Love is in the air

Helene is our host at Allsorts this week and preparing us for Valentines day as she would like us to use one or more hears on our work. I do hope you will be able to join in, just pop over the the challenge blog to find out more and see what's on offer for this weeks prize.

My first DT make is using one of the new stamps from Hero Arts S5601 Newspaper Background, it's quite a biggie but stamps out beautifully.......I used Versafine black to pick up all the fine detail. I stamped it twice, once for the background piece which I tore down one side and mounted onto a piece of heat embossed red satin cardstock and from the second piece and more of the red, I cut out four hearts with Nestabilites and matted them up. I tied some red cord and bakers twice down the side and added a heart button.

My second make is an engagement card I made for some friends earlier this month using the prospective brides favourite colours. Unusually for me there is no stamping involved and the card was quite a quick and easy one to make. I cut the hears from bazzil and Kasier DP, tied some ribbon across the centre and added three rosebuds. I embossed the background cardstock with a Sizzix harlequin folder and added tiny pearls. The sentiment is computer generated. 

Have a good weekend everyone and thanks for popping by.

New baby, New Year

It's Saturday peeps, which must mean it's time for a new challenge at Allsorts and this week the lovely Emma is hosting the theme which is "New Beginnings", what better theme to start off the New Year.

So I figured a baby card would fit the bill along with a recent order I needed to fulfil and as is so often the case nowadays they knew it was a little girl well in advance.................I really do have mixed feeling on that, call me old fashioned, but to me waiting for the birth to know the sex was always part of the excitement.

I used the pretty little bootee image from A Passion for Stamps  printing it first onto the base card and again onto some DP from stash, but pretty sure it's Daisy Bucket. After cutting out the bootees, I ran a ball tool over the back of them to give a bit of dimension and added some lace. The background is embossed with a Sizzix folder, a bow using seam binding and the sentiment is Darkroom Door.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope you enjoy whatever you have planned this evening.

Molly Blooms ready for Christmas

Saturday morning can only mean one thing, a new challenge at Allsorts and this week Helen would like us to use Pennants on our work.

Now this did create confusion with one or two of us as it seems Pennants in Sweden where Helen lives are what we call bunting, which in Sweden are larger flags. But I think we got there in the end.

I have used some of the lovely Kaiser December 25th DP to create a frame using my Nesties Fleur de Lis squares and a sentiment in the centre Stampendous CRQ146. I have coloured Molly with Aquamarkers and stamped the Molly Blooms bunting onto the same DP and cut out. The back panel is Coredinations embossed with a Sizzix folder and sanded down.

Hope was Born

Good afternoon peeps, I hope everyone is OK and had a good weekend.

I am trying to play catchup here, get all my office files up to date and schedule some posts for next week as Monday is the re-scheduled date for me to go into hospital for them to check out my heart. Not looking forward to it one bit and needless to say more than a little terrified, but I can't stay in my comfort bubble forever and need to get it done.

Both of these shares are using Ruth's new Poinsettia image which you will find at A Passion for Stamps. They really are one of my favourite Winter flowers so the ideas just came rolling when Ruth sent me this one and I've made quite a few with it so far and more to come.

The black and white on is one of those you make and ticks all the right boxes, so I ended up making about of dozen for special people at Christmas. I printed the image out twice and covered with Stamp 'n Bond, heated then added crystal glitter, cutting some petals away from the  second image to decoupage. The panel are embossed with a Sizzix trellis folder and black gems added here and there. The fancy mat under the flower is from the Spellbinders Holly set and the card itself and mats cut with Nesties labels 23.

For the flower on the second card I printed the poinsettia twice onto the reverse side of the Echo Park DP and threw detail gold embossing powder onto it literally as it came through the printer before the ink could dry properly.................bit of a dodgy manoeuvre and I am certain one day I will miss the paper and it will all disappear into the printer mechanism. But until then I quite like the technique.

The sentiment is my favourite this Christmas, Penny Black 3227K Hope ...............I did give advance warning weeks ago that this one would keep popping up, embossed in gold and the sponged with TH broken china to carry the colour of the reverse of the DP. The holly border is from the same Spellbinder set as the card above and the leaves also Spellbinders. The frame is Nestie Fleur de Lis.

Booooooooooo

My how the weeks seem to be flying by, Halloween is almost upon us which means fireworks night is not far behind, then Christmas will be well and truly on the horizon.

