Allsorts 508: Spring Flowers

Please click HERE if you are visiting for Ellibelle's Crafty Challenge.


Hello and Welcome! Are you ready for some spring flowers??!! I know I am and at this week's Allsorts challenge it is just what we want to see - Spring Flowers - picked by our wonderful Wendy, who is hosting this week.

How I love this stamp!! It's an older slapstick stamp by Penny Black - You are the Bestest - and unfortunately I cannot find a link to it anywhere. It must have been discontinued.

I stamped it using Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink on Neenah 80lb card stock and then colored with my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. I colored using the "burnishing" technique, but the question does come up occasionally if these pencils work with the "Gamsol Magic" technique, and the answer is yes. It's what I used to do, in fact I used simple baby oil for a healthier choice, and blending stumps. Works beautifully, but I am trying to get better at the burnishing technique so it's the way I am using these pencils at the moment. 

The sentiment is from the Penny Black set Sweet Wishes also stamped using Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink. I used a simple sketch, added some striped designer paper (retired from Stampin Up) to the bottom portion and tied some parrot green jute twine around the card. Green enamel dots were added as embellishments and I brushed some wink of stella glitter over the daffodils and white flowers. The yellow card frame is Daffodil Delight color by Stampin Up and the white base is Neenah 110lb. 

Penny Black You are the Bestest (no longer available) //  Penny Black Sweet Wishes // Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink // Faber Castell Polychromos pencils // Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Clear // Neenah 110lb Card Stock // May Arts Parrot Green Twine

I am entering my card with these challenges:

Double Trouble - Tic Tac Toe (I used the middle row: Sentiment, Stamp and Glitter, glitter is on all the flowers but hard to see)

Crafty Sentiment Designs  -  Spring Is Springing

Mod Squad Challenge - Clear or Rubber Stamps (I used rubber image an clear sentiment stamps)

Cute Card Thursday - Buttons or Enamel Dots

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Penny Black Stamps & Flowers

Addicted to Stamps -Anything But Squares

Stamping Sensations - All things Bright and Beautiful
Addicted to Stamps and More - CAS
Inkspirational - Use Your Stash

I hope to see some of you over at the Allsorts challenge blog. Our prize this week is a spring themed die/ embossing folder set by Sizzix, and remember you may enter up to 3 times for more chances to win!


This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

One Corner and a little Music - A CAS card

Please click HERE if you are visiting for Ellibelle's Crafty Challenge.


As I was updating Sunday's challenge listings on my blog, I came across the new AAA challenge, (a CAS challenge blog), with the this week's theme of "One corner and option of Music". Their wonderful DT creations inspired me to ink up another stamp from the Hero Arts My Monthly Hero February Kit, along with the stencil that was part of the kit.

This card was really quick to make. I inked up the stencil from the February Kit using Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves Distress inks. My first intention was to stamp the dancing couple on another piece of white card stock and use the matching die from this kit to cut it out and adhere to the card with pop up tape. But I decided to see how I liked it stamped directly onto the stencilled background, so using  Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink I stamped the image directly over the stencilled design. I decided I liked it this way, inked up the music notes from this kit and finished off the stamping. Unfortunately the kit didn't have a sentiment I wanted to use on my card, so instead I picked a sticker from Tim Holtz's Quotations Metallic Sticker Set and used it instead of a sentiment stamp. The shiny golden confettis (all 3 I used are gold, although one appears black in the photo) are part of this set, they were glued on with a tiny bit of Mono Multi liquid adhesive.

                                              Hero Arts My Monthly Hero February Kit 

            Distress Inks: Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves // Mini Ink Blending Tool      

               Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink //  Tim Holtz's Quotations Metallic Sticker Set 

Besides the AAA challenge mentioned above, I am also entering my card at "A Blog Named Hero" challenge where the theme this time is "Love is in the Air" and Dream Valley Challenges wants to see Sparkle and Shine this week. Anything but a square at Addicted to Stamps, and All Occasions at Watercooler Wednesday Challenges. 

