Allsorts Challenge #668

Hello everyone,

Here comes the weekend … it’s Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Mervi has chosen the theme and it is

Feminine

A nice easy theme with many possibilities - pretty colours, flowers, cute images ... and of course if you need to make a Mother's Day card this could be the time!

This week we have the following fab prizes on offer for 3 lucky winners:

Craft Stash has kindly donated a pretty Crafters Companion die set

 

and this gorgeous tonic studio edge die

Also, Ruth Hamilton Design is kindly offering another winner 3 digi images of their choice from her online shop.

Here's my card for this week, using Ruth Hamilton Design - Peony Posy.

I printed this lovely image, then coloured with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers. I tried to create a bit of interest by colouring around the flowers with a soft blue grey Flexmarker and then creating a mottled effect using rubbing alcohol dabbed on with a cotton bud - this is a technique I learned in a Kit & Clowder colouring class. I cut out my coloured image using a stitched rectangle die then stamped my sentiment, which was part of a bargain set I recently picked up at the Crafter’s Companion shop … I have been looking to expand my range of sentiment stamps and these are really fun.  I sponged the edges of the stitched rectangle with Distress oxide ink and mounted the panel onto background paper, then finis off by decorating it with sparkly die cut butterflies and a leafy swirl, and iridescent gems.

Stamps: Ruth Hamilton Design - Peony Posy (digi); sentiment - Crafter's Companion Positive Thoughts;

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers; Tim Holtz Distress oxide ink (Kitsch Flamingo);

Tools: Stitched Rectangle die from Amazon; Magnolia Doohickey Butterfly Dreams die; Memory Box Harrington Vine die; X-Cut small butterfly punch;

Paper and gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #425 - Die Cuts and/or Stencils

CCC Digi Creations #134 - Add/Use Flowers (2nd entry)

C.R.A.F.T. #630 - Female

Crafty Catz #587 - Anything Goes with option Add Sparkle or Glitter - TOP 3

Crafty Friends #153 - Flowers

Crafty Gals' Corner #229 - Add A Flower (2nd entry)

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper (March) - Anything Goes with Patterned Paper (2nd entry)

Creations In Pink #44 - Anything Goes in Mainly Pink

Creative Crafters #50 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations (March) - Spring Flowers (2nd entry)

Creative Moments #232 - For a Special Lady

Digi Choosday #11 2022 - Anything Goes with Digis (2nd entry)

DL. Art (March) - Anything Goes

Everybody Art #509 - B is For ...

(Blooms, Butterflies)

Fab 'n' Funky #547 - Hand Coloured Image

Happy Little Stampers: Dies (March) - Anything Goes with Does

I ❤️ Promarkers #506 - Anything Goes with option Leaves or Flowers (2nd entry)

Let'sCraft and Create #181 - Anything Goes

Little Red Wagon #645 - Die Cuts

Love To Craft #67 - Anything Goes

Path of Positivity #99 - Anything Goes Positive (2nd entry)

Shopping Our Stash #466 - Spread Your Wings

Simon Says (Monday) - Feminine (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Favourite Things (2nd entry)

(Flowers, Promarkers, Distress Oxide inks)

Taylormadecards4u (March) - Anything Goes with option Spring Flowers

Three Room Studio Saturday Challenge #77 - Use a Floral Element

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #3 2022 - Anything Goes

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your creations. I would also love for you to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Peace Offering

Hi everyone,

Like everyone the world over, my thoughts are very much occupied by the catastrophic events unfolding in Ukraine. A couple of weeks ago Power Poppy made some of its beautiful sunflower digi stamps available for free download so people could make cards to show solidarity with Ukraine, and I downloaded and made one. Sadly the need for support has not gone away since then; and now Power Poppy has made available a new fundraiser digi stamp called "Peace Offering" ... so I thought it would be a good idea to purchase it as God knows those poor people need all the support they can get. Here is the card I made with it.

Regardless of the fundraising element this really is a lovely stamp, and very easy to colour. I coloured it broadly in the Ukrainian colours using my Promarkers, then very lightly stencilled the background using Distress Oxide ink, and lightly sponged more DO round the edges of the image panel.  This image does come with a "Peace" sentiment, but I decided instead to utilise a Lavinia Christmas stamp which contains the words peace, hope and love ... I masked it and stamped it randomly around the panel in blue. I then quickly attached a bit of woven ribbon and a frayed bow, matted the image onto blue and yellow borders, and attached to my base card. Pretty simple but I am pleased with how it turned out.

Stamps: Power Poppy - Peace Offering (digi); sentiment - masked portion of Lavinia - Spirit of Christmas;

Media: Promarkers; Tim Holtz Distress oxide ink (Squeezed Lemonade. Blueprint Sketch); Versafine (Majestic Blue);

Tools: Sweet Dixie stencil - Petal Burst;

Ribbon from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge #11 2022 - Anything Goes

Crafter's Cafe #283 - Use Some Flowers

Daring Cardmakers - For Ukraine

Digi Choosday #11 2022 - Anything Goes with Digis

I ❤️ Promarkers #506 - Anything Goes with option Leaves or Flowers

Ike's World #154 - Anything Goes with option Tic Tac Toe

(ribbon, sentiment, flowers)

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2211 - Anything Goes

Path of Positivity #99 - Anything Goes Positive

Simon Says (Monday) - Feminine

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Favourite Things

(Flowers, Distress Oxide inks, Promarkers)

That's all from me for today, though I will be back tomorrow with a card for the new Allsorts challenge. Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Have A Magical Birthday

Hi everyone,

Today is my darling husband’s birthday, so I would like to share the card I made for him. Back in January I ordered a few Lavinia woodland creature stamps as I know he loves that kind of thing. I made him a moonlit scene Valentine card using the cute woodland hares and my new Press to Impress Art Board heart stencil; so I decided for his birthday to do a more spring-like take on a similar theme by making a daylight scene with budding trees, green foliage and woodland creatures emerging from hibernation …  and to introduce him to the Wallace Family! 

I used my heart stencil, circle and hill masks and Distress Oxide inks to create the sky, sun and land. I stamped my skeleton trees using first and second generation stamping, then stamped my hedgehog, birds and hares - all using Versafine and VFC. I stamped mini leaves round the edge of my heart using Distress Oxide at the top and darker VFC at the bottom, then stamped my sentiments. I highlighted my hedgie with a white gel pen, and my sun, hills and trees with Sakura sparkle pens.  I matted the finished panel onto green linen cardstock and then onto a 8” square base card, and finished off with a few heart gems. I also stamped hedgies on the inside of the card and on the envelope 😍

Stamps: Lavinia The Wallace Family, Wild Hares (Large), Skeleton Tree Scene,  Birds, Mini Leaf 1; sentiments - Crafter’s Companion Magical Sentiments;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass, Rustic Wilderness, Squeezed Lemonade); Versafine (Onyx); Versafine Clair (Rainforest, Pinecone);Sakura sparkle pen - yellow;

Tools: Press to Impress Art Board stencil (heart); Lavinia hill mask; home made hill and circle masks;

Gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Craft Rocket #90 - Use An Animal

Crafty Animals #59 - Anything Goes with an Animal

Cutie Pie #169 - Beginning With B

(Birthday, Birds, Bunnies)

Dragonfly Dreams (March) - Something to Make You Smile (2nd entry) - TOP 3

Dream Valley #265 - Add Some Bling

Elliebelle’s Crafty Wednesday (March) - Spring Is In the Air

Get Creative #109 - Use Green

Incy Wincy (March) - Nature and Scenery

Little Red Wagon #644 - CAS

My Time To Craft #477 - Animals

Simon Says (Monday) - Add Some Green (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Bit O' Green

Stamping Sensations (March) - Stamp Something for Spring (2nd entry)

Use Your Stuff #443 - Masculine

We Love Stamping (March) - Anything (Stamped) Spring (2nd entry)

I have scheduled this post in advance so we can spend the day together … so hoping the weather will be kind.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #667

Good morning everyone,

It's Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Brenda has chosen the theme and it is

Spring Is in The Air

A lovely cheerful theme as we look towards the lighter nights, which will also perhaps distract us from all the terrible things currently happening in the world!!

