The view from here!

Just a very quick post as I'm getting ready for dinner..... here's what I am currently waking up to every morning!

see you in a couple of weeks!

The silliness of Supermarkets

I HATE supermarkets with a passion, so much so that it's normally OH who does the shopping. It's a rare occasion when I actually do a trolley dash but I force myself to push the wire thing with the wheels that never go in the direction you want them to when I need all the bitty stuff us women like to take on holiday with them - you know the stuff I mean - all those 'I'll buy it and take it just in case' things....... my bathroom cupboard already has several items of the 'buy it and take it just in case' items and still I buy more......
so - it was on one of the rare recent 'avoid the people who insist on having conversations in the middle of aisles' outings that I saw................... CHRISTMAS CRACKERS/WRAPPING PAPER/SHORTBREAD IN TARTAN AND RIBBON FESTOONED TINS etc etc

Come on - give me a break - I haven't even had my SUMMER yet...... why do supermarkets do it? Does anyone actually buy Christmas stuff now? If you do, can you remember where you've put it at Christmas when you actually need it? I've heard about avoiding the Christmas rush but THIS IS RIDICULOUS - it's only SEPTEMBER!

I was so inspired by the baubles and tinsel I made this christmas card - actually it had nothing to do with being inspired by the silliness of the supermarket and more to do with Maureen sending me two of these latest stamps from Wild Rose Studio.....

I adore, adore, adore the Annabelle and her big hat collection - every single one of them... I resisted buying them all (have a couple of spas to pay for over the next two weeks - LOL) but dipped into the piggy bank and bought two - and of course one simply has to have the matching papers dahling!

I coloured with promarkers, distressed round the edges and added a bit of glitter. Some of that white stuff that froths up when heated onto the post box and a white gel pen to highlight.

Stitched the backing papers which were both matted onto dark green card.
The tiny Christmas envelopes were in a pack I have had when I ventured into the world of flowersoft about 10 years ago -  (I couldn't bear to touch it actually, but kept the bits I'd bought that went with it!), I just cut them out individually and put them onto the bottom of the card.

The flowers were from my stash, and the gorgeous deep green leaves were a present from Alessandra. The red pearl and the crystal gem drops also from stash and I finished it all off with a dark green satin bow.

Challenges-
Ruby's Rainbow - Pearls/Flowers/Glitter
Fashionista - Anything Goes Christmas
Jingle Bells - Going Postal
Stampin 4 the Weekend - Start Christmas Early ( as the supermarkets do....LOL)
Craft Your Passion - Bling/Ribbon/Distress
Corrosive Challenges - Animal Companions

Thanks for visiting - hope you like the first Christmas Card of 2012 - am off to put all the 'things I bought just in case' into the suitcase!  x

CAS

Have no idea where the last couple of days have gone!  Promised myself some 'me' time today and happily played away in the craftie space once I got home from a shopping for a few last minute bits and pieces...
Finished off two rather OTT fancy creations, which I'll share at a later date and also remembered to pop on some ribbon to this one!

I am not a 'fussy and fancy' sympathy card  kind of person at all. Although I have seen some beautiful intircate and heavily embellsihed sympathy cards I alwasy think that you wouldn't have the inclination to aprreciate them whilst you're feeling so very sad. So I opt instead for plain basic ones - after all it's the thought that counts!

This was another quickie card made for my stash box - I have none whatsoever that actually say' with sympathy' - have a few that could be used as sympthy cards but none with the actual sentiment, so thought I'd rectify that by making a couple.
I used autumnal colours as that's what the weather is currently like here!
I masked off a rectangle with some post it's, and then used some of my fave colours from the DI drawer - Barn Door, Wild Honey and Dried Marigold.

The tree stamp has never seen ink until now (to my shame) and I bought it on a trip to the NEC two years ago! I used Brushed Corduroy DI on both tree and sentiment.

