Flower Power at Allsorts

Hi there! I hope you are having a good weekend. I am here alternating between crafting and school work after driving up to my Dad's this morning to take his shopping and make sure he is behaving himself!
I made a card using some bits and pieces that were lying around. I coloured the stamp (Inkylicious) with my distress markers onto a shape cut with my Spellbinders Decorative labels one, and with the die still in place I ink dusted the background in green and blue. I used tea dye DI to dust the edge to bring out that detail a bit more then mounted on the next size up of labels 1 with some silicone glue. I cut the two embossed panels (Cuttlebug Victoria embossing folder) so they were the same size and mounted onto some gold card, adding a little more tea dye with my ink dusters. I added an organza ribbon at the bottom and stamped the base card with an inkylicious swirl and some antique linen DI. I'd just finished it when I spotted that the challenge at Allsorts this week is Flower Power. I did get round to making a card for Allsorts last week, but I never got it photographed, never mind posted, so it will have to wait until another day.
I will leave you with a few photos of my journey today. The snow laden trees were rather lovely!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you  are managing to stay warm!

And there's more...

Here is another card I made with the Inkylicious Christmas tree flourish, this time in black and cream with red highlights.

I also used the Inkylicious damask background on the base card. The red glitter is applied over red tulip paint, so is 3d. The poinsettia on the corner is a Marianne Die and is just the right size to disguise an inky fingerprint! I am entering this into this week's Allsorts challenge where the theme is 'Oh Christmas tree' and this months Joanna Sheen challenge where the theme is With love at Christmas.
I also made a card for a dear friend who is leaving her job very soon.

  For this card I took my inspiration from the very talented Cath Wilson who made this card a few weeks back. I fell in love with it and had to have a go. The stamps are from Inkylicious set called Moonlight foliage, and the Music Background behind the plants is also an Inkylicious stamp, stamped in versamark before creating the background with adirondack inks and ink dusters. I managed to mount it on two Fleur de Lys squares which I cropped to make fit together as a rectangle. the embossed panel is made with a cuttlebug folder. Thanks so much for looking and for the lovely comments you leave. Only two more days before we break up - woohoo!

A Birthday Card for Lynne

Here is the Birthday card that I made for Lynne. I saw this stamp from Woodware and loved it, but hadn't inked it up since I bought it several months ago. I coloured it with promarkers in Lime and pear green, purple and Lavender, before cutting out with a nestie and mounting on some lavender card that has been embossed with the Victoria embossing folder. I added a bit of shaded lilac distress ink and a line of faux stitching round the edge.
 There were some lovely samples done with it on the Which crafts stall at the last stamp magic show. Their next show is on Sunday, and Lynne is coming down to stay for a few days, so we will be off to see what is new.
I am entering this into the 4 crafty chicks challenge where the theme is dry embossing.
Thanks for looking!

Last Minute Less is More

A quick dash to pop a card on my blog for Less is More this week, where the theme is 3-2-1.

What, no stamping?! For once it was a very quick card! I used three gems, two sparkly pearls and one cuttlebug embossing folder. I added just a touch of colour using tumbled glass Distress ink and distress marker, to tone in with the mat beneath it.
Thanks for looking and leaving comments. I'll hopefully be back to visit you this evening.

Tag You're it Challenge - Heaven Sent

Here is my entry for this week's Tag you're it challenge where the theme is 'Heaven Sent'. I was a bit stumped at first, but after running a tag through the cuttlebug and spaying it with some creative colour sprays (Crafty Notions) I came across my crafty individuals Christmas images book and saw this lovely picture of angels coordinated perfectly. I stamped a Paper Artsy swirl in Blue versafine over part of the tag. Then  I made a flower from fusible film, adding a brad and a couple of ribbons. Thanks for looking!

Allsorts Challenge- a sketch

Here is my entry for this weeks Allsorts challenge.The image is from Dustin Pike (see side bar for link) and is coloured with promarkers. The patterned paper is a freebie from Glenda at Artylicious, and the red pearlescent paper is put through the cuttlebug using the hearts embossing folder. The sentiment is a peel off. It's been a very different sort of day today. I went to work as normal to find one of the classrooms had a fountain in it coming from a heating pipe. The heating was off and the temperature in most classrooms was 11 or 12 degrees. The classroom with the burst pipe was a little warmer, but rather wet! We had to close the school. We had an electrician in at school sorting out some other problems and he had to keep switching the electricity off, so it was dark and cold!  I came home at ten o'clock and spent the morning marking and getting warm again!. After lunch I made some spiced apple muffins and this card (and drank lots of tea, and surfed the net!). Thanks for looking!

