New post before a new decade!

I felt it was definitely time for a new post on this little corner of Blogland before we enter a new decade. Can you believe it? 2020? It doesn't sound real. I hope that your Christmas was good for you. We had a very chilled out family time, which was just what I needed!

Anyway, I've still been busy with the crafting - both cardmaking and crocheting - but my job has changed a bit too, and I must admit that I've been a bit shattered over the last few weeks. Of course, I'm never at my best when the days are so short and sunshine (or even bright daylight!) is at its minimum. I'm so looking forward to lighter, longer days and keep peeking at the green shoots of daffodil bulbs starting to appear in the garden to remind me that it's just a few more weeks!

So, no more whinging, and more of the craft sharing. I dug out one of my old rubber stamps and the pens for a bit of happy time with some therapeutic colouring. I used an old Magnolia Tilda stamp, coloured with copics and pencils and then added a little bling on the crown with Stickles!

There's also a sneaky peek at another image I've started colouring lol! 

I used papers from Hunkydory Crafts and flowers from WOC. The tag die is from Joy Crafts, and the leaf dies are Hunkydory Moonstone dies. The starburst die is from Joanna Sheen. The stamped sentiment is a combination of stamps from Hunkydory 

Hope you like the finished card! 

I hope you enjoy your new year- however you choose to mark it! 

Back soon, 

Kim x

Feeling excited!

I can't believe it's October already! I'm not quite sure where the last few months went but they definitely sped past in blur! My job changed a bit this year, so when I started back at school at the beginning of September, it felt like my feet hardly touched the ground. And I've been very busy on the craft front (hence the "excited" bit in this post's title). A couple of months ago, Hunkydory had invited applications for a few new design team members and I thought I'd have a try. After using their products many times, and also being given the chance to review some of their products a few months ago, I know what good quality their crafting materials are. Anyway, cutting the waffle short, I was thrilled and excited to be invited to join their stamping design  team - yay!

I've been very busy making samples for a couple of new product launches (that I'm looking forward to sharing with everyone soon!), but I thought I'd share one of the samples I made for Hunkydory when applying for the DT!

This gift card was made using the Hunkydory stamps Beautiful Blooms - which I stamped and masked to make the little bouquet!  I've coloured these with alcohol pens and pencils.

The papers are all from the hunkydory Florabunda paper pad. 

Hope you like it! 

I'll be back soon with some samples and ideas for the new products that Hunkydory are releasing! 

Kim x 

Pink Birthday!

I hope you're all enjoying some summer sunshine and a little relaxation time! I'm pleased to say that I made it to the end of term, and I'm looking forward to some extra time to catch up with friends, try and keep pace with the weeds growing like fury in the garden and definitely some crafting time!  We have quite a few birthdays over summer and this was one made recently for our daughter's birthday a few weeks ago

I've used this cute digi stamp from LOTV, coloured with copics and pencils. 

The gorgeous papers are from Hunkydory Crafts. I've used a Britannia flower die and a poppystamps die for the leaves. 

As these cards need to be posted, I like to make sure that they're fairly "flat" so they don't get damaged too much in the mail lol! 

Hope you like it! 

Back soon, 

Kim x 

Special little gardener!

Well, I said I'd be back soon - bet you weren't expecting me back quite so soon! Two posts in two days - I've even shocked myself lol!

I decided to dig out a couple of 'proper' stamps from the stash. I usually tend to use digi stamps these days and rubber stamps for sentiments, but I thought it was a shame when  I've got quite a few old favourites - and the Sarah Kay ones are definitely favourites!

This little cutie has been coloured with copics and pencils

The papers are from the neverending stash and the sentiment stamps are from LOTV 

Not sure who this card is for yet. We have quite a few birthdays coming up so I've got to get a few cards ready! 

Hope you like it! 

Back soon, 

Kim x 

Still busy!

Where does the time disappear to? One minute it's May and then next we're in July! June just vanished! I do have the excuse of being silly busy at work, a holiday during our half term week, then stupidly busy and stressy at work since! But I've still kept busy with the crafting - that's my little haven of sanity and calm amidst everything else.  It's our end of term next week,  and I'm hoping that there's some relax time over the summer (in between visiting family & friends, gardening, catching up with jobs, etc.....Haha!).
Our daughter and her boyfriend recently bought their first house and moved in a week or so ago. So that definitely called for a "new home" card and I just love this digi stamp from LOTV

Aren't those little mice so cute?  I've coloured the image with copics and pencils, with some distress ink around the edge

The backing papers are from LOTV and Kanban and the sentiment stamp is also LOTV using Sue Wilson banner dies. 

Hope you like it! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

Best Wishes with flowers!

It was so nice to have a lovely long weekend! I went to Cambridge for a couple of days to see my daughter (husband stayed home with the Beastie Dog!). It was lovely to see them and spend a little time together - and Cambridge is such a beautiful city. It's a shame it wasn't a bit warmer (what happened to the weather?), but a lovely few days regardless. But it was back to work yesterday - and such a hectic, busy start to a week yet again!

So, as a bit of therapy away from phones and computers when I got home yesterday, I had a play with the crafty stash and made a very flowery card!

I used the lush papers from Hunkydory 'Floribunda'. They really are lovely! The die is from PaperCuts, which I've added some gold mirri card details. 

I've added some satin ribbon, lace and mulberry flowers from WOC. 

The inside has been decorated to match.

Hope you like it! 

Back soon,

Kim x

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Shopping our stash - #395 - May flowers

Crafting from the heart - #242 - anything goes

Flowers - Just for You!

I can't quite believe that it's May 1st - and another busy start to a week. As I work in a secondary school, this time of year is always VERY busy with exam season about to start, etc. But I'm looking forward to a long weekend for the Bank Holiday - hopefully a chance to catch up with family.

I just wanted to share a card made recently with a very cute LOTV digi stamp

I've coloured the image with my usual mix of copics and pencils.  I really need to replace some of my copics - has anyone tried the refills? How do you find them? 

The papers are also from LOTV (which I've also added to the tags), and some die cut flowers. 

Pretty simple, but I hope you like it! 

Back soon,

Kim x

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Creative Moments - anything goes + animals

Crafting by Designs - anything goes

Die Cuttin Divas - anything goes

Sent with love...

Well, that lovely, long sunny Easter weekend is over and it was back to work with a bump on Tuesday! It  was so nice to have the weather play nicely for a bank holiday and we spent a lot of time lolling about in the garden (with the odd bit of gardening thrown in occasionally!). And I feel I should apologise for not getting round and having a look at people's blogs. Now we're back into routine, I'll hopefully get a bit more time for Blogland!

The card I'm sharing today is one made with one of the older LOTV images - another that I seem to have in rubber and as a digi! He's such a cute little guy, carrying that huge present.

I've coloured him with copics and promarkers and little pencil.  The papers are from K&Co and stash.

I've kept the layout fairly simple for this one - always a challenge for me, as I'm always tempted to add "just one more thing" or "do you think something's missing?". But I think it works ok, although I'm never too confident with simple layouts! 

The sentiment stamp is also from LOTV, with Sue Wilson banner dies. 

Hope you like it.

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Lemon Shortbread - #92 - anything goes

A Perfect time to craft - anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore - #62 - anything goes

Happy Craft Challenge - anything goes

Creative Crafters - #15 - anything goes

Enjoying some spring sunshine!

I hope that you have some very welcome spring sunshine wherever you are. We've had such a lovely, sunny day today, and love the simple delight of enjoying a mug of tea sat in the garden!  However, that also includes telling the naughty dog not to try eating any dropped bird food, not to drink from the pond, not to try and bury her toys in the garden - you'll notice most of these are "nots"....! Hey ho. But despite all that, we've enjoyed the feel of spring.

I suppose it's something of an irony that the image on the card today is called "Waiting for rain" haha! No, I really don't want any rain! But she is a very cute little Mo Manning digi stamp.  I made a conscious decision to use a colour that I really don't use very often - yellow. And it's a shame, because when I do use yellow, it always seems such a happy, cheerful colour!

I'd quite like a lovely yellow raincoat! 

I've coloured the image with copics and promarkers.  The backing papers are from WRMK - I found this one buried in the stash! 

I've used a JoyCrafts die for the tag and the stamped sentiment is from LOTV. Tonic stamps were used for the flowers and edging. 

 The inside was layered to match

Hope you like it! 

Back soon - and hope you get some sunshine and not rain! 

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Colour Throwdown - yellow, orange and blue 

Sisterhood of crafters - April showers

A perfect time to craft - anything goes

Dies r us - April showers

Woodland Blanket - Ta Dah Moment!

In advance, please forgive the bulk of photos! I've finished my 'Woodland' blanket - courtesy of Attic24 and a yarn pack from Wool Warehouse.  I started this one over the Christmas holidays, and so I suppose it's quite appropriate that I've finished it over the Easter holidays. It's been a fabulous project and one that I've kept crocheting on with, in between other projects, cardmaking, etc.

It's a lovely, large blanket, approximately single bed size (6' by 4') and so will be super for snuggling under on chilly evenings! 

It's a simple ripple pattern that is based on an old Shetland knitting pattern "Old Shale" - although in a crochet version of course! This gives a lovely ripple, with a slightly lacey feel

And I love the 'line' that appears from crocheting into the back of the loops. 

The colours gradually change from the 'woodland floor', with a combination of rich greens, browns, coppers, etc., through to the tree canopy with lighter greens and gradually up to the sky!  When it's folded in half it almost looks like two separate blankets

The border is a simple slip stitch edging, which I've done in 4 colours and I think it looks nice from either side! 

It's always a satisfying feeling when you complete a big blanket project - although I've now got to start planning the next project.  However, as we have a new grandchild due in a few months, I think I can probably find a few projects to be getting on with....

Hope you like the blanket! 

Back soon,

Kim x

Baby Blue Fairy

Well, I'm not sure about the 'relax' part of the Easter break so far.... It's included some heavy duty gardening (including lifting and re-laying flags around the pond!), and, since youngest came home from visiting friends and before going back to uni, rather a lot of laundry! Anyway, we took our youngest back to uni today, a trip to Glasgow - which is rather a lovely drive when the weather is nice (as it was today!). Rubydoo went to Doggy Day Care - and seems to have had a good time!

Less of the waffle and more of the crafting! I've got a cute easel card to share with you today. I know! Two easel cards in succession! I've used one of the very cute Mo Manning baby fairy digi stamps - such a sweetie!

I've coloured the image with copics, promarkers and pencil with a little added glitter to the wings (all fairies should have some glitter on their wings...). 

The papers are from Hunkydory and LOTV, and the sentiment stamp is an LOTV one. 

Just a little added ribbon and pearly hearts, and some distress inks, and it's done. 

Hope you like it! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Addicted to stamps - #336 - anything goes

Creative Moments - #166 - anything goes

Digi Choosday - Wk. 15 - anything goes

Through the craft room door - anything goes

Mo's Digital Challenge - anything goes

Spring? At Last?

Hurray! It's Saturday, the sun is shining (at the moment!) and I've finished work for 2 weeks for our Easter break. Yay! We haven't got a huge amount planned for these holidays, a couple of days out, catching up with friends, jobs in the garden, etc., but I'm definitely looking forward to that calmer pace of life after what seems to have been a particularly hectic couple of weeks.  And I'm hoping it also means some 'crafting time' can get scheduled in too.

But today's card is a rather suitable one for a sunshiney spring day, featuring one of my favourite little Mo Manning digi stamps called (appropriately!) - April.  Isn't she so cute?

In fact I was busy doing just that in the garden this morning (although definitely not looking quite as cute lol!). I've coloured the digi stamp with copics and pencil

The papers are from Hunkydory, flowers from WOC and the sentiment is from LOTV. 

I hadn't made an easel style card for ages, so I used some Tonic dies to make the shaped easel. 

Hope you like it. 

And I'm so pleased that the Mo's Digital Pencil challenge blog is back up and running, so she's being entered into that too! 

The card is now up for sale on Etsy HERE.

I hope you enjoy your weekend, whatever you have planned.

Back soon,

Kim x

I'm entering 'April' into the following challenges:-

Mo's Digital Pencil challenge - anything goes

Colour Crazy Challenge - week 13 - anything goes

Crafty Catz - #456 - anything goes

Creative Fingers challenge - #161 - anything goes

QKR Stampede - #342 - anything goes

Time to relax....

As Friday is my end of term, I'm really hoping that I do find some time to relax over the couple of weeks that we have off school for Easter. It seems to have been a very busy term (although, to be fair, EVERY term feels like a busy one), and I'm ready for a break. I've also been busy rehearsing with the choir as we have a show tomorrow night 'Music of Stage & Screen', with the school orchestra and band. It features all sorts of music from a VERY wide selection - The Greatest Show, Oklahoma, Toy Story, Show Boat, etc.! Staff and parents are welcome to join the school choir for this and it's been great fun - and the rehearsals are promising a great performance! I'll let you know how it goes!

Anyway, a fairly simple card layout this time from me, and I'm hoping suitable for anyone!  I used a lovely digi stamp from LOTV, coloured with copics and pencils

I made this as a C5 size card - which is quite a large card for me! The papers are a bit of a random selection from stash, with some stitching added

The sentiment is from a very old selection of quotes on vellum, which I'm ashamed to say, have been sat in the craft stash for ages. But this one seemed quite suitable for the image.

Hope you like it! 

I seem to have quite a few cards in the stash that I haven't shared on here yet, so there may be quite a few blog posts coming up over the next couple of weeks. And I'm pleased to report that the mojo is back in working order at the moment, so I'm busy crafting and trying to build up the stash of cards while I can lol. 

Back soon,

Kim x 

Beautiful Baby Pink

I think that this baby digi stamp from Lili of the Valley is definitely one of my favourites. Isn't it cute?  So adorable, and a delight to colour.

We seem to have several staff at work that have had babies recently and another baby - a little girl - arrived this week, which inspired me to make another baby card. I love making baby cards - especially ribbon and button embellishments - and new baby arrivals are always worth celebrating!

This little one has been coloured with copics and pencil. 

The backing papers are from the Hunkydory 'Florabunda' pad that I showcased in my last post - they really are lush papers.  I always loved the LOTV papers and I'm sad that they don't produce them anymore. But I'm thrilled that I've found some equally good alternatives! 

The sentiment is also from LOTV and I've added a die cut from CottageCutz and some ribbon and buttons from stash.

A fairly simple card, but I think it works quite well! 

Back soon,

Kim x

I'm entering this little cutie into the following challenges:-

A Gem of a Challenge - week 6 anything goes

QKR Stampede - #341 anything goes

Just add ink - babies

Dis digi designs - make it girly

Loving Best Wishes!

I was thrilled to be asked by the fabulous Hunkydory Crafts if I would be happy to try out a few of their products for craft and card projects.  I've used some of their products before - a friend gave me a card-making kit produced by Hunkydory a little while ago.

These are the first couple of cards I've made with two of the items I received - and I've used the Florabunda paper pad and the PaperCuts 'Best Wishes' die (click on the names for links to the items on the website)

The edging die looks fantastic and gives a good, clean cut. I did run it through my Sizzix Big Shot plus twice, as I thought it's quite a big, detailed die, but it gave great results. 

I've used the Florabunda pad for backing paper and to make the die cut flowers (using a Marianne die). To add extra definition to the wording, I decided to add the mirri gold. 

As expected, the papers are fantastic quality, and I was delighted that the colours and detail on the Florabunda pad were even better in 'real life' than online and are double sided pages so a gorgeous choice of colours and designs.  When you pick colours and papers online you always take a chance on what they'll actually look like when you receive them. I wasn't disappointed!  I can definitely see me using all the papers on various projects - and probably ordering more! 

A similar style card, but making this one suitable for anyone - the spotty paper is also from the Florabunda pad.  The ticket stamp and dies are from Whimsy, the fence die is from Magnolia Doo Hickey. 

I've mounted the die cut panel on both card with some foam tape or glue gel to give a little depth and dimension.

Thank you Hunkydory!  And there'll be several more projects appearing soon! 

Back soon,

Kim 

For you - with love!

I hope you've had a good week - and I wish mine had been slightly better! Tooth infection, a rather difficult tooth extraction and a resulting infection has left me feeling a bit sorry for myself. I know worse things happen, but dental pain leaves you pretty miserable! And I've not been able to enjoy 3 of my favourite activities - eating, talking and sleeping!

Anyway, less of the self pity!
I thought I'd share one of the older LOTV images, this one I also seem to have in rubber and a digi stamp version.  But she's such a cutie and suitable for all sorts of occasions.

I've coloured the image with my usual mix of copics and pencils.  The backing papers are from LOTV and Kanban and I've added some die cut flowers, hanging hearts and the sentiment. Sentiment stamp is from LOTV, dies are from Memory Box, Brittania and Tonic.

Hope you like it! 

And just thought I'd share a few photos from this afternoon. Our youngest is back from Uni (doing BA Fine Art Photography at Glasgow School of Art - the lucky guy!) - but as his mum was feeling a bit sorry for herself, he took me out with him while he took some pics. We had some wonderful and much-needed spring sunshine today, and we are SO lucky that we have such beautiful countryside 5 minutes from our house! 

I hope this sunshine lasts a bit longer! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:-

Artistic Inspiration - #213 - anything goes

A bit more time to craft - #88 - anything goes

Craft Dee Bowz - #71 - anything goes with a handmade bow

Die Cut Divas - March - anything goes