The North Wind Doth Blow 🌬️

Hi everyone, the theme for the January ATC swap in Tracy Evans’ FB Group was the first verse of a traditional nursery rhyme, as follows …

The North wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow,
And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?

Clearly thoughts turn immediately to wintry scenes, and I couldn’t resist using the teeny robin from the older Tracy stamp set “Robin and Nuthatch”. 

The eagle eyed amongst you may have spotted that we are already into February … yes, I’m very behind with these, but luckily the swap organiser has given everyone an extension until mid-February due to other commitments she has. Here is what I made.

I cut 4 pieces of stamping card each 3.25”  x 2.25”, all from small snippets. On each ATC I created a frosty background by stencilling Della Blue Elements ink through a Visible Image “Frosty” stencil, then stamped 2 trees from set TE23 using Medieval Blue and Very Peri Versafine Clair. I stamped some teeny background winter wording from TE23 in Morning Mist, then stamped the robin in Nocturne and coloured him with Zig pens and a white Posca tummy. I grounded the robin with grey Inktense pencil blended out with a water brush, and added white Posca highlights to the trees and clear Sakura Stardust pen to add some frosty sparkle. I added some white Posca spatters for snow, then stamped the sentiment from various small white snippets using individual letters from set TE32, cut out, edged in black and attached. Finally I matted each piece onto a 3.5” x 2.5” piece of dark blue linen card stock - again cut from snippets.

Here’s a closeup of one of them …

 … and an angled picture to show the sparkle.

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE23 Winter Delights, TE32 Alpha Florals; AALL & Create #690 Robin and Nuthatch;

Media: Lavinia Elements ink (Della Blue); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Medieval Blue, Very Peri, Morning Mist); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Posca pen (clear); Inktense pencil (grey);

Tools: Visible Image stencil - Frosty.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #485 - Diecuts and/or Stencils (3rd entry)

As You Like It - Favourite Stamping or Digi (and why?)

(I love my physical stamps - never quite got the hang of placement for digis)

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

Creative Aunts #98 - Bingo  (2nd entry)

(blue/stamped images/handmade background)

Four Seasons (February) - Anything Goes Winter (2nd entry)

Moving Along With the Times #175 - Things With Wings

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2505 - Anything Goes

Papercraft #114 - Winter Wonders (2nd entry)

Snippets Playground #499 - Use Snippets

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

I’ve pretty much got behind with everything since Christmas as my mojo seems to have gone on a winter holiday, but I’m  determined to catch up with myself this month including both my ATC’s AND my calendar … watch this space! 

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Birthday Wishes

Hi everyone, today I would like to share the card I made for a good friend’s birthday which falls today.

Right now the latest “thing” over on Tracy Evans’ FB page is thrinchies - little three inch square pieces of artwork - and Tracy has been posting a number of videos for her followers to follow along and/or create their own interpretations. I haven’t made any thrinchies yet (though I am hoping to soon), but this card was inspired by Tracy’s thrinchie #11. I took the idea of the focal flower and ferns on a tag and the colour scheme, and scaled it up using a die cut tag, also creating a mixed media background inspired by some recent AALL & Create samples I’ve seen.

To create the background I blended Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio and Salty Ocean Distress Oxide inks over a large rectangle of white card, spritzed with water then blotted dry. I then lightly brayered the 3 colours of DOX over the top followed by a little white acrylic paint to soften the overall look. I randomly stamped some arty letters using Versamark and heat embossed white, then added some light stencilling using Salty Ocean DOX through AALL & Create Digits Checked stencil. I then stamped some random text using Tracy’s Background Elements stamp with Bali Blue and Verdant Versafine Clair. 

I die cut a tag then stamped the focal flower using the 3 colours of VFC, shaded with watercolour pencils and Stabilo white pencil to add some extra definition, then added fine white Posca highlights. I stamped some small ferns around the base of the tag using 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation DOX then added some random text using Bali Blue VFC. I stamped a teeny hare in the bottom corner which I grounded with grey Inktense pencil, and added the date in 2nd generation Morning Mist VFC. I edged the tag with blended DOX, punched a hole and threaded with some twine repurposed from the packaging of an order I received from Tracy 😀

I created the sentiment by stamping individual letters from TE32 Alpha Florals then enclosed within stamped sentiment frames from the same set, which I cut out ready to attach. I stamped a smaller sentiment onto a tag repurposed from Tracy’s packaging then assembled the finished card onto a C5 card blank.

As this card was for a special friend I also decorated the inside with another stamped and coloured flower and a grungy Visible Image sentiment. 

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE32 Alpha Florals, TE3 Fern, TE16 ArtsyAlpha/Numbers, TE11 Background Elements, TE31 Nature’s Beauty; AALL & Create #455 Seasons; Visible Image Birthday Wishes;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio, Salty Ocean); Versafine Clair (Bali Blue, Verdant, Morning Mist, Nocturne, Portobello); Versamark; WOW Opaque white super fine embossing powder; watercolour pencils; Stabilo pencil (white);  Posca pen (white); acrylic paint (white);

Tools: AALL & Create die #30 Taggletastic, stencil #110 Digits Checked.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps & More #485 - Diecuts and/or Stencils (2nd entry)

Ally’s Angels #90 - Anything Goes

Beautiful Blossoms #25 - Anything Floral Goes (2nd entry)

Cardz 4 Galz #242 - Anything but Square

Crafter’s Cafe #315 - Birthdays

Crafty Catz #686 - Anything Goes with option Blue and Green

Creative Aunts #98 - Bingo

(blue/stamped images/handmade background)

Creative Crafting Uncles #61 - Happy Birthday

Creative Inspirations (January)  - Something Old/Something New (3rd entry)

(New stamp set TE32 Alpha Florals, old stencil #110)

Everybody Art #571 - Anything Goes

Fab ‘n’ Funky #609 - Include a Stamped Image (3rd entry)

Hallowe’en and Other Occasions #23 - Birthday

Little Red Wagon #792 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Shopping Our Stash #540 - Crafty Remnants

(kraft tag and twine - I don’t have a craft desk so they weren’t left out on it, but were with my leftovers in the cupboard ready to be used) 

Simon Says (Monday) - Bright and Cheerful

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (4th entry)

I only realised right near the end of making this that I had mistakenly die cut my tag using the larger matting layer from the die set which is not as detailed as the smaller layer, which of course also meant I could not create a die cut mat for my tag!  Doh!! Never mind … I’m still pretty pleased overall with how it turned out, so onwards and upwards!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

It’s February, and Love Is In the Air! 💕

Hi everyone, here I am back again with a second post today - anyone looking for my Heart’s Quest Fantasy Challenge guest DT post, please see here.

Towards the end of last year I started decorating a Lavinia 2025 calendar, which is a really fun though very intricate and time consuming project. By the end of the year I had completed 5 of the 12 pictures, meaning I need to complete the remaining ones this year before a particular month rolls around and I need to turn the page over! The first missing one was February, and for one reason or another I had kept putting it off until I finally sat down to it at 4:30pm on January 31st!! Talk about last minute! However I managed to get it finished in time and here it is.

I can’t photograph the whole calendar page as the calendar is now in use, but the illustration for February is of 2 hedgehogs so I decided to make that the focus of my picture, which I wanted to reflect both a romantic and wintry theme. 

I cut a 19.5cm x 14.5cm piece of stamping card and created a heart by blending Della Blue Elements ink through a stencil (the colour is pretty faint … methinks I need to replace that inkpad as it is very well used!). I edged the heart with stamped mini leaves in Arctic and very Peri Versafine Clair, then stamped some teeny snowflakes alternating between Medieval Blue VFC and Platinum Planet Brilliance ink. I stamped the 2 cute hedgies from the Wallace family inside the heart then added some landscape with blended Elements ink using a Mini Hill Mask. I added a few background trees in various shades of blue VFC and a dangling heart Fairy Charm. I stamped the sentiment in Medieval Blue then added some random scattered hearts in Hawthorn Rose. To finish I edged the panel with Dark Denim Elements and a dark blue marker pen, and added a few white Posca highlights here and there. 

Stamps: Lavinia Wallace Family, Small Pine Trees, Christmas Tree Group, Fairy Charms,  Snowflakes, Mini Leaf 1, Group of Hearts Mini, The world is full of beauty (retired);

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Della Blue, Dark Denim); Versafine Clair (Very Peri, Arctic, Medieval Blue, Pinecone, Hawthorn Rose, Nocturne); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Press to Impress heart stencil; Lavinia acetate Mini Hill masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps & More #485 - Diecuts and/or Stencils

As You See It #340 - Pesky Resolutions

(Mine is to finish the 2025 calendar I didn’t complete by the start of the year!)

Classic Design Challenge #1 2025 - Anything Goes with option Winter Fun  (3rd entry)

Country View FB Challenge (February) - Romance or Friendship

Crafty Animals #91 - Include an Animal

Crafty Calendar (February) - Hearts

Creatalicious #285 - Anything Goes with option Love Is In the Air (2nd entry)

Dream Valley #329 - Use Pink or Red

FarmQuest #68 - Animals That Hibernate

Four Seasons (February) - Anything Goes Winter

Heart’s Quest #70 - Include a White, Pink or Purple Heart

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #201 - Hearts Galore

Outlawz (February) - Anything Goes In a Card Free Zone

Papercraft Challenge #114 - Winter Wonders

Path of Positivity #127 - Anything Goes Positive (4th entry)

Pearly Sparkles #104 - Love Is In the Air

{PIN}spirational #322 - Quilt of Hearts

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

Sweet Stampin’ (February) - Love

I’m definitely hoping that I will manage to get on with my calendar during the next month … that was a bit too close for comfort!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Heart’s Quest Fantasy Challenge - February Guest DT

Hi everyone, well here we are in February already …. Where does the time go?? I was really thrilled to be asked by Becca to be a guest designer for this month’s Heart’s Quest Fantasy Challenge (formerly known as The Fairy and the Unicorn), so of course I said yes! 

The theme for HQFCB is always

Anything Fantasy Goes

This month there is also the additional fantasy option of Leprechauns.

Please do pop over to the challenge blog to see the wonderful fantasy creations from the design team and to link up your entries.

I don’t have any leprechaun images, but as my regular visitors will know I DO have a selection of Lavinia fairies, so I thought it about time one of them should come out to play. Here is what I made.

I die cut a large stitched square of white stamping card and created my background by blending Elements inks using Lavinia Mini Hill and Circle masks. I then stamped the fairy and a selection of coordinating flowers, with 2nd generation stamped field grass behind. I coloured the poppies and fairy wings with Sakura Stardust pens, and added some shadow to ground the fairy with grey Inktense pencil. I added some hanging vines to the top of the scene, then highlighted everything with fine white Posca pen and clear Stardust pen. I stamped a magical sentiment, which I thought seemed particularly appropriate as this fairy always looks to me so pensive, as if she is daydreaming. To finish I added a flight of birds in the distance and matted the finished piece onto a 6” square card blank.

Here’s an angled picture to show the sparkle.

Stamps: Lavinia Moments Like These, Group Poppies, Field Grass, Vine Flourish, Birds; Crafter’s Companion Magical Sentiments;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Confetti, Della Blue, Dark Denim, Graphite); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Twilight, Hawthorne Rose); Sakura Stardust pens (pink, blue, purple, clear); Nktense pencil (grey); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Hunkydory Moonstone duo stitched square dies; Lavinia acetate Mini Hill masks and circle masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Beautiful Blossoms #25 - Anything Floral Goes (2nd entry)

Do-Al(l) Kreatives #98 - Anything Goes with option Wings

Fab ‘n’ Funky #609 - Include a Stamped Image (2nd entry)

Krafty Chicks #753 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Little Red Wagon #792 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Mix It Up #75 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Path of Positivity #127 - Anything Goes Positive (3rd entry)

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

Try It OnTuesday - Oh What a Night

I’d like to thank Becca for asking me to a guest designer at HQFCB this month.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Rainbow Bridge 🌈

Hi everyone, a lady who I know from a social group I attend told me earlier in the week that her cat had passed away, and she was naturally feeling very distressed so I thought I would make her a “rainbow bridge” card to let her know I’m thinking of her. I decided to keep it simple, with just a focal silhouette cat gazing into the distance as he/she sits at the end of the rainbow.

I scored a piece of 30cm * 15cm Pink Frog super smooth card so that I could make a one layer card and stamp and ink blend directly onto it. First I created the landscape by blending Pine Elements ink using a Lavinia Mini Hills Mask, then created a soft cloudy sky by blending Della Blue Elements with a cloud stencil by My Favorite things. (I actually bought the cloud stencil months ago and have never used it until now! ☺️)  

I had to get my thinking cap on to create the rainbow as I don’t possess any rainbow stamps or stencils, so I created a home made 2 part paper stencil and blended rainbow shades of Elements through it one by one. I then stamped Mooch the cat sitting at the end of the rainbow, and 2 small butterflies which I coloured with Sakura Stardust pens in rainbow hues. I added Stardust pen lines between each rainbow colour,  and finished with a sentiment stamped onto separate card, fussy cut and attached.

Stamps: Lavinia Mooch, Mini Butterfly; Penny Black Hugs (sentiment);

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Della Blue, Paprika, Russet Orange, Sundance, Pine, Blue Lagoon, Dark Denim); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Sakura Stardust pens (red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, purple, clear);

Tools: My Favorite Things cloud stencil; home made rainbow stencil.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (January) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Classic Design Challenge #1 2025 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (January) - Use a Stencil (3rd entry)

Creative Crafters #84 - Anything Goes

Fab ‘n’ Funky #609 - Include a Stamped Image

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #1 2025 - Sympathy

Krafty Chicks #753 - Anything Goes

Let’s Craft and Create #215 - Anything Goes with option Use a Sentiment (2nd entry)

Little Red Wagon #792 - Anything Goes 

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

That’s all from me for today. Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Simon Says (Monday) - Have a Heart

Hi everyone,

I can scarcely believe it, but January is almost over and today is my 4th and final week as Guest Designer for the  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. As they say, time really does fly when you’re enjoying yourself!

This week’s theme is

Have a Heart

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz  on the challenge blog post!  You can enter 5 times so that's 5 possible chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance - good luck everyone!

Here’s my final Designer Spotlight card for this week’s challenge (links to my supplies are below the description). 

I was delighted to discover that Simon Says Stamp stocks products by one of my favourite UK designers, Tracy Evans Boutique Designs, so I just had to use them for this make which was inspired by some techniques used by Tracy herself in recent designs.

I cut a 5 1/2” square of stamping card, drew round the heart mask from Tracy Evans Snippet Stencil SS12 “Heart” onto masking paper to create an adhesive mask, then spritzed the card with water and daubed Distress Oxide inks around the mask with a fine paintbrush. I continued to daub and spritz until I was happy with the colour distribution, then I flicked water droplets onto it using my Tim Holtz distress splatter brush and dabbed with kitchen roll to create a mottled effect. I dried the panel and removed the mask, then stamped the large and small flowers from TE5 Clematis using Twilight Versafine Clair. 

I coloured the flowers using watered down Distress Oxide inks and added highlights with a fine white Posca pen. I then added some 2nd generation background stamping using TE16 Artsy Alphas/Numbers in Very Peri VFC and TE11 Background Elements in Twilight. I stamped some hanging hearts in the top left corner from TE6 Branched Heart and some teeny hearts in shades of purple from TE10 Quirky Birds, then added more white Posca highlights and also drew around the heart with a grey pencil and blended out with a water brush to add a bit more depth.

 I stamped a sentiment frame from TE32 Alpha Florals onto a separate snippet of white card and stamped part of a sentiment from TE5 Clematis inside the frame, then attached with 2 little birds from TE30 Garden Elements sitting on top. To finish I added some white Posca spatters and matted onto black and lavender card stock and a 7” square card blank.

Here are links to what I used:

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE5 Clematis, TE6 Branched Heart, TE10 Quirky Birds, TE11 Background Elements, TE16 Artsy Alphas/Numbers, TE30 Garden Elements, TE32 Alpha Florals;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Villainous Potion, Wilted Violet, Shaded Lilac, Blueprint Sketch, Salty Ocean); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Very Peri, Lilac Bloom, Monarch, Nocturne); Posca pen PC1M (white);

Tools: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Snippet Stencil SS12 - Heart; Tim Holtz Distress splatter brush.

Don’t forget to visit the challenge blog to see the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time (EST), 1pm UK time (GMT), 2 pm CET to join in.

Challenges I would like to enter: 

613 Avenue Create (January) - Anything Goes

Beautiful Blossoms #25 - Anything Floral Goes

Classic Design Challenge #1 2025 - Anything Goes

Creatalicious #285 - Anything Goes with option Love Is In the Air

Festive Friday (January) - Use Blue (3rd entry)

Love to Craft #84 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Paper Funday #72 - Anything Goes with option Monochrome

Snippets Playground #498 - Use Snippets with option Love Is In the Air

(Sentiment stamped onto small snippet of white card, and larger snippets used for black  (my last large snippet!!) and lavender matting)

We Love 2 Create #2 2025 - Anything Mixed Media/Papercrafting Goes

Word Art Wednesday #683/684 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

I’d like to finish off today by saying a huge thankyou to Lols and all on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge for having me in the Designer Spotlight for January - it’s been amazing and a huge amount of fun!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Simon Says (Monday) - Fun With Foil!

Hi everyone,

January is flying by, and I’m here again for my third week as Guest Designer for the  

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

This week’s theme is

Fun With Foil

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz  on the challenge blog post!  You can enter 5 times so that's 5 possible chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance - good luck everyone!

Here's my card for this week - everything used on this card is new  (links to my supplies are below the description). 

This was an interesting challenge for me, as I have only used foil once before in a very simplistic way and have no equipment for hot foiling, so I decided to try a simple cold foiling technique. I used Therm O Web Transfer Gel Duo, which is a gel paste for use with deco foil that can be set either with heat via a laminator, or with pressure via a die cutting machine. I cut a 6” square of white stamping card and applied the gel through a Simon Says Stamp Geo Leaves stencil, and allowed it to dry. I then rubbed over a sheet of Therm O Web Rainbow Deco Foil and ran through my die cutting machine, then peeled off the foil sheet to reveal the foiled panel. The key to this technique is to ensure you let the paste dry until it is clear before foiling, otherwise you don’t get a crisp result - I found it’s best to leave it for a couple of hours. 

I stamped a sentiment from the Therm O Web OH HELLO  stamp and die set using Versamark and heat embossed white, then die cut with the matching die. I attached the sentiment to a blank portion of the foiled panel then matted onto black and gold mirror card stock and a 7” card blank.

Here are links to what I used:

Stamps/dies: Therm O Web OH HELLO stamp and die set;

Media: Therm O Web Transfer Gel Duo, Therm O Web Rainbow Deco Foil Transfer Sheets; Versamark; WOW Opaque Bright White Super Fine embossing powder;

Tools: Simon Says Stamp Geo Leaves stencil.

Don’t forget to visit the challenge blog to see the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time (EST), 1pm UK time (GMT), 2 pm CET to join in.

Challenges I would like to enter: 

Cardz 4 Galz #241 - Use Stencils (2nd entry) - TOP 3

Colourful Options (January) - Rainbow Inspired

Crafty Catz #685 - Anything Goes

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (January) - Use a Stencil (2nd entry)

Daisy Chain #92 - No Designer Paper (2nd entry)

Die Cut Divas (January) - Use Something New  (3rd entry)

Dream Valley #328 - Something New (2nd entry)

Fab ‘n’ Funky #608 - All Things Bright and Beautiful

Love to Craft #84 - Anything Goes

Love To Scrap #171 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

My Time to Craft #551 - Use a Sentiment (2nd entry)

NBUS #70 - Use Your Never-Before-Used-Schtuff

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Clean and Simple

We Love 2 Create #1 2025 - Anything Mixed Media/Papercrafting Goes (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #683/684 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) 

Word Power (January) - Focal Sentiment

Quite a different card today from my usual style, but it’s good to get outside our comfort zone sometimes! 😀 I found the rainbow coloured foil particularly suited to lend a wow factor to a simple design, so am pretty pleased with how it turned out. 

Take care, and thanks for visiting my blog today.

Hugs,