Ahoy, Matey

Oo Arr! 
Happy Birthday today, to our very own pirate, Captain B.

Follow the map, brave scallywag,  find the hidden gems, and make them scurvy, land lubbers walk the plank  :o)

It's pirates all the way for us this week, with our Grandson's 4th birthday.
To say he is obsessed is an understatement. He has a pirate ship in our front room (amazing £10 deal from Hobbycraft) and a treasure chest full of gem stones, that he won't let out of his sight.

So this pirate card, and little treasure map, was a real winner.

The little elements, were die cut, coloured and placed onto a background scene.
Those wave dies from 'Time for Tea Designs, made it super easy to put together.

The map was stamped and coloured with copics.

Challenge

As You Like It Challenge

Feminine or Masculine Theme

I have gone for a masculine theme here, with the little, boy pirate.
I've always found masculine cards a bit tricky, but with 2 grandsons, I have learnt to love them.
Flowers and ribbons, and girly stuff was never really my style anyway,
so I'm embracing boy things and having fun. Boy stuff can be cute too!

• lawn fawn - ahoy, matey
• time for tea designs - ocean waves die
• copic markers

Cheers, Big Ears

Hello.
This month's sketch at Seven Hills Crafts, definitely had me scratching my head.

Lots of measuring and re-measuring was done to try and create that background.
It's not perfect, but it's ok.

After die cutting the embroidery hoop, that little bunny was stitched up in no time at all.

This was going to be an Easter card, but I don't have an Easter sentiment, so instead I went for 'thanks'.
Then, because I wasn't happy, I played around adding things here and there. 
Yeah - it's not my favourite card!

Seven Hills Crafts Challenge 

February Sketch

• waffle flower - embroidery hoops die, and stitch able hoops die
• my favorite things - peacock pattern stamp
• versa color ink - mint
• lawn fawn - thanks die and bunny cross stitch pattern
• tiny hoop stamp - mama elephant - stitched with love

'Popping' by to say Happy Birthday

Hello.
How is everyone? 
We have lots of family birthdays in February, so it's a busy, card making time for me.

Today I'm sharing this fun, balloon party.

It's my first time inking up and colouring this cute stamp and these guys are definitely party ready.

For the balloons I used an old Altenew stamp, with lots of masking. I thought I had ruined the whole card, when I added those balloon strings - urgh! I was so cross with myself. But I managed to hide the worst of them with the sentiment.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• purple onion designs - let's celebrate
• balloons - altenew - hug me
• sentiment - my favorite things - party penguins
• copic markers / wow white embossing powder / white gel pen

Delivering Love

Hello.
Happy Valentine's Day.
This cute, little bear is peddling like crazy, delivering love all around town :o)

This is my first time inking up and colouring this stamp. How did I do?
I got it a little late for Christmas cards, but with some added hearts I think it works well for Valentine's Day.

Can we ignore the round splodge near the top of the post box?
My dark red just decided to dump lots of ink there. I tried hard to blend it in.
Does anyone else have that problem with random Copics?

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps & More

I've used Copic markers for my colouring

• purple onion designs - happy mail - chilliezgraphy by pei
• copic markers
• simon says stamp - thoughtful messages

Frost Loving Friends

Hello.
Today I'm posting from a shiny, new laptop! 
Setting it up has been a steep learning curve - why do they make it so complicated?
My main issue now is just how vibrant the screen is.
Wow! Everything is in glorious technicolour.
So I have no idea how you're seeing this card, but it seems awfully bright on this end.

I followed along with the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, swapping out the stars for trees.

This little bear is super cute, and I thought it would make a lovely 'no hearts' Valentine's card for my dh.
I even managed to do some water colouring on those trees, which is a bit scary for me  :o)

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

• mft - frost loving friends, coloured with copics
• mft - tall trees dienamics, coloured with zig clean color real brush pens
• lawn fawn - stitched hillside borders

Penguin Power

Hello.
I made a card with a penguin, in a scarf, surrounded by fairy lights - 
because, who doesn't love fairy lights?

• ink up a background panel with distress inks. Splatter with water, and add some snow with a white gel pen
• die cut some fairy lights, colour the lights with copics and glue together, then attach to the card panel
• assemble the die cut penguin and attach to the card with foam tape
• stamp the sentiment

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• spellbinders dies - festive friends
• mft - snowglobe sentiments
• ranger's distress ink - salvaged patina
• copics / white gel pen

You Had Me At Woof

Hello.
Saying a last goodbye to a family dog is heartbreaking. It makes me tearful just thinking about it. 
My daughter's handsome, gentle puggle has to make his way towards the rainbow bridge.
I made this card for her -  to let her know he'll always be in her heart.

• die cut 'hearts entwined' in white card and the inlaid hearts in various reds and pinks 
• glue pieces to a pink panel
• stamp sentiment and attach with foam tape
• stamp and die cut the dog, colour with copics, attach with foam tape

Challenge

AAAColourful

• my favorite things - hearts entwined / woof pack
• my favorite things sentiment from sittin' pretty
• copic markers
• concord & 9th cardstock

Stay Wild

Hello.
Is anyone up for a WILD party?

These animals are just about to hit the dance floor.
I can already hear 'Eye of the Tiger' blasting out   :o)

• blend distress inks onto a die cut rectangle. Splatter with water and attach to card base.
• stamp the animals and colour with copics. Fussy cut the top edges, and attach with foam tape
• stamp the sentiment and attach with foam tape
• add some white, gel pen highlights

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• mama elephant - the wild roar/labeled messages
• distress ink - salty ocean/lucky clover
• copic markers/white gel pen

Make A Wish

Last week, on the spur of the moment, we decided to change rooms.
We moved our 2 grandsons into a larger bedroom, so they will have more space to play, and my craft room into their old bedroom - aka the rocket room.
It took a lot of organising and dismantling of beds and furniture, some loud, sweary shouting, and a vat of coffee, but we finally did it. And I can get back to crafting.

I wanted to start with something simple - because I haven't found my mojo yet!
So, I went for this CAS candle card, and played along with the colour challenge at Seven Hills Crafts.

If you get some crafty time, it would be nice to see you pay along.

Seven Hills Crafts Challenge

I went for pink, yellow, turquoise and orange.

• concord & 9th - make a wish stamp and die set
• concord & 9th - coloured card honeysuckle/buttercup/oceanside/peacock

And here's my new setup..   complete with rocket and moon light!

Winter Bear

How is the weather where you are?
We had snow, which turned to thick ice, so it was difficult getting around - especially on the pavements. Today, it's all miraculously disappeared, and the sun is out!

This bear, put on his cosiest jumper, and waded through all that snow, to deliver a birthday present.

I wanted this bear to be holding a present, so I drew some arms with paws and fussy cut them. Then I cut some pieces for sleeves and ran them through the same embossing folder as the jumper. I think they turned out ok.

The present was die-cut in red, and I added the hearts with a white gel pen.

Challenge

AAABirthday 

• spellbinders - festive friends
• mama elephant - labeled messages
• concord & 9th - present die from handmade holidays
• hobbycraft - knit pattern embossing folder

Hello Little One

Happy New Year everyone. 
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and are now raring to get back into your craft rooms.

I am starting the New Year with news of a little bundle of joy in the making!

I love using this super, quick way to make a card. I just stamp the image onto coloured card and die cut it. For some extra dimension ( and because this card doesn't have to go through the mail) those teddy bears are layered up, with white card, 3 times.

Not the best photos - with all those shadows. That is something I need to work on this year.
I've also discovered that my crappy, old laptop skews the colours a lot, so I hope you're seeing them better than I am!

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• my favorite things - hello little one
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle