My Oldie for Ffffriday

Morning everyone and Happy Halloween! I don't celebrate Halloween as such but we are going to Salsa tonight. Thank you for popping by and a huge welcome to TRACY STITT. I hope all of you that pop by have the time to comment because I love to see what you think. As I mentioned we are off to a Halloween themed Salsa event. Daughter and her fiance are coming along too. I will have to do her make up as well as OH and mine! I must alter my costume, the skirt was a bit too long to dance in last time! So, I'd better get cracking, I ought to do some housework at some point.
I had a great birthday with lots of nice pressies including SW Canadian background and Shaded Poinsettia stamps. My OH gave me a two night stay at Champneys. I am always thrilled that people remember

My oldie today inspired by Erika is of a cake I made in 1982 would you believe for a hospital fete and thought it looked apt for Halloween too. I apologise for the quality of the photo - no digital cameras back then. I have had to scan the photo in. I only know that I made the cake in 1982 because I'd written on the back in pencil of all things - naughty but I didn't know any better then. It is a rich fruit cake covered in marzipan, fondant icing and royal icing. I ought to add that it's a thermometer in "his" mouth and not a cigarette! His skin is slightly green with red spots and his head is covered in bandages. Everything on the cake is edible including the bedhead etc. To make this less fragile I added tragacanth powder to the royal icing before I piped it onto bakewell paper. I made sure I did a few in case of breakages. I think they used it as a raffle prize or was it guess the weight, I can't remember now I hope you like it and hope you enjoy whatever you're up to over this spooky week end. I must add that, thank goodness that dark brown work top has disappeared from the kitchen! I started making novelty cake because I wasn't working at the time - and couldn't afford to buy/order cakes from the bakers. Supermarkets didn't do the fancy cakes that are available nowadays and started by making my son's birthday cakes. I was hugely inspired by Jane Asher too and still have her book of Novelty Cakes 

It's my birthday today...

...so I have scheduled this post. So really it's 9pm on Wednesday evening and haven't opened any cards yet except this one. It is from a friend that is a "Parcher"  and is truly amazing! I had a go at this art once and found it very difficult. If any of you do it, I take my hat off to you. It seems very time consuming and when I did it, after all of the pricking I managed to "snip" it in the wrong place! It look like she has "pricked" and "snipped" the backing papers and card blank too. It must have taken forever to do. I don't think the photographs do it justice really.
OH has got something up his sleeve as to what we're going to do, he's good at springing surprises!
Thank you for popping by and if you can, I love to see your comments.

What do you think, gorgeous isn't it?

As I don't know what OH has planned, I cannot say what I'll be up to, am I going out for a meal, have I got to pack an overnight bag, are we going shopping? Who knows.

See you Saturday

xx

Birthday card for a friend

Hello everyone and thank you for popping by. I love to read your comments and feedback. It really helps me to craft/improve. Seeing my projects photographed make such a difference too. It shows up all the mistakes and how I'd change it for future reference!

Today is a special friend's birthday, we have known each other for over 45 years now. She has just re-discovered her love for knitting. So my card is based around knitting! It was inspired by Saturday Sketch. A great resource for card/scrapbook layouts. I also treated her to a set of knitting needles from my favourite knitting needle company (think music!) - I wish I'd discovered them years ago

Ingredients

5x7 card blank

Lidll card - lilac

CE - chic viola gilding wax

Spellbinders - Marissa Bouquet 

EF - can't remember Embossilicious - a bargain from Ally Pally

Serif digikit - Knitty Gritty

I don't think I have much else on for the rest of this week. It is my birthday on Thursday and OH is being very cagey... So is my daughter. She, at long last, has consented to buy me some crafty goodies. She usually refuses and buys me something else (I always tell her not to worry and to spend her money on herself) because she thinks I have enough stuff but we never have enough crafting goodies, do we? She has a small wish list... to enable her to decide...

Take care

xx

Whoops! and oldie for Fffriday

Hello everyone. I'm sorry I didn't post on Thursday - long story involving toothache and lack of sleep!
Thank you for the comments about the fountain. It does look very pretty "spouting" pink water.  We often moan about our councils but sometimes they do come good. In the past, they have coloured the water yellow for Alzheimers week/month. 
I've scheduled this post because we're off to Bristol for a Salsa party. It's mainly a pre-meet of the people going on holiday to Cuba next month. It's also going to be Halloween themed, so out comes the fancy dress!
Today's oldie inspired by Erika at Snappy Crafts is a very simple card, using the shaving foam technique on the first mat. My mum, bless her, asked me to make a batch of "Thank You" cards to send to people that had bought her gifts/flowers when she became very poorly

Ingredients

6x4 deckle edge card blank

Spellbinders - Marvellous Squares

Spellbinders - Les Papillon

Stamps Away - colour mists blue and red

Distress ink - spun sugar

See you Tuesday

 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hello one and all
Thank you for calling by and if you can leave a comment, I really appreciate it. Before I forget, I meant to say on Saturday's oldie post that my OH is a bookie - hence the reason for using that image.

