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

Stamping Sensations July Mid Month Reminder

Our challenge theme at Stamping Sensations this month is 'ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL'  so there's lots of options for you to choose from and provided you follow our rules and make stamping the focal point of your entry, you could be in with a chance of winning a great prize from our wonderful sponsor, CRAFTY INDIVIDUALS.

My panel background was created using an embossing folder and distress inks, then stamped with some foliage before matting onto a piece of dark brown card.

I coloured the giraffe and fussy cut and popped him on top of a small tag.

The sentiment was done using a set of alphabet letters stamps inked in Brushed Corduroy and part of a PB sentiment stamp!

Why don't you get out your creature stamps and join us in the gallery - we'd love to see you!

Happy weekend everybody!

CAS Mix Up July Mid Month reminder

Our challenge of 'Stencil Tracing' is mid way through at CAS Mix Up.

Here's my reminder card!

I have very few cards in my stash for men. So I thought this was maybe an opportunity to just make something that would be suitable.

I blended a few blue inks onto card then took my NBUS stencil called 80's Retro- (a bargain some time back in a sale!) so am linking to Darnell's NBUS Challenge

I outlined the stencil and then gave the shapes a dose of Glossy Accents. Really please how shiny and raised they are. The gloss has added some dimension to what was a very flat design.

Not a bad man card I don't think!

There are some great makes in the CAS Mix Up gallery - is yours in there yet?

Our host Nancy

and the rest of the DT along with our brilliant Guest Designers have some gorgeous makes to inspire you.

We would love to see you! x

Bright

It has been a wet and cold week so I have spent some time in the craft space making inky and catching up with a few orders. (Not that I needed an excuse!)

This card came together with the addition of a scrap of card cut with a curved stitched die!

I blended a variety of red/yellow/orange Distress Inks and then applied the Bokeh technique using a home made stencil.

I added a strip of bright orange card to the die cut to split the card and popped on a die cut sentiment and a couple of sequins to finish.

Sharing over at

Daisy Chain - No designer Paper

MIUCB - A/Goes plus technique (Bokeh)

Stinkn'Inkers - I see Spots

Sisterhood of Crafters - Ink it Up

Am hoping that the forecast for a nice day tomorrow is right as it would be lovely just to be able to take a cuppa outside for half an hour and look at blue sky instead of a grey wet and miserable landscape. (And give my poor drowned pots and containers some TLC without it feeling like it's November instead of July!)

Have a great weekend whatever you're all doing and thanks for taking the time to stop by today. 

I am on countdown to the visit to the hairdressers on Monday! x

July Challenge at Stamping Sensations

Our challenge theme at Stamping Sensations this month is 'ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL'  so there's lots of options for you to choose from and provided you follow our rules and make stamping the focal point of your entry, you could be in with a chance of winning sthe goody on offer from our sponsor, CRAFTY INDIVIDUALS

I had a bit of an inky fest with this one!

I masked off a big moon and then stamped the Owl image (Crafty Individuals CI-512). It does come with it's own moon but I wanted a bigger one!
Blended the background and then coloured the tree stump.
The branches, tiny bird and the foliage stamps are all from Inkylicious.

Stamped the owl again onto watercolour card and clear embossed. After watercolouring I fussy cut the owl and popped him on top of the stamped image.

Really pleased with the way the eyes turned out after adding some glossy accents - he really does look at you in real life!
   

Vellum Greetings

Isn't it lovely when you see something and you have a light bulb moment and think 'I could do something like that'!!

That is what happened when I saw a card over on Susan's blog which had been inspired by something she saw on Pinterest.

The original is using Alexander Renke paper which as those who live here in the UK know is a little bit like trying to source Rocking Horse Poo for your rose bushes (with a price tag to match) - so I decided to stamp my botanical images background instead!

I used a variety of leaves and foliage stamps, inking them in Bundled Sage DI and some Versafine pale blues and greens.

Vellum laid over and a die cut sentiment with a couple of enamel dots and finished.

This was quite a quick card to make and I am really pleased with the outcome.

Hope you like it too!

We finally got to see my Ma-In Law recently for the first time since lockdown and even though her broken back has healed reasonably well she is struggling now with the steps outside her door.

So she has made the decision she needs to move to ground floor sheltered accommodation.

Which sounds fine - except we are now faced with the mammoth task of clearing out her current place before we can put it on the market. She has been to say the least a hoarder!

