Brenda's Pretty Sympathy Card

 



Good Morning Ladies,
well, I said good morning yesterday and it really wasn't for us! My goodness I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, needless to say all members of our house were in bed early last night!
Just look at Brenda's beautiful 'all white' Sympathy card.
I can see that Brenda has used one of the New York Dies, (Creative Expressions) and Striplet Dies (also Creative Expressions), the Camellia Flower Dies too!
They all look so effective cut out in all white, the recipient will love this card, something to really brighten a dark time in someone's life, Sympathy Cards don't always have to be sombre!
Thank you so much Brenda (littlelamb) for sending me this photo to share with all of our friends
here in the Café!
Thank you very much for all of your tips regarding Mum's Boiler, I emailed my sister (who is currently living with my mum with her boyfriend, I thought that they could go through the process of enquiring whether Mum qualifies for a grant, I think she only gets her state pension, (which isn't a lot) so I would like to think she could get some help, as that is a huge outlay for someone on just a pension! Keep your fingers crossed!
For our lunch today, we are having the first of our home grown produce, we picked some lovely Rocket and Mixed Salad leaves from the polytunnel last night, I will cook some eggs that a lovely man at the allotments gave us from his chickens, they came with complimentary poo!!!!  I always think that things taste so much better when you have grown them yourself, do you? How many of you grow your own???
Well I am going to finish some cards today, I tried yesterday, but no mojo, I think it ran off when I opened all the windows when the alarms where going off!
love and huge hugs to all of my lovely friends, Welcome also to any new ones, come on in and join us, you won't regret it!
Sandra
xxxxxx

Margarets Beautiful Christening card

 











Good morning ladies,

Just look at this beautiful Christening Card made by Margaret, it is just so pretty, my goodness

doesn't it highlight how the cards we all produce are so head and shoulders above any shop bought card!

I can see that Margaret had used the Creative Expressions Heart Lattice Embossing folder, It looks

like the Classic Rose die too and the Spellbinders Floral Ovals (one of my all time favourite die sets)!

I know that there are many of us that share the Scandinavian Border as an all time favourite die, it is just so pretty, almost lace like and finished with a strip of pearls, looks just stunning!

The beautiful pink bow is trimmed with another gorgeous pink flower!

Margaret your card is so very beautiful, thank you so very much for sending me the photographs, I look forward to you popping in later today to tell us where you got the gorgeous image from, it looks like a Lily of the Valley image but i am not sure.

Well I had a lovely day at Pat's with Sue, Sue was busy having a go at quilling, she really likes to try new things, I don't think that I have seen Sue do the same thing two weeks running, she is very talented! Pat wanted to have a go at an 'Izzy Bag' so we got that started and she also made an Engagement card for some friends it looked fab when she had finished it, I just managed to have a go at cutting some of Pats new Dies, so I have got some bits and pieces to play with tomorrow!

Cheryl emailed me earlier, she is still having trouble getting access to my blog, she thinks its a Windows 8.1 that she has updated her lap top with, any ideas as she exhausted all the ones we have suggested already. Maybe you will have to set up a new google account Cheryl?!

Well I am going to have a relaxing morning as I was about fit to drop when I got in yesterday afternoon, it was so lovely for the three of us to be back together again, we weren't short of conversation!

love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra

xxxxxxx

Lilac Romantic wild roses

 Good Morning Ladies,
Well what ever germs that have infected me have really taken their toll, goodness me I felt rubbish yesterday, I finally managed to get up to help Paul make a beef stir fry for tea, while I was up I thought that I really should get a card put together for tomorrows blog, so here it is, I had to keep going for a lie down and finally finished at about 10pm, I hope you think its worth it!
I used my now very favourite stamp set Justrite Romantic Wild Roses, this time I used Memento Lulu Lavender and Grape Jelly ink pads and Mowed lawn distress marker and New Sprout Memento ink for the stems, I stamped a few flowers and Cut them out with Californian Collection Dies from Creative Expressions, I used two of the Matting Basics to make the frame and a the largest
Decorative Die for the darker purple decorative mat under the focal element, I then took an 8 x 8 card
and matted it with two contrasting shades of purple, I then took a square of white card and used the smaller stamps to create a matching back ground paper, using the same colours as the main image.
I then took some of the darker purple card and used to cut several Camellia dies to form the flower for the centre of my bow.
I stamped the 'Birthday wishes' onto a small strip of lilac card using the Grape Jelly memento ink and embossed it with Cosmic Shimmer Detail Clear embossing powder, I matted it onto some of the darker purple card and added it to the top corner of the card.
I then finished with the triple bow and a few pearls.
Well I am hoping that today, Cheryl is able to reconnect with us as she is sorely missed, she sends her love and hugs to you all and I did add last night but you may not have seen Michele, but Cheryl wanted me to wish you a very happy birthday!
Sam I hope after reading all the lovely comments about your gorgeous card, you can write off the negative comments you received, I think that someone was jealous of your skills!!
All being well, later this morning I will be going off to Pats house with Sue, bring on the lemsip!
Whatever you are all doing today have a great one,
love and hugs
Sandra
xxxxxxxx

