Lace Border

 Just realised that I've not posted on my blog for over a week, no excuses really because I have a folder with lots of pictures to share.  I fancied doing a bit of parchment grid work so I produced a piece with this lacy border, then found a piece of coloured parchment to fit into the centre.  Cut using picot edge square die before searching for a design which would fit into the small space.  Decided to add these quirky flower pots and bird.  

Lace - Elizabeth Groovi plate from Clarity

Panel - one of Tina's flower plates from Clarity

Background - paper from 'Barb's Favourites' from Clarity

Bluebell Wood

 I do know that I've not done any bead work for some time but hadn't realised just how long ago I last picked up needle, thread and tiny beads.  This Bluebell Wood project was started when I purchased a lovely book called Floral Beaded Jewellery from Spellbound Beads, with designs by Julie Ashford.  This book was published in 2016 so that makes it four years ago that this 'work in progress' was started but at least now it is no longer an 'UFO' (unfinished object). It took me a while to sort out just what point I'd reached in the work and then of course it was back to the instruction books to remind myself of the various stitches and techniques but fortunately it all came back to me quite quickly once I'd got going again. I'm so pleased to see this one completed, quite fiddly to make but worth the effort of one bead at a time to bring it together.  I have to admit that I came across another 'WIP' (work in progress) which I'm sure was started before the bluebell necklace so I'm going to get down to getting that one completed as well - different stitch, different technique so again back to the instruction books!! 

 I'm sure I can't be the only person who is very good at starting projects but not always as good at actually finishing them😀😀.  Most do get completed - eventually!!

Floral Beaded Jewellery from Spellbound Beads, designs by Julie Ashford

Flower Pots

 A couple of quirky flowers in pots to share today.  Images stamped onto card with a few of the tiny stamps from the set added.  Edges were sponged with ink.  Button stamp from the set was used to stamp around the edges of the background paper - no need to stamp all over because much of it is hidden..  Image coloured using water based pens and a little label also from the stamp set was cut out and added. Hope you all managed to enjoy some sunshine over the Bank Holiday weekend - difficult to believe we are into September now.  It has certainly been a strange year so far.

Stamps - set from Hobby Arts

Bees

 There is a campaign ongoing to save our bees and now apparently the latest thing is a threat from some very large hornets which are due to arrive any day. People are being asked to photograph any they see and report sightings of these predators.  I think the bees on my card will be safe though and  the colours will brighten up what has turned into a very dark morning here, more like winter than August,

Stamps - Honeybee set from Stampin' Up
Papers - oddments from my stash, Buddly Crafts I think
Sentiment - from a free set of stamps with magazine way back
Border - punch from Stampin' Up

Pixie's Playground Challenge #385

 I have a male themed card to take along to the Playground this time and as usual quite a few varied snippets have been used in the making. The background paper is one which was given away with a magazine and I've over stamped it with some images to give it a bit of interest.  Snippets of cream card were used to stamp the watch, pointing finger and the sentiment strip, cut out using scissors.  Various cogs were die cut from snippets of black card and brushed over with Treasure Gold before popping onto the card.  I'm just playing along for fun this time but there is the usual interesting prize on offer to one lucky person.

Stamps - from a Phill Martin set
Cogs - dies from an ancient set of dies by Docraft

Neglected Items

 The stamps used on this card came as part of an Extravaganza Day I attended, possibly at least a couple of years ago and I'm pretty sure they've not seen any ink since that day so I thought I'd give them an airing.  They are triple layer stamps and I have fussy cut  the three resulting flowers  and several leaves  using scissors.  Took me a while I  must say.  Anyway I've added a label shape with a sentiment and made them into a cheery card.  It has been raining steadily all day today so the craft room seemed a good place to spend some time.

Stamps - Painted Harvest from Stampin' Up
Labels - dies also from SU
Sentiment - from a freebie set given with a magazine ages ago

An Experiment

 I thought this morning I'd have a play and see how I got on with making a 'scrapling' card which is something which the lovely Jules does so well - take a look at her blog and scroll down a little way to find a Christmas one of these.

For mine I used up a little piece of card which had been sprinkled with Pixie Powders but it was a bit bland so I added some inking, stencilling and over stamping to liven it up a bit.  Next I die cut a honeycomb, a flower and a tiny golden bee. Some of the 'waste' from the honeycomb has been popped back in at random.  Yes each time I die cut a honeycomb I save all the 'waste' 😀😀

 I must say I wasn't sure this small size of card was for me and in my head couldn't really see how I could incorporate much to make it interesting.  I've always been more comfortable working in square format at around 150 mm but it is good to step outside the comfort zone now and then.  This little card is 65 mm x 135 mm - no sentiment added because I think it could be very useful as a gift card maybe.

Background - using Pixie Powders, honeycomb stencil and a text stamp
Honeycomb - from Honeybee stamp and die set Stampin' Up
Flower - die which sadly has lost its packaging
Bee - die from a Tonic set