Some welcome rain

The only wonderful thing about the whole of the lockdown period here in the South East of England has been the weather. We have had almost wall to wall sunshine for most of this time. However recently the fields, parks and my garden have become very parched and in desperate need to some rain. We had a couple of odd showers during the last couple of days but finally starting on Wednesday we had a much needed drenching. More is forecast until early next week. 

I really enjoy working outside in my studio and listening to the pitter patter of the rain on the roof and I also took some photos in the rain as the droplets on my leaves and  flowers looked so pretty. Even the paving slabs gleamed.

So my card today had to of course feature the rain and I made it using the fab sparkle in the rain stamp set by Visible Image. Another of my many favourite sets.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Love to craft 3/3 anything goes

Creative artiste 3/3 anything goes

Crafter's castle 3/3 anything goes

Penny black and more 2/3 Favourite stamps

Through the craft room door 1/3 anything goes

Not just cards 1/3 anything goes

Thanks so much for stopping by, 

Have a lovely weekend, whatever the weather.

Stay safe,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Totally tropical over at STAMPlorations

Hello I am back again with my 2nd post today as it is of course also the start of the new STAMPlorations theme and photo prompt challenge for May. This month our theme is stamps and tropical and this is the photo prompt.

All the details of the challenge can be found here.

You can choose to go with the tropical theme, go with something from the photo; perhaps the colours or image..or as I always love to challenge myself to do...both. If it is not obvious please just let us know in your post. Please remember to add our challenge logo to your post if you would like to be in with a chance of winning.

I worked with the following awesome products and have added live links to them in my post. Remember if you use my unique code STAMPGIRLJANE at the check out you can get an additional 20% off on top of any existing discounts! Shery ships internationally at very low cost too.

This is what I got up to using these gorgeous STAMP products.

Grateful flutters

True North

and Wanderlust expressions 1

with
anchors away stencil

and the smallest die in the crazy double stitched rectangle die set

This is what I got up to.

First I created an inky spray background using ink distress ink sprays and added a little silver spray too

 I applied crackle paste thought the stencil. You will see the awesome crackle in a photo further down. 

 I created the focal on my stitched rectangle die cut with my stamps and then paper pieced the butterflies. 

I cut down the stencilled panel, just look a that coracle with the anchors! I wound round some bakers's twine and then matted up my card.

Here is is

It would be great to see you joining in with the fun and perhaps you might even be one of the winners.  You can go with the theme, the sketch or both, the choice is yours. There are some fab prizes to be won; $15 gift certificate to the winner and $10 for the runner up, chosen by a DT member. There are also $5 gift certificates given to each of 3 randomly drawn players. Once again  this is the link here to the challenge with all the info you need. Good luck!

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

Addicted to stamps and More 3/3 make your mark

Simon says stamp Wednesday  Anything goes

Crafty Creations 3/3 anything goes
A bit more time to craft 1/3 anything goes
Craft stamper take it make it anything goes

Remember if you use my unique code STAMPGIRLJANE at the check out you can get an additional 20% off on top of any existing discounts!

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

More inspiration for the April STAMPlorations theme and photo prompt challenge

Hello I am back with my 2nd DT project for our current 

 Theme and Photo prompt challenge over at STAMPlorations

All the details of the challenge can be found here

You can choose to go with the flight theme or chose to go with something from the photo; perhaps the colours or image..or as I always love to challenge myself to do...both! If it is not obvious just let us know on your post.

I always like to try to challenge myself so I used both the theme and photo as my inspiration.
I worked with the following awesome products and have added live links to them in my post. If you use my unique code STAMPGIRLJANE at the check out you can get an additional 20% off on top of any existing discounts! Shery ships internationally at very low cost too.

Flutterby stencil

bubbles stencil

a butterfly from fluttery

and a birthday sentiment from

Party time

I made my background with spray inks and then added crackle paste through the stencil.

 To add my circles I use used Versfine Clair inks through the bubble stencil

and made this background.

I stamped one of the butterflies onto a piece of inky mop up card and made a banner for my sentiment.

Here is my finished card;

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

Craft stamper take it make it 3/3  anything goes

The cutie pie challenge Bunnies, bear and Bs my Bs are my butterflies
Sparkles Monthly 1/3 spring is in the air
Fab 'n funky 1/3 spots and/or dots
A bit more time to craft 1/3 anything goes

It would be great to see you joining in with the fun and perhaps you might even be one of the winners.  You can go with the theme, the sketch or both, the choice is yours. There are some fab prizes to be won; $15 gift certificate to the winner and $10 for the runner up, chosen by a DT member. There are also $5 gift certificates given to each of 3 randomly drawn players. Once again  this is the link here to the challenge with all the info you need.

Remember if you use my unique code STAMPGIRLJANE at the check out you can get an additional 20% off on top of any existing discounts!

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

A hummingbird thank you

Hi again, I am back with my second design team post for our April challenge over at Country View Crafts. We would love to see all your animal creations for our April challenge and one lucky randomly selected entry will receive a £20 gift code to spent on the website.

All the details can be found here;

After using an owl for my first card today
I used the gorgeous Visible Image humming bird set life is beautiful. I also wanted to make a thank you card as there as so many people at the moment I would love to thank.

with the new thank you sentiment set. 

This is what I got up to. I sprayed a mix of green and blue distress ink sprays and then added brushed pewter spray to give a silvery finish.

 I stamped the sentiment in place. The lovely thing about this set is that the thank you is separate from the words so you can place it wherever you wish.

I stamped the wing of the hummingbird onto a piece of left over alcohol inked card.

 and then cut it out.

I then stamped the whole hummingbird onto my background and added the wing raising it up slightly on foam fixers. I also stamped some extra detail onto the background using archival ink and the circle stamp from the same set.

Here is my finished card.

and one final shot

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Through the purple haze 3/3 anything goes
Craft stamper take it make it 2/3  anything goes
Penny Black and More 3/3 anything goes
Allsorts 3/3 something old, something new... my old is my hummingbird, my new is my Thank you sentiment set.
The cutie pie challenge Bunnies, bear and Bs my B is my bird

I hope I may have inspired you to join in with our April "Animal magic" challenge. You can use any stamps/products, the choice is yours. 

You can enter our challenge as many times as you like and combine with other challenges. There is also a £20 crafting voucher up for grabs to the lucky randomly selected winner to spend over on the Country View Crafts on line store. Remember that UK postage and packing from CVC is free on all orders over £7.50! Once again all the details for the April challenge can be found here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

So my thank you card is a virtual one to say thank you to all the people in my life who are helping in so many ways. There are some truly awesome selfless people out there.

Stay safe, stay at home stay and a big thank you to everyone who stops by here too! 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Stamps and flight in April for the STAMPlorations theme and photo prompt challenge

This is my second post of today and yes it is still my birthday! Yes seriously, that is not an April fool. I am back with my design team post for STAMPlorations for the new April theme and photo prompt challenge. The theme is stamps and flight and the gorgeous photo prompt is below...mmmm tangy citrus! 

All the details of the challenge can be found here

You can choose to go with the nature theme, go with something from the photo; perhaps the colours or image..or as I always love to challenge myself to do...both! If it is not obvious please just let us know in your post. Please remember to add our challenge logo to your post if you would like to be in with a chance of winning!

I worked with the following awesome products and have added live links to them in my post. Remember if you use my unique code STAMPGIRLJANE at the check out you can get an additional 20% off on top of any existing discounts! Shery ships internationally at very low cost too.

This is what I got up to using these gorgeous STAMP products.
Bubbles stencil

 Perched bird die

Trendy birds 2

and a sentiment from Party time

Here is my finished card;

It would be great to see you joining in with the fun and perhaps you might even be one of the winners.  You can go with the theme, the sketch or both, the choice is yours. There are some fab prizes to be won; $15 gift certificate to the winner and $10 for the runner up, chosen by a DT member. There are also $5 gift certificates given to each of 3 randomly drawn players. Once again  this is the link here to the challenge with all the info you need. Good luck!

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

Through the dark room door 2/3 anything goes
Love to craft 1/3 anything goes
Mix it up 1/3 anything goes
Try it on Tuesday 2/3 beauty of nature
Happy little stampers watercolour anything goes

Thanks so much for stopping by today, especially to my blogging friends who have been back twice in a day! I am off to continue with my birthday celebrations of ....................staying indoors and protecting our NHS....the most important thing we can do right now.

Stay safe, stay indoors and stay creative.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

An alternative birthday

EDIT 31.3.20 ; I would like to dedicate this post to a very special dog Bear. I had already written this post and have chosen not to change it. Bear lived life at full pace, always happy, always loving.

Good morning and happy April everyone. I am here to share the first of 2 design team posts, the first for Country View Crafts. However it's my birthday...yes seriously it's not an April fool. This year it is going to be a very different one, no treats out, no family or friends to see. Just Hb and me. We will certainly be doing a BIG celebration next year though as it is a biggy for me! Something to look forward to in these very dark times.

Our theme over at CVC for our April challenge is a most apt theme for me......animal magic!  Billy is our cat who lives here.  However Bear, my son's gorgeous dog had been staying with us following severe issues with his hips and spine to avoid stairs. Sadly after initial good progress things deteriorated rapidly and yesterday this gorgeous soul had to be put to sleep.......

I had already planned to use these photos today and despite the devastation that this gorgeous boy has gone to find the sunshine else where I wanted to still share them. . Here is dear Bear  relaxing in our garden last week before he was taken so poorly.

The most gentle giant you could ever meet.

Rest in peace darling boy.

*****BEAR 28 Feb 2012-31 March 2020*****

We would like to see all your animal creations for our April challenge and one lucky randomly selected entry will receive a £20 gift code to spent on the website. 

All the details can be found here;

For my first project I used the wonderful owl from Visible Image and before anyone says anything yes of course a bird is an animal, as is a fish, a butterfly, a horse, a snail, a snake, a spider, a whale...you get the picture...they are all classified as animals. You can even go for a unicorn or two if you like.

This is how I put my card together;

First I made a distress ink background using squeezed lemonade, salty ocean and mermaid lagoon, I added a sun using an acetate circle and mustard seed distress ink.

Then I stamped 2 sentiments from the Visible Image so much stronger set ( I see that Susan does not have this one on the website but could order it for you if you email her).

 I then stamped the awesome owl from the Night owl set onto inky mop up card and cut him out.

I added a little extra colour to him with distress markers and glossy accents to his eyes.
I also stamped the branches from the set around the edges.
Here is my finished card.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges; 

Through the dark room door 1/3 anything goes
Shopping our stash 1/3 under the sun, moon and stars
Try it on Tuesday 1/3 beauty of nature
Happy little stampers watercolour anything goes

I hope I may have inspired you to join in with our April "Animals" challenge. You can use any stamps/products, the choice is yours. 

You can enter our challenge as many times as you like and combine with other challenges. There is also a £20 crafting voucher up for grabs to the lucky randomly selected winner to spend over on the Country View Crafts on line store. Remember that UK postage and packing from CVC  is absolutely FREE! Once again all the details for the April challenge can be found here.

I am back on the 15th April with my 2nd "animal" project..this time it is another bird but a very different one to my owl.

So for my birthday treat today my Hb and I will be........
..................................................................................................
.....staying indoors and protecting our NHS. That is the most useful thing we and everyone can do for now;
there is always next year.

My Hb usually buys me this gorgeous personalized lemon sponge birthday cake each year from Konditor and Cook, not so this year of course. They are shut along with all the other businesses. I so hope they can survive and bounce back.  So here is a virtual slice for you and me from my birthday 3 years ago with a very young looking Daisy (who is now 6) and my personalized lemon birthday cake. Gosh how I miss her.

These times will pass.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Stay safe, stay indoors and stay creative.

Run free darling Bear dog xxx

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x