Simon Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
7 hours ago
Thursday, 27 August 2020
Birds, Botanicals and Butterflies
13 very kind comments from lovely people at Thursday, August 27, 2020Hello, Strangers! I do hope you are well and wonderfully surviving in the Covid crisis. Life has definitely changed for most of us - and drastically for some. But change isn't always all bad.
I know, I've been a BAD blogger... sorry. I've had/still have keyboard issues, but that's not why I haven't blogged - I've been busy with one thing and another, including making a lot of mess all over my house. I also went 'off' cards for a while, so when I was able have been making other things, which I've really enjoyed 😁 But, please accept my apologies for not visiting you over the last few weeks. This laptop is the one I use in the evenings, but because I've had to relocate my external keyboard (repair that needs 'fixing' when my son escapes quarantine, following his return from Spain) and this one hasn't been working, it's been difficult. I tend to use the other one for streaming while I'm in my craft room, where I spend most of my day, even if I'm not crafting!
But I'm here now because my main laptop keyboard decided to work and I know I need to clear some of the artwork in my folder, so I just thought I'd check out the challenges. In the meantime, I've been moved over to the new Blogger - yuk! That shows how long it is since I was here 😟
Firstly, a butterfly from Aall and Create, on a smooshed background... I do like this stamp.
My 'botanical' for SSS Mondays is Penny Black flowers, clear embossed then coloured with Prismas, on a simple sponged background, featuring one of my favourite 'go to' text stamps and a lot of dots 😊
Then the Birds... just a mess about with the owls and a try out of a stamp of some words I already had - you can see the others in the background. The background is some dotty leaves from another set. It's another sponged background.
And this one was a 'Just for fun' card I made...I'll put photo and scan side by side and you'll just have to imagine it's in between the two! We've had so much dull weather lately, making photo taking much more difficult.
I'm linking to...
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, Botanical(s)
Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday, Anything beginning with a 'B'
Inspire, Create Challenges, Garden
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes
Everybody Art Challenge, Anything Goes
Penny Black and More, Say it with Flowers
Thank you for calling in today...
I'll be back very soon
Stay well and safe!
Cath
xxx
Thursday, 30 July 2020
Good morning!
I'm making a lot of tall, slimmer cards at the moment, and really enjoying the format. It helps that there are more tall, slim stamps available 😁 and just tall stamps in general. I'll have to make a tall, slim journal, I think...
I love these Studio Light images, so easy to use and so much fun to make. This is another of those that the scanner doesn't pick up colour on. It seems to struggle to differentiate between blue/turquoise/green and it can be VERY frustrating...😖 I made these a little wider, just to give more room to add background images and a bit of doodling. I've been playing a lot with blues and greens, such refreshing colours.
This one's an old Paperartsy stamp I often pull out to play with.
And, for a change, some flowers on another of my Ecoline backgrounds... I did add lots of Prisma and other bits of colour, though and more b/g stamping.
Linking to
Penny Black & More, In the Garden
Stamping Sensations, All Creatures Great and Small
Creative Craft Cottage Challenges, Add Flowers
Thanks for calling in
As ever, Stay safe!
Back soon
Cath
xxx
Monday, 27 July 2020
Good evening 😀
How are you? I hope all is well where you are, despite all the sad news we're bombarded with.
I'm back again... I'm just going to plough through some of the stuff I've been making over the last few weeks or so.
We had a music mingle on KCUK, and this was the card I was thinking of using. I had intended doing a concertina type arched booklet, but got to wondering if this would work as a folded card - and it did - but thinner dies don't cut through thicker card well, so it isn't something I'll be doing often. I sent it as a birthday card.
This was for the last mingle in June, which was 'I'll drink to that' - or similar. It's a variation of another I made, which was very socially distanced...this one has the cake, so it's a bit more interesting if you like cake - which I'm not keen on 😉
I made this one yesterday. I'd already made the background, with my VI stencil and thought it would go perfectly with the Katzelcraft 'Zoisos'. She looks as if she's well and truly 'gobsmacked' as we would say... as if life's been absolutely crazy...sound familiar?
I'm ashamed to say I've had those words for over 15 years and never used them once 😞
In my defence, I just didn't seem to have the right images and although I even bought a (cheap) roller coaster die to go with them, I didn't really like it... but I LOVE the words! I loved most of the Inkadinkado 'children's' words but this one made me giggle. They're not easy to cut up because of the way they're written, so I decided to use artistic licence and just go with it.
This one I made just for fun... and, again, I love the words 😊
And this is the Music Mingle I did use... sorry I have to post a few photos to show it as it is...
I can't remember what the folded card is called... I saw one on a friend's blog - though hers was better, with a little concertina on it - then just happened across a video and thought I'd try it out. So that's why I used it for the mingle. This is the front.
This is how it looks half folded...
...and lying flat.
It wasn't easy to get the colours accurate, so the top two are photos. The scan dulls the colours, which is a shame. It was fun to make, though looking at it I'm annoyed I didn't plan it better before jumping in ...It was my prototype really, and I already have ideas for next time 😊
Linking to
Dragonfly Dreams, No Patterned Paper
Alphabet Challenge, H for Hungry - food (cake)
Mix it Up, ATG, Optional Technique (lots of stencilling)
Stamping Sensations, All Creatures Great and Small
Country View Challenges, Do More of What Makes You Happy
(In my case, that's playing around with colour 😁)
Thanks for calling in
Stay Safe!
Back soon
Cath
xxx
Sunday, 19 July 2020
Can't believe it's been so long...
15 very kind comments from lovely people at Sunday, July 19, 2020
My goodness! When I looked at how long it is since I last blogged, I was horrified. It's not as if I'm not being creative - I am - but I just haven't blogged. I've had some days where I wasn't able to but for now, I can and so I will share a few bits I've been making.
Unusually, I haven't used flowers for a while, until this morning... when I used a very simple design for this Sympathy card. They're never a joy to make and always a challenge because I like to keep them very CAS.
I seem to have an awful lot of WIPs hanging around, so I'll probably end up completing a large number all on the same day or two. I've been painting and background creating, which is always lots of fun.
I made this for my (7 year old) granddaughter - if she ever gets it 😊
I had so much fun making the background and trying to create a magical effect with interference acrylic paints and inks, with touches of sparkle.
Always difficult to capture on camera, though...
Neet shamed me (by showing a pic of some images she was working on) into getting out these stampsI had had for a ridiculously long time but never used... do I used one of my super duper long (approx 9") tag dies and created a background for these two I had coloured in readiness.
and this one I also decided I MUST use.
I love these girls, but their eyes are so SAD! I actually altered her lips and eyes slightly on the one above, which added a little life, but I really felt their sad expressions getting to me and it's put me off them.
So I thought I'd finish with a little bit of whimsy. Someone called these girls cute - I don't think they are. They're plain weird, with their flower eyes...in fact, they remind me of the Borg (old Star Trek fan) and that's probably what drew me to them! But they are cute in some ways, I know...I think it's the accompanying words I love, and the fact that they go so well with the images, although I know they could go with anything. I love this background. These are definitely 'feel good' colours for me.
I have lots more to show you but I think this is enough for now. I need to get my baby brother's birthday card finished and in the post today...he's in NZ, so it has a long way to go!
Linking to...
Sweet Stampin, CAS
Inkspirational Challenges, Painting or Colouring
Not Just Cards, Anything Goes
Colour Crazy Challenges, Anything Goes
Stay safe everyone!
Back soon
Cath
xxx
Tuesday, 30 June 2020
Hello 😀
Just catching up with some of my recent playtimes. I've been having fun and when I'm feeling creative it makes me reticent to 'break the spell' in order to blog...how sad is that?
Still using up some of my recent Ecoline backgrounds - in fact, I made these before I made the book I posted last week. They're just very simple, plain but colourful backgrounds, featuring those gorgeous Janet Klein images. I love these words and the images make me smile when I'm using them.
This is an Oxide background. It looks almost hazy compared to the one above but it isn't in real life.
This one was just a quick playtime with the stamp, which I love. Again, it's a simple Oxide background.
This is one of those cards we all dislike making, but it just has to be done. This one was for the sister of an ex-colleague.
And this one I've just finished. It's mainly acrylic paints, but with some Oxides thrown in for good measure 😉 It's another A5 length card, so quite tall, but this time a little wider. I've used a couple of stencils, too, then coloured the flowers with watercolour pencils. I don't use gold paint often these days but I love the effect when I do. I used it both for stencilling and for stamping.
Linking to
Crafty Cardmakers, Create your own Background
Make My Monday, Use Stencils
Allsorts, So cute
Sweet Stamping, Create your own background
Alphabet Challenge, F is for Flora or Fauna
Sisterhood of Crafters, Stencils
Tuesday Throwdown, Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes
Thank you for calling in today
As ever, stay safe!
Back soon
Cath
xxx
Saturday, 20 June 2020
A Little Bit of Brightly Coloured Whimsy
16 very kind comments from lovely people at Saturday, June 20, 2020
Hello!
I've been meaning to blog this all week, but I just got busy - playing! No excuse other than being so wrapped up in what I've been doing 😉 while listening to videos and music.
I hope you're all surviving and looking forward to more freedom - if you don't already have it. 'Normality' still feels a long way off but I think I'm going to have to get used to it again soon.
When I was using up my Ecolines - I still have lots left - I made several backgrounds and really loved some of the more colourful ones. This was one of them. Sorry the light is mixed, but this photo was taken in full sunshine. On the other hand, you can see how the sunlight brings out the best in these gorgeous colours. Look at the contrast where the sun catches it. Wow! It just looks magical.
As you can see, I did a little bit of basic background stamping on this bit of card before using it.
I decided it couldn't be for anything other than whimsy and quirky and so I pulled out my little stash of Janet Klein images and words. I love these but I think it's the words I love most. I added very little to the background because a) it's so busy with colour and b) I didn't want to cover it too much!
So I folded it in half, then folded it back on itself, stamped and coloured.
These are the unfolded pages. Although I stamped them directly on the pages, I also stamped, coloured (watercolouring and Prisma pencils) and fussy cut images to cover over the top.
I did attempt stamping the words directly, but I should've realised they just wouldn't show clearly enough. So I stamped on white card and cut them out, which gave me a little more leeway and is my preferred style anyway.
Here are the individual pages.
And this is the cover page
Instead of making a front and back cover, as I normally would, I used an offcut folded card to make the book. I wish I'd made front and back covers because it won't open up flat but - to be absolutely honest - I didn't want to have to stamp/decorate the back... 😳... shame on me!
Because of the way I'd made it, there wasn't much room to add a greeting to the person I sent it to (she already has it 😉) so... remembering something I'd seen on Dar's Blog, one of our KCUK members, I opted for hiding a tag behind them. It was a bit late to do it well because I'd already attached the pages, but I found a die cut of a gusseted tag holder, so I managed to fix that to the back of one of the pages and inserted a little tag that I could write on. You can see its ribbon popping out above the second page.
Here's the book as it looked when completed.
As you can see, I added lots of white on this, doodling and stencilling, just to brighten it up a little and to add more interest.
The recipient liked it, so I'm happy, and it was fun to make 😊
Linking to
Creative Fingers, ATG
As You Like it, Digital or Rubber and Why?
I definitely prefer rubber because they are FAR more versatile and give you lots more options with techniques, placement and double stamping - to avoid cutting out the fiddly bits.
Everybody Art Challenge, Favourite stamps... I have too many loved stamps to have a favourite but right now, these JK images are right up there in my Top Ten, especially the Underwear one)
Use Your Stuff, It's a Girl Thing
Stamping Sensations, Make it Colourful
Back to the Craft Room for me!
Thank you so much for calling in today
Back soon
Stay safe!
Cath
xxx
Sunday, 14 June 2020
Hello!
Just wanted to share some of my playtimes from the last couple of weeks. I watched a video just over a week ago and was really inspired by the technique, so played around a bit, trying out different paints and colouring mediums. I'm still enjoying the technique, so I'm sure it will feature again, soon - in fact, I'm planning to go try something else as soon as I've blogged these.
They're all on watercolour paper, using different types of watercolours.
(I didn't get to play but I did get to see my little 7 year old granddaughter for the first time since mid March. She's my only grandchild. It was so hard to leave her - I cried - but I got lots of hugs and even some little gifts she'd wrapped up for me, bless her, especially for sharing her precious LOLs with me - even if it was a double 😁)
(I didn't get to play but I did get to see my little 7 year old granddaughter for the first time since mid March. She's my only grandchild. It was so hard to leave her - I cried - but I got lots of hugs and even some little gifts she'd wrapped up for me, bless her, especially for sharing her precious LOLs with me - even if it was a double 😁)
This is how my first one looked when it had dried and I'd added some text. Far from perfect, of course, but as the stamp says, 'Imperfections make life more interesting', don't you agree?
I tried out more than one set of images for this, pulling them out of my already fussy cut and coloured stash 😉
So here's my first image try out, using Katzelcraft's Les Rats de la Ville. I did like this one, so you'll probably see this design again, but this time I went with the one below, mainly because I liked the addition of more colour. (Katzelcraft again - I love the way the artist gives each animal so much personality.)
It isn't part of anything yet because I used a piece of paper I'd already cut to size, ready for making a book/journal and may well be my front cover because I really love the way it turned out.
This one was an attempt at using Inktense Pencils. I added too much water because I was trying to get the colours to move a little more, but I think it's still interesting. I only pencilled the colour lightly, but it really didn't want to move, so not the ideal medium for this technique.
In retrospect, I wonder if this would've been better if I'd left areas of more concentrated colour, to give more definition. The circles are also smaller - I think I prefer the larger ones. I added more stamped and doodled circles to it. The colour at the bottom is from when I used it as a stencil mopup.
This is after the first spray.
I've just finished this one, painted with Daler Rowney Watercolours. I didn't like the butterfly I'd stamped on the bottom circle - but there wasn't much space, so I covered the original stamping with a second Stampendous butterfly. (Only because it's the only one big enough 😁) I think it would work better with three different types.
More stamped circles on this one and the words are printed on my labeller. It's been fun to watercolour a little more and just let the inks move around, instead of using pencils or pens.
I'd tried another one on the other side, which really didn't work! The colours seeped through, as you can see at the bottom. I probably also used the wrong side of the paper...I never know which side is best 😊
I will post the video link when I find it, but it's in Dutch, so unless you are fortunate enough to speak Dutch, you'll just have to mute it, as I did...
I'll be back soon to share some other stamping I've been doing, though I can't share one of them yet, until something arrives so I can finish it off - if it isn't lost.
I'll be back soon to share some other stamping I've been doing, though I can't share one of them yet, until something arrives so I can finish it off - if it isn't lost.
Linking to:
Allsorts, Embossing, wet or dry (all stamping heat embossed)
Daring Cardmakers, Wing it
Thank you for calling in today...
I hope you're all enjoying the gradual relaxation of lockdowns, wherever you may be!
Stay Safe!
Back soon
Cath
xxx
Thursday, 11 June 2020
Just sharing some of what I've been doing...I keep forgetting to blog them.
Backgrounds are Oxides, mainly smooshed. I've been trying to find a white card that I like, which means I'm trying a few kinds out, with varying degrees of success. I've used the same type of card for around 12 years, or more, but last time I bought it, it had changed. The inks don't move the same way and it doesn't like as much water, which I constantly use. So you may notice mixed background results. I'll still use them 😉
I've also been playing on watercolour paper, using watercolours or Ecolines.
This one is using watercolour paints.
This one uses Ecoline inks - neat - so much stronger colours. I love the effect here. Obviously, I added a little backgound stamping and stencilling, too, but using mainly tone on tone. I love the strong contrast on this one.
And this one was using up a smooshed scrap that was lying around, just adding some simple stamping and using images already stamped and cut out. I left the border one sided - it was the remains of a die cut 😊 and I like the quirky look of it as it is. The faces and wings were toned down a bit by adding vellum - to disguise some unwanted marks they'd gathered in my box.
Linking to
Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday, In the Summer garden
Stamps & Fun = Creativity, Nature or Flowers
Stamping Sensations, Make it Colourful
Just Add Ink, Just Add 'F' (Flowers)
Thank you for calling in today
Back soon
Stay safe!
Cath
xxx
Thursday, 4 June 2020
Quickly nipping in to show you my card for this week's Allsorts Challenge, which is Magical Worlds.
So sorry I haven't been keeping up with the challenges, but life took over in some things and I'm definitely less creative on the hotter days. Good job I live in the North West, so we don't get as many as the South do 😉
Back to the Allsorts Challenge.
This background came from the watercolour play taking place in my craft room the last few days. I thought I really ought to try Ecolines in the way they were intended, as watercolours! So I painted this one, using lots of water, creating a much more muted finish. Very pretty. So, I thought it would be perfect for some 'Magical Worlds' stamping. I'd already cut the DL panel, so I wanted to keep this format if possible. Rooting through my fairy world stamps, I thought this little house might work with the fairy I wanted to use. I thought I'd have to stamp again and cut out, but in the end I didn't have to because it coloured up nicely. The format limited the edge stamping, so I stayed with branches and a few 'shrooms.
I created the moon with a white gel pen through a stencil, then filled in a little with Brilliance Moonlight White ink after stamping, extending it slightly in a less defined way to suggest moonlight. Not sure that worked but it was worth a try 😊. I used Prismas to colour and a white gel pen to highlight, adding touches of Posca pen here and there. The card was edged with Black Soot Oxide after first adding a little Chipped Sapphire, brushing them out a little with a wet paintbrush. It was a nice change to spend some time colouring because I've been doing other things this week. Seemed a shame to darken such a pretty piece of card, but at least you can still see some of the colour. Imagine it as twilight, just as it's turning darker and the moon starts to peep out... faeries, too 😉
Linking to
Allsorts, Magical Worlds
Addicted to Stamps and More, Make Your Mark
Get Creative Challenges, Fantasy
Thank you for calling in
Stay safe, everyone!
Back soon
Cath
xxx
Wednesday, 3 June 2020
But where did April and May go??? Doesn't it seem strange?
Our lovely sunshine days are over - hopefully just for a short time, though you never can tell in NW England! It's been too nice to spend much time crafting, but I did play a little most days and these are the results.
Another DL sized card made by adding little bits each day (because of the heat) though the main stamp (StudioLight) is one single image. I stamped twice, cutting out the flutterbies and attaching, then adding touches of colour with the inks I'd used. I used other text stamps around the edges and a little stencilling.
I don't seem to be able to alter the size in the new Blogger, or to move it around much 😒 That's a shame. I haven't yet had chance to play around with the menu but it looks as if some things have been removed, which really affects the functionality. I would think it would be better for mobile bloggers, but certainly not for anyone else. I've reverted to Classic Blogger - thankfully, we'll still have that option even when the new format is rolled out at the end of this month!
I'll have to check Live Writer and see if they've ever fixed the problems that stopped me using it.
Ink (Oxides) colours were Worn Lipstick and Tumbled Glass.
I came across this Crafty Individuals stamp while looking for a couple of others, so I left it out to try with felt tips. I really like the result. It looks so crisp and cheerful, so I deckle die cut the layers and attached to a white card, to go with the CAS look.
I'd been trying to use up my Ecoline inks to make backgrounds and was really enjoying the vivid colours - unfortunately, they're not lightfast, so they will fade in time. They are so full of pigment and make beautiful rainbow effects. I've had them for years, but only used up one - the yellow - which I really miss.
Anyhoo, I noticed on Godelieve's blog that they now do Markers, so I just had to try them... they're really juicy, and just as bright as the inks, though I found myself wanting some paler blues and lilacs 😞 - I should change my name to Mary - as in Contrary 😀!
This is one of the Ecoline backgrounds, although the photo just doesn't do the colours justice. They almost glow, they're so vivid!
This is another StudioLight image - yes, I'm a fan - again stamped twice and the flowers fussy cut - including the stem - to add over the top after edging with permanent black marker.
I did a little Tone on Tone stamping around it, adding a couple of grungy circles, then some stencilling with a White Gel Pen, filling in some circles, but leaving others unfilled, then adding a touch of water to some of them to get slight variations in shade. I also filled in the lettering with white gel pen.
The flowers were watercoloured with Oxide inks.
For a change, I stayed with the tag format, though this is still only slightly smaller than a DL size. I'm planning on making a book of my tall tags, if I ever get around to it.
I really, really need to finish some of the UFOs lying around my craft room and making even more mess 😉
It's June, and that means new monthly challenges, so I'm linking to:
Mix it Up, ATG with optional acrylic block stamping
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, Create your own background
Stamps + Fun + Creativity, Nature or Flowers
Not Just Cards, ATG
Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday, In the Summer Garden
Thank you for calling in today - I'm always happy to see you!
Back soon
Stay safe!
Cath
xxx
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