Saturday Scribbles

Hello and welcome to another bright and sunny morning. Today I'm planning to combine a boring supermarket chore with a visit to Stitchcraft Studio to buy the last, (hopefully), couple of fabrics to sash my quilt. Then it's all down to trying machine quilting for the first time - scary!!!

I'm sharing a scrapbook page today which I made in response to The Memory Nest's last Summer Challenge. I've really loved taking part in their challenges over the summer and think I've entered all eight. This layout had a monochromatic twist and I used it to document the things my grandsons love doing at the moment. I try to do a page like this each year about them and also me as I find it really fun to look back and realise how much I've forgotten.

 

 So that's good bye to The Memory Nest Summer Challenges. Hopefully they'll be setting a set of Autumn challenges to keep me going as I shall really miss this!

Supplies:
Paper: American Crafts, Garden Cafe; Bo Bunny, a gift of love  +  from my stash
Alphas: AC thickers prairie
Stickers: ep, Note to Self  

Thanks for looking.

Jane 

 

Friday Focus

After the excitement of yesterday I've now got my feet back down on the ground and am ready to try to make it all happen another time.

Today it's a card for Freshly Made Sketches.  The sketch looked so like a scrapbook page I almost forgot it had to be used for a card, but sense prevailed in the end.  I really like using banners or flags and immediately reached for my Uniko Studio Background Builders stamp sets.  Also just had to crack open my new sentiment set and use the absolutely awesome AWESOME! I can see this appearing on my scrapbook pages soon.

The colour inspiration was so pretty from Colour Q and had me searching through my inks to find the best match. Such an unusual and different colour mix which I would never have thought of by myself, but I think it works really well. Just shows you need to break out from old habits every now and then.

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko Studio, Background Builders - Round in Circles & Chevrons, All Occasion Sentiments #2 
Inks: Adirondack, watermelon; Memento, teal zeal & bamboo leaves; Tim Holtz distress ink, dusty concord
Paper: My Mind's Eye, Follow your Heart
Embossing: Cuttlebug folder  

Thanks for looking.

Jane 

Thursday Thoughts

Yay! I'm a winner at CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge 38. So I shall proudly show off my badge.

 

Today I'm back to a scrapbook page.  It was one of those 'I know exactly what I want to do' moments when I saw the layout challenge at Sketch Saturday this week. I love this photo of Niall reading to William.  Moments like this have to be treasured as I know it won't be long before school attitudes are adopted and it won't be cool to like books.

 

The photo seems to be on the slant, but I promise you the baker's twine is straight in real life!

Supplies:

Paper: American Crafts, kraft cardstock + scraps from my stash

Inks: Mister Huey Color Mists, opaque white, sunshine, plum thumb, dark calico

Alph: Simple Stories I {Heart} Summer

Bakers twine from my stash   

Thanks for looking.

Jane 

Wednesday Words

Spent a lovely morning with friends at one of Clare's workshops, my monthly fix of this very talented lady sharing her expertise so generously. (Check out her blog here.) I'll post photos of the cards made later this evening, not had a chance to unpack them yet - got distracted by putting together one of  two bargain chairs I bought for £9.00 on the way home.

Today's challenge entry is for CAS(E) this sketch and is a really simple sketch with loads of opportunity to go overboard and jazz it up.  So I stopped myself and tried very hard to keep to a clean and elegant card.  This time I rescued some more stamps lurking at the bottom of my stash. They came as part of a paper bundle I bought from that TV shopping channel and got a bit forgotten as it was the papers that were the reason for buying. I really love the washi tape looking stamp and the flower is appealing too.

 

Supplies: 

Stamps: My Mind's Eye, the sweetest thing; Papermania, sentiments

Inks: Versa Color' 17 violet, 34 orchid, 42 lime   

Thanks for looking.

Jane 

PS
And here are the cards I made today at Clare's workshop. Today's workshop was all about using Marianne dies and I'm really loving the heart circle die on the green card.  Also really like how Clare got us to use extra die cuts round the apertures on the second card - always learn something new there!

 

Tuesday Talk 2

Just snatching five minutes to post my patchwork photos.

So this was how far I'd got by Sunday evening - it's begining to look like a piece at last!  Three rows of stars stitched together and halfway there.

Spurred on by this I not only stitched the other three rows of stars by Monday evening, but also put the first row of sashing all the way round the outside - can't really see this in the photo though. I was feeling quite pleased with myself!

 

Next I plan to put two more rows of sashing round the outside and then my top will be finished and ready to quilt. Both these things mean a shopping trip to buy supplies, but while the sashing should be quite straightforward - no patterns to match - the quilting is a whole new story and I'm already anticpating the nerves. Think I need to do some practice pieces before embarking on this new journey!

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Tuesday Talk

A busy day ahead, out and about with my dad, so just grabbing five minutes to write today's post. 

My card today is for the CAS challenge and caused me a lot of grief while I was making it.  Well actually my final card came together quickly, but the process of getting there was slow and involved the bin once or twice.  I just couldn't get my head around the very angular design, so I put on my scrapbook head and thought about how I would tackle it if it was a page and then applied my make it smaller logic.

I mounted my mini shapes onto an embossed strip then outlined either side of this strip using my embossing board and stylo.

 

 

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko Studio, Flower Power #2 & #3, Background Builders Flower Power
Inks: Versa Color, 17 violet, 42 lime
Embossing: Cuttlebug, Swiss dots

I've also made really good progress with my patchwork over the week-end and will post a couple of photos later today.

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Sunday Slot 1

Couldn't resist the challenge at Less is More this week - using washi tape.  I love washi tape and my box is quite full, still room for more though, especially as I never seem to have just the right colour or pattern!

I absolutely adore this card by Chrissie Stokes using home-made washi.  The colours and stamps are just so perfect and the instructions for making washi don't seem too difficult - might well have a go.  But not in time for my card.  I had some under used Christmas washi, so went down that route.  So quick and simple to make, which is always a bonus for Christmas cards.

Supplies:
All from my stash

Thanks for looking.

Jane 

Sunday Slot 2

This week I've not managed to combine any challenges and made separate cards for Colour Q and Color Throwdown (See Sunday Slot 3).

The colours from Colour Q are really retro looking and were great fun to play with. I tried to make my card look retro too using the Uniko Studio flower stamp and an old die I have in my stash.  The shapes and colours remind me so much of the avocado bathroom suite and brown shower tray and highly patterned tiles we had when we first moved into our house. Seriously it was all the rage back in the 1980's, but such a big NO nowadays.

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko Studio, Flower Power #2 & #3

Ink: Adirondack, willow; Memento, Espresso truffle

Die, pearl paper & ribbon from my stash 

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Sunday Slot 3

The colours from Color Throwdown this week are just so yummy I could almost eat them. I chose a vanilla linen card for my base card and background, then stamped with green and paler plum, and a darker plum card for the outside matt.  Picking up on the delicate flowers from the picture I went for a dainty feminine feeling card. I think it's turned out to be quite pretty, hope you think so too!

Supplies:
Stamps: Uniko Studio, Flower Power #2, Background Builders Flower Power
Inks: Tim Holtz distress ink, milled lavender; Memento, bamboo leaves
Punch: tonic studio
Embellishments: pearls from my stash

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Saturday Scribbles

A bit of a wet and gloomy start to today.  Looks like a good day to sit and stitch some more of my patchwork. But before that I've a new card to share.

The challenge over at the Memory Nest used some really pretty colours this week and although I usually scrapbook for their challenges I decided a card would be more suitable.  The colours just didn't say boy photos to me. Then there was the twist - incorporate flowers - and my mind was made up!

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko Studio, Flower Power #2, All Occasion Sentiments #3

Ink: Memento, tangelo; Adirondack, watermelon

Embossing: Crafts-too, fancy lattice

Embellishments: gems from my stash

Thanks for looking.

Jane 

 

Friday Figurings

This week's FreshlyMade Sketch goes right back to their beginnings to celebrate their 100th challenge. So since this was a bit of a vintage sketch I tried to make my card a bit retro with a modern twist.  I really enjoyed using the Uniko Studio dies, they cut so cleanly and a quick tap gets all the little pieces out. Also I think they worked well with this sort of retro look.

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko Studio, All Occasion sentiments #3, Background Builders Round in Circles

Ink: Memento, rich cocoa

Dies: Uniko Studio, Graphic Flowers Time; Cuttlebug, flowers

Paper: Bo bunny, a gift of love; Basic Grey hopscotch 6x6 pad

Punch: ek success 

Embellishments: gems from my stash

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Thursday Thoughts 3

So my third card to share today is for a completely new challenge for me over at Less is More. Their theme is Round & Round and they seem to have very strict rules about the type of cards that can be entered - let's hope I've read the rules carefully! This is another Lili of the Valley stamp and I've kept the colours to just red, white, grey and kraft.  I keep looking at the washi tape and wondering if I shouldn't have put on the up and down sides bits, but I wanted to give the impression of it being a bit of a steep climb.

