Another fairy - sort of...

So this isn't how it was going to be but there you go. I was quite pleased with the colouring on this Dimension Fourth stamp to start with. I got some lovely shading on the dress with my Spectrum Noirs (even though the image is quite small) and she looked really 'curvy'. But then I managed to splash some black Gesso on it while I was doing something else. Grr. So I cut the image out and was left with just one speck of gesso on the dress. Not wanting to start over I smothered the dress with a quicky glue pen and dolloped on some Glamour dust. Did her wings while I was at it too.
The pinkish oval, the corner and the butterflies were cut from a background I made ages ago, with Glimmer mists - I think. The words are from a stamp I was given by blogging buddy Jane (jem). As you can see I cut it up and added the words individually. Ribbon and card candy from my stash finish it off. Oh and the bp is from a pack bought from Chocolate Baroque when they were Graphicus.
I'm emtering it into this months challenge at Stamping Sensations - which is 'Wings, Fantasy and Fiction'.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

Stamping Sensations - Christmas

So - Past mid November and I'm way behind with my Christmas cards. I was going to be so organised this year. Ha ha! I'm entering this card in this month's Stamping Sensations challenge - which is 'Christmas'. The bp is from a Jem's Design CD - A Fantasy Winter. The main image is a Sheena Doulass stamp, coloured with Promarkers, inked around the edges with Stonewashed Adirondack ink and blinged up with plenty of glamour dust.
Thanks very much for visiting today. I'm off downstairs now to sit in front of my brand new gas fire for an hour or so before I get ready to go out dancing tonight.(Just hope I don't get too comfy or I won't want to go.)

Stamping Sensations October Challenge

Back in July I was so lucky as I won the Stamping Sensations challenge for that month. As well as getting some fab goodies from Little Claire's I also get to be Guest Designer for this month. The theme is 'All Creatures Great and Small' and for my card I have used a stamp from Joanna Sheen - which I have had for many years. I coloured what there was to colour with Promarkers and added some colour around the image with Pan Pastels. The backing paper is from a Crafty Individuals paper pad and the ribbon from my stash. I made the flowers with Nellie Snellen punches and brushed over them with an archival ink pad to give some colour to the embossed areas. The butterfly was punched from some yellow copy paper, edged with the same ink pad and given several coats of spray and shine to help mould it and give it some body.
Leo is now almost 5 years old and although he has lost some of the stripes he had as a kitten this stamp always makes me think of him. I managed to catch him sunbathing a couple of weeks ago -

looking a tad sleepy.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

I've started - but will I finish???

So last year I bought several books with the intention of having a go at Art Journaling. Well - it didn't happen and while I was looking for something completely different last week - I came across them. So as my entry into this month's Stamping Sensations challenge I  made a start by 'doing' the front cover of one of them. It remains to be seen if the inside ever sees any ink but you never know.
It's the first time I've ever attempted anything like this as I shy away from chucking loads of stuff at a project usually - but this has so much 'stuff' chucked at it - it's probably unwise to try and list it all. Needless to say there are Distress Inks,Promarkers, Fresco Paints, acrylic paints, modelling paste, die cuts and a couple of Sheena Douglass stamps (one being the the 'Poppy' element which is the theme for this month's challenge.) Oh - and some glamour dust on the butterflies for good measure. It's an A5 water colour sketchbook - which now needs to be kept where I can see it in the hope that I someday get round to filling the pages.
Thanks very much for visiting today.
Beryl xx

Stamping Sensations August Challenge

Running late again this month for the Stamping Sensations challenge but I've been a bit preoccupied with visitors. Last month my number was picked in the draw and have just received a lovely parcel of crafty goodies from Little Claire's. How lucky am I? Thank you to both Little Claire's and the Stamping Sensations team.
On to this month's challenge which is 'Wings and Things and a Touch of Vintage'.
For my card I have used stamps from a Creative Expressions set designed by Sheena Douglass.The bird I stamped with Stazon and coloured with water colour pencils. The sentiment I stamped with Adirondack Cranberry and then clear embossed. Both were cut out with Spellbinders dies and then tinted with Brushed Corduroy DI.. The holly flourish is a Cheery Lynn die, the ribbon, lace and backing paper are all from my stash.
Sorry I haven't done much blog visiting this last week or so - hopefully any day now I'll get my routine back.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

The Fake and the Real

Third post in less than a week. Can you tell I'm hiding indoors? I've followed the sketch for this month's Stamping Sensations challenge -which is either the sketch, summer colours or both. The hibiscus flowers are Sparkle n Sprinkle stamps - bought from Joanna Sheen quite a few years ago. I've coloured them with Promarkers and given them a coat of Spray and Shine after. Around the main image I used a Stampscapes texture stamp in Cloudy Blue Adirondack to tone down the white card.The next layer back is some Conqueror paper (from Staples), coloured with Wild Honey Distress ink and over stamped with a Chocolate Baroque background stamp and a Whispers Archival (Butterscotch) ink. The corners are from a crafty friend - really must get that Spellbinders set - and the bp is from a Papermania paper pad that I've had for yonks.
And now for the real thing.

I've had this hibiscus since the early nineties and it produces enormous blooms - sometimes over six inches across. It's just coming into flower at the moment but so far only single blooms. I think it preferred the conservatory in Wales but it did suffer with red spider might there - not so here so far. I'm hoping once it gets used to it's new environment it will treat me to some double blooms once again.

Thanks very much for visiting today. 

Beryl xx

Update. Yeah! The two buds that opened at lunchtime are doubles. Pity they don't last long.

Summer Blooms

This is the card I made with this months Stamping Sensations challenge 'Summer Blooms' in mind. I've used Sheena Douglass' Lily stamp - coloured with Copics and then given a coat of Cosmic Shimmer white pearl. The bp is printed from a Papermania CD that was free with a magazine. The lattice die cut is set over a background made using my Impression Obsession cloud 'cover a card' stamp. It's been coloured with Pan Pastels but not showing up much. It's more colourful IRL. Swirls and lattice are both Cheery Lynn dies and the butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch.
I'll be AWOL over the weekend. Off to Southport Friday till Monday. I'll be dancing my socks off at a ceroc dance weekender. Weather's not predicted to be too good but I don't think that will be affecting me much.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

Wedding Card

A wedding card is something I've only made a few times so I haven't much in the way of 'wedding stuff'. My daughter asked me to make one for her friends wedding - the theme being turquoise and yellow. I have to give credit to Lisa for the inspiration for the background. Being an 8 x 8 card I didn't have an embossing folder large enough to emboss the background so was stuck until I remembered this gorgeous card that Lisa made. It's made with Sheena's little crackle stamp using silver Encore Ultimate metallic ink. The main image - another Sheena stamp was also stamped with the same ink. After lots of fiddling I managed to make three roses - think I've got it now - although I did use a slightly different method to the ones in the tutorials.The die cut swirls (Sissix) and corners (Cuttlebug) were cut from some silver card from Craftology which is really meant for another purpose - but it seemed the right shade of silver and was more mat than mirri card. The greeting was computer generated and matted onto nestie shapes.
I'm entering this card into this months Stamping Sensations challenge which is 'Special Occasions' - anything but birthdays.

Thanks very much for visiting today.
Beryl xx

I little bird told me......

The Stamping Sensations challenge for March is 'The Great Outdoors' and I've decided to go for a 'garden' theme. For the background I used Distress Inks Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet, splodged onto the craft mat and used to colour the backing paper. I then over stamped it with the same inks using a Chocolate Baroque (EI) background stamp randomly.
For the main image I used a background stamp by Impression Obsessions - stamped with Versamark and coloured with Pan Pastels. If you click on it for a larger view you'll see that the stamp has a 'textured' look to it as well as the clouds.The bird table is a Chocolate Baroque (EI) stamp, the corner branch and the flower border are Hobby Art Stamps and the slightly taller flowers are a Clarity stamp. The birds are Stampscape and the sentiment is made using my set of magnetic words stamps from Rubbadubbadoo. It's finished of with a die cut picket fence (very old die and lost original packaging but may be Xcut), some ribbon from my stash and a Memory Box corner.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

Stamping Sensations 'Fur and Feather challenge

I'm entering this card into this month's Stamping Sensations challenge - 'Fur and Feather'.
The stamp is by Serendipity, bought from Joanna Sheen several years ago - and not used nearly enough. I've coloured it with Promarkers and cut out with nestie dies. The rope is also part of the same set of stamps, embossed with black and also coloured with a Promarker. The sentiment is part of a Kanban set - embossed with platinum ep. I've added some button thread to a background made with Weathered Wood and Black Distress inks - dabbed onto a craft mat and spritzed.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

Hello there..

I'm entering this card into this month's challenge from Stamping Sensations. The theme is 'Friendship' and as I have a friend with a birthday next week - this is what I came up with for her. She's more of a 'dog' person but I'm hoping to convert her someday.
I've used this Penny Black stamp which I've had for quite a while - and not used nearly enough (I've also done one in another colour so you may see that soon). I've coloured with Promarkers and mounted it onto Nestability ovals. The bp is Pink Petticoat vintage rose collection and I added a couple of Cuttlebug corners.The pink strip is the reverse side of the dark pink card and I've punched it with a Martha Stewart punch. The sentiment is made up from a set of words from Rubbadubbadoo magnetic stamps and then cut out with a Spellbinders die. Lastly I added a row of nail heads.
It's still snowing here - just the fine stuff but it's adding to the six inches we had last week which shows no sign of thawing. I'm staying put until I really need to go out - and I really need to go out tomorrow night. I haven't been dancing since the Saturday before last and I'm getting stir crazy - as is Leo.
Thank you for visiting today.
Hope you are all keeping warm and safe.
Beryl xx