Life

 

Been a funny old week one way and another.

Life has a peculiar way of throwing you a curve ball one minute and then visiting upon you something to lift your spirits and make you feel that Life ain't so bad after all.

Hence the sentiment on this card.

I used some texture paste through the wave stencil and once dry lightly brushed over it randomly using Salty Ocean and Cracked Pistachio inks.
(I am really sorry about the photo - the light here is terrible!)

I had some tiny bits of card stacked ready to go in the paper recycling bin - I no longer keep little bits usually as I simply don't have any room for more stuff - but some of the bits came in handy as I have had this seahorse idea in my head for a day or two!

The tiny die cut seahorse was a mag freebie some time ago and coloured with Oxides - I added a teeny bit of copper gilding wax round the outline and a little bit on the body.
The shells and coral die cuts were also mag freebies.

We have had some torrential downpours the last few days and although I welcomed it in one respect as it meant I didn't have to water my pots, my poor dahlias and delphiniums are looking very sad this morning, the weight of the water laying heavy on their poor heads!

Anyway, I hope the sun is shining wherever you are and thanks for looking today!
Linking to
Pixies Snippets Playground #461
Cut it Up - Under the Sea
MTTC - Die Cuts
Stencil Fun - A/Goes

Let's Go Outside at Try It On Tuesday

Our latest challenge at Try It On Tuesday is called 'Let's Go Outside'.

Lots of interpretations for this one and look forward to seeing what the challenge prompt means to you!

I love the Sea.
I live in a pretty rural area but we're literally 10 minutes away from the coast so I have the best of both worlds.

Here's my make. The two girls are a stamp from Crafty Individuals and the boat is from Card-io.

I had it in my head that these two girls (sisters/friends) were just seeking solace at the water's edge, dreaming of escaping to some magical place aboard the boat!
(I know - fanciful imagination I have!)

I also got to try out one of the waves stamps from Inkylicious (which I bought and then forgot I had them!)

Just lots of ink blending and heat embossing and I fussy cut the girls to make them stand out a bit more.

This was one of those makes that I was (and still am ) undecided about as I think I maybe got the perspective askew - maybe the sea should have been less and the beach and sky more??? Just call me undecided!
Hey ho, it's done now!

Hope you can find time to join us for this challenge - we welcome all types of crafting, not just cards!
And please pop over to the challenge blog and have a look at the rest of the DT's makes - we love visitors!
Happy Crafting! x

TIOT - Mid Way reminder!

We're halfway through this fortnight's challenge at Try It On Tuesday where our theme is 'Sing A Song'
After being unable to get the last song out of my head (see post below) for a few days, I now have another one which is becoming equally as annoying! (particularly as I can only remember about two lines!)

Anyway here's my share based on the song by The Waterboys called 'Whole of the Moon'.

On seeing a Lavinia tutorial (thanks Jo) using Brilliance Inks direct to black card it surprised me just how effective the end result was so I had a go myself.
Out came the foliage stamps and the Brilliance inks - I used Cosmic Copper, Galaxy Gold and Platinum Planet for the foliage and Moonlight White (what else?!!) for the moon.

A little sponging with the white once the stamping was dry at the bottom and dragged across the top half to make a few cloudy bits and then a little spattering with a Posca pen.

I then ran the copper ink round the edge to finish it off.

The inks really do have a lovely shimmer  which the photo doesn't capture very well - it's subtle and not in your face like glitter and I rather like it!

Hope you like it too and maybe if you've not thought about joining us this time round you'll change your mind and link up to the challenge blog!
Thanks for looking and have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Sing A Song at TIOT

New challenge day at Try It On Tuesday - and the theme this time is 'Sing a Song' - so find a song you like and make something reflecting your tune!

OR -
you can do what I did and do something really random!
Whilst looking for another stamp set I saw this Cardio set called 'High Flyers' - It triggered off a song in my head and I showed my age by singing the chorus of it (and it's been driving me nuts ever since!)

The song is - of course-  'Lets Go Fly A Kite' from Mary Poppins.
I had a red kite when I was a child and my Uncle took me to the local sand dunes to fly it - a lovely childhood memory!

I made my little scene using all Cardio stamps from a few sets - Beach Trail, Beside the Sea and Flipping Out (don't you just LOVE Flip-flops!) as well as the High Flyers set.

I did some gentle ink blending using chalk inks which give a much softer effect than Distress ones to create my sandy beach and sea and (although it doesn't show very well in the pic) the sky - which is a very pale blue with a watery sun - cos not all days on the beach are hot and sunny!

I added some white posca pen to highlight the little ripples as the sea reached the shore and underneath the pier.
I hope the little boy enjoyed flying his kite as much as I used to do! 
Thanks for visiting me today - please have a look on the challenge blog and see what the rest of the team have come up with - and hopefully you'll join our challenge this time round!

Guest Designer - Fairy and Unicorn Challenge Blog

 I was delighted to have been selected as the winner for a recent challenge over at the Fairy and Unicorn Challenge Blog - (winning card is here if you've not seen it!) and was invited to be their Guest Designer for this month.

I have a bit of an Ocean thing going on at the mo and fortunately the challenge blogs'  challenges are always 'Anything Fantasy Goes'  so whilst I had all the necessary colours out on the desk (from my previous card!) I used them!

It's called       
'There's More Than One of ME??'
as Zelith and her fishy friends discover she is not the only Mermaid in the ocean and now she has someone else to swim with - if she can catch her up!

I intend to frame this eventually hence it has been left blank of any greeting. I may (or may not) add something (perhaps a small seahorse or jelly fish) to the top right before framing it!

Lots of inky blending and spattering and stamping (as my blue and green fingers will testify to!).

I used Versamagic Ocean Depth, Versafine Clair Verdant and Warm Breeze for all the sea foliage, bubbles, tiny fish etc and Nocturne for the main images.

I coloured Zelith with Oxides Twisted Citron and Salty Ocean then liberally applied Blue and Green Wink of Stella pens.
The tail of her new found friend was coloured in Picked Raspberry and Cracked Pistachio and I used Candyfloss Stickles and green Wink of Stella.

No self respecting mermaid can be seen without lots of sparkle and shimmer can they so liberal helpings of both. I was really pleased with how this turned out - but - as with all things blingy it was a bit of an effort to get a decent pic!
All stamps are of course Lavinia.

Thanks to Fairy and Unicorn for inviting me and thanks to you for looking!

July Card Chain Challenge Reveal

I sent my card to my lovely blogging friend Hilary this month and received one from Marianne in Greece!.
When I saw the sign up post at Card Chain Challenge I knew straight away that this month I wouldn't be following the colour option like normal - one of the themes tied right in with a NBUS purchase.
Some time back I bought several 'sea/ocean' themed stamps from Lavinia - and have been slowly adding to the collection so the 'Fishes' theme was perfect for me to use 'Flo' (she's the big fish! I already had the smaller one)

Flo and her smaller versions were stamped with Versafine Clair Monarch ink, as were the Sea Urchins.
I masked them off and then built up the background with Distress Oxides Mermaid Lagoon, Bundled Sage, Salty Ocean and spattered with water. I love the way Oxides react with water!

Lots of foliage stamping followed, using more stamps from the Lavinia collection in Versafine Clair Shady Lane, Verdant and Monarch and once dry I removed the masks and water coloured the Sea Urchins.

Stamping was finished with the bubbles in Versacolour Turquoise and the sentiment in Monarch.
Flo and entourage were given a liberal helping of yellow Wink of Stella, and I used clear Wink of Stella on the Urchins too so it does have a bit of a shimmery look in real life!

There's still time to sign up if you fancy joining in!
Sharing over at
NBUS #53
Use Your Stuff - 3 Item Cluster (my 3 fish!)
ATS+M - Make your Mark