Brand Spanking New

Almost the end of the year and here's a last challenge from My Time to Craft. This time we're thinking of something new to come. I chose to make a birth congratulations card using this cute image from Stampin' Up. We'd love you to join in with the challenge... you could choose New Year, New Home, New Baby, New Job...whatever!
I'm sorry that I'm a day late posting this, but I've been spending Christmas with our daughter and only returned home today! We had a wonderful time with our rather spoiled granddaughter, but she was a delight the whole time!
Now it's time to prepare for our New Year celebrations!

Brand New

Having looked in my box of cards which I sell at my choir, I realised that there are several categories which are in need of replenishment, birth congratulations being among them. So I dug out this favourite LOTV stamp to redress the balance. The paper is from Cuddly Buddly and the stars are from from Quickutz dies which I've had for quite a while. The border is from Martha Stewart and the sentiment an old Hampton Art stamp which I bought second hand on eBay some considerable time ago. I love the wording!
Today I'll be going to pick up the turkey, it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Oldie but Goodie - Use a Star
Inspirational Card Sketches - Sketch 95

WOYWW 81

This is how my desk was left last night.
During the day Mr Postman brought me part of my latest Stampin' Up order, so I had to have a little play. The card on the left is what emerged. On the desk you can see a box of Stampin' Up clear buttons, which were a prize once, but I wasn't sure how best to use them.Then  I came up with the idea of using a piece of double sided tape underneath the button and adding some card or paper from those used on the card. I think it looks great.

These cards were also amongst the day's efforts.
I had made the split negative card on my previous post and the one on the right is what I made with the other pair of halved stamped images.
The card with the 30 on is for my daughter's 30th birthday which is on the 28th!
I think I managed to visit everyone last week and received lots of lovely comments from other WOYWWers. Jump over to Julia's to see what other people have on their desks.
Happy Christmas wherever you are!

Split Negative

It's been a while since I used this technique and when I was reminded of it on Stamp TV I decided to have another go.
The image is from Stampin' Up and I embossed two images one on white in pink and one on pink in white. I then cut the images in half and joined each half to its opposite colour. (I haven't finished the card which I made with the other two pieces yet.) Having stuck the two pieces together,  I then stamped the body of the butterfly and cut it out with a Nestie.
The background is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and lightly inked in white. The trim is from a Fiskars 'Lace' border punch.
Card Patterns  - Sketch 95

Cupcakes Creations Colour Challenge  Bright Pink, Grey and Black
Pals Paper Arts - Get your lace in place (mine is paper lace as my genuine black lace was too broad for this card)

Santa baby

It seems that nearly all my Christmas cards for this year are now complete, although some which I usually deliver in person haven't yet reached their destination... the snow being the main culprit. I'm hoping that this situation will be rectified later today however!
We had rain yesterday which fortunately shifted most of the snow. This morning I awoke to a rather chilly house, only to find that the boiler needed resetting. I hope that wasn't the harbinger of forthcoming problems with the heating!
This card is for the challenge at My Time To Craft, where the theme this week is Santa Baby! We will be continuing with challenges all over the holiday period so if the need to escape to the sanity of your craft room arises, do hop over and join in with them, we'd love to see your creations!
Clean and Simple seems to be grabbing me by the throat and I seem to find it really hard now to add loads of layers and embellishments to cards.
This image is from an old Dovecraft stamp and I think it's kinda cute.
If someone sent me this card I think it would make me smile and after all that's what Christmas is all about isn't it!
Stampin for the weekend - Christmas
Have a good one!

Merry Christmas

I love simple sketches, as regular visitors to my blog will know, so this one from CPS appealed immediately.
Here I have used a Cuddly Buddly digi paper and Cuttlebug die-cut trees  which I overstamped with a Tim Holtz Paisly stamp in gold. I  added a Stampin' Up sentiment on the lower panel which I edged with a SU border punch. Clean & Simple!
I haven't been out of the house for a few days, but my husband, who is the grocery shopper in our partnership, ensures that we always have enough food in the house to withstand a lengthy siege! We haven't run out of anything as yet and today there seems to be a bit of a thaw so all hopefully will be well.
Just US Girls - Light Blue, White & Green
Allsorts - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
Spoonful of Sugar - Christmas Card
Fresh Brewed - Merry Christmas
Fab 'n Funky - Quick and Easy does it
Just Hanna - Just a little Christmas
ABC Christmas Challenge - Z - Zero time left!
CES Challenge - Anything Goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas
2 Sisters Challenge - Christmas
Craft Your Days Away - Punch it out
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Tree mendous!

