Some more Samples for Be Creative

Here are some cards made with the Be Creative paper pads for Gordon and Justin's appearances on Hochanda a little while ago. For the first I used a Digi from Hero Arts (I also have this as a clear stamp and a red rubber wood mounted stamp, but the possibility of resizing the digi made it a must have as well!)  I coloured it with Be Creative alcohol markers, shaped it with spray 'm' boss, and mounted on a Nellie Snellen die cut. The border is a spellbinders die and the gems are also from Be Creative, coloured with an alcohol marker. I added some Be Creative glitter glue to the butterfly too.

For my second card I used a stamp from Inkylicious over some card washed with Distress inks and water. I added a skeleton leaf and popped them on the front of a card covered in paper from the Be Creative Nature's portrait pad.

My final card was made with the time flies pad and a Digi from Digistamp boutique, again coloured with alcohol markers. The sentiment was stamped then placed into the flattened bottle cap before mounting with 3d glue gel.All Be Creative products are available from Once Upon a Stamp. You can find their website here.
Sorry I haven't been in blog land much recently. There has been lots happening at work and Steve's Dad has been in hospital all week after a fall caused by very low blood pressure. He had a nasty knock to the head, but no broken bones, and after transferring him to another hospital he had a pacemaker fitted on Friday...not bad going for a 95 year old, and to be honest he seems more lively now than he has in months! He should be home by the middle of next week, but is still a bit wobbly walking.
I will leave you with a photo or two of our wildflower meadow in the allotment at work. So pleased it came into flower just as we were judged for the Nottingham in Bloom competition!

Thanks for looking! 

That Tree Again!

 I had another play with the Inkylicious Willow tree and lots of ink! The background paper was made with Adirondack colour washes in eggplant, denim, stream, lettuce and butterscotch. I made the background ages ago and have nearly finished using the pile of papers I made with just a few sprays! I over-stamped the paper with Hero Arts Silhouette Grass stamp and Inkylicious French style Script . I also used some sequin waste with my ink dusters and Adirondack eggplant ink.

Then I took an arch die (Once upon a stamp) and cut a shape from silk art card. I dusted this with memento inks in Grape Jelly, Bahama blue, Teal Zeal, with some crushed olive DI at the bottom - why I didn't use the same Adirondack inks as the washes I used for the background, I am not sure!
The willow tree was stamped with memento Tuxedo black, and the glitter added once it was all dry. I wasn't sure if this pale green glitter would work, but I think it does. The Willow Tree will be available soon! If you want a good look at all of the gorgeous stamps that Inkylicious produce, on 8th June they will be at Stamp Magic, Doncaster, or if you can't wait you could visit the website!
I have broken up for half term today, so I am looking forward to some rest and relaxation, although I have my reports to write so it isn't all fun! I am going to try and have a good look around blogland too, as I feel I have neglected you all over the past few weeks.
Thanks for looking and have a wonderful evening!

Snippets, Butterflies and Stitching

Over at Mrs A's Butterfly Challenge the theme is stitching this fortnight. I am afraid I missed last time, but I was determined to have a go this time. I have been sorting out my snippets and found a pile of bits in citrus colours. I used my spellbinders nested pennants dies and cut out a whole load of triangles.

I used various gelly roll pens to put faux stitching around the  various shapes and topped it all off with a hero Arts butterfly, glittered and embossed. I had a bit of a rant about glitter containers whilst I was doing it - why put a sprinkle top onto a pot of fine glitter? it means you can't put excess glitter back into the same pot without trying to remove the lid and spilling even more!!! Okay, rant over!
You have probably noticed that I used lots of snippets for this, so I will also take it to Miss Di's snippet playground where I got showcased for my scene last week.
Thank you for all your lovely comments recenly. I am sorry that I only manage to get to visit at weekends at the moment. I seem to have so little time for anything other than school stuff. Feel free to skip to the bottom of the post now to avoid my second rant!

I hope you don't mind but I am going to share another rant. On Wednesday I will be on strike for the third time in my 24 years of teaching (I have another 20 to go before I can retire). I am not striking because of the money or pension I will eventually receive. I am striking because I care about children. I believe children have the right to be taught by someone who is fit enough to do it, including demonstrating forward rolls, skipping and kicking footballs (I won't be at the age of 68). I believe children need to be taught by someone who is enthusiastic about what they are teaching, not feeling constantly bogged down by the ever changing requirements. I believe children at 5 and 6 have a right to be able to play and have fun at school, and can learn important social skills that way, like tolerance, empathy, acceptance of diversity (Sadly lacking in the government). I want the opportunity to spend some time with my own child and share the same holidays. I believe every child should make progress at their own level and pace, and not have to learn things like times tables before they learn to tie their laces. I believe children have a right to an education that nurtures them into a fully rounded healthy individual who isn't considered to be a failure, and is able to enter adulthood without fear, anxiety, anger and intolerance.  Einstein was so right and Michael Gove is so wrong!


 Thanks for looking, and apologies if the teacher's strike affects you. I hope you understand why we are doing it.

Butterflies and flowers

I made it to Mrs A's first Butterfly Challenge just in time! I made a monochromatic card using the Inkylicious Daisy fields stamps, A hero Arts butterfly and a sentiment from Inkylicious. The inks are Shaded lilac Distress ink and Memento Grape Jelly. As the matte and layers and butterfly are all made from snippets I am also taking this to the snippet playground. I am also entering this into Brenda's 5th Bloggerversary draw  where she asks us to use our favourite craft item. Mine is definitely my ink dusters, which I used here to get the lightly shaded and graduated background. I know Brenda loves her butterflies too, so I am sure she will like this one.
Here is a closer view of the butterfly...

I feel the mojo is more or less back to normal now, thank goodness!
Do you want to see what else I have been making?

Feel the calories!!! I made it for one of the Sensei at Karate who gives Meg a lift home from senior class every week, not that we are trying to slow him down or anything, lol! I have offered to make another that we will raffle off to raise funds for trophies and medals, like the one Meg won in December.

As it was half term I have trained at two classes this week and did a karate seminar on Saturday - Five hours of Karate in 3 days. I am pleased to say I can still walk, lol! A few aches and bruises, but nothing serious. I must be fitter than I thought!!!
Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments.

Less is more and snow

 The Challenge this week at Less is More is to include beads. I made this little tag a few weeks ago (must have been longing for some sunshine!)but hadn't blogged it, what with the inspection and everything. this seemed like the perfect opportunity to mount it on a card. The flip flop straps are my beads, threaded on wire. The stamp used on the flip flops is from Hero arts and the sentiment stamp is from Hobby Art.
Well, the snow here is still coming down, but I don't think it is getting any deeper, so I guess it must be melting a bit too. I popped out this morning whilst Meg was at Science on stage rehearsals to snap a few pics, but didn't venture further than a few steps from the door. I have a stinking cold with streaming nose as it is! Here are a few photos.

Hope you are staying nice and warm, and thanks for looking!

Using my Gelli plate papers

I made a couple of cards using my Gelli plate papers (original post is here). I didn't want to lose some of the lovely detail on the papers, so made the focal point small compared to the rest of the card. The papers were made with my gelli plate and Chocolate Baroque sunny sunflowers. I added a bit of dried Marigold DI as well. The Hero Arts butterfly was coloured with promarkers before adding stickles and then stuck to the card with pinfair glue gel, leaving the wings proud of the card. This one winged it's way to Paula who won my blog candy. I then made another very similar.

The 'With love' (chocolate baroque) at the top and some of the small text (inkylicious) was stamped in versamark and brushed over with blonde moments pearl pigments in gold. Shame you can't see the shimmer in the photo. This went to a friend for her Birthday. 

 I am itching to play with the rest now...then make some more papers too!

More troubled skies at Craft a scene

I had a play with most of my Stampscapes stamps after watching Kevin's videos on Youtube. Here is my second DT offering of Troubled Sky for Craft a Scene. The colours of Adirondack ink are Peach Bellini, Denim and Eggplant. The base card is stamped with Hero Arts Silhouette Grasses and a sentiment from Inkylicious. I added a few highlights with white gel pen to lift the darkness a little.
You still have a bit of time left to enter the challenge, so get those stamps out and have a go!
Before I disappear I thought I would share a troubled sky or two from our summer holiday last year! I can't complain because it was only really two days in a fortnight that it really rained, but it was rain with attitude!

  Thanks for looking!

September Challenge at Stampalot

Good Morning! It's the first Sunday of September and time for a new challenge at Stampalot. Here is my card:

 This month we want you to take inspiration from this picture, and also to include some lace.

I used the colours and the roses, and a cameo stamp seemed to fit with the design. 

I created the background by stamping the flower (Hero Arts) with Versamark and then sponging distress inks in Victorian Velvet, Dried Marigold and Bundled Sage. I made 3 roses using my retro flower punch and coloured those with Victorian Velvet, Dried Marigold and Antique Linen. 

The central panel was stamped (Waltzing Mouse) and embossed in green pearl embossing powder, and I added a few flat backed pearls as well. The cameo(waltzing mouse) was stamped in Versamagic tea leaves and attached with pinflair glue gel.

The lace was originally white but I added a bit of diluted tea dye distress stain and it began to look a bit more antique.
Now I hear you ask, what is the prize? Feast your eyes on this!

Such a lot of goodies!
Pop over to the challenge blog to see the fabulous inspiration from my lovely teamies and then lets see your fantastic creations. Sorry, I went a bit mad there with the photos didn't I?!
I'm entering my card into the Heck of a Challenge first challenge where the theme is Anything Goes.
Thanks for looking!

Playing with highlighter pens

I've finally got round to having a play with highlighter pens as featured by Paula Whittaker in Craft Stamper last month and also on her own blog here. I used an orange highlighter, walnut stain distress ink and Inkylicious stamps on the first.

The second was done with a yellow highlighter, walnut stain distress ink and stamps from Hero Arts and Chocolate Baroque. I sprayed the second with a water mist to get the speckled effect. I will definitely be doing some more of these. Now what did I do with the blue and pink highlighters?!
Thanks, Paula, for sharing such a fab idea with us.
Thanks for looking!

Spring Dreamy

I had a request for another card like one I did for this month's Stampalot Challenge, but in the Spring Distress ink colours.

I stamped and clear embossed the 'Dreamy' flower, then dusted the background with Peacock feathers, dusted Lavender and squeezed Lemonade distress inks. I then stamped over the top with the Hero arts Friends definition in Dusted Lavender. The base card was stamped randomly with Dreamy (Penny Black) in the same inks. The central panel was mounted on silver Mirri card and placed over the matching ribbon. When I use this technique I ink up the main image first with versamark and then with distress ink before stamping, to make sure the embossing powder stays put.
I think I like this colour combo the best, although the summer colours come a close second. Perhaps I should keep using the summer colours to prompt an improvement in the weather! We have had some heavy downpours and there is a puddle outside work like a ford, but nothing like they have had a little further north, or in the south west. There have been moments when I have given up trying to teach over the noise of the rain drumming on our flat roof and told the children to watch the hail, rain, lightening etc through the window! We have had an impromptu lesson on what lightening and thunder are, so it hasn't been all bad! Thank you to all the lovely people who keep visiting despite my sporadic visits, and thanks too for your kind words.
Thanks for looking!

What's my Crafty Passion?

Good Morning and welcome to the first Sunday in the month, in other words, time for another Stampalot Challenge. For July we are asking 'What's your Crafty Passion?' Well, where do I start?!

Distress inks, tree stamps, Hero Arts leaf swirl and old French writing to name but a few. Here is a close up of that old French writing that I stamped in versamark and brushed with mica powders...

The tree(Indigo Blu) was stamped with flitterglu and then covered with gilding flakes.

Another crafty passion I have is floral stamps, so I made a second card featuring a Penny Black floral stamp called Dreamy, Hero Arts friend definition, and the gorgeous new summer set of distress inks. I used my ink dusters over the embossed image to blend the three inks together before stamping the friend definition with shaded lilac DI from the spring set. The prize this month is this rather lovely set of goodies.

 Pop over to the Challenge blog and take a look at the fabulous creations of our lovely Design team, and then create something to show us your crafty passion.

Thanks for looking!

Bingo at Sir Stampalot

Good morning!
It is the first Sunday of the month, so it is time for another Stampalot challenge. We are playing a bit of Bingo this month and here is your Bingo card.

I chose the central column and here is my creation featuring green, polka dots and  lace.

The papers were from Pink Petticoat, and went beautifully with bundled sage distress ink, which I used to stamp the Hero arts leaf swirl. The doily die is by Cheery Lynn, and I placed a die cut circle in the centre that had been run through the cuttlebug Swiss dots embossing folder, and edged with gold tulip paint. The Hero Arts butterfly was stamped in black memento and coloured with promarkers. I added a bit of stickles to the wings, too. 

The prize this month is this lovely lot of goodies.

Please pop over to the challenge blog and look at the wonderful creations from the DT for more inspiration. Hope you can join us this month. Thanks for looking!

Half term - Yipee!

Hi there!
First of all can I say a big thank you to all the peeps who have visited me recently and left lovely comments. Much appreciated. I am not at work for a week now, so I will hopefully find a bit more time to play and visit blog land. I'd also like to say welcome to my latest followers.
Top of my wish list this half term was to find time to have a play with my flitter glu that I won from Samuel Taylor's in their April challenge. I also won some lovely Yorkshire Dales mega flakes, which are glorious shades of green with hints of gold and bronze. After a longer than usual Karate Class (2 full hours - Sensai lost track of time!)  I came home, had my tea and began to play, and this is the result.

 I used a mixture of distress inks - bundled sage, Victorian velvet, tea dye and wild honey (I was inspired by the fabulous birthday card I received from Lisa - thanks my friend!). The stamps were from Inkylicious and were stamped in the same distress inks and versafine onyx black. I sprayed with a little glimmer mist too. The Hero Arts butterflies (Been using this a lot recently!) were my mega flake experiment.
The flitter glu is incredibly sticky stuff and dries tacky, so concentrate on getting it off your stamps ASAP, I managed to do this by having a little pot of warm water there to drop my clear stamp into as soon as I had used it. If you don't manage this you will definitely need the glue remover. This sounds a bit scary, but don't be put off as the results are stunning!

As usual the photo isn't as good as in real life, but you can just see a hint of the colours. The little sponge buffer that came with it really brings out the shine too.
Here is my other butterfly.

Over the years I have bought several products for use with gilding flakes, and never had a great deal of success, but I do rather like this stuff! It stamps well, showing lots of detail and is easy to use, not requiring a heat gun. I would recommend the Indigo blu easy peasy stamp cleaner for getting sticky off, and not just on your stamps too. I managed to get some on my fleece which didn't come off in the washer, but did come off with the solution.
This thank you card is heading off to Samuel Taylor's store, and I will be back after some more experimenting and playing. Thanks for looking!

Long time no post

No post for over a week! Can't you tell I'm back at work?! Well, I have managed a Less is more card, and I am putting the finishing touches to a couple of card commissions, so I may manage two posts this week! Anyway, enough of my chatter. Here is my Less is More card where they have a sketch this week

I used a waltzing mouse stamp for the circular frame, an inkylicious stamp for the foliage and a Hero arts digi stamp for the butterfly, coloured with promarkers and a bit of glitter too. Yes, I have the butterfly in the wood mounted and the clear version, but wanted to be able to resize it so HAD to buy the digi too. I admit it. I have nearly as many butterflies as tree stamps!!!
I've just realised I haven't added a sentiment, but it is one layer except for the butterfly, so please let me know if it doesn't fit the criteria, Chrissie and Mandi and I will put one on. Thanks for another brilliant sketch - I normally don't like them, but this is just my style! Thanks also for the lovely comments from the lovely LIMettes. I will hopefully get round to visiting you over the week. Thanks for looking!

Take inspiration from the Stampalot Challenge

Good Morning! I hope you are all feeling good this Sunday morning. A few weeks ago Brenda sent all the Stampalot DT two kits and asked them to all come up with something using each. The kits for each challenge were pretty much identical, the DPs' and ribbons varied a little but are all from the same family and it was quite an eye opener to see how they all turned out. I never thought we could all produce something so different using the same stash................ and at this stage I can hear you all asking 'but what's this months challenge', well it's simple really:

********Take inspiration********

.............from any of the DT's pieces of work or the kit itself. You can make anything you like and choose where you take your inspiration from........... perhaps some of the kit colours, pearls and swirls, or maybe one of the DT card designs and go with your own colours. All we ask is that you remember to tell us in your post which it is and of course follow the rules.
For my card I used a set of Hero Arts Clear stamps called layered flowers which I stamped and embossed in versafine vintage sepia and then painted with distress inks in Wild honey, mustard seed and faded jeans. I added glitter to the centre and pearls to the stamen. The punch is Martha Stewart doily lace and the die is a Nellie's multiframe called flower. It goes so well with the Martha Stewart punch.
My DT buddies have created some gorgeous inspirational cards, so please pop over to the challenge blog and check out their cards too.  You will see card number two in a couple of weeks.
Whoops! nearly forgot the prize!

It is being hand selected by Janice at this very moment and is sure to be fabulous!
Thanks for looking!

Happy Monochrome New Year at Sir Stampalot

Good Morning and a Happy New Year to you. Today is the start of a new Challenge at Sir Stampalot where the theme is Monochrome, and by this we mean your choice what colour you work with so long as your card is all in shades of the same colourway (you can of course use white cardstock).

I went for shades of Blue, in fact it is all done with Chipped Sapphire Distress ink.  The central scene is stamped on to water colour paper and the sky was done with ink dusters. I used a water brush to pull a little bit of colour from the stamped images. The images are all from the Hobby Art Scene it coastal set and the Harbour set. The background was created with Hero Arts Antique flower design block.
The card flourishes were cut with a Marianne Design Die. The card candy and charm were from my stash, but I found this lovely set of Nautical charms on Stampalot's website that I will be buying very soon. 

The prize this month is a fabulous surprise... hand selected by the lovely Janice. I am sure you will love it!

I am really looking forward to visiting you and seeing your lovely creations. Pop over to the Stampalot challenge blog and look at the fabulous inspiration from the Design team. 
thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments.