Seed heads

Spent the last few days trying to find a short holiday and finally managed it yesterday - just one small point though - we go tomorrow!
So it's been literally a "chuck everything in the suutcase quick" kind of day!
In between this week I have managed to do a couple of cards, one or two inspired by Pinterest (of course!), and have started to try and put together a commisioned card which I confess for some unknown reason is proving really difficult.
Can't raise enthusiasm for it - so I know that although I have enjoyed my year so far it has actually been very tiring  - the travelling especially - and I think I DO need a few days rest doing not a lot except lazing about.
The pic isn't too good on this card - it's not very sharp (a bit like me!) - but the stamping IS - not blurred like it shows here!

This was a 'necessity' make for someone who is not very well - but didn't want a 'Get Well Soon' type of card as it isn't appropriate.

My fave white linen card used throughout.
The poppy head stamps are eons old and may have been bought at a long ago visit to the NEC. Same with the script stamp - eons old!

Used some Distress inks  (Wild Honey/Scattered Straw/Mustard Seed/Squeezed Lemonade) on a scrap piece of card, stamped the poppy and script and then tied round the trim.
Stuck onto another piece of card then layered onto the base card.

Am popping this into the Playground as I did use a couple of pieces of scrap for the layers.
Am hoping to get internet connection whilst I am away so will be able to keep in touch.

Other Challenges -
Crafts 4 Eternity - Handwriting
RRR- Orange plus trim
Addicted to Stamps - Make your Mark
Crafty Creations - It takes 2
Retro Rubber - Ombre

Catch up with you all soon. x

A long time....

You may be forgiven if you think the title of this post refers to me being absent for so long.... well suppose it does really(!!) 'cos I have! (Back at home now for a little while although I am trying to book a PROPER holiday - just for a week, but somewhere warm where I can just chill out and relax. Not having a lot of success finding somewhere at the mo....)
But the title also refers to this commissioned card which I finished a couple of weeks back.

A Diamond Anniversary - now that IS as long time isn't it!
I was happy with this when it was finished - although I really do NOT like taking pics of pearlised card as it never shows up well to me.

Embossed background and layered onto the base card. The sentiment was PC generated then cut out with a Marianne die. I placed some glitter paper behind it - again this hasn't shown up well buy looks really sparkly in real life!

The roses were made using what has to be one of my fave dies - and used up the leftovers from the base card in the process!  I love making these flowers, they look so delicate when finished. I added some glittery stuff to the edges of the petals and then punched out some leaves and ferny bits in both glitter paper and pearly paper, using up more leftovers - (Playground for me I think!)

I added a large corner die and popped a couple of small flourishes -which are the bits cut out from the corner die (waste not want not) behind the roses.
A small bow secured with a very sparkly diamond buckle, a couple more bits of bling and job done.

Challenges -
613 Avenue Create - Love me Do
Glitter n Sparkle - Beginning with 'G' (Gems/Glitter/Glitter paper)
Crafty Gals Corner - Bingo (2+layers/Embossing/Bling and Flowers/Ribbon/2+layers)
As You Like It - Fave die  (The Spellbinders die for the Roses)
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Cupcake Inspirations Challenge 327

A  massive thank you to all my bloggin buddies who have called in and left comments for me whilst I have been doing the Bowls England Presidential Team bit over the summer months... I have appreciated that you all remain visitors and more importantly friends! x

Sew Special

Stamping Sensations challenge this month is 'Sew Special' and we're sponsored by Sizzix with a fab prize so hope you can join in with us!
Here's my card -

and as the challenge theme suggests it's all to do with sewing!

The papers are from Melissa Frances' Classic Elegance' pad.
Distressed and stitched the background paper onto grey then white card before adding all the different layers.

All the distressing done with Pumice Stone DI or Weathered Wood DI.

I turned down the corner of the third layer before hand stitching the button Then machined the whole layer three quarters of the way round onto the base card.

Rolled up some material scraps and stuck them behind the turn down to imitate fabric rolls.

Added some lace and some cream seam binding ribbon, hanging the metal scissors charm from the centre of the bow.

All the stamps were from a free set with a card making magazine and the buttons are from my stash.
Other Challenges -
Come and Get It - Buttons and Bows
House of Cards - Stitching
Allsorts - Lots of Layers
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
CFTH - Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes

Thanks for taking the time to pop in today. I am home for a few days from the middle of this week so am looking forward to catching up with all that you've been doing whilst I've been doing my 'duty' elsewhere! x

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

Just Hangin' Around

Flags and bunting out!!! It happened!! I got to spend a few hours today in my little craftie space! Not that I did much - LOL
Did a DT card so I am still a couple of months ahead with these (just so I don't get into a panic- or even worse get too busy and away too much to fulfil the commitment) and generally then just mooched about!
Am thinking of taking some stuff with me this trip away cos I am away for the whole month - even if I just colour some things up it will give me something to relax to?
So here is a little make

and 'cos I used some snippets for the branch and the flowers I'm going to the Playground! See all this spare time ( 1 whole day) has gone to my head...

Back to the card.
I used plain white cardstock and sponged a little blue ink on the top.
The embossed bottom was done using an embossing folder which I think was free with a mag, then just dabbed a little green ink on the grasses.

I cut the branch from a scrap of brown card then punched out the tiny flowers from pink scraps.

The image is of course LOTV, layered up onto foam pads and positioned over the branch.
Sentiment also LOTV.

Weather here has been awful today - I am hoping it improves for the month of the National Championships which start on Saturday (hence my being elsewhere for the month of August!)

Challenges -
Glitter n Sparkle - Use the letter 'B' (Baby, Bunny, Branch, Blue)
Crafty Sentiments - Baby
Fab n Funky - No Patterned papers
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a sentiment
Fantastic Tuesday - Anything goes but Make it feminine

Thanks for visiting - off to do the ironing!Have a great time until I get chance to call in on you all (whatever you're doing!!) xx

Wildflowers

Yet another week passed and the only crafting I have done was to finish off a commissioned card and stamp up some images before setting off on the travels again. Spent a few days in Scotland again this last week - this time with the Under 25 (called Junior!!) Internationals. They made it 3 wins out of 3 for England in the Home Internationals Series so far - Senor men and women all winning earlier this season, now the under 25 women so the under 25 men have a tough act to follow in September!

Have a card to share done with some of my fave stamps.
Love the watercolor effect achieved with Rubbernecker stamps - so little effort on my part except to add the ink to the stamp!
I did a whole batch of cards with this stamp for my own stash box.
A few done in more muted pinks and lilacs as Sympathy and Get Well cards.
I have such little spare time at the mo and am seriously suffering crafting withdrawals and blogland absences!

 I also nearly missed claiming a prize I had won as I couldn't visit blogland every day either!

Back to the card. Basic bright white cardstock.
The stamps inked in Distress Inks - Barn Door, Seedless Preserve  and Peeled Paint.
Sentiment from the same stamp set.

Challenges -
Sweet Stampin - No Designer paper
Alphabet Challenge - K for Kind thoughts
4 Crafty Chicks - CAS
Fantasy Stampers - Pretty Petals
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a sentiment
Quirky Crafts- White

Off away again tomorrow but home at the weekend for 3 whole days, maybe some crafting time????

Thanks for taking the time to keep visiting me - I am missing visiting you all as often as I used to but it's good to know you're all still there! x

I am missing days.....

Where has this week gone???? Can't believe it's so long since I last posted.

Unusually for me, I was asked to make a card similar to one made some time ago - normally I don't do two of anything but as I liked the stamp (!!) and because of the special circumstances I said 'yes'! It is for the same recipient and the last card (although kept tucked away in a drawer) is rather the worse for wear so this duplicate will be put into a box frame and hung on a wall as a piece of artwork.

I love this stamp! It reminds me so much of happy days spent collecting shells on the beach with my Mum. Hence the sentiment.
I coloured it with Distress Inks then stitched it onto a scallop frame.
The papers were just found in my paper collection download box and the colour reminded me of sand.

Added some striped ribbon and a Martha Stewart shell type border and a printed vintage style postcard before using some scrunched up fabric, a pearl buckle and a variety of seashells.
The little tags were found in a drawer and I put a tiny silver metal flip flop charm to finish.

Challenges -
Eclectic Ellapu - (Purple team) Favourite Holidays
Glitter n Sparkle - Summer Sunshine
Pile it on - By the water
Suzy Bees - A/Goes - Twist - On the Beach
Craft for the Craic - Summertime
Fussy and Fancy - Beach Fun
Crafty Catz - Summertime
Dragonfly Dreams - Midsummer delights

Have stamped up a few images today and have a free day tomorrow so am hoping to do something constructive craft wise!
Am away at the end of the week at the Junior Womens Internationals - hoping that the weather is a bit more beach like than it is now - cos it's pouring down!!!
Thanks for keeping with me whilst I am blogging so infrequently - I appreciate it very much.xx

Christmas In July - and all the news!

Warning - LONG POST!!
The months are just ticking by and Stamping Sensations challenge this time is called 'Feature a Creature'. Little Claire are our sponsors too so as always a fab prize offered!

I confess that this was a stern challenge for me as would you believe I hardly own ANY animal stamps at all! Scratched my head a little then remembered this Hedgie Trio which would you believe was part of a challenge win!
They're actually quite a cute little triplet I think - so I stamped with Versamark Ink onto a piece of scrap card, coloured them with Promarkers and then fussy cut.

It seemed a little bit strange for me getting out sparkly card stock at this time of year - I am not the 'make Christmas cards all year round' kind of person and it's usually December before I even start thinking about it!
I just cut out a couple of 'slopes' then stamped the image again onto the slope using Stazon- which I've found is the only ink I don't smudge when stamping direct onto glitter  card - so I got the marks left in the snow by the sledge. With the snippets of glitter card used my 'Country Landscape' die to cut out some houses and trees - really fiddly sticking them individually but it provided the effect I wanted!

The blue 'sky' paper is from my stash.
I used up the rest of the scraps of sparkly card for the snowflakes.
Sentiment also stamped with Stazon

Challenges -
Paper Creator - Christmas in July
Glitter n Sparkle - Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar - Christmas In July
CSAYL - Snow/Glitter
Kitty Bee - Christmas In July
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Simply Create 2 - Get ahead for Christmas
Winter Wonderland - All that Glitters
and am also popping across to Pixies Snippets Playground this week.

So what have I been up to  recently - following on from the England Senior Ladies in Leamington, I then went to Hamilton Scotland for the Senior Men's Internationals. Another great win for Team England who took the title from the Scots in their own back yard - someone commented to me that 'even Dick Turpin wore a mask'!!!!!
After that a couple of games -and then home. Yesterday was our Macmillan Fundraiser Bowls Competition at Heaton Park in Manchester - I can report that my team actually won the competition (pic below)  but the real winner was MACMILLAN as in just one day we raised an ENORMOUS £1030!!!! One of our members can get 'match funding' from Barclays Bank so our current fundraising efforts now amount to just short of £3,500!

 

I am home for a few days now - time to catch up with everything (including the washing and ironing and housework (sadly) ) but am determined to find some 'me' time and make messy in the crafty space! 

Thanks for stopping by  and have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Summertime!

WOW - 2 weeks since my last post! Been super busy and away from home but enjoying every minute. (Pic to share at bottom of post)

 Am only just finding time to do the washing and ironing on my days at home before I have to pack up again and load the car for another road trip - home this time until Wednesday then am off to Scotland!

A quick post and card from me just in case any of you thought I'd stopped blogging - I haven't!  There's just longer times between posts!

Used up old papers for this card too and continued the theme inside.
It was quick and easy - but perfect to satisfy my crafting cravings with so little time.
I may yet colour the sand and sky - haven't made my mind up!

I've also found time to finish a commissioned diamond anniversary card which will share with you all at some point.

Challenges -
Gem of a Challenge - Summertime
Di's Digi's - Summer Fun
Stampin Boutique - Summer Fun
APWP - Nautical
Digi Sketch - Holidays by the Sea

So that's it from me for the next few days - am coming calling this evening whilst I just have a glass of vino and a chill out - there was too much excitement here -
 when England Ladies won the International Series!

Lets hope the men do the same this week in Scotland!

Thanks for calling in -  I appreciate you following and commenting.
Happy days to you all until I get back. xx

Stamping Sensations DT Post

Another lovely week in which I have travelled to Hampshire and Berkshire! A few days at home before packing time again and am hoping that I will get some crafting time (despite having to go to the dentist!) as I have an order for a diamond anniversary card which I need to get done pronto!
Time for another challenge at Stamping Sensations and this month we have Tonic as our sponsor and our theme is...... Dies and/or Punches.  Don't forget to stamp!

This card didn't quite turn out how I imagined it in my head...

I don't know what it is about this sentiment stamp but it rates as one of my all time faves.
I stamped it in Versafine Black onto a scrap of lemon polka dot paper.
(Yellow is not a colour I use very often as it doesn't come in my list of colours I really really like.... )
The dies are the Spellbinders  fancy rectangle set which I longed for and have very rarely used since acquired a couple of years ago!
I used 2 of the dies from the set and cut out in bright white card.
A scrap of fan shaped lace acorss the middle of the lemon paper and then the smallest die cut stick around the edge.
The flower is also made using dies and the flourishes came from a bit of another die cut which I hadn't used!
Die cut butterfly and a few sparklies to finish and dabbed a bit of stickles onto the rose centre,
This was a good way too to use up all my little odd bits too so will be visiting the Playground this week.

Please pop over and see what my talented teamies have dished up for us this month and I hope you can join us!

Other Challenges -
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Creatalicious - Butterflies
Ladybug Crafts - Use Dies
One Sweet Challenge - Dies
Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes
Creative Ladybird - Anything Goes
Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes

Washing just finished so am away to hang it out! Then will grab a coffee and spend some time checking out what you've all been up to whilst I've been away! x

Packed again!

Only a mere 460 miles this week! Life is currently settling into a bit of a routine - home Thursday night after another really nice few days (and lucky again with the weather!), Friday washing day, Saturday a chill out day watching the men's County team and today ironed and packed up ready to go for the road trip down to the South coast tomorrow!
Am not sure though if we will be as lucky with the weather for the first Celebration match of the week on Tuesday but fingers crossed. The Club members who request the Bowls England team visit put so much effort into their hospitality and it's a damn shame when the weather doesn't play nicely!

So here is Mo's Video Boy, coloured with Promarkers and made into a card for a teenager. Just a basic layout with bold colours!

The papers are from a couple of sources - the striped was from a 12 x 12 sheet previously never used and the other background paper was one of 3 sheets left in a tattered old pad where the front has well gone to the bin so no idea whose it is!
All mounted onto a piece of textured card which I thought was a real odd colour but it matches OK!
The sentiment is a stamp picked up in a bargain bucket, inked in Faded Jeans DI.
The stars were just punched out from the offcuts. Inside decorated to match.

Challenges -

CRAFT - Male
Crafters Cafe - 1 for the Boys
Mod Squad - Masculine
Stampavie & More - Boys
Sweet Stampin' - Special man
DP2 - Anything Goes w/Mo's image- Twist - For Teenz

Time for a quick mooch round blogland - please accept my apologies if I don't get round to you tonight - am home for nearly a week (bliss!!!) from Thursday so I shall be a little more frequent visitor then!
In the meantime, thanks for keeping calling in - I really DO enjoy hearing from you! Enjoy your week. xx

730 miles.....

Arrived home late last night after a week where I have travelled over 730 miles in 5 days to four different counties in the South of England!  The weather whilst away has been truly springlike (apart from a very strong wind whilst on the Devon coast on Day 2)- had blue skies and reasonable temperatuires - came home with a lot of washing to find here in the wilds of the North West today dawned, grey wet and miserable.....
Now got clothes all over the place trying to dry them as I'm away again first thing Monday morning - this time a four day stint to the Midlands.

With so much else going on my little creative bit of a brain cell has decided to have a snooze...struggling to come up with anything so instead have 'cased' a card from the uber talented Birgit who makes the most awesome CAS cards.

Sorry about the really naff picture, the light here is dreadful at the mo. This card is really on a white linen background but it has a yukky cream tinge to it on here.
I used a frame stamp which was a freebie in a magazine eons ago - probably only the second time I've inked it - once stamped I masked it off and sponged some Distress Ink (Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed) inside it.
The flower was done by punching some snippets of white card then folding the punched flowers in half to make semi circles of petals.
A teeny yellow pearl in the middle and another scrap piece coloured with Peeled Paint DI and cut into the tiniest of strips to make the stem and leaves.
Am paying a very quick visit to the Playground to say Hi to the playmates first then will try and get round you all to see what you've been up to whilst I've been away. I apologise in advance for my absences over the coming weeks!
Other Challenges -
Simply Create Too - Keep It Simple
Loves Rubber Stamps - Black/White and another colour
Inky Chicks - Pearls
City Crafter - Inky-ness
Uniko - Flowers
Time Out - Grunge
Always Playing with Paper - Inspiration Photo here 

Thanks for taking time to come and see me today. Have a great weekend and will be back again at the end of next week! x

Saturday Dawns!

Another week just flown past!
Busy now getting sorted for the first of my 'duty' trips away this summer - we're off to Cornwall tomorrow for a game on Monday then on to Devon Tuesday, Gloucester Wednesday, Oxford Thursday and home Thursday night. Shall probably lie in bed all day Friday!

I'm told that you DO get used to the travelling about and it's quite exciting visiting all these different places and meeting lots of different people I think so although am a little apprehensive of my first 'official duties' am quite looking forward to it too.

Enough of the waffling - a shabby card from me to share today - made from a paper stack I won in a challenge win over at the Playground - (I still haven't bought any new papers you know - it's over a year - but why does the mountain in this room not get any smaller?????)

Anyway decided it was about time I got stuck into this new pad.
A really quick card this I suppose as I just let the pretty papers do the talking! Mounted onto dark red and cream cardstock.
A metal corner and a couple of pearls along with a scrap of lace and a tiny crochet doily with a paper flower as embellishments - and the butterfly was stamped in Versafine Sepia onto a scrap of paper - it's an Indigo Blu stamp. Used up another couple of sheets on the inside too!
So that's my post for today - thanks for having a look - will be popping along a little later to visit you all - in the meantime have a great day whatever you're doing! x
Challenges -
Craft for the Craic - Wings
Crafting by Designs - Flowers
Crafters Cafe- Feminine
2 Crafty Girls - Vintage
Dream Valley - Things with Wings
Rosey Hearts - Things with Wings
Kitty Bee - In the Garden

Paint

Not much time to craft at the mo and Mr Mojo has been AWOL anyway but managed to find a little window and sat in the craft space experimenting with inks and colours, and also stamped up a few images for colouring later on.
This share is one of the 'experiments' - I bought some Brushos ages ago and to be honest I have never mastered them - I use too much of the stuff or too much water and all my efforts were not fit for human consumption!
But had another go and finished up with this - which although not the best I think is fairly passable!

Not very awe inspiring but at least it shows that I'm trying. 

The challenge at Less is More this week is the dreaded one layer and the theme is WATER.
(And believe me if I'd have scooped up all the water after all my attempts with the Brushos there'd have been enough water to have filled a small lake!)
I added a few tiny sparklies which were supposed to resemble little drops of water. Not sure I've pulled that one off either!

 Other Challenges -
CAS on Sunday - Cheer Up
Crafty Catz - CAS
Crafting by Designs - 1 layer
SOS - Big and Bold (and colours don't get much bolder than Brushos!)

Thanks for having a look today - off for the mop to get rid of the water!
Have a great week. x

Tussie

Tussie Mussie -  Definition - a cone shaped holder for a flower bouquet - or a cone shaped holder that you can fill with choccies or nice smelly bath bits and give to someone you like!
Well that's what I did anyway - (the choccies not the flowers and the other stuff.....)
I had made one of these a long time ago and  have been promising myself each year since that I would make another! 
NOTE TO SELF - these things are THE WORST  EVER to photograph!!


Used a sheet of dark blue and white pretty K and Co paper (very old - had eons) to make the actual cone - it has vintage roses printed on it and I loved it so much I wouldn't use it.. but all things have to be used up eventually...

So cone shape duly cut out, I lined the inside with some strong white card, then dragged out the lace and bits box.
The pale blue and cream lace was stitched to the top of the cone, along with a piece of dark cream heavy vintage lace.
I used 2 more bits of the same blue/cream lace and stitched it down the centre then assembled the cone.

The very slim 'tassels' were made simply by separating an oddment of a bit of silky twine stuff, a short length of which was found in the box and then tied round a teeny pearl string handle (which you can't see very well in the photo) and secured to the edge of the cream lace.
The gold and pearl embellishment from my stash was  threaded through a bit of pale blue ribbon and tied through the lace at the top and finally the scrap of organza rose trim glued in place.

All the lace and trim used where left over pieces - so am hoping this qualifies as 'snippets' and despite the grotty weather I am going into the Playground.

Challenges -
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes/Feminine
Eclectic Ellapu - Tussy Mussy
CFTH - Anything Goes
Robyn's Fetish - Anything But A Card
All Crafts - Anything But A Card
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Enjoy the rest of your day whatever you're doing! x

Say it with Flowers

Another month passed and time for May's Stamping Sensations challenge -  which is 'FLOWER POWER'.

I chose to do a CAS card for a friends birthday - she does NOT do fussy in any shape or form and would have glared at me if I'd so much as added a ribbon or pearl anywhere!
And I apologise for the rather poor pic... try as I might I couldn't get the colour on the pic to reflect the actual card!

The card actually has a bright white background, not the reproduction here.

I used Versafine Crimson Red ink which is a lovely rich shade for all the stamps (which are from SU Morning Meadow).
I fussy cut the large flower then added a dot of Pearl Maker to the stamens and dabbed a little on each of the smaller flower heads in the sprays.
Matted the stamped panel onto a piece of Regal Red card which happily for me was a perfect colour match!

Our sponsors this month are Crafty Individuals and I hope you can pop across to the blog and see what else the team has made and that you'll take part for a chance to win a fab prize!
Other challenges -
Sweet Stampin - Inspired by Book - The Language of Flowers
Suzy Bees-  No Patterned Paper
Crafts 4 Eternity - Inspired by Nature
Fussy & Fancy - Lots of Flowers
That's Crafty - Keep It Simple

Thanks for stopping by - Enjoy your day! x

Negative

Happy Monday!
Start of another week - the days are just whizzing past and can't belive the end of April is in sight.

Another CAS card to share today and one that is made up of leftovers, so this will be my first visit in such a long time to the Playground.

Have made quite a few of these using up the remnants left over from cutting out flower dies.
Colouring the cardstock with Distress Inks then cutting out the die leaves you with an inky bit of paper doesn't it, so this is my way of 'waste not want not'!

This is quite a cheat of a card -
basic white textured cardstock as the actual card.
Two strips of the previously inked card cut to fit along the edge of a smaller white piece and glued.
Die cut the centre of a smaller oddment of white card then juggled about with the rest of the left over inked piece so it sat behind. Glued it, stamped a sentiment in the same colour DI then mounted it all onto the white base card.
Added a couple of pearls and finished!
This already sent to a friend who has just undergone a cancer op - am hoping that 'happy thoughts' will inspire positivity!

Challenges -
AAA - Hole in My Card
CAS on Sunday - White plus one
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - CAS

The sun is out here but it's quite chilly - still a bit of blue sky does wonders in the cheering up stakes don't you think?! Have a great day. x

Soar

As it's been a whole week since my last post have dashed into the craftie space  to do a mega quick upload and a promise that I will be back tonight to visit everyone.
It's just been such a busy week and of course the weather has been so nice so in between collecting teddies that have been thrown from prams we have spent a little time outside planting a couple of pots.
I made this last week for the LIM challenge and here I am on the last day for linking in uploading it!

I had a little play with some more inks for the background, after seeing something similar on Pinterest - just sponging with Spun Sugar for the top of the sky then Squeezed Lemonade and graduated down with Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint.
Used some old foliage stamps inked with Peeled Paint on the bottom.
Mounted it onto black card.
the balloon was a download which I fussy cut and decoupaged, coloured with promarkers.

The 'clouds' sadly are not very good! Have been meaning to buy a cloud die for a long time and never got round to it - so it was a printed download and freehand cut!

Doesn't look too bad in real life I suppose!
Sentiment stamped onto bottom of white card and the balloon centrepiece added.

Other Challenges -
Simon Says Stamp - CAS
Tuesday Throwdown - Up in the Air
 Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Come and Get It - The letter 'B'
Thanks for looking - I'll be back later for a stroll around Blogland - have a great day. x

Down Time!

