Dotty for LIM!!

Hi All,

This week at LIM the theme is  -   POLKA DOTS

So for my little offering I have inked up a very neglected stamp, the image is by Stamps Happen and is one of the first stamps I bought!   For my 'Polka Dots' I paper pieced her jumper and added a strip of the same BoBunny paper down the size.  The rest of the image is coloured with Promarkers.  Didn't even need a sentiment!!

I am also entering this card in:
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  Partytime Tuesdays - Anything Goes
  Papershelter challenge - Anything Goes
  Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

I would like to say 'Hello' to Vicky my new follower, Lovely  to see you!

Enjoy the rest of your week, and Thanks for looking

Avril xx

House Mouse Challenge - Fall

This is my second Spot as Guest Designer for the House Mouse Challenge Blog and the theme this fortnight is 'Fall', very appropriate for this time of the year.  The girls on the Design Team are a very talented group and have made some fabulous creations for your inspiration, so do please pop over to the blog and have a look, and hopefully you will join us. 

For my card I have used one of the unmounted Fall stamps from Joanna Sheen.  I stamped the image, coloured with Promarkers and used chalks for the sky.  I stamped and coloured a few extra leaves,and added some Glamour Dust, (the original stamp only has 3 falling leaves), there are also some smaller leaves in the set, so I stamped these onto the panel at the bottom.  I inked the base cardstock with Bundled Sage, Antique Linen, Tattered Rose and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  Quirky Crafts - Autumn Leaves
  One Stop Craft - No Designer paper
  I Love Promarkers - Cute
  Little Red Waggon - Autumn

Coffee & Cream with a hint of Dark Chocolate

The Challenge this week at Fashionable Stamping Challenges is 'Coffee & Cream with a hint of Dark Chocolate' Mmmm!

So, we would like to see your stamped creations using Coffee and Cream with the option of Dark Brown or Black. and as usual there is a fab prize from Marina, at Cottage Crafts our sponsor.

For my card I have used 'Dandelion Wishes' set of clear stamps from Inkylicious.  I repeatedly stamped the sentiment on  cream cardstock in Antique Linen Distress Ink  I stamped it again on spare card in Vintage Photo, tor the edges and distressed using a combination of both. I stamped the Dandelions on a nesti cut from the same cream cardstock and again, distressed this.  I added Glamour Dust to the little seed heads.
For my hint of Dark Chocolate, I used a Dark brown card base and ribbon.

The Design ~Team have made some absolutely fabulous samples for you inspiration, so please pop over and check them out.

I am also entering this card in One Stop Crafts challenge - No Designer Paper
  Sugar Creek Hollow - Shades of Fall -(shades of brown)
  Totally Papercrafts - Layer on Layer (there are 3 layers here - I think that counts)
  Fab & Funky - Distressed or torn
  TopTip Tuesday - Layer It
  HeartSong Inspirations - Use Flowers/Felt
  Moving Along with the Times - Vintage

Late Again for LIM!

Well once again - Where has this week gone!

When I saw the challenge at LIM this week was 'Cocktails', I knew I had to use this digi image from Bugaboo, I bought the set, and have only used them once or twice,  but I must admit - I'm a bit basic when it comes to digi's I can re-size, but that's it!  I always need to print out and then layer, I can't do anything else with the image - note to self - I must learn!
I coloured with Promarkers, layered the images onto black and added Glamour Dust - so what took so long!
  I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
    http://www.4craftychicks.blogspot.com/4Crafty Chicks - Colour It Up

This is just a quickie post as my Crafty Friend Diane is due - Craft and Natter night!

Thanks for looking, and Thank You for all the nice comments I have received lately, especially as I am still not spending too much time at the computer to leave many comments, but I am trying to catch up!


Avril xx

Sugar & Spice

A couple of weeks ago I entered Lexi's challenge for the first time and was so surprised when I won the Guest Designer spot!  The challenge this time was to use a sentiment and this cute 'Sugar & Spice' was the the one I picked. I thought it went so well with this Penny Black image, and to show the sentiment to its best, I thought  it had to be an easel card.  I made the roses after watching a few tutorials on UTube, but didn't add all the layers on the smaller one.
I am also entering this card in Craft Your Passions challenge - Double up in Pink
  Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes
  Heart Song Inspirations - Use Flowers/Felt
  Sentimental Sundays - Fancy Folds

We have just returned from a long weekend in the Lake District, one of my favourite places, the Autumn colours were gorgeous, the first piccy is Rydal Water, the other is Lake Windermere, I always think this is a lovely time of the year - especially if you are lucky with the weather.

Thats it for now, thanks for looking.  Hope you all have a good week,

Avril xx

Less Is More

I think this must be the earliest I have entered LIM
I went to a small craft fair yesterday and one stall was selling Wood Backed rubber stamps for £1.00 each, and this was one of them! Perfect for this weeks challenge which is one layer and 'hearts'.
The stamp is All Night Media and I have coloured with Promarkers and added a little Glamour Dust. I did try a bow at the top, but wasn't too sure.
The Happy Anniversary stamp is straight - I promise - must be the way the card is lying for the photo.
I didn't have any heart stamps before yesterday, and now I have 2 - bought another which you may see later.
Just a short one tonight,
Thanks for looking.

Avril xx

Spooky Mouse!

Oh Lucky Me!  I am thrilled to have been offered a second GDT spot on the House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge, and of course I jumped at the chance, well....... which HM fan wouldn't!

For this fortnights challenge they would like to see Halloween/any or all of the colours Black/Orange/Yellow/Green.
I don't normally do Halloween cards,  and don't have any suitable stamps, so needed to improvise and it was a case of letting the imagination run wild, so to speak!  This is actually a cute stamp called 'Lip Stamp' (nice red lips on the stamp) but I changed it to vampire teeth and gave  him a cloak (coloured with Promarkers and added glitter)
The orange and green papers are from a handmade paper pack and I distressed all the edges with Walnut Stain DI.  Hand drawn spider and web - couldn't resist! Sentiment was computer.
Do have a look at the Blog as the Design Team have made some fabulous creations for you inspiration, and I really feel very privileged to work with these girls again.
Thanks for looking and I do hope you like my little offering - and you are inspired to enter this great challenge.
I am also entering this card in the following challenges
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  Stamps & Fun = creativity - Halloween
  Victorine Stamps - Halloween
  One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
  Sparkles Forum - Halloween
  Challenge up Your Life - Halloween
  Scecret Crafter - Anything Goes as long as it Sparkles

Avril xx

Fashionable Stamping Challenge

The challenge this week at Fashionable Stamping Challenges is 'Anything but a Card' and this is a theme I haven't really ventured into, so it was a bit of a challenge for me as well!

I decided to make an Explosion Box - something that has been around for quite a while - but I have never done one. I have  usually seen them made with papers and embellishments, but as this is a stamping challenge - I decided on my trusty Hero Arts Script stamp and my new Inkylicious Butterfly stamp and of course Distress Inks. (Vintage Photo, Spun Sugar and Bundled Sage)

Its all very similar, but I tried to make the acetate butterflies look as if they were flying free from the box when it opened.
The sides of the box were embossed with Butterfly Swirl CB folder as is the panel on the top of the lid. I also stamped a butterfly and embossed with UTEE for the lid.  This was a difficult piece to photograph, so, sorry for the poor piccys.

The design Team have created some fabulous pieces of work for your inspiration, so please pop over to the FSC blog, I guarantee you will be amazed at their creativity.

I am also entering this in the following challenges:
  Stamping for the Weekend - Colours of Autumn
  Stamping with the Dragon - Fall Colours
  PaperPlay challenge - Autumn colours
  Pixie Dust - Anything but a Card

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks for looking.

Avril xx

Blue Lady

I'm late again for LIM who want to see the colour of your 'eyes'.
Well - mine are blue - so not much choice there!
The lady is by Inkadinkado and stamped in Adirondack Denim, her hat band is coloured with Denim Promarkers. I used blue chalk for a soft shading, matted onto dark blue and a computer sentiment!
I am liking my LIM cards now - just need to do the earlier in the week.
I am also entering this card in the 4CraftyChicks challenge - Monochromatic

Hope you all have a good week end. 

Thanks for looking,
Avril xx

Vintage - Again!

I am really going through a Vinage phase at the moment, I think its because after  my little spending spree at Harrogate last month, I was making room for the new stamps and began to look at all the neglected stamps, most of which were vintage - my first buys in the stamp world. 
This is 'Pearls & Plumes' by Hampton Art Stamps. she is coloured with Promarkers, I added Glamour Dust  to her feathered hat and pearls, this does look sparkly in real life  The embossed panel was stamped with a script stamp in weathered Wood Distress ink, then spritzed with water, embossed with CB folder and then distressed with  Weatherd Wood, Worn Lipstick and Fired Brick before rubbing some Metallic Rub-ons on the raised embossing.  I used the same DIs and rub ons on the swirls. The vellum layers is from last year's Papermania's  Silent Night, and has a lovely gold pattern printed on.  The flower which is old book pages and organza was cut with scalloped Nesties and spritzed with  Bronze Cosmic Shimmer
This started as just a short one tonight,  but I got carried away with the discription,  hope you are still with me!
I am entering this card in the following challenges.
  Make It Monday - As Always - Anything Goes
  Anything Goes - Die cuts/punches
  Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
  Fab & Funky - Die cuts/punches
  Simon Says - Sparkle & Bling
  Truly Scrumptious - Distressing
  Crafty Cardmakers -  Anythging Goes

I would just like to say 'Hello' to my new followers Paula and Lindsay -  Thanks girls, You have just brought the total to '70'  - and I am so thrilled - Thanks You All

This post has take 2 nights to do, thanks to the pins & needles I keep getting down my arm, due to the 'pain in the neck' so if I'm a little slow in paying visits, I hope you'll understand.

Thanks for looking,
Avril xx