Allsorts Challenge #702

Hi there, it's Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Lorraine has chosen the theme and it is

*** Anything Goes with the option to Add Number(s) ***

This week we have 2 great prizes on offer:

First, a £15 store voucher from Stamp Addicts 

 

For a second winner we also have 3 digi images of the winner's choice from  Ruth Hamilton Design

Here's my card for this week.

This week I took the unusual step of making a CAS One Layer Card (OLC). I masked my base card and created a panel of distress blue ink, then stamped my focal tree in Twilight Versafine Clair. I stamped my grungy numbers over the panel and my Christmas sentiment. White Posca paint spatters for snow and a little "grounding" of the tree plus some Sakura sparkle pen on the branches to indicate frost, and I was done! 

Stamps: Visible Image Christmas Eve (tree), Distressed Christmas (numbers); Uniko Christmas Wishes;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress oxide ink (Blueprint Sketch); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Medieval Blue); Posca pen (white), Sakura Stardust pen (clear).

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA Cards Challenge #227 - Anything CAS Goes

As You Like It - Favourite Non-Traditional Christmas Colour Combo (and why)

(I love shades of blue for a cool wintery look)

Craft Rocket #98 - Christmas/Winter (2nd entry)

Creative Knockouts #478 - Christmas Delights

Dragonfly Dreams (November) - Christmas

Fab 'n' Funky #560 - Shades of Blue (3rd entry)

Happy Little Stampers (November): Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2245 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Stamping Sensations (November) - Christmas Celebrations

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #127 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your makes. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. 

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Christmas wreath and robin

Hi peeps, today I’d like to share my first Christmas wreath card of the year using a mixture if old and new stamps … there is something strangely therapeutic about stamping round in a circle!

First I blended some green Distress Oxide ink into a circle using the positive and negative of my circle mask, then stamped my fir cone branches round the circle using Versafine Clair. I added stamped holly using 1st and 2nd generation stamping, and red mini berries. I coloured the holly berries with my red Sakura Stardust pen, and highlighted the fir cones, holly leaves and berries with my clear Stardust pen… it’s another very sparkly card!!

Right now I am starting to experiment with ways to colour Lavinia silhouette stamps .. this is my first attempt using one of the new silhouette birds which looks to me like a robin. I coloured the stamp with tan, brown and red watercolour markers, then edged the robin with dark brown VFC, used a fine liner to create his eye, and highlighted his belly with a white Posca pen. It’s not perfect, but I’m going to be trying different methods over the coming weeks!!

I stamped a branch for the robin to sit on and stamped my sentiments. Finally I matted the image panel onto dark green card stock and then onto my card base, and spattered the finished piece with white Posca pen “snow”.

Stamps: Lavinia Fir Cone Branch, Mini Holly, Mini Berry, Bird Collection, Tree Branch; Uniko Festive Sentiments;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (Bundled Sage); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Pinecone, Rainforest, Tulip Red); Marvey watercolour markers (brown, tan red); Sakura Stardust pens (red, clear); Posca pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #94 - Anything Christmas Goes 

Craftyhazelnut’s Christmas Challenge #619 - Anything Christmas Goes with option Something Beginning With “H” (holly)

Do-All Kreatives #71 - Christmas + Animals (2nd entry)

Festive Fridays - Christmas

Krafty Chicks #637 - Christmas

Little Red Wagon #679 - Winter

Peace On Earth #27 - Anything Christmas Goes + Moodboard

Sparkles Christmas #142 - Festive Things With Wings

We Love Stamping (November) - Christmas

Winter Wonderland - Robin Redbreast

Take care, and thanks for visiting today.

Hugs,

Twinkle

Hi everyone, the theme for this month’s ATC swap in the Visible Image FB group is “Twinkle”, so I decided to join in with this beautiful silhouette butterfly which struck me as perfect for heat embossing with a glitter embossing powder 😀 I made both an ATC and matching card .. the card is a little smaller than usual at 5” x 5” due to the dinky size of the butterfly image, but it is a great size for an ATC swap. I can post these now as my swap partner has received them!

First … the card.

I cut a square of stamping card and colour washed with watered down Cosmic Shimmer paint to create a pearlescent background sheen. I then stamped my butterfly background stamp with blue Memento dye ink, then stamped and heat embossed my main butterfly with glitter embossing powder .. it really twinkles! I stamped and heat embossed my wordings in Twilight VFC and clear embossing powder, then stamped my spatters and heat embossed in silver. Finally I added a few more random silver spatters with my Posca pen and a couple of silver heart gems, and matted onto blue glitter card and matte silver card, and attached to my card base.  

Here is an angled pic to capture the sparkle and pearlescent background.

Stamps: Visible Image VI Minis #1 (butterfly), Butterfly Effect (background and wordings), Christmas Robin (spatter);

Media: Cosmic Shimmer paint (Marine Sea); Memento dye ink (Summer Sky); Versafine Clair (Twilight); Versamark; WOW embossing glitter (Midnight Dream); clear and silver embossing powders.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #23 2022 - Anything Goes

Cards 4 Galz #185 - Watercolour Background, Image or Both

Crafty Catz #613 - Anything Goes with option 3 or More Layers

Creative Inspirations (November) - Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle! (2nd entry)

Dare 2B Artzy (November) - Non-Birthday

Fab 'n' Funky #560 - Shades of Blue (2nd entry)

NBUS #44 - Use Your Never-Before-Used-Schtuff

(Mine is the silhouette butterfly and spatter stamps)

Sheepski #68 - Gems, Glitter, Sparkle (2nd entry)

Three Room Studio #91 - Embossing

Word Art Wednesday #569/570 - Anything Goes 

And here is the ATC .. same method and materials as above apart from no silver card.

Challenges I would like to enter:

ATC’s With a Heart #122 - Anything Goes 

Classic Design Challenge #11 2022 - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore (November) - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar (November) - Anything Goes

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

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2245 - Anything Goes

QKR Stampede #455 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Try It On Tuesday - Sparkle and Shine (3rd entry)

Worldwide Open Design Team Challenge #10 2022 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

That’s all for today. Thanks for dropping by.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #701

Good morning everyone, the week has flown by and it is time already for this week's Allsorts Challenge. Thanks so much to everyone who joined in with our special 700th challenge last week and for all the kind comments on the challenge blog, making it such a success 😀

This week Mervi has chosen the theme and it is

*** Sparkle and Shine ***

This week's prize is a delightful A4 Rare Earth stamp set called "Afternoon Tea".

Here's my card for this week.

I’m really trying to get a wriggle on now with my Christmas cards, and they are perfect candidates for a bit of sparkle and shine. Indeed this one has pretty much got the lot … glitter card, sparkly gems, sparkle pens and shiny silver embossing!!

I created my background on a square of stamping card using Distress Oxide inks and masks for the circle, moon and hills. I then spattered the background with water before stamping my trees with a mixture of black and blue ink to give some dimension. I added Santa  with his sleigh, then stamped my sentiment and heat embossed in silver. I highlighted my moon and trees liberally with my Sakura sparkle pen, and added three snowflakes punched from white glitter card, which I decorated with sparkly gems. Finally I matted everything onto purple glitter card and then onto my card base.

As we all know, the main problem with sparkle and shine is that they don’t show up well in pictures … here is an angled pic to show it a bit better.

Stamps: Lavinia Christmas Tree Group, Fairy Fir Tree (small); Visible Image Christmas Eve (sleigh); Uniko Christmas Wishes;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Chipped Sapphire, Seedless Preserves, Stormy Sky); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Medieval Blue); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Versamark; detail silver embossing powder;

Tools: Press To Impress large circle mask stencil; Martha Stewart snowflake punch;

Sparkly gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Craft Rocket #98 - Christmas/Winter

Crafty Friends #161 - Christmas (2nd entry)

Crazy Is Our Fame, Stencils Are Our Game (November) - Anything Goes With Stencils - WINNER

Creative Inspirations (November) - Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle!

Do-All Kreatives #71 - Christmas + Animals - WINNER

Dream Valley #281 - Dies and/or Punches

Festive Fridays - Christmas (3rd entry)

Happy Little Stampers (November): Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Hero Arts (October) - Merry Everything (3rd entry)

Merry Little Christmas #47 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry) - TOP PICK

Sheepski #68 - Gems, Glitter, Sparkle

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

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #127 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Try It On Tuesday - Sparkle and Shine (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #567/568 - 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,

Floating in the Deep

Good morning everyone,

Today I would like to show you a recently made set of ATC's ... this was another experiment with a brusho background which just suggested to me an undersea scene. I am still at early days with brushos,  but I am so loving these vibrant colours!

I created my background on a large snippet of white card with brushos spritzed with water, then cut into 3 pieces slightly smaller than standard ATC size. I stamped and heat embossed my seahorse and decided it needed some sea foliage but I don't have any such stamps ... so I stamped my Lavinia leaf creeper in various shades of VFC which I felt worked quite well. I drew bubbles with a mix of blue sparkle pen and white gel pen using my Lavinia White orbs stencil to guide me, then matted each panel onto snippets of dark blue linen card stock and finished off with a little washi tape.

Here is a closer look at one of them.

Stamps: Visible Image - VI Minis #1; Lavinia Leaf Creeper;

Media: Brushos (Turquoise, Ultamarine, Sea Green); Versafine Clair (Twilight, Rainforest, Green Oasis, Warm Breeze); Sakura Stardust pen (blue); white gel pen;

Tools: Lavinia White Orbs stencil;

Other: Washi tape - The Range.

Challenges I would like to enter

Arty Divas (October) - Anything Goes - SPOTLIGHT WINNER

DL.Art (November) - Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky #560 - Shades of Blue

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

Love To Craft #71 - Anything Goes - TOP PICK

{PIN}spirational Challenge #295 - Colour Theme - FAVOURITE

QKR Stampede #455 - Anything Goes

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

Snippets Playground #440 - Anything Goes with Snippets

Word Art Wednesday #567/568 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Talking of bubbles … last Thursday we visited the stunning Liverpool River if Light, which is on for 2 weeks until November 6th. One of the light sculptures was based on the concept of bubbles, representing the fragility of life.  Here’s a pic, plus a few more of the stunning light installations.

Take care, and thanks so much for visiting today.

Hugs,

Christmas Trees

Hi everyone, I’ve been cracking on with some Christmas cards, and reached for a new-to-me Lavinia row of Christmas trees, and new Card-io mini trees … here is the result.

I cut a 14cm square of stamping card and created my background by blending Distress Oxides through a square mask stencil and using a torn paper mask for the hills. I stamped my trees using different shades of Versafine Clair, highlighted them with my Sakura Stardust pen and applied some white Posca pen spatter to represent snow. Finally I stamped my sentiment, then matted the finished panel onto dusky blue glitter card. 

I have to confess that this card was a classic example of not being able to leave a finished card alone and then regretting it later. Initially there was nothing in the corners of the inked square, and I thought it needed "more" ... so I got out my mini holly and berries and got stamping. But oh horror!! .. after I had stamped the holly I realised that my paper mask had moved, so the holly was floating in the middle of the sky rather than framing it nicely!! As the card was basically already complete, I just had to rescue it as best I could, but I do think the holly stamping looks a bit of a mess!

Here's an angled picture to show the sparkle.

Stamps: Lavinia Christmas Tree Group, Mini Holly, Mini berries; Card-io Mini Trees; Uniko Christmas Wishes;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Stormy Sky, Blueprint Sketch); Versafine Clair (Rainforest, Morning Mist, Twilight); Sakura Stardust pens (clear, rose); white Posca pen;

Tools: Press To Impress square mask.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Crafty Catz #612 - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends #161 - Christmas

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge #618 - Anything Christmas Goes with option Make Your Own Background

Double Trouble #124 - SomeThing, AnyThing, EveryThing - TOP 3

Festive Fridays - Christmas (2nd entry)

Hero Arts (October) - Merry Everything (2nd entry)

Merry Little Christmas #47 - Anything Christmas Goes

Simon Says (Monday) - Christmas - DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #127 - Anything Christmas Goes - TOP 5

Try It On Tuesday - Sparkle and Shine - END OF YEAR SPOTLIGHT 2022

Winter Wonderland - Let It Snow!

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #700

Hello everyone, today  Allsorts  is having a very special challenge.

Today is our 700th challenge - woo hoo!! Yes that's 700 weeks - nearly 13 1/2 years since the first challenge in May 2009!! So that's 13 1/2 years of fabulous inspiration from a whole host of DT members, and brilliant prizes from a whole variety of kind patrons. Of course, Allsorts could not continue without the support of all you wonderful bloggers who enter each week .. so a big thank you from all the team for your ongoing support 😀❤️

Brenda has chosen this week's theme, and what else could it possibly be but 

🎉🥂🎈*** Let's Celebrate ***🎈🥂🎉

So we would love to see your makes to celebrate any special occasion.

This week we are really getting in the celebratory mood with four great prizes on offer.

First up, a fantastic mixed media bundle which includes stencils, brayer, ink pads, pens and other goodies.

Second, we have a prize of 2 Two Red Robins stencils.

Prizes three and four will be the following bundle split between two winners.

I have also got into the celebration mood and made two cards this week.

Firstly a Christmas card, inspired completely by this adorable mouse image which has to be one of the overtly celebratory images I own!!

I cut a piece of white card 13cm square and stamped my image with Memento ink, then coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers. I masked off the image and stencilled my snowflake using Distress Oxide ink, then stamped my sentiment with Versafine Clair - I really think this joyful sentiment fits so perfectly with that joyful little mouse!  Finally I applied some holographic glitter highlights using my Quickie glue pen, matted the finished panel onto purple glitter card and then onto my card base.

Here is an angled pic to show the glitter - the light was really not very good when I was photographing this card!

Stamps: Penny Black "Let it Snow!" (1524K), "joy hope" (3898F);

Media: Promarkers, Flexmarkers, Tim Holtz Distress oxide inks (Tumbled Glass, Shaded Lilac); Memento ink (black), Versafine Clair (Nocturne); holographic glitter;

Tools: Crafter's Companion stencil - Winter's Sparkle.

Challenges I would like to enter:

ABC Christmas - U is for Unusual Christmas Colours

As You Like It - Favourite Christmas Image or Animal (and why) - TOP 3

(I'm not sure whether this is my all-time favourite Christmas image but it is certainly right up there, as it is not only cute but also incredibly joyful .. it is one of my oldest stamps and I return to it year after year)

Daring Cardmakers - Creature Comforts

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday (October) - Anything Goes - TOP 3

Fab 'n' Funky #559 - Season's Greetings - WINNER

Festive Fridays - Christmas / Animals

Penny Black Saturday (October) - Anything Goes with Penny Black - TOP 3

Rudolph Days (October) - Christmas

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #126 - Anything Christmas Goes

Winter Wonderland (October) - Let It Snow! - TOP 3

Secondly, I also made a birthday card to reflect the concept of a more individual special occasion.

I used what is possibly my favourite AALL & Create stamp which I acquired as a bargain in the summer from a Craft De-Stash FB group. One reason I love it is its versatility - last time I made a card with quite a distressed look, but this time I decided to go more for blocks of colour that would “pop”.

I cut a piece of stamping card 19.5 x 8.5 cm, and stamped and heat embossed my image. I coloured the circles and flowers with Distress Oxide inks, and painted the butterfly with watered down paint from a silver Posca pen, then coloured on top with a Sakura Stardust pen to add extra sparkle. I sponged DO round the edges of the image panel, then added some spatter using more DO and a white gel pen. I stamped, heat embossed and die cut my sentiment circle and attached with a sparkly silver brad, then attached 3 pastel sparkly brads to reflect the colours in the image and did a little doodling at the top and bottom with a black fine liner pen. Finally I matted everything onto black and pearlescent turquoise card, and attached to the front of a DL card blank. 

Here’s an angled pic to show the sparkly butterfly.

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

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Kitsch Flamingo, Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers); Posca pen (silver); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); white gel pen;

Other: sparkly brads from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

AAA Birthday #42 - Favourite Technique

(I love to stamp and heat embossed, then colour with Distress Oxides and/or sparkly pens)

A Gem of a Challenge #22 2022 - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More #441 - Make Your Mark

Colour Crazy #43 2022 - Anything Goes With Colouring

Crafts Galore Encore (October) - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz #612 - Anything Goes

Double Trouble #123 - Let’s Get A-Round to It

My Time to Craft #493 - Wings

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday #567/568 - Anything Goes

Worldwide Open Design Team Challenge #10 2022 - Anything Goes

Hope you can help us to celebrate by joining the challenge 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, including our guest designers who have joined us specially for this milestone week. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Hubble bubble II

Hi everyone, today I would like to share my extremely last-minute make for this month's Lavinia website Creative Challenge "Dancing orbs".

I racked my brain over this one, as I don't have the orb stamps and have never attempted colouring orbs in before, but I have the "White orbs" stencil, so I decided to make a little ATC with Willow the Witch with her cauldron, from which orbs float upwards as she casts her spell!

I cut a piece of stamping card slightly smaller than standard ATC size, and created my night sky with Distress Oxide inks and a circle mask, including some wispy clouds across the moon. I stamped and heat embossed Willow and her cauldron, then "grounded" them with a torn paper mask and sponged DO. I used my orbs stencil to colour various tiny circles using my Sakura Stardust pen, and then dotted the centre of each one with a white gel pen. Finally I stamped my branches and birds which I (clumsily) turned into bats by drawing on them with a black fineliner, highlighted everything with my Sakura stardust pen, and matted the finished piece onto standard ATC size black linen card stock.

Here is the usual angled pic to show the sparkle.

 Stamps: Lavinia Willow the Witch, Birds, Mini Branch;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Black Soot, Chipped Sapphire, Villainous Potion, Seedless Preserves); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); white gel pen; black fineliner;

Tools: Lavinia stencil - White Orbs.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Tiny Craft #14 - Spooky (2nd entry)

ATC's With a Heart #121 - Hallowe'en (2nd entry)

Country View Challenges (October) - Hallowe’en or Harvest (3rd entry)

Crafty Calendar (October) - Hallowe’en (3rd entry)

Creative Knockouts #475 - Hallowe'en - WINNER

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity #153 - 31 Days of Hallowe'en (2nd entry)

Make My Monday #186 - Spooky or Hallowe'en Colours - TOP PICK

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Spooky

The Most Magical Time of the Year #1 - The Most Magical Time of the Year (4th entry) - TOP PICK

Try it On Tuesday - Hallowe'en Time - TOP 5

No more tricks or treats from me for today. Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,