My Lion King and some goodies to win

Good Afternoon peeps, are you getting a bit of this sunshine ? It's been really lovely here today after a -8 frost last night, but that's fine if it means we get some nice daytime weather.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback on the Royal Mail saga, my letter is underway and will let you all know what they have to say, although I am not expecting any quick response judging by their usual activity.

I thought I would share one of the samples I did for Stamp Addicits with their new lion image which went on sale today, I like to call him the Lion King, although I know that's not his official name he really does remind me of that character. He's quite a large fellow and I simply stamped him and coloured with Aquamarkers, added some sky and background grasses and some palm trees cut on the Cricut. I know you don't really associate palm trees with a lions habitat, but this lion is a bit of a dandy and on his holidays............you all know I live in fantasy land.

And here's a little giveaway of some Nitwits DP's and embellishments from Sir Stampalot who's sale is still on and bargains to be had here.

Just leave a comment on this post and I will draw a winner before my next post later this week.

                                               

Floral delight to kick start the New Year

Happy New Year everyone.

And what better start than our first Allsorts challenge of 2011 and it's my turn to host the theme which  is "Paper Piecing".

Lots of you will know it's a technique I rather like and lends itself so well to Ruth's flower images over at A Passion for Stamps........................you MUST pop over to the blog as Ruth has a giveaway at the moment of some images and Promarkers.

The image I have used here is the Acidanthera printed onto Nitwits DP which is a fabulous weight for running through the printer, plus it's A4 in size so perfect. I created the square effect by placing a post it note on the centre of the main piece and inking the edges with TH Victorian Velvet. The background is a piece of Coredinations embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and sanded down a little. The sentiment is Penny Black 3419D.

Ooooops, nearly forgot, here is the lucky winner of the Nitwits DP giveaway I posted the other day..............

Kizzy 

Unfortunately the link to your blog seems to be blocked Kissy, so I can't add the link or mail you, so I hope you see this and mail me brenda@ibas.co.uk with your full postal so I can post them off it you. If I don't hear from you by 10th January I will re-draw the candy.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hello again peeps, two posts in one day, quite rare for me these days.

But I wanted to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Very Happy Christmas and Wonderful New Year.

I've had another fabulous crafty year with oodles of cards, some on TV, demos, classes and even had my work in a few magazines, but most importantly it's been made all the better by all the lovely people out there in blogland whose friendship I really appreciate and cherish. Lots of you will know I don't enjoy the best of health at times and am not able to get round blogland as much as I would like thanks to my light sensitive eyes, but despite that, my blogland friends are still there and have given me wonderful support and I thank you all most humbly.

So I think I had better share a couple of cards, both of which use the same Floral Bouquet stamp which you will find under the 'new' section at Stamp Addicts. I have been having a whale of a time the last couple of weeks working on samples for them using some really yummy stamps which will be released in the New Year and on Create and craft, so not able to share those yet, but when I saw Sarah and Vicky yesterday they said I can let you have a peek at these two. 

I'm not big on colouring in, I'm more of a get down and get messy girl, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed colouring this image............could be the fact it's floral has something to do with it ?

For both of these cards I used Aquamarkers, the top one I coloured the stamp direct with the pens, then spritzed with water before stamping onto Farbiano watercolour card. I dragged a little coloured out with a damp brush and matted onto Bo Bunny DP. The second card has been stamped with versafine black and heat embossed with detail clear powder, then simply watercoloured with the same pens and cardstock and the DP is Nitwits.

Whatever you have planned, have a super holiday season.

Beautiful new digi image printed on vellum

Hello all, another scheduled post as I don't anticipate being allowed to cut and run from hospital for a couple of days, but I really wanted to make sure I shared this beautiful Christmas Rose from the pen of my friend Ruth. You will find it here at a Passion for Stamps.

It is such a delicate flower and as they are usually white, sometimes with a ting of pink and with a yellow centre, vellum immediately came to mind. So with detail clear embossing powder at the ready, I printed the images off onto Pergamano and tossed the powder on as it came through the printed and hey presto, it worked a treat.

All I did the was colour with Aquamarkers on the reverse and run a ball tool over the back and quite like the soft feel of it. I printed out a second image for the top card and cut out just the flowers, used a Spellbiner frame, the border is also from Spellbinders, the holly motifs set, the DP Nitwits and I added some Liquid Pearls to the flower centres. 

The second card is also on vellum and coloured the same way, I used an old JudiKins stamp on the base card and cut out the image with Nesties Fleur de Lis square.................yep, the vellum did tear, hence the seam binding bow and pin.......what do they call it, a 'happy accident'.

Do pop over to Ruth's store as she has several new Christmas images.

New challenges and mega prizes

Good Morning Peeps, it's the first Sunday of the month and for those of you who missed the announcements last month, it's the day we are launching challenges at Stampalot and Penny Black and More in future.

Plus it's also the first month of the new style challenge at Penny Black and More where we have opened up the entry criteria to enable more of you to join in the fun. Do pop over to the challenge blog and check it all out. And of course, there are super prizes on offer at both challenges.

The them at Stampalot this month is Blue and Green................despite my Granny always telling me "blue and green should never be seen", I have to disagree as I think the two colours coordinate beautifully. So much so that I made two cards for my DT pieces this month. The one at the top used the lovely Fairy Queen Stampandous SSC1123, stamped onto a brayered gloss card background and coloured with Copics. The roses are made from hand cut spirals and the DP is from stash.

How's this for service.........I saw the Fairy Queen stamp pop up on Sir Stampalots What's New section, so immediately rang Janice to say please keep me one and the answer I got was "already reserved, ordered it because I knew you would want it". I came up with a good few samples using this one, it's right up my street.

My second blue and green card used more old DP from stash, a poinsettia cut using the new Spellbinders dies, the holly Spellbinders Christmas accents and the sentiment Penny Black 3227K Hope is Born ...........I did warn you this one would be popping up time and again.

Two DT pieces for Penny Black and More as well, the one above using this so cure little lad and his dog Penny Black 40-020 , coloured with Aquamarkers, some Kraft card and DP also from stash.

And finally, another image I love, mine is, as you will realise from the code, a really old PB stamp 1380K although this year they re-introduced it as a cling stamp. Coloured with Aquamarkers, Nitwits DP and MS garden trellis punch along with a Sizzix corner die.

Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for popping my, I really do appreciate all your comments.

Happy bear day to you..........

Couldn't resist that one...................... and anyhow it's all about bears at Allsorts this week as Debs would like them to feature on our work.

My cute little fellow is Penny Black 4050K Bearing Gifts stamped onto Fabriano watercolour card and coloured with Aquamarkers and a few inked colours added for good measure. The DP is Nitwits and I made a couple of sort of quilly swirls to hold the card up which I think works quite well and a change from flowers or sentiments. The greeting is computer generated.

Thanks you so much for visiting and hope you have a good weekend.

Flowers and Swirls

Saturday Morning peeps, so it must mean a new challenge at Allsorts and this week week we welcome Jill hosting her first challenge with us and her theme is "Flowers and Swirls", what a fab combination.

Two shares, the first using one of Ruth's new pieces of artwork at A Passion for Stamps, which I coloured very simply with Aquamarkers and made into an easel card................I know, again...........made a swirly flower from the Magnolia DP which is also on the base of the card and some swirls cut from a Sizzix die. The sentiment is Penny Black.

My second share is another card with a stamp I love Penny Black 40-025 Thinking of You stamped and embossed and coloured with Copics. The DP is Nitwits, the swirl a Sizzix die and the flower made using a Cuttlebug quilling die.

A Passion for Stamps and a recipe

It's Amanda's turn to host the theme at Allsorts this week and she has another recipe for us.

I have used one of the new stamps from Animal Spirit, by artist Sue Coccia. After stamping and embossing the butterfly I coloured with Copics then simply mounted onto a piece of Bo Bunny DP which I stamped round the edges with Hero Arts 5042K, adding some ribbons and a flower which I made from two coordinating pieces of DT........honest there are three different ones to fit the theme.

