Last of 2024 at Try It On Tuesday!

 Welcome to the last challenge of the year at Try It On Tuesday!
Another year almost gone and Christmas is just around the corner so our challenge this time is called
'SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN'

I once again got out my little lonely boy stamp! I make no apologies for loving this Andy Skinner stamp so much - it has been well used and has been well loved since I got it!

The little man so far has been flying his balloon at the seaside, standing by himself in a country landscape and just simply stamped in lots of other plain backgrounds so it was only fitting that this time he would be standing on an icy pathway looking over the tops of the houses in the street and seeing a very special sight.

The skyline and the Santa sleigh stamp are from Inkylicious.

I used Chipped Sapphire, Seedless Preserve and Fossilized Amber for the sky.

Highlighted with dabs of Stickles here and there and coloured the little man with Aquarelle pencils. As ever the glittery bits don't show up too good!

Please go visit the rest of the creative team at the blog and I hope that you join us for this challenge!
We'll be back with a new challenge on 7th January.
Happy Christmas! x

Linking up at
Pearly Sparkles - Christmas
Merry Little Christmas- A/Thing Christmas
IYGACAC - (Inspired by the Santa cookie!) - Don't stop Believin'
Peace on Earth - A/thing Christmas
Sweet Stampin' - Christmas Creations
Holly and Ivy - A/thing Christmas
Cardz4Guyz - Christmas card

Traditional Christmas at Try It On Tuesday

 Christmas is looming and our challenge for the next 2 weeks at Try it On Tuesday is called 'TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS'
There is nothing more traditional than a Christmas Tree is there?
So here's my take on the theme -

I am not very good at sewing but I confess to having such fun making these - so much so I ended up making a whole forest in different sizes! (Well quite a few anyway!)

I have long been promising to get round to using up scraps of material and lace which have lain in a box for years.
I also have a massive amount of stash (like everybody else) which I hoard because in 48 years time I might need it for something...........

I made a little dent in the pile and enjoyed myself!
I hand stitched most of the decoration on the triangle trees which were sewed on the machine and were cut from the remains of a fat quarter.

The 'trunk' is a pencil wrapped in twine
I used some stuffing from an old cushion to fill the trees, then glued a little bit of stuffing to the pencil before glueing again and pushing into the tree top.

I was a bit bothered as I wasn't sure if this would work but happy to say it dried well inside and the glue didn't seep through to the material.

The pencil trunk was glued into oasis which had been glued into the little buckets. Again I wasn't sure how good this would turn out but it's dried solid and the trees are quite stable, the biggest one measures about 12 inches tall.

Added some snowy stuff, some glittery bits of a scrap of yarn and wooden shapes (which I have had FOREVER)
Hope you will join us for this challenge!
Will share some of the others in another post. Thanks for looking. x
Linking up at
Pixies Playground with all of my lace and odd leftovers!
Crafty Catz - A/Goes
Simon says Stamp - Trees
Double Trouble Thing 1 - Stitch it Up

Half way!

We're mid way through our SPARKLE ALL THE WAY theme at TRY IT ON TUESDAY

My make for the start of the challenge is HERE if you've not seen it

And here's another card which is especially sparkly and consequently especially difficult to show!

This is another very quick Christmas card for my stash.

I used black glitter paper for the background - not usually my thing but I actually quite like how it turned out.

The sparkle effect is immense in real life.

A very simple card, just a couple of die cut snowflakes from white glitter card with a tiny gem in the centre of each and a sentiment also from the white glitter card.

A few tiny snowflakes which were the waste from another die!

You still have time to join us - and we'd love to see you! x

How about a bit of Sparkle?!

 The new challenge at TRY IT ON TUESDAY is called 'SPARKLE ALL THE WAY', so we want to see lots of blingy creations this time round!

I had a bit of fun with some sequins.... especially when I knocked the tub onto the floor 🙈😀

I'm conscious that Christmas now is not too far away so I have been busy with cards and other things.

I used a Penny Black stamp for this card which I have had for several years and every Christmas it gets an airing in one form or another!

This time I gold embossed it and then blended Picked Raspberry over it.
Nuvo Gold and Diamond sequins randomly placed, a gold stamped sentiment (also Penny Black) and finished.

I made a couple of these as it was really quick to do (apart from the half hour collecting the sequins from off the floor....) and the 3 hours that I spent trying to get a decent pic! (Well not 3 hours but a long time anyway!)
Trying to photo sparkles is not a job I would want full time!

Hope you will pop over to the blog and see the rest of the DT's creations and that you'll join us for this challenge - after all what is life without bling?! 💎 x

New challenge at Try It on Tuesday

 Our theme this time round at Try It On Tuesday is called 'MAKE IT MAGICAL'.
Hope that you will join us with your creations and please visit the blog and see what the rest of the team have made!

I have quite a bit of coloured cardstock that gets rarely used except for layering and matting but occasionally I manage to use it as a base card after seeing a blogging buddy use a really dark card for her design.

The Slate Grey card is from Creative Expressions.
Lavinia stamps used throughout and everything was stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone and Shady Lane.

Starting with the Fir Cone branch stamp,layering it as I went along, then the mini berry stamp and the mini holly. Added the baubles and then stamped Quinn underneath the middle bauble.

Coloured the mini berry and the baubles with my Aquarelle pencils then highlighted the pines and the fairy with a white Signo pen.

I recently bought a white Pan Pastel and used it on the moon and the snow. Although it doesn't show well in the pic there is a bit of sparkle!

Look forward to seeing what you come up with and thanks for looking today! x
Sharing over at
Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

Just playing

 I treated myself at the last Lavinia release. Although I am not a Halloween person I fell in love with the lovely pretty witches so they got on their brooms🧹 and flew here bringing a couple more things from the release with them. I am very controlled when it comes to buying Stamp Collections - I sift through and only get what I know I will use - (👼polishes halo!) as it is too easy just to click on 'buy all'!

Since buying I've had very little time to try them out nor have I had any ideas so it was simply a matter of finding a simple design and having a go.

Ink blended, stamped, highlighted with sparkly Posca pens and a white Signo pen.

Don't forget there is still time to enter our Halloween challenge at Try It On Tuesday!

Ages since I linked up at other challenge blogs too so am popping over to
Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge
The Crafting Challenge - Halloween
Make My Monday - Spooky/Halloween
Daisy Chain - Halloween

Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

New Challenge at Try It On Tuesday

Having not had a proper holiday since pre-Covid and as this year was our 25th wedding anniversary we sat down and talked about what we wanted to do. Other half wanted a lazy beach holiday and I wanted the trip of a lifetime!
If we have learnt anything in the last 25 years or so it is how to compromise - so a beach holiday was duly booked for this year and my dream trip booked for next!
It was a lovely relaxing break and the weather was fantastic. I have lounged about, been waited on hand and foot by the amazing staff at the Asimina Suites and was sorry to come home.
So I apologise for not visiting you all the last 3 weeks but now I have sorted out the washing and ironing I will rectify that and come and see you!

It's not surprising given the date that our challenge at Try It On Tuesday for the next 2 weeks is called 'Halloween'!

I don't actually 'do' Halloween but I have made a card which is (loosely) Halloween related!

I started by stamping the smallest pumpkin from Lavinia and masked it before stamping 'Pumpkin Lodge'. 

This was also masked before I stamped the Fairy Crook.

The 'evil' pumpkin was then stamped to hang from it (I actually think it's quite cute with it's smiley face and not at all scary!)

This was one of the few times I did the stamping before the ink blending. I left the masks in place and used Spectrum Noir Midnight, D.Ox Chipped Sapphire, Villainous Potion, Mowed Lawn and Peeled Paint.

Did a bit of shading, highlighting and colouring with Aquarelle Pencils, glittery Poscas and a white Posca pen.
The two dangly spiders are from Card-io.

Hope you can join our challenge this time round and please do stop by the BLOG and see what the rest of the DT have done!

Thanks for stopping by. x

Midway reminder for Try It On Tuesday

 We're half way through our AUTUMN challenge at Try It On Tuesday so there's still time for you to enter!

