Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Blog Hop ~ Let the summer begin!!

Hi everyone, and welcome to Stamptacular's very first 'Blog Hop'. You should have just come from Janneke's blog, remember you need to visit each DT members blog and leave a comment to be in with a chance of winning the grand prize. I hope you've been enjoying the hop so far.

I love the summer all the pretty colours of the flowers in bloom and of course the sun is a bonus, though here in the UK the past two summers have been a bit of a let down on the weather front and more of a washout, with excessive rain, so here's hoping for a better summer this year. This time of year I really enjoy watching all the birds and fledglings especially the Starlings, what characters they are.

When I'm not crafting I love to go course fishing with my other half Steve. We are lucky to have a lake at the end of our garden so we don't have to go far.

Combined with the fishing we love having family and friends over for a BBQ, and if the weather's bad we just cook indoors...lol, we can't let wet weather spoil the day. Our biggest BBQ and get together of the summer is on the August bank holiday weekend when our village have a raft race on the canal, it so much fun to watch and even more fun when everyone gets to throw flour bombs, not only at the raft racers but at each other too.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at some of my favourite summer pictures, don't forget to leave a comment and then you need to hop on over to Kristin's Blog.

You'll find my post for this weeks Stamptacular challenge in the post below this one.

Enjoy your hop!!!

Stamptacular Challenge #9

Fingers crossed this is a scheduled post thats hopefully come up on the right day and time..lol.

Thank you to everyone who took part in last weeks challenge, the chocolate theme seemed to be popular and boy there was some very mouth watering projects. I'm sorry I haven't personally commented on all the entries but I'm currently on holiday with limited or no internet access.

This week over on Stamptacular the theme is....

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"

So if you haven't already guessed from the title it's a wedding theme and the DT have once again come up trumps with some beautiful work to help inspire you, here's mine.

Keeping the layout quite simple, I've embossed some gold paper using the 'Divine Swirls' embossing folder in the bug. The white ribbon, flower and embellishments are all from my craft stash. The pearl hearts were from Hobbycraft. My stamping is the wording which is a wood mounted stamp I've had for a couple of years and never used.

I do hope you'll be able to join us, and don't forget Stamptacular is having a 'Blog Hop' today, so look out for my post above very soon.

Off On My Hols!!

Well we are off on our holiday tomorrow morning, the weather looks like it's going to be good for the next few days, lets hope it continues beyond the weekend. We are not sure if we'll get any internet connection whilst we are away, we have one of those mobile broadband dongle things, but coverage isn't very strong where we'll be staying. However, I have a few posts scheduled and all my challenge DT stuff is also scheduled. If I can get connected I will pop by and say hi and maybe even post some pics.

Before I go I will leave you with some of my projects I've done recently for the Funky Fairy Shop, which I'm so pleased to be able to now show you. Please check out the new look Funky Fairys Shop, you can see oodles of inspiration by the shop DT, read their bio's and of course there's the fabulous download shop.

Take care everyone xxx

Funky Fairys Challenge #18

Good Morning Everyone!!

Firstly, I'm sorry for the lack of posts over the past few days, but it's only 2 more sleeps until our holiday and we've been busy packing, running around and sorting the garden so that we don't come back to 6ft long grass and weeds like triffids...lol.

Anyway it's Wednesday and that means it's time for a new Funky Fairys Challenge. Thank you to everyone who played along with last weeks challenge, as always it was a pleasure to visit your blogs and see your wonderful projects.

The challenge this week is....

"BABY"

We would like to see your projects with a babies in mind, be it a card, gift, anything you want. To be in with a chance of winning a Funky Fairy download you must use at least ONE Funky Fairys product on your creation.

Now, if you don't yet have any Funky Fairy products have you checked out the Inspirational Blog?, well this is the place to not only find inspiration but Shaz (Funky Fairy) also has some wonderful downloads that are FREE, just scroll down the side bar and you'll find a list of free downloads available, you'll be able to see for yourself the wonderful quailty of the downloads and it hasn't cost you a penny. If you are new to downloads and a little worried about what downloading involves you'll also find two great video tutorials on the side bar, one is for downloading and the other is for ordering from the Funky Fairys Shop. If you are familiar with the inspiration blog and shop have you checked them both out recently? They've both had a fab new makeover and you'll find some gorgeous new banners to display on your blogs.

