And the weekend needs to start with a chuckle - stand by for the Friday Funny!

Hello readers

Sorry I've been AWOL most of this week, HONEST I've had a good reason ...... I've had a problem with my shoulder ...... went to physio!!! I normally feel like I've done ten rounds with Henry Cooper (and LOST!) the first 24 hours but this was something new - and NOT VERY NICE AT ALL! Not to be recommended. The nett result was that I've not felt able or up to hitting the table of craftiness so - no cards, ATC's or other projects to share with you and no What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday this week either, in fact I've done no crafting since Sunday morning!! YIKES - you KNOW I must be poorly! However, I AM feeling significantly better today and plan to rectify the crafting drought asap! Watch out for the possibility of a second post later, albeit much later as hubby is updating my internet browser and e-mail system so I've had to borrow his 'puter to post this!

In the meantime this weeks Friday Funny, I got it off Pat, thanks Pat!!! It came to me in a e-mail entitled "COUNCIL RECLINERS! .... ENJOY!

Home Depot (B&Q) is having a sale on Council Recliners. I got curious about this item, so I went to find out what a Council Recliner was... Guess what?

Turns out that I've had one in the shed for years!


Just hadn't figured out how to use it properly...

Have a great Friday and a super weekend

Morning and welcome to the extension of the weekend!!

Happy Spring Bank Holiday (UK) and Memorial Day (U.S.) and any other public holidays celebrated in other countries.

Hope you are enjoying your extended weekend. We've had lovely weather here in Bristol. Though Friday was windy Saturday fabulous and it was ALMOST warm enough for a BBQ - would've been but for that pesky wind chill factor!! Ah well - there may yet be a chance! We could certainly have had one yesterday as it was GLORIOUS but we were out .... read on!

Yesterday we were invited to join our surrogate family in celebrating the Christening of young Zac, who's now close on eight months old and is very tall and strong for his age (so I'm told, what I know about babies goes on the back of a postage stamp!!!). The Christening was held at our local Church and followed by a reception right across the village green in the old school rooms, now converted in to a tea shop which had been hired for the afternoon. Guess it's lucky they're not open on Sundays as it was extremely convenient and most of the attendees were able to walk - parking for the Church is at a bit of a premium so that was a double dose of handy! Lots of food and nibbles and a selection of drinks alcoholic, soft drinks, tea, coffee etc - we were well catered for. Then it was back to the home of the proud parents so the kids could let off a little steam in the trampoline, including Zac!!! By the time we walked home (sadly, uphill most of the way) we were "glowing" up a storm!! A lovely day and thanks to the surrogates for the invitation to share this family occasion.


Here's the boy of the day, with his uncle!



And the family group, in the Church.

Why am I sharing this with you all? Well, naturally, I thought about a Christening card and (also naturally) I had no clue about what's an acceptable Christening card format ...... so, without further ado, I'd like to share what I came up with .....

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, scallop edged card (300 gsm) and matching sized envelope
• Fizzy Moon image and sentiment stamped on to white card (another off cut, I'm pleased to say) using Memento tuxedo black. I cut the image to almost square and the sentiment in to a flag/banner end)
• Alcohol markers and Copic Atyou Spica glitter pens to colour image
• Blue card and Royal Blue holographic card for matting and layering. OK the blue card was a new piece, part of a birthday gift - thanks Jenny - but the holographic card was started for the card I posted yesterday.
• I generated the insert using my computer and stamped the Fizzy Moon image on the insert and envelope, to co-ordinate

Happy Monday peeps - enjoy the Bank Holiday

Sunday and some new challenges.......

Hi there

Time for a new challenge over on the Hobbycutz challenge blog, this week it's number #7 and the turn of fellow teamie, Gaelle, she's selected flowers/roses as her theme. Our sponsor this challenge is Robyns Fetish



Don't forget that you do not HAVE to use a Hobbycutz die cut in order to enter this fortnightly challenge but that there ARE additional prizes for those who do.

Here's my project for the challenge - NOT a card, just for a change!:

Materials used:

• Manila tag, coloured with Distress Inks: mustard seed, ripe persimmon, fired brick, black soot
• Water flicked from fingers, allowed to develop before blotting with paper towel
• Kaisercraft grungy background and arty images stamped using Memento rich cocoa and tuxedo black
• Paper Artsy flower and leaf images (used with co-ordinating dies) stamped three times on to cream card before assembling in to flower and dabbing with the ripe persimmon
• Tsukineko Gold Shimmer Spritz sprayed over the flower image
• Hobbycutz foliage die cut (S0068) dabbed with Indigo Blu "flitter Glue" before liberally sprinkling with Crystal glamour dust
• Iridescent beads fill the flower centre, held in place with glossy accents

I hope you will find both the time and inspiration to enter this challenge - good luck

I've also managed an entry for the HUMOUR challenge over on the Simply Less Is More blog, it also fits the Addicted to CAS current challenge - BIRTHDAY - how handy is that?

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300 gsm scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• Art Impressions image and sentiment, both stamped on to white card off cuts using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Alcohol markers to colour
• Scallop edged rectangle and matting layer for sentiment cut from white card offcut and coloured using an LV1 spectrum noir marker
• Kaisercraft "Arty" image stamped on to coloured rectangle using Memento grape jelly ink

Have a great Sunday and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend.

Another post? Blimey - HOW keen?!?!??!?

Must stop doing this - two posts in one day, thought I'd cured myself but ..... apparently not!

It's RUDOLPH DAY all over blogland today and I'm back with a card which fits two challenges .... first challenge is the Craft Mad and Loving It challenge which has a BINGO card (see my earlier post here) - I went with the top line which meant I had to use a "maiden" (previously un-inked stamp), glitter, a die cut shape and snow! The second is the May embellishment challenge over on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown blog which meant I also had to use BAKERS TWINE - no problem!!! I'm not sure whether the lovely peeps over at CASology will allow this card as an entry to their ROYAL challenge - but I'm sur ethey'll let me know if not .....

Materials used:

• 14cm square, white, 300 gsm scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square ROYAL blue holographic card with narrow black card border
• Turquoise pearlised card die cut in to a scalloped rectangle
• Craft Stamper free snowflake image stamped on to die cut circle using Memento Paris dusk ink
• Slightly larger die cut circle cut from white card and then coloured with a co-ordinating pro marker
• Two lengths of blue/white bakers twine knotted in the centre
• Simply sentiments #155 sentiment stamped on to white card using memento tuxedo black and frame stamped using memento Paris dusk - cut out
• Modelling past applied to framed sentiment using a small plastic spatula (to simulate snow settled) and then crystal glamour dust liberally sprinkled before setting aside to dry
• Crystal stickles used to highlight the snowflake too

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday - after all, it's ALMOST warm enough to BBQ!!!!

Morning and welcome to Saturday - challenge day!!!

Morning,

Ever had one of those days that don't go as planned but actually turn out better than expected? Yesterday was just such a day ..... I rang my pal, Liz, to make sure it was convenient to nip over and visit - she had her hip replaced a smidge over a week ago and we wanted to make sure she was doing well ..... which she absolutely IS, thank goodness. Well, she and I were chatting and the hubby's went off to look at the gremlin's on their computer ...... the time just disappeared! It got to 18:00 and Liz had a bright idea and we shared an impromptu Chinese meal instead of our original plan of heading to Tesco's on our way home - a re-SULT!

It's a Bank Holiday weekend (Memorial Day weekend in the U.S.) and, rather surprisingly, it's NOT raining!! YAY! However, the local motorway network is already turning in to a parking lot so we're mightily glad not to be heading north, south, east or west today and will get some chores done instead!! There's still the shopping to do, after all!

And here are some of the challenges I might like to have a go at over the weekend instead of sitting in a traffic jam!:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - USE BAKERS TWINE

Simply Less Is More - HUMOUR

Pink Gem challenge - BRING ON THE SUNSHINE
Craftbubble group Craft Mad and Loving It's Rudolph Day challenge - pick a line of FOUR

Aunty's Forum's Rudolph Day challenge - TWINKLY SANTA and/or SKETCH

Rudolph Day - Aunty's forum

And now, here's my card for the Aunty's Rudolph Day challenge ... I should point out that the only NEW piece of card in this project was the white card the image was stamped on - ALL of the rest were off cuts - I'm so happy to be using scraps up!

Materials used:

• 14cm square, 300 gsm white, scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• Black card for matting
• Kanban white/foiled card from a QVC kit - YEARS ago!
• Red/white spot and striped paper - freebie with a magazine - at least two Christmas' ago!
• Red/green patterned dot paper - leftovers from a class I took - well, the shop's been closed for about five years! Hoarder? Me? What CAN you mean!!!
• Inkadinkado Santa image stamped on to white card and die cut in to a circle
• Alcohol markers to colour image
• Crystal stickles and Copic Atyou Spica glitter pens to highlight and add twinkle
• Gold card (recycled packaging liner from a Christmas gift of whisky!)

