Try It On Tuesday being 'Bossy'!

This challenge at TRY IT ON TUESDAY calls for you to 'BOSS IT'!
Embossing of any type on your project please and if you pop over to the blog you will see what the rest of the team have 'bossed' this time!

Do you like doing 'man' cards?
I don't and thankfully I don't have many to do but there is a couple I need so this has gone in the 'man' drawer.

This card is both dry and heat embossing.

I took a piece of heavyweight grey 300gsm cardstock, then embossed it with the (very old) circles embossing folder.
I wasn't sure how this technique would turn out on lighter weight card so played safe!

I then sponged odd bits randomly with Versamark and began to heat emboss.

Just repeated each time I wanted a colour change.

Used Copper, Silver, Gold and Verdigris powders - altho the Verdigris isn't showing very well on the photo but trust me it IS there!

Once all done I swiped over the top again with a Stazon black ink pad.

Tried a couple of different colours for the sentiment but the silver looked the best.
This faux metal technique is one that I enjoy doing even if it does take a little time I think the results are worth it!

Hope you can join us and thanks for looking today. x

Mid Way at Try It On Tuesday

Half way through our 'ROMANCE' challenge at Try It On Tuesday so there's still time for you to be all soppy and lovey-dovey!

Another simple CAS card from me, this time using linen textured card.

Smooshed a little off cut in Picked Raspberry Oxide then used a tiny script stamp in the same colour to try and give it some depth.

These little heart dies  were just lightly inked on the tips and the bottom of the stems in the same ink.

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

February Romance!

The month of Love is upon us!
And at Try It On Tuesday our challenge for the next two weeks is called 'ROMANCE'

I have done a  CAS card (am not very romantic at all 😀) using a very very old stamp!

The little owls are from Technique Tuesday and were  loved but unused since I got them at least  8 years ago- (hangs head in shame🙈).

It was a stamp I wanted but then didn't have any ideas as to how to use it when I got it!

I paired them with a tree branch from Inkylicious.

A little watercolouring and an ink blended moon outline and a sentiment which for some unknown reason just makes me smile every time I see it!

Thanks for looking and hope you will join us this time!

Sharing with
Sweet Stampin' - Love
Neglected Stuff - Poor Owlies!

Mid way at Try It On Tuesday

Our 'WHAT A NIGHT' challenge is half way through at TRY IT ON TUESDAY.

Near the top of my wish list for several years has been wanting to see the spectacle of the Aurora Borealis.
We were planning a trip to colder and more Northerly climes for late 2025 in the hope that we may be lucky and then in 2024 she showed herself not just once but several times in England and I (along with many others) actually had their wish granted without having to travel anywhere!

First time I rushed outside at 1am watching these dancing green and pink columns above my head and then on two more occasions I saw the sight again that I never thought I would be fortunate enough to see.

The last sighting just before Christmas was the most spectacular - vivid pink columns before eventually the other coloured dancing lights appeared in the starry sky.

So I credit the Lady Aurora for inspiring me to make this card.

Of course it isn't as perfect as the real thing but it captures for me the first moments of the last appearance - and the sentiment is definitely true - I will definitely remember the moments I saw this natural phenomenon!
Tree stamps are from Inkylicious.

Thanks for looking and for any comments you leave - hope you are able to join our challenge too!
Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Try It On Tuesday New Challenge

 We have a theme called 'WHAT A NIGHT' for our latest challenge at Try It on Tuesday.

I hope you can find time to pop over to the BLOG and see what the rest of the creative team members have come up with - and that you'll be inspired to join us.

This card was something of an experiment for me - I wanted to do a sky that was a dark and moody Northern Light type display (instead of the bright green and violets) and used black card stock as the base card instead of my usual white.
It gave a completely different effect but one that I am not too disappointed with!

I roughly and randomly brushed the top of the card with some white Brilliance ink and then used the same ink with the mountain stencil and built up the colour at the bottom.

The sky colours are Cracked Pistachio, Picked Raspberry and Blueprint Sketch.
The castle is from Lavinia and the pine trees are from Inkylicious.

I have had the sentiment for a long time and just white heat embossed to make it stand out before adding a few small ink spatters to make stars in the sky.

Overall I am not too displeased with the end result on the dark card background - but I think I wouldn't blend the colours over the last and largest mountain range if I did this again.
I wanted it to look like the sky was reflecting off the snowy slopes and I don't think I quite nailed it.
Thanks for looking and for any comments you leave - I really do appreciate it! x

Feeling Blue

It's half way through our 'FEELING BLUE' challenge at TRY IT ON TUESDAY so you've still time to join in.
Here's my half way make -

Not anything to do with feeling sad as you can see but it is most definitely blue!

Inks used -
Sky - Chipped Sapphire, Prize Ribbon.
Water - Uncharted Mariner, Blueprint Sketch.
Faded both top and bottom out towards the middle so that the moon gives off light.

The image is of course from Stampin Up's Beautiful You set, which I coloured with a black Posca pen then added some white highlights.

Used a white posca pen for the 'ripples' and although it doesn't show up very well in the photo a white gel pen to make some lighter ripples across the entire bottom.

A few ink spatters across the sky to mimic stars and she really is 'Dancing In the Moonlight'!

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

1st Challenge of 2025 at Try It On Tuesday

By now all the decorations will be stored away and doesn't your home look bare?!

I actually like it when all the Christmas clutter has gone and my house is 'back to normal'!

Our first challenge of the year at Try It On Tuesday is called 'Feeling Blue' (which I hope you're not).

I used one single ink pad for this make - Salty Ocean oxide - and it took no time at all to do.
Ink blending liberally splashed with water first.

Stamped the images from a really old Art Journey set using the Oxide and then hunted for a sentiment.
I didn't want a specific greeting as I have no idea what I will use this card for and wanted something generic.

I quite like this one, have had it for ever- no idea who's it is but it's mounted on red rubber and was bought well before clear stamps were a 'thing'!

Hope you can find time to join us this time - please visit the BLOG and see some of the lovely makes from the rest of the creative team.

Have a lovely day whatever you're doing. x

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