Tis The Season

Evening Everyone,

I hope that you all had a good weekend and that you even got a bit of crafting time too.  I did manage to fit in some scrapping ... and long overdue it was too. Last week I finally got around to uploading almost all the photos from 2013 - about 400 - on to Photobox and got them developed. The delivery of such a huge amount prompted me to actually start putting together some scrap pages, particularly of the Christmas shots. This had me rummaging through all the old Christmas stash and unearthing leftover scraps of patterned paper which cried out to be used to make a card for Hazel's challenge this week - Crafty Hazelnut's Challenge 163 - where the remit is to use a die-cut or a punched shape.

I've used a Hot Of The Press die-cut that also dates from last year. The embossed patterned paper in green and red is from the Papermania Noel collection. I used a snippet of black cardstock to form the base of the belly band and one of my two treasured Martha Stewart's punches to create the decorative edge. The flower, a red Prima daisy, is not your traditional Christmas flower but after I smeared glue over it and dipped it into iridescent glitter it looked pretty festive. The organza ribbon, ecru lace, black beading and red gem brad all came from stash too.

I'm also entering into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra where it's always anything goes.

And, of course, I'm also off over to Pixie's Snippet Playground - Week 111 - having used so many snippets and leftovers, I just have to join the others there :)

That done, I'm off to bed ... got to get my beauty sleep :)

Take care, stay safe and happy crafting.

PS: If you read my last post, you might like to know that the 'glass was up' today and the forecast for Ayr changed from stormy to rain! What a difference a day makes :)

Stormy Weather

Afternoon Folks

When I was very young, about 4 or 5 years old, I was lucky enough to enjoy, for a year or two, living close to my maternal grandparents. I was in and out of their home about as much as I was my own and one of my most enduring memories is of my grandpa and his barometer. It was huge - well, that's how it seemed to little me at the time, and hung on the wall in the hall close to the front door. Every day he would lift me up in his arms and let me tap the glass, then he would adjust the needle upwards or downwards, depending on where the needle settled. That done he would then announce to the family, 'the gless is doon' or 'up', ... his way of saying that the barometer indicated a change in the weather.

All these years later, we have this, much more modestly sized, barometer ... presented to the EM on his retirement after some 30+ years service ... hanging in our hall. Just like my grandpa taught me, I tap the glass every day and adjust the indicator noting whether the 'glass is down or up'. Yesterday it was set at the top end of 'Change', edging towards 'Fair' and if you have seen yesterday's post, Friday Smiles,  you will have seen that it was a lovely day. The weather forecast, however, was for rain today. What the forecast did not prepare us for was this ...

... never have I seen the glass this far down!

Needless to say, the weather has been abysmal today - high winds and rain all day and very definitely stormy - proving, if proof were needed, the accuracy of our barometer.

I'll finish by saying that I hope those of you who are enduring extremes of weather, be it storms, floods, freezing snow or, even in some places, scorchingly hot, are safe and that no harm will come to you.

Take care and stay safe.

Friday Smiles

Evening Everyone,

Annie, over at A Stitch In Time, brings us a post on Friday's which cheers us up by sharing what's been making her smile and invites us to leave a link to do the same. And because it has been a good day here I'm happy to do just that.

First up is this super photo of my great-granddaughter, Rhian. It's her first day at nursery. And looking forward to the experience too ... doesn't she look so cute with her little satchel on her shoulders and that fabulous flower on her hairband. Her mummy tells me that when the time came she didn't want to come home!

Checking out the shrubs at the bottom of the garden I discovered this old bird's nest ... with it's plastic carrier back lining, it could be the only fully waterproof nest in the country!  Out little bird friends never cease to amaze :)

And here's their new home ... at least we hope so because my DH, thinking that they might like to move into something a tad more comfortable, spent the best part of yesterday making this cute 'des res'. And as I can see it from my craft room window I will be keeping a check over the next few weeks to see if there is any interest. Oh, and check out that blue sky ... did I say it was a beautiful day here? It's only temporary, the forecast is for yet more rain tomorrow, but it was nice while it lasted.

Well, that was my happy day and now I'm off over to Annie's to check out what has been making you all smile today.

Take care and stay safe.