Ticket to Ride

Our life has returned to a little more normality with the return to school of my youngest son to school and the return to university of the middle one - after 6 months of getting on each others' nerves!  The panic of March when we were desperately trying to organise a flight home from Scotland before the airport closed down and the hours of zoom meetings that needed to be organized for my youngest sons's teachers and therapists (and the constant disagreements over my qualifications to be his teacher) are hopefully behind us now.  

The current prompt from Double D Challenges - "DON'T FENCE ME IN"- appealed to me, given I once again have some time to myself.  Here's the mood board 

Fences (particularly white picket ones) always look so idyllic and complete a country scene IMO!  I love this MFT Rolling Hills and Fence Set - it's so easy to create a quick scene with a some blue card stock for the sky and some floral DP for a field of wildflowers - just needed to add a bike, a few clouds and a sentiment.

Speaking of the sentiment, we have an Action store where I have been able to get some really useful dies at unbelievable prices.  Take the frame I used on this card, which is the smallest of 5 "ticket" dies (there are also 5 oval dies in the set) for around three euros.  The reason I mention this is that A is for Action, and the current challenge for Just Add Ink is "Just add A".

I'd also like to join Pixie's Snippet's Playground as there were lots of snippets used (and some created for future projects for e.g.. the leftover from the hill cut can be used on the bottom on another card)!

Thanks for stopping by especially if you take the time to add a comment.  I love to hear from you,

Kate

A Touch of Gold

I always enjoy playing with embossing powders and UTEE - you're never quite sure how it will turn out.  

I added some gold glitter inclusions to a mix of gold and purple embossing powders and UTEE for this wedding card.  I have to say, I was pretty pleased with the outcome.

I also did the same for the leftover heart piece and used it to embellish the envelope.

Always Fun Challenge has a Challenge to use Embossing Powder  so I'm entering this card over there.

Dies  : WMS My Heart, Craft Emotions Uppercase Alphabet 

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment - your kind words are always appreciated,

Kate

A Good Read

Before Covid-19 reared its ugly head, I was supposed to be hosting a charity card workshop.  I've decided to push on with the kits anyway, in the hope that one day the lockdown will be eased and the workshop can take place.  This was a sample I made for a bookmark card - a card featuring a bookmark as part of the design.  It seemed appropriate to use Sugarpea Designs Brainy Bookmark  Die set and co-ordinating Read Between the Lines Stamp Set.

The bookmark was too big for a standard A6 card front so I cut it down to a more manageable size.  I went through the many paper pads and card stocks I have until I settled on this combination.  The READ was layered up to make it pop and the "books" were stamped and embossed with WOW Primary Bark Embossing powder on red card stock and trimmed by hand.  

The bookmark looked a little plain until I decided to trim it with a little snippet of the patterned paper and I'm quite happy with the result.  I'm not crazy about the ribbon but I have some 3mm red satin on order.   I added a doily (purchased from the supermarket) to soften it a little.

Timeout Challenge #159 has the following challenge so I thought I'd join in.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment.  Your visit means the world to me - especially in these difficult times.  Stay safe,

Kate

Sweet Dreams

I've been seriously remiss in posting lately, but I couldn't let International Epilepsy Day pass by without making an effort to promote its awareness and Timeout has the following challenge to do just that

My youngest son has epilepsy.  He has a host of other problems too but epilepsy is definitely the one which has impacted our family the most.  It's under control for the most part, we went 6 years without incident until last December when he had some seizures over a 2-day period.  He's going through puberty so there are a lot of changes happening in his body and we're hoping that's all it is.  But realistically, we just don't know (and alarmingly neither do does his neurologist).  Also the cure can be almost as bad as the disease, he's so doped up from his 3 different medications that it's impossible to know whether his learning difficulties are part of his condition, his medication or damage done to his brain when his seizures weren't under control.

But he is one of the happiest, loveliest people I have had the pleasure to meet.   I am immensely proud of him!  His enthusiasm is infectious - one of his teachers described him as bringing joy to everyone around him. And we're lucky his seizures are mostly under control.  For some, the nightmare is constant.  There are links on the Timeout Post if you want to find out more about epilepsy and also a personal account of a battle with this invisible disease.

Now onto the card details.  I used some pretty patterned paper and purple card stock to create an easel card which (hopefully) resembles a dream catcher (WPlus9) hanging on a bedroom wall.  I used the same patterned paper to create a matching pillow case (WMS Stitched Rectangles were the best size I had in my die collection) on the inside which serves as the stopper for the easel card.  I used Crealies Stitched Rectangles for the front panel (and inside), because these are a better size for the standard post sizes we use in Europe (and Australia) - A6 cards and C6 envelopes.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment - your visit means the world to me.  Especially as we are practising social distancing here in the heart of Europe at this difficult time.

Kate

Flowers, Stripes and Lace

Strips of black laid on white card stock really contrasts beautifully with this pretty rose (Old Country Roses WMS).  

I was lucky enough to have  in my stash a strip of lace which matched the Tattered Rose DI perfectly.

I finished off with a very simple "Thinking of You" Sentiment,  making this card perfect for any occasion!

Twofer Lions

I wasn't sure I would make the deadline for Twofer Challenge #15, you know one of those days when NOTHING goes the way you expect!  What with underestimating the size of this old die cut, over-inking and smudging, but the final straw was when I mislaid my last pair of glasses.  One day you're tripping over them (I try to keep lots of spare pairs lying around) and then you're down to your last pair and then whoosh - they're gone too!  I decided to drive up to the local Action store and buy a few cheap pairs!  As I was driving the sun came out from behind a cloud and I emptied out the contents of my handbag onto the passenger seat to find my sunglasses - what should also fall out but a pair of glasses (my prescription ones too)!  I know I had looked there but those sneaky things gremlins must have put them in there when I had my back turned!

Anyway I finished the cards (sort of). Here's the first.  I had to replace his face after I smudged it badly (which is why it's a different colour, shhh don't tell anyone) and I'm not 100% happy with the speech bubble but at least it's finished.  I used snippets of suede card stock I've been hoarding on their manes.  

Here's the second.  I was happier with this one (I didn't smudge him and preferred the lighter blue background).  The sign was a bit of a challenge - the die I wanted to use was way too big!  So I ended up doing some selective die cutting.   

Doesn't he just look like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth?   Don't be fooled!  Did you notice how he scratched out the "DO NOT" on that sign?  I haven't finished the inside of this card yet, but it will be something similar to this one I made a few years ago. 

 Previously I used an oval die for the mouth and a grass die for the teeth, but I have a much bigger selection of dies these days so we'll see!  Last time I made this card everyone had a good chuckle (well those who understood English anyway).  I hope it will go down well at an Art and craft festival at which I'm exhibiting next month. 

I'm also entering my cards in the following challenges

CASology Week 340 - cue card is Africa
Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies April Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback.  I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your lovely words!

Kate