Pretty peonies

Hello friends!
A quick post from me...a bit later than I had hoped but better late than never eh?

Sharing a birthday card that I made for a friend using the peony stamp and die set from Crafters Companion. A  Z shape where the front is folded back on itself. I cut the die at both ends of a measured piece of card and then backed with pink bazzill. Coloured with copics. This is a lovely set and so versatile as there are 3 ways to use it! Singe cut (like the card edge)... both sides cut and separated (as I have ) or just stamp and cut for a topper.

I did have another pic to share but blogger insists on putting it sideways and I haven't got the time to try to sort it today....sorry!

I hope you have had a better week weather wise than here in West Yorkshire...it has poured and poured with rain and I am just about getting webbed feet.!..lol

I hope you have all had a good weekend regardless of what the skies have had to offer...wherever you are, and that the week ahead will be a good one for you.

Having a break next week to get off the treadmill of life, so will see you all later and be round to visit you to see your wonderful creations.

Take care and Thank You so much for popping by and big hugs if you have left me some love...so much appreciated and needed right now.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

99!!

Hi friends!
Yes it's me here at last...I know it's June already... though the weather here says otherwise at present. Rain...rain...sunny interval...more rain.....get the gist?

Friday was my mums 99th Birthday! so thought you might like to see the card I made for her...yes I have actually done a bit of crafting in between everything else happening here.

A Creative Expressions Paper Cuts die for the roses. The word dies are Gemini, but not sure where the numbers are from...but all cut 3 times and layered for a bit more dimension. The frame...also cut 3 times and layered, then mounted on foam, is a  basic Spellbinders large square and I drew the faux stitching on with a fine liner to draw your eye. The pink card is bit of  Bazzill Bling....remember that? I have a pile stashed away...note to use more of it..lol!

Originally I intended to do this as a rectangle card...but it ended up a 7" square, basically because my Sue Wilson Set A double pierced Rectangle dies seem always to be just the wrong size...I must need Set B!!! Does anyone else find this?

I do hope you are all having a good weekend wherever you are and Thank You (each and every one of you) for taking the time to stop by and visit me. Many thanks also for all the wonderful kind comments you leave me that spur me on....so very much appreciated.

Kitchen back to working status here...so cooking again (with instruction book in hand..lol). Fitters have gone so the kettle gets more of a rest now too!..lol. Just a couple of things on order still to come to finally finish off. So glad to reclaim the house!

Till I see you again, please take care, keep well and be happy. I will be back with another share in a couple of days (yes I have been a busy girl...lol.)

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-
Happy Little Stampers--June 19 ---------Anything goes with a die
Pixies Playground #354--------------------Snippets used for the word and number die cuts and the pink                                                                   Bazzill
Creative Friday #232-----------------------Use a frame
Seize the Birthday #167--------------------Anything goes

Cocktails?

Hi Friends!
Where did that 2 weeks go? Sorry for not being around much but life in several guises has chosen to rule the roost here, and that doesn't include hubby!!...lol

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and support on my last post. You will be pleased to know that Chloe eventually responded to a cocktail of antibiotics (cocktails at age 1  ! ) and is home again, still on antibiotics and at the last report more like her old self...phew! Your love and support meant so much to me at a worrying time...Thank you all again..mwah x

So...onto crafting..(or lack of it) I have more cards for you to see that were done at the monthly card club. Lucky I have these to fall back on! A cocktail of cards!!..lol
Here goes....

Just love that face!

So I wish you all a lovely Bank Holiday weekend if you are in the UK...and if you are elsewhere in the world...have a great weekend too!

Take care of yourselves. If you are under the weather or having worries/problems may you feel better soon.
Thank you so very much for taking the time to stop by , I really do appreciate it and also as you know any comments you leave. You are a great bunch.

Right while I have charge of the computer and a coffee I am coming to see what you have all been up to now, and return some love.
Till next time
Hugs
Carole xx

Sadly no chance to enter any challenges this time.

Tool Box Birthday!

Hello friends!

Another week gone!,and a mixed one here.
Thank you so much for the good wishes lots of you left me on my last post. Glad to say the chest infection is behind me BUT I am now nursing a very painful shoulder.....and YES it has stopped that promising crafting along with the feeling that I need a good kick up the derriere to get me going again!.... I don't reckon much to this getting older lark one bit!

Before you rush off...(it is a crafty blog after all and you didn't come to hear my tales of woe) I sadly have one other snippet of news. I received an email from my son in Australia yesterday to say that Chloe (the granddaughter that the card on my last post was for) is very poorly in hospital with sepsis.
Not the sort of news one wants at any time but it is so difficult when one is all those miles away and I can't give anyone a hug.Please keep your fingers crossed for her full recovery...everything I can think of is crossed here!

Ok ...thanks for listening...now to the main event as it were....the one you called to see me for!

I made this a while back for my eldest son who who recently had a birthday.

 I used a freebie die from Die Cut Essentials magazine and took two of the card designs from the magazine and incorporated them in to one for my creation.The papers were part of an accompanying free download which I found a faff to get to the right scale. I am not very good at this digi lark..lol!!

