A Cute Double Act!

Hi Everyone,

 

What a game I have been having with Blogger! I would first like to thank Sharon,  The Little Stamper blog, for putting the information as to how to upload pics from our computers onto our posts. Without Sharon, I would have given up by now!! And been bald!!Lol!!

 

I would then like to thank Anne, at Lili Of The Valley  for her determination to find out why I could not get my comments to stay on their blog. It turned out, that for some reason I had been blocked!! All sorted out now. So a big thanks to her.

 

Guess what? This card is using Lili of The Valley stamps. I love these two cute girlies. Although 2 separate stamps, they just go so well together.

 

The backing paper is just white card, put through my Joy machine in a Spellbinders M-Bossabilities folder and then coloured with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

 

The next layer is a Doillie from my stash I have had for over 20, yes 20 years!!! Just added some Broken China Distress Ink around the edge.



The flower is an old set of Woodware punches and the flourishes are a Marianne Designs Die.

 

Now I have mastered the hiccup with Blogger I have another card ready to post.

 

I have been making loads of what I call my 'Stock' cards, which I don't bother posting.

 

I am having an injection into my right hand tomorrow, as I have a condition called Trigger finger. If I make a fist with my fingers and then open my fingers, my little finger stays curled up. I have to concentrate to open it, or open it with my other hand. Very annoying.

 

I hope that this will work. If it doesn't, then it means an operation. So I am keeping my fingers crossed, (not my little one!!Lol!) that it will work.

 

Thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments.

 

Hugs,

 

Carol S.xx

 

 

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