My world...sort of...

Love is...

2012-02-13T23:53:00.004Z

...in the air.

That was the challenge over at "CDAC" for their Progressive Challenge number 11. The image I have used was a bonus digi provided by the lovely folk over at SEW MANY CARDS.
A simple easel card made from Kraft CS. A bit of embossed gold card. A Cricut die-cut heart and the SMC image.
The image has been coloured fairly simply with Copic pens and then blinged-up with some crystal stickles.

I can't believe we are at the middle of Feb already - where does the time go?....................

Super Blog Candy...

2012-02-13T15:38:00.002Z

...from Letraset.

If you love 'pens' especially those available from Letraset, you really need to pop over to Enfys at "Going Buggy" and see what she has up for grabs - the complete set of Flexmarkers.

If you are interested you really do need to pay her a visit as she will explain what you need to do to be in with a chance or 2 or 3 or...

Don't they always say "you gotta be in it to win it", so go on, hop on over there...........................

Bling it on...

2012-02-13T14:55:00.001Z

...and a bit of good (???) news.

Having been backwards and forwards to Mum's over the weekend it didn't leave a lot of time for paper crafting but certainly provided plenty of time to get the old knitting needles out. After all, they are easily portable and knitting is a great way to pass the time sitting in clinic waiting rooms.

Here are pics of the 3 scarves I finished (I could easily have done another two but hadn't put the yarn in my bag - doh!!!).
As I've explained before, one of the easiest places to take pics is in my kitchen as that is where the light is at its best but I hadn't stopped to think about how to take pics of my scarves before.

I have knitted loads of the things and only just realised how handy the mug tree is for showing off the finished items - what am I like????????
Up until now all the glitzy scarves I've made contained silver lurex but at the weekend I picked up a brown mix with gold...it really looks lovely. Mum said I should have a go at making a hat to match but I think the only way would be to use double-ended needles or a circular needle so that the item can be knitted "in the round"...I'll have to have a think about that...

I mentioned "a bit of good (???) news" - I'm still undecided about it.

I have a small craft store near to where I live and until now the owner has concentrated on mainly card-making materials with a bit of scrapbooking thrown in. As the store is quite small and away from the main road she has been considering some other items that she could stock to help bring the customers in. She has decided on offering some 'ready made' items and she asked me if I would like to sell my cards through her shop.

This is where the problem arises as I never know what to charge for cards so I'm not sure what to do. I know she gets asked a lot for completed cards and I would be one of 3 local crafters who have been asked to supply cards for the shop.

I suppose I could agree on a trial basis and see how things go - any ideas folks?.......................................

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

2012-02-13T07:52:00.002Z

...pretty to look at but too cold.

Despite a few bright sunny spells, a week after the snowfall it was still very much in evidence.
These pics are from the car park at Barleylands and as you can see - the fields were still under a pretty thick blanket of the stuff on Saturday.
I think one of the problems has been the very low temps (Friday night to Saturday saw temps around the -10C in most areas around here...a few places fell even lower) and I don't think anyone needs to read in the papers that this has been the coldest February since 1986...we can feel it!!!

Barleylands might be out in the middle of open fields but they are very good about clearing the car park and ensuring there are safe pathways for folk to walk on.

I just wonder how much of this all cleared with the icy drizzle that we had on Sunday........................

I know it's not just me...

2012-02-09T19:55:00.004Z

...that has a 'thing' about notebooks and stationery.

I just can't resist pretty, quirky or unusual stationery and I know that there are a lot of crafters out there who are just the same.

I had seen all the hype about "Smash books" but wasn't totally convinced that they were something I would want to buy - that was until I actually saw them and a selection of accessories. Next thing I know, some of the money I had for Christmas was being parted with and I became the owner of this...
...but Christmas was a couple of months ago now and as you will see from the following photos - there isn't a mark or sign of ink anywhere to be seen.
Nothing here...
...or here.
Even the accessories are still in their packaging...
...everything is still as it was when I brought it home.

Why??????????

I just can't bring myself to mark it in anyway in case I 'spoil' it - daft isn't it!

I wanted it, I think it's great...and I can't use it (doh). I'm sure the novelty will wear off but isn't it silly.

Unfortunately, it's not the only 'notebook' that is resisting any in-put from me. This little cutie by Tim Holtz is fabulous. The cover has a lovely fabric texture...
...and I love the colours - but I've taken it out of its wrapping, I've handled it - and that's as far as it has gone.

Please tell me I'm not the only strange person who does things like this LOL...............................

Yucky...slushy...

2012-02-07T16:01:00.002Z

...freezing cold.

As usual, Monday was cold & mucky...what we normally expect here after a downfall of snow as it starts to melt.

Then to add to this the drop in temps over night and this morning greeted us with the remains of the mucky snow and plenty of black ice. I really don't do 'slippy/slidy' things very well and hate walking in these conditions.

To me, snow is something to be admired from a distance, photographed...but not actually contended with. I have always loved snowy pictures and love taking photos of the stuff but driving or walking in it is not something I relish.

On the BBC Weather site they have a section for folk to submit their weather photos and over recent weeks there have been some fantastic pictures. This was one of the latest collection - can you tell what it is...
...it's chicken wire. Isn't it a fabulous effect.

I'm normally driving somewhere when I see things that I would love to snap but never have the opportunity to stop and do so........................

We have...

2012-02-05T09:10:00.004Z

...SNOW!!!

Not just a dusting - a good covering as you can see...
This was the view our from the bedroom window (sky looks like it is holding even more of the white stuff).
The patio is covered and you can't tell where it ends and the lawn begins.
The garage.
The shed.
The view from the front door...and NO!! I wasn't going to wander out in my PJs to take more pics LOL
My poinsetta looks lovely against the white background but I still wish we didn't have it.

I hope the weather forecasters are right about it clearing from the South-east pretty quickly.....................................

Too cold...

2012-02-03T08:08:00.002Z

...to craft!!!

I can hear it...the sharp intake of breath of Blogland...SHOCK - HORROR - surely not!...how could it be too cold.

Let me tell you...

When the outside temperature indicator on the car dashboard is reading -2C and the snowflake indicator is glowing a very bright red, you know it is cold. Add to this the fact that the Thursday night crop is held in an 'un-heated' shop with concrete floors; I think you start to get the idea.

It didn't seem too bad when we arrived but as we sat there the cold started to really bite and poor Sue, who was covering for Helen whilst she is off at Spring Fayre, couldn't find the heater.

Here is the LO I made a start on...
...the background PP is from the 'Jovial' Christmas range that is forming our kit for the current 4 sessions. It is quite a busy PP so I matted the photo on a piece of Bazzill kraft card and used Old Paper distress ink to shade the edges. The lower panel is from a piece of decorated ledger 12x12 (not sure of make).
The photo was one that I took Christmas before last on a visit to Harrods. I have used this pic in my Christmas planner but I wanted to do a LO with it in a larger size (6x8 inches).
I started to add embellies but by this time I couldn't feel my fingers - which made it quite difficult to use scissors and very dangerous brandishing 'pokey' tools...so I called it a day.

I need to sort out more embellies and actually come up with a title, so I'll let you see it when it is finally done.

I don't envy Annette (Voodoo Vixen) or anyone else who is combating temps of -20C or worse...minus 2 or 4 has me heading for the hot water bottles, fleeces and the duvet. Oh how I hope we don't have too much more of this to come....................

A New Year...

2012-01-31T00:42:00.005Z

...forget it - unless there's Chocolate.

There were a couple of images that I really liked from the latest "CADC" progressive challenge 10 selection - this was probably my favourite.
The image brings to mind a number of sayings...A balanced diet is a cookie in one hand and chocolate in the other...is probably the most obvious.
This particular image was supplied by Bugaboo Stamps. They have so many fun and quirky characters in their range.

This card is a pale blue patterned card for the card blank. A paper doily (from the 99p Store), a ribbon from a recent Papermania collection and the image coloured using Copic pens.

The challenge suggested using a theme of new beginnings - whether that be...New Year, new job, new you etc. Hope you like...................................

Betty Blue...

2012-01-29T23:34:00.003Z

...with something new.

Mum's nickname whilst growing up was 'Betty Blue' because her favourite colour was...you guessed it - Blue!!!

She really loves the colour - the front of her bungalow is blue, the side fence is blue, the kitchen & extention are decorated in lemon...AND BLUE - I think you get the picture LOL

So it was a 'no brainer' to turn this...
...into this...
...which in turn became...
...this!

Mum loves her new scarf and it seems to have been a perfect match for the fleece jacket that she recently bought herself. Enjoy your scarf, Betty Blue...............................

Aren't these super...

2012-01-28T09:19:00.002Z

...sooooooooooooooo pretty.
Yes I have been drooling over lots of Andy's creations over at Pinnacle Crafts because he has been playing with lots of the thin dies.

I have a few Spellbinder dies, Nesties, Go Kreate, xCut & Marianne but nowhere near the numbers that I know some of my crafting friends have. With just a few exceptions, most of my collection are fairly standard shape sets - oval, square, circle, label, tag.

Andy has been using quite a few Memory Box dies recently so I made up my mind that I would splash out at the next 'Members' weekend - and these are the 3 that I grabbed.
Frostyville border.
Madera corner.
La Rue Heart.

All three are quite delicate but I have seen them used in the flesh, so to speak, and the effect is beautiful.

Now I've noticed some comments on various forums from folk who have not been happy with the cutting of many of these thin dies and some have stated that they feel they have wasted their money - this is such a shame as there is such a wonderful variety of designs available in this format.

I had problems with my very first Spellbinder set (scalloped ovals) and despite using card shims - I would always end up with part of the die un-cut. I have a Big Shot machine and I thought the problem was that as I had used a Cuttlebug in craft classes with no problems.

It wasn't.

At the suggestion of a fellow crafter, I invested in a Multiplatform plate and I have to say that it was the best thing I could have done. My thin dies work a treat and with the help of my tan mats I can even emboss them without a problem.

Since buying my Multiplatform the only problem I have encountered was as a result of the materials I used - not the dies.

So my next course of action will be to have a play with these lovelies...............................................

Blueberries, Grapes...

2012-01-28T08:56:00.005Z

...Strawberries & Cream - with a hint of Chocolate.

Sounds yummy doesn't it but before you start looking for these goodies to tuck into I have to warn you there is nothing edible in the coming photos.

I was all set to give you a peek of some new colours that had just come in at my local Yarn shop - but the batteries on the camera gave-out. So whilst I was waiting for them to charge, I got stuck in.

