The Distress Oxide Version

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

Well that was a bit of a warm one wasn't it?  I hope that you all managed to find a way to keep cool.  I was in and out all day,  I just can't sit out in the heat like Paul can,  I also get bored if I'm not doing anything,   I kept looking round finding jobs that needed doing.   We have switched the Aga off for the summer,  the kitchen was unbearable with it on.   I would say that we have been having salads so it's been easier as far as cooking goes but with all the bits and pieces, pasta salad, potato salad, homemade coleslaw etc its harder work than cooking a roast dinner!   We had our first Jersey royals last night with a little butter and they were delicious 😋 

Brilliant artwork,  perfect reminder!! 

I did another Distress Oxide/ Ink comparison with these two cards.  I do think that the Inks (right) are slightly more vibrant on this occasion.   

I did have to stamp the flower (leaving it in the stamping platform) then use the stencil to add the Oxide inks, I then had to place the inked piece back into the stamp platform and restamp the image as the oxides covered the black ink.  I like both versions,  the oxides just need that extra step.  

I hope that you all have a good day,

Love & Hugs to all,

Sandra xxx

Happy BH Monday

Good Monday Morning Ladies,  

Did you all enjoy the lovely sunny weather yesterday,   I literally did nothing,   it was just a little too warm,  Paul set me up a chair and the large umbrella in the shade,  he even got me a bucket with some cool water in to put my feet in to cool me down 😍. He did start doing some weeding but I told him to stop as he was in full sun,  it was just too hot.  So he got his magazines and came to join me in the shade.  We sat inside for lunch,  I had a plate of fruit including watermelon which was so refreshing,   I am in my grape phase at the moment,   I love them and can finish a hole punnet in no time.  I haven't had watermelon in a couple of years as we bought some from a market in Spain and my goodness did it make me sick,  I couldn't face it after that.  Paul fancied some yesterday so I cut half up and tried a piece,  so I guess thats me back to eating Watermelon 🍉! 

After Sonia's Coffee themed journal page and Maria saying that that's how she felt before coffee in the morning,  my girls are the same, they HAVE to have coffee!  Paul enjoys a coffee but his drink of choice is a cup of tea!   I used to drink coffee but went off it when I was pregnant with girls and haven’t drank it since,   I think that today's world is very coffee orientated,  there are many coffee places in most towns, its crazy.   Do you ladies all drink coffee,  do you have these fancy named ones,  it always makes me laugh when we go anywhere and just wants a 'coffee', not a Espresso or a latte, just coffee with milk!   I think he just asks for an Americano. 

On any other day this would be a great reminder, however today's heat deserves a reminder that says 'just sit in the shade and take it essy 🥵🤣

I got my Distress inks out again on Friday and used one of my favourite Tim Holtz stamps,  I popped the stamp in my stamping tool and stamped the flower in Black Versafine Clair,  I gave it a quick dry before moving on to adding ink.  

To create the random circles I die cut some circles out a piece of card and used that to add circles of dustress ink around the stamped flower.  

I spritzed the circles with a pearl spray for added glitz.  I stamped a simple sentiment,  then finished by adding the card to a card blank then added a few pearls.  

Just like last week I did an Oxide version of this card too,  I will share that in the next couple of days. 

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

Love and cool hugs, 

Sandra xxx 

 

Our makes this week

 

Good sunday Morning Ladies,  

I am going to blow my own trumpet today,  I don't often think about my makes,  the only day I reflect about the last week is Sunday and the aim of Sundays post is to celebrate what you have been making.  

But I am really enjoying crafting at the moment and love all the things I made this past week,  half of which aren't shown today,  I honestly think that variety of Cards, Tags and Journal pages helps because they all start differently,  if I'm not feeling very inspired I'll do a tag as there is less white space,  a splash of colour, a couple of stencilled areas, bit of stamping and your basically done, you just need a focal point and your done.  A journal page takes a bit more planning,  although you can go completely abstract and its just as lovely as something that has been meticulously planned. Cards can vary,  depending whether you are making for someone special,  for a special occasion or making for fun or a challenge of course 🤣😂

It sounds obvious but we often forget about ourselves when others around us need our time and help,  love the artwork too x

Karen 

Karen's Description: 

Card 1:  

Here’s a card made entirely from scraps

Leftover background, coloured card and vellum

Card 2:

Another card with scraps 

A scrap piece of Clarity paper with scraps of black and white letters- Aall and Create

Saw the layout on HM by Pink Frog

Two amazing cards Karen, the first one is so incredibly pretty,  such a beautiful paper,  the butterfly couldn't be more fitting as an embellishment. 

Your second card could be used for many things,  especially Masculine cards,  but a change in colour and sentiment would make it work for anything, including Christmas (I whispered that as it isn't even June).  

Thank you so much for two lovely,  inspiring cards,  I really appreciate your support  XXX

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Here is my piece for this week’s challenge.

The theme is “summer time”

Thought I would do a tag for a change.

Various ephemera from Stamperia books and a bit of random stamping and stencilling.

Lilian what a beautiful tag,  it certainly does represent Summer,   such beautifully coloured flowers, I love that background too,  your stamping has added so much interest too. 

Thank you so much for for creating the tag for the challenge,   your support is very much appreciated XXX

Sonia

Sonia's Description:  

Journal page made to fit both challenges - Coffee Lovers and using up old backgrounds. 

The background was made by inking a stencil then adding sprays of water and placing it on card. I added the text from a Stamperia stamp and the ink splats, some from Stamperia and some from Honeydoo Crafts. I added the small brown ‘coffee rings’ using an old deodorant lid. The images and quote are printed from Free Printable Designs facebook page by Tiffany Irvin. I cut out the cups to add to the side of main image.

What a brilliant Journal page,  I love all of the sentiments, they work perfectly for the Coffee Lovers theme,  just like the images you have used,  your fussy cutting is amazing,  those cups must have taken ages,  especially inside the handle.  

Thank you so much for such a lovely journal page,  I'm surprised you had the energy after your busy week!  I am so grateful that you did though XXX

I hope that you all have a lovely Sunday,  stay cool ! 

Love & Hugs to all of you,

Sandra xxx 

Happy Sunny Saturday

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies, 

Ihad to send Paul up intp the loft last night to get the fans down,  I find frustrating at night when it's hot and stuffy,  the heat really affects my AF which makes it hard to relax enough to get to sleep,  however I don't like the fan blowing on me either 🤣😂 I am like 'the princess and the pea' 🙄😂  If we are lucky because our bedroom is on a corner we might get a bit of a breeze.                                             Do any of you have trouble sleeping in the heat?   When we are on holiday we have air conditioning,  so we can set that going so that the bedrooms are nice and cool when we go to bed.  Lucy and Sophie have just bought themselves a 'cooling sheet',  I am intrigued to see if it works,  if they do I will be sure to buy one for our bed.   Our duvet actually has a 'cool' side,   it has 'space' technology🙄🙄🙄, it is supposed to help keep you cool,  we have had it for atleast 4 years and haven't noticed a difference yet 🤣😂🙄🙄

This reminder is one that you shouldn't ever get tired of hearing,   you absolutely do matter so very much, to me and to all of your wonderful family too  ❤️ ♥️ ❤️ 

Gina 

Gina's Description:

This is a card that I made for a 90th Birthday.  I made the box ( first & second photo).  The card I made using my Tattered Lace Book die,  the flowers were from my stash. 

Another beautiful Special Occasion card Gina,  the book style card is so lovely and your beautiful flower sprays finish it perfectly.  The box is equally as beautiful as the box,  the paper that you used with those lovely fuschias gives a real wow,  the sentiments give the touch of luxury too, the fact that you even lined the box with pretty paper shows how incredible your attention to detail is. 

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful card with us my lovely XXX 

I hope that you all have a lovely Saturday,  

Love and hugs to all of you,  

Sandra xxx

The Distress Oxide rainbow card

 

Good Friday Morning Ladies,  

These Friday's come around so fast,  this week has absolutely flown by,  probably because I had two appointments and then out with the girls too, not that I am complaining,  I love their company and more so with Lucy if I didn't go out with her she probably wouldn't bother as her days off never match Soph's.  They both enjoy taking me out too. 

Have you all got plans for the Bank Holiday weekend?  

Another great reminder, something we all need reminding about x

Today I am sharing the Distress Oxide version of the brushstroke card I made on Monday,   I have to say that on this occasion there isn't much difference.

The top one is Distress ink, the bottom is Oxide. 

The Picked Raspberry does look less vibrant and maybe the Wilted violet,  they look more 'powdery' the other colours look very similar.  

I have really enjoyed playing with inks this week. 

I hope that you all have a great Friday,  

Love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Distress Oxide background card

 

Good Morning Ladies,  

A quiet start to the day today as Paul & Lucy are at work, Soph went to Lewis last night,  so she'll be back later today,  I must get atleast a couple of cards or tags made,  to build up a stock for scheduling for our holiday.  

I got the Ecg monitor disconnected yesterday,  the lady that removed it shook her head and said that she was tired of constantly explaining where the monitor wires are placed on your body, even printing a diagram,   however the lady that did mine had all of them in the wrong place,  one was up high in the middle of my neck ( you could see it above a round neck top)  the other two where belly button height but placed more on my back on either side,  none were where they were last time,  so fingers crossed it worked ok,  she was a real character,  she said 'lord only knows what will happen when I retire '  i asked when that was,  she said she was 73, which shocked me, she is planning on working until next march.  She said that she would get bored sitting at home every day bless her. I have to wait for results now,  atleast 2 weeks for recording to be analysed they will pass results on to my GP. 

I made today's card yesterday afternoon,   I used Wilted Violet,  Mermaid lagoon & Pumice Stone DO, smooshing them onto my ink mat and tapping my card into the colours one at a time and heat setting in-between colours,  it took me a while to learn that smooshing worked better using just one colour at a time and fully drying to prevent the colours mixing and creating mud.  My favourite part of smooshing is being able to capture the little dotty bits.  

After fully drying the background I stamped my Visible Image butterflies over the coloured panel,   I did heat emboss them as Oxides can sometimes can dull the black ink.  I then stamped them again onto white card and fussy cut them and placed them over the ones I stamped onto the panel.  I trimmed around the little sentiment and fussy cut a Pumice Stone mat for it.  I added the piece to a card blank and added some faux stitching around the edges. 

I hope that you all have a great day, 

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

An Arden creative tag

 

Good Morning Ladies,  

Just a quickie from me today,  as I am writing this I 

am literally shaking with the shivers! 

Todays reminder is a good one,  its easy to get caught out when you are feeling low and just want to push on a little further,  when you really now twins  at it's ok to let someone elste to do it!. 

Our garage bill was a nightmare,  best part of £900 for the repairs!  But Paul  seemed ok with the work that was done. We had to have a new radiator,   these things never happen while your car is still in Warranty.  We need it to be ok though as we are driving through the Pyrenees in 4 weeks !  

Today I am sharing a tag that I made last week, I used my Arden Creative die cuts to create the tag, the base was coloured using two shades of blue acrylic paint applied with a wet wipe!  I used black embossing to add detail and some stamping.   I really like the different background colours. 

I am going back to Clinic to get me 24hr Heart Monitor device removed, then Lucy and I are off to do some holiday shopping! 

I hope you have a good day, 

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx