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. 🖤