Stencils galore

 I have been having great fun with stencils, experimenting with different techniques, mediums etc. Some are mylar but the majority are the rather gorgeous metal ones from #SweetPoppyStencils. I have been using clear, white gloss and black gloss paste with them and then sprinkling on either pixie powders, dusting with mica or sprinkling on glitter. In the top photo, I used the clear gloss to ensure the pattern stayed "clean" and then used pixie powders/shimmer shakers on the rest of the black cardstock to give a relief effect. The second card is white paste, then stamped perfect medium through the stencil when dry then mica powders on top. The third is white paste then I have blended distress oxides across the card, wiping clean the paste area to contrast. The fourth is pixie/shimmer straight onto wet white paste.
The four stencils in the photo were all bought at the Stamp Magic Show in June (Sweet Poppy have a stand). I have since bought more from Stamp Magic and online so photos coming of the new ones soon (A lovely christmas tree and snowflake mandala for starters!). I have some more ideas for using stencils in different ways that I want to try - if you see photos then it worked, if not.....  I also entered the Sweet Poppy design team call recently but I am not holding my breath as the standard of their DT teams work is absolutely stunning!

Oh dear, its October already!

So yet another really long delay in posting - I tend to put most of my cards up on Instagram - Feelinefinecrafts - as it is easier for me to access via my phone. I have been busy however, mostly with buying craft supplies and a lot of playing with things but I have managed to actually complete a few cards as well! So what have I been buying? Firstly quite a lot of stamps/die sets from Clearly Besotted - they do some really cute character stamps. I have also subscribed to the Monthly Tonic Kits so not only does that involve some exclusive dies but also products of theirs both full size and samples. Sue Wilson dies remain a firm favourite as do Sweet Poppy Stencils and of course, Phill Martin, Julia Watts, Woodware and Creative Expressions generally. In fact, we have just had the brilliant Stamp Magic show in Doncaster, where I got to see Phill and Lucy (from Sweet Poppy) demonstrating. It is a great show, not too big so you can really get right up to the demos and ask loads of questions! I have also discovered Lucy's Little Things from whom I get all my jewels/sequin mixes now - fantastic range, great price and quick delivery. So here are some of the cards that I have made recently - if you want to know more about the products or techniques used, then please leave a comment.

Using some new products.....

(written in February not October!)
So I had a weekend to myself ....... and my inspiration deserted me! How typical. I think some of this is because I don't have a craft room at the moment so I have to go and get everything I want before I start and I don't work like that. I would sit in my craft room surrounded by everything and just pull random bits out, try them, see if I liked everything together etc. I did however finally make a card, late last night knowing my childfree weekend ends this morning at 11....
I finally tried my Noble Dies Pierced Squares (both sets). I need more practice with them as I didnt manage to make the frame that I wanted to make. I had played with some new Ultra Sparkle texture paste the night before so I used this for a background. I hadn't used my String Flowers yet so I used them with the Pinwheel leaves, cut from Aqua Foundation Card. All of these are from Creative Expressions. I used a sentiment die (can't remember who it is by as I lost the packaging) and double cut it in coconut white and aqua to give a shadow effect. I added three AB gems to the centre of the flowers.

2018 and I'm back....

I still don't get much time to craft at home, however, I have been doing some at work! I started doing a craft session with our young people as part of our therapeutic offer - persuaded the boss to buy distress inks as an "essential" and took in some of my own bits and bobs, including die cutting various bits. In doing so, it ignited the dormant spark and I started to revisit my own crafting. Well, possibly more accurate to say I started buying more craft stash......
So I have now completed my Distress Ink collection and also have started acquiring Distress Oxides (more on them later). I am trying desperately to complete my Promarkers collection but have run aground on the limited edition 2014 autumn/winter collection (as it contains colours like chilly red and champagne that are not available singly but I am also not paying £69.99 for it!), which means my collection may have to remain incomplete.
Phill Martin has been a terrible influence, which has resulted in my buying several Pixie Powders, glitters, texture paste, stencils, foundation card (coconut ice is THE white for die cutting) and chalkcloud inks.....
Sue Wilson is an arch temptress and through watching her videos and also following her blog (Particraft), I now own a lot more dies than I used to............
Julia Watts not only creates great craft but also has a fantastic shop so I have also been getting a lot of my craft stash from her if not Phill (current order on its way with CS Ultra Sparkle Texture paste, Foundations card in Lilac, CS Glitter Jewels Crystal Hexagons & Aurora Hexagons & Crystal Stars, 4 more Smoothies and the Spellbinders Tool).
All three of them not only produce great work but also have videos and step-by-steps available that are really easy to follow and take inspiration from, along with the Creative Expressions Youtube account.
I am also now following an American called Jennifer Maguire - not only does she have a Youtube account but also Instagram (IG) and she produces some incredible tutorials (and work).
Next weekend I actually have the house to myself for the first time since K was born in 2012 so I will do some uploads then of my new products in action!
TTFN

Finally getting time to craft again!

Well its now October, the little one is 1 year old (I know, where did the time go?!) and that means Mummy has a little crafting time whilst he naps (as he naps for a good hour twice a day normally). Every now and then, if I am very lucky, my partner will offer to look after him so I can craft. Recently I used this time to alter a plastic food container (by Systema) for a friend. Her eldest daughter is suffering some jealousy when the new baby is being breastfed so I have made a Snack Box for her, that only comes out during Boobie-time.
I used my Alcohol Inks to give it a pink/purple base and then added a little gold. Once this had dried, I added a lace effect "ribbon", some rainbow peel-offs (flowers and butterflies), hologram stars in gold, faux gem stickers in pink and purple and finally the word "Special" coloured pink with my Flex-markers and a circular "Enjoy" peel off for each end, coloured pink using my ProMarkers. I also used Foam Letters (The Range) to spell out her name and Snacks on the lid, so it was very personal to her.
Finally I sealed the entire decoration with PVA glue and whilst it was wet, sprinkled in very fine glitter.
The photos have not come out well using a flash so I will take some more in daylight and upload shortly but I am quite pleased with my first attempt at altering something and hope the little girl likes it!

Amsterdam etc

Well since I last posted, I have made more cards for Friends of Akitas Trust, another New Baby card for a girl (taking tomorrow when I meet her!) and a boy one just in case (2 people still due) plus a Thank you card for our friends parents, who lent us their flat in Amsterdam. They have a ginger cat named Boris and they are cat-mad too so I used that as the theme for the card. It was a glorious few days with good friends and not having to pay for a hotel made life much easier for us.

Papermania cream square cards, cat biscuit papers by BoBunny, hammered cream card from Creata layered over brown paper from stash (after it had been embossed and coloured using distress inks to make the pawprints "pop" out. Same brown paper used to mount the cat stamped image, again on the hammered card from Creata (fanastic quality and price!). Cat stamp by Kanban, coloured using Promarkers.

Cream Papermania square card, paper from Summer Breeze blockpad (First Edition Paper), Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Squares used on Creata's Hammered cream cardstock, pink iridescent Bazill card used with Joy Flourish die (cut in half to use one end at each corner) and Sizzix baby die (for words and bodysuit).

For topper: Woodware flower image stamped twice onto Creata Hammered cream cardstock. First image centred, corners rounded off, Antique Linen used to distress edges and gemstones added to corners (coloured with ProMarkers to match in). Second image, main body of flower cut out. Image painted using Distress Inks and then once dry, touched up with ProMarkers.
Main card body is a square Papermania card, scored down centre of one side and folded over. Paper added to folded over section and used again with Spellbinders to provide the layered labels that "hold" the card up. Ribbon from stash. Sentiment from a big Kanban box. Topper then attached. This is one of the cards for Friends of Akitas Uk to raffle/sell etc (www.friendsofakitas.co.uk)

At last, some actual cards!

I have focused on two areas recently: new baby cards as several friends are expecting and raffle cards for Friends of Akitas, a charity whom I support. For the raffle cards, I have used some decoupage from Crafters Companion that came free in a magazine plus some that I got in a Create and Craft goody bag at Doncaster 2011. The new baby cards shown are the two I have sent people already but I have made two more in anticipation plus need a few more yet to cover all the imminent arrivals!