Happy Birthday ...NBUS Lavinia Stamps

Hello
 
Did ya miss me?  I took a week off blogging to play catch up with things as well as to see if my headaches that I have been having lately are computer related.  I was working all day on the computer and then again for a lot of the evenings so I decided it was time to ease off.  I am going to limit myself to just a few evenings a week while the summer is here so I can do some jobs that are required outside.

I hope you have all had a good weekend.  Mine was fab, having met up with a Playground friend of mine.  We took a trip to Hay on Wye and had a lovely time wandering round in the light showers that were taking place.   Such a shame as driving down the Capel y Ffin is not as good in the mist.  Ho hum!

Right then onto today's share with you.  I made this card some time ago and am only now getting round to sharing it with you.  The stars stamp was new at the time I made it. 

I masked off a panel in order to ink the green panel with Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint DIs.  Once dried I stamped the Lavinia Flower Fairy with Archival Ink as was the Penny Black HB. 

As mentioned previously, the stars stamp was new.  I was lucky enough to win a voucher for the Craft Barn where I bought this stamp (amongst a few other things!)  I stamped it with Versamark ink and embossed with WOW Sparkling Snow embossing powder.

 

I am entering this into the That's Crafty Challenge...they are looking for glittery cards and the stars do sparkle. 

Thanks for calling by.  I look forward to receiving your comments.

 

Hugs

 

Hettie

Happy Birthday to Two Special People

Hello There

 

Well, that weekend went whoosh ...and then it was gone!!  Had an exciting one too as I went to the WOYWW Crop on Saturday.  I will share photos with you on Wednesday.  On Sunday I played Apprentice Beekeeper and pulled off our first small batch of honey for 2015!!

 

Tonight I want to share with you some cards I made last month for two Special People who had birthdays last month within a week of each other.  I used my very new Lavinia Snail stamp.  Well, I was ordering a stamp for one of my Special Friends, so I may as well as take advantage of justifying the postage!!

 

 

The star paper is some from Crate Paper which has been in my stash for several years. 

 

The images were all stamped using Potting Shed Archival ink and I used a selection of DIs including Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain.

 

Also NBUS were the sentiment cards which I bought last year on my USA trip.  I have been hanging on to them so I thought it was about time they were used.

 

The little stars were made using my Simon says Stamp die and dark brown card used for matting were all from my Snippets box.

 

I had fun making these and I do love the snail image.

 

As I used some Snippets I shall be popping down the Snippets Playground to see what my fellow playmates have been up to.

 

Thanks for calling by.

 

Hettie

http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/pixies-snippets-playground-week-177-and.html

Special Pink card for a Special Pink Lady...

Hello there!

I am hoping to creep back into the Playground without drawing attention to myself.  Do you think I will be noticed?  I have been missing in action due to generally being busy and life does get in the way doesn't it?

I thought I would share the card I made for someone who is known to the Snippets Playground for liking pink.  This looks more lilac on the photos but IRL it is more pinky.  

I tried out a new (to me) technique and introduced myself to my brayer which I was given a little while ago by the recipient of this card.  So two NBUS things for me.  The video is HERE if you want a go.  It involves glossy card stock (I used good ole Tim Holtz stuff), brayer, distress inks and cling film.  Once the background was made I then stamped on it using my Lavinia Stamps and TH Archival inks..

Here is a close up of the ribbon with a bell and angel wings.  These bells are so cute and I could not resist buying them.  First time out of the packet for these little ones.

I am joining in with the Snippets Playground (black thread...neeed more!), my Mate Darnell's NBUS challenge as well as the Lavinia Stamps blog which is asking you to use some ribbon!  Yeay!

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Baby Boy Cards

Hello There!

It is Thursday and tomorrow will be my favourite day - Friday.  So I kinda like Thursdays too!  I had a bit of a manic day yesterday.  I had to go like the clappers in work in the morning as I was going to the hospital to see the Chest Lady.  I tell you I have not been in, tested, seen and out of the hospital so quick as I did yesterday and the bonus was.......I had a smile on my face :-)  It was all good news! I very nearly skipped out of the hospital rather than walk! 

I then had dancing in the evening with a little tribute to Robbie Burns so some nibbles and dancing was had.  Then I had just settled at home with laptop at the ready and the phone went, one of the ladies thought she had left the oven on at the hall so being a responsible key holder I had to go down and check!  The oven was switched off but the wall switch wasn't.  Better safe than sorry.  By the time I got home it was time to head to bed.  I will try and play catch up later.

For now I would like to share some Baby cards with you.  There seems to have been a lot of dark nights in around March last year as there have been a flurry of babies being born including my first Great Nephew.  I needed two cards so made three, as there is bound to be another very soon....

I don't have a large selection of baby type stamps so out came my Lavinia stamps to make a scene.  I used DIs in Broken China, Tumbled Glass and Peacock Feathers.  Colouring the background and using a water brush to get some streaks across the moon and also to ground the washing line.

For the images I used Memento and Archival inks.  I also unwrapped my shiny new NBUS Versamark to "ink" up the stars stamp and I added VOS Cosmic Shimmer pearly powder in blue pearl.  

I hope you can see the subtle shimmeriness here.  On the TH tags I inked Hello and Baby from my SU set, which I tied on with Papermania Bakers Twine.  I actually ran out of the twine after the first two so I had to rummage for something else to use and found some blue fluff I got out of Linda's tin when I was last in Cornwall.

Inside the card I stamped Congratulations and die cut the VOS Sizzix sentiment, which was the die that came with my B/S all those years ago.  

Here are the three together.  Similar but with subtle changes.

And here is the envelope which I also stamped.

Off to see my Buddies at the Snippets Playground as these included Snippets on the tabs and the sentiments.  I also "shopped my stash" by using 6x6 papers for the backgrounds as well as the tags which were in the Tin of Shame and this week's theme is Blue.

Thanks for calling by.  I hope you are having a very good Thursday.

Hettie

Scrapbook Tuesday - Dandelion O'Clock

Hey There.

How ya doing?  I can hardly believe that Tuesday has come round again!  Time for me to share a layout with you again so without further ado here it is.....

I hope you said a huge Awwwww!  Yep!  That is yours truly the day I discovered Dandelions!  Funnily enough I still love to blow them if I am out on a walk with Dobby!  

The title was cut on my Cricut and the butterfly paper is VOS by DCWV.  

The photo is one of five negatives which my Aunt found in her stash and these photos are pretty precious to me as a very large chain of Chemists here in the UK managed to lose most of the photos my semi-professional photographer Dad took when I was small, but never got round to processing them! (He used to have his own dark room.)  In a fit of peak my Mum took the rolls to the said chemist and they promptly lost them!  Thank goodness for digital ey!

The paper is BNS and is a sheet of Grace Taylor - Willie's Garden.  I was in need of a new scrapbook album and bought the Scrapbook Album in this range so had to buy the papers too.  The sheets have a little glitter on but I wanted to add more so out came my Lavinia and Hero Arts stamps with DIs.  I used some schparkly embossing powder on some stampings and schtickles on others.  The little sentiment stamp is part of a BNS NBIS Theresa Collins set that a very kind person sent to me.  You know who you are!  Thank you once again.

All the papers used on this are Snippets.  I had rather a good Snippet Busting day on Sunday making this layout and seven cards all from my Snippets box!  Remind me to polish my halo before I go to bed!!

The clock and matching butterfly were peach cardstock so out came the Seedless Preserves DI and a splash of water and hey presto the right colour pretties!  

Talking about colours of DI, Mr Hettie came home on the weekend from taking his Mum to town, which he does if he is not working.  As he was unloading the shopping bag he pulled out a package and asked "What are Persimmon?"  Can you guess what my reply was?  Yep!  "It's a colour of Tim Holtz Distress Ink"!!!!  Just goes to show that crafting is never very far from my brain cell!!

Have you spotted my new die yet?  Yep this beautiful Memory Box butterfly.  My long serving trusty Martha Stewart punch is all but deceased.  I have tried wax paper, foil to no avail.  So I needed to find an alternative and this butterfly flew in my basket when I was ordering adhesives last week!  Ooops!

My Buddy Mo asked what I use to photograph my projects on as in a recent post she could see the "rays" around the tag.  Well just for you Mo, here it is.  It is a Dartington crystal dish which was a wedding present and until fairly recently I was not keen on it.  It is really good for propping cards/tags and for resting layouts on.  

Right then.  It is only for me to pop this along to the Snippets Playground and I will no doubt get some cheeky comments from the Playground peeps.  If I am quick I can also get it into the Simon Says Stamp....Anything Goes.  The Hero Arts Dandelion stamp came from there a looooong time ago!

Enjoy your week.  

Hugs

Hettie

Lavinia Washing Line...

Hello Friends

You may recall that I recently had some lovely Lavinia Stamps.  Well, I thought I would share another card I have made with you using my precious stamps....

The black card was out of my Snippet drawer so I can take it down to the Playground! I used some TH DIs with some water spritzing, as well as Archival inks.  Some schtickles on the wings.   I have left the inside blank as I didn't make it for anyone specific.  Is it me or when you use Snippets you create more?  Take the black, I went from a piece around 7 x 9 to two smaller pieces now!!

Thanks for popping by.  A special Hello to Sandy and Chris my latest Followers and thanks for following me.

TTFN

Hettie

Art Journalling - A First Step!

Hello Friends

Happy Wednesday to y'all.  Nearly the weekend! 

Last weekend Hubby and I took a little meander up to Hereford for a wander in my usual haunts (Laura Ashley, Monsoon, M&S, Doughtys) and I found myself in the middle of The Works with a sketch pad in my hand and a little voice saying "Buy it you must - Sandra says so she does"! So bought it I did!

Monday I then found myself in my craft room with my Colourwash inks in my hand, having taken the cellophane wrapping off the book (what a PITA that was! The sticky label on the front didn't take the schticky!)

So here is the first ever Art Journal page from Yours Truly!

I used Stream, Lettuce and ???? Colourwashes. A swirly stencil which I sprayed through then flipped so that the ink got transferred too - can't waste it now can we?  Precious it is.

Next was what to stamp on there....Out came my NBUS mushroom stamps.  No idea why I had not used them but I LOVE em I do!  I painted the tops using my NBUS Pebeo acrylic paints and then to try and lighten the stalks I put some cream paint in the pallet, added some water and then washed the stalks, wiping it back off with a kitchen towel. Did not know where the idea came from, only I did not want cream/white stalks per se, I wanted the fine details to come out.

Out came my fairies and poppy pods from Lavinia, some wordy stamps from Tim Holtz and the flowers and stamp used around the edge are both Hero Arts.  Most of the inks used were Archival and I did add some Peacock Feathers and Peeled Paint DIs in a few places.

Love this metallic green lettuce kinda colour of the Pebeo paint.  I shall be using that very soon.

Will I try Art Journalling again?  You betchya!

Hugs

Hettie

Lavinia Stamp - Thank You.....

Hello Peeps

Just a short post this afternoon, but I will be back blog hopping later today once I have housey duties finished!  Hate doing housey stuff as it gets in the way of crafting!!  Ho Hum!

Though I am doing the Happy Dance today as I have two new Followers - Bonnie and Toni.  Thank you. Do go check out their blogs as there is some bootiful stuff on them both.

I was recently lucky enough to win the Fairy stamp from my Buddy who runs the Playground which I often frequent.  It didn't take long before hitting the doorstep before I had it inkied up, though I did wait a few days before turning it into a card.  

A little masking, some Distress, Archival and Memento inks and Stickles and a whole lorra fun went in to creating this card.  I wish I had taken a photo of the envelope before posting it as I doodled all over it!!!  I have not heard from the recipient yet, but I am sure she has received it by now.  The lilac backing card was from the Snippets box (does anyone's Snippet receptacles ever go down?) so I shall be taking it to a very soggy Playground.  Why not join us by using Snippets to make anything you wish and link up - we really are a friendly bunch you know!

The Challenge over at Lavinia Stamps this month is "Anything Goes" so I shall be putting this in there too.

Thanks for calling by.  See ya all later and hope you have had a good weekend.  Off to clear the spare bedroom ready to strip wallpaper.  Need to redecorate as we have schpecial guests coming from US later this year so want it schpick 'n' span for their arrival!

Hugs

Hettie 

First Lavinia Challenge Piece...

Hello Friends

I recently had a birthday and was given a voucher for some Lavinia Stamps - thank you again, you know who you are.  I took some time to choose the stamps I wanted to buy as I wanted to compliment the few I already had, and also build up my collection with some I had on my Wish List.

So today I am showing thee of the (NBUS) stamp sets I bought.  The Small Pixies, Dandelions and Small Stars....

I first inked both the main card and a smaller piece of cardstock with Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey DIs.  I spritzed with some water before drying off ready to ink.  I inked up the Dandelions with Blue Violet, Latte and Vermillion Archival inks.

I stamped the smaller piece with the first stamping but the main card I stamped with both the first and second stampings.  I inked up the Pixies with Latte AI and used sparkly embossing powder to heat emboss.  I also inked up the Blue Violet AI (my new favourite AI) and again used sparkly embossing powder to heat emboss.

Once all this was done I die cut the smaller piece with the largest Spellbinders circle and also took a Snippet of card that was laid in the bottom of my spray box and die cut the largest scalloped Spellbinders and layered them onto the card.  

This is my first entry into the Lavinia Stamps Challenge, which this month asks for die cuts or punched pieces.  There are two die cut pieces here.

I am also entering this into the Playground as there are two Snippets here.  

Thanks for calling by.  I do wish you could see the sparkliness of this card. 

Hettie

xx