The February Kit is currently still available for purchase if you are interested. Cost is $34.99. Hero Arts does offer free shipping on orders of $50 and More within the United States. Also, Kit subscribers located in the United States always get their kits shipped for free, you can read about Kit Subscriptions HERE. . I've been a subscriber since September 2018 and am really enjoying receiving a kit monthly. I know I've mentioned this before, but just as a reminder I wanted to let you know, if you were to subscribe now, your first kit to receive would be the March kit, releasing in a couple of weeks. Also, don't forget to check out their newest Catalog additions. I just purchased the  Layering Sea and Sky Set, Layering Waves Set, Hero Greetings Limited Edition for the back of cards and their Cowboy Adventure Set which was from a previous release. 

(Layering Sea also comes in a combo set including dies HERE, as does the set Cowboy Adventure.)

If you missed my other recent cards made with the February kit and would like to take a look, you can see them HERE and HERE. 

Thanks so much for visiting!!


This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support! I do not design for Hero Arts and all products used in this post were purchased at full retail price. All opinions are my own. 

Time to Celebrate

Happy Monday! It's time for our mid-month post at Penny Black and More challenge where our theme this month is anything goes with the option of adding a tag or making a tag. There is still plenty of time to join us if you haven't already and remember you can enter up to 3 times.

Penny Black Spontaneous Joy // Penny Black Heartfelt // Penny Black Snippets // Distress Markers // Versafine Claire Nocturne // Tonic Stamp Platform // 

Whimsy Stamps Basic Backgrounds (retired) // Whimsy Stamps Tag Die (also retired) - Similar 

The watercolor wash background was an extra from a previous project when I did a "splash" watercolor technique. With this technique, there is always extra ink left on my craft mat, so I try using some of it it up by simply inking up another piece or two of card stock and keep that for later use. I probably used the distress inks Seedless Preserves and Broken China.
The Penny Black stamp Spontaneous Joy was colored up with Distress Markers Worn Lipstick, Seedless Preserves and Peeled Paint, spritzed with water and stamped using my Tonic Stamp Platform. I stamped the sentiment from the Penny Black set Heartfelt with Versafine Claire Nocturne ink which gives a wonderful crisp impression. I only have this ink in Nocturne, might have to add some of the colorful ink pads...

I wanted to bring some more interest to the card, so I used a retired script stamp from Whimsy Stamps using black ink. I finished off the card by wiping the seedless preserves ink pad directly over the white edge and then added a little stitched tag (which was done with a retired die by Whimsy Stamps, Similar option)  with the words Wish Big (from the Penny Black set Snippets) to the card with some white cotton twine.

I'm sharing my card here:

Inkspirational - Word Prompt: Text 

Watercooler Wednesday Challenges  - All Occasions

Shopping Our Stash -  Use Markers (I used Distress Markers)

Mod Squad Challenge - Floral 

The Corrosive Challenges -   Anything Goes

We Love 2 Create - Anything Creative Goes

Hope you have a great day! And thank you so much for visiting!!

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Allsorts Challenge 507: In the Kitchen/Cooking/Baking

Please click HERE if you are visiting for Ellibelle's Crafty Challenge.

Hello and welcome! I have a new card to share today for our new theme at Allsorts challenge. It's Mervi's turn to host and she picked the theme of "In the Kitchen" so anything cooking or baking related.

Penny Black U R The Gift // Penny Black Sweet Wishes // Penny Black Wood Floor  // Versafine Onyx Ink // Clear Embossing Powder // Zig Clean Color Markers

I decided to use a cute stamp by Penny Black with a baker kitty from the set U R The Gift. It's been heat embossed and then colored with my Zig Clean Color Markers and then fussy cut using Cutterbee scissors. 

The floor and trim are a die set by Penny Black - Wood Floor , they are a newer purchase and this was my first time using this die set. I think it's perfect for many indoor themed cards!

The sentiment is from the Penny Black set with the same name - Sweet Wishes. An older one but love the fonts of the sentiments in this set, I think they work well for kids cards. Pattern background paper is an oldie from my overflowing box of scraps (I think it's by Basic Grey). White card stock is by Neenah and colored papers are by Stampin Up. The star on the cat's apron is part of the sentiment set.

Sharing my card here:
Shopping Our Stash  -  Use Markers (I used Zig Clean Color Markers)
Penny Black Saturday Challenge- Anything Goes with PB or Flowers
Send a Smile for Kids- Easter for Kids or Anything Goes for Kids
Colour Crazy Challenge - Coloring
CCEE Stampers -  Birthday Card

Krafty Chicks - Sweets

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: Critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes with a Critter

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes with Patterned Paper

And that is it for today, I hope you will join us at  Allsorts challenge. As always we  have a great prize that will go to one lucky winner.  Hope to see you there!

PS: There is also still time to join in my Crafty Wednesday challenge. This month's theme is Dies/Punches or Something with Hearts. Some great entries already and I would love for you to join in too!

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Hey There, Dollface!

Please click HERE if you are visiting for Ellibelle's Crafty Challenge.

Happy Friday! I really didn't have any plans on making a card today, but as I was updating the daily challenge listings on my blog (I was a day behind), I notice this week's theme at TIME OUT Challenges is "Retro" and I decided making a card is more fun than doing chores so here is what I made :-)

All stamps are from the brand new Hero Arts My Monthly Hero February Kit. Although it is Art Deco inspired, I thought these stamps would make a great Retro styled card by using retro colors. 

I started out with Tim Holtz's Rays stencil and Distress Inks Broken China, Wild Honey and Oxide Abandoned Coral. 

Using  Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink ink I stamped the sentiment, image and martini glasses, which are all from the  Hero Arts stamp kit. I wanted to add a patterned layer so I dug deep into my scrap box and found this designer paper that I think has a retro feel to it and layered my card front onto it. Using my Crop-o-dile, I added eyelets to each corner of the card before adhering to a Sage Shadow (SU retired card stock) card base. 

As I mentioned  before, this set is so unlike any stamps I have but what a fun set to play with. Here is another recent card I made with this kit, where I also used the main die that came in this kit.

By the way, Hero Arts recently released their new catalog, and all products are now available in their shop, including the stamps that won their "most popular Stamp Kit" - the June 2018 kit. You can view all the products by clicking HERE or simply click the Catalog logo below. 

Hero Arts had a recent poll where everyone would vote on a favorite past stamp kit. The June 2018 kit won this poll and the stamps from the kit are now available for purchase as 2 separate stamp sets.

The Layering Sea and Sky Set and the Layering Waves Set. This kit was released before I had discovered the Hero Arts stamp kits, so I missed out, but I really NEED them and they will be making their way into my shopping cart very soon!! 

Back to my card though, here is another photo. As you can see, I accidentally got some yellow ink mixed up with turquoise, but it turned out to be a "retro" green, so decided to keep it anyway. 

I hope it qualifies for a "retro" themed challenge. 

TIME OUT Challenges

I am also linking up with these challenges:

Tinker- Dream - Die Cut / Stencil

International Art & Soul - Make Your Own Background

Incy Wincy Designs - Make it Girly

and many anything goes themes:

Crafting-With-Friends

Creative Fingers
QKR Stampede
Crafty Catz
Simply Create Too  
Crafting With An Attitude 
Crafty Creations 
The Crafty Addicts 
Lemon Shortbread 
Through The Craft Room Door 
Artistic Inspirations
Crafting from the Heart
The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge  
Fashionable Stamping
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
The Corrosive Challenges 
Love to Craft 

Thank you so much for visiting! Hope you enjoy the rest of your day. I will be back again tomorrow with my Allsorts challenge card. 

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Valentine's Bunnies

Please click HERE if you are visiting for Ellibelle's Crafty Challenge.

Hello and welcome! I have one more Valentine's card to share (which I just finished this morning), so I decided to do a quick post.

Most of the items I used today are retired and no longer available. The cute image is a rubber stamp from LOTV. I stamped it with  Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and then used my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils for coloring. I created a CAS scene by adding a die cut "hill" using one of Whimsy Stamps' Stitched Trio die and retired paper from Stampin Up. 

The sentiment is also by Stampin Up, heat embossed on black card stock. I don't remember which stamp set it belongs to...The little "love you" with butterfly is *I believe* from the Stampin Up set "Happy Heart Day", also retired years ago. The white card stock is by Neenah, and the light blue is Stampin Up's Soft Sky. The image has been fussy cut using my Cutterbee scissors to add to the card. 

I am sharing with these challengs: 

Aud Sentiments Challenge- Love Or Valentine Sentiment 
Craft Rocket Challenges - Feb- Valentine
Crafting With An Attitude - Always Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday - Wings
Crafting By Designs  - Love is in the Air

Crafty Creations  - Always Anything Goes 
Moo-Mania & More - Love
The Crafty Addicts  - Anything Goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - Love
Always Fun Challenges- Love/ Valentines
Crafting from the Heart -  Anything Goes
CuteNCrafty Challenge Blog- Valentines/ Love 
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: Critter
AAA - CAS + Optional twist: Love 
Dare 2B Artzy Challenges - Love
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

And that is all for today! Thank you so much for visiting! I will be back again on Saturday with my weekly card for Allsorts challenge. 

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - More February Inspiration

Happy Wednesday! I had some time to get inky and decided to create another inspiration card for my challenge - Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - here on my blog. If you are here to join in, you can find the linky tool at the end of this post. As a reminder, this month's theme is:

Dies/Punches or Something with Hearts. 

(Or you may use both of course!)

I am also really excited that the February My Monthly Hero kit by Hero Arts arrived in the mail and could not wait to ink it up! This kit is definitely very different from all of my stamps but I LOVE the theme and style.

Hero Arts My Monthly Hero February Kit 

I created an inky background using Distress Inks Mustard Seed and Wild Honey . The dancers were stamped with Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink and I used the matching dies from the Hero Arts February Kit  to cut them out. The intricate die from the  My Monthly Hero kit is the size of an A2 card, but I decided to use only part of it and trimmed off the rest. I used gold mirror paper (also part of the kit) and black card stock for the die cut and layered them. The half circle was done with a circle punch. This wasn't a planned addition, but ended up there because - you guessed it - an ink smudge. 

The February Hero Arts kit is available for purchase HERE. Kit subscriptions are also available if you would like to receive a kit automatically every month. If you do decide to become a kit subscriber, then please note, your subscription will start with the March kit and not with the current kit. You can read about Kit Subscriptions HERE. 

I am also sharing my card with these challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday - Black and White plus one other color

Country View Crafts' Challenge - Black and White plus one other color

Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies 

Tinker- Dream - Die Cut / Stencil

C.R.A.F.T. Weekly,  2entries - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday Weekly - Anything Goes

Moving along with the Times  - Add a Sentiment

Simply Create Too - Anything Goes w/ option of Hearts

Crafty Friends Challenge - Anything Goes 

International Art & Soul Make Your Own Background

Stamping Sensations - All Things Bright and Beautiful ( the color Yellow and Dancing)

Lemon Shortbread - Always Anything Goes 

Through The Craft Room Door  - Always Anything Goes 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends-  Anything Goes

The Corrosive Challenges-  Anything Goes

We Love 2 Create - Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes

A Bit More Time to Craft  - Anything Goes
Crafter's Castle - Anything Goes with optionof Valentine's Day
LeAnn’s World 101 -  Anything Goes

Love to Craft  - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Always Anything Goes

Hero Arts My Monthly Hero February Kit 

(all stamps, gold mirror paper, dies, sequins)

Distress Ink Mustard Seed // Distress Ink Wild Honey // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // 

Bristol Vellum Paper 

To join in this month's Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge please leave a direct link to your blog post using the linky tool below. A prize winner and Top picks will be announced with the March challenge. You can take a look at this month's prize and last month's winner/ top picks in the original February post here. 

Please remember: this is a public blog, meaning any papercraft you link up or any comments left on this blog will be visible and clickable by third parties. The blog owner is not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without permission. 

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!