Blossom

 Good morning,  I 'm not sure where the time went since I last posted- and that one was scheduled, but here I am again with my card for this fortnight's ANYTHING GOES challenge at Crafty Catz.

Many years ago I was on the Design Team for Delicious Doodles, sadly one of the many Challenge Blogs that have now disappeared, this lovely image is one that I coloured at the time and never got around to using so now I have! Image coloured with Copic markers, various papers from stash matted onto blue card- I printed the butterfly again to finish, coloured and fussy cut it (doesn't quite match the colours on main image as I had to try and guess which I had used). 

I followed this sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday

We had a wonderful taste of spring here on Wednesday- the sun shone all day and it was so warm and lovely- absolutely no rain at all - even saw a butterfly in the garden- spring is definitely around the corner.

Please pop over and check out the challenge blog to see what the rest of the ladies have created.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

cardz4galz. #270

paperfunday #84

addictedtostamps #511

PFM #826

classicdesign #2

crafterscafe #327

sweetsketchwednesday Feb challenge

Dies or Punches at Fab'n' Funky

 Last but not least, my third creation for today is my DT make for this fortnight's challenge at

Fab'n' Funky

the theme this fortnight is 

DIE CUTS OR PUNCHES

chosen by our lovely Pat K.

This is the card I made for my nephew's 21st birthday, I used die cuts from various companies, red, white and black cardstock and a piece of diamond patterned design paper.

As always there's more to see over at Fab'n' Funky, some fabulous inspiration from the rest of the team.

Many thanks for those of you visiting my blog, please scroll down for my earlier posts today.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

acutabove February Challenge

mmmchallenge #271

Guest Design for I Spy with my Little Eye

 I was delighted to be invited by the lovely Ellie of Ellibelle's Corner to Guest Design for the for her February Challenge at I Spy with My Little Eye, thank you Ellie!

The theme is SOMETHING YOU LOVE.

I thought for a while and decided I would make a page for my art journal, something I love doing but don't get around to often enough, and I would combine techniques that I really enjoy doing. I also love stories of magic and fantasy so that decided a theme for my page.

I started with a previously made background that had been stencilled and smooshed with inks and brushos in shades of brown and bronze, cut an arch shaped aperture from a square of it and stamped it with a Lavinia vine stamp in various shades of green. I cut a smaller arch from the remainder of the original background (it was just big enough!) and added some stencilling and more ink to darken it. I used my copic markers to colour the beautiful fae image, a Morgan's Artworld digi, added a little stencilling and inserted it behind the arched 'window'. The sentiment strips are stamped and gold embossed using stamps from various companies.

I took my time creating this page, but am happy to say I really enjoyed the time spent.

I hope you can find the time to join in with this lovely theme, just click the link above to hop over to the Challenge Blog.

Chris

x

Thanks for visiting

challenge entries:

craftingfromtheart. February Challenge

sparkles #197

welove2create #1

HQFCB #2

Outlaws-anythingbutacard Feb Challenge

aperfecttimetocraft. Feb Challenge

creativeinspiration Feb challenge

ilovepromarkers #601

More of my favourites...

 Good morning, this is the first of 3 posts today, all of them scheduled as I'm going to be in London for the day- dinner and theatre with my lovely daughter, a delayed birthday treat. 

This card is a reminder for our February Challenge at Stamping Sensations, the theme is Favourite Stamps or Anything Goes. Once again I'm using Lavinia Stamps, this time to make a CAS Christmas card. The stamps I have used are Fir Cone Branch, Mini Holly ,Thistlewhisk and Pipspell (without his lantern). I coloured with pencils and a white gel pen, Posca marker for the snow. 

Please check out the Challenge blog for details of how to join in, some great inspiration from the rest of the team and the lovely prizes on offer.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

craftyanimals #102

crittercrazy #107

thefourseasons Feb. Challenge

aplacetostart. February Challenge

hollyandivy #198

POE #106

Thoughts of spring...

 Good morning, it's Saturday and the end of another wet week in February! To be fair there has been a few breaks in the rain (it soon comes back though) and I've managed to get out and walk for a while without getting soaked and such a bonus when the Marvin isn't caked in mud after every outing- not that it bothers him in the slightest, even being hosed down twice a day doesn't phase him!

My card today is for our new challenge at Sweet Stampin',

 the theme for this fortnight is NO DESIGN PAPER.

 I made this card with thoughts of spring in mind, hopefully to cheer up a lovely teamie who has just undergone surgery. The focal image is from Mo Manning and I've coloured her up with my markers. The corners are stencilled using Distress Oxides and a pretty stencil (Imagination Crafts, I think).

That's it from me for today, please remember to check out the beautiful inspiration creations from the rest of the Sweeties.

Thanks for visiting and have a good weekend

Chris

x

Challenge Entries:

alphabetchallenge -Uplifting (I hope so anyway!)

digichoosday #2

addictedtostamps #510

stencilfun Feb. Challenge

PFM #824

mirtillamente #52

Hearts & hugs

 Good morning, here's my DT make for our new 'Anything Goes' Challenge  starting today over at 

Crafty Catz.

I made a fairly CAS card using a heart shaped mask (Visible Image) and a stencil (A&C). I unearthed the cute House Mouse stamp from where it had been languishing in my drawer full of older wood backed stamps, stamped him and coloured with Copics. I thought he needed something to catch so I used some tiny heart shaped stamps to make butterflies, drew their little bodies with a fineline  pen and added dots to their wings. A stamped sentiment to finish. Going to send this to my youngest granddaughter - she's a huge fan of hearts and butterflies- all her drawings are peppered with them!

(She's rather keen on hugs too!!)

Thanks for visiting- don't forget to check out the Challenge blog to see what the rest of the team have created!

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

welovestamping Feb Challenge

cardz4galz. #269

CRAFT #773

craftygalscorner #274

addictedtostamps #510

stencilfun. Feb. Challenge

HMFMC #458

cupcakeinspirations #634

Counting stars

 Good morning, hope you have had a good week and haven't been washed away by the endless rain, surely it has to stop soon! We have been lucky here- no flooding or damage but I'm well aware that many people in other parts of the UK have not been so fortunate. My heart goes out to those whose homes and businesses have been flooded, my Devon friend told me yesterday of the damage and destruction in her part of the country, truly frightening and shocking. I hope none of you have been badly affected by the devastation. 

On a brighter note -

February's Challenge at Crafty Calendar starts today, the theme for this month is 

LOVE IS IN THE AIR.

The prize for the lucky winner is digital stamps from Doctor Digi

I love these cute bunnies, flat on their backs and gazing up at the stars, part of a set of stamps from Colorado Crafts. I stamped them onto a square of white card, coloured the bunnies and the hill with Copic markers and blended Faded Denim DOI for the sky.  The stars and sentiment are part of the same set, stamped and embossed in white. I layered the panel onto white and dark blue mats then onto my star embossed card base. 

Hop over to Crafty Calendar for some great inspiration from the rest of the DT- hope you can find the time to play along.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

Allsorts #842

CRAFT#773

ilovepromarkers #600

lilredwagon #844

shoppingourstash #566

TIOT All loved up

unicorn #117

aplacetostart February Challenge

 

All you need is love

Good morning, it's time for a new challenge at Fab'n' Funky, this time we're hosted by our lovely Sue, who has picked the theme 

LOVE IS ALL AROUND.

To make my card I used DP from an old 6x6 pad, stamping the image directly onto it, distressed the edges and mounted it onto a mat made by covering a slightly larger rectangle with washi tape. I covered another piece of card with the same washi tape to die cut the hearts, flower and 'love' sentiment. Another square of the DP for the background, I added a little stencilling and stamped script. The stamp I used is a wood backed Paper Bag Studios stamp I have had for many years and only used once before. 

Please check out the main challenge blog for some lovely inspiration from the rest of the team, I'm sure many of you will have 'love' themed cards to share this fortnight so I hope you'll share with us too!

Thanks for stopping by

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

TIOT- All loved up

audsentiments #334

HQCB #82

pearlysparkles #116

welovestampin Feb. Challenge

 

Favourite Stamps

 Good morning- it's February and the first Sunday of the month so I'm here to share my DT make for the new challenge at Stamping Sensations. 

The theme is Favourite Stamps, or Anything Goes if you prefer that option.

There are two prizes of fabulous Lavinia Stamps for the lucky winners.

Well, 'favourite stamps' is a no brainer for me, I have loads of stamps that I consider favourites but the ones I always return to and have used many times are the Lavinia ones. 

