Let's look at this week’s makes

 

Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

We had a cool but sunny day yesterday,  Paul was busy out in garden,  he managed to get the lawns cut too, it makes the whole garden look so much tidier.  I was mostly inside sowing and potting on seedlings,  Kale, Tenderstem Broccoli,  Cauliflowers, French Beans & Carrots. Then flowers : Nasturtiums, Marigolds, sweet peas & Lavertera

Another great reminder, I am getting better at asking for help,  although that doesn't make it any easier.   I have tried to be stubbornly independent so many times and it has backfired.  

That was my 'thing to proud of' for yesterday! 

Let's look at your 'reasons to be proud' .....

Karen 

Karen's Description:

Card 1:  

I made this card for OH 

A DL card with a very old heart die that replaced into card over gold mirri card The sentiment was created in Serif

I also made a small square box with a matching heart on the lid

Card 2:  

Here’s a “spinner” card using one of those spinners you kindly sent me 

The bow tie spins - not brilliantly because it’s 3 dimensional Would do again with a “flat” bow tie especially with the foam mounted hat and moustache

Update:  this card has Karen's revised 'Bow Tie' that she printed from internet and fussy cut.

I have uploaded the video Karen sent me of the Bow Tie spinning,  not sure it will work,  if not I will share it on our chat group. 

Two amazing cards Karen, I bet Alan loved the Anniversary card that you made him,  he appreciates words so I am sure he would love the countdown of time you have been Married.  

Its a real buzz using our old dies,  I have this die too, from a good 8 to 10 years ago. 

Your Spinner card is bloody Brilliant Karen, what a genius idea!  It works so well too,  this card would bring a smile and a giggle to anyone's day,  it could be for anything from a get well card to a birthday card.  

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

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Here is my journal page for this week.

The theme is nature.

The hare stamp which is the focal image is one from of Indigo Blue . Not quite the perfect colour, used my Tim Holtz water colour pencils.

The other stamps are from some I got from Amazon. The little birds and butterflies are from Stamperia house of roses.

It was lovely to get back to stamping again, seems ages since I’ve done any.

Lilian I absolutely love your stamped cards,  I can see that you really enjoyed building the scene and colouring it all, its beautiful,   the Stamperia birds & butterflies are the perfect for a finishing touch.  I am so happy that you enjoyed creating your journal page for this week. 

Thank you so much for supporting the challenge and creating such a lovely Spring page XXX

Sonia 

Sonia's Description:

I used the papers from the Baby Girl collection I bought at Sandown, the sentiment is cut from one of the pages too. The clothes and line dies are from Temu. I cut a rectangular frame from Gummiapan. This was for my Nephew and his wife on the birth of their first baby girl Millie 😍

Oh Sonia what a beautiful Baby Girl card,  look at the detail in those darling baby clothes,  you'd never believe it was a Temu die with all of the incredible detail,  the embossed detail makes them look so realistic!  

I love your composition and the beautiful shade of pink that you have used. 

Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous card with us XXX 

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I hope that you all have a lovely relaxed Sunday, 

My love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Mixed up Saturday

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,  

I hope that your weekend has started well,  we have no rain forecast today,  so thats a bonus,   its going to be around 16° so not too chilly either!   We have lots of planting and sowing to do so the weather is perfect   

This is something I have been trying to focus on lately,  I tend to think negatively and I naturally focus on the things that I struggle to do,  however since I have started reading positive affirmations etc I have started making myself think of something that I have managed to acheive each day,  I can be something as simple as making a card or journal page or completing a chore that I have been potting off, I even class getting outside in the garden a mini victory!   I encourage you to try it my lovelies x 

Another daffodil variety,  how adorable are these little things, I think that they are actually Narcissus.

We have a passion for carnivorous plants in our house, we have had this one for about 2 years and it has tripled in size,  it tempts the flies in to those big tubes and the way that the hairs are angled flies can't get out.   Usually it recommends that you remove flower spikes before flower develops as it drains energy from the plant,  as ours is big and healthy we let it flower this year and my goodness it was worth it, the flower is beautiful.  Our other varieties are still to young to flower butvI am excited to see what their flowers will look like. 

and finally I am sharing my bargains from Sizzix sale....

It looks like a lot but there were some absolute bargains and some of the dies I've wanted for a long time!  Some of these things were 75% off!   I can't wait to play but don't know where to start ! 🤣😅

I hope that you all have a great Saturday , 

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

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 

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 

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 

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

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