The DT have come up with some wonderful work to help inspire you and it is our GD Caroline's last week with us so make sure you check out all the fabby projects. Here's mine.

I recieved this cute image in a swap coloured with copics, promarkers and blender with chalk to the background. I've used Pearly Doodles on the soap bubbles to give a 3D effect. The papers are all Funky Fairys - Doodle Stars & Dainty Dots, I've used nesties to cut out the scalloped squares. The 'Baby Boy' button is from my stash. Finished with some card candy in the corners.

I do hope you'll be able to join us for the challenge, we love to visit your blogs to see your creations and we would love to see more.

Have a fab Wednesday!!!

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #8

Boy the weeks are flying by can't believe we are on to challenge 8 over on Stamptacular. Thank you to everyone who took part in the Pink, Green & Brown challenge, all such wonderful creations.

This week the challenge is....

"Oh, for the love of CHOCOLATE"

How you interpret this is entirely up to you, the DT have all been busy with some wonderful projects to hopefully inspire you. And here's mine.

A little gift bag filled with some choccies. The gift bag is made using thick paper from K & Co's Amy Butler range. The die-cut flowers are from Craft Work Cards and the ribbons are from stash. The choccies WERE from Thortons, but I can assure you the bag is now empty and I didn't have one, well apart from the one or two that didn't fit in the bag when I made it...lol. The sentiment is stamped.

This week we are being sponsered by Die Cut Dreams. To be in with a chance of winning the prize there must be at least one stamped item on your creation and that creation must be unique to the Stamptacular challenge.

I do hope you will be able to join us for this weeks challenge, we look forward to visiting your blogs and seeing your creations.

Enjoy your Sunday!!!

Altering something a little different and Mollie goes fishing.

As many of you know we are off to Devon next Friday for 16 Days of fishing. We normally take a massive holdall to hold all are bit and bobs for fishing, which weighs a bloomin ton. We decided to treat ourselves to a couple of fishing backpacks, which will hopefully make life alot easier to leave our hands free to carry our seats and rods/pole. Anyway, we bought matching backpacks as they were on special offer so I decided to personalise mine a little, (a) so I know which is mine and (b)to add a little feminine touch. So this is what I did....

I've stamped Fishing Dandelion from the D&D range and coloured with watercolour pencils and copics markers and blender. Chalked the background. Ran the image through the laminator and trimmed off leaving a good border of the plastic. Please don't look too close at the hand sewing, I'm not very good at hand sewing. As you can see Dandelion has gone pink which matches my brand new fishing reel I also bought and just had to have as it was pink...lol.

Whilst I was doing this, Steve and Mollie went fishing this morning. Mollie loves to watch us fish, I think she may like it also because she gets the odd bit of luncheon meat too from the bait box. Steve caught his first Tench from the lake, quite a good size too. Mollie really wanted to get a good look, so here are some pictures of Mollie meeting the Tench and one of Steve with his catch.

Been a lovely day here today and this afternoon I went to Withernsea with Mollie for a walk on the beach, so she's had a fun filled day. Sadly Mollie can't come with us on holiday, as dogs aren't allowed where we are going but we have found a few fisheries that do allow dogs in Lincolnshire, so plan to do a few weekends away through the summer where she'll be able to come with us.

Hope everyone is enjoying their bank holiday weekend so far, lets hope the weather continues to stay fine.

I'll be back in the morning with my DT work for the next Stamptacular Sunday Challenge, can't believe it will be challenge 8.

Also don't forget the Funky Fairys challenge this week, which is Circles & Buttons!!

Enjoy your evening xxx

2 in 1

I am a bit behind on the challenges lately, but with only a week until my holiday there's been lots to do, with buying bits and bobs we need and getting myself covered with the DT work for whilst I'm away. Thankfully all seems to be on track now, so decided to have a play with a challenge or two in this case. I've followed the sketch over on Sketch Saturday and combined it with this weeks challenge over on Secret Crafter which is 'Glitter'.


