up this morning - its a pipistrelle bat. 

Even though it has an injured wing its a fiesty little character who didn't appreciate my efforts to help. Trying to keep my cat away I first picked it up in a soft duster and put it in my coalhouse as I thought it would like the dark and quiet - but it escaped under the door.  Then I tried the attic windowsill - but it tried to jump out of the window and rolled down the roof and into the guttering!  PANIC!  Then it climbed out of the guttering and fell onto the plastic leanto roof.  Even more PANIC!  I rescued it again and after consulting the Bat Conservation Trust website, put it in a large box with some scrunched up kitchen roll and a bottlecap of water.  It has settled down to sleep now and a bat handler is to collect it this afternoon.  Phew!  I do hope it will survive its injuries - shame I didn't get a better photo but I didn't want to stress it even more by posing it in the open.  If I hear how it gets on and you are interested, I'll post any news on my facebook page - but I am a bit worried about that injured wing.

Feeling crafty

I made these bubble wands after seeing Lady Lucente's photo here.  I think mine are rather smaller as I wanted them to fit into the bottles of bubble mixture I'm using, and they are not as beautiful as the originals as I wanted to use beads I already had to hand.  To be honest they don't work as well as the plastic wands that come with the mixture - but they are much prettier!

And great excitement today when the postman dropped of my new Fresh Cut Florals stamp set from Wplus9.  I've waited rather a long time for it to arrive and wanted to get it inked as soon as possible.  I made a card for a friend who is not too well at the moment and posted it almost before the ink was dry as I want it to arrive tomorrow.  The result is a rather poor photo as the light was not good, but I really enjoyed my first play with those lovely layered flowers.