Friday, 17 April 2026

Second Version of Clean & simple card

 



Good Friday Morning Ladies,  

Well hasn't this week flown?!  I'm hoping for brighter weather for the weekend.  

Have you got any plans?  

Another very good reminder,  some of us need longer to heal and that's ok too.  

Today I am sharing the other colour way of the Gelli plate inked background that I created the other day.  This one was Spun Sugar,  Picked Raspberry & Festive Berries,  spritzed with water and placed onto the card, after drying I stamped the flower from French Country Garden stamp set. 

I hope that you all have a lovely Friday,  

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

Thursday, 16 April 2026

A 'Faux Bleach' technique card

 





Good Morning Ladies,  

We were blessed with every weather yesterday,  even Thunder & Lightning!   Did you get the same where you are?  

Please read today's reminder carefully,  you are all every one of those categories and MORE!  

I made today's card yesterday,  I started with a piece of watercolour card and used Stampin Up inks for this one. 

I covered the card with Coastal Cabana ink and added a little Pretty Peacock around the edge.  


I then added some splatters of water and blotted them off. 

Next came the stamping....


I stamped the image onto my inked background and took a paintbrush and some water and painted in each petal with water and blotted off the ink, this is 'Faux Bleaching'.  I did all the flowers and petals, trying not to go out of the lines. 


I used Harvest Moon Distress Mica stain to add colour back into the flowers.  


I zoomed in so that you can see the mica shining. 

I added a quick sentiment for the photograph as I couldn't decide what to add. 

I hope that you all have a great Thursday,  

Love and hugs to all of you  

Sandra xxx 

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

Inky background journal page

 






Good Wednesday Morning Ladies,  

I hope that you are all ok,  I do wish that warm sunshine would return,  those few days we had have totally spoilt us,  it now feels so much colder.  The girls have both had nasty colds too which doesn't help.  Let's hope the sun returns and fills us with happiness again very soon!  

I love todays sentiment,   it's me all over,  it make take me a bit longer to get somewhere or get something done but the sense of achievement makes it worth the extra time it took.  I love the artwork to these sentiments too.  

Now today's journal page, I made yesterday,   I just wanted to play with my new stamp and stencil, I used an old cellophane bag to add Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed distress ink to the background, building up the layers , I then used Twisted Citron Oxide spray through the circle stencil (I used oxide to spray through stencil as I didn't have that colour in Spray stain) so the colour is more muted.  
I stamped and clear embossed two of the Daisy Art flowers on white card and fussy cut them.  I adhered them to the background and trimmed off the excess parts of the daisy,  I then drew a couple of lines around the outer edge of the page. 
I found a stamp set that I have had for a very long time and never used,  I really liked the sentiment and thought it went well with the page.  I then added some black splatters and instantly regretted it as a big splodge landed on the embossed sentiment,  I was going to scrap it but decided that it's only going into my journal so it's fine.  In case you can't read it it says "Some days you just have to create your own sunshine " 

I hope that you all have a good day, 

Love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Clean & Simple Inked background card

 



Good Morning Ladies,  

First today I want to bring attention to the reminder,  I think between us all we have suffered mentally & physically be it through illness, surgery, loss of loved ones, depression,  the list goes on.        So we ABSOLUTELY deserve every bit of happiness we can get,  how ever we can get it, through time spent with family & friends, doing what we love OR even buying things for doing what we love ❤️ 😉😉

Today's card was a relatively quick one to make,  I used my tiny round Gelli plate, added Spiced Marmalade,  Mustard Seed & Squeezed Lemonade distress ink, then spritzed with water,  I placed it down onto my card, squished it down a bit and then lifted it off carefully.  After it dried I stamped the largest flower from Tim Holtz French Country Garden partially over the inked circle.  Then I stamped the sentiment.  Just a simple 'thanks' seemed to work.  

I hope that you all have a lovely day,

Love and hugs to all of you   

Sandra xxx


Monday, 13 April 2026

Blended Oxide Background journal page

 


Good Monday Morning Ladies,  

I hope that you all had a good weekend and ready to start the new week.   Nothing exciting for us this week,  do you have plans, mind you dr appointments are as exciting as it gets these days 🤣😂


I know we have had this reminder before but it's always good to remind yourself that you should be proud of even the smallest achievements.  

Today I am sharing a journal page that I turned one of my blended oxide ink backgrounds into.   I think this one was Spiced Marmalade,  Picked Raspberry &  Seedless Preserves 


I spritzed the background with water to give some interest and it alsi gives the look of texture (sounds odd I know) , I used the darkest of the three inks to  do some background stamping,  


I used different Tim Holtz stamps to add detail to the background some I stamped and embossed in white,  however they didn't really stand out so I used black ink to stamp with. 

I stamped and embossed the flower from French Country Garden and then added some sentiments and used my Dr Phil Martyn Bleedproof white ink to add some splatters.  I added a black mat and popped it in my A5 Pink Pig Journal.

I hope that you all have a lovely day, 

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

Sunday, 12 April 2026

Happy Sunday Morning

 









Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

We have been blessed with a real mix up of weather conditions this week,  yesterday was chilly (long sleeve t shirt and jumper cold) while being sunny and very windy,  the washing got dry on the line though which is always a bonus.   I spent most of the day 'potting on' seedlings, crazy as I only sowed them last weekend!  It is a really back breaking chore, despite me trying to get a great, we organised set up!   I had to admit defeat at around 3pm. 


Just on case you needed reminding!!! 🥰😍😘

Lucy is off today so will hopefully go out and do something fun, it's nice to get the one on one time with each of them (and paul as well). 

What do you all have planned??

Let's look at your makes ..  

Karen




Karen's Description:

1:  14 Transportation/car
All IndigoBlu items from one of their magazines paper lightly gesso’d Ticket stamp Versafine Clair Nocturne 
Lady on bicycle and train stamped in grey
Hot air balloon stamped for a 2nd time and coloured with pencils for a change White splatters to finish
Mounted onto white as straight onto black made it look dark and dismal


2:  15 Summertime 
Created in Serif 
Used Karen Burniston die to create photo frame

3:  Number 16 in the challenge Fruits Land
A very simple image printed twice from Pinterest and the Apple on foreground is triple embossed and a quirky font from a Serif divinity

Wow Karen 3 more categories checked off in one week!   That's amazing,  it looks like that new printer is helping too.   
All 3 are inspirational, giving the rest of us some ideas for the trickier categories! 

Thank you so much for supporting the challenge my lovely XXX 

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Hobbies is the theme I used.
Most of the pieces came from an older Stamperia pad : romantic collection/ threads. 
Trying to use up some of my older pads.

Hope you have a good weekend 

I love your journal page,  it perfectly depicts your love of sewing!  Every element works so well together from the background paper with the sewing elements mixed with pretty flowers to those focal elements,  I love seeing the old singer type sewing machine, it reminds my of my childhood spent at my Nana's house, she had an old machine in a wooden cabinet with the big ornate treddle underneath,   after she died my Dad had it and I remember him making curtains and cushion covers for a camper van that he built from scratch.  They must have gotten rid of it as it wasn't there when Mum died and we emptied the house.  

Thank you so much for supporting the challenge and taking me down memory lane XXX



Maria

Maria's Description:

I had a play with my sprays and stamps this afternoon and cut some butterflies out of flower glittery vellum and white splatters 😊

Wow Maria what a lovely page,  your colours all work so well together,   the stamping adds some lovely interest too,  those delicate vellum butterflies work so beautifully with that dark inky background, the white splatters add brightness too. 

Thank you so much for supporting the challenge my lovely XXX 

Sonia





Sonia's Description:

Hi lovely, here’s my journal page ….
‘Friendship’
Picture and friendship quotes are printed from Pinterest. I have used background papers, the little cut out flowers, butterfly and tape from Stamperia Daisy Art collection. I also used Tracey Hey Heart stencil and inked all edges with Vintage Photo distress ink. The heart die is from Stampin Up and the little tag which the butterfly sits on is from Temu. I made a pocket, top edged with a Stampin Up strip die, to add the extra quotes. 
This was an extra special one for me, and I absolutely loved making it. I want to dedicate it to you my lovely Sandra - my Bestie and Soul Sister. The quotes couldn’t be more perfect for our friendship ❤️ xx

OMG this had my in tears (happy of course).  What an amazing journal page, you have put so much thought into all of the little details,  the quotes couldn't be more perfectly worded.  Those Daisy Art papers work so well, showing how versatile they are.  
Thank you so much,  I know you have felt poorly for the best part of this week (which I think is a curse of children's birthday parties), so creating this amazing page must have been a labour of love!  I feel honoured that you have dedicated your beautiful page to me and I am truly grateful for our Friendship XXX 😘



*****************

I hope that you all have a lovely Sunday,  

Love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Saturday, 11 April 2026

It's Saturday !!

 



Good Saturday Morning Ladies,  

What are you all up to this weekend?  We did food shopping yesterday, so we have a free weekend,  it's not worth attempting to go anywhere as the traffic this Easter Holiday is way worse than it has been in the past two years,  people are queuing for over two hours to go from Burford main roundabout in any direction,  it's due to people visiting Burford and the Wildlife park which is off the same roundabout but about 4 miles down the road.  We also have Jeremy Clarksons pub within a couple of miles too,  they have rented a field opposite the actual pub and I would estimate there are between 300 to maybe 800 cars in that field most days.  I thought the novelty of the pub would have worn off after a couple of years but it definitely hasn't.  The opposite direction we have Bourton on Water & Stow on the Wold which are major Cotswold hotspots.  So its easier to stay home.  

Between crafting and gardening we have plenty to keep us occupied.  🤣


I know that a lot of us are riding these waves right now,  it's easy to feeling like you sinking,  as at times it seems like its one thing after another but there are calmer seas and brighter days ahead 😘


I did a little craft shopping last week,  it arrived on Wednesday,   I can't wait to have a play.  

I hope that you all have a lovely day,

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra xxx