Wanderlust the fab new STAMPlorations travel release

Hello today I am delighted to be a part of the event revealing the fabulous brand new STAMPlorations release called Wanderlust. These stamp sets are perfect for the upcoming spring/summer season and also would work brilliantly for art journalling and holiday journals.
You can find all the details and more samples from my talented teamies here. There are also prizes up for grabs by commenting here and on the other DTs blogs so do check it out.

I  worked with the quote "distance means so little when someone means so much" from the fab
Wanderlust expressions 1 stamp set

and the passport stamp from the
from the new Wanderlust Stamp lab release

I have an old road map which has been sitting in my crafty hoard for years and I decided that finally I knew what to do with it. I cut pages for my background

I also built up the fab passport stamp by repeat stamping on red card stock for the cover and once on the map page for the insert. I gold embossed one of the images.

I then layered them up.

Here is my finished card.

I loved this release so much that I decided to use another piece of my map

and using different stamps from these releases I made this one too. I decoupaged the car adding pads under the wheels for depth.

The challenges at STAMPlorations have been modified since February to allow Shery some time with her sweet little "Winter" addition to her family. She is now the proud mother of 2 little girls. There has just been one modified challenge to for April the theme is "Focus on the sentiments".
There is still time to enter and you don't have to use STAMPlorations stamps (but we love it when you do!)

All the details can be found here

Normal challenges will be resuming next month, in May. I will be back as part of the Theme and Sketch design team.  I can't wait.

 Here's a quick heads up too; if you type my special code STAMPGIRLJANE at the checkout you could save an extra 20% on top of any existing discount. Head on over to the website here and fill your basket!

Thank you so much for visiting me here today and if it is your first visit, a warm welcome.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Travel essentials for September

Happy September everyone.Our lodger, Bear and I have enjoyed lots of long walks. The sunny weather has been so helpful when looking after a rather large dog!

 Being the first of the month it's time for my first DT piece for our new challenge over at Country View. The theme for September is "Travel". I decided to make vintage travel themed cards...one for a man and one for a woman. It's a very open theme and I hope lots of you will be inspired to join in the fun which runs until 30 September. You can enter any craft, any genre, any other challenges and as many time as you like. It's my kind of challenge. Here is the link.

I made a master board to use as the backing for both cards. For continuity with the travel theme I made it look a bit like a map.

I used PaperArtsy Fresco acrylics and brayered on my colours.

I sorted lots of travel themed stamps from my stash which I added, using different colours of archival ink.

Below is my finished master board which I then cut up for two 7X5" cards (with a few snippets left over, which were perfect to use for other cards).

Today I am sharing my man's card. I looked through my stamp stash and chose a stamp very apt for travel...a camera....a travel essential in my book. I love this Visible Image stamp. I heat embossed it in black and then fussy cut it out.

I used an embossing folder to add some "tyre" texture to some metallic blue card which I then die cut twice to make a frame for the camera.

I then added my focal and a Clearly Besotted stamped sentiment.

Here  is my finished card

I would also love to link up with the following challenges;

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes
Simon says stamp work it Wednesdays 1/3 stamping
Allsorts 3/3 use at least 2 dies I used a stitched die and then die cut inside it using a Labels die. The CB stamped sentiment is also die cut

I will be using the other 7X5" piece of master board for my "female" 2nd  DT version. I will be sharing this on 29 September.

Thanks for visiting me here today and for all your kind comments. Let's hope this lovely spell of sunshine last a little longer and we enjoy an "Indian summer". Fingers crossed.

I have another post coming up tomorrow as I have some very exiting news to share with you all...stay tuned.....

Bye for now,

Jane x

My Tuscany memories preserved forever

Thanks so much for all your support and lovely comments you left for my Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 103 over the last 2 weeks. I'm glad I did it "live" but it really was full on and I was pleased to have the time to finish off my holiday Journal from our recent trip to Tuscany.  I bought a Pink Pig sketchbook for this purpose and if you missed that post you can read about it here.

Daisy, despite only being 2 3/4 years old, is an avid crafter and I also bought her a little cheapie scrapbook to work in as I knew she would like to follow Nanna.  She loved it and we spend many moments putting them together at our glorious villa. I love this photo...so much concentration in one darling little girl.

We made backgrounds using Paperartsy infusions, stencils and stamps.
This was the idyllic terrace where we sat and crafted.

I also took my Instax camera and took lots of instant photos for us both.  I also used my regular camera and printed out some photos when I got home.

Each day I wrote an index card for Daisy and one for myself with a short summary of our day. For her cards she chatted about what we had done and then she agreed what she wanted me to write.
Here are some pages from my darling girls journal.
This is her little journal I bought (from Wilkinson's for just £3)

Here is one of her backgrounds she created. Impressive for a 2 year old I think!

and here are some of her sweet pages...she made these herself...I just stuck things in for her. I love the way she added her own "writing" after mine...she repeats the words as she add those squiggles, bless her.

Although I didn't have much time to sit and paint I did have 2 sessions when I got out my travel watercolour set and had my first try at "proper"painting.  I decided to try to paint the view from where we crafted. It was so idyllic and the only sound to be heard was the buzzing of the bees.

Below is my finished painting...please be gentle....I don't have any art training at all but I tried to get some shade and tones despite the limited palette of colours and time. I used some separate watercolour paper as I didn't want to risk ruining my journal with any spillage. I then mounted it in my journal when I got home.

So here is my completed holiday journal...I stuck some ribbon under some card on the inside covers so that I can tie it together. My added ephemera made it bulky.
The quality of the papers from Pink Pig is excellent and it really took the inks and water media really well.

Here are some of the pages from my journal

Little instax photos from our wedding anniversary celebrations in San Gimignano.

and remember the "Bliss" tag I created and blogged about whilst away. If you missed it have a look here first ........
Well here is it in my journal

The page below is special as Daisy picked up the doily from under a dish served to us at a restaurant we ate at. She gave it to me to "put in my scrapbook". She has the makings of a real crafter in her, seeing inspiration and useful ephemera everywhere.

It's a wonderful memory of our trip.

I would like to enter my holiday journal into the following challenges.

Anything but cute inspiration photo I was inspired by all photos, especially the flowers and created a very "vintage garden" themed Tuscan journal.
A Vintage Journal stencil it..I used lots!
Paperartsy patterns all my backgrounds were created using different patterns of stencils and stamps. Each double page is unique.
Snippets Playground 242 I have used soo many snippets to decorate my journal.
We love to create 1/2 anything creative/mixed media
Pile it on Make 3/3 your own background
Rhedd's Creative Spirit August
Stamplorations August mixed media stencil Sunday I used so many stencils in my journal!

I also added that wonderful Dr Zeuss quote in the back of  mine and Daisy's journal.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment.....
Until it becomes a memory.

How true that is and how many treasured memories I hold of our wonderful holiday we shared with Daisy and Co.
I just wanted to share 2 final photos from our Tuscany adventure...

 Do you think I love my sweet granddaughter.....just a bit ;0) What a lucky Nanna I am.

We've had a very chilled weekend as we babysat my furry grandson..the lovely Bear, my son's dog. He watched me craft too in my garden studio. I have been working on my Z piece for the latest letter in the dictionary challenge...it's a fun one!

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x