Matching Pair 🦢🦢❤️❤️

Hi everyone, my oldest school friend and her husband are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary today, so I made them a card to celebrate. I was inspired by the card I made for my husband  for our 40th anniversary two years ago (here), based on the idea that swans mate for life! 

I cut a square of stamping card, and blended a mixture of inks through a centrally positioned heart stencil, also using a small circle mask and paper mask to create the horizon, sky and water. I then blended ink using paper masks and my Mini Hills mask to create the background hills and their reflection in the water. I stamped the two swans, and various bulrushes around the edges of the scene. I added white Posca stars and ripples in the water, and also added ripples with my Sakura Stardust pen which I also used to outline the moon. I added some sparkle to the moon with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, then stamped the hearts. I matted the finished panel onto a border of dark blue card stock and a 7” square card blank, then finished with the stamped sentiment and die cut numbers in silver mirror card.

As it was for a special anniversary I also decorated the envelope.

Stamps: Lavinia Swans, Bulrushes, Silhouette Foliage set; Woodware Happy Anniversary;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Pink Elephant, Dark Denim, Graphite); Memento ink (Paris Dusk); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Twilight, Strawberry); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Crafts Too heart stencil; Lavinia Mini Hills masks; Provocraft Hippie Chick number dies.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #524 - Any Occasion

Classic Design Challenge #08 2026 - Anything Goes with option Use Die Cuts (2nd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #150 - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals #108 - Include an Animal

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

Creative Aunts #116 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations (August) - Anything Goes

A Cut Above (August) - Anything Goes with a Die Cut (2nd entry)

Daisy Chain #110 - Animals

Girlz & the Art of Letters #34 - H is for … - TOP 3

(hearts)

Heart’s Quest #87 - Anything Goes with a Heart with option red hearts - DT FAVOURITE

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #31 - Anniversary (2nd entry)

Just Us Girls #838 - Stencil Week - WINNER

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

Tic Tac Toe #300 - Tic Tac Toe

(Letters/numbers/sentiment/die cut)

Triple B (August) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #766/767 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope everyone is enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, whatever you’re doing.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Happy Anniversary ❤️

Hi everyone, today I’d like to share the wedding anniversary card I made for my darling husband.  We had a few things going on which put me somewhat behind, and I ended up making this in something of a panic. Feeling a tad short of inspiration, I turned to a design I made last year (here), and CASE’d my own design with a few amendments and enhancements as this card is bigger - 8” square.

I cut a 6.5” square of stamping card and created a heart by blending red Elements ink through a stencil. I then stamped Tilly and Tango “holding hands” and hearts to either side of them, which I turned into balloons by adding strings drawn with a fineliner pen. I then added a further dangling heart being held by them both, and a grunge heart by Tracy Evans in the top corner, with an unbranded “I love you” postmark. I grounded the mice by blending some Graphite Elements using a hill mask, added some white Posca accents to the scene, then stamped my sentiment which was built up from a Woodware set and an old “Me to You” set. I assembled the card by matting onto black and red borders and my card blank.

As it’s for my husband I also decorated the inside of the card …

… and the envelope.

Stamps: Lavinia Tilly and Tango, Single Heart Mini, Hearts Mini, Fairy Charms; AALL & Create #453 Heart Grunge; Woodware Happy Anniversary; Me To You Husband sentiment; Pink Frog Typewriter Sentiments; Unbranded postmark stamp;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Emperor Red, Graphite); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Strawberry); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Press to Impress Heart stencil; Lavinia hill mask.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Perfect Time to Craft #9 2025 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Alphabet Challenge - K is for Keep it Simple

Crafts Galore Encore (September) - Anything Goes

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

Dream Valley #344 - 2 or More Layers

Ellibelle’s Crafty Wednesday (September) - Anything Goes

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #9 2025 - Anniversary (2nd entry)

Love to Craft #88 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Make My Monday #260 - Fun With Stencils

Mix It Up #79 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Layer It Up

Word Art Wednesday #716/717 - Anything Goes

We’re planning to spend the day having some quality time together ❤️

In other news, last week I was really thrilled to discover that my September Lavinia calendar page (here) was chosen as ‘Make of the Week’ on the Lavinia FB page, AND was featured on a graphic about sources of calendar inspiration in the Lavinia FB community groups! Woo hoo! I’ve edited the calendar post to mention it but am also mentioning it here as this is my first post since finding out 😀

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

I Spy With My Little Eye #26 🦋

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

Ellie chose the challenge theme this month, and it is

I Spy With My Little Eye 

*** At Least One Butterfly ***

A lovely theme as we move towards summer - can’t wait to see what you make! 

Please don’t forget to pop over to Ellie's blog to see her fab creation and link up your entries here. 

This month we are also delighted to again welcome two guest designers - Helen and  Silke - so please click on their names to visit their blogs and see their fabulous creations.

Here’s my card for the challenge. This was a relatively simple card but it still took me about half a dozen attempts before I was even vaguely happy with the background!

I die cut a stitched square of stamping card, and added colour by dragging three different pink and yellow Distress Oxide ink pads lightly across the surface. I embossed the coloured panel with a floral embossing folder, then lightly rubbed copper gilding polish across the raised areas. I die cut a stitched circle of white pearlescent card, stamped the greeting and heat embossed with detail copper EP., and attached to the embossed panel. I then die cut and embossed two large butterflies using rose gold metallic card, attached and bent up their wings for dimension. I attached the panel to a card blank and finished off with a few teeny heart gems.

Stamps: Woodware Happy Anniversary;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo); Cosmic Shimmer Copper gilding polish; Versamark; detail copper embossing powder;

Tools: Hunky Dory Moonstone Duo-Stitched Square and Circle dies; Embossalicious embossing folder; Provocraft Butterflies Cut ‘n’ Emboss folder.

Challenges I would like to enter:

2 Sisters On the Blog #97 - Wedding/Anniversary

613 Avenue Create (May) - Anything Goes with option Floral Delight (3rd entry)

A Cut Above (May) - Anything Goes With a Die Cut

Can You Handle the Pressure - Use an Embossing Folder - TOP 3

Cardz 4 Galz #250 - Things With Wings (2nd entry)

C.R.A.F.T. #755 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) 

Crafty Catz #694 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Creative Crafters #88 - Anything Goes

Do Al(l) Kreatives #101 - Anything Goes with option Flowers (3rd entry)

Double Trouble #191 (7th Anniversary Event) - Anniversary (yellow ticket) (2nd entry) 

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #5 2025 - Anniversaries (3rd entry)

My Time To Craft #560 - Square Shaped Cards (2nd entry) 

Neglected Stuff (May) - Use One or More Neglected Supplies (2nd entry)

(My Cut ‘n’ Emboss Butterflies and gilding paste were both sadly neglected)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Things With Wings (2nd entry) 

Triple B (May) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms (3rd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #700/701 - Anything Goes

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 June 15th, and the next challenge will begin on Wednesday June 18th.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Ruby Wedding ❤️🌅🦢

Hi everyone, today I would like to share a very special card that I made recently for my darling husband - a card for our ruby wedding anniversary (40 years). ❤️

Earlier in the year I bought the Lavinia swan stamps with a view to using them for this occasion - I thought they would be particularly appropriate as they do say swans mate for life! However I spent quite a while racking my brain as all my ideas for romantic layouts involving hearts seemed to be very similar to previous cards I have made (he has in the past received several romantic moonlit scenes!!). Then suddenly, and quite rarely for me, I had a burst of inspiration … our favourite romantic holiday destination is Santorini which is famous for its sunsets, so I decided to make a water scene with the sun setting behind the hills. 🌅 It also gave me opportunity to incorporate the colour red in a natural way, as that is a colour my husband normally hates! I have called this one “Sunset over the Caldera”…. I’m aware that this scene is really a lake rather than the ocean, but in the magical world of Lavinia anything is possible!! 

I cut a 16.5cm square of stamping card and masked off a square using masking sheet. I used a paper mask to create a horizon and a circle mask for the setting sun, then blended Sundance, Russet Orange and Paprika Elements inks and Bordeaux Spectrum Noir ink to form my sky. I then removed the masks and blended the same colours on the bottom half of the image panel for the lake, but without the circle mask so the reflection of the sun was not defined. I defined the horizon with the straight edge of a hill mask and Nocturne Versafine Clair, then added hills and their reflections using my Mini Hill masks and blended VFC. 

I stamped the bulrushes in the bottom corners then stamped my two swans and a cascade of red hearts. I added some leafy foliage in the top corners, then added some depth to the scene by blending Graphite Elements around the edges. I removed the masking sheet and highlighted the scene with Sakura Stardust pens and white Posca pen; I also added ripples to the water and highlighted them with Wink of Stella. 

I matted the finished scene onto a black border and then an 8” square card, and to finish added stamped sentiments and die cut numbers to show it is our 40th anniversary, plus a teeny “ruby” heart gem. 

Here is angled picture to show the sparkle.

As this is a special card I also added a bit of decoration to the inside of the card and the envelope too.

Stamps: Lavinia Swans, Bulrushes, Silhouette Foliage Set, Vine Flourish, Group of Hearts Mini; Woodware Happy Anniversary; Me to You (husband wording);

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Sundance, Russet Orange, Paprika, Graphite); Spectrum Noir Harmony ink (Bordeaux); Versafine Clair (Nocturne);  Sakura Stardust pens (Orange, clear); Posca pen (white); Wink of Stella;

Tools: Provocraft Hippie Chick number dies; Lavinia Hill, Mini Hill and Circle acetate masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Allsorts #798 - Anything Goes

Alphabet Challenge - L is for Landscape (2nd entry)

Colourful Options (September) - Be Bold - TOP 3

Country View Challenges (September) - Autumn Richness (2nd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore (September) - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz #678 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations (September) - Anything Goes

A Cut Above (September) - Use a Die Cut

Ellibelle’s Crafty Wednesday (September) - Anything Goes - TOP PICK

Fab ‘n’ Funky #600 - Anniversaries

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #9 - Anniversary - WINNER

Love to Craft #82 - Anything Goes

Mix It Up #73 - Anything Goes

NBUS #66 - Use Your Never Before Used Schtuff

(Swan and bulrushes stamps)

Stamping Sensations (September) - Anything Goes with option Animal Magic (2nd entry)

Paper Funday #69 - Anything Goes with option Create Your Own Background

Simon Says (Monday) - Stamp It

Triple B (September) - Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies (2nd entry) - TOP 3

Try It On Tuesday - Make It Colourful - END OF YEAR SPOTLIGHT

We Love 2 Create #8 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #665/666 - Anything Goes

Here is the original image panel without sentiments, which I am entering into Lavinia Creative Challenge (September) - Autumn Hues (2nd entry)

I must say that for once I’m very pleased with how this turned out - indeed it was a labour of love! ❤️❤️🦢

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Glittering Heart

Hi everyone, today I would like to share a card I made for no other reason than fun and a few challenges. This week’s Allsorts challenge is on the theme of Shades of Pink, and there are still a number of love and heart themed challenges around; so I thought I would make an  anniversary card for my stash. 

I cut a 5 1/2 “ square of stamping card, and blended Versamark through my Visible image “Heart Ink” stencil then heat embossed with pink embossing glitter that I picked up at the recent craft show. This ended up a bit rough and ready - embossing glitter is SO messy, it seemed to get everywhere despite me using an anti-static cloth on my card - but luckily it is meant to be a grungy heart so I carried on regardless!!   I stamped the cute mice Tilly and Tango holding hands (something I’ve wanted to do for a while!!💕) then stamped some mini hearts which I turned into balloons by hand drawing strings with a black fineliner pen. I also stamped a hanging heart that they are both holding 💕 and grounded them using my Mini Hill masks and a faint touch of Distress Oxide. I added a little shadow with a Zig pen and stamped the sentiment, then matted onto a black border and a 6” card blank.

Here is an angled picture to show the glitter.

Stamps: Lavinia Tilly and Tango, Fairy Charms, Single Heart Mini, Group of Hearts Mini; Woodware Happy Anniversary;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Black Soot); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Charming Pink); Versamark; WOW embossing glitter (Petalicious); gel pen (white);

Tools: Visible Image Heart Ink stencil; Lavinia Mini Hills masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Allsorts #768 - Shades of Pink

Colourful Options (February) - Pink (2nd entry)

Country View Crafts FB Challenge (February) - It's All About Love (2nd entry)

Crafty Calendar (February) - Add a Heart (3rd entry)

Crafty Gals’ Corner #252 - Add a Heart (2nd entry)

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (February) - Use a Stencil with option Love/Hearts (2nd entry)

Creations In Pink #67 - Anything Goes In Mainly Pink

Dragonfly Dreams (February) - Hearts (3rd entry)

Hand Stamped Sentiments #432 - Mood Board Inspiration

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love (February) - Wedding / Engagement / Anniversary (2nd entry)

Inkspirational #309 - Hearts (3rd entry)

Krafty Chicks #704 - All Occasions

Make My Monday #219 - Love (2nd entry)

Moving Along With the Times #163 - Love Hearts (3rd entry)

Sisterhood of Crafters - Love

Stamping Sensations (February)  - Animals, Birds and Creatures (2nd entry)

We Love Stamping (February) - Romance (3rd entry)

I think I’m all romanced out now! 🥰 Take care everyone, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Heart Grunge

Hi everyone, today is my wedding anniversary, so I would love to share the card I made for my darling husband Graham. This one is rather different from the style I usually make for him which tends to be "cute romantic", but they say a change is as good as a rest!!

This card is made using primarily the AALL & Create stamp set "Heart Grunge". I started by cutting a 6" square of white card and creating a smooshed background with Elements inks, then I did some background stamping and heat embossed in white. I filled some spaces with more background stamping of a Lavinia stamp in dark blue, then attached two large hearts which I had stamped and heat embossed on separate card then fussy cut out. I edged the piece with blended purple Distress oxide, then stamped the sentiment onto separate card and attached before matting onto purple and blue card stock and a 7" card blank.

I also painted the hearts with my Spectrum Noir sparkle pen - here's an angled picture to show the sparkle.

Seeing as it is for my husband I also decorated the inside of the card ...

... and the envelope.

Stamps: AALL & Create #453 Heart Grunge; Lavinia Background Script; Woodware - Happy Anniversary; Fizzy Moon - All about him;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Blue Lagoon, Dark Denim, Violet Chalk; Tim Holtz Distress oxide ink (Villainous Potion); Versafine (Majestic Blue); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Monarch, Medieval Blue); Versamark; embossing powder (detail white, clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #454 - Any Occasion

Birthstone Challenge #5 - Anything Goes with Sapphire and Opal Colours

Corrosive Challenge #9 2023 - Anything Goes

Crafting Happiness #146 - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar (September) - Anything Goes

Love to Craft #76 - Anything Goes

Mix It Up #67 - Anything Goes with option Make Your Own Background (2nd entry)

Simply Create Too #194 - Use Stamps

We Love 2 Create #8 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #613/614 - Anything Goes

We will be spending the whole day together today and hopefully having a lovely meal tonight, so that's all from me for today. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Hugs,

Happy anniversary

... to my wonderful husband ❤️  One of the things I love best about having returned to crafting the past 18 months is that I am now back to making "special" cards for him for birthday, Christmas and anniversaries ... I'm not especially imaginative when it comes to thinking of original ideas for men's cards, but I love sitting down to make the effort.  

Here is an 8 x 8 inch Lavinia card I made for him, featuring the cute hedgies "Wallace Family".

I used various circle, hill and cloud masks to create a blended scenescape with  Distress oxide inks, then stamped my hedgies, trees, flowers and foliage using various shades of Versafine Clair and highlighted the sun and hedgies with Sakura Stardust pens. I background stamped my heart script, though I had to cut out my original circle panel and mount onto a separate background square, as the first attempt at masking my original blended circle did not stamp properly!! I stamped foliage using my large circle mask then attached my image panel, and stamped my sentiments before matting everything simply on dark green card stock.

I must admit that although acetate masks are ideal for ink blending, I do struggle when stamping using them, as the thickness of the mask means that the image doesn't stamp right to the edge of the masked area ... I have ended up hand cutting paper circle masks for stamping but it isn't ideal - I would welcome any feedback on how any one approaches this.

I also decorated the envelope to match ... only noticed after I had taken the pic that I had not "grounded" the hedgies, so I sorted that out afterwards!

Stamps: Lavinia - Wallace Family, Forest Scene, Trees, Skeleton Tree Scene, Bluebells, Birds, Single Heart Mini, Mini Leaf 1, Background Script; Anniversary sentiment - Woodware; Husband sentiment - Fizzy Moon;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Iced Spruce, Tumbled Glass, Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Pinecone, Rainforest, Green Oasis, Warm Breeze, Golden Meadow, Tulip Red); Versafine (Sepia, Majestic Blue); Sakura Stardust pens (yellow, clear);

Tools: Press to Impress large circle mask; Lavinia circle and hill masks; home made cloud mask.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Crafts Galore Encore #103 - Anything Goes 

Crafty Animals #65 - Anything Goes With an Animal

Crafty Calendar (September) - Anything Goes

Dare 2B Artzy (September) - Animals 

Love To Craft #70 - Anything Goes 

Love To Scrap #157 - Anything Goes 

Moving Along With the Times #146 - Trees and/or Leaves

Sheepski #66 - Feature a Creature

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Little Critters

We Love Stamping (September) - Anything Goes With Stamping

Word Art Wednesday #561/562 - Anything Goes

We'll be having a day of relaxation today with a meal out tonight. so I'm hoping it will be a lovely day!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,