Two Minute Card

Hi, hope you are all having a good weekend so far. The weather is very strange - sunny spells and hail stone showers! A very quick card and post today.

My Card

The little flower pots are something else I found whilst sorting through stuff . (It's's never-ending!)

I computer generated the sentiment onto a piece of hammered card stock, cut it down to a square and added the flower pots with foam tape. Voila! Card complete!

Well I'd better get back to work. Still a few album pages to finish and the clearing is ongoing!! I'm trying to remember why I thought it was a good idea to do it!!

Love and hugs from Christine xx

DIY

Good morning - but only just! I've been rather busy finishing a Memory Album for my friend's daughter's 21st birthday. I'm almost there, just a couple of pages to finish . I have the pictures ready to use,  it's just sorting out embellishments etc. I've taken a break to make a very quick card for a friend. I came across the Docrafts Daisy and Dandelion stuff whilst I was clearing out last week. (My craft room is even worse now than before I started!!)

My Card

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It made a very quick and easy card, which is just as well since time is short at the moment.  I can scarcely believe it's Thursday already. Last time I checked it was Sunday!!! Lol! It makes a change that a guy card was an easy one to put together.


Hope you all enjoy the rest of your day!

love and hugs from Christine xx

PS I know it is now afternoon - but John interupted me to find something! Are all men missing the "find item" gene? He will open cupboard or drawer and swear that said item is not there. He hasn't yet grasped that you actually have to move things, it's not simply going to jump up into your hands! I guess after 40 years I'm not going to change him now!!!

Vintage Christmas - CCC Challenge

Good morning, and another lovely one too. This card should have been posted yesterday, so my apologies to Lizzie who set the challenge this time. I knew we were going out for the day to the Black Country Living Museum with friends and I had hoped to do my card on Saturday - but time ran away from me unfortunately. It has a habit of doing that I've found!

My Card

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I have never done anything vintage and had nothing in my stash suitable and so I trawled the internet until I found this little treasure. I matted her onto the second size SB Decorative Labels 8, which makes it look like an old fashioned picture frame. The lace and ribbon were from my stash and the flourish was  in my bit box. I think it is a Marianne Creatables die. The poinsettias were white ones from WOC so I brushed them with an ink pad to make them more creamy. I thought the muted shade of the Kaisercraft green backing paper also looked quite vintage too. The picture doesn't really do it justice because she looks really gorgeous in real life. Sack the photographer, or maybe get a better camera?

Ah well, I hope you all have a good day today whatever you find yourselves doing!

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Entered into: http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/chnc-challenge-121-red-and-green-must.html
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/
http://crimbo-crackers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/challenge-38-vintage.html

New Hat

Good afternoon dear friends - and what a glorious afternoon it is too!  There is a quote which is very suitable - "No Winter lasts forever, No Spring skips it turn" by Hal Borland.  It might be very late in coming but let's hope it is here to stay and not just a fleeting visit.

I would like to say thank you for all the kind thoughts you sent my way yesterday. Funerals are never pleasant but it was a very fitting tribute to a very lovely lady who will never be forgotten

My Card

                       Click on image to enlarge picture.

      Sentiment on pull out tab

I have used an LOTV topper and the backing papers are Papermania Lincoln Linen, which I really love. The corner dies are Cuttlebug and are just called Vintage. The pull out tab is one of the SB Damask Accents. I need to reposition the pearl because I applied it before I had decided which sentiment I would use. The pearl needs to go into the sun I think.  Don't we all!! The pearls are from my stash. You know I really must check my Cuttlebug stuff more often because there are some pretty dies in there.

Well that's it from me. Hope you all have a great weekend. 

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Birthday Flower

Good morning fellow bloggers and crafters. It was quite sunny first thing but  I'm just looking out of the window and watching the most enormous black cloud approaching. I hope it drops it's downpour soon because later this morning is my friends funeral and we don't want to be caught in that.

My Card

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My craft room is in such a mess that I decided to have a clear up yesterday. The result is that it is ten times worse at the moment and there is a barely a clear surface anywhere!! However, I did find this packet of flower shaped cards and I have no idea when or where I got them. I covered the front with a scrap of paper from my bit box which is called "Sangria Afterglow Petite" by Karen Neuberger - the edge was still on so I could easily identify it. The sentiment circle is from Craftwork Cards and the the pink flowers were in my box too. I have a feeling these were bought from Lakeland many years ago. I have just noticed that it has slipped and is now wonky, so I will have to correct that. A few pearls from my stash finished an extremely quick card.

Well that's all for today. I am not looking forward to the day ahead, but it must be faced. 

Hope to be back tomorrow with something a bit more imaginative - if I can find room to work! LOL.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

It's Orange!

Good morning dear friends and fellow bloggers. Yes, I finally did it! I've actually used orange!

My Card

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Today I have used a shaped card and the Bugs and Blooms set from Clear Dollar Stamps - that includes the two digi papers, the image and the sentiment. I used the same size die from SB Labels 18 to diecut the digi image and the orange mat and then cut round the embossing line on the image to make a tight mat. I sometimes feel that the next size is too big. The flowers are Cheery Lynn Medium and Miniature Roses and the leaves are from a Woodware punch. The orange ribbon was a freebie from a magazine years ago and the gems are from my stash. Well, I really never thought I would be using orange because it's just not me - so I hope you are proud of me Sue P if you are reading this! LOL!

Hope you all have a good day.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

A Krafty Card

Hi Everybody, hope this finds you all well and enjoying the sunshine. Let's hope it doesn't do a disappearing act. It's quite windy at the moment but I can see the sun trying to come out from behind a big - dark - cloud.

My Card

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My card today is a very simple one made from my bit box. I used Kraft card, although I really am not sure about it, but I've got so I'll use it. The backing paper and ribbon are Papermania Lincoln Linen and the flourish is a bit left over when I had previously chopped up a Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork flourish for another card. The flowers and pearls are from my stash.

That's it from me. Love and hugs from Christine xx

With Much Love

Good afternoon my friends and fellow bloggers, and it's another cold and wet one too. When I got up the sun was shining and I was getting quite hopeful - but it wasn't to be!

My Card

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This is an A5 size card. I used SB M-Bossabilities Dainty Dots for the background. The Cheery Lynn French Pastry doily and the SB Damask long motifs (or accents, whichever!) were cut from very pale aqua pearlescent cardstock. The Lili of the Valley sentiment was stamped and diecut with the largest SB Damask motif. Pale aqua ribbon, aqua pearls and a Wild Orchid Crafts rose finished it off. I think it might have been better to have raised the centre motif with foam pads because it is disappearing into the background. I might try and fix it if I can remove it without damage.

Well, I hope you are enjoying your weekend, especially you ladies who work!

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Friends and Flowers

Hi everybody on this very wet Oxfordshire day! We did have a nice day out yesterday when we visited the NT property but the rain was absolutely awful, so it was a house tour and no walk in the garden! Still, at least the rain is finally getting rid of the snow - and not before time. It has been a long time since it has hung around as long as this.

 I would also like to say hello and welcome to my new follower kfranciola. I hope you enjoy what you see and please leave a message so I can return the favour and visit you too.

My Card

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A 6 x 6 card matted with daisy backing paper from Clear Dollar Stamps Bugs and Blooms set.  I love the googly eyes on the snail. The daisies are from an extremely old Woodware punch and again some very old brads which have been there for years. So another very simple card with the sentiment also from Clear Dollar Stamps. I am not an orange person at all but I do have one piece of orange cardstock in my stash and I was going to use it for matting and layering, but I chickened out. There is another bug in the set so maybe I'll persuade myself to use orange then.

Must be off now. Love and hugs from Christine xx

Enjoy The Little Things

Hi, just a quick post this morning. I had intended to post it yesterday evening and it just went completely out of my mind. I took the picture then I had a phone call - and forgot! Ah well here it is.

My Card

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I stamped the Kanban image in black,  heat embossed with clear embossing powder and matted it onto black card. There doesn't appear to be a name on the stamp, or if there is I cannot find it. I have a feeling it is simply called Florals, but I'm probably wrong. By contrast I stamped the sentiment stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs in Versamark onto black card, heat embossed with WOW Opaque Bright White powder, and matted it onto white card. Because the background is quite striking I decided against adding embellishments - but I was tempted!

I hope you all have a good day. We are going to Dunstable to pick up something that John has bought so we will visit a National Trust property whilst we are out. May as well kill two birds with one stone.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

April Showers

Hello dear blog friends. Thanks for stopping by to visit. I don't know about April showers, we are still having snow showers and I've really had enough of it now!

I have used digi images in the past but all I've done is printed the image, coloured it and matted it etc. Today I decided I would play around and try to merge more than one image.

My Card

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My card is quite plain and flat so very easy for posting.  I used the Rainy Day Collection from Clear Dollar Stamps and merged three different images plus a digi background paper - cloud, sentiment, duck in brolly and the spotted paper. I'm not really computer-literate but I managed fine. I think we tend to allow fear to make problems seem larger than they actually are. I then added Cheery Lynn Lace Corner Deco dies and some gems to finish it off. Oh, and I also used Glossy Accents on the rain drops and the rain water inside the umbrella so that it looked wet. Doesn't show on the picture, but looks quite effective in real life.

Well that's it from me. Love and hugs from Christine xx

Entered into: http://littlescrappieces.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/fun-friday-april-showers-challenge.html

http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/challenge-33-april-showers.html

Sympathy

Hello everybody, well the sunshine didn't last long. It's very cold again and we have had a few snow flurries, although nothing much. I was hoping the sun would get rid of the snow but no such luck. We live next to a public bridleway. The gate is just passed the entrance to our drive. A girl on a horse went through the gate earlier but turned back immediately because the snow drifts were still too deep. This has certainly been the worst winter for a while. The fact that we had very little summer has made it seem even longer I think.

My Card

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I haven't done any crafting today so I thought I would post the other sympathy card that I made and didn't use.

It is again 5 x 7 inches and I used the Couture Creations Tied Together embossing folder. The two crosses are from Spellbinders Crosses 2 which I inked whilst still in the dies. The sentiment was computer generated and cut with the smallest die from Detailed Scallops. The flowers were made from Cheery Lynn Miniature and Medium Roses and the pearls were from my stash.

Well that's it from me. Hopefully I will get some time to craft tomorrow.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Entered into: http://perfectsentimentschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/psc73-sympathythinking-of-you.html

Christmas Card Club - Silver + Another

Good afternoon dear blog friends. Well finally we have some sun - and I'm posting a Christmas card!

This time it's Sylvie's turn and her choice is silver plus another colour. I am reliably informed that white is a neutral or non-colour so I am safe. It was not the card I was planning to make but with what has been going on the past few days I ran out of time. This is my fall-back Christmas stamp because it is so easy to use.

My Card

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This is a very old stamp about 11 years old! I stamped it in Versamark and heat embossed with detail silver. I used a promarker to pick out  some details in lilac and then matted it onto silver and lilac card.  The snow was applied with Glossy Accents and Diamond Dust which gives really crisp, crusty snow. A little silver ribbon and some snowflakes stamped in silver, and it was done. I'm not totally happy with it, but here it is.

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Entered into : http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ use the word Christmas
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/

Condolence Card

Hello dear blog friends. This is a card I did not want to make. Sadly on Thursday afternoon my friend died.

My Card

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 I used SB M-Bossabilities to emboss a piece of white card and matted this onto pale gold pearlescent card and then onto a 5 x 7 inch card. The dies are SB Diamond Strips and Accents and Radiant Rectangles. I computer generated the sentiment and die cut it with the smallest die from SB Detailed Scallops  The cala lilies, pearls and ribbon were from my stash. I made two cards but John preferred this one . I will show the other in another post.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Entered in: http://perfectsentimentschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/psc73-sympathythinking-of-you.html

Cameo Lady

Good afternoon my dear blog friends, and a warm welcome to my new followers. Thank you for deciding to follow me. If you leave a comment then I will be able to return the favour and visit your blog too.

