Artbase in July...

...sheer bliss.

Such a hot sticky day but it was lovely and cool in the shop and what a wonderful project to do too.

Three cards and two LOs using lots of stamping with the super clear BoBunny stamps that came with the kit - I can see me using these on cards as well as other LOs.

A much smaller class than usual due to holidays etc. but it was still the happy, chatty event that it always is c",) I'm really looking forward to next month - we will be doing a mirror using Tim Holtz inks and lots of bits of memorabilia (sp?) can't wait for it to arrive..................

Feeling, hot...

...hot, HOT.

Boy is it hot and humid - hope it cools down a bit tonight as I don't want to be tossing and turning when I've got an Artbase crop to go to tomorrow......

The 25th...

...of July.

Weather has been fab so you would think there would be plenty of photo opportunities for "Scrap your Day" - unfortunately, it has been a work day so things have been rather restricted. Have taken quite a few pics and hope to get a few more by the end of the day (if the batteries hurry up and recharge grrr).

I'm looking forward to playing with turning pics B&W for this month's photo suggestions - will have to see how it goes.............

It's almost here...

...again.



Tomorrow is the 25th of the month so it will be Shimelle's "Scrap your Day"...another month when I will be at work so not ideal but hopefully I'll get a few different photos this time round............

Oh I do wish this was real...

The lovely Debbie has sent me this - and with all the super craft stuff arriving from the USA this summer I could surely make use of one of these LOL I found Debbies blog a short while ago and she has been the inspiration for me to try new 'linky things' & 'stuff' on my blog - Cheers Debbie c",).

Coming up with folk for passing this onto was not easy as I knew who I wanted to link to but wasn't sure if they met with the conditions of the rules.

Now the rules of this are:

1. Only 5 people allowed.
2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

So here we go - Caroline (couldn't not include...I think we stalk each others blogs LOL), Annette (always says nice things and I could spend for ever drooling over on her blog), Mary (is chatting mate over on UKS), Helen (is new to blogging herself and could be classed as across the water - she lives in Kent the other side of the Thames from me, LOL)and last but not least Eleni (we met in the run-up to the Oscars cybercrop and we share a love of Artbase). Eleni really is from another part of the world - Greece.

Not being overly techy I never thought I would take to blogging - I always loved browsing other folks blogs but it took a while for me to venture out into my own little world - I just love all the nice folk who drop by and I really wish I could sent goldcards to lots more of you.................

A Card for...

...Summer.






A colleague asked me if I could do a card with a beach scene - I've had a play today, and this is what I came up with..............

EDIT: Sorry folks...should have said what I used to makethis - Card blank was cut from a 12x12 sheet of Paper Reflections "Kraft Paper" - the beach scene is 12x12 PP by Creative Imaginations "Blythe Seashore Sandcastle" - the chipboard embellies are from issue 16 of "Lets Make Cards" and I used a few cutouts from a seashore sheet of decoupage paper.

Looks like...

...I'm gonna be busy LOL.

I have had some lovely comments from folk about the cards I posted on here recently, but it looks like everyone will be expecting the exploding cards for their birthdays and Christmas cards like these...ho, hum...better get making, hadn't I LOL............

Birthday cards...

...as well.





Todays class also had us making birthday cards - folding, inking, stamping, embossing, decoupage, matting and embellishing. I wouldn't normally chose to do an oriental style card but the 'screen' was lovely to do and the use of pink instead of red makes it look so different from many cards that I have seen using this style.

The 'exploding' card was real fun with all the folding and creasing and making sure that the folds went the right way LOL but once the folds were done the whole thing went together very quickly.

The class was run by a lovely lady called Dawn Bareham and it was held in her beautiful back garden (under canvas). This was the first time I had been to one of her classes and hopefully it won't be the last. As a newbie to the group I was made to feel very welcome. Refreshments were available throughout the day and lunch was to die for - fantastic buffet selection of hot & cold items. Finished off with a choice of sweet. Everything was so scrummy.

Think I need to sort out a day off next month - that food was super...and the cards were pretty fab too...LOL......................

Christmas...

...in July.






These cards are not my own ideas but they are my own work LOL.

I attended an all-day cardmaking class today and had the most fab time. I don't often make cards quite this intricate - especially Christmas ones - as I rarely have the time and usually need to make rather large quantities.

I am so pleased with the way these have come together...problem now is...how do I part with them..................

What is it about...

...PEAS!!!!

There's always one...that wayward pea that refuses to stay on the plate...that single little green sphere that manages to roll across a semi-shag carpet when nothing else can.

It was a quick tea tonight (couldn't face the thought of a mass cooking session after a rather long day at work :o( )Meat pie, carrots, mash and...yep, PEAS. I was really enjoying it too when the kamakazi pea decided to dive from the plate - tried to catch it but missed grrrrrr.

There was no way I was letting my food get cold so the hunt was put on hold until food had been consumed...that's when the fun began, huh! I had nearly given up when I finally located it about 5ft from where I had been sitting.

Have had enough of this silly game so peas are off the menu for a while...........

Been a bit busy...

...so no piccies to post at the moment.

I will try and get some stuff uploaded as it is getting a bit boring with me just rambling on LOL...................

I didn't go...

...to the Stanford Summer Festival.

After all the noise at 1pm this morning from folk making their way home from the funfair - I decided to stay home and potter.

I needed to catch up on some HW and tidied the patio where the french-doors are. It was a good thing too...

The weather has been yo-yoing all day bright & sunny - dark & rain. It has also been very windy which limited the amount I was able to get done out in the garden :o( couldn't be asked to keep in and out every time it started to rain so I did get wet finishing off the planter - at least it is now done. At this point I decided enough was enough as far as the garden was concerned.

Didn't get all the HW done that I'd hoped as I really did feel washed out (no pun intended LOL) I don't tend to sleep well when there is a lot of noise outside as I worry that I'm gonna end up with broken fences or windows - it's happened before - I don't mind folk having a good time but I wish they would have a bit more consideration for those of us who might want to go to bed at a reasonable time and don't want drunken behaviour spilling onto their property.

Sorry, rant over....................

Another...

...New Toy.


Whilst at Mum's today, my Big Bite (Cropadile II) arrived. Mum treated me to it as it was on special via QVC and it was a better colour than the ones that UK retailers have LOL.

It came with a selection of gromlets and other goodies so I will be playing very soon........

Weather...

...has been fab today.

Unfortunately I've been stuck at work :o(

Not sure it will hold for the weekend (forecast is not good) but it was nice whilst it lasted LOL.

Had such a grotty day at work today that I decided to have an early finish and it was lovely just stolling to the station in the warm sunshine.

We'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings...........

Stanford Summer Festival...

...this weekend. Open to all who wish to attend.

Last year it got drowned out and if the forecast holds true it looks like this year will be damp too (oh dear).

The idea for the festival started with the millenium celebrations. Local traders and council officials decided that the town would do something to celebrate but they couldn't decide whether to celebrate 1999 becoming 2000 or 2000 becoming 2001, ummm.
As a result it was decided to hold an event in the middle of 2000 as a compromise and ever since we have had the Summer festival the first weekend in July.

The first couple of years were very well supported - the high street was closed to traffic for the sat & sun and there were craft stalls, street entertainers, a garden market & continental market. The weather also played it's part.

Unfortunately, the continental market stall holders caused a lot of problems for local traders - blocking delivery access and causing a lot of disruption in the area. The local council officials didn't help either - instead of using a bit of common sense and having the market on the playing fields of the rec (right by the town centre) they arranged for it to be held on the one and only car park. So people stopped coming because they couldn't park anywhere and public transport was not a viable option :o(

The last couple of years the town centre has only been closed off to traffic on the sunday for stalls and entertainment and the saturday event has been a pop concert on the rec on sat evening - this year - no pop concert!!! PEACE, I thought until I saw the posters on my way home tonight...there will be a funfair on the rec from this evening, right through to late sunday afternoon. I have to say there hasn't been much noise tonight but I think that might be down to the weather and the fact that probably no-one knows it is there LOL

Depending on the weather, I may pay the event a visit on sunday - if so I will get some piccies. But if it is pouring down...sorry...I'll be giving it a miss.........

I've been given my first award...

...I'm so chuffed c",)

Thank you so much to Ruthy

There are some rules linked with this award:

1. The winnercan put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the boys/girls you've nominated.

My nominations go to...

1. Caroline
(not only does Caroline share my love of mini books but she makes fab cupcakes too LOL)
2. Annette
(Annette's mini books just amaze me - if I ever get to be half as good as she is I'll be more than pleased)
3. Helen
(Helen has only just ventured into the world of blogs and I think she is doing a grand job)
4. Charlol
(such pretty cards appear on Charlol's blog - and I like Bon Jovi too LOL)
5. Debbie
(Debbie has some lovely work on her blog but I just love all the widgets she keeps finding LOL)
6. Mary
(Mary's photos are always amazing and this blog was set up to record her 365 challenge - very thought provoking)
7. Jo
(Jo does wonderful things with stamps)

Blogger...

...was really being a pain.

Spent ages last night trying to get piccies to load but Blogger was not having any of it (fume)now the pics are loading but I've noticed that they are showing as 'code' in the create post window - just hope I don't have to move anything...that could be fun as I've just about got to grips with the drag & drop idea LOL

Oh well, makes life interesting - so they say.............