Holly update and more of Ruth's flowers

Morning Peeps, just another couple of shares as promised of some of the cards I made using Ruth's new Pick of the Bunch Tonic stamp and punch sets................do you get the impression I am absolutely loving these ?  But have to say they have kept me sane this week what with one thing and another.

Holly is still in the AHT at Newmarket and early this morning the surgeon is going to see what can be done  to rectify what they believe are some issues surrounding her 'female' anatomy and have promised to ring us by about 9.30, so pensively awaiting that call........it seems so much for such a young puppy to deal with.

The card at the top is another take on the one I posted a couple of days ago, I really quite like the elegance of the cord................a bit like the wall hangings of the 70's and the Gardenias in green.......artistic licence.

The other card is using the same punch set, but looking at the petals I could see an Orchid and I am quite pleased with the result. I stamped the petals with one of the Pansy stamps and went round the edges with a white pen, used Ruth's Orchid digi image as the base cutting the flowers away from that and replacing with the punched ones.

Hope you have a good day everyone, I really do hope I will soon be able to talk better to use my voice recognition programme and get visiting you all again very soon.

Ruth's fabulous flowers

The Gardenia

Good Morning, afraid this really will be a mega quick post, I'm still not too good with my left side not working well and unable to use my voice recognition programme for commenting following some dental surgery yesterday..........thanks to my DT team mates for being so understanding and covering for me. On top of that Holly, our 12 week lab puppy has been referred to the AHT with some form of bladder problem so one way and another and not helped by pain killers which make me foggy, not getting much done.

But I did want to share some of the cards I made over the last week or so as I have been lucky enough to have some of my friend Ruth's fabulous new punch and stamp sets to play with (piccy below so you can see what you get). All so cleverly designed by Ruth and manufactured by Tonic they were launched at CHA a couple of weeks ago, at present sales are I believe still through C&C but available from craft stores very shortly (if I've got that wrong please let me know Ruth so I can put it right). 

I think the Pansy punch and stamps are so clever and realistic

Each set has four punches and stamps to create at least three different types of flowers and with a bit of imagination the sky is the limit, so if you love flowers as I do then these sets are a must have. I have also combined some of Ruth's Pick of the Bunch stamps as they all co-ordninate so well.

Lovely Stargazer Lilies

Here's a picture of the sets...............

Thanks for visiting and I hope I will feel up to a bit of blogging very soon.

It's that Labrador again

Good afternoon to you all, an extra post from me this week as I made a bit of a boo-boo last Sunday and posted my Craft a Scene challenge mid month 'Snowy Cottages' inspiration a week early, so I thought I had better come up with another piece for today.

To create my winter cottage scene I use quite a few stamps, the trees and path to the right of the card are part of a Sutter Stamps image but as I thought the Stampscape cottage would nestle nicely into it I masked sections of the image I didn't want to use before inking........... does that sound double Dutch ? In case it does I'll try and explain a little clearer, I stuck pieces a post-it notes over the sections I didn't want to stamp them inked the remainder of stamp but remove the post it notes before stamping otherwise the ink on those would transfer onto my card.

The fence to the fore of the scene is also from Sutter stamps and the doggy is the Labrador from Andover Stamps................those that may missed it the last time I used it, this company make nothing but dog stamps and just about every breed you could imagine and they were even kind enough to custom make this one with out the oval surround whioch should have been on it. I coloured sky and landscape with Pan Pastels and highlighted here and there with watercolour pencils.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

New Year candy

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There will be five winners, click here to enter.

Pan Pastels at sea

Time for another challenge at Allsorts and this week one of our new temies Catherine is hosting her very first challenge and would like to see Masculine creations.

We have two sponsors this week The Craft Barn and DigiDarla and I have used a lighthouse image from the second for my DT piece. All colouring and shading has been done with Pan Pastels and I stamped a few grasses and leaves around the image using Stampscape stamps.

Whatever you have planned, enjoy your weekend.

More dreaming

Good morning everyone, what's the weather like your way ? Still plenty of snow here and schools closed, all that said it doesn't take a great deal to bring the Fens to a standstill as they never touch the single track roads where we live so getting to civilisation is avoided unless essential.

