INKY FINGERS

I love black and white and wanted to make an Oriental Card, so thought I’d make it in Black and White.  Sorry about the photo – it’s not very bright here today.

This one’s just ‘cos I can' – thought I’d make a card like everyone else does :)  It’s for a friend’s birthday, but she’s away now, so she won’t see it before it arrives.

I’m using one of my wet Tissue Backgrounds here – just added a little more ink and some background stamping.  Didn’t those colours turn out fab?

It’s not difficult for me to think about birds – I absolutely love them and especially at this time of year, when they sing so sweetly (and loudly) and all the summer visitors arrive – in fact, I stayed awake for the Dawn Chorus in my garden last year (3.40am) and intend to do it again this year – what a treat it was!!  My son calls me ‘Bird Woman of Rainhill (where I live)’ because I buy so much birdfood and really spoil them.  We always have birds in our tiny garden (unless the Sparrowhawk’s laying in wait or has just visited) and I appreciate being able to contribute a little to them when they give so much pleasure to us. 

Anyway, enough waffling, here’s my Birdie entry.  This is for both Sunday Stamper’s Free as a Bird Challenge (get yours in while you can) and because I noticed it last night, for Crazy Amigo, which is birds.  (I’ll probably do another Sunday Stamper one, just to stay within the rules.  I don’t really like combining challenges – feels like cheating…)

This one’s especially for Hels, at Sunday Stamper – lots of detail on that background layer if you click to enlarge it :)

This one’s just because – I sprayed a piece of card with Glimmer Mists and it was perfect for sky.  I had every intention of doing more on it but decided that the simplicity suited the bird image better.  I tend to forget about this bird because it was one of my own stamps but I really, really love it :) I’m entering this one into the Simon Says Challenge – Things with Wings.

Words on both of these are from Stamp Camp who I’m hoping will be at Port Sunlight next weekend – I think that’s when it is – woohoo!!  Can’t wait!  If you live anywhere in the North West, it really is worth travelling to.  It’s still mainly a Stamping show and hasn’t been taken over by papers, stickers and stuff, so it’s well worth a visit, but tickets only…

After getting drenched earlier this afternoon, while out birdwatching, I spent a couple of hours colouring this image, while I was drying out.  I’ll paint some glitter onto the Moon when I go downstairs.  Hard to get true colours with the scanner, but the bits of sky which look white are actually primrose coloured.  There’s a lot of lavender and pale grey in that sky :)

Close up, as promised.  Only problem with close ups is they show all your mistakes…

Here’s another image I’ve been playing with, too – really enjoy this colouring for a change, though I really struggle with the fine lines, must be honest… old age, methinks, he, he :)

Haven’t made a card with her yet but I will :)

While my computer was down, I thought I'd try some stamping - whatever I did turned out wrong and was a disaster..  Ever have one of those days?  NOT funny!  Anyway, thought I'd better get my corset swap done, since I organised the swap and I'm the LAST to get mine to my partner - what's new, lol?


I really struggled with it and in the end found I couldn't do one with stamping on it, so I had to put it on a card - it's for KCUK, which is a Stamping Group.  I stamped on the lace background but it didn't show up too clearly over the paint (previous post) and I had to stamp it THREE times before I managed to get it straight - that's how bad I was!!  Then, I managed to get some black ink on the edges of my Ooh La La stamp, but at this point, I was losing the will to live, so it stayed as it was :)  I did swipe Black Stazon over the Eiffel Tower charm, but it's obviously come off... really wasn't my day and I had all that time to play.  Could have done loads if things had gone right.

Oh, I forgot to mention that during this disastrous time, I managed to break my Crop-a-dile AND my favourite old, black heat tool packed in - I was near to tears by this point AND in pain.  Good job I can laugh :)   Anyway, here's the finished card, which Dot has now received.   

Here's a close up, showing the vellum more clearly.  I DID stamp on it, but with Pink Sherbet (Adirondack) ink, so it's very, very subtle.

Been making a swap for a friend and pulled out some card I made a while ago, thanks to some inspiration from a friend, Freyja, who some of you will know, who sent me some samples which I really liked :)

I thought I'd show you and tell you how it's made because it does look good and it's SO easy.

These are A5 size, so could be folded to make a card or cut up to use as backgrounds.  It doesn't stamp very well - though it does stamp - but it certainly looks rich and elegant.

Theme Thursday’s challenge is Red and Black.  (Photo, so don’t think you’re cracking up cos it doesn’t look absolutely straight on one side, lol)

No time to do much, so mainly black and white because I’m having withdrawal symptoms, lol.  One ATC with triangles and one Wild Animal card.

Just managed to make a super quick card with some bits I found)  – only needed to add a little more ink and a couple of stamps and it was done.  Not sure the colour of the Word background goes now I see it again but I thought it was a change.    Made that a few years ago at a class with Sandra McCall in California – it was a great class :)  Must get out her DVD and watch it again…

I’m at the tail end of a major craft room TIDY– yuk – will I EVER let it get so bad again????  Probably!  Still have card pieces to file and lots of unmounted stamps to put back on their laminates or in their bags and then I’ll probably be scared to mess it up again! 

Only joking – I have a pile of half completed stuff I’ve found and LOTS of backgrounds and images, but I also found some things I’d forgotten about and want to try out…

Just a quickie today because I needed to let someone know I am thinking about her.

I saw a great example of some Faux Metal on Willy’s Blog (if you haven’t seen it, you really should have a peek – it’s well worth bookmarking) and just had to have a go last night. 
Addendum here: Paula says that you can do the same techniques on silver foil, stuck to card, so that may well be much cheaper and isn't that what we all want, lol???

 

Today is the birthday of my very special friend, Lynne – Happy Birthday, Lynne!
Here’s what I spent the morning making – yep, I know – last minute Katy, as ever.  Enjoyed making it but it’s a while since I’ve done anything like this in such a short time and if you could only see the aftermath – stuff all over my stamping room and all over the kitchen table and the worktops…. lots of tidying up to do now that it’s been delivered.
I taught this at a workshop just before I closed the business but I haven’t ever done it since, so thought I’d give it a rehash.
This is how it started – making the pages from white card, with Colorbox pigment inks – and a bit of Adirondack Twilight Pigment – and stamps.  Oops, the white is Adirondack Snow Cap Dabber, stamped, but it's not meant to be clear, so that isn't a mistake.  I like the fact that it gives the illusion of words, a bit of texture and a total contrast - this is an element I use often over inky backgrounds.
As ever, click to enlarge if you want a closer look :)

 

This one’s Versamagic inks – my ‘feel good’ colours and my favourite type of background :)  Colours aren’t absolutely true because it was getting late when I photographed it….

and a very simple birdie card, but I love this image :)

Suddenly discovered I didn’t have that extra week I thought I had to complete a mega (17 pages) application form, so I’ve spent the last two days filling it in, copying certificates and making phone calls to my referees.  Yep, spent approx 13 hours on them, all told – it was really important to me!  At 4.45 this afternoon, it went in the mail, Special Delivery and so to celebrate, I thought I’d finish a card I was in the middle of last week AND use an image sent to me by the lovely Dot.  Not my usual thing, so I thought I’d enter it into the Crafty Cardmakers’ Challenge, which is to do something you’ve been meaning to do for ages, using stash you’ve had hanging around but never done anything with - and the Sir Stampalot Challenge, which is FANTASY.  So, I used this SUPER CUTE fairy image (not used one of those for about 11 years, lol – pretty yes, cute no), dragged out a book of patterned papers (had this for about 10 years and never used any of them cos I rarely ‘do’ papers), got the Copics and Promarkers out and made this card :)