More snow ?

Our new challenge at Stampacular Sunday this week is 'Snow Much Fun'..create a card of project that has snow on it.

I have uses this lovely image from Simply Stamps 102K Winter Scene, which I stamped with vesamark back, embossed with detail clear and simply watercoloured with Aquamarkers, adding Judikins snow glitter to the the fences and here and there on the ground. The DP is October Afternoon, a Tim Holtz tattered die swirl, Martha Stewart embossed scallop border, ribbon and gems and a pretty quick card. This card is for the following challenges:

Ladybug - Song title (Walking in a winter wonderland)

Crafts and Me - Anything goes

Moving Along with the Times - as above

Scrapbook Sisters - It's a man's world

Happy Christmas

I wish you all

A Very Happy Christmas

And my thanks for all the wonderful cards I have received. I have tried to remember to thanks everyone on my rounds, but like all of us, time has got the better of me and I am sure I might have forgotten some, so my apologies if I have.

Just for my Dad

Not my normal sort of post and no card. Tomorrow is going to be a very difficult day for me as it's the anniversary of losing my dear Dad, the last year seem to have just disappeared and I still miss him just as much.

Dad farmed all his life and was an avid gardener. The picture above was taken about three years before he died when he was out shooting with his Labrador Emma..........I know many do not agree with shooting and hunting sports, but when you live by the land it's an integral part of everyday life. Dad always provided for us with fresh garden produce and game and when I was younger I was encourage to ride and hunted to the hounds with Dad often following on foot or on his bicycle.

As an only child it fell upon me to deal with things when Dad died and I chose to have him buried just yards from where the above picture was taken.......in one of only three consecrated woodland burial grounds in the UK, which just happens to be in the village Dad lived and where I was born and brought up........and on land Dad once farmed before he retired when it was handed back to the University.......much of the arable farmland in Cambridgeshire is University owned.

It just felt right and where I think Dad would have chosen had he been able to make the decision himself. Visiting him there is an uplifting experience and there are none of the sombre shadows I always associate with conventional graveyards. Graves are set within wooded glades, I chose Clover Glade for Dad and graves are marked simply with a flat oak engraved plaque and planting is restricted to specified wild flowers and trees.........there is a small Oak by his head and I planted Digitalis, Violets and Cowslips which all flowered in their first year and looked absolutely beautiful last Summer and I know Dad would have approved.......as a child he used to walk me across the fields to pick cowslips so they have a very special meaning.

Dad used to grow the most amazing vegetables and flowers and entered them into shows all round the County.........above are some of his prize winning Japanese onions, some could weight as much as four pounds each. I remember many occasions as a child proudly holding the cups and rosettes he had won.

So you can see that all things associated with the land and Nature were bred into me from an early age and have since emerged in my daily crafting activities. Thank you Dad for giving me something so special which is priceless.

TREEmendous

'TREEmendous' is the theme for this weeks new challenge at Stamptacular Sunday, do pop over and join in the fun.

For my DT piece I created a background using Tim Holtz peeled paint, stormy sky, broken china and fired brick which I dabbed onto my craft sheet and spritzing with water and then placed a piece of watercolour card into the wet inks....I find it helps to agitate the card just a little to get a soft blend of colours.

I stamped Art Impression U3095....don't know the name of the image but it's the park bench and trees all in one......using versafine black and embossed with detail clear. The sentiment is from a Sheena Douglas set as is the flower which I stamped twice to decoupage, colouring with Aquamarkers before inking with Versamark frost and spritzing with Glimmer Mist pearl and shaping whilst still wet. The border is Martha Stewart double loop punch around the page.

This card is for the following challenge:

CES Challenge - Anything goes

Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes

Patties Creations - Punches

My second share again has a background created with TH distress inks, this time with a masked sun, then stamped with Hero Arts S5316 Silhouette Grass using versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. The sentiment is an unmounted one which needless to say I have no idea of the origin........that's why I prefer wood mounted as I always lose the packaging. My friend Tracy Mouse told me she stamps all her images, labels them and keeps them in a folder for reference.......what a great idea.........so when are you coming to catalogue my stamps Tracy ?

This card is for the following challenges:

Gingerloft - Distressing

Paper Pretties - Male card

Crafty Catz - Your choice

I Did It - Anything goes

Hero Arts Debut 2011

This week at Allsorts it's my turn to host the theme and as the challenge is going to run for two weeks I am making life really simple with the theme 'Free and Easy'. So you could enter now and then again making something with those new Christmas goodies Santa brings you.

