On your bike!

On your bike!

Hello there! It’s Saturday, and officially, we ought to be checking out a new technique, but with all this flooding and incessant rain, I thought I’d just do something light and refreshingly bright.
Makes you feel better just looking at it, don’t you find?
And how lucky are we, who can disappear into our creative spaces, just take a blank piece of white card, a stamp or two, a few Promarkers or colouring pencils, and create something that will put a smile on somebody’s face? We received so many beautiful, handmade Christmas cards from friends and customers once again this year. I never throw them away, you know. Many, many thanks.
So technically speaking, at the time of writing this blog, 
it’s my good friend Sam Crowe’s birthday. 
This one’s for you Sam. 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDDO ! 
You are catching up with me slowly…
So let’s take a close look.
I used so little, it’s surprising.
Ready, steady, go!
Stamp the Bicycle in Espresso Brown

Make a mask of the little basket and stamp the posy into place.

Stamp the posy all around the edge, turning it 180° each time,

until it looks like this.
Start with the bike. I used Promarkers.
Try and leave a little white when you colour in. 
Gives the flowers that 3-D look.
Then enjoy the journey round the edge. 
Promarkers work a dream on Theuva Card.
The fine blue line on the inside of the entire border 
makes it look 3 dimensional. 
Especially if you squint a bit!! 
Go on, nobody’s watching; squint a bit at the card. See?
See how the background between the posy stamps is coloured in?
I’ve used the lime colour and the bright yellow to fill the negative space! How appropriate! That’s how we should approach Life: 
Fill in the negative space with brightness…
So it doesn’t matter if the posies round the edge weren’t close together; all the more bright background space!
So happy, happy birthday Sam!
And hands up everybody who squinted at Sam’s card!
with love from
Barb 

63 thoughts on “On your bike!

  1. A sunshine project to lift our spirits…sounds just about right t me … so pretty too. Crafty time tomorrow afternoon …going to do something cheerful like this xxx Barbara you just enjoy every second of your weekend off… it's what you need xxx Annie

  2. When I first saw this I though what a pretty card with lovely embossing! Read through the destructions and no embossing in sight! Great colouring technique – another thing to practice. Thank you Barb -another exquisite design!

  3. Yep…I squinted..lol. I have these stamps, so tomorrow I am going to try this one. As you say, it brightens the day, just what we need thank you. Sally xx

  4. I love this one, especially as it reminds me so much of a photo I have of my grandmother in the garden with her bike, just like this one. I did squint but not so much at the blue line but more at the yellow line round the outside edge, wondering how you did that. Filling the negative space with brightness is very good philosophy. xx Maggie

  5. What a cute card and a great philosophy / attitude in life….. 'Fill in the negative spaces with brightness!' How about a stamp with that on?!
    Have a good weekend all x

  6. Morning Barb another wonderful card . You are so clever and how bright and jolly . today is my crafting day . I always spend most of Saturday's up in my attic crafting and pottering . So relaxing . happy day xxp

  7. Lovely bright card just right for a dull drizzly Saturday morning. I love framing my cards with a stamped edge but have never coloured the negative space in between, will have to give it a go. Thanks for the ideas, I read your blog every day and want to try everything! Xx

  8. I squinted too! A stunning card that really lifts a dull day, love the posy stamp! I'm off to my first craft class of the year, scrapbooking today, can't wait as I'm in need of craft 'therapy'! Have a great weekend. x

  9. Hello Barb!
    Love the Bike stamp, as I was reading I thought, that's what I do wrong, I don't leave white bits!
    I shade it all !
    Really makes a difference when you look closely though..you are a clever thing Barb!
    Lovely card today!
    Love Marg

  10. Hi Barb, a really lovely card to brighten the day, great idea colouring the white space. I wonder how many of us were squinting :-). Have a happy birthday Sam. Bx

  11. I love to get out on my bike in the summer months. I even have a baby seat attached which I used for my own 4 girls and is now being used by Phoebe who is grandchild no 8 so this card and stamp set I really really like! You can feel the warm summer sun shining down. Great one Barbara and happy birthday Sam x

  12. Lovely sunny card – really effective border, and I love the way you have coloured the blank areas to create a full border – so much easier than masking and overlapping. Thanks, Susan x

  13. Hi Barb,
    As you say, just what we need to put a smile on our faces. It really makes me think of a Summer's day and being out in the fresh air. Love the way you have coloured in the negative space too. Have a restful weekend. Love Alison xx

  14. Yep I squinted as well, clever, love the design. We have a picture of a bike similar to this hanging in our dining room, it does not have the lovely border though. Enjoy weekend and Happy Birthday to Sam. Lynne xx

  15. Such a perfect card for Sam…bright and bubbly just like her…I think you have created another masterpiece Barbara..have a good day today….and enjoy your day off….XX

  16. Hand firmly up in the air – but it was worth the squint!!! I love the bike…don't have that one yet though…I love the look of this even in the plain stamp view – can you call it monochrome when it was brown ink? I need to get on the bike and cycle down a country lane with the hot sun on my back and a nice lemonade to drink at the end of the trip – thats what this card conjours up for me xx

  17. such a burst of brightness on a cold day. that yellow/lime filling of empty space is genius. it deceives the mind as at first glance it looks like there is no space between the posies. love it xx

  18. Don't know why but I missed this blog post yesterday. Too busy watching Create and Craft with all the new products being launched this year, I suppose. I enjoyed reading this blog and loved the finished result.

  19. Hi Barbara. I looked at this yesterday(Sat) but forgot to leave a comment….so unlike me to forget anything…… NOT! I love this bright and summery card. Thank you for such a great tutorial. It's all the extra info you give, like filling in with yellow and edging with blue that make so much difference to the finished card. Have a good day. Take care.

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