JUNE #2 Close to nature

Good Morning everyone

Mid way through the month so time for more inspiration for We love stamping

This months theme is 

CLOSE TO NATURE

or we always have the anything goes option as long as you use stamps

I decided to use the same shape circular dies as my first card and dug out an old Pink Ink Design stamp set with this lovely badger and dog rose stamps

Card size approx 8x8" I made my base card from 2 pieces of white card die cut with the largest die and joined with a hinge at the top.  I then added a layer of green background sprayed with cosmic shimmer airless misters, one was pearlescent so it has a subtle shimmer.

I then stamped the badgers out and the floral spray multiple times, watercoloured with derwent inktense pencils and out out.  I adhered 4 floral sprays around the frame with pinflair glue gel, adding a little shape to the leaves, I then slotted the badgers in behind the foliage.  The smaller badger I stamped in grey ink so softer in the background. 

I added a dot of diamond stickles glitter glue to the flower centres for a little touch of sparkle to finish.

I added shape to the big badger with a large ball tool to give him a more rounded look.

Since taking the photos I have cut the whiskers off the smaller badger as they were annoying me - too bulky and distracting as he is supposed to be in the distance - promise it didn't hurt him😀

Showing it stood up.  I trimmed a small amount of the bottom of the back of the card so it stands up nicely

Items Used:

Pink Ink design stamps - fauna series 'Brock'

Creative products dies - stretch circles

Cosmic shimmer airless misters

Derwent inktense pencils

CraftUK ltd A3 white card

Ranger stickles 'diamond'

We have this beautiful stamp as the prize this month supplied by Buddly Crafts

 so

 for a chance to win hop over to We Love Stamping

To join in with your stamped projects.

Thank you for stopping by once again.  I hope you all have a good week. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2025/06/ccc-99-on-1-june-2025-with-anything.html

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https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/06/challenge-95.html

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/06/summer-season-june-2025.html

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https://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/06/challenge-126-no-designpaper.html

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https://creativecraftinguncles.blogspot.com/2025/06/66-summer.html

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https://unicornchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/06/challenge-110-not-square.html

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Key to my heart

Good Morning everyone

Gosh the weeks are flying by and now its June - scary and time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste Mixed Media where the theme is always anything goes as long as you mix those medias!

This year Im trying to use old stash and I found these greyboard hearts in the back of my craftdrobe while looking for something else - I also dug out my box of very old tim holtz grunge board shapes and came up with this wall hanging. 

Sizes approx - biggest heart is 5.5x5"  Med 3x2.5"  Small 1.75x1"

See below for full details.  Once finished I punched holes in the hearts and connected together using metal jump rings.  

Large Heart - after doing backgound (details below) - I took some grungeboard & metal keys - the grungeboard ones I first covered with black gesso, stippling it on so some areas are thicker than others thus giving a more rusty old appearance and then added the same paints used in the background so orange, greens and blues. To the metal keys I added some of the same colours of paint to tie them together, then arranged them all the on background. I found some old plastic alpha's which I black gesso'd and added touches of paint and adhered to say 'key'

Medium heart - I added a grungeboard lock which id black gesso'd and painted the same as the keys.  I added screw top brads through the holes and added to the heart.  I took 2 kraft chit chat sticker saying 'to' & 'my', added to black card and covered with glossy accents for an enamel look.

Small heart - I found a really small grungeboard heart, covered with the orange paint used on the other elements and covered with glossy accents.  Chit chat sticker reads 'heart'

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See below for how I did backgrounds

I first adhered flowers I had die cut from grunge paper eons ago and covered it all in black gesso.  I added crackle paste in areas and then added blue, green, orange & yellow acrylic paints. once dry I knocked back the vibrancy by dry brushing on antique white chalk paint. 

 I then added torn pieces of script printed tissue paper in areas and added orange paint through a script stencil.  I then dry brushed on gold & orange dora cadence paints which is beautifully shimmery when the light hits it. 

I finished by sealing it all with mod podge

I edged all the hearts with black gesso to help frame them and draw the eye inwards, for neatness I also covered the back of the hearts with black gesso.  

You can see the crackle paste better here....this is an old jar i found lurking in the back of the craftdrobe and it was nearly set solid ....I added a little warm water to the jar, let that sit a while and then gave it a good mixing with a stick which seemed to resurrect it and Im pleasantly surprised that it still works so that was worth doing...now i must use it more often!

Items Used:

Tim Holtz grungeboard & paper, chit chat stickers, metal keys, alpha stickers

Tim Holtz tattered flowers bigz die

Metal keys

Papermania Screw top brads

Acrylic paints - pebeo, plaid folk art

Cadence Dora paint - gold & orange

Daler rowney black gesso

Ranger glossy accents

Mod podge - matt

Papermania script tissue paper

Crackle Paste

Please do hop over to Creative Artiste Mixed Media to see what the rest of the DT have created and to join in - remember anything goes as long as you use at least 3 different medias. 

