Friday Smiles

I know, I'm late to the weekly Friday Smile party at Annie's but with good reason ... today's my birthday, again!!! (Birthdays come round all the sooner when you get to my age, sigh) Anyway, I was taken out to lunch and a trip to the craft shop and that's why I'm late :)

This morning I finally got to open all the cards that have been propped up on the mantelpiece ... gorgeous cards made by my friends over at UKPC.

And then there was this card from Di ... absolutely stunning - that sentiment is fabulous.

Next up, was this greeting from Google ... I don't know how they do that but it always puts a smile on my face when it happens :)

And the 'new home' cards keep coming - these are from Sarn and Anne (UKPC). You should see my mantelpiece now - it's looking positively festive :))

Finally, is he not totally adorable? This is my great-grandson, Brodie, who celebrated his first birthday on Thursday. He's gorgeous and looks so cute in that cap and always makes me smile :) It's especially good to see him so alert and smiling because it's only a couple of weeks since he was rushed to A&E after swallowing  a tiny batteries from one of his toys. It happened in seconds!!! From A&E, he was quickly transferred to Yorkhill Children's Hospital in Glasgow and there he was operated on to remove the offending battery which apparently, because it was stuck in his oesophagus, could have corroded and caused a lot more damage than it did!

So, as you can see, I've had a lot to smile about today.

Christmas Toy Shop - Card For a Child ... November Rudolph Day and CHNC 152

Afternoon Everyone,

Still not got much time to craft but couldn't miss the last Rudolph Day of the year, over at Sarn's Stamping for Pleasure, so here is a quick card I rustled up for the occasion.

While sorting through a box of stash I found a Closed Doors card kit by La Pashe which included this Toy Shop full of Christmas goodies ... perfect for a child which is what Hazel is looking for this week at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 152

With the exception of the ribbon, the kit has everything needed to create the card, including the card base. All I had to do was to cut the various parts out and adhere them to the card base. The little Santa and the bauble wreath are decoupaged and I've added glossy accents to Santa's nose, buttons and belt and also to some of the baubles on the wreath.

So that's the card ... I said it was quick :)

Apologies for the glare in the photos; the paper La Pashe have used to print the images on is shiny and I'm still trying to find some area in the house that is perfect for taking photos, hence the two different backgrounds.

Needless to say, I almost forgot to say that I'm also submitting this card to Hazel's Extra Challenge for November.

Okay, back to sorting and organising - the EM is concentrating on unpacking books and I'm finally free to unpack my crafty stash, yippee!

Take care everyone and happy crafting,

Sunday Snippets ... and snippets of the snippets

Evening Everyone ...

... I hope you have have had a super Sunday and a happy weekend.

Sadly, it's five days since I last posted anything ... sorting out the craft room and even finding time to craft has been very low down on the list of priorities. It seems better to have a fully functioning kitchen than a sorted craft room :)) However, I do have a scrap page and a card to share with you ... both were begun and almost completed before we moved and both include snippets in the making.

I confess that the design for this page was scraplifted from the most recent issue of Scrap365, and if I could find the magazine I'd be only too happy to credit the designer ... but, unfortunately, it's in one of the many boxes still waiting to be unpacked!!! I raided the snippet box for the papers to compliment this cute pic of my granddaughter taken on her 9th birthday last year, and because it's Sunday, and in Jules time honoured tradition, I won't list details ... in truth, I can't remember them anyway :)

The decoration is just a few tiny punched hearts, star shaped sequins and pink gems.
 
Of course, the photo was taken before I added the journaling because I couldn't find my pack of pens. This page will be slipped into the album next to a project life style page in which there will be more photos taken that same day.

The page done, I decided to create a card from the leftover papers. Got is started but had to leave off from finishing it for the removal.

I used a black card base, trimmed the papers into blocks and strips, edged them with ProMarkers in toning shades and added some faux stitching - I found the box of pens :) I think the ladybird perched on the hedgehog's toes is super cute.

With the base being black, the inside needed a panel of something lighter to write a greeting on and luckily there was enough of the green patterned paper left to do the job.

So lots of snippets used in both the scrap page and the card and that means I can pop over to the Pixies Snippet Playground and join in the celebrations ... it's, amazingly, the 100th week since Di took over from Jules - how time flies!

I can't promise when I'll be back again ... so much to unpack and sort out but every day brings progress and it really is beginning to feel like home here. I hope to be able to share some photos with you soon.

