Celebrate

 I had a Distress Oxide background in pinks and mauves sitting around and decided to play around with it using Copics on the stamped flowers. I have used flowers from The Ton. The flowers are

Magnificent Magnolias and I had made the mistake of unpacking and putting with my flower stamps rather than my unused stamps therefore forgetting I hadn't used them. It was only as I was using the beautiful digital files from Dot Bstamps that I thought to myself I think I have some stamp stamps here and went looking.

I have made sure to prepare the surface of the Distress Oxide cardbase with the Antistatic pillow very well before stamping with my VersaMark ink and embossing in white so there are no stray white specks. These stamps are beautiful to work with and the lines are so wonderful and fine.

Once done I then used my copics and I went with the R81 R83 R85 R89 colours. I worked very hard to keep off the white embossing so I wouldn't damage the copic pen tips. Sometimes I feel the ink pulls harder on the Distress Oxide. 

The Colourless Blender comes in very handy for removing any colour that touches the white or over colours. I used grey to add shadow then went in with the colourless blender to soften it as at times it can become overbearing. Again its great if you feel you have gone too far.

I also added a little white pencil to the flower petals I felt where in full light to highlight them more. 

 I die cut with a stitched rectangle die but one side was too short for the die so I used one of those add stitches single die pieces which just imprints a line.

I keep forgetting I have these different pieces that add different stitches and cut different shapes so I have removed from die storage and put into a round container on the bench with the  die cutter so they are in view all the time- in view - more likely to be used.

I wanted a little bit of bling and couldn't decide what and after lots of fiddling around ended up using a fancy cutout die for a strip along the top of the card. Sorry cant think of the brand. It wasn't quite long enough but I found that by laying the die down into the last line of circles cutout and taping down and coving that piece with a piece of cardstock so it didnt re-cut it, was a perfect line up and ended up being longer than the card so was perfect. 

With that, a Gun Metal Silver cardstock 'celebrate' die cut and some clear glass gems I was happy with the finish.

In real life I love the look of the card, the flowers are absolutely beautiful,  and look stunning against the background even though so similar in colour.

I just don't know that the photo shows that beauty as well. What are your thoughts.

I have another background I am playing with but its a rainbow coloured Distress Oxide background that I blended then did glad wrap on but the glad wrap doesn't show up that much. I nearly threw the piece out as it didnt do much for me but decided to keep it. Well I have stamped on it and embossed in white and the embossing looks absolutely unbelievable  but I don't know what to do next so you will have to wait to see..........

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #18 Anything Goes 

Can't enter this as Im on the design team just reminding 

you all it's still on and has a few days to go.

Allsorts Challenge Blog #459 Bring on the Bling

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #521 Celebrate

Mix It Up Challenge Blog #11 Anything Goes + Make Your Own Background

Simon Says Monday Challenge Spring Inspiration

UPDATE ON MUM and DAD

Now just to finish off I thought I would share dad's latest batch of cards he has received from all you wonderful people in Blogland and Instagram. I can never ever thank you all enough for the joy you give him when he receives your cards. Sometimes he forgets to call me and tell me about a card, so I get there and have to search his room and find cards hidden here and there and other times I will find cards already up on the wall that I haven't taken a photo of and other times dad will call me about particular cards (one that comes to mind is Ruth's (Crafting With The Baby Naps) which he rang me about daily for a week and on one day which was obviously a bad one for him roughly six times to tell me he had received mail then described the mail from the envelope to the card and the writing. I act surprised and interested each time and our days go on.

For dad life is one day at a time, hour by hour. Good days and not so good days. Mostly happy and enjoyed when visited and especially happy when he sees mum. He loves his cards and he would say thank you to you all if he still had that social skill I am sure.

 

 

Left to right from the top is Larissa from Car-D-elicious  Karren from KarenJ-StampingStuff

a family friend of mine Trisha who is on Instagram;  Anna from createwith_anna   (Instagram sorry I don't know how to make an instagram link) ; Ruth from Crafting While The Baby Naps  ; Bobby from Bits and Pieces  ;  Lorena lorena_wakefield Instagram;  new wall started; first wall now over crowed ; Mr and Mrs Cardena from Instagram;

BEST NEWS FOR LAST

I spend Thursday and Friday with mum and dad and on Thursday when I got to mums room she was still asleep. When she woke up she knew me, really knew me, we chatted for just a little while. It didnt last long but it was the first time since Christmas that she really knew me and it made everything just sparkle.  

Mum went into a funk shortly after but about an hour later she came back again to the extent of sitting quietly and enjoying having her neck and head rubbed and just relaxing the two of us in a quiet corner. Then out of the blue she started talking properly saying some wonderful things and also making me realise she is aware of those not visiting her and she cried over that for just a couple of minutes then she disappeared again. She was very happy and peaceful for the rest of the visit.

This makes you realise that no matter how far gone someone can seem to be in Alzehimer's there is always the chance that they may have a moment, a minute of clarity and to be there for that makes everything you do in life worth it.

Thank you everyone who read to here and I hope you come again soon. Love that you all come and visit xxxx Aileen