The image is Fairy Chloe from The Greeting Farm, another wonderful image I recieved in a swap. Coloured her with copics and lots of sparkle using sakura stardust pens with a waterbrush. Cut using circle scalloped nesties. The background and edges have been chalked and stardust waterbrushed. Papers are all Dovecraft and pink ribbon is from my scraps. Got the idea of the circles and punched flowers from my buddy Emma, these were also glittered with stardust and a waterbrush. Added sequin flowers and pink brads to hold the circle and flower layers together. Below is a closer photo, to try and show some of the glittery effect.


And lastly here is the sketch to follow from Sketch Saturday.

Funky Fairys Challenge #17

Thank you to everyone who took part in last weeks 'Flowers and Bling' challenge, it was a pleasure to visit all your blogs and see your wonderful creations.

This weeks challenge theme over on Funky Fairy Challenges is.............

CIRCLES & BUTTONS

We would like to see some circles and buttons on your creations, how you interpret this is up to you, remember to be in with a chance of winning a Funky Fairy download prize you must use at least one Funky Fairy product on your project. As always there is always a freebie or two, or three...lol available to download on the new look Inspirational Blog and of course there is the Funky Fairys Shop, which also has a new look.

The DT have been working hard on some wonderful creations to inspire you, we are also delighted to welcome Caroline as our GD for the next two challenges.

After yesterdays sneeky peek I can now reveal my DT offering for the challenge.

The image is Daisy from the Daisy & Dandelion stamp range, coloured with watercolour pencils and a waterbrush, cut out with circle scalloped nesties and inked the edges in purple. The papers are FF - Dainty Dots in shades of purple, lilac and brown. Punched the flower from one of the papers and added a card candy to the centre. The buttons and ribbon are from my craft stash and I've sewn the buttons onto the ribbon so that the ribbon is pinched behind the buttons (if you know what I mean).

I hope you'll be able to join us for the challenge, myself and the rest of the DT are looking forward to seeing your creations.

I seem to be having quite a few problems with blogger over the past week, and from what I've heard so have a few others. Today it seems my blog lists in the side bar aren't updating, arrghhh. I've been trying to hop around to everyone over the past few days, it's a very slow process, some pages wont load, some I can't comment on and on some others the page goes loopy and opens up about a dozen explorer pages. I will be continuing my hopping quest when I can today. I like to visit everyone on my lists which takes a long time as it is, so these blogger problems really aren't helping. Please blogger staff, can you get it sorted!!!

Simon Says Challenge and a Sneeky Peek

Only just in the nick of time for the latest Simon Says Challenge, had totally forgot the challenge is now going to run weekly, so will be changing to a new challenge tomorrow. The challenge this week is...

Simon Says One for the Boys

I've been to The Range today and bought this 'Dandelion Goes Fishing' stamp set from the Daisy & Dandelion range. Coloured him with copics, blender and watercolour pencils with a waterbrush. Chalked the background then cut image out with Labels 2 nesties, from brown cardstock I also cut out the frame using the same nesties. Paper is from Funky Fairys Aqualicious Delights set, inked round the edges in brown. Sentiment and little fishies also from the same D&D set. Brown ribbon recycled from one of my old skirts, button from craft stash. Finished with some good old card candy.

Don't forget it's also time for the next challenge over on Funky Fairys tomorrow too. So you still have time to get your entry in for the latest challenge which is "Flowers & Bling". I'll leave you with a sneeky peek of my creation for tomorrows FF challenge. Enjoy your evening!!

One Stop Craft Challenge #29

Over on the One Stop Craft Challenge it's a colour challenge...Pink & Brown.

I've recieved some wonderful images over the past few days from a swap between some of my fellow Stamptacular DT members and here's one of them. Miss Anya has been coloured with copics, promarkers and blenders, chalked the background in pink, cut with oval nesties and inked edges in brown. Papers are all Funky Fairys from the "In With The Old" paper set. All edges of the papers have been inked in pink or brown. Embossed the middle pink paper using my bug and the 'Textile' embossing folder, dabbed with brown ink to highlight some of the embossing. Ribbon from craft stash. Flowers are prima's with pink pearl brads in the centres. Sentiment from stash, not sure where from, again I've inked the edges in brown.