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.

 

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.

Dancing in the Rain and baby Pigeons

Morning everyone, Saturday morning so time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week Lynn would like us to use dies on our creations. This months fabulous bundle of prizes come from Craft Stash, Anna Marie Designs, AALL and Create, WOWVOW and Oakwood.

My card above is a little sneak peek of Dancing in the Rain from Highlight Crafts/Two Red Robins launching on Create and Craft at 6pm tomorrow. It's a gorgeous collection especially for your Autumnal makes, but of course works year round and coordinates with all previous collections. A couple more below, the second uses the new Web Exclusives which launched yesterday to compliment the full set. On the top one I've used several of the dies in the collection onto a free standing acetate base, added a die cut circle to create the wreath shape cutting the acetate to the same size.

This one was a really quick and easy one, an image from a MCS USB printed twice, three dies used to cut the apertures in one sheet which I then lined up over the second sheet to create a pretty CAS (for me) card with a few red paint splats to carry the Poppy colour.

I have one more to share, it's another for this month new Path of Positivity challenge where as well as a positive element on your entry, they currently have a Tic/Tac/Toe option and I've gone for the top row of Feminine/Buttons/Bling/Florals. Of course florals come easy, bling not always but this one does have some gems, I made it some time back before my eye ops as one of my AALL and Create samples but not yet blogged. The stamps used are Blousy Blooms and Power of the Word, the leaves are from Foliage (set 496), now discontinued but several retailers still have in stock.

The Pigeon population had a busy Summer around us but most nests are out of sight so we don't see their fledglings until they take their early flying lessons at about four weeks. However, this nest was built head height in a shrub just outside the dining room window so provided a front row seat and I managed to get this photo the other day of the two babies, their eyes are just open so are probably 4/5 days old. One is partly obscured behind a branch, the other watching cautiously. 

I think like the Pheasants and Partridges, they see our land as a safe haven from other farmers and their guns. On a sad note, some of the rabbit population seem to have contracted Mixi, nothing you can do to help them but it's very distressing to see.

Have a good weekend everyone.

 

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Sunny Sunflowers, Buttercups and sneak peeks

Morning everyone, the first Sunday of August means it's time for our new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are as always Anything Stamped with options of Masculine and a Summer mood board. Prizes this month come from Highlight Crafts and Craft Stash. 

Above my take on the mood board taking the colours, Sunflower and birdie. The base panel is inked then a spritzed stencil laid over and dabbed to lift some ink. The Sunflower is from AALL and Create A4 stamp set Friendship Florals, the little birdie from Blackbird, the circles from various sets and the words from Seasons. Both this card and the one below show, I hope, how well A&C stamps sets work together, you can pull small elements from different sets and they blend into a design as thought that's how it was meant to be. The mesh is another piece sourced from one of hubby's greenhouses.

My masculine card again combining different A&C sets has a scored and inked base panel, love the effect created by just dragging ink pads down the score lines. Some stencilling and circles and leaves from Foliage, coloured, cut  out and layered and Woody from Follow you own Path and an envie to match. There's lots of snippets in this one (all the elements, bird, leaves, circles, sentiment) so popping to the Playground and Simon Say's Wednesday challenge with the Sunflower at the top of my post.

Another taking the sunny yellows from the mood board using one of the new Tracy Evans releases from AALL and Create which showcased on Create and Craft recently. I am late to the party with these samples due to the eye issues which I'm pleased to say now seem settled. For a change of scenery I'm going into Stamford hospital this week for another spinal procedure......I like to mix it up! It's some distance from us but has a wonderful pain management department which seems to be in a time warp, usually as many staff as patients in the small ward. 

I love the Buttercup called Build Me Up and have used several of the stamps to make a larger plant stamped onto a brayered and stencilled background, I used blue and yellow but the colours merged to create a greenish colour......should have remembered that from school days! 

I have also been having a play with the other stamps and stencils in the release and whilst I love most......I have always said I will be honest in my appraisal of any products I am promoting....... I remain unconvinced with Flower Smudge. Whilst they still have excellent stamping quality and I usually love working with silhouette stamps these seem neither one thing or the other.......sorry guys, may just be me! Below one of those I made using the set, I tried lots of variations and colours but still not happy.

Finally a few sneak peeks of new releases coming to Create and Craft TV tomorrow, the first Chantilly and Twine, a new Tattered Lace collection of foundation dies with beautiful Orchids, flowers and fauna all of which have free complimentary Reflections/Charisma sheets. Tattered Lace is now back in house with Stephanie at Highlight Crafts and products can be found under the Brand section of the website. The Orchids in particular really lend themselves to decoupage.

The decorative dies above come in both square and circular sets and match the pearl dot frames I have from many years ago as a DT for them and I know from your blogs many of you have them as well. I've always been a fan of an arch shape so this new set below really appeals, I cut twice and made little hinges from offcuts to make a gatefold card. 

Below a new Create and Craft in house die release and there is also a USB which contains all the elements plus Backing DP's and lots of cute little mice and other characters......yes I did get outside my comfort zone and make samples with them, proof below! There's a real feel of tradition with these dies but blended with elegance for some special seasonal cards.

The above card has a frame made from stitched dies cut twice and hinged at the top to create a top fold card (may be called an 'A' fold, sure someone can tell me), then acetate added to the aperture which gives an impression of the bells floating/hanging. The TL sentiment has been fixed onto the back panel acetate. The backing DP on the second comes from the USB.

Many thanks for your visits and have a good Sunday. 

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Going round in Circles

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is Kath who is sending us 'Round in Circles'. We have a Bee Crafty stamp for this weeks winner. Please also read my footnote at the bottom about an upcoming craft giveaway!

My blue and yellow creation was one of my samples for this months Chocolate Baroque Hochanda shows, the three new stamp sets all featured around Vintage clocks intertwined with Flowers and one with Strooms. The background is Brushos overstamoed with a couple of the smaller worker stamps, Parsley Clock stamped in Versafine black, a strip of white card and die cut circle. I stamped the Parsley again and cut out which was a real labour of love, coloured and placed over the circle. The sentiment is from Floral Clock and to embellish a small metal clock hand.

This one is a fairly simple creation, a die cut circle base card, Oxides and some music stamping with a Penny Black stamp, the sentiment is Inkylicious, the Butterfly another PB stamp and Heartfelt Flowers.

Each week in September there will be a prize giveaway here........or you can click on the photo and it will take you to the challenge blog. Please share the above photo on your own blog and keep an eye out to see what you can win each Tuesday in September.

Have a good weekend everyone.

 

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Dance, Sing, Love and meet Bramble

It's the first Sunday of the month so time for our new challenges at Stamping Sensations and Penny Black and More challenge. This month our themes are 'Make it Colourful' and 'Favourite Stamps'. There are of course prizes to be won at both, however there are likely to be delays with people receiving them due to the current situation.

So it was inevitable Penny Black Dance, Sing, Love would make an appearance and I have used it as the focal element surrounded by a more recent favourite release called Magnolia Rhapsody.

My Stamping Sensations share is just a lot of inky indulgence, stencilling, a Chocolate Baroque Butterfly stamped onto acetate.......it's actually dimensional but doesn't show on the photo............and a Visible Image sentiment, plus a couple of "metal bits" which I found sitting on a shelf in hubby's workshop........a touch of inspiration from Tracy Evans whose work I adore.

I thought I would show you the latest addition to our canine family, Azaria has wanted a Miniature Dachshund since she was a little girl and it wasn't too long after she had secured her first English teaching job that she registered with a breeder. Bramble arrived with us two weeks ago so in now ten weeks old, these photos were taken the other day, as you can see Lily was totally accommodating and they speak for themselves........

Stay safe everyone and I hope you will be joining in with our themes this month.

 

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Christmas Flowers

Before I tell you about this weeks Allsorts theme, I must sent a huge thank you for all you kind comments and so many e.mails following my post last week, each one was really appreciated. Hubby is doing OK and waiting for some more tests, we're rather lucky that Papworth is a local hospital. I am still a little in denial about my news, but coming to terms with it slowly.

OK, now on to our new challenge at Allsorts where our host is Mervi who would like to see 'Christmas Flowers'. We welcome back The Paperbox as our sponsor.

Some of you may remember when the Paperbox last sponsored us I wrote a review of some of their products which I had been sent to used, since then I have purchased quite a few things from them not least a large quantity of their A4 Pearlescent card to make Anysia's wedding stationery which is work in progress. We decided on the lavender to coordinate with the blush colour theme........and I was thrilled to find a company who make envelopes to order lined with the same colour.

I'm totally sold on their A4 Bright White Card 260gsm card for things such as Gelli Plate printing as it works so well with inks and paint, likewise it's perfect with Distress Oxides and takes on both ink and water without warping. One might say why use card for Gelli Plate printing but I can't abide floppy paper when it's all damp and far prefer to end up with a nice firm base to stamp onto and when you can buy 100 sheets for £13.00 it makes no sense to compromise your finished project.

