Oh how ridiculous!!!  How can it possibly be so log since I popped along to my dear little blog?  I mean, I knew it had been a couple of weeks or so but to find it has been over four months is somewhat of a shock!  Well, they say time flies when you are having fun so I must have been having an absolute ball!!!

I have been crafting ... nothing creative ... just about ticking over to get all the cards done for this year but no motivation or inspiration to just play and experiment.

So no news to share really ... will get some of my cards on here just to keep track of them but have to say they all seem a bit disappointing to me and there isn't anything I was particularly pleased with.

Oh I guess the biggest news is I am no longer a Vagabond owner ... this was my second one (the first having already been replaced due to the fault many of the original ones seemed to have - namely smoke pouring from them).  My second one just died.  Working one moment and then nothing the next.  Luckily it was still just under guarantee and I was offered a very good deal from Sissix for yet another new machine plus some dies etc., or an exchange for a Big Shot.  I thought long and hard but by now had really lost confidence in the Vagabond and so took the exchange.  Can't say I am really a turn-the-handle type of girl but the only thing that can go wrong with it is if I mess up which shims and platforms to use so all the time I am using it I am saying to myself  "if the handle won't turn, don't force it" ... have had to encourage it a little on occasion but nothing major!

Ooooh yes, I have discovered Spellbinders ... got to say they don't really lend themselves to my much preferred grungy-Holtzy style of crafting but I have been finding it hard to get the results I want so have all but given up for the time being.  

First time out with the Spellbinders was a disaster ... how on earth do you get them from the card or paper??!?!?!?!  Then I discovered that waxy paper stuff and BRILLIANT!  Can highly recommend it and am no longer throwing ripped or distorted die-cuts into the recycling bin.


These were my first attempts with the Big Shot and Spellbinders:

They ended up far larger than I ever like my cards to be but it is all a learning curve figuring out where to place the Spellbinder dies and which bits cut and which don't ... that was fun - place die, turn that bloomin' handle, lift up plate only to find you didn't cut what you thought you had !

I did a New Home card for nephew number two and his girlfriend which was more in the style I prefer :

The message was printed onto acetate and I used Glossy Accents on the word "HOME" and dyed the ribbon to match so had very messy fingers and was in grunge-mode which always pleases me.

I forgot to take a photo' of the back but know I'd have inked it to match the front with a few swirly bits but really can't recall what else I did ... note to self: take better photographs!

I did go all out with the grunge on hubby's birthday card but he is one of those who doesn't "get" grunge so it was just okay.

It was inked and embossed and ripped and torn and stamped and grunged to the extreme but, oh boy, did I enjoy the brown inky fingers that ensued!

And one more ... its fate is yet to be decided because, again, it is not my preferred style and the back ground paper has "buckled" as I only put tape around the edges and in a couple of strips across the paper ... I am about ready to bin it and start again as it is not good enough to give and I can't see any way of fixing it.

Last one I must get here is the card I made when nephew number one got his black belt at TKD ... I'd kinda hoped the ribbon across the centre would represent the black belt but nobody else realised that so guess I was just trying to be too clever!

Now I really do plan on not leaving it so long until I blog again ... got lots and lots of crafting I really must get done so will aim to get back here with that ... honest!  

WOYWW 193

Bit late in the day but only because I have been putting off starting crafting today ... something I MUST now do or there will be no birthday card for hubby on 17th!

Sharing my very disorganised workspace today ... dragged stuff in from Antarctica the conservatory so I can work in the warmth of the dining room but it means stuff is spread far and wide as the photo's will show.

So no time for my ramblings today ... head over to Julia's Stamping Ground to check out more wonderful workspaces ... you will find her HERE

So this is what is immediately in front of me all ready to start :

Then to my right :

To my left :

And then way over the other side of the kitchen is my Vagabond all set up and ready to go :

And finally the birthday pressies I got with the voucher from my friends (plus a couple of extras that just happened, somehow, to fall into my basket!)  Well, a girl can never have enough Tim Holtz Distress Stains!!!

Happy WOYWW'ing !!!

What a PERFECT week!

Well no time for crafting this week and I missed WOYWW this week too all thanks to a wonderful week of bIrThDaY celebrations.  Not even a landmark birthday either, just adding another year on and wondering how I can possibly now be 53 years old!
Week started with a stunned silence as I opened my Emails to find a group of friends had put together and got me a voucher for my favourite online craft store ... Country View Crafts!  It was an amazing surprise and totally out of the blue ... then the surprise continued when, later that morning, a huge bouquet of flowers arrived from them too.  Spoilt or what, eh?
Hubby took me to my favourite restaurant for lunch ... I rarely leave the house these days and find going out really quite difficult but we went early to avoid any rush and we had a most delicious meal.  
Now then, there is SUCH a tale to tell about Tuesday ... can't even believe I am about to say this but I went to the cinema.  I am a huge fan of Les Miserables (the stage musical version) and was desperate to see the film.  I didn't think I would get to see it so my friend is getting me the DVD just as soon as it comes out as a late birthday present ... something like a trip to the cinema is a MEGA outing and I just didn't think I'd be able to manage it.
Hubby booked tickets the week before but I didn't tell anyone I was going so I didn't have to then say "I didn't make it" when everyone asked how I got on.  I woke Tuesday morning announcing, quite confidently to hubby, "we're not going".  "We will give it a try" he responded and so we did.  I got more and more stressed as we got closer and closer but I kept telling myself that I didn't have to go in.  But I DID go in, bit of a panic attack once seated but I was IN!!!!!
SO glad I got to see it even though I don't like Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen nor Helena Bonham Carter but oh, the music and the story ... quite wonderful.  I SO wanted to go WOW! at the end, but didn't ... just love the West End style of singing and those Hollywood voices didn't really do it for me.
Wednesday came around and delivery of a new set of drawers for my crafting stuff ... has subsequently meant a MASSIVE clear out and re-organising of everything but I have now passed on stuff I have stored for years and not touched ... no longer have storage space for stuff I will not use.  
Yesterday saw me out for the THIRD time this week (I normally venture out about once in four/six weeks if I absolutely must!!!) when we went out for breakfast and today has seen a final rejiggle of my craft cupboard and me in recovery from just the best birthday week since losing mommy (and I didn't ever think I would get to the point where I could say that).
Getting dark here now so will take photo's tomorrow and in the meantime dread Monday when hubby is back at work (he had the week off in case we went away like last year for my birthday) and I have some serious crafting to do ... I have absolutely no idea where anything is now!

WOYWW 191

So why am I showing you my Oh So BORING workdesk today I hear you ask?  Because it is all the WONDERFUL Julia's fault over at the Stamping Ground who came up with the idea that a What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday would be a great way of seeing what fellow crafter's are up to!
After a simply rotten night's sleep I am not up to much BUT have got to get started on my cards for February - the first three of which MUST be posted on Friday ... no pressure then, and, more alarmingly, NO MOJO!!!!!

So what can you see on my desk ... firstly a little "Spot the WOYWW Badge" game ... gold star to you if you find it.  You can just about see the list of cards I have to make for this year ... being mojo-less I am finding it a bit daunting so have it partially hidden under three (three cards to post on Friday remember!) embossed designs I did last night knowing I wouldn't be able to face my lightbox this early in the morning.  My much loved Glossy Accents are lurking close at hand and my Tim ***sigh*** Holtz distress inks ... odd name that, but very appropriate for my current state of mind ... DiStReSsEd! Or is that just stressed ... either way works for me.
Martha Stewart punch in the front of the picture and laptop very close at hand for when the no-mojo fizzles into absolutely-definitely-no-mojo.
The bright orange folder waaaayyyyy out of reach is my quizzing folder ... which I must not - MUST NOT - touch until I have these cards made!
So Happy WOYWW'ing everyone and enjoy browsing the world of craftland today as you share your desk and visit those of others ... those others to be found HERE

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Spent a happy hour or so chatting long distance (thank goodness for Facebook chat!) with nephew number 2's girlfriend as she Oh So Kindly tweaked my blog for me ... I'd lost track of the hours I'd spent trying to do it and just look at it now ... I just LOVE it and things are where they should be and gaps have been closed and, well, I'm just over the moon really!
Thanks to my wonderful "niece-in-law" Lucy ... THE Lucy of Lucy G Photography - you can find her website/blog HERE
Just need to get my crafting mojo back now and I can get on with the many cards I need to make ... haven't even started on those for February yet and one needs to be in the post by Friday ... EEK!!!!!

Today's the day

Well, it's done, boxed up and ready for a 1pm delivery and I feel sick I am so nervous about it!!!  Today is party day and The Cake will be doing its thing tonight.  Managed to get a better photo' of it rather than the one of it nestling in the box and, oh my golly-goodness how I hope they like it.

Doesn't show up here (due to my very poor photography skills!) but the bottom tier is the palest shell pink with a white frill and the top tier is white with a shell pink frill ... just wish I'd thought to make the doves on the top tier pink but only made white ones and then realised my error. 
Flowers all hand-made in sugar paste but not really edible as they are wired and by the time I've finished messing around with them probably taste simply awful.
Now just to await The Verdict and all this stress can be over!

