Cyanotype Journal page

 

Good Wednesday Morning Ladies,  

Wet & windy here in Gloucestershire,  yesterday the wind was really strong, the rain started late afternoon and the two combined caused havoc, fingers crossed things are calmer today.  Not that it matters, we don't have any plans today,  other than Paul & I are going over to Matt's for fish & chips,  he often raves about how good it is and we needed to drop some parcels off so we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone!!  To be honest I am just looking forward to seeing my boy,  I haven't seen him since way before Christmas, he and Alex work long shifts that often clash, which makes it hard for them to have more than 1 day together.  He seemed genuinely excited that we are going over 😊

Today's reminder can sometimes be hard to do, something that I have definitely struggled with.  I hope it's something you all do though.  😘

Brenda it sounds like you are making great progress,  I am pleased you have your own room, they are usually a bit more lenient with visiting times etc when you are in your own room, visiting is much more relaxed too.  You also have a better night sleep when you aren't on a ward,  I have had some bizarre situations including one where we were in a 4 bed ward, the lady next to me was lovely and we got on really well,  her husband moved the chair round to sit in between us like he was visiting us both,  Paul was juggling looking after the children with work and visiting me, I found being on my own really hard, so it was lovely to share their visiting time.  We had a lady move into our ward and sadly she suffered with dimentia,  she really struggled at night and consequently we all did, I remember vividly nodding off and waking suddenly, opening my eyes and finding her face about 4 inches away from mine!  from that night on for a week we used to take turns at keeping watch! 🤣😂  We felt awful for the nurses though as she had them really busy,  ringing the bell every few minutes.                              Its lovely that John is staying with your daughter as it's one less worry for you my lovely.   Sending you lots if love and gentle hugs XXX

Karen such great news that you have a date already,  you must be so relieved, Paul had to wait about 4 weeks between his cataract surgeries,  the Consultant wanted to do both at once to make it cheaper for Paul as it would have been 1 theatre hire cost, 1 charge for all of the other theatre staff etc,  but the private hospital decided the day before the surgery that it was too much of a risk to do both eyes at once.  With hindsight it would have been fine and would have saved us a good 2 thousand pounds, but at the end of the day he had his sight back which was worth every penny.  He said it wasn't painful at all, the used numbing drops before anything else so he really didn't feel anything,  he was obviously nervous but other than that he was fine.   One thing I would make sure of is making sure they give you the hard plastic eye patch,   I only say that because Becca wasn't given one until I asked, they then bought her one and told her to wear it at night to protect from rubbing subconsciously if it itches while you are asleep.  So pleased that you will be all sorted for the summer my lovely.  XXX

Tiday I am sharing the larger Cyanotype piece that I made using the exact same Blueprint Sketch oxide ink white ink pad, this time I used Tracy Evan’s Seed pod stamp to create the 'bleached out' effect.  I think the larger piece looks more effective.  

I hope that you all have a good Wednesday,  

Love and hugs to all of you,  

Sandra xxx

Pretty Quiet Life card

 

Good Morning Ladies,  

I am having a slower start to my day today,  I was up and dressed at 7.30am yesterday,  ready to drink 1.5 litres of water,  which isn't fun a) first thing in the morning  b) when you have an over sensitive bladder !   The journey should only take 25 mins but there are road works which add a good 20 minutes to half an hour on,  my goodness me, I felt every pot hole like a punch to my bladder with it being so full.  When we got there we had plenty of time, which was a good job as finding the Radiography department was a mission,  there was no space in main carpark so we had to trek to get into the hospital,  then find someone to direct us, thr problem is it's a very old building, that they have joined to other old buildings with covered walkways!  We got there in time,  she then scanned for about 3 minutes then said my goodness you have a really full bladder (which I thought was the point) then said "actually I am going to have to do internal scan so can you go empty your bladder !!  🙄🙄😔  Anyway she found Merena,  she hasn't disappeared,   she did struggle to find my right ovary though,  so I said 'I could have coped with losing Merena but not an ovary! ' she laughed 😅  She said she couldn't measure lining because of coil and that GP should follow protocol and refer me to Gynaecology!  So not the reassurance that I hoped for.  

I am dedicating today's affirmation to ALL of you,   my life would be unbearable without you lovely ladies in it ❤️ 

Today's card I made last week, using Stamperia Quiet Life collection,   I will be honest and say that it took a lot for me to pull that cute little girl out and use her,  I wanted to leave her where she was and admire her.  I layered some of the papers from the Junk journal,  then added the frame and flowers,  so everything was from the Junk journal,   adding the distressed edging to the layers makes them stand out a bit more.  

I hope that you all have a good day, 

Love and hugs to all,  

Sandra xxx 

Clean & Simple Card

 

Good Monday Morning Ladies, 

Welcome to the start of a new week,  we are off to a busy start as I have urgent scan this morning in Cheltenham,  to see if they can see a reason for the symptoms I was having last week and to see if they can spot my Merena Coil 🤣😂  In all seriousness please keep your fingers crossed for a positive outcome. 🤞🤞🤞

We had a very relaxing Sunday,  we had an hour or so in the garden,  there are so many bulbs peeking through,   giving us the exciting feeling that Spring isn't too far away.  We discussed what we were putting where and even ordered a different growing system for strawberries as we haven't had much success with them in the beds that they are in.  Fingers crossed a change will increase their yield.   Moving them also frees up to more raised beds for vegetables. 

Today's Gentle Reminder is so incredibly true,  I think we have all been at that point of just wanting to throw the towel in and give up, despite thinking that we have no more to give we can push ourselves to achieve something that we thought was impossible.  

Brenda, I hope that your physiotherapy is going well and that you are preparing to go home,  I bet John can't wait to have you back home with him. Sending you gentle hugs my lovely XXX 😘

Today I am excited to share a card I made on Friday,  I was so excited to have a play with my new Visible Image stamp set,  I went for a super simple style that I saw on Pinterest.  I stamped and heat embossed the flower and sentiment, I used a yellow Ecoline pen to add a little colour to the flower and green for the leaves.  

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

Love and hugs to all,

Sandra xxx 

Our makes this week

 

Good Sunday Morning Ladies,

I hope that you are all having a lovely weekend,   we didn't do anything exciting,   we went to a local landscapers to order soil to top up our raised beds and to fill all pots through spring and summer, we made so many trips buying bags of compost last year we said it would be cheaper to get a tonne bag,  so that's what we did.  Soph was with us so we popped to supermarket to get food shopping as its easier having someone to push the trolley separately,  as the wheelchair trolleys are so small, I think that they assume wheelchair users live alone or maybe a couple.   Soph does make boring chores like shopping fun though 🤣

Here is todays Gentle Reminder...

Your Makes: 

Karen 

Karen's Description:

I have done this card before BUT I’ve used a ew technique to me to die cut the “lady” 

I cut both layers together ie blue on top of white It literally cuts the blue fully but only the outside edge of the white - I didn’t think it would work but worked a dream and saved me from having to painstakingly glue the white spots back in Saves so much time and frustration

I remember the original of this card,  it has to be my favourite card of yours,  so amazing that you designed the whole scene!  

She looks like she could be on a cruise or on a Sunday walk along the promenade.  So pleased it is now easier for you to create too.   You could sell this card over and over again!   

Thank you for sharing it with us and well done for trying another new technique XXX 

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Hi, here is another card made from more Stamperia papers. Although they are simple they still took quite a while to make. Added colour with my Koi water colour pens.

Will try and do a journal page as well.

Such a lovely card Lilian,  perfect man card too, using Stamperia papers, adding the extra colouring with your water colour pens really enhances the colours.

Thank you so much for sharing your card with us XXX   

Maria

Maria's Description:

I had a very difficult card to make this week for my good friend and neighbour but her mum passed away on Saturday evening after a long illness so it was coming but still a shock when it happens 😔.    

 I'm sending you the card here. I stamped a bouquet of flowers and coloured it in with my watercolour pencils. I used a stencil and just made a faint pattern on the card. Found a With Sympathy in my stash and stamped that at the bottom.

Oh Maria, your card is so perfect,  sympathy cards are so hard to get right,  your stamped flowers are coloured beautifully too.  I'm sure your neighbour felt very comforted by your kindness x

Thank you so much for sharing it with us XXX

Sonia 

Sonia's Description:

1:  Journal page using Stamperia Dewdrops collection and stamps.

2:  My brother asked me to make a card for his Daughter. I found the papers in my stash, Julie Hickey designs and haven’t used them in a long time. Die cut flower background from PinkFresh Studio and Tim Holtz butterfly. Little flowers from Spellbinders.

Your journal page is beautiful,  the papers are stunning and your composition is perfect.  I love the sentiment you have used too.  

The card for your Niece is stunning,  those Julie Hickey papers are stunning 😍!   Such a lovely design finished with those pretty little flowers and your signature butterfly 🦋 

Thank you so much for sharing your makes with us my lovely XXX 

Sue 

Sue's Description:

Here’s a card that has taken me all week to make and as I moved the stuff so I could photo it I found the white glitter Matt that I had totally forgotten about 😏. It was inspired by cards on Pinterest 🥰

Your card is lovely Sue,  I love all the detail on the ice skates, including the lacing !  The flower arrangement embellishes them perfectly.

It's nice to tick off an achievement,  no matter how long it's taken. 

Thank you for sharing your Christmas card with us XXX

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I hope that you all have a lovely Sunday,  

Love and hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx

Mixed Up Saturday

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,  

We actually got some sunshine yesterday,  it makes such a difference to your day,  sitting in a room with sunlight pouring through the windows is so mood enhancing,  as apposed to having to have all the lights on as its so dark, it makes you feel cold just thinking about it.   We have a mixed bag of weather forecast today,  I am keeping my fingers crossed as I really want to have a walk around the garden.  

Today's Gentle Reminder 

This reminder is something you don't realise that you need to hear or read but you do need to read it and believe it.  

I actually really love the artwork that accompanies these reminders.  

My Shopping 

While the girls and I were in IKEA  I got myself a 'mini' craft trolley that would fit under my desk, its for my Stamperia paints, Distress Spray stains and various pastes and mediums in the top.  They were taking up 3 boxes and 2 drawers.  It's great having them all in one place.  

In case any of you are looking for craft trolley they have them in Ikea this week for £14 (the full size ones I believe) 

Sonia's Shopping 

Sonia shared a photo of her recent shopping haul,  a Stamperia Dewdrops paper pad and Washi Pad, and some beautiful Ciao Bella paper pads too, which are so beautiful 😍 

Thanks for sharing your shopping my lovely XXX 

Maria's gorgeous Crystal Art 

OMG Maria,  this has to be your most beautiful Crystal Art to date.  The little girl is so pretty and the reindeer is so adorable,  I love all of the details like the fur on her boots and hood and even the shadows. 

Thank you so much for sharing it with us,  I hope you both have a safe journey and a lovely break together in your happy place XXX

I hope that you all see some sunshine today and have a great day.  

Love & hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx 

Cyanotype thrinchie 2

 

Good Friday Morning my Lovelies,  

Today's reminder really hits home with me,  I so often will say "I'm Okay thanks "  when asked how I am feeling because I feel too embarrassed to say "I feel horrendous as I haven't slept due to crippling pain"  or "I am feeling really fed up today" !   Feeling free enough to say exactly what you feel must be very liberating.   Sometimes we might want to go to the bottom of the garden to scream as loud as you can,  I for one have days when I can't help but cry,   Usually more due to hormones or frustration at the NHS !!! 

Whatever your emotions it's okay to feel it and more importantly to express it. 🥰

I was dreading Bladder clinic yesterday as lovely Suzanne retired and some of the other nurses weren't 'naturals' lets say 🙄,  there was one time that the nurse had inserted the catheter 4 -6 inches in 'somewhere', they wait for urine to flow to know they are in the right place,  after 5-10 mins waiting they came to the realisation that it wasn't positioned correctly,  they did eventually get it but to this day I still have no idea where they had inserted it ! 🤣😂

Kim is Suzanne's replacement and she is lovely,  just as skilled as Suzanne too,  we had a good laugh and it's nice to not have to worry about who is going to do the procedure. 

Today I am sharing the other Cyanotype Thrinchie, I used Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide for the background, this time I used Tracy Evan’s  'Nature's Beauty' stamp set and Ranger Glacier White Pigment ink pad to create the faux cyanotype or 'sun print' effect.  This time I created a more uniform pattern, created an arrangement of the Snowdrops.  I added a few drops of water to the background to increase the bleached out effect.  

I really enjoyed making these,  it's a fun technique.  In fact I have made a bigger journal page too. 

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

Brenda I hope that you to make great progress my lovely, thinking of you my lovely 😘 

Love & hugs to all of you,

Sandra xxx

Cyanotype Thrinchie 1

 

Good Morning Ladies,  

Today's gentle reminder applies to all of you,  you are all more than enough xx

Another week is almost over,  where do these days go??!  We have bladder clinic today,  the girls want to make the most of the trip to Cirencester and have lunch out and maybe look in a few shops too,  depending on the weather of course.  

Brenda if you are looking in, I hope that you are recovering well and the physiotherapy isn't too exhausting, I'm sure you can't wait to get home to your own bed.  Although I'm sure there is plenty going on around you to keep you entertained.  🤣😉sending you love & gentle hugs on the way xxx

Yesterday I saw that Tracy Evans did  video on 'Cyanotype' or it's sometimes called 'Sun Prints'

Here is a brief description: 

A cyanotype is a historic, camera-less photographic process that produces striking Prussian blue prints (often called blueprints) by using light-sensitive iron salts, sunlight (UV light), and water to create white silhouettes of objects on a blue background. 

So I decided to make a pair of Thrinchies using the 'Faux Cyanotype ' technique  

I took my Thrinchies and taped off a small border around the edges of the Thrinchie.  Then I inked the whole piece with Blueprint Sketch Oxide ink.   I picked out a couple of different silhouette stamps (important for this technique). 

I took white opaque ink pad and inked up a Berry stamp and stamped onto the inked background, I did a light inking on some of the berries and then I inked ( wiped the stamp before re-inking or you will end up with Blueprint Sketch on your white ink pad) stamped and repeated  a few times to get a whiter image, so that there is a variation of colour there would be naturally.  I added some little spatters of water to bleach out a little more ink. 

I mounted the thrinchie onto a black mat and added a description/sentiment. 

I will share the other thrinchie tomorrow. 

I hope that you all have a good day,

Love & hugs to all of you  

Sandra xxx

Another Quiet Life Card

 

Good Wednesday Morning Ladies, 

I hope today finds you as well as possible and that gloomy weather isn't dulling your mood..  i have to admit that I am more than ready to see a little sunshine, I don't mind if it's a clean, crisp , cold day, a little bit of sunshine really does lift your mood.  I have two daylight lamps but even having them both on makes little difference.   The other reason is that I want to get out and have a little walk around the garden to see it showing the early signs of bursting into life.  

Today I am sharing the second card I made using my Stamperia 'Quiet Life' junk journal. I cut my card base 'landscape' for a change,   with that in mind I cut out one of the postcards and added it on an angle on my card base, (I inked the edges of all of the elements before adding them)  I cut the over hanging bit of postcard off,  then I fussy cut the beautiful flower spray from the bottom of one of the background papers and popped some foam pads to lift it so that I could tuck some of the elements behind it.  I pressed out the watch from the die cut sheet and fussy cut the label from one of of the lovely papers. I inked them, rolled the corner to make it look more 'distressed'  and arranged them behind that floral spray.  I love the added detail of the coffee rings etc on the postcard, making look more aged and interesting.  

Quite a quick card, no splatters, the only added embellishment is the little pearl drops I added randomly with a pearl pen.  

Today's affirmation really helped me,  I have no choice but to go slow, whether its up the stairs or out in the garden, I often feel guilty for holding everyone up,  but it's ok to take your time,  mentally and physically.  I hope you find them helpful  😘

I hope that you have a good Wednesday,  

Love & hugs to all of you,  

Sandra xxx

A Sepia effect card

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

Just a quick one today as the girls and I are off to IKEA,  they absolutely love wandering round and having lunch, Paul is in the office today so I wasn't going to refuse the offer to join them.  I need some bits for pantry organisation and I want different storage for tea /coffee /sugar,  I don't want a traditional set of three as we have 2 different types of ground coffee, white sugar and demerara cubes for coffee and coffee whitener as well as teabags,  we did have big glass jars with glass lids (old instant coffee jars I think) however the girls have smashed two lids because they are tricky to push ij sometimes so they don't push far enough in, when they grab it in a hurry at 7.15am the glass lid will fly off, thankfully they a good job of cleaning up as I'd hate the cats to get glass in their paws.  

Yesterday was a really busy day,  we had boiler man, who loves to chat,  I made him a cup of tea he was meant to be here about 40 mins,  but 2 hours flew by and he was still chatting to Paul!  We were hoping he'd sort our hot water issue, the water is so hot coming out of taps and upstairs showers, it literally scalds you,  the same in the kitchen sink,  I thought the boiler wasn't cutting off and do water just got hotter and hotter,  but apparently not, he told us it was the Hot water tank thermostat,   (which I thought was only for if you used the immersion heater)  but it the thermostat sits against the tank and cuts off when water reaches right temperature,   he was convinced thats what it was, so I asked for him to recommend one,  ge picked one out and Paul picked it up and fitted it with Bill's assistance.  I asked why the water got so hot if thermostat stopped working,  I mean why didn't the water stay cold?  Apparently its because of Legionnaires disease,  because water is held in a tank the water has to be at a minimum temperature to prevent Legionnaires,  so it defaults to the water getting super hot.   I can't wait to get back to showering upstairs,  although the water will probably still be too hot today!   They didn't get finished till 7pm,  so dinner wasn't ready until almost 9pm,  I made home made doner kebab meat with minced lamb and spices,  everyone loved it.  

Luckily while Bill and Paul were tinkering with electrics I sat and made some cards from my new Quiet Life Junk journal,  the paper and colours are so lovely 😍 

Today's card is like a sepia toned card,  I just layered a piece of the background paper onto a 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 Card base,  they pushed out the film strip die cut, inked the edges and placed it on the background,  then I added the lovely vintage looking lady with her camera,   I cut a little floral card,  distressed the edges and inked them a little,  then came the lovely postage stamp and the sentiment banner.  I really love the simplicity of this card. 

So...not a quick blog post at all 🤣😅😂

I hope that you all have a lovely day, 

Ooh I will add todays affirmation in a while as its 1.11am and Im in bed,  so I don't have book with me, 

My love and hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx

Welcome to thestart of a new week

Today's Gentle Reminder 

Good Monday Morning Ladies, 

Let's welcome in this new week,  although the weather isn't very welcoming is it,  it's not as cold but the wind and rain have been battering us all night.  Before the rain started, earlier in the day yesterday I was excited to see all of the bulbs coming through,  as you drive into the village all of the snowdrops are out,  they are so beautiful,  I really love seeing those very early signs of the garden getting ready to burst into life 😍

Today I am sharing a journal page that was a little more involved than others that I have done,  I enjoyed every minute of creating it. 

I started by using a Stamperia stencil to cover the page with wild flowers,   when this was dry I added green paint, then added Old Ivory while green was still wet,  I then replaced the stencil and wiped some of the lighter colour off of the stencilled flowers to try and make them stand out more.  

Next came stamping and white splatters.  You won't get perfect images stamping over the texture paste but it adds extra interest.  

On the tutorial I was following the lady used this numbered circle die cut which I didn't have but I loved how it gave the page a focal point so I wanted to add something similar,   so I had to get creative,   I die cut a couple circles,   tried one without any stamping but it didn't look right,   I then added some script stamping but that looked too busy against the background.  So I thought I'd try and recreate the piece that was used ...

I bought these calendar stamps from Temu a while ago to use as background stamps, but I haven't used them so far, so I decided to cut one up into the individual numbers.....

Its definitely not perfect but it will do the job,   creating little bits like this, improvising and making something that works is a real buzz,  it took my a while mind !! 🤣

Now I had the background complete and all the elements ready I was ready to do the fun part, assembling a of the elements to create a lovely page. 

I started with the border strip and built the rest of the elements around it, I like having different textures so added that little piece of hessian.  You can see my little hand stamped dial in the background too.  These die cuts have a gold shimmer to them that I'm not keen on but you it doesn't stand out too much.  

I really do enjoy all the little techniques involved in these journal pages,  I hope you don't get too bored of seeing them.  

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

Love & hugs to all, 

Sandra xxx

Let's look back at our projects from this week ..

 

❣️ Today's Reminder ❣️

Good Sunday Morning Ladies,  

I hope that you are all having a good weekend,   I am glad to have the house back to some kind of normal,  as Paul finally got all of the Christmas boxes back up in the loft,  no more having to breathe in on the landing to get past the boxes, the room that was stacked the most was the spare room,  I mean it makes sense as its the 'spare ' room but I use it every day as Lucy and Soph got me a vanity unit ( kind of a desk with a drawer and a cupboard)  they put a big mirror on and storage bits for hairdryer, straighteners,  makeup brushes etc,  it was a great stool too,  I thought it would be something I would rarely use but couldn't have been more wrong,  I struggle to stand long enough to dry my hair,  let alone have the upper body strength to hold the dryer up long enough,  having all of my face creams, lotions and potions all organised in front of me is so useful,   I was a bit naughty and wouldn't bother with face routine etc but I have made it a habit.   For Christmas this year Lucy researched the best skincare for my skin and wrote me a daily schedule 🥰 .  Now I didn't realise how much I'd miss going in there each morning and evening,  sadly any obstacle in my way makes it too hard for me to even attempt,   so I was so grateful to have it all cleared yesterday,   I went in and gave it a quick spring clean, so it's all ready to go,  I will add that the girls both use it almost as much as I do.  

Let's have a look at what you have been making:

Gina

Gina's Description:

I made this card, it's well outside of my comfort zone,  Butterfly is an old Crafters Companion stamp, base card is Kraft card,  embellishments are Rub-ons,  which is my first time using them.  The background detail is a very old Sentimentally Yours Honeycomb stamp.  

Wow Gina!  It might be your first mixed media style card but you'd never know,  all of the elements work, love that honeycomb stamp, it makes a great background,  that butterfly is very 'majestic!  Love the colours you have used too,  I am sure that the lucky recipient will have a huge smile when they open it.  

Well done for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, it really did pay off !!!  Now.... what's next ?! 

Thank you so much for sharing your lovely card with us and supporting the blog. XXX

Karen

Karen's Description:

Feel better now that I have turned it into a card So 2 things possibly 3 things that I haven’t done before 

A gel plate print

Used a sentiment never used before from Craftipotential

And possibly first time I have cut a corresponding mat for the sentiment on ScanNCut

Karen that Gel plate background works perfectly as a background,  it has real 'Tim Holtz ' style,  those little bits of stamping really add to the look,  I really love the blue/purple colour too.  

This would make a great mixed media journal page background too!   The sentiment you have used stands out so well with that perfectly cut white mat behind it !   That was the main reason I wanted the S&C for but I just have never got my head around using it, which really frustrates me,  but never mind,  I love seeing what you do with it.  

I am so happy that you  managed to acheive 3 firsts yesterday,   it really is a buzz isn't it!  

Thank you for another inspiring project Karen and for your continuing support XXX

Lilian 

Lilian's Description:

Here is my card for this week, once again using Stamperia papers.

They are all from quiet days, which is one of my favourites at the moment. The stitch stamp is also from quiet moments.

Aww Lilian,  another beautiful card, that stitch stamp really works,  it draws your eye into the main focus of the card.   I bought the Quiet Days collection before Herbarium,  but it arrived just before Christmas so I put it to one side,  then Herbarium arrived (after you tempted me 😉) and I haven't wanted to stop creating with it.  However after seeing your last two cards I am going to get it out and have a play.

Thank you so much for sharing your amazing card with us and for always supporting the blog  XXX

Sonia 

Sonia's Description:

Card 1:   Made this for my Niece’s partner. I used one of my new stencils on the background with Lost Shadow distress oxide. The cake and number dies are also from Temu. I used some Tracey Hey papers for cake and numbers. Sentiment is from The Stamp Market.

Card 2:   Made for my Dad’s birthday. Papers from stash, which I inked round edges with vintage photo distress ink. Die cut the stars and embossed with a crafters companion texture folder. The stamp sentiment from stash and the die cut letters are from Memory Box.

Its so lovely seeing you getting back in your Craft room my lovely,   you have made two lovely cards,   your Niece’s partner has probably never had the gift of a hand made card, so will feel really special knowing that you sat and made that card for him. 

Your Dad would love anything that you made Sonia,  this one is a perfect 'Man' card. 

Thank you so much for sharing your cards with us and of course I thank you for your ongoing support. XXX 

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Today's positive affirmation is so very true,  you are all loved very much,  

My love & hugs to all of you,  

Sandra xxx 

Mixed Up Saturday

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,  

Thankfully we were very lucky Storm Goretti didn't hit us too hard, we have a fence panel that was blown loose,  so Paul needs to a fix that,  I got excited when I was up multiple times in the night to go the bathroom,   we did have snow, the car rooves were covered,   but then it warmed up and rained and washed it all away 😔.  There was snow on the ground 10 miles up the road in Stow though,  we saw as we drove through to go to shops.  

Today's Gentle Reminder.....

I know that I have personally felt that I was at breaking point,  I think most people do at some point,  however we manage to dig deep and manage to acheive more than we ever thought we could.

I am finding these little 'affirmations' quite helpful, if nothing else it makes you look back and see how far you have come.  🥰

I did a bit research yesterday into what Papercraft trends will be big this year and looked at the 'Pantone' colour of the year. 

I like the idea of our projects becoming more  'tactile',  funnily enough I started a journal page that had hessian on it and got out my lace box the other day, this trend is something I like the sound off, whether its simple embossing or something more exotic having a surface to feel is definitely a bonus. 

Ooh we love a 'kinetic' or fancy fold card don't we😊  I downloaded a tutorial for a new one last week ! 

Adding stitching to your cards or tags etc is becoming more and more popular,  creating your own 'washi' tapes too, I'd love to see is all experiment a bit more this year ! 

I feel like we already pair neutraks with bright accent colours,  I do love the Jewel tones though. 

I really want to have a go at flower and leaf pressing,  the ephemera you can buy is becoming more and more realistic so why not have the real thing,  I am guessing it takes a while though.

A nice idea, I have started a few scrapbooks over the years but lost enthusiasm due to lack of inspiration,  I do think that they are a valuable gift to leave our children and grandchildren. 

Some fun ideas, whether they become 'trends' remains to be seen. 

Colour Trends

Cloud Dancer does seem to be the main 'Colour of the Year'  it was mentioned in that research that I did too.  I does just look mostly white though 🤣

Some lovely colours in this 2026 Colour Palette

Aventurine is another predicted popular colour too. 

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Gina' Shopping 

Gina's Description:

You have some lovely new stash to play with,  I have those Spellbinder Squiggle dies, they add some lovely,  fun detail to flower sprays.  I can't wait to see what you create with them.  

The Napkins were a great Charity shop bargain,  have you got any plans for using them? ?

Thank you for sharing your shopping with us my lovely XXX 

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I hope that you all have a lovely weekend,  

Love & hugs to all of you, 

Sandra xxx