DOUBLE DOSE TODAY

Hi Everyone

Well December is here again (already) .. .. .. pinch and a punch first day of the month .. . and white rabbits!!

They will be very white rabbits if they have been playing around in my garden as they are likely to be covered in all the fresh snow that fell during the night. 

As promised yesterday I am here to share the new challenges that are being launched for Funky Hand's "Get Funky!" Challenge and the Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge.

The December challenge for Penny Black at Allsorts is "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder" .. .. .. so we are looking forward to seeing what you find beautiful.

Of course it was easy peasy for me .. .. but my finished card is not necessarily beautiful to everyone .. .. it is however beautiful to me. 

Firstly because if features one of my favourite Penny Black stamps .. ..a gorgeous heart stamp.  There is a bit of sewing from my trusty machine, dark colours (which I know not everyone likes), a couple of handmade flowers and those lovely swirls.

Here it is in all its glory LOL!!



This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4023K" Love is the Message
Backing Paper:  All GCD Studios "Ella Blue"
Cricut Cartridge:  Home Accents (for the swirls)
Leone Em Pty Punch: "CP30" Ash Branch
Scrap fabric for the flowers
Brads and self adhesive pearls

So there it is  -  my idea of beauty.  I love the way that the image has also shown up the texture of the base card. 

I hope you get chance to pop over and see where my fellow DT members have found beauty and that you also get chance to play along.  We had a record number of entrants last month.  I love seeing what everyone does with their Penny Black images.

Next ... ... the Get Funky! Challenge for December

This month Anice chose our theme .. .. and she has used a sketch by Kathy (one of my fellow DT mates) who has her own sketch blog.   You will have to pop over there later.  Kathy has some wonderful sketches and inspiration to share.

Here is the sketch we all worked from

and here is my interpretation (which I "super-sized" LOL!!)
 
 

This used:

Backing Papers:  All from the Funky Hand CD "Funky Seasons"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Glitter Snowflakes:  Cut from Craftime Glitter Sheets
Martha Stewart Punch:  Embossed Zig Zag
Hobbycraft Punch:  Large and small snowflake
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Cord from the stash box

Lots of exciting things happening at Funky Hand.  Not sure how much Anice is sharing at this point so you will have to check later.  But you can check what my fellow DT mates did with the sketch here .. .. there are some very clever interpretations!!

So those are my shares for the day. 

We got the snow we were promised overnight and are having a good snow shower now too .. .. .. the weather forecast saying that we are going to be getting more heavy snow showers during the course of the day.

Yes, it looks lovely, and the kids enjoy it, but the radio is talking of accident after accident .. .. .. scary, scary!!  Stay safe and warm everyone.

Love

FRIDAY SKETCHERS CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

So how is the snow doing with you?

We had a bit of snow last Friday .. .. which stuck around and has never disappeared.  Last night we had a new sprinkling to freshen up that which was still around from Friday and this morning we keep getting flurries but they don't last long.   I bet there are a lot of you out there in blogland that would be happy to swap with us.  It sounds horrendous in some parts!!  Be careful everyone!

Having said that our weather forecast sounds very bad with a severe weather warning for Derbyshire.  At least 5cms by 10.00am tomorrow with as much as 15cm in some parts - and then more snow on top of that tomorrow!!  Eeekkk!!!

The UK will be at stand-still soon.  We never seem to cope with snow very well do we.  I hope hubby is at home with me when everywhere closes down!!  LOL!!

Anyway get to the crafting woman and stop babbling.

An early share today .. .. .. back to a Christmas card LOL!!!  I liked the look of the sketch over at Friday Sketchers so decided to give this a go .. .. .. and here is the result.



This used:

Image: Stampavie "GR003" - Mistletoe and Mice

Backing Papers:  All Pink Petticoat

Fiskars Punch:  Threading Water

Stardust Stickles

Eylets and ribbon from the stash box

Here is the sketch for following. 



I am such a funny thing .. .. I really loved the look of this sketch and the great inspiration pieces given by the DT but when it came to the crunch I struggled in sticking my image at an angle!!  Aren't I strange (don't all reply at once) .. .. I always put everything square and balanced on my cards.  Who would have thought an image at a jaunty angle could make me feel that uncomfortable?

Someone once told me that if there is something you don't like doing you need to keep doing it until you are comfortable with it .. .. mmm .. .. .. not sure I agree with that!!  But I will try to be a bit "less square" in the future LOL!!

Have a good day and evening and I will be back tomorrow with the launch of two new challenges.  Get Funky! and Penny Black at Allsorts.

There are lots and lots of super new things being planned over at Funky Hand .. .. as a DT we are a mega excited bunch .. .. just not sure whether Anice is spilling the beans tomorrow or not.  We will have to wait and see.

Stay safe everyone.

Love

PLAIN AND SIMPLE

Hi Everyone

Yay .. .. back in blogland properly again.

I have only made one card today (due to all the mess I needed to clear up today)  .. ..  and this is it.  A plain and simple anniversary card as requested.  I must admit it made a refreshing change not to be making a Christmas card LOL!!

Here is my creation



This used:

Image:  Lili of the Valley "S1110" Bunnies - in Love

Sentiment: Hobby Art Clear "CS016D" General Greetings

Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

ProMarkers

Start Dust Stickles

Ribbon and thread from the stash box

So that is me for today.

I am going to sign off now so that I can have a quick hop around blog land!!  Yay!!!

Love

NEVER AGAIN !!!

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a lovely day.

I have had a good day .. .. but boy was it cold.  I managed to get lots and lots of layers on under my coat so my body was warm as toast but I just couldn't keep my hands and feet warm enough.

We had out little heater going and took turns in warming ourselves in front of it .. .. but it was so cold that even the heater was struggling.

It was a better fayre than our last one but it wasn't worth the torture.  Never again .. .. I promised my hubby I won't subject him to that ever again.  Not many chaps would have put up with what he put up with today.  He even missed his football and never complained!!

So here are a couple of photographs I took at the end of our experience

Here you can see some of the barges on the frozen canal .. ..
none of the boats going anywhere there today!!
The icy patch is frozen reindeer wee wee!!! 
You really wanted to know that didn't you!?!?!?!?

Here are part of the Christmas lights  
-  the tree was amazing and my photograph does not do it justice.
To the left is the area where we were.
You can see my lovely hubby packing away for me whilst I took the photographs .. .. he is the one in the black coat with the white stripe down the sleeve who couldn't wait to get home.  Bless!! 
How lucky I am that he is mine!!



We have got home .. .. had lovely baths and now are about to open a bottle of red whilst waiting for a Chinese meal to be delivered .. .. with our faces glowing!!!

All thawed now and thanking our lucky stars that we don't work outdoors every day of the week!!!

Tomorrow I am looking forward to cleaning my mucky house and having a good blog catch up in the evening.  I have missed having a good nosey around everywhere.

Enjoy what is left of your evening.  See you soon.

Love

I'M BEGINNING TO THINK I AM A BIT MAD !!!

Hi Everyone

Wow .. .. how cold is it today?!?!?!?

We woke up to a little smattering of snow .. .. and it hasn't thawed all day.  We have the promise of a little more to come as well.

I cannot believe I am going to be outside tomorrow for hours on end .. .. .. I am beginning to think I am a bit mad!!  LOL!!!

All of my goodies are starting to make their way into the hallway ready to load into the car in the morning.  The front of the line being two chairs and a little heater (which I have been told we are allowed to take).

Now to make up for me being a let down yesterday I have taken two lots of photographs for you today.

This is the first .. .. .. which is my favourite creation of the day:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3557H" Little Trees and "3553H" Christmas Lights

Sentiment:  Lili of the Valley

Backing Paper:  Papermania "A Silent Night"

Nestabilities:  Labels

Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop

Distress Inks:  Tea Die (for distressing)  Peeled Paint and Barn Door for painting images

Glamour Dust

Diamond Stickles

Brad, Eyelets and Ribbon from the stash box

My second share:

These are little mini cards .. .. similar to a large version I shared a while back.  I have made quite a few of them .. .. far more than are photographed here.

