Make your own Background at Allsorts

 Donna has chosen the optional theme at Allsorts this time (Anything Goes also welcome).

I've said it many times but I LOVE this DT because the themes encourage me out of my comfort zone to try different techniques and that's what I did with this card.

I have no idea where the stencil came from (Probably a magazine freebie from days gone by when I subscribed to a couple of magazines). Although I rarely use them, I do have quite a selection of Distress Inks in my stash, you know what it's like, see a fab technique, buy the stuff and never use it. I digress, I have a lot of inks, some purchased and some gifted so I thought why not, do some blending and that's what I did. I took the inspiration for the rainbow from the adorable Aall & Create Washi Tape, Flower Dancing. I am SO pleased with the rainbow blend that I achieved and mounted it on shiny black cardstock. The Whimsy Birthday die also shines beautifully and the Happy is just a random stamp.

A set of four background stamps from AALL and Create

Thank you for paying me a visit. See you tomorrow xx 

Beside the seaside, beside the sea

 Happy Weekend!!

The Allsorts gang are off to the seaside this time (your Anything Goes entries are also welcome!!). A lovely seasonal option chosen by Christine.

Two prizes each of two Sentimentally Yours stamps from Grafton Crafts, a well stocked bricks and mortar and on line shop offering fee p&p on all orders over £15

I have used some old 12 x 12 scrapbook papers to make my cards. The first was cut with an Aall and Create die to make the collage frame effect. The stamp set is probably an antique one from Marianne Designs that was all things nautical. I stamped each of the little plates with various stamps from the set in different colours of ink.

I had a fancy to used kraft for these to continue the vintage/olde worlde look. The toppers on the second card were on the reverse of the papers and I simply added some twine to the tag for a little extra. 

We are having a bit of a heatwave here in the UK at the moment so a perfect time for a trip to the coast, hope you will join us!!

See you next time xx

Allsorts Challenge Sweet 16!!!

 There is much excitement at Allsorts as we are celebrating our 16th Birthday and there are four, yes four prizes from Aall & Create up for grabs PLUS for US entrants

A $25 store voucher from Lawn Fawn

Three stamps from Colorado Craft Company

A $25 store voucher from Gina K Designs (Worldwide)

I have Aall and Create dies in my stash but, feeling the need, just had to invest in a few other bits so  made this...

using these accicental purchases

A7 Stamp set #360 Wish, Ephemera #13 Stems & Pods, and Washi #22 Flower Dancing

I had a little canvas that had been shifted from place to place over the years so thought it was about time that it got used. A lovely blogging buddy gifted me some duplicate Distress inks so now that I have quite a range of colours, I thought it was time to play. I am not confident with inking so literally splodged rainbow colours on my craft mat, gave a teeny spritz and squished the canvas down. I am really pleased with the result as the colours stayed true and didn't go muddy, which was my concern. I also had a can of spray and shine lurking so sprayed the inked canvas and sprinkled matching coloured glitters on certain areas and it actually stuck. I coloured the adorable little girl with Promarkers and had a think about her wings. I remembered Jayne Nestorenko on crafting telly years ago with the mandala stamps that she did on acetate and then added glitter on the back so that's what I did with the wings. Sadly my Stazon had gone dry so I used black Versafine which took a day to dry but nevertheless it worked and she has glittery acetate wings!! Finally I stuck some stems and pods down together with a strip of acetate, stamped wish and die cut Birthday and that's that!!

Please come and see us and participate in the Birthday celebrations. I really want to say an ENORMOUS thank you to Brenda who works tirelessly to keep this and other challenges running so beautifully xx

Christmas at Allsorts

 We are feeling festive at Allsorts Challenge today where the optional theme, chosen by Lynn, is

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Having had a little spend at LAvinia I then went to Aall & Create and bought a lovely die set that I just had to use. What better to team it with than Santas Elves from MFT that come out every Christmas.

The paper is a real pad from LOTV that is still available but in digi form here. I coloured the little elf with Promarkers and filled all the other mats with other stamps from the set. 

I hope that I have tempted you into entering as there are

2 prizes of AALL and Create A 6 stamps

That's all from me today. I hope that you have a lovely weekend outside of the UK. For those of you here, I Hope you all stay safe from harm in the path of storm Darragh xx