I have been waiting for a 'blue' to arrive. Up until now the nearest has been a blue/green mix that you have all seen recently on here.
Lovely mix of shades and there is just the hint of silver scattered through the yarn. This is my next lot of knitting to make a start upon.
The various brands of yarn that have been available locally have had some lovely mauve/grape shades and here are 3 scarves I finished about a week ago. One 'ruffle' scarf is just shades of mauve whilst the other is darker shades and has quite visible silver edging. The third scarf was a different type of yarn (much more expensive - but I wanted to give it a try). It is very blingy and knits as frills rather than ruffles - nice effect but I won't be buying any more...it wasn't much fun to knit with. These will soon be winging their way to Germany.
This is what I got stuck into last night - soft Strawberries & Cream shades with milk chocolate thrown in for good measure and just a hint of silver.

The way the temps have dropped this week I think there will be plenty of opportunites to wear all these.............................

Today we bid farewell...

2012-01-26T08:00:00.003Z

...to a member of our team at work.

I have managed Marion off and on for the last 5 years and she finally decided she was going to take her retirement. She has always been a very private person so she didn't want a lot of fuss or a party.

Colleagues had a collection for her but although I contributed, I wanted to do something of my own as well.
So a card and a ruffle scarf was packaged and presented.

Marion loves walking so the scarf will be ideal with the weather we are having at the moment...she was over the moon (apparently she had been admiring my scarf).

I wish her health & happiness in her retirement...................

Have you seen...

2012-01-25T07:55:00.004Z

...these lovelies?

Letraset are bringing out a limited edition of Spring Promarkers (seems to be a popular concept - Mr Holtz has just had his Autumn & Winter Distress Ink pad stacks). The pens in this set are new colours specially aimed at the spring crafting ranges.

Colours include:
•Budding Rose
•March Hare
•Daffodil Bloom
•Fresh Meadow
•April Shower
•Morning Mist

Don't they sound lovely.

Some web outlets have them on pre-order as they are not yet available but I think I'll talk nicely to my local stockist and find out when they are due to receive them.

Oh, and just in case you missed it...Mr Holtz will be showing his new pens at CHA.
37 colours (the original 36 Distress Ink shades + Picket Fence). These react with water so just like the Distress ink pads you can use these to 'water-colour'.

Ooooo, lots of new pens to save up for............................

Anyone want...

2012-01-24T15:09:00.003Z

...a cold & sore throat - I'm willing to share.

Everyone seems to be jetting off to CHA or getting excited about new lines about to hit the shops/web...and whilst I know I'm not the only one having to put up with cold, wet, grotty weather - it seems much worse when you have a 'cold in da dose'.

Hurry up summer-time - warmer, brighter weather always seems so much better..........................

Take...

2012-01-22T10:08:00.004Z

...one of these...
Add a selection of this...
...lots of lovely browns and distress effects.

Ta-da!!!
...this is what resulted.
The PPs are from a mix of sources (some Graphic 45) and the film strip is from Mr Holtz (thank you Andy - I had fun playing with this).
I got so carried away with this little project Iwas still working on it at 'silly' o'clock this morning.
The PPs were just right for the finished effect I wanted to create - Moments in Time.

Images from the days of the silent movies capture moments in time and the references to clocks etc. help to reinforce this.

The altered canvas is a gift to go with the card shown in the previous post - hope the person receiving it likes the effect.................................

A birthday card...

2012-01-22T10:05:00.002Z

...for a fella.

I didn't want anything cute or the usual fishing/sailing/football type images so I was pleased to find this sheet of CS toppers by Kanban...
...not quite steam-punk but images that are very popular at the moment.
Olde worlde and lovely subtle colours.
I even decided to carry the theme through to the inside with a touch of the imagery from the front.

What do you think?......................................

Oh...

2012-01-22T09:43:00.005Z

...Blogger!!!

Blogger is still being pickie-choosie about where I can leave comments.

Some of my lovely bloggy friends must think I've abandoned them as it seems like an age since I've been able to leave them comments - the problem doesn't seem to be just with me either.

Over on UKS a number of folk have reported having similar problems.

For some reason on a number of sites when I click on 'comments' I get taken to a totally blank screen and then nothing happens - it hasn't frozen as I can close the window with no problem but I never get to the comments leaving part.

There are still some blogs where I can't scroll through the content and when I try that does freeze leading to a need to shutdown and restart the 'net.

Apologies to my friends who haven't heard from me for a while - I'm still visiting and where possible still checking out your lovely creations.

Oooooooooooo it is frustrating................................

Thursday night crop...

2012-01-20T08:15:00.003Z

...and a little bit of altered crafting.

The thursday night crop that I attend once a fortnight is organised in 4-week blocks. At the last evening we received our 'kit' of materials for the 4-weeks (although there will likely be a few additions still to come) and one of the items was a Maya Road tin containing metal rounds (ribbon sliders).

Someone made a comment about the pretty little tin so I thought I would have a play.
This is what I came up with - the tin has been coloured using Adirondack inks in Watermelon/Mountain Rose/Meadow. The tree is a flat-back button embellishment that was also part of the kit.
The tin is slightly more than 1&3/4 inches square so I cut a strip of white CS slightly less than 1&3/4 inches wide from a sheet of 12x12 and folded it concertina style.
I used some ink to add a bit of colour to the CS and then applied some PP panels. A piece of satin ribbon and a gem brad act as a 'pull'.
Just to show how teenie this is I took a pic with it sitting on my hand.

This is a work in progress and I need to decide what other decoration I'll be adding, although it won't be anything too bulky because the tin is quite shallow.

So not much scrapping got done last night but I had fun playing with the inks.............................

What's hiding in...

2012-01-19T07:54:00.003Z

...your stash?

To be honest, I dread to think what is buried in amongst all that lot...some long lost treasures and probably a fair number of 'horrors' best left buried LOL.

Anyhoo, whilst rummaging for some A4 CS the other day I came across a couple of decoupage sheets that I thought I had used ages ago (I obviously bought doubles **rollseyes**) so last night I made up a couple of cards - afterall, they were probably about to celebrate their 4th or 5th birthday **hehehe**
With Valentines day fast approaching I thought this little bear was very appropriate...
...and just look at all those layers.
This little miss is so sweet - perfect for a Mother's day card.
I just love her pretty bonnet.
Lots of detail and again loads of layers.

So that's two cards made and a bit of stash used up - wonder what I'll find next.......................................

Look what else...

2012-01-17T22:06:00.002Z

...one calendar can produce.

I decided to sit down and cut out all the elements from my old calendar that I thought would be useful in my paper crafting.
With very little effort I have 12 lovely images that I can use to make cards with - I've cut some out in more detail but also left some rectangular (for the time being)
As you can see, it is very easy to cut the images out in fancy shapes and there are additional elements (hearts) that can be saved for future use.
Now what would a calendar be without the months of the year. This particular calendar had each of the months on a banner - sooooooooooooo easy to cut out and perfect to use on those scrapbook pages or even when constructing your own calendars.

Everything has been tucked away in a wallet to keep it safe and readily to hand when I want to use any of the images. I'll be sitting down and making a start on the rest of my old calendars.

If you are still hanging on to your old calendars because you like the pictures but are not sure what you want to do with them - just trim them down and store them ready for use. A complete calendar just glares at you and you will probably end up throwing it away - if you reduce it to useable elements it will be far easier to make use of it. Go on, give it a try..............................

Just one layer...

2012-01-15T23:28:00.005Z

...is what they want to see over at "Less is More" - oh, and don't forget to include a bird LOL

As Copics/Promarkers tend to show through to the other side of the CS I decided to go for a different method of colouring.
The background was roughly sponged with Ranger's *Jenni Bowlin* Malted Milk ink pad and then shaded over the top with a selection of browns from my Inktense pencils
The chicken image came free with the January issue of Craft Stamper and I shaded it with the Inktense pencils without using water to blend so that the effect had a bit more texture like feathers. The base card was a 5x5 ivory card blank from Papermania.

It wasn't until I had finished this little notelet that I realised my chicken looks very patriotic colourwise **hehehe** could be the influence of all the new ranges that are hitting the stores at the moment in readiness for the Jubilee & the Olympics.................................

It's Digi time...

2012-01-14T21:43:00.004Z

...for those winter/Christmas babies.

The folk over at "CHNC" want to see a digi image and/or paper used on a creation and I have to admit that I'd almost forgotten about the "CDACPC9" challenge but I found the perfect image amongst the digi freebies that were provided for this stage of the progressive challenges.
I decided to keep this one quite simple and feel it would work for either a new baby/baby's first Christmas/first birthday of a Winter/Christmas baby. The card has been created from white CS and then the front was covered with some icy looking blue CS.
The image has been coloured using Copic pens. The image (supplied as part of CDACPC9) is a baby on a moon shaped ornament by 'Just Some Lines'. It was a lovely image to colour.

Why not hop over to both sites and have a look at the creations that folk have been producing - it might help to kick-start the old mojo....................

Not a good day...

2012-01-14T18:51:00.002Z

...I might have been ready for the cold snap but my car decided it wasn't.
Whilst my car had been prepared with anti-freeze and everything else needed for the winter months no one could have prepared for a dead battery. Not just flat...well and truely dead...not even the hint of a whirr.

Oh, and it seems loads of other folk have been having problems too due to the drop in temps as the minimum wait for the RAC was two hours.

Despite the long wait I have to give praise about the service I received. I received two calls from the call centre keeping me informed and a call from the engineer to say he would be with me in a few moments.

A good booster charge of the battery and a check of all the electrics and I was good to go. It appears something in the computerised system of the car had got stuck & drained the battery - by the battery going dead it has cleared the problem (it will still be booked in for a going over just to be safe).

There is something to be said for keeping machines simple; don't ya think?.....................

I'm ready...

2012-01-13T07:57:00.002Z

...for the chilly temps that have been forecast for this weekend.

My hot water bottle cover is finished and on the bottle here...
...it feels lovely and soft and so very cosy and warm
Although I kept the knitting very simple I decided to decorate the top edge with a bit of crochet just to finish it off.

I'm rather pleased with the finished item - what do you think..................

Are you like me...

2012-01-12T21:45:00.007Z

...you buy a pretty calendar with good intentions of using the pictures for something at the end of the year but never quite get around to it?
Well this year I intend to try and use as many of the images from my calendars as possible and this is the calendar I have used to make a start with. It wasn't very expensive (I think it was from the Card Factory - something like 59p or 3 for £1) but I just loved this little knitted character. Anyhoo, over at "CHNC" the current challenge is to make a card using something recycled...they are asking folk to breath new life into something - give it a new lease of life.

