Fabulous Francoise

Hi everyone, even though I don’t own very many, I have always really liked stamps designed for Woodware by Francoise Read, so I was tempted when I saw that she had designed a stamp and stencil set for the cover gift with this month’s ‘Creative Stamping’ magazine. I managed to make a couple of cards with them yesterday - here is the first one.

I cut a piece of white stamping card, and created the dotted frame by blending Scorched Timber Distress Oxide through the dotty part of the Postage Frame stencil. I then placed the other stencil over the dots and blended Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distressed Inks to form the squares and rectangles. With the stencil still in place I stamped the focal image using Portobello VFC, coloured the flowers and pocket watch using DI’s and DOX’s, then trimmed the panel close to the edges of the dotty frame. 

I cut a 6.5” x 4.5” piece of white stamping card and created a smooshed background using Distressed Oxides, then covered in random background stamping from older Francoise Read stamp sets - ‘Additions’ and ‘Garden Snail’. I matted this onto a border of brown card stock, then attached the main focal panel. I stamped an Indigo Blu sentiment onto separate card, cut out, edged with brown ink and attached. Finally I stamped 2 butterflies from the magazine set onto separate card, coloured with Paprika Elements ink then cut out and attached. I matted the finished piece onto a 7” x 5” card blank.

Stamps:  Woodware Fabulous Francoise, Additions, Garden Snail; Indigo Blu sentiment;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo); Distress Oxide Inks (Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door, Rustic Wilderness, Scorched Timber); Lavinia Elements ink (Paprika); Versafine Clair (Portobello, Sand Dune);

Tools: Woodware Postage Frame stencil set.

Challenges I would like to enter: 

AAA Birthday #87 - For Girls

Addicted to Stamps & More #520 - Die Cuts and/or Stencils

Crafty Calendar (July) - Happy Birthday

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (July) - Use a Stencil

Daisy Chain #109 - Birthday

Krafty Chicks #827 - Birthday

NBUS #88 - Use Your Never-Before-Used Schtuff

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2627 - Anything Goes

Triple B (July) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms

Word Art Wednesday #758/759 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

With hindsight I think I would have coloured my image with Distress inks rather than DOX but hey, it’s done now 🥰 In any event I’m really thrilled with my latest magazine gift - the stamps are really beautiful and the stencil definitely fills a gap in my stash. I’ll be back soon with another card using this stamp set.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Summertime … and the livin’ is easy

Hi everyone, well here we are in July, so it’s time for my latest Lavinia calendar page, which this time I managed to complete a full three days ahead of turning the page over! This month’s design was guided by the presence of moss flowers in the page illustration, so I decided to create a summery floral wreath with Pris the elf on a swing in the centre - here it is.

I cut a piece of stamping card 19.5cm x 14.5cm and created a soft inky circle by blending Elements ink using a circle mask. I  stamped Moss Flowers around the circle, then added various mini foliage around the outside in shades of green. I stamped Pris sitting on a swing in the centre, then coloured the flowers with Zig pens. I stamped a couple of butterflies, dragonflies and a mini bee to fill out the scene, and coloured them with Sakura Stardust pens and a touch  of Spectrum Noir sparkle pen on the bee’s wings. Finally I added a few white Posca accents, and edged the finished panel with gold Posca pen before attaching to the calendar.

Stamps: Lavinia Moss Flowers, Swing, Pris, Winter Foliage, Flower Pots, Fairy Bugs, Mini Flutter, Bee Mini;

Media: Lavinia Elements ink (Green Parrot); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Portobello, Avocado, Shady Lane); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Sakura Stardust pens (Orange, yellow, turquoise); Spectrum Nour sparkle pen (clear); Posca pens (white, gold).

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Place to Start #202606 - Anything Goes with option Anything but a Card (2nd entry)

Beautiful Blossoms #42 - Anything Floral Goes (3rd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #149 - Anything Goes

Everybody Art #603 - Summertime

Fab ‘n’ Funky #640 - Something Beginning with B (2nd entry)

(Blooms, butterflies, bee)

Four Seasons (July) - Summer

(Inspired by the yellow and orange flowers and the bee)

 

Heart’s Quest Fantasy #53 - Anything Fantasy Goes

Lavinia Creative Challenge (July) - Whimsical Wings

Make My Monday #291 - Blend 2 or 3 Colours

Moving Along with the Times #191 - Use a Colouring Medium

Outlawz Anything but a Card (July) - Anything but a Card

Paper Funday #89 - Anything Goes

Papercraft #131 - Sunny Days & Bright Hues

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #758/759 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Iridescent Wings

Hi everyone, having recently made a card featuring a Visible Image dragonfly (here), I remembered I also have a beautiful contemporary style stamp set of dragonflies and flowers, which is best part of 20 years old but has hardly ever been used! I really enjoyed painting the iridescent dragonfly wings (inspired by watching ‘Springwatch’!) so I thought it was high time for me to rectify this neglect, and I determined to use the largest dragonfly stamp in the set - here’s the result.

I die cut a stitched square frame from white card, then used a separate snippet to make a piece  that would fit behind the aperture. I applied a soft wash of iridescent watercolour paints to the small panel, then when dry stamped with a Crafty Individuals script stamp using 2nd generation Twilight VFC. I stamped the focal dragonfly onto a separate snippet of white card using Twilight VFC and heat embossed, then painted the wings with iridescent watercolour paints topped with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, fussy cut and set aside. I stamped part of a large floral stamp from the same set across the corners and painted the flower petals as above. I stamped the sentiment then assembled the card, added some silver metallic Posca accents and faux spatters, then matted onto a teal border and a 6” square card blank.

Stamps: The Stamp Man Daisy Daydreams; Crafty Individuals script stamp; Visible Image Birthday Wishes;

Media: Versafine Clair (Twilight); Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paints (Jade Mint, Sapphire Sparkle); Luminarte watercolour paint (Bolivian Blue); Posca pen (silver); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); clear embossing powder; 

Tools: Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched Square dies.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Alphabet Challenge - E is for embossing, wet or dry

Colourful Options (June) - Tiffany Blue (2nd entry)

(Aqua, teal, turquoise, blue/green)

Girlz and the Art of Letters #30 - D is for ..

(dragonfly)

Neglected Stuff (June) - Use Your Neglected Stash

Pick 3 #6 - Pick 3

(Frame/sparkle/sentiment) - sorry but the graphic would not download from Pick 3 challenge site

{PIN}spirational # 338 - Blue  and Green (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Snippets Playground #535 - Use Snippets

Try It On Tuesday - In the Garden

Word Art Wednesday #758/759 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

I actually had a disaster with this card, which miraculously I somehow managed to rescue. The card was all finished, and the following day I went into town where I bought a silver Posca pen to replace the one I used on this card, as the nib had broken. Anyhow, when I got home, in a classic case of “can’t leave it alone” syndrome, I decided to add slightly more silver dots to the dragonfly wings. At some point I pressed down fractionally too hard, resulting in a huge blot of silver ink on one of the wings - WAH! Luckily I acted fast, blotting it off with a baby wipe then paper towel. This left a shimmery halo effect… at this point the saving grace was the fact that the wings were painted with shimmery metallic watercolour paints - I whipped them out speedily and applied another layer to the damaged wing, which effectively covered up the silver Posca shimmer … phew! Who knew I could move so fast in a heatwave??

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Siren of Spring

Hi everyone, today I would like to share another card I made recently using some new birthday stash from AALL & Create. When placing my order I chose a couple of floral stamps, but decided to also go for something a bit different to ring the changes, and selected this quirky lady stamp set designed by Soizic. I was a bit unsure, but when she arrived and I started to play with her I was very pleased with the results. This card was actually very straightforward to make, and came together quite quickly. She is called ‘Siren of Spring’ but I think she is actually perfect for a summer card.

I die cut a wavy stitched square of white card, then stamped the focal lady to the left and the cascading flowers from the same set down the right hand side, thus leaving a space for a sentiment. I coloured the stamps with Zig pens, largely following the colour scheme on the packaging, and added some sparkle pen to the flowers. I had to hunt around in my stash for an old long and thin birthday sentiment which would neatly fit the blank space, and fortunately I found it! I blended some Elements ink around the stitched border then matted the panel onto a 6” square card blank. To finish I added some coordinating teeny heart gems beneath the sentiment.

Stamps: AALL & Create TP-1398 Siren of Spring; Hero Arts Special Birthday;

Media: Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Blue Belle); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Lavinia Elements ink (Blue Lagoon); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear);

Tools: Craft Addiction UK Double Wavy Stitched Squares die.

Challenges I would like to enter: 

AAA Colourful #29 - Colour Board

Ally’s Angels #107 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Art Nudge (June) - Colour boards

(I have used most of the colours in colour board C)

Craft Rocket #137 - Birthday (2nd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #148 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - DT FAVOURITE

Creative Crafters #101 - Anything Goes  (2nd entry)

Creative Inspiration #39 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - WINNER

Creative Moments #283 - Pastels or Brights (2nd entry)

Fab ‘n’ Funky #640 - Something Beginning with B

(Birthday, blooms)

Heart’s Quest #86 - Anything with a Heart Goes

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #30 - Birthdays (3rd entry)

Passion for Markers #843 - Anything Goes

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #758/759 - Anything Goes 

I have an update on my Gemini die cutting machine woes! I eventually managed to source 2 new ‘white’ A4 cutting plates (which supersede the original clear ones) and a magnetic shim, but there is no plastic shim to be had anywhere! I have tried to flatten the original one by weighting it down in boiling water, but not terribly successfully. I then followed a hack I saw online and taped the plastic shim to one of my new cutting plates to try to keep it flat - again only with partial success. Last week I tried die cutting some stitched squares and they came out with awful pressure marks on the card - I wasn’t happy! Eventually I followed a tip I had read somewhere to place the dies at an angle when cutting, and this seemed to work much better, though large frames etc. are still a bit wavy. Mind you, I’m not sure how well that will work when I want to nest dies symmetrically to make a frame! 

To be honest I’m pretty disgusted that Crafter’s Companion could produce such an expensive due cutting machine then within 3 or 4 years the replaceable plates be no longer available. If I had known then what I know now I would never have bought this machine, but at the price I don’t really feel I can justify jettisoning it altogether. At this rate for any dies smaller than 6” I will be reverting to my trusty ancient Cuttlebug ! (yes I do still have it in the back of my craft cupboard!) Anyway, enough of that … it’s just too hot to get hot and bothered about it!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Midsummer Moon

Hi everyone, today I am dashing through the rapidly closing gate to make a last minute entry for the Lavinia June Creative Challenge - Midsummer Moon. Well … I say “dashing” … given the current extreme heat here in the UK it would be more accurate to say “ambling in a relaxed and apathetic manner” … but I’m sure you get the picture!

I cut a 14.3cm square of white stamping card, and masked off the outer edges with low tack tape to form an inner square. I created the background by blending Elements inks using a circle mask for the moon, then stamped the flowers using 2 colours of blue VFC to add depth. I removed the masking tape and stamped Mooch and the butterflies. I stamped the sentiment by masking words on 2 different sentiments, and oops! - despite being careful I ended up with a small ink blot below the sentiment, so I added some stamped stars to disguise it! I outlined the moon with Stardust pen then matted the finished panel onto midnight blue card and a 6” square card blank.

Stamps: Lavinia Mooch, Wild Poppies, Dandelions, Field Grass, Butterflies, Stars 1 Mini, Deeper than the Ocean, Believe In Magic;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Dark Denim, Della Blue, Pink Elephant); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Medieval Blue, Very Peri, Hawthorne Rose); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Lavinia acetate circle masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Ally’s Angels #107 - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals #106 - Include an Animal - TOP PICK

Crafty Catz #716 - Anything Goes

Creative Crafters #101 - Anything Goes

Girlz & the Art of Letters #29 - C is for … Cat

Lavinia Creative Challenge (June) - Midsummer Moon

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2625 - Anything Goes

Path of Positivity #142 - Anything Goes Positive (2nd entry)

Sweet Stampin’ - Anything but a Birthday

Word Art Wednesday #756/757 - Anything Goes (5th entry)

That’s all for today. Hope everyone is coping ok in the heatwave - I’m conserving my energy to urge on the England team later this evening! 😀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Birthday Glitter and Sparkle

Hi everyone, today I would like to share the card I made for my husband’s aunt’s birthday. As she is close family I like to make a bigger card than usual, and this Julie Hickey floral stamp is pretty large so perfectly suited to the task at hand. I have previously coloured this stamp with bright, vibrant colours, so I decided this time to ring the changes and go for pastel hues with some metallic glimmer, shimmer and glitter!

