Spoonful of Sugar 54

Well, got one challenge posted earlier then blogger went into meltdown again so decided to put my mind to working on a sample board for an extra Sir Stampalot class next month with the new My Minds Eye DP's and Hero stamps. And I amazed even myself, six cards, board completed and I'm really quite happy with 'Colours of Nature', lots of lovely yellows, bronzes and oranges. Can't share yet, but will do so nearer the time.

But all of this means I'm all behind with my blog visits so sorry everyone, I've not really abandond my blog buddies. And of course theres the lurking issue of the new laptop ........ It's so not true that computers are only as good as their users. I was feeling so pleased with myself that everything was working so well and left just my Cricut to transfer from my desktop ........ that's right this is where it all went pearshaped. So Wayne, the very nice man in Utah is helping me out yet again and hopefully all will be well with the world again shortly.

So back to my outstanding challenges I continued the messy ink techniques explained in my previous post and created a backgrond in the same way for this weeks A Spoonful of Sugar challenge which is a sketch by Sonja which is also my card for this weeks ABC's challenge "Q for Quilt".

The 'quilty' part is the bottom section using small squares of a coordinating Sandylion DP. Main image, yes you got it ........ Stampendous P107 - OMG - I don't even have to check the product code on this one anymore ........ I'm telling myself I need to buy another one just in case it gets lost or something dreadful happens to it ........ well you never know what might happen to a stamp expecially when it's loved as much as this one. The greeting is Art Impression F3143 and the scroll down the side Inkadinkado 97632 all stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear. I like the colours on this one, but feel it's a bit too busy for me, but who am I to question the designers requirements and I think it's actually growing on me, so they were right all along.

And if you are still with me at the end of this garbled diatribe thank you for your perseverance, it's just been one of those days that seems to go on forever, but at least I achieved most of what I wanted to do and with Wayne's help the day should end on a cricut note. Oh how naff is that ?

Dragonsdream TIO

What a way to start Wednesday morning, sheer heaven in the theme at TIO this week - "Dragonflies and Butterflies" and an opportunity to try out some nice messy ink techniques as well.

I had a play round with inks starting by spritzing water onto the blank card, then lightly dabbing over chalk eyes and found by adding the water first I did not get the outline of the inkpad and it all bled together nicely. When it was dry I took a piece of meshy fabric, laid it over and dabbed more of the darker ink here and there which gave a honeycomb effect (it's not over obvious on this tag, but can be seen better on another one I did which I shall post above this one.

I stamped randomly with a tiny butterfly from Penny Black 30-034 and 3816E and Rubber Stampede 33538 and favourite Agapanthus Stampendous P107 ........ Oh I do love this stamp in case nobody realised. The large PB butterfly was stamped again onto vellum and embossed with aquamarine powder and just two lines of PB 2695J. The ink used is Brilliance lightening black which has a slight green tinge so less harsh than solid black.

Another Froggy award

I have an award from Mel and she even offered me a choice, how cool is that. So I have opted for the froggie as have a bit of a theme going on here thanks to Jem who sent me a froggy award after the demise of one Mr Froggy in her garden. Mind you, looking at Mels piccy I'm not overly worried the species is under threat of extinction. Not sure about the protocol here, may need to do the right thing and pass it on so will have to check it out.

Inspirational Card Sketchers

Yes another one, this time for ICS challenge which is another of Dawn B's wonderful sketches which are always a delight to work with. I am also combining this with this weeks Creative Card Crew where Sheila has set the theme "Child's Play" - card's for a child. Really being spoilt today as I so like sketches and still have another to go, but saving that for later when it cools down a bit ........ and after the ironing which I have been resisting for days, but there's been desperate cry's for uncreased shirts in this house, so needs must I guess.

And I've gone cutise again, grief I seem to getting a liking for these Sarah Kay stamps, but they do go so well with pretty DP's and I have an abundance of them ........ one can never have too many can they (cummon all agree with me)? I have stamped around the main image with various Art Impression and Penny Black stamps ........ I think the reason I have always found cutise difficult is because I have issues with a solitary figure, so building up the scene somehow makes me happy.

The image is stamped with vesafine black, embossed with detail clear and coloured with marvy pens. Also added some glitter to her belt and hat. DP's are My Minds Eye, leaf cut on cricut, inked with a pale yellow chalk eye and embossed, again with detail clear to give it some shine. The mat was cut on the cuttlebug using nesties.

Everybody Art Challenges 42

My second card of the day is for this weeks Everybody Art Challenge which is an absolutely lovely sketch by Iris. Now I know everybody sees things differently, but I loved this immediately and saw vintage.

So I followed that thought and used Daisy Bucket papers which lend thyself to this feel, distressed the edges with Tim Holz brushed corduroy and stamped a block of four inchie stamps from Inkadinkado 98852 using versafine sepia and detail copper embossing powder. I so like this set which are all spring and botanical images, very me. At the weekend I tea dyed some Hero flowers ........ I obviously felt vintage coming on and have used a couple of these plus some gems and a strip punched on the fiskars punch ........ I know, it's getting repetitive, but in the absence of the long overdue delivery of Martha Stewart punches, the options are limited.

Rosie Dees Challenge

Good morning everyone, the sun continues to shine and the garden is a huge drawm, but decided it's time I got down to some serious work ........ you can have too much of a good thing. My first project is for Rosie Dees challenge which I only found the other day and liked their take on using different techniques. This week is Triple Embossing, a technique I really like and often use, especially at demos as it always gives that wow factor.

Here I have started with three layers of UTEE, then a coat of gold, yellow and sapphire and stamped into it using Stayzon black and Hobby Art SC1732E, a lovely weeping willow and it's first outing ......... yes, it was one of those still in my box of stash picked from my last crafting sortie. When I use UTEE I like to keep the rest of the card fairly simple to allow the beauty of the enamelled piece to show through, so I have added a simple greeting using Art Impression G3130, one of those used for samples on Sir Stampalots Scenic Watercolours C&C programme. The corner elements are cut on the cuttlebug using nesties and I added swirl embellies which are gold, lightly rubbed over with Stayzon black.

Cupcake challenge 42

The sun is still shining and I'm told it's set to be the warmest day so far this year so hope everyone is enjoying it ....... such a shame we have this serious stuff called crafting to keep us inside. Mind you, for me that's just as well, much as I love the sun, yesterday was clearly an overload for me ........ I look like a panda and the red blotches all over would make anyone step back in fear of catching something they would prefer to avoid. I should learn ......... it happens every year, I guess I'm just one of those people who go red, peel and then the process starts all over again, even a fortnight in the Caribbean failed to have any impact on my colour so there's no hope of a tan.

Anyway, I've had enough of trying to set up this new laptop, cyber technology and me have a fragile relationship ........ either it works like I expect, after all they cost a fortune and that's the least you should expect, otherwise the machine must be flawed. In fairness most things are working OK, although not transferred my Cricut software yet, saving that one, but e.mails still a bit of an issue ........ again must be the machine, can't possibly be anything to do with the settings I've installed !!

On to serious stuff, this weeks Cupcake challenge which has been set by Evelina and has the beautiful theme of Fairies. I felt like monochrome this morning when I did this one ........ must be to avoid the red blotches. This stamp lends itself to monochrome so well, it's Rubber Stampede 3817F stamped onto acetate using Stayzon, glittered the moon with Art Institute dries clear glue and irridescent glitter on the reverse and mounted the piece onto a white and silver PD from my stash. Cut a scalloped mount on Cricut Storybook and run a piece of white card through the Cuttlebug using Swiss dots ........ now I know it's de-bossed, truth is it was a shiny piece which I thought would look good, but I did it back to front by mistake. Used some lovely spotty ribbon and inked and embossed some flowers with detail clear to give a shiny finish and added gems.