Blueberry, anyone?

I laughed my socks off when I read about Darnell's exploits with a pack of frozen blueberries, and I think Loll's idea to create birthday cards for Darnell with parts of the blueberry-stained mop-up card was genius.

Darnell's already got her birthday card from me but in the spirit of sharing, I've made a blueberry-splattered card for the CAS Watercolour Challenge.  The all-in-one stamp is from Woodware.

I'll stick to adding blueberries to my breakfast and my G&T (not the same meal, I might add!).

Go Wild On Your Birthday

What?  You've never seen a blue and white zebra before?  Really??  Me neither, but I thought, why not - after all, I'm in a monochromatic mood.  And that means I can play along with CAS Watercolour Challenge, Something Blue,

and while I'm at it, I'm also playing along with The Library Challenge - I'm going with the stripes.

And then there's Simon Says Wednesday Challenge, Masculine

and finally, Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes.

We're having miserable weather for June - even the teapot was trying to keep warm!

A Sneak Peek And A Couple of Challenges

Helloooo!  I've not been playing much in challenges lately, been a bit busy with one thing or another, including making samples for my new release of The Bee's Knees Christmas stamps.  Here's a little sneak peek of what I've been up to.  You'll get to see them in full next week:

I've managed to find time to make some cards for challenges this week.

My first card uses a tree from a NBUS Tim Holtz set, and a star from Technique Tuesday, all coloured with Distress Inks (of course!).

I'm entering this in CAS Watercolour Challenge - Tree:

and Simon Says STAMPtember Tim Holtz:

The second challenge is Twofer - Leaves:

I used the larger stamp from the Leaf Canopy set by Altenew to create a watercoloury birthday card using Distress Inks and spritzing (sentiment by Stamps By Me), and also a wedding card, which was totally inspired by this card of Karen Dunbrook's.  This time I stamped in my much-neglected Distress Oxides then die-cut the image.  The background was created with a 3D embossing folder (Crafters Companion Ornate Lace).  The sentiment is a peel-off (gasp!).  Don't judge, I've got a boxload of them to use up :D

Seize The Birthday - One Layer

Welcome to a new challenge at Seize The Birthday.  This time it's One Layer - scary for some, but I'm happy making one layer cards.  If it's not your thing, you can still play along with any birthday-themed project.

Ooh, I do like playing with these Jane Davenport stamps!  I used a very limited Distress Ink palette to watercolour, and a 0.5 fineliner to add a bit more detail.  The small sentiment is from Clearly Besotted.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from our surprise party guest, Kreative Kristie, and the rest of the team, and join in the birthday fun!

I'm entering this into CAS Watercolour Challenge - Birthdays

STAMPlorations Inspiration #155

It's inspiration time at STAMPlorations.  Just in case you haven't finished making all your Christmas cards, here's some more inspiration for you for a quick and easy card.  Using the Layered Snowman stamp set.

That largest solid shape makes a great bauble.  I inked it up with Distress Inks, spritzed and stamped, then stamped the outline image.  The chain is made up by stamping the three outline buttons repeatedly, then turning the stamp round and stamping in the spaces.  The snowflake comes from Winter Mug, and the sentiment comes from Layered Holly.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a gift certificate.

Throughout December all stamps, stencils, and dies (except for products in the New Release and Retiring categories) are 30% off with code HOLIDAY2017 (good for 1 time use only and not combinable with other codes).

With my STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY code you can get 20% off all other stamps, stencils and dies, and this code can be used as many times as you like.

I'm entering this into the CAS Watercolour Challenge Anything Goes

Falling Leaves

Autumn in my favourite season, I just love all the mouthwatering colours in the leaves, and the golden glow of the sun when it's lower in the sky.  Yesterday we got plenty of golden glow, with the weirdest weather I've seen in the UK - yellow half-light, almost like an eclipse, and a red sun, thanks to ex-hurricane Ophelia and dust from the wildfires in Spain and Portugal.  Getting other countries' weakened leftover weather is extreme as we get, thankfully.

I've just got my sticky little mitts on my new Layered Leaf stamps, from a new range of layered sets, and I couldn't wait to break them out and play with them.  They'll be debuting in early November, but for now here's a sneaky peek.

I'm playing along at CAS Watercolour Challenge's 1st birthday celebration, Fall Leaves.

  

and with Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Thinking of You.

Butterfly Sloshes

I've been sloshing Distress Re-inkers around again, this time in the shape of butterflies.  Well, sort of. I started by picking up some Festive Berries up with a broad-nibbed waterbrush, laid that down, then picked up some Mustard Seed and dropped that in.  Sloshed what was left on the brush all over the white space, added a sentiment (STAMPlorations Noteworthy 2) then scribbled some butterfly outlines with a black Posca pen.

I'm playing at CAS Watercolour Challenge, where the theme is Butterfly

And Simon Says Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Summer Sunshine

I'm over on the STAMPlorations blog tonight with some sympathy cards - here's a peek at one of them:

I'd love it if you popped over for a look at all three.

A Bit Of Culture, A Card And A Spotlight

First, a card:

I've been trying to play along with the current CAS Watercolour challenge, but nothing I've been making lately has been pink and green.  But I have a small stash of not-yet-blogged cards, so I had a peep through those and found this card.  I've used a set from Visible Image called Happy Birthday, which includes the flower and stalk.

Now for the culture.  We had a little jaunt into Liverpool today because I wanted to see the Minton floor at St George's Hall.  Most of the time this floor is covered to protect it, but every once in a while it's uncovered and you can pay a nominal amount to view it in all its glory.  Today was the last day of viewing before it gets covered up for a few more years. 

Reputed to be amongst the world's finest encaustic mosaic tiled floors, the last time it was uncovered was in 2015 for filming the latest Harry Potter movie, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.  

Normally there's a wooden floor laid to the level of the side steps to protect the tiles.  The outer walkway is accessible, but a lot of the colour has worn from those tiles.

The mythical Liver Birds are depicted in the design.

Ornate side doors.  Anybody else see a smiley face?

And now for the spotlight.  I'm over on the STAMPlorations blog tonight with a spotlight on the evolution of a card.  Here's a sneak peek.  

A Butterfly And A Night On The Tiles

Sometimes cards just make themselves.  (Well, not quite, but you know what I mean.)  I'd smooshed a greeny/yellowy panel, and it looked a bit like a butterfly, so the only thing to do was stamp a butterfly image over it!

I'm playing along at CAS Watercolour Challenge where the theme is Spring.

I'm over on the STAMPlorations blog tonight with a spotlight post on a set of four travertine tile coasters. Here's the orange one.  Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see what other colours I used.

STAMPlorations Inspiration #124

It's Inspiration Tuesday at STAMPlorations, and this week we're focusing on Deepti's stamps.  I've used the watering can from Friends and Flowers for my card, along with the middle-sized Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle nesting die.

The background panel is a smooshing of Pickled Raspberry, Mustard Seed and Inka Gold paste.  I stamped the image over the background then watercoloured it with Distress Inks (Brushed Pewter for the watering can).

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the rest of the design team, and don't forget to leave a comment there for your chance to win a gift certificate to the store.

For the next week, Deepti's stamps are 10% off, apart from Power of Words, which is 20% off.  And if you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you'll get an extra 20% off any stamps, dies and stencils in the store.  Bargain!

I'm entering this into CAS Mix Up 1st Birthday Celebrations - Stamping + Smooshing + my choice of watercolouring.  And die-cutting.

And also CAS Watercolour Challenge, where the theme is Spring.

Seize The Birthday - Lots of Leaves

Time for a new challenge at Seize The Birthday, and this week our topping is Lots of Leaves.

I had used Brusho powders through the leaf stencil to create a panel for another card, and there was plenty of colour left on the stencil after spritzing, so I turned it over and laid it onto mixed media paper to soak up all the colours and got this negative image with gorgeously blended purples and greens as a background.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some fabulous inspiration from the Design Team and our Surprise Party Guest, Sherrie K, and play along with us.

I'm entering this into CAS Watercolour - Autumn