A Passion for Flowers

Afternoon Peeps, what happened to the sun, it's been raining think the clappers here in the Fens since the early hours ? And  looking at the long range forecast it's not going to get much for before the end of the month, so basically typical Wimbledon weather.

I am pleased to report that Poppy is progressing well, she's still a hop along pup and acquired a lovely side kick with her poorly back leg as she darts about full of energy and despite her size thinks she is equally as big as the Labs and St Bernard.

Nothing new to share, so I am showing a few of the samples I made a while back for Ruth at A Passion for Stamps. All are paper pieced using a selection of her lovely floral images, it's the prefect way to use up scraps of DP.

I used various Nesties to create the mats and frames, some embossing along with offcuts of ribbons plus gems to embellish.

Have a good Thursday everyone and hope you weathers not as dismal as ours.

Puppies and horses just don't mix..............

Morning (edited Monday evening to say it was when I started this post !) everyone, it seems like it's going to be one of those weeks, poor little Poppy was settling in so well until she decided horses looked like a good option for playtime. On a routine 'loo' trip Sunday morning she took off like grease lightening, across the garden through the electric fence, across one paddock, past placid Ben who just watched her and into Heskeys paddock.

Bad move, he's got some Arab in him and dances like a prima ballerina as a normality and as at least two cockerels have discovered to their peril, he hates anything round his feet. One massive yelp and we really feared the worse, but she is one lucky pup. Sunday afternoon was spent at the vets and again yesterday for more checks and they confirmed nothing broken just cuts and bruises, something of a miracle when you consider her size against Heskey. So lots of cuddles as she is feeling pretty sorry for herself, but things could have been far, far worse.

Needless to say no crafting happening here, so my share is one I made a few weeks ago with some basic inking and masking, Art Impression and Lavinia stamps and Adirondack Ink. We have so many rabbits jumping about in the fields the last few weeks which inspired this card.........artistic licence with the sun as that's still is short supply here in the UK.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Pans Pastels - Summertime

Simon Say's - A bit of brown

Thanks for popping in, I am doing my best to get round all my blog buddies, but it's taking time with the poorly furry bundle to look after.

Meet Poppy, the latest addition to the family

Morning Peeps, it's Nicolas turn to host this weeks theme at Allsorts and she would like us to do some 'Paper Piecing', so one I have really enjoyed doing. But before I move on to that, I would like to introduce you to Poppy, the latest additional to our four legged family. 

She is a ten week old rough coated Parson Jack Russell and the children's surprise Fathers Day present for hubby and my was he surprised when she arrived last evening. Luckily I was already in on the secret and have been covertly collecting things ready for her arrival all week.

She seems to have settled in as if she had been here for weeks and was soon comfortably asleep on Dad's lap after an hour or so's rough and tumble with Pixie who is now six months, whilst the more mature watched on in resigned acceptance that the family has grown again.

It seems to be taking forever to get back into the crafty and blogging mode, holidays are great but I always seem to take ages to get my train of crafty though moving again, so I am hoping this weekend I can buckle down and get those juices flowing again and actually make a card.

As Ruth from A Passion for Stamps is our sponsor this week, my card is a double DT piece using her lovely Orchid image which I have paper pieced with some Bo Bunny DP's. The spotty background was created using a mask which I inked with versafine before running it through the GC, then brushing with perfect pearls which stick to the inked sections and the spots create a resist. Some swirls, flowers and pins and finito.

I would like to enter this card in to the following challenge:

Pretty Little Ribbons - Lots of Layers

Finding her way around

Playtime with Pixie

Happy weekend to you all.

Cottage garden flowers

Good afternoon Peeps, not a hint of anything crafty still, but I did find time to take a few photos of some of the glorious flowers that sprung into bloom whilst we were away.

I never make any secret of my love of Digitalis, so of course I had to share some of those beautiful blooms, some of which are almost six foot high, so clearly all the rain has helped them no end. I am hoping those I plated on Dad's woodland spot are doing as well, I hope to check them out this weekend.

And one of the new varieties of double Delphiniums, so beautiful

Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do.

I am just about unpacked and sorted, back at the office and hopefully tonight will get round to visit some of you and see what everyone is up to.

Winners and holiday pics

Hello Peeps, I'm back to haunt you all again !!

I'm feeling really refreshed after a totally fabby time away, lots of sunshine........and plenty of glasses of  bubbles............but a total culture shock to come from 41deg Monday to 10deg back here in the UK yesterday, but all good things must come to an end and reality kicks back in. No crafting as yet, but some candy and challenge winners and a little surprise to share, plus a few pictures from some of the places we visited.....................

Olympia, Katakolon.............. we were struck by the sheer beauty of the 45 acre site set amongst hundreds of olive trees and despite hoards of visitors roaming the ruins  it retained an air of total peace and tranquilly. The site dates back to 776BC and although there is ongoing restoration works, much of it remains as it fell following the earthquake in the early 4th century AD.

This is the very modest spot where the Olympic flame is lit and starts it's long journey every four years to the host Country of Olympic Games...........we felt very humbled to stand in this historic place knowing the flame is currently on it's journey around the UK.

