For Somebody Special

Good morning.  This should have been posted yesterday .  I scheduled it because I was going out and then wasn't able to check it until the evening and realised it wasn't up!! Anyway since it was so late I decided to leave it until now. I don't usually have a problem with scheduling so I don't know what happened.

This is my DT card for Winter Wonderland.  The themes are "Somebody Special" or "Happy New Year".  This time it doesn't have to be a Christmas project so you have more scope..  This is our final challenge of 2016 but we will back in the new year.

My Card

Recipe

7" square base card - AnnaMarie Designs

Create a Card die - Die'Sire Crafters Companion

square die - Spellbinders

white cardstock - Hobbycraft

purple glitter card - from stash

snowflakes - Marianne Designs Swedish snowflakes

metal snowflake brad - stash

purple pearls - Hobby House

sentiment - computer generated

We are sponsored by A day For Daisies and the prize is $12 to spend instore, and also Crafter's Companion who are giving a £10 voucher. Two great prizes so hop over to the blog and enter your creation,

Take care.

Lots of Sparkle for OSAAT

Good morning and I really hope everybody is well. Today it is time for challenge # 277 at OSAAT "Anything Goes with .... lots of Sparkle".

Please scroll to previous post if you are looking for my CCC card.

My Card

Recipe

6" square white base card

blue card - Limetree Crafts

papers - LOTV "Frosty Christmas" (disc.)

digi image -Digi Blessings "Snow Family "

sentiment - LOTV Grungy Christmas Messages

die cut - Spellbinders Damask Accents

Card Candi - Craftwork Cards

Promarkers to colour

Lashings of glitter

Well I certainly went to town with the glitter! I didn't set out to make a monochrome card but that's how it turned out! Such a smiley snow family!

Why not pop over to the blog and see what the rest of the DT have come up with.  Maybe you will be inspired to join in the challenge and maybe win the prize of $10 to spend instore at Stitchy Bear Digital Stamp Outlet.

Take care and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Snow Scene for Christmas Card Club

Good morning to you all.  I can't believe I haven't posted for almost week, but once again my week has been hectic.  Hopefully things will calm down soon.  This post is my usual day early - not due until tomorrow but I have a DT card to post then. I didn't get a card made for last time - well I actually did but in my rush I made it for the wrong theme!  However, with many apologies to Mary, I have finally managed a rather poor card for her Mixed Media challenge which I will add after the Snow Scenes.

My Cards


Recipe

5" x 7" base card made from Hobbycrafts linen card stock
image from Greeting Card Factory - printed onto  linen card
cream pearlescent card to mat - Crafter's Companion
lots of glitter

A very simple card made in a rush, but I do love the wintry scene. It looks lovely on the linen cardstock, almost like a picture. Anyway, since I had time I made a second card.

Recipe

6" square base card

image - Just Inklined (I think!)

backing paper - Papermania "Home for Christmas" (love these papers)

ivy  - Signature die

holly  - Memory Box

poinsettias  - Wild Orchid Crafts

Promarkers to colour

lots of glitter

I know this isn't exactly a snowy scene but there is certainly snow on the bird house and my robins are kissing under the mistletoe. Such a sweet image.

Mixed Media for Mary

Recipe

5" x 7" base card made from BrotherSleep sapphire pearl cardstock

silver mirri

trees stencil - Sweet Poppy Stencils

translucent paste - Sweet Poppy 

This isn't a Christmas stencil but it's the only one I have with trees. It's also rather messy Mary but I have tried! I used three different shades of glitter but the picture doesn't show it too well. This is my second attempt. The first one showed the different glitters really well but I botched it up when I was removing the stencil and smudged the fence line.  I think I will probably be able to add a sentiment or ribbon to disguise it. I haven't added a sentiment to this one yet as you can see, but I will when I think exactly what to do with it.

So here I have three cards to show so I hope I have redeemed myself with my CCC buddies. 

 I hope you are are all well and getting ahead with your Christmas preparations.So close now.

Take care.  

Buttons and Bows at OSAAT

Good morning to you all.  I'm a day late with my DT card for OSAAT. I was so busy with all the stuff for the WI events over the last 10 days or so that I very quickly had to make a card for the Christmas Card Club and OSAAT.  I was a bit too quick for my own good ... lol!  I looked at the wrong week on both challenges and actually made a card for each challenge using the wrong image and theme!  What a dork!!   At least I am prepared for two weeks time.

My Card

Recipe

5" x 7" base card from pearlescent card stock

blue pearlescent card for matting

backing paper - Summer Harvest from Panda Bear Designs

Floral Ovals die - Spellbinders

sentiment stamp - JustRite

ribbon and buttons from stash

This paper was ideal to make a very quick card!  I stamped the sentiment onto another paper from the pack which I had printed onto card stock. The grosgrain ribbon bow looks a totally different colour to the strip across the centre whereas in real life it is almost exactly the same.  I was congratulating myself on matching real ribbon to the paper ribbon strip and then I saw the photo! Weird!

Please hop across to the blog to see what my teamies have made.  If you decide to join the challenge you could win $10 to spend in store.

We had a very good night at our Craft Fayre on Thursday evening but I was pretty exhausted at the end of the evening. I spent the morning baking mince pies and Victoria sponges to sell on our WI produce stall.  We had about 25 other stall holders as well as my own stand and the WI produce stand and we had to set everything up in advance and then put the hall to rights afterwards. Phew!  But we had a very good night and made quite a profit, which will be going to our centenary fund.

Then Friday was  our trip out to Worcester Victorian Christmas Market.  What a fabulous day!! The weather was very cold but bright and sunny and the market was wonderful.  I will definitely be making the trip again next year.

Well that's all from for today.  Hope you are all well.

Take care.

MAWTT - Anything Goes With Christmas

Good morning from a very blustery wet Oxfordshire.  It is time for another challenge at Moving Along With The Times.  It was my turn to choose the theme so I made it an extremely easy one as you can see.

Before I go any further we are looking for two new members to join our design teams. You would have to create a card once a month and make comments for two weeks.  If you are interested please contact Wendy - you will find her contact details in the sidebar of the MAWTT blog.

My Card

Recipe

6" square base card - Dovecraft

white cardstock - Rymans

 Snowflake Corner die - Memory Box

Falling Snow e/f  - Creative Expressions

image - a Ruth Moorehead topper

Sorry I have been absent so much lately but I have been very busy with WI stuff.  This evening we are holding a Craft Fayre in the village hall. We are having a WI produce stall selling cake, jams etc, and I am having a stall but we have also booked another 20 + stalls so this afternoon is going to be very busy getting the hall set up etc. Also serving tea, coffee and mince pies.  I think I will be very glad to get home tonight.  Probably need a large G&T!!

We are also off to the Victorian Christmas Market in Worcester tomorrow so that should be fun.

Well that's it for me today.  Take care and keep warm!

Legend of The Poinsettia

Good morning.  It's time for another challenge at Winter Wonderland.  You now have a choice of two themes and our challenges now run for two weeks so you have twice as long to enter. It's the Snowflakes turn and Louise is our host this time. Your choice of themes are "Poinsettias" or "Snow Is Falling" so  why not pop across to the blog and see what the rest of the Snowflake DT have come up with and maybe it will inspire you to join in.

My Card

Recipe

5" x 7" base card

red cardstock - Rymans

embossing folder - Spellbinders Dainty Dots

Sentiment - computer generated

Poinsettia die - Marianne Designs

Leaves - Spellbinders

Our sponsor is Crafty Sentiments and they are offering 3 digi images to the winner.

Just a quick post today.  I hope you are all feeling well and haven't been affected by these mini tornados which are sweeping across the Midlands and Wales.  Keep safe and warm.

Take care.

Autumnal Colours

Good morning.  Here I am two days in a row!  This time my post is my DT card for OSAAT Challenge # 275 Use Autumn Colours in your project.

Please scroll down if you are looking for my Christmas Card Club card.

My Card

Recipe

6" square base card

papers - First Edition

bronze card - Craftwork Cards (as yesterday)

image - "Blossom" IkesArt

small pine leaf - Britannia Dies

Sentiment - Rub On (ancient stash)

Promarkers to colour

Please pop over to the blog  and see what the rest of the DT have made and see if it inspires you to join our our challenge and win $10 to spend instore.

Just a very quick post today and I hope it finds you all well.

Take care.

The Most Famous Reindeer

Good morning to you all.  It's time for another card for the Christmas Card Club.  This time our theme is "Reindeer" and was chosen by Lorraine.   As you can see, I have chosen the most famous reindeer of all ... lol! I am a day early with my card  (unlike last time when I was about five days late!) but I have another DT card to post on Sunday.

My Card

Recipe
5" x 7"  card - cream pearlescent  card Crafter's Companion
die - magazine freebie
sentiment - computer generated
plaid card - a scrap from my snippets box

The light has been really bad to take a picture. The first picture didn't show the lovely bronze colour of the reindeer but the other makes the white card look blue although does give a better impression of the reindeer.  In the end I decided to show two images and crop the second one. The bronze paper is from one of the Paper Blox from Craftwork Cards which I have had about 15 years and just came across it the other day with hardly any papers used from it.  Absolutely gorgeous silvers, pewters, bronze and another colour which I cannot describe other than to say it is fabulous and I'm glad I came across this pad. 

I have also made some A6 cards using the same die cut and sentiment but haven't managed to photograph them yet.

Hope everybody is well.

Take care.

Entered into : 12 Months of Christmas

Panels for Wall Hanging

Good morning. I thought I would show you what I have been working on over the last week or so.
Tysoe WI, of which I am secretary, is celebrating its centenary in April 2017.  We are the oldest in Warwickshire so we have decided to really push the boat out and put on a good show for the rest of the county. I actually live in Oxfordshire right on the border between Oxfordshire and Warwickshire and since our village is very small and doesn't have a WI I joined Tysoe and have never regretted a moment. We have planned things to take place throughout the entire year and will be involving the community too.

One of of our projects is to produce a quilted wall hanging made up of 10 inch square  panels made by some of our members.

Button tree

This one was inspired by a Christmas card I made using the Bare Tree die from Memory Box.  As I was sticking gems on the branches I suddenly thought it would be great for a wall hanging and this is the result - in much greater scale obviously. Sewing all those buttons on was a real pain I can tell you!

Windmill

There is a large windmill which stands on a hill above the village  called Windmill Hill.  Who'd have guessed that ... lol! The sails have been drenched in  PVA glue which made them extremely stiff and with the brad in the middle they actually turn. I was thinking of using fabric stiffener, the type you use on blinds, but I couldn't get any locally and I didn't want to wait for an online order.  The door now has a smaller green brad for the handle. The grass is actually from the Joy!Crafts Icicle die which works brilliantly for grass.  I must remember that for future cards.

Autumn Wreath

I think I got these leaves from Hobbycraft, or possibly The Range, and I loved the colours.  I have used Bondaweb to attach them and am wondering whether to risk trying applique. My machine is quite old and doesn't have an applique foot and those leaves look a bit fiddly.  I'll try on a spare one and if I can't get it right then I'll leave them as they are rather than risk spoiling it.

I have one more in the pipeline which is not yet finished.  I am crocheting a range of flowers. The idea was originally to focus on flora and fauna but then we decided to include important aspects of the village. The  windmill is such a landmark so obviously it needed to be there. The church features heavily in the village so that will be another panel.  Tysoe is part of what is known as the Vale Of The Red Horse so we are also having a red horse panel.  The background is going to be purple so that we can use the WI colours of purple and green.

We are going to start putting it together in January or February so I will show you how it turns out. Initially we were going to get cracking on it in the next few weeks but we have been asked to decorate the church Christmas tree and we have decided to hand make all the ornaments, again using WI colours.  I think that will be pretty time consuming for our little "Craft and Laugh" (and eat cake!) group!

Well I do hope things are well with you, and if anybody is feeling under the weather then please get well soon.

Musical Birthday

Good morning and I hope this finds you all warm and well. It's definitely autumnal now - in fact some morning it feels very wintry. This morning it's bitterly cold a with an extremely hard frost. Looks like it might be a long winter.

This was an extremely quick card because I suddenly realised I didn't have a card ready for my great nephew's birthday. I was dashing so much that I only realised later that I had taken the photo before adding the musical notes to the top of the sentiment - which is why I had typed it in the lower part of the die cut. Luckily I was able to pop them on before posting it.  Happy birthday Sébastien!

My Card

Recipe

6" square hessian base card - Craft UK Ltd

blue card stock - Lime Tree Crafts

houndstooth e/f - Papermania

topper - KennyK

Virtuoso Music die - Memory Box

Labels 16 - Spellbinders

Thank goodness for toppers when you are in a hurry! I wanted to post the card when I went to the dentist in town rather than in the coutry post box.  Mind you, our postman is brilliant and is always willing to take things from me to post if I need to get them off.

Well that's all for today.

Tkae care!

CAS Christmas Cards

Good moring to you all. This card is very late I'm afraid.  It should have been posted last weekend for the Christmas Card Club. I knew it would be late but not his late so I apologise to the girls in the club, but particularly to Sylvie who was our host this time.  She gave us the simple "Anything Goes".

My Cards

I came upon this embossing folder lurking at the bottom of my box which hasn't been used for at least two years so I have remedied that. Two very simple cards in different colours. The e/f is from Couture Creations called A Magical Time. I just added a Spellbinders snowflake from Create A Flake 5 and popped some pearls on.

I have been so busy this last week or so with other crafting that I have had no time for cardmaking - 

and I missed it. I mentioned the other day that I had some panels to make for a WI wall hanging.  Well I managed to do three and I have one still in progress so I am pleased that they are almost behind me.  Mind you, we then have the task of putting it altogether with the wadding and backing etc.  I'll show the panels in a day or two.

Our internet connection has been very iffy the last few days and yesterday disappeared totally just after lunch.  We managed to get through to our internet provider eventually after being on hold for 45 minutes - a free call fortunately. John had tried  a couple of times earlier but he gets very impatient and only hung on for about 10 minutes.  Men!  I just put it on speaker and then went about my business until it was answered.  He didn't think of that!! In fact the music was really brilliant, which makes a change, so I was quite enjoying the range and bopping around the kitchen. I apologise for not visiting your blogs but it was just too arkward and I gave up.

Anyway that's it for now.  Hope you are all well.  Very big hugs to Mrs Duck who is suffering.  Get well soon chuck - as Mrs D  herself is wont to say!

Take care and enjoy your day.

         
Entered into :  12 Months of Christmas

Recycling for OSAAT

Good morning to you all and I hope this finds you well. Today's post is my DT card for the OSAAT challenge "Recycling".

My Card

Recipe

6" square card  made from Rymans dark blue card

backing paper - LOTV Frosty Christmas (discontinued)

image - Lake in Winter Stitchy Stamps

sentiment stamp - Penny Black

recycled ribbon

I really love this image. It actually comes black and white but I changed it digitally to blue to convey the icy, wintry feel. Lashings of glitter added to the feel.  I felt the image was so serene that I didn't want to add embellishments and spoil it. My sister saves lots of bits from cards, gifts etc that she receives in case I can use any of it and this is where the lovely navy and silver ribbon comes from.  Thank you Jeanie!

Please pop over to the blog and see the inspiration from the rest of the team and maybe you will be inspired to join us. You could win $10 to spend instore.

Take care and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Pretty Kitty

Good morning to all my friends, fellow crafters and bloggers. My card today is my DT card for MAWTT.  Diane Louise chose the theme of cute animals.

My Card

Recipe

6" square base card - from lilac pearlescent card stock

backing paper - Papermania "Little Meow" paper pack

image - from the same pack

lacy squares die- Spellbinders

ribbon from stash

roses - from my stash and made some time ago

leaf sparay - Woodware punch

I'm not a cat person my Charlotte, but great niece absolutely adores them.  When I saw this Papermania pack some time ago I thought it would the very thing for her so I bought it  - and promptly forgot about it.  Now she will get it - minus a couple of pieces, but since she will be getting the card too I don't think she will be unhappy about that!

Please pop over to the blog and check out the cards made by the rest of Team A and maybe you will be inspired to join in the challenge.

We have had some quite nice autumnal days recently here in Oxfordshire.  The mornings seem to start with fog which lifts mid to late morning and brings a little sunshine.  Not particularly warm but not bad for the time of year.  I hope you are experiencing some decent weather wherever you are.

That's all from me today.  Have a good day.

Take care.

Book Folding Projects

Good morning.  I'm still not doing very well in the crafting department.  I just don't know what's wrong with me at the moment.  I have some cards I need to make and also a couple of  applique squares for a WI wall hanging so I really need to get my skates on - and my thinking cap!

I have not been totally idle though because I have made some simple candles and Christmas trees using the book folding technique. I find folding the pages very soothing and simple and yet you still come out with something pretty at the end of it.

My Projects

It is interesting to see the difference when you use different sized books and different coloured paper. The ladies at our weekly WI craft sessions (aptly called "Craft and Laugh"), none of them paper crafters, want me to do a session teaching them this, and another one to make  some boxes, just in time for Christmas. It's always nice to try out different crafts.  One of our ladies does lace making and tatting and so we have had a couple of sessions with those too.  Very interesting.

Well that's it from me for now.  Take care and have  a good day.

Frosty The Snowman

Good morning.  It's Winter Wonderland challenge time again.  This time Marie is our host. Our challenges now last for two weeks and we also have a choice of two themes for you.  Now that's what I call spoiling you!  Our themes are  "Frosty" or "All Wrapped Up".  Well I think I have managed to combine the two themes since my frosty snowman is well wrapped up in his hat and scarf.

My Card

Recipe

6" square red base card

white card - Rymans

Falling Snow embossing folder - Creative Expressions

Snowflake Corner Die - Memory Box

Digi Image - old stash with no name I'm afraid

We have two sponsors this time.  Firstly is Marianne Designs offering a surprise gift.

The second sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps offering seven digi images.

Please pop over to the blog and see the creations from the rest of the Snowflake Team and maybe you will be inspired to join in with us. Just a reminder that we only want to see Christmas projects!

Hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend.

Take care.

Halloween Colours

Good morning to you all on this wet and windy Sunday morning.  Well, that's what the weather is dong in Oxfordshire at any rate!

Please scroll down if you are looking for my Christmas Card Club card.

This week at One Stitch At A Time our challenge is to use halloween colours. You don't need to make a halloween card just as long as use colours associated with halloween - balck, purple, orange etc.

My Card

The paper I used is a very old freebie from Bearly Mine. The image is "Halloween Broom" from Crafty Girl Creations and can be found instore here. I coloured with Promarkers.  The black cat is from clipart and fussy cut.

Please pop over to the blog and check out the rest of the DT cards and maybe you will be inspired to join in the challenge.   You could win a $10 dollar coupon to spend instore at Stitchy Bear Digital Stamp Outlet. 

Well tht's all from me today. Take care and have a good day

.

The Blessings Of Christmas

Good morning and it's time for another Christmas Card Club challenge.  This time Carol has chosen the theme and it is a particular favourite of mine.  I love to use a sentiment or quote as the main element of my cards so when Carol asked us to make the sentiment the focal point of our card it was right up my street!  Thanks Carol!

My Card

Recipe

6 inch square base card  - Rymans

embossing folder - from a magazine

stamped sentiment - very ancient stash (lost the name)

large classic oval dies - Spellbinders

large classic scalloped oval dies - Spellbinders

pearls from stash

I wanted to make this card as flat as possible so I actually embossed the base card itself before adding the diecuts.  Unfortunately the lovely embossed pattern is not showing up too well but I can assure you it really is pretty.

This card is a day early because I have another DT card to post tomorrow.  

In my last post I said that our central heating pump had given up the ghost on Sunday.  Well John ordered a new one online on Sunday afternoon and  they said 3-5 days delivery.  We do have two woodburning stoves but it's nice to have heating in the bathroom etc too, but I resigned myself to a week of being a bit chilly getting out of the shower. Incredibly the new pump arrived on Monday at 12 noon!  John was going to  the   dentist that afternoon but first thing Tuesday morning he was on it and by the end of the day it was all up and running again! Success!  And many thanks to my personal plumber!

Well I hope you are all well and have a great weekend.  

Take care!

Entered into:

12 Months of Christmas Challenge

Under The Weather

Good morning everybody and I hope you are all well.  We had a lovely day on Saturday when John's cousin and his wife came to us for the day.  The weather was kind and so we got out for a short walk too. Apart from that I have had rather a strange week and I haven't felt like crafting at all, but decided to make myself do something and this is what I came up with.

My Card

Recipe

5 x 7" tent fold card  - Hobbycraft cardstock

papers - from snippets box.

Clouds and Rain die set - Cheery Lynn Designs

Umbrella die - Inspire by Spellbinders

Sentiment - computer generated.

This was not made for anybody in particular but can go into the box for if/when needed.

Th strange week  carried on when John decided to check the central heating yesterday.  Although we have had the woodburners lighted in both the kitchen and upstairs in the lounge we have not actually had the heating on yet.  Guess what? The pump has packed in! What a pain, because the pump is behind the fridge freezer so that had to be pulled out to check and is now in the hall temporarily!! A new pump is on order and will be delivered in 3 - 5 days. We could have picked up the very same pump in a plumbers merchant in town - exactly double the price  we have paid online!! Incredible isn't it?  Anyway  it means we now can't have the woodburner on in the kitchen because that controls the heating and water and can't be alight with no pump to contol the water. Here's hoping the weather stays mild over the next week!  At least he didn't wait to check the system until it got really cold!!! I'm very fortunate because John is a very capable guy (he built the house after all) so is able to sort the plumbing out. It means we'll be spending more time upstairs whereas normally we just go up in the evening. I'm usually very happy in the kitchen. Can only get better eh?

Take care!