First day at school

We have a new challenge for you at Allsorts where Fleur has chosen the them 'Starting School/back to school'. Now I know there are loads of lovely stamps out there that fit this theme perfectly, but none are here in fantasy land, so I was a little bit stumped.

After much head scratching I decided to use one of my Sarah Kay images, she is a bit of a Country girl and has no school uniform and unsure what to expect on her first day at school, so is taking a rather large picnic basket to share with her new friends and some flowers for the teacher.........................I know, fantasy kicking in big time.

I coloured her with Copics , used Doodlebug DP from which I made the pom pom flower, added some swirls cut with a Sizzix die and added a computer generated sentiment.

Enjoy the weekend whatever you have planned.

Keeing everything crossed for England

How is everyone today ? I just popped into the village for an appointment and the the place was deserted, I figure everyone is at home preparing for an afternoon of footie, tennis some tinnies and probably a barbie as well as the weather is still lovely.

I'm looking forward to the footie, but with trepidation.........so much hangs on a good win today and I know if we lose and are on the plane home from South Africa tonight, one or two in my household will be like bears with sore heads. So here's to a resounding win !!

I forgot to put my England shirt on for the last two games.........no I did not buy it myself, one of the boys gave it to me for my Birthday two years ago when we were plying in the European championships, seem to remember we lost then as well. So perhaps if I wear it today it might bring us luck, I can but hope.

It's quiet in the offices today as well and the phones have hardly rung this morning, so I feel some crafty stuff coming on shortly. I have a card to share which fits some challenges. The main image is another pretty Sarah Kay coloured with Copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is Doodlebug and the borders Martha Stewart doily lace. The sentiment is Penny Black 3851E Blessings. My card fits the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew - Easel Card

Everybody Art Challenges - Green and Pink

ABC Challenge - Extra Dimension

Strawberries and Cream

A sweet treat I cooked up for crafty research, calorie free of course

Here in the Cambridgeshire Fens, the arrival of strawberries in late May is always an eagerly awaited event in the produce calendar. Although you can buy them year round in supermarkets, there is nothing to beat the flavour as they come straight off the plant.....I should know I was brought up with them and thought nothing of being in the fileld at 4.30am for the start of the picking day for the six week season.

So I have chosen the theme of Strawberries and Cream for my theme week at Allsorts and have come up with two pictures as inspiration for your projects this week. You don't have to have strawberries on your work, but I would like you to draw your colour combo from the pictures.


I created my first card using purely the colour scheme as my inspiration, however my hubby thought I had totally lost the plot and asked where the strawberries were, so I made a second card with a couple of baskets of shrinky ones - OK Lou - for those of you who don't know, she's the queen of cream shrink plastic and believe me Lou, I needed a magnifying glass for these.

So the card above has a little scene created with Sarah Kay farm girl, masked and decoupaged with a Magnolia fence, Hobby Art tree and Art Impression birds, grass and flowers. The strawberries are also Magnolia and the baskets from Sarah Kay stamps.

The second card which was my first effort used Hero Arts CG185 elegant weeds stamped onto a background distressed with Tim Holtz worn lipstick and stickles added to the flower heads. The resist background was created stamping Inkadinkao 9718 with versamark, embossing with detail clear and distressing with the same TH ink. The sentiment is from Hero Arts CG198 whatever, a piece of corrugated card to add some texture and a punched flower spritzed with Glimmer Mist tattered rose.

Wedding pictures tomorrow !!

Lilac blossoms

First things first, on behalf of Louise who I wrote about yesterday, thank you for all your kind comments and also the lovely mails I received from so many of you. I saw Louise yesterday and she is naturally very upset by this whole incident, but I know she will rise above it and share more of her splendid work with us all.

Some of you feel the guilty party should be "named and shamed", however as it was not my work I don't feel that's my call, but I will say her activity in the crafting community is such that this incident makes it doubly appalling and I sincerely hope that the crafters she repeatedly claims to know through her appearances on Create and Craft do not condone her conduct.

Now onto a new challenge and it's Amanda's turn to host Allsorts challenge this week and she has come up with a lovely balanced sketch.

