What’s on my Work Desk Wednesday?

I’ve just got back for a very manic place………Sainsbury’s.

Why does Christmas food shopping bring out the worst in people when it comes to parking? They all want to get as close to the entrance of the shop as possible and I saw several people arguing over spaces. Not me I might add, I went down a row furthest away from the shop entrance. There was no one down there waiting and I drove straight into a space, how was that for luck.
The shop was heaving but fortunately I had done the bulk of our shopping yesterday when it was much quieter, all I had to pick up was the Turkey and last minute bits and then I was out of there!

Now then, what’s on my desk today?
Well not a lot as it goes, but what is there is full of calories.

I finished off all my paper crafting on Monday evening and have had a major tidy up, so everything is away now until after Christmas but I still wanted to join in so I thought I would show you the other bit of crafting I’ve been doing…….My Christmas Cupcakes.


They were made using a recipe from the BBC Good Food magazine and they are really very tasty. Yes, I know there are meant to be for Christmas but I had to try them out for quality control purposes, right!

They are real little Christmas fruit cakes with marzipan and icing. I made the snowflakes by cutting the large flake from White Fondant icing and the smaller flower center from some fondant that I’d coloured pale Blue and then decorated them with little Silver balls.


Well, that’s my offering for today and until after all the festivities I expect.
If you feel like joining in with the nonsense that is What’s on your Work Desk Wednesday just pop over to Julie’s Blog. and leave a message there and then we’ll all pop over to see your desk

Thanks for all the lovely messages that you’ve left for me through out the year and I hope you all have a fab Christmas.

Sue
x x x

You know, I really feel like feet haven’t touched the floor over the last few weeks and this week just gone wasn’t any different.
It’s all been good though!

Thursday was especially busy, starting with the usual weekly shop with dad.

Next I had an appointment at the opticians to pick up my new glasses; well the pair that will see me through until the cataract is ready to be removed that is.

To be honest, when I first put them on I thought they had got the prescription wrong because they really made my head swim, so she had to go and check that they had been made up right. It seems they were ok though and the reason for the strange feeling I was getting was due to the vast amount of change to the lens.
Apparently the change is usually a quarter of a dioptre at a time but the operation that I had has changed mine by three dioptres in one fail swoop.
It’s taken me three days to get used to wearing then but now I’ll feeling more comfortable and things are getting back to normal and hopefully I get down to a bit more crafting and stitching at long last.

Thursday evening I had my friends Susan & Edd round for a meal.

I’m going over to them on Boxing Day so this was intended as my Christmas offering to them.
It went well and I managed not to poison anyone!

I was worried though because I was trying out a Jamie Oliver recipe that I’d seen on TV and never tried before. ……Pork with Peaches……..and it was yummy!

After launching my Daring Cardmakers dare on Friday, which I will come to in a minute, I spent the rest of the day baking mince pies, sausage rolls and some cute little Cupcake Christmas Cakes, which I still need to ice.


Then to finish the week off, I was out Saturday afternoon and evening.

Every year for the fast four years we have gone to the Royal Albert Hall in London for a pre show meal and Christmas Sing-a-Long.


It’s a real party atmosphere and really good excuse to sing (or try to in my case) at the top of your voice without anyone worrying about what they sound like.

There’s even a Mexican Wave goes around the auditorium several times at one point during the evening and that includes the choir and orchestra as well…..it’s fab.

Now I’m not complaining because I’ve enjoyed all of the Christmas preparation and fun stuff but I’m looking forward to a quieter week next week.

Right then, onto the dare I set over at the Daring Cardmakers……I thought, as we are coming to the end of the year and about to start not only a New Year but a New Decade it would be great to make cards celebrating something new. It could be a New Home, as I’ve made or a New Job or New Baby, even a New Day if that’s what takes your fancy.

Pop over and see what The Girls have come up with to wet your appetite and then why not join in with our last dare of the year.

Mine was rather a simple card but I love the effect of stamping directly onto patterned paper.

In this case I stamped three of the little houses onto my card blank and one onto patterned paper, which I cut out and stuck over the top of the middle one. The other two I’ve coloured with chalks to give a little subtle colour and then I added two borders of the same paper, top and bottom and the greeting.

If I don’t see you again before the big day, I hope Santa fetches you all the crafty goodies that were on your list……I know I have one or two that were on mine!

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year
Lots of Love
Sue
x x x


Square Card Blank – Craft Creations (Embossed Hammer)
Patterned Papers – K & Co (Hopscotch)
Inks –Tsukineko VersaFine (Black) Tim Holts Distress Ink (Faded Jeans)
Rubber Stamp – Inkadinkado (Homestead)
Chalks – Readicut Decorating Chalks
Dies – Sizzlets – Alphabet (Hunky Dory)

What's on my Work Desk????????

I’m sure that Santa’s little helpers aren’t playing fair and are nicking days out of my week. …….these Wednesday’s are coming round far too fast!

But I guess I have to except that it’s here and that can only mean one thing………..a spot of blog hopping, starting at Julie’s Blog to see what’s on everyone has on their desk this week.

I finished a couple of cards off first thing this morning, before going to the hospital for a check up on my knee (I’ve been discharged I’m pleased to say) and going for lunch with my Dad and friends Susan & Edd.

My photo’s are not very good I’m afraid, due to the bad light but hopefully you’ll be able to see the orderly mess that I was working in before I went out.

Right at the front you can see my wonderful set of Elusive Image stamps that I’ve had for a couple of years.
I never get fed up with using them and this time I’ve been making a Christmas card for my Dad with lots of Gold embossing and lovely Amber gems on.

The other cards there are my final Christmas card…….all have to make now is a few tags and then I can start wrapping up my pressies.
I seem to have got very behind with everything this year, which is not like me but I’m putting it down partly to ‘The Eye’ and partly because of my trip to the Christmas Markets in Germany.
I did manage to get my tree is up at the weekend thought so things are coming together slowly.

Here’s a few photo from our trip

As we entered our hotel we were greeted by the biggest Gingerbread house I’ve ever seen. They even encourage you to help yourself to the sweeties and biscuits by leaving a bowl of them for you to help your self.
This is my friend Sandy just having a quick nibble!

The market is Wiesbaden, where we were staying is quite large and gets very busy, especially on a Saturday evening.
There were lots of stalls selling all sorts of nick knacks from decorations to cake making paraphernalia and everything in between, as well as the obligatory Bratwurst rolls and Gluhwein, to keep us fed and watered…..just keep out the cold you understand.

We also had a couple of days out, one to Heildburg and the other to Rudesheim which is such a pretty place with little quaint cobbled streets.

Here we were encouraged to try the local (and famous) Rudesheim coffee, that’s laced with local brandy and is delivered to your table with flames coming for the top…….delicious indeed.

We finished off out trip with a meal in Langan’s Brassiere on the boat, something that’s become a bit of a tradition and it was just as well because the channel crossing was a little choppy to say the least.

All in all it was a great weekend and a fun start to our Christmas celebrations.

Wherever I go in the world, I always try and bring home a new decoration or two for my tree.
Every one of them brings back special memories but my favourites have to be the pieces of Gold plated Holly, Mistletoe, Aspen Leaf and sprig of Fir that I brought back from Aspen and the Lead Crystal Penguin from Tiffney’s in New York.

This year’s decorations weren’t quite as ostentatious but equally beautiful in their own right because they are typically German.

There were so many different blown glass ornaments, something that Germany is famous for and it made it very difficult to choose which ones to have.

In the end I decided on a few of each of these beautiful little birds, candles and snowflakes.

And here’s what my finished tree looks like this year.

Well, that’s it from me for now; I’ll see you all shortly, as I do a spot of blog hopping to see what you’ve all been up to this cold and very snowy Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sue
x

Am I really Dotty?

I know a few of my friend think I'm dotty at times Lol!

This week it’s Vanessa making sure we all go dotty and see spots before our eyes with the new Daring Cardmakers challenge.

Yes, it’s spots all the way because she wants Polka Dots all over our cards.

The dare has provided me with the opportunity of doing a birthday card that my brother has asked me to make for his wife’s birthday in January…..yah….I’m ahead of myself for once!

I’ve kept my card quite simple, using two spotty papers and some dry embossing and then made the three embellishments using this new set of stamps.

Unfortunately I can’t tell you who they’re by because there’s no name on the packaging but I brought the at Ally Pally in September.

I’ve stamped part of the images onto the circles and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder and I’ve then gone over them with Tattered Rose and Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
They were mounted on 3D foam and I’ve added a little bit of copper sparkle to each of the flower heads.

Hope that’s dotty enough Vanessa?

Thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments, it’s always much appreciated.
Sue
x

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations (Embossed Hammer)
Patterned papers – My Minds Eye (Wild Asparagus)
Plain Card - Bazzill
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Large Circles)
Inks –Tsukineko VersaFine (Vintage Sepia) Tim Holts Distress Ink (Tattered Rose & Vintage Photo)
Rubber Stamps – Papermania (Happy Birthday) Flowers -Unknown (Sorry)
Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots)
Glitter Glue – Craft Planet (Copper)
Brads – Basic Grey

Other Bits
Ribbon
Computer generated greeting (To My Wife)

What’s on my Work Desk Thursday!

Yes I know, it should have been Wednesday and I’m behind as usual but it’s only a day late and what’s on my desk now has been there since yesterday because I’ve been shopping with dad this morning.

As you know, I was away in Germany at the weekend and have just about recovered from the gales and choppy seas in the Channel on our trip home. I hope to get some of the photos on here tomorrow if you want to see how pretty the Christmas Markets look, especially the one in Rudesheim. The flaming (and very alcoholic) Rudesheim coffee wasn’t bad either!

Anyway, yesterday I had to catch up on my last two Christmas card commissions for my friend’s two year old twin grand children. Hazel will be collecting them from me this evening when we all meet up for a pre Christmas meal, so I’ve had to get a wiggle on to finish them in time.

So What’s on my Work Desk today.

Well, it would seem the entire contents of all my cupboards!

Because these two cards had quite specific themes of Bob the Builder and a Princess or Fairy I was having real problems finding images to use in my stash. Whenever this happens I always head for my favourite port of call, downloadable, children’s colouring pages. They’re great for cards and for my charity stitching and I usually manage to find something I’m able to use.

Bob’s image was no problem at all and I found one that I could easily paper piece. I changed the tools in the wheelbarrow for die cut presents, making it more Christmassy and added a layered tree.

The Princess/Fairy image wasn’t quite so easy to find but that was just me being fussy. There were loads on there but a lot of them were Disney Characters and I didn’t really want to use them, so in the end I settled on a beautiful Holly Fairy Digital Stamp from Mo’s Digital Pencil’s, which I also paper pieced and decoupage.

I was quite pleased with the way the Christmas tree turned out on this card too.
I stamped and embossed it using a stamp from the Technique Tuesday ‘Whispy Gigs’ set of stamps and then decorated it with Stickles and some card candy.

Thanks for stopping by and I’ll try and do better next week and be on time for once.

Sue
x

Well it’s the middle of the week and that can only mean one thing……………

Yes............it’s What’s on my Work Desk Wednesday.

I’m still not doing very much at the moment but I have managed to get a few Christmas cards made over the last week, not bad when you consider that I didn’t think I was going to making any at all this year.

On my table you can see that most of the cards are in their envies and are ready to post….well actually they are on their merry way already because I put them in the post when I took dad shopping this morning.

For what I call my ‘special’ cards I’ve used the same lovely stamp as on my Daring Cardmaker’s Card this week.
I brought it at Alexandra Palace before Christmas last year and was itching to use but all my cards were made early that year so I had to be patient and wait until now. As it happens, you can’t actually see the card in the photo because it’s buried under some other bits and as if that wasn’t bad enough, the photo is out of focus too. I’m putting that down to my double vision but I would have sworn it looked ok when I took the picture.

For my other, smaller cards I’ve been trying to use up lots of bits that have been left over from previous years. I just hate to throw anything away, even the tiniest scrap of paper.
Well that’s about it from me for this week.

I have to be up at silly o’clock in the morning as I’m off to the German Christmas Markets with my old work mates.
Coach leaves at 5-30am!

So now I’m off to pack my bag and if I get time later I’ll be back to check out what’s on everyone else’s work desk this dull, damp Wednesday.

Till next week then……….bye for now
And thanks for stopping by!

Sue
x

Yah, I’m back………..well sort of.

Oh, it’s been so long…..but I’m back at long last!

Well, I am for this week anyway, but then I’m off again for a week and back the week after that but I just couldn’t stay away any longer.

As you know, I’ve been having a break for the last two months after having an op on my eye at the end of September.
If you don’t know what happened or haven’t seen the photo you can read about what happened Here.

I had to go back to Moorfields eye hospital on Monday for a check up and they seem to think that my recovery is all going to plan, even thought my sight is still not back to normal.
Unfortunately a side effect of the operation is a cataract forming, so my sight is going to slowly get worse before it gets better but they have said that in a couple of weeks I can go to my own optician to update my lenses which should help in the short term and when I go back to Moorfields in three months they should be able to give me an idea of when I’ll be able to have the cataract removed.

The good news is that I can actually get back to some crafting at long last and boy have I missed it, but I really mustn’t over do things.

I’ve decided to kick things off with this weeks dare from the Daring Cardmakers.

Jozza has set us the fiendish challenge of making a card that’s all White with just a touch of colour on the main image.

I found this really difficult because I like to ink the edges of everything to within an inch if their lives and without the ink I think my card looks unfinished.

All I can say is thank heavens for my Cuttlebug embossing folders!

I’ve used two on my card for texture and I’ve also embossed the card blank with White detail embossing powder and a lovely flourish rubber stamp.

I’m looking forward to checking out everyone’s dare cards but please forgive me if I don’t get around to leaving a message on everyone’s blog. Because of my sight problem computer time is still being kept to a minimum at the moment but I’ll try my best.


Thanks for coming to visit.

Sue
x

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations (Embossed Hammer)
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Large Scalloped Oval & Large Classic Oval)
Inks –Tsukineko VersaFine (Black)
Rubber Stamps – Basic Grey Two Scoops (Swirlie) Creative Expressions (Festive Banister)Embossing Powder - Stamp'n'Stuf (Clear)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots & Texture Textile)
Paper Punch – Xcut (Large Holly)
Glitter Glue – Stickles (Red & Green)


Other Bits
Ribbon
Brads
Peel-Off Greeting

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday? (Very long post and a gory photo so if you’re squeamish, be warned)

Well it’s been almost a month since I’ve updated my blog, the reason for which I will explain after I’ve shown you What’s on my Work Desk this Wednesday.

As it happens, what’s on there now has been sitting there for almost a month too so you can deduce from that there’s been no crafting going recently.

On my table is a finished page for my Family Tree Scrapbook, the beautiful book of K&Co papers that my lovely friend Lythan brought me for my birthday a couple of years ago and are kept solely to used for this album. Lastly on my table is the album itself.

The page I’ve made represents my oldest confirmed relative from my mother’s line, my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather Thomas Bush (born 1749) and his family.


You can read about the family on Family Footprints in the Sands of Time

When I stared this page I really didn’t have a clue how to go about it, especially as there were no photos and very little information about them but in the end I decided as this would be the very first page of my ancestors it made sense to do a large Oak Tree.
I found the picture on Google and changed the size and colour and then printed it out onto some Bazzill card stock.

The Oak leaves were cut using two different sized punches and then coloured with Distress Inks.
Next I printed the information I had using my computer and made a little plaque for each member of the family. These were attached to the tree and the small Oak Leaves were scattered across the tree to add some detail.

I then made a set of tags which hold the baptism details, attached the larger Oak Leafs to the ends and tucked them behind the plaques so that only the leaves show.

I finished the page with a Green border that had Oak leaves punched from it so that the backing paper showed through and in the two bottom corners I’ve added some decoupage Oak leaved and Acorns.


I was also lucky enough to have been given this ‘I Like Your Style’ award last



week by the lovely Angie who’s Glimpsing the Past blog is responsible for getting me working on my album again. I’ll have to pop back later to add it to my Family Footprints blog, fill in my 'addictions' and pass it on to a few people but I just wanted to thank Angie so much for passing it on to me.


Right then, now onto the reason why I’ve not been crafting for almost a month.

Who would have believed that doing a good deed for my big brother by taking him to the opticians for his new glasses would turn my world up side down, but it did.

While I was waiting for him I decided to ask if I could try bifocal contact lenses because since my last check up in June I need reading glassed for absolutely everything and I spend most of my time walking round with them perched on the end of my nose and peering over the top for distance………it’s such a pain.

The receptionist asked the optician if they were possible with my prescription and she said it was but I would need to make an appointment to check that they fit well. I had a bit of luck because they had a free one in about half an hour, so I waited.

When I eventually went in it wasn’t my usual optician and she didn’t know the history of my eye problems.

I had a vitreous (jelly inside the eye) detachment about three yeas ago which is monitored, so I filled her in and then she had a look.

Now things started to go pear shaped.

The vitreous detachment in itself isn’t sight threatening, just aggravating because you get a dark shadow in your eye, a bit like looking through sun glassed all the time and lots of floaters. In my case I had a large piece of the jelly break away about eighteen months ago which caused a few problems but you get used to it and learn to ignore it most of the time.
When she looked in my eyes she said there was something not right and that we should forget about the new contact lenses as this needed to be sorted out first. A second opinion for another of the opticians confirmed that there was a problem with my Retina.

I was sent to the local Eye A&E where it was confirmed that I hade a detached Retina and then to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London early the next morning for emergency surgery to save my sight……all very scary.






Warning..........gory photo coming up.






Now apparently it’s rare for a vitreous detachment to go on and cause the Retina to detach, about 1 in 100.000, but muggins here had to be the one.

I underwent a two hour op where they removed the jelly from my eye, repaired the detachment with Cryotherapy (freezing) and then filled my eye with a bubble of gas.

I then had to spend the next three week lying in my side, only getting up for ten minutes every hour, so that the gas bubble rested on the site of the repair to help it heal.

I had stitches in the White of my eye and couldn’t see a thing out of it for the first week but as the bubble was getting smaller I began to see shapes and shadows.



They told me that the op has an 80% success rate but unfortunately I had to be one of the 20% that it failed.

A week after my op I was back at Moorfields A&E suffering all the same symptoms and was told that it had detached again. At first they were going to operate again but then decided it could be probably be repaired using Laser. I waited to see the consultant and he finally decided to leave it for a couple of weeks to see how it goes because it was only a week after the first op.

So there you have it, if I hadn’t have taken my brother to get his glasses sorted I would never have know this was happening and I could have lost my sight permently.


At the moment it’s a waiting game. I have to go back to Moorfields next Monday with the prospect of having to go through the whole thing again but for the moment at least I can see enough now, all be it with double vision in that eye, to be able to update my blogs and send a few email, but not much more.

I’d like to thank everyone who has sent me Get Well messages via the Daring Cardmakers blog and for all the lovely Flowers, cards and craft goodies that I’ve received.

I’m so lucky to have such wonderful and caring friends, so Thank You.

I’ll try and keep you posted of my progress when I can but for now crafting must remain on hold.

See you soon……I hope!

Sue
x

It’s Friday ………..So it’s Dare Day!

It’s Jo’s turn to set the dare over at the Daring Cardmakers, this week and the thought of it send me into a panic. Come to think of it, every week just lately one of the team has done the self same thing, send me into panic mode I mean, but I guess that’s what dares are all about, stretching your imagination.

This weeks dare is 'Tartan It Up'.

I would like you to use some sort of tartan on your cards, fabric, ribbon, paper etc.

