Fairies in the garden of delights

Morning to you all, another just because post with a couple of shares. Not a lot of mojo going on this week, my diabetic meds have changed and sugars a bit all over, but managed these two. But do need to get more productive as a delivery of new Lavinia goodies arrived, rather quirky, fun and different, check them out here, you just might be tempted.

Above for the current Snippets Playground using various AALL and Create stamps and snippets, along with a few TRR springs of foliage onto a background stencilled with crackle texture paste. I even remembered a photo of my snippets. It was a tad cold in the treehouse this week so I've hidden a bottle of something 'spirited' in my bag for those who are up for it.

The one below is for the new Path of Positivity challenge, the focus this year is the Unexpected, this month it's send a Valentines to someone not expecting it. I usually only make them for DT work so I decided to make for GGrandaugter Margo, three and a half. She was fascinated watching me make Fairy cards recently, she doesn't quite understand the Fairy concept yet so this one might help guide her towards my world of fantasy.

I used Lavinia stamps Fairy Chain (part of), Leaf Creeper, Fairy Bugs, mini stamps Leaf, Single Heart and Group Hearts. I lightly inked a heart shape stencil, stamped around it and then three of the Fairies using a mixture of Versafine Clair inks and a little sentiment, wood mounted and years old, I think Art Impressions.

Have a good weekend.

A February Rose

The first Sunday of the month means new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are CAS as selected by Faith and Romance (which I think I may have selected) with prizes from Lavinia Stamps and AALL and Create

I warned yesterday that AALL and Create Rosy Daze (1251) would be popping up again, this time in red, Frayed Frames (26) cut in white and black, then for the outer frame I used the border dies in the same set and extended to create a larger mat, the hearts from the same set as yesterday and the background stencil Rosy Posy (138).

This one using Lavina's lovely Large Humming and one of the Bees from Bumble and Hum stamped into circles created with a glue pen and Gilding Tilsen. Colouring done with Posca sparkle pens, some gold splatters and word from Bumble Words.

Today is also the day to showcase our Card Chain Challenge exchange cards and for once I've got the date right! This is the one I sent to Dagmar in Poland following the colour palette of Walnut, Lavender and Jade along with Cat options. A gelli plate oval, all stamps are Lavinia and the strooms one of their new stickers. I received a lovely card from my blogging and DT friend Carol.

Romance and Music

Morning Peeps, a new challenge at Allsorts where Gail is our host and her theme is Romance and/or Music along with the usual A/G. Our prizes come from AALL and Create.

I've used one of the beautiful new floral stamps from Abs at AALL and Create called Rosy Daze (1251) along with Roadway Vistas die (48) which I cut twice to provide a shadow effect and placed onto a black card base. Several random worker stamps and little hearts from Heart marks the Spot (46) also cut in different colours to reflect the frame and base, the Rose coloured with Ecoline pens and a matching envie.

Many thanks for your visits, I'll be back tomorrow and this Rose just might be popping up again.

Snippets and Rudolph Days

Morning Peeps, this is a just because post as are the cards I'm sharing for the Snippets Playground and Rudolph Days, it was so nice to create cards just for the fun of it. Though I would also share one following the current Close to Nature theme at Allsorts as we are at the midway point there.

Miss Di has thrown in the optional them at the Playground of Love is in the Air so I've gone with that using soft lilac colours, AALL and Create Elongated Hearts stencil (156) and Crocus (624) which I've given a coat of crackle glaze. The sentiment is from my own Moments set available here. 

Here's my snippets and I was mega frugal as only had one sheet of the lilac so gutted the largest mat after cutting down from the A4 sheet to get the smaller mat for the Crocus and die cut the heart from inside that. Was thinking the optional theme might allow a clandestine game of kiss chase, whose up for it?

It's the first Rudolph Days challenge of the year and above my share. My card was made before Christmas as it was created especially for a blogging friend who is a book lover. It uses Lavinia Wizardry, Luka, Fairy Crook, Arch of Angles plus several mini stamps to build up the scene.

And my Close to Nature card, fields, sky, flora and a Hare along with a Fairy who I know doesn't actually fit into the Nature category so a bit of artistic licence. The background was built up with Pan Pastels then stamping with Josie who is one of my favourite Lavinia Fairies,  Celestial Tree, Woodland Hare, Orchard Grass, Snow Shrub and Tree Hives.

Happy weekend all and many thanks for your visits.

Close to Nature

Morning Peeps, a new challenge at Allsorts which I am hosting, it's the usual A/G along with the theme of 'Close to Nature'. We have three super prizes of A5 stamp sets from AALL and Create.

Your comments, mails and cards following my last post were so kind and appreciated, thank you all.

It's a bit of a lengthy post as I also have my mid month shares for We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations so I'll try and keep the blurb limited.

For the top card I've used A&C's new Polygon (56) die, patience needed is all I'll say and not ideal for those with dodgy dexterity but I got there in the end! The Butterflies are from Wiggle and Dance (1174) and the rub ons in the panels Cultural Gems (16).

I used one of the older A&C sets for this one Wire Birds (394) plus a couple of worker stamps for the squiggles. It's out of stock at A&C but if you hunt round there are some good deals to be had at some stores. A brayered background using Oxides, the bird and feathers cut out to decoupage and some twine wrapped around.

Above a share for the current Lavinia challenge 'Blue Hues', a Gelli Plate circle, Quinn sitting on Vine Branch having a chat with Small Pixie Fairy. Worker stamps Leaf Creeper, Group Poppies and Maple Leaf and Faerie Spells stamped third generation. There's a liberal helping of glitter on the wings and hair although you would never know from the photo.

Above for WLS using AALL and Create Inflatably Awesome (1143), Red Wine rub ons (10) and Heart Marks the Spot (46). As colouring in required not stamps I would choose if buying, but given them my best shot.

Again AALL and Create, this an A4 stamp set called Clocks and Flowers (558) which is still available from several stores and at decent prices. I would like to enter this at The Path of Positivity challenge, the optional theme is Embrace the Unexpected so I think this will have to follow the A/G route.

A card for Daisy

Hello to you all.

Yesterday we said a very sad farewell to our Daisy, know in the family as Sweet Daisy May. Fourteen and a half is a very good age for a Lab, but that doesn't make it any easier, she stopped eating about a week ago and nothing would temp her, not even freshly roasted chicken which she loved. She then refused water, became weaker and that dreadful decision had to be made.

When I saw the new theme at Path of Positivity earlier in the week I had no idea what I would create, but yesterday I knew exactly what it would be. I wanted to focus my mind to try and quell the outbursts of tears so this morning started the above card, the first five efforts went into the bin, this one is about right. Daisy was a yellow Lab, but creating that colour on a card is almost impossible, I've tried many times.

The theme at P of P is always Anything Goes with a twist, this month's twist is 'Embrace the unexpected'. Whilst Daisy's arrival was by no means unexpected, the impact she went on to have in our lives was. She became the most trustworthy and reliable friend one could wish for, I don't recall a single time when we needed to chastise her, even as a puppy, she was a remarkable dog and was truly the matriarch of the family and other dogs. Poppy, Holly and Rosa are so subdued and clearly missing her direction.

So Daisy this is for you, it is a card that will never be used, made purely for one purpose. Should anyone wonder, the little phial and label is fur the Vet trimmed from her as a keepsake.

Petal Pops and a snippet

We have the first challenges of 2025 at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where we have the themes of 'Anything but Square' as selected by Emma and 'Hand Coloured Image' at Stamping Sensations. Prizes come from AALL and Create and Grafton Crafts which is the only craft shop in my neck of the woods about fifteen miles away, it's a well stocked bricks and mortar and on line shop offering fee p&p on all orders over £15.

It wasn't my intention but DT shares appear to follow a very similar colour palette. For the above triptych card I've used A&C's Rosy Daze (1251), Petal Pop (1259) and Wiggle and Dance (1174) plus a few older worker stamps. Oxides for the background and Ecoline pens to colour.

Again A&C stamps and base die which is Heart marks the Spot (46) and stamp Best you every Had (1176), but currently on offer. Coloured best I can using Ecoline pens, never an easy ask of me!

Last but by no means least a new challenge has started over at the Snippets Playground, there are rumours of a party to celebrate 13 years since Miss Di took on us lot, so here is my share using a one of the new A&C stamp sets, this one is Sunny Splash (1250) and base dies Frayed Frames (25) currently on offer. Sunflowers stamped several times onto snippets, coloured and cut out, sentiment from Power of the Word and Birdie, both stamped onto snippets.

I do hope you will come and join us this month, I know there are some awesome colourists our there so would love to see you creativity.

Matching pairs

Good morning, today sees our first Allsorts challenge of the year where I am your host and along with the usual A/G theme I've chose the option of "Matching Pairs", a card with envelope or perhaps tag, gift box or bag, the choice of  'pair' is down to you. We have two wonderful prizes of stamps from Lavinia.

My card and envelope was for one of our DIL's Birthday last month. She loves walking on the Sussex Downs where they live with her Vizslas and always keen to tell me what wildlife she's seen so I thought this would appeal.

So of course I have used Lavinia stamps, quite a few in fact, Tree of Courage, Tree of Hope, Wild Leaf Corner, Gideon and Wild Hares, elements inks and on the envie Fox 1. I used Skeleton Trees on the far hills.

I used the leaf corner to create the frame into which I stamped the scene and used Pan Pastels for the sky, elements for the rolling hills of The Downs, coloured the leaves of the frame and stamped an envie to match.

A second one again using lots of Lavinia stamps plus a few of the new Mushroom 1 stickers in the foreground. The birdie is singing his song as Basil serenades Bibi, books are Wands and Spells masked and some stamped a second time to elevate the pile and the background built up with Fir Tree, Creeping Vine, Street Lamp and Mini Hearts.

This week saw the preview of the December exchanges at the Card Chain Challenge, above the card I sent to my WLS blogging pal Hilary. I received a card from Michaela in Austria, but afraid I can't share as it was 'lifted' by three year old Margo who was very taken with the cute Santa and Reindeer - what more can I say! The challenge was a bingo grid, I opted for 'Squirrel, Sassy (not sure I nailed that one), Snow, Sparkle and Shrubbery (a very distant one across the hills). All stamps are Lavinia.

I do hope I've inspired you to come and join in at Allsorts this time round......again a two week challenge following our new format.