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 shard 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. 

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.

 

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....

Swinging in the garden and an endangered chick

Morning everyone, it's mid month time at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where we are following my theme of Favourite Colours. 

As I said at the start of the challenge I love working with so many colours, but pinks and purples seem to feature regularly closely followed by Autumnal colours so it's the former for this one. A stand up double tag (cut two, scored and joined at top) using AALL and Create Tagtastic, a brayered background then stamped with Lavinia Tree of Hope, Pris sitting on her Swing and scene built up with several worker stamps and stickles. Linking to Cut it Up, Own Background and Unicorn Challenge, No DP.

An ATC utilising small TRR flowers, I don't recall the name of these but they were mini versions of some previous larger releases. An inky offcut stamped with A&C background stamps, bow tied across, envie to match and sticker word.

I also have another ATC and Tag, made early yesterday morning, my craft room is next to the conservatory and despite the misting fan, by lunchtime it's just toooooo hot to craft. It's a double tag for The Little Things whose theme is Elephants or Flamingo's, the stamp is PB Let's Go Wild, their 2013 release and looks to be discontinued.  Entering in the A/G option at Penny Black Saturday and Try it on Tuesday, Animals.

ATC's around the World's theme is Monochromatic, the background a Gelli Plate offcut machined around weeks ago so was quick to stamp Lavinia Flower Fairy, she a really old stamp and getting fragile, the rubber used back then seems to be thinner as I have a few which have got brittle. Also added a Butterfly, flowers and stickles plus a tiny envie.

I regularly listen to birds in the garden and like to track what visitors we have via the Merlin Bird app. The other day both Daughter and I picked up a Spotted Flycather in different parts of the gardens, as they are rare in this part of the Country and on the RSPB red endangered list we concluded it was just passing by. 

However, Saturday sitting in the courtyard we heard a soft chirping initially thinking it was coming from one of several nests in the surrounding shrubs, theres a Blackbird, Wren, Sparrow and Goldfinch all carrying our frantic feeding duties to their young. To our surprise this little chap was sitting forlornly on the ground chirping, Merlin told me it was a Spotted Flycatcher. It was fully feathered so probably very recently fledged.

Half an hour later it was still there, no parent is sight and as it had made no attempt to fly Hubby decided to try and move it to a safer place, it sat in hand for a minute or two then took an unsteady flight to a nearly bush. There it sat and chirped for another hour, eventually both parents appeared overhead and perched on a telegraph wire along with two juveniles who looked rather larger than this one. Parents then started frantic flights from wire to the roof so we decided best move to another part of the garden. We checked back an hour later and they had disappeared so hopefully all is now well. As I always say, Nature is amazing.

Graceful Swans

Morning all, we have new challenges starting today at We Love Stamping where this month our theme is very appropriately Summertime selected by Lynn. Two gorgeous prizes of Lavinia stamps and a set of Gansai Tambi paints.

So a perfect opportunity for yet another using Lavinia's new Loomweavers collection. The jar is a Lavinia sticker stencil, using the outer element inked the focal shape, then stamped the mannequin, foliage and cotton reel. The Racoon was stamped twice, onto the cotton reel and a snippet which was cut out and paper pieced and needles and thread stamped into his hand. A paper pieced shirt and basque selected from the many I cut out from scraps of DP as are the little flowers. Several snippets (clothes, Racoon, Flowers) so linking up to the new Snippets Playground challenge.

I saw a card similar to the above on Pinterest so created my own version with stamps I had to create a scene using Lavinia Sacred Bridge, Swans, Cherry Blossom, Bullrush, Oak Leaf and Lily Pad. Used watered down Oxides to create a background, stamped the images starting with the bridge and built up the scene around it and used a piece of acetate to stamp the Swan's reflections and coloured with white Pan Pastels and a pastel pencil.

There was too much cloud to see the Strawberry Moon last Monday/Tuesday but later in the week some awesome sunsets, below long shadows through the orchard as the sun goes down and less than half an hour later the sunset across the fields in the opposite direction across the Fen. 

Stencils at Allsorts

Good morning, time for a new challenge at Allsorts where Donna would like us to use Stencils. Prizes are very fittingly an assortment of stencils.

Another using Lavinia's new Loomweavers collection, the skirts and bodies are quite addictive, more so than I expected and I found myself stamping lots onto DP offcuts to mix and match. Stamped the focal elements, coloured and paper pieced the skirt and bodice and stencilled the wall. Cut it Up would like Critters and of course a die cut (base card) and Animals for Craft Rocket.

Above a very sweet pair of little ones, a recent'ish Andy Skinner release which I couldn't resist, as is my norm I made several from the stamps in this purchase so had them ready (just in case). This one called Imagination, stamped, coloured with Zig Clean Colour pens, stencilling for the wall (different one to wall above!) and a few Lavinia flowers and leaves to built the scene.

There's a new kid on the block, this is Aurora 15.1 hh, a four year old Pinto filly, (the black marks on her withers are shadow from the tree, not part of her!) recently covered so hopefully excitement next Spring with a little one! The boys rather enjoy a new girl about the place.

Basques, blossoms and a snake!

Morning everyone, time for our new challenge at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where it's my turn to choose the theme which is Favourite Colours. 

After choosing the theme I wondered at the wisdom as I love using most colours, but with me it's perhaps more colour palettes such as above, I love purple and green together and here I've used Lavinia's new Loomweavers collection along with some older stamps onto a background brayered with Clair inks.

Purples with pinks for the above, Lavinia Cherry Blossom, it's one of my very first Lavinia stamps way back about 2008, it's just beginning to crack so probably time to replace. Birds are Magpies and Bluebell (I know they're pink!), sticker words and again a brayered background. Chris has selected Something with B as her theme at Fab 'n' Funky, I have Blossoms, Birds and Bow and Try it in Tuesday In the Garden.

I had in mind to see if something as small as an ATC coin could be stamped on the spin tool, it does work, so a simple little make using two Lavinia mini stamps with stencilled leaves in the middle finished with a sticker sentiment.

I also have a bookmark, when I got the go ahead for some limited computer and craft time I thought they would be less taxing projects so made a few. This one uses an A&C stamp, a lightly brayered background, little Butterflies and another tassel from the bundle I found a while back.

Not a great deal of change in available flora, the Roses are still enjoying the warm weather and above the first Snake of the season picked up when poo picking the other day (for those not familiar with keeping horses, an essential daily task to keep pasture clean). It's only a youngster but not my favourite creatures. 

The Hemerocallis (Day Lily) below struggled initially with the dry weather but is picking up now.

Blossoms, Raccoons and Snowy Days

Morning everyone, we have a new challenge at Allsorts and this time round it Birds, Blossoms and Bees as selected by Ellie. We have a beautiful Stampers Anonymous stamp available from Buddly Crafts for our lucky winner.

My card above uses TH/Stampers Anonymous Botanical Elements and French Garden onto Maximum Crafts Gothic arch die which I bought a few weeks ago. The three panels were joined with offcuts as hinges, stamped with Versafine Acorn, then stencilled using TH Opaque Crackle Paste, when dry inked over with Oxides and images coloured with Zig clean colour pens. Sharing at Fab n' Funky Garden Flower theme.

I've been fortunate to play with Lavinia's new Loomweavers Collection this week, it's still slow going on the craft front so not many to share yet, but completed one (eventually) for Ellies theme. I say eventually as was all made and photographed, then butter fingers knocked the water jar over her desk and the frame was unrecoverable one side, luckily the stamped panels were OK. So the original Kraft frame was replaced with a pinky/purple one which I think I do actually prefer. The three panels were brayered with Oxides, stamped with Versfaine Clair, the Fairy skirt and bodice stamped onto MCS patterned paper and finally a Bird and Bee to incorporated all three of Ellies elements. And yes, it's the same die as above. Sharing at Ellies Garden Party 16 and Crafty Catz A/G.

Another from my files which fits nicely at Christmas Kickstart Snowy Days theme, seem to have a few un-blogged Christmas ones. A DL card and envie with Lavinia stamps, Hares from Whimsical Hares and  Wild Hares gazing up at the North Star, Red Pines, Mistletoe and Christmas Greetings which is such a useful set. Pan Pastels for the background and finally glitter.