Busy Bee

I've been a busy little crafting bee this morning - I have a week off from work and I'm starting it as I mean to go on - enjoying myself!   My hubby's holiday doesn't start until 5.30pm so it means my first day gets to be spent in the craft room having fun - so much so in fact that I didn't remember to eat breakfast til he called me at 11.30!

First off - I've had a go at this week's Less is More challenge which is simply to use a rubber stamp, but with the additional challenge of adding watercolour if you can, and Penny Black are playing along this week too so I decided to play with one of their cling stamps.  http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/week-135-use-rubber-stamp.html

I selected one of the two floral sprigs from their set "fanciful" and was inspired by Birgit's technique of using water colour pencils to "ink" up the stamp - never tried it before but I have to say I will be doing it again in the future as it's easy-peasy and the results are just fabulous so thanks Birgit!  I used a green for the leaves and then a pink and peach for the flowers - I went them to ink the stamp but then used a fine water spray just before stamping to get it nice and wet and watercoloury again.  Simply finished with a strip of green card and my favourite Anniversary sentiment from Waltzingmouse - this card will go to my Aunt and Uncle who celebrate their anniversary tomorrow.

I also finally got around to playing with this week's cue word at CASology which is "BOOK" http://casology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/week-59-book.html

I combined one of my all time favourite stamps with my all time favourite technique of paper-piecing as it just suits the stamp so well.    This set is from My Favourite Things and is called "Well Read" and has a selection of 5 or 6 brilliant bookish sentiments.   I started with the sentiment and drew a frame around it on a 4x4 base card.  I then set about playing in my snippets box selecting a suitably sofa-ish pattern and some tonal scraps for her clothes and the pillows.  Once pieced I used my toner grey copics to add some depth and squishiness to the sofa and my skin tones for her arm and legs.  I shall be doing a lot of this on holiday too as I'm half way through "The 19th Wife" and finding it so fascinating that I can't wait to finish it.   I would have added this to the snippets challenge over at Di's blog but I'm a bit late and the playground gates have shut for this week - check out the new challenge tomorrow though - the gates open each Sunday and all you have to do is use up your scraps to enter http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/