Wedding celebrations

Good morning folks

A while ago I was asked for some wedding cards. The customer wasn't sure of the style she wanted so I made several for her to choose from. This is one of the rejects so to speak.

I have stamped Woodware's wedding hearts stamp 3 times and heat embossed with white embossing powder. I then cut each topper out with scissors, edged with spun sugar distress ink and coloured the hearts with spun sugar distress marker. I then added some sparkle using a crystal clear Sparkle pen. Because the distress markers are waterbased the Sparkle pen moved the ink around within the embossing giving an interesting effect.

I have also used - 

• white centura pearl
• pink centura pearl
• First Edition's The Promise paper pad
• ribbon and gem from the Ribbon Girl

The ribbon is gorgeous and ties beautifully. It is pink mermaid ribbon and is available here from the Ribbon Girl.

I think this card is very versatile and could be used for a wedding,  anniversary, engagement or Valentines card.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Last Easter card

Hello folks

It is a Bank holiday in the UK today and the weather is not playing ball at all. It is very wild and windy so the picnic has been cancelled and I am very warm and snug in my craft room.

As the blog post suggests this is my last Easter card for this year - 

For this card I have used bunny with daffodil stamp from Whimsy stamps which I have coloured with my Spectrum Noir pens - 

• bunny - IG1, IG2, IG3, IG4, IG5 and PP1
• daffodil - CT1, CT2, CT3, CT4, GB5, OR1, CG4 and DG3
• grass - CG1 and CG3
• ladybird - DR1
• sky - IB1

I have also used -

• Tattered Lace stepper card die
• LOTV's bonnets and bowties paper pad (now discontinued)
• LOTV's bonnets and bowties solids paper pad (now discontinued)
• Tattered Lace blooms die set
• Die'sire Happy Easter die
• vintage pearl brads from the Hobby House
• white centura pearl

Sorry this photo is a little washed out.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges -

http://www.ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk - March any image challenge (2nd entry)
http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk - feature a creature (3rd entry)

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Easter pop up box

Hello again

Yes I am spoiling you again with two posts in one day but I really wanted to blog all my Easter cards before the end of the Easter weekend. (And there are still a couple more to come).

I made this pop up box card for my sister and brother-in-law - 

Now I know you are thinking - "what no colouring?" but I have done a little. I cut the bunny from Sheena's stamping card and coloured with smoked quartz Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen.

I have also used - 

• Tattered Lace pop up box die
• Tattered Lace blooms die
• Spellbinder's bunny die
• Die'sire Happy Easter die
• LOTV's bonnets and bowties paper pad (now discontinued)
• LOTV's bonnets and bowties solids paper pad (now discontinued)
• ivory centura pearl
• Crafter's Companion's acetate
• gems from my stash

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Thank you for stopping by

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Happy Easter

Good morning

Happy Easter Sunday to you all. I hope, if you are in the UK, you remembered to put your clocks forward an hour last night. Hooray it is offically British summer time!!! 

Another Easter card today (well it would be rude not to) -

I have used a Whimsy stamp called flower bunny bouquet bunny from Dies to Die for which I have coloured with my Spectrum Noir pens -

• bunny - BG1, BG2, BG3, BG5, BG6, BG7, PP1 and PP3
• bouquet - EB1, EB2, TB1, PP2, PP4, HB1, HB3, BP1, CG1 and CG3
• sky - IB1
• grass - CG1 ans CG3

I have also used - 

• Bonnets and bowties paper pad and Bonnets and bowties solids paper pad from LOTV (now discontinued)
• Toinc layering squares die set
• Spellbinder's grand decorative circles die set
• Die'sire Happy Easter die
• hot pink microdot ribbon from the Ribbon Girl
• pearls from my stash coloured with PP2 pen

I hope you have a lovely day today. I am off to my mum's house for a family get-together roast dinner and chocolate - mmm lovely.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Fairy Easter

Good afternoon folks

Two posts in one day, I am giving you all an Easter treat which isn't fattening!

Here is another Easter card for you - 

The stamp is Fairy calender - March stamp from LOTV (of course) which I have coloured with my Spectrum Noir pens, pencils and Sparkle pens - 

• skin - FS2, FS4, FS9, CR2 and 089
• hair - EB3, EB4, EB5 and 102
• clothes - GT1, GT2, CR4, CR6, 052 and 029
• egg - CR4, CR6, GT1, GT2, GT3, 055 and 029
• sky - IB1
• ground - BG1 and BG3
• wings - pink champagne and crystal clear

I have also used - 

• First Edition Summer Breeze paper pad
• brown core'dinations
• Bebunni cottage lace die (from Crafter's Companion)
• Spellbinder's 5x7 Reflective moments die
• Die'sire Happy Easter die
• Die-namics stitched circle stax
• Tonic layering squares

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge -
http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk - wings

Thank you for stopping by again today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

In the spring time

Hello folks and a very happy Easter Saturday to you all

It is a four day weekend here in the UK and the first Bank holidays of the year. And in true British style the weather is wild and windy so I am tucked up in my craft room busily completing my Easter cards although I do need to venture out to the opticians later.

Today sees the launch of a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers and this fortnight our new challenge is - 

In the Springtime

Please remember that we are a stamping challenge and the main feature of your project must be stamped (no digi stamps please).

Here is my DT card for the challenge - 

I have used Sheena's A Little bit sketchy - Chick, chick chicken which I stamped onto watercolour card and coloured with my Spectrum Aqua blend pencils - 

• skin - apricot
• hair - ginger and brunette
• clothes - ruby, carrot, sapphire and pineapple
• hens - oak, brunette and wheat
• corn - dark slate, brunette and ginger
• grass - cypress and oregano
• sky - aqua
• chicks - wheat, beeswax and clay

I have also used - 

• white centura pearl
• blue core'dinations
• Textures hessian embossing folder (from Crafter's Companion)
• Die'namics stitched circle stax
• Spellbinder's 5x7 matting basics A
• sparkles from my stash

Sentiment from the stamp set

Thank you for stopping by today. Happy Easter to you all.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

On your bike

Good morning everyone

Here is a lovely quick card courtesy of Hunkydory - 

I have used - 

• die cut decoupage (this was a free gift)
• Adorable Scorable Gentlemen's journey selection card
• Essentails Vinatge maps designer background paper

Sentiment from the topper set.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Easter blooms

Hello folks

I have been busy creating Easter cards this weekend so I thought I would share one of my projects with you today.

Daffodils are one of my favourite flowers so when I saw this Penny Black stamp I knew I had to add it to my collection. It is called daffodil dance and I have used the following Spectrum Aqua pens to colour it - 

• chocolate, orange, gold, moss and evergreen

I used the pens to colour on the stamp directly, gave it a "huff" and then stamped onto watercolour card which I hade colour washed with aquamarine. To create the ground I scribbled onto my glass mat and then applied the colour with a damp paintbrush.

I have also used -

• yellow core'dinations card
• paper from Docrafts capsule collection (a very old paper pad)
• Tonic layering circles, scalloped circles and squares
• Die'sire Happy Easter die
• ribbon and gem from my stash

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge - 

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk - Easter

http://www.ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk - March any image challenge
http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk - Easter (2nd entry)

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Day of the Dead

Hello folks and a very happy Saturday afternoon to you all

Now today's card is completely different for me. Whenever I am asked what style cards I like to make my reply is always "cute" because that is the type of stamps I am drawn too. So you can imagine my surpise when I saw the Day of the Dead collection from Sheena Douglass and fell in love with it. No idea why; it is completely opposite to my normal style but love it I do. It was really difficult to choose which of the stamps and dies I prefered so I bought the complete set! This is the first card I made - 

I have used a combination of stamps for this card but the main focal point is sugar skull stamp set which I cut first using the sugar skull die from watercolour card and then stamped with Stazon ink. I then stamped the flowers (from the stamp set) randomly over the skull and coloured the whole thing with my Spectrum Aqua blend pencils - 

• plum red, wild orchid, crocus and gunmetal

To make the background I dampened a piece of Sheena's stamping card with water and then applied the aqua pencils with a paintbrush directly onto the card. I then flicked some of the colour onto the card using a wet paintbrush. This was very trial and error  but I am very pleased with the results. After watching Sheena's shows I think I really need the Aqua tints too. (Oh no more spending, my hubby will kill me!!)

When the card was dry I then stamped the corner and edging stamp (from Dancing skeleton stamp set) in Memento grape jelly ink. I then added a sentiment from Danse Macabre stamp set.

Products used - 

• sugar skull stamp set            )
• sugar skull die set                ) All from Sheena's Day of the
• dancing skeleton stamp set  ) dead range
• Spectrum Aqua blend pencils
• watercolour card
• Sheena's stamping card
• matt black card
• purple core'dinations
• memento grape jelly ink pad
• sentiment from Danse Macabre stamp set (from Sheena's Day of the dead range).

A little long winded blog post today but I wanted to explain the techniques I had used.

Thank you for stopping by.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

18th birthday celebrations

Good morning folks

More Aqua blend practise for you today. This is a card I made for my hubby's neice - 

I have used a stamp called Erin from Morgan Fitzsimon's Flights of Fantasy range (by Crafter's Companion), stamped her onto watercolour card and then coloured her with Spectrum Aqua blend pencils - 

• skin - apricot and honeycomb
• hair - hickory and brunette
• wings - pink tulip and plum red
• dress - aubergine
• bird - plum red and aubergine
• lips - cherry wood
• sky - aqua

I also used 

• white and silver centura pearl
• pink and purple core'dinations
• LOTV happy circular sentiments
• Spellbinder's circle nesties and 5x7 matting basics B
• Regency swirls embossing folder (from Crafter's Companion)
• ribbon and gem from my stash

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Guess what

Hello folks and happy hump day

Wednesday is one of my favourite days of the week, half the week is finished and only 2 days to go to the weekend - yipee. 

I am back to my comfort medium today - my Spectrum Noir pens and pencils - and a super cute stamp from Penny Black.

