Happy Christmas Everyone

Hello to all my blog friends and visitors.

I apologise for not visiting as much as I had hoped.  It's been a strange year and my time away was much longer than intended.   Lots has been going on and time has just flown.

It is my plan to start blogging again in the new year but this is just a quick pop in to wish you all A Very Happy Christmas and good health and best wishes for 2019.

Love Barb xx

Sorry I've been absent

Hello Everybody,

First I must apologise for suddenly being absent for so long.

So much has been going on since before Christmas and the busy life continues.  I've not had a lot of time on my laptop and even emails have really started stacking up ....

Both hubby and I are having health issues.  Please don't worry, it just means lots of time taken up with tests and appointments.  We're both fine.

I have managed a few workshops which have been fun then I somehow deleted all the card photos from my camera.  Hubby managed to retrieve them but it was EVERYTHING I've snapped from the year dot so it's going to take days to sort out.

Anyway with some lovely weather predicted ahead and the World Cup just around the corner (you may know I'm a huge footie fan) I think it best if I continue my break for a couple more months  to take the pressure off a bit while I get everything sorted out.   I have been popping in to see what you've been doing and will try to leave more comments during my absence.

This is a card I made at Loobi Crafts dabble day last Sunday with a Paper Artsy set of stamps and Infusion powders using some interesting techniques,

Wishing you all lots of Happy Crafting.   Barb xx

Lots of leaves!

Hello and Welcome.

I made this card a few weeks ago using the waste after die cutting some leaves from kraft card.  I backed them with small scraps of paper in a matching colour.

The black matts  were cut with Tim Holtz dies and the backgrounds are snippets of white paper which I stencilled with distress ink.

I would like to join in with the girls at Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 323

Happy Easter!

Wishing a very Happy Easter to my followers, friends and visitors.

I made this quick card using the Sizzix  Bigz Bunny  die and some packaging.

The grass was a snippet of green paper cut with fringing scissors that were given to me recently by my friend Wendy.  The bow is cut from a scrap of yellow card and the sentiment came in with a Woodware set with a bunny I've not used yet.

I added some Nuovo glitter drops as there was lots of empty space.

I would like to join in at
Pixies Snippets Playground Challenge week 322

Rudolph Day - March 2018

Hello and Thank you so much for your visit.

Can you believe I did a craft workshop with friends
on Friday morning, another all day on Saturday and returned from a third all dayer at 6.30 this evening.  It's just the way it turned out!

I have a really busy week coming up and a three cards to make before Thursday so hope Maureen won't mind if I join in with the Rudolph Day Challenge this time with a card made several years ago although it has never been shown.

I used Hero Arts stamps and a Marianne icicles die.

Maureen invites us to show Christmas projects from the 25th of each month until the last day of the month.

The idea is to make cards throughout the year and try to get ahead in good time.  Hopefully I'll do it properly next month Maureen.... promise!

Twofer Card Challenge #3

Hello and thank you for your visit today.

I made my cards with a Joy stamp that hasn't been used before.

For the Easter card I stamped with black Archival ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  I coloured the flowers with distress inks.  The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn coloured with wink of Stella and cut up.

The other card was inked in black onto a Brusho background and coloured with Brushos too.  I fussy cut two extra flower heads, used foam pads under one and stuck the second on loosely.   The sentiment is a wooden stamp bought at a table top sale last week.

I would like to join in at the Twofer Card Challenge #3

Lego

Hello and Welcome

I've seen lots of these lego cards on the internet but never made one before.  So I was delighted when I went to a workshop at Loobi Crafts yesterday and this was one of the cards we made. 

Now things are still rather busy and stressful here at the moment and although I've done a bit of relaxing card making over the past couple of weeks I've not entered challenges or spent much time on my laptop.

Mrs A has changed the format of her Butterfly Challenge this year and we have to spin the butterfly wheel where she sets us seven - yes seven criteria.

I was thinking about The Butterfly Challenge #96 
which seemed very much out of my comfort zone.  Then suddenly, looking at the cards I made yesterday I realised that I'd used all the colours required on this card and although there is stamping involved the card is rectangular and with a butterfly and numbers added I would have used six of the requirements.

So - I punched a butterfly from a snippet of white card, coloured it yellow and using a Tim Holtz stencil, placed very carefully on top, with navy coloured ink I stencilled on the number.  Job Done!

As I used a small piece of card for the butterfly I hope I'll also qualify for Pixies Snippets Playground - Challenge 321

Winter wonderland!

Good morning and I hope you are all managing to keep warm and safe.

We had a lie in this morning as we won't be going far.   When I opened the bedroom curtains I was surprised to see icicles hanging from the thatch outside.  So I popped up to the top bedroom (the attic) to take this photo of the garden.  There's my little cabin with snow on the roof.

Hubby went straight up to turn up my heater and  fill the feeders where there were lots of birds waiting for their breakfast!

 A few hours crafting and a couple of football matches is my plan for the day.  Have a good weekend everyone.

