Lost and found

Hello lovely crafters

Here is my latest card. I tried to copy a technique I'd seen which was water colouring the over the embossing and then painting in the flowers over the top. It was semi successful. Different inks react in different ways, of course. 

The stamps are Julie Hickey and you'll be pleased to hear that the Happy Birthday is the one I'd lost last week. I found the set in my box of finished cards so I'd obviously swept a whole pile of stuff into there while tidying one day. 

I thought I'd better use it before I lost it again. 

I'm popping over to the Snippets Playground with this one. I've used on large snippet and several small ones. 

I'm looking forward to the sunshine there as it's still wet here but as least the gales have dropped! 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

Busy bees

 Hello lovely crafters

I'm back with a card at last. 

I bought this new flower stamp at a show a few weeks ago so wanted to use it. I dithered for ages over which flower stamp to get. There were so many and all so pretty. Honey Doo Crafts.

I stamped, coloured, cut out and layered them up. I coloured using pens and hint of pencil on top. Then I added some die cut leaves, lovely bees and a few splats. Oh and some liquid pearls. 

I spent far too long looking for a particular Happy Birthday stamp (which I still haven't found), chose another one and promptly lost part of it (which I still haven't found!). 

Then I remembered my peg letter stamps so I used those, realising I can stamp any greeting I like. (As long as I don't lose them). 

Popping over to the Snippets Playground 

I used white snippets, for the flowers, some inky pieces for the leaves. The backing I found already die cut in my box of papers. 

Also the NBUS challenge as the flower stamp is new and was straight out of it's packet asap!

I've become obsessed with bees and rescuing these queen bumblebees when they become trapped or are on hard paving. They are emerging now from hibernation (here in the UK) to build a nest and lay eggs. So beautiful. This is a Buff Tail Bumblebee enjoying my early flowers. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

Anything but Christmas

 Happy New Year everyone!

I hope it's peaceful and happy with plenty of time to do what you love. 

I've had a bit of time for crafting so here is my first Snippets card for this year. 

The challenge at the Snippets Playground this time is 'Anything but Christmas' and to use snippets, of course. I'm very happy to leave wintry cards behind for a bit and I've purposely gone spring/summery with these flowers. 

I'm sure I've seen this sort of idea on a card before but I don't remember where and I didn't look up any inspiration. I just started with half an idea, as usual!

The flowers are Julie Hickey, leaves assorted from an old set all coloured with watercolour pencils. The envelope is also made from a snippets. Everything is cut out and arranged on top.

I wanted to add a greeting popping up out of the flowers but wherever I put it, it was covering something so I'm still thinking on that one. Perhaps I should have started with that and gone from there?

I'm hopping over to the Snippets Playground where we are basking in the success of our Nativity play. Don't let anyone tell you it wasn't, there are bound to be a few hiccups!

The flowers are made from white snippets, the envelope from DP snippets and the backing was a new sheet but very old so I count that as a win!

Do join in for a play as there is a very special prize on offer this time. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day x

Last minute catch up

 Hello lovely crafters

Feeling smug! I found myself needing quite a few last minute Christmas cards due to lack of motivation and inspiration over the last few months. 

I looked through one of my folders and found these very old card bases which are a funny size. Then I  had the genius idea of cutting them in half. I really like small Christmas cards so that was perfect. Quick to make and easier when short of ideas. 

Here are three I made. Bad photos, taken in a hurry!

Finally, made with a scrap square and a small card base found in the folder. It's about 10cm square:

This one was inspired by a stamp I saw whilst browsing new stamp sets on the internet! I realised I had a similar one (never used) and found I could stamp a wreath by using it 5 times. I did draw a circle to start for help with placement. Then an simple greeting stamp for the centre. Both from magazine sets.

My greatest discovery is that Wink of Stella over watercolour pen is BRILLIANT! Do try it. Probably thanks to Jo Rice on You Tube for that one, though she used it over pen. There is lots of glitteryness on these cards. 

Also as they were odd sizes I had to make envelopes. I used single sided DP with the pattern on the inside of the envelope so I could write on the outside. 

So all the cards are made from snippets and leftovers. The envelopes were new sheets of uninspiring paper left here by my daughter. Using up my stash!

Homework in hand, I am running over to the Snippets Playground where I hear plans for a nativity play are underway. Sounds chaotic to me. I'll start practising my singing. Fa la la la la la la la la...

Also as I have never used the leafy stamp before or actually, the heart stamp:

Thanks for visiting and reading all my waffle. Have a good day x

Lavinia berries two ways

 Hello lovely crafters

Two cards made entirely from snippets:

Number one is a mini card. 10.5 x 10.5 cm. Made from a snippet of card, stamped with Lavinia Berries and Cardio Ivy, with a die cut bow. A white gel pen for the shine. The red mat and the base card are also snippets. 

You might be able to see the metallic water colour splatters. 

Number two - a gel print, Lavinia berries and a greeting from a gifted magazine set. It is straight, though it doesn't look it here 😁 The base card also found in my stash from a previously started and abandoned card. 

Again shiny watercolour splashes and gel pen shine!

So two more for my Christmas stash. I'm getting there. 

So I'll be hopping over to the Snippets Playground with these two. Time to kick around in the fallen leaves and collect conkers. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day x

Red and Brown for Christmas

 Hello lovely crafters

My sort out continues and I have now confronted the exact number of snippets which have accumulated in my crafty corner. It's too many, even accounting for the ones I have ruthlessly thrown, I still have enough white scraps to last a lifetime. Several lifetimes... 

On the positive, I have sorted them, stored them and I know what I have and where! Best get on and make something with them now. 

Here is a card I made using a Kraft snippet discovered in the sort out and also a red snippet to frame. 

I used a Lavinia branch and birds and a Little Claire stamp for the centre. 

Coloured with a mix of pencils, a red glittery pen and a gel pen. 

I'd like to enter the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge:

Also skipping over to the Snippets Playground

Snippets used as above and I hope extra brownie points for sorting them out! Lol.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. 

Hedgehog Christmas

 Hello lovely crafters

I've had two weeks to make a card for the current challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown but still I'm running in at the last minute!

Well I've got quite a few stencils so I whipped some out and made some gel press backgrounds. 

The technique is to brayer ink on to the gel press. Lay on a stencil, press gently over it, I use a piece of paper, and then lift the stencil off, which takes some of the ink too. The take the print with your card/paper. 

This was nearly two weeks ago and I finished this card today using:

Plus a Card-io branch and very old Kanban grass stamp. 

The baubles are coloured with a glittery pen and then liquid pearls added to the branch. 

I hope you like this slightly different Christmas card. And yes, I know Hedgehogs shouldn't be out in December, they should be fast asleep in a cosy nest. 

Also it makes sense to pop over to Double D challenge who are celebrating all things PINK this month. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day x