Safely delivered to Inkylicious and some sneaky peeks

Well, I had a lovely drive up to Batley this morning to take my sample cards to Deby for the Inkylicious Create and Craft show on April 28th. I was a little nervous as I handed them over, but I am happy to say Deby loved them. We had a good natter and a cuppa before I set off home again to cook pizza and birthday cake for Meg. The cards will be accompanying Deby to Create and Craft for the show at 5pm on 28th April.  I am treating you to two sneaky peeks of  my  Inkylicious creations today.

There will be a range of very versatile stamps on the show that I know you will love! I have had such a great time playing with them and I am really pleased with the results. There is another programme due next month too with lots more lovely stamps to come. I will leave you with a picture of Meg's Rocky Road Birthday cake - made gluten free for one of her guests.

Thanks for looking!

Megan's song

If you have a few minutes and fancy a listen, my daughter has written a song... enjoy!

My little girl is all grown up!

 I can't believe that my lovely daughter is sixteen today! I thought I would share the card I made for her. As she is really interested in all nature it had to be a scene, and last year she bought a wonderful dragonfly field guide, so I included a dragonfly. I also included some geese flying over as we saw lots when we visited Lynne last week. Here is a close up of the dragonfly.

 I stamped it twice in Versafine deep lagoon and majestic blue on to parchment, and embossed with kaleidoscope embossing powder. I cut both out and layered on top of each other. You can't see all of the iridescence in the photo, but it does shimmer and sparkle. All stamps are from Inkylicious and the scene was created with ink dusters and Adirondack inks . Now for a picture of the birthday girl.

 Here she is wearing one of her birthday presents - a traditional kimono, and here is a view of the back of it

 Finally, I will leave you with a sneaky peek of one of the creations I have made for the next Inkylicious show on create and Craft. It will be on Sunday 28th April at 5pm. hope you can watch!

 Thanks for looking!

P.S. I have some new followers (waves)- Welcome! Unfortunately, I can't seem to find out if you have blogs. Google plus doesn't automatically tell you. Please leave me a link so I can visit you too!

Exciting news!

It is the school holidays and I haven't posted for days, in fact I have been quiet all fortnight. I will tell you why... as well as visiting Dad regularly and having a couple of days away at Lynne's in Scotland, I am working on some cards for Inkylicious!!!! Deby asked a while ago if I would be interested in making some samples for her when she next had a TV show, and I jumped at the chance! I just know lots of you will love the stamps that I have been playing with, and I can't wait to show you. There are going to be two Create and Craft shows coming up quite soon, so I will let you know the details in the next week or so, as well as giving you some sneaky peaks of the things I have made. I might just keep saying 'My cards are going to be on telly!!!'  - please forgive me, as I am very excited about it!
What I will show you today are some photos of our visit to Scotland.

 We had a lovely walk along the river,

 taking in views of the Moffat Hills. It was bracing, but the fresh air and exercise were just what was needed!

The following day we went to Caerlaverock WWT centre, followed by a visit to Caerlaverock Castle.

 The castle's curtain wall forms a triangle, and there is a substantial mansion within it's walls.

We saw lots of wildlife too - a Peregrine falcon, lots of Buzzards, deer, teal and widgeon, to name but a few. We also saw the footprints and spraint of an otter, but he wasn't going to show himself this visit. A big thanks to Lynne for letting us visit again, and showing us some of the lovely places around her home. 
Hopefully I will be back soon with something crafty to show you. Thanks for looking!

Stamping Sensations April Challenge

It is the first Sunday of the month and time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations. We are sponsored this month by the wonderful PDA Cards and Crafts. I am lucky to live only a 20 minute drive away from their warehouse, and the vast majority of my card stock comes from them.They also sell a vast range of craft supplies, like Promarkers, Aquamarkers, stamps, punches and adhesives. The theme this month is 'Special occasions other than Birthdays'. As I had a couple of Wedding Anniversary cards to make I thought they would fit the theme perfectly.

 My first card uses card stock from PDA, stamps from Little Claire, and papers that were a freebie on the front of a magazine last summer. I coloured it with promarkers and added a ribbon from my stash.

My second card again uses card stock from PDA. The flourish stamp is from Inkylicious and the sentiment was from Waltzing Mouse. I ink dusted the background with squeezed lemonade, wild honey, tea dye and vintage photo distress inks, before stamping in citrus, Lettuce and Cranberry Adirondack Inks. I added dots of glitter glue to finish it off.

The Prize this month is a whopping £40 of goodies from PDA! I so wish I could enter myself!
Anyway, why don't you pop over to the challenge blog to take a look at some of the gorgeous creations from the DT, and them you can go and get making! Thanks for looking!

Vintage snippets

I have seen some lovely vintage cards using Kraft recently, so thought I would have a go too. I had several snippets of floral papers lying around, so combined them to make this:

The papers are mostly from Pink Petticoat, the pinches and dies are from Tonic and the stamps are an Inkylicious butterfly and a Dog Rose from Innovative Stamp Creations, both coloured with promarkers. I aged the edges with Tea Dye DI and some piercing.

 I used some gold tulip paint and some mini roses to finish it off. I am entering this into the following challenges:
Allsorts - Vintage
By the Cute and Girly - Vintage
Di's Crafty Snippet Playground - this card is virtually all snippets. Sorry I've not been here Di. I've been away so long you probably thought I'd run away with the fair, lol!
Update on Dad, despite having got a bit confused during the night as to which side of the bed to get out, he is sounding much more chipper and enjoying the footy. Thanks for all your good wishes.
Thanks for looking x

What day is it?!

 I've been a bit quiet for a few days. I took Dad to the hospital for his Hip replacement on Thursday. I was up at 4.30 and on the road by 5.30 to get him there for 7am. I saw a barn owl and a pair of roosting buzzards right next to the road, so there was an up side to being on the go at that time! Dad's operation has been successful and he is on the mend, although a little dizzy and nauseous still. If he is okay tomorrow then he will be coming home with his zimmer!  Ever since Thursday I have struggled with knowing what day it is. Yesterday felt like Saturday, and it has thrown me completely!

Anyway, thought I would share a picture of another card made with gelli plate papers. It is the same techniques and same stamp set as the last one I made - Inkylicious Hydrangea stamps, distress inks, distress markers etc. Scroll down to the last post if you want more details.
Before I go the last lot of snow brought  a few more visitors to our garden bird feeders. First was a black cap,

who was in perfect focus until he turned round, lol!
After that we had more Siskins on the feeder at the bottom of the garden, hence the blurriness on this one!

Such pretty birds! As I drove home from the hospital this afternoon the light was so beautiful. A real peach bellini glow and some eggplant clouds. I feel a scene coming on!
Happy  Easter for tomorrow and don't forget to put the clocks forwards tonight!
Thanks for looking!

Floral and gelli papers

I managed to have a good play yesterday, staying in the warm! Here is a card that has been in my head since I made the papers on my gelli plate, and I am rather pleased with how it has turned out. I was thinking of Brenda's follower celebration, knowing how much she loves getting inky or painty, distress markers, floral, a butterfly, ribbons and the odd pearl! The stamps used are all from Inkylicious and the inks are all Distress inks. The paints used on the gelli plate papers are all Do Craft Artiste Pearl (Wisteria and Ice blue). Here is a close up of the papers. There is another post on my gelli plate papers here and here.

 You can see the shine of the paint but also the ink dusting and stamping that I added in the white spaces. Here is a close up of the butterfly.

I first inked it with shaded lilac DI and then used Versamark and kaleidoscope EP to get the shimmer. Finally here is a close up of the main image.

 I coloured the stamp with a mixture of distress markers, huffed on the stamp and stamped on to watercolour paper. I then used a water brush to drag the colour onto the image. I finished it off with some ink dusting and the script stamp in tumbled glass DI, and a spray of glimmer mist in iridescent gold.
As well as Brenda's follower celebration, I am also entering this into Heck of a challenge, where the theme is butterflies and pearls, Visible Image Challenge where the theme is Spring and By the Cute and Girly (Favourite things: mine are inkylicious stamps, distress inks and my gelli plate!)

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!

More Great Outdoors for Stamping Sensations

As it was my turn to choose the theme for this month at Stamping Sensations, I also get to show you another card in the mid month post. I used some of the paper I made using my Gelli plate and the Crafty Individuals large Elegant Swirl. You can see my original and messy post here!
I then cut an arch using my Go Kreate dies, and leaving the die in place stamped with various grass stamps from Inkylicious and ink-dusted a few hills and sky in the background. I finished off with ribbon, bows and Prima flowers, along with some faux stitching using a walnut stain distress marker. The sentiment (Inkylicious) is stamped onto a spellbinders fancy tag die cut.
Pop on over to the Challenge blog where you will be able to see my answers to the questions our DT are discussing at the moment. I hope you find time to enter the challenge this month, as there is a gorgeous prize on offer from Crafty Individuals. Jean and Malcolm are such lovely people and over the years they have been a real inspiration to me. I can't tell you how excited I was when they agreed to sponsor us!
Thanks for looking, and I hope you have a great week!

Craft a Scene Tropical Shores

Here is my mid month post for Craft a Scene where the theme is Tropical Shores. I am also afraid to say it is my last piece of DT work for them, as until my Dad has recovered from his hip replacement (operation due at the end of the month) I need to be devoting more time to looking after him, and making sure he doesn't overdo it. He is a fiercely independent 84 year old and it sometimes takes my best teacher voice to tell him to let someone help! On top of that he has always been very active and very fit, so to lose his mobility is so frustrating for him.
Anyway, onto my card. I used the Stampscapes 'Palms with Huts' small set along with water pattern (231C) and Gulls (302A). I was quite pleased with the colours, using Adirondack Pool, Peri, Cloudy blue and Shell pink. This was all done with ink dusters. I coloured the huts and beach with distress markers.
 This won't be the end of my scene cards, it's just the DT commitment I needed to give up. Do pop over to the challenge blog and take a look at the fabulous scenes from my team mates.Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments.

A quick mid week Birthday Card

You know when you are having one of those weeks where you think someone's birthday is next week and it is this week? Well, this card was a very quick solution!

I used a rather lovely Kanban stamp (So sorry to hear they are closing!) and five colours of memento ink - potter's clay, tangelo, cantaloupe, pear tart and bamboo leaves I ink dusted the background with squeezed lemonade, wild honey and tea dye Distress inks. I added the ribbon and sentiment, and a few blobs of glitter glue and gelly roll sparkly pens.
Thanks for looking!
Whoops, nearly forgot to say a big welcome to my latest followers! Great to have you visiting x