Fantasy Worlds

Good morning coupled with apologies for being a tardy blogger this week, this post was started last weekend but before I finished it my iMac which was on borrowed time did a final nose dive. Whilst I have a tablet and phone my dodgy eyes and dexterity can do little on either when it comes to typing.

It's been a nightmare week! Apple stopped making the 27" desktop, so ordered a new Cube and 27" monitor, but setting up the peripherals has been another matter, the magic keyboard and mouse are much too small for me so always use Logitech and they just wouldn't pair. So a trip yesterday to the Genius Bar in Cambridge and sorted or so I thought, I can use it OK now, but the Mac mail system which is identical to old machine just doesn't want to play ball as yet.

Explanations made I'll move onto craft and my projects for Hearts Quests Fantasy challenge where I was thrilled to be invited by Becca to be their Guest Designer for February and the Snippets Playground.

Lavinia stamps were my obvious choice and above a triptych card with the Fairies and Bunnies enjoying some early Spring weather. On the left Everlee sitting on the Secret Garden Sign and on the right Pris on her Swing, in the middle Pipin and one the the Wild Hares. The scene around the focal images was built up with Rosemary for the grass along with Bluebells and Fairy Bells and as I used a stencil for the sun and hills hope that's sufficient for Stencil Fun. All About Papercraft is focusing on stamps, lots used on this one.

I'm continuing to try and stretch myself with dies and the aim of this one was to see if stamping and dies would combined into a scene. Starting place was a watercolour background, literally just 'sloshed' water and colour across first adding a sun mask, next stamped some grass and flowers, then the Hummingbird coloured in, all stamps Lavinia and finally arranged the die cut flowers and leaves. Below my snippets. As You Like It asks for fav dies, this flower one appeals with the layers giving dimension and at Craft Rocket they would like to see Flowers and of course it's Flowers at Beautiful Blossoms.

We only have a very small The Works in our area and they don't sell any craft products, mainly books, a few paints and chipboard pieces including Fairy Doors which Hubby picked up certain I would want them, so to appease bought two. 

I gave one a couple of coats of white acrylic pain, stamped some little flowers and leaves, then decorated with TRR flowers and Ivy, some 'grass' across the bottom and a Lavinia Bunny, Fairy signpost and Butterfly. Would like to enter this at Creative Artiste

Inside we find Zemira releasing a kaleidoscope of Flutterbies in her sunny garden.

The Fantasy challenge is open right through to the 28th so we hope you will join in with your Fantasy creations.

Hearts and Flowers

I'm back again with shares for our February challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where this months themes are Hearts as selected by Faith and Favourite Stamps which Lynn selected. Prizes are stamps from Lavinia and Penny Black stamps and a voucher from Buddly Crafts. 

And as it's the first of the month it coincides with our February challenges at Tag-Along (and ATC's where Pinky chose the theme of Add a Number and MAWTT where Wendy has chosen Floral as her theme, so a photo heavy post.

No secret that Lavinia are my favourite stamps and that Poppies rate pretty highly as well, so the two combined on the above card. I started with an softly inked background and sun then stamped Garden Poppy, Group Poppies and in the background Orchard Grass. I then painted over the smaller Poppies with Dr Phil Martins white bleed proof paint and some liquid pearls. Linking up to Beautiful Blossooms

Above my WLS share using a mixture of Lavinia stamps, Bobby the Robin, sitting on Flower Devine, some stencilled hearts and a Penny Black sentiment. Adding this one at Heartsquest, Sweet Stampin' and Sunday Stamps.

This one uses AALL and Create Roadway Vistas, cut twice in black and pink and one offset over the other and placed on a white card blank, the focal image is Berry Bliss and one of the worker stamps stamped above and below to extend the design. Die cut hearts and words stamped in white onto black. Adding this one at Lost Coast, Pearly Sparkles and Creative Moments and If you give a Crafter a Cookie.

I love adding numbers to my work so enjoyed this theme, an inky background and an old A&C stamp, the Butterfly was stamped a second time, coloured and cut out to decoupage and crackle glaze applied, then ribbon for the thorax.

A&C stamps again for my ATC, the background was a mop up from another project and both the Butterfly and Dragonfly stamped a second time to decoupage. The number 4 stamped in green to carry the colour. 

Last but by no means least my MAWTT share which uses a plethora of AALL and Create stamps, Rosey Daze, Petal Pop and Tangerine Wings, all stamped and coloured with Ecoline pens, onto a triptych base made by cutting three tag dies and fixing together. Popping to Dragonfly Dreams with this one.

I do hope you will join in this months challenges and look forward to visiting your entries.

Serenity

Good morning everyone, this week at Allsorts Donna has selected the theme of 'Create your own background' and as always theres the A/G option. Our prizes are a set of background stamps from AALL and Create.

I have used a Visible Image stamp called Calm over Chaos which I stamped with Clair black and then used two different stencils and Clair inks to create the background. The words come from the same stamp set as does the Cherry Blossom across the top. Time Out asks for favourite techniques, mine has always been stamping and with my own background along with inspirational quotes, finally another for the Stencil Challenge.

This was my first make using Mutifarious card. I was happy to have the opportunity to try it out and have to say I'm pretty impressed, it's 350gsm and seems to take everything you throw at it without any warp. And the very best part for me as I usually cut all my own stamping pieces from A3 or A4 cardstock, is it comes in a variety of ready cut sizes in packs of 20.  

And an ATC using A&C Ephemera Floral Confetti and Enchanting Larking rub on's over an inked offcut. 

Am making a last minute dash to Rudolph Days challenge. A floral wreath onto a Gelli Plate background using the Spin tool, several Lavinia Mini stamps, Holly, Clair inks and a Penny Black sentiment. In a tidy up after Christmas I found a box under a spare bed ....sure I'm not alone in spreading craft all over the house! I'm pretty sure the contents are pre-Covid when I used to run regular classes and among other things it contained several dozen sheets of one sided pearlescent card. It's not something I use these days so used the white side to made a whole pile of backgrounds, this being one of those. It's a (tentative) circle for Fab n Funky, plus Jingle Bells have an inspirational photo, mine came from the Christmas Tree colours and branches and also linking to C.R.A.F.T Christmas

Let Your Spirit Take Flight

Afternoon everyone, I've some cards to share for challenges  

Above for Fab and Funky's Going Round in Circles and Simon Say's Monday Things with Wings. The Butterfly is Lavinia Indra stamped onto a inky splattery background, coloured with Zig Clean Colour pens, a fine tip gold pen and then circles added using three different sized stencils, quickie glue pen and Gilding Tilsen and Lavinia Let your Spirit  sentiment plus sticker words. Also adding at Time Out Challenges who are asking for Favourite Techniques, for me it has to be stamping and backgrounds and at Just us Girls it's Stencil Week, I used three.

This one is for the Snippets Playground using some of the Amazon dies I bought especially to push myself out of the stamping comfort zone (although still a little in the background using an A&C stamp) and with a view to using up some snippets, even remembered a photo of them. Carz4Galz would like to see Pink Flowers so entering there as well.

Have a good weekend.

What's new

Morning all, it's time for our mid way inspiration at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations, our themes are New and I Spy with prizes from Tonic, Whimsy and Visible Image.

My 'New' is a recent purchase of an Andy Skinner stamp and I convinced the little boy has a New Kitten! Stamped, and coloured, then a stencilled wall and a Lavinia tree to build a little scene with him out playing with his new kitten. Would like to link this one to Stencil Fun where the optional extra is Four Legs. Popping to Crafty Calendar's Anything New challenge.

I've two B's, the first above for Blooms, this one using Visible Image Colourful Life and Precious Life stamped together to form one stem of flowers onto a masked central panel, a few additional splats stamped to extend the design, the flowers coloured and some soft stencilling in the background. One for the Floral theme at Dragonfly Dreams and another for Ellies' Garden Party 11 and Bright and Beautiful at Sweet Stampin'.

B for Beautiful and Blooms on this one. Snowdrops always herald the arrival of Spring Flowers and often popping up through frosty or snowy ground, just as mine are doing here with a flurry of snow coming down. They are AALL and Create, stamped, covered with masking fluid and ink applied to build up the background and flicked with water. After removing the masking fluid I coloured with a white pen, a couple of Lavinia sticker words and Posca pen flicked over to create snow. Glitter applied to the tops of flowers and ground. Hoping this fits one or two challenges at Inkspirational Shades of Blue, Colour Hues Blue and White.

Boys and Men

Good morning everyone, this week at Allsorts Ellie would like to see creations suitable for 'Boys and Men', along with the usual A/G alternative. We have two lovely stamps from Sweet Poppy to give away this time round.

For the above card I used Sweet Poppy Stencils Oval Aperture stencil which I inked through to create an outline, then stamped Rocky Waterside a Stampscapes stamp available from Sweet Poppy, they sell a good range of them. I added a little more colour to the landscape, Lavinia tree and Fox, the sentiment an oldie from Penny Black. Cardz4galz would like to see a Countryscape and AAA Birthday a Winter Birthday and think it's fits at Farmquest.

For the second share, fairly CAS and very quick to create using Sweet Poppy Tall Window stencil which I inked through in aqua and yellow, then stamped a little scene inside using Inkylicious birds and Two Jays scenic stamps. Crafters Cafe have the theme One for the Boys

Spring blossoms

It's mid month time at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where we are following my theme of Love and Romance or Anything Goes. Whilst upcoming Valentines Day seems an obvious choice, we are heading into the Wedding season so that's what I have gone with for my tag above. The Church and Blossoms are TRR, a tag cut twice and an aperture created, Pan Pastels to create the background with some greenery stamped using a Lavinia Ivy image. Another of our Granddaughters is getting married in April so this just might come in useful. Daisychain Challenges would like to see dies used so linking up there and Heartquest Tags and Shapes Cards.

A matching envelope for my ATC which uses the smaller Rose on the A&C stamp set I used at the beginning on the month and some hearts using a stencil, texture paste and red glitter. Would like to enter this one at Heartsquest Celebrations challenge

Finally a Christmas card for a couple of challenges, a wreath made using the Spin tool and a good number of Lavinia stamps. ABC Christmas challenge is A for Anything Christmas and B for Bright so hope this fits the bill. And at Christmas all year Round they want A and/or B, I've got Acorns and Berries, finally also linking to Merry Little Christmas.