Ocean view

A new month means new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations. At WLS our theme has been selected by Emma and is Sun, Sea and Sand and a prize from Lisa Horton Crafts. At SS Avril has selected Summer Blooms for her theme with prizes from AALL and Create.

For my WLS share I have used a Penny Black stamp called Paradise (40-691), inked direct to stamp using Ecoline pens, extra colour and shading added with pencils and Pan Pastels, a stencilled sun and a Lavinia sentiment.

This one uses AALL and Create Roadway Vista die set (78) and Sunny Splash (1250) stamp set, an inky background picking up distress ink from a piece of acetate left from a previous background, then some stencilling and colour added to the focal image with Ecoline pens.

Have a good Sunday everyone, they say the heatwave in the UK is returning this week so keep cool.

Puppy Love and this weeks Nature photos

Morning all, time for a new challenge at Allsorts and Liz has selected the theme of 'For a Child' and of course as always there's the A/G option. We have four stamps to be won.

I was lucky to win some Andy Skinner stamps last year, these two were among them and although I don't do cute these seem a step removed and offer versatility without lots of dreaded colouring in. Above is called 'Let your dreams take flight', she was simply stamped, basic colouring and a stencil to add sun rays.

This one is called 'All you need is a hug', love the image of the little girl and her puppy, it's a firm favourite and along with another called 'Best Friends' sell really well at the RSPCA shops. Again simply stamped, a little colour added and stencil work in the background.

With the hot weather we've spent a lot of time outside sitting in the shade and benefiting from the breeze/wind which is always present given the flat nature of the Fen. So the camera has been busy and a few of the shots I grabbed, starting with those at the top pond....

A Common Moorhen, curious birds and so timid, this one has three babies but wasn't able to get all on a shot.

A male Coote, not seen any young and could be the hen and young are across the neighbouring field which also has a pond.

This female Mallard is one we reared from a chick, a family of ducklings were abandoned in the grounds of the school where our Daughter teaches so with the help of the RSPCA we rescued them. At the time the RSPCA guy said they would never stray far and they never have and live here and on the neighbouring pond.

A Roe Deer paid a visit to the top boundary one evening, they move so fast I usually miss them but this one lingered long enough to get a photo.

And finally, one of the Black Squirrels introduced to our land by the Cambs and Beds Wildlife Trust who have a breeding programme for them. We've had them for about three years now, they bred the first year and have now interbred with the Grey's and we have an interesting blend of colours now!

Nodding Flowers

July already so that means a new challenge at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where this month yours truly has selected the theme and being totally transparent it's In the Garden, now there's a surprise. This months prize is a set of nested tag dies.

My tag features a spray of AALL and Create flowers, stamped, coloured and cut out and mounted into an A&C tag (Hexalove 31), ephemera clocks and sentiment all A&C. I would like to link up to the Outlawz Cards Free Zone. Had also intended linking to Ellies Garden Party, but somehow linked to her Wednesday Challenge, but as it's A/G think it should fit OK. 

A collection of ATC's using a whole host of Lavinia floral stamps and elements inks. A simple little holder for them made with a scoring board.

Saturday saw a surprise Birthday party for hubby, myself and Grandson Zachary, with the beautiful weather is was perfect planning on the part of Daughter and Son's. It was actually a surprise until Saturday morning when balloons and bunting popped up around the garden and a rather large Ocado delivery landed in Daughters kitchen......as they live across the garden in our old farmhouse not much goes unnoticed!

Back in the day I used to make celebration cakes, I've now passed the mantle on to two of the Granddaughters, one who since leaving Uni has started her own small cake business. There were appropriately three cakes, mine was based on chocolate brownies, Zachary's sheer chocolate indulgence and above hubbys with a garden theme.

Rudolph Day's

A bit of a last minute post as realised time is running short to link up to this months Rudolph Days challenge. As today is my Birthday I'm not planning doing anything much so sharing a make from a few weeks ago when I had a Christmas card splurge and made a batch of this design.

Stamps in the wreath are all Lavinia mini stamps, the sentiment from my Christmas Season stamp set and dots of stickles around the wreath. Also linking up to Christmas Kickstart challenge.

I've been very spoilt with lots of Birthday messages and handmade cards, my thanks to each of you for being so kind. I've a few gifts to open and will be doing that later when the family are home and specifically Grandson Zachary as it's his Birthday as well. June is a month when we have a quite a few of them including hubby whose was yesterday and Annabel one of our Granddaughters is on Sunday.

Summer Poppies

Morning everyone, a very quick post with a share for the Snippets Playground and a reminder that our June Tag-Along (and ATC's) challenge is still running, there's a few days left to join in for the chance of being a DT Choice or winning the lovely die set on offer.

Another stand up tag for my snippets share, I had a dig through my Two Red Robins drawers and decided to see how some worked on plain cardstock rather than printed out Reflections (which have all the artwork coloured). As a self confessed Poppyholic, that's the route I followed along with some wheat cut simply on black. Had to be a bit of stamping, my work feels naked without any, so the word Summer and more Poppies added with A&C stamps onto the inky background. The base dies are also TRR cut twice and joined at the top so the tag can stand up.

And here's my snippets, see you all in the paddling pool as they say it's warming up again, I'm told there will be lollies to be had as well.

I saw a pretty red and white photo inspiration at Beautiful Blossoms challenge so figured my tag just might fit in. Also Anything Summer is the theme at Four Seasons challenge, it's Summer and there's an abundance of Poppies everywhere. Also linking up to Outlawz Card Free Zone. 

Thanks for popping in.

Deep in the Ocean and wildlife in the garden

Morning all, time for a new challenge at Allsorts and Christine has selected the theme of Seaside along with the usual A/G. We have two prizes of Sentimentally Yours stamps from Grafton Crafts.

As I've been asked a few times, so an update on new migraines meds recommended by my neurologist as my body built up antibodies to the injections I've had the last few years (which were a miracle and cut them down from 20 to 4/5 a month). NICE gave guidance approval for local Health Trusts to make it available last July but our Trust consistently refuse to fund. It's been a battle and in the end I wrote to The Department of Health who replied saying "The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, usually within three months of final guidance.

So they have taken up my case, I appreciate an outcome will not be immediate so in the interim I made the tough decision to receive the new ones on a private basis......£10 per daily pill. Excessive yes, but I was getting to the stage where I couldn't function with daily migraines which have been ongoing for months now, never in my crafting years have I been rushing to make a card for that weeks challenge, I'm usually weeks ahead.

Back to craft and I'm at the seaside but gone deep into the sea for my share using Lavinia's gorgeous Althea Mermaid, an inky background using Elements and various worker stamps to build built up the scene. Althea was coloured with Ecoline Pens then gold added to her hair and back using a glue pen and Gilding Tilsen to add some sparkle. I also added some Tilsen to the edges of the piece. 

Double D challenge has the theme of Let's go to the Beach so I am linking up the above. At The Paper Shelter they would like to see Fantasy so a Mermaid fits in nicely.

A second one created in MCS using a number of sea releated elements and judging by the outfits of the two little boys I added walking along the quay it's way back in the 1940/50's. I have a bag of shells purchased years ago in Majorca so added a few to the bottom corner over some netting.

Last weekend I shared some of the Roses from the garden, this week some trees and wildlife which we are blessed to see in abundance from our own back door, I often sit watching and think how lucky we are. 

Back in 1981 when we moved into the old farmhouse we plated 50 young trees as part of a Cambridgeshire tree preservation incentive. We lost a few along the way but those remaining are reaching maturity and this particular Horse Chestnut which is one of four is my favourite, such a perfect shape and habit (along with roaming Labs).

One of several Cherry trees which produce lots of these below.........but getting to the higher ones before the Pigeons is challenging as they are about 20' high now.

One of three beautiful Oaks, this one stands on the edge of the section of the paddocks we've left to go wild to encourage wildlife.

When the lawns are cut we also run round the headland so we can walk the field and take photos (if we're quick) of things like this below....a gorgeous Barn Owl, this time of year when they have young they hunt by day as well.

Below....which is likely a young female Red Deer, we also get Roe which I aways thinks are very majestic plus Muntjac, much smaller than the other two.

Dozen of kits (baby bunnies)....not long out of the burrow so about three weeks old and at this age totally independent of Mum and Dad who by now will be close to welcoming their next litter (gestation is about 28 days and they have several litters in the breeding season - hence that old fashioned saying!).

An extremely tall Pine produces an abundance of cones throughout the Summer and Autumn and where Rosa spends hours waiting for them to fall, she hears the crack as they leave the bough and rushes to catch. She's been obsessed with them since she was a puppy.

A Fox caught at night on the wildlife camera....bit fuzzy I'm afraid, likely a male with that beautiful brush.

Finally a bit of bird activity in the Orchard, the Greater Spotted Woodpecker (male) is a daily visitor, the female who has less colour (naturally with birds!) comes occasionally but we figure she's on the nest still.

The Green Woodpecker is also a regular visitor although always seems more timid than the Greater Spotted and keeps his distance if they are both out and about at the same time.

A pair of Red Legged French Partridges visit most evenings to feed, this and the above photos were used by the local newspaper who encourage reader submissions.

Thanks for looking, hope I've not bored you, but I so love Nature, all thanks to my dear Dad.

Nature and a black Lab

June is speeding by and already it's mid month inspiration time at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where we have prizes from Buddly Crafts and themes of Nature and Furry Friends.

At the top the Anniversary card I made for eldest Daughters Anniversary, they have a black Lab called Evie so she had to feature on the card. I've used a mixture of Lavinia and AALL and Create with Versa Clair inks to create the scene, I stamped the Lab with versamark and heat embossed in black EP to give in depth. 

There's lots of heat embossing on the one below but lacks the floral elements so entering the above garden scene into the Flower Challenge which also has some heat embossing.

This one has a focal panel built up with small chippies, inked and stamped with a variety of small stamps, covered with two coats of UTEE, a base card with some stamping and stencilling using texture paste coloured with one of the inks used on the panel.

I've been taking photos of garden wildlife and planned sharing today but time's got the better of me as in hospital for treatment again, so will hopefully add to Saturday's post.