2015

2015 didn't start well, here is the last ever picture I have of my Mum taken by one of the staff who very kindly made sure we had a copy. Mum went down with a cold soon after which turned into pneumonia.

It was hard to pick yourself up, especially in April was the anniversary of Dad's passing.

But this cheeky chap helped us through the year with a happy smile we celebrated his second Birthday.

A family day with any of our five families who could make it and some good old fashioned games, egg and spoon and  human wheelbarrows!!!!!

A surprise 70th Birthday party.

A Wedding.

So what has 2016 has in store for us. Our holiday in Tossa de Mar is booked, we have an afternoon tea at the Ritz to book. I plan to join a Slimming World meeting, hopefully I can get my diet head back on.  Also I'm going to be a much better blogger.

Wishing Everyone

A

Happy New Year

It's Party Time

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!
Thank you for joining us for the Make It Sparkle Challenge last week! We hope you will all join us again this week with more inspiring designs!
We will be back soon with the name of the lucky winner of the $50 Voucher!
This week the challenge is...

PARTY!

Happy New Year Everyone! 

It's time to put your glad rags on and PARTY! Any celebration will do, but we would like you to wear a bit of sparkle while you are crafting, haha. Okay, fine. You can wear you pj's if you'd like. *wink*

As always, Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store! This seems like an absolutely PERFECT way to ring in the New Year, wouldn't you say?

I was a bit stuck on what card to make for Party but you need an invite to a Party and you have Balloons too, so I put the two together and this is what I came up with.

I used the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles but I was bit stuck for Balloons has most were in out of stock and I try to use something in stock, so I used Penny Black Balloon dies.

The papers I used for the matting and balloons are Taylored Expression Rainbow Brights and the twine for balloons are Doodlebug Beetle Black twine.

My sentiment came from two stamping sets Simon Says Stamp Make an Invitation and Celebrate stamp set.

So now it's YOUR turn.  Happy Crafting

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge 

There are fabulous Give Aways and inspiration from fabulous designers on a daily basis over on the Simon Says Stamp Blog , if you haven't subscribed by email you may want to so you don't miss out

 

You have until Wed  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in

Favourite Five of 2015

Beware this is a very picture heavy post not only have I added my favourite five cards of 2015 there is also five crochet items and five scrapbook layouts. I have Mr Blue Frog after the cards to link you Favourite Five. There is blog candy to be drawn randomly from the entries but it is with the card marker in mind.

Link for Favourite Five of 2015

Pretty in Blue

Another image that was coloured that meant I was able to make a supposedly quick card. The actual cutting out and layering of the image,I have done so many times it doesn't feel I take as long as actual card.


First deciding on the layout, the decorative die finding the right size of circle dies to mat the image.
Finding the Memory Box hanging hearts, which I can't find for looking.

At least the baby stamps are with the word die so no hunting for the boy stamp. I can't remember where the stars came from but they were the perfect finishing and I'm impressed that I managed to stop at six of them.

Then it was time for layering the cute Baby Boy on the Blanket, of course from Mo Manning Digital Too.

This is a weird Christmas Holiday because I'm not sure what day of the week and had to check it was Tuesday.

Piggy and Friend

Hope you all had a good Christmas, ours was a quiet one. I was a very lucky girl with crafty presents and Champagne afternoon tea at the Ritz to look forward to.

I did manage a card or two before closing the craft-room down. I had this Especially for You Petunia Stamping Bella stamp coloured and when I saw the sketch on Stamping Bella I thought it would work for it.

The papers are Doodlebug, the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle for around my image. The large flower is again from Simon Says stamp Stitched Daisies and the leaves are Cluster of Leaves.

At this moment while I write this post to schedule today, Hubby is trying to ring his brother to find out how MIL is, he didn't want to ring the home because there is a huge clean up. We know they moved all the residents upstairs Boxing day morning and that there is no electric or gas.

The building with the blue bin and sign is MIL Nursing Home. The front door that they don't use, MIL room is just above it and this would be her view.

Here is the crew that arrived to help evacuate before things got bad.

Hopefully by the time this blog post is posted we will have managed to contact them and find out that all is well.

We've managed to ring BIL yesterday, the power is still out at the time and it was more of a clean up. 

Tree of Mason and Feed the Ducks

My last two layouts of 2015 and I'm very please with all the layouts I have achieved this year and hope that next year I can do just as many.

The first one is of course the Mason, I had a collage picture made into one photo with a very bright green edge so I cut it off and ended up with several little pictures. This way I chose the ones I wanted.

I freehand to draw the tree and very subtly blended a brick wall and leaves after which I added some die cut leaves. Ladybirds and Butterflies to add interest.  

I'm still experiementing with stamping and layouts although I love how my layout. I either stamp too much or not enough haven't found the right balance yet but no doubt with practise it will get better.

I love that the papers are perfect colours.

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

to 

all my 

Friends and Family

My photo is of all the Santa my Mum and Dad used to give us.

Favourite Five Christmas Cards

My

Favourite 

Five

Christmas Cards 2015

I've really struggled this year, don't think my heart was into card making this year, an early New Year Resolution will be Must do Better.

I'm hoping for tons of inspiration from you so join me by blogging your Christmas Favourites don't mind if you are not a card maker as long as its a Christmas theme and handmade craft.

Don't forget to add you blog link to Mr Linky although my candy is a cardmaker one. I will randomly choose a winner around the 5th January so you have plenty of time to link.

Sparkly Butterfly

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Well, there are now only two more sleeps until Christmas Day !  Are you excited ?
On behalf of the entire Simon Says Stamp team may I wish you, your family and friends a magical and fun filled time !
Thank you for joining us for the Die Crazy Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.
We will be back soon with the name of the lucky winner of the $50 Voucher
This week the challenge is

MAKE IT SPARKLE

We are showcasing Technique Tuesday Products this week. You don't have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

Yep again I apologise for the rubbish photo but I have to sit to take the photos and I haven't got the light quite right and if I use an artificial light I lose all the dimension on my cards.

I think there's plenty of sparkle on my card to start with I've used the Happy Butterfly die from Technique Tuesday. I placed some double side tape on piece of card and stuck the die cut butterfly do it  and cut out the shape of butterfly. Then scattered the Tim Holtz Distress Spun Sugar glitter over the butterfly, pressed down and shake the rest off.

In hindsight I should have double layered the butterfly and use wet glue in the space to add the glitter to, ordinary double sided tape isn't really strong enough.

I cut a frame using the Simon Says Stamp Stitched rectangles although you can't see the faux stitched but it did give me a nice size frame. I added double sided tape on the card before I ran it through the Big Shot. Again scattered the glitter.

I added the Simon Say Stamp Stacked Hearts, then the frame to my card and added the butterfly with sticky fixers under the wings and really strong thin red double sided glue for its body. To finish some pearls.

My Birthday sentiment came from Birthday Messages but embossed with gold embossing powder, I recommend a dust buddy to stop the powder adhere to places I don't want it to.

So now it's YOUR turn.  Happy Crafting

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge 

There are fabulous Give Aways and inspiration from fabulous designers on a daily basis over on the Simon Says Stamp Blog , if you haven't subscribed by email you may want to so you don't miss out

 

You have until Wed  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in

No backlinking allowed, Only 5 new creations will be eligible in the prize draw