Clean and Simple FTL 121

I'm not too pleased with the positioning of the elements on this card which uses Sketch 121 from Clean & Simple. The whole thing is too high, but once I had put on the first part with my mighty ATG gun there's no way I could move it anywhere. If I'd used a little glue from a glue stick over it I could have done a little manoeuvring, maybe I'll do another!
The one thing which I thought was a good idea was to use a piece of DST added to the back of a clear SU button and then a circle of DP making it into a co-ordinating embellishment!

Do you believe in fairies?

Today over at One Stop Card Crafts there is a sketch to follow with the theme of 'Fairies', set by my teamie Val! The sponsor this week is Robyn's Fetish with goodies to be donated to the winning entry. The only other small stipulation is the use of a charm.
I'm afraid that this picture looks a little pale, I may try again later.
The papers are digis from Cuddly Buddly and the image is by Robyn's Fetish. The flowers are from a Woodware punch and the sentiment is SU.
It started snowing here about half an hour ago, so I imagine that the proposed visit from my son this weekend will be off. It's a three hour drive on a good day, so it would be foolish to attempt it when it's snowing. It's a shame as he was supposedly bringing Christmas gifts for the family.... but they can wait, his safety is more important.!
Alphabet Challenge H - Hats (It's actually a flower but it's being used as a hat!)

OLW 33

I think I'm quietly going bananas!
I have 'misplaced' 2 carrying sheets for clear stamps, one Artemio, one Papermania. The stamps which I have used are still on the acrylic blocks but the rest of the sets are nowhere to be seen. How can things as large as that simply disappear?
These stamps are from the Papermania set.
I simply stamped the lamp and gently coloured the pattern in warm yellow afterwards, although it's so subtle you can scarcely tell.
The theme from One Layer Wednesday 33 is Home Decor, either stamps or using your actual home for inspiration. This could be seen as both!
I really love this type of card and seem to be making more and more of them!
PS
You may be happy to read that I have now found that which was lost... one set had been put away incomplete and the other was in a stack of offcuts of card!

Winter

For the past two evenings we have been singing carols in the Nativites in the Victorian farmyard at Manor Farm. Little ones can come and see Mary and Joseph with the (real) donkey going from house to granary looking for somewhere to stay. There are shepherds with real sheep, and having walked around the farmyard for each part of the story they end up at the stable complete with cattle for the final tableau.
It is always cold, but last night there was a heavy snow flurry, with huge flakes which fortunately didn't settle.
So here is a wintry card, the snowflakes by courtesy of Tim Holtz, heat embossed with clear embossing powder, then inked with Bashful Blue and Almost Amethyst inks from SU. The edges were stamped with a few additional snowflakes in the blue shade.
The sentiment was computer generated  for the mother of one of my friends.
This week has been quite hectic. Today we have another rehearsal for a concert this evening of a local sixth form college whose choir we are joining to add a little support.
Tomorrow we can relax a little!
Dutch Dare Challenge - Winter
Kaboodle Doodles - Clean and Simple Christmas

WOYWW 80

Last week when I wrote of the early hour at which I was writing my post, I was amazed by the number of people who commented about being awake at silly o'clock too. Maybe we should form a club!
This week I am similarly awake!
The postman brought a few supplies yesterday. I have misplaced my anti-static bag and so I ordered a new one (I'll probably find the old one now) and I couldn't just get one thing could I? So I bought the evening bag stamps as well which were on sale at Joanna Sheen. I also treated myself to a few Tim Holtz stamps and Fragments from Cuddly Buddly.
The sharp eyed amongst you have probably spotted the Christmas Pud which I have just knitted for my granddaughter Daisy.

I don't quite know what she'll do with it, but she is becoming more imaginative in her play so maybe she'll use it in her kitchen, or perhaps she'll just use it as a ball!



Today is our 37th Wedding Anniversary and this is the card I have made for Phil.

We will be going out for lunch to celebrate and this afternoon I have a hair appointment.
I think I managed to visit just about everyone last week and was delighted to receive so many comments from fellow WOYWWers, thank you all!
If you 'd like to know what other workdesks around the world look like, check out Julia's blog and have yourself a good old snoop.

Winter Whites

Here's the card I made for our friends' Anniversary... we'll be picked up shortly to go for lunch with them and I haven't even had my shower yet, I'd better get my skates on.

The image and sentiment are from Stampin' Up, simply heat embossed in and mounted on silver.

Clean & Simple!

The Challenge at Pals Paper Arts is Winter White.

Their Anniversary is in winter and the card is white! There you go.... and so must I!

Driving by!

At Cards for Men this week the there is a Blog Hop with a Christmas theme, to celebrate their first year.
This is my submission. An interactive card made using Stampin' Up stamps. By pulling the tab, the truck drives along to deliver the tree. The houses were stamped using part of Stampin' Up's 'Neighbourhood' Stampin' Around Wheel. Yet again it's Clean and Simple, but that's what I like!
Now I need to make an Anniversary card for some friends with whom we'll be having lunch today. It's our anniversary tomorrow and theirs two days later. We have celebrated our anniversaries together for the past 25 years or thereabouts. They're a bit ahead of us however, having already celebrated their Golden Wedding, whereas tomorrow it will be 37 years for us!

Around the World Tour

The theme this week at My Time to Craft is 'Around the World Tour', which should give you plenty of scope... it had me puzzled for a while however, as I wasn't sure how I was going to interpret it. Finally I  decided to use this freebie stamp from a past issue of  Craft Stamper magazine. I'm not sure what the message on it says, hence I haven't added a sentiment, so as not to conflict with whatever it says! (that's my excuse anyway)
It's coloured with Copics and the beautiful die-cut is from a Cuttlebug die. I don't use this particular one terribly often, but when I do I feel that it has great impact.
DO join in with the challenge, we'd love to see your creations!

A card for Daisy

It seems ages since I was able to make a card for any challenges, I've been desperately trying to get cards made to send out to family and friends and for the most part I like to send the same card to each recipient, so I've had a bit of a production line going.
This one is 'one of a kind' however, as it's for my granddaughter Daisy who is to be an angel in her Nursery Nativity. It's quite a promotion from the corralled sheep from last year, where she spent most of her time rubbing her painted black nose off!
This last weekend was really busy. We sang in a Carol Concert of my choir on Saturday night and yesterday together with a group of friends (all singers) we entertained by singing carols at the Christmas Market of a local Victorian Farm in the Upper Hamble Country Park. I cooked lunch for everyone afterwards and we all had a great time, but I was a trifle tired by the evening.
Papertake - Red and Green must not be seen
Christmas Card Challenges - Angels
Alphabet Challenge - G - Glitter
Allsorts - Last minute Christmas Projects
Simon Says Stamp -  Christmas but NO red or green
Craft Your Days Away - Punch it out
Stamp Scrap and Doodle - Monochromatic
The Character Cafe - Glitter, Glitter, Glitter
Prairie Fairies - Use a Star

WOYWW 79

I seem to have got into the habit of waking really early...at  silly o'clock, today being no exception. It's now 4.40am! When I was working, I would worry that I should be asleep at that hour, knowing I'd be really tired during the day. Now that I'm retired, I don't care... if I'm awake I usually do something...  read, watch tv, make a card or as just now, take pictures of my work desk, instead of lying worrying that I ought to be asleep.

Here's the clutter I left last night. I had been making some gift card wallets and voucher holders for my daughter to use for some of her Christmas gifts. It started at three and has now risen to four. I just got out a store card to use as a size guide and started playing around until I came up with something which worked.

I quite enjoyed messing around doing this kind of thing. Once I'd made the first one, I decided to make a box to put it in.
I've got two done and so... two to go!
Do you remember the pelmet I recovered for my daughter a few weeks ago? I had some bits of fabric left over and so I fiddled around the other day and made this cushion for Daisy's bedroom. I'm taking it to her tomorrow as a surprise... she's not a regular reader of my blog, so it'll still be a surprise!

It's only my second attempt at patchwork and it took me a while to work out how to attach the quilting foot on my sewing machine.  I'm going to have to take that back to the repairers as it sometimes continues to sew after I've taken my foot off the pedal.
Some folks seem to be showing off their Christmas trees this week, you can see mine on this post  here.
Have a great Wednesday and pop over to Julia's, the queen of all the snoopers and share in the fun of seeing the workdesks of the world!

Christmas Foliage

I have had a few problems with trying to make my ideas work out recently, lots of stuff has ended either in the bin or lying around unfinished. I did just about manage to get this one done however. It's just as well as it's my DT card for the Creative Card Crew Challenge this week, sponsored by One Stop Card Crafts and Doodle Pantry. Check out the challenge blog for great prize details. This is to be my last card on that team as I have decided to step down.
I made the backing paper using a Rollagraph Tiny Leaves wheel with SU Mellow Moss ink. The image is from Artemio, which I partly inked with Stazon Olive Green, leaving the cone to be inked with Versafine.
After stamping I embossed the cone detail with gold embossing powder. When it had been die-cut, I sponged it with Mellow Moss ink, whilst still in the die to leave a white border.
The sentiment is part of a Papermania clear stamp which I chopped up and the panel is edged with a Martha Stewart border punch. I punched out a couple of ribbon slits so that the ribbon could be threaded behind the sentiment. I tied the ribbon using my bowmaker but tying the last wrap around the flat piece of ribbon which I had already attached to the card, making it look as though it is an actual fastening!
I love this image and I think that the sentiment style suits it quite well!
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Make your own backing paper
Crafty Catz - Happy New Year
Alphabet Challenge - Foliage

Reindeer Greetings

The more I do it, the more I like it... Clean and Simple that is!
A card couldn't be much simpler than this... One image and one sentiment that's it. Both are from Penny Black and both have been heat embossed in gold.
I like how the sweep of the 'l' in the sentiment echoes the shape of the reindeer's front legs. This lovely stamp was one of my acquisitions from the NEC recently.
It's my DT card for My Time to Craft  this week where the challenge is Reindeer Greetings.
It's great that the snow has disappeared, it's lovely to look at but causes such problems. Some friends had a car crash into their garage wall while they were in bed in the room above. It has had to be propped up and needs to be repaired very soon., They were lucky that the whole building didn't collapse. Some other neighbours around the corner have had their front garden wall smashed down by another car out of control on the slippery roads. My neighbour opposite, (the one on the right of the two houses on my snowy day picture a few posts back) lost traction on his drive and his new BMW slid along his fence leaving a long scratch down the side of the car.
Penny Black - Stamp on any colour but white
One Layer Wednesday - What first inspired you in stamping... Heat embossing! What magic!

Deck the Halls

I really do love simple stuff.
Here we have a fab Penny Black wreath stamp embossed in gold on red cardstock. The sentiment is also from Penny Black and has been treated in a similar manner. The main image has also been dry embossed with a random dots folder and the edge of the sentiment panel punched with my Fiskars Upper Crest border punch.
I thought that a cream card blank complemented the colours in preference to white and so with that the card was completed.
Yesterday we received a snippet of video of our granddaughter decorating their Christmas tree, she was really intent on doing it and a small section of the tree was adorned beautifully! I reckon she did really well for a two year old.!
Penny Black - Stamp on any colour but white
Keep it Simple - Deck The Halls
Christmas Card Challenges - Monochromatic
Caardvarks - Monochromatic
Corrosive Challenge - Red & White
Let's Ink it Up -  Christmas Sparkle
Craft Your Days Away - Texture (Heat and dry Embossing)
Stamp Something - Christmas colour combo (red & gold)
Paper Play - Monochromatic
Southern Girls - Anything using heat

Winter trees

I'm so grateful to the lovely Julia in her Stamping Ground for introducing me to the fabulous clear stamp set from Artemio from which this tree image originates. Here I've used it for the sketch challenge 119  from Clean and Simple.
I sponged Stampin' Up inks in Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss and Almost Amethyst for the background and then stamped the trees in 3 shades of green. Mellow Moss for the distance, then Bundled Sage Distress ink and finally first and second impressions using Stazon Olive Green for the foreground.
The buckle is from a Spellbinder die using dull silver card further distressed with Stazon Stone Grey ink.

