16 October 2026

Bake birthday

Hi everyone my great, great niece was nine recently and as she loves to cook with her grandmother, (my niece), I decided to look for something suitable and came across this digital stamp I had in 2016.

It was taken it into Silhouette, and the whole image was cut, I then isolated the girl and cut 2 of her. I also found a rolling pin, that I thought suited. I coloured it all with DI's, after choosing the dp to add colours to the image. Also found, in my files, the "let's bake", so added the words to the paper and printed them. The paper was attached to the base card, then the images and the sentiment printed with the same colour background and words added. I hope she likes it. (She did)

digi stamp - SCP magazine freebie #108 
 rolling pin, "Let's Bake" and digital paper - 
 Christmas Blog Train 2021 Digital Scrapbook.com
Silhouette 
 inks - DI's as below

 
I've been away for my brother's funeral this week, so this is a cheer up post. 

07 October 2026

Geometric TMR #215

 Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for

I had two hours before being picked up to go out with old colleagues and decided to fill the time with some card making. I looked to see what the theme was for The Male Room and was stumped, then thought of an old embossing folder, that was just right. I also went onto the web and searched for geometric shapes, - there's lots that I wouldn't have thought of as being geometric. You learn something every day.
 
I cut a square and embossed it, then added DO's with a spray of water, in colours that I saw a blend of on the web for autumn, to my glass mat and placed the card onto it. I hadn't wet it enough, so more water and another placement on to it. Not the effect I was looking for, but went with it. I also splattered some gold paint onto it.
 
Again on the web, I have seen lots of large white Happy onto coloured card, so went to my Silhouette and cut it out of white card. I cut three layers, all glued together, then splattered with the same gold paint, and placed central onto the embossed card, which I had already attached to the base card. Next I stamped the sentiment in the same purple ink as the card, and then clear embossed it. I cut it to shape and placed it under the Happy. 
 
I was quite pleased with the overall effect after coming home. It's strange how something can be and mmm card, then a few hours later can be satisfying. I also have to point out that the coloured square is straight and square, but for some reason the camera wanted it wonky, maybe because of the embossing.
 
 embossing folder - Die'sire Argyle (old)
inks - Distress Inks, rusty hinge,villainous portion,scorched timber 
Happy - font  2Peas High Tide
sentiment stamp - SCP #240 
gold paint Kuretake 
 

I've added a closeup of the gold effect with the splatters. 
The colours are nearer to the original card too. 

 What will your Geometric shape be? Hope to see you at The Male Room Challenge

04 October 2026

Shades of Autumn

    Hi Everyone my DT make today is for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme of

https://www.welovestamping.co.uk/ 

My autumn shades today are of a sunset, I used the colours used in K. Werners blog to use as inspiration. I shaded DO's onto white card, then stamped the seed heads in black. There was a butterfly included in the stamp set, so I decided to use that too, but I stamped it after I had stamped the sentiment, so it would seem to be flying to it? Then the layer was attached to the base card, a very simple card, but quite satisfying using the Oxides, for a change.

stamps - Woodware Collection, Autumn Pods
inks - Distress Oxide, mustard seed, abandoned coral, dusty concord 
black ink - Versafine Claire
white embossing powder - WOW
sentiment - Amazon - LAMXD
 (4PCS Words Clear Stamp, Silicone Stamp Cards Greeting Words Pattern for Card Making and DIY Scrapbooking Journaling)
 
 
 
I hope to see you at the Challenge, with your Autumn Shades. Don't forget to stamp.
We have two wonderful prizes this month from Sweet Poppy, stamps and stencil.

    

01 October 2026

Tiger CCC

  Hi Everyone, my DT make today is for -

Critter Crazy #113

Whether Furry, Feathered, Fantasy, Fairytale, 
Scaly, or Insect, there must be a critter.

   

I was out with old work colleagues when one of them met her cousin, he showed us photos he had taken in Manor Park Zoo in Tenby, West Wales of Tigers. I loved one of them, so asked if he could send me it. Which he did and this is it.

I took it into Photoshop, added the sentiment onto the fence part, and copied the paws to layer them. I then printed the image and the duplicate set of paws onto matte photo paper, and fussy cut the paws. Next I glued the top and 3D the bottom of each paw and added them to the photo, to give it more dimension. Although you wouldn't think it in the photo, it looks good in real life.

I went looking for paper to affix the image, and found this striped paper, it was printed, but I felt it needed a bit of orange in it. So I dry embossed a birthday greeting onto it and wiped an orange DI onto it. Then calamity, I pasted it all onto the base card on the wrong side, so had to cut it off the card. It was then placed onto another base card with 3D pads. 

Tiger - friends photo
sentiment font - ArabBruD
paper - Marisa Lerin Blue Stripe paper 
embossing folder - Amazon 
inks - Distress Ink, spiced marmalade 
3D pads - stash

18 September 2026

Trees & Leaves WLSC mid month

     Hi Everyone my DT make today is for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme from Emma

https://www.welovestamping.co.uk/ 
 
On one of the hottest days of the year, 34C 93f, I decided to go into my North facing craft room, and craft in the shade, I should have just left things as they were and just read. 
 
However, I made 4 cards, 2 went into the bin, #3 I spoiled by smudging my hand over the ink, grrr, so my card today is my offering, but under the circumstances....
 
Anyhow, I shaded DO's over a piece of card, then using a leaf stencil I went over it with an alcohol wipe. Next I stamped the leaves around the left and top and stamped a sentiment into the space left. Even that I got wrong! I think I should have used the colour of the leaves, oh! well. I then clear embossed the sentiment. 
 
Next I placed the stamped piece onto a matching piece of paper and then added a pink layer with leaf shapes. The paper layers were edged with DI's in darker colours.  I then added tiny pink gems. It turned out OKish, I think in the end. 
 
Even then, the photo misshaped the card, taken twice, then straightening, it has made the sentiment look wonky! Told you I should have read instead.  
 
leaf stencil and stamps - Chloes Creative, mag freebie SCP#217 
inks - Distress Oxide, kitsch flamingo,lucky clover, mermaid lagoon 
sentiment - Woodware, It's the Little Things (old)
green paper - Lidl
pink paper - The Range, Happy Colours 
pink gems - stash 

Let's cheer ourselves up with the fabulous prizes. We have two wonderful prizes this month from
 Taylored Expressions & Penny Black
 
 
 

2 prizes, $30 store voucher from Taylored Expressions and Penny Black stamp set and stencil from Buddly Crafts (photo's not to scale).
 
Don't forget to use your stamps. 

17 September 2026

Brother

I'm not in a good place again, so please accept more delays in commenting, Thankfully I have my DT work done in advance. My Dear brother, the one I visited a few weeks ago, has passed, it has brought everything to the fore for me again. I will try to do what I can. Thank you all for your patience with me. x

06 September 2026

Trees & Leaves WLSC

    Hi Everyone my DT make today is for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme from Emma

https://www.welovestamping.co.uk/ 
 
I really didn't know what to go with, as I have a few trees, but decided to use this stamp and a simple sketch from CTS #181
I stamped the mountains and trees onto a scrap piece of white card, then coloured them with DI's. Next I stamped the 3 trees, and coloured those, and fussy cut them. I went looking for some card to match, for the images, and found an embossed piece of card that I thought matched well. 
 
Then for a sentiment, I thought this one was suitable, as even if life throws things upside down, Nature is still wonderful. It was stamped directly onto the base card.
 
I attached the separate trees to the image, and these were then attached to the base card. A very simple card.
 
image - Stamp Addicts - Scenic Sailing
separate trees - Globeland, Mountain Range 
 brown card -  stash 
inks - Distress inks


  
 
We have two beautiful prizes this month from
 Taylored Expressions & Penny Black
 
 
 

2 prizes, $30 store voucher from Taylored Expressions and Penny Black stamp set and stencil from Buddly Crafts (photo's not to scale).
 
Don't forget to use a stamps on your card.  

05 September 2026

Comments

 Hi Everyone

Is anyone having difficulty adding comments? I have been catching up and visited 20 blogs this morning and the comment page is hanging and won't publish? Just a black box saying publishing. I've now, after having them hanging for 15 minutes or more, gone out of the blogs. I won't know who I've commented on or not, so my apologies. 

02 September 2026

Dots & Stripes TMR Challenge

 Hello everyone, my card today is for 
The Male Room 
 
I knew I had this stamp, and have never used it, so thought this was an opportunity to use it. I decided bright was my plan, I have yellow paper, I bought for a project and lots left over, a good time to use it. 
 
I stamped randomly in a sort of pattern, in different colours. Then horizontally, with a dots stamp and then again with the original stamp. With no plan as always, I went looking for a sentiment and luckily found this stamp, it suited my plan of bright. It was stamped onto white card. I then die cut a button, adding it to the stamped, and label cut sentiment. Next I die cut some candles, same as the button, out of gold mirror card. 
 
The background was added to blue mirror card, and added to the base card, next the candles and sentiment were added. For a randomly stamped card, I think it ended up bright as intended.  
stamps - Stamp Addicts, Vicky's Borders 
sentiment - Sissix, Catherine Pooler 
button die - years old! can't remember the makers
candles & label die - Magazine freebie SCP (old) 
inks - Distress Oxide, mustard seed,twisted citron,mermaid lagoon,spiced marmalade
gold and blue mirror card - The Range 
 
 
There’s great inspiration for your Male cards at the Challenge. 

01 September 2026

Beary Birthday CCC

  Hi Everyone, my DT make today is for -

Critter Crazy #113

Whether Furry, Feathered, Fantasy, Fairytale, 
Scaly, or Insect, there must be a critter.
 
My mind is definitely not on cards, with just two days to get my card done, and with visitors expected, and so many other things to do. Panic stations. When I can't think, I usually go to my digi images, as I have done here. The images are all from Creative Market, Watercolour Bears In The Forest, 2025. I used the fonts - Darling Suttine & Aescudos.
 
In Silhouette, I arranged the images on the base square shape, and then print and cut them, the bears and sentiment twice, to add layers without depth. I had cut the bears with a 1mm border, but on this it seemed a bit too wide, so I took Distress Inks, tea die and vintage photo and went around the image, it gives it a highlight I think.
 
They were then added to the colour layer, which I found in my stash, which matched the tree. All then added to the base card. I have to admit, loving that little bear.
 
 
I hope to see you in the challenge with your Critter.

29 August 2026

My unexpected holiday

 Hi Everyone, this is an indulgent post, letting you know what I have been doing recently. Firstly visiting my sick #3 brother who is seriously ill and four hours away from me, in Lincolnshire. The drive through the brown waterless landscape was heartbreaking to see, even seeing and smelling fire on the mountains, as I was driving. The burning smell followed me for many miles. I knew part of the route to my brothers, but had to use navigation help. Hubby and I have been to visit them all, but I wasn't driving, so it was all new to me. I used to enjoy the scenery when hubby was driving, not looking at the roads. 

Then north to his eldest daughter an hour away from him, still in Lincolnshire. Again driving through parched countryside, with in one part of the journey, a tractor working on his field, was making a fog of dust to drive through. Not a usual site in this country. It was supposed to be an overnight stop, but I was persuaded to stay another few nights, they spoilt me silly.  They showed me around their area and town, that I hadn't seen before, we only went to visit when staying with my brother and SiL. It was all so beautiful, also seeing Herons and egrets with ducks on the river flowing past their house. Then back to visit my dear brother.

These photos are from the bedroom window I stayed in.

My nieces garden, always so green, but not on this visit. 

 

A long shot of the egret and one of the ducks, the heron flew off before I got her.

No rain for a long time and as we were going out for a Pub meal, it started raining with the most vivid rainbow with my niece. It didn't last long, just enough to make us cover up and then stopped.

 

Next eastward on to Suffolk and another niece, an hour, and a half from my brother, for a few days. Not on the original plan, but as she said I was close, so I may as well. Again I was spoilt silly, and had tours around her beautiful area, and a visit to her daughter and family, which was so lovely, the children being 8, 6, and 4, who I rarely see due to the distance. The next day a five and a half hour journey home. 

These are photos of Lavenham, near Bury St Edmunds, a beautiful, very old town, where she took me and treated me to a meal in the 15th Century Inn, that I forgot to take a photo of!

The next two photos are private houses, my niece is the lady in the first one. 


This is the local Museum


My girls spoilt me rotten, and I have come back rested, my mind has finally eased off with everything going on with me. I'm so glad I did it, it was a huge journey and experience for me, driving so far. I've been away for a break that I didn't realise I needed, and I certainly didn't expect to stay away so long. 

Then 3 days after I arrived home, another niece travelled 2 hours to see me. I'm so blessed to have all 6 nieces in my life, even though they are many miles from me, they keep in touch sending such love out to me.  

Telling you about the burning mountains earlier, I took a photo from my chair of the fabulous sunset, as I thought, the night of my return home. It was actually the mountain on fire opposite us. Local photos have shown it later, and it was bigger than I thought. Thankfully put out early enough not to cause too much damage, but enough! However, there were evacuations of a nursing home and a few houses, It was set alight my some local boys, bet they had some fun doing it. grrr.

Something different from me, I hope I didn't bore you too much.

18 August 2026

Summer Blooms WLSC mid month

   Hi Everyone my DT make today is for the mid month post for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme from Avril

 
 
I have absolutely no mojo, so went through my stamps and dies and found these, then went looking for paper and a stencil. All found pretty quickly, actually.
 