Sam's stunning Sunflower !

Good Morning Ladies,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELE !!!
Have a lovely day Michele, I hope you get spoilt rotten today, sending you big,
Birthday Hugs!
This gorgeous card Is made by the very talented Sam, the flowers look amazing!
I love that background paper, so may shades of green,,
Also that beautiful sunflower that makes up the focal piece is stamped brilliantly too,
The sentiment is in such a pretty font, it really Matches with the card style!
This card would be handy for so many occasions, birthdays, christening etc!
I think I may have picked up germs so I am going to cut this post shirt,
I am really sorry, I have to keep re-writing as I keep typing nonsense as I am
Falling asleep!
Thank you so much Sam for sharing your skills, you are amazing!
Please leave your comments below, I love to read them!
Hugs
Sandra xxx
Sorry it's so short xxxx

Something a Beautiful and a little bit different from Maureen

Good Sunday Morning Ladies,
I just wanted to share something a little bit different with you today, Pergamano is an amazing craft discipline, you have to be very skilled and very patient I imagine, this piece that Maureen has created is just so beautiful, the outer edge of the heart actually looks like lace, what a beautiful Wedding or Anniversary card this would be, you need nothing more than pure skill to complete a card, it needs no embellishment or ribbon, pearls or anything else, the incredible detail put into this card is all that is needed.  Maureen this is an exquisite piece of work, I wouldn't be even be able to draw the outline of the couple, I now its all pricking and piercing, it looks very technical, is it something you could teach us the basics of at our retreat Maureen, if we all bring a bit of Parchment????

Just look at the detail in this card, I really wasn't sure at first if it was just the frame of the card that

was Pergamano'd, but on closer inspection I am pretty sure the Kimono is Pergamano too, just look at all the different textures in that one piece! Its just stunning Maureen, you really have been hiding your amazing skills away from us!! How long does a piece like this take?

I can't thank you enough for allowing me to share your amazing talent with our lovely friends here in the café!

What are you all up to today? We are having a quiet day today, Paul needs to go and sort out his Fruit cage at the allotment as we have fruit bushes absolutely full of fruit and a 15ft Conifer hedge that runs along the edge of our allotment full of fruit fancying pigeons!

I will catch up with you all later today, have a great one whatever you are doing,

Love and Hugs

Sandra

xxxxxxx



Mixed Craft Saturday

 

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,

 

Well it wouldn't be a mixed craft Saturday without something

from Our Brenda (Littlelamb) would it??

Now this amazing dish is a different style version of

the Zentangle Bowl that we showcased a few weeks back.

I am very proud to say that I am the owner of this bowl,

Brenda gave this amazing gift to me at Ally Pally and I

was so moved when I opened it, It is a very treasured possession!

 

Brenda has used a pen and drawn on every single bit of detail on

this stunningly decorated dish, I also love the quirky shape of

this dish, it must have taken hours and hours!

Thank you so very much Brenda for the most wonderful gift,

I will treasure it for the rest of my days xxxxxx

 

 

Just look at these gorgeous little Owl boxes, made by master of

the boxes.....Michele!

No template or tutorial for this one though as I Believe that

Michele said that they made from a Die, I am not sure

that the decoration is part of the die set or if Michele has

added her own embellishments, it looks like they have ears,

so that you can make them into a dog or rabbit or a cat,

just let your imagination run wild, they are amazing little

gift boxes, or even lunch boxes for a children's party!

