Another 'yellow' card

Hello friends, I hope you've had a good Monday 🙂

I've made another card for the 'Fans of Taylored Expressions' monthly challenge over on Facebook.  I only managed one out of the three challenge words on this card but I think it's really pretty.

 inside of card

I used the beautiful Taylored Expressions 'scribbled rose' cling & clear combo stamp set and used 'potato chip' and 'sprinkles' mini ink cubes to stamp the images.  Instead of using black for the main image I used versafine clair in 'morning mist' for a softer look.  The sentiment is also Taylored Expressions from the 'Inky Fingers - flowers' stamp set.  When I was testing out my ink cubes I stamped a few flowers and leaves so I thought I would use them on the inside of the card with another sentiment (I just added the doodling with a fine liner pen to mimic the front of the card).  

I added a piece of velum as a bellyband around my card and die cut a spellbinders circle and scalloped circle (from matching 'sprinkles' card stock) for my sentiment before attaching with foam pads.  A final finishing touch of Studio Katia 'sunny topaz' crystals and my card was done. 

It's definitely a bright and sunshiney card - I hope you like it. 

I'm entering my card into the following challenges

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - anything goes

Cute Card Thursday challenge - flowers

Have a great week and I'll be back soon.

Hugs and love, 

Happy card

Happy Saturday friends!  Well my second week back at work is done and everything is going well.  My work-friends have been so welcoming and eased me back into my routine with kindness and love.  I'm grateful to work for the NHS and even though I'm not frontline I've loved all the positive things I've seen on social media during this pandemic. 

I have a very happy little card for you today.  I predominantly made it to join in with a challenge in one of my groups on Facebook - "Fans of Taylored Expressions" and the brief was yellow, hexagons and something from your junk drawer.  You don't have to include all of them but I managed to this time!  If you love Taylored Expressions products you definitely need to join this group if you haven't already. 

I used Taylored Expressions 'inky fingers - flowers' for the main image and coloured it with Promarkers, the sentiments are Taylored Expressions 'simple strips background' stamped with versafine onyx black ink and die cut with the matching 'simple strips die'.  I created the background using bubble wrap from my junk drawer inked with versfine clair 'morning mist' ink and then inked blended over the top with Taylored Expressions 'potato chip' mini ink cube.  The hexagons are My Favorite things 'hexagons' dienamics.  I also decorated the inside of my card but forgot to take a photo d'oh!

I hope you're having a great weekend so far.  The weather has changed here with rain showers and high winds but to be honest the very hot weather we've had this week has drained me, I'm a spring lover at best so 31 degrees was too much for me lol!  

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

sweet stampin' challenge - create your own background (I used bubble wrap)

sweet stampers challenge - something beginning with B (black, blooms, birthday)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - anything goes

Cute Card Thursday challenge - flowers

Use your stuff challenge - it's a girl thing

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Take care and hugs, 

New grandson

Happy Monday everyone.  Today I have a super cute baby card to share with you.  One of my lovely crafty friends recently welcomed her first baby grandson and this is the card I made for her.

I used an adorable stamp set called 'sweet baby' from Uniko Stamps and I used my Promarkers to add a dotty pattern to the babygro.  The sentiment is predominantly Clearly Besotted Stamps 'special delivery' (but again sadly it appears to no longer be available but they do have an updated version which is currently on sale here) and the grandson word is from Personal Impressions 'large family birthday' stamp set.  I used an oldie but a goodie embossing folder 'swiss dots' by Cuttlebug for my bottom layer and cut a circle from my white cardstock panel using a spellbinders circle die for my top layer.  I added a few sequins from Little Things from Lucy's Cards to finish off.  A very simple card but really pretty I think. 

I'm going to enter this card into the following challenges:

sweet stampin' challenge - got the blues

unicorn challenge - masculine

crafty friends challenge - men and/or boys

sweet stampers challenge - something begins with B (blue, baby)

Try it on Tuesday challenge - make it masculine

crafty cardmakers challenge - masculine

I hope your Monday was good.  The weather is supposed to be scorchio this week so take care and add sunscreen if you're out and about 🌞

Until next time, hugs and love x

A bright and cheerful card

Hi everyone, I'm back again to share another card made during lockdown.  It's a birthday card I made for a lovely crafty friend.

I even decorated the inside!

I used a pretty floral stamp set from Waffle Flower called 'a little note' and coloured them with  Promarkers.  The background was created with a beautiful stamp by Taylored Expressions called 'just vine background' which I stamped with TE 'sugar cube' ink onto Simon Says Stamp fog cardstock which I think looks beautiful.  I added the flowers onto a Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large die cut circle and added this to my card with foam tape.  The sentiment on the front is from the Gina K Designs original wreath builder stamp set.  I finished off with some pretty Studio Katia 'summer' sequins to match.  I also decorated the inside of the card with the same background die stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink and added a sentiment from Uniko Stamps from the 'sentiments outlined' stamp set and coloured the letters with Promarkers.  A really bright and cheerful card I think.

Day 2 of work went better than Day 1 so hopefully things are going in the right direction.  I know with time everything will get better but until then I'm taking things day by day.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you're having a good week so far. 

Love and hugs, 

Inspired by Jennifer McGuire!

I love watching Jennifer McGuire's YouTube videos and always get inspired but usually I'm too busy to actually follow through and try out her techniques.  However as I have been home recently I managed to get one done - yay! go me 😃  I am a little behind the times as this technique, which she calls 'a split card technique', was back in the middle of May, but hey, better late than never!!

Here is my take on her technique:

I used flowers from My Favorite Things called 'flashy florals' (sadly seem to no longer be available) and stamped them with Altenew inks.  I then die cut them with the matching die-namics.  The sentiments are from Altenew 'beautiful day' stamp set.  I added a black strip of card stock and black gems from the 'jewels - ebony mix' from Little Things from Lucy's Cards.  It was a fun way to create 2 cards from one panel and I will have to try it again with different stamp sets.  Check out the link above to watch Jennifer's video and to see how she makes it look so easy!

I hope you had a good Monday - I went back to work today which was hard but it had to be done.  I felt that the longer I stayed off from work the more difficult it would be to go back.  I'm sure things will get easier in time.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Take care and huge hugs, 

Card for grandmother

Happy Saturday everyone.  I hope the weather hasn't been too bad for you all today.  Last night it was torrential rain here but thankfully it's dried up today.  At least no-one had to water their plants here this morning. 

I'm back to share a card I made for my boys to give to their grandmother for her birthday (back in April).  I'm playing catch up so expect to see lots of cards soon. 

close up 

I ink blended my background with distress oxide inks and then used a gorgeous Simon Says Stamp 'outline floral frame' die which I cut from white card stock and placed over the top.  I added water droplets to the ink blended panel as I really like the effect.  I used Clearly Besotted 'butterfly duo die collection' dies (which sadly no longer appear to be available) and die cut the top layer with white card stock and the bottom layer with more of the ink blended card and added them with Nuvo deluxe glue to my background.  The sentiment is also Clearly Besotted Stamps from the 'happy birthday all' stamp set (which again I sadly can't find on the website).  I was really happy with this card and will definitely make more in different colours when I get a chance. 

I'm going to add this card into the simonsayschallenge over on Instagram for their June 'ink blending' challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and take care.

Dies to Die For card swap

The lovely Tracy at Dies to Die For (along with Sue Hastead) recently ran a card swap on the Dies to Die For and Friends Facebook page and I took the plunge and joined in.  As the brief was 'brighten someone's day' I made this colourful and cheerful card for my swap buddy Kim.

here's a closer look:

I started by ink blending the background with Distress Oxide ink pads using the amazing Taylored Expressions blender brushes and added some water droplets for a blotchy effect.  I stamped the Taylored Expressions 'grid background' with versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder over the top of the ink blended background.  I die cut the MFT 'big hello' out of black card stock and stamped the cute bear from the MFT 'bitty bears' stamp set and coloured him with my promarkers.  The smaller sentiment is from the same stamp set which I also white heat embossed onto black card stock.  I finished my card with some 'crystal collection - over the rainbow' embellishments from Little Things from Lucy's Cards which are beautiful in real life. 

I can't believe it is Friday again tomorrow; this week has flown by.

Thanks for looking and take care. 

Hugs, 

Paper Smooches birthday card

Good Morning friends.  Today I'm here after a long break to actually share a card!! 

A lot has happened since I was here last - sadly my dad passed away on 23rd March and as it was just as lockdown came into effect it has proved to be a very stressful and unusual time.  We did the best we could but it wasn't the funeral he deserved; only 10 family could attend and the crematorium was eerily quiet. I have to say that my parent's neighbours were fantastic and stood on their doorsteps and paid their respects as the hearse went down the street, which was extremely emotional.  It's been almost 3 months now but it really only seems like yesterday.  It will be his 85th birthday tomorrow so that will be the first difficult milestone we have to get through but my mother, sister and myself are all supporting each other and we will have a cry and talk about our memories of him and the day will go by.  Life goes on but we never forget 💔

To keep myself busy I've been trying to craft and as I had some birthdays coming up it was the perfect way to take my mind off my dad and everything else that has been going on at the moment. 

I made this card for a lovely crafting friend using Paper Smooches 'blossoming buds' stamp set.  I stamped the flower arrangement twice, coloured them with my Promarkers and fussy cut them out. I made my own circle card base by die cutting 2 circle dies from an old Quickcutz/Lifestyle nesting circles set and glued them together.  The smaller circle and scalloped circle were cut with spellbinders dies.  The sentiment is also from the stamp set and to finish off I added a few 'over the rainbow - crystal collection' gems from Little Things from Lucy's Cards.  I even decorated the inside and made my own envelope from some very old 12x12 paper from my stash.

Sorry for the poor photographs - it's still not my strongest point - but I keep trying different ways and maybe one day I will find something that works for me!

Anyway I am going to enter this card into the current Paper Smooches challenge 'flowers'.  

It's been so long since I've entered a challenge I'm not even 100% sure I remember how to do it lol!

If you have made it this far, thank you for sticking with me and have a great day.  I will hopefully be back again soon with another card I've made during lockdown. 

Take care and lots of love,