Raise the bar - Trees

Secret Crafter - Christmas

Alphabet Challenge - F Foliage

Ooh La La - Christmas Song inspiration - O Tannenbaum (Oh Christmas Tree)

Speaking of winter trees, here's mine.
It has come out for the 35th year, having been used every year since my husband arrived home with it on the top of the car when we were living in Virginia in 1976. I think that's probably quite ecologically 'green'.

For some years I have been collecting Christmas decorations from various places around the world which also come out each Christmas and remind us of the wonderful holidays we have spent. I try to write the place and year of their purchase somewhere on them as my memory isn't as good as it might be.
Here's an angel from Barbados in 2008...

and some snowshoes from Quebec City in Canada in 2006.
Our latest acquisition is this cut-out wooden candle from New Zealand, made from from Kauri Wood which had been  buried for 45,000 years. We bought this one on our trip earlier this year.
Pretty amazing!

We have heaps more, but I won't bore you with them now. I just find it really nostalgic when I get out the tree each year... and remember!

Anyone for coffee?

A friend asked me to make a card for her to give to one of her friends and this pastime is something which they loved to spend time doing! It's perfect for the challenge this week at One Stop Card Crafts, where the theme is tea or coffee. The DT have made some stunning examples, so do join in the fun and show us your creations.
The image and main sentiment are from Unity Stamps and always leave a superb print. The lettering is from Cuttlebug's Typewriter alphabet dies and the birthday sentiment is from a  Stampin' Up set.
Happily, after last night's rain the snow is disappearing, so it should be fine for my husband's trip to the supermarket to do the grocery shopping... he enjoys doing it (honestly), so that's one less job for me. Maybe I should make some cards... I still need to write our annual Christmas letter to include with our Christmas cards. It's all go isn't it!

Winter Wonderland

I thought I'd share a few pictures of our garden yesterday.
Here are two from back bedroom windows.

The last one is taken through the sitting room front window of the view across the road.
It's great when there's no pressure to get anywhere and I can just enjoy looking the beauty of the snowy scenes.
My son spun his car yesterday on the way to the surgery which is in a village near the Norfolk border. Fortunately, some chaps were able to push him off the grass verge where he ended up and send him on his way with no damage done!

Stay warm and safe!

A few more clothes for Miss Mouse

Well Miss Mouse is now nearly done!
She needs whiskers but I don't know what to use to make them. Maybe fishing line? Then I'd have to secure them firmly, so I'll keep thinking about that one.
I made the shirt and trousers by adapting a 30 year old action man pattern. The pullover I just made up as I went along. It's actually my second attempt as I didn't allow enough space to put the neckband in, so I just started again and  made the top part longer.
The shoes were also just made up as I went along. I was quite pleased how it all turned out.
She's standing all by herself... clever isn't she!
I spent last night sorting out my sewing box in an attempt to find my transparent poppers (press studs). I have thrown out a waste basketful of  rubbish and feel really pleased that I actually found what I was looking for a the bottom of the box.
You can't actually see her tail in this picture, maybe I'll take another so you can see that too.
Let's hope Daisy likes her!

WOYWW 77

Just a quickie today.
Here you see my photographic studio amongst the mess of my desk.
I was away for a long weekend at my son's and haven't really got into the swing of things since returning.
Yesterday was spent making a 'Miss Mouse' for my granddaughter Daisy. She loves the programme Show Me, Show Me, on CBeebies and my daughter thought Daisy would love this one of the characters from the show.
I managed to find a pattern to knit a mouse so now I have to dress her.
I used an old pattern for an action man suit which I'd made for my son years ago to make the trousers. I need  to make a shirt and a tank top. I'm going to try to use the Action man pattern for the shirt but if anyone has a knitting pattern for a little V necked sleeveless tank top, I'd love to share it! Miss Mouse is about 9ins tall.
I need to put the popper on the trousers, they're just secured with a pin at the moment.
How do you secure whiskers so that they can't be pulled out?

I hope that Daisy will like it when I've finished!
Pop over to Julia's  to join in the worldwide snoop!
Stay warm and take care in the cold weather.

Vintage Joy at Christmas

We have just spent a long weekend at our son's in Bury St Edmunds and we had a lovely, if very cold time! It wasn't cold in his lovely little bungalow however, but outside it was decidedly parky!
We went to the Christmas Market, which was bustling and I just had to pay a visit to the Stamp Hut, where I bought a few bits and bobs. Among other things, I bought some embossing paste so I'll be having a try out with that soon.
On Saturday evening we went to a concert of Christmas Music in which David was singing and that was great fun. It was just a pity that our DIL Nina couldn't be there, but she has been down at her mother's this week visiting the hospital whilst her mum had a hip replacement operation. All is well there, her mum is home and Nina is now back in Bury.
On to this card... another week and the challenge from My Time to Craft has come round again. The theme this week is Vintage. I chose a Vintage image from Stampn' Up, but decided not to do any distressing.
The sentiment is also from the same SU set. The navy, starry paper is a digi, but I can't remember the source.
I have had real difficulty in getting my mojo up and running since returning home, I just hope inspiration strikes soon.
Christmas Card Challenges - Sketch
Keep it Simple - Joy
Crafty Catz - Christmas
Allsorts - Monochrome
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes

An Award from Lyn and Diane

I was lucky enough to be given this award twice, once from Spyder (Lyn) and once from Diane, thank you so much ladies. So I think I'll combine the two together and comply with the terms of the award just once. For this I have to tell you 8 things about myself and then pass the award on to 8 other bloggers.
Here goes.

1. I passed A Level Art
2. I just visited my first form teacher from my grammar school who first taught me in 1956, she remembered so many things it truly astonished me and she still doesn't need to wear glasses!!
3. I wear varifocal specs.
4. I am intensely proud of my family.
5. My husband buys me roses every week.
6. I love cruising holidays.
7. My son is a doctor.
8. My daughter gained a 1st class honours degree at university

So now I need to pass it on to 8 other bloggers, so in no particular order I would like to give it to Val, Mandi,  Anne,  Lorraine, Paula, Sylvie, Anne, and Cardarian.

One Layer Wednesday 30

The challenge at One Layer Wednesday this week is to take inspiration from this site. The card I chose to emulate is this one.

I used a clear stamp from Papermania, which had a little sentiment underneath, which I decided to cut off and used a different sentiment (but also Papermania) instead.
Three reindeer, simply stamped with Olive Green Stazon.

We are going to see my BIL today and then on to see our son, who will be singing in a concert with his new choir this weekend. Should be fun!
I'd better get ready.

WOYWW

A bit messy today, on my desk you can see my old ice cream tub into which I throw my dirty stamps to await cleaning. Beside it you can see my new Stampin' Up set which arrived yesterday and I have been trying to make some cards for chaps... always a tricky proposition I find.

Here are a couple of them. The set is called Studio Sketches and I think they're great.

The other thing I thought I would show you is a really useful box which I use to keep my sets of clear stamps in.
It has a flap at one end so that I can get out a set without taking the whole box out of the cupboard.





My daughter-in-law is coming over at lunchtime today. She is staying for a week down in Worthing at her mother's, who had a second hip replacement operation  the day before yesterday. All seems to be OK at the moment. So Nina is going to pop over to see us and also visit a rather fine lingerie shop not far from here.
Pop over to Julia's the WOYWW Queen and see the work desks of the world. The link is on my sidebar.

A Treat for Daisy

Here we have a treat bag filled with Reindeer Drop(ping)s... a little treat for my Granddaughter Daisy!
She loves chocolate and like her mother, can sniff it out from 50 paces. This is a little something for her Christmas stocking.
The bag is made from a cello' card bag and the tag is made from Nesties Labels 17. The tree is from an All Night Media stamp and the reindeer is a digi from the Little Paper Shop.
The sentiment is from a very old cheapy set of clear stamps which were about 99p, sadly I don't remember the make.
The Challenge over at the Creative Card Crew is for a treat bag or box, so do join in the fun and show us your creations, we'd love to see them.
Have A CREATIVE DAY!