HAPPY ANNIVERSARY LONDON KIDS

Hi Everyone

Today is a very special day in our family .. .. .. it is the Wedding Anniversary of our eldest son and his wife .. .. .. otherwise known as "the London Kids".

This is the card I made for them:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3338J" Long Kiss
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Backing Papers:  A gorgeous 12 x 12 pad called "Rose Gold" by Artstudio  (The Range)
Rose Gold Metallic Card
ProMarkers

Ribbon
Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine

Sadly the rose gold doesn't photograph too well .. .. but I tried my best.

Must admit I am loving having my Penny Black stamps and ProMarkers back in action.  I have missed them. 

Hope you have had a good day London Kids .. .. .. Loves ya very, very, very much!!!!

CRAFT WITH YOUR KRAFT

Hi Everyone

I hope your week is going well - my time has been spent with Mum these last few days .. .. .. but today my brother has been with Mum so I have had a whole day at home to catch up on the dreaded housework .. .. with the reward at the end being .. .. spending whatever time was left in my little craft haven.  Surprising how quickly you can fly through the housework when there is such a lovely treat at the end!

The ladies over at Little Red Wagon have set quite a simple challenge this week .. .. .."to use kraft cardstock" so no excuse for me not playing along as I love kraft card very, very much.  

Pre Covid when I used to do tons of weddings every other couple wanted kraft based stationery .. .. so I have loads of kraft snippets to delve into and have created this (which used "just one" of the bits I have available LOL!!)  .. .. .. 

This used:

Kraft Card Snippet
Patterned Snippets:  All that Glistens - First Edition Paper  (Very Old)

Sentiment:  Printed Ribbon
Spellbinders Heart Die
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Random snowflake

Don't ask me where that tiny little snowflake came from, it was lurking in my snowflake box as was the tiny little silver glitter card dot that is in the middle of it .. .. .. might have to investigate my snowflake dies because it is super cute.

To keep the finished card thin enough to go through that super narrow slot on the post office measuring gauge I actually cut a strip out of the heart and stitched it either side of the ribbon.

Off to link up now and then hopefully have little blog hopping session.

Catch you again soon.

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE - GUEST DESIGNER

Hi Everyone

Happy weekend!

Today is my last inspiration card for the current Penny Black Saturday Challenge where I have had the honour of being the Guest Designer for August.  

The theme is "Embossing" or "anything goes" .. .. .. but whichever option you choose does need to use a prominent Penny Black product.

This is what I have created:

This used:

Main Image:  "Whispers" Penny Black "3377K"

Background Image:  "Winsome" Penny Black "3811J" 

Sentiment:  "Loads of Love" Penny Black Clear Stamp Set "30-146"
Die for Main Image:  "A Pocket Full" Die Set Penny Black "51-053"

Tumbled Glass Distress Ink Pad (for distressing the main image panel)
Peeled Paint Distress Ink Pad (for stamping the "Whispers" stamp)

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder "Swiss Dots" for the embossed corners and also for debossing the paper-pieced sections of the main image (after having gently rubbed a black ink pad onto the raised side first)
White Embossing Powder for embossing the Winsome stamp to the background

Small Corner Rounding Punch

ProMarkers for adding extra colour to the stamped image.

Hot Fix Nail Heads
Flat Backed Gem
My Trusty Sewing Machine 

So that just leaves me to say a huge "Thank you" to the ladies on the Penny Black Saturday Team .. .. ..  I have enjoyed my time with you very very much.  

CHRISTMAS KICKSTART CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Not quite so bright and beautiful here today weatherwise .. .. .. but the air is much fresher and there is a chance of some rain .. .. which isn't a bad thing really as the gardens and the reservoirs really do need it.

Sharing a card today for taking over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is 

"Let's Wreath it Up"

and this is what I have created:

This used:

Wreath Die:  Cheap and cheerful from Amazon here
Sentiment:  Computer generated
Backing paper I think was part of a Christmas pad from The Works ages ago 
Ribbon
Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine

A fun card to make that didn't involve me actually needing to do any die cutting at all because I had a little storage box full of leftover circles and wreath outlines from identical cards I have made previously .. .. and in a wide variety of colours.  So it was just a case of gluing the outline down and fitting the circles into the gaps. 

Hope your week is going well and no-one has ended up with sunburn.

I promise not to make my next post a Christmas one.  I know for a lot of people it is far too early to be making them, or even thinking about them .. .. .. but I just have to squeeze them in any chance I get.  

TEENY TINY TUESDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday! 

Can't believe it if I have got the day right because all day my head has thought it is Wednesday for some reason .. .. .. I have been struggling for over a week to know what day it is.  As soon as I wake up I am racking my brains trying to work it out, and even then I change my mind a couple of times before I finally convince myself I have it right. LOL!!!

Anyway, once up and running, I decided I had better start making some cards for filling those teeny tiny envelopes I made here a little while back .. .. .. and boost my Christmas card collection into the bargain.

I decided to make a card using one of my favourite Stampin' Up! sets to create this Teeny Tiny card, which for anyone new to my blog measures a whole 9cm square:

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Stampin' Up! "Hearts Come Home"

Heart die:  Poppystamps "Heart String"  (quite old now)

All paper and card from Snippet Mountain (not that it has reduced the pile very much LOL!!)

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Sadly only time to make one but each one counts in trying to avoid that last minute Christmas rush.

I am entering this into the challenge over at "Little Red Wagon" where the theme is "Set a Course For Home".

Short and sweet from me today as I have a lot to cram into my day (once again)!

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

Many thanks for your lovely comments on my previous post.  They are all greatly appreciated.

I was up bright and early today with my fingers itching to do some more creating, so before I left to be with Mum I managed to pull this card together for taking over to the Snippets Playground Challenge and now that I am home again I can write up my post and rush over to the playground.

This used:

Image:  Bouquet of Blooms - Julie Hickey "SKU JH1058"
Sentiment:  Spice of Life - Colorado Craft Co. "BB557"
Stamping on Butterfly:  Birthday Background Stamp - Julie Hickey "SKU JH1041"
ProMarkers
Distress Inks for the butterfly
Corner Rounding Punch
Butterfly Die Set "Wings of Elegance" Craft Addition UK
Crystal Glamour Dust for the butterfly wings .. .. but the camera hasn't really picked it up.
Small Diamond Gems
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and these were the snippets I grabbed to play with at the start of the day:

I hope that everyone has had a good weekend and if like me you have stacks of snippets that need using up why not grab them and play along.  The challenge is always a fun and a really friendly place to visit .. .. .. with lots of laughs along the way.

Take care everyone.

BACK TO THE OLD ROUTINE

Hi Everyone

Well, the London Kids have now returned to their own home .. .. .. boo hoo!! 

We had a wonderful few days together.  Lots of eating, drinking, talking, walking, catching up with people they haven't seen in a while .. .. .. laughing and joking and playing silly games on the PlayStation that we haven't played for ages (in fact so long that I had to be taught what buttons I needed to press for what all over again)!!   

Sadly all good things must come to an end  .. .. ..  but I am left with lots of lovely memories of a very special time that I will never forget.  It felt a bit like Christmas but  minus all the stress! 

The London Kids love where we have moved to and my daughter-in-law has chosen an old Tudor looking house around the corner that she wants them to move into .. .. I have to let her know when it comes up for sale LOL!!!

So now it is time to get back into my crafting routine and get cracking on filling that card stock box and catching up with those card orders .. .. alongside looking after Mum of course.  My brother and sister took over whilst our visitors were here - but we did all go to visit Mum so the London Kids could catch up with her.  

Only decision now being .. .. which of all the cards I need to make shall I start with .. .. I feel you could name just about any type of card in the world and someone is wanting one.  Except New Year, Easter and Halloween!!  LOL!!

But this is my share for tonight .. .. ..

This used:

Image:   Cute Bunnies in Glasses via Etsy
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Backing Papers:  From that ever growing Snippet Mountain
Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine

I will hopefully catch you again soon.

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE - GUEST DESIGNER

Hi Everyone

A super exciting post for me today as I have the pleasure of being Guest Designer for August with the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  Woo hoo!!!

The theme this month is "Embossing" - or as always there is the "anything goes" option  .. .. ..  but whichever you choose your entry needs to use a prominent Penny Black product. 

Here is my creation which features heat embossing and embossing with a scoring tool:

This used:

Image:  "Social Butterfly" clear stamp set - Penny Black "30-116" (stamped onto card and heavy weight vellum and embossed then layered once the vellum layer had been fussy cut)
Sentiment:  "Gratitude" clear stamp set - Penny Black "30-105"
Background Paper:  MFT Bundles of Blossoms Pastels (very old)
Fish tail die set:  M&C Boutique from The Works (again quite old)
VersaMark Embossing Pad
Gold Embossing Powder
Heavy weight vellum
Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad - Sweet Plum
Craftelier Scoring Board (for embossing lines onto a strip of lilac card prior to rubbing over with the embossing pad, adding gold embossing powder and heat setting)
X-Cut Flower Punch
Pearls
My Trusty Sewing Machine

I have always had a "soft spot" for this challenge as it was the very first challenge I entered way back in March 2009 and it was my second ever blog post. A whole sixteen years and the stamp I used then is still being put to good use today.

I love looking back at previous posts .. .. .. even though I cringe at a lot of the things I posted .. .. .. but it does reassure me that I have hopefully improved, and also makes me realise just how old a lot of my stash is.  LOL!!!

Hope you get chance to dig out your Penny Black goodies and play along with the challenge.

In the meantime my day is going to be extra super exciting as The London Kids are coming to stay for a few days.  So very excited as we haven't been able to meet in person for ages .. .. .. only through Facetime.  So it is their first proper look at our new home.

I will catch you again soon .. .. .. if I don't burst with excitement in the meantime.