Helleborus

Morning everyone, another Saturday and another new theme at Allsorts which has been chosen by Sarah, it's 'Colours of Winter' and as usual there's the A/G option. This month we are doing prizes a little different and this week and next we have stamps and stencils that will make all those  AALL and Create fans happy.

Several contacted me unable to buy the new AALL and Create products in my post a couple of days ago, I'm told they sold out very quickly on TV and direct from A&C, but one or two retailers still have stock, so a search might prove lucky (names and codes to help find in my post below this one)

But AALL and Create still have some fabulous bargain and discounts, lots of stamps and stencils are half price or less including some of those I have used today, but you need to be quick as I'm told the sale will end very soon.

My 'Colours of Winter' come in the form of one of the latest AALL and Create releases called Hellebore (1063), an A5 stamp set with four good sized stamps on it, I'll confess to making quite a few when this one landed.

Above a 'splodged' Oxide background using acetate and some stencilling to create sunshine and words from the A4 set called Blackbird (530). The focal Hellebore is paper pieced from inky offcuts and the leaves coloured with Distress Pencils, two little Hares from Miniatures (756) and Winter from Seasons (455).

Another 'splodged' Oxide background using the same method but two shades of blue this time, I find you have far more control taking the acetate to card, rather than trying to do the other way round. Stencilling using shaded lilac and one of the new stencils called Snow Crystals (221),  it's so delicate and the circle of snowflakes makes a lovely card on it's own with just a sentiment added, ideal if you are batch making.

The focal flower was stamped both onto the card base and several times onto inky offcuts, cut out and paper pieced. The word Winter again from and other words from Power of the Word (754). Two small pheasant from Pheasant (454)......despite being about all year round Pheasants say Winter to me, probably because between October and February they used to appear on our dinner table with regularity when I lived at home (sorry folks but I've lived on a farm all my life!), I'll add we just enjoy watching them strut their stuff these days.

Many thanks for your visits and I do hope you will join us this week.

Crunched Leafdrop

Morning everyone, a quick post to share a card made with the gorgeous new AALL and Create stamps and dies which are part of today's Pick of the Day on Create and Craft and also available direct from AALL and Create here. There are also Black Friday deals to be had right across the web site.

This release is designed by Abs and not only something a bit different, gorgeous as well. Being a confirmed Treeaholic not surprisingly the first thing I grabbed was Crunched Leafdrop (1109) and Leafinitely Detailed (25), coordinating stamps and dies. I will share more using some of the others in the release in due course.

A quick card as I needed to get this post done, various colours of oxide applied to a piece of card using acetate, the leaves stamped in Versafine Pinecone then cut out with the dies. The base card is a mop up piece from my spray box (it has corrugated at the bottom), AALL and Create leaves arranged into a semi circle, the Robin from Robin and Nuthatch (690) and Autumn from Pinecone (389) an A4 stamp set currently on offer at £11.60 (usually £28.99). The little dots to which I applied Glossy Accents are from the leaf set and some Highlight Tilsen gold to some of the leaves.

I would like to enter this at the current Path of Positivity challenge were the optional theme is Texture and also this weeks Simon Say's Wendesday challenge who would like to see some Sparkle, hopefully the gold leaf will fit the bill.

Hope your all having a good Wednesday.

Christmas Time

Morning everyone, a busy post as it's a new challenge at Allsorts where Lolo is our host and also the day for mid month inspiration at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations and all have a Christmas theme. Prizes this month come from Prizes from Stampendous, Oakwood Direct and WOWVOW, Craft Stash and Penny Black.

Floral indulgence above using Two Red Robins Seasons Finishing Touches which was the current Pick of the Week at Create and Craft but sold out day one, not surprising as it's beautiful and I absolutely loved working with this collection. Above the Hellebore (Christmas Rose) arranged around a semi circle and sentiment from one of my Christmas Season sentiment sets (currently sold out due to the latest rubber shortage affecting lots of craft companies at the moment).

I also have another for Allsorts this week, again using the above collection but this time the web exclusives. Those who know me will have an idea of my sheer horror when I saw these dies, me and cute just don't go together. 

But a challenge is a challenge so I set about making the requisite number of samples and much to my surprise Steph actually showcased this one in her Morning Highlight preview show giving customers a hint of what was to come.

One of my mid month shares, this for WLS using AALL and Create Flourish, an A5 stamp set currently on offer for just £7.60 (usually £18.99) and the Robin from Robin and Nuthatch also on offer at £4.60, there are several available at these offer prices so why not treat yourself. A stencilled background using their Folium stencil, again on offer along with several others at £3, that's half price. I made up the word Robin with Garden she Wrote.

For SS, a mixture of Penny Black, AALL and Create and Lavinia stamps to create the wreath using Versafine Claire inks and the same sentiment as above.

Friendship

Morning everyone, another Saturday means another new challenge at Allsorts and Lynn is our host this week with the theme of Friendship and as always there's the A/G option. Prizes this month come from Stampendous, Oakwood Direct and WOWVOW.

I've used AALL and Create Hexapetalistic stamped onto an inky background over which I did some stencilling and soft background stamping using a stamp from the same set as the side panel called Flourish. I would like to link this to the new Path of Positivity challenge hoping the words are inspirational and positive. There is also some added texture in the centre of the flowers.

This one uses the Buttercups from AALL and Create Build me Up, a brayered background, stencilling and the flowers paper pieced and popped into a stamped vase. Words from Power of the Word.

I was inspired by the new Butterfly Challenge which is looking for Poppies, Panels and of course a Butterfly. 

The idea when I started was CAS, but of course one thing led to another and now it's all rather busy, but think it's growing on me. I used AALL and Create Papaver Poppies (currently on offer at £7.60 less than half price), Forget me Not (same sale price) and Garden she Wrote. The base arch dies are Tattered Lace, cut three times and hinged, a simple brayered background with stencilling, Poppies all paper pieced from inky offcuts. The centre sentiment is from my own Moments stamp set available from Create and Craft here.

Hope your weekend is a good one.

Christmas Characters and an awesome Moon

Morning everyone, before I tell you about our November challenge, there are changes afoot to entry requirement at both, full details on the challenge blogs, but the bottom line is we have relaxed the amount of stamping required. 

So our optional themes are at We Love Stamping 'Christmas Characters' and at Stamping Sensations 'Get ready for Christmas'. Prizes for the first comer from Sizzix and Craft Stash and at the other Penny Black. 

My card at the top is my SS piece using Penny Black 2808L Winter Glow, a real oldie wood mounted which I've had for many years, 3227K Hope is Born, another wood mounted stamp which I absolutely love, and 51-068 the die which PB released not that long ago but it coordinates with the Poinsettia. The Poinsettias were stamped onto offcuts inking direct to stamp with watercolour brush pens, die cute and arranged over a base with fancy panel using a Tattered Lace die.  And the mention of offcuts leads me to the Snippets Playground where I am going to link this one. I am also going to link to the current Path of Positivity following the A/G route but with the positive quote.

I will confess to having a bit of a meltdown over the WLS theme as it conjures up cute images and all those things way outside my comfort zone. After much deliberation I decided on a couple of Penny Black stamps in the hope the little girl and her Goose are characters in Christmas mode. 

Among my Mum's ancient photos there's one of me when I was about three in a coat rather like this one and I think that was behind me buying this stamp years ago, my coat was mostly red and I was feeding a Hen, of course I was, I was obsessed with Hens, Dogs and Horses from the moment I could walk. Wonder where Margo gets it from. 

The little girl is PB 40-038 Kindness and in the background 40-567 Restful, a lightly inked background, some colouring and lots of snow. As you will see this is one of the cards for Margo's second Christmas.

Finally, I couldn't resist a photo of the awesome Hunters Moon last weekend as it rose over the pond in the corner of the top paddock. I remember this moon so well from younger days as it marked the start of the hunting season, always a source of excitement as our village meet (Hunt) coincided, then I loved riding to hounds, now, older and wiser, no way would I partake.

I do hope we can encourage you to get crafting and join us this month.

Down in the woods

Morning everyone, it's Saturday again and a new challenge at Allsorts where this week Ellie has chosen the theme of The Great Outdoors and as always there's the A/G option. Prizes this month come from Stampendous, Oakwood Direct and WOWVOW.

For the one above I've gone magical, the Fairy and Badger are out in the woods and I'm sure there are lots of other little creatures hiding and watching. All stamps are Lavinia and the background Pan Pastels which were well overdue for an outing. Some sparkle on the Fairies wings and a matching envie.

Then I decided to make a second one with an Autumnal feel using the lovely Maple leaf from AALL and Create's Fallen Leaves which I stamped three times onto some inky offcuts and cut out. The tent fold base is constructed with an acetate centre panel over which I placed the leaves. Words from the same set, some stencilling, a strip of washi tape across the top and my favourite little Squirrel.

At Highlight Crafts we've had several releases on Create and Craft over the last week so I'm a bit behind sharing a few samples. The first three were created with the new MCS Best of Christmas, now available as a direct download as well as USB.

The gold on the Madonna and frame is a fabulous new product from Cadence, Gilding Tilsen, it's the easiest format of gilding flakes I've ever used. I've wasted so much gold leaf over the years as never happy with the result. Tilsen is very fine shreds applied with a brush over a coat of Mixion, it really is so simple yet so effective. I've used it on a number of projects and the jar still looks as full as when I started so on balance not as expensive as might appear when you look at the price.

The next ones are using Blossom Boutique which is the Weekend Wonder over at C&C.

Have a good weekend and as always many thanks for your visits.