MIAM

MIAM

Monday 6 December 2010

Seven Tags and a Drama

Thank goodness all the snow is thawing, I nearly had a disaster over the weekend.
I came downstairs first thing on Saturday morning to find one panel in my conservatory roof completely bowed under the weight of all the snow and ice and it had popped out of the seal. Snow and water had been dripping indoors all night long! The floor was covered in puddles and the sofa absolutely saturated. Fortunately my brother and his neighbour came to my rescue and managed to clear the snow and repair the roof. The only casualty appears to be the sofa, and I'm sure that'll dry out in time. (like 6 months!)

After all this drama, I needed something to calm my nerves so knocked up some Christmas Tags which were inspired by Michelle Last's lovely work. My tags were made using old scraps of card and ribbon, and wrapping paper so they will co-ordinate with my presents. The holly leaf was stamped using this Stampendous stamp and shaped using a ball tool, and I added sequins for the berries. Even managed to use a few crafty peel-off's!


Thought I would enter this project into Keep It Simple's current challenge which is 'Deck the Halls'.

Hope you are all keeping warm and thanks for looking.
Fiona x


Saturday 27 November 2010

Connected At Last

Hello Again!

It's been some weeks since I've visited Blogland due to my computer conking out and then when I got a new one, I lost my internet connection. After much investigation by my dad who knows about these things, it finally transpired that the sodding modem/router thingy was faulty! Once it was replaced, hey presto!

So, sorry I haven't been to visit you, it will probably be a while before I'm up to speed as I need to get used to this new 'puter and replace all my lost data.

In the meantime here is a quick make for this weeks Keep It Simple Challenge (Evergreen) and the Clean & Simple challenge.(Sketch)



Not very keen on this one as it took me several attempts to get a good stamped image, plus it didn't turn out as envisaged, largely due to bad planning and lack of inspiration! Mojo seems to be missing at the moment, thought I might as well blog it though.
The lovely mistletoe stamp is from Chris Dark's Joie de Noel set
and I added bling to some of the berries. The sentiment is by Paula Pascual.

Hope you are all keeping warm in these sub zero temperatures, off to get my hot water bottle now.

Bye for Now
Fiona x


(Just had a thought, don't actually think mistletoe is evergreen, oops, never mind eh?)

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Normal Service Will Be Resumed As Soon As Possible

Wail! My computer has died! I'm posting this from 'the Oldies' computer to let you know I won't be around until I get myself a replacement.
I'm missing it so much, but surprisingly enough my house is cleaner!

So bye for now and hope to be back soon.
Fiona x

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Autumnal Colours

I took this snap in my village this morning as the trees are looking so pretty at the moment.


Browsing through the challenge blogs this afternoon I found that this week's theme at Cupcake Challenge is 'Thank you in Autumnal Colours', so I just had to share my photo.

My CAS card was a very quick make with some ScribbleScrabble paper bought at a Craft Barn sale, and a reduced price (£1) Inca flower stamp. The sentiment is by Stampin Up. I wondered afterwards if it is too CAS and deliberated about adding something but eventually decided to quit while I was ahead.


It looks like I will be going to the NEC on Friday, I've never been to a 'proper' Craft Show before so really looking forward to it. Wonder how much I will come home with?

TFL and TTFN
Fiona x

Friday 29 October 2010

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

Not that old joke we used to tell in the playground, but the latest challenge from One Layer Wednesday. Here is my 'effort' - it took me four attempts to get a fairly decent stamped image!



I'm not terribly happy about the red ink, my fault entirely as I mixed two brands (like you do with lipsticks to get the right colour) and it looks a bit patchy. I embossed the card with a circle nestie for the centre bauble and hi-lighted the middle with some glitter. The Stamps are all by Paula Pascual except for the ampersand which I found in an old alphabet set.

Going now to see if I can salvage any of the three that weren't quite up to being shown here.

TFL
Fiona x

Monday 25 October 2010

....And Now For Something Completely Different

No, not John Cleese doing the Silly Walk (I'm showing my age now) but a card made for my niece Emily who celebrated her birthday today.




The bathing beauty is by Stamping Bella and I coloured her with watercolour pencils and cosmic shimmers, the bath was paper pieced. I placed her on a piece of acetate which sat behind an aperture cut and framed with nesties. The inside of the card was lined with 'bubble' paper by Joanna Sheen (kindly donated by my friend Eunice), and I enhanced the bubbles with glitter. The letters were die cut and the numbers just traced around some chipboard figures I had. The finishing touch was the bow.

Em liked it, hope you do too.
TFL

Fiona x

Sunday 24 October 2010

Clean & Simple 113

This is my entry for the above challenge. The stamps are by Stampin Up! from the Good Neighbours set if I remember correctly.


The trees are coloured with distress ink's and the sentiment was made with rub-ons. Very quick and easy.
Hope you are all having a good week-end. The sun's out here!

Fiona x

Monday 18 October 2010

Another Christmas Card

Here is a quick card made at the weekend inspired by Paula Pascual's lovely creations. Check out her blog if you haven't seen her work. I bought two sets of her xmas stamps last month and they have seen much ink already, they are so versatile.


Have you spotted my crafting crime?
A peel-off - quel horreur! I felt the embossing needed to be edged and scoring is not my forte. Anyway I don't think it looks too naff, do you? The designs were stamped with Nick Bantock ink and Versafine and cut out with nesties.

Does anyone else have a cat on their lap constantly nudging their typing hand whilst posting?

Time for bed, said Zebedee. Thanks for stopping by.

Fiona x

Saturday 16 October 2010

Gust Designer?

I don't like to blow my own trumpet but I will anyway! My last card not only made the Super 6 over at Card Patterns but was also voted overall winner. How pleased was I ??? (and also very surprised, as there were over 90 entries!) As a consequence I was invited by the DT there to provide some inspiration for challenge 86. However I think a typo has been made on the Card Patterns blog this week as I am introduced as a 'Gust' Designer!! - and I haven't even had sprouts!
Seriously though, do pop over and have a look at the fab work by the design team and why not enter this weeks challenge.

Here is the sketch........



.......and this is my take on it.


I wasn't particularly happy with this one, (isn't that always the way when the pressure is on to come up with the goods?) and I stuck to the sketch quite literally. One thing I was pleased about, was being able to improvise and make a scalloped rectangle with a square scalloped nestie! I used my Birds & Swirls embossing folder and the stamps are Papermania from the Henbury Lane range. The bird image was stamped with Versafine and then heat embossed.

As usual, thanks for all your kind words, they are most appreciated.
ttfn

Fiona x


Thursday 7 October 2010

Back Outside Again

....to photograph my latest creation as the sun made an appearance today. This card is my entry for Card Patterns and here is their sketch.


This is what I came up with.......


I used the Trendy Tree's set by Stamping Up for this card. The oval was cut by nestie and I inked it with Old Paper D.I. whilst it was still inside the die. I used Versafine for the tree's and sentiment which is by HobbyArt.
I'm quite pleased with this one, although one of the small tree's has not stamped perfectly but I didn't have any more of that cardstock, so I had to go with it.
Hey ho.

Thanks as always for your lovely remarks, they are appreciated.

Fiona x

PS- Big thanks to Georgia at Kitty Krafts for this kind award.


Sunday 3 October 2010

Finding Time

.....for crafting this week has not been easy, even though I've had some time off work. I have been busy with domesticity, cutting lawns and hedge, digging allotment, washing curtains and I still have stuff on my 'To Do' list! Managed to find a couple of hours though last night after 'Strictly' for my entry to Clean & Simple FTL 110.
Here is the sketch.......



and my interpretation.............


It has got to that time of year again when I have to photograph inside! Although it has finally stopped raining, it has been blowing a gale, so unfortunately I can't get an outside shot (which in my opinion are better than my inside efforts!) At least this post is not as time consuming as my last, - I have reverted to 'old Blogger' by changing my settings. I think I will only be able to do this temporarily before they change it for good, lets hope Blogger make some improvements in the new system before then!

Enough waffle and on to my card. I used the relief method to make the centre panel by stamping my Hero Arts leafy branch with Versamark and then heat embossing it with white EP. Faded Jeans Distress Ink was applied with cut'n'dry, and I defined the side panels with faux stitching and a never-used stamp I found in my stash by See D's. The sentiment came from Paula Pascual (who else?) and the final touch was a white fabric covered button which I coloured with the distress ink.

Bye for now and thanks for all the lovely remarks about my last cards.

Fiona x

Saturday 25 September 2010

Getting Ahead

Every year I get behind making my christmas cards and find myself rushing to finish them at the beginning of December, but not this year, oh no. I have already made 20, mostly with Paula Pascual's extremely versatile christmas stamps. This card below uses her great designs.



EDIT- I'm entering this card into the Wee Memories challenge No. 24.


I came up with this other idea for a quick xmas card that also found a use for those sequins I've had in my stash for yonks.
I cut the wreath shape with a small circle nestie inside a scalloped nestie and then ran it through the cuttlebug in the Divine Swirls folder. The sentiment is by Hero Arts.

I don't know about you, but I'm not liking this new blogger one bit. It was much quicker and easier previously to upload your photo's, especially for technophobes like me who don't know all the computer jargon. It has been pants today, SO slow and the quality of my photo's is poor and not how they appear in Zoombrowser where I downloaded them from.(Honest!) Has anyone else had this problem?? As far as I can see the only advantage with the new system is the Preview facility, BLOGGER TAKE NOTE!

Must shake a leg now and get ready for work.
Enjoy your weekend,

Fiona x

Monday 20 September 2010

Cupcake Crazy

I can't understand this current obsession with cupcakes, it seems the country has gone cupcake mad. Did you know it was National Cupcake Week last week? Whatever next?, they are everywhere, and now they are on my card!
This week's challenge at Raise The Bar is 'Something Yummy' and I remembered I had a cupcake image on my Kirsty Wiseman CD. Personally speaking, I find Prawn Dhansak and Pilau rice a lot more yummy, but aesthetically it's not quite so pleasing! I'm also entering this card into Clean & Simple's FTL 108 sketch challenge.



The cardstock was cut and embossed with nesties and the back piece scored near the top so that it would stand when attached to the front. I stamped 'Hello' by Stampendous and heat embossed it with clear EP.

Does anyone know why the C & S sketch is called Fall to ? (Layout) Perhaps I am being spectacularly thick but it has me puzzled. Answers on a postcard please.........
TFL and ttfn,
Fiona x

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Hello from Spider City

OK..., a slight exaggeration, but that's how it feels in this house at the moment. Have just got home from work and had to deal with a humongous spider, as it seems I do every night at the moment. Cannot possibly go to bed whilst they are at large in the house!
Anyway here is my latest make, nothing to do with Arachnids you'll be pleased to hear, but my first blogged Christmas card of the year. I followed sketch no.81 over at Card Patterns and came up with this very CAS creation.



The spotty paper was left over from another project and is from Kirsty Wiseman's Colour Burst of Fanciful Things CD, the stamps are new by Paula Pascual and to finish off I just added some gems and a couple of glittered die-cut snowflakes.

My car overheated on the way home from work late last night, so I'm off the road at the moment. Hoping my car repair man will be able to fix it without it costing me a fortune. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

TTFN and TFL
Fiona x

Sunday 12 September 2010

CAS Tree in Autumal Shades

Hi All,

Here is my latest effort which combines three challenges.
Raise The Bar- Orange Brown and Green
Alphabet Challenge- T for Tree's
Clean & Simple- FTL 107



I used Bazill cardstock in green and brown and the wacky tree stamp is by Crafty Individuals.
The 'sentiment' is in a very small font and says 'meet under the tree for a nice cup of tea' (In case you can't read it without squinting at the screen, like me!)
The scalloped holey border is punched courtesy of Martha Stewart and my neighbour Eunice, who lent it to me!

