Stencil in soft pink

Happy Saturday folks! I had another crazy week, completely lost in work. So today I was going to just slouch - especially as I seem to have caught a bug from somewhere. Which is particularly vexing as I have tried to eat super healthily lately, and started to work out again. So much for a healthy lifestyle, eh? Anyhow, today has been devoted to a bit of spring cleaning. All that tedious stuff of dusting on top of the cupboard doors, wiping skirting boards, cleaning mirror and windows. I've only managed to do upstairs and the day is already gone, looks like downstairs will have to wait until tomorrow. I also managed a bit of a spring clean on my computer which has gotten slower and slower. I don't really want to splurge on a new computer right now, so I'm hoping that a little TLC will keep it running for a bit longer.

Before all this cleaning frenzy, I did manage to create a card first thing in the morning. It seems like my mojo is at it's best on a Saturday morning, and I enjoy a bit of crafting with my cup of green tea (even gave up coffee for this healthy life fad!). Today I was inspired by the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch and the colours over at Color Throwdown. I was also inspired by the CASology cue card which is stencil and the challenge over at Time Out which this time is the phrase "May all your weeds be wild flowers" and was inspired by the flower theme.

I started by stamping the dogwood from STAMPlorations Floral Bliss in Milled Lavender and then watercoloured it with the no line technique in Stampin' Up Melon Mambo and Basic Grey. Then I masked the flower and inked some Blushing Bride through the ARTplorations Retro Circles stencil. Last, I picked some sentiment stamps from Blossom Overture and stamped them in a lighter and darker grey. I thought the card needed just a little something, so I added Ranger Ice Stickles to the flowers. 

Card: 300 gsm textured white card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss, Blossom Overture
Stencil: ARTplorations Retro Circles
Ink: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo, Basic Grey, Smokey Slate, Blushing Bride
Other: Ranger Ice Stickles

Floral Bliss

Just a quick post today as I'm heading out to do some gardening. My flower beds have been deprived of attention for far too long, and you would be excused for thinking we have a jungle, not a garden. So I better go and get some dirt under my fingernails after already having stained my fingers with watercolours! Perfect for today's garden theme, my card was inspired by the beautiful floral inspiration image over at Fusion Card Challenges. and Joyce's gorgeous CASE over at Happy Little Stampers. I'm also linking up with CAS On Sunday where the theme is Flowers, Chocolate Coffee and Cards where the theme is Spring Is In the Air and Through the Purple Haze where the theme is Flowers.  

Card: 300 gsm white card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss, Fond Expressions 2 
Ink and colouring: Versafine Onyx Black, Gansai Tambi watercolours
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies

Framed Rudolph and exciting news

How are you this fine evening (or day or even morning, depending on where you are)? Today I can finally tell you something I have known for a while, and wanted to shout from the rooftops. I am so very excited to announce that I am joining the STAMPlorations CAS challenge DT!!! As you read this, I'm jumping with joy. Seriously!! I can't believe the amazingly talented Shery chose me to be a part of this team, I can't wait to get started. I absolutely adore STAMPlorations products and I have enjoyed playing with them, you will probably have noticed this if you have been following my blog. I'm linking up a few of my favourites below (you can click on the images to get to the blog posts). Pop over to the STAMPlorations blog to see all the other DT members. If you enjoy creating CAS cards, keep an eye out for the CAS challenge and join us with your gorgeous creations. Coming to a webpage near you first thing in the New Year!

 

 

 

I think this will be my last Christmas card post, as I just managed to send all my Christmas cards and not only had enough of them, but even a few left over! I created the above Christmas card using several STAMPlorations stamps and stencils. I started by stamping the frame from Floral Bliss onto a piece of scrap paper, and cut it to make a mask. I picked some stamps from Mixed Media Elemenst and stamped through the mask I created in Rusty Hinge and Barn Door. Then I inked through the Christmas Reindeer stencil in Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso. Next I masked the reindeer and stamped the frame from Floral Bliss in Versamark, and heat embossed in gold. Last, I stamped the sentiment from Holiday Sketches in Barn Door. I love creating clean and simple designs, and it's always an added challenge to make it one layer as well. Perfect card for mailing (after I just had to pay a lot of extra as a rhinestone on a card made it too thick to fit into the letter category and had to be sent as a large letter instead).

I would like to link up my one layer reindeer over at the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Always Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps - Christmas

That Craft Challenge - Christmas

The Corrosive Challenge - Merry Christmas

Fantasy Stampers - CAS Christmas

My Time to Craft - Christmas Animals

Color Throwdown - Any colours as long as it's Christmas theme

Card: 300 gsm white card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss, Mixed Media Elements, Holiday Sketches

Stencils: STAMPlorations Christmas Reindeer

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Inks Rusy Hinge, Barn Door, Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso

Other: Gold embossing powder from my stash 

Simply Stunning

This is the only blog post I have for this weekend as I'm off to enjoy a girl's weekend with my bestest friend in Riga. This week has been absolutely mad at work, and I haven't even looked in the direction of my craft room, not to mention actually crafting. So you will have to make do with a card I made a while ago without actually managing to blog about it.

I can't wait for Christmas, I'm taking a long break. I really need it after the last few months. I really thought that I used to work quite hard back in the days when I was doing my PhD. But these days I have to get into work for 6am just to have a few quiet hours to actually work before all the meeting madness begins. I swear, when this project comes to an end in two years time, I will not get another management level job, I will definitely do something simple. And finally have time to craft!

Anyways, back to today's card. It was something I tried for something, and although I like the look of it, it didn't work for that thing... If that makes sense. I wanted to have a play with my STAMPlorations Retro Circles stencil, so I started by watercolouring some Distress inks in pink and purple through the stencil onto watercolour card that I had cut using a stitched rectangle die. Then I stamped the gorgeous helenium and watercoloured using Distress inks in yellows and oranges. Last, I wanted to do something a bit different with the sentiment, so I stamped it a bit all over the place. For a finishing touch I added a few adhesive gem. 

I would like to link up with the following challenges: 
STAMPlorations - Anything Goes
Craft Rocket Challenges - Anything Goes
Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge - Favourite Technique (watercolour)
Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Card: Vanguard card salmon, 300 gsm watercolour card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss
Ink: Tsukineko Staz-On Jet Black, Tim Holtz Distress inks in Spun Sugar, Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber, Abandoned Coral, Aged Mahogany, Spiced Marmalade, Victorian Velvet, Twisted Citron
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle die, adhesive gems from my stash, STAMPlorations Retro Circles stencil

Birthday card for Mum

Yes I'm still here, I'm still alive despite not having blogged for ages. I had a rotten, rotten day today. Just work related, nothing really serious, but it did get me really down in the dumps for a while. As in crying when driving home, and then hiding under the duvet and crying some more. But some cuddles from the Culinary Consultant made me feel better, and then I came across this link, and felt like an idiot. But I guess your own problems always seem huge until you get a bit of perspective. 

Anyhow, I haven't had any time in the craft room all week, apart from quickly decorating two jam jars the other night. I do love to give little jars of jam as a little "no reason at all" present. I gave a jar to a colleague who has given me lots of runner beans this summer, as well as my colleagues neighbours who gave me a huge bag of apples the other week. Today I'm showing a card I made a while ago for my Mum for her birthday, and since I know she received it it's now safe to show here on the blog.

For this card I used the gorgeous STAMPlorations dogwood stamp from the Floral Bliss set. I used Tim Holtz markers in Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves to colour the beautiful flowers with a watercolour brush. I stamped the gorgeous grunge-y frame from the same set onto vellum, and added a Finnish sentiment saying "Congratulations" and added a few pearls just because.

I am linking up with the following challenges:
Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes
STAMPlorations - Anything Goes
Daring Cardmakers - Wonderful Watercolours
Make My Monday - Something beginning with F (flowers, frame)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stamp and blog hop

Card: Coloured 240 gsm card purple, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine watercolour paper, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss, sentiment stamp from my stash
Ink: Tsukineko Staz-On Jet Black, Tim Holtz distress inks Seedless Preserves, Picked Raspberry, Twisted Citron, Gathered Twigs, Weathered Wood
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, Stampin' Up Basic Pearls 

Field of flowers

Today when I went to the conservatory to photograph my card,  I saw that we had a little visitor in our garden. A little Muntjac deer was munching away on the apples that have fallen from the apple tree. Unfortunately the little creature was so skittish that I could only snap a few very poor quality photos through the window, but when I tried to quietly make my way outside for a few more snaps, the little cutie had already hopped along elsewhere. I do love these little moments of getting up close and personal with nature.

My card is also inspired by Nature, and the lovely STAMPlorations flower stamps. I was also inspired by the sketch over at Retro Sketches (although the result strayed quite far from the original inspiration) and by the inspiration image over at Just Add Ink. I am also linking up my field of flowers over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is Make It Colourful and the STAMPlorations Anything Goes challenge. 

Card: Daler&Rowney 300 gsm watercolour paper, 300 gsm linen textured white card, black 240 gsm card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss and Bloom Sketches
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress markers
Other: Lawn Fawn Scripty Congrats die, coloured pearls from my stash

Floral bliss

We have had a few days of absolutely abysmal weather. Typically, we started a new study yesterday, so I had a few lost volunteers wondering around the hospital campus phoning me through the day. I had to brave the pouring rain to go and find my lost sheep, luckily everyone was retrieved and safely delivered to the research nurses. Note to self - bring a jacket and wear sensible weatherproof shoes on day when volunteers are booked in...

After getting home and drying out I made myself a bucket of hot tea and thought a bit of crafting would be the perfect way to rescue an otherwise depressing day. I recently received new goodies from STAMPlorations, and I could not wait to play with them. 

I stamped the gorgeous helenium, my absolute favourite from this stamp set, onto linen textured bright white card. Shery is so incredibly talented, and I particularly love her flowers, they are just so detailed and beautiful. I used the Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge stamps to create the splatters in Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch. I think Mermaid Lagoon is quickly becoming my new favourite Tim Holtz colour, overtaking my long time favourite Peacock Feathers. I also stamped the grungy frame from the stamp set to surround the flower. I used a sentiment from Lawn Fawn's Scripty Sentiments set, and stamped some more splatters around the sentiment. I matted the main panel using foam tape onto a blue card and attached everything to a dark blue card base. Last, I attached a few sequins for a finishing touch. I'm a bit undecided whether I like this card or not, but I'm leaning towards liking it quite a lot.

My inspiration for this card was the gorgeous card by this gorgeous card by Monika Skinner, which I found in one of the STAMPlorations Inspirations Project Post #33. I'm linking up my card to join the August CASEplorations. While I'm at it, I'm also linking up with the STAMPlorations Anything Goes challenge. I also thought the card would be good for this week's Shopping Our Stash where the theme is Splish Splash. Last but not least I'm linking up with the Friday Mashup where the challenge is to create a birthday card using any technique. 

Card: 300 gsm white linen card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card in navy, Hobbycraft 160 gsm card Three Shades of Blue

Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss, Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge, Lawn Fawn Scripty Sayings

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress inks Mermaid Lagoon, BluePrint sketch, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Other: sequins from my stash, foam tape