Not only have I recycled something but I've also made use of some bits that have been in my stash for some time.
The base card is a Papermania Kraft 8x8 card blank onto which I matted some Christmas PP from a cArt-us paper stack that I picked up in the sales. The image was the December picture from the calendar.
The glitter word 'believe' was from Making Memories and has been in my tote for ages and the red flower was a Papermania bloom that was left over from a pack (again found in my tote). The centre of the flower and the gems on the mistletoe were from the same sheet as the glitter word.

This is my entry for the current challenge, I've just got to think of some ideas on how to use the rest of these cute images.................................

Do you suffer from...

2012-01-12T08:06:00.006Z

...Stash Mountains?

I know many crafters do...my problem is that my 'mountains' aren't just confined to paper crafts. My second biggest mountain has to be my yarn - I have loads of the stuff.

Just like my paper related stash, I know I should use what I have before adding to the pile but I do so love pretty, unusual yarns and I love to play...

I decided last night that I needed a new hot water bottle cover so I'm now in the process of knitting one.
I have lots of Double knit but I get bored with it because it takes so long to knit up. However, I have some lovely super soft DK yarns that I bought when making baby things for friends. I decided to combine two to give a thicker yarn.
I want this to knit up quickly so I am keeping it very simple by just using garter stitch. I managed this much last night before the old wrists & fingers started to complain.

Hopefully, this won't take me too long to do unless the 'arfa-ritus' plays up big time. I really do need to make a dent in this mountain.......................

What do you do...

2012-01-10T22:40:00.005Z

...when you can't think of any ideas for cards?

Make a minibook of course...

I've been struggling for a few days to think of some ideas for making cards and returning to work Monday doesn't seem to have helped the motivation...so I thought I'd just have a play and this is what I came up with...
...a little BIA bound 6x6 inch minibook. I've only made the basic book but it was fun using up bits and pieces from my stash.
A little bit of decorative border punching - this one is from EK success (not sure what it is called) - and a fair bit of distress inking.
Some torn paper pockets to tuck stuff into.
Some PP matts with rounded corners.
A bit more border punching...
...and a bit of fancy frame work.

All fairly simple and straight forward with the punching, matts and pockets being repeated again to create a suitable number of pages. I will add more trims and embellies once I have decided what photos I'm going to use but for the time being it was just nice to get something made.

Think I'll get the knitting needles out and make a couple more scarves - that might help to spark the old imagination a bit...............................

Have you visited...

2012-01-10T07:55:00.004Z

..."The Crafty Elf" ?
If not, you really should as she has some fabulous candy for her followers right now.

In celebration of her blogaversary and the number of followers she now has, the lovely Elf is offering the most wonderful blog candy. If you want to know more about it just hop over to her blog using the link above or the button over in my side-bar.

There are a couple of things you will need to do but she will tell you all about it over on her blog.

You really should go visit as in addition to the candy she has some wonderful tips and ideas which can be adapted for any time of year. Go on - take a look - you know you want to...............................

Mega Candy...

2012-01-08T23:37:00.002Z

...over at LOTV "Ideas to Inspire".
How would you like the chance to win 12 LOTV images of your choice? Well if you do you need to hop over to the site via the link above and see what you need to do to be in with a chance.............................

Why can't...

2012-01-08T23:11:00.004Z

...things be straight forward?

All I wanted was to print off a couple of photos from my camera - not hard really - or so you would think. There was a queue at the machine in my local Boots on Friday, the machine in Morrison's wasn't working and today it took attempts at two machines in the Boots in Basildon before I managed to get the pics I wanted.

After doing so well at the crop on Thursday it seemed like I wasn't going to get the LO finished because of a lack of the most important ingredient...the photo.
I finally got the pic I wanted to finish the LO. Unfortunately, because of the poor light levels I've managed to get some flash glare in the pic but I wanted to show you the finished item.

Back to work tomorrow, not something I'm looking forward to. I dread to think what is waiting in my email and in my work tray after two & a bit weeks off. I was really looking forward to this break and on the whole it has been the 'chill-time' that I think I was in need of but as they say "all good things come to an end" and tomorrow it is back to the grindstone...

Oh how lovely it would be to go in tomorrow and find out we won the lottery...Oh well, I can dream, can't I?..........................................

Predominantly Purple...

2012-01-07T23:47:00.005Z

...is the latest challenge over at "Simply Less is More".

Although one of my favourite colours, purple is not a colour I use very often in my card making and to add to this I had to keep things fairly CAS...so not a very easy challenge for me.
I decided to go for two shades of purple CS to create the card blank and the main matt.
The image is stamped in Dusty Concord (Ranger Distress Ink pad) and I have added a little bit of shading using a couple of Copic pens. The stamps are from a clear stamp set by Kanban (Stamp11064).
I was in two minds whether to colour the flesh areas in skin tone but decided to leave them blank and just went for a bit of bling with glitter glue and purple flat-back gems.

Oh and before anyone says anything - yes, it is a Christmas card...thought I'd make an early start LOL.......................................

And the Winner is...

2012-01-06T22:30:00.004Z

...wait for it...

Being the non-techy person that I am I used the 'Hat of Chance' again.
Here is the hat.
Here is a peek at the names in the hat - thank you to those of you who left lovely comments (((hugs))).
...and here is the winner: -

Congratulations Claire (Cardzbyclaire) you have won yourself a ruffle scarf.

If you email me your snail-mail address I will get your scarf in the post to you within the next week..............................

Some Candy...

2012-01-06T21:00:00.000Z

...to see in 2012.

To celebrate the fact that I will soon be reaching 1000 posts (gosh, I never thought I would keep this blog thing going when I started) and we are about to start a new year - I thought it would be the perfect time to offer a little something to the folk who visit my little bit of cyberspace.

For those of you who visit from time to time, you will know that I do a bit of knitting and that my current knitting obsession involves these...
...so if you would like to win a 'ruffle' scarf please leave me a comment below.

That's all you have to do folks, just leave a comment - you don't have to become a follower (although I am always very excited to have new folk join my little world) and you don't have to post anything on your blogs (but if you want to spread the word, I don't mind - the more the merrier) - all you have to do is leave a comment and then your name will go into the hat. I will draw a name on Friday 6 January and the winner will receive a scarf - the colour will be a surprise.

Now if I can remember how - this post will stay at the top until Friday 6 January - for newer posts please scroll down....................

First Crop of 2012...

2012-01-05T22:10:00.003Z

...and we got Christmas goodies.

Here are the lovely PPs and stuff that we got as our kit to start the new session...
A mix of PPs from a number of different ranges, some pretty ribbons, fancy brads, ribbon sliders, buttons and blooms - and a mini bare chipboard album.
I made a start on covering the pages of the album...
...and got two pages covered when I suddenl;y had an idea for a scrap page.
Using white CS as the base I inked around the edge with Festive berries (from the Winter stack of Distress Ink pads). I then cut some panels from a couple of the PPs and arranged them on the CS - the bauble panel has been edged with holly satin ribbon.
The little cluster includes gold rose buds, a stocking brad, some white fir fronds (Martha Stewart punch) and some red gems.

Although I know what photo I want to use on this LO I haven't had it printed yet so that's something for tomorrow and then I think I'll add a bit of stickles to give a bit of glitz.

Despite it being a chatty evening as it was our first back since before Christmas, I feel I actually got a fair bit done in the two hours that we were there and managed to amaze myself by almost completing a LO - the first for 2012. I'll show you what it looks like once I have sorted the photo..............................

I'm quite impressed...

2012-01-04T21:32:00.004Z

...even if I say so myself.

One of my aims for 2012 is to get my crafting space more organised and here we are at the 4th January and I've already made a start - yipee!!

Although I don't have a huge collection of Nesties & thin dies I do have a few and because they are thin I've worried about how to store them - problem solved. The current DoCrafts promotion has these lovely binders which are designed to store thin dies, clear stamps and embossing folders (if you don't have tons of the things).
The binders are £19.99 but the latest issue of Creativity magazine has a voucher for £5 off - a friend wasn't going to use hers so she let me have it...hence two binders.
I have already placed all my dies into one binder and I've made a start with my clear stamps in the other - although I have way too many stamps to store in just one, I will have a sort out and decide which ranges will be going in...possibly my Sarah Kays, Mo Mannings & Nellie Snellens...at the moment I have my latest DoCraft stamps in there.
I think they look quite smart and might even treat myself to a couple more at the end of the month when Pinnacle Crafts hold their 30% off Members weekend.

So there you have it - there's a long way to go, but I have made a start.......................

Despite my best efforts...

2012-01-03T21:08:00.004Z

...I managed to miss the last post for some folk so rather than send Christmas cards I sent some of these...
6x6 inch smooth white card blanks with a patchwork of tartan PPs. The PPs are all Basic Grey 'Oxford' range.
The sentiment was hand-written on a white CS panel that was attached with 3D foam pads.

I'm trying to get stuck into a bit of recycling. The Christmas cards are still not sparking any inspiration (thank you for the ideas that some of you have passed on) but I have made a start with the 'chopping up' of my Deco Lady slim-line calendar. The images are lovely and I'm still trying to decide whether to make cards or new calendars with them. I'll let you see what I decide.........................

Sooooooooooooooo...

2012-01-02T19:53:00.003Z

...Christmas is over for another year.

New Year has been seen in...and many folk will be heading back to work tomorrow (if they were lucky enough not to have to work last week).

For some of you the Christmas decs are already packed away - for others, that is a task that will be completed over the next few days.

I am one that will be amongst the 'to doers' but one thing I have done is take down the Christmas cards. I had a few really lovely handmade ones this year which will find their way into my keepsake box but what do I do with these...
...I don't want to just throw them away as some are really lovely (and probably cost a pretty penny or two) but every year I say I am going to make use of them in my crafting and every year after a token effort they get put to one side or given to the local Brownies to make use of.

I want to make more use of them this year. I have noticed that between Mum's cards & mine there are a number of duplicates so I could do a bit of decoupage. There are some unusual shaped ones that could be used to decorate scrapbook pages and I'm sure that with a bit of matting/layering/embellishment I could use most of the rest - so why don't I?

Motivation!!! or rather lack of...

What do you do with your cards? If you have some ideas to share please let me know - I would be most grateful to see some inspiration that will get me motivated......................................

How I wish...

