Christmas in July

There seem to have been lots of challenges for Christmas in July this year, so I thought I had better jump on the bandwagon and do a card.

This gorgeous sketch is from The Sweetest Thing...I love its simplicity, and it's for this and the following challenges.

Totally Papercrafts - Going to the Movies (White Christmas)

Shabby Tea Rooms - Recipe:- 1 ribbon, 2 buttons, 3 punches or dies

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Christmas in July

Stamp Something - Christmas in July

Lil Red Wagon - Christmas in July

Our Creative Corner - Christmas in July

I over printed the background paper in gold with my SU Vintage wheel, after which I realised that I didn't like the white buttons I had prepared to put on. I searched though my button box, but couldn't find any appropriate gold buttons, so I heat embossed a couple of little grey ones with gold embossing powder, and rather fiddly it was too!

The branch stamp is from Tim Holtz and the sentiment is Docrafts. Once more a I coloured a piece of ribbon to match the paper with one of my Copics.

Positioning the stamps was a little tricky as they are not mounted squarely on the blocks, so my DIY Lego Stampamajig came in really handy once more.

One less to make in December!

Patterns

Over at One Stop Crafts Challenge, the theme for the challenge today is 'Patterns', chosen by our lovely team mate Kathryn. This should give you loads of choice as there is an almost infinite number to choose from... spots, stripes, heaps of different checks, zig zags... the list goes on. Personally I've always been a sucker for stripes, hence my choice for this card.

I am including it in the challenge from Stamp with fun - Card for a man or boy.

I believe the images are Whimsey Doodles and the lovely stripy paper is a free download from Fred She Said. The paper piecing on the chair, uses a piece of Cuddly Buddly paper.

The ribbon was a birthday gift from a lovely bloggy friend and the corners were made from Cuttlebug Vintage 2x2 dies. There are 4 in the set... two corners and two squares. These are from one of the squares, cut in half diagonally with a few of the cut bits trimmed, to make it look as though it was meant to be a corner!!

I always put double sided tape on the back of the card before cutting fiddly die cuts like these, then all I have to do once they've been cut is to peel and stick!

Wedding Bears

What is it about bears?

These are SO cute... a freebie from Pollycraft, which I am using for their challenge of Love and Marriage.

Gently coloured with Copics and Promarkers, the image is mounted on Nestie Labels, with a background of Cuttlebug embossed hearts.

I love this embossing folder as it can be extended width ways to cover a greater area.

The challenges for this card include

Pollycraft - Love & Marriage

Digital Tuesday - Dazzle Me

Dutch Dare - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Animals

Teddy Stampers - Use Different Shapes

Stempeltraume - Special Card

Just Cute Bears - Clean & Simple

CAS-tastic Challenge - Bling it up!

I think I'll just pop up to the Rosebowl to join my husband for a couple of hours to see Hampshire play Lancashire in a 4 day cricket match. Quite relaxing!

Fab @ 40

I had an email from a friend this morning with requests for three cards by the weekend... and it's Friday today!

Anyway this is one of them. The image is a digi from Chris Dark, and the paper I believe, is Anita's. The lower half of the card has been stamped with my SU Vintage Roller and the ribbon coloured with Copics, although it looks a closer colour match in daylight.

It's for a few challenges

Paperplay - Anything Goes

Fussy & Fancy Friday Pink & Black

Stampavie Black, White + One other colour

Really Reasonable Ribbons - Black & White + (pointed out to me by True)

I typed the sentiment on the computer and mounted it on Nesties.

WOYWW

A desk in waiting, as it were.

Images to colour and projects to start.

The bit of cardboard was from the pretty packaging of a lovely little plant given to me by a friend for my birthday. I took it apart to see if I could make a template from it. It was too large to scan, so I cut it in half and I thought that I would make it from 2 separate pieces of card. Should be fun!

However I won't be doing any of it today, for today I'm being taken on my birthday treat...a day at Glorious Goodwood! Last night we went to the most fabulous performance of 42nd Street at the Chichester Festival Theatre... tomorrow it will be business as usual!

I thought I would share a couple of things with you.

Firstly, and most excitingly, I've been asked to join the DT at the Creative Card Crew! How exciting is that, I feel really flattered!

Secondly, I thought I would show you my newly tidied shelf. This is just above face level immediately in front of me.

