I Spy With My Little Eye #35/36

Hi everyone, once again it’s the third Wednesday in the month which can only mean one thing … it’s time for another 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 time we have got double the fun for you, as we are running a two month long challenge with two themes, so you have got both plenty of time to enter, and plenty of choice of subject. So … our two themes for this challenge are

*** Spring Flowers***

and

*** Spring Showers ***

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 be joined by a guest designer - Jolanda - so please do click on her name to visit her blog and view her beautiful creation.

Here’s my card for the challenge - as you can see I decided to go with spring flowers.

Last autumn I bought a fabulous extra large background “spatter” stamp by Inkylicious at a craft fair, but for some unknown reason I had never inked it up until now. It is VERY big, so I decided to make a one layer card to give maximum space to accommodate it! I scored a piece of 30cm x 15cm Pink Frog super smooth card to make a square card blank, then dabbed various colours of Distress Oxide onto the stamp and spritzed with water then stamped - it acted rather, like a gel plate! I stamped the daffodils, then stamped again onto a separate snippet of card, coloured with Zig pens and Wink of Stella, fussy cut and attached. I stamped two bunnies in the corner which I highlighted with white Posca pen and pastel pencil, then stamped the sentiment - job done! 

Stamps: Inkylicious Spatter Circle XL; Visible Image Golden Daffodils; Lavinia Wild Hares (large); Uniko Spring Botanicals Snowdrop (sentiment);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Broken China); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Medieval Blue); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Posca pen (white); pastel pencil (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Beautiful Blossoms #39 - Anything Floral Goes with optional Mood Board

Craft Rocket #134 - No Designer Paper

Crafty Calendar (March) - Spring

Creative Crafting Uncles #75 - Spring and/or Easter - WINNER

Creative Moments #280 - Bunnies and Blooms

Daisy Chain #105 - Flowers

Ellibelle’s Garden Party #13 - Anything In or From a Garden

Four Seasons (March) - Spring (2nd entry)

Girlz Creative Crafts #66 - Flowers

Papercraft Challenges #128 - Joy of Spring

Passion for Markers #829 - Make It Bloom

Path of Positivity #139 - Anything Goes Positive

Simon Says (Monday) - Beautiful Blooms

Sparkles #198 - It’s Springtime!

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

Try It On Tuesday - Spring

The I Spy Challenge will end on the Sunday before the next challenge starts at 23:59 US Central Time - as our challenge runs for two months this time that is Sunday May 17th, and the next challenge will begin on Wednesday May 20th.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Believe In Magic 🧚

Hi everyone, time seems to be flying by at the moment and I am trying to enjoy the beautiful weather we’re having here in the UK, but I have managed to have a little crafty playtime, and here’s the result.

I cut a piece of stamping card 6.5” x 4.5” and created a background with blended Elements inks. I stamped a variety of Lavinia flowers using Versafine Clair in Nocturne, interspersed with Summertime and Sand Dune to add dimension. I stamped the hovering fairies and coloured their wings with Sakura Stardust pen, then added white Posca and Stardust pen highlights to the whole scene. I added a little more depth by blending some Elements with torn paper to form wispy clouds, then I stamped, cut out and attached my sentiment before matting the finished piece onto a black border and card blank. This is another very sparkly card which unfortunately I just can’t capture on camera!

Stamps: Lavinia Wild Poppies, Garden Poppy, Dandelions, Fairy Foragers, Believe In Magic;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Lemon Drop, Sundance, Russet Orange, Paprika, Truffle, Graphite); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Summertime, Sand Dune); Posca pen (white); Sakura Stardust pens (orange, yellow, clear);

Tools: Lavinia acetate circle masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (May) - Anything Goes with option Floral Delight (2nd entry) - TOP ROCKER

Beautiful Blossoms #29 - Anything Floral Goes - TOP 5

C.R.A.F.T. #755 - Anything Goes - TOP 3

Crafts Galore Encore #135 - Anything Goes

Do Al(l) Kreatives #101 - Anything Goes with option Flowers (2nd entry)

Dream Valley #336 - Things With Wings

Ellibelle’s Garden Party #3 - Anything In or From a Garden

Heart’s Quest Fantasy Challenge #5 2025 - Anything Goes Fantasy (2nd entry)

Inkspirational #341 - Hot - TOP PICK

Lavinia Creative Challenge (May) - Secret Garden (2nd entry)

Path of Positivity #131 - Anything Goes Positive

Simon Says (Monday) - Things With Wings

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings

Sisterhood of Crafters - Flowers

Word Art Wednesday  #698/699 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

I Spy With My Little Eye #20

Hi everyone, it’s the third Wednesday in the month again, 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. 

