Peaches and cream

Hello folks

It's the weekend - yipee and so it must be time for a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers. Our new challenge for the next fortnight is 

Peaches and cream

We would love to see your crafty projects for this challenge but please remember we are a stamping challenge and your stamped image must be the main focus of your project. No digi images please.

Here is my DT card for the challenge - 

I have used Fairy happy day stamp from Tiddly Inks which I have coloured with Spectrum Noir pens, pencils and Sparkle pens - 

• skin - FS2, FS4, FS9, CR1, 089 and 009
• hair - EB3, EB6, EB8, blender and 104
• clothes - CR1, CR2, CR7, CG1, DG2, DG4, 023 and 059
• wings - EB1, EB2, CR11, 087 and crystal clear Sparkle pen
• toadstool - CR9, CR10, CR11, TN1, TN2, TN3, 089, 026 and crystal clear Sparkle pen
• flowers - CR2, CR7, CR11, EB3, EB8, CG1, DG2, DG4, 023 and 059
• sky - IB1

I have also used - 

• Boho chic paper pad from First Edition
• Tonic layering squares die set
• Spellsinder's A2 filigree delight die set and mushrooms die set
• LOTV's teenage girl sentiments
• ribbon and gems from my stash

I love this die set, it is so useful for using up lots of little scraps of card and paper and makes a change from flowers or butterflies. The little tuft of grass is also included.

The sentiment is from LOTV's teenage girl sentiment set which I fussy cat and then inked with tumbled glass distress ink.

I hope this has inspired you to join our challenge this fortnight. Why not pop over to the Fantasy Stampers blog to see what my fellow teamies have made to inspire you.

Thank you for stopping by

Crafty hugs

Lesley

End of an era

Hello

Today is my youngest sons last ever day at primary school. It is the end of a era for me, I have been a parent at the school for the last 16 years and am feeling a little sad (and very old) today.

 This is the card/gift I made for my son's teacher as a little thank you - 

It is a tealight box card which I made following the tutorial on the Crafter's Companion website.

I have used - 

• white and pink centura pearl
• acetate from Crafter's Companion
• Die'sire classiques floral corner
• Spellbinder's stately circles and circle nesties
• LOTV mixed circular sentiments
• ribbon, lace and pearls from my stash

Well I must go and get tissues ready for my son's final assembly.

Thank you for stopping by

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Pink dragonflies

Good morning folks

Today I thought I would share a sample a recently made for the TV. This time the samples were to showcase the Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - 

Isn't this a beautiful stamp? It is Sheena's Perfect Partners dragonfly dance stamp set which I cut out using the matching die set. I stamped onto Sheena's stamping card and coloured it with Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - 

• sterling silver, black onyx, inspired violet, pink garnet, aquamarine and crystal clear

I have also used - 

• white and platinium centura pearl
• pink core'dinations
• Downton Abbey ornate oval frame die set 
• Spellbinder's 5x7 matting basics die set

The sentiment is from the stamp set.

I made the background using Sheena's stamping card and pink garnet, starry sky, aquamarine, inspired violet and sterling silver Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Die'sire Christmas

Hello and a very happy Friday to you all

A little while ago I volunteered to help out with some samples for the Die'sire design team (Crafter's Companion) and I thought I would share my samples with you all today. I have put them all together on one post as they were all quite simple to make and have listed the ingredients for each card under each photo -

 Made using Die'sire Edgeables Candy canes die, white centura pearl, red card embossed with Vintage Christmas snowflake flutter embossalicious folder, a sentiment from Inspirations magazine, one of the layering dies from the Die'sire create-a-card oval accordion die set and pearls from my stash.

 This twisted easel card is made using Die'sire Edgeables star of wonder die, white and platinium centura pearl, Nordic Christmas diamond snowflakes embossing folder, Die'sire essentials scalloped rectangles die set, sentiment from the Inspirations magazine, Hunkydory diamond sparkles silver sparkle glitter and gems from my stash.

 A second card made using the Star of Wonder Edgeables die. I also used white and old gold centura pearl, Nordic Christmas time embossing folder and a sentiment from the Inspiations magazine.

 With this card I decided to use Die'sire Edgeables festive wreath and do a little paper piecing. Just the little bow this time but I think this would look stunning with a little more paper piecing - watch this space!! I also used white and old gold centura pearl, red card embossed with Sheena's holly embossing folder and ribbons, pearl trim and gems from my stash.

