New Favourite Stamp

I am really liking this stamp. I put these bits together last night and its a completely different look!
This time I stamped on white and then masked the corset, and then stamped over using Hero Arts Old French Writing. I added black Glamour Dust to the top and hem and used red embroidery thread for the lacing. Matted onto black and red and a red punched strip, which I think looks a bit like a 'garter' or is that just my imagination!
Some challenges for my card:
Wild Orchid - Dieing to Punch
Allsorts - Special Lady
Craft Your Days Away - Special Lady
Crafts & Me - Anything Goes
Simply Create - Do it yourself - I did this myself!
Crafty Creations - In Stitches
Stamping for the Weekend - Mothers Day

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Avril x

Clarity's Corset!

This is one of the Clarity stamps that I bought at the Papercrafts show, I have wanted this stamp for ages. This is my first finished card using this stamp, and I stamped the image with Distress Ink(forgot to get a new Versafine) and then heat embossed using a Stewart Gill Marcasite Embossing Powder which just gives a little black sparkle, but doesn't show in the photo. I cross stitched the 'ties' on the back of the corset before matting on black.

I am entering this card in the following challenges
Simon Says - Mothers Day/Girly
ABC - Sewing
Lets Ink it Up - Punches
Papertake Weekly - Girly
OohLaLa - Mothers Day/Special
Thats it for now - need to put some 'bits & bobs'from the play day together and make a card!

Thanks for looking

Avril x

Penny Black Challenge

Didn't get to play too much today - can you believe it - I was so excited at the thought of playing with my new stamps I almost forgot I was meeting a friend for lunch today. It was a beautiful morning and so easy to get up early, so all the jobs were done and washing was on the line by 10am so I managed to finish my card for this weeks Penny Black challenge which is Spring.
The papers are Papermania (don't look to hard - one is upside down!) The fabric flowers were a freebie from somewhere? cant remember where! and they have sat in the drawer for about a year!!
I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - In the Garden
Simply Create - Monochrome
Cupcake Challenges - Monochrome
Craft Your Days Away - For Mum
Ladybugs Crafts Ink Challenge - Monochrome

Well thats it for now - I am going to play, I have lots of ideas buzzing around!

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please let me know and I will come and visit you.

Avril x

House Mouse challenge

What a great weekend - the weather has been really nice and on top of that I went with crafty friend Diane and her friend Michelle to Harrogate Paperscrafts show on Saturday. We all had a really good day, not only did we buy some very nice 'goodies' but we met up with some blogging friends. It was especially lovely to meet Christine (Nanaseaside)as I won candy from her in the House Mouse Blog Hop earlier in the year. I also met Lisa Jane Lisa and Sylvia Ann and was introduced to some other bloggers who I will have to visit.
I am giving myself a 'play day' tomorrow - can't wait to use the new 'goodies'! but today I have made my card for the House Mouse Challenge Welcome Spring. I bought this stamp a few weeks ago, but didn't have the right shade of yellow for the daffodil so some new Promarkers was essential on Saturday.
I have used an image from one of the new Spring unmounted stamp sets, coloured with Promarkers. The DP is from a Laura Ashley pack - not that you can see much of it!
I have added stickles and glossy acents to the raindrops. I distressed all the edges with Vintage Photo DI.
I am also engtering this card in the following challenges:
CES - Song - Why does it Always Rain on Me
Stamp Something - Sweet - This mouse is sweet
DYSU - Add a Bow
Sarah Hurley - Embossing
The Ribbon Girls - Green & Yellow (it really is pale green not grey)

Well thats it for now. Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril x

Sketchy Lady card.

Wow, I have just realised I came 3rd in the Sarah Hurley Challenge for the 4 legged friends with my House Mouse step card!!


This is a card I made on my 'play day' last week, I can't take all the credit though! I was inspired by a card on Shirls blog a couple of months ago using this stamp and she had made her own postcard, (hers was pink and mine is green). I have used Clarity' Sketchy Lady and the postcard and tag are from an unmounted travel set by Royal Langnickel The paper is from Craftwork Cards(bought at Harrogate last September). I printed the sentiment on the comp.

I am entering this card in the following challenges
Creative Card Crew - Green
Pixie Cottage - Green
Papertake Weekly - Trio of Things - 3 pearls
Sentimental Sundays - Green
Daring Cardmakers - Postal

Well thats 2 posts in 1 day!

Thanks for looking, and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril x

Button & Bows

Just a quick post to show a card I made a few weeks ago for a friends birthday, which I didn't want to share before her birthday. This friend loves sewing, so I knew she would appreciate this. We met for coffee yesterday and she told me she is going to frame it and put it in her 'sewing room' - what a compliment
I have used a Hero Arts stamp (compliments of crafty friend Diane). I stamped out little dresses onto extra paper, addsed some stickles to the pink one. The tape measure is a scan of my tape measure aged with Antique Linen DI!
Button and ribbon from stash to match the DP. I wrote inside 'Sew Glad We're Friends'.

I have found a few challenges to enter this card in
DYSU - Add a Bow
Totally papercrafts - Buttons
Die Cut Dreams - Mothers Day/Special Friend
Sassy Studio - Own Embellishments
Stamping for the Weekend - For Mum


Hope to finish another card today, after a few jobs (unfortunately),cause tomorrow we're off to Harrogate Papercrafts show and I might just buy a few new goodies to play with!!

Catch you later

Avril x

Results of 'Play Day'

I have started putting together some of the 'bits' from the 'play day'. This card was made using 'caught in crystal' where you ink the image on acetate, scrunch up a piece of tissue put it on the back of the acetate, add floor polish and then add H2Os. This is a Clarity Stamps image which I think works really well. I have kept it very plain with just a backing of Script CB pearl card and distressed this with Vintage Photo DI. I stamped another butterfly and couldn't help but glitter it with a little Crystal stickles.
I am entering this card in the following challenges
The Stamp Man - Floral/Mothers Day
Sarah Hurley - Flowers
Simply Create - Monochromatic
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Flowers for Mum
Lets Ink It Up - Embossing


Thats it for now, if you like what you see, please leave a comment and I can visit you - and please pop back.

Avril x