Simplicity's OLW 14 challenge.

Good morning to you,

I have attempted Susan Raihala's Challenge over on her Simplicity blog and this week it's  like this;

Rules for OLW14

1. A one-layer card is defined as a single piece of cardstock folded in half.

2. Your card must be square and use an outline stamp. Remember to keep embellishments to a minimum.

Sounds good to me:)

I used 3 stamps The main image is by Creative Expressions,

Background is by Stampington, Garden Melange,

And finally the sentiment is from Hobby Art.

In this photo you can see how little colouring I've done, (Copic, warm grey 1 and milky white for her skin) but I couldn't resist using some platinum stickles on her jewellery:)

Looking back I realise that the biggest challenge was choosing which stamp to use at the begining but having done that it was real fun!!! I think the best part was when I stamped the background  (I masked her off first) and found that her coat echoed the design on the background, a happy accident. Then I had some more fun  balancing her on the word 'with'. That was because when I stamped her she was a bit high on the card (oops!) and I had to ground her:) Hope you enjoy this challenge,  if you take part, because I have. I also found it liberating to leave loads off, it made me think hard about design. So Thanks Susan :)

Seaside fun

Hi there, 

I've just been having fun today, no reason to make this tag. I just love this little boy/girl sitting staring out to sea, it reminds me of holidays to the seaside with my family as a child. 

 Ah! such memories............. burnt shoulders, cucumber sandwiches with gritty sand in them, swallowing gallons(slight exaggeration here) from forays into the sea. He! he! he, you've just got to love it!

Stamp by, Beryl Peters for Personal Impressions I fear it is discontinued, I purchased it from eBay last year and cannot find it anymore:(

Text stamp, Tim Holtz, Good thoughts plate.

Punched foliage, Leone EM
Flowers by Artoz bought at the Craft Barn, Lingfield

Having mentioned the boat we were on in Holland thought I'd share a couple of pics of it

This is the front, Bow?

And this the back, Stern?

As you can guess I'm not that au fait with all the terms although I feel I know the boat intimately:)
We did have many laughs and so much to eat and so many things to see and do, it was really interesting.

Christmas:)

Hi lovely, crafty people, 

I hope you're all bright eyed and bushy tailed today?.................................... Nah! me neither:)

Back today with a card for the Simplicity challenge OLW, this week Susan has challenged us to make a Christmas card. Have to admit I love Christmas it's one of my most favourite times of the year.

I have used stamps by Hero arts Christmas tree and a Papermania greeting stamp.

The ink is an Adirondack rainbow, wild flower pad. I think this may not be available from them direct:(

It's good to be back and have access to my stamps again, I'm just playing having fun.
Oh! yes family coming tomorrow must get sorted but just got to do one more:) It' s the same old story, good job hubby is calm relaxed and tolerant:)
Thank you to you all, for your welcome back messages, so friendly:) !!!

Back and dodgy bathrooms:)

Hi, I'm just back, have been holidaying with Hubby and some great friends from Aussie in Amsterdam. A great time was had by all!

We stayed in a hotel for 3 nights at first , run by two lovely guys called Marcel and Berry in the centre of Amsterdam, on a canal it was just magical and we had hot sunny weather:)

Our friends have a narrow boat and travel to Europe for 3 months most years, so this year we met up with them in Leeuwarden. It was great but have you ever had to share a small boat ? Mornings were a bit of a challenge, 4 of us using the bathroom was interesting .................LOL :) especially as the windows of said bathroom had no curtains, dignity, what dignity?

 So back but with nothing to share today, hope to catch up with all my favourite people and get crafting (after all the washing!!) tomorrow with any luck but it's good to be back:-)