Less is More - 3 shades of green

My plan for today was to make a quick card for this week's Less is More challenge, which is '3 shades of green'... for some reason my first card wasn't playing nicely and took me hours to finish, so I made a couple of quick ones after that - just so I didn't feel like I'd completely wasted the day!

For my first card I inked up a piece of ivory linen card, using 'scattered straw' and 'shabby shutters' distress inks, and 'bamboo' memento ink, then flicked drops of water on it from a paintbrush.  The motorbike and sentiment are Stampin' Up and were both stamped in 'bamboo' memento.  The scalloped border was cut with an MFT die and I added some scraps of card, a button and twine from my stash.

For my second card I've used one of my favourite techniques, it's so quick and easy and always looks different - even when you use the same stamps and ink.  I just inked up a Hero Arts stamp with 'new sprout' memento, then dabbed on 'shabby shutters' distress ink and a touch of 'bamboo' memento, sprayed the stamp with water and then stamped a few times on the card blank.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up and was stamped in 'bamboo' memento.

And then I made a similar card, using 'iced spruce' and 'evergreen bough' distress inks, spraying with water again.  I matted the Stampin' Up sentiment onto a slightly paler shade of aqua/ green.  I'm not sure if this one really turned out quite green enough!

Apologies if any of my post is nonsense... a couple of glasses of wine may have been consumed this evening and I might be ever so slightly tipsy... just a teeny bit of course!

PS. I haven't forgotten that it's Wednesday - I left the Waste Not Wednesdays link open for 2wks this time, as I knew it'd be a bit chaotic over the school hols - so if you'd like to play along this week please see this post :o)

New Magnolia stamps...

I've finally finished my first card using one of the super cute new Magnolia stamps from the spring kit... surprisingly for me, I used the only Edwin stamp first - I think he's fab :o)  It's the first time I've had one of the Magnolia club sets (hubby bought them for me) and I can see me 'needing' each set now lol.

I've coloured Edwin and his starfish with promarkers and flexmarkers.  The papers are digi ones from Pink Petticoat, printed onto linen card and they've all had the inky distressing treatment, the red textured cardstock is from Papermill Direct.  The sentiment is also Pink Petticoat.  The raffia, gingham ribbon and buttons are from my stash, as are the little shell beads - I've had these so long (never used) I can't even remember buying them!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Simply Magnolia - sketch
• Just Magnolia - anything goes (2nd entry, hope that's ok!)
• Pile It On - all about 's' (shells, sand, summer, starfish, spots...)

Hope you've all had a fab Easter weekend!  We've done lots of family visiting and eaten far too much, my clothes are feeling worryingly tight and I really must start doing some exercise!  I'm probably very behind with commenting again - if I don't manage to visit you tonight, I'll have a proper catch up session tomorrow :o)

New images from DigiStamp Boutique - Funtime Rosie!

It's not often I post 2 cards in one day at the moment, but I had some colouring time today and had a play with one of the gorgeous new images from DigiStamp Boutique....

This cute girlie is from the Funtime Rosie set which is one of the 'offer of the month' sets for April - isn't she fab?!  I've coloured her with promarkers and flexmarkers.  The papers are digi ones from Raspberry Rd (pink) and Pink Petticoat (stripe), pink cardstock is core'dinations.  Flowers were cut with x-cut punches, the button, pearls and ribbons were from my stash - the narrow pink one was cut out of some clothes, probably pyjamas, it all comes in handy eventually eh?!  The sentiment is from a CC Designs set.

I'm entering my card for the bingo challenge at Allsorts - I've used 'pink, stripes and pearls'.

Well, I probably won't get chance to post anything tomorrow, so I hope you all have a lovely Easter - don't eat too much chocolate!... I probably will though ;o)

Sweet Stampin' - dies and doodles

This week at Sweet Stampin' our challenge is 'dies & doodles', and we're sponsored by My Mum's Craft Shop who have a £10 voucher for one lucky winner, and our monthly sponsor is Joanna Sheen who is also providing a £10 voucher prize.

Now before you get a proper look at my card, can I just say - I do not doodle!  I did consider having a teeny tiny bit of doodling that you could hardly see, but decided to be brave and just go for it... so please excuse my amateurish attempts!

I've used the lovely 'sweet princess Tilda', and I've coloured her with promarkers and flexmarkers, with a bit of glamour dust for some sparkle.  I'm not sure what make the pink paper is, I found it in my stash.  The leafy swirl is the Cheery Lynn 'fanciful flourish' die, with some pearls from my stash, and the sentiment was made using PC generated lettering that I cut up and then inked around the edges.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• CES Challenges - swirls & pearls
• Just Magnolia - anything goes
• Papertake Weekly - anything goes

Sorry I've been a bit rubbish at keeping up with comments this week - it's hard to find time for crafting and blogging during the school holidays!  Hoping to have a bit of a catch up today, and I also need to find time for a colouring session because my Magnolia spring club stamps arrived - eek, so cute!!!  Hope you all have a lovely day :o)

Waste Not Wednesdays wk14

We're onto week 14 of my Waste Not Wednesdays challenge, where all my (and your) forgotten and neglected stash gets dusted off and used.  Before I show you my card for this week, I did say I'd have a little prize for a random winner and the lucky one is....

Number 6 - Alyce

Congrats Alyce - your prize is a Sugar Nellie 'simply sassy' stamp and a little embellishment selection, which I've just realised I forgot to take a photo of!  Please email me with your address hun :o)  I will usually keep the challenge as a 'just for fun' one, but I've decided to keep the link open for 2 weeks this time to make it a bit easier over the Easter hols, so I'll have another little prize again.

Here's my card for this week...

I've used a Mo Manning digi that I've had for a long time and never used - I do that with Mo images... I've got loads of them, but I get a bit nervous of colouring them so I have a lot of unused ones.  I've coloured the image with promarkers, flexmarkers and prisma pencils, the papers are K&Co from an older pad, and I've inked around all the edges with tattered rose and worn lipstick distress inks.  The sentiment is Pink Petticoat, cut out with an MFT die.  The leafy swirls were made using Cheery Lynn fanciful flourish die cuts (cut into pieces), flowers from Wild Orchid, ribbon, pearls and gems from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Papertake Weekly - anything goes
• Simon Says Stamp - use your favourite tool (probably my Big Shot, use it on most cards)
• Crafts and Me - butterflies & bows
• Divas by Design - anything goes
• Totally Gorjuss - swirly whirly

I wasn't impressed to see snow this morning!  It carried on for quite a while too, but then it rained (hurrah!) and washed it all away :o)  Morgan was thrilled to see snow, until I pointed out that we're meant to be taking his 'girlfriend' to the cinema tomorrow and that wouldn't happen if the snow settled!  So fingers crossed we won't get any more now.  Hope you've all had a good day and that it's been a bit warmer where you are!

Less is More wk61 - picture inspiration

Oh you can imagine my joy when I saw the latest Less is More challenge was a photo inspiration one... sob!  I know lots of you probably see an inspiration pic and run off with all sorts of ideas, but they just don't work for me... I see the colours and that's about it!

I'm not very happy with my card (surprise, surprise!), it doesn't look at all like the idea that was in my head.  I used my new Cheery Lynn fanciful flourish die, a little x cut flower punch, Kars butterfly punches, and some scraps of Raspberry Rd paper and core'dinations card.  The pearls are from my stash and the sentiment is Penny Black, stamped in 'London Fog' memento ink.

I'm feeling a bit frazzled today... the boys have been squabbling all day and they're SO noisy!  They're now sat giggling over a book together, which is an improvement on the squabbling but still very noisy lol.  Oh well, they'll be in bed soon and I can have some peace.... Hope you're all surviving the school holiday, will be round to catch up on some commenting later :o)

DigiStamp Boutique Easter chick

Well the boys are now off school for the Easter holidays, so I'll probably be a bit quieter over the next couple of weeks.  They've been very good today though, so I managed a bit of time in the craft room and made a little Easter card.

I've used one of the cute images from the Easter Collection 2 set from DigiStamp Boutique, coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers.  The papers are scraps of Papermania, Kraft cardstock is Stampin' Up.  I inked all the edges with 'cantaloupe' memento ink, then decided it would suit some stitching, so I've hand stitched everything with orange thread.  The flowers were cut with an MFT die and the buttons are from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Cupcake Craft - sewing box
• Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
• Fab n Funky - Easter
• Cute Card Thursday - Happy Easter
• Charisma Cardz - Easter
• Delightful Challenges - Easter
• PaperPlay Challenges - Easter
• DYSU - sew it
• Totally Papercrafts - Easter
• Paper Sundaes - Happy Easter

Isn't it typical that we had the nice weather last week and now it's all cold and dull for the school hols?!  I've just put the heating on, my feet are freezing even with my slippers on - not like me at all!  Yesterday we went and bought some shorts and sandals for the boys, so it's probably my fault it's turned cold lol.  Hope it's warmer where you are, have a lovely evening :o)