The Birds Sing Their Sweetest Song (Published in Take Ten)

Hello Everyone
Love has been the predominant theme on many of my Blog posts of late so to mix things up a little I am sharing some non-Valentine cards.
I find there is something so relaxing about making cards that include little bits and pieces.  To have even one card in print is a thrill for me so imagine my delight when four cards  I submitted to Stampington & co’s Take Ten were grouped  as a feature style article titled “Bits & Pieces”.
On all four cards I used the beautiful Oxford Impressions’ The Bird’s Nest stamp plate.  This plate is so well thought out as it includes everything from musical notes to little impressions of birds feet, a stunning cage, sentiments, etc.
All stamps are from this stamp plate including any text.  I stamped text onto found papers and then tore into pieces to use as embellishment style pieces on particular cards, such as below the eggs on the first card. A cute speckled feather, scrap of lace and cotton string adorn the card.As I wanted the cards to work as a set I repeated my colour choice of cobalt blue and sepia throughout. Embellishments were kept to a minimum so as not to detract from the beauty of the stamps and any bits ‘n’ pieces I used had a sense of nature to them such as the burlap and faded hydrangea blossom. This birdcage is glorious. The fourth card sees a beautiful sentiment as the focal. The Bird’s Nest is a stamp plate which continues to be available. At the time of drafting this post I sourced that it is available (and in stock) from That’s Crafty in the U.K.  I also want to add that included in a recent kind comment on this recent post it was stated that Soul of the Rose had been discontinued.  That is not the case. Soul of the Rose continues to be available directly from Oxford Impressions and is also sold at The Craft Barn (U.K.) but appears to be out of stock at the moment.
So here we are on the last day of January. Thank You for your visits and wonderful comments this past month especially as I have been bombarding you with lots of Valentine projects.  February will see me share my team sample for the forthcoming Crafty Individuals Challenge, yes, the wait is nearly over for a new challenge theme at the C.I. Challenge.  February will also see me return with a few more Valentine projects but not too many.
Thank You for taking the time to visit today.
Wishes
Lynne

Sweet Messages of Love

Hello Everyone
We are down to the very last days of January so it is most certainly time that I shared my final January DT projects for Gecko Galz.
I had intended to sharing the projects over two posts but as time is against me I am including them in the same post so have to apologise that this will be lengthy!
As it is Gecko Galz DT project I am providing a list of supplies and also instructions.
Below are the details for the first pocket only.
Supplies
Gecko Galz Hearts Galore
Oxford Impressions BonBon stamp plate (Valentine)
Distress Stain & Distress Ink Antique Linen (Ranger)
x2 flags, lace, seam binding, paper flower, buttons and heritage colour emulsion paint (my stash)
Instructions Apply stain to the flag. Stitch the flags together to form pocket. Stamp Valentine repeatedly onto the flag then layer lace. Print Hearts Galore onto cardstock.  Cut out image and ink edges. Gently curve the image and adhere with silicone glue.  Paint scrap of cardstock with emulsion paint. Once dry stamp Valentine. Cut out to form a banner shape and adhere below the heart. Embellish heart with a paper flower. Stitch seam binding to form a handle and finally create a shabby bow to embellish the pocket.This image has such a lovely Victorian appearance to it. For the second pocket here is the supply list and instructions
Supplies
Gecko Galz Little Angels Image Sheet
Gecko Galz Bits ‘n’ Pieces
Oxford Impressions BonBon stamp set
Distress Ink Tattered Rose and Tea Dye (Ranger)
Caran d’ache watersoluble crayons
Two scallop flags, lace, buttons, seam binding, trim and paper flower (my stash)
Instructions
Stain the flag and stitch two together to create a pocket. Stamp Valentine repeatedly onto the flag. Print Little Angels and Bits ‘n’Pieces onto cardstock. Using watersoluble crayons emphasise the heart in the Little Angels image. Distress and ink edges of both pieces. Layer both images with lace to the flag. Stitch seam binding to the pocket with buttons to form a handle. Embellish the pocket with tassel trim, paper flower and seam binding tied into a bow. If you are looking for Valentine card inspiration then visit Gecko Galz where you will see the DT’s Valentine cards and also instructions are supplied for each card.
Thank You for visiting and all the lovely comments you have left for me to read for the previous post. My next post, you might be relieved to read, isn’t for Valentine’s Day!! A little break is in order!
I always appreciate your visits, even moreso when I am not as active with visiting your own blogs.
Wishes
Lynne

