A look back at our week

Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

Let's Welcome November,  I can hardly believe its here,  its a busy month that whizzes by super fast, as we prepare for Christmas 🎄 

I hope that you are all enjoying a lovely relaxed start to your Sunday.  

This is a frustrating lesson to have to learn 🙄, none the less it's a very true reminder 😘

I had a couple of new craft goodies arrive on the day I went for surgery,  I am itching to have a play,  I did plan too yesterday but that was an over ambitions idea!!   Fingers crossed today will be the day,  one thing I am enjoying is that Paul is coming to sit with me to encourage me to stay put,  which means he is getting some relaxation time too. 

Let's look at what you have been making this week...

Karen 

Karen's Description:

I treated myself to JND’s Chocolate Deer die - it creates a “bag” to hold a Lindor chocolate The aim is to make gifts for the ladies at Craftea and thought Charlie might like playing with it

This is a spinner card 

New - JND die

Old - ribbon

I really like this Reindeer Karen,  it actually really looks like a 'Chocolate Reindeer'  I think its how the antlers are shaped,   how great that it's so versatile too,  the fact that it creates a little treat bag perfect for one little Lindor chocolate,  you can create fun little gifts for your craft friends that won't cost a fortune to fill.   It would be great for little gifts for Children to give out too.  I can see you getting a lot of use out of this die. 

Thank you so much for sharing your Chocolate Reindeer with us XXX 

Lilian 

Lilian's Description: 

Here is my challenge piece for this week.

Another tag I’m afraid, trying to get enough done to start making my tag book.

This is another water colour sponged back ground. Using several water colour paints in yellow,orange and a little bit of green.

Then I took Tim Holtz Paris garden stamps, and some little odd ones that I can’t remember where it came from.

I love doing these tags so you will probably see a few more.

Oh Lilian what stunning colours on your tag this week,  the background colours are beautiful too, your sponged watercolour backgrounds are so delicate,  I am going to add a natural sponge to my craft shopping list this week,  so that I can have a play, I tend to get too heavy handed though. 

Do you start out with certain colours and build up? 

Don't apologise for making tags my lovely,  I love seeing your tags,  the fact that I know that you love making them makes them even more enjoyable to look at.  

You making tags isn't any different to making a card each week or me boring you all with my mini journal pages.  

Seeing what you have created is a joy whatever form it takes.  

My only wish is that I might encourage you to do something you enjoy, using stash you have at hand. 

Thank you so much for a lovely,  inspirational tag XXX 

Maria

Maria's Description: 

A very simple card but you know how it is when you have too much stuff to choose from, well my mind goes blank.

I have used very old papers and poinsettia die. New for me is the Christmas tree stamp. It's from an old stamping magazine but new to me.

I have now looked in three stores for some crafting magazines and haven't found anything except for one ! Claire's I think it was but at £ 14.99 , it's a bit much. Must hold on to the pennies as going to the NEC on the 8/11

What has happened to them all . Smiths has closed down too so can't go there any more. 😟

I wanted to ask if you know if you can buy from Pretty little things ? I have seen some lovely cards from them but can't see if they sell their products anywhere 

Such a pretty Christmas card Maria,  I love how you have graduated the colours on the stamped tree.  Your poinsettia finishes the card beautifully.

Like you I struggled to find any Craft Magazines when I was in Cirencester with Soph, we went into many shops,  in TG Jones (formerly WhSmith) they only had 'Chloe's' craft magazine,  which isn't my style really, her cards are pretty but a bit blingy for me.   There were none of the old magazines that we used to buy regularly.  I wanted something to browse through while recuperating,  I'm not bothering to look anymore,   I have plenty of old ones if you want some, (they have stamps and dies with them ). 

Thank you so much for creating a lovely Christmas card for us my lovely XXX 

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I hope that you all have a great Sunday, 

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

Happy Saturday

 

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies, 

I hope that you are all able to enjoy this last day of October,  this year has absolutely whizzed by!!! 

Paul is doing a few garden jobs today, I might venture down and sit at my desk for a while, I am going stir crazy sat doing nothing.  I struggle with stairs daily normally so attempting since surgery has been a no-no,  but I'm done with being confined to barracks!!!  My fingers are itching to craft too.   Although I will have to be conscious of what and how I am moving,   I do go to surgeon with the list of questions that ChatGPT recommended I ask about my particular recovery journey,  however I didn't actually get to speak to the 'Consultant ' and I was just given the same advice as anyone that wanted to cough or sneeze!!   I think we'll manage with good old 'common sense' 

Gina

Gina very kindly shared these beautiful beaded baubles with us today,  I did ask ChatGPT to try and make them a bit clearer to see 

I mean they aren't exact but you get the idea of how pretty they are.  Your tree is going to look exquisite Gina.  I hope you are enjoying Weymouth my lovely XXX 

Maria 

How absolutely gorgeous is this crystal art piece from our Maria ?!  Could they be any happier,  I wouldn't mind a glass of what they are drinking! 😉 You find some absolutely adorable art pieces Maria, what a lovely gift for a friend

Thank you so much for sharing this piece with us, it really made me smile XXX

I Hope that you all have a lovely Halloween Saturday,  

Love and hugs to all,

Sandra xxx 

Mini journal page 6

 

Good Friday Morning Ladies, 

Wow this week has flown by!  I am looking forward to a quiet weekend at home with Paul though. 

Yesterday was a pretty uncomfortable day, probably due to all anesthesia wearing off,  they did say that they put local anesthesia around wound area for comfort after surgery,  it will apparently be more uncomfortable as it was a little larger than they had anticipated. So repair was a bit larger.  But it's all tucked in nicely now which is the main thing. 

Today I am sharing the next page of my mini journal,  it started out as a blank page, I added some background stamping and then added the bits of ephemera from the Arden Amber Ledger collection.  I didn't think I would use the 'good life' piece but it fitted quite well on this page and was a perfect landing spot for the bird and butterfly 🤣

I hope that you all have a good Friday   

Love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx 

Happy ACTUAL Birthday Karen

 

Good Morning Ladies,  

Today's post is totally 100% in celebration of Karen's ACTUAL 70TH BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 

Make sure you read all the details on the banner above 😉

I hope you have the very best day, week and month, just as you deserve ❤️ 

I will celebrating with you from my bed,  I am in the caring hands of Soph today,  poor lucy will be glad to get to work for a rest.  We had a stressful couple of hours when I broke out in an awful rash that lucy noticed on my arms,  which got worse over an hour, then left my arms and moved to my hands causing them to swell, then back up one arm and around my neck and abdomen, within about 4 hours it had totally gone 🤞🤞 I think it was a hives type rash caused by something in anaesthesia,  Paul remembered it happened after one of my hip surgeries too, but straight after.  I did have incredibly itchy hands in recovery and all of last night. Thankfully its gone now.  These things are sent to try us!! 

Have a lovely day everyone,  

Love to all,

Sandra 

Happy Birthday Karen

Good Morning Ladies,  

 Please join me in wishing our Lovely Karen a Very Happy 70th Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈                                  I hope you have the most amazing celebrating 🍾 my lovely friend ❤️

Today's journal page is from the 'Quiet Days' Stamperia collection. 

The background was made using Washi tape pieces cut up a layered.  I then brayered over a light coat of Ivory paint to blur any harsh joins etc. 

Then I added the frame with the little girl and her cat adhered inside.  

I then added run -ons around the frame to create a 'cluster'.  A simple sentiment and some white splatters finish the page.   

I hope that you all have a good day,

Love and hugs to all 

Sandra xxx

Mini Journal page 5

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

I am very nervous this morning, all sorts of nonsense going through my mind!  So I will keep today's post brief. 

My have to be at hospital for 12.30pm.  

You all matter, more than you'll ever know 😘

Today's journal page started out as a plain page..

For this one I added Rub-ons to create the background detail. 

They add so much detail,  I added it to a piece of decorative paper from the 6 x 8 pad, 

I then used the Gathered Twigs Distress ink to add some stamped detail to the  background.

The main focal point of this page is the the Rub-on and the label with sentiment on,  sometimes you just need 'filler' pages.  

I hope that you all have a good day, 

Love & hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx

Good Monday Morning

 

Good Monday Morning Ladies, 

Welcome to the start of a new week,  I hope that it's a good week for all of you.  

The weekend just flew by, the weather was terrible with the storms, so Paul didn't get much done in the garden.   I had a good day yesterday,  I got some journal pages done to post throughout this week, I am hoping to be able to sit and craft at some point this week.   

Today's reminder,  I hope that any clouds in your life soon  pass quickly my lovelies 😘 

I made this journal page today, using Stamperia Flowers & Poems collection,   I used Stamperia coffee ink smooshed onto a piece of cellophane bag and spritzed with water, I tapped the ink over the page, drying between layers.  

Next came stencilling for some texture and interest.   I added a few splatters of ink too.                I took a pretty envelope and clock face and popped some pads on them and added to the background, I used a die cut butterfly as the focal point.  A couple of little flowers and some leaves add a touch of prettiness to the end of the sentiment strip. A few white splatters finish the page. 

I hope that you all have a great start to your week, 

Love and hugs to all,  

Sandra xxx