A bit of a long one!

I hope you have had the fabulous weather we have had this weekend. Because it was so lovely, we had a walk in the woods yesterday, although there was a bit of mist around, despite the warmth and brightness of the sun. Here are a few photos.

Today I have done some gardening and made a couple of cards using snippets. My first card features some waltzing mouse stamps, a spellbinders border and some Pink Petticoat papers (which you are probably getting bored of by now!)

I used a little distress ink to add colour for the tea and around the stamped frame. I took a photo of it outside and unfortunately there was a bit of shadow that I didn't spot.
For my second card I paper pieced and decoupaged a Woodware singles stamp using lots of snippets. I am rather proud of the little stack I used up with this one!

Again I used some pink petticoat papers, but the other scraps have been hanging around for a very long time! Not the best photo, either I'm afraid. I will try to get a better one in the morning. Here is a close up of the 2 types of stickles and the glazed 'chocolate' and cherries.

I'm entering both of these into Di's Crafty snippets challenge, where I think I may get to be tuck shop monitor this week! Thanks for looking and I hope you have a good week.

Better late than never...

Well, I finally managed to make a card for the latest Less is More challenge where the theme is Masking. I made a one layer card using post its to mask off a sun within a section of the card. I used Adirondack inks in mountain rose, denim and lake mist with my ink dusters. I then removed the masking and stamped with Inkylicious flower and sentiment stamps.

 I used a touch of white gel pen and some cotton candy stickles to add a bit of interest. I'd never made a card in this style before seeing one of Chrissie's nearly 15 months ago, here. I now make them very regularly - thanks, Chrissie for the inspiration. Thanks for looking and I hope to visit some of my fellow LIMettes after Karate tomorrow night.

Look out for the Blog hop

Here is a quick reminder about Sir Stampalot's Birthday bash next month which kicks off on April 1st. We have so much fun lined up and some totally awesome prizes.

 It would be really great if you would help us spread the word and add it to your sidebars. Pop it in your diary!

Moonlight becomes me...

I had the opportunity to get inky on Mother's day and thought I would start work on a commission that needed to be finished by the end of next week . It is a retirement card for a female lawyer who likes cruises and flowers. I am hoping this fits the bill.

I used my ink dusters to create a moon, sea and sky with Adirondack inks in Peach Bellini, Mountain Rose, Watermelon, Purple twilight, Eggplant, Denim and Pitch Black.The stamps are all stampscapes (Palms with Huts small set).

 The vine and large flower in the corner are Marianne design dies and the flowers are an EK success punch. I am entering this into the 'Craft a scene' challenge where the theme this month is Moonlight. It is the first time I have entered this challenge, but my regular visitors will know how much I love my scenes.

Before I go I thought I would share the card Meg made me for Mother's day, yesterday. She loves drawing Manga and here is her portrait of me...waist deep in cupcake! If only I were that slim in real life! She bought me flowers, baked me some gorgeous cakes and cleaned my car too. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter.
Well, I'd better go and get on. Thanks for looking!

A Krafty Affair at Sir Stampalot

Good morning, and a Happy Mother's day to you. Hope you are being pampered! Here is my second card for the Stampalot Challenge this month made with a kit from Sir Stampalot. The kit was selected by Janice and is available from the Sir Stampalot store. Here is a taste of what we received, and the papers are double sided, so heaps of designs to choose from. 

My main image is Penny Black's 'Candid', stamped on to watercolour card and painted with Distress inks in shabby shutters and Fired Brick.

 I need to share a little bit of excitement coming your way . The first of April will be our second Birthday.  How quickly that time has gone and so many members of the DT remain the same as on day one, so I feel very honoured to be part of such a fab team.................thank you everyone, past and present, for being the best of crafting buddies..............and thanks Brenda for your inspirational leadership. Be sure to keep a look out for that post on 1st April.

Thanks for popping by!

A couple of baby cards using snippets

It has been a while since I made any baby cards, but knowing four people who are pregnant I thought I would get some practice in!

I have made a girl and a boy card, both with snippets for Di's crafty snippet challenge. Sorry about the awful photo on the second. The digi images came from Squigglefly and were coloured with promarkers. Thanks for looking!

Saying it with Flowers at Allsorts

The challenge at Allsorts this week is to say it with Flowers. I was asked to make a Diamond Wedding Card for a colleague's parents, so set to work. Unusually for me I didn't stamp at all! I had made a few roses using the tutorial Brenda directed me to,  on Lee's blog and a five petalled retro flower punch. Here is a close up

I coloured them with Victorian velvet and wild honey distress inks, then dotted crystal glaze onto the petals. I also used a tonic punch, Nesties, a Marianne die, a cuttlebug embossing folder, Hero Arts gems and a computer generated sentiment.
Now I have been reminded by the lovely Di, I'm submitting this for her crafty snippets challenge . The silver paper was two separate snippets, the roses were made from some white linen card that had been trimmed from a larger sheet because it was a bit discoloured (It was donated to me by  the lovely Lynne. It was in her loft, and she had forgotten it was there!)
Thanks for looking!

Clearing out the cobwebs

For the past couple of weeks I haven't had much in the way of fresh air. I've been to Karate, so I've had my exercise, and I've done playground duty, but growing up in the countryside, I don't count inner city playground as fresh air!

Today we went to see my Dad and took him out for a stroll around Bothamsall in North Notts. Although most trees are still bare, apart from the odd catkin, there are definitely signs of spring. The walk took us across the river Maun and the river Meden.

It also took us across some lovely farm land. It is just a shame you can't hear the skylarks, and what a glorious sky they were singing in!

And of course I spotted some rather lovely trees!

This next oak was a particular favourite...

The sunshine and fresh breeze really changed my mood, and I came home feeling refreshed and more in the mood for crafting... especially if it involves tree stamps!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you have enjoyed some sunshine today too.

Neutrals at Less is more

Hi There
I've managed to snatch half an hour to make a card for this week's Less is More where the theme is Neutral colours.

I used a couple of nesties, a couple of Waltzing Mouse stamps  and the cuttlebug Swiss dots embossing folder. The sentiment is computer generated. I really didn't manage to capture the true colour of the prima flowers, as the yellow one is much less bright in real life - honest!
This is a birthday card for one of our staff at work. I am struggling a bit to find much time to craft at the moment, as work and life are encroaching. All in all I'm feeling constantly tired and my get up and go has gone on holiday I think! It doesn't help when someone dials a wrong number at quarter to one in the morning either, mind you, it must have looked quite comical, me trying to operate the phone with no glasses on when half mostly asleep, lol! You will have to forgive me if I don't get round to everyone leaving comments this week, but serious sleeping  needs to come first!
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!