Now Sarn at Stamping for Pleasure also has a Rudolph Day challenge which doesn't apepar to have a specific theme so I plan to enter my card for that too.

Have a fab Saturday and a great holiday weekend .... I MAY be back later if I get the chance to complete some more projects!

And welcome to the start of another weekend ...... and, of course, the Friday Funny!

Hi there readers,

Morning has dawned and it's a dull, grey and VERY windy day here today - I hope some of you may have warmer and/or sunnier days where you are. I have a pal going to the Chelsea Flower Show today and am really hoping it doesn't rain on them and spoil their day.

I sent of my materials to my Isle of Skye trading card buddy yesterday and thought you might want to see what I made with my own collection of materials .... well, do you?

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Neon pink card run through my big shot inside a lizard skin embossing folder
• Neon yellow and green card die cut using my Dienamics chevrons
• Close to my Heart image stamped on to white card using Versafine onyx black ink and then cut out close
• Close to my Heart sentiment stamped on the green chevron using Versafine onyx black ink

I often find myself wondering what Pam will make of them when she opens the envelope and sees her challenge. I know I often think "Oh My Gosh, what AM I going to do with this little lot?" when I open her envelope but the fact that we often send materials the recipient wouldn't necessarily choose to use themselves is what continues to make our swaps so much more interesting than simply opening and envelope and receiving an ATC, which is great, but this is more FUN! Well I think so anyway. GOOD LUCK PAM!

In case you can't remember what I sent yesterday!

And now, I guess some of you are curious about this week's Friday Funny? This week it's come courtesy of Marsha Tovar - thanks Marsha. It came to me in an e-mail entitled "Husband down in Aisle 5" - ENJOY

A husband and wife are shopping in their local supermarket. The husband picks up a case of Budweiser and puts it in their cart.

"What do you think you're doing?" asks the wife.

"They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans" he replies.

"Put them back, we can't afford them" demands the wife, they carry on shopping.

A few aisles farther on, the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket.

"What do you think you're doing?" asks the husband.

"It's my face cream. It makes me look beautiful," replies the wife.

Her husband retorts: "So does 24 cans of Budweiser and it's half the price."

That'll be him on Aisle 5 then!!!!   . . . . . . . .

It's my sister-in-law's birthday over the weekend so here are my best wishes to her for a great birthday - hope the card's arrived!

And don't forget that you still have 24 hours to enter the challenge over on the Hobbycutz blog and you don't even have to use a Hobbycutz die to enter!!

Have a great Friday and a fabulous weekend - hope to see you back real soon

Welcome to Thursday - hope it's a good one!

Morning folks,

Yesterday I showed some materials received from my trading card buddy on the Isle of Skye and it was my task to turn them in to an ATC to return to Pam ..... some of you may be interested to see what I turned them in to .....

ADDITIONAL Materials used:

• Off cut of pink-y beige glitter card
• Martha Stewart edging punch (from a PATP set)
• cArt-us bumble bee stamped once on to the tag and a second time on to yellow card and cut out (so I didn't have to fiddle with cutting around the legs and antenna!)
• Crop-a-dile to punch a small hole in the russet card layer and then a white sugared brad to attach the tag to that layer
• Crystal stickles applied to the wings and glossy accents to the body of the bee
• Once the bee was dry I curled the wings (using my trusty pokey tool) before applying Aleene's tacky glue to the body only and sticking directly over the previously inked image
• I coloured the honey pot using alcohol inks (it really WAS that pale in the photo below) and a Faber Castell Pitt pen ("S" thickness)
• Magenta "stalk" image stamped randomly across the bottom using Versacolour gold

Forgotten what Pam sent me? Here they are again ...

The item on the right IS the honey pot - honestly!

Hope you approve .... of course, the next stage is to return my ATC along with some materials to make another ATC which she will then return to me. Once I have her take on my materials I then send her my original and so on - you with me?

My outgoing materials

What I'm sending to Pam:

• Neon pink card off cut run through my big shot inside a "lizard print" embossing folder
• Neon pink/yellow/green card die cut in to chevrons - interesting to give Pam a choice
• Close to my Heart child playing and sentiment both stamped on to offcuts of white card using Versafine onyx black ink

Maybe, when I'm done making my own ATC I'll share that too - I'm reasonably sure Pam doesn't follow my blog!

Happy Thursday

Welcome to What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Hi there,

Another dull and grey day has launched itself here ..... that's six days in a row! BORING! Where's all this sunshine we were told to expect? I demand a recount - someone else has gotten it all!

Now, here's the thing, regular blog visitors will know that a trading card buddy and I exchange ATC materials every 4-6 weeks (or, as often as time and life constraints allow) and I've received my latest batch of materials, want to see what I got?

It doesn't show real well but the beige die cut shape is a honey jar

Right, you lot, any ideas for an ATC? Me either, at this moment but (be assured) I WILL make an ATC from the bits and bobs and I WILL share before sending it back to the Isle of Skye too.

Last night saw us at our fave local Indian restaurant with pal (and neighbour) Debbie. We had a splendid evening, Raj was on form and his sociable self and the food? Very much up to snuff and hugely enjoyable. After dinner it was back to ours for a glass and some chat before Debbie headed off home - NOT a long journey! We HAVE missed that over the past weeks.

Given that today IS Wednesday and that means What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday ...... I suppose I should share my messy desk with you all - it's in need of some serious tidying!! I think you might just have to agree!

And over on the CASology blog week #45's challenge has been unveiled. They use one cue word for inspiration and this week's word is ROYAL - open to be interpreted however you choose but MUST be Clean And Simple.

Catch you all tomorrow when I hope to have an ATC to share and possibly an entry for the CASology challenge too ........ till then - Happy Wednesday

Dull, grey and Tuesday!

Hi folks

It was my birthday recently and those who know me best will know how delighted I was to receive this fab pressie from my hubby ...

Yep ... Purple AND with bling - perfect!!!

I also received a huge number of beautiful cards and so many of them hand made that I just have to share ...

 

You may be sensing a pattern here with my shades of purple ribbon enclosures!

 

 

 

 

Of course I got some fab pressies too and want to thank everyone who stopped by to wish me a happy birthday in person, with a card or present or a message - all HUGELY appreciated. I'm sure you can all relate to how much fun I had being spoilt rotten all day - hubby took me shopping (which he almost never does!) and I came home with new shoes and slippers (the slippers were borderline ESSENTIAL as the old ones were a total disgrace and now reside ..... in the bin!). He made me a special lunch and dinner too - yumm. AND I got to receive visits from a number of friends, which is ALWAYS lovely.

 

However, that's the reason for no posts for a few days as I've had little time to craft! I hope to remedy that right now .....

 

The new challenge this past weekend over on the Pan Pastels blog was all about NEW BEGINNINGS! and I went with two options, the first being a card that I was never happy with so I set about concealing the original design (hence matting and layering) and also a retirement card as this also signifies a new beginning .... hope you like it ...

More suited to a female retiree I suspect but .....

 Materials used:

• 12½cm square white 250 gsm card and matching sized envelope
• 12cm square hot pink card (an offcut from a previous project, not enough to include a layer inside but I DID get a hot pink chevron from what was left, to co-ordinate
• 11½cm square of white card
• Distress Inks in picked raspberry and squeezed lemonade swiped over card panel
• Rubbernecker thistle image stamped on to coloured panel using Versafine onyx black ink
• Imagine That "happy" and Clearly Wordsworth's "retirement" sentiments stamped using Versafine onyx black ink

As usual, I carried my stamped image across to the insert and envelope

Have a great Tuesday

Second Post for today

Hi folks,

Second post from me, it's taken me till now to unpack, do what little laundry there was as a result of our sojourn to foreign parts and to clear a path to my craft desk. If you missed my earlier post and have followed a direct link to this one then (if you have both the time and the inclination) see it here

Of course you would know that whatever I made this afternoon would HAVE to involve some new stash and I selected the Dienamics chevron dies - because I've had them for weeks but have no die cutting capabilities on holiday so ...... using the current trend for neon colours I set to work - check it out!

Materials used:

• White, scallop edged, 300 gsm  13cm square card and matching sized envelope
• 11½cm square panel of lime green card
• 11cm square white Ryman's card
• Magenta image stamped on to white card using Versafine onyx black ink and then cut out before running through my Xyron sticker maker
• Sheets of card in Neon pink/yellow and lime run through my big shot using my Dienamics chevron dies. I've saved the other bits for another project
• Hero Arts sentiment - I picked this one because of the warm colours used

Needless to say, this is my entry for this week's challenge over on the Simply Less Is More challenge blog where their new challenge is "Cats and/or dogs" - hope you all approve - there are some splendid entries already.

Anyhoo - I have about a squillion vacation snaps to sort through and file (electronically, t hanks goodness) so this is just a short post from me - hope you'll all stop by tomorrow to see my challenge project for the pan pastels challenge ... I HAVE missed participating in too many challenges

Enjoy the rest of what is really turning in to a lovely Saturday - our cars started and we've done the mega shop that proved necessary - the only downside has been that hubby has discovered we've had mice in our shed whilst we've been away and they've been chowing down on the "all you can eat buffet" that was a large bag of bird seed!! It's EVERYWHERE! Hmmmmmmm

Saturday chatter .....

Hi there,

You will, by now, probably have realised that I've been in the U.S. for a while but am now back in the U.K. and I can't tell you all how fab it is to be posting "in real time" once more! I love being on holiday but the time difference is always one I struggle with as I'm on-line when many of my crafting buddies are tucked up in their beds!! Ah well!

A fabulous time was had and, as always, I've come home with some lush new stash too - some of which you've already seen in action and some not!

Our flight home was a little late leaving Orlando but more than made this up ..... in fact we landed at Gatwick so early that we had to "park" whilst we waited for a gate to become available. And then we must have arrived at the same time as another large (and full) flight landed as the line at immigration was huge even for those with electronic passports!! Ever used one of those? Whilst waiting in line I was struck by the large number of "rejects", people for whom the electronics simply failed and probably not as a result of anything they had done (or not done). This made me feel much better as two times out of three that's usually me and I simply assumed it was me! However, it worked for me yesterday - bizarre! Cases off the carousel sharpish and we were outta there! Caught the earlier train too ........ but our onward connection ticket is time dependent so we got to sit and people watch at Reading!! Interesting people at railway stations ..... there was plainly both a hen party and a stag party (no idea whether they were two halves of the same wedding) - that's bachelor and bachelorette party for those in the U.S. The bachelors were all dressed in Hawaiian stylee with shorts and shirts (some even had those garlands, what are they? Lei or something) and sporting either inflatable or plush - SHARKS! The lady party were found in the ladies restroom posing for photographs!! You gotta hope it was for a bet!, especially if you've ever used the ladies room at Reading station! Anyway, we sat on the concourse with a bacon bap and a coffee whilst waiting and then headed for our train.

Home in time for a quick nap before showering and heading off to the surrogates for dinner and chat, almost a party atmosphere as it's been a while since we all got together. Zac is now crawling but can support his own weight but isn't quite walking yet - he's eight months! His elder brother, Harry, was assisting with the catering! And ably so. Seafood platter starter and a spicy chicken main course - yummmmm. Strangely, no-one had room for dessert! Thanks surrogates, for a lovely evening which FORCED us to stay up and awake and allowed us to sleep in till 08:30 this morning!!

Now for the unpacking and homing the contents of our cases!! LUCKILY there's very little laundry from our trip as most came home clean too - HUZZAH

Hubby's been out to start the cars!

This is giving me time to look at today's challenges ...... and there are several (see my sidebar for list of challenges I normally like to enter, if I have the time). I've been a little lax with challenges for a number of weeks now and, those I have entered, I've not really had the opportunity to visit fellow entrants blogs. Being on holiday is my excuse and, if I normally visit and haven't, I hope you will forgive me.

I hope to be back later with a second post and maybe even a card or two! but, in case I don't make it (overcome with jetlag perhaps?) then ..... have a FABULOUS weekend!

Welcome to the start of another weekend!

Morning readers,

As the weekend starts here can I just say that I hope you all have something lovely planned. I have a pal moving this weekend and would like to wish you both the best of luck and hope it goes smoothly for you, Debs and Dan.

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Magnolia image cut to ATC size and coloured using alcohol markers - further evidence of my de-stashing of stamped images - YAY!! Only a tupperware container full to go!

And now for the Friday Funny .... courtesy of a fellow technophobe - thanks Sandra! ENJOY! 

This came to me in e-mail form entitled COMPUTER UPGRADES .....

Have a fab Friday and a GREAT weekend - what are you all up to?