WLS April #1 - Wakey Wakey spring is here

Happy Easter to you all.

Welcome to April and our theme over at We Love Stamping this month is 

SPRING

Or you can always go with the anything goes option as long as you use stamping

Ive gone a bit outside the box this time and not used a spring designed stamp or my usual spring florals and instead had the idea to use this bear stamp who is waking up and drinking his coffee after coming out of hibernation.  I was also on a mission to use some very old paper pads which had spring colours in them.

Sorry for the bit blurry photos, my camera just kept focusing on the bear as the focal point and not the whole card....after nearly 50 attempts I had to accept defeat and the camera won😒

Approx size 6x6"  I used 300gsm A4 cream linen card, I folded in half and cut to 6" tall, on the right hand side of the front panel I die cut the tulip edge die - just to add interest and also use the die again! 

I took one of the papers from the 6x6 pad to line the inside which peeks through the tulip, i kept it a plain paper so can be written on.  I then cut another paper to fit the front, using the tulip die to get the right curve on the right hand side and also cut a smaller panel of cream card and embossed with a leaf embossing folder - I matted these and adhered to the card front.

I stamped the bear onto more of the cream card used for the base and one of the patterned papers, i coloured the bear with alcohol markers, cut out his pj's and pieced onto the base image.  I die cut this into an oval and matted onto another oval and added to the card front.

Computer printed sentiment 'wakey wakey' & 'spring is here' as the bear comes out of hibernation.

Showing it stood up and the lovely tulip edge 

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I made a few versions so made a little dent in some papers!

A more pink version.  Im quite pleased as managed to use really busy patterned papers that get left in paper pads and by having them as the matt layer behind my embossed panel its not too overwhelming

A more blue and green version, again behind the embossed panel I used a paper which is lovely but the pattern made my eyes go funny....these are double sided papers so I actually die cut the oval heart out of the middle of the patterned paper mat layer as i knew it would be hidden behind the embossed panel - thus making those luxury papers go further

Items Used:

aall&create stamp set #253 'Morning'

Technique Tuesday Tulip edge die

Sizzix leaf embossing folder (very old)

crafters companion 3d lace embossing folder

Paper pads - all very old and some loose left over pages

Ivory linen 300gsm card

Alcohol markers

white gel pen

We have lovely prizes from Lavinia for the lucky winner this month so hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and in with a chance of winning

I hope you all have a wonderful month of April.  Big hugs Emmaxx

Id love to enter card #1 into the following:

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/03/challenge-846.html

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https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-634-easterspring.html

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https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2026/04/double-d-humor-challenge-2026.html - I think my card is humous and tongue in cheek😁

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https://creativeknockouts.blogspot.com/2026/04/568-april-2-embossing-delight-rachelle.html

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2026/04/april-15-challenge.html - used paper for the background & bears PJ's and scissors to cut out the bear

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https://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/03/sweet-stampin-spring-or-easter-creations.html

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Easter egg cards

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing a batch of Easter cards I made using these fab bird images again, I made a little shaped card with my oval dies for an egg like effect and dug out some lace and feathers. 

Card size approx 4x5"  I cut 2 large ovals from kraft card, on one i scored a line half an inch from the top and adhered that bit to the back of the 2nd oval, thus making my card base. 

I die cut a piece of white with gold foiled marbling into a fancy oval, added a little stencilling with chalky actylic paints in some teal & yellow and then added to the card front.  About a third of the way up i added some feathers - glued in place with pinflair glue gel and then added a strip of lace over the top which helped hold the feathers in place, hides any glue and gives somewhere for the birds to sit.

I then added the birds with glue gel and a stamped sentiment to finish.

Version 2

Version 3

Version 4

Version 5

Version 6 - I actually made 12 varieties, all slightly different colours and birds.  These digital birds come looking one way but I reversed them in my graphics program so that I could have them facing both ways. They were printed onto Craft Master digital card from Highlight crafts.

Items Used

Digital bird images from double helix digitals on etsy

Spellbinders grand plain ovals & grand fancy oval dies

Clearly besotted sentiment stamps 'seasonal sentiments'

Various patterned papers

CraftUk ltd kraft card

Feathers

Papermania lace

aall&create diamond stencil

Sunflower stencil

Plaid Folkart chalk acrylic paints

Thank you all for stopping by once again.  I hope you have a lovely weekend. Emma

Id love to enter card #1 into the following:

https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2025/04/challenge-614-think-spring.html

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https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2025/04/double-d-easter-challenge.html - 2nd entry

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https://creativecraftinguncles.blogspot.com/2025/03/63-spring-and-or-easter.html

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https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2025/04/april-2025-challenge.html - 2nd entry

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https://thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.com/2025/04/4925-springtime-designer-paper.html

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https://theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com/2025/04/festive-friday-challenge-4-april-2025.html - Easter & Birds themes

 

WLS March#2 - Hello Spring

Good Morning everyone

Gosh where does time go to, half way through March so time for more inspiration over atWe Love Stamping where the theme is

SPRING 

or if thats not for you we always have the anything goes option as long as you use stamps - physical or digital

In the January Sales I got this lovely tulip collage effect stamp from Studio light which i thought would be ideal for my easter/spring cards this year.  Ive also raided the scrap draw and used alot of paper offcuts up - using thin strips left over from making envelopes for the backgrounds & smaller pieces to paper piece the flowers.

I made 15 variations - they are also totally flat which is very rare for me, so easy posting

DL (8x4") Kraft card base with rounded corners.  I stamped the image in black onto soft toned patterned paper and die cut with lacy DL nesting dies, I watercoloured the leaves, stems & bulb with inktense pencils, also adding a little grey shadow around the flowers to give a little extra depth. I stamped the flowers again onto different papers, cut out just the flower heads and paper pieced flat onto the base image. 

I die cut another piece of patterned paper with one of the lacy nesting dies - actually I only die cut the end sections, cut off and adhered to the card front - great way to use up small pieces of paper & add interest to my layout - the cut edges are hidden behind the topper panel. 

I stamped the love spring sentiment from clearly besotted stamps onto scrap of kraft card, cut to size and adhered to the front.  I added green stickles glitter glue to the centre of the smaller flowers for a little bling to finish.

 

and the inside - again i raided the scrap paper drawer - very satisfying to have used up so many off cuts and little snippets.  I die cut a pale paper with the same lacy DL nesting die used on the front, stamped another clearly besotted sentiment stamp in black and a chocolate baroque tulip stamp in grey.

Version 2 - Ive yet to see turquoise tulips but who knows one day! lol

The sentiment quote is lovely and so true

'The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing' 

It is a magical time of year when everything is awakening.  Had my first hedgehogs out of hibernation last week and another 2 joined them this week...well thats only the ones I have seen in the porch eating their dinners...well breakfast I guess as they come just on dusk.

Version 3 - sorry for the not great photos - had a nightmare taking the photos

and another version😀

Items Used:

Studio light stamp #394

Chocolate Baroque stamp (tulip) 'spring is in the air'

Clearly Besotted stamps (CBSSE208) 'Seasonal sentiment'

DL nesting dies

Various patterned papers

Derwent Inktense pencils

Ranger stickles 'lime'

CraftUK ltd kraft card

We have these beautiful pennyblack stamps as prizes this month so do hop over to We Love Stamping  to join in and see what the rest of the DT came up with.

Thank you all for stopping by once again and all your amazing comments which i always appreciate. Emmax

Id love to enter 1st card in the following:

https://2sistersontheblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/challenge-95.html

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2025/03/march-2-challenge.html - used lots of paper and used scissors to fussy cut the flowers to paper piece

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/03/spring-season-march-2025.html

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https://lovethoseprettypapers.blogspot.com/2025/03/atg-using-pretty-patterned-paper-march.html #2 papers used for the topper panel and paper piecing 

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https://creativecraftinguncles.blogspot.com/2025/03/63-spring-and-or-easter.html

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https://pixiessnippetsplayground.blogspot.com/2025/03/challenge-502.html - everything apart from the kraft card is a snippet and scrap

 

Nesting Birdies

Good Morning everyone

Today Im sharing another spring card using the katkin krafts 'love nest' stamps

I made a sky background with turquoise brushos, once dry cut to size and added to a white base card.  I added leaf green & lime green brushos another piece of white card and die cut the spellbinders leafy frame from it.  I die cut 4 more of the leafy frames from scrap card and glued them all together to give me depth to the frame and this is easier than trying to apply foam tape to it, it also gives the frame the feel of chipboard.

I worked out where i wanted the frame on the blue background and then stamped the branches into place, i then adhered the frame.

I stamped all the birds and cherry blossom onto white card and watercoloured with derwent inktense pencils, also colouring the base images - the inktense pencils work well over the brusho background.  I then cut out the bird nests and decoupaged onto the base images with pinflair glue gel. I cut out a few of the flowers and added.

Stamped sentiment die cut into an oval to finish.  This 'step into spring' was a magazine freebie and ive used it so much as i think its a lovely sentiment, stepping out of the grey of winter and into the beauty of spring. 

Just close ups.   

Im not sure what my camera/light box did to the colours of these, they arent quite as luminous in real life😀

Items Used:

Katkin krafts stamps 'love nest'

Sentiment stamp

Spellbinders die

Brusho powders

derwent inktense pencils

Thank you all for stopping by once again. Ive got a day with my 5 nieces today and tomorrow so will be crafting up a storm with them, but hopefully we get a bit of the break in the rain to get some fresh air.   Hugs Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://www.stampingsensations.uk/2024/04/april-challenge.html

https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2024/04/april-2024-challenge.html

https://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.com/2024/04/challenge-313-spring-colours.html

https://creativecraftinguncles.blogspot.com/2024/03/51-spring-andor-easter.html

https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2024/04/april-2024-anything-goes-spring.html