Watch Out For Unicorns

Hello Nomad friends.  The end of the month is nigh and I have been meaning to enter the Poppystamps challenge where they want to see cute critters.  I am a fan of critters and have quite a few of Poppystamps Whittle dies.  I love the large versions in this series and have rolled out Whittle Happy Unicorn and paired it with a Carmen's Veranda sentiment.

I went with slightly weird colours for my slightly deranged unicorn LOL.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Poppystamps Challenge 126 - Cute Critters
Die Cut Divas Challenge - Critters
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Allsorts Challenge 819 - Feminine opt AG
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Layer It Up

Sea Horse

Hello Nomad friends.  My blog has been a bit quiet this month. A week in the UK and the last week's weather being surprizingly better than forecast, so I carpe diem'd and had some garden time.  I can feel the spring energy rising, and I'm looking around and plants are starting to wake up, but I am sure we are being a bit early, or maybe spring is going to be.  It is southern Norway, and our official last frost day is 17th May, which is a long way away, so I think we shouldn't let the genii out of the bottle just yet.  I will just enjoy these lengthening cool sunny days and the extra energy in the air and in me.  This weekend I am taking part in Papirglede's Scrapathon and also hoping to join in a few challenges before this short month closes.  I've been playing with Poppystamp dies, brusho's and scraps for this card.

Sea green horses are all the rage you know!!

Here's the scraps I used.  A little late picture as you can see I have already cut the 'horse', Poppystamps Whittle Happy Unicorn, and Poppystamps Wavy Heart.  That piece started off pale blue and I coloured it with cobalt, turquoise and sea green brushos with lots of spritzing!!  Also coloured my fingers, the table, part of the floor and one sock!!!!!   Gotta love a messy colour session.  

I used the scraps of the scraps to decorate inside as well.  I used a stitch rectangle die and the hearts and Poppystamp Balloon Hearts with the little dangles snipped off.

 The sentiment is a Rubber Dance stamp and means thinking of you and I used a copper sharpie to go over the cut and stitch details on the horse and heart.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Poppystamps Challenge 101 - Me and You
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Papirglede Scrapathon
Creative Fingers Challenge 249 - AG

Happy Animals

Hello Nomad friends.  Gummiapan is a Swedish company and I love their quirky designs.  I also love their Advent calendar and 2022 was the second year I bought the dies calendar.  Well worth the substantial outlay.  They have a couple of challenge groups on fb and I am joining their January ATC 1st theme of black and white with this cute trio 

I used a variety of stamps, stamping the backgrounds and then adding the cute animals and sentiments.

 Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Too Cute
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 4 Legged Animals
Papercraft Challenge 90 - Anything Goes
Creative Crafting Uncles Challenge 37 - Happy Birthday
Allsorts Challenge Week 711 - AG opt Winter Blues

Unicorn Snacks

Hello Nomad friends.   What do unicorns eat???  
Seems they are partial to chocolate, coffee and cake...

I used a die to cut my artist trading coins (2.5" diameter) from slightly grungy designer card.  I stamped Gummiapan Unicorn using black archival and masked.  I stamped various parts of three Gummiapan sentiments relating to food and drink.  Then I stamped Gummiapan small chevron numerous times with Dandelion archival ink.  I used bright distress ink markers and scribbled in the background colour.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Gummiapan ATC Challenge - Magical
Allsorts Challenge Week 624 - Anything Goes
We Love Chocolate Baroque Challenge - Bright Sunny Colours
Creative Fingers Challenge 208 - AG
Papercraft Challenge 70 - Anything Goes

Bingo Was His Name Oh!

Hello Nomad friends.  Yesterday I had my allowed two people to visit and help celebrate my birthday.  It was on the 22nd, but I have been partying since and see no reason for this state of affairs to not continue.  In the spirit of fun I spotted a quirky bingo challenge at Gummiapan, so, equipped with my modest stash of Gummiapan stamps and dies, I made a card and a tag.   

I gotta say, I love this card and there is no way I would have made it without Rebecka's crazy bingo board.  She gave us a 5 x 5 options board, and I must admit to being suitably challenged by at least one item in most of the rows.  I love a challenging challenge.  I started with a white card base.  I stamped the circle with black archival.  I got a nice black edge but decided the solid centre looked pretty cool with some of the ink pad texture on it.  I die cut the Heart Dandelion from white card, coloured with a rainbow of Promarkers and added a stamped fussy cut heart in the middle.  This one was a little gift from Gummiapan.  When I put it on the card I thought it needed something so I stamped the small dotted grid with London Fog Memento ink.  I added the flower and stamped the small silhouette dog.  Then I added a piece of polka dot ribbon up the side.  Love it.  I used dog,flower,rainbow,circle and ribbon and these Gummiapan supplies

Joining the fun at
Skapet med Gummiapan - Rebecka's Bingo Board
Passion for Markers Challenge Week 588 - Add a Heart
Scrappelyst Grublis for April - Geometriske Former

Then I made this tag.  It's house shaped cos I am a nonce and started going across when I should have gone down!  It's cool, even if it is a bit Playschool LOL.

I started by cutting a piece of yellow card to 6 x 12cm.  Then I cut the roof shape, leaving a chimney!  I cut in 2mm at the top to make the edge of the roof and then cut the thin triangle pieces off each edge.  The base of the card is still 6cm wide so my house walls slope out a little.  Good for earthquakes.......  I stamped the large distressed squares on the house and the small dotted squares on the roof using Dandelion distress ink.  Then I stamped the freebie heart and using a distress marker drew in the windows and door.  I stamped the unicorn on yellow card and fussy cut, rearranging his tail and sitting him on some smeared Dandelion ink grass.  The word KLEM mean hug and is an amalgamation of letters from a coffee sentiment stamp.  I punched a hole and added some yellow stripey ribbon and done!!!!  I used tag, monochrome, animal, hug and ribbon and these Gummiapan supplies

Joining the fun at
Skapet med Gummiapan - Rebecka's Bingo Board
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Fantasy and Magical

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

An Interpretation of The Situation

Hello Nomad friends.  Covid-19.   Novel.  That means it's a new strain of virus.  Slippery.  That means it mutates easily and is therefore unpredictable.  Infectious.  That means you can pick it up from another person.  Incubation.  That's the time it takes for you to develop symptoms from the time you become infected.  Flu has an incubation of 1 to 4 days.  C19 has an incubation of 1 to 14 days.  That means you can be exposed to it and not know for 14 days.  Think about that.  How many people would you usually interact with in 14 days??  How many loved ones??  How many strangers??  If you pick up this virus you could be spreading it to everyone you meet for two weeks before even knowing you are sick.  We have some immunity to flu, our body recognises it as a threat.  We also have vaccines.  We have no natural immunity to C19.  We have no vaccines.  Some people's immune systems will not recognise it as a threat.  Their bodies will not fight it.  They might die.  Some people have a lowered immune system.  Their bodies may not be able to fight it.  They might die.  The only thing we can do is buy some time by social distancing and staying home.  Time for the scientists to find a vaccine.  Time for our health systems to help the people who need help.  

I made a banner.  There's Gummiapan Unicorn all alone in the middle.  Two meters (pennants) either side.  Well done Unicorn!!!  I used Gummiapan's large Old Tag die to cut the pennants, using a bit of cutting plate jiggling to avoid cutting the tag 'hole'.  I stamped the pale blue ones with Gummiapan's distressed circles stamp and blue archival ink and edged with blue Promarker.  

Unicorn is social distancing.  Be a unicorn, stay home!!!

Thanks for dropping by.  Stay safe.  Keep well.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Double D Banners Challenge
Skapat Med Gummiapan - Utfordring 10 Banner
Hobbykunst's Påskemaraton - Oppgaven 11 used stamp to make my own background
Påskemaraton med Scrappegarasjen something related to C19
Country View Challenge April 2020 - Animal Magic

Cyber Scraping

Hello Nomad friends.  The weather is glorious today.  Heading for the garden very soon, but first a little CAS birthday card using Gummiapan's very cool Unicorn.

Yesterday I found a few of the crafty fb groups are having Easter events.  I stamped the Gunniapan Happy Birthday bachground, stamped the Unicorn on another piece of card, die cut with the matching die and added him to the card.  

If you know of any other fun events going on let me know.  Mr Mojo is in the mood......  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Skapat Med Gummiapan - Utfordring 5 CAS/Dyr/Natur
Hobbykunst's Påskemaraton - Oppgaven 16 Svart/Hvitt
Penny Black and More Challenge - Anything Goes
Paperbabe Stamps Challenges 116 - Birthdays
Country View Challenge April 2020 - Animal Magic

Blue Knight Magical Unicorn

Hello Nomad friends.  Today I'm doing my second post as the December guest designer for Blue Knight Stamps.  The team is taking a break in the second half of December, so what would have been four posts have been compressed into two.  Since I am sharing two cards at a time I wanted to try and tie them together by using one or more common elements.  Today I used the lovely Magical Unicorn on both cards, along with Window in the Wall and the beautiful Lake Pier silhouette stamp.  You get two different size Unicorns in the Magical Unicorn set.  I have used the large one for both of these cards.

I was really pleased how this turned out.  I started by stamping Lake Pier with black archival onto my white card base. I coloured the grass and dock with green and brown Promarkers.  I gave the lake and sky a watercolour wash of Stormy Sky, diluting it a lot for the sky.  I didn't think the lake had enough colour so I loosely scribbled with a pale blue Promarker.  Much better!!  I stamped the Unicorn on white card, coloured with the same Stormy Sky wash and gel pen highlights.  The dock is a bit of an unusual setting for a unicorn, cos like you usually see them in the forest LOL, but he seems to fit quite nicely into the scene. 

Linking this card to Promarker Challenge Week 523 - Mega Christmas Challenge

For the second card I wanted to use the fabulous Window in the Wall stamp and see if I could get my unicorn to be looking through the window.  I stamped the Window in the Wall on white card and watercoloured with distress inks.  Then I stamped the Unicorn, coloured him with various shades of pink and purple and fussy cut.  Leave more of his neck than you think you might need.  I cut around the inside edge of the window so I could slip my unicorn behind the windowsill.  This gives you extra wiggle room rather than just sticking him in the window.  You have more freedom to make sure you have him at the right angle/place.  Hence leaving a bit extra 'neck' when you cut him out!  

I hope you have enjoyed my cards today.  Blue Knight Stamps still have limited stock of some Overstock Specials, including this unicorn, so if you like it pop over and snap it up at a bargain price.  If you missed the other cards you can find last week's post HERE.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Unicorn Farts

Hello.  Welcome.  It's the 2nd of the month and time for the October Card Chain Challenge Reveal.

In case you don't know the Card Chain Challenge is an international card exchange.  You make a card, send a card and get a card.  Everyone gets a card.  Everyone wins!!!   The November sign up is open until the 6th October.  This will be the last exchange this year so if you fancy giving it a try then hop over and sign up now!!!

Here's the card I sent to Chris in Illinois.

I used the sketch and unicorn options.  The unicorn is a Gummiapan stamp and the sentiment, which seemed to suit him perfectly, is from Carmen's Veranda.  Rainbow and very cute flower clouds are new stamps from Rubber Dance In The Air and What a Girl Wants sets coloured with Promarkers.    I used some coloured glitter glue to add a little extra magic to the unicorn.

Thanks for dropping by.  Do hop over and check out all the amazing cards that whizzed around the planet this month and sign up if you want to join the fun.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Country View Challenges November 2019 - Hand Stamped
Mod Squad Challenge - Sentiment Says It All
The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge 2019 Day 2  #thedailymarker30day

 

Bingo the Unicorn

Hello.  Welcome.  I made a quick Artist Trading Card using TH Bingo small embossing folder and VLVS Unicorn.  Isn't he magnificent!!

I used dark blue metallic card and cut my ATC using a Sizzix die.  I embossed it with the Bingo embossing folder and highlighted with Antique Linen distress oxide.  I stamped and fussy cut the VLVS unicorn and done!!

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - ATC
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday July 2019 - Tim Holtz
Country View Challenges August - Texture
Virginia's August Show and Share 
Stamplorations Summer Theme Challenge 

 

Young Rocker

Hello.  Welcome.  I love this image and it's a perfect card for a young rocker I know.

I stamped the music staves three times and part of the sentiment once on a white card base with black archival.  Then I stamped the unicorn image on book paper, coloured with Promarkers, gel pens, a silver plot marker and fussy cut.  Stamps from Aall and Create #103.  Rock on!!

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Fashionable Stamping Challenges #134 - Book Pages
Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge - Men
Paperbabe Stamps Challenge 84 - Anything Goes
Power Poppy Creative Confetti Challenge - Background Check
Time Out Challenge 120 - Colourful

Unicorn Sunset

Hello.  Welcome.  I won this Visible Image set from Ink Art Designs and this is it's first outing with me.  When I get a new product I like to start simply, so maybe someone has done this before, but this ones mine!!!

I used a hammered card base, stamped the unicorn and the sentiment from Visible Image's Believe In Unicorns and embossed with black powder.  Then I stamped the moon with Fossilised Amber DO.  It did not wipe nicely off the embossed area!!  I ended up re-embossing the unicorns head to get it glossy again.  I sprinkled red brusho powder and used my finger to rub the dry powder into the background.  Then I spritzed with water.  Wish I had taken a before and after photo cos that explosion of colour was pretty glorious!!

 Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Visible Image Show and Tell
Ink Art Designs Challenge
Penny Black and More Challenge - Feature a Creature
Time Out Challenges #104 - Bold
Word Art Wednesday Challenge 324/325 - Anything Goes
Ellibelles Crafty Wednesday Challlenge - All Creatures Great and Small
As You Like It Challenge - Single or Multiple Layers  single, cos I'm a lover of simplicity

It's Magic

Hello.  Welcome.  It's the 2nd of the month so time for the big reveal over at the Card Chain Challenge.   Just in case you are new here, this is an international card exchange where you make a card, send a card, get a card.  Everyone gets a card.  Everyone is a winner.  

I have been doing this for a few years now and I love it!!  It is so nice to get happy mail.  And cos it's all kept secret til the recipient gets her card it surprize happy mail!!  The very best kind.  And cos I am one of the team behind the scenes I got to choose the options and the gallery is filled with Unicorns and Snowflakes, and a few other things.  But there sure is a lot of unicorns and snowflakes!!  Hop over and check it out, but first........

Here's the card I sent to Jeanne in Minnesota.  Oooh look, a unicorn!  I coloured with Promarkers and winked his horn, but that's not showing in this photo.  The unicorn is a new stamp from Unity.  The sentiment is from Sparkle and Sprinkle and I used a do-craft embossing folder (an oldy but goody).  The colours, unicorn and friendship were some of the January options.  Please hop over and check out the reveal.  So many beautiful cards winging their way around the planet this month spreading love, one card at a time.  If you would like to join the fun the February sign up is open until the 6th.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Unicorn is joining the fun at

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
One Crazy Stamper Challenge - Anything Goes 
Uniko Challenge 45 - Something Old, Something New new stamp, old embossing folder
Repeat Impressions Anything Goes Challenge - J2418 
heARTfulstamping Challenge - Anything Goes + a stamp 

 

Believe in the Magic

Hello.  Welcome.  The New Year approaches apace and thoughts turn to things to be done.  You may call these resolutions, but I know I never keep those, so I shall call mine wishes.  I have a list of wishes.  Tidy the craft room is a regular wish.  Be more organised and use more stash are well up there, near the top, as is pay it forward.  If you haven't seen the movie put it on your wish list.  It's such a beautiful concept and it doesn't have to involve money, so there's no excuse.  

I feel blessed to have discovered crafty blogland where, on the whole, everyone is encouraging and always ready to give advice, cyber hugs on your off days and hip hip hoorays when it all goes right.  And I know some of you are lurking.  Watching and reading and never leaving a trace.  And that's fine.  I value my readers, and maybe you are not inspired enough to say anything.  Maybe one day you will be.  And maybe you have been thinking of starting a blog, but don't think your stuff is good enough, or that no one will visit.  But it is, and they will.  There are so many amazing projects to see, that maybe you feel you have to aspire to, but we are not in competition with anyone else and maybe what you share is just what someone needs to see, at that moment, on that day.  So today I am going to share a project that I love, a project that a better crafter may have thrown in the bin for any one of the many mistakes I made, but I decided to keep going and use the bad and make it good.  You may not love this, and that's OK, but I just want you to know that I do.  Have a beautiful, wonderful, awesome day and thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

This was inspired by the VLVS challenge

There are colour suggestions, and trees, and winter and the black and yellow hazards really caught my eye.  So I decided a Unicorn in the snow was perfect for christmas.  What could be more magical to believe in........

So I cut my ATC and stamped my unicorn and oh crap #1.  I have just cleaned that block but obviously I have got it all inky again!!  But that little flash of yellow caught my eye and maybe it's an interesting frame.  So I masked the Unicorn and stamped the little fir tree using Iced Spruce distress ink and some paper scraps to mask.  This is when it really dawned on me that I was using glossy card.  Sometimes these things just pass me by, but the beaded nature of the distress ink was a dead give away.   The urge to start again was ignored again.

It's christmas, and that means glitter, so I grabbed my most favourite iridescent glitter glue and ignored the fact that it recently became strangely water-like.   I added it to the base of my tree lines and it started motoring down the project like it was in the Indy 500 (that will get me a lot of hits from some very surprized people LOL).  As it started to drip off the bottom I redistributed it along the edges of the ATC.  A good save me thinks.  Then I went and made lasagna while glitter glue dried............

It was yummy (the lasagna).  Despite the glossy card thing I decided to still go with distress inks and my waterbrush for colouring the sky and unicorn.  Salty Ocean and Stormy Sky to the rescue.  Ha ha, just realised, Salty Ocean sky and Stormy Sky unicorn (with a few Salty Ocean highlights LOL).

Oh yes, hazard warnings!!  Were those over stamped smudges perfect or what!!  If I deleted all these step by step no one would know how many lives this Unicorn used up!!  That's stripey patterned tape on some yellow card added to the edges of the ATC.  A little smudge of yellow at the top left to fill that little gap and love this.

Last tip of the day, if your sentiment is too big Skrink it!!  I stamped the merry christmas greeting on shrink plastic, cut it out and skrunk it.  Perfect!!   All stamps are from Viva Las Vegas stamps.

Well, if you made it through that mega post I would like to say thanks.  If you are here for the first time hello.  If you are thinking of leaving a comment, or starting a blog, please do it.   And if you are making loads of cards and chucking them in a box then maybe you would consider joining the Card Chain Challenge where you will be able to get rid of one a month and get happy mail in return.  The January sign up is HERE and Unicorn is one of the options.  Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Unicorn is joining the fun at

VLVS December Challenge

Country View Challenges December 2017 - Christmas
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Winter Trees and Flowers 

Happy Little Stampers ATC Challenge - Christmas
Ink Art Designs Stamping Challenge - December 

How Cowboys Dream

Hello.  Welcome.  Supposedly it's Inspire Your Heart with Art Day today.  Something to aspire to every day me thinks.  So.......  I have been meaning to join the Viva Las Vegas Stamps challenge.  Their mood board is all browns and silhouette flowers.  So I decided to try my very first mail art envelope.  I searched for flowers in my VLVstamps and found a guy sleeping against a cactus.  I want his dreams.........

I stamped and black embossed the man sleeping against the cactus, the Unicorn and the dream big sentiment.  All VLVstamps and all NBUS.  Then I did some watercolouring using distress inks, Ground Espresso, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap and Hickory Smoke.  I made the splatts using frayed burlap and Stamplorations Flutters and Splatters stencil.  I think that's quite a fun envelope.  Not bad for a first attempt. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
VLVS Challenge
NBUS Challenge 10  GC if I should be so lucky LOL 
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Coffee and Cream he's just having 40 winks whilst the coffee is cooking
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Stamplorations Mixed Media Challenge