Disappointment

I was a little disappointed the other day when I went to use a self cling stamp I received free with the Craft Stamper magazine.  It had started to "melt" for want of a better explanation.  I'm not sure why this should have happened to these two but my others are fine. The ones I am refering to are the dancing hares and the sunflower.

They were stored on a laminated sheet in my lidded cardboard stamp box with lives under my bed.  It is a mystery as to what has happened to them and I was only glad that the other stamps on that page had not been affected, although I did have to throw one away that had got stuck into the front on these stamps and the cling had disappeared off the back.  Very strange.

If you have any ideas as to what you think might have happened please comment on this post.  Thank you. 

Pumpkin update

Back to the routine now the summer holidays have ended and this has been the first time I've been able to get on here to blog.

Thought I'd update you with the progress of my pumpkin.  My son and I tried to weigh it before we went on holiday but the digital scales just said "error" they weigh upto 3kg so I'm guessing that it is heavier than that.  :)

So here is a photo taken about an hour ago just before the rain came down.

 I've also added my Croc shoe in to show scale.

These are a UK size 5.  

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Please do leave a comment I love to read them.

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Summer Holiday Last Day

Well it had to happen the Summer Holidays have come to an end for another year.  I have managed to blog more and create more so that is a bonus.  Household jobs some of which have got done others haven't plus we have had a wonderful week in Turkey.  

Not been before and I must say I would like to go again.  We all had a relaxing and fun time in the sun and a well earned time to recharge our batteries for the British winter weather.

We stayed in Fethiye at a fairly new hotel and the facilities were superb.  You can see our room (Top left - with the yellow shorts on the balcony) from my sun lounger on the beach.

My son and I enjoying the sea which was lovely and warm. 

 Plenty of these were consumed during "ice-cream time" 3 - 4pm.  This day I chose pistashio and tutti fruitti yum yum.

 A few of these were also drank a cocktail called a "Falcon" they went down very nicely with pistashios bought in Fethiye town.  My husband and son also went into Fethiye to watch the local team play football.  Of course the custom kebab afterwards was more authentic here in Turkey. hahaha.

 And just to prove I did let my body see the sun - the customary beach shot.  Haha, I don't really tan so I don't really have a sunkissed appearance so the photos are my only evidence that I've been abroad. hahaha.

 We went on an excursion to Dalyan and visited a mud bath and this was my husband and I after ours.  We then had a boat trip, handmade carpet demonstration and visited turtle beach where we did see a Loggerhead turtle.  He was massive.

Thanks for looking at my photos.

Have a great day.

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Totally Scrumptious

My daughter and I went for afternoon tea at One Aldwych yesterday as a late birthday treat for her.

The menu was inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and boy was it delicious.

I haven't any photos of the savoury side of our tea as we munched our way through those pretty quickly and even had seconds of the devine stilton and leek quiches and the Heritage tomato tarts.

I do however, have photos of the sweet side of the afternoon.  

I chose a Organic Lavender Grey tea and my daughter had a Smooth Caramel tea.  Water was very much needed to quench the thirst after the sweetness of so many gorgeous desserts.

This was how the desserts were presented to us.  Yes that is candyfloss and it was delicious.  Our waiter didn't tell us of their flavours it was a guessing game which we guessed correctly after devouring them all. haha.

On the left are Eton Messes and on the right Chocolate Caramel Milks, the eggs in the middle are dusted with gold (I think these were my favourite).  We also had scones, brioche and 4 Cocoa Bean Financiers, which my daughter ate, they were far too chocolatey for me and you can just see them in the photo at the bottom dusted with gold too.

Now this is how I would like my egg in the morning and no it is not a normal "Cadbury's creme egg".  This one is filled with vanilla cheesecake and mango.  It was so delicious that I ate half of my daughter's "shell" too.  ooops

It was a wonderful afternoon and I was very full coming home on the train.

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Why am I always late?

. . . with my entries to challenges that is.

 I can never seem to get one in on time.  This card was supposed to be for Number 137 Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge and I went with the colours from the picture inspiration. 

I used another of my Gelli Plate backgrounds, reminds me of my favourite Basic Grey Christmasy Papers but actually made with a Tando mask.  Papers and Father Christmas sticker from Bella Road "Everybody Loves Christmas" (I think - oops) with a new sentiment I recently bought as I needed some more Christmasy greetings. 

Hazel must have known I ordered more Christmas word stamps as for her challenge this week she has chosen, " A No Sentiment" prompt, hahaha nice one Hazel.   x 

 

Next I just wanted to update you on my pumpkin.

Bigger than a tennis ball, bigger than a small babies head, it now could be used for football.  :)

 

Thanks for visiting today.

Have a restful Sunday. 

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Gelli Plate paper creation

Well I made loads of gelli plate prints the other week but now what do I do with them???  hahaha

Whilst looking at this blue and white paper I thought it looked cool and frosty so used it to make a Christmas card.  I coloured in a Gorjuss girl in blue tone Copic Sketch Markers and added some acrylic rings (using a toilet roll of all things :) ) and then sprinkled on some silver glitter whilst the paint was still wet.

