Time to see what Lynne has to share with us

Good morning crafters, I hope you are all OK and keeping warm this this cold weather.

It's time for our mid month inspirational post and this time it's my pleasure to introduce our team member Lynne, she has done a very good job of explaining what it's all about so I won't keep chattering away and pass you straight over to her.......................

"Our current mid-month challenge for the DT is to choose our five favourite stamps, and make something using some or all of them. Five stamps??! I have hundreds, if not thousands, of stamps in my collection! How could I possibly choose five favourites?! If I were to think in terms of favourite stamps, it would probably be my newest,  or whatever I happened to be working with at the time. However, let's try and narrow it down a bit. My favourite topics are nature themed - trees, butterflies, flowers, grasses, country scenes, etc. - so my preferred stamps are likely to come from those categories. I could pick any of Chocolate Baroque's flowers or butterflies, for instance, or just about anything at all by Inkylicious. I tried to make a short list, but by the time I was on to the third A4 sheet (of narrow-lined paper!) I gave up!

In the end I decided to think about which stamps I find myself reaching for most often and have selected five of those. That was today. Tomorrow it could very well be a different five!

Anyway, here's what I've made. As well as the stamps, three of my cards also use diecuts, to reflect this month's challenge theme of Dies & Punches. Don't get me started on favourite dies....!

My first card uses one of my oldest stamps, a butterfly by Hero Arts. The original is wood mounted, since then I have also acquired clear and cling versions! To me it's just the perfect butterfly, both in shape, and scope for colouring.

Next another oldie, by Funstamps, bought over 20 years ago in 1994! I often use this as it's perfect for one of my favourite techniques; using a waterbrush to draw the ink out of the stamped image to colour it in, as I have done here.

My third stamp is probably in danger of becoming worn out, I have used it so often! It makes a regular appearance not just on Christmas cards, but all year round, although sometimes you wouldn't recognise it as it can make excellent little bushes or shrubs when turned on its side. This card, though, shows it in full glory. The background tree group is from the same Stampin' Up set, and I almost chose that stamp as my favourite instead of the single tree. But I think I've used the single one more. 

My final two choices are both by Inkylicious. It was really hard just to pick two of theirs, as I love ALL their nature stamps. Stamp No. 4 is a fairly new one, which combines trees and grasses into a scene but which can have  different looks according to how the background is done, so it was high on my list. (The pheasant is by Clarity Stamp, and was cut out and added afterwards.)

Finally, Stamp No.5. I've saved the best till last! You probably won't be surprised to find that this one was top of my list right from the start, and if I had to choose my single most favourite stamp ever, this would be it! It is, of course, the Old Beech Tree - "my" tree, the one I see every day across the fields from my house, and which Deby at Inkylicious so cleverly turned into a stamp for me.

Full details of all the cards will be on my blog. I've really enjoyed choosing my five "favourite" stamps, and thanks for looking at them"

Thank you for taking the time to inspire us with your creations Lynne.

January challenge - Dies and Punches

Welcome to our first challenge of 2015 !

After all the seasonal festivities I hope you are all set for some crafting and if Santa was kind with the crafty goodies what better opportunity than to give them their first outing with this months theme..........

********Dies and Punches********

With such a vast selection now available I don't think there are too many of us who don't have at least one or two in our crafty arsenal, so we hope lots of you will join us this month and get those dies and punches into action.

And to go with the theme we have the prefect prize of a great collection of Sizzix dies as well as a pretty collection of ribbons to add the finishing touch to your artwork.

We are pleased to welcome Valerie as our Guest Designer this month with this lovely card...............

Brenda
Using Sizzix trellis die and Heartflet stamps and matching die

Eret

Joan
Using Sizzix rounded tag die and grateful lattice

Memory Box Tree, Birds and bicycle dies

Lynne
Using Sizzix Framelits butterfly die

Maddy
Maddy is having a little break this month

Pinky

Sally
Using Sizzix frame dies, Ironwork

Tracy
Using Sizzix Framelits flower dies

Happy Crafting and we look forward to seeing what you make for this months challenge.

An InLinkz Link-up

December winners

A very Happy New Year to you, we hope your Christmas and New Year went well.

A rather late winners post as our internet has been dropping in and out for a couple of days so I am going to get right to it before it goes again but not before saying a huge thank you for all your gorgeous Winter Wonderland entries in December.

Winner of the goodies from Stamps by Chloe is Delphine

Well done to you Delphine, please mail me with your full name and postal address so I can arrange for your prize to be posted off to you.

And our Top 3 which is actually a Top 4 as the voting was so close....................

Birgit

Kate

Sharon

Jane

Well deserved recognition, please go and collect our Top 3 badge to display on your own blogs.

I will be back Sunday with our first challenge of 2015.

A mousey tail !!

It's time for our December mid month post and today I would like to introduce Tracy, know to many of us as Tracy Mouse who is sharing some of her favourite stamps with us.

Those who know her are well aware of her love of those little four legged creatures and it comes as no surprise to see two featuring in her favourites list below, so I will hand you over to her and she will explain a little bit more about her choices.

"Hi everyone, what a difficult task I have to tell you about my favourite 5 stamps.  Well what I can tell you is that I like cute, animals and vintage.  I think that sums me up really. 

My favourites do change from time to time as I get new stamps or do something different with a stamp which then becomes a favourite, so I shall try to pick what I love right now.

My first is a new stamp, it's a Penny Black called Holiday Hugs, I adore it as it's just so cute and the ideal Christmas image for any age.  I have used it for cards and for a candle this year.

My second has to be a Sarah Kay, there are so many to choose from but the thing about Sarah Kay for me is the detail and I love colouring anything with lots of detail. This was my very first Sarah Kay stamp and I always go back to it time and again.

My third has to be my beloved House Mouse, but how do I pick favourites from them all ? But this one is just so sweet, I love it.

My fourth is I'm afraid another House Mouse, it is just so adorable, bless him.

My fifth is a Lily Of The Valley stamp, she was my first LOTV and will always be my favourite

Thank you for looking at my favourites. Tracy x

Thank you for taking the time to share you lovely work with us Tracy, call me plain nosy but I always enjoy reading what other crafters like to make and they favourite styles.

Our December Anything Goes theme is in full swing and runs through until 31st December so still plenty of time to join in for a chance to win the great prize on offer.