Peonies, Poppies and a few photos

Morning to you all, we are returning to normal again at Allsorts having carried our themes forward a couple of weeks following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Ellie is our host and would like to see 'Spots and Stripes'. Our lucky winner will receive dies and tickets to Crafting Live at Peterborough on 22/23 October from Highlight Crafts. The show promises to be a really good one with a bumper number of exhibitors lined up. 

I have used Vintage Inc Peony and Laced to Perfection from Highlight Crafts, the stamps are available individually or as part of two special offer collections. If you are new to this brand and also Two Red Robins dies, I can promise you that the quality is excellent, as are all things out of the stable of Steph Weightman. 

Those tempted by the stamps or indeed anything on the Highlight website (with exception machinery) you can use my code BRENDA10 to obtain a 10% discount.

This one uses Poppy Perfection from the new Hedgerows collection along with Poppies from earlier collections, link below. The spots are subtle but are there to tie in with this weeks theme. The sentiment is from my Believe stamp set available from Create and Craft or direct here.

Above our eldest son centre surrounded by his Home Office team before the service at the Abbey on Monday. Having been one of those involved in the planning of arrangements in recent years and then when Her Majesty died, he was invited to be part of the Ceremonial Presence at her funeral, something he said was a tremendous honour. They look so smart in their Dress uniforms as indeed did all the UK Services who took part.

And Miss Margo this week in the saddle on Penelope, she's now twelve months old and apparently loving the experience. It's never too young to start!

Penelope seems to be turning out to be a god buy, at only six years old I was sceptical if her schooling was as good as the breeder claimed, but so far she seems pretty bombproof and is showing nicely in hand and picked up a couple of placings the last few weeks.

Have a good weekend and my thanks as aways for your kind visits and words of encouragement.

 

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A few Country scenes

As many of you know we are not having an Allsorts challenge again this week as a mark of respect following the death of our dear Queen and whilst the UK is in an official period of mourning. We will return to normal next Saturday 24th September.

My crafting activity was curtailed this week by an ambulance trip and I'm awaiting seeing a cardiologist, but did managed some samples for Highlight Crafts with new products. Life seems to be throwing constant curve balls right now which is so frustrating but c'est la vie. 

This weekend Highlight Crafts has lots of special offers and member discounts running until 1pm Tuesday, but even if you are not a member you can still use my code BRENDA10 to get 10% off all purchases. But be warned, the collections can be addictive! 

Above and below Christmas cards using elements from A Frosted Eve, A Christmas Eve,  Deer to my Heart and Winter Landscape. The sentiments are from my own new sets available from Create and Craft here and here and Stamp Addicts here.

Last but by no means least and there's more in the pipeline including some using the Poppies in the new Two Red Robins Hedgerows collection. I think of all the collections this just might be my favourite so far, it encompasses fields and wildflowers, since a child I've never been happier than when I'm out in the meadows and paddocks with a horse and dog or two in tow.

The complete set is on offer at the moment and even less if you use my code above, but all of the dies are available individually to enable you to choose your favourites. It's such a clever collection as there are dies coordinating with the background scene, part of the free Reflection download to enable a 3D scene to be created.

Have a peaceful weekend.

 

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Paying respect

As a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died yesterday,  there will not be a new Allsorts challenge tomorrow.  

On a personal note, my thoughts are with her family at this very sad time, she is the only Queen and Monarch I have known and her tenacity and enthusiasm for life leaves a void in the lives of so many.

 

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Timeless and a rather special award

Before I move on can I talk about DT's and challenges.......we have DT spaces due to changes in personal circumstances so if you are interested in joining a team please drop me a mail........even if you think you are not up to it you probably are, so lets chat about it. Previous DT experience not necessary and if you are unsure you could try a month or two and see how it goes, we're a flexible and friendly bunch 😊

Today see the start of ur September challenge at We Love Stamping, explanations about this months challenge at Stamping Sensations on the challenge blog and my post on 1st September. Our theme is a nice and easy one of 'Anything Goes' and we have two prizes of Vintage Inc stamps from Highlight Crafts, if your not familiar then I can confirm they are excellent quality and stamp like a dream.

The tag above was made a while ago but never blogged using AALL and Create Clocks and Flowers. An acetate splodged oxide background (I splodge I don't smooch!), the flower, Badger and words from the set stamped onto snippets with the flower coloured and paper pieced. Simples as the Meerkats say!

I am popping to the Snippets Playground to see what's going on, I'm a bit show now I have to use these 'bloomin sticks to get around so can't contemplate the playhouse ladder but hoping if the sun stays out we might be able to have a picnic behind the bike shed.

Before I go and apologies in advance but doing my proud Mum bit, our eldest son Owen received a Commendation this week from the Home Secretary for "Outstanding contribution in the field of Home Affairs". Some know he played a leading role during Covid and continues with State Security matters, so he's a busy boy..... even at 40 plus he's still a 'boy' to me.

Have a lovely Sunday.

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Tweet

Morning to you all, time for our next Allsorts challenge, we are back to weekly again and Dena is inviting us to create for the theme of Anything Goes with the option of School Days. 

Before I move on can I talk about DT's and challenges.......we have DT spaces due to changes in personal circumstances so if you are interested in joining a team please drop me a mail........even if you think you are not up to it you probably are, so lets chat about it. Previous DT experience not necessary and if you are unsure you could try a month or two and see how it goes, we're a flexible and friendly bunch 😊

As I have nothing which really fits the school theme I've opted for Anything Goes and used the AALL and Create birdie from Friendship Florals and Sunflower from Woodland stamped twice and paper pieced on to an inky offcut. An Oxide background, a few worker stamps in the background and washi tape.

Thought I would also share the little wooden plaque I made for Highlight using the new Two Red Robin Gathering of Gatherings dies. 

As always my thanks for your visits and words of encouragement and hope you all 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.

Window to your Soul

Before I move on can I talk about DT's and challenges.......we have DT spaces due to changes in personal circumstances so if you are interested in joining a team please drop me a mail........even if you think you are not up to it you probably are, so lets chat about it. Previous DT experience not necessary and if you are unsure you could try a month or two and see how it goes, we're a flexible and friendly bunch 😊

Now onto Stamping Sensations and to start with I had better give an explanation of why the September challenge is popping up on a Thursday. Well......at the weekend the August linky went walkabouts and despite all best efforts by us and Inlinkz it was not recoverable. You could say technology gone mad, but it put us in an awkward position as first nobody else could enter and of course with no entries visible we were unable to select our Top 4 and winner.

So the decision was made to start the September challenge a few days early and as well as the planned £25 Stamp Addicts voucher we are adding a couple of extra prizes as well. 

Explanations out of the way, my first share uses new stamps from Stamp Addicts. The official launch on Create and Craft TV is not until October but Sarah has them available on her web site now, I have used Window to your Soul 1 and 2 and Believe, the latter being from one of my own new releases of inspirational quotes, the sets contain a mixture of new and re-styled ones.

The background was created with the Gelli Plate, acrylic paints plus a smidgen of Oxides here and there and a Lavinia stencil. The Butterfly stamped centrally and two eyes and lips two of the images from Window to your Soul.

This is another of my Stamp Addict samples, this one uses Moments (also one of my new stamp sets), Believe, Flower Stencil and Window to your Soul 1 and 2. I cute the three panel triptych die three times to extend the concertina to seven panels, sprayed Oxides onto the top panels and used a mixture of stamping and sparkle paste to create the sections.

I hope you will join us this month.

 

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