Welcome to Jubilee Monday

Morning,

How's your Jubilee weekend working out? I hope that any festivities you were attending/organising haven't been spoiled by the weather. It's been pretty pants with us here in Bristol and, whilst the sun is shining as I type this ....... I fear it may only be a temporary respite!

Welcome to new follower, Lynda Gilbert, I hope you will find yourself popping back from time to time too.

We're cat sitting this week and we headed off, yesterday, to visit with the lovely Iris who's such a pretty little cat! Apparently, she's not keen on dried food so we were asked to give her wet food at each visit. What the surrogates didn't warn us was that young Iris would be desperate to get at the wet food and nearly ended up wearing it! Bless. Still, duty done, as Iris ploughed her way through the entire tray in no time flat - swear we could nearly have put her bowl away as clean!!! After making a fuss of her for a few minutes she ambled off so we locked up and headed home - whereupon the heavens opened as we got out of the car - knew we should have taken an umbrella! - ah yes, the wisdom of ..... hindsight!

Yesterday morning was so bleuugh that hubby didn't get to go flying either and he was pretty keen to go as he's not had the opportunity for six weeks now. Ho hum, no point though, as the grass was so wet AND it was raining - bit of a no brainer there! I, however, have an indoor hobby which I WAS able to indulge ......

Materials used:

• 12½cm square, scallop edged 300 gsm white card and matching envelope
• 12 cm square black card
• 11½ cm square patterned paper "Beach Babe" - free with latest issue of CM&P
• Sewing machine to stitch black and pattern panels together
• Panel of white card to which I stamped my Lavinia floral image, inked using versamark ink and then pan pastel'd with magenta and set using hairspray
• Dark Room Door dotty image inked using versamark and then light red oxide pan pastel applied over the top before setting with hairspray - memo to self: MUST place new pastel fixative within reach!!!!
• Image panel then matted on to black card
• Pink ribbon (also free with the papers in the issue of CM&P)
• 5 faux crystal gemstones adhered to complete the card

I like the above card but part of me is wishing that I had thought of the dotty image first and the Lavinia image second!!! I just think it would look crisper - who's with me?

This morning saw me up with the lark - well, for me anyway!! Our pal, Liz, is due to join us for dinner and I'm on chef duty - now poor Liz has done nothing to offend me so she's having one of the few dishes I make that usually turn out well!! So, chilli it is then! Slow cooker on by 8 and I started chopping the ingredients. The great thing about chilli (or anything else) in a slow cooker is that you get to clear up well before your guests appear and dinner appears, almost like magic!! I'll allow myself the sin of lifting the lid around lunchtime when I'll adjust seasoning and thickness and then that's it till it's time to serve with rice. I did THINK about asking Steve to make one of his signature yummy loaves but ........ reckon there's enough chilli to feed a small army in that slow cooker!

Happy Jubilee Monday!

Lazy JUBILEE Sunday

Morning all,

I hope you all had a most excellent Saturday and are looking forward to a similar Sunday. I really hope that the weather was better where you were than it was where we were!! It rained for much of the afternoon and evening in true Public Holiday fashion!

Saturdays, for me, are usually my challenge days and I had several to choose from yesterday. I managed to complete, and post, my LIM challenge card and now I would like to share another with you - most of my challenges are now monthly which is going to leave some Saturdays a bit light on the crafting front but hey ..... I COULD always make a card for the sake of making a card!!!

Over on the craftbubble Monthly Challenge group Tinz posted the challenge for the month and it is to make a project using yellows, oranges and reds ....... fabulous combination so here's my entry.

Materials used:

• 12½ cm square scallop edged 300 gsm white card and matching envelope
• 11½ cm black card panel
• 11 cm white card panel - coloured using yellow ochre and red pan pastels which, once blended with an oval Sofft tool, were set using hairspray
• Stampers Anonymous dots image inked using Memento dandelion ink
• Stampers Anonymous harlequin image inked using Brilliance rocket red gold
• Personal Impressions dandelion head (in two sizes) and sentiment inked using Memento tuxedo black

Also cracked on with the new CMLI monthly challenge, set by Clare, and which was "CELEBRATE A NEW BEGINNING AND OPEN A BOTTLE"! I immediately thought of bottle presentation though I really DO have a fair few images of bottles including a rather splendid Penny Black image - might have to have a second go at this challenge then, especially as it IS open all month long.

Materials used:

• A4 white card .... cut to 7½ cm width and coloured using Bright yellow green and violet Pan Pastels
• A4 black card .... cut to 8½ cm width
• Tim Holtz harlequin design inked using Memento dandelion and stamped multiple times all over white card panel
• Lavinia image inked using Memento tuxedo black and stamped three times
• Stampendous perfectly clear sentiment inked using Memento tuxedo black
• Circle die cut using my Big Shot, to allow my project to hang over my chosen bottle
• Crop-a-dile used to punch two holes in the bottom of my panel and to set two black eyelets
• Narrow black organza ribbon, threaded throught one of the eyelets, round the back of the bottle and back through the other eyelet before tying in a bow directly in front of the central Lavinia image

I also did this card, just for the sake of it and purely to "play" some more with my Pan Pastels ......

Materials used:

• 12½ cm 300 gsm white card and matching envelope
• 12 cm black card panel
• 11½ cm white card panel coloured using light grey and magenta pan pastels
• Dark Room Door dot image inked using versamark ink and then bright yellow green pan pastel applied.
• Birthday gift template (thanks Wynneth) placed over PP panel and versamark ink sponged through the "splats" and then Pan Pastels in bright yellow green, magenta and violet applied and then the whole panel set using hair spray
• Art Impressions image inked using versamark and grey Pan Pastel applied to white card panel
• Dark Room Door image inked using Versamark ink and then Pan Pastel bright yellow green applied over the top and then the panel set using hair spray.
• Penny Black sentiment inked in Memento  tuxedo black.
• Card panel cut to shape and mounted on black card leaving a narrow border

Hope you like yesterdays work!

Happy Sunday - hope the weather holds out for you if you have outdoor activities planned.

Morning - so THIS is flaming June is it? ..... NOT!!!

Welcome to a very patriotic weekend on the British calendar, it's finally JUBILEE WEEKEND celebrating 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Happy Anniversay Ma'am.

Whilst in Florida we heard news readers proclaiming that the San Francisco bridge was also celebrating it's Diamond Jubilee, having been open for 75 years - oh dear! I've no idea what 75 is but I DO know that a Diamond anniversary is 60, does ANYONE know what represents a 75th anniversary? UPDATED TO READ: my thanks to Viv (of Viv's Visuals) who tells me that a 75th is a Diamond AND GOLD anniversary - thanks for the info. I DID think it might have been platinum but, apparently that's for a 70th anniversary.

It's Saturday and this means challenges, over on the Simply Less Is More blog a new Clean And Simple challenge has been unveiled and it is RED, WHITE and BLUE!! Chrissie and Mandi have delivered some splendid examples to help us with our inspiration too, so do pop across and check out their blogs. Here's my take on the challenge and I hope you like it - not much information about it as the sentiment is in a packet intended for an acrylic block and the crown/diamond image is a Craft Stamper freebie from absolutely YONKS ago!!

Materials used:

• 12½ cm square white scallop edged 300 gsm card
• Pan pastel in red and Sofft oval sponge
• Hairspray to set (couldn't reach the blessed fixative, which arrived yesterday - not to self CLEAR UP!!!)
• Craft Stamper freebie crown and diamond image and unknown sentiment inked in Memento Paris dusk

There's a brand new MONTHLY challenge over on Craft Mad and Loving It set by Clare, who is offering a prize with it. She's set a theme for this first challenge and it's "LET'S CELEBRATE A NEW BEGINNING AND OPEN A BOTTLE"!!! Her prize is a La Blanch stamp

Happy Saturday, I'm off to rummage to see what I can use on the June scrap layout challenge and the CMLI challenge, as Arnie once said ......... "I'll be back"!!!!!

A scrap challenge for June and the Friday Funny

Hi there fellow bloghounds!,

How's your week going? Well, here we are at Friday and the weekend really starts here.

