A day of two halves...

*This post is also shared on my Facebook page*

 

Yesterday was definitely a day of two halves...the morning saw us baking in the high twenties and hubby said I was like Wonderwoman with all the outfit changes to try and keep cool, but by mid afternoon, it had clouded over and was more bearable! Today, I started with shorts as the sun was trying to shine, then quickly reverted back to trousers and a fleece...is Summer over already?!

 

Being in the garden, I had to post a picture of my fabulous Philadelphus, which is absolutely glorious at the moment...it is absolutely smothered in the most beautiful hibiscus type flowers and the scent is just wonderful! This next pic is my new flower bed which got dug up last month after I was fed up of not having enough plants in my garden! 

 

The garden got split in half earlier this year, so the boys get their car park at the bottom and I get some prettiness at the top...it's a work in progress, but it's lovely to have some flowers again...where to dig another flower bed next?!...

I hope to be back at my crafty desk in the next day or two, although it's mainly to fulfill a couple of card orders and try to come up with ideas for next workshop, but maybe I can grab an hour of playtime along the way?! Until then, enjoy what's left of the weekend and I hope the sun is shining for you...

Hugs,

Workshop cards...

Good afternoon, crafty friends from a soggy North Wales! Hope you're all staying safe if you have the thunderstorms and heavy rain...we've managed to miss most of it (except the rain!)...
Just thought I would pop in and share the cards that we made at Saturday's workshop...The first two card bases are made from a single piece of A4 cardstock and was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest HERE, but just shows how the same card shape can look so different...

 

The floral card, we had in a landscape orientation...

  

And the vintage car in a portrait orientation... The images on the cards hide the sentiment when closed and the inner rectangle allows for space to write a message. Although they're only C6 cards, they seem to have a lot more to them because of the multiple layers and flaps, but still don't take too long to create, plus because we chose the papers carefully, to ensure we could use both sides, it is economical on papers too!...

Our third card is one of my favourites of the moment and I think it could be used for so many occasions...

I think it would be great as a card for doing well in exams or graduation, a Birthday card and even, done in pastel shades of pink or blue, would work well as a baby card too! Of course, I am biased because there are clouds, but it's also a good way of using those papers that are a little busy to be used on a standard cards too...
All in all, a really economic and yet impactful set of cards that could be adapted in so many ways...hope you like them and take inspiration...
Crafty hugs,

Playing with Oxides...

Good afternoon, my lovelies! I have been saying for a while how I need to find some time to play with my distress Oxides...it seems lately as though I only craft out of necessity, either for card orders, design work or for workshop, so yesterday morning, I sat and had a play for half an hour...

(some of you may have seen my post on Facebook)

Within minutes, my table looked as if there had been an explosion of inks, paint and mica powders...but I thoroughly enjoyed it and quite liked the end result...

Although this was the state of my fingers!...

I inked a second piece of card and die cut some cogs in preparation, then had to clear my table so I could sort out kits for this Saturday's workshop...

I managed to grab an hour or so in the evening and this is how my project turned out...

Now the critic in me can see that there isn't enough contrast in colours, but all in all, I was reasonably pleased with the result...although, I feel that I still need some practice and maybe to be a little braver with my colours...but it's a start and it was nice to make something, just because...

I created this photo frame with this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme in mind and after being encouraged by my lovely, crafty friend Jane to just have a play and being inspired by her backgrounds...and the amazing work of both Emma Williams and Kath Stewart (if you haven't seen any of their work, you should seriously go check them out!) I decided to play along...

Right I'm off to cook some tea...feeling a little Hank Marvin...oh, that sounds wrong?!! Ha,ha!
Hope you can find some crafty time, just because...
Hugs,

I'd like to enter my frame into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which has the theme of Transport It

Passion for promarkers - Beautiful Borders...

Good morning, crafty friends! Another Tuesday rolls around, which can only mean one thing...yep, that's right, we have a brand new challenge starting over at Passion for Promarkers!
This week it's the lovely Shelly who is in the hostess chair and as she has a love of all things doodle, she's chosen a clever theme of 'Beautiful Borders'...so whether it's a doodled border, ribbon border, die cut border, fancy or straight, we'd like to see them on your creations...
We're being sponsored by The Paper Shelter who are kindly offering one lucky winner a choice of 3 digital images from their online store...

Just remember, to be in with a chance of winning the prize, you MUST use your Letraset/Winsor& Newton products and follow the challenge theme.

(It also really helps if you state where you've used them, for example, coloured with Promarkers, etc)

We were lucky enough to get an image to play with and as a team, we chose the ever so pretty Glittery and Sparkling. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give her coloured hair and it actually fades from purple to pink, which doesn't show very well in the photo...although I blame the photographer?!

Colour list :

Skin - Blush, Dusky Pink, Coral (my trusted colour combo)

Hair - Blossom, Sorbet, Fuchsia Pink, Wild Orchid, Amethyst, Purple

The card base is one I found on Pinterest and we will be doing a variation of this at our next workshop on Saturday (sorry, Karen!)...

I decided to have my borders as doodled ones, taking inspiration from our lovely Shelly - she often adds hand drawn borders to her creations, although does it with much more confidence!

Some glitter, sparkly stars and sentiment, finished everything off and some coordinating paper panels on the inside too.

Right then, I'm off to prep kits for this weekend's card making workshop and shuffle some paper around...I hope you can find the time to play along with our fun challenge this week and look forward to seeing all of your wonderful creations...

Crafty hugs,

Passion for Promarkers - Fur and/or Feathers...

Good morning, crafty friends! These days are really whizzing by now and it seems I only turn around and another fortnight has slipped by...but, you know that can only mean one thing, right?! Yep, you guessed it...it's time for a brand new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers!
This week we have the lovely Nic (aka Coops) in the hostess chair and she's given us a fab theme of Fur and/or Feathers...so we'd like to see all those birds and animals - cute or not! We're being sponsored by All Dressed Up, who are offering one lucky winner a choice of 2 digital images from their online store.

Just don't forget, to be in with a chance of winning the prize, you must use your Letraset/Winsor& Newton mediums and follow the challenge theme - it also really helps if you could state where you've used them, for example, coloured with Promarkers...and you can mix your mediums too...

We were lucky enough to get an image to play with and I picked the ever so sweet 'Sleepy Time' - I just loved this little fox and thoroughly enjoyed colouring it! The paper is the freebie from issue 191 of Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine and I kept the card in my favourite CAS style.
I hope you can join in with our fun challenge this week and look forward to seeing all of your wonderful creations...
Crafty hugs,