WOYWW 190

You know, I really thought I'd blogged inbetween last weeks WOYWW and this one ... goodness knows where that week went!

So to another week of being able to share and visit fellow crafters workdesks all over the world to see what they are up to all thanks to the wonderful Julia and her Stamping Ground which you can find HERE

My workdesk is not really a workdesk at all today as I simply MUST get on with a cross-stitch project and I am making that my mission for today.

It is a huge project and almost beyond my capabilities ... I thought I was an experienced cross-stitcher but this is challenging me to the limit and I am not yet convinced I will complete it.  If it were for myself then I would have not got past the first dozen stitches but, because I want it for a gift,  I am persevering (and swearing a LOT!)

I finished a birthday card last night for the same person getting the cake (I shared the flowers for the cake last week) ... have tried to keep it all to a theme (I made the invitations for the event too) as she is very, very girly and loves flowers!

The cake just needs my signature little doves putting on and I wasn't going to take it from the box in order to photograph it today ... knowing me I'd knock the frill and damage it so will post a better photo' next week after the party!  So excuse what has to be the worst photo' in the world but it will give you an idea ... hopefully.

And, most importantly of all ... as I write it is *S*N*O*W*I*N*G* again ... I am a total *S*N*O*W* freak and just love this weather *S*N*O*W* much!!!!!!  Hey, that was nearly a joke :)

On that note I am off to link to Julia's WOYWW and MUST, MUST, MUST get on with that cross-stitching!

WOYWW 189

Have absolutely no idea how Wednesday has crept around so fast again but here it is and for the second week in a row I'M HERE TOO!!!!  For those unfamiliar with our special Wednesdays and the wonderful world of WOYWW'ing it is the day we share our workdesks with fellow bloggers and have the opportunity of seeing crafty going's-on all over the world! Julia is to blame and links to loads of other workspaces can be found HERE

So to my own workdesk ... rather different this week because I am making some sugarpaste flowers for a cake and hope to have them all made by the end of today so I can colour and wire them up tomorrow.

Desk is a little blank as I've not yet really got going this morning having had a rotten night stressing about the flowers!  Didn't go to bed until midnight but woke at 2.10am and then 3.20am and 4.40am whenI finally gave up and played Angry Birds on my mobile until 5.30am ... nodded off and managed to sleep until 6.45am so my mood is not the greatest at the moment!

The roses hanging up need further layers of petals and will eventually be dusted pink:

And on the tray are loads of little filler flowers ... baby orchids, sweet peas, ivy leaves and tiny carnations ... haven't yet decided if the sweet peas and carnations will be pink or left white ... am favouring white at the moment!

I will post a photo' of the flowers wired up all ready for the cake once I've got it to that stage.

Thought I might send this card to the playground that is  PIXIE'S SNIPPETS... the idea being you make a card containing, er, a snippet of something you had left-over ... a bit of ribbon or lace or an off-cut of paper etc.,  Well this whole card was made from bit's and pieces I had left over from a previous, similar card ... I did order new papers and cardstock but it didn't arrive in time so I had to "make do" with what I had.  I was asked to make this card by Nicola, one of the nephew's girlfriends - she hasn't seen it yet so a nervous wait until she does!

It is one of my fold-out-tag-card-booklet thingies and has 6 little tags inside ... the last tag is left blank for Nicola to sign!

Partial success

Well, at least I am feeling better and have Made A Start on the card for the new baby ... so am crafting but with partial success as the new card ordered didn't arrive this morning as I had hoped so am having to rummage around and "make do" ... and I am not a "make do" type of girl!!!
Hang on though ... if I am making this card from bits'n'bobs left from other cards it might just qualify me for Pixie's Snippet Challenge!
Mmmmmm, now there's a thought!

The best laid plans ...

Typical, I suppose that just as I was getting back into the swing of things here in blogland I go down with a streaming headcold and not at all able to blog nor craft for two days.  
Was asked to make a new baby card and, of course, readily said I would even though I was mindful of everything I already have to do and out came the Wishblade/Silhouette, new supplies ordered and whoosh ... down I go with a cold.  My eyes watered all day long ... huge splooshy tears that dripped onto the table and it looked like I had been crying non-stop.
Am hopeful I can get back to cutting and sticking tomorrow ... got too much to do to be under the weather.

