Bah! Humbug! Day...Favourite Medium...

Wow how these weeks simply fly by.  Thank goodness I have been a part of the team at Bah! Humbug! since the very beginning, because Christmas is going to be here before we know it and at least this year my cards will be a breeze as most of them are already finished and almost ready to send.

This week our challenge theme is to use your favourite medium.  It had to be Promarkers for me.  I do love Derwent Colour Soft pencils and the Lyra Aquacolours, but I always seem to fall back on my Promarkers.  They just give such a professional finish so easily and they are great for colouring gemstones and ribbons to match your card.  I only buy clear gemstones now. It's so much easier both on the purse and on storage.

The cute stamp I've used is one I've had ages and is from a clear set by Penny Black and the sentiment stamp is by Making Memories.  

Other materials used...

• papers by HOTP
• Xcut holly punch
• clear gemstones coloured with crimson Promarker
• holly border punch
• nestie scallop and circle dies

My card is also for the following challenges...

• Simon Says Challenge - Holidays
• My Time to Craft - Jewelled
• Sketch Saturday - the sketch (with bits missed sorry)
• Penny Black at Allsorts - Punches

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and do remember to pop over to Bah! Humbug! to take a look at the amazing cards by my team mates Max and Irene and also our Guest Designer for the month, Anne.

Just playing...

I really loved one of the articles in this month's Craft Stamper Magazine and have been wanting to try out this technique ever since returning from holiday.  In the magazine, which is not to hand so I can't give you any details, the designer had used post it notes to section off an area of her card and then brayered it with colour.  I did mine slightly differently in that I used masking tape and an apperture to create my square and then ink dusters to apply the colour.

The fabulous bird silhouette is from a new set of stamps I got free (favourite word making an appearance there) when I joined the Graphicus Guild. If you aren't a member of this already I would really recommend it and as the price of membership goes up in October now could be a really good time.

The sentiment is from a set by Hero Arts and although I love it it did cause quite a bit of hair pulling out yesterday afternoon.  I stamped it on paper - perfect - I stamped it on one my trial runs of the dusted colour - perfect - I stamped it on to the real thing - no 'be' in best - aaaaaaaaaaaaah disaster!  Due to it being a clear stamp I tried to over stamp (bad idea) - even bigger disaster.  I started again - groan. 

I will be trying this technique out with the other stamps in my new set and some different shapes so watch this space.  Hopefully there will be no more hair pulling out!

My experimental card is also for the challenges at...

• Fab 'n' Funky - Whatever (just how I felt on my third attempt to get the sentiment to stamp perfectly)
• Secret Crafter - Clean and Simple

Have a great day everyone whatever you are up to.

Ann xxx

More from Cape Verde...

Sorry but I'm reliving the sunshine this week.  This is a photo taken in Sal Rei, which was the nearest town to our hotel.  It's one of my favourite photos.  I love the contrast of the almost silhouette of the boy and the tree with the bright colours of the ladies sorting their fish.

You could actually walk along the beach to the town.  We did the walk with our holiday rep who very kindly did a 'free' (very unusual for holiday companies and I do really admire her and the company for that) 'casual stroll' twice per week.

If you do happen to find yourself in Boa Vista at any time do not be fooled by the words 'casual' or 'stroll'.  This rep did her initial training in the Foreign Legion and her idea of a stroll was more like a route march.  I thought I was going to die and I know I'm prone to exaggeration, but I kid you not.  It was looking really bad at one stage for me and the guy who was carrying his five year old on his shoulders, especially at the end of one and a half hours when we realised the final stage of the 'stroll' involved climbing enormous sand dunes in the heat of the midday sun.  We made it though and hit the bar big time downing 3 cokes in less than an hour.

Here's another great picture - well I think so - I just love the colours on the basket.

Finally for those still awake here's some info I found while googling 'Sal Rei' just in case anyone wants to know more.

'Sal Rei, Boavista, Cape Verde Islands

Sal Rei (literally "Salt King"), with a population of about 3,000 inhabitants, is Boavista's capital. The town was originally known as Porto Ingles, probably due to the English sailors that established a salt business on the Island in the 1600s. The Duque de Braganca fort, which faces Sal Rei from the nearby islet (Ilhéu de Sal Rei), was built to protect the port from the frequent pirate attacks that plagued the Island during the early 1800s. Apparently, it is possible to swim the 1.5km to this Islet from Sal Rei, though you can also take a boat.

The town itself is a dusty, backward, laid-back sort of place with cobbled streets and slightly decaying colonial buildings, however Sal Rei is changing fast as apartments, hotels and villas are being built for the expected tourist boom.'

If you have read this far thank you so much for your patience.  Hope you all have a fantastic day wherever you are or whatever you are doing.

Ann xxx

Happy Monday....

Oh wish I was still in Cape Verde having breakfast in the garden area looking out over this beautiful view.  Having said that it wasn't a good idea to leave the table unattended as you can see in the photo below certain visitors were quick to spot an unattended bread basket.  

 Have to be at work for 7 - yikes!  Better get a move on.  Looks like another non crafting day.  I am having huge withdrawal symptoms - work is really disturbing my crafting time at the moment.  

Have a fabulous day everyone.

Ann xxx