October's Stampers Delights Progressive Challenge

So here we go, my first card and colouring for months. Still feeling the lack of creative drive but hoping to kick start the brain back into action. My first offering uses the image for the progressive challenge on the Stamper's Delights Facebook page. The image on offer is of a witch on a broomstick but as I am not a fan of witches I got Janice's permission to slightly alter the image. Please bear in mind that I am not an artist which is why I use other people's images!

Materials used:

Stampers Delights - Chibi Agnes 1 (available on request from the Facebook Page)

horseshoe clip art from internet

X-Press It card

brown card

rectangle die set

5x7" card blank

Copic pens: 

skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04   R20

hair - E11, E13, E15, E18

eyes - BG01, BG05

dress - R29, R39, R59, R89

T-Shirt - C0, C1, C3   Blender

hat - E30, E31, E33, E35, E37

hat band - W1, W3, W5, W7

horse head - E21,E23,E25, E29

broom handle - E35, E57, E79

brush - E41, E42, E44, E47, E49

boots - E13, E15, E08, E19, E49

grass - G24, G94, YG67, G28

I hope you will join us in the Progressive Challenge, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Here are some links for your inspiration:

Store: https://www.stampersdelights.com/store/c18/ALL_DIGITAL_STAMPS_PRODUCTS.html#/

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stampersdelights/?ref=bookmarks

Inspiration Blog: https://www.stampersdelights.com/inspiration-blog#/

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
A Bit More Time To Craft #125 - Anything Goes 
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra October - Anything Goes 
A Perfect Time To Craft October - Anything Goes 
Crafts Galore Encore #80 - Anything Goes 
Love To Craft #51 - October Anything Goes 

Just a quick catch up

So how have you coped with all the madness in the world? It's been a while since I posted so here is a brief catch up.

After the arrival of our first grandson Teddy in the height of lockdown when we could not see him life took an unexpected and unpleasant turn. To cut a very long story short the hospital botched his delivery, an internal inquiry reads like a forensics report from a murder and legal proceedings are underway to sue for medical negligence. It is unlikely that the hospital will contest and the solicitor is hoping they will make a decent out of court settlement. Now I am not usually a fan or suing the NHS but in this instance, and not just because it's closer to home, I feel my daughter is justified. The whole mess robbed her of weeks of contact with her newborn, put added stress to an already stressful time with Covid, left her facing further surgery and weeks of recovery between them with the possibility of leaving her with a life altering condition. All of which could have been avoided had basic checks been carried out when she went into early labour.

On the plus side both mum and Teddy survived (it was close) and Becky is amazing taking it all in her stride while Teddy is a delight.

So you can understand why I have been out of action. My mojo for designing anything went out of the window so I stepped back from Stampers Delights and The Path of Positivity for a while.

Don't think for a moment that I was not crafting, I've been knitting, crocheting and rediscovered my love for cross stitch which has been dormant for many years. All of these involve just following someone else's pattern and that suited my state of mind just fine.

I am back now but possibly only for a short time to serve out my time as it were on the Design Teams. When Becky does go for the next surgery she will be on complete bed rest for some time afterwards so we will be needed to help with Teddy while her husband is at work. 

But for now I am persevering and hoping that there is enough creative juice in the system to get me through the next few months.

To finish with a happy photo!

Take care and stay safe.

Pippa

Furry or Feathery Friends on the Path of Positivity

The start of a new month and the start of a new challenge at Path of Positivity. This month the optional theme is Fury or Feathery Friends. With Spring in the air there is a lot of activity among the birds and animals as nests, dens, drays and setts are spruced up ready for a new set of babies.

I expect, like me, many of you are in strict lockdown as the world struggles to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. I could not imagine living with social distancing measures in a built up, urban area. We are so fortunate in having countryside all around us. We can walk out of our front door and be up on the hill in the wood and across the fields well away from anyone else in minutes. Our wood on the top of Herne Hill is full of bird song and if you look hard squirrels, mice and voles are busy gathering food and nesting material. In the evening if you are really patient you might see the badgers and foxes out and about. In the fields the ewes and their lambs are grazing on the fresh spring grass. 

The sheep always make me smile after they have been shorn, the babies look so much bigger than their mums!

Today I have a shaped and tactile card to share with you.

Materials used:

Oddball Art - Curly Sue Sheep 

stamping card

cotton wool

buttons

Copic pens:

sheep: W1, W3, W5, W7

I have used the pens to colour the sheep's face, ears and legs using cotton wool for her fur. The image has buttons for eyes so I found buttons the same size and just stuck them over the top. 

I coloured and cut out the image first then attached to a tent fold card overlapping the top and cut around again. Finally I stuck on the cotton wool and the buttons.

We have two great sponsors this month, and 

This challenge, our optional twist is a focus on Furry or Feathery Friends. Animals can be such a comfort in our lives especially during this time when so many of us are isolated from our extended family and friends. This month create a project that honours the furry or feathery friends that surround you, whether in your home or in nature.

In order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, remember that general types of  projects/posts will not qualify for the prizes unless they are also positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Prizes this month include:

• A $10 gift certificate from  Oddball Art , our guest sponsor for this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch based on all qualifying entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

With such a huge range of bird and animal images around why  not give it a go and join in with our challenge. You can find all the details, the link for entries and more inspiration on the Path of Positivity Blog. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care and stay safe.