Also a share of another sample I did for Ruth at Passion for Stamps, if you've not checked out her lovely stamps yet, you really should, I am loving all the florals. As lots of your know, I love paper piecing and am finding the Nitwits DPs's run through my printer beautifully, so that's what I have used here, along with a bit of inking and sponging on the background. The butterfly is also one of Ruth's images which I reduced in size and printed on the same DP.

Messing around with inks and glue

Morning peeps, just a few shares, not too much blurb as the eyes are still playing up and looks as though the screen has synovitis dance (that's how Goole says it spelt so who am I to question) again today which is getting very tiresome, so am keeping it short and sweet.

The top card is one of my Stamp Addicts samples using their Scenic Stamp Sheets and Aquamarkers.

This one is a Stampalot sample using several Art Impression stamps, sponging and brayering with Adiraondack dye inks.

This one another for Stampalot which has a nice messy background, basically stamping lots of different stamps onto plain copy paper, tearing into strips, gluing onto a piece of cardstock, covering with gesso and then stamping and colouring with Copics. Both main image and sentiment are Penny Black.

And my final card one of those I made for a Garden Centre order, the stamp is Hero Arts and coloured with Copics and DP is Nitwits.

Have a good day everyone.

Change of date for Create and Craft

Good Morning peeps, a 'short and sweet' post as lots of you told me you had the date in your diary...................Sara has just let us know that the date for Stamp Addicts next new live programme on Create and Craft has been moved to 11am on 24th March.

The card above is another of the samples I made for the programme and there is one below using the gorgeous Gypsy caravan I have been banging on about.......can you tell I love it ? The one above uses the good old Speedball to brayer with Adirondack inks, some masking, stamping with Stamp Addicts Scenic stamp sets and sponging to create the furrows and rays of the sun.

Incy Wincy - For the boys

This card is one I just made for fun with Penny Black 40-024 Rain or Shine, colouring with Copics and Nitwits DP. The butterfly is one of Geraldine's lovely pieces of work which you will find at Little Snippets here.

This fits the following challenges:

Bunny Zoes - Birthdays and pearls
Creative Friends - Lace
Creative Craft - Lace
Lollipop Crafts - Let's make it with lace
Cupcake - Up in the air (butterfly)

And this is 'the' Gypsy caravan, isn't it a delight ? I stamped the caravan, then masked to stamp the hills and other elements which are all on the stamp set, then coloured with Aquamarkers. This fits the following challenge:

Jac inks - Masking

Thank you Mrs Patterson

Kirsten is our host at Allsorts this week and would like us to make some thing suitable for a teenager.

Always a difficult age group to create for I think, so checked with Anysia who's pushing nineteen and her answer was "well, OK for a youngish teenager", so I figure that's about as much confirmation as I am likely to get. I guess the sentiment says's it all.....how right Harry Enfield always was when he depicted that age group.............."thank you Mrs Patterson".........tell me I'm not that old and the only one who remembers that character ?

So on to my card, the image is one of the more recent Crafts and Me Hannah Lynn stamps called Frosted Rose which I coloured with Copics. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts sets called Whatever and the DP is Nitwits with borders punched with Martha Stewart Embossed Scallop. This card is also for the following:

ABC challenge - P is for pink

Alphabet Challenge - R is for ribbons

Pixie Dust - Seeing polka dots

Next for our new challenge at Stamptacular Sunday - "You lucky Duck" - not nothing to do with duck's actually, we would like to see good luck, congratulations or best wishes on projects.

My card was made as a good luck card for a colleague leaving work to have a baby. The lovely flower image is Penny Black 4042K Daisy Fields, inked with TH fired brick and spritzed with water before stamping onto a background stamped with Hobby Art GR1341F Shakespeare Sonnet.....I also stamped the leading edge of the base card with this. The punched border is made from Kaiser DP which I also used to make the green roses, the larger flower is Magnolia.

This will be my last post for Stamptacular Sunday as I have decided to reduce my DT's until I feel fully able to cope with typing and blogland again. I have enjoyed working with Priscilla and the team, they have such wonderful themes so perhaps I can join in their challenges now and then.

And last but by no means least, a couple of 'Scrap' card for my mate Jules who is on a mission to get us to use up our odds and sods. And my two here are just that, offcuts of DP, cardstock and ribbon and the stamps was a freebie, so I recon these fit the bill perfectly. The above card is for:

Stamping for the Weekend - Spring

Fab 'n Funky - Spring into action

Finally, don't forget that we have Spring themes running at both Stampalot and Penny Black at Allsorts challenges and some awesome prizes on offer.

Say it with flowers and a woof

This post was scheduled a few weeks back and this is just a very quick message........I have been let loose from my chains for five minutes.......to say I am overwhelmed by all you wonderful and kind messages and thank you all so much, you have no idea how much they all mean to me. I have not been on the computer at all, but was 'allowed' to read your messages. The rest period continues..................

The first of the month means I am brimming with new challenges and have shares for Stampalot Challenge where the theme is "Noah's Ark" and Penny Black at Allsorts where the theme is "Say it with Flowers".

My card for Penny Black at Allsorts is very pink and girly, not normal me but I do love the image and the colours are growing on me. The image is Penny Black 4076K Gift of Flowers.......which I thought was most appropriate for the theme..........stamped several times with versafine black, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Aquamarkers then decoupaged. The DP is from my stash, flowers, some lace and a border using Martha Stewart Floral Vine.

My Stampalot card has Stampendous CRR123 stamped onto a background lightly brayered with Big and Juicy Spice, coloured with Aqumarkers and set into a Nesite frame. I borrowed the pooch stamp from the Stampalot classroom so don't have the code, but I think it's an Art Impression stamp which I stamped and embossed onto white cardstock and added a little shading with Copics. The DP is Nitwits and I used a paw print stamp onto some jute ribbon to tie across the middle and added some buttons.................dare I admit that this is the card I made for George's second birthday..............yes I do mean George the Labrador !!

Snow snow keep away

What is this weather like ? It's been teaming down all day today, yet they say hard frosts come tonight then some more of the white stuff. Not that we saw much of it last time compared with lots of you, but I just wish it would hold off until everyones Christmas preparations are done, then a nice white Christmas would be magical.

I have a couple of shares today, the first one using another favourite Penny Black 4040K Sparklers which I simple stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear. A bit of ripping and tearing, a panel run through the Cuttlebug and some cord, gems and flowers to embellish. This card fits the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. - Black and White with a hint

Fab 'n Funky - Quick and easy

My second share uses yet another from PB, this time Penny Black 40-027 Warm Wishes, again stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, then coloured with Copics and decoupaged. The DP is Nitwits, plus some glitter card and the frame cut with a Nestie die. This card is for the following challenges:

By the Cute and Girly - Children
Stamp with Fun - Christmas
Woodware - Winter
Scrapbook Sisters - Non traditional Christmas

Last Minute Christmas

Our challenge at Allsorts this week is hosted by Debs who is mindful that there will be lost of us who still need to rustle up a few Christmas cards so she had given us the theme 'Last Minute Christmas' with an eye on quick and simple cards.

So my card is just that. The DP is Nitwits which I used for the background and to stamp trees from Hero Arts CL459 which I cut out and added with foam pads, a border punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop, a stamped greeting, cord and lace. This card is also for the following challenges:

Penny's Challenge - Merry Christmas

Moving along with the Times - Lots of spots

Stampin' Royalty - Winter holidays

My second share is a bit of a quick and easy one.......I always grab the brayer when time is short and is created a background so quickly and being I am obsessed with masked moons, here's yet another. After adding the mask, I stamped Judikings 2240G (stars) using versamark frost to provide a resist, then brayered taking the ink from just the blue end of Big and Juicy waterfall.

The main image is Lilac Lemon Designs from Crafts and Me, stamped and embossed three time onto linen cardstock with versafine black and embossed with detail clear then coloured with Copics, adding liberal amounts of glitter and some blue foiling to her dress collar and hat feathers. A border using MS eyelet lace, pearls and ribbon to embellish. Oops, nearly forgot, the sentiment is Penny Black 2905H. This card is for the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Moody blues

Gingersnap - White glitter

Alphabet - G for Glitter

Fairy Fun - Use a star

Stamping B's - Use a star

Lots to Do - Glitz