Tuesday 29 December 2020

'Wobbler'

 Hello Friends......so Christmas 2020 is under the belt so to speak and I dare say a lot of us have had 'wobblers ' this year...but this is a wobbler card....the tree wobbles!...




a sideways view so you can see it is not flat.....



I've had this idea in my head for a few says...a long time since that happened for me so I thought I would grab the bull by the horns..or the mojo while it presented itself......and give it a go.

The trees are stenciled with a new Uniko stencil, using Pine Needles and Festive Berries distress ink. The wobbler tree was done again on another scrap of card and glued to another piece of card for stability, and cut out.

Try as I might I could not find my wobbler springs, but I am sure I will come across them one day when I don't require them............. Note to self...do not put things in safe places.  Anyway I made a paper one with a couple of strips of 1/4 inch paper folded and glued to the back of my tree and the middle tree on the card....and it wobbles !!

Seasons greetings is a Uniko stamp...Simply Said Blocks Christmas.

As everything I used are scraps except the base card I am whizzing to the playground...well walking gingerly so I don't slip on the ice...hope no-one has made ice slides in the playground!

Thank you for stopping by ...its good to be in touch, your visits and kind words have touched me these past few weeks...and kept me going....so Thank You from the bottom of my heart...mwah. Thank you for being such wonderful cyber friends. 

I'll raise a glass to 2021 but not saying 'happy'...(look where that got us this year)...just 'better'...a better 2021.

Stay safe everyone.....just one more hurdle hopefully and the finishing post (vaccine) down the track.

Crafty love and hugs

Carole xx


Challenges entered:-

Pixie's Snippets Playground # 393.................all snippets, large and small bar the base card.

Uniko Christmas party 2020..........................use Uniko products

Thursday 24 December 2020

Seasonal Greetings


I just want to wish my friends and followers and anyone who stops by my blog

the best  CHRISTMAS you can have and a NEW YEAR

that promises to be better than this one has been.





 

  Thank you all so much for your lovely comments and your support this year...it means such a lot and is the reason that I continue to write my blog.

I wish you all as good a celebration as you can...above all stay safe and well...that vaccine is round the corner.

Catch you on the other side.

Crafty hugs and love

Carole xx







Saturday 12 December 2020

Santa Claus is coming to town

 Hi Friends! 

Good to see you..thank you for stopping by and sorry I cant invite you in for a drink...but that's the rules! Grab a cuppa/tipple though it's quite a long post!

I thought it was time to share a couple of Christmas cards with you seeing it's only 2 weeks away....Christmas that is! These are for my grandchildren over in Australia and I know they have arrived.

First up for Thomas.......


and just so you can see behind the fold...go on have a peep.....



Background papers and sentiments were from my stash...papers that came free with a magazine at sometime. The Santa and sleigh are a Crafters Companion set cut with the matching dies and coloured with Copic pens, and the white glittered trees are unbranded dies from Amazon.

Next up is Chloes' card which I admit to having cased from a sample I saw on the telly. I don't know who made the sample but thank you for the idea as my creativity is not at it's best.


'Peek a Boo' characters this time, yes you guessed it...Crafters Companion..again! I cut both the back and front of these characters (forgot to photograph the back), coloured again with Copic pens and then stuck them together but left a little room for the overlap at the front so they would look like they are peeping over the card. I added a few extras from other stash to personalise the card and the backing papers are very old from stash that have survived every cull of papers...lol!

I coloured the Santa as before. It is cut with the card but I cut a second one, snipped it away, and stuck it to the back (also coloured) to stabilise it a bit.

That's probably all the Christmas you will get out of me this year I am afraid...but maybe next year (I say this every year) I will start in January om the making front. Hopefully Santa will bring back my mojo from wherever it is hiding.

Are you still with me? I hope you can understand all that!

Enjoy what is left of your weekend folks...stay safe and well and see you soon.

