Thursday 30 December 2010

Past work.




These are a couple of bookmarks and a notepad that I made over the Autumn, I really must get back into stitching etc once the holidays are over, perhaps it's the awful weather that make us feel so without motivation, or perhaps it's just me!

Sunday 26 December 2010

Boxing day crafting


Well after a nice but quiet day yesterday, chilling out and overeating, it was good to do a little crafting today in the form of a birthday card, I used my Cricut machine for the bird and cage and my cuttlebug to cut out the nesties, when it was finished I felt it needed a little something so out came the cricut again to cut out the corner piece and that just finished it off. I think I must get used to making flatter cards to fit in with postage costs, especially as there is another rise due in april.

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Nearly Finished!!





Well my fabric book is about ready to put together, I plucked up courage and made the cover at the weekend now it's just - 'will it go together ok?' a few more days won't matter while I think about it, it's been in the making for over a year!!! The photo's show the pages and the cover, which is made up of layers of lace , crochet pieces and flowers, the large flower piece I found when I was clearing my Aunt's home and I knew I would find a spot for it somewhere, so watch this space for the finished article.

Sunday 19 December 2010

Redbreast!


We are lucky this time round as we have no snow only a heavy frost so we were able to go for our walk around the local lakes where we saw this little chap sitting puffed up and in full view of the path, Roy put some bread crumbs down and he came right up to us to get them.I hope the picture shows him up well.

Thursday 16 December 2010

Plain Paper


The xmas challenge at my scrapbooking group was to create a layout using only plain paers/cards. To do this I got out my cuttlebug and dies and cut out autumn leaves with card that I had coloured with distress inks, the Cricut machine cut out the letters and I added some stamping. The photo I had taken about 4 weeks ago on our walk around the local lakes.

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Tags


These are a few of the tags I made for crafty friends as an alternative to christmas cards, the cards I really think I have at last finished - note to self - start again in January!!

Friday 10 December 2010

Colour Challenge


I've been really behind with my cards this year,I don't seem to have made as many as usual and keep having to do 'just one more', this one I'm entering for the Playdate Cafe challenge which is to use - blue, purple and turquoise - The stamp I used is the Butterfly Kisses Santa and I have just layered with the turquoise and added a snowflake in the same colour.

Thursday 9 December 2010

Tags 1 and 9



I'm not trying to catch up on the tags but I thought I'd have a go at No 1 and use my Cricut machine to cut the house, fence and tree, not perfect but I had a go, No 9 was more to my taste(still improvising) and looking more as it should according to the Tim Holtz original, I was happy with how the rosette turned out.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Improvised


I always miss the beginning of the Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas and here I am again my first one on day 7, trouble is the only things I have from the list of things used are the distress inks and the tag but never mind I gave it a go and here is my Tag. I thought at least I'd have the diecut letters for the word which should be Joyful, I got my dies out that I haven't used for a long time and guess what?? J,O And Y are missing so I found some grungeboard letters and managed to fit Joy in - as I said -improvised!! I'm putting the picture into the gallery of tags on Artyjens blog

Just one Layer


This months challenge on Inkurable stampers is - one layer stamping - that is only one layer of paper plus your card to be used so here is my entry, I used a Lavinia, Tree, stamp and my ink dusters with faded jeans distress ink, the sentiment is from Butterfly Kisses.The picture doesn't show this but there is a base, white , card under the stamped layer.

Sunday 5 December 2010

Scrunchy flowers


I've seen and liked these flowers on other blogs and there was a tutorial in this month's Craft Stamper so I had a go, I have the Paper Artsy stamp that was used but no matching die so just cut round it - easy, I used brown (wrapping) paper that I had in A4 sheets and it worked well, for the second flower I took the easy way and cut out the flowers on the Cricut machine and over stamped them after, you can even use nestie shaps to cut out the flowers. The one good thing about them is when finished they have a flat base to attach to projects.

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Jolly Old St Nick


A Santa themed card is the challenge over at Tuesday Taggers this week so as I had this Paper Artsy Santa stamped image left over I made up a background using my favourite funky foam diamond, added a music stamp and some swirls and the deed was about done, just some gold card and brown ribbon and voila! finished.

Monday 29 November 2010

Lace Tree


The fantabulous cricut challenge this week is to use ribbon on your project so as I'd just made this from my new Trim the Tree cartridge, I thought it would fit in well.I think it's amazing how well the cricut machine can cut out these lace patterns

Saturday 27 November 2010

Shabby Chic?


This month the theme for the challenge at the Inkurable Stampers blog is 'Shabby Chic Christmas' so I'm entering this card as It seems to fit in ok. I have used faded jeans distress ink throughout, the central pendant and the scrolls I cut on my cuttlebug and the centre stamped image is a larger village scene that I cut down in a nestie to fit.The background is stamped using a funky foam diamond shape and over stamped with holly and a music stamp, the flower is punched out.

Thursday 25 November 2010

Time Tag.


The challenge this week at playdatecafeis to use the colours brown, grey and silver so I have made a tag type bookmark using a pearlescent grey/silver card and stamped with Versafine Sepia for the brown and the silver is the arrow on the 'clock' and the gems.the stamps are Paper Artsy.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

A tidy desk is...............


Hopefully it's a tidy mind, not sure about that but I do know it's a relief to have my room reasonably tidy at last, it's been a long time coming, I had to really knuckle down to it as Viv is visiting on saturday and it would have been a struggle for us both to get into my tiny room as it was.Another thing that I'm happy about is that at last, two years after taking my stamps off their wooden bases, I have sorted them into themes and boxes - amazing!!

Sunday 21 November 2010

Aachoo!


Aachoo is the theme of the fantabulous cricut challenge this week so so as my cartridges are limited I chose to do a get well card again using the Cindy loo cartridge for the butterfly and text and the flourish came from the Serenade cartridge.

Friday 19 November 2010

Tatty Box


Well it was a tatty box! now it's a busily collaged box, originally it contained paintbrushes but was sold cheaply as the fastener was broken, I bought it and OH took it apart, out came the napkins, prints and mod podge and here you have it roses and ladies, not perfect but it'll do for something.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Collaged Santa


The theme at Tuesday Taggers this week is to use the words - Love,Joy or Peace on your project so I think the text on this card fits the bill. The Santa stamp and text are from Butterfly Kisses, the snowflakes are punched with my martha stewart punch and I used Barn Door distress ink for the stamping.

Monday 15 November 2010

Matchbox


An altered matchbox with tiny gifts inside is the theme for our Art n Soul group over on Flickr. I knew I had a matchbox but rather than tip everywhere upside down I took the 'easy' way out and made one, I glimmer misted it stuck on a vintage Santa image, which I mod podged to give it some life then added a jeweled snowflake, but what to put inside?? I had the game piece decorated with the pansy so I added a magnet to the back then out came the crochet hooks and vintage pansy pattern and the cotton pansy was born I added a tag to fill the box and it was finished.

Saturday 13 November 2010

An apple a day?


At last I'm starting to play with my new toy -better known as the Cricut Create machine - the challenge on the fantabulouscricut blog is to use green and a circle and of course a diecut from the machine, I used this lovely apple from the Serenade cartridge thinking it would make a good get well card. My OH says I'm back in the crafting swing as tonight I got all ready for our evening meal then forgot to cook it, I was only a bit late.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Colour Challenge


I'm making a few (only 6) cards for charity and while I was "taking a break!" i saw that 'Tuesday Taggers' had the theme of purple,gold and silver with some stamping so as I'd just stamped a purple background I fitted the rest in as well, this card has purple and gold layering with a silver flourish and silver layering on the text. The angel is a stamp I've had many years that comes out for a breather at christmas.

Sunday 7 November 2010

Playaway day


Today I've made myself start sorting clothes, put away cases and put my packed away ornaments into the new cabinet - so things are looking better, but yesterday I escaped to my scrapbooking crop for the day and thoroughly enjoyed playing with photo's and layouts, here is one I did from last years holiday.

Friday 5 November 2010

Hobbycrafts!!



I had a lovely day at the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC Birmingham,yesterday,with Viv ('vivsvisuals' in my sidebar) We had a good look round and a good spend on stapms, card, etc etc etc!! I took my new camera and managed to take pics of cards to remind us both what we'd seen and needed to do but when I went to upload them this mornin - no memory card in the camera!!! - I'd left it in my pc - I am so annoyed and worried about the old brain, senior moments or what?? Anyway here are a couple of christmas cards inspired by some we saw yesterday.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

A new toy!!



I promised a picture of the lovely Biscornu Autumn pincushion that I won in Judy's giveaway, ('cjstitchingandblooms' in my links) and here it is courtesy of my NEW CAMERA, my new handbag friendly camera indeed! Anyway the pincushion is lovely, about 5 1/2 inches across,tweed fabric decorated with fabric, felt and stitching, it will take pride of place on my sewing table. The other pic is the Thanksgiving card I've just made for the November 'Hugz from the Heart' swap, and did I struggle, perhaps because we're not used to cards for this theme, anyway I'm pleased with the result. I printed off the background paper, stamped and watercoloured the church image, the leaves are spellbinder dies that I cut and embossed on my cuttlebug and coloured with distress inks, under the leaves is a paper flourish that I actually cut out on my Cricut - used at last!!

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Hello!


The picture shows where OH and I have spent the last eleven days on holiday, cruising to the Canary Islands and back on this lovely ship, but that's over and now it's unpacking, washing,ironing and putting away plus the new furniture arrives, at last, tomorrow so it should be back to normal in about a week or so and then I can craft to my hearts content. I did manage to 'feed the need' on the ship and attend a couple of scrapbooking workshops, there I met Tobi ,a 'crafty' lady from Pasadena in the US and also I met Pat with her husband, our dinner neighbours, who also loves to craft, hopefully I will keep in touch with these lovely ladies.I also wanted to post a picture of a beautiful pin cushion that I won in a giveaway before I went away but......... this morning my camera refuses to work so that will have to be for another post (and another camera!)

Thursday 14 October 2010


I suddenly realised I had a birthday card to make, not easy to do when you're in christmas card mode, but despite that and the grey weather we are having I produced a hopefully cheeering card, now on with the christmas ones.My sewing machine is standing looking very neglected but It's no good starting stitching just yet so it must wait!!, it's day will come - after my holiday!!

Monday 11 October 2010

She's so Cute!



Two christmas cards made using a Sarah Kay design rubber stamp , I know she's quite cute but I really like her, I'm in christmas card mode and trying to make a good few before I go off on a holiday soon, then hopefully when I'm home again I can get back to my stitching, the books and course work, luckily the course has no time limit so I should be ok. We had our new fire fitted today and the furniture should arrive beginning of november so we're getting there - slowly - I'm hoping to be all straight for christmas at least.

Saturday 9 October 2010

Ink Dusters



Ink dusters, or to me they just look like shaving brushes but they certainly do the job of applying ink and giving that faux brayer look. This card I did when we were having a cotswold craft night and I was so pleased with the result I really was guilty of boring Jan and Wendy with the finished card, I used my Hobby Arts - Scene it - stamps to add the finishing touches.
The photo is of Jan, Wendy and I on the park and ride bus going in to Oxford - not a craft shop in site tho'!

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Altered Beermats



The theme for the latest Art n Soul challenge on flickr is an altered coaster, autumn/nature design.I covered a beermat with embossed metal, my favourite Cuttlebug owl folder, distressed it with black acrylic ink and added die cut metal leaves that had been alcohol inked for the autumn shades. The back of this mat is covered with backing paper as is the back page, I added blank pages to make it into a notebook.

Monday 4 October 2010

Caravans,Cotswolds and Collage.




Just home from a lovely long weekend in the very wet Cotswolds with Jan and Wendy (links to their blogs in my right sidebar) and our other halves, despite the weather we had a lovely time with a visit to the Artisan stamping show near Warwick and crafty sessions in the caravans. I actually managed to complete a collaged board bag in vintage style, under Jan's tutelage, and we tried out our new stamps and ink brushes( that look very similiar to shaving brushes but with them you can get the brayering effect with out the brayer.) The bottom photo shows my new crafty goodies from the show - just a few.

Wednesday 29 September 2010

Still Here??

I seem to be taking an unplanned blog break at the moment due to weekends away and 'life happening' and of course, to avoid wasting both fruit and veg, i'm still chutney making!! Hopefully next week i'll have something to post as i'll be spending a long weekend with Jan and Wendy and we've all packed our craft bags, we'll be off to a craft fair on friday so new goodies to play with as well. I treated myself to a Cricut machine a couple of weeks ago and haven't even had chance to play with it other than checking it was ok and in working order.

Sunday 19 September 2010

Back Home

. I found this lovely old photograph in a second hand book shop in Southport, i couldn't resist her and think she'll transfer very well to fabric for a future piece of work. We had a lovely week caravanning in Southport altho' the weather wasn't very kind to us, I spent time with Viv both crafting and shopping and we also included our OHs in the eating sessions. Home again to a very upset house, as we are waiting for new furniture to arrive and in some cases be chosen. I have a few projects on the go but nothing to be shown at the moment.

Friday 10 September 2010

Photo Call



I found my Aunt's wedding album and proof wedding photos when we were clearing the bungalow, the album went to Canada with Sandi and I kept the proofs so that I could use them in scrapbook pages in my heritage album, here are the two pages I did at the Crop on saturday. They really take me back - the little bridesmaid in front of 'Grandad' on the right is ME!!!fresh tulips in the head dress and all.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

The Carpets are down but......................


Well the carpets are down, the fitters arrived at 6.30pm mon night and left at 10pm, a perfectly respectable time for fitting carpets??? by then the rain was pouring down and my furniture on the patio , altho covered, was getting a good pounding but the carpets were in, I have to say that on friday they are coming back to hopefully make a better job of the lounge carpet which looks as tho' one of them left his chip butty under it in several places and which didn't show up in the artificial light on monday night, or perhaps we were just too tired to notice, not happy? annoyed? yes you get the idea. To happier things, this morning I've finished another 2 page spread of my cowgirl book, this time using denim and some hessian with other blue fabrics to match the black and white of the picture, I almost feel back to normal after doing this, only almost!
Another happy thing is that I've signed up for an online workshop with CaroleB in New Zealand (to go to her blog click on the madness and mess badge in my right hand sidebar), to make shabby chic type cards using old book covers as a base, I have the books out and need to decide on a theme and what to use, I'll start these properly at the end of next week as we are having a few days away for a rest!!

Sunday 5 September 2010

Craft of a different kind?

Sorry, no pictures again, in the state the house is in I don't even know where the camera is and I really don't think pictures of jars of chutney are very inspiring, yes a craft of a different kind - chutney making - we have so many plums and pears and i hate to waste anything, I never get on to well freezing them so it's preserves time and the house smells of ginger and vinegar at the moment with an Apple, Plum and Ginger chutney bubbling away.I have also curried and frozen some runner beans since we got back home, well why not, we do live in the 'curry capital, of England.Tomorrow is Carpet day then hopefully we can gradually get straight again and my craft room will be accessible.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

A sad homecoming.

I was very sad today when we left my late Aunts home and the place I was born in yorkshire , yes we plan to go back but I shed a few tears on the way out of the village. We are both really tired after clearing the bungalow, that was a harrowing experience as was finding her precious things and old family photo's etc. It would have been good to arrive home to a nicely ordered house but not to be as we are in the middle of decorating and re carpeting, definitely have the urge to run away to sea!!! I took lots of crafty things with me but by the time we got to sit down at night I couldn't keep my eyes open so nothing was done and may not be done for a little while yet. Some of the things I brought back with me such as lace mats, old linen buttons and bits of unusual fabric etc will be used in my fabric work and keep my Aunts memory alive, not that we would ever forget her!!

Thursday 19 August 2010

First pages.



My get up and go has sort of got up and went since we lost my Aunt, we have to go north at the weekend for the funeral and to start clearing her home, not a pleasant job at all and I just can't seem to sort myself out at the moment, my cousin has just called and she is just leaving to start her journey from Canada and will get into Manchester on Saturday. Last weekend I started a fabric ' Cowgirl' book when we were having a few days caravanning with Jan and today I've put the first page together, I've tried to make it shabby with no pretty lace in sight and I think it's worked so far. I've always been a fan of the American west and love the work of KC Willis, recently in my latest Sew Somerset magazine another admirer of KC's style had her work on show in the form of a beautiful 'cowgirl' book and quilties so this really sparked my imagination (and yes I still have a page to finish in my vintage ladies book and do the cover). And finally a pic of my OH with a few of his freshly picked runner beans - doesn't he look pleased with himself!!!(or does he?)