Lost mojo been found

unfortunately it's in Christmas mode but beggars can't be choosers lol. I decided to try and find some challenges to help me out but it looks like most of them are due to restart later this week. I found the Sketch and Stash challenge - a layout always helps.

and also Fussy and Fancy with the theme Furry Friends, not sure about hedgies being furry but the teddy certainly is.

The Penny Black stamps I've used are new ones from the Sirstampalot sale, coloured with Promarkers and Papermania papers. It's a night in for us, no change there an as the TV is so rubbish I may well do some more crafting. Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year xx

OMG it's still here, it may be covered in dust and cobwebs, what am I talking about - my blog of course! I have just joined a Facebook group called Crafting with Attitude and it's sister group Creative Moments on Bloggers Network so thought I better see if mine was still there. I made a feeble attempt at Christmas cards this year, making about 2 dozen and cheating using Lili of the Valley coloured toppers, as lovely as they are I felt really guilty. On the otherhand I've been juggling my gorgeous 6 month old Daughter who seems to have stolen my craft mojo.

I have actually made a card tonight - hopefully the first of 52 for the Crafting with Attitude one a week challenge.

I used Docraft papers and Penny Black stamps bought in the sale at Sirstampalot coloured with Promarkers. If all goes to plan I should be back next week with another Christmas card at least. I'm going to try scrapbooking too, just waiting for the postie to bring the Forever Friends New Arrival one - guess who for! Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year.

Here again at last with some brayering!

Well I said it would be a while and it has! Finding it hard to fit in crafting, but the mojo is slowly returning, the spending certainly is lol. A while ago I saw Barbara Grey using the Splodge Away mat on Create and Craft and she was raving about it. Well never being able to master brayering I thought if she says it's good it must be, so I ordered one (direct from the company I might add) Anyway when it arrived I was very sceptical it didn't look any different to the usual inky craft mat. I eventually got round to have a play and was amazed, I don't know what the secret to it is but it works! Having only had a quick play I decided to get inky last week, I watched a tutorial on You Tube and this is what I came up with, for a first attempt I was really pleased.

I improvised with distress inks, stamps used were Kanban dandelion, Stampscapes Oak branch and Clarity bird and scored the criss cross background using the Stampin Up diagonal plate. My next card was Hubby's Anniversary card which was on Thursday - 15 years, how time flies. I am over the moon with this card and cannot believe how well it came out, hope I can do it again! Having acquired the inky bug I've stocked up on Adirondack inks (lots more needed!) the gorgeous image is from Stampscapes UK

Just as well I was pleased with my card as Hubby didn't show much enthusiasm lol. Right as everyone's in bed I think it's time for a play, I've done enough browsing this weekend and spent a fortune on Memory Box dies. Have a good week and hope to see you soon x

Long time no see

Wow I can't believe how long it is since I posted on here, may be a while before I post again lol.

For those of you that don't know, the latest addition to our family "Isobel Amber" or Izzy, arrived 8 weeks ago after a long 12 days of being overdue and having to be induced. All was well in the end and she is the apple of everyone's eye.



Needless to say I have had little time for crafting let alone the mojo, but today I decided to shape myself as it's craft club next week and needed to come up with something to make. I've gone for an easy option of Clean and Simple.

My first one was made to fit in with the challenge no 79 over at Less is More "Blue and Green"



I used Distress Inks and Markers in Crushed Olive, Bundled Sage and Stormy Sky, the stamps are Hero Art.

Here's two more I made





I think I'll be making a lot more of these in the future if I am to carry on crafting.

See you soon

Woo hoo - got them all but one!

I've finally got my hands on all the Distress Markers, apart from Picket Fence that is. I'm not too bothered about that one.

It's probably cost me over the odds buying them in three lots of separate colours rather than waiting for the full set but I'm so impatient and I recycled some craft stash to buy them so don't feel guilty about buying yet more pens.

I've not had chance to play with them all apart from scribbling on the colour chart, but I love them.



I did have a quick go at colouring directly onto a stamp using a Penny Black collage, here it is, just need to make it up into a card.



Hopefully going to have a play this afternoon.

Colouring with distress markers

I have been waiting for the full set but gave up and cancelled my order and ordered some loose ones instead.



I have had a couple of attempts at colouring with them (I am certainly no expert at water or distress colouring).





I used watercolour paper and wet the area first then applied pen to paper and tried to blend with brush, it was hard work, the pens didn't seem to like touching the wet paper (I suppose like when you take wet brush to ink pad - which you're not supposed to do).

They do however work well in the normal way by scribbling on acrylic block then applying with brush to wet image.

I wanted them for the fact they are a more portable option for craft club than all the inkpads, plus I will use them in the Tim Holtz way ie inking stamp with them.

The fine end is great for journalling and doodling and the fiddly bits (like the lines on the petticoat) that are too small to get to with a paintbrush.

With lots of practise, think I will like them.

I'll try and get these made up into cards later today, glad to see the sun is back.

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Trip to Ikea

I finally got a trip to Ikea yesterday! Needed some drawers for the baby stuff and was running out of places to look so Hubby said we'd go for a look at Ikea. Although it's not far away, it means motorway (which I don't do lol) and is on a nighmare retail park. We reckoned the last time we went was when we got our first dining room table 15 years ago!

Anyway mission accomplished, found some drawers and I also got some of the rails I've been longing for seen on other people's blogs for craft storage. Got some nifty spice jars too. Wish I'd known we were going and I could have planned better what to buy, as it's not the best place to go with impatient Husbands.

After lots of debating where to put them and clearing space Hubby kindly set to with the drill and put them up for me. Took me until 1am this morning to get straight!





I did get more of the pink tubs intending to put my pens in, but because I've so many they wouldn't all fit. Luckily I bought the plastic hooks and my existing bathroom tubs had holes in to accomodate them!

Lili's Little Fairies - Peaches n Cream

It's been so long since I've entered any challenges apart from the last two House Mouses so I thought I'd pop over to the Lili of the Valley challenge site Lili's Little Fairies. I bought some of the new releases and had yet to use them, the theme is Peaches n Cream.

I've been busy doing trial runs of these tealight cards, as they are going to be the project for my craft club this month. I made my own square version which was really easy (i've got a thing about square cards). Used Kraft cardstock for the base, K&Co papers and the cute girl on a branch image coloured with copics.

I did also think you could put chocolates in instead of candles but have yet to find the perfect fit - needless to say I've been eating lots of chocolate!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Fabulous Flowers

A quick post with something a bit different, I'm usually out of my comfort zone with flowers, but bought some gorgeous Stampin Up stamps from a Facebook Group, they are called Fast and Fabulous.

Here's four cards with one stamp









They are all stamped with distress inks and scraps of paper and card from my stash. Great for quick cards and those that aren't into the cute characters.

House Mouse challenge HMFMC114

Well here I am again and it's another House Mouse card for the new challenge over on the House Mouse and Friends blog. This challenge has been set by Lori "I am going to be a Grandma again VERY soon...and it's a GIRL! To celebrate ... my challenge for you is to create a *Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice* project for a precious little in your life".

I couldn't not do this challenge as for those that do not know, I am expecting a pink bundle all of my own at the end of May! I'll share my scan pics with you at the end of the post.

Here's my card



My House Mouse stamps are limited to two sets so I had to raid my box of images and luckily found these two which were perfect, coloured with copics and prismas.

DCWV papers, Martha Stewart heart border , ribbon, nappy pin, charm and candy dots to finnish.

And this is number 5 addition to our family

12 week scan



20 week scan



I'm 27 weeks so on the final leg, won't be long until she's here.

House Mouse Challenge - HMFMC113 Make Wishes Come True

I have finally come to love these little meeces, to begin with their feet put me off lol. Anyway, persuaded myself to buy two sets of the unmounted rubber stamps this week.

Bearing in mind this is only my second attempt at colouring the image, it's not too bad. Once I found the right colours (and I've made a note for next time) it was quite easy, although they are very detailed stamps the coloured image helped. I used copics, E43, E50, E51 and R20 for the mouse itself and added a touch of prisma pencils on top to bring it to life a bit more and finnished with some glamour dust on the icing. The gorgeous papers are Bo Bunny Crazy Love.



I'm going to be brave and enter it into the House Mouse & Friends challenge 113 - Make Wishes Come True (hope I've followed all the rules)

Flowers to brighten the day

Well what a horrible wet and cold day, I haven't made anything for a couple of days so thought I'd show you some cards I made for my Mum to send. She's not really into the cute characters so I attempted some floral ones and must say I was out of my comfort zone! She was pleased with them so that's all that matter.

The images are from Justinklined, I never used to use digi's either as my ink smudged with my copics but it seems fine now (very strange)







Stay warm and happy crafting

on a roll 2nd challenge card

Here's my second card of the day, whilst visiting some blogs I came across the fabulous Sketch n Stash I love the fact they have a catalogue of sketches which is great when the mojo has gone awol and makes life so much simpler.

This weeks challenge is an open sketch and you can chose any from the catalogue, I picked number 12





I have used one of my lovely new digi's from Saturated Canary (my new love) it's called Thank You, I've coloured her with copics and edged with distress inks. The papers I've had for ages and are by Kaisercraft, finnished off with some ribbons and flowers from stash.

Thanks for looking.

First challenges in ages

Well hello everyone, hope you are all keeping warm, we've not had any snow yet, but apparently it's on it's way :( so I intend to stay indoors all weekend with the kettle on standby.

I have finally found my mojo thanks to some gorgeous images by Krista Smith over at Saturated Canary it all started with a freebie then I bought five more this week, you can find them at her etsy shop.

So for my first challenge it was only right I entered one of her blog challenges Pink, Red and White. I ordered some lovely new papers the other day which would have been perfect but they haven't arrived yet and my image was sitting coloured waiting to be used.



I rooted around and found some old freebie Nitwit papers and the image I used is Sweet 16 - Peggy Sue, coloured with copics, the gorgeous flowers are by Petaloo.

ATC's and Fat Pages with Attitude challenge 6

It's another fortnight over at the blogs with Attitude, the rules have now changed slightly in that you are allowed to enter an ATC / Fatpage or Card with an anything goes theme, hopefully this will encourage more of you to enter. The link to both blogs are on my side bar and it would be lovely to see you over there.

Here are my creations for this challenge

ATC



I used the "I'm Late" image, coloured with copics, then added Crackle Accents to the clock face and glossy accents to the rim. The background stamp is by Creative Expressions and coloured with Distress Stains.

FAT PAGE



I used the stunning "Dark Valentine" image and coloured her with copics in rich valentine colours. I love these digi's with lots of shading they are so easy to colour.