My Olympic Boy

Using the large Crysanthemum from Tonic studio 
Pick of the Bunch clear stamp set designed by Ruth Hamilton

Good Morning Peeps, at Allsorts  this week the lovely Jo would like to see us all 'Going Round in Circles'........ on our work that is !! And we have two sponsors this week A Passion for Stamps and Flonz Craft.

This post is scheduled as I am off today to a rather special blog girl get together, we have all been counting the days for weeks, so you can bet there will be plenty of chattering, a good bit of eating but I doubt much crafting will happen, but if previous events are anything to go by it will be fun.

And as promised, some pictures of another of our sons who has been involved in the Games as a volunteer.

Here he is at the Games yesterday with one of the Tae Kwon Do medal winners 

Terrance Jennings. He said the medals are really heavy.

And another of him in his Olympic kit.

It makes me so proud seeing him in his kit and knowing he has been part is such a wonderful and momentous occasion. But I really can't believe this is the last weekend of the Games, the time seems to have flown by,  we have been treated to some very special sporting moments. It will seem odd not spending the evening revelling in the wonderful talents of all the athletes and the sheer excitement every time I see medal table, but we do have the Premiership season starting in a couple of weeks as well as the Paralyimpic Games so something new to look forward to. Do you get the impression I'm a bit of a sports freak...........spot on.

Engraved Rose from Flonz Craft Vintage Flower range

For the top card I used another of the lovely stamps from Ruth's super new stamp sets. The stamp sets are excellent value for money, each set has at least two large floral images, several smaller ones as well as complementary leaves butterflies and bugs. They all premiered on Crate and Craft recently and are also being stocked by Coleman's Warehouse at Rushden in Northants, if you are not familiar with them, then where have you been ?

It's an absolute Aladdin's cave of all things crafty and you really do need to allow half a day to see everything. They are open Saturdays and Sundays, have a big demo day the last Saturday of each month with lots of well known demonstrators, plus somewhere for hubby to sit as well as refreshments.

I started by creating resist background using one of the smaller stamps from the Chrysanthemum set, stamp with the versamak, embossed with detail clear and distress using the gorgeous blue and green from the Tim Holt summer collection. My main image is from the same stamp set, inked with the same distress inks, spritzed with water stamped and the colour dragged in a little with a damp paint brush.

A border of lace, some muslin crumpled up, a rose made from punched plain white paper with some glossy accents added for dew drops and three leaves from the same focal image. The butterflies are from the Rudbeckia stamp sheet, inked and stamped with the same distress inks to carry the colourway.

The layout of my second card is not dissimilar to the first but this time using a Floz Craft stamp. They do a huge selection on Vintage style stamps which are right up my street, all have superb detail and stamp out beautifully. I used the same direct to stamp and spritzing technique onto the reverse of Centura Pearl.............it makes a good alternative to watercolour card and works out cheaper, cheesecloth again and a stick pin made from coordinating beads and a memory Box die.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and as always, my thanks for taking the time to visit my little place in blogland.

Pick of the Bunch

Background and main image form Pick of the Bunch Crysanthemum stamp sheet, butterfly from the Rudbeckia set

Saturday morning means it must be time for a new challenge at Allsorts and the lovely Nicola has a bit of a recipe for us this week '3 flowers, 2 stamps and one DP'. 

Now I know I have been a dreadful blogger this week, time has really got the better of me, but I have been deep in craft mode with a magazine article which needed to be off my desk this week.................I'm told I also have something in the new edition of Papercraft Inspirations, but not checked that out as yet............then samples for Stamp Addicts C&C programme next week and Tonic Studios programme tomorrow with Ruth's stamps........you can also see the stamps and top card at Tonic Studios website here, more about them and some shares in a moment. Then there's the huuuuuuge pull of the Olympics, have they been great so far or what ? So apologies if I've not got round to you this week, but I promise I am going to try and rectify that in the coming days.

For my Allsorts DT piece, the easel card above, I have gone for a Penny Black sunfolwer stamp which I inked with distress markers and spritzed with water before stamping onto a piece of Fabriano watercolour card. I inked the edges whilst the piece was still in the die and also inked through some sequin waste to add a bit of interest. The DP is BoBunny, the sentiment another Penny Black stamp, the swirl is Cheery Lynn and the flower made with punches.

Next it's time to share some of the cards I have been making using Ruth's (A Passion for Stamps) wonderful new stamp sets, there are six of them distributed by Tonic Studios and they are called 'Pick of the Bunch', the first four sets Rose, Fuchsia, Lilies and Peony premiered on Create and Craft a couple of weeks ago and tomorrow at 5pm (Tonic Studios show) the Rudbeckia and Chrysanthemum sets will be released.

Background has images from the Rudbeckia and Rose set, flower from Crysanthemum set, butterflies from the Peony, Rudbeckia and Fuschia 

I believe they were pretty much a sell out last time round, but I can tell you that I spoke with Colemans Craft Warehouse this week and they are going to stock them along with the matching dies also designed by Ruth that are due out very shortly, will tell you a bit more about that in due course as it might be a week or so before they arrive in store, so meantime you can get them right away from C & C.

A simple approach using the Rudbeckia set

I have lots more samples in the pipeline.................well you know me and flowers and butterflies and I will be sharing some more with you next week.

Have a lovely weekend and thanks as always for dropping in.