November Card Chain Challenge

This month in the Card Chain Challenge I sent my card to Dee in Kenya!
I chose to do the colour option (well tried to anyway!) and used a stencil as the technique option.

The Lavinia stencil was inked using Versafine Clair Morning Mist ink - my substitute for Slate
I stamped the pinecone branch, tree and the berry wreath using Versafine Clair Pinecone - my substitute for Chocolate
I painted the berries with Carved Pumpkin Oxide and used the same to stamp the stars.
I finished with some orange glitter on the fir tree - well you've got to have a bit of bling haven't you!.

I know it's unlikely Dee will see snowy fir trees in Nairobi so thought I might send her some wintry greetings from here!

It was really nice receiving my card from Jeanne last month - happy mail!
I've signed up again for the December challenge - if you aren't in our chain of happy mail, pop over to the blog and sign up - you still have time!
Thanks for stopping by today - have a good day whatever you're doing. x

More Christmas!

A couple of weeks ago a DT post that I had scheduled published - which would have been OK if the  challenge that the post had been done for was still running!

It was only on my blog for an hour and I know a couple of people saw it before I took it down but it was only a couple so I am sharing it now.

I really enjoyed doing this 'reverse stamping on vellum' technique and I have made quite a few cards using different colours for different things.

This snowflake card done in white embossing and a much used icy blue shade of ink was really quick to do with various snowflake stamps and the technique is simple to do.

I started with the white embossing first and then stamped the reverse with a pigment ink.

I die cut the bottom to give lots of white space as this was for a CAS challenge but think I will do a whole panel for the front of a card as the technique gives an elegant look.

I hope all is ok in your part of blogland and thanks for looking. x

Sharing over at
ABC Christmas - X for Xtra Special
Merry Little Christmas - Christmas/Winter
CAS on Friday - Greeting Card
TIOT - Traditional Christmas

Peaceful Winter

I am well into Christmas card mode and here's another.
Have kind of rediscovered my enjoyment of ink blending recently too - I still like CAS a lot but there's something about trying to make a scene blending inks - and of course there's always Pinterest to be inspired by!

The background sky for this was done in Tumbled Glass and Chipped Sapphire Oxides, using a large moon mask.

The fir trees are among some of my most used stamps and are from Inkylicious.

I stamped them in Versafine Clair Morning Mist rather than black ink as I wanted a softer effect.

The tree branches were second and third generation stamping in Chipped Sapphire and a couple stamped in Brilliance Moonlight White.

The little deer (he really is tiny!) was a freebie in a mag - maybe last year - and so was the sentiment.

A liberal spattering with a white Posca pen and my traditional snow scene was done.

I am carrying on making for the forthcoming Artisan Fair and it's strange because I actually don't feel under any pressure to produce lots of stuff, and am just bimbling along! I've done candles, some wooden tree decs and lots of lovely Fairy Baubles as well as cards so maybe it's the variety of makes I am enjoying more?
Anyway, thanks for looking and hope all is well in your part of blogland. x

Sharing over at -

TIOT - Traditional Christmas
Use Your Stuff - Winter/Snow
Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

A Winter Scene

 It's not quite Winter yet - or if it is no one has told some of the summer plants in the garden - I still have fuchsias and alstromerias in flower and this morning 3 cone flowers have appeared! Although the temperatures are dropping it is still relatively mild for November- even my Christmas Roses have decided to poke their heads out.

All a far cry from my snowy scene here!
I bought this Inkylicious Ornate Leaf stencil when it first came out and to my shame this make was the first time it's been used - but I made 3 more similar with it so I didn't feel quite as guilty.

A quick card really with some ink blending, stamping and glitter.

Used Tumbled Glass and Blueprint Sketch oxides inside and Iced Spruce for the shading and Versafine Clair Twilight for the figures and trees. The dark blue made a change from the usual black I use for silhouettes/

I think I may need a little more practice with the shading at the outer edges - I was bothered about putting on too much and making it really dark!

The stamps are all from Cardio.
Sharing over at
Fab n Funky - Shades of Blue
LRW - Winter
Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

In a moment of madness I agreed to take a table at the local Community Centre for their Christmas Artisan Fair so have spent some time stamping on candles (a first for me and dead chuffed with myself!), and making Fairy baubles as well as cards. Am working on the basis that if all leftovers will simply end up being used by me!

Hence why my blogging is sporadic at the mo but now am a bit better organised I can sit and visit everyone!
Thanks for looking today - hope all is well in your part of blogland. x

Ooooops!!!

I have been such a bad blogger lately and real life has just got in the way - so much so that I didn't check all my scheduled posts.
I know some of you saw a post from me yesterday for a CAS Mix Up challenge. This was a scheduled post and it shouldn't have been published.😵

CAS Mix Up sadly is no more and I know there were some of you who left comments saying they were glad it hadn't closed after all BUT am afraid it has!😢😢
I am really sorry to have got your hopes up and if nothing else it has made me check carefully that I have nothing else scheduled to go live when it shouldn't!

xx

October Card Chain Challenge

Today is the day of the big reveal for the October Card Chain Challenge.
This is the first time I have taken part in this and it was fun to create something that I knew would be going to Robyn in Australia.
This month I used the option of the Fantasy Folk theme along with the colour palette option (I am not very good with sketches!)

The colours don't have to be exact matches so here's my card

(Oh and before you say there's no 'folk' on the card they were far too cold so have gone indoors!)

 
For my 'silver' I used Iced Spruce Oxide, my 'blush' was a combination of Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet (cos I didn't think the Spun Sugar was enough on it's own) and my 'frost' element is the ice on the tree achieved by white watercolour with a thin coating of Nuvo shimmer.

I did the background ink blending first then stamped the Inkylicious fir trees.

I then remembered that the Inkylicious icy tree branch is also meant to go on the right!

So I stamped it onto acetate and then pressed down onto the card to get a reverse impression then went over the outline with a black pencil.

The fairy tree pods and the little house are Lavinia.

I really enjoyed doing this - I hope it got to Robyn in time and that she liked it!

Autumn has come round fast!

Back home after a little break with some friends and on our little jaunts out it was really apparent that here in the UK Autumn has arrived. Doesn't seem that long ago when I was greeting the spring daffodils!

Another card inspired by the photograph taken on the recent walk (see photo here)  and back to CAS this time - although I have been going a little mad with inky backgrounds just recently, more of which will be shared in due course!

A simple watercoloured background (the pale blue sky hasn't shown up too well 😔) fading to a grey horizon and then the straw coloured wheat and wild poppy field.

The sentiment I have decided is definitely one which will be used often - as it is so true.

Sharing over at
Alphabet - N for Nature
Addicted to CAS - Autumn
Dragonfly Dreams- Autumn

Some time ago we were lucky to see a huge sculpture by Luke Jerram of the Earth, this week we saw another of his amazing works currently on show at Lichfield Cathedral - the Moon!

They are enormous, detailed and very accurate, (although obviously not to scale!). But just like the Floating Earth, his Moon sculpture is taken from actual images supplied by NASA so all the craters etc are actually what the surface is really like and in the exact places.

It makes you realise how small you are! Fabulous! Live in the Moment indeed.

Leaf

I love the colours of Autumn so have no idea why I opted to steer away from the rusty orange type colours when deciding to use this stamp but thought it would make a change!

I watercoloured three straight colour blocks using Distress Oxides Squeezed Lemonade, Bundled Sage and Cracked Pistachio.

I used a rectangle mask to try and achieve (reasonably) straight edges and painted inside.

Not too bad and I quite like the fact that some of the colours have run into each other.

The leaf and sentiment stamped with Versamagic Ocean Depth which is fast becoming one of my fave colours and as usual with me I had to add a few ink spatters!

Sharing over at
MMM -  Autumn Flora
SOS - Leaf it alone
A2S+M - Any Occasion

Have braved the terrible weather here this morning (lashing rain!) and popped down to a local Macmillan Coffee Morning. Two pieces of cake later I thought the time had come to go before I was tempted further!
Now an afternoon at the craft desk for me! Hope all is well in your part of blogland. x

A bit of inky magic (and a picture heavy post!)

Sharing an inky make today!
Whilst I love CAS, I also love ink blending - I made a card in similar colours a little while ago (here) and I liked the way they blended together so made another.

The colours are all lilac/purple shades and pinks.

I used a moon mask from Inkylicious this time instead of my usual coins as I wanted something a bit bigger!

All the stamps are Inkylicious and Lavinia.

This was sent to a friend for her Birthday although I left the front without a sentiment - I just liked the scene as it was.

Linking up at
Alphabet - M for Magic
Fairy and Unicorn - A/Fantasy Goes

We had a few days away last week in the beautiful Lake District - so lucky to be so close to this lovely part of the world and we were blessed with sunshine during our stay. Took hundreds of pics! 
Despite my iffy knee we had a tramp up to the very top of Gowbarrow Fell - a great sense of achievement for me although I regretted attempting it on the way back down😔 - and of course the following day my knee told me in no uncertain terms that we weren't going to repeat it anytime soon!
But - we managed to take in such a lot whilst there - here's some pics.

Thanks for calling in today - have a lovely weekend! x

CAS Mix Up Mid Month Reminder

 Half way through Hilary's challenge at CAS Mix Up where we have to use Gesso and a Stencil!
Lots of lovely examples over on the challenge blog and also some links to video tutorials to give you some inspiration.

The stencil is from Honey Doo and I used Spun Sugar ink over.
The butterfly was coloured, fussy cut and given a liberal helping of glossy accents so it shines bright.
The sentiment is from SU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly this is our very last challenge at CAS Mix Up, I have loved being on the Design Team with the most talented group of crafters.

Thank you to everyone who has played along over the years, it has been a joy to see all your wonderful creations. x

Inspired by a walk!

We've been out for our usual walk this morning, and as always we remind ourselves how very lucky we are to have all this countryside on our doorstep and also be within 10 minutes of the coastline!

I always take lots of pics when we're walking as I enjoy comparing the season changes, watching the planting, growing, harvesting etc as well as the changing colours.
This morning's fave pic -

Autumn may well be on it's way despite us having some very pleasant temperatures!

This field is the last one to be harvested and I suspect it won't be long before it's done.

I came back and sat at the craftie space and made this card.

The reverse stamping on vellum technique is one which I am enjoying (even if I'm not enjoying trying to take decent pics!)

The pic looks like there's a shadow or a dirty mark on the last seed head.... there isn't!

This stamp is from Bee Crafty Beautanicals collection and is the smaller of the Teasel set.

The reverse stamping was done using Versamagic Sahara Sand.

Made for no other reason other than the teasels were in my head when we got home.
Sharing over at 

Country View - Season of Mists and Fruitfulness
Four Seasons - Autumn

Thanks for looking! x

Snow and Ice

Over at CAS Christmas the latest challenge is 'Sparkle and Shine'.
Well, I mean who doesn't love a bit of glittery stuff? Having found the glitter card, I sat and looked at it for a while then I remembered I had bought a Hot Off the Press die last year in a clearance sale and never used it because when it came it was far bigger than I expected! (Note to self - read descriptions and take note of sizes!) It's not massive but at the time it didn't suit me!
Anyway, I used it finally today.

I die cut the skates in silver glitter card then die cut again in bright white Centura Pearl card and pieced the white inside the silver.

The branch is an old Spellbinders one which is probably one of my most used.

Cut the branch from some silver sheen card which isn't as reflective as mirri card and I like it better - I think it looks like the branch has been embossed.

Die cut a couple of snowflakes and then assembled it, using a snowflake embossing folder for the background..

Quite pleased with the result - it really is sparkly and shiny - and I am thinking how nice it would be to be near an icy lake with sparkly skates on - cos after a very dull morning the skies have cleared and it is very warm here at the moment!

Thanks for looking. x
Sharing over at
NBUS #42 - (cos this is the first time for my dies)
Peace On Earth - A/Goes
CHNC - A/Goes with option of the letter 'S'
Sparkles Forum Christmas - A/Goes
A2S+M - Christmas

CAS Mix Up September Challenge

This month at CAS Mix Up Hilary has set the challenge of 'Using Gesso with your Stencils'.
I have used Gesso for mixed media projects but rarely on a CAS make so I had to think quite hard! I must have been on my own as when I saw the beautiful makes from the rest of the Design Team and our Guest Designer Sue I wondered why I struggled so much when everyone else had done such beautiful makes!
Anyway here it is -

The cogs and gears stencil is from Hunkydory.
After painting on the gesso and letting it dry I had a bit of a crisis moment as I simply couldn't decide what colours to use - I didn't want orange rusty colours but something more subtle as I'd already made my mind up on the colour of the base card!

Delving into the drawers I remembered I had several pots of Imagination Crafts metallic gilding wax in different colours so thought I would try them out.

White Gold, Pewter and a tiny amount of Green rubbed all over my stencilled panel and then wiped off with a cloth gave me a dark background with the stencilled cogs taking on a dark silver.

Was quite happy with the result although if I did it again I think I would use Cobalt with the green to give a more verdigris type effect!

The die cut cogs are Spellbinders using the same gilding wax.

This card looks so much better in real life - taking pics using metallics has to be one of the hardest things!
There's lots of inspiration over at the challenge blog and links to videos if like me your initial reaction to the theme was dread!

Have fun, get the gesso out with your stencils and make something CAS and share with us! x

Moments

 

I found a Brusho background done some time ago so used it up and made a few cards from it.

All quick, simple and easy as Mr Mojo is on walkabout currently and I'm finding it very difficult to put together any ideas.
In fact am finding it difficult to even HAVE ideas!

I think the foliage stem circle die is by Memory Box but am not sure.

I added a die cut circle frame over the top and the sentiment from Inkylicious was stamped in grey ink for a 'softer' look.

One for my stash box!

Am sharing this at~
TIOT - Keep it Simple
A2S+M - Make Your Mark

I hope you are also having sunshine and warm days like we've been having - and if you see my Mr Mojo lazing about on a deck chair somewhere will you please send him home? x

August CAS Christmas

This months challenge at CAS Christmas has the theme of 'Pine'.

Dipping into the Christmas boxes I came across a Uniko stamp set which fitted the theme.

The pine branches stamped with Memento Cottage Ivy ink then a bit of shadow stamping added to puff it out a bit.

I don't have a lot of brown inks (which shall no doubt be rectified very soon 😉) but I had Memento Rich Cocoa which actually looked OK for the pine cones!

Again some shadow stamping before I fussy cut the pine cones.

A liberal spattering with a white Posca pen and a sentiment from Penny Black.

Thanks for looking and I hope the sun is shining where you are! x

Sharing over at -
HLS Christmas- A/Goes
SSS - Christmas
Krafty Chicks - CAS

CAS Mix Up Mid Month Reminder

We're halfway through our challenge at CAS Mix Up, which has the challenge of 'Emboss Resist', set by Nancy.

My stamp is an old one from Kaiserkraft.
It was one of those that I bought because I liked it - then hardly used!

The heat embossed stamp was inked with Distress Oxide.
I stamped again on a scrap of card and black heat embossed the centre butterfly before colouring and fussy cutting.

Popped up with a small foam pad for dimension.
Finished with a sentiment from SU.

I went a bit mad with the splatters - they were supposed to be a little less intense - but the Posca pen decided to spit out a few larger blobs!

Thanks for looking and I really hope you have found time to join us this month - there's a little time left if you haven't! x

An old favourite

Here's another card which is going into our gallery at CAS Mix Up where the theme for the month is Emboss Resist.

I have had this stamp set for ever - It is by Chocolate Baroque but back then the company was called Elusive Images!

The wild meadow we can see from the back of our house is full of wild flowers and native grasses at the mo and this stamp could have been done to imitate the scene.

The meadow framed stamp was stamped and heat embossed in black.

Used a small coin to make a moon mask and simply ink blended the background in some of my fave shades.

I then used a rectangle mask to cover it up and did some secondary stamping in grey ink either side.

A card that I was pleased with for a change and the theme at TIOT is Summer Blooms so am linking this.

We are having some fabulous weather -even though it is a little too hot for me to actually sit outside in it - it doesn't stop me feeling happy when I see the lovely blue skies and sunshine!

Hope the sun is shining where you are and thanks for stopping by! x

CAS Mix Up August Challenge

 August already!
And it's time for a brand new challenge at CAS Mix Up, this time set by Nancy with the theme of 'Emboss Resist'.

I stamped and heat embossed in white then fussy cut the leaves and flowers.

I have a feeling that the flower stamp came free with a mag - but who knows?!

I used Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserve to watercolour the flowers and Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn for the leaves.

I used a diamond stencil for the background and lightly inked in Bundled Sage and Stormy Sky.

I liked the subtle effect of the background as it made the flowers stand out a bit more.

There's some wonderful examples of this technique over on the challenge blog, so please go visit!

We have BRENDA as our Guest Designer this month - please go visit and see her lovely card!
I really hope you'll be able to join us this month and look forward to seeing your creations in the gallery! x

Sandy

 
Sometimes a card never turns out as well as it looks in your head - and this was one of them - Hey Ho!

This Sizzix embossing folder is an old one but it is one of my most well used.

(If you have a look HERE I used it with alco inks and embossing powder.)

The reverse side of the folder for some reason reminded me of the random way the sea fans out when running to the shoreline - Which is a bit odd and shows how my mind works considering it's supposed to be a folder depicting shattered glass!

But undeterred I carried on with my 'vision' - 😄 and despite now looking at it for a few days am still not sure if it works or not......

Some ink blending in shades varying from the Salty Ocean blue to the Scattered Straw sand and I stamped and fussy cut a little starfish and a shell.

The sentiment may be from Penny Black (not sure!)

Despite it not looking how I imagined it (!) I am still going to link up at

CYHTP - Beach
Let's Squash It - Keep it Simple
Inkspirational - Photo prompt
Thanks for looking - appreciate you coming to visit and if you have left a comment than you again! x

PS - If you are visiting from the CAS Facebook group to see the Vellum card please scroll down to the previous post!

Vellum Reverse Stamping

Whilst it has been too hot to do anything (well too hot for me anyway) I took my fan, positioned it 2 inches away and sat at the craftie space desk!

I have been meaning to have a go at this technique and this week Chrissie gave me the nudge that I needed!

It's a technique which has endless possibilities using different colours and stamps and creates really pretty effects - it's not complicated either - so my type of technique......😄

White heat emboss one side of the vellum with whatever stamp you like - I used two single leaf stamps here.

Once the embossing has cooled, turn it over and using the same stamp(s) pick a colour and simply stamp again.

I took a bit of a risk and used Distress Oxide for my reverse stamping (Barn Door) but I did let it dry overnight before assembling it behind the frames.
I heaved a huge sigh of relief when it didn't smudge and had dried completely.

I used linen textured card throughout but it doesn't show up in the pic!

Chrissie has done a video tutorial and you will see her step by step and her lovely finished examples here -
Fabulous Vellum Backgrounds 

Thanks for looking!

I shall be doing more of this reverse stamping on vellum I think!

Christmas in July

I've managed to ignore the roasting temperatures and pretend that it's cold and snowy whilst doing this month's card for CAS Christmas!

The challenge theme is 'Santa'.

I have just 3 Santa stamps and this is one of them - it was a freebie many moons ago and I think it's likely this is the first time it's seen ink.
Santa and his reindeer actually have a large moon round them but I didn't want the moon that big so carefully removed the ink before stamping.
Ink blended background using a coin for my moon mask.                           
The snow drifts were done using a mask and Shaded Lilac ink.

Other stamps are Lavinia (Bunny), Inkylicious (Large Tree) and Cardio (small trees and twigs).
Sentiment is another mag freebie.

Another card for the Christmas Box!

There's a few other Christmas themed challenges about so am linking up at -

HLS CAS - Christmas
MIUCB - A/Goes option of CAS
Sweet Stampers - Christmas In July
ABC Christmas - O is for Old (my Santa and sentiment stamps)

Thanks for looking! x