Poppies, Herbalums and a Squirrel

It's the fourteenth of the month which means mid way time at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where we have Lynn's theme of Circles, can be just one circle or lots! Our prize is a bundle with tag dies, stencil, stickers and twine.

My tag above has a brayered background plus stamping using an A&C worker stamp, a really old TH die to create the circle holes with an inky piece laid beneath, Two Red Robins Poppies, coloured twines and a word sticker. Poppies are Bright so linking 613 Avenue Create, Creative Knockouts Lots of Layers, Just us Girls Bold and Blooms for Triple B, Blooms, Birds or Butterflies.

A set of ATC's, my circles are the sun/moon with a whole host of Lavina stamps which include Herbs and Delights with Pixie Herabalum's gardening and the little Bunnies coming along to eat everything that grows, just as they do in our gardens. Sewing the Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears is my song for A Place to Start.

This was my Sunday afternoon experiment for the Snippets Playground, not sure if it worked and certainly far more gold splatters than planned....my left hand and arm remain wonky since surgery and index finger doesn't move anymore, so if I'm not using a stamp platform everything that happens is all rather hit and miss! 

My snippets below shows the middle parts left after cutting apertures for Christmas cards (which will pop up later this week) onto which I stuck snippets of Autumnal (Amazon) DP's onto them and cut out the circles. A brayerd background, random stamping with A&C and Lavinia stamps, then just arranged the circles. Adding at Love Those Pretty Papers.

Wonder if Google will get the reading list issue sorted this week, we live in hope, I'm trying hard to check on those I visit regularly but sure some are falling through the net so apologies if I've missed some visits.

Simple blooms

Good morning, time for a new challenge at Allsorts where Gail is our host with the theme of Sympathy/Thinking of you/Get Well. Our prize is a bundle of dies and artwork from Highlight Crafts. 

Above a card and box with sufficient room to add refresh wipes or hand cream sachets for someone unwell. The hexagon and honeycomb dies are really old Tattered Lace, from when I first started on their DT in February 2015, Two Red Robins and Reflections soon came along and the flowers are from Flower of the Year. All cut out on the Scan and Cut (something I use rarely as have a love hate relationship as eyes not good enough for the small pop up screen). Cut it Up theme is In shape, at Craft Rocket it's Dies and Frame It at Let's Craft and Create.

For my second card I used a mop up from my spray box for the background, the box has a sheet of ribbed card in the bottom and gives some interesting unpredictable patterns, the blooms are a fairly old A&C set called Unfurling Petals and the sentiment is from Penny Black Words of Kindness. The theme is Not Square at Unicorn Challenge and Thinking of you at Aud Sentiments.

From what I've heard most of us are suffering the reading list issue, mine last updated Tuesday so with all the will in the World impossible to remember all the blogs you would normally visit. Blogger seems to lurch from one problem to another the last few months, I blame AI!!

Harmony and Reindeer Games and CCC share

Morning all, we have a new challenge starting today at We Love Stamping where the theme of Tress and Leaves has been selected by Emma. Our lovely prizes are a $30 store voucher from Taylored Expressions and a Penny Black stamp set and stencil from Buddly Crafts.

Above a wreath made on the spin tool using some older Penny Black stamps Natures Gifts and Just Looking, various Versafine Clair inks and a little colouring to create an Autumnal feel using Zig Clean Colour pens. The word in the middle is Lavinia. Entering under A/G at Penny Black Saturday and Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers L for Leaves and Ellies Garden Party 20.

A very simple scene as the two Penny Black stamps Restful and Snowy Village did most of the work. For the background a mixture of Pan Pastels and DI's and sentiment stamp which is also PB. Entering Krafty Chicks Birthday.

Finally one for Christmas Kickstart Reindeer Games, my Lavinia Reindeer is a pretty serious chaps so not really playing any games although the way he's eying up those Fairy Catkins he's perhaps planning tugging them down? Entering at Simon Say's Wednesday Stamp It, Girlz Creative Christmas and Peace on Earth.