2012-01-01T18:02:00.003Z

...I had been there.
As Big Ben began to chime in the New Year the fireworks began - and I sat glued to the TV watching every burst of sparkle and colour. On one hand I would have loved to have been there in the centre of London seeing this all first hand but then again I really wouldn't have liked coping with all the crowds - so I just grabbed my camera and hoped that something reasonably decent would result.
No these are not amazing, fabulous photos but they do capture the memory.
The colours and the overall display were just stunning - we have come a very long way in the past decade as far as our New Year fireworks are concerned...who can forget that feeble damp-squib of a display that was supposed to welcome in the Millenium.
I think the London Eye makes a fantastic focal-point for the fireworks and I always watch in awe as the 'showers' of light explode from or near to this centre feature. If any of you out there were lucky enough to be there, I hope you got some fabulous photos.

Here at home the New Year arrived fairly quietly - there were a few fireworks going off nearby but nothing like the quantity of past years - the heavy rain probably put-paid to that. There didn't seem to be any tugs sounding their horns on the Thames this year either and no-one was out & about 'first footing'.

Today has been a very damp, dull start to 2012 but don't they say "Things can only get better" - I do hope so................................

Goodbye 2011...

2011-12-31T18:31:00.006Z

...and Hello to 2012!!!
In just a few hours time we will be listening to Big Ben chiming in a brand new year - to be honest it seems only a short time ago that we were bidding farewell to 2010 - where has this year gone?

So what did 2011 mean to me...

My only resolution for the year was to pay more attention to my blog and despite PC troubles, Blogger issues etc. I think I have managed to do that. It certainly helped that back in Apr/May I took the plunge and entered my very first challenge...and won! Coming up with ideas for different challenges helped with the crafting motivation and also brought me into contact with lots of new crafters. The different challenge sites have also encouraged me to try different styles - this time last year I would have said "CAS - me?...never!" but I gave it a go and from time to time I do manage to come up with designs that I'm really fond of (was a great way of dealing with bulk Chrimbo card makes).

I got to try my hand at being a guest DT for Creative Craft World - it was great fun but also scared me silly LOL - how do folk cope with this week in/week out and for multiple DTs.

I've met some lovely new crafty folk via the web and been very lucky to gain lots more followers this year - thank you all for visiting my little bit of cyberspace. For some reason I have been having trouble visiting some of the blogs that I normally follow (She - Rubber Addict, June - Dezinaworld, Jacqui - Cats Whiskers, are just a couple that spring to mind) they seem to 'freeze' and I find I can't scroll through the posts or leave comments - sorry folks.

I've been very lucky healthwise (says she sitting here typing with a heavy cold & cough) - I know many of you out there have had lots of health problems to deal with and I hope the New Year brings better fortune for you all in this.

Whilst health has been okay, life in general has been quite stressful (on-going personal issues that I won't go into here) and work has been a nightmare. The year started with me being one of 3 junior managers - each of us with 10 or 11 staff each. Almost immediately one manager went on long-term sick absence so we were down to two dealing with the same overall number of staff (I managed to end up with the bulk). Come July and the other manager needed to re-locate for family reasons so by August there was just me with 30 staff - to say I have been feeling like a hampster on a wheel is putting it mildly. Never have I appreciated the chance to endulge in fun craft sessions/classes more - Dawn, Andy, Helen & Pauline you don't know what a lifeline you have been - thank you.

Family has brought with it different issues - Mum's health has been up & down but she doesn't let it get her down. Kristy being over in Germany with her hubby Dan not knowing from one moment to the next whether he still had a job has brought home how little control we have on certain aspects of our lives - but it has also shown how important a listening ear, time for a chat...just being there, really is. By the way, Dan is okay, he has been reassigned and the pair of them will be staying in Germany for the next few years - just what they hoped for.

What do I hope for in 2012...

Less stress!!! Although working in the area of the Olympic Park (East London) I don't see that happening any time soon. I am not looking forward to 10 weeks of public transport disruption or the crowds of people all trying to battle their way to various events. I also don't see any easing of things at work this side of Easter.

More crafting!!! At some point this year I want to try and sort out my crafting space and get a bit more organised. I need some decent storage so that I can actually find what I'm looking for and hopefully this will also minimize the duplication of items bought because I 1) couldn't find 2) forgot I had.

I need to take stock of what I want from life and what is important to me. Family, health, security...are all things at the top of the list.

I won't be making any resolutions as such as I don't want to stress-out over doing or not doing stuff.

What I will do is wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy 2012 and hope that what you wish for in the coming year comes your way.

Happy New Year folks............................

1000 Posts...

2011-12-30T21:27:00.007Z

...and to celebrate I am entering the last challenge of the year over at "The Paper Shelter".

The Paper Shelter recently celebrated their birthday by having a blog hop and I was lucky enough to be one of the winners and decided to have the 'Winter Princess' digi image - isn't she pretty...
The challenge was to use a bow on the creation, so that's what I've done.
My little princess has been coloured with Copics and a bit of bling added in the form of Stickles.
The bow is made from my favourite crystal ribbon in a lovely blue shade that I've used on a number of previous occasions. The snowflake charm came on a card of 6 winter charms that I got in the 99p Store.
The silver roses were part of a spray that I bought a while back in Hobbycraft and they are nestled onto a bed of white punched fir sprigs (Martha Stewart).
I didn't go mad with the stickles on this one, just using them to give the snow a bit of sparkle and to add glitz to the princess' tiara.

This could be used for either a Christmas card or a winter birthday.................

Just one...

2011-12-29T21:02:00.004Z

...Word.

That's the challenge that has been set over at "Less is More" as the last challenge for 2011.

I managed to pick up a pack of Papermania bare chipboard shapes (Christmas) for just £1 in the sales and the word 'Joy' seemed just the thing to use.
The base card is smooth white CS, A5 folded in half and then embossed with the 'Crafts-Too' folder - Snowflake Banner. I saw this folder used some time ago and soooooooooooo wanted one but it seems to have been a bit of a seasonal 'must-have' because everywhere I went I just missed the last one. I thought I would never get one but I did manage to nab one on the Friday before Christmas...result!
I coloured the word 'Joy' with my Crimson Copic pen and mounted it to the card with 3D foam - it was the perfect size for the centre panel. I then stickled the edges to give a bit of sparkle.
I think this folder is beautiful and doesn't really need very much added - the snowflake detail around the edge is lovely. It is the sort of design that doesn't just have to be used for Christmas - I think it will make a beautiful background for winter birthdays too.

Well that's my entry to the challenge - hope you like..............................

Ruffles & Bling...

2011-12-27T21:19:00.004Z

...and lots of colours.

When I bought my first yarn to make these ruffle scarves I thought how quick and easy they were and would make super gifts - the problem however was that I only knew of one local source and I had just bought the last two balls.

Whilst attending a meeting at our Southend office I ventured out to a small shop that was mentioned to me and I found the same style yarn but not a very inspiring range of colours and to make matter worse the price was higher (and as I knitted it I found the quality wasn't great) - I went for a red/black mix which was the only colour I liked and I had promised someone a ruffle scarf as a gift.

I then found that my local wool shop was stocking this style of yarn and in a lovely range of colours so I bought a selection...
...and despite only getting the yarn on 23 December - I was able to get a couple of gifts made.
Mum and my sister each received one of these scarves - Autumn colours for Sis and a Blue/green mix for Mum.
On the same day I also popped to Barleylands to see if there were any bits I could add to the presents and Denise had received another delivery which included this lovely yarn with the silver edging...a couple of balls just happened to find their way into my basket.

Despite the lurex the yarn is still very soft and I managed to get this made so that I could wear it on Christmas Day - I mean, a girl has to have a bit of bling at Christmas............................

Boxing Day...

2011-12-26T10:01:00.003Z

...what does it mean for you?

Will you be dashing off to the sales and battling with the crowds all looking for that 'must have' bargain...or...will you be taking things easy and munching your way through that mountain of food that still greets you when you venture into the kitchen or dare to open the fridge.

Every year I say I'm not going to buy tons of stuff and even though I think I have cut back, there still seems to be loads of the stuff - does it multiply overnight?

Boxing Day in our family was always more 'chilled' than Christmas Day - no trying to create the perfect feast, no trying to keep the peace over what to watch - Boxing Day is way more 'layed-back'.

Out come the...
...mince pies that everyone forgot about and the main meals of the day consist of...
...pickles, cold meats...
...pork pies and...
...the cheese board.

The only 'cooking' that takes place is a quick rustling up of "Bubble & Squeek" to have with the cold meats, cheese & pickles...or a quick zap in the microwave to heat the remains of the Christmas pud.

Growing-up, it was sometimes a case of popping round to Aunty & Uncles at tea time (they came to us Chrismas morning - we went to them Boxing evening) as there was no driving involved...we lived at number 18 they lived at number 4. However, as we all grew-up traditions changed and we all moved away to create our own homes and new traditions.

We seem to have gone full circle and are now back with the slower paced day of 'help yourself catering' and just general chilling out.

I hope you all had fabulous Christmas Days and are now able to take things a little easier. How do you spend your Boxing Day..................................

All lit up...

2011-12-25T08:49:00.003Z

...and set in place.

As promised, here is the tree all let and merrily decorated.
The tree is a wicker cone that I covered with lights (from the inside) and I've collected a few decorations that now hang in place.
A couple of the decorations are embroidered ones that I've picked up in the sales.
There are also a number of felt decorations.
This little card came all the way from USA - my lovely friend Lynn (Stevens) sent me this lovely creation and it matches beautifully with my tree.
This fun little Santa is a tealight holder and do you see the magazine trees...

There is nothing lovelier than a lit Christmas tree whether it be big or small.............................

Ready and Waiting...

2011-12-24T10:22:00.003Z

...for the lights to be switched on.

Yep, I know this is a bit dark but I tried to take a pic of the tree without the lights on...and when I went to take a pic with them on the camera battery ran out.
So you have a very dark photo (I hope to post a 'lit' version as soon as the batteries have re-charged).
The birdcage I use to display some of my LOs has been given a bit of a festive make-over with some bits and pieces that I have collected throughout the year (ain't January sales and Christmas in July wonderful LOL).

I just love this Santa garland that I got from 'Past Times' last January...
...to my bloggy friends, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I hope Santa brings you all that you wish for and may 2012 be a happy, healthy, crafty year for all. Enjoy the holidays.........................

Season's Greetings...

2011-12-22T18:32:00.003Z

...to one and all.

I am about to start a lovely long break from work (don't return until 9 Jan) which is great because I will be able to catch up with my blog hopping.

Down side is that apart from the days I am over at Mum's I won't be able to post anything as my home PC still won't publish posts on Blogger.
I will try to get a load of posts prepared and then schedule them to appear over the holiday period.

I hope you all have wonderful holidays and that Santa brings you all the stash and goodies that you have requested - have a lovely time............................

Lucky...

2011-12-21T08:04:00.003Z

...lucky, me.

On Tuesday at our weekly team gathering (10 mins to share good news, important info etc.) I was presented with this...
...by my staff along with the stern warning "No tears, please".

I manage a large team of clerical support staff (20 directly and another 7 in-directly). Considering I never wanted to be a manager - I was more than happy working on my own collecting & collating statistics - I have ended up with one of the largest teams in our building. Managing such a large number has its headaches and there are times when I would cheerfully bash a few heads together if I could but on the whole they are a great bunch and I would willingly defend them all against whinging from folk who get paid an awful lot more than they do. From time to time they really amaze me by their willingness to take on additional duties and ownership of problems which they proceed to deal with on their own initiative.

On this occasion I was told I had to open the contents of the gift bag...which I did thinking it consisted of some chocolates and Buck's Fizz and a couple of cards for which I thanked them all.........."No, open the little envelope as well!"........to say I was overwhelmed was an understatement - £45 in vouchers for my favourite craft store.
It would appear they did some on-line detective work, knowing that I regularly visit the Craft Village at Barleylands, and came up trumps.

Every year I have given my staff a small gift - usually a scarf, sweets or a diary - this year is no different other than I have a much bigger team to cater for.
I had to keep the wrapping quick and simple otherwise I'd have still been wrapping this time next year LOL...................................

Knit one...

2011-12-20T08:08:00.004Z

...or maybe three.

Sorry the photo on this is rather fuzzy but the light this morning is terrible.

With Christmas just 5 days away it would be hoped that most of the gift buying/making would be complete...I wish. Although I had good intentions, I made a planner, I've been making things throughout the year - I still arrive at the week before Christmas and find the need to make a load more cards and the odd few extra gifts wouldn't go a-miss.

Luckily I found a store that still had stocks of yarn that knits up into the ruffle scarves that seem to be very popular at the moment. As they only take a couple of hours to knit I've managed to make another couple and as you can see...
...number three is well on the way.

For those of you who knit, you still have time to make one or two of these - they really are that easy and quick. Just eight stitches and all garter (plain) knit on size 8mm needles...no fancy work, the yarn does it all for you.

I hope to get another couple done by the weekend.

Over at Kerryanne English's blog her "Simply Christmas" event is encouraging folk to share how they are preparing for Christmas and what lovely goodies they have made. Do take a moment to pop over there and see the lovely things...................

The last Sunday...

2011-12-19T07:54:00.004Z

...before Christmas.

Mum wanted to make one last trip to Basildon before Christmas and to be honest I was dreading it - I normally avoid large shopping areas at all cost this close to the festivities...but we went.

Surprisingly, it was easy getting parked and there didn't seem to be that many folk about - we soon found why.

The queues in the stores were awful.

We didn't stop long but it was long enough for Mum to get her last bits-n-pieces.

The day was bitter and we had some pretty heavy sleety down-pours which was one of the reasons these folk were taking shelter inside the shopping centre - bet their knees were cold LOL

Considering it was the last Sunday before Christmas and the last weekend many folk have for doing their festive shopping - it was surprising to see Debenhams closed & shuttered...wonder why? (couldn't see any signs to say why they were closed).

The town centre had several market stalls (some from the Farmer's market) but they didn't seem to be doing much trade.

In fact, despite the decorations there wasn't much of a 'Christmassy' feeling anywhere.

I have my cards sorted, the decorations are still not up and I still have some gifts to buy...so what's new...the usual last minute dash to complete everything ready for The Day..............................

I think I got a bit...

2011-12-15T23:53:00.006Z

...carried away LOL

The challenge over at "Less is More" is a one layer card with the theme 'Let it Snow'. As you can see I really did get a bit carried away as I needed to make another 20 cards...
5x5inch cream card blanks were used and stamped with the Clarity stamp 'sprucescape' using "iced spruce" distress ink pad from the Winter collection stack.
As you can see, I've done the cards so that they stand 'tent fold'.

I was going to use my glitter snow writer to give the effect of snow on the trees but after doing two I was getting cramp in my hand from trying to squeeze the bottle - I resorted to good old stickles.
This was the card that I actually did for the challenge. Whilst it is the same basic design I went for a bit more detail. I double stamped the image - once using iced spruce and once using evergreen bough (both from the Winter stack) and then used the residue to stamp again to create a misty shadow.
I don't think it shows very well in the photo but I also used the snow writer to create the effect of snowflakes falling.

I really can't believe that with all the Christmas cards I have made this year I have still found myself in this position of making more at the last minute LOL - such is life...........................

Lili's Little Fairies...

2011-12-15T17:45:00.002Z

...challenge blog.

The Lili of the Valley challenge blog has come to an end but before you start getting upset...Bev & Jacqui will be continuing the challenge blog under the new name of "Lili's Little Fairies"
The web address stays the same as the old LOTV challenge blog so you shouldn't have any problems finding the site.

To celebrate the new blog there is candy up for grabs - see the button on my side bar - so hop over there and check things out. You can even grab the new 'button' whilst you are there...so go on...go take a look.......................

Oh heck...

2011-12-14T17:31:00.005Z

...where has the time gone.

Despite the countdown at the top of my blog I have still managed to find myself this close to Christmas with a load of cards yet to write, presents to buy, shopping to do.

I'm sure someone has been stealing the odd hour here and there - HOW can Christmas be this close???
I haven't even got the decorations up at home yet (the office is nicely decorated though...LOL).

The weather has turned really cold and damp which doesn't encourage a fun, light-hearted attitude when all you want to do in snuggle up somewhere warm and forget about the outside world.

Perhaps if I'm not too late getting home I might try and get some decs out or even write some cards. I'll let you know how I get on....................

Oh Christmas tree...

2011-12-13T15:38:00.000Z

...Oh Christmas tree.

These little trees have been appearing all over the web - some have been left plain (like mine) others have been decorated in a mutlitude of different ways.

Why are folks interested in these?

They are quick, easy and everyone has the basic materials to hand - a magazine. Yep this little tree is created from a magazine and all you need to do is fold the pages...
My tree was made from two copies of a TV magazine - I used two copies placed back-to-back to give it a bit more bulk.
The folding takes a little while to do but is quite easy.
One of the good things with using a magazine is that it is already coloured so you really don't need to do much else unless you want to.

The Friday inspiration post over on Kerryanne English's blog for the "Simply Christmas" event shows lots of super ideas that folk have come up with - do have a look at all the lovely creations that are out there............................

Day 12...

2011-12-13T14:42:00.001Z

...has arrived at "Catch the Bug".

Instead of 12 Drummers drumming the challenge is to create a card using a Christmas song as the inspiration.
This cutie of a snowman has always made me think of the song 'Frosty the Snowman' so I thought it was just right for this challenge.
Think I might have gone overboard with the stickles as you can only see 'Frosty' if you hold the card at the right angle LOL The lettering on the card has been done by hand using a silver Metallic marker.

Well that's it for the 12 Days of Christmas challenge over at Catch the Bug - it was fun taking part and great seeing what everyone came up with...................

Day 11...

2011-12-13T14:32:00.001Z

...over at "Catch the Bug".

The challenge this time is to use plaid on the creation.
So here is my little elf from the Christmas Blocks collection of images.
Layered on a matt of red plaid paper from a very old stack that I found in my stash.
The image has been coloured with Copic pens and Letraset gold Metallic marker. A few areas have been highlighted with stickles.

Do pop by the challenge site to see what the DT and other folk came up with..........................

CDACPC8...

2011-12-13T07:45:00.005Z

...the Progressive challenges are now up to part 8 over at CDAC.

The theme this time relates to how "animals hold our hearts" and this cute little dog was supplied by 'just some lines'.
The base card is black bazzill CS and the background matt is a piece of decorative CS from Kanban.
The digi image has been coloured using Copic pens and I have used the green Letraset Metallic marker to edge it so that it blends with the background.

Why don't you hop over to the CDAC site and see all the things they have going on over there..............................

Day 10...

2011-12-12T01:02:00.002Z

...over at "Catch the Bug".

Rather than 10 Lords a leaping the theme for today is a masculine card.

Most boys will have played with toy soldiers at some time so I thought this image was just right - it is actually the Nutcracker from the ballet The Nutcracker Suite but I think he fits the bill.
A row of these images looks like a row of tin soldiers.
The images have been coloured using Copic pens and the Letraset Metallic markers in Gold. Each image has been mounted in its own panel and edged with the gold marker. Hope you like.....................

Last Class of...

2011-12-11T19:33:00.001Z

...2011.

Andy held the last "Tim Holtz style" class for this year at Pinnacle Crafts and we all had a fabulous messy time LOL

The first thing made was a decorated bird house.
The house started as bare wood and we used Distress stains to add colour. We then had a play with some alchol inks on glossy card which we then die cut with sizzix edging dies to create panels for the eves.
The decoration was left to our own choice and I went for the TH Sizzix die that creates pine cones (sorry this is so fuzzy) - the finished effect was fine but I don't think I would use this die again as I found it a bit fiddly to get them to form the right shape. The house isn't completely finished - I have some Prima blooms & berries that I want to add and also some 'snow'.
We used Distress Ink pads to add shading and the stamping for this card topper.
Perfect for any occasion and great for any chocoholic...LOL
We then played with some more alchol inks and embossing folders to try out different effects.
The background for both pieces was created using Aqua/Storm/Blending solution. But this one was 'swiped' with a Stazon black pad...
...and this one was highlighted using the silver mixative. Very different finishes.

We had a super day, Michael Buble singing Christmas songs in the background - fun and laughter over messy hands and fingers (even Andy's dog Holly has 'crafters paws' - she managed to get at a bottle of blue ink and now has blue front paws).

Andy's classes are always fun but very productive - thank you Andy for a fab day - we'll all be looking forward to seeing what you come up with for 2012.................

Day 9...

2011-12-11T16:45:00.000Z

...already - isn't time flying.

Now the song might say "9 ladies dancing" but the folk at "Catch the Bug" want to see a 'girly' card.

Now lots of 'girlies' like to watch Ice dancing so I thought the JJ Calendar image for November was perfect.
Very simple layout again but keeping with my chosen colour scheme.
My trusty Copics provided the colour and lots of Crystal Ice Stickles to give that icy feel.

The edge of the image panel was stickled too........................

Day 8...

2011-12-11T16:20:00.000Z

...over at "Catch the Bug".

