Merry Christmas

Hi, I have had such a busy month that my Clarity Challenge Card is only just finished.

It is a "Clean and Simple" challenge this month,

I used a circular stencil and one of my favourite Clarity Stamps, Forest Ridge for the trees. Added a moon mask and using Clarity Stencil brushes and Adirondack inks coloured the sky. Over stamped with Father Christmas and his reindeers. Added some pencil shading around the stencil apeture and finally stamped Merry Christmas.



Thank you for visiting

Kathy xx

Clarity Stamp Challenge - Stencils

Hi, today I have my card for the Clarity Stamps Challenge, this month using Stencils.

I thought that I would use my neglected Gelli plate for this. I started out by adding some distress inks in shades of brown to my Gelli plate and taking a print. My idea was to give some colour to the Clarity Stamp trellis stencil. I then added some Paperartsy paints in lines to the Gelli plate, Greens in the foreground, taupe  and blues. Then added the trellis stencil and took my print, I loved the dark and moody look to my card. I took several more prints with the paint that was left on the Gelli plate so I have plenty of backgrounds ready in my stash. I had planned to add flowers to my trellis using various stencils, I started with the Poppies Stencil in the foreground and I pulled some grunge paste through it. I loved the effect of the poppies on their own, to create more of a picture, with the Gelli paint background suggesting green fields, distant hills and blue sky, that I decided less is more and didn't add the extra flowers to my trellis. I coloured the poppies with Spectrum noir pencils and added some banks of red poppies into the background too.

The poppies are so relevant at the moment with Remembrance Day approaching, I chose to add the "Remember" from the Word Chains and to finish my card I mounted it on a white background. This brings to mind the amazing display of poppies at the Tower of London last year, sadly I didn't manage to visit.

As my card has the beautiful poppies created with grunge paste I am also entering it into the Country View Crafts blog Challenge - Add some Texture.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design

Kathy xx

Clarity Stamp Challenge - Shaped Cards

Hi today I have my shaped card for the Clarity Stamp September Blog Challenge

My design is a parchment using Groovi designs for Christmas. Love the Jolly Santa and the Christmas Dove of Peace. Some colouring with Spectrum Noir pencils. I added decorative edgings, Snowflakes and holly, and using the Christmas Tree added the background to the dove and wording Peace, Ho Ho Ho for the Jolly Santa and Season's Greetings with the snowflakes. I backed my parchment with a piece of card coloured with Fresco paints and finally a piece of kraft card.

This has been the hardest project to photograph, it is difficult to get the parchment work detail to show clearly in my photo.

Here are some more pictures, this one taken outside shows the complete card with the three panels.

I think that enlarging the pictures may help to see the details clearer.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

Orange Pigment Powder

Hi, today my card is for the PaperArtsy blog challenge - Pigment Powders

I have some color burst pigment powders, and they have remained unused as I was not sure how to get started with them. PaperArtsy blog challenge has been such a revelation, with some super ideas to try. I had a go at the sprinkle the powder on the paper and spritz your stamp technique, just not happy with how it turned out, I need to select the stamp more carefully I think.

The technique that I used for my card was blogged by Catherine Johnson, stamp with black and add clear embossing then wet the area where you want to add pigment powder, I used a JOFY stamp and orange powder. Then I puffed some powder onto my card and spritzed with water for the splattered background effect. I added a Happy Birthday stamp and a background painted with PaperArtsy paints, Brown shed, Autumn Fire and Pumpkin Soup. I love how this has turned out and will be trying this technique again.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design

Kathy xx

Up, Up and Away with a twist

Hi, today I have my entry for the Stamps and Stencils blog challenge,

Up, Up and Away with a twist, using Autumn colours.

So it was out with my PaperArtsy paints. I am usually a blue and green colour choice, so this was a distinct change for me. There is Pumpkin Soup, Butternut, Autumn Fire, Smoked Paprika and Haystack in the background. I stencilled over that with numbers using the bumping technique with Brown shed and Vanilla. TH Wildflower stencil is in the background using Ground Espresso DI. TH Harlequin stencil on two of the corners, a PaperArtsy HP script stamp using Vanilla paint over the background. I stamped the sentiment using Ground Espresso DI as I love the colour, but I think that it would have been a better choice to have used an Archival ink, just didn't have the colour I wanted. Still, I outlined it with white pen to help lift it more clearly from my colourful background. I added a seperate piece of card using foam pads to raise it up for dimension. It is coloured with Distress inks and stamped with the script stamp. The lovely bird stamp from PaperArtsy Hot Picks, more wildflowers stencil and finished with the postcard top from the new Christmas set by Sara Naumann.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design, thank you for taking the time to comment, I love to read them.

I have also found that my design will suit the Country View Crafts blog challenge, Numbers.
So I have entered my design there too. As well as the lovely large stencilled numbers using a Tim Holtz Stencil, there are some smaller numbers stamped on the background in Distress Inks which have not shown up very well in my photograph.

Kathy xx

Clarity Stamp Challenge - Bingo

Hi, today sees my design for the Clarity Stamp Challenge
This month it is a bingo theme, choose any three in a row.
I have chosen to use, the middle line, Grunge Paste, Stencils and Stamps, my favourite combo.

My background is made using PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paints brayered on, a mix of blue oyster, mermaid, south pacific and moonlight and lilac all layered up. First I used the clarity alphabet stencil and blue oyster paint, then added the grunge paste through the Clarity Stencil, Seed Heads. I left that to dry and then added the Gerbera stamp to the right hand side. I used grunge paste through the trellis stencil again on the right hand side, and continued this towards the left side using snowflake paint. I edged my design with London Night paint, a lovely violet grey, now discontinued. Over the trellis stencil I added some Dotty Wave dots in lilac. I added some colour to the grunge paste with paints and Spectrum Noir pencils. Then stamped the Wee Folk Fairy sitting on a seed head looking at the stars. I used "Imagine" from the word chains to finish my design.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design

Kathy xx

Clouded Yellow Butterfly

Hi, today is my design for the Stamps and Stencils blog challenge - Time Flies -

My design is using PaperArtsy paints for the background brayered on randomly, then I used a Clarity Stamps Alphabet Stencil with blue oyster paint, various PaperArtsy stamps using distress inks and snowflake paint. The main focus of my background is a Clarity Stamp Stencil of clock parts stenciled using Cinnamon paint. I added my sentiment ... every minute is a possibility ...  for the hungry caterpiller heading towards the flowers, stamped on card and cut out. The card was coloured using distress ink sprays. With the completion of the life cycle a beautiful butterfly. Coloured in shades of yellow and brown to remind me of the Clouded Yellow butterfly that I was lucky enough to see on monday, 17th August.


I am going to enter this design into the PaperArtsy Blog Challenge - Circles- too where I was inspired by the design from Gabrielle journalling circles.


Thank you for visiting and reading about my design,

I was so lucky to have my design chosen in the Top 3 of the Stamps and Stencils blog challenge and to have been randomly chosen on the PaperArtsy blog challenge. Thrilled. 

Kathy xx

Frilly and Funkie : Things with Wings

Hi, today I have a card for the Frilly and Funkie blog challenge. My first time creating a card for this challenge, "Things with Wings" I have a beautiful butterfly stamp from Tim Holtz which looks super and plenty of space to add colour this time using Spectrum Noir Pencils, which I thought would fit the brief.

My butterfly is stamped onto a background made using the rubbing alcohol technique detailed on Wendy Vecchi's blog. I do not, at present, have the picket fence distress spray stain, so substituted with Abandoned Coral and two shades of blue Archival Inks, the result is very soft colours. I overstamped with some PaperArsty stamps using Memento inks. My butterfly was stamped again onto white card and coloured, then fussy cut out and attached by it's body using foam pads to give some dimension. The pink and blue background has been mounted onto a white card that has been coloured with Fresco Finish paints from PaperArtsy using a brayer. There are various colours, blue oyster, moonlight, and hyde park are three that I can remember. To complete my card I have added a sentiment form the Tim Holtz Perspective stamp set, which includes the lovely butterfly. The background stamping is clearer if you enlarge my photo.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

Less is More - Berry Colours

Hi, today I have my design for the Less is More blog challenge
This week it is a COLOUR Challenge using berry colours

Well, Berry Colours are some of my favourite colours, so just had to create a card for this week. I used Distress Inks to make the background, Seedless Preserves and Shaded Lilac. Then made some coloured card with DI Seedless Preserves and Pickled Raspberry so that I could stamp the flower design and cut out the flowers. Then I stamped the flower design on to my background card and added the cut out flowers on foam pads for some dimension. Finally stamped "Thanks" in a dark shade of purple.

Thanks for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

PaperArtsy Challenge : Flowers

Hi, today my blog post is for the PaperArtsy blog challenge : Flowers.

I was inspired by the post a few days ago, although I enjoy seeing all the inspirational designs.
The post was by Anneke De Clerk I loved the lovely bright and cheerful canvas design.
Additionally, I am a huge fan of Sue Carrington and her deisgns, so there is some of her design influence too.

I started with a brayer backgound, Fresco finish paints, guacamole, sherbert, bora bora, chalk, spanish mulberry and lilac. Then stamped various Ellen Vargo, Sara Naumann script stamps and the lovely flowers. The leaf edging is from JoFY and the stems are by Darcy. There is a stencil in the background of seed heads painted through, and a grunge paste "Secret Garden" stencil by Lin Brown. To lift my design I added the circle stamps in DI seedless preserves. The leaves and stems were coloured with distress markers. Finally, the stamped sentiment "Art in Bloom" was added stamped on a piece of scrap card that had been coloured in DI berry colours, cut out and stuck down. The flowers were stamped on first and then stamped on to the berry coloured card and fussy cut out, buttons were added for their centres, I decided to leave the buttons white for contrast, they were fixed to my design with foam pads to give some dimension.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

Less is More : Snippets

Today my card is for the Less Is More blog challenge,

It is recipe week and using "Snippets"

I have used my snippet for the cupcakes, over stamping a piece of scrap lilac card that I had cut off from an earlier project and was still on my craft table, I fussy cut the cupcakes out and stuck down on my card.

The cupcakes have a glitter pen added to the line art, just a subtle shine, but not very noticable in my photo.
Then I stamped a frame around three times in various shades of purple, with "Happy Birthday" and some shading to add depth around the frame and cupcakes. Stamp set from Waltzingmouse Stamps, "Frame It"

I would like to wish Happy Birthday to Chrissie on her special day !!

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card.

Kathy xx

Clarity Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes

Today my blog post is for the Clarity Stamp Challenge, 

This month it is "Anything Goes" which is handy as I have made a Birthday Book.
I used to religiously write up my birthdays on next years calendar, something went wrong this year and I seem to have missed out August completely. So, I thought that it must be time for a proper job, and decided to make myself a Birthday Book.

Front

Using Clarity stamps, and masks and coloured with Spectrum Noir pencils. Lots of distress inks in the background and sky, using Clarity stencil brushes to ink in the hills and clouds. A second generation stamped tree in the background. I love how the poppies stamp has worked to make a ribbon  along the base underneath the children dancing and playing.

The back was made by repeat stamping the lovely floral corner, so William Morris, another favourite stamp, colouring with Spectrum Noir pencils and edging with Distress inks.

 

Back

I laced the front and back together with pages between for the months and dates to fill in.

Then I made a couple of tags ready for up and coming birthdays.

I love the heart stamp and the "Happy Birthday" sentiment. The bows are coloured with matching Distress inks and then scrunched up.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my designs

Kathy xx

Less is More : Life's a Beach

Hi, today my post is for the Less is More Blog Challenge

Theme : Life's a Beach

Stamps are from Waltzingmouse Stamps, "My Island" a lovely set of stamps. When I think of a relaxing beach there are always palm trees, beautiful sunsets, turquoise gently lapping sea, (no huge rolling waves) and lots of space to enjoy it all, my tropical paradise, not like today persistantly raining.

My card was stamped using various Distress Inks and black archival, second generation stamping for the palm trees, my sand effect was dusted in with a Clarity stencil brush and DI tea dye ink.

Thank you for visiting.

Kathy xx

Less is More : Masculine one layer card

Hi, todays card is for the Less is More Blog Challenge
This week it is masculine and a one layer card.

My card is worked using  a white 7 x 7 card blank coloured with Clarity Jo's Bubbles Stencil using Distress inks, Stormy Sky, Twisted Citron and Cracked Pistachio. I stamped the saxophone, musical notes and Happy Birthday in Black Archival ink, all Clarity Stamps.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card

Kathy xx

Paperartsy Stencils

Hi, the current Paperartsy blog challenge is stencils.
This was inspired by Sue Carrington's Vintage Journal design on the Paperartsy blog

Paperartsy Fresco paints in blues and greens brayered onto my card and then stenciled with some Lin Brown designs and overstamped with numbers and circles, Ellen Vargo, Lin Brown and Darcy stamps and a script stamp from Lynne Perrella. I added the sentiment stamped onto tissue paper to get a clearer stamped image

I have only recently found Fresco paints and just love using them, this is my first Paperartsy blog challenge entry. I am enjoying the new releases and techniques showcased on their blog with my wish list getting ever longer !!

Thanks for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

Less is More - Colour Challenge

Hi today I have my card design for the Less is More blog challenge, this week it is a colour challenge using Red, White and Blue

Made using Clarity Stamps and stencils, I wanted a softer stencilled heart in the background and the stamped heart as the foreground focal image. I gave the stamped heart a surrounding of shadow to lift it, and coloured using Spectrum Noir pencils. I thought that red and blue work well with a heart, red for the passion and firey heart and blue for heartfelt sadness, emotions that can be so closely linked, two sides of the coin.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

52CCT Mixed Media Too

Hi, well I had to make use of my darker background, and this is it, entered into the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge.

The background is various Fresco Paints brayered onto card. Then overstamped with snowflakes, dots, harlequin diamonds and some circles for good measure. Then stencilled over that with bubble circles. I had a snowflake stamped over a light section centrally on the card and thought that would make a good star over a nativity scene, which would be dark in the night time. So I stamped in black archival ink, the Nativity and some palm trees. Merry Christmas sentiment added with a distress inked background.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my second card.

Kathy xx

Less is More - Sketch

Hi, today I have my entry for the Less is More Sketch Challenge

Using Clarity stencil through a square apeture and distress inks "tumbled glass" to colour. Stamped Clarity Stamps flowers in the squares and coloured with Spectrum Noir pencils and used a white pen for highlights on the silhouette stamps.

I made a rectangular block below the flowers with distress inks and stamped "Thanks" stamp from Waltzingmouse Stamps in black with white pen highlights.

This is the sketch design.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card.

Kathy xx

52 CCT - Mixed Media

Hi, today's crafting is for the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge.

This week it is mixed media, sounds like fun.

I am quite new to mixed media but have purchased some acrylic paints and stencils to play with, so they might do as a starter.
I used Paperartsy Fresco paint, coloured the background then stamped over the holly leaves in green archival ink, using a stencil I added the lilac paint shapes and overstamping with white paint the script. I made tags to match and added diecut Christmas Stockings. Stamped the sentiment, Merry Chritmas edged this with distress inks and attached to my card which I mounted on a contrasting mount. This is a bright colour combo, my first background started out much darker, so I started again for the above card with a lighter colour pallette.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card design.

Kathy xx

Clarity Stamps Challenge : Boys, boys, boys

Hi, today I have my entry for the Clarity Stamps Challenge Blog, theme : Boys, boys, boys.

This took me a while to decide on what to create. My first thought was a "Gone Fishing" sign to hang up by the front door. I spent a good while finding clarity stamps and stencils got the board ready and then saw Barbara's blog on the Gelli plate and Fresco paints, and I was veering off in a completely different direction.

I actually started this piece with the gelli plate and fresco paints and Clarity stencils and 7x7 gelli card, they are all there underneath. I peeled my print with a lighter section in the middle using the flare frame stencil, it just didn't inspire me, so I picked up my brayer and rolled on some guacamole paint and then blue oyster, this was definitely more fun, topping with Hey pesto, green and South Pacific, blue paint. I had completely covered the gelli card. I stamped some numbers, diamonds and circle shape of the journaling set using distress inks. Then I was thinking that I would use this as a cover for a journal as a gift for a nature loving, and fishing friend. Stamped the landscape background complete with the fisherman and the word chain "Journal" in black ink. Added some highlights with dots through the dotty wave stencil. Folded in half and added some watercolour paper pages with ties to hold in place. Then added the twine to hold shut, and hold a pencil in place.

Back of Journal

I have enjoyed making this project so much I am going to use a lilac and blue paint mix and flower stamps to make a garden journal.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design, and welcome to my new follower, Jo.
Kathy xx

LiM - Stencils

Hi, today is my design for the Less is More Blog Challenge - Stencils.

I love using stencils in my designs. This one is a simple masked stripe across the card coloured with Adirondack inks, Butterscotch, Mountain Rose and Stonewash using a Clarity Stamp Stencil, leafy swirls, a favourite stencil of mine. I used a new stamp set, Perspective, from Stampers Anonymous and Tim Holtz for the Butterfly and sentiment. Decided to leave my butterfly as stamped with some colour behind its lower wings, I had considered colouring the top wings and the "DREAM" lettering, but I like it as it is, simple.

Hope that you like it, and thanks for visiting.

Kathy xx

Less is More : Home

Hi, this week I purchased some Lynne Perrella Stamps from Paperartsy, and just had to try them out.
I thought maybe the Less is More blog challenge this week might provide the inspiration,

One Layer Card week

and the theme is 

Home

 

 

I stamped the design in Tuxedo Black ink, it is such a beautiful intricate stamp design suggesting houses, gets you thinking, "Who would live in a house like that ?" I decided to leave it just black ink. I may go back to it tomorrow to add some distress ink colour bands or watercolour. I added the key, to balance the key a small rose panel and the sentiment " New Home " from Waltzingmouse Stamps, just love the fonts on this stamp.

If this card is too monochrome then here is one I made earlier using Clarity stamps and sunburst stencil background, with Adirondack inks, Butterscotch, Mountain Rose and Stonewashed, my favourite "New Home" stamp made another appearance. The quirky cottage was coloured in with Spectrum Noir pencils.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my designs

Kathy xx

 

 

Clarity Stamp Challenge May - Clocks

Hi, this is my entry for the Clarity Stamp Challenge, this month the challenge is CLOCKS

I used the Clarity Clock Stencil as the main background with added fob watch stamp, also stamped with the Clarity numbers and script and harlequin diamonds from the journaling set. The sentiment was created from a NDC stamp, Time for Something New, blocking off the end of something before stamping, Some, and Me is made from an upside down W from New. Stamped on to separate pieces of card and edged with a black pen, then added to the card. I was using the Paperarsty Fresco Finish Paints to create my background. The flowers are from Flower Power stencil cut out and mounted on the grasses from a Clarity lesson set  (off C&C  that included the windmill stamp.) The leaves are from two stencils, Olive Branch Wreath and a leafy stencil, Double Vine. All mounted up on a black mat.

Thank you for visiting
Kathy xx

52CCT Challenge Triple Time Stamping

Hi, this is my card design for the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown challenge
Just made it in time !!

Triple Time Stamping Technique. New to me and just had to give it a go.

Using cream col;oured cardstock, I stamped with memento ink Desert Storm, a Clarity stamps leafy swirl in the background. Then a Waltzingmouse Poinsettia stamp was added, coloured with Spectrum noir pencils, Christmas Greetings sentiment from Clarity Stamps.
To finish I wrapped green bakers twine around and added a red double bow coloured with Spectrum Noir Alchohol pens to match the poinsettia.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

Clarity Stamp Challenge Wee Folk

Hi, today is my entry for this month's Clarity Stamp Challenge : Wee Folk.

Lots of ideas for this challenge, I love the drawings of Arthur Rackham and the colourful Fairyland lustre ware by Daisy Makeig-Jones of Wedgewood. However, when my new Tree House stamp arrived I ended up going in a completely different direction, inspired by Barbara and using the new letter box set of stamps.

After much consideration I went back to my comfort zone and stamping on card, I thought that my design would work well mounted and framed in the hallway, by the front door, wishing everyone a warm welcome.

Using the new tree house stamp for the fairy and elves wee folk home, not "old folks home" !! The toadstool from an earlier Clarity Stamp workshop. With the Forest Ridge stamped in the background. Masked and inked in hills, Willow and Meadow. A large sun in the sky, Clarity masks are perfect and Clarity stencil brushes to wash over the colour, Butterscotch, Stonewashed and Mountain Rose. I wanted to use Spring colours and a lovely sunny day. The letters for "Welcome" on a banner assembled by the wee folk with some help from a lovely small bird stamp from another earlier workshop. Micron pen string and bow in the trees. There was some foliage to frame the scene. Plenty of colouring in with my Spectrum Noir pencils. The whole card was edged with Antique Linen distress ink and mounted up on a white mat. We have a lovely framing shop locally with plenty of bespoke frames to select from for the finishing touch.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

Waltzingmouse PJ Party

Hi, this is  my card design for the Waltzingmouse PJ Party, bedtime story card design

I used the Nordic Baby set of stamps for the lovely shoes and sentiment, die cuts from Spellbinders and Tattered Lace. The dotty spot background was created using a Stencil/Mask all in shades of pink. Die cut "Baby" spelt out on the cheerful bunting.