I've done a small note card for my stash which measures 5"square.

I used watercolour card  and a stamp from Rubbernecker, (I've had it for a long time!).

Inked up the stamp using watercolour pens and gave a very light mist of water, then stamped.

Was happy how the first pass looked and there still seemed to be a little colour left on the stamp so did it again.
The secondary stamping didn't turn out quite as well as I hoped but it's not too bad!

A bit more watercolouring then cut it into 3 panels and popped it onto a die cut stitched frame.

Thanks for looking and have a great day whatever you're doing! x

New Challenge at Try It On Tuesday

October already! So it follows that our next challenge at TRY IT ON TUESDAY Tuesday would be related to the time of year - our theme is AUTUMN MAGIC.
I've had a change from card making and made myself a bit of home decor!

Meet Leafbeard.....! Leafbeard is a magical gnome who lives at the bottom of the Oak Tree in the garden.

I had a bit of fun and also used up some odd bits that have been lying about in a box.
The hat is a small piece of slub linen material cut with out with pinking shears, folded and glued to make the cone shape. (I don't sew if I can help it!)

I used a small piece of stuffing inside the hat and tied the top with some string.

A piece of cardboard was cut as a base for his beard and the leaves were all die cut from bits of felt. Once stuck I put the top part of the cardboard into the bottom of the hat and glued.

His nose is a small polystyrene ball which I chopped in half with a knife so it would lay flat!

A few tiny scraps for patches and an offcut of the cone shape stuck on the hat and job done!

He measures about 8" in total and will be hung with the pumpkins and other bits on the twiggy tree display for Autumn.

Hope you can join us - can't wait to see what you create!

Try it On Tuesday - new challenge

Our new challenge at TRY IT ON TUESDAY is 'BLACK, WHITE AND ONE OTHER COLOUR'.
This is one of my fave colour combos - there's so much scope as there's so many different colours which are striking with black and white.

After using Lime Green with black and white recently I opted this time to go for Red.
This piece is now framed and hung on my back sitting room wall.

I started by masking off a circle and used a piece of card for a straight line to make the horizon. The Red sun was ink blended with a combo of  Fired Brick and Festive Berries Oxides - it really is a fiery red!

I lightly blended the remains of the colour on the brush below the sun, just dragging it in a 'V' shape in an attempt to imitate a reflection.

I used Black Soot Oxide for the rest of the blending taking care not to overload the brush and always blending onto scrap paper before blending onto the main piece and then only used gentle pressure as I didn't want it black.

The stamps are from Card-io and the white 'cherry blossom' and highlights were achieved with a white acrylic pen.

Thanks for looking - hope to see you linked up in the challenge blog! x

Colourful at Try It On Tuesday

We have 'MAKE IT COLOURFUL' as our new challenge at TRY IT ON TUESDAY.
I did a bit of ink blending for this challenge.

Colours used were Abandoned Coral, Fossilized Amber and Blueprint Sketch.

I remembered a brighly coloured tag I'd seen some time ago which used the dandelions as the centrepiece and as I hadn't used them for a while got them out!

I used the Coral over the blue to make the landscape at the bottom - it's actually taken on a bit of a violet hue in the pic but it is definitely blue in real life!

The stamp at the top is from Inkylicious and the other 2 are Lavinia.

I spattered the dandies with a white Posca pen and added a few black dots.

The clouds across the sun are not quite as good as I hoped - more practice needed - but overall was happy with the way this tuned out.

Hope you will visit the blog and the rest of the DT and look forward to seeing your creations!

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Feminine at Try It On Tuesday

 Our challenge for the next two weeks at Try It On Tuesday is called 'Make it Feminine'.

I love this Altenew Peony embossing folder and have used it lots!

This time I swiped over the flowers with two different colours of Versamagic Chalk inks - Pixie Dust and Pink Grapefruit before sponging a little pale green onto the leaves.

I then sat and fussy cut it! Two thirds of the way through I was beginning to be sorry I started - at least the funny thumb was - so I was glad when I finally finished!

I mixed the Pink Grapefruit ink with a little water and spattered the base card, popped the fussy cut panel onto it with 3D foam pads.
Finished with a simple sentiment.

Thanks for looking - hope you will visit the TIOT blog and have a look at the rest of the DT's makes and as always hope that you will join us for this challenge!

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Sharing over at
Beautiful Blossoms - A/Floral
Creations in Pink - Mainly Pink
Pearly Sparkles - Floral

Sublime

Time has simply flown and I am beginning to wonder what I am doing as I never seem to have a lot of time recently to do anything!

A friend's birthday is fast approaching and my card stash didn't have a lot in it so I have made this.

She is a no fuss or frills person but she does love her garden and birds so thought these stamps from Penny Black called Sublime would be perfect.

The little birdie is so cute!

Using watercolour card I stamped the floral spray off the edge a couple of times using Versafine Clair Fallen Leaves ink.

Images were coloured with Aquarelle pencils and the sentiment is from SU.

Sharing over at
Crafty Chicks - CAS
Cardz4Galz- Birds
Simply Clean and Simple - Off Centre
PB Saturday Challenge - Flowers

Thanks for looking today - hope all is well in your part of blogland! x

Keep It Simple at TIOT

 Our challenge for the next two weeks at Try It On Tuesday is called - 'KEEP IT SIMPLE'.
I hope that you can find time to join us and also pay a quick visit to the Design Team to see what they've come up with!

I have not had a lot of time recently as we have a big County Art and Craft Showcase in September and our W.I has been creating a very large project (more on that when I can reveal!)

So because of the time constraints and my brain being full of coming up with things to make (and making) for the very specific Showcase theme I turned to my saved folder for ideas and saw a card like this!

It was really quick and I am happy with how it turned out - I think the white over the black gives a crisp look and the lime green adds a big pop of colour.

I simply added a few enamel dots in the same lime green for a bit of interest.

I shall be doing a couple more using a different colour than black for the base card to put into my emergency stash I think!
Sharing over at
(Pin)spirational - Use Die Cuts
A Cut Above - Die Cuts
Thanks for looking and hope all is well in your part of blogland! x

Card Chain Challenge July Reveal

 My swap partners this month for the Card Chain Challenge - I sent to Jo in the UK and was delighted to receive a lovely card from Linda in Michigan! (Thank you again Linda!)

So - I was a little pleased as I managed to have a bash at using the colour options and the theme of 'Asian' from the choices this time round.

A lighter bright blue (Topaz) was the base and before layering onto gold mirri card I used some gold embroidery thread to attach the Chinese coin.

I used a darker shade for the next layer stamping some bamboo and simply clear embossing.

The 'Bird of Happiness' is from an Altenew set, gold heat embossed (love this stylized bird) and the Happiness sentiment is from Paper Discovery.

Having checked the colour of 'Jade' on an internet search I found it was varying shades of green through the colour spectrum from a very pale green right through to Emerald. 

So once I had stamped and fussy cut my figure, I painted her in pale green and blue. 

There's still a few days left to sign up for the August challenge and we are being generously sponsored this time by RELATIVELY THOUGHTFUL who are offering a gorgeous digital download paper set called Egyptian Dreams for one randomly selected player in the Chain and are also offering a 10% discount for all our players!!
This discount applies to digital and physical products in the shop so wherever you are in the World we should all be able to benefit from this - the code will be included when you get the Card Chain Challenge contact email.
Come and join us! x

In the Garden at Try It On Tuesday

Time for another challenge!
This time Try It on Tuesday want to see your creations with the theme of  'In The Garden'.

Ink blending and Lavinia stamps for me this time.
Only used 2 colours for the blending  - Lilac and Green.

All the stamping was done with Versafine Clair inks (Nocturne, Verdant, and Shady Lane) and I did a little highlighting with a white gel pen and a pink glitter pen.

I love the idea that somewhere in all the flowers in the garden there's a little fairy balanced on a dandelion!

Hope you will pop over and see what the rest of the DT have done - and of course, I hope you will join us this fortnight!

Thanks for looking and any comment you leave - I really appreciate them all. x

Obsessed!

 It is official - I am completely obsessed with these new stamps designed by Andy Skinner.

