I did get back!

It looks as if I'm still on holiday as I haven't updated my blog for such a long time. For some reason I just can't seem to find the time or maybe the enthusiasm to craft lately. I have been very busy but that doesn't usually stop me finding time somewhere to do the things I like to do  so I think I might have lost some of my enthusiasm - must get it back or all my craft stash will gather even more dust.

I have got around to tidying my craft room at last  - which was my excuse for not crafting - so now I have no reason not to get going again.

I have been visiting some of your lovely blogs today which I'm sure will get me thinking ................

Hope you are all having a good weekend.

See you all in two weeks!

I'm off on a  lovely holiday with a friend who has invited me to her timeshare in St. Lucia.  How lucky am I?

No crafting for a bit I'm afraid but I hope to keep an eye on all your blogs while I'm away as there is Wi Fi where I am staying - so not all my  time will be spent on the beach or by the pool......................

Have to go to bed now as it's an early start tomorrow - see you all soon. xxx

Oliver's 13th Birthday Card

Hi everyone

It's been a very long time since I uploaded a card. I have finally tidied my craft room end found my desk again - just in time to make this card fror my older grandson's 13th birthday on 4th May.

I had some problems with it as I wanted to make it  relevant to him and his interests but couldn't get it quite  right.

In the end I managed to get  a lot of things into it that he will recognise and I hope,  enjoy!

He is a real joker with a great sense of humour and is always driving us mad with his card tricks - some of which don't go exactly right  lol  - although he does fool  me with some of them I must admit! He is also always on his computer or listening to music - and if you wonder why the socks are odd - that's also a favourite feature. Apparently it's 'cool'.  His favourite colour is purple - but when I tried to use that somewhere  in the background  it looked too 'girly' which I didn't think would be appreciated - so I settled on a  purple jumper.

It's an A5 card on a white background but  it hasn't scanned very well I'm afraid because it looks a bit grey and has scanned  a bit crooked  - but I hope the image gives you an idea of what it looks like in real life.

The digi image is from Mo's digital images and I decoupaged it so that it sits in relief from the rest of the card. The boy actually looks a lot like Oliver too. The cards were from my stash,  as were the  the musical notes. The colouring was done with my promarkers and the greeting ( which isn't crooked in reality - honest!)  was generated on the computer.

I hope he likes it  - and hope you do too!

Hello Everyone

Today I am playing with my new Archos tablet - my new best friend!

I won't pretend I'm as quick typing on it but it's great fun and I wanted to  see just how easy it's going to be to update my blog on the go.

I am also guilty of making odd phone calls to my friends and family as I have been setting up skype calls - think I've worked it out now. lol.

I will get back to crafting soon as I have to make my grandson's birthday card soon.

Hope you all had a great Easter - I spent most of mine marking exam papers.

I'll be back soon.

Roses

I have been wondering what to put on my grandaughter's next birthday card.  She is seventeen next month.

I saw a tutorial on making paper roses on a blog recently and thought I'd give it a go. I didn't have any of the tools that were suggested - such as various punches and shaping tools -  so I improvised.

I made a paper pattern for large and small petals and a cup shape for the sepals which I then scanned in to my computer and traced in SCAL so that I could cut the petals, sepals  and leaves withmy Cricut.  I shaped the components using an ordinary embossing tool with a large ball, on a sponge stamping mat and used my normal tweezers to help shape the petals.

The tutorial used card to make the roses but I used ordinary white copy paper to make it all and coloured the leaves and sepals (they are there even if you can't see them)  with my Promarkers (Holly Green)  and the Letraset Airbrush. It worked quite well as the airbrush gave the leaves a sort of natural mottled appearance - luck not judgement. lol

I then coloured the petals with a sponge and several different ink pads to get a sort of pink and yellow shading. This is the result. I had to photograph it as of course it wouldn't fit into my scanner so it's not as clear as I would have liked but it gives an idea.

I mounted the rose and leaves on a plain white card which I had embossed and added a sentiment which I printed out on my computer.  I coloured the sentiment, first  using the airbrush and the same green Promarker (keeping it a long way away) and finishing  it by sponging lightly with the same inkpads as I used for the rose.

I like the simplicity of this card and hope Lauren will like it too. I think I'll have to make a box for it to go in though as it won't fit into an envelope.

The tutorial on making the roses is a very good one and there are some lovely cards there using different sorts of flowers  - there is a link to a video on the blog which I also watched. It was quite labour intensive to make the rose  but really enjoyable.

I found a piece of vellum that had been lying around for ages and tried making another rose using that. This is the result.

This hasn't made its way on to a card yet but  I think the vellum worked very well - saved a lot of colouring too although I don't think it's quite as realistic.  It's not quite as garish as this in real life though - it's the poor photography.  Now I'm on the search for suitable pieces of paper to make more......................... watch this space.

Hope you like my efforts.

Cards at Last.

Hi everyone - a long time since I've posted anything on here as I have found it very difficult to get into my craft room after it has been used as a storage space while we have been decorating - and has also been full of Christmas stash. I have at last taken the plunge and tidied a path to my desk.

I have decided, before I tackle anything else,  to look in my project basket and finish a few items that have been lingering in there for far too long  - waiting for me to complete them. I have managed to put two cards together.

The first one is an image by Sheena Douglass that I have used before - using the Paint Fusion technique. This particular image didn't get onto a card but I have at last mounted it, although because of the black edging this isn't really apparent in the photograph.

 I haven't added a sentiment as I think it would be suitable for a lot of different occasions.
                                                                         POPPIES

                                                                         
This second card is my attempt at using distress inks.  I must admit this is not my usual style but I thought I'd give it a go - I think that's why it has stayed in my project basket for so long - I'm not really sure it's my style - or that I am very pleased with it -  but I think it's good to try something different from time to time.  I do like the stamp though but I can't remember where it came from I'm afraid.

                                                                       BIRDS and CAGE

I haven't put a sentiment on this card either as  I think this can also be used for several different occasions.
I'd better go and have another look in my project box I guess and see what else I can find.

Done it!

I have finally managed to upload a new page for when I can  get into my craft room and find all the things I have planned to sell. I hope that when I  do there will be some of you who are interested in my wares!

I have had to re-arrange my blog a bit so that I could  set up a new page that everyone could see easily.

Hope everyone has had a good day - see you all soon.

How Frustrating!

Hi everyone

I have been trying to add a stand alone page to my blog so that I can use it to sell a few of my spare crafting items.

 Despite following the instructions on both the new interface and the old one - and watching their  video which goes at the speed of light several times - I can't do it!

I can follow the instructions, open a new page and write whatever I like on it but when it is published is simply appears as a new post on this homepage. I have seen a question in the Help section from someone who has the same problems but all the answers have offered her  is to look at the page of instructions on how to create a new page  - catch 22.

I'm not sure if it's me (and the other lady presumably)  being stupid ( very likely in my case) or if it simply isn't possible!

What's even more frustrating - the Docrafts Forum isn't working so I can't ask for help on there. Grrrrrr.

Perhaps I'd better do some housework. lol

Hope you are all having a better day than me.

First Post This Year!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. This is because I haven't been doing very much in my craft room except wrapping Christmas presents and making a mess since long before Christmas.

 I felt I had to write something today as I have had a lot of visitors since I last posted, despite there being nothing new to see! Thanks for your visits and I am sorry!!! I have just added a flag counter and am really surprised to see I have had visitors from other countries - welcome and thanks for looking.

We have been doing some decorating recently and my craft room has been used as the repository for all the things that had to be moved/stored  while this was going on  - I haven't been able to see the desk for weeks. I am slowly getting back to normal and who knows - I may even get my enthusiasm for crafting back soon.

My enthusiasm for crafting took a bit of a nose dive when we lost our lovely cat Woody (see post below) in October. He was run over outside our house which is in a very quiet close so we didn't think anything like that would ever happen to our lovely cats as we are surrounded by woodland. He was very old and getting a bit senile so we think he must have got disorientated and walked behind a car without the driver realising as it was backed out. Anyway - it was awful as I didn't know it had happened until a neighbour called me and I had to get him to the vet to have him put to sleep which was the worst hour imaginable - and it has taken me ages to get over it.

Still - I have my other five lovely boys and girls to keep me busy so I thought I'd post their photos here to remind me of how lucky I still am.

 This is Willis - known as Willy  - who is the twin brother of Woody who died. He is now seventeen.
I had them colour coded as they were so alike. Woody had a blue collar and Willy a red one.

These two - yes there are two here - are Marmaduke and Orlando who are inseperable.

They are also twins and were born in July 2010. They are rather naughty!!!!

Below is a picture of one of their escapades - they were about 20 feet up this oak tree and had to be encouraged down by my poor husband balancing on a ladder.

This is Mummy Badger (she looked just like a badger when she was born with her black fur and white stripe) and her kitten Sox.  Badger  had four babies and the other three went to family and friends as I couldn't keep them all unfortunately - but  I still see them. They are not always as friendly with each other as this - being girls  they have the odd spat  - but they are very sweet when they do cuddle up. Badger was born in 2009 and her baby was born in 2010 (a teenage mother).

