Lovely Lilac!

Purple shades are not colours which I tend to use a lot, so if anyone asks me why I used Lilac on this card I would honestly answer that I simply don't know!!

The main challenge over at CAS Mix Up is to 'Make a Stencil from a Die Cut' .
This die used to be one of my 'go to' ones but it has been neglected recently.

I spent a little while agonising over the use of the pearls and am still not sure if their addition was needed or not but what's done is done!


So the elements of my card to comply with the CAS Mix up requirements are
Stencil from a Die Cut, Stamping, Die Cutting (the frame) and heat embossing (the sentiment and the spotty border are clear embossed).

Also sharing at
Mix It Up - Use a Stencil
Crafty Calendar - Use Dies

I am off for a few days with friends and a trip to see the Tutankhamun 'Treasures of the Golden Pharoah' Exhibition. Although there is no Death Mask (already back in Egypt), this will be the last chance to see the rest of the artefacts before they go to their permanent home in Cairo.
This exhibition is celebrating the Centenary of the discovery of the tomb and I am really looking forward to it!

Thanks for calling to see me today - hope everything is well with you in your part of blogland. Hugs from me. x

CAS Stencil February Challenge

This month at CAS Stencil, Barb has set us the challenge of using Foils.
Before I really looked into this, I thought that you had to have proper foiling machines to use foiling on your cards - but I found out that you can try foiling without buying lots of products if, like me, you are simply wanting to have a go at something different and don't have lots of cash to spend.
I used 2 different techniques on this card -and no it's not perfect (will explain in a minute) but I was happy with the finished article.

I watched some tutorials (lots listed on the challenge blog) and realised that I could perhaps try this technique with a little outlay.

I bought 6 A4 sheets of foil in different colours (from e bay) and invested in some Transfer Gel - neither broke the bank.

So - onto the card - the sentiment was done with a die cut, some foil left over from the main stencil and double sided sticky tape.
This was really easy - a sticky tape sandwich of card,tape and foil-  using a bone folder to smooth out the foil before die cutting.

The rose stencil is a new one. Secured it onto the card and used a palette knife to apply the Transfer Gel.
Once done, removed the stencil and left the Gel to dry. It dries clear so you know it's ready!
Foil over it, then put it between a sheet of parchment paper and ran it through an ancient (and I mean  ancient - like 20 years old!!!) laminator.

Filled with trepidation when I took it out and peeled off the foil..... ..........
Not too bad considering!!

There are some small gaps where the foil didn't stick - although this may have been my uneven application of the gel rather than the foil and the pre-historic laminating machine!

The DT have some lovely examples to show you so please pop over to the challenge blog and pay them a visit - and don't forget to visit our talented Guest Designer Steph's blog HERE
Love for you to try this out and join us this month - Happy foiling!! xx

Red and Black

A lovely week away with our friends topped off with winning the Bowls England tournament - so now we have a hat trick of 3 wins in this event in four years - we're really pleased!
Only downside was a very tiring 6 hour drive home so as usual it will take me a couple of days to get over it - decided to spend my relax time doing a few cards for some upcoming challenges.

CAS Watercolour's challenge this month is 'Red and Black'. These colours always shout 'Oriental' to me so my card was obviously inspired by that.

I dragged a brush with some watered down black paint and made a few background mountains, adding a little pale red highlights.

I used an old stamp which is a little bigger than the impression here - the balance would have been all wrong as it was too big  for the background - so masked off the bottom first and then stamped in Versamark Black.

I used a coin and carefully drew a circle, which I then watercoloured avoiding the spire as much as I could!

Some more watered down black paint and a very old Chinese letters stamp (no idea what it means or even if it means anything at all!) before framing and matting onto the base card.

Quite pleased with how it turned out as I am still not confident with watercolours and although there's not !

Also sharing over at Pearly Sparkles where the challenge is to 'Use Some Red'. 
Thanks for looking - hope all is well in your part of blogland. x

Feminine for February at Stamping Sensations

Bee Crafty is our sponsor this month at Stamping Sensations.

Our theme is 'Feminine' so there are lots of things that you can stamp relating to girly stuff!


Please follow our challenge rules because if you don't we can't consider you for the prize (details of which are over on the challenge blog along with some inspiration from the DT -if you need it!)

My 'fabulous flamingo' was stamped, watercoloured and fussy cut. Highlighted a little with a white gel pen.

The background done with some ink blending and tropical palm stamps.

I thought she needed a bit of bling so stamped and fussy cut a couple of the petals from the tiny flower stamp (not something I am repeating any time soon!!!) and made a little necklace

Sentiment stamped and then matted onto dark green card before placing on the card base.

Hope you find time to join in with us this month! x

Man Stash

As ever I have very few 'man' cards in the box.  Some time back I made a card using Alco Inks and a piece of metal - it turned out a rather dramatic peice -   (you can see it HERE if you want!)
At the time I thought to try the same theme but with a different technique for the background - here it is

I inked up the embossing folder with a couple of Distress Inks and used a scrap of leftover card.

Whilst it doesn't have the same impact as the Alco Inked card, the impression it left was really nice  a(well I think so anyway!).

Out with the Hot Glue Gun! A few dabs here and there and didn't bother too much about stringy bits as I moved the gun around and blobbed!!

Silver embossing powder over the top and heated again.

Matted it onto a leftover piece of silver card before putting it onto the base card.
I tried it onto a piece of dark blue base card too and it looked not bad at all as well - so another option!

At least I have made another 'man' card.
I am intending to sort through the folders and see what other abstract type designs might be able to get the Hot Glue and embossing powder treatment!

Sharing over at -
Inkspirational - Glitz a Strip or small area
Pixies Playground - Snippets
613 Avenue Create - A/Goes, option Shiny
Cardz4Guyz- CAS
Watercooler Wednesday - Male

Thanks for looking - and would love to know what you think - if you've looked at the other card too tell me your favourite?
We are off on another indoor bowling break with our friends this week - don't know why we call it a 'bowling' break as we normally eat too much/drink too much/laugh lots and the bowling is something we do inbetween!! x

Home

I am still suffering a little from lack of ideas and thought maybe if I had a quick tidy of the desk it might help.
I have a stack of odd bits of card shoved to one side so I began a sort through, dumping those that I couldn't use.

The brick background was obviously done for something (no idea what!) but it was there so I used that as the base - the card just kind of evolved from the background and it incorporated a little bit of everything and used up few odd bits.

The window die is one of a few Spellbinders ones that I own (and hardly use......)

I had a scrap of watercolour card (and it was only a teeny scrap) but miraculously it fitted behind the window!
So a little scene created with some stamps and watercolours.

The stamps are from a mag freebie some time back - and I bought the mag as I thought the stamps would be useful for quick New Home cards.

The fussy cutting of the plants and keys tried my patience a bit cos they really ARE small!
Used a grey brad to 'hang' the keys from.  

Am sharing this over at -
CRAFT - New
Craft Rocket - New
MAWTT - All things new
TIOT - White Space

Have a great day whatever you're doing and thanks for visiting! x

Daisy

I've had some 'crafter's block' 😞😞 recently and was getting a little fed up staring at stamps and being devoid of ideas💡!

I don't know what I would do without Pinterest!! Saw a card like this and thought - "I have that stamp".....

Thinking that I had the stamp was the easy bit - finding it was something else 🙈. But find it I did (and another similar Dahlia one from Indigo Blu - also never seen ink)

I used Picked Raspberry and Wilted Violet direct to the stamp and highlighted the centre with some Nuvo Pearl. The Nuvo was white but the ink underneath reacted with it and I got a pale pink and white mix - which I think looks fine.

I popped a plain white frame over it and mounted it onto the card base and added the sentiment.

Been a nice morning here - blue skies after a heavy frost - one of the better winter days!
Thanks for looking today and for any comment you leave - I really appreciate it. And thank you to the crafter who posted her make on Pinterest!

Sharing over at
A2S+M - Make your Mark
Krafty Chicks - CAS
Allsorts - More than 1 word sentiment

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

January mid month at Stamping Sensations

If you are here looking for my CAS Stencil DT card please scroll down to the next post or click on the link HERE

Half way through the first month of 2020 and here's a reminder for this month's challenge at Stamping Sensations
The challenge is to 'Use your Favourite Stamps' - which is simply impossible for me!! I have so many stamps that I like it is really hard to choose a favourite one so I have opted to use a set which sees ink quite a bit!

Lots of second and third generation stamping on bright white card using stamps from Stampin' Up's Flowering Fields set.

Inked the stamps using distress markers and spritzed some before stamping - quite like the watercolour effect!

This was quick and simple to do and brilliant for last minute makes!

There's still plenty of time for you to join us and to be in with a chance of winning!  Please though have a look at our rules before you link up!

Our prize this month is sponsored by the wonderful Tattered Lace.

So get making and linking, go over to the challenge blog, check out the inspiration from my teamies and whilst you're there have a look at the prize!

CAS Stencil Mid Month Reminder

Half way time at the challenge at CAS Stencil and the theme this month has been chosen by the lovely Nancy who's set us  the task of  'Use A New Stencil'

I bought this stencil last year and it's never been out of the packet -😏 in fact there's a few in there that have never been exposed to daylight so I have promised myself that I will systematically start to use them!

This stamp was a mag freebie - again from last year- (or was it the year before??)
Another item in this craftie space that is still in its cellophane and hasn't been manhandled by me.
I think the expression on the gull is priceless! He looks quite stern and fed up sat on his wooden posts.

Stamped, watercoloured and fussy cut before tucking him behind the framed wave stencil. 

I thought this was another suitable 'man' card  - which I desperately need in my stash

There's bags of wonderful inspiration over on the CAS Stencil blog and I know my teamies would really appreciate a visit and a comment if you have time.
Hope too that you will make something with a stencil and show your creation in our gallery - because

 

ITS OUR FIRST BIRTHDAY!! 

So we're celebrating and have a prize on offer this month!

What you waiting for?????

New

A 'New Home' card!

Made using my fave textured linen card. Some soft blending of Tumbled Glass DI for the sky and a little Squeezed Lemonade at the bottom.

The border stamp was inked using markers and spritzed with water - I tried it on a piece of scrap paper to see what it looked like first- decided it looked OK so lightly spritzed again and stamped direct onto the card.

I have had this Bird/House/Ivy die for a long time - I think it may be a Marianne die (as it's blue) but can't be sure. They were the perfect size for some small odd bits of card!
(I  am sat at the Playground gates waiting for them to open - Miss Di has been having a bit of a rest!) 
Coloured the ivy with Distress Inks and popped it up with foam pads, foam pads also used for the little bird house and birdie sat onto the branch.

A relatively CAS card I think and added bonus it was a quick make!

We have some friends coming later for an overnight stay - it's a long while since the stars have aligned for us all to be free at the same time so am looking forward to a good catch up and a curry at a nearby restaurant!
Hope all is well in your part of blogland and thanks for stopping by. x
Sharing over at -
Craft Rocket - Something New
Fab 'n Funky - No designer paper
Paper Shelter - New Beginnings
CRAFT- A/Goes

An early start!

There's no doubt that joining in Christmas challenges means less panic come the end of November. I did a few from the middle of 2019 and it was the first time in years I have not felt I have been chained 🙍to the craft desk churning out nothing but Christmas cards -  so I am going to try and join in again this year as often as I can!
The CAS Christmas challenge this month is to use a tag on your card.
So here's my card for the gallery

A blended ink background  (Cracked Pistachio/Peacock Feathers) on a scrap of card and liberally splattered with white acrylic paint was my starting point, then cut to a tag shape.

The sentiment white embossed and added some die cut trees.

I used a snow embossing folder for the card base and cut out another row of trees putting them across the card and added a torn scrap of paper. I gave this torn piece a liberal application of some Stickles but left the trees behind plain.

Used foam pads on the tag to pop it up and some Stickles on the trees on the tag. (None of the Stickles show up very well but it does have a nice sparkle 💎!)

The ribbon was hand dyed with Cracked Pistachio DI.

The photo taking really frustrated me as we have yet another very grey and horrible day here!

I'm hoping that  the forecast is correct and we get rid of these dark overcast skies as it would be nice to see some bright blue even if it's frosty!

Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Linking up to

ABC Christmas - Die Cut/CAS/Embossing
Crafty Calendar - Add a Tag
C@SS - Add some sparkle

January challenge at Stamping Sensations!

(If you are here looking for my CAS Stencil card please scroll down to the post below - sometimes Mr Blogger misbehaves and send you to the wrong post!)
After all the festivities, Stamping Sensations has a not too difficult challenge for the start of this new year!

The challenge is 'USE YOUR FAVOURITE STAMP'...... errmmm... did I say not too difficult???😵😵  This was soooo hard for me  - I love most of my stamps and my fave is usually the newest! Finding it impossible to pick I simply stuck my hand in one of the containers that store my stamps and picked one out!
To be honest, I was really VERY happy when I saw which one it was as it is a much loved but recently quite neglected set.
My inky background created using Distress Oxides and some water.

I gold embossed some of the Ranunculus flowers from the set and watercoloured.

Did some random stamping at the bottom and fold embossed a sentiment before adding a few sequins (a girl has to have a bit of bling💎💎)

Matted onto gold card before adding to the card base.

Hope you will join us this month - PLEASE PLEASE remember we are a STAMPING challenge and stamping must be the focal point of your entry.

If you don't follow our rules then you can't be considered for our prize this month which is sponsored by the wonderful Tattered Lace.
So go over to the challenge blog, check out the inspiration from my teamies and whilst you're there have a look at the prize!

Am also linking up at Allsorts where the challenge is Pretty Pastels.
Have a great day! x

CAS Stencil January Challenge

Hello Stencillers!

Welcome back to a brand new challenge at CAS Stencil and there are celebrations going on because CAS Stencil is ONE! Yes, we're having a birthday and to celebrate we are offering a fab prize to one of our visitors who links up their creation in our gallery!

The theme this month has been chosen by the lovely Nancy who's set us  the task of  'Use A New Stencil'
So perfect for you to get out the Christmas pressies and start stencilling!
My only problem was which one of my new stencils to use...... 😄😄

In the end I chose a Creative Expressions mini stencil and did a mono print using Fossilized Amber and Mowed Lawn DI's.

This colour combo cheered me up and made me think of Spring - although I don't dislike Winter at all, I sometimes wish the long dark nights weren't quite as long and dark!  

The cone flowers are a Sizzix die painted with watercolours.

Our Guest Designer this month is  Arlene and she and the rest of the Design Team have done some fab cards to inspire you - although with new stash AND the chance to win I bet you won't need any prompting!

Thanks for looking today - looking forward to seeing all your creations in the gallery!

Linking also to  Stamplorations Anything Goes Stencil challenge HERE

CAS Watercolour - first challenge of 2020!

Happy New Year to all of my blogland friends!
Over at the CAS group of challenges all the Design Teams have had a little Festive break and we're now all back with our monthly challenges!
Today sees the first 2020 challenge at CAS Watercolour and the challenge is to use 'Cool Colours'.

I chose blue and silver.

The stamps are 'Humming Bird Garden' by Inkylicious.
The ink is Faded Jeans DI and I spritzed the stamp with some water before stamping onto my watercolour paper, repeating the ink, water and stamp until I'd covered as much of the paper that I wanted to!

The birds were simply silver heat embossed.

I thought about also heat embossing the sentiment but once it was stamped with Silver metallic ink I left it alone as I liked the flat appearance (which doesn't show up very well!)

The CAS Mix Up challenge started yesterday, the Christmas challenge starts tomorrow (3rd) and I will be back on 4th with my DT make for CAS Stencil and we hope that you will be able to join us in 2020 - there are some surprises and prizes in the months ahead so it's going to be a good year!

We have had visitors staying with us this week and they are leaving tomorrow so a part of the day will be spent taking down the tree and stuff and getting the house back to normal - or as normal as it usually is anyway!!!
Thanks for looking today, will be round to visit you all as soon as I can. xx

Lilac

A quiet Christmas Day (usual ate too much),  and an even quieter Boxing Day (except for me watching the football last night ⚽⚽⚽⚽!!), which has been followed by another lazy day!
I have though made a couple of cards (who got new stash for Christmas then????😁😁)
The ones made with the new stash will be shared as soon as the light allows - weather here is typical grey skies/drizzly rain and misty!

So in true 'Blue Peter' tradition - here's one I made earlier!

Another quick card - which was specifically made so I could use the sentiment as someone I know has had some bad news about a family member and now needs to make and store as many memories as they can in the coming weeks.

Purple shades are also not a colour I use very much but I like the blending of these - Shaded Lilac, Picked raspberry and Wulted Violet.

The Dandees are by Lavinia, heat embossed in white.

Blogland understandably is very quiet at the moment!
I have busied myself  getting ahead with some DT makes so I won't be rushing last minute.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and thanks for visiting! x
 

Christmas Peace

Having arrived back from our break I thought it was about time that I actually made an effort and have the house look a little festive! So yesterday was spent with the tree, the decorations and the making of a table centre. On my feet all day and although the other half did most of the up and down 2 flights of stairs, I did a fair bit too so last night was too tired to do anything except try and ease my aching back with a bath and bed!
We've done the Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/Boxing Day shop today -  I have no idea how many some people are feeding when you look at overflowing shopping trollies!
My share is inspired by Pinterest - and I used a few snippets for this so am popping over to see Miss Di at the Playground.

I scraped some texture paste through a stencil and then brushed over some Antique Linen DI. Using  linen textured card also means I had some texture already to the base.
The die was obtained by a friend for me from the USA. I simply love this PB die and it has been used quite a bit on cards this year. It just shouts Christmas to me!
I used a scrap of watercolour card and started to paint it, adding some shimmer powder as I went along. It really made a difference to the flat base colour. The darker sections were left without the powder as I wanted the centre part to draw the eye.
Nuvo Gold applied to the centre, the berries and a little bit on the fronds.
A die cut sentiment from another bit of scrap and finished card!

Sharing over at
Allsorts - A/Goes
PBSC - A/Goes (Sparkle and Shine)
MTTC - Christmas Flowers
AYLI - Fave die
Inkspirational - No Stamping
The Flower Challenge - Use a Die

I want to say thank you for following me, for visiting me and for leaving me comments this year. I appreciate your support more than I can tell you!
If this is to be your last visit before Christmas, I wish you all a peaceful, happy Christmas surrounded with love (and of course crafty stuff!!) xxx

December Mid Month reminder at Stamping Sensations

Our Anything Goes challenge is well under way at Stamping Sensations but you still have time to enter.

There's a £25 voucher for you to spend at Be Creative if we choose you as the winner this month - so please follow our challenge rules and link up a make!

I made a batch of these - quick, easy and I think quite pretty!

Heat embossed the PB Berry Bevy stamp in the corner first, then dusted lightly with Tumbled Glass fading out as I went down the front.

Finished with some Red Nuvo Crystal Drops and a PB sentiment.
Job done!

Just one week to go now  before Christmas is here - and for once I am not panicking about cards. I am currently away on a short indoor bowling break with some friends - so instead I am panicking about no decorations up and no shopping done!!

Thanks for looking - and hope all your preparations are well in hand! x
Am linking up at -
CAS on Friday - Christmas
Jingle Belles - Christmas
Winter Wonderland - A/Christmas
Crafty Gals - Tis the Season

Not Christmas!

Happy Saturday!
We are currently having THE WORST weather! The hail storms are happening every hour, high winds and it is really cold - I ventured out to the Post Office this morning- and scuttled back as fast as I could. I ain't moving from here for the rest of the day.
This week having finished my Christmas cards (she says smugly😏😏), I turned my attention to doing some DT makes for upcoming challenges and also some makes for no reason other than - "because I can"!
I made a set of one layer note style cards and here's one -

(others will get shared as we go along!)

The set is all the same basic centre circle design done with blended Distress Inks in different colours and different stamps from Inkylicious and Lavinia.
They were quick to do and made a change from Christmas cards - although looking at the angle I seem to have taken this pic from you'd think I'd already been partaking of the Christmas spirit 🍷! (Which I haven't!!)

We are off tomorrow until the end of next week for a short indoor bowling break with some friends. (Planning on plenty of Christmas spirit there.....)
There isn't a single Christmas decoration up in the house yet 🌲 - left deliberately until we come home. It seemed a good decision at the time - now am beginning to wonder when I am going to do the shopping as well as trying to make the house a little festive!

Sharing  over at
The Butterfly Challenge - Fairies (no butterflies necessary!)
Crafty Creations - A/Goes

Thanks for looking today. Have a great weekend. x

Serene

The weather here is anything but serene at the moment. We are having our second storm in less than 5 days. The wind speeds up here on the top overnight were just as bad as last week despite the forecast saying they wouldn't be. Lashing rain and horrible grey skies - such a contrast to yesterday morning where the sky was bright blue!

My share for today is a serene winter scene one layer card.

I was less than happy with it when it was finished as I felt that the 'snow meets sky' inky outline was a bit heavy handed. I wanted a softer line rather than a harsh edge but somehow it didn't just work out as well as I wanted. I think perhaps the fact that I didn't use my usual watercolour card and opted for  smooth 300gsm cardstock may have affected the finish as I possibly applied too much water when dragging the brush so it has bled more than I wanted it to!

But the more I look at it the more I think it isn't too bad really!!
Stamps are all from Penny Black

Sharing at -
TIOT - Christmas is Coming
Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas
MMM - Anything Christmas
Crafting Happiness - Winter
Addicted to Stamps - Cold and Frosty

So as the weather is preventing any outside activities (as I don't want to be blown off my feet) it's another day in the craft space - and maybe I should attack the pile of ironing???
Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Peace and Quiet?

So enjoying playing with the recently acquired 'new to me' Penny Black Stamps.
They make me look like a Watercolour Superstar (which I most definitely am not as the only thing I can actually draw is a pair of curtains...)

Anyway this stamp (Adornments) is the latest addition to my (very) small PB collection 😭  but I am hoping that perhaps Christmas may bring a couple more... (the last sentence for the benefit of my other half 💏in case he reads this post 😉)

I washed the background with Weathered Wood DI and it has a real soft shading to it in real life.
I am also feeling quite contented as I have written and posted all the cards, have put another dose of brandy 🍷 into the Christmas cake this morning and have wrapped up the (very few) presents we exchange.
So my day is now mine to do what I want with! (Guess where I am going - CLUE - it involves going upstairs!)

Is it just me or is it unusually quiet here in Blogland?
My visitors are getting fewer and fewer with each post! I often wonder what it's like to have big families at this time of year and be completely stressed out with no time to think about anything other than getting everything in place. Our Christmas tree doesn't even come out till around 22nd and there's no massive big shop to do as there's only the two of us and our day is spent lounging about in front of the TV - (or maybe in the craft space if I can't wait!!)

Thanks for looking today - appreciate you finding time to come and see me.  Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Sharing over at
PBSC - Anything Goes
Paper Funday - A/Goes with twist Christmas
Creative Moments - A/Goes
ABC Christmas - Y is for Yuletide 

December's Stamping Sensations Challenge

As the Christmas madness of shopping, wrapping and all the other stuff that we do this month is upon us, we have a nice easy 'Anything Goes' theme at Stamping Sensations!

And although a nice easy theme please remember we are a STAMPING challenge so your entry MUST have stamping as the focal point. If you don't follow our rules you won't be in with a chance of winning our wonderful prize this month which is a very generous £25 voucher from Be Creative.

I did a batch of these - quick and easy - just what we want when we have lots of things to do!

The trusty 'snow' embossing folder took a bit of a battering - but I confess it is definitely the one that I go to every year!

Masked off the moon (£1 coin! - knew the change that dear husband leaves lying round would come in useful) and then brushed Faded Jeans DI.

A few different tree stamps also in Faded Jeans, and then took a damp paintbrush and dragged the colour below the trees a bit.
Details of the prize and lots of lovely inspiration from my teamies are over on the challenge blog!

Please visit their blogs and leave them some love!
Sharing over at -
Sweet Stampin' - Blue and White
Creative Knockouts - Winter
Krafty Chicks - Monochrome
A2S&M - CAS
Christmas@Sweet Stampin' - Trees

Happy Crafting and have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Wet

We have been treated to some very wet weather the last few days - occasionally heavy downpours but mostly just steady drizzle ⛆ which always makes the world look very grey!
I've been doing my Christmas cards - I can't say writing 😶 cos I only print out the greetings on a sticky label for the inside! Now though have the darn envelopes to address......... a job I hate😡! If I got more organised I could probably print them too - but then I wouldn't have anything to complain about!
Anyway here's my share for today -

A devil of a job to photograph in the light today.
The snowflake background stamp is I think by Viva Decor (package long gone!) and it gets used every year!

White heat embossed then blended some Tumbled Glass ink.
Used an angled stitched die and mounted it onto a the card base.

The snowflake die cut from some sparkly paper which was a really good match for the background colour and finished it all with a sparkly gem and a suitable sentiment!

Sharing over at
Crafty Cardmakers - No Patterned Paper
Int Art&Soul - Christmas with no Image
Joy of Sets - (Top Line) CAS/Winter/Heat Embossed
Dragonfly Dreams - Christmas/Winter

More Mono...

If you read my last post you will know that I have been playing with stencils and Monoprinting.
2 cards made began their lives as 'practice' pieces for CAS Stencil - but they turned out OK so I used them up!

They are almost identical except for the sentiments - but have grown my Christmas stash to more than I have ever had by this time of year so am happy, despite the fact that it is very unusual for me to make 2 cards the same.

Chipped Sapphire, Weathered Wood, Blueprint Sketch and Stormy Sky inks used.

The sentiment on this one was also an experiment.  I used a blue ink first then moved the paper slightly then white heat embossed. In real life it does look like a shadow but it was very difficult to photograph. Mounted the stencilled piece onto white card.

Here's the second card

Chose to simply use a full piece of mixed media paper so this one is one layer - unusually for me, I managed to keep the back of it free of ink!

This sentiment simply stamped with Chipped Sapphire.

I have become rather hooked on monoprints - I think probably because they all turn out different even if you use the same stencil and they have this artsy random soft look about them - satisfies my messy side!

Sharing over at

TIOT - Cold, Cold, Cold
Cardz4Guyz - Icy Cold
Creative Inspirations - Winter Blues
Stamplorations Stencil - A/Goes

CAS Stencil - November half way reminder

Half way through November and halfway through our  challenge at CAS Stencil.  This month our host Linda has chosen the theme of 'Stencil Monoprint'.

I had some fun with this challenge and made quite a few monoprint backgrounds which are now in a neat pile waiting to be used up!

I had two attempts using a snowflake stencil. One was perfect and I have used the monoprint in it's entirety on a card front.

The other attempt was the second pass and a little too patchy for my liking but I did manage to cut out some circles!

The sentiment was done using Pearlescent Ice Blue ink.

Do pop over to the blog and  have a look at the lovely examples done by my team mates and our Guest designer Lucie 

We'd love you to share a make with us in the gallery this month.

If you've not tried this, it's not as difficult as you think! Honest!!

The CAS Stencil team are having a little break during December so we will be back in January with a brand new challenge.

I hope though you will continue to visit me during the next few weeks and that you also remember to check the blog at the end of the month to see who our Top Picks are!

To all of you who have joined us at CAS Stencil this year we wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and look forward to seeing you all again in 2020. x

Mid Month at Stamping Sensations

Not long to go now till Christmas and here's my mid month reminder card for our November challenge at Stamping Sensations, which this time is 'Traditional Christmas Colours' - so we want to see creations made with the colours - Red/Green/Gold - any or all!
I have gone for a relatively quick CAS card which I have batch made in different colours - I made a similar one some time back using blue and silver and this time went for red and gold.

I randomly stamped pine branches and ferns using Gold Encore Ultimate Metallic ink.

Once dry I took one of my really old stamps from a flower collection (no idea who's it is or how old it is!) - and stamped the stems in the same ink and quickly added some gold embossing powder. The photo doesn't show it very well but the flower stems stand out really well!

Re-aligned the piece in the Misti and used Crimson Red Versafine for the flower heads.

The die cut sentiment has to be one of my faves - and it looks really nice embossed!

We have the fab Chocolate Baroque as our sponsors this month - full details over on the blog.
Please remember though we have to see STAMPING as the focal point of your entry for you to be eligible for the prize!

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

Two cards- one post

I made this card a couple of weeks ago just before the Monochromatic challenge at CAS Watercolour started. As I am trying to expand my watercolour skills I wanted to have a go at this months challenge and also to continue my promise to myself that I would try and enter each month.

I thought twice about linking it when I saw the wonderfully talented Birgit, this months Guest Designer, had produced another wonderful watercolour for her DT spot which makes mine pale in comparison!!!
It was only when I realised that I would maybe not have time to do another that I made the decision to post.

So continuing with my entering the CAS challenges here's one made for the CAS Christmas challenge which has the theme of 'Warm and Cozy'.

I hereby announce that it is official - I am RUBBISH with digi stamps! I have never really got to grips with them although I must have amassed hundreds of them over the years.

I never seem to get the sizing right and so it proved on this card which maybe doesn't have enough white space - but am sharing it anyway to show that I tried!

Little Scottie is from A Day For Daisies and I paper pieced him a plaid coat to keep him warm and added a little sparkly ribbon collar.
Some light ink dusting and some secondary stamping using a Uniko pine branch and then stamped the sentiment.

Both these challenges are half way through so there is still time to enter!

There's also still time to enter the CAS Stencil challenge and I will be back tomorrow to share my mid month DT card. Pop over and get out your stencils!!

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Twofer and more!

I took advantage of the Twofer Challenge rules being relaxed a little this month as we can make 2 different cards for the same occasion instead of different occasions with the theme of Holiday Greenery.

I used a Penny Black tree stamp from the Peaceful Winter set (30-450).

The square one uses 2 different tree stamps in varying shades of green, with one topped with a punched out gold shiny star and a sentiment from the Merry Up set (30-622).

The larger card on the left had the 'sky' inked with Chipped Sapphire and Seedless Preserve and the snowdrifts done with Tumbled Glass and Weathered Wood.  White embossed the tree, stamped the sentiment and spattered with acrylic paint before mounting it onto a stitched die.

As well as the Twofer challenge I am also linking up to -
PB&More  -  Christmas
Holly & Ivy - Anything Christmas
Christmas @ Sweet Stampin' - Trees

Thanks for looking and if you've left me a comment I really appreciate it. have a lovely day whatever you're doing. x

Inks and Powder

Blue skies and sunshine (but cold) here today after all the rain yesterday - mad when you think just across the Pennines 40 minutes drive away they once again are experiencing floods. Although one of the downsides of living so high up on the top of a moor means you experience high winds 💨and snow ⛄ the upside is at least you don't get flooded out💧⛆🌊!

Because the weather was so bad yesterday I spent a very nice cosy time in the craft space doing what I do best - making messy!

I have never tried hot glue embossing but continuing with my decision to try out new techniques and re visit old ones and after seeing a similar card to this on Pinterest the small piece of metal left on the desk from my card here seemed to say 'Use Me'! - So I did!

I ran the metal through an embossing folder and then dropped some Alco Inks on it and simply let them run.

Out with the glue gun! Confess don't use the glue gun a lot (cos I am VERY messy), but am really pleased that I only managed to get the glue where I wanted it and not all over everywhere else!
A few blobs, then gently heated again to make warm, added some gold embossing powder and heated again.
Once finished I matted it onto an off cut of gold card before putting on the card base and stamping the sentiment.
Another 'man' card I think?

Liked doing this technique so the glue gun is still out........😏😏

CAS Stencil - November

Time for another challenge at CAS Stencil and this month our host Linda has chosen the theme of 'Stencil Monoprint'.

If you've never done a stencil monoprint before I promise you will be hooked once you try it. There are some video links on the challenge blog to give you some tips and instructions, and whilst you're there have a look at the lovely examples done by my team mates and our Guest designer Lucie 
So here's my card -

Love these colour combos - Fossilized Amber, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon for the monoprint frame.
Once dry I cut out the inside frame with a stitched die.

The background behind was done by smooshing the colours on my craft mat with a small piece of watercolour card.

I used a tiny 'circles' stamp (and it WAS tiny) inked in Salty Ocean.  It reminded me of bubbles.

A simple white die cut anchor and a sentiment stamp finished it off.

 I really enjoyed this challenge and hope that you will find time to make something using one of your stencils and share it with us in the gallery!

November Challenge at Stamping Sensations

Our November challenge at Stamping Sensations, is  'Traditional Christmas Colours' - so we want to see creations made with the colours - Red/Green/Gold - any or all!
Another great prize on offer from our sponsors,  Chocolate Baroque - pop over to the challenge blog and see what you could win!
I have been enjoying myself with some 'new to me' stamps which someone else has pre loved and I am loving all over again!

This make is a mix of a Pine Branch stamp (old one - make unknown!) and a 3 bauble stamp ( new to me - 'Adornments' by Penny Black).

Started by stamping the pine branch first, inked up just one of the baubles on the stamp, spritzed it lightly and using the Misti stamped it, then just kept adding more depth of colour until I was happy.
I drew a line with a black pen for the hanger.

A soft watercolour wash for the sky and watercoloured the 'snow' before adding the sentiment and spattering some acrylic paint.

This is very much a learning process for me and I am enjoying it a lot, not least because I was really happy with how this turned out!

Sharing over at -
PB&More - Christmas
Dragonfly Dreams - Christmas/Winter
CHNC - Anything Christmas
MIUCB - Christmas/Watercolour
Country View - Hand Stamped

Metal

CAS Mix Up has the challenge of 'Oxidized Metal' this month.

I wanted to try a 'new to me' technique using ink refills on mirri card  - as I have tons of it which I don't use - but don't have many ink refills as I usually just buy new pads when they dry out!
When I went to find the refills I possess 2 were empty and the other had dried up! So it was back to a tried and trusted technique using a thin flexible metal bought when I was doing a lot of mixed media and now a little neglected.

I had it in my head to do a 'man' card too as I so rarely make them.

I took my piece of copper metal and dry embossed with a 'Cogs' folder  then used my clear embossing pad on it.  Gold, Silver and Copper embossing powders sprinkled on top. I re did this a couple of times until I got the effect I wanted.

Once dry I swiped a Stazon Ink pad across the top.

I fiddled about with layouts and frames for a while but in the end I chopped up my metal piece into 2 strips!
Simply matted onto black card before placing on the card base and stamped the sentiment.

To be honest I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed messing about with metal  - so whilst I had the metal pack out I embossed a couple more pieces and have made my hands very very messy using alco ink on them without gloves.....😒😒

As well as CAS Mix Up, I am also sharing my man card at
Rainbow Card Challenge - Magically Metallic
Sisterhood of Crafters - CAS

Technique

I have been trying out some techniques - some have been successful, some not!
This was one that isn't perfect but am not too disappointed.
I tried this technique last year and thought I should try it again. I forgot though the one thing I learnt last time - DON'T PRESS TOO HARD WHEN SWIPING THE INK PAD'!!!

I think practice may make perfect on this 'Black Ice' technique and no doubt I will try it again on another scrap of mirri card.

This is not a big card - it only measures 4" square. The mirri card was just an odd piece, as was the black linen textured card, both left over from something and put onto a white card blank. (Playground for me then!)

The tree stamps are Inikadinkadoo and the stag is Inkylicious.
I watched this video from the Serene Stamper - and looking at her finished cards compared to mine - more practice required!!

Thanks for looking  - we woke up to the first frost this morning and as usual after a frosty start we now have clear blue skies and sunshine! Have a great day whatever you're doing! x
Sharing over at -
MIUBC #30 - A/Goes with Open Technique
Just Add Ink #430 - Add a Technique
Double D - Silhouettes
Dragonfly Dreams - Use Black