Not one normally for waxing lyrical about stamps but I simply adore this set - so much so that I have made that many cards I don't know what to do with them!

It's hard to have a favourite but this little boy makes me feel sad and happy in equal measure - one minute I think he looks happy 😄 with his balloon, the next I think he's sad because he is by himself with just his balloon for company😢.

I know there are many who like me couldn't resist these stamps. They are nostalgic and I think a reminder of a simpler and less stressful way of life where as kids we were happy with a balloon and a day at the Beach instead of wanting expensive fancy phones or computer games!
 
So here he is having a 'wishing day'... wishing he and his balloon could float across the sea to the fair on the Pier!

My background was ink blended, the other stamps are from Card-io.

I coloured Balloon Boy and added highlights with my watercolour pencils.
Don't you just want to cuddle him and take him to the Fair?

Am linking up at
Alphabet Challenge - H is for (Summer) Holidays
Sparkles Monthly - 1 for the Boys
Crafters Cafe - A/Goes + add balloons
I Spy - Summertime Vibes

Thanks for looking today. x

Mid Way - Things with Wings Challenge at Try It On Tuesday

 There's just a week left for you to take part in our Things with Wings challenge at Try It On Tuesday.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with vellum -but it doesn't stop me wanting to use it!

Think because the base card is pearlised it didn't help when I came to take the pic either.

I used a simple textured embossing folder on the background to give some interest.

The Angel wings are from Pink Ink, bought very recently in a sale and never before used -  white heat embossed on vellum and fussy cut - a bit of a tricky job but got there in the end!

Because I always have such trouble attaching vellum without  the glue showing I used a tiny silver heart and a silver encased pearl brad on the top wing. Fortunately the top wing hid the spot of glue on the underneath one.

Heat embossed white sentiment.

I sponged a little Brilliance Moonlight Ink round the edges and in real life it does give a sort of 'dreamy' effect.

Quite happy really with how this turned out after seeing something similar on an internet trawl some time ago.

Thanks for looking! x

Sharing over at
Simply Clean and Simple - Use a Heart
MAWTT #168 - CAS
CYHTP - A/Goes
and it's week 3 for Darnell's IDEAS - E for Embossing folders and as my Angel Wings are NBUS am visiting there too!

Things with Wings at Try It On Tuesday

 Our challenge at Try It On Tuesday for the next two weeks is called 'THINGS WITH WINGS' and we're looking forward to seeing your interpretation of our theme.

I did an ink blended background after masking off the moon using green and purple shades with a teeny splash of yellow.

I did lightly go over the moon when the background was done as it looked very stark white and I wanted something less 'in your face'!

The script stamp is an old red rubber one - that old I have no idea which make it is.

The Bamboo are a mix from SU and Altenew.

I coloured the dragonfly with Aquarelle pencils and added a liberal helping of glossy accents onto the wings.

Hope you can join us - and do please visit my friends on the DT who have lots of lovely makes and are happy when you pop in!

Thanks for looking today and any comments you leave - I appreciate it. Have a lovely day whatever you're doing. x

Card Chain Challenge June Reveal

 My card for June in the Card Chain Challenge went to Gail in Norway and I received a really pretty make from Patricia in Texas!

Once again the colour option from the vast list of things to choose from appealed to me and I also used the Summertime theme.

I used a Memento ink pad called Sahara Sand for the sandy beach, then blended another Memento colour called Turquoise Gem. The Navy blue colour element was a mix of Salty Ocean and Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide.

I stamped a few starfish randomly along the sandy beach and once the background was dry, I got out these brilliant Ocean stamps from Inkylicious.
I've used these stamps quite a lot recently - they are absolutely perfect for adding embossed waves and foam to beachy scenes.

Although it's hard to see in the photo the starfish and the sand do have a teeny bit of sparkle - achieved by random dotting of Wink of Stella Pens in brown and gold.

Finished with a stacked die cut. (I always think there's something very dreamy about listening to a tide lapping on a sandy shore so the die seemed a good fit!)

There's still a few days left to sign up for the next Chain if you fancy having a go! x