The stamp is called Guess what and as I said is from Penny Black which I have coloured with my Spectrum Noir pens and pencils -

• Hedgie - EB4, EB5, EB8, FS2, FS4, FS9, CR2, CR3, 089, 104 and 009
• toadstool - CR8, CR10, CR11, TN1, TN2, FS1, blender, 089 and 027
• mouse - FS1, FS2, TN2, TN3, TN5, CR2, CR3, 089, 009 and 094
• grass - CG1, DG2, DG4 and 059
• flowers - JG1 and CR4
• sky - IB1

I have also used - 

• Graphic 45 Botanical Tea paper pad
• pink core'dinations
• Spellbinder's floral ovals and reflective moments die sets
• Tonic layering squares die set
• ribbon from the Hobby House
• pearls from my stash coloured with CR3
• sentiment from LOTV's sentiments to fit scroll

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge - 

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk - feature a creature (2nd entry)

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

 

Huge Happy Birthday

Hello folks

I thought I would share a very simple card today - 

This is Woodware's huge happy birthday stamp which is fast becoming my go to stamp for male birthdays. I have used my Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens to colour the stamp this time but I have also used Spectrum Noirs pens and paper pieced it and am always pleased with the results.

I have used the following items to make my card - 

• aquamarine, red berry, solar red, amethyst and moonstone Sparkle pens
• blue core'dinations
• gold mirriboard
• Spellbinder's 5x7 matting basics B

A very simple card but I love the effect the Sparkle pens give.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Honesty

Hello folks

Monday again, don't they come around quickly? 

Today's card is the result of more playing with the Spectrum Aqua blend pencils - 

These pencils are fabulous to use and I am really pleased with the results. For this card I have used a stamp called Honesty which is from Sheena's A little bit sketchy range. I stamped her onto watercolour card and then coloured her with Spectrum Aqua blend pencils - 

• skin - honeycomb
• hair - cherrywood, brunette and black umber
• dress - cobal blue, midnight blue and beeswax
• head-dress - petunia and pesto green
• sky - sky blue
• ground - gravel and gun metal

I also used - 

• white centura pearl
• blue and navy core'dinations 
• Butterfly Lullaby fancy flourishes die set (from Sara Davis' signature collection)
• Die'sire flowers for all occasions 4 die set and wildflower trio die set
• Rose garden embossing folder (from Crafter's Companion)
• pearls from my stash

The sentiment comes with the stamp set.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Winter fairy

Good Sunday morning folks

I have been practising with my Spectrum Aqua blend pencils a lot lately and this is the result of some of my playing - 

I have used a Penny Black stamp called Winter Fairy which I stamped onto watercolour card and then coloured with Spectrum Aqua blend pencils - 

• hair - ginger and sorrel
• skin - apricot and coral
• wings - hyacinth, lagoon, watermelon, sky blue and fossil grey
• clothes - lagoon, aqua and hyacinth
• ground - fossil grey
• sky - sky blue

I have also used - 

• white and teal centura pearl
• purple core'dinations
• Tonic layering circles and scallopped circles die sets
• Die'sire snowflake die set
• sentiment from Crafter's Companion Inspiration magazine
• gems from the Ribbon Girl

The sentiment is from Crafter's Companion's Inspiration magazine but I am not sure which one.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Easter Parade

Hello folks and a very happy Saturday to you all

There is a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers and this fortnight we would like to see your stamped cards and projects for the theme 

Easter Parade

 This is my DT card for the challenge -

I have used Penny Black's Easter Parade which I have stamped onto watercoloured card and then coloured with my Aqua blend pencils 

• Hedgie - cantaloupe, coral, bison and black umber
• chick - papaya and carrot
• truck - beeswax and red berry
• egg - indigo and red berry
• grass - cypress
• flowers - pineapple
• sky - sky blue

I have also used - 

• Sunny side up paper pad from LOTV (now discontinued)
• Spellbinder's grand decorative circles die set
• Spellbinder's jewel flowers and flourishes die set
• ribbon from the Ribbon Girl
• pearl from the Hobby House
• Martha Stewart border punch

We look forward to seeing all your Easter projects. Why not pop over to Fantasy Stampers to see what my team mates have made for the challenge.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges - 

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk - feature a creature

http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk - Easter
http://www.ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk - Spring or Easter

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Birthday boy

Good morning folks

Today's card is one I made for my son's 17th birthday - 

This is video boy stamp set from Penny Black which I coloured with my Spectrum Noir pens - 

• hair - GB8, GB10 and EB5
• skin - FS2, FS4, FS9 and TN2
• clothes - DR6, DR7, BGR1, BGR2, BGR3, BG3, BG5, IG1, IG7 and IG10
• controller - IG4, IG5 and IG6
• food - DR1, DR5, IG1, IG3, TB5, TB7, CT4, GB5, PL5 and IG4
• ground - CG2 and CG4
• sky - IB1

I have also used

• Travel Notes paper pad from First Edition
• Kraft card base
• Tonic layering squares die set
• Tonic layering circles die set
• Tonic layering scalloped circles die set
• Spellbinder's sentiments 3
• pearls from my stash coloured with DR7

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley