Allsorts Challenge #652

Good morning everyone, hope you are all safe and well after last night’s horrendous winds … my husband is currently out in the back garden inspecting some smashed fence panels !!

The weekend is here again, so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Brenda has chosen the theme and it is

Anything Goes with a Hand Stamped or Digital Image

So we just need to see any image as the focal point of your project this week … pretty easy we hope 😀

This week we have 2 gorgeous prizes on offer:

2 Bee Crafty Border stamps

and

Ruth Hamilton Design

is offering 3 images of the winner's choice.

My card this week allowed me to play with my new Lavinia Christmas stamps and masks the same day as they arrived, so it is a bit of an experiment, but I’m very pleased with how it turned out. 

I used my new hill masks to blend inks for my hills,  then a circle mask to create my moon and sky with Distress Oxides. I stamped my reindeer and trees using various shades of Versafine and Versafine Clair to give a bit of dimension, and  using a mask to create the small trees in the background from the top of my small fairy fir. I used my circle mask negative to stamp my wording over the moon, stamped some berries round the edges and a sentiment, and highlighted the moon and trees with my Sparkle pen. Finally I spattered the whole panel with white acrylic paint to create snowflakes. It was my first time trying spattering with white acrylic paint and it wasn’t altogether successful … pretty uncontrolled and VERY messy .. now thinking about getting a Posca pen to try 😀

Stamps: Lavinia “Large Reindeer”, “Fairy Fir Tree 2”, “Small Fairy Fir Tree”, “Small Fairy Fir Tree 2”, “Winter Magic”, “Mini Berries”; sentiment - Pink Gem Designs;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks - Chipped Sapphire, Villainous Potion, Picked Raspberry, Kitsch Flamingo, Stormy Sky; Versafine ink - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Twilight, Morning Mist; Sakura Gelly Roll pen - Stardust;

Tools: Lavinia acetate masks - circles and hills.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Classic Design Challenge (November) - Anything Goes (10th entry)

C.R.A.F.T. #619 - Winter

Crafter’s Castle #47 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Dream Valley #259 - Anything Goes

NBUS #32 - Use Never Before Used Schtuff (2nd entry)

(mine is almost all the Lavinia stamps, Villainous Potion DO, Morning Mist VFC and the acetate masks),

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2147 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

SheepSki Designs Challenge #56 - ‘Tis the Season (3rd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy #106 - Anything Christmas Goes

Try It on Tuesday - Winter Wonderland

I look forward to visiting your blogs and seeing your entries this week. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team. 

Have a great weekend and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Thinking of You

Today I would like to share a simple card I made to showcase one of the beautiful Rachel Vass Designs digital images I won last week - I don't use digital images very much, but I just couldn't wait to print off this one and colour it.

 I coloured the image with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers, and created a co-ordinating smoosh background with my DO and DI inks. I also spattered the background lightly with silver acrylic paint, though that didn’t show up too well. I kept the mounting simple as I really wanted the image to be the focal point of the card, though I found a bit of two-tone ribbon in my stash that was such a perfect match I just had to use it! 

Stamp: Rachel Vass Designs "Happiness Blooms" (digi); sentiment - "Meadow Flowers" free with cardmaking magazine;

Media: flower - Promarkers and Flexmarkers; background - Tim Holtz DO and DI inks, silver acrylic paint;

Ribbons and gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of A Challenge #23 - Anything Goes

Classic Design Challenge (November) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Colour Crazy Challenge #44 - Anything Goes

Crafter's Cafe #277 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crafty Calendar (November) - Anything Goes

Creative Moments #226 - Anything Goes

I ♥ Promarkers #447 - Anything Goes - TOP 3

Passion For Markers #617 - Three of a Kind

(I have used 3 sparkly gems)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Thinking of You

Weather is looking grim so I may well stay in and have another crafting session this afternoon. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #649

Good morning everyone … It’s Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Tracy has chosen the theme and it is

From Boys to Men

We have 2 more brilliant prizes on offer this week:

 Firstly, Craft Stash 

are offering this lovely Woodware stamp and sentiment set

and secondly, Ruth Hamilton Design

is offering 3 images of the winner's choice.