Hope you like the pictures - I promise the next post will be some more crafting!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

Time to say goodbye to a dear old friend.

Woody. Died October 12th 2011 - aged 17.

Nothing I can say to explain how this has made me feel  - except that he was loved so much and will always be remembered.

Just a very few more of my 600 photos from Egypt.

 Abu Simbel - cut into the rock - absolutely breathtaking. We had to drive over three and a half hours into the Sahara desert to visit this - well worth the drive and the heat. It was moved several years ago (the move took years to complete) and re-built in a higher spot to prevent it being covered by water when they created the Aswan High Dam.

Franco and me  outside the temple at  Edfu.

 A Sphinx in Memphis.

 Karnak Temple in Luxor

 The Step Pyramids in Memphis - older even than the Great Pyramids.

 The Aswan High Dam - taken from above.

Salahadin's Citadel outside Cairo

We weren't able to photograph in  the Valley of the Kings or the Valley of the Queens which was very sad but we have lots of postcards to remind us of what we saw there.
Hope you like this small selection.

I'm Back!

We got back from Egypt on Thursday morning after a long 22 hour trip. The plane was delayed so we spent a long time in Luxor airport waiting to come home and were very tired when we finally got back.

 It was a wonderful holiday and I can't recommend Egypt enough!
We were so well looked after by the agents and all the staff on the boat and in the hotels and although things in Egypt are very difficult for the Egyptians they made sure that we had a fantastic time. There are usually around 400 boats on the Nile at this time of the year but at the moment there are only about 20 working because people are frightened to travel there due to the revolution and have either not booked or have cancelled their holidays.

So many people have lost their jobs because the tourist industry is such a big area of employment for  them and it  is such a shame because it's still a really wonderful place to go.

Just to prove I was there,  here are a few photos.

 Luxor Temple  - the avenue of the Sphinx

 Party night on board the Nile boat. We entered into the spirit of the Egyptian evening.

 Finally at the Pyramids - it was 45 degrees on  this day - and most others too.

Sunset over the Nile - taken from our cabin.

I haven't even opened my craft room door since I got back! Hope I'll soon get crafting again.

See you all in Two Weeks

Off on my holidays tomorrow morning - really early.  We are going to Egypt which has been something I've wanted to do for many years.

We will be sailing  down the Nile for a week and then spending three days in Cairo visiting the Grand Pyramid and the Sphinx and then we will have four days on the coast chilling out before flying back home again.

The restful day I planned for today didn't quite work out as I had a flat tyre whilst  doing a last minute bit of shopping. It was the same tyre that I had a puncture repaired in last week! So - spent 75 minutes exactly in a car park waiting for the good old RAC - their estimate was 75 minutes so I was really impressed with the timing. lol  Thank goodness I had my E-reader with me - pity I had forgotten my mobile phone though. lol

See you all when I get back!

Paint Fusion Christmas Candle

Tried my hand at painting a candle today using the paint fusion technique. Not too sure it has worked that well  but thought I'd put it on here anyway - as a record of my first attempt at painting a candle.

Can you spot the 'deliberate'  mistake? lol  I put the light spots on the berries and only after I had finished did I realise I'd had the candle upside down!!!!  

Oh well  - so it has been lit from below!

 Never mind - I'll keep this one on my craft room shelf and hope I can see my progress. I think I'm going to end up with a lot of candles on the shelf before I get one good enough to give away! lol

Hope you are all having a good weekend - I'm looking forward to my last week at work before I go on holiday on 31st!

 

Finally Made it!!!

No crafting for me today as we finally managed to book a balloon flight that wasn't cancelled. It was a Christmas present to my husband from his son and we have been booking dates ever since - only for the wind to be too high for the flight to go ahead at the last minute.

 We were really surprised when last night - at 11.00pm - we heard the flight was on at 6.00am this morning  and that the launch site had been changed due to the wind direction! That meant an hour's drive to get there and about three hours sleep for me by the time I got myself organised and worked out how to get to the new launch site.

It was quite an interesting experience but, if I'm honest,  I'm not sure I would rush to do it again - certainly not if it meant all the booking and re-booking we have had to do this year. I don't want to sound ungrateful but it has taken up so much time waiting to see if the flight was going to take place or not and not planning anything else for that time - just in case. Some of the people on our flight had been trying to get their booking for over a year though so I guess our eight months wasn't bad after all. lol

In the end we were away from home for just over four hours and in the air for about 45minutes which passed very quickly.  They took some photographs with a camera that swung outside the balloon on a boom - here we all are!

Franco and I  are the two in the front left hand corner of the basket.

 It was very misty as you can see and I was a lot less nervous than I thought I would be as there was very little sensation of moving. I wrapped up in several jumpers but it was really warm in the basket because of the flames over our heads so I felt very overdressed especially as the pilot was in a short sleeved shirt. lol.  They were a really lovely group of people and we had a lot of laughs

en-route.

Getting in and out of the basket was fun - I'm glad there aren't any photographs of that! I was tipped unceremoniously out of the basket which was laid on its side after we landed - that was easier than climbing in before we set off though I can tell you.

Once we were down in a farmer's field  - with a bit of bump or two.................. the younger members of the group were comandeered to roll on the balloon to get all the air out and to help pack it away while I watched with a glass of Bucks Fizz - that was a good bit. lol.  We then had to wait for the recovery vehicle to come and find us to take up back to our cars. It took us about 15 minutes to get back by road.

I haven't been very energetic since we got home though - getting up at 4.15 on a Sunday is not going to be a habit - bad enough having to rise at 5.30  three days a week to go to work. lol.

I'd be interested to know if any of you have been up in a balloon  and how you enjoyed it?

Happy Boot Sale Finds!

I dragged my poor husband to a boot sale today for the first time in ages. I was half hoping I'd find some storage for my craft room but couldn't have imagined how lucky I was going to be.

First I found two sets of shelf type compartments that were perect for stacking on the back of my desk to keep all the bits that I like to keep at hand. I thought the seller was using them just to display the items that he had for sale and was really surprised when he said he would sell them to me.

It was just starting to rain as I bought them so we went back to the car to put them in - as the rain had stopped by then we decided to go back in and then I found yet another wooden rack with twelve small square compartments which I thought would fit on a second desk I use to keep my paper cutters on.

I then bought twelve little plastic boxes with lids which would fit inside the holes and headed for home.

I've spent the rest of the day re-organising my craft room and trying to sort out what could go where.

I can't believe my luck as they are just perfect. I've taken a few pictures to show you what I have done with them. 

These are the compartments that I found first - they fit the desk perfectly.  They cover  the gap behind my desk where all sorts of thing used to drop down so they actually make the desktop a bit larger than before. When stacked on top of each other they  make ten  large square compartments - and there's still room to keep my MS punches and the desk light on top so now I actually have a bit of room on the desk to craft!  

This is the second find - I wish there had been two! I'm hoping my husband will be able to make me another one to go next to it as I could fill it twice over. I can even store my Cuttlebug and tiny sewing machine on top.

This is part of the other side of the room which has a large Ikea cabinet on the wall (not a boot sale find unfortunately)   - I can't believe I have filled it all and still need more space.

I paid £4 for the compartments on my desk and £1 for the other rack. The twelve  little boxes cost me £6 so I have done all this for just £11

I would thoroughly recommend a visit to the nearest boot sale - who knows what you might find.

I'm now absolutley exhausted - my craft room  has never looked so tidy but my husband says he doesn't hold out any hopes that it will last!

Do you think he's right???

Africa

Two cards in One Day!

I have also finished off this card which was inspired by a mask I bought from Imagination Crafts.

I used black acrylic paint with a stencil brush through the mask. The white mat  is a simple shaped piece of card on which I stamped an Accacia tree and zebra, both stamps from Barbara Gray and the foliage was also made using one of her tree stamps. I was pleased to see that when I put the elephant on the card, the white mat looked like a window against the black and white background  - a very happy accident.

The elephant is a Jane Netley Mayhew stamp which I coloured with an Ice Grey Promarker. 

I think I am beginning to be a bit nostalgic for Africa given that I have featured elephants in two of my most recent cards.

I'd love to know what you think of it.

Naughty But Very Nice

Hi everyone

I have just finished another little cup cake card which I hope can be sold on my friends cake stall - along with the others I made earlier and which are shown below.  I wanted to give her a selection of six so can now hand them over.

The main image is a sweet little Lilly of the Valley stamp.

I mounted her on a white scalloped shape and backed it with a round mirri card shape. The backing paper is from my stash. She was coloured with Promarkers in Cocktail Pink with Ivory, Vanilla and Blush for her skin and straw hat. I also used alittle Sky Blue and Ice Grey1 for her shoes and the shadow round her. Her hair is Sandstone and the cake stand is in Warm Grey 3.

The stack of cakes is a stamp I bought on Ebay and I'm afraid I can't remember its name. That was also coloured wit Promarkers - same shades as previously mentioned plus Berry Red and Lemon. The sentiment was also backed on mirri card and finished with a mirri card heart.

Nor sure how I have managed to complete these cards as I am currently on a strict diet  to get ready for my holiday at the beginning of September.

They make me feel really hungry!

I do hope you like my latest effort.