shrINK ME TOO 2

Dear Reader

Here's a card I've made for this week's Friday Sketcher challenge. I followed the sketch given by Inga. Thank you Inga it was a great sketch to work with. I used Alva with her flower, coloured it in with watercolour pencils and kept the papers simple as the design was fairly detailed and I wanted to give a nice fresh spring feel to the card. Papers are, yes you guessed it, Martha Stewart. I think they replenish when I'm asleep as I still keep finding more! They've certainly been good value and I love the tonal plain colours. I used some Orchid House flowers and a pearl brad from my stash and a woodware sentiment. Of course I stickled. The pearls are the last pieces from a small Prima flourish I bought at Harrogate. I've cut into it three times and this is the last. Oh! no. I love using pearls - this time I wanted to give the look of a butterfly flying behind the flower and up into the sky ( experimenting with a 3D look to my cards). I'm also into oversized/undersized themes at the moment. I think the Alice in Wonderland film had too much of an effect on me! On this card I've used an oversized flower. As if I need to point that out.

I've always wondered why I seem to be the only person using Alva and her little elf friend whose name escapes me at the moment. Sorry I'm tired. I mentioned this at the crop on Saturday and apparently it's because they're Christmas elves! Christmas! - passed me by. And do I look bothered? I like them so it's another case of Christmas all year round as far as I'm concerned. I just can't elf myself . (groan and read on...) Just remembered the little boy elf's name is Alf. Elf Alf - not hard is it. I must be really tired. Anyway, hope you enjoy the card. I'm away for some much needed shut eye.....

IT'S NEARLY EGG TIME

Dear Reader

Here's a card I've made for Friday Sketchers. I chose an Easter theme. Well it is getting near Easter - not long to go ! I don't eat much chocolate so Maurice has bought me a bird cage for Easter from The Range which I'm going to decorate so really looking forward to that.

I love Easter colours - they're so bright and cheerful. I needed bright Easter colours to offset the rabbits (Messy Rabbits) which came out a bit bluer than I'd intended. I coloured them with water colour pencils on the plane going to Venice so in the circumstances I was quite pleased with them, especially as I'd not used water colour pencils before. I'd recommend them for long plane journeys - the water colour pencils not the rabbits lol - as there's not much mess and they're easily packed away. Excuse me a minute - Loraine behave or there'll be an ASBO for you!! However, I have to say that without cheerful background papers they would have looked frozen stiff! 'Loraine', I said behave!!! The papers are from my Martha Stewart pad, I've used a Woodware stamp greeting and Woodware flower punches. All embellishments from my stash.

FRUITY FRIDAY

Dear Reader
Here's my entry for Friday Sketchers. I've used reds and sage greens for this card. I've kept it fairly simply to give emphasis to the thick red ribbon and strawberry charm, which adds to the fruity theme. I used, wait for it, K & Co papers, nesties for the sentiment and my new scallop punch on the backing card. The image was coloured in distress inks.

IN THE PINK (no 2(

Dear Reader

Here's the other 'pink card'. It's for Friday Sketchers. I painted the stamp at Tracey's party after a glass of champagne so under the circumstances it's not too bad hiccup! I thought the Martha Stewart diamond papers would complement the diamond shape we were given. I've inked everything again with Tattered Rose. All embellishments from RWS and my stash.

FRIDAY SKETCHERS

Here's my entry for this week's Friday Sketchers. Thanks to Nicki for the image which I coloured using Tracey's distress inks. Yes, I am hoping to increase my inks but at the moment all my money is going on my teeth - what's left of them! Papers are by K & Company and I distressed using chalk. Tag is stamped using a Craft Works stamp with Sahara Sand chalk. Ribbon from Running with Scissors and pearls from likewise.

A big thanks to Lynda for my doillies. Didn't use on this card in the end but am saving for a special card on another day!