The Boys

Half-term is on the horizon and will be here before you can blink.  I'm working away on some projects during my last free afternoon before the holiday arrives.  Here's photographic evidence of what the boys have been up to this week.

Small-n-Grubby ran the senior boys 2.3km cross-country race in the local mini-marathon.  Here he is having a well earned sit down wearing his medal.

Yesterday I went with the Branston Pickle on his school trip to a community farm.  I managed to get this shot of him helping to collect the eggs without any other children in the frame.  Don't ask about the strange face pulling, I think it says "Look what I've done, but it was a bit smelly and I don't trust those chickens!"

 Mind you, can you blame him?

~ Kate ~

Something Quick and Simple

The title sums up just about all I can manage - something quick and simple.  Having done battle with the computer and shown it who's boss, I am now up an running smoothly again (cross all fingers, legs and toes) However, to ensure that I can take no pleasure from it, I now have a head cold which appears to have replaced my brain with cotton wool. I was in bed by 9pm last night and the extra sleep has allowed me to carry on functioning today.

I've a few DT projects to complete and thought I would ease myself in with a little clean and simple card for this week's Daring Card Makers stencil challenge.  After I'd made it I got a little confused about the difference between a stencil and a mask, I blame the cotton wool head, but I think it's OK.

For the background I've used the left over paper from a previous die cut to mask the shape and then placed a Studio Calico stencil over the top.  The spray is my current favourite Chalkboard Mist in Sprout.  The silver pigment in it really shows when you angle the card.

I've used an Edwin image from my stash of stamps that I've already coloured, so nice and easy on my brain. Branston Pickle and all his friends are 5 this school year so expect to see this stamp having a few more outings before September.

Challenges:
Daring Card Makers - Stencil it
Chocolate Coffee and Cards #39 - Use a number
Copic Marker Europe #17 - Boys aloud

Talking of outings, I'm helping on the school farm trip tomorrow, another early night called for me thinks!

~ Kate ~

On The Blink!

Internet access is slow and fleeting at the moment, hence my lack of blogging.  I've been doing lots of tidying though and found all sorts of things to craft with that I'd forgotten about.  Looking forward to having a play and getting creative.

~ Kate ~ (Using an ancient Internet Explorer where you can practically hear the cogs churning as it tries to process information.  Don't even ask me how long it took to do my weekly shop.  OK, well if you insist, 2 hours, 2 hours!!!!)

Art Journal/Techniques book

I am trying to get into the habit of having my art journal on hand when I try out a technique or to mop up excess ink as the start of a new background.  I think it isn't so much an art journal as a techniques book and will be a great record of what I've tried and what I like.

For Tuesdays Waffle Sketch card I wanted to use a mottled Distress Paint background and then drip Chalkboard Mist down the dried paint.  It worked far better in the technique book as I'd already cut the card inserts down to size and that didn't leave much room for dripping.

When I opened up the art pad to make the page this stamped Christy Thomlinson image fell out.  I remember stamping and colouring it with Distress Markers for a project and then changing my mind, I must have popped it in the book and forgotten it.  On the page it went, I love the butterfly in her hair.

There's a lot more I could do to the page to make it a complete journal page, but I wanted the background to show and remind me of the technique, so I finished off with one of my favourite Tim Holtz stamps.

Ronda Palazzari  has a creative link up on her blog for anyone who's been creative this week, so I've linked up there.

~ Kate ~

By The Cute And Girly - May mid-way

Half way through May and time for an update on this month's challenge at By The Cute And Girly.  The theme this month is Flowers and, as it's our last challenge before we take a summer break, I wanted to go out with a bang and choose a real cutie for my card.

I went with Cotton Dress Tilda from the Magnolia 2013 Once Upon A Time collection and coloured her with Copics.

For the card I've used some beautiful paper that I bought from Live And Love Crafts.  It's made by Maja Design and is called 7th Of March from the Vintage Spring Basics collection. I've lined the inside of the card with it too, but it looks like I forgot to take a picture.   The jute ribbon comes from the same shop.

The flowers and the metal corner are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the swirls are cut from an Elegant Scrollwork Memory Box die.

For the finishing touches I've punched out a few little butterflies, added a little Stardust Stickles and some Knick Knackery pearls.  There's a little bit of gold gilding wax on her crown.  I wasn't sure I could add it accurately with my fingers so I used a cotton bud.

Challenges:
Marvelous Magnolia #26 - Anything goes
Fab & Funky #171 - Favourite embellishments - pearls
Simon Says - Flower power
Midweek Magnolia - Birthday
Fashionista #15 - Vintage/shabby

Check out the By The Cute And Girly challenge blog for more flower inspiration and to enter for your chance to win 5 digitsl images from .........

~ Kate ~

More Clean and Simple

The first of a couple of blog posts from me today.

You may have spotted that my Monday card for the Less Is More challenge was disqualified - my fault for not reading the rules closely enough.  I'm not sure if this means I am allowed to enter again, with hopefully a qualifying entry, but as I was making another clean and simple card for a couple of challenges I thought I would.  If nothing else I could be the contender for the most disqualified entries from a single challenge!

I've used a pale blue card base and single layer for Less Is More.

The little dolphin is from High Hopes for their clean and simple challenge and he's coloured with Distress Markers. 

The 'sea' is made of Salty Ocean Distress Ink sponged over a torn piece of paper to give the wave effect.
The little sentiment is from a free set of Ladybug Crafts Ink stamps that came with a magazine.

Challenges:
Less Is More #119 - one layer, coloured card blank
High Hopes #133 - Clean and simple
Moving Along With The Times - Clean and simple

~ Kate ~

Kathy's Waffle Sketch - May

This month's sketch at Kathy's Waffle Sketch File is a lovely tall one with cascading circles on.

I've twisted the sketch around for my card and put it on its side.

The aperture card has been sprayed with Heidi Swapp Colour Shine in Bronzer, just to prove I could spray it without making a blobby mess, as in my earlier scrapbooking efforts.  Then I've made the insert with Salty Ocean and Picked Raspberry Distress Paint.  Once the paint was dry I dripped Hot Chocolate Chalkboard Mist down it, which ran everywhere, but of course the Distress Paint stays put.  There's a little key stamped in the corner with Brilliance ink.  It didn't show up as well as I'd have liked so I added a little shadow with grey pen.

The circles are a base of Spiced Marmalade Distress Stain with a Tim Holtz Damask stamp embossed over the top in Broken China Distress Embossing powder.  The 18th birthday message stamp is by Lili Of The Valley.  Then just a few sticky jewels to finish it all off.

Challenges:
Stamping Sensations - Embossing and texture
Forever Friends - Anything goes

~ Kate ~