Just for fun

Hello Blogworld,

Everyone be ready for a shocker - I did some colouring but not with Copics! I dug out my Prismacolor pencils and had a play with those instead - what's that I hear? shock, horror, rounds of 'are you feeling well, Sarah?'!

Yes, yes, now we have that jesting done with, I used to colour probably 75% Copics and 25% Prismacolors in the old days, more using the pencils to add definition on top of Copics.  I haven't used only pencils for many years and so this was very much a fun experiment and a learning curve / memory test! 

I don't think the end result was too shabby, but my goodness I could not get a good picture of my pencil work.  The poor girl looks like she's got a bad case of sun-burn! One of those rare occasions when the original card looks way better than anything I can get in the picture.  No amount of photo editing or different light (and I did wait for later in the day and a different room to take more pictures) would fix it - so here you go I'm being brave here! :-)

and a close up of the image:

Supplies used:

Digital Stamp:

Image:

Time 4 Tea - Phoebe Hugs (another one I can't find in the shop so guessing she's retired)

coloured with Prismacolor Premier pencils

Rubber Stamp:

Sentiment:

Taylored Expressions - Sending Sunshine

Nothing else!

What I did:

Printed the image onto an A4 sheet of card, which I then turned into a DL (slimline) sized card blank.

Coloured in the image with my Prismacolors.

Stamped the sentiment near the image.

et, voila - job done!

I also doubt that the ordinary white card I use when making my own card blanks was the best medium to colour on.  However, I can't remember what I used to use and the card was made for a CAS One Layer challenge - so I worked with what I had. 

If, no when, I do this again, I will investigate properly the better card to use and make a better job of it!

Also, in other news, pleased to report TTT is happily back at school - only a bit of a lingering cough left from the cold - and the Hubby is also on the mend. It seems I was lucky and didn't catch their cold - fingers crossed anyways!!

Signing off now,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

AAA Cards: CAS Game #199 - No Layers + Optional Twist - Hugs

Crafty Sentiments Designs: Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday: Wk 39 - Anything Goes

Dreams

Good afternoon blogland,

Hmmm, routine out the window yet again!

Now we have a TTT off school with a cold and chesty cough, but feeling better and going to school tomorrow.  A Hubby who is just starting with said cold and feels terrible.  A Me who, so far, fingers crossed, is absolutely fine!  We've all done PCR tests and come back negative so I can cheerfully say it's just plain, old fashioned colds, not Covid.

Not surprised she's caught cold though, there are so many with coughs and sneezes at school, and they've not really mixed a huge amount over the last year or so - so ripe fields for colds to be passed around.  She's also a good kid really is TTT, even when she was feeling rotten on Friday she still did some homework that could be electronically handed in! 

Anyway, all this means - again - interrupted day-time crafting.  Still I managed to carve out a bit of 'me' time on Saturday when TTT was sleeping and Hubby was feeling rough and this is what I made:

Am not over impressed with my hair colouring - something about black hair defeats 9 times out of 10.  More practice, me thinks!

Supplies used:

Digital Stamp:

Saturated Canary - Fall Angel

coloured with Copics

Papers:

First Edition - New Leaf

Prima - Doodle Deux

Anything else:

Piece of ribbon

bit of bling

metal word charm

Tim Holtz - Distress Ink

What I did:

Printed out the Digi onto Copic friendly paper and coloured her in with Copics. 

Inked around the edges of the panel with some Distress Inks.

Added a bit of bling and a word charm then mounted the whole lot onto a bit of black card and trimmed. 

Took at card blank and, with the fold at the top, added two bits of patterned paper to the front, then covered the join with a piece of ribbon.

Mounted the coloured and inked panel on the front of the card with 3d foam.

et voila, job done!

I will, no doubt be back towards the end of the week - when I've had some time to colour (and assuming I don't come down with the dreaded cold!).

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge /s:

Passion for Markers: Week 610 - International Day of Peace (hope Angel wings are OK in the rules?)

