Saturday, December 31, 2016

STAMPlorations Inspiration #112


It's the final STAMPlorations Inspiration Tuesday of the year.  I ran out of Christmas cards in the lead-up to Christmas, so I had a look in my stash and found this robin that I made from the Small Birds set.  I'd already drawn a hat on him and fussy cut him, so he was good to go.

Also in my stash was this fab word die, Jingle Bells, and this pre-embossed card, so it was one of the quickest cards I've ever made!  Just what you need before Christmas :)

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a $15 gift voucher.

And Happy New Year!!!

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

STAMPlorations Inspiration #111


Hello, and welcome to STAMPlorations Inspiration Tuesday.  Did you have a good Christmas?  Ate plenty?  Drank plenty?  Me too ;)  And now, are you ready to party? (Nope!)

I've used Party Girl and Party Dresses to make my party girl.  The balloons and streamers are from Deepti's Balloons and Banners set, and the sentiment is from Shery's Party Time set.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a gift certificate.

I'm entering this into Simon Says Monday Challenge - Party Time!


Friday, December 23, 2016

Ho Ho Ho and a Wedding


I'm over on the STAMPlorations blog tonight with a selection of Christmas shoes.  I'm entering this one into Simon Says Monday Challenge, Party Time.   My younger self would have worn party shoes like this, but now my knees are aching just looking at the image!

Well, it's two weeks since we arrived back from Australia where we'd been for our son's wedding, and although the mojo has caught up with me and I've been making cards, the inclination to get on the computer has been slow to return.  But now I'm back!  There's no way I'll catch up with everything I've missed, but I just want to wish you all a merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy new year.  Here are a couple of pics from the wedding, which was just magical.

A rare photo of the four of us together.  Only happens every few years. 
The bride and groom

Friday, December 16, 2016

STAMPlorations ARTplorations Blog Hop - Day 3


Welcome to Day 3 of the STAMPlorations ARTplorations blog hop!  I've used the same positive/negative stencil technique as Days 1 and 2, this time with Peony Number Two.


Here's the negative, with added coloured pencil shading.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for full details on the hop and how to win prizes.


Thursday, December 15, 2016

STAMPlorations ARTplorations Blog Hop - Day 2


Welcome to Day 2 of the STAMPlorations ARTplorations blog hop!  I've got a couple of masculine cards for you today, using the same techniques as yesterday.  The stencil I've used is called Broken Glass.


This was the positive stencil, with a Happy die cut, and a 'birthday' from Sentiment Builders: Happy.


This negative print reminds me of one of those steel structured glass buildings - an atrium or glass dome or something.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for details on the hop and how to win.




Wednesday, December 14, 2016

STAMPlorations ARTplorations Blog Hop - Day 1


We're having an ARTplorations stencil blog hop over at STAMPlorations, and you're invited!  I've used my newest favourite technique (positive/negative stencilling) with my newest favourite product (Infusions) and my newest favourite stencil (A Bloom And Three Buds), to create these two cards.  You can see the technique in detail in this Spotlight post on the STAMPlorations blog.


I added some coloured pencil highlights/lowlights on the flowers and leaves, then added a wash around the negative area.  The water picked up the stray colours.


This was the negative print.  I replaced the stencil and sponged colour, then added pen lines to define the images.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for details about the hop, and how you can win prizes.


Tuesday, December 13, 2016

STAMPlorations Inspiration #110


Time for some last-minute Christmas inspiration at STAMPlorations.  Faerie Door has gone festive, with its own tiny wreath hanging on the door.

I had the background in my stash - Distressed Damask Background stamped with Brushed Pewter Distress Paint, then dribbled with Twisted Citron Distress Paint and sponged with Peeled Paint.  Matted that onto red card, then stamped, coloured and cut two poinsettias from Holiday Sketches: Christmas Flower.

The wreath is from Joyful.  I stamped it onto white shrink plastic, added a hint of colour, then shrank it, and added it to the stamped/coloured/fussy cut door.  Here's a closer look.


Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, and leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate.

Friday, December 09, 2016

Craft Stamper Take It, Make It Reminder - Snow and Ice


Are you playing along with the Craft Stamper Take It, Make It challenge?  This month's theme is Snow and Ice.  If our flight back from sunny Australia was on time, we've landed back in the UK an hour before this post went live.  I hope we haven't landed into a snowy, icy landscape!

I remember when we were kids, in the days before double glazing and central heating, my dad would sometimes wake us up saying, "Jack Frost's been!", and we knew that the windows would be iced up with patterns just like on the card - on the inside!!

So, for today's card I sponged Stormy Sky, Evergreen Bough and Tumbled Glass distress inks onto white  card, then stamped a wet Stampendous snowflake stamp on it to produce that lovely icy watermark.  The sentiment is an oldie but a goodie by Inkadinkado.

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog for all the info on prizes and sponsor, and play along!

Tuesday, December 06, 2016

STAMPlorations Inspiration #109


It's Inspiration Tuesday at STAMPlorations, and today I've gone for some festive footwear!  I stamped the Groovy LaceUp shoe, coloured it with Candied Apple and Mowed Lawn, angled some baker's twine over the stamped shoelace and added a couple of festive pompoms.  Ready to hit the town.  (If I wore those now, I'd be hitting the floor face first, more like.)

Here's a close-up of the laces and pompoms.  The sentiment comes from the Joyful STAMP Club set.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate.

Monday, December 05, 2016

CUTplorations December Challenge


Look at this inspiration graphic for the CUTplorations challenge.  How can you not play along to this??  All you need is diecuts (any brand) and at least one STAMPlorations product.  And if you haven't got any STAMPlorations products (at all?  Seriously??  Get writing that list to Santa!) you can use a free digi from the Never-ending Challenge.


Pretty easy to see how I was inspired, and pretty easy to make too.  You could rustle up some of these in no time.  I used the large standing reindeer from Christmas Reindeer Dies, and the sentiment from the co-ordinating stamp set, Christmas Reindeer.  A couple of dots for the eyes, a red gem nose, a snuggly velvet ribbon scarf, and Rudolph is all ready for Christmas!

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, and play along for your chance to win.

Friday, December 02, 2016

Craft Stamper Take It, Make It - Snow and Ice


Hello, and welcome to a new challenge at Craft Stamper Take It Make It.  This month, it's take a theme, and the theme is Snow and Ice.

Never mind Snow and Ice, I'm in (hopefully) warm and sunny Australia for our son's wedding tomorrow - exciting times!

So, for our theme you could go with the obvious Christmas/winter theme, or if you've finished all your Christmas cards (eh??) or don't make them, you can use white textures in your creation - gesso, embossing paste, paint, powders, glitters, you get the picture.

I created a starry night background using the stencil mono print technique with a Winnie & Walter stencil, die cut some stitched snow hills with the CUTplorations Stitched Snow Hills.  Then I stamped my reindeer from The Bee's Knees Christmas Reindeer and diecut him with the coordinating dies, and perched him on top of the snow hill.

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog for all the info on this month's sponsor and random prize.  The winner chosen by the design team will get a two page spread in the mag, a profile post on the blog, and a guest design spot on a future Take It, Make It challenge :)

Thursday, December 01, 2016

The Mixed Media Card Challenge - Gold


We've got a new challenge for you at The Mixed Media Card Challenge, and it's Gold, with an optional element of Star.


I started by stamping the stars (from STAMPlorations Christmas Reindeer) around the edges of my base card, then splattered some drops of gold mica spray over it, and stamped the sentiment in the centre of the card.  I diecut a star shape out of gold card, then made a shaker panel to place over the sentiment and painted the centres of the stars with Gansai Tambi White Gold watercolour paint.

Pop on over to the Mixed Media Card Challenge for some more fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, then join in with your gold creations.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

STAMPlorations Inspiration #108


It's Tuesday so it's Inspiration Day over at STAMPlorations.  I've used the same technique that I used on this tag, but this time I've used white paint on kraft.  The stencil is ARTplorations Holly Background and the sentiment comes from Oh, Christmas Tree!


Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the design team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

STAMPlorations Inspiration #107


It's Inspiration Tuesday over at STAMPlorations, and I've got a baby card for you.  These cute images from Deepti's Tweet Love set with the matching Tweet Love dies are perfect for baby cards.

I stamped it in Versamark and heat-embossed in white, then sloshed some blue Distress Ink on.  The sentiment is from Shery's Heaven Sent, then I just personalised it with some die cut letters and half a doily.

I made this similar one a couple of months ago, and found out today that the proud parents have framed the card.  Aww, how nice :)


Thursday, November 17, 2016

Seize The Birthday - Presents


Time for a new challenge at Seize The Birthday, and this time it's Presents.


We've got some fabulous inspiration for you from the rest of the Design Team, and our Surprise Party Guest, Sherrie K.

I've used up some bits from my stash for my card.  The background piece was a leftover from a stencil mono printing session, and the present was an extra one that I'd cut and coloured when I was making another card, and they just fell together (love that!).  The sentiment is from Visible Image.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog to play along.  You don't have to use stencils, anything goes as long as it's birthday-themed.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, and our Surprise Party Guest, then play along with us.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

STAMPlorations Giving Thanks Blog Hop


We've got a mega Giving Thanks hop for you at STAMPlorations, with guest designers galore and loads of ways to win prizes!

I've got a couple of cards for you using the Many Blessings bundle.  You get a 4x6 stamp set, a die for the main image, a word die for the large sentiment, and a stencil.

And there's 35% off from now till 30 November, with free worldwide shipping on orders of at least $25 - that's not hard, is it???


Anyway, back to my cards.  The first one uses the image stamp and the word die.


This second one uses the image stamp and die, and the sentiments.


And my third card uses the Autumn Falling stencil.


I also made these with the stencil.  You can see the detail on my STAMPlorations Spotlight post later today.


You should have arrived here from the lovely Anita in France, and you net stop on the hop is Monika Skinner.  If you get lost on the hop, here's the starting point.
Prize Info
Giving Thanks Hop
  • ONE (1) winner randomly drawn from all comments left on the STAMPlorations blog and participating designers blogs will receive a $50 gift certificate.
  • THREE (3) winners randomly drawn from all comments left on the STAMPlorations blog and participating designers blogs will each receive a $20 gift certificate to the shop.
  • ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from our Facebook page will win a $15 gift certificate for herself and a $15 gift certificate for one friend she tags in her comment.
  • ONE (1) commenter randomly drawn from our Instagram account will win her choice of Giving Thanks bundle (Be Thankful, Oh So Grateful, or Many Blessings)/
Commenting ends on November 30 at 11:55 p.m. Pacific


Giving Thanks Linky Party
  • ONE (1) winner randomly drawn from all entries linked up will receive the Be Thankful bundle (stamp set with coordinating die, word die, and stencil)
  • ONE (1) winner randomly drawn from all entries linked up will receive Oh So Grateful bundle (stamp set with coordinating die, word die, and stencil)
  • ONE (1) winner randomly drawn from all entries linked up will receive Many Blessings bundle (stamp set with coordinating die, word die, and stencil)
[Players have until November 30 to link up their projects to the linky party.]


Winners will be announced on December 9 in the November Challenges and Hops winners post. Winners have until December 20 to claim their prize.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

STAMPlorations Inspiration #106


It's Inspiration Tuesday over at STAMPlorations.

I've been making my own tags again with the ATC Tag Builder Dies set.  I used the scalloped top, frilly bottom and circular hole, then dipped it into some Distress Inks.  I stamped the image from Warm Hands Warm Hearts set and cut it out with the coordinating die, then coloured it using the same colours as the background and added a sentiment from the same set.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the rest of the Design Team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift voucher.

Friday, November 11, 2016

STAMPlorations CUTplorations Mini Release


We've got a CUTplorations mini release for you at STAMPlorations today: an ATC Tag Builder set and an Art Edges set.

Art Edges

ATC Tag Builder
This ATC Tag Builder set is brilliant for making your own tags.  You can start with the ATC die, then cut the top and bottom to your preferred shape, or you can just use a top and a bottom on any length of 2.5 inch card to make a longer tag.

Here's a long tag using the parenthesis top and frilly bottom, and Becca's fabulous deer from the Reindeer Games set, and Jingle All The Way word die.


On this one I've used the angled top with the Let It Snow word die topped with Liquid Pearls, and some trees from Oh, Christmas Tree.


And here's a card using one of the ages from the Art Edges border set.  Love the tattered edge!


Leave me a comment here, then hop on over to the STAMPlorations blog so you can visit the rest of the girls and leave comments for them for your chance to win a $15 gift certificate or either of these die sets.  Winners will be announced on 9 December, so if you follow the STAMPlorations blog, you won't need to go looking for the winner's post, it will come to you!

Craft Stamper Take It Make It Reminder


Can you say Cake?  For my reminder card for Craft Stamper Take It Make It, I've used this fabulous image from Concord & 9th, watercoloured it with Distress Inks, fussy cut it and set it on half a doily.

So, are you playing along?  You could win this from The Artistic Stamper:


Or your entry might be chosen by the Design Team, in which case you get to see your entry in the Craft Stamper magazine, you get a profile in the mag and the blog, and you get to be a guest designer in a future challenge, yay!

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and join in to win!