10 days????

Cannot believe it is 10 days since I last posted! All of the days are now blurring together a little although we have been blessed with in the main good weather - just 2 days of drizzly rain - notably when the MEN arrived for the start of their 2 weeks! The ladies had great weather for their Championships!

So another full couple of weeks left for me - the rest of the National Championships (until Sunday) then off on another road trip for 2 more Celebration matches next week, a day at home then away to Yorkshire for the Northern Counties Championships. This will be followed by a trip to the Junior Mens' Internationals in Oxford AND THEN I SHALL BE HOME AND ABLE TO SLEEP IN MY OWN BED FOR MORE THAN ONE SINGLE NIGHT!!!!!! 

I had a bit of an inky session though on my day off but one is not finished so can't show it! This one was done also on Sunday - a CASE of one that I saw on Pinterest a long long time ago.
It is a mixture of a digital bird cage stamp printed in black onto white textured card  then over-stamped with a foliage stamp in Shabby Shutters DI. It is a tiny (old) stamp and I can't remember where it came from but know it was part of a set originally!
Used up some old striped cardstock (which I bought the last time I visited a craft show in 2013!) layered onto black, stamped the sentiment then die cut, added some black ribbon and a few black pearls.
Probably not everyone's fave colour combo but hey not bad effort considering it was just from a few bits I brought with me!

I am longing to get home properly as I have some new dies and stamps to play with.... roll on 17th September!
Challenges -
Use Your Stuff - Anything Goes
Paper Nest Dolls' - Anything Goes
Pennys paper Crafty - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Once again thanks so much for sticking with me whilst I am blogging so infrequently - just that at the end of the day I am so darn tired I don't have the energy to do anything!x
Have a great time whatever you're doing until I catch up with you again. x

A Day of Rest!

At the end of week 2 and in preparation for the start of week 3 of the Championships I was given a day off today. Apart from one day in the last 2 weeks the weather has been kind to the ladies and so we're hoping for more of the same over the next 2 weeks when the men's championships gain momentum.

I found a couple of hours after the ironing this morning to make this card - I brought some bits with me and this has been the first time I have been inclined (or had the energy) to put anything together. The pic though was taken on my phone so if it's showing dark, fuzzy and awful I apologise!
No stamping done yet - I am gong to add a sentiment when I get home I think....
Papers are from the Prima's Stationers Desk pad which I won some time ago in a challenge over at the Playground - loved it when I saw it and love it even more now I have it!
Layered onto Kraft paper before putting onto the white base card. Distressed all the edges with Antique Linen DI - if I'd have been at home I probably would have stitched them!
A doily, some roses dusted with a little liquid pearls, small metal hanger with a scrap of vintage lace, a metal scissor embellie and a few pearls - job (almost) done! Will finish it off when I get home in the middle of September and then it will go in the stash box.
Challenges -
Crafting by Designs - 3 or more layers
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
Gem of a Challenge - 1 for the Girls
Simply Create too - Anything Goes
My internet connection is OK at the mo so am going to catch up on some of my commenting before meeting up with some friends early evening for a meal.
Thanks for calling in - hope you are having a good day whatever you're doing. x

A Catch Up

I have a stable internet connection at the mo so popped on for a quick visit. Once again though am pleading for forgiveness as I haven't enough time to visit you all right now. Today saw the start of the second week of four of the National Championships and I have been really busy with the rest of the Presidential team.
Also I have discovered that I am WELL out of practice at getting up at silly o'clock (6.30am) - and being on my feet for most of the day until around 7pm each evening - daft really cos when I was at work I was up every morning at 5.45 and regularly worked a 12 hour shift!! - So I have been really tired this last week.
I have a quick card to share - one that was in my drafts folder (brought some crafty stuff away with me but haven't been awake enough to do anything!).
This card was born when I was making a mess with  inks and somewhere in the recess of my brain I think it is probably a CASE of one I saw on Pinterest - so if it was yours I thank you for the inspiration!
Just my fave white linen textured card and a snippet of the same used to ink up the scene.
Heat embossed the stamp in Weathered White embossing powder and dabbed an embossing pen along the bottom before embossing again.
Sentiment inked in versarmark.

That's it from me - have to iron my shirt and whites for tomorrow!

Thanks for calling in - I hope it won't be too long before I can call on you all - in the meantime thank you for keeping visiting - I REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE IT!! xx

Challenges -
Pixies Playground - Snippets
ABC - O for Open (Anything Goes)
Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Anything Goes with a Die

 Tattered Lace are this months sponsors over at  Stamping Sensations and our challenge theme is 'Anything Goes with a Stamp and a Die'. They are very generously offering one lucky winner a £50 store voucher to spend at their on line store
I am currently away for the entire month at the National Championships so I hope my scheduled post behaves itself and publishes!

This was a reasonably quick card using coloured cardstock from SU throughout.
I really  like the pale green which probably has some delicious name (as all the SU cardstock does!) and I used that as my base.

I used an Indigo Blue large script stamp inked in Vintage Sepia onto the lighter card then matted onto dark brown.

The birdcage die is from Memory Box and I think the Ivy and tiny bird are Marianne (but don't quote me!).

I used a snippet of the base card for the ivy trail and whilst still in the die sponged on some Shabby Shutters DI  which highlighted the 'veins' in the leaves.
The little birdie got the same treatment and the birdcage was cut from another piece of the left over darker card, so this will be going into Pixies Snippets Playground!
Finished it with s small green pearl and a tiny stamped tag.

Challenges - (to be linked if I have time!)
Glitter n Sparkle - Anything Goes
Paper Creator - Dies
Gem of a Challenge - Birds

Thanks for looking - hope you can find time to join us this month too! x