Saying Goodbye To 2012

Hi Everyone,

 

I hope you all had a great Christmas. 

 

I would like to thank you all for your support in visiting my blog and for or the lovely comments you have left me, throughout 2012. 

 

I would especially like to thank the visitors from outside of the UK. The most of my visitors are at the moment, from Russia. So I would like to say a special thanks to them and I wish you could leave me a message on my comments, so I know who you are.

 

This is my first card I have made since Christmas. Today is the first day that we have no visitors, or that we are out visiting. I really enjoyed sitting at my desk and chilling out, making this card this morning. Even listening to my husband in the background, cursing, as he was changing the washer on the tap in the kitchen!! Even that did not distract me!

 

The stamp is of course from Lili Of the Valley and I used Distress Inks to colour the image with. Victorian Velvet and Frayed Burlap for her dress and Tea Dye for her wings and hair. The usual colours for her skin.

 

 

For the flowers, I coloured a scrap of white card with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and used the Nestie Poinsettia Die but cut off the points when I took them out of the dies.

 

The Leaves and the Butterflies dies are Cheery Lyn Designs.  The background papers are from my stash.

 

I am still getting to grips with my new photo programme. Not quite perfected it yet! Practise makes perfect! From looking at these pictures, I still have a lot of practising to do!!

 

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you all have a wonderful celebration for the New Year. We are hopefully having a quiet evening, just phoning my in-laws in Australia, if we can get through.

 

Wishing you all a peaceful 2013.

 

Hugs,

 

Carol S.xx

An Old Favourite!

Hi All,

 

I am posting 2 nights running, I can't believe it!

 

Still having problems with my photo program. If I put my name on, I then can't upload the picture. Hope to solve it over the Christmas break.

 

This Santa stamp I have had for a number of years. It was on a wooden block but I always remove them and put them onto u-mount.

 

I first made the background paper, starting with a piece of white paper and coloured it with Antique Linen Distress Ink. I then used Tea Dye DI and a Kaiser Craft Script stamp  and stamped all over the paper. I then ran a gold leaf pen around the edges.

 

 

I stamped Santa with Vintage Photo onto white card and cut it out with the largest size Nestie Label 18. I left it in the die and using Dry Foam and Vintage Photo ink, I edged it around the inside of the die. I then ran a gold leaf pen around the edge.

 

I used the same size die on a piece of gold pearlescent card, drawing around the outside of the die, making a slightly larger size. I used scissors to cut it out. I used foam pads to mount the image onto the gold card.

 

The Poinsettia I cut out of some brown patterned paper and a scrap of green paper from my stash. I then edged each petal with gold acrylic paint dabber. I glued it together and added a gold gem in the middle.

 

I cut 2 strips of gold designer paper and stuck them onto the backing paper.  I then added the sentiment. After gluing the Santa in place, I added Stickles Star Dust onto the snowflakes in his beard and on the edges of the flower. Around the edges of the image I used Gold Stickles.

 

Finally I used Glossy Accents on his eyes and his glasses.

I hope you like this card as much as I do. This really is my all time favourite image of Santa.

 

Thanks for stopping by. I will post more market photos and even pics of my finished drive!!

 

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

Our Christmas Market.

Hi All,

 

I am still struggling with my new photo program. It's much more complicated than the last one.

 

These are a few pictures of our market we had earlier this month. It was not as busy as the last one but most of us did ok. I think it was a bit too late, and very short notice. We are going to start planning next years markets in January.

 

I will try to post more pictures tomorrow of a few more stalls.

 

The first picture was taken from my stall down towards the other end of the room.

 

The picture below is of my favourite jewellery stall, Chrys Tapping Jewellery. It is all handmade and each item is unique. I just love it and now have four of Chrys's creations. I will take a close up photo of my necklaces and post it, as this picture does not do it justice.

 

The picture below is of Richard and Ynes Anderson, Father and Daughter. He makes stunning wood turned items, such as bowls, vases and even miniature items. Ynes also makes miniatures. As I have had a go at that for items for my Dolls House, I know just how difficult these are to make. Her items are superb.

