Sweet 'Maya'

Good evening my lovelies and a very happy Sunday to you all.  I'm here writing up my blog post on my new laptop which I had to get myself.  My old one was getting a tad long in the tooth and when it started making peculiar noises and little puffs of smoke would shoot out from the side (I kid you not lol!!) I decided it was time I sucked it up and got a new one.  I love my new baby I'd be lost without it but it's taking me a little while to find my way around Windows 10 and photos are taking longer to edit but I daresay I'll get there in the end.

We've had a quiet weekend here really so I've managed to do some chores and still squeezed some crafting time in.  I've got a poorly munchkin though as my daughter has come down with this cold/flu that's going around and I've spent a night making hot water bottles one minute and stripping covers off the next at one point I think the poor little mite was shivering so much her bed was rattling!

So my crafting has got off to a slow start this year but hey I've actually got a finished card to share with you today.  I pulled out one of my favourite Wee stamps images to play with the sweet little 'Maya' and I've coloured her up with my new Inktense pencils.  I must say I'm loving these pencils I've found them so easy to use and such beautiful colours.  

Image:  'Maya' Wee Stamps

Medium:  Derwent Inktense pencils

Papers:  Couture Creations 'Hearts Ease'

Dies:  Crafters Companion Die'sire Edgeables 'Doily Lattice', Spellbinders 'Floral Ovals',

Cheery Lynn 'Fanciful Flourish, Dienamics 'Royal Leaves'

Flowers/Ribbon/Lace:  a mix from stash and Wild Orchid Crafts

I've added some 'diamond' Stickles to the flowers for a little accent and popped a few pearls here and there just to pick up some of the detail.  A little close up of the image.  

Challenges I would like to enter my card into:-

Creative Inspirations  -  something new (Inktense                     pencils)

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge  -  fussy and fancy

Allsorts  -  old favourites (Wee Stamps image)

Noor Design  -  anything goes

Okay, so it's taken me ages to write up this post I've had so many interruptions and it is no longer Sunday evening but rather Monday morning.  So I hope you enjoy your Monday and have a great start to your week.

Take care folks.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Happy New Year

Hello my lovelies.  So gorgeous peeps how was your Christmas I hope you had a good one and Santa brought you some nice goodies.  It was busy but wonderful in our little Santa's grotto and I do say grotto as you can't move for decorations in my house.  It was wonderful to have some much needed down time and quality family time too.

I know it's been a little while since I last popped in and shared anything with you.  Life has been extremely busy and then throw Christmas into the mix and hey presto zero craft time.  Plus the fact that my craft room became a dumping ground for everything over the festive period meant that I actually had to have a bit of clear out before I could even think of making anything.  It was nice to have a little break from crafting as my little old mojo was flagging but boy did I miss it and by a week ago I was climbing the walls desperate to get creating again.  

I haven't got a card to share with you today but I do have some colouring.  I was treated to some pencils for my birthday last week by my hubster.  I'd been looking at these Derwent Inktense pencils for well over a year so I decided to bite the bullet and get them.  Now I'm a copic girl at heart but it's nice to have a change every so often and have a play with a different medium.  I've never really mastered watercolouring and if I'm honest it's a bit wishy washy for my liking but oh my these pencils are amazing.  They are easy to use and the colours are so vibrant I just love them.  So I inked up a small Penny Black image and had a go at colouring it up.  Here's what it turned out like:

Now I have a long way to go and a lot of practice to put in with them but for a first attempt I'm really pleased which is a first as normally my first attempt with anything ends up in the bin but this will actually make it on to a card.  So if you like water colouring and working with pencils I would definitely recommend them.  They are obviously a considered purchase and like I say I've been looking at them for well over a year.  I got mine from Amazon at a great price I think.  I decided to go for the largest set which was 72 as what I was going to pay for 24 it was worth paying just a bit extra and getting them all.  So for roughly £67 I had the whole lot which is fab in my eyes.

Okay that's all from me today.  I will pop back with my finished card at some point and then I'll do as I normally do and list all my colours and everything but for now I'll love you and leave you and would wish you all a very happy New Year.

Take care folks.

Ann-Marie

xx