CALL ME MAD - BUT A BIG DECISION HAS BEEN MADE

Hi Everyone

Well, it has definitely been a warm week here that's for sure. 

I have worked really hard on that "to do list" I mentioned at the start of the week and am feeling quite pleased with myself .. .. .. not that "everything" has been crossed off it .. .. .. but some of the "big monkeys" that have been weighing me down on the Mum front are now crossed off. 

But I did some of the fun things on my list too so they sort of balanced out.

Not much physical crafting done that I am able to share as it would spoil surprises for certain people  but today I got chance to craft just for the sheer pleasure of it and came up with this:

This used:  

Image:  Penny Black - "3865K" Gossamer

Sentiment:  Clearly Besotted "CBSSP649" Speaking Out
Backing Papers:  ArtStudio -  No design name but it came from The Range about 3 months ago and I have finally Christened it
Tiny Scalloped Rectangles - Pre-loved from Ebay
Ribbon
Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and now to my "BIG decision" ........ and no ....... the sun hasn't done something to my brain

This beautiful design paper pad below is going down in my crafting history as the last physical design pad I ever purchased -  no matter how beautiful or cheap I am buying no more .. .. .. 

My patterned papers are going to be digital downloads or ones I will have attempted to create myself.

My logic being:

A digital file will take up far less room in my life and they will all be backed up so no chance of losing them or running out of my favourite designs.  Quite often with bought pads there are some gorgeous papers but also there are always a fair amount of what I call "those ugly ones".  So eventually all my papers will be beautiful useable ones.

Sometimes I make a card for someone and they will say "could you make me another three like that" but I don't always have enough of the design paper left in the pad .. .. but when I go digital I could make another three hundred if they wanted them!

It is going to take me a while to be totally paper digital though .. .. .. .. so apologies now, because there are going to be lots of old design papers making an appearance.  I dread to think how long it is going to be before I use all of those up .. .. but I will!

I have simply decided I have far too many part-used paper pads taking up far too much space and I am not adding any more full ones.  The dream being I will simply print out a piece (or pieces) as I need them, cut what I need and the remainder will be stored as snippets for future projects.

But there is no way my images will ever go totally digital.  Yes, I love using digital images and there are so many lovely designs and images available .. .. .. .. .. you can get lots for the price of a single stamp.. .. .. but there is something about physical stamps and colouring them that is timeless.

Wish me luck.  

I wonder how long it is going to be before I can post that all of those old pads have gone?  Answers on a postcard LOL!!!

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives and keep slapping that suncream on!!!!!

I’M SORRY

Hi Everyone

Hope you all had a great weekend and if you are here in the UK you are ready for the promised heatwave!

We had a great time yesterday celebrating Father's Day and now here we are at the start of a sparkling new week.  

I always love a Monday.  It is the day I make my list of things I want/need to accomplish over the coming week.. .. not that it all gets completed every week .. .. there are always some "carry over" tasks because I am far too over enthusiastic with my ideas and expectations .. .. but just occasionally (on very, very rare occasions) I actually complete everything I want to achieve.  Fingers crossed this week is going to be one of those weeks. 

Of course at the top of the list every week is "more cards for the stock box" as there are never enough cards in there. 

I always love a Monday though.  It is the day I make my list of all the things I want to accomplish over the coming week.. .. not that it all gets completed every week .. .. there are always some "carry over" tasks because I am far too over enthusiastic with my ideas and expectations .. .. but just occasionally (on very, very rare occasions) I actually complete everything I want to achieve.  Fingers crossed this week is going to be one of those weeks. 

The Little Red Wagon challenge is asking for "I'm sorry" themed cards so that is my make for today - which is quite convenient as I needed a "sorry you are leaving" card .

This used:

Image:  Mouse Flower Clipart - NesaDesignCo

Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Backing Papers:  Snippets from old Design Pads from The Works
Metallic Ribbon

Corner Rounding Punch

My Trusty Sewing Machine

Hope you day is going well and I will catch you again soon.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

Hi Everyone

So today is the day all the Dad’s here in the UK get appreciated and spoilt (just a little more than they are every other day of the year LOL!!).

I am sharing a card I made for our youngest to give to his Dad .. .. .. they both love music and vinyl records so I felt this would fit the bill perfectly.

This used:

Digital Image:  "Father's Day Clipart" Sweet Calico Cottage

Sentiment:  Part of the image
Background Digital Paper:  "Vintage Music Sheets"  The Digi Rainbow (sheets in 100 colours)!

Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is my share for today.

It feels like Mother's Day really because we are going out to celebrate .. .. .. so no kitchen duties by me today!  Woo hoo!!!

Have a good day whatever you are doing and I will hopefully catch you again soon.

FESTIVE FRIDAY

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a good day in the run up to "yet another" weekend.  Where are the days and weeks disappearing to?

Today I decided that as my year is disappearing so very fast I need to make a start on a few Christmas makes to avoid the panic that November normally brings.

So today my crafty playtime began by me intending to make a fun Christmas card using a super cute digital image and this is what I made:

I loved my make so much that I decided to shrink it down and create a little teeny tiny one too

but not satisfied with stopping there I reduced it still further and made a little collection of matching Christmas gift tags .. .. .. that is the joy of a digital stamp.  It can be made as big or small as you would like it to be, and as this image has a transparent background I was able to print it onto Christmassy backing paper.

So these used:

Image:  Quirky Christmas Bird - Pixel Popsicles
Backing Paper:  Pink Petticoat (Sadly no longer trading)  
Snippet of holly paper from my Christmas snippet box (think it was from LOTV)
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Corner Rounding Punch
Circle Die
WeRMemory Keepers Envelope Punch Board
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
Stampin Up - tag topper punch

Ribbon
Hot Fix Nail Heads

My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is me for today.  No linking to any challenges .. .. .. just made for the fun of adding to my Christmas stockbox.

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives.

HEDGE-WORD

Hi Everyone

Another lovely day .. .. .. this would do me for the whole of summer.  It doesn't need to be any hotter.

Just a quick share tonight with another of my favourite Penny Black Stamps.  A really great one because yet again it is an image that is suitable for the ladies or the menfolk.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4060K" Hedge-word
Sentiment:  Already part of the image
Backing Papers:  Pink Petticoat for the green .. .. ..  the manuscript background was out of the snippet box but I feel if was from a design pad from The Works 
Promarkers
Corner Rounding Punch
Hot Fix Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine

Hopefully catch you again soon

HAPPY DAY

Hi Everyone

It is another lovely warm sunny day here .. .. .. not overly hot .. .. just perfect, and once the chores were over and done with I headed straight to the craft den to have my first play with part of a lovely prize I was very fortunate to win from the snippets playground.

This used:

Image: "PM0380 - Gorgeous Vases - Pink and Main
Sentiment:  from Woodware Clear Magic "JGS492" Circle Flowers
Heart:  Clearly Besotted "With All Your Heart"
Backing Papers:  Ditsy Roses - Pink Petticoat (sadly no longer trading)
Distress Ink Pad:  Victorian Velvet
Corner Rounding Punch
ProMarkers
Ribbon
Hot Fix Nail Heads
My Trusty Sewing Machine

There are more vases and flower arrangements in the stamp set so lots more playing to be done.

Wishing you a very happy day!

SOFT AND GENTLE

 Hi Everyone

I hope you are all doing OK.

An early morning craft session gave me time to hit my sketches again and enter a couple of challenges.

This is my early morning creation and I am loving the soft and gentle look .. .. which is quite rare for me, although I don't know what my camera is doing with my colours as the backing layers for my image panel are white and a lovely dusty pink .. .. .. but it has changed the pink to look more like peach on my screen .. .. .. but it still tones in OK.

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "3377K - Whispers"
Sentiment:  Part of a small Penny Black Clear Stamp set "30-424 - Just For You"
Backing Papers:  Papercraft House "PH005 Vintage" (another very old but well loved set of papers)
Distressed Ink Pad:  Victorian Velvet
Corner Rounding Punch
Green ProMarker
Hot Fix Nail Head
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Rectangular Sketch No. 3 from my sketch library (but I decided the card was busy enough without adding the three dots in the bottom right hand corner)  

So I am entering my creation into two challenges:

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge:  Where the theme is "Use Patterned Paper" or "anything goes" provided your creation involves Penny Black Goodies of course  -  everything used patterned paper except the two layers of backing for my image .. .. (The flowers were distressed patterned paper too)

and

The Little Red Wagon Challenge:  Where the theme is "Outdoors" .. .. and as flowers grow outdoors I felt my card fits the bill

So that is me for today .. .. and if anyone fancies using any of my sketches which you can find on the tabs at the top of my blog please feel free to do so.

Enjoy what looks like it is going to be a lovely sunny day, and many thanks for your lovely comments on the little frog I posted on Sunday (I still haven't stuck any pins in him yet!!!) .. .. .. if you google "pattern for bean bag frog" lots of patterns come up.  But as I said in my post, mine was stuffed with dried rice not dried beans or peas".

SUNDAY SNIPPETS

Hi Everyone

I hope all is well with you all and you are enjoying your weekend.

The other day (whilst continuing to get my craft pod more organised) I came across a sewing pattern tucked inside a notebook. 

I decided to have a play with it for taking over to The Snippets Playground  and this is what I made:

and this is what I used:

Fabric snippets left over from some wedding work I did years ago (some couples liked little string drawn gift bags filled with treats and a name tag attached)  -  using two different fabrics means you can choose which pattern you want uppermost
A very old and well used pattern
Beads for the eyes
Rice for filling 
My Trusty Sewing Machine

Years ago I used to do craft fayres, and hubby and our two son's would sometimes come along too.

So the lads didn't get bored, between us we would make things for them to sell too (and they got to keep their takings).  Often it would be sweets, or cakes that I had made with their help, but one time we made loads of these little frogs and they would be sitting up or draped across little props.  

One visitor to their stall said they would be great for juggling with and he stood juggling with them for a little while .. .. .. suddenly people didn't want to buy one, they wanted to buy three .. .. .. and then before long all of the stock had gone!!!  The lads were well pleased and of course sped off to see what they could spend their takings on.  Happy days .. .. .. so very long ago now but remembered like it was yesterday.

But the frog I have made here is going to be used as a pin cushion .. .. .. if I can bring myself to stick pins in it!!  LOL!!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend .. .. .. and the week ahead.

CHRISTMAS CARD NUMBER 2

Hi Everyone

Sorry about the break .. .. but I am back again now .. .. hyperactive, with itchy fingers and full of too many bright ideas I want to put to good use.  I could just do with a few more hours in my days, and days in my week .. .. .. which I guess we could all do with.  

I may not have been able to physically craft these last few days but it doesn't stop my brain planning and designing.

Anyway, Christmas card number two is now under my belt .. .. .. 

This used:

Snowflake die:  A very old and favourite Cuttlebug die.
Sentiment:  LOTV tag stamp (but also available as a download via Etsy))
Hot Fix Nail Head
Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine
and of course lots of very small snippets (as long as I can cut a 4.2 x 6.4cm rectangle from any leftovers they go into a little box where they all stand on end like soldiers and eventually get cut in half diagonally. I really love the mix and matching of the patterns and colours and get a little sewing fix into the bargain.  

So Christmas card number two is making its way over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is "Snow Day".

Enjoy your day everyone, and the weekend that is following close behind.

BEE HAPPY

Hi Everyone

I hope you have had a lovely day .. .. .. the sunshine made an appearance in my home town so it was  washing on the line today!!  Yay!!  I love the smell of outdoor dried washing.  (Yes, I am very easy to please and keep happy) LOL!! 

Many thanks for your comments and emails on my post of yesterday where I was querying if anyone else was having problems with their "reading list" when using blogger.  It seems it is a problem for everyone and not just me.  

When things go wrong I always wonder if it is something I have accidentally done to my settings somewhere .. .. .. but thankfully this time it is nothing to do with me.

Today I have a cheerful little share which uses just one image from a set of 24 which I purchased via Etsy.  So expect more bee cards going forward.  

So this is my first play:

This used:

Image:  Whimsical Bee Clipart Bundle - NesaDesignCo
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Backing Papers:  Bee-lightful Collection - Nitwits 

Cotton Ribbon snippet

Corner Rounding Punch
My Trusty Sewing Machine

I also added a bit of Glamour Dust to the bee's wings, but it isn't showing up too well in my photograph.

So that is me for today.  I will hopefully catch you again soon.

TEENY TINY WEDNESDAY

Hi Everyone

Well I am beginning to think that Mr Blogger is suffering from heat stroke .. .. .. that or I have messed up my blog somewhere along the line .. .. .. as my reading list has gone "all to pot".  

Is it just me or is anyone else having problems?

Anyway I am posting this on Wednesday afternoon around four o'clock .. .. and have started to "follow myself" to see how long it takes to appear on my reading list.

It is just a teeny tiny make measuring a whole 9.5cm square.

This used:

Part of a square frame die that cuts the frame and the in-fill squares (unbranded) it is really bigger than you see here I cut it to be 2 by 2 squares

Flower die - also unbranded

Julie Hickey Sentiment Dies -  Sentiment Medley #6

ProMarkers
Hot Fix Nail Heads
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder:  Roses
Snippets of card and paper

My Trusty Sewing Machine
WeRMemory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

Quite a list for such a small little make.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

CREATE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND

Hi Everyone

Hope your week is off to a good start.

I am playing along with the Little Red Wagon Challenge again where the theme for this week has been "Create Your Own Background".  I have to admit that this isn't something I have done very often unlike some blog pals who "always make their own backgrounds" and never use design papers.

But I actually enjoyed it once I got started and liked my finished background so much that I didn't actually want to cover it up LOL!!!

This is my finished offering:

This used:

ScrapBerry's Stencil - Stencil Petals
Distress Oxides:  Peeled Paint, Iced Spruce, Spiced Marmalade
Permanent Fineliner Pen
Memory Box Dies:  "98261" Kaleidoscope Butterfly and "98262" Moonlight Butterfly
Julie Hickey:  JHD-CUT-1003 - Layers, Frames & Banners Rectangle Die Set
Julie Hickey:  DS-HE-1063 - Hazel's Sentiment Medley Die Set
Ribbon
My Trusty Sewing Machine

So that is me for today, I will hopefully catch you again soon.

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