A Christmas Carol- Tuesday Taggers

Here is my entry for this weeks Tuesday Taggers. I was thinking along the lines of Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I used a stamp from Stamp to your Art's Content for the main image, the swirly frame embossing folder and some Debbie Moore border stamps that I've had for ages and not used. I used Adirondack stream ink and dragged some colour over with a damp paint brush. Thanks for looking!

P.S. Don't forget to look in on Lynne's blog candy - due to be drawn tomorrow!

Where did this week go?!

Here is my card for this week's Tuesday Taggers (no patterned paper) and it follows the sketch for this weeks Passion for Promarkers. I used marsh green and burgundy(again) with cool grey 1, 2 and 3, blossom, ruby, cinnamon and pastel blue. The digistamp is from Digistamp Boutique and there was much use of my nesties and cuttlebug. Not my best colouring, and I think it is something to do with the card I printed on. I can't seem to get the 'In 2 crafts' stuff any more. Wilkinson's have stopped selling it and are now doing the stuff from create and craft which is thicker and allows more 'bleeding'.
This week has been completely mad. There has been lots of staff absence at work, with those of us that were there  having to cover. There were three trips besides the usual swimming. We are rehearsing for the school panto and I've had two new children start in my class. I haven't seen the house in daylight all week and my craft table looks like a bomb has hit it. I've made three cards this week and none are up to my usual standard. I would love a three day weekend so I could just catch up a bit! Off to do some tidying... I might make a better job of that!
Thanks for looking!

Passion for promarkers week 22 - poppy and forest green

Here is my card for this week's passion for promarkers challenge. The image is a lovely free digistamp from Inger Harding and I fell in love with it straight away. I used promarkers in poppy, forest green, sandstone, saffron, ivory, blush, dusky pink, pastel blue, cool grey 1, meadow green, terracotta and vanilla. The base card was cuttlebugged with the snowflakes embossing folder. The papers were from the Funky Fairies 'lets get Traditional range' and the sentiment was from Craftwork Cards.
For those of you who want to know, the antibiotics are working well and I can open my mouth wide enough to accommodate a snickers bar now! I can talk more too!!! Thank you so much for all your good wishes and thanks for looking x

By the Cute and Girly Challenge - Autumn Glory

I know this stamp is getting rather a lot of use at the moment, but I do love it! This is my card for the 'By the Cute and Girly Challenge - Autumn Glory'. I think it is going to be my sister- in-Law's birthday card too.
I used:
Stamps: Lovely as a tree - stampin' up!, Fall Season - Inkadinkado, Maple leaf - Graphicus, Rounded leaf - Non Sequitur
Punch: Martha Stewart - Doily lace
Cuttlebug embossing folder - leaves
Ink: Kaleidacolor - Autumn leaves, Blue Breeze, Versafine Black
Brayer
Sari ribbon
Gold Tulip paint
White Gel pen
Corner stickers (not sure whose - been in my stash for years!)
Thanks for looking! Hope you like it!

Wonderful!

Yesterday Lynne, Megan and I went to Harrogate to the Great Northern papercrafts extravaganza. We had a wonderful day. The weather was glorious, the shopping was fab, we met up with a couple of blogging friends and we had a lovely picnic in the sunshine! It was lovely to meet Debbie and Lisa for the first time. I hope they are both getting some 'playtime' with new goodies today. I have spent a bit of time playing with my new stuff and have come up with two cards. The first features 'Funky Flowers' stamps I bought from the Stampman. I stamped onto the base card with versamark and brushed over with pearl pigments from Blonde Moments. I coloured the main image with my promarkers and added some diamond stickles
I'm not sure about this second card, but I am so in love with my Martha Stewart Doily lace border punch I wanted to try it out straight away! I did a happy dance when I found it! The 'Graceful Grasses' stamps are by craftwork cards. They are stamped onto paper that I coloured with adirondak colour washes.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what people make with their lovely goodies. Does anyone fancy an ATC or tag swap made with their latest goodies? Leave me a comment if you do.

Flowers and Ducks

I stamped some flowers (Graphicus - Big Flowers unmounted plate) and took them on holiday to colour with promarkers. The patterned paper is from the Artylicious damask delights cd, and the other piece is cuttlebugged with the retro floral embossing folder.
I had forgotten I had this little stamp (Rubber Stampede) and thought it would look good coloured with promarkers. I was going to make them into baby cards, but then made them a little more ambiguous with a sentiment of 'with love'. The gingham papers are from funky fairies.

Wedding Anniversary

Today is my 20th Wedding Anniversary. This is the card I have made for Steve. I was really lacking ideas and certainly couldn't come up with something associated with China, so I got out my new wizard shapeabilities pendant die (I know, Lynne. I said I was going to wait!). The paper is from a 12x12 Penny Black sheet. Next time I have a go at this I will use card, I think. I just hope he likes it! I got some inspriration from Robert, but mine is no where near as good as his. I was trying for a masculine look, so didn't add any jewels or pearls, but I think it needs something.

More Owls

Digistamp Boutique have a competition that if you make a card with their offer of the month then you can win the following months offer for free. Hope that makes sense - I have come down with a stinking cold and seem to have a head full of cotton wool! Anyway, here is my offering. I used promakers to colour the owls and used antique linen distress ink to shade the cuttlebugged and stamped moon (Stamp was cracked background by crafty individuals) The paper was a free background from papercraft inspirations magazine website.

Been busy!

Of all the cards I listed at the weekend, I have made most of them in a mad few days. The first is a wedding card for a colleague getting married in early August. her dress has a red train and the flowers are going to be red and ivory roses, so this is what I came up with. The oval frame was stamped with DI in antique linen using two crafty individuals stamps. the rose bud outline is from Stamp to your Art's Content. the backing paper was from my artylicious floral fantasy cd. The main rose and the small heart are from the Elusive Images Harlequin Rose Plate from Graphicus.
That first card was to prove I can still stamp, because I seem to be using a lot of digistamps at the moment! This owl one was from Digistamp boutique and goes by the name of Bernard! I coloured him with promarkers.

This cow is a stamp from Pink Gem designs, and again I coloured it with promarkers. Finally the leaving card is for a colleague who got a new job on Friday and will be relocating to near Birmingham very soon. The stamp is by Penny Black and I love the fresh simpicity of it.

A couple of Birthdays

My good friend Julie has a birthday this week, and I was really stuck for ideas for her card, but yersterday we were talking about birds in the garden - wrens in particular, so I thought I would do something with this one. The text stamp and the Wren are from Crafty Individuals. The flourishes are from Personal Impressions. I sprayed card with a mixture of creative colour sprays for the background and stamped over with Adirondack and versafine inks. The wren was stamped in stazon onto shiny card and coloured with distress inks.
This card was made for our neighbour,who celebrated his fiftieth yesterday with an eighties- themed party. He plays guitar and used to be in a band, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to use my Inkadinkado rockstar set that I had for my Birthday. I put mirri card through the cuttlebug and grunged it up with brown stazon for the background.

Using freebie stamps

I've got all these free stamps from the front of Craft Stamper that I have hardly used, so I thought I'd have a play. The leaf swirl stamp on this one is a clear Inkadinkado stamp from the 'fall season' set. I coloured it with mustard seed, spiced marmalade, fired brick and tea dye distress inks. I coloured the owl with promarkers.
This flower was coloured with promarkers too, and a bit of stickles. The greeting is from Craftwork Cards. the base card was run through the cuttlebug using a border embossing folder followed by the flower folder.
Finally I used the owl again. I found the background paper as a free download on Mel Stampz. I coloured the trees with pencil crayons. The yellow border was cut using an xcut border cutting die.

Daisies...

Parts of this were going to be my entry to Phil's challenge at Honey Pot Crafts that closed about a week ago! The pieces were in danger of having tea spilled on them or getting ink on them, so I managed to grab a few minutes when I got in after governors meeting. The stamp is from penny black and the paper was in my stash for about 7 years! As it was no longer the challenge I used my cuttlebug anyway!I coloured it with my promarkers in lime green, ruby and canary and finished with a touch of stickles.

Yeeessss!

I've finished my reports! I am so happy! I will probably have to tweak a few, but they are essentially done! There is still a heap of work to do before we break up for the summer, but I can spare a bit of time to indulge my addictions!!!

Anyway, I thought I would share with you a couple of photos of my namesake - this is a Sally Holmes Rose. Not named after me unfortunately, but I was lucky enough to have 2 bought for me as a 40th birthday pressent a few years ago. I was worried they would be damaged by the heavy rain at the weekend, so when I saw one out when I opened the curtains this morning I popped out with my camera. When I came home today I finally put together this card that has been sitting in bits on my desk whilst I have been report writing.

The stamps are from crafty individuals. I normally rush for my distress inks with these stamps, but went for Kaleidacolor Fresh Greens instead. The daisy was stamped onto a brayered piece, then I painted the petals with bleach to whiten them. I added a hint of pink with distress inks when it was dry.
After tea I had a quick stroll down the garden again and spotted a few more buds still damp from the shower we had.

A bit of sunshine

The rain here has been torrential for most of the day, although it has just stopped. I decided I would not pop down the road to pick up a copy of Craft Stamper, that's how bad it was, lol! I am feeling virtuous though, because I have done 7 reports today! If I can do a couple more this evening I will only have ten left to do! There is an up side to rain!

Anyway, I thought I would have a break and make a card. I used distress inks in spiced marmalade, fired brick, dried marigold and mustard seed. The stamps are all from graphicus, and the 'Flower' is also sprayed with gold creative colour sprays. I wanted to create a little ray of sunshine on such a dark day ;o)