Sorry you’re leaving

23 Jun 2016 Comments Off on Sorry you’re leaving

by Helen in Cards, CAS, Leaving, Masculine Tags: ,

I need a leaving card for a chap at work.  Tried one yesterday and you know how sometimes the muse just doesn’t come? I ended up with something that looked like a 5 year old had done it. In fact most five year olds could do a lot better. Just didn’t work!

So today I had another go and came up with three. Here’s my favourite.  Watercoloured with post-it masking and Heidi Swapp clock stamps.  I’ve been wanting to try the grey and yellow combination for a while.

Where you’re going to:
Not greener on the other side
but don’t be blue

Agapanthus thank you

19 Jun 2016 3 Comments

by Helen in Cards, CAS, floral, Thank you Tags: , , ,

I have been trying to use up my stash rather than buy more, but needing more Herma I caved in and made an order, and of course more than just glue fell into my cart.  I have a new flower stamp, the Agapanthus Thank You from Stampendous, to play with.

Here is the first card with that stamp. The background is watercoloured – it’s an attempt to reproduce the Pantone Colour of the Year 2016, rose quartz and serenity (yes they picked two colours this year). I don’t think I got them right, especially the blue, but it’s a pretty combination anyway.

I’m entering this in

CAS-ual Fridays challenge: thanks with twine

and Penny Black and More: June challenge – Flower Power

One thing about not being a carer any more is that I get more time to craft. It’s a bitter-sweet opportunity.

Caring no longer
Time to play and make things, but
chance is bittersweet.

 

A challenge entry – CAS(E) this Sketch #171

08 May 2016 2 Comments

I’ve never tried a challenge card before, so here goes…

I’m CASEing this sketch

CAS(E) this sketch #171

CAS(E) this sketch #171

And here’s my card.

My favourite Caran D’Ache watercolours and a stamp that came free with a magazine ages ago…

Creativity…
sometimes it strikes like lightning…
or flows like treacle!

Image by Helen

Flaming feathers

10 Mar 2016 Comments Off on Flaming feathers

I love the poem from Emily Dickinson that starts

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

Feather stamps – and the cards made from them – have been and are continuing to be popular. As usual, Stampin Up withdrew theirs before I made up my mind to buy it (it takes me some time). But there are lots of other similar sets available.  Mine is part of a seaside set from Crafty Individuals: Call of the Sea.

I love these colours. Kaleidacolor Desert Heat ink was used on this.

Flame Feathers

The feather floating
in the wind as you pretend –
but you are falling…

(Skydiver haiku 2)

Image by Helen

Skydiver birthday card

23 Jan 2016 Comments Off on Skydiver birthday card

When people know you like making cards they sometimes try to give you a gift you’ll appreciate and they don’t quite “get it” – do you find that?  I am very grateful for the thought, but “toppers” are really not my scene – I prefer to make my own. Nevertheless, I really did like these butterflies – though I’m not sure where they came from as they were a gift. So thank you.

OK, so there’s a skydiver in the family, and something in flight seemed to be appropriate for the latest birthday.  Running with the on-trend watercolouring for the background (watercolour pencils here), I also got a bit creative on the computer with the text.

Never let your life
be limited by others.
Fly in your own way!

(Skydiver haiku 1)

Save

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Image by Helen

Steampunk birthday card

08 Aug 2015 Comments Off on Steampunk birthday card

Lots of birthdays coming up in September! This is a birthday card for a relative who loves anything steampunk. The cogs were created using a free downloaded image as a template, inked with ColorBox Cat’s Eye Queue metallic inks. The background is created with Heidi Swapp clocks stamps.

The wheels turn again,
another year faces me:
but love simply grows.

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Image by Helen

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