Fairy Sweet Wishes

 I really need to be more consistent with my blogging! Unfortunately I have let Instagram get in the way and tend to post more there. 

I wanted to share this card with you as I am so pleased with how it turned out. I always look with envy at blended background cards and am quite pleased how the Distress Oxides performed.

This stamp set came with both dies and stamps which made the cutting out so easy. I used a coated cardstock with Distress Oxides to create the blended background. The images were coloured with Promarkers.

I thought I would enter some challenges again, so in no particular order:

You can find a great list at Paper Playful

Elibelle's Corner - Things With Wings

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

Hare today

It's been over three months since I posted. Whilst I have had a little more time to craft I have had my son at home having home schooling as all our schools are still closed in the UK for Year 8.

Being at home and indoors has given me the chance to hunt through my stash for products I had forgotten about or never used.

With everyone rushing to the hairdressers I though it a good time to show you my own hare!

The stamps I used to make this card are by Crafty Individuals and came with a recent copy of Creative Stamping Magazine.

I created the background with spray inks and distress inks on watercolour card before stamping the image on top. I made a mask of the stamp to cover it whilst overstamping the grasses. To finish I used a white gel pen to highlight areas and a sprinkle of glitter.

I think it looks so ethereal and have plans to frame it and hang it on my wall.

Challenges I am entering:

A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Anything With an Animal

Angel Blessings

Well how things have changed since the last post here on my blog. We are all in our houses trying to keep ourselves and the wider community safe. So my thoughts and good wishes are with you all.

One of the good things about being at home more is getting the chance to finish some projects which have sat on my craft desk for some time.

Today I managed to finish this MDF angel in a mixed media style.

I used book paper, paint and gold leaf to decorate her and she is now displayed on my shelf.

Now, what's next?!

Challenges I am entering:

Bleeding Art Challenges - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Mixed Media ATC

One of the best places to learn and share mixed media projects is the Mixed Up Creatives.  They also run a monthly ATC swap.  You can find the Facebook Group at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mixedupcreatives

This was the inspiration board for the February Swap

And this is what I created

I embossed the brick pattern in my Sizzix machine then painted over the top with Dynapaints. I used gold wax to highlight some of the areas. The heart is made from grunge paper which I painted then added Magic metal embossing powder to. Whilst hot I added the silver thread and the sequins. To make the ATC stand out I dry brushed red paint on the edges.

Challenges I am entering:

Mix It Up Challenge - Anything Goes + Smooshing

More Mixed Media - Anything Goes +optional green

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. Who can believe we're in a new decade and 2020?!

I managed to find time to make a New Year's Eve card for a friend and thought I would share it with you all.

I used files from the Cricut Maker to create the background, sentiment and glasses. With the gold ribbon it creates a stunning and classy card.

I am entering the following challenges

Always Fun Challenges - New Year

CraftyHazlenutsChristmas Challenge - Anything Christmas and or New Year

Decking the Halls

It may be early but I have already made the resolution to step up with my blog in the New Year so look out for something new and different!

In the meantime I am trying to squeeze in as much Christmas crafting as I can. I absolutely love crafting with my Cricut machine. Here is my first decoration using SVG Dreaming Tree cutting files.

It was so easy to cut and put together. I think I might have to make more!

I am sharing this with

Cut It Up 

Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Tales From The Craft Room - Christmas

Back to the blog

My poor blog has been sadly neglected over the summer and prep for craft fairs so I'm making an effort to show it some love.

We had a fun time at Halloween and I treated myself to some great new silhouette stamps by Marianne Designs

And this is what I made with them

I used Distress inks to create the background on a blank tag and then simply stamped the silhouettes.

The tag below I created for a Facebook swap 

I hope you all had a spooky Halloween too!

Challenges I am entering

Crafty Gals Corner - Halloween Colours

Crafty Cardmakers - Halloween

Always Be A Mermaid

 Having just got back from a fantastic week away in Majorca (despite the heatwave!) it's time to get back to the crafting!

I was lucky enough again for my work to be selected for the Ready, Set, Stamp feature in CraftStamper Magazine.

The theme was Deep Blue Sea and this is what I created

I used Distress Oxides on the card and sprayed them with water to merge them into an underwater effect. Once dry I stamped the mermaid by Stampendous stamps in archival ink and the blue circles in Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. 

I used the Jane Davenport Making Faces flesh coloured paint for the body, watercolour paints and gold marker. I added the embossing powder, glitter, beads, artstones and fragments for the under the sea look. The diecuts were cut from watercoloured card before painting and added to the card. And as the sentiment says, Always be yourself, unless you can be a mermaid!

Other challenges I am entering:

a2zscrapbookingblog.com - Sparkle and Shine

Country View Crafts Challenges - Blue and Green

i Hanna's Postcard Swap

One of the really fun things to do each year is iHanna's Postcard Swap. You make 10 cards and then send them to given addresses. I have sent mine to Sweden, UK, Australia, Canada and the US.

I am now starting to get swaps back which makes for a happy mail box each day!

These are some of the swaps I have received so far

And these are some of the cards I made to send out

Make A Wish

OVER hill, over dale, 

   Thorough bush, thorough brier, 

   Over park, over pale, 

   Thorough flood, thorough fire, 

   I do wander everywhere, 

   Swifter than the moone's sphere; 

   And I serve the fairy queen, 

   To dew her orbs upon the green: 

   The cowslips tall her pensioners be; 

   In their gold coats spots you see; 

   Those be rubies, fairy favours, 

   In those freckles live their savours: 

   I must go seek some dew-drops here, 

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear. 

                                                                              William Shakespeare

This poem inspired me to dust off my Lavinia Stamps and make a fairy tag. 

I used distress inks to create the background for the silhouette stamp and added glitter to the wings for sparkle.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams - Anything Goes

My Time To Craft - Tag It