It's a girl thing mini blog hop

Hi and welcome to the STAMPlorations mini blog hop to showcase an awesome new stamp set release called "It's a girl thing".
There are 2 new stamp sets in this lovely "It's a girl thing" line
kindness

 and Sunshine

There is a $15 coupon code to spend on the website up for grabs for 3 lucky commentators just for leaving a comment. Winners will be drawn randomly from all the comments left on all the blogs taking part.
This is the link back to the main blog where you will find all the details and the designers taking part.

THIS IS OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

Commenting closes on 31 January and winner will be announced on February 10 in the January winner post over on the main blog.

I got to play with the delightful It's a girls' thing;sunshine It really is a gorgeous set with so many lovely accents as well as wonderful inspirational quotes.

I started off making a vibrant alcohol ink background on glossy card.

There are some delightful border stamps in this set so I made a stamped border for my card.

I used the follow the sunshine quote and stamped this onto an off cut of my backing card and matted it with yellow. I distressed the edges. I also stamped and fussy cut out some of the small flowers as accents. I added some glitter pen to them.

I added some more stamping to complete my card. Here it is;

with a couple of close ups showing the edge details.

I would like to link my card up to the following challenges;

Craft stamper take it make it 1/3 January
Pixie's snippets challenge # 343

Love to create 2/3 anything mixed media

Mix it up 2/5 anything goes

Crafter's Castle 2/3 anything goes

Stamping sensations 1/3 fabulously feminine
Sweet stampin 1/3 spots and dots
Through the craft room door 1/2 anything goes

If you would like to get you own Sunshine set now you can buy it from the website here and if you add my unique code STAMPGIRLJANE you can take another 20% off the price. This code is also good for any orders from the website and on top of any discount offered at the moment too. Shery ships internationally at very reasonable rates too.

Thanks for "hopping" by today and remember to leave me a comment to be in with a chance of winning the voucher code!

This is the link back to the main blog again to see who else is participating in the "It's a girl thing" mini blog hop. Good luck!

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Wisley in the sunshine

In May I enjoyed a spring day out with my dear blogging friend Brenda at Wisley, the Royal Horticultural Garden in Surrey. We had such a lovely time that we immediately booked in our diaries our next meeting, which was last week.
The weather could not have been kinder. We had clear blue skies, sunshine and heat. I thought I would share some more photos to show how much a garden can grown in just a few weeks. There was such an explosion of colour.
If you would like to see my post from our spring visit you can see it here

The lovely Brenda.

It was so hot that we escaped into the greenhouses (seriously) 

and found that a new fuchsia exhibition had started. There were the most gorgeous varieties on show.

This unusual  variety was one of my favourites. 

 Many of the greenhouse exotic plants were also flowering. 

and how about this very snakey looking specimen!

We even had a visitor to our table as we sat outside and enjoyed our lunch.

After lunch we had a wander around the lakes

followed by a cuppa and a shop in the garden centre.
We had  a fabulous day out, Brenda is a such lovely company and as a fellow gardening fan we have so much to chat about. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we have put our next Wisely date into our diaries for September. Wisley will then be showing off her autumnal colours,

My card today was inspired by our sunny visit and is up for sale at Dotty's Teahouse.

 I made a sunny flower embossed background for my Lili of the Valley simply print digi image. The stamped sentiment is also Lili of the Valley. I die cut some foliage and a flower from snippets of inky mop up card . A bottle of champers seemed the right embellishment to add. Cheers!

I added some gold glitter the the centre of the flowers.

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

Pixie's snippets playground #330
Crafty calendar 1/3 totally girlie
Crafty Catz 1/3 anything goes/summer fun
As you like it 1/3 favourite occasion  for this card it is birthdays..what is more exciting than celebrating on your own special day and being spoilt.
Card Mania 4/5 anything goes
Simon says stamp Wednesday fun in the sun
Not just cards 1/3 anything goes
Addicted to stamps and more 1/3 birthday

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comments you take the time to leave me. I really do appreciate them. We are still enjoying the summer sunshine but it thankfully has cooled down just a little. I am off to catch up with my Mum and Dad today. Enjoy your Thursday.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Billy and Bear celebrate Christmas in July

Hello it's Billy, Jane's cat here.  The weather has finally got to Jane, I found her down in her studio today making something quite mad...I will share that later.

First thing this morning I checked out the garden...all very quiet..

 Hmm her poor lawn is really suffering in this heat

but her pots still look pretty.

 I decided to find some shade

and have a little snooze.

However after lunch you will never guess who showed up with Jane...

 yup it looks like Bear has come to stay for the weekend.

He found himself a tennis ball in Jane's  garage whilst she was working in her studio.

 Do you really think he wants this thrown?

Well he gave up and sat down to listen to the sounds coming from Jane's studio..

 Do you know what it was...Jane was singing Christmas carols..I jest not!

Now I told you that the heatwave has got to Jane. It was 32c today and look what has happened, she think it's Christmas ....in July. This is the card she made.

 Does she really think that snow is falling or is that just the heat getting to her?

Mind you it does cool you down looking at this. She says it's made with stamps from Visible Image, the "Snow is falling set" and "How fragile".

Jane also says she also likes to enter challenges...goodness me my paws are getting tired with all this typing...and would like to enter these ones;

Craft stamper take it make it 1/3 anything goes

A vintage journey Get sentimental

Crimbo crackers anything goes

As you like it 1/3 favourite occasion Jane's is Christmas as she still believes in Santa ;0) as do I!

Cute card Thursday 1/3 anything goes

Happy Little stampers Christmas challenge anything goes

Simon says stamp Wednesday Red,white and/or blue Jane has gone for white and blue
Crafter's Castle 1/3 anything goes/Christmas in July

So where do you think I had to retreat to as Bear has come to take over here for the weekend...

 Shhh keep this under your hat,

don't let on to Bear that I am under cover. That dog will never catch me. 

Jane will be back on Monday, let's hope she gets back to normal non Christmas work. I will be back in December with my tree post as always and I look forward to seeing you then. 

Have a fab and purry weekend and a Merry Christmas,  yikes this heat is getting to my typing... it's time to go.

Bye for now,

Billy ( and Jane ) xx

In my summer garden

Happy July 1st everyone! I am delighted that it is time for me to host my annual challenge over at Country View. I love being able to choose the theme and I have chosen, "In the summer garden" for our July challenge.

I would like to see anything you might see in your own summer gardens. This could include flowers

sunshine

Insects like the busy buzzing bees

or moths/butterflies

or even dragonflies.

Perhaps pond life...

Or bird life?

Home grown veg perhaps? (Or is that too random?)

You could even include outdoor eating and drinking

I of course had to make a floral card as I adore my pots in my summer garden.

I started off with some Infusions

added some stencilling

I stamped my Tim Holtz's flowers which I watercoloured and fussy cut out (yes I don't have those dies!)

 I added glossy accents to the centres of the flowers

 I die cut the ornate frame and painted it yellow

and then added some crackle paint and vintage photo distress ink for an aged effect.

I stamped my Visible Image words from their new "So much stronger"set. Susan will soon have all the new releases in stock. I then put my design together.

This is my finished card.

and a few close ups

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

A vintage journey stencil it

Creative fingers 1/3 anything goes

Crafty catz 1/3 anything goes +/-embossing

Fussy and fancy 1/3 pretty in pink

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes

Creative moments 2/3 anything goes

So now it's your turn. We would like to see all your crafty makes where you have been inspired in your own summer gardens.

 As always 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.

I am really looking forward to seeing all the entries.

All the details can be found here

My 2nd DT make for Country View is on Tuesday..something very different. I hope you will come back to see it. Have a fabulous July and I hope your summer gardens give you as much pleasure as my own one does....someone else who loves my garden is Billy. At the moment though he is keen to find the shade. This heat wave is quite extraordinary..and it is due to get even hotter!

Keep cool and carry on crafting (and gardening)

Bye for now,

Jane x