I used to keep my supply of Cats Eyes Inks on this shelf too, but was frequently knocking them off the shelf, only to have them land all over the place, splitting into the individual sections in the process. However I discovered that they fit neatly into one of the drawers of one of my Poundland purchases... little sets of three drawers, thus...almost made to measure. No more "Cats Eyes keep falling on my head".

Have a great day and hop over to Julia's (Link on sidebar) to see what everyone else is up to today. Last week I managed to get around to everyone, but it took me almost all week!

My Time to Craft - Drink it Up

Here is yet another DT card for My Time to Craft. The challenge this week is entitled Drink it Up.

You have to look quite closely to spot the drink in this one, but this chap looks as though he's really enjoying a sit-down with a cuppa.

I based the sketch on one from CCEE a few weeks ago and used a variety of starry digital papers in tea and coffee colours. I used a co-ordinating paper from Pink Petticoat to paper-piece the chair. Considering the fact that this is a digital image I think it's amazing that the pattern was printed as symmetrically as it is! (I had little control over where it printed the image on the paper).

This ribbon actually has spots on it, but it looked a little too much with the pattern on the paper, so I used it on the wrong side.

The sentiment is typed on the computer and mounted it with a Stampin' Up word window punch.

I'm off to see 42nd Street in the Festival Theatre in Chichester this evening, with a group of friends. I'm really looking forward to it! I can feel my toes tapping already.

Last night I had a phone call from friends who've just arrived in Canada on holiday... they wanted to wish me a Happy Birthday. Wasn't that kind!

Senior Moments thick and fast

My excuse is that I haven't been too well this week, but this is the second time that I have failed to post a DT card on the appropriate day! Dear me, senior moments and all that!

This is my DT card from Cooking it Up with Katie, (which was posted on that blog in plenty of time). We were generously given an image from Fairy Knoll (this week's sponsor) to use in our recipe of Buttons, Bows and Blue.

I used Cuddly Buddly downloaded paper... regular visitors to my blog may have noticed that I am quite partial to using single colours and toning papers on my cards, and this is no exception.

One little tip I picked up along the way is to use dental floss to attach buttons onto projects and to colour it with alcohol pens, so as to match perfectly with the card. Neat huh!

It's for a few other challenges

Digital Tuesday - Happy Birthday

One Stitch at a time - Use a digi

Everybody art - Blue and White

I ought to be more organised!

OSCC Sketch challenge

This has not been a good week for cardmaking!

It began with my daughter and granddaughter staying for a few days. Libby is pregnant and was waiting for her 12 week scan and needed a little help with Daisy who had been under the weather and a little cranky. SO no chance of card-making there. Then I went to Bath to look after Daisy whilst the scan took place... 7.10pm!! I didn't think that these departments worked at that hour. All was well and I returned home on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday I made one card before heading off to meet Julia of WOYWW fame. We had a wonderful time chatting and drinking coffee; she is such a nice lady, it's an experience I would love to repeat. It is strange to meet friends that you don't actually know, but I love it.

On Wednesday evening however, I was struck down with some lurgy and have been feeling rubbish ever since. The doctor asked me to take part in some study or other, but if it hadn't been for my husband reading out the questions and filling in the questionnaire, it wouldn't have got done because as sure as eggs I didn't feel up to doing it!

Then yesterday my car died!

My husband uses it for running around town and when he went to use it, the battery was as flat as a fluke. Today he can't even open the door, each time he blips the key, the alarm goes off. What is going on?

This card was made as my DT submission for OSCC where Lisa has designed a sketch and asked us to use metal somewhere or other. The image is from Tiffany Doodles who just happens to be this week's sponsor. The lucky winner will receive some images from her website.

I made a straight border into a curved one again for this one. The instructions are a few posts back. The butterflies are from a Martha Stewart Punch, the little tag is Cuttlebug, and the paper is Cuddly Buddly.

I hope to be feeling better really soon!

WOYWW

This is going to be brief today, as I have an assignation!

This piccie is of the beginnings of a card for a' Naming Ceremony'. I haven't actually heard of one of these before, but there's always a first time for everything.

I haven't seen any such cards in the shops and I'm sure that the chosen names of Knox Lyndon, would be difficult if not impossible to find in a commercial card. I will type the sentiment on the computer.

So the Cuttlebug has been busy cutting out the letters for the name, and the colours chosen are to co-ordinate with the gift, which is a Gruffalo Breakfast set. I haven't quite worked out how it will all develop, but time will tell.

I didn't have any of the appropriate shade for the ribbon, so I coloured some with a Promarker.