Edit Note: I've finally unpacked the box containing the magazine featuring the layout I scraplifted for my page ... entitled Jewel, it's by Ali Paris, and it's in the December/January 2013 edition of Scrap 365. Many thanks to Ali for the inspiration :)

In the meantime, take care and happy crafting,

WOYWW 233 ... and I'm back

Hi Everyone

Online again, at last! Moved into the new house on Friday and still in a muddle. However, having been unable to participate in blogland's biggest and best hop, What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday brought to us by the indefatigable head desk-keeper, Julia Dunnit, for far too many weeks, I'm so happy to be back :)

Can't find a thing and the crafty stash is still waiting to be unpacked so precious little to show on the workdesk today - I'm writing this late, very late, Tuesday evening. The only piece of equipment unpacked is the computer, though my fingers are itching to do something with pretty paper, stamps and ink again. So I've made a display of the super cards the postie brought today. Many thanks to Jan, Jenny, BJ and Sarn - love them all :)

Super brief post from me today - just the way Julia likes it - and I'm off to bed ... all that unpacking and cleaning is taking it's toll ... I don't think there isn't a bone or muscle in my body that doesn't ache right now. However, I will be back later to join in the fun :)

Happy WOYWW and happy crafting too,

Holly Bell

Good Morning Folks

Firstly, I hope this finds you all well ... and safe too. My thoughts go out to those of you who have been affected by the hurricane that has wreaked destruction across the Philippines ... the devastation is immense and I can only hope that all who need it are receiving aid now ... though I can see that logistically it is a massive task. According to news reports help is on the way ... I hope it reaches the people most in need very soon.

Now, it's another Wednesday and still no time to join in with WOYWW ... things are quickly hotting up here at the Worthington's ... only 2 days to go to moving day and the pressure is on!

So a very quick share today ... another card from the 'cards to be posted' box.

Another Vintage Christmas decoupage topper on a quick to make card. The white pearlescent card, with a hint of gold, (Crafter's Companion) has been embossed with a Darice folder, Diagonal Stripe.

 I used a Tim Holtz oval embossing diffuser to create the area for the greeting. This didn't work entirely to my satisfaction. I thought the non-embossed panel wasn't prominent enough, even after I took an embossing tool around the edge ... I think it may need an extra shim or two ... will try again when I have all the time in the world!

For decoration I've used Glossy accents the berries, Platinum Stickles on the bell and Crystal Stickles to edge the greeting panel.

The patterned paper is from Cosy Christmas collection - free with Quick Cards last year.

If I have missed any detail, I apologise, I'm all a dither right now ... please contact me if there is anything that needs further explanation.

Now I really must be off, things to do.

Take care and happy crafting,

Decoupaged Father Christmas

Morning Folks,

A drab and dreary Monday in this part of the world today ... hope it's better where you are.

Just a quick share for you today ... and apologies yet again for the poor quality of the photographs. The new lamp is on it's way!!!

This is one of the many surprising discoveries made whilst packing up the craft room ... I'd quite forgotten that I had this page of decoupage stashed away. I'm not much into decoupage ... all that cutting! And, much to my shame, I don't have any details for him - could be from the same set as the patterned papers, Vintage Christmas by Hot Of The Press.

It's not too apparent in the photos but all the white 'furry' areas on the image are covered in Rock Candy Distress Stickles - all except his beard, of course :) And the satin bow is quite a bit darker, and exact match to the burgundy red in the papers, than it looks in the photos.

I've added an insert created from white printer paper, stamped with a greeting and stamped with a bow coloured with a burgundy ProMarker. Scraps of the paper was layered to decorate the back.

Materials used:

• square Kraft card base
• the decoupaged Father Christmas
• patterned papers Vintage Christmas from Hot of The Press
• white printer paper
• bow stamp from a free Christmas set from Docrafts and Christmas Greeting from Christmas Blessings, Katy Sue Designs
• Memento Tuxedo black ink pad and Burgundy ProMarker
• burgundy satin ribbon from Papermania Spot & Stripes Festive Collection
• green card candy

This card was, in fact, made a week or so ago and, I have to confess, my box of cards waiting to be posted is looking sadly depleted :(  I still have some stash, held back from the packing, and my craft table, but that will be dismantled on Wednesday so I may have to resort to crafting on the floor ... don't know if my knees can take it!!!

Friday is moving day so I will be without Internet for a while, certainly over the weekend, that is until Sky gets me up and running again. I'm hoping to schedule some posts over that period and hopefully all will return to normal sometime early next week but, there again, in the words of our noble Bard, Robbie Burns -

... foresight may be vain:

the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men

Gang aft agley

On that sad note I'll go and get on with some cleaning :( 

In the meantime, I hope you are all having a good Monday.

Happy Crafting,

Caroline's Cat ...

... with faux Bokeh background

Saw this faux Bokeh effect demonstrated on YouTube, liked it, and thought I'd try it out for myself. In fact, there are several demos on YouTube, if you want to check them out here's another two to look at here ... here. New to me, I discovered that Bokeh is a photographic term that means blurred ... and looks like this.

The circle stamp was cut out from some leftover grey rubber trimmed from a stamp plate ... I'd saved these with quite another project in mind, but they came in very hand for this one :)

The topper background is another one made by swiping ink pads over it, this time the colours are sand, pink and grey. Inside and back got the Bokeh treatment too.

Materials used:

• white A6 card base
• smooth pink card for matting
• smooth white card for topper
• Regal Cat stamp from Caroline at Simple Stamps 
• Archival black ink pad
• Memento Dew Drop ink pads, Desert Sand, Angel Pink; London Fog
• Just a Note greeting from Wild Rose Studio's Everyday Greetings
• pink gems for decoration

I was able to rescue some snippets of pink and white card from the box before it was wrested from my grasp to be taken over to it's new home yesterday, thus enabling me to finish this card and submit it to Pixie's Snippet Playground - Week 98.  Pink again! I'm clearly going through a pink phase ... Di will be pleased :))

I hope you like the faux Bokeh effect and might try it for yourself, probably with much better results! It's easy to do and I can see it being suitable for one layer cards and those clean and simple ones that I am so bad at :))

Hope you are all having a super Sunday.

Thanks for taking the time to look, your comments are always much appreciated.

Happy crafting,

In Remembrance

In remembrance of my great-grandfather who fought in WWI 

and 

two great-uncles who fought and died in WWII

Lest We Forget

Friday Smile

Afternoon Everyone ...

... and happy Friday to you too.

I'm just dashing in and dashing out today but had to join in Annie's Friday Smile over at A Stitch in Time with this lovely photo of my delightful little great-granddaughter, Rhian.

Her mum, Jennifer, caught her watching the fireworks display this week - you can see that she is loving every moment, despite the rain :)

Here are a couple of photos of the fireworks too ... all lovers of the colour pink will have been thrilled with these :))

Okay, must go ... so much to do and so little time.

I hope you are all well and wish you a very good weekend.

Take care.

CHNC Week 149 - bling it up

Afternoon Everyone,

No time to join in with WOYWW today, sigh! But I do have this card to submit to CHNC Week 149.

For the challenge Hazel has requested that we 'bling it up'. The choice is ours - glitter, gems, sparkle and shine. Anything we wish, she says. So for my bit of sparkle I've kept the bling simple by using some fabulous zingy red dew drops for decoration.

The topper features another one of the inky backgrounds I'm having a passion for at the moment. This time I've used a shiny cardstock with Memento inks, Love Letter, Cosmic Copper (just a wee touch of this), Pear Tart and London Fog. Once again the camera, sans Ottlite, has altered the ink colours - the red looks pink, it's not, and the green looks much more yellow than it is in real life, it's not! I'm no expert but it could be because I've used a shiny surfaced card here - too much reflection, perhaps?

Here's a list of materials used: 

• square Kraft card base
• My Mind's Eye Darling Dear Six by Six paper pad - for the backing, the belly band, poinsettias, leaves and topper matting - practically everything, even decorating inside and back!
• a piece of shiny white card for the topper
• Spellbinders Layered Poinsettias die set and Marianne Creatables Chinese Rose (for the leaves)
• scalloped edge punch  
• Siesta Craft Lace border - decorating the belly band
• IndigoBlu Dinkie I Wish You A Merry Christmas stamp
• Archival blank ink pad
• red dew drops

As well as submitting this to the CHNC weekly challenge, I will also submit it to Hazel's Extra Challenge for November.

I almost forgot to add, that this is one of my favourite cards to date - I had fun making the topper, of course, I like the rather unusual colour combination in the Darling Dear paper pad and I love the poinsettias made in same papers.

That's it for today ... must fly, tons of books to box up before the boys, my 'all grown-up tall and strong' grandsons, arrive on Friday to do the hard work of lifting and packing them into a van to move them all over to our new home. Just 9 days to go now and it's all systems go here :)

I hope you are all well, take care and have a wonderful Wednesday.

Happy crafting,

Get Well Soon

Good Morning Everyone,

I trust you are all well and having a great day.

Although the card I'm sharing today features one of the inky backgrounds you can see on Sunday's post, I think you'll agree that it looks completely different from the two cards made up to now.

It's pretty and feminine, with tons of pink in several shades ... if you love pink, you'll like this :)

The base card is white but I've sponged the edges with Picked Raspberry, a Tim Holtz distress ink.

The pretty stamp set I've used here is from Kanban, Wild Flower Garden ... Kanban is no longer, but I believe this stamp set can still be bought on-line ... it comes in two parts, a leaf and fern frame and a floral stamp. I've stamped the frame, in Archival black, on to a piece of flowery patterned paper - from Wild Rose Studio Letters from Paris 6x6 pack and attached it to the base.

The floral stamp was stamped on to one of the backgrounds - this one was swiped with a variety of pink inks from ColorBox Cat's Eye Queue Clear Snap set in pinks/reds and Memento Dew Drop Angel Pink - and then matted on to a snippet of smooth black card.

The sentiment is from Wild Rose Studio Everyday Greetings. Pink gems were used to decorate the corners.

Once again I've managed to use up a couple of snippets of white and black card, not to mention using up some older stash, so I'm planning to submit the card to Pixie's Snippet Playground - Week 97 ... I think Di may just like this colour combination :)

Thanks for all the comments left recently ... I apologise if I haven't returned the compliment but there's such a lot to do when moving house, and it's keeping me away from my computer. Indeed, I consider myself lucky if I can grab half hour in the craft room and even that is getting more difficult as my stash slowly disappears, packed away to not see the light of day until after the move :(

Oh dear, time's up! Time to get back to the packing ... only 10 days to go. I'm assured that I will have a fully functioning kitchen in my new home by end of play today ... progress indeed :)

Take care everyone, and happy crafting,