Lots of Layers challenge at CraftyCardmakers

Evening All,
I hope that you have all having a wonderful summer despite all the strangeness and the rules and restrictions.

 We are back today after our break with a brand new challenge at Craftycardmakers, where our host Jo is looking for 'Lots of Layers'.

My card uses a stunning tree die, cut from funky foam. You can then use this as a stamp by attaching it to an acrylic block, or more permanently a piece of acetate.

I stamped on a piece of card using several generations of black versafine ink to create the background for my card.

I added the line of trees die cut again from white cardstock, and black funky foam. I also added a few die cut leaves and a sentiment.

I created this second card in the same manner,

 only this time I added the die cut tress in black,

along with a deer and sentiment.
I hope that you will be able to join  us HERE, and that you enjoy the rest of the summer.
Thanks for stopping by
Hugs Kimx 

You are Amazing

Hi All,
We went over to Mum's this morning complete with two large carrier bags full of goodies and a bunch of flowers.

We were met by numerous bunches of flowers, and every surface filled with cards, 36 of them to be exact.

We actually had to do a little bit of flower rearranging as Mum had run out of receptacles big enough to take the huge bunch of sunflowers one of my colleagues had bought her.

More flowers from one of my Cousins here amongst the cards. 

Another Cousin sent a large hamper and a message to hope that she is not too sugar overloaded in the next few days. Add in the boxes of sweets and biscuits that several other work mates sent and I think she might be on a sugar high for the next few weeks at least.

There were even two large sets of balloons in the shape of a 90, one cleverly recycled from my sisters 60th birthday in January. A move worthy of any crafter.

I popped into work this morning for the french sticks that I had asked one of the WBCafe Girls to cook fresh for me, and my Boss gave me a huge chocolate cake to give Mum with love from everyone at the store.

Mum made a start on opening the bag of cards that we took with us, but as I suspected it was all a little overwhelming for her. She was thrilled at the generosity of everyone but of course I had to try and explain who people were, so I have left her to open some more tonight if she feels up to it and then I will explain each one when I go back tomorrow with my youngest daughter and her children.

BTW in case you were wondering, the bag contained an amazing 97 cards, so that gives a grand total of 133 cards so far.

I say so far, because our postal deliveries have been a little intermittent over the last few days so I am sure that there will be a few more cards to arrive. I will keep you up to date with the final tally.

Once again I would just like to say how amazing you have all been in helping to make my Mum's day soooo special. Thank you so very much.

A huge hug to you all,

Kimx

A very Special Birthday Girl

Hi All
Today is a very special day. It is the birthday of a very wonderful lady, my lovely Mum, who is 90 years young. She also shares her day with a Grandaughter and Great Niece, so a very special day indeed.

I try where ever possible to show Mum any cards that I make before I pop them in the post.

This hasn't been possible very often during the last few months, but she did get to see the card that I made using Francoise fabulous Dancing Beetle.

She absolutely loved it, so I decided that I would use it for her card.

Of course it had to be extra special, so an easel card was definitely the way to go.

I also added some vellum wings for a little more dimension,

and this time I painted the beetle with Pearlescent paints instead of  Opal Blaze.

I also added a few extra drops of glossy accents to the background.

The flowers and layout were otherwise more or less the same. 

Of course you can't have a 90th birthday card without some large die cut numbers,

which I added to the top of the card as well as the base. 

I have been overwhelmed by the response to my plea on Facebook , people have been amazing. My aim was to try and get 90 cards for Mum to open, and we have managed that, and more.

We are spreading her celebrations out over the next couple of days so as not to overwhelm her, so my little sister started the ball rolling this morning with a bit of candle blowing and a danish pastry.
And yes, she does look a little beaten up after falling in her kitchen just over a week ago. Two black eyes, a bruised knee and a fractured rib!!!
She seems to have a thing about big celebrations and looking like she has done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.
I have a lovely photograph of her taken on her Golden Wedding Anniversary in May, 20 years ago. It was also the day my eldest Granddaughter Megan was born. So at 8 hours old Megan was at her first party having her picture taken with her Mum, me and my Mum. Four generations together, but my Mum looked very much the same as now as she had fallen off a ladder cleaning the windows in preparation for the Big day!!!!
Thank you so much for stopping by. I will share pictures of the birthday girl surrounded by her cards in the next couple of days.
Hugs
Kimx

We Three Kings

Evening All
I'm not sure what my excuse is tonight for the late post, other than it is Friday and I am absolutely shattered.

I've just finished watching Jamie Rodgers shows on Create and Crafts that I taped earlier today.

He was using some beautiful new Christmas Paper Cuts dies which I don't have........yet lol.

One of my favourites was the Three Kings so I thought that it was the perfect opportunity for me to share Jane's Three Kings stamp set from her Woodware Christmas release.

