Dreaming of the Beach

Morning Peeps, there was me thinking I had scheduled this post and discovered that wasn't the case, so as I'm only just easing back into short bursts of screen time after the op it's a rather short post.

At Allsorts it's a two week challenge over the Christmas holiday period and Lynn has kept the theme nice and simple 'Anything Goes', Sarah and Vickie at Stamp Addicts are our sponsors with a £15 store voucher. I am also entering the card below into the current Butterfly Challenge which as with tradition every December deviates away from Butterflies to Fairies and magical beings.

The card at the top is the Birthday card I made for Eliot our surfing son who celebrated his Birthday recently which was shortly before travelling to Sri Lanka to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary, he said he could walk out of their hotel directly onto the beach to surf, sounded wonderful. I used so many stamps on this one along with Pan Pastels and Distress Markers.

And Oxides, Versfine Clair and of course Lavinia fairy, foliage and tree stamps for this one.

This will be my last post before the man in red arrives so I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas season and hope that whatever you have planned that it's an enjoyable time for you and your families.

 

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Spread Your Wings.........and Fly Away

Morning Peeps, another scheduled post whilst I'm on eye rest (added note to say all went well and I'm resting it just as advised), it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts where our host is Ellie and she would like us to create something based on a song title. This weeks lucky winner will receive two lovely dies from Tattered Lace. Further down you will also find my creations from my post over at the Chocolate Baroque blog.

My song title is "Spread Your Wings"......"and fly away" written by John Deacon of Queen and featured on their News of the World album, it's one of Queens lesser known songs but one we saw performed live on stage with Freddie resplendent in lack leather trousers, braces and bare chested...........and how wonderful was his voice.

It's another Chocolate Baroque Hochada creation, using just one colour of Versafine Claire ink to create the contrast with black. I used elements of stamps from Butterfly Poppy Collage and Punky Romance stamped onto the page of a Charity Shop poetry book, then using one of the Baroque Heart Trading Hearts, stamped the pretty floral image from A Heart Full of Love, coloured in and added wings from Time Travel.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

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A walk in the snow

Morning Peeps, a scheduled post as I'm having my first cataract op. Normally it's only necessary to rest it for a couple of days, but because of the nerve damage in both eyes I've been told to take a screen break for a week or two so afraid I won't be visiting for a while 😚

Kath is our host at Allsorts this week and her theme is 'Snowmen or Snowflakes' and we have a pretty Christmas Tree stamp for your winner.

Well as I don't own a single snowman stamp it had to be some improvised snowflakes. The image is from Crafty Individuals which I stamped with Versafine Claire and coloured with pencils, stamped a couple of branches and used glitter to add the snowflakes. The sentiment is an old Penny Black one and a mixture of dies used to frame the image.

Have a good weekend all.

 

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Friends are Angels

It's time for our  new challenges at Stamping Sensations and Penny Black and More where our themes are 'Anything Goes' and 'Flowers all Over'. Super prizes on offer at both. 

I'm going to me missing for a week or two now as it's my first cataract op in a few days and although the procedure is straightforward, they say I need to take extra care and have a couple of weeks screen free because of the pre-existing nerve damage which is irreversible and untreatable and the culprit of my increasing blindness. So will see you all very soon.

For my top card I used Penny Black Summer Dream inked with Distress Markers and stamped using several inkings to build up the colours. I added a wash of blue DI around the image and a new PB sentiment which I was thrilled to find brand new on e.bay, it's a pretty old one from the late 90's.

With an Anything Goes theme there had to be a Fairy which of course come in most instances as Lavinia ones and here I have used Aerial (lge), Mia (sm) and Mr Badger 2, this is also my entry into the December Butterfly Challenge. As usual the December theme is Fairies, Elves, Imps etc., I've not enter for a while as due to my eye issues I've restricted myself to DT work, but I do have quite a few Fairy cards in my file so today seems the perfect opportunity to share one of them. A Gelli Plate background, stamping with Versafine black and of course some glitter to the Fairy wings.

