Black and gold

Hello folks

Happy Thursday everyone. The last day of June already, 2016 half gone. We have had the longest day so the nights are drawing in and it will soon be Christmas. And then it will be 2017!! Gosh!! Well that's enough of wishing the year away. On with the important things in life - crafting!!

 Another Sheena sample today - 

This card features Sheena's Perfect Partners All a flutter die set which I used to cut a piece of Sheena's stamping card and coloured with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - 

• spun gold and onyx black

I also used - 

• white, black and old gold centura pearl
• Flutterby butterfly embossing folder from Crafter's Companion
• Die'sire Downton Abbey ornate rectangle frame die set

Thank you for stopping by today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Dragonfly dance

Good morning folks

Today's card is another from a recent Spectrum Noir TV design team collection - 

This card features Sheena's Dragonfly dance stamp and die set from the Perfect Partners range. I stamped the dragonflies onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured them with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens -

• sterling silver, onyx black, blue topaz, moonstone and crystal clear

I created the background with the splodge technique (scribble one colour on a glass mat, spritz and then blot up with a piece of card, I used Sheena's stamping card, repeat with other colours if required). I then sprinkle on some water, waited a moment and then blotted with a piece of kitchen roll. I added 2 corners from the stamp set and heat embossed.

I also used -

• white, blue and platinium centura pearl
• silver embossing powder
• Memento Danube blue ink

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Heart of the home

Hello everyone

Another Spectrum Noir TV design team sample for you today. Something a little different for me - 

A MDF heart shaped hanger. I began by painting the heart with chalk paint, allowing it to dry and then dragging some cream chalk paint onto the heart with a washing up sponge (scrubbing side) to make it look like worn paintwork.

I have used Perfect Partners Home Life - The perfect mix stamp and die sets from Sheena Douglass which I stamped onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - 

• red berry, sterling silver and crystal clear

The flowers are from Sheena's Fanciful fuschia stamp set which I stamped onto copy paper and coloured with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - 

• red berry and moonlight

I have also used - 

• MDF heart
• Cosmic Shimmer chalk paints
• ribbon from my stash
• pearls coloured with DR6
• Sentimentals alphabets stamp set from Crafter's Companion
• Die'sire essentials heart dies
• antique linen distress ink

I used different styles and sizes letters from the alphabet stamp set.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Fanciful fuschia

Good morning folks

Welcome to Monday and the start of Wimbledon. The sun is shining here so fingers crossed that it is also shining at Wimbledon. This week I thought I would share some samples I made for the Spectrum Noir TV design team a little while ago. Here is the first one -

I have used Perfect Partners Fanciful Fuschia stamp and die set from Sheena Douglass. This is a 3D flower stamp so I stamped them onto copy paper in order to be able  to manipulate and shape them. I coloured them with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens -

• flowers - pink garnet and cosmos
• leaves - olive jade

I have also used - 

• white centura pearl
• pink core'dinations
• Tonic layering circles die set
• Die'sire Downton Abbey ornate circle frame die set
• Die'sire Happy Birthday die
• Crafter's Companion's tumbling leaves A4 embossing folder

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge - 
http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk - week 369 - photo inspiration

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Cogs

Hello folks

Welcome to another new week, they are racing by at the moment and I have a feeling that I will need to start "those" cards soon.
But before all that tinsel and sparkle starts I thought I would share a card  I made for my Father-in-law for Father's day -

I have used Sheena's A little bit sketchy cogs stamp which I stamped onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens -

• sterling silver, onyx black and crystal clear

I have also used -

• matt black card
• Die'sire create a card Rosie die set
• Sara's signature collection Just for men checkerplate embossing folder
• Sara's signature collection Just for men male sentiments die set
• Sara's signature collection Just for men cogs and gears die set
• craft metal
• Tim Holtz brads
• black soot distress ink
• Pebeo silver gilding wax

I cut the cogs, gears and sentiments from the craft metal.

I stamped the additional cogs from the stamp set onto the card blank and inked around the edge.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

In the shed

Good Sunday morning folks. 

A very happy father's day to all those dads and grandads out there. This is the card I made for my dad -

I have used In the shed stamp from LOTV which I stamped onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured with Spectrum Aqua blend pencils -

• shed - nutmeg and lagoon
• spade - dark slate and black umber
• planters - lagoon
• flowers and watering can - ruby
• pots - cherrywood
• grass, trees and bushes - parakeet, bright green, spinach and black umber
• sack - bison
• sky - sky blue

I have also used -

• beach bliss paper pad from LOTV (now sadly discontinued)
• kraft card
• walnut stain distress ink
• Memory Box garden pots and garden tools die sets
• Sara's signature collection Just for men male sentiments
• Pebeo silver gilding wax

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge - 

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk - week 368 - how does your garden grow

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Teddy Bears' picnic

Good Saturday morning folks

Today sees a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers and the challenge this fortnight is 

Teddy Bears' picnic

So we would love to see all your stamped (no digis please) projects featuring bears.

This is my DT card for the challenge - 

Forever friends bears are my absolute favourites and I have many in cuddly form, on mugs and in papercraft form (papers, decoupage and stamps) so as it was a teddy bear challenge I had to use a Forever Friends stamp.

I have used Forever friends Best of British - Great Big Hugs from Docrafts which I stamped onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured with Spectrum Noir Aqua pens - 

• desert, peach and topaz

I paper pieced the heart.

I have also used -

• white centura pearl (for the card base)
• Bonnets and bowties paper pad and Bonnets and bowties solids paper pad from LOTV (but sadly now discontinued)
• Die'sire create-a-card Rosie from Crafter's Companion (to make the card base)
• Sara's signature collection Love and Romance In Love embossing folder
• Spellbinder's stately circles die set
• LOTV's sentiment tags
• tumbled glass distress ink
• ribbon from the Ribbon Girl
• gems from the Hobby House

I embossed the card base with the embossing folder and added a little distress ink to add definition.

I inked the edges of the backing papers with the same distress ink.

I do hope you are able to join in our challenge this fortnight and why not pop over to the website to see what inspiration my fellow teamies have created.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge - 
http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.co.uk - June challenge -feature a creature

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Darcy

Hello folks

Well our lovely hot, sunny weather has come to a very wet and miserable end. Homes and roads have been flooded (not mine thank goodness) and roads and railway lines closed due to landslips. What a weekend and if yesterday was anything to go by, it has not finished yet.

So due to the inclement weather I sort refuge in my pjs and craft room, and made this gatefold card -

Outside of the card

Inside of the card

I have used Morgan Fitzsimon's Flights of Fantasy - Darcy stamp set (from Crafter's Companion) which I stamped onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured with my Spectrum Aqua blend pencils (I love these pencils) -

• skin - honeycomb
• hair - ebony and black umber
• clothes - rose and regal blue
• wings - soft red, sapphire and opal blue
• leaves - bright green, bottle green, spinach and pine green
• flowers - aubergine, pink tulpi, petunia, papaya and champagne
• sky - gravel

I have also used -

• white centura pearl (for the card base)
• Scruffy Little Cat darks paper pad from Crafter's Companion
• Die'sire create-a-card Florence
• Sara's signature collection English country garden - Lazy daisy die set
• Victorian velvet and tumbled glass distress ink
• pearls from my stash

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges - 

http://craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk - challenge 316 - always anything goes

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk - flower power

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Happy 21st birthday

Hello

Today's card is the one I made to celebrate my eldest son's 21st birthday -

I made use of my accordion die set again but this time cut it from Sheena's stamping card and added paint splats and stars from Sara's Just for men range. (My son is studying fine art at uni so this was perfect).

I have used - 

• Sheena's stamping card
• Die'sire create-a-card square accordion die set
• Woodware's 21st birthday and turned 21 stamps
• Sara's signature collection Just for men urban graffiti stamp set
• Memento ink pads - danube blue, cottage ivy, dandelion and lady bug
• Black archival ink
• copper embossing powder
• matt black card
• Die'sire Happy Birthday die

I stamped Turning 21 and heat embossed with copper embossing powder. I fussy cut it and then matted it onto matt black card.

I stamped 21st birthday onto some Sheena stamping card and then randomly stamped one of the elements from the Urban graffiti stamp set all over it. I then fussy cut it and matted it onto matt black card.

Thank you for stopping by today

Lesley

Monster 21st birthday

Good morning

This week my eldest son was 21. It only seems 5 minutes since he was born. I can remember it as if it were yesterday. He was 7 weeks premature and gave everyone a huge shock (especially me) when he arrived so quickly. He was tiny but fortunately no long term health problems and is now a strapping 6 footer.

Today's card is one I made for his younger siblings to give him.

I used a variety of Woodware stamps for this card, the Blimps and 21st birthday. I stamped the 21 first onto Neenah crest card, made a mask and then stamped the blimps around the 21. I paper pieced the numbers and coloured the monsters with Spectrum Noir pens -

• CT4, GB5, OR1, BT5, BT6, BT7, DR3, DR5, DR6, IG1 and IG8

I also used - 

• white centura pearl (for the card base)
• pick n mix paper pad from First Edition
• rainbow mirriboard from Hunkydory

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge -

http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.co.uk - feature a creature

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Accordion flowers

Good morning everyone

On Monday it was my Mother-in-law's birthday. My MIL is also a card maker so making a card for her always takes time and needs a wow factor. I decided to use my accordion die to create a card with a little impact. Here is the finished result - 

No stamping or colouring this time, I let the dies do all the talking.

