WOODWARE - Pink and Green

This week we are using pink and green as the colour combination for this week's challenge on the Woodware blog. I am last up this week and there have been some gorgeous cards this week. I wanted to try out this Stampendous stamp "Bowl Bouquet"

I stamped it onto watercolour paper with Versamark and embossed with white powder. Then using watercolour pencils I used a wet paintbrush to pick up colour directly from the pencil and puddled it over the image. This gives a lovely delicate watercolour effect and the white embossing acts as a resist. Then I added a few splatters from the brush to finish off.
Here is the finished card:

I layered up with pink card and a birthday sentiment. Check out the Woodware blog for other pink and green creations.
I have had a few requests to make cards for people at work lately so I thought I would share a few of these.
A work colleague asked for an engagement card for her daughter. Her boyfriend proposed during a picnic so I used that as inspiration for this easel card :

I love this Lili of the Valley stamp of the couple!!
Next a birthday card for someones friend who loves hillwalking:

Then a 60th birthday card for a colleague's husband who likes shooting pheasants and loves black labs :

And finally for our work colleague Ed who has been known to play air guitar in the corridor at work ... we recently got an I-Pod and docking station at work for the patients to listen to music whilst having their scans!! Ed obviously enjoys it too.

Right folks I am away to tidy my craft room ... it is a bit of a mess!! I have a new table to put up which does not sag in the middle like my current desk. But I need to make a bit of space first to get it in!!
Hope you have a good weekend whatever you are doing!
Siobhan x

WOODWARE - Featuring Buttons

This week at Woodware we are using buttons. I love buttons and have used them before in our DT challenges. So for my project this week I decided to use one of Francoise's word stamps. I recently bought the "Happy Birthday" stamp. I have seen lots of lovely samples of these stamps using a paper piecing technique. But as I find that very fiddly and time consuming I have used a different approach.

I stamped the image onto white card in black and then coloured in the letters with bright zingy colours. I also stamped it onto a piece of double sided film. I cut it all out using a scalpel blade. Then peel off the backing and carefully stick it down onto the coloured letters. Take your time to try and get a good match for a better finish.

I then pressed onto the sticky film a selection of little buttons, gems and pearls. Then I covered the whole piece with an ultra fine crystal glitter. Shake off the excess and you are left with a softer version that up close looks like sorbet!!

Sadly the photos don't really do it justice. I had fun making this and I am sure I will use this technique again on these word stamps. I have a couple of others to try it out on .... one of these days when I have time!!
For lots of fantastic button ideas this week check out our Woodware blog!!
Ah well ... back to the ironing!!
Siobhan x

Woodware - Sketch Challenge

How is it, that within a week of getting back from holiday you feel like you need another one!! Never mind .... I am sure I will get over it!
This week at Woodware we are doing our monthly sketch challenge. It is a very simple one this time.

I got this fairly new Stampendous image "Orchard Pear" a couple of months ago and so I thought it was about time I actually used it. So I stamped and coloured it in. It is a lovely image and I didn't want to make it too fussy. 
For the background I decided to make my own instead of spending wasted time searching the stash for just the right paper! I used a ghosting resist technique. It is an easy way of achieving subtle layers on your background. I stamped a leaf sprig onto white card stock with white pigment ink. 

Once dry I then used a few shades of yellow and green Colorbox cat's eyes and a DTP method of applying the ink. Start with the lightest colours and blend over the card. Then buff with a bit of kitchen towel for the white resist to show through. I stamped the leaf again with a soft shade of green. Simple but effective.

Then a stamped sentiment and a few pearls to finish off!!

I think this image would look good in autumnal colours too. Remember to check out the Woodware blog to see what the other girls have done with the sketch.

Woodware - Child's Play

This month Woodware are sponsoring the challenge over on A Little Bit Crafty the theme is Child Play and the challenge is open until the end of June. So pop over there for some inspiration and to join in with the challenge! Here is my take on Child’s Play…

Hello everyone!! I am back! The lovely Kim Reygate held the fort for me during the month of May so that I could meet all my deadlines at work and then chill out for two weeks on the beautiful Hebridean island of Eriskay. We had a great holiday, just what I needed to re-charge some very flat batteries.

I sent off my card to Dorothy (Our DT leader) on Monday night, only to discover that Debs has used the same stamp as me. Well as they say "great minds think alike ...." Her card is lovely but thankfully quite different from mine!!

This Stampendous stamp is from a fairly new ranger called "Hoppers" created by the lady who designs the "House Mice" range.

As a little girl, like most little girls, I loved dressing up in my Mum's old clothes and shoes. So I thought this little bunny fitted the bill perfectly.

I just added a little sparkle with a Sakura stardust pen. I think this makes a lovely birthday card for any little girl.

Be sure to check out the Woodware blog for lots of other ideas and inspiration. 

Siobhan x