A February Blog Giveaway

Hello Everyone,

I've been sorting out stash and I've come to the conclusion I have way too much stuff. That being so, I've decided to do a few giveaways starting with this one which is made up of PART of the Classical Bloom Luxury Card Collection from Dawn Bibby. This was a pack I took on holiday back in June 2012. I made several cards from it - you can see them in the post from 27th June 2012, but when we returned home it got put away and forgotten until now. These photos show in more detail what is included.

Cardstock - 3 sheets foiled and 2 patterned

A selection of toppers, sentiments, decoupage & embellishments

Cards - easel, aperture & fancy shaped - envelopes included

Here's a card made from the collection using a circle aperture card, a decoupage rose and one of the greetings, which I will include with the giveaway.

To be in with a chance of winning please...

1. Be a follower of my blog*
2. This is optional but it would be nice if you could add the first photo to your own blog sidebar with a link back to my blog.
3. Add the letters FBG after your comment if you want to be included in the draw

*New followers are very welcome if they are genuine and not just giveaway hunters.

You have until Tuesday 10pm UK time 28th February to let me know if you would like to be in with a chance to win the giveaway. The draw will be done on 1st March,

Edited Note: the giveaway is open to all followers no matter where you are in the world.

Good luck!.

In A Vase On Monday - It's Daffodil Time

Hello Everyone,

"It is daffodil time, so the robins all cry,

 For the sun's a big daffodil up in the sky,

And when down the midnight the owl calls "to-whoo"!

Why, then the round moon is a daffodil too;

Now sheer to the bough-tops the sap starts to climb,

 So, merry my masters, it's daffodil time."

Clinton Scollard, Daffodil Time

I had no difficulty deciding what would go into these four bottles for Cathy's  A Vase on Monday this week. It's definitely daffodil time in my garden now. Two years ago my husband planted over one hundred mixed daffodils, or more correctly narcissus, around the garden and this week we are reaping the rewards. I should say that although we have plenty of buds outside it isn't until we bring them inside that the flower heads open out in the warmth of the house. 

So far the ones I've picked have been the same all-yellow variety, though I have no idea what variety that is, except for this one which has a sunny orange trumpet.

Another vase. This one is in our hall. It's cooler there so the blooms take longer to open out, and last longer too.

We've had a few storms recently, Doris and Ewan, upsetting our bird visitors and knocking down a daffodil or two but apart from that doing very little damage. However, since then the weather does seem to be improving with the temperature rising which means I've been able to do a bit of garden work again. It's just a bit of tidying up after the winter but it feels so good to potter outside for half an hour or so once more, and lovely to spot green shoots emerging promising so much more to come. 

Enjoy your gardening week.

Sunday Snippets - Easter Birthday Card

Hello Everyone,

It's Sunday, the day I always try to find time to make a card from the leftover scraps and snippets - not always successfully. But today I did manage to make this teeny weeny one, only 4" square,  Just by way of a change, I thought I'd post photos of the supplies used to show just how few bits and pieces it took to make the card.

The inky background used for the topper was leftover from a year or two ago.  As far as I can remember the white card base was sponged with a combination blue and yellow inks. then the polka dots were created with a Stampin' Up stamp and whilst it was still damp mica powder, Crafty Notions Champagne, was brushed over giving it a bit of a sheen.

The stamps came from these two sets.

Supplies used:

• green textured cardstock from Papermania for the card base
• blue textured cardstock for matting the topper
• the inky piece 
• Jet black Archival Ink
• stamps - Sincere Sentiments, from Cardmaking & Papercraft, and Claritystamp's set of Hares
• white vellum
• fine white crochet cotton, Rico Design Essential
• one white button

Because the entire card is made from leftovers and snippets I'm submitting this card to Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 269 and 270

As it's so late now I'd like to wish you all a great Monday.

Rudolf Day - Winter Berries

Hello Everyone,


Once again it's time for the Rudolph Day Challenge, hosted by our lovely ScrappyMo over on Scraps of Life. The whole idea of this challenge is to make Christmas cards/projects throughout the year thereby taking the pressure away from finding time to make them at the last minute. That being so here's my entry for February.

This card was made with old and new stash, The paper used being the old and the stamp being the new ... the postie just delivered it this week. Here's a list of supplies used:

• base - a black 5" square card
• patterned paper & sentiment topper - The Nancy Watt Collection,Decorative Christmas Trees from Making Cards December 2010
• cardstock - silver, for matting, and white for the topper
• stamp - Penny Black Winter Berries
• ink - Stazon Jet Black
• decoration - Nuvo Crystal Drops Navy Blue

Only one card this month ... there goes my goal of making one Christmas card a week. Once again I have kept the card as flat as possible to save on postage. The only cards that will have a lot of dimension on them will be those that can be hand delivered. 

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend wherever you are.

Friday Smiles

Morning Smilers,

I hope you have all had a very happy week with lots to smile about. As it's Friday I'm joining Annie at A Stitch In Time with this post showing just a little of what has made me smile this week.

First up is this little guy.

He's Clarence and he was in bits on Wednesday but I've had time to sew him together and give him a tail. Why Clarence? Well, he's just a little cross-eyed and those of you as old as me might just remember the popular TV series called Daktari (c1966) which featured a cross-eyed lion called, you've probably guessed, Clarence.

Next up are some photos taken at Corsehill Park & Gardens where the crocus are out in all their glory.

 There must be thousands as they have spread throughout the entire length and breadth of the park!

Crocus as far as the eye can see.

Just a few of the different colours/varieties I found.

Himself  enjoying a bit of a rest among the crocus.

Tip-toeing through the tulips crocus!

Finally, in the same garden these very gnarled tree roots.

When I was a child I played in a woodland that had many old trees with roots like these. I was a very imaginative child, head full of Enid Blyton's stories of fairies and pixies, so to me these roots were fairy villages. My favourite game was to imagine that they made their homes in the nooks and crannies the roots provided. I'm grown up now but I still can't see these root formations without hoping for a glimpse of the little people - you never know, Enid Blyton could have been telling us the truth!

No funnies today but I hope the above photos make you smile too.

Have a wonderful weekend.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - WOYWW Week 403

Hello Deskers, Followers and All,

And I'd like to start by giving a warm welcome to my new follower, Janis, it's lovely to see you here.

It's yet another Wednesday, another WOYWW over at Julia's Stamping Ground, and so another excuse to reveal all!

Rudolph Day is almost upon us once more and guess who has made not a single Christmas card this month, despite it being one of my main aims for this year! Anyway, after a rummage around the craft room I came across this old magazine which includes papers, etc., all on a Christmas theme. I think I might combine the papers with a topper made with the new Penny Black stamp, Winter Berries (top right of photo) just delivered yesterday. The glue gun was lost and now found - not that I need it now so it will be put it away somewhere probably to lose again - sigh. The book hiding under the magazine is Tara Governo's Imperfect Lives which I had reason to look out recently, and it's still out because I haven't put it back on the bookshelf yet. It could still be there next Wednesday!

Not on my workdesk but on the coffee table.  A little lion in bits. It's just waiting to be sewn up - if I can put the book I'm reading, Late Fragments by Kate Gross, down long enough to finish the job. 

So that's it for me this week. Not a lot but, hey, there so rarely is! 

Do check out the sticky post before this as I have a giveaway going on at the moment.

Take care everyone and have a wonderful WOYWW.

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Stars

Wandering around the garden and pondering what to bring in for this week's In A Vase On Monday the very pretty periwinkle blue flowers of vinca minor kept catching my eye. They are the tiny stars of the border in Spring. They are also wonderful survivors. They have managed to spring to life again after my husband's very, very determined attempts to rid the garden of the plant which, it has to be admitted, can be invasive.

Susannah Seton, in her book Every Garden Is a Story describes how delighted she was to discover in the 14th Century tale of chivalry Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, that periwinkles were embroidered on to Sir Gawain's cape before he set of on his heroic journey to conquer the Green Knight. And also that it was commonly made into wreaths to placed on the heads of young men going into battle in medieval England. Hard to dismiss a flower, however tiny and seemingly insignificant, when it has such a history.

Because of their tiny size I needed something small to arrange them in and this pair of vases, bought at a jumble sale more than twenty years ago, were the perfect choice. I was informed by the lady who sold them to me that they are 'snowdrop' vases but I somehow don't think so - they really are very small. I've put them on the bathroom window sill - the only room in the house that has any blue in it. Makes a change for them to do the job they were intended for, to hold flowers - rather boringly they usually serves as holders for our TePe toothbrushes!

Friday Smiles

Hello Smilers Everywhere,

It's been a week of celebration here. Our youngest grandson had his 18th birthday the day after Valentine's Day.

Here he is on the day, posing in a Formula 1 car. He's enthusiastic about all sports but F1 racing has been a lifelong obsession so his parents couldn't have thought of a more perfect birthday treat.

And here's a funny I thought might give you reason to smile - especially if you are, like me, getting on a bit!

Three sisters age 92, 94 and 96 live in a house together.

One night the 96 year old draws a bath, puts her foot in and pauses. She yells down the stairs, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"

The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know, I'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses, then she yells, "Was I going up the stairs or coming down?"

The 92 year old was sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful." 

She knocks on wood for good measure. She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."

Have a happy weekend everyone.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - WOYWW Week 402

Hello Deskers, Followers and All,

Another Wednesday, another WOYWW over at Julia's Stamping Ground, and so another excuse to reveal all!

Not a lot going on today - just a bit of sewing. Actually, confession time, that log cabin block isn't right. The sewing is squint - the seams should be precise but they're not - so I'm going to have a ripping time with a beginner quilter's best friend, the seam ripper tool. On the right the start of another block can be seen - that one is fine. The folder at the back contains the instruction sheets from Amanda, Cake and Crafting, our quilting teacher and there's the inevitable cup of tea - can't sew without one! And those little scraps of paper on the left - they are labels I used on the fabric - they are to remind me of the order they should be sewn to create the log cabin pattern. And around the periphery a box of pens, a tray of tools and stuff, boxes of scrapbooking supplies and the album - slow progress there because I keep getting distracted by sewing projects - for example:

This cushion is made from a tea towel bought from the RNLI shop on Portpatrick Harbour.  I made it especially for the EM because both the village and the shop are dear to his heart.

So that's it for me this week. Not a lot but there's been a lot of family stuff going on so I've had very little time to craft. It's not just the days that go fast, it's the years. My youngest grandson is 18 today! 

Take care everyone and have a wonderful WOYWW.

Sunday Snippets

Evening Folks,

Had a busy day so only just found time to write up this Sunday snippets post and join in with everyone over at Pixie's Snippets Playground with these cards.

On Tuesday last week, as I mentioned in this post on Wednesday, I challenged myself to make as many cards as I could with the leftovers from a scrapbook layout rather than just stash them away to be forgotten, possibly forever. The result was a set of four cards that definitely have a scrapbooking influence and so quite different to my usual. Here are three of the cards - I can't show the fourth yet ... it's in transit to someone who might just read this post.

Materials: white card base measuring 4"x 5¾", used tent style; Papermania green striped die cut - trimmed to size, backing layer; Dr Seuss card - possibly a Dear Lizzy product; hearts punched in two sizes from snippets of My Mind's Eye and Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic patterned paper - that's a gold dot on the light pink paper, not black as appears in the photo; gold sequins from stash.

Materials: white card base measuring 4"x 5¾" - portrait orientation; lavender patterned background is a very old paper - maker unknown; snippets of patterned papers from My Mind's Eye Lime Twist collection, and American Crafts Dear Lizzy's 5th & Frolic Lovely Lane; the topper is a cut-apart from way back - again maker unknown; the butterfly was in a RAK received from a friend; Fun Fair enamel dots.

Materials; a teensy-weensy white card base measuring 4" square; striped green die-cut from Papermania trimmed to size; another cut-apart topper, maker unknown, matted on a snippet of black cardstock; pink chevron  washi tape from Bella Boulevard; snippet of turquoise spot paper from American Crafts; tiny hearts and butterfly punched from a snippet of pink patterned paper; Papermania iridescent adhesive gems.

I should say that all the materials used are old - the one date I could find is 2012 - so I very much doubt any are still available.

I'd say this was a very successful challenge. If there is one thing I like better than recycling it's using up leftover stash, especially if they mean I can join in our lovely Head Snippeteer Di's challenge which is now a fortnightly event ... giving us more time to find a use for our snippets!

Hope you've had a fabulous weekend.

Friday Smiles - Polka Dots!

Afternoon Everyone,

It's Friday - the day of the week we join Annie at A Stitch In Time with whatever has made us smile this week. So what makes me smile? Well, this did for starters, and it got me thinking about, and looking around my home, at all the dotty stuff there is in it. There's a lot!

I do love polka dots. They are fun and they are happy to have around. I was a child in the fifties so this obsession love probably has its origins there. I remember that polka dotted skirts and dresses were all the vogue then.

Whatever the reason, I have them 'dotted' all around my home today. For example, this set of cake/biscuit tins are a cheery addition to our kitchen ... not to mention the yummy goodies inside!

I am even wearing them.

My old, but much loved slippers. I call them my Minnie Mouse slippers - you'd think at my age perhaps I should grow up ... maybe I'm regressing to my second childhood. Whatever, it's a happy place to be :)

And here's a sad reminder that dots need company before they can be called polka dots.

Enough silliness from me today!

I wish you all a very smiley and happy weekend.

What's On Your Desk ~Wednesday - WOYWW Week 401

Good Morning All,

Another Wednesday, another WOYWW over at Julia's Stamping Ground, and so another excuse to reveal all!

Before I continue I just want to say that I did visit all your desks last week, and what variety there is to be seen for sure, but I didn't manage to leave comments on them all - for that I can only apologise.

And so to my desk this week. Not a lot of work going on now but there has been. Yesterday I challenged myself to use up the scraps leftover from the layout you can see below. That pile of cards to the left is the result. The pile to the right is all that's left - I gave up after making four cards although there might have been a fifth if I'd tried really hard. Top is some photos - copies of old family ones - that I'm sending to my brother who tells me he has very few photos from our childhood. Next to that are a few tiny punches and a gold ink pad - all used while making the cards - and to the right a book I've finished reading, Muriel Spark's Curriculum Vitae, details of which I want to add to the book journal sitting on top. Lying above everything else is my album for this year - a work in progress that should be there, or thereabouts, for the entire year.

And here's the layout that the leftovers came from. I chose the selfie of me with a flash of pink in my hair for the title layout of the album - it was the best I could find of those taken at the time.

Not on my desk now, but it was earlier in the week, is this quilted cushion cover made from fabric leftover from my first quilt. The top is made up of leftover random patches. You see, the backing fabric for the quilt wasn't quite wide enough, so I made a strip of patchwork to insert, and so widen it. Only I made too much, hence the cushion cover.

I've just noticed it's been a leftover kind of few days.

Oh dear, I think I've waffled on enough. I did try to keep this brief - honest!

Have a very happy WOYWW everyone.