It has just been utter madness this week - lots of dummies being spat out (all by the same person I might add) and so those left have had to turn to and get stuck in to sort it all out! Never rains etc etc!! LOL
So that explains my absence - will have a visit to you all hopefully either today or tomorrow too - need some down time and blog trawling is VERY therapeutic!
Onto today's offering -

Those who know us know that Dear Husband is a lunatic gamer (Friday night is Game Night - Do Not Disturb under Pain Of Death) and this is just HIM... although sometimes the red mug is replaced with the bottle of beer....
Image was coloured with promarkers, a little DI added round the edges and mounted onto a scrap of card.
All the papers were from my stash and popped on a couple of metal brads.

Whilst rummaging about for something else in a never used box I found a plastic container packed with these Scrabble Tiles - purchased a long time ago and hardly ever used - come to think of it, I really don't know why I bought them in the first place and probably now I've used them on this card they'll just get stuffed away again for the next 5 years.
Away now to get the papers sorted for yet another meeting- hopefully the last one in the sorry saga- then all can just go back to normal! (Or as normal as my life ever was! LOL)

Challenges
Fab n Funky - Masculine
The Male Room - Letters
Paper Shelter - For the Boys
SOS - Lost and Found
Crafting Musketeers - Mans World  
Creative Card Crew - Sentiment

Thanks for paying me a visit today - appreciate it. 'See' you all soon. x

Splatters of Joy

Spent today catching up with some paperwork then had a pleasant little wander round blogland.
Have struggled to find any enthusiasm for anything over the last couple of days after a meeting the other night where tempers in certain quarters became somewhat frayed - got me to thinking that there is rather more to life than aggravation!

Onwards and upwards though so forced myself to actually 'do' something this afternoon - found a couple of challenges and here's the result -
Yep - the dreaded 'one layer' card and not only one layer but CAS and all stamped!
Well out of my comfort zone - no papers, no embellies, (although I MIGHT add a couple of sequins at a later stage - LOL), no nuffink 'cept stamping!

Used a Memory Box 'Whisper Print Geranium' stamp as the centrepiece and simply stamped over it with a variety of different silhouette foliage stamps from different sets.

The splatters are all from a Visible Image set inked in Festive Berries DI.
The sentiment is an old one and one of my favourites - even if I'm not feeling much joy from certain quarters at the moment! I am being reminded by the other half that their dreadful nasty attitude is THEIR problem not mine  -and I have to reluctantly agree!!
Challenges -
Less is More - Splatters
Fantasy Stampers - CAS
Frosted Designs - Splatters
ATSM - CAS

Weather here has taken a turn for the worse after the beautiful week we've had - think we're going to get wet at the Club's Summer Opening Day tomorrow! Just typical!!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend whatever you're doing. x

Flowers

We have some gloriously sunny weather still here - fours days in a row - not quite shorts weather but still nice enough to have a cuppa outside on the patio with just a thin sweater on!

My share for today is a CAS card.
And you can see that I've been playing about with paint.

The original attempt ended in disaster - this started off life as a CASE of a card by Kim HERE  but the sentiment stamping left a lot to be desired (actually it looked like I'd had a few drinks it was so tilted.....)
So I had to rescue my painted flowers by cutting round them and re-mounting onto another piece of white card where the sentiment was actually straight (after the third attempt).

The slightly raised effect of the design I actually quite like so perhaps the 'disaster' didn't turn out too bad after all!

Inktense pencils used to colour the stamped flowers (lots of masking done here!) which are from the SU Bloom with Hope Set. Added a few teeny black blingy bits in the centre of the main flower. The sentiment is from a Rubbernecker set.

Challenges -
Time Out - Case Kim's card
Incy Wincy - CAS
ATSM - CAS
Crafty Sentiment - Lots of Flowers

Off for a sit on the patio! Have a great day. x

Pretty in Pink

I was really pleased to be asked if I would join the Stamping Sensations Design Team - I stepped down from the DT's I was on last year as I wasn't sure if I could manage to make, post, comment and do all the bowling commitments that come with the Vice President post - anyway - I was asked and I said I would do my best and give it a go.
By making well in advance and being able to schedule my own posts I am hoping that I can contribute fully to the team - so here I am - my first post as a DT member!

The April challenge is 'Pretty in Pink' -the challenge rules are that you can use any products you want as long as the focal point of your project is stamping. Our sponsor this month are PDA - ( they sell quality cardstock, pre scored cards and envelopes, essentials such as Spellbinder dies and embossing folders, Imagination Crafts beautiful Sparkle Medium, and some cute charms and crystals from Hobby House.) And they are offering a WHOPPING £40 voucher to be spent at their store!
I used my favourite linen textured white base card. All the stamps were I think a free set from a couple of years ago.
The dress form was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and I sponged inside the Marianne Die with Spun Sugar DI before cutting.
The spotted back panel was done by masking and then using the same colour DI on a Tim Holtz background stamp before scoring either side of the panel.
The fancy edged banner was stamped onto pink card then fussy cut.
I popped a pearl along each of the 'frilly bits', another on the waist centre of the dress form and a couple along the top of the card.
Other Challenges -
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Polkadoodles - use a Die
Southern Girls - Dies/Punches
Creative Knockouts - Die Cuts
Scrap & Craft - Frame It
MAWTT - Birthstone colour  (June)

Quite a nice day here - hope you are enjoying your weekend whatever you're doing. x

Ducks!

