Just a little theatrical

A while ago I was lucky enough to win a gift voucher from Aurora wings and although it was a difficult choice choosing which of the fab images as my prize this was one of them I decided upon.

I love how detailed the images are and on this one how I could identify the flowers within the image as some I have in my garden. 

I decided to use my garden flowers as the colour inspiration even though pink is not one of my go to colours, but it worked quite well. I used promarkers to colour the image and decided liquid pearls would be good for the gypsophila type flowers or I guess they could just be pearls. Anyway my son's cat had been round for a visit and I couldn't find my liquid pearls(have now , should have known she hides things under small gaps so they were under my paper rack). I rummaged through my stash and found some tiny pearl stick on drops so used them. Now I learnt by my mistake ,as I had intended die cutting my image out before I added the pearl drops but in my enthusiasm of finding the sticky on ones when I had spent ages fruitlessly searching for the liquid pearls I put the sticky pearls on and then die cut . Big mistake won't be doing that again as my nice little domed drops were all flattened and I only had a couple left to replace them. Anyway I used spellbinders die to die cut my image.

I wanted to keep my card fairly clean in design so followed a sketch for a challenge long gone now by CAS on sunday so used some pink card as my background matt. I thought it looked a bit flat so as my image was quite theatrical I thought I would add some script so dry embossed the pink card to add texture.

The sketch had a banner so I carried on with the theatre theme and added some music using a memory box die and the notes I didn't use in the banner I scattered around the script .

Not my usual kind of card but I am quite happy with the outcome and the mix of dies and stamping too.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Whoopsi daisy -pink and girly

Aurora wings -theatrical

House of cards- twine or colour challenge

the pencil case - anything goes

A bit more time to craft - anything goes

Scrapbook stamp society - anything goes

Stempelsonne -anything goes

passion for promarkers-make it digital

Smile every day

My son has had a bit of a rough year, he has cerebral palsy and suffered from a lot of pain and muscle spasms and he had a pump fitted under his skin with a tube into his spine to deliver medication directly to the nerves causing spasms and pain.This worked brilliantly for 3 weeks and then it stopped working. After many weeks of insisting to the doctors that it wasn't working and eventually persuading them to agree he was put on the waiting list to have it checked but not as an urgent case. That was in November last year.

He then had a fall a couple of weeks later and broke his right foot, a week before he had elective surgery on his left foot to straighten one of his toes.Unfortunately because the medication wasn't working the operation became much bigger as instead of one screw fixing his toe joint in place he finished up with 3 plates and 5 screws and was non weight bearing for 8 weeks.

In March he finally got the pump sorted, it was a complication so rare that they never mention it as a possibility,but who cares, it was working again. That in itself caused its own problems , as my son's muscle tone now relaxed and his foot position wasn't good and now stopped him walking so he needed more surgery, which he had last week. He now has 6 more weeks non weight bearing , then more surgery to remove wires holding his bones together , then a further few weeks in plaster before finally  he can start to walk again. 

Sorry about all the long winded explanation but I decided that some days we might need a little help to smile so I made this.

I used one of my favourite gorjuss girls that was one of the first stamps I bought from funky kits. I coloured her with promarkers and kept the palette simple.

I added a silver mirri card die cut 'smile' using a memory box die.

I put it in a frame in a place that we will all see it every morning as we walk by and how can we not have at least one smile a day.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

the crafters cafe -bling

sugar nellie - anything goes

MAWTT -CAS

I love promarkers - use a diecut

crafting when we can - dies and punches

Pussy cat thanks

It's always nice to say thank you and a card just makes it a little bit more special so I like to have a couple of cards in stock for those unexpected occasions.

This uses poppy stamps thank you die and baby kittens too and a memory box circle die.

I die cut a circle into white card and backed it with acetate. I added some double sided pad tape around the circle and added some confetti and sequins from my stash in red silver and green. I then added double sided tape and added this to a white base card.

I used pva glue to stick the words to the acetate and then coloured the kittens with black promarker and then stuck them around the words in positions kittens may take up.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Poppystamps challenges-shaker card

Squirrels world -anything goes

Show us your pussies - furrythings goes

HLS mixed media -metal real or faux

CRAFT -anything goes

HLS - anything goes with dies

Brown sugar - anything goes

£1 punch lilacs or wisteria

I saw a card made by Olga on the poppystamps blog and fell in love with the idea and concept but the dies were no longer for sale so when I saw a mini flower punch at hobbycraft for a £1 I thought it was worth a try and this is what I came up with.

I coloured a sheet of copy paper with some lilac ink I have some ink pads that are on their last legs and then I punched out hundreds of the small flowers. I used the same technique as Olga to make my drooping flower heads. 

I added some die cut leaves, and cut out a section using a corner die from memory box distressed baptisia set.

 I finished off my card with one of my itty bitty bees and will be using this for a summer anniversary card .

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

crafty friends - anything goes

As you like it -favourite flower and why

I love daisy style flowers and this wee punch demonstrates why as so many
flowers are made up of daisy style petals so really there aren't any flowers I don't like

the pencil case -anything goes

not just cards -anything goes

LMM -anything goes

Squirrels world - anything goes

A daisy wish...

...for a happy birthday.

I made this card with a friend in mind, not saying who though just in case. I used memory box gerbera die , which I'm not too good at cutting so used the one I got wrong to make a  water coloured panel, sort of like a stencil but not, just splodging paint around the outline die then moving to the next bit of paper. I quite like the effect and not only is it easy to do but quite satisfying too.

I cut an aperture in my base card freehand with a scalpel and ruler and layered the water

coloured panel behind it. I used a good die cut flower and semi overlaid it on the panel and the base card. I love white on white cards and a splash of colour just makes a change sometimes.

I wanted to neaten the edges of my aperture but wasn't sure how, I tried peel offs and that just didn't look right as it felt too solid and with the watercolours I felt the card had a certain softness. I decided to go with ribbon and added 2 strips and a hand tied bow all topped off with a lily of the valley birthday sentiment.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Memory box challenges - yellow

Just us girls  - watercolour

QKR- monochromatic

Seize the birthday -anything birthday

AAA - blending CAS

the paper shelter - birthday

red rainbow happy birthday

My Dad in law lives in Tenerife and when posting cards from the UK I was told by the post mistress that larger cards have to go through customs ,which means my in laws have to go to the airport to collect them so I try to keep my cards small enough to go as a small letter.

I love this poppystamps background die as it conveys so many birthday wishes and keeps the card thin too. I used my drying out ink pads to create a rainbow effect from yellows to oranges to reds and browns, using them up like this has allowed me to treat myself to some distress mini ink pads for my birthday in the coming weeks, it somehow allows me to justify the need for new inks if only to myself.

I cut the die in white and attached the 2 layers to a white base card and the card is finished, so easy it almost feels like I cheated somehow.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

crazy challenge -sunshine warm colours or a smile

get creative challenges -all white with a splash of colour

craft your passion -anything goes

the corrosive challenge -hot,hot summer

The big 5-0

We have a friend who recently celebrated his 50th birthday and this is the card I made for him, haven't made a word card for a while so it was a fun project for a change.                                                                                                                                                                                       I cut each of the letters from card used in shirt packaging and covered both sides with different coloured papers , some coloured copy paper , some digital freebies from birdhouse  and some magazine freebies. I tried to keep to the colour palate of the retro paper I used on the 'Y' letter.

I added some fun images all of which are lily of the valley and a mix of sentiments which I think are all from the dark room . The images are all coloured with promarkers and some are fussy cut others just left on a white card surround.

On the last page of the card I added a die cut circle and used so,e of the letters of the memory box/poppystamps happy birthday background die to form the birthday sentiment. I could then write my message here,

The cute Thomas stamp with the cake was perfect as I made hies birthday cake , a 9 inch sachertorte which was enjoyed by all his guests and there was still some left for him and his wife to take home and enjoy.

I punched holes into each letter and tied them together with butchers twine , below are a couple of pictures to show the finished effect.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges ;-

Lily of the valley facebook challenge - anything goes

kraftin kimme - birthday wishes

stamping sensations - anything goes

a bit more time to craft - anything goes

left of centre -shaped or square cards

613 Ave create - anything goes

creative craft cottage - men/boys

the cutie pie challenge - work ,rest or play

our friend works in IT, likes to chill and knows how to party

Horsey birthday

Another of my sister in laws also has a birthday in august and this card is what my son requested for his auntie. She likes horses and riding so this cute mini stamp from lily of the valley was perfect.

I coloured with promarkers and fussy cut it out before attaching to the card above my die cut sentiment.

I added some small flying birds also coloured with promarkers as a finishing touch.

The sentiment and what I feel is the main feature of the card and I love is a memory box die, I just think it's so clever. I cut from white card and added some glossy card that I splodged alcohol ink onto ,I love the effect.

The card got my son's approval so that was all that mattered really and my sister in law liked it too.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

craft your passion - anything goes

crafty boots-use a stamp

QKR - down on the farm

seize the birthday - pinks and brown

unicorn crafts -animal kingdom

camping bug

One of my sister in laws has a birthday in August , well actually 2 have august birthdays , but this card is for the one who has a camper van and loves the out doors or at least the bit where you sit around on an evening with several bottles of wine after a long day of doing nothing but fresh air and countryside viewing.

The image is from bugaboo and the sentiment I just love ,I think it really makes the image and perfect for a CAS card, says it all really. I coloured it with promarkers, just love how she holds onto the frame bringing you into the scene.


I finished the card by adding a simple sentiment to the white base card and card done.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

cupcake inspirations -the great out doors

cards und scrap -anything goes

613 Ave create -anything goes optional sights,tastes and sounds of summer

the pencilcase -anything goes

just us girls-any girly card

MFP -anything goes

CRAFT - summer