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge: Week 38 - Anything Goes

As You Like It Challenge: Favourite: Autumn or Winter - hmmmmm, to be honest Summer!!  However, if I had to pick it would probably be Autumn as it's still Summer like right into late September and there's no frost or freeze to make me shiver.  I really do not like being cold!!

Dream Valley Challenges: Challenge #255 - 2 or more Patterned Papers

It's very difficult

 typing with closed eyes!

Good morning Blogworld

It's time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' and this time the theme is Christmas in September! So we'd like to see all your Christmas themed makes and remember it doesn't have to be a card but it does need to have some stamping on it somewhere!

Now the meaning of my title - I'm neither a fan of Christmas starting too early in the year or of making Christmas cards.  So this actually was a proper challenge!!  To be totally honest with you, my bloggy friends, this is the first time I've made a Christmas card for 7 years, maybe nearer to 8.

Still it's a good job I'd been thinking about whether to make Christmas cards this year and had treated myself to some new themed stamps - otherwise I'd have been stumped. Or you'd have seen a re-hash of some very old ideas!

Anyways, after that big build up - here's my card for the challenge:

Supplies:

Rubber stamp:

Stamping Bella - Penguins Bearing Gifts (I only used one from the set of three)

coloured with Copics

Dies:

Un-branded alphabet die

Anything else:

E-Bosser embossing folder

Silver Miri card

What I did:

Stamped and coloured in, with Copics, one image from the set of three and then fussy cut him/her? out.

Die-cut letters from silver Mirri card.

Embossed a piece of card slightly smaller than card itself.

Arranged the die-cut letters and coloured stamp to spell 'NOEL' then attached them to the embossed panel with 3d foam.

Mounted the embossed card onto a square of Mirri card, then attached the whole lot to the card blank.

et voila, job done!

Would love you to pop over to Sweet Stampin' and see the much better job my Teamies have done! Then maybe join in with us - we're a friendly lot and would love to see what you can make.

Signing off now,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Addicted to Stamps and More!: Challenge #414 - Any Occasion

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #578 - All Occasions

Di's Digi Challenge: Favourite Colour Combination (Reds/Blues)

Savvy Shopper

Good morning Blogworld

More long absences from Blogworld, can't account for it really other than I had DT makes to do, which I obviously can't share yet, and just life generally getting in the way.

I've also got a Birthday card to make for one of TTT's friends - whose turning 15! - and that's going to be a difficult one to pass Quality Control! So might still be a bit quiet in old Blogworld, at least until the DT make is shared.

This is the only card I made, and can share, this week - another Clean and Simple that gave me serious thoughts about what I could do. In a way I like the brain ache that comes with CaS it exercises the old grey matter! 

She's a really old stamp - one of the first I brought from Stamping Bella, and as much as I like the stamps they do now (and I really do, you should see how many I have) I still love the original stick girls!

Supplies I used:

Rubber stamps:

Image:

Stamping Bella - savvyshopperbella

coloured with Copics

Sentiment:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips - Birthday

Dies:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips - Well Rounded

My Favorite Things - Die-namics: A2 Stitch Rectangles STAX set

Anything else:

Honey Bee stamps - Hexagon Layering stencil

Tim Holtz - Distress Ink

What I did:

Stamped and coloured in, with Copics, Savvyshopperbella on Copic friendly paper, then fussy cut her out.

Found a scrap of card, same as the card blank, which is slightly textured, and inked through the stencil with my Distress Ink then die-cut it out.

Added 3d foam to the back of the image, popped that onto the inked panel. Added 3d foam to the back of the inked panel and popped all the layers onto the card front.

Stamped and die-cut out the sentiment.

Added 3d foam to the sentiment and popped that onto the card front underneath the main panel.

et voila, job done!

Also, while I'm here, I thought I'd mention that TTT is teaching me how to take better selfies and a walk / jog / roller skate on the Prom yesterday evening presented a lovely opportunity for more practicing. So being totally self-indulgent (even more than normal!) here's me and TTT (aka The Troublesome Teen - aka Emily!!).

That's it for now folks,

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge /s:

Less is More: #452 Hexagons

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge: Week 37 - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: C #`166 - Anything Goes

Just drifting by

 Good morning blogworld,

So now I've recovered from the dream inducing very CaS card - I thought I'd move on and do something different.  Well that plan didn't work! I seem to be in a 'no patterned paper'  and 'degrees of CAS' mode at the minute.  I wonder if my paper pads now feel as neglected as my Copics did last week?

I think I must still be looking for my 'style', I feel I flit from one over embellished card (although the last time I did one of those was before my carding break) to a barely there card, with a pit stop at every point in between. 

Anyway, meandering over - onto card.

Card:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

Lee Holland Designs - Panda on Balloon

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

Catherine Pooler - Happy Birthday Many Ways

Anything Else:

Various Tom Holtz Distress Inks for the background

masking tape.

What I did:

I printed off the digi stamp onto Copic friendly paper, coloured him/her? in and fussy cut out.

Masked off a frame on a card blank and, using a home made stencil and some torn paper, created a cloudy skill and hills background. Then removed the masking tape.

Added some 3d foam pads to back of the panda image and popped it onto the clouds background.

Inked up my sentiment stamps and stamped in the corner of the background.

et voila, job done!

In some ways I think I could have used a better sentiment, but as I had fun making the background, I'll be using this way of making backgrounds again so will have a think about what it should say for next time.

For now, I'm signing off, 

See you soon,

Sarah

Challenge /s:

Passion for Markers: Week 609 - something beginning with 'B' - Balloon, (Panda) Bear - not sure if they are actually just Panda's (like Koala's) or Panda Bears so might be stretching there!- Background, Birthday!

CASology: Week 395: ONE - one balloon, one bear (see above for what type of bear!!!)

The Cutie Pie Challenge: #163 - 10th Birthday! I still can't believe it's been 10 years of The Cuties, doesn't time fly!  Loved my time on the DT and so glad you are still going strong!

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #577 - CAS

3rd attempt lucky!

I know, I know, it should be third time lucky - but this works better with the story!

Hello blogland,

So a near total lack of posting again this week, mostly due to trying to get this blooming card right! Flexing my Clean and Simple muscles again, but my goodness this one did not want to come together.  I even dreamt about it and it distracted me while I was doing my exercises - neither of which normally happens.

Anyway we got there eventually and, although still not 100% happy with it, it's something like the idea in my head.

Supplies used:

Rubber stamps:

Image:

Altenew - Peony Bouquet

Sentiment:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips: Birthday

Die:

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips: Well Rounded

What I did:

Stamped the leaves and berries from Peony Bouquet in an arrangement that I liked in the corner - as shown onto a card mount.  You can't see from the picture but the mount is linen card.

Then stamped and die-cut sentiment and added it to the card with 3d foam squares for dimension.

Glued the  panel onto a square of coloured card and then glued that onto the card blank.

et voila, job done!

I'm back to stamping, colouring and not dreaming about cards now! 

Hope everyone in blogland are doing well and happy.

Signing off now,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Addicted to CAS: Challenge #206 Leaf

AAA Cards: CAS Game#198 Up to one third and optional twist - leaves

Double D Challenges: Leaves

If I was only a little organised!

I'd have joined in with my opposite Team Teamies on the new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' today, but I'm not so I'm not!

Good afternoon blogworld,

I had a little time today, in-between endless rounds of loading the washing machine, and really felt like showing my Copics some love.  If I'd done this earlier in the week I would've joined in as above but nope - not that organised! Don't let my dis-organisation put you off though - pop over and see what they are up to!

I still did an Autumn style colour - as I've seen a few challenges with that theme - and I don't colour brown or orange very often and I do like to mix things up occasionally.

Here is the end product of a little Copic love:

Products used:

Digital stamp:

All Dressed Up - Little Autumn Girl 3

Background is freehand.

All coloured with Copics

Sentiment:

Computer generated

Anything else:

Red card

What did I do?

In a Word document flipped and re-sized the digi image to suit my card blank (5x5" square).

Had an internet search for a sentiment / phrase / saying that caught my eye, typed one I liked into the Word document and re-sized / played around with fonts until I was happy with how it all looked.

Printed off the panel onto Copic friendly paper and coloured in!

Cut the coloured panel to a suitable size, mounted it onto red card, trimmed that to fit the card blank and then glued the finished panel onto my card blank.

et voila, job done!

I'm not sure what the next subject is, but rest assured it will probably be a card!! 

Hope you are all having good weekends and see you here next week.

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Passion for Markers: Week 608 - Autumn Colours

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge: Week 36 - Anything Goes

As You Like It: Favourite - Circles or Squares (and why).  I'm a square girl (not even a square peg in a round hole - just squares!!). I think you might guess that from all the recent projects - maybe sometimes a rectangle - but there's something about a square card that is just right for me! Even though I'm a terror for getting every straight lines going wonky - I still come back to a 5x5 or 6x6 square card.

Crafty Gals Corner: Challenge #223 - Fall

All Dressed Up Challenge: August Challenge #120

Oooh, I'm terrible

 Hello Blogland,

Anybody else who has a significant other who remembers their Wedding Anniversary when you don't??

That's me folks! I'm better at birthdays, terrible at anniversaries.

So this would've been the anniversary card I made for the Hubby - but it's about a week late, so I'm not bothering now.  I'll probably put it to one side for next year, but making sure I don't put it with the bar of chocolate that got brought for TTT one year as a Christmas present and has totally vanished!!

Hubby's not into cutesy stuff - which I normally make (when I remember) as a joke card for him. This is definitely more his style, even with the pink.  He's not afraid of pink!!

Card:

Trying to get the shine / shimmer / glitter:

How I made it:

Die-cut out a Memory Box die (Heart Ensemble) from sparkly pink-ish card (left in a couple of the hearts - it should be all outlines).

Took a black card base, masked off two thirds of the card and sprayed the lower third with Cosmic Shimmer.

Placed the pre-printed sentiment inside the die-cut - shuffled it around a bit until I was happy with the look and then 3d foam'd it all onto card blank.

et voila, job done!

(Took longer to get a good picture of it than it took to make!)

Signing off now,

See you later,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Allsorts Challenge: Week 640 - Anything Goes (option for the love of your life)

Less is More: #451 - Sparkle

Watercooler Wednesday: WWC324 - All About Occasions

Creative Craft Cottage: #144 - Anything but a Square

Not quite Monday, nor Wednesday either

Or morning, come to that! So not quite routine yet, but getting there.

Good afternoon blogworld,

As you can see school went back - yay - but not on Monday - boo - that was reserved for the new Year 7s. Poor things didn't get an Induction day, while they were still Year 6s, due to Covid-19 restrictions. This meant that only Yrs 7, 8 and 6th Formers went back on Monday to allow the little 'uns to have some time being shown about by the older lot before the rest of the school swamped them! Not that it's a big school - there are around 500 and something pupils - but a lot of the Primaries around here are small so, to some children, it will seem very daunting.  I know it did for TTT - who is now in Yr 10!

Thinking about TTT back in school I have to re-assure myself I'm not a bad mother for being pleased about it. I'd always said if I had kids I wouldn't be the one celebrating schools' return - but here I am! To be fair she does enjoy school and, as we are just us three, doesn't get to see many people during the holidays. So for her going back to school means seeing her wider circle of friends not just that I get my 'me' time and routines back. So I know I'm not a terrible mother as happy daughter = happy mother!

And, waffle over! Onto card:

I have no reason at all to make this card, it was done purely to start joining in again with challenges after struggling to find the time during the Summer holiday.

Here you go:

Supplies used:

Digital stamps:

Image:

AlexShopsArt :The image doesn't have a name that I can find, but is under Owls and Birds

(I added a link as it was a new Etsy shop to me and I do like to pass on buying opportunities!)

Coloured with Copics

Sentiment:

LoTV: Everything Gets Better

Rubber stamp:

Kanban: Urban Belles - Birthday

I used a small 'Birthday Girl' sentiment from the set

This is what I did:

Imported the digi stamp and sentiment into a Word document to re-size them for the square card blank.

Added a double frame with the shapes options in Word and printed onto Copic friendly paper.

Coloured in the image and added the small rubber stamp under the larger digital sentiment stamp.

Cut to size, popped onto some 3d foam squares, mounted the panel onto the card blank.

et viola, job done!

Not the most elaborate of cards, but a good start back with the Copics after neglecting them recently.

So I hope everyone else in blogland is as good as they can be and are happy being creative - I know I am!

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

As You Like It: Favourite Wild Animal (&why) - Well I don't really have a favourite wild animal but we are very lucky to see owls where we live.  They aren't regular visitors but regular occasional ones and I do love seeing them swooping along the hedgerows - such elegant creatures.

Crafty Catz Challenge: #562 - Anything Goes (with option for a Child)

Cute Card Thursday: Challenge 692 - Anything Goes

Seize the Birthday: #222 - Use Pastel Colours

September already!

Good morning Blogworld,

I am amazed how quickly this year is going - September already! TTT's school goes back on Tuesday and the chill is encouraging me to wear an extra layer of clothing! The TV weather presenter tells me, though, that the extra layer of clothing will not be needed next week - so I won't pack away all my summer clothes just yet.

So waffle done, the purpose of this post is - it's challenge time over at Crafty Calendar Challenge. Always with an Anything Goes theme, but with some lovely sponsors and great prizes: 

 

and

The Design Team were very kindly allowed to choose an image from SheepSki Designs - this is my choice and make using that choice:

Supplies used:

Digital Stamp:

SheepSki Design image - Solo

coloured with my Copics

Rubber Stamp and Dies:

Creative Expressions: Bold Words - Celebrate

A matching die and stamp set

Creative Expressions: Sue Wilson - Noble Collection: Double Stitched Squares

Embossing Folder:

Craftwell eBosser: embossing folder which came with the eBosser and has no name that I can see!

How did I make it?

Printed out 'Solo' on Copic friendly paper and coloured her in with my Copics, then die-cut the image out with the Double Stitched Squares die. 

Took a piece of white card, die-cut it with the next size up Double Stitched Squares die and then embossed it with the eBosser folder.

Found a scrap of grey/silver card and die-cut the word 'Celebrate'.

Then glued the word to the image and stamped 'you' towards the end of 'Celebrate'.

Took the stamped image panel and attached it to the embossed panel with 3d foam squares.

Finally I took all those and glued the embossed panel to the card base.

et voila!

Would love to see you over at the Challenge this month - Anything Goes is such a good theme and there are great prizes on offer.  There are also fabulous DT makes from my Teamies - as always!

See you soon,

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Passion for Markers: Week 607 - add a sentiment

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge: Week 35 - Anything Goes

Polkadoodles Craft Challenge: WK 36 - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #575 Week 1 (Stamp Act)

Watercooler Wednesday: WWC323 - Cathy's Challenge: All Things Feminine

Also getting back to CAS

Hellooo, it's me again!

I am doing so much better this week with posting on the old boggy blog!

As last post was a super long one, this is going to be a super Clean and Simple (CAS) one, like the card.

My long term followers may recall that in addition to Copic colouring (and Pro-Markers before that) I really liked to dabble in CAS cards. I had a little time on my hands yesterday afternoon and a real itch to join in with the Less Is More challenge blog.

So this is what I made to scratch that itch:

Card:

Supplies used:

I think a Do-Crafts (if anyone remembers them) stamp - for the image, but has no label on so not sure.
Blonde Moments: Bordering on Love - for the spotty banners.

Catherine Poole: Happy Birthday Many Ways - for the sentiment.

Prismacolor pencils

All stamps were stamped directly onto the card blank (so it's also a OLC - One Layer Card) and then a little shading was added with the Prismacolor pencils to both ground the image and add a bit of depth.

et voila!

I won't bore you with more chit-chat today, so that's it folks!

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Less Is More : Challenge #450 - OLC SPOTS

Addicted to Stamps and More: Challenge #413 - Birthdays

Creative Craft Cottage Challenge: #143 - No Patterned Paper

Use Your Stuff Challenge: #430 - Anything Goes