Then it was stamping the flowers and die cutting both the flowers and the stem. I wondered for a while about the design, and even stamped more flowers, but it just didn't look right, so I left it simple.  
 
I chose the colours of the flowers to match the paper and coloured them in DI's. Next I stencilled a brick effect, for the climbing flowers. I cut the paper and layered the stencilling and floral pattern onto plain purple paper, not usually my colours, but I have been looking at them more. 
 
I then went looking for a sentiment and forgotten I had bought a stamp set with a floral theme, whew! It was stamped and die cut and layered onto the purple paper. All were added to the base card.
 
flower stamps and die - Card Making Magic Trailing Florals
sentiment - Sissix, Born to Bloom 
inks - Distress Inks, squeezed lemonade, shabby shutters, twisted citron,
victorian velvet,wilted violet,pumice stone
stencil - Funky Fossil
floral paper - Craft Sensations Spring Time 
purple paper - Lidl 
 
  There are Two beautiful floral prizes of Penny Black stamps and stencil from Buddly Crafts (photo's not to scale). I hope you can join us with your blossoms. 

11 August 2026

50th birthday card.

Hi Everyone, my son is 50 today, and knows computers inside out, but I couldn't find an image or stamp suitable. So decided for TV instead. I can't believe it, it seems just the other day I was doing a 21st birthday card for him. Where does the time go? I went looking in my files for colour combo ideas and found this.

  

I took the digital stamp into Silhouette and cut 2 layers, plus I made the sentiment strips and cut them too. I then coloured the image with DI's.

Next I cut a square of brown textured card and placed the words strip, after layering both layers together. Next was the corner image, which I also found in my files, but, changed the wallpaper to tie in with the colours of the image. I added two more layers onto the 50, and then added 3D glaze to make his age stand out.

image - Karen's Doodles 2010
inks - Distress Inks = dried marigold,shabby shutters,aged mahogany,
tea dye,rusty hinge, black soot,hickory smoke,festive berries,
spiced marmalade,tattered rose.
wallpaper -  Gina Jones sweaters and hot cocoa pattern papers 2019
corner image - corner background 2008, don't know the designer
fonts -  Adventure for the words and ArabBru for the 50
3D glaze - Glossy Accents 
 Silhouette
 

05 August 2026

Jobs or Professions TMR

Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for  

https://themaleroomchallengeblog.blogspot.com/

My GNephew is a newly qualified Pharmacist and has just got his first real job in a GP Practice, he is so excited. He has worked in a Pharmacy since he is 16, off and on, between school and University, for experience, we are so proud of him. I decided to send him this card to congratulate him on his achievement.

I chose this image as it seemed just right for his job, then went searching for a background, pharmacy related, I found this on the web and think with the quirky image it suits. 

I took the image into Silhouette and print and cut it with a 1mm border twice. I also cut the background and the sentiments, after finding the font for the pharmacist word.

Next I coloured him in colours to match the background. My colouring could have been better. Anyway, after colouring and adding 3D gloss to the specs, I added the background layer onto navy card, then onto the card base.

Then I added the image with 3D pads and placed the sentiment and the pharmacist word, which I placed with 3D pads. 

image -  Dr Digi, Prof Dummkopf
inks - Distress inks, evergreen bough,antique linen,dried marigold,tattered lace,
walnut stain,wilted violet,picked raspberry,lost shadow,black soot,chipped sapphire
backgound - freefunart apothecary Pixabay
pharmarcy font -  ChesterfieldAntD
3d Gloss - Glossy Accents 
navy card - stash 
 
What jobs/profession can you do for the The Male Room Challenge

02 August 2026

Summer Blooms WLSC

   Hi Everyone my DT make today is for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme from Avril

 
It was difficult choosing which "blooms" to use, in the end I chose these, which I thought could have plenty of colour in them. I stamped the flowers, and what better for Summer than a post card, so I then placed the embossing folder where I wanted it and embossed. I went over it with Stazon ink lightly. Next was to colour the flowers, using DI's and cut on the edge of the postcard shape. I found a sentiment stamp that I thought suited the postcard.
 
I went to place it onto the base card, and thought it too plain, so I stamped onto the base card and simply coloured the corner flowers. I edged the card with ink, then, using 3D pads, placed the postcard onto it. 
 
stamps -  Magazine freebies SCP #230
post card embossing folder - Crafters Companion 
 inks - Distress Inks & Stazon
 
 
 



Two prizes of Penny Black stamps and stencil from Buddly Crafts (photo's not to scale).