Tiled cards

Today has not been great weather wise, but I still made sure I got out and did something down on the allotment. This only consisted of transferring the composting pile from one bin to another to aerate and turn, to enable faster composting. This took a lot longer than it seems, and it was very heavy going with the top layer all sticking together making it difficult to get out of the first bin. However, I now have a small pile of almost created garden compost, which I can use to mulch around the plants currently in, and bulk out the soil when planting potatoes and beans! I also stripped the front raised bed as the new bulbs are starting to come through. Again this was more difficult than it should have been as some of the annuals are still putting out flowers due to the mild and wet winter! However, all dead plants have been removed and those still flowering tidied up a little. I just need to try and work out what is snowdrops and what is grass, so that I can remove the grass as this should not be in the raised bed. The next task is to trim back the bushes next to the wall, and pull up the weeds coming through the gravel AGAIN!!!

This evening I have made two cards, using the same basic technique. The first is a Christmas themed card to enter some Christmas challenges, and the second is just a general card that can be used for a variety of occasions.

So here is 'Christmas in Spring'. A basic green base card was used, with a gold sheer ribbon added down the centre. The a piece of 'Minds Eye' Christmas paper was trimmed vertically using decorative scissors and stuck over the ribbon, slightly to the left. Gold mirror card was used to create 'tiles' along with basic shape punches - snowflake and star. There were alternated down the patterned paper. Using the Papermania Honey and Hugs 'Festive Frolics' stamp set I created an image on a scalloped circle. I then coloured this image in using watercolour pencils. This was stuck to the bottom right of the card. Finally a line was drawn underneath the paper in purple watercolour pencil and blended with water.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnuts Christmas - ribbon, twine etc

Papertake Weekly - Sketch (I have offset the circle)

Crafting by designs - Colours of Spring (for a different take on the theme)

Card Mania - Use a Sentiment

Jingle Belles Rock - Sketch

Crafting Techniques - Watercolours

This next one is 'Dragonfly Tiles' and uses only one double sided paper for the entire card. The paper came free with Homemade magazine. A basic card blank was covered with the floral side of the paper. Then a smaller panel was cut, using the decorative scissors for the vertical edges, and stuck in the centre of the card, after being reversed. Using a dragonfly punch five tiles were created from the paper, and stuck to the centre panel, floral side up, alternating between the tile and the punched image.

This card is being entered for these challenges:

Love to Create - Anything goes

CraftyCatz - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Spring is coming

Polkadoodles - Sugar and Spice

Abc challenge - G is for Girls

Country View - Paper Chase

Monthly Themes for Crafting - One Paper

Hugz Tinz