Colours of Autumn

Morning Peeps, we're celebrating the Colours of Autumn at Allsorts this week and the usual Anything Goes option. Prizes for the next two weeks are Lavinia stamps.

I've was lucky to have an early play with the new release, I'll admit I don't usually do Halloween but these Witches in the new Dream Witch Collection are so stylish along with the other worker stamps that I really had fun working with them. Above incorporates Tree of Spirits, Hattie, Bubbling Cauldron, Flittermice, Magical Mist and Hocus Pocus plus Tree Root. I would like to enter this into the current Autumn Hues challenge at Lavinia.

For this one I started with circle dies and drew round the top with a glue pen to create a halo effect then applied Gilding Tilsen with a soft brush, then a clean brush and soft tissue to remove the excess and a rubber will remove stubborn bits which may have glue on them. Next a bit of very light inking to create a circle, followed by stamping using Oak Leaves, Woodland Fern and Oak Creeper dangling from the bottom, stamped the Gate and Fence into the circle two Fairy Faragers, Fairy Towns signpost and finally Forest so Green sentiment......I know there's not too much green on display but there was until Autumn started to set in!! I'm popping across to the Path of Positivity with this one.

Autumn hues

I just had a timely prompt from Hilary that today is reveal day for Card Chain Challenge, so it's a quick post to share, afternoon and energy fading, I guess things will improve!

My card went to Lyneen in Washington, although she told me this morning it's not arrived - posted on 8th August, bizarrely, the one for this month sent to Greta in Oregon has arrived already.

A stencil created on the Scan and Cut, Twila, Shadow Bloom and Bumblehums from the Sunbloom Collection following the months colour palette.

This one is for the new Lavinia challenge and uses Pheasant, Wild Hares, Oak Branch and Leaf Spry, the theme this month is Autumn Hues. The Path of Positivity is back after their Summer recess and I am popping there with this card.

Harvest Papavers and a Rooster

Morning everyone, I'm scheduling this for our new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are Hand Coloured Image and A/G with the option on Animal Magic. Prizes come from Highlight Crafts and AALL and Create.

Above a nod to harvest as a child when it always seemed to spill over into September, unlike nowadays, farmers didn't have grain dryers and heat generators. Often it would be afternoon before combines got going as there was the inevitable delay of fixing new belts, it seemed a daily occurrence and a trip to Cambridge to source a new one. Poppies growing in the wheat (a stretch of imagination for September), Pheasants taking flight and numerous Rabbits darting in every direction. 

The wheat is an old Hero Arts stamp embossed with gold and copper EP, Poppies AALL and Create Papaver (395), Oxide sprays onto a lolly stick frame, Pheasants from A&C set by the same name (454) and a sentiment, it's years old so not certain of make. Lots of snippets on this, Poppies sentiment and Pheasants so think it should fit in OK at the Snippets Playground. Here's my snippets....

My SS share is this splendid A&C Cockerel from Bright Dawn (925), I guess not officially an animal but we are taking a loose approach to the option. A masked and stamped panel to ground the Cockerels and a stencilled sunray background, so I figure it's early morning and the big fellow is blasting out his morning greeting. 

One of our sitting hens once produced five male chicks from nine eggs, we didn't have the heart do what many would (dinner) so they all grew to produce a very riotous morning greeting, thank goodness we live in the middle of nowhere! But they were stubborn creatures and usually declined to go into the hen houses at night, so one by one the Fox took them out, save one who used to roost on Ben's back in his stable......until one day he fell off and Ben rolled!!

Added as lots have kindly enquired: Still slow going and today I'm off having another CT scan (yes NHS on a Sunday) ahead of going in again on 11th, but will try and catch up with some of you soon. Not a lot of crafting, although some new Witch stamps did kick start me last week and will share shortly.

 

Getting Sentimental

Morning everyone, a new challenge at Allsorts and this week I'm your host and my chosen theme is Getting Sentimental but there's always the A/G option. Our September prizes contains goodies from  Craft Stash and Highlight Crafts. 

I've always loved inspirational quotes and was so fortunate when a stamp company wanted to carry those I created along with Create and Craft. The one above is from my Believe set.

This card went to our eldest Son after he received his 'gong' at Buckingham Palace in May, the sentiment is very appropriate to his personality. Stamps are all Lavinia, Open Dandelion, Wild Summer Flower and Orchard Grass, a part masked frame and colour added to the focal images, very simple but I think effective.

This one features my all time favourite Penny Black sentiment Dance, Sing, Love (2695J), the frame is a Sweet Poppy stencil coloured with inks and the sentiment stamped into the middle and matching envie, this went to one of our Granddaughters, in fact it was her Dad who received the above card.

Rockin' around the Christmas Tree

A quick (and wow unscheduled) post with a share for the new Rudolph Day's challenge and another for the current Snippets Playground. Above a Sweet Poppy frame, stencil paste and foiled through a hot laminator, Lavinia Wild Pine Tree and two little Fairies, the right from Dancing Fairies, the left no longer available.

This one uses lots of Bazzil and Mirri leftovers, the stars created in Canvas Workshop and sent to the Scan and Cut, it's one I made some months ago and never blogged (hence no photo of snippets). Thought it would be good for a masculine card and made a few in different colours.

Delightful Animals

Morning everyone, Déjà vu.......forgive the lack of visits and clipped comments, not too good, been back in hospital, existing and new issues and it's really taken the wind out of my sails. 

A new challenge at Allsorts where we are back to weekly challenges. This week Lolo has selected the theme of Delightful Animals and as usual there is the A/G option to fall back on. There are two prizes from AALL and Create.

Another Fairy, this time in a vase mask created with a TL die, Oxides for shading, Twila Fairy, Hare from Woodland Hares, large Bee from Bumble and Hum and a smaller one from Bumblehums. The flowers around the edge of the vase are Shadow Bloom and coloured with a yellow Posca sparkle pen.

A soft Pan Pastel background and images from AALL and Create Canine Dreams (862) all stamped in Versafine black and a little colouring added to the lamps and Butterflies.

Thought I would share some of our household Animal Magic, above DIL Veronique trying to be a Dog Whisperer, Labs, Vizslas, Dachshund, Terrier and even a Dalmatian, we have quite a variety and that's not the full family compliment as a couple look to be missing!

Anysia bought some new fangled hay feeders, supposedly intended to slow them down, my boy Heskey (in need of a feather trim and good groom of his mane and tail) is most definitely not impressed.

Finally, two Fallow Deer caught early morning on the wildlife camera in the orchard, so many windfalls this year. It's a fairly new 'toy' so hopefully share more activity soon.

Fairy garden in a jar

Huuuge apologies to my team mates and everyone for being so delayed with my mid month shares at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations, You'll find lots of inspiration on the challenge blogs along with details of prizes on offer and themes for August. I have added this to the Lavinia stamps challenge gallery.

All stamps are Lavinia with the exception of the Penny Black sentiment on the second card, inks all Versafine Clair new colours available at a very good price here.

Summer Days

Morning everyone, this post was already scheduled but want to add a big thank you for all the well wishes and cards, I haven't thanked you individually so hope you will accept my thanks here, I really appreciate every one. Unfortunately I'm not totally sorted so remain on 'light duties'.

There's a new challenge at Allsorts which will again run for two weeks over the Summer holiday period. Sarah is our host and has selected the theme of Summer Days, or of course there's the A/G option. Three prizes for this fortnight from Stampendous.

My Summer Days had to be associated with the garden and what better than the daily activity down the bottom of ours where the Fairies are always at play........so are the Bees, there is a nest under one of the sheds. This one from the new Lavinia Sunbloom collection with Lumus talking to one of the Bees (from Bumblehump) amidst Moss Flowers across the top and Shadow Bloom at the bottom. I am linking this to Lavinia Favourite Colours challenge, in reality I love working with all colours but those with an Autumnal hue do always satisfy.

A die cut arch mounted over an inky base and die cut honeycomb across the bottom. Some colouring using Ecoline pens and an envie to match. The words across the top from Bumble Words.

One more using the Bees from the same Sunbloom collection along with Open Dandelion inked direct to stamp and repeat stamped on a masked panel, Ivy, Marine Kelp and Bumble and Hum.

Summertime

Morning everyone, scheduled again so hopefully it's Sunday.

We have new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations with the themes of Focal Sentiment and Summer in the Garden with prizes from AALL and Create and Lisa Horton Designs.

AALL and Create for WLS, it's a canvas featuring At One with Nature (479), Petal Therapy (684), Don't Stop Now (913) and sentiment from my own Moments set. Ecoline pens for colouring and TRR leaves tucked in and a background stencilled with crackle paste. A little stamped birdie and Butterfly from an A&C ephemera set with a bit of extra colour added. I added a stand to the back of this and used as a Birthday card for our eldest Daughter a few days ago. Flowers, sentiments and Birdie all stamped onto snippets so popping to the new Snippets Playground with this one, schools out for Summer but still some fun holiday events planned.

For SS summer I've used some of my favourite garden blooms and of course a Fairy as they lurk in the gardens here, you just need to be quick to spot them! Lavinia stamps, an inked background and stamped with Poppies, Honeysuckle, Flutter Butterflies, Bluebell, Bell Flower and Fairy from Fairy Foragers. Linking this to Lavinia's Favourite Colours theme.

Using my favourite tri fold die which I know several blog friends have as well, images stamped using A&C new releases, left to right Standing so Tall (1178) This Much is True (1175) and Best you Ever Had (1176), I also used a selection of their rub on's to coordinate with the colouring which is all Ecoline pens.

Also adding my card for the July Card Chain Challenge, a bit late but this scheduled post follows on from reveal day, my card using Lavinia stamps went to Jeanne in Minnesota following the Gold, Jade and Topaz colour palette (loosely!). I received the card below from blog friend Greta in Oregon who also followed the colour option.

Seasons Delights

Morning everyone, a scheduled posts as I should have had my surgery by now, so fingers crossed it's Saturday morning!

A new challenge at Allsorts which will run run for two weeks. Ellie is our host and her theme is Season's Delights, or of course there's the A/G option. There are three prizes for this fortnight of dies from Tonic Studios.

Above a silhouette flower from AALL and Create Clock and Flowers stamped with Versafine and cut out on the Scan and Cut, vase from A&C's Containers, background stencilled with crackle paste and some random stamping. Sentiment from one of my new upcoming stamp sets. The Clover tucked in is a TRR die.

A wahi tape tag using one of the layering up tapes call Blooming Splodge and Tag it Yourself die set, not a lot more I can say really as it all comes together effortlessly!

I even remembered a card for Rudolph Days and uploading to my post ahead of time in the hope I will feel up to linking before the close date. All stamps from Lavinia.

Many thanks for visiting and hopefully I'll be visiting you all again soon.

Just Flowers

Morning everyone, a new challenge at Allsorts where Lynn is looking for Flowers on our creations. Prizes come from Highlight Crafts,  AALL and Create and Stampendous. There's a change to publication of July winners, due to me being out of action for a while (explanation in post below) it will now be (hopefully) early August.

I have two shares, above uses one of Abs new AALL and Create releases called This Much is True (1175), stamped, coloured and cut onto an oval aperture and placed inside an ornate die frame which I think is Carnation Crafts. Sentiment from Power of the Word.

Above a rather bright one with lots of Summer Flowers, first step was to stamp Twilight Lily and Shadow Bloom and cover the blooms with masking fluid, when dry I saturated the card (using 600gsm Fabriano which won't warp), sprinkled four colours of Brushos at the top and added more water to encourage the colour to run down the page. When dry Shadow Bloom was stamped again a couple more times in grey so it blended into the background. Rubbed off all the masking fluid and coloured the flowers with Ecoline pens and stamped Lumus Fairy (small) and some Bumble Bees from Bumblehums and coloured those and the Fairy winds with Posca sparkle and Wink of Stella pens.

And as we are talking Flowers, a few of the Sunflowers in the garden, some are not that tall this year which seems odd given all the rain we've had, the little Miss is our Poppy who likes to be involved in everything, in fact we're certain she believes she runs the whole household and definitely controls the three Labs.

Icy Cool and blog break

Before I go onto my shares, apologies in advance I won't be active in blogland/commenting for a while as I'm having to take an enforced break. I'm going into hospital next week for kidney surgery, some follow up treatment and they tell me a six week recovery period. Luckily I do work ahead so have most of my work ready and busily scheduling challenge and DT posts for the next few weeks. But blog visiting will be if and when I feel up to it, will have to play it by ear.

It's mid month inspirational time at We Love Stamping where our theme is Sun, Sand and Sea with the usual A/G option and at Stamping Sensations Anything Goes with an option of Christmas in July. Prizes come from AALL and Create and CraftStash.

Above I used AALL and Create Penguin (604) and Frosty (603), some crackle paste snowflakes using Snow Crystals (221). I added a stamped heart to the larger Penguin but not sure which A&C set that comes from. Penguin and Frosty are in the prizes this month and such useful fun sets which I use a lot.

This was another of the recent Penny Black stamps I purchased a month or two back, it's called Shaded View (40-895), I'm not really sure if it's the Ocean or a lake, very much puts me in mind of the beautiful Italian Lakes where we have visited so many times......that said if it is I should have added a bit if snow to the mountain. Pan Pastels for the colouring and just simple stamping using brush markers direct to stamp.

Going round in circles

Morning everyone, a new challenge at Allsorts, Lorraine is our host and would love to see some Circles on our work. Prizes come from Highlight Crafts, AALL and Create and Stampendous.

I was a lucky girl to receive a surprise early package with the new release of Lavinia stamps so spent several days at play and thought this one represented a circle to fit with this weeks theme. This release has three silhouette Fairies and some quite large stamps a bit different to their usual sizing, Lilies and Hummingbirds which require colouring to bring them to life.......there started my challenge!

Above I used Flower Divine 1 and stamped six times round a softly inked circle to help me keep the shape, stamped the smaller of the two Hummingbirds in the centre along with three bees from Bumblehums and coloured all with a Ecoline plus Posca pens to bring in some sparkle. The Hummingbird is also covered in part with stickles so has a lovely sparkle although not that evident in the photo. 

This one features the larger Lumus Fairy (she also comes in a smaller version facing the other way) another Bee from Humblebum (link above) resting in her hand, lots of Lilies across the bottom using Twilight Lily which I absolutely love and across the top elements of Shadow Bloom. I used three graduated size masks to create the circles, colouring using the same mediums as above and a sentiment from Bumble Words. Linking this across to the Summer Moon theme at Lavinia.

Thought some of you would like this photo of our Green Woodpecker family, they have two young and this was one of them being fed out in the orchard. As is the norm the female is not as pretty as the male and I am guessing by the coloured head of the juvenile it's a male. We also have a family of Great Spotted Woodpeckers which are beautiful with the bright red markings, but they move pretty swiftly compared with the green and I'm never quick enough to get a photo.

Have a good weekend and my appreciation for your visits.