Crafty hugs

Carole xx





Tuesday 1 December 2020

50th Birthday Wishes

 Hi friends! 

I am not mentioning either of the C words (Christmas/Covid in case you didn't know) I am just popping in with a 50th card I made for someone special........ 


Made with love from Crafters Companion stamps and dies (not sure on the origin of the Happy Birthday) and paper from an old LOTV pad....which I love.

The flowers were coloured with Copics and glittered with a clear glitter pen though you cannot see it very well in the photograph, and the balloons were stamped in wilted violet distress oxide ink and then glazed with clear embossing powder a couple of times.

I think I will pop over to the playground and see if anyone is there! as all the flowers and sentiment were made from snippets.

I hope you are all having a good week and are keeping well.

Thank you so much for stopping by, your visits cheer me no end.....take care and see you soon.

Love Carole xx


Challenges entered:-

Snippets Playground #391----------(all the flowers and sentiment from snippets)


Friday 20 November 2020

Anniversary Wishes

Hi friends!

 I've made it back with a card for my 'bestie' who celebrated her Wedding Anniversary yesterday....so now I can share it with you.


The stamp is Crafters Companion....coloured with copics and stamped twice opposite each other and the band was put across to hide the join as it were. 

The sentiment is a very old wooden one of unknown make. It was the only one I could find that I was happy with. I thought I had just the perfect one in mind, until I found I didn't appear to have it!!...lol. I must have dreamt that I did!

I hope you are all safe and well wherever you are and I thank you so much for all the lovely comments you have left me recently. I really appreciate them as you know.

Thanks for stopping by. Take care until next time I see you and have a good weekend.

Love Carole  xx


Tuesday 10 November 2020

Happy news!

 Hi everyone.....I've decided to share a card that I made a couple of weeks ago, not a lot of mojo and I am still unsure about it...but here it is....


My eldest son and partner were the recipients of this...a bit of happy news amid all the rubbish news of late.

I think it is all the white that puts me off...though I do like CAS cards and when other people do them they always look so good.

I think it is a memory box die..one I have had for ages....it cuts the outline and then all the bits fall out...hence the paper piecing. I threw in a few sequins to try to add some sparkle and used one of the new sentiments from Crafters Companion.

As I have used snippets for all but the base card I am going to visit the Playground and see if there is anyone left that I know...might make some new friends too!....that all depends of course if I can do the linky it is that long since I joined in...and new blogger to add to the mix too! I might still be here at midnight trying to sort it!..lol

Thank you for popping by and always many thanks for your lovely comments. Take care my friends...hope is on the horizon with this vaccine....but until it is freely available be sure to follow those guidelines and stay safe and well.

Love Carole xx

Challenge entered:-

Pixies Snippets Playground ~390................all snippets bar the base card.

Saturday 24 October 2020

Tower Bridge

 Here I am at last with a card to share. I have to say I struggled with this and several attempts saw the bin.

I really can't take credit for the design as it is a CASE of one Jenny Mayes (HobbyArt) did on the telly that prompted me to buy the stamp. She made it look so easy!

It was to post to Australia for my sons birthday and fortunately it only took 3 weeks to arrive...the day before his birthday. So much better than Chloes' card that took 3 months to get there!

So now I can share with you......this lovely stamp reminded me so much of a wonderful day we spent in London with them before they emigrated. We visited Tower Bridge...did the tourist bit of it...yes glass floor as well!...eek! and when we came out we were greeted with the bridge opening...bonus!



A pretty poor attempt at a bit of watercoloring but the best of a bad lot!..lol

Thank you so much for all the kind comments you have left me on my last post. It cheers me to think of the wonderful friends that I have in blogland....such a lovely lot you are.

I do hope you are managing to stay well and safe as this wretched year hurtles past us. Lets hope 2021 heralds the hope of better things to come.

Till next time...take care everyone.

Love Carole xx

Friday 2 October 2020

'Get well' with a difference!

 Hello blogging friends! I hope you are all keeping well and staying safe.

No new crafting here yet...but....

I'm back with a card that I made before lockdown...but never blogged because it was for a friend having a joint replacement operation, which of course was cancelled because of Covid. However she has just had the said operation and so now she has at last received her card and I can share it with you.

Knitting is her hobby...here is her card......



The die is Crafters Companion...the rest, I am sorry I can't remember but I am sure the card is pretty much self explanatory and the sentiment is computer generated.

It may be a while before you see me again, some of you will know the reason for my long absence from blogland, but for those of you who don't and are wondering then please read on......

Sadly at the end of June my dear hubby, best friend and soulmate passed away, just 3 weeks after being given a terminal cancer diagnosis. We had no idea he was ill before then so it was a big shock and now I have to rebuild my life without him in it. He retired just  a year ago and we had plans to do so much together although Covid had already put a stop to that this year anyway.

 I am sure you can understand why my crafting mojo has gone awol...I hope it will return soon, but till it does I am blessed to have wonderful blogging friends to help and inspire me. 

Till next time, please take care, keep safe and well in this turbulent time .

Thank you and big hugs to you all.

Carole xx

Thursday 11 June 2020

100 years

Hi everyone!

Better late than never! Last Sunday was my mums 100th Birthday.. Not quite the celebration it should have been. Covid has certainly spoiled a lot of thing for a lot of people this year.

As promised here is the card that I made for her.......

(Photo heavy...best get a cuppa...)

First up the box to put it in.....



and then the card....8" square with front folded back ad a 6" card inside folded the opposite way.



Co-ordinating papers from a Nitwits pad LOTV I think! and the border edging is an age old border punch! ...remember them? Sentiment dies are Crafters Companion and the corner pearls are Creative Expressions. Sorry not very clear in the photos.






and finally both together.


It was hard not being able to see her on her birthday and give her a hug...typical that the weather changed a couple of days before after all the glorious sunshine.

A little bit different for me...and if I am honest I am not sure about it even now. I think I have got used to the more CAS look. 

Crafting has taken a back seat in the Dixon household just now, with life having taken a big change for us, and things to deal with...so if I am absent for a while, I haven't forgotten you all and will still be peeking at your creations but probably not leaving you the love you deserve in the form of a comment....forgive me please and be sure I will surface again at some point.

Till then...thank you for stopping by...and stay safe and well in this strange world.
Crafty hugs
Love Carole xx

Monday 1 June 2020

A kit and blogger experiment!

Hi Everyone!

Well here we are at the beginning of June and the easing of Lockdown!...I for one will still be carrying on the same and not venturing out more than is necessary. This rapid release worries me I have to say.

Thank you to those of you that left such lovely comments regarding the album I did for my son...when I found your comments that is...they were not coming through on the email to alert me. As blogger is once again messing with our heads I am giving this post a go on the new blogger....here goes....

Three quick cards made with a kit I have had for ages and decided it was time to at least use part of it....nothing special in the creation.....

One in pink....



In blue....




and green.....(just showing off now!..lol ) I have also changed font size to large for those who are interested....or struggle to read small print. Let me know what you think about it.




I think they are an ages old Kanban kit.

I normally wouldn't have blogged these but as I have nothing new that I can share with you yet then I though I would experiment with posting these!......so far so good!

I think I will leave linking for another time...lol! I always struggle with that and I wouldn't enter any challenges with these.

Apologies for not being around much...I have been making the most of the nice weather!

Thanks for popping in...stay well..stay safe..and see you again soon. :)

Love Carole xx


Wednesday 6 May 2020

This is your Life!


Hi everyone I'm back. It's been awhile since my last post but I have been busy in the craft room...honest!

Actually I have created my first ever scrapbook....drum roll please! I am proud to say that I used loads of snippets...BUT...made several more in the process as well..lol!

