Mid Way - Things with Wings Challenge at Try It On Tuesday

 There's just a week left for you to take part in our Things with Wings challenge at Try It On Tuesday.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with vellum -but it doesn't stop me wanting to use it!

Think because the base card is pearlised it didn't help when I came to take the pic either.

I used a simple textured embossing folder on the background to give some interest.

The Angel wings are from Pink Ink, bought very recently in a sale and never before used -  white heat embossed on vellum and fussy cut - a bit of a tricky job but got there in the end!

Because I always have such trouble attaching vellum without  the glue showing I used a tiny silver heart and a silver encased pearl brad on the top wing. Fortunately the top wing hid the spot of glue on the underneath one.

Heat embossed white sentiment.

I sponged a little Brilliance Moonlight Ink round the edges and in real life it does give a sort of 'dreamy' effect.

Quite happy really with how this turned out after seeing something similar on an internet trawl some time ago.

Thanks for looking! x

Sharing over at
Simply Clean and Simple - Use a Heart
MAWTT #168 - CAS
CYHTP - A/Goes
and it's week 3 for Darnell's IDEAS - E for Embossing folders and as my Angel Wings are NBUS am visiting there too!

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.
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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

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

Bunny!

 

I bought these tiny Bunny dies years - some time- ago and found them whilst looking for something else!
They're a set of 3 and really quite cute so have no idea why I never used them before.

Someone asked me for a simple Easter card for a child and "please could I have it by Tomorrow cos I don't trust the post" !!!!!!!

I thought the CAS option was best - and although I was tempted to mess about a bit longer with a proper inky scene the time limitations were always in my mind.
Hence one very quick clean and simple card needed so that it can be included with a small Easter present.

Stamped the Eggs and the grass (all Card-io) direct onto the card base and just added a die cut frame and the two bunnies (the third one in the set had hopped off somewhere!)

The Card-io Egg stamps were part of the Christmas present consignment from my wonderful husband and these also used for the first time

For some reason the sentiment looks crooked in the pic - it isn't!

There's still time to join in our 'Oh So Sweet' challenge at TRY IT ON TUESDAY where we're looking for anything cute or sweet related- the linky is full of cuteness!

I'm linking my little bunny make over at
NBUS #48
Sweet Stampin - Spring/Easter
Get Creative - Bunny
MTTC - Springtime

Blown Away

After a little trawl round Pinterest (spend more time on there than actually making!) I had a not particularly successful play with my Brushos and a stamp which is NBUS!

After the weather we have had in the last couple of days (with yet another grey wet and windy day here)and the dreadful storms and floods others are experiencing across the pond I thought this Katzelkraft stamp was very apt!

I am not very good with Brushos. I have now been practicing with them for what seems like EVER and never seem to improve. My bin is full of discarded soggy pieces of paper!
 
This share is one of the more passable attempts - so you can imagine what the discarded bits look like 🙈🙈 - but at least I tried! If only it looked as good as the one I originally saw and tried to emulate!

All that said I DO love this stamp as it just strikes a chord with me.
Whilst out of it's packaging I stamped a couple more images and will make CAS cards with them I think - cos the Brushos are back in the drawer until I feel like inflicting some form of torture on myself again!

This card is now in an envelope ready to be sent to a friend who is currently having all that is horrible about life thrown at her - Thanks for looking today - I hope you're warm, dry and safe wherever you are in blogland. x
Sharing over at
TIOT - In with the New
MMM - New
Sweet Stampin' - New

and of course visiting the NBUS challenge blog too!

Tree

Been carrying on with Christmas makes - I probably have enough but figured it's best to keep going whilst I am in the mood! 

This card uses a Never Before Used Stamp - it's not a new one - I think Penny Black released it a few years ago, it's simplicity appealed to me as I thought it was a lovely tree.

I figured on using it to make one layer batch CAS cards with just simple stamping and colouring.  Ha! Total cards made with this stamp  =  ONE. This one! And definitely not one layer simple stamping and colouring!

That said I was quite happy with this when it dried out - I am still very much experimenting with my watercolour backgrounds - and a long way to go - but overall I don't think it's too bad.

I resisted the temptation to 'spatter it', no 'snow' spatters or even water droplets, just left it as it was.
The sentiment is a new one (more NBUS!) from Penny Black so of course I am linking up at the NBUS Challenge too!

Sharing over at
ABC Christmas - X for Xtra Special
Fezziwig - Decorate the Tree
Holly & Ivy - Anything Christmas

Thanks for looking - and I welcome your comments on my watercolouring efforts good or bad! x

Combination

Please scroll down the page for my CAS Stencil and Stamping Sensations Design team posts!
Weather here has taken an upturn which means that at least I have blue sky to look out on - currently we have a very strong and chilly wind so fresh air limited to quick cuppas on my patio!
Sad though that as yet am unable to go and visit my fave garden centres and buy lots of plants for my pots, so there's a couple of them that are looking quite bare, but they'll have to stay that way for now.

I made a really quick card using up some of my Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) and a stamp and die from a new set - well when you can't spend on plants what else you gonna spend it on??? 😁

The background was masked off and I used Cracked Pistachio for the solid dots and Fossilized Amber for the stripes and dots on a never before used Crafters Companion layering stencil set.
Quite like these 2 shades together!

The scribbly flower is from Uniko's new 'Kindness Blooms' stamp and die set (which you can get here)
There's a great assortment of stamps in the set and the matching dies mean intricate cutting is easy! 

I used some twine from my stash and finished my flower centre with a small gold pearl.

The sentiment is from Altenew (another never used!!!)

Am sharing this speedy make over at 

AAA - Made In Minutes + Use a Stencil

Uniko- #58 Spots and Stripes + Use a Stencil
NBUS #13
AAA Birthday - Dots/Stripes


Thanks for calling to see me today. x