A little bit Autumn

Good Morning peeps, a mega quick post before that thing called work takes hold of my day.

This week seems to be rolling by all too quickly and it does not seem possible that tomorrow is Freebie Friday again at Sir Stampalot. If you sign up to Smudges their newsletter, you will get advance notification what you can grab for free this week.

We have had a couple of days of beautiful weather and the colours of Autumn are appearing day by day and looking absolutely stunning against a backdrop of sunshine, so I thought a couple of shares taking on those rich colours.

The top one is using Penny Black 3817K Tigress, stamped onto a background created with acrylic paints and vaseline, if you've not used this technique it's brill. Paint on a darker colour first (you can dry with a heat gun), then dab the vaseline where you want to reveal that colour after painting on your lighter colours, when that's dry (don't use a heat gun here as it will melt the vaseline) then rub away the vaseline and it reveals the under colour paint. The DP is appropriately October Afternoon and the roses were made using a Marianne die.

My second share is this beautiful Stampendous stamp SSC1123 Fairy Queen, stamped onto a brayered background and coloured with Copics. The DP is as above.

Recycling candy

Hello again peeps, I'm back as promised.

Now this is not strictly candy, more of a redistribution of an excess of crafty goodies. The benefits of working for different craft outlets/companies over many years is that you get an awful lot of products to work with, but when those companies cease trading or change direction and don't want the items back, you are left with more goodies than you could ever use. Then there are those items you just 'had' to buy but never use...........we are all guilty of that one I know.

So last weekend I had a long overdue clear out of my craft room and the spare bedrooms I was spilling into and decided I had be be firm with myself and put to one side all those items I knew I would not use and those of which I had duplicates.

The above picture represents just some of those items and I would love to give them away to anyone who does not mind receiving stamps that have been inked one or twice or part sets of stamps, part used reels of ribbon along with other items some of which may not be brand new. I realise some peeps won't like the idea of receiving 'second hand' goodies and I quite understand, but if you know of someone who would benefit, then please let them know.

I figure the fairest way to deal with this is to pick one recipient from each 100 entries as they come in and share the goodies between those names and announce all on 23rd October.......but please do not enter more than once just to up the numbers, only your first entry will count. Here's what you need to do.....................

1) Be a follower...............one that stays, not just a candy hunter.

2) Post the above picture on your sidebar with a link back here to help spread the word.

3) Leave your name with Mr Linky below.

Closing time is midnight on 22nd October. Please note, although I will post anywhere, delivery to some parts of the world are subject to Customs regulations and local postal services over which I have no control.

A real Passion for Stamps

Hello peeps, did you all have a good weekend ?

Mine sort of passed by in a flash, hubby's has been poorly for the last week and somehow all those things I planned to do never quite got accomplished. Never mind, I can at least share a couple of my sample cards I made using more of Ruth's lovely artwork which you can buy here at A Passion for Stamps.

The top card..................yet another easel I know, is Ruth's Acidanthera flower. I have made one or two cards with it, but each time it said to me "try making me into a Poinsettia" so I had to give it a try and I think it's quite effective. I printed the image out several times, cut the flower heads out in decreasing sizes so I could decoupage them, after colouring with Aquamrkers, inking with versafine frost the spraying with Glimmer Mist pearl to make them flexible to shape and of course give a lovely sheen to them.

The sentiment is Penny Black 3227K Hope is Born, I really have fallen in love with this sentiment and it's popping up on quite a few Christmas cards this year. A bit of distressing with TH fired brick and the easel was cut with Go Create dies.

My second card a leap from my comfort zone but when Ruth sent it to me and said she understood if I didn't use it, there was my challenge.............so I lightly coloured the Mannequin image with Copics, used some Cosmic Cricket DP, pins, bits of ribbon and lace and there was my card. The measuring take is also from the DP stack.

Thanks for visiting and hope you have a good week................and get some of the sunshine they forecast in the UK...............I'm a bit of a sceptic when it come to the weather forecast so shall wait and see.

Keeping it clean and simple

Happy Saturday everyone, are you ready for a new challenge at Allsorts ?

Amanda is hosting this weeks theme and she would like us to be 'Clean and Simple' so I thought this one would fit the bill, it a sample I recently created for Stampalot using one of the new stamps from La Blanch called Wild Flowers here.

I masked a piece of Fabriano watercolour card and sponged three squares using TH wild honey and broken china, then stamped sections of the floral stamp with the masks still in place. The sentiment is a section of Penny Black 2695J.........to use a portion of a stamp I lay a post it note over the sections I don't want to use whilst inking.

Have a good weekend everyone and thanks for popping by.

Freebie Friday looms again

Good Morning peeps, hope everyone is OK.

The days seem to be flying by as tomorrow is Freebie Friday again at Sir Stampalot. Not sure what this weeks free give away will be, but it's been pretty awesome the last couple of weeks, so why not sign up to their newsletter Smudges here.

Did any of you see the new POW Spellbinder egeabilities on C&C this week ? I'm sure they said they were were the first to get them in the UK, but not quite true because they are all here and have been for the last weeks or so, all ready for dispatch including the gorgeous Spring Blossom dies..........that one with the cut out edge is already on my wish list.

I got so carried away I almost forgot to tell you about my two cards here. The top one has been brayered through a circle mask with Adirondack Sunset Orange and simply stamped with Art Impression U3095.................which I only just noticed says DEMO in the side which means it must of snuck home in my bag by accident.......sorry Janice.

My second share has been brayered with Big and Juicy Spice and the scene created with various Stampscape stamps.

So who runs this show ?

Clearly Buffy and George think they do, but I've got news for them..............but I feel a bit to jaded to argue after my busy weekend................so perhaps they know better than me right now............which means just a couple of doggy pictures and a brayered share with apols for not going into details on this occasion.

But it was a really great weekend, a fabulous workshop on Saturday and I met lots on new faces, some of who travelled a good few miles to get to Stampalot.......a big thank you to each and every one of you all for coming and helping make it such a fun day.

Then yesterday we spent the day in London with one of our son's and DIL and had a great trip to the new Westfield shopping centre....is it big or what !! And they have a champagne bar right in the middle of the complex............before you ask, yes of course we tried it out......it would have been rude not to ! I can recommend the Kiri Royal.

The terrible twins, Daisy the Duracell dog in front and Lily..........they do have their own baskets of course, but why use them when you can steal Georges ?

Thanks for visiting and I will catch you all again in a day or so when I am feeling a bit more human.

Inky workshop and reminder about C&C

Good Morning all, hopefully Blogger is behaving and this will pop up on time as I am taking yet another workshop at Sir Stampalot today for some blog buddies, plus a few more ladies as well, so an inky session is planned as usual.

A final little reminder that you can see Stamp Addicts programme on C & C at 10am and 3pm tomorrow (Sunday). It's the last Christmas programme................how scary is that............ so don't forget to tune in or remember to record the show for lots of inspiration.

This week at Allsorts Nicola is hosting her first challenge with us and has come up with the super theme of "Alter/recycle something", one that fits nicely into my comfort zone. And Nicola will be at my workshop today so it will be wonderful to get to now her.

So for my project out came the corrugated............. much to hubby's annoyance I have a habit of ripping pieces off boxes and packaging and have a growing stash of it, but you never know when a piece will come in handy and it's so useful for vintage feel projects. Here I have used it as my base for the piece distressed with TH tea dye, then randomly stamped with various worker stamps and Penny Black 2827K Song Bird as my main image.

Another share of this cute little Gnome which is on one of the stamp sets from Stamp Addicts. I so enjoyed working with these cute little fellows. And what a fun sentiment on this one as well, They are designed for New Home cards, but I did some in reds and they become Santa's little helpers very nicely.

Enjoy your weekend and whatever you have planned, lets hope the weather is kind.

Inspiration from the most unlikely places

Good Morning peeps, hope you are all having a good week.

'Puter' problems seem sorted I am pleased to say and I've got so much added virus protection now I should withstand all comers, I can but hope. So a couple of shares, both much of a muchness using a stamped image and a digi image just to try and prove to myself that I can be versatile if I really try.