I am sharing yet another easel card using the the lovely Sweet Pea Poinsettia Fairy.....she's still my favourite of all those I own......more masking, boring I know, but this time a sun.....makes a change from a moon (tutorial link on sidebar) and coloured with Copics, the wings glittered and decoupages along with the flowers. The frame is a Spellbinder die, the lace, MS punched border and punched vellum flowers. The DP is Cosmo Cricket DP (I think). This card is also for the following challenges:

In a Sweet Pea Dream - Anything sweet pea

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open theme

Sweet Pea Stamps - Anything goes

And one more really, really quick share and preview of the new Hero 2011 Debut collection that will be available to purchase at the special launch day at Sir Stampalot tomorrow. Full details below or on their web site.

Lots more ideas in the making, but this was as far as I got this afternoon and of course it was dark by the time I came to take my picture, so the colours are not great. Stamps used here are Hero Aerts K5503 Bird Collage and CL477 Delicate Leaf Clusters, plus, TH rusty hinge, Cosmo Cricket DP, sentiment Personal Impressions PICS033, Aquamarkers, Versamark frost and Glimmer Mist pearl

Hero Arts 2011 Debut Party

There's a Hero Arts Debut Party at Sir Stampalot, Peterborough on Saturday 18th December, and you're Invited!

Pop along for a fun make and take, munchies and of course your chance to see, up close and personal, the Debut selection of stamps and accessories from the New Hero Arts 2011 catalogue.

This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Stamping - Celebrate (Birthday)

CES - Anything goes

Crafty Ann's - as above

Snow snow keep away

What is this weather like ? It's been teaming down all day today, yet they say hard frosts come tonight then some more of the white stuff. Not that we saw much of it last time compared with lots of you, but I just wish it would hold off until everyones Christmas preparations are done, then a nice white Christmas would be magical.

I have a couple of shares today, the first one using another favourite Penny Black 4040K Sparklers which I simple stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear. A bit of ripping and tearing, a panel run through the Cuttlebug and some cord, gems and flowers to embellish. This card fits the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. - Black and White with a hint

Fab 'n Funky - Quick and easy

My second share uses yet another from PB, this time Penny Black 40-027 Warm Wishes, again stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, then coloured with Copics and decoupaged. The DP is Nitwits, plus some glitter card and the frame cut with a Nestie die. This card is for the following challenges:

By the Cute and Girly - Children
Stamp with Fun - Christmas
Woodware - Winter
Scrapbook Sisters - Non traditional Christmas

Fantasy all around

It's a very special day here in Fantasy world as when I logged on this morning I realised my followers had passed the 1,000 mark, so welcome to my new followers and a great big thank you to each and every one of you, old and new.

Now a quick heads up that we are having a Blog Hop at Stampalot Challenge on 1st January, a perfect start to the New Year and a bit of activity to dust off all those overindulgence cobwebs. As you would expect, we have some great prizes lined up and hope you will all join in the fun. Please grab the logo above to help us spread the word. And there is still plenty of time to enter this months challenge 'Travel the World'.

My first share at the top of this post is another one using Sweet Pea Fairy of the Night which I stamped onto a doily circle cut with a Magnolia die, then did some paper piecing for her dress and crystal ball and coloured her hair and skin with Copics. The DP is from stash and I cut the easel card on the Cricut welding the circles on the DS. I have no idea the make of the sentiments, they are some unmounted ones I came across the other day, still unused but minus the packaging. I added gems, flowers, stickles and glitter to embellish. This card is for the following challenges:

OSAAT - Anything goes

Totally Papercrafts - Paper piecing

Paper Sundaes - Anything but square or rectangle

Bunny Zoe - Sparkle and Shine

And some quick and easy cards were the order of the day with these ones which are a couple from a collection I made using Penny Black 3880K Fantasy which I simply stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear. The back panels are embossed through the Cuttlebug, a Nestie label threaded with ribbon, mirri card mats and stickles to match. These cards are for the following challenges:

Incy Wincy - Non traditional Christmas
Cupcake - as above
Pollycraft - White Christmas

Crafty Pad - Embossing (I used both dry and heat)

Tip Top Tuesday - Christmas inspired

A chilly walk in the park

Happy Sunday everyone, hope your weekend is going well and you are all busy with those last minute Christmas activities.

I have been very luck to receive this award from two lovely blog buddies, thank you so much Heidi and Sandra.......I feel a bit of a fraud when I'm being such a bad blogger. I have tried to get round most of you this week, but I'm sure it won't have escaped the eagle eyed that it's a bit 'cut and paste' here and there. I decided best to do that and maximise my 'eye time' on the computer, so at least I am spreading a bit if love. What's most frustrating is that I feel just fine and am itching to get on with things, just the eyes don't play to game.

Lots of you will know I am dresful passing awards on plus it's so hard to choose, so I am passing this on to all of you and will be deighted if you will accept it. I know that's not quite what the rules intend, but when did I ever play by the rules.....where's the fun in that ?

We have a new challenge for you at Stamptacular Sunday today and he theme is “WINTER WISHES! create a WINTER SCENE".

My couple are resting after their walk in the snowy misty park.........humour me, you know I live in a fantasy world.......... the stamps are all Art Impressions, about ten in all so I won't list them but please do mail me if you want details of any specifics.

I masked a moon, then created a misty feel by swirling Adirondack black with a very large soft make up brush in circles round the masked moon. Next I stamped the scene starting from the park bench (the couple are part of the stamp), masked that and the people, then stamped the lamppost, trees and so on. I brayered the pathway using the same ink and sponged a glow round the lamppost and a flame inside. I stamped the bench seat twice more onto scraps of DP and cut out the clothes for the couple and coloured their faces and hands with Copics. Finally, I added snow to the pathway, frost to the bushes and trees here and there and a 'glow' of glitter round the moon.

Last Minute Christmas

Our challenge at Allsorts this week is hosted by Debs who is mindful that there will be lost of us who still need to rustle up a few Christmas cards so she had given us the theme 'Last Minute Christmas' with an eye on quick and simple cards.

So my card is just that. The DP is Nitwits which I used for the background and to stamp trees from Hero Arts CL459 which I cut out and added with foam pads, a border punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop, a stamped greeting, cord and lace. This card is also for the following challenges:

Penny's Challenge - Merry Christmas

Moving along with the Times - Lots of spots

Stampin' Royalty - Winter holidays

My second share is a bit of a quick and easy one.......I always grab the brayer when time is short and is created a background so quickly and being I am obsessed with masked moons, here's yet another. After adding the mask, I stamped Judikings 2240G (stars) using versamark frost to provide a resist, then brayered taking the ink from just the blue end of Big and Juicy waterfall.

The main image is Lilac Lemon Designs from Crafts and Me, stamped and embossed three time onto linen cardstock with versafine black and embossed with detail clear then coloured with Copics, adding liberal amounts of glitter and some blue foiling to her dress collar and hat feathers. A border using MS eyelet lace, pearls and ribbon to embellish. Oops, nearly forgot, the sentiment is Penny Black 2905H. This card is for the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Moody blues

Gingersnap - White glitter

Alphabet - G for Glitter

Fairy Fun - Use a star

Stamping B's - Use a star

Lots to Do - Glitz

Summer flowers and a bit of seasonal

Hello everyone, few shares, but keeping it brief.....the eye issues of course which seem to be dragging on forever.......but thought I would share some summer flowers to help stave of the -11 we had last night, along with a bit of Christmas as well.

I used the beautiful Penny Black 4112K To Follow the Star for the one above, stamped very simply with black versafine and embossed with detail clear onto a piece distressed with Tim Holtz inks. The diamond pattern is Hero G3316 stamped with the same TH inks, some cord tied round and the writing section of the main image stamped into a disk made with UTEE. This card is for the following challenges:

Inktegrity - Untraditional Christmas

Simon Says - Christmas with no red or green

Daring Cardmakers - Turquoise

The above creation uses some of the Sheena stamps I purchased at the NEC, I adore the poppies which are probably my favourite of the sets. The background was masked and brayered with Adirondack inks, then the poppies stamped over, coloured with Copics and painted with Pinflair glaze. I then made a sort of spotlight shadowing the lines of the brayering and added a sentiment from the same stamp set. the birds are an Art Impression stamp. This card is for the following challenge:

Midnight Madness - Sketch (thanks so much for my 'Remarkables' award)

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open

My third card uses Hero Arts K5358 Scallop Floral stamped onto a piece gloss cardstock brayered with Big and Juicy soothing sunset, the some of the flowers stamped onto Kaiser DP, decoupaged and tiny pearls added to the centres. The swirl is a Marianne die and the edging border Martha Stewart embossed scallop. This card is for the following challenge:

Ladybug - pearls

ABC - J for jewels and gems (hope pearls count)

My final share is one I made for Stamp Addicts last TV show using a Judkins block stamp, which I stamped, then cut into sections and coloured with Aquamarkers. The flower is made from Tim Holtz tattered floral die and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl to make it soggy so I could scrunch and shape it. I 'think' the DP is K & Co

Tuesday Taggers - Deck the Halls

Totally Papercrafts - Christmas punches (MS embossed snowflake)

Paper Pretties - Punches

Muddy mutts

So how's everyone doing today ?

This is going to be a quick one, more pictures than anything else to save the eyes from the computer glare, seems it's going to be the only way. I am hoping to pop round and visit some of you today, but might only be a few words, so please forgive me until I am back on track again.

My first share is using what is probably my favourite sentiment stamp Penny Black 2695J which I stamped and then run through the Cuttlebug. The Ivy is Hero Arts K5313, stamped with Adirondack Meadow twice and one cut out and inked with Versamark frost and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl to enable me to shape the laves before decoupaging. Then some stickles added here and there to create berries. This card is for the following challenges:

The Craft Pad - Anything goes

One Stitch at a Time - Old stash, new stash (stamps old, stickles new)

Lots to Do - Words

Alphabet Challenge - F for foliage

My second card is this lovely slapstick from Penny Black 40-027 stamped and coloured with Copics. The DP is from stash (K&Co I think), the poinsettia is Penny Black 4104K stamped onto shrink plastic and coloured with a Sakura pen before shrinking. The sentiment comes with the little girl image. Layers of glitter paper for snow plus Judikins snow glitter added for snowflakes. This card is for the following challenges:

Secret Crafter - Christmas

Paper Playtime - Snowflakes

And finally a few pictures of the girls and boys, no Abbey, her arthritis is really bad and she's not moving far from her basket lately bless her.

George, Bernie and Buffy - check the muddy floor - wonder whose gonna clean that up ?

Lily and Daisy - check the muddy legs - they both look a bit distorted but sitting to pose is still something they've not quite grasped.

A peek at the decorating and Stamptacular DT news

Good morning peeps, hope everyone is having a good weekend and more importantly keeping warm if your weather is anything like ours.

We had a great day at Stampalot yesterday, I've still got the inky fingers to prove it despite repeated washing and showering. I saw lots of friendly faces both old and new and want to thank you all for making the effort to come despite the iffy weather.

Now some exctiting news, you all know I am a stamper first and foremost, so you can imagine my delight when I received a mail last weekend inviting me to join the Staptacular Sunday Design Team. I had a little think about it, something like 60 seconds and here I am with my first DT piece.

The theme this week is Blue…Blue…Christmas! So for this first week I opted to stay very much in my comfort zone which means Penny Black and distress inks. My main image is Penny Black 3768K Christmas Montage inked with Tim Holtz stormy sky and highlighted here and there with Aquamarkers and spritzed with water before stamping onto a piece of linen cardstock.

The music down the side is Hero Arts CG222 Music Background stamped with the same TH ink. A border punched with Martha Stewart cornice edging, some lace, cord, pearls, a flower and punched leaves to embellish.

And as promised........eventually, some picture of the decorating in the dining room, was waiting for the curtains to arrive from John Lewis, there's a problem with the pelmet as it's not been cut deep enough so they are coming our Wednesday to re-measure. But it looks OK for the time being and the room is usable.

I am really pleased with the furniture, I just love the sideboard and the table as it fits six chairs comfortably but extends to fit ten chairs which will be useful at Christmas and when the family descend.

All aglow

Good morning everyone, time for a new challenge at Allsorts where Helene would like us to 'Light up the Night'.

Afraid my blogging is still restricted to short five minute bursts so I've not got very far in visiting you all. They tell me resting my eyes especially from the computer screen, is the only cure as far as the muscle imbalance goes, so I have been testing their theory all week and doing what I am told. Although nothing was stopping me from my demo day at Stampalot today, even if it's more talk than demo and we are off shortly........hubby is driving me as I dare not test my eyes that far. The Ultimate Rubber Stamping event is becoming a regular in the crafty calendar and always great fun.

I confess to a huge blast of inspiration from Barbara Gray on this card. I always find her inspirational and her use of the Clarity Stamps lamp post and lady really cast a spell over me and this is my take on what she did.

I started by inking the lamppost and lady, with the lady stamped a second time onto some scrap DP. I used a very large makeup brush to swirl Adirondack archival black in circles round the lamp to give the impression of fog, then sponged some Tim Holtz mustard seed to create a glow from the oil lamp. I added some JudiKins snow glitter and a couple or corners.

I added a fence using Art Impression F3047 and leaves using Art Impression F2055, Lavinia fantasy houses, but I just inked the tops of these stamping off first so I ended up with a mist rooftop look in the background.

My vision if this card is a lady on Christmas eve, just leaving Church after midnight mass looking into the village in the distance.......I've never made any secret that I like in a fantasy world have I ? This card is also for the following challenges:

Cupcake - Light it up

ABC - Ice is for ice and snow

One more share using Sweet Pea Poinsettia Fairy. Another easel card stamped and embossed image, coloured with Copics, decoupaged and glittered wings, a Spellbinder frame, Magnolia DP, flowers and lace. This card is for the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open

Sweet Pea - Silver, purple and white

Moving Along with the Times - Someone special (For a Granddaughters Christmas birthday)

Stamp Insanity - Lace

CRAFT - Christmas Birthday (see above)

Fresh new challenges

Good Morning peeps, the first of the month means new challenges and I decided we all need a change from what seems like months of Christmas cards so something a bit different on both counts.

Can I first apologise I have not visited you much the last few days, I've got Optic Neuritis again which is a real pain in the rear, not to say inconvenient. But it means I have to restrict computer use to short bursts and hours of blogging is just not on if I want to shift it quickly. I've found I can craft for a bit longer if I lower my daylight lamp and work above it away from the light itself it that makes sense, so not all is bad news.

A little reminder about this coming weekend at Sir Stampalot........it's the third Ultimate Rubber Stampaing Demo Day........seven very different styles of stamping demos running simultaneously from 10am through 4pm, free refreshments and prize draws and of course a shop brimming full of crafting essentials. The last two years it's been a fabulous day so if you can get there do come along and don't forget to say hello......I'll be the one with messy fingers......and maybe dark glasses if the eyes don't pick up.

At Stampalot Challenge we have 'Travel the World' and 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' at Penny Black at Allsorts. Last month saw bumper entries at both challenges and I really do hope you will all be joining in again this month.

Here are my DT pieces. The one above is my travelling ladies.....check out their ticket, reduced in size but it's authentic and they are fresh off the Orient Express. I used a whole collection of Art Impression stamps......thanks for the loan from the classroom Stampalot....... The ladies ware stamped first and masked, then the various buildings stamped from their travels.......Tour Eiffel, Big Ben, Il Colosseo, La Torre di Pisa and of course the sky scape's of the Big Apple. A little big of background scenery and sky added and mounted over a world map. This is also for the following challenge:

Simon Says - Sketch (it's a bit reversed but hope it's acceptable)

There's Magic in the Air - Anyting goes

Totally Stampilicious - Anything goes

Tip Top Tuesday - Anything goes

Cute Daisy May - Lets get girly

My Penny Black piece encapsulates what beauty means to me, which is basically everything Nature has to offer. My tag book is cut on the Big Shot pro........again thanks to Sir Stampy for the borrow.......looks like I don't own anything crafty reading this post......... I coloured all pieces with stencils and various Tim Holtz distress inks and Glimmer Mists then overstamped with a collection of Penny Black stamps........oh yeah, these are definitely all mine......... I couldn't resist using my favourite sentiment stamp inside and drew a freehand border round the edge.

I won't list all the stamps, but if anyone wants any specific codes please drop me a mail. The flowers are made from punches, meant to be carnations and are made up of as many layers you can get onto your brad really.......think I used about ten punched flowers........then made in the usual way.........shaded round the edges, spritzed with water to make the colours bleed and crumpled, then sprayed again with Glimmer Mist and they dry nice and rigid. This also fits the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time = Bling it up (glimmers mists and crystals)

Pollycraft - Chipboard (the tabs and swirls)

Papercutz - Anything goes