Signs of Spring

 Hello again

Get me....2 posts in a day!!

A friend has her 65th birthday this week, and as she is a big animal lover I knew I couldn't go wrong with a Happy Hoppers image.  I made it to fit in with the new challenge over at House-Mouse & Friends which is 'Anything Goes With The Option Of Wet/Dry Embossing.

I'm a big lover of bees (I have one tattto'ed on my arm!), and just couldn't resist this delightful image.  The image is decoupaged and then I used my new Carnation Crafts dies to cut out the hexagons.  I then ran the yellow layer through again using my favourite Spellbinders double-sided embossing folder.  I then used some of the smaller Carnation dies to cut out the mats and layers for the sentiments.  The sentiment dies are from Hunkydory and the number dies are from Crafters' Companion.  Finally, I added some pearls from Hunkydory.  The base card is an 8 x 8 from Creative Crafting World.

I saw my first bumble bee of the year yesterday.  It was a huge 'fluffy' bee, sat on my garden wall having a rest.  Spring is definitely on it's way and I'm sat on my settee in the sunshine typing this post, with Bailey sunbathing next to me!

I would also like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Try It On Tuesday - Spring

Snippets Playground - Snippets used for Sentiment mats and layers

Thanks for stopping by!

Jo x

Big Job Broke Out!

 Hello and welcome to my blog

In 2020 we had a lot of work done which included moving our kitchen from the front of the house to the back.  It allowed us to have a much bigger kitchen which we're thrilled with.  I was lucky enough to have the old kitchen as my craft room and hubby very kindly decorated it, built me an amazing work space and fitted out the rest of the room with a 'cube' system from Ikea.

I have been using the room ever since but have never got to grips with the disgraceful amount of craft supplies that I've accumulated over the last 20 years - you can imagine, I'm sure.  So, I gave myself a good talking to and said bit by bit I was going to get it sorted once and for all.  Well, I've been like a child in a sweet shop!  The stuff I've found and I've barely started!  I'm so excited for it all to be finally sorted, so I can actually see (and remember) what I have, and USE IT!

I've stopped watching the craft channels so I'm not tempted to buy more - I could live 2 lifetimes and not use it all.  Also, I'm collecting together some items I can send to a friend for her local children's hospice and I'm also sorting out items to sell.  I can only manage short amounts of sorting at a time, but I'm beginning to see some progress, which is the main thing.  When this is done I'll start on my wool stash!!

In between all the sorting, I've been creating. Sadly, this month I have a number of sympathy cards to make and this is the first.

I used a pattern from stitching cards and stitched with metallic thread.  I used card from PaperMill for my mats and layers.  The sentiment tag was cut using Spellbinders dies and finally stamped in Versafine ink using a stamp.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Try It On Tuesday - Add Some Text

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes

Beautiful Blossoms - Anything Floral

Thanks for visiting!

Jo xx

World's Best Sister

I've another card made using the Woodland Folk and Friends  cd-rom from Docrafts today:

8 x 8 card blank

Image from the decoupage section.

Backing papers from the same cd-rom.

Smaller image attached to a penny slider to create the impression of hedgehog rolling through the autumn leaves.

Sentiment from LOTV.

My card is for the following challenges:

Crafty Creations Challenge - Have something that moves on your card.

Make It Monday - Anything goes

Try It On Tuesday - Anything goes

Bearly Mine Challenges - Fall colours

Papertake Weekly - Autumn

Teddy Bea

The current challenge over at Teddy Bo is black, white and one other colour.  I combined this with the Sketch challenge at Try It On Tuesday to come up with my card:

6 x 6 card blank

Digi stamp printed onto Neenah card and coloured using Coloursoft pencils and Spectrum Noir pens.

Gingham backing paper from stash.

Card from Create and Craft embossed using a Darice embossing folder from Crafters Companion and sanded slightly, distressed around the edges with a distressing tool.

Mat Teddy Bea is sat on is Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles.

Flowers are a Memory Box die, centres are a punch and pearls from my stash.

Nellie Snellen punch used to create the leaves.

Gingham ribbon from my stash, tied using a bow shaper.

My card is also for the following challenges:

Creative Craft Challenges - Monochromatic Birthdays

Pink Gem Challenge - Animals or Teddies

Digi Doodle Shop Challenge - Use pearls

One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

Craft Your Passion - Embossing

Steam Train

This is another of the Father's Day cards I made and didn't get around to showing you.

Image and backing papers from Joanna Sheen's Nostalgia cd-rom

Image printed onto Watercolour card, backing paper onto Satin Finish Printer Paper

Green core'dinations cardstock, embossed with Sizzix Wild Dashes embossing plate and sanded slightly.

Sentiment tag Spellbinders fleur de lis cut from linen gold card.  Sentiment from LOTV, heat embossed.

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me Challenge - Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy Challenge - Vintage

Craft Punked - Transport

Alphabet Challenge - For Men Only

Try It On Tuesday - So Very British