A Return

 It's been a little while since I took hold of a canvas but having a recent tidy (for 'tidy' insert - 'open boxes to see what's in them') I found some 6 x 4 canvas boards long forgotten!
In the box with the canvas was all kinds of stash saved for mixed media including a massive bag of shells which were collected over several years each time I had a trip out anywhere beachy!

I painted the canvas first with Gesso then mixed some Mermaid Lagoon ink with texture paste and covered the whole board.

When dry, I randomly sponged over it with Salty Ocean and a little bit of Chipped Sapphire.

I wanted to create something that looked like a wave of white foam and this proved quite a challenge!

After trying out different things on a piece of scrap, I remembered I had a Funky Fossil stencil of a surfer riding a wave - the wave bit was just what I needed so back to the texture paste, this time with white acrylic paint and lots of masking so the surfer didn't appear!

Arranged a couple of shells so they looked like they were being tossed in the waves (I hope) and fixed some hessian, pearl beads, more shells to the bottom.

Popped on a few blue Dew Drops to imitate water droplets and found two tiny metal fish (from I know what where) in my stash.

The sentiment is one of my all time favourites stamped on vellum with Memento Danube Blue and heat embossed.

Quite pleased with the way it turned out in the end, and it reminded me how much I enjoyed the odd venture into mixed media - am sharing this over at As You Like It where the option is Fussy or Clean and something which gives you an inner glow of pride - well I am proud of this fussy make as it's been so long before I did anything like it!

Have promised myself I'll use up the other canvas very soon and thanks for looking today - hope all is well in your part of blogland! x
Also sharing over at -
We Love 2 Create - Anything Mixed Media
Creative Artiste - Anything Mixed Media
Stencil Fun - Using my Funky Fossil Surfer stencil
Darnell's I.D.E.A.S - week 4 - the letter 'A' - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday Inspired by a Song

Our challenge for the next two weeks at Try It On Tuesday is 'Inspired by a Song.'
I am a massive music fan - since I was a child I have loved music - most music genres too so it was always going to be a difficult choice as to which song I used for this challenge and I started to seriously think ...... Then I stopped thinking and made a decision!

I chose 'Fields of Barley' and although written by Sting, I much prefer the Eva Cassidy version. She has such a beautiful voice and interprets the lyrics so well. 

You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley.
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold.

It's a love song, full of poignancy and is deeply evocative as it maps out love from beginning to the final parting.
It makes me cry and smile at the same time!

So - my background is ink blended and my barley field is a stamp from Inkylicious stamped and gold heat embossed.

The sentiment is from Altenew Moments in Time set and it seemed perfect- stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia.

I mounted onto some gold mirri card before sticking onto the card base.

Hope you will share your favourite song with us this challenge! x

 

Rainbow Colours

It's another Tuesday so time for Try It On Tuesday's new challenge!

This time it's 'RAINBOW COLOURS' so we're expecting lots of bright creations this fortnight.

I opted for a one layer relatively CAS card and used lots of different Memento inks and a variety of foliage/flower stamps from Rare Earth.

Did some secondary stamping to give the colourful meadow a little bit of depth and as usual I couldn't resist a bit of inky spattering!
The sentiment is from Rubbernecker.

Please pop over to the blog and take a look at the colourful array of creations by the rest of the DT and I look forward to visiting your blogs - with my sunglasses on!!😎😎

Thanks for looking today. x
Sharing my rainbow flowers at
Beautiful Blossoms  A/Goes

March Card Chain Challenge Reveal

2 posts from me today - my DT card for Try It on Tuesday's new challenge is HERE.

It's Card Chain Challenge Reveal Day and my March make headed over to Ella in Germany and Joanne in UK sent me mine - and it's gorgeous, so thank you Jo!

The colour option was perfect for me this time - time has been very limited and when I have had time Mr Mojo has disappeared.

A simple stamped and ink blended make which I hope Ella liked.

Using a white background, black matting, black stamping and my 'one other colour' was Fossilized Amber which I used on the sun and lightly blended around the edges.

There's still time to sign up for this month if you fancy having a go - just pop over to THIS post and link up!

Hope you are all well in your corner of blogland and thanks for looking today! x

Another Stencil and I.D.E.A.S

UPDATE 27TH MARCH -
Blogger decided to close our linky early on the challenge post and deleted everyone's entries!
If you've already entered we do have a record of your entry - if you've still to enter just link up as normal!

Our 'Use a Stencil' challenge at Try It On Tuesday has reached it's half way point of the fortnight tomorrow.

I needed a quick card for a friend who is definitely not into 'fussy, flowery and fancy' (her words not mine!) so made this.

It was intended to be a 'thinking of you' type of card without that exact sentiment if you understand me!

The stencil was inked with Twisted Citron.

The vases are from a Sizzix die set and I painted them with Distress Oxides - I watercoloured first then went over them using a dry brush to try and give some texture/depth. The orange one worked far better than the blue!

The stems were a gift from a friend and I cut them out with some Lime coloured card.

A simple quick CAS card - no frills or fussy just to let someone know if they were here I would give them a hug!

If you've not yet linked up to the challenge blog you still have another week to go!

Popping this over to Darnell's I.D.E.A.S link which this week is
'A is for Anything Goes' - and if you haven't a tickety boo what I am talking about all is revealed HERE on Dolly's blog!

Thanks for looking today. x

Use a Stencil at Try It On Tuesday

 Our next challenge at Try It On Tuesday starts today and the theme is 'USE A STENCIL'.
I have lots of stencils - many of which have never been used - this is one!

It was bought in a pack of Mandala stencils ( think I was going through a bit of a Zen phase at the time.....😵) and yet another purchase that once I got I became completely devoid of ideas as to what to do with them!

Anyway this challenge made me go through the stencil stack and I thought I'd try making something!
I used Sweet Poppy Stencil paste onto a plain black card.

I have a few tubs of paste - but am afraid they are all on the verge of solidifying completely which is my own fault as they never see the light of day.
The gold one was a bit gloopy but I managed to use it for this.

I then had a bit of a struggle as to 'sentiment or not'  (and what kind of sentiment do you put on a gloopy part mandala anyway?😔) - then I remembered this one which is a kind of 'use for anything' kind of greeting!

Simply gold heat embossed and added a couple of sequins before running some gold ink round the edge.
.
Hope you will join us this challenge - lots of lovely inspiration if you need it from the DT over on the challenge blog too.   Happy Stencilling!
Sharing at
Stencil Fun - A/Goes
Creative Knockouts - Sparkle and Shine
NBUS #60

Mid way at TIOT Spring Challenge

 One week left for our current Spring themed challenge at Try It On Tuesday!

Think Springtime is a wonderful season.

I love seeing all the buds coming through on everything and the beautiful spring flowers are such lush colours - which now makes me wonder why I decided to use up some odd bits which were all white!

I used hammered cardstock to give the background a bit of texture and in the little box of unused bits I found some more so the all white was born!

Quick and simple make using dies too!
I love these little bunnies - especially the baby one - although he is easily lost as he is that tiny!

I didn't want to put Easter on it so struggled a bit finding a sentiment!

In the end I used two sentiments (both said Birthday)  masking off the Birthday word at the beginning of one and the end of the other and using my Misti to get them in the right position!

Still time to join us with a Spring themed creation - we love visiting your blogs!

Am also sharing this over at
Pixies Snippets Playground - I don't get there as often as I would like to but it's lovely to know it's there for me to pop in when I can!
This is my second entry into
Four Seasons - Spring

Thanks for stopping by. x 

Spring at Try It On Tuesday

Our new challenge for the next two weeks at Try It On Tuesday is entitled 'Spring'
Remember you can make whatever you want as long as it follows the challenge theme!
Be lovely if you could join us this time and please have a look at the makes from the rest of the DT over on the blog as we love visitors!

I've had a little of a change and made something a bit different for me this time.

My neighbour shares my love of gardening and we often swap cuttings. She has had a bit of a tough and worrying time just recently as her other half has not been very well so I wanted something to give her other than the bottle of wine/box of choccies/bunch of flowers!

At the end of last Summer I collected some Sweet Pea seeds - as always there are far too many for me so I made this watering can from a template downloaded from the internet as it seemed just right for what I wanted.

Used Core-dinations cardstock (found in a cupboard completely forgotten about) and after cutting out the shape I ran through a roses embossing folder and lightly sanded.

I cut the handles and spout from the leftover bits and with the tiniest pieces left managed to punch out the 2 butterflies and still have a bit left for the sentiment! So instead of hiding/throwing away the leftovers I used them all up one one thing!

When it was all stuck together I secured the handles with tiny flower shaped brads.

My seeds were put into a tiny brown envelope and wrapped in tissue paper then popped into the body of the can.
With Spring almost upon us here it won't be long before the seeds are planted!
Sharing my watering can over at
Four Seasons - Spring
Beautiful Blossoms - A/Floral
Pixies Snippets Playground

Card Chain Challenge February Reveal

Time to share my make for the February Card Chain Challenge which I sent to Bonnie in Colorado USA.
Sending lots of thanks to my other swap partner Julia for my lovely card too!
I selected 'Stencil' as my technique option and Flowers and Friendship from the 'Theme' choices

Using Cracked Pistachio ink for both the leaves and the dotty stencil, once the dotty one was dry I stamped some pretty flowers (an old set from I know not where!) and added a teeny bit of Nuvo crystal drops to the centres.

Cut out a circle from the leaves and simply overlaid it.

I have lots of stencils which don't actually get used enough so this challenge gave me another opportunity to dust them off!
I was a little apprehensive as Bonnie makes some beautiful artsy and colourful cards with her stencils and is very talented so I hope she liked my relatively CAS take on this months challenge!

If you fancy giving our massive World wide challenge a go pop over to the challenge blog and sign yourself up.

It's simple to take part - there's colours, sketch, theme and technique options to chose from and you only have to use one so you have lots of scope- and it's lovely to receive a hand made card from elsewhere in the world.

Happy Crafting! x

Spotlight

 A new challenge at Try It On Tuesday!
This time it's called 'In the Spotlight' so we would like to see something spotlighted (highlighted) on whatever you create!

I used a Sweet Poppy stencil.

This was a really quick card to put together too which sometimes is needed when you're running round last minute!

Grey ink first on the base card then another piece of card using red ink through the stencil and a little green on the visible flower stems.

I used a wavy die to cut it out and glued it on top. 
Edged it with a black pen to make it pop a bit more.

For some reason I really struggled taking the pic - I was getting lots of glare from nowhere so it does look a little stark bright white here!

Lots of lovely inspiration over on the challenge blog from the rest of the team and our lovely Guest Designer - please pay them a visit!
Thanks for stopping by. x

Try It On Tuesday Mid Way Reminder

Our Hearts and/or Flowers theme at Try it On Tuesday has reached it's half way point. Some great creations added to our blog this time and there's still another week to go if you haven't had a go or even if you want to do another!

Just before Christmas my friend got married and this was the card I made for them.
The majority of the card was done using Centura Pearl and I used up a few oddly shaped bits of card which were in the folder with the full sheets to make the corner flourishes.

I opted to emboss the background to give it a bit more interest.

The 2 smaller flowers were made from some oddments of card too using a Spellbinders die - there wasn't enough to make the big one!
I forget how many rounds I cut but I wanted them to be full!

They are a bit of a faff to glue all together but I think worth it in the end.

Layered onto silver matt card and used a little bit of leftover to die cut the silver leaves and used the smallest pieces to pop behind the tiny heart shapes in the corner flourishes.

It's been a while since I managed to skip across to the Playground but am sticking my head through the railings this week!
Also sharing at
CYHTP - A/Goes
Alphabet Challenge - W for Weddings
Cut It Up - Have a Heart
MMM - Love

Thanks for looking - have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Try It On Tuesday - new challenge

Our challenge theme at Try It On Tuesday for the next two weeks is HEARTS AND/OR FLOWERS
 

I was having a bit of a mooch through a box of odd pieces saved from other makes when I found two pieces left over from an acrylic dirty pour a long time back.

Looking at them I wondered why I kept a couple of them cos they were very small and odd shaped but obviously I was psychic as they fitted perfectly into the idea I had in my head for this challenge!
 
I embossed a piece of cardstock for some texture on the background then die cut my heart from the biggest saved piece.

I used the other small pieces to paper piece the flowers.
Am not sure whether I will use this as an anniversary card or another occasion so currently no sentiment!

I need to do this technique a little more often as I really enjoy it and you never know what patterns and designs are going to turn out!

Hope that you can find time to join us this challenge - look forward to seeing your creations as always! x

Card Chain Challenge January Reveal

 My make for the Card Chain Challenge in January was sent to Helen in Ohio and I received a lovely make from Marianne in Greece!

I was happy that I managed to incorporate the colour option, the Mythical Creatures theme and the Ink Technique this time.

My background was created with Wilted Violet and a touch of Tattered Rose for the sky for the nearest to Amethyst I could get!

I masked off the moon and inked round it using VersaMagic Sea Breeze for the Aqua colour.

For the Slate I stamped the tree in Memento Grey Flannel.

I tried stamping the unicorn in the same colour but he really didn't stand out so opted to over stamp a couple of times (thank goodness for Misti!) with Versafine Smokey Grey. The over stamping really darkened him.

A few trees on the horizon with the Grey Flannel and the flowers and foliage at the bottom using all the inks mentioned before.

I blended some Hickory Smoke round the edge.

My little Unicorn simply had to have a little bit of sparkle added to his horn, mane and tail but doesn't show very well in the pic. The light here over the winter months has been terrible for taking pics!
 
There is still time for you to link up for the February challenge - everything you need to know over on the Card Chain blog!

More Text

 We are mid way through our 'Add Some Text' challenge at Try It On Tuesday and once again we have some lovely entries - you still have time to join us too!

For my second make for this challenge I went back to largely CAS.
After a lot of inky makings a little change was nice!

I wasn't sure about the text on this one.
It's from an Altenew set called 'Moments In Time' which I have never used - I'd be interested to know if you like it?
I personally think the exclamation mark at the end kind of spoils the message!

I never have much success with Brushos - I normally spray too much water and it turns out a blobby mess!  I've watched endless tutorials too.

But I wiped the dust off the little tubs (they've been neglected for a long time) and after 3 attempts for this make I managed to achieve the background I wanted!

Those who know me know I am a bit of a Lavinia freak - but this stamp rates among my all time Lavinia faves - I just love it! I resisted adding any colour or bling to her wings just leaving as a plain silhouette.

So quite a simple card and if you're good with Brushos you could probably have it done in half an hour!

Thanks for visiting me today and thank you for any comments you leave - I really appreciate it! x

Text Time!

 Our new challenge at Try It On Tuesday is 'ADD SOME TEXT'.

I took some watercolour paper and smooshed a purple/lilac/pink background trying to put the inks only two thirds of the way on the card.

Normally I use acetate for smooshing as I like to see where it's going but thought I'd try it directly from the craft mat for this.

Once the paper was dry, I used a very old tree stamp (that old I have no idea where it came from!) and began to build up the 'forest'.

I used Distress Oxides in shades of Lucky Clover, Shabby Shutters and Bundled Sage. I spritzed the inked up stamp each time before using in the hope that I'd achieve a misty effect!

The sentiment is from Inkylicious - another I have had for a long time but rarely used.
Finished with one of Inkylicious bird stamps and mounted onto black card.

Hope you will share a creation with us this challenge and thanks for looking today! x

Also sharing at
Path of Positivity - Anything Positive Goes
Daisy Chain - No Designer Paper

Peonies

 This is an embossing folder I ordered as soon as I saw it released! Like lots of things I buy, I got it and it went in the storage for embossing folders.... where it stayed!

I had a square piece of black card so just wanted to have an experiment as I'd seen so many lovely examples of simple cards using 3D folders and a brushing of ink.

Quite happy with the result using Brilliance Moonlight White over the top of the Altenew 'Ambridge Bouquet' folder and I have to say the folder is fantastic to use. The impression it leaves is fab!
I added a white heat embossed sentiment.

Think the next make using it I'll try some watercolouring over the top... seeing as how I am now the proud owner of the complete set of Mondeluz Aquarelle Pencils 😊 - courtesy of my wonderful husband 💕 who proved he actually DID listen when I dropped the hint!

Haven't joined in many challenges recently but am going to link this over at
CYHTP - A/Goes with an E/F (Opted not to include the theme)
Seize the Birthday - Embossing
Craft Rocket - Embossing

Thanks for looking today - hope everything is OK with you in blogland. x

Try It On Tuesday- our first 2024 challenge!

  It's time for the very first challenge of the New Year at TRY IT ON TUESDAY and the theme is WINTER BLUES.
(I hope none of you are feeling blue after all the excitement during the festive season!)

Last year we had lots of lovely people sharing their creations with us every month and I hope you will find the time to join us this year too.

My first make for the challenge is a card made for a friend's winter birthday.

I blended a little Iced Spruce on the background first before using a light dusting of Chipped Sapphire and used the Iced Spruce to make the snowy hills at the base.

I secondary stamped the swinging fairy and the toadstools using Versafine Clair Twilight - the first generation stamping was simply too dark.

The vines were second and third generation stamping.

Some 'snow' on the tops of the toadstools using a white gel pen and I added a little bit of sparkle with a silver Posca glitter pen.