Not too many visits from me the last few days I'm afraid, my MS is having it's seasonal hissy fit and the left side of me is not playing the game too well, so my comments are likely to be short and sweet. Roll on the warmer weather.

Stamp Addicts have two programs on Create and Craft today at 1pm and 6pm so I thought I would share a couple more sample I made, both of these feature the Ironworks background and Dream sentiments.

On the top card I stamp the Ironworks onto the base card using versafine and lightly dusted Pan Pastels over the top. The the lattice die is a Marianne set and I simply stamped the word onto the centre element and embossed with detail copper. The flower is a Spellbinder die and the little leaves and swirl come in the same Marianne set as the focal elements.

I randomly stamped onto the shaped panel of the second card using TH tea dye and Peacock feathers and embossed round the edge with Aqua Frantage. The leaves are Spellbinders, the hinge TH Alternations hardware findings and the rose made from five punched 1.25" five petal flowers.

If you still have snow do take care and keep warm.

Pan Pastels snowy cottages

Time for me to share my mid month inspirational post for Craft a Scene challenge where our theme is 'Snowy Cottages' and I think I must have had foresight when I made this one as the weather here in the UK is indeed snowy and frosty just like the scene in my card.

The village scene has been created with a Penny Black stamp which I stamped a second time to extend the scene, the little deer are part of a Hobby Art stamp which I masked before inking so I only got the two animals and the man and his dog are Art Impressions. I lightly water coloured the cottages and added snow to the roofs and added a little shading here and there to the sky and foreground using Pan Pastels.

I know the idea of creating a scene is a bit scary if it's not something you do as a norm, but really it's such fun and I think if you select a few of your favourite images and experiment on a piece of copier paper and try brining several together you will be surprised how they can take on a whole new perspective for you. And it would be really lovely to see some new faces at our challenge so go on give it a try !

Keep warm and safe everyone and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Flower Power

It's all about flowers at Allsorts challenge this week as my teamie Tracy wants to see some 'Flower Power' and we have two prizes on offer this weeks from The Ribbon Girl and My Heart Pieces.

Although it doesn't show up to well on my photograph, the Kaiser DP is a lovely shade of sage green and cream and works really well with the pretty Marianne dies. It's really quite a simple card as the intricacy of the dies needs little more, so I just added some flowers and swirls which are also a Marianne die and to lift the background some dots of liquid pearls.

Whatever your plans this weekend, I hope it's a good one and thank you as always for your kind visits and comments.

Beleive

Good morning Peeps from an extremely cold Cambridgeshire Fen but the welcome to my new followers and visitors is a very warm one.

It's still -9 outside with freezing fog but the most beautiful hoar frost making everywhere look magical and dreamy which is rather fitting as my card above uses the new Dream stamp from Stamp Addicts, one of the stamp sets which will be featured in the new programmes on Create and Craft TV next Tuesday 22nd January.

And typically because it's been the coldest two days so far this winter our combi boiler decided to stop working on Tuesday night, but Calor Gas were absolutely brilliant and were out here 9am yesterday morning......... apparently the disabled get priority call outs !  All was working okay yesterday then last evening exactly the same happened again and it seems it's to do with the gas pipes coming across the garden to the house from the underground tank (as we live in the sticks we have no mains services) reacting to extreme changes in temperature which cuts off the gas supply.

The card above is fairly simple with a Go Create frame cut from some scraps of DP, a lattice using a Cheery Lynn die over a background stamped with music script. I used just one of the words from the stamp set and added some roses made from Pretty Little Ribbons sheer organza ribbon, a seam binding bow from the same source and spellbinder leaves.

My second card is a bit outside my comfort zone, but it's good to stretch yourself sometimes and uses the Home for Gnomes stamp. I stamped, coloured and cut out the two gnomes, stamped the toadstool house onto the front of the card and cut round the top so that I could create a background scene on the inner part of the card. Then just mounted the two gnomes onto the front.

I kept my third card very simple and stamped the Golfer image in black archival ink and coloured just the jersey of  the golfer to match the ribbon.

Keep warm everybody and if you're like me your craft room is the perfect haven from the cold weather.

Vintage ladies

Good Morning Peeps, yet another post from me, perhaps I am getting my act together at last.