Just realised with all that's been going on the last week I totally forgot to share my Card Chain Challenge card, it went to Dagmara in Poland, following the colour palette of pewter, stone and sand along with Mice from the options. I received a really lovely card from Majda in Slovenia.

Thankfully my ocular shingles seems to have settled a little and less painful last few days. Hubby's surgery to rectify what went amiss in what should have been a routine cataract procedure was done very swiftly the following day although had to be followed by a further one yesterday, bonus was whilst he was under they did the cataract in the other eye as well, so fingers crossed all now dealt with.

Going round in circles and a Snippet

Morning everyone, the 1st of September means a new challenge at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where it's Lynn's turn to choose the theme which is Circles. Our prize is a bundle with tag dies, stencil, stickers and twine.

I used Stamperia Desire-Tango ephemera, an impulse buy, as you do! Was pretty simple to make just building up and arranging the various elements on the tag base, my single circle the Amor sentiment. The backing DP is MCS.

An ATC coin with an oxide acetate 'splodged' background, a moon and Lavinia Fairy Catkins along with Pipin the Hare.

Finally a bookmark using Lavinia Blackberry which I felt fitting for September, some circle stencilling on the background and an embossing folder with circles although that's probably not too apparent in the photo. The single word also Lavinia.

Theres a new challenge over at the Snippets Playground and just found this in my files so I can pop over for the start of the new term this week. Afraid no snippet photo but Poppies which are Penny Black as is the die cut word all stamped onto and cut from snippets, wheat stamped in the background with very old HA stamp and heat embossed with gold EP. Try it on Tuesday's new theme is embossing so entering there and Penny Black Saturday under A/G.

All Creatures Great and Small

Good morning, time for a new challenge at Allsorts where I'm your host and my chosen theme is 'All Creatures Great and Small'. There are two lovely prizes of Lavinia Stamps.

Short post, icing on the cake this week, hubby had emergency surgery after routine cataract surgery went wrong and I have ocular shingles so not feeling on top of the World. 

Card below made weeks ago for this challenge and above one of the few made with the new Lavinia Midnight Coven release. Not usually into Halloween but do rather like these and want to play more. Linking to the Animals theme at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.

Entering the above at Alphabet Challenge I for Insects (Bees) and As You Like It Wild Animals, love to watch the antics of the many grey and black garden Squirrels and Just Add Ink colour palette.

Sorry no visits, done a few short ones for DT commitments but do hope to get round to everyone soon. 

Vibrant blooms and Autumn snippets

Morning all, mid way inspiration day at We Love Stamping where we are following Avril's theme of Summer Blooms. Prizes are Penny Black stamps and stencil from Buddly Crafts.

Rather criminal how I created this one but I knew exactly what I wanted as a finished piece but with the exception of Penny Black Natures Jewels all the PB stamps are really old wood mounted ones (Blush, Floral Silhouette and Aspire) and could only be achieve using the spin tool off their blocks, so what did I do? Yes, I carefully peeled all three from the wood blocks and along with Versafine Clair inks created my floral wreath...........then stuck all back onto their wood blocks! Try it on Tuesday's new them is Inspired by a Song so as an opera lover The Flower Duet from Lakmé came immediately to mind. Also entering another at Beautiful Blossoms under A/G this time and In the Garden at Cupcake Inspirations and Off to the Tropics at Retro Rubber.

There's a new Snippets challenge and I have one to share there as well. I've always enjoyed playing with A&C's Crunched Leafdrops and Leafinity Detailed (currently on offer as a set following the second link) and after seeing a card on Pinterest using black for leaves decided to give it a go with the A&C ones.

Autumn with a difference creating the base with A&C Starflight dies, background with Oxides then stamping the leaves onto the base layers and then black card and all heat embossed with detail white EP (no idea why some look red tinged in my photo). A tad busy but went all out with everything on my desk including some scrim I'd just dipped in coffee to colour it and some washi tape. The sentiment is PB Happy Wishes. Classic Designs would like Die Cuts and it's Washi Tape at Girlz Rebel.

