Ruby

Hi. My lovely neighbour Ruby passed away on Friday. She had been ill for a few months, and in hospital with pneumonia for the last couple of weeks, but it was still a shock. She was such a lovely lady, and she used to look after our cats while we were away. She loved baking, and often popped round with cakes for us. We have known her for 17 years, and the street won't be the same without her.

I wanted to make a Sympathy card for her family, but I find them so difficult. You want them to somehow express how you feel, and they'll always fall short. I ended up trying a couple of designs, but went with the one with the vase of flowers in the end. I suppose that although they are difficult to make, sympathy cards are also a bit of therapy, giving you something to do when you feel so sad and empty.

Anyway, here are the cards I made:

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: "Clean and Simple"
Watercooler Wednesday: "All About Occasions"
MAWTT: "Flowers"
That's Crafty: "Feeling Blue"

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp: "Winter Blues"
Alsorts: "No Patterned Papers"
Crafty Creations: "Anything Goes"
Crafts Galore: "Anything Goes"



Ingredients:
Stamps from Stampin' Up! 'Summer Silhouettes' set
Sentiment from Woodware 'Jane's Script'
Vase digi from Vectorstock
Adirondack Ink pads: Aqua, Denim, Hazelnut, Juniper, Cloudy Blue
Nuvo Drops: Pale Gold

More Distress Oxide Trees

Hiya! I am completely obsessed with Distress Oxides! I have been making backgrounds with different colour combinations, using the watercolour smooshing technique, then spritzing with Glimmer Mist. I stamp the trees onto the backgrounds and fussy cut them out. After gluing them to the cards, I have added detail with a glitter pen and some Nuvo Drops.

Here are a few I have made:

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

The Card Concept: (Style: CAS)

Always Fun: 'Anything Goes'
Crafty Creations: 'Anything Goes'

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

That's Crafty: 'Green with Envy'
Muse: Christmas: 'Any Holiday Card'
Watercooler Wednesday: 'Anything Goes'

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin': 'Your Favourite Christmas Colour Combo'

Simon Says Stamp: 'Anything Goes'

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Just Us Girls:

Challenge Up Your Life: 'Trees'

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

AAA Cards:

HLS Watercolour:

Uniko:

Ingredients:
Woodware Stamp: Christmas Trees
Distress Oxide Inks: Too many different colours to remember!
Glimmer Mist: Iridescent Gold

Nuvo Drops: Silver Lining, Pale Gold, Red Berry

Gelly Roll pen: Clear Star

Stencilled Tree

Hi! Here's a Christmas card I made which is hopefully subtle enough to be ok for a man. It's really hard to make non-blingy Christmas cards! I made this one by sponging distress oxides over a stencil, then spritzing with water. Once dry, I gave it a spritz of Glimmer Mist, so it has got a bit of a shimmer.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps:

Watercooler Wednesday:

That's Crafty!: 'Stencil It!'
Stamping Sensations: 'One Layer Christmas Cards'


Ingredients:
Imagination Crafts stencil: Fir Trees
Sentiment stamp from Happy Little Stampers
Distress Oxide Inks: Cracked Pistachio, Broken China, Peeled Paint
Glimmer Mist: Iridescent Gold

Tulips

Hi! Here's a card I made for the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. I was originally thinking of using 3 separate flowers to follow the sketch, but this stamp has the same kind of shape, if you count the butterfly. I coloured the stamp with inks and a water brush, then added a bit of detail with a white Uni Posca pen. I added a gem to the butterfly and the 'i's in the sentiment.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

CAS Colours & Sketches:

Less is More:

That's Crafty!: 'Forever Floral'


Ingredients:
Woodware Stamp: 'Tulip Doodle'
'Birthday Wishes' sentiment from Woodware 'Daisy Panel'
Adirondack ink pads: Butterscotch, Cranberry, Meadow, Willow
White Uni Posca pen
Crystal Parade gems: Topaz

Bats!

Hi! Here's a card I made using distress oxides and die cut bats. I really love distress oxides, and getting messy with smooshing the ink around. It's quite addictive, and I love the end result!

I didn't add a sentiment because I don't really send Halloween cards, but I might send a cute bat card for a birthday or just as a Thinking of You (although some people might take that personally...). Anyway, here's the card!

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations:

CAS on Friday: 'Fall / Halloween'
That's Crafty!: 'Get Your Spook On'
Just Us Girls: 'Window or Peek-a-boo'


Ingredients:
Distress Oxide Inks: Black Soot, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade

Bat cutting dies

Later In The Evening

Hi! Here's another card with the tree and birds, but this time I wanted to do a late evening version, with blues and purples. I coloured with ink dusters, and then smothered it all with Glimmer Mist. I love the colours in this one, and I'm thinking I'd like to make a version with a tree stamp and some little bats, for Halloween!

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Sunday Stamps:

That's Crafty: 'Fly Away'
Inky Chicks: 'Use Your Favourite Colours'
Time Out: 'Paint The Flying Spirit Of The Birds Rather than its Feathers'


Ingredients:
Image from Vectorstock

Adirondack Inks: Purple Twilight, Denim, Sailboat Blue, Butterscotch
Artistry Ink: Rusticana
Distress Ink: Peacock Feathers
Glimmer Mist: 'Iridescent Gold'

A Challenging Colour Challenge

Hi! I decided to make a background with distress oxides, using the colours in the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. The closest colours I had were Peeled Paint, Wilted Violet and Spiced Marmalade. I smooshed them onto my plastic mat, spritzed with water, and dragged my card through the inks. I dried the card, then splodged more ink on, repeating this a few times. I dropped a few water droplets onto it, and dried it again. I love the look of the resultant colour splodges, but do they still meet the requirements of a colour challenge? I used only the 3 colours, and I can still pick them out, but they have also merged and blended, and the oxides create a lovely rusty look. So I'm not sure if it's ok or not for the challenge, but I carried on anyway. I was itching to use one of the dies I bought when I got the Big Shot, so I ran it through the machine with some white hammered card, because I like the texture. I decided not to paint the die cut, except for the hare's eye, to give it a clean look against the oxides. I stuck it to the oxides background, then spritzed with Glimmer Mist, and then layered it on black and then purple cardstock.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

CAS Colours & Sketches (I hope it counts!)

AAA Cards

That's Crafty: 'Rustica'

Ingredients:
Distress Oxide Inks: Peeled Paint, Wilted Violet and Spiced Marmalade

Dies: Xcut: 'Folk Rabbit'

Glimmer Mist: 'Iridescent Gold'

Many Thanks

Hi! Here's a set of small Thank You cards I made, coloured with inks and a water brush, and gems for the flower centres.

I'm entering this one in the Color My Heart challenge:

I'm entering this one in the That's Crafty! 'Bright!' challenge.

I'm entering this one in the Crafty Creations: 'Anything Goes' challenge.

I'm entering this one in the The Sisterhood of Crafters: 'The Letter B' challenge ('Blue' and 'Bug').

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:
Always Fun: 'CAS'
Addicted to Stamps: 'Clean and Simple'

I'm entering this one in the Time Out challenge: 'Flowers with the optional twist of kissing'


Ingredients:
Bugaboo images: 'Thank You Flower'
Artistry Ink pads: Fall Fiesta, Indian Jamun, Midnight Blue

Adirondack Inks: Cranberry, Butterscotch, Meadow

Distress Inks: Fired Brick

Crystal Parade gems