The picture below is my stall, a mix of painted mirrors. Clocks made from canvas that have also been painted and one I have made as a collage for a person who likes sewing. I used large press studs for the numbers. The other items are notebooks, door stops, cards and an assortment of gifts I have made.

The next picture is Phil Bird, a fantastic photographer. He actually lives opposite me with his wife Barbara. (not in the picture as she was not well)  He makes his photos into beautiful wall art and even into cards. A lot of his photos are in our towns' official calendar.

 

 

Siobhan is hiding behind her cards and Jenny, her Mum is behind their hand knitted items. I have known them for quite some time, as they used to come to some of my classes at the Craft Barn in Lingfield, where I was a Tutor and Demonstrator.  Siobhan now works there in the shop part time. Their knitted items sell very well and they still are trying to get their orders completed in time for Christmas. They are both great fun and we do meet up at quite a few markets.

 

 

We had a raffle with loads of prizes, a lot of which were won by the stall holders! They all had contributed a gift to the raffle along with many other items we had been given. We raised £35 from the raffle. I gave my Charity, Brendoncare Stildon £125 in total and a small donation to The British Heart Foundation.

 

I have finally finished all my orders tonight thank goodness.

 

Sadly I have to now spend tomorrow cleaning the house. Very boring, but it has to be done!!

 

Thanks for visiting my blog and I will even try to post some cards tomorrow as well.

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

I'm Back Again!!



Hi Everyone,

 

Thank you for still taking the time to visit my blog, even though I had not posted recently.

 

We have finally received a new CD for my photo program but now I can't use it properly. If I crop a photo and add my name I cannot then return to that photo!! I tells me it is corrupt! (Scream and stamp feet!!)

 

So frustrating getting a response from the company. In a week, they have sent me one suggestion for a fix and that didn't work.

 

Any way that's my rant for now.

 

This is a clock I have made for our market on Thursday 6th, this week! My friend Sue and myself have arranged our own market, our first, so a bit scary!! It is being held at East Grinstead Sports Club, Saint Hill Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, from 10am - 2pm. If you know the area we would love to see you.

 

We have 14 stalls all different and a lot are hand made items. Sadly some of the people we would have liked are fully booked up and like me, struggling to keep enough stock for all the markets.

 

 

 I have made loads of Christmas cards but not put them on this stupid computer program yet.

 

The poppies for this clock are Indigo Blue stamps and painted with Acrylic paint. I have also done candles and mirrors with this stamp.

 

The poppy candles go like hot cakes and even sold a couple of the mirrors too.

Well only a little post for now, as I must get back to making stock for Thursday.

 

Thanks for stopping by and I will get around to visiting all my fave blogs soon. Thursday is my last market, so hopefully I will have a bit more time to clean the house as well!!

 

Hugs,

 

Carol S.xx

Fed Up!!

Hi Everyone,

 

Sorry no pictures. We have finally got our new computer running but I have no Photo programme now.

 

I have had to order a replacement on line and wait 10 working days for it to arrive. I know it is coming by snail mail but how can it take 10 working days?!! You would have thought that in the climate we have now, that companies would be keen to get orders out quickly to customers.

 

So that is why I am fed up.

 

They have finally finished our drive and it looks great. They came today with some more soil for the beds, so I can get planting. I will post some pictures when I have my programme along with my cards and other project pictures I have taken.

 

I have also been busy with my friend Sue, arranging our Charity Christmas  Extravaganza Craft Market. We are having it in the East Grinstead Sports Club, where the famous Hockey Team are based. It is on Thursday 6th December from 10am to 2pm. Would love to see some of you that live in the area.

 

The 2 Charities we are supporting are Brendoncare Stildon, the Charity I have fund raised for 9 years and also The British Heart Foundation, who the Sport Club supports. We are having a raffle and the monies will be split between them both, along with other monies raised.

 

We have been putting poster and flyers around the town and surrounding villages. Next is the local papers and radio. We are already going into a local magazine.

 

I have a stall at a market this Saturday and every weekend until our market. My problem is that I am selling so much at the markets, I am struggling to keep my stock levels up.

 

I painted a canvas with Poppies and put a clock on it. I finished it on the Friday and it was the 3rd item I sold on the Saturday morning!

 

I was also offered a space for my stall in town, in a shop for 3 days a week. I had to turn it down, as I would not be able to make enough things to sell.

 

I am now going back to my desk to see if the paint is dry on my latest project.

 

I will post some piccies as soon as my photo programme arrives.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

Peace On Earth

Hi Everyone,

I am so sorry that I haven't posted for ages. It has been a nightmare here again, as we are having the last of the major ground work done.

We have had our concrete drive and front garden dug up and we are having it block paved, so we can drive straight on instead of having to reverse onto the drive. We then had to reverse 20 metres to the house. That's ok unless we have to swop cars, then it's a pain. So we have saved up our pennies, to have a nice big turning area in the front garden.

Why do builders drink so much tea!Lol!! I am in the kitchen every hour making yet more tea, or being called to look at the next problem they have found! This has now being going on for 4 weeks and still not finished. We hope to be completed by Thursday, subject to the weather.

I have still managed to get out to do my craft markets. It was a bit difficult getting my boxes of stock out to my car, which was parked on my neighbours drive. We have planks of wood from the front door, which is actually on the side of our house. From there they go to the front, across the front towards my neighbours garden and then through her garden to my car!! At 7.30 in the morning, in the rain, it was a bit of an adventure!

I will put some pictures on my next post so you can see for yourself!

I seemed to get little else done as my routine has been turned upside down. I am so used to peace and quiet.

I made this card with one of LOTV stamps from last Christmas. I bought it late so didn't get to use it much last year. I took it to the market I did yesterday and got orders for 2 more and also sold this one. Thank goodness I had taken pictures, as I am hopeless at remembering what I had done!

The base card was cut using the free templates on Lili Of The Valley web site. I then stamped and embossed  large snowflakes on the card, using Versamark clear ink pad and used white Embossing Powder which I had mixed with some crystal glitter.

She was painted with Distress Inks of course. I used Chipped Sapphire for her dress, Tumbled Glass for her wings and the clouds. Peeled paint for the foliage, a wash of Vintage Photo for her hair and the usual for her face, Antique Linen and Tattered Rose.

I used gold Acrylic paint for her Harp and the stars.

I used a dries clear glue and Ultra Fine Crystal glitter on her wings, dress and the clouds. For the berries I used Red Stickles. I cut the main image using Spellbinders Decorative Labels Twenty-seven and matted it onto gold card cut with Fleur de Lis Squares.

I cut the Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia from heavy weight Vellum. I used Gold Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber on the edges of each petal. I glued it together and used a foam pad to stick it onto the card. I then ran a gold pen around the edge of the card.

Hopefully I will have 'Peasce On Earth' here by the end of the week!Lol!!

Thank you to all of the visitors to my blog, even though I had not updated it for so long. It was so nice to see that you had still taken time to stop by.

Hugs,
Carol S.xx

A Topsy Turvy Time!!

Hi Bloggers,

Well I have had a very busy time the last couple of weeks. Some good things and some not so good.  It ended this last week with a funeral on Thursday and my son's wedding on Friday. A very emotional couple of days.

The funeral was for a very lovely man who was only 59 years old. A very kind man, with a lovely wife and 2 great children who are only 20 and 22, so really needed to still have their Dad in their lives. Life really is sometimes so unfair.

As a contrast, my son's wedding was in a posh country house, 5 star hotel, South Lodge in Horsham. You know the sort of place. Michelin star chef, gourmet food. The sort that you wonder when the rest of the meal is coming, as my ex-brother-in-law said! The weather was kind and it didn't start raining until the photos had just finished being taken. My Granddaughter looked very pretty as a bridesmaid and my 2 year old Grandson was really funny as a page boy. Just as my son was about to say I do, my Grandson started counting in a very loud voice! Everyone laughed including the Registrar.

The card below is using my 'still favourite' Lili Of The Valley Fairy. I coloured her with Distress Inks and mounted her onto white card, cut with a Marianne Creatables Die and inked through with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. The backing paper was from my stash.

The flowers I made using a Woodware Punch that cuts all 5 sizes in one go. I used a ball tool and the back of a mouse mat, running the tool around the centre of each flower to make it curl upwards.

The butterflies are also Marianne Dies but the leaves are a Cheeky Lynn Design Die. The butterflies were coloured with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.

The sentiment was just stamped onto white card and cut out with a Sizzix Flower Die.

I don't think I will ever get bored using this little fairy and as I sold this card the day after I made it, I think other people agree.

I am still into making Christmas cards and hopefully will get time in a couple of days to post some.

We are having our drive at the front of our house redesigned and laid starting on Wednesday. It badly needs doing and it will be great to be able to drive straight onto it, instead of having to back onto it. It has taken me 3 stressful, frustrating weeks of phone calls, getting designs and quotes and finding the right people to do the job. It is always difficult to get good tradesmen. Keeping fingers crossed it will be great!

Thank you for visiting my blog from wherever you are in this world. I love to see the audience figures. I seem to be quite popular in Russia. Would love to hear from you.

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

Toadstool Heaven.

Hi everyone,

I have had another long day today. I was up at 6am this morning and on the road to do a market by 7.30am. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had been able to get to sleep last night! I even went to bed early at 12.15. Why is it that you can never get to sleep when you have to get up early the next day?!

The market was quite good today and I even sold the Fairy Bluebell Wood box. I have to now tell my Grand daughter that it has gone and hope she won't be too upset. I could make her one for Christmas.

A girl who comes to the market every month and always buys something from me, came to see me today to say goodbye, as she is going home to Czechoslovakia tomorrow. She had another girl with her who is taking her place here as a Nanny and she wanted to introduce her to me.  She was so sweet to do that, I gave her one of my bookmarks I had made, to remember her time here. It has been lovely seeing her English language improve over the couple of years she has been here.

For this card I stamped the Polka Doodles images using Versafine Smokey Grey ink pad. There are 6 stamps in the set and you can build up the picture as you wish.

 I coloured the images with a mixture of Copics and Promarkers. On the white spots on the toadstool below, I added Sakura white glaze. When it was dry I added Glossy Accents on the top of the white.

I love the little mice peeping around the sides and the bird nesting on the chimney.

The snails are my favourite in this next picture. They are so cute! Not so in my garden though!! They have been really bad this year, along with the slugs.

I have a very strange week coming up next week. I am going to a friend's husbands' funeral on Thursday. He was only 59 and was ill for such a short time. He had cancer which reached his brain and within a few weeks he left us. He was the nicest guy you could ever meet. He had a wicked sense of humour too. We will certainly miss him. Why is life so unfair?

Then as a complete contrast, the next day my Son is getting married. My Granddaughter is a bridesmaid and her 2 year old brother is a page boy. That is sure to be fun!! He is such a character. I just hope it doesn't rain.

So it will certainly be a week of very mixed of emotions.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me your lovely messages,

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

Computers Are Great When They Work!!

Hi All,

What a nightmare I have had for the last couple of weeks! Our computer died, then my husband managed to get it running again, briefly. Then it died again. This time he ordered a new one through his work. He works for a computer software supplier company. It has arrived but we have to wait for his manager to come to set it all up, as he has to be able to connect direct to his work.

Luckily he has managed to give our old one the kiss of life again! This time I am able to actually use it. We are hoping that our new one will get set up this week.

I have been busy making things and cards for my charity markets. I did one on Friday and then another on Saturday. Both were all day. I didn't wake up until 10o'clock this morning!

This card I made when I had a bit of playtime. I printed the 'O' onto some card using the computer and I had the letters and the 3 Kings stamps in my stash. The 'Christmas' stamp I think, was an old Stamp Addicts one.

I printed an 'O' on a piece of copy paper first and then cut out the centre of the 'O', for a mask. I found a peel off star and put it in the 'O' on the card. I then stamped and embossed the Kings below the star, using Versamark and Disco Black embossing powder. For the background, I placed the copy paper mask over the card and using a piece of Dry Foam and Stormy Sky Distress Ink, I added the ink around the edge of the hole. I then used a small piece of paper, lined it up from the star to the first King and applied the ink along the edge of the paper. I then moved the paper along as you can see the lines, applying the ink along the edge of the paper each time. Ending in front of the last camel's head.

 

 

I then removed the peel off star, so the lines look like rays from the star. I then sprayed a little Cosmic Shimmer Pearlescent Mica Spray over the whole image. It doesn't show very well in the photos but has added a lovely shimmer.

I hope you like my effort and it was quite fun to do. Don't know if I would like to do a batch of them though!

I have quite a few cards to post but will have to keep my fingers crossed if the computer will let me.

I have tried to leave comments on my favourite blogs but have had problems with some of them. If you have masses of different images on the side bars, it just freezes my old girl and then I get chucked out of my Internet connection! So apologies to you but I am admiring from afar and will get back to you soon!

Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

Urgent!! Blogger Friends, Please Read This Post

Hi Blogger Friends,

Please take a few moments to read this post and then help if you can.

I follow Gloria Shirr's blog at www.purpleglocreations.blogspot.com and she had a touching story about a little boy called Matt.

He has had from birth, many challenges, having been born with only 2 fingers on each hand and without feet. He has undergone many operations which you can read about on his Mom's blog. 

After reading Gloria's blog, I went straight to Matt's Mother's blog, www.heartmadelife.com/selflessness  and there read her story of her amazing son. She has also included many photos of Matt through his years, to now at 10 years old.

Matt is now wanting to brighten the lives of the children, that are now undergoing treatment in the Shriner's Childrens Hospital, where he was literally put back on his feet! All you need do, is to make a get well soon card and send it to him, to pass onto a child in the hospital. He wants to get 75 by 8th September and he can't make all 75 himself!

Please take the time to pop over via the links.

I had my Granddaughter, Mia for the day on Tuesday. I showed her the story and the pictures of Matt. She said that we must make some cards and send them to him. They must have no added embellishments, glitter or 3D foam pads on, as some of them will go to small children, who could pull off bits and put them in their mouths. There are full details on their site.

The first picture are the 4 cards Mia made. The ideas were her own and she drew them herself, other than the mouse with the flower, which she traced from a stamped image.

 This is a cockerel with a leg in plaster and leaning on a crutch. I just love the duck, giving him the flower to cheer him up. I think it's so cute.

Mia is only 6 but I think her drawings are amazing for her age. OK I may be just a little bit biased! She came up with the ideas so quickly and within minutes they were there, on the paper. I just love the detail.

My cards are pictured below. I cheated, because the bear and the bunnies I had already coloured and were in my stash. The girl on the sofa was off a CD. The only one I had to colour was the kitten, which I did with Copics and Promarkers. Mia still made her cards quicker than me!!

I am posting them off tomorrow, so I hope they arrive in time. I am sure even if they wee a bit later, they will still get to the children.

I am sure you may even have the odd card laying around your craft room that just has to be put in the post!! Or one that wasn't perfect!

Thank you for popping by and please let me know if you do send a card or 2 to Matt.

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

Sue's Cat, Mia!

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted for a bit but I have had a few problems going on over the last couple of weeks. The final straw happened when I was in my craft room working and I heard a very loud bang and then the tinkling sound of breaking glass. I ran into the sitting room, to find my great big mirror I had hanging over the fireplace, in the middle of the floor smashed to pieces! The glass had shot all over the room.

I had a beautiful ornamental cat my daughter had bought me many years ago, which was sitting on the mantelpiece. It had a very long tail which curled up at the end. The tail had been snapped off half way up. Also a small chip was out of his ear. Another smaller cat that was alongside him, he was in a pose with his front legs stretched out. He had a toe missing. A wooden goblet that I had turned on a lathe was under the mirror, thankfully not damaged. A big plant I had in the fireplace, had the porcelain pot it was standing in broken. I had just watered the plant, so water was pouring out the bottom. I didn't know where to start first. Decided to mop up the water first and then got a dustpan and brush and started clearing up the glass. It took a couple of hours and I was really fed up!

I repaired the cat's broken tail and smoothed out the chip in his ear and coloured it with Distress Ink! Later that night, I was turning out the light on a side table where I sit and saw something on my book, which was on the table. It was the smaller cat's toe!! It was perfect, so I just stuck it back on and it doesn't even show the join!

Not looking forward to 7 years bad luck!!:(

Finally found time to post a card I made for my friend Sue. She has a couple of cats and one is called Mia, the same as my Grand-daughter. She also has loads of chickens running around her place, which is amazing, with a 2 1/2 acre lake in the middle.

I used a Joanna Sheen stamp and coloured the image with distress inks. She is a multi coloured cat, not quite as bright as my picture. Sue is coming with me to do a craft market on Saturday.

The flowers are just from my stash and the butterflies were punched from some scraps I had.

Well I am off to bed as it is 01.10 and I have to be up early tomorrow. Have a good weekend.

Thank you for stopping by and I just love to read your lovely comments.
Hugs,
Carol S.xx

Pretty in Pink.

Hi Blogger Friends,

What strange weather we had today here in Sussex. Chilly, wet and windy this morning and steaming hot this afternoon. I have been working in the garden most days up until yesterday. I had my Granddaughter for the day yesterday, so I played with her for the day.

This card is using a Lili of the Valley image. They are still my favourite at the moment. I have just bought some of the new Christmas stamps they released recently. Pop over to their shop and you will see the new stamps. I have stamped them and have started to paint them but had to stop, as I have to make some family cards.

The background paper was from my stash and I added Victorian Velvet Distress Ink around the edges. I used the Fleur De Lys Nestabilities Dies to cut out the backing paper and also the sentiment.

The lacy butterflies and the green leaves are the Cheery Lynn Designs dies. The flowers I have had for years in my box of bits.  I made up the small bouquet and curled the stems around a kebab stick. I have of course added Star Dust Stickles around! I used a Sakura White Glaze pen to add the dots on her hat and the buttons on her top.

I hope to get some Christmas cards posted next time. I am so behind because of the garden problems. I must remember to post some pictures of it before and after.

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments.

Hugs,

Carol S.xx

It's Done!

Hi Bloggers,

To say I am shattered is putting it mildly. It took me and a friends son, two and a half days, to take up and replace properly, two footpaths in my garden. I had to level the ground and then put the slabs down on a dry mix of sand and cement. All 35 of them! Then I cut the membrane to fit around the slabs and finally David put the gravel on around the slabs. On the first day we did a whole path but the second was a lot longer in length and took a day and a half. We were also rained on a few times, which gave us an excuse to watch a bit of the Olympics!

On the afternoon of the half day, another of my friends and her husband came over, to take away all the unwanted earth and grass turfs. So I spent the afternoon pushing a barrow full of earth the length of my back garden, 108', the length of my house and the length of my front garden, about 40' to the road, where the trailer was. I am sure my arms are now a bit longer than they were! It was very kind of them to take it away to use on their land, as it was much cheaper and easier than getting a skip.

I then went over the patio, taking out the bad lumpy bits and relaying the membrane flat. I also have planted some plants in the gravel, so it looks less like a beach!

I was going to do this post this morning but as I was sitting here at the computer, there was an almighty crash in my sitting room. I ran in to find the huge mirror over the fireplace had crashed to the floor. Glass was everywhere and a few items on the fireplace had been broken.

I wonder if the bad luck I have just had with the garden, will come off the 7 years of bad luck!!

This is a card I have just made for stock. I love this Little Claire stamp and I haven't used it for a while. I coloured it with a mixture of Copics and Promarkers.

The sentiment is also from a set of Little Claire stamps. For the gold dots I used the Cosmic Shimmer gold glue.

For the leaves I used a die from Cheery Lynn Designs and Prima flowers from my stash.

 I sprinkled a little Star Dust Stickles around here and there.

Hope you like what you see and thanks for stopping by.
Hugs,

Carol S.xx

Bits and Pieces

Hi All,

Sorry I haven't posted for a while but I have been making the most of the good weather. I have had a new patio and 2 footpaths laid in the garden. What a mistake that was!!

I had a friends' husband and nephew doing the work, after she assured me that it was the sort of work he did. The nephew was a very hard worker but did what he was told.

The final result was, 2 paths that cannot be walked on, as all the slabs wobble. He had dug big lumps of earth out of the path area and laid down membrane on the earth without levelling it! Threw down the slabs on top of the membrane and topped it with gravel!!! Job done!! I said to him about the bumps and he said that the gravel would level them off and I should throw gravel under the wobbly slabs!!

What a cowboy!

I now have to take up the paths. Remove the gravel, lift off the slabs and remove the membrane. Then level off the ground by removing earth in some places and adding in others. I will then lay sand and cement, (which he made me buy last Saturday for £43 and he never used) on top of the earth for the slabs. Cover over with the membrane and finally add the gravel. All of which, should have been done in the first place.

I also have bumpy areas on the patio to sort out, along with rumpled and shredding membrane around the slabs.

I am very lucky, as I have 2 friends coming to help me next week.

Now I feel better after my rant, these are a few of the things I have made for my next Craft Fair, next month.

A few fusioned daisies on the candle and flower pot.

I do love Sheena Douglass's Stamps. They are very versatile and you always get a great image. I stamped them with Grey Stazon and painted with Eco Friendly Acrylic Paints from the Craft Barn in Lingfield.

 This pot has a matt finish, so it paints very easily.

 This was just a plain mug I bought in a sale. I stamped the sewing related images, using a set of stamps that were free with a magazine, sorry can't remember which one, using Stazon.The tape measure sticky tape was from the same magazine.

I made the Pincushion top with a scrap of fabric and stuffed it with wadding. I drew leaf shapes on some green felt and attached them to the top. The cherry was another scrap, cut into a circle. A row of gathering stitches around the edge and pulled up. I put some wadding inside, pulled the thread tight and attached it on top of the leaves.

I stitched some ribbon to the bottom edge which I tied to the mug handle.

Inside the mug I have put a few pins, needles, buttons and threads. All packed separately. Thought it made a nice little gift.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you liked what you have seen.

Hugs,

Carol S.xx



What A Week!!

Good evening all,

What a week I have had. I had a couple of men start work in the garden on Wednesday, preparing the ground for our patio. The area is 40' by 35' and they started to strip off the grass in the rain. They gave up after a few hours, as the rain was coming down so hard the turf cutting machine wouldn't work.

On Thursday they picked up the cut turf and stripped the rest off with a spade. They then had to dig a large area, as the levels were very  uneven. Again in the afternoon the rain came down like stair rods, so they had to stop again.

Friday was a bit better weather wise and one guy continued to dig out one area and the other laid our old slabs at the back of the garage where we want to store the dustbins. They were coming on Saturday morning but the rain came down so hard Friday night, that we had one rather large paddling pool! I am hoping that tomorrow the weather will be a bit better. The job was supposed to take 3 days!Lol!

The village fair I was supposed to do yesterday was cancelled as the field was waterlogged. I thought it was Summer!

This is a little card I made yesterday. As I sold most of what I call my 'posh' cards at the village fair I did last week, I have to replace my stock.

The fairy is a Kanban stamp, coloured with Dusty Concord Distress Ink on her dress. Her hair is Scattered Straw DI. The picture is not very good as the light was rubbish. Also I think I might have lightened it a bit too much with my photo prog.

This picture is a bit better. You can even see the Star Dust Stickles on her dress and the flowers.  The leaves are a new die I bought, which is one of a set of 5 different leaves. They are Cheery Lynn Designs dies. I just love them as they are so different. I also bought a set of 3 butterflies dies.

I can't seem to get my cursor below my picture. Blogger is playing silly b.....s again. So I will have to say goodnight up here!!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you had a good weekend.

Hugs,

Carol S.xx