Spot the number!!

Hi everybody,

Hope you all had a good weekend. I am still getting over a full day working in the garden. My muscles ache where I didn't know I had them. Lol! We filled 11 big black sacks with leaves and dead bits of plants I had to cut back.

I bought 2 new Sizzix Framelits Dies from The Craft Barn in Lingfield. This is the first one I used, on this card for my friends' parents.

Yes it does say 73 years of marriage. Does anyone know what, if anything they have for this one? Sixty is Diamond but I don't know any higher! I have never known anyone that has been married for so long!

This frame does have a top and bottom, so I just turned the centres around. As well as the fancy frame, you also get 2 small oval dies that fit inside the centre of the frame. The oval at the back of the 2 in the picture is the one that is cut from the frame itsel and the one on top, is the largest of the 2 separate dies.
The backing paper was from my stash.

The text I did on the computer and then used the largest die to cut it out. I used Dry Foam to apply Victorian Velvet Distress Ink to the oval, whilst it was still in the die. I then ran the Dry Foam around the edge of the other oval with the VV Ink.

I used a silver Sakura Stardust pen around the edge of the frame.

The fern leaves I cut using a Little Claire Die. The flower is made up with an assortment of die cut and punched flowers glued together and a Cosmic Shimmer glue dot in the middle. I coloured the dot when dry, with Cosmic Shimmer Mica Powder.

The Butterflies are punched from scraps of card, with a Martha Stewart punch. Their bodies are Pink Stickles. An Organza ribbon bow tops the whole thing!

Hope you like this one. A bit different for me as no painted image for a change.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments.
Hugs,
Carol S.xx

A Very Special '0' Birthday

Hi everyone,

What an amazing day today. It was so warm this afternoon, I even got out in the garden for an hour and planted 24 pots of flowers!

On Sunday it is our neighbour's 90th Birthday. He is such a lovely guy, who is the main carer for his wife. He does all the cleaning, washing and cooking. On top of this, he also does the garden, in which he grows all their vegetables!

I made a card for his wife to give him and this is the one I chose to do for us. He was a 'Forester', which was quite a dangerous job in his day. He also looked after the landowners pheasants. I chose to do this tree card for him, as like him, it is tall and straight.

The stamp is one of the latest from Sheena Douglas, in her 'Little bit Sketchy' range. I firstly sprayed a piece of white card with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, colours Yellow Daisy and Pink Ink. Then added Cosmic Shimmer Mist, colour Golden Fish. I stamped the tree with Versamark Watermark ink and used Disco Black embossing powder, just to add a little sparkle.
On the sentiment on the front, I added 'You've Broken the record', as he is the first member of his family to reach 90 years. Sadly all his brothers and sisters are no longer here to see it.

I hope he will like his card. For a present we are getting him Garden Vouchers, as they are always useful for a gardener.
Hope you all have a good weekend. Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs,
Carol S.xx

A Couple Of Quickies!!

Hi All,

Thank goodness it is not so cold now and the snow has finally gone. It's great that you don't have to put the lights on until around 5pm. Spring is around the corner! Well we can hope!Lol!!

Here are a couple of quick and simple cards.

They are both made using just one colour of Distress Ink. For this one, I used Broken china and using a piece of Dry Foam, I covered a piece of white card with the ink.

I chose an assortment of stamps from my files and then I stamped them randomly across the bottom of the card. Still using the Broken China ink.

For this one I used Tattered Rose Distress Ink. I coloured a piece of card the same way, leaving the card slightly lighter in the middle.
I then stamped the images, again using Tattered Rose. The Butterflies are an old set of Graphicus stamps, which I stamped and cut out.

The sentiments are Kan Ban stamps and I used Nestabilities Labels Eighteen die to cut them out. I used a piece of Dry Foam to ink around the edge whilst the card was still in the die.

If you haven't yet tried Rangers' Distress Inks, then these are easy cards to start with. You only need one colour and any stamps you have, to make a complete card.
I hope you like them and give it a try.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments, that are much loved.
Hugs,
Carol S.xx

Copics For A Change

Hi everyone,

It is great not to be coughing anymore!! I had to have antibiotics in the end to get rid of my cough. I now have a new date for my knee operation. It will be confirmed by the end of the week but is hopefully going to be on the 14th March.

Great news, as I have a brides' hair to do on the 10th and we are also going to the wedding!

This is a card I made using a free gift with a magazine. Can't remember which mag but it had a lot Lili Of The Valley printed images, ready for you to colour. Unfortunately the card they are printed on will not take my distress inks. So I had no choice but to get the Copics out!!

The backing paper was from my stash, printed from a CD I think!

I used a doily that I found in a box but had to cut the frilly edge off, to get it onto the card!Lol!!

The yellow dots around the main image are glue beads, using Cosmic Shimmer dries white glue and coloured with a Copics pen.
I do struggle a bit with Copics because I don't have hundreds of them, so I don't always have enough shades of one colour for blending. I bought a few packs but was a bit dissapointed, as they had a few of the same colours in the different packs. I then ended up with 3 of the same shade of green and the same of a pink.

That is one of the reasons I prefer my Distress Inks!!
I added Star Dust Stickles to her necklace and the ribbon on her hat. Also a little on the flowers and around the edges of the die cut.
I used a Sizzix Framelits Die for a change. They sadly don't emboss but they are cheap!!
Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.
A special thanks also, for all the get well wishes. They really cheered me up.Hugs,
Carol S.xx

I Have Returned!!

Hi everyone,

I am back in the land of the living!

I was supposed to have my knee operation on 25th January. Instead I got the flu on the 21st, so I had to cancel my op. I still cannot get rid of the cough it has left me with, so I cannot ask the hospital to rebook me until I am 100% ok.

My daughter's mother-in-law got it the same day as me, which was very strange. We compared notes on how bad we were. As I didn't eat or sleep for 5 days, I lost just under a stone! I am happy about that but could have done without all the pain.

It took me 2 weeks to get my mojo back. As I had to complete my friends daughters' wedding stationery, it was a must for me to find it!!

(They collected the Order of Ceremony cards before I took the pictures.)

I made the invitations in November and they were sent out at the beginning of December. This picture was the one we were sent! It's strange getting a card you made yourself! I had to paint the roses with H2o's to match the card.

There are 40 favour boxes, complete with chocs wrapped in embossed tissue. I printed the details onto a heavy mottled parchment and used Label 4 Nestie to cut them out. The problem was, that the next size up for the card backing was too big. So I had to draw around the same size Nestie onto card and cut them out by hand. I often do this when I want a small frame but not 40 of them!!

The Menu was the same front as the Order of Ceremony. All the details of the day I printed onto the Parchment. The Menu will be the same, when I get the details on Wednesday.

In the bottom left corner of the first picture, are the place name stands. For these I will print the names onto the Parchment as well. I will use a Ribbon Tag Nestie to cut them out.

We are looking forward to the wedding, as Rachel is such a lovely girl and Andy, you just want to give him a hug!
I have now started Mother's Day cards for stock, as the Craft Markets will be starting soon.
Hope we don't have any more snow. I will be happy when this lot thaws!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving such lovely encouraging comments. They are all treasured.
Hugs,
Carol S.xx