Having had a search through my stash all I could find was the tiniest piece of Tartan ribbon that’s way too small to use on anything...no idea why I kept it really…..and also a sheet of Tartan paper in a Paper Pizazz 12 x 12 book that I had forgotten about.

So armed with my one sheet of paper I took the easy option and made a Christmas card because Tartan just shouts Christmas, right!

I’ve used the Holly Embossing folder and coloured it with Distress Inks. I then distressed and inked all the edges of the mats and mounted them onto the card with a couple of Red brads, two Green buttons and then finished it off with a touch of sparkle in the way of some glitter glue.

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations Embossed Hemp
Patterned Papers – Hot Off The Press (Paper Pizazz 12 x 12 Heritage Papers)
Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Holly)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Tattered Rose, Dried Marigold & Peeled Paint)
Buttons – Basic Grey

Other StuffVelvet Ribbon
Brads
Gold Peel-Offs

One good thing that’s come from Jo’s dare is that while I was looking for the Tartan paper it got me thinking about the my Heritage Album that I started ages ago and just don’t seem to get around to doing anything to. I’ve now decided it’s about time I did some more to it so I’ve started uploading the pages that I’ve already done onto my other blog Family Footprints in the Sands of Time and then I’m going to make a concerted effort to do some new pages.

So thanks Jo for giving me a kick in the right direction and making me want to start working on it again.

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

Once again Julie is asking ‘what’s on our work desk’ and because I’ve not joined in for the last couple of weeks I thought I would make the effort and join in.
It’s more a case that I actually remembered to do it today because I have a mind like a sieve just lately and keep forgetting things.

Anyway, on my work desk today is the remains of a Basic Grey card kit that I had brought for me as a birthday pressie.

I think the cards are lovely, and the kits are perfect for someone just starting out card making but if I’m honest, I have found it a little restricting. Only because all the mats are already cut and all you have to do is push them out and stick them onto the cards but I’ve added a few extras to my cards in the way of bling, brads and ribbons to make them a little more my own.

Next week there could be my purchases from IKIA on my work desk if I’m back in time, but if not I’ll see you the week after………..if I remember. Lol!

DMC’S – Shabby Chic

Only a short post from me this morning.
I have to take my brother Keith to the hospital later to have a check up on his eye but couldn’t leave without posting my card for the Daring Cardmakers, dare this morning.

They’ve gone all ‘Shabby Chic’ this week and there are some fantastic cards on the blog to give you inspiration, so pop over and have a peek, yI'm sure you won’t be disappointed.

Inspiration was something I definitely needed because Shabby Chic is not a style that I’m comfortable with if I’m totally honest, still I’ve given it a go and this what I came up with.



A6 Card Blank – Craft Creations Embossed Hammer
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey (Sugared & Lilly Kate)
Paper Punches – EK Success (Retro Flower) XCut (Large and Small Flower)
Rubber Stamp – Papermania (Sentiments)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Tattered Rose) ColorBox Fluid Chalk (Pink)
Pens – Marvy Le Plume (Brown)
Embossing Powder – Stamp ‘n’ Stuff (Clear)
Gems – Anita’s Tiny Gems (Two Sizes)


Other StuffRibbon
Large Gems

Follow That Dream

I was at a family BBQ for my big Big Brother’s 60th birthday at the weekend and although it’s not actually his birthday until the end of the month he had his cards and pressies at the party, which is why I’m able to show you them now.

The reason the party was so early is because he’ll be away when it comes around and on his actual birthday he’ll be ‘Following His Own Dream’ and will be in Memphis visiting Graceland’s for the second time, which goes some way to explaining what’s about to follow.

Firstly he loves Country and Western music and Line Dancing, not that he dances himself mind you, so that was the theme for the first card I made for him from his even bigger Brother.

I’ve used papers from the Memory Stor Costco Kit and some Tanda Stamps. The ‘Happy’ Birthday’ is a Sizzlets die cut.

The next card I made was from Dad and the inspiration for this one came from the Duke Box that he has in his lounge.

For this one I coloured, cut and decoupaged an image that I found on the web. Decorated the rest of the card with circles cut from Basic Grey Lime Ricky paper and made the ‘0’ of the 60 look like an old 45 record. The greeting on this one was a Rub-On.

The Duke Box he has is not a ‘Bubble’ like the one on the card but it is a working Duke Box and I would say that the records that it holds are 90% Elvis, which leads me nicely on to the card I made him from me , using a fabby ‘George’ download from Charmed Cards.

The papers are again from the Memory Stor Costco Kit and the outside greeting was printed on my computer. I added the layered star and fibres to give it a bit of a lift.

As you open the card George, the Elvis impersonator pops out on a stage with a backdrop that say’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’ in chipboard letters, painted Black and glitzed up with gems.

I also stitched two pictures for him as a gift, the first of Elvis and the second one of Marilyn Monroe.
I saw the two charts in ‘Cross Stitcher’ magazine some time ago and kept them because I knew as soon as I saw them both that I would have to stitch them for him one day.
What better time than his 60th Birthday.

Happy Birthday for the 29th Michael!

DMC’S – Down by the Sea

I’ve been a naughty blogger, not posting for over a week but at the moment I could do with being ‘Down by the Sea’ because last week was a little stressful to say the least.

It started off on Monday with a trip to the hospital with my brother.
It was just to check up on his eye that was operated on last Friday. Everything was fine I’m pleased to say but the one and a half hours we had to wait past his appointment time wasn’t. I don’t know how they manage to get so far behind and I’m sure that I could have organised things much better, but hay ho!

Wednesday was my birthday (I was 53 but don’t tell anybody will you) and I had planned to go to a local garden for some lunch with my Dad and big Brother. The aim was also to get a pot plant while we were there because on the 12th it was 20 years since we lost mum and we wanted to take something special to the cemetery. I find it hard to believe it was that long ago because I can remember every little event on that day even down to the thunder storm we had.
I love you mum and I so miss you!

In the end we didn’t go out after all because my dad was taken ill and we had to get the doctor out to him. Turns out he’s got a chest and ear infection so he’s on the antibiotics now and they seem to be doing the trick because he’s much better today.

My birthday wasn’t a complete flop thought because the door bell rang and there on the doorstep clutching two bunches of flowers and a birthday card was our lovely Lythan.........….she really brightened my day I can tell you.

Anyway, on with this weeks Daring Cardmakers team dare, all be it a little bit late on my part.

Down by the Sea

Over on this side of the world we're coming to the end of the Summer, and on Keryn's side they'll soon be dusting off their buckets, spades and sun-hats.

Of course we don't just enjoy being by the sea in the Summer, it doesn't matter what the season is, the seaside is a great place to be, so this week we'd love you to make cards with any sort of seaside theme.

Let your creativity go wild and have some fun by the sea with us.

My first reaction to this was panic as I didn’t really have anything that I considered would fit the dare but once I’d gathered my thoughts I remembered the set of Fishing stamps from Tanda that I have.

I’ve tried to do my card in the style of Michelle Zindorf because I just love her work, mind you my card is not a patch on hers.

With hind sight, an investment into a bigger brayer might have been a good idea instead of using the silly little one that I have at the moment. ……..It’s now on my shopping list for Alexandra Palace on the 26th!

The image was stamped, coloured and embossed and then some of it was masked while I sponged and embossed the Sun and then the sky was breyered over the top of the whole thing.

Square Card Blank – Papermania
Plain Card - DCWV(Pastels Stack)
Rubber Stamp – Tanda –Fishing Set 1
Inks – Tsukineko Pigment Ink, Whispers Dye Based Ink, Ranger Distress Ink
Pens – Marvy Le Plume
Embossing Powder – Stamp ‘n’ Stuff (Clear)
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Labels 1)
Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Swirls)
Glitter Glue – Craft Planet (Iridescent Sparkle)
Clip – Making Memories (Cheeky Flat Clips)

Other Stuff
Ribbon
Large Brads

Navy Blue Card

Sunflowers

It’s a good job it’s not What's On Your Work Dest Wednesday today because for some reason unknown to me I suddenly decided it would be a good idea to rearrange all my card making paraphernalia and where I’ve just pulled everything out of my cupboard you can barely see my craft table.

Definitely a bit different from Wednesday!!

I’m expecting to take me a couple of days to get it straight again as I have to take my brother into hospital later this morning to have his other cataract sorted, so there’ll not be much progress today.

But I have the whole day tomorrow free, so I shall set to with a vengeance!

But that aside, what to day actually is, is the Daring Cardmakersdare day and its Rein’s turn to challenge us.

Rein would like to see lots of bright and cheerful Sunflowers on our card and right now poor Rein need a bit of cheering up. The poor love has had a bit of an accident and has badly bruised her face………hope you’re feeling better soon hun. (((hug)))

I’ve gone with a simple DL card turned on it’s side and then added the mounted image, which incidentally is from Rubber Stampede, so that it protrudes over the top edge.
I then added some tiny Brown seed beads to the centres of the Sunflowers and some sticky backed pearls to the paper to add some texture.


DL Card Blank – Craft Creations (Embossed Hammer)
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey (Perhaps)
Plain Card - DCWV (Pastels Stack)
Rubber Stamp – Rubber Stampede (Sunflower)
Inks – Tsukineko Staz-On (Brown)
Pencils – Prisma Color
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Large Scalloped Square)
Border Punch – Fiskars (Lace)
Chalks – Readicut Decorating Chalks
Pearls – Crystal Stickers
Greeting – Oh My Word (Birthday Wishes)

Other StuffRibbons
Brown Seed Beads
Paper Flowers

2S4Y # 34

After the shock of making my first Christmas card with last weeks sketch I’ve reverted back to making ‘normal’ cards. Mind you, I didn’t stop at just one Christmas card; I made Eight in all so I don’t feel quite so bad about leaving the rest for a week or two.

For this weeks sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You I decided to make an Anniversary card.

I must apologise for the poor quality of the photo but now the evenings are drawing in I’ve had to take this using the flash.

I've used a fab Digi Stamp from Lily Boo’s Boutique, which I’ve printed out four times and layered with 3D foam after colouring.

I then added some punched leaves to give it a bit more texture.

Plain Card - Craft Creations (Embossed Hammer)
Patterned Paper – Daisy Bucket (Perfect Harmony)
Digi Stamp – Lily Boo’s Boutique (Bird House on Tree)
Paper Punch – Martha Stewart Fond)
Ink –Ranger Distress Ink (Peeled Paint)
Pencils- Prisma Color Pencils
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Heart Blocks)
Gems – Papermania (Adhesive Stones)

Other BitsGreeting – Created in Photo Shop7

What’s On Your Work Desk Wednesday?

I hope you’re sitting down because I’ve actually remembered to take a photo for Julie's What’s On Your Work Desk Challenge today.

And it’s buy one get one free because I’ve taken two……..neither of which are very interesting, I might add but there’s two never the less.

As you can see my table is completely clear this morning except for the cloth that I hang up to take photos of my cards. I just catch the edges under my Tag ‘a’ Long tote on one side and the storage boxes on the other and drape it over three of my ribbon boxes to make a little platform and there you have it, an instant photograph studio! It works fine as long as the sun isn’t shining too brightly because when it is, I get nice lacy shadows from my net curtains.
Unfortunately I can show you the photos of the cards I was photographing because one is my card for the Daring Cardmakers Dare this coming Friday and the other three are for my brothers 60th birthday that’s coming up at the end of the month. He checks out my blog sometimes so I don’t want to chance putting then on here just in case he sees them.

The second photo was taken a few minutes after I’d finished taking the photos of the cards and this little monster was trying to let me know that I hadn’t been paying him enough attention this morning.


BoJangles is a Very High Maintenance cat and need to be made a fuss of at least three times an hour and be fed the same number of times if he had his way. Lol!

Bye for now and I’ll see you next Wednesday when I hope to have my birthday cake and cards on my work desk!