Can't believe it's Friday

As the title of this post suggests this week has been a bit of a blur really - actually make that the last two and a half weeks. Hence not a lot of making has got done but thought I'd share a 'case'd' card (only to prove that I am still in blogland!).
I apologise if I haven't visited you this week but I can manage to spend some time today as this is the first day where I have felt anything remotely like human. Am not brilliant - but on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being tickety-boo), I am at least a 3 which is a marked improvement from 4 days ago where I felt minus 10 million!.

After Pinterest, I am getting a bit more adventurous using coloured card for CAS backgrounds - used a combo of stamps - main flowers are SU, leaves and flower bud are from Stampendous.

Stamped and heat embossed in white then watercoloured.
Flower heads stamped and hear embossed on vellum and a pop of green added in the centre of each.
Fussy cut and stuck over original image.
Few schparklies to finish!

Challenges -
Red Rubber Insp - CAS
Addicted to Stamps - CAS
Crafts 4 Eternity - No Patterned Paper
Just Inspirational - Heat Embossing
Tuesday Throwdown - Facets (Gems)
Polkadoodles - Flower Power

Thanks for all your good wishes -  visits to the Doc and a rush job to the Surgical Triage Unit for tests, tests and more damn tests are I hope behind me - will keep taking the tablets!
By the way - Eve (one of the Playground Playmates) has a give away on her blog here - ends next week!
Have a great weekend - we've got lots  and lots of lovely white stuff and bright blue skies -fabulous!! (Although sadly I haven't got enough energy to build a snowman!)

A bad week

The start of a new week and I still feel almost as bad as I did at the start of last week!
Doc gave me some pills to try and calm down the colicky spasms (which have worked a little bit) and then did a reasonably good Dracula impersonation by taking more than a few blood samples. All have gone off  for various tests. Results in the next couple of days so we will have to wait and see. I am NOT a good patient - I hate being ill! DH has the patience of a Saint.......

Have made virtually zilch too.  Tried to do some colouring yesterday - smudged the ink all over the place so it all ended up in the bin and I ended up snuggled back under my blanket!
I did manage to finish off a couple of cards (which didn't require me to THINK just stick!)
This was one of those 'am not sure' cards when it was finished but it has grown on me a little.

The papers are as old as me I think - distressed and stitched onto brown card then layered onto a lighter dark beige base. I cheated as the paper was 6" square and I only had one sheet left so just sliced it across the middle and positioned it top and bottom!

Rifled about in the lace baskets and found a few odd bits, layered it over and under some strips of scrap (I punched out scalloped edges).
Two die cut stems from an odd bit of cream card and a rose from my stash.
Finished with a scrap of the base paper, a tiny pearl button and some bronze pearls.
The sentiment was simply cut from an odd sheet of paper which had all different random words on it.
Lots of bits used so am sharing this in the Playground this week too.
Challenges -
Allsorts - Lace & Pearls
We Do Doobadoo - Romance
MAWTT - Button It
Crafters Cafe - Stitching
Fab n Funky- Button
Creative Card Crew - Shabby Chic
Thanks to everyone who sent me get well messages - am sorry I haven't been visiting very much - will try and get round - but the message may just be short! Hopefully it won't be too long till I get finally sorted! Enjoy your day. x

Sea

I have made very little this week - and what I have made has been pants! Have finally given in and made an appointment to see the doc tomorrow - am hoping that there is a quick remedy as I've had these cramps/pains and  been feeling completely wiped out like this since last Friday.
Consequently I haven't felt much like doing anything except feel sorry for myself! I know I'm poorly - I got new stamps and didn't even open the packet they came in for 2 days - OH was seriously worried.....LOL
Scanned through my drafts folder to share something and thought it was a little while since I posted a 'man' card so here's one!
I used coloured SU cardstock as my base (but can't remember what colour it is) and teamed it with some red. The striped paper is from K and Co and is part of a very large box which is that old it's as vintage as the image from a vintage male themed stamp set by Flonzcraft - stamped with Versamark 'Espresso' onto a scrap piece from another mat stack. Two small eyelets added before matting and a few corners punched out from the red scraps.

The little calendar pieces also from the 'scraps' box, simply torn up and shoved in

Used some red/white Bakers Twine, added the Anchor charm and stamped sentiment and finished off with 2 larger eyelets.


Challenges -
Ruby's Rainbow - Masculine Birthday
Crafty Gals - For a Boy/Man
Crafty Sentiments - For a Man
Cardz 4 Guyz - Anything Goes
Stampavie & More - Water

I am also dropping into the Snippets Playground for about 2 minutes - not well enough to be making snowmen or having snowball fights -  although the view outside is making me want to go sledging.....
this was taken yesterday - and it hasn't changed much today apart from the sky which is a bit clearer. Will try and stop by your blogs later. Have a great day whatever you're doing. x  

Friends

Have been a little bit under the weather in the last 36 hours, thankfully today am feeling a bit better but still not 100% and I think the fact that I wasn't up to doing much reflects in this card.

Now I look at it, I think I should have used textured instead of plain bright white card as although I know the idea with CAS is lots of white space there's too much uninteresting white space for my liking.  It didn't turn out quite the way I thought it would in my head - so it may or may not find it's way into the stash box!

The trellis design embossing folder used behind the die cut circle is an old and much used one.
I watercoloured the die cuts and popped a tiny green pearl into the centre of the largest flowers. And as there were just 3 left on the sheet I used them up!

The challenge at Less is More this week is 'Friends' and I have a feeling that I may have another go if I have time....

Other Challenges-
Dies r us - Embossing and Dies
Ladybug Crafts - Say it with Flowers
Uniko Studio - Love & Friendship
Quirky Crafts - Through the Window (Aperture)

Am away now back to the sofa, hot water bottle and fleecy blanket! Hope you are all having a good day and if you've left me a comment I really appreciate you taking the time xx

Wedding 1

Worked steadily the last few days in swelling the Macmillan stash box. Made a few specific occasion cards (Easter, Wedding Day etc) rather than my normal 'Do for Anything' (Just for You, Best Wishes) card in the hope that having a wide selection may tempt people to stock up for a few occasions!

The taking of this picture has caused me such angst!

I think my loved little camera may be about to go to the camera heaven in the sky... the colours are not true and there has been a lot of 'bleed' round the edges - this is the most passable pic but still not as sharp as I would have liked!
I used a 'Blossom' embossing folder (from an Oriental set) for the background, simply highlighted and layered image onto another piece of white card and ran some blingy round the edges and on the image itself.

The lace is from my stash, with a few pearls added and a die cut heart with a tiny organza bow.
The flowers were made using Spellbinders dies, popped on a corner die cut and a couple of punched ferny leaves and the inside decorated to match.

Challenges -
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes
MAWTT - Dies and Punches
Crafting 4 all Seasons - Ribbons/Lace/Pearls
Crafty Gals Corner - Sweet Hearts
Paper Shelter - Punches and Dies
Creative Moments - New Beginnings
Crafty Catz - New Beginnings

We've had quite a bit of snow today but thankfully the terrible high gales from last night have calmed down a bit! Thanks for stopping by - Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Some watercolour practice and a disaster!

Before Christmas I was lucky enough to get my grubby mitts on the 'Bloom With Hope' set (thanks Sylvia!). I made a card using one of the stamps but hadn't used any of the others, so yesterday with a couple of hours to spare I decided to make a one layer card and make the bright shiny stamps a bit inky!

The only thing with one layer cards is that if you make a mistake when stamping you're (to put it politely) knackered! And invariably the 'one layer' ends up becoming two.
Sadly I couldn't even do that with this one as I would have had to chop off too much - I stamped the bottom left of the card perfectly well, masking flowers as I went along.

Felt just a teeny smug as apart from one little smudge all appeared just fine. Turned my attention to the sentiment and placement - decided, stamped and again - just fine.

I left it alone for a while to give the ink chance to dry and then sat and spent a relaxing time using some new watercolours. Was happy!

The I decided (foolishly) that the top right looked a little bare - so I stamped again using just the smallest flower- fine. Masked over the stamp to add the tiniest bit of leaf and the damn mask slipped - hence what can only be described as the jumbly ink mass in the top tight trying to be disguised with watercolour. I was SO mad!

OH said it looks fine so have bitten the bullet and shared it. (Not before adding a couple of sequins and two of the tiniest gems!)
 Challenges -
Less Is More -  1 layer/New beginnings
Quirky Crafts - CAS
Virginia's View - Clean Slate
Simon Says Stamp - New
Happy Little Stampers - watercolouring (CAS)

We're still being battered by very strong winds here - the moor top certainly can whip up the worst winds I have ever experienced! But there's something about being all warm and cosy when the wind hail/sleet is battering against the windows isn't there! Thanks for calling by - stay warm and safe wherever you are. x

A change

2 posts in 2 days has to be a bit of a record  - I used to be able to join in with all the challenges at Less Is More but last year with so many other things going on things went a little bit astray and I didn't get to enter as often as I would have liked.
When I saw the challenge this week of 'Black, Metallic and 1 other colour', I had a 'light bulb' moment and remembered I had seen

something on Pinterest (where else?) that I had sketched into the 'Ideas' folder -and which fitted the challenge!

A bit of a change for me using black cardstock as the base and I was tempted to put it onto white card first but changed my mind.

The frame and the never before used die cut sentiment both cut from odd scraps of gold metallic card - it has a lovely sheen and is not quite so 'in your face' as mirri card.

Stamped onto bright white, popped it behind the frame and I simply had to add the 3 tiny gold pearls......!!!!

Other challenges -
Pixies Playground Week 158
Top Tip Tuesday - Keep it Simple

Am having another couple of hours in the craft room today -weather here is alternating bewteen massive hailstones and brilliant sunshine!
Thanks for looking. x

Another Baby!

Have done a few different things the last couple of days - Mr Mojo went walkabout for a day or two so made a couple of CAS cards which I will share another time (sometimes it is easier for me to just do something plain and simple when my brain will not handle layers and layouts) and also once Mr Mojo put in a (very short) appearance, finished off the baby cards.

This LOTV image is from their 'Babies' Art Pad - (I have found these images a little 'foggy' for me so when ever I use one I always end up with the Distress Inks or promarkers out and colour them again!)
I cut the image out with the fancy oval dies then coloured the background with pastel chalk, I then decoupaged the baby and coloured it using the aforementioned DI's!
I added a wee bit of glamour dust to the bottom of the dress and to the Cross.
The Guipure lace was a Christmas present from a crafting buddy - it's so pretty and has a lovely shine to it.

The backing paper is from my stash (I think a Prima pad) as are the flowers and pearls.
Used a tag die for the sentiment and finished with a tiny white shoestring bow - and of course used up more papers to co ordinate the inside.
Challenges -
Creative Inspirations - Finished with a Bow
Crafters Cafe - New
Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes
S.O.S - Use something new (my lace)
Die Cut Divas - Anything goes (w/die)
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Rubys Rainbow - What Santa Brought (Lace)
Inspiration Destination #15 - Anything Goes

Another CAS day I think for me today! Hope you all are having a great day. x

New

I am intending  to stick to my promise about no more paper buying and keep using up what I have use up what I have. I am not averse though to printing paper!!! But am not going to buy any as I have far too many paper packs which are largely unused and have decided that the less I spend on paper the more I can spend on stamps and other stuff!

Have been able to have crafty couple of days and am trying to swell the 'Pink' box - which for a lot of this year will be 'green' cos we've adopted  Macmillan this year as the County's charity, so I am intending to split the proceeds from the sales 60- 40  with the larger portion going to Macmillan for this bowling season. 

I have had a bit of a 'baby fest' as these are for the 'box' and here's the first of 3 finished yesterday.
I used some pastel chalk to take the white glare from the background and hopefully little 'rocking baby' stands out a bit more! He has been highlighted with Distress Inks and Promarkers to give the colours more definition.

The papers are by Nitwits (from my stash) and I found the letters in another (unused) paper pad! Attached them with a little wooden peg and popped on 3 blue buttons.
Finished off by continuing the papers inside (in an attempt to keep using!)
 Challenges -
Buckwells - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
That's Crafty - Blue
Gem of a Challenge - Something New
Dragons Lair - New Beginnings
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Another day in the crafty space for me today - have a great day whatever you're doing and if you've left me a comment or just called by, thank you! xx