Thoughts of spring...

 Good morning, it's Saturday and the end of another wet week in February! To be fair there has been a few breaks in the rain (it soon comes back though) and I've managed to get out and walk for a while without getting soaked and such a bonus when the Marvin isn't caked in mud after every outing- not that it bothers him in the slightest, even being hosed down twice a day doesn't phase him!

My card today is for our new challenge at Sweet Stampin',

 the theme for this fortnight is NO DESIGN PAPER.

 I made this card with thoughts of spring in mind, hopefully to cheer up a lovely teamie who has just undergone surgery. The focal image is from Mo Manning and I've coloured her up with my markers. The corners are stencilled using Distress Oxides and a pretty stencil (Imagination Crafts, I think).

That's it from me for today, please remember to check out the beautiful inspiration creations from the rest of the Sweeties.

Thanks for visiting and have a good weekend

Chris

x

Challenge Entries:

alphabetchallenge -Uplifting (I hope so anyway!)

digichoosday #2

addictedtostamps #510

stencilfun Feb. Challenge

PFM #824

mirtillamente #52

Hearts & hugs

 Good morning, here's my DT make for our new 'Anything Goes' Challenge  starting today over at 

Crafty Catz.

I made a fairly CAS card using a heart shaped mask (Visible Image) and a stencil (A&C). I unearthed the cute House Mouse stamp from where it had been languishing in my drawer full of older wood backed stamps, stamped him and coloured with Copics. I thought he needed something to catch so I used some tiny heart shaped stamps to make butterflies, drew their little bodies with a fineline  pen and added dots to their wings. A stamped sentiment to finish. Going to send this to my youngest granddaughter - she's a huge fan of hearts and butterflies- all her drawings are peppered with them!

(She's rather keen on hugs too!!)

Thanks for visiting- don't forget to check out the Challenge blog to see what the rest of the team have created!

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

welovestamping Feb Challenge

cardz4galz. #269

CRAFT #773

craftygalscorner #274

addictedtostamps #510

stencilfun. Feb. Challenge

HMFMC #458

cupcakeinspirations #634

Counting stars

 Good morning, hope you have had a good week and haven't been washed away by the endless rain, surely it has to stop soon! We have been lucky here- no flooding or damage but I'm well aware that many people in other parts of the UK have not been so fortunate. My heart goes out to those whose homes and businesses have been flooded, my Devon friend told me yesterday of the damage and destruction in her part of the country, truly frightening and shocking. I hope none of you have been badly affected by the devastation. 

On a brighter note -

February's Challenge at Crafty Calendar starts today, the theme for this month is 

LOVE IS IN THE AIR.

The prize for the lucky winner is digital stamps from Doctor Digi

I love these cute bunnies, flat on their backs and gazing up at the stars, part of a set of stamps from Colorado Crafts. I stamped them onto a square of white card, coloured the bunnies and the hill with Copic markers and blended Faded Denim DOI for the sky.  The stars and sentiment are part of the same set, stamped and embossed in white. I layered the panel onto white and dark blue mats then onto my star embossed card base. 

Hop over to Crafty Calendar for some great inspiration from the rest of the DT- hope you can find the time to play along.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

Allsorts #842

CRAFT#773

ilovepromarkers #600

lilredwagon #844

shoppingourstash #566

TIOT All loved up

unicorn #117

aplacetostart February Challenge

 

All you need is love

Good morning, it's time for a new challenge at Fab'n' Funky, this time we're hosted by our lovely Sue, who has picked the theme 

LOVE IS ALL AROUND.

To make my card I used DP from an old 6x6 pad, stamping the image directly onto it, distressed the edges and mounted it onto a mat made by covering a slightly larger rectangle with washi tape. I covered another piece of card with the same washi tape to die cut the hearts, flower and 'love' sentiment. Another square of the DP for the background, I added a little stencilling and stamped script. The stamp I used is a wood backed Paper Bag Studios stamp I have had for many years and only used once before. 

Please check out the main challenge blog for some lovely inspiration from the rest of the team, I'm sure many of you will have 'love' themed cards to share this fortnight so I hope you'll share with us too!

Thanks for stopping by

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

TIOT- All loved up

audsentiments #334

HQCB #82

pearlysparkles #116

welovestampin Feb. Challenge

 

Favourite Stamps

 Good morning- it's February and the first Sunday of the month so I'm here to share my DT make for the new challenge at Stamping Sensations. 

The theme is Favourite Stamps, or Anything Goes if you prefer that option.

There are two prizes of fabulous Lavinia Stamps for the lucky winners.

Well, 'favourite stamps' is a no brainer for me, I have loads of stamps that I consider favourites but the ones I always return to and have used many times are the Lavinia ones. 

I used several of them here to create a little scene, Thistlewhisk, the mouse with his toadstool umbrella is new to me and about time he saw some ink.  I gave the two mice swinging on the Street Light umbrellas too by masking off the rest of the stamp- you can see how delighted they are by their behaviour! I've also used Fairy Path, Gate and Fence, Small Trees and Orchard Grass.

As always, there is a lot to see over at the main challenge blog, lots of fabulous inspiration from the rest of the DT, and full information of how to take part in our challenges.

Thanks for visiting

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

avenue613 Feb. Challenge 

allsorts #842

aperfecttimetocraft #2

Critter Crazy #107

creativecrafters #96

An early start...

Good morning, here we are at the end of January already, and it's time for a new Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Catz , this time hosted by Auntie Sue.

I told myself that I would make an early start on Christmas cards this year, so here is one of them! 

I used 'Berry', a sweet little stamp from Whimsy Stamps which hasn't seen the light of day for years, she's coloured up with copic markers, the papers are from Bo Bunny, the remains of old 6x6 pad. A TH die cut holly sprig and tiny Sissix tag to finish. 

I followed this sketch from Sweet Wednesday.

Thanks for visiting, please don't forget to check out the lovely creations from the rest of the DT over at Crafty Catz.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

sweetsketchwednesday January Challenge

CRAFT#772

pearlysparkles #115

Christmas tree

 Hello, it's Rudolph Day again- can't believe how fast they come round! I'm hoping to get ahead a bit with my cards this year- don't want a repeat of 2025, very much a last minute panic. After saying this, the card I am sharing is one of last year's (yep, a last minute one!)

A previously made background using Distress inks, brushos and gold mica spray, the tree, a new stamp from Pink Ink (a bargain buy on ebay!), stamped and embossed in white and placed inside a die cut frame. The sentiment is die cut using dies from 2 different sets. It was quick to make as I'd already made the background. 

Thanks for visiting

Have a good week

Chris

x

challenge entries:

rudolphdays January 2026

welovestamping January (new stamp)

CRAFT#772

addictedtostamps #509

POE #104 (atg)

welove2create #1

MLCCB #66