Cards - 2020 Round-Up

 I made a lot of cards this year, like I always do, just never really kept track of them. I do have a few pictures though. Finally got a proper set-up for taking better images. That was long overdue indeed.

Literally just a small selection, that I remembered to photograph, from 2020.

Art Impressions - who does not like a little hedgehog? And I do so like a card to can be displayed!

And cats cats cats... what else do you give a cat lover but lots of cats?

These stamps are by Penny Black. They are individual images that I piled together for the card front.

A gentle and sweet  bridge style Mother's Day card for our Daughter-In-Love using cut files from Lettering Delights, Mommy and Me (affiliate link!)

More Penny Black for Christmas tags...

And a layering stamp set by Hero Arts for a birthday card. Ink smooshing and an embossing folder for colour and texture on the background with assorted die-cuts to finish it off.

For another birthday I pulled out this old All Night Media wood block stamp of mine. Sometimes it is nice to revisit old 'friends' I've had for many years and that I have used for many cards over the years.

I decided to jazz it up a bit by making it into a shaker card and since I hand delivered it, I was able to make the 3 dimensional flowers out of tissue paper to add that something special to the card.

I like the way that turned out! I used a spray of alcohol ink for colour and a touch of gold for the edged of the petals.

I teamed the card with a gift of sugar hand soap scrubs for my gardening loving friend.

And that is a wrap for cards from 2020. Stay tuned for a post showing the recent card making spate.

Puzzle Adventures - April 2021

 In between crocheting, and now knitting, for a new grandbaby, making greeting cards and spring cleaning...I've been doing a few puzzles this month.

I started with this very fun one that I traded some time last year and had not yet done. I really enjoyed it. It was not difficult but very interesting.

I did it for the 'Food' Monthly Theme Challenge. The title is 'Donuts' and the brand Jack Pine, with a 1000 piece count.

For the Alphabet Challenge I entered this one for 'E is for Elephant'

What a fun puzzle. I got this from a fellow puzzler here locally. It is called a 'sand' puzzle as all the sand coloured areas on the puzzle have a sanded finish. Small grains are embedded in the ink so that there is the added tactile experience when you assemble it. I liked it and loved the bright colours. It certainly has an African vibe.

'Elephants' by Clementoni at 500 piece count.

'Dolphins Dawn' by MB, also a 500 piece count puzzle.

This one has been on the pile for a few months, waiting for warmer weather.

It was quick to do, and the colours are nicely saturated.

Next one for the Alphabet Challenge was J - is for Jars for which I did this panorama puzzle 'Sweet Shoppe' by Bits & Pieces. It was okay to build, but not my favourite so I traded it as soon as it came off the board...

I'd been waiting for spring to do this 'Spring Birdhouse' beauty by Cobble Hill. Ahhh the quality...so nice! And since it was a new puzzle, that delicious smell. Cobble Hill puzzles have a unique smell that I really like.

And finally for April, this kitten one. Kitchen Capers ...or something to that effect, by Buffalo. It was fun to do, but the quality is not so good. Not the best if you start building with glue in hand to stick delaminating layers back in place. The price reflects that though, so I guess in the end it evens out, but straight after a Cobble Hill it felt pretty awful.

I'm behind posting, so I guess I'd better get on with the post for May! Yikes!