Koi for a Boy

...or , in fact, a man.

I've been with my partner for 15 years now and so that's been 15 years of trying to come up with new variations on cards featuring koi carp, which are the hobby of his mum and step-dad. This one's for his step-dad's birthday.

Close up to see the metallic

Here, I stamped an Indigo Blu script stamp in silver and then stamped the fish over the top - it's a Hero Arts layering stamp in three parts and for the top part I used gold ink.

I'd like to enter:

Sparkles Monthly  include an animal 

The Male Room 

Watercooler 

Inkspirational Challenges - Use Your Stash

Our new challenge at Inkspirational, chosen by Carol, is to 'use your stash'. 

For my DT project I used both physical stash (the cards and glitter card) and 'virtual' stash - the cutting files and graphics. 

After making this card for my son, vaguely inspired by our love of The Greatest Showman, I became a bit worried that it might be a bit too 'babyish' for him - but in fact it was kept out when the other cards were put away and much played with by friends! I think it's the way the numbers pop out ....

The base is a Lori Whitlock SVG file that I have adapted many times. The sentiment and numbers were designed and cut on the Silhouette. The graphics are by Lettering Delights - they were already coloured but I went over the barbel and the balloon with coloured shimmer pens. 

Lindsey, from Bashful Blogging is still with us as Guest Designer, and I hope you'll join in our challenge. 

I'd like to enter: 

Crafter's Cafe  fancy folds

Santa Sparks Joy

I made another card for the challenge at The Library - Spark Joy.

I was inspired to use the book title for a Christmas card. I think this Santa - paper-pieced with glitter card, looks joyfyul.

I'd like to enter:
Christmas Kickstart  heart
Fab n Funky 
Jingle Belles glitter
Addicted to Stamps  

The Library - Spark Joy

At The Library, the book is Spark Joy by Marie Kondo .

I read this book a few years ago , almost by accident. I saw it on my sister's Amazon wishlist and bought it for her, ended up reading it (it was surprisingly entertaining) and keeping it, and buying another copy for my sister! I've heard people talking about Marie Kondo a lot recently, due to her TV show. 

For my first project (above) I made a card that I hope has a joyous feel. 

I'd like to enter:
Crafty Creations 
QKR Stampede 
Alphabet Challenge  bling

Although I've read the book, I haven't actually used her  de-cluttering methods- but my daughter has! 
Here, I made a scrapbook layout of her before and after pictures. 
I'd like to enter:
Lasting Memories - black, white, pink 
Crafty Friends 

I hope you'll join in the challenge at The Library. 

Valentine Birthday Hugs

It's my daughter's (Valentine's Day) birthday and this is the card I made her.

The background is alcohol inks and I used a border die and stamped sentiments.

I'd like to enter:
Watercooler 
Seize the Birthday 
Double D 

Another card for The Note at The Library

I made another card for the challenge at The Library - The Note .

 

I stamped a Penny Black mouse, writing a note and did some scribbly colouring using Promarkers.

I stamped a heart-shaped balloon and added shimmer pen to it. Then I added a circular sentiment , an envelope and a three-part sentiment. Lots of stamping but all one layer! 

I'd like to enter:

AAA cards

The Male Room 

Time Out 

Sweet Stampin  Valentines 

Inkspirational - Text

Our new challenge at Inkspirational is to be inspired by the word 'text'.

Not only is this Concord and 9th flower stamp one of my favourite and best-used stamps ever, but it seems it is also a favourite of MANY others. The challenge is to keep it 'fresh'!

For the 'text' challenge I paper-pieced it with a book page - the book was about politics and some of the words still seemed too prominent so I also stamped a text stamp over the book page.  I coloured a little with grey marker and added black enamel drops and a scrap of stripy paper.

We have a guest designer for February - Lindsey, from Bashful Blogging - so please do come over and meet her.

I'd like to enter:

Back to Basics paper-piecing
Watercooler
Addicted to Stamps
Casology 

The Library Challenge - The Note

At The Library, the book is The Note by Zoe Folbigg. 

I recently read this book...well, tbh, I didn't finish it , as it just wasn't to my taste - but I do LOVE the cover, and I think you can see that from my first card. This card was just pure stamping - the vehicles are by Artemio, the sentiment Penny Black and the stiched-style border stamp is Mama Elephant. 

I'd like to enter:

Country View  black and white plus one 

Watercooler 

Addicted to Stamps 

For my second card I just used the title and went with musical notes  - the musical notes here , and the sentiment, are stamped but the main image is a digi by Mo's Digital Pencil. I cropped it and only used half the image so I had plenty of white space above it. I coloured the image with alcohol markers. 

I'd like to enter:

Christmas Cards All Year Round  carols 

Little Red Wagon  winter blues 

I hope you'll join in the challenge at The Library. 

Jolly Cat Christmas

It's snowing here in England so I can't think of anything I'd rather do than stay in and make Christmas cards!

Years ago, one of the papercraft magazines regularly printed a double-page spread of cartoon images. I was looking for something catty and Christmassy to enter Christmas Kickstart  and came across a scanned page of Fat Cat images. I used the snipper tool to isolate this one, enlarged it and printed it, Then I coloured it with Promarkers and glitter pens and added a stamped sentiment.

As well as Christmas Kickstart, I'd like to enter:
Crafty Addicts  purrfect day
Use Your Stuff  enamel dots
Casology
Winter Wonderland