Autumn Time at Allsorts Challenge

Hello everyone, it's already time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and this time Christine is hosting. Her optional theme is "Anything Autumn" and there is always the Anything Goes option too. We have Penny Black prizes for 2 winners coming from Buddly Crafts who are the UK's largest supplier of Penny Black stamps and of course lots of other great brands.

For my card I used Hedgy Truffles 4255J, unfortunately it appears to be sold out at Buddly Crafts. I stamped with Memento Tuxedo ink so I could use my copic markers for a first layer of coloring. Then I used my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils for additional coloring.

The image panel was cut out with Penny Black's Posted Die then I used Faded Jeans Distress ink and a blending tool along the edges and sky. Patterned paper is from my stash. I used Penny Black's Burlap Edge die behind the image panel. The sentiment (from an old Stampin Up set) was cut out using a tiny tag die from Whimsy Stamps (old). Attached to the burlap die cut with jute twine and I added a die cut butterfly (using Penny Black's Flight of Fancy die set) with a glue dot. Foam dots were used to adhere the image panel to the card front.

Another view:

Linking up with these challenges:

• A Cut Above - Die Cut Challenge Blog - Use Die Cuts
• Ally's Angels - AG
• Classic Design Challenge - Autumn Colors
• Craft Rocket Challenges - Use Dies
• Crafty Animals - Animals
• Creative Moments - Autumn Colors
• Critter Crazy Challenges - Critters
• Dream Factory - Fall Colors and Mushrooms
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - AG
• Neglected Stuff Challenge - My neglected stuff is this sweet hedgehog stamp. I don't think I've ever used it before but had it for quite some time. Could not find a post on my blog using it! 
• Penny Black Saturday - use PB Stamps with option of dies
• The Paper Funday - AG
• We Love Stamping - Trees and Leaves or AG (a few leaves on my card :)

The challenge is open for 2 weeks so plenty of time to join us! 

Thanks so much for visiting and hope you're having a wonderful weekend! It's cloudy here but no rain so that means I need to tackle the job of re-painting the front door! I'd rather be crafting or gardening but this project is overdue!!

Ellibelle's Garden Party No. 19 - Anything in or from a Garden

Hello everyone and welcome to the September Garden Party taking place right here on my blog. I'm so glad you stopped by and hope you will share something in the linkup too! As always, it's Anything in or from a Garden. This can be crafts of any kind, garden photography, garden tips and advice, garden weddings, tea parties in the garden etc. The only rule is that the crafts/photos have to be your own. 

It's beginning to look a little bit autumnal in the garden so I made a fall themed card for my project. The stamp is Penny Black's wood mounted stamp Chitchat which I believe was my very first PB stamp I ever purchased 😊 I colored with Derwent Inktense water soluble pencils and then added some shading with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. the patterned papers are from my stash, I think both are from a DCWV Fall paper pack. Sentiment is from a clear stamp set also by Penny Black. I finished off the card with a button and jute twine bow and die cut butterflies using Penny Black's die set Soaring and some glitter on the butterflies' bodies.

There are still ongoing issues with blogger's reading list, if you don't want to miss a post then I'd love for you to subscribe via email.

 

Please use the form above to be added to my new email subscriber list via substack. Simply enter your email address and click subscribe. Subscribers, please add ellibellescorner at substack dot com to your address book so ensure post delivery.

Sharing the above card with these challenges:

• Addicted to Stamps and More - Die Cuts or Stencils 
• Craft Rocket Challenges - Dies
• Crafty Animals - Animals
• Creative Moments - Make it cute
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stamp It
• The Pick 3 Challenge - I chose Insects, Polka Dots and Stamping

There are no special party guests this time so let's get straight to the Top Picks from the last challenge.

Top Picks for Garden Party No. 18

It's never easy to choose but I finally managed and here they are listed in the order of entry:

No. 19 Priya R. 

No. 21 Donna W.

(fun fact, Donna's card inspired me to use the image I used on today's card 😀)

No. 52 Darlene

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 :) Please read the info below if you'd like to join me as a special party guest.

New this year:

I would like to invited each Top Pick to join me as a "Special Party Guest" in the next Garden Party (starting Thursday, October 8th). Please message me at ellibellescorner at gmail dot com if you would like to be a special guest. Of course this is totally optional as I know we all are busy in one way or another, just thought it would be something fun to offer the top picks :)

(Btw. Even if you are a special party guest for the month, you are still invited to share your other garden themed creations in the linky tool during the month!)

Now it's time for your share at the Garden Party No. 19!

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.
• A short mention of products used whenever possible is expected, especially the focal point.
• It is the creator's responsibility to follow copyright laws.
• The party ends on Monday October 5th at 11:59pm CST
  

Halloween ATC

Earlier this year the official Penny Black shop marked down several of their stamp sets (I think they are being retired)  and this fun Halloween set Spooktacular was one of those. (I just checked and it's marked down to $3.95!!) I'm not usually so much into Halloween but do like some cute stuff whether it's stamps or decorations and I just couldn't resist this CUTE cat!

When I read the new theme at the Tag Along challenge was circles I immedately had this idea in my head. It's not often where something turns out the way I imaged it, but I actually liked it so much that I made a similar card at full size (A2) which I will share at a later time.

I started with a small circle for a moon mask then inked the background using Carved Pumpkin Distress Oxide ink. Some water was splashed onto the background for that fun reaction but it's hard to see. Next I stamped the cat (part of it anyway), removed the mask and stamped the spider. While the stamp set with the cat includes a spider, this particular one is a bit more creepy and it's from a wood mounted Halloween stamp (Creepy Crawly Halloween K4018) also ordered from that Penny Black sale. This one is no longer available through Penny Black. The small dots at the very top and the sentiment are all part of the "spider" stamp. I do not like spider at all but do find them fascinating at the same time. 

I inked the edges with Villainous Potion Distress Oxide ink and ran a black inkpad just along the edge. The sentiment all comes in one line along with that spider (PB K4018) but I cut each word apart to fit onto the ATC. Oh, and I also used a Tim Holz mini tiles stencil on the background for some more interest.

I am entering this ATC here:

• Crafting Happiness Challenges - AG
• Crafts Galore Encore - AG
• Crafty Animals - AG
• Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! - Stencils
• Creative Inspirations Challenge - AG
• Critter Crazy Challenges - AG
• Everybody-Art-Challenge - ATC
• Lost Coast Designs - Black and white plus one (Orange)
• Moving along with the Times - Four Legged Friends
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge - PB Stamps opt. dies (I used a circle die for the mask)
• Simon Says Stamp - Stamps
• Sparkles Forum Challenges - AG
• Tag-Along (and ATC's) - Tags and ATC opt. of Circles
• The Little Things  - AG 
• The Paper Funday - AG
• Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge - Halloween

As always, thanks so much for visiting! Have a wonderful weekend. 

Ellibelle's Garden Party No. 18 - Anything in or from a Garden

Hello crafty friends, it's time for the new Garden Party which takes place right here on my blog and all are invited to join in. The theme is always "Anything in or from a Garden" this can be crafts of any kind, garden photography, garden tips and ideas, garden party posts etc. The only rule is that they need to be your own garden themed photos. The linky tool is at the end of this post.

And here is what I made for this month.

Some of the links included are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no extra cost to you.

This cute stamp is by Penny Black (Flying High), stamped with Versafine Onyx ink and colored with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. I stamped the bunny again on a post-it note and fussy cut tor a mask then did some stenciling using the Circle Explosion stencil, I think it's by MFT. Butterflies are made with a new-to-me die set also from Penny Black (Flight of Fancy) and the sentiment is part of the bunny stamp set.The "hill" was made with a die set by Whimsy Stamps (old and no longer available but there are other similar options available). To finish it off I added stickles glitter to the flower and butterfly bodies. Mounted onto a matching green cardstock (inked with Twisted Lime Distress Oxide ink) and then a simple white card base.

I am sharing my card with these challenges:

• Cardz 4 Galz - Blue Sky
• Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game!  - Stencils
• Cupcake Inspirations - In the Garden
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Use PB Stamps
• We Love Stamping - Summer Blooms

There are no special party guests this time so I am sharing photos of 2 pretty blossoms from my garden.

Below is the beautiful Crown Princess Margareta rose I planted last fall in memory of my sweet orange tabby Thomas. It's a climbing rose as he loved to climb up on everything.

 

This is the same rose shrub different set of blooms. It was evening when I took the second photo so the blossoms look a little more peachy.

Below is a dwarf type of a sunflower. Lots of beautiful blooms on just one stem but unfortunately it is now faded. The birds love the seeds, I was lucky to see 2 goldfinches feasting on some seeds. 

Top Picks for Garden Party No. 17

And now it's time to see who made the Top 3 from the last Garden Party. It's never easy to choose but I finally managed and here they are listed in the order of entry:

No. 2 Nancy J. 