I hope you all have a good weekend. Emma

Id love to enter the following:

https://neglectedstuff.blogspot.com/2025/06/neglected-stuff-625-challenge.html - greyboard hearts and grungeboard elements 12+ yrs old, crackle paste? (don't even remember buying that so years ago) found lurking at back of cupboard and nearly dried up, plastic alpha's 6yrs old...

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https://theoutlawzchallenges-saturday.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-outlawz-anything-goes-in-card-free.html

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https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2025/06/ellibelles-crafty-wednesday-june-and.html

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https://cardsgalorechallenges.blogspot.com/2025/06/june-2025-crafts-galore-encore.html

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https://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/06/challenge-126-no-designpaper.html

 

June WLS #1 - close to nature

Good Morning everyone

Time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping with the theme this month 

CLOSE TO NATURE

or we have the anything goes option as long as you use stamping

Its not often I buy a craft magazine these days but did recently for lots of hospital visits.  It came with this set of beautiful floral and foliage stamps which Ive used to make my background design

Card size approx 8x8"  - Made by die cutting 2 of the largest fancy circle dies from white card and scoring about an inch down on one and adhered to the back of the unscored one which gives a hinge.  This also means you get the whole of the shape as the card front and its not missing a section where the spine would be.

 I die cut a piece of smooth white card to size and then stamped the images with different colours of versafine clair inks all over it.  I then die cut it into frames using the nesting dies, I skipped one layer so that they were wider frames.  I die cut a piece of pinky purple mirror card and adhered the largest outside frame with 2mm foam tape, then the next size frame with 1mm foam tape, then the next layer I adhered flat and then the smallest middle layer I adhered with 2mm foam tape again - making sure to line up the pattern. 

I die cut the sentiment from pearl teal card and adhered to a white die cut panel and added to the front.  I then die cut 2 layered butterflies with the pinky mirror & teal pearl card and added to finish. 

Showing it stood up side on, to help it stand nicely I cut a small sliver off the bottom of the back panel.  You can see the layers better here, the mirror card does just show through and catches the light.  I quite often layer cards like this just for interest and fun - it works equally well using patterned paper.

As usual taking photos of mirror card a nightmare, it is a beautiful purply pink.  Using the teal ink and card helps break up the colour.....normally im allergic to pink😁

The inside of my card.  I die cut cut paper in co-ordinating colours to the front, on the blue one I stamped some of the images to tie it in with the front. 

Items Used:

Stamps from 'simply cards & papercraft' magazine issue 268

Creative Expressions Sue Wilson sentiment die

Creative Craft Products 'large stretch label' (circle dies)

Butterfly dies

Versafine Clair inks 'warm breeze' 'purple delight' 'monarch' & 'glamorous'

Craft Consortium mirror card 'lilac'

Jellybean teal pearlised card

CraftUk ltd smooth white A4 card

We have this beautiful stamp as the prize this month supplied by Buddly Crafts - a fabulous online craft store, well worth a visit.

so do hop over to

 We love stamping

to join in and see what the rest of the DT came up with for our CLOSE TO NATURE theme

Thank you all for stopping by once again. Ive had a quiet week, snoozing and crafting - just what the doctor ordered so feeling much more human now😁  Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2025/05/i-spy-with-my-little-eye-at-least-one.html

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https://www.simplyellibelle.com/search/label/Ellibelle%27s%20Garden%20Party

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https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-267-fill-in-blank-fancy.html -

  Fancy shaped card

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https://thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.com/2025/05/51425-flowers.html

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https://cutitupchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/05/cut-it-up-challenge-331-anything-goes.html

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Happy Fathers Day

Good Morning everyone

My parents booked last minute to go to France for 6 weeks so I had to get a card made for dad for fathers day fast.   I bought this old bus stamp from aall&create in a sale earlier in the year which I thought would be ideal for dad.

Card size approx 6x4.5".    I stamped the bus and watercoloured green with inktense pencils and cut out.  I made my card base from green card by die cutting 2 shapes and adhering together with a hinge on the back one. 

I die cut a smaller shape from white card and embossed with a 3d cog embossing folder which I then lightly inked over with black soot distress ink to give it some depth and feel of oily cogs.

I die cut a piece of black card with a scalloped edge and adhered to the bottom of the white panel and then the card front.  I added the bus with glue gel and then added some white lines on the road with white inktense pencil - i went with wonky lines to go with the quirky bus for a bit of fun.

Sentiment stamped in black on strip of white card, matted onto black, adhered with foam tape and 2 green gel dots added to finish.

Showing it stood up.  I added glossy mod podge to the windows to give a subtle glass like effect when the light hits it.

items Used:

aall&create stamp set #1113 'Brit stop bus pop'

Tim Holtz Sizzix 3d embossing folder #662715 'mechanics'

MFT scalloped edge die

stitched nesting dies

Derwent inktense pencils

white, black & green card

Thank you for stopping by once again.  Its been an eventful week and I won't be having a 3rd injection of the new MS medication after I ended up being sent to A&E with anaphylactic shock......now of all the side effects I had considered that wasn't one of them! lol   So been feeling very fragile last few days and glad I got well ahead on my DT makes etc....So please forgive for not commenting on your makes, hopefully a few quiet days and I perk up a bit. 

Big hugs to you all. Emmaxx

Id love to enter the following:

https://kraftychickschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/05/krafty-chicks-challenge-769-masculine.html

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https://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/2025/05/masculine-mayhem.html

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https://daisychainchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-96-boysmen.html

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https://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/boys-boys-boys.html

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https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-824-happy-16th-birthday.html

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4 legged friends #2

Good Morning everyone

Time for our mid way May inspiration over at We Love Stamping

The theme this month is 

four legged friends

or you can go with the anything goes option as long as you use stamps

Ive used a set of dog stamps from aall&create (#1121) which I got back in their December advent sale so about time I used them! 

4x6" kraft base card.  I first stamped the dogs onto kraft card and watercoloured with inktense pencils, once dry added a little highlight detail with posca paint pens and then cut out.

I took a piece of kraft paper foiled with gold paw prints and bones and sprayed it with inks in similar colours to the dog, the foiling resists the inks.  Once dry I cut to size, matted onto ivory card and then the base card.  I die cut an oval from ivory card and adhered to the middle top and then added the dog with pinflair glue gel for a little dimension, otherwise its a flat card which is rare for me.

This fabulous sentiment is from a stamp set called 'fur babies' from creative craft products and I thought it fit the image perfectly.  I stamped onto ivory card, cut to size, added to the front with 2 teal glossy hearts to finish. 

You can see the shimmer in the mica spray a bit better here, when the light hits it, it really comes to life.  This image reminds me of my brothers dog 'Tig' as she is very slim and short coated and always gives her paw to everyone to say hello😁 

and also made 2 more cards using the other 2 stamps in the set

5x5" kraft card base 

I sprayed the background again and cut to size, i then die cut a circular shape out of the middle.  I cut a piece of white card to fit, stamped the sentiment where I wanted it to line up in the aperture of the kraft card.  I then embossed with a distress embossing folder - yes I embossed the wrong side so its actually the deboss on this one! Just breaks up all the white a bit.  I adhered this to the card front and then the kraft card on top.  I then added the dog with glue gel so that he was mostly in the circular aperture. 

and version 3 - actually used the embossed side this time - all the rest is the same as the last card.  The gold foiling really comes to life when the light hits it but hard to get decent photos! 

Items Used:

aall&create stamp set #1121 'Bingo was his namo'

Creative craft product sentiment stamps 'fur babies'

Craftuk Ltd kraft card

Foiled kraft paper (ancient B&M pad)

Derwent Inktense pencils

Cosmic shimmer airless misters 'green galore, pine green, hello sunshine, ocean sparkle'

Crafters companion 8x8 distressed embossing folder

White posca pen

We have these lovely prizes from Lavinia stamps to be won

Do hop over to We love stamping to join in

Its been a funny few weeks, I started a new treatment for my MS this week after months of supply issues with my last immune suppressant, this new one is self injection so thats an interesting one for me and hopefully the after effects and then also side effects settle down over the coming weeks.  I was happy on my last one as it was the only treatment in 23yrs of trying everything for MS that I could actually tolerate without nasty side effects.....so fingers and toes crossed for this one

Then Jess cat was poorly so several vet visits, she's finally cured herself as vets are none the wiser as to what was wrong with her, but i guess all those tests ruled out lots!!! She's definitely used one of her nine lives as it was touch and go, but she lives to fight another day and back out sunbathing full time so thats a sure sign she feels better as this cat is a real sun worshipper

I hope that you all have a good weekend.  Big hugs Emmax

Id love to enter the 1st card into the following:

https://neglectedstuff.blogspot.com/2025/05/neglected-stuff-may-2025-challenge.html - paw print background paper is over 5 yrs old

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https://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2025/05/may-2025-challenge-76-anything-goes.html - the dog stamp and sentiment stamp are both new

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https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2025/05/keep-it-simple.html - a simple card for me as not added lots of dimension or embellishments

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https://girlzmakesguyzcards.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-27-honden-enof-katten-dogs.html

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2025/05/may-4-challenge.html - 2nd entry, used scissors to cut out the dog and paper for the background