I used several of them here to create a little scene, Thistlewhisk, the mouse with his toadstool umbrella is new to me and about time he saw some ink.  I gave the two mice swinging on the Street Light umbrellas too by masking off the rest of the stamp- you can see how delighted they are by their behaviour! I've also used Fairy Path, Gate and Fence, Small Trees and Orchard Grass.

As always, there is a lot to see over at the main challenge blog, lots of fabulous inspiration from the rest of the DT, and full information of how to take part in our challenges.

Thanks for visiting

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

avenue613 Feb. Challenge 

allsorts #842

aperfecttimetocraft #2

Critter Crazy #107

creativecrafters #96

An early start...

Good morning, here we are at the end of January already, and it's time for a new Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Catz , this time hosted by Auntie Sue.

I told myself that I would make an early start on Christmas cards this year, so here is one of them! 

I used 'Berry', a sweet little stamp from Whimsy Stamps which hasn't seen the light of day for years, she's coloured up with copic markers, the papers are from Bo Bunny, the remains of old 6x6 pad. A TH die cut holly sprig and tiny Sissix tag to finish. 

I followed this sketch from Sweet Wednesday.

Thanks for visiting, please don't forget to check out the lovely creations from the rest of the DT over at Crafty Catz.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

sweetsketchwednesday January Challenge

CRAFT#772

pearlysparkles #115

Christmas tree

 Hello, it's Rudolph Day again- can't believe how fast they come round! I'm hoping to get ahead a bit with my cards this year- don't want a repeat of 2025, very much a last minute panic. After saying this, the card I am sharing is one of last year's (yep, a last minute one!)

A previously made background using Distress inks, brushos and gold mica spray, the tree, a new stamp from Pink Ink (a bargain buy on ebay!), stamped and embossed in white and placed inside a die cut frame. The sentiment is die cut using dies from 2 different sets. It was quick to make as I'd already made the background. 

Thanks for visiting

Have a good week

Chris

x

challenge entries:

rudolphdays January 2026

welovestamping January (new stamp)

CRAFT#772

addictedtostamps #509

POE #104 (atg)

welove2create #1

MLCCB #66

Going round in circles at Fab'n'Funky

Good morning, half way through another week already and time for another challenge at 

Fab'n' Funky

This week our lovely Pat has picked the theme of 

'Going Round in Circles' 

I made a Christmas card using an A&C stencil and a whimsical tree stamp from Card-io, CAS and quick to make, I've added stickles to the tree and a few glossy stickers. Sentiment stamp came with a magazine.

It was so quick to do I made another one in softer colours.

There's more to see over at Fab'n' Funky where my lovely teamies have been busy at usual producing some lovely designs to start you off- hope you can find some time to join us.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

girlzcreativechristmas #160

abcchristmas A/B

lilredwagon. #842

sisterhoodofcrafters. spots and dots

stencilfun. Jan (atg)

MAWTT #185

pickthree #1 -Square, stencil, tree

 

B for Beautiful

 A quick mid month reminder of our January challenge at

  Stamping Sensations.  

The theme is 

Something Beginning with B or 

Anything Goes. 

The prize is a Visible Image stamp set and  co-ordinating stencil.

I used  a design paper from Aall & Create, a 'Beautiful' word die from MFT and the same stamp from 

Visible Image as on my previous card for this challenge, stamping the image first then using the die and piecing it all back together- a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle, stamped the rest of the sentiment and adding some green glossy dots.

As always, there's loads of inspiration over at Stamping Sensations so head on over to take a look.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

creativefingers #314

paperfunday #83 ATG

wordartwednesday #734/5

lovetoscrap #177

pearlysparkles #115

acutabove January 2026

mmmchallenge #269

Spring awakens

 Good morning, this fortnight's challenge at Sweet Stampin' begins today, the theme is 

BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

there are lots of ways this theme can be interpretated, at first I thought of bright bold colours- always good to see this time of year but I chose to think of brighter days and beautiful spring flowers, so this sweet Mo Manning digi was perfect (also I fancied a bit of colouring and hadn't coloured it before...)

Coloured with Copic markers, added a little background stencilling and matted onto yellow then green card, all finished. 

I'm looking forward to what you make of this theme- need some inspiration? - just check out the fabulous makes from the rest of the Design Team! 

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

Ellibelles Garden Party #11

kraftychicks #803

digichoosday #1/2026

ilovepromarkers #598 atg

PFM #820 - Mo Mannings digis are my favourites!

Anything Goes at Crafty Catz

 Good morning, Crafty Catz are back for our first challenge this year! 

The theme for this fortnight is 

ANYTHING GOES.

I made this card for my cousin's birthday- this fabulous Bugaboo image is just perfect for her, she's bubbly and fun - even without the alcohol. I've coloured the image with Copic markers, adding loads of stickles to her bow and boa and Glossy Accents to her specs and the glasses, I've added a stamped sentiment and the die cut 'cheers'. The DP is ancient, remains of a 12 x 12 sheet, no idea of make!

Hope you can find some time to play along this fortnight- please check out the lovely creations from my teamies.

Thanks for visiting- have a good weekend.

Chris

x

Challenges:

creativeknockouts #563

Double D- Birthday

addictedtostamps #508

unicorn #116

classicdesign #1/2026

mirtillamente #51

pearlysparkles #115

audsentiments #333

A tag...

 

Hello, it's been a while since I've had time to make something to join in with the challenge at 

Tag- along and ATC but now that things have calmed down I've had some time to play.

The stamp I used here is a very old one from PSX - it wasn't new when I bought it and I've had it for about 20 years, it's a wood backed rubber stamp and a little worn in places but still stamps well with a little coaxing! 

I cut 2tags, one from white and one from black cardstock, die cut the heart aperture in the black one, then stamped the bears on the white, I wiped the black ink off of the hearts first so when I stamped they were very faint and I could colour them with a red pen. The rest of the image was left uncoloured and the clouds stencilled lightly around it.. I used a crackle stamp around the edges. I stamped and white embossed the sentiment on the black tag, added a scrap of ribbon and a tiny heart brad and stuck it in place.

While I'm here, I'd like to thank everyone for all the lovely cards and good wishes I received for my birthday, so kind of you and very much appreciated, I was thoroughly spoiled. Just off out now to meet my family for lunch, so the spoiling continues! 

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenges entered

tag-alongandatc

CRAFT #771

acutabove. Jan 2026

HQFSCAT #1

Winter Wonderland at Fab 'n' Funky

Good morning, the first challenge of the year at Fab'n' Funky starts today.

The theme for this fortnight is Winter Wonderland so time to share all those snowy,  frosty creations, 

it doesn't have to be a Christmas card but they are very welcome. 

We've had plenty of frost and ice here over the last week or so- not a lot of snow, just a shower or two so I feel we've got away lightly compared to more northern  parts of the country.

I made a triptych card using Lavinia Stamps- very much inspired by some of Brenda's beautiful creations, I am a big fan of her magical Lavinia scenes and arched designs.

 There's more inspiration from my lovely team over at Fab'n' Funky so be sure to hop over and take a look.

Thanks for visiting

have a good day.

xx

Challenge entries:

CCAYR A for arched

classicdesign #12

lostcoast #205

MLCCB #66

sparklesforumchristmas # 180

girlzcreativechristmas #158

POE January Challenge

allsorts #840

Something beginning with 'B'

 Good morning, the January challenge at Stamping Sensations starts today,

 the theme is 'Something beginning with B' or Anything Goes (as long as there is visible stamping!)

The prize is a Visible Image stamp and co-ordinating stencil.

My 'B's are bricks, blots and border stamp.

I used a VI Distressed Brick stencil  and brightly coloured Distress Oxides to create the background then stamped the girl from the Tomorrow Doesn't Exist set. I added a few extra blots and randomly  stamped a Uniko border stamp here and there. the sentiment was stamped separately onto white card, cut out and adhered in place.

Please hop over to Stamping Sensations to enjoy the beautiful creations from the rest of the team, and for full details of how to join in with our challenges.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

polkadoodle Challenge 1

simonsaysstamp add a sentiment

creativeinspiration #34

Crafts Galore Encore January Challenge

girlzrebelchallenge #47

LTCCB #90

MAWTT #185

creativecrafters #95

Best friends

 Good morning,  it's time for the first challenge of 2026 at Crafty Calendar,

 the theme is 'Something New'- could be new home, baby, job etc or simply new craft stuff. 

The prize is digital images from Polkadoodles. 

 I chose to use a Creative Expressions stamp set. I bought before Christmas and hadn't got around to using. I kept the design CAS, water colouring the image and adding a little stencilling. 

There's more to see from the rest of the team over at Crafty Calendar Challenges so do hop over for a visit.

I hope the New Year has started well for all of you - and continues that way!

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

scscards January (new)

craftrocket #132