Sunflowers In Spring? Why Not?!

Hello Friends! I hope this post will find you well! :). A very warm welcome to my newest readers and the regular followers, too! So happy to see you here!

Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Yes, Spring is finally in the air! Beautiful sunny banks of daffodils, cheerful bunches of tulips, magnolia blooms... aaah, I love this time of year! 

In keeping with the season our Stampendous HQ powers are focusing on all things Spring this week and I wanted to join in, too! Here's a birthday card I made for my Mum and while sunflowers are not normally associated with Spring, I thought these lovely sunny blooms would be a great addition to my delicate springtime lilacs hiding in the background.

I stamped the Lilac and Sunny Vase flowers on the Mixed Media Paper and coloured the images with Inktense pencils. I then die cut the images with the corresponding Sunny Vase and Lilac die sets. I varied the height of the blooms with my trusty 3D Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

For my background and vase I used some papers from 7Dots Studio which I stamped with Scrollwork Leaves and which I embossed with the Dreamweaver Metallic Gold Embossing Paste over the Corner Flourishes stencil. The little tag is from the Sunny Vase stamps set.

For the bottom of my vase I sprinkled some flower dust - aka Frantage and (my newly re-discovered loOOOove for) the encrusted jewel technique. I used Bronze Glass Glitter, Spoonful of Rust, Copper Lux Mix and Shabby White Embossing Enamel. 

I finished the card with a little butterfly - because I absolutely looove butterflies and always look for an excuse to add one in lol :).

Also sharing today are:

Stampendous Blog
Pam Bray
Louise Healy

I hope you've enjoyed today's post and thank you for all your lovely comments that you may wish to leave (please do!) :). Have a fabulous day!

Big crafty hugs




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31 Days Of Halloween With Stampendous And Smeared Ink

Happy Friday everyone! Thank you so much for your lovely comments on my previous post with the Make A Wish Shaker Card.

In case you haven't heard where all the Halloween buzz has been coming from, it's all been stirred up by the folks at Smeared Ink!

For the whole 31 days of Halloween the Smeared Ink gang and their invited guests have been sharing heaps of brand spanking new Halloween inspiration every single day! Today is day 9 - so plenty has been shared already but lots still to come! So if you're lacking some spooky flair, you're sure to find it there!

And of course there are PRIZES!!! There will be scavenger hunts and heaps of prizes hidden all over the interwebs. These will all be given out by the folks at www.smearedink.com who are in charge of this event. And there will be a Grand Prize Drawing as well. Be sure to visit them to find out all about the prizes!

The team at Stampendous are also taking part in the fun so today is my turn to share something for your ghoulish delight! And here is my offering :).

Stampendous supplies:
Cling Skeleton Lady
Cling Damask Bats
Aged Wine Embossing Enamel
Media Paper White
Boss Gloss

Chameleon pens:
CG8, YO3, BV4, OR4, NU1, NU3, VO4, OL3, YL2

Adhesives by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: DODZ™ - Medium, DODZ™- 3D, E-Z Runner® Permanent Strips, Black Creative Photo Corners

Other:
Faux spider's web and spiders, Seedless Preserves Distress Ink, green patterned paper.

And here's what you need to do to make this card:
1. Create card blank from green cardstock.
2. Stamp Damask Bats onto green patterned paper with Boss Gloss. Heat emboss with Aged Wine Embossing Enamel. Repeat to create the background to the desired size.
3. Trim the background 1/16 inch smaller on each side than the card blank. Distress the edges with a paper distressing tool and adhere to the card.
4. Stamp Skeleton Lady in black onto White Media Paper and colour in. Trim the image to size.
5. Add black photo corners to the image and mat with black cardstock. Adhere to the card at an angle.
6. Spread faux spider's web around the card and secure with DODZ™ - Medium.
7. Randomly dab Boss Gloss around the card and sprinkle with Aged Wine Embossing Enamel. Carefully heat with the heat tool to melt the powders - make sure to only apply minimum of heat required as too much heat may melt the spider's web.
8. Finish the card with a couple of faux spiders.

I hope I've inspired your Halloween mojo to kick in :). Be sure to hop over to the Smeared Ink and Stampendous blog to check all the spookylicious Halloween makes that have been shared so far and stay tuned for more!

Thank you for stopping by today and if you'd like to leave a few kind words to let me know you've been - that would just make my day! :).

Big crafty hugs




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I would like to enter the following challenges:
Our Creative Corner - Halloween Horror

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Happiness In A Teacup - Stampendous and May Arts Blog Hop

Hello everybody! Are you ready for some Friday blog hoppiness and weekend treats?

