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.

A very good morning to everyone, hope you are having a good weekend.

Thought I would do a swift post before I head to the kitchen to carry on preparing for the family invasion. Some arrived yesterday and slept over so we presently have eight dogs scattered throughout the house and when I looked out just now there was a horse tacked up standing on the patio with a head through the conservatory door, so all as normal here in Fantasy Land.

I had planned a barbie, but it actually seems as thought we are going to have some rain today, so opted for safety and have an Italian hunters stew simmering away, a mega sized chicken ready to hit the oven and veggie lasagna half prepared so all should be well fed.

The card at the top of my post is one of my Stamp Addicts samples using the Children at Play set which were featured on Create and Craft Thursday. Stamped with Brilliance ink over a background stamped with Hero H2365. And and the one just above is a Stampalot sample using about eight different Art Impression stamps over a brayered and sponged background where I used the good old Speedball and Adirondack dye inks.

Blog girl classes and get togethers

Hello peeps, just a quick post about our Blog Girl days which you may have read about. They are held at Sir Stampalot in Peterborough where we take over the classroom and do an awful lot of chatting, laughing and eating and even manage a bit of crafting as well..............and of course the essential crafty shopping.

Such is their popularity that Janice is currently holding three dates as my list keeps growing, so I thought it a good idea to check if there is anyone else lurking out there who wants in ?

The provisional dates are 20th and 21st August and 17th September and if you are interested in attending please mail me brenda@ibas.co.uk a.s.a.p. as I am close to finalising numbers and dates..............these classes are not advertised on the Stampalot class schedule.

Everything crafty is provided to create the projects of the day, all you need to bring along is your personal craft essential tools, a little something for the buffet lunch table and most importantly yourself.

Over the last eighteen month these classes have been tremendous fun and it has been wonderful to meet so many blog buddies who have travelled from all over the UK to attend and I am looking forward to meeting even more of you who have already added their names to my list.

Things with Wings

Happy Saturday peeps, here we are with yet another Bank Holiday to contend with, life can be tough.............mind you, after the week we have all had with Blogger, we need a break.

My teamie Fleur is hosting this weeks challenge 'Things with Wings' at Allsorts, but first I want to thank everyone who took part in our Birthday celebrations last week. It was great fun and the winners are all listed on the challenge blog, so do go check to see if you were one of the lucky ones..........

Can I also say a quick thank you to they guys from Sir Stampalot for featuring four of my pieces of work using Hero Arts products in the June edition of Craft Stamper.

My DT card for this week uses one of the gorgeous stamps from Crafts and Me, she's a real little minx and I just love her in these colours. She was coloured with Copics and mounted onto a frame created with MS round the page vintage lace which I distressed with TH black soot. I added some flowers, gems and a feather to embellish plus the obligatory glitter here and there.

Whatever you have planned, enjoy the weekend.

More frilly knickers

Added 17.17 pm 24/5/11 - Is anyone else having problems commenting on Blogger ? I can get to look at blogs via Internet Express, I can do a new post, but as soon as I try and comment it asks me to sign in, I do so and it goes through the same process time and again and never lots me it. I can get in through Chrome, but even that will only let me make a comment on a single blog, then shuts me out. Totally crazy, please tell me I'm not alone with this one ?

Morning peeps, back from Edinburgh and time to share a few more samples I made for Stamp Addicts programme on Create and Craft TV on 26th May (my post of 18th May explains the title of this post).

I managed to squeeze in a bit of brayering with the card at the top which uses my favourite image from the Courting Couples set and thought it was only fitting that I included some black lace.

The stamp on the middle card is also from the Courting Couple set.

And this one is a stamp from the Playful Girls sets with a bit of resist stamping and Big and Juicy Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Allsorts

It's our second Birthday at Allsorts, it's almost impossible to believe as the time seems to have Flown by so quickly. The challenge has become such a success and that has only been made possible because of all you lovely peeps who join us every week.

So as you have probably guessed, we have a Blog Hop for you. All the details are on the challenge blog here so please do pop over and join in the Fun.

And it is also my turn to host the theme this week and I have some photo inspiration For you above. My take on it has been created with a stamp set from Joanna Sheen, with some masking, decoupaging and colouring with Aquamerkers.

My letter clue is hidden in this post, well not too hidden I hope. You should have arrived here From Fleur's blog and next you move on to Helene's blog. Happy hunting.

And here's what on oFfer for the lucky winner Mr Random org., selects from those who leave a comment on this post between now and 6pm Friday 27th May.

I will be back from Edinburgh Monday evening and will catch up with you all again then.

Animal Spirit amazing stamps

Hiyya Peeps, I've got some Stampalot samples again but something a bit different card wise using some stamps with absolutely amazing artwork. They are called Animal Spirit designed by Sue Coccia for Earth Art International and you can find them here.

I also need to let you know that the long awaited re-stocks of TH tattered floral have landed and you will find them here and also the new Tilda Sweet Rainbow range are presently being uploaded.

This picture is a close up of just one element within the swan stamp so you can appreciate the incredible detail within each one. I stamped with versfaine black and embossed with detail clear and then coloured with Copics. The DP is from the new Bo Bunny range. I am still very much at the experimental stage trying to decided which elements need picking out to give best effect.

Also a reminder to you all that Saturday is Allsorts second Birthday and we have some special celebrations and prizes to share. Now I know this is totally bad timing on my part as it's my turn to host the challenge and I am in Edinburgh for a long weekend as three of the children are running the marathon.....well should be lurking injuries allowing.
So I have scheduled all the posts and am keeping everything crossed that Blogger's in a good mood and does not throw a hissy fit like last weekend.

The butterfly stamps from the same Animal Spirit range, stamped and coloured in exactly the same way as my top card, but this time I added two coats of UTEE after colouring and it worked beautifully.