Hello

No cards for ages then 2 in one day!

Here is my contribution for the challenge at CAS Mix Up which this time is Paper Piecing!

For this I used a chicken stamp from an Inky Doodles set.  I used to  buy from the designer at Craft shows at the NEC, but I don't seem to have been to one of those for a very long time! Although I've had it for years, I think that this is the first time that it has been used.

I stamped the image on to a piece of white card and then on to different areas on a piece of Christmas DP with poinsettias all over it! Even after carefully selecting the areas to stamp and cut out for the body of the hen, I still decided to darken the neck feather section a little more, using a marker. This image seemed quite appropriate for paper piecing as it is in three definite areas.

The sentiment is from Stampendous. A little sticking and die-cutting (I just had to shorten the sentiment cut a tad) and the card was done. I'm now about to set off for the tip to take all the packaging from our new kitchen tables and chairs, plus the old built in fridge from our last kitchen!

CASology Hello

 

Party time!

What is a party without presents?

Here I paper pieced a stamp from SU which has been in my stash for many years and is a favourite of mine. Paper piecing is something I haven't done for quite a while and is something I should try to remember to do more often!

It's is my DT card for Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge!

I have continued my reconnection with sewing... something I went back to when there was a recent nationwide call for scrubs for NHS workers. Having made a few sets which I have sent to my GP son's practice, I think I may actually try to make something for myself too... I need a few larger clothes after weeks and weeks of lockdown, when one of our secret pleasures was daily preprandials then wine with our meals!

Cheers... and stay safe!

No Peeking

Have you ever started something and thought "I wish I hadn't had this idea!"?

When I dreamt up this card, I thought that I would colour the image with alcohol markers, but then thought that they would show through onto the inside of the card, so then I thought that I would paper piece the image instead....bad idea, these pieces are miniscule!!!!! The card is  5"x 5", so the gifts are tiny! What started out as a potentially quick card turned out to be anything but quick!

The image is from MFT and the sentiment from Penny Black. The embossed  stitched square is from SSS.

It's for the challenge at CAS Christmas

Oldie but goodie

Polka Dots are called for at 'Less it More' this week and here are a few from me!

The Random Dots DP is from Pink Petticoat.

I have used this layout time and time again in slightly varied incarnations, but I never tire of the sweet simplicity of the sketch.

Here I cut a pierced square from MFT and mounted a piece of card embossed with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots on top of it.

The onesie and sentiment are stamps from Simon Says Stamp's Baby Love set and the paper pieced onesie was then cut with the matching die.

To mount the sentiment I didn't have a die of the appropriate dimensions, so I used an MFT fish tail, pierced, pennant die, cutting from one and then turning it and cutting from the other end to make a skinny rectangle.

This rather superior looking dotty feline is from Unity and I think the sentiment is so true...I am a cat person rather than a dog person, so maybe I'm a little biased!

I love this simple bold image!

The heart is an afterthought placed strategically to cover a tiny ink smudge... isn't it irritating when that happens at the last moment! 

We have our family with us this weekend and so feel really blessed to have them all around us.

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter!

Red

I was asked to make a card for a lady's birthday incorporating a golf theme!

This is what I came up with. The stamp is from Art Impressions, partly paper pieced and coloured with alcohol pens, before cutting out and popping onto dimensional pads.

The  sentiment is computer generated in Cashew Apple Ale font.

Addicted to CAS has the theme RED and I thought this appropriate!

AAA cards has a LOVE theme this time... it is that time of year after all!

I bought some of the elements for this card from Michael's and Hobby Lobby on a recent visit to Florida. The lips are from a Recollections set and the heart embossing folder from Cuttlebug. The sentiment is from a stamp which I've had for some time from Sir Stampalot!

Homespun

Time seems to have been moving on apace and Christmas will soon be upon us. 

At Less is More the challenge is to run for two weeks and the theme this time is Homespun.

I love primitive art and some of the early American images are simply fabulous. I tend to think of samplers and gingham, lots of red and white and kraft too possibly. Here are a couple of cards which I managed to squeeze in time to make this week.

This is a Stampin' Up cross stitch heart, cut with a stitched square die and mounted on a little polka dot paper, framed by yet another stitched square.

A Little Claire image, partly paper pieced and partially coloured with alcohol pens. The sentiment is computer generated.

These Day for Daisies chickens are the cutest and make me think of primitive folksy art. Here her pinny is paper pieced and once more the sentiment is computer generated.

Finally a card for someone just embarking on cancer treatment. Once more a simple image, simply presented. This is another Day for Daisies image again combined with a computer generated sentiment!

  I have spent the last couple of days looking after my grandchildren and tonight I have a performance of Messiah with my choir! 

If I don't manage to post any more of my makes before the big day, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year!

Lucky Dip Week at Less is More

Whenever there is a five Saturday month, we have a Lucky Dip week with a Guest Designer at "Less is More". 

This is one of those weeks and we have Val from Canonbury Creations as our Guest this month, so do head over and join us!!

The challenge is Paper Piecing.

The stamps are from Wplus9 and the elephant was simply paper-pieced using a piece of gingham DP. The panel was die-cut with Simon Says Stamp stitched dies.
Sadly this is my only contribution this week as I have just returned from Disneyland Paris with my grandchildren, where we stayed at the Dream Castle Hotel. So here are a few pictures by way of excuse!

 

My little Prince and Princess

Enjoying a cuppa!

My daughter and grandchildren on a lovely day in Disneyland!

Here is granny, having just had a vanilla ice-cream (picture taken by Sebby Aged 4).  He thought I chose vanilla because it was the same colour as my hair!