I cut a piece of white card 19.5cm x 13.5cm, and stamped and heat embossed the focal image using a fuchsia pink embossing glitter. I coloured the flowers with watered down and mixed pink, red and blue Posca sparkle pens topped with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, then coloured the leaves and flower centres with watered down gold metallic Posca pen. When dry I added some white Posca dots to the flower centres, stamped the sentiment in Hawthorn Rose VFC, then die cut and attached the dragonfly. I matted the finished panel into gold and pink mirror card  (the pink really doesn’t show up in the photograph!) and a C5 card blank.

Stamps: Julie Hickey - Julie’s Handpicked Blossoms & Blooms; Visible Image Birthday Wishes;

Media: Versafine Clair (Hawthorn Rose); Versamark; WOW! Petalicious embossing glitter; Posca sparkle pens topped- pink, red, blue; Posca pens (gold, white); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear);

Tools: Tattered Lace Cute Critters dragonfly die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Aud Sentiments #338 - Embossing (wet or dry) and/or Flowers + a Sentiment (2nd entry)

Beautiful Blossoms #42 - Anything Floral Goes (2nd entry)

Craft Rocket #137 - Birthday

Crafter’s Cafe (June) - Anything Goes with option Blooms (2nd entry)

Creative Colour Girlz #5 - Flowers (3rd entry)

Creative Moments #283 - Pastels or Brights

A Cut Above (June) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut (3rd entry)

Die Cut Divas (June) - Anything Goes with die cuts (4th entry)

Fab ‘n’ Funky #639 - Summer Flowers (3rd entry)

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #30 - Birthdays (2nd entry)

Inkspirational #370 - Leftovers

(My pink and gold mirror card were offcuts)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings

Tic Tac Toe #295 - Tic Tac Toe

1

(Floral/Pink/Birthday)

Triple B (June) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms (3rd entry)

Unicorn #121 - Flowers (3rd entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Rosey Daze

Hi everyone, I mentioned in a recent post that I had been the lucky recipient of a birthday gift voucher for AALLv& Create. Well, I placed my order (as you do), and my goodies duly dropped through the letter box. Two of the stamp sets I ordered were vintage style florals, and I have to confess they were a tad smaller than I had visualised, which set me wondering how best to use them. Then it came to me … a triptych card! Here it is.

I die cut the triptych base card from cream linen cardstock, and the three stamping panels from cream stamping card. I created a smooshed background on the stamping panels, then stamped the two focal roses using Portobello Versafine Clair. I coloured the flowers with Tim Holtz Distress watercolour pencils, then added random background stamping above and below the two images using Sand Dune VFC and a couple of Tracy Evans background stamps. I further added some script stamping below each image using Portobello VFC, and also background stamped onto my central panel. I stamped the sentiment onto a separate offcut of smooshed card, edged all the panels with Scorched Timber Distress Oxide, then attached the sentiment to the central panel. I die cut 3 mats from red cardstock then matted the stamped panels and attached to the card base. To finish I stamped a few spatters from another of my new A&C stamp sets.

The colour scheme for this card was inspired by a colour chart challenge in a FB craft group that I’m part of - Heidi the Yorkshire Crafter.

Stamps: AALL & Create TP-1251 Rosey Daze, TP-1249 Petal Pop (spatters), #906 Art Notes; Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE11 Background Elements; Visible Image Sketched Tulips (script); Penny Black …dreams… (PB 2711F);

Media: Lavinia Elements ink (Soft Cygnet); Versafine Clair (Portobello, Sand Dune); Tim Holtz Distress Watercolour pencils; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Scorched Timber); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Studio Light triptych die set.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Beautiful Blossoms #42 - Anything Floral Goes with optional Mood Board

Crafter’s Cafe (June) - Anything Goes with option Blooms

Creative Artiste #127 - Anything Mixed Media Goes (2nd entry)

Creative Colour Girlz #5 - Flowers (2nd entry)

A Cut Above (June) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut (2nd entry)

Daisy Chain #108 - Not Square - TOP 3

Die Cut Divas (June) - Anything Goes with die cuts (3rd entry)

Fab ‘n’ Funky #639 - Summer Flowers (2nd entry)

