Up with the lark

Good Morn ing Blogger Friends
Here I am up with the lark in order to go to work, I've had such a wonderful holiday that I don't want to return to the daily grind. So I haven't much news since I last posted but I thought I would do this one early as I sat and made a card for my son to give to his partner for Christmas, this is it

I've used a Mulberry Wood stamp from Crafters Companion, coloured with promarkers, Papers from Papermania and gold glitter card, Wild Orchid flowers, sentiment from stamp, Memory Box lattice die and corner dies, Spellbinders flourish die, and lots of sparkle.

I hope Damian likes it enough to not have to go out at the last mimute and buy Moreen one as he usually does, and of course I hope Moreen likes it too.

Off to get myself some breakfast now and put my happy face on, have a good day all whatever your doing and be back later,

Kate x

I am entering this card into the I love Promarkers challenge

Good to be Back

Well here I am again and hello to you all.  It seems ages since I last blogged.  I hope you have all been well. I've tried to keep up with your news and creations over the last few days and have noticed that a few of you lucky people have been to the craft exhibition in Glasgow over the weekend. hope you've still got some pennies in your purse.

We have the house back to ourselves now our guests have gone, but what a blast we had with them, my hubby and Stewart never stopped talking the whole of the time, Dale claims he hardly speaks two words at home. We had so many good laughs and lucky me, they brought gifts too. Dale is a sewer and at the moment is making quilting projects and made a beautiful bag for my knitting, I just love it, what do you think?

She couldn't have chosen a more apt material as strawberries are my favourite fruit.  I now have somewhere to keep my larger projects and it looks so good sitting by the side of my chair.
Alistair got a big tin of Roses chocs which I am finding it hard not to raid, not good for diabetics!!

Anyway with having visitors I've not managed to craft and hope to get back into it later today as I've bought a few new bits and pieces and want to try them out. however I wanted to share a card I made for a little girl called Evie who's birthday coming up soon

It's a LOTV stamp and coloured with promarkers, background paper from one of my CDs LOTV sentiment, xcut scalloped die card and ribbon from my stash and WO flower, silver border peel offs, insrt from Paintshop Poppets CD.

Before I go, I thought I would tell you of my win, yes I've finally won something. Imagine my surprise to open the post from Little Claire to find I was winner of last weeks comments on their nativity stamp, I'm so delighted to have won this lovely stamp. I'm laughing to myself as it seems that my word creations outshine my artistic creations as I've not managed to win any blog challenges yet.

So I'm back to work tomorrow after a lovely two weeks holiday, we have visited dear friends, dear friends have visited us, had some great food and drink, wonderful gifts, great laughter, been entertained at the theatre and won a compitition, it's what life is all about.....roll on the next holiday!!

All for now, Kate x

Getting Ready for the Weekend!

Good Afternoon All, finally getting around to blogging, we have been busy this morning getting the house ready for friends Dale and Stewart who are arriving this evening for a few days.  We are so looking forward to their visit, and anticipate a laugh a minute with them; i've just looked out the window and it's snowing!!, hope their train gets up OK. Alistairs' just gone out for a walk to blow the cobwebs away too, he'll come back like a snowman.

Anyway I've known these friends for ever, and unfortunately don't get together very often so it's great they are coming, last time here was for Alistair's 60th and that was 7 years ago.  We've lots of things planned but main one is SNJO concert at Eden Court theatre on Sunday, both boys are great jazz fans. 
I wont get crafting while their here but it's a good opportunity to get on with the knitting. Anyway here is the card I put together for Peter and Jean

I thought they would like the dogs.  I've used the free papers from Making Cards mag and the rest is from my stash.  I can't claim to have really designed the layout, I copied the example in the mag, well I couldn't have done any better.

To all who are going to the craft exhibition in Glasgow this weekend, have a great time and come home with loads of goodies.  I had planned to go, but visitors are here, always next year.

Have a great weekend,  Kate x

Christmas cards again

Good Afternoon Everyone and I hope you are all well and have had a good day whatever you were doing. Thank you to all who left such nice inspiring comments on my last blog, I alway look forward to reading them.

Well I didn't get any blogging done yesterday, but I did get some cards made. I cut out and put together the Giorgdano decoupage images the other night whilst watching TV so they were ready to make a card with yesterday, here they are

They are lovely images and I'm pleased I bought them, however they need a larger card than I am used to doing and the first one I think could have done with a larger card base, not to worry though.
I've embossed the top one with a spellbinders christmas folder and used WO flowers, gems and glitter

Seasons Tweetings uses Anita green card and Papermania Boofle paper, glitter and gems, WO flowers.

Dinner time now and Alistair has just been through asking if he should put on the oven knowing full well that the oven is not needed tonight.   this is a subtle hint to get going with the cooking.

Have a good Evening,  Kate x

Home bearing gifts

Good Evening All and thank you for all the comments left on my last blog, much appreciated.


Well, we had a lovely time at our friend's it was great to catch up with all their news and the "scandal" of the glen, not that I know who is doing the scandalizing, but Alistair does as he used to live in Corgaff, many years ago.  We were well fed and watered, which isn't easy for our hosts as I have diabetes and don't eat carbohydrates, and of course the Western world revolves around it. However, all our lovely friends try their utmost to make sure that they substitute other foods and that I don't starve, as if I would.

We were sent home today with a wonderful painting from Peter. Its a landscape painted in oils and its of part of the Kintail mountains. The colours are wonderful and it's title is Dawn over Kintail.  His mountain landscapes are fantastic and he gets my hubby to name them as Alistair is a climer/hillwalker and knows the mountains better than he does his own house. We will hang it tomorrow and I know just where it's going.
I also received a lovely gift from jean of Liz Earle skin care products.  I just love them as the products are made with wonderful natural ingredients.  So, it was a great couple of days.

My card this evening I made a couple of days ago here it is

 I was asked to make this for a friend to give to her hubby at Christmas and he loves areoplanes and has his own glider.  I wasn't too sure how this LOTV stamp fitted into a Christmas card  but did my best.
Coloured with promarkers, sentiments are LOTV, Papermanis Papers, papermania glitter card, gems and buttons from my stash.
So I hope Susan likes it.

I came home to two new Spellbinder dies and Joanna Sheen's Giordano Decoupage Sheets, so I'm looking forward to creating something with them.

Hope your day has been good,

Kate x

Frosy Monday

Good Morning Everyone, thank you for all the great comments on my last blog and to Wendy for the helpful info regarding challenges.

Well it's quite a frosty morning with a bit of mist, but I think the sun is trying to shine through.  We're off again to visit friends in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, today.  Haven't see these friends in quite a while so it will be good to catch up.  Their home is also a Gallery as Peter is an artist and not only exhibits his own work but other artists too, with a mixture of mediums, photography, sculpture etc.  I just love to visit Jean and Peter and their wonderful Labradors, I think  there are four of them.
Their house is set in such wonderful scenery and Jean's garden is beautiful with a backdrop of lovely hills.  They also have three beautiful Icelandic ponies, and as I love horses, I'm just in my element.
I love Peter's work, he is such a talented artist and works with in many different styles, now I know nothing about art, I gauge it by "would I hang this on my wall", yes or no. Anyhow if you ever find yourself in this area the gallery is called "The Lost Gallery" and it's a couple of miles up a track but well worth while when you get there.  They  do have a website.

Anyway that's enough advertising, here is my latest creation

This card is for our friend Sean who celebrates his birthday next month, and how I wish I could take photos, I've just noticed the reflection of a painting on the opposite wall is on the mirriboard.

I have used Kanbans Gentleman's Journey card and mirriboard, topper, mounted on brown card.
Spellbinders snowflakes dies as I thought they looked a bit like cogs.
A wooden 60 coloured with promarker in chestnut and gems.

I'm quite pleased with it as I struggle with mens cards a bit.

Thats me off to get myself together and I will catch up sometime tomorrow when we are home.
Have a good day, Kate x

Lazy Sunday

Good Afternoon everyone, and thanks to all who left comments on my last blog.  I love to read them and they encourage me in my cardmaking.

It's been a lovely lazy Sunday so far, Alistair is away for a cycle with a friend,(lycra is not a good look) this always takes a few hours so I have the house to myself, so I've pottered about with housework, nothing serious, given some thought to the dinner, only thought so far.... and watched some really awful Westerns on the telly, well it beats all the political stuff that Alistair watches and comments on when he's here.

I've decided to enter another card into LOTV Little Fairies Challenge, didn't come anywhere near winning with the last one but I'm a trier. The theme is Anything Goes, so I thought I would enter the Christmas card I've made for my son and daughter in law.

 The stamp is of course LOTV and coloured with promarkers, Xcut dies, red glitter card and papers are a selection that I can't remember where from, embelishments from bits and pieces in my box of tricks.

I have no idea how the winners are chosen, if its artistic content or just pulled out of a hat, does anyone know?  I see by other folk's blogs that, it is a very popular thing to do, some people enter loads of challenges, most I've never heard of, I would imagin it is quite time consuming, but fun too.

Having to add a bit on to this post; Wendy thank you for the info on blog challenges and for suggesting that I enter my card into the I love Promarkers challenge, so Iv'e gone ahead and done just that.

Anyway, I'll see how this one does, that's me for today, hope your day is going well

Kate x