Happy Birthday Ammie

Evening Everyone.
What's happened to the weather?
It certainly wasn't like this 39 years ago, we were basking in glorious weather.
I'm sure it always feels warmer when you are pregnant since you have your own on board central heating system, but even so I remember it being VERY hot.

This gorgeous bundle arrived at 1.30 am on a bank holiday Monday all those years ago, so today should have been his 39th birthday.
I hope you will forgive me if there are no cards to share tonight, I always struggle today, if anything the passing years make it harder.
Love and miss you Ammie.
With all my love xx

Another Blooming Floral

Evening Everyone,
Another late post from me I'm afraid. I have had a very productive weekend making samples for Creative Expressions. I am still rather behind, but at least I have crossed another set off my To Do list.

Here is another sample made using the beautiful Blooming Day stamp set from Designer Boutique.. 

They really are the most fabulous large floral stamps which lend themselves to being coloured in.

I used one of the Creative Expressions Shimmering Watercolour Paint Palettes and some khaki coloured cardstock. Of course I didn't think about taking photographs when I made my card, I'm sure lighter colours would have been easier, but possibly not as effective lol.
Time for bed. I still have work tomorrow, unlike most of my household.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

A Message from Pat to Thank You All

Evening Everyone,
I thought that it was about time that I thanked you all for your help in making my Mum's 90th Birthday celebrations so very special.
Mum wanted to write and thank you all individually, typical of my dear old Mum, so I suggested that she write a note that I could share with you All.

Mum was stunned with the 133 cards that people so kindly sent to her, and it did indeed take several days for her to open them.

This was just the first pile that she opened on the Sunday!! 

There were cards from old familiar faces as well as new friends that none of us have ever met. Several included messages to explain who they were from, including this one that contained a reminder of the person that Mum might be more likely to remember lol.

An old friend continued Mum's celebrations into the Monday by visiting and helping to string up just a few more of the cards.
So once again I would just like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, you are all amazing people to have helped me out like this, and made my Mum feel so very special.
With much love and virtual hugs to you all.
Kimx

Blooming Day

Evening Everyone,
I've been a very busy bee over the last few days, desperately trying to get some more samples finished for Creative Expressions.
It has definitely not been walking weather this evening, unless you have a desire to look like a drowned rat, so I have had no excuses not to get on.

This is another card that I made using the new Blooming Day stamp set from Designer Boutique.

I stamped and embossed the large floral image several times onto a piece of khaki coloured card stock and then painted it using Iridescent Shimmering Watercolour paints. 

I added a sentiment panel to finish the card off.
I hope this rain stops by the morning, I have a trip to the post office to factor into my day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Wishing you a Spot lit Christmas

Evening All
I can't believe that we are almost at the end of August.
I do the newspapers and magazines at work and today we had October magazines come in and we haven't even got to September yet!!! At this rate it will be Christmas before we know it lol.

So with that in mind here are a couple more cards made using one of Jane's stamps from a Christmas release.

I do love collage stamps like these.

They are perfect to use with those handmade background papers that you have in your stash, and you can make them as simple or complicated as you like.

I used my 'mop up background' paper to create a few spotlights on these first two cards.

For this final card I just used the sentiments as my spotlights

over a piece of mop up background paper.
It's definitely not Christmas weather here at the moment. It's been raining most of the day, and more is forecast for tomorrow, so no walking for me this evening.
Thanks for stopping by,
Stay safe and hugs
Kimx

New Release

Evening Everyone,
Creative Expressions launched some beautiful new floral stamps yesterday, and they are absolutely gorgeous.

 I do love floral stamps, they are so versatile.

I think this design Blooming Day is probably my favourite from this release.

 I stamped the design on to khaki coloured cardstock using perfect medium ink.

I stamped and embossed the sentiment before adding the floral image as I didn't want the embossing powder to stick to it.
The background paper has been created using Mixed Media Dark Age embossing powder on cardstock.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

Lino Cut Birch Trees

Evening All
I do love it when a stamp set can be used all year round not just for Christmas.

This card was made using one of Jane's designs Lino Cut Birch Trees which was part of a Christmas release a couple of years ago.

I think that you will agree that it works every bit as well for a birthday card, in fact if I am honest that is what I would use it for.

The backgrounds were made using inks, pixie powders and a Gelli Plate.

Here I just used torn paper masks and inks to create my landscape.
Thanks for stopping by.
Stay safe and hugs
Kimx

Designer Boutique Stained Glass Windows

Evening All
I hope that you caught the lovely Gwen on the TV today using the new Designer Boutique Stained Glass Window Collection of stamps. I'm pretty sure you can watch them on catch up for the next few day if you missed them.

 I was lucky enough to get to play with the stamps that she was using in the shows,

so here are my last couple of cards using them.

 The last couple for the moment that is.

I can see plenty more playtime when I get the chance,

especially trying out some of the fabulous ideas that Gwen shared with us on her shows.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

Giant Sunflowers

Evening All,
What seems like ages ago now, my Mum gave the three little ones a sunflower each to plant in their garden.

I know she was worried that the plants were quite small and wouldn't come to anything.

The girls definitely towered over them, and they did look a little sickly to be fair.

They seemed to stay the same size for ages, and Becki was sure that she would kill them because it was really hot and she thought they weren't getting enough water.

Fast forward a few weeks,

and you can clearly see them looking nice and healthy behind the kids.

And now in just a fortnight they have grown like triffids into these huge plants, one of which is taller than the fence!!
The kids think they are amazing and were happy to have their picture taken in front of them so that they could show PatPat, their pet name for my Mum, how they are progressing. I know she will be thrilled. See you should never rule out the runt of the litter lol.
Hope you had a great weekend, I certainly did although I have apparently left chaos in my wake as Chloe has sobbed herself to sleep because she wants to come and live with Mamma (that's me)
I'm sure all will be forgotten tomorrow as Daddy is at home for the day, but it is wonderful to be so loved, until I make her eat her dinner or tell her off for something. Love can be fickle at two lol.
Stay safe and hugs,
Kimx

Musical Deer

Hi All
Isn't amazing how things come round full circle.
As a child my most favorite books were ones on nature and animals. I still have several very large hardback books that my Grandfather gave me full of beautiful illustrations, pictures and facts about the world we live in. I insisted that I was going to be a Zoologist until I discovered that you had to be good at all the sciences, which I was rubbish at. I did do Biology and Environmental Biology as O levels, but that is about as far as it went.
When my children were young they loved nature programmes. Wildlife on One was part of our weekly ritual and I have hundreds of these recorded onto video. Unfortunately all totally unwatchable now of course.
Anything that the legend that is David Attenborough did on the TV was must have viewing, and now it seems that the littlest Grandkids have inherited that same love of  wildlife programmes. We have been watching the most amazing footage of life in the oceans and the jungle this weekend.
We have tried to explain what a legend is to Emma, but I'm not sure that we succeeded :O)
So as my nod to nature for tonight, here are a couple of cards made using one of Jane's latest festive stamps featuring a beautiful stag.

This was so easy to do, and by placing a sentiment panel over the snowflake I think that you could easily use this stamp all year round.

I just stamped and embossed the collaged image onto a piece of 'Mop Up' background and then added a circular mask over the moon before adding a little blue ink to highlight it.

Simple layered mounting, a sentiment panel, and voila, job done.

 Very similar idea here, just a little more sponged ink added to the hills,

and some extra stamping on the main card.
Thanks for stopping by.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Hugs Kimx

Up and Down the Stairs

Hi All,
No post this evening, I've worn myself out going up and down the stairs trying to get Chloe to go to/stay in bed!!!!!
As I said I am visiting the littlest Grandchildren this weekend, and my 'Little Bestie' Chloe has been doing a nice line in delaying tactics at bedtime.
She may only be two, but she knows all the tricks in the book to get out of snuggling down and getting to sleep. I can see a trip to the park and the zip wire tomorrow, weather permitting, might help to wear them out and avoid a repeat of tonights performance.
In the mean time........................I'm knackered so it's bedtime for me.
Night night.
Hugs Kimx 

The Gift of Christmas Kings

Evening Everyone,
Do you ever have times when you just have so much to do that you don't know where to start and so you end up getting even further behind?
Well I am having one of those weeks/fortnights...................I seem to be going backwards.
I have loads of cards to share, so that isn't the problem. I'm just struggling to find enough time and energy to play with all the wonderful new goodies that Creative Expressions have sent me, and the deadlines are approaching thick and fast.
I did manage to make a very small dent in things tonight, but as I am going to visit my daughter this weekend, panic will set in again on Sunday.

The lovely Gwen will be on the TV next week with these stunning Stained Glass Window stamps from Designer Boutique,

 so I thought that I would share a sample that I made with one of them.

I used the new Cosmic Shimmer Watercolour inks to paint the gold embossed image.

 I also used it on the black card stock along with some cling film.

And then for the background with an embossing folder.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

The Adventure Begins

Evening everyone,
Finally managed to get out for a walk tonight, even though there was a bit of rain around.
I live very close to Kenley Aerodrome where you are allowed to walk around the airfield. It is nice and flat and you don't have to walk on the grass so it was perfect for an evening walk in the rain.

It is a great place for dogs and cyclists although we didn't see very many bikes tonight. They are obviously much more fair weather than dog walkers lol.

 This card was made a couple of years ago using one of Jane's lovely stamp sets.

It was made as a wedding card, but of course you could use the bike for any occasion.
Thanks for stopping by.
Stay safe and hugs
Kimx

Festive Hanging Berries

Evening,
Just a very quick post tonight, I'm absolutely shattered.

 This is a card that I made recently using one of Jane's new Christmas designs.

 Once again I think that this would make a good birthday card.

Of course you can't have Christmas without a bit of bling,

so I added some glitter glue around the central raised panel.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx