I Spy With My Little Eye...

Hi everyone, my lovely blogging friend Ellie has exciting news today, as she is launching a new monthly challenge on her blog Ellibelle's Corner, entitled I Spy With My Little Eye...

.. and my exciting news is that she asked me to be her Guest Designer for the first challenge - woo hoo!! Thanks Ellie!!

As mentioned above, the challenge will start on the 3rd Wednesday of each month and will end on the Sunday before the next challenge at 23.59 US Central Time … so that’s Sunday April 16th. Here’s a link to the first challenge and the theme is ..

I Spy With My Little Eye ... a Spring or Easter Critter

Here is my card for this challenge.

One of the things I love about Ellie's style of crafting is her use of adorable Penny Black stamps - both recent and vintage. I myself have a good collection of vintage wooden PB stamps all the way back to when I first started crafting in 2005, but since coming back to crafting in 2021 after a few years away they have been rather sadly neglected. I think this is partly because my confidence in colouring with alcohol markers was low on my return, and I kind of got out of the habit. Easter is a time though when I do tend to turn to these cute critter images, so this challenge was the perfect opportunity!! I have to say this duckling really is one of my favourites … he looks so daffy, the expression on his face is priceless somehow!

I cut a frame of pearlescent white card using my stitched square dies, then embossed with a floral folder I recently picked up in the charity shop. I stamped my image onto a square of Neenah card stock and coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers, then lightly inked grass and sky with Distress Oxide inks. I gently blended DOX inks in co-ordinating colours over the embossed frame using teeny stencil brushes, then attached my image panel behind the aperture.  I stamped my Easter greeting direct onto the image panel, and the springtime sentiment onto a snippet of white pearlescent card which I then cut out with a stitched square die and edged with pink DOX. I assembled the card by adding two colours of twine with the bow secured with a sparkly brad, and the sentiment popped up on foam tape. Lastly I added a bit of sparkle to the duck's flowers with my Spectrum Noir sparkle pen - here is a closeup to capture the twinkle.

Stamps: Penny Black Duckling (3347H), Spring Magic (2852C), Happy Easter (2855D);

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Twisted Citron, Bundled Sage, Tumbled Glass); Memento ink (black); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen (clear);

Tools: Hunkydory Duo-Stitched Squares; Die’sire Embossalicious Floral Frenzy embossing folder;

Twine and brad from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Easter Critters (and why) - TOP 3

(I would normally say bunnies, but there is something just so adorable about this duckling holding his bunch of Easter flowers - he is my favourite!)

Beyond the Blue #81 - Blooms

Can You Handle the Pressure? - Anything Goes Embossing - TOP 3

Crafty Animals #70 - Anything Goes with an Animal - TOP PICK

Crafty Calendar (March) - Buttons/Bows

Crafty Catz #628 - Anything Goes with option Spring

Creative Inspirations (March) - Spring Blooms (2nd entry)

Critter Crazy Challenges #72 - Anything Goes With a Featured Critter

Cutie Pie #180 - Beginning With B (Blooms)

Dream Valley #289 - Things With Wings (2nd entry)

Happy Little Stampers: Dies (March) - Anything Goes With Dies

I ❤️ Promarkers #530 - Anything Goes with option Add a Flower

Make My Monday #196 - Spring Colours

Passion For Markers #681 - Colours of Spring - TOP 5

Penny Black Saturday (March) - Anything Goes with option Easter

Simply Create Too #188 - Spring Colours

Stamping Sensations (March) - Anything Stamped with option Wings and Tails (3rd entry)

Triple B (March) - Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies (3rd entry)

We Love Stamping (March) - Anything Stamped with option Spring Is In the Air

Word Art Wednesday #587/588 - Anything Goes

Please do pop over to Ellie's blog to see her fab creations, and link up your spring/Easter critter makes here.

That's all from me for today - take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,