And my snippets.

Birthday Poppies

Good morning, time for a new challenge at Allsorts where Lynne has selected the theme of Embossing, it can be wet or dry embossing. Our prize is from Lisa Horton and is the same (as) the set I have used for one of my cards.

In fact Poppy Corner is one of the very first LH sets I bought, well it's Poppies! An arched card and aperture, a trellis using a really old Tattered Lace die placed over a piece of MCS DP. I used Vellum for the Poppies coloured with Oxides through the stencils on LH Ulti-Mate, cut out with the coordinating die, embossed and a simple Birthday sentiment. Beautiful Blossoms have Poppies as their inspiration, Ellies new Garden Party 18 just started, Cut it Up who would like a sentiment added, All About Frames and Garden for Inkspirational.

My second card uses a newer LH set called Red Red Robin, coloured as above, cut with the matching die then embossed and placed over LH Padded Quilt embossing folder. The sentiment is a pretty old wood mounted Penny Black which I believe is discontinued. Linking to the Christmas theme at Krafty Chicks and the A/G option at Can You Handle the Pressure and Christmas Card Throwdown Christmas without Snow.

Fashion icons

It's mid way time at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where Pinky selected our theme of Fashion with a prize of an AALL and Create tag set. 

For my tag I adhered as oddment of MCS DP onto a piece of white card to give it more strength to then cut using using AALL and Create Tag it Yourself. I applied crackle texture paste through a stencil around the focal 1890's lady in hat, some lace, Butterfly stamped onto another snippet and frayed silk ribbon at the top.

My ATC was created with different MCS collections to create a floral frame and the 1950's Dior style fashion icon sized down to fit within the flower and foliage frame. Linking to The Little Things A/G option.

My friend the Robin

Morning all, a Christmassy post! I've not been able to craft for several weeks, but decided something with just die cuts might be less stressful on the recovering neck and arm and came up with the card below for the current Snippets Playground plus above an old make from my files for Chistmas Kickstart's new theme.

It's 'A friend is for life, just not for Christmas' and figured the little Elf and his Robin friend should fit the bill. All stamps are Lavinia and to keep typing to a minimum as that's still difficult, hope I'll be forgiven for not linking each image individually, background is Pan Pastels. Little Red Wagon's theme is to add or use and envelope, mine is stamped with the larger Robin from Lavinia

For the Playground some of my oldest dies, all from Spellbinders except the trellis which is Tattered Lace and had to be just a little stamping, that's the Lavinia sentiment. Just us Girls theme is Die cut week, so linking there.

And my snippets.

 

Dance like no one's watching

Morning all, much to my frustration back to short posts and comments again after Thursday's surgery, but we have a new challenge starting today at We Love Stamping where Avril has selected the theme of Summer Blooms and we have prizes of Penny Black stamps and stencil from Buddly Crafts.

Fortunately made weeks ago using Penny Black Spontaneous Joy, Berry Beauty and Dance, Sing Love (discontinued) repeat stamping the images around a square panel using the stamping platform, inked direct to stamp with Ecoline pens and spritzed with water to build the colour. I then randomly cut out the centre roughly cutting around the images and placed over the sentiment around which stencilling was added. Linking under A/G at Penny Black Saturday and Sunday Stamps.

Also have my card for Card Chain challenge which went to Jo and I received a gorgeous Dog card from Gail which was very timely and brought a smile to my face the day after surgery. I followed the colour options and ink blending. 

Summertime

Good morning, a short post, usually have them written well in advance, seem to have slipped up on this one, explanation further down, sure you are as weary as me with excuses! 

We have new challenges at Allsorts with Sarah theme of Colours of Summer and prize from Visible Image and at Tag-Along (and ATC's) with Pinky's Fashion theme and prize from AALL and Create.

Above using Visible Image Love Life Now, a rainbow effect background inked background then Butterfly stamped first in grey and again in black, the kaleidoscope of Butterflies also stamped in black and the sentiment (looks wonky but straight face on). Linking to Carz4Gals Rainbows theme.

My tag uses AALL and Create's Sirens of Spring, Kraft tags, offcuts of DP, added stencilling, image coloured with Zig Clean Colour pens and flowers from same stamp set on the smaller tag and tied with seam binding rubbed into some watered down Oxides to carry the colour.

A very simple ATC using images from MCS scaled down in size, machine stitching around the edge and a couple of sticker words.

Another for Allsorts using Visible Image Butterfly Ink stencil coloured with pastel shades of DI, then the same stamp set as above and Butterfly covered with crackle glaze. The sentiment is made up of two stamps from VI Colourful Life.

Nearly forgot I also made a bookmark a few weeks ago, both stamps wood mounted, Penny Black (discontinued) Christmas Gorgeous and sentiment another oldie from Art Impressions, stamped and coloured with Zig pens and stencilling in the background. Linking this to Penny Black Saturday challenge A/G.

A tad incapacitated yet again, Cervical Spine procedure went pear shaped last week so aborted due to a bleed, told another cervical microdiscectomy same as May on different discs was only option. To my surprise called in again Thursday and all went top plan, now just the frustration of recovery and limited craft/computer time for a week or two.

Really hope you can find time to join us at both challenges,

Floral snippets

Morning all, thought I had better do a quick post with my Snippets Playground share as I've got a cancellation tomorrow to go in to have the further Cervical spine treatment done. Not as invasive as the surgery in May so all going to plan only MIA for a day or two.

The above was a bit of an experiment! The little squares were left over from die cutting tiny frames for a project ages ago, these were the little pieces from the middle. So I used a removable glue runner to stick them onto a piece of card and then stamped Penny Black Lovely inking with Ecoline pens direct to stamp. Then separated the pieces and assembled onto black card (looking now, non to accurately) with small gaps between. More matting and layering, a ribbon and sentiment sticker.

Try it on Tuesday has Summer Blooms, it's Flowers at Sisterhood of Crafters and also visiting Ellies Garden party again.

A chat in the garden

 

Morning all, mid month time at We Love Stamping and Lynn's theme of Summertime along with gorgeous prizes of Lavinia stamps and Gansai Tambi paints. We also have a new challenge at Allsorts where Val is taking us for a visit to the coast, her them is At the Seaside, our prize is a bundle of beach/sea inspired stamps from Stamp Addicts.

Huge apols for rather short/missing comments the last few days, what started as an innocuous accident turned into two days of absurd NHS activity. Bashed my right thumb in the shower, thumbnail lifted and just attached at top. Nail cut back and dressed at surgery who dispatched me to A&E. Without going into details, three hospitals in a day and eventually 10pm last night a very nice young doctor removed it. Hadn't given credit to just how pivotal thumbs are, or what an impediment when bandaged!

Above it's a warm Summer day and Lavinia's Bron and Quinn are having an in depth Fairy chat in the garden. Quinn is sitting in the Swing Bed surrounded by Vine Branch, Leaf Spray, Field Grass and Bluebell, the background 'rays' created with a piece of cut card and shaped to use as a stencil, sponged (working from bottom to top so you can see where you've inked) with Oxides. Linking to Colour Dare 713 as my colours seem to match the requirement, Friendship at Cardz 4 Galz. and Ellies Garden Party 17.

Another new (to me) Andy Skinner stamp, this time called Our Favourite Place. I kept it fairly simple stamping the image of the little girls and colouring with Zig pens then used Oxides to add background colour and simply framed using dies. There's a beach inspired mood board at Just us Girls.

This one started with a watery inky sky using Oxides, then stamped Penny Black Shaded View and colouring added with Pan Pastels and white gel pen.

The Roses and Lilies which smell Divine still giving a good show....