Magical Birthday!

Good Evening to You All, I hope everyone is safe and well especially those of you who have been in the eye of the storm.  It completely missed us up here in Inverness, I sometimes think we have our very own little climate.  

Thank you all so much for the kind comments made about my last card, I love reading them, and very much appreciate the time you all take in visiting me.

We had a lovely Sunday spent with our friends who have a croft and lots of animals, and it was lovely to see how the lambs that we saw back in May have all grown up, even little Spanner who I fed from a bottle, he was just a wee poor lamb, but he has thrived and is still so friendly. We had lots of laughs and great food, and still got back in time for Downton.

We are off to Glasgow at the weekend for a couple of days as a little celebration for our Wedding Anniversary,  eighteen years, who would have thought, it's gone by so quickly, I remember the great day as if it was yesterday, it was the best wedding I'd ever been at, and it's been mostly laughs along the way.

Anyway, enough reminiscing, here is my card for today;

As you can see it's for Kerr, my friend's little Granson, whose birthdday is next week.
LOTV coloured topper edged in Black Soot DI
LOTV Sentiment
Core'dination black Card
Adorable Scorable Purple card embossed with  a SB folder,(don't know the name, sorry)
Papers are freebies from Making Cards Magazine, from last year
Xcut Star Dies
Glamour Dust for a bit of sparkle

Now I just have to think of what to buy him, but I hope he likes his card.

That's all from me tonight, I hope you will visit and please leave a comment to let me know that you've been here, and I'll pop in to see you.

I am entering my card into;

http://craftylittlefairieschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/anything-goes-dt-call.html

Presents Around the Tree!

Hello Crafty Friends, how are you all, well I certainly hope.  I've not posted anything since last week, but have managed to keep up with most of what you are all doing.  I have been incredibly tired, so not much card making getting done at the moment.  It's taking me much longer than I thought it would to settle back into work, just as well I have a long slow phased return.

Thank You to every one who visited and left comments on my last card and my fab yarn, I've almost a sock finished with some of it. I was delighted to notice that some new people had visited too and and a new follower, Elizabeth, welcome to you and I hope you will return and that you continue to like what I do. So thanks again each and everyone, I get really excited when I see new people, I just think it's great that you are so interested in what I make. I love journeying around your blogs too, what a wealth of talent there is, a fabulous source of inspiration, makes this blogging lark so worthwhile.

I've been asked to make some Christmas cards by one of my clients so here is a very traditional one;

I've been trying to use up Christmas collections from the past year,  so this is from a Hunkydory collection and I've added,
Sizzix Poinsettias Die, made with Glod Paper
Hobby Craft Gold Lace
Papermania, Gold Domes and Gems
Stickles Glitter
So not much in the way of creativity I'm afraid, as the image is all there for you to just stick on, but it fits the bill and I rather like how it's turned out.

I hope no one will be affected by this awful storm that's been forecast, Scotland will have the tail end of it I gather, so make sure you batten down the hatches.

That's me for now, enjoy your weekend whatever your doing, I know some of you are at the Glasgow craft fair, so I hope you are having a great time and buying lots of goodies, will be my turn in a couple of weeks at Birmingham and I'm really looking forward to that.

I would like to enter my card into;  http://christmasblogchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/check-this-out.html

Singing Snowmen and New Buys!

Hello to You All, hoping you are having a good weekend with some good weather.  I also hope everyone is well.

I have had a lovely few hours at a Wool and Textile Fair here in Inverness, I went along with my Choral Friend Fiona and just drooled at all the gorgeous Tweed material and beautiful yarn.  Amazed at knitting needles which were as thick as walking sticks and massive balls of Tweed which knitted up rugs.  Fiona, isn't a knitter but would love to be, so I'm going to look out a few simple patterns for her to have a go.

I stood in awe looking at the most exquisite shawls knitted by a lady from the Isle of Eigg, they were made by yarn as fine as embroidery thread, the patterns were stunning and also the colours, one of them cost £700, but what a work of art.  She is self taught, and upon asking her how she manages to concentrate to keep count, she replied that it is just her and her dog and he is no trouble.  I've been trying to do a simple shawl for ages, now I know where I'm going wrong, ditch the husband and move to Eigg. Only kidding.......!

Anyhow I had a bit of a spend, here is what I bought;

 The colours are like jewels, and the texture of the yarns are gorgeous. The blue yarn is from baby alpaca and is the softest ever and I'll use it for the shoulder shrug, all from a company called Alpaca Loft, who have their own herd of Alpacas, an if you buy their kits, there will be a photo of the animal whose fleece it is.
The green toned yarn is for Lewis's socks, Alistair's son. I had started them with a yarn that I didn't like much, but all I had for a guy, but it wasn't a patch on this one and the colour is called Winter Tartan.
All of this yarn is hand dyed from natural sources, like lichens and things, all the colours of nature.

 These are two patterns I liked, not all that difficult, I hope.  Hope I've not bored you too much with my other passion.  Here is my little card for today;

From the Debbie Moore CD Snow Buddeeze, again trying to use my CDs a bit more
Topper, paper , sentiment and bow ties all from the CD
Black Core'dinations Card
Gold Glitter Card
SB Music Embossing Folder
Marianne Treble Cleft Die
Stickles Sparkle
Gems
I hope you like my little effort.

Thank you all so much for the comments on my last card, I do appreciate that you visit me, I know it takes time.

Off now to settle down and watch Montalbano, it's a new series and I just love him.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you soon,

I would like to enter my card into;  http://christmasblogchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/carol-singers.html

Christmas Stocking!

Hello Everyone and hoping you are well and have had a good day.

It's been really quite a good day here, considering it started off with rain, but brightened up later, I hope the weather has been good wherever you are.

Not a working day for me so Alistair took me out for lunch, our lovely Indian restaurant,  but suffering for it now, nevertheless, it was a lovely meal and no need for me to cook tonight.  I shouldn't really eat Indian food, but I love it but it's so rich and of course the blood sugar is through the roof.  Back on track tomorrow.

I've been trying to catch up with some knitting today as Alistair has decided he would like to give his son some knitted socks for Christmas.  No pressure there then, and normally it wouldn't be but, I'm finding I can't knit for long periods now, the tennis elbow is still troubling me and also my fingers are painful with arthritis, but hopefully I'll get them finished.

Thanks to everyone who visited and left messages on my last post, I do appreciate the time you take to pop in, and I love reading them. So keep them coming.

My card tonight

It's a little one again, but not quite as little, 5x5 this time
The stocking stamp and Sentiment stamp is from the freebies from Creative Stamping Magazine, I really love their set of stamps and it's also a great mag.
Promarkers
Creative Expressions Gilding Wax in Golden Lilac,( not put on all that evenly, something to be practised)
Core'dinations Purple Card
Silver Glitter Card
Papermania Gems and Silver Domes
Star Dust

I'm back at work tomorrow afternoon and it is the first time that there will be three of us on, so that takes the strain off a bit.
So, take care of yourselves and happy crafting.

I would like to enter my card into; http://craftylittlefairieschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
Christmas in October

Three More Little Cards!

Good Morning Everyone and I hope you are fine and well, big hugs to those who are not, and hope you will feel tip top soon.

Woke up to a foggy morning, and my dearest hubby left early to go down and do some hillwalking in the Cairngorms, and has left his phone at home, no wonder I worry.  However the fog has now burnt off and it's shaping up to be a nice day.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last card, which didn't pop up when I scheduled it, but thanks to the tips received from your good selves, I now know the error of my ways.  I had my time zone at Pacific Time, silly old me, so hopefully that's it sorted.

I would like to say welcome to my newest follwer, Sue, thank you for choosing to follow my wee blog with all it's ramblings, but hopefully projects that you will like.

I've an afternoon at work today, so I thought I would do my post just now.  I know I will be tired later and if today is anything like Monday at work, I certainly will be.  After five months away from dealing with people with mental health problems, I thought I was loosing the plot the other day, and finished up exhausted.  Even my colleague thought it was a particularly frenetic day.

So to my little cards, 

I've used the Tinsel stamp again but this time just layered it over some LOTV Christmas Paper, with some silver twine and a few blue gems and glittered up the tinsel work.

Die'sire Tree Die and icicles die turned into grass with Green glitter card, lots of little gems.

SB Snowflake Die, Papermania Snowflake Ebossing Folder and Christmas ribbon, and a few pearls.

