I'm still Dylusional

Morning Peeps, I found time for another play with my Dylusions last night and moved on to the pinks and purples, all such yummy colours. And before I go further, welcome to my new followers, it's lovely to have you and thank you for joining me.

On the top card the background and base have been sprayed with crushed grape and fresh lime, and on the base piece I over stamped with TH Papillion set and some swirls around the edge which I embossed with Frantage aged silver and purple crushed glass. I then used a new Penny Black stamp for the focal image, bleached the colour from the leaves and stamped the butterfly section a second time to decoupage. The word panel is my good old favourite Penny Black stamp cut into sections (details of all stamps etc., in the thumbnails below).

For this one I used the yummy same fresh lime with bubblegum pink......................can you tell I'm am totally taken with the vibrancy of the colours of these inks and goodness knows why it's taken me so long to get some. I randomly over stamped with a mixture of Visible Image stamps using a grey inkpad and embossed the swirls (no idea of make) with Frantage aged black. I dressed up the TH sewing room die and added some more of the TH flowers across the bottom, some dies cut swirls and a rose using Ruth's Tonic Rose punch and stamp set which I spritzed that with the same two colours of Dylusion inks. A sentiment and a chain to finish.

Have a good Thursday everyone, hope you are enjoying a bit of the sunshine we have there today, such a refreshing change from the weather of late.

More stamps for re-homing and winners

Please note now closed,  the winners were drawn and announced on post of 7th March.

Encourage by so many of you being keen to re-home some of my less used stamps and being so happy to send them to loving homes, I have continued with my spring clean. I have exhausted the cuties I no longer use and am now on to 'the rest' which constitutes all nature of genre which I hope may be of use to some of you.

As with the last couple of weeks I will let the offer run for a week or so and ask simply that you:

• Add the above picture to your sidebar with a link back here
• Leave me a comment on this post

And now for the lucky names out of the hat for the stamps in last weeks post:

Sonia

Tracy

Hanneke

Tanya

Well done to you all, please mail me with your full postal addys so I can get your packeges off to you.

Playing with Dylusions

A very Good Morning all you crafty Peeps, thought I would share my first offerings from my playtime with my Dylusions.........oh what  fun and lovely messy mitts as well..............you are right Shirley, they  are  still messy a day and two showers on.

I have been so inspired what some of my blog friends do with theirs and the wonderful vibrant colours which really appeal, that I have been promising myself some for a while now, so on Sunday when I went to Stamperama  a few bottles feel into my basket..........along with quite a few other bits and pieces, although I was very good as I set myself a budget and came home with money still in my purse, that has to be a first for me.

So far I have only used the autumnal colours although I have a pink and purple one as well, so another inky session planned. On the one at the top I used turquoise, squeezed orange and fresh lime and...........a spritz of pearl glimmer mist, couldn't resist. The harlequin and script stamp are also from my haul from Visible Image and the flower an unmounted one whose origin is uncertain because as usual I lost the packing. The butterfly is Penny Black and I added a little white highlighter pen.

The background of the second card is fresh lime and a little squeezed orange and melted chocolate......don't you just love the names they give these, then turquoise sprayed through a flower mask. I sprayed the corrugated with the chocolate as well and the card for the flowers with the orange, then made the flowers using Ruth Tonic punch and stamp rose set. The sentiments are from Stamp Addicts Dream set.

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone.

Shining light

Afternoon all, I'm here with my mid month inspirational share for Craft a Scene challenge where it's all about Lighthouses this month and the theme 'Let your light shine'.

When I did my DT pieces I really did think I only had one lighthouse so both my pieces this month feature that one, however I have since discovered a sadly neglected Stamps Happen one........in fact a whole draw full of lovely wood mounted stamps from that company so I think it's a sign that I might have a few more stamps than I really need. ?

Anyhow, to create this one I used a Stampscapes cumulus stamp for the sky along with an Art Impression boat, lighthouse, rocks and gulls and a Lavinia tree using just the edges across the top corner. All colouring has again been done with Pan Pastles.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Out in the meadow

One of our lovely new teamies Samantha is hosting her first challenge at Allsorts this week and would like to see 'Animals' on our work.

