Grumpy Lady

Hi Everybody,

What a fabulous card to send to a friend ... but one that has been chosen carefully so as not to offend.

I have used the Tall Flowers Stamps & Die Set to add some interest around her and the sentiment stamp is from the verses set 

The image is from the CD that I have had for years called The Next Big Thing and I wouldn't part with it for the world.

It is by La Pashe and is called Just Inklined but I don't think the CD is available anymore.  

They have their own blog which may be worth a look at and they have freebie stamps for you to try also 

There are lots of characters on the CD just like this, both male and female, and they are absolutely brilliant for water colours or pencils. A good alternative choice would be the Wrinklies and the characters on that are of a similar vein and make me laugh at some of their expressions. 

Should you find this for sale in Thrift shops or online then the CD you are looking for is the one with the dog on the front.

I found one on eBay for £2.99 which is a steal and well worth every penny. I think I paid £10 for mine years ago.

The images on there cover everything you could possibly think of, and although CD crafting has gone way out of fashion jut now this is a CD OI go back to time and time again.

Moe tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Hi ... Fun Card

Hi Everybody,

Today's card is just for a little bit of fun and hopefully it will make you smile.

I have simply used up elements from other cards that have been lounging around on my desk.

For the base I have used the Nesting Ovals and added the die over the fold in an A4 card to keep the pieces joined and create the base.

Then I have used the same die and cut another layer to sit on the top of the base.

The other layers have just been cut in various colours using the subsequent dies from the set.

The image is one I have had printed out from the Just Inklined CD The Next Big Thing which is sadly no longer available and I have coloured it with pencils

I have added Googly Eyes to the snake and created some faux clouds behind him.
The branches are from the Beautiful Birdcage set and the links are all below should you need to view the items.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Fairy ...

Hi Everybody,

This beautiful fairy is from the CD The Next Big Thing from Just Inklined and I think she is adorable.

I added her to a Foiled background after she was coloured with Spectrum Noir pens and pencils.

I have used this image in the past but sadly the CD is no longer around.

So if you have a copy then treasure it and if you haven't used it for some time than now may be a good time to review it.

The foils are something else that I am enjoying playing with at present and both of the videos with this product are doing really well on YouTube

My channel has now topped over nine million views  and I am so pleased with the way the numbers grow.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday - Sunflowers

Hi Everybody,

This image is from the same collection  as the poppies and both are from the Just Inklined CD called the Next Big Thing

This one has been coloured with Gansai Tambi water colours with a faux stitched edge around the circle.

Faux Stitching was a page that I added to my website many years ago but it seems to be having a bit of a comeback at present.

To the flowers I added some Glossy Accents and this tilted photo shows you a little more of the effect.

The yellow ribbon and the enamel dots jut added that finale touch and the finished card is a 6" square.

I mated the image onto yellow and then brown card and then glued the lot to a white base card

The Happy Birthday sentiment has been trimmed into  a banner and added with foam pads to the bottom of the card

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday - Poppies

Hi Everybody,

This is another image from the Just Inklined CD called The Next Big Thing and I know that many of you already have this in your collections.

But how long is it since you got it out and had a real good look at what is on the disc. 

There are a wealth of images for you to print off and colour and this is one of my all time favorite CD's

So this is Poppies and it has been coloured with Gansai Tambi Water Colours.

Then simply matted and layered with stripy card onto the A2 sized base card

I stamped and embossed the sentiment onto a banner shape of the stripey card and added it with foam underneath, then added in some  enamel dots 

And last but not least I used a glue pen to add some detail and allowed it to go tacky. 

Over the top I rubbed some silver foil to bring out the shape of the petals.

Simple card for any occasion with just a little water colouring in the process.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday - Pink Tulips

Hi Everybody,

A really simple card for todays water colour but one that I quite like.

This is an image from Just Inklined and is one I have done many times before.

 It is on the CD The Next Big Thing and I always say that it is sad that this CD is no longer available

So if you have it treasure it as there is so much on this disc. And if you do manage to find it any where snap it up.

This is just a simple coloured image layered onto some spotty card and then wrapped with ribbon.

I added a pearl flourish around the cup and some larger pearls in the top corner

You could add any sentiment to this that you liked and it would suit any occasion.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday-Lazy Rabbit

Hi Everybody,

This lazy rabbit just lying around is from the CD The Next Big Thing from Just Inklined

And every time I use this CD I have to tell you that it is no longer available

You may be able to find a copy if you search for it.

And if you already have it then take another look at the fantastic characters on there

It is such a good collection of all sorts from sports to florals and I use it regularly throughout the year for all occasions.

This one has been  water coloured a long time ago with Distress Inks and then mounted onto pink card.

It could do equally well for male and female cards ... obviously not with pink !!! 

 But I think this is such a cute rabbit and sat with the carrot was perfect for a friend who was retiring.  Best job in the World !!

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx 

Water Colour Wednesday - Get Well Soon ...

Hi Everybody,

Here's a little card that I had some fun creating a while ago and I made it as a get well card.

The image is from the CD The Next Big Thing by Just Inklined and it is one I have used many times.

There are lots of fun images on that CD and if you have it then it's time to look at it again in case there is something that you missed.

If you don't have it then you will need to search for it as it has been discontinued for quite a few years now

To create this card I use only blues and deepened the shadows by being a little heavier with the colour.

The Get Well Soon was simply hand drawn in squiggly lines around the edge of the card and it's not supposed to be neat and tidy.

It gave the recipient a good laugh when it was given and that has to make you feel better straight away

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Water Colour Wednesday - Friend Like You

Hi Everybody,

I love this image and I could not resist giving her a pretty floral dress to wear.  And don't you just love that the handbag matches her slippers.??

Adding clothes or changing the look of those already drawn onto the characters is so much fun and if you haven't tried it you are missing out.

I added Glossy Accents to her glasses to make them shine like lenses

It doesn't matter if you can draw or not as nothing is too fancy to achieve.

Just grab that pen and doodle away and you will be pleased and surprised at what you can come up with.

Have a look at last weeks image also as he too has been altered for a fun look ... Man and His Dog !!

This is a digital image from the CD The Next Big Thing from Just Inklined and as all companies do they have moved on and it is no longer available.

I wouldn't part with my copy for anything as there is some really fantastic characters on the disc to play with.

You may be lucky and find one on EBay that someone wants to sell on but I think you will need to search for it

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Text Stamped Background ...

Hi Everybody,

This is another of those fun backgrounds and as promised I have done a video  on the making of this card.

I have used the stamp set from Spellbinders Celebration Collection called   Your Day    and it has several stamps on the sheet

Part of the stamp set was used to create the background and this is something that you can do with any text stamps that you have in your own "Stash"

You see the thing to do is simply .... Play !!  get out your stuff and see what you come up with and if you don't like it then start again.

But you may surprise yourself and end up with some thing that you really like and may want to repeat gain on another project.

The other card on the tutorial was made the same way for the background but the Wizard image is one of those from the CD The Next Big Thing from Just Inklined and I am sorry to say that the CD is no longer around.

You may be lucky to find one for sale privately but you will have to search long and hard to find it.  I colored mine with Spectrum Noir pens

I fussy cut him out and added him with a double layer of foam tape along the centre part of the image and he stands proud of the card for effect.

I added in extra peals to both cards for a little extra embellishment and the elephant has the Googly Eye added too.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Strongman !!

Hi Everybody,

Here  for your  amusement is my  Strongman Image from  Just Inklined ... and I think he is wonderful.

It is from the CD "The Next Big Thing" which sadly is no longer available.

Spectrum Noir Colors Used ...
Pens
Skin FS3 FS4 TN2 
Hair/Boots IG4 IG6 IG8
Pencils
Leotard 060 059 108 044 114 116 118

The weights bar was created from a  BBQ stick colored with SN True Black and black card for weights on either side

I had so much fun coloring in this fella and I am really pleased with the way he turned out.  

The Birthday stamp was free with a magazine subscription and the embossing is the Bricks and Bark from Spellbinders

I  am  happy that the  color lists for the  pens and pencils  being used is  useful to  many of you and  thanks for  letting me  know 

More  tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spectrum Noir Skin

Hi Everybody,

I have had several emails asking me for links to articles when they are already on the page... so if you are new to Blogging then any words that are in another color are usually a link.

Hover your mouse over it and if it turns into a hand then click it and it will open another window and take you to the page for that item or article.

This is one of the images I colored with the Pale Hues six pen set
from Spectrum Noir.

I went on to make a video tutorial for  Pale Skin  using the same set and there are other videos using the other six pen sets.

It is one of the videos that got me noticed by Spectrum Noir and lead to me being an instructor for them and subsequently on the Design Team.

Now from there more exciting things have happened and I have been asked to do a workshop on these pens by

  JGD Crafts.

They are a UK based company in Sutton in Ashfield and I will be down there on September 13th

I know the numbers for the workshop are limited so if you live near there and are not in the class then just pop in and say hello.... it would be lovely to meet you.


So the image of this handsome man  from Just Inklined was made into a card and the sentiment that I added for fun is from Lili of the Valley

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spectrum Noir ...

Hi Everybody,

This is just a quick post to let you know that today at 12 noon the next generation of  Spectrum Noir pens is being launched on Create and Craft

This image is from "The Next Big Thing" CD from Just Inklined and I make my apologies every time I use this as it is no longer available.

Colors used ...
 PP1, PP3,  PP5  DG2  DG4  TB2  TB4  IG4

The pens have been improved but the color coding will still be the same numbers as the classic set so all your refills will still be usable.

They are still one of the best alcohol pen collections for the crafter and they blend beautifully.  So take a look and see what the new pens are like.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Colouring Time ...

Hi Everybody,

This character is from the Just Inklined CD "The Next Big Thing" and she is one of the Wrinklies.

I have coloured her with Spectrum Noir ...

Skin                        FS2  FS3  TN2
Hat/Bag                  LV1  LV2
Dress/Hatband        PL1  BP2  BP6
Slippers                  CG1  DG2
Hair/Walker            IG4  IG6

All these colours are from the six pen sets and together they will colour a multitude of designs for you.

They are from the  Pale Hues,  Pinks,  Greens,  Purples and Cool Grey and all these can be purchased from Crafters Companion

There is a tutorial using nothing but the   Ice Grey   set to create a Christmas scene and is the easiest video on colouring to start with.

You will also find many more tutorials .... including some of mine ... at  Spectrum Noir   and new ones are being added all the time.

The doily is from my "Stash" and the sentiment is from   Lili of the Valley   and says "Believe that you are Wonderful"

The ribbon was wrapped around a new pair of pajamas and went straight in to my box ready for just such an occasion.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Decorate with Ribbon

Click to Enlarge

Hi Everybody,

Today the sun is shining and don't you feel much better when it does and this afternoon I am going to visit an old friend.

So a quick post before I go and get ready for the trip.

The  ribbon on this card is from Mei Flower  and is a lovely Satin with a  Silver Edge ...  but instead of adding a large bow I decided to keep this one small and pretty.

The shiny buckles are from  The Hobby House  and there are other styles for you to choose.

I have used this idea on many cards and I had an email a few days ago asking me how I get the buckle onto the ribbon.

So of course the easiest way is always to do a short video and show what I do.

The latest  Video Tutorial  is  Ribbons and Buckles   and it is not long.  Just enough time to have  a cuppa and relax for a little while.

The backing paper is from the CD "The Next Big Thing" from  Just Inklined  and the flowers are as always from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The stamp ... which was free from a Magazine ... has been heat embossed in silver

The Spellbinders used are listed below.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pink Rose...

Hi Everybody,

Click to Enlarge

Remember the flower that I thought was a  "Cabbage"   well here it is coloured again as a Rose.

The image is from "The Next Big Thing" CD from Just Inklined   which has some fabulous images for you to colour.

For this I have used Prisma Colour Pencils and they give a beautiful water coloured effect which is very pretty.

I added in a square white doily to the background and the backing paper is from the Cherry Blossom Lane CD  from PolkaDoodles

The stamp was one of  a set that I bought form the Event City craft show that I went to a few weeks ago... and the ribbon is Grosgrain in a beautiful shade of pink.

The next big craft fair for me is the GNPE in Harogate and that is my favorite one.  I will be there list and pennies in hand on the 17th March.

And can I just tell you that now that the winner of the  last "Give Away" has been chosen that you ALL  need to watch out for the next one in March.  

There is going to be an amazing prize that will go to ONE lucky winner and you won't believe your eyes...      'nuff said for now !!    

 Hugs xx

Another Spectrum Noir Tutorial...

Hi Everybody,

Click to Enlarge

Now here is a card with a difference and not one you would send out on a regular basis.

But having said that if you knew your recipient really well it would be sure to get a smile as a birthday card.

This one has been done for a Halloween Card and the image is from a Just Inklined   CD "The Next Big Thing"

To be honest I don't really know if it is still available or has been discontinued.

Any way the main reason for showing this is to tell you that there is a new tutorial out in the Colour Class Series using the Spectrum Noir Pens .

Colour Class - Reds   and in the video I have used the image that I thought was the cabbage .... Doh!!

Still I hope you will enjoy the tutorial as this seems to be the colour most people are a bit scared of.

If you would like to enter for the latest "Give Away" then here is the link for the

 Cherry Blossom Lane and other Goodies

When you get to that page just click the blue button at the end of the list of names ... it says   "Add Your Link"  and add your name and email address.  If you don't have a blog then leave the URL box BLANK   .... click the submit button and that's it your done.  

I will send the prize anywhere so if you want to win it you know what to do,,,,

Hugs xx

Colouring with Green

Hi Everybody ...

Yesterday saw my "Film Crew" up his ladder filming the latest video in the Colour Class Series.

This fabulous Dragon is from the Just Inklined CD  "The Next Big Thing"

There are some really good images on the CD but if you click the link it will take you to their website where you can buy the  images individually.

For this tutorial I have used the six pen set and the Colour Class Greens will show you how I coloured him in.

The links to the others in the series are in the right hand column on the website,  and each will open a new window for you to view.

Once he is coloured you can decorate the card any way you wish.

The background on both cards is finished with Clouds ... and the short video will show you how to get the look for yourself.

I have added in  colour coordinated flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley

The branches are using the Spellbinders Cherry Blossom set.

And my beautiful "Bling" is from Want2Scrap

Hugs xx

Another new Video,,,,

My "Film Crew" and I have been busy over the weekend doing two  videos using the Spectrum Noir pens again.

As promised I am staying with the six pen sets... and if you are new to  alcohol pens then this is a good way to start your collection.

You can build up from there as your confidence grows.

This handsome man is from Just Inklined    I am not sure what the image is called but it is one from the collection on the CD "The Next Big Thing"

He has been coloured in with the Pale Hues set ... otherwise known as Skin Tones.

The pens used to get this effect  are FS2,  FS3,  TN2, EB2    and I have used a fine liner pen to give him the rugged look.

Dress the card up any way you want and this one is just blending the colours with the card.

I have wrapped a bit of string around the bottom and added in a masculine sort of button

But if you wanted to play further and you felt confident enough ...  then you could cut around the image ... add him to a freehand drawn wrestling ring.

I have given the impression of faces around the edge of the ring with the same pens ... and I was really  amused at the result.


So if you would like to see the video tutorial then here is the link  Colour Class Pale Hues    I will add the other video tomorrow.

I am so pleased at the response I am getting for the Enveloplus board.  I wish I had two dozen to give away but alas only one  (sigh) 

If you still haven't added your name to the list to win this there is plenty of time as the offer will not close until Saturday.  So if you want the chance to win the one I have ... then here is the link  for the   Enveloplus Board 

Please play nicely and only add your name ONCE to the list .... coz if it is there more than once I will remove it.  That keeps  it fair and gives every body  the opportunity.  And it doesn't matter if you do not have a blog ... you can still enter.

But leave your email  so that you can be notified if you are a winner.  The draw will be done randomly by the Inlinkz thingy and then you will know who has the board.   Good Luck 

Hugs xx

Baby Blue ...

This little image is yet another from the CD

"The Next Big Thing"

from Just Inklined

The cards over the last few days have shown you the diversity in the images that can be found on this disc.

And some of them are really pretty for all ocassions.

The backing paper is also from the same disc and goes very well with my chosen colour scheme.

The ribbon has Baby written on it and I have just added a knot.

It is all layered onto navy blue card and it has been coloured with Spectrum Noir. The background has the addition of some Faux Clouds  in the sky.

The image panel has been added at a slant just to make it look a little diferent .... and you will notice that there is not a flower in sight ....  Oh! my I  will have to remedy that on the next card.

 

Hugs xx