Santa's on his way

Morning everyone and firstly my thanks for such kind comments and messages about Holly following my last post.

We have new challenges today at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where Lynn has selected Red and Green as our theme and at Moving Along With The Times it's Santa. Both themes perfect for last minuted gift tags and cards.

Above AALL and Create's Santa called Sack of Joy in a snowy setting and their die Roadway Vistas base die, cut twice, one scored a third of the way down and adhered to the second to create a stand up card. Inkspirational challenge has a moodboard and from that my Santa has holly, Christmas tree and a bauble and hope the snowy elements work at Four Seasons Winter challenge and Santa fits at A Place to Start's Winter things them. 

My tag and ATC both feature Two Red Robins seasonal dies and matching Reflections, the tag above has a Poinsettia cut out design using a die from Amazon with glitter card behind, Poinsettias and a Robin, also TRR. The Paper Shelter have Gift Tags as their theme and Simon Say's Monday would like to see dies. Poinsettia is the theme at Sparkles Christmas and have lots of them on my tag.

My ATC has an inky background, stamped with a Lavinia background stamp and the various TRR die cuts arranged in the corner. Just Add Ink would like stencils or die cuts, I have used the latter and it's Christmas Time at ATC Around the World.

Winter's Butterfly

Hello all, seems I prepared the challenge post and totally forgot one for my own blog, so for speed I've grabbed the content from that with just a few additions. Our mid month inspiration at Tag-Along (and ATC's) challenge follows Pinky's 'Add some Texture' theme which also has the usual Anything Goes option.

We want to let you know about a change which is that in future Bookmarks will also be accepted as entries. We often see them entered and most look so similar to Tags that going forward we will welcome them as entries.

My tag above has lots of stencilled sparkly textural snowflakes but the sparkle just doesn't show up in the photo I'm afraid. The Butterflies are A&C and the sentiment many years old, no idea of the make as the writing on the wood has worn off. Just us Girls has Winter as it's word, so linking up there and also Word Power with the focal sentiment.

My ATC has a inky background and texture paste brickwork, some TL die cut flowers and the little couple of sweeties are TH ephemera, don't you just love his suite? Would like to enter the above at Creative Artiste Mixed Media and as there are flowers, Ellies current Garden Party.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Tags and Stags

As explained the other day, short scheduled posts, this one for the start of new challenges at Tag-Along (and ATC's) where Pinky would like to see some texture, Moving Along With The Times with a Winter Wonderland theme and by default I'd agreed to help out at Love to Craft and had a card made ready for the A/G theme.

My tag uses TH ephemera, AALL and Create flowers and Butterfly, texture paste and harlequin stencil which is stamped over with text. I would like to enter at the Outlawz Card Free Zone, Creative Artiste mixed media, Colour Dare with shades of orange and Heartsquest shapes cards and tags.

The Penguins are A&C, stamped, cut out and just a little colour, inked background with sparkle texture paste snowflakes stencilled. I've just been alerted that ATC's Around the World would like to see Penguins!

My MAWTT share uses a mixture of stamps from Penny Black, Lavinia and my own Christmas Season stamp set, soft ink blending for the background and lots of sparkly snow.

Finally, for Love to Craft a festive wreath using Lavinia stamps and stencil. The 12 Months of Christmas has a new challenge, this is for the A/G option.

Nutty Squirrel

Morning all, it's mid way time at Tag-Along (and ATC's) challenge, like most of what I've shared recently they are not recent makes. No secret I work well ahead, my MS 'just in case' policy and recently it's proved a logical way of working as Mr Mojo has been missing.

My tag above uses AALL and Create Intricatags, the two little ones are from a pack of TH ephemera, flowers also A&C stamped, coloured and cut out and some crackle texture paste spots with Autumnal coloured twines. I am linking at Heartsquest shaped cards and tags.

My ATC is a grungy creation, A&C background stamps, a piece of finely ridged corrugated, leaves using A&C Crunched Leafdrop and Leafinately Detailed matching stamp and die set, currently on offer as a set for £21.99. Pearly Sparkles would like Autumn Leaves and it's Autumn at Try it on Tuesday and at the Outlawz Songs and Rhymes poem, red and gold and crunchy leaves popped out at me.

Another made weeks ago, my share for the Snippets Playground challenge and Ellies latest Garden Party (I know she has Squirrels in her garden) Stamps are Visible Image and come with matching dies, I used a stencil to add some brickwork and then stamped, coloured and cut the Squirrel, acorns and leaves. A few stamped grasses and flowers which are Lavinia and sentiment from the same stamp set. Aud Sentiments would also like to see Autumnal makes and I reckon this little chap will fit in at Fab 'n Funky and Simon Say's Monday challenge is Add some Text. 

Did remember a photo of my snippets as when making thought it would be a good fit for the Playground.

As mentioned above not been many new makes recently, my dexterity is deteriorating along with vision so stamping's getting more challenging. Eye's not helped by unstable glucose, same Brittle Diabetes as my Dad, it can dip from 24 to 4 in minutes and back again. All in all been rather poorly, had lots of tests yesterday and have urgent hospital referral.

Last week I'd decided to try and give my mojo a boost. I've been convincing myself for months I didn't need a Sizzix Stamp and Spin tool, but discovered that I really, really did. Amazon had the best price by far along with the matching Stencil and Stamp Tool, although I have the TH platform or LH Ultimate neither are compatible with the Spin. 

I've had such fun using it and the bin's not getting constantly filled with inky bodge ups as has been the case. Being very fond of a floral, Christmas or leafy wreath it's absolutely perfect for creating them with real precision, above pretty simple but I've lots of ideas now I've had an initial play. I would like to enter the above into the Unicorn Challenge Autumn theme,

It works equally well for a symmetrical design as with this one below stamped onto an old Gelli background, it's so quick, I was amazed at the speed I was able to create these. I would like to enter the one below to Creations in Pink.

Have a good Tuesday everyone.

Festive Foliage

Good morning, we have a new challenge at Allsorts and a theme selected by Lynne which is Traditional Christmas colours. We have a gorgeous Tim Holtz Festive Foliage stamp set from Buddly Crafts to be won as well as a voucher for digital downloads. 

It happens to be a stamp set I own, it's got four lovely images on it and has worked overtime for this years Christmas cards. Here I used one on the card, another on the envelope. The base card is AALL and Create Heart Marks the Spot (46) cut in dark brown, the top layers inked around the edges and a thin line of Gilding Tilsen applied by running a glue pen around the outside edge. The image is stamped and coloured with Inktense pencils, a little Tilsen added to the leaves and some sparkly red twine wrapped around.

Lots of Christmas challenges about so would like to enter at Krafty Chicks, 12 Months of Christmas, Peace on Earth and The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenges. Also Dragonfly Dreams would like to see shaped cards.

And a second one using Penny Black Fir Branch an arch shaped Kraft card base, the image stamped and lightly shades, some sparkly twin and a strip of washi tape across the bottom. I would like to enter this one into Inkspirational seasons option, going with Winter Outlawz Festive Friday choose a season, Winter again, Outlawz Twisted Thursday All Tied Up and Ellie's Garden Party 8.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Autumnal colours and a wander round the garden

Good morning to you all on 1st October, new challenges at Tag-Along (and ATC's) and Moving Along With The Times, it's also our Wedding Anniversary, although I'm not putting in writing how many years, I'll let you do some guessing there. Covid jabs today and hopefully a meal out in Cambridge tomorrow instead.

Prize at Tag-Along is from AALL and Create and it's some lovely tag ephemera along with stencil and designer card.

Our theme at Tag-Along was my choice so totally predictable it's Anything Autumn. I'm sure I've said many times before, I absolutely love creating for Autumn, non too keen on the shorter days and chilly weather though. Apparently we are promised a particularly vibrant display of colour this year due to the hot summer weather.

My tag is another tag within a tag, cut twice then another die used to cut an aperture in one and raised over the other with foam tape. Some 'straw' sourced on Amazon and leaves using AALL and Create Leafinately Detailed matching stamps and dies using inky offcuts and seam binding to finish. With all the leafy offcuts I'm popping over to the Playground, I might even share some of the conkers in the photo below with the playmates. Lots of Autumn theme at the moment so sharing at a few, Dream Valley is looking for Autumn colours and Make My Monday's theme is Autumn Festival, Pearly Sparkles is Autumn Leaves and also Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone.

My ATC uses a strip of packing, A&C words and TH Leaf Prints, again stamped onto inky offcuts, cut out and placed over some twine. Finally Fall is the theme at Snarky Crafters and also Four Seasons.

Next my share for MAWTT where our theme is Sentiment in Focus, I paired Lavinia Believe which is a huge stamp with a sentiment from my own Moments set available here which also has believe within it to create a focal sentiment. All stamps are Lavinia starting with the Witch Faba, her Cat from Hocus and Pocus along with Hill House, Fairy Web, Moon, Slender Mushrooms and Maylin. Try it on Tuesday would like to see Animals so my black cat should fit the bill. I think this will fit in at Sweet Stamping Feature a Sentiment and Double D have a new theme of Trick or Treat, also Ellies October challenge.

The last couple of days have been nice and bright and even warm'ish, so a trip round the paddocks and garden was in order to take a few photos starting with a haul of conkers.....old (childhood) habits die hard and I can never resit collecting, we have four Horse Chestnuts, three produced heavily, one has looked quite sad all season. Rosa then thought they made a lovely bed to roll on.

An abundance of Conference and Williams pears this year despite all the fruit trees being pruned hard last Autumn, most have now been harvested and laid up for the coming months. Holly's getting a nice collection of surgery jackets, necessary to cover the wound from her chest op in August, very slow healing where the stitches burst due to pressure from part of the tumour they couldn't remove. But she remains a happy girl and loves these short walks.

An abundance of berries on both the Hawthorn above and Pyracantha below. My Dad always said lots of berries forecast a hard Winter, we shall see.

The remaining outside cherry tomatoes have six plants continuing to produce well, the large San Marzano in the greenhouses are just about finished, has been a real bumper season so they've been gifted far and wide, family, Vet, nail bar and I've frozen down enough sauces and spag bols to feed the village.

And finally a beautiful and very large cobweb which stretched right across one of Margo's swings, Monday was very wet followed by a bright morning and mist so the spiders work was evident everywhere.

It would be lovely to see you at both of the challenges so hope you will come join in.

Butterflies and Birdies

Morning Peeps, time's caught me out again as almost forgot my mid month share for Tag-Along (and ATC's) where we are following Lynn's Wings theme along with the AG option.

I created my aperture tag by cutting two tags then using a shaped die to create the centre panel, brayers two colours of Oxide on both, then stamped A&C Butterfly border stamp, sadly now discontinued, raised the second tag on foam tape. Stamped a few birdie also A&C and a couple more stamped and cut out on the Scan and Cut and seam binding. Entering at Hearts Quest shaped card and tags and the Card Free Zone. Layering up is the theme at Simon Say's Wednesday challenge, it's not something I do that often so hope there's enough on this one.

For my ATC, Lavinia Bumblehums masking the stamo to get just three and Wild Poppies, a piece of dies cut honeycomb, some twine and sticker sentiment and a tiny matching envie. Entering this at ATC's around the World challenge.

Bootfull of blooms and Fairy magic

It's mid month inspiration time at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations where we are focusing on Birds, Bees and Flowers at SS and Flowers at WLS, with prizes from Personal Impressions and Lavinia.

Both makes from a few weeks ago, above using TH Stampers Anonymous French Garden, a stencilled base layer, berries from the same set as Daisies, a torn page from an old book sprayed with Oxides. The flowers stamped, coloured and cut out and popped into A&C boots and some faux grass. Lots of snippets so popping to the new challenge at the Playground. I don't have a photo of my snippets so ready for a spell on the naughty step.

What is probably my favourite Lavina Fairy Zemira, I say Fairy but she doesn't actually have wings. An inky background and distant fantasy town stencilled and masked sun. Zemira is releasing her Flutterbies accompanies by Jaylar and the scene built up with Bluebells, Leaf Spray, Fairy Buttercups and Vine Flourish. Four Seasons challenge theme is Anything Summer and that big sun suggests it's definitely Summer on my scene which follows on nicely for the Create a Scene theme at Cards 4 Galz.

