Retiform Pooh Bear

Welcome

And a very warm welcome to Ana of Anuska Landia - do pop over and see her wonderful work - there are some amazing projects, including some wonderful 3-D work!

This card was made for the small New Zealand swap I participate in - the challenge this month was to use the retiform technique. 

Started with the image of Pooh Bear - one of my original stamps, and stamped him, and the sentiment, in Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink.

I masked the image with a post it note cut on an angle, and that gave me the base for my sponging for the background technique, using Sweet Plum ink.  I think I may have got a bit carried away :).

The images in the background were from a magazine freebie and an unmarked set of stamps from my stash.... note to self, be more organised and name sets that escape their original packaging!

Pooh Bear was coloured using Prismacolor pencils, and the greeting was covered with glossy accents.

The dragonfly bodies and some of the flower centres were touched with some Kindy Glitz, and a few dots of clear Kindy Glitz were placed on some of the intersections in the background. 

Pooh bear was stamped using the Sweet Plum ink, on the liner on the left of the inside, 

and grounded on some glittery Washi tape. 

I am linking this to:

Southern Girls Challenge, Team Trace, June - Anything Goes

Lavinia World Challenge #29 - Anything Goes

QKR Stampede Challenge #400 - Anything Goes

Polka Doodles Challenge Week #26 - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers Challenge #189 - Anything Goes

Creativ Fusion Challenge #18 - Nature's Garden

Crafty Catz Challenge #512 - Anything Goes

Colour Crazy Challenge Week #25 - Anything Goes (colouring)

The Alphabet Challenge - F for Flora or Fauna

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Week #444 + 445 - Anything Goes

Caffinated Birthday

 Welcome

It has been way longer than I intended between posts - something called life has got in the way!

The background is one I made for the class - this time using water based markers, then brushing over them with a wet brush to blend the colours.  When that was dry I sprayed it with water, left it for a few seconds and blotted off the re-activated ink. 

I was going to use the panel with the green/blue at the base, but there was a very 'busy' blotted area that reminded me of steam, so I turned the panel up the other way.  A great, very technical, way to design! 

The cup and hearts die (unidentified) has been begging to be used, so it had it's day, finally.

I cut it from the same cream coloured card as the base of the card, and the parts placed back in after colouring - the hearts also got a layer  of iridescent medium.

The sentiment was stamped using a magazine freebie, and hand cut into a banner. 

The two rows of pearls and the two layers of ribbon finished the outside of the  card

On the inside I glued a trimming from the main panel.

I am linking this to:

Tuesday Throw Down Challenge #460 - Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday Challenge Week #25 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

The House That Stamps Built Challenge #J2420 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments Challenge #193 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations June Challenge #410- - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Anything Goes

Krafty chicks Challenge #513 - All Occasions

Southern Girls Challenge, Team Trace - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #444 + 445 - Anything Goes

Silhouetted Sunflower

Welcome

Thank you Margaret for speaking up - her blog is a commentary on life in New Zealand, should you be interested .

This card was one I used to teach a couple of techniques on earlier this month - we were still 'social distancing', but it was our first time together in three months, and we really enjoyed ourselves - I was surprised we got anything finished as we laughed so much!

One of the techniques I taught was to  create backgrounds with water colour techniques - for this one I used Lyra water colour crayons.

This image, a magazine freebie, was an outline stamp, which was totally coloured with a black marker. It was an old one and I only just completed the colouring.

I learnt this technique on Ishani's blog here, where she shows how to stretch our stamps!

When I went to make the card up, I wanted a bit more 'life' in the background, so I masked the image with the stamp, and sprayed the background with a Lindy's mica spray.

I embossed the sentiment in platinum ep, then mounted the panel on black to give a small border before layering it onto the gold/yellow base. 

The finishing touches were black pearls on the flower and pot, and clear drops (Glossy Accents) around the sentiment

The inside was decorated with a trimming from the background panel.

I am linking this to: 

A Gem of a Challenge Week #13 - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar June Challenge - Flowers

Stamping Sensations June Challenge - Make it colourful

Angie's Digital Stamps Challenge #43 - Anything Goes twist Summertime

613 Avenue Challenge #234 - Anything Goes, Twist, a blended background

'Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #134 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments Challenge #193 - Anything Goes - Twist - For the Girls

Craftlandia Challenge #3 - Florals

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2025 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #444 +445 - Anything Goes

Bejeweled Butterflies

Welcome,

And a special welcome to Margaret who has started to follow me.

Margaret, if you have a blog, please let me know as I would love to be able to follow you back.

I made this card for a young woman, starting with the vibrant yellow piece of card, which was from another card I received years ago, and I always thought I could re-use the panel!

I selected the red card as the base, and decided to add some dimensional butterflies to the printed layer, so cut three butterflies from the same red card, and three from vellum

The three red rhinestones finished them nicely

The sentiment was white embossed on another snippet of the red, which was then cut into a fishtail banner shape. (The sentiment stamp was a magazine freebie)

As the front panel was fairly heavy, I lined the inside with some light cardstock already stamped off the edge with a butterfly stamp in yellow ink.

I am linking this to:

Angie's digital Stamps June Challenge #43- Anything Goes Opt Summertime

Pixie's Snippets Play Ground Challenge #380- Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments Challenge #253 - Anything Goes with a Sentiment

Creative Knockouts Challenge #355 - Summer Fun

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #639 - Summer

Moving Along With The Times June Challenge #119 - Things with Wings

Southern Girls Challenge with Team Lou - Anything Goes

Addicted To Stamps Challenge #394 - Clean and Simple

Ellibelles Crafty Wednesday June challenge - In the Summer garden

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks # 444 + #445 - Anything Goes

A Chalked Butterfly

Welcome

A couple of weeks ago I welcomed Mariann Jakobsen to the blog - her beautiful blog is here,

Please feel free to visit her and peruse her works of art. 

There is a very bright red face here behind the computer - I didn't realise until yesterday that I had published the wrong DT card for the previous Word Art Wednesday challenge... so I am now publishing the card that should have been put up a fortnight ago... 

You can find the current challenge here, and we are being very generously sponsored by 

The Project Bin , who are supplying a $15 gift certificate for the winner.

I always want the scripture to be the focal point in my WAW cards, so I printed this verse out to fit in the gorgeous magnificent square die by Spellbinders (now retired) .  I embossed it, and added chalks to the edge to match the colours on the butterfly.

The butterfly is a freebie from Arty Barb that I coloured using chalks that picked up the colours in the background patterned paper

When I fussy cut the image out I chopped off the antenna, and drew them back in once I had attached the butterfly to the card front.

I added Glossy Accents to the body for some added detailing.  

The inside was finished with an off-cut of the patterned paper. 

The Word Art Wednesday Challenges are always Anything Goes, so do please come over and 'play' with us - it is so appreciated when you join in.

I am linking this to:

Arty Diva's Challenge #24 - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday Challenge Week #24 - Anything Goes

Ikes World Challenge #133 - R is for Round or Dots (opt Anything Goes)

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #122 - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crafting Happiness Challenge #53 - Anything Goes (opt, Dad's)

Dream Valley Challenge #227 - Summer Colours

Jan's Digi Stamps June Challenge - Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2024 - Anything Goes

Miss with Attitude

Welcome

And a special welcome to Ginny of Maxam Made - we have been visiting each other for years, but Ginny has just started to 'formally' follow me.

This card was made for a six year old - who in some ways on going on 16!  As she has been involved in modern dancing and cheer leading for some years, she is familiar with make up and is aware of her looks and what she does and does not like!

This image I used is from a now defunct firm, Kiwistamping, after stamping it was coloured with Prismacolor pencils, and die cut using a Tim Holtz stitched oval die (retired)  

I mounted her onto a card base covered with some Amy Tangerine paper (Summer Brights), to which I had added some lace and antique gold thread

The sentiment (another from Kiwistamping) was gold embossed on a snippet and cut into a fish tail banner.  That was mounted over some lace and some of the antique gold thread added to it also.

The right hand corners of the card were rounded with a punch and that was it.

I am linking this to:

Crafty Friends Challenge #137 - Anything goes

The Corrosive Challenge #6 (June) - Anything goes

Stamping Sensations June Challenge - Make it Colourful

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #133 - Anything Goes

Angie's Digi Stamps Challenge #43- Anything Goes, opt Summertime (used)

A Gem of a Challenge Week #12 - Anything Goes

Polka Doodles Challenge Week #24 - Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday Challenge Week #23 - Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2024 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #442 + #443 - Anything Goes

A Timely, Scrappy, Masculine Card

Welcome,

And a very big welcome to two new followers - Stevenson Que, who's blog is currently off line,

and Nelly Shaw, whom I cannot find a blog for - please let me know, Nelly, if you have a blog, so I may follow you back.

I made this card for the husband of a friend recently, and it started with two off-cuts from my 'promise box' (I promise I will use it one day...).

The one on the left of the card is from a Craft Works pack called Oceania, the one of the right, I think, was another Craft Works pack of simple Black and White paper - this sheet has some patches of gold in the design.

This top sentiment was a magazine freebie, embossed with white on blue card

As is this greeting. Both were trimmed and hand cut into a fishtail on one end.

The watch was from a NBUS (Never before used schtuff) Kaisercraft set that was crying out for inking - I stamped it in black and clear embossed it, and die cut it with the accompanying die.

As he is a man of faith, I stamped this quote on the left of the inside.

The only other detail was the silver ribbon tied around the card on the outside.

I am linking this to:

Dare 2b Artzy June Challenge - Masculine

Dragonfly Dreams June Challenge - Make it Masculine

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #133 - Anything Goes

Pixie's Crafty Workshop Challenge #379 - Anything Goes using snippets

A Gem of a Challenge Week #12 - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends Challenge #137 - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Masculine/Father's Day

Creative Fingers Challenge #187 - Anything Goes

Cut It Up Challenge #201 Boys will be Boys

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #442 + #443 - Anything Goes

That Fish Stamp Again!

Welcome

Firstly I would like to welcome Mariannn Jakobsen to my blog as a new follower - unfortunately I have not been able to find if she has a blog. Thank you for following me Mariann.

This card was for another family member who loves to fish, and I have used that same fish stamp on it.  At first glance it is difficult to see, but it is there!

I randomly stamped the image with Versamark ink, and then put perfect pearls,( perfectly pearl) over it!  The light catches it beautifully in the photo below

The sentiment was stamped with Faded Jeans DI, using a very old stamp.

The feature part of the card was a die cut I made when I had borrowed a friends die - there is no name in the packet with this one, so I am assuming it is unbranded. 

I coloured the panel with Lyra Aqua Crayons then moved the pigment with water.  When I was happy with it, I mounted a piece of mixed media paper behind it that had been coloured using Brushos.  I love the variations in the colours in the 'sky' area.  To give the water some differentiation, I painted it with Iridescent Medium, and then another layer of blue from the crayons.  The water ended up with a sheen on it, but not too 'fancy' for a masculine card!

This inside was finished with a strip of Sparkly Green scotch tape. 

I am linking this to:

Polka Doodles Challenge Week #23 - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #558 - Make it Masculine

Southern Girls Challenge Team Trace - Anything Goes

Through The Purple Haze Challenge #168 - Anything Goes option taken

Addicted To Stamps and More Challenge #392 - Make Your Mark

Crafty Creations June Challenge #410 - Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #484 - Down on the Farm

(The recipient fishes the local rivers going through farmland)

The Paper Funday Challenge #18 - Anything Goes, Twist, make it Masculine

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Masculine

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks ##442 + #443 - Anything Goes

Ribbon and Pansies

Welcome

A very warm welcome to my new follower Barbara, of Being Mrs Miles.  Barbara has a lovely blog with some awesome work on display - please pop over and visit her. 

Today marks the start of the new Word Art Wednesday Challenge, and we are being sponsored by Newton's Nook with a generous $20 prize for the winner.

As I don't own any Newton's Nook images, I used a floral freebie from Graphics Fairy, and imported the scripture onto it before printing.

I brushed the edges of the image with C.P Queen for a Day ink, and did likewise to the pale blue cardstock - the difference in the resultant colour does not show in the photos, but it is there :)

I decorated the end of the card with a layer of pink organza ribbon over a layer of blue, then tied a wee bow of the pink over top.

The insert was finished with a piece of floral purple washi tape

I am linking this to:

Jan's Digi Stamps June Challenge - Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2022 - Anything Goes

Stamps + Fun = Creativity Challenge #369 - Flowers or Nature

Arty Diva's Challenge #23 - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiment Challenge - Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday Challenge Week #22 -Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #121 - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Lil' patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #132 - Anything Goes

Southern Girls Challenge Team Trace - Anything Goes