Poinsettia Christmas

 

I've been playing with the Penny Black Scarlet Majesty cling stamp, one of my absolute favourites.  This first one is on mixed media paper using Distress Inks, with a touch of black pen to add tension.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz.

I'm entering this into Penny Black Saturday challenge - Christmas.

I did this next one on Hunkydory Ink Me card and went for a cleaner image, adding shading with coloured pencils.  The sentiment is from Uniko Studio.

I'm entering it into The Flower Challenge - Christmas

While the stamp was still in the MISTI I spritzed and stamped off and got this image.  It needed a little help, so I outlined it and added veins for a bit of definition.  The sentiment is from MFT.

I'm entering this one in Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

I got a couple more stamp-offs that you can see in this group picture.  Not a bad morning's work, eh?

Stencilled Christmas

 

Here I am, back already with another Christmas card and another challenge.  This time, it's for Simon Says Wednesday challenge, Stencil It.

and Inspired By - I've gone with the colours.

The little dog is a woodblock stamp from Rubber Stampede, the stencil is Tim Holtz, and the sentiment is Clearly Besotted.

I think I'll be back soon with another Christmas card!

ETA:

I'm also adding this to Stencil Fun at Darlene's kind suggestion.

NBUS - Missees

 

Hello!  I'm rather taken by these gorgeous creatures called Missees by Karin Joan from Studio Light after seeing Carol Just Me C creating fabulous cards with them.  The bad news is that they're not readily available from Europe now that we've Brexited - international postal charges are a complete muck-up at the moment.

Anyway, I'll just work with what I have!  I managed to get my hands on the Primarina set, and this is my first attempt at using it. (I need the other sets!)

I'm entering this into NBUS challenge #29 (of course!)

and Inkspirational Designer's Choice - Spots/Dots

 

and Time Out Challenges - Inspired By Words.  I've gone for friend.

and Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

STAMPlorations Ephemera

 

I've been playing with some of the new Ephemera Tiles from STAMPlorations.  Shery has a growing range of colourable, ephemera and card fronts in the store, with plenty of fun designs.  They're printed on really good quality card and they're a joy to work with.

This set is called Newsprint Blooms, and you get 6 identical sheets in the pack.

I sliced them up in various ways.  For the first card I sliced the panel in half horizontally, then sliced each half in half again, then re-arranged them and stuck them onto my card.  I added a 'thanks' using Skinny Sentiments.

I'm adding this one to the Just Us Girls gallery - no stamping.

For the next card I cut the three white tiles, then added a fourth tile with a sentiment from Succulently and a couple of squiggly lines, and mounted them all onto a black card.

With the three remaining black tiles I painted some red and pink stripes on my card base, then added the tiles and a sentiment from Baa Baa.

And for the final card, I sliced down the centre of each flower then re-arranged them to make new flowers.  I stamped an Artsy Doodled Border on the card base, and used a sentiment from Trendy Feathers 2.

I'm adding this to Simon Says Monday challenge, Beautiful Blooms.

Inspired By Cupcakes

I had to play along with the current (nearly closing) Inspired By Challenge - who isn't inspired by cupcakes???

 

I love these Big and Bold cupcake stamps by Colorado Craft Company.  I did a bit of no-line colouring using Ink On 3 Fadeout ink to stamp the outline, then colouring with Distress Inks, Zigs, Tombows, watercolour pencils - basically anything to add colour.  I love that the sentiment has a matching die.

I'm also playing along with Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Clean and Simple.

Blooming Great

 

The postman has been busy this week delivering crafty supplies that may have fallen into my Easter basket :)

I had fun playing with this Tim Holtz Brushstroke Flowers 3 die.  I cut out all the pieces from mixed media paper, then dipped each piece into spritzed Distress Inks.  Once they'd dried I layered them all up onto a card that I'd splattered and stamped a sentiment onto.

I'm actually playing in a few challenges! 

Darnell's NBUS challenge #25

The Flower Challenge #55 - Pretty Pastels

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Layer It

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Happy Birthday

Pretty Flamingo

I was lucky enough to win this fabulous Big and Bold Tickled Pink Flamingo from Colorado Craft Company, so I thought I'd share what I've been doing with it, and play along with a couple of challenges at the same time.

After stamping it onto my normal cardstock I sloshed on some watercolour with Distress Inks, then masked it while I painted and spritzed the Distress Ink background.  On separate card I stamped the gorgeous tropical floral garland, coloured and fussy cut it, then I mounted the flamingo behind a mountboard frame, with the garland spilling on top.  Now all I need is a glass frame to hold it!

I'm playing along at Inkspirational - Fur or Feathers

and Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Two-from-one Snow Cards

 

I'm over on the STAMPlorations blog with these two-from-one cards.  Pop on over and take a peek!

Aren't those branches cool?  And who knew an owl could be festive? 

I'm adding them to Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes

Seize The Birthday - A Touch of Green

Hello, and welcome to a new Seize The Birthday challenge!  Our theme this time is A Touch of Green.

And that was all that was needed to make these ZinskiArt ladies happy :)

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team and from our surprise party guest, Joyce, and join in the fun.

I'm entering this into Simon Says Monday Challenge, A Bit o' Green.

Colouring with Sharpies

I'm playing along with Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Colouring Challenge.  On Day 1 she used Sharpie markers to colour, so I thought I'd give it a go on kraft card.  The image is stamped in brown archival ink, and I used thick-nibbed Sharpie pens.  I thought the colours would have turned out darker with being on kraft, so I'm quite pleased with the result!

I'm playing along at Simon Says Wednesday challenge, Anything Goes.

STAMPlorations Inspiration #236

Hellooo!  It's Inspiration Tuesday on the STAMPlorations blog.  I'm in Christmas card mode because I'm waaaaay behind on my Christmas card makes.

This one was a quick and easy make - Stormy Sky Distress Ink and a bit of inking and spritzing, and it's done.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fab inspiration from the team, and don't forget to comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate.

I'm playing along at Simon Says Monday Challenge, Let's Get Ready For Christmas.

Paper Rose Laughing Animals

I'm playing along with Simon Says STAMPtempber again with another Paper Rose product that I bought while I was Down Under.  I couldn't resist these guys, partly because there are some wine quotes with the set which will go with a wine glass/bottle die that I bought.  The animals are coloured with Zig Clean Colour Markers and the background is sloshed on Distress Ink.

I'm also playing at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Paper Rose Gum Leaves

Helloooo!  I'm back in blogland after nearly a month in Australia meeting my new (first) grandchild, and helping his mum get on top of things after a rough first three months.  You won't have missed me, because of all my scheduled posts, though.

On my second day in, I went to a craft show with Lyndal (jet lag, what jet lag??) and bought some lovely stamps and dies from an Australian company, Paper Rose, and couldn't wait to play with them when I got back.

And then I saw that Paper Rose are featuring in Simon Says STAMPtember, so I had to play along!

After I'd cut the leaves, flowers and nuts I watercoloured them with a combination of Zigs and Altenew brush pens.

The background is a combination of mopped-up inks and PaperArtsy Infusions with a splattering of Gansai Tambi white gold, and lamp black watercolour.  The sentiment is from a magazine freebie.

I'm playing along at STAMPtember Paper Rose

And if you've made it all the way to the end, here's a pic of River and me having some fun.