A BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAY GIFT.....

I just had to share this fabulous work of art with you all, and no I didn't make this one peeps!! It was hand-made and sent to me for my birthday this week, by the lovely

Gini at A Little Bit of Shiny

 (I did ask her permission to post it here). To say that I am thrilled to bits is an understatement! The detail is amazingly beautiful and I do hope that Gini will soon be letting us know, on her blog, how she created this masterpiece.

The wistful lady leaning from her tower is "Flora" from a painting by Evelyn de Morgan. I was fortunate enough to see the original painting in an art gallery several years ago, and I

absolutely love it.

Hope you will all pop over to Gini's fabulous blog - her tall stories are amazing!

Enjoy the sunshine - Love and Hugs, Sylvia xxxxx

FABULOUS FRIEND TILDA!

Hi peeps - has anyone else had problems downloading a new Blog background recently, (not the new Blogger ones, but Shabby Blogs, Ingrids etc), or is it just me? Each time I try to add the code into the Add A Gadget thingy, it keeps asking for a title, and the whole code ends up in the side-bar! Anyway, after many frustrating hours I have ended up with just a new Banner so I've changed from Minima, to Stretch Minima, to fill up the width of the page. As it happens, I quite like the result, but I would love to hear if anyone else has been having the same problem. 

So lovely bloggers, the real reason I'm here is to share a card which I have made for a good friend of mine, and as I haven't entered any challenges recently I am popping it into the Just Magnolia Challenge which is "In the Garden" (well, it does have some flowers on, and at a glance the pleated vellum looks a bit like a fence - albeit with a lace trim)!!

The base card is pale green Bazzill, the BP is from American Crafts, attached with machine stitching (see if you can spot the missing stitch)!!
The pleated strip is made from vellum, (quite easy to do on a score board), and I edged this with lace which has also been attached with machine stitching. The flowers are Kaiser Craft with pearls added to the centres. 

Tilda has been stamped with Coffee Archival Ink then coloured with Copics and glitzed up with Glamour Dust. Edges of the Nestie die cut are inked with Milled Lavender DI.

The sentiment and oval punch are both from SU.

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Going away for a couple of days - will see you when I get back!

Love and hugs - Sylvia xxxxxxx

DU2DS CHALLENGE 40 - BLOOMS AND BUTTERFLIES!

Hi lovely bloggers - hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine, wherever you are. 

Can't believe that two weeks have passed by since the last DU2DS Challenge. There were lots of fabulous entries, and I'm sure you will all love this fortnight's summery theme too - Blooms and Butterflies! 

If you click on the DU2DS link above, you will find full challenge details, and some inspiration from the DT.

The beautiful image on my DT card is "Love Flutterby" from Phindy's Place, coloured with Copics and distress ink around the edges. Some simples punched flowers (with dewdrop centres) and butterflies, an MS punched border and a little wonky machine stitching.
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If you pop over to Sketching Stamper you will find lots of beautiful digi images including some fab. flowers (and look out for the brand new Doggie - awwwww)!
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Look forward to seeing all your lovely creations.

Love and hugs, Sylvia xxxxxxxxx

RED, WHITE AND BLUE AT THE DU2DS CHALLENGE!

Hi everyone on this beautiful sunny morning!

Here is my first DT card for Dare You To Digi Stamp Friday Challenge. Hope you will join us this week - the theme is Red, White and Blue.  In case you hadn't heard, it's World Cup fever time (!)  but your choice of digi image does not necessarily have to be a football one. I have to confess I am not a huge footy fan, but I found this fabulous image called

"No Girls Allowed" at Squigglefly, and I love it. Maybe having a son and a daughter, and two grandsons with sisters, it rang a few bells!!

I have used Copics to colour the image, distressed the edges of the white and red card with scissors, (pity the red card isn't straight!), added a computer-generated sentiment under the Nestie aperture. Circles punched down the edge, with red and blue circles attached to the inside of the card - oh, nearly forgot - a touch of Glamour Dust on Tamara's shoes and belt!!!!

Look forward to seeing what fabulous creations you come up with - in the meantime have a fabulous weekend.

Love and Hugs, Sylvia xxxxx