The song says 'eight maids a milking' so the challenge is "Milk & Cookies" - how could it be anything else LOL.

Would you believe, amongst all the Bugaboo digi images I have there isn't a single one with cookies or milk on...so I decided to add this element to my card by creating a background printed directly onto the card...
...the background has just had a few areas shaded with Inktense pencils and then the main image was mounted over the top - the old style Santa is so cute. Santa has been coloured with Copic pens.
Still keeping with the aqua & red colour scheme but the stickles over the tree have made it seem a bit more green.

I was rather pleased with the way the pencils worked on the kraft card so I might have a play with that technique when I get a few moments spare...................

Handmade Christmas card...

2011-12-09T08:01:00.004Z

...my first to arrive by post.

Isn't this a cutie...
...The lovely Helen sent it to me.

Many of you may know Helen from her blog "It's All Fiddle Fart" - she is the Queen of finding wonderful stash items at bargain prices in Poundland and the like. If you haven't visited her blog you really should pop over there and have a browse as she has a whole load of gift ideas that are perfect for colleagues, teachers, extra stocking fillers...each year she comes up with fab ideas so do have a look at some of her past creations.

A big thank you Helen, I love my card - have a lovely Christmas....................

Something a bit...

2011-12-08T18:08:00.002Z

...different.

For the last week or two I have seen a lady knitting away on the train of an evening making scarves and each day she has been knitting a different colour. Monday evening I sat across from her and we got chatting - she showed me the yarn she was using and explained that it was all garter stitch and only 7 stiches to a row.

I had a day off Wednesday and after sorting out the car (reason for day off) I wandered over to Barleylands as I was sure I had seen the yarn at Craft Arena. I was very lucky, I got the last two balls (enough for two scarves) and the lovely Denise also showed me how to cast on using this funny yarn and provided a project sheet showing how to work with this yarn.
Wednesday evening I sat down with this and by bedtime I had this...
...a finished loopy scarf.

I was lucky that the only colour Denise had left was shades of brown as this matches my coat. However, I know it comes in some beautiful shades so hopefully I can get some more........................

Day 7...

2011-12-08T16:33:00.000Z

...of the "Catch the Bug" 12 days of Christmas.

The song line is - "Seven Swans a swimming" but the challenge is to use the given photo as inspiration - toughy one this.

I really don't find it very easy to come up with ideas that are 'inspired' by a photo as my mind tends to be a bit too literal.
I looked at the photo for a while and decided to just take on-board the idea of a central subject and a carpet of fir. This is what I came up with...
Another Bugaboo digi image - this time a cutie of a Santa.
The image is coloured with Copics and any 'furry' bits on Santa have been stickled whilst the tree has been highlighted with a Stardust gel pen to give a bit of a frosty shimmer.
The fir sprigs were punched with a Martha Stewart punch from aqua/blue CS. I attached them to the card using stickles and then added a bit more to give a hint of snow.

That's day 7 sorted..................

Day 6...

2011-12-08T12:15:00.000Z

...Six geese a laying.

The folk at "Catch the Bug" want to see something with humour for today's challenge.

Here's mine...
I thought this 'Stella' image from Bugaboo was just right.
Still trying to keep to the red/aqua/kraft colour scheme here along with the stickles.
The sentiment comes with this image and I think it is perfect LOL
So that's six down...and six to go..................................

The Festive Table...

2011-12-06T18:30:00.000Z

...office style.

I mentioned that we have a 'nibbles' table throughout the month of December - everyone contributes and it is something nice to share. These photos were taken when I had finished decorating the trees.
Not a lot of food at the moment but it will increase.
I put another two trees out to decorate the festive table - the trees came from Poundland (like the $ store) as did all the decorations. It really isn't a case of what something cost but what you do with it that counts and it doesn't take an awful lot to make something look pretty.

Here in the UK we have so many of these bargain stores - Poundland, Pound World, Pound Store, 99p Store...the list goes on - yes you have to watch what you are buying because it isn't all wonderful but for those who haven't taken the time to have a look around, I think you will be surprised at just what you can find in these places.

I've taken a few more photos of the table and will let you see the sorts of goodies we have as the month progresses.....................

I wish I knew...

2011-12-05T17:19:00.002Z

...why my Blogger wont publish from my home PC.

I can create a post and I can save it to draft but it just will not publish.

At the moment I seem to be playing 'catch-up' all the time - create/save draft at home - edit/publish at work - enter things on linky set-up on other blogs at home. Oh how I miss just being able to log-on...do what I want...log-off.

I suppose I should be grateful that I have got things working a bit faster with my 'net connections.

Just in case you haven't noticed, I've now published posts for each of the first 4 days of the Catch the Bug challenge.....................

Day 5...

2011-12-05T08:28:00.006Z

...Five Gold Rings.

The folk over at "Catch the Bug" want to see some gold on the projects. Why not hop over to the site so that you can take a look at what the DT came up with.
My little angel has been layered on an embossed CS gold matt and the stars have been coloured using the new Letraset Metallic markers in gold.
The halo has been coloured using the 'red gold' metallic marker and the wings have been stickled.
A bit more stickles down the border panel and red gold was used to edge the image panel.

Why don't you play along too - there is plenty of time to catch up as the challenge runs until a couple of days after the 12th...go to "Catch the Bug" to see all the details..........................

Day 4...

2011-12-04T18:47:00.007Z

...is 4 calling birds (or is it colley birds - never sure) over at "Catch the Bug".

The challenge is to include a bird on there somewhere and if the images used are from Bugaboo there is a chance to win some goodies.
Don't you just love this little cutie - I think he is soooooooooooo sweet.
Here is a closer look at the digi image - I did use some Stardust gel pen on the two stars/snowflakes but it doesn't show very much in the photo.
Plenty of stickles though...LOL

This time of year is a real pain when it comes to taking photos as the poor light levels don't give very good results.

Hope you like my Day 4.........................

Another early...

2011-12-04T09:12:00.006Z

...Christmas present.

One of my local craft shops - "In2Crafting" - had a draw on their site. The prize for just leaving a comment was this...
...one of the 'Humphrey's Corner' Christmas stamps from Crafter's Companion
Isn't he just a sweetie.

I was delighted to be the lucky winner and what was even better was that when I picked up my prezzie yesterday I was also able to take advantage of their 20% sale on a couple of other goodies - somehow a couple of Molly Bloom stamps managed to jump into my basket along with a couple of other items that I'll have fun playing with..........................

Just testing...

2011-12-03T17:12:00.003Z

...to see if things are sorted.

Nope...

Still can't 'publish post' from my PC but things seem to be running a lot better.

The Windows up-date a couple of weeks ago mucked up the Internet Security so I've now install a new version and things are looking much happier - but blogger still won't publish grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...............................

Day 3...

2011-12-03T17:10:00.005Z

...at "Catch the Bug"

We are now at '3 French hens' so the challenge is to use an animal...and I've gone with a Reindeer - one of the Christmas blocks that I won during the Summer Christmas event over on Catch the Bug.
Same colour scheme that I have used so far.
Stickles have been used around the edge of the block and on the collar. I've also used Stardust gel pen to add a bit of bling to the hooves.

All the colouring has been done with Copic pens.............................

Deck the Halls...

2011-12-02T20:45:00.010Z

...or rather - the office **hehehe**

Kerryanne's Inspiration Friday over at "Simply Christmas" asks to see how we are decorating for the holidays.

We have rather large open-plan work areas and there are lots of restrictions on what we can & can't do - no pins in walls or ceilings, no cellotape on the same, no lights unless they have been safety tested by the Dept's electrician services, no obstructions that could cause H&S issues - despite all this, we have become quite adept at turning our space into a bit of a Winter Wonderland...even if it is only for a few weeks.

We were recently given 5 black 2ft trees and it was lovely decorating with a different colour scheme.
This is the tree next to my desk - just black/silver/white. The lavender snowman & Santa are mine and come out each year. All the decorations we have come from eith Poundland or 99p Store.
The bows were made from a box of wired ribbon - 5 pre-cut metres for 99p.
I'm really pleased how quick & easy these bows were to do and I might pop and get some more of the ribbon as I can see a few gaps that need filling.
Here is my snow family and one of the matchbox advents that I made - unfortunately, the advent is empty as Sainsbury didn't do the mini choc bears this year that I normally use to fill it.
This display is as you walk into our work area - three trees simply decorated and our 'post box' (amazing what you can do with an empty photocpy paper box, some wrapping paper, cotton-wool an garland.
My boss left me a piece of tinsel to decorate his desk with (that is framing his monitor) which didn't do much so we added a tree...just decorated with a pack of gift tags...
...and even his bowling trophy received a bit of a festive make-over LOL.

We still have the December 'nibbles' table to decorate but most of the other decs are in place.

(the nibbles table is something we have each year - on my section we all bring in snacks and treats throughout the month for everyone to share. By everyone bringing in a 'little' we end up with 'a lot' but it doesn't cost any one person too much at this expensive time of year)

Hope you like our efforts to create a bit of festive cheer......................

Day 2...

2011-12-02T20:43:00.007Z

...over at the "Catch the Bug" 12 Days of Christmas.

Today's theme, rather than 2 Turtle Doves is 'love'.

I've decided to try and keep to a theme for this 12-day challenge...kraft card blank and a Red/Aqua colour scheme, oh and not forgetting - Stickles.
I love this image from Bugaboo but had previously only coloured him in traditional Christmas colours - I think this makes a nice change.
A red miri card heart and a Making Memories sticker complete the 'love' bit.
...and here are the stickles..........................................

Day 1...

2011-12-02T07:43:00.004Z

...of the 12 days of Christmas at "Catch the Bug".

The folk over at Catch the Bug are having a bit of a do by celebrating the first 12 days of December with challenges linked to the song '12 Days of Christmas'. With day 1 being "A Partridge in a pear tree" the challenge is to include a tree on the card.
I stamped a tree directly onto a kraft card blank and printed a bugaboo image onto white CS.
The tree was stamped using a Clarity stamp and Ranger Distressed Ink in iced spruce (from the winter stack). The digi image has been coloured using Copic pens.
As you can see, the tree has been attacked with crystal ice stickles and the digi image has been cut out and attached with 3D foam pads.

Why not hop over there and take a look...you are sure to find some things to inspire and if you play along you have the chance of winning some goodies..................

Holidays are coming...

2011-11-30T23:03:00.008Z

...Holidays are coming.

I'm sure that this image of Santa is well known all around the world - it is the Coca Cola Santa...
...he is such a cheerful, jolly image that brings a 'feel good' factor to the holidays.

I received a very excited email from my niece out in Germany.

