Ultimate Floral Fantasy

My first post in almost a week, don't think it's ever been that long but I just have not been up to blogging, crafting or anything much at all since last week. Probably predictably due to my lack of immune system I had problems after my mouth op last week and despite antibiotics the infection went rampant. Weekend in hospital and the result is that I am utterly shattered and feel less than human......whatever human may be.

And on top of all that, Bernie had to have an emergency op Monday for an ulcerated eye. St Bernard's are prone to eye problems, but this all happened so quickly and he was sent to the Animal Health Trust at Newmarket........that is one amazing place with some of the top guys in the veterinary world. One of the Labs and Dobies were treated there a few years ago and they did a fantastic job on them both, I can't praise them enough. Bernie came home yesterday.......can you visualise a St Bernard size buster collar ?

So a dilemma deciding how to deal with today's postings as being the first of the month it's a new challenge at Stampalot and also the launch day of our Penny Black at Allsorts challenge. So please forgive me everyone, but it's all loaded into this post which might even make it easier for all you peeps to read what is going on. Here is what we have lined up this month:

Stampalot Challenge: Lazy Hazy Summer Days

Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge: A Burst of Summer Colour

Writing this up I realise the themes are a bit repetitive with me stamped over them........oh dear what a pun, but there are so many ways you can interpret both themes. So please do click on the links and pop over to the challenge blogs and check out the fabulous prizes to be won this month and see all the wonderfully inspirational work the Design Teams have created.

And don't forget to visit both of the fabulous sponsors, Sir Stampalot and Penny Black where you can check out all the latest and best in all things crafty.

I realise that I have gone Penny Black nearly all the way and both cards could fit either challenge, but my first is for Stampalot Challenge using Penny Black 3815J love blush, quite an old stamp but one I use time and again. Roses epitomise a Summers day for me and I think this goes back to my childhood and the wonderful perfume that came from the Albertine climbers my Dad had over arched trellises coming up the front garden pathway.

He used to graft many of his own plants and a few years after I married he grafted a couple of Albertine roses for me and they are still growing in my garden today, a wonderful reminder that Dad is still close to me.

I stamped simply with versafine black onto linen cardstock, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Prismacolor pens and covered with Diamond Glaze. The mat is punched with Martha Stewart round the page 3 dot scallop. The background is repeat stamped and embossed with detail clear with Hero CG179 rose background and coloured with the same pens. Three handmade roses, punched leaves and butterflies and some pearls to embellish.

This card is also my entry for this weeks Ooh la la challenge who's theme is Simply Summer and Secret Crafter who have Strawberries and Cream as their theme.

My second card is for Penny Black at Allsorts and uses another one I adore Penny Black 4036K poppy poem. Poppies being another flower that I adore with their fresh vibrant colours, such a pity that each flowers lasts only a day or so.

I stamped a background using Tim Holtz fired brick and spritzed with water, before stamping the poppy and embossing with detail clear again. I coloured with the same TH ink and bundled sage and peeled paint for the leaves. I stamped the flower heads a few more times, colouring the same way, spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl to shape before decoupaging them. The easel card was cur using Cricut Storybook, welding the shapes in Design Studio. The DP is one of the new Nitwit designs, the swirls are Magenta chipboard spritzed with Glimmer Mist red velvet. Buttons and punched butterflies to finish.

I am entering this card into this weeks Creative Card Crew challenge who would like to see Easel cards and Rosie D's and Everybody Art Challenges who have Summer Birthdays.

As soon as I feel up to it I will be doing my blog rounds, but in the meantime my apologies for being so tardy and sitting on my butt feeling a bit sorry for myself.