a teeny weeny gelli plate

For this month's project for Lavinia Stamps  I used the teeny weeny gelli plate that I treated myself to recently!  It measures 3" x 5" inches and is perfect for creating quick and easy cards.  Step by step instructions are over on the Lavinia Stamps website here.

It's also great for small projects like tags.  I enjoyed playing so much I carried on from cards onto a tag; and I have a new favourite stamp - the new flower border!  I just love it :)

Light it Up for Autism Awareness

Hello and welcome to the Light It Up Blue For Autism Awareness Blog Hop!  It's World Autism Awareness Day today and having friends with autism, friends with children with autism, and teaching kids with autism I was honoured to be asked to take part in this blog hop.

The National Autistic Society describes what autism is here.  

Lots of fantastic sponsors  have shown their support for Autism Awareness and you can see the complete list here: http://lk2thestarz.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-light-it-up-blue-for-autism.html

If you would like a chance to win a prize from one of these fabulous companies leave a comment on this blog, and any of the other blogs participating in today's hop! You can find the other blogs taking part in the hop here.  Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on Monday April 6. 

The theme for this campaign is 'blue' so I used as much blue as possible, plus my new stamps from Fred B Mullet

After smooshing my tag through some blue brusho inks I stamped some Stampotique numerals, lightening the intensity of the ink by stamping it onto my underpaper before stamping my tag.

I applied a couple of blue distress inks to the fern stamp and spritzed it with water before stamping it on my tag.

It didn't come out as clearly as I thought (but oooo, love the effect at the bottom of the tag!) so I added some stenciling...

..and some sprinkles of water, which I dabbed off - love that effect!

Spraying White Dylusions ink through my circles stencil added this gorgeous splash of pink 'cos I rarely clean my stencils.  It adds a great contrast!  You can tell I got carried away here and forgot to take my step by step photos - I also stamped a fern by Fred B Mullet.

It still needed a little something so I used my fern die with a security envelope and love the contrast of the black and white paper against the blues.

I'm going to give this tag, along with a little collection of blues, as blog candy to someone who leaves a comment on this blog; I'll use random.org to pick a winner.  Other blogs in the hop also have their own individual blog candy.

It's a shame I can't include the matches, they have cute blue heads!!

So head on over to http://lk2thestarz.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-light-it-up-blue-for-autism.html  and have fun blog hopping!  And don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win, the draws will take place on Monday April 6th :)  Happy Hopping!

Valentine's Day preparations

My monthly article has been published on the Lavinia Stamps website :) [well, it was published a couple of weeks ago but OFSTED came to visit us at school which has impacted on my time and energy so apologies for not letting you know earlier!!]

With Valentine's Day just around the corner I designed a card suitable for my husband (so no fairies appear on this card!), although he's probably seen it on facebook so maybe I'd better make another one ;)

You can find the step by step photos and instructions for this card HERE if you're interested :)

lavinia stamps challenge: add some glitter

Finished my entry last night but decided to photograph it in daylight.

Oops, that was the wrong decision as I had failed (again!!) to read the rules properly and when I checked the blog this am  I would have been four hours late with my entry!  Ah well, it wasn't about winning as I won the £40 voucher a couple of months back (and just spent it on the new release!!)

Then, as I added the photo to my Lavinia Stamps album I discovered I'd used this stamp in a similar way already!  Never mind, I thoroughly enjoyed making it - digging out my gelli plate to add background texture, then adding more colour with a sponge and adding stamping then glittering up the fairy's wings. 

Here's my previous tag:

..and you can find the new Lavinia stamps here; I struggled to choose!!

Congratulations!!

I love CAS cards but rarely make them these days as it involves having clean hands and I end up forgetting and getting smudgy inky marks on the card!  But that's what little birds are for right?!!

I suddenly remembered the other day that I'd not made a congratulations card for a friend who had a beautiful baby girl so I got out what I'd call 'bunting' and my sewing machine and set to work.

I stamped 'baby girl' using a variety of stamps before free machining 'hello' above it.

Stampotique Stamps Used:

Alphabitties  #6010  by Jill Penney and Daniel Torrente 

Banner  #10001  by France Papillon

Barcode Text  #10020  by France Papillon

Unleash Yourself Text  #2431  Roc Nicholas

Just Be U  #2422  Roc Nicholas

a handful of cards

I've been playing with some new Lavinia Stamps and my gelli plate ... I really love using the Adirondack inks with the gelli plate.  

I rarely make cards but had decided to enter this month's Lavinia Stamps challenge which was 'birthday girl' so ended up making a couple.

I know I've said it before but I love adding splashes of water to the inks, and also painting in stamped areas with the inks or water.

Despite having made a couple of cards I still needed to make another one as my niece was one at the weekend.  I was pleased with this quick card using a Mabel Lucie Attwell image from the Artistic Stamper :)