This week I have brought home 2 massive cardboard boxes full of unused unopened sewing thread (last week it was SIX cupboards full of material!!) I am placing the threads on a craft site to see if any of my friends want them - so if you are looking for sewing thread going cheap here in the UK, send me a message and I will send you some details!

Have a lovely day whatever you're doing and thanks for any comments you leave! x

CAS Mix Up - July Challenge

This month's challenge at CAS Mix Up is called 'Stencil Tracing' and has been set by Nancy.

There are a couple of ways to do this really simple technique - Nancy has links on her blog to several different examples and there's also plenty of inspiration from the DT over at the CAS Mix Up blog.

We also have "Three" very talented Guest Designers this month as they all were
Top Picks for the May CAS Mix Up, CAS Stencil and CAS Watercolour Challenges:-)

Be sure and check out Greta (GG Creations), Sandie (London Days) and Kia (Kia's Place)

Gorgeous CAS Creative Stencil Tracing cards

This is a one layer card that took very little time to do - the longest time part was masking off the actual face and leaving the rest!

The stencil is from Funky Fossil and I blended some bright coloured inks (Violet/Raspberry/Amber).
Before removing the stencil I outlined it with a black sharpie.
Some ink spattering and a little blending round the edge of the card to finish before stamping the Visible Image sentiment.

Once completed I thought that maybe it wasn't 'CAS' enough as I went a bit mad with the ink spatters!  In the end the consensus was that there was definitely enough uncluttered space to qualify. 

This is the second month of our new look CAS Mix Up and hope to see you in the gallery!
Happy Stencilling! x

Having a Ball!

Happy Saturday!

We are having some much welcome rain today☂☂ - great for the garden and good for me too as the last few days have been toooo hot!

I am continuing with the supposed tidy up of the desk and found a small piece of smooshed card so made a card with it.

I should not stop the desk tidy to make cards cos all it does is make the desk untidy again 😒....... but I keep finding odd bits under the mound of stuff (like 4 alco inked backgrounds, a couple of smooshed bits and some stamped images) and if I tidy them away I'll just make more backgrounds etc and not use the ones I already have!

Love 💘these cute little dolphins from Clearly Besotted and this card is a case of a similar one seen on Pinterest.

The message inside reads 'Have a Ball!'

Sharing over at

Allsorts - So Cute

Back to the desk tidy..... or shall I use those inky backgrounds....... ????  

😏 No contest!!

Circles

Taking advantage of a little more easing of restrictions we had a lovely day out at a nearby historic house earlier this week where the gardens had been opened. It was overcast but warm and the absence of sun meant it wasn't too busy - we had a picnic on the grass! A lovely day. Which explains my absence from the blog! It's been a scorching couple of days and although I like the sun, it has been much too hot for me.

I don't have any kids or teens to make cards for but every now and again I get an urge to make 'cute' or 'fairy' cards!

I made this card and tag whilst fiddling about supposedly having a bit of a clear out of the stamps/stencils I no longer use.(Only to make room for new ones!!) The tag came about from an offcut piece where I tried out the blending of the 2 colours.

I'm not sure of I've ever used the whole of this Inkylicious stencil before either.

Just a bit of ink blending using Spun Sugar and Shaded Lilac and a few Inkylicious stamps.

Am sharing over at

2 Sisters on the Blog - 2 or more Circles

MMM - Use Stencils

The patio outside is quite shaded in the morning so I have taken advantage and had a sit outside with a cuppa, but it is getting really hot! No doubt there will be an afternoon for me sat in front of a fan at the craft desk (as long as I remember not to use any embossing powder or gilding flakes!)

Have a lovely day whatever you're doing. x

Tidying the Desk!

Can someone tell me when I have had difficulty lately in settling to do anything, why my desk is such a mess??? 😕

It looks like a tornado 🌀 has been through this room with my desk being the epicentre.

I decided it was high time for a tidy and a little way through sorting I found an offcut piece of mixed media card which had been stamped and embossed ------------------------- and left. (Actually I found more than one!)

The desk tidy was abandoned.

I cleared a space, watercoloured the image and then cut out with the matching die. I am feeling quite happy with my colouring on this one - I am not a good painter but this one looks OK.

I cut out a circle frame  with the leftover mixed media card and watercoloured it in the same pink as the flower.

Another circle cut from some black card and layered onto the watercolour frame.

An offcut of the black card was liberally spattered with white paint and put behind the layered circles.

The PB sentiment white heat embossed.

And the desk?? TidyISH.... well tidyish for me anyway!

Am sharing over at

Crafty Catz - Black/White plus 1

Alphabet - F for Flora

HLS Watercolour - Layers

Pixies Playground - #380

I received an e mail this week from the Water Company telling us to save water as they may have to impose a hosepipe ban as reservoir levels were dropping.

At the time I was sat watching a thunderstorm listening to a monsoon of Biblical proportions lashing against the windows.

And it carried on raining for the next 2 days!!!

It looks like our restrictions are going to be eased a bit further over the next couple of weeks. Which is good news as hopefully that will mean my planned (and much needed) trip to the hairdresser scheduled for mid July may just be allowed!

Thanks for calling by today - have a great weekend! x

Stamping Sensations Mid Month reminder

We're half way through our June 'Make It Colourful' challenge at Stamping Sensations. 

There's some lovely creations in our gallery and you still have time to join in!

I have used a stamp from our sponsor Visible Image (Ink Splats Set)  which is sadly 😭 no longer available but I love it!

I combined it with a brick background stencil, a large sentiment stamp from Bee  Crafty and some other grungey inky stamps from another very old set to make a quick card which was for a young man who is about to embark on the next exciting chapter of his life.

I thought the sentiment was perfect to remind him that he only gets one chance and to make the most of everything that comes his way!


More inspiration (if you need it) over on the challenge blog along with our rules (please read!) and of course details of the prize!
Have a great day whatever you're doing. x     

CAS MIX UP- Mid Month Reminder

Half way through our first challenge on the new look CAS MIX UP blog -
and the challenge set by Susan is EMBOSSING VELLUM.

(My DT launch post is HERE if you missed it first time round!)

I took one of my biggest stamps and heat embossed onto my vellum.

Overlaid it onto some Raspberry card stock and to hide where I stuck it down at the top, die cut a scalloped edge and popped this over it with some foam pads.

(I had seen something similar to this done by a fellow blogger and thought it was a great idea to hide the sticky bits which I always manage to be able to see when I use vellum!)

We have some lovely cards to show you from the Design Team and our Guest Designer BONNIE  over at the challenge blog and we love to read your comments so please come and visit.

Really hope that you will share your make in our gallery this month! 

Twofer!

The weather here has been not good at all this week and I am trying not to let the grey skies coupled with all the madness that is going on outside in the World sink me into an abyss of misery, frustration and foreboding.  The Twofer Card Challenge for June began a couple of days ago and as I have lacked any motivation for a few days I determined that I would make something for it.

I used the same die on both cards and I hope the finished articles are different enough!

My first card has been left minus a sentiment at the moment as I am not sure if I will use it or will simply put it in my stash.

I spent a couple of hours last week making messy with Alcohol Inks and Yupo so the background is one of those.

I roughed up the surface of the die cut a little as I didn't want too smooth a finish with the embossing powder.

My sea horse die was smooshed with Distress Oxides and then a few sprinkles of embossing powder on top.

For my second card I used distress inks to colour the circles whilst it was still in the die.

I double embossed the diecut with Platinum embossing powder to give it a raised and smooth finish.

Assembling the bits back into the die cut was a bit of a challenge but I got there in the end!

Punched out a couple of small circles and popped both on top of a die cut frame that had been stamped with a sentiment from Clearly Besotted.

I really DO need to liven myself up!  I have promised myself I will not watch any news or spend hours trawling social media this weekend.

In a lot of cases it simply makes me angry and at other times makes me so sad.

Totally counter productive.

Am hoping the weather improves a bit so I can at least get out for a short walk across the hills down to the Nature Reserve - where it is serene and peaceful and the only things that are fighting are the ducks over the bread!

Thanks for looking today - and thanks for listening (reading!)  xx

June Challenge at Stamping Sensations

Mid way through the year! It's true that time really does fly past the older you get!
This month at Stamping Sensations we have the wonderful Visible Image as our sponsors and I have used one of their older sets called 'Free Your Imagination' - some of the stamps from my set are still available in the new updated set here

Our challenge is to 'Make It Colourful' (and please remember we are a stamping challenge so stamps have to be the focal point of your work)

I used the smaller feather stamp and (with the aid of my Misti) stamped the feathers in Distress Ink colours before adding the sentiment.

The splats and the circles are from an old grungey set (make unknown) and to finish I stamped a few Inkylicious birds.

Pop over to the challenge blog for details of the prize and while you're there take a look at some of the wonderful creations from our Design Team this month!

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

Sailing

It has been another strange week! At the beginning we had the most glorious weather and really warm/hot temperatures - then yesterday I had to put on a sweater and socks!

Today it is raining.       Heavily.

After a walk yesterday morning I spent the rest of the day at the craft desk - I can't say I was very productive! So in the absence of my own ideas I turned to my saved 'Inspirations' folder.

This card has been reproduced by lots of people in different ways so there are too many people to give credit to - I think the last one I looked at was where the 'sun' was done in different coloured strips of paper.
I've gone for the easy option of inks blended within a circle mask.

A sentiment stamp, a flock of tiny birds and a die cut boat. Nothing simpler and it gave me the satisfaction that at least I have made SOMETHING!

What I wouldn't give to be drifting along on super smooth super clear blue sea right now - beats the hell out of a grey sky and wet moorland!

Have a lovely day whatever you're doing and thanks for stopping by. x

Linking up to -
CRAFT - Masculine
CRAFTING HAPPINESS - Summer

TIOT - Cut It Out

CRAFTYCATZ - A/Goes + CAS
POPPY STAMPS - CAS

Stencil and Acrylic

Someone mentioned to me 'Acrylic Deboss' recently.
I kinda scratched my head a little when they said it as I had no idea what it was! But after a quick internet search and watching a video tutorial it became clear -
it's simply scraping Acrylic Paint over a debossed stencil impression to give some dimension - different eh? And another way to stretch your stencils.

I played about with a few different ones before settling on this Mini Stencil called 'Splash'.

I used some green and blue acrylic paint and an old gift card to drag the paint down the debossed stencilled panel. 
The wellies were from a freebie set coloured with watercolours and fussy cut.

The die cut puddles were part of the same free set and I cut them out using the edges of the card outside the stencil where the paint had been dragged to.

 I quite like the effect of the green and blue acrylic paint on the stencil and another technique that I shall practice.

A New Look - CAS Mix Up

Welcome to a brand new CAS Challenge and some exciting news!
CAS challenges (Mix Up/Watercolour/Stencil) are now all rolled into one monthly challenge blog - CAS MIX UP.
Each month we will bring you a challenge which asks for either a mixed media project, a watercolour project or a stencil one.Our first challenge is a 'Mix Up' one - Embossing with Vellum and Susan is our host.

I did two different kinds of vellum embossing on this card - Heat and Dry.
I used a cherry blossom embossing folder first for the vellum background and overlaid it onto a white card.

The Technique Tuesday Cherry Blossom stamp rates amongst my all time faves and I stamped and heat embossed in white. It comes with a die but I fussy cut it as I didn't want a border round it!
I used my Arteza pens to colour.

Used a leftover vellum piece for the heat embossed sentiment.

I hope that you will come over and join us at our new look blog - I am soooo happy to still be part of this amazing Design Team and they have some gorgeous makes to inspire you!

Our Guest Designer this month is BONNIE and her card is pretty wonderful too - so pop over and see her make!

Thanks for looking today and look forward to seeing your beautiful cards in our gallery! x

Mid Month Anything Goes at Uniko!

Having won the April challenge over at Uniko I was invited to be their Guest Designer this month for their theme of 'Anything Goes' with the option of  'Bright and Happy'

My first card for the challenge is HERE if you want to go and look!

My background was created using Wild Plum and Watermelon Alcohol Inks on Yupo.

I dried a little with a heat gun then took a small piece of Deco Silver Foil and pressed it down and rubbed my finger randomly onto the background.

This is a fun technique as  after each press down and rub, when you lift off the foil piece some of it has transferred to the AI (usually where the 2 colours have 'pooled' together) and gives a 'marbling' effect.

I stamped and heat embossed the flower (Flower Power Set #8) and fussy cut, and used the sentiment/die from the Kindness Blooms set.

Much as I like this AI/Foil combo it is a nightmare to photograph but I hope that you like my bright background and my happy flower!

There is still time to enter - and you don't have to use a Uniko image - so with a great prize on offer why don't you link in?!
You may be lucky like me and win!

Happy Crafting! x