Seasons Greetings & Merry Christmas

 Hi Friends

Firstly I must Thank each and every one of you who left me a message on my last post...THANK YOU!

You are the reason that I carry on blogging and your friendship and support is so much appreciated.

Ok time for a card or two even.............

On a sort out in the craft room I unearthed some card blanks that go way back!...so I am a mission to use........... and here are the results using a couple of lovely olive green pearlised ones.

An embossing folder that I think may have come with a Crafters Companion magazine last year (not sure on that one) and an old C C sentiment die cut in mirri card.

I coloured the corner holly leaves with copics and as I had no red pearls for the holly, white ones were treated to the copics too.

.and here is a Merry one in a different colour way! 

I am pleased with how these turned out...batched a couple more to use up the cards (smile) and there we go!

Which do you prefer?

I hope you are all keeping well wherever you are and staying safe amid all these rising cases. I am still wearing my mask when I venture out here in the UK although it is not law..........I think I am very much in the minority though.Awaiting the call for a booster jab very soon!

Wishing a Happy Halloween to those of you who celebrate it.

Catch you all again soon when I have some upcycled Christmas cards to share with you.

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Merry Christmas

 Hi Friends...well I hope you still are!..lol. Its been a good while since I blogged but I have kept peeking at yours as you will know if I left you a comment.

I hope this finds you all safe and well.

I have been making a few Christmas cards...sporadically............ and trying to use up some existing stash...I have tons of base cards...but...you guessed it, never the size I have in mind. Antway sorting through I found these very old embossed ones with 'Merry Christmas' ...and here is what I did with them.............

An old but favourite wooden backed stamped from Hobbyart stamped in grey and a liberal amount of Glamour Dust. 

Yeah how quick was that? Yes... quicker than the thought of what to do in the first place...lol......and why didn't I use them before???

Sorry the sparkle doesn't show up well on the photos.

Sunshine here today after lots of rain and its much colder...I hope it is a long while till we see the white stuff on the ground though.

Hopefully I will see you again soon.

Thank you so much if you have popped by . It is good to know you are all still out there, blogland seems quiet, but I so appreciate my cyber friends...love to you all.

Take care.

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Congratulations

 Hi Friends ! I hope you are all safe and well.

 Yes here I am at last with a post! 

I made a card for a friends Anniversary ....................

Crafters Companion die and stamp and circle dies from stash. Backing paper oddments from the mountain pile! I put Glossy accents on the glasses after a bit of pale colouring.

While I was running with the idea...(as you know ideas are short on the ground right now.)..I made a couple more ........

Apologies for the poor photos...pearlescent card and light is a difficult one and the light recently has been poor since summer seems to have deserted us....my excuse anyway.

Thank you for stopping by and sticking with me and so many thanks for all your lovely messages of concern, love and support...the crafting community is such a lovely one to be a part of.....even when crafting evades us sometimes.

I hope your week is going well as we hurtle way too fast through another year of ups, downs and uncertainties. I hope to catch you all again soon.

Till then

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

70 plus 70!

 Hi Friends

First I must Thank you ALL so very much for the kind comments and encouraging words that you left me on my last post. each and everyone is appreciated more than you will ever know. June has once again turned into a difficult month for me so I know I will be sporadic in my blogging, but I know you will all understand and hopefully still be around when I surface to surprise you.

In the meantime......At the beginning of June one of my friends celebrated a 70th birthday...and another friend will be celebrating hers at the beginning of July...that's two of my three friends...lol! Glad to say I am not quite as old as them! I know for definate that the second one at least will not be peeking at this, so I can share with you...both cards , on a similar vein.

First the June one...friend aptly named after her birth month......

This is the front of the card

and the inside......

The papers are some old Craftwork Cards (I think) and the 70 die is of course Crafters Companion.

It took some getting my head around did making this and the first one ended up in the bin...but I got there in the end and was quite pleased with the end result.

Here is my Twofer as they say......the front

and the inside...

This time the papers are from a LOTV pad called promises. I love this pad but sadly it is not available anymore.

The dies are once again Crafters Companion including the banner and balloons with coordinating stamps The Happy Birthday I am not sure of the make as I have had it in my stash for a good while (like everything else I have in the craft room...lol)

Once again the first of this one went in the bin too, I seemed to have forgotten what to do from making the first one...and of course how many of us write instructions for ourselves for next time?..you do?...ah well lesson learnt there I guess.

I hope you are all keeping well and have been enjoying the sunshine here in the UK. Thank you for stopping by.

Till next time...take good care of yourselves and keep the inspiration coming...I keep peeking at all your wonderful creativity in the hopes that Mr Mojo will return...perhaps he has emigrated?

Love and crafty hugs to each one of you.

Carole xx

Almost...101

 Hi Friends

Today would have been mums 101st Birthday!..If you read my last post you will know she was in hospital following surgery for a fractured hip. 

Sadly she passed away on Saturday , so she didn't quite make it to the 101 but I still feel I would like to share her card with you though................what better way to celebrate her life.

A new stamp...Pink Frog Chrysanthemum love this stamp. I coloured with Copics. Matt and Layers are cut with Phil Martin nesting dies.

So proud of her, such a great age.

Thank you for stopping by, and for all the lovely comments that you left on my last post...another card she sadly didn't get to see...along with several others.

Anyway that's it for today...short and sweet. We have just have a thunderstorm here! Hope it is sunny where you are. Take care everyone and have a good week.

Catch you all again soon

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Ruby Wedding

 Hi Everyone!...hope you are all well and ready for a long weekend both here and in the US.

Lets hope the weather is kind to us.

Wednesday gone was the Ruby Wedding Anniversary for my mum and Step dad. Here is the card I made for them.

Sadly last weekend mum fell and fractured her hip, so is in hospital and of course due to Covid restrictions we are unable to visit her....so her card remains at home unopened with others no doubt until such time as they can be together to open them. Lets hope it is not too long. She will be celebrating 101 years too in just over a week.

I have decided to share with you as they do not view my blog so no spoilers for them.

The stamp is of course Crafters Companion with a die that cuts out the middle part. I coloured with distress inks on CC watercolour card. I didn't seem to get much movement of the ink though. As the card has a slight texture, I used a plain bit in the middle with a computer generated sentiment, placed behind the aperture. All mounted on red, green and textures white card.

Have a good weekend folks...June is lurking round the corner....and please continue to take care!

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

LOVE with all your heart.

 Hi folks!

Thank you for your visits and comments....I appreciate every single one.

While on the subject of dogs and my sons Labrador (last post) I came across this photo of a present I made for my son at Christmas and never shared. It was difficult to photograph due to reflection.

It is a wooden Inkylicious stamp that I had to peel of the wooden block to enable me to use it in my stamping platform to get a really black image. A bit of effort but worth it in the end.

 The stamp re -stuck nicely back on the wooden block afterwards.

 I cannot bear to make more storage space for myself by permanently removing all my stamps from their wooden blocks. For me there is something about a wooden mounted rubber stamp. Maybe because all those years ago when I started stamping that was all there was! ...........and I'm not that ancient!! Anyone else share that feeling?

Anyway Bentley (sons black labrador) does all those things on the stamp....and I guess so does my son when he walks him!

I hope you are all well wherever you are and coping with lockdown easing in the UK and jabs in your arms. I would personally like to see numbers of infections under 100 not in the thousands still, but maybe that will never happen.

How the weather has changed here in the UK...from a dry April to a wet and stormy June and temperatures still requiring those winter woolies. Fingers crossed for a flaming June!

Till next time take care, be safe and 'Thank you' again so much for stopping  by.

Crafty hugs

Carole xx