Now I know lots of you will make some fabulous creations using some of the lovely cute animal images out there and I will thoroughly enjoy looking at them all, but when it comes to actually making one myself it's a totally different matter and I creep back to my comfort zone and come up with something with either farm, wild or domestic animals in a scenic location.................and this one has cows nestling in a shady spot under a tree in the meadow.

There is a real mixture of stamps on my card from Sutter, Stampscapes and Art Impression and all colouring is done with Pan Pasetels plus a little shading with warercolour pencils.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and thanks for all your lovely comments which are always so appreciated.

A little bit scenic

Morning to you all, thought I had better show my face and do a post, but it's another quickie as still feeling under par, the infection has gone into my throat, ear and neck, balance more dodgy than normal and I'm beginning to wonder what it will take to stop it in it's tracks.

Anyhow, enough gloom, a couple of cards a made a while back using Pan Pastels and a mixture of stamps from Chocolate Baroque, Stampscapes, Art Impression and Lavinia.

Short and sweet I'm afraid, but I really do need to says thank you to everyone for their lovely and supportive comments and also a big welcome to me new followers, it's lovely to have you.

More stamps need new homes

I love to share, it's one of the joys of blog land and was thrilled so many of you were happy to offer new homes to some of my loved but rarely used stamps and have listed below the lucky names who came out of the hat to receive a few. 

Over the weekend I continued with my spring clean and this week I've sorted a collection of Sweet Pea fairies, Magnolias and a few Sizzix dies that would all appreciate new homes rather than continue gathering dust in my craft room - please note there are no Tilda's, I don't even own any, but have collected a few of the accessory stamps over time which are included.

Again if you would like a few of these already used items please:

• Add the above picture to your sidebar with a link back here
• Leave me a comment on this post

As with my post last week, I will let this run for a week or so before drawing a few winners.

So here are the names for last weeks collection:

Pat

Kevin

Fiona

Marta

Ali

Gerrina

Janice

Well done to all of you and thank you for offering to re-home some of my goodies, please mail me with your full postal addys by the end of the week - Saturday 23rd. I will re-draw any that have not been claimed by then and leave messages on the new winners blogs rather confuse things by doing another winners post.

Galloping free

Hello Peeps, a mega quick post as I am still chasing my tail or should I say infections and just about fed up with endless pills, yet more today and they make me feel pretty yukky.

But I do need to share my mid month cards for Penny Black and More challenge following our theme this month of 'Pink, Pearly and Swirly' and FlonzCraft Vintage Stamping Challenges where our theme is Blue Brown and Aqua.

If you have not already joined in our challenges I hope you will as we have as always some fabulous prizes on offer from Penny Black, Crafts U Love and FlonzCraft is our sponsor at both challenges. Stamps on my top card are all FlonzCraft and on the second Penny Black.

Apols this is so short, I can but hope for more energy tomorrow.

Cutie stamps being re-homed

This is a sticky, please scroll down for new posts.

If you would like a few of these recycled cute stamps just leave your name here and I will draw a few names and spread them round as far as possible.

Things with Wings

Happy Saturday Peeps, time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week it's my turn to be the host and I've chosen the theme 'Things with Wings'.................. it's no secret I like my flutterbys and fairies and I thought the theme would brighten these dull winter days.

I've made another of the threefold cards which I shared a couple of weeks ago, this one just has a different die across the top................. it's actually quite easy to create this effect, you just place the die onto each panel and secure with low tack tape and place on the cutting plate so that only the top element which you want cut is on the is on cutting plate............. in other words the majority the card is over the edge of the plate.

I have randomly stamped over all three panels using Tim Holt distress ink Victorian velvet, tea dye and vintage photo and Tim Holt papillion stamp set.

I stamped the butterflies the second time and cut out and use gems for their thorax. 

The mannequin die is a new one, I've looked at its ages but was not sure if I would actually use it, but now I've got it I really like it and I especially enjoy dressing it up this which I did with some fine cotton, lace and gems

On another panel I used the TH bird on branch die and some eyelets and pink seam binding to join the three panels together.

The rose was made from plain white paper which I stamped with a music text, inked lightly with tea dye and punched out five, five petal flowers with a 1.78 punch and after assembling the rose dipped into clear UTEE which gives a lovely glassy feel.

I also dipped the leaves cut from a spellbinder die into the UTEE and then embossed a little copper powder round the edges.

Sounds like a bit of a long drawn out process but it's not really as bad as it sounds I think it worth the little extra time it took me to create it.

I really hope you'll join in the challenge this week, I love coming round to see all your entries and always enjoy the diversity of the way in which people interpret themes, that's what makes crafting such fun.

Sharing space with Tim..............

................or at least as close as I can ever hope to get to the man himslef !

I don't usually make too much noise when I get work published as it can seem a bit egotistical, but when someone mentioned I was sharing a spread with 'him' I had to go buy the magazine (Crafts Beautiful) and check it out for myself and I am totally tickled pink as sure enough it's all there in their Good Impressions feature............you can tell it don't take a lot to make me do the happy dance.

Now if only I could emulate his stunning inspirational pieces of artwork I would be doing more than a happy dance.

So little things and all that but thought I would share.

Lambs in the meadow

Good Morning Peeps, hope everyone is having a good week and coping with the latest snap of cold weather.....it was -4 here again this morning and pretty white.

Just a very quick share and apologies for not going into detail, but not feeling good still, I ended up at hospital yesterday as the infection associated with my recent tooth and gum problems has taken on a life of it's own - the joys of MS and a compromised immune system.

This is one of the cards I did for a recent magazine article and I understand it's now on sale so I'm safe to blog it. I really should make a point of buying magazines as I never normally get to see what's in print, the US ones usually send a gratis copy but the UK ones don't seem to very often

Have a god day and thanks for popping in, I will be round as and when but it's slow going.

More of Ruth's flowers

Morning all, it looks like winter is well and truly back with us, we had snow overnight and it's not moving anywhere fast at the moment and such a cold wind as well. 

Thought I would share a couple more of the cards I made using Ruth's new Pick of the Bunch stamp and punch sets. They were only available from C&C for the first few weeks after their launch at CHA, but Ruth tells me they should be in the shops any time now.

They really are such a joy to work with and I am having a great time playing with them. The one at the top using the Lily set and the second card using the rose set and a Penny Black stamp..........take a close look at that one because that's sunshine outside, that was one day last week and not been seen since.

Have to dash now, my Monday dental appointment looms, thats every Monday and Thursday for the last three weeks and becoming a bit of a pattern I don't much like.

Have a good week everyone and hope it's not too cold where you are.

Recycled cuties up for grabs

Closed - the stamps were sent to lucky winners as posted on my post on 27th February.

I am having a bit of an early spring clean and have some stamps which are gathering dust and I figure if I've not used them in a year, it's unlikely I ever will again. Those who know me know I don't do a lot of cute and I have one or two nice LOV and Sarah Kay for the times the cute mood takes me.

The stamps here are mainly Molly Blooms, plus some Tina Wenke and not in the picture a couple of sheets from Creative Expressions and Inkadinkado and at least 50 in total. Most have been used once or twice and only those shown still have the packing but all totally usable and I think I could easily split them four or five ways to allow several of you to receive some so if you would like a few of them please:

• Leave me a comment on this post.
• Add the picture above to your sidebar and a link back to me.

I'm not sure how many of you will be interested so I won't put a time limit on and see how it goes for a week or so, by which time I am likely to have uncovered more surplus goodies.

Baroque hearts

At Allsorts this week Helene is right on song with Valentines as our theme so I'm thinking it might be a busy week especially as we have two great sponsors Stamp Addicts and Whimsy stamps.

I thought I would give you an update on Holly as we have had a further consultation with the AHT and they have said they think they will be able to operate when she is seven months old, so about June. Meanwhile they are going to monitor her as she is likely to need antibiotics on and off to deal with the infections caused by the bladder and associated problems.

Now on to my card which is a little bit CAS and pretty similar to another I made a few weeks ago but using different stamps and is one of the samples I made for Stamp Addicts recent TV programme. I created a mask with three hearts and sponged Pan Pastels through each then stamped the lovely Baroque style heart into each. The sentiment is computer generated and cut out with a nestie and some red ribbon and little gems to finish.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and as always a big thank you for all your lovely comments which always mean so much.

Venetian memories and winners

Good afternoon Peeps, I was going to do this post earlier, but Blogger really has got a hissy fit on him and didn't want to play nice so I have been trying on and off ever since to get this posted.

I received my packaged from over the pond and at last got my grubby mitts on some of the new Spring release Penny Black stamps and just had to use the one above called Venetian Summer 40-217, as Venice ranks in my all time favourite places in the world. No matter how many times you visit it still holds magic and excitement.

Now I would like to say the scene reminds me of our last trip there a few months ago, the image of St Marco is the background is right, the gondolas bobbing up and down on the Grand Canal spot on and so is the lovely blue sky and with a bit of imagination I can see the restaurant right on the canal bank where we had lunch one hot and sunny day...........how sad am I as I even remember we had carbonara and a bottle of Prosecco............but that's where the fairytale ends as no way did I look anything like as elegant as the slender lady of fashion in the foreground...............I can but dream !

Anyhow, I still thoroughly enjoyed the couple of hours reminiscing whilst I coloured the image with Pan Pastels and watercolour pencils and mounted it on to some Magnolia DP and made a couple of Marianne Flowers and some spellbinder leaves. And it seemed only right that to embellish it I threaded a pin with a couple of the Murano glass beads I bought in Venice.

And it's also time to disclose the names of the winners which came out of the hat for my colouring candy.............

Sharon

Iruha

Nikbee

Sussie

Bunny

Congratulations to all, please mail me with your full names and postal addys. Should any remain unclaimed by midnight Saturday 9th I will re-draw and mail or leave a message for the new winners.

Thankful always for visiting and your kind comments which always mean so much.

All rather Vintage

Today sees the start of our new challenges at FlonzCraft Vintage Stamping and Pretty Little Ribbons and at the first we would like to see ' Blues, Aquas and Browns' and at Pretty Little Ribbons it's 'Anything Goes'.

And it does look rather like I've got a vintage thing going on with the same colourways for both, although that wasn't my intention but I do admit that I love working with the blue and brown colour palette.

To create the shape of the three way card which is my DT piece for Pretty Little Ribbons I used a spellbinder die sideways cutting only halfway through each panel by placing the main part of the card outside of the embossing plates. I randomly stamped each panel with the Tim Holtz pillion stamp set and an Inkylicious wire stamp using TH distress inks tea dye, vintage photo and peacock feathers and round the edge with a Hero Arts swirls stamp. I stamped the butterflies a second time to decoupage and made two roses using a five petal punch (added: I had already made this one when I received my new punch and stamp sets from Ruth or I would have used them again). I have used a selction of ribbons, braids and beads which are all available on the PLR website.

By second card is my DT piece for FlonzCraft Vintage Stamping using the two birds image, inking the stamp with distressed markers and spritzing with water before stamping onto a piece of Fabriano watercolour card. The flower, hinge and bird on branch are all Tim Holt dies to which I added liberal amounts of Frantage gold and aqua and the DT is Bo Bunny.

My third card uses more pretty laces and ribbons from PLR, a Penny Black stamp and some little dots added with liquid pearls.

I do hope you will find time to join in with our challenges this month look forward to seeing all your entries.

Foxes, fur and feathers

Morning everyone, time for our new monthly challenges............would you believe I had my post all ready to go for a good couple of weeks ago, then for reasons known only to Blogger it totally disappeared so this is a bit of a hasty one.

At Stamping Sensations our new theme is Fur and Feathers, at Penny Black and More we are going Pink, Pearly and Swirly and at Craft a Scene we want to see lighthouses in Let Your Light Shine.

The card at the top is my fur offering using a gorgeous new stamp from Sutter Stamps..............my plan to refrain from any new stamps for a few months lasted zilch seconds and I have to say I love this one. It is coloured with Pan Pastels with a little shading with watercolour pencils.

And a rarity for me as I am entering some challenges:

Pan Pastels - Animals
Raise the bar - Animal Attraction

The pink card above is really quite a simple one using dies, ribbons and lace and a Penny Black stamp for the focal sentiment.

Next my feather offering using a Crafty Individuals stamp and the same colouring system as the top card. I kept the colours and embellies rustic to compliment the image.

My lighthouse scene uses an Art Impression lighthouse, Sutter Stamps waves and rocks and cloud cumulus from Stampscapes and you got it.......Pan Pastels.

And finally, a really simply stamped card using a Penny Black sentiment and a baroque corner from Flonz Craft, some pearls and ribbon.

Have a good Sunday everyone, I am slowly getting round to everyone, only short comments so far but I'm building on it.