Today I have a quick post and a very quick card to show.

My Card

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 I found this sheet of cameo images when I was looking through some "stuff" last night. I cut out one of the images and then the hat from another and decoupaged the hat, although that isn't showing at all in the picture. I glued it directly to the card, added the spotted grosgrain ribbon and a couple of gems. Voila! I had to resist the urge to do something else with it, but I must admit that I like the CAS look of this card. Makes a nice change. 

Well the sun is shining although it is still bitterly cold out there. Great time for crafting.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

More Gift Bags

Hello dear blog Friends. Well at last we are starting to see some green lawn and some patio ! I was beginning to think this snow was never going to go. However I went into town yesterday and was surprised to see just how many snowdrifts are still there, and also the piled up snow where the snow ploughs have been. Once I was past the next village, about three miles, there was hardly anything at all. We are actually quite a bit higher so obviously get hit worse.This has certainly been a rough couple of weeks!!

I've got a couple of bags and a box to show today. 

Click on image to enlarge pictures.

 

Both bags were made from First Edition papers "Dream Catcher". 

I used Spellbinders Grand Labels 1 for the first bag. The flowers are SB Jewel Flowers and Flourishes with SB Foliage. I had to add some purple stickles  to the leaves because they were disappearing into the background. I also used Glossy Accents and purple glitter to form the flower centres.

The second bag was made from SB Grand Labels 11. The butterflies are Marianne Creatables. The ribbons and pearls are from my stash. My friend is due her second treatment soon so I thought I would fill this one with some goodies for her - toiletries or something. 

The box measures 8½ x 5 x 2½ inches. I wasn't able to find a template anywhere for a box this size so I just worked it out. I was able to cut the box itself in one piece from A3 cardstock with some extra for the lid. I reinforced the lid and the top of the box to make it stronger. I think it may have been better to make the lid a bit deeper. The owl toppers were from Rymans I think. I didn't have anything else suitable for a little boy but I think this works okay.

Well that's all for now. Love and hugs from Christine xx

40th Birthday

Hi, thanks for stopping by. Hope everybody enjoyed the long weekend break. It seems to have gone very quickly and now it's all back to normal. This is one of my many milestone birthday cards I need this year.

My Card

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My base card was made from  pale yellow pearlescent card and measures 5 x 7 inches. I used white pearlescent card to diecut the pieces from SB Detailed Scallops and Radiant Rectangles. The sentiment was computer generated - of course. I just had to add some pearls and that is it. Some of the layers were lifted with thin foam tape, although in the picture it appears very flat.I didn't want it to stand too high because it has to go in the mail. These dies are so pretty and very intricate, but a piece of baking paper did the trick.

Well just a quick post today.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Birdcage

Hi everybody, I hope you have all been enjoying this Easter weekend despite the cold weather. At last our snow is starting to melt although it is still bitterly cold and we are still having snow flurries, but they are very short lived.

 My Card

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My card today is a shaped card from Craftwork Cards. The cards are white which looked a bit stark so I covered the front with cream cardstock and cut out the shape with a knife - quite fiddly ! It was then extremely simple. I used candi, again from Craftwork Cards, and flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. The leaf spray is a Woodcraft punch. The bird is a white diecut that I sponged with Versacolour Mocha Truffle. I lined the inside with a K and Company paper that I have had for years and because the bird is visible from the inside too I gave him a brown pearly eye on both sides. I think I'll probably remove the bow; I think it might just be overkill! I've put no greeting or sentiment on but that is easily remedied later.

Well that's it for me today. I'm going off to hop around your blogs now and see what you have been up to!

Love and hugs from Christine xx

Entered into : http://www.trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/challenge-200-28th-of-march-mothers.html

http://paulaholifieldcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/our-first-challenge.html
http://milkcoffeechallenge.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/anything-but-square.html