Crochet Update

This is how far I've got with my Cornish Comfort designed by Helen Shrimpton (Crystals and Crochet). I was struggling to see the Navy and I was struggling with the next row so I thought a break was in order. Especially as I was behind with the Life Inspired CAL again from Helen Shrimpton in the Crochet Now magazine.

Now these two are finished I'm on the last square and the border as now been published I will finish before I pick up the Cornish Comfort.

My Thursday night project is nearer the end too but I haven't photo it yet but I might have to get another ball of Scheepjes Whirl to make a finishing border.

Sing Joy

Another card made before the nasty cold, haven't been in my craft room all week but I do feel I've turned the corner.

Enough about my cold and on to the card, of course this fabulous image called Sing Joy  from Mo Manning. The papers are some Doodlebug ones that I finally got my hands on called Winter Wonderland in fact I brought two packs because I love the untraditional colours.

I tried to match the flower and the best I could do was these ones My Favourite Things Stitched Flowers. The snowflake centres are Simon says Stamp Stitched Snowflakes gutted that a lost one of the little ones. The snowflakes come joined together but I was able to separate the smaller ones. The sentiment is an old LOTV stamp.

Lighthouse

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thank you for joining us last week and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is Anything Goes

We are showcasing Brutus Monroe this week, which just so happens to be Simon says Stamp Brand of the Month. You don’t have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

The lovely folks over at Simon says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the challenge Blog. You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

I think most people who follow my blog know I love pattern paper so when I saw a collection of Brutus Monroe ones I knew I had to one but which one to chose.

In the end I chose Seaside so I could use it with my new Lighthouse die from Simon says Stamp.

I also used the Wonky Rectangles and Picture Book Sky Background clouds to finish it off. So glad I made this last week, I've seemed to have acquired a cold and feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge to your challenge entry uploads so we can see them on there too.

Freshly Bouquet

Once again I'm late using a Freshly Made Sketch this one is #419 and it gave me the opportunity to use Tim Holtz Sizzix Bouquet Die.

I knew I was going to use the Simon says Stamp Cosmo Stem die but was in two minds whether to include the stem in the end as you can see I left it on.

The sentiment is again Simon says Stamp Stitched banners and their Tiny Words Birthday. Job done.

New Baby

I did enjoy scrapbooking this cut photo's even though Mum and Dad looked shattered. I can believe this was two years ago, now the little chap doesn't stand still to photo.

The papers are Echo Park which I brought when the little chap was born.

He is again with his favourite cousin who in turn absolutely dotes on him.

I mainly used the stickers with the collection kit but the top one I used a Stamping Up border punch not sure if they still make or the Confetti Stamps that made the stars. I know they don't do the Gorgeous Gunge set anymore.
The Titles are made with a Cricut and the storybook catridge. Yes are cricut are that old not sure whether to get a new one, my is a small one and I don't have room for the larger sizes.

Joy Gnome

With today cards I made three card with the card kit with Lil' Gnome from Simon says Stamp although its filled a need to use him now I want to use with the larger gnome.

But for today I've used the papers from the card kit and once again I've used the Simon says Stamp Inside Christmas Greeting it was still on a acylic block and those cute Deer in a Row border was on my desk too.

My card look busy but in reality was quick and easy.

We are out tonight celebrating Chinese New Year but will have some craft time before we go.

Christmas Floral

I felt the need to use the rest of the Simon says Stamp Deer in a Row border die, along with the cardkit papers.

I topped the card with the Simon say Stamp Inside Christmas Greeting but I still felt it needed a something more so I used the mistletoe leaves from their Christmas Foliage.

You may have read that my word of the year is EFFORT, the idea is to make a effort to do more which is really tricky when you're in pain and tired. What I've discovered I still have to try and balance when to make a EFFORT. I think I should've of chosen balance because I worn myself out and ended falling asleep everywhere!!!

29 Again

I'm not too sure on this card but I promised myself the rubbish ones get posted too. I think I know why I don't like it and what I should of done but its too late now.

Luckily Mo's A Secret image saves it, I think she is cute and I had the Paper Smooches sentiments for ages and rarely use them so feeling smug that I used an old stamp.

The larger butterfly is Simon says Stamp Adeline die, the small ones are their Flickering Butterflies. Finally the bow is from again from Simon says Stamp but from their Candy Canes.

Besotted with out Pets

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thank you for joining us last week and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is Besotted with Pets

We are showcasing Clearly Besotted  this week, which just so happens to be Simon says Stamp Brand of the Month. You don’t have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

The lovely folks over at Simon says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the challenge Blog. You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

I was either on FB, Pinterest or Instagram and saw that someone had used a die that was made to make hills etc to make a wavy border and I loved that something could be used in a different way. Something so simple I should of caught years ago.

