Butterflies and Sunflowers

Inky indulgence with distress inks and Penny Black stamps

Morning Peeps, how you all doing, well I hope.

I've been a bit absent from blogland the last few days, the body's not really playing the game, been in a lot of pain and not really felt like crafting or blogging so apologies I've not been about. Then I had a fall in the shower after swimming on Monday and that sort of put paid to anything else I had planned.

So this really is a quick post and just a couple of shares.

Using Ruth's Rudbeckia stamp set and inking direct to stamp with distress markers

A few of the beauties on flower in the garden earlier this month - Anysia grew them all from seed

Have a good Thursday everyone.

The great outdoors and a bit of Christmas

It's my turn to spotlight work for this months Craft a Scene challenge where we have an Anything Goes theme with a slant towards the Great Outdoors.

I really am so enjoying being on this DT, I'm always up for creating a little scene as lots of you know, so to be able to have a purpose to get all lovely and inky makes it double the fun.

I started with a piece of Fabriano watercolour card and stamped the hills and trees with black archival ink. Next I used cut and dry to add the water and sky with distress inks, then stamped the sail boat and hot air balloons twice, coloured with Aquamarkers and decoupaged. I also used Aquamarkers to colour in the hillside and sand dunes.

I also have a few shares of some of the samples I have made for Sir Stampalot using some of the new Penny Black Christmas stamps and papers. If you would like details of any of the products I used on these three they are all listed here.

Needless to say soon as I saw the above stamp I also saw hills and the obligatory sunrays, all very easily created with soft sponging and inking.

A little bit of inky indulgence on this one as well, resist stamping and another one of the lovely Frantage embossing powders, this one is called aged spice.

Finally a nice clean and crisp one using some of the new Madison DP's from Penny Black and the sentiment from the same set of the one I used above. 

Whatever you have planned, I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Butterflies galore

Good Morning Peeps, time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week it's my turn to host the theme and I have chosen It's a Gift' so that can be gift box, a tag, decorated bag so on and so forth.

I rather like the shape of these octagonal boxes which are really quick and easy to make using a scoreboard, you can find the tutorial I did for them here. The border around the bottom is cut using a spellbinder die which I stamped onto using one of the ivy stamps from the Pick of the Bunch Fuchsia set designed by Ruth of A Passion for Cards.

I coloured the ivy with Copics and inked the edge of the strip with distress ink, then added snails, butterflies and dragonflies from the Rose, Peony and Rudbeckia stamp sheets……you might know as they are all floral that I would get my grubby mitts on all six sets and boy have I had fun working with them. I added a strip of matching braid and created the dome top to the lid using Nesties and adding yet more butterflies and a tassel.

I really hope you will find time to join in this weeks challenge and look forward to visiting you all.

It's absolutely ages since I joined in with any challenges, but I happened to notice a couple on my travels but I thought my box was fit, so here goes:

Moving Along With The Times: Shape Up
Belli Challenge: Winged Things (encouraged to use old embellies - the braid)
Divas By Design: Anything Goes
Ruby's Rainbow: Butterflies

Meanwhile my thanks as always for your visit and I hope you all have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, lets hope the weather is kind, although it doesn't look too promising judging by the long range forecast.

It's coming up roses

Good morning Peeps, I hope you have a lovely weekend and that those of you in the UK are having this glorious weather.

Thank you to those of you who have enquired about Buffy, she is still hanging in there and showing remarkable resilience and had I not seen the x-rays and the extent of the tumour I would have thought they got it wrong. As the days go on we can see her becoming less mobile and sleeping a lot more but she still shows a healthy interest in food and visitors in the same way she has always done, so are grateful for every day we have with her and that she remains pain free.

I have been creating a few more samples for Ruth at a Passion for Stamps using both her new stamp sets as well as her digi images. You can see more of her stamp sets on Create and Craft starting today in the Tonic Four Day Deal.

I never tire of making floral cards................ as if you didn't all know that, but Ruth's artwork really is a joy to work with and since the launch of her six stamp sets it's given me the perfect opportunity to get inky and dabble with some of the techniques I really enjoy.

Which is exactly what I've done with the top two cards, both are stamped and embossed with detail clear powder onto Fabriano watercolour card, coloured in with Derwent pencils, inked all over with Versamak frost, spritzed with pearl Glimmer Mist then the decoupage layers moulded and shaped whilst still wet.

My third card uses one of Ruth digi images printed onto the same watercolour card and again coloured in with Derwent pencils. Some stitching round the edge of a piece of craft card................ I won't be doing any more of that for a while, a certain Jack Russell puppy called Poppy decided to chew up all the wiring the other day, thankfully it wasn't plugged into the electric.

You can go check out all of Ruth's images by clicking on the thumbnail links below.

Have a good day everybody and as always, many thanks for your lovely comments and visits.

Heavy Metal

Helene is hosting our theme at Allsorts this week and would like to see 'Heavy Metal, but this can be just a charm, so for my metal I made up a stick pin with a metal butterfly on the top and also found a pretty little metal corner in my stash.

As Flonz Craft our our sponsors again this week I have used another of their images and I have to say I think this one really is my favourite from those I selected. I stamped the image twice onto a black and a pink DP and paper pieced the dresses and coloured the faces and arms with Copics. The background DP is Echo Park, a Cheery Lynn die, some feathers and a rose made from sheer ribbon.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and thank you for popping in, as always I value and appreciate your comments.

More Pick of the Bunch

Using the Fuchsia and Peony stamp sets 

Good evening Peeps, well what did you all think to the Olympic closing ceremony ?

We thought it was absolutely fabulous, very typically British and a great way to not only close the Games but to showcase some of our wonderful musical talents. The highlight for me had to be Freddie on the big screen and Brian and Roger strutting their stuff and then the finale with the surprise appearance of the Who, then of course there was Take That, I could go on. And to see the athletes so enjoying themselves and getting into the swing of it all made it the perfect finale.

Using the Peony and rose stamp sets (the lattice die on this one is a new ish one from Memory Box, but I'm unable to add the link below as it's not on the stores web site)

As promised a few more shares of some of the cards I've made for Ruth using her beautiful new Pick of the Bunch clear stamp sets. They are a delight to work with and they stamp out so crisply and with at least  ten stamps on each set represent excellent value for money.

Using the Fuchsia and Peony stamp sets

And finally, I know most of the other girls who were at our blog girl get together at Sally's on Saturday..............thanks Sal, it was great.............have posted pictures of us all so I'm not going there again, for somebody who just doesn't 'do' photos there are more than enough of them out there already, but there's one that only I have !! 

Using the Chrysanthemum stamp set

Sorry about this Lisa Jane but it's too good to keep to myself and in case you wonder what she's up to, she's just delving into the little goodie bag I gave them all, as one of them said when it was time to leave with us all holding a piece of cake "it's just like a real party". And no, the goody bag wasn't filled with chocolates, just one little packet of buttons and crafty bits and bobs.

You have to agree though, she does look pretty happy doesn't she ? If you're still speaking to me after this Lisa, look forward to seeing you and the others on our next get-together. 

My Olympic Boy

Using the large Crysanthemum from Tonic studio 
Pick of the Bunch clear stamp set designed by Ruth Hamilton

Good Morning Peeps, at Allsorts  this week the lovely Jo would like to see us all 'Going Round in Circles'........ on our work that is !! And we have two sponsors this week A Passion for Stamps and Flonz Craft.

This post is scheduled as I am off today to a rather special blog girl get together, we have all been counting the days for weeks, so you can bet there will be plenty of chattering, a good bit of eating but I doubt much crafting will happen, but if previous events are anything to go by it will be fun.

And as promised, some pictures of another of our sons who has been involved in the Games as a volunteer.

Here he is at the Games yesterday with one of the Tae Kwon Do medal winners 

Terrance Jennings. He said the medals are really heavy.

And another of him in his Olympic kit.

It makes me so proud seeing him in his kit and knowing he has been part is such a wonderful and momentous occasion. But I really can't believe this is the last weekend of the Games, the time seems to have flown by,  we have been treated to some very special sporting moments. It will seem odd not spending the evening revelling in the wonderful talents of all the athletes and the sheer excitement every time I see medal table, but we do have the Premiership season starting in a couple of weeks as well as the Paralyimpic Games so something new to look forward to. Do you get the impression I'm a bit of a sports freak...........spot on.

Engraved Rose from Flonz Craft Vintage Flower range

For the top card I used another of the lovely stamps from Ruth's super new stamp sets. The stamp sets are excellent value for money, each set has at least two large floral images, several smaller ones as well as complementary leaves butterflies and bugs. They all premiered on Crate and Craft recently and are also being stocked by Coleman's Warehouse at Rushden in Northants, if you are not familiar with them, then where have you been ?

It's an absolute Aladdin's cave of all things crafty and you really do need to allow half a day to see everything. They are open Saturdays and Sundays, have a big demo day the last Saturday of each month with lots of well known demonstrators, plus somewhere for hubby to sit as well as refreshments.

I started by creating resist background using one of the smaller stamps from the Chrysanthemum set, stamp with the versamak, embossed with detail clear and distress using the gorgeous blue and green from the Tim Holt summer collection. My main image is from the same stamp set, inked with the same distress inks, spritzed with water stamped and the colour dragged in a little with a damp paint brush.

A border of lace, some muslin crumpled up, a rose made from punched plain white paper with some glossy accents added for dew drops and three leaves from the same focal image. The butterflies are from the Rudbeckia stamp sheet, inked and stamped with the same distress inks to carry the colourway.

The layout of my second card is not dissimilar to the first but this time using a Floz Craft stamp. They do a huge selection on Vintage style stamps which are right up my street, all have superb detail and stamp out beautifully. I used the same direct to stamp and spritzing technique onto the reverse of Centura Pearl.............it makes a good alternative to watercolour card and works out cheaper, cheesecloth again and a stick pin made from coordinating beads and a memory Box die.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and as always, my thanks for taking the time to visit my little place in blogland.

Christmastime on Create and Craft

Using the Bethlehem silhouette stamp sheet, simple inking and sponging 

and a little decoupage

Morning Peeps, just popping in with a very quick post and a few more shares of some of the samples that I made for Stamp Addicts programmes which are being screened live on Create and Craft today at 11am and 6pm.

Using the Poinsettia stamp and  Twas' the Night text stamp and paper piecing

I have kept most of the samples simple as the stamps are so clean and crisp they need little adding.

Another stamp from the Bethlehem stamp sheet with more inking and sponging

I hope you will have time to watch the programmes or record them and should you miss them you can buy the stamps direct from Stamp Addicts.

Rather special Olympic pictures

Here is our eldest, front row centre stage with his colleagues and army support staff who he says have been magnificent throughout, all part of the Olympic security personnel. Note: don't be fooled by the dignified look and grey hair (family trait), he's much, much younger than he looks and very senior for his age.

Good afternoon peeps, I have some rather special photos to share with you today which make me a very, very proud Mum.

As lots of you know our eldest son is a Chief Superintendent in the Police Force. He has been involved in the Olympics right from the torch procession through to the security elements of the Games themselves and although he is not in the Met, has been based in London the last few weeks.

Our youngest is also involved in a different way after putting his name forward as a volunteer and was assigned to the Tai Quan Do event........the fact he was the UK junior champion when he was at Nottingham Uni probably helped a good deal and that event kicks off today. Not sure if he will let me share a photo, will have to wait on that, he can be a tad shy at times.

Our eldest is pretty modest as well, given the huge responsibilities on his shoulders, but he has given me his blessing to share the ones in this post.

This one was before the Games when he took over command of the torch, I so wanted to share earlier but had to wait for the OK, you know security and all that. He looks just like his Dad here.

Here he is at one of the receptions for the Olympic rowing team, he said all of the athletes are fabulous guys and openly expressed how totally overwhelmed they are by the warmth and support shown by everyone, from Police, security staff, officials and volunteers right through to the loyal public attending the events in their thousands. He said they were happily inviting guests at the event to join in photo shoots with them.

And finally, back to the torch procession (I think).

He said he thinks he needs to see a doctor about that swollen hand !

Wings and Things

A very Good Morning to you all, I hope you are having a good weekend and enjoying the Olympics as much as I am, wasn't last evening just awesome, I can't begin to imagine how electrifying the atmosphere was in the stadium as Team GB clocked up three golds, not forgetting those on the water earlier in the day.

As it's the first Sunday of the month it means there are lots of new challenges and we have some great themes for you. The ones at Stampalot and Penny Black and More might leave you thinking I didn't work it all out too well, but I asked my DT's for ideas and it really is sheer coincidence that the two are pretty similar. And the theme at Craft a Scene could also tie in very nicely.

So at Stampalot it could not be easier with the theme 'Take Flight' - something with wings predominant on your work and at Penny Black and More it's 'Whiskers and Wings, then at Craft a Scene it's 'Anything Goes, but with a bias towards the Great Outdoors. So all in all the opportunity to work with all those things I love most in crafting.

My Stampalot DT piece at the top of this post is probably a bit different for me, a touch CAS which is miles away from my norm, but thought I would give it a try. I stamped the PB butterfly onto the card base using Picked Raspberry from the TH Summer Collection, then again onto a piece of BoBunny DP which I decoupaged. The butterfly 'trail' was created using a mask and the same TH distress ink, which I also lightly sponged around the PB sentiment. The border is simple a punched strip and folded, with some ribbon placed across it.

The butterfly card shape which could fit any of the challenge themes and was just a bit of inky indulgence really, was created by welding the shapes and cut using Cricut Design Studio. I treated it just like a normal inked and masked piece, sponging the inks and stamping Hero Arts tall grasses, then a smaller butterfly which I inked with the same colours and over stamped with a new PB stamp.

My Craft a Scene DT piece is one of the favourite little Countryside scenes I so love to create using inking, masking and stamping with a collection of various stamps, all listed in the thumbnails below. And of course there had to be a sun with rays which I simple create with a sponge and piece of ripped paper.......it's best to rip the edges rather than cut them other wise the line of the rays are too harsh.

Finally my Penny Black and More DT piece and yes, it's that birdcage again. I have created the background by stamping the tiny butterflies from one of the stamp sheets I selected from one of our sponsors Flonz Craft who invited the DT to select some stamps to use and I thought these would compliment the main image Penny Black stamp well. The butterflies were resist stamped and inked with distress inks and spritzed with Glimmer Mist to blend the colours and the main butterfly inked and spritzed with water before stamping out.I also distressed the edges a bit and added some fratage embossing powder and flakes.

I really hope you will join in our challenge this month.

Pick of the Bunch

Background and main image form Pick of the Bunch Crysanthemum stamp sheet, butterfly from the Rudbeckia set

Saturday morning means it must be time for a new challenge at Allsorts and the lovely Nicola has a bit of a recipe for us this week '3 flowers, 2 stamps and one DP'. 

Now I know I have been a dreadful blogger this week, time has really got the better of me, but I have been deep in craft mode with a magazine article which needed to be off my desk this week.................I'm told I also have something in the new edition of Papercraft Inspirations, but not checked that out as yet............then samples for Stamp Addicts C&C programme next week and Tonic Studios programme tomorrow with Ruth's stamps........you can also see the stamps and top card at Tonic Studios website here, more about them and some shares in a moment. Then there's the huuuuuuge pull of the Olympics, have they been great so far or what ? So apologies if I've not got round to you this week, but I promise I am going to try and rectify that in the coming days.

For my Allsorts DT piece, the easel card above, I have gone for a Penny Black sunfolwer stamp which I inked with distress markers and spritzed with water before stamping onto a piece of Fabriano watercolour card. I inked the edges whilst the piece was still in the die and also inked through some sequin waste to add a bit of interest. The DP is BoBunny, the sentiment another Penny Black stamp, the swirl is Cheery Lynn and the flower made with punches.

Next it's time to share some of the cards I have been making using Ruth's (A Passion for Stamps) wonderful new stamp sets, there are six of them distributed by Tonic Studios and they are called 'Pick of the Bunch', the first four sets Rose, Fuchsia, Lilies and Peony premiered on Create and Craft a couple of weeks ago and tomorrow at 5pm (Tonic Studios show) the Rudbeckia and Chrysanthemum sets will be released.

Background has images from the Rudbeckia and Rose set, flower from Crysanthemum set, butterflies from the Peony, Rudbeckia and Fuschia 

I believe they were pretty much a sell out last time round, but I can tell you that I spoke with Colemans Craft Warehouse this week and they are going to stock them along with the matching dies also designed by Ruth that are due out very shortly, will tell you a bit more about that in due course as it might be a week or so before they arrive in store, so meantime you can get them right away from C & C.

A simple approach using the Rudbeckia set

I have lots more samples in the pipeline.................well you know me and flowers and butterflies and I will be sharing some more with you next week.

Have a lovely weekend and thanks as always for dropping in.

Sneak Peeks

Good morning peeps, thought I would share few of the samples I have made for Stamp Addicts next programs on Create and Craft scheduled for Thursday, 9 August at 11 AM and 6 PM, don't forget to pop a note in your diaries.

I have really enjoyed playing with these stamps and I think the poinsettia one at the top and below has to be my favourite Stamp Addict release this year, it's so versatile and works beautifully with inking or paper piecing, a technique I use quite a lot because it's no secret I can't colour in for toffee.

For the top card I inked direct to stamp using the distress markers and spritzed with water before repeat stamping.

The card above has a background created with dye inks, ink dusters, some masking ans sponsging, then I simply stamped the silhouette stamp and star using black Adirondack dye ink.

My final card for this post uses the poinsettia again, this time paper pieced onto a background created with one of the text stamps that will also be available on show.

Thanks for looking everyone, I'll be back with more shares using the stamps later in the week.