I'm really awfully pleased with how they have turned out, although self praise is no praise at all, as they say, nevertheless, I'm pleased.

Away now to get myself together and get on my merry way.  Have a good day yourselves, whatever it is you do and see you all soon, happy crafting and remember if you visit, please leave a wee comment, I love to know you have been here and I will be delighted to return the compliment and visit you.

 



 

Trimming the Tree! and CCAYR Mid Month Reminder!

Good Evening One and All, hoping you are all well, and big hugs and good wishes to those who are not just as well as they would like to be.

Well what a dark and dreary day we have had up here, smirry rain, you know the kind that soaks you more than a downpour.  It was the kind of day to say indoors but, unfortunately I had to go to work, where in the road my work is in, we have new flood defences being installed and the biggest machinery ever is making such a racket, this has to go on for something like 19 weeks.  We are situated along side the River Ness, but flooding can't be brought to mind in living memory.  Inverness Council love spending the Tax Payer's money, and believe me this will be costing a fortune as the some road was dug up this time last year and now they are doing it again.Tirade over, makes my blood boil though.

Thanks you all so much for all your wonderful comments about the little cards.

I'm here with my Mid Month Reminder Card for CCAYR, there is still time to enter the challenge which this time is Preparing for Christmas and you can find details of the challenge here, http://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/october-challenge.html

LOTV Stamp
Promarkers
SB Embossing Folder
Red Glitter Card
Dovecraft, Tis the Season Papers
Die'sire Tree Dies
Xcut Star Die
Ribbon and gems from my box
Star Dust and Glossy Accents

I hope it offers a little bit of inspiration.

Going to have another go at scheduling this post, last time I tried it it didn't work, here's hoping, thank you for visiting,

Three Little Cards!

Hello to You All, and I hope it has been a lovely Sunday for you, with the weather fine.

A quiet day for me, with bits and pieces to attend to but, but I did manage to get a few cards made.
We had a lovely evening out last night and I can highly recommend "Sunshine on Leith", it was a lovely feelgood film, with a fair amount of singing of The Proclaimer's songs.  A wee story of relationships, and about how they can change and whether it's worth working them out.  We both enjoyed it, no crash, bang, wallop, swearing or sex, and it wasn't a bit boring, and I'm not even a Proclaimer's fan.

Thank you all so much for your comments and for visiting me here.  

Just a short one tonight, so here are my cards;

I've been using up bits from my box, and I've made a selection of little cards, they are all 4x4 or there abouts. I won't list everything I've used, too much, but I did ink up a stamp I bought last year but never used, Stampendous "Don't get your tinsel in a tangle"
SB Snowflakes Dies
Die'Sire Holly Embossing Folder
Sizzix Holly Die Border
and various bits and pieces.

I like little cards, and I had fun making these, and hopefully they will not cost much to post.

I hope you enjoy the remainder of your Sunday, take care everyone and see you soon.

Another Icelandic Poppy!

Good Afternoon Blogging Friends, and I hope your weekend has got off to a great start, whatever you happen to be up to.

Our weather is wonderful, very cold in the morning but getting a bit warmer as the day goes on, but beautifully crisp and sunny.

I'm doing a bit of catching up around the house, easier when my good man is not around.  It's the annual Archaeology week here in Inverness and Alistair is away to a conference, I was going to go too, but it costs £15 now, last year it was free, and I've got to save my pennies for the NEC in November, so I have the day to myself.  We are going to the cinema tonight to see "Sunshine on Leith". We will have a bit to eat out before, so I'm looking forward to  that.

I used to live in Leith with my son Damian when he was little and i don't remember it as being particularly sunny, but there you go.  Leith is in Edinburgh.

My card for you today is one of my Icelandic Poppy thank you cards, you have seen them before, but I've not coloured this one but heat embossed it;

A wee bit blurred, sorry about that.
Poppy image from http://janeysdigidesigns.blogspot.co.uk/
Wow Embossing powders
Core'dination Navy Card
First Edition Neroli Paper
Xcut Circle & Scalloped die
Stamp-it Australia Sentiment 

