BIG Birthday!

One of my very good blogging buddies NANCY is celebrating a BIG birthday today!  🎂  There is only one candle on this cake - but Nancy is a teeny weeny bit older than one! (Only a little bit😉😉)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANCY!

To mark this occasion Loll is hosting a linky party for Nancy's birthday over on her own blog HERE

I am lucky to have got to 'know' Nancy (and marvel at her talents!) when I joined the CAS DT team. She may be hundreds of miles away but she has become a blogland friend and I am grateful for her support and encouragement. Here's Nancy's birthday card from me -

I took some white cardstock did some shadow stamping - the stamp is a recent purchase - Soulful Silhouettes by Penny Black.

Stamped first in Memento Tuxedo Black than again in Versamark and white heat embossed.
I used one of my fave colours - VersaMagic Wheat - for the blending. 

A few ink splatters and a sentiment which I hope conveys to Nancy that I am grateful for her.

I cut out with a stitched die and matted it onto black card.
I tried the panel on white card base and didn't like it -  the white jumped out before the panel! So I simply inked the white card base with the same colour and was happier!

I made another card similar using a fern stamp (whilst I had the ink out) which I will share at some point as I found making this was quite relaxing

Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave. x 
Also sharing over at
Krafty Chicks - All occasions
Get Creative - Black +1
Watercooler Wednesday - All Occasions

Last Day of Summer?

I had a couple of pieces of card lying on the desk - I used to save all little offcuts of card but was in danger of being buried under a paper mountain of tiny bits🗻 so have got into the habit of only keeping card if it is of a reasonable useful size. (Wasteful I know but I used to spend hours searching in the 'bits box' and invariably ended up not having a 'bit' big enough for what I wanted!)
 

So now the 'bits box' only has bigger pieces in it and this card was made with them.

I took a piece of card which was the exact perfect size for a panel and used a Stampasurus stencil for my background blending with Speckled Egg and Picked Raspberry.
 

My stamp is from Altenew's Just Because set - this was it's first use!
After stamping I fussy cut.✂
I thought about colouring the flower bouquet bit decided it would make more impact left.

I added a small strip of black card under the flower (another odd bit!)
The sentiment and die word is from Technique Tuesday.

Yesterday we had a day out at the seaside - it was warm and sunny, there was hardly anyone on the beach (I collected a couple of 'keepsake' shells which I am going to use for a small canvas).
After our beach walk we sat on the prom looking out at the blue sky and the sea and had a fish and chip lunch - it was just a perfect day.

Today our weather has ended up being grey, cool and windy! So maybe we made the most of the last day of summer?
Thanks for visiting me today.
I am more reliant than ever on contact with my blogging buddies as the months go by and the virus remains with us.

Stay safe and well wherever in the world you are. x

Linking to

TIOT - Use up Your Scraps
NBUS #18 - (My Altenew stamp)
Pixies Snippets Playground #387

Mist

This week has been a week of contrasts. Warm, Cool, Highs, Lows, Ups, Downs!

We took a picnic at the start of the week and went out to Dunham Massey - a lovely warm and sunny day.
Walked a long way so the high was replaced by a low when the hips and back suffered for it the next day!!
The warm weather has been replaced by cooler conditions today although it is still sunny.

There was definitely a BIG 'down' during the week (details now unimportant) but this resulted in an 'up' when I realised that even during the down times there are many people around in Blogland who I am privileged to know and are there when you are low.

So my share for today was made after all the angst of the week.

It serves to remind me that despite there being a lot of 'mist' about it does eventually clear and sooner or later the sun comes out and the clouds disappear.

I am holding on to this thought too as in addition to the trials of the week, once again (like many others) we are having further restrictions imposed on us and paying for the lunacy of some.

I wanted to achieve a soft effect for this make - Memento London Fog used for all the foliage and the sentiment.
Background (from the bottom) - Hickory Smoke, Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass and Squeezed Lemonade.
Thanks for looking today - I hope your weekend is full of Highs not lows and Ups not downs!

Sharing over at
Inkspirational - Prompt word 'DAY'
Cards Galore Encore - A/Goes
Crafty Sentiments - A/Goes
APTTC- A/Goes
Creative Moments - A/Goes

CAS Mix Up September Mid Month Reminder

Our 'Embossing with Dies' challenge set by Joanna is mid way through at CAS Mix Up, so there's still time to enter!
Here's my card.

I had this fern leaf die and stamp set and thought I would try it for this technique. I used a woodgrain embossing folder to give some texture to the background.

My first attempt at running the die and EF through the machine was not a success as the 'sandwich' was too thick and the card ended up creased and the die had cut through in some places. I fiddled about a bit with a shim until I finally got a run through that was OK.

I stamped the embossed die image several times with Peeled Paint DI (the stamp is mostly outline highlights), then lightly watercoloured the rest of the leaves.

The sentiment is from Woodware again stamped with Peeled Paint DI.  I really like the mottled effect stamping with Distress Inks gives.

Fussy cut the sentiment and popped it onto the card base.

Our Guest designer this month is Mac and her make for our challenge is lovely so hop over and leave her and the rest of the team some love!

Inky

 We have some lovely weather today - although it is windy it is warm. Took full advantage and stripped the bed, all dry in 2 hours. Kind of lifted my mood a little bit seeing sheets blowing out on the line with a blue sky above although by no means has the feeling of restlessness disappeared.

The celebratory birthday challenge at Allsorts is entitled 'I Love' - which asks that you do something that you love or use something that you love. This was quite a difficult choice for me.
I love creating CAS cards but - I also think there's nothing better than getting out ink blenders and stamps and making messy fingers!

So it was the ink blending and stamps option that I chose to do using stamps from two of my fave companies - Inkylicious and Lavinia.

I just adore this cat! I am trying to make my mind up if he and the birdie are friends having a nice chat or whether he is plotting how he can reach the birdie from his mushroom!

I think as there's so much bad stuff going on in the World, that I would prefer them to be best buddies and while away the time together.
I do intend to stamp a sentiment on the top right side eventually but I am keeping this for my own stash so a sentiment will be added when I decide what I'm going to use it for!

Am also sharing this over at Sweet Stampin' where the theme is 'Pets'.

Thanks for looking today - I hope the sun is shining for you too. x

Brusho Christmas

 I sometimes look at my craft stash and think 'It's a long time since I used that'.... and so it is with my Brushos.
I don't use them enough - probably because I am not very good with them!

This card was inspired by a technique I saw a while ago and I stored it up to try it.... long forgotten but it just for some reason popped into my head when I saw the challenge at my Cas Mix Up's sister blog-  CAS Christmas this month was 'Christmas Tree'.

The technique is to simply 'ink' your stamp liberally with water, stamp onto watercolour card and sprinkle the Brushos on the wet impression, allowing each impression to dry before repeating.

I struggle so much with Brushos and also the 'move the colour around with a brush' thing that everyone I know seems to be so good at so there were several failed attempts before I managed to achieve something which I call 'passable'!
I was also limited as I only have a 12 colour starter pack so the colour options were not many - I used Emerald Green and Ultramarine.

Once dry I just dotted a white gel pen randomly before adding the sentiment.
As I said, this for me is a passable effort - I doubt if I am ever going to become expert.
I am struggling a little lately - my problems are compounded by the fact that no matter how much I try the face mask just makes me panic after 5 minutes. So for me now it's simply out in the car to somewhere flat so I can just walk - a visit to the shops are no longer an option. The weather here tho' has not been the best for walking which probably explains the 'restlessness' I am experiencing and my complete lack of any inspiration or motivation!

Stay safe wherever you are in the world. x
Linking up at
Sweet Stampin' - A/thing but a Birthday Card
Time Out - Season
CRAFT- Christmas

Stamping Sensations September Challenge

Our challenge at Stamping Sensations for September is 'The Great Outdoors'.

I've used stamps from Hunkydory for my scene and watercoloured.

I wanted to use the hiking man silhouette but when I tried him on the scene background he was all out of perspective so I extended the scene background by turning it round and stamping at the bottom - this gave me a bit more 'path' for him to stand on - he still looks like he's about to go for a swim but at least he is the right size!!

We've got a great prize this month -   2 A4 stamps sheets from Rare Earth Illuminated Florals collection - full pics are over on the challenge blog.

Please read our challenge rules - we're a stamping challenge so the focal point of your entry MUST be stamping!

Hope my card has inspired you to join us - if not there's lots of lovely inspiration from the Stamping Sensations DT!

Colours

Trawling through craftie shops on line recently a couple of stamps which I thought looked a little different and possibly interesting just jumped into my basket by accident......😳😳
Interesting they were - they took an age to colour and so kept me occupied!
I am happy though with the way they turned out so here's the first one (The other similar stamp has Angels on it which I'll share later)

I stamped then clear embossed - which was just as well I did -  as it at least gave me an opportunity to try and keep the colours inside the lines!

It took me a couple of hours and this was my first attempt so there are places where I think the shading could have been better but overall not too bad.

If you look very carefully a litle way down under the point of the star is a tiny arch where there is a manger - it's really small and to be honest I only noticed it as I got to it with the paint.

I cut out the finished piece  and popped it up with 3d pads onto the white base card.

This is quite a big stamp and there wasn't a lot of room for a sentiment on my 6" x 4" card but found this small Penny Black one which I think is ok.
A friend asked me for several Christmas cards with a religious theme so at least these stamps are going to get a bit of use - which is more than can be said for a lot of my Christmas stash!

As this is the first outing for this stamp I am joining Darnell at the NBUS Challenge!

Also sharing over at
Double D - Lots of Colour
Holly and Ivy - A/Christmas
MLCCB - A/Goes

As ever, thanks for taking the time to look, hope all is well in your part of blogland. Stay safe. x

CAS Mix Up September Challenge

Hello CAS Mix Uppers! Today is the start of another new challenge at CAS Mix Up and this month we are back to a 'Mixed Media' challenge and Joanna has set the challenge of Embossing with Dies.

I have had this die from StudioLight for a little while - another impulse buy and 'never before used'!
All I will say about this card is it was one of those where I had a good idea in my mind but the execution and composition turned out nothing like I expected!

I angled the die across my card base and then dry embossed.
I took lots of odd bits of card that we all keep and simply die cut them all, then pushed out the tiny triangles from the die.

I had a fun time (not) of finding pieces that fitted into the embossed part as I didn't put any to one side just kept die cutting until I thought I had enough to finish the picture in my head!

Boy was there a mess on the desk!

But you know.....even though it didn't quite resemble what I had in my head, I don't think it turned out too bad at all!

Lots of lovely inspiration over on the CAS Mix Up blog, some video tutorial links and a really special card from our Guest Designer, the wonderfully talented Mac

 Hope you will enjoy using your dies in a different way and share your make with us!

Are you sure this is August??

 Yesterday was spent hunkered down indoors - as always here on the top we get slightly stronger winds than those who live at lower levels and it is something that we have come to be accustomed to over the winter months but my goodness yesterday was to put it frankly - RIDICULOUS!!
IT IS AUGUST🌞⛱ NOT NOVEMBER!🌀⛈ The rain was horizontal and the winds were just plain daft. Our barns are down a small private road and we have about 20 yards to the roadway where we leave the bins on collection day - collection done and dear husband went to get his coat to bring them in - as he walked outside 6 emptied bins (ours and all our neighbours) decided to take off - some going up the rest of the hill and some going down. He was so wet by the time he retrieved them he had to change all his clothes and the air was - a little - blue!

So here's a share for today - I saw this simple technique and as it is one I have not tried I gave it a go. Can't say whether I like it or not really!

I don't have a lot of shades of Distress Oxides which is what the demo used but I have a few shades of Memento Versacolor which is a pigment ink so used that.
It's just simple ink blending onto black cardstock and I thought it crazy that I had not done it before, not least to see if I liked it!

I used a stencil from Funky Fossil and 2 shades of blue and 1 lilac .

The Inkylicious sentiment always cheers me up, simple white heat embossed and a few enamel dots.

I did another and used pink and turquoise inks, silver embossing for the sentiment and silver mat behind but I liked that one even less!

I think because they are 'dark'  cards and it is such a change for me, that may be the reason I am not overwhelmed!
The Jury is still out as to if I will do this again but I would be interested to know your thoughts and if you've done this- is it something you like?!

As for these 2 they will just sit in the stash box - maybe I will find a use for them at some point- then again maybe not!

Thanks for calling in today - I know elsewhere in the World there are storms and all kinds of other troubles, pandemic included (we're still in local lockdown!), so stay safe and I send you all a hug! x

Far from the Madding Crowd

We're still under local restrictions. And no sign of it abating. I am finding it very difficult to not get angry with those who think they can just do as they want - for example 100 people at a wedding indoors and less than a week later approx 200 people caught by a Police helicopter's infra red camera at a garden party.  Words fail me.

The 'Beach' challenge is still ongoing at CAS Mix Up so I am adding this to the gallery which has some beautiful beachy inspired makes so far and there is still a couple of days left if you want to come and join us!

I've had this stamp for a while and it's never seen ink. When I looked at it, I thought how perfect it would be to be miles away from all the madness that is currently going on especially here where I live.
Far from the Madding Crowd indeed.

The pic quality is poor I am afraid, the sky is a pale sunkissed blue which doesn't show up at all. I clear embossed after stamping.

We have had some very strong winds the last few days - yesterday was bright and sunny though today is rather wet!

Outside I have been nurturing a Stargazer Lily in a pot and it had grown nearly as tall as me and just begun to flower when the strong winds arrived.
On Wednesday morning it was lying face down on the patio having been blown over and looking very sad. Graham went and picked it up and brought it inside - it is now in my lounge- (well away from walls and furniture) - but it has rewarded me by completely bursting into bloom!
The scent is obviously overpowering but I am real pleased as being up here on the top keeping flowers is a bit of a challenge to say the least, if it's not the rain it's strong winds even in summer and mostly a combination of both! 

Sharing my card with -

MMM - On the Beach
Country View - Seaside

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Stamping Sensations - August Mid Month Reminder

Our 'Make It Masculine' challenge at Stamping Sensations is now at the half way point but there's still time for you to join in.

This was one of 2 commissioned cards for a motorbike fan - safe to post cos he isn't here on blogland!

I used the same digital bike stamp for both, opting to keep this one uncoloured and let it pop from the ink blended background.

If you visit the challenge blog you will be able to see all the lovely makes from the rest of the Stamping Sensations team and also see what a fab prize have on offer for you this month.

Please remember though we are a stamping challenge and stamping MUST be the focal point of the entry that you link up.

Happy Crafting! x

CAS Mix Up August Mid Month

Time for my mid month post for CAS Mix Up! It's Watercolour time this month and our challenge theme has been set by Loll which is 'BEACH'.

I stamped the bottle image (which was part of a freebie set some time ago) and heat embossed first before watercolouring with my watercolour paints.

A simple stitched die and mounted onto a hammer textured card base. I wish I could draw and watercolour freehand but no chance so it's stamping and colouring for me!)

We are happy to have as our Guest Designer

 Brenda (Inkspired to Stamp)

 

There are already some great cards in the gallery and we look forward to seeing yours if you've not already linked in!

Face

 I think many areas of the UK have been having really high temperatures the last couple of days - I am wondering where the person who used to be able to sit out and toast herself all day has disappeared to! I am afraid that me and hot don't seem to mix anymore! So when it has got too hot for me I have retreated to the craftie space and turned on the fan.

This is another make using the lovely Face profile stencil from Funky Fossil.

This time  I heat embossed it in white and then created an inky background using Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feathers DI's.

Some random stamping using various odd stamps in the same shades and a triple die cut in white to complete the sentiment.

I have been devoid of inspiration recently - I don't suppose the ongoing situation is helping. We are in an area that has had further restrictions imposed so we can't even pretend that things are becoming normal! I am still struggling wearing a face mask on the very rare occasions when I do venture into a shop and am finding it very difficult to accept that wearing for the forseeable future is the new norm. (I know it's better than the alternative but it doesn't make it any easier!) 

I hope everyone is safe and well out in blogland and thanks for visiting today. x

Linking to -  Inkspirational who has the word prompt - 'Face'   and to Tuesday Throwdown where the challenge is to Use a Stencil

Just Beachy

I originally made this card for the challenge at CAS Mix Up which is a watercolour one with the theme of  'Beach'.

But when I'd finished it I decided that the watercoloured panel which was a die cut piece lying on the desk, was too big and there wasn't a lot of white space left so did other cards for the challenge!

This one is completely different to my launch card (which is here) - but I enjoyed trying my hand again at watercolouring a background!

When I was a child, my Mum used to take me to the beach as a rare treat - whenever I see a beach hut I always remember how I loved them then - with their bright colours standing like sentries in a row!

After watercolouring (and patting myself on the back because I managed to actually paint the fence freehand 😊) I did a little stamping to create mounds of sand and grass.

The beach huts were stamped, coloured then fussy cut all from small scraps of card! 

The (old had it years) distressed style sentiment stamp reminded me of driftwood and just seemed to sum up my feelings of the time spent with my Mum on warm sunny days in the sand.

Sharing over at

Little Red Wagon - Happy Days

Sisterhood of Crafters - Ocean/Beachy

Snippets Playground - #383

Thanks for looking today - and I hope you are having 'Happy Days' wherever you are! x

Stamping Sensations August Challenge

The dreaded 'MAN' cards are the challenge we have set for you this month at Stamping Sensations!
The challenge title is 'Make It Masculine' - so now is the time to make those cards so many of us find difficult and to swell your stash so you always have one on hand.

This heron stamp I have owned for a long time and it has never seen ink... (hangs head in shame), but I thought it would be a good image to use for a male themed card.

I also adore this sentiment- it is just perfect for someone who is very special to you don't you think?

I had fun getting inky  and was quite pleased with the background although maybe the reflected sun could have been a bit more precise but overall am happy with how it turned out.

The bamboo stamp is another old one (from when I was going through my 'Everything Asian' period.... - go on, I know we all did it)


I made my own mountain mask for this one too!

Please read our rules before you link up - we are a STAMPING challenge so stamping must be the focal point of your creation!  We have a brilliant prize this month too - pop over to the blog, check it out and make something masculine!

CAS Mix Up August Challenge

Time for our new challenge at CAS Mix Up and this month the challenge  is WATERCOLOUR and the theme set by Loll is 'BEACH'. 

These shell stamps don't get used nearly enough so I took the dust from them and stamped them onto some mixed media paper, heat embossing in white.

My Brushos also don't get used enough either so I used the Turquoise and Black on this card!
I sprinkled the Turquoise first  then sprayed with water and just watched as the colours appeared. I added a tiny sprinkling of Black here and there and sprayed again lightly.

The sentiment is an old one taken from another stamp.

We have  

 Brenda (Inkspired to Stamp)

     as our Guest designer this month and some beautiful cards made by the Design Team so please go visit!

Am also linking this to

MIUCB - Embossing

CAS on Friday - Summer

CRAFT - Summer

Sisterhood of Crafters - Ocean/Beachy

Thanks for stopping by today - have a great day whatever you're doing. x 

Old Technique Revisited!

Some time ago I had a go at this technique -  some call it Belleek and some call it Letterpress. Either way it is simple to do and I like the effect!

My first try at this some time ago didn't turn out too bad but the ink transfer was patchy in places so I had to cut the panel down and made a small framed window card.
This time I was a little more successful so I used the whole panel!

The ink is Stampin Up's Daffodil Delight - yellow is not usually my colour but I quite like this.
I finished it with a simple stamped sentiment.

The challenge at Allsorts is 'Flowers All Over' and am hoping that my deep embossed floral design counts - If it doesn't am sure someone will tell me!

Apart from the once weekly trip to see Mum in law, we are still not venturing out much at all - we're in an area where we are surrounded by other areas that are experiencing 'spikes' in virus numbers.
I am also struggling with wearing a face mask (try as I might I cannot get used to it and feel like I can't breathe) so shopping now is something done only when we absolutely have to and most of the time I opt to go for a walk and OH braves the supermarket for us and our elderly neighbours!

I hope everyone is safe and well and thanks for coming along to see me - I REALLY don't know what I would do without Blogland! x

Resistance was futile!

We have all done it.

We have all seen a stamp set and wanted it.

We have all tried to convince ourselves that 'want' is the same as 'need'.

We have all tried to resist the purchase

We have all failed!!

And so it was with this - wanted it, didn't need it, shall probably not use it a lot - but couldn't resist it cos it made me smile so bought it!

In terms of will power I have none whatsoever when it comes to stamp buying.

All common sense goes out of the window - I try my hardest to justify the spend saying it can be used for lots of different occasions (even when it so obviously cannot), or by kidding myself that it was a bargain (most of the time it isn't) when the simple fact is that I just want it to stamp with (a lot of the times just once too!)

I coloured these 'stole my heart' Stamping Bella Bubble Chicks with watercolours after clear embossing.

I coloured the bubbles a little too and then when dry attacked them with glossy accents. They have a really high shine - the sentiment simply makes me happy.

All that said will I use this set a lot? Probably not, but at least it has seen ink once!

PS - It's also amazing how used you get to using clear stamps and my trusty Misti. These stamps are rubber mounted and I had a couple of failed positioning attempts before I got one right!

Hope you are all well in your corner of blogland and thanks for visiting me today. x

Pink Sea

I have been using up a few alco inked backgrounds.

I know the sea isn't pink but in my fantasy world it can be whatever colour it likes - and besides which I

had used up the blue backgrounds already!

There was tho' something about this inked piece which made me think of shafts of light coming through the surface of the water (despite it's colour!)

This is another 'stencil traced' card and as there are a couple of days left at our challenge over at CAS Mix Up I shall pop this into our gallery - there are some GORGEOUS cards in there this month and everyone who has never tried doing this before has said they have loved it!

(My launch card and the mid month reminder are here and here)

It's a great way of getting a different effect with your stencils and stretching your stash a little bit further.

The seahorse die was one of the better freebies from a magazine some time back and I layered him/her/it up to pop up off the card.

This little seahorse safely swam it's way across the ocean to one of my teamies for her Birthday so can  share it here now.

Also sharing over at

Get Creative - Birthday

Dragonfly Dreams - No Patt Paper

I hope all is well with you wherever you are in blogland and thanks for visiting. x