WELCOME AUTUMN

Autumn is my favourite time of year but it's come far too early as we have hardly had a summer yet here in Wales and now we are almost into winter!  So much wet weather.  Hopefully we will get a few dry crisp sunny days to enjoy the autumn colours.

This was definitely on my mind this wet Sunday with my next card.  I used a combination of stamps from Lavinia, Alison Bomber, Visible Image and Tracy Evans to create my little scene.  I used a leaf stencil from Visible Image to add extra leaves in the same Wild Honey distress Ink to the background.  Colours are from Tim Holtz Distress Oxides apart from the shimmer on the little light and the rose hips which are Renaissance Colours hand made paints.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Autumn Colours 

Colourful Options - Be Bold 

Lets Create - AG 

Day of the month - Autumn Stroll 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - A is for Autumn 

Simply Create Too - Autumn 

Tic Tac Toe - Leaves, Ink Blending, Multiples 

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday - Stamp It 

Four Seasons Challenge - Fall 

How exciting to be the Designer's Choice at Tic Tac Toe 

INSPIRATION STATION

I love the image for our inspiration this month at Inspiration Station and hope it inspires you too.  My card is a New Home card - it was hopefully going to be for my son and his girlfriend as they try and sell their house but sadly after nearly a year still no sale for them.  But at least the card is ready when finally they do.

I used a lot of ink blending of Tim Holtz Distress Oxides to create the background and added some stamped trees from a Visible Image stamp set.  The little house is a very old stamp from Clearly Besotted that I found in my stash.  I stamped it and the trees  onto acetate also to create the reflection.

HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS - ANYTHING GOES WITH OPTION OF EMBOSSING

Welcome back to another month's challenge for Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge.

I started off by adding some ink to  my gel press then adding a Creative Expressions Stencil to lift the inks before adding the paper.  It gives that subtle background.  Once the inks were dry I added the Christmas words stencil from Visible Image stamps and white embossed it.  The remainder of the stamps are from Tracy Evans - this little robin is one of my favourites.  I cut out and added the numbers 25 behind the robin which had been cut out three times and layered.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide to colour the bird.

I added some Tim Holtz velvet ribbon to the bottom and added some red ink around the white card as a mat.  There is some sparkle on the baubles and around the edges.  

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wed - Emboss 

Critter Crazy - AG 

Christmas Cards All Year Round - When the red red robin.....

Merry Little Christmas - AG 

The Holly & The Ivy - AG 

Use Your Stuff - AG 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS - CC424

Welcome back to another colour challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  As you know I find these a bit trickier even as a DT member as I am not with Stampin Up so I try to use as close as I can.  For this card I did have Blackberry Bliss, and I used Cameo Coral, Bermuda Bay and Tim Holtz Frayed Burlap for my other colours.

I started by using a very old dotty stamp for the background using all the colours to create it.  The leaf is a Visible Image stencil called Autumn Leaves and I stencilled it in the Frayed Burlap and then cut it out.  The acorns are also from Visible Image stamps called Nuts About Squirrels and I stamped them in the Blackberry Bliss.

The sentiment is from a Tracy Evans set called Fallen Leaves and I stamped it in Blackberry Bliss and then added it to some coral type card stock I found in my bits drawer.

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA - ANYTHING GOES

Welcome back to another month's challenge at Creative Artiste where we celebrate all things Mixed Media. 

I recently took part in a Fodder Challenge which I found via Alison Bomber's Instagram account.  I was new to the whole Fodder School and the challenge was a free sample of what they offer all year round.  Sadly funds won't allow me to join in with the school but the free 11 day challenge was great fun.  Some were not my style but a few were just right up my street and they certainly challenged me to think outside of the box.  My piece here is one of them as I used colours I don't often use.  I'm not normally a brights sort of girl!

My Mixed Tag was inspired by Shay Michelle and I really enjoyed making it.  I used the back of an old pack of paper - you can still see the tag attached which is great for hanging this little piece up in future.  I loved the way she made her tags and told us it doesn't matter if they are not straight, if the cut away angles are not exact - it was like having permission to get things a bit wonky which is something I adore!  The tags had little clusters on them of just bits and pieces from my stash.  

The tags are attached at the top and then when you lift them up there is a space for journalling.  I also decorated the back of them and gave them some quotes from Tim Holtz.   The Creativity sentiment is from Visible Image stamps. The words at the top are from some washi tape from Aallandcreate.

HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS - AUGUST - OPTIONAL HAPPY

Welcome to another challenge at Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge. I chose to go with the option of Happy for my card.  

I used watercolour for my card stock as I knew I was going to be putting a lot of water down for the background.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide stains to give a loose watercolour background.  Once dry I added some background stamping with Versafine Clair Morning Mist which is a soft grey - not as harsh as a black for the stamping.  

The bird is from Tracy Evans set Bird Song  and the sentiment is from Visible Image.    I added a loose border with a Micron pen and added some pink edging.  

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #SC380

Welcome back to my blog for another year's crafting adventures for 2022.  I have cut right down on my commitment to some of the Design Teams I was on but remain with Hand Stamped Sentiments for as long as they will have me.  I find my crafting is going in different directions with journaling and mixed media pulling me in that direction at the moment - but cards and scrapbooking will still be part of my crafting.

This week we have a great sketch for you - I always admire those who design sketches - I must admit it's beyond me to be able to get the computer to design it for me.

I've used some Visible Image stamps called Break Free and their number stencilv for my card and Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  I love this number stencil from VI and have used it a lot already.  The background for the flower was embossed with one of my favourite Stampin Up embossing folders which is the Painted Texture 3d folder - I coloured over it with some inks.  I added two lots of the flowers and popped them up on each other to add a bit more dimension. The touch of gold on the flowers is from Liquitex Acrylic Ink.  The quote is a Tim Holtz stamp.

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #IC379

How wonderful are these images for your inspiration this week from Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Do you still have enough time to make cards or tags?  Even though I start early I still seem to find I don't have enough time to do all the crafting I would like to for Christmas.

I chose to do a tag for my project this week. I started off by stamping the wonderful moon from Stampin Up's To The Moon in Going Gray - a very old ink but still going strong.  I then blended around the moon with four or five Tim Holtz distress inks using Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Tumbled Glass, Iced Spruce.  I used Peeled Paint and Crushed Olive for the greens at the bottom of the tag.

I used the lovely little set Here Comes Santa from Sunny Studios for the Santa image and the trees.  I stamped the trees in Versafine Clair Shady Lane.  I added some Distress Grit Paste in Snowfall for the snow at the bottom of the tag.  The tag was cut out of a Tim Holtz tag die.  Some splatters of gesso for snow finished off this little tag.  The sentiment is from Visible Image stamp set Sentimental Christmas. 

I would like to wish you all a healthy and happy Christmas and New Year.  Thank you for visiting my blog over the past year - I think crafting has kept a lot of us sane during these difficult times and I know I've been very grateful for it.

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes with optional twist of Thanks

Our challenge this month at 613 Avenue create has an optional twist of Thanks.  I wanted to use this gorgeous toadstool stamp from Visible Image for my card.  the set is called Totally Toadstools. I started by using a Visible Image stencil for the background and some Tim Holts Distress inks.    The stamp was stamped over it and coloured in with Distress Inks. 

SPARKLES CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE - CHRISTMAS MUSIC #127

Our challenge over at Sparkles Christmas Challenge #127 this month is Christmas Music.  I used a favourite set from Visible Image called Santa Claus - you can't help but start singing or humming this once you see this sentiment.

I started off with a piece of water colour paper and used the snow stamp from the set with some Versamark Ink.  I then heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I used Tim Holtz distress inks in blues and blacks to represent the night sky.  

I used Stampin Up Watercolour Pencils to colour in the Santa and then cut him out.  I've added Stickles to his hat and fur on his coat and glossy accents on his beard and moustache.

To make the roof I used the chimney stamp upside down and repeated it and then added the chimney stack on top.  Liquid pearls were added to represent the snow on top of the roof.  

The sentiment in the banner was cut out and I used a stitched framelit for the remainder of the sentiment popping them up on dimensionals. 

We love Chocolate Baroque - Favourite Stamps

Dare 2b Artzy - AG 

Love to craft - AG 

Pearlysparkleschallenge - AG 

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas 

Send a Smile for Kids - Christmas 

Christmas Blog - Songs for Christmas 

Creative Knockouts - Christmas in July 

Krafty Chicks - AG 

FabnFunky - Christmas 

Male Room Challenge - Christmas 

Merry Little Christmas Challenge - AG

The Holly & The Ivy  - AG 

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes - Optional Colour Palettes

Welcome to another month's challenge over at 613 Avenue Create - as always it is an Anything Goes challenge but we also have the options of some wonderful palettes as inspiration for you.  I chose palette no 3 for my inspiration with that lovely image of the trees.

I started my card by laying down a soft layer of Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Salty Ocean. I then used a Stampin Up Mask as a stencil for the trees using Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  The blots for the leaves were made by a stamp from Visible Image set called Free Your Imagination - I used various Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Spiced Marmalade and Fossilized Amber with a touch of Fired Brick to add a deeper depth of colour.

The birds are from another Visible Image set Leave Your Fears Behind and the sentiment is from yet another Visible Image Set called Tree of Life.

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #CC366

Here is our colour challenge for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Such gorgeous colours that scream summer I think.  I found this very old stamp in my stash of a flower wreath and thought it was time it needed inking.  I started off by using the yellow ink and a blender brush to cover the background.  I then stamped the wreath with some VersaFine Clair in Nocturne - my new go-to black ink.  

I used a water brush to water colour in the flowers using the coral and the jade.  The sentiment in the middle is a new one from Visible Image stamps called Express Yourself. I added some yellow to the middle and some Wink of Stella to make it shine.

I used a Clearly Besotted stencil of the umbrellas to go over the background in the same yellow.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments - AG plus sentiment 

Through the Craft Room Door - AG 

A bit more time to craft - AG 

Sparkles Forum - Floral Extravaganza

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Beautiful Blooms 

The Flower Challenge - CAS

SPARKLES CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE - A KRAFTY CHRISTMAS

I hope you’ll have fun with our new challenge this month at Sparkles Christmas Forum which is using Kraft.  

I used the fun set from Visible Image stamps called Santa Claus. I used Distress Inks to colour him in with adding Liquid Pearls in White Opal for all his white fluffy bits.  The snow dots were made by watering down some Gesso and using an aqua painter.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

The 12 months of Christmas - AG 

Christmas Cards all year round - K or L - K is for Kris Kringle 

Love to Craft - AG 

Merry Little Christmas - AG 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Kraft 

'L' IS FOR LIFE

What a great challenge over at Just Add Ink - Just Add 'L'.  Looking through my stamp sets I found just the set I wanted to use - a Visible Image set I'd recently bought called Just Be Happy.  I knew it would be a great one for my new journal I'm working on this year - so my L for this challenge is Life.

I started out by cutting my cardstock to 5" x 5" - I added some Distress Oxide Ink in Old Paper and then using a Visible Image stencil called Atomic Flower I went over it in Distress Oxide Frayed Burlap.  

The tree and the leaves and the Touch Life sentiment is from another Visible Image stamp set called Tree of Life. I stamped the tree in Ranger Black Archival and the leaves in Ranger Archival Library Green. I coloured them in with Distress Ink in Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive and added some Tri Spectrum glitter pen to give them a shine.  I used the same archival green for the sentiment and coloured it in with Distress.  I edged the card with Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feathers.  I layered the card onto some black card stock. 

I'm also adding this into  Addicted To Stamps - Stencils/Die Cuts - I used a stencil 

TRY STAMPIN ON TUESDAY - #TSOT494

We have a mix up challenge for you this week at Try Stampin on Tuesday - I decided to have a go at the bleaching technique as it's not one I've tried before.  I did some checking out of You Tube to see how it was done and there may be more than one way but I chose this way.

I decided my 'bleached' part would be my tree.  It's from a Visible Image stamp set called Tree of Life and I started out by using Versamark and then used clear embossing powder.  I used some distress inks to create the background - using TH Tumbled Glass, Pear Pizazz and a touch of Vintage Photo for the tree. Rubbing the inks over the clear embossing makes the image pop and makes it appear bleached. 

 I layered this on to a piece of black cardstock just on the right hand side.  The background was made with a stencil and some Vintage Photo and Tumbled Glass.

The sentiment comes from the same set and I used some Ranger Archival Ink and coloured the background in Vintage Photo - I added a piece of linen thread and popped it up on dimensionals.