Today I thought that I'd post this beautiful photo of the fountain in my town. Every year, during October, the water is coloured pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month. I have several friends that have had to deal with this cancer and everyone of them I admire their strength and tenacity. To everyone who has had to deal with cancer as a sufferer or carer I salute you

I'm scheduling this to post as I will be at the dentist for most of the afternoon. See yuo Thursday

Oldie for Ffffiday...

Hello, is it Saturday again! Where is time going? Today I am determined to finish some sewing I have and organise my Christmas stash. I have about four birthday cards to make for next week as well. Tomorrow we're off dancing (might go tonight too) where I'll be delivering one of my cards to a friend celebrating her birthday. Thank you for popping in, I do value your feedback - MAUREEN, Serif is easy, once you get used to it - I did invest in their manual - basic/intermediate stuff but it did encourage me to "have a go" and press buttons. But you could add foil to any topper/background paper
Today's oldie inspired by Erika at Snappy Crafts It is soooo old I cannot remember where I got the topper from. It made me smile to post this because I've used peel offs which I have a stash off but rarely use them, I ought to hoik them out and re-vamp them or better still, donate them to a local school/playgroup/neighbour's children

Ingredients

6x4 green card blank - donated by a friend - before the days of die cutting

Topper - can't remember

background - MCS cd-rom

Pinflair - peel offs

Bling - from a shop called Messages

Have a great week end, the weather here is cold but it is trying to brighten up

See you Tuesday

   

Sorry and today's card...

Thank you for popping by, if you're able to leave a comment, thank you. I appreciate all of your feedback. I had a great Saturday afternoon crafting with the daughter of an old school friend. She made a birthday card for her mum using a die she'd bought - the die cutting machine is on her Christmas Wish List! and some dies I'd got - forgot to take a photo though

I must apologise for missing Tuesday. A friend offered to pick me up from work and on the way suggested going crafty shopping - how could I refuse! Actually I didn't buy much in the end. I'd have liked to have bought a box frame for a project I have in mind but they they didn't have the right size. I did buy some kraft card blanks and metallic twine from HC. It was nice to have a browse and see some of the "stuff" we look at on the internet. I apologise for not visiting any of your blogs. I will try and catch up

Today's card was just total play, I didn't have an event/occasion in mind. I recently made a few Silver Wedding cards using a laser printer and a Patsy May Foil-it machine - I understand that there's a way of using these foils with an iron... It reminded me that you can use the waste in this manner. I printed off a Serif image using an inkjet printer this time and "traced" around parts with a Quickie glue pen. Then I left it to dry (i.e. let the glue go clear - 30 mins, next day..) I laid the waste foil over the top and gently rubbed over the top with my finger/coffee stirrer. The foil sticks to the glue. I was quite pleased with the result and made it into this card

Ingredients

5x5 card blank

gold mirri card

Supersmooth white card and paper

Serif image - material 

Embossaliscous folder

Quickie glue pen

Waste hot foil - gold

See you Saturday

xx

Oldie for Ffffriday

Hello All
I'm glad you liked Thursday's post. It was really hard to take a photo and get all of the texture to show. I've got a friend coming over this afternoon to craft, bless her, she has really taken to card/paper crafting and has made two beautiful box frames using roses that she made last time she was here. She's even bought some dies and has the GC on her Christmas list. Today she wants to make a birthday card for her mum. So I must go and clear a space! looking forward to Strictly tonight which I get a little emotional at, a) I just love dancing and b) when my mum was alive, she'd ring me as soon as the credits rolled and we'd chat about who was our favourites and the costumes etc
On to today's oldie inspired by Erika at Snappy Crafts. I was intending to scan some very old photos of cakes I used to make for family/friends birthdays etc - not got around to it, so I'll save that for another day.
Instead it's another card! I made this one for my mum to give to her sister. Very simple and there was a story behind why I used a mannequin. This must be one of the first cards I ever made and definitely the first time I'd used ribbon - still not good at using ribbon, it always looks like I've just plonked it on and looks out of place!

Ingredients

5x7 card blank

My Craft Studio - Fab Glam Fifties - the dress is decoupaged

Spellbinders Deckle Edge dies

white ribbon

Have a great week end and see you Tuesday

House of Cards

This is my second attempt to do this post! Thank you for the comments you leave, I love to read them. Thursday already - soon be the week end! I haven't got anything much planned, apart from catching up on a bit of housework - how boring. Except a friend is coming over to craft, so I don't think much housework will get done - Yay!

I have decided to enter a card into this month's House of Cards challenge. it is to create something with lots of texture and/or this colour palette

So, this is a card I made yesterday. I created texture by doing an Ali Reeve technique which is to cover a piece of card or paper (copy paper works too) with torn pieces of masking tape. They must be torn so that you lose the straight edge of the tape and overlap them to create more texture. The messier, the better at this stage. I embossed the piece with That Special Touch mask - watches. I then smoothed over some Vintage Photo Distress ink. again, the messier it looks the better (I think). I sprinkled some clear embossing powder and heat set it. This accentuates the inking caught on the tape edges and the watches (hopefully!) I found the image of the steam punk penny farthing on the internet. I made the card for a friend who has just started doing cycling marathons etc. 

See you Saturday

Silver Wedding cards

Hello
Thank you for visiting. We had such a lovely week end, weather included. So, today is my SIL's Silver Wedding Anniversary. Do any of you remember the DJ Jimmy Young? He asked the question "why do I get so many requests for Silver Wedding dedications for a Tuesday?" Answer, because most of us get married on a Saturday.
OH and his sister do not usually exchange anniversary cards but his mum reminded him on Friday that it happened to be their Silver. card number 1 needed. I told daughter and asked if she needed a card but said , she'd buy one. An hour later it was "mum, can you make me one please, I won't have time to buy one. Card number 2 needed. On Saturday afternoon, MIL came around, can I please do her one. Card number 3 needed. Now, although their anniversary is today I had to get them ready for Sunday because they happen to be going away to celebrate their anniversary. I had to produce 3 cards very quickly! All different of course and here they are, I'll be interested to know if you like them and if you have a favourite. They have been made with white card, silver mirri card and Lidll card. I printed the sentiments using a laser printer and "foiled" them with a Pasty May Foil-it machine. I don't think the photos pick up the foiling very easily

The one I made for us to give

Daughter's one, no frilly fuss, was the brief!. I saw a similar idea to this on Pinterest and used Serif to "punch" hearts and scrolls 

The one for MIL. I wanted to make a large sentiment, so that she could read it more easily (she is 90, bless her) and I also made and printed an insert on vellum for her. All she had to do was sign it - again she doesn't like her handwriting any more

I must apologise for not visiting all of your blogs recently, time just seems to disappear these days. I do look even if I don't have time to comment. I will try and catch-up

See you Thursday

Oldie for Frriday

Hello, I've scheduled this, so hopefully it'll work. When this goes "live" I should be being pampered and having my nails done. My daughter and I go together, we have a great laugh, chat and catch-up whilst we have our gels done. Tonight we're off to a surprise 40th birthday party of a Salsa friend. In fact my daughter choreographed their first dance for their wedding. Gosh! that must be about 6 years ago now. I need to finish 2 Silver Wedding cards tomorrow for my SIL, one from OH and me and one for daughter to give. I need to do a couple of birthday cards AND I must make a start on Christmas cards. Sunday, we'll be Salsa dancing and visiting SIL to deliver the cards!
Today's oldie inspired by Erika here  It's the last one of my Christmas presents for my SIL, we're up to Autumn. Have a great week end, whatever you're up to. I love the fact that you've come along to visit and if you can leave a comment I look forward to reading what you say

As I've mentioned before, they were inspired by the late great Jo Verso and most of it matches items in their garden, even down to the fact my BIL wears glasses. I've added the other three again just as a comparison

Another item from Ally Pally.... a Thank you card

Hello All

Thank you for popping by. Your visit is valued in all sorts of ways. I'm late (again!) posting as work has been so busy and so I'll try and make this brief. I cannot believe that we are now in October! Where is time going? So Hallowe'en is on the horizon. We go to a couple of Salsa events around that time and dress up - need to sort this year's costumes out but I think we'll be using last year's ones for at least one of them.

I wanted to send a Thank You card and thought I'd use my latest die purchase, bought at Ally Pally. The die does come with 4 separate butterfly dies too but I didn't want to place/use a "solid" butterfly because it needed posting and wanted to keep it flat. I thought I'd paper piece it instead.  It was quite fiddly but it was very satisfying to do. I've since seen Sue Wilson do a technique with texture paste on a die cut, you don't have to be too careful filling in the spaces and then place another die cut of the same image on top and hey presto! any blurry filled in spaces are immediately covered up. I will definitely make more of this style either with glitter or texture paste in different colours and variations. I love CAS cards

Ingredients

6x6" card blank

Serif digikit piece of "material"

Sue Wilson - Butterflies in Flight