This week’s prize has been kindly donated by Stampers Grove -  this beautiful AALL & Create stamp set "Birthday Blooms".

Here's my card for this week.

The starting point for this card was the intricate floral punch that I have used down one side ... I have quite a few of these punches but now very rarely use them, though I have to unpack them from my dining room cupboard every time I craft in order to get at my papers and stamps stored behind!

The spring theme also motivated me to go a bit retro with this one, and I had a delve in my stamp boxes to find some old, much loved but sadly much neglected Penny Black wooden stamps that would be suitable for a spring theme. This darling duckling just spoke to me, so I soon got busy colouring him with my Promarkers. I die cut him using my stitched squares and sponged the edges with Distress Oxide ink, then matted him on a slightly large die cut. I cut a square of yellow card which I punched down one side, then layered up my image, paper and matting card with a piece of ribbon onto my card base. Lastly I added my sentiment popped up on foam tape and a few teeny gems to pull the colour scheme together.

Stamps: Penny Black Duckling (3347H) and Happy Easter (2355D);

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Rustic Wilderness);

Papers: snippets from my stash;

Tools: Stitched rectangle dies from Amazon; Martha Stewart floral Punch Around the Page.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #6 2022 - Anything Goes

As You Like It - Favourite Interactive or Not (and why) (2nd entry)

(My favourite is definitely NOT - scarcely ever tried an interactive card and wouldn't really know where to start!!)

Card Concept #170 - Wearing O’ the Green

(I was inspired by the colours yellow and green, and the general spring feel of the pic. I think I would call this card style “clean and layered”?)

Crafty Calendar (March) - Spots/Stripes or Easter - TOP 3

Crafty Catz #586 - Anything Goes with option Spring Colours - TOP 3

Crafty Gals’ Corner #229 - Add a Flower

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper (March) - Anything Goes with Patterned Paper

Creatalicious #230 - Anything Goes with option Something Green

Creative Inspirations (March) - Spring Flowers

Daisy Chain #61 - Use Dies

Day of the Month #37 - Poultry Day (and 3rd birthday of blog)

Dragonfly Dreams (March) - Something to Make You Smile

Four Seasons (March) - Spring

Get Creative #109 - Use Green

I ❤️ Promarkers #505 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Paper Funday #39 - Anything Goes with option Use Green and Gold

Penny Black Saturday (March) - Anything Goes with option Bright Colours

Penny's Challenge #516 - Anything Goes with Patterned Papers

Pixie's Snippets Playground #423 - Anything Goes With Snippets (Ruby's Memory)

Sheepski #60 - Flowers (3rd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Add Some Green (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Bit O' Green

Sisterhood of Crafters - Old Rejected Stamp - TOP 3

(This stamp is from 2005, and I've had it nearly that long!!)

Stamping Sensations (March) - Stamp Something for Spring

We Love Stamping (March) - Anything (Stamped) Spring

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,

Misty Morning

Hi peeps,

Yesterday I decided to make a card for the current Lavinia online store Challenge “Misty Morning”, and also felt inspired to show support for Ukraine both by using the colours of the Ukraine flag, and also by using one of my newest Lavinia fairies “Josie”, as I think with her fairy dandelion she encapsulates a sense of making a wish… and God knows we are all wishing for an end to this horrendous conflict. Here is the result.

