'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday 25 February 2013

Since Izzi arrived, I’ve come to realise just how lovely it is when people remember you as a Grandparent – isn’t it amazing what a difference experience makes?

I made a simple card for the newest Grandma on KCUK.

BABY BOY

While I’m here, I have a BLOG CANDY ALERT!

I don’t know how many of you have seen/tried Lindsay Mason’s journalling stamps (Or seen her fab journalling) but you should!

Lindsay is very kindly gifting some BLOG CANDY, as you can see below.  Click the photo to get to her blog.  All you have to do is comment :-)

I don’t think you can ever have enough words/sentiments, do you?

BLOG CANDY LINDSAY

Have a great week!

xxx

Sunday 24 February 2013

I’m starting to list ‘stash’ on Ebay again, so thought I’d give you a quick ‘heads up’ that there are some brand new Timmy stamps available there, along with a few others I found – more to come!

Clicking the image will take you to the latest listings.

REGAL FINDINGS

xxx

Saturday 23 February 2013

Happy Saturday!  Hope you’re all well?

Before I show you my latest ‘makes’ I’ll share what I did with one of the cards in the last post. It was looking way too plain for me, so to brighten it, I cut off the front and attached it to a square white card – I think it looks a whole lot better!  The white card is hammer textured, so it adds a bit more interest and looks better in real life.

SPECIAL

My closest friends all have birthdays in the next few weeks (and a few weeks beyond)  and two of them share the same love of this colour combination with me, so I was able to indulge myself, using pigment inks and clear embossing powder.

GIFT

COLOURS 1

I love this Penny Black Fuchsia stamp and use it over and over in different ways.  Here, it’s used with Tombow felt tips to make a far more subtle card, but staying with the same colour combo.

FUCHSIA 1

Have a great weekend!

xxx

Wednesday 20 February 2013

We’re having a Take Ten (make a card in ten minutes) challenge on KCUK and these were my two entries, both very simple and both made with the same stamp.

The first one is in one of my favourite colour combinations which just happen to be in a Brilliance tricolour inkpad, so we get that lovely pearlescent sheen, too.

SPECIAL

This one is used in reverse – stamped in Versamark, then clear embossed and sponged afterwards, giving a much more subtle effect.  I also used a very different colour scheme (rust and sky blue) and added a few blue ‘jewels’ to the flowers, for interest.

REVERSE CLEAR EMBOSS

This one’s for one of my oldest friends, who is very special to me. We were working out how long we’ve known each other last week and it’s 40 years!  Wow, that makes me feel so old!!! 

The scanned colours aren’t perfectly true – there are lilacs, peaches and oranges in there, along with the yellows. It’s much nicer ‘in the flesh’, though I say it myself ;-)  I was aiming for the faux airbrush effect you get from using a texture sponge.

wend he's made everything

The theme at Crafty Cardmakers this week is Blooming Images, so I’ll enter the top two into that and will have more to enter in the next day or so.

Have a great week!

xxx

Sunday 17 February 2013

What a beautiful day, here in North West England – I hope the sun has shone on you, wherever you are.  Nature’s awakening and there’s a lovely, gentle calm over everything – I love this time of year!

To make it all better, I found my little Samsung camera, so I’m a happy bunny.  It was a poor second best to my SLR but since I’ve well and truly lost that, I’m happy just to have a camera!  Watch out, Izzi – Grandma’s about!

I actually made this last week, using two of my all time favourite inks – Memories Hunter Green and Soft Leaf - but wasn’t completely happy with it, so put it to the side until I made my mind up what to do with it.  Today, I decided I liked it, but I wanted it to go on cream, then I fancied embossed corners and a pretty ribbon... that’s how this card happened.

HEARTFELT

I played with the background on this one and really enjoyed it.  Maybe my inspiration is creeping back a little… almost afraid to say it!  Still couldn’t face stamping an image or cutting out, so I used one from my basket – same with the words. Still, that’s why I have baskets of images – to inspire me!  I think the little girl’s from Lost Coast and the words are from Stamp Camp.  Not sure you can see the faces in the background…

Love the inkiness and I even used Walnut ink on this, too, which is very unusual for me these days.

SPES NOSTRA EST DEUS 

I’ve had the 7 Gypsies tissue paper (music) for years and years (probably around 10 years…?) but haven’t used much, saving it for ‘something special’.  Today, I just decided to tear it up… hey ho!

Have a great week and may the sun shine on you all!  Hope to get to visit more of you this week.

xxx

Sunday 10 February 2013

Couldn’t resist this one, so…

… inspired by both Chrissie’s and Jen’s samples, here’s my offering for this week’s theme, Music. 

It’s also One layer week.

JUST A NOTE

Thanks, ladies.

xxx

Amidst the chaos of reorganisation, I did get to stamp this week, even if it’s only quick and easy stuff and far from my best.  At least I feel as if I’m achieving something!

More Triple stamping, super quick make!

ts3

I’d already made this ‘front’ on glossy, using simple resist and Adirondack inks, so I just added a bit of Bug embossing because I needed a card, quickly!

taketime

A bit of Kraft card and white stamping – actually inspired by LAST week’s LIM – hey ho!  I did stamp the white text first but Brilliance inks resist…

HOLLYHOCK SMILES

And finally (for now – I have done more…)  a little of my favourite type of floral stamping, using Victorian Velvet and a couple of other Distress inks.

LIM GONE WRONG

Have a great week!

xxx

Saturday 2 February 2013

Another sample, this time using a Hero Arts Collage stamp, which I stamped and clear embossed, then added some of my favourite Distress inks.

TRIPLE STAMPING 2

I based this on Instructions here!

Have a great weekend!

xxx