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!

 

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!

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

 

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

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.........

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....

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!