 

As I had some blue acrylic paint handy I painted an envelope and used the loo roll stamped into black this time to create some mail art.  Pink dots added with a cotton bud and some green lines stamped on top using a piece of corrugated box complete the make over. 

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

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DCM Sweet Things Challenge

Well look at me . . . posting on the first day a challenge has come out  hahaha.

The challenge this week from the Daring Cardmakers is "Sweet Things" and I went for another CAS card with this birthday cake stamp and think the sentiment says it all, "Yummy"

Thanks for your visit.

Have a great Friday

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DCM Challenge

I think I've just got time to show you the current Daring Cardmakers Challenge for this week, just before  a new challenge is set tomorrow.

So the current challenge is a colour combination, Citrus colours.  I've come up with two cards to show you today but have plenty more of these gorgeous Paper Smoochie/ Lawn Fawn characters left to create more cards.  Yay that's what I like.

The first is very C.A.S. (clean and simple) but I had great fun using my H20s again to colour the drinks in.  A hand stamped sentiment and "cheers!"

 

 The next card I've added some Bo Bunny patterned paper and used some more Paper Smoochies stamps and a sentiment from a different set. A bit of doodling round the edge et voila. 

Thanks for visiting my blog.

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Gorjuss Challenge - 194

Today I am entering into a challenge set by the girls over on the Totally Gorjuss Challenge blog.  Their challenge is

"anything goes with pearls".

I've made a birthday card for my neice using my Gorjuss Awashed mermaid and her fish friends.  Coloured using H20s, Copic Sketch Markers and the sea is mica powder.  The letters are well and truely mix-media'd (hahaha) with them being gesso'd, Copic coloured and Stickled and then because the colour wasn't right H20'd too. (hahaha)

Thanks for visiting my blog today and do check out the Totally Gorjuss blog to find out what everyone else has come up with.

Much love

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Blast from the past

Whilst looking for my pearl pigments mica powder I came across my box of H20 paints.  It was a pleasant surprise and I had forgotten how lovely they are to work with.

So seeing as I have quite a few cards to make during this month I thought I had better make a start.

The first card is for my Dad and I went with this fun Snoopy image (my Dad's not into motorbikes but nevermind hahaha)

I've painted Snoopy's bike with H20s and Copic Sketch Markers and mat and layered using Bo Bunny papers.  I think the adverture and chevron stamps are also Bo Bunny.

ooops just noticed that I forgot to colour Woodstock in - haha he will of course be yellow!  tee hee

The next card is for a friend's birthday.  The background is pearl pigments mixed with water swooshed over the card with the script versamarked onto the card and pearl pigments brushed over the top.  The butterfly is painted using H20s.  You can't really see with my dreadful photographic skills but the card does have alot of shimmer on it.

I've another card to finish also using pearl pigments and H20s and I'll show you that tomorrow - when I've finished it. hahaha.

Happy mid-week everyone.

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Gelli on a plate

:)  no not the skipping song we used to sing as kids . . .  am I showing my age????

I've bought myself a gelli plate and have spent the afternoon playing with it only having to stop and tidy up just before dinner tonight.  Why oh why do we need to eat dinner when I want to play?  I tidied away and thought I would show you what I came up with.

I've cut the prints down to the size of my gelli plate 6 x 6 - I only bought the small one (that was pricey enough at £19.99) and used a variety of acrylic paints and things laying around the house to make patterns.  I printed onto copying paper as I didn't have any white cardstock spare, hence why some of the prints look crumpled.

 I've also included some close ups of some of my favourite patterns and colourways.  I like the fact that you never really know how the prints will turn out.

Thanks for stopping by and do leave a comment if you are able.

Thanks 

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How am I doing?

This is my second go at crocheting.  My first attempt was only yesterday I used a You-Tube video to get me started here but I'm not sure this looks correct?

Have a little look and tell me what you think?  It is suppose to be single crochet?????

Thanks.

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Garden news

Hello blog friends, happy Friday and soon it will be the weekend. :)

Thought I might up date you all on my growings in the garden.

Here you can see my potatoes ready for lifting and some dahlia's (remember those cheap ones from Wilkinsons? so far only the yellow ones have flowered)

Here is the whole pumpkin plant . . .  ok what I could get in the picture, can you see how big the pumpkin is?  To the left are some of my broccoli plants and in the lower left the tub of sunflowers.

 These are my runner beans growing up my pergola.

And last but not least my onions and some more broccoli.  These look a bit weedy but I've never grown vegetables before so maybe next year they will be better.

Thanks for visiting me today enjoy your Friday whatever you get up to.

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Christmas cards in August ????

Well yes . . .  you have to start early don't you?

So I popped over to Hazel's Christmas Challenge blog and saw that this week's challenge was for "snowmen".  Great!  I knew just the stamp to use.  It is one by Great Impressions,  I've had it quite a few years now but always looks good I think.

I used the stamp for three different looks.

1) I used Distress Inks in Shaded Lilac, Broken China and Chipped Sapphire, Copic Sketch Markers in BG53 Ice Mint and 0 Colourless Blender for the background and various shades of blue for the scarves and hats, Diamond Stickles and white acrylic paint.

2) I used Bella Road "Everybody Loves Christmas" papers for this one and a range of Copic Sketch Markers.  I wanted a very colourful Christmas card.

 3)  The papers used were Bo Bunny and the letters were from Basic Grey range "green@heart".  Copic Sketch Markers used again to colour the scarves and hats.  Think this one is my favourite.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and do visit Craftyhazelnut's Christmas blog a new challenge is up every Saturday.

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DCM Challenge

This will be the first time in a while since I joined in with the Daring Cardmakers Challenge.  But since it's the summer holidays I have no excuse not to enter.

:)

The challenge was set by Nat to show some "Creature Comforts" on your cards this week.  

I recently purchased this Stampotique stamp (yes I know the scary looking ones tee hee) but I do like some of the designs, especially Toto by Janet Klein which I bought from Sprinkle of Imagination.

I made the background by swooshing the card around in Distress Inks and stamping the sentiment before outlining it with a little black pen!

I thought the sentiment went with the dog's expression of disbelief hahaha!  

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Happy Wednesday.

x

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Garden update and pumpkin watch

Thought I would take this opportunity whilst it is hammering down with rain to come in from the garden and blog about it.    :)

This year I decided to grow some vegetables.  Runner beans I have grown before but thought I would plant potatoes, broccoli, onions and a pumpkin.  I bought the seeds in Asda so nothing special haha and they have all grown.  Result.

The pumpkin seeds we shared out as a family (we all live in different parts of the country) and have a little competition to see who could grown the biggest pumpkin by halloween. Everyone chose their own two seeds from the packet and grew them however they saw fit.  I thought my parents would be far better at this than the rest of us as they both have "green fingers" and a greenhouse.  But to my surprise theirs are the only seeds not to have germinated - what are the chances of that happening? hahaha

Well mine not only have germinated but I have a pumpkin growing rapidly and taking over the garden haha.

Here is a photo of the whole plant taken a couple of days ago. The blue tarpaulin was put down as we are going to slab this part of the garden and needed to kill the lawn *cough* sorry grass off - it's full of moss anyway and does grow properly.

And here is my pumpkin a moment ago.  Huge isn't it?  Ok not huge but bigger than the rest of the family's tee hee.  The tennis ball is to show scale it's not another pumpkin.

Thanks for stopping by and Tracy I hope that update was ok? x

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Last minute card

Why do my family always think I have plenty of cards that fit the brief just sitting around waiting to be sent.This was the case last night.

Daughter: Mum, have you got a card with a koala or kangaroo on for me to have tonight?
Me: no why?
Daughter: I'm going to a friend's farewell party and I need it for 8pm tonight
Me: TONIGHT!!!?
Daughter: If you haven't you got one could you make me one please?

Of course this is when I should have said "No" but of course I didn't and set about making one. tee hee.

I did all this with Copic Sketch markers and tried a technique using an old flannel to add texture to make fur.  Of course I took the photo just before 7pm and the light was pretty bad and you can't see any of that sorry. 

All used on this card.

0 Colourless Blender
100 Black
B02 Robin's Egg Blue
B60 Pale Blue Grey
C1 Cool Grey No1
E95 Flesh Pink
RV10 Pale Pink
YR30 Macadamia Nut

Thanks for visiting my blog today

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Inkiness

I had a very crafty day yesterday.  I was supposed to be tidying my craft desk but I got a bit waylaid tee hee.  I took my A4 journal and just played around a bit.  Sticking random things onto the page and playing with gesso, inks and crayons to make this page.  It doesn't have any journalling on it - it is just for fun.

On the opposite page to this one I wanted to change the colour pallette so went with blues and a splash of green, thanks to the new Distress Inks I bought last week. There is a small envelope (cut on the Craft Robo in the top lefthand corner with a small card inside and that is the only journalling on this page.

I used some Craft Robo cut shapes as masks and inked round them to create different patterns.

I wonder what I'll create today?

Have a creative day.

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Just scraped in

with my very first Daring Cardmakers Challenge for this year.

The challenge was to show paint effects using a different technique or effect.  I chose to use spray ink and I splashed them onto the page rather than spray them.

A Tim Holtz sentiment and some Glossy Accents to finish and voila a card was born.

Thanks for visiting my blog and especially if it has been twice in one day.  :)

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It's been ages

since I last posted on my blog and thought now the holidays have arrived I should rectify that.


Thought I would kick off the summer holiday blogging by showing you a postcard I made for my friend Nicky when we took part in a postcard swap over on the Bubbly Funk forum.

The theme was "Summertime" and I chose yellows and oranges for my colour scheme.

 

This is a very mixed media card with loads of different inks and pens used. 

When I was putting them all away I noted down what I had used, so here goes:- 

Gelly Roll pen, gel ink pen, Glossy Accents, Distress Ink pads, Gelato by Faber-Castell (thanks Kim), blending stick, gems, glitter, acrylic paint, water brush and Copic pen.

It survived the Royal Mail service only just and lost a gem and some glitter on the way.

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