In A Vase On Monday - Berry Delightful

Hello Everyone,

I'm not one for making resolutions - they'll only be forgotten in a couple of weeks - but I do find that a new year has me reviewing what was done last year and looking at what changes, if any, I'd like to make in the year to come. Hence the blog makeover ... I think it was long overdue. I like the fresh new colour and I hope you like it too.

On to joining Cathy, Rambling in the Garden, and In A Vase On Monday.

And, simply because it is all that the garden has to offer today, it's jug of berries. I'm not sure why the birds haven't stripped the cotoneaster and skimmia bare of berries by now. I suspect it is because, despite the many storms we've had so far this winter, it has been much warmer than usual, making it easier for the many birds that visit our garden to find other food. That, and the bird feeders my husband keeps well stocked!

Whatever the reason, it does mean that I have a lovely jug of berries sitting on the kitchen worktop to enjoy.

To everyone who joins in with Cathy's lovely meme, In A Vase On Monday, I'd like to wish you a wonderful year of flower arranging and gardening ahead.

Snippet Sunday - Something Different to do with Embossing Powders

Hello Everyone,

Well, that's the festivities over, time to get back into crafting, though the cards I  have to share today were made way back in November last year.

The first is a Christmas card with a difference ...

... and the second is a card made for a special little girl's birthday.

Both feature backgrounds that were made using glittery embossing powders in a way not tried before.

Here's are the steps to making the background:

• First step, gather together the materials - white card, VersaMark Ink Pad, Sheena WOW! Easter Sparkle & Magenta Twinkle embossing powders and a heat gun.
• Second step, cover the card with the VersaMark by smearing it all over - this doesn't have to be too precise - then sprinkle with the yellow powder. Knock off excess and then use a heat gun to melt and set the powder.
• Third and final step, repeat the second step but this time using the pink embossing powder.

That's all there is to it. I did find that the effect looked better if I used shiny cardstock, as in the second card ... I used smooth card for the Christmas card and, as you can see, the effect is quite different - much more of the pink powder stuck!

Challenges I'm submitting the cards to:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 210 - I used several snippets of white, yellow and pink card to make the cards.

CHNC Challenge 262 - vintage or anything goes

CHNC Challenge Extra - January 2016

Penny Black Saturday Challenge January - Anything Goes

That's me for today - I'm off to do a bit of blog-hopping and then later work on my Christmas scrapbook, in the hope of finishing it before Christmas 2016 :)

I hope you are all keeping dry and cosy wherever you are.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year
Bonne Année
Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit
Feliz ano nuevo
Buon anno

I don't do retrospectives ... in my opinion bits of last year are best forgotten! Nor do I make resolutions ... they will only be broken a few weeks into the year. For example, much as I promise myself that one New Year's Day I will, I didn't make it up to Queensferry this morning to watch the brave folk of Edinburgh make the annual dash into the freezing Firth of Forth for the Loony Dook. Madness!!!

 
I'm more the hot cocoa and mittens kind of gal :)

I do, however, have a New Year wish for you all and it that I wish that all your wishes are fulfilled this year.

Long May Your Lum Reek! 

Slainte!!!