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.