Before I launch into my cards, a heads up that it will be Freebie Friday again tomorrow at Sir Stampalot, so if you have not already signed up for Smudges newsletter, click here to be sure of getting advance details of this weeks freebie offer.........remember, whatever it is will only be available for that one day.

Now I'll tell you the same as I told Ruth of A Passion for Stamps about how the idea behind both these cards came into being...........last Friday evening as it was getting dusk I was collecting acorns in one of the paddocks.........as you do............ a big full moon was just rising and a pair of pheasants strutted out from the headland of the adjoining field in front of me............and there was my card !!

In both I have used simple masking and brayering to create a background using the good old Speedball brayer and Adirondack dye inks slate and pitch black. I used the slate first to create a misty look, then went over the top section with the black to create more shadow.

The sentiment on the top card is Penny Black 2905H and on the second from a Sheena Douglass set. The grasses are Penny Black 3381K and the the bird at the top is one of Sue's newer Animal Spirit images which you can purchase here, stamped very simply with versafine back and embossed with detail clear.

The pheasants on the second card were drawn by Ruth and were printed out in two sizes onto Neenah cardstock, I was really quick the the old detail clear and was able to emboss them then added a bit of grey here and there with a Copic pen.

Gnome time

I've been a bit absent the last few days as my computer was targeted big time with some vicious viruses last week and it's taken forever to get it sorted and it's still not 100%. I though I was there Friday after they installed new spyware, but oh no, nothing that simple as that then messed up other things and I was unable to do a new post or access or send mails.................and it's still not sorted properly so will keep this short so our IT guy can do a bit more tweaking.

Thankfully my Allsorts post was scheduled, but that's been pretty much it until last evening, so very belatedly a share of a couple of the samples I have made for the new Stamp Addicts programmes which you can see on Create and Craft TV on Sunday 18th at 10am and 3pm.

I will keep this post short as they want to do a bit more fiddling with my computer so hopefully I am all set to go. The card at the top is made using the Gnome stamp sheet.........I really surprised myself here because as self confessed non cute crafter, I so enjoyed working with this set and made quite a few with them.

My second card used the new Front Door stamp set which is very versatile adn lends itslef to Chrismtas, new home and so on. You will find them under the All New Products section here.

Flowers and Swirls

Saturday Morning peeps, so it must mean a new challenge at Allsorts and this week week we welcome Jill hosting her first challenge with us and her theme is "Flowers and Swirls", what a fab combination.

Two shares, the first using one of Ruth's new pieces of artwork at A Passion for Stamps, which I coloured very simply with Aquamarkers and made into an easel card................I know, again...........made a swirly flower from the Magnolia DP which is also on the base of the card and some swirls cut from a Sizzix die. The sentiment is Penny Black.

My second share is another card with a stamp I love Penny Black 40-025 Thinking of You stamped and embossed and coloured with Copics. The DP is Nitwits, the swirl a Sizzix die and the flower made using a Cuttlebug quilling die.

'Freebie Friday again'

An early post ahead of work with a couple of shares and a reminder about 'Freebie Friday' at Sir Stampalot.

To be 'in the know' and ahead of the rush you need to sign up to Smudges newsletter here or by clicking on the icon on the left hand side of the home page sidebar here and you will receive their newsletter telling you what freebie you can receive each week.

My card at the top was created through a bauble shaped mask which I cut on the Cricut, brayered with Adirondack denim, butterscotch and ginger and stamped with Hobby Art XM3/05 E Three Kings and QT801A Star. The sentiment is Penny Black 3995F.

This one is a sample I made using one of the new releases from Prickly Pear HH0082 Winters Glow. I cut out the image, coloured with Aquamarkers and mounted it onto a Marianne holly circle die and Magnolia circle die.

American seam binding.......you just have to try it......

Good Morning peeps, hope everyone had a good weekend.

I had planned on posting this one last evening until I discovered Sky Arts had a whole evening dedicated to Queen..............today would have been Freddies 65th birthday........so of course I ended up glued. Seen lots of it before, but you can never have too much Queen !!

Apart from that my weekend was a bit crafty and I even managed to fit in a trip to Sir Stampalot as there were a few bits and pieces I was in urgent need of'................as if, but any excuse goes.

And I also received a package from Sarah at Pretty Little Ribbons with some American seam binding and bakers twine. I've been wondering for ages what the seam binding was like and boy, is it gorgeous. It's soft and flowy and comes in several pretty colours, but I also tried colouring the white with distress inks and it works brilliantly and still retains the lovely soft feel.

The card above has some of the green and the one below using A Passion for Stamps new thistle has the white coloured with TH dusky concord - dab some direct from the inkpad onto a silicone sheet, spritz with water and scrunch the ribbon about in it, then dry with your heat gun.

So my shares, well it's another with Penny Black 4210K Floral Story. To begin with I painted a frame cut with Nestability Fleur de Lis with copper acrylic paint and also a piece of mountboard. When dry (I used a heat gun) I smeared vaseline round the edge of the mountboard and painted white acrylic all over, dried then wiped away the white paint from the edges...............the vaseline acts as a resist. I then masked the edges and stamped the image into the centre and coloured with Copics.

On to my second share using the thistle. I re-sized it and printed out a border to compliment the main image, did some zig zag stitching along the edges and colours this and the main image with Aquamarkers.

Thanks for visiting peeps, have a good Monday.

Blue and green should ever been seen..........

................well at least that's what my Granny always told me, but I think I have to differ as I love the colour combo of blue and green......which is the theme Emma has come up with for this weeks Allsorts challenge, I love it Emma.

The card up top uses one of the lovely Crafts and Me fairy images which I stamped onto gloss cardstock, masked and added some background colour with the Speedball brayer. I coloured the image with Copics and mounted into some DP from stash, some lace, feather and a butterfly to embellish.

My second share is a nice bit of messy inking. To create the block background I dabbed TH broken chine and olive onto an acrylic block, spritzed with water and stamped onto a piece of Fabriano watercolour card. I then overstamped with Hero Arts H2365 and G3316 using the same inks and finally Penny Black 4042K using Hero chalk cerulean. The hinges are TH dies which I embossed here and there with detail gold along with the torn edges of a piece of Core-dinations cardstock.

Enjoy your weekend peeps.

Decoupage and distressed in the frame

Hello peeps, It doesn't seem possible that it's the 1st September does it, where did the summer go, oh that's right, it never actually arrived in the UK did it ?

I guess we did have some good weather, but the warm days were so few and far between it's difficult to remember exactly when they were. So Autumn is all but upon us and I noticed when I was out the other day that some of the leaves are already taking on an Autumnal hue. But I love crafting with the lovely rich Autumn colours so at least I will be seasonal for one.

Enough of my blathering, I know you want to know about the new challenges but first some HOT news .................... watch out for a new weekly feature that Sir Stampalot are promoting, starting tomorrow. It’ll be called ‘Freebie Friday’ and it’ll be sent to you via their email newsletter so if you haven’t already signed up, you’ll need to sign up before end of day today, here :

So the challenges and first up is Stampalot Challenge where we have the theme "It's a frame up', pretty simple and a chance for you to get creating lovely apertures and frames with your nesties and other die cuts.

My card at the top of the post is using one of the gorgeous new Christmas released from Penny Black 4210K Floral Story which I stamped and coloured with Aquamarkers and made a frame with Nesties using one of the new Kaiser DP's. A bit of distressing with TH vintage photo and borders punched with MS cornice edge.

Moving on to this months challenge at Penny Black at Allsorts we are inviting you to 'Get ahead for Christmas'.

I have used another new stamp from Penny Black 4208K Christmas Narrative , stamped onto a background of distress inks and Glimmer Mists. The flowers have again been coloured with Aquamarkers, they really are my favorite colouring medium.

On both of the above cards I stamped the flowers several times and after colouring inked with Versamark frost and spritzed with Glimmer Mist Pearl to allow me to mould the petals before decoupaging.

Thanks for visiting and hope you will join in this months challenges.