Rudolph Day - February

Hello and Welcome 

I hope I have just about made it into the Rudolph Day Challenge-February
Where Maureen  encourages us to make Christmas cards and projects each month.  The challenge is from 25th until the end of each month.

There is always a lovely prize for the lucky winner and great inspiration from Maureen and her Design Team.

I made this card last year with a Craftwork card paper pad  but have not blogged it before.

This is the inside of the card.  The teddy was cut out from one of the papers and he's been 'popped up'

Below is a picture of the front of the card

Unfortunately we're having a bit of trouble with the internet connection at the moment. It keeps dropping out.

Butterfly Challenge #95

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog today.

First I would like to give a warm welcome to Brenda my new follower.  I hope you will visit her blog to see her lovely work.

 This is a  front fold card which was a pig to photograph because of both the shape and the lighting.  However I had fun making it this afternoon for
The Butterfly Challenge #95

I used paper from my stash and the stamps are from an Inky Doodles set.

I managed to use six of the elements - butterfly, patterned papers, pearls and all three colours.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to incorporate paper piecing.


I really like the new format of the Challenge that Mrs. A has set for this year.  It really made me think.  Last month I also managed 6 elements.  My personal challenge is to use 7 elements some time during the year....

Ken - A Perfect Gent!

Hello and Welcome.

I can't believe it's almost two weeks since I last posted and I'm still catching up with visits too.

First I'd like to give a warm welcome to  my new  follower Sharon at craftyhugs blog.  I hope you'll have time for a visit.

My card today is for our  friend's  birthday next week.  I gave it to him today when we met up with Ken and others for our weekly pub lunch.

I stencilled the matt with colours to match my snippet of Stampin Up paper which I used for the waistcoat.  The stamps are a Woodware set.

After stamping I fussy cut the waistcoat and  coloured the buttons with a silver gel pen.   Finally I coloured parts of the waistcoat with a dark grey Promarker then added some Wink of Stella over the grey.

As I used a snippet of white card for the matt and a piece of SU paper I'm entering my card over at
Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 319 

Butterflies work for all occasions!

Hello and Welcome!

I'm afraid I've been a bad blogger of late with all the things that have been going on in our lives.

However there are a few challenges I don't like to miss and the Butterfly Challenge is one of them.

Now I did scratch my head over this challenge because with all the inkpads I have crimson isn't something I use much.

Then I had a light bulb moment!!!

On Monday morning I went to a card and coffee class where we used this very pretty Stampin' Up stamp.  We made small cards and I chose to use this crimson colour to stamp with.

So - after reading the theme for the challenge I cut off the front of the card and matted it onto silver miri card.  I put the ribbon onto an A6 card then added my 'topper' after adding a wink of stella to the daisies.  For the cream I punched out two circles for the daisy centres and added a bow.

As I recently had a tidy up I had to hunt high and low for my butterfly stickers.  Now a tidy-up should make life easier but I can never remember where I put things.  Perhaps that's why I don't often bother!!!  Anyway, I finally found this little holographic edged sticker which had a bit of cream and a sort of crimson  colour on it.  I stuck it to some white card and fussy cut it out.

Voila!!!!  here's my card for the Butterfly Challenge #94  which hopefully ticks all the boxes. Oh and I did round all the corners right at the end.

Have a lovely day everyone. xxx

Rudolph Day - January 2018

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog.

On 25th until the end of each month (except December) Maureen holds her Rudolph Day Challenge where she invites us to show either a Christmas card or project.  She very kindly offers a lovely gift to the lucky winner.

I made this little tree ornament using Stampin' Up stamps at a class just before Christmas.  I stamped a Christmas sentiment on the back.

We chose the stamps we wanted to use then stamped onto the slices of wood.  It was great fun and we enjoyed the morning together.

Everybody did something different. 

I'd like to enter my Rudolph ornament into
the Rudolph Day Challenge - January 2018

Peacock Butterfly!

Thank you for your visit today.

I've had very little time for crafting over the past couple of weeks but having bought 2 pads of papers with a doiley die and a set of 3  large background stamps I decided to have a quick play.

I stamped one of the backgrounds onto one of the papers  the tried to cut out the doiley die.  Well I tried and tried with various shims and finally gave up.  None of the pieces would come out!  So I inked up the doiley, pieces intact and cut it into two unequal pieces and stuck to the paper.  Then I inked the edges with brown Distress ink and added seam binding at the bottom.

That's where I gave up with no idea how I was going to decorate it so I stuck it onto a square kraft card and went off to cook dinner. 

By chance in the evening I checked out the Butterfly Challenge where I sadly haven't joined in recently.  There was the answer.  As the background paper had some of the right colour on it I decided on a peacock butterfly.  So yesterday, with little time to spare I popped up to my cabin and put peacock DI on my messy mat, spritzed and dried it and made my butterfly.  The sentiment circle and card candi are made from the waste.

I am pleased to be able to join in at Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #93 .  Just sorry I didn't have time to do any folds!

Tag Card

Hello and thank you for your visit.

First I would like to wish all those who are suffering with the awful bugs that are around a speedy recovery.  The coughs and congestion certainly do seem to last a long time.

I'm still catching up with visits after a bad start to the year.  We've had problems with the internet which seem to have finally been sorted  out plus a catalogue of  minor problems.  The freezer packing up last week being the latest.

For this card I used a snippet of white card which I cut into a tag shape.  I decorated it with blended oxide inks and some stencilling and spritzing then added pieces of washi tape just because I've got loads and seldom use it.

The image is a Visible Images stamp which I heat embossed then added colour to the soles with a Promarker  pen and white gel pen for the laces.

I stamped some splodges onto the card with grey ink and snipped off the top corner of the card.

I'm taking my card over to
Pixies Snippets Workshop Weeks 317 & 318  and entering the Sweet Stampin' Challenge - cards for men

Dance!

Hello All!

Sorry it's been a bad start to the year. Either slow or no internet connection - I won't bore you with the details.  I'm just so  sorry I've not got round as much as I'd have liked.

This is a card I made for a friend's birthday at the end of the year.  I used Woodware stamps for the boots and cowboy hat and paper from my stash.

I stamped and white embossed  onto the back of an old shop bought card from my scrap box.  I  loved the way they looked like suede when I coloured them with my Pro Markers.

The 'dance' letters are from a sheet of letter stickers that have been around forever.  I don't think I'll get a sensible word from the few letters that are left on the sheet!

This card must surely qualify for Pixies Snippets Playground Weeks 315 & 316

Silly Me!

Silly Me  .....

I know it's Christmas Eve as I'm tracking Santa on my laptop but I absolutely forgot it was Sunday and time for the challenge at:

Pixie's Snippets Playground Weeks 313 & 314

So here's a quick card made with the inside of an envelope, a piece of washi tape and some small snippets of card.

Made before I joined Parsnip for a tipple so it's not by mistake that the background is stuck on wonky and I did stamp the sentiment twice on purpose to give a shadow. 

Looking at it now I wish I'd put on a pair of googly eyes though ....


Happy Christmas Eve!

Happy Christmas Everyone

I'd like to wish a Very Happy and Peaceful Christmas to all my lovely followers and blog buddies.

Thank you for your visits and kind comments throughout the year.  I really do appreciate  your friendship.

I would like to give a warm welcome to my two new followers
Mary Scott and Verna.


I hope you will be able to visit Verna's blog  see her lovely work.

Mary doesn't have a blog but we got to know each other some years ago through exchanging ATCs  and have corresponded ever since.

This is a photo taken from my sitting room window recently when the country was covered in snow.

Have a lovely Christmas everybody and here's hoping 2018 is a good year for us all.  Barb xxx

Secret Santa ....

Hello and Welcome!

For the last ten years there have just been the two of us and a bachelor friend for Christmas so you'd think there wasn't much to to ...... wrong!

I'm sure I'd mentioned several times to my hubby that I was out crafting all day on Friday and Saturday morning too.  He asked on Thursday evening if I'd make a card for his Secret Santa at Men in Sheds and it was needed for Monday - oh and also a box for a small coin!  - don't ask ......

So I spent Saturday afternoon making the card.  This is the front.  I used washi tape on kraft card for Santa's belt.  The buttons are very old from a jar I inherited from my dear MIL several years ago.  Sadly she's no longer with us.

This is the inside.

I used thick embossing powder for the snow background, heated from the back then die cut a pop up mechanism  for the Santa.

The gold glittery snowflake was saved from a bought Christmas card from last year and the berries on the sentiment are cosmic shimmer dots.

 I added a small ribbon bow.

I made the small box this morning (Sunday) using scraps of kraft card.  This is the top of the box.

I coloured the card with Distress ink and had fun doing some stamping, stencilling  and stamping with various stamps.

The stencils are by Tim Holtz which I won from a blog buddy some time ago.

The word 'Found' was perfect as my hubby found the coin when he used to do metal detecting.

After making the card my hands were covered with ink and distress stain and I was very soon cleaned up with my new Ranger Scrubbie.  Check it out.  It works a treat.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

Hello and thank you for your visit today.

Well I'm happy to say I have now sent off all my Christmas cards  (ll0 in total) and have just got a handful left to post in doors around the village.

It has taken me several hours each day for over a week to write them so now I'm keen to visit you all again and see what you've been making.

It's been a very busy few weeks with lots of stuff going on.  After a hearing test two weeks ago I will be getting hearing aids this year for Christmas - and I only wanted chocolate and a bottle of Baileys!!!

My card today was made several months ago when I was on a mission to use up scraps of white card.

The cherry and heart are also cut from pieces of white card and the ribbon is the tiniest piece from the end of the reel.



I'm popping over with my card to join in with Pixies Snippets Playground Weeks 309 & 310