FLOATING DREAMS

Hi Everyone

I hope that you have all had a really good weekend.  

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, we reached the last day of May .. ..  so yet another month was done and dusted.

Lots and lots of cards are needed here .. .. so hopefully June (as in the month not a person) will be kind to me and be a hyperactive crafting month so I can get ahead of the game again. 

Some of my weekend was spent in my craft pod and this ranked as one of my favourite makes (just love this cute image and it is great for the pesky male cards that we all struggle with).

This used:

Image Penny Black "1645K" Floating Dreams

Sentiment:  Computer Generated

More of those snippets which just love lurking in my craft pod 

ProMarkers

Corner Rounding Punch

Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

I am trying really hard to use up my snippets .. .. the only problem being I cut an existing snippet to the size I want and nine times out of ten I am still left with another snippet (sometimes two).  So the snippets are simply getting smaller in size .. .. .. .. but the quantity never seems any less!  LOL!!!

Let us hope that there is a good week ahead for all of us.

SPECIAL WISHES

Hi Everyone

Well, I am starting to get a bit excited as I seem to be getting into a nice new routine crafting wise, and my craft pod is getting more organised in the process, which can only be a good thing.  

Hopefully soon I will say "that is it" and stop re-jigging things .. .. .. and perhaps then I might give myself a half decent chance of remembering where I have actually stored everything LOL!!!

So today it was time for Rectangular Sketch Two and this is what I came up with:

This used:

Flower die coloured with ProMarkers (unbranded)
Sentiment LOTV Digital Download "Simply Cute Sentiments"
Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat (sadly no longer trading)
Circle Die
Hot Fix Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and Rectangular Sketch Two from my little sketch library which you will find at the top of my blog. 

I hope you managed to find a bit of crafting time too.

CHRISTMAS 2026 STARTS HERE

Hi Everyone

I hope you have enjoyed another bright sunny day.

Lots of hot sunshine here .. .. .. so what better than cooling down by making a Christmas card with thoughts of the cold winter weather LOL!!!

This used:

Image and Sentiment:  Woodware Clear Magic "FRS119" - Little Christmas Bird
Backing Papers:  All from my Christmas Snippet Box (yes, my Christmas snippets are segregated from the standard pattern snippets which makes life much easier - but the box is much much smaller LOL!!
Gold Metallic Card
Corner Rounding Punch
ProMarkers
Ribbon
Glamour Dust:  Gold/Or
White Marker Pen
My Trusty Sewing Machine

So that is it .. .. .. my first Christmas card of the year.  I really enjoyed all the paper piecing.

Taking this over now to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "Christmas Tweetings".

Enjoy the rest of your evening.

Love and hugs

FRIEND TO FRIEND

Hi Everyone

I hope you haven't melted in the heat today .. .. it has definitely been super hot in my neck of the woods  and has finished off with thunder and lightening and rain this evening.

Today's share is for taking over to the Little Red Wagon Challenge where the theme is "Friend of Mine"

Flying by the seat of my pants because the closing time is only a few hours away .. .. .. but after so much absence I am trying to catch up with all the challenges I have missed taking part in.

So this is my share for today

Image:  Magenta - Deco Vase "19746  (very old wooden stamp)
Sentiment:  Great Impressions "E411"  (another very old wooden stamp)
Backing Papers:  First Edition Paper .. .. Rose Garden (another old pad I am finishing off)
ProMarkers
Corner Rounding Punch
Hot Fix Nail Heads
Ribbon

Spoiler Alert .. .. hopefully tomorrow is going to be my first Christmas card for 2026.

BANK HOLIDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope everyone has had a lovely bank holiday weekend.  There has certainly been lots of sunshine in my neck of the woods .. .. not that I am someone who ever wants to sit out in it .. .. I just love that it dries my washing nice and quickly, means I don't need any heating on and I don't need to wear a coat if I do venture out! LOL!!  

