February Card Chain Challenge Reveal Day

If you are visiting for Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge, please click here.

Hello again, I am back with another post today, as it's time for the February Card Chain Challenge reveal and I joined again :)

As always, we were given a variety of themes, sketch, colors, techniques to choose from. And we have to choose at least one option. I went with the theme option of "Mushrooms". 

This time my card went to Suze in New Zealand. Shipping to and from New Zealand/ USA has been delayed over the last several months so I don't think it arrived yet, but hopefully soon! 

This is what I made:

This cute hedgehog stamp was a recent purchase so this was my first time using it. I colored with distress inks and fussy cut.

The background scene has been made with distress inks and Lavinia's Fern Leaf stamp. The hedgehog stamp is bit autumnal with the included leaves. My first thought was to leave them off as I don't usually make fall themed cards this time of the year, but then remembered my recipient lives in the Southern Hemisphere so an autumnal card is perfect I think. 

I used Avery Elle's Wonky Stitches die for some faux stitching along with one my favorite retired stamps - Whimsy's script border - on the bottom portion which you have seen me use often if you are a regular blog reader.

The sentiment is from Penny Black's set Sweet Wishes stamped onto a white die cut half circle using Versafine Onyx ink. 

I finished off the card by adding  a few branches I cut with Penny Black's Berry Branch die. 

Below is the gorgeous card I received from Greta in Oregon. I just love the oval shaped card with the beautiful silver embossing and silver card layer! So pretty and elegant! Thank you, Greta!

And I am so happy to say I have now received the January card which came from Suze in New Zealand. (Yes, the same Suze my February card went to :)  With the shipping delays between the two countries it took some time and it arrived on the same day as Greta's so I snapped a picture of it too.

I just love the way she used all these pretty papers for the "scraps" theme of January to create this gorgeous patchwork type background. then embossed the background with an embossing folder which was another challenge theme. I don't think I ever embossed pattern papers but must try it soon as it's gorgeous and so unexpected with the embossed texture! Thank you, Suze!

Still a few more days to sign up for the March Card Chain Challenge if you are interested. CCC is a worldwide handmade card exchange, that means participants will make one card following at least one of the challenge options then mailing this card to the person who linked up before you. And you will receive a card from the person who signs up after you. All details can be found on the CCC blog linked above. 

Thanks so much for visiting!

This post may include 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 supporting this blog!

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - March Challenge: Spring is in the Air

Hello and welcome to Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - March challenge taking place right here on my blog! I'm so glad you stopped by to check out the new theme and hopefully you'll join in too! There were many lovely entries last month and I thank you all for playing along and sharing your crafty makes. Be sure to scroll down to see if you were one of my top picks! 

This month's theme:

After a long (way too long!!) winter I think those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are all ready for spring, so for this month I selected the theme of....................

Spring is in the air

As always the theme is for your inspiration (optional) and you may link up any of your crafty makes. This doesn't have to be a card, it can be anything creative as long as it's handmade by you! You can find the linky tool at the end of the post.

And here is what I made using some of my older stamps. 

Penny Black Woodland Friends // Stampin Up Feathered Hope // Penny Black Hypnotic Stencil

This post may include 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 supporting this blog!

I stamped the image on Bristol Vellum and fussy cut. The birds and flowers were stamped, colored and fussy cut again separately. 

Penny Black's Hypnotic stencil was used on the card front (also Bristol Vellum paper) with Blueprint Sketch ink. I used these blending brushes for a soft stencil design.

I did stamp the image again directly onto the card so I wouldn't have to fussy cut the birds' legs and tail feathers and then adhered my fussy cut image over this, birds and flowers with foam tape to make them pop up. 

The sentiment is a real oldie from Stampin Up called Feathered Hope but one I will never part with as I find it so inspirational and hopeful.

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I added some loose glitter over Tombow Mono Aqua glue to the flower centers and hearts, and then some white silk ribbon on top. A little inking around the edges before adhering to the card base finishes off the card.

You may have guessed that the current situation in Europe has been heavily on my mind recently.... 

I am sharing my card here:

Four Seasons Challenge - Spring // Paper Minutes - Spring // Cupcake Inspirations - AG // Double Trouble Challenges - Spring // Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stencil // A Gem of a Challenge - AG // Critter Crazy Challenges - AG // Clever Dexter Challenge - Hello Spring // Colour Crazy Challenge - Coloring // Crafty Catz - AG // The Crafting Challenge - Spring is here

Always Anything Goes:

Taylor Made Cards 4 U // 613 Avenue Create opt. twist watercolor // Creative Moments // Through The Craft Room Door // The Corrosive Challenges // A Bit More Time to Craft // A Perfect Time To Craft // Classic Design  Challenge * // Crafts Galore Encore // DL.Art Linky Challenge // Love to Craft // QKR Stampede // The Creative Crafters // World Wide Open Design Team Challenge // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends // 

Link Parties:

Dare to Share //  Inspire Me Monday //  Link Up Potpourri //  Random-osity Good, Random, Fun // You're The Star Blog Hop Link Party @Stonecottage Adventures // Anything Goes with Your Hosts @ My Random Musings // Jenerally Informed The Happy Now // Spread the Kindness Linkup @ Shelbee on the Edge //  Thursday Favorite Things // Little Things Thursday // Encouraging Heart and Home @ Slices of Life // 

 Last month's top picks

I will continue to add my favorites to the dedicated Pinterest board, but going forward I will once again showcase the top pick's creations with links to their individual blogs, which will be removed at the start of each new month's challenge to remain in compliance with GDPR.

Selecting just three is never easy but something that needs to be done and here they are from last month's theme of Hearts or Flowers. They are listed in order of entry.

No. 50 Pauline

No. 54 Jan

No. 71 Rainey's Craft

Congratulations!! Well deserved recognition. Your Top Pick logo is below, feel free to post it to your own blogs if you like to :)

Can't wait to see what you will share this month!

A few things to remember:

• You may follow the theme or anything crafty goes.

• You may combine with any other challenges.

• You may use any brand of stamps/digis/products (no company restriction).
• No more than 3 entries per person please - no worries if you end up with more.
• Please do include a link back here to my blog in your blog post.
• Backlinking IS allowed.

My Recent Amazon Purchases

In January was my first time joining in with some other blogger's "Recent Amazon Purchases" linkup, but as I mentioned it would be more of an "every other month" occurrence for me as I don't think I buy enough to warrant a monthly post. 

So here is what I purchased over the last 2 months.

Lodge 5qt Cast Iron Dutch Oven

I've been wanting to try a No Knead bread for quite some time. The blogger who shared the recipe has one of those expensive Le Creuset pots which is non-stick. Well, after doing some research I decided to  try a traditional Cast Iron Dutch oven (for a fraction of the cost of the Le Creuset pot) and I love it! It may need a little extra care but not really that much. I know it says it's pre-seasoned, but after doing some research I seasoned it again after receiving by rubbing it with cooking oil and then placing into a hot oven (450 F) for one hour. I don't use soap when washing it, only hot water and if needed I use some coarse salt. I dry it immediately and then use a paper towel to rub with oil after each use. (In case you are wondering, no you don't need to place in the oven after rubbing it with oil each time, only the very first time I've done that.) 

BTW: this is the recipe I am using. And I have been making this bread at least weekly but more often twice a week and loving it! I always use parchment paper to form the bread on and then use it to lift into the dutch oven, so it doesn't really get dirty and  the bread never gets stuck, so I don't really see the need for a non- stick dutch oven. 

Block Heel Sandals

Idifu Block Heel Sandals // Dream Pairs Square Toe Sandals // 

Naturalizer Tiff Sandals Wide // Dream Pairs Chunky Heel

My daughter needed sandals for a school Valentines dance and of course she outgrew what she had before and so we had to go on a hunt. Nothing to be found anywhere in town (she has big and wide feet so not easy to shop for) so Amazon came to the rescue. I felt so silly but I ordered 4 different styles in 2 different sizes and one style also in a different color but luckily my husband helped with the returns.

Most of these were too narrow for her wide foot, but the Idifu Sandals was what she kept. Her favorite pair (and mine) would have been the Naturalizer Tiff, but on our first order we didn't see they came in a wide widths. I did find them afterwards and ordered, but sadly that size wasn't delivered until the following Monday (due to weather) so too late to wear to the dance. They did fit beautifully though and looked gorgeous but they had to go back as she had already worn the other pair and couldn't return those :(

D'Arbo Elderflower Syrup (for homemade flavored soda using my Sodastream)

This stuff is expensive because it's imported. My brother used to bring me some of this syrup from Europe when he came to visit, but it's been way too long since he was able to come and he found this online for me at Amazon. So delicious! All I have to do is add 2 tablespoonful of the syrup to a glass then pour carbonated water over and mix when I want a flavored drink as an occasional treat.

RTIC Stainless Steel 30oz Tumbler

Another blogger has recommended this large tumbler to help her with drinking more water. If there is anything I'd like to change about my habits, it's drinking more water throughout the day, so I decided to order. It comes in tons of colors, but I went the "cheap" route and purchased the stainless steel color. It is several dollars cheaper than the colored versions. This tumbler keeps my water cold all day long and it also will keep tea or coffee hot all day long. So far I've only used it for plain water and I do think it's been helping me increase my water intake. I carry it with me constantly and even though it's large, it does fit into the car's cup holder. 

Bristol Vellum Paper

I ran low on my "go-to" paper/card stock for my handmade greeting cards. I use this for most of my card fronts when using distress inks, watercolors or colored pencils (unless I'm using a digital image - it is too thick for my printer.) 

Lavazza Rossa 3 Pack Coffee

Currently my favorite coffee. Can't find it anywhere locally and has to be ordered. 

Amazon Essentials 4 Pack Camisoles

In the colder months I always layer a plain camisole under my sweaters/shirts and needed a refresh. But for some reason I am unable to find any basic camis like these, either they have a weird cut, come with build in bra or are waaayyy too long, so  went looking on Amazon.  I had high hopes for these but unfortunately are too tight for me in the bust area so I need to exchange them for a larger size. Otherwise the material feels really soft and is made of 95% cotton. 

Brita Tap Water Complete Faucet Filter System

I've been using a Brita filter system for many years now and usually just need to purchase the replacement filters, but this time I had to replace the whole system as the old one had a crack in it :(

Digital Downloads to complete my Phillipa Carr Daughters of England Series

A Time for Silence Book 17

The Gossamer Cord Book 18

We'll Meet Again Book 19

That was it, I think. My favorite and most useful purchase was definitely the Lodge Dutch Oven. 

Thanks so much for visiting!

This post may include 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 supporting this blog!

I'm linking up here:

The Other Side of the Road

Random-osity Good, Random, Fun // Thursday Favorite Things // Shelbee on the Edge Linkup // Sunday Showcase (first Sunday) with Ada and Mireille
 

 

Flowers Are the Music of the Earth

Hello and welcome! It's Saturday again (hard to believe the last weekend of February!!) and it's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. This week we want to see "Hand Coloring or Paper Piecing". It's a nice and easy one I think and hope you will join us! Remember, we welcome up to 3 different creations so maybe you will try both options! There are two prizes to win this week - a digi prize of 3 images by Ruth Hamilton Design and a Tonic die set from Coleman Craft Warehouse. 

This week I decided to use one of Ruth Hamilton Design's images, the beautiful Clematis Montana to make my card. When I selected this image I had a completely different card in mind but then this is what it turned out to be and I do like the look of it. 

I used Copic markers for coloring in light shades of blue, lilac and lavender (flowers) and a couple shades of green (plus E50 - this eggshell color will give a nice glow on the edges) for the leaves. I also used a Sepia Faber Castell Polychromos pencil for some shading. 

I printed the image out twice, fussy cut the full image and then the two large blossoms from the second image. 

A Stampers Anonymous tiles stencil from this set was  used on the background with Bundled Sage Distress ink for some interest on the background. Before adhering the flowers, I stamped the music note stamp (an oldie from a Whiff of Joy stamp kit - this stamp set would make a good alternative option) using Versafine Onyx ink. 

The two separate flowers were then added under the music note, one of the flowers with foam tape. Sentiment is from Penny Black's set Blooming Sentiments (also on Amazon). I've used it on a couple other upcoming cards (not the same sentiment just from the same set) and it was still laying on my desk which is what inspired the music theme of the card. 

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Before adhering the card front to the base, I used Avery Elle's Wonky Stitches large die. I added some fine loose glitter I've had forever (Stampin Up's Dazzling Diamonds) with Tombow Mono clear glue to make them sparkle. 

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Thanks so much for visiting!

This post may include 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 supporting this blog!

Sharing with these challenges:

Crafty Catz - Flowers // Craft Rocket Challenges - Sparkle // Krafty Chicks - All Occasions // Little Red Wagon - Stitched (Real or Faux) // Simon Says Stamp - AG // The Paper Funday - AG // Digi Choosday Challenge - AG // Crafting Happiness Challenges - AG // Cupcake Inspirations  - AG // Double Trouble Challenges  - Bring on Spring // Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges - AG // Path of Positivity - AG // 

Always Anything Goes:

Taylor Made Cards 4 U // 613 Avenue Create opt. twist watercolor // Creative Moments // Through The Craft Room Door // The Corrosive Challenges // A Bit More Time to Craft // A Perfect Time To Craft // Classic Design  Challenge * // Crafts Galore Encore // DL.Art Linky Challenge // Love to Craft // QKR Stampede // The Creative Crafters // World Wide Open Design Team Challenge // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 

Link Parties:

Dare to Share //  Inspire Me Monday //  Link Up Potpourri //  Random-osity Good, Random, Fun // You're The Star Blog Hop Link Party @Stonecottage Adventures // Anything Goes with Your Hosts @ My Random Musings // Jenerally Informed The Happy Now // Spread the Kindness Linkup @ Shelbee on the Edge //  Thursday Favorite Things // Little Things Thursday // Encouraging Heart and Home @ Slices of Life //