Thursday Thoughts

My card for today is for the current Uniko Studio colour challenge with a distress or vintage theme.  I've been thinking about what to do for this challenge for a while and then BAM! the answer just hit me.  Consequently the card came together in no time at all despite being a multi layered affair.

First I used my inkylicious duster brushes to add colour to the background and distressed the edges with my scissors. I used the Graphic Flowers die to cut some matching patterned paper and distressed the edges.

Next I stamped the heart in two toning colours, cut it out and then distressed and inked the edges. I punched a butterfly, distressed the edges and added some rick rack, a button and twine bow. Finally I stamped the sentiment. I'm quite smitten with this card!

[Uniko Studio Challenge] No. 7 - Distressed or Vintage

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko Studio, Always & Froever, All Occasion Sentiments #5

Die: Uniko Studio, Graphic Flowers Time

Inks: Adirondack, pool; Memento, tangelo, potters clay, toffee crunch

Paper: Basic Grey, hopscotch 6 x 6 paper pad

Embellishments: hemp twine, rick rack & button from my stash

So pleased you dropped by today - thank you!

Jane

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Tuesday Talk

I've been very inspired recently by the challenges over at Unscripted Sketches, not to mention all the encouragement I'm getting from Kimberly - see her blog here. So obviously today's card is using their current sketch. I'm liking the clean look of this card even though it has a splash of very patterned paper in the background. Hope you agree.

 

Supplies:

Paper: Stampin Up

Stamps: Clearly Besotted, Say It In Style, In The Frame + matching die

Ink: Adirondack, red pepper; Memento, rich cocoa

Embellishments: ribbon from my stash

I completed my February envelope calendar pocket yesterday - look here to see the whole calendar. Here's a peep at what's inside:

 

And a closer look at some bits.  First my quote for the month:

My journalling:

 

The weather photo:

 

And just to finish off today a photo of my March Tilda calendar.  I made this calendar three years ago and like it so much I just replace the calendar tabs each year.

 

That's all from me today.  Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog, all visits greatly appreciated.

Jane

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Monday Moments

A double share today - a card for two challenges and my 1st of the month pages.

First up the card.  It uses the very stylish symplistic layout from CAS(E) this sketch and the yellow and green colour theme from Less is More.

 Once again I spent a happy relaxed time using my promarkers to colour in this Lili of the Valley image.  I find it such a chilled activity choosing colours and colouring in images and I love the way Spring is creeping into my life.

I've yet to add a sentiment as I want to use it as an Easter card and for some reason I don't have any Easter greeting stamps - need to shop!

 

For our colour challenge this month we have chose real Spring colours

YELLOW & GREEN 

Supplies:
Image: Lili of the valley 
Colours: Promarkers

Now for my first of the month pages.  I think I already let slip what I got up to in the morning on Sunday's blog.  The rest of the day was spent happily quilting and crocheting with the odd bit of television.

I found the 'currently' card via instagram and it can be downloaded here once you register.  I printed it out onto coloured card and then filled in the answers by hand.

Thanks for dropping by today.

Jane
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Sunday Slot

Absolutely glorious weather yesterday, so when my block of the month email came through with the word 'explore' and the idea 'to visit a park or trail you've never been to' it seemed the time was right to see what Whisby had to offer.  We've been meaning to go there for ages, so off we went before going on to do the weekly supermarket shop. I know which bit I preferred!

Can't believe it's taken us 33 years to finally get round to going here!

So on to today's card. I made it using the layout from Freshly Made Sketches and the colours from Color Throwdown. I used a mixture of stamps from my two most favourite companies - Uniko Studio and Clearly Besotted. Looking at the photo now I think the banner should have been just a bit higher, but hey ho life's too short and I need to accept imperfections etc etc.

Supplies: 
Stamps: Uniko Studio, Beautiful Blooms 1; Clearly Besotted, Say It In Style, In The Frame + matching die
Inks: Memento, tuxedo black, tangelo, cantaloupe
Embellishments: glossy accents, adhesive gems

Finally today I want to update you on my crochet progress.  Well after finishing the storage basket I looked for a bigger project with some new stitches to learn and decided to make a blanket.

So while I was waiting for the supplies to arrive I made this little teacup pin cushion using some of the leftover yarn. I weighted it down with coins and chose only matching coloured flowerhead pins - so sad! - and it's already been put to good use.

 

And then the postman delivered my parcel of coloured wool.

And this is how far I've got. I've learnt double crochet, half double crochet, bobble stitch and a double crochet picking up stitches down two rows and I now hold my wool in my left hand so I look like I'm crocheting rather than knitting. 

Hmm, could be a long project, maybe I need some smaller things on the go as well!

Thanks for dropping by today and enjoy what's left of your weekend.

Jane
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Thursday Thoughts

A quick post to share a card made for Unscripted Sketches current challenge.  I chose stamps from my favourite Uniko Studio selection and crafted happily yesterday evening.

I used a large flower in place of the circle on the sketch, then stamped it again in a darker shade and cut out the middle section to place for the smaller circle. Both the flower and the centre are mounted onto foam squares.  I did think originally that the leaves might be good for the horizontal rectangle, but decided on a stamped one instead. I embossed my background square, added some gems and I was done.  Hope you like it, I think the flower stamp is gorgeous.

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Uniko Studio, Background Builderes SQUARED, Beautiful Blooms 1

Inks: Memento, rose bud, lilac posies, pear tart, Paris dusk

Embossing: Cuttlebug, swiss dots

Embellishments: adhesive gems

Thanks for dropping by today. 

Jane

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Wednesday (Very Excited) Words

If you follow my blog you'll know I love patchwork  - and possibly quilting too!  In an effort to improve my quilting I signed up for a couple of workshops at www.craftsy.com.  The quilting is still a work in progress, but what I'm really really excited about is discovering a monthly block club run by Amy Gibson, one of their tutors.

I was so impressed by her workshop on Craftsy that I popped over to her blog - www.stitcherydickorydock.com.  And this was where I read about her sugar block club.  Each month a pattern for a block is emailed to you with a shopping list and instructions - very clear and easy to follow - about how to put the block together.  Then at the end of the year all the blocks are made into a quilt.

In addition to the block instructions you also get a yummy dessert recipe and a personal challenge based around one word. This so appealed to me that  I signed up immediately. And almost immediately the first two projects arrived in my inbox.  Then followed an impatient wait until I could get my hands on some fabric. I bought three fat quarter bundles from ebay and the background fabrics from my favourite shop - Stitchcraft Studio - and then I was off and running.

Here are my fabric choices:

So here are my first two blocks. Can't wait to see what the next block looks like and I'm counting down the days until 1st March when the next project will arrive.


January - Intention

February - Mercy

Thanks for dropping by today. Hoping this may have inspired you to join in, would be good to see some names I recognise over at the club's flickr group.

Jane
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Monday Moment 1

A new week and the chance to enter some new challenges. I'm excited to have made the top three at Unscripted Sketches last week.  Thank you so much for picking my card!

First up today is a card for CAS(E) this sketch.  I pretty much did a literal interpretation of this sketch as I used some stamps that I bought a while ago and had forgotten about until this jogged my memory.

It's been a while since I've stamped and coloured an image and I really enjoyed giving my promarkers some love.

  

  

Supplies:

Stamps: Penny Black, a bunch

Ink: Memento, tuxedo black

Promarkers: tulip yellow, crimson, marsh green cool grey 1, 4 & 5

Embellishments: gems from my stash