Whateva !

"Whateva !" is the theme at Stamptacular Sunday this week, so of course it's no surprise that I have gone floral.

A pretty mat punched with Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace around the page set, some DP from stash and the flowers are Hero Arts S5362 Dogwood.......I make no excuse for using this one over and again as it is so versatile and lends itself to decoupage beautifully. After stamping with versamark back and embossing with detail clear, I coloured with Aquamarkers, cut out the three flower heads, inked with versamark and spritzed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds. The combination of the two blends the colours and allows you to shape the flowers which become quite rigid as they dry. Finally I added orange stickles.

Recycling at Allsorts

My teamie Helene is "Saving Nature" at Allsorts this week and would like us to re-cycle on our projects.

My re-cycled element is the red ribbon which came from a Christmas package, it was a bit crumpled but a after a good iron it was good as new. The main image is Penny Black 4-39K Candid which I inked with Aqumarkers and spritzed with water before stamping onto a piece of cardstock which had I stamped with Hero Arts H2365 Old French Writing. The DP is My Minds Eye, the border punched with Martha Steward Doily Lace then the spine of the card scored, eyelets added, tied with cord and finally a few gems in the flower centres.

Message from B

Hello Ladies, B’s hubby here with a message she was determined I sent to you all as she is unable to write it herself, although she is directing operations as I type, no doubt you all know her well enough to understand what I mean !!

Her shoulder and arm have not improved as we hoped and now her MS has kicked in quite rapidly over the last few days, more so than it has done in several years now. As a result she is suffering a lot of pain and immobility and her hands and legs not really functioning properly - luckily or perhaps no so for me, her vocal cords are all still functioning well !!

She has been finding typing difficult for a few days but carried on despite all the warnings from myself and medics and today has reached the point where she has no choice in the matter and her computer is going off forcibly.

She has asked that I tell everyone that although she will be missing from blogland for a week or two, she has several posts scheduled and all her DT work done and where it should be - I expect that means more to all of you than it does me.

So that’s it in a nutshell really and if you are reading this, then B’s instructions how to put this on her blog were not that bad.

Brayers roll again

Morning all, really quick shares today, got another appointment with the osteopath this morning to do a bit more on the shoulder and need to make an appearance at work, but as you seemed to like looking at my brayer attempts yesterday though I would share a couple more.

And I have decided that as several of you hinted at the idea and also some lovely mails asking so nicely to share how I do it, I am going to do a tutorial................just as soon as there is a decent day of sunshine so I can get some reasonable pictures. So watch this space.

My card above again uses Adirondack dye inks and a whole variety of stamps. I wanted to try and create the appearance of rays of sunshine on the field so after masking and brayering, I did a bit of sponging.....I will try and show this in my tutorial as well.

This second card again incoporates brayering and sponging plus some masking and that lovely Penny Black 2905H sentiment. You will note the trees are all the same ones and I 'need' more....I have seen a lovely tree scape stamp so many times, I think it's Stamping Up, so if anyone knows what it is and where or how I can get it...................please let me know. This card is for the following challenges:

Incy Wincy - Winter Wonderland

Shabby Tearoom - as above

Pollycraft - Black and White plus one

My fianl share is using another favourite.............grief do I have a lot of favourites, this one Crafts and Me Orchid of the Night stamped and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics onto a masked and brayered background. The DP is from American Crafts, the border Martha Stewart Doily Lace Trim, the branch is a Sizzix die and of course lashings of glitter and decoupaged fairy wings. This is for the following challenges:

The Crafty Pad - Girly

Crafty Cardmakers - Flowers

Oldie but a Goodie - Fantasy images (had this since July, so just !)

Messing about with the brayer

Monday morning already, where did the weekend go ?

Well, I guess I should admit to a fair bit of playing about with inks and the brayer. I have been promising myself an inky session for ages and as I went to Coleman's who I do the odd demo for on Saturday to get some new colours of Adirondack inks, it seemed only right I tried out a few of them. Don't know how many of you know about Coleman's warehouse at Rushden, but it's pretty awesome and you can while away hours there. Yesterday looks like a blue and yellow day although it was not planned that way, just how it turned out, so my next session will be a bit more colourful.

Most of the stamps are either Lavinia, Art Impression or Clarity, except the fairy which is a really old Rubber Stampede one. I so enjoy brayering and find it very rewarding and it's always a popular one when I demo. I did think about doing a tutorial, but then decided it might not be fair to bore peeps. So the above card is for:

Crafty Catz - A forgotten stamp

One Stitch at a Time - As you like it

Pear Tree Design - Mainly blue

The card above is using one of the new stamps Hero Arts K5503 Bird Collage, stamped simply with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. The October Afternoon DP is double sided and I stamped Hero CG222 Music Background on the lighter side to add interest. Edges have been nicely distressed as is the flower made from TH tattered floral die. This is for:

Paper Sundaes - Distressing

Alys Sundays - For the guys

Gingerloft - Things that fly

Stamping Sisters - Vintage

Fairy time again

Good Morning evenyone, hope you are all having a great weekend.

Before I move on to my share for today, can I say a great big thank you to all the guys over at the Crafty Pad for selecting my Venetian Mask as one of their Top 3. I was really not sure about it as it's not my normal style of crafting and the peeloffs were so alien to me and a faff to work with, so that makes it all the more special.

On to my share which is my DT work for this weeks new challenge at Stamptacular Sunday where the theme is "Who said three was a crowd ?".......use 3DP's, 3 ribbons and 3 flowers.

A chance for me to use one of my latest Sweet Pea fairies.....whose name I seem to have lost temporarily. Anyhow, I can tell you what I did to create my card which was to stamp the image with Adirondack black, then mask her and a moon and brayer over with Big and Juicy Hydrangea. I then coloured the image with Copics, glittered her wings and framed her using a Nestie. The DP is American Crafts from a pack I had for Christmas.....they are gorgeous and most are glittered and foiled. The border and corners were punched using Martha Stewart doubler loop, then ribbons, flowers and a swirl cut with a TH die. This is also for the following challenges:

Moving Along with the Times - Sketch and flowers

Glitterbabes - Sparkle and pink gems

Lets Ink it Up - Anything Goes

Crafty Emma's - Angels or Fairies

A mans world

Morning Folks, another week has spun by and it's time for another challenge at Allsorts where the lovely Amanda would like us to make cards suitable for boys and men.......you know, the problems area in crafting.

My card uses a new stamp that my hubby picked up recently at Stampalot as he thought he would be good for male cards, so here it is to prove his point. It is Art Impression T1221 Country House which I stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear and added some leaves to the trees with Art Impression A893. The image is coloured with Aquamarkers and the DP is My Minds Eye, with some buttons and cord to finish. This card is also for the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - 3,2,1, recipe (3 buttons, two papers, one bow)

Pixie Dust - Button up

Sweet Stampin - Clear as Mud (brown plus one)

Penny Black at Allsorts Blog Hop

Morning everyone, it's time for the Penny Black at Allsorts Blog Hop and also a new challenge at Allsorts.

At the Hop we havE lots of fabulous prizes on offEr and really hope you will all join in the fun. When you reach my blog you should have arrived from Mervi's blog and after you pick up my letter cluE......hidden amongst this post.....you need to head over to visit Shirley. If you get lost along thE way at any point you can always go back to the challEnge blog and start afresh.

Here is what I have on offer for the winnEr of my part of the hop, all you need to do to be in with a chancE of winning this cutE stamp set is leave mE a comment on this post.

For my Allsorts DT piece I have used another favourite Penny Black 40-125 Thinking of You coloured with Copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is October Afternoon and the flower and leaves are cut using a Cuttlebug quilling die set.

And my second card is just a bit of indulgence really, messing around with inks and the brayer and the first inking up for one of the stamps delivered recently from Dick over at PB Stamps...........a really oldie that I was so thrilled to find.......the code tells you just how old......Penny Black 386H called Knapsack Corner which I coloured lightly with Copics. The sentiment is PB 3904F Life which I stamped onto a spotlight and brayered to carry the background shading and ran a squiggly line freehand round the edges. And of course good old Art Impression ducks........well half of them anyhow.

