GLORIOUS weather today in Blackpool! Hope it's like that for you, too, wherever you are.


My four days off went by very quickly, and I've only one completed card to show unfortunately!
A close-up of the kids ('A kiss for Chloe, Sarah Kay), which shows the colours pretty much true,
And the completed card! This is for my parents - it's their 45th Wedding Anniversary.


Not a great photo, it's a bit washed out despite trying to fiddle about with editing. I dont often do gatefold cards, and once I'd decorated the inside it wouldn't lie flat for a photo!

Supplies: PP is Basic Grey 'Two Scoops'. Flowers by Prima and the metal flowers are charm brads by Dovecraft.


Copic recipe
Boy: Skin E00, E21, Hair - Y28, Y21, overalls - W1, W3, W5, W7, Shirt - G00. Hat E31, E33, E35, E37
Girl: Skin - E51, E93, Hair - E35, E37, E49, overalls - B93, B95, B12, Shirt - R35, R32, R20, Hat - Y21, Y28, E37
For their knee patches/ hair ribbon/ hat band I worked with colours I'd already used. I should have perhaps given the boy one red knee patch, or his hat band could have been red. I've outlined with W1 and then went over that with E51 as the outline was too similar to colour of the boy's overalls.

How to make the Pebble/Gravel ground is here on Marianne's blog. I practically stalk this blog! LOL
TTFN!

4 days off

Hurray, I've finished the (busy) 5 night duties and I'm off for four whole days. Unfortunately, parts of those four days will have to be give over to domestic duties :( , but at least I'm off! I'm going to completely ignore the phone when work ring to ask me to work extra shifts - heck I might even leave it off the hook completely!

I made these a few days ago, just hadn't got around to posting them.

Both images are coloured using (more or less) the same Copic colours and the PP is K&Co, Wild Raspberry. CS is DCWV, from the 'neutral' pad and I've used a scrap of Coredinations embossed with the 'Stylized flower' cuttlebug folder and sanded back. Hydrangeas are by prima, butterfly sticker is by Jolees. Shapes cut with nestabilities on the second card.

Sarah Kay Stamp is 'a Kiss for Chloe'. Copic recipe: Skin E51, E02, R20, Hair - E35, E57, E08, YR21, Y21, y38, Hats - E33, Y21, E50
Jeans - B93, B95, C1, Tshirts - R22, R35, YG03, YG23, Ground - W1, w3, w5, YG23 and copic multi-liner 0.3mm to sketch in gravel and grass tufts.

Sarah Kay Stamp is 'Rosalie's Bicycle' . This young lady is coloured in using the same pens, but I've used BG01, BG10, BG15 for her jeans. The puppy has touches of W3 and W1 to suggest shading and the tyres of the bicycle are also coloured with W3, W5, W9.

They've both got touches of the Copic Spica glittery goodness on them, but it doesnt photograph well, so you'll have to take my word that 'its purty'!

Confused dot com moment - I took the photos at the same time and edited them together, but for some reason, the first card will enlarge when it's clicked, but the second one won't. Bizarre! Does anyone know why?

TTFN!

almost halfway

2 night shifts done, 3 to go and then I'm off duty!


So not much to tell, really. The lost diamond earring still hasn't turned up. :(


Julie and I made around 60 invitations for her retirement party - she's calling it the 'un-retirement party' , as she's returning to work part time later this year.

36 years served in the NHS - I suggested she call it 'an eternity in maternity'!! LOL

and the reverse:

I wanted to white emboss on the Kraft CS but the powder wouldn't stick, so we only did this one:

All were highlighted with diamond Stickles and gems.

Isn't this a gorgeous stamp set? It's by Stampin' Up, from the American Catalogue. When we visited earlier this year, I placed an order with a local SU demonstrator for quite a few things that aren't in the UK catalogue. I'm sure I'll do the same if we go again next year, unless SU massively improve what's on offer to us Brits!

I made a birthday card for my father-in -law, but I took the photo and didn't check the shot before we gave him the card. Apologies for the very blurry shot - dont' click for the close-up!

It's a shutter card, and I got the instructions from Dawn's blog, she is so generous with all the videos she makes!

Bo Bunny paper 'you bug me' and the hero arts owls again!

TTFN!

a tale of bling

I really was quite sure my mojo had fallen in the barbeque the other evening.

Because this card wouldn't come together like I'd sketched and then it looked WAY too feminine for a wife to give to her DH. But it was too late, I'd already used the whole pack of AB crystals on the acetate! So a substitute paper was dug out of the stash and with the help of some hardware, I think I'm fairly happy with it.
Very tricky to photograph, it's very sparkly IRL.
My DH still thinks it's a bit girly, but it'll have to do now. Trouble is, I can't get a-hold of my client now to tell her it's ready!

A very bad thing happened the day before yesterday. I rubbed my ear and noticed one of my diamond earrings was gone :( Bummer.
DH bought them for me when we holidayed in Cyprus, and they weren't cheap.
A search in the house with a bright torch has revealed a lot of dust, but sadly, no earring. I'm going to have to check my insurance and see if I'm covered.

So lots of bling on the card, but none in my ears, now!
TTFN!

domesticated bliss (not!)

I've had a housework-y day today, y'know, the thing you feel you have to do every so often to trick your other half into thinking the crafting isn't really taking over your life!! I didn't even watch QVC (even though Rosemary Merry was on).


Shopping, banking, laundry and cooking (with a 45 mins sunbathing break) all done!


Tomorrow I can craft, yay! Well, I will after I've nipped out to buy a puncture repair kit for my youngest son's bike. I don't do the puncture repairs - that is strictly boy work for son and DH or my Dad. Ethan, my youngest, is expert at picking up punctures - he once had 8 punctures on one tyre - go figure!!!

Seagull season is upon us. Common gulls nest on everyone's chimney stacks and the chicks hatched a couple of weeks ago. They're now getting mobile and falling off the chimney stacks, but unfortunately they are still at the fluffy stage and one has died already. The adults are very good parents although they can be aggressive, particularly towards anyone walking their dog round here! The adults are really quite big, with a wicked sharp beak, I wouldn't like them swooping at me. Luckily, they don't seem to mind if I'm sitting outside, and they ignore the pugs!


Just another Sarah Kay to share today, (sorry, I've lost the copic recipe for this one too). I'll have to stamp something different, I'm getting a bit predictable!

In the interest of using up the paper mountain, PP is 'Brianna' by K&CO, and nesties label for matting and layering. I've used Sir Tim Holtz distress inks in Tattered Rose and Frayed Burlap for the background.

Have you ever read a blog where you've used the google translator? I was absolutely wetting myself laughing last night at the gobbledegook it came up with on the uber-talented SasSa's blog. It appeals to my Monty Pythonesque humour! Do have a look on her blog, and also on StampArtic - those Norse gals are dripping with talent!

TTFN!

copic class

I taught my first Copic workshop today and it was great!! All thanks to Marianne, Suzanne, Sharon and Claudia Rosa and their amazing blogs with all the info they so generously share.

Thanks to the ten lovely ladies who came to play along, I know they all had fun and feel a lot more confident with their pens now. I confess to being a bit jealous of the girls that've got the whole set of Copic pens though!

We did shading and blending exercises before colouring a Sarah Kay stamp, using layering with the pens to achieve nice shading. During the class, one lady even nipped over to the Craft Centre to buy more pens - all copicaholics together eh? LOL!

I'm absolutely delighted that Barbara at my local, Windmill Craft Centre is going to be stocking Magnolia Stamps very soon! At the end of July, I'm going to be doing another demo with the Copics using the Tilda stamps and a class on masking techniques to build up scenes. Time for the stamp positioner to be dug out! I can't wait to get a couple of the new 'Pet Collection' stamps, they're yum!

Speaking of stamp positioners, I've seen this brilliant vid by a lady named Karen , showing how to make the 'square' out of kids large lego bricks!! Some people are so ingenious!

TTFN!

hooty birthday

Just a quick post, I'll share my Dad's birthday card. I had a bit of a panic this morning, it had completely slipped my mind! Luckily, I had the Hero Arts owls stamped and coloured, it was a case of raiding the HOTP paper stash and throwing this together with the help of the Quickutz!!

The owls look a bit washed out in the photo, here's the inside:

I love the owls, the ones on the front of the card are from the set 'What a Hoot', they're perched on the 'Long Branch' and the little owl on the inside is from the Sparkle set, 'Hello Tree'. All Hero Arts stamps - love them! And the Corduroy (is that spelled right?) buttons are by Bazzill, I think they and the Kraft CS add just enough masculinity.

I treated myself today - belated B-day present! I bought a new Sarah Kay stamp, the oval nesties, and...drum roll....the Copic Atyou Spica pens!!

What do you mean, bless you? no, I haven't just sneezed!

Atyou Spica means 'twinkling like stars', fabby! They are lovely glittery goodness in a pen and very shimmery..ooh, they're lovely.

TTFN!

Rose in Lilac

I had a very pleasant birthday yesterday, we went out, en famille, to the local gastro-pub and I had a very nice fillet steak, washed down with guiness and blackcurrant, hic!

The rest of the evening was spent with my nose in a midwifery textbook, getting some revision done, ready for my teaching sessions today.

I'm off work tomorrow, I've got a few things on order from Windmill Crafts so I can go and collect those and start preparing for the workshop on Sunday. I've got another card order to fulfil, I really need to get that done over the weekend, too. It's an anniversary card for a Crystal Anniversary - I'm thinking an acetate card base and lots of bling!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with Rose's Garden. For once, I actually looked at the background paper before I coloured an image in! I really must remember to do this in future, the card came together much quicker than usual, and there wasn't the 'explosion in the paper factory' look to my house!


I don't know the make of the patterned papers, but I've cuttlebugged the strip of lilac pearl card. The organza ribbon was blasted with the heat gun to give that curly, 'frazzled' look - I discovered that you dont need much of a blast before the ribbon melts :0 !!
And I've used my new Petite Scallop Oval Nestabilities - love these much!! I might even get the Plain ovals to match, hee!

OK, it's time for the Copic Recipe: Skin - E51, E02, Hair - E33, E35, E57, blended and lightened with E50, Jeans - E31, E33, E35, texture added with E50, Top, Hair ribbon and flowers - V000, V12, RV95, Basket W1, W3, W5, E71, Contents - E35, BG93, C3, Kitten - W1, Outlined the image using B60. White dots on the hair ribbon with a Ranger Inkssentials Pen.

I like this colour palette, I think I'll have to do a Tilda in these colours.

Have you noticed the Rainbow drops? I used them on my last card, too. They're attached with clear glue, they're a bit of a change from brads or gems. They do remind me of sweeties, though, particulary the multicoloured tube of them - they look like Floral Gums, which I loved when I was little, but I don't think they're manufactured now, shame!
TTFN!

Copic revolution

The Copic demonstration went well yesterday - REALLY well! I was 'on' for 4 hours and the time absolutely flew by! I totally enjoyed myself and Barbara sold lots of Copics.


I've checked her pricing and it has to be the best around - £1.75 a pen, if you buy a set, it works out cheaper.


People have booked in for a Copic workshop next week, hosted by...little old me! Yay! This will give me more time to spend showing techniques etc. and helping if/where I'm needed.

Copic recipe for this card : Skin - E51, E31, R20, E02, Hair - E35, E37, yY28, Hat and jeans W1, W3, W5, W7, Basket - E31, Y28, E50, Top, Hair Ribbons, picnic blanket etC - RV21, RV23, RV34, RV95.

it's my birthday this week, (whispers this hint- all the fours). DH has asked me what I'd like - and I really don't have a clue! I'm at the stage in my life that if I really want something, I buy it for myself.

Now without getting silly, any suggestions?
TTFN!

Brrr!

First, an apology for doing a Christmas card in June!

But I was dying to colour in what I'd stamped, you see. I absolutely love this Tilda, I've been coveting her for a while and finally gave in to temptation. As I really don't enjoy cutting things out, I used masking technique to build up the scene, and I like this little scene a lot.


Tilda, Sled and the Winter's Night background are Magnolia stamps, the bird is from 'Holiday Birds' by Hero Arts and the sentiment is by Penny Black ( I cuttlebugged this with the snowflake embossing folder). Stripe and pink paper is 'Winter Wonderland' by Crafts House.

I used the card sketch from Taylored Expressions again, like my last post.

I've used the following Copics:

Skin - E000, E02, E51, Clothing - B00, B12, B93,B95, B97, wings - B60, Boots and mittens- W1, W3, W5, Hair - E35, E37, y28, Sled - E33, E35, E37. Bird - V000, B00

Background - shading on snow- C1 and B00, House - W1, W3, W5, YR31, BG10, Trees - BG93, C1, Sky - V000. Blended out with 0.

Highlights with Ranger Inkssentials white pen, Sakura Stardust to stars and Wings.

Ypu can click on the pic for a close-up.

Phew, it's a long list!

And for a bit of news - on Sunday, I've been asked to do a demo on using Copics at my local craft shop, Windmill Craft Centre. I'm there between 11am and 3pm for people to drop in and take a look, so that should be fun!

As a shameless plug for my local retailer, Barbara, - she's now selling Copic Ciao Markers (individually or in sets) for a really competitive price, contact her if you're interested! She's not got them on her website yet, but phone her for a price.

TTFN!