April showers bring May flowers

Morning everyone, time for a new challenge at Allsort and this week I am your host with the theme of 'April showers bring May flowers' and of course there's always the A/G option for those who really don't have any flowers in their stash. 

Prizes for three weeks this month (726/7/8) come from WOWVOW, Oakwood Direct and Craft Stash. The fourth week on 20th May will be to celebrate our 14th Birthday so prizes for that week will be announced closer to the time and my what a fabulous bundle it is from a company who seem to offer the stamp of the moment!!

A brayered background using Oxides, stencil work using the negative elements by inking and spritzing the stencil to use as a stamp, some raindrops with another stencil and texture paste and a few of the circles coloured in with Distress Pencils. 

Lots of different AALL and Create stamp sets used, the Wellie boots from The Great Outdoors, flower from Flower Journey (new so not on the web site yet but available from C&C), circle Textured Florals, March and numbers Seasons, a bit of stamping down the edges using Round Digits and finally words from Power of the Word. And of course a matching envie, people tell me they love these when they land on the doormat and in reality it doesn't take much longer to create once the card is made. 

My teamie Ellie also has this theme for her I Spy challenge so it seems only fitting that I link up there. And Simon Say's Wednesday challenge is No Patterned Papers, so a perfect one for me as I invariably create my own. 

A rather bright background brayers with Oxides, purposely left a bit random to give more interest. All focal stamping in Versafine Nocturn using an AALL and Create A4 set and the  silhouette flower from Clocks and Flowers, Hare from Long Eared Mammal, months and sentiment from Seasons and Power of the Word (links above) and to carry the colour of the suns I stamped Shattering around the edges. Finally some stencilled raindrops using white texture paste.

One last share, it's for Highlight/Two Red Robins where the DT have been re-branded, we are now going to be known as 'Brand Creatives'.

I've used some of this weeks new colourways for Touched by the Rain. It's a big bundle so a considered purchase, but the majority of dies are available individually so you can pick your favourites. There are six different sized dies in the set and Reflections are free. Gary the birdie was a greenfinch when the set was first launched, now he's also a Goldfinch!! We have a family of them in the garden and the two babies have just left the nest, but they dart about so quickly getting a photo is proving difficult.

I am trying hard to get back into the crafty groove and actually made some DT cards for C&C shows next week (to be shared in due course), the new meds are helping with the pain and arm/neck mobility but leave me a bit wooly headed so it's frustratingly slow. I make cards in my head when sleep evades me, it's actually making them that's proving a problem.

But I have some new goodies which is always an incentive to get inky so a crafty day planned and hoping to get a few more off the production line.....know craft will be the last things on the minds of many today, but I'll be in my craft room! 

I hope you can join us this week at Allsorts, do pop over to the challenge to see what my teamies have created to inspire you. 

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