No. 26 Amy's Midsummer Vegetable Garden

(many more photos in her post)

No. 33 Papierelle

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 :) Please read the info below if you'd like to join me as a special party guest.

New this year:

I would like to invited each Top Pick to join me as a "Special Party Guest" in the next Garden Party (starting Thursday, September 10th). Please message me at ellibellescorner at gmail dot com if you would like to be a special guest. Of course this is totally optional as I know we all are busy in one way or another just thought it would be something fun to offer the top picks :)

(Btw. Even if you are a special party guest for the month, you are still invited to share your other garden themed creations in the linky tool during the month!)

Now it's time for your share at the Garden Party No. 18!

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 September 7th at 11:59pm CST

A Crafty Cat and an Artist Trading Card for America's 250th Birthday

Hello everyone, it's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and Donna is hosting this time. Her optional theme is "Stencils" which are my favorite tools (besides stamps) to use. We have a selection of stencils from the Allsorts prize box for 2 lucky winners. 

And here is what I made:

Some of the links included are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no extra cost to you.

I colored this cute cat at the end of last month when I tried to join the We Love Stamping challenge where the theme was "hobbies and sports". Who can resist this cute crafty kitty working on a handmade card? As it so often happens to me, I didn't get a chance to finish the card for that challenge but it was a perfect starting point for this Allsorts challenge theme. 

The image which is part of the Penny Black stamp set Furry Affection has been stamped with Versafine Onyx ink and colored with Derwent Inktense pencils. For the wall I used a stencil by Tracy Evans for Aall and Create (Crisp Tulips)  and I drew lines for the floor after lightly coloring with the pencils. I added a strip of patterned paper to the top edge and die cuts made with Penny Black's die set Doodles of Love. I've had this die set for a few years now but this was my first time ever using it. 

The card above fits these challenges:

• Addicted to Stamps and More - Die Cuts or Stencils (I used both)
• Craft Rocket Challenges - Animals
• Cut It Up - Critters and a die cut
• Pattie's Creations - AG
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge - PB Stamps
• The Male Room - Hobbies (cardmaking)
• Word Art Wednesday - AG

I have another project to share today which also fits Allsorts' Stencils theme.

As we are celebrating America's 250th Birthday today, I decided to make an Artist Trading Card for this special Independence Day.

I love this eagle stamp from Tracy Evans set Fully Fledged (from her Aall and Create release) and thought it would be a perfect choice as the Bald Eagle is the national bird of the US. Then I used the star stencil Lotsa Stars also from Aall and Create on the background. Also used are Tracy Evans Boutique Design sets Alpha Florals (USA and little squares) and Numerical Cats for the number 250. I used a small circle punch to punch out the numbers then added to the fussy cut squares with glue dots. Inking and stenciling was done with Distress inks Fired Brick, Chipped Sapphire and Faded Jeans. I also used a stripes stencil but it's hard to see. 

The photo below was taken at the end of January at a dam on the Mississippi River about an hour from where I live. They gather at this dam to hunt for fish in winter when most of the river is frozen and it's always fun to see many of them. Perfect winter activity!

I am linking this ATC up here:

• Ally's Angels - AG
• A Perfect Time To Craft - AG
• Crafty Catz - AG
• Crafts Galore Encore - AG
• Creative Fingers - AG
• DL.Art Linky Challenge - AG
• Fab n' Funky - Beginning with B (Bird)
• If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - Inspiration photo

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stars and/or Stripes
• Tag-Along (and ATC's) - AG
• The Paper Funday - AG
• Triple B - Birds, Blooms or Butterflies
• We Love 2 Create - Anything Creative

Thanks so much for visiting and Happy Independence Day to my readers in the United States. 

Daisy Chain for Woodblock Wednesday

It's been a few months since I had a chance to join in at the Woodblock Wednesday challenge but I'm happy that it worked out this time 😊

A friend asked me if I could have her 10 year old daughter make a few cards with me for a summer "crafty thing to do" as she really loved the card I had sent for her birthday. So I thought up a design for this card that I hope she will like. This will be one of the cards she will make. And of course the "star tools" will be wood mounted rubber stamps as I think they are much more fun to use for a beginning stamper than unmounted stamps. Especially when they are as cute as the Penny Black critter stamps! She will also do some stenciling and die cutting, and a little bit of coloring. 

I started out with a homemade circles stencil where I had punched several sizes of circles out from an acetate sheet. I used Tea Dye Distress ink for the circles. Then I stamped Penny Black's Daisy Chain 1690K (retired and unfortunately hard to find) onto the circles using Versafine Onyx ink.  I thought the stenciled circles would be a good alternative to coloring up all the little mice (we're doing another card where more coloring is involved and she can always choose to color her mice more). 

The little bit of coloring here was done with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils and I added Stickles glitter to the flower centers. A pretty strip of patterned paper from The Paper Studio by Hobby Lobby was added at the top along with some jute twine. After this was done I thought it would have been nice to add a punched scallop border under the patterened paper but I had already stamped the sentiment and there wasn't any room. She will have to option to add one to her card as I think paper punches are another fun tool to use. 

Some of the links included are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no extra cost to you.

For an extra embellishment I added a die cut butterfly from Penny Black's die set Soaring and glitter was added to the center. I only added one butterfly to my card but she will have the option to add more to the card she will make. I used a corner rounder punch (old by Creative Memories) on both the card front and card base. Sentiment is from the clear Penny Black set Friendship, another oldie that I couldn't find a link to. I used Versafine Onyx ink but wish I had gone with a brown instead of black. I will let her choose a sentiment so she doesn't have to go with this one. And maybe she'll stamp hers in brown. 

Challenges I plan to share this card with:

• A Cut Above - Die Cut Challenge Blog - At least one die cut (butterfly die)
• C.R.A.F.T. - Cute
• Crafting Happiness Challenges - AG
• Crafty Animals - Animals
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Critter Crazy Challenges - AG
• Cupcake Inspirations - AG
• DL.Art Linky Challenge - AG
• FarmQuest General Store Challenge - Anything Farm or Country Goes (Country Mice)
• Make My Monday - Use a stencil (homemade circles stencil)
• Pearly Sparkles Challenge - This Makes Me Smile (Cute Penny Black Stamps)
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge - PB stamps/ opt. patterned papers
• Send a Smile for Kids - Summer Fun Cards for Kids (I think making daisy chains is a fun summer activity for kids)
• Simply CAS - AG CAS
• Sweet Stampin - Anything But Birthday
• The Paper Funday - AG
• We Love Stamping - Sports and hobbies (I think these mice are enjoying a day crafting with flowers)
• Woodblock Wednesday Challenge - AG with Woodblock Stamps

Happy Thoughts for Four Seasons May Challenge

Hello everyone, I just got back from a 2 week blogging break. The last few posts had all been scheduled as I was in Europe visiting with my family and friends, and I also decided to spend a few days in Northern Italy before taking a train to Germany (we flew into Milan this time instead of Munich so Italy was the first part of our trip.) It's been a wonderful time. When I get around it I'll share a few pictures. I will try to catch up with commenting this coming week and get back to normal life.

May has arrived and that means it's the start of a new Four Seasons challenge where we have another fun Spring Mood Board to inspire you. It's a seasonal Anything Goes challenge, so the mood board is optional and we'd love to see all your spring themed creations (up to 3 entries per participant). 

My inspiration came from the bottom left image of flowers inside a vase and I tried to follow the color scheme of that image too, but my butterflies didn't show up as yellow as I want them to be (adding glitter to them didn't help!)

The stamp I used is from the Penny Black clear set Sunny Wishes. Stamped with Versafine Onyx and colored wiht Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. I masked off the edge and inked the image panel. Then used a Tim Holtz stencil for a design on the background. Sentiment is from the Penny Black set ... A few black Posca pen spots flicked onto the card finish it off.

Thanks so much for visiting and hope to see you at the Four Seasons challenge blog!

Shaped Cards at Allsorts Challenge

Happy Saturday, it's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and Christine selected the fun (optional) theme of "Shaped Cards/Anything But Square or Rectangle". A bit of a challenge for me as a practically never make anything but rectangle or square cards but I had fun finding something a bit different to make and it wasn't complicated at all.

I followed a flowerpot pocket card tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers (you can find a link at the end of this post) just used different supplies. I used the set Dainty Daisies and matching dies from Penny Black. They were stamped with Memento Tuxedo ink and colored with Copic markers. The patterned paper is from my stash and I have no idea what brand it is. Some of my papers are over 20 years old and it's hard to remember what brand they all are. The tiny sentiment on the front of the flower pot is from My Favorite Things (retired). The butterfly was done with Penny Black's die set Soaring. I used an old scalloped edge punch for the flowerpot, added another strip of matching patterned paper and some twine to hold the pocket together. I used glue dots and foam tape to add dimension to the flowers. 

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!

On the tag inside the pocket I used an old Penny Black set Friendship. I thought this sentiment worked really well for the floral design. Sticky enamel dots finish off the card.

If you would like to make your own flowerpot pocket card, then you can find the easy- to- follow tutorial here at Splitcoast Stampers by Stephanie.

I scheduled this post ahead of time as I  currently don't have access to my computer, but as soon as I do I plan to share with these challenges:

• Beautiful Blossoms - AG with Flowers
• Penny Black Saturday - use PB Stamps
• The Paper Funday - AG

Thanks so much for visiting!

Purple Delights at the Four Seasons Challenge

Hello everyone, it's a new month and that means the start of a new The Four Seasons challenge. It's all about Spring so come join us with your Spring themed creations. If you need a starting point then check out our wonderful moodboard for your inspiration. As always, the use of the mood board is totally optional as Anything Spring Goes.

Here is what I made following the overall color scheme of the mood board and the small blossoms on the top right. 

I was happy to use another one of my woodblock stamps for today's card. They get overlooked so easily because I keep them separate from my cling and clear stamps. This is a stamp by Penny Black Scented Message 4293K. 

After coloring the image using my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils I used a rectangle stencil/mask by My Favorite Things (no longer in business) for a purple border around the image, then I used the Plaid stencil set by Lawn Fawn to add a pattern to that border. Inks used for stenciling are Dusty Concord and Villainous Potion Distress inks/oxides. A white gel pen was used to add tiny dots around the flower centers.

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!

A tiny white silk bow finishes off the card along with a white card base.

I plan to share the card with these challenges:

• A Perfect Time To Craft - AG
• Beautiful Blossoms - Blossoms
• Classic Design Challenge - AG
• Crafting from the Art Challenge - AG
• Crafts Galore Encore - AG
• Creatalicious Challenges - AG
• Creative Moments - Blooms or Bunnies
• DL.Art Linky Challenge - AG
• Fab n' Funky - Spring or Easter
• Just Us Girls - Stencils
• Kleuren Met Potloden - AG with Colored Pencils
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge - PB stamps
• The Creative Crafters - AG
• The Paper Funday - AG
• We Love 2 Create - Anything Creative
• Word Art Wednesday - AG

The challenge runs until April 25th and I hope to see you there!

It's Springtime at Allsorts Challenge

It's time already for a new theme at Allsorts challenge and this time Brenda is hosting. For her optional theme she chose It's Springtime and of course the Anything Goes option is there too and we love to see those too along with your spring creations. We have a prize from  Buddly Crafts - two gorgeous stamps by Penny Black.

For my project I decided to make a little Easter ATC so I could join in the current The Little Things challenge (linked below)

.

I used a stamp from Penny Black called Spring Parade 1929K. I was hoping to link it to Buddly Crafts but it's an older wood mounted stamp and no longer in stock. They do have a great assortment of Penny Black stamps (and many others) for those of you in the UK, I hope you'll check them out!

This is a large stamp featuring 5 chicks but I masked them off and only used the two holding flowers. I stamped with Versafine Onyx and colored with Derwent Inktense pencils. The chickenwire stamp is an oldie from Whimsy Stamps stamped using Versafine Clair ink (Portobello). Then on two of the corners I used a stamp by Lavinia (Texture 2) and Versafine Onyx ink.

"Happy Easter" is from a set by Stampin Up recently found at a thrift store. It includes lots of little sentiments like this for all kinds of occasions. 

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 covered the chicks with scraps and then used a black posca pen for a little splatter on the background. After this was dry I inked the edges using Twisted Citron Distress ink.

 

I'm entering my ATC here:

• Ally's Angels - AG
• Crafting from the Art Challenge - AG
• Crafty Calendar - Spring
• Crafty Catz - AG
• DL.ART Thankful Thursday - Spring
• Double Trouble Challenge - 3,2,1 (3 colors from wheel, 2 images, 1 sentiment)
• FarmQuest General Store Challenge - Anything Farm or Country 
• Neglected Stuff Challenge - The "spring parade stamp". I don't think I have ever used it until now!
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge - PB stamps
• Sweet Stampin - Spring or Easter
• The Creative Crafters - AG
• The Little Things - Easter
• The Paper Funday - Feathers or Fur
• Try It On Tuesday - Spring

Thanks so much for visiting, have a wonderful weekend!