Sweet Wishes and Hugs &Kisses

Yes I'm back again. I have so many cards I want to make so let's get started.

I had already coloured my fairy from the Hero Art kit  (sorry it is sold out) this time in blues from the high number range B99 B24 B21 and lightest B41. Die cut and stuck on the edge of the card but made sure it would still fit in an envelope ok. The card base is blended Distress Oxides in blues and a little lilac in the centre.

I just kept moving my blending tool in an oval shape direction blending one colour into the next and left the centre with no colour till nearly finished so it would be brightest there.

I used this amazing stencil from Funky Fossil Designs on Etsy called "shooting Stars". I just held it in place and added some glitter paste. Once it was dry I added a few more stars so it continued around a bit more and finished off with a'sweet wishes' die cut from Penny Black.

If you have time go and check out Sarah's creations, these stencils are just perfect to work with.

This next card was super quick as I have been colouring pieces of acetate with Alcohol inks and just leaving aside for just this type of thing. I used a small piece and die cut with this sweet interlocked hearts die (mmm gone blank on who by so will have to come back to that). I left it all as one piece as it really looks pretty.

I die cut again from the front of the card so I could inset the coloured hearts by just adding a piece of tape inside the card. I then used some Nuvo and added the gold dots. After  I add my dots I tap my card onto the table, straight down not at an angle. This helps the dots round out and not be so peaked.

Of course then I thought of stamping my sentiment but didn't want to use the Misti and squish my dots so used a stamping block with the sentiment 'Hugs & Kisses' and decided grey would be nice. It is okay but a bit faint I think and probably would have been better if I had been able to stamp twice or in black but just too hard to do trying to eye ball it so left it alone. The card is soft and pretty and with that sentiment cal be for lots of different occasions.   

Ok thats it for today. Left it very late to post so will add challenges tomorrow. Thanks for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

xx Aileen

Challenges:

 

Congratulations CAS Mix Up on your 3rd Birthday. A fantastic challenge

that has grown into a number of different challenges over the years. Well done.

My Heart card 'Hugs & Kisses' is perfect for this challenge

with the Alcohol ink (stained glass look) + die cuts + stamping 

A brand new challenge starts the first day of the month and called "day of the month card club". 

This month is "I want you to be happy day' And what better than a sparkly fairy card sending

 'Sweet Wishes'

HLS  CAS challenge for March

A simple heart card   Hugs & Kisses 

for Birthday Wishes.

Seize the Birthday

Sweet Wishes fairy card without the Topping.

Addicted toStamps and More

Copic Coloring and Distress Oxide blending

HLS Anything Goes With Dies Challenge

Hugs & Kisses Inset die cuts card

The Flower Challenge Reminder 'Anything Goes' #30

I cant believe its been so long since I posted anything on my blog. My apologies to all you wonderful people out there. I have found it really hard to get back into making cards but the drought is broken.

I found that after mum passed away I just couldn't get myself to do anything in my craft room. I have coloured and cut and stamped and organised things but no cards. The feeling just wasn't there but it is back so lets get going.

I painted this beautiful 'The Ton' background stamp with my Zigs using the darkest to add shadow and lightest to spread the ink and my Wink of Stella pen to move and blend and add lots of sparkle.

We went on a 14 night cruise around the islands and a couple of days in Fiji and it was very relaxing. Beautiful though very hot on the islands. Perfect swimming and snorkelling, lots of cocktails and of course amazing amounts of food.  We had a couple of days where we were unable to go to the islands planned due to high seas from a hurricane that was headed towards Australia then back again. Lucky for me, who cant go on a ride that goes round or up and down without getting sick, I don't get sea sick.

On one of those forced days on the ship I sat and painted this piece along with half a dozen others in vellum. I love how it turned out and you can see on the close up theres lots of sparkle.

I only trimmed off the slightest to make a card 5.5" x 5.5", glued this directly to a card base. I first of course silver embossed on multimedia paper. Finished off with the die cut 'best wishes' new to me from MFT one layer in silver glitter paper and I drew in shadow with my C3 to give a bit of depth then finally I added some clear gems. They are clear but have a silver bottom so are very pretty.

Thats it a simple pretty card. Now it's time to go check out what the rest of the Design Team have made to inspire you at The Flower Challenge then get making a card or two. Remember its Anything Goes as long as flowers are the main feature of the card.

So good to be back.xx

The Flower Challenge #29 Use Your Latest Stamps or Dies

Ohh my goodness had lots to choose from for this. I decided that anything that hadn't been inked up and had been purchased in the last 6 months fit the bill. For me is this amazing stamp from

Mama Elephant, named 'Botanic Thanks'.

How stunning is this stamp. I love it as much as the other stamp. So easy to use as its all one layer, already laid out for you.

I coloured with bright pink Copics on the flowers, two different greens on the leaves and a warmer pink for the 'thanks'. The 'thanks was actually done with the darker shade along the left of the letters but its quite thin so hard to show graduation. 

I also added Wink of Stella for shimmer then Glossy Accents to lift the letters.

Thank you so much for coming to visit and now its time to head to

The Flower Challenge and check out the stunning cards made by the

rest of the Design Team.

challenges:

The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge

AAA Cards CAS Game #133 One Layer + option Love

Without the Optional Twist for this

card. Thanks rather than Love

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes

A Bit More Time To Craft Challenge #85 Anything Goes

Sending a Tiny Hello

I just wanted to start this post with a big

Thank You

so much to all of you who have sent me such lovely cards and comments on the passing of mum. I appreciate every wonderful heartfelt comment made, and can honestly say it has made getting through each day so much easier knowing that there are all these amazing people out there in craft land, that I have never met, but have come to know through this blog and my Instagram account. You are all amazing people and my mum would have been honoured to know each and every one of you.

Now onto my card making.

I'm really struggling to get going in the craft room at the moment. Colouring  is no issue as I just pick up an image and colour away but making them into cards just isn't happening at the moment.

But, this one is all one layer, so it came together perfectly, of course for my magical garden where any colour is possible.

These stamps are from the Hero Art December kit. Which I am sorry to say is sold out. But if you are a Hero Art lover there is an amazing group on Facebook for Hero Art Kit Fanatics where people sometimes sell kits that don't suit them personally or when finished using. This kit is full of fairies as well and diecuts for lots of the images so you can see why its popular.

Anyway back to this card, I stamped and coloured with Copics on Copic friendly cardstock.

As you can see the flowers are rainbow flowers with colours blending across the petals and this close up shot shows the Wink of Stella glitter on the petals once finished. I did start out planning to make the flowers soft in colour but well if you know me big and bright is my theme. I love how they turned out.

As I stamp each image for my bulk images for die cutting, I always make sure to stamp a couple of times on the sticky backed masking tape so I have masks available for everything when I am ready to start making cards in one layer.

The mouse I used for this card was actually not part of the kit, but came with the kit, given to customers who have been with Hero Art for a certain amount of time. He doesn't come with a die cut but can easily be fussy cut and was perfect for this card. A nice thank you gift from Hero Art.

I finished the card off with some sparkly clear gems that have a rainbow shimmer within them.

Hope fully this will be motivation for more cards. Thank you for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

Challenges:

The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge

It's the 1st here but not there yet so I am a day early for this lol.

Addicted to Stamps and More #326 Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge : Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge#206 Anything Goes

With Sympathy

I'd just like to start this post with a heartfelt 'thank you' to all of you who have left me a comment on the news of mum and Brad's passing. I have taken much strength  from your beautiful words.

Mum's funeral was yesterday and it was a bright and festive affair. We had a church funeral but we asked everyone to wear bright colours to celebrate mums love of bright colours, fashion and beautiful materials. No one disappointed, it was amazing so see so many beautifully dressed people, so many amazing floral patterns, she would have been so proud of everyone.  

There was much celebration of mum's past with many tales covering over 80 years. Family and friends and even old neighbours arriving to see mum off.

Though I am grieving over the loss of my mum I also feel a great weight has lifted not having to watch her disappear  step by step into that awful disease. Now I know she is at peace and I am sure with her sister, Pat, looking down on us all and ready to listen should we want to talk to her.

I needed to make a few condolence cards this month, but this one was for us as I spent a lot of time getting those flowers just right for mum.

The flowers are a background stamp from The Ton 'Magnolia Fields' Ohh my goodness I enjoyed do this and cant believe it took me so long to stamp and paint it. I white embossed on multimedia paper.

I used Zigs for watercolouring, building the layers with different pinks, each time using a very small amount and a very wet brush.  I really love how it turned out and I know mum would have loved it.

I cut the panel down very slightly and added to a grey card base and the 'with sympathy' die cut. 

A beautiful card for my beautiful mum.

Again thank you to all my wonderful friends out there for your sweet and encouraging words. 

Challenges:

Crafting With An Attitude #47 Anything Goes

Creative Inspiration January Challenge Anything Goes

HLS January Challenge Anything Goes without the Twist

thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

A Sad Beginning

It has been a hard beginning for 2019, a year that I knew would see my mother  finally finding the peace that has alluded her since she started this terrible journey with Alzheimer's disease.  Mum was diagnosed back in roughly April 2014.  Last year saw the need to move her into a cottage which has less residents, but all had different stages of Alzheimer's/Dementia.

 A couple of months ago, mum could no longer get out of bed and she started to sleep most of the time. She would still yell when touched by others and health care became a battle. Dad could not handle visiting mum to begin with but got better over time. Our families did a lot of sitting, holding her hand and just listening to her rambles, playing her favourite tunes and watching her disappear more each week.

Five days before mum died she lost the ability to swallow, food and liquids rejected.  I spent Wednesday with mum just sitting and holding her hand and watching her breathing.

I came back to Sydney to go to my best friends funeral service on Thursday. Brad was so very special in my life, being there when the twins were born, support through words and helping at home when needed. He was an amazing young man who got involved with helping to raise funds for Elysha's Early Intervention program; helped out at home so John and I could have some 'me time'; sharing together our love of the same authors and movies.  Sharing our heartache and joy over the little things and big. I say young man as at the time he was 18 and I was 32. 

Watching Brad go from a young man of 18 who was mature way beyond his years. A young man that battled with how others handled his telling them he was gay. Through all the changes in his life there was always this beautiful smile. He shared fully of himself no matter who he was with.

We shared laughter, tears and lots of conversations. I used to go stay with Brad in the city just to have a break from the family once a month. Dinner, the Casino, a movie or a show at home and always breakfast somewhere the next morning before I caught the train back home to my other life. I have a wonderful husband who understands I need these breaks and he always stepped up to look after the kids and keep things running while I was gone.

We loved to sit and drink coffee and eat dessert and check out people walking past. We shared jokes and heartache and talked like there was no tomorrow.   We watched each other go through friendships that didn't last and his finally meeting the man of his dreams.

But in the last 5 years we barely caught up each year,  it didn't matter cause thats what a true friendship is. I was depressed and struggling with mum and dads health issues along with Elysha's needs  and struggled to leave the house except to look after them, but Brad always found time to come see me. I always thought I had time to catch up and do what we use to do before, later. I didn't expect to have a call letting me know that at 46, Brad had collapsed and died. A massive heart attack while holidaying in Canada over Christmas. No warning, no previous history, just gone.

I have lost not one but two people who played major roles in my life, who listened to me and never doubted me, who believed I could achieve anything and loved me without reserve. I am feeling bereft and I know life will go on. My children, my husband and my wonderful friends and extended family are all being so wonderful. I understand that life will get easier and it will take time. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and share in my life.

This is the only photo I can find with us together, it's years ago. Sadly I have an aversion to having my photo taken and am also usually the photographer so most photos are of Brad with others. This is back when Elysha was in year 6 at school. 

I have more recent photos of mum but this has always been my

favourite as the sparkle is still in her eyes and we are dressed up

as it's Christmas day.

ReminderPost The Flower Challenge #28 Pink & Grey

It's time for a reminder post. I am so loving this challenge, the Design Team have made another amazing collection of cards in Pink & Grey and I want to CASe them all. And the wonderful cards already entered for this month are making things very hard.

Now remember it is Pink & Grey which means all in stamped images, diecuts background should be in pink or grey with of course Neutrals also accepted.

My card this time I have used this amazing stamped bouquet of flowers from Stamplorations Its a Shery Russ stamp and I love it. No having to work out where the flowers go and they are just stunning. 

I have stamped in Memento Ink then coloured with Copics. This time in the pink RV range. Then I have used greys in C -cool range for the leaves to give a good contrast with the pink flowers.

I added a few very fine pink gems and a 'silver glitter diecut 'Celebrate'. think I might be pushing it with the silver but it did look good on the card.

Now its time to go check out what the Design Team have made over at The Flower Challenge then see if we have given you some ideas and join us before the 25th.

Challenges:

Crafting from The Heart Challenge #234 Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create Challenge #217 Anything Goes Without the Twist

Stamplorations Challenge - Anything Goes Challenge

The Flower Challenge #28 Colour Pink and Grey

I love this challenge, probably one of my favourites as pink and grey look 

so amazing together with flowers.

I have used a digital image from Poppy Power  I just love their flowers they 

are simply stunning. 

I printed to the size I wanted and added the sentiment that came with it. I have coloured with dark pinks for the flowers for this one using the range R81 R83 R85 R89 warm greys for stems and leaves

W-1 W-3 W-5 

A pale pink for the floral bands and some pink sparkle washi tape and gems.

 now it's time to go and check out what the rest of the Design Team have been up to then get yourself crafting in all this winter chill and make a pretty floral card to warm yourselves up.

Before you go check out the wonderful little collage Vivienne put together with my favourite 4 cards from challenges in 2018. I think watercolouring with the Zigs was a winner last year especially on those large flower stamps. It was so hard to decide.

Alright..... now you can go to The Flower Challenge and see what everyones been doing.

Thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope to see lots of you in 2019.

Actually I already have a couple of posts ready to go xxx Aileen

Challenges:

 Crafting By Design January Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday  #202 Anything Goes Feminine

Crafty Creations - #381 Anything Goes