It's time for me to share my mid month inspirational piece for FlonzCraft Vintage Stamping Challenges where this month the theme is simply 'Vintage'.

This was one of the first FlonzCrafty images I had and still one of my favourites which I have paper pieced and used a few worker stamps to create a little scene. The leading edge uses the TH alterations butterfly border which I coloured with Pan Pastels along with the shading on the main image.

The button is one I received in a lovely gift from Lots of Buttons............just look how beautifully they are packaged. If you love buttons then you just have to check out their website.

Thanks for visiting and hope you all have a good week.

Country cottage window

It's Saturday again which means it must be time for another challenge at Allsorts and this week Sarah would like us to get to work with our dies and punches. We have also got some new teamies, so welcome to Catherine, Tracy, Samantha and Wendy.

So a perfect chance for me to have another play with my Crimbo present from Northern Ireland all designed by Ruth and distributed by Tonic Studios............ thank you so much Ruth, I'm having great fun with them. For this card I have used the Domed Window and Window Basket dies and the matching Country Cottage stamp set which includes three different scenes to use inside the window as well as lots of other worker stamps. I was especially taken with the brick wall elements which Ruth has cleverly designed with left and right corners, the arched stamp as well as several others which all fit together with total ease. You really could spend hours with these stamps and dies and come up with so many different variations and I should add that the dies cut like butter.

I stamp the wall with TH tea dye and pulled out the colour a little with a damp paintbrush, coloured the garden scene with watercolours, added some sky with Pan Pastels and stamped a few birds. The flowers along the bottom are from the window basket die set and the topiary trees from the stamp set.

And for my second card I have used one of Ruth's A Passion for Stamps digi images Morning Glory, which I coloured lightly with watercolours and mounted onto a trellis background created with a Cheery Lynne die and Marianne swirl. The DP's are Nitwits and the sentiment computer generated.

I am thinking this will be quite a popular theme and look forward to seeing all your creations. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thank you so much for visiting.

Dream, imagine, believe, wish.............

Good morning Peeps, I hope everybody is OK and those of you with the dreaded flu which seems to be everywhere at the moment are keeping warm and are soon on the mend. Welcome also to my new followers, it's lovely to have you on board.

I've just one share which is one of my samples for Stamp Addicts Create and Craft show later this month using some of the new stamps which you will find on their website under new products here.

For this card I used the Ironworks Background on the base card stamping and embossing with detail clear and then distressing with TH tea dye and Victorian velvet. For the main panel I sponged the same two colours and then randomly stamped the Ironworks, etched heart and dream words.......... I just love the word set as it is so versatile and I embossed the words with detail copper. The mannequin ( which I stamped with the Ironworks background) and flower are TH dies and the swirls are Memory Box. 

That's it from me for today, off to do some 'proper' work now but hope to get a crafty session in later

Floral overload

Good morning to all, I've got more new challenges to tell you about at Pretty Little Ribbons where we have a lovely theme of  'Flowers and Ribbons' and at FlonzCraft Vintage Stamping where it's simply 'Vintage' and we thought the chance for you to share some of your new stash with us.

I got a little bit carried away with my goodie package from Sarah and coupled with the floral theme ended up with several DT pieces. The top one uses the lovely Amaryllis stamp from Penny Black which I stamped onto the Marianne frame after masking the edge to keep the script central and coloured the flower head with watercolours. The DP is Kaiser Kraft and the ribbons, lace, flowers and charm are of course all from Pretty Little Ribbons...............the thumbnail pictures below all link to their shop so you can grab some for yourself.

The above card is my FlonzCraft DT piece using one of their lovely Vitage images, this one is called   which I paper pieced to match the Bo Bunny background papers. The Ivy is a Marianne die and the flower made with punched shapes.

The inspiration for this altered box comes from my FlonzCraft teamie Claire who use one these boxes for a creation a few weeks ago. Needless to say when she said it was a Graze box the penny didn't drop and I went searching the Internet thinking it was a pre-scored template, it was far too simple to realise it was one of the boxes the health food nibbles arrive in which my daughter leaves laying all round the kitchen.

I used two 12x12 sheets of DP to cover the box, lots of lace, ribbon and liquid pearls and I paper pieced the four flowers which are all stamps from the designs of my friend Ruth whose images and dies are distributed by Tonic Studios. The flowers and butterflies I have used come from the following stamp sheets....... fuchsia, lilies, peony and chrysanthemum.

My final card is another for Pretty Little Ribbons, the image is Penny Black which I inked with Distress Markers, spiritzed with water and stamped onto watercolour card. I did a little stamping on the base card using versamark and a Hero Arts stamp and sponged with Pan Pastels. The bow is using some of the gorgeous silk crushed ribbon from PLR.

Goodness me, that was a bit of a long post, but there seemed so much I needed to share.

I really hope you will join in both challenges and look forward to seeing your creations.

Colouring candy

Good morning to you all, I've got some candy to share, it's a collection of different colouring mediums including Watercolours, Promarkers, Aquamarkers and Acrylic Paint. And I thought as there are five all packaged individually that I can choose....................

********Five winners who will each receive one pack********

To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is:

* Pop the picture onto your sidebar with a link back to here.

* Be a follower of my blog......please don't join just for the candy because that's not fair on all the genuine Peeps and I will discount candy follower blogs when I draw the winners.

* Add your name to Inlikz below.

I will draw the winners on 4th February.

Good luck everyone. 

Friendship

It's the first Sunday of the New Year so that means new challenges to tell you about at Stamping Sensations, where are theme selected by our very own Tracy is 'Friendship', at Penny Black and More we we are thinking ahead to Valentines and Spring weddings with the theme 'Love is in the Air' and at Craft a Scene we would like to see 'Snowy Cottages'. 

At all three challenges we have some fabulous prizes on offer from a host of wonderful sponsors so please do pop over to the challenge blogs to check them out.

My card at the top is my DT piece for Stamping Sensations which I kept fairly simple as the Marianne die is so very pretty. The roses and leaves are also made Marianne dies. I would like to enter this card for:

Sweet Stampin - White plus one
Stamping for the Weekend - Anything Goes

The middle card is again fairly simple, I cut three heart shapes into a piece of copy paper and use them as a mask to shade the shapes with Panel Pastels, then stamped Penny Black image through the apertures. The sentiment is from the same slapstick stamp set........details in the thumbnails below.

As I have used Pan Pastels on the above card I thought I would enter it for their challenge:

Pan Pastels - Anything Goes

Hotshot Crafts - Clean and Simple

My final piece is using one of Teri's lovely Delicious Doodles wintertime images, which I printed out and coloured very lightly with Pan Pastels. I distress the edges a little to give it an aged feel and simply matted it onto some red card stock and added a red satin ribbon.

Thanks so much for taking a look and I really hope you'll be able to join in with our challenges this month.

Clean and Simple

Well I have finally crept out of the woodwork and got a post done, I know we've had lots of family staying over the holiday period and a new puppy, but I really don't know where all my time has gone. 

That said I did manage to get my head down and finish my artwork for Crafts Beautiful along with samples for Stamp Addicts January programme and will be sharing some of the stunning new stamps which are on the horizon.

Meanwhile it's time for our first challenge of the New Year at Allsorts where Emma is our host and would like to see CAS style cards. It's also a sad day as this will be Emma's very last week with us. I was fortunate enough to be asked by her and Kirsten to join the challenge at the very beginning, that was at a time when I was very new to blogland and still totally green about it all, so thanks so much Emma, we will miss you but I'm sure we will still keep in touch.

We have two sponsors this week, the first is FlonzCraft so of course being on their DT I am lucky in having  a choice of stamps to use and opted for the etched thistle image and one my favourite colour combos aqua and brown. I masked three squares down one side of a piece of cardstock and coloured with pan pastels then over stamped in archival  coffee with a music image which I stamped off first to soften the colour, then use the first generation stamping for the thistles. The sentiment is from Darkroom Door.

My second card uses Modern Flower 1 from our second sponsor DigiStamp Boutique, which I printed onto a sheet of Linen Cardstock and highlighted with a little pink liquid pearls to match the ribbon...........not sure if ribbons are allowed on CAS so I might be a little OTT..........and a sentiment, it's a really old wood mounted stamp and as was often the case has no identification on it, but I have a feeling it might be Hobby Art.

Hope you all have a good weekend and as always thank you so much for popping in.