An Oldie For Friday!

Hello Everyone, I hope you are well, but if not I'm sending out kind thoughts that you will feel better soon.

I want to thank everyone who had some lovely comforting words about the loss of our friend Ian whose funeral was yesterday.  It still seems very unreal to me, I think the shock was so deep.  Alistair was asked to say a few words and he had been working on it all week, he did really well, having to cut an hours worth of words down to just five minutes was no mean feat.  He had everyone laughing and couldn't have given Ian a more fitting and loving tribute of their friendship.  Ian's family were so pleased and I was so proud of him, especially as he had to wipe away a good few tears.  Ian's son and daughter have asked him to go walking with them next week, they feel such a connection to their dad through Alistair and all his stories.  So, it's just getting on with it for family and friends now.

I am joining Erika of Snappycrafts and Patricia of Summerhouse Crafts in posting an oldie;

It's a cracker, is it not. It's one of the first cards I ever made, long before I had dies or markers or even decent card blanks.
I was buying like mad from Create and Craft and had watched a programme from Crafter's Companion, showing a CD of Poppets, can't remember the proper name at the moment. It's all from the CD except for the awful red card and the mirri card.  All the images from the CD are however very sweet, shame about the design.  Everybody has to start somewhere.

I'll bid you all good night, it's quite late now and I'm working tomorrow.   Make sure you have a really good weekend, whatever you're doing.

On Your Special Day!

Hello Crafty Friends and Visitors of course, I hope everyone is well, and if not sending out kind thoughts to you.

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments on my Fairies card, I really do appreciate them.

I'm sorry not to have been around for most of this week, neither posting or commenting but, we had the most awful shock on Wednesday to hear that our friend Ian had died in his sleep in the small hours of Wednesday morning.  Those of you who follow my blog may recall me talking about going to Linda and Ian's home for lots of fab diners, Ian was a superb cook. He was also "one of the boys" who canoed, hill walked, in fact all the stuff Alistair does.  Both Alistair were going away at the end of the month to Wales, they went away for a week each year for the last ten or so years.
We are finding it very hard to take his in his loss, especially, Alistair as they were both out for a walk on Monday and had a fab day and then less than thirty six hours Ian has gone.  His family are devastated.  Sadly, Linda and Ian split up just after the New Year, it had been coming for a while, and we were determined not to take sides, but try to support them both. Ian was to get the keys of his new house on Wednesday and Alistair was waiting for him to come over as he was going to help him move in.  Never, ever was he expecting to get a phone call from Ian's son with the sad news.
It's just so awful, he was only just 62, and no illness that anyone knew of.  We are all left reeling.
It brings it home that you just don't know what is around the corner and you have to enjoy each day.
Alistair is so thankful that the canoe weekend a couple of weeks ago was brilliant and Ian really enjoyed it, and also his lovely walk on Monday.

So there you are, I just could not get my mind around blogs, so sorry for not commenting, however, I've been looking at some of the images that comes  on my dashboard and there has been some wonderful cards and projects.  I hope to get back to really looking in on you soon.

I had a card in the bag, so to speak and here it is;

One of my clients had asked me for a wedding card, but not too weddingy as the big day had come and gone, but Caroline still want to give the couple a card.

I remembered that I had these lovely Hunkydory images and thought they would be just perfect.
Everything else is Hunkydory too, except for ribbon and resin rose, which are, Papermania and Dovecraft.
Finishing off with Liquid Pearls in Mint 

I will love you and leave you and hope your weekend is going well, I've a couple of days off , I need to catch up with my unpaid work, yes that's right HOUSEWORK.

"ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT"

 Hello Crafty Friends and Visitors, how are you today?, I hope you're doing well, but kind thoughts to those who aren't.
Well, the sunshine has escaped us again, it's been fairly warm, but cloudy, now it's gotten so dark that I think something is brewing.  I hope not as Alistair is away for a hill walk and he chose today as it looked the best one on the weather forecast.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on yesterday's card, I really love reading them and it's so encouraging.  

The card I'm sharing today is made with a stamp I bought last November at the NEC and just got around to using it, see what you think;

As you can see it is a Lavinia Fairy Stamp, stamped on to one of their Scenescapes
Stars stamp  with Liquid Pearls
Black, Blue Core'dinations
Silver Glitter Card
LOTV Sentiment
Xcut dies
Gems from my box

I felt the image didn't need much in the way of embellishments, it speaks for it's self
I got other Lavinia stamps free with a mag the other week, but not inked up yet, must get around to it soon, but next time try and do my own background.  I bought a brayer a year or so ago, and guess what..... not yet used.  I'm a terror for wanting, getting then not using.

Well I'll finish of for now, spag bol needs making, don't know when Alistair will be back, but I think he might quite like a bowl of of it, so bye for now.

I would like to enter my card into;
http://laviniastamps.com/blog/lavinia-stamps-challenge-5-birthday-girl/

Sorry Your'e Leaving!

Hello to everyone and a warm welcome to Susie my new follower, I hope that you will visit often and that you will continue to like what I do.
Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last card, your very kind, especially for not saying that I'd called the bear Santa, when it's plain to see he is an elf.  I was doing that post so quickly as I'd been caught on the hop and had to be out the door for the bus for work I didn't notice my mistake.

Well here we are at Sunday again, I was working yesterday, and the two previous days and what days there were too.  Incredible chaos , leaving all the staff whacked by the end of the week. For those who don't know, I work in a project for people who experience mental health and this last week has had so much going on it's been really difficult to control of it all.  Now, thankfully these times don't really happen all too often, but when they do, boy!  Lots of needy people, all demanding attention, fairly sucks up the energy.  Karen leaving I think had a contributing factor too, after all she had been with us for 9 years, and built up good relationships with the clients.  I've two days off now, so I'm going to rest.

We had Karen's leaving do on Friday night which we the staff all enjoyed, she loved her pop up box card and the origami box into which we put her gift of lovely jewellery.  She was quite tearful by the end of the evening, so ends an other era.

My card today is the one I made for the staff to sign and give her;

Bright and bold, and as I couldn't decide whether to put sorry your leaving or good luck, I put both.
Bazzil embossed card
Papermaina Spots and Stripes Paper
Xcut Star dies
MFT Fishtail dies
Computer Words
Stickles in Gold
Gems from my box

Well, that's me for now, it's a dark unsunny day here with rain, where is the heatwave that we were supposed to get, that's what I want to know!!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and see you soon,

Mid Month Reminder for CCAYR!

Good Morning Everyone, I hope everything is well with you.
Here I am with the mid month reminder for CCAYR, and our theme is Santa, and anything that is connected to him.

I've chosen as you can see the little Santa Bear.
He is coloured with Promarkers and cut out with an Xcut die
Everything else are bits and bobs from my box

There is still time for you to enter this months challenge, and were are sponsered this time around by;

Please visit CCAYR and see what my Team mates have been creating.
Bye for now

Body and Movement!

Hello my Crafty Friends and anyone else who happens to visit, I hope all is well with you and that you are enjoying some good Springlike weather.  It's been rather nice here today and I got a whirligig of towels out, I'm turning into my mother, my main concern is getting the washing out and dry, and commenting on weather.

Thank you all for commenting on my gift box, it's very kind of you and I appreciate and welcome them, the encouragement is great.

Alistair has been a good boy over the last few days and has managed all the chores I asked him to do, and with out much of a to do from him, so he is getting out to play tomorrow with a hillwalk with his friend.  I feel we managed to make quite an inroad with a bit of maintenance, and I only had to ask twice, usually it gets to the stage of nagging over a number of weeks, anyhow I'm pleased and Alistair is basking in my praise, funny how you've got to that, yet all the things I do go unnoticed, do you know what I mean ladies?

I've got a card for you today, hope you like it;

I've been wanting to use this stamp for a couple of weeks, it's an Indigo-Blue set free with a magazine, and the whole set is fab
Stamped with Versafine Ink and onto card cut with an Xcut die
First Editions Sea Breeze Paper
Gold Shimmer Card
Black Card
Evergreen Bough DI ink
Gold lace from Hobby Craft
Creative Expressions Gems
I felt that the image should make the statement, and didn't need any more embellishments.
The image reminded me of when I had really long hair and when I went to the hair stylist, she would flick my hair out like this and say what great body and movement there was in it.....she would say that now though.

That's me for now, I'm having a rest from the cooking today, my lovely hubby is on the case, he's recreating the first meal he ever made me, sausage, cauliflower and cheese sauce, and potatoes, there was a weightwatchers pudding, boy what can turn a girl's head, but we're not having the pudding tonight. Sill it's lovely to have your dinner made for you.

Bye for now

Noir et Chic!

Good Morning to Everyone, I hope you are all well, but here are hugs and kind thoughts to those of you who are not feeling just so well, and get better soon.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my pop up box card, yes it was really my first, good job the photograph covers up the mistakes, but I appreciate the comments, give me encouragement.  I have made another which I will post at a future date, it looks quite good too.

Well, it's the start of another weekend, where does the time fly off to.  I'm off to work in a wee while, but I've had a couple of nice days off.  Yesterday I met up with two crafty friends for a catch up and a coffee, and as Fiona brings her little one, who is a real live wire she fairly kept us entertained, at that age where she is into everything.  It was nice to meet up with Marlene too.

This is quite a short post today, so here is my offering for you:

An origami box, made to put Karen's gift into.
Made from Noir et Chic from Limited Edition, love this paper
SB Aster and Rose Creations Dies
MB Fabulous Phlox Die
Sizzix Foliage Die and Butterfly dies
Lace and pearl hearts from Hobby Craft
Hobby House Pearls
Papermania Gems
Glamour Dust in Crystal

Off now for a wild day at work, it's a wet dreich day, but the thing I'm looking forward to is Alistair is taking me out for a meal tonight, that will keep me going all day.
Bye all, and have a super weekend

 

Popping Up!

Good Afternoon Crafty Friends and Visitors, I hope you are all well and enjoying some fine weather. We are a mixture of cloud and sun today, but I'm hoping that it doesn't rain as the washing is out.
Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last card, I know it takes time to around the blogs so I do appreciate each and every one of them.

I'm off work for a couple of days, so planning some unpaid work.......housework, but I'll have to nail down Alistair to help.

I have something different for me today, although there have been loads of them around in Blogland;

This was my first attempt at a pop up box card.  I found it awkward to do, mainly because I'm not a measurer, although I did try to follow a tutorial, but it's quite pretty  think.

Papermania Papers
MB Butterfly die
Crafty individuals Songbird die
Flowers from my box
Papermaina Bow
The Ribbon Girl Birdcage charm
Pearls from Hobby House
Hearts from my box
Glamour Dust in Crystal

I thought I would give it to my friend who is leaving us to go to a new job, it might look nice on her desk.

That's all from me today, enjoy the rest of your day, and Happy Crafting!

Butterflies from Little Claire!

Hello Friends and Visitors,  I hope you are well and enjoying some warm sunny weather, we are today thankfully.  I hope it keeps up as Alistair and his pals are away for one of the many "traditional" canoeing trips, they left yesterday and won't be home till Monday.  A glorious few days on my own!!!

Thank you for the kind comments on my Santa card, I do appreciate them.  I would like to offer a warm welcome to Tina, my latest follower, I hope you will keep visiting and like what I do.

Well I can hardly believe we are into May, frightening how time is speeding by, and almost a week since our Choral concert.  It went very well and a pretty full house too, but come Sunday my voice was croaking like a very old frog.  Alistair made the most of my quietness.  It was a very long sing, in fact my DH said it was way too long for him and at one time dozed off, cheek of it! Obviously he's run out of sweeties.  Anyway, I now have my Monday evenings free until we resume rehearsals in August.

I have a card  today;

This card was made with the latest Little Claire Club Stamps and what a beautiful set it is.
I decided to use one of the butterfly stamps as you can see, on the card front, and a tiny one on the inside.

I am sorry that the photo is a wee bit blurred, I hope you can  make it out.

Now I didn't think up this design myself, I saw a design somewhere on my travel through blogland, very similar to this but using stamped flowers.  I thought it was lovely and when these stamps arrived I thought I would try it.  So thanks to the crafter who was my inspiration.

I stamped the butterflies along the card then cut around them, coloured with Promarkers
The sentiments are from the set too, added peach coloured pearls and DI in Marigold around the edges.
Dessert Bloom Papers from First Editon and cream pearls on the inside, SB Floral Ovals with sentiment.
Glamour Dust in Crystal of some lovely sparkle.

I can see where I might improve on this, the stamping could have been done a little closer and in more of a diagonal, but other than that not bad for a first attempt.

Have a super holiday weekend everyone and hope to see you soon.

Santa!, CCAYR Inspirational Card

Good Day to You All and I hope you are all fit and well.
I don't know where our lovely Spring weather has gone, it's a truly murky day here as I type this post, which is for the May Challenge at http://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk/ 
What we are looking for is a card with something to do with Santa, so should be easy peasy.  Here is my little bit of inspiration;

Our sponser this month is http://chichimemories.com/ digital stamps and the team were offered stamps to use, I've chosen this little Santa Boy, and coloured him up with Prismacolour Pencils
Papermaina Papers,  Red card, DI around the edges. Sentiment, twine and glitter domes from my box of tricks.

Pop over to CCAYR and see what my team mates had made, bound to be some fab inspiration there.
Hope you like what I've made, give it a go and see what you come up with, and good luck with the challenge.