Pretty in purple......

Hi everyone, and welcome to my new follower, Linda....thank you for helping me try to reach 1,000 followers by next week. As you say, only 931 to go, hahaha.

I have made a card today which turned out to be a very costly affair.....Used, and scrapped about 10 sheets of paper and card for ONE order of an easel style card. The customer wanted a school badge on the card, but I couldn't get it bigger than 4 cms x 4 cms, which of course was pretty useless. Anyway after a bit of help from my son Adam, I finally got a card I was reasonably happy with, glad it's gone though, as it was 'clouding my mind'.....do you ever have cards that you put off doing because you just can't think of what to do? well I've been putting this one off for 2 weeks.!!

 I have 2 full days of Craft Fairs this weekend, so tomorrow I'll be making a new batch of male themed cards...yeh :-)

Anyway, tonight's card is one I did last week, when I was going through my 'different style every day' phase.

I don't often use lilac colours, but when I do, I love it combined with black.

I had these pretty lilac roses too that I just needed to use.

The sentiment is from  www.stampit.com.au ... I love their stamps.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog, please leave a comment if you like this card x

Until tomorrow......

A nice surprise.....

Happy Tuesday to my lovely followers, all 68 of you. Growing nicely, but I want to have 1,000 by next week ...* silly smiles*...

Anyway, although it's been another glorious day, I've been very busy doing orders and family cards, but just thought I'd share some news with you first......I've been asked to go on the Design Team of the Facebook group CARDS GALORE.....whoohoo!!!    I'm really thrilled, as this is the first chance at doing anything like this. I'll be able to keep you up-to-date on all the challenges and chivvy you along  ( Joan and Janet ) to join in.......

Soooooooooooo, watch this space x

Right, on to one of todays cards. A Ruby Wedding Anniversary for some 'old' friends of ours from another life.......Just a simple easel card and box to match, as it has to be posted. I think it has a 'vintagey' look about it, but not 'shabby chic vintagey' (is that even a word?)

Let me know what you think.

Until later........

A 'beach' of a day....

Wow, what a fabulous day it's been here in Wiltshire......hope it's been the same wherever you are.

Because Alan had a day off, and the weather was so good we packed up the car with all Finn's bits and bobs, chucked Finn in the back and headed off to the beach. Our nearest decent beach is about an hour away, down the Somerset coast, and of course we have to find one which allows dogs too....we ended up in Berrow, a fantastically very long, almost deserted beach . We walked for about 4 miles, with lunch inbetween, altogether a smashing day......Finn loved the beach, but as he's still classed as a puppy (1 year old) we had to stop eventually, as he soon tired.  (Isn't he gorgeous? )

Anyway, no crafting done today, so I'm just showing a couple more of my 'simple' cards from last week, still using Tim Holtz distress inks.........(sorry)

 

This Spellbinder die is very effective but not good to cut, even on my Bigshot Pro, so it doesn't come out very often. I've used distress inks again, on photo paper, then stamped and heat embossed with Cosmic Shimmer black embossing powder. The 'tree' is from Stampin' Up........

This card was an experiment. Just inked and masked, then stamped with my 'Aussie' stamps. Haven't made my mind up about it yet, but it was interesting to do.

Thank you for looking. I do hope you'll leave a comment, either good or bad, I don't mind.

Until tomorrow........

On a roll.......

Happy Sunday to everyone and what a great day it's been.....temperature hit 21 degrees yesterday and 20 today, so a fab weekend. Alan has taken a day off tomorrow so we're going to head to a beach somewhere with Finn, it's forecast for 19 degrees ....yippee.

Well yesterday I made 12 cards......yes 12!   Only A6 size, which I very rarely do, and all very similar, but different!   I got out my Marianne embossing folders, ( inspired by someone on Facebook who'd made some gorgeous wedding invites ), and I couldn't stop.......I think I'll bundle some of them in cellophane and ribbon, and give as a gift.....on the other hand they might sell at my Craft fair next weekend, so maybe I'll wait until after then :)  A lot of customers look at A5 size cards and think, 'expensive to post' so I have stopped doing so many of them, however a small card can be just as expensive if it has a ribbon or other embellishment, but I don't tell them that .....haha

Anyway, here they are......

Hope you like them,  but I know there is no skill involved, and it's not rocket science to mat and layer. I'd love it if you could leave a comment if you've enjoyed looking, thanks  xx

Simply 'simple' !

Evening to my lovely followers, glad you could pop back.....this is my second blog today, wayhay.

 The cards below are simply 'simple', 15 minutes each to make, but quite effective I think.

The centre topper was photographic paper, inked then stamped and heat embossed.

This topper was 'stippled' with inked mini shaving brushes, stamped,  heat embossed then coloured with Promarkers

This is my favourite one, inked onto white hammered card, then stamped.  I've 'double embossed' the surrounding area.
I'm entering the top and bottom cards into the Cards Galore 'Clean and Simple' challenge
and
One Stop Craft Challenge x

Thanks so much for stopping by......hope you like all of todays cards (two more below).

Please leave a comment, good or bad x

Until tomorrow ........

Spring is here ........

Hello everyone, my first post today, and what a gorgeous day it is, here in Wiltshire. So nice in fact that Alan and I were up in the fields with Finn, this morning at 7.30 am. It was great, rabbits everywhere, deer, and the birds singing, definitely makes you feel good.  

I hope the weather is good in Birmingham too, as the son of my lovely 'cyber-friend' Joan, is getting married today. I'm thinking of them and feel sure they'll be having a great day.

Anyway,  instead of sitting in my dressing gown until 10 o'clock, I was in my craft room very, very early, for a change..........I've made 5 cards so far, and showing a couple of them below.....again a change of direction from the last one, but much happier with these two. I'll be back later with the rest, until then enjoy the rest of this beautiful day xx

 

 The lattice die plate is from Cheery Lyn.....I love it, but at £19.99 I'll need to use it quite a bit to get my 'monies worth'...haha

I'm entering this card into the Crafty Bloggers Network challenge - Florals.

Hope you like these cards, would love you to leave a comment if you've enjoyed looking. I LOVE checking all the 'statistics'.....it's very addictive.

Changing direction....again!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my little corner of blogland.  It's been a fabulous day here in Wiltshire, and even having to go into work couldn't dampen my spirits.   The campus I was on this morning is a old country house and estate, which was converted into the 'land-based' study centre for Wiltshire College.  This campus is accessed by a 2 mile long 'drive' which this morning, was absolutely smothered in daffodils, hyacinths and other Spring flowers....the new-born lambs were playing just inches from my car. It certainly made me feel happy to be alive!

Anyway, once home thought I'd do a 'simple' card, which turned out to be anything but simple.  I don't like it, but really do need to build my stocks, so I felt forced to finish, rather than bin it.  Please let me know what you think...........

Hopefully I'll have a good crafty day tomorrow and get a few more done.....maybe I'll even like them, haha

Thanks for taking the time to look x

Owls and Ellies......

Hello everyone, Hope you all had a lovely weekend, and a nice Mother's Day, for those with children.....my 2 sons, wife & girlfriend took Alan and myself out for a lovely lunch, it was good all being together, but I still think Mother's Day is just a 'racket' now. It's also sad when your own mother is no longer here, we used to have some great 'get-togethers' with all the family.........I do miss her.

There was no crafting done yesterday apart from tidying and sorting my stamps last night. I found things that I'd forgotten I'd bought........It's good to find stash that I'd thought I couldn't live without, bought and then never got around to using haha. ( guess at the time, I only 'wanted' instead of 'needed' ) I'm sure you all know what I mean......

Anyway, last week at Olympia I bought a few new Little Claire stamps which've had a early 'outing' today. The cards below were made with the 'Swirly Whirlies Owl Family' and 'Elephants in Squares', great quality stamps, and quirky too.

I love this little owl family, and can see I'll use them over and over again.

Well, no-one ever said that owls couldn't be pink, blue or yellow, so I thought I'd brighten them up a bit.

Hope you've enjoyed looking at my new cards, I'd love you to leave a comment, either good or bad. x

I'm still distressed.....

Oooooooooooo, it seems ages since I blogged.... I've been away buying loads of yummy new stash, (thanks Alan, your bank card came in very handy heehee)

The only problem I have now, is knowing which stamp, die, or gorgeous paper to use first....

Anyway the card I'm showing tonight is made with a stamp I bought a while back from www.littleclaire.co.uk I'm liking the effects of a silhouette image on the distressed background, so I've coloured the 'Ellies' with a black Promarker.    I can see I'm falling into a trap here though....must try to move on to something different soon, which shouldn't be too difficult as I bought a few more 'littleclair' stamps at Olympia on Thursday...yippeee!

If you've enjoyed looking, I would love it if you could leave a comment please, or become a follower if you're not one already x

Sweet but simple....

Just a quick post to show a couple of new baby cards........I'm really 'into' Lili of the Valley stamps and die-cuts at the moment, and have been buying lots over the last couple of weeks.  

 I've kept these 2 cards very simple, just the stamp, coloured with Promarkers, my fave Memory Box branch die, and some ribbons and gems.  Oh, and a Spellbinders label die and Glamourdust to finish.   I'm off to London soon, as I said last night, so catch you all at the weekend.  Please leave a comment if you've enjoyed looking xx

I'm entering these 2 cards into the Lili's Little Fairies Challenge. x

I'm back.....

  Evening, anyone missed me???   Nah, thought not!....... Well I must've tired myself out on Saturday doing TWO posts 'cos I haven't managed to blog since. However, I've got a couple of cards to show tonight, with lots more for later.

This was an order for a new customer....she loved it and has given me a large list of 'needs' for the rest of the year.

The card above is another order, (for a different customer) but I might change it slightly.....just looking at it now has given me a different idea. (I'm rarely happy with my first efforts)

I'm loving using these images from Pink Petticoat again, and although I've had them for a couple of years, I'd forgotten about them.

I'm going to London tomorrow then on to Olympia on Thursday with my 'cyber-friend', Janet......my partner in 'spending' crime!  No doubt we'll get through a few hundred pounds between us on crafty bits.....we usually do!

So, until Friday when I'm back with more new goodies, I'll say goodnight. Please leave a comment, good or bad, if you've enjoyed looking at the pics x

Four more......

Woohoo, second post today..........I've had another very productive afternoon, home alone, so was able to really crack on with a couple of ideas. 

The first card is a variation of an idea I saw on TV yesterday which I quite liked. I'm still loving doing the distress inked backgrounds, but for some strange reason they don't seem to photograph very well.

Anyway, here is the first style......

The above one is my favourite colour again,  but I'm going to do another, much 'tidier' one. I messed the embossing up a little, so not totally happy with it.

These 2 cards are just my samples and I must line the squares up properly next time ........

I then went on to make two very simple cards and as you can see, I'm still at the 'distressing' stage haha.  I have lots more colours of Distress Inks on my 'wish list' for Olympia, next week, woohoo!

  I would love you to comment if you've enjoyed looking.  Catch you all tomorrow xx

A bit late.......

Evening everyone hope you've all had a good crafting day.......I was 'forced' to go into work for a couple of hours, so no cards made today, but that's it now for a week or so. (I only do a few hours a week, but that's still too much!)

Tonight's card is one I made yesterday, which I've re-photographed. I'm loving these colours, and can see them coming out on a regular basis.....The stamp is from the same set as yesterday, and the corner stamp is a new grunge one from Lili of the Valley........

Hope you like it xx

All the best plans........

Well, all the best plans and all that.......when I looked at the other 2 photos they weren't very good ( the pics, not the cards LOL) so that will be another job tomorrow. Instead, I thought I'd show you the card I made for my lovely sis-in-law's last birthday. Ros, my s-i-l has been part of our family for 52 years, and she really is the very best, I just think of her as the sister I didn't have. 

Each year I try to 'better' the year before's card, thankfully she loved this design......hope you like it too x

I mounted the main card onto acetate to give the appearance of it 'floating'.