So I will start with my card at the top which was a Stamp Addicts sample for Hochanda TV using the Paperbox A4 White Silk Card for the square mat, die cut aperture frame and base card, it's 350gsm so a superb weight for sturdy card bases. This card is an 8x8 so as I  often do I used two sheets, scored one and made the join adjacent to the score line and you need to look very closely to know it's not one piece. Then their A4 Bright White Card again for the flowers which I sprayed with Glimmer Mist before stamping and cutting out, as with DI's etc., it takes on the sprays very well.

I had been itching to try our their A4 Silver Glitter Card, they call it non shed and it really is what it says on the box, in fact I've never before come across a glitter card that feels totally smooth to the touch. I used their  A4 White Linen card for the top angled layer, cut the snowflake from the glitter card and used their White Hammer Card for the 5x7 base card. The sentiment is Inkylicious.

In addition to the products mentioned here, I have also purchased their envelopes for wedding rsvp's and white linen paper, at less than £11 for a box of 100 it's made beautiful inserts for Christmas cards and I will be ordering some more to print the wedding Order of Service inserts. 

So all in all I have been extremely happy with the products I have used thus far from our sponsor and hope you have gathered from my post I totally recommend them, not to mention their extremely quick and efficient dispatch and delivery of orders.

Have a good weekend everyone.

 

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White on White

Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week I am your host and my theme is "White on White' which is not just a challenge for all of you, it's also one for me as I find this style of card so difficult to make! This weeks lucky winner will receive a lovely Stamps by Chloe stamp.

I try not to go into too much detail about health on my blog, but I receive such kind enquiries to see how I am doing so in light of being handed a bit of a bombshell this week, feel I need to share if for no other reason than to explain my inevitable absences from blogland.

I've had eye issues stemming from my MS and associated bouts of Optic Neuritis for years, but not prepared for the devastating news at a routine hospital referral to schedule cataract surgery. I've been told I have irreversible and untreatable optic nerve and cornea damage and am going blind. They could not give me a time frame as it could be one to ten years before sight is lost. They are still doing my cataracts as it should improve my vision short term, so that's on 7th December.

And to top that off, Thursday hubby was rushed into hospital with heart issues, he had a heart attack at 40 so they are always cautious with him, he's now waiting for further tests. So I'll admit to being like two sheets in the wind this week.

Against all of that everything else pales into insignificance, I've built up resistance to the head injections for migraine so back to several all dayer's most weeks, but on a positive note I've been given the all clear following the last kidney CT scan so some good news.

Now back to my cards and will say that the flowers on the top one are white, but afraid on my photo you can be forgiven for thinking they are creamy yellow. An embossed back panel, a lattice frame both TL, leaves which are also TL, the flowers and some Butterflies which are Chocolate Baroque stamped onto vellum and heat embossed with detail white EP.

This one actually had two lives (see second picture below) as after making it using TL dies and embossing folder, flowers and lots of pearls I realised I needed a pearl wedding anniversary card but knew it would need to have some pink on it so added some pretty die cuts and an Italian sentiment sent to me by my friend Alice, thank you Alice it was perfect for this card.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

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Butterfly Dress and Fantasy Woodland

Morning Peeps, time for our new Allsorts challenge and this week Mervi has a lovely seasonal theme of Leaves and Trees. Our sponsor is Marianne Designs. Lots of inspiration from my team mates so do pop over and take a peek.

Today I am also posting over at the Chocolate Baroque blog so have several shares from there including the lolly stick creation at the top which I realised as I added my CB artwork to this post fits our Allsorts theme very well. I used quite a selection of stamps on this batch of samples and all details can be found here.   

As you can see from the Butterfly Dress I stamped out lots of extra flowers and Butterflies to decoupage so my snippets of Fabriano came in very useful and I am popping over to the Snippets Playground with it. I am hoping that Parsnip's nose has not been put out of joint by the arrival of little Dudley.

So, the set above was my initial DP piece which were samples for a Chocolate Baroque Hochanda show a while back left sitting waiting in my file to be used and seemed a perfect choice for this weeks theme. They were a fairly quick make as I used DP's as my base to stamp trees from Tall Trees and Fantasy Woodland using Versafine Toffee and tied ribbon round each. For the box made using my score board, then cut strips to fit around the edge onto which I stamped leaves, did the same for the top ad stamped part of one of the trees around the edge and made some flowers to decorate along with some TL Ivy.

Have a good weekend and I hope you will joining in with our Allsorts theme this week.

 

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