Distress Oxide Inked Card, Your'e in my Prayers

As promised yesterday I have just popped by to show you the card I made with one of my Distress Oxide ink backgrounds, I am so pleased with how this turned out...

I am entering my card into the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge (HERE)

challenge #204 Get inky / Messy! I think my inky card fits the bill!

Did you see the post about buying and playing with my new Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink pads? you can view the posts HERE (link).

So this morning I took one of the backgrounds I had created yesterday, I had used the 4 colours I now own to create this background

Fossilised Amber, Picked Raspberry, 

Wilted Violet, Broken China.

I matted this piece onto a sheet of black card which has tiny little holographic polka dots that twinkle beautifully (I wish I could remember where I had got it from but its been in my stash for well over a year!) I cut the word "Prayers" out of the same piece of card using the Hero Arts Stamp and Cut "Prayers" set. 

I stamped the little sentiment above the die cut, from the same set of stamps.  I placed the matted piece onto white card stock to plan the layout but it seemed wrong somehow! too straight and angular...I wanted it to flow! Therefore I decided to tilt it and felt better lol. Then I had the bright idea (sorry for that pun LOL) of choosing the same colours and inking the card base similar to the background piece.

I used an 8x8 flourish embossing folder by Embossaliscious to emboss the card base after inking it. Now this card was coming together... I stamped some butterflies from the Stampin Up "Papillon Potpourri" stamp set and cut them out adding them to the card 3d style. Finally I added some sparkle with blingy gems to complete the card.

So many of my family and friends are going through really difficult times right now, Some with illness and others with situations that are hard to get through.I hope to be making some similar cards for them. But for now I am "virtually" sending this out in the hope that they receive at least some encouragement!and of course I will be praying for them in this tough season they are going through.

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask      or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 

 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 NIV

Distress Oxide Ink Pads and Patience!

Remember my post last week about Distress Oxide Ink Pads? (HERES THE LINK)  I had decided to buy some after watching videos from Tim Holtz at Creativation 2018. But could only buy 3 or 4 right now. Deciding which colours to choose was so hard as I kept changing my mind! I learned a valuable lesson through it all...

 If you don't know what to do then do nothing until you do!

I learned to stop, take a breath, walk away from the decision, and choose later!  The ink pads would still be in the store tomorrow afterall! Well that worked! After some hours doing something else I knew exactly what ink pads to choose.

Fossilised Amber, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Broken China.  I ordered them and they arrived today YAY I am super duper excited...

It seems so silly now, getting wound up like that. But God used it to show me that I was getting wound up over nothing and that patience pays off in the end! Yes I have some work to do on my impatience I guess

I am gonna play with my new Distress Oxide  ink pads s today, watch youtube videos, and use the advice given to me on Splitcoast Stampers. This is gonna be fun! it's time to enjoy the explosion of colour before me as I get into my creative groove 

Watch this space for updates! I will show you my creations in another post....

here goes

Edited 

Just adding a pic or 2 of my first Distress Oxide backgrounds so far! This was so therapeutic, I had so much fun just getting lost in the moment playing or should I say experimenting with colour.  Now I have to decide what to make from them! which begs a question.... do cardmakers plan the card? i.e. what stamps, sentiment , embellishments  etc they will use to  make their card and then make the background OR do it the other way around...make the background then decide what to do with it?

this pic seems quite dull on my monitor compared to the real thing in front of me

the thing I can get my hear round is why did I wait so long to try these inks? Well at least I am having fun now

I Love You More Than Strawberries

After using my old Penny Black rubber stamp last week, I decided to dig out some of my other old friends!.....House Mouse stamps! Many years ago I used to enter HM&F challenges regularly so today I looked for something that would fit the current challenge. Love is the theme, I immediately thought of my hubby Kev!

I absolutely love strawberries. I love eating them especially when they are ripened naturally. I also love images of strawberries too! perhaps that's weird I don't know? Years ago (I think it was 2010) My Kev saw this stamp in a craft shop we were visiting. He bought it secretly for me for Christmas. I loved it as I had not seen this stamp before! The stamps title is "Sleeping with Strawberries" copyright 1986. The little mouse is called "Mudpie!" the ref number is HMIR1002 isn't he cute!

I am entering this card into some challenges...                                               House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge (LINK)

 #258 Anything Goes OR Optional theme "LOVE"

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (LINK)

"Layer It Up" asking for layers

Daring Cardmakers Challenge (LINK)

Black, White and a POP

Modsquad Challenge (LINK)

#138 Thank You OR Shades of Black & White 

+ Optional Pop of Color 

Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge (LINK)

#4 "Mouse"

Alphabet Challenge (LINK)

V is for Vellum

none of these challenges rules showed any restrictions 

concerning linking up with other challenges!

Kev and I don't really do valentines cards, but I wanted to tell him how much I love him! He knows how much I love strawberries so this computer generated sentiment really meant something to him! I love him more than strawberries! now that IS a big statement lol

I used my watercolour pencils to colour the image which had been stamped using Ranger Archival Jet Black ink onto watercolour paper. I love how Mudpie is sleeping after eating all the strawberries. so I added a bit of red to his lips just for fun. After colouring the strawberries I added some clear Wink of Stella to  the strawberries and letters adding sparkle to them! 

I cut the image and a larger real red mat with pierced rectangle dies, I used a 5" x 7" white card blank and Stampin' Up Sending Love DSP paper pad  I used the X-Cut alphabet die for the "I" and "U" and cut a heart from the S U DSP mentioned above. Vellum was cut into little pennants and folded over some white bakers twin to form some bunting Vellum was also placed as a banner. behind my sentiment  then I added a heart bead to it for accent.

I really loved playing with Mudpie mouse today, 

I just wish I could eat the strawberries too!

Inspired! by Mr Tim Holtz

It's been quite a rough week... a tummy bug and severe pain from tummy cramps have caused me to have to rest up. I have kept strange sleeping hours as I dipped in and out of bed when I could manage to sleep...sometimes sleeping in the day and awake during the early hours! I went to hospital yesterday where I have been given some medication which I really hope proves to work over this next few days! there s no explanation of whats wrong except that my blood tests came back okay which is good news.

Even though I have not been very active in my card making while resting. I have been able to use the time for a real inspiration download!

In January every year the creative craft industry gathers at a convention centre in Phoenix, Arizona, for "Creativation" its the trade show where business' share their new products and wow everyone with their ongoing creative genius.
By typing "Creativation 2018" into the Youtube search box I found lots of inspiring videos and was wowed by the creative awesomeness.

There's so much good stuff coming out in 2018 BUT!  One person really did inspire me more than anyone....Mr Tim Holtz!  he has a passion for mixed media, vintage ephemera, grunge, and colour! I haven't gone down the mixed media or grunge route in my creativity but I am all about colour especially this year! So I watched and learned LOL. Tims new releases with Sizzix dies have really wowed me. The flowers and 3d embossing folders and embosslits are awesome and so my wish list grew!
But colour in the form of Distress Oxide Inks has really got my attention now! I watched him demonstrate these inks and was so inspired.

Tim Holtz has released a further 12 colours making the set up to 36 now. and announced that the full set of 60 will be made available this year. Finally, I  feel I want them! it's strange how something doesn't turn your head and then a year later and all of a sudden the creative sparks fly and inspiration comes and well there you go!
So after deciding to put them on my wish list I have been looking at these Distress Oxide ink pads and been trying hard to decide where to start in my collection! I don't need (or want) all of them but the trouble is every time I make a list the list changes lol.

Do I want the very brights? the blues / turquoises  what do I really want? gotta get the pinks! what about a rainbow?...indecision or what?

Its amazing how the price varies from shop to shop but then the sting of postage brings them kind of in line with each other. I don't have deep pockets full of cash for spending, we still need to eat! so I am gonna limit myself to 3 ink pads at a time now which 3?  I am torn between Worn Lipstick and Picked Raspberry for my first pink,


next up is Broken China, Salty Ocean and Peacock Feathers, then confusingly Cracked Pistachio,  Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet Abandoned Coral and Spicy Marmalade where do I start LOL... Three of the new colours I definitely know I want to get are Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, and Shaded Lilac but these three have not made it to the shops yet! so I will start with collections 1 & 2!

below is a pic of the new set 3 release...

Forest friends Winter Fun

Winter has really arrived in parts of the UK, but the kids are still not playing with snowmen or snowballs here in Lytham St Annes.     I don't know if it's because of the salty sea air but we really don't get a lot of snow here, but if snow does appear then it doesn't really stay for long. One thing's for sure though we get icy cold winds!  brrrrr its cold!

Today's card is kind of a celebration of snow! I'ts my first Christmas card for 2018. I promised myself after being quite ill last November that I would make Christmas cards throughout 2018. It's something I am determined to do as I got quite distressed about not being able to create all the Christmas cards that I really wanted to send last year. I hate buying mass produced cards!

I am not gonna get caught out this year!

This card was made using a Penny Black rubber stamp which I have owned for a long time...over 20 years! another stamp which my mother bought me! as you can see its been well used! but stamps as well today as ever!

It's the "Forest Friends Winter Fun" stamp and is copyrighted in 1996! I love the sense of fun in this stamped image and the idea that critters come out and play in the snow with their scarves on!

I am entering my card into 5 challenges...

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge (LINK)  

"Anything Goes"

Daring Card Makers (LINK)  

"Elemental Challenge" I chose to use the pale blue and white colours in the photo

Crafty hazelnuts Christmas Challenge (LINK)

"Anything Christmas Goes"

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge (LINK)

"Use Patterned Paper"

Cute Card Thursday (LINK)

"Something Fun"

I used watercolour paper and my new Zig Clean Colour Real Brush Pens to colour the stamped image. I matted the finished image onto pale blue card and added some snowy glitter. The card blank is 5" x 7" a size which I find nice to work with. I embossed the card base with the Sizzix / Stampin' Up embossing folder "decorative dots"  and added a piece of patterned paper down one side which has a frosty snowflake pattern on it. I wanted more snowflakes but didn't want to overpower my image which I had really worked hard on!

So I used a small piece of pergamano vellum across the centre of the card. I embossed it with the cuttlebug "Snowflake" embossing folder.
I added large delicate snowflakes die cut from a Memory Box die and layered a little punched snowflake on top, finally the bling! you can't really have snow without some sparkley bling right?! I added sequins and clear gems to the centre of all the die cut and the embossed snowflakes using glue dots. I hate those pesky glue dots I just cant see them but they somehow got to the place where I needed them to be LOL

I didn't feel a sentiment was needed for this card,  But when I come to use it later on in the year I will add a nice insert with a suitable greeting for the chosen recipient along with my personal message.

Colouring such a detailed image was a struggle with my ongoing sight problems. I had to turn to my daylight magnifying craft lamp for help! but I wasn't gonna be defeated!

When the fun stops I will stop. Until then I am gonna carry on having all the fun with my love of cardmaking and papercrafting.

My heart is smiling a very satisfied smile... I have started my Christmas card goal and another goal which is to use up my patterned paper stash.

I really love this card and it feels like my old Penny Black animal friends have visited today and we had lots of fun together!

Thanks for stopping by xx

I AM ME

I have been thinking of starting pocket scrapbooking again! About 3 years ago I started a weekly album. I bought some lovely papers The Simple Stories I am collection and an assortment of pockets. But I failed to keep it up. I didn't even last a month! I still have all the pockets and stash. So I am starting again this year. I am not sure whether I should even try to do a weekly page or just do events? I am still thinking that through. But I know I also want to do some traditional scrapbooking so may be incorporating a traditional LO here & there and just add them into the album.

So there I was thinking shall I? shouldn't I? and up pops a facebook post by Simple Stories! creepy or what?...

Their new release in February is more "I AM" series goodies 

and I am blown away by this collection, I LOVE IT

(let me take a breath while I am swooshing lol)

The colour palette, the papers, the patterns, the roses, the butterflies, the words, the cards, the stickers all absolutely fabulous. and they even seem to match my blog template AND my new bedroom theme too LOL

The collection celebrates Me! 

that sounds a bit off but whats not to like? what's not to celebrate? 

I am so gonna enjoy myself with scrapbooking this year 

but I am not gonna do pressure! Perhaps that's why I failed first time around? I felt too pressured to do it so it became a chore, it just didn't flow!

The time is right to start again and to explore Me Wonderful Me!

The bible says in psalm 139 that I am "fearfully and wonderfully made" I want to explore that. I have disliked myself and put myself down  for far too long! its time to see me through positive eyes!

I will be stalking my favourite online shop 

till this collection gets stocked,  cant wait!

now I know some of what I want for my birthday LOL

for clear photos and details go the 

Simple Stories blog HERE

spotlighted Hugs challenge card

I had some creative fun today therefore am entering more challenges with this hugs floral spotlight card...

Here's the challenges I am entering this creation into.....

1. The Flower Challenge #16 (LINK)   Flowers and Spotlight Stamping 

1. Cute Card Thursday Challenge #512 (LINK)  Something New

A spotlight card is defined as an area within a pattern or image where some of the image is left plain or without colour while another area is coloured,

bringing a highlighted focus to that point which is therefore "spotlighted!"

I used Ranger Jet Black Archival ink to stamp 2 large flower stamps from the  "Flower Shop" stamp set and a small flower stamp from 

the "Petite Petals" stamp set. Both sets are from Stampin' Up. 

I used my awesome new Tim Holtz Stamping Platform 

(I love this tool its fabulous)

I stamped identical floral patterns onto 2 sheets of white card.  

I then trimmed them to size required. The smaller piece was coloured with another new Christmas gift...my Zig Clean Colour Real Brush Pens (another wow)

Once matted with black card the smaller piece was layered on top of the other, lining up the flowers on both layers. That top layer really popped!

Using the same pens I coloured the top layer of the 

Honey Bee stamps "Hugs" die cut with an ombre effect using water 

to easily blend yellow and orange colours

I Finished the card with a circular stamped sentiment 

(an old S U set!) some red gems  and some sparkle 

from my Wink of Stella Glitter brush pen

oh what fun I have had today, my heart sings!  

I love my new crafty Christmas gifts

Many Thanks to my Hubby Kev xx

Pretty in Pink

I shared in my last post about the kindness stamps and dies I had recently bought from Honey Bee Stamps

Something I have been wanting to do in 2018 is start entering card making challenges again. Therefore,  I Googled cardmaking challenges and found some challenges to follow.
So today I am playing along for the first time with the Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge.
here's their sketch #416

The link for their blog is HERE

I kinda turned the sketch around so the little pennants are at thetop and bottom of my card but kept the 5" x 7" card in landscape orientation . I had a good look at the DT cards and it seemed ok to do that!

here's my tuesday morning challenge card entry...

I used my new scrapbooking paper pad which my Hubby Kev had bought me just before Christmas.  I have to admit I find it hard to use the papers I really really like. But I wanted to make a pretty feminine creation as I have a lovely lady in mind for this card!
I like florals and I love roses so I had to be very brave (LOL) and cut the rose paper for the background. I am glad that I did, I love it!

I cut the "Kindness" die from white linen card three times and stacked them up on top of each other which gave the word some dimension. I used the stamps from the co-ordinating stamp set for the words on the little pennants.
The card felt unfinished! and my eyes were distracted by that lovely rose pattern. I had to bring the focus back into the centre of the card. The addition of the half doily, tiny butterflies and sparkly gems helped to achieve this

I am really happy with the card and enjoyed my first play along with the Tuesday Morning Challenge and with my new Honey Bee Stamps set below. As for the rest of that lovely scrapbook paper?
I may even do some scrapbook layouts, we will have to see where inspiration takes me!

Sharing Handmade Kindness

Anyone who knows me would confirm that I love card making and I love encouraging people too. It's just a part of who I am.

The power of encouragement is quite underestimated. Yet with a little encouragement lives can be changed for the better. Motivation and self belief can be gained, hope can be found  just by a kind uplifting word in a card or act of kindness. it simply sends the message that someone cares.

Sometimes we don't even know we have necessarily done anything encouraging at all! we just don't know whats going on in folks lives do we? but a simple kind word in a card can be just what that person needs to hear. it can brighten their day. Kindness can make a big difference!

I am a fan of Jennifer McGuire. She is such an inspirational woman of God. She is known in the paper-crafting industry for her creativity, card making and much more. She creates awesome videos which help card makers like me learn new techniques. Giving us ideas and inspiration for our own creativity. She reviews many products for the best companies out there but never gives the thumbs up on a product until she is sure about it.

HERE'S THE LINK TO JENNIFERS BLOG
Where you can find her work, its a fabulous resource for card makers and paper-crafters.

The reason I have mentioned Jennifer is because she has inspired me to look at kindness! 

YES KINDNESS! 

Watch this short video to hear her story about sharing handmade kindness its so inspiring

Jennifer has teamed with some top companies to create stamps etc to aid in making cards to specifically Share Handmade Kindness, A percentage of the price has been donated to charity to make an even further difference! These products are well thought out and can be very useful to have.

Remember creativity is Jennifer's job! That's why she has an awesome studio and lots of supplies! but to join in we just need a few supplies which we may already have, and a heart to reach out and bless others.

I'M IN!

I have decided to get involved in this initiative. I love to make cards for those I love and its lovely when they really like the card  or feel blessed, encouraged and loved. well that is mission complete as far as I am concerned, It gives me such a buzz to be honest and makes me smile too.

But here's the thing...

How about making cards, simple kind cards with a short uplifting message, then giving them to folk that I don't really know too! perhaps even anonymously 1 just so that the recipient knows someone, somewhere cares. I am believing for God to show me who to give the cards to, He loves that.

Lets face it there are plenty of folk around us who could do with a bit of encouragement. It's just a matter of letting God open my eyes to see them.

Therefore, I'm hoping to bring a group together, perhaps at church. or somewhere else? This group of cardmakers will be specifically to make cards to "share handmade kindness" they can be new or experienced cardmakers in the group as we will keep the cards simple and help each other along 

We would make cards for ourselves to give. BUT for every card we create for ourselves we could create another card too! its easy to make 2 or more similar cards in very little extra time than it takes to make 1 card, We would soon have a batch of cards available for anyone else to share handmade kindness too

Here's an opportunity to do a lot more than bless the folk we are close to. It's an opportunity to reach out to the community, to be kind and thoughtful to bless them.

To take our eyes away from me, me and mine. and do something amazing. I really sense the hand of God is on this, I am so excited about it and looking forward to delving in! even if the group doesn't happen just yet I am making a start!

Recently I bought three sets of stamps with matching dies, two of the sets were from the Hero Arts Stamp & Cut range....

The Hero Arts prayers and blessings sets. You can see the versatility these sets bring with the many sentiments available to mix n match them  too. and a die cut word could be the focal point of the cards. We are making simple cards so that we can make many.

Just this week I bought the Honey Bee Stamps Kindness stamps and die sets

The kindness dies and stamps allows me to use the words kind, kindness and Kindest perfect for the cards we  will be making! I am hoping to really put these products to good use in my quest to 

Share Handmade Kindness!

At the end of the day...

its ok if no-one ever tell us they appreciated the card

its about giving!

when we give we release that gift from our hands and pass it on

it no longer belongs to us, it doesn't owe us anything....

God will use our creativity.

so lets be kind for goodness sake!