Stash on Ebay...

I've been thinning out my stash and have some nice stamps and other goodies listed on Ebay, my seller ID is Lambourn22 if anyone fancies picking up a bargain or two:)

Creative Inspirations Challenge 65 - Summer

 

Here's my first card as part of the Design Team for the Creative Inspirations Challenge.  The theme is Summer and I found just the right wording on some Inklicious stamps.  I started out with a brayered background that I wasn't too happy with, so I overstamped it with my huge newspaper background stamp and then it looked fab!  The silhouette is a Stamp Addicts stamp, birds are Inkylicious too.  Background paper is Stampin' Up with a MS punch used on the corners.

I hope your Sunday is as warm and sunny as it is here, I'm off into the garden now to enjoy it:).

My card is also entered for:

Fairy Tale Challenges - summer, sun, sunshine

Fashionista Friday - summer

Little Miss Muffett - summer

When life gives you lemons...

Those who don't know me in real life may be concerned that I don't have this saying quite right but I can assure you this is the right version :).  This week's Less is More is "Getting Fruity" and I was worried that the only fruit stamps I have are large House Mouse ones.  Then I found 2 smaller ones on an unmounted sheet of House Mouse images, stamped and masked across the page and added a computer generated sentiment.  Couldn't find any lemon coloured cardstock in my not inconsiderable stash, so I used some Basic Grey Marjolaine DP behind it. 
My card is also for:
Card Making Mamas - food & drink
Stamp Something - summer fun (can't have fun without a g&t!)

A bird with Bling!

If ever a bird has the bling factor it surely must be the peacock, when I coloured in this image from Tiffany Doodles I added some Stickles, then some blue mirri board that I've had for ever, then a bit more...  I was a bit intimidated at the thought of colouring this, but I brought up a photo of a peacock on my computer and foud that, with the shading already there it needed minimal colouring.  

I've based the card on Jessica's sketch at There She Goes, the border is an EK Success punch, there's a matching ribbon round it which shows up much better in real life, the sentiment is computer generated.  Background paper from Artylicious and the embossed card is sanded and distressed Coredinations.

My card is for the following challenges:

There She Goes - sketch

Totally Papercrafts - bling it up

4 Crafty Chicks - get your bling on

Tiffany Doodles new release - sea life

Tiffany has come up with a lovely new release of turtle, pelican, seahorse and dolphin, all with lovely bonus quotes, you can buy them in the store here.  I used the seahorse to make a shaped card with a die set I got at Craft Barn last weekend and I added some of those gorgeous seashells that Tiff released a few weeks ago to my scene.  The seahorse and one of the shells are decoupaged, background is Distress Inked and then spritzed.  The bubbles are Glossy Accents.  I didn't use one of the lovely sentiments, I just wanted some simple wording so used my trusty Joanna Sheen stamp.

My card is for the following challenges:
Crafty Purple Frog - take a dip (water)
Shelley's Images - summertime
Crafting for all Seasons - beach/ocean
Happileigh Scrappin - shaped/folded cards
Simon Says - shaped cards/creations
Craft Room Challenge - summer holidays

Fred She Said Blog Hop

Looking for the Fred She Said Blog Hop?  Please click here.

Phindy's Place Challenge #66 - Delightful Diecuts

 

This week at Phindy's Place Challenge we are challenging you to use diecuts somewhere in your creation, how easy is that!  Don't forget that next week is the anything goes using a Phindy image and also we have a Design Team Call out, closing  15 August.  I've used my oval and scalloped oval Nestie dies for my card, which is based on this week's Sweet Sketch Wednesday layout.  I've used Tender Tootsies for my card; I LOVE this image and have made several cards with it, she's really enjoying the summer sunshine as well as kicking off her shoes!  Flowers coloured with Copics to try to match the image, DP is Basic Grey Sweet Threads.

