More warm summer colours for STAMPlorations

Hello it's time for what I thought would be my last Guest Designer card for STAMPlorations . I am delighted to announce that I will be taking part in her Christmas blog hop coming up in September/October. As you well know I am Mrs Christmas and I am thrilled that I will be sharing some more Guest Designer work ...watch out for some awesome new Christmas products.

Today is the mid month reminder for the current theme and sketch challenge over at STAMPlorations.

The theme is warm colours and there is nothing more inspiring in my garden than the warm colours of my gazania

and this is the optional sketch.

You can find all the details of the challenge here

I chose to work with these products;

available here

and the lovely Daisy row 

available here

I inked up a piece of card using some sunny Distress inks

I stamped the Daisy border and cut it out. 

I also die cut some yellow card and some inky mop up card to make some sunshine, adding sequins to the centres and a strip of sunny ribbon.

Here is my finished card.

Remember that you can get 20% off your order if you enter the code STAMPGIRLJANE at the checkout. Shery's international postage rates are very reasonable too.

I would also like to join in with the following challenges;

Stamping sensations 1/3 anything with flowers

Crafty Calendar 2/3  anything goes

Crafting by designs 2/3 anything goes

Really reasonable ribbon 1/3 anything goes

Fussy and Fancy 1/3 anything goes

Crafty Catz 1/3 anything goes

Time Out 1/3 inspired by words

Noor use die cuts

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

 Have a lovely weekend...I am back on Monday with my weekly Visible Image Inspiration post.

 One thing I really want to share with you all is that ***squeal*** I managed to get a ticket for Tim Holtz's workshop in September in Harrogate. I cannot believe it, the website crashed the first time they were put up for sale on Monday but yesterday I succeeded and I am one of the very lucky ticket holders for the Friday morning. I am beyond excited as Tim rarely comes over the pond from the States.....this really is a dream come true for me as I think I never create anything without using one of his amazing products! If anyone else is going on the Friday morning it would be great to meet up. Do let me know.

Bye for now,

Jane x

More photos from Portugal

I am back to share some more of our holiday photos from Portugal. These are from one of our 2 visits to Lisbon and below is the Monument to the discoveries built in the 1960. We took a lift up to the viewing platform right at the top

and from the top looked down to this the amazing monastery which we decided to visit next.

The stonework inside the monastery was quite breathtaking. Just imagine how many stonemasons were involved in all these carvings.

Even inside the chapel every single pillar and post had been hand carved.

I have nearly finished making my travel journal and I thought I would share a couple of sneak peek pages. I have made the backgrounds using distress oxides, stencils and Visible Image stamps. I like using the colours I see in my photos. 

I was also inspired by the hot yellows of the stonework in the Monastery to make a page insert. I selected some very sunny yellows and orange distress inks and some stencils which reminded me of some of the shapes I had seen carved.

First I blended the lighter yellows

then added some stencilling using fossilised amber.

I added some crackle paste too and a stamped some script too. 

and to finish the page off  I stamped my eye from the Where dreams take you Visible Image set. I also added some of their sentiments which are just perfect for journalling.

I would like to enter this journal page into the following challenges;

Stamps and Stencils colour, texture, shape

Crafty Calendar 2/3  anything goes

Crafting by designs 2/3 anything goes

We love to Create 2/2 anything goes

Craft stamper Take it make it Anything goes

Creative Artiste 1/3 anything mixed media

The full reveal of my holiday journal will be on Monday 7th August. I will of course be back with several other posts before then..this Friday will be my next.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and for the kind comments you take the time to leave me. I would also like to warmly welcome my newest followers. It's great to see you joining me here on my creative journey.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

A dedication to Edie

Good morning all and welcome to my weekly Monday morning inspiration post for Visible Image. Today I have got something rather different to share.

A couple of weekends ago we went to the Dedication and 1st birthday party of my niece's little girl, Edie (short for Edith). It was held in Bristol just a week after we got home from our summer holiday.
I always enjoy our time there, it's a very vibrant city right on the river. This was the view from our hotel room.

I had already bought her pressies...one of the fab Julia Donaldson books, "Tabby McTat" and also a little children's bag from Cath Kidston, as I know how much my own granddaughter loves carrying around bags. Her favourite books are by Julia D...Stickman, Super Worm, A squash and a squeeze to name just a few!

 I really like making my own gift wrap, as I can make matching gift tags too. It makes gifts so much more personal. Visible Image stamps are perfect to use for this.

I always use ordinary cheap brown paper which I buy by the roll. I measured out a piece to fit and used the star and swirl from the Universal set of stamps.

I used Distress Oxides as my inks, I found this is an improvement on ordinary Distress inks as they don't soak through the paper. 

and stamped a pattern across the paper.

I love how well these stamp with the D' Oxides. It gives an almost pastel appearance to the paper.

I then used a piece of inky/infusions mop up card to cut a tag, added some stencilling to it and then added  Edie's name using the Alphabetical set.

I also used the square shape as this gives a great border to the letters.

I used red embossing powder.

and I used all capital letters and made these little plaques to stick on. 

and here is the parcel all tied up with a pretty ribbon bow. 

Here's a close up of the tag.

I would like to enter my gift wrap set into the following challenges;

Fussy and Fancy 1/3  celebrations

Cutie pie 2/3 here come the girls
Crafty Calendar anything goes
Really reasonable ribbon 1/6 anything goes
Cute Card Thursday ribbon/bows
Crafting by designs 1/3anything goes
Happy Little Stampers (watercolour) 1/3 July

I hope I might have inspired you to make your own gift wrap? Recipient's absolutely love how personal it is. I make some of my own Christmas gift wrap too, if time allows.

All the links to Visible Image are below;

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. Our 3rd themed challenge, "a splash of colour", is  also up and running until 28 July. There is another £40 voucher up for grabs for the winner of this. 

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 can be purchased. 

Thanks as always for your kind visits and comments you take the time to leave me.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x