Another Sketch-

Crafty Cardmaker's has long been a favourite challenge group of mine, it was one of the first I took part in, and I was a DT member last year. However, I haven't until recently enjoyed sketches, but I'm getting used to them and are actually starting to enjoy them. I think sometimes, I forget the word 'challenge' is there for a reason, it's not just a title.for a change I decided not to open the stamp cupboard but I dusted off an old CD of mine Hinny Bob's Dreamy Flowers Collection,

Retro Time

Crafty Bloggers Network this week have asked for Retro. I checked on  Google to be sure which decades fit into the retro period, the answer being anything during the 1950, 60, and 70,s so my card represents the excitement of foreign holidays for the lady from the 50's. Most of the stamps are from Tandastamps, the design paper is from a K&Co. Basic Grey paper pad.
I am also including this into the Craft Room Challenge for Shabby Vintage.

Doodling Away - Zentangles

This card, for a change, isn't for a blog challenge, I have been a member of a Yahoo swapping cards group for many years and this card is the last in our ABC of cards over the past two years, -Z for Zentangles. I've only done this once before, check it out on my labels list. I started out using a pear stamp designed by Sheena Douglass for Creative Expressions, then the doodling began. I even added a little butterfly for fun and a border. i do hope my partner likes this card which I  will be posting tomorrow.

More detail here or click for a close 

I have decided to add this to the Charisma Cardz Challenge for the Masking Technique, I did mask the standing pear to stamp the lying down pear. Hope it is acceptable.

Make My Monday - Spring

A new month - a new theme at Make My Monday. March 1st. brings in the spring. For the next four weeks we have a Spring orientated project to look forward to. This, the first week we are looking forward to visiting your blogs where you have made a project/card with Spring Flowers- snowdrops, daffodils, crocus, bluebells or any other spring flower. Please may I remind you to switch off Word Verification, if your not sure how to, check up last week's entry on MMM in the Older Posts, we do appreciate it for it makes it so much easier when visiting so many blogs. For my card, I used an embossing folder which is actually called Christmas Vines , which looks just as good for spring with the leaves. I lightly brushed over with TH Peeled Paint. The floral bouquet is from Dimension Stamps and the butterfly is another of my favourite stamps Stamp It ~from Australia. I used Promarkers to colour the flowers and butterflies. Again I look forward to visiting you all.

Spring into Spring 2

No 2 card for Spring into Spring over at St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge. I love to add embellishments to cards, but really being sensible and thrifty, those cards which need to be posted with the ridiculous method of postage stamps nowadays, it is an important part of the design of a card, whether it is to be posted or maybe hand delivered. The forthcoming increases in April may even have a more devastating effect. I kept this card simple. I painted the background with watercolour  inks made with Mustard Seed and Peeled Paint TH Distress inks, when I mixed them with water, I threw in a touch of mica powder which gives it a pretty sheen.
the daffodil stamp was stamped with black ink direct onto the background.
Daffodil stamp~ Wooden from Creative Expressions.

Spring into Spring 1

Many challenge blogs over the next few weeks will be concentrating on the coming spring. I love to enter challenges but truthfully, the time I spend looking for what fits what challenge, I could have made a few more cards, which is why I tend to only join one or two blog challenges with a card. I congratulate the dedication, inspiration and hard work which the ladies apply to  St. Luke's Hospice for their St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge.  I will as usual try to send to them at the end of the month, a few cards for their charity. A few of them I will include in the current challenge Spring into Spring.
For this card I thought the first job when spring comes is to tidy the garden, so my first card is a lovely wheelbarrow from Flowersoft which I have coloured with watercolour pencils. The Spring stamp is from Inkylicious. Shading is Tumbled Glass TH Distress Inks. Thank you ladies.
PS If you click on the pic to enlarge, the first to spot the snail I will send you a very small prize.

Postcard Weekly Challenge 2012 Wk 9

Here we are Week 9 in Switzerland, well most of the Postcard challenge travellers are but of course Hermione is still in Hogwart's School, she rummaged in the box of postcards her father sent to her, to find one of Switzerland. I am not very happy with this week's postcard, I feel it's a mess. I seem to have slipped into regularly making collage cards, for I am no artist, I am a crafter. My only  knowledge of Switzerland began  when I was a child, I adored the book 'The Story of Heidi' and other books of her later adventures. Other bits of information are collated on the card.
As a retired nurse I have a great interest in the history and organisation of the Red Cross.
Other pieces of knowledge of Switzerland are it is a politically neutral country, an extremely wealthy country. Banking is a large industry - hence the money on my card. Perfumery and chocolate making of course. I'm late and I don't even like my Swiss postcard, this has not been a a good week for me, but I will continue.
Hermione's postcard message to her parents.

Thanks to those who visited my Cuba page, I greatly appreciate your comments. I'm off now to look at as many fellow travellers as I can, hopefully over the next few days I'll get to visit more than the last few weeks.