My card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch

Divas by Design - summer is here

Everybody Art Challenge - garden

Pink Elephant - fun in the sun

Shopping Our Stash meets Less is More

As soon as I saw this week's Shopping Our Stash Challenge - buttons, blooms and bananas - I knew what I wanted to make and, barring the sentiment, it's all neglected stash. I went to Make It at Farnborough last year and was really pleased with a set of clear stamps - the name on them is G Studio - stalk and 2 flowers that I bought for £1.  I had all sorts of ideas for using them but you guessed it, they've been languishing in the drawer unused.  I just used the stem from this and the flower stamp is from an Elusive Images set that I've not used for ages.  The button is from my button tin and the flower is really cool.  A few years back a quilting friend showed me how to use a metal template (this was a charm I think) with a soldering iron to cut out shapes from nylon organza.  Great idea but the flowers have been maturing in the stash too:).   Hope you like my clean and simple card.

Shopping our Stash - buttons, blooms and bananas
Less is More - buttons and ribbons
Paper Pretties - no markers
Anything Goes - pick of the bunch (flowers)
Come and Get It - make your own flowers

Less is More - buttons and bows

Here's that new background stamp again, used for my Less Is More card this week.  I'm very drawn to the dramatic black & white LIM cards but I ended up adding a splash of colour with the red buttons.  Yes, they are different shades of red!  I had the button box out looking for buttons for a cardigan and decided the card was a good way to use up odd buttons.  Once the buttons were there I had to add a second ribbon also in red. 
My card is for the following challenges:
Less is More - buttons or ribbons
Simon Says - use newspaper
For Fun Challenges - use two different ribbons

Clean & Simple Christmas

Today I return to work after a lovely two weeks off.  I just have a simple card to show you that is a Stampin' Up Make and Take from Newbury Stamp show a few weeks back.  This was shown to us by some lovely ladies and is a great idea for turning out a few effective but easy cards.  The demo used a pretty border punch but, ever the rebel, I chose to tear my layers:).  The bauble is stamped three times and folded and glued.  This is a nice 3D effect however it folds flat for posting - brilliant!
Enjoy your week, the sun is shining and maybe summer has arrived...

My card is for the following challenges:
Class Act Insider - Christmas
Delightful Challenges - Christmas in July
Digistamp4Joy - Christmas in July
Creative Inspirations - Christmas in July
Creative Inspirations Paint - inspired by Christmas

It's all in the detail

This beautiful image comes from A Day for Daisies, at first glance it looks like a pretty flower with a fairy perched on it...  then you see the bees, the ladybirds, and there are snails and  even a tiny worm on there too!  Mine are quite hard to pick out as I've used fairly natural colours.  I've used hot summer colours for the flower, added Stickles in lots of different colours to my image and brushed Distress Inks onto the background.  The DP is Basic Grey, sentiment from Craftwork Cards and the flowers centres are shadd with Copics to match the image.

My card is for the following challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
A Day for Daisies - mystery ingredient (glitter)
Crafty Catz - no pink or blue
Your next stamp - 3 embellies, 2 DPs, 1 image
Flutterby Wednesday - open, use fairy or butterfly
Crafts & Me - add a flower
The Colour Dare - real red, peach parfait, pear pizzazz
Little Miss Muffett - summer
Charisma Cardz - summer colours
Fussy & Fancy - summer
Fairytale Challenge - summer sun

Phindy's Place Challenge #64 - Doubling Up

 

Welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge, this week we are challenging you to use two of something on your creation.  It does have to be two - no more and no less!  As long as there is at least one doubling up on your card that is fine, quite a few of us on the DT have had fun putting LOTS of pairs on our cards!  

You don't have to use a Phindy image but we hope you will and if you do, follow the instructions on the sidebar and enter your card twice for two chances to win.

