Thursday 22 October 2015

Autumn!

Hi all!
So, it's Thursday and it's windy, raining and chilly - autumn is definitely here.
I had my birthday last Sunday, but, because I've not been well, we just went out for a family meal on Sunday afternoon, but this Saturday there WILL be a party at home!!! Last 2 years I've had my birthday in Zante but.....not this year obviously!!! Sad, but I can't complain because we did go in September!
My bezzie is over from Zante for 2 weeks but I won't see her as she has to visit family 'down south' ~(where she and her famiily are from - Staines, no less) and she won't have time to pop up and see me :( Oh well!!! I'll be seeing her in January when she comes back for her 50th birthday party! Yaaaay! I like a good party!)
I've been out for a meal with 'the girls'  this week - drinking on a school night too!!!
So, I'm off to do some crafting - haven't made anything of note for a week so I'd better begin!!!

TTFN
L x

Wednesday 14 October 2015

2 weeks!!!

Yes, my lovelies, it has been 2 weeks since I last posted on my blog!
Not because I don't want to but............because I kept putting it off until now! Today I am wracked with a bad cold, which started monday night, but  I feel more crappy than Crappy McCrap from Crappytown!!! I am also supposed to be attending a funeral today but, I have had to miss it. I hope all went well.
I have had a few cards to make recently - 3 for new babies and 1 Christening! Orders are like buses- nothing for ages then they all come at once! I've also had to make a photo frame for the Christening and I enjoyed doing it - it made a change from the cards!

I've used my fave Graphic 45 for the Christening card and the photo frame (I added in a little mdf heart too!)











This card is for a friend of mine who has a birthday the day after I do - next monday in fact!!!
The image is from Bugaboo Stamps - her name is Ruby and I think she's very fitting for my pal likes a glass or two!!!



Hope you liked them!
I did do a couple more cards but forgot to take piccies (again!) so....soz!

I'm off to start my next orders now - 2 mobile air balloons and 2 superhero pictures (framed).

TTFN
L x





Wednesday 30 September 2015

Summer again?

Hi all!
How have you all been? Well, I hope. I'm not too bad at the mo - have been to see the podiatrist and the ortho consultant and it's not all bad news! So, that's a bit of a relief but I can't get too excited as there are still medical appointments to attend yet.
Anyhow, where has this last week gone? And this weather!!! We are definitely having an Indian summer here in the old NW of England. Ok, so it's not St.Tropez or the Amazon jungle (!) but we are having such beautiful sunny days and the temperatures have risen to our 'heatwave' of 17 degrees F (61C). I have been washing anything I can lay my hands on just so I can hang it out on the washing line in the fresh air!!! Wonderful!
I have also had time to do a little crafting! I made one of my favourite items - a hot-air balloon from the Crafters Companion template,
I decorated it with the Rare Oddities collection by Graphic 45 and used stamps by Papermania and dies by Spellbinders.
I like making the flowers look metallic with the use of an embossing folder and gilding waxes!
The cobwebby, wispy stuff is coconut fibre from Paper Pizzazz and most of the remaining items were already in my stash and I can't remember where everythiing came from!!!

Ok, so let me know what you think.





My second project is a little trinket box I made using black chipboard which I designed myself. I had no pattern or template for the box shape so I made it from my imagination. I used Graphic 45 Gilded Lily collection to decorate and embellish it. I used my stash for the key, ribbon flowers etc.









TTFN
L x

Sunday 20 September 2015

Home again!

Hi all!
Just a quick post to update you all on my hollibobs and, of course, my no-crafting week!
It was HOT.
VERY HOT.
We did alot of travelling around and a bit of the old sunbathing and swimming. The water was warm so it was like walking into a bath -----that's if you bathe in sandy water with little fishes pootling around in it!
Lots of boozing went on I'm afraid.......I only did it to keep the others company..........
We did meet up with some friends who hadn't told us they were also going to be there so that was a lovely surprise (the rotten sods!!!).
We also had so many people to see that we didn't quite get around to all of them so we will just have to go back to do it all again!
Oh, and "He Who Works" has a sister who was holidaying on Kefalonia - the next island to ours - so she, and her boyfriend, came over on the ferry for the night! When we were at the airport ready to leave, I got a text from another of his sisters' who had landed at Zakynthos airport and was in the arrivals hall as we were in departures! Fancy that eh?!!!
So, back to earth with a bump. I've, obviously, not been making anything at all for the last week and, as luck would have it, I haven't done anything since landing on Friday as I've had a tummy bug today and was too tired yesterday!
I hope I find my mojo tomorrow as some lovely goodies arrived whilst I was away and it will be fun to begin playing again!
So, that's it in a nutshell! I'm going back to watching the World Rugby on TV (cos I love it!) and an early night beckons.
I thought I'd pop a quick piccie or two of my hols for you to ogle!

TTFN
L x

Goats in the road? why not....!!!

Jay, Shellbell, Bettyspaghettilegs,me and him!!!


Wednesday 9 September 2015

Oops! and uh oh!!!

Hi all,
I totally forgot to post my blog yesterday - Ooops!
I've made one or two bits n bobs this last week but mainly I've been concentrating on packing for my hollibobs to Zante on Friday!!! Can't wait to walk off the plane into an oven! It's always boiling hot because the plane's always quite cool so when the exit door first opens......whoosh!!! Oven baked!!!
And, it always feels like I'm 'home'! So, a good week ahead!
I had an appointment with the rheumatologist on Thrusday, so, I'm hoping that the new round of blood tests come back ok, as the doctor doesn't want them to be what she thinks they might be!!!! For now I'm waiting for an ultrasound scan on my hands. More news when I get some!

I've made a 40th birthday card this week - I had loads and loads of time to make it too.....NOT.
The daughter remembered to ask me on Thursday for the card Friday!!! Started it on Thursday afternoon after the rheumatology appointment and finished it Friday morning because I kept being distracted by something I was watching on Netflix!!!
I also had to make it about 3 times before I was happy with the shape!

It had to be suitable for both a man and a woman because it was for my daughters friend and her husband! They were both 40 within days of each other and they had a joint birthday party on a canal boat! The pictures my daughter posted on Facebook looked great! Her friends hubby was the first man overboard into the canal - along with his pockets full of money, mobile, keys etc.....Lol! I bet there was trouble in their house that night!!!

This is the card :





Materials used : Docrafts more or less paper pad
                           Gus and Stella digital image from Bugaboo Stamps.
                           Spellbinders flower die.
                           Bunting and balloon dies from ??? (Can't remember!)

I've also posted a picture of the inside. It's the first time I've made a shaped card so I hope i've done it right!

I'll have been on my hols the next time I blog so, have a fab and crafty week or so and see you all on the other side!!!


TTFN
L x

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Goodies!

Hi all.
As promised, I am updating the old blog with my latest creations.
I did mention, in my last post, that I had been working on some commissions and I couldn't display them until my friend had received them - which she has now!

So, the first is a "memories" picture which was mainly designed using the Docrafts Digital Designer software - I don't have one of the all singing all dancing programmes......yet!!!
It took quite a while as I had to measure it up then fanny around with fonts, types etc so alot of card and ink was wasted until I eventually printed one which I liked!!!
Sorry about the photography! I was trying to show the embossing and some details!





The next picture is another family tree.
I have made these many times now and it doesn't get easier trying to think up new styles in which to make them so, this one became bright and cheerful and not over fussy.






This last one I've made twice - because I couldn't decide which one was best so I gave them both away!!!
The quote made me laugh - Mum's Rules! - and I had the perfect paper kit in Graphic 45's home sweet home collection to use on it.
The first one is in a frame and the second is attached to MDF shapes which I bought from Dreamees.
Again, I used The Docrafts Digital Designer package to print the text and, again, it took ages!!!
Still, my friend was very pleased with them and that's all that matters.






Did you all have a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend? I did zilch! 
"He who works" came home Friday night, quite late, and left again on sunday afternoon so we didn't really have much time to do anything. Add in the fact that the poor love was totally knackered! Still, while he had a good sleep, I got to crafting in my lovely room and watched the athletics on the laptop! Then friends came round for drinks and nibbles on Saturday night which left me with a fluffy head on sunday morning!)
Several things to look forward to now (Christmas being one of them!) and I'll fill you in as and when they happen!!!

TTFN
L x

Wednesday 26 August 2015

To sleep perchance to dream ......


Kalimera everyone! (good morning!)
So, I thought I would have an early night as I'm feeling quite tired lately, but, it is now 00.33 am and I am wide awake!!! What can I do other than read or watch TV? I know, I'll write a blog post! Considering it's been a week since my last post, it's the perfect time to do it!
This last week I've been creating some stuff which my friend requested and, as I've not given them to her yet, I can't really display them :) I will do in the next week or so.

Onto something that I can show!

In between my 'commissioned' projects, I found time to distract myself and make a start on Christmas crafting - I bet loads of you are currently making all your goodies for Christmas and have even finished all your cards and stuff!!! Me? Just this one thing! (I really will have to organise myself a little better.)

My daughter had given me an old box which contained hair and beauty products at one time so I decided I could make it into a Christmas box and fill it with gift tags.

I started the project and thought I must take some before and after piccies but....I forgot! So, I took a couple of 'just started' pictures and then the finished project pics.

These 1st two pictures kind of show the box and the lid almost before decorating!










I made 5 gift tags and embellished each one individually. The reverse (as shown below) has the to and from detail.

Products used : Fancy Pants Designs Merry Little Christmas paper pad and sticker sheets,
                         Docrafts Create Christmas wooden shape for the lid tag.
                         Generic Butchers twine, rhinestones, glitter and ribbon
                         Dreamees Tacked and treasured clear stamps.

So, that's all (for now) folks. I'll be back with more in the next week or so.

Happy days!

TTFN
L x

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Booked it...packed it...!!!!

Woohoo! Hi de hi to all you lovely crafty peeps out there!
Yes, by the title, you might have guessed already, but we have now booked and paid for the flights to our fave fabbo holiday place in the world! Yup! We're off to Zante in September. He who works, myself and our 2 buddies Jay and Shellbell (...ok, we do have more than 2 buddies you know but these 2 are our bezzies!).
So this week I've been trolling through Ebay looking for some holiday clothes bargains and I've found quite a few little numbers which will look lovely and all for a bargain price.
That's what we like us crafters! BARGAINS even if it isn't crafty stuff.

Anyhoo, I have also been busy making a couple of things this last week.
I had a little notelet/address book  holder bought for me many moons ago and I decided to take it apart to see how it was put together and then rebuild it with chipboard and alter it slightly.
I think I made a good job of it and also I recovered the little address book too.

The phrase is from an Indigoblu stamp and the papers I used were.....Graphic 45! Who'd have guessed!
(Sorry the photos aren't too brill!!!)

NOTELET/ADDRESS BOOK HOLDER






 I've also made another 3 DRAWER UNIT  but it isn't completely finished yet - here it is for now!


I thought this might be useful for little pots of embossing powder? I painted the MDF unit in white acrylic and I've used the Bohemian paper pad by Dovecraft; I purchased the unit from Lasersmith uk and sprayed the whole thing with Spray and Shine varnish to seal it.
A busy week then!

 Now, this week, I have 3 commissions to complete before 30th August including another family tree and, as I'm useless with remembering to update my blog, it could even be Christmas before I'm back! Lol!
I've made a promise to myself to blog at LEAST once a week - watch this space.....

TTFN
L x

Monday 10 August 2015

Sunny/Funny old day!

Hi everyone!
It's been an on/off day today here in the NW of England - some sun, some rain! Not alot changes round here then!
Haven't been up to much lately - liar!!!
I've been making things again but I haven't just finished them yet so I'll upload my most recent goodies very soon.
Went to my friends' daughters house last week to meet the new baby! 2 weeks old and GORGEOUS! I've never seen so much dark hair on a newborn baby.......a chimp yes, but.........I digress. Oops!
She was beautiful and very good - slept for the 3 hours that I was there and only cried once before feeding time - and what a cry! My eardrums nearly burst! Thank goodness I don't remember my kids screaming like that!
This weekend, I was mostly buying plants - again. Somehow, bedding plants have a nasty habit of dying off and you have to go out and buy some more! Still, they do look lovely in their planters.
My neighbours' garden is a riot of roses. Absolutely beautiful roses all over the place. I don't have the inclination thought to be as good a gardener as he is, which is a shame as I do have lots of time on my hands. At least I've some lovely pot plants!

I'll be back soon with some more piccies!

TTFN
L x

Tuesday 28 July 2015

Brrrr!

Hi everyone from quite a chilly Leyland even though this is supposed to be summer.....that's GBR for ya!!!
So, this week I've been mostly making stuff!
I have had to make a card for a 40th birthday. Pardon? Easy? Yes, if it's for a woman but, for a man?.....all you crafters out there will agree with me - men are chuffing hard work all round, even for cards!!!
I have a couple of 'Gus' images from Bugaboo stamps and co-ordinated them for this card. Gus is fab! A real cranky old geezer!
So, this is how it turned out.



.....and this is how the other one turned out!!! Yep, I did two, because one might not be suitable so I always make an alternative!!!
 For this one, I used a 'birdbrain' image from 'From The Heart Stamps' - because they're funny and  fab!



Now, after I'd finished those (which took far longer than I'd anticipated because my Mojo sodded off!), I turned to my favourite pastime - construction!

I have another template from Jim Hankins (a.k.a. The Gentleman Crafter) and he calls it Mama Nell's organiser Caddy!
I guess it is really! It looks like a caddy with doors and feet!
I used Graphic 45 Artisan Style paper collection on this as well as  Tim Holtz Idea-ology knob and fasteners. I had to make the box feet myself from card and gild them so they look more metallic.

There is room inside to hold anything you like really - notes, cards, recipes, files, whatever!







I totally love making constructed items! I've just finished a 6 drawer box to hold my Tim Holtz and wooden embellishments but as I've made it for my own use, I'm not putting it on here (.....the patterned card doesn't really match! LOL).

Ok. That seems to be it for now, so, from a windy and rainy North of England town, I wish you all good-day, cheerio and Kalispera!

TTFN
L x