A lovely card from Karen

 

Good Wednesday Morning Ladies,

We have a busy couple of days ahead, today is Lucy & Sophie's Birthday,   they turn 26 today!   It's so crazy, where have 26 years gone,  they were a huge surprise to us but my goodness they have enriched our lives.  They are fun to live with (most of the time)  but we all have our off days 🤣😂  It is a huge comfort to me having them here, especially when Paul is at work.   They have lots planned today, including dinner out tonight, we are going to a Cider farm that has lots of Food Trucks, all serving food from different countries,  so there is definitely something for everyone.  Tomorrow we are out for Birthday Brunch plus garden centre visit.  I will need a week to recuperate 🤣😂

Today's Gentle Reminder.....Asking for help and admitting that I need help are among the things I struggle with most,  I'd rather struggle to get something done, which often ends in me be exhausted and no further forward.  The being 'dependent' on others is my hardest struggle!   So hearing and reading that is okay to struggle adds a bit of reassurance.  

Today I am sharing this lovely little card that Karen made for me,  the vase is a die by Aall&Create,  that Scipt background is so lovely,  adding the inking around the edge really draws your eye in. The black mat really makes those colours pop.  It is currently on display on my craft desk, but well out of splatter range 🤣

I hope that you all have a great day, 

Love & hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Another Clean & Simple card

 

Good Morning Ladies,  

Just a quick one today,  I hope that you are all as well as can be expected,  gentle hugs to those that need one. 🤗 

I think we all need a break at sometime,  just not from this blog 🤣😂

Today's card is a clean and simple design, I used a stamp block to add a rectangle of Broken China ink spritzed with water.   I then stamped and embossed the flower from my new Visible image stamp,  I added Embossing powder and heat set,  then did the same with the sentiment and the splodges. Mounted onto a black mat and then onto a white card base.   A little frustration, the card warped when I dried the watercolour area,  I should have taped it down!  

I hope that you all have a good day,  

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra xxx 

 

Good Monday Morning Ladies,  

At the start of a new week a positive affirmation feels even more comforting!  The truth is a lot of us don't feel like we are 'doing great' !  

My mind is a little preoccupied,  hopefully I'll have answers later this week 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Today I am sharing the super cute journal page that I made last Wednesday using the Stamperia Quiet Days collection,   the little kitten is just so cute,  it looks a bit like our Bella,  a cute addition having her peeking over the little border. Pretty much everything is from the Quiet Life junk journal,  definitely the best thing to buy if you want to try out a collection. 

I hope that you all have a great week,  

Love & hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx

Our makes this week...

 

Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

Welcome February,  I like the sound of 'fresh beginnings and endless possibilities'  , my favourite thing about February is seeing the garden starting to burst into life.  Let's just hope its a little drier than January!! 

We had a fairly chilled day yesterday,  which is exactly what we all needed.  We did have to go do a food shop but just went locally,   we were l ready for some home cooked food too. 

No plans as such for today,  the weather is just so depressing,  the rain just doesn't stop, the local flooding is awful. Every where looks muddy or dark and miserable.  

Before we look at your lovely creations, lets look at today's gentle reminder...

You should be proud of every little thing that you acheive, every step in the right direction is a huge achievement 👏 

So lets cheer ourselves up by looking at your lovely makes....

Karen

Karen's Description:

Project 1:

I decided to “play” with my Miss P Loves book dies and create a book for Aall&Create Memorydex’s challenge because I have a lot of cheap black card from The Range - use different cardstock for card making

This is the inside cover 

Very early stages

Project 2:

And my version of number 2 Coffee

I used a MCS image and we used to have a poster up at work that said

“I like my men like I like my coffee: hot, sweet and can keep me up all night” but was too long to fit in the space This saying still made me smile and reminded me of it

3:

My version of VickyP’s take on the AALL&CREATE Memorydex challenge Photography/Camera

A bit darker than hers 

I used ScanNCut to create camera 

Clarity papers

Aall&Create stencil with my texture paste 

Spellbindersflowers and leaves 

Nuvo drops

Wow Karen you have had an amazing craft week,  I love the idea of using your Miss P dies,  great way of using them.  

The sentiment for your card is hilarious 😂,  although I might add even the thought of being 'kept up all night' doesn't appeal!! 🤣😂

I have to say that your version of Vicky P's Memorydex camera has really inspired me.  I really want to do the Aall&Create challenge.  

Thank you so much for the inspiration and for supporting the challenges my lovely XXX 

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Hi, here is my card for this week.

Made mostly with the Stamperia sea papers

Used a background paper,and then used some of the die cuts the rest are cut from the background papers.

I absolutely love this sepia toned card Lilian,   what a perfect Man card,  I really love that sentiment too,it really matches the style of the card. 

Thank you so much for going to the trouble of making a card for the blog Lilian,  I really do appreciate it. XXX

Sonia

Sonia's Description:

I have used Stamperia’s Dewdrop collection. I cut the hills from another piece from the collection and adhered to the main piece. I inked the edges of paper and sentiments with Vintage Photo distress ink. I fussy cut the lady and gently inked around her to hide any imperfections. The sentiment is an Inkylicious stamp, and I added a strip of snowflake Pet tape down the one side. Snowflakes are Memory Box.

An absolutely stunning Journal page,  my lovely,  I hope that it has inspired you to want to create another one.  The Dewdrop papers are some of the nicest ones that Stamperia make,  which is why they are so hard to get hold of, I wish they would to a reprint of them as I would have loved the Junk journal. 

Thank you for sharing your inspirational page with us Sonia,  I really appreciate your support.  XXX 

Maria

Maria's Description:  

I made up some easy cards from a pack For Men by Hunkydory.

Happy birthday die is a new one from Temu. 

Not sure if you want to use them but anyhow. Hoping to make some more of something the coming week.  

Maria thank you so much for sharing your lovely cards,  they are perfect cards for Men,  cards for teen age or young boys are really tricky, your first card would be perfect.   The second card covers most of the things that feature on male cards,  something for everyone!! 

I always appreciate your support for the blog and I am happy to share every card that you make my lovely XXX  

Sue

Sue's Description:  

Hi my lovely. I’m not sure about this one. The ribbon behind the bells is dark green velvet but it was hard to get it to show up. I got the idea from Pinterest. 

The bells and sentiments are from my stash that I have had for years. The velvet ribbon was from Hime Bargains last Christmas xx

A brilliant Christmas card Sue,  those bells are so realistic looking,  the green velvet gives a touch of luxury,  the sentiment is fun and works perfectly! 

It's great to be featuring your cards on our Sunday blog post.   

Thank you so much Sue XXX

**************

Ladies I hope that you all have a lovely Sunday,  

Sending love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Mixed Up Saturday

 

You have all made it so far,  so just keep swimming!! 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies, 

We made it home around 8.30 ish last night,  all totally exhausted,   but some lovely memories made, the girls thoroughly enjoyed their birthday treat.  On Thursday night I literally couldn't keep my eyes open when we got back, I think the busy atmosphere of London is exhausting, especially when you are on the busy underground,  I still find myself looking round and checking on the girls constantly as I did when they were little.   

Kew gardens was amazing,   so many plants that the girls were familiar with and some they have on their wishlists!   There was so much to see and I'd love to go back in mid spring or summer.    The trip also made Paul and I a lot more confident when it comes to using the Underground,  which will make our future trips much easier.   I will add some of the highlights of our Kew gardens visit....

Beautiful Snowdrops 

Spring Star flower

These are called 'Tree Dahlias '

They were right up in the roof of the glass house.

They look a bit like Clematis I think

Paul & Lucy did a roof top walk way and got 

Some lovely photos. Everything looked so ornate,  I believe this is the largest Victorian Glasshouse in the world. 

The fragrance from this Narcissi was incredible 

The girls both fell in love with this beautiful 

Bird of Paradise plant, a new addition to their wishlists!  

We were at Kew for around 4 hours,  it would take even longer if the gardens were in full bloom.  The Princess of Wales Conservatory was closed too as they are preparing for an Orchid exhibition,  which I would love to see. 

I hope that you all have a great Saturday, 

Love and hugs to all  

Sandra xxx 

Sonia's Journal page

 

You all matter!!!

Good Friday Morning Ladies 

We had a lovely day in London,  the girls thoroughly enjoyed the museums,  I wanted to do V &A but after the Natural History Museum and Science museum it was 6pm so it had closed,  Paul and I will come back on our own and do it.   After that we went into Leicester Square for the evening,  the girls wanted to try a new food market, it has lots of different food vendors under one roof, so Lucy had a 'Poke' bowl wish Salmon suchi, over steamed rice with avocado,  edamame beans, kimchi and a few other bits,   Soph and I had Thai food, Paul had a 'Yorkshire ' wrap,  which was a large Yorkshire pudding filled with loads of roast beef, mash, cabbage and a pot of gravy,  he loved it.  We were full and exhausted!!  Lucy's step counter said she had done 21, 748 steps!  

Today we are off to Kew Gardens,  I am so pleased I bought a new 'big coat'  as it was really cold all day.  

Today I am sharing this absolutely incredible page that our Sonia made,  the sentiment looks like it had always been there!  Everything works so beautifully!  

Sonia's Description 

I have used Stamperia’s Dewdrop collection. I cut the hills from another piece from the collection and adhered to the main piece. I inked the edges of paper and sentiments with Vintage Photo distress ink. I fussy cut the lady and gently inked around her to hide any imperfections. The sentiment is an Inkylicious stamp, and I added a strip of snowflake Pet tape down the one side. Snowflakes are Memory Box.

Oh Sonia this is a stunning journal page, thank you so much for sharing it with us XXX

I hope that you all have a lovely day, 

Love and hugs to all  

Sandra xxx

A bit of Steampunk for a change..

 

Good Morning Ladies,  

We have an early start today as we heading off to London today,  the girls are looking forward to going to the museums,  we haven't been for years,  in fact I think the last time we went it was for the girls birthday when they were in primary school. 

Life certainly can feel like you are on a rough sea, so many ups and downs,  sometimes it definitely feels like there are more lows!  It is important to keep battling through,  those highs will come!! 

I had fun creating a grungy steanpunk journal page yesterday.  

I was so absorbed in creating that I forgot to take photos of each stage.  

I started by Spritzing the page with Faded Jeans & Vintage Photo Distress Oxide sprays,  the Spritzed with water and let everything mingle,  I then added water to me gold Gansai paints and splattered that over the dried background,   then I Spritzed with waterband absorbed it away with kitchen roll.  I used Black embossing paste through  Tim Holtz mini stencil and allowed to dry.  I added a few more gold splats.   I then picked out some die cuts and started by adding the tag to the background at an angle, trimmed off the excess and then added the other die cuts,  inking each piece as I went.  The final touches were adding the clouds and some white splatters.  

I hope that you all have a good day,  

Love and hugs to  all, 

Sandra xxx