Just had my days off, so back to work this afternoon. Had a visit to the pictures on Friday to see Tamara Drewe which was billed as 'a filthy version of The Archers'. All I can say is, they must have had very sheltered lives as it was quite tame in my opinion, but we enjoyed it all the same.

Hope your weekend is going well.
Fiona x

Friday 3 September 2010

RTB Guest Designer Card

A couple of weeks ago my 'mouse' card made the Top 3 over at Raise The Bar so I was invited to be a guest designer on this weeks challenge...which is
"URL..ooking Good". The project must represent your blog name, or header design in some way. Guess which option I went for?, like I had a choice!!! lol


I stamped the Inkadinkadoo flock of birds image twice with Versafine and heat embossed it with clear EP. The backing paper came from my stash as did all the other cardstock. The flower was made from a stamp, never before used, that I found in a £1 bargain bin. Again this was heat embossed and cut out and shaped and the centre was stuck on with silicon glue to give it some dimension. The sentiment, again, another bargain is by Inca Stamp, don't think I've used this one before either!

I also made this card in a white version but although it looks good IRL, in a photo the detail doesn't show up well, as you can see.



Looking forward now to a rare weekend off, which promises to be a busy one. Tomorrow I am going to The Glitter Pot's 'Christmas Spectacular Demonstration Weekend' (and I'm sure I won't be coming home empty handed), and in the evening I will be going to a 50th birthday party.

Hope you have a good weekend too.
Fiona x

Tuesday 31 August 2010

Not Quite A Gap Card

I had a mind to try a gap card today, you can see some lovely examples on
Paula Pascal's blog! ....Hmmm, mine didn't turn out quite like hers. I realised after I had cut the card that my die-cut numbers were not big enough to hold the two pieces together firmly enough, so I improvised with a piece of acetate.


Et Voila! Not quite a gap card but almost.
The vibrant papers came from Kirsty Wiseman's Colour Burst of Fanciful Things, CD rom. The numbers were bought already die-cut but I embossed them with the cuttlebug and inked them up and heat embossed them with holographic EP.

I hope the intended recipient will like it even though it did go a bit 'Pete Tong'.

Must find something a bit more attractive than my scabby old patio table to put my cards on, but I always think I get a better photo outside.


TFL and BFN.
Fiona x

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Quick Kirsty Card

Here is a super quick CAS card I knocked up today when I had half an hour to spare. The image and sentiment came from Kirsty Wiseman's CD-Colour Burst of Fanciful Things.



I thought this card would be suitable for a bloke and I used some string embellishment which I've seen adorning a few cards lately, and borrowed this look.
Brrrrrrrr, I'm freezing! I got soaked through at work today, need a nice warm bed now.
Night night, thanks for looking and for all the great comments you leave.

Fiona x

Monday 16 August 2010

ABC

Over at Raise The Bar, the theme this week is ABC. .....Animal, Brown and Clean and Simple, and this is what I came up with.



I stamped my Penny Black mouse on Kraft card with Sepia Versafine and heat embossed it, and then it was coloured with soft pencils and sansodor. The sentiment by Hobby Art was also heat embossed, and my corner rounder chomped off one corner of the card.

I very rarely do 'cute' but I'm a bit short on animal stamps. Hope you like it and thank you for all your kind words.

Fiona x

Monday 9 August 2010

"Pull!"

It's Dad's birthday today so thought I'd share this easel card I made for him. Not my normal sort of card but perfect for him as his hobby is clay-pigeon shooting.


I used a download from Cuddly Buddly which my good friend Eunice kindly provided. (what she hasn't got in her craft stash isn't worth having!) It's not apparent from this photo but I 'decoupaged' his arms, foot and gun barrels and used Glossy Accents on his safety goggles. The backing paper came from the download........and don't tell anybody but I used some border peel-offs! (crafting crime of the century!) Oh well, I thought it needed something extra.

Hope you like it, Dad did.
Fiona x

Monday 2 August 2010

Wedding Wishes and Flowers

My cousin Zoe got married a few days ago and I was pleased to be asked to help with the wedding preparations such as the invitations, place names and flower arrangements. Zoe and my auntie, are very talented flower arrangers and I took a course in the same a long time ago, between us we managed to make the church look very pretty I think.




........ and here is the card that I made for the happy couple.


The wedding went off without a hitch and a great time was had by all.


Don't they look lovely?

Thanks for looking and all your kind comments.
Fiona x

Saturday 31 July 2010

Bling It Up

Bling is this week's theme on the Cas-tastic Wednesday Challenge and here is my effort. Bling is not really my thing being a less-is-more type of crafter, so I didn't go overboard with the gems. Although perhaps I should have, as although the sun was shining they are not very obvious in this photo.


As you can see, I used pesky acetate for this card
and also a stamp by Elusive Images. I stamped with Versamark, blew the dust off my chalks and this is the result! The blue sentiment border is backed with green ribbon on both sides of the card for a neat finish. Whilst making this card I realised that unwittingly, the last card I made also had the sentiment in the bottom right hand corner. Note to self...must get away from this format!

Thank you for stopping to look.
Fiona x

Saturday 24 July 2010

Stuck for a Title

.....apart from something like 'Summer Time' - so predictable! (yawn) Quite often I find it hard to come up with a suitable heading for a post, wish I was more imaginative.

Anyway, about the card.... it was a VERY quick and easy make and it's my entry for the Wednesday Castastic Challenge and also the Crafty Calendar Challenge where the themes are summer. Have to admit I got the idea for this card from an old craft magazine and have added a few touches.





Have a whole week off work ahead of me now, which I am really looking forward to, and my cousin's wedding on Friday. I am helping with the floral arrangements later in the week and will post some snaps next time.

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping to look.
Fiona x

Tuesday 13 July 2010

Kraft-tastic

Here is a quick card which I knocked up last night. I am entering it into this weeks CAStastic Challenge where they are looking for cards made with Kraft.


I used a Personal Impressions sentiment and added a retro die-cut flower which I embossed with circles.




Hope you like it and TFL.

Fiona x

Sunday 27 June 2010

Finished At Last!

I was asked to make these by my cousin Zoe, who is getting married at the end of July. I started them several weeks ago, cutting and folding the card, punching out and shaping the flowers and then I ran out of enthusiasm. However, it was bothering me that they still weren't finished, so today I set up all my craft stuff in the garden under the sun umbrella and finished them off, all 80 of them.


I had nothing to put them in until I found this unused cutlery tray that will do the job until the big day.


Below is Zoe on her Hen Night last weekend
, which took place at an open air concert at Wakehurst Place (National Trust Garden) just down the road from here. We saw Fabbagirls and The Bootleg Beatles and a superb night was had by all.



We had a seventies dress code, incase you were wondering! The purple wig was well askew by the end of the night I can tell you!

On another subject altogether, I hear England played dismally today. I loathe football and didn't watch the match but it sounds as if this bloke down our allotments could have done better.


Happy Crafting and ttfn.
Fiona x

Saturday 5 June 2010

Mum's Birthday "Card"

Hello there,

It was my Mum's birthday on June 2nd and this is what I made for her from this old sweetie tin.










Are you still there?

It was also my Guest Designer piece for the June Crafty Calendar Challenge, and I was very chuffed to be invited to take part. Please have a look at the all fabulous creations by the CCC design team here. This month the theme is Bugs and Beasties.
The stamps around the outside of the tin are by Crafty Individuals. I'm not sure who the butterfly stamps on the 'dangler' are by, they were given to me by a friend but they stamped up very well on the vellum I used. All butterflies were given a liberal dose of stardust stickles. The other stamps which were heat embossed in gold are also C.I. All circles were cut out with nesties and a computer generated sentiment went into the bottom of the tin. A tissue paper flower and some ribbon on the lid completed this project.
Hope you like it and TFL,

Fiona x