Over at Allsorts Fleur is hosting the challenge this week and wants us to get all spooky with 'Halloween', a great opportunity to use that colour combo of orange and purple that I so love. My main image is Penny Black 3716K Apprentice, coloured with Aquamarkers and some stars stamped into the background. For the back panel I ran a piece of coordination's cardstock through the Big Shot using my Sizzix argyle embossing folder and sanded it down and matted onto a piece of DP from stash. The frame is Nestie Fleur de Lis and the sentiment computer generated.

Have a good weekend everyone.

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.

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.

Brayers roll again

Morning all, really quick shares today, got another appointment with the osteopath this morning to do a bit more on the shoulder and need to make an appearance at work, but as you seemed to like looking at my brayer attempts yesterday though I would share a couple more.

And I have decided that as several of you hinted at the idea and also some lovely mails asking so nicely to share how I do it, I am going to do a tutorial................just as soon as there is a decent day of sunshine so I can get some reasonable pictures. So watch this space.

My card above again uses Adirondack dye inks and a whole variety of stamps. I wanted to try and create the appearance of rays of sunshine on the field so after masking and brayering, I did a bit of sponging.....I will try and show this in my tutorial as well.

This second card again incoporates brayering and sponging plus some masking and that lovely Penny Black 2905H sentiment. You will note the trees are all the same ones and I 'need' more....I have seen a lovely tree scape stamp so many times, I think it's Stamping Up, so if anyone knows what it is and where or how I can get it...................please let me know. This card is for the following challenges:

Incy Wincy - Winter Wonderland

Shabby Tearoom - as above

Pollycraft - Black and White plus one

My fianl share is using another favourite.............grief do I have a lot of favourites, this one Crafts and Me Orchid of the Night stamped and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics onto a masked and brayered background. The DP is from American Crafts, the border Martha Stewart Doily Lace Trim, the branch is a Sizzix die and of course lashings of glitter and decoupaged fairy wings. This is for the following challenges:

The Crafty Pad - Girly

Crafty Cardmakers - Flowers

Oldie but a Goodie - Fantasy images (had this since July, so just !)

Fairies from the bottom of my garden

So how's everyone today ?

It's a little bit chilly to my mind today and the central heatings definitely kicking into gear here now. My hopes of a bit of sunshine to take photos yesterday were false ones and today's just as gloomy so I decided I'd better get on with it and take some before the best of the daylight disappears.

I had delivery from Julie at Love2Papercraft at the weekend with some more of their fabulous Envoboxes like the one I shared last week. I really can't recommend these enough, they come in various sizes and are absolutely brilliant for cards with a bit of dimension as they are gusseted, yet light enough that cards still sit within the large letter category.

I also had another order from Theresa at Crafts and Me with the latest arrivals of her beautiful fairy stamps created from the artwork of Molly Harrison. If you are a fairy fan like me and have not seen these yet, you don't know what you are missing.

Enough babble, I'd better show you what I made with my new goodies. First up a card using Orchid of the Night, isn't she devine ? I stamped the image onto gloss cardstock, then masked her and brayered the whole piece with Big and Juicy Happy Birthday. I then coloured the image with the same ink pad and added glitter to her wings. The DP is My Minds Eye and I made three roses from plain brown paper. The mats are one of the new Nestie label sets (17), I love the shape of these and they are a little larger that some of the original sets. Quite a quick and easy card, but I think quite effective. This card is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Papertake Weekly - 3 of a Kind

ABC - F for Flowers

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open Wings

Scrapbook Sisters - Flower Power

My second card used exactly the same technique as above, but this fairy is called Wonderland. Again a pretty quick and simple card, the DO is from Stash, Doodlebug I think, but not certain. The punch is Martha Stewart cornice, the flower and leaves were made using the Cuttlebug quilled daisy set and the swirls are cut with one of the new Tim Holtz dies. This card is for the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew - Fairy Tales

Pollycraft - Fairytale

And on final share of a little tag book I made back in August but not blogged before using acetate, Magnolia DP's, Sizzix swirls and ribbons. This is for the following challenges:

Tuesday Taggers - More than 2 legs

Anything Goes - Ribbons

Chocolate wonders

How's every one's day going ?

These are a couple of pictures I've been meaning to share since we came back from holiday in August. They are all chocolate and featured on the dessert tables at brunch. I never actually got to try either as I was always totally stuffed by the time they were cut.

Been oh so busy at work which means not much crafting which is just typical with Christmas orders piling up and another wedding.....not my favourite pastime if I'm honest, I don't enjoy the monotony of repetitive crafting, but needs must. So just a couple of shares today.

The first one is following a lovely sketch at Midnight Madness......if you have never entered go check them out as they have some brilliant sketches. I used some gorgeous glittery My Minds Eye DP for both the base of the card and for the decoupages flowers. The backgrond was created using Tim Holtz sage and linen and Glimmer Mist gold, overstamped with Hero Arts H2356 old French writing using the TH sage, them stamping Hero Arts S5362 dogwood. I coloured the leaves with Copics, then spritzed the cut our flowers with Glimmer Mist pearl and shaped whilst still wet. I added crystals to the centres of the flowers, some ribbon and a couple of slides. This card is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Spoonful of Sugar - Sparkle and Shine

Scrapbook Sisters - Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend

My second card uses Penny Black 40-024 rain or shine as the main image, coloured with Copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is Nitwits, some swirls cut from Sizziz dies and flowers from stash. This card is for the following challenges:

Stamp With Fun - Rain

Papertake Weekly - Birthday Blog hop and choose any theme from previous challenges - I went for 'Check it Out'

And finally a little box or rather tin, coloured with alcohol inks, overstamped with various Magenta stamps and embossed with detail gold. Inside a little collection of pictures from around the world held together with ribbon. This is for the following challenge:

Tuesday Taggers - Pandora's Box

Pollycraft - No DP

So many punches and DT call

Good Morning peeps and before I move on, I need to remind you all that there is still time to get your name on the list if you would like to be considered for our Design Team at Penny Black at Allsorts. All the details are over on the blog, so please do pop over and join in the fun. The new Design Team members will be announced at the end of the month.

Well, it's Saturday again which means it's Allsorts new challenge time and this weeks it's the lovely Fleur's turn to set the theme which is to "Use at least three different punches" on your work.

I have used this adorable image Penny Black 49-021 for goodness sake, stamped and embossed with versaine black and detail clear and coloured with Copics plus some leaves and flowers stamped around the image. The DP is Nitwits and the border punched with Martha Stewart eyelet lace. The large flowers are punched from two Marianne stencils and the leaves a Sizzix die. This card is also for the following challenge:

Secret Crafter - Anything goes

Over to Polkadoodles now where it is my turn to host this weeks theme and as I am still ashamedly addicted to this shape I would like to see Easel Cards.

I used Fairy Flutterby Gracie and papers from All Around and Everywhere CD to make an easel card. I stamped the image twice to decoupage her and coloured with Copics. Punched borders and corner using Martha Stewart eyelet lace and flowers and leaves from stash. This card is also for the following challenge:

Daring Cardmakers - Come fly with me (fairy and butterflies)

All about Autumn and puppy picture

Hello Peeps, just a quick post to let you know I'm still about and a picture of Buffy and Daisy who is now twelve weeks old and the most hyperactive puppy I have even come across, but absolutely adorable of course. One day I might even get all six of them in one place at one time for a canine family portrait.

Due to this enforced crafting lay off, a share of a card I did a month or two back for Stampalot samples, but not yet blogged so I thought I would use it for a few challenges.

The card above is using good old favourite.......are you ready for it......Stampendous P107 Agapanthus cluster along with Hero Arts S5316 silhouette grass, F5042 leaf flourish and G3316 harlequin. All stamped with versafine sepia onto a background created with Tim Holtz mustard seed and wild honey. I distressed the edges and embossed with detail gold. The sentiment is Hero CG189 which I cut into pieces after stamping. I made the rose from grunge paper stamping with the same swirl stamp and colouring with the TH inks. This is for the following challenges:

The Stampman - Distressed

Creative Card Crew - Autumn/Fall Colours

Spoonful of Sugar - Fall into Autumn Colours

My second card is a really quick and simple one following the Midnight Madness sketch this week. The DP is Crate Paper which I also used to make a rather full flower using my Tattered Floral Die. A border using Martha Stewart floral vine and Sizzix swirls. The sentiment is Penny Black 4075F which I think is a lovely verse with so many applications and to finish a generous helping of gems or should I say diamonds ? This card is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

By the Cute and Girly - Indian Summer

Tuesday Taggers - Diamonds are Forever (memo to Tagger girls, have to say this is an awesome theme, very imaginative indeed)

Cute and elegant

Good morning everyone, hope you all had a good weekend.A quick couple of shares today, just to prove I am still doing a bit of crafting.

