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Tuesday 19 November 2013

Designer Papers....


not normally something I buy but like most crafters I do have some bits and bobs in my stash, what  I do have lots of is digital download papers etc do these count... I'm sure they must do (hope so anyway) after all they are from designers....?!

For the challenge from LIM http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/week-146-theme.html
a CAS card using a some designer paper/s......I found some colourful turquoise and raspberry which I had downloaded ages ago from PP..The background is also a PP paper and I decided it fit nicely with my idea of a pen.... writing happy birthday....so after a bit of cutting and pasting I managed to come up with what I thought was quite a reasonable...well recognisable anyway,  pen shape, added a few black lines and some computer generated words and a black inky squiggle and hey presto hope you like the effect.  Sorry the image looks a little dark

PS: If anyone can help me I'd be grateful to know (I got a Samsung Galaxy Tab3 for my birthday) how do I upload photos to the blog from it ......I AM STRUGGLING...but I bet there's a simple answer somewhere...HELP!

Sunday 6 October 2013

White on White Christmas.....

 
This is the new challenge at...Less is More ....and as I chose today (a beautiful sunny and warm day how wonderful for October) to make a start on my Christmas Cards how appropriate as I love Creamy White shades, hope you like what I came up with..
 
Sentiments  Pink Petticoat, and I decided to add a tiny bit of silver in the form of a ribbon and edged this with some flock in white to give a snowy effect an added elements to each sentiment...simple but hopefully effective.  I did make another card too with a little feather and some buttons etc and using one of my favourite sentiments

 A (side on, sorry!) view of the snow ...I blame the new phone...can't seem to download so resorted to emailing photos to myself grrrr fiddly!
 

Just love this sentiment!
 

Monday 2 September 2013

A little Bird told me there's a challenge

... at LiM with a fabulous prize and the remit is to 'use a RUBBER STAMP In addition if you could use watercolours that would be wonderful!' 

...........Fitting in nicely with a simple birthday card I want to make this week for my Daughter's Mother in Law...and I had decided to use my new stamp for the first time, a little bird composed of newsprint, the idea of using watercolours appealed as it gave me a chance to think of a way to pretty the little bird up so I ended up with a simple but more colourful card than black and white newsprint would initially suggest.

The sentiment I computer generated, added a stamp of the bird, I then coloured in a small piece of card with a few strokes of watercolour paint, dried it then overstamped the bird again and cut the simple shape out (without legs...layering it over the legs of the one on the card, simple...not too sure about the pearls, sequin button etc but I know she will like them, so here it is......


 Not a very good photo, sorry


                                      And a little close up of the watercoloured bird stamp...isn't he lovely!

Sunday 25 August 2013

A little book from the heart.....

A peek at a little book I made instead of a card for my Grandaughter Fay's 9th birthday in September, I love making these little books, I put in a few pockets made from envelopes and filled with tags and ribbons and left some blank spaces for her to fill in about her day and maybe a photo or two......as they live abroad, just here for the summer hols I had to make this around some quiet times when they were out and mummy has taken it back in her case to give to Fay on her birthday....I thought the paper (sorry I can't remember it's name!) was so apt as life is so good with our grandchildren around.... 

A snippet of the inside


 
And this is the back....What a joy to make, especially as it's for a very special little girl, who says things like.............
"Grandma, what can we do for this caterpillar, I don't think he's very well as he hasn't moved off a leaf for ages"........and "don't move Grandma I've just put my pet slug down by your foot" yeuch!.........
Soooo as a final touch I bought a large paper butterfly that you wind up by twisting an elastic band and laying flat between two pages so that when she opens those pages the butterfly should fly out to lots of squeels and excitement (I hope!) and oh boy are we going to miss their singing and those squeels and shouts of laughter that only Three little girls can make!! 
 I hope you enjoy my little book/card

 

Thursday 15 August 2013

Linen and Lace....

 Anniversaries...Yes it's both my Daughter and Son in Law's  and my Son and Daughter in Law's  Wedding Anniversaries (on the same day a year apart...what an exciting 24months that was with all the planning and making of invitations dresses...well the list goes on for a wedding doesn't it!!) My Daughter has now been married 13yrs...our lucky number in fact as my husband and I were married on the 13th, 42yrs ago!!

Taking inspiration from this lovely weather and the garden I tried to capture a summer lacey effect with some tiny tiny stamps I haven't really used much and they tie in nicely with LiM challenge for this week of one layer and numbers. The numbers are computer generated.




 
This is my Son and Daughter in Law's Card and I have bought them something linen and needless to say something in lace for my daughter and son in law!!
 
 
I have been very busy this summer, hence no blogging and have made so much jam, chutney etc it's coming out of our ears....haha, will have to pass some on to friends and family when I get round to it and put some lovely new recipes on the blog too.   I have also had a wedding commission to do so am busy with that...exciting!   Hope you like

Monday 24 June 2013

Happy Birthdays....

and lot's of them this month...Two today in fact plus this one for 'Jen' who is apparently enjoying her birthday in Istanbul .....immediately an old map of Istanbul came to mind, and as luck would have it I was able to download a free printable one!  I duly aged it and distressed around the edges curling one or two corners and added to a background stamped with LoTV stamps and Stampin'up Crumb Cake ink, the white card was then backed onto a lovely shade of Mocha card this is for LIM challenge here before I pop it into the post....not to Jen as hopefully she will see it on the blog, but I think maybe to my Friend Ruth who is 60 in a few days and is currently travelling too (I managed to grab a few days recently and met up with her in France where we had a fab time exploring Nimes, Avignon, Beaucaire, Pont du Gard etc etc ) so maybe I will add a tiny tag to the map with 60 on it...or maybe not I'll see.....ooorr maybe I'll try and find another map... of France.........


Wednesday 19 June 2013

Hexagons


What with one thing another it's been  a while, but, I have managed a card for this weeks LiM challenge.  I have tried to keep it simple and used a SU stamp and some hexagons which I cut out and blocked onto the design using the overstamping technique.  I raised the stamped hexagons a little for more effect...see the close up below.  I also decided to go for a chocolate coloured effect with no colouring in to keep it simple as it is quite a busy stamp and I think the dog roses look effective enough ....I have just returned from a few days in France and have some lovely photos to share later on as they would make lovely design ideas...French blue windows peeping through Arches and beautiful wrought iron and flowers and ruins.....not to mention the cheese, wine and pattiseries Heehee....

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Rhubarb and Damson Gin Sorbet


Some pink and pretty early Rhubarb and what to do with it.......mmhm BBQ this evening so what nicer for the grown ups than a Sorbet made from Damson Gin (the last of 2012's batch!), a little additional Bombay Sapphire, a squeeze of fresh lime to taste and all stirred into cooled rhubarb which was stewed with sugar for about 10 minutes and whizzed in the blender...Place in container in freezer and wait patiently for about 4hrs...
          The most delicious Sorbet you can imagine....BBQ or Dinner PartyHeaven!  

Thursday 23 May 2013

Oh Dear.....



....it's taken me nearly all week to realise....'Yes'  I do have a dog stamp...a digi one actually and I'd forgotten I had it, although it has been well used in the past! (It's for my favourite LiM challenge) Here it is adapted from the PP Frillie Millie Digi which I cut and pasted enlarged and shrunk and flipped etc etc all those wonderful things you can do with a computer, I also decided to go they with a black / neutral theme except for a bit of bright pink on one little poodles top know, the background is also from Pink Petticoat but I printed them in grey scale to go with my theme.  Here is the result hope you like it..........mmm think I may neeed to shop for some more animal stamps... As I am sitting here in my kitchen the sun has peeped through and the flowers that are blooming in the garden are looking gorgeous...fingers crossed for a lovely bank holiday for everyone.

Sunday 12 May 2013

Pretty Giveaways and and Pretty Jam Jars

Twine and Flowers Give away, what more could a crafty girl (or boy!) want pop over to see what's on offer at The Ribbon Girl blog.  Interesting....need to have a think about these, they would make some beautiful cards and I have a couple of notebooks for the grandchildren that need fronts...mmmm!

Busy day today filling our hanging baskets, will take a picture once we get a bit of sunshine to make them bloom.....
Fresh from the Cabbage Patch..............Rhubarb, Cranberry and Apple Chutney....and Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam Some Early Rhubarb sent me dashing off to the kitchen and this is just some of what I came up with...Rhubarb and Ginger Jam, Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam and Rhubarb Apple and Cranberry Chutney...all tied up with some pretty papers labels and cords. 

Thursday 9 May 2013

Hollyhocks and butterflies


Hello, hello, hello on this windy morning, but at least the garden is beginning to bear fruit and I have made some Rhubarb and Ginger Jam and the flowers are starting to bud .

I decided this morning to try something new after a busy week and play with my purchase of a few months ago in Dubai of all places (where I've found a couple of craft shops at last!)....a Donna Downey Mask called Hollyhocks. 

Well where does the time go....

I've spent most of this morning 'playing' with the mask using different colouring techniques never having used one before I don't think this will be my last mask and I decided I liked the end result of this one enough to enter it in for this weeks challenge at LiM which is a Colour Challenge - choose TWO opposite colours from the Colour Wheel

 I added a tiny bright orange butterfly (highlighted in glossy accents) to my deep blue hollyhocks which I trimmed to size....my final picture not the mask I hasten to add .......and backed onto card which I printed from the Colour Collection in Boutique Blue by PP.   The verse is one of a series I love and use over and over again they are also from PP 'Simple Sentiments'.

Monday 29 April 2013

Mr Moustache

 
It's been a while....and I thought I would ease myself back into things using a little inspiration from LiM...week 117 sketch challenge..so here goes....
 
I have used my new purchase from Pink Petticoat to make a plain and simple get well card for my 14yr old niece who is recovering amazingly quickly and so well after a major 10hr spinal op for scoliosis (in her words not mine....Yay.. no longer a wonky donkey!) she has even grown overnight by 4"!!! I'll be off to visit her with this card later this afternoon.
 
...I digress....anyway, she loves moustaches...in the form of necklaces, tops, skirts etc....hence 'the moustache'  get well card in a warm daffodil yellow to bring a bit of sunshine with a hint of black to make it 'pop' a little.  I cut 3 circles in black, plain daffodil, daffodil moustache and layered them with just a hint of each colour showing to make it a little more interesting.  The insert also has a strip of Mr moustache in black running down one side. Laughing makes you better - computer generated and printed on daffodil Mr Moustache, as was the smile which is a PP image.  I cut the V in the banner with a corner of a square punch...easier than scissors and finished with a sparkly.
 


Sunday 3 February 2013

Made with love...


and lots of birthday wishes for our Daughter in Law Sarah....Using stampin'up stamp and Kraft and Kreme colour scheme this fits in nicely I think with this weeks challenge at LiM which I will enter this card into.  The beautiful heart embelishment, ribbon and felt are from my gorgeous Ribbon Girl stash.  Hope Sarah likes it. 
Talking of coffee and cream...In cooking mode today before making a little gift of some thank you and general cards from my gorgeous PP digi's which I have collected over the years.. Perhaps they'll be my next post!

Cooking...Lamb on a bed of butterbean stew and Swedish Bullar Buns, they took a while to make but so delicious and freezable, not difficult but a process that can't be hurried..and so worth it especially when warm straight out of the oven with a cup of coffee mmmhmm!!.

Had to laugh when my daughter sent me a What's App (so brilliant and easy to use especially if like me you have family overseas) to say my 8yr old gradaughter came 3rd in a 3K run (WELL DONE Fay!!) but mummy came last...well she did have to chivvy up the stragglers...or so she says, but she did admit to being lapped when she started out, hey ho at least she ran......

Friday 1 February 2013

Dreamy White....

Navy Blue (my favourite colourway) with just a touch of gold to define it a bit more...Not a very clear image no matter what I did, but I think you get the gist...I used Stampin'up stamps and inks crumb cake and Sahara to do the stamping and the background and would like to enter this card into LIM sketch week - It's simple and uncomlicated all they ask is that the card stays in the orientation shown ie that the band remains in the horizontal plane, in the lower part of the card and that it takes up no more than 1/3rd of the height of the cardbase. Just a quickie post as the roofer has arrived to sort our leak.....!

Monday 28 January 2013

All Owled out...

I've been Owling...not the crouching planking type!.....But Birthday owling for my Grandaughter's 6th Birthday and the results were just what she ordered...One Owl Birthday Card with an owl story inside, owl covers for the party bags and owl bunting made from card, also some fabric bunting in her favoutite colours and this cake,...unfortunately, I've had a blip with my camera (this photo was on my phone) so will try to get more pics later in the week... The cake had a chocolate and oreo filling and the top was made from icing (wings embossed with one of my craft folders!) and the eyes from icing and Oreo biscuits  worked well!  Deliciousness personified, Enjoy

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Santagrandad....

 Everyone looking skyward for Santa's arrival.....
 He's arrived..After one of the staff had to pick him up from the North Pole, with some help from a bit of Santa magic, in a Jaguar as the Reindeer had partied too hard and were still in bed.....

Just thought I would share what happened on our recent trip to see our grandaughters when Grandad and I were asked to help out at their school...I was asked to help out at school with parties talent shows and lots of fun and Grandad...would he step in as Santa!!!  Hohoho after a shaky nervous start, he soon got into the swing of it and this is now a christmas we shall never forget, what more can one ask than to be part of a child's dreams, so much fun!.  The last photo is one of our grandaughter's, Fay with Santagrandad

Happy New Year to one and all and Christmas......


Better late than never, I didn't know I could be so busy in retirement!!  Anyway just thought I would start off the New Year with a little post about my Christmas cards...which I made mostly back in October...I probably make a lot of work for myself BUT it is enjoyable crafty work in that I usually make ALL my Christmas cards and lots of different cards rather than one style, hoho I love it..here are just a couple of samples made with my gorgeous Christmas Candle stamp from LoTV which everyone has commented on, don't you just love her and so many ways to dress her - I have used glamour dust and a minimum of colour to reflect my beautiful background papers courtesy of PP (my set were purchased a long time ago and used again and again!  I Love them hope you do too..