Birthday Lillies and cards

Good morning folks, sorry no post for a day or so, been back having another op on my mouth. I really thought all that was over last year, but the problem spread so there was no option. Still rather sore with the stitches so not a lot of talking from my end.......what a relief for my whole household I hear them say.

So a bit of a catch up on what I should have posted yesterday along with today's postings so this might be a bit of a long one. First up is this weeks new Polkadoodle's challenge where it's my turn to host the theme and I am going with "Something for a Boy" as it's Birthday time in our house this weekend, today it's my hubby's, myself and Grandson's tomorrow and Monday one of our granddaughters, nothing like cramming them all in together is there.

I have crated a card for my daughter to give to our grandson using the Paper Boutique CD. The template is all designed for you and even coloured, all you have to do is print it off, cut it out and layer it up, easy peasy. I printed a few extra stars, added some eyelets and fibres to the spine and stickles to the stars.

Next a reminder about our new Penny Black at Allsorts challenge which kicks off on Thursday. If you have not already been over and added your name to make sure you don't miss anything what are you waiting for, there will be super prizes from Penny Black themselves and one or two other exciting things lined up as well........I will be doing a post on the challenge blog in the next day or so to tell you a bit more about that.

And finally our brand new weekly challenge at Allsorts where it's the lovely Kirsten's turn to host the theme where she would like us to use "Embossing" on our projects.

I have used Hero Arts K5393 Lily Silhouette as my main image which I stamped with versamark and embossed with detail clear onto a piece of red cardstock which I had stamped with Hero H2364 Old French Writing using Tim Holtz distress ink soot black, then bleached out the image.

The spotty DP is from Cosmo Cricket and the cream panel was run through the Big Shot using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The swirls are from a Sizzix die and the flower made with punches and the beady leaves are from Magnolia. Finally ribbon threaded down one side........don't ask me why, but whenever I use ribbon like this I think of French Follies.......I think it must be the basque image.

Keeing everything crossed for England

How is everyone today ? I just popped into the village for an appointment and the the place was deserted, I figure everyone is at home preparing for an afternoon of footie, tennis some tinnies and probably a barbie as well as the weather is still lovely.

I'm looking forward to the footie, but with trepidation.........so much hangs on a good win today and I know if we lose and are on the plane home from South Africa tonight, one or two in my household will be like bears with sore heads. So here's to a resounding win !!

I forgot to put my England shirt on for the last two games.........no I did not buy it myself, one of the boys gave it to me for my Birthday two years ago when we were plying in the European championships, seem to remember we lost then as well. So perhaps if I wear it today it might bring us luck, I can but hope.

It's quiet in the offices today as well and the phones have hardly rung this morning, so I feel some crafty stuff coming on shortly. I have a card to share which fits some challenges. The main image is another pretty Sarah Kay coloured with Copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is Doodlebug and the borders Martha Stewart doily lace. The sentiment is Penny Black 3851E Blessings. My card fits the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew - Easel Card

Everybody Art Challenges - Green and Pink

ABC Challenge - Extra Dimension

Molly Blooms

Good Afternoon peeps, it's Monday so back to the grindstone but at least the sun is shining and no winter woollies today.

Hope you all had a good weekend, mine was a mixture. Saturday I was busy finishing the samples for yesterdays exclusive launch at Sir Stampalot of the new Molly Blooms stamp range. It was really lovely to met Clare, the very talented artiste of the stamps which are now on line to buy here. Scary or what, I am quite getting a liking for cutsie.

I have used Molly Blooms Strawberry Girl on this card, masking her so she is sitting on the toadstool which is another of the stamps in the range, colouring her with Copics and decoupaging, adding some grass and flowers using Art Impression stamps. The DP is Cosmo Cricket, the border punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop plus some ribbon and a doily. This card is for this the following challenges:

Cupcake - Strawberries and Cream

Stamptacular Sunday - Cute as a Bug - butterflies plus bees on DP

Stamp Something - Summer

My second card uses Penny Black 2407K Keepsake as the main image inked with Brilliance Mediterranean blue and yellow then spritzed with Glimmer Mist daisy yellow. I stamped the three flowers again to decoupage them after spritzing them with the same GM. The DP is October Afternoon, one of the brand new ones just arrived at Stampalot. The corner stamp is Penny Black 3857H Footnote, the with love sentiment is Art Impression and the left hand wording computer generated. This card is for the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday - Travel/holidays

Stampin for the weekend - Sketch plus yellow and blue.

And finally I thought I would share a piece of fairy artwork my hubby bought me yesterday.

It's a bit unusual as it is a print glazed onto natural slate and the colour of the slate blends beautifully with Arthur Rackham's wonderful depiction of Ginevra from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Not sure where I am going to hang it yet, but I think my craft room is the most likely as it's very 'me' and I can feel the inspiration coming already.

Bunnies washing day

No idea what happened yesterday and only just realised this scheduled post was not where it should be.......Mr Bloggers fault of course, who else.

