Christmas Tidings!

Hello Everyone, back again. It's certainly a day for crafting, drizzly rain, dull and a wee bit chilly.
I hope it's better where you are. We were going to go for a run today, but as the weather isn't so good and Alistair spent so long trying to repair the shower switch, we decided against it. The switch is fixed, but it took a lot of blue air to do it, it was actually  a five minute job, but the part bought was not made well, workmanship is poor nowadays.

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments on my CCC card, you are very kind.

I've got another Christmas card today, I make more of these than any other these days, but they are my favourite card to make, here it is;

A stamp by Chocolate Baroque from The Gift of Christmas set, coloured with Watercolours,  The background script is a stamp by Imagination Crafts, heat embossed in Silver and CE Gilding Polish around the edges. Sue Wilson Poinsettia die, glitter and a few Just Pearls.

I said I would post some holiday snaps, 

Unfortunately we missed the Flower parade by a day, but there was still plenty of gorgeous blooms to see, this display was in the main street in Funchal.

This is one of the mountain ranges which encompasses The Nun's Valley.

This is a glass platform that looked down t the bottom of the mountain, difficult to see properly, but we were some height I can tell you,
one last one for today,

These gorgeous Bird of Paradise flowers were in the park just along from our hotel, I've only ever seen them in very posh florists, I think they are absolutely gorgeous.

I found it difficult to take scenic photos, I would have needed a better camera to get the shots I wanted, and as you all know I'm pants at photography, however I hope you enjoy these one and I'll post more at  a later time.

Well, that's me for now, I hope you are having a good day whatever you're doing,

I would like to enter my card into https://scrapsoflifebyscrappymo.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/may-rudolph-days-challenge.html

Mistletoe and Wine for CCC!

Hello Everyone, I hope you are well and enjoying your weekend. Has your weather broken as ours has? From glorious sunshine and heat to rain and cloudy and a drop in temp, oh well the gardens needed the rain.

I've been away on holiday in Madeira, and loved every bit of it, what a wonderful island, I would highly recommend a holiday there if you ever get the chance.  Been back a week but, it's taken ages to get back into some sort of stride, and Alistair was way again the day after on a sail down Loch Ness and guiding two chaps from Ireland walking the Great Glen Way. His brother Jim had been in hospital whilst we were out the country with an awful sounding virus, so I have hardly had time to turn around. Hopefully things will calm down a bit now.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post which was a CCC one too.
So here we are once again and this time it was our lovely Rita's choice of theme and she wanted Mistletoe and Wine.  Well, I really didn't know what to do, you really set a challenge Rita, and to be honest, I felt nothing like creating any kind of card, my creative juices seem to have been mislaid whilst on holiday. I raked amongst my stamps and here is what I've come up with;

Is Mistletoe and Wine a song?? Anyway it's a CB stamp and the wine glass is a Honey Doo stamp set I bought last year, the bunches of grapes are also in the set, I've used the fabulous TH die in the corner and some Papermania paper in the background. Sentiment made on the computer, added loads of sparkle and Just Pearls. Oh and all coloured with SN Colourblend pencils.

I hope you like it Rita, I don't like to miss a challenge if I can help it, but I felt I was perhaps this might have been the one, glad it wasn't. Thanks Rita for the challenge.

I do have photos from our holiday, but that will be another post, I'll just finish with this photo of Teallach looking so relaxed cos his people are home.

Have a lovely Bank Holiday, take care,

Two Christmas Carols for CCC!

Hello Everyone, hoping you are all well when this post goes live as I will be enjoying myself on holiday. I am scheduling this post so hope it all goes according to plan.

Time once again for the Christmas Card Club ladies to share their lovely cards and this time Christine has chosen  cards based on a Christmas Carol as the theme. Here are mine;

My first card used a lovely image from Little Claire and I think you can guess what Carol it is, yes it's Away in a Manger, coloured with Faber-Castle Pastel pencils. the background is CE Black Graphite card embossed with a musical score from SB and CE Gilding Polish. Memory box star above the cradle.

Number two card is yet again a stamp from Little Claire and it's I Saw Three Ships. I've stamped behind the round aperture in the card base and coloured with DI and Derwent Inkintense Pencils. Added some birds from Inkylicious and on the front added this lovely die from Memory Box, lots of sparkle too.

I enjoyed this Challenge Christine as I got to find a stamp that I hadn't used before which was the first one, I hope I've done your Challenge proud.

Pleased visit the other ladies and see what they have made, there is always wonderful cards to see.

Take care of yourselves and see you all soon, 

Pretty Bird Cage!

Hello Blogging Friends and Visitors, I hope all is well with you, but sending kind thoughts that you will feel better soon.
Another lovely day here, perhaps a little cooler and a bit more breeze, but very pleasant.
I was at the hairdresser this morning, my hair really needed a trim, it's fairly grown over the months and wanted it tidied up for the holidays, then into town to pick up my medications and some last minute holiday necessities.  We are off to Madeira next week, it's amazing how all of a sudden it's almost upon us.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments on my last post, and Ang (Mrs.Duck) not I've not gone short, hair was in a French Braid, it was a style I used when my hair was really, really long a number of years ago.

Right now today's card and my second one for the CB Colour Challenge;

Using the beautiful Pretty Bird Cage stamp from Chocolate Baroque I coloured it up with Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolour Paints, I've kept a pretty simple design as I wanted the image to be the focal point of the card, I mounted the image on a teal card and used Derwent Inkintense pencils to make the strip of colours on the card, added a dragonfly gem. sequins and some gold pen to the centre of the flowers. The sentiment is from the same set of stamps.

I've had quite a break from Rowan and Milo, but going over to be with them today, I really miss them but Damian has been working from home quite a bit and of course there was the Bank holiday.  It being a lovely day we might get out in what's left of the garden.

Have a lovely day yourselves and see you soon,

 I would like to enter my card into the  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/challenge-thirty-four.ht

The Not So Ugly Bug Ball!

Hello Everyone, did you all enjoy the Bank Holiday?? I hope so and that your weather was as good as ours here in the North of Scotland.  Today is lovely too and seems like the week is to be good. 

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my Christmas cards, it is very kind of you.
Getting a fair old amount in the Christmas box now and it does really make all the difference when December arrives. If anyone wants to join us just get in touch and I can steer you in the right direction.

Well the Great Adventurer arrived back yesterday having had a marvellous time and all sunburned, so the rain dances didn't work.  What was hilarious though was that Alistair and his friend Jack, as they came through the door both asked how the concert went, before any hellos or Honey I'm home was uttered.  I think, there was some discussion in the tepee about my annoyance and  that it would be a good thing when arriving home to make sure it was the first thing that was asked. I could hardly keep a straight face. Men they really haven't a clue. I think Jack was roped into it in case Alistair forgot, lol.

Anyway, the concert was brilliant, all went well and the hard work of the months paid off. The soloists were marvellous, especially the Soprano who's voice was so clear and boy could she reach the high notes. Here is a couple of photos taken at the rehearsal in the afternoon;

A small selection of the first and second Sopranos, I'm just behind the lady with the white hair,

This is the full choir, orchestra and soloists sitting in front. We are a very big choir, around 140 now, when I joined away back in 2004 there were only 80.

So that's us done and dusted until we resume in August, so we have a lovely long break.

Here is my card and it's one I just loved putting together;

I just love these little bug stamps from Card-io, aren't they just so cute. The tortoises decided to have a Bug Ball and invited all their friends, even the birds which was a risky thing to do, but I guess they all got along.  The stamps are a mixture of Card-io, Inkylious, and freebies from Creative Magazines, I think they all work together.  Versa colour inks for the background and a bit of sparkle.

a wee bit more close up.  I hope you like it, it's not for anyone or any particular occasion, it just tickled me to make it.

That's me for now, have s great day and I'll see you soon,