Beautiful Papers

For a change I've used a beautiful piece of DSP as a backdrop to some stamping  rather than getting inky and making my own.  The main image was stamped in place first, followed by some background stamping to give the impression of a distant forest and then some foliage was added in the foreground.  The fantasy boat was coloured using coloured pencils, also some tiny foiled dots which give a lovely subtle touch of shine which sadly doesn't show in the photo.

Paper - New Horizons DSP from Stampin' Up
Main Image - Liberty from Lavinia Stamps
Selection of tree and foliage stamps from Lavinia, Stampin' Up and Card-i-O
Faber Castel Polychromos pencils

Little Snail

 Another of my recently made inky backgrounds used for this card - a light coloured piece made using a gelli plate.  The bellflower vine fronds were stamped first, leaving an area centre bottom for a little group of flowers and foliage complete with a little snail slithering up the stem of the centre flower.  A tiny amount of Stickles was added on and around the snail but this doesn't show to well in the picture.

We've just had thunder and lightning overhead and a torrential hailstorm so indoors is a good place to be at present.

Stamps used - by Lavinia Stamps

Snippets Challenge #431

 I've made a card for my brother as my entry to the Snippets Challenge this time around.  Snippets were used for the boats, rocks and grasses and the odd piece of fencing and scrap of bunting were lying around on my desk so I added them to the mix.  A great two part prize is on offer so why not use up some of your snippets and have a go.  The sea and sand were stamped onto a piece of white card with a sentiment added at the bottom.  Rocks were stamped and fussy cut.  I came across the odd scrap of bunting after the card was made but thought the addition of this might give the whole thing the look of a Summer regatta

Stamps - mix from various sets, mostly retired Stampin' Up.

Happy Post

 Anything craft related which arrives through my letter box is called 'happy post' and earlier this week I received a package from a generous blogging friend who kindly sent me a selection of Christmas bits and pieces which she had stamped and die cut. I think that it's  great when crafters share, whether it be their knowledge and expertise or, indeed, something tangible like this.

I know we are still in June but I have seen the 'C' word being mentioned quite a bit recently so I've done some colouring and put together a Christmas card and will try and remember to make more from time to time so that there isn't a mad rush in December.  This is a side opening 5" x 7" card and I raided my Christmas stash to find a suitable background paper and embossed a piece of white card with a snow effect E/F.  Images were coloured using alcohol pens and then arranged before gluing them down.

Background Paper - Stampin' Up (retired)
Embossing Folder - Falling Snow Stampin' Up (retired)
Images and Sentiment from MFT Happy Pawlidays 

Ladybirds

There seem to be quite a few ladybird cards going the rounds at the moment which reminded me that I had a lovely ladybird stamp which I've had for a few years and which hadn't been out of its box for a while. There are three fairly large ladybirds in the set so I've stamped, coloured and fussy cut them (they were produced before matching dies became the norm for practically everything). Only two here but the other  largest one has been used on another card which I will share at some point.The white die cut circle has been splattered with some green and I had a couple of suitable leaves already cut,  Put everything together onto a matching floral background and that's it - my ladybird card to join with the trend without needing to buy anything new 😉

Ladybirds - stamp set from Docrafts (Papermania) no longer available
White circle - die from Daisy Mae 

Gnomes

 The theme at Shopping Our Stash this time is **There's Gnome One Like You** where of course they are looking for cards with a gnome or gnomes.  My card is a Christmas one even though we aren't into July yet but a start has to be made at some point if we are to stay ahead of the game.  The background scene was made up using patterned papers and an embossed piece of white card.  The house was fussy cut from a piece of patterned paper as well and the trees were some odd die cuts which I'd saved.  The two gnomes and the signpost were stamped and die cut using a stamp set which came free with a magazine a number of years ago and comes out every year.

Background - stitched hills dies from MFT
House and Tree covered Hill - DSP from Stampin' Up (retired a couple of years ago)
Gnomes and Sign - stamp and die set given free with magazine several years back

Summer Flowers

 The theme for the latest Allsorts Challenge #681 is ***Summer Flowers*** and for my card I've die cut some wisteria flowers but have used yellow shades and turned them into laburnum.  The tree in my garden has been spectacular this year with loads of flowers whereas some years it is quite sparse.  As always there is lots of inspiration from the design team and a great prize to be won.