Both are using the stamps from the new Penny Black Christmas 2010 releases.......the whole range is on the Penny Black website and also under the whats new section at Sir Stampalot......I am told they have now shipped from the States and should be arriving at 'Stampalot Central' any day now.

This one is Penny Black 40-027 Warmest Wishes which I have stamped three times with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Copics and decoupaged, then added some snow using JudiKins snow white glitter. The DP is Nitwits and I added some borders punched with Fiskars threading water with lace overlaid. The large flowers is punched from the same DP, scrunched up and spritzed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds, a couple of pre made flowers and swirls cut with a Sizzix die through the Big Shot, buttons, cord and pins to embellish.

This card is for the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday - Sketch
Lets Ink it Up - Use yellow somewhere

My second card used Penny Black 4112K To follow the star........I absolutely adore this one and have already used it ore that any of the other newbies and I think the trend will continue as it is so versatile.

I created a background using Big and Juicy hydrangea by placing the ink pad onto a craft mat, spritzing liberally with water then squidging a piece of cardstock into it. When dry I stamped the image with versafine back and embossed with detail clear, 'roughed up' the edges with scissors and embossed with detail gold. I also added a touch of gold embossing to the Kings using the same powder and an ink pen.

The edge of the card is stamped with Penny Black 3857H Footnote and again embossed with detail gold. Cord is tied across the card and a small disk made using several layers of UTEE and stamping into it with the script part of the main image stamp. Finally I laid a piece of beaded cord across the top of the image.

This card is for the following challenges:

Stamptacular Sunday - Two's better than one
Daring Cardmakers - Material Girl....take inspiration from a piece of clothing - the little cocktail number below courtesy of Monsoon - awful picture but it really is purple with gold and the jacket is gold as well beleive it or not, you would never know from the picture.

Penny Black Christmas 2010

Hello folks, bet you have been wondering where I have been with no post for three days.

Firstly there are puppydogs who takes a fair amount of time and are growing like triffids. I'll try and get some more piccies shortly to share. Then there is me sounding like a long playing record, I got flue the second day of our holiday, in fairness several of us did, but as usual despite antibiotics I can't shake it off so it turned into bronchitis and now a "hint of pneumonia" - GP terminology whatever that really means. So lots more pills.

But today I actually felt like crafting, helped enormously by a very nice man from Fex Ex who delivered a parcel from America..............Penny Black Christmas 2010.............it's a wonder you didn't hear the squeal, I was that excited. So I have a couple of creations to share with you and you can see all of the new range of Penny Black stamps here and you can get yours from Sir Stampalot just as soon as their delivery lands so keep an eagle eye on the 'whats new' section of their web site.

My first card........another easel I'm afraid, I'm still that addicted to them........... uses this gorgeous collage stamp Penny Black 4112K To Follow the Star. I made a mask for the moon and brayerd with Adirondack eggplant, stamped the image with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, then sponged Tim Holts marigold and sage to add definition. I tore the edges and embossed with iridescent powder to add some shine. The star is Hobby Art QT801A and DP's Kaiser which I also used to make three roses. The swirl is cut through the Big Shot using a Sizzix die then pearls and gems added to embellish.

This card is for the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Petals and pearls

Creative Cottage - Christmas

Fab and Funky - Flowers - make your own

A Spoonful of Sugar - Christmas in August

My next card used an absolutely adorable slapstick stamp.....I am certain this is the same little girl as in one of the summer releases 40-021 For Goodness Sake. I stamped and embossed the image three times, colouring each with Copics then decoupaging. The DP is Cosmo Cricket which I also used to make the punched flower and sprayed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds. I added some snow, glitter, lace and pearls to embellish and a a border punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop.

This card is for the following challenges:

ABC - Blue

Cute Card Thursday - Sketch

Creative Card Crew - Sparkle and shine

And finally, one I forgot to add earlier - my head is obviously somewhere else. This is not a Christmas stamp but it is a new release and when I saw it I just loved it, reminds me of Harvest festival and all the beautiful displays in Church. The image is Penny Black 40-037 Autumnal Gifts, stamped with versfaine sepia and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Copics and some of the fruit decoupaged. I used Hero Arts S5316 Silhouette Grass to the main card using Tim Holtz rusty hinge and punched the October Afternoon DT with Martha Stewart arched lattice.

This card is for this weeks Penny Black Saturday, not entered for a few weeks what with holiday etc., and when I saw the theme of Get Fruity I was stumped , until Mr Fed Ex arrived with his goodies that is.

Molly Ballerina and Polkadoodle flowers

Good Morning everyone from a rather wet East Anglia........where is Summer ? It's absolutely freezing.

Things are setting down in puppy land and we even got some sleep last night, so keeping everything crossed that I might get to do some crafting today.

A coupe of things I need to tell you about:

Penny Black at Allsorts are looking for new Design Team members, so if you love you PB's and would like to be considered for the team pop over to the challenge blog now.

And 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.

It's the lovely Kirsten's turn to host the new theme at Allsorts this week and she would like to see paper Piercing or Paper Piecing on our work.

My card uses Ballerina Molly from the new Molly Blooms stamps by Clare available exclusively from Sir Stampalot.

I used Copics on her face, arms and legs and for her clothes some DP from my stash which I also used to create the back panel using Martha Stewart around the page 3 dot scallop. The three roses are made from the same DP, punched leaves and butterfly, a beaded pin and the letters are cut on the Big Shot with a Sizzix die.

I am also entering this card for:

Cooking up with Katie - Flowery pink square, use flowers, pink and a square

Creative Card Crew - Cute and Girly

And my second card it my DT project for this weeks new challenge at Polkadoodles where it's Stacey's turn to host the challenge and she wants us to print onto acetate or vellum.

I used the Paper Boutique CD, re-sized the flowers and printed onto acetate, which I them matted onto white cardstock and fixed with brads. I printed more of the same flowers onto white cardstock, cute out and glittered the edges. The swirly leaf is cut from a Sizzix die and the card edging Martha Stewart embossed scallop. The sentiment is from the unmounted stamp set.

I thought I would also enter this card into this weeks Creative Cottage challenge as they would also like to see acetate used on projects.

DT vacancies, challenges and puppy update

Little and Large

Good Afternoon folks and what a wet one it is here in the Fens, but much needed and I guess I will have to put up the the sub zero temperatures, or at least what fees that way after the Med heat.

Might be a bit of a long post as lots to tell you about. First of all I am looking to expand my DT over at Penny Black at Allsorts. We have just started our second month and after a wonderful first month I think the time is right to spread our wings a bit and incorporate a bit of new blood. So if you love your Penny Blacks, can commit to submitting a piece of artwork each month and commenting on entries and feel you have what it takes to join our little gang pop over to the Chalenge blog now to see what you have to do.

So hows it going with the puppies ? Up and down is probably the best way to describe it. Two rather noisy nights eventually led to desperate measures by 3am this monring when no amount of pacifying was going to settle Daisy. We remembered the old trick of giving puppies something smelling of their Mother, well we did not have that so as Daisy has spent most of last evening on hubbys lap he gave her his trousers to lay on in her basket.......I did say drastic measures and at that time of the monring anything goes.......not another peep out of her till almost seven, so I figure he can say goodby to a decent pair of linen trousers.

Apart from that all is going well considering how young they are. And the star of the show has to be Bernie the St Bernards, he is being an asolute darling with them. It's nigh impossible to get a picture of them all together but I did catch the one above earlier.

I also want to thank the team at Crafts and Me for selecting me for their Top three last week.

I have somehow managed a couple of cards, taken me almost two days, but here they are. The first is my saftey net style using My Minds Eye DP's, some of the beautiful lace I bought in Cadiz and the main image Penny Black 3877K an afternoon inked with Tim Holtz dusky concored and peeled paint, spritzed before stamping to bleed the colours a bit and stamped onto linen cardstock. The flower is made with punches from the same DP's scrunched up to age and spritzed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds. The sentiment is Penny Black 4070F Dreams. The butterfly is also punched from the same DP and glittered.

This card is for the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesday - must have a butterfly or fairy

Cupcake Challenge - Use lace

Crafts and me - Purple and green

Stamp Man - 2 colours

My second card uses one of my lovely new Sweet Pea stamps called Poppy Love which I stamped and embossed with detail clear and then masked to create a sun over the rays whch are part of the stamps using Tim Holtz mustard seed and dried marigold, then coloured with Copics. The double sided DP is Crate Paper, some lace, a magnolia flower adn swirl cut with a Sizzix die. This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Pea Stamps Challenge - Carnival colours

Charisma Cards - Easel card

Tuesday Taggers - Sunshine