I have used -

• pretty posy paper pad from First Edition
• white centura pearl
• scraps of pink card
• Die'sire create-a-card square accordion die set
• Sara's signature collection Floral delight pretty petals die set
• Sara's signature collection Floral delight leafy flourish die set
• Sara's signature collection Butterfly lullaby flit and flutter die set
• Die'sire Happy Birthday die

I cut the accordion die from centura pearl and then cut it again from the patterned paper. I trimmed off the centre square from the patterned piece and then attached the outer square to the centura pearl base.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge -
http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk - June card challenge

Thank you for stopping by today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Pretty 21

Good morning folks

Today is my husband's neice's 21st birthday. This is the card I made for her -

I have used Scruffy Little Cat's Chanel from Crafter's Companion which I stamped onto Neenah crest card and coloured with my Spectrum Noir pens and pencils - 

• hair - TN2, TN5, TN9, EB3, EB8 and 098
• skin - FS2, FS4, FS9, CR1 and 089
• lips - CR5, CR7 and 023
• eyes - TB1, GT1, GT3, 052 and 065
• clothes - GT1, GT2, GT3 and 052
• perfume - PL1, PL2, PL3, IG1, IG2, IG3, IG4, GT1, GT2, 117, 052 and 083
• pearls - IG1, IG2 and 117
• ground - BG1 and BG3
• sky - IB1

I also used - 

• paper flowers paper pad from First Edition
• white centura pearl
• purple core'dinations
• Die'sire edgeables glass slipper
• Spellbinder's decorative labels 8
• Hunkydory silver sparkle glitter
• milled lavender and tumbled glass distress ink
• 21 and happy birthday banner embellishemnts from Hobbycraft
• fancy flourishes from the Hobby House
• ribbon from my stash

I have used another of the Die'sire edgeables die to make this card. This one is called glass slipper which I have embellished with some glitter.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge - 
http://craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk - challenge 315 - always anything goes

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Paper flowers

Hello everyone

Good Monday morning folks and what a beautiful, sunny day it is in my part of the country. I do hope the sun is shining for you too.

Crafter's Companion have launched some brilliant dies just recently for which my bank manager is non too pleased. Today's card features a recent die purchase - Die'sire Edgeables butterfly love.

I made a side stepper card from white centura pearl and then cut the butterflies into the card stock. The tiny butterfly dies also come in the die set.

I used the gorgeous fluttering stamp from LOTV which I stamped onto watercolour card and coloured with Spectrum Noir Aqua blend pencils and Sparkle pens - 

• skin - honeycomb and coral
• hair - brunette
• clothes - blueberry, elderberry and ebony
• butterflies - elderberry, iris and ebony
• flowers - oregano, elderberry and blueberry
• wings - stram and crystal clear sparkle pen
• sky - sky blue
• grass - oregano

I also used - 

• paper flowers paper pad from First Edition
• white centura pearl
• Spellbinder's floral ovals
• Die'sire edgeables butterfly love
• LOTV's grungy sentiments
• lilac seam binding from my stash
• pearls from my stash
• milled lavender and tumbled glass distress ink

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge - 

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk - the great outdoors

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Life in the fast lane

Good morning folks

The begining of June is a very busy time for birthdays in our house. My friend and her husband share a birthday on the 3rd, my MIL and my husband's neice share a birthday on the 6th and my eldest son has his birthday on the 7th so today's card is the start of my cards for this month.

This is the card I made for my friend's husband - 

I have used LOTV's vintage style stamp which I stamped onto watercolour card and coloure with Spectrum Noir Aqua blend pencils - 

• car - jungle green, ebony and fossil grey
• trees - bison and oregano
• sun - beeswax
• sky - sky blue
• grass/hills - pesto green, cypress and spruce
• ground - brunette and hickory

I have also used - 

• travel notes paper pad (from First Edition)
• kraft card (from Crafter's Companion)
• Sara's signature collection - Just for men Happy birthday die
• walnut stain distress ink

I inked the edges of the papers with walnut stain distress ink

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Man's best friend

Happy Saturday folks

Today sees the start of a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers. The new challenge is 

Man's best friend

This is my DT card for the challenge - 

I struggled a litle with this challenge as I realised that I didn't have any stamps with dogs so off I went internet shopping to my favourite websites The Glitter Pot and Dies to Die for.

I used Woodware's puppy love for the main image which I stamped onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - 

•  dog - onyx black, smoked quartz and crystal clear
• collar - spun gold and red berry
• ground - sterling silver
• sky - moonstone

I also used -

• Fetching friendship stamp from Newtons Nook designs
• Sheena's stamping card
• brown textured card
• Tonic layering squares, scalloped squares, circles and scalloped circles
• LOTV Happy circular sentiments
• ribbon from Hobby House
• gems from my stash
• walnut stain and tumbled glass distress ink

I made the background using a piece of Sheena's stamping card and the small stamps from the fetching friendship stamp set with black ink and walnut stain distress ink.

Please pop over to the blog to see what my fellow teamies have made for the challenge. We look forward to seeing all your crafty creations but please remember we are a stamping challenge (no digi images thank you) and the stamp must form the focal point of your project.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley