Wow what a long break

Hi Guys

Wow cannot believe that it is nearly 2 years ago that I last posted on my blog. Time has really flown by over that time, and with my many other commitments blogging and to a large extent crafting has just taken a back seat.

Over the past 2 years I have dipped in and out of crafting - lets just say my paper craft mojo left the building for a long time in favour of other interests. However over the past few months I have brushed off my papers and re inked my stamps and have made some very tentative steps back into paper crafting.

Although I can't promise it will be regular, I am hoping to get back into the blogging mode again and to start posting again more regularly, so hopefully you'll pop by now and then to check new posts.

Well got to go, happy crafting

Ben

By the light of the moon

Hi Guys

Hope that you are all well and have been enjoying the sunshine.

I decided to get some of my Tilda's out for a play today as they, along with my other stamps, have been neglected for the past couple of months. I had a fab time playing with them - and came up with some fab cards which I will post over the next few weeks - so if you haven't used some of your stash for a while then have a play as using them again may give you some fresh ideas.

Well on to the card itself, the image is a Tilda coloured using watercolour pencils, the trees were made using a new punch a the moon was made using my die cutting machine. I love how just a few simple embellishments have made a striking card.

Happy Crafting

                                                                Ben

Get Well Soon.

Hi Guys

Just a quick posting today as on my out to a bbq. This is a get well card for a friend of mine who has been ill recently. I decided to make an easel card as haven't made on in a while added some silver paper from stash, some candi embellishments and and a topper that I found in my stash and backed on to dark blue paper. I took the photo before adding the get well soon sentiment to the dark blue strip.

Happy Crafting

Ben

June Craft Club Stash Challenge

Hi Guys

Well I hope that you are all well and enjoying the sunshine. I am back in blog land!!!!! after a really hectic month, so apologies for the lack of posts.

Today I have my June Craft Club stash challenge - which for me this month was to do a card relating to a country. As soon I got given this theme I knew that I was going to do the UK and use this Forever Friends stamp that I had in my stash. I must confess that I did get the papers (from docrafts?) especially to make this card as I thought that it was perfect for the effect I wanted to create. The twine was from stash and I made the bunting (this is a first for me so what do you think?) using some left over red, white and blue paper from another project.

Well got to dash. Happy Crafting

                                                                 Ben

Paper Patchwork

Hi Guys

I hope that you are all well and enjoying the good weather.

After a number of male birthdays over the past few months my supply of men's cards has got a bit low, so I decided to make patchwork men's card today.

I love making patchwork cards as they are a great way of using up all the small bits of paper that always seem to get left over from background papers. I keep them all in a box and periodically use them to make patchwork backgrounds for a card. Well onto the card itself, the background is papers from stash highlighted by silver outline stickers and the image is a decoupage (though its not clear from the photo) of a 1951 Jaguar XKI20 that was left over from another card that I had made.

I am going to be sitting some exams over the next 3 weeks so won't be making any posts until the middle/end of June.

Happy Crafting and I will look forward to seeing all your creations when I am back in blog land

Ben

Water Colour

Hi Guys

Hope that you are all well and enjoying the sunshine that has finally decided to arrive.

Today I have a card that I made as part of my craft club's 'stash challenge' - this a challenge that the six of us in the club do each month, it involves each member selecting either an image or topper from their stash along with a colour combo to give to another member in the club, who then has to make a project or card using the topper and colour combination, we pick names out of a hat each month - well this month I was given this lovely stamped image and the colour combo of turquoise and purple.

I decided to colour the image using watercolour paints and pencils to give it a subtle feel I then mounted it on to holographic purple card and added to the card, backed with turquoise paper I had in stash. A purple ribbon and a sentiment backed on the the remaining holographic card finished it off.

I am off to do some blog hopping.

Happy Crafting

Ben

Meerkats

Hello everyone

Hope that you are all enjoying the sunshine that is around at the moment.

Today I have a birthday card for you. I was asked to make a card that featured meerkats and had a rustic feel it. I found this a really hard card to make, as I wasn't completely sure on what colour scheme to use, although the card was for a woman I did not feel that pinks and purples were really appropriate so in the end I decided to go with brown and pull the varying tones from the picture of the two meerkats.

The picture I found on the internet (apologies cannot remember the website), the handmade paper and the brown backing paper were from my stash, the button, gems and gold swirls were also from stash and the twine was from another project.

                                                                Happy Crafting


                                                                Ben

Paws-fur-a-moment

Hi guys

I hope that you all had a fab Easter , and that the Easter bunny brought you lots of chocolate.

Well today is another Paws-fur-a-moment card, I am loving this set at the moment so they will be a regular appearance over the next few weeks.

Its not obvious from the photo but I added some sparkly glitter to the post box and tree blossom to give it some extra sparkle.

                                                                                    Happy Crafting

                                                                                     Ben

Paws-fur-a-moment

Hi Guys

Wow, can't believe how time has flown by the past couple of months, I haven't had much time to do much crafting until yesterday when I was able to get a couple of bits out to make this Happy Birthday card.

The image, papers and greeting are from a coordinating set of Paws-fur-a-moment craft items. I really like the characters in the Paws-fur-a-moment and will definitely be using them again so watch this space.
                                                                                   
                                                                                     Sorry for short post, happy crafting

                                                                                      Ben
                                 

Iris folding?????

Hi Guys

Hope that you are all well and had a great Christmas.

Today's card is using a technique I believe is call iris folding - if this is wrong please let me know!. Although I love how it turned out it was pretty scary to make as you build up the paper swirl from the inside so the front is laid flat on the table hidden until the end.

The simple effectiveness of the card is I think what I love about it, at the moment I haven't added much in the way of embellishments as I am not sure if it needs it - what do you think

Happy Crafting

Ben