And here is Colton (Part 2)

 And I am back with my second post! (Post 1 is here.) Here is Colton, also a newly released Polka Dot Pal from Barbara Sproatmeyer one of the Artist/Illustrators at Whimsy Stamps! 

So this is Beau's brother Colton who in honour of her decorating his Studio has decided to do a portrait of her! His currently creative influence is mainly Van Gogh, lol.

He is coloured with polychromos with a few spots of white posca pen. It's not essential to use a white pen for highlights but it really makes them pop!

Here is what the stamp set looks like in he shop:

And here is a close up of my version:

Everything but the sentiment and the room are parts of the stamp set! There are so many cool items to build up a scene or even a background paper to match him! I was tempted but went with a sploshy 1980s colour themed paper as I had for Beau. (Using distress inks and HA AC026 Brush Strokes Stamp Set.)

I added a sentiment (in Courier New Font) on afterwards because I couldn't make up my mind what occasion I wanted to use him for! So this sentiment is removable at the moment! Thought this would be a cute birthday or Valentines sentiment. Do you know what song it's from?

Loved the challenge of making up a pair of cards, feel really honoured that Barbara let me play with her new stamp sets! The scale of real stamps is often much smaller than I print digital stamps so I had to think carefully how to cram in as much detail as possible, luckily Barbara's stamps are drawn beautifully and are a pleasure to use.

Thanks for joining me on this release day! Make sure to check out all of Barbara's super stamps in the Whimsy shop and why not check out her blog where there is often inspo and a giveaway to take part in! Win win!

Beau and more later....(Part 1)

Sharing a pair of cards today featuring two of the newly released stamp sets from Barbara Sproatmeyer! She is one of the artists/illustrators at Whimsy Stamps and Beau (and later Colton) are two new Polka Dot Pals released today! Both with an artsy vibe!

Here is Beau, she has spent all day decorating her brother's (Colton!) art studio. I like to invent a little narrative as I colour. I know, it's bonkers. There is a clue to the geographical location of this studio within the picture!

Apart from the sentiment, masking tape and room background all of these stamps are part of the set! Just tonnes of options for creating a decorating or painting scene with them. I was spoilt for choice.

Here is the full stamp set:

And here is my creation close up:

She is on kraft card and I coloured her with polychromo pencils. I added a few touches of white posca paint and white gel pen. Sentiment made on the computer and is Mister Sirloin font.

I didn't have a background paper that I liked so I made one! I used distress oxides also on kraft paper and then cut down to size. This is one of my most used Hero Arts Sets, Brush Strokes AC026.

Bling was from the stash, and I am really happy with how she came out - adding a smear of paint on her face really made me happy with her!

Thanks for joining me for this post, in a couple of hours I will post part 2, Beau's brother Colton! Why not check out Barbara's blog to see her makes with the new releases next?

Altenew Pansy Cards.

(Catchupmageddon Post) Very pleased to have an Altenew layering flower stamp set to play with! This Pretty Pansies Stamp Set was one of the few I had my eye on, it's proving hard to find the ones at the top of my list.  I chose a couple of layouts and made a simple 7 card set using all the more successful colour combos I tried with the stamps.

Most of the time I used distress oxides or inks with versafine black outlines. I also printed out some photos of real pansies to get some inspo for which colour schemes to try out. Background made using a stencil and distress oxides.

I spot other people get to use their washi tapes on their cards so I had a go too! I used a Hero Arts "messages with flourish" sentiment stamp for most of the "happy birthday" banners.

Some geometric papers from a magazine with a folded corner detail. I like how staples look but I don't think I ever get them quite right, lol! 

Some funky papers I have been saving for something "special" but that time never arrived, decided I needed to use them before they became old fashioned! lol. Sentiment was a freebie set from Making Cards Magazine, it stamps up really nicely.

I think these two came out the best, I really liked the colour schemes. I had a go at making my own background paper using the leaf from the Pretty Pansies set but only used a small piece of it in the end.

Added stickles to the centres of the flowers to make them a bit more special.

And just because it made a colourful photo I thought I would share one of the wrapped up gifts that I added a pansy card too.

Happy Crafty Birthday

Made a few new naughty purchases recently because I wanted to make some cards for my fellow crafters with a suitably crafty theme! I also had in a commission for a birthday card for a paper crafter and wanted to find a design they would find fun and interesting too.

So I used two new stamp sets, one is called "Crafty Turnabout Stamp Set" from Concord & 9th and the other is called "Craftiness is Happiness" from Taylored Expressions. I also used a new die called "Script Words 2" from Altenew.

Really love the idea of the Turnabout stamps, I tried it in lots of different colour ways (as the photos show). They sell lots of extra gadgets to get the stamping perfect and there are lots of videos on how to do it using a Misti stamping press. Honestly though, I just used square card stock and a basic stamping press and think I got pretty good results! I also used distress oxides so wasn't really after a sharp result.

After die cutting out the "happy" in black card I mounted it on a band across the design made of vellum and a thin white strip. (The "Happy" got a bit lost just on the vellum, though I think it would have been fine on a paler colour scheme).

In the same distress oxides I stamped out some of the Taylored Expression stamps to match up with the colours and act as my embellishments on the banner. I also added some bling from the stash.

I used "Impact Label" font for the additional sentiment and just printed out strips from the computer, then taped it onto my card.

Shopping enabling. 

(Not sponsored but I've had excellent service from both of the following shops and happily recommend both.)

• I got my Script die from Dies to Die for but it no longer seems to be in stock. (It was £11.50) You can get it from Seven Hills Crafts though (it's a bit more expensive). 
• I got my Concord and 9th Turnabout Stamp from Seven Hills Crafts because I couldn't catch it in stock at Dies to Die for. (It was £18 at both shops.)
• I got my Taylored Expressions Craftiness is Happiness stamp set from Dies to Die for but it's now out of stock. (£12) I don't think Seven Hills sells it. They do sell a large selection of other craft related stamps though it you fancy a look? Here.

Baby Shower!

Love this super cute stamp set from Mama Elephant - Fly with me!

I was trying to make a pink and blue pastel baby shower card but all the colours came out much stronger than intended, lol!

I created a background with distress oxides and then made my own raindrop stencil and added texture with some glittery paste.

I coloured the stamps with copics and cut them out. I believe this stamp set has a matching set of dies tho, if you are tempted? I attached them to the card with 3D foam.

I added some diecut clouds (from Joy, might be my most used die set?) and a piece of vellum with my text on. Font is Breamcatcher. I buy printable vellum especially for this, now I know it exists! I have been wondering why I can't print on normal vellum for years, doh! :D

Best Fishes!

(Catchupmageddon Post). Wanted to make a swimming themed card for my Nephew and ended up with fishes! I've had this Lawn Fawn Fintastic Friends stamp set for a while but this is the first time I have had the chance to play with it.

The card above is my intended layout and the card below is what I made with all the left over bits! I used distress oxides for the water backgrounds and coloured the fish with copics.

I added some dots of glossy accents around the fish to represent some bubbles and add a new texture to the card. 

Greeting was included with the stamp set.

More of the Penguins

I love making penguin cards, so yet another penguin christmas card catch-up post! This set is a new one I bought for my 2019 Xmas cards, it's Little Penguin Agenda from Mama Elephant. They are beyond cute! 

And I made this layout for a batch of my christmas cards and commissions. 

As well as the penguin agenda set I used a set from Cardio called "Branching out" to make the winter foliage behind the penguins. I used Distress Oxides to stamp and Nuvo jewel drops for the berries. Penguins are coloured in copics and fonts are Dacquoise and Deliquente Alt I.

Goldies

Sharing a more personal post today, about Goldfish! 

For a long time I kept goldfish, and was completely obsessed with them. I learned some important lessons from the experience. 

1. Learn how long a pet can live for before you get it.

2. Properly research how much space a pet will need/or how big they can grow.

3. Most people are not interested in fish.

4. Goldfish have great memories, can be trained and show emotions. 

5. Peas are like crack/cocaine to goldfish.

6. Fish are very good at dying, it's their super power, and we can only wildly stab around in the dark to find out what's wrong.

I created quite a thorough fish health website at the time, because we got so many questions about "What is wrong with my fish?" I have left the bare bones up on my website, because it still gets a lot of traffic. It's mainly abandoned tho.

These were my two, Cedric and Percy.

They kept growing until they could barely turn round in this 30 gallon tank. Both were just common goldies and eventually succumbed to genetic issues. When Cedric died he was well over 12 inches long, not including his tail.

I didn't get more goldies, they can live for 50 years, and a 30 gallon tank is no where near big enough!  I do have some tropical fish tho, I've had them for about 7 years and they are mainly, fins crossed, a happy healthy little colony that live in my kitchen :)

In memory of my lovely goldies, I made a couple of cards using the Hero Arts CL945 Colour Layering Goldfish stamps. Hero Arts is one of my fav stamp companies, and I have a lot of their stamps, so many that they get their own drawer in my stamp storage! (No-one has this privilege.....yet!)

I used all the elements from the kit with distress oxides, added some glossy accents, extra greenery with a zig brush pen and some bling from the stash. Enjoyed adding some wobbly eyes to the fish too. Used some orange glitter card to mount onto the card base. Sentiment is also from the HA set.

Thanks for joining me today, was a more personal blog entry more interesting, or did you just scroll through it to get to the cards? I don't mind if you did, it's hard to find time to read all the blogs I would love to follow! :) 

Backyard Blooms & Kitties.

Quick card I made for my friend Janet. I did a bokeh background using green distress oxides, White Unicorn ink from Hero Arts and used a bubble/bokeh stencil from Witt & Sass.

The flowers are stamped using black distress oxide and two sets of Cardio stamps, Emily's Garden (butterflies) and Backyard Blooms.

I diecut the cats using Hobby Solution Pussy Cats, HSF008.

Added some stickles blobs at the end!

Otterly great Easter!

This is the batch of otterly great Easter cards I made to send to family and friends. I used the MFT Otterly Love You set. I actually got it second hand but it didn't appear to have been used at all! 

Each card had a banner using stencils and distress oxides. Each one was different.

I coloured the otters with copics and added a little creme eggs to their paws.

( E31, E33, E35, E53, E57, E93)

Popped on some highlights with white posca pen, and also made their eyes bigger with black pigment pen so I could easily add some white glints to them. And gave them glossy accent noses!

I made my own greeting in Segoe Script so I could theme to be suitable for Easter! It was nice to make some cute cards just for me to use, been a while since I have done that.

Quick forest Card.

Wanted to play with my new Sue Wilson - Woodland Collection - Forest Animals dies. And have a go at forest bokeh!

I made the green bokeh background using distress oxides, a circle stencil from Witt & Sass and Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink.

Then I die cut birch trees using IO DIE079-u, Stag, deers and bird from the Sue Wilson Set and then grass using Lawn Fawn Grass border. I printed off a sentiment on the computer and added it to the bottom.

Added some stickles dots to lively it up at the end.

I confess I made another card before this using the same elements and it was a disaster. I was pleased I had another go tho, this one looks ok, but perhaps a bit too christmassy? 

More Magical Collab!

Hope you are enjoying the Magical Friendship Week and have managed to take part in some of the fun and festivities?! Pop by the Witt & Sass Facebook Page to get up-to-date details of what's going on!

Here is part two of my collaboration bookmark set using the Magical Creatures and Magical Accessories Stamp Sets from Witt and Sass with the Masters of Magic Stamp Set from Kindred Stamps. 

I created the backgrounds using distress oxides, water and stencils also from Witt & Sass, the Layered Leaf Stencil and the Layered Dots Stencil. Once again "Make your own Magic" is a sentiment on the Kindred Stamps Set and I added "Read a Book" to it.

I coloured all the other elements with copic pens and a white posca pen. Behind each sentiment is a hidden secret magical quote!

And now I can also share with you some photos of the full set! I love how they look together! 

Thanks for popping to the blog! I hope you like this foray into bookmarks! I did :D And hope you enjoyed a collaboration between two fab stamp companies too!