I am determined to work my way through my sketches and today it is time for square sketch number two, which I must admit does rank high on my "favourites list" and is one I use quite regularly.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3347H" Duckling
Sentiment:  Clearly Besotted Clear Stamp Set "Speaking Out"

Backing Papers:  All Pink Petticoat Snippets 
ProMarkers
Corner Rounding Punch

Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and Square Sketch Number Two from my square sketch library which you will find at the top of my blog.  Feel free to use any of them if they tickle your fancy.

I am off now to share my creation with my pals in the Snippets Playground  where we are encouraged to make use of our offcuts/leftovers from previous creations.  

There was even talk of the paddling pool being dragged out of storage today but I might be a bit late to enjoy that now.   It is just a shame we aren't allowed to have a slide from the tree house that would whoosh us into the pool .. .. now that would be fun!  But never mind .. .. we can't have everything can we.  Rules if rules where health and safety are concerned I suppose, and anyway we wouldn't want to land on Dudley if he decides to take a "cooling off" dip too.

Hopefully catch you again soon.  

TEENY TINY FRIDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good week and you are all lined up for a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, which apparently is predicted to be a scorcher .. .. .. we will have to wait and see.

Just popping in quickly with one of my Teeny Tiny Creations which measure a whole 9cm square!

This used:

Flower Die:  First Edition Flower Dies
Sentiment Die:  Unbranded from internet
Snippets of card and paper
WeRMemory Keepers:  Envelope Punch Board
Embossing Folder "Petals-a-Plenty" (sorry I don't know the maker)
My Trusty Sewing Machine

It has been quite a while since my embossing folder box has been opened.  Must make amends there.

So there we go .. .. a teeny tiny card ahead of a lovely big long weekend (which will no doubt fly by in the blink of an eye).

Enjoy it whatever you are doing.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST

Hi Playmates

I hope that you are all doing well and your week has got off to a good start for you.

I am on a mission to use up my old paper packs/pads that are taking up valuable space in my craft pod .. .. .. some of which only have a few pages left.  

My share today uses just one sheet from a very old paper pack and rectangular sketch one from my sketch library:

This used:

Backing Paper:  Papermania "Capsule Collection - Parisienne Blue"
Sentiment:  Unmounted Stamp Company "BD-FR-01 Word Frame" Circadesign.co.uk (very,very old)
Memory Box Dies:  "98261" Kaleidoscope Butterfly and "98262" Moonlight Butterfly
First Edition Craft "Nesting Stamp Dies"
Sizzix Thinlets Flower Dies - Tattered Florals:  661806
Ribbon
Hot fix Nailheads
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and Sketch One from my rectangular sketch library

So lots of old stash gathered together and used for this little creation and I think I have fallen in love with navy and gold as a colour combo.

ONE FOR THREE

Hi Playmates

A little bit of craft time has worked its way into my life this weekend (woo hoo!) and with so many cards needed I decided the best way to make use of my time was to simply start working my way through the sketches in my libraries.  They certainly save me making decisions as I know exactly where I am going before I even start.

So I am beginning with the very first square sketch I designed .. .. .. ..way back in July 2015, and this is how I have used it

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "Scented Garden - 4133J"
Sentiment:  Penny Black "Loads of Love - 30-146"
Backing Papers:  All snippets of various Pink Petticoat design papers (sadly no longer trading)
Spellbinders Circle and Scalloped Circle dies
ProMarkers
Woodware Heart Punch
Hot Fix Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine
and Sketch Number1 from my Square Sketch Library which is on the tab at the top of my blog 

and here are the snippets I started off with

but the eagled eyed amongst you 

.. .. .. and so as not to get into trouble with the playground snippet inspection committee .. .. ..  

I will confess here and now that the blue dotted paper got substituted for a snippet of blue striped paper because my card was starting to look a bit "too dotty".

So three challenges for my little creation:

The Snippets Playground - where we are encouraged to use up any leftovers we have lying around .. .. and they don't have to be just paper/card.

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge - where you get to show off your Penny Black goodies.  

This month it is their usual "anything Penny Black" or the option of "your favourite Penny Black stamp".   

This stamp is "one of my many favourites" mainly because it is quick and fun to colour and secondly it works for males as well as females depending on the backing papers.

and last but certainly not least

The As You Like it Challenge - who would like to see your favourite sketch/layout put to good use.

This sketch isn't my favourite as in "which of my sketches I love to use the most" .. .. .. but it is my favourite in that it was the first one I ever created many, many years ago and has led me to so far create 57 square sketches and 26 rectangular ones.  I have loads more scribbled in a little notebook waiting to be transferred into a computer drawn version .. .. .. but the design programmes keep being replaced.  

I first started out using a Serif Programme and that was replaced by Affinity Designer which I was starting to get my head around, but that has now been replaced by Affinity by Canva.  My poor little brain has another new learning curve .. .. .. but hopefully I will enjoy the journey.

In the meantime enjoy the rest of your weekend and as already mentioned please feel free to use any of my sketches if you think they will help you.

SLOWLY COMING BACK

Hi Everyone

As you have probably guessed there haven't been many opportunities for me to escape into my little craft room recently .. .. .. a certain special someone has been keeping me very busy for quite a long time now .. .. .. and she still is bless her.  If I am not physically with her then it comes in the form of oodles of paperwork, combined with lots of worrying and phone calls .. .. .. and hoping I haven’t missed anything or let her down in some way.  My brain just never seems to shut off from all that is going on with her.

Mum has needed to be transferred to another nursing home which is thankfully closer to all three of us kids, so our travelling time has been greatly reduced which means we have more time to physically spend with Mum rather than driving.  It is a lovely home where nothing seems too much trouble and the staff are all super smiley and friendly .. .. .. .. despite the challenging occupants.  There must be a super special mould that is used to make amazing people like these because not just anyone could do what they do day after day, week after week.

I have certainly been missing my crafting big time though over these last few months as have my customers and stock box .. .. but hopefully now that most of the paperwork and changes of address have been done (yet again) .. .. a little crafting time is going to wheedle  its way slowly back into my life. Even if it is only the odd half hour or so here and there.  I love my little escape place where all the worries of my world get to disappear, for a little while.  

There are always a few crafty bits in my bag when visiting Mum .. .. .. so if it is one of her “hard on asleep and completely out of it” days (which most of them unfortunately are nowadays) I sit and do a bit of colouring, fussy cutting or die cutting with my tiny little Sizzix Sidekick.  But I like to think that she knows I am with her and that she has heard my voice .. .. .. even if she hasn’t responded. 

But this does mean I am building up quite a nice little collection of bits and pieces ready for turning into cards when time is being kind to me .. .. and my card today makes use of "just a few" of those little die  cuts. 

This used:

First Edition Craft "Cog Dies"  (very old now but still well loved)  -  still lots of diecuts left too
Slatted stencil and Pumice Stone Distress Ink
Sentiment:  A very old wooden Papermania favourite that doesn't have a name :-(
Corner Rounding Punch
Hot Fix Nailheads
My Trusty Sewing Machine

I am running over to the Snippets Playground (if I can remember the way after all of this time) as everything I have used made use of snippets, apart from the card base.  Even the backing paper started life as a huge 12 x 12 piece of design paper once upon a time.

So now I have made my comeback I will see if I can remember how to link up LOL!!!

I hope all is well with everyone and your lives are running more smoothly than mine.

Take care and have a good day.

NEARLY THE WEEKEND

Hi Playmates

I hope that everyone is doing well and you have been having a good week.  We actually saw some lovely sunshine here .. .. .. so spring must be starting to peep around the corner!  Yay!!

Flying by with a little make using one of my favourite Penny Black images .. .. .. probably because it works for both male and female cards depending on the backing papers and decorative elements you add.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4058J" Yearning
Sentiment:  Part of  Woodware Set "JGS492" Circle Flowers

Backing Papers from Snippet Mountain (but originated from 12x12 pads from The Works)
ProMarkers

Corner Rounding Punch
Ribbon

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Flower element put together from a variety of die-cuts from my flower stash box (which is another of the boxes from the fishing tackle bag/boxes I mentioned here). 

It certainly speeds things up when you can just pinch elements out of box - especially flowers that are already layered up and good to go.  Good for using up those snippets too.

I often take some colouring with me, or my teeny tiny die cutting machine and a few snippets and dies when I go to visit Mum .. .. just in case she isn't being sociable and is preferring to sleep (which is the case more often than not nowadays unfortunately).

I wonder which box I will work on next?!?!?  Although there are still top-ups needed in the flower box as I have been raiding it as quickly as I fill it.

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives.

TEENY TINY SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

Happy March!!!

I hope your weekend has been a good one .. .. not that it is over yet!

A share today that uses up just a few tiny snippets .. ..   for taking over to the Snippets Playground

This used:

Various elements from a lovely prize I was lucky enough to win from the Snippets Playground.  

along with:

Tattered Lace Mini Hearts Die "341965" 
Versa Color Ink Cubes
Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine

Teeny Tiny bit of Ribbon

Card and paper -  leftovers from two sheets printed in the past using a Pink Petticoat download
My Trusty Sewing Machine

The little envelope was already made and waiting to be used but these are the snippets I started with:

I make quite a few of these tiny cards as I like to send them to customers alongside their orders as a little thank you.  I don't write in them so that they can be used by the recipient to send to someone else if they want to.

Anyway, that is me for today, hoping to catch you during the week .

SHARING THE LOVE

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all having a good weekend.

Sharing the love here in the Home of Hearts with a Valentine card I made for Mr Heart!

This used:

Image:   Valentine Bears Clipart and Valentine Frame Heart Borders both from LunaPNGCreations

              Lots of images in both sets and they are great for more than Valentine makes that's for sure

Sentiment:  Computer Generated

Card and Backing Paper:  From Snippet Mountain

Corner Rounding Punch

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Mr Heart managed to find a heart straightaway LOL!!.. .. .. but didn't have the patience to count exactly how many hearts there were .. .. but that didn't matter because there could never be enough hearts anyway for my special someone!

Plus, as you can see my youngest came to my rescue yesterday and spent time yesterday sorting out my IPad so I could add my proper watermark again. YAY!!!

Hope you are having a good weekend.  We actually had a blue sky this morning with sunshine which was a welcome sight after all the rain we have been having.  

Catch you again soon

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES

Hi Everyone

Here at last after having technical nightmares!!

System up-dates to my computer and IPad are causing me so much grief (I would call them far from up-dates .. .. it feels more like "learn how to use your gadgets all over again") .

Hopefully my youngest will be able to press a few magic buttons for me (fingers crossed) so I can add my photographs and watermark exactly as I did before .. .. but in the meantime I have had to make do with the following .. .. and even that had to involve taking a picture on my phone, emailing it to myself and getting my head around a new programme to add a watermark.  Not an ideal finished look, but better than nothing I suppose.

It has taken me longer to get a picture added to my post than it has to make the card in the first place!

This used:

Image:  Woodware Clear Stamp Set "JGS290 - Bubble Bloom Felicity"
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Backing Papers:  Snippet from an old paper stack from The Works
ProMarkers
Glossy Accents
Corner Rounding Punch
Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine

So that is me for today.  Off to sit with Mum in a bit.

Sadly she is not playing ball at all and is refusing to eat, drink and take her meds most days .. .. naughty girl!  She pulls all the covers over her head and tell people to "go away and leave her alone" :-(

Although she is in a Nursing Home we as a family still take it in turns to go and sit with her every day but we rarely get anything out of her.  She just wants to sleep, bless her.

Anyway, time to get my bits together for visiting today.

Have a good one everyone.

MONDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!

Many thanks for the lovely comments on my previous post. You are all so very kind.

Yesterday my crafty playtime mission was to create something for taking over to The Snippets Playground where we are encouraged to use up our offcuts and leftovers.

This is what I have made to share with my playmates .. .. who I sadly haven't hung out with in the treehouse for quite a while .. .. sorry folks.  But don't worry I come armed with treats for stocking up the cake and biscuit tins and fruit for the healthy ones amongst us! LOL!!!

I don't know where the papers came from that I used .. .. they have been lurking in my snippet mountain for ages. 

This was my starting point

I started with two squares of snippets (which originally were part of two different 12 x 12 paper stacks) from which I cut two rectangles.

The two rectangles were then cut diagonally into four and then mixed together to create the background of my cards.  I stick them to thin paper to begin with, trim around the edges and once the glue is dry add my stitching.

Sadly I will still be keeping the wide strips that remain for use on another project further down the line.  So basically I suppose I have only really turned two snippets into two smaller snippets!!  Doh!!!

My sentiments were already good and ready to use out of this box here, which has been put together in the past using snippets of different coloured card. Normally these would be stuck or stitched together ready to be used .. .. but sadly that hasn't been happening recently and the box needs working on.  But it is really useful when in working order, especially when having a batch making session.

The actual box is part of one of the best things I have ever purchased from Lidl.  There are six of these boxes, along with two smaller ones and they all store in a great zippy holdall bag that was being sold for holding fishing tackle .. .. but works perfectly for my crafty needs. 

When the boxes are eventually all topped up again I will share some pictures with you as another snippet project.

Hope everyone has a good week.

                                             

VERY BELATED HAPPY 2026 EVERYONE

Hi Everyone

A very, very belated post from me .. .. I hope you all had a good Christmas (which already feels like a lifetime ago) and I still need to wish everyone a really good 2026.

The world has had other plans for my time these last few months unfortunately.  Not many of which have been particularly enjoyable.

No blog visiting and next to no crafting either unfortunately .. .. ..  in fact the only visiting I have been doing has been travelling to various places to see my Mum, who continues to be on a downward spiral.

Over the last few months she has spent time in two different hospitals, been on numerous wards, and has eventually taken up residence in a lovely nursing home where she is sadly receiving end of life care .. .. which has been the thing I have been dreading the most.  

But the decision was taken out of our hands and is now what Mum needs.  We were told Mum has to have someone looking out for her 24 hours a day, and we as a family are sadly not able to provide what she needs.  Even if we agreed to be with her for the whole 24 hours, one person on their own could not cope.  Sometimes it has taken three people (who know what they are doing) to be able to deal with her needs, so one of us kids on their own would stand no chance.

This has also meant us having to part company with Mum's old home, and along with my siblings we have been busy emptying and cleaning it ready for a new occupant.  It certainly felt sad to leave it for the last time as Mum and Dad moved there together some 35 years ago and I remember moving them in there like it was yesterday.

Visiting Mum still remains the number one priority, even though I am convinced she hasn’t the foggiest idea who I am.  But alongside trying to win the battle I am having with the never ending paperwork I need to sort out for her .. .. a little bit of crafting has been slowly sneaking back into my life again .. .. .. .. yay!!!

No rash crafty new year promises, but I am going to try harder with the one that I make every year, which is to tame my snippets.  I make the same promise every year but always feel like I finish the year with even more snippets than I started with.  Hopefully this will be the year I turn that all around .. .. .. .. and not by just throwing them all out which is what most people suggest I do with them LOL!!

So here we go .. .. the "year of the snippets" is underway and here is my first blog creation of 2026 using a crafty Christmas present that Santa very kindly delivered.  

This used;

Santa's delivery of a beautiful die (one of several) which I think appeared via Amazon  :-)  (love this very much! mwah"")

Snippets of design paper stored in the back of a First Edition Paper Stack called "J'Adore"

Penny Black Sentiment "Sprinkles and Smiles sentiment set 30-297"
My Trusty Sewing Machine

I am taking this over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where they would like to see "something new" featured .. .. so this will be my lovely new die .. .. lets face it, my snippets are ancient and nowhere near something new LOL!!!.