Flaming Sky

 My friends other half runs a Hot Air Balloon company and in one of our previous houses we were surrounded by fields - it was perfectly normal for him to be flying over the field next door very low - and on two occasions landing in it! Cue one very irritated farmer!
(Have just read that back and it sounds like we move every five minutes - the house I am talking about we were in for almost 30 years!)

I  bought this Card-io set called 'Up Up and Away' last year and this was the first time of inking so I am hopping over to NBUS before this months challenge closes.

I saw something similar to this some time back on Pinterest and with a birthday looming for my friends hubby it was the perfect opportunity to use the set.

I wanted a sunset sky but think I might have overdone it cos it actually looks like the forest below is on fire..............🙈🔥🔥

Regulars to my blog will know how much I like ink blending!
Used Crackling Campfire (how apt!), Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door and Black Soot for my background.

The trees are one of my most used stamp sets - they're from Inkylicious and I love them.

Simply stamped in black Versafine Clair in the foreground and then used Versafine Crimson Red for my second and third generation stamping.
Am sharing over at
MMM- Create your own Background
Dragonfly Dreams - Happy Birthday
Mix It Up - Make your own background
SOS - Colour me Beautiful

Landscape

One of the best things about blogging is the 'friendships' you make. I am very lucky to have made many with people who, like me, share a love of ink and paper. (And everything else crafty!)
A small (but select😊😊) few of my blogging friends have been able to recently spend a little more time together and we have been able to group message each other often and have group phone chats.

Being able to actually SEE each other  (instead of just 'on-line' typing) has been wonderful and it has lifted my spirits. Sometimes circumstances bring people together in the unlikeliest way - and this is how this card came into being.
Lynne has taken some gorgeous photos. Amongst them are spectacular sunsets. In a moment of madness someone suggested it would be fun to try and replicate them...... so Lynne set us a challenge to use any of her photos and interpret them any way we wanted.
I chose this photo.
It's stark landscape appealed to me!
Trying to capture something so awesome that Nature gives you might on the face of it seem not too difficult - HA!

I first tried doing a watercolour - and I was really pleased with the cloud formation at the top - the rest of it was not for human consumption!

Here is my effort done with ink blending.

Try as I might I could NOT get that lovely band of grey from the original photo to look right on my copy attempt.
Nor could I grab the vivid yellow of the sun as it sets!

But overall I am not too disappointed in how this turned out! The birds were my 'poetic licence'😉.

I am now off to visit Lynne,  Sally, Sandra and Joan to see their creations.

Thanks for the challenge Lynne! x

Opposites Attract!

I managed to grab some time in the craftie space in between the ironing and packing - we're off for a 'celebratory holiday' in a couple of days (our 20th anniversary)  - then when we come back we're only home for a week and we jet off again - this time to visit our friends who live overseas who are also celebrating a big anniversary - double ours!!

But I couldn't go away without a fix of inkiness and paper - I made a couple of cards similar to this last year and when I saw the challenge at CAS Watercolour I remembered that the colour combo fitted -
The orange and blue hues are opposite on the colour spectrum and I think they go really well together.

I used watercolour card and my paints and once dry I stamped the bullrushes and the birds. 
No sentiment on it yet - originally I thought it might work as a Sympathy card  but think it would be suitable for other occasions - so will keep it plain until I use it!

Thanks for looking and leaving any comments - I really DO love to hear from you. x