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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Bird house - creative artiste April

Happy Easter to you all.

Its the first Friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste Mixed Media

Ive used a new stamp of this sparrow and made him a little bird house....its quite a long post so you may want a cup of tea or coffee....thankfully we can type these posts up little and often as my brain is still like marshmellow so i hope it actually makes sense😁

See below for how i made the background etc...

I stamped the bird 4 times onto white card and the flowers many times and watercoloured with my derwent inktense pencils, added white highlights, covered with modpodge and cut out.  I took one base image and decoupaged on top of it, 3 layers for the bird and 2 for the flowers.  I coloured the 4th stamped bird to look a bit more like a female and just cut out the body section so i could tuck her in behind and create a pair of sparrows.

I raided the drawer in which I keep die cut foliage which Ive die cut from left over inked backgrounds etc...and picked out a variety.  I then arranged the foliage and birds to the right over the birdhouse.

To finish I dug through a large pack of chat stickers by aall&create to find some suitable, I went with 'Blossom''Glow''Shine''Thrive'&'Live' as felt thats what all birds are doing and we should attempt the same in our lives.....we can but try!  I covered them with glossy accents to give an enamel look and adhered in place.

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and onto the how I made the background

I cut up a stiff cardboard box to a rectangle to start with and then cut one top edge at an angle, the offcut i then flipped over & used to draw the other side so that the angles matched for the roof - hope that makes sense!

  I then cut stripes of the cardboard and adhered 2 together to give a double thickness, these I adhered to make the roof.  I then trim the ends to the desired length.

I added grit paste through a brick stencil and concrete paste on in blotches as i wanted an old wall feeling - once dry covered in white gesso - both these  texture pastes i won last year when i won a mixed media box from tag along challenge  - i also won the chipboard frame used on this project.

I added a layer of purple, pink and green paints picking up on the colours used in the image and then added vintage white over the top concentrating on the sides, I wanted the middle to be darker to give the effect of a hole in a bird house, where its darker inside and my frame would sit over the top.  

House Sparrows love to live in an old wall, So technically they don't live in birdhouses but thats why i wanted the old brick wall effect. My mum has a colony of them living in a tumbled down building opposite her kitchen and while they aren't the most exciting bird to look at they are such happy birds always chit chattering away and good company.........certainly more melodic than 'my' seagulls - which are also always chatting away but its more like screaming and they are always company too, when im out in the garden Mr & Mrs seagull always come down to join me to see what im upto.....It always amazes me how they know my cats from the hundreds of other neighbourhood cats....you would think to them one black cat looks like another black cat🐈  ....they are the advanced warning system to strangers about - 4 or 2 legged!

A close up of the lovely texture, you can also just see the pink paint underneath showing through which helps tie it in with the pink cherry blossom...no layer of paint is a waste, even when mostly hidden it plays an important role in the end result and it all being cohesive. 

I took the chipboard frame and again painted it with the same pink and purple paints used on the background and then dry brushed on a paler lilac to soften.  I then covered the whole thing in matt mod podge to varnish and seal.

Items Used:

Carabelle stamps

Derwent inktense pencils

Folk art acrylic paints

Daler Rowney heavy bodied acrylic

Cadence dora paint - fuchsia pink

Icraft texture paste 'graphite brown'

CraftTreat Speciality paint 'concrete effect' CTMM008

Mod Podge gloss & matt

Aall&create chat stickers

Chipboard frame

Foliage dies

Brusho & pixie powders (on foliage)

Cosmic shimmer airless mister (on foilage)

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I have plenty of substrates in my stash but it is fun seeing how you can completely change a piece of cardboard box destined for the recycling bin and it shows those starting out in mixed media that you don't need alot of expensive kit to start.  I often just use cheap polyfiller as my texture paste and in the past have even used up left over grout which also worked well, once its covered up with a layer of gesso and then paint it all looks the same.  My new fav paint is folkart matt acrylic and this is great, a little goes a very long way and covers and layers beautifully - its mid range in price.  I have found matt and opaque much easier to work with than transparent acrylic, so a few little tips Ive learnt as i go to encourage you to give mixed media a go - if i can do it anyone can but you do need to accept that the middle section of working usually looks a mess but stick with it and know it is a process and you will create a little work of art that is unique to you.  Start with something small so its not overwhelming - atc's or postcard size are good for that.

Do hop over and join us at Creative Artiste to join in and for more inspiration, hints and tips from the design team, we all have our own style so something is sure to inspire you to give Mixed Media a go....

I hope you all have a good Easter weekend whatever your plans. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-april.html

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https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-104.html

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https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2026/04/critter-crazy-109-anything-goes-with.html

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/spring-season-april-2026.html

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https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2026/04/tb-april-2026-challenge.html

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https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2026/03/ellibelles-garden-party-no-13-anything.html

 

Four legged friends - WLS May

Good Morning everyone

Time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping

where the theme this month is

'Four legged friends'

So plenty of options here but we also always have the anything goes as long as you use stamping

My youngest brother had a rabbit as a child which was suppose to be dwarf..was bigger than the cats, he would often escape his run and go for a day out in the field....he had a lovely character

Card size approx 7x7" Die cut using spellbinders grand labels 1 die sets.

I decided to use this fab bunny stamp from aall&create and stamped him with versafine Clair ink 'warm breeze' which is this lovely turquoise colour onto cream cardstock.  I watercoloured the flowers and leaves with distress inks.  I die cut into shape and matted onto a fancy layer die cut from pearlised turquoise card and added flat to the card front.

I stamped just the main flower a 2nd time, watercoloured, cut out and decoupages onto the main image with glue gel for a little dimension and interest. 

Orange glitter gems added to finish with a bit of bling.

Showing it side on and the decoupaged flower

and a 2nd version, this time I did pink flowers and gems.

Items Used:

aall&create stamp set #529 'In the wild'

Spellbinders dies - grand labels 1 plain & fancy sets

Versafine Clair ink 'warm breeze'

Distress Inks - dried marigold, wild honey, vintage photo, peeled paint, forest moss, picked raspberry, shaded lilac, seedless preserve

Papermania gems

Craftuk Ltd A3 cream cardstock

Pearl turquoise card

We have these gorgeous stamps by Lavinia as the prize this month for 2 lucky winners so

 hop over to We love stamping to join in and see what the rest of the DT have come up with for our 'four legged friends' theme

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

Id love to enter the following:

  

https://timeoutchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/04/challenge-287.html - entering the pink version picking up on the teal and pink in the photo

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/05/spring-season-may-2025.html - anything spring goes

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https://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-693-anything-goes-with-option.html - anything goes

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https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-94.html

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https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2025/05/critter-crazy-98-theme-of-anything-goes.html

https://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/04/inkspirational-challenge-340-seasonal.html - Ive gone with spring

 

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