Monday saw my eldest son turn the big 40!.....so mum here thought what a good idea to do him a scrapbook of his 40 years...so here are a few pictures of my efforts....photo heavy.









I used a Hobbycraft scrapbook with 40 pages but the ring binder was not big enough for it all , so I and rebound it with the Zutter and hubby's help.


here you can see how thick it was!


I was very happy with all my efforts and pleased to say that so was Andrew, who said it brought tears to his eyes.
I was just disappointed that I couldn't actually see him open it and give him a big hug.and kiss.

So that's why I have been missing folks!

For those of you who read about Zog in my previous post...... I am sad to say he has still not arrived in Australia...we wait to see if he arrives before her next birthday or has just gone missing.!

I hope you are all staying safe and well  and thank you for your visit which is so much appreciated as you know.

Till next time

Crafty hugs and love to you all

Carole xxxx

Monday 27 April 2020

Zog...lost on route to Oz!

Hello! Sorry to have been a bad blogger but sunshine and something else creative (under wraps just yet) have been taking precedence here....honest.

Well today I want to share  my card for our Grandaughters 2nd Birthday. It winged its way to Australia on March 23rd.....sad to say it still has not arrived. :(



Chloe is apparently into Zog..a Julia Donaldson creation (she did the gruffalo for those of you that dont  know .

I took my free images from the internet...for personal use only I might add....no profit.




All a bit academic really but I thought I would share it with you. I did some distress inkink on the card and the sentiment inside was done in publisher.

Thank you for popping in, I love your visits...the only sort I get at the moment....lol

I hope you are all staying safe well and not too fed up yet with the lockdown...seems like we still have a bit to go though it seems some people already think differently!

Till next time I must go and press on with my creation as i only have a week left to complete...quite a challenge I have to say...but only because I left it a bit late to start!

Crafty hugs
Carole xx




Sunday 19 April 2020

Thankful thoughts.

Well I have been a bad blogger of late, but just not been in the mindset to craft somehow and have been making the most of this lovely April sunshine.

However a kind blogging buddy sent me some card to trial in my printer...so...I printed off a digi image twice and got to work colouring and thus making a couple  of cards. The card is super smooth very white and went through the printer very easily. Also no smudging with the copics and the printer ink, though I left them to dry overnight before colouring.

Here they are..............first in pink...



and then in yellow.....



I softened the white card around the image with distress oxides in worn lipstick and squeezed lemonade.
The image I believe is s Uniko freeby digi with a magazine ages ago.


I do hope you are all keeping well and staying safe in these difficult times...thank you to all of those whose blogs I have visited that manage to give us inspiration and a crafty fix when some of us are lacking.

Thanks for stopping by today...I wish you all a good and productive week whatever you find to do to keep positive. I appreciate you all, am 'thinking of you' and 'thank you'.

Crafty hugs and well wishes
Love Carole xx


Wednesday 1 April 2020

'Happy April Fool'

Happy April Fool!....can you say that? well I've said it.

Who thought that when we all said Happy New Year 3 months ago this is where we would be today! ...but.....life is full of challenges..(.plenty in blogland too..lol) and we all moan that time passes quickly so I am looking forward to the day when I can say...Do you remember when?

I have to admit to having a distinct lack of motivation at present on the crafting front . I have made one or two cards well in advance this year so I wasn't at the last minute...I know by now I should have reached the end of next year with my planned cards but ...I haven't!...and thus having planed I would have more time to play.....that hasn't worked either......life threw us all the same challenge didn't it! ...which we are all facing and attacking in different ways as we do when we make cards for a challenge...we all interpret and create differently...but the end result meets the same challenge. So we will all meet this world challenge and get through it...so stay safe and well...and then we can ALL say 'Do you remember when?'...in due course.

OK sermon over and if you haven't switched off...(like you do with the news after a while.) I have a card to share that has now been received and appreciated.......


