Large Pink Helenium

Do you have any big plans for the weekend? I most certainly have big plans - plans to sleep late and do nothing apart from a bit of crafting. I had a manic week, which luckily ended on a high professionally followed by some crafty time which was even better.

I was inspired by the gorgeous CASE over at Time Out and the colours over at Make My Monday. I'm also linking up with Shopping Our Stash where the theme is April Showers bring May Flowers and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Flowers. 

Card: 300 gsm textured white card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Helenium large, Floral Bliss, Art Marks, Vignette: Trendy Feathers

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Inks Bundled Sage, Hickory Smoke, Mowed Lawn, Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar

Other: Ranger fine clear embossing powder, Ranger Disterss Stickles in Worn Lipstick

Quick thank you cards

Today I have been making some quick thank you cards to go with some of the crafty items I managed to sell on eBay. I have to say it was hardly worth the effort as I didn't make many pounds. However, the main thing is that I have managed to clear some space in the craft room and my unloved stash items have found new homes where they will hopefully be used more. I'm particularly happy to hear that some of my dies ended up with a lady who works with people with autism and learning difficulties, and she shared some of the lovely cards her students have made. She told me that crafting is such great therapy for the people she works with, but that's hardly a surprise to us crafters! 

This whole eBay episode has made me think of my relationship with stuff. I have been working through a lot of my things in the last year or so, trying to reduce the amount of unnecessary things in my life. I have happily gotten rid of my old notes from Uni, and of so many clothes I hadn't used for ages but kept holding on to "just because". I love Marie Kondo's idea that we should only hold on to things which make us happy. I think I still have a lot of things which don't make me happy but I feel like I can't get rid of them because I have paid a lot of money for them or because I just might need them sometime in the future. But to be honest, I think I would actually be much happier getting rid of them. But trying to enforce a policy of decluttering in a household where the other inhabitant is a hoarder of the most obsessive kind is a true challenge. We have a huge loft and big garage, which are both collecting so much stuff we will never need but which I don't have the energy to go through and then go through the argument of trying to get rid of them. I think it will take many more years to try and get him to change his mind, but maybe one day!!

 

My cards were quick and easy to mass-produce. I cut 10x10 cm cards from white card, and stamped and heat embossed the gorgeous STAMPlorations Large Helenium stamp. I then watercoloured the flower using Gansai Tambis and while the watercolour was drying I die cut the sentiment from pieces of coloured cardstock from my box of scrap papers. Last, I took a Tim Holtz Distress marker and doodled a border. Quick and easy, I particularly like the purple and pink flower, as well as the orange and red one. 

I'm linking up with the following challenges:
Make My Monday - Watercolour
Let's Colour Saturday Linky Party - Anything coloured
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes
Creative Corner Challenges - Flower Power 

Card: 300 gsm white textured card, scraps of coloured card from my UFO box
Stamps: STAMPlorations Helenium Large
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolours, Tim Holtz Distress markers
Other: Ranger clear embossing powder, Lawn Fawn Scripty Thanks die