I'm so excited - yesterday I spoke to a lovely lady at The Treasury craft store in Kidderminster and my pal, Cherry, and I are now booked on a 2½ hour Pan Pastel workshop on June 9th - YAY! I am really looking forward to this. I was lucky enough to get some pan pastels for my birthday recently and have been (as many will have spotted) LOVING them - it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up and Kidderminster is close enough to get to without having to set the alarm too early!

On the not very exciting at all front, I also went for my post vacation prune at the hairdressers! Boy, does that sunshine make your hair grow!!! I now feel MUCH tidier although, since I'm going to give growing out my fringe (bangs) a try, I do still feel like I'm looking through curtains so that MAY not work!

Back to the crafting .....

There's a new scrap booking layout challenge over on craftbubbles Scrap Addicts group and this time it's my turn to present the challenge. I've chosen a sketch and here it is ...

Hope you like it, if you want to have a go then follow the link above - it's open to all members of Craftbubble. Not a member? It's free to join and no obligation - simply go to http://www.craftbubble.com/ and create an account with a forum name and your e-mail address.

I also managed, right at the last minute and on the last day of May, managed an entry for the natural fibres challenge over on craftbubble's Monthly Craft Challenge

  

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Tim Holtz checker image inked using versamark ink
• Pan Pastels in brown and peach, set using hair spray - till my fixative spray arrives - it IS on its way!
• Inkadinkado circles image inked in Memento rich cocoa
• Lost Coast Designs crow inked in Memento tuxedo black on to white card, cut out and adhered using Colall glue
• Crop-a-dile to make two holes through which to thread the natural fibre - in this case, twine ...... and twice!

  

And it's not Friday without a Friday Funny so, without further ado, this week's Friday Funny comes courtesy of WYNNETH and came to me in an e-mail entitled "Dog for sale" - ENJOY .........

DOG FOR SALE

  

A man sees a sign outside a house - 'Talking Dog For Sale.' He rings the bell, the owner appears and tells him the dog can be viewed in the back garden.

  

The man sees a very nice looking Labrador Retriever sitting there.

"Do you really talk?" he asks the dog.

"Yes," the Labrador replies.

After recovering from the shock of hearing the dog talk, the man asks, "So, tell me your story."

  

The Labrador looks up and says, "Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the SAS.

"In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one imagined that a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years".

  

"But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at Heathrow Airport to do some undercover security work, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in.

I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded several medals. I got married, had a few puppies, and now I've just retired."

  

The man is amazed. He goes back into the house and asks the owner how much he wants for the dog.

"Ten quid," the owner says.

"£10!!? But this dog is absolutely amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheaply?"

  

"Because he's a lying b****rd, he's never been out of the garden."

Happy Friday and do have a great weekend - most of my pals seem to be going away! I sent round an e-mail to some pals (with a view to setting up dates to meet) and got mails back telling me one is off to France at the weekend, another to Italy and one to Cornwall - you KNOW who you are! Have a great break and we'll speak when you all get back.

Welcome to hump day Wednesday

Which, of course, also doubles as What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday!!! Not much is the answer!

My regular readers will know that I've just returned from Florida and it's always so very sad to have to pack away my crafting goodies - till next time, crafting goodies!!! It'll soon come round. Of course, taking wonderful vacations is not without it's downside ..... you should see the mountain of mail we've come back to and OMG!!! THE GRASS!!!

It was, however, like coming home to a second birthday! Having had lots of lovely cards in Florida here's the batch I came home to - that you all so very, very much if you sent me a card - hope you can see it here.

These are the cards that were waiting on my mat when we got home yesterday - THANK YOU EVERYONE

Here's how my craft room looked on Monday! Boo sob. FYI the hairdryer you can see on the floor came in very handy for drying inks but has now been returned to the bathroom where it can, once again, be used for the purpose it was intended for!

And here's how my work desk looks now .......

Now all I have to do is find room for all my new stash!

Happy Wednesday - just think, it's downhill all the way to the weekend!

Mellow Monday's here again

Hi folks,

Short post from me today, some of my regulars will know why ...

I've lost one of my followers, which is always sad, not sure who it was but thanks for following me and  - BYE! I'm sure we all lose one now and again as our crafting tastes change.

Funny old day yesterday, full of domestic chores and not much crafting but, you know me, I managed a quick ATC with the aid of my trusty new Pan Pastels (so quick to do a background), one stamp and a pre stamped image - YAY! We were invited to dinner with our friends and neighbours, Sally and Roger too - so a nice sociable end to the day.

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• ATC sized panel coloured using magenta Pan Pastel and sealed with hairspray
• Inkadinkado MEADOW image inked in Memento lilac posies all around the outer edge
• Pre stamped Magnolia image coloured using alcohol markers and cut out (to make 'em fit!)

Have a fab Monday, we're going to be squeezing a quart in to a pint pot today so I won't be about much today or tomorrow - back in time for What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday!

Hi there, lazy Sunday morning

Still scorching hot? Me too.

Yesterday evening saw us out to dinner with our neighbours, Sally and Roger, and we elected to try a Japanese restaurant. We had a fab meal and a lovely evening ..... check out the web site and a couple of photos I took.

The hibachi grill at the Oishi Restaurant

Just forward of our chefs right hand is a lighted "volcano" formed from sliced onion!!!

So, not much time for crafting what with reading my kindle on the pool deck and taking a dunk in the clear blue of the pool. This means I only have an ATC to share with your and I've now put the Pan Pastels away for the journey ....

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• TPC Studio foliage inked using versamark ink
• Red Pan Pastel
• Cheap Hairspray to set
• Inkadinkado image from the MEADOW set inked using Hero Arts HUES in black

I can't believe that I have to start packing away my crafty bits and bobs - where DOES the time go?

Happy Sunday - enjoy the weather, it's blooming hot here and I believe you are all experiencing the same. Stay cool peeps

Happy Saturday

Morning and welcome to another weekend, since the weather has been pretty glorious of late, I IMAGINE that one or two of you may even have a BBQ planned - ENJOY

I should warn you that this  post is just s SMIDGE heavy on the photo front, so I hope you have a coffee (or tea) with you - no? You might want to make yourself a drink, pull up a chair and ....... read on

Thought I'd give you all a break from my Pan Pastels journey today and go all cutesy! I acquired this image recently at the Scrap Booking and Stamping Expo in Kissimmee - isn't she cute? I'm vaguely reminded of Anya's from The Greeting Farm and how I love those? It's kind of CAS (which my regular readers will know I also love) but obviously not enough white space for the CAS purists, but CAS or not I hope you like it and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Materials used:

• White 300 gsm card and matching envelope
• White card panel cut slightly smaller than card and edged using an Amethyst pro marker
• DCWV card from the Grandma's kids stack
• La La Land image inked in Hero Arts HUES black ink and panel corners rounded
• Alcohol markers to colour
• White card panel cut slightly larger than image panel and edged using an Amethyst pro marker
• White grosgrain ribbon coloured using Amethyst pro marker
• Four faux crystal gemstones placed in the corners of the image panel

It's Saturday so there's a new challenge over on the Simply Less Is More blog, so, if you like CAS cards then why not nip over and check out today's challenge! This weeks challenge is "NOT A SQUARE"!!!

Was busy playing tourist yesterday and would like to share a few pix with you .........

I know they said it was HISTORIC Downtown but ..... honestly?!!!

Historic downtown Winter Garden village

Historic downtown Winter Garden village

Downtown Disney!

Home Sweet Home

Happy Saturday

A new challenge - 2nd post

Second post of the day and it's a bit of a late one but I realised that (because of the five hour time difference) I would miss it if I waited till the morning to post it!! If you didn't read my earlier post then please, if you've time, check it out here

Since I first got my PP's on Sunday I've been playing with them daily. There's a Challenge (#19) over on the Pan Pastels blog (well you would know that I would start entering these now I have the means, wouldn't you?)

Materials used:

• 12.5 cm square 250 gsm white card and matching envelope
• 12 cm white card panel edged with copic V12 (pale lilac) marker
• 11.5 cm white panel
• Versamark ink used to stamp Tim Holtz (circles), Inkadinkado (small circle clusters) and Penny Black (small dots) images in conjunction with the following Pan Pastels: Yellow Ochre Tint, Violet Tint, Permanent Red Tint and Bright Yellow Green
• Hampton Arts steampunk image and Fancy Pants Designs sentiment inked using Hero Arts HUES in black
• Hairspray to fix

You know, I looked at it once I'd finished it and can't help but think of Captain Scarlet and the mysterons - anyone else see that?

Hope you've all enjoyed the warm weather today - have a great weekend

TGIF Folks

Hi there,

Another weekend looms large and it LOOKS like the weather plans on being kind to us all - HURRAH!

Been playing with another ATC using the Pan Pastels, this time without setting between the layers - I'm liking this and hope you will too.

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Recollections splats, Inkadinkado splats/drips and drip image inked in versamark
• Pan Pastels, the yellow/green was applied over the entire ATC but the pink and peach were applied JUST to the versamark images using a much smaller tool to allow for more accurate application.
• Inkadinkado crow image inked using Memento sweet plum
• Hairspray to seal

And now for the Friday Funny, for what is Friday without a few laughs with mates ....... this week's funny comes courtesy of Wynneth.

It came to me in e-mail form and entitled .........  Subject: How to identify a meth lab



How to identify a meth lab

As a law enforcement officer I have been approached by several people lately wanting to know how to identify a Meth Lab

Here is a picture of four Labs. I think it's pretty obvious which one is the Meth Lab. I hope this helps.

Let me know if I can be of any further service in this matter.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone and make the most of the good weather.

Thursday again, it'll soon be the weeken at this rate!

Hi there,

A few of things to share with you today and only two will involve pan pastels (my current fave). So, starting with the pan pastels cards - I can't believe the coverage of these babies! If not for the time taken to mount the image panel and cut the ribbon then the second card would have been made in about a minute!!! I LOVE CAS and I LOVE Pan Pastels but ..... bad  news folks, my cheap hairspray (which I've been using as sealant) ran out!!! Guess this means we'll be nipping to a store nearby - to buy a new can. I usually buy a travel size as I don't use it on my hair and a teeny tiny can takes up less room. Of course, the first one below DID take longer to produce but - you KNEW that, didn't you?

Materials used:

• 12.5 cm square white 250 gsm card and matching envelope
• 12 cm grey card panel
• 11.5 cm black card panel
• 11 cm white card panel
• Pan pastels: red tint, yellow ochre, magenta, violet, grey
• Versamark ink pad used to stamp my inkadinkado circles, Penny Black circles and Recollections splats
• Hero Arts HUES black ink used to stamp my Fancy Pants Designs Sentiment and Inkadinkado MEADOW thistles

 

Woo Hoo I am loving how this is working for me - the PP's blend so beautifully

Materials used:

• 12.5 cm square white 250 gsm card and matching envelope
• Grey card panel
• Black card panel
• White card panel
• Inkadinkado image inked using versamark ink on to white card panel and then grey pan pastel applied using cut and dry and sealed with the last of my cheap hairspray
• Clearly Wordsworth sentiment inked using Hero Arts HUES in black
• Black/white ribbon cut in "V" shape and adhered behind panel before adhering image panel to base card

  

Materials used:

• 12.5cm square white 250 gsm card and matching envelope
• Black card panel
• Blue metallic DCWV linen effect card panel edged with EKSuccess punch
• White card panel edged with Hero Arts HUES in black
• Sparkle 'n Sprinkle image inked using Hero Arts HUES in black
• Alcohol markers to colour
• Faux crystal gemstones in place of buttons on image dress
• Blue glitter "water drops" in the centre of the punched circles
• Inkadinkado sentiment inked using Hero Arts HUES in black
• STIX2 double sided tape adhered top to bottom before adhering image panel and then sky blue glitter applied

Hope you like both projects and yes, the Sparkle 'n Sprinkle (Becca with tulips) image was acquired at my recent foray to the Scrap Booking and Stamping expo in Kissimmee. 

Happy Thursday, we're out this evening with our neighbours, Len and Koreen - no idea where we'll go but I'm SURE we'll find somewhere!, and before you ask - no, I'm not taking my PP's with me!!