Here's my card for this week.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Derbyshire for the weekend, and  I visited the Crafter’s Companion Shop in Chesterfield during their 16th birthday week celebrations. The primary purpose of my visit was to get some cardstock and other craft basics, but while I was there I noticed they had some shelves of special "birthday bundles",  so I treated myself to one consisting of 3 stamp and stencil sets .. effectively less than half price - nice! A great way to increase my stock of basic stencil designs which was starting from a zero base as I never used them until recently 😀. 

This card was made using the stencils in the “It’s Time” set. Firstly I created a smooshed background with Distress Ink and Distress Oxide plus a matching smaller panel. I stencilled the hessian design using the same inks, then stencilled the clocks using Black Soot DO. I stencilled the largest clock onto the smaller inked panel using Versamark and embossed it with detail white embossing powder, then cut out and mounted on foam pads. I also added a teeny bit af 2nd generation text stamping, though that is hardly visible!  I stamped and embossed my sentiments and mounted on foam tape, and finished by blending Black Soot DO around the card edges and spattering the design lightly with my new gold acrylic paint. 

Here’s a tip for anyone in the UK who would like to use acrylic paint just for spattering so doesn’t need a lot  - I bought a pack of 4 mini tubes of metallic colours (gold, silver, copper, bronze) from WH Smith for just £2.49 😀

I noticed afterwards that the embossing on my sentiments was a bit untidy ... I think I got distracted as I had a small embossing powder spillage!  So my story is that it's all part of the grungy vibe!!

Stamps: background text - Woodware “Additions”; sentiments - Uniko “Birthday Sentiments”;

Media: Tim Holtz DI (Dusty Concord) and DO (Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot); WH Smith gold acrylic paint;

Tools: stencils from Crafter’s Companion stamp and stencil set  “It’s Time”.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Classic Design Challenge #11 - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore #93 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations #427 - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers #218 - Anything Goes

NBUS #32 - Use Never before Used Schtuff

(mine is all my stencils + gold acrylic paint)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2144 - Anything Goes

Paper Funday #35 - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - It’s All About Time

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 inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

You Are In My Heart and Thoughts

Well here we are - 5pm on Hallowe'en ... the clocks went back last night here in the UK and it is already pitch dark, very rainy and miserable ... autumn is definitely here!

I would like to share today a card I have made inspired by this week's Simon Says (Monday) Challenge - "Thinking of You", though I would like to enter it into some other challenges as well. I decided to make a floral card using shades of purple, but I didn't make it completely purple and decided to use the sentiment "You are in my heart and thoughts" as I tend to use the sentiment "Thinking of You" for sympathy cards ... so hopefully this one might have a bit wider potential audience of recipients.

I used my current favourite floral stamp set by Woodware, which I stamped and coloured with my Promarkers. I then masked my flowers so that I could create a background with Distress Oxide inks which I then stencilled with more Distress Oxide, and shadow stamped with my text stamp. Finally I added a sentiment, matted onto purple pearlescent cardstock cut to shape with my deckle cutting blade on my paper trimmer, and added a few co-ordinating gems to finish.

Stamps: Flowers: Woodware "Bold Blooms - Erica"; background text - Penny Black "Letter Background" (1999L); sentiment - Penny Black "Hugs";

Media: Flowers - Promarkers; background - Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks;

Tools: stencil - Crafter's Companion "Make A Wish";

Gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Colour Crazy #43 - Anything Goes with colouring

Creative Knockouts #425 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Creative Moments #225 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

I ♥ Promarkers #446 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2143 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Passion For Markers #615 - Flower Power - TOP 5

Shopping Our Stash #457 - You Don't Bring Me Flowers

Simon Says (Monday) - Thinking of You

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

That's all for today .. time to get some dinner and then snuggle in front of the fire to watch the Strictly results show.

Stay safe and dry, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

All Good Things are Wild and Free

Hi everyone,

I had another inky playtime session to do a bit more experimenting with my new DO inks. My colour scheme this time  inspired by the current Less Is More challenge, and I wanted to try making a simple card involving inks blended in an irregular shape (in this case my Spellbinders peony die) overstamped with silhouette images.

Initially I tried doing a one layer card, and cut myself a DIY stencil using some acetate in my stash. This didn’t work out too well for 2 reasons … my card base wasn’t really the best for blending, plus when I activated the ink with water spritzing the card buckled! So … I then went with die cutting a shape using Neenah smooth cardstock and blending my inks onto that, so I could the affix to my card blank. I am still experimenting with colours and found my purple DO (Seedless Preserves) was not as deep a shade as I anticipated, but as luck would have it I do also have a few older original DI’s including Dusty Concord, so I smooshed some of that on top to add a bit more depth and interest. My new stamp positioner made it easy to stamp my focal image onto the inked panel and then remove it to stamp again directly onto the card blank so I got a crisper image where the 2 surfaces meet. .. I really am loving my Press to Impress 😀

Finally I did my first experiment with splattering paint onto the finished piece. I wanted gold spatters so experimented with making a little puddle of paint on acetate using my Perfect Pearls and a little water, which I then spattered onto my inky background and card blank with a small paintbrush. I’m not too displeased with how it looks, though I wonder if acrylic paint (which I don’t currently have) would be better .. any advice much appreciated!

Stamps: flowers - Unity Stamps “Insightful Meadows”; dragonfly and sentiment - Summer Meadow set free with craft magazine;

Media: Tim Holtz DO inks (Fossilized Amber, Shaded Lilac, Seedless Preserves), and Distress Ink (Dusty Concord); Perfect Pearls “Perfect Gold”;

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities “Peony” die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

C.R.A.F.T. #613 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments #224 - Anything Goes

DRU #178 - Anything Goes using a die brand sold by DRU

(I used Spellbinders)

Happy Little Stampers (Dies): October - Anything Goes with Dies

Less Is More #453 - Purple and Yellow

Simon Says … - Happy World Card Making Day (4th entry)

The Flower Challenge #61 - Use A Shape

That’s me done for today. Thanks for visiting, and hope you have a good weekend whatever you’re doing

Hugs,

Let it Snow!

Hi everyone. 

Today I had a sudden and unexpected urge to get started with some Christmas cardmaking. I have already made one Chrimbo card this year but that involved using a coloured image that I found in my stash; so this was the first one I made completely from scratch for 2021. 

My first task was to have a bit of a look in my sash to remind myself of what I've got ... that is one of the pleasures of coming back to cardmaking after so long hardly doing any. I found an absolutely fabulous old LotV paper pad featuring snowflakes in funky colours, so that formed the basis of today's card.

This cute Penny Black image is one that I have had for years and don't use very often, but it looks so joyful it just put me in the mood.  My colouring still needs practice, but I guess the only way to get batter is by keeping on trying!

Stamps: image - Penny Black "Let it Snow"(1524K); sentiment - Make Your Mark;

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers, Copics (fur); snow decorated with glamour dust;

Papers: LotV "Frozen Snowflakes";

Tools: Martha Stewart “Snow Flurry” Punch Around the Page; Whimsy "Winter’s Jewel 1” large snowflake die; smaller snowflakes - unknown.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted To Stamps and More #412 - Christmas

Allsorts #637/638 - Add Some Sparkle (3rd entry)

Christmas Craft Creations (August) - Non-traditional Colours

Christmas With the Cuties #52 - Anything Cute & Christmassy

I ♥ Promarkers #442 - Anything Goes with option of more than one layer - WINNER

Incy Wincy - Use a Card  Tutorial and/or Animals (2nd entry)

Penny Black Saturday Challenge (August) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy #100 - Anything Christmas Goes

So ... that's 2 Christmas cards down, quite a lot still to go ... guess I'd better get busy!

'Til next time, take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Abracadabra!

Hi everyone ... hope you are enjoying your weekend. October already ... where is the year going to?? ... And that means that it's nearly time for Hallowe'en!! I don't do much in the way of Hallowe'en cards but as there are so many themed challenges out there I thought I'd just have a go at one ... and here it is!

 

 

My mojo is still very shaky at the moment ... my dad is not at all well, which is a lot of worry on top of everything else that has already happened this year. Still I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out.

 

 

Stamps: LotV "Abracadabra"; Whimsy Friendship Ticket;

Media: Promarkers; imaged edged with TH "dusty concord" distress ink;

Papers: The Robin's Nest (Purple/black glitter), ?? (black);

Supplies: ribbon from my stash;

Tools: Fleur-de-Lys nestabilities; X-Cut star dies; Stephanie Weightman "Tattered lace" alphabet for sentiment; Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" embossing folder.

 

Challenges:

Sketch & Stash #122 - Sketch 

 

 

Crafty Calendar (October) - Hallowe'en

Bearly Mine #106 - Hallowe'en

My Mum's #10 - Hallowe'en

Crazy 4 Challenges #206 - Hallowe'en

Really Reasonable Ribbon #81 - Hallowe'en + Ribbon

Gem Of A Challenge #100 - Let's Hear It For The Boys

Fussy & Fancy #99 - One For The Boys

Cute Card Thursday #289 - Signs of Distress

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Going Dotty!

Passion for Promarkers #218 - Lots of Legs!

(2 on boy, 2 on teddy :-) )

Creative Craft #20 - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Penny Black & More (October) - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz #201 - Anything Goes

MAWTT - Anything Goes

Totally Gorjuss #204 - Anything Goes With Stars

Crafty Ribbons #64 - Anything Goes With Ribbon 

That's all for today. Thanks very much for visiting and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hugs,

Witching Hour

Hi everyone, hope you are enjoying your weekend. Just a short post from me today to show you my only Hallowe'en card so far. I don't really "do" Hallowe'en and I'm well behind with my Chrimbo cards so I really should be getting on with those; but I just had to try to bodge together a card from my (very) limited supplies for all the spooky challenges there are out there!

Definitely not one of my best; but the best I could do with what I had available.

Stamps: Debbi Moore;

Paper: The Robin's Nest;

Supplies: computer-generated sentiment; ribbon, lace and gems from my stash;

Tools: Marianne D lantern die.

Challenges:

Craft Your Passion #132 - Which Witch Is Which?
Sparkles #37 - Hallowe'en
Dream Valley #43 - Hallowe'en
Sentimental Sundays #125 - Hallowe'en

Really Reasonable Ribbon #58 - Hallowe'en With Ribbon
Simon Says - Eerie Inspiration

Heck Of A Challenge - Spooktacular!

Crafty Calendar - All Things Spooky!

Stampin' For the Weekend #19 - Something Spooky
Divas By Design #57 - Something Spooky
Crafting For All Seasons #38 - Spooky
Papertake Weekly - Fright Night
Fab 'n' Funky #143 - Orange, Black + Choice (purple)
Paper Pretties Monday #61 - Orange, Black + 1 (purple)
Crazy 4 Challenges #159 - Orange, Black, Purple
Sketch Saturday #230 - Sketch

Off now to try to  get a bit of Chrimbo colouring done before the light completely fades!

I ♥ Promarkers #101 - Purple and Pink

Good morning, and welcome to another I ♥ Promarkers Challenge.  Thanks so much for the amazing response to last week's Anything Goes challenge - the winner and top 3 are on the main challenge blog.

This week we have a colour challenge, sponsored by Digi Doodle Shop

 and it is

Purple & Pink

Don't forget that to be eligible for the prize you should submit a new project where your image is coloured using any of Letraset Promarkers, Flexmarkers, Aquamarkers or Tria pens.

The DT are showcasing DDS digital images - do check them all out. Here's my card for this week.

Stamps: DDS digital image "Dandelions"; Whimsy ticket stamp;

Media: Promarkers (Amethyst, Orchid, Marsh Green, Pear Green), Flexmarkers (Wild Orchid, Pale Mauve, Sorbet, Pink Pearl, Pink Lavender, Aniseed); glamour dust on dandelion petals;

Paper: BasicGrey "Wisteria";

Supplies: flowers and lace from Wild Orchid Crafts; pearls from The Hobby House; velvet ribbon from Hobbycraft;

Tools: Fleur de Lys Square nestabilities; Leone Em "Ash Family" leaf punch; Cuttlebug "Friends Forever" Cut 'n' emboss folder.

Challenges:

BasicGrey #61 - Favourite Things 

(flowers, lace and sparkle)

Pile It On #4 - Add Lace

Paperplay #3 - Ribbon

Hotshot #3 - Flowers

Papertake Weekly - Happy Highlights
(flowers highlighted wtih glamour dust)
Sentimental Sundays #86 - Die Cuts

Craft Your Passion #94 - Colour  Bingo
(pink / purple / green)
Simon Says - Anything Goes
Creative Inspiration #147 - Anything Goes
Sketch Saturday #191 - sketch

That's all for today - do hope you can join us.

Hugs