First attempt

I love doodling, as do several of my craft buddies, but I usually doodle freely in my artwork rarely using stamps etc. Lisa (Link here: http://lisasparkleandstamps.blogspot.co.uk/ ) one of my craft buddies is a stampaholic and does some amazing doodles which also incorporate some stamping. They are often 'weird and wonderful' and I love them. I always feel inspired by the little stories she journals on them and I've always wanted to have a go but I don't own any 'weird character' stamps of my own ( Yet!! ). 

When we last got together I borrowed some of her much loved 'Stampotique' stamps 
(link: http://www.stampotique.com ) 
to stamp up a couple of  images and so the other night while hubby was watching the Paralympics, out came my trusty Promarkers and my fine-liner pens along with a couple of texture background stamps and my black ink and these were my results. 

They're no where near as intriguing as Lisa's but I've had a go and  really enjoyed doing them. 
I  have to say though Lisa, I think I've 
caught the 'weird' bug and it's your fault
 that I now have even more ideas to add
 to my evergrowing Christmas wish list.  LOL


Well, we can all dream-can't we?

Going Potty !!

This  is the kind of gardening I never mind doing!!

This morning found me up extra early so I decided to start on a card for my mom to give to her gardener (someone too close to me to mention as it needs to stay secret until 13th September).

Mom fell in love with my set of Lakeland stamps and insisted I used them for his card.

"It must have his wellies and that wiggly worm" she said.

So here it is complete apart from the insert as  I've got to find some suitable words.

I used a texture stamp from my SeeDees Tropical set for the background and coloured the images with Promarkers. The plants were stamped directly onto the card but everything else stamped, cut out and then added. The wellies and flowerpots have been raised with foam tape and the wellies, ladybird, worm and handles of the tools have all been 3D glossed.

As I had stamped a few extra images I decided to carry on and use them up on a second card to pop in my box.

This time I added a watering can instead of the wellies and chose a snail instead of a worm.  Of course, with my love of snails that is almost inevitable

 

I hadn't got a shelf stamp or anything to resemble one so I drew my own with a fineline pen. Again I raised the watering can and the flowerpots with foam tape. The stack of plant pots was just some odd ones that I glued on top of each other.

Ooops!!! I've just realised I haven't 3D glossed the ladybird and snail, better go and do it now before I forget. 

Win some blog candy from the craftbarn.

For a chance to win some fantastic blog candy go to  

http://thecraftbarnblog.blogspot.ca/2012/08/its-blog-candy-tiiiiiime.html and find out how.

Bear with Balloons

I was tidying a few bits and pieces off my craft worktop today and came across some balloon brads that I feel I've had in my stash forever. My daughter bought them for me but I've never really known what to use them on. As I needed to make a card pretty quickly for my 10 year old nephew I decided to put them to good use along with a Forever Friends Bear stamp that rarely comes out of the drawer and some paper I've also had for ages.

If I can get the link right I am going to enter this in the Sketch Saturday Challenge. sketchsaturday.blogspot.co.uk/

Doodling in the Rhine Valley

I made these ATCs while on holiday at

beautiful Rudesheim in the Rhine Valley.

Lots of time to relax and chill but no crafting stash apart from a few ATC cards, a fineliner pen and a few Promarkers.

 

I think a boat ride along the meandering River Rhine must have inspired me a bit as on return home I noticed I had doodled quite a few 'loops' and 'boat-looking' thingy's on a couple of them.

This one is my favourite.

Vintage theme cards??

I wanted to make a vintage style card for my daughter's birthday but never feel I get the 'vintage' idea quite right. I used a free stamp which I knew she liked and papers that have lurked in my craft drawers for ages. A black doily and a bit of ribbon and lace combined with some paper flowers and 'voila' my creation completed.

Emma's Birthday Card

...and one for my box

 I was quite pleased and so carried on to make a second one for my card box. I'd love to know what you think please. Do they look vintage? How can I do vintage better??

'Runner Up !' Son-in laws Birthday Card

My son-in-law is a runner and I collect ornamental snails, so I just had to have a play around with this one. My son-in-law is, I hasten to add, a much faster runner than 'snail's pace' so I hope he will see the funny side and not take any offence. LOL.
I sent for the stamp with his card in mind,  but then when it arrived I just wasn't sure what to do with it. After much toying with various ideas I ended up stamping the runner and the snail, colouring them and cutting them out. I cut a piece of white stock card to fit centre of  a pale blue pearlised card and created the background panel by first stamping the arrow in black and writing 'FINISH' on it with a fineliner pen and then inking through a bit of tulle with brown for the path. Next I stamped and coloured the grass borders and flowers and the bunting. Then I inked the corners and stamped 'Happy Birthday' in the top right hand corner. I finished off by adding the runner and the snail using foam tape to 'lift' them off the background, layering the panel on red mulberry paper and adding a stamped and inked 'Number one' and 'Son-in- law'.
It was great fun to do in the end and no doubt, having a hubby who's a runner too, I can see myself making more very similar.  Hope you like it !