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

Necklaces

These are the necklaces and earrings I made at the weekend. The pic of the pink and green one (on the black background) does not really do justice to the lovely summery pinks and greens. It is very delicate and pretyy - just right for summer (which I hope we will have lots more of!). the darker set are a really gorgeous iridescent purple and green - and look fab when worn with just about any colour. Have also updated the pic of the charms (further down the page) I am making for June at Foll's Field Sanctuary. Thanks for looking :-)

Awards

Wow! The fabby Sarah at http://tiggertastic.blogspot.com/ has generously bestowed these awards on my blog (see below). I am SO delighted, I can't tell you how much it means :-)

I now have the pleasure to pass these awards on to three friends from the Crafts Beautiful forum:

http://sewdelish.blogspot.com/

http://hermumbles.net/talk/

http://cardsandothercraftystuff.blogspot.com/

Enjoy your awards ladies!

Therapy

Had an out-of-sorts few days but spent the weekend making a few bits of jewellery which is good therapy. Will post pics of some necklaces and earrings I made. In the meantime here are some charms that are part of a set I am sending to June to add to her crafty sale which will raise money for the horse and pony sanctuary. You can read more about that here http://www.follsfieldsanctuary.org.uk/

Sunny Sunday

It's a truly beautiful morning, the sun is shining in a blue sky, the birds are singing their hearts out and I have mastered the art of crimping! This is a set of Cinnibar jewellery I made yesterday. Cinnibar is a Chinese carved wood, and it is delish to feel as well as look at.

Aso made a birthday card yesterday using a twisted pyramid which I embossed with clear powder to give a glossy finish, and the tiles are chipboard covered and glossed to look like tiny ceramic tiles.

And a very quick card made this morning:

Now have to do a little bit of work on a spreadsheet that was meant to be complete for a project at proper work tomorrow and then going to enjoy this lovely Sunday :-)