butterflies x 2

I scored some bits of spare card with lines , cut a fish tail at one end and used some butterflies which I inked .

 

simple layout

This card is inspired by a Christmas card I saw on Facebook.I don't remember the ladies name but she had taken the layout from yet another crafter and so it goes.

Inside the cute card.

 The same layout used for a Christmas card. I like the idea of a broken circle. I don't have any stacked infinity dies so my circle is probably a bit chunky  but I'm ok with that. The lines on both cards are just done on a score board. I will make some birthday cards replacing the tree with some flowers and a birthday sentiment.

Toppers

 

I don't buy many toppers but a lovely friend sent me lots so I took a quick break from the chaos in the house to layer them up with foam.

As much as I love the house new problems arise on an almost daily basis. We are looking at a six month wait for a new bathroom and the same for a new roof. There is a shortage of trademen which mean longs waits and very high prices.
 

Not a card in sight

 This has been the longest time ever without a post. I have spent the past few months going through the horrible nightmare of buying and selling a house. 

Whilst our old house was all on one level it did have 13 steps up to the back door. I always thought I would fall especially in the Wintertime when everything was frosty and icy. We started looking for another house way back on 2018 and in May of this year we finally found a house we both felt would be cosy and comfortable.

The house is a tiny 2 bedroom / 1 bathroom and it is over 120 years old. We have half the space we had in the old house so some serious thought will be needed to make the space work. This old house has not had much TLC over the years but we are up for the challenge. We only moved in one week ago and love the place.

So that is where I am . I never thought back in May when my craft space was perfectly neat and tidy ready for open home that everything would take so long . I am still in the process of unpacking so I think my card making will have to wait just a little bit longer. 

a rose for you

 This was supposed to be shabby chic- I need to be more aggressive and actually tear the background paper- It only got a light sanding which is not really enough - the flowers are all raised and I did go back and add 3 red gems .

all about "B"

 Allsorts challenge week 673  - I SPY with the letter 'B' -  blue, beige ,black , butterflies,bird  .The butterflies and bird are all raised slightly . I bought a pack of envelopes years ago that were quite slim and short so this card measures 14cm x 8.5cm - the panel is 12 x 6.5. the light is not so good today ,the card base is a sort beige/taupe colour and not grey at all.

This was a fun  to make - I am always surprised how things turn out from a blank piece of white card.

Flowery

This card recycles and uses up old stuff from my stash. The flowery circle was a huge heart from an anniversary card along with the sentiment . I did pretty well cutting the circle , a heart and I had a shaped die which fit the words perfectly. I visited New Zealand just after the devastating earthquake in 2011 and found a little stationery shop that had a few of the shaped pieces of paper - I still have some to use up.

 This card uses some more of the dreaded precut bits with white edges - I haven't found the time yet to go on the attack with the scissors.

This bunny stamp is huge ( about 8cm tall ). I was going to throw it away but decided I should at least use it once. The ribbon around his neck is raised on sticky pads. What would you do with bunny ?It was very sunny when I took the pic the colours IRL is so much darker and the pink is so much pinker.

 This is for card layout 14 at John Bloodworths blog andYoutube .

Lots of layers

 still recovering from Covid - the lack of energy means it takes me ages to do anything - even standing to do the ironing has been hard work and as for the gardening- 30 minutes and I am worn out.

I did make a few little cards to use up some of my stash - I have to admit I'm not a fan of the craft packs with all the cutouts as shown in the bottom card-  the white edges really mess with my tidy mind. I think a cutting session in front of the TV is called for .

Just playing around with layers of paper

I made these two about 4 weeks ago but just haven't had the chance to share them- At the moment I am  recovering from the dreaded Covid - my husband and I both tested positive last week. Thankfully we have had 3 shots but to be honest I have no idea if the vaccines actually work.

 

Lots of stamping and layers

 Stamping Sensations - March challenge Something for Spring -

 It's good to get out in the garden after the Winter and if I had red gardening boots like these  I would be a happy bunny. I layered the leaves under the watering can first then the watering can next the other leaves and then the boots on some foam tape.

Oops when it goes wrong.

When it went pear shaped - this is layout number eleven on John Bloodworths weekly offering.The tails on the butterflies were very short so I added a pink enamel dot which then made them look like angry faces- you have to laugh.

Take two - I changed the circles for squares and added some die cut letters . there are some lovely alpha dies on the market - sadly this is not one of them.
 

Birthday Roses

 Keeping it simple - I love the clean look of this paper with the white embossed bottom. I had

to take several pics to get one that looked half decent- a trick of the eye I suppose but every pic looked wonky down the right hand side as though the card base wasn't straight.

happy anniversary

 this is layout number 8 from John Bloodworth  - gentleman crafter- you can download the layout from the blog and you can watch John make this card .

Johns layout number 7

 I used papers from Gentleman's Emporium - I will probably add a sentiment under the shield .

Come along and join in with Johns layouts- all just for fun and a facebook page to share them.

Hey little treasure

I wanted to do this in brown tabby colours but I really don't have much in the way of brown markers - this was done with Windsor and Newton markers in varying shades of grey.

 Allsorts challenge 664 " I love " my little kitty - even though she is very feisty and will bite and hiss when it suits her. 

It's a boy

 I have so much paper and so do you- I just know you do- cos you're a crafter and it's what we do . This layout is the perfect way to mix and match all your scraps.Thanks to john at gentleman crafter for the layout.

Creative Knockouts- 440 - 2 or more patterned papers - such a shame I covered the head on the rocking horse - I used 4 different papers and little baby tag.

2 for Wednesday with lots of layers

from sketch/layout 3

                                                                           from sketch/layout 5 

 all the papers are from Kaisercraft -the rabbit is from Lavinia stamps.

 If you have lots of paper then the weekly layouts from John are just what you need. You can download the layouts, watch John make the cards and there is a facebook group to share them if that is your thing.  It's rainy and very dull today so I might have to make another card - that would be terrible lol. Happy Wednesday.

Happy Birthday flowers

 

Well it's red and rosey  - at least the background is as I embossed it with this  lovely folder "rambling rose" from Crafters Companion. Coloured with AquaMarkers.

Colorful Options - February 2022 - Rosey Red-

A little love heart

 This is week 6 sketch 6 over at the very crafty blog of  John Bloodworth .If you like a layout then John has them in spades - last he provided 100 layouts if you need some inspiration - this year there will be 50 layouts over 50 weeks.

Wow that's 3 posts today from my little bit of heaven here in Tasmania -  heaven that is if you don't mind possums leaving their little calling cards on the deck or the stick insect that was in my craft room earlier this week - never a dull moment. Have a great weekend.

with love

 

Double D challenge -  hearts - do hearts have to be red- this is shades of grey and purple. Not my usual simple cards but it's good to have a change.

Did I go too far ?

 I picked up the wrong tombow marker pen to go around the flowers - did I go too far - should I have started again-  it's a bit dramatic but maybe that's not such a bad thing. The flowers were coloured with Aquamarkers .

Allsorts challenge 662 AG with the option of red flowers.

Double D challenge - hearts

Passion for Markers - week 627 add a sentiment - Tombow and AquaMarkers were used.

Trying to catch up

sketch layout 2

I should have used a patterned paper for the background or at least embossed this green card- a bit too plain.

                 

                                                                       sketch layout 4

John Bloodworth - gentleman crafter with his weekly layouts - he also posts everyday with different crafts.

John mixes many patterned papers which is not really my thing but I am happy to give it a try- I picked out the bluey/green flowers from the background paper .

I'm hoping to play along every week when John posts his layout but already I'm falling behind, John is hoping to do 50 layouts so plenty to keep everyone busy. I still have to do number 3 and then onto number 5.

Scrappy Christmas cards

 Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge - challenge 579 - add a sentiment - 

 my local charity shop had packs with scraps ,  paper off cuts and labels - this one had christmassy stuff. 

Warm Wishes

I used this stencil  to create the panel behind the clock face - it's called diamonds and stars fro Spellbinders.

I used this die cut as stencil to add detail in the corners as most of my stencils had patterns that were too large .

I'm not sure where the butterfly stamp came from - a red rubber with gray backing- anyhow it was part of a prize win and came without packaging. I took this pic late at night so the lighting was bad- the background paper is pea green and the blues are vibrant.

Allsorts challenge week 661 A/G with the option of a stencil.

Every New Year I make the same resolution - to find more time to craft so last week I made two cards for the Allsorts challenge - ' make a card for a child' sadly I didn't get chance to post them in time to play along - here they are anyway.

 

Two birthdays Two cards

In December I made lots of Mum birthday cards for my MIL - this was one them I hope another Mum somewhere will like it.

 I had to post this one to Malaysia so I wanted to keep it fairly flat - plain and simple - I hope she likes it.

Just a little dotty

 I know there are lots of markers out there but my favourite will always be Aqua Promarkers . I can add lots of water to make a pale wash or less water for more depth of colour.

Passion for Markers week 623 - going dotty - I coloured this little sweetie before I picked the papers -lucky I had just the thing in my stash. Note to self -DO NOT KEEP DOING THIS. - I should find the papers first.

Birthday balloons

 I'm not a wizz with my camera or the computer so what you get is just that - this pic does not show any of the green colour in the background paper or the middle balloon which is green gingham - I have no idea how to put this right- any ideas ?

Double 'D' challenge - 6th birthday  -party balloons -

 the balloon die is part of set from a company called  Darice - it also has a dies for a cake,candles and gift -  the' happy birthday' die is from Paper Roses.

Two cards for sketch number 1

These sketches are just a base to build on - I went with a patterned background and plain but embossed panels.

I flipped the sketch on its side and used twine to represent the panels- different but an obvious connection to the sketch.

 This year the lovely John Bloodworth is providing a sketch each week to inspire and share on his cardmaking facebook group. Do come along and join in .