Man Stash

As ever I have very few 'man' cards in the box.  Some time back I made a card using Alco Inks and a piece of metal - it turned out a rather dramatic peice -   (you can see it HERE if you want!)
At the time I thought to try the same theme but with a different technique for the background - here it is

I inked up the embossing folder with a couple of Distress Inks and used a scrap of leftover card.

Whilst it doesn't have the same impact as the Alco Inked card, the impression it left was really nice  a(well I think so anyway!).

Out with the Hot Glue Gun! A few dabs here and there and didn't bother too much about stringy bits as I moved the gun around and blobbed!!

Silver embossing powder over the top and heated again.

Matted it onto a leftover piece of silver card before putting it onto the base card.
I tried it onto a piece of dark blue base card too and it looked not bad at all as well - so another option!

At least I have made another 'man' card.
I am intending to sort through the folders and see what other abstract type designs might be able to get the Hot Glue and embossing powder treatment!

Sharing over at -
Inkspirational - Glitz a Strip or small area
Pixies Playground - Snippets
613 Avenue Create - A/Goes, option Shiny
Cardz4Guyz- CAS
Watercooler Wednesday - Male

Thanks for looking - and would love to know what you think - if you've looked at the other card too tell me your favourite?
We are off on another indoor bowling break with our friends this week - don't know why we call it a 'bowling' break as we normally eat too much/drink too much/laugh lots and the bowling is something we do inbetween!! x

Home

I am still suffering a little from lack of ideas and thought maybe if I had a quick tidy of the desk it might help.
I have a stack of odd bits of card shoved to one side so I began a sort through, dumping those that I couldn't use.

The brick background was obviously done for something (no idea what!) but it was there so I used that as the base - the card just kind of evolved from the background and it incorporated a little bit of everything and used up few odd bits.

The window die is one of a few Spellbinders ones that I own (and hardly use......)

I had a scrap of watercolour card (and it was only a teeny scrap) but miraculously it fitted behind the window!
So a little scene created with some stamps and watercolours.

The stamps are from a mag freebie some time back - and I bought the mag as I thought the stamps would be useful for quick New Home cards.

The fussy cutting of the plants and keys tried my patience a bit cos they really ARE small!
Used a grey brad to 'hang' the keys from.  

Am sharing this over at -
CRAFT - New
Craft Rocket - New
MAWTT - All things new
TIOT - White Space

Have a great day whatever you're doing and thanks for visiting! x

Daisy

I've had some 'crafter's block' 😞😞 recently and was getting a little fed up staring at stamps and being devoid of ideas💡!

I don't know what I would do without Pinterest!! Saw a card like this and thought - "I have that stamp".....

Thinking that I had the stamp was the easy bit - finding it was something else 🙈. But find it I did (and another similar Dahlia one from Indigo Blu - also never seen ink)

I used Picked Raspberry and Wilted Violet direct to the stamp and highlighted the centre with some Nuvo Pearl. The Nuvo was white but the ink underneath reacted with it and I got a pale pink and white mix - which I think looks fine.

I popped a plain white frame over it and mounted it onto the card base and added the sentiment.

Been a nice morning here - blue skies after a heavy frost - one of the better winter days!
Thanks for looking today and for any comment you leave - I really appreciate it. And thank you to the crafter who posted her make on Pinterest!

Sharing over at
A2S+M - Make your Mark
Krafty Chicks - CAS
Allsorts - More than 1 word sentiment

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

January mid month at Stamping Sensations

If you are here looking for my CAS Stencil DT card please scroll down to the next post or click on the link HERE

Half way through the first month of 2020 and here's a reminder for this month's challenge at Stamping Sensations
The challenge is to 'Use your Favourite Stamps' - which is simply impossible for me!! I have so many stamps that I like it is really hard to choose a favourite one so I have opted to use a set which sees ink quite a bit!

Lots of second and third generation stamping on bright white card using stamps from Stampin' Up's Flowering Fields set.

Inked the stamps using distress markers and spritzed some before stamping - quite like the watercolour effect!

This was quick and simple to do and brilliant for last minute makes!

There's still plenty of time for you to join us and to be in with a chance of winning!  Please though have a look at our rules before you link up!

Our prize this month is sponsored by the wonderful Tattered Lace.

So get making and linking, go over to the challenge blog, check out the inspiration from my teamies and whilst you're there have a look at the prize!

CAS Stencil Mid Month Reminder

Half way time at the challenge at CAS Stencil and the theme this month has been chosen by the lovely Nancy who's set us  the task of  'Use A New Stencil'

I bought this stencil last year and it's never been out of the packet -😏 in fact there's a few in there that have never been exposed to daylight so I have promised myself that I will systematically start to use them!

This stamp was a mag freebie - again from last year- (or was it the year before??)
Another item in this craftie space that is still in its cellophane and hasn't been manhandled by me.
I think the expression on the gull is priceless! He looks quite stern and fed up sat on his wooden posts.

Stamped, watercoloured and fussy cut before tucking him behind the framed wave stencil. 

I thought this was another suitable 'man' card  - which I desperately need in my stash

There's bags of wonderful inspiration over on the CAS Stencil blog and I know my teamies would really appreciate a visit and a comment if you have time.
Hope too that you will make something with a stencil and show your creation in our gallery - because

 

ITS OUR FIRST BIRTHDAY!! 

So we're celebrating and have a prize on offer this month!

What you waiting for?????

New

A 'New Home' card!

Made using my fave textured linen card. Some soft blending of Tumbled Glass DI for the sky and a little Squeezed Lemonade at the bottom.

The border stamp was inked using markers and spritzed with water - I tried it on a piece of scrap paper to see what it looked like first- decided it looked OK so lightly spritzed again and stamped direct onto the card.

I have had this Bird/House/Ivy die for a long time - I think it may be a Marianne die (as it's blue) but can't be sure. They were the perfect size for some small odd bits of card!
(I  am sat at the Playground gates waiting for them to open - Miss Di has been having a bit of a rest!) 
Coloured the ivy with Distress Inks and popped it up with foam pads, foam pads also used for the little bird house and birdie sat onto the branch.

A relatively CAS card I think and added bonus it was a quick make!

We have some friends coming later for an overnight stay - it's a long while since the stars have aligned for us all to be free at the same time so am looking forward to a good catch up and a curry at a nearby restaurant!
Hope all is well in your part of blogland and thanks for stopping by. x
Sharing over at -
Craft Rocket - Something New
Fab 'n Funky - No designer paper
Paper Shelter - New Beginnings
CRAFT- A/Goes

An early start!

There's no doubt that joining in Christmas challenges means less panic come the end of November. I did a few from the middle of 2019 and it was the first time in years I have not felt I have been chained 🙍to the craft desk churning out nothing but Christmas cards -  so I am going to try and join in again this year as often as I can!
The CAS Christmas challenge this month is to use a tag on your card.
So here's my card for the gallery

A blended ink background  (Cracked Pistachio/Peacock Feathers) on a scrap of card and liberally splattered with white acrylic paint was my starting point, then cut to a tag shape.

The sentiment white embossed and added some die cut trees.

I used a snow embossing folder for the card base and cut out another row of trees putting them across the card and added a torn scrap of paper. I gave this torn piece a liberal application of some Stickles but left the trees behind plain.

Used foam pads on the tag to pop it up and some Stickles on the trees on the tag. (None of the Stickles show up very well but it does have a nice sparkle 💎!)

The ribbon was hand dyed with Cracked Pistachio DI.

The photo taking really frustrated me as we have yet another very grey and horrible day here!

I'm hoping that  the forecast is correct and we get rid of these dark overcast skies as it would be nice to see some bright blue even if it's frosty!

Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Linking up to

ABC Christmas - Die Cut/CAS/Embossing
Crafty Calendar - Add a Tag
C@SS - Add some sparkle

January challenge at Stamping Sensations!

(If you are here looking for my CAS Stencil card please scroll down to the post below - sometimes Mr Blogger misbehaves and send you to the wrong post!)
After all the festivities, Stamping Sensations has a not too difficult challenge for the start of this new year!

The challenge is 'USE YOUR FAVOURITE STAMP'...... errmmm... did I say not too difficult???😵😵  This was soooo hard for me  - I love most of my stamps and my fave is usually the newest! Finding it impossible to pick I simply stuck my hand in one of the containers that store my stamps and picked one out!
To be honest, I was really VERY happy when I saw which one it was as it is a much loved but recently quite neglected set.
My inky background created using Distress Oxides and some water.

I gold embossed some of the Ranunculus flowers from the set and watercoloured.

Did some random stamping at the bottom and fold embossed a sentiment before adding a few sequins (a girl has to have a bit of bling💎💎)

Matted onto gold card before adding to the card base.

Hope you will join us this month - PLEASE PLEASE remember we are a STAMPING challenge and stamping must be the focal point of your entry.

If you don't follow our rules then you can't be considered for our prize this month which is sponsored by the wonderful Tattered Lace.
So go over to the challenge blog, check out the inspiration from my teamies and whilst you're there have a look at the prize!

Am also linking up at Allsorts where the challenge is Pretty Pastels.
Have a great day! x

CAS Stencil January Challenge

Hello Stencillers!

Welcome back to a brand new challenge at CAS Stencil and there are celebrations going on because CAS Stencil is ONE! Yes, we're having a birthday and to celebrate we are offering a fab prize to one of our visitors who links up their creation in our gallery!

The theme this month has been chosen by the lovely Nancy who's set us  the task of  'Use A New Stencil'
So perfect for you to get out the Christmas pressies and start stencilling!
My only problem was which one of my new stencils to use...... 😄😄

In the end I chose a Creative Expressions mini stencil and did a mono print using Fossilized Amber and Mowed Lawn DI's.

This colour combo cheered me up and made me think of Spring - although I don't dislike Winter at all, I sometimes wish the long dark nights weren't quite as long and dark!  

The cone flowers are a Sizzix die painted with watercolours.

Our Guest Designer this month is  Arlene and she and the rest of the Design Team have done some fab cards to inspire you - although with new stash AND the chance to win I bet you won't need any prompting!

Thanks for looking today - looking forward to seeing all your creations in the gallery!

Linking also to  Stamplorations Anything Goes Stencil challenge HERE

CAS Watercolour - first challenge of 2020!

Happy New Year to all of my blogland friends!
Over at the CAS group of challenges all the Design Teams have had a little Festive break and we're now all back with our monthly challenges!
Today sees the first 2020 challenge at CAS Watercolour and the challenge is to use 'Cool Colours'.

I chose blue and silver.

The stamps are 'Humming Bird Garden' by Inkylicious.
The ink is Faded Jeans DI and I spritzed the stamp with some water before stamping onto my watercolour paper, repeating the ink, water and stamp until I'd covered as much of the paper that I wanted to!

The birds were simply silver heat embossed.

I thought about also heat embossing the sentiment but once it was stamped with Silver metallic ink I left it alone as I liked the flat appearance (which doesn't show up very well!)

The CAS Mix Up challenge started yesterday, the Christmas challenge starts tomorrow (3rd) and I will be back on 4th with my DT make for CAS Stencil and we hope that you will be able to join us in 2020 - there are some surprises and prizes in the months ahead so it's going to be a good year!

We have had visitors staying with us this week and they are leaving tomorrow so a part of the day will be spent taking down the tree and stuff and getting the house back to normal - or as normal as it usually is anyway!!!
Thanks for looking today, will be round to visit you all as soon as I can. xx