Two Years

It is two years to the day since I lost my beloved Peter. I was thinking last night about the last time I saw him, and how much I wish I had known it was going to be the last time, how much I wish I had said and how much I wish I had been by his side. His dear mum, bless her, does not have to mark this date as she passed away recently and my heart's wish is that she is now with Peter and they are a comfort to each other. God bless you Betty.

Two years. It is no time at all and yet it is the longest time of all.

A caterpillar does not cease to be when it becomes a butterfly, and Peter, I know, has not ceased to be.

God bless Pete. L.L.L.L.D.W. xxx

More Christmas Cards

Getting a bit scarily close to the big day now and still got loads to do - well haven't we all! anyway, here are my latest cards. Hope you like them.

This first photo has not come out very clearly but the verse in the suspended oval says "Peace on Earth will come to stay when we live Christmas every day"

Top down view of same card

I just love this vintage looking angel - she is adorable don't you think?

The background to this image is chalked and embossed - first time I have used chalks.

I scanned this next one, so you can't really tell but there are several layers of decoupage on all the images.

Next are three Dufex decoupaged cards. I love these images - they have a rich fairytale quality about them.

And to finish, something a little more modern.

Latest cards

A few cards I made over the past couple of days. So many more yet to make though - where has the time gone!!???

A card and ATCs

Here is my latest Christmas card and a couple of ATCs made for the CB swap.

Award

WOW! I am truly delighted to have received this award from Jackie. Thank you :-) I am passing this award on to these lovely people for their inspirational blogs and the hand of friendship they have held out to me:

Helena, Pinkpuppy, Max, Jules, Snaggles, Heather, Maddy, and Aims

Nativity Star

Here is another card I have enjoyed making. The star is really prominent as it is on several layers of card with foam pads between. I like that dove and the star are hiding the little nativity scene - like the old style advent calendars always used to have a nativity scene for the 25th December.

Diagonal Tri-fold Card

I had fun making this little card. It’s all tied up with ribbon, then it opens diagonally into a trifold card showing a little decoupaged ted inside.

It's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas

Here are some of my recent makes. Most of them have gone to a charity sale, except the birthday card which was for my good friend Sarah, and the two snowman ATCs which are for the CB swap. I have been lucky enough to be given a CraftRobo as an early Christmas pressie and have enjoyed playing around with it. The Let it Snow and Peace on Earth cards were made with templates I bought from Tina at www.forevermemoriesforyou.co.uk and from Debbie at www.cardmakingheaven.co.uk Hope you like my latest efforts.

Have just re-read yesterday's post where I was saying I couldn't wait for the weekend to come so I could play with the cute companions set, and now I am sitting here thinking it just goes to show you should be careful what you wish for! because I got to play with the cute little creatures much earlier than expected thanks to having such an awful day at work that it led to me walking out. Well, that is a problem for another day. In the meantime, here is the 2nd card from the cute companions set. I stamped the mice and some of the baubles and tried my hand at watercolouring them - could do with a bit more practice but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Country Christmas

A wonderful parcel of goodies arrived today, including the gorgeous Country Companions Christmas cd and stamps. This is the first card I made from them. The scene is decoupaged, and I have added glitter flocking powder to the snowy areas and the tops of the lettering. Can't wait for the weekend when I can have a proper play with them all!

Birthdays and Awards

Here are a couple of different birthday cards I made recently . . .

And here is an award I received from Snaggles and Ultramum - thanks so much ladies :-)

There are a few rules to having this award:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog

2. Link the person you received the award from

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs

4. Put links of those blogs on yours

Here are my nominations...
Tiggertastic, Copse, Heather, Maddy, Max, Torpenhow and Rachel

Quick cards

My reward for having a bit of tidy up in my craft room was to make these two quick cards tonight. The lady with a fan is made from wrapping paper. I just cut her out several times and decoupaged the various layers.
















The little Christmas card was just to try out some new pens. I love the metallic green, and the lighter colour is the same pen but watered down and colour washed. Along the base is some glitter flock for snow tho’ it doesn’t show up in the picture so much but I like the sparkly effect like frosty snow.

Christmas Challenge

This book is up for grabs over at the PollyCrafts blog! All you have to do is

• design a Christmas card


• leave a comment on the PollyCrafts blog linking to your entry


• leave a link to Pollycrafts on your blog

Closing date is Sept 30th

New home

This is a card I made for a swap on the CB forum. It took me far longer than it ought to have (partly because I took it apart twice and partly because I couldn't find just the stamp I wanted for the leafy background - until today that it) but I kinda like the end result.

Resurfacing

Thought it was about time I posted again, as it has been quite a while (in blog land terms that is). So, here are some of my recent makes:

This birthday card went to my good friend Karen who liked the bright fresh colours



















This was for a friend's wedding



















While this card is yet to be given - I think I know who it will go to tho'



















And lastly, this was for the postcard challenge on the CB forum.

Peter

I am so sad this evening. I miss my beloved Peter so very much and for some reason it is hitting me hard today. I have put a ticker on here for him and it is showing 20 months now, but it doesn't seem to get any easier. Not really. I can distract myself for a time, but it is always there - in the background of my mind, and in the ache of my heart.

I miss you Peter
L.L.L.L.D.W.
C
xxx
xx
x

Latest makes

Phew! It's been hot and humid the past few days, so I have stayed in the relative cool of my craft room and made these bits and pieces

First is a card for an old family friend who needs all the good wishes we can muster.

Then some birthday cards for the CB ladies

and this summery card for a family birthday

and last but not least a birthday book, the idea of which came from this month's CB mag.

Hope you enjoy looking at these as I enjoyed making them. It's been said many times that crafting is good therapy and I think this past week or so I have felt the proof of that!

Designer

I am very excited because Sarah (Tiggertastic) has kindly agreed to be a designer for PollyCrafts. There are now some free designs with step by step instructions for some really pretty jewellrey that is simple to make. You can find them at the PollyCrafts site under Design Ideas

Don't forget there are also some free images you can download, and the Fairy Challenge runs until this Friday 8th, with a Fiskar's bowmaker as the prize. There are some beautiful entries and I know it is going to be very difficult to pick a winner! Take a look and see what I mean!

Despite being a poorly chick, it has been a busy ol' time lately as PollyCrafts is taking off slowly but surely, and the entries there for the Fairy challenge are just brilliant. Take a look and see what I mean. It isn't too late to enter - you have until midnight UK time on Friday 8th August.

I have also been busy in my craft room and here are some of my recent creations

Hope you like them :-)

Lauren's Blog Candy!

Lauren is back from holiday and has got some fabulous blog candy on her site. Check it out here Lauren's Cards Etc.: Blog Candy!#links

New Challenge with Prize

The first PollyCrafts challenge is now open at PollyCrafts blog . The theme for this challenge is fairies and as a thank you for taking part the prize will be a Fiskar's BowMaker which will come in very handy for all sorts of occasions (not to mention Christmas which is getting nearer by the week!). Hope you can find the time to take part :-)

More Candy and Some Free Images

PollyCrafts now has its own blog and to celebrate there is some Christmas candy up for grabs. Check it out here Christmas Candy

There are also some free images for you to use on your cards and projects here Free images

Have fun!

Plans Agley

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men (they "gang aft agley"!)
So it was with me - just when I was getting excited about some new stock arriving for PollyCrafts and thinking up a challenge as well. Before I could utter a peep about any of it I was taken ill and rushed to hospital. Almost a week later and it is a huge relief to be back home and above all to have my own bed and my own bathroom again! Amazing what you take for granted isn't it. The lovely ladies on the CB forum have been just awesome. I have been quite humbled by the outpouring of well wishes and I received this lovely card and a RAK from my dear friend Sarah (Tiggertastic). . .

and this gorgeous card from the lovely Louise (PinkPuppy)

and then this pretty card and RAK came from my friend Jackie (Torpenhow)

Thank you to all my dear friends and everyone else who has been so kind in wishing me well.

PollyCrafts

I am SO excited! I have just launched my web-site (www.pollycrafts.com) to sell a small range of card making goodies. It is only in early days yet (well, day 1 as I write this. lol) and I have lots of ideas for the site, but please have a quick visit and tell me what you think (there is a guest book on the site). At the moment, it is just a few things for Christmas which I know is early but I am hoping by the time I get the site a bit more established people will be thinking about their Christmas cards.

Eventually, I would like to have a design team and some ideas pages for a hopefully increased stock of goodies. I would also like to post some how-to pages on there but Rome wasn't built in a day, eh :-)

Please visit http://www.pollycrafts.com/ I hope you like it. Do let me know xx

CB forum members please PM me before buying and you can benefit from a 10% discount and free P&P

Blog Candy

Wow, have been so busy the past week or more, taking people out for birthdays and weekends away and work, work, work. Have been out and about so much there has been no time to craft which is really sad and I am missing it loads! On the other hand, my blog counter is showing over a 1,000 hits now, so to celebrate I am offering some blog candy to one lucky person.

Here's what you need to do to be in with a chance of winning:

Link my blog to your blogroll. It counts if I am already in your blogroll of course :-)
Please write a post on your blog letting everyone know about my blog candy.
Leave a comment on this post, so I can come to visit your blog, after you fullfilled the other points

The closing date will be Midnight Sunday 20th July! And I will be more the happy to send the candy internationally! Thanks for taking part :-)

21st July Update: The number out of the hat was 12 so the winner of the blog candy is Ultramum! Congratulations Eve! Blog Candy en route to you for when you return from holiday!

Tagged!

Yikes! I've been double-tagged by PinkPuppy and Ultramum! Thanks ladies :-)

The Rules of the game
Each player answers the questions about themselves.
At the end of the post the player then tags 5-6 people and post their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answers.

Ten years ago?
I was at uni (as a mature student - which is an oxymoron if i ever heard one!) studying history during the day and working in BUPA's call centre at night. Where on earth did I get the energy from?????

Five things in today’s to do list?

• Clear out cupboards
• Make blueberry muffins (diet variety unfortunately)
• Work on my new website (details to be announced soon I hope)
• Order new mattress for my Dad
• Clip Twinkle's claws (not yet done)

Snacks I enjoy?

• Custard cream biscuits
• Salami wrapped round cream cheese
• Mini Cheddars
• Marmite crisps
• Bananas

Things I would do if I was a millionaire?

• Ensure my loved ones are well provided for
• Give up work and adopt a child, or at least fund some children in 3rd world countries
• Buy a house in the country and a holiday home in a warm sunny country
• Spend a few months in a top notch health farm getting fit and well
• Host a big crafting weekend at a posh hotel for all my CB friends with mega stash laid on of course :)

Ohh it's lovely to dream even if just for a few minutes.

OK I am going to tag the following peeps:

• Tiggertastic
• Copse
• FreeHartz
• Lollies
• LizLovesWill
• Max62

Blog Candy

Not much crafting accomplished this week as have been away for the weekend with Dear Dad - we went to Eastbourne - which has cruelly been dubbed God's waiting room, but unfairly - we had a brill time, and there are some great shops for craftaholics! Speaking of craftaholics, if you head over to Max's blog you could win some great blog candy as Max has accumulated two thousand hits and is giving candy away to celebrate. Hope to have more craft related things to show you next time!

Recent makes

These are some of my recent makes. I just love the paper and silk butterfly on the first card, and could hardly bear to give it away! lol I will have to go and buy more of this paper I think :)

This card was my first bit of wirework using a jig as well as chalks and coloured peel-offs. I really enjoyed playing around with new ideas.

This card has several layers of decoupage and was really fun to make. I think I could get addicted to cutting out little patterns! lol

And here's a quick thank you card I made.

Quick update with some of my recent creations. The first cards are for June at Foll's Field, as are the handbag and phone charms. The car is to wish my friend Ed good luck on his driving test (I will update you on whether he passed or not) and the last card is my first attempt at paper folding.

New things

I hope you like the beautiful new header on this page which was made especially for me by the fab Martine. You can check out her site here http://thecrafttable.blogspot.com/. Thanks so much Martine

Yesterday I had such a fantastic time with Tiggertastic, shopping in my favourite place, The Art of Craft. Piccies of our haul are on the CB forum here (http://www.crafts-beautiful.com/site/index.php/forums/viewthread/4541/) I had thought we were being reasonably restrained - until we got the check-out! Still, at least we can say we have done our bit to help keep independent retailers afloat! LOL

Now as it is a Bank Hol, I have time to actually play with all my new goodies so that is what I am off to do. Take care and have a fun weekend x