Woo Hoo! Wednesday .... and the easing of restrictions is starting

Morning readers, 

Restrictions started to ease with effect from Monday - how are you finding it? Is it making you happy or anxious? Personally, I can't wait to start to meet one person from outside of my household ...... socially distanced and outdoors and am already researching parks to meet in.

So, there I was, out for my daily walkathon! I AIM to do over 2½ miles and sometimes over 3 per day (but sometimes not!) as part of a fitness regime. I was walking along a familiar route and almost on the homeward strait the other morning when I looked up ..... and saw a squirrel. Now, they are (usually) wary of humans and often scamper to higher branches - this one didn't move so much as a muscle! I concluded that I may even have caught him (or her) napping!!! Naturally, aside from taking the photo, I didn't disturb its slumber, and carried on with my walk .. just with a hint of a smile on my face - awwwwww

I've a make to share with you today ....... a lot of steps for such a little project but I did so want to create using the new Distress Oxide Kitsch Flamingo and (play on words here) wanted to use my much neglected "BIRD of paradise" image too!

My completed Artist Trading Card

1) My image panel with initial inking and stencilling

2) My ATC base with stamped border + image panel stencilled and background stamped

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of leftover card in hot pink and white
• On my white snippet, and using a mini blender and foam pad, I applied Distress Oxide in kitsch flamingo, overlaying my Hero Arts circles stencil and applying a second layer of kitsch flamingo - see photo 1)
• Whilst the Distress Oxide dried ... I took my hot pink layer and stamped the Kaisercraft "film edges" border using Ranger Archival in vibrant fuchsia ink - see photo 2)
• I  have an unbranded Chinese frame image which I stamped using Memento sweet plum ink see  photo 2)
• Kaisercraft mini grid and Lisa Horton textures "script" image partially (and fairly randomly) stamped using Memento gray flannel ink - see photo 2)
• Kaisercraft rocks image stamped using Ranger Archival vibrant fuchsia ink
• Stampers Anonymous sentiment (from CMS155 "simple Sayings") stamped using Versafine Clair purple 
• Finally, I stamped my Hero Arts "Artistic bird of paradise" image (F2535) using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - March challenge - MINI ME (anything smaller than a card)
2. My Time To Craft - challenge No. 452 - MAKE IT FEMININE
3. Dragonfly Dreams - March challenge - INCLUDE A FLOWER or FLOWERS
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge 2110 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Leanne's World 101 - challenge No. 36 - ANYTHING GOES

And now a card in a bright yet kind of monochrome colour scheme .. I found three sheets of this gorgeous red/orange colour and, the good news is, I STILL have two of them!

My card

The front, back and inside of my card along with the front and back of my envelope

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, 6"x6" card and matching sized envelope
• Deep red orange card, black card and white card each cut to fit and mat
• Penny Black flower image (from "Allegro") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Clearly Besotted sentiment (from "mini calligraphy") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Using a makeup brush and my Memory Box "zippy dots" stencil (88568) I applied Distress Ink in ripe persimmon

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Cute Card Thursday - challenge No. 676 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Creative Craft Cottage - challenge No. 138 - CAS (Clean And Simple)
3. Creative Moments - challenge No. 210 - ANYTHING GOES
4. HLS - March stencil challenge - ANYTHING GOES
5. Crafting Happiness - challenge No. 87 - FLOWERS