Watercolour Wednesday - Cottage Rose

For today's card, I stamped the large image from Cottage Rose stamp set into the centre of a Basic White mat. I added the single flowers around the border but decided that I only wanted the one flower coloured in. I stamped an acrylic block onto the Highland Heather ink pad and using a watercolour brush, picked up the colour and washed it over the flower. I continued using the Granny Apple Green Ink Pad and coloured in the leaves too. I mounted the white mat onto Highland Heather card mat and then onto the Basic White card base. 

 

  

Throwback Thursday - Batik Bouquet

 My throwback Thursday card really has to be this one. One of the first techniques I learnt was making a one sheet wonder. I still love making them today.  I used only 4 of the stamps from the Batik Bouquet stamp set and stamped them in a pattern all over the piece of A4 white card and Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad. The light green is Soft Sea Foam, the bright green is Granny Apple Green and the purple is Highland Heather. I don't know what it is about green and purple but I really love seeing them both together. I die cut 4 of the flowers out from one end of the A4 sheet once they were all coloured using the Stampin' Blends pens. I fixed the stamped mat onto a piece of Granny Apple Green card and the both of them onto a Highland Heather card base. Before I adhered the mats to the card base, I added a length of white Baker's Twine and wrapped it around the mats. I finished off with sentiments from the Best Year stamp set. The label on the front was die cut from the Scalloped Contours dies.

For more information on the Batik Boutique stamp set or any of the other products I have used, please click HERE It will open up in a new page so you don't lose this page.

Make it Monday - Meant To Be

 Hello and welcome back. Didn't Cary show some amazing cards last week just using the scraps on her table? Incredible cards Cary, as always.  My week was a really lazy one last week. Apart from sorting through bits and pieces we have for the retreat we are holding in March, I relaxed for a change! I made time for my grandchildren and the family. It was lovely spending time with them all. Theo, who turned 1 year old 2 weeks ago, suddenly on Friday just got up and walked across the room! It was so amazing to see him do his little toddle. I'm glad I had time to watch and play with him too.

Anyway, back to this week. I couldn't decide which stamp set to show you this week so I opened the catalogue at no particular page and chose the stamps there. The first to show you is cards using Meant To Be stamp set and the other for is Strong and Beautiful. One has lots of lovely images of hearts and the other lots of gorgeous sentiments. I'm not sure how much I will use the 2nd set but I have it just in case!

 One of my favourite colours at the moment is this gorgeous shade of lilac or Highland Heather as Stampin' Up! call it. I have made a very simple card and one slightly stepped up by using the matching heart shaped dies called Stitched Be Mine. Please don't worry about your eyesight as I have fixed the front white mat on at an angle!

Tips Treats and Techniques Tuesday - Loving You

 Oh my goodness, it's so cold here today again! It's a good job that I don't need to go out anywhere! My card today is for my friend in America. She left with her new husband just after her wedding 7 years ago and is currently living in California. So this is for Houri who came to stay with us for 6 weeks and landed up staying for 9 and a half years! I really do miss seeing her so this is the special card ready for her New Year celebration which is coming up very soon. 

Made in the beautiful tones of purples and white card, with a little addition of the lovely acetate from the new Hydrangea Hill Mercury Glass Acetate. It's a really gorgeous, shiny, patterned acetate in 2 colours, Heather and Rose. The card is a  Z fold card with the same sized mat on the front as inside. I finished off with some little pieces of the three colour grosgrain ribbon popping out from the side.