Poppy parade

Morning everyone, a new challenge at Allsorts where Denas's theme is to incorporate stencil's into our work. Prizes come from Oakwood and Highlight Crafts.

Above a Highlight Crafts TV sample using the new MCS Floral Extravaganza and A5 stencil collection, the base tag is AALL and Create, an oxide spray background and stencilling with distress crackle paste. 

The image on this is one of several on AALL and Create Crystal Wood (864), Stamped and unusually for me coloured in, some stencilling using Twisting and Turning (157) and words from Power of the Word (754).

I also have a share for the new Rudolph Days challenge, a mixture of Lavinia, AALL and Create and my own seasonal sentiment stamps.

Finally, a date for the rescheduled hospital treatment, it's this coming week the day after our Buckingham Palace trip for eldest Son's investiture, not ideal timing but so pleased it's eventually happening as my body seems to have reached rock bottom.

Which means I'll be MIA much of the week so see you all soon.

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.