So I've used Simon says Stamp Stitched Slopes and Hills dies to do just that, makes a simple card look different. My little polarid snaps are from Clearly Besotted Picture Perfect. The papers are Lawn Fawn Spring Fling and the sentiment is a Simon says Stamp stamp set called Thoughtful Messages stamped with a white pigment inkpad and white embossing powder.

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge to your challenge entry uploads so we can see them on there too.

Lil' Gnome in Grey

My card kit with Lil' Gnome arrived just as I closed my craft room for Christmas, a busy January so far kept me from just making cards but I finally got a morning to have a play.

My card started using the CAS(e) sketch but it kinda went its own way. The papers are out of the card kit. I used the Simon says Stamp Wonky Frame for lights paper and for my Lil' Gnome. The Deer in a Row die was another newbie for my craft room, only used a couple but don't worry I used them on another card for later this week.

Finally the sentiment was from the Simon says Stamp Inside Christmas Greeting, I used mainly one of them for most of my cards because I left it on a Acylic block missing out on all the other fabulous sentiments.

Not Older Just Better

I wasn't around on Saturday to schedule my scrapbook pages and now hubby is watching football I thought I would sneak onto the PC to quickly post.

I think the layout above was with some Kaiser papers and the camera is an old die from MFT

Finally got round to scrapbook hubby when he was awarded with the Voluteer's Cup from Friday Swimmers.

Again its with some Kaiser papers with the help of some ivy dies which I unfortunately didn't keep the name of the manufactures but I brought them at a craft fair here in the UK.

Wishing for snow

I've been busy this week and it catching up with me, luckily I have a few images coloured and needing a card made with them which why I'm using Mo's Wishing for Snow.

I should of really made it into a Birthday card for my DD especially as it seem to snow round her birthday but I'm also aware I promise myself to get more Christmas cards made before December.

I thought I made this card using a sketch but I don't seemed to be able to find it unless it was an old one in my Pinterest Board.

Some scraps of leftovers from a very old Doodlebug pack but I managed to get my hands on their Winter Wonderland so I gues this years cards will be using them.

Enough waffling the snowflakes are Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes and the sentiement die is Creative Expressions. I used the Tonic Nuvo Shimmer pen on the edges of her coat and the snowglobe normally photograph doesn't show this up.

Use a Stencil

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thank you for joining us last week and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is Use a Stencil

We are showcasing Altenew this week, which just so happens to be Simon says Stamp Brand of the Month. You don’t have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

The lovely folks over at Simon says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the challenge Blog. You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

For the first time I used Blender Brushes I was please how they turned out just need to practice to even the colour up but this card pretty well turned out how I thought in my head.

The random stripes make a nice backdrop to my flowers, one of my old cards popped up on Pinterest with daisies folded in half and I thought I had made them with Simon says Stamp Stitched Daisies so I thought I would give a go.

I wanted some delicate leaves and thought the Eucalyptus Leaves would work but I did have to snip a few to make them work.

The sentiment is from the Simon says Stamp Tiny Words Birthday stamped and embossed.

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge to your challenge entry uploads so we can see them on there too.

Crochet Update

Haven't done a Crochet update either for a while but I need to make more of an EFFORT to post or schedule.
I made Sammy the Seals and Weebee Snowmans for the Christmas Fair at my Mum's old Nursing Home.

Here they are ready to go to their new homes. When thing I did learn was to trust the designer on placing eyes etch because they really do know where they belong and I really don't. I had to make another set with purple for my DD.

I'm still plodding along with my Life Inspired Cal from Crochet Now, there's one square I've given up on but I now have 3 magazines squares to finish square making.

I've made a start of Cornish Comfort but I used colours to work in my living room because this baby is mine.

Victorian Christmas

I've been really bad keeping up to date with my blog scrapbooking, this double layout is of the Victorian Christmarket and the Historic Docks at Portsmouth. We've for a few years now, the last visit we went round the Mary Rose Exhibition. You entrance for the Christmas Fair allows you into all the exhibitions too.

Here they are individually, the papers are a mixture of what I had left from a couple Simple Stories Christmas Collections.

Purple Gnome

My daughter loves purple also she is an Aquarian and her birthstone is Amethyst, so with that in mind I made this Christmas card for her.

I used the Whimsy Tartan Background and  Simon says Stamp Holiday Greetings Mix 1 for the snowflake background. Now to work out that sentiment Simon says Stamp Inside Holiday Greetings.

I think everyone knows that the Gnome die comes from Simon Says Stamp and I received the card kit with the Lil Gnome a couple days after I closed my craftroom so you've been warned there are more Gnome cards to be made.

CAS(e) this Sketch

I didn't know whether to use the card for Wednesday Simon says Stamp Wednesday Challenge card or this one.

I used the CAS(e) for last week by cutting the Paper Rose Magnolia die so I had the large Bloom. The frame was of course made with Simon says Stamp Stitched Ovals and the sentiment is from
Daisy Bouquet stamp set.

I have made a couple of decision over New Year apart from trying to post more regular and I will post the ones that end up in the bin, Hubby as told me that just because I don't like it doesn't mean others do. The plan is to enjoy the process of making a card.

I don't know if you're aware but people chose a word to focus on during the year, I've never joined in before but this year I plan to. My word is EFFORT its really more of a sentence, Make an EFFORT. When you in chronic pain and that in turn make you feel very tired sometimes the easy path is to do nothing and generally its making the effort is the hardest thing to get past.

For example I go to Friday Swimmers Disabled and Rehabilitation Club (they won the Queens Award last year) its getting out of bed, dressed and actually going, the hardest thing to do once there, you feel so much better. Although it doesn't last and I plan nothing for the rest of the day. But you interact with people the same and many times worse than yourself and you're exercising muscles that would'nt get used and helping joints that already hurt.

Sometimes its really hard to get into my craftroom but this year I going to try and make the EFFORT because even if I only make half a card or colour a image thats more than I would've done.

Fairy Merry

I got Mo's new Fairies before Christmas, I managed to use Fairy Faith you can see here but I the problem that colouring and layering images take longer than 4 clean and simple cards. Fairy Merry was all coloured and I was finally able to use for my first Mo image of 2020.

The plan was to use last week Freshly made Sketches but it kinda went it own way again. I used Simon says Stamp Tiny Words Christmas sentiments with theirs Stitched Banners. Decorated the corner using Christmas Foliage again from Simon says Stamp ( just haven't put them away yet and they are in easy reach.)

I used my mixture of Flower Soft and Fun Flock for her bolero and ear warmer and wings and dress I used Tonic Glitter Gloss Markers, it doesn't show up well in photos but looks in real life when it catches the light.

Fun with Floral

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thank you for joining us last week and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is Fun with Floral

We are showcasing Paper Rose this week, which just so happens to be Simon says Stamp Brand of the Month. You don’t have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

The lovely folks over at Simon says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the challenge Blog. You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

What I love about this Magnolia Die from Paper Rose is it comes in two pieces, one is the background and then the flower. So you can use it like I have placing the flower outline on top of the background or you can use the pieces of the flower and still use the background die for a white outline.

I had the idea of using the CAS(e) sketch which why I place my Magnolia in the Simon says Stamp Stitched Oval Frame. Initially I was only going to use the one sentiment the one from Simon says Stamp It's No Secret in a Stitched Banner but the space on the right bug me which is why I used another sentiment from Simple Sentiments 02.



Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge to your challenge entry uploads so we can see them on there too.

Background Hearts

I finally felt like going into my craft room, took a while to tidy it up. All my scrapbooking bags sit the dining room along with my colouring trolley but it has to moved over Christmas.

I've been seeing some sneak peeks of a new release from Simon says Stamp this Thursday once I worked out what day today was. Anyway I realised I hadn't used this fab Heart to Heart Background Stamp that they very kindly sent me. At the time I was stressing about Christmas Cards, I've promised myself I've really got to get my act together this year and finish them at the end of November.

I really meant to be making my DT cards but I wanted to see how well it stamped and quickly made this simple card using white embossing powder. I used the Love shadow die with the word you from the Thinking of You die.

I initially cut the love in Pink but it didn't stand out which why I went for Black.

Something New

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thank you for joining us last week and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is Something New

We are showcasing Whimsy this week, which just so happens to be Simon says Stamp Brand of the Month. You don’t have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

The lovely folks over at Whimsy Stamps are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the challenge Blog. You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

It had to be a quick card since I'm pretty busy over Christmas and New Year also this Whimsy Fishing Dragons image cried out to be a male card and we all know how difficult they are.

I used Simon says Stamp Wonky Rectangles and Bundle of Shapes dies along with their Stitched Banners for the great sentiment that came with the stamp set.

Finally I used the Honey Bee Great Outdoors 6in paper pack which I think is actually ideal for all those awkward mens card.


Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge to your challenge entry uploads so we can see them on there too.