Spread your Wings

Sending a wholehearted thank you for all the wonderful messages of support I received this week can be the only way to start this post................I received literally hundreds of e.mails when my blog comments had to be disabled.........thank you seems inadequate for the warmth and kindness so many have shown towards me during a difficult week.

Now back to business and it's yours truly's turn to host the challenge at Allsorts this week and my theme is 'Spread your Wings'.........use anything with wings as your focal image.

In fact I've a little confession to make, I had intended using a butterfly for my DT piece, but when I saw this new stamp Harietta on the Lavinia stand at Stamperama a few weeks ago it was love at first sight and I had to have her as well as the smaller silhouette version.

To create the sky I used a plate to tear some copy paper to create a rainbow shape, then used that as my mask to ink round using Adirondack butterscotch, watermelon and red pepper, along with citrus for the hills. I stamped Harietta with versafine black, heat embossed with detail clear and coloured her with Copics and glittered her wings and skirt. The trailing flowers and toadstools are also from Lavinia. The swirl is a TH die and the rose made from a five petal punch.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, they threatened more of the white stuff so it might be a perfect excuse to stay in, keep warm and craft, sound good to me.

A fairy called Henrietta

Would you believe it's taken me all day to get this post up, or to be more precise to get the picture loaded, Blogger was having non of it and seems to have fallen into his old ways of having Monday hissy fits.

I had another play with my ink dusters and created the background for this one with Adirondack butterscotch, purple and hazelnut. The fairy which I have totally fallen in love with is a new one called Henrietta from Lavinia stamps..........she also comes in a smaller silhouette stamp and before you ask, yes I got that one as well. The poppies and branches round the edge are also Lavinia and I also stamped the poppies with the same purple ink onto the lilac base paper. I stamped Henrietta with versafine black and embossed with detail clear before colouring with Copics and adding the obligatory glitter.

The easel card was made using the new Go Create arch dies and the borders are cut from Spellbinder Fleur de Lis dies. To finish I made a rose made with a five petal punch, white paper and inked with the same purple round the edges.

Thanks for dropping by and have a good Monday evening.

Floral and Fantasy

Seems I just can't help myself when it comes to choosing themes, at Stampalot Challenge this month we would like to see 'Magical Worlds' and at Penny Black at Allsorts 'Shape Up' anything but square or rectangle.......I know I didn't have to go floral with that one, but somehow that's what I ended up with, so no surprises really.

My Stampalot fairy scene started by using a mask to create an oval then some brayering using the good old Speedball and Adirondack dye inks and stamping with a mixture of Artstamps (castle) Personal Impressions (large fairy and toadstools) and tiny Lavinia fairies.

I used Grand nesties one to create the actual card for my Penny Black make, distressed a piece of Fabrianao watercolour card with TH spun sugar and peeled paint to match the pretty Kaiser DP, then stamped randomly with a number of different Penny Black stamps. The swirls were cut with a Marianne die and punched flowers dotted about, a butterfly and some stickles and glitter.

Messing about with the brayer

Monday morning already, where did the weekend go ?

Well, I guess I should admit to a fair bit of playing about with inks and the brayer. I have been promising myself an inky session for ages and as I went to Coleman's who I do the odd demo for on Saturday to get some new colours of Adirondack inks, it seemed only right I tried out a few of them. Don't know how many of you know about Coleman's warehouse at Rushden, but it's pretty awesome and you can while away hours there. Yesterday looks like a blue and yellow day although it was not planned that way, just how it turned out, so my next session will be a bit more colourful.

Most of the stamps are either Lavinia, Art Impression or Clarity, except the fairy which is a really old Rubber Stampede one. I so enjoy brayering and find it very rewarding and it's always a popular one when I demo. I did think about doing a tutorial, but then decided it might not be fair to bore peeps. So the above card is for:

Crafty Catz - A forgotten stamp

One Stitch at a Time - As you like it

Pear Tree Design - Mainly blue

The card above is using one of the new stamps Hero Arts K5503 Bird Collage, stamped simply with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. The October Afternoon DP is double sided and I stamped Hero CG222 Music Background on the lighter side to add interest. Edges have been nicely distressed as is the flower made from TH tattered floral die. This is for:

Paper Sundaes - Distressing

Alys Sundays - For the guys

Gingerloft - Things that fly

Stamping Sisters - Vintage

Fairy castles

Hello peeps, winter has returned and a really hard frost this morning, I guess that's the penalty we pay for the sunshine, but I would rather have that than the rainy dull weather of last week.

I managed to have a really good play last evening minus the sling impediment....although my arm is complaining a bit now and the osteopathy visit left me a bit sore this morning, but it is definite progress.

Some inky shares but first I need to say a big thank you to Isa in Spain for passing on this award to me, it was so kind of her. You all know my rotten track record with passing on awards as I never can choose, so this is for all of my lovely blogland friends, please lift off to your own blogs with my love.

Now for my makes, the first one up top of this post involved making a simple mask with an oval aperture and sponging TH marigold, stormy sky and peeled paint. With the mask still in place, I stamped the castle F40047M by Stampalot and a mixture of Lavinia stamps to create the little scene. Then simple matting onto coordinating cardstock and a border punched with MS Vintage lace and of course a liberal helping of glitter to finish. This card is for the following challenges:

ABC Challenge - M is for magical

Flutterby Wednesdays - Anything goes

My second card using the good old speedball brayer was inspired by the beautiful evening sky here in the Fens yesterday..............a bit of artistic licence thrown in as we don't have hills, just flat landscapes for miles as far as the eye can see.............absolutely beautiful mind you, but an aquired taste and alien to those who come from more undulating parts of the Country.

It was a really magical sight with beautiful oranges topped by dark cloud and the setting sun was almost colourless against the vivid sky. I used Adirondack eggplant, butterscotch and meadow for the brayering and the stamps are Hero Arts S5316 Silhouette Grass and Art Impression G1045 Geese both stamped with Adirondack Espresso. This card is for the following challenges:

Bee Crafty - Ray of sunshine

Creative Card Crew - For Men

My final share is yet more fantasy, this time Sweet Pea Fairy of the Night. available in the UK from Crafts and Me (link on sidebar). A moon of course........sorry for the monotony but all good fairies deserve a moon or sun.......... masked and brayered with Adirondack cranberry. The image is heat embossed with detail clear then coloured with Copics and some paper piecing for her dress and crystal ball. Lace, flowers, beaded pins, a border punched with MS garden trellis and the easel card was cut on the Cricut. The My Minds Eye DP is a really old one, all lovely and glittery. This is for the following challenges:

Simon Says - Bingo (lace, flowers and embossing)

Crafts and Me - Monochrome

Creative Cottage - Shaped card

Papertake - Ribbons and pearls

Magenta 2010 new releases and challenges

Good Morning everyone, firstly thanks to all of you for your kind messages about my health and entering my candy at the top of my blog.

I have been very good this week, followed doctors orders, had lots of rest and this is my first posting for days. But beings it it, I need to make the most of it and it's a bit of a long one so you might want to grab a coffee, a bar of Cadburys or even better both !

I have been doing a bit of crafty dabbling, just the odd hour indulging in some of the new Magenta stamp releases which landed on my doormat from Sir Stampalot this week. They have the stamps on line and ready to buy and there are some gorgeous ones, a mix of Christmas and others, so do take a look and there a few samples below.

As it's Saturday it's time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week it's yours truly's turn to set the theme and I am going very seasonal with the theme "Colours of Autumn". And as I love working with the rich Autumnal colours, two DT cards from me this week.

For the first card above I have used one of the new stamps from Penny Black 40-037 autumnal gifts, I have probably said this before, but this stamp totally sums up this time of year to me and the Harvest Festival celebrations that will be happening in Churches everywhere. And perfect for a man as well, my Dad who was a farmer would have adored this image, so this is for you Dad.

I stamped the image onto ivory linen cardstock using versfine sepia and embossed with detail clear before colouring in with Copics. I used the top element of the stamp to add corn to the corner's of the card. I have no idea of the name of this shape of card, but it is so easy to make using just a scoreboard and Nesties and quite effective I think. Finally, I punched some leaves with the lovely new Xcut punches which also emboss the leaves so you can highlight with inks, I used a selection of brilliance. This card is also for the following challenge:

Penny Black Saturday - Male card

My second card used the clever stamp set from Lavinina where you stamp first with the solid leaf shape then overstamped with the skeleton. I used Tim Holtx frayed burlap and rusty hinge. I then covered the leaves with Diamond Glaze, allowed to dry, then inked the whole piece, which is cut from Nesties, using TH sage, wild honey and barn door. I then overstamped the whole piece with Hero Arts H2365 old French writing, rubbing up the leaves afterwards to remove any ink. The leave have a lovey raised sheen, but it difficult to pick this up on a picture. Finally I tied some cord and added buttons and mounted onto a piece of Kaiser DP. This card is also for the following challenges:

Fab and Funky - Whatever

Raise the Bar - Orange, brown, green

Paper Play - Autumn is a coming

Next my card for this weeks challenge over at Polkadoodles where the boss Nikky is in charge again and has given us a sketch with a recipe and hidden twist.

I turned the sketch sideways and created a flap at the side with a greeting beneath using a Fairy Flutterby stamp. The paper is all from Paper Boutique and the flower made from the same papers using the Tim Holtz tattered floral die.

Now a couple of cards using the new Magenta stamps I mentioned above. The first one is a Christmas stamp Magenta 43032L Seasons Greeting which I think has a real Victoriana feel to it. A bit unusual having a rose on a Christmas Card, but perhaps it's a Christmas rose ! I stamped it with stayzon sepia and coloured with Aquamarkers. I stamped Hero Arts CO222 Music Background on the actual card using Tim Holtz frayed burlap. The DP is from stash and punched with Martha Stewart cornice border.......a little indulgence I could not resist, it's so elegant and I think goes with the theme of the image wonderfully. This card is for the following challenge:

Simon Says - Holiday Fun

My final card is using Megenta 95276N Field of Poppies.....I have always loved poppies so this was was a must have. I created a background with TH distress inks and water, then stamped the image with versafine black and embossed with detail clear. I added extra colour to some of the poppies with Copics then covered them with Diamond Glaze. The DP is Daisy bucket, I used the same MS punch as he card above and made a flower with my Tattered Flowal die.

All the little things

Good Morning everyone, hope you are all well and ready for the weekend.

Before I move on to the new Allsorts challenge, a couple of quick reminders if you are a Penny Black addict:

The new Penny Black Christmas releases, some of which I shared in my last post are now on line at Sir Stampalot........check out the 'what's new' section. And there is lots of inspiration using the new releases (and some of my work which mega excited me) on their blog and their web site.

We are still looking for new DT members at Penny Black at Allsorts so pop over if you are interested in joining us.

Now the challenge where the lovely Amanda has set us a real challenge this week which is to create a project less than 3 inches square. I'll be honest and say I pondered over this one for ages until I was sorting one of craft cupboards and came across a pack of tiny canvasses my hubby bought for me ages ago.

They are tiny as well and actually slightly less than three inches in size, but it was a challenge I really enjoyed. Hubby had already covered them with gessoe for me, so I loaded one with Tim Holtz distress inks scattered straw, worn lipstick and shabby shutters, the splodges on alcohol ink in raspberry and meadow, then spritzed it all with Glimmer Mist iridescent gold to make the colours bleed.

I then stamped with a mixture of Lavinia and Art Impression stamps including the teeny tiny fairy using versafine black, liberal helpings of glitter and pearls, punched butterflies and a computer generated sentiment.

I am entering my canvas in the following challenges:

Stamping for the Weekend - Anything goes

Glitterbabes - sparkle, glitter and two flowers

Crafty Creations - Butterflies

Moving Along with the Times - Glitter

Nest my card for this weeks Polkadoodles where my teamie Fliss has chosen the them Vintage. I don't know why, but Christmas door wreaths always make me think Victorian, so this was an obvious choice for me using one of the the new Christmas Doodle stamps along with Paper from Christmas Paper Boutique CD. The easel card was made using a Marianne circle stencil cut through the Big Shot.

There is still time to enter our colouring competition, so if you love your colouring and want to win a fantastic set of the new AquaMarkers from Letraset worth £79.99, then check it out over at the Polkadoodles challenge blog where you can find out how to enter. Closing date for entries is 31st August 2010.

Fantasy land

Happy Saturday crafters and it's time to share my latest creation for Allsorts challenge where it's my turn to host the theme again.

I am trying my very best to get my head round some crafting but as I am still having to go and have my dressing changed daily I'm finding it really difficult to settle to anything. And the painkillers and other drugs aren't exactly helping and I am totally phased half the time.......could say that's an ideal place to be, but unfortunately one needs to keep in touch with reality as well. I did get a lovely incentive yesterday though when I found out I had won last weeks Stamping For the Weekend challenge and a lovely Sweet Pea stamp. I've had my eye on these for a while so really looking forward to playing with it.

You all know how much I love creating little scenes with my stamps and this week I would like you do the same. It can be as simple or as complex as you like, just have fun and create.

Luckily I made this one a couple of weeks ago ready. I used some of my favourite Lavinia stamps onto a brayered background using Big and Juicy Hydrangea, masking a moon to create some depth to my card. I sponged in some misty clouds and hills and highlighted some of the flowers and leaves with a white pen and some glitter to the fairies wings.

More Fantasy

Good Morning everyone, it actually looks like Spring 'proper' today, a frost to start with but sunny, so hope it's the same your way.

This is a really quick share of a couple of cards using Lavinia and Art Impression stamps and Tim Holtz Distress Inks and subtle reminder of our Fantasy theme at the brand new Stampalot challenge where the winner of April challenge will receive a Cricut machine.

And an update on Anysia who is doing really well in hospital and had her first test run on crutches yesterday. What a difference a week makes, it's really wonderful. She has been so brave and we are hoping she will be home really soon. Azaria is also OK now, apart from stitches, the only down point........apparently there has to be one, is that I have shingles !

By the Cut and Girly April Challenge

Update: Thank you all for your kind comments and mails about Anysia. The op was more complicated than they envisaged and she was in surgery a good part of the day and needs another op, but when she is stronger. She is receiving transfusions and like a robot with all the machines she is linked to, but when we left last night had come round and recognised us all......and asked where her mobile phone was, so we saw that as a positive move in the right direction. Am away to the hospital again now, as although visiting is restricted they are allowing us pretty free access to be with her.

This month at By the Cute and Girly we have several new DT's, so welcome to you all. The theme this month is "Fairytales", a chance for you to get all those fairy any mythical stamps and products out.

Still in 'box' mode I have created yet another box/easel project and a really mystical card with a unicorn. Both use a selection of stamps from Lavinina (link on sidebar), including the unicorn and steps which are amongst their new releases.

The background for the box card was created with Tim Holtz distress inks marigold, sage and mustard seed and the stamping done with versfaine sepia and Big and Juicy spice. The fairy image has been stamped twice and embossed with iridescent powder, cut out and decoupaged. The flowers and leaves are all from Magenta CS043 set and the toadstools are from the Magnolia Tilda range. DP's are My Minds Eye.

The unicorn card has a brayered background using eggplant and Big and Juicy Spice, more Lavinia stamps for the trees and leaves plus a few Art Impression ones and the fence has been drawn in with a fine line black marker pen.

Stampalot challenge April

Good Morning everyone, it's seemed ages coming but at last the day has arrived when we launch our Sir Stampalot challenge.

Our very talented Design Team have come up with some awesome projects for our theme of "Fantasy". And as promised Sir Stampalot are providing a very special prize for our winner........a Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter no less plus a Pooh font cartridge......... plus we will be selecting our Top 3 who will be able to display our special blinkie.

My project is a box card, using shades of blue, a colour I don't work with that often, but somehow I felt it matched what I was trying to depict. The background was brayered and masked with Big and Juice waterfall. The fairy called Fairy Dust is from Lavinia stamps inked with versamark and embossed with iridescent. I rolled the brayer over the stamp to pick up the image and create a reflection in the water. The cherry blossom and flowers across the bottom are from Magenta CS-043 and the grass and reeds Art Impression. DP is Basic Grey. The tiny fairy at the bottom flap - which folds down - was stamped onto shrinky and colored with Brilliance inks.

A footnote: As you might guess this post was scheduled but though I would add this bit to tell you that this little box has just found a home. Anysia who is studying Equine Husbandry at Cambridge.........I have shared pictures of her riding.......had a bad fall yesterday and has a broken femur.

They could not operate until the swelling reduced and bleeding stopped. But she is in surgery now and they say it will be about three hours before she comes back up, so have popped home to get some bits for her and collect the fairy box which will give her something to look at instead of flowers.......the hospital does not allow them. She is going to be in hospital most of Easter, so I may not be about much, but there are a few scheduled posts to go up.

More fairies

A really quick share with you all this morning before I charge off for a rather special session with Elizabeth Allan from Penny Black who is spending a day at Sir Stampalot and for a few very lucky ladies who get in there quickly, doing a class as well.

My card is another of those I have created using some of the the new Lavinia products (link to their store on my sidebar). I created the background with Tim Holts distress ink marigold and tea dye, then spritzed with Glimmer Mist gold to blend the inks and give some sheen. The honeycomb effect is created with a piece of mesh and brilliance ink and the images all inked with versafine black and embossed with detail clear.

Tuesday Taggers

A really quick post with my entry for this weeks Tuesday Taggers who's theme this week is 'Tag it with Birds', do go check out their blog as there are some fabulous DT samples for inspiration, plus my blog buddy Sally is a GDT.

I cut my tag from Cricut Plantin Schoolbook, used a circle mask to create a moon and coloured with Tim Holz distress inks dusky concord and spiced marmalade. I inked and embossed the edged with detail gold and stamped Penny Black 3937H Birds on a Wire across the moon using versafine black and detail clear embossing powder. Using the same ink and embossing powder I stamped the trees which are a Lavinia stamp as is the, fairy and toadstools which I embossed with clear and gold embossing powders. The leaves are Art Impressions and I highlighted here and there with an Inkssentials white pen.

And a good time was had by all.......

I hope all of you are well and had a good weekend. Mine was wonderful as apart from going to the NEC for the very first time........yes, I am a craft exhibition virgin.......I went with my blogging buddy Jules and did we have fun. Apart from the aching feet, I am almost hoarse from all the talking and have taken the day off work to recover.......truth is I just want to play with my new goodies.

On the Sir Stamplaot stand we met up with lots of old friends and some new ones as well........it is so nice to put faces to blog names. And of course a bit.......perhaps that should be quite a lot........ of serious retail therapy along the way. We also went along to see the girls at Stamp Addicts and delivered a box if sample cards I have made ready for their new show on Create and Craft next week.

So of course my card for this weeks Cupcake challenge whose theme this week is 'Snow Much Fun' gives me the perfect opportunity to use one of my new stamps which is Winter Scene 102K from Simple Stamps. I created a brayered background, masking the rising sun using Big and Juicy Spice. The image is stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear and the fence and large tree were stamped out twice more and decoupaged. Lots of snow added using JudiKins snow glitter plus a liberal sprinkle of ultrafine crystal glitter as well. The greeting is Penny Black and the DP Magnolia. The little birds are another new stamp from Lavinia........and yes, there are more fairies in the pipeline, along with some other bits and pieces from their stand.

Creative Card Crew

A late posting today, busy in the office and crafting having to take a back seat, inconvenient or what. But at least the sun shone for a while this afternoon, even if I did only see it through the windows.

