Buttons and Bows

Before I tell you about this weeks new challenge at Allsorts I need to apologise I've been so tardy in my blogging this week, but I hope to get to you all over the weekend. Booking late holidays is great but I overlooked how much I would need to pack in, I've spent extra time in the office getting all my client files up to speed along with some late night crafting to get DT work sorted, but I think I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This week my teami Deb's would like to see Buttons and Bows on our work, how lovely is that. My DT card is one of the samples I made for Stamp Addicts latest programme on Create and Craft using the lovely floral stamp sheets along with Timmy's fab distress markers.........well they are mine really but his great idea.

Yes another of my organza bows, I so love making these, some simple matting and layering and finito. All the 'ingredients' I used can be found below.

Whatever you have planned, I hope you have a super weekend and promise I will get to you all shortly.

Trying out a new system

Hello peeps, from a wet, windy and cold Cambridgeshire Fens, can't see there's much chance of an Easter like last year when it was barbie time.

This just a really quick experimental post with a different way of detailing the products I have used. It's because so often people mail me and say they like something or the other but can't find it anywhere or not sure what they are looking for. So I am going to try showing little thumbnails of the main products used in each piece I share, with a link to the codes and product details so you can either order from there or alternately know exactly what you are looking for if heading of to the local craft shop.

This one using one of the new La Blanch stamps has been nicely distressed, the very slightest hint of watercolour on the image, hessian leaves which I find cuts beautifully with Spellbinders through the Grand Calibur.

Let me know what you think and if it's more useful to find what you are looking for.

Star and Engraved flowers

Good morning Peeps, I hope everyone is OK.

I thought I would share a few more of the samples I made for Stamp Addicts new TV show which is scheduled on Create and Craft this Friday, 9th March at 1pm.

This is the front cover of the tri fold card at the top

The Star and Engraved Flower stamp sheets which you will find here are right up my street and I thoroughly enjoyed working with them along with the new sentiment sheet which is really useful to have in your stash.

To create the above card I inked the stamps with Aquamarkers and spritzed with water before stamping on to Fabriano watercolour card, cur with Go Create dies and mounted onto some October Afternoon DP.

For the above card I simply stamped the flower image onto a piece of DP which I think was Kaiser, cut out and placed on a circle of sanded and embossed coredinations. The background DP is the reverse side of the sheet.

The stamp sheets are great value at £12.99 as both have several large flower stamps on them as well as some greetings on one of them.

I am entering the top card into this months Pretty Little Ribbons challenge who have the theme Spring colours and blossoms.

Animal Spirits share

Good Morning peeps, this weeks theme at Allsorts has been chosen by my teamie Jill and she would like us to make 'Anything but a Square'.

So I thought I would share one of the samples I recently did for Sue, the talented artist behind Animal Spirits Stamps. You can buy the stamps direct from Sue's US website or in the UK from Sir Stampalot.

Out came the Grand Nesties Labels 23, I just love the shape of these ones and now I have my Bog Shot Pro cutting the large ones is a doddle.............I probably didn't mention.............dare not really as I recently killed off my second Big Shop Express, so I decided to go the whole hog and go for the Big Boy.

My image is stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, then coloured with Copics. The DP is October Afternoon, the roses cut from the same DP using a Marianne die and the leaves cut from hessian and coloured with TH inks. The sentiment is computer generated.

If you are having a fireworks party, enjoy and take care.

Passion for Stamps Giveaway

Good Afternoon peeps, just popping in to let you know about a Free Giveaway........................Ruth at a Passion for Stamps is giving away five images of the winners choice.

If you have never visited Ruth's on line store, do pop over and have a look and check out what you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the images. Ruth has a great collection of images, most of which she has drawn herself ranging from Florals, to Christmas to Butterflies and Birds.

Both cards have been made using Ruth's images. The card at the top was made by printing the Horse Chestnut image three times and colouring with Aquamarkers.

The second card was made using the Toadstool image, printing it onto October Afternoon DP and paper piecing. The corn in the background is Hero Arts Silhouettes Grass stamped with TH Tea Dye.

A little bit Autumn

Good Morning peeps, a mega quick post before that thing called work takes hold of my day.

This week seems to be rolling by all too quickly and it does not seem possible that tomorrow is Freebie Friday again at Sir Stampalot. If you sign up to Smudges their newsletter, you will get advance notification what you can grab for free this week.

We have had a couple of days of beautiful weather and the colours of Autumn are appearing day by day and looking absolutely stunning against a backdrop of sunshine, so I thought a couple of shares taking on those rich colours.

The top one is using Penny Black 3817K Tigress, stamped onto a background created with acrylic paints and vaseline, if you've not used this technique it's brill. Paint on a darker colour first (you can dry with a heat gun), then dab the vaseline where you want to reveal that colour after painting on your lighter colours, when that's dry (don't use a heat gun here as it will melt the vaseline) then rub away the vaseline and it reveals the under colour paint. The DP is appropriately October Afternoon and the roses were made using a Marianne die.

My second share is this beautiful Stampendous stamp SSC1123 Fairy Queen, stamped onto a brayered background and coloured with Copics. The DP is as above.

It's that ellie again

Good Morning, an early and really quick post as I am off to Stampalot today (will share some of the new samples with you shortly), but wanted to post a couple more of those I made for Stamp Addicts (below) next C&C programme on Sunday 19th June and another made using Ruth's latest Cosmos stamp (above).

The Cosmos was coloured with Aquamarkers and decoupaged, an easel card using Go Create dies and October Afternoon DP.

You will find all the stamps under the 'new' section on Stamp Addicts web site....................yes, I do love this Ellie.

How do you choose a favorite ?

A bit of a heavy post here as there is so much I need to share.

A new month means new challenges at Stampalot and Penny Black at Allsorts and some new about something going on over at Allsorts challenge, so read on.

The June theme at Stampalot is 'Photo Inspiration' - a lovely field of poppies and daisies and at Penny Black at Allsorts 'Your my Favourite'...........I have only myself to blame here, I ask you......... how is it possible to pick a favourite Penny Black stamps ? I can't as there are so many, so in the end decided I would opt for a finished card that I particularly like.

The top card is my DT piece for Stampalot challenge. I masked a piece of Frabico watercolour card, stamped Sheen Douglas daisies in white, then inked the whole piece with TH sage, masked the daisies, stamped Hero Arts S5316 Silhouette Grass in the background using TH tea dye, then overstamped with Hero CL449 and coloured the poppies with Copics.

For my Penny Black piece, a lovely slapstick stamp Penny Black 20-025 Thinking of You, coloured with Copics and decoupaged. The DP is October Afternoon and the flower created using a Cuttlebug quilling die set.

The piece above is not a card at all as it ended up rather too large, so in the end I just mounted it onto a piece of heavy card which probably works better as it is a Stampalot sample. The little girl on the left with her easel are both stamps from the new Molly Blloms range here along with others from previous releases. I drew the hills in by hand and the fence and tree are Magnolia everything is coloured with Aquamarkers.

And last nut not least I need to let everyone know that we have a DT call going on over at Allsorts. It will run for two weeks from today and if you pop over the the challenge blog you will fin all the details there. Please grab the logo above and help spread the word.

New stamps, TV & demo sneak peeks

Nose to Nose 40-057 One of the new Penny Black slapstick stamps

Good Morning peeps, hope you are all enjoying this nice weather, lets hope it continues for the Easter weekend.

Gypsy Caravan 2 and Cloud stamp sets

Good Friday I will be domoing at Sir Stampalot.........inky backgrounds, brayering and of course some Penny Black stamps along with Le Blanche. If you are in the area please do pop in for a chat and coffee.

The gorgeous Rosa 4184K Penny Black stamp

It decoupages beautifully coloured with Aquamarkers, inked with versamark frost and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearls then moulded whilst wet. The DP is October Afternoon.

And another sneak peek at some of the stamps that will be included in Stamp Addicts next live TV programme at 11am on 27th April.........make a note in your dairy.

I'm still not able to spend long in front of the screen, so still shorts posts and not as many visits to you all as I would like, but when I do my DT commenting stints I try and stretch it a bit to visit a few peeps.

New Create and Craft TV programmes

I am calling on my agency staff again to share a few cards with you.

I do think there is a bit of improvement at this end and the physio seems to be helping oil the cogs so I hope it won't be too much longer before I can join you all properly.

I have been doing some crafting, just short bursts as and when and have been enjoying playing and creating samples with the latest set of stamps from Sarah at Stamp Addicts. These are the transport set which will be aired live on Create and Craft TV on 21st March at 11am. There is also a new Stamp Addicts programme this Saturday 26th at noon featuring the new fairy stamps, so don't forget to set your record button.

