NBUS

Well HELLO everyone!!

I can't believe it is a month since I last blogged, life takes over and I had nothing crafty to share......if you are reading this then thank you for staying with me.

My card I do have to share today is a one layer card currently winging it's way 'down under' (I hope) to my youngest son who will be celebrating his birthday in October. Also I have used NBUS (never before used stuff)  that I have had in my possession a while (hanging head in shame) so thought I would hop over to Darnell's challenge with this card......

Recipe:-

Stamps.....Uniko 'Explosive Additions' and 'Simply Said Birthday' (Happy Birthday)
                 SON from stash.

Inks         Memento--- Bahama blue and Tangelo
                Versafine--- Majestic Blue for sentiments.

Glamour dust on large explosions...not showing well on the photo!


So what have you all been up to? I have been popping in on your blogs and admiring all the wonderful work out there....makes me feel very inadequate I have to sat you clever bunch.

Hubby had a weeks holiday earlier in the month and we spent a couple of days in Watford . We visited the Harry Potter Studios...Wow!!...A-maz-ing!!!! and I was also lucky enough to be able to go to Ally Pally (good planning on  my part don't you think?).... and spend way too much money! Now I reckon I could do NBUS for weeks and weeks!!! and need a lot of time and motivation to use it all.

I am currently digging out all my Christmas stuff from my craft room so I can see what I have and get started on those Christmas cards! Boy I have too much stuff!!!!....and still I buy more!! When I say to hubby I don't really need this he just smiles knowingly !!...know what I mean?

Ok well hope you are all well and Thank You so much for popping in to see me. I will try to be a better blogger but I do want to get back into my cross stitch this winter and nudge it a little closer to finished...hmmm...it's been a work in progress for a few years now!

Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend......raining here and hubby is out chasing steam trains at the North Yorkshire Moors and I am meant to be in the craft room...so ta ra for now and if you leave me a comment I shall be so thrilled to know you have stuck with me.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-

Darnells NBUS ......entry 1 (probably the only one!)


                                           

It's that 'heart' again!

Hi Everyone!
Yes it's that heart again...my favourite heart die by Concord 9th...the one I lost and found (thankfully) down the back of the radiator ....it had slipped off a pile of stuff on the window sill!

Speaks for itself I reckon!

The other thing that has been occupying my time...the sorting in the craft room,.... well I have been ironing ribbons...yeah sad I know......but they are always creased and crumpled when I want to use them so then I tend not to bother with them. ...so...I ironed all the shortish bits...(the long pieces are in a tin all individually held in mini rubber bands).........and had an idea to hang them on a coat hanger!

Some of you probably already do this!

Then.... hubby had the idea to peg them at the bottom with those mini pegs we use at Christmas for the cards...and that would add weight to the bottom and hold them on the hanger!......here they are.....just awaiting a hook at the back of the craft room door now.
Nicely organised and I can see what I have now...but sadly I don't appear to have gained any storage space as a result..ah well!!!

Lastly but by no means the least...a happy welcome to my latest follower.....Karen Knott......unfortunately I don't seem to be able to find a link to your blog Karen...perhaps you can help me out there.

Thank you for popping in to see me and for all the lovely comments you leave me. I really must thank everyone for the lovely Anniversary Congratulations  received lately..'THANK YOU' you really are a lovely bunch ...mwah

Wishing you all a super weekend...it is nearly here! Didn't we get great weather last weekend for the Bank Holiday! Some more of the same would be good.

Take care and I will see you again when I have something to share.
Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Another 25!

Hello friends!!

...not for us this time but for some friends of ours (25 years)...I doubt hubby and I will see another 25...but...one never knows as my mum is 97!

Here is the card I made for them and the box......

and one more to try to show you how much it sparkles....

The male half of the couple receiving this card hates glitter...so I used the lovely sparkly (the photo still does not do it justice) silver glitter card I found at a show...all encapsulated and it really blings IRL.

The background was embossed with a creative expressions folder and I did a sheet of tissue paper to match to wrap the card in the box. A tip I picked up from Crafters Companion...brilliant...makes a plain sheet of tissue look really good...you knew that...oh well...always behind with trends, that's me!

The numbers are Tonic and the banner is a Sue Wilson die and the stamped and embossed sentiment is an old one from stash.
I began making this card before my holidays but it just wouldn't come together...not till last week! ...you see I told you I can never make a quick card...that's probably why i am not very productive.

Ok.....busy day so I will rush on.
Weather here is wet, sunny, windy...you get the picture...washing in.... out....in.....out...now on the airer!
Hope it's better for the weekend, speaking of which I hope you all have a good one.
Thanks for stopping by, your visit is much appreciated as are all the lovely comments you leave me.
Take care everyone.
Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered............

Allsorts Challenge..#428...................................name and /or number

Wednesdays creative Inspirations.............Anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown # 356.......................Anything goes

You deserve fun times.....

Hello there friends...........

Sorry no card to share. I have been making one but am unable to share yet....so instead..........
           ......yes we all deserve fun times and this board on the front at the harbour in Toronto caught my eye...thought for the weekend.......

and a close up so you are not squinting to read it!

Nice eh!!

Hope you are all tickety boo and having a good weekend..........because you deserve fun times!........see you all next week all being well!

Take care.

Hugs 

Carole xx

25 years!

Hello friends!
Well here I am at last. I can't believe it is once again the end of a month and it has been so long since I blogged!
I do have an excuse for my bad blogging though having just returned from the trip of a lifetime to celebrate hubby's and mine 25th Wedding Anniversary! here is the card that I made for him....sorry about the bad photo, I used pearlescent card and it does not photograph well. (I know bad workmen always blame their tools).

and here is where we celebrated it.....

Niagara falls and .......

Toronto........and YES we did go up the CN Tower...all the way, glass floor included!

I have always wanted to see Niagara Falls. In fact it has really only been the one thing on my bucket list!...so that is complete now and we flew over the falls in a pre-booked helicopter flight on the actual Anniversary day...followed by a meal in the hotel restaurant overlooking the falls.....stunning!.......so some wonderful memories were made. Perhaps I need to start scrapbooking now!

So now it's back down to earth...(pinch myself, was I really there ?).... hubby is back to work today and I am hoping after a catch up of post holiday chores that my mojo will kick in and I will become productive.

Oh yes....I also made it to a 'Michaels' store in Toronto........disappointed, it's a glorified Hobbycraft and not at all what I expected so didn't buy much at all....I know a first for me!

 I do hope you are all OK out there in blogland.  I have had a quick whizz round since my return to see what you have all created...wonderful makes as usual!
Take care my friends and thanks for popping in, hopefully I will not be as long in blogging next time.
Enjoy your week.
Crafty hugs
Carole xx

You are my friend!

Hi there friends! Hope you are all good and ready for the weekend.
Well it's July tomorrow and I am back in socks and cardigans! It's been so cold and wet these past few days, we even resorted to having the fire on last night!!! It's supposed to be summer!!!!!

I bought the stamps that I have used on this card a while ago...I know........but I am very slowly using my NBUS . It is a Creative Expressions set Doodled Birds.
The card I made is CASED from one I saw in Samuel Taylors in Leeds (sorry don't know who had made it), but I fell in love with it and that's what persuaded my purchase (well a little persuasion perhaps).

I coloured the birds with copics and paper pieced their wings!...and a couple of the tulips. As all the layers and banner were made from snippets guess where I am heading. Yes you guessed..........the Playground.haven't been in ages so time to catch up with my mates and see if anyone has anything nice to share behind the bike sheds!!

Thank you for stopping by, I do appreciate your visits and I know that I have not been very productive of late....mojo has gone AWOL again!!! and life and everything it throws at you just gets in the way sometimes...........That's Life!!  (remember a TV program called that)

Enjoy your weekend everyone.
Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-
SnippetsPlayground.......week 287/288....................

5 squares to a flower

Good morning campers!....well the weather here at present ...sshh don't speak too soon ..is beautiful! it's too hot to sit out really...but too nice to be indoors. As for camping?..those days are well and truly behind me, I like a bit of luxury these days.

I've managed a little bit of quick crafting of late...well fairly quick for me anyway. On the last wet bank Holiday hubby took me to the Crafters Companion shop at Aycliffe. What a lovely place as no doubt those that live nearby have already discovered. Sara has thought of everything down to the coffee shop with telly and papers for hubby to read while wifey shops! As it was their Birthday celebration there were demos to watch too...an added bonus.

Anyway...back to the coffee shop where on the tables they had vases of paper flowers which of course everyone picked up and examined as soon as they sat down for their cuppa!

Following that trip I received link to a Masterclass video (quite by coincidence) of Sara making these flowers......so here we are...I was inspired to have a go and they are easy once you have mastered the series of folds.
Here are my attempts..........

and a closer look....

Not the easiest  to photograph I have to say!...but very effective.

Ok for all of you...well one or two maybe ...screaming for the instructions...here is a link I found to a video on u-tube......can't find Sara's sorry , (and I don't want to be accused of copyright or anything).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6elb2EO_ZO0

If you are using patterned paper  you start with pattern side down. I used 6 inch squares (5 of them)  for my flowers, and used Cosmic wet glue. Kebab stick was inserted after gluing 4 petals together and then gluing the fifth in place.......Enjoy.

Ok off to catch some Vit D before it starts to play hide and seek (the sun that is).

Hope you have a good week and Thank you for all your lovely comments that you have left me on my previous post. Mum enjoyed her birthday and liked her card!
Thanks for popping in.........take care till next time.
Carole xx