The Colours of Spring

Here is a bright sunny card for the coming spring showing off my daffodil set of stamps JGCL533. Background papers are by Magenta and I have used the wording from the set too.

The daffodils have been coloured in with marker pens adding some detail to the petals with the fine tip of the marker pan. The image has been cut out and mounted onto the base card with foam pads. The mosaic squares MR5529 add a finishing touch to the torn paper which I have also drawn in some stitching around the edges.

The buttons have been altered with a few dots and dashes using the peel off pens and then tied with string before sticking them to the card with glue dots. Add some glossy accents to the daffodils last of all.

Good Luck

I believe that black cats bring good luck, especially if they cross the road in front of you!

Here we have a little card, quite simple (not much time today!!!) in black and white. The image is from my JGCL506 Forbes and Friends set and the letters are from Stampendous SSC007 Storybook Alphabet.

I've painted the stamped image with a black marker applied to a tile and then painted on with a paint brush to soften the black. I've added some white with a Sakura pen to highlight the tail, tummy and the cat's chin.

Elliot my cat just had to have a little space on today's blog too so he posed with my black cat card but as he was still snoozing on the bed (won't get up till 3.00pm) I had to prop the card up against him as would not hold it for me!!!

Woodware Challenge - Sketch Challenge 10

One of my favourite techniques is 3D paper piecing and it works great with this stamp from Magenta (CM530).

I've stamped onto cream card and trimmed to a square. Stamp again onto yellow and orange card and cut out the petals. Shape these petals and stick on top of the flowers using silicone glue.

The centres of the flowers are cut up little bits of scrap card. I make thin strips from a selection of contrasting card and snip the strips into little squares. Apply a blob of silicone glue to the flower centre and sprinkle with the little squares. A wonderful way of making flower centres.

The greeting is from my Essential Birthday stamp set JGCL519.

Her is the sketch, why not play along you can find out how here

Woodware Challenge - Look what I did with Fran-tage

I've had great fun with Fran's new Frantage stuff. Here on my card I have used aged gold embossing powder, tea stained fragments and my JGCL anniversary rose. The image has been coloured in with water colour pencils and has been stamped onto cream card.

The background paper are pages torn from an old paperback and stuck together to form a sort of patchwork. The paper was already yellow so it fitted in with my 'distressed look' very well. I've stamped an image on top of the paper but its not a Woodware stamp.

I've also punched a strip with the crafty edger and embossed that too with the aged gold embossing powder. I love that technique! Just punch out your border, dab with VersMark ink and sprinkle the embossing powder on top, heat and there you have a fabulous addition to your card. Don't forget to use your hot mat for this!

The wording comes from my new single stamp JGS263 floral frame, I'm finding that size wording very useful so will have to make some more for the next stamp release.

40 shades of green

Yes Dorothy, this card really does contain 40 shades of green card! I think it makes a great patchwork background.

A fun way to use up little scraps of patterned paper that you might have in you stash. All you need is paper and a 1" square punch.

To stick them down evenly. Make your base card and measure on the left and top sides of the card in about 5-10 mm. Draw a light pencil mark and start sticking your squares down across the top of the base card using a fine tip glue applicator bottle (Woodware stock these now) filled with PVA glue. Then stick the next row - remember to line the square up with the pencil line. Continue with as many squares as you wish.

I've added a yellow Dahlia, instructions can be found in the floral punch craft books. It's another very popular flower we make in classes (until the girls find out it needs 44 balloons to make up the petals!!!). The leaves are a Leone Em punch FPC6-03, punched from yellow paper.

The greeting from my Essential Birthdays set JGCL519 - I use it all the time! It's stamped onto shrink plastic and makes a cute little greeting.

Woodware Challenge - Heart for my Sweetheart

I'm so please with my bubble heart peel offs I've made another for my blog.

This is the black version with Woodware gems and Stampendous peel off gems to decorate it. Both sizes are on the peel off sheet along with the words.

The leaf is a Woodware punch FPC6-06 Maidenhair Fern and it makes a nice addition to the layout. The green goes so well with the red. A fancy bookplate adds glamour but this is not a Woodware product - sorry!! But the idea is good. Hope you like it.

Woodware - Sketch Challenge no 9

A fabulous stamp from Magenta (37.186.N) coloured with coloured pencils. It's quite a big stamp which does not show very well on this photo (12cm x 4.5cm). I've added glitter glue to the feathers and swirls so it catches the light and matched the image with some Magenta background paper too.

I've used my Essential Birthday stamp set JGCL519 and added some ribbon from the new stock at Woodware, this particular one is from the box 51405 in blues and greens.

Colouring techniques always makes a great class and I usually cover water colour pencils, regular crayons, marker pens and powdered chalks to name a few. I've been told the classes can be very relaxing!