Thank you so much Michele for sharing these cute little

Owls with us, you are very talented and you have the

best imagination ever! xxxx

 

 

Last but by no means least we have this gorgeous set of Notelets and

matching Gift Box, made by Our Myra!!!!

Do you recognise the Butterfly???

It's Sue's New Butterfly from her latest launch, I emailed Myra

after I saw this cards to say that she had totally changed my mind

about 'needing' the Butterfly Die, I genuinely didn't really have it on my

'Need' List, but after I opened Myra's email!

 

 

This is a close up of the beautiful box that Myra has decorated with

the Floral Meadow Striplet Die, decorated with a few small Camellia

flowers and the New Majestic Monarch die and the sides of the box

are decorated with the Gemini Phoenix die, all from Creative Expressions,

designed by Sue Wilson!

 

Just look at this stunning, gorgeous, amazing card, this was the game changer

for me, seeing what Myra has done with the Majestic Monarch Die and some

Iced Snow, it just works, Myra I think that you may be seeing this design

replicated time and time again! Thank you so very much Myra, firstly for

creating this beautiful design, and also for allowing me to share you cards

and box with all of our friends on our blog xxxxxxxx

Well aren't we lucky to have such amazingly talented crafters amongst

our friends here in the Café, I am so pleased that we agreed to start this

Mixed craft day, as we have seen that so many of our friends have so

many more talents other than making cards.

Well I am hoping to go off to a local garden centre today as they

have a Carole's Crafts, not that great as far as up to date craft goodies goes,

but they have plenty of card and ribbon and some patterned card too, so its worth a

quick visit, I am not sure if either of my 'Graces' are coming with me, I could do

with Sue coming as she seems to have the knack of getting the lowest possible prices!

Come on Sue, up you get there are bargains to be had!

Pat are you up for a visit too?

I had better get sorted and ready for action,

I will catch up with you all later,

Have a fabulous day.

Love and Hugs

Sandra

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anothe Maria Masterpiece!

 



 

 

Good Friday Morning lovely friends,
Well I can't believe its Friday already, this week has gone so fast, properly due to the Bank Holiday.
it didn't dawn on me until tonight when I saw Paul putting the wheelie bins out!
Todays card is one that Maria sent me back in March I believe, I showed one of the three cards that she had sent me, but this one has remained hidden in the depths of my 'Guest Designer' folder!
It looks like Maria has used the Scandinavian Collection Die Copenhagen and the Corner from the Scandinavian Corner, border, Tag Collection, also the sentiment is set into the middle of the Camellia Trellis Stamp,the Gemini, Carina Die for the border at the bottom and the Camellia Open Petals and Ivy dies, both from the Finishing Touches range, all these die collections are from Creative Expressions die range, designed by our Sue Wilson. I can see that Maria has also used an A4 embossing folder, although I am not sure which one and some Spray Inks too, altogether a beautiful card Maria, thank you so much for sharing your work of art with us all, its great to see what everyone else does with Sue's die range, I think that Sue would be very proud of this card Maria! xx
Well as I am typing this we still don't know which of the many combinations of parties will be running the Country, I am so sick of hearing about what they will and won't do, its all a  load of flannel, they don't stick to any of the things they promise, our Armed Forces are all but on their knees as a result of the past two governments, the cut backs to just about everything, I know of men that have had to buy there safety gear to get the quality required to feel safe, as part of the cut backs (their uniform is insufficient, its no secret its been all over the internet before today, but we see the effects first hand, I have washed a lot of light blue shirts over the past twenty five years or so and the quality now is diabolical! I am not sure which decision would be better for the country!
Well the school appointment is over and done with, I would like to think that they won't be doing that again in a hurry! They were very apologetic, saying that they just wanted the best outcome for the girls and wanting to know what they can do in the future to help them! I didn't buy it to be frank, explained what it felt like as a parent to get a phone call from your childs consultant's secretary advising you that the school found it necessary to make your child an emergency appointment, I think he got the picture, the school nurse/councillor was there too, she obviously had her hand in the  dealings as she was rather sheepish, she said she only spoke to people to make sure she was giving lucy the support she needed, what a load of waffle, I guess the benefit of all this is that they now want to do anything they can to make the girls lives easier, well we will see!
Well I am off for a cup of tea, have a lovely day ladies!
love and hugs
Sandra
xxxxxx