Some Oldies

Hello there... 

I can't say that I have been inspired to craft or paint lately... I'm fine, I'm just taking a little break from things.

I've still a few paintings that I haven't shared with you before

 These were done way back in April when I was first experimenting

It took a lot of trial and error to find what brushes work for me and of course shapes and colours

I'm a little more confident now but I still like these 

Teaching myself to paint became my haven when Covid first started... I'm curious as to whether you tried anything new whilst being isolated?

We're still very cautious and I don't go out unless I have to... I went for my blood tests yesterday and it was all done by appointment. Of course you are required to wear a mask which I always do but it was so alarming to see that the only other person wearing a mask at the medical centre was the nurse who took the blood! I had to walk past other workers with no covering at all... Crazy!

Stay safe and happy my friends

~ Ros ~

 

CAS(E) This Sketch

Hi there...

I don't think I've ever entered a challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch

But when I visited my friend Michele's blog, I was taken by this sketch...

So I challenged myself to come up with something using my pencil and paints (along with a few dies a stamp and embossing powder)

Here's what I came up with

 I sketched some flowers which I painted with Prima Confection and cut the shape with a border die. The butterfly and the smaller shape (also cut with the same border die) were both painted with Gansai Tambi gold paint. It's still pretty dull here but if I turn my card to the light...

You can see how shiny it is. I guess I could have cut the main shape a little better  but hey ho... 

I hope you are enjoying your weekend... If only the sun would shine and the wind would drop I could get out into the garden for a while - I live in hope

Take care and thanks so much for your visit

~ Ros ~

Two Little Birds

Hello friends...How are you all? Well I hope. 

 

I haven't had any inclination to craft lately, perhaps it's the weather - We've had non stop rain for more than a week and life is so much better when I can spend some time in the garden albeit it that it's starting to look like a jungle. 

Still, I have lots of paintings that I've never got around to sharing including these little birds.  Actually this one's a plump little guy

 They're not supposed to be any particular bird... I just make them up and choose whatever colour takes my fancy

 

 

 They will no doubt end up in my lockdown album which has also been abandoned lately...

 

 

The trims on both cards are from my stash, I've ribbons and buttons and all manner of things that never get used. I did have a purge but kept some "just in case" as you do.

 

 

My friends were thrilled with their little coffee cup cards by the way, oh and I was thrilled to see an old photo this week... My friend in New Jersey must have had this one and her daughter posted it on F/B. 

Obviously it was taken more than 50 years ago... She's at the back and I'm on the right... The little boy and baby are her cousins. It took me back and gave me a warm feeling of the happy times we spent together and how different the world was then.

Okay so that's it for today... 

Stay well, be happy and I'll catch up with you soon

~ Ros ~

 

Don't Worry, Bee Happy

Hello there... 

Happy 4th July to all my friends in the USA and to all my friends here because today marks the start of relaxed rules following the lockdown in the UK... 

From now a lot of businesses are allowed to open including pubs and bars which, believe it or not, opened at 6am. I can't imagine anyone wanting to drink alcohol at that hour but there we are. Even before the bars and pubs opened there have been some awful scenes in my city. 

Crowds gathering to celebrate the football championship, crowds gathering just to drink and party, fireworks going off late at night, beaches and villages left full of litter. There's been a lot of damage, a lot of vile attacks on animals and it saddens me to the core how some people behave. I'm dreading the second spike which I think is now inevitable.

But enough of that, it's too depressing.

Today I have a few cards to share, first up one for

CAS Mix Up challenge

It's been dull and wet all week and this card has a lovely shine but so difficult to capture that on a photograph.

I started by stenciling the circles with Distress Oxide blueprint and used a fineliner pen to trace them.

Then I stamped and embossed  flowers here and there together with the little bee. I used gold paint on the bee, parts of the flowers and to dot the circles.

The next 2 cards I made a while ago to send to blog friends

 

This one went off to Canada

 

And this one to  California

 

Well, I'm going to do some baking now - I made a batch of rock cakes a few days ago and last night I just fancied one but when I looked there was only 2 there. DH swears he didn't eat them, Mikey doesn't eat cakes of any description so I guess the fairies came. Funny how they left crumbs all over DHs chair?

 

Have a wonderful day

Be safe

~ Ros ~

Coffee and a Cat

Hello my friends...

I was debating which cards to share with you today, Cat or Coffee and in the end I decided to share both

This is a sketched and painted card for one of my half sisters who will be celebrating her birthday in a couple of weeks. We are all animal lovers and we all have cats so I think she will like this

I drew a little wind chime and found some tiny beads which I thought would look more realistic for the wind chime, plus I really need to use up my stash

Including some of the hundreds of sequins I seem to have... Here's a closer look

If you have ever owned a cat you will know how mischievous they can be and whilst typing this post, Missy reached up to the shelf I keep the catnip on and pulled it down... Now the floor is covered in it. 

Coffee... 

I do miss seeing my friends, catching up with a coffee and chatting about this and that and each time I looked at this card (I shared recently)

 

I couldn't help but see cups. So I thought why not draw handles and make that flower into a cup then I could make each of my GF's a card as a reminder of those lovely days

At least we can share a virtual coffee

 

 They're only 4x4 cards and make up really quickly

 I even used up some of the many papers I've hoarded over the years to make envelopes for them

I hope you are all well... Thanks so much for your visit

Stay safe

~ Ros ~

Happy Birthday

Hello there... 

I'm feeling so much better since the rain came and cooled everything down, thank you all for your well wishes. It's scary when you don't feel right and there's a pandemic lurking but I'm okay.

A few days ago my blog friend Loll celebrated her birthday and I'm hoping her card arrived.

Loll gifted me that beautiful stencil and it seemed fitting to use it for her card plus I LOVE it and couldn't wait to play with it

The butterfly is stamped, embossed, painted and fussy cut

Of course I had to make another card using this stencil... This one is for a family member

 ... with a gold painted butterfly.

A little tip... It's impossible to cut around those tiny antennae so I stamp and emboss them onto the vellum and then adhere the butterfly.

 

I've been playing with paints all day hence it's a late post and now I have to go cook dinner.

 

Have a beautiful day/evening and I'll catch up with you all soon

 

~ Ros ~