HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

 Hello friends...and huge apologies for my bad blogging but here I am now.

Life took over amidst the wedding and my significant birthday and time ran away for me resulting a very few handmade cards this year. Yes I know my New year Resolution for 2023 went completely out of the window didn't it.! (a card a week)..Maybe next year? I'm not promising this time round as shoulder surgery could be looming which will put paid to quite a bit.

One special card I have managed to make for Andrew and Becky, based on a similar one by 'John Next Door' and his dies. I can share now as they wont peek at my blog...yes you are right last minute so will be giving tomorrow (head hung in shame again!)

Apologies ( I seem to be doing a lot of that) for the photo, the light has been terrible here the past couple of days.

Behind the Happy and the Christmas is gold mirri card...not so obvious against the wood. Word dies and the mistletoe are 'John next Door' and the berries are tiny pearls with a black dot from a sharpie pen. The tiny gold bow is from a Lisa Horton freebie on similar lines.

The card is bright white though it looks cream on the photo.

So that's it for this year folks...another year beckons and I hope it doesn't whizz past as fast as this one seems to have.

Thank you to each and everyone of you who have visited my blog and left me encouraging comments this year. They are all so much appreciated .

I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year and for those of you who for whatever reason are finding it hard, I wish you the peace and strength to see it through.

Here's to a crafty 2024! everyone! Cheers! 

Love Carole xx

Wedding!

 Hello everyone!

Life has been busy and time just keeps getting away from me, so big apologies for my bad blogging and I hope you are all still with me.

Crafting has taken place sporadically but sad to say not a Christmas card in sight yet!

Let's start my catch up with the wedding which seems ages ago now.

Here is the invite.........

.......and here is the wedding card I made for them........

Love this Memory Box heart, and I was able to carry the theme through.

So..... to the Bride and Groom who were blessed with the weather on the day and it was quite warm too. The day after we were marooned in the hotel in Chester by the floods caused by the storm.

 Not a traditional dress for the bride, but she looked stunning nonetheless, and also where the green theme came from. It shimmered blue too in different lights.

No posing ! just happy snapshots from guests.

......and after all that stress...me and my outfit...yes I ended up with green after trying really hard to avoid it. 

 My younger son (Iain) that flew in from Australia for the occasion and to be a witness (on the left in the picture)...the rose between two thorns in the middle! and Andrew on the right.. It was so lovely to see my two sons together and to see Iain again after four years, but very hard to say goodbye again the day after the wedding. Fortunately for him he left early for Heathrow before the hotel was cut off by flooded roads. 

I will be back again soon I hope with a few more makes...but still not Christmas. If I get to make any maybe I should save them all for next year..I would be ahead of the game then wouldn't I?  I seem to remember my New Year Resolution was one a week...hmmm..say no more on that one..lol!

On that note I will wish you a good weekend as we are nearly there. I hope you are all well and here in the UK I hope you have not grown webbed feet...so much rain!!

Take care now

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

70!..embossing folder & cautionary tale

 Hello Friends

Sorry it has been so long since I posted...but ...like most people I am finding this year is hurtling by at a rate of knots and time slips away from me. Thank you for joining me though..your love and time is so very much appreciated.

So first of all..a card.......

A Creative Expressions 6" x 6" embossing folder coloured with oxide inks and a finger dauber. The 70 was cut several times in white and layered...the top layer was cut from a piece of card that I had coloured with the same colours used on the folder, Finally the addition of some matching enamel dots.

Now for the cautionary tale......

I recently used, or should I say tried to use, a 3D embossing folder from Memory Box in my Gemini machine....now I know that these folders are thick...and plates have to be adjusted which was what I did ..right? The machine started to take the combination and then stopped...it wouldn't reverse...and was well and truly ..you guessed it Stuck! 

I rang Crafters Companion...quite upset by this time...where was Alan when I needed him (late husband)...he used to be the official repair guy in the UK for Spellbinders and rescued many a stuck plate from a Grand Calibur. I know you would think I would know better...but it did start to accept the sandwich until it got to the really thick part.

Anyway Crafters Companion were brilliant and for £35 they collected my machine, rescued the contents and returned my machine and embossing folder. I had only one tiny piece of card in the folder  just covering one flower.

SO......my cautionary tale is not to put 3D folders (other than Crafters Companion) in your Gemini...or if you do then double check  the thickness of your sandwich. (not the one you ate for lunch!)......you probably are more sensible than me and already aware of this!

I have resorted to my old Big Shot with card shims and now am very wary...in fact quite scared to use my Gemini for anything other than cutting. 

Crafters Companion also advised that Sizzix 3D folders would not go through the Gemini.

ON a last note a question for my blogging friends in America who MUST have these Magnolia 3D folders (so pretty)  with dies from Memory Box...what machine do you use? and what is your sandwich?

My sons wedding is now less than 3 weeks away...outfit almost sorted! (It's been a nightmare) and I am looking forward to seeing my other son as he flies in from Australia soon. A shame the rest of his family will not be here, it would have been lovely to see the children too.

Thank you for staying with me, I hope you are all safe and well and hopefully I will be back soon.

October tomorrow!......not started Christmas yet!!

Love and crafty hugs

 Carole xx

'Just for the record '

Hi everyone.......at last I have something to share!  A male card for a friends husband cased from one I saw on pinterest. ....thanks to the designer whoever they may be.

Male cards are not my favourite cards to make and I seem to have exhausted the ideas relevant to the person in question...mini cars (green ones) and canal boats on past birthdays............so this was what he got this time round!

I guess it speaks for itself really but the base card was cut from an 8 inch square card base and the rest from varying sizes of the same circular nesting dies. 

The 70 was cut from dies in my stash that I use quite regularly as they are not too big...and I didn't want to rub it in!..lol The writing was hand written.

So life continues to be very busy here, organising workmen for varying maintenance and repair jobs in the house and garden...and costly too. I can never settle when I have people here whether they're inside or out. Are you the same?...or is it because normally my hubby would have been keeping an eye on these people? and doing all the organising of them to come in the first place too! 

Anyway enough of that..what happened to our summer? I know we wanted rain for the gardens but now it doesn't know when to stop! No drying washing outside here..!

If you are struggling in the heat out in Europe I do hope you are staying safe from it and keeping well. Seems we have to have extremes of weather now and no happy mediums.

I've also been making wedding invites for my eldest son who is getting married in October. A small affair due to costs of course, but I hope it will be a memorable day for them both. All being well my other son in Australia is flying over for the occasion, so it will be good to see him as it is 4 years since I last saw him and the family.... a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then so to speak. sadly though Nicole and the children can't make it as the children are in school now...so disappointing that I will not get to see my grandchildren.

I am also waiting for shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff and so hoping it will now not take place before then. I have still to find an outfit for the wedding........no back zips please!  Birthday suit and arm in a sling would be different!..lol ......but maybe not in October!

So my friends I hope you are keeping as well as you can and as happy as you can and I Thank You for stopping by my blog and taking some of your precious time to read this.

If you are still with me...here is the card I made for the Birthday Boys wife to give to him....

Apologies for the photos not cropped...taken on my phone and then the files are too big to load! Why does technology change daily?

Crafty hugs to you all

Carole xx

Cosmos embossing

 Hi friends

Sorry for not being around for a bit. As usual life has got in the way and thus not much time for crafting.........at least nothing I can share until today when I have a birthday card made with a new Creative Expressions embossing folder....

The flowers were coloured with  Distress Oxides....Saltwater Taffy and Squeezed Lemonade using a sponge dauber  and a spot of glitter added in the centres for that sparkle which you cannot see on the picture...sorry.

The sentiments and banners are Julie Hickey.

I am really liking these 3D embossing folders. They give real impact ad a bit like heat embossing it never ceases to amaze me.

I hope life is treating you all well wherever you are and you are keeping well. 

If I can link up ok I am entering this card in the challenges below......I am well out of practice in  linking.

NBUS #51

http://seizethebirthday.blogspot.com/

Crafty hugs 

Carole xx

'The simple things in life.'

 Hi friends..far and wide, and closer to home. how are you all? I hope you are well and enjoying life.

Well what a weekend here in the UK...a new King and Queen crowned yesterday and an extra Bank Holiday tomorrow...not that it makes much difference to me, every day seems to be the same!

I did watch history unfold though yesterday and watched it all on the telly. It was sadly a wet day but it didn't seem to dampen peoples spirits, and I found it quite emotional at times. The organisation that must have gone onto it all was phenomenal!

OK .....crafting...well not had a lot of time for that due to some eye issues and an ongoing shoulder issue...the joys of getting older no doubt, so forgive me for not being a good blogger of late. I did however manage to make a card for my eldest son's birthday last week. A CASE of a card that Brenda (Floral Fantasies) did a while back with a few slight differences. (not good on the linking bit sorry). She did enable me to buy the silhouette stamp though :)

In the end I was pleased with how it turned out, though if I did another there may be a couple of tweaks to do.

Oxide inked background and stamping in Versafine Clair. You might just pick up a bit of stencilling in the corner with a new stencil, just to take abit of the stark white away.

My son regularly walks his dog...a black labrador (I masked off the ears on this dog...totally pain free I hasten to add...lol)) for a good long walk so it all seemed very apt, and he seemed pleased with his card. 

OK I hope you enjoy the rest of your long weekend if you are in the UK and hopefully I will be back before too long. I do keep popping in to see your wonderful creations and I thank you all for stopping by my blog...... I know how precious time is.

Happy Crafting

Love Carole xx

Turtles

 Hi friends..good to see you all.

I'm here as promised with the card I made for Chloe who is 5 today! Where does the time go?

Back in February my son a family went to Mon Repos up the east coast of Australia and went to see the baby turtles being released to the ocean....126 of them. I hope they all made it! Apparently an awesome experience so I am told by Thoma and Chloe.

On that basis I made the turtle the basis for my card................

The turtle is a Woodware stamp (fussy cut) and I inked my card with Distress Oxides...Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon and Salty Ocean and then embossed in a new folder to me...Gentle Waves from Crafters Companion. I used glossy accents for the bubbles. the rest speaks for itself.

I hope Chloe likes it when she opens it today. It arrived in good time. I posted mid March to give plenty of time and it only took just less than 3 weeks!

 Time seems to be whizzing away again and I have no idea where it goes, so I am grateful for you giving of yours to stop by and read my blog...THANK YOU!

I hope to catch up with you all again soon. Till then I hope this finds you well. Take care.

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Sad occasions

 Hi friends!

Today the sun is shining for a change and it makes one feel so much better doesn't it.

Sadly I have had to make some 'Sympathy' cards, or 'Thinking of You' cards recently so I thought I would share them with you...

The first one uses Uniko stamps on an inky background of Oxides.I cut a circle from card and used it as a stencil to do the inking.The black leaves are 'winked' and I edged them with white gel pen just to lift them a bit.

The other two cards are the same (just a slight difference ). The colour behind the panel of embossing which is from a new 3D embossing folder 'Lily' by Creative Expressions (Sue Wilson I think) and the panels are slightly different as they are cut from a 6x6 inch panel which I cut it in half to make the two strips. Then came the decision as to whether to add any colour or not...I left it white as you can see. The sentiment is from stash.

So peach......

and pale pink....

I put the Sympathy messages inside.

These could be used for any 'Thinking of You' occasion really and not just Sympathy.

Thank you all so much for all the wonderful comments that you left me on my last post...they really spur me on to continue blogging and I appreciate each and every one as I know time is precious to everyone. ...so THANK YOU  again, and also for stopping by today.

I hope you are all safe and well and ready for the Easter break.

I will be back soon with more to share as Chloe's birthday card has arrived already in Australia and it's not her birthday till the end of the month. It seems it only took just over 2 weeks to get there (I posted mid March). I guess if I had left it till now it wouldn't have arrived in time, so better to be organised!

Ok ..off to peg out the washing for the first time this year!

Catch you again soon.

Happy Easter and take care

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Big Birthday Box card

 Hi Friends

Here at last! 

There seems to be an abundance of big Birthdays on my list this year...and this is the first one for a friend of mine.

No prizes for guessing the age!

All products used are from Crafters Companion. The butterflies were cut from a pad of acetate ones and then stuck to paper I had coloured with water pens, then a liberal dusting of glamour dust. I did try to colour the acetate, but that didn't work.

It's a while since I made one of these cards but they pack the wow factor, especially to a non crafter.

Speaking of Crafters Companion...I find it disappointing after all this time that they have introduced £3.95 postage charges for members of their scheme unless you spend a minimum of £20 for Gold and Platinum and £30 for Bronze and Silver members. It literally takes away any discount and means it becomes very expensive to buy a bargain, as the postage costs as much again! Does anyone else feel the same? I am definitely cutting back this year, due to this and also wanting to reduce my over flowing craft room somewhat. Unless you are buying big there is little to be gained I feel.

I hope you are all keeping well and warm here in the UK as we have had a return to winter, freezing temperatures and that white stuff we thought we had got away without. Roll on Spring which has supposed to have started!

Good that we alter the clocks soon and have lighter nights to look forward to.

Catch you again soon my friends

Crafty hugs and thank you for stopping by, your visits and comments are always very much appreciated.

Take care.

Carole 

7 today!

 Hi..it's me, back again with Thomas's card as promised. I asked if it had arrived..I got told 'I think so'...so anyone's guess. 

When Thomas wakes (it is of course the middle of the night over there) he will be a Birthday Boy, no doubt a very excited one at that.  I remember at junior school being able to take your birthday cards into school to display on the windowsill in the classroom. Mind you in those day the postie came before school...not such the case anymore, here anyway.

Here is the one I made for Thomas after great deliberation. He is into Pokemon and I don't pretend to know what it is all about! but apparently he loves it, amongst other things like Minecraft now. Wonder what happened to the Lego phase?

The images were colouring pages I downloaded and resized and then used copics to colour, and then fussy cut the images (not my favourite pastime)

 I guess it's very self explanatory and the design is abit of a take on one I found on pinterest, but don't know where it originated.

So I hope Thomas has a wonderful 7th birthday and that his card has arrived. He won't be peeking at my blog anyway so this wont be spoiler for him.

Thanks for stopping by . Enjoy the rest of your week ad hopefully I will get to see you again soon.

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Plain sailing !

  H ello ! Nice to see you...thank you for stopping by.

I've got a male seaside themed card for a friends hubby. They live close to the sea (lucky things)!

Apologies for the photo that makes the card look misshapen.

 It was a 7x7inch card.

I stamped the Uniko sailing boat on to age old pp from an 8x8 pad, cutting off one strip of the shells and adding a contrast down either side. That strip I stuck down the side of the envelope before posting.

I paper pieced the sails on the boat with more paper bits from stash and die cut the little anchor and the sentiment from dark navy card. Added a few waves to grond the ship so to speak and there we have it. 

It took longer to get the idea than to execute in the end.

A brighter day her in West Yorkshire with the sun saying hi  now and again but it is still pretty cool here though the spring bulbs are showing and the snowdrops are in bloom.

I hope you are having a good weekend in your part of blogland, and are well.

Tale care, back again soon with Thomas's card (probably not arrived due to the cyber issues affecting international post)...sigh!

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Birthday Girl

 Happy New Year to all my cyber friends and followers. I wish you all a healthy and happy one.

Thank you for stopping by. 

My card today is for my DIL in Australia who is celebrating 40 years today! , well it will almost be over in Oz but I hope she has had a lovely day.  I sent this along with their Christmas cards so I know it arrived OK (wasn't I organised)

The heart and flowers are Uniko, the sentiments Phil Martin and the numbers ??..from stash.

The crafting world seems to be changing along with everything else these days. Digital seems to be the way that things are going. I personally derive no pleasure from reading a magazine online, I feel the same about my kindle, it has its plus moments, travelling ets but I so much prefer the magazine or book in my hand.and the same goes for shopping, I like to see and touch what I am considering purchasing, but once again the bricks and mortar are disappearing fast, probably due to the expense of keep them open.

The downfall to online buying is the time one has to wait for delivery and the cost of delivery on top, which is not always good here in the UK with postal strikes added into the mix.

 I ordered printer ink on the 14th December from Amazon which I have still not received, cost a fortune and is now scheduled to come at the end of the month...so digital printing??...expensive.....online buying?? ....about the only option left. 

Craftwise I admire all the products out of America not readily available here and expensive again if they are due to import costs. I don't watch the TV channels as much these days as once again they seem to think you have lots to spend on these bundles and postage costs are high.

So I guess that's my New Year moan..lol! ...........and my New Year Resolutions?, well not really made any other than to use what I have and all that new stuff still untouched. That is if I can remember what to do with it.

One quick question though to anyone out there. Is it best to store Pearlywinks upright or on their side please?

I bought some at the harrogate show last year and yes you guessed it, it has joined the unused pile...lol

Plenty to remedy this year.

If you are still with me...thank you, see you again soon as Thomas's birthday card is winging its way to Oz, well maybe, apparently a cyber attack here on Royal Mail has held up international mail!! PLease remind me why I bother..lol!

Take care everyone and stay safe and warm wherever you are.Thank you for your company.

Crafty hugs

Carole x