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments on my previous post with the vintage Near The Sea Card. And big crafty squeezes to my newest followers - thank you so much for joining in!

My card is was a contribution towards two great blog hops Stampendous gals are taking part in this week - one with Spellbinders and one with May Arts. Spellbinder's contest in now closed but there is still time to enter our May Arts blog hop - and you really don't want to miss these amazinglicious prices! Check out the amazing inspiration that was shared earlier this week:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Now, blog hop means prizes! And when Stampendous peeps say prizes are on offer - they mean business! Three lucky peeps (with a US shipping address) will win a $20 voucher to spend on Stampendous website. And we also have a little treat for a lucky crafter from down under - that's right, Aussie blog hoppers, we're waiting for you! What do you have to do to take part in the draw? Leave some love on the participating blogs throughout the collaboration week. The more love you leave, the more chances to win! :)

Now, onto my inspirational project for your viewing pleasure! This card makes my tummy ramble every time - and I get a total cupcake craving! Which is not ideal as I'm on a diet... but hey, at least I have a delicious stamp to keep me happy... should be enough, shouldn't it...? :) This little beauty is a cling Teacup Cupcake stamp and it is soooo yummy!

Teacups and cupcakes are my all time favourites. A cupcake in a teacup - that's just pure happiness! :)

Supplies:

From Stampendous: Teacup Cupcake,  Holiday Words Perfectly Clear Stamps, Aged Marine Embossing Enamel 
MEM01 Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko® SSH57 Jumbo Perfectly Clear™ Acrylic Handle 

May Arts: 1.5 Inch Solid Wired Ribbon 

Plus: Cardstock by Bazill Basics Paper® and Core'dinations David Tutera Decorative Layers 

Adhesives by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: 3D Foam Squares - White, Regular; E-Z Runner® Permanent Strips; DODZ™ - 3D; DODZ™ - Medium 

STAEDTLER® ergosoft® watercolour pencils and Tim Holtz® Distress™ Markers, Midnight Blue Ink by Tsukineko®  Patterned Paper Cheesecloth, Gems, Brads

Instructions:

1. Prepare card base 17 cm high x 21 cm long. Score and fold at 9 cm from the left.
2. Cover the front and inside with cardstock and patterned papers. Add ribbon.
3. Sprinkle Aged Marine powder over a postage stamp layer panel and heat from underneath.
4. Add cheese cloth on top while the powder is still hot. Add and heat more powder if desired.
5. Mount the postage stamp card panel onto foam squares and add to the card, overhanging the front fold.
6. Stamp the Teacup Cupcake onto white card and colour with pencils and markers. Fussy cut the image.
7. Add the image to the card using foam squares.
8. Finish the card with gems, brads and ribbon bow and adhere using DODZ. 

That's all from me! Here are the blogs participating in today's blog hop:

Stampendous Blog

Amy Hurley-Purdie

Louise Healy

Asia King (you are here)

Laura Drahozal

Pam Hornschu

Lyn Bernatovich

Jamie Martin

Pam Bray

Kristine Reynolds

Janelle Stollfus

Tenia Nelson

Lea Kimmel

Wendy Price

May Arts Blog

Thank you for stopping by and for all your heart warming comments! Enjoy the hop and have a wonderful weekend!

Big crafty hugs

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Near The Sea - Stampendous And May Arts Big Play Time!

Hello Friends! I am so delighted to see you visiting today because oh boy, we've got so much in store for you!

Prepare yourselves for heaps of inspiration, crafty tips and AMAZING prizes - all courtesy of two fantastic blog hops going on this week.

As always, to take part in the prize draws make sure to visit all participating blogs and leave some love! Actually leave lots of love cuz it makes us really happy! :).

First up is the Spellbinders Partner Blog Hop. It’s summer time and we are hopping together with some fabulous companies in the Summer Road Trip Partner Hop with Spellbinders.

Today's featured partners are:

Stampendous

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®

Canvas Corp

DCWV 

Spellbinders is giving away some spectacular prizes during the hop! There will be three daily prizes and one grand prize! See the official contest rules here.

Better still! You know how much Stampendous people love their fans, so they will have some fun prizes on their blog as well. Three lucky winners will win one $20 Rewards Cards to go shopping on their website. To be eligible, you must be a US or Canadian resident, comment on their blog and that of each Stampendous designer’s blog posts each day of the hop and tell us in what state you live. Stampendous Official Contest Rules apply.

If that wasn't enough, our Australian friends will have a chance at a prize from our distributor down under, The Stencil Specialists, for commenting on Stampendous blog and designers blogs during the hop. Wow! Please make sure you add the region you live in when you comment.

