Orange Poppy

Hello! 

Wow has it really been a week since I last blogged?! Last week was really crazy. If you remember, I told you that I didn't get the job I applied for at school. On the Tuesday I got told Friday would be my final day working in Student Services - sooner than I had originally been told I'd be leaving so that came as a bit of a shock. Everything was just going really wrong but I was trying to pick myself up and just to my best til the end of the week. I think all the stress and disappointment really made me tired and although the headaches has finally subsided I was sleeping a lot. 

So roll on 7pm on Thursday night, we'd had dinner and I was curled up having a nap on Stuart's lap watching some tv when the phone went, much to my surprise it was the head teacher on the phone wanting to speak to me. Anyway, he basically offered me a job! Not at all what I was expecting to happen and not even a job I had at all considered. This job is as a Learning Mentor. Well you can imagine how happy this made me, and after a night of sleepless consideration, excitement and a chat with the current learning mentors at he school I accepted! Absolutely thrilled to have a permanent full time job! I'll tell you more about it later as this is already getting quite long and I'm sure you'd rather skip to something pretty! 

The card I have for you today reminds me of my Granny - she had these beautiful, big, bright orange oriental poppies in her front garden that she used to love. They were so bright and punchy - I actually have some of them in my garden now - like a little remembrance of her.

Stamp Set: Simply Sketched, En Francais

Ink: Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Black Stazon

CardstockL Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar

Big Shot: Circles Framelits

Embellishments: Brights Buttons, Gold Baker's Twine

Other: Essentials Pierce Pack

I started off with stamping the poppy with the stazon ink on the vanilla cardstock, and used blender pens to colour it in. I then stamped over the top with the En Francais background stamp for a little subtle pattern/texture. 

I used the framelits to cut out a frame for the poppy panel to sit behind, ensuring that it was just big enough to fit the poppy and a sentiment in the frame. I wanted a little extra detail for the circular frame so used the pierce pack to do a little bit of paper piercing around the edge. I think it really finishes off the frame nicely. 

I used the leaves to add a little more pattern to the top and bottom opposing corners in a tone on tone colour. 

Love the final detail of the little button and small knot of baker's twine! 

Inside as it was quite a dark card base I like to add a white or vanilla insert. Of course a little stamping just pretties it up and only took a moment! 

I hope you enjoyed this card. I really love the Simply Sketched set which is a hostess set and will only be available if you host a party before the end of June! 

Now Stuart is taking me away to Chester for a couple nights (as its school holiday this week!), I should be back sometime on Friday. I'll be taking the laptop with me but not sure I'll get much time to blog - it is a holiday afterall! 

Have a lovely week! 

Happy Stampin',

Watercolor Bird

Hi! 

Well yesterday was an odd day. Busy day at work, absolutely shattered in the evening but just couldn't get to sleep, think it was gone 5am when I finally managed to get off. Oh dear! 

I got some good news yesterday, the job I applied for at school, well, I have an interview next Friday! Super happy and also very nervous and worried about the entire thing! Eeek! 

Stamp Set: Simply Sketched, Express Yourself

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Gumball Green, Black Stazon

Cardstock: Baked Brown Sugar, Gumball Green, Watercolor Paper, Very Vanilla

Embellishments: Naturals Chevron Ribbon, Antique Brads

I wanted to watercolour the bird - with the aqua painter and a little ink its easy to create a beautiful no mess, no fuss watercolored image. I decded to tear the bottom edge rather than cutting a banner end which seems to be the easy fall back option these days. I also thought it'd be nice to have the matt layer as a strip that just peeked out the top and bottom. 

Now it was despirate for an embellishment and I happened to have the chevron ribbon on my desk and thought that and the antique brads would pair really well with the natural colours of the bird and reeds. 

For some background texture I stamped a side border of leaves and positioned the watercolored bird layer off to one side. 

For a bit of decoration inside I stamped the same branches along the bottom edge. 

Catch you tomorrow for a Simple Sunday card. 

Happy Stampin',

Pleasant Poppies

Hi there! 

Did you have a good weekend? Overall mine was pretty quiet but its going to be a busy week so a quiet weekend is just what I needed! 

I borrowed the Pleasant Poppies stamp from my downline a little while ago and thought it was about time I showed you something I made with it. This card is one that I naively thought wouldn't take TOO long but ended up taking AGES! Its a pretty simple card but the layers took a lot of time. It ended up making for a really classy card but definitely only for a very special occasion!

Stamp Set: Simply Sketched, Pleasant Poppies

Ink: Black Stazon, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, Gumball Green

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede

Punch: Decorative Label

I took the time to stamp and colour in several copies of the Poppies with blender pens. Then I carefully cut out the petals  added dimensionals and popped them up in the different layers. This really added a lot of dimension to the card and that's the true "WOW" factor of the card! 

This card would have taken a lot less time and still had that "wow" factor if I'd been a bit less ambitious and maybe just stamped a section with 3ish flowers instead of a whole group! We all live and learn. I'll be sure to save this for someone very special! 

Right I have to dash! I'm invigillating all morning - several very long exams! 

Happy Stampin',

Sketched Watercolor

Hiya!

How is your week going? Mine is so, so. Not getting as much accomplished as I'd hoped for, oh well. Some weeks are just like that thought, right? 

Jobs are slowly getting done around here though... I did get my sewing machine into the shop. Its still under warranty so hopefully that means it'll be a free service which I'm hoping that will sort the problems I'm having, if not, my sewing machine guy should be able to work it out. Going to take around 2 weeks though! Boo! :(

One thing I am very excited about is a return of the Great British Sewing Bee!! Anyone else on my side of the pond watching it? Got a favourite yet? I'm undecided although I think Heather seems quite sweet! 

Stamp Set: Simply Sketched

Ink: Black Stazon, Island Indigo, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Soft Sky, Baked Brown Sugar

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Baked Brown Sugar, Gumball Green, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper

Big Shot: Woodgrain TIEF

Embellishments: Naturals Buttons, Linen Thread

This little stamp sets is a hostess set available in the current Annual Catalogue. Its so cute and perfect for a spot of watercoloring! Here I stamped the little bird stamp and then made a mask out of some printer paper and a bit of temporary adhesive. with the mask in place I then stamped all the leaves and berries around it, transforming a sweet little stamp into a pretty little scene. 

I used the super handy aqua painters which have a well that holds water - totally love them! 

I decided to do a bit of a torn edge - its a bit different and rustic which seems to match in with the card well. The background is woodgrain embossed pattern just for a bit of interest. 

I decided that something else was missing so after a bit of contemplation I added some linen thread and a gorgeous little naturals button which seemed to finish it off perfectly!

Thanks for stopping by,

Happy Stampin',

Getting Snappy!

Hello! 

Oh my! Can you believe its February already!?! Craziness!!

How has your week been? I had such a beautiful day yesterday - the weather was just miserable but I got to see Kathryn and Euan. They brought an awesome book (which has given me an idea for a super cool card - going to have a play around today) and some fun cars too! I had great time playing with the cars! He also showed me his fab walking skills - last time I saw him was just before Christmas and he was literally just taking his first steps! Oh he is just such a little cutie!! It was really great to catch up with Kat too. In the evening my friend Sam came over for dinner, we had a delicious homemade stirfry, played a bit of Wii and just hung out! I truly feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life!

So, earlier this week I said I'd made my dad a pretty cool card (in my opinion) for his birthday and promised I'd show it later this week. Seeing as its gotten around to Saturday and its the end of the week, I thought I'd better show you folks what I made! 

For anyone who doesn't know my dad.... He is totally NUTS and taking photos! He hardly goes anywhere without a camera in hand or slung over his shoulder. Now, I love taking photos but not to the extreme of taking thousands in a day!! Anyway, what better card for my daddy than a camera!!

(I'd just like to note, I do love Dad very much despite is obsessive photo taking!!)

Stamp Set: Simply Sketched, Around the World

Ink: Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight

Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Window Sheet, Gumball Green

Big Shot: Circles Framelits

Punch: Itty Bitty Circle, Owl Builder, 1" Circle, 3/4" Circle, Envelope Punch Board

Embellishments: Jumbo Rhinestone

Other: White Gel Pen, Blender Pen

Before any camera enthusiasts criticise me for my inaccurate camera, I know it's not exactly right but I followed the basics of my camera and added/removed bits at my discretion. I tried to add enough details to make it interesting and fun but not too much to send me crackers punching tiny little details.

If you were wondering what else, apart from super cool envelopes, the envelope punch board can make, how about a camera?! Its perfect for making the little tab at the top here! 

The lens was a bunch of circles cut with the framelits and stacked using dimensionals (these were actually rogue black dimension pads left from before I joined Stampin' Up! I've got to admit the black came in handy as they really blend in well!)

The cameras from the set Around the World came in very handy for a little stamping embellishment for the inside. I'm glad I saw them in my stack of stamps as I almost forgot I had them! 

I got a recent family photo my dad took of us all, he's not much into taking selfies so this is a rare photo he is actually in too! I just sized it and printed it to fit the back where the LCD screen would be!

All the little details are hand drawn using a white gel pen.

I hope you're having a nice weekend. I'm home alone today as Stuart is at a stag party for his friend Tim who is getting married soon. I think its going to be a day of pottering and crafting for me! 

Happy Stampin',