Allsorts Challenge 523: Fantasy World

This week at Allsorts challenge it's my turn to host and I picked the theme of "Fantasy World". I'd love for you to join us .... we have a beautiful stamp set from Crafty Devils to give away this week.

I knew I wanted to use Lavinia stamps for my "Fantasy" card. It's never easy for me to decide what colors to choose but I decided to go with some purples, orange, pink and blue Distress Inks/Oxides and randomly inked up the background with an ink blending tool. I used a circle die cut to mask the moon. The florals on the background were done with Penny Black sets Sprigs and Butterfly Garden. Stamped words are from a retired set by Whimsy Stamps and I used one of Tim Holtz's stencil to add a design to the background. The mushrooms and fairies from Lavinia stamps were stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturn ink. Sentiment is from the Penny Black set Snippets. 

Related Products:

I used a glitter pen to add some sparkles to the fairy wings and flower.

Lavinia Stamps // Penny Black Snippets // Penny Black Sprigs // Penny Black Butterfly Garden // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Distress Inks: Seedless Preserves // Victorian Velvet // Spiced Marmalade // Blueprint Sketch // Ink Blending Tool // Tonic Stamp Platform // Tim Holtz Stencil // Stampin Up White Craft Ink 

I'm sharing with these challenges:

Lavinia World Challenges - Stamping // Double Trouble - Stencil // Shopping Our Stash - Stencils (13) // Stinkin' Inkers - Colorful World // Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes // The Fairy and the Unicorn - Magical // Stamping Sensations - Show your True Colors //  House That Stamps Built - Things with Wings // Moo-Mania & More - Wings // A Place To Start - Stencils //

Thanks so much for visiting! Hope you have a great weekend filled with lots of sunshine! 

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 - June/July Challenge

Hello and Welcome to Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - June/July challenge! As you may  have guessed from the title of this post, this challenge will run for two months. I have family visiting later this month and into July so it will be a busy (but definitely fun) month for me. My initial thought was to skip this month and return in July, but as I still have some time now I decided to run this theme for two months, as some other challenges do to cover the busy Summertime. This means I will select two winners at the end of July, so I hope you will join in! Also, usually I ask for no more than 3 entries, but since this time it's a two -months challenge, you may enter as many times as you wish, as long as it is a new creation.

June/July Themes

Summer Scenes, Summer Treats or Summer Colors

Choose one theme or combine the themes as you wish! I can't wait to see your Summer creations!

If you are regular reader of my blog, then you will have seen this card I recently shared using the stamp set Summer by the Sea. As mentioned then, I made another card with the same stamp set and created another scene. This is a retired stamp set, but it's usually found on ebay. 

I paired it again with the Hero Arts stamp sets Color Layering Waves and Color Layering Sea and Sky. Such great sets to create scenes with! Speaking of Hero Arts, did you see the  Hero Arts - June My Monthy Hero kit that was just released on Monday? It's a fun Jungle themed set perfect for Summer themed cards! You can click the snippet below to see what the kit looks like.

I started by stamping the beautiful girl using  Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink on watercolor paper and colored her with Zig Clean Color markers. I stamped her again on a post it note, fussy cut to use as a mask. As on my previous card with these sets, I placed a strip of painters tape to mask off the sky portion, then inked the sea with Hero Arts Blue Water Reative ink from one of their previous Monthly Hero stamp kits. Waves were done with a stamp from the Color Layering Waves set usingthe same ink. Silhouette boat, clouds, birds and sentiment are both from the set Color Layering Sea and Sky and the sandy texure is an oldie from Stampin Up - Itty Bitty Backgrounds. Sky was inked with  Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide. The clouds were stamped with  Pumice Stone Distress Oxide and the birds were stamped with Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide.  

Hero Arts Color Layering Waves // Hero Arts Color Layering Sea and Sand // 

  Zig Clean Color Markers  // Pumice Stone Distress Oxide // Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink 

Stampin Up Summer By the Sea // Stampin Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds (both retired - but most likely availabe on ebay or etsy)

Below is a picture of both card I made with these sets. 

You can read more about the boy card here. I do love how these turned out and had soooo much fun creating them both!

Sharing my card with these challenges:

Paper Minutes - Children // Artistic Stampers - By the Seaside // Send a Smile for Kids - Cards for Teens or Kids // Always Fun Challenges - Summer Fun // Colouring in Scrapland - Watercolors // Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes // Get Creative Challenges - Anything Goes // Use Your Stuff  - Summer Fun // The Corrosive Challenges - Anything Goes // 2 Sisters On The Blog - Things with Wings // Creatalicious Challenges - Use Blue // Creative Craft Cottage Challenges - Use Ink // Catch The Bug - Anything Goes // Sweet Stampin - Oceans of Fun 

Related Products:

June/July prize:

I am continuing offering a gift certificate of $6 to one of these digistamp companies (winner's choice): Mo's Digital Pencil, Bugaboo Stamps or Tiddly Inks. Please note, the companies are not affiliated with this prize offer, the prize is sponsored by me and gift certificate will be purchased by me once the winner has made contact. 

Since this challenge runs for two months, I will select two winners from all eligible entries, each one receiving a $6 Gift Certificate to one of the digi shops mentioned above.

Last Month's Winner and Top Pick

As always, due to the GDPR no winner or top pick links or photos will be posted for privacy protection. But last month's linky tool is still available here where you can see the winner's / top pick's wonderful creations.

It was a great month and I had so much fun visiting your entries. Lots of beauties following the feminine or add a sentiment theme, but there can only be one winner...

Aunty Sue

Congratulations!! You won a $6 Gift Certificate to either Mo's Digital Pencil, Tiddly Inks or Bugaboo Stamps. Be sure to message me at 

ellibellescorner at gmail dot com with your choice of digi shop by June 15th to claim your prize. If you do not hear from me within 24 hours of messaging me, please do double check that you have sent to the correct email address and leave me a comment on this post. 

There were so many wonderful entries and selecting favorites is never easy. But I did manage and here they are listed in order of entry:

  

No. 36 Margreet

No. 55 Lynne

No. 69 Stempelfrieda

Well done all! Your top pick logo is below, feel free to post it to your own blogs if you like to.

So now it's time for you to share your Summer Scene, Summer Treats or Summer Colors creations! Can't wait to see what you come up with this time! Simply use the linky tool below. You have until July 31st to join in.

A few things to remember:

Three entries total per month please.
This time you may enter as many times as  you like as long as it's a new entry.

Your blog post must inlclude a link back to my blog.

Your entry must follow the challenge theme!

You may combine with any other challenges.

May use any brand of stamps and products.

Also 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!

Friendships Grow // Flashback Friday

Last Friday I posted a card made with some really old stamps and titled the post "Flashback Friday". I thought it would be fun to try inking up some of my very rarely (or never!) used older stamps and post those creations on Fridays. I have no idea how often I will have the time to do these "Flashback Friday" posts, but that's ok as they are just for fun.

I did find some more time to play this week using an old stamp set from Stampin Up - Friendships Grow. I don't know about you, but I love the old Stampin Up sets. Back then when they were current many of the sets were out of my price range, and I actually found this set at Goodwill for just $2.00 a few years ago. But sadly, I have not inked it up until now. 

To make my card I stamped the image with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink on Bristol Vellum paper. Zig Clean Color markers and a Zig Detailer waterbrush were used for coloring. I wanted to make a little scene with the image, so I inked up just the flowers from this stamp and masked off the girls with post it notes and stamped the flowers on each side of the girls. Next I stamped the image on a post it note, did some quick and simple fussy cutting to place this over my colored image, and then I stamped a line of trees in the background. This is another old stamp I purchased online a few years ago -  by PSX F1550.

Related Products

I used Distress Oxide ink Iced Spruce to stamp the trees with. The birds are from a little more recent set (but still a couple of years old) set by Penny Black - Spread Cheer. It's actually a stamp with lots of birds, but I masked off all but two to use on my card, stamped with Pumice Stone Distress Oxide ink.

The sentiment is part of the Stampin Up stamp set. I used Versafine Clair Nocturne ink again for stamping. The edges were all distressed.  I used some retired designer paper to mat the image panel. The card base is Hero Arts Dove White 100lb card stock.As you can see I tied a bow with some sheer ribbon, another item I use so rarely, but I thought it fit the image style so well. 