Love In Their Eyes (FSC#40 Show Some Love)

Hello Everyone
Thank You for joining me this Sunday where it is time to announce a new challenge theme at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  For the next fortnight we are asking if you will Show Some Love.   We always ask that you include stamping on your entry and that no digi’s are allowed, other than that just have fun with this theme.  The winning entry will receive a prize from our wonderful sponsor so well worth your while entering. All details on the FSC site as well as the inspirational artwork from my DT sisters.
I decided to go for a very romantic take on the theme selecting the stunning Soul Of The Rose plate from Oxford Impressions.  This was the first stamp plate I bought from Oxford Impressions and  I still love it as much as I did on day one.A heart shaped box.
I wanted a tactile feel to the box so the stamp was stamped onto TAP before transferring to canvas. As you can see in the first photograph, absolutely none of the fine detail was lost in transferring to TAP.After painting the box I stamped the damask design from French Script. I wanted the design to be subtle so I opted to stamp with Distress Ink which increased the shabby appearance before applying molding paste. Leaving the molding paste to harden I had plans to lightly add some highlights to the relief design but when I came back to the project I decided to leave it plain as I liked the contrast against the painted and stamped background.Thank You for visiting this post and enjoy your Sunday.
Wishes
Lynne

When Cupid Strikes

Hello
Love is definitely in the air at Gecko Galz with their 30 days of Valentine’s underway.
Each day there will be a Valentine card from a DT member with supplies and instructions and if you happen to have missed any of the days then they are all on display for you to view. Today is my turn to share my Valentine with you.
As with all Gecko Galz DT projects I will share supplies and brief instructions
Supplies
Gecko Galz Digital Paper Pack Star Crossed
Gecko Galz Little Angels Image Sheet
Oxford Impressions BonBon (Valentine stamp)
Resin Corner Embellishment (Melissa Frances)
Canvas printer paper, vellum, iron-on transfer paper, vintage book text, cotton, lace and seam binding (my stash)
Instructions
Print Star Crossed paper onto canvas printer paper and vellum. Layer the canvas printer paper panel onto cardbase. Tear vellum into a strip and stamp Valentine. Layer to cardbase with lace.  Print Little Angel image sheet onto iron-on transfer paper and transfer to cotton. Embellish image with lace and corner embellishment then layer to cardbase with French book text.  Finally embellish card with seam binding (stained) tied into a shabby bow.
There are always special offers and fun taking place at Gecko Galz so well worth taking a visit.
One last thing before I leave for today – thank you for the wonderful messages of Congratulations you left for Butterfly (Alison) on her win of my Giveaway.
Everyone take care and if the snow is proving to be a hurdle for you then maybe you are managing to use it to your advantage and staying tucked up inside and having some creative time!
Wishes
Lynne

Giveaway Winner

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSEDI was astonished and thrilled that so many of you joined in with my 3 years of blogging celebration, thank you for being part of this and a special thank you to those who added the Giveaway to their sidebars.
Reading the lovely comments reinforced why I blog, that it isn’t only about sharing whatever it is I might have created but it is the connection with others, friends who understand why it is we immerse ourselves amongst our supplies and the kick we get out of it time after time and the amazing support.
Anyway it is now time to announce the winner of the Giveaway …..
Butterfly
Congratulations!
It would be too long a wait until I celebrate 4 years of Blogging in December so I will have a mini Giveaway, possibly around Springtime,.
Wishes & Thanks
Lynne

My Funny Valentine

Hello Everyone
I wonder if you are looking out onto a snowy landscape.  As I sit typing this post the snow is falling but thankfully, so far, we haven’t been hit quite as hard as some places.
Tomorrow I will be announcing the name of the winner of my Giveaway but I have a few, various DT pieces to share between now and the 14th of February and the days, as usual, are passing by too quickly so today I am sharing a DT post for Oxford Impressions where I had some fun with the little cheeky cupid from the BonBon set to make what is probably a bit more whimsical than my usual offerings.  If you are interested I have included the links to all the stamps plates I used.
Oxford Impressions Stamps
BonBon
French Script
Paris Poste
His little seat, as you probably guessed, is an alphabet block that I painted before stamping the beautiful damask style stamp from French Script. I was aiming for subtle pattern so I used Distress Ink.  I always like the effect Distress Ink has when stamped onto emulsion paint, it creates an even shabbier effect. On all faces of the block, except for the top, I stamped Amour (from Paris Poste) and for the top face I stamped Valentine (from BonBon).
The stamp of cupid sees him holding a heart so to form the heart balloons he clutches I stamped the cupid three more times, cutting out the hearts and attached them to the string.  For the heart you see him holding in his lap, that is one of the hearts from the hearts and ribbon stamp. It was just a matter of playing around with the different styles of hearts in this set.
The only embellishment was lace wrapped around the cube and a pearly heart embellishment.
A little bit of Valentine whimsy.
Late tomorrow evening I will announce the Giveaway winner, would be lovely if you wanted to stop by to see if your name is the one picked.
In the meantime, if you are out and about in the snow whether that be the U.K. or Germany (Valerie, I hope you are keeping cosy!) or any other part of the world, stay safe and stay warm.
Wishes
Lynne

The Blush Of Her Cheeks

Hello Everyone
Thank You for such positive comments on the circus canvas. Maybe I need to dabble in colour a little bit more often!
For this post I’d say it is more in keeping with my normal style in that pink is on display and also lace! The card I am sharing is DT art for The Stampsmith.  I made this card many months ago when I first received the beautiful Olivia and Friends stamp plate. At the time of making the card I had been staining nearly everything in sight including tags and lace and so I reached for one of those tags to stamp Olivia onto. I knew I wanted to use one of the Cartolina Postale stamps to form the background and by luck a sheet of watercolour paper I had in my stash was a perfect match for the tag and the lace.   The watercolour paper had been prepared with various media including Gesso, paints and watersoluble crayons.  When I make up such sheets I work in a very random fashion, translated that means I cannot always remember what exactly I’ve used!The actual card was simply embellished with some lace, a paper flower and on Olivia’s dress you might have spotted the tiniest piece of lace with a pearl.
If you are interested, the Re-use/Re-cycle challenge is well underway at TSC blog and you will also read something that might be of interest to you as TSC is looking for Guest Artists. This is a wonderful opportunity for any of you who have a love for The Stampsmith stamps. To find out how to apply the details are there to be read at TSC blog.
If you live in the U.K. then I hope the snow isn’t spoiling your fun too much and you are managing to keep safe and warm.
Thank You for taking the time to visit this post, I always appreciate your visits and your comments.
Wishes
Lynne

Peter and Peppy Visit The Circus

Up-date:- I was thrilled to discover this Vintage Circus canvas was printed in the Spotlights section of The Stampers’ Sampler (Apr/May/June 2013)
Hello Everyone
The piece of artwork I have decided to share today was actually made as far back as December 2011, yes you read that correctly … 2011!  It has been something that I’ve always intended to blog but sometimes other projects have to take priority.  During some chatty e-mails with my lovely friend Alison (do you know she has a Giveaway at the moment?) I mentioned this canvas and so I point the finger of responsibility at Alison for the reason I am sharing it now!
When this stamp collection was released I was somehow drawn to it yet surprisingly enough the theme, which is circus, is not a favourite of mine. As a child I did not like the circus and thankfully I didn’t have to endure it more than once! Yet the images on Oxford Impressions’ Vintage Circus plate are so appealing, maybe it is the vintage style that makes them so and not too many scary clowns!
I will let you decide whether or not this looks like my style!
When I received this set, which was a surprise in itself, I knew it would be a chance to have some fun with a chunky canvas.  At the time I made a decision to use colour but limit the palette and also to keep embellishments to a minimum.  The chipboard bunting was perfect to create the circus banner.
I wanted to create a scene where the boy and his dog are peeking out from the curtains taking in  the sights of the circus and stand in awe at the performance by the trapeze artist. The ruffled seam binding not only softened the outline of the stamped curtains but also gives a better impression of the boy peeking from the parted curtains.She swings from the circus banner.A chunky canvas deserves to have the edges decorated so I stamped a bundle of tickets.  Yes, definitely a lot of cutting out for this canvas!Thank You for visiting this scheduled post this evening. I plan to catch-up with your creations very soon and see what fun you have been having.
Wishes
Lynne

The Splendour of Venice

Hello Everyone
Firstly, thank you for the interest you have shown in my Giveaway and all your lovely comments, far more than I would have expected.
Today I am sharing the second of my January Gecko Galz DT art in the form of a canvas panel with a Venetian theme.
Supplies
Gecko Galz Star Crossed Digital Paper Pack
Venetian Splendour Image Sheet
Golden Glass Bead Gel
Canvas panel, vellum, various acrylic paints, lace and seam binding (from my own stash)
Instructions
Apply various acrylics to the canvas panel until desired appearance has been achieved.  Randomly apply Glass Bead Gel.  Leave to set.  Once it has hardened at this point apply more paint.   If you have never used Glass Bead Gel before a note to say that it can easily be tinted prior to applying to your substrate.  Print a Star Crossed paper and Venetian Splendour image sheet onto vellum.  Tear the Star Crossed paper in half on the diagonal, scrunch it up and then apply to the canvas. Scrunch up the selected Venetian image then apply acrylic paint to the edges.  The image was layered to the panel along with lace.  Finally form a hanging by creating two holes at the top of the panel and threading through seam binding.By layering the Venetian image, which was printed onto vellum, over the painted canvas it adds more depth than if the image had been printed onto cardstock.This photograph displays the various textures, the canvas panel peeking through the Glass Bead Gel and also the torn and crumpled Star Crossed paper printed onto vellum. I also randomly tore holes into the vellum and rolled the edges back so that the layers beneath came through. Thank You for taking the time to visit this post and I hope to catch-up with all of you very soon.
Wishes
Lynne

Full Steam Ahead (FSC#39)

Hello Everyone
We have a new challenge theme at Fashionable Stamping Challenge where we are asking you for artwork to the theme of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  At FSC we keep rules to a minimum but please no digi’s, your artwork must include traditional stamping. There is a prize to be won so well worth your while entering.  If you are in need of inspiration then visit FSC to view the incredible artwork by my DT Sisters.
For my DT sample I am doubling up as this is also a DT piece for Oxford Impressions.  I have used a selection of Oxford Impressions stamps, if you are interested I have included links for each stamp plate used.
Steampunk Elements (Steam Engines text stamp)
Travel Journal (quote and fountain pen)
Abraham Lincoln (Train. I used an ink splatter stamp from My Story but the A. Lincoln set also has a similar stamp)
London Telegraph (Man)
With Valentine projects being much to the forefront of my mind I was very tempted to be caught up with the old romance of steam trains and a belle awaiting the arrival of her beau at the station, instead I realised it was the perfect opportunity to add a masculine style project amongst what will be several blog posts to come that are inspired by Valentine’s Day.What made this a time saver was the fact I had the stained tags and fabric amongst my stash from a session of staining in tea and coffee baths last year.
There is no denying the wit of Oscar Wilde and this quote was so perfect for the FSC theme.The Steam Engines text stamp from Steampunk Elements was stamped onto the fabric panel to create the base for this hanging then I moved forwards by stamping the tags. Whether your preferred mode of transport be planes, trains or automobiles why not join us at FSC this fortnight. We always look forward to viewing your artwork.
Wishes
Lynne