Artist Trading Card Duo

When I recently made this card I had the luck of messing up my first try. Before throwing it away I decided to see if I could save parts of it and create an ATC, and I ended up making 2 ATCs 😊

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

Here I used the "smooshing" technique for the background with Distress inks/oxides then stamped Lavinia's Moon stamp using Twilight Versafine Clair ink. I did not like how the moon stood out on the original card I tried making, and also wasn't a fan of the inky background. But I think it works much better for a miniature project like an ATC instead of a greeting card size. On the background I also used the sentiment Magic Surrounds Us. Cats are Witches Cat on the right side and Luka on the left. Texture 2 stamp was used on the corners and edges, and then I added Lavinia's Miniature Stars using Twilight Versafine ink to match the moon and texture stamp. I used white brilliance ink to lighten up the moon just a little bit. These stamps are all by Lavinia.

A closeup of ATC #1 

I am entering the one above here:

• Crafty Catz - AG
• Lavinia Challenge - Midsummer Moon
• Tag-Along (and ATC's) - option Text
• The Little Things - AG
• The Paper Funday - AG
• We Love Stamping - AG

ATC #2

I finally purchased a binder for my ATCs. I found this cute one on Amazon :)

Enough for 4 cards per page and it does come in a two other options but I loved this "Sakura Cat" style, of course :)

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for visiting!

Magic Surrounds Us In The Garden (and a few more vacation photos: a short trip to the Alps)

Hello everyone, today is the start of a new Allsorts challenge and our theme is Anything Goes from the Garden. Or the option of Anything Goes. We have prizes from Oakwood Direct and AALL and Create. 

I'm also sharing some more vacation pictures at the end of the post for those interested, or simply scroll down to the commens if you like to leave one :)

I decided to make a scene from the garden. While my constant companion Thomas is no longer following me around and supervising my garden work in physical form, my gorgeous cat Fussy took over some of his duties part time and many evenings she is by my side as I water the plants. There are also some 4-legged feline visitors from the neighborhood, some snacking on the cat mint, others just passing through or to do their "business" LOL.  So this is definitely a scene from the garden. 

I used stamps from Lavinia to make this card.. They've been a bit neglected, especially that cat stamp has only seen ink once when I purchased it in 2018) so it was time to reach for them. The sky was done with Distress inks/Oxides (Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire). I flicked some water droplets onto the card for a starry sky or tiny "orbs" (as the sentiment suggests). For the bottom portion I used Shabby Shutters, Mowed Lawn and Forest Moss Distress inks/Oxides. 

All stamps are from Lavinia - Star Blossom, Magic Surrounds Us and Witches Cat (this one appears to be only available in digi form now?? It was one of my very first Lavinia stamps purchased so possibly has been retired as a clear stamp). Flowers and the cat were stamped with Versafine Onyx ink, words with Versafine Clair Very Peri. 

The card fits these challenges:

• Crafty Catz - AG
• Crafty Animals - Animals
• Critter Crazy Challenges - Critters
• FarmQuest General Store Challenge - Farm or Country (a country garden)
• Heart's Quest Lovable Quotables Challenges Blog - Quotes (mine is by Tracey - owner of Lavinia Stamps)
• If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - Outdoor Garden Theme
• Neglected Stuff Challenge - This cat stamp is my neglected item, I've only used it once when I first purchased it in 2018, almost 8 years ago!!!
• Paper Rock Scissors - Papers and/or Scissors (all layers are paper - no scissors used this time)
• The Paper Funday - AG
• Word Art Wednesday - AG

I want to share a few more photos from my vacation back in April. We visited extended family in the North-Western part of Austria for a couple of days and they showed us around the area where they recently moved to. Just about 2 weeks before we arrived it had snowed so it was still in the early days of spring here, luckily most snow in the valley was gone.

I don't share photos of my family because it is their wish but my dad probably won't mind :)

One of King Ludwig II. of Bavaria palaces was closeby (in the German Alps) so we stopped for a walk on the palace grounds. We have been here before many years ago when we also toured the inside so we skipped the tour this time. This is Schloss Linderhof.

And one last stop at Ettal Abbey (also in the German Alps) which was located in the village of Ettal along the way. I highly recommend a stop if you are closeby as it is absolutely beautiful. 

 This organ took my breath away!

I do have one more set of photos I plan to share ... hopefully soon!

If you'd like to see what else I've posted from this trip so far, you can see them in these posts:

• Milan
• Varenna on Lake Como
• Verona

Thanks so much for visiting and hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Meadow Mushrooms in the Garden

It's the start of a new theme at Allsorts challenge. Gail is hosting this time and her theme is "In the Garden".  Perfect timing as I am sure we all love seeing our gardens back to life after winter. But there is also the "Anything Goes" option if that works better for you. Prizes are from Lavinia stamps going to two lucky winners. Please remember to follow our simple rules so you don't miss the chance to be entered in the drawing or considered as a Top Pick.

A garden theme was a perfect reason to get out my Lavinia stamps.

I started out by inking a background scene using torn paper and a cloud stencil (I have the My Favorite Things stencil) with Twisted Citron and Salvaged Patina Distress Oxide inks. Next I stamped the mushrooms (Lavinia Meadow Mushroom) and bunny (Lavinia Pipin) in Versafine Onyx ink. Butterflies (Lavinia Flutterbies) and flowers (Lavinia Lavender) were stamped with Versafine clair inks (Avocado, Lilac Blooms, Bali Blue). 

Sentiment is by Penny Black from the clear set Snippets. I inked some more Salvaged Patina around the edges then decided the card could use more details on the background so I used Lavinia's Feather Leaf stencil for that. I wanted a little bit of sparkle so I used a Sakura glue pen to add loose glitter to the flowers. A white gel pen by Sakura was used on the bunny and mushrooms for some highlights/dots.

I plan to share this card here:

• Double Trouble Challenge - 3,2,1 (3 stamps, 2 stencils, 1 sentiment), plus Thing 3 Easter Element (bunny)
• Fab n' Funky - Spring
• Stamping Sensations - Inspired by Nature
• The Paper Funday - AG
• Tic Tac Toe Challenge - I chose middle row Stencil/Free/Pastel Colors

Thanks so much for visiting!

Btw. If you do make a garden themed card then I'd love for you to stop by my Garden Party too! The theme is always Anything in or from a garden 😊

You Are My Dream - Allsorts Embossing

Hello everyone, it's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and this time our optional theme is Embossing (Heat or Dry) selected by Val. Prizes come from Lisa Horton and you have about two weeks to join us! If embossing isn't for you then there is always the "Anything Goes" option and we love to see those too!

Here is what I made very fitting for today's Valentine's Day :) 

I made a CAS card using Lavinia Stamps Swans along with a sentiment by Penny Black Dream.Love.Sentiments and a die cut heart also by Penny Black. For embossing I chose dry embossing using an old  Cuttlebug embossing folder. I used red cardstock from Stampin Up for the card base.

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

Challenge I plan to share with:

• A Cut Above - Die Cut Challenge Blog - AG with die cuts (I used a circle die cut for focal point and small heart die cut)
• Aud Sentiments Blog Challenge - Dies and Love theme
• Can You Handle The Pressure? - Embossing Folders
• C.R.A.F.T. - Love
• Crafty Calendar - Love is in the air
• Cupcake Inspirations - Love is in the air
• Double Trouble Challenge - 3 layers, 2 images (the swans are 2 separate stamps), 1 CAS technique. Also followed option of one color (red - black and white are my neutrals) and option of include a heart.
• Heart's Quest Challenge - Include red or gold hearts
• Heart's Quest Celebration of Love - opt. Valentines
• Make My Monday  - include 2 dies (circle and heart)
• Simply Clean and Simple - CAS
• Stamping Sensations - Favorite Stamps (currently obsessed with swans and these by Lavinia are my favorite swan stamps because I love silhouette stamps)
• Tic Tac Toe Challenge - top row: hearts, die cut, red/pink
  
• TIME OUT Challenges - Pick Two from list (I chose red and heart)
• Triple B - Birds, Blooms or Butterflies
• We Love Stamping - Hearts

Thanks so much for visiting. Hope to see you at the Allsorts challenge blog. Here is our prize for the embossing/AG challenge - an embossing folder with matching layering stencil.

Magic Winter Scene for Allsorts Challenge

It's time for another challenge at Allsorts this time Lynn is hosting with her optional theme of "Create a Scene". This is our last challenge of the year and you have until December 31st to join us. There will be 2 winners selected from the entries and prizes come from Lavinia Stamps.

I used some of my older (but favorite) Lavinia stamps to create a scene inside a circle. The negative of a circle die cut was used as a mask for the scene along with a torn paper mask for a snowy ground. The bunnies are Pipin on the left and the one on the right is part of the Whimsical Hares set. For the tree I chose Fairy Fir Tree small. I also used Lavinia's Field Grass and Winter Magic for the wording stamped on the background. For some added interest I used a gold Posca pen for some spatter. 

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

Challenge I plan to share with:

• A Place To Start - Winter Things
• Crafty Animals - AG with an animal
• Crafty Calendar - Christmas/Winter
• Critter Crazy Challenges  - Critters
• Cupcake Inspirations - Let it snow
• Daisy Chain Challenges - Christmas/Winter
• DL.Art Linky Challenge - AG
• Double Trouble Challenge - 3,2, 1 (3 layers, 2 bunnies, 1 tree)
• FarmQuest Country Christmas Challenge - Outdoors Christmas
• Girlz Rebel Challenge - Beginning with B (Bunnies)
• Peace on Earth - Christmas
• Stamping Sensations - AG Option

Thanks so much for visiting!

PS: If you haven't already then I hope you'll check out the December "I spy with my little eye" challenge where everyone is invited to share their "Year in Review - Favorites of 2025" this month. I hope you'll join in and share yours! The linky tool will be open until mid-January.

As this may be my last post of the year, I would like to sign off by wishing all my blogging friends, followers and readers a 

Merry Christmas 

and

Happy New Year!

Ellibelle's Garden Party No. 10 - Anything in (or from) a Garden

Hello everyone, it's time for a new Garden Party to start and all are invited to join in the fun! 

As always, you may share anything in or from a garden. This can be crafts of any kind, garden photography or garden tips, weddings and tea parties taking place the garden... So many options!! As always the linky tool is at the end of the post along with my Top Picks from the last party.

And here is my garden themed share for this month, featuring a fairy in a secret garden with her snail friend and magic butterflies. My garden may be resting now for the winter but certainly there must be magic going on somewhere :)

I've had this beautiful fairy (Mae) for quite some time now but this my first time inking her up. I used my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils to color her wings and blossoms along with the garden sign. Other stamps used are Lavinia's Field Grass, Butterflies and Miniature Snail plus Secret Garden Sign and Textures 2 all by Lavinia. They were stamped with my new Versafine Clair inks I treated myself to on Black Friday. The tiny words are also by Lavinia (Mailbox Names Stamps) from the recent release. 

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

I am entering the above card here:

• Ally's Angels - AG
• A Perfect Time To Craft - AG
• Crafts Galore Encore - AG
• Everybody-Art-Challenge - Bingo (I chose the bottom row of flowers, butterflies and animals)
• Stamping Sensations - Fantasy
• Triple B - Blooms, Birds or Butterflies

Top Picks for Garden Party No. 9

There were lots of beautiful garden themed posts to choose from last month, thank you all so much for joining in! As always, selecting just 3 is never easy but I finally managed and here they are listed in the order of entry:

No. 7 Deanne

No. 26 Creative Smiles 

No. 30 Mia

Congratulations to each one of you on your well deserved recognition! Your top Pick logo is below you may post this to your own blogs if you like to :)

Now it's time for the 10th Garden Party to start!

Simply link a new or recently shared post (featuring something in or from a garden) using the linky tool below. To make it even more fun and maybe meet a new blogging friend I invite you to visit another entrant's blog post and leave them some love. This is just a suggestion and in no way do you have to :)

Below are the main guidelines at a glance:

• Your entry must feature something in or from a garden.
• You may combine with any other challenges/link parties.
• Please leave a link back to this blog.
• Up to 5 entries per blogger please.
• Backlinking to a recent post is allowed.
• The party ends on Monday January 5th at 11:59pm CST

A Quick and Easy Card with Lavinia Stamps and a Stencil

Hello everyone, today is the start of a new Allsorts challenge with the theme of New... Baby, Home, Job etc. selected by Liz. Lots of options there and then as awalys the Anything Goes option is there too!  We have prizes from AALL and Create for this challenge, two stamp sets and you have two weeks to join us for a chance to win!

A couple of months ago I went on a Lavinia Stamps shopping spree at Del Bellos Designs (a US based Lavinia stamps retailer who is retiring and closing her shop) and this cottage and tree stamps were a part of my purchase. 

I decided to make CAS style card with these new to me goodies and I love how it turned out. 

Using Pinecone Versafine Clair ink, I stamped the cottage (Meadow Cottage) and the trees (Tree of Spirits Small) along with the "grass" (Winter Foliage) then added a thin strip of dark brown cardstock to ground the images. I used Faber Castell Polychromos pencils to add a little bit of color to the cottage. I went with pink as I love a pink and brown color combo. The birds are from a retired set by Hero Arts. I don't think I have a "New Home" themed stamp (couldn't find one in my stash) and thought about computer generating one but then decided to go with a simple "congratulations" sentiment instead. This one is long retired from a set by Whimsy Stamps. 

