Sparkle and Shine

 Good morning! Hope you are having a lovely weekend so far! When I saw the challenge at Allsorts this week I knew I had a card that fit the bill! I made this for my lovely colleague Sarah, who keeps me sane every day! I used Visible image and Inkylicious stamps, along with Distress inks in mermaid lagoon, picked raspberries and seedless preserves. I dusted the inks onto silk art card and used a stencil and a baby wipe to remove some colour in places. When it was dry I stamped the rain drops (Inkylicious) in memento black, adding a bit of sparkle with a gelly roll clear stardust pen. When it was dry I stamped the girl and the sentiment (visible Image) in Versamark and embossed with Be creative black sparkle embossing powder. It really was very sparkly, but unfortunately the camera hasn't really picked it up. It didn't help that there wasn't enough natural light either. Here is a close up where you can see a little bit of twinkle, but not half as much as there was in real life!

 I stamped the base card with Visible image stamps in the same inks and dusted with the same inks. The matting and layering was done with snippets so I am nipping off to Miss Di's snippet playground with this too.
We have just returned from a few days away in mid Wales. The rain certainly didn't dull Nature's sparkle. Here is the view from our cottage... Sheep rather than gold at the end of that rainbow!

 We spent a day at Lake Vyrnwy and saw more rainbows...

 There is some beautiful scenery around the lake and there are several waymarked RSPB walks giving stunning views of the lake.

 Here is a close-up of the tower on the lake. It may house various instruments to do with the reservoir's water, but whoever designed it make it look like something from a fairytale!

 The waterfall looked so beautiful surrounded by the Autumn colours and the sun provided beautiful spotlights as we walked.

Thanks for looking!

Rudolf Day for September

Who stole September then?! Where did that go? I can't believe it will be October next week! Let me tell you about my cards for Rudolf day this month. I fell in love with the latest tree stamps from Inkylicious and had to have them before Stamp Magic. As soon as they arrived I whipped them out of the packets and set to work. My first card uses the set Midnight trees A7 with fence posts, A moon stencil and memento inks. I made the shadows of the trees by swishing a damp paint brush below the stamped image. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards

My second card is a digi stamp (not sure if it is still online, but it was a freebie from Cuddly Buddly). I coloured it with Be Creative Alcohol markers and mounted using coordinating scraps. I used snippets on both cards so as well as Scrappy Mo's Rudolf days I will take these to Miss Di's snippet playground too.
I do want to apologise for not getting round to visiting your blogs as much as I would like. This term is very busy so far, but I am hoping it will calm down soon. I have a lovely class of 31 5 year olds, but it is very tiring. Thanks so much for your lovely comments. I hope to catch up soon!
Thanks for looking!

Snippets, Rudolf days and a few photos

 I've been very good using up snippets this week. I made some Christmas cards with a stamp from Indigo Blu that fell into my basket and some Be creative embossing Crystals.

 Three very similar DL cards but none with a traditional feel

 This third one has a lot more contrast in real life, but I couldn't seem to capture it in a photo. The embossing Crystals are from the more recent Be Creative  sets. I used Winter Wonderland, Pistachio and Summer Berries. There are more lovely exciting colours coming next week on Hochanda on Wednesday 31st August.

My final card is a mixture of imagination crafts sparkle medium on  Kraft and a very old sentiment from Stamporium. I did some faux blanket stitch in Sakura Jade stardust pen around the sentiment.
Four this time makes up for the fact that I didn't get round to doing Rudolf days cards for July. I am entering these into August Rudolf days with Scrappy Mo and Miss Di's Snippet playground.
Finally here are a few more photos from our holiday in Wales. I've kept it to Butterflies, Birds and a rather handsome beetle this time.

 First we have small tortoiseshell on some Hemp Agrimony.

 Next is a common blue,

Followed by a Wall Brown,

 and a Gatekeeper,

 Anyone know their beetles? I love his turquoise sheen! 

Finally we have a Fritillary, possibly a Dark Green, but I can't be sure - they all look so alike! He had definitely been in the wars too.
If you are ever near a Pembrokeshire Falconry Display I highly recommend it! Here is a photo of Meg with a Harris Hawk and sporting her new short hair do, not that you can see it very well through the rain!

I'm finishing off with a photo of me, which I very rarely do, but my companion was so cute! He went by the name of Frodo and I really wanted to bring him home!

Thanks for looking and all your lovely comments. Back to work next week so I may be around a bit less.

Wild Roses

I've been having a little play with the Wild Rose 1 stamp from Inkylicious. I went traditional for my first card and coloured it much like the Sally Holmes rose in my garden.Here's a photo of it...

To colour the stamped image I used a waterbrush and Distress inks in dried marigold, squeezed lemonade, Victorian Velvet, Mowed lawn and crushed olive.
 I saw a fabulous colour combo of Distress inks on Pinterest so decided to experiment on a tag after stamping the rose in Versafine black. This was twisted citron, peacock feathers, salty ocean and blueprint sketch. After inking I used the waterbrush to go over the rose, blotting as I went. I was rather pleased with the results.

I am entering them into the Challenge at Allsorts where the theme is Fabulous florals. I used snippets for both so I am off to Miss Di's snippet playground. The tag and the peach paper have been in my snippets drawer for eons, lol! Do pop over to the playground and join in the fun!
Thanks for looking!

Rudolf day for May and In the Pink

 It is time for another Rudolf Day over at Scrappy Mo's, and for this month I have gone with two digis. The first is a freebie I found online by Inger Harding. You can find it here. The papers are from my stash and the base card was stamped with a holly border stamp from Inkylicious in old paper distress ink.

 My second card is another digi, this time from Digistamp Boutique. The embossing folder is by Sheena Douglas and I used another snippet to make the bow and fake ribbon. Do pop over to Scrappy Mo's and take a look at the inspiration and lovely prize. As I have used snippets on both of these I'm taking them to Miss Di's Snippet playground, where there is more lovely inspiration for using up those snippets

When I saw the Challenge at Allsorts this week was 'in the pink' I had the perfect card for it. I am god mother to a lovely young lady who has pink hair from time to time! It is her birthday this week, and when I saw the digi from Lavinia it reminded me of her so much! Take a look and see for yourself!
All of the digis in my post are coloured with Be Creative Markers and a range of glitter glue and liquid pearls. The papers on the pink card are from PDA, and the bright pink ribbon was a gift from a friend.
I hope the bank holiday weekend brings you good weather and the opportunity to do what you love. Hoping to do some serious gardening myself.
Thanks for looking!

A snippet make and Buster the Squirrel!

Hi There! I realise that it has been over a week since my last post, but I am working on a few things that I will share with you in due course. I thought I would pop on and share a snippet Christmas card and some photos.

 My card has a snippet of vellum and a snippet of green card that have been in my stash forever! The bauble stamp is a very old one from Stampourium (no longer available). I coloured it using be creative markers, then applied some flake and glitter using the be creative glue wand. Here is a close up.

 I'm taking it to Miss Di's snippet playground. Do pop over and join in the fun if you can. I am also entering this into the current challenge at Penny Black and More, which is Anything Christmas.
Now to introduce you to Buster. This may be Cyril, but I renamed him, due to the fact he is pigging out on my bird peanuts and is now enormous!

 As you can see he fills the bird house!

Thanks for looking!

A snippet make

It has been a couple of weeks since I last made it to Miss Di's snippet playground. I seem to be generating more snippets than I am using with DT projects at present! I was putting together some samples for a workshop and decided to try making some faux patchwork with my snippets. these are all from the be creative winterland pad, which is 8x8" and I tend to make 6x6" or 5x7" like this one. The blue card is also a snippet. I am not sure of the make of the stamp as it is on loan and it is cling mounted. It belonged to the lovely Robert from Once upon a Stamp. I feel very honoured to be using it. I coloured it with be Creative alcohol based markers.
I hope everyone enjoyed the playground bonfire party, and are now recovered ;) I'd really love it if there is bonfire toffee left in the treehouse.
Before I go, if there is anyone who is in reach of junction 29 of the M1 and can make it to the Be Creative warehouse on 21st November, I am holding a Christmas colouring workshop 10.30-12.30. It will be a very relaxing session of colouring and creative fun! More details can be found on the Be creative facebook page about price and booking.
Here is a little taster of some of my sample cards

Hoping to encourage some more snippet usage!
I will leave you with a picture of my lovely Grandad. He volunteered for WWII and made it back from Dunkirk after sleeping in a hen house for 3 nights! He carried one of his comrades a couple of miles to the boats too. I like to remember him at this time of year, as much for the lovely wild fruit picking walks we shared as for his heroism.

  Thanks for looking!

Male Birthdays

 Lots of people struggle when it comes to ideas for male birthdays, especially teenagers. In times of need I will often opt for digi images, and Mo Manning has quite a few, especially if you are looking for a computer or gaming theme. With this one I began by stamping a panel of white stamping card with a twinchie stamp from Inkylicious in Kaleidacolor Creole Spice. I dusted over using the same ink pad and my ink dusters. I trimmed this and attached it to the base card, popping a turquoise stick on nail head at each corner.
I sprayed a snippet of card using blue and purple dylusions. When it was dry, I ran it through the cuttlebug inside a birthday themed embossing folder, before rubbing over some treasure brass to highlight the embossing. The sentiment is from Little Claire and was also stamped on a snippet. I made both of these cards a while ago. This first one was made for Meg's godmother's godson (Meg's godbrother?), who is also off to University in Sheffield.

 Here is another male card for you.This time I found some snippets of black card, and paper pieced the Woodware clear singles Sneakers stamp, using a white gelly roll pen on the laces and eyelets. I used ice grey 1 and pastel blue promarkers to shade around the stamp and a little ivory to add some shape to the sneakers. This stamp is great for paper piecing and for girls or boys from about 12 upwards - So versatile!
As I used snippets on both, I am off to Miss Di's snippet playground with them. I will be behind the bike sheds where the chocklit is, hoping the tag game is finished and no one else gets a tail pinned on them. Poor Mrs A! Hope Miss Di is feeling a bit better and her back is behaving itself.  Thanks for looking!

Snippet makes

I have been having a little play with some snippets, Card-io stamps and memento inks (tuxedo black, cantaloupe, dandelion and elderberry). The stamped and inked panels are offcuts when you cut a square from an A5 piece. The matting and layering is also snippets, as is the ribbon.

I am off to Miss Di's Snippet playground with these, and absolutely no chocolate whatsoever...nod, nod, wink, wink. Better be careful as Sarn is prefect and she knows what I am like, lol!
Before I go, if there is anyone out there who would be able to gather some seeds from the flowers in their garden and post them for us to grow in the school grounds or allotment, please email me: sallyholmes66@virginmedia.com
Thank you, and thanks for looking!

A little pink creation and some photos

Hi there! I have just returned from a few days away visiting my dear friend Lynne. I needed to make a card for a work colleague who loves anything French, and as I used quite a lot of pink I thought it would be a good time to remind you that Pink is our current theme this month at Stamping Sensations.

I used Inkylicious ink dusters and stamps for all the backgrounds and used Distress inks in Victorian velvet and tea dye. The Eiffel tower (Dovecraft) was stamped on a snippet of card in starlight black brilliance ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I cut the ferns, a rather wonderful little die from Frantic Stamper (available from Once upon a Stamp) from two snippets of burgundy card. I cannot recommend Frantic stamper dies enough. They took one run through the cuttlebug and popped straight out of the die so easily! The sentiment (Little Claire) was stamped on another snippet of card, cut with a spellbinder die, and even the ribbon was a snippet! With so many snippets used I am nipping over to Di's snippet playground with this card.
Before I leave you I will share some photos from my trip to Scotland.

 Mute and whooper swans.

 Whooper swan

 Wild primrose

There is nothing quite like fresh air, sunshine, blue sky, good company and exercise to put a spring in my step! Oh yes, and seeing 47 species of bird in just one day!
Thanks for looking and for your lovely comments. Do bring your pink creations over to Stamping Sensations this month as there is a whopping prize of £40 worth of goodies from PDA to win!