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

Christmas Wishes

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and Happy New Year...wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

I thank all of you that take the time and trouble to stop my blog and support both it and me.......without you there would be no reason to blog. I appreciate each and every one of you across the globe.

Stay safe and warm, enjoy the festivities, love one another and make lots of memories to treasure.

Crafty and seasonal hugs to you all.

Carole xx

 

Christmas en-route to Australia

 Hi Friends

I have deliberated whether to post these cards yet, but I very much doubt that my son in Australia visits my blog. He barely has time to Skype me so pretty sure he won't take a sneak peak..probably not bothered anyway.

So while Christmas is in the forefront of everyone's mind here in the UK...here they are.

First up...one for Thomas who will  be 7 next February. They are vegetarian so I thought this quite apt....hope it makes him laugh.

I am sure he will think I have spelt Happy wrong!..lol.   this is a crafters Companion image coloured with copics and the sentiment comes with it. The 'grandson' is from my stash.

Next up one for Chloe who is 4 and starts school in January having just graduated from Kindergarton...black cap and gown job as well!! They start young these days.

This is a digi image from Rachelle Ann Miller.  I so fell in love with this image (tipped off by a blogging buddy about it...thank you!). Digi is not something I do much of I have to admit. Anyway I coloured again with copics and the sentiments are from stash. Happy Christmas is uniko stamps.

Finally one for son and DIL.....

Back to crafters Companion for this one...a set with stamps, stencil and dies. I have decided I need some fine stencil brushes for this as even finger daubers proved a bit too much. The background is done with a falling snow folder I found amongst my rather large collection of varying sized embossing folders (half I have never used...maybe 3/4)

So three for the price of one today folks! Hope you like them.

I'm hoping of course that they get there in time!  I bother making them because it is basically the only thing I can do for Thomas and Chloe being so far away and sending gifts now is prohibitively expensive so rely on my son to buy them something with money I send. Not quite the same I have to say.

I am grateful for Moonpig in return! and 'A card is a card' as my son says!

I still have s few cards to make and I know I am fast running out of time, add to that the postal strikes here in the UK (who isn't going on strike) and I need to get my skates on.

So it's Ta Ra folks for now, best get stuck in.

Thanks for stopping by when time is of the essence.

Take care, keep warm and well.

Crafty hugs

Carole x

Birthday time...again!

 Hi Friends

This past week has been a week for birthdays. Mine and my future DIL who's is two days before mine.

She has two horses ad teaches riding so it is difficult to organise celebrating, Anyway here is her card featuring a horse, the box for it and a tiny exploding box I made to match for her present.

A better look at the card...a Crafters Companion signature collection image coloured with copics....

So there we have it! 

Now I can concentrate on Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by, I know we are all very busy, but your thoughts and comments are very much appreciated.

Wishing you all a good weekend.

Crafty hugs and take care

Carole x

More embossing

 Hi friends!

 I hope this finds you well and in Christmas mode? I have to admit to struggling a bit in that sense. I have got my cards of to Australia and I think I packed my mojo and inspiration with them!

Anyway  one of my friends and her hubby celebrated their Anniversary. the card too over a week to get there and sadly missed the day...if only I had posted it earlier as it sat on the shelf looking at me for over a week!

Here it is.....

This is another new embossing folder that I bought at Stamparama. It is again a Lisa Horton and comes with a die to cut the image out.

I stencilled a memory box background on my card and coloured and cut the embossed peony, placing it on top  of the trellis. A die cut sentiment finished it off.

Having since watched Lisa with her embossing folders I think I did it the wrong way round...I embossed, coloured and then cut and in doing so of course flattened the embossing a bit...lesson learnt for next time, cut colour ad emboss last...but not sure how good the colouring would be on an unembossed image! perhaps if you have done it you could let me know. There are no stencils to this set.

Thank you so much for stopping by...I know it is a busy time for all right now. but your visits are so much appreciated. 

Back soon with the Oz Christmas makes!

Till then take care everyone

Crafty hugs

Carole xx

Wallpaper? and 70!

 Hi friends

Just popping in with a birthday card made for a friend using Lisa Horton 3D peony embossing folder. The embossing on these folders is stunning. 

I coloured the flowers with Distress Oxides and a finger dauber. I kept it subtle as you can see.

Here is another one done with the letter press technique...

It reminds me of anaglypta wallpaper!

I put a bit of clear sparkle in the flower centres which does not show on the photos.

I hope you are all well and ready for the weather turning colder here in the UK. The darker nights are certainly not to my liking I have to say. Time to shut the messy world out!

Thank you for stopping by, your comments are always so much appreciated.

Take care wherever you are and I will catch you again soon.

Time to crack on with those Christmas cards!

Crafty hugs to you all.

Carole x