Heart’s Quest Lovable Quotables #5 - Use a Quote

Heart’s Quest Shaped Cards or Tags #18 - Shaped Card or Tag

Heidi the Yorkshire Crafter - Colour Challenge

Let’s Craft and Create #232 - Anything Goes with option Penny For Your Thoughts 

Moving Along With the Times #190 - Use Your Favourite Stamp, Die or Tool

(I have so many … but my triptych die is definitely right up there! )

Triple B (June) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms (2nd entry)

Unicorn #121 - Flowers (2nd entry)

We Love 2 Create #4 2026 - Anything Mixed Media/Papercrafting Goes

Word Art Wednesday #756/757 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

It looks like we are finally due for a spell of hot summery weather here in the UK - hope you enjoy your weekend, whatever you’re doing.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

I Spy With My Little Eye #38

Hi everyone, it’s the third Wednesday in the month so it’s time for a new I Spy With My Little Eye... challenge over at Ellibelle's Corner. Thanks so much to everyone who joined in last time - please do check over on Ellie’s blog to see if you are one of our top picks. 

This month it was Ellie’s turn to choose the theme, which is

I Spy With My Little Eye 

*** Something By the Sea ***

Perhaps it will put you in mind of summer vacations, though sadly we’ve certainly not been having much summer sunshine, at least here in the UK! 

Please don’t forget to pop over to Ellie's blog to see her fab creation and link up your entries here.

We are also delighted to welcome  Silke as guest designer -  - so please do click on her name to visit her blog and view her beautiful creation.

Here’s my card for the challenge. I won’t lie, this really was quite a challenge for me and I definitely had to get my thinking cap on. I have hardly any sea related images at all - no lighthouses, seagulls, beach huts, mermaids, palm trees - the only ones I do have are a couple of Inkylicious foaming waves, and one of them had never even been inked up… so now was the time! I decided to try a moonlit seascape, and here’s the result.

I cut a 13.5cm square of white card, and created the sea and horizon by masking the top of the card and blending Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. I then removed the mask and created the sky and moon with the same ink and an Inkylicious moon mask. I created some hills at the horizon by blending Nocturne VFC through an Inkylicious stencil, which I then reversed to create the reflection in the sea using Morning Mist VFC. I created a small strip of dark beach at the card base using Elements Soft Cygnet and Truffle inks, then stamped the wave stamps in Versamark and heat embossed white. I stamped a teeny sailboat that I found on the horizon, and highlighted the scene with Sakura Stardust pen. I went over the blue of the sea with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen to add shimmer, then added some white Posca sea spray, pastel pencil and Stardust pen for the moon’s reflection, and a flight of birds in the sky. I hand drew some stars dotted around the sky and added footprints on the beach and some shimmer to the moon. Finally I matted the finished panel  onto black cardstock and a card blank, then added a stamped sentiment.

Stamps: Inkylicious By the Sea - Waves, Shoreline; Sheena Douglass Draw the Line - Relax and Renew; Lavinia Deeper than the Ocean, Birds;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Chipped Sapphire); Lavinia Elements inks (Soft Cygnet, Truffle, Della Blue); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist, Medieval Blue, Sand Dune); Versamark, WOW opaque bright white embossing powder; Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white); pastel pencil (white);

Tools: Inkylicious Scenic Mountains Hill stencil.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Card Concept #228a - Summer by the Sea

Cardz 4 Galz #278 - Seaside/Coast

Crafty Calendar (June) - All about the Boys/Men - TOP 3

Crazy Is our Fame, Stencils are our Game (June) - Use a Stencil

Creative Inspiration #39 - Anything Goes

Dragonfly Dreams (June) - Masculine

Make My Monday #280 - Use a Stencil - TOP 3

Male Room #211 - The Outdoors

Path of Positivity #142 - Anything Goes Positive

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add a Sentiment (3rd entry)

Sweet Stampin’ - Something for the Boys

Word Art Wednesday #756/757 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

I’m actually really pleased for once with how this turned out, though I have to confess it was my second attempt - the first attempt was virtually finished apart from the sentiment when I decided to added some shimmer around the moon, and ended up completely messing up the sky! ☺️

The I Spy Challenge will end on the Sunday before the next challenge starts at 23:59 US Central Time - so this time that is Sunday July 12th, and the next challenge will begin on Wednesday July 15th.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,