 For this DL card I tried a little colouring - I just had to - and this time I used my Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens spun gold, holly leaf and red berry. As I was going to be colouring the die cuts I made the card base and topper from Sheena's stamping card. I also used Die'sire Edgeables Christmas present die, red and green core'dinations, old gold centura pearl, white centura pearl which I embossed with Nordic Christmas diamond snowflakes embossing folder, Die'sire essentials circles and scalloped circles die sets and ribbon and gems from my stash.

 And finally a double stepper card made using Die'sire Edgeables gingerbread man die. I also used white centura pearl, red card embossed with Vintage Christmas snowflake flutter embossing folder, Die'sire essentials scalloped rectangles die set, sentiment from Inspirations magazine and ribbon and pearls from my stash.

All of these products are available from Crafter's Companion.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Anniverary wishes

Good morning folks

It is the start of a very busy period for anniversarys for me and here is the first one - 

I wanted to put my new Gemini through its paces so this card involves a lot of dies and die cutting. I have used - 

• white and pink centura pearl
• scraps of silver mirri
• Die'sire create-a-card vine leaves and in my heart dies
• Downton Abbey ornate rectangles die set (from Crafter's Companion)
• Sara's signature collection - English country garden grand floral and floral duo die sets
• Tattered Lace pearl flourish 7
• delicate floral A4 Embossalicious embossing folder (from Crafter's Companion)
• spun sugar distress ink
• Anniversray stamp from Hobbycraft
• gems from my stash

I used the matting and layering dies from the Downton Abbey ornate rectangles die set to cut out the sentiment.

Thank you for stopping by

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Paper piecing

Hello folks

Yesterday was my friend's birthday. We met at University where we were both studying for a degree in the clothing industry and still enjoy sewing to this day. I felt this card would be perfect for her -

I have used - 

• ivory centura pearl
• Pretty posy paper pad from First Edition
• Die'sire edgeables sew in love die
• Die'sire diamond press hexagons die set which came free with Crafter's Companion's Inspirations magazine issure 10
• Embossalicious honeycomb patchwork border embossing folder (again came free with Inspirations magazine)
• walnut stain distress ink
• Die'sire sentimentals - knit and stitch stamp set (from Crafter's Companion)
• LOTV's sentiment tags
• buttons from my stash
• Die-namics stitched circle STAX dies

I inked around the edge of the circle with walnut stain distress ink.

I inked through the die with walnut stain distress ink to highlight the embossed areas.

I embossed the stopper with the honeycomb patchwork folder and then die cut scrpas of the papers and added them to the embossed border.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

CAS

Good morning and welcome to the weekend

Well it's the weekend again. Where did that week go?? As it is Saturday it is time for a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers. This fortnight the challenge is 

CAS (clean and simple)

I decided as it was the middle of July that I would use the challenge as a prompt to begin my Christmas crafting so here is my DT card for the challenge - 

Sorry the photo is a little wonky. I have used Penny Black's beary merry stamp as my main focus which I coloured with Spectrum Noir pens, pencils and Sparkle pens - 

• skin - FS2, FS4, FS9, CR1, 089 and 009
• hair - TN7, TN8, EB8 and 103
• clothes - DR1, DR5, DR6, DR7, IG1, IG2, 112, 033 and crystal clear Sparkle pen
• bear - DR1, DR5, DR6, DR7, BGR1, PP1, 119 and 033
• ground - BG1 and BG2
• sky - IB1

I have also used - 

• red card
• scraps of green core'dination
• silver mirri
• tumbled glass distress ink
• Die'sire holly die (trimmed)
• red dew drop
• Penny Black's believe greetings stamp set (for the sentiment)

Why not pop over to the Fantasy Stampers website which you can find here to see what my fellow teamies have made for the challenge. Please remember we are a stamping challenge (no digi's please) and the stamp must be the main feature of your project.

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

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk - July challenge - anything goes with stamp

http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.co.uk - Challenge 313 - add a sentiment

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Level up

Happy Friday folks

When I saw this die and stamp sets I just knew I had to have them. They were the answer (for me) for those tricky teenage boy and pre teenage boy cards and would also be perfect embellishments for a couple of my stamps too.

This is Die-namics game controller die and My favourite things level up stamp set. I have raided my scrap box to make the controller and played with my Just for men stamps to create the background. Those dreadful war games that my boys love were my inspiration for the background.

Isn't it fun?

I have used - 

• Die-manics game controller die
• My favourite things level up stamps
• Sara's signature collection Just for men urban graffiti stamp set
• Sheena's stamping card 
• scraps of silver mirri, matt black card and core'dinations
• Sara's signature collection Just for men checkerplate embossing folder
• peeled paint, crushed olive, bundled sage and iced spruce distress inks
• Toinc layering squares die set
• Die'sire create-a-card Rosie die set

I made the background with a piece of Sheena's stamping card and then used the splodge technique with the distress inks. Once it was dry I stamped some of the Urban Graffiti stamps onto it again with the distress inks.

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

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk - week 371- one for the boys

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

One man and his dog

Good Sunday afternoon folks

Well which sporting match are you watching today - F1, tennis or football? I'm not into sport so I'll be in my craftroom making a cloak for my youngest son's end of year play costume. Not the worst think I have had to make (the squirrel definitely gets that award) but still a pain. My son's idea of what he needs and my idea tend to be a world apart.
Today I am sharing a card for those tricky men in our lives. I bought this stamp a while ago but hadn't inked it up. So I decided to rectify this - 

The stamp is from LOTV and is called man's best friend which I coloured with Spectrum Noir pens and pencils - 

• skin - FS2, FS4, FS9 and 089
• hair - GB8, GB10, EB5 and 104
• clothes - EB5, EB6, EB7, BG3, BG5, BG7, 118 and 104. I paper pieced the shirt and patch on the trousers
• dog - EB1, EB2, EB3, EB5, 098 and 088
• bench - BG3, BG4, BG5 and 118
• sky - IB1
• grass - CG1, DG2, DG4 and 090

I also used - 

• LOTV's pressed in time paper pad
• Tonic's scalloped circles and squares layering dies
• LOTV's sentiments tags
• baker's twine and buttons from my stash
• tumbled glass and antique linen distress inks

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

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk - one for the boys

http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk - July card challenge

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Life's a beach

Hello folks

Well today's card is a very optomistic one as currently the rain is beating on my craftroom window and I have to have the light on to be able to see. But I am being positive as we have just booked a week's holiday and I am looking forward to some sunshine.

The challenge at Penny Black Saturday challenge is one layer so that is what this card is. I made a card blank from Sheena's stamping card and stamped Penny Black's beach baby in black archival ink. I then created the background with distress inks. Finally I coloured the stamped image with Spectrum Noir Aqua blend pencils - 

• skin - coral, apricot and squash
• hat - sunshine, mango, beeswax and ruby
• swimsuit - currant
• sun glasses - currant and ebony
• blanket - sapphire and opal blue

I also used - 

• Sheena stamping card
• LaLa Land stitched sun and clouds die set (to create masks and stencils)
• tumbled glass, salty ocena and fozzilized amber distress ink

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

http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk - one layer

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk - anything goes with a stamp

Thank you for stopping by

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Wish upon a star

Good morning folks.

Welcome to the weekend and to a new challenge at Fantasy Stampers. This fortnight the Design Team would love to see your stamped projects (no digis please) for the theme - 

Wish on a star

This is my card for the challenge - 

I have used a very old, wood mounted stamp from the depths of my collection for this card but I think he is a lovely, cute little image. He is called Gold star and is from Docrafts.

I stamped him onto Neenah crest card and coloured him with my Spectrum Noir pens and pencils - 

• bear - IG1, IG2, IG4, IG6, TB1, TB4, 065, 114 and 118
• star - CT4, GB4, GB5 and 018
• ground - BG1 and BG3
• sky - IB1

I have also used - 

• Forever Friends party time paper pad from Docrafts (again an oldie but a goodie)
• yellow core'dinations
• Die'sire edgeables only words - wishing you a Happy Birthday
• Die-namics stitched circle STAX die set
• Die-namics mini tabs quartet die set
• Spellbinder's scalloped circle nesties
• scattered straw and tumbled glass distress inks
• gems and ribbon from my stash
• LOTV sentiments to fit scroll stamp set

I inked whilst still in the die with scattered straw distress ink to add a little definition. I also inked the edges of the card base and the backing papers.

Why not pop over to Fantasy Stampers to see what my teamies have created for the challenge.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley