Creative Lynks

A work in progress!

2012-01-20T00:26:00.000Z

I think this is going to be a long post! The craft room is pretty much done, so I thought I'd show you how it's looking now. Just needs a few finishing touches, and there may be some rearranging done as I see how the layout works, but at long last I have everything to hand and space to work. Space!! What luxury! This was my room in the old house, barely 6 feet by 7 feet.

My stash and equipment were spread over various rooms, and much of it never got used because it took so long to find what I needed. The consequence of that was that I didn't realise just how much stuff I have. Now, with it all in one place, I do! Oo-err!! I think my 6 year old grandson's comment summed it up. "Grandma," he said, "It's like a shop!"

In my defence, I hasten to add that I've been collecting stuff for at least 20 years now, and there's a lot which I'm very lucky to have been given or inherited. For instance, my mum, bless her, used to make her own duvet covers and various other things, which she trimmed with ribbon or lace. She bought miles of it, far more than she could ever have used in her lifetime, so now I've got it all. I'll probably never use it all either....

Anyway, let me take you on a tour. The new room is 11 feet square. This is how it looked when we first came to view the house.

When I initially moved my stuff into the room, I think the best way to describe it was chaos!

This was my desk at one point. Can't show you a photo of the floor then because you couldn't see it!

The transformation began with phase 1 of the new shelves........

....... which was soon followed by phase 2.

When it came to filling them, well, talk about getting a quart into a pint pot....!

But I did it!

Eventually there will be something to cover the shelves and hide all the clutter, but I haven't decided what yet. Probably roller blinds.

No longer is my laptop hidden under piles of stuff on the desk.

My unmounted stamps are all neat and tidy in folders, instead of spread around in boxes and bags.

My ink pads are all to hand in smart little drawers.

And this is what I look out on when I sit at my desk.

Which now looks like this! (Although it'll probably never be this tidy again!)

But best of all is the space. Finally I have a room in which I can work comfortably and walk around without having to climb, or fall, over things.

Behold ........... the floor!!!

Happy New Year! In Monochrome!

2012-01-01T08:30:00.000Z

Happy 2012 everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas. My resolution for this year will be to get back to the blogging and blog hopping as often as possible! Thank you to all my lovely blogging friends, who have stuck with me even though I haven't been able to reciprocate. We're still busy getting things sorted in the new house, but I should have a bit more spare time before very much longer. My DH has almost finished the final phase of the shelves in my craft room, and I'm looking forward to being able to get all my stuff organised. Photos will follow in due course!

Anyway, being the first Sunday of the month, it's time for the first Stampalot Challenge of the year. For January, our theme is

Monochromatic

In other words, your entry must use a single colour, though of course variations of that colour from light to dark are fine, as long as they are all of the same colour "tone" (eg. all blue-purple rather than a mixture of blue-purple and pinky purple). I chose Adirondack "Eggplant" dye ink for all the stamping on my card, coloured the ribbon with Promarker "Lilac", and used a dark purple toning paper for the scalloped frame.

All the stamps I've used are by Hero Arts. The dogwood flowers and the butterfly are from a HA Stamp & Die Cut set (Antique Flowers and Butterflies), and I diecut the butterfly to add a bit of dimension. I could have cut out the flowers too, but the card will eventually be posted so I didn't want too much depth. To colour the flowers and butterfly I employed one of my favourite techniques - using a paintbrush and clean water to draw the colour from the stamped image, and just adding a spot more colour picked up from the inkpad where it needed to be a bit darker. The words on the punched circle tag are from an old set called "Conversation Dots", which I keep coming back to every now and then. The corner pieces are also punched. I've distressed various edges with the Adirondack ink.

There will, of course, be the usual fantastic Stampalot Challenge prize up for grabs this month, but for the moment it's a secret!

The lovely Stampalot crew are having a well earned break, but I'm sure they'll reveal the goodies very soon! Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing all your monochromatic designs, and if you need any inspiration, just hop over to the Stampalot Challenge Blog and have a look at the DT's gorgeous creations.

I hope 2012 will be a wonderfully crafty year for everyone. I wonder what's going to be the big crafting trend this year.....

Stampalot December Challenge

2011-12-04T08:45:00.001Z

Here we are with the first Sunday in December, and so it's time for the last Stampalot Challenge of the year. This month we're playing Bingo and here's your Bingo Card!

The idea is to select one line (in any direction) from the grid and use those items on your creation and tell us in your post which line you have followed.

For a change, I decided to make a criss-cross card, and I've followed the bottom line : Punch - Tags - Ribbon.

The papers are part of a freebie from Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine. I've used a Fiskars border punch, an unidentified large snowflake and tiny Tonic Studios snowflake punches. The sentiment was also a freebie, from Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine, and I've stamped it on a Nestie Ribbon Tag.

This just happens to be the first Christmas card I've made this year! And so far, the only one! We're still busy sorting out the new house, but slowly getting organised.

Anyway, I'm sure you want to know all about this month's prize! Well, it's a cracker! Who wouldn't want to find these goodies in their Christmas stocking? Janice & Andy have really surpassed themselves this time.

To be in with a chance of winning, just get playing Bingo, and if you need any inspiration, pop over to the Challenge Blog and have a look at the gorgeous creations the DT have made for you. I look forward to seeing yours!

Changes afoot at Sir Stampalot Challenge, and we've moved in at last!

2011-11-06T08:30:00.000Z

As from this month, Sir Stampalot Challenge is looking a little different! The starting date of each challenge will now be the first Sunday of the month, (instead of the first day of the month) which means that most months, our challenge will run until the end of the month................unless the first Sunday falls on the first of the month...............but if this all sounds rather complicated, don't worry, as there is list of exact dates on the challenge blog sidebar so you will be able to check when each challenge begins.

Apart from that everything remains the same, fun themes, great prizes from Sir Stampalot, our monthly Top 3 and of course inspiration from the Design Team.

Anyway, on to the theme for November, which is

BLUE & GREEN

The task is to use those two colours on your entry, with a stunning selection of stash for this month's prize!

We have now moved into our new house, and are currently unpacking boxes and trying to decide where to put things! I am in the process of organising my new craft room, with many boxes yet to be opened, so I was rather limited in my choice of materials, not to mention desk space, to make my sample this month! I decided on a simple easel card to celebrate our move to Scotland.

The background was coloured with Chipped Sapphire and Bundled Sage Distress Stains, stamps used were by Heritage Rubber Stamp Co. (the castle) and Chocolate Baroque (thistle). Unfortunately I can't remember where the sentiment is from (may have been a magazine freebie). I stamped it on a Nestie shape. Some tartan ribbon (for which many thanks, Sally!) completed the Scottish look.

This is what my craft room looked like until yesterday!

Now, however, I have some lovely new shelves, built by my DH, so I will be able to get a bit more organised. This is Phase One, along the back wall!

Phase Two will be similar, along the adjoining wall! More photos to follow in due course!

I am loving being here. It's so peaceful and green (mostly thanks to all the rain we've been having since we got here!) and I keep getting distracted from the sorting out by the wonderful views and the local wildlife. Many varieties of birds, as well as rabbits, a mouse and a stoat, are regular visitors to our garden. Heron and flocks of geese fly over. There have been a few dry days! This was one of them. The view is from our garden.

I even managed to get a picture of the sunrise!

It feels good to be posting on the blog again, and I hope it won't be too long before I can get back to visiting and commenting again. Hope to see you all soon!

That went quick!

2011-10-01T08:30:00.010+01:00

Can't believe a month has gone by since my last post! Already I'm almost at the end of my first term in the new job, and this week we have the keys to our new house! Just got to get our stuff moved up from Notts and then we can move in! I can't wait!

Anyway, being the first of the month, it's time for a new Stampalot Challenge and for October the theme is

Food, Glorious Food

So anything to do with food is what we want to see on your entries! And there's a scrumptious prize on offer, generously donated as always by Janice & Andy at Sir Stampalot. Feast your eyes on these goodies!

I decided to use some recently acquired stamps by Waltzing Mouse for my sample. I made my own background paper with the plaid stamp from the "Off Beat Backgrounds" set. The label stamp, which is made to fit a Nesties Label 4 die, is from the "Rescue Remedies" set, one of my Waltzing Mouse favourites. The little corner stamp is from the "Very Vintage Labels No. 2" set. The floral paper and cupcake stamp are magazine freebies. I paper pieced the cupcakes and added a bit of colour with Promarkers.

Sorry this is such a short post, but I'm hoping it won't be long now before we get moved in to the new house and I'll be back in business in my new craft room! Watch this space!

Sir Stampalot September Challenge

2011-09-01T08:35:00.008+01:00

We're back to a set theme for this month's Stampalot Challenge, and it is

It's A Frame Up

We want to see a frame somewhere on each project! Plenty of scope there, I think. Just make sure that your frame is an actual "feature" of the design, rather than simply matted layers. For my example, I took inspiration from an article by Emy Buxton in the July 2011 issue of Craft Stamper magazine, where she used stamping and masking to create a frame for a scrapbook page.

I made my frame by masking off a rectangle of the base card and stamping round the edge of the mask with tiny stamps by Rubber Stamp Tapestry, using VersaMagic inks. The picture inside the frame is from the Miniatures book "People & Places 2" by Crafty Individuals, and the card is completed with a sentiment by Darkroom Door. Quick and simple to make, but I love the effect of the floral frame.

Here's the delectable prize donated by Sir Stampalot this month! Check out those gorgeous ribbons! Some fab stamps too, and lots of other goodies, so get those entries in!

And on the subject of Sir S, HOT news! Watch out for a new weekly feature that Sir Stampalot are promoting, starting tomorrow. It’ll be called ‘Freebie Friday’ and it’ll be sent to you via their email newsletter so if you haven’t already signed up, you’ll need to sign up before end of day today, here.

Or use the “stay in touch… sign up to smudges” icon on the home page of their website (left hand column).

I started the new job this week. So far so good! Quite different from my previous one, in that I flit from school to school (9 schools in two days!) instead of being in one school for the whole day, but I have certainly enjoyed my first two days. And it's lovely to be able to drive to work through beautiful countryside. Bit of a hold up yesterday morning when I met the school bus which serves several local village schools coming towards me on a narrow country lane, and had to reverse so he could get past. One or two slow tractors as well, but I can cope with things like that! So much better than being stuck in traffic jams going into the city.

Went to have another look at our new house the other day. I'll leave you for now with a photo of the view from the window of what will be my new craft room! If it looks that good in the rain, imagine what it's like when it's sunny with blue skies! I can't wait until we can move in!

Quick update!

2011-08-23T23:29:00.001+01:00

Ages since I last posted anything, I know, but things have been moving pretty quickly here! The house hunting was very successful, I'm glad to say! We found just the sort of place we wanted, with wonderful views across the countryside (pics to follow!), and couldn't believe our luck when we found we could actually afford it! We hope to be able to move in by the middle of October. In the meantime, I start my new job up in Scotland next week! So I'm now staying with my daughter and family, but will be travelling backwards and forwards for a while until we have got our things packed up ready for the move. Blogging will have to take a back seat for the time being, I'm afraid, but I will try to keep in touch as often as I can. I managed to bring enough stash with me to keep me going (I hope!!), not that I will have much spare time to craft, but should be able to cope with cards for family & friends and my DT work.

I had a couple of cards to make before I came up north, a wedding anniversary card for my daughter and son-in-law, and a birthday card for my niece, so here's a quick share of those.

For the anniversary card I used my new cameo stamps from Waltzing Mouse, cut out with Nesties. The papers are some I've had in my stash for years, not sure now who made them. I used a Martha Stewart border punch to trim them, and then inked around the edges. It wasn't until I looked at the photo that it occurred to me that the two cameos and the greeting made a face!

For my niece's card, the dog stamp and patterned papers were all freebies from magazines. I coloured the dog with Promarkers, and framed it with Nestie diecuts. The ticket stamp and die are by Whimsy Stamps. Now, I know this is cute, and I don't do cute, but my niece likes cute, and dogs, and pink, so I gritted my teeth and did it!

Stampalot August Challenge

2011-08-01T10:48:00.000+01:00

Another "anything goes" theme for Sir Stampalot Challenge this month with

WHATEVER YOU FANCY

I decided to use one of my favourite Penny Black stamps, the poppy, embossed on to an alcohol inked background and coloured with Promarkers. This was then attached over some Papermania background paper with some lace to trim the edges. The sentiment, by The Craft's Meow, was stamped on to a Nestie label.

The prize on offer for August is this fabulous selection of goodies!

So good luck everyone! I'm sorry this is such a short post, but I'm just about to head off up to Scotland to do some house hunting. Wish me luck!

Circles

2011-07-17T17:21:00.000+01:00

Another great theme at Less is More this week! Chrissie and Mandi want to see circles - lots of them! Or at least, more than one! I had quite a few ideas for this, but unfortunately I doubt I'll have time to make them all. Anyway, here's my first entry. I've counted 57 circles (58 if you count the scalloped circle), think that should be enough!

Stamps used: Owl - Inkadinkado; Branch - Stampscapes; Alphabet letters used to make sentiment - New Stamp On The Block (sadly no longer trading).

Legs is More!

2011-07-14T23:17:00.002+01:00

Rushing around again at the last minute for Less is More this week. I'm exceptionally busy with work, coming up to the end of term and my final week (after 28 years and one term!) at school here, before I start my new job in Scotland after the summer hols.

The LIM week 23 theme is a one layer card to include something with legs. Had to make it quick, so I stamped this little sandpiper (Impression Obsession) and just added a bit of colour with watercolour pencils. Sentiment by Paula Pascual for Personal Impressions. All that white space - scary!!

Silhouettes

2011-07-14T12:20:00.000+01:00

As part of my ongoing clearout, I'd been going through some of my old Take Ten mags, tearing out the pages I wanted to keep and filing them in a ring binder, so that I could get rid of the rest. In one of them was the most beautiful set of cards by Tilly McLeod, with gorgeous coloured backgrounds and silhouette details, exactly the sort of style which really appeals to me. Tilly has very kindly allowed me to case her cards, and share the result here, although my method was slightly different from hers. Do go and have a look at Tilly's blog, her work is fabulous.

Tilly made her backgrounds by inking up a palette stamp with various colours and stamping straight on to the card, then adding definition with watercolour pencils or the edge of an inkpad, whereas I painted mine with a wash of distress inks and mounted it separately with a thin black border. The stamped couple (Stampscapes) and birds (part of a stamp by Inkylicious) were added, along with the sentiment (The Craft's Meow).

I really like this clean and simple style. Thanks for the inspiration, Tilly!

Shades of Blue

2011-07-06T18:57:00.000+01:00

I'm loving the challenge from Less is More this week. It's Shades of Blue, and blue just happens to be my favourite colour! I was in a painting mood, so I painted a little landscape background and then stamped a few images on top. Shades of blue from navy right up to very pale - all done using just one Distress inkpad! The beauty of Distress ink is that it can be diluted with water but retains the colour integrity, in other words it just becomes a paler shade of the original according to how much water you add. I used Chipped Sapphire, my favourite of all the Distress colours.

The tree on its little mound with the grasses either side of it (all one stamp) is by Beeswax, all other stamps and the sentiment are by Hobby Art. There are some fantastic entries this week. I'm really enjoying looking at them all.

Sir Stampalot July Challenge

2011-07-01T09:44:00.003+01:00

Time for a new challenge at Sir Stampalot. We've made it nice and easy for you this month, as the theme is

*ANYTHING GOES*

So you can make whatever you like! The design team decided that we would showcase the new summer Molly Blooms stamps, which are available right now, right here at Sir Stampalot. We were each given a Molly stamp to use however we wished. Mine is George on his hols.

Here he is on an easel card, taking a break from a hard day's surfing! The beach scene behind him was made with Hobby Art Scene-it stamps, also available from Sir Stampalot here. I coloured the beach scene with watercolour pencils, and the other elements with Promarkers. There is a little surfboard in the Hobby Art set, but it was too small for George, so I drew him one instead. The sentiment is by Hero Arts, stamped on to Nestie circles.

The wall (stamped three times to get the right length) came from Toomuchfun Rubber Stamps, bought when I was in the USA about 16 years ago, and would you believe, this is the first time I've used it! I visited the Toomuchfun shop, which was huge, and it was like being a child in a sweetie shop - I wanted everything! Back then there was all sorts of stuff you just couldn't get here, and of course it was before the days of easy internet shopping. I had taken an empty case with me (not a huge one, honest!) especially for the purpose and brought it back full of new stash! Somehow the wall must have got overlooked at the back of a drawer and I came across it again during my recent clearing out. Anyway, just the thing for George to sit on, I thought!

Of course, you want to know what the prize is for this month's challenge! Well, it's fabulous! Loads of the new Molly Blooms stamps, and much more besides to keep you busy with your summer crafting. Take a look at this lot:

With the theme of "Anything Goes" it shouldn't be too difficult to come up with a winner, so get those entries in! Just remember - to be eligible for the Stampalot Challenge, your entry may only be combined with 5 other challenges, ie. 6 challenges in total.

Clouds

2011-06-28T19:15:00.001+01:00

We've had some fantastic cloudscapes over here recently. I love to watch clouds. I like the fact that they are ever-changing, and you can see pictures in them. On Sunday the sky was a gorgeous deep blue, but with different types of white cloud in amazing formations. It was a "mackerel sky", which eventually started to break up, with some fluffy white cumulus and wispy cirrus. I went out into the garden and took some photos.

My editing programme has an "auto levels" facility. I use it rarely, because it often throws up some strange results. Sometimes, though, they can be quite interesting! Such as this:

Yesterday evening the sky turned very dark and grey, though the storm which seemed to threaten never materialised. You couldn't see much of the sunset, but the bit that did show was quite dramatic, with orange beams of light shining upwards.

Playing with the auto levels gave this result:

Hmm. Backgrounds for cards, maybe.......?

It seemed so simple.....

2011-06-27T23:29:00.000+01:00

Week 21 of Less is More Challenge is a sketch.

Very simple, just 3 circles in line on a square card. They made me think of music notes. Three music notes sitting on a stave, I thought. What could be easier? I'll make the notes into flowers for a bit of added interest, and the sentiment naturally has to be "Just a note..."

Cutting the thin strips of card to make the stave was trickier than I expected. I've got some of those shredding scissors, and thought it would be easy to cut strips with them. It wasn't! Couldn't get them to cut in straight lines. I resorted to ruler and knife. Several strips went in the bin because they weren't even in width. Eventually I had five strips that were similar enough. I managed to stick them in straight lines across the card first time! I punched three small circles from black card, and three flowers, rather proud of myself because I could use up some scraps! Stuck the circles on the flowers, and then cut more thin strips to make the note stems. Stuck the notes on the stave. All going well and looking good! Then I inked up the sentiment (Papermania), and... disaster! I don't quite know how it happened, must have been the heat, lost my concentration, but somehow a large black splodge of ink had appeared on the card! Right in the middle of the white space! Oh, the annoyance, the frustration! Could it be salvaged? Or would I have to start all over again?

I went and made myself a stiff coffee, and came back to think about it. Aha! Maybe I could just cut a piece of white card to cover the stain. I did just that, and it worked! Then just the sentiment to stamp without smudging it....phew! Here it is:

Whenever I order from Crafty Individuals, those lovely people Malcolm and Jean send a few freebie stamps with the order, and I've got quite a few duplicates now. I'll send a couple of them to the first person who can tell me (in a comment), where the join (of the bit I had to stick over the stain) is on my card!

Just because

2011-06-26T17:09:00.000+01:00

It's quite a long time since I made anything that wasn't for a challenge, DT work, or a particular occasion. Having recently acquired various items of new stash, I thought I'd take a bit of time to have a play with some of them.

I'd been wondering whether to invest in some Distress Stains, and in the end couldn't resist ordering a few to try. I must admit they are very convenient to use, being in a sponge tipped bottle and so it's easy to cover a background quickly with them, and you can also ink up stamps with them, but since they are basically just like watered down distress ink, and you could probably get a similar effect using diluted DI and a sponge, I'm not sure whether I'll buy any more.

Anyway, inspired by Glenda's video on her blog, where she uses the Distress Stains with some of her gorgeous new Chocolate Baroque stamps, I made a card.

The background was made with Spun Sugar Distress Stain, overstamped with Hero Arts Dots & Flowers background & Old French Writing, which I had inked up with the same DS. The result is very subtle. Also stamped the Old French Writing on the base card. The picture is from a Crafty Individuals Miniatures Book (People & Places 2), and I made a frame for it with a Nellie Snellen die, inking around the edge with Versamagic ink. A strip of Tim Holtz Tissue Tape across the bottom, a Marianne Design leaf flourish (also coloured with Versamagic), and a sentiment by Innovative Stamp Creations finished the card.

I'd just like to say a big thank you to all you lovely people who keep commented on my blog. I do appreciate your visits, and hope you'll forgive me for not being able to reciprocate much at the moment. The big clearout in preparation for our move north is ongoing, slowly but surely, and between now and the end of term I will be very busy indeed at work, with several school concerts/events to come. A bittersweet time, as I have been at one of my current schools for the past 28 years and this is my last term here. But, as I said to my head teacher last week, 28 years is half my life, near enough, so I reckon it's about time for a change!

Re previous post!

2011-06-19T23:54:00.000+01:00

Nope, I didn't get away with it! Mandi found me out, and quite rightly too! So here's my card again, but this time without the "aris"!

I guess the "aris" was stating the obvious, and isn't really necessary, so hope I'm allowed a second entry!

Monograms - Less is More Week 20

2011-06-19T23:30:00.000+01:00

Last week was the first time I didn't manage to get an entry in for the Less is More Challenge, so I was determined not to miss this week's. The theme is "Monogram". Bit of a tricky one, this! I only have one truly monogram stamp, the "D" by Stampers Anonymous. I set to work with it, stamping it on to a Nestie-cut circle with a scallop border, and carefully colouring it in. Then I went off to do something else before I mounted it on to a card. When I came back I decided to have a quick look at the other entries before I finished off my card. Imagine my surprise when I saw that entry No. 40, by Nellie, had used not only the same stamp, but the same colours too! Spooky or what?! I hadn't seen Nellie's before I made mine. Here's mine, just so you can compare! (I'm not entering it!)

So, what else to do instead? A bit of lateral thinking was called for. This was the result:

Self explanatory, I think! (Eiffel Tower - Clarity Stamp; Arc de T - unknown; Paris minus the P! - from a Clear Choice set, Nestie rectangle.) Strictly speaking, a monogram shouldn't be part of a word, but it seemed to need the "aris" to balance the P, which looked as though it might topple over otherwise! So I'm hoping Chrissie & Mandi will let me get away with it!

Vintage with a heart

2011-06-11T09:30:00.000+01:00

That's the title of the June Challenge at Crafty Individuals Blog, and what a great theme! I've used their gorgeous ladies in hats for my card, and kept the embellishments simple so as not to detract from the lovely image.

I stamped it on to Papermania printed paper (having slightly distressed the edges of the paper) and coloured it with Promarkers, which I also used to colour the Martha Stewart punched border, the sheer ribbon (just visible under the strip of lace), and the paper which I matted the image with. I love how you can use Promarkers to co-ordinate everything! And that's about it.

Now off to see what the Less is More ladies have got for us this week!

Shades of purple

2011-06-05T20:49:00.000+01:00

The monochrome look is one which I rather like, so I was pleased to see that it is the theme for Week 18 of the Less is More Challenge. I used an old favourite stamp and an old favourite technique to make my card.

I stamped the poppy (Stampin' Up) with Dusty Concord Distress Ink, and then pulled out the colour from the outline with a paintbrush and plain water to colour the image. I cut it out with a Nestie Labels 4 and mounted it with foam pads. The sentiment is one I've had for many years. I think the company which made it was V.I.P., sadly no longer trading, I believe.

I spent half term up in Dumfriesshire. Apart from visiting my daughter and family, I was also there to do some preparatory work for the new job I will be starting in September. I still can't quite believe that, from then on, my drives to work will be through beautiful countryside, instead of being stuck in traffic going into the city. I daresay there will still be hold-ups, but I think I can cope with the odd tractor or herd of cows....!

Less is More Week 17 - Pick a Square!

2011-06-03T21:38:00.000+01:00

Been away all week, but just time to squeeze in an entry for Week 17 of the Less is More Challenge. The theme this week is a recipe - the sketch is divided into four outer squares and a centre square and the design has to occupy just one of those squares. I chose to go for bottom left, and this is the result!

Both flower and sentiment are by Hobby Art, and I added a little colour to the flowers with watercolour pencils. I was very short of time, so had to keep it simple, but that's the beauty of the Less is More concept!

I'm really sorry I don't have time to leave many comments at the moment. We have so much to do before our move north. But I do try and get a quick look at as many entries as I can. They are all superb, and wonderfully inspiring.

Sir Stampalot June Challenge

2011-06-01T08:30:00.003+01:00

Well, it's the first of the month again, and time for a new Stampalot Challenge! For June we have a photo (see right) as inspiration. It can be interpreted in any way you like! I would have liked to have come up with something really creative and abstract, but in the end I couldn't resist another opportunity to use the gorgeous Crafty Individuals poppy field stamp! I coloured it with watercolour pencils except for the poppies, for which I used Promarkers to make them stand out. The background is a paper napkin, and the sentiment is by Prickly Pear.

A good tip for using napkins is to separate the layers (they usually have two or three) and use only the top (printed) layer. This will be quite thin, and almost impossible to put glue on without tearing it, so put the glue on the base card instead and gently smooth the napkin over it. (A Xyron machine is perfect for this if you have one.)

As usual, there's a fantastic prize on offer this month!

So if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning the goodies, check out the samples by my talented teamies on the Challenge Blog, and get those entries in! Can't wait to see them!

Butterflies!

2011-05-22T23:31:00.000+01:00

Less is More has my favourite subject for Week 16's challenge - Butterflies! Great, I thought! But since butterflies tend to make an appearance on many of my cards, even if only tiny, coming up with something I haven't already done before wasn't so easy! Fortunately I hadn't yet got round to using my new Aspects of Design Framie 5 stamps bought a while ago from The Stamp Man, so this was the ideal opportunity.

Very simple, just cut out the stamped image with the matching Nestie (Labels 5) and coloured it with Cosmic Shimmer paints. Added the sentiment (Inkylicious). Then stamped a flight of Crafty Individuals butterflies across the bottom.

Card number 2 is already in the making!

Less is More Week 15

2011-05-20T18:49:00.000+01:00

This week's challenge at Less is More is for a one-layer card with embossing. I decided to use the embossing as a resist, which is one of my favourite techniques.

This is the first version of my card.

I stamped the grasses (Chocolate Baroque) with Versamark ink, embossed them with clear powder, and then sponged over them with Versacolor inks. The sentiment is by Prickly Pear, and it's one of my newest stamps. It really appeals to me. However, when I'd finished the card, I thought the sponging looked a bit messy. So I made another version, this time using a Nesties Label 10 as a stencil.

Now I can't decide which I prefer! The stencilled version is much tidier and more defined, but somehow it doesn't seem to fit quite so well with the sentiment, which suggests a free spirit! If I had to choose now, I'd probably stick with the first one. What do you think?

Little post with big news!

2011-05-19T18:04:00.000+01:00

I said a few posts ago that I was busy! Well, when I was up in Dumfriesshire recently it was for an informal interview to discuss job possibilities. And the result was that from the end of August I will hopefully be working there as a peripatetic singing tutor in schools! Which means that in three months' time, our long-held dream of moving to live in Scotland, close to our daughter and family, will be coming true!

Needless to say, I am going to have very little spare time between now and September! We've got to get our house sorted out and sold (which will be a mammoth task - scary!), not to mention house hunting up north. I will be keeping up my DT commitments, and hopefully managing an entry for Less is More as often as I can, but I probably won't get to go blog visiting or commenting as often as I'd like to, so I hope you'll bear with me on that score!

The only drawback of a move north would seem to be the lack of good craft shops in the Dumfries area. But, given the current extent of my stash, maybe that's no bad thing.........

More Wow!

2011-05-09T23:30:00.000+01:00

The white-on-white challenge this week at Less is More has really appealed to me, so I've made two more cards! For the first one I've made an arrangement of punched flowers and leaves on a Nestie lace circle, with a punched butterfly and white pearls for the flower centres. Recently I was given a complete set of alphabet punches, so I used those to make the word "Spring".

I was quite pleased with it, but then I wondered whether it might be a bit too fancy for Less is More, so I made another which is much more clean and simple.

This has a Marianne die-cut flourish with a Martha Stewart punched butterfly, and the same punched letters as the previous card. I think I actually prefer this one.

I've really enjoyed making all these white-on-white cards, but I'm feeling the need for a bit of colour now, so that will probably be the last one for the time being!

White on White

2011-05-08T23:39:00.000+01:00

White on white is something I've never tried before. I don't know why not, because I really like the look of it. Anyway, it's the theme for Week 14 of Less is More. Two days in to the challenge and there are already lots of stunning entries, so on with the thinking cap!

White on white is all about texture, so it could have been tempting to go a bit overboard with it, but bearing in mind the clean and simple nature of LIM, this is what I came up with.

I dry-embossed the iris (American Traditional Stencils) and created a frame for it from two Nesties. Part embossed the base card with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, scored two lines below that with my Scor-Pal, attached a Nestie label with sheer white ribbon, and added a peel-off greeting.

I was reasonably pleased with the result, and it's whetted my appetite for more WoW, so if I get time there may be another entry forthcoming!

I've gained a couple of new followers this weekend, so hello and welcome to them, and thanks to everyone who looks at my blog, and for all your lovely comments. I do appreciate them all.

Less is More Week 13

2011-05-06T19:00:00.001+01:00

Lucky dip this week at Less is More, with the theme of either Thank You or Congratulations. I'm just scraping in with my entry! I'm very busy at the moment, and haven't had time for much card making, let alone blogging. (I'll get there eventually, I hope!) My hubby asked me to make him some simple thank you cards to send out after his father's funeral last December, and I haven't blogged them before, so I hope they'll be acceptable.

The first one has a vase of flowers by Penny Black, stamped on a Nestie label, using Versamagic dew drop inks, and attached with foam pads. The sentiment is by Anna Griffin.

The second is even more simple - the same Anna Griffin sentiment inside a frame also by Anna Griffin.

Phew! Just got them in in time! Sorry I haven't had chance to comment this week, but glancing at the thumbnails I can see lots of great entries. I haven't missed a week of LIM so far, and didn't want this to be the first one. Now what will tomorrow's be .........?

Camper vans and otters

2011-05-04T20:39:00.001+01:00

It was my elder grandson's 6th birthday last Sunday, and his mum & dad have just bought a van to convert into a camper, which he's very excited about. So I knew just what to put on his birthday card. Lisa Jane very kindly sent me a camper van template, and here's what I made with it.

The camper van and signpost are coloured with Promarkers, and the signpost has a peel-off greeting. The background paper I found in an office supply store (it's made to print letters on). It just happened to fit the subject perfectly!

Ewan loved the card, but was particularly pleased to note that he, and not his little brother, was in the driving seat!

We had a wonderful time with them, and didn't want to come home, especially as the weather was so good. I could get used to daily walks by the river, in such beautiful surroundings! Here's another couple of photos.

And finally, as an update to my earlier post, I'm delighted to report that we saw the otters at last, and no early rising needed as it was in the middle of the day! In the next picture, you can just about see the head of one in the water, to the right of the branch and almost in the middle of the pic. Unfortunately my camera wasn't up to the distance, but we watched two of them swimming and then saw them come out on to the shore and trot off into the bushes. Magic!

It was a relaxing and refreshing break, but back now to work and reality! Lots to do, but I'll try and catch up with everyone's blogs as soon as I can.

Sir Stampalot May Challenge

2011-05-01T10:17:00.002+01:00

This month at Sir Stampalot Challenge Brenda has chosen the theme of "Magical Worlds". That could mean anything from a single butterfly to a complete scene, so the scope is pretty wide! I'm really looking forward to seeing the entries for this one!

I decided to go with a scene, with reference to ancient Celtic myth and magic. Stamps used: Celtic circle with eagle, cross, mountain background - Non Sequitur; deer - Stampscapes; birds - Inkylicious; foreground foliage - Chocolate Baroque. Background sponged with pigment inks.

Here's the fantastic prize on offer this month!

Don't forget to hop over to the Challenge Blog and have a look at the wonderful samples my very talented teamies have made. Hope you can join in too, and good luck everyone!

Going back to the Stampalot Challenge Birthday competition last month, where you had to guess which DT member made which card, this was mine:

It didn't occur to me when I made it, but it too could fit this month's theme. All stamps by Chocolate Baroque. I used a rainbow Adirondack inkpad to swipe the background, and the same pad to stamp the butterfly. Martha Stewart punched border, and a peel-off sentiment.

Off centre squares!

2011-04-25T00:42:00.001+01:00

I didn't manage to get a card made for the inaugural Crafty Individuals Challenge before I came up to Dumfriesshire, but I was determined to enter it, so I had to come up with something with the limited amount of stash I brought with me. The theme is "Simply Squares". Being very close to the deadline, and not having much time to spare, simple was good! Fortunately, it also meant that my card could fit this week's Less is More Challenge theme, which is "Off centre". It isn't often that I combine challenges, but I didn't want to miss either of them, so this time it was a case of needs must.

All stamps, and the printed picture, are by Crafty Individuals.

Easter hols

2011-04-25T00:29:00.000+01:00

First of all, I hope you all had a lovely Easter, and thank you very much to everyone who's commented on my blog over the past week or so. I'm sorry I haven't had much chance to reciprocate but I'm up at my daughter's in Dumfriesshire for the Easter holidays and my grandsons have been keeping me busy. The weather has been gorgeous, and we had a great day at the beach on Friday. I actually got my feet wet in the sea, so you can tell how warm it was.

My daughter lives close to the River Annan, and I love to go for a walk alongside it and watch the wildlife, especially on a beautiful spring evening such as yesterday's was.

On my walk I met a local man out with his dogs, and he told me that there are otters in the river and that last week he saw three there early in the morning. I'm not very good at early rising, but since I was awake at 6.15 this morning, I thought I'd get up and go and see if I could spot them. Needless to say, I didn't, but I did enjoy being up at that time in the morning, with no-one else around except the birds and a few cows and sheep. The sun was up when I left the house, but there was low mist lying in some of the fields and over the river, eerily beautiful.

It was also very cold at that time in the morning! I think I'd have to be up even earlier to see the otters, so I don't think a repeat performance tomorrow morning will be on the cards!

Clearly a challenge!

2011-04-16T16:31:00.000+01:00

The theme for Week 11 at Less is More is "Acetate". Now this is one I like! A favourite technique of mine is to colour acetate with alcohol inks, to use either as a background or as an overlay. Here I've made an overlay for the Hero Arts Poppies.

I stamped the poppies on to white pearlescent card, which gives a lovely sheen to the picture through the acetate, although unfortunately it doesn't show up on the photo. The pearlescent card, being shiny, doesn't take ink very well, it tends to puddle a bit, so after it had dried I went over the solid black areas with a Promarker to make it nice and dense. I ran the card through my Xyron machine to put the adhesive on the right (picture) side, so that I could then stick the coloured acetate over the top, letting it overhang the picture a little so that when mounted on to the base card with foam pads you get a 3D effect.

To get the requisite white space, I mounted the picture on to an 8" x 8" card, and finished it off with a Darkroom Door sentiment.

Great challenge this week! I'm looking forward to seeing all the other entries.

Another great Blog Girl Day at Sir Stampalot

2011-04-11T23:12:00.000+01:00

This was our third get-together, and it was lovely to see some familiar faces again and some new ones too, especially Lisa Jane, who I'd been looking forward to meeting for ages. As usual, Brenda and Chris had designed some beautiful projects for us to make, and not only that but they had each made us little gifts. A wallet filled with flowers from Brenda, and a butterfly bookmark from Chris. Thanks, both of you, they are gorgeous! Here they are.

Our first make of the day was a twisted easel card, by Chris. I'd never made a twisted easel before, so I was really pleased to learn how to do it. Next was a card by Brenda, featuring a Penny Black stamp (which was the first thing into my shopping basket!) and a flower (made with Tim Holtz Tattered Floral dies) dipped in UTEE using a Meltpot. A fabulous effect, but I don't think I'll be buying a Meltpot. Sally & I reckoned that we could do it by melting some UTEE in a tinfoil dish with a heatgun. Haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know if it works when I get round to it!

Once again, Brenda and Chris co-ordinated a delicious lunch, to which we all contributed, but the highlight of it had to be Chris's amazing raspberry cheesecake, which didn't last very long!

Hunger pangs banished, we went back to work on two more pretty cards (which I've yet to finish off), and finally a delightful little divided box designed by Chris for holding stamped images waiting to be used, or paper snippets, or recipes, or photos, etc etc. Chris had put Molly Bloom on the front of hers, but not being a fan of cute characters I decided to be different and have a butterfly on mine instead. We made the flowers with the Cuttlebug quilling dies, which are good but very expensive! (They didn't make it into my shopping basket!) A Marianne swirl die completed the decoration.

The day flew by, but we managed to save a bit of time for some retail therapy at the end! Huge thanks to Brenda and Chris (and Janice and Andy) for another fantastic Blog Girl Day. Can't wait for the next one!

Focusing on the sentiment

2011-04-10T23:36:00.000+01:00

Week 10 already of the Less is More Challenge, and this time they would like to see one layer cards with the focus on the sentiment. Having just taken delivery of the brand new Teeny Weeny Meadow stamp set from Chocolate Baroque, I couldn't wait to start inking it up and soon found a suitable sentiment to go with a tree from the set.

The sentiment is from the Tall Trees set by Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque). One of the tall trees in the set has a mini counterpart in the Teeny Weeny Meadow set, and I thought I'd make another version of the card using that one. I can't decide which one I like best! Good challenge this week. I might be tempted to have another go at the theme.

It's been a great weekend. Yesterday Sally, her daughter Megan and I went to Sir Stampalot for another fantastic Blog Girl get-together. It was a brilliant day. I'll be back later to tell you all about it!

Seeing red!

2011-04-02T23:55:00.002+01:00

My heart sank a little when I saw the theme for this week's Less is More Challenge. The word RED leapt out at me! Now, I use red in my cards even less than pink. I much prefer cool colours - blues, purples and greens. I might stretch to yellows if I'm feeling a bit chilly. Hey ho, I thought, guess it's all part of the challenge. Then the red mist cleared a bit, and I saw "Touch of". Phew! The theme is a Touch of Red, which I decided meant that I could get away with as little red as possible. So I did!

If you look closely (might have to click to see a bigger pic), you can just see a dot of red in the flower centres! I hope that's enough to qualify! The stamp is one of the first I ever bought. It was made by Stampendous, in 1992! That's nearly 20 years ago. Have I really been stamping that long? I used it a lot when I first bought it, but it's been languishing in a drawer for years, and so I decided to bring it out of retirement. The sentiment is by Paula Pascual.

When I'd finished the card, I decided I really liked it, in spite of the red. Or, just maybe, because of it. Hmmm...

A birthday and a secret!

2011-04-01T08:15:00.004+01:00

It's the first of the month again, and time for me to let you in on the secret I've been sitting on for the past few weeks! I'm now a member of the Sir Stampalot Challenge Design Team! Sadly, Lorraine has had to step down, and while she'll be a very hard act to follow, I'm thrilled to bits and very honoured to have been asked to join the team.

April the 1st marks a special day for the Stampalot Challenge because it's our 1st Birthday! It has been a brilliant year, and with fantastic support from everyone in blogland, it's become one of the best challenges around.

Now, not only is it our Birthday, it's also April Fools Day !! So this means as well as a brand new challenge we've got something extra special lined up with a twist or two. But let me tell you about the April challenge first. The theme has been chosen by our very own Lady (Janice) Stampalot who has decreed it will be:

"LADIES AND FASHION"

For one lucky winner, this is the fantastic prize on offer from Sir Stampalot:

So now for the real fun bit.........this month the Design Team will be displaying their Challenge work on their own blogs only. And on the Challenge Blog we have a collection of pictures and pieces of artwork.............a picture of each DT member along with a piece of their work with they have selected which they think best depicts their style of crafting.

Have you guessed what you need to do? That's right, you have to decide which of our Design Team fits which pairing of picture and artwork! Hop over to the Stampalot Challenge Blog for all the details of what to do. When you think you have the answers, email Brenda brenda@ibas.co.uk with your list. There will be a couple of prizes on offer selected from those with all or the most correct pairings that reach her before 25th April. Any received after that date will not be included.

Anyway, here's my card for the “Ladies and Fashion” theme.

Stamps by Hero Arts (the sentiment is part of a larger stamp), coloured with Promarkers, background paper by Basic Grey (sadly discontinued), lace and recycled button from my stash.

I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone's entries, and hope you all enjoy our first birthday challenge!

Celtic Inspiration

2011-03-27T19:31:00.000+01:00

I'm a big fan of Celtic Art, and I've had a Celtic design laser-cut border (by Rayher) languishing in my stash for a long time, waiting for a suitable opportunity to use it. When I saw this week's Less is More Challenge, which is a sketch, I knew I'd found one.

I stamped the bottom third of the card with some Celtic text (Judikins), layered the border on to a black background, stamped the Celtic knot circle (source unknown), cut it out and added a scalloped border (with my Nesties) and a sentiment (Inkadinkado).

I wasn't sure at first whether to stick with black and white, or whether to add a bit of colour, because a lot of Celtic artwork is very colourful, but I decided in the end that my card would work better in monochrome.

It was a great sketch to work with, and one I'll probably use again.

Sally and I had a trip up to Once upon A Stamp on Saturday. I bought some new Nesties, Labels 5, in preparation for the eagerly awaited arrival of some new stamps I've just ordered from The Stampman. They're made specially to fit the Nesties, and they've got butterflies on! What more could I possibly want? (Well, butterfly stamps to fit ALL my Nesties would be good - I've dropped a hint to Jill!) When I first saw the new stamps on Jill's blog I thought I must be in stamp heaven! I'm clearing a space on my desk so that I can get to work with them as soon as they arrive.....

A bit more ...... but not much!

2011-03-25T23:34:00.002Z

Well, I sat down to make a Less is NOT More card (see previous post!), but when it came to it, I didn't put very much more on it! I think I must have become too used to the minimal style! Need more practice!

I made this card for my niece's birthday. She's not an overly fussy person, so it's probably best I didn't go overboard with it. I was lucky enough to be given a box full of bits and pieces recently. The after-school club at the school where I work had had several boxes full of cardmaking stash donated to them, but some of it wasn't really suitable for them to use. The teacher who runs the club asked me if I would like some! I didn't hesitate for long!

It was mostly paper and card, and embellishments such as the dress on this card. Not something I would have bought for myself, but seeing as I'd got it, I thought I would try and use it. It had a bit of rather naff string tied in a bow around the waist, so I took that off and added the pearls instead. I've just bought a couple of Darkroom Door background stamps, Floral, and Flourish. They're huge (cover the whole of an A6 card), and I've used the Floral one here, stamped in a pale pink Versamagic ink on a cream card. Unfortunately it doesn't show up very well in the photo. You can see it a little better in the close up.

My camera doesn't seem to pick up creams and pale yellows very well. They come out a mucky looking grey! The spotty paper is by Papermania, with a Martha Stewart border punch and Nestabilities ovals. The sentiment is a very old one by Stamps Unlimited, who I don't think are around now.

It will be back to Less is More tomorrow, but after that.... I've just got some of the gorgeous new printed tags from Crafty Individuals, and they're definitely not clean and simple....

Not my forte!

2011-03-22T00:03:00.002Z

Well, it had to happen, I suppose! The lovely ladies at Less is More have chosen the theme of "Masculine" for Week 7. Definitely not my favourite topic! Still, it's all part of the challenge, so here goes.

I really struggle with cards for men, probably because most of the men I know don't seem to go for typical male pursuits. So it's no good making them cards with footballs on, or beer glasses, or darts. Or even cars (unless camper vans count!) Anyway, I kept this one very simple - just a torn portion of an ancient text (Make Your Mark) and a column piece (Non Sequitur), with a sentiment by Anna Griffin. I'm not sure that any gentleman of my acquaintance will be likely to receive it! But there it is.

I really am enjoying these Less is More challenges. They certainly make me think. But after several weeks now of minimalism, I'm starting to get a bit of snow-blindness with all the white space! I'm getting the urge to go a bit wild with papers and embellishments, dies and decorations, ribbons and roses, borders and bling, and to fling as much on to a card as I possibly can! So watch this space! (Just until next week's LIM challenge, of course!)

Therapy!

2011-03-18T00:38:00.000Z

Earlier this evening I spent a very restful half hour painting butterflies! I used to love "colouring in" when I was a child, and still do. I know I'm not the only one. There is definitely something therapeutic about it.

The butterflies were flying Off the Edge of the card, that being the theme for Week 6 of the Less is More Challenge. I couldn't resist a second entry this week. The butterflies came from a little set which I bought some time ago in T**cos, (or it might have been S****burys, can't remember now. Nothing on them to say who made them). I painted them with Cosmic Shimmer paints. The two-tone effect of the paints is gorgeous, but unfortunately it doesn't show up on the photo. The sentiment is by Hero Arts. I could happily have covered the entire card with the butterflies, and spent all evening painting them, but since the challenge requires plenty of white space, I thought I'd better restrain myself!

Footprints

2011-03-13T16:20:00.000Z

I'd like to begin this post with a big thankyou to everyone who has commented on my blog. I was thrilled to get 48 comments on my entry to Week 5 of the Less is More challenge, a record for one post for me, and I can assure you that every single one is much appreciated and makes it all worthwhile.

It's now Week 6 of Less is More, and they want to see a one layer card with the intriguing theme of "Off the Edge". My first thought was of footprints marching on to and off the page. Trouble was, I didn't have a footprints stamps, but I figured it would be a fairly easy shape to carve by hand, so I made one from an eraser. I did, however, have the perfect sentiment to go with it, from an Aspects of Design set by The Stampman. I've had the set for a while, but haven't had occasion to use the sentiment before, and it's one I really like. I stamped that first, then made the footprints walk across the page in different colours of Versamagic inks.

I think this is a great theme, and some of the examples already posted at LIM are fantastic. I feel a second entry coming on, if I get time this week!

Story of an Ink Pad

2011-03-05T15:18:00.000Z

Many years ago, I bought the most gorgeous ink pad, I remember not where from. I think it was probably at a show somewhere. It's called "Splendor", a rainbow pad with twelve narrow strips of pigment ink in lovely pastel shades.

As soon as I saw that the challenge for Week 5 of Less is More is to use pastel colours, I knew just which ones I was going to choose. All of them!

This must be one of the quickest cards I have ever made! I used the ink pad as a stamp and simply pressed it gently down on to the card. I stamped the butterfly (Penny Black) and the sentiment (Clarity Stamp, I think, it was a freebie at a show) and that was it.

The Splendor ink pad was made by Tsukineko. It has been well used over the years, and a few years ago I emailed Tsukineko to ask them what colours I would need to re-ink it, as it doesn't say on the pad what the colours are. Sadly, I never received a reply. I've never seen any similar pads, and I guess they are long discontinued, but I was hoping that their current range of Versacolor inks would have equivalent colours. I could probably guess them, but the shading from one colour to the next is so delicate that I would hate to spoil it by getting the wrong colour.

I've just emailed Tsukineko again, although their website seems to be unavailable at the moment. I haven't heard of any problems with the company, so I will just have to keep my fingers crossed.....

Two more Awards

2011-02-28T23:04:00.000Z

Well actually it's the same award, but given to me by two people. Thank you very much to Lynne and Sue for this honour. The conditions of this award are:

Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!
Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself.
Step 3 – Award 15 recently discovered bloggers with this award.
Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award.

Well, here goes with the seven random things.
1. I've been card making for nearly 20 years.
2. My first stamp was a little Hero Arts Santa Claus, and I still have it (and still use it!).
3. My favourite flowers are pansies.
4. When I was about 12 I played the piano on Yorkshire TV - in sound only! (It was a filler between schools programmes.)
5. I used to collect paperweights. (Had to stop when I ran out of space!)
6. I'm a Yorkshire exile (born in Leeds).
7. I once drove a Formula Ford single seater racing car.

I'm afraid I don't have time right now to find 15 recently discovered bloggers to pass on the award to (I think it is a bit unrealistic to expect people to do so with that many) but as and when I come across deserving blogs which are new to me I will pass it on then. Or if I have commented on your blog for the first time recently, please help yourself to the award.

Less is More Week 4

2011-02-27T22:41:00.000Z

The Less is More Challenge is going from strength to strength and I'm loving it! Week four asks for three squares. Sounds simple, but it isn't! Not for me, anyway! The problem is knowing where to stop. You wouldn't believe the trouble I had with this one, or how many attempts went in the bin. First of all I stamped three frames, and then three different flower squares inside, but the frames didn't look right. Too heavy. I tried a different frame. Same problem. So on the next try I hand-drew some wiggly frames. Getting better. I stamped a sentiment, but the script was too heavy for the frames. So I found another sentiment (Crafty Individuals) which was more in keeping. At last, I thought! But somehow I still wasn't happy with it. I left it in disgust and went off for my tea. When I came back and looked at it again, I knew what was wrong. I put it in the bin and started again. This time I used the same flower (Inkadinkado) in each frame, and I don't know why that should have made so much difference, but this time it worked! Or, at least, I was happy with it! Couldn't be much more CAS really!

Essence of Spring

2011-02-24T21:16:00.000Z

For week three of the Less is More Challenge, the theme is Spring. It was a doubly hard challenge for me this week, as I'm away staying with my daughter and family for the week, and the only supplies I have to work with are those in my "crafty box" (as my grandson calls it), which I keep packed with a microcosm of my stash for travelling.

It is, admittedly, quite a large box, but in comparison with my total stash, the amount it holds is extremely small! So it really was a challenge to find something in it to fit the theme.

Anyway, here's my card for the Less is More Challenge. And since it's all made from punched scraps, it will also fit Jules's Crafty Snippet challenge. (Sentiment by Inkylicious.)

I'm having a great time up in Dumfriesshire with my grandsons. They're keeping me busy, so I haven't been able to get round many blogs this week. Will try and catch up when I get home. The weather has been very grey and wet all week, apart from about an hour when the sun broke through the clouds this afternoon, but it hasn't bothered these two cool guys!

Less is More Challenge Week 2

2011-02-13T15:36:00.000Z

Getting back into challenges is helping the lack of mojo I've been cursed with over the past few months, I think. I'm loving Less is More. For week 2 they would like to see one-layer cards with a flower or tree. Apart from the fact that I do like the clean and simple look, I also like the fact that it doesn't take long to make! My entry for this month's Sir Stampalot challenge (see previous post) took me all day yesterday to produce. This one (randomly sponged background, Hero Arts tulip and Darkroom Door sentiment) took less than five minutes!

All Creatures Great and Small

2011-02-13T12:31:00.000Z

That's the title of the Sir Stampalot February'11 Challenge. Of course, for me that had to mean butterflies. I have very few other animal stamps. Here I've used the huge Elusive Images butterfly, on an 8" x 8" card. The background is sprayed with Glimmer Mists (after masking a circle for the sun) and then stamped with Hero Arts grasses and some tiny butterflies from Crafty Individuals. The text stamp is by Katzelcraft.

To colour the big butterfly, I laid the uninked, unmounted stamp on the paper and drew a faint pencil line around its outline, and filled it in by sponging with various pigment inks. Then I stamped the butterfly on top with Versafine Onyx Black ink. Had I stamped first and then coloured, the black would have been subdued. I could have stamped first and embossed with clear powder to protect the black before colouring, but I think it would have been more difficult then to get a smooth blending of colours. I was pleased with the result, anyway. Hope you like it too!

An Award!

2011-02-06T19:26:00.000Z

Well, not only two posts in two days, but now two posts in an hour! I may have to go and sit down to recover!

The reason for this one is that I have been given an award by the lovely Sally. It's very special, not only because she thinks I deserve it (and I'm thrilled to think that my blog might have attitude!) but also because the recipients get to qualify for a free digi stamp from Digi's With Attitude!

In order to qualify for your $5.00 Digi's With Attitude! Gift Certificate you must state 3 things that make you different from everybody else and nominate 5 other blogs. Lastly you need to display the Blog Award Badge (above) in your sidebar and link it back to the Digi's With Attitude! Challenge Blog.

So, now I have to tell you three things about myself.

1. I can write backwards, a la Leonardo da Vinci.

2. I can't bear the taste of celery, and can't eat anything with it in.

3. I once met Jimmy Saville running up Otley Chevin. (He was doing the running, not me!)

Now to nominate 5 other blogs.

1. Lisa (Mess 2 Magic)

2. Lesley (Craftimamma)

3. Debbie (Made With Love)

4. Craft Stamping Quartet

5. Sir Stampalot Challenge

All of which are inspirational and definitely have attitude!

Sunday again!

2011-02-06T18:12:00.001Z

How did it get to be Sunday again so quickly? I'm sure time goes faster the older one gets. Even so, I managed to make a scrappy card for Jules's Sunday Scrap challenge.

I've mostly used up scraps of plain paper and card, except for the embossed bit at the bottom, which is by Papermania. It has a very pale pink and white pattern on it (hard to see in the photo). Stamps are all by Waltzing Mouse, except for the writing in the background which is by Hero Arts. I used VersaMagic and Versacolor inks to stamp the background, and the same inks to colour the roses.

And that's two posts in two days! Must have too much time on my hands! (Or maybe I should go and tackle the ironing instead!)

Less Is More Challenge Week 1

2011-02-05T18:48:00.002Z

The new Less is More Challenge has begun this week, and the theme for week 1 is Pink, Black and White. I love the clean and simple look, but it is not easy to do! And pink doesn't figure on my list of favourite colours, so I certainly did find this challenging. Not that that's a bad thing! Anyway, having just received my second order of Waltzing Mouse Stamps, I couldn't wait to use them, so here's what I made.

That gorgeous border is a good seven and a half inches long. Unfortunately I don't have an acrylic mount that long, or so I thought until I realised that my Cuttlebug C plate would do the job. The border tessellates beautifully. I stamped it in black, and again in white above the black, although the white doesn't show up very well on the photo. Bearing in mind the clean and simple brief, I thought it wouldn't need anything else besides a Nestability lacey circle and the Waltzing Mouse sentiment, but it didn't look right. I tried adding a ribbon, putting something behind the circle, and other bits and pieces, but nothing worked. I was ready to throw it in the bin. As a last resort, I punched out a little butterfly and stuck it on. Believe it or not, that tiny thing made all the difference. I'm still not sure I like the finished card, but that's probably because of the colour.

I definitely enjoyed the challenge, though, and am looking forward to the next one.

Jules's Sunday Scrap challenge

2011-01-30T23:52:00.001Z

Just made it in time to join in with Jules's Sunday Scrap challenge. Jules has set herself the task of making something each Sunday using only pieces from her scrap box, and invites anyone to join in. So here's mine.

I've punched the flowers from scraps of coloured vellum, and given them glitter glue centres. Unfortunately the colours don't show up very well in the photo. The leaf is left over from yesterday's card. The background papers have been in my scrap box for so long I can't remember where they came from, but I think the patterned paper is by Hot Off The Press. The girl stamp is by Innovative Stamp Creations, and the border is one of my new Nestie-compatibles from Waltzing Mouse. The sentiment is by Katzelcraft.

I found this quite a difficult challenge, but I've got so many bits to use up, I'd better have another go next Sunday!

Got new stamps

2011-01-29T22:51:00.000Z

Ever since I bought my first set of Nestabilities, I have thought that there should be stamps to go with them. Since then I've found that there are some companies making some. A while ago I bought a few Just-Rite stamps, but I'm not impressed, either with the designs or with the fiddly mounting system. But last week I discovered Waltzing Mouse! Wow! What a revelation. Just what I have been looking for! The company, based in N. Ireland is owned by the wonderful Claire Brennan, who designs all the stamps. To get some idea of her genius, check out not only her Nestie-compatible (and other) stamps, but also the "Secret Stamp Set", the idea behind which is quite simply brilliant! You need a password (provided) to see it! The website also has a fabulous gallery of inspiring samples.

The problem was which to order first! I settled on sets to go with my Labels 2 and Labels 10 Nesties, but then couldn't resist the "Rescue Remedies" set, so I will now have to buy the Nesties to go with the stamps!

I used Ella Blue papers (by GCD Studios) as a background for the stamps, which I had to cut around, not having the dies. (Yet!) The sentiment, I think, is an old Craft Stamper freebie.

The next card has the Waltzing Mouse border stamps on the Nestie die-cuts, Basic Grey Cappella papers, and an Impression Obsession sentiment. There is a bit of glitter glue in the flower centres and butterfly body, but it doesn't show up in the photo.

I have two more of the stamp sets already on order. I don't think they'll be the last!

Any left-handers out there?

2011-01-13T00:50:00.000Z

I made a card! My first of 2011! I wouldn't say I'm back in the groove quite yet, but at least it's a start. Although there's no lack of inclination - I want to do it - I'm still struggling to find motivation. I don't think they are one and the same.

Anyway, here's what I made. I really like the clean and simple cards which Joanne Wardle showed in her article in the October 2010 Craft Stamper, and which were so beautifully demonstrated by the Craft Stamping Quartet in their challenge showcasing Joanne's work. The link goes to Lesley Ebdon's post, but see also the three subsequent posts.

I also love the masked landscape technique which I first saw done by Barbara Gray a few years ago, and which I first tried back here. Recently there have been several people doing something similar, linking back to Heather Telford, who has some wonderful examples on her blog, including a tutorial. Do go and have a look at it.

I didn't want just to copy what other people had been doing, so I sort of combined the two techniques and came up with this:

I *think* it works - what do you think? To make the shape of the landscape I cut a mask out of acetate (so that I would be able to see where I was placing things) large enough to cover the card, and then sponged the design with VersaMagic inks and torn paper masks. The tree stamps are by Clarity Stamp, the small and medium versions. The landscape was made entirely with the small tree, using just the edge to stamp the little bushes. The larger tree and the sentiment (Personal Impressions) were then stamped with VersaFine ink.

I was quite pleased with the outcome, considering how long it is since I made anything, except for one thing. You can tell it's been a while. The finished card turned out like this!!

I'd totally forgotten to check which way the card opened before I started stamping on it! The perils of stamping straight on to the card! I was so annoyed! I thought the best way to redeem it would be to cut off the picture side and mount it on to another card, but that wouldn't be the perfect solution. Then it occured to me that it might just be appreciated as it is by someone who is left handed! I'll have to test the theory on a left handed friend......

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T20:22:00.000Z

I'm up in Dumfriesshire for Christmas, with two little boys who are going to be very, very excited come tomorrow morning! Doubt we'll get much of a lie-in! Here are a few pictures I took when we went out for a walk today in the snow. Beautiful day, but some warmer weather would be most welcome now!

A very Happy Christmas to all my blog friends and followers, and I hope that 2011 is good to you all.

Very busy!

2010-12-16T12:22:00.001Z

Up to my ears in school concerts and things right now, but just had to pop on to point out that Lin Brown, of LB Crafts, is giving away a fabulous set of Tim Holtz goodies on her blog!

Click the link on my side bar to see how to be in with a chance of winning them!

With you in spirit...

2010-12-07T21:50:00.000Z

....if not on the blog! I'm sitting here wearing two fleece jumpers, with a fleece throw wrapped around my lower half, and feeling as though I've got ice cubes at the end of my feet instead of toes! The heat from the radiator never seems to penetrate under my desk. On top of all that I've got a streaming cold! Some of our windows are not double glazed, and this morning we woke up to find ice on the inside of them. I remember that happening a lot when I was a child, but not since then. The temperature outside here last night dropped to about minus 9, and it didn't get much above that during today. I know that some parts of the country were a lot colder still, but minus 9 is quite low enough for me, thank you very much! They say that come the weekend we may get up to plus 5! It will seem positively tropical!

The reason for my absence yet again on the blogs is that sadly, my father-in-law died very suddenly a fortnight ago. It was a great shock to us all. We had seen him a couple of days previously and he seemed fine, but he had a massive heart attack and although the paramedics arrived within a few minutes, it was already too late. We can only be thankful that he went so quickly and didn't suffer. I guess if we had a choice, that's the way we'd all wish to go.

The funeral was yesterday, and most people managed to get there in spite of the weather. My daughter and family came down for it from Scotland on Friday evening without major problems, and it was lovely to have them here over the weekend.

The boys helped to take our minds off things a bit. They and Grandad made a snowman in the garden. He was a very upright sort of character at first, until a slight thaw made him somewhat tipsy! Fortunately he froze again before he reached the point of no return, and is still regarding us with a rather quizzical expression, as if he's trying to work out his next move.

This time last year I said that I couldn't wait for the new year, as it couldn't be as bad as the one we'd just had. I was right. This year has been even worse. So this time I'm saying nothing! It's a good job I got the majority of my Christmas cards made when I did, because just at the moment I can't summon up much enthusiasm for crafting. I've been lurking a bit on the blogs, to try and keep up, but I hope you'll forgive me if I haven't had time to leave a comment. Being so busy at work just now doesn't help either. Roll on the Christmas hols, when with a bit of luck I will get a chance to recharge my batteries and get back to something approaching normal!

Keep warm, everyone, and I hope to see you soon!

Origami Christmas Tree

2010-11-23T00:43:00.000Z

Yesterday Jules posted a brilliant tutorial on how to make an origami Christmas tree, which had been taught to her by a lady called Jo Unwin (for whom unfortunately I don't have a link.) I couldn't wait to try it, and here's the card I made with it.

I used one of the big (8" x8") square cards from Craftwork Cards for the base and stamped it with an Elusive Images stamp from the Grungy Brocade set. The patterned papers, including the one I made the tree with, and the sentiment, are all from the Artylicious Season's Greetings CDrom from Graphicus. The three little snowflakes were punched with a freebie punch which came with the December 2010 issue of Papercraft Inspirations magazine. Now, one might suppose that magazine freebies are not usually of the best quality, until one realises that this punch is made by Tonic Studios, and it actually works really well, as you can see by the detail.

I was very pleased with how the tree turned out, thanks to Jules's clear instructions, so if you fancy having a go too, hop over to Jules's blog and try it out.

Serendipity!

2010-11-14T18:51:00.001Z

"Drat!" I thought, when I dropped my Memento Rich Cocoa dew drop ink pad, ink side down of course, on to the pristine sheet of white paper I was just about to stamp on.

Then, "Hmm," I thought, "that looks like a petal." So I dropped it a few more times.

Then I cut out the shapes and made a flower!

Papers: Basic Grey (Capella), punches: Martha Stewart, sentiment: Personal Impressions.

Had a funny old week, busy at work, and then decided to catch up with various little jobs which I've been meaning to do for ages but somehow never got round to, mostly sewing and mending. Yesterday was such a glorious day weather wise that we decided to go out for a walk, just a few miles around our local area, but it was good to get out and get some fresh air and exercise. My pre-new year resolution is to get more exercise! I spend far too long on the computer. I'm sure that the act of switching one on enters you into a time warp, so that you think you've been there for half an hour, but in reality it's more like three hours! I'm sure many of you will know what I mean! Anyway, we both enjoyed the walk & I took some photos along the way, including this beautiful holly tree, such a lovely shape and laden with berries, in the local cemetery.

If only the weather was like that every weekend! Hope you all had a good one too.

Deja Vu!

2010-11-01T01:14:00.001Z

This is a photo I took seven years ago, in Cumbria, just up the road from where my daughter used to live. It was early in the morning, the sun was just rising, and a flock of sparrows alighted in the brambles for a breakfast conference. They sat there obligingly while I took the picture and then flew away again.

Earlier this year, Paper Artsy released their Hot Picks 1005 stamp set. Click on the link and you'll see why I had to buy it! Got it on Saturday at Sir Stampalot. Here's what I made with it today.

I coloured a background with Distress inks, then stamped the birds in black Brilliance and clear embossed. The flourish at the top is also from the Paper Artsy set. The chipboard twigs and leaves are from Crafty Individuals. Again, coloured with Distress inks, as are the additional punched leaves.. To make the tag, I stamped just the outer border from a Hero Arts ticket stamp on to the back of a Making Memories ticket, then stamped the Paper Artsy "Secret Garden" inside the border. Just a bit too late for all the recent "Autumn" themed challenges!

Another fab Blog Girl Day!

2010-10-30T22:39:00.002+01:00

Today saw our second "Blog Girl Day" at Sir Stampalot. We had a great time, great company , had a good natter, a yummy lunch, and even made some cards! Just wanted to say a huge thank you to Brenda and Chris for organising the day and designing some gorgeous projects for us to make. Also to Janice and Andy for hosting us, and keeping the shop open for the necessary retail therapy afterwards!

Here's what we made (my versions of Brenda's and Chris's designs). The first two cards were designed by Chris. I admired her pink and bling bauble card when I first saw it on her blog, so I was delighted that she showed us how to make it today. And I love the little step card with the tipsy Christmas trees!

Brenda's creations were equally gorgeous, and both shiny, so unfortunately they haven't photographed very well. The first one uses layers of stamping over a Distress Ink and Glimmer Mist background. The second was made on acetate, with leaves stamped on top using black Staz-on ink, and the reverse coloured with alcohol inks. It was then backed with text torn from a book and crumpled tin foil. The effect of the foil is amazing, and the photo really does not do it justice.

The book chosen for the text caused some hilarity, being a rather seedy crime novel! We had to be very selective about which pages we used! But the end result was very effective. I was proud of the fact that I managed to complete all four cards, unlike the previous time when I didn't actually get any finished on the day.

Anyway, thanks again, everyone, for a really lovely day. Looking forward to the next one!

Feasting on Phonemes!

2010-10-28T01:24:00.005+01:00

Or, to put it another way, eating my words! I said I wouldn't be making any Christmas cards before December. I hate the fact that Christmas is so commercialised these days, with stuff in the shops before we've even got the summer holidays over with. And starting the preparations too soon seems to be wishing time away. It goes fast enough as it is.

However, the ladies who come to my card class wanted to do some Christmas cards sooner rather than later, so I thought that since I had to make samples for them, I might as well carry on and get more done for myself while I was at it. They asked for quick and easy, which was fine by me. I don't have much time to spend on making cards at this time of year. It's my busiest time at school, with all the Christmas concerts to prepare for. When we're back next week, after half term, we'll be starting rehearsals, with the first concert only five weeks away! Maybe next year I should start making the cards in January!

Anyway, here are some I've done so far. Plain and simple, and certainly quick and easy. I don't like doing "production line" cards, but needs must, and by using different papers I've managed to get a bit of variety. I bought the Holly Frame embossing folder by Crafts Too, which I embossed straight on to the card blank. It made adding texture very quick, and only needed a stamp in the centre to finish it off. It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but I also used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder on some of the cards.

Stamps by Crafty Individuals, Hero Arts, Elusive Images, PSX, Inkadinkado. Other items used: Nestabilities dies, Promarkers, Dovecraft papers, various inks.

I'm sorry I haven't been getting round everyone's blogs lately. My grandsons came to stay (with parents, though plenty of babysitting was involved!). We had a great time, even though I also had to go to work as unfortunately our half term didn't coincide with theirs this year. Then I went up to stay with them for a few days. The weather was mixed, but one day was absolutely gorgeous, so we went for a walk by the loch close to where they live, and got some photos.

And one other I can't resist sharing, my elder grandson puddle jumping! The joys of being 5! (The carrier bag was to collect fallen leaves in, with which he and his mum made a mobile.)

Anyway, I will try to catch up with the blogs soon. Hope everyone is having a good week.

Butterfly frills

2010-10-01T23:40:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry I haven't been getting round to comment on everyone's blogs lately. I'm afraid real life has had to intervene for a while. I'm still in the process of dealing with my late father's estate, which has taken a very long time, but hopefully the end is now in sight and I will then be able to relax and put my mind back to crafting.

I noticed the other day that S****burys were advertising a new product - decorative cupcake frills. And the decoration was butterflies! Naturally I lost no time in getting to my local store to procure a pack. They are really pretty and delicate: pure white butterflies interspersed with little flowers.

Now, it would be a crime to waste them on cupcakes, wouldn't it? So....

More Lumiere leaves

2010-09-19T23:51:00.000+01:00

As I said yesterday, I have been playing with the wild rose leaf in my image editing programme, changing the colours. Yesterday's cards were quite graphic, clean and simple, but today I felt the need for something more colourful! So for two of the cards I have used background papers from Crafty Individuals and for the third one, one of their Decorative Card Blanks. This time, unlike the ivy leaf card yesterday, I think the patterned papers work with the leaves, not against them. I guess it was just a matter of choosing the right ones. I considered adding some sort of text or sentiment, but decided in the end that none was needed. Which do I prefer, yesterday's or today's? Can't make my mind up! See what you think.

Leaves et Lumiere!

2010-09-18T21:29:00.003+01:00

One of the things I did when I was decluttering was to go through the 10+ years' worth of magazines which were taking up so much space, taking out the pages I wanted to keep (putting them in ring binders) and giving away the rest. It took quite some time! Many of the magazines were Stampington publications: Somerset Studio, Take Ten, Stampers' Sampler, etc. In the September/October 2000 issue of Somerset Studio I had marked a project that I really liked the look of, intending one day to use it for inspiration. Well, I finally got round to it!

It was a beautiful framed picture by Leslie Altman. She had painted a gingko leaf with Lumiere paints and photocopied it against black paper. She had then overstamped the copy, matted it with various papers and mounted it into an ornate frame. I liked the way she had enhanced the leaf whilst still allowing its simple beauty to shine through.

No gingko trees in our garden, but I collected a few leaves and painted them with the Lumiere paints. When they were dry I tried scanning them against the black paper, but my scanner didn't pick up the colours very well, so I photographed them instead, with much better results. I printed out the pictures on to a matt photo quality inkjet paper, and then stamped over them with a text stamp (Stampin' Up) using Brilliance Galaxy Gold ink.

The first leaf, an ivy, was painted with turquoise and purple Lumiere paints (although the turquoise has come out more green in the photo) so I used some purple patterned paper to pick up the tones in the leaf, along with some black paper stamped with a Stampington flourish in gold Brilliance ink. However, when it was finished I decided I didn't like it. The background papers seemed to be competing with the leaf for attention. (Leslie's didn't! Maybe I just used the wrong papers. I'd love to put a copy of Leslie's original here, but I don't think copyright will allow it.) Anyway, I kept the next ones clean and simple.

In these three cards the leaves are clearly the focal point, with just a little subtle stamping to complement them, and I think they are much better. The leaf stamps are all by Starving Artistamps, except for the oak leaf, which is from an old foam mounted set for which I long ago lost the labels, unfortunately. The little "Autumn" stamp is by Hero Arts, and the sentiments are Personal Impressions. Here's a closer look at each of them. Click on the photos to get the big picture and see the detail better!

Oak.

Wild rose.

Herb Robert.

So, thanks for looking. What do you think? Are the simple ones better? My favourite is the wild rose. When I had got the photo on the computer I played around with it a bit, changing the colours. I'll post the pics of those when I've made the cards!

Cards for men

2010-09-12T23:25:00.003+01:00

I struggle a bit with cards for men. I send fewer cards to men than I do to women, so I don't have many male-oriented stamps. Can't justify buying a stamp that I might only use a few times, and I don't feel, really, that I can use the same one each year, even though the recipient probably wouldn't remember it from one year to the next! Though I suppose they might if they got it EVERY year!

However, I couldn't resist some lovely stamps from Innovative Stamp Creations which I think are equally suitable for men or women. Both images are striking enough not to need much in the way of background or embellishments, so I kept those to a minimum.

The boat scene (the stamp is entitled "On The Shore") is coloured with watercolour pencils, and attached to the card with foam pads. The mesh, shells and starfish are all very old stash. I knew I'd find a use for them one day! The text is computer generated, printed on to acetate and sponged with alcohol inks.

The next one, called "Picturesque", reminds me of various beaches I have visited, and I think it's going to become one of my favourite images. I coloured it with Promarkers and mounted it over a background which was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and inked with Versamagic inks.. Again, computer generated text and another very old starfish embellishment, with a recycled bit of string separated into its component strands to tie it all together. I'm feeling really good about getting some old stash used!

As well as the two stamps I've used in these cards, I also bought a new ISC set called "Mini Ledger", which I think is going to be very versatile, though I haven't made anything with it yet....

Innovative Stamp Creations is owned and run by the very talented Betsy Griffin, who calls her design team the Creative Architects Group. They all have many samples, using ISC stamps, on their blogs, links to which can be found here, as does Betsy on her blog. All worth a look. (FTR, I have no connection with ISC, other than that I like the stamps!)

WOW!!!

2010-09-06T00:47:00.003+01:00

What a day! On Friday we decided to have a last day out before I go back to school this week, and as we were heading up the motorway on the way to Robin Hood's Bay I got a text from Sally. It said "You've won the Cuttlebug from the Once Upon A Stamp Design Team Blog!" Well, I had to read it about six times before it sank in. Then I thought, no, it can't be me. Must be a different Lynne K. So I rang Sally, and she said "It's true! No other Lynne K entered the competition. I checked." Woo hoo!!! Now this sort of thing never happens to me, at least it never has until now. I've won the odd raffle prize occasionally, and even 2 sets of Elusive Images stamps, which was fantastic, but never anything like this. To say I was excited would be like saying the Titanic had a little prang with an iceberg - ie. understatement of the year! How I managed to contain myself for the rest of the day, I'll never know.

We had a lovely time at RHB. The weather was beautiful. We had fish'n'chips, a stroll along the beach, looked in the rock pools, found a few fossils, and enjoyed the fresh sea air.

Then we called on my sister-in-law who lives near Whitby. Home via the North York Moors with all the heather out. It was quite late when we got back, but I had to get the laptop out & see for myself - yes, it was true! I had won the Cuttlebug, along with the new "No More Shims" mat! First thing on Saturday morning I phoned Once Upon A Stamp, as requested, and arranged that, since I'm only half an hour from the shop, I could go up and collect it. Sally came with me.

I'd heard about the No More Shims Embossing Mat, but didn't know all that it can do. It was invented by Gordon himself, and he kindly gave us a demo of its capabilities. I am highly impressed with it. Not only can you emboss through the CB without having to faff about with fiddly extra bits of card (and you get a better result), you can also emboss found objects as long as they are no thicker than a 10p piece. Magic! I tried some real leaves and they came out beautifully. So I made a gift bag to put them on.

The bag is made from an envelope, and it's very quick and easy to do. See the video by Lisa Spangler on the Hero Arts website. The definition on the leaves is amazing. All the veins stand out, even the tiny ones. (Click to get the big picture and see them!) Having embossed them onto plain photocopying paper, as Gordon suggested, I cut them out and then sponged over them with various colours of pigment inks. I thought that doing so might squash them, being on thin paper, but the detail held very well. Then I matted them on to coloured card. The bag is stamped with Hero Arts stamps.

Next I tried embossing some mulberry paper which has a raised embossed pattern on it. Again, it worked really well. I decided to use the one with the flowery pattern and made a card with it, having coloured it with pigment inks to make the detail stand out.

I kept the card simple so as not to hide the background, and just added a Crafty Individuals picture, a flourish (a Marianne Design die) and a Nestabilities label. (Sentiment - Papermania, tiny flower - Rubber Stamp Tapestry).

I've been a big fan of the Cuttlebug for a long time and wouldn't be without it, but have always wondered why they couldn't come up with something better than fiddly bits of card for embossing. Well, Gordon certainly has - and it's brilliant!

I want to say a HUGE thank you to Gordon, Robert and all the team at Once Upon A Stamp for such a wonderfully generous prize. Oh, and it all came in a fab tote bag, also part of the prize. While I was at the shop I bought a Scor-Pal ......... but that's another story!

Parks and Gardens

2010-09-01T18:32:00.000+01:00

This week's challenge at Allsorts is called "Park Inspiration", and they want our entries to be inspired by gardens or parks. There's a £10 voucher to be won to spend at One Stop Card Crafts! Well, of course, parks and gardens say "nature" to me, and since that's my favourite theme it was no hardship to come up with a card to fit.

Having recently treated myself to the Katzelcraft "Nature & Travel Quotes" set by Isabelle Norris, this was the perfect opportunity to use some of them. The background was stamped with Versamark and clear embossed, to act as a resist, and I coloured over the stamping with various pigment inks. Then the embossing was removed by covering it with kitchen paper and ironing over it with a hot iron.

The sentiment is an Aspects of Design stamp from The Stampman. (Such a pity they had to spell "marvellous" the American way.) It's from a sheet called (IIRC) "Rambling", but I can't find it on their website now. I bought it at a low sale price some time ago, so I'm wondering whether it's now no longer available.

The butterfly, from the gorgeous "Patchwork Butterfly" sheet by Elusive Images, is coloured with Promarkers and has a touch of Diamond Glaze on the flowers and body, although it's hard to see that in the photo.

Lovely as a tree

2010-08-28T18:30:00.001+01:00

The challenge on this week's Tuesday Taggers is to take our inspiration from a poem. Given that I love trees, I couldn't fail to be inspired by a poem about that very subject - "Trees" by Alfred Joyce Kilmer, an American journalist, lecturer and poet. "Trees" is probably his most well known poem.

I printed the poem on to a shaped cutout from the Artylicious Essence of Nature CD rom and composed my card around it. The base of the card is covered with matching paper from the CD. I stamped an Elusive Images tree on the top part and mounted the poem along with two tree images from the Crafty Individuals Miniatures book Nature's Beauty.

For the stopper, I cut a branch and leaves from Grungeboard and coloured them with Promarkers.

Here's the finished card. I really enjoyed making this one!

Well, I'm back

2010-08-24T23:41:00.000+01:00

Had a great week up in Dumfriesshire. My daughter's house is in a rural area, overlooking fields. Just down the road there's a loch with a ruined castle. Buzzards and geese fly overhead. It's really peaceful and quiet, and the air is clean and fresh. I love it there. Not so quiet and peaceful inside the house, of course! Ewan, my elder grandson, who's 5 (going on 25!) will be starting big school this week.

We took him to buy his new school uniform, and I managed to persuade him (with some difficulty!) to model it for some photos so that I could bring them back home to show his granddad. He looks so grown up in it.

His little brother, Andrew, aged nearly 19 months, wanted in on the act, so he put on Ewan's school cap and had his picture taken too!

We had a trip to the Glasgow Science Centre, which was brilliant. There was so much to see and do that we couldn't get round it all in a day. By mid afternoon we were all suffering from sensory overload. Ewan's favourite thing was the model crane which could be operated just like a real one. He went on that several times.

Andrew loved the tunnel slide.

I liked the magic mirrors which made me look tall and thin (well, ok, thinner, they were magic mirrors, not miracle mirrors), but I didn't get a picture of those. It was a great day out. Ewan said it was his best day out EVER. A return visit will definitely be on the agenda.

At the weekend we went to a farmers' market. There was a woman there demonstrating needle felting, something I've never tried before. She had done some lovely pictures and cards with it. I was dying to have a go. My daughter bought me a kit for my birthday, which isn't until October, but she said I could use it now. (So watch this space!)

Have done very little cardmaking over the holidays so far, and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms, but am determined to finish my craft stuff reorganisation. Not much left to do now. I have managed to make a bit more working space on my desk, by finding somewhere else for my printer to live, and a few other bits and pieces. I'm sure that my disappearing mojo of late has been due to the fact that I've felt constrained by the lack of space (not to mention falling over the stuff on the floor every time I stood up!) so I'm hoping that my new arrangement will kickstart it again.

Today Sally and I had a get-together with Lesley (Craftimamma) at Sally's house. It was lovely to meet Lesley for the first time, and we had a great afternoon, showing and telling, and having a good old natter. It felt as though we had been friends for years. Sally gave us a delicious lunch, with one of her fabulous coffee and walnut cakes. Yum! Lesley and I were very good and managed to resist a second helping, but only just.

Well, I didn't intend this to be such a long post, but it's so nice to get back to the blogging. I'll try & catch up with everyone else's over the next few days. I can't believe how quickly the holidays are going. Only a week and a half left before we go back to school. I really must make a start on the kitchen before then....

So that's where my desk is!

2010-08-12T12:23:00.004+01:00

The decluttering is going well. Most of my craft stuff is stored in the spare bedroom, as my work room is too small to hold much and still leave room to work in. I can now see the spare room carpet, and the bed! Three bags of rubbish went to the tip (yes, three!). Old magazines and stash I no longer need went to fellow crafters. Strangely, there doesn't seem to be any more room in the cupboards, but at least everything is tidy now and I know where it all is. Not quite finished yet, but enough done to make me feel a lot better.

I have also managed to make a bit of space on my desk, just in time. A friend who has recently had a bereavement asked me to make her a set of thank you cards, and she needed them quickly. So yesterday I made 15 cards, which must be a record for me all in one day! She asked me to deliver them through her letterbox, so not knowing how far they'd have to fall I thought they'd better go in a box to protect them. Didn't have one suitable, so I made one.

The brief was: Irises, shades of lilac/purple, black borders, and MS doily lace punch. Not having time to do lots of colouring, I used a printed picture of irises from the Dreamy Flowers CD by Hinny Bop Designs, and a Penny Black iris stamp. The sentiment is a very old one from Make Your Mark. I covered the box with some wrapping paper bought quite some time ago from Ikea.

My daughter and family are coming to stay overnight tonight on their way back from holiday, and then on Sunday I'm going up to Scotland to stay with them for a few days. After all my hard work of the past few weeks, I'm really looking forward to the break. Not that it will be a rest with my two young grandsons around (aged 5 years and 18 months) but we always have lots of fun. Because they live so far away we don't see nearly enough of them so any time spent with them is precious. They grow up far too quickly.

When I come home, my next job is to make a start on decluttering the kitchen. Hmm.....

In Essence...

2010-07-30T12:24:00.003+01:00

... I've just realised it's over three weeks since I last posted anything, and that's mainly because I haven't made anything to post during the last three weeks! I was very busy with school concerts and things leading up to the end of term, but also I've been sadly lacking in inspiration. I think my mojo broke up early and went on holiday without me!

However, it came back yesterday with the delivery of the much anticipated new Artylicious CD from Glenda at Graphicus. It's called Essence of Nature, and is simply stunning, full of the most gorgeous papers and elements in wonderful colours. Glenda's best yet, IMHO. I couldn't fail to be inspired by it, but there's so much on it that the problem was in knowing what to try first!

I love the Elusive Images Eastern Grasses stamp set, and was very pleased to find a matching backing paper on the CD. It's beautifully subtle and makes a perfect background for the stamps. I used the main image from the set as a focal point (stamped on to paper coloured with VersaMagic inks), added some of the grasses along the bottom, and embellished it with a few butterflies from the Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD. The sentiment is computer generated (not from the CD).

Inspired not only by Glenda's brilliant CD, but also by her posts such as this one about her decluttering, I decided that whilst I've got a decent amount of time off school I should try to emulate her! My craft stuff clearout is ongoing, but I hope to have time to get that finished and then maybe make a start on the rest of the house. (Note the word "maybe"!) So my blog will probably be a bit quiet again for a while (though I'm sure I'll be tempted to stop work now and then and make some more cards with the CD!), but I will do my best to look in on everyone else's blogs when I can. Hope you are all having a good summer.

Sir Stampalot July Challenge

2010-07-08T18:28:00.001+01:00

The theme for the Sir Stampalot July Challenge is Lazy Hazy Days of Summer. There's not much that says summer to me more than poppies, so when I found a pack of gorgeous poppy design napkins in S****burys I thought they'd be just right to make a card with.

As you can see, they are rather bold and bright, so a large size base card was called for, in this case an 8" x 8" one from Craftwork Cards. I wasn't quite sure what to do at first, as the large, bright flowers would overwhelm any image I tried to put with them. However, when I separated the layers of the napkin, I found that the middle layer had picked up some colour from the printed top layer, and was in effect printed with a ghost image of the poppies. Perfect! It became the background for my card, with a narrow border sponged around the edge with Barn Door Distress Ink.

Next I glued the top layer to a piece of thin card to strengthen it and cut out some of the flowers and leaves. These made a border down the side of the card along with a strip of paper coloured with the Barn Door DI and cut with a Martha Stewart punch.

The stamped image is the beautiful new "Poppy Field" by Crafty Individuals (currently free with orders over £30!) which I coloured with Distress Inks (Barn Door, Bundled Sage and Shabby Shutters).

A computer generated text on a Nestabilities label and a few punched butterflies were the final embellishments.

And here's the finished card.

PS. My lovely butterfly blog background from Scrappin' Blogs disappeared this afternoon! On investigating, I found that Scrappin' Blogs are having problems with Photobucket (basically it seems they are too popular!) and need to find a new server. I'm not sure what the situation is with their backgrounds at the moment, so I've found another for my blog for the time being from The Cutest Blog on the Block. Maybe it's time I had a change anyway.

Normal service is resumed!

2010-06-25T21:56:00.000+01:00

Back to my more usual style for this card. I love the look of the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals dies, but they are too big for the sort of things I'd want them for, so I decided to make my own distressed flowers using the EK Success retro flower punches. I wanted them to look as though they were made from old book pages. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time. However, I couldn't bring myself to tear the pages out of a book! A friend of mine even gave me an old book which she'd got specially for me to use, but it was a book of wild flowers with some lovely old pictures in, and I just couldn't do it! I thought I would scan them instead. Then I found a website where you can download copyright free books, so I printed some pages from that and made them look old with Distress Inks (Tumbled Glass and Antique Linen, which I also used on the butterfly and sentiment). Having punched out the flowers I just tore the edges of the petals a bit & then inked around them. Not quite the same as Tim's, but near enough to the look I wanted.

The background paper is a digital download from Two Peas in a Bucket, one of the "Art Papers III" digital kit by Vinnie Pearce. The text-printed leaves on it went perfectly with my flowers. It's such a pretty paper that I kept the embellishments to a minimum so as not to hide it. The photo doesn't do it justice. The punched butterfly is overstamped with Hero Arts "Delicate Vine", and the sentiment is by Darkroom Door. The lace and ribbon came from my late mother's stash. She was a crafter, though her speciality was in fabrics and dried flower arranging. She was also a hoarder and loved a bargain, with the result that she had more materials stashed away than she was ever likely to use. I think I've inherited the tendency! But if that's the price of also inheriting her love of arts and crafts and making things, it's one I'm happy to pay!

Woof woof! And woof!

2010-06-24T12:54:00.000+01:00

I'm short on both time and inclination for crafting & blogging lately. Busy at school with preparations for end of term concerts, and not feeling well. I seem to have had a cold for weeks, but without the streaming eyes and sneezes, just the bunged up sinuses & feeling tired and lethargic. I'm beginning to wonder whether it's hay fever instead, although I don't usually suffer from that. But I've heard other people saying the same, because the pollen is so bad this year, so I've just started taking antihistamines to see if they will help. No improvement so far, but I guess I should give them a few days to start working. Anyone else out there had something similar?

Anyway, I did manage to make a birthday card for a friend who has two papillons (also known as butterfly dogs). I bought the Grandma's Parlor Collection Set (digital) from *Wink *Wink Ink, which came with a poodle (not quite a papillon, but I thought it would do!). This isn't at all the sort of thing I usually go for, but there was just something about the set that appealed to me. It comes with 3 types of files - png, jpg outline drawing and jpg pre-coloured. I wanted something quick and easy to make, so I cheated and used the pre-coloured version, with a bit of 3D so I could feel I'd actually done something!

Also couldn't resist the BasicGrey "Max & Whiskers" 6" x 6" paper pad, which made lovely paw print patterned "wallpaper". I was quite pleased with the result, so I made a similar card for my FIL for Fathers' Day. He used to have a border terrier, who sadly is no longer with us. The set is female oriented, so I changed the colour of the chair, lamp and vase using my graphics programme and made a "Happy Fathers' Day" instead of the Mothers' Day greeting which is included.

A mystery!

2010-06-11T15:41:00.000+01:00

Several years ago I was given a wooden planter filled with spring flowers. After the flowers died off, the planter was left on the patio and became repopulated with dandelions and moss! Then, three years ago, we noticed a strange plant growing there. It had long leaves which were covered with dark reddish spots. Eventually a single long stalk appeared with a spike of pale pink flowers at the top. "Hmm!" I thought. "That looks like an orchid!" A perusal of the wild flower book confirmed that indeed it was. A Common Spotted Orchid.

The following year there were 3 flower spikes, and along with those there appeared another plant, with darker purple flowers and no spots on the leaves. We identified that one as a Southern Marsh Orchid.

This year there are several more flower spikes, plus more baby plants of both varieties. The mystery is how they got there, especially as there are two completely different species! We certainly didn't plant them. They weren't there when I was first given the planter. When the first one appeared we wondered whether a seed could have been carried there by a bird or something, but when the second variety started growing, that seemed unlikely. All we can think of is that the seeds must have been dormant in the soil, and sprung to life some time after the original flowers had died off. Anyone got any other suggestions?

We may never solve the mystery, but we have some lovely flowers to enjoy!

New Stash

2010-06-11T00:35:00.001+01:00

Here's a card using a stamp I bought when we went to Sir Stampalot last weekend. It's one of this year's new ones by Hero Arts. I've had the Basic Grey "Stella Ruby" paper (now discontinued, unfortunately) for some time and had been looking for a suitable stamp to go with it. This one was perfect. The card is for my sister-in-law. I wanted the image to be the focal point, but also wanted the background paper to show as much as possible, so I've kept it quite simple; watercolour pencil on the dresses, Martha Stewart punch down the side, a few buttons from my button box, a bit of ribbon (also from Sir S), but I think she'll like it.

Brilliant Day!

2010-06-06T17:43:00.000+01:00

Well, the day finally arrived, and Sally, Megan and I set off to Sir Stampalot for our eagerly anticipated Blog Girl Get-together. It was lovely to be able to put faces to names (and blogs!) and spend the whole day playing, although with all the talking and laughing going on, not to mention eating (at lunchtime a delicious buffet appeared as if by magic!) some of us didn't get quite as much crafting done as we might have!

Brenda and Chris had prepared some wonderful projects for us to make, and since we wanted to try as much as possible, many of them were started and then put carefully aside to finish off at home. Chris's first demo was a really neat little album for recipes, photos, etc, with mini envelopes for pockets, then Brenda showed us how to make a lovely book/album using a new Sizzix Bigz Pro die using distressing and resist techniques. Other projects used brayering, masking and decoupage. I have yet to complete my little photo album, but have just finished the book.

(I used Distress Inks, and stamps by Hero Arts, Penny Black, Magenta, Inkadinakdo, and Crafty Individuals. The flourishes were cut with a die by Marianne Design.)

It was a very warm day, but the atmosphere of fun and camaraderie was even warmer. So to Brenda, Chris, Jules, Linda, Hayley, Rosie, Amanda, Sally and Megan, thanks for your company, and I hope you all enjoyed the day as much as I did. Thanks also to Janice and Andy for keeping the shop open for us to indulge in some retail therapy afterwards (not to mention during as well!) to everyone who contributed to lunch (Jules's heart shaped cheese scones were just to die for!) and huge thanks to Brenda and Chris for teaching us some gorgeous projects and for all their hard work which made the day such a success. Here's to the next time!

Sir Stampalot June Challenge

2010-06-03T21:42:00.005+01:00

I've been busy lately dealing with my late father's affairs & effects, and clearing out his house, not to mention having had some sort of cold or virus which has left me feeling quite washed out, so I'm afraid blogging has had to take a back seat. When I did have some time to craft, I didn't have the inclination, but now I've been inspired once again by Sir Stampalot's Challenge. For June the theme is "Punch it", so I decided to make a screen card.

I started it off with the punched flower panel, the idea for which came from Julie Hickey's lovely book "Flower Power Papercrafts" (published by David & Charles), where she shows a beautiful wedding card with a flower panel, all in cream. I wanted mine to look summery, so I used multicoloured flowers.The flowers are not stuck on to acetate, as one might suppose, but only to each other, which adds to the lacy effect and allows the light to come through naturally.

The background papers are by Papermania, and the stamps and printed pictures by Crafty Individuals. I finished off the screen with some more punched flowers, a punched butterfly and some computer generated text. Other punches used were a Dovecraft corner rounder and the border at the top, the make of which unfortunately I don't know.

Sally and I are very much looking forward to the Blog Girl Get-Together at Sir Stampalot this Saturday, when we will get to meet some of our blog friends, play and generally have a good old natter, just what I need after the last few months. Oh, and I should mention we also get to shop afterwards!

I'm also entering this card for the Charisma Cardz Challenge #22, which is "Flowers".

No longer so distressed!

2010-05-16T23:19:00.000+01:00

Well, 10.30pm has just passed, so it is time to declare the winner of my little competition. Not many entries - obviously nearly everyone but me had already got a Victorian Velvet Distress Inkpad! I loved Jules's suggestion that I had sneaked into her front room and taken a pic of her dusty coffee table, (which sounds a lot like mine!) but I'm afraid that was not the case! In fact there was just one correct answer, so my superfluous pad will be finding a new home with

CRAFTIMAMMA (LESLEY)

Well done, Lesley! I'll be posting it off to you tomorrow, and hope it cheers you up after your cold.

Thanks very much to everyone who did enter. The mysterious object was indeed a Tim Holtz/Ranger Blending Tool!

Out of my comfort zone

2010-05-15T18:03:00.000+01:00

This week, the fabulous Allsorts Challenge Blog is one year old! So their challenge for the week, is, naturally, birthdays. Here's my entry.

It's quite different from my usual style. Generally speaking, I don't do cute, and I don't do fruit! Nor do I do hot colours. I much prefer cool or muted tones - blues, purples, greens, and my work tends to be nature, arty or vintage inspired. However, I thought that for such a celebration something a bit more lively was called for!

The background paper (which includes the flourish & the trims at the bottom) was a freebie from Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine a while ago. The cake and sentiment stamps are from a set by Impression Obsession. It took me about 10 minutes to make, which again is unusual for me! Normally I like to take my time, and often get part way through a card, leave it & come back to it later, to see whether I'm still happy with the direction it's taking, or whether I've changed my mind, before I finish it off. That's because I hardly ever have a plan in mind before I start! I just collect a few things together and see where they lead me.

Anyway, you'll gather that this card was some way outside my comfort zone, and that being the case, I'm also entering it for this week's Tuesday Taggers, whose theme happens to be "Step out of your comfort zone"! Funnily enough, now I've done it, I actually quite like it! And I managed to use up a bit of old stash too!

I'm just too distressed!

2010-05-13T23:31:00.001+01:00

Somehow (long story - don't ask!) I have found myself the proud owner of TWO brand new Victorian Velvet Distress Ink pads. Now, I don't need two, so I have decided to give away the spare. For a change, instead of blog candy, I thought I'd have a little competition.

To enter, identify the object in the picture below, and leave a comment to say what it is. Closing date will be this Sunday evening, May 16th, at 10pm. I will put all correct answers into a draw and Mr. Random Dot Org will select the winner. The prize may also include a little extra surprise!

You may enter as many times as you like, but one answer per comment, please. In the event that no-one correctly identifies the object, all entries by followers of my blog (which will include anyone who becomes a follower between now and the closing date) will go into the draw to choose the winner . Good luck!

Butterflies and Blossoms 2

2010-05-09T20:43:00.001+01:00

I've been wanting to make an exploding box for ages. I got as far as making the box and decorating the outside a while ago, but never finished the inside. Anyway, finding myself with some time when for once I had nothing I needed to do and nowhere I needed to go, I set to work and completed it. And since I had always intended it to be on my favourite theme of butterflies and flowers, and since the Sir Stampalot Challenge this month is just that, and since the challenge allows two entries as long as they are different types, I'm entering it along with the card I made earlier!

Here's the closed box. The papers and butterflies are from the Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD, with Prima flowers.

Inside there are three layers. The square printed pictures are from Crafty Individuals, stamps also by Crafty Individuals along with Cherry Pie and Art Impressions. Other decorations include stickers, more Prima flowers and text printed from my computer.

Looking down on the inner layer:

Middle layer:

And finally the outer layer:

I've really enjoyed this challenge, and all the other entries I've looked at so far are gorgeous. Of course, I know we wouldn't want the butterfly theme every month, but...... maybe every few months?? ;-)

Butterflies and Blossoms, and my favourite things!

2010-05-07T00:10:00.002+01:00

Well, some of my favourite things! The Sir Stampalot Challenge for May is right up my street, as is the prize! Butterflies and/or blossoms tend to appear on most of my cards, and anything by Tim Holtz would find a good home in my craft room, so this is one challenge I couldn't miss.

The only materials I've used for this card are paper and one shade of ink. Having finally managed to get my hands on some of the new Distress inks, I think Chipped Sapphire is going to become my favourite colour. More of a purply-blue than the denim of Faded Jeans, and just what I was hoping there would be in the new range. The flower stamp is an old favourite, by Funstamps. I've had it for years but use it often, as it's so pretty and versatile. Here I've used a favourite technique to colour it. I'm not sure what it's really called, but I call it the magic painting technique, because it reminds me of those children's painting books which appear to have blank pages until you paint over them with plain water, and the picture magically appears. I used to love them when I was a child (and confess I still do!).

I stamped the image with Chipped Sapphire, and then, with a fine paint brush and clean water, drew out some of the colour from the outline to shade it in. By using more or less water and blotting areas you want to be paler, it's possible to vary the depth of colour. When I've used this technique before, I've always done it with Adirondack rainbow inkpads, and this is the first time I've tried it with a single colour, but I really like the result. The Distress ink works perfectly for it. And to think that when Distress inks first came out, I didn't see what all the fuss was about! Now I wouldn't be without them.

The background stamp is Dots & Flowers by Hero Arts, the sentiment by Darkroom Door, the circle and oval shapes were cut with my Nestabilities and the butterflies were punched from paper coloured with the Chipped Sapphire ink. The overall effect reminds me of Delft Pottery. And, of course, blue and white is one of my favourite colour combinations.

Thank You

2010-04-27T23:31:00.001+01:00

I have been immensely touched by all the lovely comments, calls and emails I have received in response to my previous post. It has been such a comfort knowing that there are people out there thinking about me. It's wonderful how crafting brings people together and gives us all something in common. Maybe if the coming General Election doesn't improve things, we should start a new party - the Crafty Party! I'm sure we'd soon put everything to rights!

I still have a few things to do following my dad's passing, but I hope to be back to blogging again very soon. Life goes on, and there are cards I need to make...

Anyway, just wanted to say how very much I appreciate all your support. To everyone who took the time to get in touch, thank you. This card is for you.

A tribute

2010-04-06T22:00:00.002+01:00

I see my blog mainly as somewhere to post my artistic efforts and keep in touch with like-minded crafters, rather than as a personal diary. However, since what talents I may have in that direction came to me from my parents, I feel that this is an appropriate place to pay tribute to them.

My father passed away on Good Friday morning 2010, after a long illness. He was the sort of person who enjoyed helping others, and gave unstintingly of his time and energy in doing so. Born in 1922, he was brought up by a stepmother (his own mother died when he was just three) and though he won a scholarship to art college, she would not allow him to take it up but made him go straight out to work when he left school at 14. It was then that he met my mother, also aged 14, at their local church in Leeds, when he was in the harmonica band and she in the church choir. My mother then also joined the band, and over their lifetime they gave pleasure to many with their music. I have fond memories of family get-togethers with mum & dad on their harmonicas, & mum's uncle on the piano, and all singing along to the old music hall songs which they loved. It was often embarrassing when I, from the age of 8 or so, was also made to do my "party piece" on the piano in front of the assembled company, but I have them to thank for encouraging my love of music, leading to my subsequent career.

They became engaged at 17, and married at 20, in 1942, only to be separated for a while because of the war. Mum was a Land Girl, posted to a farm in Somerset, while Dad went to Orkney as an aircraft fitter and then South Africa with the Fleet Air Arm. After the war Mum went to join him in South Africa and they would probably have emigrated there had not my mother's father become seriously ill, causing their return.They set up home in Leeds, and when I and my sister and brother came along they provided a secure and happy childhood for us. Dad worked his way up from shop floor to become MD of an engineering firm, and Mum, once we children were old enough to be independent, ran a highly regarded playgroup for 3 to 5 year olds.

Sadly my mum's retirement years were blighted by illness, firstly severe arthritis, resulting in two hip and one knee replacements. For as long as she could she kept busy, making floral displays and various other craft items which she gave to local charities for them to sell and raise funds. Then she was stricken with bowel cancer, needing emergency surgery, from which she made a miraculous recovery. It was therefore a great blow, some time later, to learn that she had developed Alzheimer's disease. Dad looked after her all this time. She could be a difficult patient, but he never complained. It was not until he too, devastatingly fell victim first to Alzheimer's and then lung cancer, that we were able to persuade him that he must accept help. They went to live with my sister, and even then Dad insisted on doing as much as he could for Mum. Despite their troubles, they both continued to delight in their family, including grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Mum's passing away in January 2009 I think hastened Dad's own. He simply did not know what to do without her, hardly surprising when they had been together for a remarkable 72 years. Their partnership was an example and inspiration to many people, and they will be greatly missed by many, who will remember them with gratitude.

Quick post

2010-04-01T22:23:00.000+01:00

Just want to say that due to family priorities, I won't have much time for blogging for a while. If I don't get chance to do any posting or blog hopping it won't be for lack of inclination! I hope everyone has a lovely Easter, & I'll be back to visit all your wonderful blogs as soon as I am able to.

Lynne xx

Spring at last!

2010-03-20T21:20:00.006Z

Well, today is officially the first day of spring. You wouldn't have known it here - wet, grey & dismal all day. But we have had some really nice days lately, and the spring flowers are beginning to come out in the garden. The snowdrops have been beautiful this year, and now the crocuses are blooming.

The daffodils, however, are only just coming into bud, so when I saw that this week's Allsorts Challenge (Week 44) was "Spring is in the Air" I thought I'd make a card with daffodils to brighten things up until the real ones take over. Lots of challenges with spring themes this week, so I'm also entering it in Rosie D's and By the Cute and Girly. Another easel card! I really like making them - they are easy to construct, look lovely, and stand up so well!

The daffodil stamp is PSX, coloured with Promarkers, and the tiny butterfly is by Crafty Individuals. The background papers and printed sentiment (I added the butterfly) were free with Making Cards Magazine. The sentiment says " May your spirit keep the freedom of a butterfly in spring, and and may your heart be filled always with the joys of simple things" which I thought was rather nice and quite appropriate. The border is my favourite Martha Stewart punch, with ribbon from stash.

Tuesday Taggers 9th March

2010-03-15T22:46:00.004Z

I haven't had much time lately for blogging, or for crafting, come to that. Unfortunately, at the moment real life is having to take priority. However, I have managed (at the last minute!) to make something for this week's Tuesday Taggers, where the theme is St. Patrick's Day. Since I don't have anything specifically to do with St. Patrick, I'm hoping a general Irish theme will be okay.

I decided (inspired by Debbie Dolphin's host of wonderful examples) to make a round easel card, which I cut with my Nestabilities. I have just bought the Celtic knot die by Joy!crafts (available from Crafts U Love ) and it seemed to be perfect for this project, mounted on to some My Mind's Eye paper. The base of the card is stamped with the Hero Arts Delicate Vine Background. The "Good Luck" stamp is one of a set of stamps free with the current (April 2010) issue of Papercraft Inspirations Magazine. The Irish Blessing & butterfly are Elusive Images from Graphicus. I finished the card with some shamrocks made from punched hearts. (Edit: I now realise, of course, that shamrocks have three lobes to the leaf, so these had better be lucky 4-leaf clovers!)

It was a bit of a rushed job (I should just about make the deadline!) but I think it turned out okay in the end.

Sir Stampalot new Challenge Blog!

2010-03-09T00:09:00.001Z

Sir Stampalot has a fantastic new Challenge Blog, with monthly challenges beginning on 1st April. They have a very talented Design Team, and it all sounds as though it's going to be great fun, so click the link on my sidebar to hop over and have a look.