Moving Along With The Times...Come Dancing..

Hey,

Welcome to another great challenge from the Moving Along With The Times team.

This time our hostess is Hazel and her theme is 'Come Dancing' 

I decided to dig out a fun stamp by Simon Says Stamp and Art Impressions for Stamptember. I love these fun AI stamps. They have a whole range with a group of older ladies having a lot of fun.

I coloured this card using Promarkers - imagining my group of friends and I when we are a bit older..dancing it out!

The sentiment came with the set and I stamped it onto a die-cut banner, that matches the card blank.

Simple and fun.

Now it's your turn, but first go over to MAWTT and check out the creations by my teammates.

Challenge ends on 13th April.

Cx

WOYWW #356...Pocket Letter...

 Hey,

Happy WOYWW.

Bit late to the party today, forgot to schedule my post!!!

That's what Easter in Tampa does for you :)

For those of you unfamiliar with WOYWW. It is that time of the week when we join our Hostess Julia over at her blog Stamping Ground for a weekly global desk nose - its fun.

My desk is from last night. I was mid create for a guest blog post I am working on, you can see the card peeking out from under a set of stamps. You can also see my glasses, a stenciled piece of paper, glittery washi tape, scissors, glue, embossing paste, ink, my mouse, a notepad and my sippy cup :)

Not complete chaos, which is good.

A couple of weeks a fellow WOYWWer Nikki C mentioned that she was making a pocket letter and wanted to swap. I reached out, because I have been wanting to make a pocket letter for ages..

Nikki's arrived in the post this week :)

Pretty Envelope

First view of the letter 

Full view of the letter

It's so lovely and full of wonderful little things in the pockets. Thank you so much Nikki - proper thank you coming your way.

I am mid-way through mine for Nikki, it's fun so far and less complex than I had thought :)

One last photo for you - of Aligators in Tampa - we had so much fun, it was warm and it was exactly what we needed :)

Have a happy WOYWW. See you later gators for some nosying.

Cx

Retro Rubber #35 Anything Goes....

Hey,

Welcome to another fabulous Retro Rubber challenge.

Today we have a fave challenge theme...Anything Goes...

I decided to make a shaker card, because I had the shaker pouch (filled with Lucy Abrams and SSS sequins), the aperture card and the card blank together on my desk..

I pulled out my Simon Says Stamp Sparkle & Shine stamp set (from 2014) and stamped two of the sentiments in bright colours and cut them out and affixed them to the card blank in the right positions (this took awhile..)

I decided the aperture piece was boring as it was, so added some purple ink to the newish Dots in Space stamp by Penny Black and touched the card to it, so I got uneven dot coverage, which is what I wanted.

Final touch was to heat emboss the sentiment onto vellum and attached this to the card using mini staples.

Sometimes the best cards are just sitting on your desk waiting to be made :)

Your turn to have a play and show us, but first go over to Retro Rubber and check out the fun things my teammates have made.

Remember to use stamps a year or older and tell us about them to be eligible for the challenge. 

The challenge ends on April 8th.

Cx 

Playing with Ferns.....

Hey,

I wanted to show you some things I've made using a new Fern background stamp.

The main photo today shows you the first card I made.

To create the background I inked up the stamp using two or three co-ordinating Distress Inks, then I spritzed it with water before laying my paper on top (this always stresses me out).

After rubbing the paper onto the stamp for a couple of minutes, I lift it off and dry it using the heat tool. The lift off moment is so nerve-wracking as I never know if I am going to get a inky wet mess or watercolourey perfection!

I decided to play around with the stamp a bit more to create backgrounds for some cards I am making as a gift for a friend.

Here are the finished cards -

I used word dies in similar colours, so it's a bit like camouflage.

I love the first card, the second batch, well I like them, but as JT would say, I don't love them..next time I'll use contrasting colour words.

Cx

Happy Easter..

Hey,

Well it's not quite, but it is Good Friday.

Hubby and I are in Tampa now, catching rays..

So as it's Easter I thought I'd show you another bunny that I rediscovered when making this card for Retro Rubber.

I love these Zlatoena Big Eared Bunnies..they are so much fun.

I coloured this one using Promarkers and added a bit of Wink of Stella here and there. I used a fab sentiment stamp by Hero Arts. It felt like it worked here.

A simple one-layer card.

Have a great Easter.

Cx

Do The Happy Dance...

Hey,

I am indeed doing the happy dance...

Today is my Friday - I have Easter off and Hubby and I are heading to Tampa tomorrow morning - whoop whoop sunshine here we come.

We have lots of fun things planned, see Manatees, visit the Big Cat rescue park and go to the Aquarium, fun times.

To celebrate this and Easter :) I had a play with a new-ish set from Michaels - the die is not made right and so not only did I get it on sale, but I got a gift card to apologise for the inconvenience - double yay!

 I made quite a few cards, so I'm going to split them over two posts.

For the main photo today, I stenciled the background, but I didn't like the stamping I did, so I covered it with the bright yellow panel.

I bought a pack of random Snap! sentiment stickers in a sale a while back and I thought Happy Dance would work well here.

Inspired by this first card I made 4 more - LOL!

Here is card number two -

I think this is my fave of them all..I found the random sparkly tag in my giant box of misc embellishments, tags, etc. I LOVE tags and buy them on sale all the time, even though I have all the stuff to make my own..

Again I used one of the Snap! stickers, I thought the sentiment went well with the bright colours. 

I really love how the Flamingo pops against the stripes and yellow.

More of these on Sunday.

Cx

WOYWW #355..Fixing an annoyance...

Hey,

Happy WOYWW everyone.

It's my fave time of the week where I get to join Julia at her blog Stamping Ground and hang out with my desk buddies and see what they have been up to!

My desk today has a story. This is the photo I took on Sunday morning. I never leave my desk like this anymore, because it is in my bedroom and it's not fair on Hubby to look at a hot mess. So imagine my surprise when I went off to my desk on Sunday AM and was greeted by this mess. I don't remember leaving it like this..LOL..late night Furcrafters perhaps?

Last weekend, I finally solved a problem that has been bothering me.

Like most people I use clear pockets and fridgebinz to store my stamps -

Picture of my Fridgbinz in their Ikea Expedit home..

It's simple, effective and easy to use and build on.

But I have a few stamp sets that are taller than my pockets...man has this been annoying me!

So I spent Saturday morning looking for a solution...I came across this - genius idea..

You cut up the cover sheet and then collage onto the paper insert you use and then laminate it. I didn't use my Zyron to laminate the sheets (as per the link), I used my laminator, meaning I could do x2 stamp sets at once. I did 10 in total.

Here is the result -

I forgot to take a photo of the before, but I did keep the paper sleeve that the stamp set was on. See how much taller than my clear pocket it is!

I am super pleased, it works really well, means everything is neat and tidy and my inner OCD friend can go to sleep for awhile.

Here is a little card for you WOYWWers -

Stamp by Little Claire 

Have a great day and have a Happy Easter (Hubby and I are off to Tampa for Easter), see you for desk nosying later.

Cx

Retro Rubber #34 It's Easter...still time to play along..

Hey,

There is still time for you to join in the latest Retro Rubber challenge.

It's an Easter theme this time..

Remember to use stamps a year or older and tell us about them to be eligible for the challenge. 

The challenge ends on March 25th.

And have a Happy Easter.

Cx 

Class makes...

Hey,

Hope you had a good weekend.

I had a nice one, chilling with Hubby and attending class at The Inkpad NYC on Friday, taught by my good friend Cheiron.

I love her classes they are fun - there is a regular crowd of ladies and they are great to be around.

I love the cards we made in this class, the main photo was my fave card from the evening. Here are the rest.

So much fun to make, we used pastes, paints, inks, stencils, multi-matt medium, markers, stamps and a few paper based items.

It was great on my table, we were very collaborative and helpful, it was a nice fun way to spend Friday after a crazy week at work.

I also managed to empty my wallet in The Inkpad - but in my defense there were a lot of great things on sale as well as full price items, alongside class discount :)

Cheiron and I will be seeing each other again in two weeks when we do another road trip to Jenn Shurkus' Loft Art Retreat - cannot wait!

Cx

Alien birthday....

Hey,

Hope you are having a great weekend so far.

Following on from Friday's card that used my new Paper Smooches 'Space Cadet' set, I thought it would be fun to show you how I have already started to 'stretch' this stamp set.

Alien's don't just have to be for little boys..they can be for girls and adults too :)

I used two additional stamp sets here, both by Simon Says Stamp - the balloons came from the 'Birthday Bits' set and I drew in the string, the sentiment came from the 'Square Sayings' set.

I like the fact that my shiny new Marine Promarker matches an ancient Dewdrop turquoise ink...random.

Fun to utilise many stamp sets on one card. It's a great reminder of how with a little imagination you can create a lot of things.

Cx

Always Playing With Paper..Colour Challenge...

Hey,

So as always class was fun last night, I will be posting the cards on Monday.

I saw the colour palette over at Always Playing With Paper this week and an idea formed...

I thought the colours would make a great boy card using my new stamps from Hema in Amsterdam.

I stamped the 'skate' in black ink and coloured it using a lime Promarker. The skateboarders I stamped to make it look like they were moving down the card, I used a grey Dewdrop ink for them. I finished off by adding blue and turquoise mini star stamps and navy die-cut stars.

I'm really pleased with the end result, fun to bring my imagination to life!

Cx

Simon Says...Lucky Stars....

Happy Friday.

I am super excited about today as I have class tonight at The Inkpad, being taught by the lovely Cheiron..it's a mixed media card class, I like these ones alot, they are fun and it will be great to see all the regular ladies.

As I am off to class with Cheiron tonight I thought it would be nice to play along with the Simon Says Monday challenge - she is part of the DT.

I love SSS Monday challenges, because they push my mixed media abilities.

I had actually already made my card when I went to look at the challenge! Imagine my surprise when the challenge turned out to be - Use Some Lucky Stars..

I made my card using a new stencil and stamp set by Dina Wakely that I got at Michaels -

I stenciled the background using Distress Inks, spritzed them, dried it and cut the panel to size.

I then stamped three of the scribbly women onto the panel and added some of the words from the set.

I added stars in random places.

I can't decide if it should be a belated International Women's Day card or a thank you!

I like it a lot though!

Have a great weekend.

Cx

Get well in warp speed...

Hey,

So today I am showing you a little package that I made for a friend's Niece who was recently hit by a car!!

Liz and I have been friends for twenty years and she lives in New Zealand, so snail mail is our friend.

I thought it would be nice to send her Niece care package as well as a get-well card. 

The card used my new Paper Smooches 'Space Cadet' stamps..I have wanted them forever and they are awesome. The stitched speech bubble die is new too, by Spellbinders..on sale $2 for 3 dies - had to be purchased.

I am loving the new square kraft card blanks, you will be seeing a lot of square cards LOL!

Here is a photo of the final package -

It is prettily wrapped in a Hema window envelope (Hema is in Amsterdam and I AM OBSESSED), inside it contains, one of my handmade notepads, a pencil and x4 mini cards.

Here's a photo of the notepad (sorry rough Instagram photo), essentially, I cover the mini notepads I get in sets of 8 from the dollar store and add loops / string for closing. Simples.

Final photo for today of the mini cards - love these, need to make more of the 'Hey' cards. The stamps are a mix of Avery Elle, Lawn Fawn, Simon Says Stamp and Recollections by Michaels.

A nice simple care package for a girl who needs a smile.

Cx

WOYWW #354...What it means to me...

Hey,

Happy WOYWW.

It's my first one in a while and I thought given Julia's news last week, that it was only fitting that I talk about what WOYWW means to me.

Julia's weekly global desk nosy (at her blog Stamping Ground) has introduced me to some wonderful people - including Julia.

Before I talk about some of the lovely people I've met via WOYWW lets look at my desk - from Tues night..
Mid 'creative' flow it was a bit chaotic, you can see a tin of mini distress inks ontop of a pile of stamps, there is a drawer from my Promarker unit (there is one cube with mini drawers for stuff), this drawer has all my mini stamp blocks in it and some misc mini stamps, in front of my Filofax you can see some of the mini stamp blocks, peeking out from under the Filofax is a project I'm working on.

I have a great set of friends that have come from WOYWW, Superstamp Girl, Kim Young, Carole and Darnell to name a few of them. 
Today I'm 'showcasing' Darnell.. just before I went on holiday last month, a little envelope arrived from Darnell -

In the envelope was the cool card and Papertrey Ink Balloon dies!!

She sent them to me because I commented on her blog that I loved a card of hers that featured balloon dies and that I had to get some. She said she thought it was a shame I didn't have any and she had too many for one girl.

How sweet is that..it came just at the right time :)

I made this card for a class I am teaching next month, using the new dies -

I thought it would be a simple make for my class of beginners.

Thanks to all the wonderful friends I've made via WOYWW, you all rock.

Have a great WOYWW see you all for a desk nosy later.

Cx

Retro Rubber #34 It's Easter...

Hey,

Welcome to another superb challenge from the Retro Rubber team.

This week we have an Easter theme for you - 

I was at a bit of a loss with this one, as I have limited Easter stash. Then JT reminded me about the Zlatoena big eared bunnies I have...

They are digital stamps, but you can also buy them at The Cat's Pyjama's as physical stamps too.

I've had these about two years and I love them, but use them so infrequently. This post made me print out a batch and use them.

I coloured the stamp with Promarkers and Spectrum Noir sparkle markers and fussy cut it out.

As the stamp is quite fussy, I kept the background simple (again guided by JT). I created stamped a simple Easter sentiment and die-cut it using a banner die.

A really bright and cheery make that I think my Grandma will love.

Show us your Easter creations, but first go over to Retro Rubber and check out the fab things my teammates have made.

Remember to use stamps a year or older and tell us about them to be eligible for the challenge. 

The challenge ends on March 25th.

Cx 

Cake and quilts...

Hey,

Hope you all had a great weekend.

I thought today I would share a card I made using some of my colouring from The Daily Marker colouring challenge last month.

It's been a 'let's eat cake' kind of weekend..we went to afternoon tea at a friend's house to meet her new Daughter - who is GORGEOUS!!

I managed to FINALLY finish her baby quilt -

I choose the Parisian Pooch fabric, because my friend and her Husband are big fans of Paris and I like all the baby quilts to have a touch of the parents incorporated.

Finishing this quilt gave me a new found love for my amazing sewing machine and it's super fast speed - meaning I got this bad boy done in under 3hrs...

This was an adventure for me, as I used flannel for the first time, it's a beast to sew, but gives superb results..

Back to my card :) The stamp is a freebie from a UK magazine, I love it, so pretty and versatile. I die-cut it using my new Gina Marie stitched scallop dies and the sentiment is by Simon Says Stamp and Hero Arts for Stamptember 2014. The best bit for me is the ancient paper from a dodgy craft expo that JT and I attended way back in 2012, it came in a huge pack and I am still working my way through it.

I am happy with the finished card and the baby quilt..

Cx

New technique with existing kit...

Hey,

Hope you are having a good weekend so far?

I thought I'd share two cards today.

Both cards use the new technique that JT and I tried when I was in London recently.

You heat emboss your stamp and then watercolour in the detail. It's very effective and really makes the stamp pop off of the paper.

The main card is one I made for my Ma when I got home - belated Mother's Day card, as I totally forgot that MD was early this year!!

The flower and basket stamps were a freebie with a magazine from my latest trip home. The sentiment stamp is by Lawn Fawn.

I watercoloured both cards using Distress Inks and an aquabrush.

The card below was made at JT's house, using her kit (she talks about the stamps in her post)..I need to redo the sentiment, as I didn't stamp it very well.

I really love how the hot air balloons actually look like they are in the air!

If you heat emboss, this is a fun and easy technique to try out..give it a go.

Cx

Statue of Liberty...

Hey,

Happy Friday.

I am most excited that it is the weekend.

It's the annual bonus dinner tonight (Hubby gets a bonus, I get a fancy dinner of my choice) and then tomorrow, we are off to visit friends to celebrate the arrival of their Daughter Eloise.

A very NYC weekend, which will be nice after my long trip away.

I love the Statue of Liberty, it is one of the NYC landmarks that always impresses me.

I recently popped into The Inkpad and they had some new stencils by a New York based artist.

I thought it would be fun to stencil it in white against a black background. The white ink is by Simon Says Stamp and it is the best white ink I've come across.

It came out really well and so I sent it to my Goddaughter to celebrate the fact that she is coming here in November for her 21st birthday.

Have a great weekend.

Cx

Watercoloured Numbers...

Hey,

I saw this stamp set by Jillibean Soup - 

I fell in love the the large numbers stamp and knew that it had to be mine :)

When I was in London last week, JT and I played around with heat embossing stamps and then watercolouring in the detail - it's a great way to really make your stamp stand out.

JT was the one that suggested trying a black version and I loved how hers looked, so wanted to have a go too.

The numbers stamp is perfect for heat embossing, it's detailed, but not too much. 

I loved watercolouring it and I'm going to try a different version with Promarkers. Sentiment is by Clearly Besotted - love the set it comes in, there are like a million sentiments for every occasion. 

The square kraft card blank is new and purchased on my recent trip to London. I love kraft card blanks..

JT has shown her makes from last week already, I will be posting mine over the weekend, along with a card I made for my Ma, using this new technique.

Cx

Pineapples can wear glasses too...

Hey,

I love Pineapples.

I love eating them and I love to use them in my crafty life too..

There has recently been a spate of fun stamp releases that include Pineapples..I have been trying to resist new stuff, but when Concord and 9th had a sale I couldn't resist this fun set - 

This means that I can play along with the lovely Darnell's current NBUS challenge - Never Before Used Schtuff..oh how much of this I have right now...

So before I went away, I had a little play and made the two cards you can see below.

I kept them super simple as I wanted the Pineapples to be the hero - the Aloha stamp is from the set and the baby stamp is from a Simon Says Stamp set.

Whilst I was away I said I would send a friend something when I got home, we both love a good pair of specs so I modified one of the cards to add a pair of glasses to the Pineapple.

It is cracking me up - simple things make me happy.

Like a Pineapple wearing glasses.

Cx

Retro Rubber Challenge #33..Get Sketchy..there is still time

Hey,

There is still time for you to join the latest challenge from the Retro Rubber team..

This time we have a sketch challenge for you..

Remember to use a stamp a year or older on your project, don't forget to tell us how old it is too.

Challenge ends on March 11th.

Cx