Christmas sparkle, YouTube and Gelli Plate

Morning Peeps, I've been a really bad blogger this week I'm afraid, another very poorly doggie, this time Daisy who is ten and had to have most of her mammary glands removed and very fragile still. Add to that my stamps for the Chocolate Baroque 4th January One Day Special on Hochanda ran into RM problems (putting it politely) and had to be sent again, a week lost meaning I've had my head down getting samples turned round in time. I've got nine made so far so well on my way...........teasing you now, they are all new stamps and yummy!!

This will be my last post before Christmas so I would like to wish everyone a happy festive season, I know for many Christmas just won't be the same this year but let's pray 2021 is a better year all round. For hubby and I it will be a strange Christmas, usually all the children and grandchildren are with us, but that's about 20 of us so just not an option this year. We decided as a family with several secondary teachers, another mingling with Boris and Co and an NHS front line worker that even if allowed it's just not worth the risk, hopefully we will have a belated Christmas in the Spring and see one another once again.

Moving on to Allsorts which is a two week challenge and the last of 2020. Kath is our host and she would like to see 'Sparkle and Shine and the prize a £15 store voucher from Stamp Addicts. It's a bit of a photo heavy post as I also have a post over at the Chocolate Baroque blog today plus yesterday's shares for our mid month reminders at We Love Chocolate Baroque and Stamping Sensations challenges.

So a gold one and a green one for Allsorts, I made 75 of these way back in January after seeing Lucy from Sweet Poppy Stencils use this beautiful wreath and the hot foiling technique. 

And dare I say another YouTube video link here, today's one making the card below with a Gelli Plate, Brusho's and a Chocolate Baroque stamp.

Another card from my Chocolate Baroque post here.

A green version of the Allsorts share at the top of the post, made in exactly the same way.

I'll be honest and say I really don't enjoy making Christmas cards, especially batch ones, I blame starting them for TV in May every year and after that I never want to do my own and those for daughters/DIL's. So as there is usually a lull in TV work around the Christmas period (although this year seems to be an exception and I have soooo much to do) I take advantage of the break and get the bulk out of the way so they are done and dusted and just have fun making the individual ones for family, DT work and the odd order during the year. Yes I already have about 100 made for next year.

A Chocolate Baroque share shaker card using the Tomte Gnomes and below the new Canary Bird Rose stamp.

Finally, the Fairy scene which is of course all Lavina.

If your still with me after all that, have a lovely weekend and Christmas.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

Wonderful Christmas

Morning Peeps, Saturday morning and a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is Wendy with the theme of  'Got to be Christmas'. This weeks winner will receive a cute Woodware stamp and sentiment set. 

I've received some lovely comments and messages about my first YouTube video which I shared last weekend, you really are all so very kind, I was more than a tad nervous sharing. But you have unleashed a monster as I've made some more.....to be honest I needed to keep at it until I fully understood the new creating and editing programme. But the biggest issue is the upload itself as each one takes two plus hours, we live so remotely that our broadband is slower than slow and when I'm uploading nobody else can do anything on the internet.

So here's my Youtube video for the above card which uses Penny Black stamps, acrylic ink and stencilling..............

Also one of my shares from my post over at the Chocolate Baroque blog, all details of the stamps etc., used can be found if you follow the ink.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

The Fairies are waiting and my fist Youtube video

It's the first Sunday of the month so time for our new challenges at We Love Chocolate Baroque and Stamping Sensations. Our themes for December are 'Anything Goes' and 'Anything with Wings'. Prizes come from Chocolate Baroque and Craft Stash. 

I thought I would also share my very first Youtube video, far from perfect and I need to polish my act a bit, but as people often suggest that I should do more tutorials I thought why not. Actually I quite enjoyed making it as it takes me back to normal pre COVID times when it was possible to do live demos and classes which I have done for years and always enjoy, so here it is..................

Back to my DT shares for today and of course my wings had to be Lavinia Fairies and on the card at the top a background of Oxides and also some Dylusions paint to bring out the yellow. The super tree which I think is so magical with the strooms growing around the door, the the little magical scene built up around it.

This is one of my samples from yesterdays Chocolate Baroque Hochanda TV shows, it uses a mixture of stamps which I have listed over on the challenge blog. Again Oxides, a paper pieced flower head and the sentiment stamped onto a piece of Aida.

Thos one is from a show a couple of months ago using the new Canary Bird Rose, simply stamped onto a stencilled background which I created with various sprays......I really liked this one and was going to prepare a couple more for future products but can I find the stencil, of course I can't. I will admit to having a rather large drawful of them and have turfed it out several times and gone through them one by one and it's just not there so can only conclude it went into the bin by mistake. The flower is paper pieced from an offcut coloured with the same spray inks.

My triptych card above uses three waste pieces from the Timmy cabinet card die, one I've had for years and use so much, they are easily hinged together with a scrap of scored card and can incorporate as many section as you wish. Oxides again in the background and basically just an hour or so of fun stamping with lots of Lavinia stamps.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

A bit of shrinky

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is Tracy and her theme is 'Anything but a card with an A/G option'. This weeks winner will receive a stamp from Chocolate Baroque who will be on Hochanda today at 11am and 3pm, do tune in for lots of inspiration from Lesley.

So a couple of floral wreaths for my non card creation, the above a recent Chocolate Baroque Hochanda make, lots of flowers from the show stamped onto shrink plastic cut out, coloured on the back and shrunk down to arrange around a heart shaped rattan frame.

This was also a Hochanda make but this time for Stamp Addicts, the Judikins Sunflowers stamped onto card, cut out and coloured with Oxides, arranged around a circle rattan frame, die cut wheat, a sentiment across the centre and a little Bee stamped onto acetate.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

Out of the silence........

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts and I am your host so it was inevitable there would be a botanical flavour to my theme my chosen theme of  'Christmas flowers, garlands and wreaths or just Christmas). This weeks lucky winner will receive a Bee Crafty stamp.

Today is also one of my posting days over at the Chocolate Baroque Blog so I have some shares from that post as well.

Starting with my top card a Penny Black Poinsettia stamped focally using Distress Markers direct to stamp and then a couple of second generation images. The sentiment is also PB, one I really like but it's quite large so needs a bold image to go with it. Finally some watered down gold paint flicked here and there and gold pen around the edges.

A Christmas wreath with lots of Chocolate Baroque worker stamps and Versafine Clair and a sentiment which I think is Inkylicious. And below my shares from my Chocolate Baroque blog post, all from last months Hochanda TV shows. full details of stamps used on that post.

Have a good weekend and hope you will join in with our challenge this week.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

Santa's on his way

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is Mervi who would love to see 'Santa, Elves, Angels or just Christmas cards. Our sponsor this week is WOWVOW offering a £15 store voucher.

Believe it or not this little Santa is the only one in my stash, much the same with Elves so I went ahead with the Winter scene. Then one of my teamies posted her DT cards yesterday using the Chocolate Baroque Tomte Gomes, which if course I do have.......maybe they are one and the same, Google seems unclear, what do you think?

So the Winter scene using lots of stamp and further down some Tomte Gnomes. It looks pretty chilly and blowy in my scene judging by the tree and her skirt and I'm really not sure if she is wrapped up warmly enough and probably should have a hat on as well!  

Also a couple of shares from my post over at the Chocolate Baroque blog here.

Here are my Gnomes out in the snow.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

Cinderella, you shall go to the ball

Morning Peeps, I seem to say this on most of my mid month posts for  We Love Chocolate Baroque and Stamping Sensations, but it really is a quick one as life is throwing rather a lot our way at the moment. Prizes at both challenge this month are from Chocolate Baroque.

Poppy is now home from hospital and seems to be doing OK, huge hole in her neck size of a .50p piece from the tracheotomy as they don't like to stitch or cover apparently, so hourly cleaning of that and they can't do more until it closes. Daisy is struggling with her back legs and clearly in pain so at the vets with her this morning........after taking Alex to Cambridge Nuffield Lea hospital at 7am for his knee surgery.

The top card is for our Christmas Flowers, Wreaths and Garlands theme at Stamping Sensations and the one below for the Christmas theme at We Love Chocolate Baroque.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

A lightbulb moment

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is Helene who would like to see 'Candles and Lights' and there's an A/G option as well, our prize this week comes from Stix2.

Afraid I've not been active in blogland for a few days, our little Poppy has been in hospital and there's been a few touch and go moments culminating in a tracheotomy on Wednesday when she stopped breathing. She was transferred to Dick Whites Referrals, a specialist veterinary hospital, still needs more tests but hoping it's a manageable problem and nothing more sinister, she's a real little fighter in true Terrier fashion.

I have used one of the recent new Chocolate Baroque Hochanda TV releases for my card above, this one was called Lupin Blueprint. A brayered background onto linen card stock, the large lightbulb from the set stamped several times to the right, the the lupin and bulb stamped, coloured and cut out and placed into a die cut black circle. Some stencilling with texture paste, washi tape and sentiment from the same set heat embossed with details whit EP.

As most know I don't enter challenges, mainly because my sight is failing and I struggle with all the links so tend to save my screen time for my challenges, but I do make the odd exception and really wanted to support Gail in her new Let's Squash It challenge. The idea is to use embossing folders, something most of us have but don't use often enough, so here is my card using a Tattered Lace Christmas Holly folder and a Penny Black focal image and sentiment.

Whatever you are doing, I hope you have a good weekend.

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

Vibrant Roses and Echoes of Italy

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is Lynn who would like to see 'Lace real of faux' with an A/G option. Our prize this week come from Chocolate Baroque and as it happens I also have a post over at the Chocolate Baroque Blog today, below is one of my samples from there, also a card for the current Butterfly Challenge.

My card is a Hochanda sample for tomorrows TV shows at 10am and 2pm, there will be different stamps available in each show, some old favourites and new goodies. The one I have used here is Floral Perfumery, stamped onto a Gelli Plate background, the Roses stamped a second time onto an offcut, masked with torn post-it notes and inked with Crackling Campfire and Twisted Citron, cut out and paper pieced. 

A few worker stamps stamped randomly to carry the colour of the Roses and a CB sentiment stamped onto black card and heat embossed with detail white EP. I cut the sentiment into two strips and layered over some cotton lace.

The Butterfly Challenge has arrived at the letter F and the elements are: Fabric, Flag Fold, French Pink, Forest Green, Flaxen and of course a Butterfly. After scoring the inner section with the folds I added Oxides as close as I could find to the three colours. Using rather a lot of Lavinia stamps I built up a scene, I guess I might have gone a bit OTT but I had a fun hour or two. The 'flags' come in the form of a Butterfly and Fairy which I stamped onto some fine Aida fabric and cut out, I'm not sure these shapes fit the 'flag' brief and you will have to take my work for it they are fabric. There's a closer photo below to try and show how the Butterfly and Fairy are over the edge but I'm not sure it's any more apparent.

These lovely Italian stamps are on one of tomorrows Chocolate Baroque Hochanda shows, I've had these sets for years going way back to Elusive Images/Gaphicus days, but still firm favourites. Most years we go to Italy, sadly not this year so this card using several of the images from the two sets is my take on CDSA Santa Maria, the road where my friend Lucian lives. We have been friends since I was three, although she was raised in the UK she still married an Italian boy and when their children were in their teens they returned to the family town of Compabasso, but Pino her eldest son married an English girl and still lives in the UK.

She lives in a beautiful three story villa with gardens running down in terraces where she grows vegetables which she bottles in true Italian style and her cellar has shelves decked with them......as well as Grappa which hubby Toni distills down there........my hubby could tell you a story or two about nights testing the variants he makes.

Have a good weekend all, not that in the UK we can do much even if we wanted to. Hubby and I have still not ventured further than the chemist and won't even be doing that for the next couple of weeks as youngest son is having knee surgery the week after next and we have been told we need to self isolate as a family prior to his op. He's having it at the Cambridge Nuffield Spire (on the NHS) so we are hopeful it will all go ahead as planned as Cambridgeshire as a whole is fairly low on the COVID scale.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

A Chocolate Baroque Christmas

It's the first Sunday of the month so time for our new challenges at We Love Chocolate Baroque and Stamping Sensations. Our themes for November are 'Christmas' and  'Christmas Flowers, Garlands and Wreaths'...........I can see the perfect chance to double up here and why not as this months lucky winners at both challenges will win stamps from Chocolate Baroque.

So all four of my creations feature Chocolate Baroque stamps and rather than bore you with all the names you can check what I used over at the respective challenge blogs where I have added links to them on the shop website.

Apologies for the lack of clarity on this one, had issues with my editing programme!

Looking forward to seeing lots of you join in this month.

 

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.

A Fairy for a little one and giant strooms

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is Ellie who would like to see cards suitable for 'Children and Teenagers', our prize this week is a lovely Woodware stamp from Craft Stash.

The Lavinia Fairy is quite an old one but I always love the shape of her skirt, stamped onto a Pan Pastel background, tree was extended by masking along with Poppies and flowers, all of which are also Lavinia.

I could see some huuuuge strooms around the headlands so took a walk the other day with my camera, a rather wet and soggy one I might add as it's hardly stopped raining the last couple of weeks. It's hard to get an idea of just how big some of them are, but those in the first two photos are much larger than an outstretched hand. We won't be testing the edibility of any of them but isn't Nature wonderful with the beauty it gives.

A second card with children playing using a mixture of stamps from six or seven different companies, Pan Pastels to create the sky and Distress and Versafine Clair inks for the stamping and foreground.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog.