Saturday 25 April 2020

Reflect, celebrate and look forward


Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, our host this week is  Lynn who would like to see 'Bows' on our work. This weeks winner will receive some lovely ribbons from Crafty Ribbons.

I'm not sure I actually like this one which I made quite some time ago as the colours seem a bit too intense for this time of year, but the Penny Black sentiment seems rather appropriate for the World we are currently living in so decided to go with it. The PB floral image was inked with Distress Markers and some soft stencilling added along with an organza bow.

Stay safe and well everyone.
 
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Tuesday 21 April 2020

Three yellows in the blossom

Lily left and Daisy middle are sisters, Holly right is the baby

Hello all, hope everyone is OK. Still no craft at this end, but making the most of the beautiful weather out in the garden and paddocks and taken a few more photos as things are bursting into life on a daily basis and of course there are plenty of four legged friends to keep me company. You could say labs rule the roost as there are more of them than us!

This is George, our youngest son's 'boy' who is now 11, he's so special he had a bed in three rooms!!
A peek up the Fen road to see the Rape in the distance, strange how you take things for granted because it was only when I sat thinking about it at the weekend I realised how I missed seeing the Rape and new born lambs, both things I would see on a daily basis without lockdown
 
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Saturday 18 April 2020

Flowers and Showers


Morning Peeps, I hope you are all as well as can be during these dreadful times. The Fathers of two of our Daughters in Law have Coronavirus so a worrying time for both of them as indeed it is for thousands of families worldwide. We can only pray that everyone sees the need to observe the stay home and social distancing rules as it seems that is going to be the only way we will ever see some light at the end of this very long tunnel.

So as it's Saturday it's time for a new challenge at Allsorts where our host this week is Ellie and her theme is 'Flowers and Showers'. This weeks winner will receive a Studio Light floral layering stamp set.

It's also mid month time at Penny Black and More and Stamping Sensations challenges so I have those shares as well.


For my Allsorts piece at the top of the post I used a Tattered Lace set to create the base and lattice, I inked a piece of card for the inner sections and stamped flowers which are Heartfelt Creations, and the little image which I stamped and cut out is Inkylicious as is the sentiment.


And one more for Stamping Sensations using Chocolate Baroque stamps, Versafine Clair inks and a CB sentiment which I thought fitted the theme perfectly.
 
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Saturday 11 April 2020

It's a Labrador thing


Morning everyone, there's nothing new here on the crafty front still so here's a few more garden photos and some of the extended family and another reminder that our Allsorts challenge has another week to run.


Thanks for popping in and stay safe and well.
 
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Thursday 9 April 2020

Easter flowers


Note added: This was meant for Saturday but I forgot to schedule!!

My starting point is a thank you for your lovely comments and mails following my post last weekend, so much understanding is comforting. There is no Allsorts post this week as it's a two week challenge, so I am posting some photos I took when I wandered round the grounds the other day in the sunshine. We may be in lockdown but God had provided some beautiful sunny days to distract us.


Stay safe and well everyone.
 
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Sunday 5 April 2020

Over the Rainbow


I'll be totally honest and tell you I was in two minds about posting today or even carrying on crafting, try as much as I have to be philosophical, everything that is going on in the World defies all that in which we believe. Hundreds of thousands of poor souls dying alone, their devastated families left to deal with nightmares they may never overcome and not one of us is exempt from the reality of there but the Grace of God. Yet still there are those selfish enough to ignore all we are instructed to do, carry on as normal and in so doing put others at risk.

Over the past three weeks I've not crafted and struggled to even comment on your blogs, not because I don't want to, more that I have this sense of guilt that it's just not right to indulge in something enjoyable and from which I take pleasure. For many, many years I've been active in the community one way or another, as a Councillor, School Governor and through work, with all the first priority has been to help others overcome their problems and find solutions for them to help support their quality of life. But at present non of this is possible, here am I reliant of food and medication deliveries which seems wrong and a feeling of total impotence that all of what is happening is out of our control, against that scenario every day 'normal' activities just seem so futile.

So why did I do this post after being in two minds, well my friend Donna in Florida said to me yesterday that visiting friends in blogland may well help them during these difficult times and I should carry on for that reason if no other. And she is of course totally right,  indeed I have read that craft is helping so many through these turbulent times, so thank you Donna for the reality check (much needed kick in the bum) as sometimes it doesn't require a phone call or letter from someone in need of help.

So new challenges at Stamping Sensations and Penny Black and More where our themes are 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' and 'Anything Goes'. As always there are wonderful prizes to be won at both. 

As with yesterday's post my shares were created weeks ago, the background of the top card was made by dabbing oxides onto a piece of acetate roughly following the sequence of a rainbow, spritzed with water and place a piece of card and rubbing the back gently to release the colour. I then stamped the beautiful Blueprint Freesia which was one of the stamps launched by CB Lesley a couple of months ago, stamped the flowers a second time to decoupage and sponged a sun and some spots. The sentiment is also from one of the blueprint sets.


This Penny Black stamp called Together was a release last year but hasn't seen too much ink as yet so I thought I would put that right, inking it with Distress Markers and stamping onto a Gelli Plate background, a lovely inspirational sentiment from the set called Just Beleive and some pearls.


And some Poppies, these are the lovely Spontaneous Joy, again inked with Distress Markers, some subtle background stencilling and a shrink plastic Butterfly.
And another reminder that my friends John and Rosie of Limetree Crafts who many of you know from shows around the Country now have an on line shop so you can still but their paper products whilst the Country is on lockdown.
 
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Saturday 4 April 2020

Stampendous P107


Morning Peeps, it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at Allsorts, it's a two week challenge to take us over the Easter period, I would normally say holiday period but this year nothing is normal and Easter will not be the same. No option to go to Church, normally there would be the stripping of the Alter on Maundy Thursday, the Good Friday service and then the service of celebration on Sunday. Such sad times in so many ways, not least the horrendous death toll across the whole World.

Kath's is our host and her these is 'Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue', but you will need to check out her post to know exactly what she is hoping to see. This weeks winner will receive some lovely Woodware stamps from Craft Stash.

I'm afraid my mojo remains is self isolation and I'm shamed to admit I've created nothing in two weeks, I did have a go last week but it all ended up in the bin. I have however spent hours washing woodwork, door handles and so on, it's a daily ritual and hubby is convinced the whole house will need repainting as I'll wash away all the pain.

So my shares today were all made some weeks ago, my top card a bit of Fairy indulgence using some new Lavinia stamps along with some older ones, and an oxide background.


And it stands to reason that the contenders for 'Old' were Penny Black or Stampendous P107, or a combination as both are some of my oldest stamps and Agapanthus Cluster just happens to be my all time favourite. Those who have ever attended one of my workshops will be familiar with this stamp as it features regularly. Both of mine (yes I have two) are really old wood mounted ones, but I believe it is now available unmounted.

So I blew watery Brusho's down the page, then simply stamped the Agapanthus several times, some second generation and then stamped the PB sentiment, finally some stencilling across the top.

Stay safe and well everyone.
 
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Wednesday 1 April 2020

Rather a lot of Poppies


Today it's my turn to post over at the Chocolate Baroque blog sharing my cards from the recent Hochnda shows, it's a picture heavy post as all details of what I did and stamps etc., used can be found here.........and yes, there's quite a lot of Poppies going on.
I also wanted to put in a word on behalf of my friends John and Rosie, those of you who are regulars at the shows around the Country will be familiar with their company Limetree Crafts and their great value card and paper packs. As all craft shows in the foreseeable future have been cancelled you can now get their great value products on line here. In these difficult times we all need to help one another so I hope you will pop over to visit them.


Stay safe everyone.

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