Apparently the lorries from the cola advert are regularly seen touring around Europe and arrangements had been made for one to stop off at one of the UK bases near to where my niece's husband is stationed. They went to have a look and took some photos.
Kristy said the lorries are HUGE and it was quite difficult getting decent pics with the lights & the darkness over such a long distance.
However, they did manage to get these and although they are a bit dark it is still lovely to have them as a keepsake.
Dan & Kristy took a neighbour's 6yr old to see the Santa that was also there.
Overall though, I think Kristy was the most excite one amongst them LOL
Certainly something to put in the scrapbook as a lovely memory.

Now I know why her email was so hyper LOL........................

Food for...

2011-11-28T23:50:00.007Z

...thought.

With the party season almost upon us I thought these would be perfect...
...food markers to help identify the goodies on the different servers for your festive gatherings.

The images are all digis that came free as part of cdacpc7...why not hop over to the website here and see what is going on. Each of the images has been provided by a different designer.
Apple (Happi Scrappin' Doodles)
Bull (Crafting with Jack)
Crab (Tiffany Doodles)
Chick (Sugar Creek Hollow).

These are quick and fun to do and far more interesting than just bits of paper with 'beef' or 'apple' written on them. All it takes is some printed/stamped images a bit of colouring and some cocktail sticks and away you go.

I'll be entering these for the cdacpc7 challenge and also linking to the current "Friday Inspiration" over at Simply Christmas............................

I am trying...

2011-11-28T17:48:00.002Z

...yes, I can hear you - I know I can be very trying LOL

I'm actually referring to my attempts to catch up with commenting on all the wonderful blogs that I follow - I am sorry if I've missed some and apologise for arriving like a London bus (nothing for ages then 3, or more, all at once) on others.

Home PC really isn't very well so I am trying to catch up from Mum's laptop and my work PC when I can - I think I've managed to visit just about everyone but there are some sites I can't comment on from my work PC - sorry.

Hope everything is going well with preparations for Christmas and another sorry from me for those of you I've scared silly with my very visable 'countdown' **giggle** I'm afraid I need it as a boot up the backside to try and keep me on track with everything for the holidays......................

All Boxed up...

2011-11-27T08:24:00.003Z

...and ready to go.

This weekend was the last Members Weekend at Pinnacle Crafts for 2011 - so a last chance to grab a bargain at 30% off,

I grabbed a pack of Hunkydory boxed Christmas cards and this is the first that I have made.
The printed images on all the sheets are beautiful.
Everything needed to create 6 of these cards is included in the kit...including the acetate sheets for the 'window' of the card.
Isn't this a lovely Santa...
The box part of the card even has a built-in support so that it can stand up.
There are also a variety of sentiments included in the kit so there are plenty for use with other projects.

I think I will use a couple of the boxes for my own designs and use the decoupage provided on some other cards. Beautiful quality materials and certainly fab value for money. For folk who want something a little more special but don't have a lot of time, this kit is ideal as it can be used 'as is' or embellished in what ever way you wish. I was very pleased with my purchase......................

It arrived...

2011-11-27T08:19:00.002Z

...all safe & sound.

Mind you, it is surprising anything arrives safely these days...it couldn't have been marked any clearer "Signature required" but guess what - I found it on the door mat; the postie didn't even knock grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Inside the envelope was this lovely little parcel - so prettily wrapped.
Inside the parcel was one of Kerryanne's lovely fabric gift card holders.
Christmas has certainly arrived early and I will be looking forward to spending this on some super goodies.

Thank you so very much Kerryanne.............................

On 30 December 2006...

2011-11-23T22:10:00.008Z

...I was sent this list.

The idea was that you highlighted the items you had done. Well I just wondered if there were any more that I had achieved since.

The items I had already done back in 2006 are highlighted by being in bold - anything I've done since has ** at the start & finish...

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain (albeit a small one)
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you’ and meant it
9. Hugged a tree (too much watching Ground Force, me thinks)
10. Bungee jumped
11. **Visited Paris - the outskirts on the way to Southern France**
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. **Bet on a winning horse - only the one during a lovely evening at "Newmarket Nights"**
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. **Gone rock climbing - sort of...more clambering than climbing LOL**
49. **Midnight walk on the beach**
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. **Lounged around in bed all day - does a PJ day on the sofa count?**
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. **Kissed in the rain**
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites (forgot the Roman aquaduct in Southern France)
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch (forgot this one too, perhaps because they weren't very good...)
78. Won first prize in a costume contest (if this means fancy dress costume)
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. **Recorded music - forgot that our orchestra at school recorded some stuff for a youth competition**
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (or…raising children)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (cumulatively, if you count pregnancy! lol!)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. **Petted a stingray - at the London aquarium**
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. **Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol - in an arcade**
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school (took evening classes in English, History & Biology)
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. **Eaten fried green tomatoes ... yum! - wouldn't say 'yum' but they were okay**
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. **Had a booth at a street fair**
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

...not many more achieved, but a few.

Why not have a go yourself - feel free to copy the list and please let me know how you get on.

I can tell you all now that there are a few items on the list that I will never be checking off but you never know how many more I might manage in the next 5 years LOL............................................

I thought I might...

2011-11-23T15:00:00.000Z

...make another Advent calendar.

Yep I know, I can be a glutten for punishment at times LOL
I've gone for classic B&W for this set and as I don't own a set of the Spellbinders box dies these ones are 4x4inch squares that I have scored using my Crafter's Companion - I've made 12 boxes so far.
A couple of designs are mainly snowflakes...
...as you can see.
My original thought was to stamp the lids using my Clarity small floral swirl stamp and a white Brilliance ink pad - I had forgotten just how wet these ink pads are and after getting in a right mess just stamping two lids, I decided 'enough was enough'...made a right mess of the stamp too which meant a major cleaning effort - not my favourite passtime. However, I must say that the ink pad did provide good colour on the black CS.
I used some Glitteration circle stickers on a couple of the boxes.

Not sure how I'm going to decorate the other 12 or how I'm going to 'house' them as they are flatter boxes than my last lot. Something to think about...................

A Splash of...

2011-11-23T08:09:00.002Z

...Colour.

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes. I had a lovely day in so far as I had lunch with some friends but the weather was pretty yuck. I'm not sure what it's been like where you are but we have had some grotty days with very few bright spells - in fact, Monday & Tuesday were very foggy here and despite this there were still idiots on the road with no lights on (I won't go there otherwise I'll be up on my soapbox for ages LOL).

Nothing helps to brighten a dull day more than a lovely bunch of flowers and these were a gift from a friend at work...

...and the poinsetta was a 'cheapy' that I picked up (not sure it will make it to Christmas but it is bright and cheery).

A lovely splash of colour on a dull and dismal day....................

Aren't I a lucky girl...

2011-11-22T12:53:00.000Z

...I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.

For those of you who know of Kerryanne English's blog you will be aware that she is currently holding another "Simply Christmas" event this year.

She did one last year with a view to bringing 'home' back into the preparations for Christmas and she wonderfully agreed to do another this year. There have been some super tutorials and followers of the blog have been sharing their Christmas creations. Do hop over there and take a look - there is lots to inspire.

The lovely Kerryanne offered this...
...for a draw amongst the commenting folk on the blog......I won!!! **mega happy dance**

I couldn't believe it when she notified me - how fab is that. I think this is the perfect way to celebrate my birthday.............................

Advent calendar...

2011-11-21T19:09:00.009Z

...all done & dusted and ready to share at the Simply Christmas Inspiration Friday party.

Lots of photos coming up so you might want to make yourselves comfy.

Remember that pile of cut out boxes on my desk the other day? Well all the boxes have been constructed and for ease of transporting I had them sitting in the lid of a photocopy paper box (the one I use when spraying or misting stuff).
As you can see, there are four of each design box and they have all been coloured with 'Gold' and 'Red Gold' Letraset Metallic markers.
I highlighted some of the images with Stardust gel pen (doesn't show too well in these photos).
Next step was to add the numbers. The circles are punched from some ivory pearl card using a tiny X-cut scalloped circle punch. The numbers are copper colour peel-offs. The 'Red Gold' metallic marker was used to edge the circles...
...and 3D glue dots used to attach them to the side of the lids.
All the boxes were then filled and placed into a custom made housing.
The idea being that the housing has four openings (one on each side) and the boxes can be slid out in number order and the contents retrieved.
As a box is removed the next one drops down to take its place and the empty box can be placed back in the housing by removing the lid. I decorated the sides of the lid with white glitter card that had been punched using a Martha Stewart border punch. This one is actually a Halloween one called 'gloop' (I think) but doesn't it look like snow hanging from a rooftop.
Here is a view showing the boxes partly out of the housing...
...and here they are pushed right in - flush with the sides of the housing.
Here is the finished item. An advent tower.

The decoration has been kept fairly simple but I have kept to the overall colour scheme of gold & bronze/copper. This project was quite a lot of work but very enjoyable. Thank you Pauline for such a lovely idea.

So there you have it, my 2011 advent calendar ready and waiting for December 1st to arrive...............................

New for 2011...

2011-11-19T14:32:00.000Z

...a new advent calendar.

Okay, so from the mess on the desk it probably doesn't look very much like an advent calendar but...
...I am getting there.

Pauline took part one of the advent calendar class today (Friday) and for a 2hr class we certainly had our work cut out for us. The boxes were cut for us using Spellbinders dies and the Grand Calibre...this was done to speed things up a bit as there really is a lot involved.
24 boxes with lids had to be folded and creased in all the right places and then half of them had to be 'distressed' - I used Ranger Distress ink pad 'antique linen'. All the lids had to have a sentiment stamped on top - for this I used 'vintage photo'.
This is the first completed box (I've since added some stickles). All the bottom parts of the boxes had to be stamped with a selection of Christmas images. Pauline set some 'homework' to be completed before part two of this class next week...to colour and decorate the boxes (if we wished) but all the boxes must be constructed by next lesson. For most of the ladies this means a week to get things done - for me, I have to have everything ready for Monday as that was the day that I could get off work. One busy weekend coming up.
The distressed lids didn't look quite right so I've added a second colour to the edges - 'old paper'.

I've coloured, I've stickled and I've DST'd all the tabs. In part two we make a large box to hold the small boxes so I'll show you the pics when it is all done..........................................

Children in Need...

2011-11-18T20:23:00.003Z

...events have been going nicely at work.

Thursday was the Tombola day and here are some photos of the goodies folk had donated.

We won't know the final total raised until Wednesday next week but I'll let you know when we know what the figure is..............................