 

Supplies: 

Stamp: Lili of the Valley, Set 2 Boy oh Boy

Pens: Promarkers, poppy, cool grey 2, 5; Gelly roll, white marker

Washi tape from my stash

Thanks for looking.

 

Jane

Thursday Thoughts 2

My second card for today is also for the Sketch Saturday challenge.  I've used Uniko Studio stamps and colours from an old Colour Q challenge - a really different colour combo for me!  As I had the stickles out on my desk they sort of found their way onto this card too - there's no stopping a girl and her glitter!

 

I thought this card would be good for an engagement or a very funky wedding.  Hope you like it.

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko Studio, Flower Power#3

Ink: Memento, London fog, dandelion, rhubarb stalk

Die: Nestibilities circles

Stickles, diamond

Card from my stash

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Thursday Thoughts

A bit late with today's post as I've been out with my dad for a hospital appointment, lunch and a nurse's appointment, then when I got home the internet was being awkward. But, hey, it's working at the moment so fingers crossed!

My first card is for the current Sketch Saturday challenge.  This sketch was so up my street and I've reverted back to type with a cute Lili of the Valley image and purple colours, but only minimal layers.  Just had to get out the stickles as it is a Christmas card and what is Christmas without some glitter?

 

 

Supplies:

Die: Nestibilities circles

Stamp: Lili of the Valley, Ice Skating

Ink: Memento, London fog; Tim Holtz distress ink, dusty concord

Promarkers: lilac, blue oearl, bluebell, cool grey 1,2,3,4,5, blush, dusky pink

Stickles: star dust

Sentiment: freebie from Cardmaking & Papercraft mag.

 

 

I then did my usual trick of wondering what if? So I made another card using my new Uniko Studio stamps and an old ColourQ challenge. These colours are so out of my comfort zone I'm surprised I had the stash. I liked it so much I'm going to enter it into the Sketch Saturday challenge as well, so to comply with their rules I will feature it on a new post. (It always seems a bit silly to say this, because if you read my blog in order the newer post will already have been read.)

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Wednesday Words

I've been using those new Uniko Studio stamps again!  This time for the current CAS(E) this sketch challenge. The bow tie element across the middle had me puzzled for a while, so I decided to interpret it loosely rather than a straight lift.  This card was so quick and easy to make, just needed a little masking at the top and bottom to make the central flowers the required length and the addition of some sequins as a finishing touch. 

I seem to be seeing sequins used quite a lot at the moment as I read people's blogs, so had to go to the back of my sewing supplies to locate a tube that I last used when I was sewing Christmas stockings for my grandsons about four years ago. Lucky I hadn't had a clear out, but then I am a bit of a hoarder - you never know when something might be useful!

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko Studio, Background Builders Flower Power, All Occasion Sentiments #3

Ink: Memento, tangelo, lady bug, espresso truffle

Paper & Card & sequins from my stash

Today I also want to showcase the craftiness of my friends from yesterday's get-together.  We had our own little challenge, all using the same starting point, given to us by Sharon last month.  It always amazes me how everyone sees and picks up on different aspects of a sketch  and the results are all so different.

Wondering if you can pick mine out before looking at the names?

Thanks for looking.

Jane

Tuesday Tales

Can't believe I'm up early again! Must be the remnants of having young children staying. After such a busy day yesterday, today promises to be much calmer, just a crafty friends get-together this afternoon.

My card today is for the CAS Colours and Sketches challenge and may just be showing signs of getting there with clean and simple. It was definitely quick to make and I really love how it looks - so for once I'm actually satisfied with my efforts.

 

 

I love the crumb cake colour, but don't have any ink that even comes close to matching, so paper had to be substituted.  I think a stamped design would look good instead of the paper and am off now to have a go and will add it to this post later today.

Supplies:
Stamp: Uniko Studio, All Occasion Sentiment #3
Ink: Memento, rhubarb stalk
Paper: American Crafts, Garden Cafe
Punch: Martha Stewart

Thanks for looking.

Jane 

Here as promised is not one, but two new cards using the same layout as above. Really like how the new Uniko Studio background builder flower stamp makes a lovely paper. Hope you like!

Supplies:
Card 1:
Stamps: Uniko Studio, Background Builder Flower Power, All occasion sentiment #3
Ink: Memento, toffee crunch
Punch: Martha Stewart
Embellishments: pearls from my stash
Card 2:
Stamps: Uniko Studio, All occasion sentiments #3, Flower Power #3
Ink: Versa Color, 20 turquoise
Punch: Martha Stewart
Embellishments: gems from my stash

Thanks for looking.

Jane