Wednesday, 19 August 2026

I Spy With My Little Eye #40 🌻🌻



Hi everyone, it’s the third Wednesday in August so it’s time already 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 

*** Sunflowers or Something Yellow ***

A lovely summery theme I’m sure you’ll agree!  Please don’t forget to pop over to Ellie's blog to see her fab creation and link up your entries here.

Here’s my card for the challenge. I love sunflowers and own several sunflower stamps, but I think this Visible Image one is my favourite. I decided to CASE a previous card I made three years ago - more details further down this post.


I cut a 13cm square piece of stamping card, and created a vibrant smooshed background using Lavinia Elements inks. I stamped the focal sunflower then added background script stamping in Twilight VFC, and stencilling using both Brilliance Moonlight White pigment ink, and Rainforest VFC. 

I stamped the sunflower again onto a separate snippet of card and coloured with Zig pens with white Posca accents, then fussy cut and attached to the smooshed panel on top of the original image. I die cut an aperture frame into a piece of white card then cut down the piece to 16cm square. I attached the flower panel behind the aperture, then matted onto a teal border and a 7” square card blank. I stamped a bee onto separate card, coloured with Zig pens and Spectrum Noir sparkle pen on the wings, then cut out with the matching die. To finish I stamped my sentiments onto the white frame, attached the die cut bee and added Glossy Accents to the centre of the sunflower.


Stamps: Visible Image Sunflower Grunge, Sketched Tulips, Bee Happy;
Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Blue Lagoon, Green Parrot, Sundance); Versafine Clair (Noctune, Twilight, Rainforest); Brilliance pigment ink (Moonlight White); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Posca pen (white); Glossy Accents;
Tools: Visible Image Bee Happy die; Craft Addiction UK Stitch Craft Fusion Frames; Visible Image Off the Grid stencil.

Challenges I would like to enter:



Aud Sentiments #340 - Summer + a Sentiment
Beautiful Blossoms #44 - Anything Floral Goes (2nd entry)
Classic Design Challenge #08 2026 - Anything Goes with option Use Die Cuts
Crafty Gals’ Corner - Anything Goes with option Summer Vibes
Creative Artiste #129 - Anything Mixed Media Goes
Creative Color Girlz #7 - Summer (2nd entry)
A Cut Above (August) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut
Ellibelle’s Garden Party #18 - Anything In or From a Garden 
Four Seasons (August) - Summer (2nd entry)
Hand Stamped Sentiments #495 - Inspiration Photo

Heidi the Yorkshire Crafter (August) - Flowers
Inkspirational #374 - Garden (2nd entry)
Inspiration Station #88 - Inspiration Photo


Sweet Stampin’ - Summer Fun
Triple B (August) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms
We Love 2 Create #8 2026 - Anything Mixed Media/Papercrafting Goes

As I mentioned at the start of this post, my card today was inspired by CASEing a card a made three years ago - here’s the original, and here is a link to the original post with info about how I made it.


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 September 13th, and the next challenge will begin on Wednesday September 16th.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Summertime Blues


Hi everyone, still not been finding much time for crafting, and I’ve also been rather put off by all the hot weather we’ve been having, but I thought I’d just pop by today with a very simple one layer card inspired by the current Simon Says (Wednesday) challenge ‘Summertime Blues’.


I took a 7” x 5” card blank and stamped a scribble background directly onto the front using various shades of Distress Oxide inks, which I then lightly spritzed with water. I stamped the flower and sentiment using Twilight VFC, then added a small scattering of dewdrop gems - that‘s it!

Stamps: Unity Stamps Insightful Meadows; Crafter’s Companion Positive Thoughts ‘Sharing the Love’; unbranded scribble stamp; 
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Speckled Egg, Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch); Versafine Clair (Twilight);
Other: Crafter’s Companion Dew Drops.

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA Colourful #31 - Colour Board


Beautiful Blossoms #44 - Anything Floral Goes
Creative Crafters #103 - Anything Goes
Neglected Stuff (August) - Use Your Neglected Stuff
(all the stamps on this card)
Papercraft #133 - Back to Basics
Simon Says (Wednesday) - Summertime Blues
Simply Clean & Simple (August) - Anything CAS Goes

That’s all for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with my make for Ellie’s ‘I Spy With My Littke Eye’ challenge.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Saturday, 1 August 2026

Sunflower Meadow


Hi everyone, I’ve been missing in action for a couple of weeks as I’ve had a week’s holiday in Weymouth, where we had a fantastic time in a charming olde worlde cottage in the old harbour quarter with great sightseeing and wonderful hot sunny weather. Not really had any time for crafting, but I had to get busy over the past couple of days as my August calendar page was due! Inspired by the illustration of Bumble and Hum on the calendar page plus the summery weather we have been having, I created a sunflower meadow scene. It’s not my best as I felt a bit rushed, but at least I can turn the calendar page over now!!


I cut a piece of white stamping card 19.5cm x 14.5cm and stamped the focal sunflowers and bees. I masked them with masking sheet then created the background by blending Elements inks. I removed the masks and coloured the sunflowers and bees with Zig pens, adding some white Posca accents, plus some gold Wink of Stella. I stamped some additional meadow flowers and grasses, which I also accented with white Posca. Finally I added Glossy Accents to the sunflower centres and added a sticker sentiment.


Stamps: Lavinia Open Sunflower, Bumble and Hum, Summer Flowers, Field Grass, Winter Foliage;
Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Blue Lagoon, Blue Toll, Green Parrot, Pine); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Avocado,Shady Lane, Sand Dune); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Wink of Stella (gold); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white); Glossy Accents;
Other: Lavinia sentiment stickers 6.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Beautiful Blossoms #43 - Anything Floral Goes (5th entry)
Everybody Art #603 - Summertime (2nd entry)
Girlz & the Art of Letters #32 - F is for .. - TOP 3
(Flowers)
Paper Funday (July) - Anything Goes
Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes
Sisterhood of Crafters (July) - Flowers (2nd entry)
Try It on Tuesday - Summer Blooms

Here are a few photos from my recent holiday …. Some lovely scenery and great places to visit in that part of the world.

Weymouth Harbour

Portland Castle


Chesil Beach

Portland Bill

Cerne Abbey

Cerne Abbas Giant

Gold Hill in Shaftesbury

Stonehenge

Salisbury Cathedral

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, whatever you’re doing. Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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