Dance like no one's watching

A new month means new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations. At WLS our seasonal theme of Flowers has been selected by Hilary and we welcome Personal Impressions offering a £25 store voucher to our lucky winner. Whilst at SS Carol has selected something equally seasonal with Birds, Bees and Butterflies which happen to feature on the Lavinia stamps as prizes.

For the above card I used Tim Holz French Garden, there is no indication of the type of flowers but to me they look like Peonies so I've gone with a traditional colour for their blooms. An inky background and leaves stamped roughly where I wanted to place the flowers which were stamped onto inked offcuts, cut out and paper pieced. The quote is my favourite from Penny Black and the stitching another TH set called simply Stitches. Finally an envelope to match. I don't have a photo of the offcuts but am hoping I can still pop to the new challenge over at the Snippets Playground, also Ellies Garden Party and new to me Glitz of Art Letters 'F' which of course if my Flowers,  finally Triple B, mine is Blooms.

A Lavinia make using Moss Flowers stamped into a circle, masked and some worker stamps in-between, flowers coloured with pencils, then Twila stamped in the centre and some of the Bees from Bumblehums. To use just part of a stamp place a piece of masking tape over the parts you don't want, ink, but don't forget to remove the tape before stamping....sometimes I still forget and ruin everything. The sentiment is another real oldie wood mounted from PB, I went searching to discover when it was made as I seem to have had it forever, was 2001, the one at the top is newer 2010. 

Festive Friday is celebrating National Honey Bee Day and would like at least three items from their list on entires, I have Flowers, yellow, black and Bees. Tic Tac Toe, my three elements are sentiment, summer and any colour and also Sunday Stamps with a colour palette, three required.

Margo who will be four in a few weeks and Penelope who is seven had their first Gymkhana last Sunday and at another today. Seems rather young to me, I must have been five or six before I started but times move on! We weren't sure how she would take to it, but her face says it all, only downside seemed to be when the judge gave the first rosette to her, she answered "that's not my favourite colour"!! Her Mum was mortified but doesn't think the Judge heard, lets hope not because she may well come up against here again.

Many thanks for your visits, always appreciated and for your kind words about Holly, I will update after her surgery.

Out in the meadow

Good morning, we have a new challenge at Allsorts and a theme of Animals as chosen by Helen. We have two prizes from Lavinia Stamps. 

The scene above is just outside the window (with a bit of artistic licence as we don't have a foal), the mare and foal grazing the paddock under the shade of a tree and some Ducks flying over. I uses Lavinia Horse and Foal, Tree of Hope, Tree Branch, Vine Set, Ducks and Orchard Grass. Elements inks used to build up the background and stencilled sun and rays and a matching envie. I would like to enter this at Crafty Animals challenge.

A masked and inked circle and flowers stamped using various Versafine inks with a Woodland Hare eyeing up the Butterfly. Flowers used are Woodland Fern, Bluebell, Foxglove and Wildflower. I'm hoping my Hare is considered appropriate for Crazy Critters challenge, if not please disregard.

It's also reveal day at the Card Chain Challenge, for once I've got the day right! My card went to my blog friend Greta in the USA, I received a beauty from fellow DT Hilary, photo below. 

I followed (loosely and the green looks rather intensified in the photo) the colour palette of Turquoise, Smoke and Olive and the window option. The focal stamp is Penny Black 40-675 Together, ink applied direct to stamp using my stamping platform and Ecoline brush pens and stamped several times to build the colour.

The garden and greenhouses are producing an abundance of produce so pickle making is well underway along with oodles of pasta sauce and ragout, make two varieties of that, one the Napoli way using San Marzano tomatoes and home made soffritto in preparation above and the bowl at back, the other the Napoli way using Super Roma tomatoes and no soffritto. I make lots of lasagne and cannelloni and freeze down for Winter and of course some get shipped out when the children visit.

Sweet mustard pickle, batch two of the week. There's loads of basil this year for the sauces and ragout, green going well, but the purple seems to be late and not ready for picking yet.

The cooking activity has kept me busy this week for which I've been grateful after the news about Holly which I mentioned yesterday, your kind words appreciated. 

The Grand Tour

Morning all, time for our new challenge at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where Pinky has chosen the theme of Travel and as usual there's the Anything Goes option. We have another lovely set of tag shaped dies to give away to the months lucky winner and as always the three of us will each choose our favourite from the months entries. Even if tags and ATC's are not your things, why not given them a go?

I've decided my couple above are from the Edwardian era, recently married from an aristocratic background and doing the Grand Tour (humour me please!) and currently in the Eternal City which is one of my favourites. 

The base tag is A&C, the stamping various Penny Black stamps and the tickets and elegant couple TH ephemera. Finished with some fancy twine and a bow. The theme at A/G in a Card Free Zone is 'I'd wear that' so think my tag might fit.

My ATC uses images from my Gecko Galz win a few weeks ago. I never fail to think of Princess Diana when I look at photos of The Taj Mahal. She looked so sad sitting there in the red jacket, purple shoes and skirt, her marriage was falling apart which to this day I find so sad and the fact she's not our Queen. There's a new challenge at ATC's around the World so am linking up.

Our Holly is poorly and having surgery on Tuesday. After losing both Daisy and Poppy this year we were devastated this week to discover that she has an aggressive tumour on her chest. She's no spring chicken so surgery comes with it's own dangers, I'm praying it's successful and she can enjoy a little longer with us. 

I'll be back tomorrow and again Sunday, posts like buses this weekend.

Rudolph, Snippets and Tags

Morning Peeps, there are new challenges at Rudolph Days and Snippets Playground so my entries for both starting with the top one, a Winery scene using a number of Lavinia stamps.

I created the sky first using Elements, next added the stamping using Versafine Acorn, applied more ink around the edges, some snowy mounds and colour to the berries and mistletoe. In hindsight the Robin's a tad large in comparison to the Pheasant, artistic licence!! I would like to share this at The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge and Christmas Kickstart challenge. And as I made my own background, Simon Say's Monday challenge.

For my snippets share I utilised some odds and ends of Kraft, a foray that told me I have no whole A4 sheets left so need to order some. There was just about enough to make a tag which also serves as a timely reminder that there are just three days left to enter before our July challenge ends at Tag-Along (and ATC's) challenge. So if you've not entered pr want to add another we would love to see you, theres a super set of tag dies for our lucky winner as well as the chance to be selected as a DT Favourite.

A base white tag, Kraft frame and a little scene using Lavinia's new Twilight Tea collection. I'll admit when these first arrived I knew I would do lots with the Sunflowers but not so sure about the teapots, I've never drunk tea and only espresso coffee as I've been allergic to milk since I was weaned so the appeal wasn't great. But much to my surprise I've used them quite a lot - along with flowers of course. This will also fit the current Lavinia One Upon a Time challenge. I would like to enter Try it on Tuesday with my tag.

And below my snippets....

Thanks as always for your visits, always appreciated.

Clocks and Flowers

Good morning, at Allsorts we have a new challenge with a theme of Flowers selected by Lynn, along with the usual A/G. We have three prizes from AALL and Create. 

I also have my overdue (slap on wrist) shares for our mid month inspirational posts at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations. I prepared yesterdays posts on the challenge blogs earlier in the week then totally forgot the one on my own blog, was on NHS 'duty' most of yesterday and only realised rather too late. I can but apologies to my teamies at both challenges.

Above using AALL and Create Clocks and Flowers (558) which is still available from several stockists, I stamped the clock element with Versafine Sand Dune and then the flowers in Tulip Red and cut out to raise over the clock. The corner element is from TH Stitiches. The sentiment stamped onto the label is also A&C.

A fun play with AALL and Create Blooming Splodge (74) washi tape repeated to build up the focal image and again for the border on the base layer. The dies are really old Tattered Lace ones, probably ten years old from my early days on their DT but still much used.

My We Love Stamping share for the theme of Summer Flowers using AALL and Create Friendship Florals (648) and Evergreen stencil (159) which had texture paste coloured with DI added through the stencil. The flowers stamped, coloured and cut out to arrange, then some twine and words. I would like to enter this is the current Beautiful Blossoms and Try it on Tuesday challenges.

A simple Ocean scene using a mixture of Lavinia stamps for WLS Sun, Sea and Sand theme.

Thanks for your visits and again my apologies for the lateness of the second two on this post, I'm really hoping things improve. Several have asked what Hemiplegic Migraines are,  in simple terms they present rather like a stroke and can be scary, so along with 'normal' migraines I have one pretty much constantly and I'm just not firing on all cylinders at the moment.

More Sunny Sunflowers

Morning all, another quick post with my mid month shares for Tag-Along (and ATC's) where along with Anything Goes we also have the theme of In the Garden.

My tag and ATC follow a similar design using Sunflowers from  the new Lavinia Twilight Tea collection, base tag above is AALL and Create, in black as I love the contrast of black and yellow. Aud Sentiments challenge has the option of Tags or Christmas in July, so I'm going with the first.

My apologies I've not been the best of bloggers the last week or two, the new migraine drugs have given some unpleasant side affects including Hemiplegic migraines, the reverse of what was expected. Unstable glucose levels as well, a hypo Saturday evening and monitor bleeping constantly with drastic swings so sleep in short supply. We'll see what the Diabetic Nurse has to say when she comes again tomorrow, never thought the day would come when my MS was the least of my concerns!

Sunflower snippets

Hello all, a quick post with a card for the current Snippets Playground challenge.

Like lots of us I love Sunflowers so was more than a little excited when the new Lavinia Twilight Tea collection landed here a week or two ago and I've had fun creating with them. Above using the set of three Sunflowers and a set of the leaves. Lots of cutting out which was a bit time consuming but I was happy how it turned out. The gold circles made but drawing round two different size dies using a glue pen and brushing Cadence Gilding Tilsen. Some soft stencilling in the background, words down the leading edge stamped with Versamak and brushed over with two colours of mica powder, finally a sticker sentiment.

I would also like to link up to Try it on Tuesday whose theme is Summer Blooms, Beautiful Blossoms following the A/G route and Four Seasons challenge where it's all about Summer and finally Ellie's new Garden Party.

I even remembered a photo of my snippets which were used to stamp the Sunflowers.

Ocean view

A new month means new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations. At WLS our theme has been selected by Emma and is Sun, Sea and Sand and a prize from Lisa Horton Crafts. At SS Avril has selected Summer Blooms for her theme with prizes from AALL and Create.

For my WLS share I have used a Penny Black stamp called Paradise (40-691), inked direct to stamp using Ecoline pens, extra colour and shading added with pencils and Pan Pastels, a stencilled sun and a Lavinia sentiment.

This one uses AALL and Create Roadway Vista die set (78) and Sunny Splash (1250) stamp set, an inky background picking up distress ink from a piece of acetate left from a previous background, then some stencilling and colour added to the focal image with Ecoline pens.

Have a good Sunday everyone, they say the heatwave in the UK is returning this week so keep cool.

Puppy Love and this weeks Nature photos

Morning all, time for a new challenge at Allsorts and Liz has selected the theme of 'For a Child' and of course as always there's the A/G option. We have four stamps to be won.

I was lucky to win some Andy Skinner stamps last year, these two were among them and although I don't do cute these seem a step removed and offer versatility without lots of dreaded colouring in. Above is called 'Let your dreams take flight', she was simply stamped, basic colouring and a stencil to add sun rays.

This one is called 'All you need is a hug', love the image of the little girl and her puppy, it's a firm favourite and along with another called 'Best Friends' sell really well at the RSPCA shops. Again simply stamped, a little colour added and stencil work in the background.

With the hot weather we've spent a lot of time outside sitting in the shade and benefiting from the breeze/wind which is always present given the flat nature of the Fen. So the camera has been busy and a few of the shots I grabbed, starting with those at the top pond....

A Common Moorhen, curious birds and so timid, this one has three babies but wasn't able to get all on a shot.

A male Coote, not seen any young and could be the hen and young are across the neighbouring field which also has a pond.

This female Mallard is one we reared from a chick, a family of ducklings were abandoned in the grounds of the school where our Daughter teaches so with the help of the RSPCA we rescued them. At the time the RSPCA guy said they would never stray far and they never have and live here and on the neighbouring pond.

A Roe Deer paid a visit to the top boundary one evening, they move so fast I usually miss them but this one lingered long enough to get a photo.

And finally, one of the Black Squirrels introduced to our land by the Cambs and Beds Wildlife Trust who have a breeding programme for them. We've had them for about three years now, they bred the first year and have now interbred with the Grey's and we have an interesting blend of colours now!

Nodding Flowers

July already so that means a new challenge at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where this month yours truly has selected the theme and being totally transparent it's In the Garden, now there's a surprise. This months prize is a set of nested tag dies.

My tag features a spray of AALL and Create flowers, stamped, coloured and cut out and mounted into an A&C tag (Hexalove 31), ephemera clocks and sentiment all A&C. I would like to link up to the Outlawz Cards Free Zone. Had also intended linking to Ellies Garden Party, but somehow linked to her Wednesday Challenge, but as it's A/G think it should fit OK. 

A collection of ATC's using a whole host of Lavinia floral stamps and elements inks. A simple little holder for them made with a scoring board.

Saturday saw a surprise Birthday party for hubby, myself and Grandson Zachary, with the beautiful weather is was perfect planning on the part of Daughter and Son's. It was actually a surprise until Saturday morning when balloons and bunting popped up around the garden and a rather large Ocado delivery landed in Daughters kitchen......as they live across the garden in our old farmhouse not much goes unnoticed!

Back in the day I used to make celebration cakes, I've now passed the mantle on to two of the Granddaughters, one who since leaving Uni has started her own small cake business. There were appropriately three cakes, mine was based on chocolate brownies, Zachary's sheer chocolate indulgence and above hubbys with a garden theme.

Rudolph Day's

A bit of a last minute post as realised time is running short to link up to this months Rudolph Days challenge. As today is my Birthday I'm not planning doing anything much so sharing a make from a few weeks ago when I had a Christmas card splurge and made a batch of this design.

Stamps in the wreath are all Lavinia mini stamps, the sentiment from my Christmas Season stamp set and dots of stickles around the wreath. Also linking up to Christmas Kickstart challenge.

I've been very spoilt with lots of Birthday messages and handmade cards, my thanks to each of you for being so kind. I've a few gifts to open and will be doing that later when the family are home and specifically Grandson Zachary as it's his Birthday as well. June is a month when we have a quite a few of them including hubby whose was yesterday and Annabel one of our Granddaughters is on Sunday.

Summer Poppies

Morning everyone, a very quick post with a share for the Snippets Playground and a reminder that our June Tag-Along (and ATC's) challenge is still running, there's a few days left to join in for the chance of being a DT Choice or winning the lovely die set on offer.

Another stand up tag for my snippets share, I had a dig through my Two Red Robins drawers and decided to see how some worked on plain cardstock rather than printed out Reflections (which have all the artwork coloured). As a self confessed Poppyholic, that's the route I followed along with some wheat cut simply on black. Had to be a bit of stamping, my work feels naked without any, so the word Summer and more Poppies added with A&C stamps onto the inky background. The base dies are also TRR cut twice and joined at the top so the tag can stand up.

And here's my snippets, see you all in the paddling pool as they say it's warming up again, I'm told there will be lollies to be had as well.

I saw a pretty red and white photo inspiration at Beautiful Blossoms challenge so figured my tag just might fit in. Also Anything Summer is the theme at Four Seasons challenge, it's Summer and there's an abundance of Poppies everywhere. Also linking up to Outlawz Card Free Zone. 

Thanks for popping in.