Before I tell you about this weeks new challenge at Allsorts, a quick reminder about the new Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge which starts on 1st July. If you have not already signed up what are you waiting for, pop over there now, we have some great themes lined up for you and of course fabby Penny Black stamps as prizes all being donated by Penny Black themselves.

This week at Allsorts, the DT were given images to use by this weeks sponsors Squiggle Stamps and the lovely Emma who is hosting this weeks challenge came up with a really great sketch to use.

I printed my image out several time so I could decoupage elements after colouring with Prismacolor pencils and Sakura pens. The DP is a an old piece from my stash and afraid I have absolutely no idea of the make.

I added a Magnolia flowers, some punched leaves and a beaded pin to embellish.

Meet Molly and George

As promised I am back with more news about Molly and George, a brand new range of stamps from UK artist Clare Rowlands called Molly Blooms Stamps which have their debut launch at Sir Stampalot on Sunday 20th June. The entire range of stamps will also be available from Sir Stampalot.

Before anyone tells me, I know I don't do cutsie, but these really are adorable and are a pleasure to work with. The rubber is deeply etched and the images stamp our really crisply. And I still managed at bit of distressing and resist on the flower pot one, plus all are decoupaged, proving just how versatile the stamps are.

These are just a taster of the first few samples I have made, more to follow, but you can see the whole range in store Sunday and they will all be on the web site shortly for you to order.

I am also working with the new Nitwit DP's which are gorgeous, there are several colourways which all coordinate beautifully and they are a very good weight which means they punch out really nicely. These are also on the web site for you to order.

And here's your invitation for those of you who can make it Sunday, just print off and take it along with you. Free refreshments, great demos and a free Cute Critters stamp as well.

Cummon England

Well I eventually got my blog sorted, bit of a nightmare, but got there in the end and a new look as well.

No post since Monday and I've been a rather bad blogger this week as well, but I have been up to my ears in DT work, a new Polkadoodle CD is being released on Create and Craft TV on 27th June, Stamp Addicts have a new programme coming shortly and some exciting happenings at Sir Stampalot this Sunday as well:

They are having a very special Demo Day from 10am through 4pm when you will be able to meet Molly and George, a very special range of stamps. This will be the debut Summer collection with the artist herself, Clare Rowlands. You can read more here.

So a really quick post to share for this weeks Polkadoodle challenge where my teamie Dee has chosen the theme of a Male or Fathers Day card. Well I could not resist this one using the Just for Men CD although when I made it I did not know we would be playing our second match today. I decoupaged the footballs, printed out an England emblem, some computer generated players and squad numbers and finito.

Not sure about the goalie, but even if I had a direct line to Fabio, I would probably be none the wiser or know if Robert Green is going to get a second chance, I really do hope he does though. But our boy Stevie is there and wearing the armband with pride and with Carra and Johnson in as well it's a team I'm liking the look of, it's a long while since we had three Liverpool players in the England squad. There will certainly be some tense living rooms this evening evening.

Bloggers lost the plot

Oh my goodness, the weekend just disappeared and apart from the footie.......best forget that one and look forward to Friday, for the sake of Robert Green if nobody else....I got very little done.

Yesterday was spent trying to resolve my blogger problems but I'm still no further forward. For the last week or so I have needed to sign in to every blog I visit, that's a pain in itself and then the last few days my dashboard is only showing up the odd new post, so the only way I have been able to visit people is by literally trawling round and that's very much trial and error who I stumble across.

I thought the answer would be to change to the new Blogger layout that's being pushed our way.........was that a nightmare or what and at one point I lost my blog completely and the backup I had stored was not recognised. Somehow I retrieved it, but now I have a problem with my old sidebar which has embedded itself into the html and no longer visible so I can't remove it and it overrides the new layout so new and old merge and look a right mess. So I am back to the old layout and doing everything the hard way still. A glass of something strong in on the cards before I have another bash at it....I know it's only lunchtime, but needs must.

Two cards to share today, the first one above is using one of my new Penny Black slapstick stamps, I so love these little girl images. This one is Penny Black 40-024 rain or shine stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is October Afternoon, the flower and gem leaves are Magnolia and the swirls Marianne Designs. This card is for the following challenges:

Pile It On "Summer Showers
Penny Black Saturday - Sketch
Our Creative Corner - "Gotcha Cornered"
Ooh La La Creations - "Flourishes and pearls"

For my second card I have used another stamp from Penny Black 3932K Japanese maple for the main image and 3857H footnote down the side of the card. The background for the main image was created by masking lines across the card and round the border, then sponging Tim Holtz bundled sage and tumbled glass and liberally spritzing with Glimmer Mist pearl to subdue the colours and blend them.

I removed the diagonal masks but not the border ones before stamping the leaf image using Versafine majestic blue and embossing with iridescent powder. After embossing I removed the border masks to reveal a white border. Eyelets and cord threaded down the side and a sentiment PB 3419D to finish. This card is for the following challenges:

Cupcake - "One for the Boys"
Rosie D's "Blue and or Fish"

Back to the other man in my life now, Mr Blogger and see if I can tame him into submission, otherwise my blog may be heading south quicker than I hoped.