Birthday celebrations and Poppies are blooming

Knowing my crafty wings would be clipped for some time, I'm preparing this well ahead for our special challenge at Allsorts where Lynn is our host to celebrate our 17th Birthday, sobering wondering where all those years went. But it's wonderful that so many entrants who joined us way back then still do so, that makes it all seem very worthwhile.

We have some fabulous prizes of vouchers and physical goodies from Lavinia Stamps, Buddly Crafts, Art Impressions, Highlight Crafts as well as some surprise goody bags. Plus don't forget the special discount from AALL and Create of 15% until 31st May on all items in their store using the special code: AllsortsBD17

My first share at the top uses Lavinia Meadowbrook Tales, the new collection released last month. I did all the stamping first, masked the focal images, then created the background by simply brushing watered down Oxides. Colouring done with a mixture of pencils and Zig pens and some white pen to highlight here and there.

I found this frame along with a few others from a session when I had the sewing machine out, so used the red as my inspiration. AALL and Create have a new designer Soizic, this image from her is called Art of Bouquet, her designs have a lovely quirky feel, stamped very simply in black and limited red added with a Zig pen and a couple of sticker words.

Added by DIL Friday 22nd: A couple of the early Roses and first Oriental Poppies in our little Poppies garden, plus it seems a Lab's bum, both Rosa and Fleur spend time there, it's as thought they know.

And a message of thanks for the beautiful cards and messages received. It's slow going as now have a kidney infection, but was never going to be straightforward!

We really hope you will join us for this very special challenge, as always you can enter up to five times so lots of chances of winning one of those super prizes.

Out in the Meadow

 

Scheduled again, at time of writing I'm scheduling for two or three weeks as told no keyboard/ computer activity will be allowed for at least two weeks (doing posts and comments on a mobile is something I just can't see to do). 

It's time for our mid month posts at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations, sadly the very last one at the latter. We have Animal themes at both and prizes from AALL and Create and Highlight Crafts.

Above Lavinia's Gideon and two Magpies sitting on Tree of Courage, aptly named given the evil eye coming their way from Gideon, several worker stamps to build up the scene and sticker words.

Circles created using a mask and fine liner pen, Lavinia Garden Poppies and Wildflower stamped into the circles with Versafine Clair inks and looking at the Flowers Lupin and Woodland Hare.

The challenges run until Wednesday 3rd May so still plenty of time to join in.

Quinn and Oona

Scheduled post! It's mid way inspiration day at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where we are following Pinky's theme of 'Add some Pink'. 

An easy ask as I tend to use pink rather a lot, above my tag which is AALL and Create Tag it Yourself, the Fairy releasing a kaleidoscope of Flutterblies is Quinn sitting under the Flowers which are dies from Amazon coloured with DI's.

My ATC features Lavinia Oona, one of their older Fairy stamps chatting away to the birdie sitting in the bushes. The background was created with a piece of card cut at a gradient/partial circle, DI's dusted over the edges moving upwards after each inking to get the fan effect.... start from the bottom and work up, otherwise you can't see where you've inked....how do I know!

A reminder in case you missed it, as a run in to Allsorts 17th Birthday on 23rd May, AALL and Create are offering a discount of 15% valid from 1st May through 31st May on all items in their store plus free shipping on orders over £39.99. Your code is: AllsortsBD17.

All rather pink

Morning all, thought I would do a quick post before they move to scheduled ones for a week or two. Cards for a couple of challenges and some garden photos from yesterday, I should really have taken them on Saturday when it was 21deg as Sunday it dropped to 12deg and a bitter cold wind.

The Blogger issue still seems hit and miss, some new posts show up, others don't. 

There's a new Snippets Playground challenge and I knew if I didn't post something today it probably wouldn't happen before we move on to the next one. Also inspired by the pinks and greens in the colour palette at Inlspirational and Triple B Birds, Blooms, Butterflies, I have the Blooms (and Dragonflies!) and another for Sweet Stampin' Things with Wings. All stamps are Lavinia along with Versafine Clair inks.

Below my Snippets share, a very simple card using a new PB stamp Elegant Beauty, matching die and Wishes edger word die. Afraid no snippets photo, but the central piece was an offcut from another project, the floral spray another and the word wishes cut out of the pink piece and the top layer placed over to hide. Dragonfly Dreams would like to see die cuts.

Below Crataegus Pauls Scarlet, not a particularly good year for it as it's quite sparse, planted about twelve years ago when we lost Buffy, just a sapling then,

Polygonatum, like triffids, they appear through the soil and within a couple of weeks in bloom and several feet high.

Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Pink Cloud has been slow to establish in our heavy clay soil, but seems to have it's feet into something good now as do the two self set Red Hot Pokers, thanks to the sparrows who feed off the main clump of them.

A very early Digitalis in our little Poppy's garden, it's surrounded by Oriental Poppies which are just coming into bud so should have some photos soon.

Tomorrow off on my NHS jolly, see you all again soon, although as mentioned above there are several scheduled posts to come.

Monochromatic at Allsorts

Morning to you all, at Allsorts Liz is our host with them of Monochromatic and we have Creative Expressions stamps and stencils to give away. Also need to give you a heads about our next challenge, the logo below tells you all and it would be lovely if you shared to help us spread the word. And.......AALL and Create are offering a discount of 15% valid from 1st May through 31st May on all items in their store plus free shipping on orders over £39.99. Your code is: AllsortsBD17.

At the top a new'ish make and below one from the archive files. Using the spin tool and Lavina Fairy Catkins which is one of my favourite sets as the different sized stamps work really well to build up a wreath. I filled in with smaller stamps and used various colours of Versafine Clair. The Fairy is Lumus blowing fairy dust towards the Tree Scene in the distance. Sweet Stampin' have a new theme Things with Wings, so a Birdie and Fairy should work.

Made literally ages ago using AALL and Create stamps, focal image stamped first, stencilling around the edges, sentiments and birdie also A&C. Just Add Ink asks for stencils/ink/dies, I have the first two.

I have an op date! It's this Tuesday so will be MIA for a time, may just be a week or so maybe longer very much depends how it goes. Several posts scheduled but I won't be round commenting for a little while.

Blossoms and Birdie

A bit of a test post to establish if my blog issues have been resolved. Google/Blogger have been helpful but are still to resolve some issues, add to that another which I know I'm not alone with, my posts are not showing up on your reading lists and likewise most of yours not appearing on mine so our visits to one another are very much hit and miss.

So seemed sensible to do a post and enter a couple of challenges to test the blogger water. Inspiration Station has a photo and the colours immediately jumped out at me, like most I'm sharing lately not a new one, I was relieved to find quite a few un-blogged cards long since forgotten about. I tend to work ahead anyway so hopefully they will keep me going with just the one or two new ones until after the op mentioned below. Above uses Lavinia Eira, Faedew, Cherry Blossom and several worker stamps. This also fits at Heartquest shaped cards/tags and it's Make it Colourful at Simon Say's.

Christmas Kickstart has a new theme of Seasons Tweeting and one perfect in my files which I think was made last Autumn when I first had my spin tool, again Lavinia stamps, Mistletoe, Pinecone, Bobby and Christmas Greetings. Also linking at Merry Little Christmas and Holly and Ivy.

Regarding that op, a compromise has been reached after seeing my Pain Consultant again, as some know I refused the surgery scheduled a couple of weeks ago - still think Orthopaedics were trying to fill a slot with their haste. The plan is Ablation to settle the neck nerves followed by Cervical Microdiscectomy which is less invasive, lower infection risk and hopefully quicker recovery time. But not all hospitals offer the combination so waiting to see where and when.

Olive among the Flowers

Note added: Tentatively posting this as had blogger issues, Google/Blogger have been very helpful and thought issue was solved but apparently not. I'm not getting any notification on my reading list when you post so my visits will be hit and miss, likewise seems I'm not on your lists.

Morning all, new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations. Also a heads up that AALL and Create are offering a 15% discount throughout May to celebrate Allsorts 17th Birthday, the code is on the challenge blog here. 

There's an animal thing going on and at WLS Pinky has selected All Creatures Great and Small with a prize from AALL and Create and at Stamping Sensations Anesha has selected Cute Animals with a prize from Highlight Crafts.

Many of you will have seen the announcement at Stamping Sensations on Friday, but for those who missed it the challenge is closing and the May one will be our last. It was a very tough decision having started it in April 2010, but as lots know I've not been at my best the last few months and after a further MRI last week seems surgery to pin my cervical spine is inevitable. So sadly Stamping Sensations is closing and I've also left my DT spots at MAWTT and Love to Craft. We Love Stamping, Allsorts and Tag-Along (and ATC's) will continue as usual.

Above a card I've made fort Granddaughter-in law's Birthday coming up shortly, she not into craft and blogs so safe to post. Masked the side, used AALL and Create Mans Best Friend which is perfect as they have a black Lab called Olive, A&C's new Starfall Rays stencil along with the top of a Lavinia Tree and Wild Flowers, the sentiment from the latest release is perfect as her name is Faith.

One from my files made with a ready inked background when I was experimenting with the then new Spin tool. Lavinia Honeysuckle, a few extra leaves and Minni and Moo dancing to the Music.

Finally my CCC card which went to Madja in Slovinia and I received one in lovely sunny colours from Kathy in the UK. Using the spin tool and Lavinia mini stamps I created a partial wreath, sponged the requisite colours of Peony, White and Leaf, Long Ears in the form of my Favourite Hare Lupin looking up at the Birdie, Spring colours and word from A&C.

I'll leave you with the garden this week and Thursday/Friday's awesome moon, starting with Ceanothus, followed by Phothinias (Red Robin), White Iris, Wisteria and that moon.

And to finish yet another clear up of cones, there's a never ending supply and the girls (Labs) spend hours watching them drop then charge about distributing them all over the garden. We load into the trailer then use the tractor mower to take to the fire heap, they burn well!

Have a good Sunday.