Tag-Along (and ATC's)

Good morning, it's the 1st April but it's not an April Fool, instead all the details about the new challenge which I just may have mentioned once or twice during the last couple of weeks.

Myself Lynn and Pinky have been craft and blogging friends for many years and together came up with the idea for a challenge which is we think, a little different. It's called Tag-Along (and ATC's), I won't bore you with all the details as you can find all you need to know here.

We are really excited about our new venture and hope we will see lots of you joining us for some fun. We also hope you will link up to be a follower as we will be having one or two random giveaways during April, winners will be drawn from new followers and commenters ahead of our first challenge on 1st May.

My shares today use Lavinia stamps, the Fairy on the tag above is a very, very old one called Midsummer's Night and sadly no longer available. Always think she should be standing against or under a tree as she is today, contemplating the kaleidoscope of Butterflies. The tree is Tree of Wisdom, I masked it a couple of times to extend the height of the trunk, grasses are Leaf Spray and flowers Lavender (I know, they're orange!)

An ATC as well along with a little pocket for which I've made a basic step by step tutorial which you can find here on the new challenge blog. They are really quick to make so I prepared several in readiness. Again all Lavinia stamps, Little Pixie reaching out to a passing (rather large) Bug, the same Oak Leaves as the tag above plus some Field Grass. I am going to share both at the new 'Joy of Spring' theme at Lavinia stamps challenge.

Please do hop over to the new challenge blog to find our more. 

We would be delighted if you would share the logo above on your own blogs along with the link to the new challenge blog to help us spread the word.

Spring Flowers

Morning Peeps, a new challenge at Allsorts where the theme has been selected by Ellie and it's Spring Flowers and the usual A/G. Our prizes come from AALL and Create.

Whilst I love creating cards in Autumn colours, making for Spring just tops it as it's my favourite season, full of hope and renewed growth. Above Tulips from A&C's Petal Pops (1249), stamped twice onto snippets of inked card, Heart Marks the Spot die (46) and in the background rub on's from various sheets.

This one used one of the older A&C sets Elegant Spring Florals (623), still available from several stockists, the Bluebells and Snowdrop stamped onto a stencilled base and the Tulip cut out and raised with pinflair.

The new Rudolph Days challenge has a couple of days to run so just in time to pop over with this one. The frame is from Sweet Poppy, inked with Elements and simple stamping using Lavinia Large Reindeer and Fir Tree stamped in the centre, plus a bit of glitter to ground them.

Three days to go.......we're excited and hoping to see you there.

Got my eye on you

Morning Peeps, a quick post with a share for the current Lavinia Challenge with the theme of Animal Magic, which closes tomorrow.

I started by masking a focal circle into which I stamped Arch of Angels and added some stencilled brickwork, Fairy Path leads up to the arch where Pipin is sitting gazing upwards, oblivious to who may be watching him. Next masked and extended Tree of Wisdom, topped with some leaves using Oak Leaf Flourish. A Fox keenly watching Pipin and little Strooms in the foreground. Down the leading edge Faerie Spells stamped with Versamark and gold mica minerals brushed over, with do have sparkle but not in my photo. The minerals do add a lovely subtle shimmer over Versamark as well as Clair as both stay wet long enough to apply.

I've already entered this one so sharing here as well, Sticker Stencil Bottle Bundle which comes complete with jar stopper stamp. Inside Pheasant who is being eyed up by Reynard from Fox Set 2, Tree of Hope, mini leaves and berries on the tree and around the bottle.

Just over a week to go now, 1st April and we will reveal all!!

Hope you all have a crafty week, lets hope the suns returns, been very dismal and wet here last few days after the lovely hint of Spring.

Young mind, wild heart, free sould

Morning everyone, I've stepped right outside my comfort zone with this one but when I saw this beautiful image on Lynn's blog I just had to make a card with it.

It's a freebie for this month Gecko Galz challenge and really is gorgeous with so much colour, detail and depth. I printed her three time so I could cut out part of the elaborate headdress to decoupage. The frame is a ready made one to which I added some stars using a stencil and Lavinia's brand new Flying Fig ink, then arranged the image so the decoupaged elements sat just over the edges of the frame.

The papers are from MCS - know I'm a rarity but I don't buy or own any paper packs, but these I thought were quite complimentary to the colours of the image. A snippet of lace from my box which never seems to diminish and a sentiment cut into three from my Moments set.

Now for the Path of Positivity where this month it's about making something you wouldn't normally make, it is still a card but using a technique and products I wouldn't usually work with. I was gifted the recent release of Lavinia Mica Minerals and among them a beautifully vibrant red which just said Poppies to me. It's a landscape DL card topped with a black panel onto which I stamped Leaf Spray and Wild Poppies using Versamark then brushed green mica powder onto the grasses, covering the Poppies loosely with a tissue whilst doing it, then reversing the process to add the red. Some white Posca dots, cord and a stamped envie.

We're edging forward to 1st April when all will be revealed!

Spring Hellebore and Poppies

Morning Peeps, it's mid month inspiration time at Stamping Sensations and We Love Stamping challenges where we have Spring themes along with the usual Anything Goes. We have prizes from Buddly Crafts and Lisa Horton crafts.

Above a tag using AALL and Create Tag it Yourself (27). The bloom is A&C Hellebore (1063) and a little squirrel, both stamped onto offcuts and cut out. The trellis is from Spellbinders and the sentiment stamped onto another snippet and heat embossed with detail white. I am popping over to the Snippets Playground with this one as there were lots of snippets, although I don't have a photo of them, so maybe a spell in the naughty corner? Ellie had a new challenge where she would like to see Anything from the Garden, we have both Hellebore and Squirrels so this should fit the brief.

This one uses one of my many Penny Black Poppy stamps, this one Spontaneous Joy (40-597) inked direct to stamp with Ecoline brush pens and stamped onto an oxide background. The die frame is I think JND but no longer have the packing. One of my own sentiments.

Another gently hint to keep your eyes open for news of a new challenge, can say no more until 1st April.

For a lady (plus a little bit of news)

Morning to you all, Lynn has selected our Allsorts theme this time round and it's Feminine with the usual A/G. Our prizes come from Stamp Addicts.

Before I tell you about my makes, a little heads up that something new will be appearing on 1st April (no, not an April Fool!), a new challenge that's a little bit different which we think might appeal to lots of you. More information coming very soon.

Above a bit of inky grungy fun using some Stamp Addicts Addictions, sort of inchies only bigger, these are 7cm square and very sturdy, I coloured with Oxide and Dylusions sprays and no warping at all. The pattern is Spring Flowers, it's not large enough to cover all four panels in one go but the pattern matches up nicely repeat stamped. I coloured just a few of the flowers, added som gold Tilsen to the centres of some flowers then have two coats of Amazing Glaze UTEE and a sentiment from my Believe set.

I would like to enter this at the current Path of Positivity challenge where they would like to see 'something you wouldn't normally make'. Whilst I've used inchies and similar before, it's been a very long while as I usually stick with conventional stamping and cards. But last week I was prompted by Sarah at Stamp Addicts to give it a go again, so above is the result.

For this one I used Floral Background stamped onto vellum and heat embossed with detail white. I cut back the vellum to expose part of the vellum and laid over an brayered background. The same with Poppy Wreath, cut out a few of the flowers and placed onto ribbon and added a sentiment from my Moments stamp set.

Flowers, Mice and a New Baby

Morning everyone, a quick post with shares for the new challenges at Snippets Playground, Path of Positivity and Lavinia.

Below my snippets for the card at the top which uses Penny Black 40-669 Radiant and coordinating die which was stamped with DI's onto an off cut, the colour dragged out and placed on the brayered background. The background stamping is Lavinia Faerie Spells, the focal words from my new sentiments stamped onto a black snippet and very frugally for me the black mat is just a narrow frame cut from the leftover after cutting an arch card base. A matching envie and some funky twine

Before I move on to my other shares meet Cecilia Joy, the newest member of the family who arrived at 16.48pm on Saturday 1st March weighing 7th 12oz. All went well at the birth and they came home the following morning, all seems to be going OK as they settle into their new routine. We were so chuffed to see Joy in the name as it's my middle name and also Azaria's Mum's (our eldest Daughter) name. She was only an hour or so old in this photo, the red blotches have all gone and already she is putting on weight.

At the Path of Positivity this month the brief is 'Create a project you wouldn't normally make'. Wasn't sure where I would go with this one until I opened a draw and languishing at the bottom a bag of bookmarks which I bought may years ago intent on using and never have. So definitely something I wouldn't usually make. 

First I used Oxides and water onto a piece of acetate to ink the bookmark, then stamped Lavinia Honeysuckle, coloured in with watercolour pencils, added some stencilling and words and finally some funky fibres to match the colours. Each one comes with it's own little acetate pocket.

Finally, an entry into Lavinia's Animal Magic challenge using one of the stencils from Sticker Stencil 11 which I inked with a mixture of Elements and Clair, the Mice are Minni and Moo and Basil and Bibi and inside the jar some Thyme. Around the bottom Leaf Spray, some stickles, the wording is Words of Spring and some Magical Mist coming out of the top of the jar plus more sparkle. In the background stencilling using Stone stencil.

Many thanks for your visits, your kind words are always appreciated.