I also made a co-ordinating gift tag using the Nordic Baby stamps and Waltzingmouse die cut stitched tags

My final card was using the Nestie friendly, Season's of Love Tags, using the Heart Tag, some Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms, and Sue Wilson Dies for the background all mounted on a scalloped edge card.
I wanted to add some liquid pearl drops around the heart but I need a new bottle so had to give that a miss.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog

Kathy xx

Easter Card

Hi, Happy Easter.

This is my card for Artisant Blog Easter Challenge.

Using the colour scheme

I used Waltzingmouse Stamps for the egg basket, and the individual egg and "Happy Easter" sentiment cut out with the matching die cuts, so useful to have those.
The backing paper is one that I have printed from the Tilda World blog, bunnies and colourful eggs, in the perfect colour scheme to suit, just peeping out and heavily distressed at the top of my card. Some Tattered Lace die cuts for the corner, the flower strip and the lace doily behind the egg basket. Then the remaining die cuts are Spellbinders. Egg basket coloured with Spectrum Noir Pens. The darker blue square is distress inks covered with a glimmer mist, which shines in the light. Scalloped edging coloured with distress ink stripes.

Thank you for visiting,

Kathy xx

By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Jamaica Inn and more

Hi, this is my design for the March Clarity Challenge, Anything but a Card.

This is my first foray into a canvas piece, quite scary at the start, but after getting some grunge paste on and some colour going it started to take shape.

Using Clarity stencils to create my canvas inspired by "Smugglers" there is the sea (a quiet cove), seawall or cliffs and a few fishermans houses topped off with a moody sky and the silvery moon. Various inks were dusted through the ploughed field stencil at the top of the canvas. The sea was added using the Ocean Swirl stencil and grunge paste. The houses were added with extracts of the Town stencil, more grunge paste. The seawall or cliffs were created using the Tangle stencil, yet more grunge paste. Keep washing the excess grunge paste off your stencills before it has a chance to dry on. The moon, which started life as the sun, was added with, yes, more grunge paste through Jo's Bubbles stencil and then it was texturised as the paste was starting to dry.

All this work and yet the only colour was at the top of the canvas through the Ploughed Field stencil. After letting the grunge paste dry, it was time to go in with the acrylics and Clarity brushes. Wow, what fun.
Starting with the gold, dry brush on over the sea, the wall/cliff, and the house walls. Then add some magenta, before the gold has dried to get the blended colours, over the wall/cliff, house walls and roofs. Finally I used the Phthalo Blue, mainly for the sea colouring, added to the house roofs to darken and in the fields in the background behind the houses. There is a lovely path appeared from no where on the right hand side of the canvas just in front of the houses there, fitted the storyline perfectly.

This was when the decision was made about the sky, the "rough plan" was for it to be shades of blue and sun shine ! I wondered if this was a good idea with the sea colour having blue top and bottom ? So rash decision to make the sky darker and the sun would become the moon, yeah. Brushing over the mix of blue and magenta to get the purple effect, did not like how the new moon had turned out, it looked very grubby, covered in the purple colour. Tried the lightening techniques but that just looked as grubby, out with the white acrylic and some punchinella to add some white dots to the moon, big improvement, got a little wild in adding white dots to the canvas in various other places that seemed to benefit from it. (That's what I told myself, anyway). Stand back and assess your creation, still needed some light to lift it. This is where I got out the craft knife, not to cut my canvas up in to pieces, but to scrape off some colour from the grunge paste to add the highlights, this is such fun. Lots of white foamy splashes in the sea and some scratches across the paste. Then further up the wall/cliff to add some highlights, best was on the houses roofs and walls. Finally I had this idea to scrape off colour from the moon, at first I was thinking go for a full moon and take the colour off completely. But I started by making a crescent shape around the edge and loved it. There are crinkles in the moon shape that look like the Man in the Moon face, again appeared from no where. Finally after all the scraping there was some Spectrum Noir pencils to add some shadows around the houses.

Hope that you like it, thank you for visiting, and for all your comments.

Kathy xx

Silver Tree

Hi, this week my card for the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge is a colour challenge,
Pink, Blue  and Silver.

The background is stamped in pink and blue using Waltzingmouse Stamps, Vintage Postcards set a Santa stamp in pink and a Snowflake stamp in blue. Then I have added a Clarity Stamp Christmas Tree stamped and embossed in silver, all mounted up on a silver matt. This is only a small card, at 3 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in in size.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card

Kathy xx

Santa Claus Bauble

Hi, this week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown we have a sketch

Here is my interpretation, using Waltzingmouse Stamps for the sentiment and the Santa's Coming to Town, this stamp fits the Spellbinders shape perfectly. Cut, edge with distress inks and matt in red. Topped with a green bakers twine bow and mounted on foam pads. The ribbon is stamped with Clarity Stamps, Holly and Ivy and then coloured with Spectrum Noir Pencils.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card.

I would like to thank Patricia for pointing out that I was not linking up my challenge entry correctly.
I had not realised that I was making this error. I am so keen to get my next colour card completed so that I can try to get this page linking up right, I hope.

Kathy xx

Santa's Little Helper

Hi, today my card is for the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge.

This week it is a Stash Challenge using  "Markers"

I pulled out a super stamp set from Waltzingmouse Stamps, "Elf Made"
Stamped and coloured using Spectrum Noir Alcohol Pens, cut out using a Spellbinders Label One, dusted some distress inks and mounted upon an embossed background of snow flakes and snow. All finished with a red matt behind. I added a lovely matching topper from the same stamp set, die cut circle, mounted up on foam pads for some dimension to my card. Written around the edge of the topper is "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear"

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card.

Kathy xx

Share a Little Love

Hi, today I have finished my card for Aneta's blog challenge on "Love"

Using lots of die cuts and some lovely flowers in shades of pink. I took the theme of an anniversary, using Clarity Stamps Garden Heart stamp with the two love birds and flowers and from the Wee Folk a couple sitting on a bench. Lots of Tattered Lace for the edgings and a lovely rose corner. Tucked away behind the lattice oval is a little tag, stamped with Love You Always, where you could write a special message.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my card design.

Kathy xx

It had to be Blue Sequins

Hi, this week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown   it is

Sequins and Pearls

I worked out my design using the "Noel" die cut as my central panel and some white on white Poinsettia die cuts with a pearl centre. Then I wanted white sequins to dot about as the background. My white sequins had gone walkabout, so after lots of searching about I found some blue sequins and added some white snowflakes behind them.

I mounted my white card on silver, although this is looking grey in my photo.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design. I am going to have one last look for those white sequins.

Kathy xx

Clarity Stamps Challenge - Floral

Hi, today my card is for the Clarity Stamp Challenge, this month is " Floral "

I searched through my stash of Clarity Stamps, I have plenty of floral stamps, the super blossom corner and edge, daisy crook, poppies, various corners, the beautiful garden heart, too many to make a quick decision, oh, and the gerberas.

I tried out some backgrounds using my gelli plate and inks with the abstract stencils and the ocean swirl and leafy swirl, to see what direction to go forward with. Still couldn't decide.

My New Designs Stamps and stencils club arrived in the post, slight distraction, well quite a large time spent trying out new mask ideas, reminded me of more flower stamps that I had received in the post and tucked in my club folder. Time for some organising !!

Decisions, I fell in love with the Leafy Swirl stencil, great for the background. Then a new stamp set, the Bouquet stamp and vase stencil as the focal image and the sentiment "To a Dear Friend" seemed to suit the top left hand corner. I coloured the swirl stencil using Adirondack inks, Butterscotch, Mountain Rose and Stonewash, using the vase shape from the stencil as a mask. The vase was sponged in with Weathered Wood distress inks and a small floral flourish was added from Corners and Flourishes set. Lots of colouring in with Spectrum Noir pencils to the flowers and the vase also some shading behind the flowers and under the vase and to the sentiment ribbon.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx

Silver Christmas Dove

Hi, this week has been so busy, only just finished my card for the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge.

This week is colours

I have a very simple design using a silver die cut dove and stencilled background in grey on white card.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog, hope that you liked my design.

Kathy x

Season's Greetings

Hi, today is my card design for the current 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge.

This week it is a sketch design. I find the sketch designs the hardest to work with, hope that you like what I came up with.

Keeping it simple, I stamped a Clarity Stamps Christmas Roundel of Doves and the sentiment of Season's Greetings on a faux ribbon banner. I added a sprig of Holly and Berries and a die cut top to my roundell suggesting a Christmas bauble. Some colouring for shading was added and a dark blue matt to finish.

Thank you for visiting and reading about my design.

Kathy xx