WOYWW 188

Well, it has sure been a while but here I am!!!!!  WOYWW'ing for the first time in ages and having totally forgotten how to do it!  I shall post my photo of my very messy desk right now and then head off to see if I can figure out how to add it to Julia's list!
Don't know what WOYWW'ing is all about? Well, each Wednesday, in the world of craftland, we share photo's of our desk and have the opportunity of visiting desks all over the world to see what fellow crafters are up to ... it is just fascinating seeing lots of items and products that we all use scattered far and wide and all being used to produce such different results.
Taking a peek at other crafter's desks has kick-started many crafter's-block moments and, of course, it's great just to be nosey!
So here is my work desk right now ... not much going on and not really happy with the card I am making so have yet to decide whether to go with it or bin it and start over!

This isn't yet my "normal" craft desk ... mild here in England but still too cold to work out in the conservatory where my huge table and storage cupboards are so am squeezed onto the end of the dining room table!

These are some of the cards I made just before Christmas for my January birthdays ... used the resist technique for the pink tag cards and had to experiment to see if I liked a cream background showing through or a white one ... decided I preferred the white so will be making more like these for further birthdays throughout the year.  Had loads of little strips of vellum left over from making some invitations so am using them up by adding the person's name ... super and quick to emboss and saves throwing away such lovely thick vellum.

It is not often my sister has anything nice to say about my cards but she did comment on the one I made last year for daddy ... I used a beautiful brass stencil that I have had for years ... so I dug that out and the men's cards this year will be based around that.  
I used glossy accents to highlight just the little hot-air balloon and left it at that ... well, after I'd distress-inked it to within an inch of its life, of course!

I used a linen-effect paper for the embossing and after I inked it with my much favoured brown tones of Tim Holtz's distress inkpads it resembled burnt wood and you can just about spot I used my new Martha Stewart punches I got for Christmas.
Right, am off to see if I can link this at Julia's Stamping Ground and then will pop back here to post the link to her WOYWW list!  
So,  Julia's Stamping Ground is where it all happens! (just hope that link takes you there ... SORRY Julia if it doesn't ... I will ask Maggie C to help me out!)

Happy WOYWW'ing everyone ... I've really missed being part of our Wonderful Wednesdays!!!!!

Time to catch up

Have said it before and have to say it again ... can't believe how long it has been since I visited my dear little blog ... time just passes way too fast and the hustle and bustle of Christmas didn't help.
I was MEGA stressed about getting everything done for Christmas ... I was behind with my cards and crafting and sewing the tree decorations that I traditionally make.  It took me an hour and a half to wrap one present and I was never as late as I was this year in getting the wrapping done ... then the shooting in Connecticut happened and it put it all in perspective for me.  So what if someone got a present in a carrier bag rather than wrapped ... what did it matter if I had to buy a box of cards rather than make one for everyone on my list.  As a family we saw lots of each other over the holiday and that really was all that mattered.
Of course, I did get it all done but the stress and panic lifted and I ploughed through all I wanted to do with quiet reflection of those in Sandy Hook.
I kept my cards simple this year ... and FLAT!  Last year every card required a "large" stamp and with the increased postage charges I simply had to make flat cards this year.  I knew I wanted them black and white after coming across a beautiful stamp and I knew I wanted them "postcard" style so this is what I ended up doing :

I stamped a simple "Happy Christmas" in black on the back with just two little *s*n*o*w*f*l*a*k*e*s* rather than mat and layer them ... saving time and keeping them as flat as I could!  
Of course, comments from a certain someone were about par for the course with "I prefer the back" ... but I've come to expect stuff like that now.
All the "special" cards followed the same theme but I tried to use *s*n*o*w*y* photo's of the recipients ... did a whole lot of, er, "borrowing" photo's from their Facebook pages!
This was one made for one of my nephews and shows his girlfriend taken a couple of years ago ... as soon as I saw the photo' ages ago I knew I wanted to make their card using it:

I always theme all my wrapping of presents and this year, again, kept with the *s*n*o*w*f*l*a*k*e* theme :

These were just for the ladies ... the men's paper was dark blue with silver *s*n*o*w*f*l*a*k*e*s ... and they just got baubles and no bow!

Despite all the raised eyebrows last year I finished off the intended December birthdays (again for two of the nephews) with cards using the little fob/pocket watches I got:

I forgot to take photo's of all the tree decorations I made but here are two that I did manage to remember to photograph!

Managed to get this finished and framed in time to post to Australia - and it got there in record time too!  My Australian niece married a Canadian so I thought I'd send him a little reminder of home ... he got the maple leaf decoration above too!

So that pretty much brings my blog up to date and I am making a promise myself to get back into WOYWW'ing each week and to keeping a record of my crafting throughout 2013.
I am already itching to make a start on all the cards for this year ... made those for January just before Christmas but forgot to take pictures but will be doing some more along the same lines and WILL post them here ... eventually!

Hello blogland ... have really missed you!