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)

(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

Shopping Our Stash: SOS572 - Up, up and away. Hopefully a Superhero counts as something you can see in the sky?  The only new thing on the card is the digi stamp - everything else is from my stash and the Distress Inks I used to blend the sky - more like 8 to 10 years!

Unicorn Challenge: #119 - Use dies

Allsorts challenge: #848 - Anything but square - a bit boring I know but it is a rectangle not a square.

Polkadoodles Challenge: Challenge 5, wk1 - Anything Goes