And we are so excited as we have the very talented Elizabeth Allan who designs for Penny Black over in the States as our Guest Designer this month. I was lucky enough to meet Elizabeth earlier this year and spend an afternoon crafting with her, so having her join us for May really is very special for me.

Another easel card........I'm still hooked on them and have used one of the new Sarah Kay stamps my hubby picked up for me at Stampalot recently........is this a hint that I need to spend more on crafting and he thinks I've not enough I wonder......if only. But she is rather cute, just a shame about her name - Fanny's Cuddles. The gate/fence is one of the new Easter collection from Magnolia.......just because I can't bring myself to use Tilda does not mean I don't like the accessories. The tree and butterflies are from Penny Black 30-304 and the cobbles and grass art impression stamps. I used a combination of Copics and Prismacolor to colour and added Liquid Pearls here and there. The DP is Kaiser.

And finally a reminder to put a note in your diaries for 15th May........a very special week coming up at Allsorts with lots of fun and prizes. You won't want to miss out I can assure you.

Going green and cutsie

Morning Peeps from a foggy and frosty Fen. Winter seems to be going on forever this year and I so long for Spring, probably my favourite time of year when I never fail to be amazed by the wonders of nature with all the re-birth of everything that has laid dormant all winter. I think I get this from my dear Dad who as a farmer, had his whole life dictated by nature.

I have spent a good deal of crafty time this week preparing DT work so that I can get ahead of myself and have time to get started on the preparations for the new Stampalot challenge I am organising. Much of the artwork I have finished can't be shared until March, except the samples I created for Polkadoodles new CD which the oh so talented Nikky is launching on C&C next Thursday 25th.

Today's card is for two challenges Everybody Art challenge whose sketch I have followed and ABC challenge which is "One Paper" - which is says can be double sided and count as one, which is what I have done. My piece of paper is one of the beautiful new designs from Cosmo Cricket which I plundered when I was at Sir Stampalot when they arrived the other day.

My image is Sarah Kay picnic time stamped with versafine back and embossed with detail clear three time, coloured with Copics and decoupaged. I decorated round the image with various Art Impression leaves and flowers and the large flowers is made with punches using the same DP scrunched up and sprayed with Glimmer Mist lily pad, plus some leaves and pearls.

Allsorts challenge 35

Another Saturday and another challenge at Allsorts. I am scheduling this one ahead as when it pops up on my blog I will be on a weekend jolly with my mate Jules........so apols I can't visit any of you for a few days. We've had it booked for weeks and are spending the weekend in Peterborough........I know real long distance for me, but by staying over we can have a meal in the evenings and a bottle or two of the red stuff.

The boys are going to the footie to see Peterborough v Derby who Jules hubby supports - it's going to be a real enlightening experience for my hubby as like me he's a Liverpool supporter, although in his defence rather more reserved than me when it comes to showing emotion about the score line.

So where are Jules and I going.......one guess ......Sir Stampalot of course and it should be a good day as Louise is doing a Copic demo so plenty of crafty gossip and even a bit of shopping. And might have a nose round Phase Eight and Coast to see if anything takes my fancy for the May wedding.......it will be good to have the second opinion from a woman's perspective rather than the normal "it's fine, it's OK" that the men usually trot out.

Our teamie Kirsten has chosen this weeks theme of "Pink and Brown" a fabby colour combo and gives you a pretty open field to create your entry. I have gone with a Sarah Kay image First Kiss, stamping it three times with versafine black and embossing with detail clear, coloured with Copics, cut out two layers and decoupaged. I created a sun on the base piece using a mask and sponging with chalk inks, added some clouds, greenery and flowers.

I created a tied band effect across the middle and tied on some hearts......very thrifty of me indeed, they were part of a wedding favour. Flowers are punched, leaves cut with a Sizzix die through the Big Shot and DP's are Polkadoodles and Doodlebug.

Cupcake challenge

Before I go any further I want to say a huge thank you to everyone both for joining in with my blog candy and the One-Off challenge and Blog Hop I'm organising for 1st February which looks like it's going to be great fun.

As a result of all this organising I have not had too much time for crafting but did manage to put one card together especially for Mr Andy Stampalot who asked me to try out another of the Martha Stewart round the corner sets. This one really is very pretty with the lovely loopy finish and probably my favourite of these corner sets.......well at the mo anyway and until I get my hands on another one.