As mentioned Saturday, due in hospital for a couple of days but that's at the back of my mind with Holly so poorly and dreading the vet this morning.

'B' for Bunny and Butterflies

Good morning, we have a new challenge at Allsorts and our theme is 'I spy something beginning with B' which has been chosen by Ellie. We have some lovely matching die and stamp sets to be won.

Above it's my current favourite bunny Mr Rabbit from TH/Stampers Anonymous onto Kraft card and envie, I'm on a mission to use it more often as I do like the look. A Gelli Plate background, stamped Mr Rabbit and coloured with Derwent Inktense, added some red dots to carry the colour of his jacket, some twine and matching envie and finito. Over at Little Red Wagon challenge they would like to see Kraft, so entering there.

One more above, this time 'B' for Butterfly using various colour Versafine Clair inks to try and achieve an ombre effect and a Visible Image stamp and sentiment.

I also have a share for Ellies new Garden Party 6, it's an Anniversary card made for Grandson Zachary and wife Faiths third Anniversary. The design was based on her love of Sunflowers, what I didn't realise until they called in last evening was that Sunflowers symbolise the third year of marriage. 

After the last Sunflower card using the new Lavinia Twilight Tea collection I vowed not to cut any more out, but I did! A masked an A&C heart, more hearts using an A&C stencil, a sentiment and the Sunflowers arranged in a partial wreath. I just saw the mood board for the new Beautiful Blossoms challenge on a team mates blog and thought this fitted perfectly.

Clocks and Flowers

Good morning, at Allsorts we have a new challenge with a theme of Flowers selected by Lynn, along with the usual A/G. We have three prizes from AALL and Create. 

I also have my overdue (slap on wrist) shares for our mid month inspirational posts at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations. I prepared yesterdays posts on the challenge blogs earlier in the week then totally forgot the one on my own blog, was on NHS 'duty' most of yesterday and only realised rather too late. I can but apologies to my teamies at both challenges.

Above using AALL and Create Clocks and Flowers (558) which is still available from several stockists, I stamped the clock element with Versafine Sand Dune and then the flowers in Tulip Red and cut out to raise over the clock. The corner element is from TH Stitiches. The sentiment stamped onto the label is also A&C.

A fun play with AALL and Create Blooming Splodge (74) washi tape repeated to build up the focal image and again for the border on the base layer. The dies are really old Tattered Lace ones, probably ten years old from my early days on their DT but still much used.

My We Love Stamping share for the theme of Summer Flowers using AALL and Create Friendship Florals (648) and Evergreen stencil (159) which had texture paste coloured with DI added through the stencil. The flowers stamped, coloured and cut out to arrange, then some twine and words. I would like to enter this is the current Beautiful Blossoms and Try it on Tuesday challenges.

A simple Ocean scene using a mixture of Lavinia stamps for WLS Sun, Sea and Sand theme.

Thanks for your visits and again my apologies for the lateness of the second two on this post, I'm really hoping things improve. Several have asked what Hemiplegic Migraines are,  in simple terms they present rather like a stroke and can be scary, so along with 'normal' migraines I have one pretty much constantly and I'm just not firing on all cylinders at the moment.

Ocean view

A new month means new challenges at We Love Stamping and Stamping Sensations. At WLS our theme has been selected by Emma and is Sun, Sea and Sand and a prize from Lisa Horton Crafts. At SS Avril has selected Summer Blooms for her theme with prizes from AALL and Create.

For my WLS share I have used a Penny Black stamp called Paradise (40-691), inked direct to stamp using Ecoline pens, extra colour and shading added with pencils and Pan Pastels, a stencilled sun and a Lavinia sentiment.

This one uses AALL and Create Roadway Vista die set (78) and Sunny Splash (1250) stamp set, an inky background picking up distress ink from a piece of acetate left from a previous background, then some stencilling and colour added to the focal image with Ecoline pens.

Have a good Sunday everyone, they say the heatwave in the UK is returning this week so keep cool.