CHRISTMAS KICKSTART CHALLENGE - 100

Hi Everyone

Well July is now well upon us .. .. .. the weather is super warm .. .. .. so the time has come when I try to start pulling Christmas makes into the equation .. .. .. and with the help of the Christmas Kickstart Challenge there is no excuse for lacking inspiration!

The challenge this time is a super special one as Jo has reached the giddy heights of challenge number 100 - well done Jo!!

The theme this time is "Merry Go Round".  At first I thought that meant a Christmas fairground ride .. .. .. but no .. .. .. it is much easier than that .. .. they want to see spots, dots and circles on our creations.  

I am sure we can all manage that!

So here we

This used:

Image Die:  "Merry Christmas Ball" by Craft Discovery via Ebay (free second class delivery)

Backing Papers:  From The Works post Christmas sale
Gold Mirror Card
Snowflake punch

Crystal Glamour Dust
Hot Fix Nail Heads

My Trusty Sewing Machine

For some reason my emails are out of action at the moment - you don't realise just how much you rely on them until they aren't working.  

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives and keep slapping on that sun cream.

PURPLE AND BLACK .. .. .. FOREVER?

Hi Everyone

I hope all is good with you all and the sun is shining for you.

The As You Like it Challenge for this fortnight is to use your favourite two colour combination on your creation. 

I don't know about you but my colour fads change from week to week .. .. .. but if push came to shove and I was told I could only ever use two colours for the rest of my crafty life it would have to be shades of black and purple (assuming that white would always be allowed).  But don't tell Mr Heart or he would expect me to downsize my coloured card collection LOL!!!

So here is my black and purple creation:

This used:

Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper Pad "Wild Flower"  (another very old pad I am using up)

Sentiment:  Clearly Besotted "Mini Calligraphy"

First Edition Nesting Stamp Dies - FEDIE012 (from way back in the day when First Edition Crafts were flooding all the craft stores we were lucky enough to be able to visit)
Dragonfly Metal Cutting Die - Amazon

Woodware Punches
Ribbon 
Gems
Hot Fix Nail Heads

My Trusty Sewing Machine

In fact I liked the layout so much I turned it into my next Rectangular Sketch (you can find the others on the tab at the top of my blog .. .. .. feel free to use them if any take your fancy)..  

So, I wonder what this week is going to hold.  Let's hope for only good things as last week was another challenging one due to Mum sitting on the edge of her bed and slipping off it .. .. .. and at the grand old age of 94 not being able to get back up again.  Thankfully we have cameras set up in strategic places so we can check all is well with her, and I was able to rush to her and get the paramedics to the rescue.  Without the cameras she would have been there for ages and ages because even though she has a call pendant she could easily have pressed .. .. she didn't.  Sigh!

Thankfully she didn't suffer any injuries "other than to her pride" and a few bruises have since appeared, but it did involve another night on the settee for me as the medics didn't want her to be alone for the next 24 hours just in case of a delayed reaction. 

It has now become a bit of a joke with her though and every night as we facetime to say goodnight to each other I say "and stay on that bed"!!!  

Today I need to take her to the GPs for a blood test and then we will have a little wander into town and have a bite to eat if she fancies that.  It feels good to get her out because on a normal day she just wants to stay at home and refuses to go anywhere, no matter how many times I offer.  The only down side of going out being the dementia side of things means she remembers and wants to go to the shops and places that she remembers being around years and years ago - and she doesn't understand where they have all gone and why I can't take her to them.  She then ends up being more confused than ever!  

My Mum certainly knows how to keep me on my toes bless her.

FOR CAROLE EATON

Hi Carole

Many thanks for your lovely comment on my blog.

Sorry to be contacting you via a blog post but I do not have any contact details for you.

The stamp you are looking for is available as a cling stamp through EBay with free postage - or through buddlycrafts.com 

Hope this helps.

Love and hugs

Jules xx💕

JUST FOR YOU - WITH LOVE

Hi Everyone

Firstly a very big thank you for all the comments and kind messages on my previous post, they are very much appreciated .. .. .. so here is a card that is especially for you ......  mwah!!

I am still on a mission to fill my nearly empty stock box and today's offering is also for entering into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme is either "stitching" or "anything goes" .. .. .. .. provided you use "Penny Black Goodies" somewhere on your creation of course.

I went for "one" of my many favourite Penny Black Stamps where those cute mice are busy stitching .. .. .. and of course it wouldn't be me if I didn't add some stitching of my own too.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black Wooden Stamp "1656K" Stitch in Time
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Stamp Set "30-524" Happy Hugs
Backing Papers:  From snippet mountain - Buddly Crafts "Eline's House - Roses are Red" and
                            Pink Petticoat "Swiss Dots" (Sadly no longer trading)
ProMarkers
Corner Rounding Punch
Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.  There are still three days left on the challenge if you want to play along.

Take care everyone. 

THE WANDERER RETURNS

Hi Everyone 

Well, it has been quite some time since my last post.

Lots of things have been happening in my world.  Some very sad, but some happy things too.

My lovely Sis took a week off work and very kindly offered to take care of Mum so that Mr Heart and I could go away and re-charge our batteries.. .. .. and it was lovely .. .. but it was tinged with sadness as my fabby brother called me to say his wife had been taken seriously ill with a stroke and sadly after a few days she unfortunately passed away.

We have been going through quite a lot as a family over the last few years ... .. .. but each good (or bad) thing that has happened has made us even stronger and closer as a family unit.  Everyone is always there to give help and support whenever it is needed .. .. .. how lucky we all are to be part of such a wonderful family!!. 

Anyway .. .. .. 

Whilst we were away we ate somewhere that displayed lots a fabulous pictures on the walls and they reminded me of creations I had made in the past using old paperback books.

So once home that was what I wanted my first creation to be .. .. and here it is

This used:

Image:  Be Happy Stamp Set "SKU: JH1031" Julie Hickey
Backing paper:  Lovelytocu - Seamless Script Papers (better to colour on than porous book pages)
Sentiment:  Digistamp Boutique (sadly no longer trading)
Spellbinder Circle and Scalloped Circle Dies
ProMarkers
My Trusty Sewing Machine
and my "unusual snippet" of "a bobbin of yellow cotton with hardly any thread left on it"   (I decided that always using white to stitch with was getting a bit boring and wasn't reducing my cotton spool collection)  But I still used white on the shuttle as I didn't think there would be enough to use yellow top and bottom.

These were my snippets

and as always I cut extra shapes where I can (especially the little tags for the charity shop to use).

So off I go now to share my snippet make with the playmates over in the snippets playground challenge - and have a peep at what other ingenious ways the playmates have found to rid themselves of those snippets we all hoard and have hanging around.  I wonder if the paddling pool will still be out for a cooling down dip?

Hope all has been good with everyone in my absence.

Fingers crossed I will be back again soon because my card stock box is looking VERY depleted and that will never do! 

ANOTHER NEW SKETCH

Hi Everyone

I hope your weekend has been a good one. 

For some of my weekend fun I decided to try and create another new sketch using Affinity Designer .. .. I am still very slow but hopefully the more I do the quicker I will get.  In fact it took longer to draw the sketch than it did to make my card LOL!!!

As my rectangular sketches are trailing way behind the square ones that is what I decided to create:

A super easy sketch with lots of potential and I am already looking forward to using it again. 

To make the corner triangles I simple cut a square and chopped it in half diagonally. 

This used:

Image:  Lavinia "LAV834" Christmas Joy 
Sentiment|:  Hobby Art "CS059D" Winter Wishes
Backing Papers:  First Edition Papers "Vintage Noel"
Christmas Red Stickles
My Trusty Sewing Machine

So that is Christmas card number 2 woo hoo!

Enjoy the sparkly new week when it arrives.  I wonder what this one will hold?

WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.

A new challenge has started over at The Snippets Playground so in that never-ending attempt to reduce snippet mountain I enjoyed a little play and came up with this creation .. .. ..

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  From the Heart Digital: Birthday Candle Birdbrain  (More about From the Heart Digital Stamps below)
ProMarkers
Glossy Accents
Julie Hickey:  JHD-CUT-1003 - Layers, Frames & Banners Rectangle Die Set
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and these are the snippets I started off with (proudly displayed on that well worn cutting plate LOL!!) .. .. .. 

Not many snippets used up .. .. but every little counts.  (Still far far too many lurking in the background - you could lock me away in my room for a whole year and I still don't think I would run out of them).

In my quiet moments with Mum I have been re-organising my digital images on my laptop and From the Heart Stamps came to the fore.  This was a site I frequently used to visit due to the fun designs and sentiments - especially those relating to the "Birdbrain" character. But sadly the founder and designer, Faith Skrdla, passed away back in 2017 - such a shame.  But I still love her images and will treasure the talent she had and shared.  Thank goodness I purchased some of her lovely work back in the day. 

Anyway, if any of you have any snippets you could put to good use, be these in paper/card format, fabric, ribbon (or any other kind of snippets that would surprise the challenge) be sure to use them and share them with Di and Sarn over in the playground.  Believe me, there is always lots of fun and mischief to be found there!

My brain is now ticking over as to what could be the most unusual/inventive snippet you could enter the challenge with LOL!!

Enjoy the rest of the week.

WARM AND COSY

Hi Everyone

Flying in quickly today with a card for sharing in the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "Winter Warmers".

Nothing says warm and cosy at Christmas than a lovely open fire, so teamed with a comfy sofa and a pretty Christmas tree what more could you want .. .. other than perhaps a little glass of sherry! LOL!!

This used:

Image:  "Watercolour Winter Living Room" by AuroraCraftery
Sentiment:  Computer generated
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper "Vintage Noel"
Corner Rounding Punch
Sheer Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Crystal Glamour Dust on the Christmas tree that you can't see in the photograph.

and that is me for today.

Short and sweet as there is a lot on the "must do list" today before heading to Mum.

USE YOUR FAVOURITE SKETCH

Hi Everyone

I hope your week has got off to a good start.  Today was gorgeous sunshine here which is always lovely to see.

Things have been really busy with Mum these last few weeks but in little fits and starts I have managed to pull in a bit of "crafty time".  Crafting is my escape place where I manage to switch off and calm my rather over-active worrying brain.

This is a card for taking over to the As You Like It Challenge where they would like to see you put your favourite sketch or layout put to good use.  

So with 57 square sketches in my collection and 24 rectangular ones I wasn't short of sketches to choose from, the only problem deciding which was my favourite because I like them all.  

I have always had a soft spot for Sketch #2 though which looks like this  -  mainly I think because some of my favourite cards have been made using this layout and it uses up lots of snippets 

 .. .. and this is what I created with my choice of sketch .. .. 

This used:

Image:  Watercolour Butterflies Digital Bundle - SandyJprintables (sadly currently sold out)
Backing Papers:  DCWV "Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy
Sentiment:  Polkadoodles "PD7995" Super Sentiments 

Tag Die from The Works (very old)

Nail Heads

Ribbon 

Small flower punch

My trusty sewing machine

I know quite a few people don't enjoy working with sketches (we are all different, thankfully) but I must admit I find they save me loads of time as they take away a lot of decision making.  Once I have selected which one to use I know exactly where I am going before I even start creating.  

One of my missions at the moment is to use up some of the design paper pads I have which have only a few pages and snippets left in them, and utilise images I already have ready and waiting to be used and this card did just that.

Anyway, that is me for today and I will hopefully catch you soon.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you are all having a lovely week .. .. and the sun has been shining for you.  Definitely a bright and pleasantly breezy one here today.  It would suit me fine if all of summer was like today.

It has been a busy time with Mum recently so not much crafting time (and not much posting/blog visiting either.. .. sorry) .. .. but I have managed to pull this little creation together slowly during a couple of  Mum's beauty sleep sessions. 

This creation felt like a jigsaw because I cut the framework and inserts out at home and then pieced everything together once at Mum's:

My creation used:

Framework Die:  Lawn Fawn Giant Outlined Happy Birthday - Portrait
Background Papers and Card:  All from Snippet Mountain including the little glitter bits which you might just be able to see.

As this has reduced my snippet mountain "just a very, very, tiny amount" I am taking it over to show the playmates over in the Snippets Playground Challenge.  Sadly I didn't take any pictures of my snippets beforehand though (bad move), but as I am only playing for fun I will hopefully be excused.

Enjoy the rest of the week. 

IT JUST HAD TO BE DONE!

Hi Everyone

Well the sun has been out and shining beautifully, the washing has been going outside to dry and the heating hasn't needed to be turned on at all .. .. .. how wonderful is that!

So with that "feel good" factor in the air what do I do?  Clean the windows?  Start some Spring cleaning?  No .. .. .. I make my first Christmas card for 2025! LOL!!

Some may say it is a bit too early .. .. but I need to start my Christmas stock box in readiness so I am not doing them last minute.  So it might be early, but I am only just in time for running over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "Positively Poinsettias".

Not too many Poinsettia themed craft goodies here .. .. .. but I did have this little chappie .. .. .. 

This used:

Image:  Amanda Jane Designs "Poinsettia Penguin" (once again I am not able to link to him - as an individual image - he was part of a Christmas digital bundle that no longer seems to be available)

Sentiment:  A strip of printed cotton ribbon by Bertie's Bows

Backing Papers:  From my Christmas Snippets Box (but all originally from those never ending large paper pads they sell at The Works).

ProMarkers

Corner Rounding Punch

Diamond Stickles

Glossy Accents

My Trusty Sewing Machine

So that is my crafty fix for today before I head off to Mum.

I always take something crafty to do with me when I go .. .. just in case it turns out to be a day when Mum is doing a lot of sleeping .. .. so who knows.  There might be more crafting time once the chores are done, but then again, perhaps not.  It all depends which Mum I have today.  The very sleepy and out of it one .. .. or the social chatty one.  But at least I have a Mum .. .. .. and I count my blessings for that.

Enjoy your day whatever you are doing.

MAKE IT SEW!

Hi Everyone

I hope you have all recovered from the Easter "sugar rush" and life is being kind to you. 

I am happy to say I have managed a bit of crafting this week .. .. which is always a lovely bonus for me.

Last night whilst having a little womble around blogland I saw that the challenge over at "Little Red Wagon" was entitled "Make it Sew" .. .. which meant they would like to see sewing featuring on your creation .. .. .. which can be "real or fake, a stitch effect die, or sewing as the theme in general".

Being an avid machinist on my cards anyway I obviously went for "real sewing" along with one of my favourite style of cards to make .. .. mainly because I just love rummaging through and mixing up my paper snippets and of course sewing.  

This used:

Snippets of paper and card
Spellbinder Circle and Scalloped Circle Dies

Lili of the Valley Digital Block Sentiment Set

Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

HAPPY EASTER

Hi Everyone

Flying in to wish you all a very happy Easter .. .. .. try not to eat too many chocolate eggs (not that I know how many is too many) LOL!.

This used:

Image:  Purchased via Etsy from Amorclipart "Bianca - Floral line clipart" but sadly I am unable to find it on their site to link to now.  I simply copied and flipped the image to create a "sort of" frame

Sentiment: Computer Generated

Backing Papers (snippet mountain strikes again)

Butterfly Die Set:  Penny Black Creative Dies "Flourish and Butterflies"

ProMarkers

Ribbon

Diamond Stickles

Circle Dies

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Enjoy the bank holiday break!

TEENY TINY WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you are enjoying your week .. .. and that you are managing to cram a little bit of crafty time into your week.

My play today was just a teeny tiny session before I headed off to Mum.  It used a cute image and snippets of paper that have been loitering on my desk for the past week  .. .. always nice to use up bits that are hanging about.

So here we go .. .. .. a teeny tiny card measuring a whole 9cm square

This used:

Image:  Pre-coloured from Polkadoodles "Springtime Smiles" collection
Papers:  From Snippet Mountain

Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Corner Rounding Punch

We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.

Time to get the washing up done and the laundry put away at Mum's and then I am homeward bound to see what Mr Heart has been up to in my absence.

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope that you have been enjoying a nice relaxing weekend.

It has been a nice crafty one here .. .. just for a change .. .. and I have been enjoying it very much!

Can you believe that on Tuesday we will have been in our new home for a whole year!!  We have been sitting here saying "thank goodness it isn't this time last year!" LOL!!!  Certainly a lot has happened over the last 12 months.

Part of my crafty playtime saw the culling of a few more of those ever increasing snippets and this time the patterned papers all came from the same paper stack.  It is one I have had for many years  .. .. but I am determined to use up all the remnants that still lurk alongside the very few "full pages" that still remain.  It has been a very loved and well used pad, although the paper is quite thin.

So here is my creation for running over to the snippets playground with, for challenge no.504.

This used:

Papers: Hot Off The Press "HOTP 7235"
Julie Hickey "Happy" and "Birthday" word dies and backing dies
Spellbinder "Classic Squares" Die Set
My Trusty Sewing Machine

these were the snippets of card and paper I started off with

and as you can see there were still a few edges of white card available that I was able to cut a few more tags from .. .. ready to string up and add to the stack I already have for taking to the charity shop.  

We delivered quite a few tags and bits to them a couple of  weeks ago and the assistant got all excited and did a little dance while swinging the bag around saying "yay!! more tags, more tags.  LOL!!  It doesn't take much to make some people happy does it!

The charity store have a little crafty corner too and of course I always have a little nosey.  I have certainly picked up some lovely bargains (as well as donating things I no longer need/use).  

Last time I picked this little beauty up for a whole £15.00 .. .. probably the best £15.00 I have spent in a long time because it cuts wonderfully .. .. even dies that my Cuttlebug and Big Shot Pro struggle with.

Although mine came with a Sizzix Extended Multipurpose Platform.

Anyway, time for a bit more crafting while Mr Heart watches the football.

Take care everyone and I hope the week ahead is a good one .. .. soon be Easter egg time!!!