I have to say I was glad how it turned out in the end as it was fiddly and time consuming, and I even enlisted hubby's help in putting all the coloured handles on the tools which saved me quite a bit of time. One has to keep these retirees busy you know!!..lol

Well the sun has shone today for a change, I hope it has where you are.

The kitchen fitters have moved in here this last week so you can imagine the mess....and the microwave dinners...lol. I hate having workmen in the house as I always feel I can't settle to do anything...are you the same?. hubby knows what I mean about that now too!!!

Well friends, I can smell that microwave dinner. It has been good to chat with you,,,thanks for listening...best go eat it!

I hope you have had a good weekend and have a good and crafty week ahead.
Stay well and happy and we will catch up again soon I hope.Forgive me if my blogging is a bit sporadic.

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

1st Birthday

Hello friends! I hope you all had a lovely Easter and certainly the UK had some glorious weather...sadly this week long forgotten. I hope that wasn't our summer!
The last two weeks for me have been written off suffering from a bout of bronchitis and a chest infection!...where do these things come from? Hopefully on the mend now and then I will feel more like getting in the craft room and creating.

Yesterday was our Granddaughters 1st Birthday so I am sharing my card that winged it's way to Australia a few weeks ago now to be sure it made it. I trust it did! Apart from the animals I kept it pretty much one dimensional due to postage.

I can't believe it is almost the end of April though everyone you speak to says how the year is flying by.....and I for one right now feel like I am wasting it! Will I ever get the time to use that NBUS stuff?...and will I ever not be tempted to add to my stash?...probably not!

Hope to be around to see your creations this week...and maybe add to my own too.
Happy crafting.
Hugs
Carole xx

Products list:-
Background stamp inked with Oxides......Woodware slashes.
NO 1 die...Tonic Verso
Balloons....Uniko
Animals... Petite Plushies  from clearly Besotted and matching dies.

Happy Easter everyone!

Hello friends.....isn't it cold?...well it is here anyway and the heating is back on full - sadly. I can't believe we are in the middle of April and Easter is next weekend.....mmmmm..chocolate (I hope) ..nice (licking lips).

Not gong to rant today (deep breath)...one issue sorted and fingers crossed another one too...all will be apparent this week when I go to the pharmacy. If I just say GP practice then I am sure you will at least know where my frustrations lie!

I only send a few Easter cards so I batch made this week. A quick card......bar all the thinking and procrastinating!...lol
 I bought the stamp at Stamparama at Harrogate and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. Yes the card was quick when I had sussed out the best way to do it...here it is...

After experimenting with watercolour pens and watercolour card I reverted to my Copics and smooth card. The wash behind the chicks is a pale yellow Copic that I did after I had stamped and colored the chicks.
 Poor photo due to poor light today, sorry. On this version I raised the mat on foam pads as it wasn't going in the post...the rest of the bunch I stuck flat to the card.

So that's that.... ..as they say.

I wish you all a very Happy Easter whatever your plans may be. Nothing special on the horizon here....more gardening for hubby and hopefully more crafting/sorting for me. We don't go far at Bank Holidays because everywhere is always so busy!

I am so pleased you stopped by...Thank You...I know time is precious and I really appreciate your lovely comments...they cheer me up immensely.

I am entering some challenges (if they're still open). I haven't joined in any in ages due to time restraints and nothing to fit the bill as it were.

Take care....and try not to eat too much chocolate!

Crafty hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-

Addicted to Stamps and More #336.........Anything goes
Krafty Chicks Thursday #450...................Chicks / birds
Moving along with the Times ..................That spring feeling
CAS on Friday #155...................................Spring
Country View crafts..April 2019...............Easter and /or Spring

Life!

Hello blogging friends. how are we all...good I hope.

I thought I had best pop hubbys retirement card on the blog before too long passed...so here it is.

It speaks for itself really. The image is from the internet which I doctored a bit to suit and the papers are from an old Craftwork Cards set.
He likes his gardening but sadly the weather has not been too much like gardening weather since he retired.Today is sunny but VERY cold.However he is out there now giving me a chance to chat a few minutes with you.

Thank you all of you that left kind messages ...so much appreciated as you know.

This past week has seen a lull on the craft front due to 'life' throwing it's problems in our direction and leaving me a very exasperated , angry, frustated person. I cannot understand why I have to do everyone's job these days because no-one seems to do what they say they will do. It saddens me greatly that you have to complain before you stand a chance of a result..and then not always guaranteed.
Technology is a wonderful thing, after all it allows me to have contact with all of you which is a good thing...but there are still instances when speaking to someone overides technology in my book and we are raising younger generations that have no people skills.

OK rant over...time to put the kettle on..care to join me and put the world to rights?..lol

Thank you for stopping by in this busy world. I hope you all have a good week, and next time we chat I hope my issues are in the past. Best take hubby that warm drink!

Crafty hugs to each and everyone of you......TTFN
Carole xx