Artistic Flowers

Hi there Playmates!

RESULTS from the previous challenge have been posted, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework, I have a floral card to share with you:

A6 card

Details:

• Gummiapan flower stamp (a gift from a lovely friend). Stamped once with a bent stem and again with a straight stem. Then masked off before adding the background stamping.
• Background stamps: Aall & Create #905 Elemental Notes and Aall & Create #47.
• Flowers stamped in VFC Onyx Black ink & coloured with Inktense pencils and a water brush.
• Background stamped in SU Tip Top Taupe ink.
• Snippets = everything added to the card front.

Entering the following challenges:

1. ALLSORTS CHALLENGE 854 - Seaside theme/anything goes. I’m entering under the anything goes option.
2. WE LOVE STAMPING - July Challenge with a Summertime/anything goes. Hoping the flowers are summery enough for the theme.

Summer Coneflower

Hi there!

I simply LOVE this Aall & Create “Roadway Vistas” die set and have been playing around with mixed media on the main panel.

First of all, I glued on some old paper snippets, then dry brushed over them with white gesso. Next I brushed on various Distress Inks, followed by scraping modelling paste through a dotty stencil. I added more ink once the modelling paste was dry. Flicked some watered down orange and buff titanium acrylic paint splatters on.

Then it was a question of deciding how to embellish the lumpy, bumpy surface! So I found some printed PaperArtsy tissue paper and wetted round the edge of some text, pulled it out of the sheet and glued to the panel. I stamped, coloured and cut out the PaperArtsy coneflower so I could glue it on. Finally I added a little shading and grounded the flower. Added the whole thing to a 5” x 7” Kraft card.

5x7 sized Kraft card

Details:

• Aall & Create “Roadway Vistas” die set
• PaperArtsy tissue paper
• PaperArtsy “Coneflowers Edition” stamp set EAB49 
• Distress Inks; Inktense pencils; modelling paste through dotty stencil; Sakura Brush pen to ground flower with; shading done with a Stabilo All pencil and a water brush.
• Snippet strips of paper used as a first layer on the substrate - although you can barely see them unless you look up close at the panel IRL!!!

Taking this card over to the WE LOVE STAMPING July Challenge where the theme is SUMMERTIME. As coneflowers are summer flowers, it fits the bill.

Daisy Trio

Having seen a couple of blog posts by Pauline (Passion for Papercraft) using cover gifts from Issue 162 of the Creative Stamping magazine, I was sorely tempted to get the magazine myself. After a fruitless search in my local town, my lovely hubby tracked down a copy online and promptly bought it for me (yes, he's a KEEPER!). So, I am now the proud owner of the magazine and am delighted with both the double stencil and the A4 sheet of stamps. 

Val from the Aquarius Blog was also tempted by the magazine cover gifts and she has made THIS lovely card using them.

The ATC below is the first thing I made with the magazine cover stamps. Full disclosure - I decided to cut away the oval frame from this particular stamp in the set to make it more useful to me! 

ATC

Details:

1. Navy blue ATC measuring 2.5" x 3.5".
2. White snippet of card measuring 2.25" x 3.25” smooshed with some leftover Buff Titanium acrylic paint. Orange splatters of diluted acrylic paint were added once the smooshed bit was dry.
3. All stamping was done with VFC Twilight ink using cover gift freebies from Issue 162 of the Creative Stamping magazine (link is in the first paragraph of this post). I used a white gel pen on the petals and a yellow Inktense pencil for the daisy centres. 

I would like to enter this ATC into the TAG-ALONG & ATCs July challenge - blue is my favourite colour in all its shades. I also like blue and orange as a colour combination. 

Snippets Playground - Dudley's Birthday

Hi Playmates!

I'm here to host another new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight. If you want to join in, all you have to do is use up some of your snippets on a project, then come and play. Miss Di is getting better, but still uncomfortable.

For my homework this week: I made Playground favourite, Dudley, a birthday card. He’s 8 on Wednesday.

5" x 5"

Details:

• Spellbinders Labels One set of dies
• Sentiment was a magazine freebie
• Old wooden Stampabilities stamp "Happy Snoopy" stamp F1075 (stamped onto a white snippet which I die cut, then stamped again on a smaller snippet so that I could cut Snoopy out with scissors and add him to the card front with foam pads)
• Snippets = everything that was glued to the card front!

Sunday Snippets - Daisy Tag

Hi there Playmates!

For my homework this week, I used a few snippets up in order to make a little tag. 

The tag shape was kindly sent to me by a lovely blog friend (you know who you are) and I'm pretty sure it was cut from snippets too! But even if it wasn't, everything I glued to the tag certainly was!

Materials:

• Tag: unbranded tag die (likely to be Temu)
• Grey snippet: die cut using a Heffy Doodle Stitched Squares die
• Brown daisy: die cut using a Marianne Designs die
• White flower: from Sizzex Tattered Florals set (mini version)
• Julie Hickey Glossies for the grey gem in the flower centre
• Background stamp: ancient, but I think it's by Kaisercraft.

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

I would also like to enter this tag into the current TAG-ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE under the anything goes option. It’s not a colourful tag, but I DO like neutrals together. 

Sunday Snippets - Sending Hugs

Hi Playmates!

As Miss Di is incapacitated at the moment, I'm hosting another challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight. Come and play!

For my homework this week, I made a paper hug for Di, to cheer her up and help aid her recovery. Apparently she has been colouring her arm with purple, green and yellow pens and it's still swollen and painful.

A6 sized card - coloured the white part of the top flower
with purple Inktense pencil

Floral Tag

Hi there!

I made a double die-cut tag to enter into the current TAG-ALONG & ATCs Challenge where they want you to share your favourite colour for your tag, bookmark or AT coin/card. Now, in truth, I love all colours, but blue is my absolute favourite, especially turquoise and teal, but I also love purple. So, this tag is my second favourite colour, along with a touch of bright pink. 

Die-cut tag

Close up to show flower dimension

Materials:

• Stitched Label Rectangle dies (D180117) by Gummiapan, held together with a eyelet which was set with my Crop-A-Dile tool.
• Daisy dies by Marianne Designs (cut from snippets of an ugly journal page).
• Julie Hickey Glossies dome in flower centre.
• Strip of text from PaperArtsy JOFY Set 102.

Sunday Snippets - Butterfly Bookmark

Hi Playmates!

Di has published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire her top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

I have been playing with the DI-110 Clip Pop die set that I bought using the Allsorts' birthday discount last month. It’s a lot more versatile than it appears at first sight and there are lots of examples of what can be done with it on the Aall & Create website. For my homework, I made a bookmark. 

Bookmark

Snippets

Materials:

• Aall & Create Clip Pop DI-110 Dies
• Visible Image 'Wings of Change' butterflies, coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils & a waterbrush, then fussy cut. They were adhered to the bookmark with glue and foam pads.
• Snippets of white and black card. The (originally white) squares were inked with Distress Inks in Antique Linen; Vintage Photo and Pumice Stone.

I'm entering the bookmark (pretty close to the wire) into the TAG-ALONG & ATCs June Challenge, where the theme is to ADD SOME TEXT.  My butterflies have asemic writing on them, which I hope counts under the theme, but if not, there's always the Anything Goes option. 

Mini moo cards

I was using up some snippets and made three Mini moo cards which I am entering into THE LITTLE THINGS CHALLENGE #5 where it is ANYTHING GOES.

Mini moo cards (1.1" x 2.75” each)

Then I found a couple of blank tags that were already die-cut, so I added a bit of background stamping, then used two of the above Mini moos to add as focal points. I also added orange gems to the centres of the blue flowers.

It’s NEARLY Rudolph Day!

Hi there!

It’s Rudolph Day tomorrow . . . but as I often post on a Wednesday, my penguin ATC is a day early! 

Instead, I’m entering this ATC into one of my favourite challenges - TAG ALONG & ATCs - where they want to see you ADD SOME TEXT to your tag, ATC or bookmark. 

My ATC has text stamped faintly in the background and the word “penguin” in the orange/green bit of the image.

ATC

Details:

• Snippets of white and SU Island Indigo to create the ATC base 
• MFT Stitched Snowflakes for the two smaller flakes; unknown make for the largest snowflake.
• Script stamp (stamped in SU Pool Party ink) is from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous set THMM123.
• Penguin is by AALL & Create - Set #604

Long Sunday Snippets Post, so grab a cuppa!

Hi Playmates!

I'm hosting a new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight. So why not use up some snippets on your homework, then come over to the Playground for a 'show and tell' via Mr Linky.

I made a little journal to share with you - which you can WIN as part of the Snippets Playground prize - along with a “pre-loved” Stampin' Up! stamp set. We normally offer you brand new prizes, but to help make our pocket money go further, Di and I have taken the decision to occasionally offer pre-loved items that are in “as new” condition.

The journal measures 3.75" wide and 4.5" high. Below are photo's of each page.

Journal cover

Pages 1 & 2 (with pockets and tags)

Pages 3 & 4 (with pocket & ephemera as well as a band to hold things)

Pages 5 & 6 (with a band to hold tags &
a little envelope pocket with a velcro dot closure)

Pages 7 & 8 (space to write on the left and
another couple of pockets with ephemera on the right)

Pages 9 & 10 (with a flap and a pocket)

Pages 11 & 12 (spaces to write or add ephemera)

Pages 13 & 14 (pocket and writing space)

Pages 15 & 16 (lift up flap and writing space)

Pages 17 & 18 (pocket with tags & space to write)

Presented in a custom-made box

I had a lot of fun making this journal with snippets of Craft O'Clock's Warm Breeze papers and some recycled brown paper. I hope whoever wins the journal enjoys using it or gifting it.

Sunday Snippets - Hello Friend ATC

Hi Playmates!

For my homework this week, I made a floral ATC. 

The inner purple/pink flower was one of the left over snippets from those cut in THIS POST.

Snippets for die cutting the flower and
stamping the sentiment 

Details:

• MFT sentiment from the "Friends Like Us" set, stamped onto the white snippet in the picture.
• Background created using pink and purple ink, and a stamp from the SU Artistically Inked set
• Book text by Florileges Design stamp ref: FG317034
• Marianne Designs' Daisy flower dies used on the white snippet in the picture
• Purple paper snippet from Studio Light Unicolour Paper pad

I would like to enter this ATC into the current TAG ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE where the theme is ADD SOME TEXT.

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

Turning Ugly Journal Pages into Card Swans!

Ever made an UGLY journal page and wondered what to do with it? It's such a shame when, after you've had all the FUN of creating it, you stand back, look at it and think: "Well, that’s hideous, I'll have to gesso over that hot mess."  

But not necessarily . . . I WAS going to blot out this page with white gesso . . . but then had second thoughts. I tore it out of my journal and used it to die cut pretty flowers with instead . . . then set about making some cards from the results.

Three cards made so far . . . and plenty of
flower snippets left to play with!

Materials:

• Ugly journal page for die cutting.
• Daisy flower die by Marianne Designs
• Circle of Leaves die by Simon Says Stamp
• Outline flower die by Concord & 9th (retired)
• Sentiment on the trio of flowers card by MFT (no longer in business)

Sunday Snippets - The Cosmos is smiling on you!

Hi Playmates!

There's a new challenge to play along with over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND hosted by Miss Di and Dudley for the next fortnight.

Here's my homework - only one snippet used up again . . . but each one lowers the pile a little:

The left over snippet after I cut it away
from the bottom of the card.

Details:

• Hobby Art "Bee Kind" stamp set for the flowers.
• Sentiment made up of two different stamp sets: "Sending you lots of" is a Uniko stamp, "smiles" is a long retired Printworks stamp.
• Bottom edging was a snippet. I glued it to the bottom of the card and cut the remainder off with scissors.
• VFC Twilight ink used for all stamping.

I’d also like to enter this card into ALLSORTS CHALLENGE #851 where the theme is ANYTHING FROM THE GARDEN (or anything goes).

Sunday Snippets - Coneflower ATC Postcard

Hi Playmates!

I'm hosting a new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight, so please come over and play with Miss Di, Dudley and me. There’s bound to be a game of tag on, or you can visit the treehouse and have a nice mug of hot chocolate (or something stronger). If the weather forecast is correct, we may even get the paddling pool out!

For my homework this week I used a snippet of black card and a snippet of white card to make this coneflower ATC.

ATC

Details:

• Black and white snippets of card.
• PaperArtsy Eclectica stamp set EAB48 "Coneflower Edition" for the coneflower, words and postage stamp/frank.
• StudioLight stamp set 451 for the little grungy background stamp.

I'm also taking this ATC over to the TAG ALONG & ATCs' MAY CHALLENGE where the theme is ADD SOME PINK (or anything goes). 

Delighted to be “picked” at the Tag-Along Challenge:

Cocktails ATC

Mojito anyone? Or a Dirty Martini with extra olives?

Here’s a little ATC that I'm taking along to the TAG-ALONG (& ATCs) CHALLENGE where the team wish you to ADD SOME PINK to your project (or use the Anything Goes option if you prefer). 

I used up a snippet of Craft O’Clock’s Warm Breeze paper and added a sentiment in green ink - simple as that! There's pink on the cherries; straw; umbrella and strawberry, so I'm entering using the theme, but there is always the anything goes option.

ATC

Details:

• White ATC blank covered with a snippet of paper from the Warm Breeze pad by Craft O'Clock
• Stamped sentiment by Stamping All Day

Monochromatic Cat Card

Hi there!

Today I have a monochromatic card to share with you. 

5” x 5” sized card

Materials:

• Penny Black cat stamp “Celebrating” 1472E.
• Cat was stamped direct to the card front and again onto a white snippet so that it could be cut out and decoupaged using foam pads.
• Coloured with a Violet Derwent Inktense pencil & a waterbrush.
• Happy Birthday sentiment by Visible Image.

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Allsorts Challenge 849- Monochromatic theme (closes 22nd May)
• We Love Stamping May Challenge - All Creatures Great & Small (closes 3rd June)
• Stamping Sensations - Cute Creatures theme (closes noon 3rd June - for the final time).

Sunday Snippets - The gelli print edition!

Hi Playmates!

For my homework this week, I have an A6 sized card to share. 

Everything on the card front is a snippet! I've used up gelli print snippets and a small piece of white card. The bird die is by The Works (very old) and the sentiment is a magazine cover gift from ages ago.

Left over snippets from making the card

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

Next Saturday, Brenda and her talented Design Team are celebrating Allsorts' 17th Birthday with lots of prizes from Highlight Crafts; Lavinia Stamps and Art Impressions, so make sue you come along and join in the fun! BEFORE then . . . there is a birthday discount code which can be used at AALL & CREATE up until 31st May - see details HERE.

I have been busy checking out other sunny playgrounds . . . and even found a new playmate for Dudley - complete with a Honka Duck toy to share! I sent these hol snaps to Di while I was away - to keep her amused!

Easy as A BEE C!

Sorry about the title pun on this blog post . . . couldn't resist. You should try being inside my head, it’s busy up there!

Anyhoo, I digress . . . I have a little ATC to enter into the TAG ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE using their theme of ADD SOME PINK. There’s a lovely tag die set to be won too! You can enter tags, bookmarks or AT cards/coins.

ATC

Details:

• Gel print snippet, trimmed to 2.25" x 3.25". Black snippet of card trimmed to 2.5" x 3.5" to create ATC base.
• One of the leafy stamps from the Nature’s Gatherings Set 1 by That's Crafty Stamp was stamped onto a scrap of white copy paper, cut out and stuck on. 
• 3 Visible Image bees (die cuts kindly gifted to me). 

Sunday Snippets - A Butterfly Card

Hi Playmates!

There's a new challenge to play along with over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND hosted by Miss Di for the next fortnight.

Here's my homework:

A6 sized card

I've only used ONE snippet on this card (the butterfly), but I hope you'll agree it has IMPACT!

Details:

• Concord & 9th Butterfly (snippet from an art journal page I discarded)
• Funky Fossil - Geometric Flowers stencil (green ink)
• Tim Holtz THMM123 grungy letters stamp (grey ink)
• SU Gorgeous Grunge splatter stamp (purple ink)