MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hi Everyone

I hope everyone is having a very merry Christmas.

A scheduled post from me as by the time this post hopefully goes live, the presents will be open (along with the sherry bottle LOL!!!) and cooking will be well underway.  

I just wanted to wish everyone who calls by my blog a super wonderful and special time.  I hope you manage to make some special memories.

Certainly anyone who has been calling by my blog recently will have had a fruitless journey .. .. and I apologise for that.  Lots and lots of making but unfortunately no time to photograph and post.

It has been a super manic time here especially with weddings .. .. one of which has been so sad.  The "to be" groom was admitted to hospital a week prior to the wedding and unfortunately is still there .. .. .. so not only did the wedding have to be cancelled but he is missing Christmas at home too.  The new year will see us starting their wedding all over again .. ..even though we were just about there and ready to stick down their table plan.  Such a shame!!

I closed the craft room door on a very messy desk, a couple of days ago, and already my fingers are itching to make something!!

Fingers crossed the new year will see a bit more action on the blog front.  But no rash promises.

I will sign off with a Christmas card that I made and shared earlier in the year.  I had it squirreled away to send to my Sister .. ..  it uses artwork from the lovely Sally-Ann of Digistamp Boutique.  Still can't believe her images are no longer available. .. such a shame.  

So that will be me until I have created something new to share .. .. which hopefully won't be too far away.

Have fun!!

TRYING SOMETHING NEW

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday .. .. this time next month it will be my most favourite day of the year .. .. Christmas Eve!!  

Now if that isn't enough to shock me into cracking on with more festive makes I don't know what is!!

Whilst I have been walking out with Mum I seem to have got into the habit of collecting things that I want to "have a go with" .. .. and something that has been sitting on the back of my desk patiently waiting to get a moment in the limelight is a bottle of Daler Rowney Masking Fluid.  Not the nicest smelling bottle on my desk but definitely one of the most interesting!

Then last night whilst relaxing in the bath and watching YouTube technique videos (yes, I admit it .. .. I never switch off!!) I stumbled upon this fabby video from the awesome Heather Telford using masking fluid to create a snowy sky .. .. and I just knew I needed to give it a try. 

So here is my first attempt at using masking fluid:

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "4202L" Berry Red Snow White

Sentiment:  Woodware Clear Stamp Set "FRCL045" Christmas Trees

Daler Rowney Masking Fluid

Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans
Poppy Stamp Dies: Stitched Market Tags
Xmas Red Stickles
Josy Rose Nail Heads
Metallic Cord

Definitely a technique to do lots and lots and I can't wait to have another play!  I think I was perhaps a little bit heavy handed with the masking fluid and I also splashed the background with water .. .. which perhaps took it all a step too far!

Whilst having a Facetime with Mum this evening I showed her my creation and we both decided that instead of gentle snowfall I was perhaps bordering on a blizzard LOL!!

Anyway, that is me for today.   Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

WINTER WONDERLAND

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

Not sure where this week is disappearing to .. .. all I know is that it has been a super busy one so far .. .. hence it taking me nearly three days to create a card and to actually get it onto my blog!   My happy couples that are having Christmas weddings are certainly keeping me nice and busy.

I don't know why but for some reason I feel a Christmas wedding must be super romantic .. .. perhaps it is because I love Christmas so much.

There is so much I want to do that I am nearly begrudging having to sleep!  What a waste of time that seems LOL!!!

But anyway, here we go:

This used:  

Image:  Stampin' Up "White Christmas" stamp set

Sentiment:  Inkylicious "Walking Winter Wonderland" - one of my favourite Christmas sentiment stamps

Backing Papers:  Docrafts "Forever Friends Kraft Notes"

ProMarker

Crystal Glamour Dust

White Gel Pen
Black Fineliner Pen

Snowflakes and stars from my snowflake box

Gems

The background paper already had some subtle dots on it and I added to them using white Stazon ink and a snow stamp from the White Christmas set.  I was hoping they might show up a little more than they have.

Once again quite an old stamp set  .. .. but one I love playing with.

Must fly.  Loads to do before I go and see what Mum has been up to, and take her out for a stroll to look at all the lovely Christmas decorations in the shops.

Hope you are all having a good week.

LET IT SNOW

Hi Everyone

Happy Monday!  I hope you have all had a good day.

A bit late posting my Christmas make today .. .. .. so I will crack on with it

This used:

Image:  Penny Black "1506J" Just Wishing You
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Stamp Set " 30-259 - Wonderful & Jolly"
Backing Papers:  Kaisercraft "Silver Bells"
Penny Black Snowflake Die
Christmas Tree Die was a £1 special from The Range (think it was by "Cut & Make"
Stitched Dies are unbranded from Ebay
ProMarkers
Glamour Dust
Docrafts Shimmer Dome Stickers
Ribbons
My Trusty Sewing Machine

and that is it!

Better late than never I guess!

A REMEMBRANCE DAY THANK YOU

Hi Everyone

No Christmas card today .. .. .. today is all about being grateful.  

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them

I hope you have been wearing your poppy with pride!

Catch you again soon!

A TEENY TINY - ON A SATURDAY

Hi Everyone

Happy Saturday

I hope that you are all having a lovely weekend.

It has been weddings all the way here today .. .. and another happy couple have decided to join my working list for next year!  Yay!!

So with everything else that has been happening today there has only been time to pull in a quick teeny tiny (3.5" square) make today - but I love it anyway!

This used:

Image:  Lili of the Valley - Snowy Hugs (one of those digital sheets that are not available anymore)
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Sentiment Set "30-310" Believe
Backing Paper for the card front:  Paper Choice Printables "Tartan" via Etsy  and  for the envelope Pink Petticoat Download that is also no longer available
Ribbon
Crystal Glamour Dust
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Button

and that is me for today!

A little late .. .. with a little card!!  But they all count in the run up to Christmas don't they?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE

Hi Everyone

Happy Friday .. .. nearly the weekend!!!  Yay!!

I love Friday as Mr Heart spoils me (even more than usual).  He cooks a fish and chip supper with mushy peas and potato fritters whilst I have a long soak in a hot bath with a G&T!!  Heaven!  In fact I do next to nothing all evening .. .. shame on me .. .. though I see it as re-charging my batteries after a busy week ready for the weekend!!  

Anyway, I decided to hit Christmas before I started my wedding samples today and came up with this little creation which I think I will be making a few of using a variety of inks and images:

This used:

Image: Penny Black "4268K" Crystal Drops
Backing Papers:  The Works
Distress Oxide Inks:  Iced Spruce, Worn Lipstick and Broken China
John Next Door:  Circular Media Plate
Josy Rose:  Nail Head
Self Mixed Embossing Powder (a happy accident that happened years ago when I accidentally mixed gold and silver embossing powder together)
White Gel Pen
Clear Wink of Stella Pen
My Trusty Sewing Machine

You may remember that last year I made my own gelli plate and a couple of folk have asked how I am getting on with it.

Well .. .. .. ..

It did get a bit of use at the time and I was well pleased with the results .. .. .. .. but getting it out to use a few weeks ago I was horrified to find it was growing its own mould cultures .. .. yuk!!  So perhaps it wasn't one of my better ideas.

Perhaps if I had used it on a regular basis it would have been fine but after all the events of this year that hasn't been possible, and it has sat untouched for quite some time.  So I treated myself to some John Next Door media plates which I picked up in a sale. I got a large square one and a set of 4 smaller shaped ones .. .. one of which I used on my card above.

The beauty of these type of plates is you can lay them flat and work on them as I did with my home made one .. .. but they are also thin enough to put into my Misti and do repeated stamping with, which is how I created the background for today's card.

I lightly brayered distress ink onto the plate and kept building up the layers until I had the look I wanted.  Once dry I stamped my image on top using a VersaFine ink pad and before the ink had time to dry I added some of my embossing powder to the lower border and most of the stars surrounding the tree .. .. .. some were too dry by the time I got to them though!!

So that is me for today.

I am going to do a quick link to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where "anything goes as long as it is Penny Black" .. .. .. or there is an optional element of making "anything but a card" .. .. but I desperately need the cards! .. .. so a card it has to be!!!  LOL!!

Enjoy your weekend when it arrives.

PICTURE HEAVY CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!!

Another dull and wet day here .. .. but not one I could spend in the craft room .. .. Mum and I had missions to complete today .. .. but thankfully we managed them all without getting wet.  Yay!!!

My projects for today all used supplies from two magazines I was fortunate to be asked to work on recently .. .. and both are now out on the supermarket shelves.

My very favourite make from this first bumper kit actually made its way onto the front of the magazine and the packing and every time Mum and I stroll out of Asda I see it on display as we walk out .. .. I still find it unbelievable that my work is good enough to be featured.

and these were my next two favourites.  Another from the stamping commission and the second from the decoupage commission

The next magazine features that fabby snowman character and my first card is part of a shaped card feature.  The snow-globe template is part of the magazine and I used it in lots of different ways.

these are more of my favourites

these last two cards use a sweet Christmas tree stamp and die that is part of the pack (there is also a cute little snowflake die which you can see on the snow-globe).

So lots of Christmas inspiration to show you .. .. .. but nothing I have made today.  I am busy with wedding stationery samples at the moment ready for sharing with "happy couples" at the weekend.

Have a lovely evening everyone - I hope you have had a good day.

LET'S BE MERRY

Hi Everyone

Happy Wednesday!

A really nippy and blustery autumn day here and one where rain keeps getting added into the mix as well .. .. a good day for being snuggled in the craft room!

Here I am with another Christmas card today as promised.  

So here we go:

This used:

Background Image:  WOW! Clear Stamp:  "Vintage Wallpaper"
Sentiment:  Penny Black Clear Stamp Set:  "30-316 - Season's Gifts"
Sizzix Stamps and Dies:  "659376 - Holiday Joy"
Memento Ink Pads:  Toffee Crunch, Rich Cocoa, Pistachio and London Fog
Personal Impressions:  White and Silver Super Sparkle Embossing Powder
Josy Rose:  Nail Heads
Ribbon
White Gel Pen
My Trusty Sewing Machine
Un-branded Dashed wavy line die from Ebay

As always a lot of what I use on my cards has been in my possession for years .. .. so apologies if some of the supplies I used are no longer available.

So that is my share for today .. .. back to work now that my rather late lunch break is over.

Many thanks for your lovely comments yesterday .. .. hoping to have another Christmas make to share tomorrow.

TEENY TINY CHRISTMAS

Hi Everyone

Happy Tuesday .. .. I hope you are all well?

I don't know about you but I am not very impressed with these dark evenings!  Nothing looks right once natural daylight disappears does it?

Today I decided it was time to drag myself away from the weddings .. .. kicking and screaming .. .. and head to the general craft desk and my Christmas supplies.  

No-where near enough Christmas makes done .. .. .. I think I have been enjoying myself far too much with the weddings and magazines!!

Super popular at the moment are invitations that involve the soft gold glitter card and matching gems that I have used on my teeny tiny 3.5" square creations below.  

Working with this card means that my world (and face) has been super glittery for weeks and weeks  LOL!! .. .. .. .. and is going to continue to be glittery for some time to come!! In fact for some years to come because I have couples who aren't getting married until 2020 who want me to work with this card on their stationery! 

and whilst at it I made four

These used:

Sentiment: Penny Black "30-140" Clear Sentiment Set "Christmas Cheer"

Backing Paper:  Christmas Paper Pad from The Works

First Edition:  Nesting Doily Dies

Gold Embossing Powder

Small snowflakes .. .. the leftovers from using the Memory Box Snowflake Heart Die

Ribbon 

Those lovely pale gold gems 

My Trusting Sewing Machine

So that is me for today .. .. making a little headway on Christmas and now I am going to chip away at my accounts.  Sadly I even enjoy doing those!!  LOL!!

Many thanks to everyone who still pops into my blog to see what I am up to and those who send emails.  You are far better blog buddies than I am at the moment.  I'm so sorry .. .. currently time just doesn't seem to be my friend :-(  Perhaps Santa will deliver me a super-sized box of it this year!?!?!?  Wouldn't that be nice?

.. .. .. .. and for those who have been asking after my lovely Mum.  She had a little relapse a couple of weeks ago but we seem back on track again now.  So much so that over two days we have done nearly all of her Christmas shopping!!  I hope we get round to mine once Mum's is complete LOL!!!

I am going to be trying hard to post up Christmas makes all through November so I will hopefully be here again tomorrow.

INKY SKIES

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday!

I hope you are all well .. .. and are perhaps seeing a little sunshine today!

I am still submerged in the world of weddings and have lots of lovely samples to make for couples I have met over the last few weeks .. .. but thought you might like to see some of the magazine creations I have been making.

Today I am sharing some cards I made for the current edition of Papercraft Inspirations

My brief for this commission was to create interesting skies using distress inks.

I really enjoyed and lost myself in this commission as I don't very often get chance to sit and play with my distress inks nowadays. 

The magazine comes with some scrummy stamps and a great snow globe embossing folder .. .. really hoping I get chance to play with these soon too!  After all that panic Christmas crafting  is soon going to be upon us!!  LOL!!

So that is me for today .. .. just time to unpack and put away at least one of the boxes of wedding supplies I took to a wedding fayre nearly two weeks ago!! .. .. and then off for a little adventure with Mum and her wheelchair!  We can't waste this little glimpse of sunshine!

Enjoy your day everyone