'Christmas in the heart'

Well here we are...Christmas Eve 2019

I hope you have all got prepared what you wanted...turkey ready for the oven. presents wrapped etc and above all ready to spend time with those you love and make memories.

Here is hubbys card.....

It's actually a shaker card...the heap of snow in the bottom right is tiny white beads (Creative Expressions :)  again!)
I used a sheet of backing paper with pale snowflakes and behind the die-cut scene I placed a layer of snowfall acetate. I admit (and that's not often) to loving this card. really pleased how it turned out. I think hubby likes it too! There was also of course the obligatory dusting of glamour dust!

Well all that is left is for me to wish each and everyone of you a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Thank you all for supporting my blog this year...you will never know what your friendship means to me.

Take care!

Crafty Christmas hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered:-  Winter Wonderland End of Year anything Christmas goes

stag and robin

I'm here again...my penultimate post...this time with the cards for my two sons.

Firstly the stag.....I love stags so I am always drawn to them and this stamp by Woodware was no exception.......

It's an 8 inch card base covered with mocha card (Creative Expressions) and then a layer of cream embossed in an A4 snowflake folder (Creative Expressions).

 I stamped the image in brown and coloured the background with distress inks (Fossilized Amber and Tumbled Glass) and then I shaded in the head of the stag with a toning alcohol marker.

 It was cut with Phill Martins double de-bossed inverted corner rectangles (that's a mouthful) and mounted on more mocha card cut with the next size up.....Sorry all that is probably pretty obvious to you all.

Finally some gold cord, a computer generated sentiment and some gold glamour dust in all the snowflakes.

It went down well!  :)

Secondly the one winging (or already wung) it's way across the pond. I hope it has got there along with the childrens cards....

This is a Hobbyart stamp which I coloured with alcohol markers...edged with distress ink (stormy sky) and layered on red for a pop of festive colour. I enjoyed colouring this and kept the whole thing flat for easy posting. Not at all relevant to the Christmas they will be having in sweltering heat and smoke from fires when the wind is in the wrong direction. I feel for all those fire fighters in Australia doing their best with all these fires that have raged since August.

We are pretty much ready for the big day here...she says smugly!.....what will I think of at the last minute! This year it is a quiet one for us...just the two of us and a visit to my mum Christmas Eve. Too much to drag her out on Christmas day at 99yrs old!

Thank you if you have stopped by to read this..and even better if you have let me know you have been...especially when it is such a busy time of year.

I will be back on Tuesday..yes Christmas Eve folks...not long now..with the card I have made for hubby...my final post before Christmas (phew I hear you say).

Till then...don't panic! It's only Christmas!.....and the nights are getting lighter now!!!

XXXX Carole 

Challenges entered :-  (oh this bit takes me forever)

Dream Valley Challenge #215...Christmas  (my stag-- third entry)

Addicted to Stamps #180 Cold and frosty  (robin -- 3rd entry)

Stamping Sensations -Dec Anything goes    (stag -3rd entry)

Allsorts Challenge #551/2  Anything goes  (stag entry-1) 

Snippets Playground #368  use snippets  -- my stag base and tag were left over from an a4 sheetso hope that counts   (stag)

Santa and a Snowman

Hello!.....back again, I know AWOL for so long and then I bombard/surprise you with all my creativity..lol! Guess I'm a bit like a bus...no references there please!!

This time I am whizzing in with the cards that I have sent to Australia for the grandchildren.....

So first up is Santa for Chloe....

This is a tonic verso die and a sledge die that I found in my stash. A bit of paper piecing here for Santa, a snowy embossing folder and sentiments also from stash. lashings of glitter (glamour dust), a bit of coloring on the parcels with alcohol markers and the grand daughter tag is from LOTV.

Next is a snowman for Thomas.....I am hoping that he will know what a snowman is but of course he will never have seen one!...

This is a Crafters Companion stamp and die that allows you to cut one edge (either left or right) or both together for a full topper. I chose one edge as you can see and lines the inside with snowflake paper...that you can't see because I forgot to photograph it!!!

The sentiment is a very old one from my stash and sad to say when I stamped it it began to disintegrate! ...so i am now on the lookout for a replacement as I love the words. If anyone knows where I might get that saying i would love it if you could let me know please.

So those are today's offerings. Thank you for popping by in what is a busy schedule for most people....so very much appreciated as you know.

I am adding these offerings to a few challenges...the challenge for me is uploading them etc..lol!

I'll hopefully see you again before the big day..take care and stay warm and well.

TTFN
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-

Dream Valley Challenge #215..... Christmas.....Santa entry 2

Happy Little stampers -December - Anything goes with dies.......Santa entry 2

Addicted to stamps #180 -cold and frosty....snowman entry 2

Sweet Stampin - Christmas......snowman entry 2

Stamping Sensations -December - Anything goes...snowman entry 2

'Gnome' for Christmas

Well I can't believe it is so long since I last posted!...where has December gone? Life has just got in the way again...Christmas plans and card making plus all the usual boring and not so nice bits of life...but here I am at last......
                                              with my gnomes......

A very pale inked background and the stamps...two linked together by Chocolate Baroque colored with Copics and a few snowflakes dotted around with a white pen (hard to see in the photo).

Entering this in a few challenges  below since I have been away from play for so long!

Butterfly Challenge #133 X for guess who...gnomes

Dream Valley Challenge #215 - Christmas

Addicted to stamps #180 - Cold and frosty

Sweet Stampin - Christmas

Stamping Sensations - December - Anything goes

So are you all ready for the big day? All those cards made, pressies wrapped etc? I hope so ad I hope you are all keeping away from the nasty bugs that circulate at this time. It may be the season for giving ..but not those beasties.

Here is another Gnome card from card club...I know double post eh! This one is hiding...can you make him out on the back of the reindeer! His green hat looks a bit like a Christmas tree!

That's it for now folks but I will be back with more cards to share very soon.
Enjoy the rest of the week and get all that last minute shopping done.

Love Carole xx

'Chase your Dreams'

Hello friends!.....just a quick post tonight before I head off to watch Strictly!...getting difficult to judge who may go home now!

First I must say welcome to my latest follower June . I hope you will keep popping by June and like what you see.

Yesterday was Becky's birthday ( my eldest sons' partner). She is a keen horsewoman and has had a recent career change so I chose these images from Inkylicious for her card.




The background is also an Inkylicious stamp inked with distress oxides and spritzed, then stamped. I did a lot of these before I got it right!!...most saw the inside of the bin!

December 25th?....how many days?

Hello everyone!

How did we rush into November? .....hurtling full pelt towards.......

Are you ready? I've still a bit to go and the less I have to do the more I find to do! Does that ring a bell with anyone?  We don't have much shopping to do but it so gets harder every year thinking what to buy people. Ask the family what they might like and it's either money, or in the case of older parents...don't bother! How I wish the kids were little again (only sometimes) or that the Grandchildren were nearer...the thrill at seeing childrens' faces as they open their presents...that's Christmas!...and the pleasure of giving.

My card consists of backing paper from a recent pad I bought from Hobbycraft (I think). I know I have enough paper but the designs are small on this one. (my excuse anyway). The dies used are all Tim Holtz by Sizzix...the wreath and bow die is from one set and the numbers and circles from another.

I hope everyone is well and safe from either fires or in the UK floods. These terrible things always seem to happen around Christmas time which intensifies the impact that they have on the poor people affected by such.

Wishing you all a good week, and many thanks for your time popping by my blog and I do hope you leave me a comment to let me know you have been. Thank you if you do.... I read them all ....and it reminds me what lovely friends bloggers are.

TTFN
Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered:-

Pixies Snippets playground # 365   .............all die cuts cut from those left over little bits.

ABC Christmas Challenge (NOV).........Wreath

Double debossing

Hi friends...NO, double debossing does not mean double bossing de husband about...lol...though he may beg to differ on that one. (He's decorating the spare room at the moment).
It actually relates to the base layering dies I have used on the card below. These are from Phil Martin and I think they are very classy...so more on my birthday wish list (hope hubby reads this).

Self explanatory but as the stag (magazine freebie) was cut from gold packaging (doing my bit for re-cycling) and everything else cut from left over scraps too I shall head to the Playground this week...where it's half term so no teachers to tell us off! It will be so good to catch up with mates that I haven't seen in a while for one reason or another.

Well I can't believe it is 2 weeks since I posted, nor that Halloween is rearing it's head this week (shudder...not a fan really) and shudder again because it has turned so cold here (thermals almost edging out the drawer)...and to make matters worse the clocks have gone back and it is dark by 5.0pm.! Roll on spring!...though it is a good time to cosy up and craft. I have knitting, cross stitching and cards on the go...and the fruit is soaking for a Christmas cake (late this year), so plenty to keep me busy!

I do hope you are all keeping well and free of bugs...I'm thinking(being the operative word here) about a flu jab but always hear so many people say they are ill afterwards ..so indecisive about it at the moment. Have you had yours?

Thank you so much for stopping by and thank you to those who regularly leave me some love in the form of a comment. I do love to read them and they keep me going. I do visit all your blogs to see  your wonderful creations and I am blown away by the artistry out there...you are such a talented bunch. Big hugs to you all.

So HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all of you celebrating it, wherever you are and hopefully I will be back again soon.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx


Challenges entered :-

Pixie's snippets Playground Challenge #364.......stag, sentiment and mats from snippets

October Rudolph Days Challenge.......................Anything goes

Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #59 .............Anything goes

Happy Birthday Son!

Hello friends...so glad you stopped by....Thank You.

Today is my youngest sons birthday...the one who lives in Brisbane, so today he is in my thoughts more than ever. It seems like yesterday that he was at high school...then graduating from Uni...and then moving to London with work and for a girlfriend...  getting married.....having a baby...and then moving to the other side of the world! Where did those precious years go? It all makes me feel old I have to say!...and they now have another baby. I miss them so much.

Anyway here is my very simple in design but not as simple to execute to my perfection standard..lol.

The stamp is just the one word SON..inked and repeated in rows in the two different shades of blue and double embossed lines either side. Topped off with the stars and sentiment. See told it was simple! (but fiddly)...He is worth it.

Filled with lots of love...I hope he celebrates a wonderful day.

So halfway through October, Autumn is here with a vengeance. Too much rain here in West Yorkshire...we never seem to go a day without some. The nights are drawing in and we alter the clocks in a couple of weeks so it will be dark by 4.0pm...time to hibernate...hopefully to the craft room..and think of Spring!

I hope you have a good week whatever it holds for you.. Thank you to those dear blogging friends who take the time to leave me a comment when they visit...they really are appreciated so very much.  I love seeing all your wonderful creations and get card envy so much as you are all so talented...some really clever people out there!

So till next time, stay well and happy and thanks for popping by.
Love
Carole xx

Birthday Greetings x 6 !

Well hello blogging friends..I am back as promised. This time I have some more shares from card class. For those that ask it is a monthly class and we make 6 cards in two sessions of three. Always something different and the chance to use stamps/dies that otherwise you may not choose to.

So straight in....a tag card with a  liberal amount of winking!!..

..........a bit of decoupage here....

this uses the inside of the centre cut in the card above....

 Oxide inks and the words are die cut from card swiped with the same oxide colours used in the background...The black square is drawn on with a fine liner but looks 3d.

Gemini dies on this one...not sure about the flower...

 and this one is created from a Hobbyart scene it set that contains the castle, hills etc which I used in a previous card.

and there we have it.!

I hope your week is going well. Here in West Yorkshire we are fed up with the rain! The days are so dark and depressing and it is so hard to get motivated.
I have been in the craft room but mainly trying to find a home for things (freebies from magazines)
....this sorting out lark takes time, especially when one has so much stuff!! but I am pleased to say that all my ink pads are nicely labelled now and I can see what I have!

Thank you so much for stopping by and extra thanks to those that leave me a comment and let me know they have been. Your comments are what keep me blogging as sadly it seems rapidly to be going out of fashion....blogging that is. I wonder if some peoples feeds have disappeared from blogger as I know that on the odd occasion I miss an odd post from someone for that reason.

I went to Port Sunlight on Saturday......always a good show and though there was nothing I wanted or needed, it as along way to go and not buy a few bits. Mainly stamps from Uniko and Inkylicious this time. It didn't seem as busy as last time we went in the Spring so it was easier to get to see the stands.

Enjoy the rest of your week.....I won't wish it away as we will soon be half way through October!!!

Take care everyone and keep well.
Love Carole xx

Merry Christmas! x 5

Well hello everyone!

How are you all?..well I hope.
Feeling the change in the weather here in the UK that's for sure..heating on and winter duvet!

 I can't believe we are into October! So I thought I had better get cracking with a few batch Christmas cards.

I used a die that I bought in 'The Works', some small base cards and some oddments of other card, mostly glitter. Here they are in no particular order and oh so difficult to photograph!

This first one was liberally sprinkled with Glamour dust on plain white card.......

Silver glitter card on this next one...encapsulated.... and I found it hard to die cut even on the Gemini! The true sparkle does not show unfortunately.

Silver mirri card though it does look a bit gold on this picture.....

A red and gold combi glitter paper.....

and lastly bronze glitter card on pearlescent chocolate card......

So 5 cards to add to the box and very quick to do once I had decided on the colour combos. Which is your favourite?

It's a sunny day here today but cold, but still a welcome change from all the rain we have had lately. Autumn is really here and I have to say I am DEFINITELY not a winter person with dark days and long nights.

I will catch up again soon with some more festive makes from my monthly trip to card club/class.

Someday I will hopefully find the time to play with some inks and try some more background techniques but at present it's got to be quick and easy so I am not at the last minute come December! (because I have left it till now to start maybe)

Take care everyone and have a good rest of the week and weekend.
Love Carole xx

Seaside to garden.

Hi Friends!

I hope this finds you all well and enjoying some sunshine wherever you live.
Here in the UK late summer is upon us already (where has this year gone?) but today we are enjoying some lovely sunshine. It's a bit breezy and the days are getting cooler and shorter!

Here are a few more card club/class/group (call it what you will) cards for you to catch up on. I am very productive in class but sadly not so at home!

First up one to remind you of summer holidays....

and the inside....

Stamps from Hobbyart.

Visited any castles lately?...

and there are still plenty of these flying around my garden, (not castles..butterflies) though not as flamboyant and unusual as this one.....

and to save you standing on your head..the definition reads :- " A kind heart is the definition of true beauty "

Next up a peony easel card....

and lastly a tag card....

A bit of fussy cutting involved in that one! Pink and purple seemed to be the theme on the last two!

That's it for today..time to think about what to have for dinner!....isn't it a chore thinking what to eat?

Take care everyone and enjoy your weekend..nothing special planned here, might make it in to the craft room to craft!..but then if the sun is shining I must make the most of it!

Crafty hugs to all my lovely blogging buddies..thanks for stopping by.
Love Carole xx

'Thanks'

Hi friends
Thanks for reading my last post and again Thanks to those of you kind enough to leave a comment.
I don't do Facebook and persuing a complaint of any sort would cost more than the original purchase...so hope fully one day 'Jack' will get his just deserts...we have moved on! but will be reminded of his rudeness every time we use the parasol!...which at present is back in the garage because of all the wind and rain we have had. My guess that's it till 2020 now!...2020 eek!!

So back to what this blog is really about..crafting.

My cards are pretty plain and straight forward but reflect the title of this post. Made a while back with Crafters Companion dies (no I don't have shares in them..lol..but it sure feels like I do the amount I seem to spend on their products, though not as much of late since their move back to C&C )

So to each and everyone of you ...

for being a blogging buddy...

for stopping by today...and

  for leaving me love.

These were made with male recipients in mind (no not for all my toy boys!..as if I would need 3!)..but would look good in other colours and even with glitter card behind.

Well tomorrow signifies the end of yet another week. I can't believe where this year has gone and this past few months has been a roller coaster for me one way and another. Hopefully now I am back on the level and can get back to some creating again.

Till next time

I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Take care.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Bad customer service!...please read

Hi Friends...sorry this post is not craft related but I have to get this out there..read on

Recently my husband had cause to complain to a company Glencrest Seatex Ltd (www.glencrestseatex.co.uk) about a new garden parasol we purchased last summer. It had faded in stripes after only 8 months of use..(was apparently UV 6 grade material and most are UV grade 4) and marked fade resistant on the box.

For 6 months of its life it was back in the box in the garage (winter). It is 14 months old now with only a guarantee of 12 months...and it cost £69 which wasn't cheap. 2.5metres in size with a wind up mechanism not a light product to handle either. While we would expect any parasol to fade after 3 to 4 years use..8 months does not seem acceptable.

Hubby sent an email to Customer Services of the company....he received a statuary it is out of guarantee reply.

He emailed them again expressing his disappointment in their products and asking some questions and this time the CEO of the company replied....a Jack Whiteley requesting photos of the parasol.

Hubby emailed copies of the photos he had submitted with his first e-mail..and waited.

After a week there was no reply so he chased Mr Whiteley up who argued that the parasol had been left out 24/7 and should be put away when not being used...which we had done in the winter.

Hubby replied again, once again expressing his disappointment and asking for answers to his questions.

AND HERE IS THE REPLY HE RECEIVED......

I feel sorry for people like you with nothing to do all day but complain. I already told you I have a big problem with one of my family but your more interested in your parasol.

What a waste of space you are!

Ok I am pleased you will not be buying any more products from us so you can buy another companies and complain to them. You have a nice day Mr. Dixon someone must love you.

So if you encounter a make in a garden centre anyway that has 'STURDI' written on the label as the make...BEWARE. This is the sort of company that you are dealing with.
I feel sorry for his employees if he speaks to customers that way!

His company is not a member of any of the trade bodies that would enable us to complain to them...more about his abusive email than the parasol!...and the costs of pursuing our complaint would be more costly than a new parasol. So sadly we have no recourse!

What sort of company has a CEO in charge that behaves like that? !!

I just had to share this with you all..particularly anyone in the UK who reads my blog.

Thanks for reading..all comments welcome.

Carole

Anniversary time again!

Hi Friends..I am here at last. Where does the time go? Once again life has got in the way in it's various guises and here we are hurtled in to the middle of August!...a VERY wet and windy August here in the UK I hasten to add.

It's another Anniversary card..not for us this time and THANK YOU all for your good wishes on hubby's and mine Anniversary last month. We hit the heatwave in LLandudno (Wales) for a few days....extremely lucky with the weather!

and the inside..

Apologies for the shadows in the photos.

This was made with a Crafters Companion stamp and outline die set. I embossed the image with WOW champagne sparkling powder, coloured with copics and added a touch of Glamour dust to the bubbles for a bit more bling. I used some pale peach card to line the inside of the card so that it shows on the edge when the card is closed. The sentiments are from my stash, stamped and embossed in the same twinkling powder.

Whatever you are doing this weekend I hope you enjoy it. See you around folks...hopefully not too long till next time!
Take care
Crafty hugs and love
Carole xx

mojo returned

Hi friends!
Yes mojo returned...eventually...I think it was held up in customs!...lol

Here is the card that I eventually made for hubby for our Anniversary today.

I used Crafters Companion Sara Signature...Parisiene for the dies (we honeymooned in Paris!) and the sentiment was cut and stamped with a Clearly besotted set...sadly I think it is now discontinued. The background paper is actually a very pale green but it doesn't show due to the poor light and probably because I used grey for my silhouettes.

I hope you are all well and Thank you so much for popping by my little blog world. Your visits are very much appreciated, as you know, and I understand how time is so precious to everyone.

Till inspiration and time favour me once more...have a good week and I will see you soon!

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

More from card class

Hello everyone! how are you...good I hope. Well we are in to July, the year is whizzing past as always and I see a lot of Christmas out there in blogland. Not so here I am afraid. Production of any type has dried up here and I am struggling for inspiration for an Anniversary card for hubby at the moment.

In view of my lack of crafting I have to fall back on those cards made at class ...a while ago now but better to show than nothing at all.

Here goes :

Flat to show the border

Hope you like them...how I wish I was there right now to motivate me!
Hard to pick a favourite isn't it as they are all so different.

OK folks, have a good rest of the week, be safe and be happy!
Catch you all again soon. Thanks so much for popping in on me, as always any comments you leave are so much appreciated.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Flowers, sunshine and Cannabis anyone?

Hello friends!...is the sun shining where you are?

 After a weeks break in Zante I am back home and in full flow with the washing...and ironing now that the sun is shining. I did pack it for my return home (the sun ..well I guess the ironing too before it was washed...lol) but it was held up in customs...it finally arrived here in West Yorkshire yesterday...phew, I'd had enough paddling in all the rain....at least the plants have had plenty to drink!

A few cards from card class as obviously I have not been crafting much of late. Life has certainly got in the way of things this last couple of months. beginning to see the daylight but still a couple of woody bits to get through first.

Here goes...grab that drink.......warning lots of pics this time around...

 1st up...Woodware stamp for the flowers and the background is a stamp inked with Distress oxides and spritzed with water before stamping.

This one is a heartfelt creations stamp and die...sorry don't know the name.

 I think this one may be Woodware and I think the background die cut is an old Spellbinders one... I love it!

and this is a mixture...the tag, bubbles mad flowers all different.

and now to the view from our balcony last week.....

and of course there had to be a bit of shopping in Zante town!...only joking of course! Notice the sign is in English!

Are you still with me?

OK well it's time to hit the hay here...pushing midnight so just time for me to say a BIG Thank you for popping in and for all the love you kind people leave me...always so very much appreciated.

I have been popping round blogland to see all your wonderful creations...you really are a talented bunch and I am honoured (and lucky too) to be able to consider you all my friends.

Stay happy, safe and well till next time.
Hugs
Carole xx