This used:

Image: PSX "F-2104" - no name on the stamp but I think it is called "Snowy Village"

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

Glamour Dust

Ribbon from the stash box

So that is the end of my making for a little while.   I am getting withdrawal symptoms already!!!  LOL!!

 

Time now to finish putting my inserts into my finished creations and package them up and then load everything into the boxes ready for morning.

 

I am hoping to get some nice photographs at the fayre tomorrow .. .. .. it should look quite magical .. .. .. it will just depend on whether my fingers are warm enough to be able to press the button on the camera .. .. and whether I can aim without dithering!!   LOL!!  (not sure why I am laughing .. .. must be hysteria setting in).

 

If my fingers are working .. .. .. and my pictures are worth looking at .. .. .. I will share those with you tomorrow.

 

Have a good evening everyone.  X-Factor tonight .. .. yay!!!!

 
Love  

SORRY FOLKS

Hi Everyone

Really sorry but I haven't taken any pictures to share today .. .. lots of creations but no pictures .. .. bad girl!!!

So tonight it is just a "mental picture" that you need to create in your own artistic mind. 

Your clues are:

1.  A huge pile of finished cards waiting to have their inserts added and be packaged up.

2.  A huge pile of paper waiting to be turned into inserts (I need to add some sentiments and cut them down)

3.  A dining room table where you can hardly see the cloth (yes, we are very posh in our house and always have a cloth on our table LOL!!.. .. .. .. that is to hide all the scratches and marks that are on it .. .. .. I don't feel too bad though because is was second hand some 20 years ago and it could tell many a tale of happy family gatherings shared around it)

4.  My small little craft pod (which is the smallest bedroom) .. ..  where there are bits strewn all over the floor.  Backing from double sided tape - snippings - guillotine trimmings.  Though in all fairness it isn't too bad considering everything that has been cracking off in there.

5.  Piles of stamps, all precariously balanced, where I have been looking for a particular stamp and come across another and have put it to one side to use later.

6.  A pile of images already coloured waiting to be turned into cards.

7.  Well I could go on for ever so basically it is a bit of a mess!!  LOL!!  But an organised one .. .. I know where everything is.

8.  A spare bed that has boxes of cards on it all split into various types .. .. ie .. .. Christmas, female birthday, male birthday, new baby, wedding anniversary .. .. .. it is always scary doing this because this makes be realise what cards I am missing.  Alongside these boxes are sprigs of artificial holly, little Christmas trees and table cloths for decorating the tables at the fayre.

Well I think that is enough imagining don't you.

I am slowly running out of time.  One more day and then that is it.  What is made is made and what isn't isn't.

There will be a picture for you to see tomorrow I promise  -  it isn't fair to make you imagine your own pictures LOL!!

I am really looking forward to Monday.  I am going to have a huge "clean up".  Fancy looking forward to housework!! 

Have a lovely evening and I'll see you again tomorrow.  Time for me to make a start on those inserts!!

Love

A BIT EARLIER TODAY

Hi Everyone

How nippy has it been today?

We were promised a few "snow flurries" in my neck of the woods today .. .. but so far we have escaped them!!   But it has certainly been very cold and quite windy!

I have had a good production day today .. .. another couple of days like this ahead of the fayre on Sunday and I will be well happy.

Tonight I am sharing one of the makes of the day .. .. another which uses the Papermania paper pack that I finally "allowed myself to use" yesterday.  LOL!!

Here is my make:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4092K" A Thorny Affair

Sentiment:  Elzybells

Backing Papers:  All Papermania "A Silent Night"  (Loving these papers)

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads

Distress Ink:  Old Paper

ProMarkers
Diamond Stickles

Glossy Accents

Ribbon from the stash box

So short and sweet from me today.

I suddenly remembered today that I was very kindly sent an award by some of my blog buddies the other week .. .. just before I lost my internet connection for a week.  Thank you ladies.  I really must back-track and find out who sent them to me and get you linked up.

Right back to more makes.

Thanks for calling by.  I am sorry I am not very sociable in visiting this week.  Once the fayre is over and done with on Sunday (and I have thawed out) I will be back catching up with everyone again.

Have a good evening.

Love

BET YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T PLAYING TODAY?

Hi Everyone

Did you think I was playing today?

Sorry to be so late.  I spent most of the morning with Mum so I am a bit "behind" myself.

Today's share is a bit different for me .. .. I wonder when I will find my "true" style?  I love all the different types of cards I do and don't think I could ever stick to just one type.

I love the backing paper I have used here.  It is from Papermania and I bought the pack a little while ago but loved it too much to use .. .. (now I know why I love my backing paper CD's so much .. .. I can have as many sheets off those as I want).  Lots of scrummy papers in the Papermania pack - and when I found the new craft shop at the weekend I decided to buy another pack so that would use some of the gorgeous papers.  No doubt you will be seeing a few more of the sheets over the next couple of weeks.

Eekkk!!!  Just think .. .. another couple of weeks and we will probably be at the end of Christmas card production for 2010!!!

Anyway, here is my share of the day

This used:

Backing paper:  Papermania "A Silent Night"

Sentiment:  Computer Generated

Nestabilities: Standard Circles Large and Classic Scalloped Circles Large

Woodware Punch:  Holly Leaf

Cuttlebug embossing folders:  Swiss Dots and Distressed Stripes

Distress Ink Pad:  Old Paper

Josy Rose:  Nail Heads and Acrylic Stones (coloured with Alcohol Inks)

Glamour Dust:  Gold

Diamond Stickles

Ribbon and cord from the stash box

There was also a bit of Glimmer Mist used on the holly leaves but it isn't really visible on the photographs.  Shame!!

So that is the end of my share for today.  Mr Blogger was up-loading photographs very quickly tonight .. .. thank you Mr Blogger!!!

Off to tidy up a bit now ahead of the Apprentice starting in a bit.

Enjoy the rest of the evening.

Love

I'M STARTING TO PANIC !!

Hi Everyone

Well the weather is definitely getting colder and colder with the threat of a very wintery weekend and possible snow!!!

That is just what I need for the weekend .. .. or is it?  Oh I don't know!!!

The craft fayre my lovely Sis and I are doing on Sunday is being held at a local marina and all the stalls are going to be set up along the waterfront .. .. each in their own little marquee.  It all sounds very magical and very Christmassy .. .. .. roast chestnuts and Christmas lights switch on by none other than Brian Capron .. .. (the TV baddie Richard Hillman who tried to kill his wife Gail by driving her into the canal !!  Very appropriate).

Santa will be there with his Reindeer collecting letters from those who have been good (so I won't bother taking mine), mulled wine, fireworks .. .. .. .. and I am imagining .. .. .. very cold and frozen stall holders.  I might have to see if I can find out my fingerless gloves and call the organiser and ask if we will be allowed to take a little heater!!

So will people turn out if the weather is really bad?   .. ..   I hope so.

Because it is so well advertised and going on all day and into the evening will I have enough stock if things go well?!?!?  That is where the panic is coming in (along with the dread that I might get frost bite).  My stock is disappearing elsewhere at the moment so I need a mega few days of production.  I think it is time to grab my little box of images I have already coloured in for just such an occasion.  If only I was an octopus!!  LOL!!!

At least I have my DT work ready for next month and once I have finished stripping my Mum's kitchen of wallpaper I can knuckle down and hopefully be hyper creative.  My lovely Sis and Mum have done most of the stripping already .. .. I am left with the "high up" bits.  So if I do that in the morning the rest of the time will be creation time until I pack everything up ready on Saturday evening.

In the meantime here is a make that I am doing a few of in different colours ready for the weekend

This used:

Image:  Digistamp Boutique

Sentiment:  Unmounted Stamp Company "Merry Kissmas" (border strip computer generated)

Backing Papers:  Funky Hand CD "Funky Seasons"

Nail Heads:  Josy Rose

ProMarkers

Glamour Dust

Ribbon and Cord from the stash box

A super simple one .. .. but I like it!!

Right off to make a few more. 

Have a lovely evening everyone.  Sorry if I don't get to visit much between now and Sunday .. .. once again I am up against time .. .. but I will try my best.

If you let me know what you would like Santa to bring you I can let him know when I see him on Sunday!!! LOL!!

Love

LOVE MUSIC

Hi Everyone

A quick post from me today.

Busy getting ready for the fayre at the weekend and have a check up at the dentist tonight so need to get some food into the oven so it is ready for our return.  I only go to the dentist twice a year .. . so how come it always seems to be time to go again?!?!?  How does that work?!?!?

Anyway, here is my share for today.

This is a card my youngest son requested for one of his "band mates".

I showed it him as a work in progress yesterday and gained his approval so I finished it off this morning.

Quite a few people say that they struggle with male cards.  I don't struggle with the actual cards .. .. .. .. the struggle for me is trying to fit the heart onto them without making the card look "girly".   Not too difficult on this one though as both my son and his mate love their music. 

This used:

Image and lower banner:  Inkadinkado "98693" Rock Star

Sentiment:  Computer Generated

Backing Papers:  Plain card distressed with "Tea Die" Distress Ink Pad

Music paper:  From the scrap box also distressed with "Tea Die!

Hot Fix Studs

Cord from the stash box

So that is my share for today.  I hope you have all had a good Monday.

I'll try not to say too much about Wagner other than I wonder what he thinks when he watches the performances back again!!  I wonder if he sees and hears something completely different to what most of us do?  LOL!!!

Right back to it for me!!!

Love

HOW TO MAKE AN ORIGAMI CHRISTMAS TREE

Hi Everyone

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend.  The weather is quite nice here .. .. I hope it is like this next Sunday when I do my craft fayre.

Lots of you loved the mystery paper I used on my creation last night .. .. but thanks to one of my lovely followers (Pinkcoke) I am able to let you know that it was made by Papermania and it is shown in one of their catalogues from 2006!!!  Gee I knew it was old  .. .. but hadn't realised it was that old!!!

It came in a huge 12 x 12 pack and as well as this they did one in lilac shades as well with one being classed as traditional and one modern.

I did do an internet search last night trying to find the paper as I thought it was Papermania .. .. but instead of finding it I ended up falling in love with other things they have brought out since.  Fatal!!!!  So I stopped looking.

I have also been asked if I can do a tutorial for making the tree .. .. .. so here goes .. .. ... my first tutorial.  But remember I am not claiming this as my own .. .. if I hadn't seen Jo Unwin's demonstration yesterday then I wouldn't have been any the wiser to its existence.

Right then here we go (hope it works):

Start off by cutting a square -
any size you like
but ideally using paper that isn't the same colour on both sides
 whilst you are learning
- and then split this square into two triangles corner to corner.
You work with just one of the triangles.

Just to make it easy to explain I have drawn a vertical line
from the top to the centre of the bottom
and labelled two corners as A and B

Fold up corners A and B to the top of your triangle
using the dotted line as your guide

Turn over your work
with the two corners A and B pointing downwards

Again I have added a dotted line and the letters
C and D for instruction purposes

 

Fold in the C and D corners
- lining the long edge to the dotted line

Turn over your work
and open out the two triangles at the back
- you will again be able to see the letters A and B
and the original dotted line

Here we are with both wings opened out

Fold up points A and B
so they run alongside the central diamond shaped panel
- I have put some dotted lines to show the edge of the panel.
I have then marked the letters E and F for ease of explanation.

Fold up just the central panel corners marked E and F
so they run alongside the central dotted line

Fold up the bottom point to make the base of the tree

Fold your side wings back in

Turn it over and there should be your tree all complete
- this one just needs the pencil line rubbing out"

So I hope you were able to follow my instructions and that you have ended up with a lovely little tree  (my lovely hubby acted as a guinea pig for me and managed to make one so good luck!).  Bet you found the heart no problem today LOL!!



If you make a creation using the tree please let me know .. .. I would love to come and visit you and see it in all its glory.  Plus I will know my tutorial worked too LOL!!!

Have a lovely rest of the weekend.

Love

WHAT A LOVELY DAY

Hi Everyone

I hope that you have all had a good Saturday.

The weather here hasn't been too bad.  At least the fog lifted.

Today I allowed myself a little treat, whilst hubby was at football, and escaped from my craft pod to visit a lovely nursery nearby.  There used to be a craft store there but it closed some 18 months ago.  But today another craft store has taken up residence and there was a lovely lady called Jo Unwin demonstrating.

So what a lovely treat.  A new craft store nearby and the chance to watch someone else crafting.  I always love watching other people craft .. .. it really inspires me.

Jo was lovely and during part of her demonstration she showed everyone how to make a little origami Christmas tree.  So I rushed home to make the tree .. .. .. if only to prove to myself that there is nothing wrong with my short term memory LOL!!!

So here is what I made once I returned home

***Do you like my little easel I bought today .. .. .. it was just too cute pass by LOL!!***

This used:

Well there might not be anything wrong with my short term memory .. .. but there certainly is with my long term memory because I have no idea who made the paper I have used.

It all came from the same pack which I bought years ago when I first started cardmaking.  But I didn't keep the packet as it wasn't important in those days.  I have mountains of it left.  It seems to go on for ever and ever and will probably have antique value soon.  LOL!!!

So the paper aside there isn't much else to report on here other than

Glamour Dust which I applied to the stripes on the paper and the spots of the tree

Sentiment:  Pink Petticoat

Small snowflake punch (with no name on it)

Sticky back Gems

Ribbon from the stash box

I am going to enter this card into the Bee Crafty Card Challenge where the theme this week is "All that Glitters". 

Right then, off to do a little bit of colouring now.  Need to have my daily fix .. .. especially as there was none on my show and tell card today.  LOL!!

Have a lovely evening and thanks for calling by to see what I have been up to.

Love

DID YOU MISS MY TIPSY TREE?

Hi Everyone

Yay, I am back !!!!!

Did you miss my Tipsy Tree?  If so then don't worry it is here again today .. .. this must be the most well used stamp in my collection this Christmas. 

This make is quite a special one because it features my very first attempt at using my Glimmer Mist sprays for my background. 

I  thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I sprayed just plain white card and dried this with my heat gun.  My card ended up a bit wavy so I gave it a quick iron on a low setting to flatten it out again.

This means that I now have a huge cardboard box cluttering up my craft room as I used this as a spray booth  .. .. ..  and thank goodness I did otherwise the beautiful mists would have gone over everything.

Here is my finished creation:



This used:

Image:  Woodware Clear Stamps "JGCL529" Tipsy Tree
Tattered Angels:  Glimmer Mist in Juniper, Pink Ink, Iridescent Gold, Antique Brass
Hobbycraft Punches:  Large and small
Martha Stewart Punch:  Traditional Scallop
Sticky back pearls

Crafty Notions:  Dewdrops

Ribbon from the stash box

Glamour Dust

So there you go  . .. . I don't think I am supposed to have all of those huge splodges of colour but hey .. .. .. I am just grateful to have made something using my mists and to be able to actually get it posted on my blog. LOL!!!  It is just a shame you can't see the brass and gold coloured sparkle very well on the photographs.

I will have to have a You-Tube session to look for some demonstrations on how to avoid huge splodges.

I hope you have all had a good week in my absence.  It feels like a lifetime since I last posted.

Have a lovely weekend and I am looking forward to a huge blog catch up this evening.

Love

I THINK I'M BACK

Good Morning Everyone!!!

How brilliant does it feel to be able to say that!!!!

Lovely hubby finally got everything sorted by late last night so all being well I am back in the land of blog.

Everything seems to be working this morning .. .. just nipped and fetched my lappy into bed to make sure it is still working and wasn't all a lovely dream .. .. and no it wasn't .. .. my dream is actually reality!!   Yeah!!!

We ended up buying a new router.  We half wondered if that would be some of the problem because the old one was about four days out of an extended two year warranty .. . typical!!

Never mind .. .. we are up and running now.  For some reason last night it only wanted to work at a fast rate of knots when I was wired into the router but now I am OK wireless too .. .. heaven!!

I will be back later with a creation.  Hopefully all that will be ok too .. .. haven't tried uploading photographs yet.

Thanks for all your words of encouragement whilst I was "out of action" .. .. .. what a lovely set of blog buddies I have.

I am all excited now!!!! See ya later!!! LOL!!!

Love