We Love Stamping August Reminder

Today is the 18th so time for a reminder for the current challenge over at We Love Stamping. The challenge where you can showcase your stamps and your skill at using them.

This month our theme is:

**Anything Stamped with the option of Masculine **

I decided I wanted a watercolour look for this one so I took this Catherine Pooler background stamp inked it up with 4 colours, gave it a spritz, and stamped it. I was pleased with the look, but then spent ages trying to decide what to put on it. Eventually coming up with the for you stamp and matching dies from Tonic Studios. I stamped and heat embossed in white and then painted them with the same colours I had used on the background.

I matted the panel onto some matt gold card and then onto a green card base. 

I finished it off with some dark blue enamel dots.

I am quite pleased with it, hope you like it too.

Don't forget there is always a prize to be won and this month the prize has been kindly donated by Highlight Crafts, there are two prizes, a collection of masculine themed dies and Poinsettias.

Why don't you head over to the challenge blog to check it out? The prize winner is selected randomly and in addition the DT will choose one entry to join us as a guest designer for a future challenge.

I hope I have inspired you to join us this month, all you have to do is follow the prompt and ensure stamping is the main focus on your card. The challenge will close at noon on Wednesday the 30th August. I can't believe it will soon be September.

I am looking forward to seeing you in the gallery.

I am sorry that I have been a bit absent from blogland over recent days. Having the grandchildren staying was all consuming and now they have gone home, I am trying to catch up and recover. I hope to get round to you all soon. Thanks for your patience.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it. 

We Love Stamping August Challenge

Today is the first Sunday of the month so time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping. The challenge where you can showcase your stamps and your skill at using them.

This month our theme is:

** Anything Stamped with the option of Masculine   **

I would like to welcome our guest designer Liz from Crafty Sunflower this month. I hope you get a chance to pay her a visit.

I know that many of us struggle with masculine cards and I am no different. I looked all through my stamps and chose a striped background by Uniko and these little cups by Clearly Besotted. It is the first time they have been used, they were a prize from the Card Chain Challenge some time ago. It feels good to have finally used them.

I stamped my striped background with a blue/green ink and then I rotated it and stamped it again with a different blue ink. I had to move it and stamp a second time to get the full panel covered.  I like the look so I then stamped and fussy cut the cups and heart in one of the same inks. I arranged them on top of the sentiment so it acts like a table. The sentiment (stamped in the other ink) and background were matted onto mat gold card stock and adhered to a dark coated card base.

This is going to my brother in law for his birthday as he is always drinking tea.

Don't forget there is always a prize to be won and this month the prize has been kindly donated by Highlight Crafts, there are two prizes, a collection of masculine themed dies and Poinsettias.

 Why don't you head over to the challenge blog to check it out? The prize winner is selected randomly and in addition the DT will choose one entry to join us as a guest designer for a future challenge.

I hope I have inspired you to join us this month, all you have to do is  ensure stamping (including digi) is the main focus on your card. It is always nice when the prompt is followed, but anything goes is also an option if you are stuck for ideas. The challenge will close at noon (UK time) on Wednesday 30th August.

I am looking forward to seeing you in the gallery.

I am off to Birmingham today to see my granddaughters and will be able to call in on the Festival of Quilts on the way. It is always a bonus when my visits coincide with a show I like to visit at the NEC. I haven't done any quilting for a long time, but I do like to see the stunning pieces of art that are on view in the exhibition. I have given myself strict instructions not to buy any fabric. I already have loads and haven't been using it. On Monday I shall be driving home with my 2 granddaughters and collecting my grandson from London on the way. It will be a full on week for me so I may not get to visit everyone for a few days.

Here is a picture from my visit to the RHS Hyde Hall flower show this week. It rained all the way there and all the way home, but not a drop while I was there - that was lucky. It is such a beautiful place and they have pots of beautiful Aeoniums, which look so much better than mine.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it. 

July Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Today is 2nd of the month so time for the Card Chain Challenge big reveal. This month 32 card makers took part and I sent my card to Carol in UK.

I have used the theme options of fish, circles and friendship, there is no stamping on my card, I have just used dies and an embossing folder. I used my hemstitch circle dies to cut the large circle from a gelli print made with stencils and acrylic paint. I had just enough of the print left over to cut the sentiment and 2 little fishes, which decorate the insert and envelope.

The little fish on the circle was cut from no shed glitter card and a scrap of white card stock. I offset them a bit to give a white outline. The bubbles were cut with a hole punch and I embossed the background to give some extra dimension and interest. The folder was inked with a pale blue ink but you can't really see that, however it does give some definition to the panel, which is quite a nice look (I think).

I finished it off by trimming my panel and matting it onto some glitter card and then onto a coloured card base. The circle was also matted onto the same glitter card. I was quite pleased with the finished card. I hope you like it too.

I was very lucky to receive this gorgeous card from Viv in UK. I am so impressed with this underwater scene. The photo really doesn't do it justice. Thanks Viv.

If you would like to take part in the next card chain challenge, you have until 6th to sign up here

Today I shall be visiting the RHS Hyde Hall flower show. I go every year, it is one of my favourite events, and usually the day is filled with sunshine, but unfortunately I think I will be dodging the rain this time. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.