The stamped piece has been sat on the desk for a few days whilst I decided if I was going to leave it bare, add a couple of pearls (I stick pearls on everything given half a chance....), or add something else. In the end I opted to wrap a piece of scrap ribbon round it and then layer it onto a slightly larger card.

Challenges -
Ribbon Carousel - Sympathy
Creative card Crew - Tree
Creative Belli - Autumn
Lexis - Autumn Colours
Twisted Tuesday - Sympathy
C.R.A.F.T - Autumn  

Thanks for visiting and if you've left a comment, I really appreciate you taking the time!
Supposed to be our Club Finals Day tomorrow and the forecast is just dreadful - so I may manage some more time making messy before the big suitcase pack starts on Tuesday!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. x

Bad Penny

Like a bad penny I've turned up again! I've also turned up the heater in the craftie space... my goodness it's been chilly here today - long sleeves, a cardi and socks have been donned this evening. Ah but only SEVEN more 'sleeps' till the big getaway! Well actually it's more like six and a half 'sleeps' seeing as how the flight is at some silly o'clock time but just think, I will be sunning myself in my favourite hotel, being spoiled rotten some 8 hours later! Are we there yet??????? LOL

Sorry - get back to the card...

I had some fun with stamps and ink for a change after being inspired on pinterest - I lurk about on there as you can get some fab ideas when your mojo has gone awol....

This is a layered card, made using linen textured paper.
The stamps are a mixture from Viva Decor, Personal Impressions and Hero Arts and the inks were also a hotch potch of different makes - Simply Red not by Mick Hucknall (!!) but a cheapie pigment ink bought in the bargain bin of somewhere or other, Wild Honey distress ink and Salmon Adirondack Lights.
Considering I just stamped using stuff laying about on the desk, it's not turned out too bad (well I think so anyway!).
The huge red button is from Mum's button box and the ribbon is from my stash.
The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Challenges -
My Mum's Craft Shop - Buttons
Paperminutes - No designer paper
One Stop Craft - No Floral embellies
Love to Create - Ribbon
Totally Stampalicious - Ribbon
Sparkles Monthly - Nature

That's it from me for today - am away to look through blogland before bed! x

Vintage again!

A warm welcome to all my new followers - it's lovely to see you and I hope you'll drop by often!
After a very busy and long day on Saturday I had a mega 'chill out' yesterday and spent all day making cards and finishing all the half done ones! This card fest produced a total of 6 completed ones so I was feeling very pleased with myself.
I also cleaned off all the bits from the desk so I am now sat here with the finished articles and a desk that OH says loos like we've been burgled..........
Here's one to share for today -
I finally got stuck into the 5th Avenue papers which must have been here for over 6 months...!
This was quite a quick card to make and was inspired by one seen over on Pinterest.

Covered some card with the papers then attached some pearls to the scallop at the top right. The heavy lace is from my stash.

I used a K and Co die cut tag and covered it with some of the papers, and added some more lace and a string of tiny pearls, finishing with some pink satin ribbon through the tag at the top and three more pearls to the top left.
I punched out a butterfly, gave it a quick dusting with Spun Sugar DI and some glitter and once in position on the card stuck a pearl flourish from the bottom leading to the pearl string on the tag. I added a small pearl heart button.
Stamped a sentiment in Vinatge Sepia on the bottom and then co-ordinated the inside with the same papers.

The 'flower' was made using more papers from the stack, cut out with varying sizes of scalloped edged nesties, distressed, misted with water, scrunched, secured together with a brad then given a glitter treatment! The leaves are from a Marianne die.

Challenges -
Come and Get It - (Pearls Lace, Die Cut)
Card Making Mama's - Heart
Digi doodle Shop - Handmade flowers
Paper Shelter - Tag You're It
Stamp and Create - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Blast From the Past - Challenge 106 - Die Cuts/Punches
Cupcake Craftroom - Pretty Pastels
Live and Love Crafts - Lace/Trim
Cards Galore - Ribbon/Lace/Button

Off for a cuppa and a trawl through blogland! x

Camera skills

How annoying is it when you cannot get a decent pic of something no matter how hard you try?!
I have been in front of 3 different windows in the craftie space, outside on the top of the recycling centre (well not ME, but I put what I wanted to photograph on the top of it...), laid down on the grass, placed on top of some real pretty cream lace, on top of plain white card, put onto dark card, taken on 'Auto' setting, 'Close Up' setting -  you name it, I've tried it and now I confess to being competely and absolutely defeated!

I was such a happy person when I finished this 'cos I thought it was sooo pretty and one of my better efforts at vintagey. My followers and friends will know that I am rarely satisfied with my creations - marks her report card - can do better!!! But this was one that I was pleasantly pleased with......... such a shame that my camera skills do not extend to a faithful reproduction!

But will describe it for you anyway - all the papers used inside and out are from Prima Botanicals pad.(Scrummy!!!).

 

Distressed, edges inked with Antique Linen DI and stitched onto cream cardstock.

I folded over the top right corner to reveal another paper layer and secured it with a metal bird charm.

 

Collaged elements (postcards, stamp etc) all taken from same paper stack.

The birdcage was painted with white acrylic paint, then I rubbed Weathered Wood and Peeled Paint DI over it and sealed it with some gloss Mod Podge.

I threaded some seam binding (coloured with Vanilla promarker) therough the top of the cage and secured with a flower.
The cream heavy lace is from my stash as are all the flowers - (which are in real life a soft peach colour hence my annoyance with the pic!). I added some glamour dust to the flowers and a pearl flourish.
I inked the edges of the tag with Dried Marigold DI, stamped the sentiment with Vintage Sepia, coloured the string with the same vanilla promarker and added a few more pearls. The tag is secured behind a punched, inked and glittered tiny butterfly.

Challenges -
Crafts and Me - Add a Flower
Crafter's Cafe - Stitching
Everybody Art - Vintage
Craft Room Challenge - Vintage
Crafty Cardmakers - Winged Things
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop- Lace and Pearls
Ribbon Girls - Pearls
Penny's Paper Crafty - Sew Charming
My Mum's Craft Shop- Anything Goes

It's been a nice day here, although not warm enough to be out and about without a jumper! But at least the sun is shining.... thanks for calling in - enjoy the rest of your day. x

Happy Monday! It's a gloriously sunny day here (summer has arrived at last!), so a quick post and then am off out to soak up some rays!
...... have you ever had an idea in your head then when you've put it all together it doesn't remotely resemble what you pictured in your head? This was one of those occasions.....
the 'man' card doesn't look anything like what I wanted it to but as I've constructed it, thought I'd better post it!

The Artemio stamps I bought a little while ago as I thought they were perfect for man/vintage cards - sadly my creativity hit rock bottom when I came to actually making!

The backing paper is by K and Co, the large compass/script collage stamp inked with several colours of Distress Ink and stamped direct to the backing paper, masking off the area where I was going to put the plane.

Plane stamped direct to paper with Sepia Versamark then stamped again onto a scrap of card, cut out and popped on with 3d pads.

Used Kraft paper for the suitcases, the sentiment is from an Inkylicious set and collaged some tiny postcards from a Prima paper stack.

I added a metal corner flourish, a TH disc secured with some string and a tiny camera charm which I tied to the handle of one of the cases.

Then I made the fatal mistake of thinking that the plane needed 'something'... couldn't decide what really and the glossy accents was in my opinion not a good idea...  maybe I would have been better stamping the plane in black ink rather than the Vintage sepia colour but hey ho too late now!!!!


Submitting this into the following challenges -
TIOT - Travel
Card Crafters Circle - For the Fellas
Squirrel and the Fox - 1 for the Men
Simply Create Too - So Old/Vintage
Hooked on Crafts - Cards for men

Hope the sun is also smiling down on you wherever you are! x