Allsorts Challenge #712

Hi everyone, Saturday is here again so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. Dena has chosen the theme and it is

*** Spots and/or Stripes ***

We look forward to seeing all your dotty and/or stripy creations!

Don't forget that we now announce the prizes for all our weekly challenges monthly on the last Friday of the month.

This month’s prizes come from Oakwood Direct, Stamp Addicts, Sizzix and AALL and Create. Please click on the links to visit their individual websites, and you can read more about them on our Patrons’ page.

Here's my card for this week.

I decided to go dotty (some might say I’m halfway there already!) with stencilling.  I stamped my flowers onto a piece of stamping card, covered them with a fussy cut paper mask, and used Distress Oxide ink to create a smoosh background. When dry I stencilled lightly onto the sides of the panel using a darker green Distress Oxide, then removed the mask and coloured in the image with Distress watercolor pencils.  Using my stamping platform I re-stamped over the flowers to give a crisper image - this is a technique recommended by Tim Holtz in his Distress watercolor pencils launch video. I stamped my sentiment, then sponged more DO around the edges of the panel to give a bit more depth. Lastly I applied some Distress Texture Paste through the same stencil in the opposite corners to where I had stencilled originally, and spattered the image with White Posca pen. When dry I matted everything onto green linen card stock and a 7” x 5” card blank.

Stamps: Woodware Echinacea and Moth; sentiment - Uniko Spring Botanicals Daffodil;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Twisted Citron, Bundled Sage, Spiced Marmalade); Distress Watercolor Pencils (Squeezed Lemonade, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick); Tim Holtz Distress Texture Paste; Versafine Clair (Nocturne);

Tools: Darkroom Door stencil - Polka Dots.

Challenges I would like to enter:

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

Crafty Catz #621 - Anything Goes

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (January) - Anything Goes With Stencils (2nd entry)

Creative Crafters #60 - Anything Goes

DL.Art (January) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Make My Monday #192 - Favourite Theme of 2022

(I have chosen #171 - Use a Stencil)

Papercraft Challenge #90 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Path of Positivity #108 - Anything Goes Positive (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Fabulous Flowers (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #579/580 - Anything Goes (2nd 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,

Divine Sparkle & Shine

Hi everyone. A few days ago I took delivery of a couple of beautiful sets of flower & foliage dies; and although I'm sure they will come in very useful for making cards, I really wanted them primarily to decorate ATC's. I've hardly made any ATC's for about a month what with the usual Christmas card rush, so I couldn't wait to have a play! I also decided to try out a new (to me) technique I have seen on various videos of applying Brushos through a stencil - and I have to say I'm very pleased with my first attempt! I have called this series “Divine Sparkle & Shine”.

I took a large snippet of white card and spritzed with water, then placed a large Lavinia stencil on top and tapped on Brushos in three colours before spritzing again. I dabbed off the excess liquid with paper towel and then carefully removed the stencil, to find I had a fab grungy background that was ideal for my ATC's! This really was so much fun I could easily become addicted! I also made a home made Mica mist with my gold Perfect Pearls and water in a miniature spray bottle, which I sprayed onto the stencilled panel to give it more of a sheen. I cut the panel into three pieces each 3.25 x 2.25" and topped each one with a die cut flower of gold glitter card. I attached 2 co-ordinating sparkly brads and a sticker sentiment to each card, then edged each one in black and attached to standard ATC size gold glitter card cut from another large snippet (I was quite thrilled to find this snippet in my box, as i didn't think I had amy more gold glitter card to matt the ATC's onto!). 

Here are closeups of each individual ATC.

ATC1

ATC2  

ATC3  

Stamps: None;

Media: Brushos (Leaf Green, Prussian  Blue, Light Brown); Perfect Pearls (gold);

Tools: Lavinia stencil - Divine; flower dies - unbranded (from Amazon);

Other: Tim Holtz Idea-ology "Small Talk" stickers.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Cards 4 Galz #186 - Use a Stencil

Crafter’s Cafe #291 - Use Dies and/or Punches (2nd entry)

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (November) - Anything Goes With Stencils (3rd entry)

Moving Along With the Times #148 - Bright on Dark

Path of Positivity #106 - Anything Positive Goes (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Not a Card (2nd entry)

Snippets Playground #442 - Anything Goes With Snippets

Sparkles #158 - Dies and/or Punches (2nd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #571/572 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

it was brilliant to have this interlude from Christmas card making ... but I guess it is nose back to the Christmas grindstone now! Thanks so much for taking time to visit today and take care.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #688/689

Good morning everyone,

It's Saturday so it's time for another Allsorts Challenge. This time we are having a two week challenge due to the school holidays -  Lorraine has chosen the theme and it is

*** Anything Goes with option to Create Your Own Background ***

We look forward to seeing all your makes in line with the simple challenge rules, but would particularly love to see your handmade backgrounds ... the only limit is your imagination!!

This week's fab prize is a £15 store voucher from WOWVOW

Here's my card for this week, using yet another stamp bought from the FB UK Stampers’ Forum Craft destash site 😀

I cut a piece of white stamping card and created a smoosh background with Distress Oxide inks spritzed with water on my craft mat then dabbed onto the card with acetate. I then did some background stencilling with a second colour DO. I stamped and heat embossed my main image, then coloured the flowers and leaves by painting with more watered down DO’s, with a few highlights painted using gold Posca pen ink. I added a little background stamping using Golden Meadow Versafine Clair .. I actually made a mistake at this point as I fully intended all the background stamping to be second generation, but I forgot in the top left corner and stamped first generation! Not what I intended but I decided to just roll with it! I finished off with a stamped and heat embossed sentiment, a few sparkly gems and simple matting onto a 7” x 5” base card.

Stamps: Indigo Blu “Blazing Poppies”; AALL & Create “Scripted Hexagons”; Crafter’s Companion “Magical Sentiments”;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Mowed Lawn, Wilted Violet); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Golden Meadow); Posca pen (metallic gold);

Tools: stencil - AALL & Create #110 “Digits Checked”.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More! #435 - Die Cuts and/or Stencils

Country View Challenges (August) - Happy Birthday

DL Art (August) - Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers: Birthday (August) - Birthday

Creative Knockouts #464 - Birthday Wishes

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2231 - Anything Goes

Simon Says (Monday) - Happy Birthday!

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Emboss It

Try It On Tuesday - Make It Feminine 

Word Art Wednesday #555/556 - Anything Goes

I would also like to share a pair of ATC’s where I also made my own backgrounds using the acrylic block stamping technique with distress oxide inks. 

I cut two pieces of white stamping card slightly smaller than standard ATC size. As luck would have it I have a long thin rectangular acrylic block that is just the right width, so I masked part of its length and then inked it with 3 colours of DO, then spritzed with water and stamped onto the card to create my grass and sky, which i then spattered with water droplets to create further interest. I then stamped my Lavinia meadow flowers and grasses plus dragonflies using various colours of Versafine Clair and 1st/2nd generation stamping, and coloured my flower heads with Sakura stardust pen. I stamped my sentiment onto separate card, cut out and attached, then matted the finished panels onto standard ATC size dark blue pearlescent card.

Here's an angled pic to show the sparkle.

Stamps: Lavinia “Wild Meadow Flower”, “Leaf Spray”, “Field Grass”, Fairy Bugs”; sentiment - AALL & Create #449 “Through the Meadows”;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Green Oasis, Verdant, Warm Breeze); Sakura Stardust pen (clear).

Challenges I would like to enter:

ATC’s With a Heart (August) - Flowers - TOP 3

Classic Design Challenge #8 2022 - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. #647 - Summer

Craft Rocket #95 - Flowers

Creative Crafting Uncles #31 - Anything But a Card

Creative Inspirations (August) - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks #623 - Stamp Act

Moving Along With the Times #145 - Anything Goes

Sheepski Designs #65 - Anything Goes

Hope you can join us this fortnight, and I look forward to seeing your entries - don't forget you have two weeks to enter this challenge, which closes on 19th August. Also please do make time to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. 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,

Allsorts Challenge #686

Good morning everyone, it's Saturday again, so it's time already for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. I'd like to start by thanking everyone who joined in with my Christmas in July theme last week ... it was lovely seeing all your entries though rather perverse to be sitting scrolling though them all as the sweat rolled off me in the most extreme temperatures the UK has ever had!!  Hope you all managed to keep safe during the heatwave, and are now things have cooled down a little hope you are all raring to go with a new crafting week!