It's a Studio light stamp..a collage effect so the work is all done for the stamped background...it's called Stand Tall...can you guess why?
 The inking was done with distress inks but I never think to make a note of the colours I use till it's too late...sorry. I stamped it twice so I could fussy cut the flower...colouring only the stem and leaves and layering over the top, and added the Happy Birthday sentiment from Uniko.

I guess you have spent enough time reading my ramblings so till next time the message as always is stay safe and well...and be kind to yourself and each other.....

Thanks for stopping by and the comments you all so kindly leave.

Love and lots of crafty hugs
Carole xx

P.S. Mum loved her card which I actually took a week early (glad I did now) and was more taken with the butterfly than anything else!


Thursday 12 March 2020

Mum in a Million

Hi everyone.....here I am with a  Mothers day card destined for my mum of course. She doesn't view my blog so no chance of spoiling it for her!


This is a 7 inch square. I cut a heart aperture (Spellbinders) in a white piece of card that was then cut with a triple embossed square (Phil Martin) and layered over another piece of card that I stamped with the script stamp. The whole panel is mounted on 3D foam on my base card.

The peony stamp is from a Crafters Companion set and I stamped on to watercolour card and coloured with my watercolour pens, and then fussy cut the image and mounted it on 3D pads.

The butterfly again is Crafters Companion but cut in vellum and colored with the same colours as the flower. It was then liberally sprinkled with glamour dust to make it sparkle and some pearls for its body.

The sentiments are computer generated and after great deliberation were finally placed flat on the card but edged with a black pen for a bit of contrast.

and the inside.....


The bud stamp is from the same stamp set as the main flower, coloured very pale with the same two colours  and the verse is computer generated.

Well the sun is shining here at present but boy is it windy...battering the daffodils and tulips that are fighting to declare Spring. Hubby is desperate to get in the garden but it is still so wet from all the rain of late.

Thank you to those of you who left me comments on my last post...so very much appreciated as our time is precious, and Thank you if you are reading this, the same applies, I appreciate the time you give to my humble ramblings.

Stay safe and well everyone and have a good weekend..it's almost  here.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-

Crafty Girls Corner #204-------------Add a heart

Stamping Sensations------------------Spring Florals (hope the peony counts)

Creative Inspirations ------------------Pretty pastels

Simon Says------------------------------Use some green

Thursday 5 March 2020

Hats , Flowers and Pigs!

Hi everyone..whizzing in with a quick post to show you the makes from card group last month.

After a 3 month break it was a bit hard to get back in to the swing of it all...I think people wanted to catch up really.......... however little time for chat, there was a lot to do and most of us...no probably all of us brought homework away with us.

Here's mine after a few finishing tweaks.......

No idea who's make of stamp this is...but coloured with copics and a bit of decoupage on the hat.


Polka Doodles flowers on this one.....



and it opens at the top.


I think these flowers are Honey Doo......


This is a Pink Ink stamp and sentiment ..don't we all believe we could?



and lastly more Polka doodles flowers.....


a lot of colouring involved as you can see...kept us all busy and ..quiet!!

I hope you are all keeping safe and well from fires, tornadoes, floods and viruses.....and anything else that threatens to make us suffer.

Still sorting here...the loft mainly...and still falling over stuff in the craft room...lol! How does one accumulate SO MUCH stuff?

Keep positive everyone...I am off to the hospital for neck injections today so crafting will be off limits for a couple of days but see you soon with my Mothers Day card for mum.

Take care everyone....smile ...we alter the clocks at the end of the month in the UK.. :)
Happy crafting

Love Carole xx

Monday 24 February 2020

'Love'

All you need is love!!..and a bit of sunshine...oh and no gales! ...shall I go on? OK then I'll show you my card instead.......



Well actually all you need is 'love ' from Uniko and a heart die from 'The Works', card and a fine liner pen and away you go!
It was a bit fiddly paper piecing all those red hearts I have to say!

I will dedicate this card to all you lovely people who spare the time to stop by my blog, and especially those who leave me 'love' in the form of a comment. Your time and 'love' is so very much appreciated. Mwah

I hope this finds you all safe from floods, gales and anything else life and this world may throw at you...and fit and well too. If you are under the weather or having problems I hope you soon feel better. 

As I have said before the days are whippng past us again too quickly  BUT ...take heart the days are getting longer..(here in the UK anyway),  the daffs are reminding us that Spring is here despite what the weather dictates. SO SMILE everyone and spread a bit of 'love' ...then we can all feel ready for anything!

See you again soon
Crafty hugs
Carole xxxx

Sunday 16 February 2020

Valentine

Hi ...just rushing in as the weekend comes to a close to share hubby's Valentine card (nearly forgot!)...to post it that is.


The die is another NBUS that I picked up in the sale at  the Works...and I love it!..lol. hubby did too. I think it will be useful for Anniversarys too.As you can see I cut it twice in white and red and offset them.

I hope you have all stayed safe in this weekends storm and not experienced too much damage.

Wishing you all a good week to come.
Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Thursday 13 February 2020

Two of a kind.

Hello...I decided to have a play with some Uniko products last weekend. I picked three sets of stamps which are NBUS.........but now they are not anymore!

This is what I came up with..........


I used:- 'You are,Yes you', Background Pinstripe and Sentiments Outlined.
              Coloured with my new Phil Martin watercolour pens that were a surprise from hubby at Christmas.They have a really fine point on them so were perfect for colouring the sentiment. I didn't use watercolour card for the flower though so they didn't blend on the card I used otherwise they self blend.
I fussy cut the flower and raised the whole panel cut with a stitched rectangle on foam for a bit of dimension.
I am really quite pleased how this came together so I made another with a different sentiment and different colours.


Two cards in one afternoon!...that's a first for me.

For those of you that read my last post, Thomas loved his card, he thought it was like a transformer and put his hand in it like a puppet and let his imagination take over. It probably didn't last the day!..lol...but it was appreciated that's for sure.

I hope those of you in the UK have survived the storm  and the floods that it brought along with the gales.I gather storm Dennis is paying us a visit this weekend, so time to hibernate again. Today however is sunny intervals and no wind...a very welcome change.

Thank you to those of you taking time out of your busy lives to read this...it is as always so very much appreciated. Blog land seems very quiet these days.

Right I am off to the Playground to catch up with my mates as all the bits on this card were from snippets, except the base card of course...then I'm off to an 8th Birthday Party at Uniko followed by a couple of other challenges...so a busy day for me!!

I'll be back with hubby's Valentine card at the weekend so be sure to stop by again.
Take care
Crafty hugs
Carole.

Challenges entered ;-

Uniko 8th the Birthday Party

Just us Girls #522-------------------------------  Trend week Stripes



Snippets Playground #371 -------------------- all snippets except the base card.

Stamping sensations ----------------------------Feminine

Friday 7 February 2020

Dinosaurs

Hello everyone.

In approximately an hour (or even earlier) there will be one very excited 4 year old in Australia!...where did those 4 years go to? As I type this it is early morning in Brisbane.

Here is the card I sent for him....





I hope he is still into his dinosaurs!

So I hope you re all well.   I see on visiting blog land that a lot of you have been very productive on the crafting front..........and very artistic too. I am always amazed at the imagination that you all have.

So yes I have been crafting in between the house sorting and a bit of craft room sorting...I haven't parted with much on the crafting front...well it may come in one day! At least it reminds me what I have....I just forget where it is!...lol

I hope you all have a good weekend and I thank you for paying me a visit. Hubby is out tomorrow so I am planning on a crafting day and a catch up of a couple of crafting programmes that I have recorded. I can do the ironing while I watch those!

Stay safe and well everyone and see you again soon I hope.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx