All I Want for Christmas is Ewe

Hi guys

Back with my final Christmas card make of 2018.

This is the card I made for my chap, I'm loving the little scenes you can make with Clearly Besotted stamps.  The Scene It sets were recent purchases so I wanted to ink one up for this card.

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the trees, then stamped and cut out a mask so I could blend the sky.  Next I stamped the bow, then masked it before stamping the sheep.  Finally I stamped the sentiment.  All that was left to do was add a little colour to the trees and sheep, which I did using coloured pencils.  I finished by adding a small amount of shimmer to the trees but the camera hasn't picked this up.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Scene It Again, Kiss Me Quick
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Accents: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - New (new stamp set)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Challenge #418 - Anything Goes Christmas/New Year

My Time To Craft - Something New (new stamp set)

Alphabet Challenges - 'T' is for Trees

Fab 'n' Funky - Challenge #420 - Cute Christmas

Happy Little Stampers - December Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes (snow)

That's all of my cards shared for this year.  I'll be back on 2 January with my card for the next Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge.

All that's left to say is a huge THANK YOU for all your support and wonderful comments, I absolutely love the crafting community.  I wish you all a wonderful New Year celebration, whatever you're doing, and all the best for a fabulous 2019 xx

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection Two

Good morning

I'm back today to share more makes using the wonderful products from Honey Doo Crafts which will be showcased on Hochanda tomorrow.

Honey Doo Crafts have some absolutely stunning floral stamps, some simple outlines which are great for colouring, and others which are super detailed.

My first card today features a flower and leaves from the Cherry Blossom set, together with co-ordinating dies, and a background using the super cool Brush Strokes set...

This is one of my favourites using these products.  Directly on the card base I stamped the same brush stroke image in two different shades of dye ink to create a kind of plaid effect.  The flower and leaves were stamped and embossed in white and I used co-ordinating Distress Inks to blend the colour.  These were then die-cut with their co-ordinating dies.  The leaves were adhered flat, the flower was popped up on 3D foam and I stamped the sentiment in black, positioned to balance the design.  I finished with a single glittered enamel dot for the flower centre.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Brush Strokes, Cherry Blossom, Birthday Sentiments
• Dies: Honey Doo - Cherry Blossom
• Ink: Altenew - Lagoon, Sea Breeze; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Broken China, Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio
• Enamel dot from stash

Next up I've used another of the gorgeous floral sets called Fleur, which I've also paired with Brush Strokes for background detail...

I love grey and blush together so chose that colour palette for this one.  I started on the card base and stamped one of the brush stroke images three times to add interest to the background.  The flowers and leaves were stamped and heat embossed in white onto grey and blush cardstock and fussy cut.  These were really easy to cut out just by following the embossed edges.  Before adhering these I used the handle of a paint brush to add a slight curl to the leaves and petals, then popped some up on glue dots.  The dimension can be seen more clearly below...

The sentiment was stamped in a co-ordinating grey ink and to add some interest to the card base I created some double score lines around the edge.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Brush Strokes, Fleur, Birthday Sentiments
• Ink: Altenew - Blush; Hero Arts - Soft Granite; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Coloured Cardstock: Papermania - Midnight Blush

On this next card I used Fleur again for an autumnal theme...

I began with some kraft cardstock and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white.  I then used the different leaves from the set and also heat embossed these in white.  I then used coloured pencils to add the shading to the leaves.  The panel was then trimmed down with a stitched rectangle die. 

Before adhering the panel flat, I stamped the flowers in a soft neutral shade to add interest to the border of the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Fleur, Birthday Sentiments
• Ink: VersaMark; Altenew - Morning Frost
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Kraft Cardstock - Neenah - Desert Storm

For this card I used the gorgeous Carnation set...

On a panel of watercolour cardstock I stamped the stems and the flower heads, with a little masking to place one behind the other.  Once the ink was dry I covered the majority of the card, just leaving the area of the flower heads visible, and very lightly sprinkled some Brusho crystals in two shades before spritzing with water.  I used a paint brush to manipulate some of the colour then left to dry. I then die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle and stamped the sentiment in the same black ink.

To finish, I mixed some silver mica powder with water and gently splattered my panel to add some shimmer and sparkle.  The panel was then adhered to a co-ordinating coloured card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo - Carnation, Birthday Sentiments
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Brushos - Purple, Ultramarine
• Die: Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles
• Mica Powder: Honey Doo - Silver Sparkle
• Cardstock from stash

Don't forget, Honey Doo Crafts have two upcoming shows on the craft shopping channel, Hochanda (Freeview 85 / Sky 673) this coming Saturday, 10 November 2018, a 10am and 2pm GMT.

Thanks so much for popping by.  I'll be sharing more of my makes shortly.

Skull and Cross Buns - Santa's Workshop

Hi guys

I've been itching to share these makes.

There is a brand new clear stamp set for Christmas over at Skull and Cross Buns called Santa's Workshop.

Emily has been extremely busy since the launch on Create & Craft last weekend but this new stamp set is now live on the website, along with four co-ordinating stencils: Geometric Tree, Christmas Stockings, Elf Stockings, Stars and Sparkles.

I had a play with the stamp set and the stockings stencil.  For my first card I couldn't resist the super cute little gingerbread man...

I started by stamping the gingerbread man a number of times and then masked them.  A little tip for you, stamp the image onto a few layers of post-it notes, then you can cut through a few at a time.  I then used a pine needle stamp from my stash to create the effect of a Christmas tree in two green shades.  I removed the masks and coloured the little images with Polychromos before drawing the ornament hangers with a gold pen.  I stamped the sentiment and heat embossed in gold, before die cutting the panel with a stitched rectangle and popping up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Santa's Workshop, Merry Christmas; Uniko - Winter Foliage
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Evergreen; Memento - Cottage Ivy; VersaMark
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Rich
• Dies: Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles
• Accents: Signo Uniball - Gold

Challenge entry:

Allsorts - Challenge #488 - Trees and/or leaves

Next up, a super simple card using the co-ordinating stockings stencil to add colour...

I stamped the Merry Christmas, you can find it here, in VersaMark and embossed in silver.  I then stamped the stockings from the new set, as if hanging from the sign and also embossed these in silver.  I think the stocking hanger and the double lines on the stocking design co-ordinate so well with the sentiment stamp.  The stockings in the new Christmas Stockings stencil are exactly the same size as the image in the stamp set so I laid the stencil over the embossed images and added colour by blending with Distress Inks.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Merry Christmas Neon Sign, Santa's Workshop
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Inks - Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade, Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver

Challenge entry:

Sweet Stampin' - Use a Stencil (stockings were ink blended through a stencil)

For my final card I used the stocking as part of the sentiment...

The wreath was die cut from some white glitter card and adhered to a die cut green cardstock panel.  I stamped the stocking, coloured with ProMarkers and fussy cut it out to create the 'J'.  The remainder of the letters were die cut, coated in VersaMark and embossed in gold glitter powder.  I added some twine to hang the stocking from the wreath.  It was finished by heat embossing part of a sentiment stamp heat embossed in gold onto a strip of red cardstock.  The sentiment strip and stocking were both popped up on 3D foam

Materials used:

• Dies: Tonic - Wreath; MFT Die-namics - Happy Birthday To You; Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Skull and Cross Buns - Santa's Workshop, Merry Christmas
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Gold Sparkle, Metallic Gold Rich
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accents: Hemptique Twine - Emerald Assortment
• Cardstock from stash

Challenge entry:

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #78 - Dies and Punches

You can find more examples from my teamies using the rest of the stencils along with the new stamp set over at the Skull and Cross Buns Rubber Stamps Scrumptious Group over on Facebook.  I hope to have more makes using this set soon.

Less is More Challenge #377

Good morning, crafters!

Where are these weeks going?  It only seems like five minutes ago I was writing my last Less is More challenge post!  So, as it's time again, our new challenge just starting over at Less is More is a Theme challenge and this time it's all about Pets.

Our fab new Sponsor for August is STAMPlorations so please do play along for a chance to be our August winner!

And our June winner is joining us as a Guest Designer for this challenge, that's the lovely Hannelie, Desert Diva.  I'm sure she needs no introduction so please do pop over to see her, say hi and take a look at her fab card.


Ok, onto my cards for this one.

You may think this first one is a bit of an odd choice but yes, I did in fact have a pet mouse when I was a child!  My brother used to keep reptiles and therefore, sadly, used to breed mice to feed to the snakes.  My pet mouse was a rescue pet, it was just too cute!

I bought this gorgeous little stamp a short while ago in a sale at Lili of the Valley and don't know why I didn't ink it up earlier!  It was simply stamped and watercoloured with my Zigs.  I stamped a simple sentiment and then mounted the panel on some dark brown textured cardstock.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Lili of the Valley - Lucky Mouse; Wild Rose Studio - Everyday Greetings
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Watercoloured with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Coloured Cardstock: Bazzill Basics - Assorted pack

Challenge entries:

STAMPlorations - Summer Theme & Sketch Challenge - Stamps and Anything Goes

I kept my second card super simple, I think this cute image didn't really need much more...

I began by embossing with a die directly onto the card front.  The cutest little bunny was then stamped within the square and the sentiment below.  I coloured him with my Polychromos pencils.  The embossed square can be seen more clearly in the next pic.

That was it, super simple and quick :)

Materials used:

• Die: MFT Die-namics - Pierced Square Stax
• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Under the Weather
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos

Challenge entries:

STAMPlorations - Summer CAS Card Challenge
Inkspirational - Challenge #166 - Make a card in 10 mins or less (this took me 7 mins, 21 seconds!)

As always, my fellow teamies have created some lovely cards which you can see over on the main LIM blog here.  Please do follow their individual links for more info, and perhaps more cards too!

I hope you find time to play along with this one.

Happy Little Stampers July 2018 CAS Challenge

Hi guys

It's new challenge time over at Happy Little Stampers and today is the turn of the July CAS challenge.  I'll get straight to it, here's what we want to see on your creations this month...

The winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE THE RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

For my DT card I've used a stamp set which is new to my stash together with sentiment stamps from the HLS Perfectly Succulent stamp set...

I actually made a one layer when I didn't have to! lol  I stamped the cute little ellie and coloured him with Polychromos coloured pencils.  I then stamped and cut out a mask before inking through the background stencil.  I simply finished by stamping the sentiments.

Materials used:

• Stamps: MFT - Adorable Elephants; Happy Little Stampers - Perfectly Succulent
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Festive Berries, Worn Lipstick
• Stencil: Bought from Stamposaurus but has no name
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils

Challenge entries:

Allsorts - Challenge #474 - Baby Animals

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

All the HLS challenges run until the end of the month, so plenty of time to link up.  And don't forget to keep a look out for the other challenges starting over the course of the next few days :)

Clearly Besotted June Release Teasers: Happy Hibiscus & Mix It Up - Guest Designer!

Hi guys

Well I'm super excited this morning!

I've been asked once again to Guest Design for Clearly Besotted, and if you follow my blog (and look in my stash!) you can tell that I'm a huge Clearly Besotted fan!  So to be asked to join the team with the June Release teasers is an absolute honour!  The June Release products will be available to purchase from Clearly Besotted from 8pm BST on 1 June 2018 and also from Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks so much Jenny and Stephanie for having me and for letting me have an early play with these fabulous sets.  The members of the CBS Design Team are amazing so I hope my creations are up to scratch!

So let's get to it, and for Teaser Day One I have two cards using two of the new mini A7 sets.

Clearly Besotted create fabulous floral designs and this first little set, Happy Hibiscus, is yet another gorgeous one...

I began by stamping the floral image using VersaMark ink onto watercolour card before embossing in white with Altenew Pure White embossing powder.  I then used my Derwent Inktense pencils to watercolour the image.  I carefully then used my trimmer to cut away the side of the cardstock, and cut around the edge of the design, much like partial die cutting.  I adhered a strip of burgundy cardstock to the edge of the card base, to co-ordinate with the centres of the flowers.  The sentiment, from this same set was then stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink and the panel popped up on 3D foam.

Challenge entry:

Stamping Sensations - May Challenge - Close to Nature
Happy Little Stampers - May Watercolour Challenge - Anything Goes (CAS)




My second card uses a mini set called Mix It Up which features some fun fruity cocktails, and I've used a single flower from the Happy Hibiscus set with this one too...

I chose Neenah Desert Storm kraft cardstock for my base and panel here.  I stamped the pineapple cocktail from the set in Versafine Onyx Black ink and then masked it to stamp the hibiscus.  I then coloured the images using Faber Castell Polychromos pencils (never coloured a pineapple before, that was challenging!) before restamping to make the outlines crisp.  I have a mini and a standard MISTI so I left the stamps in position to restamp afterwards.  I die cut the images using a pierced square die by MFT Die-namics and used another larger die to emboss the card base before popping up the smaller one on 3D foam.  The sentiment, also from the Mix It Up set was also stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.


Thanks so much for visiting today.  I'll be sharing more tomorrow morning so please do pop back, and of course visit the fabulous Design Team whose links you can find over at the CBS blog, here.

Smokin' Birthday

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Hi guys

Today I'm back with a quick post to share a card I made for my brother, aka 'King of the Grill', as he's celebrating his birthday today.

I'll get straight to it...

I started by stamping the barbecue and sentiment on a panel of white cardstock and coloured the image with coloured pencils.  I then masked these and inked through a stencil with Distress Inks.  I adhered some dotty paper to the card base before mounting the panel over the top.  To finish I stamped the 'brother' sentiment and heat embossed in white on some black cardstock before die cutting with its co-ordinating die.  this was then popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Garden Retreat - free set with Creative Stamping magazine; Clearly Besotted - My Hero (and co-ordinating die)
• Stencil: Altenew - Warp Speed
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Ink - Carved Pumpkin, Barn Door
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Patterned Paper: Doodlebug - Kraft in Color: Color

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Patterned Paper

Allsorts - Challenge #468 - Happy Birthday

Penny Black & More - May Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for visiting today.  I'll be back on Saturday morning with details of the next challenge at Less is More :)

Less is More Challenge #371

Hi guys

Another two week challenge is just starting over at Less is More, and this time we're back with a Colour challenge for you.  Here's the cue card...

And for May we have a great new sponsor, Winnie & Walter, so do play along to be in with a chance of winning the monthly prize!

We have a fabulous Guest Designer joining us for this challenge, JoJo who was our March winner.  She has a great card she's sharing with us so please do pop by her blog and show your appreciation :)

Ok, onto my cards, and I have two I'm sharing with you this time.  Both using new stamps.

First up, using a gorgeous stamp set which was a pressie from my OH for my birthday, just had to ink it up...

I started with a white cardstock panel and inked through a dot stencil with yellow Distress Ink to create a little background interest.  Next I stamped the sentiment to ensure I had enough room before creating the rest of the elements.  I then stamped the layered bloom and leaves and die cut with the co-ordinating dies.  The panel was popped up on the card base using 3D foam, as was the flower, and the leaves were then tucked in and adhered behind.  Although the leaves should be green I've seen many designs where the leaves are stamped in grey shades and I realy like the look so it fitted this challenge perfectly.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Altenew - Build-a-Flower: Anemone (and co-ordinating dies); Winnie & Walter - Big, Bold and Party
• Stencil: Tim Holtz - Dot Fade
• Ink: Distress Ink - Mustard Seed; Versafine - Onyx Black; Altenew - Arctic, Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue, Mango Smoothie, Limestone, Silver Stone

Challenge entries:

Time Out - Challenge #109 - Inspired by Words
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #291 - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations - May Challenge - Close to Nature






Next up is a card using another new stamp set, this one was free with a recent publication...

I started by adhered some gingham paper to the card base.  Then, on a white cardstock panel I stamped the washing line with the pegs, the images and the sentiment in grey pigment ink.  The pegs were masked slightly before stamping the other images.  I then coloured the teddy bear, booties and bib with coloured pencils before adhering the panel flat onto the card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Bright and Breezy - Free with Creative Stamper magazine
• Ink: Versa Color - Sky Gray
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Patterned paper from stash

Challenge entries:

Penny Black and More - May Challenge - Anything Goes
CAS on Friday - Challenge #132 - Cute
Creative Inspirations - May Challenge - Clean & Simple or Fussy & Fancy (CAS option)

Thanks so much for visiting today.  This is a lovely colour combo, please do pop over to the main challenge blog to see the creations posted by my teamies, they won't disappoint.  And why not play along?  The challenge will run for the next two weeks.

Less is More Challenge #369

Good morning, crafters

Back with a fresh new challenge over at Less is More and for this fortnight's challenge we have a really fun Theme for you.  Here's the cue...

...something that you've not used on your cards in ages / out of fashion or favour /

older stash items

We have two fabulous Guesties joining us this week, Cara and Sue, our previous January and February Winners.  Please do pop over to say hi and to see what they've been bringing back for this challenge.

Our sponsor for April is the wonderful Happy Little Stampers and I've been using HLS stamps on all of my cards for this challenge.  And don't forget that by playing along you also get a chance of becoming our monthly prize winner!

For my cards today I've chosen some old items from my stash which I've not used in a LONG time.

The first stash item I grabbed was my chalks, and I made two versions of the same design...

On a panel of white cardstock I stamped the dandelion image twice in VersaMark ink.  I then dabbed on some chalks using a cotton pad.  Once most of the design was covered in chalk I then blended the colour a little more to pick up the detail of the images.  As you're adding chalk to an ink that's still sticky it's best to dab first instead of swirling so as not to blur the stamped images.  I then used a co-ordinating green ink to stamp the sentiment.  The panel was then popped up on fun foam onto a pink card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Dandelion Wishes
• Ink: VersaMark; Versa Color - Bamboo
• Chalks: Craf-T Products - Decorating Chalk
• Coloured cardstock from stash

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #287 - Make Your Mark (chalks)

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge #69 - Springtime

For my second version of this design I used the chalks on black cardstock...

The process here was the same but instead of using VersaMark I used a white pigment ink to which the chalk was then added.  The sentiment and stems here are in fact green but it doesn't show up too well in the pic.  The panel was then popped up on some black fun foam onto a green card base.  You do get more of a haze around the images on the black cardstock but I think that adds a nice softness to it.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Dandelion Wishes
• Ink: Hero Arts - Unicorn
• Chalks: Craf-T Products - Decoration Chalk
• Coloured cardstock from stash

And for my third card, and the one I shared over at the main LIM post, I had fun once again playing with shrink plastic!

I started by stamping the butterfly onto the rough side of some shrink plastic and then coloured it in with my coloured pencils.  You don't have to be too particular with the colouring detail as it will shrink to seven times smaller than it's original size.  I die cut the butterfly with its co-ordinating die and then used my heat gun to apply the heat required to shrink it.  It will curl while shrinking but it generally returns to a flat image, although my butterfly's antennas did get a little twisted in the process but I quite like how they look!  When still warm I just placed an acrylic block over it to ensure it was completely flat.  Here's a closer look...

On my card base I stamped the 'happy' using my MISTI with four different inks to create an ombre effect, stamped the rest of the sentiment in black and then adhered the butterfly using Glossy Accents to ensure it would adhere well.

Materials used:

• Happy Little Stampers: Butterfly Birthday (and co-ordinating die), Mix Mash, Everyday Sentiments
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Canary, Marigold, Orange, Camellia
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Shrink Plastic: Funstamps - Frosted

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes: Vibrant Colours

STAMPlorations - April Challenge - Focus on the Sentiments

Creative with Stamps - Challenge #25 - CAS + Sentiment
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with HLS Stamps

I had great fun returning to these old techniques and products.  My teamies are bringing back some great products and techniques on their projects over at the main challenge blog so please do drop by and visit them if you have time.

Can't wait to see what emerges from everyone's stash for this one!