It is my entry for this weeks Cupcake challenge who have the theme 'Going Girly'. Another easel card using the round the corner punch in the background. The image is Sarah Kay coloured with Copics and the DP Doodlebug. Now the flowers........and a confession to Lou the Tilda Queen.......lurking in Stampalot the other day, as you do, I browsed through........wait for it.......the first edition of the Magnolia Tilda magazine. Shock horror......I just don't do Tilda, don't even own one, but I was really impressed by the magazine.

It has some wonderful ideas plus these flowers. The ones in the magazine were done in white with gold on a Christmas card, but I thought I would try them with coloured paper and really like the unusual finish. They are made with three punches and so easy to create and it's worth buying the magazine just for these and the overall inspiration which can be translated into whatever style of crafting you are into. I used a pre made butterfly and added some ribbon, punched leaves and pearls.

Happy Christmas one and all

Wishing all my wonderful blogland friends a Joyous Christmas and a Peaceful and Happy New Year.

Well the shopping's done, M&S was a nightmare but my friend Mark Spencer does give me so much assistance with my catering and well worth the queues. I have twelve for dinner tomorrow evening, the same Christmas Day mostly all sleepovers and lucky me only eleven Boxing Day.

Now need to do some serious preparation but still waiting on the rest of the game for tomorrows game in red wine..........got the venison, but I think the birds still have pulses because they were due in my kitchen this morning and not arrived yet.......sorry all you veggies out there.

My youngest granddaughter has been keeping occupied today making place name tags for the Christmas table, lots of glitter so we all know who she takes after.

Now for what will probably be my last post for a day or so, although I might make an escape to my craft room for a bit of peace and quiet when everyone is sleeping off Christmas dinner.

This week ABC challenge is "K for Kissing". I think this stamp might be making quite a few appearances but it's a new one to me and I've been itching to colour it up. Tomorrow also sees the start of ABC's new sister challenge ABC Christmas which they are launching with a blog hop. This one seems like a fab idea and will definitely be joining in and who knows, next year I might be half ready when Christmas arrives.

My image is Sarah Kay First Kiss, which I coloured with copies and cut the mats with nesties through the Bug. I added some grass, leaves and cobbles using Art Impression stamps. The yummy border is one of my new goodies from Sir Stampalot - its Martha Stewart Double Lace Doily, isn't is gorgeous. Leaves and flowers were also cut through the Bug using Sizzix dies and pearls added.

Rosie D's challenge 59

It's time for another challenge at Rosie D's and we have a super prize on offer of a mystery bag of craft goodies for one lucky winner. There is a lovely traditional feel to this challenge - Red, Green and a bit of bling, now how simple is that and the perfect chance to make that extra Christmas card you forgot you needed. I am also entering this card for this weeks Cupcake challenge who have the theme of Red and Green.

I have used one of my favourite images this Christmas from Sarah Kay, stamped and embossed with versafine black and clear embossing powder and coloured with Copics. The DP is from Magnolia Tilda range.......I absolutely adore these DP's, they have a wonderful texture and the colours and designs across the whole range are super........I know I don't do Tilda, but one has to make an exception here.

The little girls coat has been liberally glittered and JudiKins snow glitter added for the ground. The oval is cut with Nesties through the Bug as have the leaves and flowers using Sizzzix dies. I added tiny gold gems to the centre of the flowers, some ribbon and a sentiment from Creative Expression Victorian Christmas sheet.

And just a little taster of the Big Demo Day Saturday at Sir Stampalot......more to come tomorrow.

Allsorts challenge 27

Good Morning everyone, are you ready for another Allsorts challenge ?

We were blown away by all your entries last week for Jules 'Bring out your Bling' theme and if the record number of entries is anything to go by, you certainly loved this one. This weeks challenge has been set by our teamie Emma who has chosen the theme "For a Child", so many possibilities here that we are sure you will come up with some fantastic projects.

My card is a Christmas card and as the sentiment says, it's for a very special granddaughter - she loves all things sweet and girly, so this one should be right up her street. The image Noel Joy from Sarah Kay is yet another from my NEC stash and I absolutely love her. Stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, I have coloured her with Promarkers and given her coat liberal sprinklings of glitter. I also added snow using JudiKins snow glitter. My DP's are My Minds Eye and Prima and the scalloped edge Martha Stewart Embossed Scallop. Sorry if the roses are becoming monotonous, but I so enjoy making them and they seem to lend themselves to these cute cards .........I know, I don't do cute, but it's growing on me. I embossed the edges of the roses and holly with iridescent glitter and punched the leaves from glitter cardstock. The greeting was computer generated.

Passion for Promarkes

Morning Peeps, wet and windy - again, so hope lots of you are using the excuse for some serious crafting activity.......or are you all counting your pennies out ready for the NEC ?

Over at Sir Stampalot central (stand H05) it's a hive of activity packing and loading ready for the big event, as it is at Stamp Addicts (stand H30) and I'm sure lots of other locations around the UK. And come next week those of us lucky enough to go to the NEC will be bursting with inspiration all rushing to show off our new goodies on our makes........but with empty purses what else will we be able to do ?

Three challenges here, a great sketch from Tina at Everybody Art Challenges, and Passion for Pormarkers who have the colour theme of 'Grass and Canary' and wow do these two colours look great together and Creative Card Crew who want to see 'Ribbons and Gems'.

On to my card, a bit of a busy one for me, but it's sort of growing on me. My image is Sarah Kay Rose Garden, stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with the two required Promarkers. The DP is Doodlebug and Basic Grey and the border punch Fiskars Threading Water. I made the three roses from the same DP and for a change I added some pearl stamens which I think works quite well. Leaves are punched from my new L-Em Ashe Tree Family 2 punch which I told you about yesterday. The little birdie and butterfly are from Penny Black 30- 034 and the flowers next to the image are from the Tilda range but afraid I have no idea of the code.

Three into one

Good day all and what a wonderful sunny day it is here in the Fens, hope you are all having a bit of the same. Beet harvesting is well under way now and this weather is ideal for them, always hate it when it's wet this time of year as our single track roads........oh yes, it's pretty rural where we live......become a mass of mud. So I always get black looks from the Polish car wash team at Tesco when I take my mud laden baby in for her wash.......being a sporty number it sits pretty close to the road so the mud just piles up.

Anyway, enough jabber, this is just a quick post in my lunch break with a card combining this weeks Passion for Promarkers where Gina has provided a brill sketch and you can use any colours on your project, Everybody Art Challenge who would like to see punches and shapes on your card ans Creative Card Crew who's theme is scallops.

My image is Sarah Kay stamped in versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Promarkers. I have stamped her hat again onto my DP which is from Best Creation and decoupaged it and also made three roses from the same paper. The scalloped border is using Fiskars threading water punch and the leaves are also punched with a new McGill punch. The sentiment is one of four on a skinny cube SK-LG-207 from Stamps by Judith. Not the best picture I am afraid as despite the bright day seemed to get shadow in every direction.

Inspirational Card Sketches and Passion for Promarkers

Apple time in the fens...................

Good morning one and all, what's the weather like your way ? Here in the Fens we have our normal serving up of rain and cloud, even the dogs are non too impressed today and their early morning apple hunt didn't last too long.......they love this time of year with all the windfalls........Buffy, George and Abbey are cute cookies and roll their finds to push off the wasps, poor Bernie on the other hand learnt the hard way !! Here's some pictures of the gang this morning, although not Abbey, she's feeling her age with arthritis bless her and made a quick return indoors - with her apple of course.

And not forgetting the horses who enjoy the odd apple of four, checking here to make sure ones got the same as the other...... Big Ben (on the left) is a bit of a bully when it comes to food so baby (well 15.3hh) Heskey has to bide his time and grab them when he can.

On to my card for this weeks Inspirational Card Sketches which is another of Dawn B's fantastic sketches and Passion for Promarkers which has a colour combo of Sandstone and Blue Pearl.

My image is Sarah Kay Time for Apple Pie.......how apt is that I thought......and the tree Magnolia Swirl Gran. Both stamped with Memento black and coloured with the two requisite Promarkers. The sentiment is a skinny stamp SK-LG-207 from Stamps by Judith, DP's from stash, punched edge using Martha Steward Embossed Scallop and run through the Bug using Swiss Dots folder, then lace and pearls added to embellish. Edges were shaded with Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy.

Stamping for the Weekend and Friday Sketchers

Afternoon all, bit light on the postings afraid this weekend and apologies that I've not been doing my blogging rounds as I should, but spent good deal of time at hospital yet again, not going into details suffice to say not nice and painful. And looks like more rain and if the BBC can be relied on it won't be much different for the next few days........ only upside as far as I can see is for the horses, the grass it growing like a triffid. And I guess it's just what the Aussies were hoping for as we had them on the rack at the weekend (I'm on cricket now) and now they smell a draw. (Update - we won !!)

I'm combing two challenges here, this weeks nice sketch from Friday Sketchers and Stamping for the Weekend which is based on "Rock and Roll and offers three song titles and you must depict one in your card - I have gone for Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan........confess I don't remember this one, but in the 70/80s I had other things on my mind apart from music - try a new baby or four for starters ........ but ask me about Queen and some of Freddy's greatest moments and there would be no problem........strutting his stuff at Wembley in those oh so snug white shorts with frayed edges (yes I was there) that yellow tee shirt and not forgetting the white skin tight jeans, ermine cloak and crown, oh my, what Freddy couldn't do with a mic stand isn't worth remembering........oh I could go on for ages on this one, not that I'm an eternal fan or anything you realise......... put it like this, if Verdi or Andrea Bochelli's not on my i pod, Queen is the rest of the time.

Now, anough waffle and on to my card, the image is a Sarah Kay which I have coloured with Promarkers. The DP is Daisy Bucket and Sandylion. Leaves are cut on Cricut storybook, inked with Tim Holt china blue and heat embossed with iridescent powder and the Hero Arts flowers have been inked with the same TH ink and versamark then embossed with detail clear giving them Always About Colours Chris's 'peanut' treatment.

Inspirational Card Sketchers & Passion for Promarkers

Don't wish to turn this into a gory vamparian blog........isn't that a lovely word -checked it out and it's a real one......but so many of you have kindly asked what's happening with my little 'problem' though I should update.

The prognosis was not good, it seems at some point I've had a fracture in my upper jaw ....... no idea when, how or why it never showed up before, but me thinks it probably got lost or overlooked amongst other symptoms of TMJ and Trigeminal Neuralgia the last couple of years ........yes got both, part of my MS package, aren't' I the lucky one. They say that this damage in turn led to cracks in the roots of my two top front teeth, both of which had root canal treatment and post crowns fitted years ago. Three weeks ago one came loose and the dentist put it back in, along with an infection it seems........I'm not suggesting anything here, but........it's led to an awful lot of tissue damage, my speech is still not right and the pains not totally gone.

The immediate answer was to remove all front teeth as the repair work would be so extensive and financially prohibitive (to the NHS I figure and I don't have to pay normally because of my health issues)........I've asked for a second opinion and that's next week.

So on to proper stuff, this card follows another of Dawns great sketches for ICS - she's amazing coming up with something so different every week and a the first time for me Passion for Promarkers ........ where the requirement is to us "Moss & Poppy but there is a twist this week, you have to include something tasty". Well as they arrived yesterday, I've had a little play and Jules says's she expects no less what option do I have ?

The image is Sarah Kay with her picnic basket (I know it's got something tasty inside) stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear. I have no idea if this is how you are intended to use Promarkers, but as the restriction is two colours and my first outing with them I was struggling to get the lighter shades for the hat and basket, so I tried lifting colour from the pen with the blender (exactly the same method that works with Marvey le Plumes) and it seemed to provide the effect I wanted.

I also discovered ........ I know I'm probably teaching you veteran Promarker users to suck eggs ........ that if I inked the leaves and cherries (cut on Cricut storybook and Stretch your Imagination) with the thick end it was wet enough to dip into detail clear embossing powder so I got the nice shiny finish I get when I do this with brilliance ink. The DP's are The Paper Company and mat cut with Nesties on the Cuttlebug. Sentiment is Art Impression.

Think I've got a way to go with this Promarker technique, but I'm sort of happy with my first effort.

Spoonful of Sugar & Everybody Art challenge

Back to business and some cards, made yesterday but only just got round to posting them up. My first card is for this weeks A Spoonful of Sugar where there is a very nice sketch by Micelelle O and I have combined it with Everybody Art challenge where the theme is "Happy Birthday".

My image is Sarah Kay Picnic's of Daisies and the flowers Magenta 2446E stamped, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Marvy pens. DP is from Scrapbook Walls, the fancy edging using one of my new MS punches - swirl, flowers and leaves cut on Cricut storybook and home decor, inked with Brilliance and embossed with detail clear to give them a sheen. The greeting is Penny Black salutations.

Secret Crafter 35

The other one I manged to get completed is for this weeks Secret Crafter which has the theme selected by Jill of "Bling" ........ she know us crafters all too well.

Main image is Sarah Kay stamped with versafine black and embossed with iridescent embossing powder to start the bling theme going. She is coloured with Marvy pens and her belt and hat ribbon glittered using a quickie glue pen and crystal glitter and mounted onto a piece of very glittery DP from my stash. Flowers, gems and a glittered brad added to finish.

Inspirational Card Sketchers

Yes another one, this time for ICS challenge which is another of Dawn B's wonderful sketches which are always a delight to work with. I am also combining this with this weeks Creative Card Crew where Sheila has set the theme "Child's Play" - card's for a child. Really being spoilt today as I so like sketches and still have another to go, but saving that for later when it cools down a bit ........ and after the ironing which I have been resisting for days, but there's been desperate cry's for uncreased shirts in this house, so needs must I guess.

And I've gone cutise again, grief I seem to getting a liking for these Sarah Kay stamps, but they do go so well with pretty DP's and I have an abundance of them ........ one can never have too many can they (cummon all agree with me)? I have stamped around the main image with various Art Impression and Penny Black stamps ........ I think the reason I have always found cutise difficult is because I have issues with a solitary figure, so building up the scene somehow makes me happy.

The image is stamped with vesafine black, embossed with detail clear and coloured with marvy pens. Also added some glitter to her belt and hat. DP's are My Minds Eye, leaf cut on cricut, inked with a pale yellow chalk eye and embossed, again with detail clear to give it some shine. The mat was cut on the cuttlebug using nesties.

Cute Card Thursday 59 and Three Clovers Designs 12

Two into one again - Cute Card Thursday where challenge Challenge 59 is "Happy Mail, a card to cheer someone up or make their day!" and Three Clovers challenge 12 is "Cards for Mother, or sister, (or women) AND use Ribbon or Lace". Since this is the first year I haven't had a Mum to make a card for I have done one for one of my sons girlfriends who birthday is coming up.

The main image is a new Sarah Kay which arrived this morning in a little package from Janice at Stampalot, next day delivery as usual, what a service. It is stamped in versafine black and embossed with detail clear, coloured in with brilliance ink and then embossed with detail clear.

The DP'a are new Chatterbox ones from CTM, they are double sided so I cut them into sections and used both sides alternately. I thought the Hero CL300 greeting was just right for the CCT challenge stamped in black and cut with nesties. The little leaves were cut on Cricut storybook and sprayed with GM's, key lime, olive and gold and lightly shaded at the edges with brilliance rocket red gold. The tiny flowers are also inked with brilliance crimson copper and embossed with detail clear and are a really good match to the flowers on the DP. Finally, ribbon and lace across the card, a tiny bow on the little girls hat and gems.

Three Clover Designs

I'm on a roll here, another challenge sorted, this time Three Clovers following a nice sketch and I've used another of my new cuties, this time a Sarah Kay design, a sweet little girl on the farm (this takes me back more years than I care to remember).

The image has been stamped and embossed in black and detail clear then pained with Brilliance ink pads and more detail clear added (you need to add the powder as you go, otherwise the ink is too dry and will not hold the embossing powder) to give a nice gloss finish to the image. DP's are My Minds Eye (again I know), the greeting Woodware FRCL28 stamped onto circles cut with nesties. Mat for image also run through the cuttlebug using Swiss dots folder.