Ellie chose the challenge theme this month, and it is

I Spy With My Little Eye 

*** Colours of the Season ***

The gorgeous colours of autumn are all around us to give you inspiration! Don’t forget if you live in the southern hemisphere, you are welcome to use spring colours … just let us know! Please do 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 have recently made a few straightforward autumn cards so decided to go in a slightly different direction with a magical Lavinia scene. 

I started by creating a background on a square of white stamping card by blending progressively  deeper shades of dye ink outwards from the centre. I then stamped Luna using Nocturne Versafine Clair, then added Mooch looking up at her, and various foliage and mushrooms in Pinecone. I added some silhouette leaves on and falling from Luna’s branch using Elements inks, then coloured the mushrooms and leaves using my Zig pens and Luna’s wings with Stardust pens and Wink of Stella. I added some landscaping using Vintage Photo Distress ink and Mini Hill Masks and stamped some trees in the background and an owl in flight. I added some background wording using Sand Dune VFC and highlights with white Posca pen. Finally I matted the panel onto a black border and my card blank, and added a sentiment which I  stamped onto cream card and cut out.

Here’s an angled picture to give a hint of the sparkle on Luna’s wings.

Stamps: Lavinia Tree Goddess Luna, Mooch, Brodwin & Maylin, Oak Leaf Flourish, Oak Leaves, Small Trees, Elfin Cap Cluster, Slender Mushrooms Mini, Leaf 1 Mini, Mini Maple, Winter Spice; sentiment - Visible Image Erika’s Maple;

Media: Lavinia Elements ink(Sundance, Sahara, Russet Orange, Paprika); Spectrum Noir Harmony Dye ink (Bordeaux); Tim Holtz Distress ink (Vintage Photo); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Pinecone, Sand Dune); Kuretake Zig Clean Colour watercolour pens; Sakura Stardust pens (red, orange, yellow); Wink of Stella; Posca pen (white);

Tools: Lavinia Mini Hill Masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (October) - Anything Goes with option Lots of Leaves (3rd entry) - TOP ROCKER

Allsorts #802 - Magical, Myths and/or Legend

Crafter’s Cafe #313 - Fantasy

Crafty Catz #680 - Anything Goes with option Autumn Colours

Creative Inspirations (October) - The Season of Autumn (3rd entry)

Double Trouble #177 - Fall Bat Colour Challenge (2nd entry)

( I have used yellow, orange, red, brown)

Festive Friday (October) - Fall Colours (2nd entry)

Heart’s Quest Fantasy Challenge #10 - Anything Goes Fantasy

Moving Along With the Times #171 - Autumnal Colours (3rd entry)
My Time to Craft #544 - Autumn Season Colours (3rd entry)

Paper Funday #70 - Anything Goes with option Colours of Autumn (3rd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Fall Mood Board

Sparkles #181 - Toadstools/Mushrooms

Stamping Sensations (October) - Autumn Colours (3rd entry)

We Love Stamping (October) - Autumn (3rd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #669/670 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

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 November 17th, and the next challenge will begin on Wednesday November 20th.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

In the Moonlit Meadow

Hi everyone, last week I published a meadow scene card using my round gel press and some Lavinia flower stamps (here)  … and I enjoyed it so much and received such kind feedback. (particularly on the Lavinia fans’ FB page) I decided to make another one! This time night has drawn on and the previously sunlit meadow is now bathed in moonlight .. here it is.

I brayered 3 colours of Elements ink onto my gel press, spattered with water then took a print. I created the moon by blending more Elements ink around a small circle mask, then blending Brilliance Moonlight White pearlescent ink inside the circle.I masked outside the inked circle and stamped a variety of flowers and grasses using 1st/2nd generation Twilight and Monarch Versafine Clair, then added highlights with white Posca pen and my clear Sakura Stardust pen.i added a flight of birds in black, and added more sparkle to the moon with my Spectrum Noir sparkle pen. I stamped the sentiment onto separate card and positioned before attaching, to guide me where I should stamp the bird, which I also highlighted with white Posca and white Stabilo All pencil. I added random dots around the circle using silver metallic and purple sparkle Posca pens, plus dots of blue Stickles. Finally I matted the finished piece onto blue card stock and a 6” card blank.

Here is an angled picture to show the sparkle and shine!

Stamps: Lavinia Wild Poppies, Wild Summer Flower, Lavender, Field Grass, Bird Collection, Birds; sentiment - unknown;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Dark Denim, Della Blue, Violet Chalk); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Twilight, Monarch); Brilliance pearlescent ink (Moonlight White); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pens (white, silver); Posca sparkle pen (purple); Stabilo All pencil (white); Ice Stickles (blue);

Tools: Lavinia Roland gel press, acetate circle masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Craft Rocket #114 - Flowers

Krafty Chicks #714 - Stamps (2nd entry)

Lavinia Creative Challenge (May) - Favourite Florals (version without sentiment)

Make My Monday #225 - Florals

Moving Along With the Times #166 - Flowers - TOP 5

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2418 - Anything Goes

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

We Love 2 Create #4 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #645/646 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Worldwide Crafters and Colourists #16 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Sunshiny Day!

This month’s ATC swap theme over in the Visible Image FB group is “Summer Vibes”. The only really suitable VI stamp I have for this is the sunflower which I also used on last month’s swap, but hey … I did my best to make it look a bit different! As always I made a matching ATC and card, using only Visible Image stamps, stencils and/or dies.

Here's a closeup of the ATC.

I cut a piece of white stamping card 3.25” x 2.25”  and dragged it through some bright blue, green and yellow Elements inks which I had squished onto my craft mat and spritzed with water … I am really loving the vibrantly coloured backgrounds you can create with Elements. I stamped the sunflower onto a separate piece of card, coloured it with watered down Elements inks then fussy cut it out. I added some bright blue background script stamping to the panel then attached the sunflower and cut off the excess. I matted onto a standard ATC size piece of bright blue pearlescent card stock then added some random background white stencilling, and the sentiment which I had heat embossed in white onto black card stock. Finally I added white Posca pen dots to the sunflower centre and Glossy Accents.

Stamps: Visible Image Sunflower Grunge, Sketched Tulips (script);

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Blue Lagoon, Lime Punch, Sundance, Russet Orange, Bermuda; Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Paradise); Brilliance pearlescent ink (Moonlight White); Versamark; detail white embossing powder; Posca pen (white); Glossy Accents;

Tools: Visible Image stencil - Halftone.

Challenges I would like to enter (ATC):

Classic Design Challenge #8 - Anything Goes  - DT FAVOURITE

Crafting From the Heart #4 - Anything Goes (no cards) (3rd entry)

Creative Fingers #260 - Anything Goes

Double D - Sunflowers

Four Seasons (August) - Anything Goes Summer - TOP 3

Inkspirational #296 - Iridescent/clear

Paper a la Mode (August) - Seriously Art Inspired (no cards) (3rd entry)

(Van Gogh - Sunflowers)

Triple B (August) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms with optional Mood Board (3rd entry)

Try It On Tuesday - Sing a Song - TOP 5

(I Can See Clearly Now… (Sunshiny Day))

We Love 2 Create #7 - Anything Goes

Here is the co-ordinating card. This followed the same methodology as the ATC, just on a bigger scale!!

… and an angled pic of the card to show the Glossy Accents.

Challenges I would like to enter (card):

Beautiful Blossoms #8 - Anything Floral Goes with optional Mood Board

Cards 4 Galz #205 - A Summer Day

Crafter’s Cafe #300 - Colours of the Garden - TOP 3

Crafty Addicts #4 - Anything Goes

Creative Crafters #67 - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft #514 - Stencilling (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Your Favourite Technique (3rd entry)

(Smooshing and watercolouring)

Stamping Sensations (August) - Summer Mood Board - TOP 3

Time Out #245 - Colourful

Word Art Wednesday #609/610 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

On this bright and colourful note, I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. I’ll be sitting down shortly to watch the Lionesses in action in the World Cup final … hope they roar!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Snippets Galore!!

Hi everyone, hope you have all had a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and New Year, and that you're raring to go with a whole new year of crafting for 2023!

I was away for 12 days over the festive period and busy doing some Christmas prep in the few days before that, so today is the first day for 2 1/2 weeks I have had opportunity to sit down and craft.  I didn't need to do any, but I spotted over Christmas there is THE most amazing challenge going on over at the Snippets Playground, where the lovely Di and Sarn are teasing our creativity with the most incredible and generous prize imaginable! I always try to enter the Snippets challenge if I can, so no way was I going to miss participating in this one ... I'm just glad I've managed to find a crafty window just in time, so I can hand in my (last minute) homework, avoiding the excuse that it was eaten by the dog (naughty Dudley!) and thus narrowly escaping detention!! So to business ...

I tasked myself for this special Snippets Playground challenge to make a card ENTIRELY from snippets which is a bit unusual for me!! As I racked my brain for inspiration I hit upon the idea of making a card using die cut flowers and foliage, as that would give me the opportunity to use up quite a few small white card snippets. It also falls in quite neatly with the fact that a good friend is having quite a bit of dental work over the next few weeks, so I could make a card that will hopefully cheer her up.

I die cut my flowers and foliage from various snippets of white stamping card, then coloured them by painting with watered down Distress Oxide inks. I cut a larger snippet to 14cm square, blended Distress Oxides to give the impression of a hazy meadow and sky, then spattered with water to give a slightly mottled effect. I attached my flowers and foliage die cuts to the inked panel, and stamped my sentiment with Versafine Clair. I then cut out and attached a stitched frame using my new Hunkdory stitched square dies, from a large snippet of green linen cardstock that was left over from a 12" square sheet. Finally I matted the framed panel onto my card blank, added some gold Posca pen "spatter", and finished off with a die cut and a couple of punched butterflies .. again using a snippet of matt gold metallic card. I'm very pleased with the bright and cheerful way this card turned out ... here is an angled pic to show the shiny butterflies.

Stamps: Crafters Companion Sending Positivity (sentiment);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Twisted Citron, Bundled Sage, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Kitsch Flamingo, Shaded Lilac, Frayed Burlap); Versafine Clair (Medieval Blue); Posca pen (metallic gold);

Tools: Floral dies - Amazon; Magnolia Doohickeys - Butterfly Dreams; Hunkdory Moonstone dies - Duo-Stitched Squares; X-Cut small butterfly punch.

Challenges I would like to enter:

C.R.A.F.T. #663 - New

(stitched frame dies + the largest yellow flower, pink flower and brightest green foliage dies)

Creatalicious #250 - Anything Goes with option Something New

Creative Inspirations (January) - Something Old, Something New

(something old = butterfly die and punches, something new as above)

Creative Knockouts #485 - Anything Goes

Make My Monday #191 - Something New

Simon Says (Monday) - Light Up the New Year

(I am hoping to light up my friend's cheerfulness by sending positive thoughts)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Something New

Snippets Playground #444 - Anything But Christmas

Use your Stuff #474 - Stitching, Faux or Real

Word Art Wednesday #577/578 - Anything Goes

That's all from me for today ... I'll be back tomorrow with my DT card for the first Allsorts Challenge of 2023. Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #708/9

Hi everyone, it’s Christmas Eve, and time for a new Allsorts Challenge - the last one for 2022! Thanks to everyone who joined in with my challenge theme last week .. it was great to see all your entries 💕

Today we have a 2 week challenge so that the DT can get some well earned rest and family time over the festive period, and we'll hopefully be recharged and ready to go for 2023!  Brenda has chosen the theme and it is

*** Clean and Simple (CAS) ***

The festive season is a busy time for many people, but if you get even the smallest amount of crafting time we hope the CAS theme will enable you to join us.

We are finishing the year in style with not 1, not 2 but THREE fab prizes for this fortnight donated by our lovely patrons:

First a stamp set from AALL & Create

Secondly a stamp and die set from Highlight Crafts

Finally we have 3 digi images of a winner's choice from Ruth Hamilton Design

Here's my card for this fortnight, using a new Visible Image stamp set I treated myself to in the Black Friday sale 😍

This card really is as simple as it gets … I stamped the focal image onto a square of card using two colours of Versafine Clair, stamped the smaller background stamp to add a little interest, then added a stamped sentiment and couple of teeny heart gems 💕 Finally I edged the image panel with black marker pen and matted onto two matching colours of card stock.  

I have to say I’m really impressed with this stamp set .. the large flower has a real wow factor, and there is another flower, background and wording stamps waiting to be played with on another occasion! 😍

Stamps: Visible Image - Where Flowers Bloom; 

Media: Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Charming Pink, Summertime).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Color My Heart #528 - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore #106 - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar (December) - Anything Goes

Dare 2B Artzy (December) - CAS (Clean and Simple)

DL.Art (December) - Anything Goes

Dragonfly Dreams (December) - Anything But Christmas

Gem of a Challenge #26 2022 - Anything Goes

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2251 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #575/576 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Hope you can join us for our last challenge of 2022, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team, and remember that you have 2 weeks to enter this time - the challenge will close at 12:00 noon GMT on Friday 6 January 2023, and we will be back on Saturday 7 January with the first challenge of 2023.

Until then, wishing you all a 

🎄🎄🎄 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🎄🎄🎄

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #687

Good morning everyone, and welcome to this week's Allsorts Challenge. Mervi has chosen the theme this time and it is

*** Butterflies and/or Bugs ***

We are looking forward to seeing your fluttery or creepy crawly creations !! (I personally hate creepy crawlies especially spiders, but I'll force myself to look through my fingers lol!!)

This week we have 2 great prizes on offer from Craft Stash:

A beautiful stamp set, and a stencil.

Here's my card for this week.

This is the last stamp I have got round to using from a gorgeous AALl & create set I acquired from the FB UK Stampers' Forum Craft De-Stash site a few weeks ago. It is another really big stamp, which directed me  to make a DL card - except that when cutting down the already finished image panel I slightly misjudged so had slightly to cut down my base card to suit ..it's actually about an inch shorter than a normal DL!!  Oops! Anyhoo ...

I stamped and heat embossed my image, then smooshed on some Distress Oxide inks using acetate ... I particularly had in mind that this image would suit the 2 new DO colours "Saltwater Taffy" and "Uncharted Mariner". I also did a little stencilling with more Saltwater Taffy at each side, though that is a bit difficult to see in the photo, and stamped a background word "butterfly" from the same stamp set. I stamped and heat embossed a portion of the main stamp again on separate card, painted the butterfly with the 2 DO's then fussy cut and attached on top of the original image. I matted everything onto black linen card stock and attached to my card base, added a sentiment sticker, and finished off with Glossy Accents on the butterfly to give it an enamelled sheen. 

This was a really quick card for me! here's an angled pic to show the glossy accents on the butterfly. I have only recently started using Glossy Accents again after not doing so for years (I had to buy a new bottle as my other had seized up completely!!). This is quite a big glossy area and I noticed when it was dry there are a couple of bubbles ...never mind, I'll know not to do it by electric light next time so I can see what I'm doing properly!

Stamps: AALL & Create #449 - Through the Meadows;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Saltwater Taffy, Uncharted Mariner); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Twilight); Glossy Accents;

Tools: Darkroom Door stencil - Polka Dots;

Other: Tim Holtz "Small Talk" stickers.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps & More #434 - Any Occasion (2nd entry)

Colour Crazy Challenge #30 2022 - Anything Goes With Colouring

Creative Crafters #54 - Anything Goes (3rd entry) - TOP 3

Daring Cardmakers - Stencil It!

Krafty Chicks #622 - All Occasions

NBUS #40 - Use Your Never Before Used Schtuff (3rd entry)

(Mine is my main stamp, and Uncharted Mariner DO ink pad)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #553/554 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,