Mermay and mental health awareness week 2023 I couldn't resist doing a card

This week is the start of mental health awareness week 2023 and this year the focus is on anxiety. For the month of May I have been joining in the Sweet November Stamps challenge to do a bit of mermaid colouring every day. I have to say that I love colouring and have found this to be very therapeutic to take even a little time out of my day to colour up some part of an image. I get so focused on the colouring it is almost mediative for me.

This card is the product of some of that colouring.

The mermaid is called Phthalo and she is a stunning digi stamp. That means you can get her instantly and there is no postage to pay or wait for. 

I also followed one of the amazing Amy Young's Adventures in colouring video's for her tail and the scenery in this image.

It is all coloured using copic pens and I am really pleased with how it turned out.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

 Cupcake inspirations - mermaid

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

My first play with acrylic paints to alter a metal tin

Today is drawing day 2023 So I thought it was the perfect time to give these Nova paint pens from DRK Crafts a go to decorate this tin. I have to say it was a lot of fun to give something new a go. I got the pack of 15 and there is a great mix of colours in it. I plan to do more of these tins to maybe make some collections of card to give friends as gifts.

To get these pens going you need to give them a good shake and then sort of pump the nib up and down holding the pen upright on a bit of scrap paper to get the paint flowing.

I have made a little video of me starting this box off. I didn't film the whole thing just a little bit to show you how well they were working for me. I really did find that they flowed so well. 

I learned some thing while making this. 

1. If you make a mistake on the metal you can just scratch it off when it is dry and start again. No one will ever know. Don't worry you can heat set the paint by following the instructions on the packet when you are happy with what you have done.

2. If you want to blend and bleed your colours into one another add them while they are both wet.

3. If you do not want the colours to mix together then wait until the first layer is dry before adding the second layer.

I love how gold the gold pen is in this set and for those of us that colour stamped images and that sort of thing I will definitely be using the silver and gold pens in this set for things like buckles and jewellery as they are also great on paper and card. 

  I am entering this altered tin for the following challenges:

Crafting from the heart - Anything but a card

Crafting Happiness - Flowers

Get creative challenges - Flower frenzy

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my blog.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

National Teen Self Esteem hop 2023

This is my card I have created for the Instagram #nationalteenselfesteemhop23

A great group of crafters have come together to spread love, joy and encouragement to our younger generation. Do you have a teenager in your household or maybe a younger child who struggle with Self Esteem, please share with them the lovely projects in this hop and maybe they can take some encouragement away from it!

I just couldn't resist using these great stamps from C.C. Designs. They are just the perfect example of young people with very different characters all coming together to do good. Most importantly they do it by being themselves!

I have used a combination of stamp sets to make this card. I used the girl, the BFF and the friends to be able to put all of these key characters from the hit Netflix show together.

I used the ink that was left on my blending brushes to make the rainbow of colours behind them then added some splatters with Brushed pewter distress spray stain.

I coloured them using the following copics:

Wednesday:

Hair - W9,W7,W5

Skin - E11, E00

Dress - N9, N7, N5, N3, N1

Eugene :

Hair - W9, W7, W5

Skin - E57, E55, E33

Blazer - B69, B18, B24

Jumper - W4, W2

Trousers - W6, W4, W2

Bag - E57, E55

plus glossy accents on his glasses

Enid:

Hair - E53, E51, RV23, RV21, B02, B01

Skin - E33, E11, E00 and E04 in mouth

Eyes - B45, B41

Hat and boots - W6, W4, W2

Skirt - T3

Jumper - RV23, RV21, B02, B01, Y15, Y11, V15, V12

Xavier:

Hair - E57, E55, E33

Skin - E33, E11, E00

Blazer - B69, B18, B24, T3

Trousers - W9, W7, W5

Bianca:

Hair - W9, W7, W5

Eyes - B45, B41

Skin - E57, E55, E53 - E4 lips

Blazer and jumper - V17, V15, V12

Skirt and shoes - W9, W7, T3, T1

Don’t worry you have 7 days to hop along so there is no rush.

HOW TO ENTER:

1)Be following me on instagram

2)Like and leave a comment on my instagram post

3)Follow each sponsor on instgram

4) BONUS: visit each participant of this hop and do the same. The more you hop, follow and comment the more chances you have of winning one of our amazing sponsor prizes

Your next stop is: @alisonchelsea9

If you get lost along the way please visit @jasmincraftymakes to find the full line up!

You have until 20th May to hop along; winners will be announced by 22nd May on @jasmincraftymakes IG

Sponsor Prizes:

@HeffyDoodle - £25 voucher

@Craftypurplefrog - £25 voucher

@ScrappyBoyStamps - Stamp set of your choice (US only)

@SweetNovemberStamps - $30 voucher

@Artful.Angel - $10 voucher

I am also putting this card into the following challenges:

Creative fingers - Anything Goes

Pattie's Creations design challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Inspiration - Anything Goes

Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes

The crafty Addicts - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

Are you ready for a new clear stamp release??

 

Sweet November stamps have a brand new release heading our way next weekend. I am so excited to be able to show you a little sneak peek of one of the new stamp sets. This set is called Sea birds and I have to say as a bird lover I was drawn to it straight away :D

You will be able to get your hands on this stamp set and all the others in the Mermay release next Saturday 20th of May 2023 in both the Sweet November Stamps shop and the Crafty Purple Frog store.

Check out the other Sweet November stamps and Crafty Purple Frog DT's social media for more sneak peeks :D

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

May waves of happiness wash over you

It is almost time for another clear stamp Mermay release from the amazing Sweet November Stamps. Next weekend there will be a whole load of new mermaid and seaside related clear stamps. Before that though I wanted to show off one of the stamps That you can already get. This is Lynn she comes with feet or this mermaid tail so you could have her either way on your creation. 

I loved creating this card. I started by die cutting the white card with the Heffy Doodle Whimsically wonky dies to create the layer to work with. I then masked off a line across the card using Heffy memo tape before inking my blue line with salty ocean and a touch of faded jeans distress inks. Then I flicked water over it before adding some white splatters from picket fence distress spray stain. For even more depth I added a few silver crystals nuvo drops. 

The sentiment is from the Mermee set #2 stamp set. Then I stuck my little Lynn on top of my inking breaking out of the blue inked line just a bit. I coloured her using copics.

Come back later if you want to see a sneak peek of one of the new Mermay clear stamp sets that will be available next weekend (20th May 2023)

 I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Shopping our stash - She's a lady

Dream valley challenges - Make it female

Make my Monday - CAS base +1 Layer

Use your stuff - Inspired by water

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

First Edition Bloom & Wonder mini album

I had so much fun using a tutorial from the amazing Rosa Kelly (Rosa Kelly is on YouTube HERE) to create this fun little mini album. The album is 4 x 4 size and has 4 pages to it. There is also a tab hidden in the centre of each page that can be pulled out and a picture added to or it could just be journaled on. I used a border punch to edge these pull outs but if I did this again I would definitely use a different less fussy punch as the delicate edges are already getting a bit battered on this one.

For the patterned papers I have used the gorgeous First Edition Bloom & Wonder papers that are available from the DRK Crafts store. These papers are so perfect for this kind of scrapbooking project as the speciality papers such as the glitter or gloss papers really give an expensive look to the finished project.

Here is my video showing the inside of my little mini album :D

I am entering this album for the following challenges:

Crafting from the heart - Anything but a card Goes

Dream valley challenges - Make it female

Cupcake inspirations - Mother's Day/Someone Special Feminine

Get creative challenges - Flower frenzy

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

Huge hugs

Amy xx

I am on the DRK makers team which means I got to choose some items at a discounted price but I only work with what I love and my opinions are my own.

Konni chiwa :)

I think this Anya in Japan stamp from The Greeting farm is just so pretty. I wanted her to be the main focus. I kept the rest of the card pretty simple so she pops. For a bit of texture and shine I scattered some Iceberg blue nuvo drop around the card.

I used the following copics for this card:

Hair: W9, W7, W5, W3

Skin: E33, E11, E00

Kimono: BG07, BG15, BG45

Fan: E70, E71, R85, R83

Flowers: R85, R83, R81

Ground: E74, E70

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

A place to start - Anything Goes

Lil patch of crafty friends - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

Huge hugs

Amy xx