Having had several days with no crafting due to the presence of my daughter and granddaughter, I've got a lot to catch up on, plus my assignation of course!

I'll let you know about that later!

Hop over to Julia's to see what everyone else is up to this fine Wednesday!

Have a Happy Day!

Check it Out!

This is a perfect card for how I'm feeling today!

Today my daughter had her 12 week pregnancy scan and all is well!

She has recently had two miscarriages and was really worried in case history repeated itself for a third time, but she came home from the hospital grinning from ear to ear and clutching a wad of photographs of my newest unborn grandchild!

In fact the card is for this week's challenge at My Time to Craft where the theme is entitled 'Check it Out' and also for the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge this week, which is Ice Cream... here it's strawberry and vanilla!

I love to use gingham as a backing paper design and so I opted to use this pretty pink version from Cuddly Buddly for my card.

The image is Lilli of the Valley, as is the sentiment, and I love them both. Obviously I don't know yet whether I'll be making a pink or a blue version of this card when January arrives, but whatever it is, it will be pretty special!

Sir Stampalot's Monthly Challenge

This is another of the stamps I have just bought from LOTV. I think they are just so cute. The sketch just kind of evolved, but I quite like how it ended up.

The paper is Cuddly Buddly and the corners are made from Cuttlebug Vintage squares, cut diagonally and trimmed. The flowers are also Cuttlebug and the leaves are from a Leonie Em punch.

I thought that I would make this card for Sir Stampalot's challenge this month where the theme is Lazy Hazy days of Summer.

My granddaughter arrived and I had bought her a 'Ready Bed'. It's bit like a sleeping bag and airbed combined. She was so excited when she saw it, but when it actually came to bedtime, she wanted to go in her baby bed (the travel cot). She won't fit into it for much longer, so she'll have to try something else! She's here 'til Monday... wonderful!

WOYWW

I was asked to make some certificates, by a lady who is the supervisor (or whatever the appropriate title is) of a local Allotment Association, for the winners of a scarecrow competition.

After I had made them, she asked if I could make some card/wallets to put the cash prizes in. I had some certificates which hadn't printed completely (I had arranged the images too close to the margin) and I was able to cannibalise the images and sentiments from these to make the wallets. Waste not, want not and all that!

So this is what is on my workdesk this Wednesday morning.

I won't be donating the £10 note, I just used that to get the size of the card sorted!

This afternoon, my daughter and granddaughter are coming for a few days, as my son-in-law will be working all over the weekend. We can't wait to see Daisy again.

Hop over to Julia's (Link on my sidebar) and go take a shufty at what everyone else is doing this rather dull Wednesday am.

Simply Gorgeous

I must apologise for the rubbish pictures, I can't seem to get the hang of what I'm doing with this new computer. No doubt all will become clear in due course.

This is a first outing for this LOTV stamp, it's just a sweetie isn't it... it reminds me of my daughter when she was little, she loved to dress up in 'clonky shoes' (my high heels).

I used the sketch from Cards and Things, which is really simple, but then that's what I like!

A bit of lace from my sewing box, a few pearls coloured with Copics and a simple stripy background from Fred She Said and the job's done!

I did add a sentiment, which wasn't on the sketch, but I don't suppose anyone will mind.

New Computer

Good morning all!

Yesterday my laptop decided that enough was enough and that it wasn't going to start!

I tried all sorts to no avail. Finally, I took myself off to PC World and bought a new one! Quelle expense!

It's all well and good having a nice new toy, but I don't know how this new one does things, I can't find where or how to do things, it doesn't have any of my old faithful software on it so it's rather like the blind leading the blond. (That typo was a bit of a malaprop there, but it's true nevertheless.)
Most of my files are backed up on an external hard drive, but I've somehow got to find them. To say nothing of reloading the fonts etc that I have acquired over time.
Last night I even forgot that I had already uploaded a card for my DT contribution for My Time to Craft this week, and uploaded another one. Senior moments are arriving thick and fast it seems.
Anyway, do pop over and join in our Butterfly Bliss challenge this week. We'd love to see all your fab creations... and wish me luck with this computer!

Love this Bear

I think that these Pollycraft bear images are such cuties, I find myself using them time and again. Here it is for the challenges from Just Cute Bears, where I used the sketch, together with the chosen colours from Stempeltraume, where the selection was green + 2 other colours, in this case pink and brown.

I used a few new things in this one... my new border embossing folder from the Christmas selection from Papermania and a new large script one from Cuttlebug.

