Hello...?

Hey!

Hello? Is anyone there? Well after a near two-month blogging break I'm wondering if anyone might actually be visiting by here anymore! To anyone who is reading this, welcome! It's been a while and a lot has happened in the meantime (more on that later though!) but the main thing is that I'm B.A.C.K. :D

It certainly feels fabulous to be back blogging and I'm going to be sticking around over the next few days with some serious enabling of the new Clearly Besotted February release!

Oh it's felt so good to get back on the CB bandwagon and get busy with these amazing goodies. The release is available to purchase from 5th February 10pm (UK time) and there's something for everyone! From cute to contemporary, CB has it covered. :)

I thought it might be tough to get back into the cardmaking habit for the blogeroo after so long away, but when you have yummy products to work with it certainly kicks the mojo into gear. Today's card features stunning images and a sentiment from the new set, Sketched Blooms. I fell for this set instantly. The beautiful, detailed images. The wonderful font used for the sentiments. I think it's fair to say it's a favourite!

• The leaves appear behind the flower thanks to a simple masking technique. I always keep any masks I make for future projects too.
• Distress Inks were used to colour my images by tapping them onto my acrylic block, misting them with water and using them as watercolours.
• I placed the mask back onto the flower before adding some green Distress Ink splatter to protect the pink bloom. 

Well I'm sure you probably came here from Stephanie who is sharing a list of everyone joining in the release fun including our fabulous guest designers, Lucy Abrams, Jo Nevill & Jen Nelson! But if you haven't, then do pop across as there's plenty more enabling to be done!

***Warning! Plenty of non-crafty pictures ahead! Please feel free to hop along!***

As for me, I mentioned that a lot had happened in my near two-month blogging break. Christmas came and went and I've been creating a lot for publications that I can't really share here yet. But most importantly, I gained a husband, changed my name and had the best day ever. Our wedding day! Yup, I'm now Amy Gray and I'll be updating things with my new name in time. I could seriously bore you all day week month about our wedding but I won't. I'll just leave you with some pics from the talented Jo & Simon from Shoot Lifestyle Photography:

We kept things non-traditional and both got ready at home. I loved how casual the morning was - not a single nerve was felt by this bride!

I love that we have pictures to treasure of our home. We're lucky to live in a hall from the 1600s and seeing as we're looking to move soon, we wanted to make our home a big part of our day.

I debated on paper flowers for my bouquet (after all, I am a papercrafter with hay fever!) but I'm so happy that I opted for real flowers. I had pussy willow in my bouquet as a tribute to my dear dad who passed away two years ago. I think he would have loved the fact that it complemented my faux fur coat too. A happy coincidence.

I couldn't get my craft on half as much as I would have liked to but I did love creating our cake topper thanks to a Lia Griffith template to use with my Cricut Explore. :)

We had every weather going that day. Snow, rain, hail and fortunately some winter sunshine - just in time for the photography! :)

We were married at Chatsworth which is beautiful in itself, but at the same time sentimental to me. It's where I spent many summers growing up, jumping in the river from a rope swing (which you'd never catch me doing now!)

Though you can catch me jumping on a horse for a photo opportunity! It was much easier getting up there than it was getting down...

I'm pretty sure that's enough for you but just in case it's not (Ha! Who am I kidding?!), the extremely talented and lovely Jo and Simon from Shoot Lifestyle Photography have shared more pictures here. We can't thank them enough for the precious moments they captured.  Oh and the miracles they can work with a camera too! :)

And if you're still with me after all of that, thank you so much for your patience with my blogging break and for stopping by today. I'll be back tomorrow with another CB sneaky peek!

Time out!

Hey!

*Tap*, *tap*...testing, testing....1, 2, 3....is this thing on? Ha!

Yup, it's been a while but it's so lovely to be finding a teeny tiny amount of time to come back to Blogland.  Although today's card suggests it's the most wonderful time of the year, I can certainly vouch for it being the most chaotic! It's the busiest time in the publishing schedule at work and we've got  Christmas to organise and a wedding to get planned in five weeks. I like a challenge :)

Oooh and a challenge is exactly why I'm posting this card today. I'm over with the lovely, talented ladies on the Time Out challenge blog where they're asking peeps CASE a card of mine. I can't thank them enough for having me on board - totally flattered.

So today's card is a CASE of this Christmas card of mine last year:

I was inspired by the snowflakes and hearts (the heart on my new card is on the sentiment along with a blob of red Stickles)  The snowflakes are actually created by cutting into this bauble die freebie from issue 129 of Simply Cards & Papercraft! I adore the delicate snowflake shape you can create with a few cuts into a die-cut shape. It's a perk of the job to play with the crafty goodies we have with our magazines. ;)

Please do pop across to the Time Out challenge blog if you can and join in the fun!

Speaking of time, it's time for me to dash, but thanks for sticking around for this brief 'time out' from my busy schedule. I really appreciate it and hope to be back again soon...!

Beautiful birch trees...

Hey!

Happy Wednesday, happy Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night and happy Clearly Besotted Stamps release day! That's right, the November release is available to view now and for you to purchase from 10pm tonight (UK time)!

For my final project of the release I've inked up the new set, Birch Trees. This mini set is fabulous and so versatile for so many occasions. I'm thinking birthdays, Christmas an even sympathy cards using this super little set.

• I embossed the trees onto vellum to achieve a softer effect. You could always layer vellum over stamped trees to soften their appearance too. 
• Avoid adhesive showing through the vellum by adding tiny dots of Glossy Accents to the reverse side of the embossed trees.
• This design works for so many occasions - don't be limited by using only the sentiments from one stamp set. Experiment and use a range of sentiments! 

If you haven't checked out the full release, then what are you waiting for? Pop across to Stephanie's to check it out, make your shopping list and get a ton more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

Before I dash, let me wish those of you who are celebrating Bonfire Night a very happy and safe evening. Fingers crossed the weather holds out for the fireworks!

Thanks so much for sticking around with me over the past few days - I'm thankful for every visit and your company. Thank you! :)