Monday and another sunny week is forecast ... or is it?

Morning readers and welcome to the start of another week, the forecast here is for a fresher week but with winds - hubby won't be happy as the fresher weather would encourage him to go flying but the winds are not good for this - hmmmmm. Thank heavens crafting's not reliant upon the weather! Worst case scenario, we turn on a light!!!

Without further ado, allow me to welcome my newest follower, Barb - see her blog here

Living where I do, it came as no surprise on Saturday (the first weekend of the summer school vacation) to find that we were gridlocked by lunchtime!! Huge tailbacks on the M5 - we NEVER make plans for this weekend! I still remember one of the first important dates with my now husband ..... he was HOURS late because of the M5 "parking lot!!

Nothing for it but to stay home and craft! Works for me ....

The challenge over at Simply Less Is More set me thinking and, frankly, the sets of stamps I used yesterday have been under utilised so I set off to make another .... and one that was different to the first one, guess what? It's a One Layer Card ... and I did it VOLUNTARILY!!!, check it out . . . .

My card

And in close up ... my very own desert island!

And co-ordinating inside

I used the same stamp set as yesterday - the one on the right - Coastal

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank
• Inkadinkado image and sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Brushos in lemon, leaf green, dark brown and turquoise used, water colour style, to add a pop of colour to my "desert island" and VOILA! Nothing more needed - One Layer and just about as CAS as you like!!!
• Judikins micro glaze to seal and protect the water based colour

Interestingly enough, Doni of Lime Green Giggles used exactly the same image - see how differently they turned out by checking her blog here.

I''l be entering this for the following challenges:

1. Fussy and Fancy - challenge No. 143 - Beach fun ... my 2nd entry
2. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. - LIFE'S A BEACH .... my 2nd entry
3. Kraftin' Kimmie - challenge NO. 289 - BEACH
4. Crafting from the Heart - challenge No. 69 - ANYTHING GOES

Of course, looking at the inspirational blogs of others often sets me thinking ..... I saw another blog using an image of a penguin in a rubber ring and it reminded me of a set of stamps I have, also under used so .... I set off to track them down but got sidetracked on the way .... in to making an ATC using another image from the same set! Life's like that, don't you find?

Materials used:

• Two snippets of white card to serve as ATC blank and image panel - neither being thick enough on their own!
• Cats Pyjamas image and sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Alcohol markers to colour - is it just me? or do others find that the alcohol markers sometimes blur the black ink?????? Mind you, it kind of gives the illusion of shape and texture to the sky IMHO but I could just be deluding myself!!!

Now, I COULD enter this for one or more challenges but, I fear that the alcohol marker/ink thing has just spoilt it a little for me and I can't enter it (in good conscience) for any challenges ... that said, I like the ATC!!! What about you? I would have preferred to watercolour this image but ... I used Rymans smooth card and the surface breaks down when water colouring ... had I used water paper then the black wouldn't have been black enough or dense enough against the uneven surface - it's a pain isn't it? How do you lot get around these situations? Next time I buy water colour paper I'm going cold pressed as its smoother!

Have a great week peeps, I'm off out to take coffee with a pal this morning and will, no doubt, be putting the World to rights at the same time!!!!