Six sides to every story

Hi everyone,

Here I am back again for a second post today, as I’d like to share a card I made in my first crafting session of 2022, playing with some of my new Christmas stash.  

I wanted to improve my stencilling so I asked Santa for a Press to Impress Art Board, to add to my P to I stamp positioning tool. The theory is that it holds stencils securely so you can apply inks without the stencil moving and/or fingers getting inky and smudging your work.  For this card I tried the tool both with a P to I A4 single shape stencil (hexagon) and with a separate stencil, and I found it did make stencilling a lot easier. I’m still ironing 1 or 2 things out but I’m overall very pleased with it.

I used my P to I A4 stencil to ink the main hexagon with distress oxide inks, and spritzed with water. I then stamped my new Lavinia poppies and hexagon background stamp. I did some more background stencilling, and added some ink spatter stamping to reflect the spatters in the hexagon stamp, and to tie in with the grungy look of the sentiment. Finally I stamped my sentiment words, cut out and popped up on foam tape.

Stamps: Lavinia - Group Poppies; AALL & Create #383 -  Scripted Hexagons; spatters - Butterfly Kisses Clear-2-Collage; sentiment - AALL & Create Textured Florals set;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon);

Tools: Press to Impress A4 hexagon stencil; AALL & Create stencil #112 - Heapza Hexagonz.

Challenges I would like to enter:

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

The Flower Challenge #64 - Monochrome

Simon Says (Monday) - Something New (2nd entry)

(all the stamps and stencils on this card are new)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Something New (2nd entry)

Time Out #204 - New  (2nd entry)

I had a lot of fun making this card and trying out new things. I love the look of hexagon shapes and was very pleased with how the stamps and stencils came together in conjunction with the flowers and spatters.with hindsight I think I should have angled the stems and heads of my poppies more, but that’s a learning point for next time.

Thanks for visiting and hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,

 

Allsorts Challenge #658

Good morning everyone,

It's Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week I’m feeling really excited as having joined the DT last October, today is my first turn to host and choose the theme for the challenge - woo hoo!!😀

So .. the theme I have chosen is 

Anything Goes with option of Use Something New

So if Santa has been kind (or even if you have been kind to yourself!) now’s your chance to play with your new stuff!! Otherwise we would love to see anything you make with your existing stash so long as you follow the guidelines at the top of the challenge blog.

This week we have another fabulous prize - Helping Hands has kindly donated a £15 store voucher.

Here's my card for this week.

As luck would have it, Santa (a.k.a. my husband) was very kind this Christmas, so I didn’t quite know which way to turn first for this theme! However I soon decided to ink up some of my new Lavinia stamps, and to make a card based around the fabulous Luna Tree Goddess stamp .. I was really surprised by how big this stamp is and couldn’t wait to get started as it is my first ever Lavinia fairy card!! 😍

First I inked my background sky using Distress Oxide inks and my largest Lavinia moon mask, then spattered the sky with water droplets before using more DO’s to create the landscape using one of the acetate hill masks. I stamped my background wording, fairy, trees and foliage, then highlighted the moon and Luna’s wings with Sakura sparkle pens. Finally I matted the piece onto black linen card and adhered to my card base, and adhered my sentiment popped up on foam tape.

Stamps: Lavinia - Luna Tree Goddess, Celestial Tree, Silhouette Foliage Set, Mini Branch, Mini Leaf 1, Faerie Spells; sentiment - unknown;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Chipped Sapphire, Blueprint Sketch, Seedless Preserves, Black Soot); Versafine (Onyx); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Morning Mist); Sakura sparkle pens (Stardust and Pink).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Classic Design Challenge (January) - Anything Goes

Country View Challenges (January) - Your Year to Sparkle and Shine

Creatalicious #226 - Anything Goes with option Something New - TOP 3

(all the stamps on this card are new apart from the sentiment, and one of the DO's is also new)

Creative Inspirations (January) - Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2201 - Anything Goes

River of Creativity #9 - Anything Goes

Simon Says (Monday) - Something New (see above for new items used)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Something New (see above for new items used)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

We Love Stamping (January) - Anything Stamped with option of Wings

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 #657

Good morning everyone,

Happy New Year to you all, and welcome to 2022 - hope you all enjoyed the Christmas and New Year festivities despite the uncertain times we’re living in right now. 

It's the first Saturday of a brand new year, so it's time for a new Allsorts Challenge - hope you're raring to go for  new year of challenges, fab inspiration by my talented co-team members, and brilliant prizes. This week Brenda has chosen the first theme to kick off 2022 and it is

Black and White plus One Other Colour

This week's prize is a Rare Earth stamp set.

Here's my card for this week - I have chosen black and white + pink

I was fortunate enough to win the Simon Says (Wednesday) challenge a few weeks ago, and selected this fabulous stamp set by AALL and Create as my prize. Even despite the high postage charges from the U.S. I managed to take advantage of a Black Friday offer to effectively get this set for only 1/3 of the UK retail price which was well worth having 😀

The set includes 2 large flower heads plus various background and sentiment stamps - I actually chose it primarily for the other main flower, but then started thinking what I could do with this one.  I am “saving” the other one for a particular future challenge theme so watch this space! 😀

I created a smoosh background with distress ink and distress oxide, then stamped my main flower head, and also stamped the stalk from the other flower using a bit of masking tape. I did a bit of background stencilling with Distress Oxide, and a bit of background stamping from the same set using Versafine Clair in Morning Mist to give a softer look. I also added a bit of spatter using a stamp from anther set and more DO ink. I coloured the flower using Distress Oxide ink and added the main sentiment from an unknown set in my stash.

Stamps: AALL and Create Textured Flowers; spatters - Butterfly Kisses Clear-2-Collage; main sentiment - unknown;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose); Distress Oxide Inks (Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry); Versafine Onyx; Versafine Clair - Morning Mist;

Tools: Crafter's Companion stencil from stamp/stencil set "It's Time".

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #1 2022 - Anything Goes

Creations In Pink #41 - Anything Goes in Mainly Pink

Krafty Chicks #592 - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin’ - New

Time Out #204 - New

(I have used a new AALL and Create stamp set)

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,

Christmas Love Dragons

🎄🎄🎄 Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄🎄🎄

I am scheduling this post as today I would like to show you the Christmas card I made for my husband …I never publish it until after he has had chance to open it on Christmas Day 😀

Back in September I made him a wedding anniversary card using the gorgeous Lee Holland cuddling “Love Dragons” image (post here); so when I saw the same dragons wearing Santa hats I just had to have that image for his Christmas card 😍

I coloured my image with Promarkers and drew “scales” with fine liner pens, then embellished the hats with holographic glitter, and created snowflakes with my Posca pen. I then matted and layered with my papers, ribbons, die cut and stamped sentiments, and die cut and punched snowflakes. I have to 'fess up that the teeny snowflakes were prompted by one of them needing to cover a smudge with my Posca pen .. but after so many hours creating the card I just had to rescue it!! 

My thanks also need to go to Alyce at Kit & Clowder for her fab colouring class which covered colouring LH dragons and drawing scales .. I think I still have some way to go but I love colouring them nonetheless!

Stamps: Lee Holland Christmas Dragon Couple; sentiments - Me To You;

Media: Promarkers;

Papers: LotV Nitwits ‘Twas The Night;

Tools: Tattered Lace die - Merry Christmas; Cuttlebug Cut ‘n’ Emboss - Ice Crystal; Martha Stewart snowflake punch;

Gems and glitter from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Christmas Sentiment and why (2nd entry)

(I actually have several, but I always think Merry Christmas hits the spot, and this ornate Tattered Lace die never disappoints. Also I love making cards with the sentiment “For My Wonderful Husband” 😍)

Christmas With the Cuties #56 - ‘Twas the Challenge Before Christmas

( I have chosen theme #55 - Make A Card for Someone Special)

Crafter’s Cafe # 280 - Use Some of your Favourites (2nd entry)

(I have used.a Lee Holland dragon image, and my favourite Christmas sentiment die).

Crafty Calendar (December) - Christmas (3rd entry) - TOP 3

 Creative Moments #229 - Anything Goes

Cutie Pie Challenge #166 - Cute and Cuddly Christmas

DRU #183 - Anything Goes using a brand of die DRU sells (2nd entry)

(I have used Tattered Lace)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2151 - Anything Goes

Passion for Markers #621 - Mega Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes (2nd entry) 

Uniko Challenge #68 - Celebrate with option of Reds and Greens (3rd entry)

I hope you are all enjoying time with your loved ones - I will be spending the day quietly with my husband, hopefully enjoying a lovely turkey dinner and chilling in front of the TV. Hope you all have a wonderful time whatever you’re doing. I will be taking a break from cardmaking and blogging over Christmas and look forward to seeing you on 1 January with my DT card for the first Allsorts challenge of 2022.

Until then - wishing you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas, and hope you stay safe in these uncertain times.

Thanks for visiting,

Hugs,

Believe In the Magic

Hi everyone,

I needed to post the “Four Seasons” bookmarks  that I had made as a small Christmas gift to a good friend, and I decided that I needed a mini gift card to write a message in to accompany them in their padded envelope… so here it is.

This card is just 4” square. .. I have never made such a dinky card before and I rather liked working in such a small space.  I sponged a circle with Distress Oxide inks working inwards from darkest colour to the lightest, then bleached out some colour with spattered water droplets. I stamped my tree and fairy using Versafine Clair, and added some stars as if she is sprinkling stardust over the tree … which in my imagination results in the creation of a silver holographic star on top of the tree. I added a few more stars around the edge using Brilliance pearlescent ink, stamped my sentiment and finished off with some Sakura Stardust pen highlights and a few gems. Fairly quick by my standards, but I’m pleased with how it turned out. 

Here's a close up to show the sparkle.

Stamps: Lavinia Fir Tree 1, Stars 1 Mini; Fairy and sentiment from Crafter’s Companion “Fairy Kisses” set;

Media:Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean Tumbled Glass); Versafine Clair - Twilight; Brilliance Pearlescent ink - ?; Sakura Gelly roll pen - Stardust;

Holographic star peel off and gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Classic Design Challenge (December) - Anything Goes (4th entry)

Crafty Calendar (December) - Christmas (2nd entry)

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Cold As Ice (3rd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Bling It On (2nd entry)

Sparkles Christmas #131 - Non-Traditional Colours

Stamping Sensations (December) - Choose A Theme and Stamp It (3rd entry)

(I have chosen Christmas magic)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

We Love Stamping (December) - Anything Stamped with option of CAS (2nd entry)

(I have chosen Anything Goes)

I still have one special card to make for my husband but I never publish that before he has opened it on Christmas Day, so what with all the preps required this week, this is probably my last published make before the big day. So I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas - hope you all stay safe, and  that we can look forward to a better 2022.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #655/6

Good morning everyone,

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

Anything Winter

Due to the Christmas break this will be a two week challenge and the last challenge for 2021 - due to the New Year the challenge will close at 12 noon (GMT) on Thursday 30 December  and the winner will be announced later that day. We will be back with the first challenge of next year on Saturday 1 January 2022. 😀

This week we have A whopping THREE great prizes on offer … in no particular order:

1. Tonic Studios - Autumn Dream die set

2. Bee Crafty - BEAUtanicals Wildflower 3 stamp

3. Ruth Hamilton Design - 3 images of the winner’s choice.

Here's my card for this week.

I actually made this card about a month ago in my first flush of enthusiasm for Lavinia stamps, before the Christmas panic set in!! I created my hills and moon with home made paper masks (before my Lavinia acetate masks arrived!) and blending distress oxide inks. I then stamped my trees and border branches, embossing  some of my branches with white detail EP, and highlighted the scene with my trusty Sakura sparkle pen.

Stamps: Lavinia Small Fairy Fir Tree 2, Fir Cone Branch, Fern Branch, Stars 1 Mini; sentiment - Stampendous;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress oxide inks (Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean, Tumbled Glass); Versafine Clair (Twilight), Versamark, Heat It Up Detail White embossing powder.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #26 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Christmas Craft Creations (December) - Make A Scene (2nd entry)

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #57 - If It's Christmassy - Link It up (2nd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #94 - Anything Goes (3rd entry) - DT FAVOURITE

Crafty Creations #428 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Creative Inspirations (December) - Christmas Time  (3rd entry)

Creative Knockouts #432 - ‘Tis the Season

Ellibelle’s Crafty Wednesday (December) - Baby It’s Cold Outside!  (2nd entry) - TOP 3

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2150 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - HONORARY MENTION

Simon Says (Monday) - Cold As Ice (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us, and I look forward to seeing your entries - don’t forget you have almost TWO WEEKS to enter this time.  Also don’t  forget to visit the challenge blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team. 

Merry Christmas from Allsorts challenge, and we’ll be back for a year of new challenges on 1 January 2022! 

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Wish Upon A Star

In recent years I have had just two “special” (ie. larger) Christmas cards to make - one for my husband and one for his aunt. Today I’d like to show you the card I have made for his aunt - she is elderly so I have made her a traditional card combining my Lavinia stamps in a fairly classic  design along with traditional papers and embellishments. 

The overall card blank is 8” square, so I cut a 6” square piece of stamping card, and sponged a large circle onto it using distress oxide ink and a home made circle mask, then stamped my wording round the sides of the circle. I stamped my reindeer in the middle, then created a wreath of fir comes, holly and berries. I stamped my North Star just where the reindeer could gaze upon it, and sponged the edges of the panel with distress ink. I “grounded” the reindeer and highlighted him and the fir cones and holly with my Sakura stardust pen .. the card is actually extremely sparkly but as ever the photo doesn’t really capture that, so I have taken another photo at an angle which shows the sparkle a bit better.

. I then matted and layered the finished panel onto my backing card and tartan patterned paper which I thought complemented the reindeer scene perfectly.  I finished the card off with a die cut poinsettia and holly flourish, and my sentiment stamped onto a distressed piece of card stock and popped up on foam tape.

Stamps: Lavinia Reindeer (large), Fir Cone Branch, Mini Holly, Mini Berries, North Star Mini, Stars 1 Mini, Winter Magic; sentiment - Pink Gem;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink  (Iced Spruce, Barn Door); Distress Ink (Antique Linen); Versafine  (Onyx, Sepia); Versafine Clair (Rainforest); Brilliance pigment ink (Galaxy Gold);

Papers: LotV Nitwits ‘Twas the Night;

Tools: Dies - Marianne Design LR0122 Poinsettas, Cheery Lynn Designs Holly Flourish.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Christmas Sentiment and Why

(I have several, but one of my favourites is “with love at Christmas” as it conveys the love that has gone into making and sending the card)

Addicted to Stamps and More #420 - Die Cuts and Stencils

C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas - The Last Stretch

Crafter’s Cafe #280 - Use Some of Your Favourites

( I have used my favourite new Lavinia stamps and distress oxide inks)

Creative Inspirations (December) - Christmas Time (2nd entry)

DRU #183 - Anything Goes using a brand of dies DRU sells

(I have used a Cheery Lynn die)

My TIme to Craft #472 - Christmas Animals (2nd entry)

Sheepski Designs #57 - Embellish It (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Bling It On

Uniko Challenge #68 - Celebrate with Option of Reds and Greens (2nd entry)

This is my final Christmas card for posting in 2021 … just my husband’s to make now and a handful for the neighbours!

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Magic of Christmas

I’m now onto my final push of quick batch Christmas makes, and today I would like to share a few from a batch of cards I made inspired by a Jo Rice Youtube tutorial here.. 

I used the idea of creating a scene across 2 layers of card, and incorporated Jo’s brilliant  tip of outlining card panels with a pen rather than matting them onto coloured card, though as I don’t have any Sharpies I experimented with the pens I do have and ended up using the chisel tip of a Promarker. 

Card 1:

I cut my card panels and placed the layers onto the base card as per Jo’s tutorial, and used my Lavinia acetate masks and Distress Oxide ink to make my hills and moon. I then diverged from the tutorial by using the reindeer and tree as my focal images; and I made things a bit more difficult for myself by stamping the tree across 2 card layers which meant I had to stamp it twice … once on each layer. On most of the cards in this batch I stamped first with the top layer in position and then again with it removed .. but my learning point for next time is that a better image is obtained by stamping on the lower layer of card first then placing the upper layer in place and stamping again.  

I used my Sakura sparkle pen to highlight the moon, snowdrifts and tree branches, added stars using twinkly pearlescent lavender ink, then assembled the cards before adding snowflakes with my Posca pen. On these cards I added the snowflakes as dots, applying different pressure to get different size flakes. I have now given up on the flicking technique, as however careful I was the paint flew everywhere and I had to be quick to wipe it off all my craft equipment and (more importantly!) dining furniture!! 

Card 2:

Card 3:

Stamps: Lavinia “Reindeer (large)”, “Fairy Fir Tree 2”, “Stars 1 Mini”; LotV "Grungy Christmas Sentiments" (Card 1); Penny Black "a wish..." (3502F)  (Card 2); Penny Black "joy hope" (3898F) (Card 3);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Shaded Lilac); Versafine Onyx, Brilliance pigment ink - Pearlescent Lavender; Sakura Gelly Roll pen - Stardust; Posca pen - white;

Tools: Lavinia acetate masks - hills and moons.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Card 1: 

Christmas Craft Creations (December) - Make A Scene

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #572 - Anything Christmas Goes with option Quick and Easy (2nd entry)

Creative Inspirations (December) - Christmas Time

Ellibelle’s Crafty Corner (December) - Baby It’s Cold Outside!

Krafty Chicks #589 - Christmas

Pixie's Snippets Playground #418 - Chrstmas/New Year and use Snippets

(I used snippets left over from cutting 5" square panels fom my stamping cardstock, to make the smaller front panels on all the cards in this batch).

Simon Says (Monday) - Cold As Ice

Simon Says (Wednesday)  - Cold As Ice

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #131 - Non-Traditional Colours (2nd entry)

Stamping Sensations (December) - Choose a Theme and Stamp It (2nd entry)

(I have chosen Christmas)

Card 2:

A Gem of a Challenge #25 - Anything Goes

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #57 - If It's Christmassy - Link It up

Country View Challenges (December) - Anything Christmas Goes (5th entry)

Crafty Catz#576 - Anything Goes - option Christmas

Creatalicious #224 - Anything Goes with option of Christmas (3rd entry)

Dragonfly Dreams (December) - Anything Goes

My TIme to Craft #472 - Christmas Animals

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #250 - Anything Goes

We Love Stamping (December) - Anything Goes with option of CAS

(I have chosen Anything Goes)

Winter Wonderland - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Card 3:

Classic Design Challenge (December) - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Crafter’s Castle #48 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Crafts Galore Encore #94 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crafty Creations #428 - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Creative Moments #228 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley #260 - Christmas (3rd entry)

Paper Funday #36 - Anything Goes

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

Phew! I think that's me done for today ... hope you're all keeping well and not scrambling too much to get Christmas "done".

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #654

Hi everyone,

The weeks are now flying by as we get into December and Christmas approaches .. hope your Christmas preparations are on track. I managed to post all my Christmas cards yesterday but I still need to make a couple of special ones plus a batch for the neighbours and my husband’s workmates .. so no pressure!!

Anyhoo, it’s Saturday already so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Ellie has chosen the theme and it is

Wings and / or Tails

... so we would like to see one or more creatures on your make that have wings and / or tails … could include angels, fairies, butterflies, animals with tails, birds or whatever you can think of!!

This week we have two great prizes on offer that tie in beautifully with our theme - 2 winners will each win one of the following Woodware Stamps.

Here's my card for this week.

When I saw this theme the first thing that sprung into my mind was dragons!! … or more specifically, Lee Holland dragons. I’m not a big user of digis but I do love this range, even though I’m still not very confident with my marker colouring so wouldn’t yet tackle some of the more complex images. As I’m still in Christmas card mode and Lee has had a sale on Christmas images this week 😍 I nipped online and ordered 3, and here’s the result with one of them - I just love this baby dragon celebrating by scoffing Christmas pud and mince pies! His wings are fairly teeny tiny though, so I’m not confident he could fly away when weighted down by all that Christmas pud .. though he could of course set light to it!! 😀🔥

I coloured my image with Promarkers and Flexmarkers, and mounted it simply. I try to keep my cards flatter for postage nowadays but I couldn’t resist adding a small holly die cut and some pearls for festive berries, plus a sprinkling of glamour dust to represent snow underfoot. 

Stamps: Lee Holland “Dragon with Christmas pudding” (digi); sentiment - LotV set 5 “Circular Sentiments - Christmas";

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers; Glamour dust;

Papers: LotV Nitwits "'Twas the Night";

Tools: Tattered Lace holly die;

Gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like it - Favourite Christmas Embellishment and Why

(As I mentioned in my previous entry I love everything sparkly ... so you can't go wrong with Glamour Dust in my world)

Country View Challenges (December) - Anything Christmas Goes (4th entry)

Crafter's Cafe #279 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crafty Calendar (December) - Christmas (2nd entry)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #572 - Anything Christmas Goes with option Quick and Easy

I ♥ Promarkers #449 - Anything Goes with option Christmas

Passion For Markers #621 - Anything Goes

Sheepski Designs #57 - Embellish It

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Uniko Studio #68 - Celebrate with option of reds and greens

Hope you can make time in this busy pre-Christmas period to join us, and I look forward to seeing your entries this week. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,