Now the wee story behind this card is that last week one of my clients who hadn't been in the project since I stared back, arrived in and welcomed with a great big hug, was convinced that I'd left, so much better that the other othe client who thought I was "deed", he then rushed off, came back 20 mins later with a lovely birthday gift, he's been holding on to it since June.  Now as you can imagine, in my line of work we are not really supposed to take gifts, but he had OKed it with the manager since it was a very special birthday.  I was so touched by his thoughfulness, and even his card was one that had a kitten knitting on it, so he had really thought about me.  Now if your wondering what the gift was, well, it's a large bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin, he really did think about me, said he'd heard me mention a while back that it was a nice gin.  I am very fond of this young man and he is one of my card making pupils, always very enthusiastic about things, but life gets him down at times.  
Anyway, as everyone who gave me presents got a thank you card, I was delighted to make this one for him.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment about Santa Baby, I thought you might like it, I've just to put on my thinking cap for an anniversay one next which is in November.

Have a great day, and see you all soon.

Santa Baby!

Hello Everyone, hasn't it turned really cold, in fact it's been quite wild here in Inverness, so much so that I battened down the hatches and kept indoors.  However, October is galloping on so I don't think we can expect much less.

I hope everyone is well, and for those who are not so good, sending out good wishes and hugs and hope you'll feel better soon.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post, you are all very kind and I do appreciate the time you take to come and visit, life is so busy for everyone, and making time isn't always easy, but I'm glad you do.

Not much news from me tonight, leading a quiet life, just concentrating on settling back into work, and amazed at how tired I am after only doing half a day.  This week it is two 1/2 days, yesterday, and tomorrow.  I will gradually work up to full-time but very, very slowly.  I'm so out of the loop with clients, and staff, mind you, half the staff are off sick and we are only four and a half at the best of times.

So to my card;

As you can see this is for a very special man, and I found these images whilst looking through an old Making Cards Magazine, in fact it was the Christmas edition from last year, and something about them just tickled me.  If I close my eyes could imagine that it's Alistair and me, wow, that would be dredging up some imagination. Oh well, a girl can dream can't she! I've seen the day.

The papers are also from the mag, and also the border.
I've added, Core'dination Black Card
Ribbons and Charm from The Ribbon Girl
MB Hearts and Snowflake Corner
SB Snowflake die which I've glittered with Diamond Sparkles
Gems from my box
Computer generated sentiments
Star dust

Well that's all from me for tonight, enjoy the rest of your evening and see you soon

I would like to enter my card into; http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/october-card-challenge-make-it-sparkly_9.html

Holly Ribbon Chapel!

Hello Blogging Friends, I do hope you are all well and have enjoyed the weekend, which isn't quite over yet, but it is disappearing fast.
We have really quite good weather, and yesterday we took a drive up to Gairloch and popped into see our friends there, so we had a lovely afternoon.  Their B&B is right on the coast and overlooks the sea, it's spectacular and we were entertained by some windsurfers, except they were being moved along with kites and not a windsurfer board and sail,  looked fabulous when the wind lifted then up and away out of the water.  Alistair had that gleam in his eye that said I want to do that, I've warned him not to think about it.
A fairly quite day today, pottering about doing the housework and food shopping, I did manage to plant some winter pansies though, I just hope I don't kill them off, I'm not green fingered.

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my last post, it is very much appreciated.

I was wondering if anyone has heard of Feedspot?, I received an email yesterday, telling me about this new thing which is replacing google reader and saying that people are following me on it.  Now, I have never heard of it and I would think that the experienced bloggers would have mentioned it before now.  Also, it is one that you have to pay for, although the email told me that I would have a first year subscription free, but because I am very wary of these things I've not gone into it just in case.  Any thoughts on this folks?

Anyway, tonight's card;

Justinklined Stamp
Wow Embossing Powder in Silver
Black Core'dinations Card
Papermania paper
Red Glitter Card
Papermania Velvet Ribbon
Gems and Pearls from the Ribbon Girl

I decided to heat emboss this image, I think I'm getting better at it, and I quite like how it's turned out.
I really like this stamp set as it has all the lovely holly stamps, I've not used the large corner one this time, as this is a 5x7 card blank which I  seldom use, preferring 6x6 and wouldn't take the larger stamp.

I hope you enjoy the remainder of your Sunday, I'm off to get settled for Downton, and what a treat tonight Dame Kiri is singing in it.
See you soon

Daydreamer!

Hello to you all and I hope you are all well and looking forward to your weekend.

Thank you to everyone who wished me well for going back to work, it was very kind of you and truly supportive.  It was certainly very strange to be back, I'm still not sure how I feel about it all, but I received a lovely welcome back from the clients who were there.  In fact I'm still chuckling from what one of them said as she came through the door, "my god, I thought ye were deed, and they f-----rs didney tel me,cos they tel me nothin", all said in the broadest of Buckie accents. Now, our friends outside of Scotland won't know the area I'm talking about, but it is near Aberdeen, and they have quite an unique dialect of their own and at times very difficult to decipher.  Anyway, everyone in the room fell about laughing, of course, you would have to know this person to appreciate the tale.  I think my colleagues just thought I had been on holiday, there was no welcome back there, just hardens my resolve to find something else.

So enough of all of this, I may have missed commenting on some of your cards, I tried to get around them all, but sorry if I missed you., I was tired when I got home, and that was only doing 1/2 a day, so I vegetated on the sofa last night.
Thank you too for taking the time to comment on my last little effort, I thought you would like it.

Today's card;

Inkilylicious Daydreamer Stamp stamped on to Kanban multi coloured card
Core'dination Black Card
Blue Linen textured paper
SB Floral Corner One
Ribbon and Gems from my box

I set out to create my own background here with DI but, after wasting so much card I decided to give up, but discovered this coloured card in my stash and I think it works quite well.  Perhaps I was using the wrong type of card, it was Neenah Classic Crest Card, I'm sure someone will know the best to use.
It's obviously quite a skilled technique and one I will have to practise.

That's me for now, I hope you all have a great weekend and see you soon

T'was the Night Before Christmas!

Hello Everyone, I hope all is well with you and have had a good day.
Our weather here has cracked and it is really miserable, rain, cold and very dull, and word is it's to get worse towards the end of the week.  We have had a good run of marvellous weather, so can't complain.  I am much more comfortable in colder temps, I can always warm up, being hot stuff, I find it difficult to cool down.

Thanks you all so much for the lovely comments on my last card, you are very kind, and I look forward to reading them.

I'm back at work tomorrow, for half a day, my mind is in overdrive thinking about it, but we'll see how it goes. Our Area Manager will be there to ease the entry back over the door and do risk assessments and things.  I'm quite glad of that.

So on to today's card;

This image is from a lovely CD I bought last year called Magical Christmas Moments from Cupcake Crafting and all the images are of the cutest of animals. The background paper is also from the CD
I've added Blue and Black Core'dination Card
Silver Glitter Card
Hobby Craft Lace and Ribbon
Die'sire Sentimentals Sentiment
Tree Punch
Pearls and Gems from my box of tricks
Star Dust to finish off

I have a fair amount of CDs and hardly ever use them, you know the kind of thing, see them on Create and Craft with a super duper demonstrator and have to have them, and by the time they pop through your letterbox, can't remember the fab cards that have been made.  The ink in my printer is also another consideration as it's Dell and pretty expensive.

I am wondering if any of you marvellous crafters out there can tell me where I can buy a stamp with "to the both of you" or "to the both of you at Christmas".  I have a papermania one but it's too large. I have searched around but not come up with anything.  Some of you might just have seen something on your travels.

That's me for today, have a good evening,

Preparing the Turkey, DT card for CCAYR!

Hello Everyone and I hope you are all well.  Another wonderful day here. sunshine and blue skies, who would believe that it's the last day of September. I just hope it's good where you are and that you are able to enjoy it.

I'm here with my DT card for Christmas Cards All Year Round Challenge which is this month the theme is "Getting ready for Christmas" and this can be anything associated with the Christmas preparations, such as; baking, trimming the tree, wrapping presents, I'm sure there are many more preparations to choose from.
Now I am going to have a bash at scheduling this post so here's hoping it works.

Here is my little offering of inspiration;

As you can see I've use a LOTV image coloured with Prismacolour Pencils
Core'dinations Navy Card
Papermania Christmas in the Country Paper
Die'sire Sentimentals Sentiment
Xcut, SB and Tonic Dies
The Ribbon Girl Snowflake Charm
Twine and Gems from my box
Card Candy
Star Dust to finish off

I hope you like it and pop over tohttp://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk/ 
and have a look at what the other DTs  have made.

I hope you will join in the fun with us, we love to see your wonderful creations.

H