Bird Tag

Hi there!

I'm playing along with the November challenge at TAG-ALONG & ATCS where Pinky wants you to CREATE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND, or you can choose the anything goes option.

I went with the theme and cut the tag outer piece and insert from white snippets. I inked up a small gelli plate with acrylic paints, then took a print using the insert piece of the tag. On the lacy tag outer piece, I  brushed Vintage Photo ink. The bird die was cut from a darker gel print and glued on. 

There's a super tag die with a diamond edge available as a prize if you play along and are the lucky winner. I was delighted to win last month's challenge - thanks ladies. 

Details:

• Unbranded tag die from Temu.
• Bird die from The Works (long discontinued).
• Gel plate and acrylic paint used for the tag instert
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Sunday Snippets - Warm Breeze ATCs

Hi Playmates!

It's been a little cold, wet and windy this week - well it IS November after all!

However, I had some papers left over from making a little journal, so I used a couple of snippets up on the ATCs below in summer colours, so it made me feel a little warmer!

Artist Trading Cards

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

Details:

• Snippets of white card; SU So Saffron card and Craft O'Clock "Warm Breeze" papers.
• Stamps: On the yellow ATC - the words are from an old SU stamp set. On the white ATC, the "Relax" word is by Crafty Roo.

Sunday Snippets - New Home

Hi Playmates!

Miss Di has kicked off a new challenge for you to play along with over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND so off you go to do your homework! LOL! 

Here's my homework - a colourful new home card, made with some larger snippets. 

A6 sized card

MATERIALS:

• Stampendous SSC218 stamp set for the houses, coloured with Derwent Inktense Pencils
• Woodware sentiment
• Retired SU little leafy stamp (at top of card)
• Heffy Doodle stitched rectangle dies to cut the panels
• SNIPPETS - white card for the image panel and blue paper for the panel mount

It's Feminine Fortnight at Allsorts!

Hi there!

I'm lucky enough to be a guest on the Allsorts' Design Team for the next 2 weeks. You can see all the lovely things my Teamies have made by visiting ALLSORTS CHALLENGE #861 where the theme is FEMININE - or ANYTHING GOES - it's up to you. 

I made a feminine card with a lovely stamp by the now defunct Carabelle Studio and added a sentiment by Studio Light.

A6 sized card

There are two AALL & Create prizes on offer. You can enter up to 5 times and please remember to add details of your focal points to avoid copyright infringement.  

MATERIALS:

• Carabelle Studio rubber stamp SA60147 "Woman with Birds"
• StudioLight grunge series - Feather (Set 32) for the sentiment.
• Coloured with Derwent Inktense pencils and a water brush.
• VFC Twilight ink used for all the stamping. 

The Witching Hour ATC

Hi there!

I don't usually make anything for Hallowe’en as I don't have any suitable craft materials . . . but an opportunity presented itself, so I went for it!

I ordered a stamp from Lavinia (a lovely looking clock face called Tick, in case you're interested) and when the stamp arrived, Lavinia included a leaflet about their Hallaganza Event which is being held on 23rd and 24th October 2026. I can't attend the event as it's too far away, so the leaflet was redundant . . . but not for long . . . I repurposed it into this spooky Hallowe'en ATC.

I would normally enter this card into the TAG ALONG & ATCS Challenge, but as it may infringe Lavinia's copyright, I'm not entering it into any challenges at all. I just wanted to share the ATC with you!

ATC

The remains of the torn up leaflet from Lavinia!

Materials:

• A leaflet from Lavinia Stamps 
• Snippet of black card, trimmed to 2.5" x 3.5" for the ATC base.

Sunday Snippets - Christmas Gift!

Hi there Playmates!

Di has published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire her top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework - I made another card using my own set of Polkadoodle “Perfect Parcels” dies - which are available as part of the prize in the current Snippets Playground Challenge.

A6 sized card

Snippets

Materials:

• Snippets of journal pages for the main panel and mount.
• Polkadoodles’ “Perfect Parcels” die set for the gift boxes (can be won in the current challenge), cut from an acrylic painted snippet of originally white card.
• Ancient SU Sentiment, heat embossed with clear EP. 
• Funky Fossil’s Geometric Flowers stencil, brushed with SU Island Indigo ink on the card base.

Fairy ATCs

Hi there!

I have two SUPER CUTE fairy ATCs to share with you today. I mean, who doesn’t love finding a fairy asleep on a tree branch, or enjoying a strawberry ice cream?