So this weeks Creative Card Crew challenge - this was made for me - "Have a Fairy Nice Day", everyone knows I love fairies and relish the opportunity to go fantasy.......well with so many living at the end of the garden.......now don't anyone dare tell me there are non at the end of theirs and it's all a figment of my imagination......cummon now, humour me.

Here I have combined Lavinia Flower Fairy stamp with the swirls from Inkadinkado 97513.......I am still so in love with this set.......it might just be a tincy winsy bit obvious from what I have created the last week or two.

I created the background by brayering Big and Juicy Waterfall ink but just using the lighter half as I did not want the dark blue, rolling off the excess before applying to my cardstock then rotating the card and repeating the same on the other side so I got the graduation equal. I then brayered the centre with Tim Holt worn lipstick, but rolling off most of the colour before adding it to the centre of my cardstock so I got a very very subtle pink hue.

All stamping was done with versafine black and embossed with detail clear and finally some little Lavinia toadstools and art impression leaves round the edges. I highlighted the fair wings and leaves with stickles and some gems.

I cut a double frame from a dark purple and lilac cardstock and repeat stamped the top layers with the leaf from the above Inkadinako set using Hero shadow ink pool, green and blossom. The frame does actually stand away from the stamped piece, but it does not really show up on my picture. I stamped further leaves with the same ink and embossed with detail clear and decoupaged across the bottom of the frame.

Onwards to Spain

Goodness, I do hope Mr Blogger is going to play ball with me and all these schedules posts. This is the third of the Lavinia stamps - details on earlier posts - cards created before we travelled. Yesterday on our itinerary was Cagliari, Sardinia, never been there before so not a lot I can tell you about it yet, but have been to Cadiz in Seville before which is our next port of call. History claims that Hercules founded Cadiz which was a favourite haunt for pirates........so much so that the streets were specially designed in an intricate gridwork to deter them.......no idea if the theory worked though ! The city has a fantastic Cathedral and boats some spectacular Baroque architecture.

The background for this one is Glimmer Misted with patina, turquoise and pink bubblegum and some texture added by inking through some mesh fabric and embossing with detail gold. The fairy word background is also from Lavinia and stamped with Tim Holtz soft blossom and the small fairies stamped onto the background offcuts and their wings glittered. Bottom scallop and corner is Martha Stewart doily lace, ribbon and gem brads added down the side.

More fairies

As we head towards Florence another fairy card using my new Lavinia stamps - link in my last post. It's years since we went to Florence so really looking forward to it and soaking up the history and atmosphere that drew so many artists over the years and a trip of course to the Piazza della Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David.

The background for this card is one my my nice messy techniques using Tim Holts inks onto a glossy cardstock, adding some Krylon gold. The image is stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear. The card itself has been stamped with the tiny toadstools and a small fairy stamp embossed with detail gold. The embelli in the corner some gold swirls and three leaves stamped onto shrink plastic which I coloured before cutting out and shrinking.

By the magic of Mr Blogger

Now we know I'm not officially here, we are hopefully on our way from Gibraltar to Cannes to see how the other half live ........ Gib's not the most exciting of places, but it does have cheap perfumes, alcohol and other duty free goodies plus a M&S so can't be all bad and of course not forgetting those 'b' monkeys ......... but I for one will be giving them a miss as usual........just not an animal I can warm to.

I determined to try and make up some cards to schedule posting so as to keep my blog active whilst way so by the magic of Mr Blogger I am going to share some fantasy cards with you for a couples of days. The stamps are new stash from Lavinia stamps, all very me and which I found courtesy of Jules do check our her blog, her style is fab.

I created the background for this one using brayering, stamped the fairy very simple with vermafine black end embossed with detail clear. The little toadstools are also a Lavinia stamp and the leaves at the top and birds are Art Impressions stamped with Brilliance. The large leaves were cut with my new L-Em.com punch available from Sir Stampalot, scalloped border with Martha Stewart doily lace punch and flowers, gems and liquid pearls added to finish.