Invading Pandas

(Catchupmaggedon post again) On the theme of Pandas (see yesterdays post) I remembered I also used the Little Panda Agenda Stamps from Mama Elephant for a Get Well Soon Card.

I really enjoyed an excuse to finally use some of my oriental stash. I bought a lot of it when I first started to craft but I found only crafters really liked it as an aesthetic and no-one ever commissioned a card where it would be suitable to use it. I have tonnes of lovely origami papers, the dark background paper is one from my stash.

I've used this layout before with vastly different colours and a normal bunting die over the left corner. To replace the bunting element, I wanted to make a more lanternish look, with the little pandas inside. The pandas were coloured with copics.

On a second card I also tried a way of linking the panda bunting/lanterns with just hessian string because I wasn't sure how well the golden rope and bling worked on my first card. I preferred the second version.

The sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts called Messages with Flourish. Used some fancy edged scissors for the wobbly bits, lol.

If you're feeling a bit cruddy today, I hope you feel better soon too!

Hippopotamus amphibius

Hello again :) It's a Dr.Digi friday and I have brought you a rather friendly Hippo! This is one of the Cuddly Critters from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps.

I was very much in need of a "go to" get well image for Hip operations! I think it must be a sign of my age that I seem to know more and more people going for a hip op!

Here is the digistamp image in the shop:

(This Hippo is also part of the Cuddly Critters Set! Fab value for money! Click here to see what's in it!)

 And here is my version:

I coloured him up with polychomos and a white posca pen. Added in a bit of scenery so he looks like he is just about taking a dip! Perhaps the water is chilly? 

I learnt lots of interesting things about hippos whilst researching them for this chap. I didn't know they had hairy ears for a start off! I like to look at some photos of the real thing to get some inspiration for textures.

The backing paper is from Making Cards Magazine and the font I have used is Candy Square BTN.

*****A friend has asked me for the colours I have used to colour the hippo, as they are now written down, I decided to add them to this post too, so this is added in an edit the day after!*****

Hippo Grey bits - Warm Grey II, III and V
Hippo Pink bits - Dark Flesh 130. Light Flesh 132. Venetian Red 190. Walnut Brown 177
Hippo Shade on grey and pink - Dark Sepia 175
Hippo Blending and Highlights - White 101
Skin details - Black 199 and Dark Sepia 175.

Thanks for joining me today, more Cuddly Critters to come! And also a special non-paper project I am working on!

Bee Well!

After having bee dies gifted to me twice in as many days (a freebie from fabulous Crafty Kitty Cat Shop with my order) and Helen (on a destash), I thought I could defo use them for a Bee-well soon card!

It's quite a dark card for me, but I quite enjoyed the depth of colour. The background was made using a homemade cloud mask and Distress Inks (Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire) and Distress Oxide (Wilted Violet) flicked with water.

The large bee die was a freebie from Crafty Kitty Cat Shop (Cuts out great!) and the small bee was from the Fanciful Flights set from Spellbinders. I cut them out in three different coloured papers and then pieced them together.
The grass/mushroom border die is from Polkadoodles. (It is an excellent cutter for something so fiddly).
The font is October Twilight.
After I took the picture I decided to add some stickles to the bees wings, livened it up quite a lot!

Under the weather!

Card thoroughly inspired by Simonne Clay using her Sugar Pea design's "Whatever the weather"set, which unfortunately I don't have, so we made do! :)

Love the idea of all the weather elements being combined in one image! My version is not as nice as hers but there are some bits I like!

Sun is a freebie stamp from Craft Stamper Magazine, coloured with copics and yellow stickles.
Clouds are from Joy dies.
Rainbow is a die from Daisysjewelsandcrafts.co.uk
Stitched rectangle is from Cottage Cutz. I used distress inks and water flicking to colour it up.
Raindrops are a combo of Nuvo Juwel drops in blue and gems from The Range.

Craft Addicts Blog April Challenge! (First of Two)

So we are back at The Crafty Addicts Challenge Blog with a new challenge!

This time the theme is Anything Goes/Girly and we are pleased to have two excellent sponsors - All Dressed up (Offering 2 digis to winner) and Starstampz (Offering 3 digis to winner) so two chances to win!

I have chosen an image by Starstampz called "Spring Rain" - she looks so soggy and grumpy :)

Image coloured with polychromo pencils on kraft card. Added sequins and bling to fit the "Girly" theme.

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Springtime cards for Challenge 12!

Back again with a challenge inspiration card! It's Challenge 12 on The Craft Addicts Challenge Blog and this time the theme is "Springtime/Anything goes."

This challenge is sponsored by Oddball Art Co and I have chosen to make a "Get Well Soon" card featuring Lizzy Love's Big Eyed Girl - Stormy. The Prize for this challenge is 3 free digistamps!

The card is coloured with polychromo pencils onto kraft card. I used a Joy die for the clouds and added glossy accents to the rain drops. Inside it says "I hope you have a spring in your step soon."

This is my first try at "no lines colouring" and I printed a very feint version of the digistamp onto the card before colouring it. I was worried I would lose a lot of details, but I don't think it's too bad. Some polka dots has gone missing, and a few eyelashes, but nothing major :)

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