Practising with Promarkers

Hi there, everyone!  What wonderful weather we're having, and just in time for the school holidays!  I've spent the last week picnicking and messing about by the river, entertaining the children in anyway possible - so crafting had to take a back seat!
I ordered myself a few treats last week and as they came yesterday, I thought I'd have a play and create something...the first card was made using Sugar Nellie's Daisy stamp - I'm trying to get to grips with my Promarkers and understand them a bit more...I am getting better, but think I need some more lighter colours to get better shading.  Anyhow, I used First Editions paper pad, Spring Feast, nesties scalloped square and labels die, my new Nellie Snellen border die and flourish die (lovin' this one!) and a large rose from Sweet Lilac...

I love the way it turned out, (though the pictures never do them justice).  Next, I coloured one of Mo Manning's freebies - I think this monkey image is great, especially having 2 cheeky monkeys of my own...

...the papers were another of my new buys, by First Edition papers, called Up,Up and Away - I love the blue and green colour combo in this pad, great for boys cards.
Here's hoping the rest of the hols stays dry - we're (boys and me) supposed to be going camping one night next week with a few of my friends and their kids, should be fun!?!  Hope you are all having a Happy Easter and enjoying the weather...happy crafting!  Thanks for looking!

Samples

Hi guys!  Well, it's almost a fortnight since my last post - I know, I'm a bad Blogger!  To be honest, I just haven't had anything to post as I've been busy with design work, not to mention that I spent half of last week fitting a kitchen at MIL's house with my hubbie's cousin!  I have to say, we did a pretty good job between the two of us, though I'd been praying that it would all fit, as I'd planned and ordered everything!!  So it's back to crafting this week and I've spent today making Plush Pals samples for a demo day that we're hoping to do up at Craft Land-udno next month (I'll let you know when I have a definite date).

It's amazing how much my cardmaking has changed over the last year - after being introduced to Nestabilities and Distress Inks, I wonder how I did without them!  The first cards I made were using the lion decoupage (no surprise there?!)...

 ...you may recognise the layout on this one, seems to be a favourite at the moment!  I used blue star glitter card (that I'd picked up from Craft land-udno), Cuttlebug Divine Swirls embossing folder, inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, Labels Seventeen Nesties and my Nellie Snellen fancy corner die...of course!  Ribbons were just from my stash.

Next, I used the Dovecraft Masculine 8x8 Paper Pack with the pyramage topper and added some paper letters to spell the word 'dad' - inside, the message reads 'Happy Father's Day...you big pussycat!'

I printed off the lilac rabbit decoupage sheet and created a simple Easter basket, trimmed with lace and gingham ribbon, then created an 8x13cm card using the lilac plaid backing paper, over printed with the pink polka dot, Cuttlebug Argyle folder inked with Walnut, Beaded Oval Nesties inked in the die with Worn Lipstick, then out of the die with Walnut.  I finished off with a Sweet Lilac tea rose, pink daisies, small cream rose and lilac feather, oh and pearls of course!

Finally, I printed off the lemon cat decoupage sheet (yellow is not really one of 'my' colours), lemon patchwork backing paper and used some of the left over panels from one of the Dovecraft Masculine papers.  I added buttons and light brown grosgrain ribbon...the ribbon loops hide the fact that I dropped my Versafine ink pad onto my finished card, leaving a nice balck stain!

Have to dash to pick youngest up from school, so that's all for now - Happy crafting!