New Goodies New Baby Cards

Hello All
Thank you for your lovely comments. I love doing cross stitch, but these days the old eye sight means that now I only stitch during the day. The bit I don't like doing is the mounting and framing. I must have about 6 or 7 wrapped up in my wardrobe waiting to be done! Oooh Mrs Duck, thank you, I was so flattered by your comment. You must have caught me on a good day, most of the time I obviously don't look that young because bus drivers ask me if I've got a bus pass - cheek! I have to say you don't look your age either, especially when you're not wearing your crash helmet. I think you look a lot younger than you say.
Today's cards are using some of my new products, one from Ally Pally and one just because! My daughter's friends are all having babies at the mo, some are on their seconds and My New Baby cards were always a variation of one I have already posted and I'd had my eye on this cd-rom/die set for ages. They didn't have the complete deal at AP so I ordered it as soon as I got home. It is from Tattered Lace which is a company that I have used before and know that some people don't like Stephanie and Nancy (me included) but I liked the look of this concept. Now, I am having problems with getting the cd to work but I took it into Serif and made my own digikit. I am in a little dispute over the error messages that were occurring but that's between a pc repair company and me at the moment but if I'm not happy and it isn't resolved satisfactorily, I will be contacting Tattered Lace.
I can see me using this for baby/toddler's birthdays, first Christmases,  Easter etc
The embossing folder was bargain from Ally Pally. I love the cute little tooties!

I did have to do a re-jig for the one going to OZ, it's spelt "Jaxon" not "Jackson" lol!

Ingredients

5x7 card blank

Tattered Lace Charisma Bunny and Teddy - with matching die I hope you can see that I've decoupaged the image - easy peasy with the die!

Embossing folder-  baby feet (I've thrown the packaging away!)

Pearlised aqua/blue card from stash

Super smooth white card 250gsm for images and a piece coloured blue to match the patch on teddy!

Sue Wilson - Delicate Daisies closed petal

Sue Wilson - New York Collection Herald Square

Sue Wilson - pierced flags

Mei Flower pearls

I'm crafting with a friend tomorrow afternoon - yay! So I'm off to clear a space for us to play

See you Thursday

xx

Oldie for Ffffiday

Hello Everyone
Thank you for all of your lovely comments It warms the cockles of my heart that you've taken the time and trouble to visit my 'lil ole blog.
I know I listed all of my purchases and then thought that I'd missed off that I thought I had bought the Poinsettia stamps by John Lockwood but now can't find them. I'm hoping that I'd looked and then decided against buying them and not lost the money ... I think a small purchase may just happen, although I'd promised myself that I wouldn't spend any more on craft items! Next Ally Pally has presented me with a bit of a dilemma because it's my Ruby Wedding Anniversary (if we survive that long hee hee!) on the 10th April. I hope to go and perhaps meet the like of Jackie and the Cotswold Crafters
Today's oldie inspired by Erika at Snappy Crafts Hers is a Christmas theme and mine is the third one in the series of cross stitch that I made for SIL as Christmas presents for four years. I have to say once I'd decided to make these at least I didn't have to worry what to buy for 4 consecutive years hee hee! So this one is Summer, SIL had already taken this one out of it's old frame and so it was a little creased when I took the photo (sorry)
Off shopping today for OH's glasses - what joy. I have a couple of new baby cards to make too. I intend to use a recent purchase for a change - so watch this space. I love 'em and have tons of ideas to use it...?

Have a great week end and see you Tuesday

Ally Pally goodies and a wedding card

Hello All
Great to have you call again, if you are able to comment, then feel free I value all of your feedback.
Some of you asked for photos of my Ally Pally booty. I forgot to take photos! I was so keen to un pack and rearrange things that it didn't enter my head soo....here's the list

Sue Wilson dies Classic - Poinsettia open petal  (I'd already bought the closed petal earlier in the week!)
Sue Wilson dies - Butterflies in Flight
Sue Wilson Embossing folder - Contemporary Poinsettia
CE texture paste - Apple Red - Frosty Mink - polar White 
CE Embossing powder - bright gold
CE - Diamond Snow glitter
CE - Vintage gold card
pearl card - gold
Set of Junior plates for GC (I'm determined to keep one side of the cutting plates purely for white card)
Embossalicious A4 embossing folder - can't remember name but it's flowery!
Small embossing folder with baby's feet - packaging already thrown away by OH!
2x 6x6 card blanks
2 x Doo craft die storage folders
packs of Mei Flower pearls in various colours
Fiskars stamp thingy
and a mask that has stars all over it! I did add it all up and .....I'm not telling It was a lot! That's my craft spend now until next April (but I do have a birthday next month and of course Christmas!)

I'm showing this card today because it was a sort of happy accident. It is all made in Centura Pearl card and a slither of silver mirri board. I've gone off mirri but I think it looks great in small doses The font is a free one, the embossing folder was a buy from April's Ally Pally by Tri-Boss and the hearts are from a Tattered Lace. I used a mini Striplet outside edge to create 3 panels to emboss. I thought I'd calculated that I could place them onto my base card with a small gap in between each one uh huh! I hope you like it because I was very pleased in the end

Today's post is a bag

Hello Everyone
Thank you for visiting and if you've time to leave a comment, thank you sooo much
First off, a big welcome to Jackie Trinder for clicking the follow button
I had a fantastic day at Ally Pally. I met a few people that recognised me from visiting their blogs I was thrilled that they remembered lil' 'ol me! And I met Mrs Duck for the first time. If you don't know her blog, please visit her because she is very creative and hilarious. Talking of which you need to go to SpecSavers! I may be tall(ish) and I suppose I am relatively slim BUT I am definitely am not pretty!
Today's post is inspired by John Lockwood. His blog is definitely worth a visit. This die was one of the first Sue Wilson Striplet dies I bought

Oldie for Fffriday and Ally Pally tomorrow!

Hello Everyone and thank you for visiting. I love that you come along and if you have time to leave a comment I appreciate it. 
Thank you for your lovely comments on my previous post. I thoroughly enjoyed having a go at this craft. Form A Line still make the patterns that I used. 
Today's oldie inspired by Erika. is the second of four that I made for my SIL as a Christmas present. So now we're up to Spring. It was inspired by the late great Jo Verso. I've adapted it to fit with their garden. The shed, greenhouse, their looks and clothes all reflect what happens in their garden, even down to having two bird tables. I framed them all and she had them in her kitchen. They have just re modelled their kitchen so I am now going to re-mount them for the new frames she has chosen.
Today a friend and her mum are visiting to craft - Perfect and tomorrow I'm off to Ally Pally - more Perfect! Is anybody going tomorrow? I'd love to meet up and say "hello" in person. Have a great week end whatever you're up to and see you Tuesday

House of Cards Challenge - September

Hello All
Thank you for popping by and if you're able to leave a comment, it is much appreciated as I know how busy all of our lives are in one way or another.
Thank you for your comments on my previous posts
Today's card is the one I have entered for September's House of Cards challenge - add stitching --real or faux. I have had a go at faux stitching before but wanted to have a go at the real thing! I used a project that I have had for years from a company called "Form-A-Lines" here . I loved doing it and will definitely try it again. The last couple of photos was my first attempt. I hadn't got any Sulky thread and thought I'd practice with embroidery cotton - BIG mistake, the poor lady looks like she's growing a beard!. I found some black Sulky thread in my stash and wanted to give it a go to see if I enjoyed doing this craft before I splashed out and bought more. Once I had finished it, it reminded me of the Ascot scene from "My Fair Lady" and the sentiment is a line from the song the Ascot Gavette "What a smashing, positively dashing Spectacle: the Ascot op'ning day" 

The glittered "dazzler" looks a bit misshapen but in real life it is a perfect circle

Ingredients

6x6" card blank

Sue Wilson Noble Squares - pierced

Sue Wilson Delicate Daisy

Black ribbon

Pinflair glue gel

Tonic Nuvo - black glitter

 Now the disastrous one!

See you Saturday 

xx

My first attempt at a channel card

Hello everyone. I hope that you are all well. Although the weather has been sunny here it has felt mighty cold. We had a great time on Friday watching my daughter take part in "Tesco Does Strictly". They didn't win but hey ho! it was for charity. It just proves how big an event it is for Tesco, they raised £10,000 for the charities British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK. Saturday was spent looking for school uniform items for a "Back to School" Salsa event that is on this Wednesday. Sunday was a lazy, chilled day. I hope your little lad is better now Erika and Maureen, I framed each cross stitch for her. She had them up in her kitchen which she has just had redecorated and has just given them back to me to re-mount in different frames.

Today's card is my first attempt at a channel card - I don't think I've posted this before (apologies if I have) I printed the sentiment using different fonts onto plain white super smooth card, used a spellbinders bracket die and pink card from a kit I bought from Llidl. it was a huge learning curve for me, wondering how big to make the channel, mis-calculating the finished size of the white card to mount onto the pink, next one will be slightly smaller, so that there is a border all of the way around the top layer (you know what I mean!)

It is my daughter's birthday today and I should have shown the card I made for her but stupidly forgot to photograph it! Off out to celebrate this evening with the family

See you Thursday 

oldie for Fffriday

I'm glad you have called in and I am in a rush So I will post my oldie and come back later!See Erika's site that's the inspiration 

It's the first of a series of four that I made for my Sister in law for four consecutive Christmasses. She loves her garden and everything reflects their garden, their clothes/hair colour/that pesky cat! All inspired by the late, great Jo Verso
See you later

A simple card for a man

Hello Everyone

Thank you for popping by. I appreciate it, and value that you take the time. I am so sorry that I am posting late today. Every appointment I had just seemed to take twice as long as it should! Anyway, nails done and a quick "mooch" around the shops too. 

Tomorrow night my lovely daughter is taking part in "Tesco Does Strictly" It's a big charity event that Tesco do every year. My daughter  (the professional - not!) has had to teach a Tesco employee a dance. In her case (obviously) Salsa. They, then compete with another 9 couples and the audience text their votes which along with other stuff raises money for their chosen charities for the year. Ironically (for us) the two charities this year are British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.

So, on to today's card. I was asked for a card for a gentleman that loved sport but the person could not remember if there was any sport in particular. So I found some vintage photos of several sports and came up with this. I think it works

Ingredients

6x6 card blank

Script embossing folder - name escapes me

Distress ink - vintage photo

Spellbinders - Marvellous Squares

Spellbinders - large Classic Squares

See you Saturday

My box following Patricia's tutorial

Hello Everyone
Thank you for popping by. If you can leave a comment I am truly honoured that you've taken the time. I love your feedback, it helps me to improve my crafting. Talking of which today's post is a box I made using Patricia's brilliant tutorial on her blog here All I've done is vary the height of the box and depth of the lid. I made it for a friend's daughter for her bridesmaid gifts. I made it all in one colour to match her dress and the trims/ribbon match her wedding ring. I have to say that my previous attempts to make a box  were awful, with droopy sides and glue everywhere. I have to say that CS dries clear glue has become my new best friewnd!  But I'm very proud of this one as I did her trick of trimming a slither off two sides for the base and using a Hougie board to do the scoring.
On another topic, thank you for your lovely comments on my previous posts and to say that the Fun Run went well. We had exceedingly good weather and nearly got a Guinness Book World record for the most heart transplantees at one event. they were 4 short! such a shame but what an achievement! 

Ingredients

Centura Pearl card with a hint of ivory/gold

Silver glitter card from stash

Ivory ribbon edged with silver from stash

Spellbinders - lacy accents

Spellbinders - Marissa's Bouquet

Mei Flower flat backed pearls in ivory/cream (ish)

See you Thursday

Oldie for Ffffriday...

Hello Everyone, thank you for taking a browse and if you're able to leave a comment, I love the feedback you provide
Today's post is and oldie inspired by Erika at snappycrafts for Friday (I'm always late!) Her Saturday posts are hilarious too
We're off to Harefield Hospital tomorrow, I hope the weather improves! It gives us a chance to meet up with Gary's friends that we may not have been able to see through the year. Although, this year many of us met up in July to celebrate Gary's 35th birthday

It's a Wedding card that i made for a friend. One of my first easel cards. I used gold mirri card to reflect her invite. This must have been the last time I used mirri. It's gone out of fashion these days hasn't it - as mentioned on Sandra's blog http://cotswoldcrafter.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Here's the invite

Ingredients

6x6 card blank

Sue Wilson 3D bows - for strip along the bottom

Tattered Lace - Starlight Collection

Fun Run...

Hello All

Thank you for visiting and a huge welcome to Helen Hapsi, my latest follower. I truly value your feedback.

Thank you Jackie for your info re reactive lenses. I'm sort of tempted but I just thought I'd tell you all that when I spoke to the optician at Boots (I've been a patient there since childhood) she explained all of their lenses now have UV protection and therefore our eyes are protected without the need for sunglasses - certainly food for thought!

I hope you don't mind but I thought I'd post a photo of Team Gary. Every year we take part in Harefield Hospital's Fun Run in memory of my son. It takes place on the first Sunday of September. This photo is a couple of years old (I can't find the latest ones!) and sadly two of the people in the photo are no longer with us, my mum and the lady on the right hand side in the pale grey joggers. Julie was Gary's nurse and we stayed friends. She died unexpectedly in July this year, so we are running in her memory too.

 See you Saturday with an oldie
PS What are your thoughts on the new Hochanda channel? Apart from the teething troubles with sound etc I am enjoying seeing the clips of people that have created businesses from their crafts. I can't see me becoming a member though

Tinkerbell and cutting out/in the die

Hello Everyone

Thank you for popping in. I love to receive your feedback too

I had a very busy week end, with lots of dancing and we also went to a Music Festival in Hertford yesterday which was great fun. it was a bit of a pub crawl visiting different pubs to watch/listen to bands. 

I should have posted a photo of the card I made for my daughter's fiance today as it's his birthday but I forgot to take a photo. Perhaps I can "rescue" it and take one and post at a later date.

Today's card was made for my daughter's friend, who at 31, is besotted with Tinkerbell. I found a picture on the internet and printed it off using a Serif background. This is my first attempt at cutting out of the die, a technique I'd seen Julia Watts do. I didn't fancy fussy cutting the entire image but wanted her "wings" to be included. It's surprisingly easy to do. 

You place the die on top of the image and draw around the outside of the die up to the place you do not want die to cut. Then snip up to drawn edge. Place this part over the top of the die and cut. I then trimmed the wings. I hope you get the idea.

This is scheduled to post as I have an eye test. I want to find out about reactive lenses because I get fed up with swapping glasses to sunglasses (not that we've had much sunshine) and quite often don't bother which I know is detrimental to eye health. Have any of you ever had them?

Ingredients

5x7 card blank

blue background paper - Serif digikit 

Becca Feakin - Filigree Delights - outside die and oval die (the only oval die I own)