On the 12th day ...

Evening Everyone..

A quick post today, sigh ... they are all quick posts right now as I seem to be so busy making up for lost time. Busy with housework, that is! Anyway, I hope this finds you all well and that you've had a lovely day.

I did manage to find time to make this card yesterday evening. Made especially for Hazel's challenge - that's CHNC challenge 170  - where the challenge is to use circles. As luck would have it, one of the things I was able to do whilst poorly was to sit on the sofa with a lap tray and make up some decoupaged toppers from an old Docrafts collection, Henbury Lane Poinsettia, including this circular one with round baubles on it.

Tried to get a shot that would let you see the dimension of the decoupage but this is the best I can find on file. The pink/black colour combination was based on the colour of the smaller bauble on the topper together with a sheet of the Henbury Lane patterned paper I printed off from the computer eons ago.


The inside and back are decorated with scraps of the patterned paper and, for writing on, a square of white card inside.

Materials:

• base: a black square card 
• paper: the sheet of Docrafts Papermania Henbury Lane Poinsettia patterned paper
• topper: the decoupaged topper from the Papermania Henbury Lane Poinsettia collection - I've edged it using a glue pen and fine black glitter
• ribbon: wide black/pink saddle stitch grosgrain ribbon; Anita's narrow fuchsia glitter satin ribbon; 
• embellishments: black dew drops
• snippet: white linen finish card from Papermill Direct 

Other challenges I'm submitting this card to:

CHNC challenge extra for April 2014
and
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 118

Right, I'm off to watch Pointless before getting supper ready.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Happy crafting,

Shades of Green Again - With Love

Evening Folks

Hope this finds you all well and that you have had a wonderful Wednesday.

I'm trying to get back into the way of things again so spent much of the day having a sort out in the craft room. It had become a bit of a dumping ground recently and was seriously depressing to look at, never mind work in. A couple of hours pottering and it's now much improved ... though still no crafting going on so here's one I made earlier ... when I was going through my green phase!

I simply covered the front with some pretty patterned paper Basic Grey Origins Seaweed Wrap ... the same double-sided paper that was used in this earlier Shades of Green card. The edges have been distressed with Rangers Brushed Corduroy and Pumice Stone inks.

The topper is the recycled front of a card received in 2013, trimmed down and matted on to a scrap of smooth green cardstock. The embellishments consist of a Wild Orchid Crafts white cherry blossom tipped with iridescent glitter and Ranger's Scattered Straw ink, a Docrafts green felt brad, scraps of caramel organza ribbon and green loopy fibre.

The inside and back are simply trimmed with offcuts of the patterned paper.

I'm submitting this card to two of my favourite challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - for April - a challenge that is always about using

Patterned Papers on cards

and

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 118 - the challenge that encourages us all to use up our scraps, leftovers and snippets. 

It's been a bright and sunny day here today but it started to rain again this evening ... the weeds will be loving it. I've seen on the news that down in the south east of the country people are experiencing a sandstorm of sorts causing serious air pollution. It must be very unpleasant and even downright dangerous for anyone with health problems such as asthma, etc., so I hope those of you who live in that area are taking care and staying safe.
Hope to be back soon.

In the meantime, happy crafting,

Goodbye March - Welcome April

Good Afternoon Folks

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.                 from The Waste Land by T S Elliot

Well T S Elliot might have thought that it is April that is the cruellest month but I reckon that accolade ought really to go to March! It's been a month of one illness after another for the EM and I. It started when I picked up a virus and then, just as I was getting over that, I developed inflammation on my shoulder. Next the EM went down with a virus ... probably passed on by me which he, generous as ever, then passed back to me! Well, it does seem like that was the way it happened because I've certainly been poorly again, and with another virus from which, happily, I am now recovering. You would think that would be enough bad luck for one month, but it seems not because the EM has now developed sciatica, and he is suffering, poor man. The result of over strenuous gardening!!! Oh, and even The Boss had a couple of off days too though she quickly rallied and is as right as rain now.

So, just in case you wondered, I'm still here but only just! I haven't been in the craft room at all for the last week or so - I've just about enough energy to do the things I have to do and the rest of the time I'm either sleeping or resting. It could be some time before normal service is resumed but I'm sure I will be back crafting and blogging again ... just as soon as we are all fighting fit.

In the meantime I'll leave you with this photo taken just today.

A few daffs and some greenery picked from our garden to bring some cheer into our home. I can see that they will be going over soon and it will be time to pop out with the secateurs and see what other little gems we have growing now that spring is here.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy April.

Take care and happy crafting,