Thank you for the music.....

Hi everyone, a bit late for the latest challenge over at the Craft Barn, I always think I've got plenty of time when it's a fortnightly challenge:)
As usual I've created a tag and the two words we had to work with were PASSION and MUSIC. I wanted to keep to my lyric theme and this ABBA song came to mind. It must be obvious because Jim just walked past, saw it and started singing:)

 I stamped Thank you and wrote the rest. The flourish is from JustRite and the rose a freebie from Craft Stamper mag. The EF is from Darice.

Have a good day:)

Less is More week 173-recipe

Hi everyone what a horrible wet and cold day! Just a quick post before I go off to aquafit for this weeks challenge over at Less is More:

Week 173

We have a recipe this week and so we would like you to include a 

DIE CUT

If there is anyone who doesn't have the resources to make a die cut, we'd hate you not to be able to participate, so if you don't possess a die cutting machine or happen to have any ready made die cuts... you may use a punchie if you really need to, but we would obviously prefer you to stick to the challenge as is!

I made two cards and am now thinking that they are not as CAS as they should be! Anyway I'm sure Chrissie and Co will let me know:) Come and see:

I used a Tattered lace over the edge die and a MB butterfly with a sizzx ef. I silver embossed the butterfly and the sentiment which is an old See Dee one.

Here I used another Die'sire create a card die called decadence and the floral bouquet from Tattered Lace with a little Tattered Rose DI sponged behind and on the flowers.

See you soon:)

We survived!

Afternoon everyone and yes, we survived looking after Charlie for 4 days 24/7!! We are quite lost now, he is great fun and was as good as gold. He didn't ask for Keir and Lara at all and they had a fabulous few days in Venice for their anniversary.
 I made a card for them using one of the Die'sire create-a-card dies and the centre topper is a Darkroom Door image from the Venetian collection. Apologies for the photo but I forgot to take one and had to ask Keir to send me one from his phone:)

Dotty card from Anne-Marie designs.

I also used the same die to make a birthday card for Elly whose wedding we were at 3 weeks ago. I like the cuts and embossing that you get with these dies gives the effect of laser cutting.

A young couple we know have just had a baby girl so of course I had to make a card, come and see:

I made a chest of drawers stepper card and used dies to indicate date, time, weight and name and the pram.
A pretty Irish name which for those of you not familiar with it, it's pronounced Sorcha.

Keir, Lara and Charlie went home yesterday morning and Jim and I have been chilling out ever since! Thank God for retirement:)

Hope the weather picks up soon, it's a bit on the chilly side and I would like to use my new awning!!
Off to check out the Less is More challenge and catch up on all your blogs, hope you've all had a good bank holiday weekend.

Less is More week 172-theme

Hi everyone, another fantastic day and I've managed to get a little crafting done as I needed an anniversary card, a birthday card and one for this weeks Less is More challenge which is as follows:

Now onto this week's challenge.

We have a theme and it is 

FLOWERS

Just a brief reminder... we like to see white space, few layers and minimal embellishments!

I kept it very simple using an NBUS stamp from a large set of floral stamps that I won a couple of years ago but I don't know the make. I stamped with versamark and embossed with fine detail gold powder and coloured with PM's. I dry embossed a couple of lines to sit the sentiment on and matted with dotty paper from Anne- Marie and popped it onto white card stock.

Definitely won't be any crafting done this week as Charlie arrives tomorrow:)

Q&L challenge

Evening all, wow what a lovely day, so warm although it doesn't seem to be going to continue! Never mind, enjoy it while you can:)
Back to craft and I'm really late posting my tag for the Q&L challenge but I couldn't get up any enthusiasm for the words this time. I've ended up using a song by Johnny Cash, not one of his iconic ones though, come and see:

The words were UNIQUE and FAME and I've used FAME, thanks for taking time out to visit and I hope you're having a good weekend:)

Happy Birthday Sandie!

                                  
Morning all today is Sandie's birthday (London Days)  and along with a few friends we are celebrating it with a birthday linky party! Nonni and Lynn have set this up and invited lots of Sandie's friends to join in as she visits us all and leaves encouraging comments. I was lucky enough to meet Sandie over the Easter weekend when Kylie was staying with her and I was delighted to be asked to join in the party.
So here is my card for the birthday girl, Happy Birthday Sandie!!

Please pop over to Nonni's blog and see all the other friends that have joined in the linky party:)

Less is More week 171-one layer

Hi everyone I'm back from our break in Derbyshire, more of that later. This week the challenge over at Less is More is for a one layer card with a theme:

Our ONE LAYER theme 

this week is 

THANK YOU!

We are delighted to announce our new 

Design Team Member.

We had the most astonishing group of crafters to choose from and the decision was exceedingly difficult.

However the Designer has been selected and we're sure that you will be delighted with our choice.

It is

Sarah

(SAZZLE DAZZLE)

I've missed crafting, it's been over a week but I have been busy making cards today as I have more birthdays coming up and next week Charlie is coming to stay for four days, so there will be no chance!! I may need another break after that:)
Anyway here is what I came up with using the SU Wetlands stamps set and Crumb Cake and Soft Suede inks. The sentiment is a JustRite one with three pearls as a highlight.

Our break is Derbyshire was lovely, not an area I am familiar with but very scenic. We stopped for lunch on the way up on the banks of the Grand Union canal and watched the narrow boats floating by. Quite fancy that as a holiday! 

We spent a day at Chatsworth and bought lots of goodies at their farm shop and another day relaxing and going for walks along the river bank which ran past our house. Amazing house, huge rooms and very well equipped and we managed to imbibe a fair amount of wine:)

I am waiting in anticipation for the heatwave which is promised for later this week, I live in hope:)

Bank holiday celebrations!

Afternoon all from a hot and sunny London town! What a fabulous weekend and so unusual for a bank holiday:) I am having a relaxing day recovering from too much dancing and champers yesterday at the wedding!!
The venues were amazing from the University Women's club in Mayfair, where the service was held in the library,


 to the Garden Museum next to Lambeth Palace for the reception. The weather was perfect and we were transferred to the reception in a vintage double decker bus:)

The museum is a de consecrated church with loads of dried flowers suspended above the tables and it was a bit like being in Alice in Wonderland.

 The garden is a knot garden and there are several headstones in the ground,  including one of  Elias Ashmole who founded the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and a small mausoleum for Rear Admiral Bligh of the Bounty.
 The champagne was uncorked at 1.30 and was still flowing at 6pm!

Family photo call

Friends for 35 years!

Eleanor, the bride, made her wedding cake, beautiful!

I struggled to find a fascinator to match my dress and jacket as I hate hats and finally on Saturday morning I found some navy card and using my TH Tattered florals die created the following embellishment. Several people commented on how well it matched my outfit but didn't realise it was cardstock:)

The friends in the photo above and respected husbands are all off on Tuesday to Derbyshire for 4 days and we are hoping for good weather but I think it's going to rain! Still we have plans to visit Chatsworth and maybe Haddon Hall if it's wet so I will not be posting for a while. Phew you say after reading through this long post!

Thanks for bearing with me:)

Birthdays & more!

Morning all just a quick post, albeit a bit photo heavy:)
Yesterday was my sister Karen's birthday and we usually go down for the weekend but we have a wedding this afternoon in London and then a few of us are off to Derbyshire on Tuesday for a few days. Also my BiL is having an op on Tuesday so it will be a couple of weeks before we get together.
Karen does a lot of sewing, felting and machine embroidery so I thought I'd make a pop up box card to suit these interests, come and see:

All the elements are digi stamps and with embosslits buttons and thread wrapped around. The dp is from Anna Griffin

My nephew had a birthday two weeks ago and this is the card that I made him using Stamps Away trees and a JustRite topper and sentiment.

My great nephew is 18 on Monday and here is the card I made for him:

I cut the stepper card with my Silhouette which cuts all the mats as well as the topper, very handy! The dp is from Anne-Marie designs.

Finally as I said we are off to my friend's daughter's wedding which is in London followed by a reception at the Garden Museum on the River Thames. Luckily the weather appears to be much improved!

I have made a tealight card for Eleanor and Richard using the colour and flower Wisteria as that is the colour theme for her wedding.

Thanks for bearing with me and I hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend:)