Birthday at Allsorts

It's Happy Birthday to us at

Allsorts Challenge 17 whole years of wonderful challenges

I much enjoyed  joining in back in the day but enjoy, even more, being on the design team. I've met some lovely ladies and it is a pleasure to share work here every couple of weeks in the hope it will inspire you to join in.

After all that here is my Birthday card

This Cats Pajamas bunny has been used lots of times, she is so cute and I always our her on a circle card base, it just suits her. This time I used a ditsy Doodlebug Designs paper and added some enamel dots which actually look the wrong colour but, trust me, they are a perfect match in real life!!

There are LOTS of prizes too

Lavinia stamp collection. The Lavinia experience is a magical journey where you can learn a new skill and create enchanting artwork, thereby opening the door to your imagination – a truly captivating experience. Please note, we (Lavinia) cannot provide exchanges/replacements/refunds for any products received through this third-party giveaway.

Buddly Crafts £25 store voucher. Founded in 2003, we've grown from a digital downloads store into the online craft supplies shop we are today sending out orders to our discerning, creative customers across the UK and worldwide. We stock a wide range of exciting products for card making and mixed media art carefully selected from the world’s most creative and time-tested arts and crafts brands.

Art Impressions $30 store voucher. Art Impressions is a rubber stamp manufacturer based in Salem, OR since 1987. The company began as our sole designer, Bonnie Krebs, created and sold educational stamps at craft fairs around the US Northwest, now sold Worldwide.

Highlight Crafts, dies with artwork downloads. Own brand products designed in the UK and an on line store offering a fabulous variety of brands to cover a multitude of crafty techniques.

Plus, Surprise Goody Bags containing, stamps, dies and other crafty items.

Come and celebrate with us!!

See you soon xx

Favourite Season at As You Like It

 Hello everyone

We have a new challenge at

As You Like It, where the theme is

Favourite Season

It's winter for me, or specifically Christmas, the build up, preparation and anticipation. Not to forget the card making that I do all year round.

I used the film strip reindeer from Lili of the Valley that I coloured with Promarkers. The paper is an unknown scrap and the holly die is from Cheery Lynn. I found another Craftwork Cards sentiment too. Looks like I had more of those left than I realised!!

Hope you will join us with projects featuring your favourite season.

See you soon xx

We Love Stamping

 Hello everyone, I am here today with a little inspiration for you, just in case you haven't joined us at

We Love Stamping 

for our current theme

All Creatures Great and Small  (or Anything Goes)

Once more, I have used a stamp set from my stash

a "T for Transparent" Penny Black set

Aren't they cute?!! Coloured with Promarkers, the postage stamp dies that I think are from The Works and the patterned paper is of unknown origin!!

There's still time to share your makes as long as there is a stamped image on your project.

On the subject of creatures, our fur babies Bumble and Bowie were TEN years old on Friday...here they are enjoying porridge for their breakfast

and when they were tiny!!

See you soon xx

Monochrome at Allsorts

 Happy Weekend everyone. I hope that you have some plans and if they include crafting then pop over to 

where the new challenge starts.

Liz has chosen an excellent optional theme

Monochrome (or Anything Goes)

 prizes, A5 stamp set and A6 stamp and stencil 

 

Here's mine

Once again I had a good old rummage through my paper pads and found a lovely one by Simple Stories, Snap colour vibe. I'm not that good though because the plain mats (as luck should have it an exact match) came from a new paper pad that I found in The Range a couple of weeks ago!! The balloon die was a magazine freebie and the Happy Birthday is from a Clearly Besotted stamp set.

While I am here I would like to invite you to the Allsorts Birthday bash, there's prizes galore and you are sure to have a great time!!

See you soon xx

Sketch at AYLI

I am here with my DT piece for

where the theme for the next two weeks is

Favourite Sketch

I don't have a favourite sketch as such but do have a favourite place to visit if mojo is lacking and that is at  Always With A Heart where Jules has a massive array of sketches that she so generously shares. I am making more rectangle cards these days (in a bid to use up linen effect A4 cardstock!!) so I trawled through her Rectangle Sketches and fancied doing this one

The papers are another very old  pad, Bazzill Basics Vintage Lace. The cone flower is an unbranded die and the sentiment from Clearly Besotted. 

Thank you for dropping in today, your company is always appreciated.

See you soon xx

 

All Creatures Great and Small at We Love Stamping

We have a lovely new theme at We Love Stamping this month

All Creatures Great and Small and the prize is

 Three stamps from AALL and Create

                                 

I have no shortage of animal stamps in my stash so I am sharing a gorgeous cow called Custard. She is a very old Sugar Nellie grey rubber stamp. 

The floral paper that I matted on the kraft card easel are from a Polkadoodles paper pack called The Great Outdoors. Custard was coloured with Promarkers and Copics. The die cut leaves are from Tattered Lace and the flowers, I believe, Joy Crafts.

Thank you for sharing your time with me again, it's much appreciated.

See you Soon xx

Anything but Square at Allsorts

 Christine has chosen the optional theme today

Anything but Square (Anything Goes also welcome)

Two prizes from AALL and Create

I used a favourite arched die set cut in black card. I cheated with the inky background and used a Lavinia A5 background that, I believe, I won from this very challenge several years ago!!

The sentiment was left on my desk from another project that suited perfectly. The gate die was  from The Cats Pajamas, another shop sadly gone. 

Thank you for paying me a visit, it's always appreciated. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

See you soon x

Bright or Pastels at As You Like It Challenge

 Welcome everyone. 

It's new challenge day at

where the theme is Bright or Pastels(with you reasons too)

I love a card to stand out on the mantelpiece so my makes tend to be on the brighter side.

More old stash was used on this sweet card. 

Dovecraft Garden Party paper pack was the starting point for the lovely colour combination. A Tattered Lace die set was used for the frames and then I matted the papers on the middle blanks. I inked one of the clear stamps from Easter Florals which is available in digital format from LOTV and coloured with Promarkers. The sentiment is also from LOTV, again a clear set that I punched out and added a gem to the centre for a little bit of bling.

I hope that you'll join us. 

See you soon xx

WLS SpringTime reminder

 I am here today with a reminder post for our current challenge at

WE LOVE STAMPING - Spring (or anything goes)

there is still time to join in.

I have used yet another very old stamp set that is still available here. It was my first set that had the grey spongy backing...that old!! First of all I inked the background then stamped the flowers, then stamped the heads again, coloured them and then stuck them to the base. I heat embossed all the words from the set and then cut them out and made up the sentiment. It looked a little bit flat so I added some pretty sequins for a little bit of shimmer.

Talking of spring, it's reverted to being a tad chilly and grey here in Dorset but we are promised some warmer days ahead so, fingers crossed.

Whatever your weekend has in store I hope you manage some crafty time.

See you soon xx

In the Garden at Allsorts

Hello friends and visitors it's time for a new challenge at 

Allsorts where the optional theme, chosen by Gail, is

In the Garden (anything goes is also very welcome)

Two prizes of Lavinia stamps 

Here is my contribution to the inspiration

I used a grey rubber LOTV stamp (and sentiment) for this little card. It's another very old set that I had shamefully forgotten all about. It was lovely to colour and I chose a favourite colour combo blue and Kraft. The papers are old and the cover missing but I think they might be Bo Bunny and Doodlebug Designs. For an added gardeny extra I added some bakers twine.

I have been on annual leave the past week and, my word, we've had ALL the weather. Frost, icy winds, rain and 23 degree sunshine too. We took a trip to the coast on Wednesday and it was glorious to enjoy an ice cream in shirt sleeves. We bought a new rambling rose, clematis and some shrubs to go in the borders, it was so good to get in the garden again. Speaking of which we would LOVE to see your garden themed cards/projects so hope that you will play along.

See you soon xx

NOTE TO SELF, PUBLISH YOUR POST WHEN YOU EDIT, NOT UPDATE!!

Simple or Fussy at AYLI

 Hello and welcome. I have a man card to share with you today.

It's James the Bear and he is my DT make for the new theme at

where the theme is

Simple or Fussy

You will know by now that I have enough paper pads to last me several lifetimes so I like to include them on my cards wherever possible. That said I don't usually use frills, gems, ribbon or the like and keep my designs fairly simple to showcase the papers. Simple cards are also slimmer and therefore less costly to post. 

He never fails to make me smile and is always a joy to colour. He is grey rubber and one of the early Lili of the Valley stamps. He was coloured with Promarkers to match the backing papers, the check from a My Favourite Things pad and the spot from a Bo Bunny pad. I "glassed" up his lager with glossy accents. The postmark sentiment was also a LOTV  stamp set, clear this time, but, again, fairly old.

Man cards aren't my favourite to make but I made an exception with this special card, made for our eldest Son who had his Birthday on Easter Monday. I surely can't be old enough to have a 36 year old!!

Anyway, we have had some super weather here for two whole days, the jumper and wellies came off and we even took a trip to the coast yesterday where it was actually too blooming hot!! A good excuse for an ice cream though!!

Wherever you are in the world I hope the weather is being kind.

See you soon xx

WLS Spring TIme

Happy April everyone!! A new month and a new challenge at

WE LOVE STAMPING where it's SPRING!! Anything goes is also welcome as long as there is a stamped feature on your card/project.

Two prizes of Lavinia stamps

I have been a little bit naughty and purchased a new digi stamp, Tulip jug from  Lili of the Valley, well at half price it would have been rude not to!!

I did, however, redeem myself by using an old MME paper pad, Fine and Dandy Girl. I picked out Promarkers to match colours in the papers and really enjoyed colouring the tulips.

 The sentiment is from a Craftwork Cards die cut set, goodness knows how old they are and I only have a handful of these oval ones left now, so useful. 

I am pleased to report that I am getting the hang of the pesky laptop and it made me smile to read some comments on my previous post from the vigilant visitors who noticed I hadn't posted my DT piece for Allsorts. 

With Easter a hop, skip and a jump away I will wish you a blessed weekend. I think the Easter Bunny might get a little bit soggy here in rural Dorset while laying out the clues for the egg hunt, but I am reliably informed that she gets any leftovers!!

Toodle pip for now xx

Springtime at Allsorts

 Holy moly, I am going to be sacked!! In my plight with my new laptop I forgot to schedule my post for Allsorts...better late than never.

Hello friends and visitors

It's Springtime at Allsorts Challenge this time (Anything Goes is also welcome though)

Two Penny Black Stamps available from Buddly Crafts

I haven't entered challenges for a very long time but the stamp I am using was a prize from We Love Stamping and it's perfect for this theme. Julie Hickey Designs Peter's daffodils.

I used papers from a Doodlebug Designs pad, the cover is long gone I'm afraid but there was definitely spring in the title. I coloured the gorgeous daffs with my Promarkers, added some ribbon and cotton lace and used the companion tag/sentiment set from Mama Elephant. 

We have had some spring like weather but my word it's been bitterly cold and windy too. Hopefully it will warm up quite soon.

See you next week xx

AYLI Embellishment

Hello everyone thank you for paying a visit.

I am here with my inspiration for the new challenge at

the theme is "Favourite Embellishment"

I love enamel dots. They come in pretty much every colour under the sun and are flatter than pearls so don't leave a dent in the envelope.

 I am still using my stash and found this lovely Woodware birdy and sentiment (Its so old I couldn't find it but there is a similar set here). I knew the kind of colours I wanted to use so found some enamel dots and cardstock scraps first, trimmed them to fit the A5 card and then embossed them using one of my many embossing folders. Then I found the right colour Promarkers and coloured the sweet little bird.

It's a wonder I am here at all. My blogging has been seriously curtailed as my poor old laptop died. I have welcomed a new one into my life but found that I couldn't comment using my blogspot profile, had changed my password and didn't save it...oh my life, what a nightmare!! I am not clever enough to do it on my phone nor was I able to on my tablet. Thankfully (family) IT support helped out so I am playing catch up now and getting to know my new tech.

Thank you for allowing me to let off steam!! I hope that you are all well and that you are tempted to join us with you favourite embellishment.

See you soon xx

Wildlife at We Love Stamping

There is still  time at We Love Stamping so I am here with a reminder to come and join in. 

I have had such a fab time not spending money and using my forgotten stash and this make is just one of the products.

It fits the bill but doesn't look very "wild" though, more like wildly cute!!

 Remember Wild Rose Studio?!! Well, this is one of their elephants that I coloured with alcohol markers that I found in Aldi, and they are blooming fabulous too!! The paperpad is a Trimcraft one and the pretty die cut flower is made with the first floral die set I ever bought, it's a My Favorite things set.

There's ample time to make something to share with us, you'd be made most welcome xx

Things with Wings at Allsorts

Happy weekend everyone. 

At Allsorts this time Lynne has chosen the optional theme and we would love to see your projects featuring 

Things with Wings (anything goes also welcome too)

Prize of $30 gift card from Taylored Expressions and extra prize of an A4 stamp set.

 Oce more I have had a good old rummage and found a really sweet Little Claire Designs clear stamp. I also found another very old My Minds Eye paper pad that had just the right sized designs that I was looking for so the little hen and her comfy cushion were coloured to match. The doily was made using an equally old Joy Crafts die and the sweet flowers were from a shop whose name has escaped my ageing brain. I want to say Wild Orchid Crafts but I might be wrong!! Finished off with a lovely Craftwork Cards sentiment badge. Wow, that really has been a trip down memory lane using all those old products!!

If you've made it this far with all my waffling I hope that you have a lovely weekend, wherever and whatever you are doing. It's Mothers Day here in the UK on Sunday so it would be nice to see a little bit of sunshine.

See you soon xx

Favourite person to craft for at AYLI

 It's a lovely theme for you at

As You Like It Challenge 

Your favourite person to craft for

I have many favourites that I like to create handmade gifts/cards for. Over the last couple of years I have dabbled in journal making so really enjoy the process of sitting quietly and fussy cutting while listening to a book or watching a good crime box set on TV. This kit is from Angela Kerr Designs and is perfect for this time of year. There are lots of tags, labels and general ephemera within the kit and she does fabulous tutorials too.

I have added cotton lace to the edges of some pages too.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope that you will be inspired to join us at AYLI.

See you soon xx

World Wildlife at We Love Stamping

It's World Wildlife day on March 3rd so we've used that as our optional theme at

We Love Stamping

  Of course you can share anything just as long as there is a stamped image on your project.

Here's what I made

The wildlife and words are from a Clearly Besotted stamp set called Wild Thing. It's not on the website so, I suspect, retired now as it is an old set. I stamped the characters coloured them with Promarkers and fussy cut them. The sky was made with an inked Dutch Dubadoo cloud stencil and tumbled glass DI. The "savannah" was created using a very old Memory Box grass die ( I can't find it anywhere, it's that old!!). I doodled a border for a bit of interest to finish it off.

 Two prizes of AALL and Create stamps and stencil (photos not to scale)

  

Thank you for your visit. See you soon xx

Ribbons and Bows at Allsorts

 Hello friends and visitors, it's my turn to host at 

Allsorts Challenge this week and my optional theme is 

Ribbons and Bows

I am a hoarder, I make no apology, but I have mountains full of ribbons, many that I won in days gone by when I entered lots of challenges, and others that were absolutely necessary purchase (much like the embossing folders!!). So, with that in mind I am using a little bit of ribbon on my makes.

Here I used an Impression Obsession rubber stamp on parchment using Rich Cocoa Memento ink, tore the edges and stuck to some criss crossed organza and grosgrain ribbon that matched the paper. 

I used a lot more ribbon on my next example using a tutorial that I found on You Tube

I simply stamped Good Luck to finish it off.

Prize of A5 stamp set, stencil and ribbons and £10 digital download from Polkadoodles

I hope that you have a good weekend and manage to find some crafty time. We are hoping for some dry weather as Mollie and Jackson both had "bikes" for their Birthdays earlier in the year and want to ride them around the stable yard, until now it's been far too wet so we are hoping for a dry...ish weekend!!

See you soon xx