Fairy castles

Hello peeps, winter has returned and a really hard frost this morning, I guess that's the penalty we pay for the sunshine, but I would rather have that than the rainy dull weather of last week.

I managed to have a really good play last evening minus the sling impediment....although my arm is complaining a bit now and the osteopathy visit left me a bit sore this morning, but it is definite progress.

Some inky shares but first I need to say a big thank you to Isa in Spain for passing on this award to me, it was so kind of her. You all know my rotten track record with passing on awards as I never can choose, so this is for all of my lovely blogland friends, please lift off to your own blogs with my love.

Now for my makes, the first one up top of this post involved making a simple mask with an oval aperture and sponging TH marigold, stormy sky and peeled paint. With the mask still in place, I stamped the castle F40047M by Stampalot and a mixture of Lavinia stamps to create the little scene. Then simple matting onto coordinating cardstock and a border punched with MS Vintage lace and of course a liberal helping of glitter to finish. This card is for the following challenges:

ABC Challenge - M is for magical

Flutterby Wednesdays - Anything goes

My second card using the good old speedball brayer was inspired by the beautiful evening sky here in the Fens yesterday..............a bit of artistic licence thrown in as we don't have hills, just flat landscapes for miles as far as the eye can see.............absolutely beautiful mind you, but an aquired taste and alien to those who come from more undulating parts of the Country.

It was a really magical sight with beautiful oranges topped by dark cloud and the setting sun was almost colourless against the vivid sky. I used Adirondack eggplant, butterscotch and meadow for the brayering and the stamps are Hero Arts S5316 Silhouette Grass and Art Impression G1045 Geese both stamped with Adirondack Espresso. This card is for the following challenges:

Bee Crafty - Ray of sunshine

Creative Card Crew - For Men

My final share is yet more fantasy, this time Sweet Pea Fairy of the Night. available in the UK from Crafts and Me (link on sidebar). A moon of course........sorry for the monotony but all good fairies deserve a moon or sun.......... masked and brayered with Adirondack cranberry. The image is heat embossed with detail clear then coloured with Copics and some paper piecing for her dress and crystal ball. Lace, flowers, beaded pins, a border punched with MS garden trellis and the easel card was cut on the Cricut. The My Minds Eye DP is a really old one, all lovely and glittery. This is for the following challenges:

Simon Says - Bingo (lace, flowers and embossing)

Crafts and Me - Monochrome

Creative Cottage - Shaped card

Papertake - Ribbons and pearls

A touch of Venetian magic

Good Morning everyone, the sun is shining here in the Fens and I had to go take a second look out of the window just to be sure....... I know it's psychological, but what a difference it makes to your day just to see a bright ray coming through the windows.

Before I go any further I want to say a huge thank you and welcome to me new followers, so many of you have linked up lately and I really do approciate your support and friendship.

The shoulder has been suitably manipulated, a few sessions with the physio and I am keeping it all crossed that the pain will start to subside. It's still a nightmare to type.....I am doing this post in short bursts......the desk height and position just does not agree with the shoulder, so blogging and the like are still limited.....thank goodness my craft desk is a little lower and I can lean the bad arm and work the fingers from a static position.

If any of the Stampalot blog hops winners are reading this, the prizes have all gone off the the PO today. Sorry about the delay but I have not been able to drive for the past week due to the sling....thought it unwise to try.

A few shares today, the first one something very new and alien to me as it involved working with peeloffs........grief are they fiddly. I have been wanting to try making one of these masks for ages......it reminds me so much of all our trips top Venice and where we are going again this Summer. I followed a template I had which involves cutting various elements from card and fabric, then decoupaging and decorating with peeloffs, flowers and brads. This is for the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - New (velvet material and peeloffs)
The Crafty Pad - As above
Kaboodle Doodles - Black and white plus one (Silver)

My next share used Penny Black 3815J Love Blush over a background stamped with Hero Arts H2365 Old French Writing, then coloured with a mixture of Copics and Aquamarkers. I printed out Robbie Burns Red Red Rose poem and distressed it and used as a backing for the stamped piece, all laid over Wishful Thinking DP. I made a rose from plain red paper, added some gold to the edges and sprayed with iridescent glitter. Some swirls, lace, cord and a couple of pins to embellish. This card is for the following challenges:

Try it on Tuesdays - Robbie Burns
Paper Playtime - Use the word 'Love'
Lexi's Creations - Say it with Love
Bunny Zoe - Love is in the air

My final creation is very similar to a card a few weeks ago but I rather liked the design so tried it in a few different colours. The image is another favourite Crafts and Me stamp Eternity on a card created on the Cricut DS welding the circles together to create an easel card. The doily circles is made using the Magnolia die, the DP is also Magnolia which I used to add some paper piecing to the stamped image. This card is for the following challenges:

Ladybug -Anything but square

Wild Orchid - Lets get sentimental

Stamp Fairy - Paper piecing

Stamps R Us - Shaped cards

Pollycraft - Pastel colours

More new Hero

There's a new challenge today at Stamptacular Sunday and the theme is 'Anything but Square'.

So the perfect opportunity to use one of the cards I created with a set of the new Grand Nesties and new Hero Arts stamp releases. The card itself was made by running the nesties through the Big Shot, then layered with bazzil. The image is stamped with Hero Arts CL477 and G4917 using Tim Holtz chipped sapphire, spun sugar and olive. Plus some ribbon and a sentiment to finish.

Colour Create - Pink, blue, white
Stamping for the Weekend - New and blue (nesties and stamps)

CES - No designer papers

One more quick share with brayering using Big and Juicy Soothing Sunset and Magenta CS053 Botanical....this really is such a great set if you like your florals and butterflies. Not a lot more I can add really other than a nice messy session was had ! This is for the following challenges:

Fairytale - Flowers
Lots to Do - Brayering
Two Sisters - Flowers

Finally I want to show you the beautiful embellishments I received from Geraldine of Little Snippets......isn't her work beautiful.......even the hearts have little butterflies in the centre. This was a prize I won at By the Cute and Girly and could not have been a more apt prize for me with my addiction to wings and fantasy. Do go and check out the lovely work Geraldine has for sale at her store.

I will share some made up projects using these embellishments just as soon as my shoulder is sorted and normal service resumes in my craft room.

Update from Fantasy Land

Hello Peeps, hope you are all well.

First I must thank you for all your lovely words and kind messages about my shoulder........... it's still a pain in the rear holding me up, but I think I will have a unique new project to show you......it's not quite ready yet but I reckon it just might be a first........an altered art sling...........it's taking on a nice colour with plenty of distressing round the edges where I lean on my craft desk so my fingers can get crafty......amazing what you can achieve it the will is strong enough. But seriously, I am keeping the typing to a minimum because the necessary position hurts too much.

So just a couple of shares, the first using another new one from Hero Arts CG273 which I stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear, then masked and stamped Art Impression P2975 Cityscape. Then some sponging and stamped leaves and path also Art Impression stamps, flowers made with organize ribbon and Hero Arts S5449 Fabulous Flourish stamped onto the DP which is from stash. This is for the following challenges:

Simon Says - Sketch

Fresh Brewed - Black white plus one (green)

Moving Along with the Times - Make your dreams come true (NY is one of the places I have never been but always wanted to so this is my dream today)

My second share uses My Minds Eye DP's, nesties hearts and Penny Black 4-23K Love is in the Message stamped with Memento Lady Bug. Flowers, punched butterflies and Penny Black 3322D I Love You for the sentiment. This is for the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesdays - Sketch and wings

Old but a Goodie - Bright and cheerful

Scrapbook Sisters - Hearts desire

Glitterbabes - Anything goes (I glittered the butterflies and leaves)

Crafters Arm ?

Oh my goodness, what a sorry state of affairs, I can't type properly.....not that I ever could that well, but more to the point I have no idea how I am going to be able to craft for any period of time.........I've got a dislocated shoulder ! Or could it be Crafters Arm ?

How on earth I did it I have no idea, but as I have been in so much pain for a couple of weeks and my left arm was getting less mobile I decided I had better go get it checked out............and because I left it hoping it would go away on it's own, it's now so inflamed they can't do much with it until it settles so this is what my left arm looks like..............


But the fingers are free so perhaps not all is lost, although typing this is taking me forever so my post is going to be mega short..........and my sling mega messy before too long.............. For this card I masked and brayered and stamped with Penny Black 3937H Birds on Wire and Hero Arts CL477 Delicate Leaf and if for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Incy Wincy - Go dotty

Try in on Tuesday - It's a man's world tag
Craft Your Passion - Lets tie it on

My second share is one I made the other day using a new stamp Hero Arts CG266 Dancing with Flowers, isn't it a pretty stamp ? This was stamped onto a brayered background using Big and Juicy Soothing Sunset. The DP is Magnolia and I used a piece of a doily to decorate the corner plus a flower with folded organza ribbon. This is for the following challenges:

Pollycraft - New things (the stamp)

Cupcake - Something New (as above)

Stampalot Blog Hop Winners

January Stampalot challenge prize

Good Morning peeps, the Hop is over and time to reveal the winner from the visitors to my blog................each of the DT will reveal the winner from their blog own visitors and the Stampalot challenge blog will have a post listing all winners................well it will as soon as I get it prepared.

So my lucky winner is.....drum roll...........drum roll..................

Wedgie

Congratulations Wedgie, please mail me your full postal addy so I can post your prize off to you.

And don't forget folks, there is still plenty of time to enter this months challenge for a chance to wind the fabby prize pictured above.

Blog hop fun

This Blog Hop has now ended................

Happy New year everyone.

I really don't know where to start with this post because there is so much I need to include.........a new weekly challenge at Allsorts.......then Stampalot and Penny Black at Allsorts monthly challenges........as well as a Blog Hop.

So first up is my creation above for Allsorts where Fleur would like to see Thank You creations. My card made with Kraft cardstock uses Hero Arts CO114 as the main image, stamped onto the reverse of the Kaiser DP and the flowers stamped several times more, cut out, spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl and decoupaged with peal gems and brads to embellish.

Next up is my creation for this months Penny Black at Allsorts where the them is "All you Need is Love"...................and keep your eyes peels for a Blog Hop there later this month as well. A real comfort zone card using Penny Black 3796K Words Sweet which I inked with carious Tim Holtz inks and spritzed with water before stamping. Lightly distressed edges and mounted on the Kraft cardstock stamped down the leading edge with Penny Black 2636K Scroll Pattern. Some DP from stash with gold hearts, which I also used to make three matching roses, some cord and finito.

My final share is for this months theme at Stampalot Challenge where the theme is to take inspiration from Queens hit song or Shakespears "A Winters Tale". The main image is Stamps Happen 80182 Let it Snow, coloured with Aquamarkers and Judikins snow glitter added. A computer generated verse from Shakespeare.

Now for the Blog Hop which starts today at StampaloT Challenge and runs from Today until 10th January. I am sure lots of you know the sysTem but for those of you who might be new to Hops, you need to go to the Stampalot Challenge blog where you will find all the informaTion you need.

Once you starT the hop and follow the rouTe you should arrive here from Francesca's blog and your nexT port of all will be Tracy . The letter clue you need to collect from me is hidden......or hopefully not too hidden, in This and the above couple of paragraphs. Here is the prize for my step of the Hop, a lovely Hero Arts set of stamps and to be in with a chance of winning you just need to leave me a commenT on this post.

Thanks for visiting, have fun on the Hop and I will be round to visit you all.

Penny Black Fireworks

We have a great sketch for you at Stamptacular Sunday this week so please do pop over and join in the fun.

I have gone with a PB favourite Penny Black 3948K Fireworks stamped and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics, set into an aperture cut with Nesties. The DP is My Minds Eye, some lace, a flower, leaves which I glitzed up with some iridescent glitter and pearls. This is also for the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Out with the Old (DP's and lace)

Secret Crafter - Tons of Texture
Lets Ink it Up - Anything Goes

CYDA - Anything Goes

Marks Finest - Embossing