Mid Way - Things with Wings Challenge at Try It On Tuesday

 There's just a week left for you to take part in our Things with Wings challenge at Try It On Tuesday.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with vellum -but it doesn't stop me wanting to use it!

Think because the base card is pearlised it didn't help when I came to take the pic either.

I used a simple textured embossing folder on the background to give some interest.

The Angel wings are from Pink Ink, bought very recently in a sale and never before used -  white heat embossed on vellum and fussy cut - a bit of a tricky job but got there in the end!

Because I always have such trouble attaching vellum without  the glue showing I used a tiny silver heart and a silver encased pearl brad on the top wing. Fortunately the top wing hid the spot of glue on the underneath one.

Heat embossed white sentiment.

I sponged a little Brilliance Moonlight Ink round the edges and in real life it does give a sort of 'dreamy' effect.

Quite happy really with how this turned out after seeing something similar on an internet trawl some time ago.

Thanks for looking! x

Sharing over at
Simply Clean and Simple - Use a Heart
MAWTT #168 - CAS
CYHTP - A/Goes
and it's week 3 for Darnell's IDEAS - E for Embossing folders and as my Angel Wings are NBUS am visiting there too!

August Card Chain Challenge

It's reveal day at the Card Chain Challenge and I re-visited an enjoyable technique for my make this month!
My card went off to Jo (http://angelnorth.blogspot.com/) here in the UK and I received a lovely card all the way from Oz from the lovely Robyn!
This month I managed to incorporate a couple of the challenge themes - opting to use as near as I could tothe colours given and using vellum.

The technique of double stamping on vellum is an easy but effective one starting by firstly white embossing your design on the front of the vellum then simply using normal ink on the reverse.

I used an old Stampendous set called Summer Leaves and usually I only use one colour ink on the reverse as it achieves a soft silhouette effect but because I wanted to try and get the challenge colours in this time I used Versacolour and Versafine Clair ink in Tangelo, Sage and Shady Lane. 

The effect is a bit more dramatic but I quite like it.

The reverse does take a little time to dry - you can speed it up with the heat gun but I am always worried in case the vellum warps too much or I overhear the already embossed front so I always leave to dry for a while before making up my card.

I added a large die greeting softly sponged in Tangelo and Shady Lane.

The 'sign up' for next month is open for the next couple of days if you fancy having a go -

it's lovely receiving cards from all over the world!
Also sharing over at
A Place to Start -  optional twist of leaves! (just made it before the challenge closed too!)

May Card Chain Challenge Reveal

I sent my card this month to Greta in Oregon and received a lovely card from Kath who is based here in the UK!
The colour option for May's Card Chain Challenge seemed simple at first -

until I tried to bring something together and confess I found it quite difficult! I think I simply tried to overthink it! Anyway I soldiered on and also managed to use one of the product options of embossing powder and the 'ripped edges' technique option so that was a bonus!

I have a sneaking suspicion that this embossing folder I used on the background was a freebie in a mag (- but I may be wrong!) but as I had already decided to try and produce something with an Asian theme I used the folder!

The dies are all from a Sizzix set. The flowers/branches in the set are really fiddly but I like using them.

I watercoloured the flower stems using dark blue and a near as I could get it turquoise.

The base was tripled heat embossed with gold embossing powder.

I remembered I had a piece of pale blue vellum so tore a little piece  and used it to hang from the scroll after heat embossing the chinese script and word.
Finished with a heat embossed on vellum butterfly.

You have a few days to sign up for the next challenge - get over to the blog and add your name!
Thanks for looking today. x

Excited!

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by the TIOT team to join them.
TIOT has been a challenge blog that I have tried to link up to as often as I could so I was super excited to have been asked!

So here's my first effort as part of the DT for this week's challenge which is 'Let's Get Messy'.

I can get messy when I have to - but getting messy and producing something which actually looks OK is a bit more difficult!

I love Alco Inks and simply don't use them enough so this was the perfect challenge to wipe the dust from them.

I stamped a large Hydrangea (For the Love of Stamps) onto vellum and heat embossed then carefully cut round it before popping it on the top of the inky panel, then  wrapped it up with a vellum strip (word from the same stamp set).

Please pop over to the challenge blog and check out what 'mess' the rest of the team have made 😊
and thanks for looking here today - hope you will join in our challenge too! x

More Christmas!

A couple of weeks ago a DT post that I had scheduled published - which would have been OK if the  challenge that the post had been done for was still running!

It was only on my blog for an hour and I know a couple of people saw it before I took it down but it was only a couple so I am sharing it now.

I really enjoyed doing this 'reverse stamping on vellum' technique and I have made quite a few cards using different colours for different things.

This snowflake card done in white embossing and a much used icy blue shade of ink was really quick to do with various snowflake stamps and the technique is simple to do.

I started with the white embossing first and then stamped the reverse with a pigment ink.

I die cut the bottom to give lots of white space as this was for a CAS challenge but think I will do a whole panel for the front of a card as the technique gives an elegant look.

I hope all is ok in your part of blogland and thanks for looking. x

Sharing over at
ABC Christmas - X for Xtra Special
Merry Little Christmas - Christmas/Winter
CAS on Friday - Greeting Card
TIOT - Traditional Christmas

Inspired by a walk!

We've been out for our usual walk this morning, and as always we remind ourselves how very lucky we are to have all this countryside on our doorstep and also be within 10 minutes of the coastline!

I always take lots of pics when we're walking as I enjoy comparing the season changes, watching the planting, growing, harvesting etc as well as the changing colours.
This morning's fave pic -

Autumn may well be on it's way despite us having some very pleasant temperatures!

This field is the last one to be harvested and I suspect it won't be long before it's done.

I came back and sat at the craftie space and made this card.

The reverse stamping on vellum technique is one which I am enjoying (even if I'm not enjoying trying to take decent pics!)

The pic looks like there's a shadow or a dirty mark on the last seed head.... there isn't!

This stamp is from Bee Crafty Beautanicals collection and is the smaller of the Teasel set.

The reverse stamping was done using Versamagic Sahara Sand.

Made for no other reason other than the teasels were in my head when we got home.
Sharing over at 

Country View - Season of Mists and Fruitfulness
Four Seasons - Autumn

Thanks for looking! x

Vellum Reverse Stamping

Whilst it has been too hot to do anything (well too hot for me anyway) I took my fan, positioned it 2 inches away and sat at the craftie space desk!

I have been meaning to have a go at this technique and this week Chrissie gave me the nudge that I needed!

It's a technique which has endless possibilities using different colours and stamps and creates really pretty effects - it's not complicated either - so my type of technique......😄

White heat emboss one side of the vellum with whatever stamp you like - I used two single leaf stamps here.

Once the embossing has cooled, turn it over and using the same stamp(s) pick a colour and simply stamp again.

I took a bit of a risk and used Distress Oxide for my reverse stamping (Barn Door) but I did let it dry overnight before assembling it behind the frames.
I heaved a huge sigh of relief when it didn't smudge and had dried completely.

I used linen textured card throughout but it doesn't show up in the pic!

Chrissie has done a video tutorial and you will see her step by step and her lovely finished examples here -
Fabulous Vellum Backgrounds 

Thanks for looking!

I shall be doing more of this reverse stamping on vellum I think!

Friends

One of the amazing things about Blogland for me has been the number of lovely people who have come into my world and stayed there.
Even though there are many I have never met I feel very lucky to have all these people in my life, they are generous, supportive, encouraging and I count them all among my friends.

My share today is for Loll.  

I mailed her a different birthday card which I hope she has received by now, but this is one I made especially for her for our CAS 'on-line birthday share'.
Once again though I am disappointed with the pic as it simply doesn't show the dimension or colours in a true reflection!

This is a Lisa Horton 3d embossing folder called Bold Blooms inked with shades of pink and lilac.

The sentiment is white heat embossed on vellum.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOLL. x

We have had some very hot days recently but it is more normal temperatures now - and with the normal temps has of course come the rain - which although irritates me, it made the garden and my pots happy!
I hope the sun is shining in your part of blogland. x

Sharing my card over at
Inkspirational - prompt word is Precious (which is what my blogging buddies are to me)
Alphabet - F for Friendship
Just Add Ink - Flowers
CYHTP - A/goes

Absent

 I've scheduled this post as I wanted to share another make for the challenge at CAS Mix Up which is to use Alcohol Inks on Vellum. My other posts for the DT are here and here
Also sharing over at  MMM - Trees

My vellum sky was done using Watermelon, Orange Sunset and Citrus alcohol inks, mixed with a liberal helping of blending solution.
The trees were popped onto the base card and the vellum piece with 3d foam and it has quite a good dimension in real life.
The sentiment was inked in Memento Canteloupe which is not a bad match at all!

I will be absent from blogland for a while as I'm taking an enforced break from crafting.

We have sold our house and are having to move into a rented property on 21st July as the purchase of our next home will not be completed until September.

 

So the craft room has been finally all packed away - I am hoping to be able to do a little whilst in the rental as I will get withdrawal symptoms if I have to wait till September to get out the card and inky stuff!

 

We also are in the process of the sale of mum-in-law's flat and purchasing a new apartment for her so as you can imagine we are currently meeting ourselves coming back and I can honestly say it is now official - I HATE CARDBOARD BOXES!🎁
I will visit you all as soon as I am able to! x

CAS Mix Up Mid Month Reminder

 Half way through our challenge this month at CAS Mix Up and the challenge is a mixed media one set by Coni who wants us to use Alcohol Inks on vellum.
I had a little bit of inky fun using some of the blues from my AI collection and came up with this.

I was a little apprehensive about heat embossing the sentiment - thankfully the vellum behaved itself and didn't warp!

This wavy stitched die is one of my more often used.
I stamped and heat embossed the shells and starfish then fussy cut, a couple of heat embossed seagulls finished it all off.

I rarely use my Alcohol Inks so it was good to dust them off for this challenge and it reminded me that I do like making an inky mess from time to time!

I'm particularly happy as the vellum used was a left over piece as were the 3 wavy die white pieces - so it's off to visit Miss Di in the Playground too!

We have some great cards done by the DT and in our gallery - lots of inspiration to be found. Grab that vellum and come along and join us!
Also sharing over at
Krafty Chicks - CAS

Vellum Greetings

Isn't it lovely when you see something and you have a light bulb moment and think 'I could do something like that'!!

That is what happened when I saw a card over on Susan's blog which had been inspired by something she saw on Pinterest.

The original is using Alexander Renke paper which as those who live here in the UK know is a little bit like trying to source Rocking Horse Poo for your rose bushes (with a price tag to match) - so I decided to stamp my botanical images background instead!

I used a variety of leaves and foliage stamps, inking them in Bundled Sage DI and some Versafine pale blues and greens.

Vellum laid over and a die cut sentiment with a couple of enamel dots and finished.

This was quite a quick card to make and I am really pleased with the outcome.

Hope you like it too!

We finally got to see my Ma-In Law recently for the first time since lockdown and even though her broken back has healed reasonably well she is struggling now with the steps outside her door.

So she has made the decision she needs to move to ground floor sheltered accommodation.

Which sounds fine - except we are now faced with the mammoth task of clearing out her current place before we can put it on the market. She has been to say the least a hoarder!

This week I have brought home 2 massive cardboard boxes full of unused unopened sewing thread (last week it was SIX cupboards full of material!!) I am placing the threads on a craft site to see if any of my friends want them - so if you are looking for sewing thread going cheap here in the UK, send me a message and I will send you some details!

Have a lovely day whatever you're doing and thanks for any comments you leave! x

CAS MIX UP- Mid Month Reminder

Half way through our first challenge on the new look CAS MIX UP blog -
and the challenge set by Susan is EMBOSSING VELLUM.

(My DT launch post is HERE if you missed it first time round!)

I took one of my biggest stamps and heat embossed onto my vellum.

Overlaid it onto some Raspberry card stock and to hide where I stuck it down at the top, die cut a scalloped edge and popped this over it with some foam pads.

(I had seen something similar to this done by a fellow blogger and thought it was a great idea to hide the sticky bits which I always manage to be able to see when I use vellum!)

We have some lovely cards to show you from the Design Team and our Guest Designer BONNIE  over at the challenge blog and we love to read your comments so please come and visit.

Really hope that you will share your make in our gallery this month! 

A New Look - CAS Mix Up

Welcome to a brand new CAS Challenge and some exciting news!
CAS challenges (Mix Up/Watercolour/Stencil) are now all rolled into one monthly challenge blog - CAS MIX UP.
Each month we will bring you a challenge which asks for either a mixed media project, a watercolour project or a stencil one.Our first challenge is a 'Mix Up' one - Embossing with Vellum and Susan is our host.

I did two different kinds of vellum embossing on this card - Heat and Dry.
I used a cherry blossom embossing folder first for the vellum background and overlaid it onto a white card.

The Technique Tuesday Cherry Blossom stamp rates amongst my all time faves and I stamped and heat embossed in white. It comes with a die but I fussy cut it as I didn't want a border round it!
I used my Arteza pens to colour.

Used a leftover vellum piece for the heat embossed sentiment.

I hope that you will come over and join us at our new look blog - I am soooo happy to still be part of this amazing Design Team and they have some gorgeous makes to inspire you!

Our Guest Designer this month is BONNIE and her card is pretty wonderful too - so pop over and see her make!

Thanks for looking today and look forward to seeing your beautiful cards in our gallery! x

Spring Florals - Stamping Sensations Mid Month Reminder- March

I have copied the message from our Stamping Sensations challenge blog - 

We hope everyone is keeping safe and well during these unprecedented troubled times, it's all quite surreal and the daily news bulletins from all around the World suggest we are going to have to weather some stormy times before it improves. 

Amidst all that's going on posting a mid month reminder seems futile, but we know craft has helped many through difficult times in the past and perhaps now more than ever we will be grateful of our hobby to help us through and keep us sane. We as a team send our love and thoughts to everyone.

 Our challenge is Spring Florals and we have a new sponsor this month - Thirsty Brush - so pop over to the challenge blog and take a look!

Whilst I had the vellum out for my sparkly Christmas card (below!) I used up some of the small pieces and stamped a scribbly flower and heat embossed in white. 

I thought about colouring the back of them but then decided to use coloured card base instead so I stamped the stems and leaves, heat embossed and added a little colour before popping on the fussy cut flower heads.

Thanks for looking today - I suspect that I (and lots of you) will be posting more over the coming weeks whilst we keep ourselves occupied during self isolating or following the advice to 'socially distance' - at least the power of blogland will keep us all in touch with each other.   

I appreciate all my visitors and never more so than now! Stay safe. x

Sparkly Flower

(My reminder post for CAS Stencil is below this one - Please scroll down the page!)

The sun is shining here today for a change! We have lovely blue skies, although it is still a bit chilly we managed to get out for an hour and a walk - it was lovely and peaceful and we were able to not dwell on the current situation all over the world for a short time and just enjoy the fresh air.

I am keeping my promise to myself to enter the challenge at CAS Christmas each month (listen to me - it's only March!!! Call back in October and we'll see how I've done then!) - this month the challenge is 'Winter Flower'.

It's also their SECOND BIRTHDAY so Happy Birthday to everyone at CAS Christmas!

I used a Penny Black poinsettia stamp, stamping first on gold glitter paper then embossing.

I stamped the flower again on some vellum and heat embossed, and used the stem from another set for the stalk and the leaf.

Fussy cut and then added some sequins for the centre.

I managed to find enough hammered textured card to make this card. I think I am going to have to buy some more as I am beginning to like it a lot better than plain white!

The card is quite sparkly but delicate in real life and another Christmas card for the box!
Sharing over at
ABC Christmas - E=Embossing/G=Gold

Stamping Sensations December Challenge

The brand new challenge at Stamping Sensations this month is 'GLITTER AND SPARKLE'!

Be Creative are our sponsors this month so make sure your entry has stamping as the focal point to be in with a chance to win!
I have used their embossing powders on this card.

I had a bit of a brainstorm with this - halfway through I was thinking why oh why did I use vellum?!!
Seemed like a good idea before I started......

Vellum on a white base card.
Stamps used are 'Twiggy Trees' by Inkylicious.
Embossed 6 in silver and one smaller one in gold.

Stamped the sentiment in Smokey Grey Versafine ink and clear embossed.

Added lots of stickles drops to the sky.

Overall am quite pleased with the way it turned out - It IS really sparkly in real life and didn't take too long to do, although I had to use a sticky sheet specifically for vellum to attach to the card in an attempt to get it to lay flat as the vellum had warped a little with the heat gun!

Please go over to the blog and see what my teamies have done too - we love visitors!

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x
Linking up at -
PB& More -  Trad Xmas Colours (Gold and Silver)
Crazy4Challenges - Tree
CAS on Friday - Christmas
Fussy & Fancy - Winter/Christmas
Back 2 Basics - Stamping on Vellum
That's Crafty - Winter Wonderland

Asian Inspired

I notice that Oriental themed stamps seem to be making a little bit of a comeback just recently. At one time they were immensely popular and now are undergoing a bit of a revival.
I remembered my little stash of embossing folders and stamps which have been neglected for a while so I have made some giving the old stuff an airing.

Will post the others as and when - but here's the last one I did yesterday ('cos it didn't stop raining here), and it just used up the leftovers from the days crafty sesh!
Quick, simple and I like it!

Chinese script on vellum. The branches cut from a bigger die in black pearly card and the flowers also from the same die set.
The 'vase' was a sentiment die with an oval centre - just snipped it off! I added a little bit of gold embossing powder to give it some texture.
And that's it.

It's a stunningly lovely spring day here (finally) - we have blue sky and sunshine - although still not very warm it is lovely to see the sun!
Sharing my little oriental make over at -
S+F=C -  CAS
Use Your Stuff - Spring
P B & More - Black/White plus 1 (hoping that the teeny bit of embossing doesn't count as another colour!)
SOS - Black/White + 1 (ditto about the embossing)
Library Challenge - Memoirs of a Geisha (stunning black/white/red cover too)

Thanks for visiting - have a great day! x

Stamping Sensations December Challenge

Not long to Christmas now so our Challenge at Stamping Sensations is a related theme of Winter Trees and Flowers.

I was going to do another winter tree scene but changed my mind and ended up using one of my 'go
to' Christmas Stamps which is this Poinsettia stamp from Creative Expressions. The set has several different sizes of the flowers but for this card I just used the largest one.

I stamped and gold embossed onto white vellum then fussy cut each one.

On the base card just stamped and embossed few blobs (!!) (SU Timeless Textures) on the left - (on reflection may have been better just spattering with gold paint as I think they look a bit 'bulky')
Positioned the flowers folding in and securing those that overlapped the edge.
Sentiment from my stash again gold embossed.

Originally thought about pearls for the centres but them found these lonely glittery bits in the Blingy Box so used them instead!
And another bonus - this is quite a flat card despite the blingy centres so in keeping with my promise not to make OTT multi layered cards to save postage!

Our prize this month is all these goodies and to be in with a chance you need to link up your creation.
Please remember we are a Stamping challenge and so we must see a stamped image sentiment etc as the FOCAL element of your submission. Stamping must be the central point of attention! Hope you will find time to join in with us!

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

A trip

Happy Sunday everyone! Although the weather here is far from happy - it's blowing a gale and the rain is lashing down!
Not that I am too concerned as I shall be in the sunshine tomorrow (I hope!) - more of that later.....
Had some odd scraps of watercolour paper so decided to use them up - and as they're scraps I am away to the Playground (have my wellies and my sou'wester on....)

The stamp is one I have had for a while from Crafty Individuals and I decided to smoosh the watercolour paper with colours that I thought the flowers should be then hopefully be able to position the stamp over the top so that the colours were roughly in the right place.

The green DI is Mowed Lawn, the blue is Mermaid Lagoon and the yellow Fossilized Amber and I was pretty happy with the resulting smooshing as the stamps with a little bit of fiddling ended up in the right place.

I then painted over odd bits of the images with the same colours to give a bit more definition.
Mounted the panels onto black card.
The card base has a script vellum overlay - another paper pack I have had for ages -  I thought it picked up the script background of the stamp (and it saved me stamping and embossing the card base!!!👌).
Stamped the simple sentiment onto the smallest piece of paper ever and shaped it like a tag, punching a small hole in the top, wrapped some white organza ribbon round the vellum and tied the tag onto it.

Challenges -
Inkspirational - Smooshing
CAS Mix Up - Smooshing/Stamping/Vellum
HLS Watercolour - A/Goes with option of Smooshing

I shall be absent from visits for a little while - as my first Presidential tour starts tomorrow so sunnier climes for me! (And the 65 others coming too!) 
I am hoping that Mr Blogger behaves himself and publishes my scheduled DT post and hope that you will not forget me whilst I am gone (I mean - How could you??????!!!!!!!) 

Romance?

I don't do soppy.   With Valentine's Day looming, I am fed up with soppy!
Valentines' Day is dear husband's birthday.      We don't do Valentine's day.
We don't really do birthdays either - not cards or presents but we normally have a nice meal around the date - not ON the date 'cos everywhere is full of soppy!!!

I have made a 'not soppy' Love card - made for no other reason than I was feeling a teeny weeny bit soppy.
 
The heart stamp was a cheapie from Hobby Crafts - bought it as I don't posess any heart stamps and thought it might be needed.... first time it's seen ink!
I used a Brilliance Ink Pad in Rocket Red for the heart and the splats (which are from a Visible Image set).

The ink splatters across the card were a mix of the Rocket Red ink and Festive Berries DI as I wasn't sure if mixing water with just the Brilliance ink would work!
Mounted the heart on a scrap of vellum cut with a nestie, stamped the sentiment in Onyx Black and added a strip of corrugated red card (which means I can go play again over at CAS Mix Up!)

Unsurprisingly there's lots of soppy love themed challenges around so am linking to -

Crafty Purple Frog - Love is All Around
House of Cards - Love theme
Time Out - Inspired by words
              (and I have used 'Heart')
Uniko - Anything Goes
Allsorts - Hearts
AAA - CAS
House that Stamps Built -
                   Red/Hearts/Vellum

It's very cold here today. We've had a couple of snow flurries but it hasn't stayed. Changed the bed and done a little bit of housework this morning. Planning now on having a lazy day in the craftie space - in the warm!

Thanks for looking today - have a great weekend whatever you're doing - and if you're doing 'soppy' - enjoy!!  x