Back sliding again!

 Can't believe another week has flown by.so much for me updating my blog more frequently. In mitigation I have been trying to plan a family get together for my husband's 90th birthday next Sunday. we decided against a big party as we still don't feel too happy about being around too many people so are having an afternoon tea and cake get together for the family members who have been there for us through the last two years of the pandemic.   Anyhow to get round to my post !  I seem to think I have made a similar card to this before but looking back through my files can't find anything.  Background is distress inks, the stamped circles are from two different old sets and the die is a memory box one I've had for years. 

Cardz4guyz -  something beginning with P - penny farthing 

Under The Sea

 I made this card for a challenge I just came across called Lets Squash It, intrigued I had a look and its a challenge for using embossing folders. One of the things I have promised myself to do this year is use my embossing folders (of which I have loads!) and also my stencils (ditto)   This card was one of those that really didn't want to be made and there are several glaring mistakes on it but I started so I was going to finish,  The embossing folder I've used for the background is High Seas from Stampin Up. The porthole stamp I've had for years, no idea where it came from and the fish and seaweeds are a cheap stamp set that came from The Range a couple of years ago, never used until now.

Lets Squash It Challenge - Under the sea

and also

Cardz4guyz -Something beginning with P (porthole)

Use a quote

 Its time again for a new challenge at Try It On Tuesday  and this time it is "Use a Quote"  We would like to see more than just a small sentiment for this challenge, any type of medium is welcome.  For my card I have used a piece of card smooshed with cosmic shimmer gilding polish, added some stencilled dragongflies with oxide ink and stamped the large dragobfly with versafine ink. Coloured the wings with glitter pens  and added a few sequins.  The word stamps are Inkylicious.  The design time have lots of inspiration for you over on the challenge blog so I hope you will visit them.

Floral

 This is a new stamp that my sister gifted to me at Christmas and I love it. It is a VERY big stamp so this is only part of it on a 5x7 card.  I really enjoyed colouring it with a mixture of Polychrome,Carisma and Coloursoft pencils, the sentiment is stamped and embossed on vellum and secured with a couple of brads. I wonder how many people have a large stash of brads and eyelets, wish their use would come back into card fashion !  I'd like to enter my card into My Time To Craft Challenge which is Floral and also

Seize The Birthday - embossing (flowers and sentiment are embossed)

Masculine

 A card for a family members birthday next month.  I've used a "cover a card" stamp for th background, the rest of the stamps are Stampin Up.  I'd like to enter my card into Creative Crafting Uncles challenge with is Masculine Birthday

Up Up And Away

 I don't often buy cute stamps but I did fall for the Little Folk mice from Pink Ink, love their skinny legs and cute shoes. There is a balloon stamp with the mouse set but I used an older stamp that was free with a magazine a  year or two ago as I felt she really needed a big bunch of balloons, looks like she is almost taking off !  I'd like to enter this into Daring Card Makers Challenge - Up Up and Away

Cheers

 Quick last minute card for Grandson (adult)   I've had these Apple Blossom stamps for a long time but never used them,. Bit of quick colouring with polychromo pencils, embossed the top half and found a bit of toning paper for the bottom half.  I'd like to enter this card into Cardz4guyz challenge which is spots/stripes. 

In with the new

 Time for the first challenge of the year over at Try It On Tuesday and this time it is " In with the new".  All kinds of medium are welcome as long as they comply with the theme.  For my card I have used new stamps which I bought just before Christmas and had not had time to use them until now.  The heap of cats is an AALL & Create stamp and the wording is by Stamp Market.  I got these stamps at a little Stamp shop in Skipton run by a lovely lady called Katy, I was so happy to be in a real bricks and mortar shop after nearly two years on only online shopping ! hopefully I'll be back before too long.  The design team have some great samples to inspire you over on the challenge blog so I hope ypu will pay them a visit.

I'm also entering cardz4galz challenge - New Stash

and

Sweet stampin - New

Monster Birthday

 Just a fun card I have just made for a Great Grandson's fifth birthday.  I'm getting a liking for slim line and quite simple cards at the moment, change from my usual "just have to add a bit more and a bit more too"  I'm ashamed to say while looking for ideas amongst my boxes of stamps I found a full set of Paper Artsy stamps unopened and unused. They must have been there quite a while as I've only ever bought their stamps at Port Sunlight shows, haven't been there for several years so must be at least five years old ! Simply coloured with Polychromo pencils and wording added.  Looks a bit blotchy on here but doesn't in real life.  I'm trying to get back to posting on my blog a bit more regularly now so hope there are still some folks out there looking in. 

Happy Christmas

 Well it's that time of year again and it's time to wish anyone who is still visiting my poor neglected blog a very Happy Christmas.  Like a lot of people it's not been a very good year for us and I've found crafting difficult. I'm hoping to try and do better next year 

This was a very simple card to make using the lovely Woodware collage stamp but I was quite happy with it. I'd like to enter a few challenges with it

Time to Start  Blue Christmas

My Time To Craft - Christmas animals

Sweet Stampin - anything Christmas

Peace On Earth - ATG Christmas

and a second card

Crafty HazelnutsChristmas challenge - Anything goes with the option of use the word Merry

Snowflakes

 The new challenge at Try It On Tuesday is Snowflakes, the design team have lots of inspiration for you over on the challenge blog so I hope you will pay them a visit.  This is our last challenge for 2021 but we will be back in January with new challenges.  For my card I have used a Tim Holtz stamp, the background is a 3D embossed piece coloured with metallic gilding wax, quite irridescent but that doesn't show up on here.  I'm hoping this will be the last Christmas card I make in 2021, I gor rather carried away this year and have probably got enough cards for the next few years !

Winter Wonderland

 Christmas is fast approaching and I've been really busy making Christmas cards.  It's time for a new challenge at Try It On Tuesday and this time it is Winter Wonderland.  For my card this time I have used bits and pieces from a box I keep all bits kept over from Christmas card making and now and again I do try to use up some of them, The centre topper is from quite a few years ago and now I can't remember how I made it, know its using some two sided sticky paper and the glitter is trapped in between but don't quite know how , I'll have to look it up as it does give a lovely glittery finish without any glitter falling off. Why is it that I never notice a wonky layer until I put it on the computer? now it's really annoying me so might have to do a bit of taking apart and straightening up!  Hope you will visit the design team on the challenge blog and see the lovely samples they have to show you.

Make It Magical

 The new challenge that starts today at Try It On Tuesday is to Make It Magical.  I thought I would choose a magical unicorn for my card, I love this unicorn stamp from Indigo Blu and it doesn't get much use now the great grandchildren are getting past these kind of cards !  The stencil and wording are both from Inkylicious.  The design team have some fabulous samples on the challenge site so I hope you will pay them a visit,

We have been to "Pawtry" this afternoon, a party for one of our Grand daughters Yorkie dog who is one year old today, whatever next !  LOL , was very nice if a bit hectic with four very excited dogs creating havoc but fun anyway.

Its all about time

 The weeks are rolling by so fast and it's time again for a new challenge at Try It On Tuesday, this challenge this time is It's All About Time and please visit the challenge page to see the fabulous samples the design team have made.  For my card I have used a piece of a master card I made a long time ago, a stamp by Visible Image that I've also had a long time and a couple of pocket watches from another very old set that I've had so long I have no idea what make it is, computer generated the wording but seems my black ink is running out so it's rather grey !  Been busy the last few days between the rain showers trying to get the garden tidied up and plants cut back, the lawn is covered in leaves from a neighbours tree so just waiting until its dry enough to try and sweep them up, the blackbirds are busy raiding the berries off my shrubs and the little crab apples on my tree attract them too, not so cold this week either.

Halloween

 Today the new challenge at Try It On Tuesday is Halloween.  The design team have some spooky makes for you over on the challenge blog so I hope you will join them there.  For my journal page I have used stamps from Crafty Individuals and used the Edgar Allan Poe quotes as my inspiration.  I have struggled to get a decent copy of my page as the background is very irridescent and reflective, I maybe should have used lighter colours but it does look better in real life !