The cat and the butterfly

Hello

Today I'm sharing the last one in a series of cards using gel printed backgrounds. I started by adding the foliage in Distress ink and black Archival ink.

The details were added with Posca pens and Inktense pencils.

Here are the other cards made in the same way. They look pretty all together.

Thank you for stopping by xxx

Hare you are

Hello

Today I'm sharing another card using a gel plate background. The first stage was to stamp background flowers in Distress ink and then the foreground in black Archival ink.

Then the delicate bit of adding detail with Posca paint pens, Inktense pencils and white Gelly Roll pen.

A very therapeutic way to spend a couple of hours. 

Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day xx

Hare by night

 

Hello

A quick one today to share another card made with a gel plate background, with a layer of dye based ink, followed by a sprinkle of Brusho crystal pigment and a spritz with water. 

I started by stamping the hare and masking off the feet, before darkening the foreground with Distress ink to create hills. 

Then I added some plants with Distress ink for the background and black Archival ink for the foreground. The moon was masked off and Distress ink used to darken the edges. The final touches were added with white gel pen and Posca paint pen. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit. Wishing you a lovely day xx

Fox family

Hello

A quick one today sharing another card using a gel printed background. The initial stamping looked like this...

...and I didn't want to add too much more as I liked the misty morning feel. Just a little Distress ink added a bit of depth and some Posca paint for colour and highlights.

Thank you for taking time to visit. All your comments are very much appreciated. Have a lovely day xx

Evening in the garden

Hello

Once again I seem to have time for crafting or blogging, not both! I have had a bit of time in the craft room making birthday cards.

The cards started off with gel plate printed backgrounds. These were made with a layer of dye based ink brayered onto the plate, followed by a sprinkle of Brusho crystal pigment and a spritz with water. It doesn't take long to make a stack of lovely backgrounds.

I used mostly Lavinia and Card-Io stamps, starting with lighter shades of dye based ink in the background and black Archival ink in the foreground.

Then the time consuming bit is adding in all the detail to create more depth, using Posca paint pens, white gel pen and Inktense pencils. To finish off the edges were darkened with Distress ink.

Another card...

Thank you for stopping by. Hope you have a lovely day xx

Spring time

Hello

A quick share today of a couple of cards made for family. My lovely husband recently brought me back some stamps from his travels to Lille. Even though a craft shop is far from his natural habitat he always pops in and tries to find me something he thinks I won't have.

This time he spotted some cute Easter bunnies which I combined with some Katzelkraft fungi.

 

I couldn't decide which colour scheme I preferred. Which do you like?

I hope you have a great week. Thank you for stopping by xx

 

 

Winter magic

Hello

Today I'm sharing another mixed media fantasy scene. I had every intention of capturing the process and took a first photo...

...but then forgot to take any more until the end! I started with the gate gel printed uisng a GiogioCraft stencil and a watercoloured background.

By the time I'd played around quite a bit it looked like this...

I wanted to try out some new Coliro pearlescent watercolours and a new rigger brush. I think more playing is needed!

Thank you for taking the time to visit. Hope you have a lovely week xxx

Party mouse

Hello

Today I'm sharing a quick card inspired by @Katarinas_crafts designs for Lavinia.

I've left space for a sentiment but still can't decide if it needs one. I think there's a scope to be a lot more ambitious with these little mice when I have a bit more time.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day xx

Sail away

Hello

It seems like it's been a long winter and at last there are a few signs of spring around the corner. This week I needed a bit of relaxing time and what better than some colouring in with my new Koh-i-Noor watercolour pencils, purchased recently in Prague. 

The boat and hare are from Lavinia and the wreath is mostly using Card-io stamps with distress oxide inks. It also fits the brief for the colour challenge with Isa.C Art&Craft.

I feel more relaxed already thinking about drifting off in the moonlight.

Have a lovely weekend. Thank you for stopping by xxx

Foxy fun

Hello

I'm back today with another couple of cards made with the background paper I showed here and a mixture of all sorts of stamps.

I'm enjoying these slightly magical, whimsical scenes so there may be more to come!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Your comments are always welcome. xx

Birthday bunnies

Hello

I'm back with a quick one using more of the background sheet from the previous post.

I've added a bit of stencilling and some pink buds with a Stabilo fineliner.

Have a lovely day xx

Gone fishing

Hello and Happy New Year

I wish you good health and happiness in 2022...and of course lots of crafty inspiration.

Christmas and New Year are always a bit hectic but I have managed a few hours to have a bit of a play in the craft room.

I've been wondering what to do with this background for a while.

 

It was made ages ago by sprinkling Cosmic Shimmer pixie powders and spritzing them with a water mister, but the colours are a bit too intense for what I usually want. I decided to wet it again and lay watercolour paper on top to lift the colour...

 

...and ended up with a bunch of new papers with more subtle colours, perfect for stamping over. I stamped the moon and masked it off, leaving a bit of a halo around it.

 

Then added a little hickory smoke distress oxide ink all over, but keeping the centre lighter, followed by blueprint sketch on the lower half. I used a waterbrush to soften the edges of the moon and allowed the colours to bleed a little. 

More stamping was added to build up a scene.

Highlights were added with white gel pen and a few darker ripples in pencil. (You can read my review of a variety of white gel pens here.)

And so the crafting year is off to a start. I've signed up to join a Mixed Media Art Summit in February and I'm looking forward to joining Isa for a monthly tagalong. I have spent my Christmas present pennies on some crafting goodies, my lovely husband has given me a two year subscription to Creative Stamping magazine and I've been given a lot of watercolour books, so watch this space!

I hope your year is off to a creative start. Thank you for stopping by xx

 

 

Joy to the World

Hello

Somehow the end of the year has crept up on me. Just in time I managed to get all of my Christmas cards made AND sent.

I finished off with some snow globe cards using an Apple Blossom die set and stamps from Card-io and various magazines.

I'm looking forward to using the Card-io stamps for some spring birthday cards, so watch this space.

One last festive card using Sizzix dies.

I wish you all happy holidays and best wishes for the year ahead xxx

Look deep into nature

Hello everyone
I hope you are all keeping well. Last weekend, needing some impetus to get creative for an afternoon, I dipped into an online tutorial with Carpe Occasio Creative Arts on Facebook. I started off following but of course soon went off in my own direction. But then that's what it's all about isn't it?

Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.

Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

I'm still working on the lettering :-)

Take care and have a lovely week xxx

Reasons to Give Thanks

Hello
Happy Thanksgiving to followers in the US. It's always good to reflect on the many reasons there are to give thanks and research shows that thankful people are usually much happier people. So today I'm making a special effort to count my blessings, of which there are many.

Apologies for the slightly wonky photo. I forgot to take one and had to ask the recipient to email me a photo back!

Fresh October brings the pheasant...

Hello
October already! Where has the year gone? The first Sunday of the month means that it is time for the next verse of The Craft Barn's twelve month challenge based on Sara Coleridge's poem The Months. Here's my mini canvas, a bit off centre to get the pheasant's tail in!

Fresh October brings the pheasant,

Then to gather nuts is pleasant.

 

 

The leaves are fabulous colours and I've seen some spectacular fungi around, although it's looking a bit rainy and grey here today. Do have a look at the blog to see what everyone else comes up with and as always I will try to visit as many of the entries as possible.

Happy crafting xx

June brings tulips, lilies, roses...

Hi there everyone
What a lovely hot, sunny Sunday it is. Meterological summer really here in theory and in weather! The first Sunday of the month means the next verse of The Craft Barn twelve month challenge is on the blog:

June brings tulips, lilies, roses,

Fills the children's hands with posies.

 
Here's my mini canvas...

Do take a look at The Craft Barn blog and all of the other entries. I always try to comment on as many as possible, unfortnately the links don't always work for some reason.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend. Happy crafting xxx

April brings the primrose sweet...

Hello there
The lovely mild weather we've been having where I live has brought all of the blossom out, making the trees look spectacular. It's the start of a new month which heralds the next verse of the Poem Challenge at The Craft Barn:

April bings the primrose sweet, 

Scatters daisies at our feet. 

Here's my mini canvas for April...and of course I couldn't resist getting those cute bunnies out again!

It's not too late to join in the challenge even if you can't enter into the months which have already gone. Why not have a look at the blog to see what other people have come up with for inspiration?

March brings breezes loud and shrill...

Hi there
It's time for the new verse in The Craft Barn poem challenge:

March brings breezes loud and shrill

Stirs the dancing daffodil.

I couldn't resist popping in some March hares and a few little bird silhouettes. You can hear that the birds sound more lively at the moment, heralding the start of Spring.

I'll be checking in on all of the entries on the blog to see how you get on with the added twist to the challenge!