Stampin Up Friendships Grow // PSX F1550 (both retired but are probably available on ebay or etsy) // Penny Black Spread Cheer // Versafine Clair Nocturne // Distress Oxide Iced Spruce and Distress Oxide Pumice Stone // Strathmore Bristol Vellum // Hero Arts Dove White 100lb Cardstock // SU Retired Designer Paper // Zig Clean Color Markers // Zig Detailer Waterbrush

I am also sharing with these challenges:

Stamplorations Challenge - Stamps and Watercolors (I used Zig Clean Color Watercolors)

Stinkin' Inkers - Trees // Double D Challenges - Beautiful Watercolors // As You Like It Challenge  - Favorite Coloring Medium (Love my Zig Clean Color markers, because I find them quick and easy to use and love the watercolor look) // Cardz 4 Galz - Flora or Fauna (I really do love both) // Art Impressions Stamp Challenge - Outdoor Scenes // Moo-Mania & More - Polka Dots // Pattie's Creations - Flowers // Craft-Dee BowZ - Bows // Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Pattern Paper

Anything Goes:

Cute Card Thursday // Crafting With An Attitude // Imagine That Creative Playground // Crafting By Designs // Crafty Creations // Creative Moments // The Crafty Addicts // Through The Craft Room Door *//

Thank you so much for stopping by today and your interest in my "Oldies but Goodies" creations. Hope I can inspire you to dust off some of your old stamps too 😃

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

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - March Challenge Reminder

Happy Wednesday! Today I am sharing another card I made for my Crafty Wednesday Challenge here in my blog where the themes are:

 "Think Spring" or "Add Some Green"
(or a comination of the two!) 

If you are here to join in, the linky tool can be found at the end of this post. 

Last Saturday it's been raining all day long, and I decided to get out some of my Lavinia stamps. I really wanted to make a canvas print inspired by Brenda's beautiful Allsorts challenge creation, but that didn't turn out as I had planned, so I made this instead using Bristol Vellum as a base.

All stamps I used on this creation are from Lavinia Stamps. 

All colored inks are Distress Inks or Distress Oxides.

Black ink is Versafine Clair Nocturne. 

I did some masking and inking here using distress inks and oxides. For the sky I used Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, Seedless Preserves and Blueprint Sketch distress inks/oxides (in that order). The grass area was done with Bundled Sage distress oxide. All background stamping was done with Iced Spruce distress oxide. The black silhouettes were stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink. I don't really like how the distress oxide ink shows through the Versafine clair ink, may need to try stamping the silhouettes with black distress oxide ink, but I don't have that ink pad yet .... Heat embossing really only works if I stamp the fairy first but somehow I always start these card with the background because I don't usually know where I want the silhouettes until the background is done. Any advise is always welcome!!

I  have edited my post to add: some of you may have already seen this, but if not - Scrapbook.com is offering THIS FREE STAMP SET to anyone using coupon code FREE3762 at checkout. This will take the $10.00 price to $0.00. Promo shipping of $2.24 does apply, this is within the US, I am not sure what the promo shipping cost would be outside the US. (Be sure to click on "change shipping" at checkout to select the Promo shipping.) This offer is still valid today 3/13 but I have no idea when it ends. (I just ordered mine!) This is what the set looks like:

I am also entering my card with these challenges:
Make My Monday - Somehting New - I used new to me stamps // Simon Says Stamp Monday - Girly/Feminine // Catch The Bug - Make a Scene // The Fairy and The Unicorn - something Magical // Mix It Up Challenge - Inked Backgrounds // Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Make it Girly
Anything Goes Themes:
Dare 2B Artzy Challenges // Lemon Shortbread // Through The Craft Room Door // Artistic Inspirations // Crafting from the Heart // Get Creative Challenges  // Path of Positivity // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends // Crafter's Castle // The Corrosive Challenges
Crafting-With-Friends // QKR Stampede

If you would like to join in this month's Crafty Wednesday challenge, or if you'd like to enter a 2nd or 3rd creation, simply use the linky tool below. As a reminder, this month's prize is a $6 gift certificate to Tiddly Inks or Bugaboo (winner's choice), sponsored by me.

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!

Cowboy Adventures and New Hero Arts March Kit Release

Hello and happy Monday! I don't usually have three days of posts in a row, but last Friday I had some extra time and decided to make a card with the other stamp set I ordered from Hero Arts. Also, today Hero Arts is releasing their new monthly kit and you can see what it looks like at the end of this post.

I ordered this set (Cowboy Adventure) because I thought it would be great for masculine cards, and I really don't have many masculine stamps, although I do have a couple older single cowboy stamps, and this set is great for stamping scenes which I really want to get better at.

Hero Arts Cowboy Adventure

Distress Inks & Oxide: 

  Anique Linen // Victorian Velvet // Seedless Preserves // Faded Jeans // Bundled Sage // Vintage Photo  

Versafine Clair Ink Nocturne

Ranger Ink Blending Tool

Tonic Stamp Platform

I started out by covering the bottom 3rd of my card stockwith a post-it note, then using distress inks/oxides I inked up the rest of the card, starting with  Anique Linen ink, then Victorian Velvet ink. Next I started at the other end with Faded Jeans ink and following with Seedless Preserves ink until it met with the Victorian Velvet ink. I added more of the same colors over each color to blend. Next I removed the post it note and added Bundled Sage Oxide in to the bottom portion and used a torn post it note for some masking with more  bundled sage ink and an ink applicator tool. I decided everything was a little too bright, so I went over the whole card with Vintage Photo   distress ink and a blending tool, to deepen the colors. Next I stamped the plants, cowboy and dog and the horizontal line that is part of the set. The small dots you can see on parts of the image panel were done with Stampin Up's retired set Itty Bitty Backgrounds (can most likely be found on ebay). Sentiment is part of the set, stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink onto white card stock. I added some hemp twine and brad and layered the inked panel onto some pattern paper from my scraps.

The stamp set is also available as a combo with matching dies - Cowboy Adventures and Die Set, but I got the set without the dies.

Challenges I am sharing with:
The Male Room - Masculine
Make My Monday - something new (stamp set is brand new to me)
Alphabet Challenge - Twine
Brown Sugar - Transportation
Addicted to Stamps - Anything But a Square
Di's Digis Designs - Include an Animal
Crafteezee - Vintage
Crafty Animals - Animals
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Pattern Papers
Mix It Up Challenge - Inked Backgrounds
Sparkles Forum Challenges - Animals
Crafting By Designs - Silhouettes

Anything Goes themes:
Simon Says Wednesday // Dare 2B Artzy Challenges // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends // The Corrosive Challenges // We Love 2 Create // A Gem of a Challenge // Catch The Bug // A Bit More Time to Craft // A Perfect Time To Craft // Crafts Galore Encore // Creatalicious Challenges // Happy Craft Challenge // Love to Craft // Not Just Cards // The Creative Crafters // Crafting-With-Friends // Creative Fingers // Crafting With An Attitude // Crafty Creations // Creative Moments // The Crafty Addicts // Word Art Wednesdays 

As I mentioned above, today Hero Arts is also releasing their March My Monthly Hero kit. I am a kit subscriber so my kit will be shipped automatically, but it can now also be ordered from the Hero Arts site.

Here is what this month's kit looks like:


The large aquarium die looks like so much fun! I might actually try making a shaker card with it (I've only made a couple of those, many many years ago following a technique challenge on splitcoast when I filled it with chunky glitter and the other one with sand.

You can purchase a kit here if you are interested. And remember, Hero Arts does ship free within the United States with a $50 or more order.
Some wonderful Add-ons  have been released as well, you can actually purchase all Add-ons (not including the kit) in a set at a reduced price of $215.00. (Not in my budget unfortunately!) But of course they can also be purchased separately here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!! Hope it's a great one. Super cold and windy here today but at least there is plenty of sunshine!


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. All products used in today's post have been purchased by me at full retail cost and all opinions are my own.

Allsorts 509: Seasons - What's Your Favorite?

Hello and welcome! Happy March!! It's almost time now for flowers to start peeking out of the ground! I am so ready!! But for now it's still too cold and we might be getting more snow later this coming week....

Today is the start of a new theme at Allsorts challenge, it's Tracy's turn to host and she picked the theme of "Four Seasons - What's Your Favorite?".

Not that I enjoy spring showers, but Spring is my favorite season, I love all the early spring flowers, my favorites being Daffodils and Snowdrops. Spring in Illinois doesn't seem to last very long, it turns into Summer quickly, so that is my second favorite season - love the longer days and all the Summer flowers but hate the mosquitos which unfortunately are always a big part of our Summers.

To make my card I used the newer stamp In Paris by Penny Back along with some Distress Oxides and inks.

I used Cracked Pistachio and Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide inks to created the inky background.  Using my stamp platform I next stamped the image  In Paris onto the inked background with Versafine Claire Nocturne ink. The sentiment is from the older Penny Black set Enjoy Life and I used the Classy Stripes stencil by Altenew to ink up a striped pattern with black ink. I finished off the card with a little prima flower and brad, matted onto some pattern papers from my stash and then onto a white Neenah 110 lb card base.

Oh, and the script I stamped in pink is Stampin Up's French Script. This background stamp is long retired but I've seen it on ebay.

Penny Black In Paris // Penny Black Enjoy Life (Sentiment) // Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide // Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide // Spun Sugar Distress Ink // Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink // Altenew Stencil Classy Stripes // Stamp Platform // 

Paper Flower and Brad // Stampin Up French Script Background - retired

I am sharing my card with these challenges:

Paper Minutes - Weekly- Spring Signs

Little Red Wagon - Something You Love (I love this color combo and Paris Themes)

Mod Squad Challenge - Stripes

Always Fun Challenges - Travel

Addicted to Stamps - Anything But a Square

Inkspirational  - Use Your Stash (old Designer Paper, Old Background Stamp, Old Paper Flower and Brad)

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - use Penny Black stamps

and Anything Goes themes here:

Simon Says Wednesday 

Crafty Sentiment Designs 

Lemon Shortbread

Artistic Inspirations

Whoopsi Daisy Challenges 

This past Thursday I was excited to receive my Hero Arts order from their new catalog, I didn't place a big order just enough to earn free shipping, but I really wanted to get these seaside themed stamps and a super cute set with stamps for the back of cards. I added this cowboy set from an older release (which will come in handy for masculine cards) to reach the $50. Not that I didn't want to get more, but this already exceeded my crafting budget this month.

So I decided to make another card for the Allsorts challenge theme, this time it represents Summer, which I almost like as much as spring. 

I used two Hero Arts stamp sets to create this card. If the stamps look familiar to you, it's because they were part of the June 2018 monthly stamp kit, which was voted as #1 favorite past kit, so Hero Arts re-released the stamps with their catalog last month. (The kit itself had sold out very fast last June and I wasn't a subscriber back then so missed out on the complete kit). The waves and clouds are "2 and 3 -step" stamps, then there are some sentiments included and some silhouettes like this mermaid. And how cute are those sandy footprints??!!

Unfortunately the "Layering Waves" set is currently out of stock. The Layering Sea set is currently still available (as I type this), and this set includes the clouds, sea silhouette images including the cute footprints. I used distress inks Broken China and  Stormy Sky  to ink up the waves, then added a post it note over the waves and inked up the sky with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide. Next I stamped the rock using Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink and the Mermaid and birds using Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink. The two step clouds were first stamped with Pumice Stone oxide ink then  Hickory Smoke oxide ink for the second layer. The bottom portion was inked with Pumice Stone ink and I stamped the sentiment which is part of the Layering Waves set and the footprints with Pumice Stone ink as well. The beach ball was stamped using Candied Apple Distress Oxide. (By the way, I wish I had all these inks in Distress Oxide formula, but didn't, so I had to use some regular distress inks (which are great inks for all things watercolor-y but not so great for solid stamping.) Versafine Clairs would have been a great option too, but only have one ink pad in black (nocturn) from the Versafine Clair line of stamps.)

I also ordered this cute set of Signature Greetings  for the back of the cards. It's only $7.99 and looks like it is back in stock now as I type this.

Hero Arts Layering Sea and Sky // Hero Arts Layering Waves // Hero Greetings (for back of card) //  Broken China Distress Ink // Stormy Sky Distress Ink // Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide // Pumice Stone Distress Oxide // Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide // Candied Apple Distress Oxide // Versafine Claire Nocturne Ink // Tonic Stamp Platform 

Sharing this card with these challenges:

Sisterhood of Crafters - 2nd/4th Wed., 3entries - Use Red (red beach ball)

Alphabet Challenge - Y is for Yarn,  String or Twine

Crafting By Designs - Silhouettes

Ike's World - B for Blue

Use Your Stuff - Do You Believe in Magic

Anything Goes themes here:

Crafting-With-Friends 

Crafty Catz 

Creative Fingers

QKR Stampede 

Crafting With An Attitude 

Crafty Creations 

Creative Moments

Word Art Wednesdays

The Crafty Addicts  

Through The Craft Room Door

Crafting from the Heart

Get Creative Challenges

Path of Positivity

The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge

Thanks so much for visiting today! Hope to see you over at Allsorts with your "4 Seasons - choose one" creation. We have a great prize to give away again (see photo below). 

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. All products used in today's post have been purchased by me at full retail cost and all opinions are my own.