A Little Throwback – Instant Camera Cards 📸

 While I’ve been deep in inks, layers, and storytelling this week, I found myself looking back at a set of cards I made just before I stopped crafting for a while… and I realised something:

They still make me smile.

So I thought they deserved a place here too.

📸 The Cards

These are a set of 4x4 cards built around the cutest instant camera frame dies from The Stamps of Life.

Each card follows a simple, bold structure:

• A coloured cardstock base
• A Polaroid-style frame (from AliExpress)
• Patterned background papers to match
• And of course… the camera focal point

The cameras themselves were die-cut in different colours to coordinate with each card, then layered onto black cardstock to give them that strong outline and make them really stand out. A little highlight on the lens brings them to life—like they’re ready to snap a moment at any second.

 🎨 Colour & Style

These cards are all about colour and fun.

Bright greens, soft blues, warm peach, lilac, and bold pink… each one has its own personality, but they all sit together nicely as a set.

Compared to my more recent work, these are much cleaner and more graphic—less layered, less moody, and definitely more playful. And there’s something really lovely about that simplicity.

✏️ Sentiments

The sentiments also come from the same Stamps of Life set and tie in perfectly with the camera theme:

• “Life is like a camera”
• “Focus on today and you’ll be ok”
• “Take another shot!”

Simple, uplifting, and just the right amount of cheeky.

🎥 Watch the Original Feature

If you’d like to see these cards in action and how they were originally created, you can watch the feature video here:

🖤 Final Thoughts

Looking back at these, I can see how much my style has evolved… but I can also see the beginnings of what I still love today:

• strong focal points
• thoughtful colour choices
• and a desire to make something that feels good

Sometimes it’s nice to revisit where you were… and realise it was never a bad place to begin with.

More new creations coming soon…

These cards even had a small feature in a magazine a few years ago. 

 
Bon 🖤

Sunflower Series – Holding on to Light 🌻

 

Some days call for drama and depth…
and some days quietly ask for warmth, softness, and a little hope.

Today was the latter.

After the intensity of my recent dark romance pieces, I felt drawn to something lighter—something that still tells a story, but with sunlight instead of shadow. And so this little sunflower trio was born.

🌿 The Process

As always, I started with 300gsm white cardstock, cut down to ATC size—my favourite little canvas.

The images were stamped onto white card using VersaFine Clair in Nocturne, giving me those crisp, rich outlines I love working with using using stamps from the Papercraft Society Box 22 by Ruth Mackie-McCartan.  From there, I coloured everything using my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers:

• BG2 & BG7
• AG4 & LG4
• CT2 & CT4
• IB1

I kept the colouring fairly natural and soft, letting the yellows stay bright but not overpowering, and adding gentle depth into the greens so the leaves didn’t get lost.

🌾 Backgrounds

For the backgrounds, I stayed deliberately muted and warm:

• Antique Linen
• Tea Dye
• Old Paper

Blended softly to create that slightly vintage, sun-washed feel.

I wanted the backgrounds to feel like late afternoon light—textured, warm, but never competing with the focal images. A few stamped details were added to give interest, but always with a light hand so the sunflowers could remain the stars.

🐝 The Story in Three Cards

Each ATC carries its own little message:

• “Keep a little sunshine”
  A soft, almost nostalgic piece with bees captured inside a jar—like holding onto small moments of light.
• “In a world of roses, be a sunflower”
  The bold centrepiece. A reminder to stand out, turn towards the light, and be unapologetically yourself.
• “Still reaching for the sun”
  A quieter ending. Gentle strength. Growth, even when it’s not loud or perfect.

Together, they form a simple story:

hold onto the light, choose your own path, and keep growing.

🌻 Final Thoughts

What I loved most about this set was the balance.

Not too busy.
Not too bold.
Just enough detail to support the feeling without overwhelming it.

After working with darker tones and heavier emotion, this felt like a breath of fresh air—proof that crafting doesn’t always have to shout to be meaningful.

Sometimes… it just needs to glow quietly.

More to come soon…
Bon 🖤

Dark romance… in ink and shadow

 Some colour palettes don’t ask politely.

They pull you in.

After working with softer tones, I found myself drawn back to something deeper… richer… a little more emotional.

This set of ATCs leans into that space.

Not bright reds or obvious romance… but something quieter, more layered. The kind of feeling that sits underneath the surface.

The palette

Everything in this set was created using Distress inks on white 300gsm cardstock.

The colours:

• Tattered Rose
• Tea Dye
• Aged Mahogany
• Victorian Velvet
• Black Soot

Soft warmth first… then depth… and finally that touch of black to pull everything inward.

The backgrounds

I built each background slowly, layering colour and texture until it felt like it had a history of its own.

Subtle stamping using VersaFine Clair in Nocturne added detail without overpowering the surface. The florals, script and marks are not meant to stand alone… but to become part of the paper itself.

Once the layers were in place, I added Black Soot around the edges.

Not to darken everything… but to frame it.
To give the pieces a sense of containment.

 The hearts

For the focal elements, I used heart-shaped dies from the Papercraft Society Box 29 by Christina Griffith at Card Making Magic.

Each heart was cut from the same white cardstock and then inked to match the palette, allowing them to sit naturally within the background rather than on top of it.

To lift them slightly, I added a soft shadow using a Spectrum Noir alcohol marker (BG2).

Just enough to give dimension… without breaking the mood.

The result

Each card carries its own feeling:

• One feels guarded… intricate, almost protective
• One feels open… centred and steady
• One feels fragmented… a little more expressive, a little less controlled

Together, they form a set that feels connected, but not identical.

 

 What I’m noticing

I’m starting to trust when to stop.

Not every space needs filling.
Not every layer needs explaining.

Sometimes the most important part of a piece is what’s left unsaid.

This set feels different.

More intentional.
More restrained.
A little darker… but in a way that feels calm rather than heavy.

A reminder to myself:

Not all romance is light.

Some of it lives quietly in shadow. 🖤

A quiet moment in blue…

Some projects don’t arrive with noise or urgency.

They come softly… almost like a pause.

After the richness of my last set, I found myself wanting something lighter.
Something that felt like air rather than earth.

So this time, I reached for a gentler palette:

• Tumbled Glass
• Shaded Lilac
• Squeezed Lemonade

Soft blues, muted violet, and just a touch of yellow warmth.

The background

I used the smooth blending technique to build the base, letting the colours drift into each other rather than forcing them to meet.

No harsh edges.
No strong contrast.

Just a quiet wash of colour that felt almost like sky… or the kind of light that sits in a room on a slow afternoon.

Once that was in place, I added subtle texture using stamps from the Papercraft Society Box 8 by Bee Crafty.

Not to take over… just to give the background a little history.

 

The butterfly

I knew quite early on that this piece didn’t need more colour.

It needed space.

So instead of adding another focal image, I chose a large, intricate butterfly die from Crafter’s Companion and cut it in plain white.

No colouring.
No embellishment.

Just shape.

Placed gently off to the side, it allows the background to show through, almost as if the butterfly is made of light rather than paper.

 

The inside

I kept the inside simple.

“You are loved beyond measure.”

Nothing complicated. Nothing layered.

Just words that needed room to be felt.

The butterfly detail continues softly inside, tying everything together without overwhelming the message.

 

What this piece taught me

Not everything needs more.

More colour.
More layers.
More detail.

Sometimes the most powerful choice is to stop.

To let the paper breathe.
To let the design rest.

This card feels different to my previous work.

Quieter.
Softer.
More deliberate.

And I think that’s exactly what I needed.

A small reminder to myself:

Light has its own kind of strength. 🖤

Hello world… Bon is back

It has been a long time since I last sat down to create something with my hands.

Not because I didn’t want to… but because somewhere along the way, crafting became less about creating and more about collecting. The joy got buried under “just one more thing”, and before I knew it, I had everything I needed… and nothing to show for it.

So this time, I’m doing it differently.

No new supplies.
No chasing the next best thing.
Just me, what I already have… and a quiet decision to begin again.

The starting point

I found an old favourite in the shed: “In the Jungle” by Francoise Read.
A retired Woodware stamp set that still makes me smile.

There is something about it… playful, a little quirky, full of personality.

It felt like the right place to start. 

The process

I began with three simple ATC backgrounds using my gelli plate and Distress inks.

No pre-made papers.
No shortcuts.

Just layers of colour, texture, and small stamped details built slowly until the backgrounds felt like they had a story of their own. 

From there, I stamped and coloured the images using Caran d’Ache crayons, blending them gently with a water brush before fussy cutting each piece.

 

Each card developed in its own way:

• One became about movement and story, with the frog reaching upward.
• One settled into balance and grounding, finding its place through small adjustments.
• And the final piece… found its rhythm almost naturally, with the dragonfly floating above and the sentiment unfolding below.

 

What I learned (again)

The biggest lesson wasn’t technical.

It was this:

Sometimes less really is more.
Sometimes stopping before it feels “finished” is exactly what it needs.
And sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference.

Most importantly… I remembered how it feels to create something instead of just thinking about it.

Moving forward

This is not about perfection.

It’s about consistency.
About using what I have.
About letting the process lead instead of the pressure.

Three small cards might not seem like much.

But for me, they are something far bigger:

A quiet return.

Hello world…
Bon is back. 🖤

Papercraft Society (May) - Bee Crafty Art journal Signature

I used to make cards for the free magazine cover gift  every month but due to demands at home took some time out and i feel that I can now get back to this as it is school holiday and I am saving some time travelling between home, work and school.  I will include my Papercraft Society Boxes in my first art journal.

I will be starting with my Papercraft Society Box 8 which was the Bee Crafty Mixed Media box.

Papercraft Society May Box Reveal - Bee Crafty Mixed Media

Bev, Sam and Julie from Bee Crafty are known for their clever use of stamps, contrasting colours and amazing tag designs.
Inside the box you will find:

• 11 piece die set
• Element stamp set featuring 16 stamps
• Background stamp set featuring 9 stamps
• 2 x stencils
• 3 x inkpads
• 8 sheets of patterned paper (4 designs - 2 of each)
• 6 sheets of 2-sided co-ordinated coloured cardstock (3 colours - 2 of each)
• 2 sheets of kraft card
• Embossing paste
• Palette knife
• Inspiration Booklet packed with project ideas.

With every box you also get a password for some inspirational videos over on a dedicated subscribers page on Craftstash.

 

Art journalling

During the long lockdown across the world I realised that I make a lot of cards that never really go to anyone and just take up precious crafting space. I donated these to charities through the years but never felt like they really got appreciated so I decided to start doing "artsy" projects just for me. This was the start of my mixed media and art journaling journey. I already had all the products I needed, well nearly everything (can a true crafter ever have everything or enough stash). I made an album that measure 15 x 15 cm (5.9 inches square) and bound it using my We R Memory Keepers Cinch.  I used mixed media paper cut to size.

Page one was a very simple page done by tracing a Studiolight stencil with a black fine tip pen and then colouring in.  I used a Tonic Glitter marker to colour the background.

Here I used a but out from the Karen Joan's first Missees collecting and some zig zag doodling with a white pen.  I enjoyed creating this floral arrangement using some stamps and some Art by Marlene dies in black to make the flowers pop.  Unfortunately I can not remember what stamp set I used for the vase and flowers.

A Studiolight butterfly stamp designed by Lou Withers and cut the edges with art by the Art by Marlene's DIY  Tag Journal kit.

I used lots of stencils and pastes on some of my pages, I was not to comfortable with the whole mixed media thing to start of by now really enjoy experimenting and