A quick post with a quick card - off for an eye test then a trip down the M6 - overnight stop in a nice hotel in Leamington Spa ( courtesy of a free voucher given to us by the hotel from a previous stay and it includes a 2 course evening meal!)

Lots of Spring and Easter themes about - just wish our weather would realise it is Spring - perfect for ducks at the mo with all this rain!
Card really is quite basic but I liked the image and the stripey papers were out on my desk!

Image from A Day For Daisies, coloured with Distress Inks, papers and twine from my stash, a couple of punched out flowers with pearls and a punched scalloped border all made with the leftover snippets - job done!

Challenges -

MTTC - Easter Animals
Crafty Boots - Easter
OLLCB - Easter
Challenge up your Life - Easter.
Glitter n Sparkle - Easter
Crafts 4 Eternity - Easter

That's it - got to dash - on the way out am popping into the Playground to say goodbye before I go on my little trip! Thanks for dropping by today. x

Spring has disappeared!

We've gale force winds and heavy rain this morning - what a contrast from Wednesday when it was such a beautiful warm Spring day - my poor daffodils in the tub outside are being battered to death in the wind!

It's a while since I have managed to submit anything for the Less Is More Challenge but during the week I promised myself that today I would enter the challenge - Mr Mojo has stubbornly refused to be co-operative this week so have made very little, although thankfully there are a few in the drafts folder made for the Macmillan day which I've not yet shared and this 'case'd' card was one of them.

We could choose 3 previous challenges so mine are

Week 212- Wings, Week 194- Little Creatures and Week 173 - Add a Die Cut

The stamp is from SU's Simply Sketched coloured with Distress Inks and the dies are from the fancy rectangle set.

I love this little bird - and have used it a lot! 

Sympathy Cards are those kinds of things we hope we never had to send but I always have some in my own stash box.

Other challenges -

Whimsy Stamps - Use a Die Cut

Time Out - CAS

Addicted to Stamps - Make Your Mark

Hope the weather is being kind to you - have a great weekend. x

Eggstra!

A choccie type post today and not a card!
Saw this  on Pinterest - made these from a template by Mel - found here. She has tons of fab templates for everything imaginable! She made one of these to give to a friend who was moving into a new home - and she filled the inside with bird seed for her friends new bird table - Thought that was a really nice idea and  think that it could be adapted for anything with the right filling.

'Cos it's nearly Easter I filled mine with mini eggs. I sold quite a few at Macmillan Day but have two left - the eggs are looking at me so I'm probably going to eat them........LOL
The 'houses' are made from one sheet of card. The left overs of the sheet after cutting out the basic shape I used to make the 'boards' for the front. The roof pieces are 3" wide offcuts from A4 card which I had used to make a set of small notecards with - so am hopping across to the Playground this week.

I used a crackle stamp on the 'roof' in a sepia colour - it really doesn't show very well in the pics but I didn't want anything too overpowering, but think it would have been OK in a darker colour.
Like Mel advised I ran a white ink stamp along the edge of the 'boards' on the front to give a slightly weathered look.
The sentiment stamp for the tag was a freebie from a mag some time ago and I simply cut it with a label nestie die.
Used a different variety of string, ribbon and twine to make the bows on the tops to secure. 

They were really simple to make and made a change from cards - if I have one comment though - I had a devil of a job making the 'roof' stick properly - tried everything - glue, double sided tape, tiny cut and loop velcro pieces. In the end I stuck (excuse the pun) with the double sided tape - wasn't perfect but I figured that it would be getting ripped off soon enough anyway to get at the contents! (You know your own tricks best don't you???? LOL)

Challenges -
All Crafts - Anything but a Card
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
Fresh Brewed - Eggs
Challenge up your Life - Easter
Choc, Coffee and Cards - Something Yummy
Simply Create Too - Easter
Dream Valley - Easter
Papertake Weekly - A cut above

It's a really weird day here - rain and grey skies first thing this morning, then sunshine, we have just had a SNOW shower would you believe and now we have a bright blue sky! 
Thanks for looking in - have a great day. x

Fly

If you managed to get a look at the eclipse this morning in your part of the world I am envious - we had lots of very thick cloud here so all that happened was it went a little darker!
Quite cool too which is such a contrast to yesterday when I had an hour out minus a jumper and in a 't' shirt!

A man card to share done in super quick time.
Blue cardstock randomly stamped with a really old diamond background stamp inked in Versafine Majestic Blue.
Image is from a 'man' set of Vintage transport by Flonzcraft, same ink and layered onto the offcut of the background card.
The banner is a piece of ribbon -  I wanted to use it as it was the only piece of bright coloured dark blue ribbon that I had in my stash - but it was too thin so I simply stuck some double sided tape down one edge and joined two pieces together to make a wide piece!

Challenges -
Crafty Catz - No Designer paper
Crafting by Design - Masculine
Crafty Creations - Stripes or Chevrons
Cardz 4 Guyz - CAS
Time Out - CAS
Southern Girls - Boys

Thanks for looking today - it's raining here now so a perfect reason to sit in the craftie space and have a little trawl through blogland! xx

Is Spring finally here?

A lovely day here today - and why is it that when the weather is good you always perk up and seem to have more energy??!!

To mark the start of what appears to be Spring (finally) in my little corner of the world, here's an Easter/Spring type card!
This was a quick one made for the Macmillan stash.

A bit of a mish mash here - images from several different places, two coloured with promarkers,one pre coloured digi and a computer generated sentiment.
White squares are snippets of textured linen and to make sure I cut them all the same size I used a small square nestie - my straight cutting is not the best even when measured with a ruler!
Just layered them all onto  snippets of green card.
The background green gingham paper is another old one from the stash layered onto the same green card.
Before mounting it all onto the base card I used up the last bit of this lovely green ruffle ribbon  then once glued added 3 green pearls.
Snippets used so another visit to the Playground for me!(Well the sun is shining isn't it!)

Challenges -
Clear It Out - Easter/Pastel
Creative Card Crew - Easter Critters
Ribbon Girls - Going Green
Passion 4 Promarkers - Check It Out (Gingham etc)
Dream Valley - Easter
Fantastic Tuesday A/Goes and Square
and over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday's Challenge  there is a gorgeous Inspiration picture which I am having the WORST time trying to show here - so please follow the link!
Hope the sun now stays out for a few days wherever you are! xx

Relaxing Sunday

After a whirlwind (but brilliantly enjoyable) 36 hours across Friday and Saturday - I am having a 'chill out' day!Lovely pre-wedding meal at a fab hotel on Friday night, then a very early start Saturday morning for a civil ceremony within the stunning setting of St Georges Hall at 10am, followed by pastries etc back at the hotel before the newly married couple hopped into a taxi on the start of their trip to the Maldives.
A very small and intimate affair, just 7 of us altogether (them, us, the grooms 2 grown up children and a girlfriend!) -  it was all the more special for that. They're having two small celebrations with their respective families  who live a considerable distance away from each other when they come back!
So here's my share for today -

The papers are very very old - that old I have no idea where they're from!
The darker green piece is two off cuts and I just juggled about positioning it with it so that I got a larger piece to the right and little teen scrap peeping out from the left.
Used some scrap hessian for a 'rustic' feel (cheated a bit with this too cos it's in two pieces - the space is hidden behind the image!)
Highlighted the LOTV image with promarkers and matted onto green card then punched two holes and added metal eyelets.
String threaded through and tied using a metal rimmed clock button for the bow centre.
A tiny metal fish charm tied from the string and positioned onto the top of the sentiment (a freebie from TLC) which was printed onto Kraft then die cut. Two corners punched using the remanants of the die cut piece.
Popping into the Playground this week (been absent but have good excuses which I hope Miss will accept....LOL)

Other Challenges -
Di's Digi's - Green
Challenge Up Your Life - Masculine
Crafting When We Can - Hobby/Activity
Cardz 4 Guyz - Hobbies
City Crafter - Keys/Time

 Oh and of course I couldn't finish the post without a couple of pics from yesterday!

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Layers of Pink

A vintage frothy pinky creation to share today.
Base is normal white card and the papers are from Raspberry Road all printed onto linen textured card.
I overstamped the background with Tattered Rose DI using a flourish stamp from the Stempelglede Vintage Garden set.

The floral background was overstamped with a large script stamp from Indigo Blu in Versafine Smokey Grey, stamping the first time onto a scrap then stamping again onto the rose paper to give the faded look.
Both distressed, Tattered Rose DI used then stitched.

A piece of hand dyed ribbon across the middle before adding the metal pendant. The centre of the metal pendant is a resin cameo style rose.
I added two scraps of scalloped lace to the card and then placed the main image on top after wrapping a bit of pink trim round.

Maybe it would have been nice to be dressed so elegantly like this lovely lady instead of my usual t shirt and jeans although am not sure I would have liked the undergarments which pinched in your waistline quite so much!
A couple of my normal pearls to finish and the papers continued inside.

Some friends are tying the knot on Saturday - they've been together for a long time but decided to make it legal! (Very)small wedding, them, us and their grown up children - that's it! Looking forward to enjoying a pre wedding dinner party on Friday night at an upmarket (and very posh!)  hotel), an overnight stop then an early morning ceremony before they fly off to exotic climes for a long honeymoon.... if I can sneak into their cases I will!!!
The lovely pic of the roses is the Inspiration Photo from the Shabby Tea Room challenge this week

Other Challenges -
Crafting Musketeers- Ribbon/Pearls
Inky Impressions - Special Lady
In the Pink - Special Lady
Digi Galore - All About Her


Some friends are tying the knot on Saturday - they've been together for a long time but decided to make it legal!
(Very)small wedding, them, us and their grown up children - that's it!
Looking forward to enjoying a pre wedding dinner party on Friday night at an upmarket (and very posh!)  hotel, an overnight stop then an early morning ceremony before they fly off to exotic climes for a long honeymoon.... if I can sneak into their cases I will!!!
Have a great weekend whatever you're doing. x