Cold as Ice - GD at Allsorts

 I was lucky to be asked to be a Guest Designer over at Allsorts where the theme this week is Cold As Ice.  

I've made a little snowy scene with a Marianne stamp that I bought at a show earlier in the year, along with a little freebie bird stamp, a very easy design and perfect for  small batch making.  There's lots of 

glitter for a frosty look, along with a sprinkling of Chunky White Embossing Enamel.

The Design Team have some gorgeous samples for you, so please visit the main challenge to find all the details.

Thanks for calling in,

Avril xx

December mid month reminder at Stamping Sensations

Morning, we're half way through December and it's reminder time for the current challenge of Favourite Colours at Stamping Sensations.

This is Teddy's favourite colour - Blue and for some reason, apart from dinosaurs, he loves Penguins.  A good opportunity to use Pablo from Crafty Individuals along with one of their little Robin freebies.  I've added lots of blue glitter to his antlers, scarf and boots and the background trees are covered with white flowersoft.

The rest of the DT have some great samples to show using their favourite colours, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

Don't know about you, but the last 2 weeks have been so hectic, the twins won't be 3 till the beginning of January, but they are so excited, I'm exhausted when they go home. We're making Christmas cards this week, last week it was toilet roll/cotton wool Snowmen, we also made Snowman and Princess masks from paper plates.

Whatever you're doing, have a great day.

Avril xx
 

Santa Clause is Coming to Town at Try it on Tuesday

It's our last challenge of the year at Try it on Tuesday  and the theme is Santa Clause is Coming to Town, yes, I'll bet you will be singing that song all day!

I've used some Tim Holtz stamps along with some small cabins from Inkylicious to create my snowy with Santa and his Reindeer flying through the sky.

The rest of the Design Team have some great samples to show, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

Thanks for calling in.

Avril xx

Traditional Christmas at Try it on Tuesday

What do Traditional Christmases mean to you, well, that's the current challenge at Try it on Tuesday this fortnight.

I decided to make a few more wreath cards and after watching a tutorial from Jo Rice I came up with these variations, still using traditional greenery and various shades of green sponged round the masked centres.

Another short scheduled post as we should have arrived back last night and we're picking the twins up from nursery at lunch time, I can't wait to see them.

Have a great day and I'll catch up with you later in the week.

Avril xx

Favourite Colours at Stamping Sensations

Time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations and this time we'd love to see your Favourite Colours and there are two sets each of A5 stamps from Highlight Stamps for two lucky winners. 

For my card I've chosen Granddaughter Lucy's favourite colour - PINK, this will be her Christmas card.

I've used my new fairy Starr from Lavinia along with the new Christmas tree and small pine trees and of course lots of pink glitter.  It's an 8" x 8" card so I used two different shades of pink, which in the first photo look completely different to the actual colours, my second photo shows the pinks, but the card looks rather dull.  I've also added a good sprinkling of Chunky White embossing enamel for the falling snow.

The rest of the Design Team have some lovely makes to show, so please pop over to the main blog  where you will also find all the challenge details.

This is another scheduled post as hopefully I'm enjoying some winter sunshine and a much needed rest, I'll be very upset if the weather is anything like the scene on my card!

Thanks for calling in, I'll catch up with you soon.

Avril xx

Traditional Christmas at Try it on Tuesday

Traditional Christmas is the new challenge at Try it on Tuesday and we would love to know what it means to you.  For me it's the reds and greens and putting up the Christmas tree.  I also love a Christmas wreath on the front door.

With those things in mind, I've made quite a few cards featuring festive wreaths, building up the design with small stamps and on these two cards the stamps are all from Lavinia.

 The rest of the Design Team have some lovely inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog where you will also find all the challenge details.

This is a scheduled post as we're away, hopefully enjoying some winter sunshine and having a much needed rest before the excitement of Christmas really kicks in - I'd forgotten how good the bribe of Santa not bringing presents to naughty boys and girls is!

Thanks for calling in and I'll catch up with you soon.

Avril xx

November mid month inspiration at Stamping Sensations.

 We're halfway through the month of November and its mid month  inspirations time at Stamping Sensations where we're getting Ready for Christmas.  The DT have some fabulous makes to show, so please pop over and you will also find all the challenge details.

I've used one of my new Lavinia stamps Fairy Catkins to make a wreath along with some of the smaller individual stamps. I've also used the Winter magic verse, stamped and heat embossed with gold EP and for an extra sparkle, I coloured the Catkins with Twinkling H2Os in Gold.

I am going to  join in the fun at Allsorts with their Christmas challenge and also

Inkspirational  where the theme is Seasonal

Thanks for calling in, I know it's a busy time of the year,

Have a lovely weekend.

Avril xx

Baby it's Cold Outside at Try it on Tuesday

 Baby it's Cold Outside is our new challenge at Try it on Tuesday, so another opportunity to make a Christmas card.

I've used a selection of Tim Holtz stamps to create my winter scene, it certainly does look cold outside.

The rest of the team have some great inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

A busy day today, I'm picking the twins up from their first full morning at Nursery - their visits went well, so fingers crossed everything is OK.

Avril xx

Get Ready for Christmas at Stamping Sensations

Morning, can you believe it's the beginning of November already and the countdown is on for those Christmas cards and to help you along, we're Getting Ready for Christmas is the new challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month there are two prizes from Penny Black.

I decided to stamp this large Poinsettia from Tim Holtz, first stamping onto my base card and then again onto water colour paper.  My base layer was coloured with Tumbled Glass before stamping the script  with Brilliance Iridescent Olive (which is a dark gold colour), I then stamped the music script and greeting and heat embossed with Gold EP. I fussy cut the poinsettia and water coloured. I also added a few extra leaves.

The rest of the DT have some gorgeous inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog, where you will also find all the challenge details.

Thanks for calling in, have a great day.

Avril xx

 

Sparkle All The Way at Try it on Tuesday

 At Try it on Tuesday the new challenge this fortnight is Sparkle All The Way, so lots of Sparkle.

This jolly snowman was a magazine freebie and I've used Lavinia 's Berry Wreath adding lots of Liquid Pearls and a generous sprinkling of glitter to the holly and my snowman's scarf.  For extra sparkle, the    blue layer is a patterned glitter card.  It's just a shame all the sparkle is difficult to see in the photo.

The rest of the Design Team have some gorgeous sparkly creations to show, so please pop over to the main blog where you will also find all the challenge details.

Thanks for calling in.

Avril x

Happy Halloween

 Well, I had to use Willow the Witch again before she's put away till next year.

This time I used a Tyvek sprayed background, which gives a lovely silky sheen, although that doesn't show in the photo.

I added, some shading with a hill mask and then a circle mask to give the impression of a moon and added glittery sparks coming from her cauldron.

Take card, you never know who's about this Halloween!

Avril xx

Too Cute to Spook

 These two pumpkin men, I hope, are too cute to spook as they are for the twins.  They have really taken to all the pumpkins around this year and they have a Pumpkin Picking day organised for Monday next week, so I hope they will like these Halloween cards.

I've  used the Lavinia Playful Pumpkin, masking out the face on the bottom layers and they're coloured with Carved Pumpkin DI.  I stamped their hats on a recent crafty day with my friend as I don't have this hat stamp.  I've also used the mini branch and the Ickle Pumpkin along with the small broomstick.

While I'm here, just a reminder there's still a week to go for the Halloween challenge at Try it on Tuesday so why not join in.

We're making  Gingerbread Halloween biscuits today, wonder if there'll be any left for them to take home!

Have a great day, Avril xx

October mid month at Stamping Sensations

Can you believe we're halfway through October already which means some mid month inspiration over at Stamping Sensations for the Autumn Colours challenge, and the Design team are sharing some gorgeous Autumnal inspiration on the main challenge page.  With Halloween approaching I thought I'd share a pumpkin page in the Fairy journal book I'm making for the twins.

I've used Lavinia Pumpkin lodge and some of the Playful Pumpkins, I don't know why, but I really had trouble getting the true colours of this page.  The sky is Chipped sapphire Distress ink, the hills Dusty Concord and for the grass I used Forrest moss and Carved pumpkin  for the pumpkins enhanced with pencils. There is a feint hue of Twisted citron around my pumpkin lodge, but it seems to have given a very bright green look to my page.

And on the opposite page, the fairies are getting ready for a party and are taking extra pumpkins along to the Pumpkin  lodge.

There's quite a few pages completed in the book now, once the background is done, I can leave it and it's easy to add to the scene whenever I have a few minutes.

Avril xx

Halloween at Try it on Tuesday

Our new challenge at Try it on Tuesday is Halloween, well it is that time of the year!

I've used Witch Willow along with her little dragon from Lavinia stamps and she's busy creating a spell in the woods - I just hope her cauldron doesn't explode!

I used the twins as an excuse to buy some Halloween stamps this year, although they won't be getting this one - too scary, they're more into pumpkins - so watch this space as I've had a couple of afternoon playtimes.

The rest of the Design Team have some fabulous inspirations, so please pop over to the main challenge page and be prepared to be spooked!

Thanks for calling in,

Avril xx

 

Autumn at Try it on Tuesday

Our new challenge at Try it on Tuesday is  Autumn, and as I love the colours of the changing leaves, another leafy project.

This time on an ink blended background, I tamped a script background using Potting Soil Archival ink, then gold  embossed an old leaf stamp, I trimmed my piece down and was able to fussy cut a spare leaf.

Matting on gold and brown card, I added a gold embossed sentiment.

The rest of the team have some lovely Autumnal inspiration for you, so please pop over to TioT's main page, where you will also find all the challenge details.

Thanks for calling in.

Avril xx 

 

Autumn Colours at Stamping Sensations

It's time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month the theme is Autumn Colours.

For me, living on the edge of woodland, I love seeing the colours of the leaves and a leaf wreath was my inspiration using the small stamps from Lavinia in various colours, before  building up the little Autumnal scene inside.

The rest of the Design Team have some gorgeous Autumnal makes to inspire you, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.  And don't forget, there's a wonderful prize on offer this month

Thanks for calling in, have a great day.

Avril xx

 

Going Round in Circles at Try it on Tuesday

It's time for a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday and this time it's Going Round in Circles.

I tried the Bokeh technique using Brilliance Moonlight White ink for my circles through a stencil.  

I stamped  Lavinia's Lupin and masked him off before blending Wilted Violet and Broken China DIs, then used the white ink for the circles.

It looks as if Lupin is confused and wondering where these circles have come from.

I will decide on a sentiment later.

The rest of the team have some great inspiration, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

Thanks for calling in, Avril xx
 

Garden Delights at Stamping Sensations.

 

We're mid way through the September challenge at Stamping Sensations and this months theme is Garden Delights.

I've used an old Tim Holtz stamp and die set - (I'm determined to ink up some neglected stamps) on an Oxide inky background and because I coloured the flowers with Sparkling H20's (another rarely used item) I splashed some gold ink stain to lift the background, along with a watery mix of gold to ground the flower jar.

The rest of the team have some great inspirations for you, so please pop over to the main blog where you will find all the challenge details.

Avril xx

Fantasy at Try it on Tuesday

 The new challenge at Try it on Tuesday is Fantasy, so you can let your imagination run wild this fortnight.

That's just what I've been doing lately - until about a year ago I only had one set of fairy stamps, which had been a magazine freebie, but since the twins, I've now accumulated quite a few Lavinia stamps.  To make sure that they do get used, I decided to make a little journal/story book, this is and will continue to be a work in progress.

My little story is based on 4 little rabbits that discover a cave and journey into fairyland and their adventures.  The pages are all double spread and feature the 4 rabbits somewhere and I've started adding the captions to fit the story.

                          

The rest of the DT have some fabulous inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog where you will also find all the challenge details.

Thanks for calling in, it's Grandma duties today and a sleepover, so it will be later in the week before I get to catch up with you.

Avril xx

Garden Delights at Stamping Sensations

 It's time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month the option is Garden Delights.

I've used a neglected  Tim Holtz stamp, stamping different parts of this large stamp into each corner.  It looked quite bland, so I added some subtle stencilling along with one of the TH border stamps.

The rest of the team have some fabulous inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog where you will find all the challenge details.     There's also a prize of a £25 voucher from Stamp Addicts for a lucky random winner..

Thanks for calling in,

Avril xx

Guest Designer at Allsorts

 I was really pleased to be asked to be a Guest Designer at Allsorts challenge blog where the theme this week is Butterflies.

One of my favourite butterfly stamps is this gorgeous Swallowtail from Tim Holtz, and as it hasn't been inked up for a while, was an obvious choice, I've also used a favourite background stamp from Crafty Individuals, and a mix of Abandoned Coral and Spiced Marmalade for the background.

The team at Allsorts have some gorgeous inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main challenge, where you will also find all their challenge details.

Thanks for calling in and I hope you have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, the twins are having a sleepover tonight - I just hope I don't get woken up at 5.30 in the morning with shouts of  'Grandma we've had a lovely sleep'  like last time!

Avril x

Let's Go Outside at Try it on Tuesday

The new challenge this fortnight at Try it on Tuesday is  Let's Go Outside, so it's anything you see, do or hear outside - lots of choice there.

I love being outside and I've mentioned before that I live on the edge of woodland and frequently see rabbits and mice on my walks, we have a hedgehog who calls in for a 'snack' on his/her nightly travels  and one thing I hear most nights is the owl.  A few years ago on a holiday in the Lake District we actually saw an owl in the daytime, I felt very privileged.

I decided to use 'Gus' the owl for my card, I love his expression as he sits on his branch,  I've used Distress inks quite lightly for the background to create an early morning feel.

The rest of the DT have lots of different interpretations for this theme, so please pop over to the main blog where you will find all the challenge details.

The craft room has been rather quiet this week due to Covid19 making an unwanted appearance, so take care and stay safe.

Avril xx

 

Stamping Sensations Mid Month Inspiration

It's time for some mid month inspiration at Stamping Sensations where this month the challenge option is a Summer Mood board

I've picked the Blue/yellow colour theme along with the dog in the hat and used one of the Crazy dogs, which was fussy cut and given a hat from another stamp set.  I've placed him on a Gelli plate background.  I've added a cut apart quote, I'm not sure who the maker is as it was borrowed and stamped on a play day with my crafty friend - it's like having twice the stash when you have a crafty friend!

The rest of the Design Team have some great samples to share, so please pop over to the main blog where you will also find details of the two prizes from Craft Stash.

Thanks for calling in,

Avril xx

 

 I've actually had some productive play time while the twins were away and took time out to play some more with my Gelli plate, which I've had for a while, but never been that pleased with the results, till recently, again I've used my new Elements inks and must say I like the results, although I've still got a long way to go  with experimenting.  Now I need to use up my little stack of backgrounds.

This was another of my 'first tries' -  my Gelli plate is a 4" sq and I wanted to try and make it more versatile, so I used a die to cut a circle from a 5"x5" square card  and used the negative to mask the edges of the gelli plate  before I inked, removing it before I took my print and I'm quite pleased with the 'circle' result.

I used Lavinia's Glow Flowers, again stamped on a play day with crafty friend and I've used glitter gel pens to colour, so there's quite a bit of sparkle, not something I do a lot of.  Although another CAS card, similar to one a couple of weeks ago where I die cut a circle from the square, this just gives another option.

Thanks for calling in,

Avril xx

Sing A Song

 The new challenge at Try it on Tuesday this fortnight is Sing a Song, so that's anything music inspired.

I've used a background made with my new Elements inks splashed with water on a Gelli plate.  My main image is an old Flonzcraft stamp along with some music themed freebie stamps.

The rest of the DT have some fabulous inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

We're having a few days off this week as the twins and family are visiting relations, so we're making the most of it with a few days away.  I'm also hoping to get some blogging time and maybe post something. besides DT stuff.

Have a great day,

Avril xx

Summer Mood Board at Stamping Sensations

 

It's time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month there's a Summer Mood board option and there are two prizes this month from CraftStash for lucky random winners.

I chose the blue/yellow theme from the mood board, and as I'd had a 'little' spend with some birthday money recently and bought some Elements inks, this was my first play with Lime Punch and Blue Attol on the Gelli plate, which was also generously splattered with water.  I then stamped the dandelions, adding some gold stickles to the flower heads.

The rest of the team have some great takes on the Mood Board, so please pop over to the main challenge blog for all the details.

Have a great day, Avril xx

Pretty Papers at Try it on Tuesday

The new challenge at Try it on Tuesday is Pretty Papers - that's something I don't use very often - if at all, although I do have lots.

A rummage around and I came up with some G45 Couture papers for a very girly card.

The rest of the team have been using papers in various ways, so please pop over to the main blog where you'll also find all the challenge details.

A short post as we've got the twins today and we now have a weekly sleepover on a Tuesday, so hopefully I'll be around later in the week when I recover!

Avril xx

 

Mid month Summer Flowers at Stamping Sensations

 We're half way through the current challenge of Summer Flowers at Stamping Sensations, which means the DT have more samples to show for your inspiration.

For my piece I've used the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia) stamp from AALL&CREATE, which was fussy cut and used on an inky and embossed background.   For a different effect I used a 'tracing wheel' to make the holes around the base card, albeit a little wonky!  I've used a black card base to co-ordinate with the bold black sentiment.

The rest of the DT have some gorgeous Summer Flower samples to show, so please pop over to the main blog, where you will find all the challenge details along with details of our prizes.

Avril xx

Use 3 Colours at Try it on Tuesday

Use 3 Colours is the new challenge at Try it on Tuesday this fortnight, now that can be any three colours of inks/paints etc which doesn't have to include your base or stamping ink OR just use 3 colours only, the choice is up to you.

I've chosen to use 3 colours  of ink -  Wilted Violet, Twisted Citron and Picked Raspberry.  A mop up background of Twisted Citron and Wilted Violet and I've coloured my flower with Twisted Citron and Picked Raspberry for the flower head.  The backing layer was also coloured with Picked Raspberry.

The rest of the Design team have some great samples to inspire you, so please pop over to the main blog, where you will find all the challenge details.

Thanks for calling in,

Avril xx

Anything Stamped option Summer Flowers at Stamping Sensations

It's time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month the challenge option is Summer Flowers.  There are two fabulous prizes - a £25 store voucher from Crafty Individuals and two dies from Highlight Crafts

I always think of roses for summer flowers, so I've used one of the rose sprays from Tim Holtz.  I started with a blended background of Bundled sage and Victorian velvet and then randomly stamped with Victorian velvet, I also added some script stamping in Bundled sage. I stamped the roses using Watering can Archival and stamped again on white card and fussy cut.  I used Victorian velvet to colour the image.

The rest of the Design Team have some gorgeous inspiration for you, so please pop over to the main blog where you will find all the challenge details.

I've got a busy day today, a family lunch and then the twins, plus parents, are off on holiday for 2 weeks, I'll  miss them but I'm really looking forward to the 'me' time, especially after the last week of 2 sleepovers and only 2 days off!

It's not often I enter challenges these days, but I am going to enter at We Love Stamping as their challenge theme is Fabulous Florals and also at Allsorts challenge where the theme is Summertime

Avril xx

 

Summer Blooms at Try it on Tuesday

It's time for a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday and this fortnight it's Summer Blooms.

I've used the Thinlits Wildflower dies which were cut from watercolour paper and coloured with Distress inks.  The backing is a mop up of rainbow inks.

The rest of the DT have some lovely samples to inspire you, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

The craft room and blogging has been very neglected lately - we've had extra Grandma duties along with regular sleepovers for the twins now and of course the lovely weather means we've spent a lot of time in the garden, well you have to make the most of the sunshine as you never know how long it's going to last.  

Thanks for calling in, 

Avril xx

 

Mid month Around the World at Stamping Sensations

We're half way through the month of June and that means there's more inspiration over at Stamping Sensations for the current challenge of Around the World.

I've used an old background stamp from JustRite along with some stamping and masking using A Crafty Individuals sailing ship and Destinations stamp from Papermania.

The rest of the DT have more fabulous inspiration, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

Thanks for calling in, have a great day.

Avril x

 

A little Birdie Told Me

Our new challenge at Try it on Tuesday this fortnight is Birds and/or Feathers. 

I've used the Crazy Birds, which are such fun and suitable for all ages.  I began with a brick stencilusing various shades of brown DIs and then fussy cut and coloured the birds.  The sentiment is a freebie from a craft magazine,

The rest of the DT have some great samples to show, so please pop over to the main blog, where you will also find all the challenge details.

We had an unexpected week off from Grandma duties so we took ourselves off to the Lake District last week for a much needed break in the sunshine, so pleased we did as the North East was cold and grey skies - and we've brought the sunshine back with us, so it will be play time in the garden for the twins this week.

Thanks for calling in, I'll be around to catch up later in the week.

Avril xx

Around the World at Stamping Sensatoins

 

It's time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month it's Anything Stamped with the Option of  'Around the World'   and there are two great prizes this month.

For my sample I've used an old Sheena Douglass stencil for the background and then stamped my Couture Lady from Dyan Reaveley, stamping another on white card and colouring the outfit with Picked Raspberry before fussy cutting.

The rest of the Design Team have some great 'World' inspiration, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

Avril xx

Masculine at Try it on Tuesday

 It's time for a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday and this fortnight the theme is Masculine.

I opted for a card and I've used a faux wood background and some Sheena Douglass stamps, fussy cut and coloured with pencils and an old Anita's sentiment borrowed from my crafty friend.  

The rest of the Design Team have some great samples to show, so please pop over to the main blog for all the details.

Thanks for calling in and I'll be around later to catch up.

Avril xx

Mid month at Stamping Sensations - Add a Stencil

It's mid month for the current challenge of Add a Stencil at Stamping Sensations and the Design Team have more samples to inspire you.

For my sample I've used an AALL&Create stamp on white linen card and picking out the mauves of the flowers, I've used Wilted Violet Oxide ink through a French script stencil on the background.

The rest of the team have some lovely samples to show, so please pop over to the main blog for all the challenge details and you'll also find details of two great prizes from Oakwood Direct.

Thanks for calling in today.

Avril xx

Keep it Simple at Try it on Tuesday

We're keeping it Simple at Try it on Tuesday with our new challenge.

Well, this card was certainly simple to make.  I've used a mop-up from our Rainbow challenge a couple of weeks ago and an already stamped and fussy cut image, which just needed a little bit of inky colouring and a pre-stamped birthday greeting.  I edged the mop-up with Wilted Violet to match the flower colour and added a small twine bow - how simple is that.

The rest of the team have some great samples to inspire you, so please pop over to the main blog where you will also find all the challenge details.

There's not been much going on in the craft room the last few weeks as we've been having the twins a couple of extra days while Laura has been working to cover holidays - I just wish I had the energy they have.

Have a great day, Avril xx