Pippa

Stampers Delights Anime New Release

Continuing this month's sea theme the new Anime images also feature mermaids and sea creatures. I have used a selection of images to make a pop-up box card.

Materials used:

Stampers Delights - Let's Make Waves

Stampers Delights - Best of Fishes

Scribbles Designs - A Taste of Summer Patterned Papers 

printer card

X-Press It card

Spellbinders Pop-Up Box die set

Copic pens:

skin - E50, E51, E53, E55

hair - V05, RV66, V69     YG21, YG03, YG17

mermaid - BG13, BG15, BG49     Y17, Y38, YR68

crown - G17

stones - E31, E33, E35, E39

seahorses - YG11, YG06, G06, Y13     Y00, Y11, Y15, YR23

sea weed - G02, G17, G29, G99

The box was cut from white card and then covered with papers from the Taste of Summer kit. All the elements are coloured then fussy cut. Having decided on positioning they are stuck onto the bars that go across the inside of the box. The box will fold flat for posting.

The mermaid, seahorses and weed come from the Let's Make Waves set and the sentiment from the Best of Fishes Set.

This is the final new release for the month and what a lot of images there are covering the three main styles that Stampers Delights focus on. So if you like all things watery do go and take a look . Here are all the links you need to find the images and further inspiration from the Design Teams.

Stampers Delights Store

Stampers Delights FB Group

Stampers Delights Inspiration Blog

Stampers Delights Challenge Blog 

Don't forget the Progressive Challenge:

Thanks for dropping in. Take care and stay safe.

Pippa

Stampers Delights Chibi New Release

This month is all about the sea with a lovey set of mermaid images newly released. 

Materials used:

Stampers Delights - Best of Fishes 

Scrapbook Gems - The Beach Digital Papers 

5" x 7" card blank

X-Press It card

Copic pens:

skin - E000, E00, E21, E11    E4, R20

hair #1 - YR20, YR24, YR27, E39, E59 

hair #2 - BV000, BV00, BV11

eyes - C0, C1, C3

shells - E93, YR61, YR02

stars - Y00, Y11, Y13

mermaid #1 - BG53, BG45, BG57, BG49

mermaid #2 - BV01, BV02, BV13, BV04

necklace - BG49, Y06

white Jelly Roll pen

I actually enjoyed colouring these beauties which is a good sign because for the past couple of weeks or so I really have been off my game. We have a major family issue going on and Covid - 19 restrictions are not helping. If you looked at my earlier post with the fish bowl you will understand, not one of my best I admit but as much as I could do at the time. Hopefully things will improve in time but my head may be all over the place for some time - you have been warned!

All you mermaid and sea image lovers are having a treat this month, there are plenty of images to delight and my fellow team members have come up with some fantastic inspirational creations for you. Please do go and have a look at everything on offer. All the links you need are below.

I hope you are all managing to keep sane in these most unusual of times. We have just observed a national minute of silence in memory of all who have lost their lives in the Covid-19 outbreak here in the UK but particularly all the key workers in the NHS and beyond. With such big numbers being bandied around you can lose sight of the human face of it all. The thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by this terrible virus and who cannot even gather to share grief and comfort each other.  If you have been touched by Covid my thoughts are with you. If you are recovering from it I wish you a speedy and lasting recovery and if you are protecting yourself or another vulnerable person I hope that you stay safe to the end of all this.

Meanwhile there is always crafting to keep us going so here are the links:

Stampers Delights Store

Stampers Delights FB Group

Stampers Delights Inspiration Blog

Stampers Delights Challenge Blog 

Thank you for dropping in. Take care and stay safe.

Pippa

Stampers Delights Progressive Challenge

Here we are at the start of May, this year certainly is flying past even with all the uncertainty in the world at the moment. To cheer you up Stampers Delights has a lovely fish bowl set to create with as this months progressive challenge image. I have gone for a shaped card using some of the images to make up my scene and a sentiment inside.

Materials used:

Stampers Delights - Fish Bowl 

scalloped circle die

X-Press It card

Copic pens:

fish #1 - Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17, E15     RV63, RV66, RV69, RV99     blender

fish #2 - Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17, E15     V000, V01, V12, V15

weeds - G05, G07, G29

coral - YR00, YR02, YR07, E15

sand - E41, E42, E43

bowl base - C0, C1, C3, C5

water - BG0000, BG000, B00

I used the scallop circle die to make a card base and attached the fussy cut bowl to the front. Using a scalloped circle rather than a straight edged one means that the card does not roll over but settles on two of the scallops.

I hope you will check out the Progressive Challenge which you can find on the Stampers Delights Facebook Page. You can request the image from the Challenge post. All the links you need are below.

How are you all doing in lockdown? Maybe where you are restrictions are starting to be eased. I don't know about you but I seem to have developed a muddled brain, all my creative ideas have flown out the window. But then we have some family issues going on which are totally not related to Covid-19 but which are harder to handle because of it. 

Here are all the links you might need for Stampers Delights so you can request the image and check out what the rest of the team have come up with for inspiration. You might also like to look around the shop for more images to play with, especially as this weekend is new release weekend. If you like mermaids and under the sea images you will love what is coming up!

Stampers Delights Store

Stampers Delights FB Group

Stampers Delights Inspiration Blog

Stampers Delights Challenge Blog 

Thanks for dropping in. Take care and stay safe.

Pippa