The card above uses the train from the set, there are several more images which I will share with you soon, along with the lovely Stamp Addicts Countryside sets. I stamped the image with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear, then shaded round the image with TH broken china. The DP is October Afternoon and the frame was cut with Nesties. This is for the following challenges:

Paper Playtime - Technology (trains are on their list)

Paper Sundaes - Masculine colours

Cards for Men - Recipe

Shabby Tearoom - Buttons and bows

Bee Crafty - Tatty or Buttons

My second cards was cut on the Cricut and the scalloped circle a Marianne die. The image is Hero Arts S5049 Flower Wreath and the sentiment and frame Hero Arts CL384 Floral Frames which I coloured with Copics. The butterfly is a Cuttlebug cut and emboss folder using vellum. I only has a small piece of the floral DP............which means Jules that it's a "Snippet" just for you...............which matched really well but as there was not enough for the top section of the card I stamped a white circle with various leaf stamps using TH distress inks mustard seed and sage. This is for the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - Anything but square

Pollycraft - Pearls and gems

Incy Wincey - Punches and dies

Oldie but goodie - Spring is in the air

Messing about with the brayer

Monday morning already, where did the weekend go ?

Well, I guess I should admit to a fair bit of playing about with inks and the brayer. I have been promising myself an inky session for ages and as I went to Coleman's who I do the odd demo for on Saturday to get some new colours of Adirondack inks, it seemed only right I tried out a few of them. Don't know how many of you know about Coleman's warehouse at Rushden, but it's pretty awesome and you can while away hours there. Yesterday looks like a blue and yellow day although it was not planned that way, just how it turned out, so my next session will be a bit more colourful.

Most of the stamps are either Lavinia, Art Impression or Clarity, except the fairy which is a really old Rubber Stampede one. I so enjoy brayering and find it very rewarding and it's always a popular one when I demo. I did think about doing a tutorial, but then decided it might not be fair to bore peeps. So the above card is for:

Crafty Catz - A forgotten stamp

One Stitch at a Time - As you like it

Pear Tree Design - Mainly blue

The card above is using one of the new stamps Hero Arts K5503 Bird Collage, stamped simply with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. The October Afternoon DP is double sided and I stamped Hero CG222 Music Background on the lighter side to add interest. Edges have been nicely distressed as is the flower made from TH tattered floral die. This is for:

Paper Sundaes - Distressing

Alys Sundays - For the guys

Gingerloft - Things that fly

Stamping Sisters - Vintage

Penny Black at Allsorts Blog Hop

Morning everyone, it's time for the Penny Black at Allsorts Blog Hop and also a new challenge at Allsorts.

At the Hop we havE lots of fabulous prizes on offEr and really hope you will all join in the fun. When you reach my blog you should have arrived from Mervi's blog and after you pick up my letter cluE......hidden amongst this post.....you need to head over to visit Shirley. If you get lost along thE way at any point you can always go back to the challEnge blog and start afresh.

Here is what I have on offer for the winnEr of my part of the hop, all you need to do to be in with a chancE of winning this cutE stamp set is leave mE a comment on this post.

For my Allsorts DT piece I have used another favourite Penny Black 40-125 Thinking of You coloured with Copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is October Afternoon and the flower and leaves are cut using a Cuttlebug quilling die set.

And my second card is just a bit of indulgence really, messing around with inks and the brayer and the first inking up for one of the stamps delivered recently from Dick over at PB Stamps...........a really oldie that I was so thrilled to find.......the code tells you just how old......Penny Black 386H called Knapsack Corner which I coloured lightly with Copics. The sentiment is PB 3904F Life which I stamped onto a spotlight and brayered to carry the background shading and ran a squiggly line freehand round the edges. And of course good old Art Impression ducks........well half of them anyhow.

Let it Snow

Mojo missing...............if found please return a.s.a.p.

Oh my goodness, it's hard going no inspiration and Mr Mojo nowhere to be found. Last night I must have spent an hour looking at a collection of lovely new stamps from Teresa at Crafts and Me and nothing gelled. As they were all fairies something is definitely not right.

But before I launch into my cards, I want to say a big thank you to Bee Crafty for selecting me as their winner last week, this is a fairly new challenge so do check it out, they have a super sketch this week and fab prizes. And also the girls at Creative Cottage who selected the card I made for my Grandson as one of their Top 3.

So here are my meagre offerings from a Mojoless craft room. The fairy on the card above is Sweet Pea Hiding, equally as lovely as all the others and I just feel I have not done her justice. She is coloured with Copics and her wings decoupaged and glittered. The DP is Magnolia, Martha Stewart punched snowflakes, ribbon and a flower. This is for the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Dreaming of a White Christmas - snowflakes

Creative Cottage - Untraditional Christmas

Charisma Cardz - One for the girls

Ladybug - Sketch

My next card, also one of last evenings efforts, uses Hero Arts F5075 Sparkle Poinsettia, inked with Tim Holtz dusky concord and bundled sage and spritzed with water before stamping. The DP is My Minds Eye and the flower is mounted onto a 'doily' cut using the Magnolia die - this is a half circle and takes a bit of getting used to lining up, but once mastered worth the effort as it is so pretty. I tend to cut several at a time once I get the technique going. Some adorable lace which was part of a prize and a single flower and pearls to embellish. This is for the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles - Anything goes

Bee Crafty - Sketch

My final card is a Stampalot sample which I shall be delivering tomorrow.........I have prepared instruction sheets for making a tri fold card which will be available at their Third Ultimate Rubber Stamping Day on 4th December 10am through 4pm with free eats and drinks all day. I will also pop the instructions on my blog shortly.

I masked a piece of cardstock to create a moon by sponging distress inks, then stamped Art Impression U1562 Rooftops which I coloured with TH ink and added a liberal amount of glitter to the rooftops. Through the moon I stamped Magenta 02045-6 Santa......this is a silhouette wood mounted stamp and if you go looking for it you will see the actual image is straight, but I 're-assembled' it to curve the sleigh. The DP is October Afternoon and he snowflakes a Martha Stewart punch. This card is for the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters - Let it Snow

Simon Says - Let it Snow

ABC - I is for Ice and Snow

Moving Along with the Times - More than one fold

Grown Up Christmas Fairy

Hope everyone is having a good weekend, lots of crafting to stave off the miserable weather outside.

More fantasy indulgence with another of the new Sweet Pea stamps this one called Poinsettia fairy, isn't she devine ? Or "provocative" as my hubby always says about these images......dream on, the ones at the end of the garden are nothing like these ones.

She has been stamped and embossed twice, coloured with Copics and decoupaged. The DP is October Afternoon, a Martha Stewart punched border and holly, poinsettias made from punched vellum and basically lots of titivation. This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Pea - Sketch

C.R.A.F.T. - Use some vellum

Glitterbabes - Easel card

Bee Crafty - All that glitters

Crafty Pad - Red and green

One Stitch at a Time - Season (Christmas)

A bit more indulgence in favourite things and this one what I really enjoy most of all...........getting inky fingers. This is a card I used for a couple of classes.........I'm so generous and like to make sure the girls get inky as well ! A background created with Tim Holtz broken china and olive, then stamped with a variety of Her stamps, then the edges have been well roughed up and inked with Adirondack gold dabber and heated.............if you have not tried this technique please do, it's such fun as the heating makes the ink bubble and gives a lovely finish. The piece has been simple matted and layered and a butterfly added. This card is for the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesdays - wings (sorry, never quite got to the optional sketch
Lots to Do - Favourite technique (getting down and messy)

Butterflies all around

Somethings stealing my time !!

I just can't believe it's Tuesday afternoon and I seem to have achieved nothing for days. It did not help that the weekend was dedicated to setting mu my new Mac, at least that was the plan. A whole weekend of faffing, disconnected from the Internet as my old machine had to be removed from my craft room to make way for the Mac and still no further forward.

I had to wait almost a fortnight for delivery as I needed a vital piece of software.......well that's what I was told and suffering techno phobia I took them at their word.....which was out of stock. It's apparently necessary to convert all my files on my old system to a Mac compatible format. After two days of messing about, dozens of call to John Lewis and the Mac help desk, seems the software is faulty and your got it..............it's out of stock again.

So my old system has been re-installed and the Mac sits in hubby's office where he has discovered a chess game which he appears addicted to.........a pretty expensive game machine if you ask me.

Very little crafting took place over the last few days, even less blog hopping, so not a lot to share. But here is what I do have........

An easel card using a stamp I won last year from the US Stampabilities KR1042 Jack and Jill stamped with versafine sepia, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics. The DP is October Afternoon, some lace, punched butterflies, chippies and ribbon to embellish. This is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Everybody Art Challenges - Blue, green and brown
Tuesday Taggers - Nursery Rhymes
The Crafts Pad - Distressed edges

My second card is a pretty plain and simple Christmas card. I stamped a piece of vellum with versamark and a mixture of snowflake stamps, then embossed with detail silver. The sentiment is one I love and use it time and again at Christmas Hero Arts C2604 Winters Butterfly. I embossed the edges of some lilac flowers with silver, glittered some punched leaves, a border using Martha Stewart cornice punch, a butterfly stamped onto vellum with Penny Black 3819D and a stick pin threaded with matching beads. This card is for the following challenges:

Wild Orchid - Pastels

Christmas Cards - Add a Butterfly

An Oldie But Goodie - Add a Butterfly

And one final share which I have been meaning to post for days, it's one of the gorgeous dahlias that we have in flower in the garden at the moment. They are really late this year, but just look at the size of the blooms.