Garden Inspiration

I'm really running late this weekend, I had this all prepared to go yesterday and Mr B's obviously got the hump with me big time because I only just realised the post was sitting there and not gone live as scheduled. So I have started from scratch so I can also add some challenges.

This week at Allsort's it's Helene's turn to host the challenge and she would like to to seek "Inspiration from a Garden or Park". For my card above, I used this lovely stamp Hero Arts K5366 Tall Birdhouse stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics. I inked some clouds and added stickles to the branches. The mat is punched with Martha Stewart double loop around the page using Doodlebug DP.

And at Polkadoodles the boss Nikky has given us a great sketch to work with. I used it literally as drawn using papers and poinsettias from the new Christmas Paper Boutique CD, decoupaged and layered onto mats cut with Nesties. A Martha Stewart snowflake border punch and ribbon to finish. Greeting on the tag is from the Jingle Jangle Christmas stamp set.

This card is also for the following challenge:

Secret Crafter: Make a Start on Christmas

And my third card (top of post) uses hero Arts K5363 Flower Trio stamped with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics. I stamped round the edges if the main piece with Magenta 32090M crackle background and distressed with Tim Holtz antique linen. I stamped the three flowers a second time onto some DP from stash and cut out to decoupage. The leaves are punched from Basic Grey DP and some hessian and string tied across the middle.

This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Stamping: Distressed Birthdays

Moving Along with the Times: Recipe

Fairies and flowers

How is everyone ? Have you all got this rain as well ? If they talk about droughts now, I think I'll throw something at the TV, to have such green lush paddocks in August is unheard of and utterly bizarre.

I have two shares today, the first is one of the very special birthday cards I have been making for Anysia's 18th on Sunday..............45 peeps coming for a barbie, well that's the plan anyway. Thankfully my mate Mark Spencer.......for those of you not familiar with him he also goes under the guise of M&S......... is doing most of the catering so it just needs collecting and the boys love cooking barbies, so I figure all that leaves for me is to do is make a bowl or two of my famous punch. Why is it famous you ask......nobody can ever remember drinking it !

So the card, another of the gorgeous Sweet Pea Stamps called Black Rose, stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Copis and generously glittered and embellished. The DP is Kaiser and the border punched with my new Martha Stewart floral vine punch.

I added lace and vellum butterflies cut with Martha Stewart small monarch. The flowers are a mixture of Magnolia and from stash, plus liberal helpings of pearls.

This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Pea Stamps: Lace and Pearls

Stamp with Fun: Card for a Girl

Flutterby Wednesdays: Open theme

Charisma Cardz: Hot Hot Hot

C.R.A.F.T: Milestone Birthdays

My second card above is a really quick plain and simple one but I quite like the clean lines. I cut squares on my guillotine and stamped a variety of stamps using Tim Holtz olive and stormy sky and embossed with iridescent powder. I distressed the edges slightly and matted onto blue and green co0ordinating cardstock.

This card is for the following challenges:

Cupcake: Blue and Green

Cut Card Thursday: Dieing for a Punch

Dogs and puppies galore

Sorry Folks !!!!

Seems like a constant whinge from me and I'm forever saying this, but so sorry for being a real bad blogger yet again, I must seem like a real pain in the butt, but I am still feeling so rough and taking ages to shift this infection. I really can't believe I've got this so quickly on top on the last one in June. I 'think' I'm going in the right direction, but since the weekend have have a total lack of energy which they say is the concoction of medication taking it's toll. So not a lot of craft the last few days and this is the best I have come up with.

I stamped the main card with Hobby Art GR1341F Shakespeare Sonnet - 'Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers Day ?' using Tim Holtz broken china, which I also used to create the background for my main image which is Penny Black 4042K daisy fields which I inked with the same TH ink plus tea dye and spritzed with water before stamping. The DP is Doodlebug, the border punch Martha Stewart eyelet lace, then lace, ribbon, gems and pearls to embellish plus three punched butterflies.

This card is for the following challenges:

Tuesday Taggers - Inspired by a Poem

Midnight Madness - Sketch

And a share of a few pictures of the boys and girls, much as I'd love one of all six of them together it night impossible to keep the pups still for long enough to do that.

George, Bernie, Daisy and a non too elegant pose from Buffy (far left)

Buffy and Daisy - night picture and the light makes them look much darker that they really are

George, Bernie and Lily - she's a slightly lighter colour than Daisy

Cute and elegant

Good morning everyone, hope you all had a good weekend.A quick couple of shares today, just to prove I am still doing a bit of crafting.

Both are using the stamps from the new Penny Black Christmas 2010 releases.......the whole range is on the Penny Black website and also under the whats new section at Sir Stampalot......I am told they have now shipped from the States and should be arriving at 'Stampalot Central' any day now.

This one is Penny Black 40-027 Warmest Wishes which I have stamped three times with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Copics and decoupaged, then added some snow using JudiKins snow white glitter. The DP is Nitwits and I added some borders punched with Fiskars threading water with lace overlaid. The large flowers is punched from the same DP, scrunched up and spritzed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds, a couple of pre made flowers and swirls cut with a Sizzix die through the Big Shot, buttons, cord and pins to embellish.

This card is for the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday - Sketch
Lets Ink it Up - Use yellow somewhere

My second card used Penny Black 4112K To follow the star........I absolutely adore this one and have already used it ore that any of the other newbies and I think the trend will continue as it is so versatile.

I created a background using Big and Juicy hydrangea by placing the ink pad onto a craft mat, spritzing liberally with water then squidging a piece of cardstock into it. When dry I stamped the image with versafine back and embossed with detail clear, 'roughed up' the edges with scissors and embossed with detail gold. I also added a touch of gold embossing to the Kings using the same powder and an ink pen.

The edge of the card is stamped with Penny Black 3857H Footnote and again embossed with detail gold. Cord is tied across the card and a small disk made using several layers of UTEE and stamping into it with the script part of the main image stamp. Finally I laid a piece of beaded cord across the top of the image.

This card is for the following challenges:

Stamptacular Sunday - Two's better than one
Daring Cardmakers - Material Girl....take inspiration from a piece of clothing - the little cocktail number below courtesy of Monsoon - awful picture but it really is purple with gold and the jacket is gold as well beleive it or not, you would never know from the picture.

All the little things

Good Morning everyone, hope you are all well and ready for the weekend.

Before I move on to the new Allsorts challenge, a couple of quick reminders if you are a Penny Black addict:

The new Penny Black Christmas releases, some of which I shared in my last post are now on line at Sir Stampalot........check out the 'what's new' section. And there is lots of inspiration using the new releases (and some of my work which mega excited me) on their blog and their web site.

We are still looking for new DT members at Penny Black at Allsorts so pop over if you are interested in joining us.

Now the challenge where the lovely Amanda has set us a real challenge this week which is to create a project less than 3 inches square. I'll be honest and say I pondered over this one for ages until I was sorting one of craft cupboards and came across a pack of tiny canvasses my hubby bought for me ages ago.

They are tiny as well and actually slightly less than three inches in size, but it was a challenge I really enjoyed. Hubby had already covered them with gessoe for me, so I loaded one with Tim Holtz distress inks scattered straw, worn lipstick and shabby shutters, the splodges on alcohol ink in raspberry and meadow, then spritzed it all with Glimmer Mist iridescent gold to make the colours bleed.

I then stamped with a mixture of Lavinia and Art Impression stamps including the teeny tiny fairy using versafine black, liberal helpings of glitter and pearls, punched butterflies and a computer generated sentiment.

I am entering my canvas in the following challenges:

Stamping for the Weekend - Anything goes

Glitterbabes - sparkle, glitter and two flowers

Crafty Creations - Butterflies

Moving Along with the Times - Glitter

Nest my card for this weeks Polkadoodles where my teamie Fliss has chosen the them Vintage. I don't know why, but Christmas door wreaths always make me think Victorian, so this was an obvious choice for me using one of the the new Christmas Doodle stamps along with Paper from Christmas Paper Boutique CD. The easel card was made using a Marianne circle stencil cut through the Big Shot.

There is still time to enter our colouring competition, so if you love your colouring and want to win a fantastic set of the new AquaMarkers from Letraset worth £79.99, then check it out over at the Polkadoodles challenge blog where you can find out how to enter. Closing date for entries is 31st August 2010.

Penny Black Christmas 2010

Hello folks, bet you have been wondering where I have been with no post for three days.

Firstly there are puppydogs who takes a fair amount of time and are growing like triffids. I'll try and get some more piccies shortly to share. Then there is me sounding like a long playing record, I got flue the second day of our holiday, in fairness several of us did, but as usual despite antibiotics I can't shake it off so it turned into bronchitis and now a "hint of pneumonia" - GP terminology whatever that really means. So lots more pills.

But today I actually felt like crafting, helped enormously by a very nice man from Fex Ex who delivered a parcel from America..............Penny Black Christmas 2010.............it's a wonder you didn't hear the squeal, I was that excited. So I have a couple of creations to share with you and you can see all of the new range of Penny Black stamps here and you can get yours from Sir Stampalot just as soon as their delivery lands so keep an eagle eye on the 'whats new' section of their web site.

My first card........another easel I'm afraid, I'm still that addicted to them........... uses this gorgeous collage stamp Penny Black 4112K To Follow the Star. I made a mask for the moon and brayerd with Adirondack eggplant, stamped the image with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, then sponged Tim Holts marigold and sage to add definition. I tore the edges and embossed with iridescent powder to add some shine. The star is Hobby Art QT801A and DP's Kaiser which I also used to make three roses. The swirl is cut through the Big Shot using a Sizzix die then pearls and gems added to embellish.

This card is for the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Petals and pearls

Creative Cottage - Christmas

Fab and Funky - Flowers - make your own

A Spoonful of Sugar - Christmas in August

My next card used an absolutely adorable slapstick stamp.....I am certain this is the same little girl as in one of the summer releases 40-021 For Goodness Sake. I stamped and embossed the image three times, colouring each with Copics then decoupaging. The DP is Cosmo Cricket which I also used to make the punched flower and sprayed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds. I added some snow, glitter, lace and pearls to embellish and a a border punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop.

This card is for the following challenges:

ABC - Blue

Cute Card Thursday - Sketch

Creative Card Crew - Sparkle and shine

And finally, one I forgot to add earlier - my head is obviously somewhere else. This is not a Christmas stamp but it is a new release and when I saw it I just loved it, reminds me of Harvest festival and all the beautiful displays in Church. The image is Penny Black 40-037 Autumnal Gifts, stamped with versfaine sepia and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Copics and some of the fruit decoupaged. I used Hero Arts S5316 Silhouette Grass to the main card using Tim Holtz rusty hinge and punched the October Afternoon DT with Martha Stewart arched lattice.

This card is for this weeks Penny Black Saturday, not entered for a few weeks what with holiday etc., and when I saw the theme of Get Fruity I was stumped , until Mr Fed Ex arrived with his goodies that is.

New Christmas Hero Arts has landed

Monday again and I seem to have missed the weekend somewhere.

All the best laid plans and all that...........very little crafting but an awful lots of pupsicle loo runs. Both girls had their first inoculations this morning and the big weigh in, Daisy is 4.75 kg and Lily 3.85 kg, pretty much as we expected as Daisy is a bit of a hefty unit...........sorry folks, that's a real Fen saying for those of us that are shall we say a little way off a size '0'............compared with delicate Lily.

So just the two cards, but at least one of them allowed me to break out the new Christmas Hero Arts delivery from Sir Stampalot that I need to get creating with for the BIG Christmas Demo Weekend at the end of the month.

The first easel card is using this absolutely gorgeous Hero Arts S5449 Fabulous Flourish. It's a bit of a biggie at 5.5" x 4.5" but just lovely and a joy to work with. Me thinks there will be a few samples going Peterborough way with this one.

I created a background with Tim Holtz broken china and tea dye, inking a non stick craft sheet, spritzing liberally with water and Glimmer Mist pearl and swishing the card about it in. When dry I stamped with Hero chalk ink soft pool using good old trusty Hero H2365 old French writing. Next I inked the flourish stamp with TH tea dye and spritzed with water before stamping. The DP is October Afternoon, the border Martha Steward double loop, some punched leaves, two ribbons, a beaded pin, pearls and Magnolia flowers.

This card is for the following challenges:

Friday Sketchers - I promised Claudia I would make an effort to enter as it's been far too long since I joined in.

The Stamp Man - Easel Card

Cupcake Challenge - A recipe for their second birthday - 2 DP's, 2 ribbons and 2 flowers (there are two different ribbons on the bottom but hard to see)

My second card uses a favourite stamp from Sweet Pea called dandelions. Stamped simply with Versafine black and embossed with detail clear twice, cutting a spotlight with a Nestie and colouring just that section with Copics. The DP is Kaiser, the border punch Martha Stewart embossed scallop, sizzix swirls and Magnolia flower and pearls to embellish.

This card is for the following challenges:

Stamp for Fun - Sketch

Sweet Pea Stamp Challenge - Swirls and flourishes

Crafty Cardmakers - Spotlight

By the Cute and Girly - Animal Antics - hope the moggy on here is having enough antics with the fairy to fit the theme, if not sorry girls

Molly Ballerina and Polkadoodle flowers

Good Morning everyone from a rather wet East Anglia........where is Summer ? It's absolutely freezing.

Things are setting down in puppy land and we even got some sleep last night, so keeping everything crossed that I might get to do some crafting today.

A coupe of things I need to tell you about:

Penny Black at Allsorts are looking for new Design Team members, so if you love you PB's and would like to be considered for the team pop over to the challenge blog now.

And if you love your colouring and want to win a fantastic set of the new AquaMarkers from Letraset worth £79.99, then check it out over at the Polkadoodles challenge blog where you can find out how to enter. Closing date for entries is 31st August 2010.

It's the lovely Kirsten's turn to host the new theme at Allsorts this week and she would like to see paper Piercing or Paper Piecing on our work.

My card uses Ballerina Molly from the new Molly Blooms stamps by Clare available exclusively from Sir Stampalot.

I used Copics on her face, arms and legs and for her clothes some DP from my stash which I also used to create the back panel using Martha Stewart around the page 3 dot scallop. The three roses are made from the same DP, punched leaves and butterfly, a beaded pin and the letters are cut on the Big Shot with a Sizzix die.

I am also entering this card for:

Cooking up with Katie - Flowery pink square, use flowers, pink and a square

Creative Card Crew - Cute and Girly

And my second card it my DT project for this weeks new challenge at Polkadoodles where it's Stacey's turn to host the challenge and she wants us to print onto acetate or vellum.

I used the Paper Boutique CD, re-sized the flowers and printed onto acetate, which I them matted onto white cardstock and fixed with brads. I printed more of the same flowers onto white cardstock, cute out and glittered the edges. The swirly leaf is cut from a Sizzix die and the card edging Martha Stewart embossed scallop. The sentiment is from the unmounted stamp set.

I thought I would also enter this card into this weeks Creative Cottage challenge as they would also like to see acetate used on projects.

DT vacancies, challenges and puppy update

Little and Large

Good Afternoon folks and what a wet one it is here in the Fens, but much needed and I guess I will have to put up the the sub zero temperatures, or at least what fees that way after the Med heat.

Might be a bit of a long post as lots to tell you about. First of all I am looking to expand my DT over at Penny Black at Allsorts. We have just started our second month and after a wonderful first month I think the time is right to spread our wings a bit and incorporate a bit of new blood. So if you love your Penny Blacks, can commit to submitting a piece of artwork each month and commenting on entries and feel you have what it takes to join our little gang pop over to the Chalenge blog now to see what you have to do.

So hows it going with the puppies ? Up and down is probably the best way to describe it. Two rather noisy nights eventually led to desperate measures by 3am this monring when no amount of pacifying was going to settle Daisy. We remembered the old trick of giving puppies something smelling of their Mother, well we did not have that so as Daisy has spent most of last evening on hubbys lap he gave her his trousers to lay on in her basket.......I did say drastic measures and at that time of the monring anything goes.......not another peep out of her till almost seven, so I figure he can say goodby to a decent pair of linen trousers.

Apart from that all is going well considering how young they are. And the star of the show has to be Bernie the St Bernards, he is being an asolute darling with them. It's nigh impossible to get a picture of them all together but I did catch the one above earlier.

I also want to thank the team at Crafts and Me for selecting me for their Top three last week.

I have somehow managed a couple of cards, taken me almost two days, but here they are. The first is my saftey net style using My Minds Eye DP's, some of the beautiful lace I bought in Cadiz and the main image Penny Black 3877K an afternoon inked with Tim Holtz dusky concored and peeled paint, spritzed before stamping to bleed the colours a bit and stamped onto linen cardstock. The flower is made with punches from the same DP's scrunched up to age and spritzed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds. The sentiment is Penny Black 4070F Dreams. The butterfly is also punched from the same DP and glittered.

This card is for the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesday - must have a butterfly or fairy

Cupcake Challenge - Use lace

Crafts and me - Purple and green

Stamp Man - 2 colours

My second card uses one of my lovely new Sweet Pea stamps called Poppy Love which I stamped and embossed with detail clear and then masked to create a sun over the rays whch are part of the stamps using Tim Holtz mustard seed and dried marigold, then coloured with Copics. The double sided DP is Crate Paper, some lace, a magnolia flower adn swirl cut with a Sizzix die. This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Pea Stamps Challenge - Carnival colours

Charisma Cards - Easel card

Tuesday Taggers - Sunshine

Meet the puppies

Daisy and Lily have arrived !!

A few days earlier than planned, but the breeder asked if we we could take them now so of course we said yes. They are adorable of course, but it seems appearances can be very deceptive and Daisy who was always so docile and sleepy when we visited is the original Duracell advert, she has not stopped all day long.

We have had lots of puppies over the years and they are usually timid and take days to settle in, but not Daisy, she has even charged up and down stairs a few time.........steps usually take them ages to attempt, so baby gates everywhere.

So a few pictures to share. No crafting whatsoever and can't see too much happening for a day or so either.

Daisy left, Lily right and Anysia

This sleep lasted all of ten minutes, but Buffy is being very tolerant and allowed Daisy onto one of her blankets in the conservatory. When George arrived last February it was weeks before she would let him anywhere near her beds (she's spoilt, she has two one of which is in my craft room)

The early arrival meant a rush order out to Tesco as cupboards are still bare from our hols, so a great chance for Daisy to discover she loves the Monster in the utility room (American fridge freezer). She climbed in several times when I was getting more bags in to put away.

Alex brought both puppies a new toy, but Buffy sees to think it's fair play to borrow one. At nine she is still a puppy at heart, we call her the Peter Pan of the doggy world.

As you can see, Daisy is quite a lot bigger than Lily at the moment.

Hope you enjoy, will share more in a few days.

Distressed Primary

The lovely Emma has decided to go "All Primary" at Allsorts this week and would like us to use two colours from Blue, Red and Yellow.

It is extra exciting this week as Joanna of Sheeny Towers fame is joining us for the month of August as our Guest Designer. I was so thrilled when I asked her and she said yes. Thank you Joanna, I know we will all be inspired by the wonderful work you have created for us.

I had a messy session to create my card, first distressing a piece of cardstock with Tim Holt broken china and mustard seed, then stamping with Hero F5042 with bleach to lift the colour. The main image is stamped onto a piece of card onto which I used the same inks to created a striped effect using a blending tool, then stamping Penny Black 4035K Letters and Flowers using versafine majestic blue and embossing with iridescent powder.

I punched the border with Fiskars threading water and cut away part of the edge, added some pearls and cord and a flower made with punches, spritzed with Glimmer Mist lemon zest.

For those of you who have been following my holiday candy route, I will be back by Monday and be publishing the winners as soon as I can then.

Dancing horses

One of the famous horses and a couple of well fit trainers !

This is your last clue folks as we will be at sea now until we dock back at Southampton. We are at the region of the Dancing Horses of Jerez and the City that gives it's name to one of our favourite marmalade's.......oranges that is with two 'L's in the middle.

It's Kerry's turn to set the theme at Polkadoodles this week and she has given us a really great sketch to work with.

Hope you don't mind Stacey, but I have twisted your sketch a bit as Rudolph turned out a bit larger than I expected. All the elements are from Paper Boutique Christmas, Rudolph has been decoupaged, his hat is glittered and the snowflakes made using a Martha Stewart punch. The NOEL sentiment is from the same CD.

I will be sorting the candy winners when I am back home and will post all the details as soon as I can on or after 9th August. Watch this space.................

Good morning everyone, hope you all had a good weekend.

A quick couple of shares today, just to prove I am still doing a bit of crafting.

Both are using the stamps from the new Penny Black Christmas 2010 releases.......the whole range is on the Penny Black website and also under the whats new section at Sir Stampalot......I am told they have now shipped from the States and should be arriving at 'Stampalot Central' any day now.

This one is Penny Black40-027 Warmest Wishes which I have stamped three times with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Copics and decoupaged, then added some snow using JudiKins snow white glitter. The DP is Nitwits and I added some borders punched with Fiskars threading water with lace overlaid. The large flowers is punched from the same DP, scrunched up and spritzed with Glimme Mist dazzling diamonds, a couple of pre made flowers and swirls cut with a Sizzix die through the Big Shot, buttons, cord and pins to embellish.

This card is for the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday - Sketch

Lets Ink it Up - Use yellow somewhere

My second card used Penny Black 4112K To follow the star........I absolutely adore this one and have already used it ore that any of the other newbies and I think the trend will continue as it is so versatile.

I created a background using Big and Juice hydrangea by placing the ink pad onto a craft mat, spritzing liberally with water then squidging a piece of cardstock into it. When dry I stamped the image with versafine back and embossed with detail clear, 'roughed up' the edges with scissors and embossed with detail gold. I also added a touch of gold embossing to the Kings using the same powder and an ink pen.

The edge of the card is stamped with Penny Black 3857H Footnote and again embossed with detail gold. Cord is tied across the card and a small disk made using several layers of UTEE and stamping into it with the script part of the main image stamp. Finally I laid a piece of beaded cord across the top of the image.

This card is for the following challenges:

Stamptacular Sunday - Two's better than one

Daring Cardmakers - Material Girl....take inspiration from a piece of clothing

All dressed up

A night at sea and here we are in the island off the tip of Italy one could imagine Don Corleone might have frequented along with his brothers.

I would like the name of the island here and I'll tell you we sailed through the Straights of Massina to get here. You can find the largest active volcano in Europe on this island which is also famous for it's lemons and a liqueur called Limoncello......which just happens to be the name of my local deli in Cambridge. Your can check out what you need to do to enter in the post at the top of my blog.

Mount Etna

Now Allsorts where my talented teamie Fleur has come up with a brilliant theme this week........"Dressing Up" she says it can be fancy dress, prom, party or even a posh pair of shoes.

I had this Hero Arts image stamped out weeks ago from a crafty session with Chris and the girls at Sir Stampalot........it's Chris's stamp so thanks matie. I stamped the image once onto cream cardstock and distressed the edges with Tim Holtz scattered straw, then again on to Cosmo Cricket DP.......there seems to be a whole dressmaking thing going on at the moment because they work with the stamps brilliantly........have to say the stamp and DP's are not some I would have chosen as a norm, but actually quite like the finished project.

Some of the DP has tape measures, which I cut our and rolled across the centre of my card, added some buttons, rick rack, cord and a computer generated sentiment.

And there's a new theme over at Penny Black at Allsorts where the theme for August is Glitter and Glitz, if you have not already been over to the new challenge blog what are you waiting for, some fabby prizes to be had.

Next candy clue, Wednesday 4th August.

Glitter and bling

Stampalot DT card

Continuing my holiday itinerary and your next clue for the candy.....how to enter in the post at the top of my blog......today sees us in a beautiful City that only a few years ago was ravaged by war.

Standing in the beautiful walled City of turrets and towers it is hard to imagine such atrocities such a short time ago until you look at the bullet and shell marks still evident on the City Gate below. Sitting on the coast in the Adriatic Sea, it used to be part of Yugoslavia and following the Civil war in 1991 changed to Croatia. Nine letters, the first is 'D' and the last 'K'.

And as it's the first of the month, Stamplalot Challenge and Penny Black at Allsorts both have new challenges, here are the themes:

Stampalot: Bring on the Bling

Penny Black at Allsorts: Glitter and Glitz

There are similarities and I can see quite a few being combined here, but equally I am sure lots of you will see totally different ideas. And both have some wonderful prizes on offer, Stampalot have a whole collections of craft essentials and Penny Black at Allsorts have six prizes on offer.

For my Stampalot DT card above I used Penny Black 4039K Candid stamped with versafine sepia one a background created with Tim Holtz olive and mustard seed, spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl and then over stamped with Magenta 32090M crackle background. I stamped the flower heads again and coloured with the same two TH inks and spritzed with GM to make them pliable before decoupaging them onto the main image.

The DP is from stash and I have no idea of the make, I so wish I did as I love the colours of it. The border are punched with Martha Stewart double loop and the swirl is a sizzix die. For the bling I added some Swarovski crystals, so when I use them it means it's for someone special..........our daughter whose birthday is whilst we are on holiday.

My second card is my DT work for Penny Black at Allsorts:

Penny Black at Allsorts DT project

Its ages since I made a box easel card, so time to put that right. I have used some on the new Cosmo Cricket DP's to cover the box, the colours of this one are so yummy. For the main element I masked a piece of cardstock and sprayed with Glimmer Mist turquoise and sunflower to create a panel effect background. I then stamped Penny Black 3948 Fireworks over the GM's section and Penny Black 3940 Life to the side.

The borders are punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop, the punched leaves and roses glittered liberally and Liquid Pearls added to the stamped flower heads plus more glitter.

Don't forget to pop back tomorrow for the next candy clue.