I used some bits of  inky background from my stash and heat embossing, which of course is very difficult to photograph.
Jamie is back again tomorrow with more amazing demos I'm sure.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

Motorcycle Club

Evening Everyone,
One thing you wouldn't want to have been out on this afternoon is a motor bike. Not near us at least, since we finally got some of that torrential rain and thunder that the weathermen have been promising for the last couple of days.

This was made a couple of years ago for a Woodware catalogue,  but I also made one to give to my Sin-in-law for his birthday in the April.

I painted it specifically to match the colour of the bike that he had at the time,

and used an embossing folder with silver cardstock for the background along with the tyre marks stamp to create the pattern down the right hand side.
We may have had quite a bit of rain, but it doesn't seem to have cooled things down for very long, let's hope that it is better tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

A Foxy Celebration

Afternoon All,
I can't believe how hot it still is, so here is a little foxy Christmas card to try and cool you down.

This was made using one of Francoise new Christmas stamps that were released recently FRS082 Foxy Christmas.

The strips in the background are cut from a piece of 'Mop up Background' with a little faux stitching added.

I coloured Mr Fox using Cosmic Shimmer Inktense Pigment Stains and then fussy cut him out.

I stamped one of the sentiments from the stamp set on to another of the strips of background.

I hate to waste ink on my mat and plastic spray booth, so I have been using some sheets of rice paper (as suggested by Leoni) to mop up anything that is left on the mat.
Once it is dry I scrunch it up and add it to a piece of DS Self Adhesive sheets and then highlight with a little gilding wax.
Of course this is a Christmas card with the addition of a little Fluffy Stuff, but I think it could be used for a winter birthday just as easily.
I hope that you are all OK in this heat. Thank you so much for stopping by, I really do appreciate it.
Hugs Kimx

No time for posting

Evening Everyone.
No time for a post tonight, since I had to go back in to work, and now I'm struggling to keep my eyes open.
I suppose the one benefit to it, was a few more hours in the air con lol.
Please someone tell me it is going to rain tomorrow.
Hugs Kimx

Doves of Peace

Well I would say good evening but it is so hot that I'm struggling to say anything at all.

 Friday saw the launch of another new range of stamps, the Designer Boutique Stained Glass Collection.

The background to the stained glass Doves of Peace panel was made using another new product from Creative Expressions, Cosmic Shimmer Pearlescent Watercolours.

I dropped a couple of colours of Watercolours onto wet watercolour card stock and then covered the whole thing with scrunched up cling film and left it to dry. I added some white paint to the doves,

and then mounted the trimmed panel on to an embossed piece of cardstock.
I'm sure that there will be plenty more samples on display soon over on Facebook.
Thanks for stopping by
Hugs Kimx

A lovely end to the weekend

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have all had a good weekend.
We managed to get in a bike ride before it got too hot. Or at least I took Jack in the buggy and caught them up.
It is very difficult for Becki to take them all for a ride on her own, and as I had noticed that the station car park was empty when I arrived on Friday so we took them there so that they could cycle in safety. 

We listened to music on my phone while we were waiting for the riders to do a circuit of the car park, and then swapped over one of the little ones into the seat on Becki's bike for the next go.

We even let Mummy do a couple of circuits on her own, which was a bit of a novelty.

We came home and Jack managed to play for a while before he crashed out, but Chloe didn't make it much further than the front door.

All in all a lovely way to end my weekend.
It was unbearably hot coming home on the train, although thankfully fairly quiet so I was able to take my mask off for some of the time.
Of course it didn't help that part of the journey was by bus due to engineering works and then I got on the wrong train at London Bridge. It went to East Croydon which is what I wanted, but it just stopped at every blasted station on the way. And I was doing so well up until then.
I'm shattered now so I need my bed.
Thanks for stopping by.
Stay safe and hugs
Kimx

Celebrating with my Bestie

Evening Everyone,
It's been another boiling hot day here. Not quite as sunny as yesterday I don't think although I feel far more shattered.
Of course it might have something to do with trying to keep three little terrors occupied so that Mum could go and do the shopping before it got too hot, and then clean and tidy the house without them constantly pulling things out just as soon as she has put them away. I'm not saying there wasn't any of that going on, but at least there was another person there to distract them before it got to the 'hurricane has hit' stage lol.
We had several more water fights to keep us all cooled off, and the paddling pool came out again and we also managed to get loads of washing done and dried off on the line. All in all a very successful day.

Chloe has been my bestie again today, although one minute she is being an adorable little angel who will look across at me and say 'I love you Mamma', and the next she is being a demon who has pushed her brother over or stolen a toy from her sister lol.

I'm not sure about the angel wings, but she has certainly had Jack in an over affectionate headlock a bit like the teddy in this lovely LOTV image.

I have been looking through some pictures this evening now they are all safely tucked up in bed,

and it occurred to me that I don't think I ever shared the 1st Birthday card that I made for Chloe, which now sits in a picture frame over her bed.

It is gratifying to know that the card that you so lovingly made has been preserved as a feature on the bedroom wall.
Not sure what we have planned for tomorrow, apart from more washing that is, and another water fight to cool us all down if necessary.
Thank for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx