Up up and away

Morning everyone, a new challenge at Allsorts where Mervi would like to see Balloons. Prizes come from AALL and Create.

A short post, it was scheduled ready but realised last minute I'd not done the write up. Not been the best of weeks and to top it all infection and constant migraines now playing havoc with my dodgy eyes, so not feeling on my game. 

Both shares were samples for Stamp Addicts TV shows a few months ago but never shared, using what were then new release stamps, Pan Pastels for colour and dies.

Thanks to all who visit and leaving kind comments which I so appreciate.

Special moments

Morning Peeps, it's mid way for our April challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are Spring and A/G with a Spring mood board.

It's AALL and Create all the way, well nothing much new there really! Above for SS taking inspiration from the colours, Bird and blossoms.

The Tulips are from A&C Elegant Spring Florals (623) decoupaged onto a base tag which is A&C Tag it Yourself (27) which I brayers lightly to give some background colour and used crackle paste to add some sun rays. The word Spring from the same stamp set, other words from Power of the Word (754) and Bird from Follow your own Path (563).

It has to be Spring

Morning everyone, a new challenge at Allsorts and my turn to choose the theme, so being totally transparent there could only be one for this time of year 'It has to be Spring' - well I've never made any secret it's my favourite season.

No hospital procedures, cancelled again, long story and I'll explode if I start to explain. Instead I've succumbed to a Crohn's flare along with a UTI, so not feeling my best.

Your probably all fed up with seeing these Highlight/TRR Daffodils but promise this is the last one....for a while anyway. They are the last batch from all those I cut and decoupaged back at Christmas, it's a fairly large tall DL base, an oval die used to cut out the partial aperture and the blooms arranged. A coordinating sheet of MCS rice paper and a really old Tattered Lace sentiment which is actually on the inside of the card although it's not apparent,  I should really have taken a second photo of the card open.

Another using the Crocus (624) from AALL and Create, stamped into a masked oxide panel, stamped and then the flower head stamped a second time onto inky card, cut out on the S&C and a strip of washi tape to ground the flower.

Many thanks for your kind visits and words of encouragement, always much appreciated.

Springtime in Paris

Morning everyone, we have new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are Spring and Anything Goes plus a Spring Mood Board so basically Spring all the way. Lovely prizes as always, stamps and stencils from AALL and Create and a £25 store voucher from Crafty Individuals. 

Above a tri-fold card with an acetate and Oxide splodged background with lots of AALL and Create stamps, Crocus (624), Violet (574), Elegant Spring Florals (623) plus Seasons (455) and Mouse (811). All of the images including the tiny Birdie and Mice were cut out on the Scan and Cut after stamping onto inked cardstock. 

Here's the mood board for Stamping Sensations....

I've gone with Paris, Blossoms, Pinks and a Bird. The backing is from MCS printed onto rice paper and the blossoms Penny Black At Grace repeat stamped using the platform and again cut out on the Scan and Cut, as I've said before, invaluable whilst I've one hand/arm not working properly, but hopefully to be sorted this week (see below).

A simple Spring tag following the colours and Daisy in the mood board using AALL and Create Tag it Yourself die set (27) and Flower Trio (924) onto a brayered and crackle paste background.

Below just one more for the new Path of Positivity challenge, sentiment from my Believe stamp set which I always find inspiring, guess I would say that wouldn't I, but good value with ten different inspirational quotes for £16.99 from Stamp Addicts here or Create and Craft. All other stamps are AALL and Create A5 set Just Grow (270) on offer at £7.60 (usually £18.99) and numbers from Grunge Alphabet (397) also A5 and £18.99. Flowers are paper pieced using inky offcuts onto an inky background created with oxides and acetate.

I won't be round to visit for a day or two, eventually I'm going into hospital for the January cancelled spinal, cervical and occipital nerve blocks and radiofrequency albation. Hopefully relief from some of the pain and mobility issues plus almost daily migraines (my body's built up antibodies to Emgality injections, they had been a miracle for a few years, dropping migraines from 20 to 5 or 6 days a month). It's a PM list so may be overnight and then a day or two recovery and rest,  but I'll catch up with you all very soon.

Animals for National Pet Awareness month

Morning everyone (this is a long one!). April is: National Pet Month (NPM) celebrates and raises awareness of responsible pet ownership. So Lorraine's theme 'For the love of Animals' at Allsorts challenge this week is most appropriate. Prizes come from Highlight Crafts and Stamp Addicts.

The scene above uses a fence stamp I bought in the US years ago when I was lucky enough to be invited to attend CHA (now Creativation) but afraid I've long since forgotten the make, teamed up with Inkylicious trees, Horses from Bee Crafty and a few Lavinia's thrown in as well. The dimension of the Horses suggest they are Heskey and Penelope, so guess Merlin was off across the paddock somewhere! A large masked sun and stencilled sunrays and Pan Pastels used for all colouring.

The Path of Positivity challenge is back in action so I would like to add the above card, that sentiment always seem positive to me.

A few more celebrating domestic animals, there were recent samples for Create and Craft TV using their latest in house die and USB release.

They are called 'Over the edge Animals', the idea that they do just that. The entire collection including USB and dies were (at time of writing this post) on special offer £35.99 for members and £39.99 non members here.

One final share, a few days late I'll confess with my April Card Chain Challenge share which went to Gail in Norway. I guess it also fits into our Allsorts theme with the Cockerel, as I had (now Fox'd, his own fault as he insisted on sleeping on one of the horses backs ready for an early morning start) one called Freddie. All stamps AALL and Create.

Have a good week everyone and my thanks as always for your visits.

Snippets (maybe)

Hello Peeps, I've a card to share for the new Snippets Playground challenge, it's a bit tenuous as to use of snippets, only Misses Di and Sarn can decide or if I'm headed for the naughty corner.

AALL and Create have some beautiful Washi Tapes and there will be special collections launching on Create and Craft at 6pm and shows again tomorrow. The DT have all been busy making cards showcasing how it's possible to create the focal element of a card using just the tapes. Patterns repeat about every meter and basically you tear off strips and match them up, you do end up with quite a few oddments (snippets?) but with perseverance you can use those to create yet another card as I have done above (these were all left over from the original one I made using that design). The random torn edges are all part of the technique to give a less formal feel.

The easel card inner circle. was a leftover from another project and the Butterfly and words stamped onto offcuts. 

Hope everyone has had a good Easter and even saw a little bit of sunshine.

Rudolph Days

 

Hello Peeps, the March Rudolph Days challenge is underway so I have a card to share which I actually manage to complete, stamping as well (using the platform mind you). Taken me all morning but happy to eventually get one decent card under my belt.

Not too much to say about it really other than Lavinia stamps, versafine inks to create the snowflake circle and Pan Pastels for the moon and grounding and of course glitter.

Believe in tomorrow

Morning everyone, we have a two week challenge at Allsorts to accommodate the Easter break. Our theme as chosen by Sarah is 'Keep it Simple. Prized come from Highlight Crafts and Stamp Addicts, as this challenge straddles two months prizes will fall into our draw on April 26th. 

A clean and simple card with a stencilled background, vase is a really old stamp and no idea of the make, stamped cut out and over stamped with AALL and Create Quill Ends (908) and the focal flowers from Woodland (661) again as usual recently stamped then cut out on the Scan and Cut. The sentiment is from my own Believe set. And an envie to match.

Another made quite a time ago but never used, a Gelli Plate circle, the flower Clocks and Flowers (558) and birdies from Blackbird (530). Will admit I'm not sure which set the wording is form other than it's in one of the A&C drawers.

Secret Fairy village

Morning everyone, it's mid month time at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are Feminine and Spring, along with the option of AG with your stamped element. Fabulous prizes, from Lavinia Stamps and AALL and Create.

Above an inky background and stencilling with crackle paste, a vase from AALL and Create Containers (401) and Daffodils from Elegant Spring Florals (623) all stamped on the platform and cut out on the Scan and Cut - since my left arm/hand went AWAL I've found the machine invaluable. A few fill in flowers and Squirrel from Highlight/TRR and some washi tape.

My SS share as with my one earlier in the month uses lots of Lavinia stamps to create the secret Fairy village which you can find at the end of my garden, like all of us I imagine? The Fairies are busy going about their daily routines including doing the washing and a bit of weeding along the path as the animals watch on.

A few shares of my recent Highlight Crafts makes for last weeks Create and Craft One Day special of MCS Floral Extravaganza. There's so much on this USB and if you love flowers and vibrancy as much I do, then an absolute delight.

I've not really been able to manage any new DT makes for weeks, however bored to tears (aka utterly frustrated) I decided to try and diversify. DT's are required to use Premium Pure Print card (which they supply I might add), its an amazing product and you have to compare print colour against that on a normal card to appreciate the difference

So I always keep part sheets with no printing and scale images in MCS to fit the left over pieces (see below) print and send to the Scan and Cut which cuts them out ready to go. Surprisingly it's then relatively easy with 1.5 hands to design the base cards in Canvas Workspace right down to apertures, again using left over half sheets and let the S&C do most of the work. I was able to arrange the elements and came up with a few presentable cards. I am hoping my part sheets will count as snippets and will pop the above card over to the the Snippets Playground (the word was also cut from oddments of Bazzil)

And my homework complete....

Have a good week everyone.

Fur, Feathers and a Butterfly

Morning Peeps, our new challenge at Allsorts starts today with the theme of Fur and/or Feathers as selected by Ellie. Prizes this month come from Craftstash and AALL and Create and will be drawn on Friday 22nd March.

Two shares, above my favourite Fox from AALL and Creates A4 stamp set In the Wild (529), stamped and just the flowers coloured, stencilling using Digits Checked (110), only a small stencil but so useful which I use over and again. Words from Power of the Word (754) stamped onto black card and embossed with white EP.

This was a Stamp Addicts TV sample using one of the new Terri Sherman stamps, this one Sparrows, as you can see a bit of artistic licence with the colours as my Sparrows turned into Greenfinches! Card base made with Tattered Lace dies and for the background crackle texture paste and a leaf stencil. The birds all cut on the Scan and Cut which I'm finding really useful for cutting stamped images since my left hand and arm went AWAL. The sentiment was one of several released with the birds.

Now for my Butterfly Challenge card, the letter this time is 'D for Decoupage' and I was immediately inspired by that and the colours. So I have incorporated Daffodil, Dairy Cream, Delft Blue and Dark Green from the colour options, die cuts and of course my Butterfly.

I have a huge bag of ready decoupaged Daffodils from my January Flower of the Month Highlight Crafts samples, in hindsight I've no idea why I prepared so many, I literally cut out every printed Reflection they sent so had excess to requirements.

I used MCS/Canvas Workspace/Scan and Cut to create the base layers including apertures and with the Daffodils ready cut and decoupaged so it was just a matter of adding a piece of acetate and arranging the flowers. A few TRR Lily of the Valley, again ready cut to bring in some blue, ribbon,  Butterfly which is AALL and Create ephemera and a die cut word.

The Clematis Armandii is just breaking into flower (looks a bit shadowed as took the photos at 6.30am before the sun rose) and looking and smelling glorious, it straddles a fence and garden seat and looks lovely both sides. On the left you can see a Magnolia which is now intermingled with it.

As always my appreciation for your kind visits and words of encouragement.

Butterfly Meadows

Morning everyone, time for a new challenge at Allsorts where Lynn has chosen the theme of 'Use Yellow'. Prizes come from Craftstash and AALL and Create.

Yellow is a colour I love incorporating into my work, perfect for Spring but equally throughout the year combined with different colours, black and purple in particular.

Above one of the newish dies from AALL and Create, Oxides brayered onto the background, some random text stamped, Butterflies and words from Through the Meadow (449) stamped onto offcuts and cut out. So as there's lots of snippets, Butterflies, words and even the tag itself I'm off over to the Snippets Playground with it. 

And I even remembered to take a photo of my snippets......maybe I'll avoid detention this time round.

This is another recent Highlight Crafts sample for Create and Craft using Flower of the Month Daffodil and one of the new stencils from Highlight.

Just For One Day was awesome and we all decided even better that We Will Rock You which we saw in July. And some very exciting news, we have received invitations to attend eldest Son's investiture at Buckingham Palace on 1st May....feel a new outfit coming on!

More Spring Flowers

Morning everyone, new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are Feminine as selected by Cathy and Spring, as always theres the option of AG with your stamped element. We always have fabulous prizes, but just take a look on the challenge blogs what we have this month from Lavinia Stamps and AALL and Create.

Above was for Cathy's Birthday in January and uses the gorgeous new(ish) Hellebore from AALL and Create (1063), stamped, coloured and cut our several times to create a spray of blooms. The background is Snow Crystals (221) which I think works for a soft background any time of year. A birdie, word from the same stamp set and matching envie. Most of our Hellebore are dark pink but giving a lovely display this year and still blooming after several weeks.

My SS share uses a plethora of Lavinia stamps both old and new. My idea was as well as feminine I wanted a Spring feel, when I showed hubby and asked the question his answer "well I suppose it has a rabbit", no help whatsoever. A gently shaded oxide background in what to me are Spring colours, the branch stamped and masked to add further branches and blossoms added. In hindsight the sentiment was probably a step to far making it incredibly busy, but it's my first stamped card for weeks, took ages and the stamp platform did most of the work, but satisfying to actually get one finished.

And here is the card I sent to Tina in Slovenia for this month Card Chain Challenge, Lavinia all the way. I followed the three colour prompts plus Flowers and stencil.

A hint of Spring

Morning everyone, time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week Lorraine has chosen one of my favourite themes Spring. Prizes which come from AALL and Create and Aldridge Crafts will be drawn on 29th March.

A delicate single Snowdrop using AALL and Creates Elegant Spring Florals (623), an A4 stamp set which has every flower you need to create beautiful Spring cards. I masked to created a soft central frame with Twisting and Turning (157) stencil and Oxides, stamped the Snowdrop, added a little shading, a sentiment stamped onto vellum, twine and a birdie.

Above Daffodils from Highlights on an acetate twisted easel card. They are another in the series of Flower of the Month, samples are usually required well in advance and these made in December, but were the last batch created for them. I did however venture into MCS this week and found I was able to do a bit of creating one handed with just a bit of nudged assistance from the left.

And, a freestanding acetate creation with Wordsworth's Daffodils poem focally and again Daffodils in various colourways.

In case you missed my last post there is a new discount code for Highlight Crafts, it's proved popular and on the sidebar (BLOG7582).

All going to plan will be in London this weekend to see Just for one Day with youngest son and wife so will stay with them. We went to Live Aid back in the day so really wanted to see this, it's only running for six weeks and I was nearly 5,000th in the queue the day tickets went on sale, four hours later felt lucky to get tickets front row of the dress circle with bubbles included as they are charity seats.