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

November Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 The November Card Chain Challenge saw me send my card to Hilary here in the UK and I received a lovely card from Gundi in Germany.
This month there was one of my fave colour combos and a 'Winter' theme among the choices.

I used Villainous Potion, Wilted Violet and Shaded Lilac for my ink blending.

White heat embossing added some definition to the dangly bits (!) from the tree branch and some second and third generation stamping in both Versafine black and  Memento Grape Jelly for a little bit of depth.

The branch was highlighted with a Posca pen to give a snowy effect.

Tree line was stamped in Versafine Clair black and again some white Posca pen used for the snow.

I did a little light ink blending with Hickory Smoke across the base of the trees after seeing something similar whilst trawling the internet and I quite liked the way there is no actual defined horizon with things just melting into the background.

Finished it all with a few spatters!

Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave - I appreciate it very much! x