'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tuesday 21 November 2017

I recently needed to search for a stamp, which meant I came across stamps I haven’t used for a while and this was one of them…I was so touched by this quote (again – that’s obviously why I bought it!) that I just needed to use it and so I made these cards, all in an attempt to get a design I was happy with…

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It was late afternoon, so I wasn’t able to get a good phot (note the shadows) and of course I gave them all to friends that evening and can’t take more pics, but I hope you’ll get the idea Smile

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  HUMAN SUBTLETY

The quote from daVinci reads:-

‘Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.’

I don’t think any of us could disagree with that!

Thanks for looking.

Cath

xxx

Monday 20 November 2017

Back again to share some more of my playtimes.

Nothing very different – still playing with colour, stamps and stencils, but this time more focus on stencils and a little bit of Bible Journalling. Is it journalling or journaling?  My ‘English’ head says it’s double ‘l’ but I know the Americans use one…this globalisation thing has really confused our languages…Winking smile

So, a little bit of stencilling…with Oxides.

TRELLIS Ba

This time I removed some colour by spraying with water through a stencil  after stamping.

BELIEVE AND SHINE

and this one is simply sponged through a stencil.

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A little more Bible Journalling/Journaling… rough though it may be…

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BELIEVE

Just did a quick challenge check and there are not one but two Stencil challenges so I can enter one of the above into…

That’s Crafty Stencil it Challenge

and

Country View Challenges – Stencils.

The current challenge at

Addicted to Stamps is to use more than one stamp.

Lots more to share when I get around to it and have no more techy problems!

Thanks for looking and have a great week!

Cath

xxx

Monday 13 November 2017

A couple of my recent conversations with God.

you in me

BREATHE

Simple bible journaling on the same theme.

FAITH ISAIAH

Thanks for looking.

Back soon with some cards…

Cath

xxx

Wednesday 8 November 2017

I love, love, LOVE trees!

So I had a couple of days of playing with a Crafty Individuals image I had forgotten I had (sound familiar???) and had great fun.

The first one uses one of my favourite colour combos – turquoise and lime… though the Citrus Oxide all but disappears when used with water…I may have added a touch of blue to this one, too.

AUTUMN BLESSINGS

The next two are more autumnal colours…

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL TREE

EBEAUTIFUL 2

…and this one is more sunsetty… a new word? I seem to be using a lot of red lately, which is unusual for me.

AUTUMN TREES

This one was inspired by Anke’s gorgeous card here – though I didn’t use her design (which I LOVE) I did use the same stamps, which she reminded me I have!

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OOps! The ‘Thankful’ stamp doesn’t look this crooked in real life…wonder how that happened?  Will have to check it more carefully!

It’s been a week of parties, gigs and Granddaughter’s birthday, PLUS having to reset my laptop AGAIN Sad smile  AND staying up WAY too late (4.30am) chatting to my son… so I’ve had lots of catching up and other stuff to keep me occupied and very little time for crafting…I plan to put that right very soon Winking smile

I’d like to enter the red trees card into the Sparkles Monthly Autumn Colours challenge and the

Addicted to Stamps Autumn Challenge.

Thanks for looking.

See you soon.

Cath

xxx

Tuesday 31 October 2017

Just a simple journal spread… coming from where I’m at right now…

VISION

I’d like to enter this into the Landscapes of the Soul challenge over at Art Journal Journey

Back soon… thanks for looking.

Cath

xxx

Friday 27 October 2017

I love using circles, though I have made myself have a break from them for a while, but the current challenge over at TIOT is Circles, so I have a good excuse to use my stencils!

This one is made with Distress Oxides and a couple of my favourite Paperartsy stamps.… I watercoloured the flowers with the Oxides, too.

HAPPY THOUGHTS 1

…as is this one, though I’ve added white paint circles over the top…

YOU MAKE ME SMILE REDONE

I made the one above with the Addicted to Stamps challenge of ‘Make Someone Smile.’

I think this one would also fit into both categories, made with the same stamp, but a very different background, stencilled with Distress inks.

CURIOSITY

More circles, but this time coincidentally. Again, I used Distress Oxides to make the background.

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I’d like to enter the first card into the challenge at Try it on Tuesday,

and also the ‘Anything Goes’ challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

It also fits the ‘Anything Goes with Flowers’ challenge at Addicted to Stamps Sunday/Monday challenge..

I’d like to enter the second card into the Addicted to Stamps Challenge, Make Someone Smile.

See you next time!

Thanks for looking.

Cath

xxx

Saturday 21 October 2017

It’s definitely been one of those weeks here… with two broken phones – including the second one smashing when I dropped it, while paying my shopping bill in Tesco with it – and the one I’m using now doesn’t take SD cards, which is a real problem for me because most of my ‘stuff’ is stored on my SD!

I’ve really been out of sorts with trying to fix/cut down sims to fit, then my laptop wouldn’t charge – eek!  And to top it all, on the day I had a really important appointment, the buses were on strike and I had no other way of getting there…that bit’s not over yet because it looks as if I’m going to have the same problem on Monday.

Watch this space Rolling on the floor laughing

Last weekend, my nephew from New Zealand was here with his partner and so that he could go out with my son and his wife, I was the babysitter – I think I got the better deal.  We only arrived home at 3am, and Sunday was a busy day, so all in all, stamping time has been seriously limited this week.

Fortunately, I had spent a lot of time in my Craft room last week, playing with tree stamps and I did get a bit more done today, though nothing too taxing.

I was playing with the row of trees from ‘Lovely as a Tree’ (SU) and tried to vary it a bit, especially after watching a couple of PB videos – they’re SO inspiring!

night sky

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I also made a couple of Scraplings, while I was putting these together – I have a hard time throwing away scraps of beautiful card, so they suit me perfectly.!

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SCRAPLING

Spot the (non) deliberate mistake on this photo – a scrap from my Cropadile got in on the act!

I made these a while ago, but haven’t yet blogged them…another Scrapling!

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A mess about with a media plate…

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…and another leafy card, using a gorgeous PB stamp.

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I still have more to share, so I’ll be back in a day or two, technology allowing.

Thanks for looking.

Cath

xxx

Tuesday 10 October 2017

All last week, I was inspired by an Allsorts challenge to ‘Use Sentiments as a Focus’. Although I’ve missed the challenge (long gone - duh!), I’m going to blog the cards I made because it’s something I don’t do a lot of. I do always like to use an inspirational sentiment but it’s rarely the actual focus of the card and I generally start with an inked background, so it was fun to do things differently for a little while.

The first two are simply stamped in Versamark ink on watercolour paper, then embossed with white EP and painted over with watercolours.

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This one was stamped around the edges of glossy card in Versamark (for a resist effect), then sponged over with Distress inks. The sentiment was stamped in the centre – still on Autumn!

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This is a Media plate background I played with a couple of weeks ago, adding bits of gold leaf to the flowers and around the edges, using a Quickie Glue pen.

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The final card is stamped on a background I made by mopping up remaining Distress inks and adding a little more colour where I thought I needed it.

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This last one is just a card I made for a friend who isn’t very well… it’s made with Distress Oxides on watercolour paper, using Lavinia stamps again…. must admit, this is one of my personal favourites!

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I’d like to enter this one into a few ‘Anything Goes’ challenges.

Creative Fingers

Inspiration Destination

and

Creatalicious (with optional background)

I’d also like to enter it into the ‘Show us Your Stamps’ challenge on

Frilly and Funkie

Thanks for looking.

See you soon!

Cath

xxx

Wednesday 4 October 2017

I did intend to upload some stuff earlier in the week, but firstly my laptop was playing up, meaning I had to reset after reset then reset again – ending up with undoing all changes and getting me back in…grrr!  THEN my phone screen kept disappearing Sad smile 

But I’m here – for now – and ready to upload some rainbows.  I really have had so much fun with my inks lately, and it’s been so exciting to experiment with Oxides!

My first is another Birdie card – this time for my brother. I’m sure you’ll be seeing many more of these because I have a box full of them, coloured, cut out and ready to use – as and when I need them!

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This is just a journal background, firstly before spraying…

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…then after spraying…

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…then after sprinkling with rock salt and more water … always great fun! I prefer it in the second photo, I think.

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This one’s just smooshed with Oxides, spritzed and stamped, then brushed with water. After drying, I stamped the edges with a stamp inked in Versamark ink, then sprayed, to take off a little colour.

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This one isn’t made with Oxides, but it’s still a rainbow, so it fits in with my title!

happyshrooms

The ‘shrooms’ are very autumnal, so I’d like to enter it into the Autumn challenge at

Sweet Stamping Challenges

and the Autumn Glory challenge at

Stamping Sensations

PLUS the Forever Autumn Challenge at

Crafty Stampers Challenges 

Thanks for looking!

See you again soon, all being well…

Cath

xxx

Thursday 28 September 2017

I’ve had so much fun over the last few weeks, playing with the Distress Oxides – they blend so well and make such beautiful, muted and multi-hued backgrounds.

Firstly, I’ll show you the leaves from the post before last, stamped with oxides instead of Distress Inks. I think I only used two or three colours, but I love the depth of colour you get with these inks. I think I still overstamped with Versafine ink (crimson red) before clear embossing.

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These two are very quick backgrounds I made at the same time, with the same two inks, adding a little of another color after spritzing.

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EVERYTHINGB

Another simple one…using just two colours.

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I’d like to enter one or more of these into the ‘Anything Goes’ challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More Challenges… and into the ‘Anything Goes’ challenge on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog.

I’d also like to enter the last one into the Everybody Art Challenge – there IS some orange on there Winking smile

I’ll post more in the next few days…

Just found out I made the Top Five at Allsorts Stamping…woohoo!  Thank you so much for choosing my card. I’m honoured Smile

Thanks for looking Smile

Cath

xxx