Easter time

I am very lucky that I will be able to enjoy some family time over the Easter weekend. Everyone is coming up to us. There is no snow thank goodness, 8c and showers, that will do me just fine. Mind you today it is tipping down!
We are all looking forward to having some time to talk, laugh and enjoy some relaxation. 

I hope to get out to the garden on Monday for a little tidy up too.
At this time of the year you can almost hear the plants growing.

 It's time for my last hot cross bun of 2018....our local baker sells these and they are delicious. We are very lucky to still have a bakery which bakes for it's 2 independent shops. Everything tastes home made.

Today I am sharing another of the Easter tags made for the Easter pressies I have bought for my big and small babies.
This one uses a lovely Rubber Dance stamp I recently won. I coloured her in with watercolour pens.  The sentiment is Clearly Besotted and the dies are Tim Holtz and The Works. The background was made with distress inks and has some Tim Holtz stenciling in there too. 

I would like to enter my tag into the following challenges;

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes

Studio 75 Easter
Die cuttin Divas Easter

Simon says work it Wednesday 3/3 inky techniques mine was using distress inks.
Fashionable Stamping 2/3 Springtime
Sparkle 2/3 spring is in the air
Deep Ocean Easter/spring
That's Crafty spring into action
Time out 1/3 photo inspiration I was inspired by the greens, yellows and hint of blue colours, the long stemmed foliage (I added a piece to my tag) and also the cut out pattering of the vase..I added similar stencilling.
Try it on Tuesday spring mood board I was inspired by the green foliage, yellow flowers and the blue sky.

 Have a peaceful Easter with those you love. Thanks as always for your very kind visits here and comments. I am back on Easter day; as this year it falls on 1st April, with my April DT piece for Country View Challenges. There is lots to celebrate that day!

Bye for now,

Jane x

Last March days, attempting to going out like a lamb

What a month of extreme weather we experienced here in the UK and it has been many years since I have seen snow on the ground that late. I think (and hope) that it is all behind us now and that we can look forward to the early warmth and light of April. It has seemed like a long dark winter and I cannot wait for the days when we can enjoy eating outside again. Between the rain showers this week we had some warmth too.

It is also a time for new beginnings in the world around us. Mother Nature is in the starring role as always and if you ever need a moment to lift your spirits just take a walk outside, find some green space and just look around.

My regular walks to Dotty's never cease to lift my spirits every time. I can just be in the moment, despite anything else going on in the world; there is total beauty and joy if we just look. 

These were some recent photos which inspired me.

I am sharing something a little magical today. It's the card I have made Daisy for Easter featuring a beautiful Lavinia fairy. The sentiment is Lili of the Valley.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Simon says stamp Wednesday floral frenzy
Studio 75 Easter
Die cuttin Divas Easter my sentiment surround die is Noor

Thanks so much for stopping by, I always appreciate your kind visits and comments. Remember to try to take a moment in your day to be mindful and grateful for the things that are good in our lives.  I treasure those in mine. I know that life can be very tough for some people but time passes and Mother Nature will make sure that even if March came in like a beast and goes out the same way sunshine is just around the corner.

I hope to pop back on Friday!

Bye for now,

Jane x

More Billy in his box fun

Good morning it's another Marvellous Monday and I am here to share my weekly Design Team project for Visible Image stamps. This week I am sharing a make inspired by my sweetest cat Billy. He has shared our home for nearly 10 years now and is just the dearest, most gentle cat you could meet.  In the winter you will find him on his favourite green chair.

He is very timid of strangers and never really strays further than our back garden in the summer.

 and he likes to sit on the veranda of my garden studio

One thing all cats love are boxes and yes Billy has his own one where he often takes a cat nap when it's a bit chilly.

My make today uses the brilliant Cat set of stamps

Stay curious

and yes his box influenced my make..here it is...

I made an inky background using distress ink and then stamped "Billy's" face. I coloured his eyes and nose with a gel pen. I added glossy accents to his eyes and nose to give them real cat like sparkle.

I cut a piece of cardboard packaging to make the surround and stamped the sentiment and paw prints which come in this set.  I cut a hole and then slits in the cardboard and then folded them back and stuck them down to form flaps.

Here are some close ups

Below is a side view to show the texture and a peep at the inside...

ha ha....Billy in the dark? I used white embossing powder for this.

and one last shot

This is such a fab set of stamps.

And one final photo to make you smile...yes Billy got in on the act as I took my photos...

such a funny boy and yes he even loves light boxes!

 I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Simon says work it Wednesday 2/3 inky techniques mine was using distress inks to create Billy's fur.

Penny black and More 3/3 feature a creature

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group can be found here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the "Show and Tell" album where one randomly chosen winner each month wins a £25 coupon to spend on the website.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide!

And the shop web site is here; where all these gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

You can also follow via:

 Pinterest

Twitter

and

 Instagram

Thanks for stopping by and for all your very kind comments you take the time to leave me. The sunshine returned last week and Billy and I are loved it. We have even managed some cuppas in the garden.

However there are threats that the Beast might be back for a 3rd visit next weekend...I really hope not as that it a very special weekend for me and I have plans!

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Use your wings

Good morning, it's time for my 2nd DT inspiration piece for our "postcards (anything 6"x4") challenge over at Country View. At the time of my first postcard we were covered in a blanket of snow and March had arrived "Like a lion".
Since then the Beast from the East returned again dumping more snow and giving us a real blast of cold weather.
I really hope that by next week we will feel that spring has properly arrived and that March goes out "Like a lamb".
Between these extremes of weather I have the bird life getting busy on the ponds and the fab "Dino Ducks" (or Egyptian Geese as they are really named) have returned.

You can enter our challenge as many times as you like and combine with any other challenges. Your make can be anything creative! You may even be the lucky random winner of the £20 CVC voucher.

You can find all the details for the challenge here.

For my 2nd postcard I decided to really focus on the birds who are busy nest building everywhere. I used another piece of the backing card I made using distress oxides and cut it to the required 6"x4" size for the challenge.

 I added some sun rays using my Tim Holtz stencil and some mustard seed distress ink.

To make my nest I used my "organics" Visible Image stamps

I added some "birdsong" music stamping in the background (PaperArtsy) and then I stamped my Tim Holtz bird on top in brown archival.

I then added some chit chat words and a remnant rub to finish everything off. 

I wonder what adventures do await me this Spring...I will certainly be using my wings 😁

I would like to enter my spring postcard into the following challenges;

The Artistic stamper 3/3 stencils and masks

Craft stamper take it make it 3/3 March anything stamping goes

Double D 1/3 just wing it
Deep Ocean Easter/spring

Thanks so much for stopping by and remember that you have just 8 days left to get your postcards made and "posted" on the Country View Challenge blog  here.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

From spring to winter to spring

What extraordinary weather we have had over the last week. Last Friday I walked down to Dotty's and I revelled in the warmth of the sunshine. I thought that spring had arrived. 

Blossom was out everywhere

and in my garden pots I spotted my first tulips nearly in flower,

However Mother Nature had other ideas and this started  the very next day.

Dumping another lot of snow.

 and just look at my tulips 24 hours later!

Brrrr.

Today's make to share is another of my Easter projects. This time it's an Easter tag.

I created the background with distress inks and some Tim Holtz stamps. The dies are all by Tim including the butterfly frenzy.  The chit chat words work so well for so many occasions too.

I would like to enter my tag into the following challenges;

Rubber dance Colour or theme March challenge I've gone for circles and die cuts.
A vintage journey Treasure my treasure in my tag is my weathered clock die cut. This die is no longer made and it is the favourite die I own and I really do treasure it.
Sparkles spring is in the air
Butterfly challenge L I have gone with layers, lemon and letters
Pixie's snippets playground #322
Try it on Tuesday 1/3 Spring moodboard I have gone with the birds and the greens and yellows in 2 of the photos.

Moving along with the times 2/3 Easter
The cutie pie challenge 3/3 spring cuties

Simon says stamp Wednesday Easter inspired

Noor spring

Simon says work it Wednesday 1/3 inky techniques mine was using distress inks

Yesterday it warmed up enough to melt all the snow but there is still a very chilly Northeasterly wind. Here in the south though I think we have finally seen the last of the snow.
 The first day of spring was yesterday but and I want to hear those birds singing in warm sunshine soon. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comments and especially the birthday wishes you left for my DD on my last post. They were most appreciated.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

My Pisces daughter

It's my daughter's birthday tomorrow and she has strict instructions not to read my blog today as I am sharing the birthday card I made for her for my weekly Visible Image Design Team inspiration .

She recently moved to the seaside and although the weather has not yet warmed enough for playing on the beach we can't wait until we can.

The views are so beautiful at any time of the day. These photos were taken last year.

and there is a local tea shop for tea and cake

There is nothing better than gazing out across the sea.

The photo I took below shows my DD and Daisy wrapped up warmly 2 weekends ago.

I knew that her first birthday card in her new home should feature the sea in some form. I also wanted to link in the Pisces theme as she was born the last "day" for Pisces.

She love mermaids and seahorses, as I do and I although Visible Image have a fab new seahorse stamp but not a mermaid I had an idea.....

I would use my "Katie" from the Tomorrow doesn't exist set and turn her into a mermaid..yes seriously..bear with me!

These were the other stamp sets I used;

Make a wish from Own it set

Pisces from the zodiac sets

Universal 

the seahorse

the wings from the angels are near set

and the strobes stencil

So this is what I came up with...

The background was created using salty ocean, broken china and fossilized amber distress oxides, using the wrinkle free technique. I added some sun rays using the rays stencil and gold ink.

I stamped the seahorse and added some white highlights and to make him even more magical I added a wing from the angels are near set. This I gold embossed on black card and fussy cut out.  I love the way the gold rays from the stencil shine through him.

To add some sparkle  and "magic" I used glitter gold embossing powder and stamps from the universal set.

To make my "mermaid" I stamped "Katie" from the Live like tomorrow doesn't exist set but positioned the stamp so that the leg didn't appear. I embossed her in white with a pinch of gold powder too.

I was also able to just use the date from the Pisces set as this is my girl's actual birth date, 20 March.

I stamped and fussy cut lots of fish and had them swimming in and out of the swirls and also between my "mermaid's" hands.

A couple more close ups...

and one last shot

So a very happy birthday tomorrow to my darling girlie. I hope she likes her special seaside Pisces card.

It's supposed to be the first day of spring tomorrow too...hmmm I think Mother Nature got a bit confused at the weekend!

Yes the Beast came back with yet more snow!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Penny black and More 2/3 feature a creature

The Artistic stamper 2/3 stencils and masks

Get Creative 2/3 fantasy

Creative artiste 1/3 anything mixed media

Craft stamper take it make it March anything stamping goes

Cute card Thursday 1/3 celebrate

Sweet stampin 1/3 use up your paper scraps I certainly used lots making my little fish!

You can check out Visible Image via these links;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group can be found here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the "Show and Tell" album where one randomly chosen winner each month wins a £25 coupon to spend on the website.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide!

And the shop web site is here; where all these gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

You can also follow via:

 Pinterest

Twitter

and

 Instagram

Thanks for stopping by and for all your very kind comments you take the time to leave me. Let's hope this mini beast from the East moves on soon. Happy 1st day of Spring tomorrow.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x