Happy Sunday Morning

 

Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

We have been blessed with a real mix up of weather conditions this week,  yesterday was chilly (long sleeve t shirt and jumper cold) while being sunny and very windy,  the washing got dry on the line though which is always a bonus.   I spent most of the day 'potting on' seedlings, crazy as I only sowed them last weekend!  It is a really back breaking chore, despite me trying to get a great, we organised set up!   I had to admit defeat at around 3pm. 

Just on case you needed reminding!!! 🥰😍😘

Lucy is off today so will hopefully go out and do something fun, it's nice to get the one on one time with each of them (and paul as well). 

What do you all have planned??

Let's look at your makes ..  

Karen

Karen's Description:

1:  14 Transportation/car

All IndigoBlu items from one of their magazines paper lightly gesso’d Ticket stamp Versafine Clair Nocturne 

Lady on bicycle and train stamped in grey

Hot air balloon stamped for a 2nd time and coloured with pencils for a change White splatters to finish

Mounted onto white as straight onto black made it look dark and dismal

2:  15 Summertime 

Created in Serif 

Used Karen Burniston die to create photo frame

3:  Number 16 in the challenge Fruits Land

A very simple image printed twice from Pinterest and the Apple on foreground is triple embossed and a quirky font from a Serif divinity

Wow Karen 3 more categories checked off in one week!   That's amazing,  it looks like that new printer is helping too.   

All 3 are inspirational, giving the rest of us some ideas for the trickier categories! 

Thank you so much for supporting the challenge my lovely XXX 

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Hobbies is the theme I used.

Most of the pieces came from an older Stamperia pad : romantic collection/ threads. 

Trying to use up some of my older pads.

Hope you have a good weekend 

I love your journal page,  it perfectly depicts your love of sewing!  Every element works so well together from the background paper with the sewing elements mixed with pretty flowers to those focal elements,  I love seeing the old singer type sewing machine, it reminds my of my childhood spent at my Nana's house, she had an old machine in a wooden cabinet with the big ornate treddle underneath,   after she died my Dad had it and I remember him making curtains and cushion covers for a camper van that he built from scratch.  They must have gotten rid of it as it wasn't there when Mum died and we emptied the house.  

Thank you so much for supporting the challenge and taking me down memory lane XXX

Maria

Maria's Description:

I had a play with my sprays and stamps this afternoon and cut some butterflies out of flower glittery vellum and white splatters 😊

Wow Maria what a lovely page,  your colours all work so well together,   the stamping adds some lovely interest too,  those delicate vellum butterflies work so beautifully with that dark inky background, the white splatters add brightness too. 

Thank you so much for supporting the challenge my lovely XXX 

Sonia

Sonia's Description:

Hi lovely, here’s my journal page ….

‘Friendship’

Picture and friendship quotes are printed from Pinterest. I have used background papers, the little cut out flowers, butterfly and tape from Stamperia Daisy Art collection. I also used Tracey Hey Heart stencil and inked all edges with Vintage Photo distress ink. The heart die is from Stampin Up and the little tag which the butterfly sits on is from Temu. I made a pocket, top edged with a Stampin Up strip die, to add the extra quotes. 

This was an extra special one for me, and I absolutely loved making it. I want to dedicate it to you my lovely Sandra - my Bestie and Soul Sister. The quotes couldn’t be more perfect for our friendship ❤️ xx

OMG this had my in tears (happy of course).  What an amazing journal page, you have put so much thought into all of the little details,  the quotes couldn't be more perfectly worded.  Those Daisy Art papers work so well, showing how versatile they are.  

Thank you so much,  I know you have felt poorly for the best part of this week (which I think is a curse of children's birthday parties), so creating this amazing page must have been a labour of love!  I feel honoured that you have dedicated your beautiful page to me and I am truly grateful for our Friendship XXX 😘

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I hope that you all have a lovely Sunday,  

Love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

It's Saturday !!

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,  

What are you all up to this weekend?  We did food shopping yesterday, so we have a free weekend,  it's not worth attempting to go anywhere as the traffic this Easter Holiday is way worse than it has been in the past two years,  people are queuing for over two hours to go from Burford main roundabout in any direction,  it's due to people visiting Burford and the Wildlife park which is off the same roundabout but about 4 miles down the road.  We also have Jeremy Clarksons pub within a couple of miles too,  they have rented a field opposite the actual pub and I would estimate there are between 300 to maybe 800 cars in that field most days.  I thought the novelty of the pub would have worn off after a couple of years but it definitely hasn't.  The opposite direction we have Bourton on Water & Stow on the Wold which are major Cotswold hotspots.  So its easier to stay home.  

Between crafting and gardening we have plenty to keep us occupied.  🤣

I know that a lot of us are riding these waves right now,  it's easy to feeling like you sinking,  as at times it seems like its one thing after another but there are calmer seas and brighter days ahead 😘

I did a little craft shopping last week,  it arrived on Wednesday,   I can't wait to have a play.  

I hope that you all have a lovely day,

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra xxx 

A Vintage Style Journal page

 

Good Friday Morning Ladies,  

Well this week has flown,  thanks to the Bank Holiday.   

Karen I hope that you and Alan have an amazing time in London,  your meal looked incredible,  I hope your show was equally as amazing.  You know that your Afternoon Tea at the Ritz will be fantastic.  Such a huge celebration deserves a fabulous Celebration.   Happy Anniversary to you both 🍾🥂

Today's reminder is a perfect one for you Karen, a 50 year Marriage is indeed something to be proud of these days.  

We all have achievements that we should be proud of,  it definitely is Ok to feel proud !  

I made today's journal page a couple of weeks ago, following a Vicky P YouTube tutorial,   amazingly I had pretty much everything that was needed,  it felt good using some of the bits as I have had them in my stash for many years! 

I started by spritzing the background with Shabby Shutters & Speckled Egg Distress Oxide inks. I then used Ground Espresso Distress ink through a mask.  Next came background stamping with a script style font stamp.  I added some vintage photo splatters too, however they didn't show up so I used Black ink splatters too. 

Some stencilling with Black Tecture paste and some white splatters finish the background,  along with black inking around the page. 

For added texture I added some Gauze where the focal element is going to be. 

The focal element is based on these little folders from TH Specimen Die set,  I used Kraft card and inked with Vintage Photo, I added acetate and closed with double sided tape. 

I added some ephemera inside the little folders and popped a Butterfly from Tim Holtz Botanical ephemera and then added the little specimen tags and some very old sentiment chips,   I added extra scribbles here and there and a few more splatters to finish the page. 

I really like how this one turned out.  

I hope that you all have an amazing day,  

Love & hugs to all of you,  

Sandra xxx 

Another Blended Background card

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

Up and organised this morning as it's Bladder Clinic day, it seems to be becoming a coincidence that I have uti on the week of bladder clinic, I wonder if it's down to the effect of the treatment wearing off,  it did remind me that I need to chase up Uromune prescription again as it was 5th March that I had consultation and I still haven’t heard anything 🙄

I had a lovely afternoon out with both girls yesterday, we went to Cirencester, it has a lovely Abbey and some lovely boutique shops. We then went to Garden centre and finally Tesco as the girls are doing food prep each week for lunches to take to work as the restaurant food isn't as healthy as they'd like.  I was exhausted by the time we got home and had two very swollen ankles !  

Today's blended background is made using Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry & Squeezed Lemonade Distressed Oxide inks.  

I don't know if I mentioned yesterday but I tried Inkylicious 'coated card'  thinking it would be smoother to blend the oxides but for me it wasn't as smooth blend as Pink frog card. 

I used Julie Hickey's Mandala stamp and a sentiment that I have had for many years, I love the words though.  

Great reminders for today's affirmations, I think it does help to remind ourselves often. 

I hope that you all have a lovely day, 

Love & hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

An Ink Blended Card

 

Good Wednesday Morning Ladies,  

Weren't we blessed with a beautiful day yesterday,  to have the sun and warmth was a real treat.  Although I spent most of it inside,  (me weekend garden activities were fun but my legs are protesting) 🤣😂  It's not so bad when your punishment is crafting! 

I think we all understand this reminder, however when it comes to asking I will generally try and manage without asking,  I know that Paul and the children would help me in a heartbeat, but I feel that they do so much already.   I think it's a personal thing,  I agree with sentiment though. 

Todays card started as a piece of White card,  I used Spun Sugar,  Picked Raspberry & Wilted Violet Oxide inks and blended them across the card.  I then took an old IndigoBlu stamp and stamped it on the bottom right corner,  I added clear embossing ink to enhance the black ink,  I then picked out a Honeydoo sentiment stamp and stamped & embossed that attach the top. 

I really like how this one turned out, 

Have a lovely day, 

Love and hugs, 

Sandra xxx 

Art of Travelling Journal Page

 

Good Morning My dearly loved friends,  

I hope that you all had a lovely long weekend,   I laughed at Maria's response to yesterday's reminder,  I think most people expect to 'grow ' a little over the Easter weekend,   we were pretty good, we treated ourselves to a bar of 'Tony Chocolonely' chocolate with a little seasalt,  it's a feelgood bar as the company is fighting to end exploitation of Cocoa production.  I think we must have had a different one last time as this one wasn't the best tasting chocolate,   paul and I have eaten just about half years of the bar between us.   If I could choose I would have the Fruit & Nut egg.   Alex (Matt's GF)  was telling us that people have been boycotting Easter Eggs in her store because the new 'Cadbury ' owners have decided to add Palm oil to Easter eggs,  it's not the wisest decision but if I saw my favourite chocolate egg half price I could be tempted to overlook the Palm oil. ☺️

After a lovely weekend everyone is at work today,  my usual Tuesday companion swapped her day off with someone that needed Tuesday off for childcare.  So I will be alone,  however I know that you are all there for me 🥰

Today I am sharing a journal page that I made using my newest Stamperia junk journal (The art of Travelling). I used distress paint for the background,  then added some stamping,  built up the due cuts and then finished with some white splatters. 

I hope that you all have a lovely day, 

Love and hugs,  

Sandra xxx 

A walk in our garden

 

Good Monday Morning Ladies,  

I know its Monday and I usually share a craft project but today I wanted to share some photos I took in the garden yesterday. 

I had no idea that there were so many different colours and varieties of daffodils until ours started to open up....

The loveliest tulips, some many layers of petals 

These ones have really thick waxy centre petals that have really strong fragrance 

There are a few in the bamboo pots! 

These are my absolute favourite,  so delicate in both colour and look.  They look like they are made of tissue paper.

This one is pure white,  not even a hint of colour,  so beautiful,  especially when mixed with those lovely jewel toned tulips.

A more common pure yellow 💛 

This one is mostly white with the most delicate hint of orange, so pretty.

 Another pure white one with the outer petals turned backwards 

I am sharing these photos as I am so amazed at how far these have spread, they were 50p rescue plants from a garden centre. 

This is another 50p rescue,  I was delighted to see such an incredible display,  this rockery was totally bare, not one plant,  other than weeds!  We are slowly filling it up,  being able to do it on a budget is even better!  

I hope you didn't mind a walk around the garden today. 

I hope that you all have a lovely day and a great start to the week,

Love and hugs to all,  

Sandra xxx