Keep it flowing...

well, that's the idea anyway! I've had a busy few days creating some samples for a Stampin Up workshop I'm doing on Sunday evening, so I thought I'd combine some of my time with doing a challenge or two to help along the way (!). I did get somewhat way-layed though on Wednesday... I went out for the morning as the kiddiwinks were in London for a few days. They had gone to a Katy Perry concert at the O2, and were taking a detour to Kent to stay with my sister in law overnight, so they left on Tuesday 6.30am and arrived home last night around 9pm. I reckon they enjoyed themselves, but it meant that time was my own, and after a while you get bored with your own company... right?

So.. off I ventured to buy meself some new copic markers, as I needed a couple of yellow ones and a red or two. Notice I say needed? lol. I decided to go to the Craft Den in Sheffield, owned by the lovely Lynne. I went through the stages of shall I? Shan't I? and decided to hell with it.. I'd have a trip down there. I didn't have my sat nav cable so couldn't use that, and I thought it was okay, as I'd been there before..! Well... what fun! I can honestly say I know Sheffield like the back of my hand, and I know where the footie stadium is.. and KFC... (funnily enough I passed that one quite a few times!) and I also know where Swann knives are made, where the hospital is and every bloomin' side road possible!

When Ieventually got where I was going, I realised it was dead easy to find without a sat nav and actually found my way home quite simply! Trust me to go the long way round the houses.. and any lesser, more intelligent person, would probably have given up and gone home.. but then they've probably never been to the Craft Den! You see, the shop is stuffed with loooooods of luscious goodies that you probably wouldn't find anywhere else! They have wonderful stamps (got a few of those!), a wide collection of copics (got a few *cough* of those), a fantasticoodly amount of papers (mmm.. think I may have got a few of those.. ) and then there was the lace (I really DID need it.. honestly.. ). I can't remember what else I got now, but I probably did need it. And Lynne is just such a doll. She's soooo helpful and a mind of information. Such a help, so thank you Lynne for your advice on the copics.. greatly appreciated!

So over the last couple of days I've got on with the job in hand and made my SU samples and a challenge or two..

This is the first one. It was made for the Copic Colour Challenge and the colours were -

And here's my card using these colours (didn't have the exact match of the first two, but hey ho.. )

The image is Sarah Kay (from the Craft Den) and I cut her out and mounted her on a nested rectangle which I coloured with SU inks. The papers are SU too, and the greeting is one I got from the Craft Den.

Here's a close up..

I used white gel pen to add some spots to the dress and highlights..

I also took part in a challenge over at ILWS and this is the sketch that was provided..

And here's my card for this one..

I used Bashful Blue, Old Olive and Very Vanilla cardstock, which also fits in with the Colour Combo Challenge on ILWS too, although I didn't have the Bordering Blue, which I why I used another tone. The background on the Old Olive was made using my SU Wheel (these are fantastic!!) So Swirly, and I accented it with a white gel pen. The stamps for the panels were Simply Said. I used brads to accent and layered up the last heart. Old Olive and Very Vanilla ribbon finished it off.

I also used these as my base colours for this card..

I absolutely love love love this set!!!! The car is from the Loads of Love set and so are the hearts - there are different items that you can put in the back of the truck.. how clever!!! I also used the Neighbourhood wheel and Watercolour Wonder crayons (you've never seen 'owt so good as these for watercolouring!!!). Hope you like it.
Here's a close up of the car, which I layered up a couple of times with dimensionals.

So.. that's it for now. Have a lovely weekend whatever you're doing, and I hope the weather stays as nice as it is at the moment! Lovely blue skies - perfect for photographing!