Dinosaur love

My nearly 4 year old grandson is absolutely dinosaur mad. He loves everything about them. He has books that he loves hearing read to him over and over again and models which are hard and pointy but he insists on taking to bed. I have missed him so much during Lockdown but really enjoy our WhatsApp bedtime stories. Thank goodness for modern technology as we have not seen our grandkids now for over 3 months.

I zoom craft with Daisy (my 7 year old granddaughter) every Wednesday and we have made lots of fun things. She has become quite the expert stamper. What I love is that I can give her an idea and off she goes to put her own spin on it. I send her lots of crafting makes.  I send Jack occasional artist trading cards but I was conscious that I wanted to make something especially for him. Boys are quite tough to make for! Recently I found some fab dinosaur stamps for sale online at Stampers Grove which I thought would be perfect to make his April birthday card with. I bought the mini set and a couple of the larger ones and when they arrived I had a little light bulb idea that I could also make a dinosaurs' pairs game with them for Jack. I made some distress inky backgrounds, which I shared on Instagram and Facebook, and I had lots of private messages asking me to share what I planned to make. So I decided to write this blog post to share my process. If you have not found me on Instagram  just click here. I share much more now over there as it is so much quicker that writing blog posts. I also wanted to write this blog post as  a reminder post for myself.

This is what I did.

I needed a swampy background so out came my distress oxide and stain sprays. I sprayed and layered the inks and made 2 A4 sheets. I cut them into 20 pieces. Eventually I cut these down to 2 1/4 X 3 1/4" cards.

I love using oxides and stains together, they give such a cool mix.

Here are the 2 sheets all cut up and ready to stamp.

I stamped each image twice and clear embossed them. 

I added a little extra colouring with my zig pens and some white pencil for finishing touches.

I used candied apple distress ink on their edges. 

I made a simple box with a lid, using my scoring board. I stamped the Stegosaurus  (one of Jack's favourite dinosaurs) on the lid and coloured him.

My Hb helped me to print some card backs. I stuck them on to make the cards nice and rigid and finished the edges with candied apple ink. 

Below is the finished box with the cards inside.

These are a couple of my favourite pairs.

and this is what they will look like when playing the game.

I would like to enter my cards into the following challenges;

Stamping sensations 1/3 Colour my world

Creative moments anything goes

I put them in the post to Jack, with all my love. He received them yesterday and my daughter told me he was so thrilled and has already played some games with Daisy. I am so glad he likes playing with them as much as I enjoyed making them.

I hope you are all keeping well? We have had some glorious sunshine in the week. I went up to visit my sweet dinos at the park.

But in true British style today it is trying to snow!

Take care and stay safe.

Bye for now,

Jane x

February Visible Image Love

This is my 2nd post for today and my 1st of February design team post for Visible Image. February is of course the love month and Valentine's day is just around the corner. For my make today I decided to make a "Love" card. This design would work well not just for a Valentine card but for a card to send to someone you love.

I worked with these products.

Always and forever stencil

One of the gorgeous sentiments from the Have I told you set

and the book from 

Free your imagination

This is what I got up to;

I sprayed a piece of A4 mixed media card  with cracked pistachio, fossilized amber, mowed lawn and candied apple distress stain sprays. When dry I cut it down to a 5 1/4" square.

I put the Always and forever stencil in place and blended spiced marmalade distress ink through it give a golden glowing image.

I then added a little more ink to the background.

I stamped the book from Free your imagination once onto inky mop up card and again on plain white card. I cut out just the top of the book on the white book.

I stamped some of the hearts from the Have I told you set 

and then one of its lovely sentiments. For a finishing touch I added a little glitter overlay pen and Glossy accents to some of the hearts.

Here is my finished card.

and one last shot. 

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Gem of a challenge 2/3 anything goes

Sweet stampin 1/3 Love

Cute card Thursdays 1/3 Valentines

As you like it 1/3 True love or fabulous friends mine is true love as I love making cards for my Hb as he is my true love.

Time out 1/3 inspired by words I was inspired by the mention of a book, as in my card.

 All the Visible Image links are listed below

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you there. You will see lots of gorgeous makes by the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity. 

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are regular giveaways...open world wide. Do check out the Facebook LIVES and videos where you will be able to see lots more samples and ideas. 

Their Instagram page can be found here 

Pinterest here

And once again the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

 

First signs of spring with Country View challenges

 Welcome to February. This is my first of 2 posts today as of course there are new challenges to be shared. First up is my design team post for Country View where our challenge theme for this month is "first signs of spring". 

There are certainly signs of spring at the park with the arrival of a pair of swans

and my dinos look very loved up. 

Even my hanging basket in my garden is looking very spring like. 

What a lovely theme. As always there is a fab £20 voucher up for grabs for one lucky randomly selected winner to spend on the website.  You can find all the details of the challenge and more examples made by my talented teamies here.

I love to look out for the first spring blooms and the birds making their nests so I though I would make a tag. 

 This is what I got up to;

I used my much loved Tim Holtz flower garden stamp set  and stamped using mustard seed distress paint. I also stamped the faded text using speckled egg distress paint. 

I stamped using archival ink some little birds from Tiny things and the larger bird from the urban tapestry set. I really liked the way the yellow paint shows through as a resist.

I then die cut some tiny flowers from the small tattered florals set and my old trusty bird branch. 

I then put my tag together.

Here it is finished. 

with a couple of close ups

and one last shot

We would love to see you join in with our February challenge. 

I would like to enter my tag into the following challenges;

Gem of a challenge 1/3 anything goes

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes

I hope I may have inspired you to join in with our February "first signs of spring" challenge. You can use any stamps/products, the choice is yours. 

You can enter our challenge as many times as you like and combine with other challenges. There is also a £20 crafting voucher up for grabs to the lucky randomly selected winner to spend over on the Country View Crafts on line store. Remember that UK postage and packing from CVC is free on all orders over £7.50! Once again all the details for the February challenge can be found here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Take care and stay safe. I will be sharing my 2nd design team project on the 19th of February.

Back again in a couple of hours!

Bye for now

Jane x