The rest of the TIOT team have some lovely makes to inspire you (if you need inspiring) so please pop over to the challenge blog for a look and thanks for visiting me today! x

Card Chain Challenge December reveal

 For the final chain of 2023 I sent my card to Ellie in Illinois and received a lovely card from Imke in Germany.
This challenge was another mega head scratcher as the Tic Tac Board had the annual 25 squares!
This time my five squares were chosen from the diagonal from bottom left to top right.

I confess to a little creative licence with regards to the card I made!

Blue - an ink blended Chipped Sapphire D.I

Bauble -  the ones on the tree - all highlighted with Nuvo drops so they really do shine

Buddy - Rory and Darcy are definitely good buddies! Exploring everything together - and poking at Christmas tree baubles!

Bling - why is sparkle so hard to photograph???
I added lots of Diamond Stickles to Rory and Darcy's wings and a liberal helping along the ground.
I also used a gold glitter Posca pen  and added lots of dots with it on the tree so it does have a shimmer in real life.

Burgundy - well I am hoping that the ink blended Seedless Preserve D.I used for the ground will pass!

It's been a lovely year receiving cards from all over the world.
A huge thank you to those who administer the Challenge too.

It's such a lot of hard work and when you think we've exchanged over 4,000 card in 33 countries it's mind boggling!

Still time to sign up for the first challenge of 2024 too!

Ellie's 2023 in Review

Second post from me today -
As 2023 draws to a close (and to be honest the way things have been the last few weeks it can't come soon enough!) it's time for the annual Year in Review hosted by Ellie - the link is HERE
Sharing a card from each month of the year - If you want to read the corresponding post just click on the month! The December  make was added in another post earlier today so please have a look!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Happy New Year.  x

Snow Storm

3 weeks before Christmas and Mojo packed his bag and went on his Christmas Holidays!
 
I have discovered it is very difficult to be creative or concentrate when other things are happening around you so at this year's end I want to say thanks for inspirational crafters without who nothing would have been made this festive season! This scene was inspired by a lady called Laura Foster.

There's something about ink blending that I find calming - I like to experiment with colours and see the card background being transformed.

Inks used here were Victorian Velvet, Spun Sugar, Squeezed Lemonade, Lost Shadow and Hickory Smoke.

The holly leaves were stamped using Memento Potters Clay.

I was quite pleased with how Foxy turned out eventually - he was stamped first in Versacolour Bark, then the edges of the stamp were inked with Versafine Clair Nocturne.

Highlighted him with a white gel pen and a black Aquarelle pencil.

Highlighted the snowdrifts with Posca pen and of course I then had to 'spatter attack' the whole piece!

Thanks to everyone who has continued to visit my blog during 2023 and I hope to see you all here again in 2024.
I wish you and all those you care about a very happy and healthy New Year. x

Wishes

There has been a lot of personal stuff going on here over the last few weeks which has left little time for blogging or Christmas preparations.

I am really sorry I have been unable to visit you all in the run up to the big event of the year and hopefully this will change in the not too distant future - not least because I need a little bit of R and R and calling into blogland is one of my most relaxing things to do and I do love to see what everyone has created.

Thank you to all my blogging buddies who have sent me beautiful cards and messages too.
 Here is a simple white embossed Penny Black stamp coloured with watercolours with a heartfelt sentiment to wish you all a wonderfully peaceful and happy Christmas surrounded by those that you love wherever you are in the World. x

More Purple!

 I notice that I've not posted many Christmas cards this year - I have made some but most days the lighting here hasn't been good for pics! Anyway, most are now written and posted so there's only a few cards I can show!

I had some lilac and purple shades out on the desk after making the card for the Card Chain Challenge (post below) so before I had a tidy up I made another.
I used Oxides for this one - Wilted Violet and Shaded Lilac for the sky, masking off the moon circle first then some water splatters.
I removed the mask and gave it  a quick light dust over with the Lilac.

I have an Inkylicious moon stamp which has the cloud drifts so inked it with Wilted Violet DI and stamped.  Was pleased with the result.

The snowdrifts were done using Lost Shadow ink.

My Lavinia foxes are very well used and I used a white pen round his body - still practicing with this but I don't think he looks too bad overall altho I was a little heavy handed!

The branches were stamped in Purple, Metallic Silver and Brilliance White - I heat embossed the white then did the same with the bauble.
A few stamped twiggy bits and finished!

Thanks for looking. I hope everyone is well and not getting too panicked about Christmas approaching! I am feeling quite organised this year for a change! x