(Super)Heroes

 Good morning blogland

Time for another Passion for Markers challenge and this weeks' sponsor is the always fabulous Dies to Die For - a shop I'm rather familiar with! - and there is a lovely prize for one lucky randomly drawn winner. Really simple rules to be in with a chance to win the prize - follow the theme, use your markers (and tell us which ones you've used) and don't backlink.  You don't have to enter a card - any project you make and use markers on can be entered.

Now, onto the theme and I'm the one who picked it this week.  When themes were being chosen I was trying to come up with something and failing so I Googled 28th April and discovered that it's Superhero day - who knew! I doubt very much everyone everyone across the Country has taken the day off to celebrate their favourite superhero but it did give me an idea for the theme.

So this week's theme is 'Superhero' - this doesn't have to be your 'classic' superhero it could be anyone who you think highly of.  I was thinking everything from fictional superheroes to a family member / friend or really anyone you think of as heroic.

So here is my card:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

an etsy seller LDKZdesigns

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

Time for Tea Designs - City Break Stamp set

Dies:

un-branded stitched rectangles

Whimsy Stamps - OMG! Word die set

My Favorite Things - Die-namics : fishtail foundations

Anything else:

Polkadoodles crafts - Fluffy Clouds stencils/masks

distress inks

blending brush

sentiment created in Publisher

spotty light card

Phew! again a long list of supplies for this card - you wouldn't think to look at it, would you?

Before I go, I realise pretty much nobody reads my blog (I am terrible at promoting myself) but here follows a public service announcement.  Please, please, please make sure you read the descriptions of etsy sellers and their 'clip art'.  

Every single seller I've ever brought from on etsy - and there's been a few - have always sold their digi stamps as either  .jpg or .png files.  I mean half of them don't call them digi stamps, but whatever they call the file there's been a .jpg or .png in with many other types of files.  This particular seller only sells them as SVG, it's something I didn't notice and (as I don't use SVGs) caused me no end of problems trying to open the damn things.

There was a link to a free graphics creator pack or they said you could use Canva - but I am always wary of 'free' this or that and my goodness Canva was not the most beginner friendly programme.  So it took me ages to get the files converted into something I could use.  I was tearing my hair out there for a little while, once I did manage to get them converted it was plain sailing, but for a bit I really regretted my purchase.

There that's my little tale of woe - and a warning to other mildly technologically challenged people out there.  Make sure you check what you are buying!

And on that happy note 😁I'm off to see what entries we get for my (Super)heroes challenge!

See you soon,

Sarah

What, when, how?

 Good morning blogland,

So it's a Saturday and time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' but that's about the only thing that feels right about today.  Have you seen what theme we have to work with this time?

'Christmas in April'

Noooooooooo! Not a good theme for poor old moi - I don't like Christmas cards at the best of times and I thought I'd be safe from them for at least another couple of months. Maybe July, when some bright spark thinks, I know let's have a 'Christmas in July' theme! Then I'd do one card and put all supplies away again until it's actually nearly Christmas. Bah, humbug!

So now I've got that out of my system.  This is the theme for this fortnight and so, if you want to pop in any entry, it's what you've got to make! It doesn't have to be a Christmas card, but it does have to have stamping on it somewhere and be Christmas themed.

This is what I made:

Supplies used:

Stamp:

Stamping Bella - Bundle girl and penguin baking a cake (I used the stamp and sentiment)

coloured with my Copics

Dies:

Memory Box - Bianca Snowflake and Crystal Snowflake

Creative Craft Products - DL Card Builder die set

Paper:

Crafwork Cards - Sorbet Souffle foiled paper

Anything else:

self-adhesive gems

My first (and last for a very long time) Christmas card of 2026.

I'm sure there are lots of you out there who love making Christmas cards and this challenge will be very popular.  Just don't tell me about it!! 😁

See you all soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Crafty Catz: challenge #712 - anything goes

As You Like It: Brights or Pastels - Oh bright colours definitely. I do try pastels sometimes (or those 'wishy-washy' colours as my Mum used to call them) but I never seem to get them right, they always end up being the bright side of pastel!

And back to Spring has sprung

 Good morning blogland

And, just like that, it's Tuesday again and time for a new challenge over at Passion for Markers.  This week, as you may have a guessed, the theme is 'Spring colours', it was chosen by our lovely Teamie Sue and, this week, we are sponsored by LeAnn's World 101.

As always, if you follow the rules, you have a randomly drawn chance to win a lovely prize from our sponsor or be a Top 5 Passionista - chosen by Sue.  The rules being - use your markers (and please do say what markers you've used), follow the theme and don't backlink.

The DT had the chance to use one of our Sponsor's digi stamps - and this is my make with that stamp:

 Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

LeAnns World 101 - Birthday Balloons

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp and die set:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips: birthday (stamp)

Simple Strips: well rounded (die)

Dies:

LaLa Land Crafts - Banner

Whimsy Stamps - frame

Whimsy Stamps - 'YAY!' word die

Creative Craft Expressions - Sue Noble: Double Stitched Squares

Paper:

BoBunny - Country Garden Collection

Craftwork Cards (who don't exist anymore) - Lots of Dots

Phew! That was a long list of supplies - it's not often I make a card this 'busy' (and it is busy, for me!), but for some reason it just wasn't coming together as simple layout.  I really don't know why, and to solve it, I just kept chucking things on the card blank - this is the outcome!

Hope you all get a chance to come play with your markers, and also come see the lovely inspiration cards my Teamies have made.

See you soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Unicorn Challenge: #119 - Use dies

Aud Sentiments Challenge: #336 - Use Watercolours / Or Spring - obvs I'm doing the Spring part of the challenge

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: #275 - April 5 - AG

Polkadoodles Challenge: Challenge 4 Wk3 - AG