Here's the full list of Stampendous DT blogs playing in this blog hop:

Stampendous Blog

Featured Designer – Tenia Nelson

Featured Designer – Lyn Bernatovich

Laura Drahozal

Janelle Stollfus

Lea Kimmel

Asia King (that's me!)

Spellbinders Blog

But that's not all! Be sure to check out the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®'s blog as there will be more prizes to be won there - if that's not early Christmas, then I don't know what is! :)

You still with me? Good, because there's more fabulousity coming!

Stampendous is also hopping this week with May Arts ribbon specialists! Amazing or what?! Again, three lucky US residents and one Aussie crafter will see some fabby prizes going their way. Same rules apply to be eligible to win - leave some love on the participating designers' blogs and make sure to let us know in your comments where you live :).

Blogs taking part in the May Arts hop today:

Stampendous Blog

Asia King
Janelle Stollfus

May Arts Blog

OK. I think I've kept you waiting long enough. I can finally reveal what you've been so patiently waiting for LOL - my today's inspirational offering! What a better way to celebrate summer than with  a breeze in the sails and a nautical theme! :)

Supplies:

Stampendous: Wind in Sails, Near the Sea, Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel, Boss Gloss Embossing Ink

May Arts: Paper Cord Ribbon in pink, light blue and ivory

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: Adhesive Sheets 4x6", MyStik® Permanent Strips, 3D Foam Squares - White, 3D Foam Pennants, DODZ™ - 3D

Spellbinders: Nested Lacey Pennants, Labels Eighteen

Plus: Cardstock by Bazzill Basics Paper®
Inktense Pencils (Derwent) - Dark Chocolate, Saddle Brown, Bark, Sea Blue, Willow, Iron Blue, Iron Green
Coffee Archival Ink and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink (Ranger Ink), Gothic Purple StazOn Mini Ink by Tsukineko®
Patterned papers (Vintage Experience, the Works), watercolour paper, metal ornate corners, burlap & canvas flower, self adhesive pearls, eyelets, decorative pins and brads.

Instructions:
1. Create a kraft card blank with A5 card front.
2. Using pink cardstock prepare a mat 1/16 inch on each side smaller than the card front. Adhere to the base with MyStik®.
3. Trim a panel from patterned paper 1/16 inch on each side smaller than the mat. Ink the edges and adhere to the base with MyStik®.
4. Dab embossing ink onto metal corners with Boss Gloss and sprinkle with Aged Ivory Enamel. Shake off the excess and heat emboss.
5. Adhere the corners to the card with Adhesive Sheets in the top and bottom right corners as shown.
6. Die cut a large Lacey Pennant from coordinated papers and adhere to the card, allowing the top left corner to hang off the card.
7. Create a centre panel from patterned papers, pink and beige cardstock (use the photo for approximate proportions) and adhere to the card using 3D Foam Squares. Add pearls along the right side as shown.
8. Stamp Wind In Sails onto watercolour paper with Coffee Ink and colour with Inktense pencils. Die cut and emboss with Labels 18 die. Adhere to the card with 3D Foam Squares.
9. Stamp Near The Sea sentiment on a scrap of kraft card in purple ink. Trim and form in your hands to create a small wavy banner. Adhere to the card.
10. Cover the 3D Foam Pennants with matching papers, add eyelets and suede twine and layer at the top of the card as shown.
11. Finish the card with a canvas flower and paper twine bows adhered with DODZ™ - 3D. Add final touches with brads and decorative pins.

If you are new to to my blog - please feel free to stay a bit longer and check out my other creations. If any of them sparked an idea for your next project, make sure to click the 'Follow Me' button in my sidebar to stay up to date with my future crafty shenanigans :). Also, do let me know how I can find you and visit you back.

We can also connect on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook!

That's all from me for now - I hope you enjoyed my today's offering. Thank you for all your kind and heart warming comments. Enjoy the creative ride and 'see' you again soon!

Big crafty hugs




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Floral Pillow Boxes And Seed Packets Tutorial

Hello friends! I hope you are all keeping well. Today I'm sharing a floral trio of DIY seed packets which I made using some gorgeous stamps and sparkles courtesy of the lovely Stampendous. I know I'm bias but I must say - I feel really blessed whenever my DT packages arrive because I absolutely love their products.

When I saw these flower stamps I instantly thought of making little gift packages which would be perfect for any keen gardener and sure to bring a smile - they certainly did for me! And with the summertime sunshine just outside my window, there's nothing else I love more about this time of year than the abundance of flowers! :)

DIY Seed Packet Tutorial - a perfect gift for a keen gardener. Ręcznie wykonane torebki na nasiona - pomysł na prezent dla zapalonego działkowicza lub ogrodnika.

And once I started playing I thought I would share a mini tutorial with you as well :). So here it goes. 

Supplies:

Stampendous: cling Cosmos Spray, cling Peony Spray, cling Pansy Spray, cling Seed Background, Aged Rose Embossing Enamel, Shabby Pink Embossing Enamel
MEM01 Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko®
Plus: Cardstock by Bazzill Basics Paper®
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®: 3D Thin Foam Squares - White, Crafty Power Tape
Other: Inktense pencils, seam binding ribbon dyed with Distress Inks, Faber-Castell PITT Magenta pen, pillow box template, corner punch

Instructions:
1. Using the digital template print three packets onto kraft cardstock. Do not assemble yet.
2. Stamp the your chosen flower image in black inside the template markings as shown.
3. Colour the blooms in with the Antique White pencil and distribute the colour with a water brush. Allow to dry.
4. Start adding colour to the blooms as shown.

5. Next, build layers of colour on the leaves.

6. Add some shading to the background.

7. Sprinkle the template areas with embossing enamels and heat from underneath.
8. Cut the template out and score along the dotted lines. Form the pillow box and secure with Crafty Power Tape.
9. Finish the edges with a gold pen.

10. Wrap a hand dyed seam binding ribbon around the packet.
11. Ink up the required part of the Seed Background stamp with a PITT pen and stamp onto your leftover card. Trim around the stamped label.
12. Round the corners with a corner punch. Adhere to the pillow box over 3D Thin Foam Squares.

Here is the finished seed packet :).

And here are a couple of further ideas, if you would like to give it a go!

Pansy Spray seed packet. Torebka na nsiona ze stemplem Bratki.

Cosmos Spray seed packet. Torebka na nasiona ze stemplem kosmos.

I hope you enjoyed today's mini tutorial! Thank you so much for stopping by and for all your sweet comments.

Big crafty hugs




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Challenges for this project:
Frilly and Funkie - It's Summer
Live and Love Crafts # - In the Garden
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Country View Challenges June - Shabby Chic
Our Creative Corner - What Makes You Smile
Vintage Stamping Challenges # - Hot Sunny Colours
Noor Design #7 - Here Comes Summer

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Colour Burst With Stampendous And Faber-Castell - Big Blog Hop Finale

Hello and welcome to our big blog hop finale featuring two amazing companies - Stampendous and Faber-Castell!
If you missed all the amazing and colourful projects shared earlier this week, be sure to check them out!

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

Of course we also have prizes! Three Lucky Winners this week will get three sets of the PITT Pastel Pencils (red/yellow, blue/green, neutrals), a jar of Faber-Castell Chalkboard Paint, and $20 http://www.stampendous.com reward card to choose their favorite images to color! WOW… these winners must have a U.S. mailing address (official rules here!)… BUT WAIT - Aussie Fans – The Stencil Specialist has you covered again this time! One Australian Hopper will win a Stampendous Stamp, a Dreamweaver Stencil (LJ size customer choice), and one Dreamweaver Stencils Regular Embossing Paste.

My offering today is this little shabby chic number, sporting this gorgeous Peony Spray stamp in a velvety pink attire :). I absolutely ADORE this stamp - and you might remember it from my Mother's Day card I shared recently.

Shabby vintage card with Stampendous peonies - water coloured with ART GRIP AQUARELLE pencils

After stamping the peony onto the Mixed Media White Paper I coloured the image using Watercolour ART GRIP AQUARELLE pencils (102- cream, 119-light magenta, 130-dark flesh, 133-magenta, 156-cobalt green, 163-emerald green, 166-grass green, 168-earth green yellowish, 250-gold) and also added some tinting on the leaves with the PITT Big Brush pen in Chromium Green.

For ma a shabby chic card cannot do without a touch Fran-tage so I also sprinkled some Shabby Pink and Aged Rose Embossing Enamels, too!

Other supplies:
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L: 3D Foam Squares - White Mix, DODZ™ - 3D, E-Z Runner® Permanent Strips Refillable Dispenser
Papers - Authentique Harmony collection
Ribbon - May Arts

That's all from me for today! Now it's time for you to indulge in fabulous inspiration from the talented DT taking part today. Make sure to leave some love while visiting to be in with a chance of winning some fabulous crafty goodies!

Stampendous Impressions Blog

Nathalie Kalbach

Louise Healy

Janelle Stollfus

Lyn Bernatovich

Pam Bray

Asia King (you're here)

Pam Hornschu

Tenia Nelson

Laura Drahozal

Lea Kimmel

Alison Keikkila

Wendy Price

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Blog*

For a shabby chic look on your card add a touch Fran-tage

Thank you for stopping by and your lovely comments! 

Big crafty hugs




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Artist Trading Blocks and Stampendous - Big Blog Hop Finale

Hello Friends and welcome to the the big “block” hop day! It’s time to pull up your comfy chair and get comfortable with your favorite beverage (hot or otherwise) while you enjoy browsing through the projects inspired by this week's collaboration of Stampendous and Eileen Hull's Artist Trading Blocks.

My first project this week was this grungy, rusty, industrial Steampunk Drama Theatre set. If you've missed it, it's really worth checking out, even if I say so myself :). I really enjoyed making this ATB and dipping into my 'dark' side lol.

And if you haven't joined the hop yet, be sure to check out all the posts this week. The designers have shared some really outstanding projects - you don't want to miss this amount of creativity and ingenious inspiration!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

And of course, we have prizes! We’ll choose three winners at random from the comments on all blogs in the hop. Then from those three we’ll randomly pick a GRAND PRIZE winner! Two of the winners will receive Stampendous PenPattern Petal and PenPattern Flutter cling stamps. They’ll also receive enough pre-cut, premium matboard from Sizzix to make two boxes, plus some extra pieces for fiddly bits! The Grand Prize winner will receive the stamps as above, a whole package of matboard, AND the Sizzix Scoreboards™ XL Square Box Die die to cut your own ATB boxes!
And if that wasn't enough, eligibility for these amazing prize packages has been extended to include international hoppers, too! I say 'yay' to that!

OK, so here's the project I prepared for today's Blog Hop Finale. This time I stayed well within my comfort zone and shabby chic nature. With the Spring just around the corner, I just couldn't get this idea out of my head - I had to have a bird's nest. I suppose I might still be under an influence of my fluffy Hummingbirds' Nest project :). Here is my block in its full glory.

My focal image is this gorgeous Nestled Bird stamp. It may sound strange but this is actually the first time I've used this stamp, despite owning it for a long time. Somehow I've always felt intimidated by its beauty and serenity, and I was worried I could never do it justice. But I've finally grown brave enough to ink it up :). I coloured it using Inktense pencils and my colours were inspired by the patterned paper I used.

If you look closely you'll see that I added lots of crackle texture all around my ATB. For that I used Old Paper Distress Crackle Paint and DecoArt Texture Crackle tinted with Titan Buff Fluid Acrylic paint. To tone them down and bring out the crackle even more I painted them with a wash using my Intense pencils.

To cover my box I used the stunning 12x12" sheet from Prima Marketing  (Striking Appearance, Epiphany Collection). I adhered each side individually using Adhesive Sheets which have become my adhesive of choice whenever I want full side to side coverage. I then stamped a sentiment on a smaller piece of my DP with A Bird Sings stamp, framed it with White Photo Corners (painted with an Inktense wash) and popped over White 3D Thin Foam Squares.

The sides of the block were stamped with the sentiments from the Angel Wings Quotes Perfectly Clear set. I added die cut wooden frames (a recent bargain find from The Works) which I swiped with Boss Gloss and heat embossed with with the Shabby Blue Embossing Enamel. Ooooh, I always love adding a bit of Frantage!

Inside the box I put some thick pieces of foam to fill it up so I could add my little nest with birds' eggs on top (another bargain from the Works). I also tucked in some natural 'grass' fibers and feathers and I added a spray with flowers and berries (another bargain find in the post-Christmas sales).

Here are today’s participating designers - be sure to visit them all!

Stampendous Blog

Pam Hornschu

Asia King (you are here)

Jamie Martin

Kristine Reynolds

Janelle Stollfus

Tenia Nelson

Amy Hurley-Purdie

Wendy Price

Lea Kimmel

Anna-Karin Evaldsson

Anne Redfern

Donna Budzynski

Diana Hetherington

Oxana Moupasiridou

Eileen Hull’s Blog

Thank you for stopping by today. If you've enjoyed your visit here, be sure to browse through my blog for other projects and ideas. And how about clicking the 'Follow My Blog' button on the right so you can stay up to date with my future crafty endeavours? :)

I'm back again tomorrow with a 'quintessentially British' make for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L :). Until then, enjoy the hop and have a fabulously crafty Friday!

Big crafty hugs

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Challenges for this project:
Vintage Stamping Challenges #29 - Spring Colours
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenges #92 - Colour Between The Lines
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Also linking to:

WEEKEND RETREAT LINK PARTY #108

Roses of Inspiration Linkup #8

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