Monday 29 January 2018

A little Tea Mouse

Hi  It's my day to share at Die Cut Divas.  Our sponsor is

and I've used a cute little mouse in a tea cup for my card today

I'm taking some classes in using my Prismacolor pencils so I used them today on my little Mouse.  Still lots of practice required. 

Here is the WIP for my January class



I can highly recommend the Kit and Clowder classes - either the one off classes or the monthly classes (that's what I'm doing)

And be sure to join us at Die Cut Divas this month as well.

Thursday 25 January 2018

Magical Dragon - MFT Sketch challenge

I can finally enter the MFT sketch challenge as I now have two sets of MFT stamps.  I have a few of the older dies but finally got some stamps.  I stamped and coloured a few of the dragons from the Magical Dragon set and cut them with my ScanNCut.  This weeks sketch looked such fun I had to use one of them

http://www.cardchallenges.com/2018/01/wednesday-sketch-challenge-sketch-369.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MftCardChallenges+%28MFT+Card+Challenges%29 


 I started by embossing my panel with a folder and used a Tim Holtz diffuser so I kept the centre circle free of the embossing.  Next I sponged on some green ink (Catherine Pooler Grass Skirt)  I die cut some green PP with two circle dies (one Spellbinders and one Simon Says Stamp)  I added some splatters of Gold Spectrum Noir glitter pen  for some added texture.  My little dragon is sitting on the sentiment strip.   Finished with some green sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. 

 I'm off for a mini break over the next 5 days.... I'm off work till Wednesday 31st, then again from after work Friday next week till Wednesday 7th.  There is a public holiday on Monday  29th so I've taken a days leave each side and then there is another public holiday on Tues 6th so I've taken the Monday on leave.... I like these mini breaks.  And then on Friday 23rd Feb, it's another day off for a Mystery Weekend away.   We have to be at the airport at 2.00 and only then will be find out where we are going in NZ.  Two nights away - flights, accommodation and car hire inclusive.  It was a gift from a company my husband has had dealing with over the years, as a farewell when he finished working.   A really nice treat that I'm looking forward to.  

Hope you all have a great crafty weekend.  Hoping to get some more colouring done while I'm at the beach.    Thanks for stopping by

Monday 22 January 2018

40th Wedding Anniversary.

Yes, January 21st is our 40th Wedding Anniversary.   It seems like yesterday at times...

We were so young.... I was 20 and Peter was 21.

My mojo was a bit a miss so with some help from Pinterest (an Susan Powell) here is the card I made for Peter


My background is using a very old Hero Arts stamp .  I stamped it a number of times across the panel and then used some distress ink, sponged around the edges.  The sentiment is also a Hero Arts one, stamped onto a Simon Says Stamp die cut banner.   I die cut and embossed the heart and added some glittery red fun foam die cut numbers. 

thanks for stopping by. 

Thursday 18 January 2018

Pencil colouring.... first class done at Kit and Clowder

I decided I needed to learn how to use my Prismacolour pencils better so I purchased Kit and Clowder's monthly pencil classes.  I started the December class just a few days before the Jan one came out....

Here are some of WIP photos.  The class is split up into episodes that make it easy to follow.

 First section the stems of the flowers.

2nd section was the flowers... Need more practice here! and 3rd section the fur on the teddy

and here it is finished

and made into a card.... minus the sentiment at the moment. 
 
I used some light weight watercolour paper which in hindsight was not the perfect paper (Too much tooth) and I also printed it at A5 - should have done it at 5" x 7" which would have made it a bit bigger and easier to colour.   Overall I was pleased with the results, especially the teddy's head.    Plus this was one of the few times I've tried no line colouring with any success.  

Now to try the Jan class.... it is a bit daunting as it is a blond girl with a purple dress hugging a horse with some tiny flowers all over the place. 

Sunday 14 January 2018

Hidden Sentiment.

Hi there.  I've got a fun technique to share today.  It's a hidden sentiment.  Basically you die cut a sentiment from a patterned piece, even if it's a stamped piece, then added it back in with a little dimension

 
I stamped my Floral pattern with Altenew's Flower Arrangement. Lots of masking!  Despite completely messing up one of my flowers, the arrangement is quite forgiving.  I used a die from Catherine Pooler Designs to cut out the sentiment.  I cut the die several times from white card and layered for the dimension.

This was for my NZ Crafty group swap and it is now with Suna. 

I have entered this into the No Patterned Paper challenge at Allsorts 


And today I spend some time working on my pencil colouring by starting a class from Kit and Clowder.


I'm now working on the flowers.  I've used some watercolour card which has a bit too much tooth but my normal card stock is a bit smooth.  I'm enjoying the process but need LOTS of practice.

thanks for stopping by

Saturday 13 January 2018

Something New at Die Cut Divas

Our January challenge at Die Cut Divas is all about NEW.






I have a really sweet image from Sasyaki Glitter and added it to a background I made with a NEW stamp from Concord & 9th

 The plaid background was I stamp I got with a voucher I won.  I stamped in a red ink from Catherine Pooler Designs and then I used black ink to stamp the lines.     I cut the image with an oval stitched die and added a little punched oval with the Sentiment. 

With the change in our financial circumstances.... there won't be too many NEW supplies for me.  I'll be using all the stamps, dies and papers I have on hand.  

Thanks for stopping by

Thursday 11 January 2018

2018 First challenge at Southern Girls Challenge Blog

The first challenge for 2018 is underway at Southern Girls Challenge Blog.  Our sponsors this time around are

A Day For Daisies 
. 

Our theme is Stitching.... either real or faux

I got to work with Aloha Bloom from A Day for Daises


I paired the image with a sentiment from an older Hero Arts set.  I had printed the image onto some very light water colour paper and used my Spectrum Noir Aqua markers to colour it in.  Added some faux stitching lines around the edge.  

Do come and join us with your stitching projects 


Saturday 6 January 2018

CAS(E) this Sketch # 253 and Altenew Inspiration Jan 2018

I have finally set up my new ScanNCut machine... and am starting to play.



Today I saw a sketch over at CAS(E) this Sketch that looked so nice and easy to do.


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa1aIiy54JdSQjYfwspRy7qgNoOzgw8YlazjUGmnlmpJ75M0mPS8RZrbNF0dnLLSAoTrwBFHylxu4umLs5jDpvlp9W3zQKUzO66g_vyJ7XUGiv4S3xn870tE2mkL8oKQBfkcV7lPs4VKy/s1600/CTS_253.jpg 

Just love the simplicity of the sketch.  Right up my alley for sure.   I decided I wanted to do a sort of wallpaper look to the top portion.   So out came some Altenew flowers (Amazing You set) and some masking tape.... 


I also stamped one flower and two leaves onto some card and coloured in with Prismacolor pencils.  My new machine got a try out, cutting them out.  Made the border a tad too large, but that was okay.  All in all - awesome! I popped the cut out flower and leaves on some mounting tape.   I really like how this turned out. 

The colours are taken from the Altenew Inspiration for Jan 2018

 

As this is an encouragement card I am also adding it to the challenge at CASology - cue word Encouragement 

 

And also the "Something New" Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.  - using my new ScanNCut is my something new!

 Off to try some more stamping, colouring and cutting...

Thanks for stopping by

Thursday 4 January 2018

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year.... I know it's the 4th... but it's been a busy time since Christmas. 

We went off camping on the 26th.  It was awesome.  Apart from me getting sick on the first day - right as we got there.... not sure if it was something I ate for lunch or the windy roads getting there.   Whatever, I ended up watching the others putting up the tent.  Then as soon as the lilo bed was pumped up, the went to sleep.   Next day better and then all good.  It was a lovely spot.  A new camping ground for us.  It was based next to the an estuary which was great for the little one.  When the tide was in it was not too deep and he had a ball splashing around.   We stayed for 5 nights, coming home on Sunday afternoon.  It was getting a bit noisy at nights and we had trouble getting him to sleep. 

The family is still here till Sunday afternoon, so I've been spending as much time with them as I can.  Archie is at such a fun age.  So impressionable.  He is a little parrot - tries to say everything he hears.
I have managed to get a few cards made.

First up is a card my daughter asked me to make for her friend's little girl who is one towards the end of the month.


I used patterned paper from Craft Creations for my card.  It is just adorable.  I used a Kaisercraft number die with some freebie sentiments.  I added some of the paper onto the envelope.

I've also done a couple of cards as an order - birthday cards using a Tim Holtz Poinsettia die and my Heartfelt Creations 3D flower mold.



 Just changed up the colours on the Catherine Pooler plaid stamp and the Elizabeth Crafts birthday die.

Today is a bit of a sad day for us.... it is Mum's Birthday.  All these firsts are hard.... had a good talk with Dad this morning.  As he said.... the Memories are still there.

So I'll finish with a few Archie photos







Wishing you all a very prosperous new year and lots of crafting time in 2018