I used an old favourite image for my card, Celebrate with Cake.  The colourscheme was suggested by the flowers that I made at stamp group this week, which use a technique that was new to me, called rocking and rolling.  I loved the flowers that I made and added some Stampin' Up DP to them that was a gift in with a recent SU.  The flowers have been covered in Glossy Accents with pearls added.  I have doubled up on:  flowers, pearls, rhinestones, card candy, DP, ribbon and knots.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
Stamp Something  - embellished
Cardmaking Mamas - food & drink
Digis with Attitude - anything goes
Guylou's Inimitability - 1 image, 2 papers, 3 or more bling
Aud Sentiments - enjoy your day
Shelly's Images - anything goes
Crafty Creations - seeing double
Paperminutes - blue, brown, beige
Pixie Cottage - fun with food

Fred She Said Favourites Blog Hop

Good Morning and welcome to a new Fred She Said Blog Hop!  This month we are hopping with the theme of Favourites.  You should have come to me from the lovely Michelle's blog, if not you're going to want to go back to the start, at the Fred She Said BLOG.  First of all, here's the info about the hop:

Fred She Said Favorites HOP - HOW TO ENTER
To ENTER, please leave a comment on each BLOG HOP POST.  There will be ONE winner.  A random hop post will be chosen and then a comment on that post will be chosen randomly to win.  BLOG HOP closes  Friday, JULY 29 midnight EDT so please leave your comments by then ;)  Commenting on ALL the hop stops is not necessary to WIN... BUT it definitely increases your chances of winning ;)  and spreads some LOVE!  Please make sure you leave your name in your comment!  NOTE: some DT members moderate their comments for evil spam so please be patient if you don't see your comment right away.

THE PRIZE:
£15 Gift Voucher to Bearly Mine Designs
$15 Prize Package of yummy goodies chosen by Judy from Pizzazz APlenty
$30 Gift Certificate to the Fred She Said Store

The WINNER will be announced Saturday morning July 30th on the Fred She Said Blog AND the FSS Challenge Blog. 
Now you have the info, I'd like to tell you a little about my favourite!  I looked through my FSS digis and I looked through the shop and I was completely unable to choose my favourite image, there are so many that I love!  So I've picked one of my favourite things, in one of my favourite images - yes - that would be chocolate lol!  The sentiments that come with the image are just perfect aren't they?  Better than Chocolate is a Valentine's Day set, but I think chocolate is for all year round, not just Valentine's Day:).

I've printed it off a few times and decoupaged it, the base layer has been cut with a Nestie, dry embossed with Swiss Dots and then inked with Distress Ink.  The chocolates have some Glossy Accents to give them a shine and there is a touch of Stickles on the rose on top of the box.  I hope you can see all the layers in the detail piccie below. The DP is Prima, I have only added a bow as the image is so beautiful it doesn't need lots of extra embellies.
Thanks for looking at my card, your next stop along the Hop is with  "Fred" herself, our talented Tracey at the CHALLENGE BLOG.

I've found a few challenges to enter my card in:
Pixie Cottage - fun with food
Creative Craft Challenges - 3D it
KB Cute Monday - use a digistamp

Summer Snooze

I coloured up this little mouse while I was on holiday and I'm really pleased with the way the poppy turned out, I've found this difficult before and I think I've over-complicated it by trying to use too many reds.  This week House Mouse & Friends celebrate their 100th Challenge so I thought I'd make him up into a card to enter - do check it out - they have some amazing prizes and candy!  I've followed Sketch'n'Stash's layout, using Memory Box Brioche DP.  The sentiment is also House Mouse, I've added tiny bits of bling to the dots of the I and the exclamation mark as well as bling in the corners.  The tiny buttons have thread knotted in them and the seam binding bow matches the length of it around the card square.  Didn't add it to the length as I didn't want to obscure his little tail!  Congratulations and best wishes to all those lovely ladies (and gentlemen) at House Mouse & Friends, they are one of the best teams for commenting on entries, thank you!
My card is for the following challenges:

House Mouse & Friends - buttons, bows and bling
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch
Stamptacular Sunday - animal antics
Papertake Weekly - getting cute
Fuzzy Wuzzy - animal + punches
Creative Stamp Friends - summer
Die Cut Dreams -animal antics
I Did it Creations - animals
One Stitch at a Time - flowers
Scrappy Frogs - summer flowers

Crop Circles?

 

This card solves a dilemma: I was dying to play with some lovely new stamps that arrived when I was away on holiday and I also wanted to enter this week's Less Is More, which has a circles theme.  The stamp set is Stampin' Up and came from the Lady LIM herself, Mandi, gorgeous stamps Mandi, thanks!  I made a circly background for my card by using masking tape to punch out circles and also to mask off the top and bottom.  I've been using Post-Its but decided to get my masking tape out and give it a go.  Even on the glossy cardstock it worked fine, will definitely keep it out now!  I punched the circles into tape stuck onto paper, it glues the punch up otherwise.  Ask me how I know this...  :).  Sentiment is a Sheena Douglass stamp, inks are Spiced Marmalade and an Adirondack Lemonade. images use Sepia Versafine.

My card is for the following challenges:

Less is More - Circles

Shopping our Stash - turnback technique (masking tape)

Allsorts Challenge - free and easy July

Cute Card Thursday - going round in circles

Jac-inks Papercraft - monotone

Through the garden gate

Through the garden gate is the name of this week's Stamps R Us Challenge and I've taken it literally with this new stamp of a gateway from Stamp Addicts, I've a few scenes waiting to be made into cards using this stamp, which may just be my absolute favourite rubber stamp at the moment:).  I've brayered and spritzed the background, adding a pale moon.  The other stamps are a dotty Stamp Addicts background, Clarity tree, and Hobby Art birds and branches.  I've mounted it onto some Artylicious paper and simply added a ribbon.
My card is for the following challenges:
Stamps R Us - through the garden gate
Little Claire - things with wings
By the Cute & Girly - things with wings
The Craft Garden - use a bird
Art Impressions Stamps - show me the bird
Paper Play - things with wings
Simon Says - anything  goes

Exciting news

I'm so pleased to be able to tell you that I've been accepted as one of the Creative Inspirations Design Team.  Their current challenge is Christmas in July, challenges are every fortnight on a Sunday, do hope you can play along!

Time to kick back and relax...

Don't know if you missed me (or my blogging at least!) but I'm back from a lovely week away on the Isle of Skye with DH and older son.  We were extremely lucky to have good weather for virtually all our stay on the island and it is a magical place in good weather.  I don't return to work for another week and I am planning lots of things to do this week, including some crafting, but also a bit of relaxing.  My nearest craft shop, Stamp Attic, now has a coffee shop (a bit like this one lol) just a few yards away and I am planning a coffee and shopping trip soon...

Image is called Sit and Stay Cafe and it's a Phindy's Place design, coloured with Copics, Distress Ink and Glossy Accents.  I used this week's sketch from Midnight Madness, turned it on its side and made it into an easel card.  Sentiment is from Elusive Images, DP is Basic Grey and the flowers are tiny white flowers coloured with Copics.  More cards from me tomorrow I hope:)
My card is for the following challenges:
Midnight Madness - sketch
Paper Playthings - summer
Creative Stamp - summer
Dream Valley Challenges - summer
Craft your days away - fancy folds (easel)
Just some lines - easel
Fussy & Fancy - summer
Fairy fun Fridays - on holiday
Delightful Challenges - fancy folded cards
Simon Says - anything goes 

Phindy's Place Challenge #64 - Pastels

Welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge, this week our challenge is to use pastel colours.  I chose to use no less than three of Phindy's adorable images combined, Spring dress Emma, Spring dress Mei-mei and Spring dress Kulla.  They are coloured with Copics, including the dotty background.  The sentiment is from Create with TLC, I've added lace, stitching, pearls and a star embossed panel.
My card is for the following challenge:
Simon Says - anything goes
Divas by design - pastels
Ambers Crafts and stuff - embossing
Rainbow lady - a stitch in time
Pixie Dust Studio - girly girly
Do you Stack up - stitching
Cute Card Thursday - going round in circles (circle sentiment)
Aud Sentiments - at least two word sentiment
Crafty Sentiments Designs - stitching
Charisma Cardz - stars (embossing folder)
Totally Papercrafts - girly girls

Phindy's Place Challenge #63 - Buttons

Welcome to this weeks Phindy's Place Challenge, this week we'd like you to use some buttons on your card or creation.  As my card needed to go in the post, I've used faux buttons made using a punch that I bought at Newbury Art Stamps, I hope I'm forgiven :).  I used the very cute and adorable Giddyup image for my card and gave him a red, white and blue with a touch a Kraft colourscheme.  The triangles are embossed then Distress inked, sentiment is Lili of the Valley.
My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch'n'Stash Challenge - sketch (new stash is punch, DP is very old stash!)
Cards for Men - Wild West
Your Next Stamp - button it up
Papertake Weekly - anything goes plus optional buttons
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Stamp Scrap & Doodle - stars and stripes

I'm nuts about you

 I know, it's a corny sentiment but I had to do it lol!  Good morning and welcome to this month's Tiffany Doodles Challenge, which is All Creatures Great and Small.  There are two great chances to win a Gift Certificate from Tiffany Doodles: a $10 TD Gift Certificate to the winner who uses a Tiffany Doodles digital stamp and a $5 TD Gift Certificate to the 2nd runner up - no matter what stamp you've used.

Tiff has some stunning animal images, fun and realistic and I have chosen the Squirrel for my card.  Somehow, even though it's high summer (in theory anyway) he has ended up as an Autumnal card, with Basic Grey Indian Summer DP, some tiny punched out leaves and lots of stitching.  Midnight Madness, CPS and Critter Cards have ALL used basically the same sketch this week so I'm entering my squirrel in all three!

My card is for the following challenges:
Basic Grey - stitching
Simon Says - a stitch in time
A Spoonful of Sugar - stitching
Paper Sundaes - stitching
Critter Challenges - sketch and use red
CPS - sketch
Midnight Madness - sketch

SOS - Scrap Attack

This is a quick posting as I do want to get in an entry for Shopping Our Stash Challenge, it makes me feel a bit less guilty about all my stash:).  This week it's Scrap Attack or recycle.  I saw a gorgeous card by Julie, which I have partly CASED, with Julie's kind permission.  My scraps are those forlorn, cut into sheets from a Basic Grey 6x6 pad that I don't want to throw away because I love the DP but aren't good for much.  I stamped flags using Lindsay Mason stamps that I bought at the recent Craft Barn Extravaganza and then stamped them onto the tiny scraps, the sentiment is from the set too.  The paper pieced flags are highlighted with a blue marker and a white gel pen.  Although the papers are all from the same set, the scale is small and it is hard to see that they are related.  I prefers Julie's colour coordinated card and will try something similar another time.

My card is for:
Shopping Our Stash - scrap attack
Cupcake Crafts - single layer card
Kaboodledoodles - celebrations
2 Sisters - birthday - and Happy Blogaversary to them too!
Ellephantastic - birthday and another Happy Blogaversary!

PS Grrr...  DH thought they were pants.  I mean underpants rather than being rude about the card as such.  Definitely need to try another version...

Happy 4th July

 Happy 4th July to all my US friends, blogging crafters and real life friends!  I coloured a fun sailboat image from Tiffany Doodles a week or so back that was a freebie at the time for a CDAC Challenge.  I can't find the image in the shop but I'm sure it'll be there soon:).  I decided that this week's Sketch Saturday layout was perfect for the image and all the red, white and blue challenges around, so I added a Create with TLC sentiment, some Summertime Designs downloaded papers, freehand cut out stars that were dry embossed and a bit of baker's twine.  Useful masculine card for the stash I think and I do like this sentiment.

My card is for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Here come the boys - spots and  stripes (spotty stars, stripy sail)
Stamp Scrap & Doodles , Stamp Insanity,  - stars and stripes (stripy sail)
Creative Inspirations , Use It Tuesday,  Tuesday Throwdown, Penny's Paper Crafty,   Digi Stamps4Joy,   Crafting for all Seasons,   Amber's Crafts and Stuff, The Rubber Cafe,  Delightful Challenges,  Craft us Crazy,  Fairy Knoll,  are ALL red white and blue themed challenges! And
Come & Get It , Little Red Wagon, Pixie Dust,  Sugar Creek Hollow , I Did it Creations,  are all patriotic challenges (British colours are also red white & blue!).
I don't think I've ever entered so many challenges with one little card lol!  Enjoy your day

Feeling Blue?

 Here are a couple of cards I made tonight for Less Is More, where the challenge is Shades of Blue.  Today I went to Newbury Art Stamps Show, had fun meeting up with my friend Val and got really enthused by a brayering workshop I did with Vicki from Stamp Addicts.  It had a difficult start, you may know there are two sisters who run Stamp Addicts.  Just about the time Vicki was leaving the stand to set up for the workshop her sister suffered agonising stomach pains and was whisked off in an ambulance, leaving Vicki to try to get cover for the stand and come up to the workshop.  I can't imagine how difficult it was for her to compose herself and teach, catching up on the late start, but she managed really well and even better, Sarah was back at the show and feeling much better. 

Like so many people, I struggle with my brayering and keep trying and keep feeling unhappy with my results.  The workshop was brilliant:  Vicki gave us two techniques to help.  The first was to use a spritzer so things blend and hard lines get lost, the second was a stamp for landscapes with tiny dots, which we used squished in our hand rather than mounted.  I made a lovely sunset coloured easel card and came home to play with cool blues.  This uses a couple of shades of blue ink, blueberry embossing powder and a Stamp Addicts silhouette stamp.  If you're thinking the sentiment would be better stamped direct you would be right - until I smudged it that is - so I used a trimmed off scrap and mounted it proud of the card as if that was what I'd intended all along lol.

Second card is another Stamp Addicts stamp bought today, she's adorable isn't she?  I've doodled a puddle and a border, the sentiment is Rubber Romance.  She's coloured with Copics and I have used a flesh colour, didn't want her to look blue with cold, that would be a real English summer card!  Otherwise she is totally shades of blue too.

My cards are for the following challenges:
Less is More - shades of blue
Simply Create - silhouette
A Spoonful of Sugar - get well card (2nd card)
Stamps R Us - there was a little girl (2nd card)

Little Lemon Bird

I think this image from A Day for Daisies looks like a fantasy goldfinch on a fantasy thistle plant, so that settled the colours as lilac and lemon, which fits both Simon Says and A Day for Daisies challenges for this week.  Pretty, isn't it?  I think it could also be a Christmas bird with a bit of tweaking of the colours...

The card is pretty clean and simple, image is coloured with Distress Inks, Copics and Glossy accents.  Sentiment is from Craftwork Cards, it is lilac though it doesn't look it in the photo.  Flowers are punched with Card Candy middles, DP is Crafty Individuals and Daisy Bucket, I used a Martha Stewart punch.

My card is for the following challenges:
Pixie Cottage - sketch
A Day for Daisies - pastels but no pink
Truly Scrumptious - things with wings
Simon Says - lemon and lavender
Digital Tuesday - flower power
Digi Design House - handmade flower
Forever Friends - birthday and animal
The Crafty Pad - soft pastels
Paper Sundaes - sundae bar, I picked purple and wings

Fabulous Phindy Phriday - anything Phindy goes

 It's here!  Our first Phindy Fabulous Phriday Challenge is today.  Anything Goes -so long as you use a Phindy's Place image on your project.  There are some great images in the shop and there are always some Freebies to be picked up on the Phindy's Place PCP Group if you don't yet have any of these  fabulous images.  The first Friday of each month will be Anything Goes with a Phindy's Place image, so have have plenty of time to plan ahead each month.

I was really keen to use one of the new Skinny Sale, one of the new Plump 'Uns images, there have been some fab cards floating around blogdom that use this image, with some very clever sentiments too!  I've picked a sentiment from Create with TLC and coloured it to match my tape measure, which is a Clarity Stamps stamp I forgot I had, I've embossed it with black on my cardstock and it looks really dimensional in real life.  Image is coloured with Copics and Distress Inks, flower is also coloured to match with Copics.  DP is Prima and I've turned the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday on end.

My card is for the following challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Charisma Cardz - favourite ice cream colours - coffee and strawberry and vanilla (ok there's a touch of blueberry on my card:))
Digi Doodle Shop - anything goes
Ai Factory - use favourite embellishment (flower)
Secret Crafter - embossing (ruler)