No Christmas Craft Day...

2011-11-17T19:00:00.000Z

...today.

Poor Dawn (Bareham) who runs the monthly card workshop has been unwell so unfortunately the Christmas craft day had to be cancelled. Rather than cancel my day off I've just had a mooch around.

Boy has it been cold today...despite a bit of sunshine the temps never made it into double figures here so it was rather brrrrr!!!

A wander around Barleylands and a bit of lunch was followed by a wander around Wickford and then home.

As I had been intending to spend today crafting, I thought I'd better make something...you know...show willing LOL

This is a card that I've made from a Hunkydory kit that I picked up.
Very quick and easy as everything is die-cut ready and just needs putting together. This is just one of 4 cards in the kit. All are beautifully foiled in either gold or silver and there are lots of bits left that can be used on other cards.
There are a variety of sentiments that you can chose from either coloured like the image (as in this case) or matching with the card blank.
The image is a die-cut pyrimage scene which fits perfectly in the aperture but this could be used on another card and the card blank could be used to frame another image of your choice.

Sometimes it is nice to just be able to make something without having to think too much about it - this kit certainly fits that bill..........................

Okay, I've been...

2011-11-16T22:05:00.004Z

...I've seen...and...It's a shopping centre.

Many of you here in the UK will have heard about the new Westfield Shopping Centre that opened in Stratford, East London, back in September (13th Sept). It was certainly plastered all over the news and has been 'the' place to spot a celebrity or two...Nicole 'whats-her-name' who used to be engaged to Lewis Hamilton, Peter Andre and even Justin Beiber. Despite all of this I hadn't stepped across the thresh-hold. Why????

Well despite there being hundreds of shops in this new centre (approx 70 places to eat before you even start on anything else) and just about the biggest John Lewis and M&S stores - there are no 'craft' type shops of any kind and until last week the promised Foyles book store hadn't opened either.

Tuesday evening I worked late and as I walked towards the station I thought 'what the heck, why not' so in I toddled.

The Westfield Centre is a mix of in-door and out-door with the out-door areas being made to look like 'streets' with seating areas and lots of gold & white Christmas lights...
...my poor little camera doesn't cope well with low light levels but this sort of gives you an idea of the outside.

I didn't go into many shops as I really only wanted to have a look around.

I did go into John Lewis and there is the tiniest craft department imaginable mixed in with the haberdashery...way up 'in the gods'. For a store that advertises 'never knowingly undersold' - I think they need to check a lot of their prices. I'm not a massive fan of HobbyCraft and don't find them to be that reasonably priced but I bought some sprays of flowers in HC a couple of months ago at £1.56 per spray...the same thing in JL was £3 - slight difference.

Foyles was a disappointment...I had sooooooooooo looked forward to having a book shop to wander around - what a let down. The new WHS located further along the centre had a better selection.

The layout of the centre is quite pleasant but there are a lot of units not yet ear-marked for any specific retailer. It was very crowded in the 'street' areas but the shops were relatively empty.

The Christmas decor was very tasteful with lots of elegant white & gold lights everywhere and the decor in John Lewis was beautiful - mainly red & white baubles & stars. However, I think I had built my hopes up with the thought of having a well know book store to wander round and the disappointment may well have clouded my overall view of the place. I'll probably wander over there at some point but I can't say it is somewhere that I will be raving about any time soon.....................

Saturday 12 November...

2011-11-15T20:00:00.000Z

...was a special day for Mum.

Mum has had my Dad's ashes at home because she didn't want them interred where she wouldn't be able to access/visit (she has MS so is restricted as to where she can get to) and she never fancied the idea if just scattering them.

Each time we have visited Barleylands Craft Village she has been very taken by the glass blowing unit that offers a memorial service of turning some of the ashes into a glass keepsake. A couple of weeks ago she decided that was what she wanted so arrangements were made for Saturday so that she could watch a paperweight being made.

Here are a few photos - not very good I'm afraid as the glass has to be kept moving to create the round shape - but the process was amazing to watch.

They told Mum that the paperweight would take about a week to cool down safely and it would be engraved as she wished.

She was so happy at seeing the lovely piece of glass being created that it really was a very special day................

How could anyone...

2011-11-13T21:55:00.004Z

...not be proud of this young man.
My niece emailed this to me from Germany - her husband in uniform for Remembrance Sunday - doesn't he look smart.

I feel very proud that this young man has decided that his career is to be one where he serves his country. He has undertaken a number of 'tours' in various conflicts and we all give thanks that he is with us safe and sound.

Unfortunately, for the second year running we have not had a Remembrance day parade where I live; which is very sad. I think it is so important that we take the opportunity to think of and thank all the lads & lasses that dedicate their lives to keeping this country safe and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice doing likewise.

Keep safe Dan. Love & hugs from a very proud Aunty........................

Children in Need...

2011-11-13T19:44:00.004Z

...a week of events.

We are not a huge office but we normally have good support for Children in Need - folk are very good at supporting events like this; not only with their money but also the donated goods they provide. These are just a few photos of the book sale and the posters...

...the books are going well and the other events are gradually taking off. More pics will be available as the week progresses.........................

How are you...

2011-11-13T19:41:00.002Z

...getting on with your Christmas makes?

I have nearly finished my Christmas planner and I've made loads of Christmas cards. Here are just a few of the cards that I have made...
Most of these have been made in response to various challenges that I've entered.
I have certainly made better use of my stamps this year (although I have to admit that there are still some awaiting an introduction to an ink pad LOL) - I just love the way the same image can be made to look so very different just by a change of colour or decorating style.
I have loads more done so you would think that I should be sorted for my Chrimbo cards for this year.............nah! Many of the cards I have made have been trying out new techniques or ideas and I just know that when it comes to it, I won't want to part with them..............................

CDACPC6...

2011-11-13T19:34:00.004Z

...the last stage of the progressive challenge part 1.

Using one of the freebie digi images that were supplied as part of this challenge over at "CDAC", this is what I came up with.
There was a bear in the previous batch of images so I decided to use a similar base card for the image provided this time by Designs2Delight.
A little bit of Stardust gel pen to give the snow a bit of shimmer but not too much bling as the matting already provides that.
Isn't this chappie cute - he really looks like he is enjoying his play in the snow.

I understand that there will be a 'part 2' to the Progressive challenges - I hope so as this has been fun................................

With pride...

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000Z

...I wear my poppy.

I will also observe the two minute silence that will be held at 11.00

I found this lovely image over at Sheleen's blog - Patchwork Apple - and hope she doesn't mind sharing it as I thought it was perfect for the occasion...........

A Couple of...

2011-11-10T08:04:00.003Z

...Planner pages.

I am trying to be organised...honest...but the time just seems to be flying by - how can we be at 10 November already?

Dark mornings and dark afternoons don't sit well with me...I like daylight LOL and I'm finding it very hard not to nod-off of an evening. Never mind, I am getting there and this is another completed page spread for my planner.
I have decided to keep the pages fairly simple so that the whole thing doesn't become too bulky.
I even remembered that I have a complete set of fancy cutting blades for my new Woodware trimmer (only had for two years doh!) so I used one to trim the image panel.
The new Flexmarkers really do complement the Copics that I have by having some very pale colours which are great for building up the shading.
A few peel-offs will be putting in an appearance as they provide a bit of decoration without the bulk.

Hope you like..........................

Here is...

2011-11-09T07:34:00.006Z

...the finished cover.

This is the finished look for the outside of my 2011 Christmas Planner.
I decided not to put a title or anything on the outside as the title page inside holds all the details. Paula - you asked what all the ribbons were for...here you go...
Other than the mass of ribbons the decoration on the cover has been kept very simple with a bit of matting and layering. The lovely vintage image was from a freebie sheet provided by the lovely June over at "Dezinaworld" (you should have a hop over there and see the lovely stuff her DT come up with).

The pages for the inside of the planner are coming along and I'll share those a few at at time as there are quite a few.

Hope the weather is better where you are - enjoy your Wednesday......................

As Remembrance approaches...

2011-11-08T17:23:00.004Z

...the poppies start to appear.

Is it just me or are more folk wearing poppies this year?

There are the usual paper ones but many folk can be seen sporting some beautiful creations. Even the British Legion seem to have pulled out the stops this year with a much wider range of poppy items; phone charms, trolley coins, wrist bands, silk pins, enamel pins and jute bags.

With a family member in the armed forces, this time of year is always one when we say a prayer for his safety and remember those that have not been so lucky..............

Wow, Gosh...

2011-11-06T22:30:00.004Z

...Fan-dabby-dozy!!!

Kerryanne is starting next week's 'Simply Christmas' with a super gift for one lucky person. Get yourself over here to see what it is that she is offering and how you can be in with a chance.

I'm not going to show you a pic as you need to pop over there to see for yourselves.....................................

Getting there...

2011-11-06T08:20:00.005Z

...sloooooooooooooooooooowly!

Morning folks, hope your Sunday is a bit brighter than it is here - cloudy, dull...but at least it is dry for the moment. This post has quite a few photos so you might want to go and grab another cuppa before settling down to this.

My 2011 Christmas Planner is gradually coming together.

As you can see, I've gone for the greyboard/book ring option and the covers are made but not yet decorated...that's the next decision to make LOL
The board has been cut just slightly bigger than the envelopes that I'm using as pages and I've punched 5 holes ready for the rings. I thought 5 would be more secure than 3.
I have actually completed the title page...
...don't you just love Kerryanne's artwork - it is so enjoyable to use...
...and I love the little details like the stacks of presents.
At the moment, although I've coloured a lot of the template pages supplied I haven't actually made up the pages - I wanted to get the colouring sorted first.
Aren't these just adorable...the expressions are lovely and such fun. I have coloured them using a mix of Copics and Flexmarkers and if you've noticed a little bit of shine that's because I've used a stardust gel pen to highlight the stars.
I've had a slight problem with my colour choice for making the lists look a bit like parchment. The base colour I've used is Copic E50 and guess what...yep...it ran out. So off I toddled to get a new one (or two to be on the safe side) and they didn't have any - plenty of E51 but no E50. Luckily, after a rummage in my stash I did find another tucked away with some other pens - fingers crossed it lasts LOL
The Santa holding the 'Christmas Day Menu' is in his PJs - not surprising after his busy night LOL and I have kept him to the blue/mauve colour scheme.
This is the paper stack that I'm using for this project and as you can see, there is plenty of it so I don't think PP will be a problem.

I think Kerryanne is hoping that folk will share their planners in a linky party next week so I'd better get my finger out and crack on with this.

Catch you laters..............................