This week Brenda has chosen the theme and we have gone to the other end of the seasonal spectrum with 

*** Summer ***

So you have lots of scope this week ... think flowers, sunshine, beaches, summer cocktails ... the list is endless!  After the unprecedented heatwave we've been having in the UK this week everyone should hopefully be in the summer mood - if not a little frazzled!

This week we have another 2 brilliant prizes on offer:

First, this fab Stampendous summer  cocktail stamp set from Oakwood Direct (just what's needed when the temperatures get too much!!)

and secondly, three digi images of the winner's choice from Ruth Hamilton Design.

Here's my card for this week - using Ruth Hamilton Design - Honeysuckle. I'm still not very confident when it comes to colouring with my alcohol markers, but I thought I would give it a go this time.

 I printed my digi image onto Neenah solar white card stock, and coloured with Promarkers. I then cut the image into a panel slightly smaller than a 7" x 5" card, distressed the left hand side and round the edges with my new Saltwater Taffy DO, and stencilled the left hand side and bottom right corner with my Lavinia stencil, using a paler colour (Spun Sugar) than the base layer. I stamped my sentiment, added some spatters with my gold Posca pen and a few Sakura sparkle highlights, and matted onto a matte gold card border. I finished off with die cut matt gold card stock filigree corners and some punched butterflies in rose gold metallic cardstock.

Here is a picture to try to capture some of the gleam and sparkle.

Stamps: Ruth Hamilton Design “Honeysuckle” (digi); sentiment - Uniko “Beautiful”;

Media: Promarkers, Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Saltwater Taffy, Spun Sugar); Posca pen (gold metallic); Sakura Stardust pen (clear);

Tools: Lavinia stencil - Divine; La La land Filigree Corner die; X-Cut punched butterflies.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More! #434 - Any Occasion

Ally's Angels #60 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Butterfly Challenge #171 - Colour Wheel + Butterfly - TOP 3

(I have used salmon and sand)

Creations In Pink #48 - Anything Goes in Mainly Pink

Creative Crafters #54 - Anything Goes

Daisy Chain #65 - No Design Paper

I ❤️ Promarkers #515 - Anything Goes with option Summery Colours

Passion For Markers #650 - Something Beginning With "B" 

(blooms, butterflies, beautiful)

QKR Stampede #448 - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations (July) - Summer Flowers (3rd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #553/554 - Anything Goes

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,

Allsorts Challenge #684

Good morning everyone, and welcome to another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Lorraine (Lolo) has chosen the theme which is

*** Allsorts of Animals ***

This week's two fab prizes are both animal themed - an AALL & Create stamp set #155 "Love Birds", and a Bee Crafty Jungle Animals stamp set.

Here's my card for this week.

I decided to continue "getting back to my roots" in line with Thursday's card - that is to say I broke out another of my first love Penny Black old wood-mounted stamps. This is one of the earliest PB hedgies I ever bought - you may notice he even features in my blog header!!

I stamped my image onto a square of stamping card and coloured with Promarkers. I stamped my sentiment (which I have also had for many years, and which has possibly never even seen ink before!!), then added a little background stencilling with Distress Oxide inks.   I matted the panel simply and added a trio if sparkly gems plus some Glossy Accents to the flower centres, and I was done.

Stamps: Penny Black "Hedgehog Bouquet" (1444K); sentiment - Hero Arts "Smiles and Laughter";

Media: Promarkers; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo); Memento ink (black); Versafine Clair (Twilight);

Tools: Sweet Dixie stencil - "Petal Burst";

Gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Warm or Cool Colours (and why) - TOP 3

(I love both, but I love warm colours in the summer as they give such a happy uplifting feeling)

Aud Sentiments #295 - Anything Goes With a Sentiment

Crafts Galore Encore #101 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crafty Animals #63 - Include an Animal (2nd entry)

Happy Little Stampers: Stencils (July) - Anything Goes Using a Stencil

I ❤️ Promarkers #514 - Anything Goes with option of Animals (2nd entry)

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

Stamping Sensations (July) - Summer Flowers

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #551/552 - Anything Goes (2nd 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,

Find Joy ... and Live Gently

Hi there, today I would like to share a couple of projects I made with a set of AALL & Create stamps I recently bought from the FB UK Stampers Forum Craft De-Stash site. I had really fancied these stamps but had resisted as they are so expensive and I've bought loads recently already;  but I got them here for just over half price, and they have only been used once!  I love the arty look of these stamps, and was very surprised by how HUGE they are!

So firstly ... a card ..

I stamped my main focal image using Versafine Clair then heat embossed with clear EP. I then created a smoosh background with Distress oxide inks by applying them wet to the image with acetate, concentrating particularly on the printed circle areas. I then added more interest by stencilling some more DO to the top left and bottom right hand sides, then coloured my butterfly using Posca sparkle pens watered down slightly and applied with a paintbrush.  I stamped my "Butterfly" text with DO, and added a Tim Holtz Small Talk sticker sentiment, then matted simply with a black linen border.

here is an angled pic to show the sparkle on the butterfly wings.

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

Media: background - Tim Holtz Distress oxide inks (Salvaged Patina, Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Posca sparkle pens (yellow, light blue);

Tools: stencil - Tim Holtz "Dot Fade"; TIm Holtz "Small Talk" stickers.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem Of a Challenge #13 2022 - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar (June) - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Double Trouble #114 - YouNique Technique

(I have created my background using inky smooshing and stencilling)

Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday (June) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Let's Craft and Create #184 - Anything Goes with option Penny For Your Thoughts - TOP 3

Make My Monday #177 - Colouring - Any Medium

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2225 - Anything Goes

Path of Positivity #102 - Anything Goes Positive (2nd entry) - DT DELIGHT

Simon Says (Monday) - Something Beginning With "S"

(stencil and Small Talk Stickers)

Try It On Tuesday - Recycle It

(the stamp set is recycled ie. pre-loved)

We Love Stamping (June) - Anything Stamped  (2nd entry)

While I had my supplies out on the table I also made a co-ordinating ATC, as it occurred to me that one portion of the stamp would just sit perfectly on an ATC size piece of card - I entitled this one "Live Gently Upon This Earth", as I thought the TH sticker sentiment was just so apt with the butterfly image.

I followed the same techniques and used the same supplies as the card.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Tiny Craft #10 - All Things Tim

Mixed Media Lovers #14 - Anything Mixed Media Goes - TOP 3

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

Sparkles Forum #153 - Things With Wings (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #547/548 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

That's my lot for today ... thanks for visiting and take care.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #681

Good morning everyone and welcome to another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Dena has chosen the theme and it is

*** Summer Flowers ***

Perfect for the time of year, with so many lovely blooms popping out in the garden as the sunshine warms up and the spring blooms fade away, and plenty of scope for some gorgeous makes! 

This week we have 2 great prizes on offer:

Firstly, this fab floral stamp set

and secondly, three digi images of the winner’s choice from Ruth Hamilton Design.

Here's my card for this week, using the gorgeous Ruth Hamilton Design - Sunflowers.

I printed off my image and coloured with Promarkers, highlighted areas with a white pencil and white gel pen, then cut out with a stitched rectangle die. I edged the image panel with sponged Distress Oxide ink and lightly spattered with gold Posca pen. I lightly stencilled with more DO directly onto my 7” * 5” card blank and stamped my sentiment, before attaching my coloured image. I finished off with a couple of die cut butterflies .. voilà !

Stamps:  Ruth Hamilton Design - Sunflowers; sentiment - Crafter’s Companion “Magical Sentiments”;

Media: Promarkers; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Peacock Feathers, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn); Posca pen (gold); white gel pen;

Tools: AALl & Create stencil #110 - Digits Checked;  stitched rectangle dies from Amazon; butterfly die - Crafter’s Companion.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps & More #431 - Make Your Mark

Cards4galz #175 - Die Cuts and/or Punches (2nd entry)

Crafty Calendar  (June) - Anything Goes

Creatalicious #237 - Anything Goes with option Use a Stencil

Daisy Chain #64 - Flowers

Dream Valley #272 - Add a Sentiment

Fab ‘n’ Funky #553 - Celebrations (2nd entry)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2224 - Anything Goes - HONORARY MENTION

Seize the Birthday #240 - Anything Goes with option Favourite Technique

(I love sponging with distress oxide inks, colouring with alcohol markers and spattering … so 3 for the price if 1! 😀)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add A Sentiment (2nd 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,