I also used the method of making a straight punched border into a curved one, as in my tutorial here. This time I used a Stampin' Up border punch, but the method was exactly the same.

It was particularly useful for this card, as the sketch demanded a large circle and I had no edging large enough for it. With this method, no shape would be too large, you could just keep adding more lengths of border. Useful huh?

The DP is a freebie download from Fred She Said. There are various shades of several colours... really useful.

LOTV

Here is another sweetie of an image from Lilli of the Valley.

I made the card for the challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches, where in celebration of their First Birthday, any sketch from the past year can be showcased.

This is Sketch #44. I love the simplicity of it!

I'm still struggling with how best to take pictures in my new light tent, I keep trying with flash, without flash, with my daylight lamp and without it, with the front flap of the tent down and with it up. As yet I haven't hit upon a winning foolproof formula! Maybe I need additional lights!

The paper is from Cuddly Buddly and the sentiment is Stampin' Up.

I used my new Promarkers to colour this image and I'm gradually getting used to them, despite being limited in my range of colours.

Get Well Wishes

Don't you just love this image from Lilli of the Valley?

I treated myself recently to two sheets of their stamps, and I think they're just great. For this one I used the sketch from Friday Sketchers and am also including K-Kids from the Alphabet Challenge and Love my Teddy from Teddy Stampers.

The paper is from Cuddly Buddly and I coloured the spotty ribbon with a Promarker from a bunch which I bought cheaply online to try them out. I like them better than I thought I would, but only having about 45 of them I'm a bit limited with shades of colour. I would have had 50, but one set I ordered was out of stock.

My daughter and Daisy should be coming for a few days this week, her husband is going to be very busy up to next weekend, so they thought they'd escape! I probably won't get a lot of card-making done!

Monochromatic

I really think that I'm having rather too many senior moments, for although I posted this card some days ago on the DT blog for One Stop Crafts, I completely forgot about posting on my own blog... what a noodle!

I saw this technique on Stamp TV this week and thought it was so nice I'd just have to have a go.

I began by stamping the (Inkadinkadoo) butterflies on some gently textured cream paper and then heat embossing them with clear powder.

I then chose 3 colours of Distress inks - Old Paper, Tea Dye and Walnut stain and began with the lightest shade and sponged some colour randomly over the paper.

Following the use of the Tea Dye which gives the warmth of colour I used the Walnut stain around the butterflies themselves to make them stand out. After wiping off the excess ink from the butterflies with a paper towel I overprinted the whole thing with a (Hero Arts) French Script stamp.

I really rather like the effect and wanted as much of the design to show, hence the use of just a small embellishment.... Snellen flowers and leaves.

I typed the sentiment on the computer. This is one of the marathon number of cards (13 in fact) which I made for my friend at the beginning of the week.

Do join in with our challenge and show us your fabulous creations!

Aperture card & Border tutorial

For this card I decided to use a Martha Stewart straight sided border punch to make the pretty border around the aperture in my card.

To begin, I punched a length of paper with the border punch, and then cut off the entire strip about 1cm from the punched edge.

Next I snipped from the straight edge, between the inner loops separating each one.

Using the same paper/cardstock, I cut an oval with my Nesties, one size larger than the size needed for the aperture and added adhesive around the under edge.

Now carefully starting to stick the border underneath the oval, (from a position which could be covered with an embellishment should the two ends not meet exactly) overlap each piece so that the outer section remains flat.

Because I wanted to make this an aperture card, I then cut out the centre of the oval with my Nestie and cut the same sized aperture in the front of my card.

By chance the border fitted my oval exactly, but I decided on a little embellishment anyway!

For the image I used a Unity Stamp which I printed twice without re-inking in order to get the shadow effect.

It is for these challenges

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Aperture Creations

Daring Cardmakers - Seeing Silhouettes

Charisma Cardz - Watch the Birdie

I had an idea that there was a shadow challenge somewhere or other but I can't remember where! Senior moments!

I hope the little tutorial was helpful!

Christmas in July

The challenges from No time to Stamp and Paper Cutz this week are both Christmas in July, with the proviso of no red or green at Paper Cutz.

At Stamp Something there's a recipe of 1 DP, 1 Image and 1 Ribbon.

Fussy & Fancy Friday - Christmas in July.

The Corrosive Challenge - Christmastime. So this is for all those.

The stamp is from Papermania and the sentiment is from one of those little cheapy 99p clear sets.

Another simple card and I quite like it!

Silver Anniversary

I'm still playing around with my light tent and I can't quite work out the best thing to do, I only have 1 daylight lamp and don't possess any photographic lights, so it's all a bit of trial and error at the moment.

This card is for some dear friends who will be celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary on my son's birthday in a couple of weeks. It's not the normal sort of card that I would make for a Silver Wedding, but knowing my friends, I think they'll quite like it (I hope).

The challenge at Paperplay is 'Your Number's Up' where a figure should be strongly in evidence, so this is for that! I had a feeling that I had done it for another challenge as well, but that escapes me at present... senior moment and all that!

I think it was ABC's Challenge which this week is You and Me... this is just about right for that!

I must get to the post office with some cards for a hospice fund-raising. I'd better be off!

Water

The challenge from the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week is Water, and I think that Elvis really looks as though he's having a good time splashing in his wellies.

The sketch is from the Papertake Challenge. The papers are a variety of odds and ends in my drawer of printed digi-papers, I think that it's mainly from Cuddly Buddly.

One carload of rubbish from the garage went to the tip this morning, it's surprising how good it feels to get rid of accumulated clutter. The idea is to be able to clear out the loft as we're due to increase the amount of insulation up there. The snag is that it has to be CLEAR, before it can be done... so we have to make room in the garage to accommodate all the stuff from the loft!

Actually there's loads of stuff that has been dumped on us over time by the kids, I think it's about time they had it back!

CAS

Here we go again with another in my preferred style of Clean & Simple. This sketch is from their Challenge Blog this week. I have used the colours of Black, Peach and Pink from Colour Create, although the peach in the butterflies doesn't show up too clearly... I'm still experimenting with my new light tent.

It's for a few other challenges

Pile it On - Favourite Things - Nestabilities & CAS

Creative Card Crew - Die Cuts

Little Red Wagon - Nestabilities

CAS-tastic Challenge

The challenge from CAS-tastic Challenges this week is to use Kraft!

I'm not absolutely sure exactly what colour Kraft is; I don't have any card which is specifically called by that name, so I hope that this approximation will do!

I began with a piece of stripy DP and overstamped it with an SU roller. The border is also from a Stampin' Up punch and the brad is made with a Papermania brad kit. I'm not really sure of the make of the unmounted sentiment stamp, but I love the flamboyancy of it... but overall I think it's clean and simple!

Red White and Blue

Today I seem to have succumbed to a summer cold. I loathe being all drippy! I think I'll go and get my head in some steam.

I have just discovered this challenge site on Val's blog (a fellow DT member at OSCC). It's called CAS-tastic Wednesday Challenge and as the name suggests, the designs are Clean & Simple, which I love!

This week the challenge is a sketch. (Sadly I got the wrong week, the sketch was last week, so I'll have to think again for this week's challenge!)

This card is also for a few other challenges.

Penny Black - Red, White and Blue

Digital Tuesday - Red, White and Blue .The digital elements on this card are the paper.. (Pink Petticoat) and the sentiment.

Charisma Cardz - Watch the birdie

Stamp Something - The colours of your flag! (UK)

I love this bird image, I think he looks really cool!

Cooking it up with Katie

This is the birthday card I made for Julia of WOYWW fame! Today is her birthday, Happy Birthday Julia, and today is the day for the challenge from Cooking it up with Katie, for which this is also my DT card!

Katie has come up with a fab recipe this week, the challenge is...

1. Choose a sketch from another challenge blog

2. Add some yellow

3. Do some stitching (real or faux)

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Meljen's Designs and the DT were lucky enough to be able to use one of Melissa's gorgeous images.

I used the sketch from CCEE Stampers, the twist from that blog is to include a beverage... well the bees are sipping nectar!

I'm not brilliant at stitching paper and neither is my machine, as it keeps stitching even when I've taken my foot off the pedal, so it's faux stitching for me!

There is a whole new bunch of new designers on the team from this week, so do check out the blog and see their fabulous work. We'd love you to come along and join in the fun.

Shaped Easel Card

I couldn't seem to get a decent picture of this project, so I'm afraid I gave up trying. I hope you can see it clearly enough!

Over at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog, the challenge is to make a shaped easel card. I made this Silver Wedding card for some of my friends, from some other of my friends. I've yet to make my own card for them.

The shaped part is made from Nesties, and by the time I had finished decorating the card, I realised that it was too fat for an envelope, so I had to make a box, which I embellished with a heart shaped monogram.

The embossing is with a tiny hearts Cuttlebug folder, the corners are also Cuttlebug (Vintage) and the flower was made with a variety of punches.

Over at the Shabby Tearooms the challenge this week is 'Let's make an impression', and Creative Card Crew's challenge is 'Diecuts' so this is for those challenges too!

I typed the sentiment on the computer.

I hope they like it!

WOYWW

Last week I was staying at my daughter's in Bath for my granddaughter's birthday and so I missed showing you what was going on in my craft room, which obviously was zilch as I wasn't here!

However this week is a different story. My friend, who teaches at a girl's secondary school in Southampton, rang with a request for 13 cards. She is in charge of purchasing greetings cards for fellow staff members from their colleagues. This is the largest number that she has asked for in one go! These are the ones I managed to make yesterday and I hope to complete the rest today.

I have found that the joy of blogging is that you get to 'meet' some really lovely people. However better still is to really meet them face to face. Last week was a case in point. Eileen, or Ikki as many of you may know her, was passing through Southampton once more, and so she and her husband came for dinner. What a wonderful evening we had. This is the second time that we have met outside of the 'virtual world' and it seems like we have been friends for ages!

My desk hasn't been tidied since yesterday's cardmaking session, but I took a break mid afternoon and started playing around trying to make a cupcake. Time will tell whether or not I'm going to be successful. The tin on top of my Copics contains biccies in case I get the munchies mid-project! The card which arrived yesterday was from Victoria, with my latest order of Stampin' Up goodies.

This is my latest acquisition, a light tent ... to try to produce better pictures... this is going to be another of those 'time will tell' purchases.

Anyway do hop over to Julia's and see what everyone else is doing this fine Wednesday!

Clean & Simple

I think that this is my preferred style of card. I keep saying that I get carried away by following sketches and challenges which include everything but the kitchen sink, but somehow I keep on making those cards. However, when push comes to shove, this is what I like!

Simplicity itself!

Clean & Simple - Sketch

No Time to Stamp - Starlight, Starbright

ABC Christmas Challenge - N-Noel

Bah! Humbug! - Less is More

The stars were cut from Quickcutz dies and the sentiment is from Penny Black, embossed with silver embossing powder.

Simples!

Happy Anniversary!

My son and his wife will have been married for 2 years on the 18th of this month. It certainly doesn't seem like two years since their wedding, which took place in Caius College chapel in Cambridge. What a lovely day that was! The only sad part was that his sister didn't manage to make the long journey from Bath with her newborn daughter!

This card fits several challenges.

As it is now Tuesday... I can edit this post to add this info... this is also my DT card for My Time to Craft, where the theme is 'Angelic'. If you've never joined in with any of challenges before, do pop on over and join us. There's great inspiration from the rest of the DT. We'd love to see your creations!

Just Us Girls - Sketch

Crazy 4 challenges - 2 or more Ribbons

Crafty Cardmakers - Inky Fingers (The background has been stamped and covered with a Perfect Pearls Mist in Interference Green)

If the Shoe Fits - Spread Your Wings

Alphabet Challenge - J - Jewels (I used pearls)

With my grandaughter's birthday celebrations this past week I have been back and forth to Bath so many times I've hardly done any crafting! Let's hope this week will be a little more productive!

An apple for the teacher

This is a card for my friend's son to give to his teacher.

The information which I was given were the names of the teacher and the class. The rest was up to me.

I chose red for the Ruby birthstone challenge at Daring Cardmakers combined with a gingham pattern for Simon Says Stamp's Check it out challenge! I decided to do the old faithful apple and books. I didn't have a book image large enough for this A5 format. So I drew the pile of books using the shapes in MS Word. I think it looks quite like a pile of books! Whilst I was at it I did the sentiments too!

The rest is kinda straightforward... Cuddly Buddly paper and Cuttlebug corners.

Zoo Visit

Have you missed me this week?

I've been in Bath for my granddaughter's birthday, which was on Tuesday.

We had a wonderful day at Bristol Zoo. She loved the fish best of all, I think they were the most active creatures in the heat of the day and she was obviously more interested in things which moved!

I took this picture of my daughter and Daisy, but hadn't read the caption 'til now. I don't think Libby would be pleased to be described as a 'Hairy Woman'. I also just noticed that they were actually peeking out of the wrong holes... never mind, a fun day was had by all and Daisy was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow!