Stencilled Bright & Cheerful

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

From a very chilly & icy Gloucestershire,  we had Snow most of the day yesterday,  luckily the roads remained clear so the girls were able to get to and from work safely.  I have to say it looked so pretty, especially out over the hills.  It is forecast to be even colder today.   

We had proper winter comfort food for tea last night, Faggots & mash for Paul and the girls,  Lewis is always here on Tuesdays and he would not entertain Faggots, although I think its the name that puts him off!  So I made Toad in the hole for Lewis and myself,  it was delicious, even if I do say so must say so myself!

Today's card is a real quick and simple card.  I taped an Aall&Create stencil to a piece of smooth card and then blended a selection of brightly coloured distress oxide through the stencil.  I then layered the stencilled piece onto a black mat and then adhered to a card base and added a die cut sentiment.  Simple but effective. 

I hope that you all stay warm and safe, watch those Icy footpaths,

Love and hugs,

Sandra xxx

Bright & Cheerful Sunburst

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

We had a wet and gloomy day yesterday,  so a bright & cheerful card was just what was needed, I needed a quick card too aa we were taking Becca to the Orthopaedic Hospital to have a new cast made for straightening her elbow after her surgery,  they have to remake a new one every 2 weeks to make sure that enough the cast is creating enough pressure to straighten her join, it's quite painful aa they have to push her arm to beyond the point of it being comfortable for it to be effective.  This was Becca's own idea and thankfully it seems to be working,  she is regaining 10 degrees every couple of weeks,  frustratingly the Nuffield hospital is in the worst possible location and the journey to and from it is a nightmare, it should only take 1/2 hour but frequently takes almost 2 hours!!  

I cut the 6x6 paper to fit my 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card base, I stamped and die cut the sentiment using a circle die, I sandwiched a piece of iridescent ribbon between my sentiment and card for a little extra sparkle. 

I hope that you all have a good day, 

Love & hugs to all of you 

Sandra xxx 

Another Drunken Foil card

 

Good Monday Morning Ladies, 

We had a very slow day yesterday,  my poor legs didn't want to move,  even the weight of the bedding was painful on my legs, I wish you could still get those things that the hospital used to hold sheets and blankets off of your operated legs, I end up just having the sheet over my sore leg.  Now on the subject of bedding...do you Ladies use a top sheet??  I could not sleep without my crisp white cotton top sheet under the quilt, mostly because I couldn't sleep uncovered and most nights at some point I have to get Paul to pull the quilt off of me as I get too hot when my heart goes into an AF episode.  But even before I needed it for those reasons I have always put bottom and top sheets on all of our beds, however none of my children have a top sheet, even the girls when I give them one with their bedding on change over day,  they said it gets tangled around their legs 🙄😂!   I also like to see the white sheet folded over the top of the quilt when the bed is made. 

Karen I loved SKA music back in my teen years,  I don't necessarily remember the fashion though, I still love to listen to it today.  My sister had Ska music on her playlist at her wedding and I was absolutely amazed at how many people got up and danced to it, both young and old.                                 I  know you would love the BCLM Karen I would definitely recommend staying over locally so that you have 2 days to go through all of the exhibits in detail,  I think you would love the 60's shopping street,  you can go into little booths and listen to a selection of records.  The chap in the Building Society was explaining to a family about our Money, showing notes and coins going back years, the chap stood beside us was from Northern Island and he was telling us that his Father was the first person in their area to get a 50 shilling note,  it was given to him from the Government for ploughing an extra acre of land for food for the war effort,  a lot of farmers in the area came to him to ask his help in filling in the forms as he was one of the very few that could read and write. The guide behind the counter loved the story and told us that he learnt so much from listening to visitors stories.  You would honestly love it x

Today I am sharing another version of the Drunken foil technique that I shared with you on Saturday.

I embossed the foil covered card and then covered the piece with gesso and left it to dry. 

I stuck to blues and green Alchol inks for this one as I was going for a more masculine look. After applying the inks I set aside to dry.

I then used a brayer to add the silver paint.  With this technique you can see every line of detail,  from the grungy lines of the Tim Holtz Embossing folder to the brush strokes from applying the gesso.  Which all adds the interest of the piece.   It's be no means beautiful,  but oh so textured.  I haven't attached the greeting,  I think this piece would make a great journal cover or a card.                          It's a fun technique !! 

I hope that you all have a great start to the week,  

Love and hugs to all,

Sandra xxx 

Our Bright & Cheerful projects

 

Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

We are back home, after a lovely little break away, we definitely got our moneys worth out of those Black Country Living Museum tickets,  we spent more time chatting to yhe staff this time,   we have discovered new things each time we have been as there has been a different person 'in Character' in the different houses and shops,  I think the part you don't think about is that had it not been to the Museum rescuing the building from being demolished or the kind families that donate their family homes to the museum all of that history would be lost.  We chatted to the Lady in the Pharmacy,  the original owner died suddenly and his son took it over, he ran it until he physically couldn't manage any longer,  on his last day he locked the door and walked away, his lack of mobility meant that there was an Aladdin's cave of unopened boxes of stock, the many jars and bottles that lined the walls from floor to ceiling with their contents still inside. I could have spent hours in their looking at all of the hundreds of different lotions & potions.  I think that it's incredible that the take these buildings down brick by brick and rebuild them like a puzzle, every part numbered.  Their research teams look into the history of the building and the family itself so that they can recreate the story realistically.   I cannot recommend visiting this Museum enough, everyone working there is so passionate about the Black Country and its history.  

Let's look at what you have been making:  

Karen 

Karen's Description:  

Card 1: 

 My first play with the layering washi tapes I love ‘em!

Added a few white splats 

I think I’ve “overwhelmed” it by using the black mat and the font is definitely too large (which I pinched from Aall & Create!) It’ll be donated to the bowls club Somebody will like it 🤣

Created background with DO and stencil #130 from Aall and Create

Cards 2 & 3 : 

The square one has a JL vellum butterfly which I coloured with DO and the DL one I have used Glossy Accents on the yellow “flowers” and  one of my favourite Serif backgrounds. 

Oh Karen,  WOW, 3 amazing cards,  that layered Washi tape is amazing and I love what you did with it,  I don't think the words are too big, I think the whole piece works perfectly.  Sometimes we are our own harshest critic!  

Your other two cards are are so lovely,  that background is to die for, I really need you to teach me how to use Serif !  So perfect, thank you so very much for 3 incredible cards and for always supporting the challenges XXX

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Hi here is my tag for this week, sorry it’s late, I’ve been working on another one BUT I knocked over my tea, wasn’t looking where my die cut plates were, so just cutting a message to finish off and over my cup went, so that’s in the bin.

This one is distress oxides sponged and spattered. (Mermaid Lagoon)

Stamped with Tim Holtz small patt. Background stamp, tiny prints.

Then added texture paste through floral layering stencil.

When dry used imagine sheer shimmer spray.

Found a couple of old flowers and ribbon to finish off.

Oh Lilian that background  is amazing,  such a brilliant idea to use the tiny prints stamp for that added detail.  The texture paste through that pretty stencil makes the whole thing come together perfectly,  I love the little flowers that you have finished your tag with, they are simple but perfect.  I love that sentiment too.  

Thank you so much my lovely for another inspirational tag XXX

Sue

Sue's Description:

I used my old star dies again for this bright and cheerful card that I was inspired to make from one I saw on Pinterest xx

I lovely bright & cheerful card Sue, I love the colours you have used, the sentiment works perfectly too. 

Thank you so much  for supporting the challenge Sue XXX

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I hope that you all have a lovely relaxed Sunday,  ours is starting without an alarm!!  Having said that you can set your clock by Milo coming in to let you know he wants his breakfast 🤣

Love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Mixed Up Saturday

 

This is very similar to how my desk looks at the 

End of a craft session!!

Good Saturday Morning Ladies, 

Hello from the West Midlands, its a chilly overcast day here, we won't let that stop us enjoying our last visit to the Black Country Living Museum,  we went there yesterday too, my goodness me it was so cold,  it made us appreciate the fires going in all of the little old cottages, it must cost them a fortune in coal, my goodness it makes the houses feel welcoming and cosy though.  Mind you one of the ladies was saying that she starts getting 'moany' at around 3pm as she lets the fire burn out ready to clean and lay in for the next,  she said the ash gets everywhere,  meaning she has to clean around the room too, she said her husband could tell which area she had worked in that day because of the smell of smoke when  she got home!   The one memory we had from when we went years ago was the smell of the cooking of food over the range cookers,  one couple were telling us that they used to cook a full sunday roast with rice pudding at weekends, they used to share it with their fellow 'actors' in neighbouring houses,  the smells drew people in and created a great talking points.  They said that now the day seems so much longer as since Covid they aren't allowed to cook and prepare food, which seems ridiculous as the general public aren't eating it.   While we were there yesterday the Tow path and canal area were cordoned off as there were set builders in preparing for filming,  o e of the workers told us that it could well be new storylines for Peaky Blinders,  Paul and I haven't watched that TV show but they filmed quite a bit at the museum!  

Now Ladies,  I tried a new technique this week called the 'Drunken Foil Technique', probably as you use Tin Foil and Alcohol inks!  

Firstly I adhered a piece if Tin Foil to a piece of white card.  I then ran the foiled piece through machine with my Gina K Embossing folder.   

Next cover the Embossing with a coat of Gesso and allow to dry thoroughly.

Now have fun adding your Alcohol inks,  I think it could work with Alcohol pens too (although I haven't gotten around to trying that).  When you are happy with your colour combination you must allow this to try thoroughly. It looks messy but trust the process! 

The final step that makes a huge difference and brings the whole piece together, use a brayer to coat your raised embossed areas with gold/metallic paint, I have tried with Gold Ink pad, which looks great but isn't drying fully,  I have ordered some gold acrylic paint, so I am going to give that a go. 

I definitely think I would use less Alcohol ink on my next attempt, my piece is very colourful 🤣😂. I do love it though, they look like 'jewel' tones!! 

That's all from me today, 

Have a lovely day, 

Love & hugs to all of you,

Sandra xxx 

Karen's Bright & Cheerful Card

 

Good Friday Morning Ladies, 

We had a fun day yesterday,  exhausting but we really enjoyed it !!  Lucy has some leave to use up so she has  been taking Thursdays off as Soph has Thursdays off, so they get to spend some quality time together.  Yesterday they both needed some 'bits' from Ikea, so they asked me to go with them, we had a lovely day,  lunch in Ikea as its such a bargain,  Soph had fish & chips which was £6, she said it was lovely and said it was a much bigger portion than the Wildlife park and almost half the price!!  Lucy always has Ikea Meatballs, as she loves them,  I had prawns and egg on a little flatbread with salad which was lovely.  We then continued shopping,  thank heavens tuat I had my wheelchair as our day would have been  over hours ago!   Soph bought the most as she needed storage for bedroom,  Lucy bought a mug and some cable tidies,  I bought a mirror for our downstairs hallway,  we don't have any mirrors downstairs and aa much as I hate looking in them, I do like to check my hair etc before we leave the house.  Other than that I got a few little kitchen bits,  very reserved for me, it was also the first time that Lucy and I have left Ikea without plants !!  I think we got home at around 6.30pm as it was rush hour traffic on the M4, I had a bowl of soup and was ready for bed!  I love every minute I get to spend with my girls though, we have ao much fun 🥰

Thankfully Karen allowed me to share a card that she made last week that worked perfectly for our Bright & cheerful challenge....

Karen's Description:

A SueW Striplet and Camelia dies Good old Topsy Turvey card (remember that from C&C) and an old embossing folder. 

I love your card Karen, the Striplet dies haven't aged at all, that pop of pink makes such a difference.  Jaunita will have a huge smile when she opens her card.  Thank you for sharing it with us XXX 

I hope that you all have a fabulous Friday,  

Love & hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Bright & Cheery Distress Oxide card

 Good Thursday Morning Ladies, 

Hasn't this week flown by?  It literally feels like I was welcoming in the new week yesterday!!   Paul has been asking me to book a hotel for this weekend all week abs I thought I still had plenty of time!!  I ended up panic hotel booking last night!  Our Annual passes for The Black Country Living Museum run out next weekend, so we wanted to get one last weekend in.  It will be nice to get away for a couple of days.

Today I am sharing the other Distress ink card that I made on Monday,  this one was made using Distress Oxide ink,  I blended the inks around my card front and allowed to dry, I then stamped the French Script background, I think I used a grey ink for this one because the Oxides may have absorbed some of the colour as they oxidised, they were dry and I decided not to spritz so the script is more visible. I waited for the piece to fully dry before stamping the floral sprig in Versamark ink and adding clear embossing powder.  I really like the effect that the clear embossing gives, it really enhances the colour.   Now I really wanted the background to be the main focus of the card so I used a small sentiment and finished with a few sparkly gems. 

Here are the two cards together so that you can compare x 

I hope that you all have a good day,

Love & Hugs to all of you,

Sandra xxx