MIAM

MIAM

Saturday 31 December 2011

Just One Word

Hello Readers,

Hope you all had a lovely festive time and received lots of crafty stash from Father Christmas. I was lucky enough to receive a Glitter Pot voucher, so I dashed down there in the week and spent some of it in their sale. I bought some stamps by Woodware, some card blanks, embellies and an embossing folder. I have used one of the stamps in this latest card for the current LIM challenge where we must use only one word on the card.
Fortunately this challenge runs for two weeks as although I made my card several days ago, I've had no chance to upload it due to visitors yesterday and cooking and cleaning prior to that.


I stamped the 'Friend' sentiment by SU in Memento Rich Cocoa and then framed it with my new Woodware stamp in Versa Magic Sahara Sand and cut around it. Then I dabbed a combination of these two inks onto the card with a make-up sponge. (a la Barbara Grey) This just looked messy, but I managed to rescue it by tidying it up with the masking technique and then overstamped with another SU stamp, the trailing Ivy.
Finally I positioned the frame onto the card with sticky fixers.


I'm planning to have a crafty day today, now I've finished clearing up yesterday's mess. Although I should be going out and getting some exercise as after all that food I feel like a big fat blob, the weather does not inspire me however!


Before I go I just thought I'd share this Curio House/Config Box (call it what you will) that I made my niece for Christmas. I bought it completely undecorated at The Craft Barn for £2.99 and really enjoyed tarting it up. I kept this one relatively minimalist but will be doing more of these.




Hope you like my creations today, please leave me a comment if you do, they are much appreciated.
Very Best Wishes for 2012 to all in Blogland, TFL.

Fiona xx

Saturday 24 December 2011

Mince Pie Marathon

I'm a bit late with my Christmas greeting due to the mountain of mince pies that I've been making, (well three dozen anyway!) but I'd like to wish all my readers and followers a very merry xmas and a healthy and happy new year.


See you on the other side.

Fiona x

Saturday 17 December 2011

MUSIC

I still need a couple of christmas cards so I have followed the theme on Less Is More's current challenge which is Music for my latest creations.


I stamped a very old music score by P.B. continually across the cardstock using my stamp positioner. As I can't read music I have no idea if it's a load of random notes or actually tuneful. I used Smokey Grey Versafine for stamping the music and embossed the sentiment with silver E.P. The star was cut from some old silver mirri card packaging with my XCut die and positioned with sticky fixers. I highlighted some of the music score with glitter using my quickie glue pen but it was impossibly hard to photograph.

Yesterday I received some good news and was in the mood to celebrate with a pint or three and with Christmas festivities taking place right outside the pub the atmosphere was buzzing. My brother was there,(fresh from his company xmas do and completely Brahms and Liszt,) together with my SIL and Dad. Here we all are.


Father Christmas graciously permitted me to 'pap' him whilst drinking a restorative cuppa outside his grotto. (After 4 hours of kids bending his ear I'm surprised it wasn't gin!)

Hope you have been "simply having a wonderful christmas time" Are you singing it?
Until next time, TFL and for all your lovely words.

Fiona x

Saturday 10 December 2011

Snow joke

...making a one layer card with the theme "LET IT SNOW" but this is what Chrissie and Mandi have asked us to do this week. I really wanted to create something a bit different today and thought about acetate but quickly abandoned that idea as near on impossible with one layer. Next, I thought about a never used snowflake stamp, but quite a few LIMette's have used this idea already, and then I remembered this SU stamp from the Seasons set which has been loitering in my stash for some time.




It's also never seen ink before, probably as it's so bloody small! My colouring skills are somewhat limited but hopefully you can see some detail. As the image is so petite I made a miniature card cut with nesties Labels One and embossed around the image with a smaller Labels nestie. It was coloured with water colour pencils and glitter added as a finishing touch. IRL there is more of a blue wash around the tree but this is very pale and has not been picked up by the camera or it's operator!
So as you can see, it's not very different but at least it's a never seen before stamp.

Crafting aside, I've been making other things this week as I've had a bit of a baking sesh. A ginger cake here....


and a new recipe today - Mary Berry's Apple Dessert Cake.........



.......which came out better than expected.

Enjoyed Strictly tonight, but whoever writes Brucie's script should really get the push.

ttfn and thanks for looking.
Fiona x


Saturday 3 December 2011

Scalloped Green Stripes

Hello Dear Readers,

I'm back again with a card that's eligible for two challenges this week. The lovely ladies at LIM have been very thoughtful and given us a challenge that will help us catch up with our xmas cards,(only another 30 to go!) the theme is Green. While over at CAS-ual Friday's they have a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge where you must pick three elements from their grid. See the title of this post for my choice.

So here is my card.





I cut out varying sizes of scalloped circles with my nesties on some DP by Doodlebug Design, then it was just a matter of cutting them to shape, layering up and adding some glitter. I added a Kraft trunk and a Hero Arts sentiment. I am annoyingly short of xmas sentiments and would have liked to have added a CG one but I am rather challenged in that area!

I've had a busy but good week. On Tuesday I went shopping and got myself some charity shop bargains. I found two blouses and a 100% pure new wool jacket in one shop, total price £1.50 and in another CS I found a groovy suede belt-good as new for £1.50. I also found myself some GORGEOUS new boots (this time M&S not CS) I was so excited as I have not been able to find any boots that will zip up my fat old legs since about 1979! That night I went to a pub gig wearing new boots and belt, (and other clothes I hasten to add! Jodie Marsh I'm not.) met some old friends and had a good bop, unfortunately I was driving so I had to stay off the cider. On Wednesday morning I was up early and very bleary eyed shot off to an auction. I didn't get anything that I went for, but successfully bid for a storage unit that I thought would come in useful for the craft stash.





Not bad for nine quid! What did you do this week?

Thanks again for all your lovely comments and for stopping to look.
ttfn,
Fiona x



Sunday 27 November 2011

One in a taxi, one in a car.

Blimey, what's come over me? Two posts within 24 hours!

I knocked up this quick card this morning for LIM's latest challenge which is
Link
A BIT OF

.
I used these stamps by Elusive Images and toyed with the idea of stamping with versamark and then embossing them with gold EP but with three images I thought there would be a very large possibility of gold speckles everywhere, (even with talc in a pop sock!) so abandoned that idea. Therefore I was forced to use the only vaguely gold ink pad I have which is Mustard Seed DI and as you can see it is less than ideal. Does anyone know of a dye based ink in a nice shade of yellow?

Anyway enough waffle, here it is.




I think I could have used my entire stash of faux gems on this card, but decided to call it a day at seventeen-it's not called 'Less is More' for nothing ! Plus, the small one's were a bugger to stick on! I also decided against using my 'we three kings of Orient are' sentiment as I thought it would be superfluous, hope you agree.

The photo is appalling 'tis true, but the battery has gone flat in the old Nikon and I've got to be at work shortly. Please forgive me.

TFL
Fiona x

Saturday 26 November 2011

Craft Fair Day At Last


Today saw the arrival of the long awaited for Village Craft Fair which is an annual fixture here. After Mum died in May I decided that I would like to raise some money for the Hospice that she attended weekly during the last year of her life and where she chose to die. I've never done a Craft Fair before so trying to gauge what would be best sellers was rather trial and error, however I made £75.70 so I'm fairly pleased with that.








Before I go any further I would like to thank Michelle Last, Sarah Makin and Bumblebee whose fabulous idea's I shamelessly knicked. As all the proceeds are for a very worthy charity I hope they will forgive me. Thanks also to my lovely friend Eunice, (without her borrowed crafty stash my table would've been bare) and to my aunt, Sam who kindly made the divinely scented Lavender bags, funky button brooches, felt xmas decorations and jam.




As I've been in major crafting mode since August I'm relieved that it's over, but not deterred from doing another next year, hopefully. Now, I have to crack on with my xmas cards as I am WAY behind with them. God knows when I'm ever going to get any time for housework! Bovvered?

Thanks for stopping to look,
Fiona x


Sunday 13 November 2011

Lest We Forget




I took this quick snap at the village War Memorial an hour or so after the Remembrance Day Service had taken place. I was at home watching the Queen at 11 o clock as I do most years, I find it so humbling watching all the returned servicemen marching and very moving. The weather was certainly smiling on them today!

TFL
Fiona x

Saturday 12 November 2011

Winter Leaves

Hello Dear Readers,

I'm back briefly with my entry for this week's Less is More challenge which is one layer and the theme is LEAVES. I remembered my Hero Arts background stamp which hasn't seen ink in a fair while so I dusted it off and clear embossed a portion of it using the masking technique. I applied Faded Jeans DI with Cut n Dry and then scored a debossed line below and above the panel. (which you can't really see in this diabolical snapshot!)



I didn't intend this to be a christmas card but after I'd finished applying the blue ink I decided it looked rather wintery and frosty so hastily bunged on a christmas sentiment. I say hastily, as I'm on the late shift today and I've yet to iron my uniform so I'd better get a wriggle on.

Thanks to Chrissie and Mandi for another great challenge and also for showCASing my Polka Dot card last week, I was chuffed to bits! Also thanks to all you lovely commentors for your kind words. I'm still busy making stocking fillers for the village xmas fair in two weeks time so don't have much time for blogging at the mo but will be making up for lost time in December I hope.

Ciao for now and TFL
Fiona x

Sunday 23 October 2011

Back with Polka Dots

Hello again,

I've had a crafting break of late due to the upheaval of my craft room. However new windows now fitted and craft room redecorated so it's all systems go.

This evening I made this card which complies with the theme at the Less is More challenge which is Polka Dots. It's a very simple card that took no time at all but I'm quite pleased with it. The DP came from a Kirsty Wiseman CD and sentiment is by SU. Speaking of LIM, I was 'showCASed' recently for a challenge that had 700 odd entries, so I was
very honoured indeed! - Belated thanks to Chrissie & Mandi.





I'm not sure when I will be back again as life is rather full-on at the mo and not in a good way, but I will still drop by to see you all when I can.

TTFN and thanks for looking.

Fiona x


Friday 30 September 2011

Vintage Motors and Hay Bales

No crafting for me this weekend as my craft room is still out of bounds. It has been replastered underneath the new window so I must wait until it's gone off before I get in there again. I've had workmen here for three days, it looks like a bomb has gone off and the cat is traumatised, but it's looking SO much better. They will finish the job on Monday and I will have a proper clear up then.

Since the weather has been glorious I have been out taking pics today. I visited a classic car garage in the village and asked the owner if it was ok to snap some of his lovely old vehicles. He was more than happy to oblige and I even sat in them and sniffed the lovely upholstery which took me right back to my childhood.


My Dad had one just like this


So nostalgic


I sat in this and imagined I was Miss Marple!



Whilst out and about today I spotted some hay bales in a field and thought it would be a great photo opportunity, so I returned there this evening and got these shots.

Not my greatest photography moments so far as I forgot to use my light compensation thingy! Hardly surprising as I was dicing with death taking these pics. I was standing in a mass of stinging nettles and brambles in flip-flops on the bend of a very busy road which was about 5 inches behind me.
Do not try this at home!

So that's all from me for now, a pile of ironing and 'Strictly' await.
TFL, have a great weekend and enjoy the rays.

Fiona x

Saturday 24 September 2011

The Garden of England

...is where I've been for a few days, visiting my Auntie in Ashford. I had a lovely time visiting Headcorn, Whitstable and the Factory Outlet and took lots of snaps with my new camera. There were plenty that I was disappointed with, but here are some I am brave enough to show you.


The obligatory postcards were bought here


Lovely quaint old streets


Moules Mariniere for lunch here...


...followed by a stroll around the harbour,


then along the beach.


...some washed-up old relic


aren't they pretty?


doughnuts to die for!!!


(He's not wrong!)


.....the end of a perfect day.


Back home there's work to be done, I'm having new windows fitted and furniture needs to be shifted beforehand. My craft room will be a no-go zone for the next week as I'm having the window partially bricked in. I'm dreading all the mess and chaos but it will be worth it to have some decent windows at last.
See you when it's all over.

Thanks for looking and all your comments.
Fiona x


Saturday 17 September 2011

Anything Goes!

Mandi and Chrissie at LIM have made it easy for us this week with an Anything Goes theme, so I dug out some stamps I haven't used for a while and came up with this.   

 


It's a little busier than my usual creations but hope it qualifies as CAS.  I used various C.I. stamps together with the Isabelle Norris/Katzelkraft sentiment.  
I have the weekend off so I'm hoping to get some more crafting in, it must be about time I started on the xmas cards and I'm still making stocking fillers for my stall at the village Xmas Fayre in November.
Hope you all have a good weekend and many thanks for stopping to look.

Fiona x 

Anyone else having trouble with Blogger again? 

Monday 5 September 2011

Metallic

Hello again,

I've been absent from blogland for a while as I've been busy making stuff for the village Xmas Fayre. I have booked a table and hope to sell lots of crafty bits and pieces to raise money for St Catherine's Hospice.
Also, a couple of days ago I finally bought myself a DSLR, so exciting! I'm still playing with it but managed to take this half decent shot of my latest card which I'm entering into LIM'S Metallic challenge.


This time I have created a gap card and used my new Xcut star dies (£10 cheaper than Spellbinders!) The mirri board stars (some embossed) were glued onto black pearlised card which almost has a metallic sheen to it.
On one side of the card I added a tab cut on the Labels One nesties, on which I had printed the sentiment.



The gap leaves little space inside for a greeting, but I tried to pretty it up all the same.
I'm not a big fan of metallics especially in crafting so I don't have a lot of suitable stash, hope this will qualify though.

Thanks for taking time to stop and look.
Fiona x


Thursday 25 August 2011

Papers

I have drawers full of design papers and yet it's something I rarely use. I think it's because stamping is my 'thing' and I usually like a CAS design, it can sometimes get a bit busy with both. Anyway, I've recently been inspired to use my papers, but did I use any of the hundreds lurking in my stash???? Noooo....I printed some more from a CD! Kirsty Wiseman's CD rom Colour Burst of Fanciful Things is a veritable Aladdin's cave of lush designs.




I also used a chipboard frame coloured with distress ink and stamped with a tiny Hero Arts flower, a die-cut butterfly embossed with a border folder and a tiny tag. It's certainly not CAS and a bit different for me, but I'm going to enter it into One Stop Craft's Bold & Bright Challenge this week.

It's a grim day today in Sussex, very grey and wet, hence an indoor shot of the card. Sorry it's not better.


TFL
Fiona x


Monday 22 August 2011

Allotment Scenes



Here are some recent snaps I took when visiting the allotment last week. Still using my point and press but concentrating more on composition and content than the technical side at the moment. (I'm sure some purists would photoshop that dead bit of foliage out of the frame in the dahlia shot, but I don't know how to do that yet!)










Before I go, just wanted to share this beautiful birthday card made for me by my very talented friend Eunice.





Isn't it stunning?

LinkThanks for taking the time to drop by.
Fiona x