The images are from Marta Lapowska’s Maremi Small Art books (available from Amazon for about £20). I might add that I don’t own the book that the images came from, but I am lucky enough to craft regularly with someone who does!

ATC

ATC

Entering the first ATC in this post into the TAG ALONG & ATCs current challenge (anything goes). I’ve checked the Copyright info and the owner is happy for her images to be used for anything except photocopying.

Materials:

• Maremi’s Small Art book: “Spring Stories & Backgrounds” College Ephemera designed by Marta Lapowska (available from Amazon). 
• Background stamping on the pink fairy paper.

Delighted to be the October prize winner at TAG ALONG & ATCs. Thanks ladies.

Autumn Leaf ATC

I made an Autumn ATC, which means I can enter the current TAG ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE where the theme is ALL THINGS AUTUMN.

WE LOVE STAMPING also has a "SHADES OF AUTUMN" theme for the current challenge, so I'm joining in over there too! 

MATERIALS:

• Sizzix Hidden Leaves leaf sprig
• Crafty Roo "Autumn" word
• Carabelle stamped background on orange snippet
• White snippet for mounting main panel.
• Packaging cut to ATC size of 2.5" x 3.5"

Sunday Snippets - Gifts

Hi Playmates!

I'm hosting a new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight, so please come and play. There's hot chocolate available in the treehouse!

For my homework this week I made a Christmas card which uses two of the Polkadoodle gift dies available as part of the prize (I bought a duplicate set just for you!). BOTH Snippets Playground Challenges in October will be offering festive prizes, so you should get your goodies in time for the coming season! 

A6 sized card

Materials:

• Snowflakes by Crafty Roo and Visible Image
• Sentiment by Uniko
• Polkadoodles’ “Perfect Parcels” die set for the gift boxes (can be won in the current challenge). I die cut the gift boxes from a white snippet that I had brayered with acrylic paints and splattered with diluted white acrylic paint.

Autumn Trees Tag

Hi there!

Lots of challenges are having autumn themes, so I made an autumnal tag to play along with them.

Tag

Details:

• Aall & Create Taggletastic die for tag shape, and Roadway Vistas for the trees, die-cut from white SNIPPETS and a WHOLE piece of SU Lucky Limeade card.
• Distress inks and brushes used for all colouring: Peeled Paint; Shabby Shutters;Wild Honey; Ripe Persimmon and Vintage Photo. 
• Hobby Art grass stamp from the Bee Kind set.
• Inkylicious circle stencil for the sun.
• Crop-a-dile used to set eyelet for string at top of tag.

I would like to enter the tag into the following challenges:

ALLSORTS #859 - Anything Autumn (ends 9th October)

TAG ALONG & ATCs October Challenge - All Things Autumn (ends 28th October)

WE LOVE STAMPING October Challenge - Shades of Autumn (ends 28th October)

It's Autumn Already!

Hi Playmates!

For my Snippets Playground homework, I made an autumn leaf card which means I can join in with Challenge 859 at ALLSORTS where Chris has chosen the theme of ANYTHING AUTUMN!

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

5" x 5" card

Attempting to show the shine of the Glossy Accents!

Materials:

• Leaf image "Autumn Border" by Crafty Roo.
• Image panel die cut with Heffy Doodle stitched squares die.
• Snippet of blue paper from a Studio Light paper pad.
• Derwent Inktense pencils and waterbrush used to colour the image.
• Glossy Accents added to the leaf.

Sunday Snippets - Wired for Sound

Hi Playmates!

There's a new challenge to play along with over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND hosted by Miss Di for the next two weeks.

Along with a lot of other crafters, I find it easier to make feminine cards than masculine ones. However, I managed to make the masculine card below with the help of a Funky Fossil image and a sentiment by Visible Image.

The main panel was mounted onto a black piece of card which was in turn adhered to the card with foam pads for a bit of dimension.

5" square card

Materials:

• Funky Fossil "Rock n Roll" stamp set for the headphones.
• Visible Image "You're A Classic" stamp set for the sentiment.
• Larger snippets of black and white card, trimmed to size.

Autumn Leaves

Hi there!

Today I'm sharing a leafy, autumnal card which I'm taking along to the WE LOVE STAMPING CHALLENGE where the theme is TREES AND LEAVES.

5" x 7" card

Card elements - base card with masking tape for the stencilling removed;
leafy image stamped & coloured, plus extra leaves to be added
with foam pads. 

Details:

• 5" x 7" base card, masked off with tape and stencilled by brushing ink through a Skeleton Leaves stencil of unknown make.
• Crafty Roo Autumn Wonder stamps for main leafy image & sentiment.
• Distress inks: Scattered Straw; Ripe Persimmon; Spiced Marmalade smooshed onto a white tile, spritzed with water and picked up with a water brush to colour the leaves and to add splatters to main panel. Same inks used for the stencilling to co-ordinate. 
• Main panel cut with Heffy Doodle stitched rectangles.

Sunday Snippets - Butterfly Birthday Card

Hi Playmates!

Di has published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire her top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework, I made a pink birthday card for Miss Di's recent birthday. 

Landscape A6 sized card.

Details:

• Memory Box Lunette butterfly dies cut from snippets of card and gel prints.
• Torn gelli print snippet.
• Ancient and long-retired wooden SU sentiment - still a favourite after all this time.

Vintage ATC

Hi there!

This ATC is mainly made from snippets which I’ve made into a collage.

I’m taking this along to the TAG-ALONG & ATCS September Challenge where the theme is CIRCLES. Hoping the two clock faces will count towards the theme, or the pattern made by the four petaled flowers - but if not, it will certainly fit in the ANYTHING GOES option!

Details:

• Background = snippet of paper from a Zine that I stencilled, but ended up binning. Kept the bits of it that I liked . . . and glued one of them onto this ATC base!
• Clock faces were carefully cut out from a photocopied page of Stamperia Voyages Fantastique images.
• 'BPR . . . LYON’ ticket was stamped, coloured and cut out using the PaperArtsy Eclectic AB37  “Poppy Edition” stamp set.
• Four petaled flower die by Stampin Up, cut from packaging.
• Torn piece of paper snippet with figures on.
• ‘Vintage’ stamped word by Aall & Create.

Sunday Snippets - Bloom

Hi Playmates!

I'm hosting a new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight. Hope to see you on the swings or in the treehouse!

For my homework I used a snippet of white card, originally measuring 8.5” x 2.5”, which I folded in half to make a 4.25” x 2.5” card.

Small card measuring: 4.25" x 2.5"

I stamped the flowers first, then added the Washi tape and sentiment. The flowers were coloured with SU Tip Top Taupe ink and a waterbrush. I stamped the "bloom” word last.

Allsorts Challenge #858

Hi there!

I’m delighted to be back over at ALLSORTS as Guest Designer for the next fortnight, where Gail has chosen the theme of SYMPATHY/THINKING OF YOU/GET WELL. Plenty of choice there, but if the theme isn’t for you, there’s always the “anything goes” option.

I went with the theme and made the following card:

A6 sized card

There’s a lovely prize available - full details on the challenge post HERE. Please pop over and see what lovely cards the DT have made.

Details:

• PaperArtsy "Poppy Edition" EAB37 stamp set for all the stamping.
• SU Tip Top Taupe ink & a waterbrush used to colour the seedheads.
• VFC Nocturne ink used for the words.
• AALL & Create Washi Tape #7 used at the bottom of the card.

Circles ATC

The theme over at TAG-ALONG & ATCs SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE is CIRCLES.

Although there is the option to use "anything goes" for your entry, I like to try and use the theme where possible. So I got out an Inkylicious stencil and set about making an ATC with circles on it.

ATC

Inkylicious stencil and the resulting ATC

Details:

• Snippets of card in SU Soft Sea Foam and black
• Inkylicious "Sun Moon Circles" stencil (only £2.50, and no, I'm not on commission!)
• Sakura Pigma Micron 01 Pen to draw with
• Ruler for the straight lines

Sunday Snippets - hare tag

Hi Playmates!

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in Di's current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework, I have a monochromatic tag to share with you.

Details:

• Taggletastic die #30 by Aall & Create (cut from black and white snippets)
• Funky Fossil hare stamp from the Tall Grass set (easy to cut out!)
• Unbranded die used to cut the circle behind the hare

I'm entering this tag  into the TAG ALONG & ATCS CHALLENGE where the theme is CIRCLES (or anything goes).

Find Joy in Simple Things

Hi there!

I made an Artist Trading Coin for the current TAG-ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE. 

This month's theme is CIRCLES, and of course the coin is circular. You might even say that the ‘O’ in the word JOY is a circle too! LOL! 

There is a lovely prize on offer and the challenge ends on 28th September.

Artist Trading Coin

Details

• Snippets to die cut the ATC base and the top piece of Warm Breeze paper by Craft O’Clock.
• Stitched circle die from The Works.
• Uniko “Natures Treasures II” stencil for the leaves (which were brushed with SU Lucky Limeade ink).
• Ancient Hero Arts stamp for the sentiment.

Sunday Snippets - Masculine Make

Hi there!

There's a new challenge to play along with over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND hosted by Miss Di for the next fortnight.

For my homework, I made a masculine anniversary card, sort of representing the passage of time, love and shelter. Yes, you're right, I'm a romantic at heart! LOL! 

I stamped a clock image onto the main card panel, and then stamped another onto a white snippet, along with the umbrella man. The second clock and the umbrella man were cut out with scissors and adhered to the card with different thicknesses of foam pads as I wanted them to overlap slightly. 

I stamped, coloured and cut out a small love heart for the clock’s centre for a bit of spot colour. The last thing I added was the sentiment.

Card measures 6" x 4.5" 

Materials:

• Stampers Anonymous "Life's Possibilities" CSS25870 set used for the umbrella man and the clocks.
• Can't remember who made the heart stamp.
• Maker of the Happy Anniversary words is lost in the mists of time, but is possibly from an old Stampin' Up set.

Hare today . . .

 . . . gone tomorrow . . . as the saying sort of goes!

I saw the ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL theme of the current ALLSORTS CHALLENGE #857 and had the perfect card sat sitting here on my desk - ready to be blogged.

A6 sized card

Details:

• Funky Fossil hare from the “Tall Grass” set.
• Funky Fossil "Shoot for the Stars”text stamp.
• Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous THMM123 mixed media stamp set for some of the background elements.
• Uniko triple circle from the Background Builders “Round in Circles” set.
• Lavinia Elements inks : Bermuda and Mermaid.
• Splatters by Stampin Up.
• Black Stabilo All pencil and a waterbrush to create the shadow.

A bloom for you

Hi there!

I only used up one snippet on today’s card, but it has impact! The rose was stamped onto a white snippet and cut out with scissors, then glued over the top of the leaves, which were stamped directly to the card front, along with the sentiment.

Details:

• 5" square base card.
• Altenew “Beautiful Day” stamps for the rose and leaves.
• Uniko sentiment.
• Elements inks to colour the rose. 
• Leaf Green Derwent Inktense pencil & waterbrush to colour the leaves.

Entering this card into the WE LOVE STAMPING CHALLENGE where they want to see SUMMER BLOOMS on your project (or Anything Goes). 

Sunday Snippets: Foliage Zig Zag Card

Hi Playmates!

Miss Di has published the RESULTS from her previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework, I scored and folded another of my long strips of white card to create a zigzag shape.

Details:

• White snippet strip used to make the zigzag card, plus various small snippets of SU Soft Sea Foam and So Saffron card for die cutting, stamping and dry embossing.
• SU "Petals" embossing folder used on the Soft Sea Foam snippet at the back of the card.
• Simply Graphic "Fleurs en Bouton" dies for the flowers
• One of the Sizzix "Hidden Leaves" dies for the middle bit of foliage.
• One of Jamie Rodgers "Lace Sentiments" stamps for the sentiment.

I'm also joining in with the current ALLSORTS CHALLENGE #856 where they want to see either dry or heat embossing on your project, or there's always the Anything Goes option.

A stacked ATC!

Hi there!

While I was in the mood for drawing stacks the other day, (see THIS CARD), I carried on and made an ATC in a similar vein.

ATC

Details:

• 2.5" x 3.5" snippet of SU Mango Melody card used to mount the white card snippet of the drawing.
• Sakura Pigma Micron pen 01to draw with.
• Various Distress Inks and a water brush to colour the image (using whatever ink was left on the white tile I was using while making the original card!). 

Sunday Snippets - The Seedheads Edition

Hi Playmates!

I'm hosting a new challenge over at the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND for the next fortnight. If you want to join in the fun, all you have to do is use up some of your snippets on a project, then come and play.

For my homework this week I made a card with white snippets and a new stamp set that I just couldn’t resist.

6" x 4" card

Details:

• All stamps are from the PaperArtsy Eclectica AB37 stamp set by Alison Bomber - "Poppy Edition".
• White snippets were used for the main panel and for the extra seedheads that I carefully stamped, cut out and added to the card with foam pads and a tiny amount of glue.
• Inks: SU Tip Top Taupe and VFC Pinecone. 
• Seedheads painted with whatever Distress Inks were left over on the white tile I was using for a different project!

Butterfly Tag

Hi there!

It's already the halfway point over at the TAG ALONG & ATCs CHALLENGE and the Design Team have further inspiration to enjoy on their mid-month post today.

Below, I've used the same die set that can be won at the Tag Along Challenge this month. I absolutely love this big tag die set and have used it quite a bit since winning it. The challenge theme this month is FASHION, but I'm entering under the Anything Goes option as I've exhausted my fashion stamp supplies for my other 3 entries!

Details:

• Aall & Create “Taggletastic” die set #30 - which can be won at the TAG ALONG challenge this month.
• Stencilled background made with orange and blue Distress Inks using "Make Art" and "Geometric Floral" stencils by Funky Fossil.
• Stamped over the stencilling with the "Texte Mouchete" newspaper print stamp by Florileges Design.
• Three Visible Image butterflies stamped, cut out. Glue was added to just the body part of each butterfly so that the wings could be lifted up.

Be Boulder!!!!!

Hi there!

I really enjoy drawing “stacks” but haven’t drawn any for quite a while. So I used an image by Julia Glockner on Pinterest for inspiration.

The choice of sentiment made me chuckle. Otherwise, I was thinking of adding “Be BOULDER” just to amuse myself (hence the title of this blog post) - but that would have meant writing the words on the card by hand, as a last step . . . and I didn't want to ruin it! We never think our own hand writing is good enough do we? That’s why we use stamps!

5" x 5" card

Details:

• 5” square base card.
• Pencil to sketch with. Sakura Pigma Micron pen 01 to go over the pencil sketch.
• Various Distress Inks and a water brush to colour the drawing.
• White Gelly Roll 08 pen for dotty highlights.
• Uniko sentiment from Simply Said Blocks.

Here’s Julia’s original picture:

The inspiration

Sunday Snippets - Fabulous Francoise

Hi Playmates!

I have published RESULTS from the previous challenge, so please hop over to the SNIPPETS PLAYGROUND to admire the top picks and discover which lucky playmate won the prize. There's still nearly a week left to play in the current challenge if you haven't already done so.

For my homework this week, I've been playing with the Fabulous Francoise stamp and stencil set from the cover gifts of Creative Stamping magazine Issue 162. 

Using one of the ideas inside the magazine for the inking and stamping, I then added a little die cut bird snippet for my own spin on it. In fact everything added to the card front is a snippet!

Die cut snippet

Details:

• Snippets of white card for the main panel and the die cut bird, as well as SU Misty Moonlight for the matting and layering.
• Fabulous Francoise stamps and stencils - magazine cover gift. 
• I used Distress Oxides in Iced Spruce; Salvaged Patina, and Faded Jeans, for the background inking. VFC Twilight ink was used for the stamping. The dots stencil was brushed with Black Soot Distress Ink.

Fashion Model Tag

Hi there!

Here's a mixed media tag I made for the TAG ALONG & ATCS AUGUST CHALLENGE where the theme is FASHION (or anything goes). The fab prize this month is the same Aall & Create tag set I used below.

Details:

• Aall & Create "Tagglestastic" die set #30. 
• Large background letters added by sponging Midnight Blue Elements ink over the whole tag using the Visible Image A to Z stencil.
• I stamped Florileges Design "Texte Mouchete" newspaper stamp onto some scrap paper then tore it into pieces and glued it on over the stencilling.
• Then I mixed Aubergine acrylic paint with some white modelling paste and scraped it through a dotty stencil (make unknown). It was a bit too overwhelming and dark, so once the modelling paste was dry, I rubbed white gesso over the top to knock it back. 
• I stamped the model's head from Jane Davenport's "Paper Doll Wig" set CEJDCS007 by Creative Expressions onto a snippet of 300gsm card, coloured the image with Willow, Amethyst & Nightshade Derwent Inktense pencils, then cut her out and glued her on. 
• Finally, I stamped the Be Bold words, from Rubber Dance "Mix It Up #3"  stamp set, cut them out and glued them on. Kept me quiet for a couple of hours!