INKY FINGERS

I think I got the bug - or am I just desperate for Spring?  I had a lovely afternoon playing in my journal, painting with acrylics and drawing (of a fashion) this time, and enjoying a bit of meditation on God’s word - Phil 4:8 - at the same time! (Interestingly, I tried to put the reference in brackets but kept getting a little green(eyed?) monster, so if anyone likes keyboard shortcuts, colon, 8 and bracket gives you )

This is my spread.…

I often journal along the lines of drawn or stamped images and that way I can journal to my heart’s content. This was fun! I love Spring, flowers and colour, and it was so good to think of good things and just enjoy life’s blessings.

I’d like to enter a second time in the

Art Journal Journey’s Spring challenge

(I may be back again before the end of the month – this is a great challenge!)

Most of the snow had gone by last night here – hope you’re not still snowed in or at risk of flooding if you’re in the UK. I know there’s challenging weather in a lot of places in Europe and in the US, as well as here in the UK. You’re all in my prayers!

Back soon.

Thanks for looking

Cath

xxx

I was thinking Spring today, for Art Journal Journey’s Spring Challenge…

Fortunately, most of the snow has gone from around here, unlike most of the rest of the UK – I’m so grateful

Here’s my page…journalled all over, as usual…isn’t that what journalling is for? I used a new stamp from Woodware – I quite like it, though I wish they’d do some rubber instead of acrylic! 

There’s even a bit of glitter on there, though you can’t see it in the dark light photo… I rarely use glitter and especially in my journals, but it just seems to go with the theme…new life, new birth, new hope – and glitter!

Thanks for looking

Be back soon

Cath

xxx

Make My Mondays Challenge is Messy Backgrounds.

That’s something I can manage… I love playing around with inks and making a mess!

These are just Oxide play backgrounds…

Another Vintage style card for Try it on Tuesdays… I’m still playing!

And I’d like to enter the

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge – Anything Goes

Back soon.

Thanks for looking.

Blessings

Cath

xxx

Brrr!  It’s cold outside in the UK!!! Fortunately, I live in the North West and for once, the weather here isn’t anywhere near as bad as the rest of England.

I’ve had a bit of a change this week, decided not to use as many flowers and to play around a little more, so this is the result. I’ve also had a week of making things I wasn’t really happy with and that’s frustrating!

I love these images and had to use the quote because used with the images, it made me smile. I enjoy black and white now and again because it changes the focus of my stamping and makes me think a little more. I stamped the lady first, masking her before stamping the tiled floor.

I fancied playing around a bit with more collage type images and found these two girls, already cut out and ready to use, so I just had to use them in my journal…

…and on this card, which I stamped the Paperartsy house I’ve had for ages and not used.

A bit more journalling… from my A4 journal.

Finally, an experiment that went wrong… but I love the background colours, so I’m blogging it anyway!

I’d like to enter the following challenges:-

Try it on Tuesday challenge – vintage

Tuesday Throwdown Black and White Challenge and

Addicted to Stamps and More – Anything Goes.

Thanks to Country View Challenges for a Top Three award – woohoo!!!

Thanks for looking.

Be back soon!

Blessings

Cath

xxx

I needed a Birthday card today, so I made this, using Oxides and my trusty Lavinia stamps.

In the interest of science, I made another one at the same time, using different words, on another type of card…just experimenting.

As you can see, one turned out much deeper coloured than the other, even though I used the same inks at the same time.

I also made another leafy card – disappointed in the wishy washy results of the other day, I decided to sponge them on this time and lightly spray.  I’m much happier with the result, though I can’t wait for the Spring light, so my photos improve…you can’t really see the background stamping or the differentiation of colour on any of these – shame.  That’s the bit I work hardest at!

This is for the

A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge - Anything Goes.

While I was a it, I also overstamped the greens/pinks card from the other day, just to finish it off. I like it better now.

Then because there’s a glossy card challenge over at Paperminutes, I had a self indulgent moment and did a little bit of resist stamping on glossy card, using one of my favourite colour combos, though they look much lighter on glossy – Raspberry Pink and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks. I stencilled a bit of a brick wall in the centre, to give it a bit more depth.

Back soon.

Thanks for looking.

God Bless!

Cath

xxx

Happy Mail Day!

The postie brought be some ‘stash’ yesterday and earlier in the week…so I had a quick play.

Love these stamps (Bee Crafty) but the XL is a little limiting and would work much better in my journals…something to try tomorrow, along with the other one I haven’t yet used! For some reason, today has turned out to be a green day…I was just trying out some of the newer Oxide inks for a change. Must confess I’m not as wowed this time around – the colours aren’t my natural choices.

Addicted to Stamps and More have a Clean and Simple Challenge this week, so I thought I’d get my CAS head on – not easy on my work surfaces, which are usually covered in ink  but I had a go…

I used an old Paperartsy Stamp set – not even sure if they sell them any m ore – but I like this quirky lady. We’re doing a ‘Think Spring’ mingle on KCUK, so I thought I’d do just that.

While thinking Spring, I was also playing around with birds…

…and blossom…

…and more CAS Flowers…

…and another bird!  (I LOVE birds!)

Besides Addicted to Stamps (linked above) I’d like to enter one of the above into

Word Art Wednesday – Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations – Anything With Flowers

Dragonfly Dreams – Flowers

Crafty Creations – Anything Goes

Penny Black Saturday Challenge – Anything Goes

and

Sparkles Forum Challenges – Clean and Simple.

Thanks for looking.

See you soon.

xxx

Cath

All friends are precious, but the most precious friends are those who take the time to just sit with you and listen…even when you have no words or (as often in my case) we talk rubbish!!. The fact that they want to be with you matters more than any words or deeds. I’ve learned a lot this last two weeks about how it isn’t necessary to spout ‘words of wisdom’ when someone is hurting, but just to be alongside them, even when we feel inadequate and unable to help.  I hope I remember the lesson.

I did a bit of journalling this morning, then made a card for a friend.  I used the newest Distress Oxides – Shaded Lilac, Tattered Rose and Squeezed Lemonade, though I did add a touch of Worn Lipstick, too. It amazes me how three colours (ish) can produce such a rainbow of colour!

I’d like to enter this one into the

Stamping Sensations - Anything with Flowers challenge

I had a play around with the Antique Linen and Vintage Photo inkpads today, with mixed results…

There’s a lot of gold on this one so I took a close up of the crackle effect. When I’d finished, I wasn’t too enamoured with the result, so I decided to try adding some stencilled gold circles over the top. I accidentally stamped onto the card itself, so I decided to do it some more and edge with the gold…

This is one I made a few weeks ago but didn’t like… more of a vintage effect, again using the gold.

Just a couple of pages in my A4 journal to finish off. This one uses the same distress oxides as the first – but they look so different.

Thanks for looking.

See you soon!

Cath

xxx

A little bit more from the results of  my ink therapy…same stamp, different colours. This is a really nice stamp to play with.  Love how versatile it is

I’d like to enter one of the Restful cards into the

Penny Black Saturday Challenge – Anything Goes

and one of the others into both

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge – Flowers

and

Stamping Sensations – Anything with Flowers

Thanks for looking

Cath

xxx

I’ve been enjoying some therapeutic colouring and inking, so today I’m sharing some floral cards.

I’d like to enter the

Stamping Sensations Challenge – Anything with Flowers

and the

Penny Black Saturday Challenge – Anything Goes

Thanks for looking.

See you soon

Cath

xxx

Sorry I’ve not been around much this week..

Sadly, my lovely Dad passed away last weekend and I haven’t really been in the mood for stamping, or much of anything else, to be honest. 

Today, I’m trying to think of other things, so I thought I’d share a couple of cards I made recently and one I made during the week.

This was for my nephew’s birthday.

And this was another in the same mode…clearly not yet finished in this photo – oops! Must check to see if I did actually mount this.

This was one I played with during the week, playing with the new Distress Oxides while trying to occupy my mind.

I stamped and stencilled some interference inks (Opalites) over the background, but you can’t really see them, so I took a little close up…

I’d like to enter one of these in the

Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says Stamp

and the

Make Your Mark Challenge at Addicted to Stamps.

Hope it won’t be too long before I’m back.

Thanks for looking.

Cath

xxx

I got to play for a while today and had loads of fun… I’m waiting for my new Oxides and was sorting through some stuff when I found two of my favouritest stamps, so I thought I’d use them. I LOVE these girls!

I’d seen the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge of ‘Tag it’ and realised I hadn’t stamped a tag in YEARS! While playing, I used the inks on a piece of card, too – can’t waste that ink on my mat! I only used two inks – Wilted Violet and Twisted Citron – with a touch of Picked Raspberry - looks as if I used a lot more!

I’d like to enter the

Tag it Challenge on Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge

and the

Anything Goes Challenge on Addicted to Stamps 

Thanks for looking!

See you soon

Cath

xxx