Happy Birthday with Grand Calibur Florals

I am certainly making up for lost time. Ok The 'Lympix' is over. We have a bit of a break before the Para Olympics and I am in the mood for crafting.

Hubby and I have just had a weekend away in Yorkshire. Years ago when we lived in Oxford we used to go Letterboxing in Devon. For the uninitiated this is a mix of orienteering and treasure hunting. Once you find the 'treasure' which is a rubber stamp, you take an impression and leave a copy of your own personalised one. We are known as the  Dawdling Deans so thats what is on our stamp. In 1991 we moved to Bawtry in Yorkshire and discovered that someone had set up a similar thing in Yorkshire.So over the years we have been back and forth and have hundreds of stamps.We occasionally meet up with fellow'boxers' and had our 20th anniversary a couple of years ago.

Anyway to get back to my point. I do go on don't I? Last week found us in Masham. Staying in a lovely pub The Blue Lion.  On Friday we walked up hill and down dale- about 9 miles in total, but it felt much longer we managed to find all but one of the planned stamps and it was a gorgeous sunny day.So after all that exercise  I now feel I qualify for a day crafting. I am not a natural athlete....

Happy Birthday Circle Card

Have entered this card in the  http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
For this card I used images and backgrounds from The ClipArt Fairy
Grand Scalloped Circles
Afew card candy and butterfly and ribbon from my stash

Simple Anniversary Card

I was in the mood for crafting last week. Unfortunately work got in the way a bit and my printer decided to play up.Why does this happen when you are having a bit of inspiration? I quite often use My Craft Studio but again this was playing up and kept freezing, of course Tim took the brunt of it. Computers and printers not working....his fault surely. Eventually everything was in working order but by then I had taken an interest in the days proceedings in the Olympics. Twas the day we won 3 Golds. An amazing day for team GB. Very proud to be British at present. Me thinks the Olympics have turned out well. I am not sporty by nature but can get quite animated from the sofa.

A simple idea I had..

An  easel card  using a 3 layer moveable topper. Starting from the back with a Grand Calibur Scalloped Circle cut out in red then 2 layers of Nestability Beaded Circle  onto which I have printed  images from The Clipart Fairy. A couple of flourishes cut out with my Marianne Designs Creative Flourish Die.The background papers are from a selection again by www.theclipartfairy.com . A brad allows the swivel.

Another day another problem with my printer. This time I was trying to print onto a 6'x12' card. I had first designed the card in Craft Artist Professional and this allows you to design the whole card including insert and back page. However when I tried to print onto the 6'x12' card (eventually ending up with a 6'x6' card) I couldn't customise my printer to do this. Of course my in house technical wizard came on the scene trying to sort it. After an hour of trying to sort it with the printer defaults etc I had again lost interest and I printed onto A4 card and cut off the excess. Apparently my printer doesn't support the custom sizes that I had chosen. Typical! Especially as my previous printer did and does so I expect I will be getting that back out. At this rate I will have a printer on every surface.

Another card quite simple with swinging heart and a couple of added flowers.The images are again from www.theclipartfairy.com

Friendship Tree Recipe Challenge

Hello there.

Thanks for having a look at my blog.

I know I should be outside sorting the garden, after all its not every day that the sun shines however....... last night I decided I would enter a competition. My friend Jools is always trying to encourage me to do so.

This is the card I entered.

The brief was  2 Stamps + 1  Paper + 3 Flowers.

 Lets hope I met the brief.

Hope you like it too.



Allsorts Challenge

I used Pink Petticoat Friendship Digi Stamps. 

 Pro markers. Pink Petticoat backing paper.

 The flowers are cut out from images from MCS.

I also used Floral Ovals Nestabilities and Classic Ric Rac Edgeabilities.

Another Couple of Friendship Tree cards

6'x 6' Easel

 This time using background papers from www.funkyhand.co.uk  I have had them a while. Floral Oval backgrounds in purple with a couple of oval mats.This time I used the sentiment on the bottom of the easel card. Flourishes add a bit of something. Not sure what but I like them.

Pink with White  Floral Oval

A Trio of Friendship Tree Cards

Thanks for calling in. I have  couple of blogs on the backburner but can't really publish them because they haven't been  sent out to the recipients yet.

I decided to treat myself to a day in my craftroom today. That sounds a bit grand but when my daughter left home we seemed to have a couple of rooms which we didn't use. Now as I have said many times, I am a messy crafter (there I've said it again) and so it seemed rather a good idea to move all my crafty bits in one place. My ever suffering hubby  sorted some shelving out and its all mine..... A space for me at last. I suspect Tim thought it was a good idea as it saves him picking up the sticky bits and clearing the table before he can eat.
So to get back to my story today I was going to spend the day in it.( the afore mentioned  craft room) well give or take a couple of washloads and a couple of meals oh and a visit to my Father in Law who lives in the village. 

Several weeks ago I downloaded some graphics from www.pinkpetticoat.co.uk Very simple black and white trees with simple greetings. Printed them out with my laser printer and foiled some of them.I decided to see what I could do first I coloured them in with either Gel Pens or Pro Markers.


A5 card embossed with Sissix Texturz plate and then mat and layered with Nestability labels 17. A few pearls to add interest and just a sprinkle of Glamour Dust.

This time I edged the card with Spellbinder Edgeabilities Classic Ric Rac. I also used insert A to emboss and cut out near the fold as well.A black and Gold Faux Ribbon through a  couple of the cut outs and a Marianne Design Flourish  and a few black gems to finish.

Nothing different its a pity you can't see the embossing of the plain card. Looks quite good.

A Trio Of Heart Bride and Bridegroom Cards

Once again I have been away for a couple of weeks. My husband Tim and I have a share of 2 Narrowboats one of which is called Festina Lente.( Make Haste Slowly) She is based in Sandbach, Cheshire and this time we took her around the Cheshire Ring. This is basically as the title suggests a circular route around Cheshire taking in Marple, Ashton,Manchester City Centre and Runcorn amongst other places. Of course just our luck it rained...... a lot. Still we had a good time and as the locks were so difficult and stiff at times I can now safely negotiate a lock on the boat as apposed to working the paddles and gates of the locks as I usually do.We have had Festina for 3 years and I have avoided this treat every time.
I don't take crafts on the boat as I find I have always forgotten something and also I am far too messy.

On our return we had a visit from our German Friends Heidi and Uwe. We have know them for 22 years and although we don't meet often enough, Heidi and I have always had a craft connection. This time was no exception and sharing ideas is always good. Our men just raise their eyebrows and leave us to it. Possibly knowing we will be off to the shops in the near future for kit that has been recommended.Heidi had lots of ideas one of which was a heart shaped bride and groom. I couldn't wait to have a go and below is the result.

Heart Easel

Basically 2 heart shapes.
On the groom (black) one is  a slit 1cm into the centre then folded back to form a collar and stuck on a white heart shape onto which I have formed a 'tie' which is a knotted piece of ribbon. 3 pearl buttons and a silver 'pocket' finish it off.

The bride is formed with a smaller embossed shape on top.

Nestability and Heart Embossed card. The multi layered front opens and includes a greeting. A  Foiled Flourish background to brighten up the B+W.

A5 card with added flourishes and glamour dusted bride bustier.