mmmmm strawberries

One good thing to come from all this rain are these beauties

So far I have picked 20 strawberries from our patch and as my son and I are the only ones that eat them, and he is abroad at the moment, I have had them all to myself tonight.

That is what summer is all about - yes?

Background For Journal Pages

I've been messing around with spray inks and masks again, tee hee what fun.


I used two Tando masks, one of leaves and another one flowers. I then went a bit crazy with the inks some from Sticky Fingers which I am running out of and some by Dylusions which give the page a great shimmer.

I'm not sure whether to cover with an image or what to write as yet but just wanted to show you the background.

This morning I have been going a bit mad with my acrylic dabbers. They have got all gunged up inside and are running out so adding water is not really working but that is fine as I am having a wonderful time poking the paint out with a stick and then applying it to the paper using an old RAC membership card! hahaha.

That one I will photograph once the paint has dried.

Speedy Sunday Sentiment Scrap

Well last minute Minnie strikes again ...... I needed four yes four cards for this afternoon so sat at my craft desk and made these.Yesterday I found some old articles that I had torn out of craft magazines, Quick and Crafty, Crafts Beautiful and Craft Stamper and these gave me the inspiration to make these birthday cards.

Various equipment and stash used including a new cog mask from Tando, a bird stamp from Basic Grey, Rub-ons from Cosmo Cricket, beads from Creative Beadcraft in Beak Street and the linen type fabric was from John Lewis.

I also tied another bow, getting used to doing them now.

Last day of my holidays today ..... back to work tomorrow so enjoy the rest of your sunday. x

Frivilous Friday Fanciful Fruits (of my labour)

A little bit of alliteration there haha. As it is the last day of my holiday I thought I would share what I have been up to.

Most of the week the house has been upside down as my daughter has had new laminate flooring laid in her bedroom. Meaning that all her possessions were all over the house. Couldn't do the ironing (shame tee hee) as the wardrobes were groaning with all her stuff.

So now the flooring is complete and looks lovely and the wardrobe, bed and desk have been put back in their positions and now it is up to her to sort out where all her things go. Don't go thinking I put the floor down, oh no we got a little man in :)



Next is the DCM challenge from two weeks ago ...... yes I know there is one due out today and been a new one last week but as I have said before I am a sloooooow crafter lol. This challenge was to use the lyrics from Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars"( I hate the Leona Lewis version) anyway ...... I used the line "is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see" and used a free stamp from Craft Stamper some months back.

Also this week I have been trying to use up scraps of paper from my desk and made this A6 card and a button.
I then made this one using a stamp from My Cute Stamp, Sweet Kawaii.


When I uploaded these photos from my camera I found this one too! It made me laugh out loud ..... don't you just love kids?

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend
x x x

fantastic giveaway

Over on one of the blogs I follow Amelie's House (she bakes and decorates fantastical cakes) she is having a wonderful giveaway. A whole party!!!! Full of gorgeous cakes and decorations and presents. Yippee!

Closing date next Monday 6th June
so be quick and go take a gander

More makes from me

I took these photos last week (while we still had sun) but being so busy this week I've not had time to blog them. Well another week off for me (half-term) so there will be more blogging going on.

First are some cards made from Hazel's Christmas Challenge and the prompt was to use a song and I chose the carol We Three Kings. I used a Heidi Swapp mask for this one, although the card on the left isn't as crisp an image as the rest and might end up in the bin or being used last that is for sure.


Next is a page from my art journal started ages ago but only finished this week. Funny that some journal pages have to be thought about and come back to while others just happen first time.

This one is using one of Milliande's January prompts Day 6 (wow that long ago!) "Millipede Me". Used my trusty Elle magazine for the legs and hat. Wish my legs looked that good and could wear high heels!

Thanks for stopping by my blog and hopefully, fingers crossed, more will appear next week.

Tarrah
x x

Masks and Journalling

I bought some fantastic new masks from Tando Creative last week online at Bubbly Funk. I couldn't wait to try them so got my inks out last night and created this page in my journal.

I used the cogs masks and thought about with cogs whirling around in my brain! I used various spray inks and the images are from my October 2008 Elle magazine (still going strong and plenty of images left!!)
I bit deep for me this page and I'm not going to explain the meanings behind the images or words I just wanted you to see that the masks work really well and are cut clearly and are very sturdy and easy to clean (thank goodness as I did use alot of ink!)

Round and round in circles

These are two very simple cards that feature circles as Hazel's prompt suggested on Hazel's Christmas Card Challenge blog. New challenges up every Saturday so pay a visit and have a go at this week's challenge .......... scallops! mmmmmm might have to think about this one.

Ribbon tying

Thanks for the comments on my last post about the ribbon tying ...... I must admit I only learnt how to tie them like this last weekend during our Non-retreaters Crop over on Bubbly Funk Forum.

This Youtube demonstration by Jak Heath is very clear and fabulous for making perfect bows everytime (well I tied my fingers together the first few times I tried tee hee!) but everytime since them has had a positive outcome.


So today I would like to show you another card I made using the ribbon tying technique. This time with some bright sunshine yellow ribbon.

Just got in under the wire .........

for the Daring Cardmakers challenge "Darling Bugs of May". As soon as I found out about the challenge I knew right away that I wanted to use this Sue Dreamer stamp by Inkadinkado.

A very simple card from me today just stamped, coloured in with Gelly Roll pen and finished with a ribbon bow.

Oh I do love a bit of recycling

This time I have recycled my Easter Tree. I've turned it into a Eurovision Tree hahaha. We always watch the competition and have drinks and food from around Europe all very yummy.


Not surprisingly United Kingdom didn't win but 100 points is better than we have done in recent years. I did think Blue did very well but as we couldn't vote for our own country we voted for the next song/performance that we enjoy and that was Moldova.

I loved the crazy lyrics of there song "So Lucky" and the comical hats made for a great entry so no wonder they came fourth. You got to love Eurovision. :)

Hi Ho Silver

I know, I know you were expecting him, the Lone Ranger,

but instead got,


a reindeer. Sorry but that was the first title that popped into my head! I found this reindeer in one of the many drawers of "useful stuff" and this time I actually used something from it. I made this Christmas card with a prompt from Hazel's Christmas Challenge blog. Pop over if you are mad like me and making Christmas cards in May tee hee.

Royal Tea Party

Last week over on the Daring Cardmakers blog the challenge was royal or patriotic well I thought I would use some stamps in my collection which I haven't used much and stamp a tea party!

The bunting stamp was a recent purchase and I know this one will become a firm favourite. Red, white and blue Distress Inks were used and after I had taken the photo I realised that I should of stamped the cup and saucer and teapot in blue as well. Nevermind it will give me an excuse to do the same card again.

Now some eagle eyed blog readers might have noticed that the card is photographed on some Lily of the Valley leaves and flowers. My original idea for this weeks' DCM challenge using some seasonal flowers didn't go to plan and as I neither have a images or stamps of any Lily of the Valley I thought I would cut some fresh flowers and attach them to a card but when I went to cut some all the flowers had gone over. So that means that no DCM card from me this week.

Industrious Bank Holiday Weekend

Well it has been for us! No complaints about the British weather this weekend it has been wonderful yet again if a touch breezy.

My husband has been busy with the garden furniture sanding it down and giving it a coat of oil and hasn't it come up a treat? The photo below shows before and after, I think the after chair on the right looks like new.


We have also been to Wickes and bought slabs, sand etc. to do a bit of hard landscaping in our garden. (see the blue tarpaulin in the corner of the above photo) That area is going to be paved and will give us more room to put out our table and chairs. It was heavy work carting 20 slabs and bags of sand from the front garden where they were delivered, to the back garden where they are to be laid. Good job Kris is big enough to help now.

This next photo is of some Craft Robo cut letters which I managed to weld together!!!! I am really proud of myself (psst! but don't ask me to tell you how I did it hahaha) it took me all afternoon to do though and my brain was very frazzled by the end of it.

I will try again when I have relaxed a while - maybe that will be a job for the next Bank Holiday weekend. hahaha

tar rah x

Pre Wedding Nerves?

Well here in Blighty (United Kingdom) things are hotting up for the Royal Wedding. You must of all heard by now that Prince William is marrying Kate Middleton tomorrow, and if you haven't you must be living in a hole! hahahaha

I will be watching tomorrow on the telly - well it would be rude no too as they have given me the day off! haha.

I bet they are both nervous but wish them well and fingers crossed that it doesn't rain.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to you all
Hope you have all had a lovely family day?
I did with my parents and sister and her daughter.

Easter Tree on Good Friday

Hello everyone and hope you are all having a lovely Good Friday?

The sun is shining, we just had lunch and I've photographed my Easter decorations. We don't normally decorate the house for Easter but after a recent visit to John Lewis with my daughter we decided to have a go this year. I kept saying, "Wow that is expensive .... I could make that! .... that is so easy to make etc" that my daughter said "Well make it Mum!!" hahaha. So I did .......

This is my knitted bunting with felt letters and beading ..... thanks to Anjie for the tutorial on the i cord, really easy to knit and very good for attaching the bunting triangles too.


I finally got round to using some of the beads I bought last year from the wonderful Creative Beadcraft shop in Beak Street, London.

And finally the Easter Tree. I've never made one before and just made it up as I went along. I cut branches from our garden hedge and then bound them together with masking tape and covered the whole thing with gesso.

All the decorations were bought except the flower which I made, again using a template and instructions from Anjie.


Have a lovely day and a wonderful Easter break. x

Christmas comes to April

Being on Easter Holidays I have had time to play catch up with some challenges and here is my offering today.


For Hazel's Christmas Challenge number 5 "Santa" or as we usually call him, in my house anyway, Father Christmas. I love this little wooden stamp and every year I use him I think he is so jolly just as a Father Christmas should be! I stuck him onto green card stock and he is standing on a piece of card which has been inked with Dylusion sprays and a sticker for the word Believe.

So do you believe in Father Christmas?

I still have quite a way to go to catch up with Hazel's challenges as she is already on number 16 eek! Please pop over and have a look at her blog - new challenges are posted every Saturday.

Surprisingly Good Afternoon!

Don't you just love it when that happens? You think something is going to be a chore and then it turns into something quite pleasant!

Kris needed to go to Wheathampstead and research the River Lee and photograph it for his Geography course homework. Yawn yawn I thought "Ok I'll come along with you." I said. And what a great time we had.
Found the river and took lots of photos as evidence for his course and then found a bridleway to walk along. Very lovely in the warmish weather.



Of course when we started out it was just gone 11 so we weren't hungry but after some fresh air and exercise we were ready for a little snack! So we went into this very nice pub for some lunch - sssh don't tell Kat.
I wonder what other homework he needs "help" with hahahaha!

It's All Gone .......

..... my hair that is! I've been wanting it cut for sometime. Yes I know I grow it long then don't do a thing with it then have it cut hahaha.

Well at 4 o'clock it looked like this


And yes my bum does look big in those lounging trousers but I wasn't going out in them lol.

Then at 5 o'clock my hairdresser arrived. Five minutes past five this happened ...


eeek my hair! I have it in a bag at the mo hahaha. And then after many snips and cuts later this was the result of the floor ...

what a mess. Ten minutes to sweep that up and then hoover up the small pieces and then had time to take a photo to show you lot.

So are you ready? Well this is the new me!



I love it and that is the main thing. Hope you like it too?