My second stamping Sensations share uses Penny Black stamps, this time the delicate Playful which for the purpose of my card are Buttercups. There is a matching die but it's a bit of an oddity as it doesn't cut the flowers out as one, instead each petal comes out in several pieces, so after a few frustrating attempts I got savvy and used sticky backed paper...............now doesn't that sounds just a tad Blue Peter............ and then they came out as whole flowers. The foliage is also Penny Black as is the die cut sentiment and a background of Pan Pastels.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

 

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Snakes Head Fritillary Candle

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts where our host is Wendy and she would like to see 'Christmas Gifts. Our winner will receive some Christmas Cracker kits from Stix2.

I decorated this candle for a recent Hochanda show where the lovely Chocolate Baroque Snakes Head Fritillary was one of the featured stamps. The above is actually me second attempt as the first went rather 'melty' after adding the first of the images which I had stamped onto tissue paper, coloured and cut out. 

So I sought guidance from our Tracy Mouse who is the queen of candles (I have a beautiful candle she made for me decorated with Poppies which is in my dining room) and she told me I needed to wrap greaseproof paper around the candle before heating and it worked a treat................clearly that's where I've gone wrong on previous attempts which has always put me off doing more candles. With the three flowers in place I them repeat stamped one of the definition quotes and added a strip around the bottom of the candle.

Hope you all have a good weekend,

 

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Thank You

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts where our host is Tracy and her theme is 'Thank You or New Year'. Our winner will receive a lovely prize from Craft Stash.

The background for this one was stamped using Distress Markers and an old Inkylicious stamp, holding it in my hand to stamp just a section of the stamp, circles added using a top of an embossing powder tub dipped into distress ink and used as a stamp. The focal image is Penny Black inked with the same colour Distress Inks and spritzed with water before stamping, a few sequins and Penny Black sentiment.

The above card is very CAS for me but it's growing on me! The flowers are a Sweet Poppy stencil, I used pearlescent white medium, also from Sweet Poppy and sprinkled gold glitter on as soon as I removed the stencil and the medium still wet. The sentiment is the same Penny Black one as above.

Have a good weekend.

 

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Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Morning Peeps, it's mid way time at Stamping Sensations and Penny Black and More challengse and I also have my shares from my post yesterday over at the Chocolate Baroque blog, so a bit of a hefty post.

At Stamping Sensations our theme is Traditional Christmas Colours and at PB&M it's simply Christmas. 

My Penny Black share uses a super quote and I love the story behind it. The stamp is a real PB oldie and is a genuine quote taken from a New York newspaper in 1897 when a reply was sent to a little eight year called Virginia O'Hanlon who wrote in the the paper asking of Santa was real, this was their answer. The little girl on my card who for the benefit of this post we will call Virginia is part of a PB stamp called For Goodness Sake. The embossed snowflake is also PB as are the die cut snowflakes. I'm not sure Virginia would have been dressed quite like this in 1897 so I'll put it down to artistic licence.

My Stamping Sensations share above uses the new Christmas Garden stamp from this months sponsor Chocolate Baroque, it's a huge stamp and full of detail and it's easy to use just sections of the stamp as I did with my DT card earlier this month. 

And my Chocolate Baroque shares, the one at the top of the post is also one of them. The show featured stamps made from Lesley's personal ephemera collection along with some favourite floral ones. Have to say I really enjoyed working working with this release. 

 

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Christmas Flowers

Before I tell you about this weeks Allsorts theme, I must sent a huge thank you for all you kind comments and so many e.mails following my post last week, each one was really appreciated. Hubby is doing OK and waiting for some more tests, we're rather lucky that Papworth is a local hospital. I am still a little in denial about my news, but coming to terms with it slowly.

OK, now on to our new challenge at Allsorts where our host is Mervi who would like to see 'Christmas Flowers'. We welcome back The Paperbox as our sponsor.

Some of you may remember when the Paperbox last sponsored us I wrote a review of some of their products which I had been sent to used, since then I have purchased quite a few things from them not least a large quantity of their A4 Pearlescent card to make Anysia's wedding stationery which is work in progress. We decided on the lavender to coordinate with the blush colour theme........and I was thrilled to find a company who make envelopes to order lined with the same colour.

I'm totally sold on their A4 Bright White Card 260gsm card for things such as Gelli Plate printing as it works so well with inks and paint, likewise it's perfect with Distress Oxides and takes on both ink and water without warping. One might say why use card for Gelli Plate printing but I can't abide floppy paper when it's all damp and far prefer to end up with a nice firm base to stamp onto and when you can buy 100 sheets for £13.00 it makes no sense to compromise your finished project.

So I will start with my card at the top which was a Stamp Addicts sample for Hochanda TV using the Paperbox A4 White Silk Card for the square mat, die cut aperture frame and base card, it's 350gsm so a superb weight for sturdy card bases. This card is an 8x8 so as I  often do I used two sheets, scored one and made the join adjacent to the score line and you need to look very closely to know it's not one piece. Then their A4 Bright White Card again for the flowers which I sprayed with Glimmer Mist before stamping and cutting out, as with DI's etc., it takes on the sprays very well.

I had been itching to try our their A4 Silver Glitter Card, they call it non shed and it really is what it says on the box, in fact I've never before come across a glitter card that feels totally smooth to the touch. I used their  A4 White Linen card for the top angled layer, cut the snowflake from the glitter card and used their White Hammer Card for the 5x7 base card. The sentiment is Inkylicious.

In addition to the products mentioned here, I have also purchased their envelopes for wedding rsvp's and white linen paper, at less than £11 for a box of 100 it's made beautiful inserts for Christmas cards and I will be ordering some more to print the wedding Order of Service inserts. 

So all in all I have been extremely happy with the products I have used thus far from our sponsor and hope you have gathered from my post I totally recommend them, not to mention their extremely quick and efficient dispatch and delivery of orders.

Have a good weekend everyone.

 

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White on White

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week I am your host and my theme is "White on White' which is not just a challenge for all of you, it's also one for me as I find this style of card so difficult to make! This weeks lucky winner will receive a lovely Stamps by Chloe stamp.

I try not to go into too much detail about health on my blog, but I receive such kind enquiries to see how I am doing so in light of being handed a bit of a bombshell this week, feel I need to share if for no other reason than to explain my inevitable absences from blogland.

I've had eye issues stemming from my MS and associated bouts of Optic Neuritis for years, but not prepared for the devastating news at a routine hospital referral to schedule cataract surgery. I've been told I have irreversible and untreatable optic nerve and cornea damage and am going blind. They could not give me a time frame as it could be one to ten years before sight is lost. They are still doing my cataracts as it should improve my vision short term, so that's on 7th December.

And to top that off, Thursday hubby was rushed into hospital with heart issues, he had a heart attack at 40 so they are always cautious with him, he's now waiting for further tests. So I'll admit to being like two sheets in the wind this week.

Against all of that everything else pales into insignificance, I've built up resistance to the head injections for migraine so back to several all dayer's most weeks, but on a positive note I've been given the all clear following the last kidney CT scan so some good news.

Now back to my cards and will say that the flowers on the top one are white, but afraid on my photo you can be forgiven for thinking they are creamy yellow. An embossed back panel, a lattice frame both TL, leaves which are also TL, the flowers and some Butterflies which are Chocolate Baroque stamped onto vellum and heat embossed with detail white EP.

This one actually had two lives (see second picture below) as after making it using TL dies and embossing folder, flowers and lots of pearls I realised I needed a pearl wedding anniversary card but knew it would need to have some pink on it so added some pretty die cuts and an Italian sentiment sent to me by my friend Alice, thank you Alice it was perfect for this card.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

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Winter Sparkle

A busy post today as it's time for our  new challenges at Stamping Sensations and Penny Black and More and also my turn to post over at the Chocolate Baroque blog with shares from the last Hochanda TV shows. Our challenge themes are 'Traditonal Christmas Colours' and 'Christmas'........I can see opportunities to double up here. 

My Stamping Sensations share at the top started with a Distress Oxide background using only shades of green onto which I stencilled the Church window. A mixtures of Chocolate Baroque seasonal foliage stamped around the edge, Poinsettias are part of the beautiful A Christmas Garden stamp, stamped several times, heat embossed with detail gold EP, cut out, coloured in and arranged onto the card along with some TL Ivy. The sentiment is from 'Lets Get Festive' sentiment set which is part of this month prize and the foliage around the edges come from Robin and Spruce and Mistletoe Script.

For my Penny Black share I used a number of stamps to create a Wintry scene, Pan Pastels for the background, a sun, snow glitter and a birdie on the fence who comes from a really old PB set.

And here are my Chocolate Baroque shares, I won't go into details on them as I have included it all in my post mentioned above. Have to say I thoroughly enjoyed working with the new ephemera stamps included in this show, they were produced from Lesley's own collection.

My thanks as always for your visit today and I do hope you will join in with the challenges this month.

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Artisan Design flowers and Hochanda Craftalong

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts where our host is Helene and  here theme is to 'Make your own Flowers'. Our winner will receive a lovely floral stamp layering set form Buddly Crafts.

As promised last week I am sharing some more of my samples which I was asked to create for the Hochanda promo video for the next Craftalong show on 17th November when Lesley of Chocolate Baroque will be creating a Journal, the kits went on sale last week here. 

My top card features the Dahlia from Pete's Artisan Designs Kelly's Garden 1 range of stamps made for Hochanda TV. The background was made with a wash of DI's, the bloom stamped three times, coloured and cut out and arranged on the background along with leaves from the same stamp set.

Above and below were made with the Kit for the Craftalong available now from Hochanda here. If you buy now there's a special price and then you will be all ready to craft along with Lesley on 17th November and create your own journal. Backgrounds for both were made using the Gelli Plate, there is one in the kit.

The Artists Trading Hearts and available on line at Chocolate Baroque.

Another Artisan Design sample for Hochanda, this time using  some of the Funky Flowers and another of Pete's lovely sentiments onto a piece of DP and some doodling around the border. 

Have a good weekend everyone.

 

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Touch of Vintage and another Craftalong

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts where our host is Lynn with the perfect theme to get inky, 'Make your Own Background'. Our lucky winner will receive four stencils from Crafty Devils.

I also have news of the next Craftalong show on Hochanda on 17th November when Lesley of Chocolate Baroque will be creating a Journal, the kits went on sale a couple of day's ago here so you can order yours now so you are all ready to craftalong with her. I was chuffed to bits to be asked to make the samples using the kit for the Hochanda promotional video so will share a couple today and some more next week.

The focus is very much Vintage, a lovely set of stamps which work well together or with your other stamps so very versatile, the journal is also included in the kit as well as a Gelli Plate, various cardstock, a brayer and other bits and pieces, you can see everything here. 

Back to my Allsorts shares and the one at the top of this post was made during the Summer for a Stamp Addicts Hochanda show which featured inchies and twinchies along with the lovely Muse image which is part of a set as were the music ones which included Mozart which I shared a couple of weeks ago.

I used a Tim Holtz die to cut out the corners, then stamped randomly with the script stamp that was also in the show and grunged it up a bit with DI's. I inked the twinchies with Oxides then stamped a variety of the stamps onto them, inked with Versamak and added UTEE, I did this process three times to give a nice smooth glazed finish then mounted them onto the base.

This was another Hochanda sample, this time for one of Pete's Artisan Design shows. An Oxide background, a large circle and small dots stencils, also from Pete and finally I stamped the large Rose  from Kelley's Garden collection and coloured in with pencils. The sentiment if from the leaf set which is in the same collection.

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend and find some crafty time.

 

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