First I made a smoosh background using only yellow and blue Distress Oxide inks spattered with water, though of course as the inks mingled they created new shades … but mingling together is a positive thing, right?? I stamped Josie then “grounded” her using my Lavinia hill mask and Twilight VFC. I then created my sun using a Lavinia circle mask and bright blue DO, and my foliage using first and second generation stamping. I also introduced a little background stamping of Faerie spells over the sun, and added Pipin looking up at the fairy dandelion. I highlighted the scene liberally with a yellow Sakura sparkle pen, and coloured Josie’s  wings with yellow and blue sparkle pens. Finally I added some wisps of mist using my new white pastel pencil … I have never used pastel pencils before but was inspired to buy just a white one to try by this fab Jo Rice tutorial.

As always this card is MUCH more sparkly than the picture suggests ... here is an angled shot.

I'm a little frustrated by the small smudge I managed to make at the last minute when stamping my sentiment (I stamped this after I had entered the picture into the Lavinia challenge, as it is non-Lavinia!) .. but I guess I may cover it with a couple of little heart gems.

Stamps: Lavinia - Josie, Vine Flourish, Field Grass, Silhouette Foliage Set, Mini Leaf 1; Pipin, Faerie Spells; Crafter's Companion Magical Sentiments;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch); Versafine (Onyx); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Warm Breeze); Sakura sparkle pens - yellow and blue; white pastel pencil;

Tools: Lavinia acetate hill and circle masks.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Colour Hues #36 - Blue/Yellow (Cards for Ukraine) (2nd entry)

Crafter’s Cafe #282 - Make Your Own Background (2nd entry)

Happy Little Stampers: Watercolour (March) - Anything Goes with water

ModSquad - Standing With Ukraine

Pearly Sparkles #71 - One For the Girls (2nd entry)

That’s all from me for today .. take care, stay safe and thanks for visiting today.

Hugs,

Quick and easy die cuts

Hi there … today I would like to share a quick card I made yesterday in between some DT and family card making commitments. 

I recently received some new stitched rectangle dies from Amazon and have been looking forward to using them.  I cut a stitched rectangle from a snippet of  gorgeous Bo Bunny paper which has a distressed look and faint background script, and then sponged the edges with Distress oxide ink to deepen the colour a bit more. I spattered the card base lightly with 2 colours of DO, adhered my stitched rectangle, and then attached a die cut flower spray cut from a snippet of pearlescent white card. A quick stamped sentiment, a few sparkly gems and some white Posca pen spattering on the paper, and I was done.

Unfortunately despite (or maybe because of) the very sunny weather the photography isn't very good ... photos in direct sunlight don't seem to work, but photos in shade are a little dull today!

Stamps: sentiment: Crafter's Companion - Magical Sentiements;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress oxide inks (Picked raspberry, Twisted Citron);

Tools: Memory Box Bella Bouquet die; stitched rectangle die from Amazon;

Old Bo Bunny paper and gems from my stash. 

Challenges I would like to enter:

Dies R Us #188 - Anything Goes with a Die Brand sold by DRU

(I have used Memory Box)

Fab 'n' Funky #546 - Dies or Stencils (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Add Some Green

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add A Die Cut (2nd entry)

Time Out #208 - 8th Birthday Challenge  (3rd entry)

I'm hoping to get a bit more crafting in over the next couple of days ... If I do I'll be back soon with another share.

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #666

Hi everyone,

Saturday is here again, so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week it is my turn to host the challenge, and I have chosen the theme

Anything Goes with option Distress

The DT would love to see all your makes, and I would particularly love it if you join in with my option - either using your distress inks and oxides, or distressing your work to give it that vintage look!

This week we again have 2 great prizes up for grabs 

Stamp Addicts has kindly donated a £15 store voucher

and we are also offering a Tattered Lace die from the Pastel Havens range

Here's my card for this week.

I really love using my Distress Oxide inks to create backgrounds ... I had intended to create my first ever gel plate card for today's challenge, but sadly I'm not getting on too well with my gel plate at the moment and haven't yet produced anything that I'm happy with.

For this card I stamped my focal image with Vintage Photo Distress ink and heat embossed it, then stamped again onto masking sheet and masked the image before creating a smoosh background with DO inks. I did some background stamping with Distress ink and then painted my flower with DO's. I sponged some more distress ink round the edges to give the panel more depth, then distressed the edges of both the image panel and my matting card with my distressing tool. I added some metallic brads to give a vintage ironware kind of look, and matted everything onto my base card. Lastly I stamped and embossed my sentiment onto a spare bit of smooshed card, and popped it up on foam tape.

Stamps: AALL & Create - Textured Florals (main flower and large background circles); Woodware - Additions (background text and alphabet); Crafter's Companion - Enchanted Dreams Magical Sentiments (small grungy circles); LotV - Everyday Grungy Sentiments;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Barn Door, Rustic Wilderness); Distress Inks (Tea Dye, Vintage Photo);

Metallic brads from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #5 2022 - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore #97 - Anything Goes - DT FAVOURITE

Crafty Catz #585 - Anything Goes - TOP 3

Happy Little Stampers: Watercolour (March) - Anything Goes with Watercolour

Krafty Chicks #601 - Stamp Act

My Time To Craft #476 - Embossing (wet or dry)

Path of Positivity #98 - Anything Goes Positive  (2nd entry)

Sheepski #60 - Flowers (2nd entry)

Shopping Our Stash #465 - Full Metal Jacket

Sweet Stampin' - Girly but No Pink (3rd entry)

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

Worldwide Open Design Team Challenge #2 2022 - 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. 

I can't wait to see what you create - I'll be back on the challenge blog on Friday to announce the challenge winners and Top 5. 

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs, 

Sending Positive Thoughts

Hi everyone,

Today I would like to share a card that serves multi-purposes ... I needed to make a card to cheer up a dear friend who has tested positive at the weekend for Covid and is feeling rather low; and the design was also inspired by the idea that has taken off in blogland of showing support for Ukraine in its current crisis by using sunflowers (its national flower) and the colours blue and yellow (the colours of its national flag).  Here's the result.

Power Poppy are very kindly currently giving away free digital images of sunflowers for people to use to make cards showing support for Ukraine, so I downloaded this stunning image "Sunshine of My Life". I coloured it with Promarkers, did a little highlighting with a white pencil and white gel pen, then die cut it onto a stitched panel. I stamped my sentiment, sponged the edges of the die cut with Distress Oxide ink, and matted it directly onto my base card. I then just finished off with some randomly scattered blue and yellow sparkly gems and clear heart gems. 

Stamps: Power Poppy - Sunshine of My Life (digi); sentiment: Crafter's Companion - Positive Thoughts;

Media: Promarkers; Tim Holtz Distress oxide ink (Blueprint Sketch);

Tools: stitched square die from Amazon;

Gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Ally's Angels #55 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

As You Like it - Favourite Interactive - or Not (and why) - TOP 3

(I think I have only ever made an interactive card once or twice in all the years I've been crafting ... so that would definitely be a NOT!)

CCC Digi Creations #134 - Add/Include Flowers

Color Hues #36 - Blue/Yellow (Cards for Ukraine)

(I had already made this card before I spotted this challenge and I have actually used some green as occurs in nature, so not sure whether it qualifies for any prizes ... but as it is for this very special theme I thought I would like to share it anyway!!)

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge #8 2022 - Anything Goes with Colouring (2nd entry)

Crafty Catz #584 - Anything Goes with option Flowers (2nd entry)

Creative Crafters #49 - Anything Goes

Digi Choosday #9 2022 - Anything Goes with Digis

Fab 'n' Funky #546 - Dies or Stencils

I ❤️ Promarkers #505 - Anything Goes with option No Patterned Papers

Passion For Markers #630 - Feminine - TOP 5

Path of Positivity #98 - Anything Goes Positive

Pearly Sparkles #71 - One For the Girls

Sheepski #60 - Flowers

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add a Die Cut

Sweet Stampin' - Girly but No Pink (2nd entry) - TOP 5

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Worldwide Open Design Team Challenge #2 2022 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Take care everyone in this turbulent and unpredictable world we are living in ... thanks for visiting today.

Hugs,