Special Moments

Morning Peeps, it's the first Sunday of the month which means the start of our new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where our themes are Anything Stamped with the option to add stencilling at the first or wings/tails at the second. Winners will received goodies from Lavinia and Uniko, photos of both bundles over at the challenge blogs.

It's AALL and Create for all shares,  I am loving their images since making the change from CB in the Autumn and have to say the quality and range of images is excellent and so inspirational.

My wings for Stamping Sensations comes in the form of the fabulous Woodpecker set called Follow your Own Path along with clocks from the aptly named Clock and Flowers. I have also added a few elements such as the sentiment from other sets, a coordinating envie and some clock hands to finish.

This one features a DL stamp called Gem of a Plant along with the squirrel from Key Botanical's, an Oxide and acetate 'splodged' background and stencilling, the little squirrel cut out and popped onto the word from the same set. Again an envie to match a la Hilary.

This set is called Scripted Botanicals and is just one of four in the set, they are not the cheapest brand, but most sets have several good sizes images so lots for your money and stamp like a dream. I created a partial circle with the Gelli Plate and added some stencilling. 

The sentiment is from one of my own sets, this one called Believe in your Dreams, several have asked where they can but them now. I have been tweaking/re-designing several sets which are to be released by a different company to previously and will be available very soon at the Craft Store or Create and Craft, the name which I believe is going to be used going forward from 25th February.

And one final Butterfly share using one of the Images from A&C's A4 set called Through the Meadow stamped onto a Gelli Place background, heat embossed with details clear EP, two of the sections tamped a second time onto white card and added as spotlights.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the challenges this month.

 

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My friend the Badger

Morning Peeps, time for a new challenge at Allsorts where Lorraine would like to see creations 'For a Child. And a very fitting prize of some Wizard of Oz stamps from Bee Crafty plus three images from Ruth Hamilton Design.

Also some details and shares for upcoming shows at The Craft Store, on Sunday there is an Oakwood show at 3pm featuring iCraft products (which includes some super stencils) and on Tuesday Stamp Addicts are back at 1pm. 

This card was for the Godchild of one of our DIL's, she wanted Fairies and Animals and was thrilled with this. All stamps are from Lavinia, a soft Oxide background, a rather large sun, the images grounded with some soft sponging and lashings of Lavinia glitter with an envie to match.

Above using Stamp Addicts Starburts stamped onto a hexies cut from a Gelli Plate panel and a die cut sentiment.

I was lucky to have several new iCraft stencils in my package and here's what I did with a few, above using Crocodile Crackle stencil and Little Critters die set. Oakwood have a huge selection on stencils, probably the most I've come across in any one place.

Above using Floral Corner stencilled onto acetate coloured with Alcohol ink, the pattern across the acetate came about purely by accident, I laid it on a radiator to dry and the pattern appeared which I rather liked. The texture paste and crackle glaze below is not on the web site but in the show Sunday, but I'm impressed. It's pretty firm with a grainy finish and dries in minutes, I tested it out with paints and inks once dry, it took dye inks pretty well and fabulous if you place the stencil back over when dry and spray with Oxide and Mica strays.....which is exactly what I did below using three colours of Distress Mica spray.

Above using the half Mandela stencil reversed and black gesso mixed with texture paste  to create a circle.

Have a good weekend and as always my appreciation for your kind visits and words of encouragement.

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Circle of Life

Good morning Peeps, it's the 18th of the month so that means it's mid way inspiration time at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations challenges where are themes are 'Anything Stamped' as usual with the option to add 'Wings' at the first or 'A die' ay the second. And for the winners fabulous crafty goodies in for form of an A4 AALL and Create stamp set courtesy of Stampers Grove and a £25 craft bundle from Oakwood Archer.

My card at the top combines stamped from several AALL and Create sets, the beauty of this brand, particularly those designed by Tracy Evans is that they are all designed to work together and can be built up into larger pieces. The key to it all is carrying the colours and here I have stuck with just two Derwent Inktense pencils, orange and green alongside the black stamping.

Another with Wings, this time in for form of Fairies from Fairy Hugs and the Fairy Couple are from the new release showcases on The Craft Store last week.

For this one which was a recent samples for The Craft Store TV uses Oakwood Daisies and Critters stamp set and coordinating dies, an Oxide background using acetate to add the ink to the base piece, a trellis frame using a really old Penny Black die and the Butterflies cut from card inked with the same colour Oxides. The words are also Oakwood.

If you have not already joining in this month I hope you will find time to share a creation with us, the challenges run until Wednesday 2nd February and with those prizes, every reason to do so.

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Fragile Fragments

Morning Peeps, Mervi is our Allsorts host this week and would like us to 'Add a Heart' to our creations. This weeks lucky winner will receive a £15 store voucher kindly donated by Pearlywinks.

Before I move onto my cards, we are looking for a new DT at Allsorts so if you are interested please drop me a mail from the link on the challenge blog sidebar.

For my first card I have used a set called Fragile Fragments, stamped, coloured in parts and the small hearts and number elements stamped a second time in red and decoupaged. I do like the style of these All and Create DL stamps, they are easy to work with and can be left simple or played with to build up more interest as I have done here.

Thought I would share a couple more samples using the new Fairy Hugs stamps which proved very popular at the Craft Store when released this week,  if I have tempted you to take a look they are all available from Julia here.

My second Allsorts card uses a collection of stamp sets from the same source at my first share, sentiment from Blooming Poppies, Arum Lilies from Clocks and Flowers, the tiny hanging heart from Follow your Path, a hear stencil, inked with DI's, a bit of added background interest using worker stamps and the Lilies fixed into position.

Have a good weekend everyone.

 

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All new at Allsorts

Morning Peeps, this week Pauline is our host at Allsorts challenge and her theme is 'Anything Goes with the option of Use something new'. Helping Hands Craft are kindly donating a £15 store voucher for this weeks lucky winner.

Initially it was a dilemma where to start with the 'New' element but in the end the decision was made for me as I have been working with new stamps for both Fairy Hugs and Stampendous this week. Been a bit of a mad rush as due to the holidays, products only arrived mid week and the The Craft Store shows are 9th and 10th January so an unusually quick turnaround. 

You can buy Fairy Hugs via the TV shows or from Julia here in the UK and Stampendous again direct from TV or here in the UK. Today I am sharing a couple of cards from both companies, at the top I have used a mixture of old and new releases from Fairy Hugs, I can't give you the links to the new ones yet as they won't be listed until Monday's One Day Special. 

Above I have used the beautiful Stampendous Painted Lady, the Butterfly really lends itself to decoupage which is what I have done here.

Below another for Fairy Hugs, again with old and new stamps, the Fairy Couple being a new one.

And a House Mouse card, an unusual sight from someone who by their own admission doesn't do cute or much colouring in, but relatively happy with the result. This little fellow is called Bumble Bee Fun.

And a couple more from Fairy Hugs.

That's probably enough for one post, hope you all have a good weekend, stay safe and well and my thanks as always for your kind visits.

 

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Moments

Morning Peeps, it's our first Allsorts challenge of 2022 and I am your host with the theme of 'Black and White plus one'. This weeks prize is an A4 stamp set from Rare Earth 

Above a box of Fairy cards using a plethora of Fairy Hugs stamps, all are available from Julia here or in the States here. I won't list them all as there are about twenty in total so will just name the Fairies who are called Lantana, Tara and Olivia. I have followed a Black White with Pink as my plus one, although I used crystal white glitter which looks perfectly white irl, but has distinct green hues in the photos which I re-did several times to no avail. 

The backgrounds are all done with Oxide sprays Kitsch Flamingo and Picked Raspberry and stamping with Versafine Clair Nocturne. The box was made using an old TL die set, one I probably use more than any other as I love the shape.

For my second plus one above I have gone yellow as I love the striking contract with black and white, plus it gives subtle hints of Spring on the way in a few weeks. The stamp is from AALL and Create, the blooms stamped a second time and decoupaged, some mesh from a greenhouse raid.......one day he may even realise I do this regularly and all sorts of things end up in my craft room!! I also added a few worker stamps into the background, a sentiment from another set stamped onto vellum, the single word 'Moments', some twine and a little metal tag.

Happy weekend everyone, stay safe and well and my thanks for your visits.

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A frosty Winters day

Morning Peeps at Allsorts I am your host yet again and it's a simple theme of 'Use a hand stamped or digital image', it's the final theme Kath had chosen before she died in August. Our prize this week is two pretty Bee Crafty border stamps and a second prize from Ruth Hamilton Design of three images of the winners choice. I also have a few of of my samples for todays Oakwood Archer shows at 11am on The Craft Store.

Two cards, the first using Lavinia stamps creating a Winter scene with the Hares, Toadstools with Tree of Hope and Tree of Courage plus some branches and berries. Looking at that moon it looks like a chilly Winters day for those little fellows, not dissimilar to what can be seen from the kitchen window in the the top paddock the last few days. And a matching evenie, I must thank Hilary for getting me into doing this, the cards I have received from her always have the insert and envelope to match and it's encouraged me to do the same.

This one using Ruth's beautiful Sunflowers which I reduced in size and duplicated to crate a border, coloured with pencils and arranged on a die cue panel and coordinating ribbon. Finished with a sentiment from my own set Believe in your Dreams.

My Oakwood shares,

Scarily no stamping other than the sentiment which is from my own Believe in your Dream stamp set. The flowers were made up from Full Bloom dies set cut from a Gelli Plate sheet from which I also drew and cut out a vase, then used jewellery wire twisted to make the stems. And the one below a Christmas wreath built up with the Star stamp set using various blue Versafine Clair colours, Star Edger dies and some chunky glitter accents.

Have a good weekend and as always, thanks so much for your visits.

 

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A Vintage twist and an awesome cobweb!

Morning Peeps, time for this weeks Allsorts challenge where Mervi would like to see 'Anything Goes with a Vintage option'. Ruth Hamilton Design is offering three images from her store and there is also a lovely Indigo Blu stamp up for grabs.

Two cards above using the same Poinsettia stamp, an inky background using Tea Dye Oxide spray, stamped the image onto card coloured with Oxides and Mica Spray, cut out and paper pieced, some lace to one and a seam binding bow to the other.  This was a card for The Craft Store TV.

Not totally sure this one fits the Vintage theme so I will dedicate this one to the Anything Goes option. Oxides for the background, some stamping using the same colour inks and worker stamps, a sentiment from my own stamp set and Irises from our sponsor Ruth. I printed the Iris's onto a sheet of card which I coloured with the same colour Oxides, cut them out and placed into a couple of die cut circles. As many know I don't enter challenges, dodgy eyes and linking issues, but it was suggested the above card would fit the 5th Birthday challenge of The Flower Challenge which asks for flowers and shapes, so Irises and circles seem to be apropriate.

Had to share these fabulous cobwebs which were laced along the posts around the decking leading from one of the French Windows at the back of the house. It was a misty morning which lent itself to showcasing the spiders intricate workings.

 

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Crackling Rose

Morning Peeps, it's mid month inspiration time at Stamping Sensations and We Love Chocolate Baroque challenges where are themes are 'Animals, Birds and Bugs' and 'Anything Autumn'. My teamies have lots of inspiration to share so please do check out the posts. Further down the second share from my post here on the CB DT blog.

We have a DT call going at Stamping Sensations as we would like to expand our team, there is a page detailing how to apply here, so please take a look as you may be one of the people who are just right for the team.

The top card is my WLCB share and please ignore the white line, it was something on the camera lens which I only notice later after the card had been mailed. The image is Chocolate Baroque Crackling Rose stamped onto an Oxide background, added stamping using  worker stamps from Just Useful and Make your Mark and one of my sentiment from Life is so much Better cut into sections so I could use a metal magnifier to highlight one word. To finish some Washi Tape down the sides.

My first SS share uses the lovely Robins in Holly released at The Craft Store TV last week and is one of my samples for the show. Stamped onto white card, coloured, some stencilled Holly leaves and placed onto a die cut frame and laid over, most unusually for me some Christmas DP. An organza bow to finish. 

This one is eldest Grandsons Birthday card back in June using Lavinia stamps onto a Gelli Plate circle.

My final share today from yesterday's post here.

Thanks for looking today, I always appreciate your visits and encouragement.

 

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