The Basilica di Santa Croco in Florence....................totally stunning and the largest Franciscan Church is the world and has sixteen chapels. Building of the beautiful building started in 1294 to replace the older ruined building taking may years to complete and was eventually consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV

The Acropolis - Athens, one of the lower sites of the archaeological site currently under repair and right at the top you can see the Parthenon

The Parthenon, at the summit is the Temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena...............the steps up the Temple were beyond me so the picture is borrowed, but even from the lower slope it was a magnificent sight 

The beautiful Greek island of Mykonos taken from the tender as we approached the pretty fishing village. Mykonos is part of the islands known as the Cyclades and is famous for it's white houses scattered across the  hillsides.

And I had to share a little but of Venice, I never tire of it's beauty........this is the view of St Marco as we sailed in via the Grand Canal

Rialto Bridge, hard to think it was only the day before yesterday we sat eating lunch alongside the Grand Canal at the restaurant which you can see just to the left of the green covered water taxi stop by the bridge.

Finally a little bit of edible art, one of the clever arrangements of 'flowers' crafted by the chefs on board  and all from fruit and vegetables.............this one just might pop up again as the inspiration for a challenge !!

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for staying with me, now for some winners....................

Winners of my Timmy goodies is.................

Tanya

and winner of the the extra prize is.....................

Paola

Winner of the images from Ruth at a Passion for Stamps and embellies is......................

Michelle

And the winner from the prize on my stop of the Allsorts Birthday Blog Hops is.................

Pat

Congratulations to you all, please mail me brenda@ibas.co.uk with your full postal addys so I can send your prizes off to you.

And I also have a little surprise to share, one of the many mails waiting on my return was an invitation to join the DT at Craft a Scene. Lots of you know how I love creating little scenes and I can't tell you how excited I am, so a great big thank you to Nancy for your confidence in me and inviting me along. Lots of you often tell me it's a style of crating that appeals to you but you've not yet taken the plunge....................so perhaps now is the time and you will join in this super challenge.

I will be back with some crafty shares just as soon as all washing and ironing is done and I get my crafty head back in place.

Ice Cream

Good Morning to you all, I am hoping my the magic of Blogger this pops up on Saturday as I should be in Katakolon in Greece today. For our new challenge at Allsorts the lovely Emma has some photo inspiration for us in the form of 'Ice Cream Colours', so I've gone strawberry and vanilla with a bit of mint thrown in for good measure.

Before I tell you about my card a little reminder that there is still chance to be in with a chance of winning the giveaway in the picture above. All details on the post below this one.........can't leave you the link as all post the last couple of week are scheduled. 

The soft colour palette and a card that's a little bit different to my norm as it involves a cute style image and some colouring.........an almost unheard of combination from this neck of the woods I know.

My card is one of the samples I was asked to make for Stampalot using the Chateau Gate Dies and matching stamps from Heartfelt Creations (links below to make sure you identify the right set). The window I used here is a square one, so I carefully placed my die on the cardstock so I could run it through the GC twice to extend the size and create a third middle window. 

The image was stamped and coloured twice to decoupage the flowers along the bottom of the window. The background panel was created by inking a Touch of Mica mask with Versamark, running through the GC, then dusting cosmic shimmer powder after removing the mask, this gives a positive an negative finish. Finally a few gems to embellish.

Have a lovely weekend.

A little candy and Summer florals

Hello Peeps, I have some shares and a little candy for you to win so fingers crossed Mr Blogger will post this for me as requested as I should be on the island of Capri today before moving on this evening to Athens.

Since Ruth asked me to join her Passion for Stamps Design Team last Spring, I have been privileged to work with some stunning floral images all of which she draws herself and below are a selection of cards made with just a few of those images.

And as I enjoy working with them so much I am delighted to be able to offer you the opportunity to win four of her images and a few embellishments which I so love making. This is all you need to do..........................

• Leave me a comment on this or any another of my posts between now and when I return from my hols on 12th June.
• Leave Ruth a comment on her inspirational blog here. 
• And if you would like to display the above picture on the sidebar of your own blogs that would be fabulous. You can link to either this post or Ruth's blog.

I will announce the winner as soon as I can when I get home, good luck everyone and you will find all of  Ruth's images at A Passion for Stamps.

The card at the top uses the lovely Rhododendron image printed onto to some scraps of DP, decoupaged and arranged around a sentiment which I've had for years so afraid I have no idea of the make. Some ruffled ribbon and a few punched butterflies.

My second card is made with the beautiful Lily image, printed onto my favourite Farbriano watercolour card and coloured with watercolour pencils. The two little butterflies are also one of Ruth's images printed out quite small and coloured in. Die cut roses and leaves and a couple of stick pins.

The above card is again printed Fabriano, coloured with pencils and decoupaged flower heads. Next I added the sun mask, lightly brayered some Adirondack ink then sponged some rays from the sun and the same butterfly image as above. And I really should add that the idea for this card was inspired by my mate Jules after she told me her and hubby had just bought some bedding plants which included some Derby Imp fuchsia's and I immediately remembered the beautiful colours of this pretty variety and wanted to reproduce it.

And finally a bit of inking and glitter, the image was printed onto acetate and a piece of double sided adhesive sheet laid over the reverse. Next I crumpled up a piece of white tissue paper, inked it lightly with distress inks, added some glitter then stuck it to the other side of  the adhesive sheet. Finally I coloured the image through the tissue using Copics...............dependent of the ink colours used on the tissue you might need to hold it to a light or window to see the image clearly as you colour................don't be afraid of tearing the tissue, it's amazing how resilient it is.

Thank you so much for taking a look, see you all soon.