summer, summer, summer time...

The theme at the stampotique challenge is what summer means to you. for this particular challenge you don't have to use stampotique stamps, but for me Jasmin sums up what summer's all about, laying on the grass daydreaming amongst the flowers.

I am also entering this for a few other challenges:
Tag tuesday- a few of my favourite things, as there are quite a few of my favourite things on this tag: acetate, torn paper, ribbon, Jo's Jasmin stamp and her fabulously quirky daisies. Also I have used my current favourite method of colouring, simple pencils, as well as a simple clean style.

Gingersnap: transparencies

Mixed media monday: floral tributes

The stamps I used are Jo's stamps from Stampotique, available in the UK from Happy Daze.

TMTA and a new craft

This week's theme at TMTA is weeds and herbs so I used these wonderful hotpicks stamps from PaperArtsy again, The quote "May all your weeds be wildflowers" was done on the computer.

I have also been having a play with Lucetting, I didn't use a real lucet, so I used this pom pom maker I have had for ages, it's basically the same thing.

(I do have a little lucet somewhere that was a gift, but I can't remember where I put it.)
I used the instructions from this youtube video
I started with simple cord,

then I tried it triple thickness


then I tried two different textures

and two different colours

and gold thread

and finally ribbon yarn.

it's a really addictive craft and the cords are so quick to make, however other than friendship bracelets I don't really have any ideas what to do with them. I need to try incorporating beads next.

Out of this world!!!

Today I have this card featured on the frantic stamper blog. Please visit there for the details and stamp credits. There's lots more to see on the blog which is constantly being updated with new tutorials for a wide range of stamping projects, using stamps from loads of different manufacturers. It really is worth a visit

As I have used bright colours I am entering this for Theme Thursday

a couple of scrolls work cards

I received a fantastic package of stamps from Scrolls Works Stamps yesterday and couldn't wait to play
The first card uses Sky, Grass and Special day. (and a little bit of flower soft)

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The second card uses the travels of tim and tom, I create, altered numbers and Ticket.

"fairy cake"

You see, up until recently in the UK you never heard the term "cupcake", to us they are "fairy cakes", so I decided to revive the "fairy cake" by making my cake with an actual fairy on it.
This was Jo's birthday card and also my piece for the gingersnap DT this week, where the theme is wings. I have stamped moon girl (from stampotique) three times: once onto vellum, twice onto card, then layered her up so the vellum wings are sandwiched between the body and the card wings. The fairy cake base is stamped onto patterned paper and I have coloured the top with markers.

As Sunday stamper's theme is also wings I am entering this card for that challenge as well

sunday postcard art : jasmin again!!

The theme at sunday postcard art is insects so I had to play with one of Jo's new Bee stamps, so of course I had to play with Jasmin again, I don't seem to be able to resist colouring her in, she's so gorgeous, and she works so well with flowrs soft that I had to use some of that again...

I have added some stickles to the bee's wings, but it's hard to see on the pictures.

the edge is done with a martha stewart border punch.

Jo's stamps are made by stampotique and available from Happy Daze in the UK.

This is my second post today, check out the post below as there is a link to the forever friends challenge where there are amazing goodies to be won!

kinetic card

At the forever friends challenge this week we are challenging you to make a kinetic card with your forever friends images. If you visit the blog you'll see lots of ideas of the kind of thing you could make. I chose to make my first ever "swing" card, I even made the template myself. I really enjoyed making and playing with this card.

if you want the instructions for making this style of swing card, you can find my tutorial here
I also loved using the flowers which were provided by this week's sponsor I am Roses.
If you like the look of these flowers, make sure you take part in our challenge as we have a bumper pack of gorgeous flowers for one lucky, randomly selected winner!

4x4 friday : wings

The theme at 4x4 friday is wings, so I decided to use this cool steampunk image from Scrolls work stamps, along with the quote and firework stamp also from Scrolls Work.
Although this card is actually 5x5 I masked off a 4x4 section and stamped within that, then roughly freehand drew around it.
I wanted to create a multicoloured stamp effect so I used an adirondack rainbow pad in wildflower which is supposed to be yellow, red, green and blue, but I have had it so long that the colours have all merged to create more of a brown effect. However I like it and think it works well with this image.

jasmine

Isn't she beautiful? Here's another card with some of Jo's new stamps.
The background paper is from prima and I picked it up at a bargain price of 20p from a fab shop in Harrogate yesterday.
I have used Jo's flower stamp and if you look closely I also used the long splatter with clear sparkle embossing powder down the side. Then finished the whole thing of with flower soft!
Jo's stamps are available from Stampotique, and you can get them from Happy Daze in the UK.

as she is so beautiful I have decided to enter her for Theme Thursday's Beauty theme

looks like I'm on a roll again, this is my second post today and I have made something else. I think I'll schedule that for tomorrow though.

Reasons to stamp in June

looking for a reason to stamp in June? check out the monthly post on the gingersnap creations blog.
I chose to make a card to celebrate the flower of the month which is the Rose, using the rose flower fairy from Crafters' companion.
This was a reeeeeeaaaaaaallly simple card. I just coloured the fairy with pencils cut her out and stuck her on an offcut of backing paper.... job done!!!!

even more purple......

I'm not very well today, I've completely lost my voice, so I have stayed home and I am crafting my heart out! Hence the reason I have managed 4 blog posts already today and it's not even lunch time!!

I love the purple theme on stampotique and remembered that I had some purple (heather) flower soft, so I decided to use it with Jo's new Grass stamp from Stampotique, available from Happy Daze in the UK.

romantic man's card

It's quite tough to make a card that is both romantic and masculine. I needed to make a card for my husband for our anniversary, I usually go with funny, but I decide to try styilish this year.

This is an obscenely simple card. the background image is stamped with versamark then brushed with perfect pearls. the quote is then stamped with black stazon and highlighted with inkessentials white pen.
The stamps are by scrolls work.
While i was playing with this technique I also made another card, again with Scrolls work stamps, although much more feminine this time.


I am entering the male card (and matching tag) for Tuesday taggers' "it's a man's world" theme.

Wednesday stamper: square

I decided to use this decorative "square" shape (I used a page of an acrylic tag book as a template) for this week's wednesday stamper, using an image fron PaperArtsy. It's still a little early for me to be making christmas cards, but this image just fits a square so well. I wanted to edge the image with starlite silver but my inkpad has dried up so it was sort of grey. needless to say, I've just ordered a re-inker.

purple, purple ,more purple and basic grey!!

I have made this card to fit two stampotique based challenges, first of all the stampotique designers challenge (SDC8) where the theme is Purple, and the going grey challenge (GGSC12) where the theme is to use a sketch with basic grey papers (and the challenge is being sponsored by stampotique). These papers are from the new "green at heart" selection from Basic Grey, which I got from The frantic stamper. The stamp is Girl with heart purse from stampotique available from Happy Daze in the UK.

The sentiment is a rub-on.

I love purple, but usually use it much more sparingly than this, so it was fun to throw all things purple at a card just for once.

crazy amigos beach and sea

The theme at Crazy Amigos is beach and sea so I thought I would play with these shell stamps I recently got from Scrolls work stamps, the quote and wave are also from Scrolls work. The shells are individual stamps and I have grouped them using masking techniques. I have coloured the shells with pencils and the background with distress inks

big yellow flower!!

I found the instructions for making this paper crysanthemum in a paper sculpting book and had to give it a try. It's actually really easy and perfect for using up all of those dodgy scrapbook papers you bought ages ago as it uses a 6"x12" piece of paper. I thought this would look good on a present so attached it to a simple tag, and added a bee. The bee and splatter stamps are from Jo C apper-Sandon's new range from stampotique, available from Happy Daze in the UK.
I have added some torn papers to the tag so am entering it for Sunday Stampers' "torn" theme.

The flower is made from a 6x12 piece of paper, fold in half lengthways, score 1cm from fold line. cut strips down to score line.
roll the whole piece up (I stuck a piece of souble sided tape along the whole length of the scored bit). then use the edge of your scisors to curl all the strips.

Gingersnap challenge : Quotes

This week the challenge at Gingersnap's is "quotes", another opportunity to use this fabulous quote from Scrolls Work Stamps. The tag is part of our forum's collaborative challenge, this tag is for Carol.

All other stamps are by Scrolls Work. and the Image is one of the old collage images from Inka

forever friends: Pink and Green

Make sure you pop over to the Forever friends Challenge as we have a sponsor this week:
Crafts U love are offering a prize to one lucky random participant.
The theme is Pink and Green

Bee Different!!

I was just having a play with Jo's new stamps, from stampotique available at Happy Daze, when I had the urge to put a bee in a party hat.. I really don't know why, but there you go.

so that's where this "bee different" idea came from. I did lot of masking on this card. I used the medium bee (and small bee inside the card), grass and long splatter.

The letters are by Prima and available from the frantic stamper.