I was going to leave the card as is but then it looked a bit bare and so I decided to add some stenciling on the background using Aall and Create's Crisp Tulips stencil by Tracy Evans. Btw, I linked the Lavinia stamps to my favorite US based Lavinia retailer because she is always offering free US shipping, but if you are in the UK or for the best selection you will find them all at the Lavinia Stamps shop. And maybe you'll find some goodies at Del Bellos Liquidation sale!

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

I plan to share this card with these challenges:

• Ally's Angels - AG
• C.R.A.F.T. - AG
• Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! - Stencils
• Creative Fingers - AG
• Creative Inspirations Challenge - AG
• DL.ART Thankful Thursday - AG
• Do-Al(l) Kreatives - AG
• FarmQuest Home Challenge Blog - Home Related (New Home)
• Pattie's Creations - AG
• Simply Clean and Simple - AG Option
• The Creative Crafters - AG

Thanks so much for visiting and hope you're having a wonderful weekend! We've had a couple of very cold days (almost record low!!) and while it now warmed up a bit, we're supposed to get another round of snow this evening and into Sunday night. 'Tis the season!

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday December Challenge

Hello everyone and welcome to the December edition of my Crafty Wednesday Challenge taking place right here on my blog. I am so glad you stopped by today and hope you will join in the fun too! There were lots of great entries last month, thank you all for sharing. As always, the top 3 with a twist can be found at the end of the post.

As most of you know, the theme at Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday is now always ....

Anything Goes

and instead of a challenge theme there will be a "Top Pick Twist", meaning I will select a twist from all of the entries for the Top 3. Nobody will know what the twist will be (not even me) until the end of the challenge. So do link up all of your crafty makes, your entry might be the one inspiring the Top Pick twist :) The linkytool is at the end of the post.

Here is what I made for my share:

I've used Lavinia Stamps Pipspell (the mouse on the right) before but this is the first outing for Thistlewhisk here on my blog and I created a simple scene with these two cuties. 

I started by stamping them using Pinecone Versafine Clair ink then used the negative of a circle die along with a torn piece of paper for some masking and inked inside the cirle using Salvaged Patina Oxide ink. Inside the circle I used Lavinia's Winter Magic quote and the same Salvaged patina ink. At the bottom I stamped a branch from Lavinia's Winter Branches set with Pinecone ink and then used a white Poska pen to add dots for snowflakes. Usually I flick my Posca pen for random spatter but thought I'd try adding them in this way for a change. I do think I prefer the randomness of flicking even though it usually makes a huge mess all around with more spatter off the card then on 😄

For a little embellishment I added die cut snowflakes made with Penny Black's Dancing Snowflakes die set and used a Sakura gel pen in Stardust around the circle. And lots of Stickles glitter on the bauble which you can see better in the first photo.

This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

I plan to share the above card with these challenges:

• A Cut Above - Die Cut Challenge Blog - At least one die cut (I used snowflakes)
• A Place To Start - Winter Things
• Aud Sentiments Blog Challenge - A Winter Sentiment
• Cupcake Inspirations - Let it Snow
• Fab n' Funky - Christmas
• FarmQuest Country Christmas Challenge - Country Christmas
• Path of Positivity - Unexpected Animal on Holiday Card
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Dies (I used snowflake dies)
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Use Dies
• Try It On Tuesday - Snowflakes
• 

November Top Picks with a Twist:

Once again there were many wonderful creations which makes it so hard to choose favorites but thank you all so much for joining in and I always enjoy having a look at the gallery to see what most catches my eye. For the November twist I selected: Autumn so each one of my Top Picks features something fall themed.

No. 17 Gerrina

No. 19 Amy

No. 27 Wendy

Congratulations to each one of you on your well deserved recognition. Your Top Pick logo is below, you may post this to your own blogs if you like to :)

I will continue to pin the top picks to the dedicated Pinterest board, but will also include photo and link back to the original blogs/sites here. These will be removed at the start of the new challenge to stay in compliance with GDPR.

To join in this month's challenge please use the linky tool below. You have until Wednesday December 31st to join in.

A few things to remember:

• You may combine with any other challenges.
• You may use any brand of stamps/digis/dies/papers (no company restriction as long as copyright laws are followed).
• Please note: entries using pre-colored digital products will no longer be selected as top picks. 
• A short description of products used is expected, most importantly the source of focal point.
• This linkup is for sharing handmade projects of any kind not limited to papercrafts.
• Please try to limit to 3 entries per month - it's ok if you end up with more than 3 but I may not be able to visit your entries after the 3rd.
• Please do include a link back here to my blog in your blog post.
• Backlinking to a recent post IS allowed.

You can read more about the Guidelines/Copyright info here.