A Christmas Wish

Just a quick message to you all. Thank you for your kind messages about my mum, they were a big comfort to me. I hope I'll have chance to get back to my blog in the New Year. I've been looking at the crafty things you've all been making and they've been fabulous!

     Anyway I just want to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.


                                             Sending you a big hug,

                                                          Debra xx



No posts for a while

I won't be posting anything for a while as my lovely mum has very sadly passed away after a brief illness. As me and my hubby have a lot to do I won't be commenting on your posts either but I will look what you're all up to if I can. Take care everyone and if you still have a mum give her an extra hug when you see her.


                                                  Debra x

A different kind of card

Hi there. Well the nights are drawing in and it's getting colder. I hope you're all ok and that the storms didn't affect you. My son Chris and his lovely girlfriend Lexi have recovered from their flu now which is great.
Today's card is a bit different than I usually make but there was a good reason for that. Fiona, a lovely lady who knows my hubby,  asked if I could make a card for her husband for their 25th Silver Wedding Anniversary but as he is blind it couldn't just look nice, he had to be able to feel the elements on the card. I wasn't quite sure what to make but she asked if it could have the same background as the card I had made for Stuart on our 25th anniversary (on an earlier post) and as her husband liked to garden something to show that too. After I sent her a few photos to see if I was on the right track, this is the card I made for her husband.

  

 



As you can see there are a lot of things to feel. The silver pearlescent card was debossed with a lattice pattern, the plant pot embossed with dots, the silver garden tools are corrugated and the leaves, letters and numbers are separate die cuts which can be traced with your fingers. Just to finish, a few raised adhesive dots.

Fiona was so pleased with the card she sent a donation for my local MS society, of which I'm a member, which was so lovely of her! She's since told us that her husband really liked the card which I'm so happy about. I hope they had a wonderful day.


Card Recipe

Card Blank- 8"x8" Craftwork Cards
Cardstock- Mirri card and Pearlescent card from stash
Dies- Cuttlebug Olivia alphabet. Flower pot and stem dies from the old Sizzix hand cutter (I can't even remember what that machine was called )
Embossing Folders- Crafters Companion Embossilicious 6"x6" Lattice used to deboss the card and a dotty folder that was free with a magazine.
Other bits and bobs- Fork and spade from stash (how lucky was that, that they were silver!). Glitter adhesive dots in 3 sizes from local shop.


That's it for today. I think I'll colour something while my hubby subjects me to sport on the tv ( it is his turn to watch something he likes!) but oh, how I wish for a craft room.

  Sending you all a hug

 

Debra x

It's a Dalmatian sitting down!

Hi there. I hope this post finds you all healthy and happy. My eldest son and his girlfriend have had fresher's flu. I'd not heard of this, having not been to university, but seemingly the new intake of students brings out lovely new bugs which are happily shared between all the students causing misery for a few weeks. In the son's and his girlfriend's case I know this is true but I'm sure the extra drink discounts in the pubs and clubs during fresher weeks may also be a contributing factor to some of the students taking time off from their studies.
Anyway back to the strange heading. I want to enter the Live and Love Crafts October Challenge in which you have to think pink. Well I haven't got time to stop making Christmas cards, not that I've made many, so I thought why not make a pink one. Obviously it still needs to look like a Christmas card so it's taken a while to get the balance right. I decided to use a charm I've had for many years but it was too bright a gold so I put Shabby white Fran-tage on it ( tip to silly people like me, when you've just heated a metal object with a heat gun don't try to pick it up with your fingers straight away!) I showed it to hubby saying doesn't it look a bit like an angel, it's actually a bell if you can't tell, and he replied that it looks like a Dalmatian sitting down. Well I looked at it but I just don't see it so please tell me what you think it looks like.

The poinsettia

and the bell/angel/sitting down Dalmatian?

What do you see? Polite answers please!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges-

Live and Love Crafts October Challenge Use Pink

LOTV October Challenge Anything Goes

Crafty Little Fairies Challenge Christmas in October

Card Recipe

White card and card blank- Craftwork Cards
Ink pads- Memento Toffee Crunch for image and the music, Distress Ink Old Paper for inking the edges to make card look more cream than white and Colorbox Rosebud on the tag at top of card
Card- Core'dinations Sugar and spice for mat and die, sanded.
Stamps- Lotv Holy Light and set 46 Background Bits-Notes for the music . Stamps by Chloe Starburst Background. Hunkydory Snowy Swirls for tag.
Pens- Copic Ciao
Dies- Spellbinders Labels 8 for image, Decorative Labels 8 for image mat. Dies by Chloe Medium and small Poinsettia builder dies
Vellum- Docrafts 12x12 Glitter Vellum Polka Dot for poinsettias
Punch- Xcut Leafy Lace
Embossing powder- Wow Pink Sherbert Embossing Glitter for Starburst Background and Sparkling Snow for the Snowy Swirls on tag
Other bits and bobs- DecoArt Glamour Dust on the image, lace, ribbon and charm from stash, small and large flatback pearls from Andy's crafts, string for charm came from the tag, tag from Blade Rubber stamps.

Well another long post so I better get back to my crafting.

 

Sending you all a big hug,

 

Debra x



Finally I've made a Christmas card!!!!

Hello there. I keep looking at different blogs at the lovely Christmas cards everyone has made and I've started to panic as I haven't made any. Things have been conspiring against me (my excuse and I'm sticking with it!) and I just haven't got around to it. Anyway, at last, I've got one made to show you. Just the one, mind you, but it's a start.  

This is just a close-up to show the glitter on the card. Glamour dust is used on the image, the Tattered lace corner is cut out of glitter card, even the ribbon has glitter snowflakes printed on it.

The sentiment is stamped with a Versamark watermark stamp pad and then embossed with silver embossing powder on a tag stamped with snowflakes and swirls. The charm is tied on with a lovely fluffy thread and then Fran-tage encrusted jewels are sprinkled and then embossed to add a little bit more sparkle just in case there isn't enough!

Card Recipe

Card blank & stamping card- Craftwork cards
Stamp pads- Memento tuxedo black, VersaMark watermark, Colorbox robin's egg.
Pens- Copic Ciao
Stamps- Lotv Festive post and set 35 Christmas handwritten phrases. Hunkydory Snowy swirls.
Paper- Lotv Beach bliss, Maja It's Christmas time, Kraft card, glitter card.
Ribbon- both from stash
Fluffy thread- Ek success adornments- had this a long time so don't know if still available
Tag- Blade rubber stamps
Charm- Hobby house
Die- Tattered lace corner die
Other bits & bobs- Stampendous Fran-tags encrusted jewel white kit. DecoArt Glamour dust.



I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges-
 The Ribbon Girls October Challenge Make It Sparkly

LOTV October Challenge Anything Goes


I had a fabulous time last Saturday at the GNPE at Harrogate. I bought lots of crafty goodies but the best bit was meeting up with Carole, who I started following on her blog as her cards are lovely and has some great ideas for them. We had a good natter as we kept meeting on various stands and I felt like I'd known her for ages! I think we both bought more than we intended but you can never have too much craft stuff as I keep telling my hubby, lol. I have to say a big thank you to my son who was a big help reaching over peoples heads to get me things as the stands were busy and to him and his girlfriend, Lexi, for their company at the show. Thanks!
Well that was a long post today so I should really go and start a making a card.

Thank you for your visit, I hope you like today's card.

 

Sending you a big hug,

Debra x

Pink and Lilac...

Hi there on this sunny afternoon. I'm here feeling a bit sorry for myself as I'm full of a cough and cold and don't feel like card making. So I'm going to show you a couple of cards I made back in January, doesn't that seem a long time ago! My mum's and mum-in law's birthday is a week apart in January and as I'm still recovering from Christmas I tend to make them similar cards. This time I used lili of the valley Thinking of you stamp which is really sweet with it's teddy in an envelope and You are my sunshine stamp. I'm sure they don't mind getting similar cards but they can compare them as we all live near one another, nearer than when we all lived near Manchester.
Anyway here's the cards for today

Card Recipe

Card blank 6"x6" and white stamping card- Craftwork Cards
Cardstock- from local stationer
Paper- Papermania Lucy Cromwell
Stamps- Lotv- Thinking of you, You are my sunshine, Simply sophisticated sentiments set 26 and 'mum' is from For her sentiments set 20
Pens- Copic Ciao
Die- Spellbinders- Adorning squares
Ribbon- Organza ribbon from stash
Lace- I think I got from Lotv shop in Leeds
Butterflies- Satin ribbon of butterflies, cut singularly and coloured with copics are from stash but Ribbon box do something similar
Other bits- Glamour dust on stamp and butterflies
                   Flatback pearls from Andy's crafts


I hope you like today's cards. I think today I would have added more elements to the cards but then again after the Christmas preparations and the festivities themselves who has the energy, not me lol!

Here's hoping you're all keeping well and having a great weekend. Thank you for your visit and have a big hug from me

 

Debra x                                 

What every girl needs - Handbags!

Hi there. Hope you're having a good day.
Handbags, every girl has a least one but my best friend Heather has lots and lots of bags so when Lotv brought out some new stamps including one with handbags I thought it was ideal for my friend's birthday. I also got to use one of their new paper pads Antebellum and try to do another vintage card.

 

 

I'd like to enter this card in following challenges-

 

Lotv's monthly challenge Ribbon and Lace 

 

LLC's  September Challenge

Card Recipe

 

Card blank 6x6 and stamping card- Craftwork Cards

Paper- Lotv- Antebellum

Pens- Coptic Ciao

Ink for stamps- Memento- Tuxedo black 

Stamps- Lotv -Handbags, Grunge Elements (set 66, butterflies), Simply Sophisticated (set 26, sentiment)

Die- Spellbinders- Opulent Ovals

Ink for inking edge of die cut and paper lace heart and butterflies - Colorbox Queue- Rosebud

Paper Lace Heart- Dovecraft

Ribbon- Pink Organza and Butterfly Satin Ribbon from stash

Flatback pearls- Anita's gemstone wheel

Other bits used- Stampendous Frantage aged silver,

                           Décor Glamour Dust

                           Silver handbag charm from stash

 

 

 

 

These will be the first challenges I've entered from my blog, I've only done a Lotv one via email before so I hope I've done it right!

Just a quick thank you to Dawny for her comment on my last post and following me, you're so kind Dawny :-)

I really appreciate you all for following me and your lovely comments, and anyone who comes for a visit when I'm so new to blogland, it makes me really happy!

 

 

                                Have a big hug from me,

 

                              Debra x

My Lucky Day!!!

I don't often win things. Tombolas and raffles, I joke, is me making a donation to charity in a more fun way. So when my son made me a blog, to join in on blog hops and comment on other crafters lovely makes, I was really happy when Lotv picked me out to win a voucher in their draw a little while back. I thought that that was my winning something over for at least a decade, but no, I've  had another win!
When Lotv did two shows on Create and Craft on tv, I set the recorder, rang my mum to remind her about it and settled down to watch Dawny, one of the wonderful design team, and Nigel, the presenter. I sent my first ever email in as a show of support and managed to watch Dawny make two fabulous cards when Stuart came home for lunch and asked to watch 'something other than C and C again'. Well I admit I do watch it quite often .....ok a lot, but Lotv are by far my favourite company and I had been looking forward to it. Anyway I turned over, only fair during his lunch time. A bit later my mum rang, all excited, as my email had been pulled out and I had won a Dawny creation!   
The card arrived a few days later and is beautiful and is signed by Dawny and Nigel. Dawny has kindly said that it's fine to put it on my blog to show you. I'm sure you'll agree that it's gorgeous and I'm very lucky..........maybe I should start doing the lottery, lol.

Anyway, enough of my rabbiting on, here's the card I won,

If you want to see more of Dawny's fabulous work head over to her blog pinkpiggywiggy.blogspot.co.uk
Also, Lotv and Dawny are back on Create and Craft in October so check out Lotv for details liliofthevalley.co.uk

Thanks for your visit! Have a great day.

 

 

Debra x

Silver Wedding Anniversary

Hi there on this overcast but still warm day here. It was our Silver Wedding Anniversary on the 3rd of September. It doesn't seem that long ago since Stuart and I got married but we've done quite well since Stuart's grandad pointed out, when we had booked the wedding, that that was the date World War 2 started. I'm pleased it wasn't a bad omen for our marriage!  So the cards I've put on today are the card I made for Stuart and the card my mum made for us. 
As Stuart doesn't like fussy cards I made a simple card in white and silver. The background paper is a pearlescent silver and not as dark as it looks in the photo.
My mum's card is beautiful, made with Hunkydory products. No one would believe she was partially sighted on seeing it!

This is her lovely card

Stuart's card

Card Recipe

Card blank 6x6- Craftwork Cards
Backing paper- pearlescent silver from my stash ( try Craft Creations for similar)
White card- from my stash
Embossing folder- Crafters Companion embossalicious 6inx6in -Lattice
Dies- Spellbinders-Vines of Passion
          Cuttlebug- Olivia alphabet
Gilding Flakes- Indigoblu- Winter Dawn with flitterglu
Stamps- Lotv- set 26 Simply Sophisticated
Embellishment- Silver sparkle flat back dots from stash


I want to say a big Thank You to Nicky from
http://nicky-aglutenfreelife.blogspot.co.uk/
who given me advice for my blog and encouragement to just try doing the computer stuff. It worked Nicky I managed to do the link to you! Thanks again :-)


                                                             Thank you for visiting me,

                                                                                Debra x

Sailing Boat

Hi there. Sorry I haven't posted for a little while but I haven't been feeling 100%, still a bit dizzy but Stuart would say that was normal!

I'm back to my LOTV stamps for today's card. It's a simple boy/man's card without a sentiment until I decide who to send it to. 

 

Card Recipe

Card Blank- Craftwork Cards
Card Stock- Papermania textured card
Stamps- Lotv Sailing boat, Craftwork Cards Alphabet
Pens-Copic ciao
Paper- Lotv Petal Fresh
Die- Marianne Creatables LR0232
Punch- Eksuccess Swirl Edger
Twine- American Crafts


                                         Thank you for visiting!
                                          
                                                             Debra x

Fabulous Fashion

Hi there. The card I'm posting today is another type of card I don't normally make, a CD-Rom and a decoupage card both of which I said I didn't like and would never use. The CD-Rom I used is from Katy Sue Designs called Fabulous Fashion which appealed to my girly side with its different collections of really sweet dresses, hats and handbags. I thought I would try the decoupage because it didn't look like some of the old-fashioned varnished ones I'd seen before and disliked. I was really happy how this card turned out and wanted to give it to someone special so I sent it to Lexi, Chris' girlfriend for her birthday. I hope you like it.

The colours haven't come out as well as I hoped in the photo but they are a lovely shade of pale blue and lavender.



Card Recipe

Katy Sue Designs- CD-Rom Fabulous Fashions- Decoupage sheet collection 1, 2 coordinating backing papers.
Stamp- Katy Sue Designs fabulous sentiments
Card Blank- 8x8 Craftwork cards
Spellbinder- Classic ovals large
Punch- EkSuccess- Arch Scallop
Lavender A4 sheet of card from my crafty stash
Paper Flowers-Papermania
Copic Ciao blue pen to colour center of flowers and to colour the flowers on the sentiment
DecoArt Glamour Dust- for center of flowers, on the sentiment and the last layer of decoupage
Andy's Crafts- Pearl Perfect flat back pearls







                                                         Thanks you very much for visiting my blog. 


                                                              Debra x

Bumble Bee Fairy

Hi there. Today's card is a cute stamp from LOTV ( lili of the valley ) called Bumble Bee Fairy. I made this card for my mum for Mother's Day using some of the butterflies I bought in Georgetown in Washington last year on our epic USA holiday. I'm amazed that we managed to get my craft supplies back home in one piece as our luggage was searched several times after my mum tried to take a banana into America. I think we were put on a blacklist as banana smugglers! I hope you like this card. Have a good weekend.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

                          Sorry for the photo background. I hadn't found a good place to take my photos at this point.


                                               

Card Recipe

Card blank- Which craft
Stamping card- Craftwork Cards
Stamps - Lotv bumble bee fairy, Craftwork cards alphabet.
Coloured with- Copic Ciao pens
Cardstock- Papermania Textured Cardstock
Paper- LOTV  Promises 8x8 pad
Embellishments- Martha Stewart  butterfly stickers, Papermania paper flowers (coloured with chalks), Craftwork Cards candi- white ( coloured with the pens to match the paper)
Other Stuff used- Glamour dust





                                                                                        Thanks for visiting
                                                                 
                                                                                                          Debra x

Vintage Voyage

Hi there. I hope you're all having a good day. Today's card is not my usual kind of card as I love the LOTV stamps but a lady at my craft class wanted a 80th birthday card with a ship theme. So this is my attempt at a vintage card for a man. I hope you like it.

Card Recipe

Card- Craftwork Cards
Stamps- Inkylicious Vintage Voyage, Clear Stamp Exchangeable Travel, LOTV Tags Monsieur.
Inks- Memento tuxedo black, Distress inks- walnut stain, old paper,tumbled glass.
Dies- Spellbinders labels one, Cuttlebug olivia alphabet.
Indigoblu- Gilding Flakes Lancashire rose
Stampendous Frantage- aged silver.

American Crafts- navy frayed twine

                                                          Thanks for visiting

             

                                                                        Debra x              

My First Post

Hi there on this thundery, rainy Monday. This is a card made for my friend's daughter Amy. This cute stamp is Blooming Wheelbarrow from LOTV, I hope you like it.

Card Recipe

Stamp by LOTV - Blooming Wheelbarrow
Copic ciao pens
Paper by LOTV- Petal Fresh
Core'dinations Cardstock
Tonic Punch - Gothic Border
Spellbinders - Floral Corner One
Distress pad - Old Paper
Organza Ribbon
Flat back pearls
Glamour Dust
Sentiment by LOTV - Happy Circular Sentiments





                                                          Thanks for visiting!

                                              Debra xx