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

Saturday 23 June 2018

Today is a good crafting day Smile

I live on the main road, not too far from a large Tesco, Aldi and Iceland, not to mention pretty close to an M6 junction and to the A580, so the roads are always MAD busy here. Not to mention that there’s a primary school behind my house and another one across the road, plu a busy Nursery directly across from me. My craft room is at the front of the house, so I have learned virtually to tell the time by the sound of traffic. I love being in there on Sundays and Bank Holidays because the roads go really quiet when the supermarkets close… it’s great! 

Today, it suddenly went quiet just after 2pm. I wondered what was happening and suddenly remembered the football. Sure enough, the football was live at that moment. The roads are almost empty! If I hadn’t already been shopping, it would’ve been a great time to nip over the road for some Smile

The challenge for this week at Allsorts is Sweet Treats. My first reaction was ‘eek!’ – I don’t have any ‘sweet’ stamps… so I hunted around and surprise, surprise – I actually DO have some ‘sweet’ stamps! I just don’t use them very often – or in some cases have never used them, shame on me Sad smile

So I thought I’d have a change and go seriously cute and sweet… even using a deckle card, which is rare these days.

SWEET TREAT 1

…just realised I forgot to add the glitter to the butter cream!  I’ll so that later.  I coloured these very sweet House Mice with Prisma Pencils. Although they look very sweet here, I wouldn’t be very happy if I found them lurking in my kitchen!

Sweet Stampers have an ‘Animals’ challenge, so I’d like to link that, and Sweet Stamping have a ‘Food and Drink’ challenge, so I’ll link to that, too.

I was playing around with some new stamps and trying to do a CAS design, but I wasn’t over happy with my results…

SILENT WOODS CAS

Then I really messed up on one by adding a few bits of painted Distress Oxide – it just didn’t work. SO, with nothing to lose, I started dipping into Oxides smooshed onto my craft mat and spritzed with water. Then I added a little stencilling with Moonlight White and finally, a few spatters with white paint.  I have to admit, I really like the end result.

I’d like to enter this into the Word Art Wednesday Challenge.

SILENT WOODS 2 OUTSIDE

I liked the inks over the white embossing, so I did a little resist with them, stencilling over the Oxides with Moonlight White. I was also challenging myself to use more die cuts; I used five on this Smile

This is for the Make My Monday Resist embossing Challenge.

SILENT WOODS 1

The previous day I found one of my old ‘Faux Batik’ backgrounds, with a stamp I used to use a lot, so – knowing there was a Faux Batik Challenge at Art Cards Challenge,  I started playing with it, adding inks and experimenting to see if the Oxides would cover the FB image or not. They did, but I used a baby wipe to wipe them off, so you can just about see the (reverse) image in the background on the right hand side. I discovered that if you use another piece of card instead of (or as well as) newsprint or Kitchen roll when you iron off the EP, you get a lovely reverse Faux Batik effect.  You can, of course, take this a little further and create another resisting image, but I hadn’t done this on the piece I found, so I just overstamped it.

FAUX BATIK

With the SSS Wednesday challenge of ‘Bright and Cheerful’ in mind, I made this next card, which was so much fun to make… the astute among you will notice that the words and stamps do NOT belong to the same plate…oops! I may just have ordered two sets…

BRIGHT HOPPY SKIPPY OUTSIDE

I’d like to enter this into

Simply Papercraft Anything Goes challenge

A Perfect Time to Craft – Anything Goes

Back to Basics – Heat Embossing

and

Daring Cardmakers – What a Wonderful World

I’d also like to thank Brenda for sharing the ‘fix’ for receiving Blogger comments again!  Yay Brenda! Many thanks – I really missed being able to reply to the lovely comments people make.

That’s it for now.

Back soon

Thanks for looking

Cath

xxx

31 very kind comments from lovely people:

Kuni said...

Your card ist wonderful, i love the cute image.
Thank you for joining us at the Sweet Stampers challenge and i hope to see you again.
Hugs
Kuni

Basslady said...

what a fantastic selection of cards!

thank you so much for playing along with us at make my Monday challenge!

hugs and kisses from germany,
Silvi xoxo

brenda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
brenda said...

Well Cath, if your roads went quiet today because of footie, then about 1pm tomorrow it will be like a ghost town as that's when England play Panama in their second group stage game........yes, I am a sad female footie freak!

But how nice it must be to live so close to 'proper' shops, the closest we come is the village shops after a two mile drive down our single track road, contrasts eh.

Anyway, back to your artwork and what a superb display, I know I don't have to choose a fav but I do so love the inky Art one and reading what you did on this one, have you tried sticking a page of an old book onto the wet ink and a splodge of dries clear glue, giving it a rub and peeling off, it leaves just a feint and random hint of reverse print. Messy but fun.

Half time is nearly over so back to the footie, at the moment it looks like Switzerland just might do one on Germany!

B x

brenda said...

Sweden even, watched so much today, Switzerland were this afternoon, sad or what.

B x

cuilliesocks said...

What an amazing selection of cards, all beautifully designed and coloured, so many varied styles,thanks for joining the challenge at BBB, and good luck, Kate x x

Sue said...

Wow Cath, you've been busy! I love your cards, beautiful colours and your sheep are such fun. It's amazing how the world stops for football isn't it - I just slope away and no-one notices lol. Have a great weekend, Sue xx

Meggymay said...

Its a fabulous selection of card Cath, the one with the sheep made me smile, they are fun stamps.
Yvonne xx

Craftyfield said...

My you've been productive... I don't normally do cute or sweet things either but it has its place and your mice look incredibly cute and well coloured! Lovely batik effect card as well and aren't these sheep fun!

Angelnorth said...

Lots of lovely projects! Your hoppy, skippy, dancing sheep are adorable! Thanks for joining us this week at Daring Cardmakers!

Gibby Frogett said...

Adorable House Mouse card, I don't like sickly sweet images but these aren't that - and I confess I have a few sets.
You have coloured them beautifully.
All your cards are gorgeous and I was really impressed with your CAS card and what you did with the inks and stencilling. And that was such a nice stamp and wonderful quote.
Assuming theres more football today and it'll be quiet - hope you get some good ceative time :)
Gill x

Chris said...

Cute image, great colouring and a lovely design, a perfect entry for our challenge at Sweet Stampin' this week, thanks for playing along.
Chris
x

froebelsternchen said...

Oh wow Cath - what a fantastic selection of cards!
oxo Susi

Hazel (Didos) said...

WOW these are all briliant, I cant decide on a favourite!!! Thanks for shairing with us on Back to Basics and Beyond this fortnight hope you join in again soon, Hazelxx

Sandma's Handmade Cards said...

It’s always a pleasure visiting your blog as you always have lots of lovely cards for us to look at. It’s funny that I have quite a few cupcake stamps that have never been used as I tend not to be very inspired by them, even though I really liked them when I bought them. I love your first card and the colouring is just perfect. I have to say that I really like the CAS look of Your second card but then it just gets better and better. The next two are just so colourful and would brighten up any day. I, like you, love my peace and quiet whenever I can find it. At other times, I find that music brings me the peace that I need. Wishing you a happy and colourful week x

Annettes Hobby Rosettes said...

Oh I just love your mouse image and you have coloured so beautifully too. Lovely work. Thank you for sharing with us over here at "A Perfect Time To Craft" and best of luck with your entry.

Annette DT for http://aperfecttimetocraft.blogspot.com.au/

 

Priya said...

What a pretty card for our challenge at Make my Monday. Love the other cards too.
Thank you for playing with us this time.
Priya-DT

Neet said...

Teach me to use the pencils like you do - love your House Mouse card - the colouring is fantastic!
I like the Kraft card with the bird on before you put any colour on it, it was fine but must admit the colour is lovely.
As usual a wonderful set of cards.
Hugs, Neet xx
ps will be easy to find you now that I can put all those shops in the sat nav 'tee hee!' xx

Kathy said...

I love your cards! Thanks so much for joining in with The Daring Cardmakers and sharing your "What a Wonderful World" song inspired card this week! I loved reading about your crafting adventure yesterday - you definitely won through with all these lovely cards.
I live on a very quiet road, if more than a couple of vehicles went by at the same time I'd wonder what was going on!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm SO impressed with all the cards you made. I couldn't understand what you didn't like about the bird card. I thought it was great. However, I also liked the reworked one, too. You make fabulous cards.

Ginny Maxam said...


These are are all gorgeous! Fun post to read too! Thank you for joining In the Word Art Wednesday fun! Ginny M DT

Mindy Baxter said...

These cards are just lovely. I love the doodled animals. Thank you for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

♥ Mindy

Anjas-Artefaktotum said...

WOW what a lot of wonderful creations. My favorit is the first House Mice card, soooo sweet!
xox Anja

Tracy said...

Gorgeous and scrumptious creation, thanks for joining Allsorts challenge, good luck.
Happy crafting
Tracy x

seelenvoll kreativ said...

Deine Karte ist soooo niedlich... Vielen Dank für die Teilnahme bei der Sweet Stampers Challenge. LG Karina

susiestacey said...

Lovely collection of cards, the house mouse one is so sweet but like you don't want them in my house.
Thank you for sharing at Allsorts Sweet Treats' challenge this week and good luck x Susan x

pearshapedcrafting said...

I'm going in reverse as I really love those zinski sheep! They are on my list....natch!!! I love the art card and the birds and that great quote! I love house mouse and do own a few- This is a sweet card indeed! Hugs,Chrisx

Dagmar said...

What a fantastic selection af Art.
Thanks for sharing your Work at the https://artekarten.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/buegel-embossing-technik-juni-2018/#comment-2272.

Dawn said...

Such a fun card. Thanks for joining in at Daring Cardmakers. xxx

Sammy said...

Such a great selection of cards. The card you entered for our challenge is super adorable, and I LOVE the second one. It looks like the bird is flying across a stormy sea. just beautiful! Thank you for joining us at Sweet Stampin' this week. Sammy-x

Mrs.B said...

As you might realise I'm on a catch up before the weather hots up. I've totally abandoned the craft room for the garden at the moment, although I'm beginning to feel the need to get inky after seeing your fabulous cards. Love the sheep, so quirky, and I've got a couple of HM stamps lurking somewhere and yes they all feature food and drink.
Avril xx