Still time for Paper Piecing

There's still time to join in the Paper piecing Challenge over at Happy Little Stampers

Here I used a  Woodware set which I have had for quite some time, which is perfect for paper piecing! I combined it with the Patchwork of papers from Cuddly Buddly (as was) now called Buddly Crafts. There are several papers in each set which of course are perfectly colour co-ordinated. 

This challenge is sponsored by

Winner will receive this stamp set

It's a great prize for someone, so do join in and get piecing!

Still playing with Inka Gold

Here is a other card sontinuing my experiments with Inka Gold, For this I cut a butterfly from chipboard with a Mover and Shapers die and then coloured it with the Inka Gold, in Mint green and Graphite, over-stamping it with an Artemio script stamp. The backdrop was made just by applying the paste to a craft sheet and spritzing with water and taking a print from it. The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

It's for the challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More CAS challenge.

Here is a Day for Daisies chicken with a paper pieced pinnie and gentle shading achieved with Mirage pens. The sentiment is from Cuddly Buddly (very old stamp... it was my very first design team I ever joined)

This is for the challenge at CAS on Sunday Polka dots!

Jewel Colours

I recently decided it was time to try some Inka Gold pastes and so here are a few cards made by using them combined with Distress Inks.

The challenge at "Less is More" this week is to use Jewel colours and as one colour is called Amethyst and another Aquamarine I thought it a good idea to use these for the challenge!

Here I used the Aquamarine and a little Old Silver Inka Gold pastes, simply used from a craft mat after being spritzed with water and a print taken.

This one uses the Amethyst and Old Silver; they have a lovely sheen if buffed with a paper towel when dry.

For this I added some Festive Berries Distress Ink mixed with the Old Silver on a craft mat and after spritzing with water, took a print. When dry, I stamped the Penny Black poppy image with dye ink and then paper pieced the flower onto the stem. The octagon die cut was chopped up to give a patchwork effect and the pieces mounted onto dimensional pads. The LOTV sentiment was attached with twine and an eyelet.

Why not join us!

Happy Little Stampers - Paper Piecing

The CAS challenge at Happy Little Stampers this time is 

Paper Piecing

 I used Mama Elephant stamps and Pink Petticoat papers for this little card.

It is simplicity itself, just stamped, pieced and mounted onto a Spellbinder's square which is in turn on an MFT pierced die-cut.

The strip of dots and the hearts were stamped with WOW images.

It's simplicity itself.

This challenge is sponsored by

Winner will receive this stamp set

We'd love you to join in the fun!

Going nautical

There's a sketch challenge at Just Us Girls this week!

My version uses an anchor die from My Creative Time within a die cut from Simon Says Stamp. A touch of DP and a Hero Arts sentiment and that's it!

Addicted to CAS - BLUE

This next card is for a couple of challenges.

A Day for Daisies and CASology each have the theme Plaid.

I paper pieced some Pink Petticoat paper onto the chicken and added a computer generated sentiment.

Now to work out a design for some orders of service for my DIL's sister's wedding!

Up up and away!

The theme at "Less is More" this week is 

Up up and away!

What comes to your mind with those words?

For me it will always be balloons, but it could be a variety of things...fairies, planes, and things that are carried along on the breeze.

This is a Woodware stamp set, perfect for paper piecing... here I used Cuddly Buddly papers.

Here is a little Day for Daisies fairy who is decidedly on her way up and away!

I must apologise about the picture, my phone is a bit hit and miss or should I say, my ability to use it to take pictures is a little hit and miss!

The sentiment is computer generated.

A couple of cards

I was having quite a struggle this morning with the latest version of Word. I must have somehow clicked on something which made this version default and now I don't know how to get back to the version I know. Trying to make this circular sentiment nearly drove me dotty and is nothing like the previous method. It's not quite right, but for the moment will have to do. The font is too big but it's the only way I could see to make the sentiment go completely round the circle. Sometime I'll investigate further and try to do it properly.

This card is for the challenge at Color Q

I loved the colours immediately but sadly the card is not quite as good as I had hoped. The image is masked from a Stampin' Up Easter stamp and the flower heads paper pieced and coloured with Promarkers. I over-stamped it with a splat from SU Gorgeous Grunge and framed it with a Simon Says Stamp stitched rectangle, with the addition of a piece of downloaded newsprint.

The Card Concept challenge is to create a Thinking of you card based on this photo inspiration. I used the tulips from this picture.

The sentiment on this card says, 'You make me happy when skies are grey'. (Computer generated)

The wellies are from an old SU set and the colour chosen from Color Throw down.

I thought I'd use wellies too but one for each colour!

I coloured them with watercolour pencils and a water brush.

The cloud is from Lawn Fawn and the raindrops from SSS.

AAA Cards challenge is Watercolour Rain

The link to that challenge is a little tenuous (I did watercolour the boots and there are some raindrops) so I hope this will do for that!!

We're off to see Jeeves and Wooster at the Chichester Festival theatre this evening... should be fun!

This makes me happy

Today the mailman brought me a package from Simon Says Stamp... always a thrill!

This time it contained, among other things, this set of stamps from Mama Elephant! I think this little bunny is just the cutest thing.

This really made me happy!

I thought the scrap of gingham paper looked a little like a picnic blanket. It's mounted on a Dienamics pierced rectangle, with a stitched heart, also from Simon Says Stamp.

It follows the sketch from Colours and Sketches

The next one is my ever favourite Penny Back chicken... guaranteed to bring a smile to my face!

You might have guessed that this makes me happy, (it makes me happy just to be stamping and colouring them)  secondly the fact that she has some mail... especially if it contains some crafting goodies! 

I love these stamps from Art Impressions , they are such fun and I also love the topic of this particular one... Wine!

Here I used a background embossing folder of corks from Darice, a paper pieced sofa, and an image coloured with Mirage Pens. The sentiment is computer generated in VNI Thufap2 font.

It was fun doing these cards!