Those tricky, tricky,

men.

Morning blogland,

And as another Tuesday rolls around, so a new Passion for Markers challenge starts,  This week my lovely Teamie Lorraine has chosen the theme of 'Masculine'.  As always the challenge has some very simple rules that you need to stick to if you want to be in with a chance at the randomly drawn prize.  With those rules being - it doesn't make what you make but you must use your markers (any brand) on your project; to follow the theme and no back linking. Even if you don't win the prize draw you're still in with a chance at a Top 5 spot. 

So those projects made for those tricky masculine cards I know some find them difficult, personally I don't mind cards for men or boys so much.  There are some great dies and stamps and digis out there aimed at the menfolk - although it can be a bit tricky if your man or boy doesn't like 'traditional' blokey things.

Our sponsor this week - Dr Digi's House of Stamps - does have a wide range of fun images for those masculine makes.  They also allowed the DT a stamp to use for our cards and this is my make with that digital stamp:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

Dr Digi House of Stamps - Dad DIY

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips : Man, Myth, Legend

Tonic Studio - Say it With Sentiments

Dies:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips : Well Rounded

un-branded stitched rectangle dies

Stencils:

Lawn Fawn - Brick stencil

Polkadoodles - Great Outdoors stencil

Anything else:

Distress Inks

blending brush

black card to matt

It was fun creating this one - the scene came together really well but, as always, I'm such a terrible self critic that I was starting to worry that picking jeans and a blue shirt made him look a little like he was wearing a jumpsuit!  They are, in real life, very different shades of blue, not so much in the picture.

As always I would encourage you to pop on over to the challenge blog, take a look at my Teamies wonderful projects and think about popping something in yourself.  It's fun, honestly!

Aaaand, if you made all the way down here, thank you for ploughing on through my waffle!

See you soon,

Sarah

Simples

 Good morning blogland

As pretty much normal for me - I'm late with a blog post.  The only credit I will give myself is that I am marginally less late than I normally am - so I suppose you could almost say I'm on time!

So the reason for this post.  It's New Release Time (that should have been Day but, hey as I'm 3 days late with this post, it's become Time) over at All Dressed Up stamps.  This month's release is super sweet - tho to be honest when are ADU stamps not - and I got a lovely digi to colour.

I did spend ages going through lots of different options for this card, put on layers / a frame / contemplated turning it into a shaker card / various patterned paper.  But, in the end, we went with what does seem to be my 'normal' style - not quite Clean and Simple but what I like to call ' Clean Lines'.

The only thing that bugs me about this card, is that it just wouldn't photograph properly.  I'll explain after you've seen the picture:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

All Dressed Up - Whimsical Day

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips: Birthday

Dies:

unbranded stitched rectangle

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips: well rounded

Anything else:

embossing board - to get the embossed lines

self-adhesive gems

And therein lies the problem - the embossed lines.  There actually six embossed lines on this card, 3 across the top and 3 down the side, but would the damn camera pick up the embossed lines down the right-hand side?  No it blooming well would not!  

I tried so many different angles and it only shows them really faintly, they only properly show up in real life.  And, as happy as I would be for everyone to pop over for a cup of tea and a 'look-see' at the card, that's not really going to work now, is it?

OK, so I think that's probably enough moaning from me now and, anyways, I do actually like how this card turned out.  It's the picture of it I don't!

With that I will wander off to do Sunday type stuff and just leave you with the request that you pop on over to either the Facebook Group, the blog or even, if you feel like it, the Etsy shop and have a look at the lovely examples of what can be done with these images. I disclaim all responsibility for any shopping spree I might set off! 😀

See you soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Crafty Catz: #713 Anything Goes

Simply Clean & Simple: May 2026 Anything Goes (option - Things That Fly)

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #819 Birthday

As You Like It: Favourite sketch/layout and why.  Goodness this takes me back - when I very first started cardmaking I was really into layering and embellishments and had a little notebook that I kept all my favourite sketches in - because that allowed me to use some of the papers and embellishments that I was stockpiling!  Fast forward to today and I don't have a favourite sketch anymore - nor do I heap papers and embellies on a card - instead I have a favourite layout.  Which is: a top fold 5x7 card; large focal digi (or rubber stamp) on my Copic friendly paper; die-cut that out; matt onto another piece of coloured (or spotty or stripy) card; matt that onto the card front.  Finish with sentiment and maybe some gems/pearls as embellishment.  Sometimes add a couple of strips of patterned card at the top of the card.  If you look back at my most recent cards (not all of them because this isn't a set rule, it's just my comfort zone) you will see a double layer of matted card with a large Copic coloured digi as the top layer.  Long story short - that's my favourite layout.  I like colouring and it allows me to colour and spotlight the digi - that's why it's my favourite layout.

It's all white

 Good morning blogland

So it's the first Saturday of a new month which means it's also time for a new challenge over at Crafty Calendar Challenge. This month the theme is 'All White' - so all your white on white layers will be most welcome!  

As always this is a very easy going challenge, with simple rules which are: follow the theme, don't backlink and a maximum of 3 entries per person. There is a lovely randomly drawn prize on offer and Top 3 picks as well at the end of the month when the challenge ends.

So this is my 'All white' card I made for the challenge:

Supplies used:

Dies:

Polkadoodles Crafts: - 

Pretty Anemone Flowers

Botanical Foliage

Big Hello Sentiment

Pretty Pink Posh - Lattice Background Die

Creative Craft Products - A2 Essentials Landscape Card Die set

Anything else:

White Linen effect light card

white card

Feels very strange to have not stamped at all or to have done any colouring with my Copics - but a change is as good as a rest, eh!  I do also really like how this one came out - for once quite pleased with a card I made!

My Teamies have made some fabulous cards as well - why take a wander over to the blog and have a gander - you'll be pleased you did!

See you soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Polkadoodles Challenge: Challenge 5 Wk2 - Anything Goes

NBUS: #86 - This card is pretty much all never used before!  The only thing I 100% know I have used before is the die set that I use to make the card blank.  Everything from Polkadoodles is new, and unopened, the Pretty Pink Posh die is not new - but I don't think I've used it before (it's difficult to remember it is a rather old die).

Just Us Girls Challenge: #821 - CASE a DT week - It's Bobby's card that mine takes inspiration from - the flowers on the card (whilst mine is only one flower) and the sentiment across the bottom of the card.  Also I dispensed with the colour on Bobby's card and gone down the WOW route for mine.

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #818 ATG - with a twist (mine is without the twist)