A Rather Prickly Find

Evening All,

I don't know about you, but we have had another lovely day filled with playtime, sorting and exploring.

I have been going through some more boxes of stuff at Becki's which has unearthed more treasures and long forgotten memories.

Included amongst other things, were these glasses for the rather 'Deidre' look that was very fashionable back in the day.

The kids loved them, so I have removed the lenses so that they are safe to add to the dressing up box.

Another fabulous and rather prickly find was this hedgehog.

I'm not sure what on earth he was doing during the day time,

but the kids were fascinated by him

until he scurried back to his home.

They also showed me the local war memorial complete with poppy wreathes.

And then as we walked home after taking the kids out for a bike ride there was a glorious sunset to round off the day.

More of the same tomorrow I think along with a bit of crafting since Emma has requested that we do some die cutting.

Thanks for stopping by.

You're my best friend

 Evening,

Well there is nothing like a small child to brighten up your day, even if it has involved an early bed time.

It is my weekend to stay at my youngest daughters so that I can look after the kids in order that she can go to work. I always look forward to it, and apparently so do they, which is lovely.

They take it in turns to sleep on the floor next to my bed and tonight it is Chloe's turn. She has had her Mum and I literally crying with laughter over the things that she has been rabbiting on about.

But the best thing of all is that 'Mamma you are my best friend'. I really do hope that that continues for a long time.

Night night, it's lights out!

Hugs Kimx 

Tolerance Level Zero

Evening All

It's official. I'm a grumpy old woman with a patience and tolerance level of zero.

I don't know if it's age, or the current Covid situation, but it doesn't take much to piss me off just lately and throw me into a downward spiral or a bad mood.

Several of my colleagues are infuriating me with their laziness and inability to work as part of a team. I even arrived at work the other morning to find one of them sprawled across two chairs in the office snoring his head off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can imagine how the rest of my shift went. I'm surprised that I didn't explode or kill someone.............................and then the Internet acted up and that was about as much as I could take for one day.

Thank God for good friends who will allow me to rant and get it out of my system.

It is of course a reciprocal arrangement, and so the air around Kenley Aerodrome is often turned blue by our mutual rantings.

Sorry. Now I have got that out of my system lets move on to something crafty.......if the Internet will play the game tonight that is lol.

I've been trying to get my head round how close to Christmas we are, and how ill prepared that I am.

I think that this little gift card that I created last year for my gym buddy will bear repeating.

It was reasonably quick and easy to make, and will be a good way to give a gift to people especially when they will have to be posted, rather than hand delivered.

I'm going to try and get a relatively early night tonight, provided this doesn't take me another two hours to load, like last night.

Thanks for stopping by and putting up with my ramblings.

Stay safe and BIG HUGS.

Kimx

Bloody Internet

 Evening,

Given that it has just taken me nearly 3 hours to order a couple of Letters from Santa online, and then a further hour to try and get in to Blogger, I am not even going to attempt a proper post.

I'll try again tomorrow, unless the laptop shaped hole in my window causes me to get frostbite overnight lol.

Hugs Kimx

For Someone Special this Fall

Evening Everyone,

Whenever I get sent stamps to make samples with, there is always one that stands out as a favourite. In the case of a recent release from Paper Panda through Creative Expressions, it was the beautiful Fall stamp.

I stamped and embossed it several times using a dark brown Versafine Clare ink pad and clear embossing powder to create the background for the card, as well as several more which I fussy cut to add the front of the card.

The autumn colours were added using Distress Oxide inks Crackling Campfire, Gathered Twigs and Forest Moss. 

I layered the fussy cut leaves over a die cut circle frame and then added a sentiment.

I have several more cards made using this stamp and some steps for one of them, so I will try and get that sorted out for another post.

Thanks for stopping by,

Stay safe and hugs

Kimx

Sparkle and Shine for Christmas in Gold

Evening,

Oh my goodness, another Monday, where are the weeks disappearing to, I can't believe that it's only just over 4 weeks left till Christmas.

I think I may well have blogged this before, several years ago, but as an old friend is suggesting that we make gold Christmas cards this week I thought that it would fit the bill perfectly.

I stamped and embossed Jane's lovely Bubble Tree on to some cream card stock and die cut it using a rather fancy oval die. 

I coloured the image using various gold mediums and also added some glossy accents and a gold die cut oval. 

Of course the image was designed to be used with Card Candi and any other bling that you have to hand, but works just as well painted.

If memory serves, the sentiment was part of the same stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by, stay safe.

Hugs Kimx

One Very Happy Bunny

Evening,

I'm a very happy bunny tonight as I have finished the samples for the first half of Jane's next stamp release. 

It's always a relief to get them finished, especially when they come this close to getting everything ready for Christmas.

I'm afraid that the Internet is still acting up so I'm not going to try and post anything with pictures, or the laptop might end up through the window!!

Thanks for stopping by, I'll try again tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Hugs Kimx

Three Down, Three to Go

 Evening,

The time has definitely got away from me today, but at least I can safely say that I have finished three of the stamps sets, so only three more to go!!

Unfortunately the Internet is not being kind again tonight, and I just don't have the energy left to fight it, so that's it from me for now.

Yah Hey it's Friday

 Evening, 

It's Friday at last, and as it has turned rather cold here, it is the perfect opportunity to hibernate in my craft room and make samples.

I have just taken delivery of a wonderful box of new stamp designs from the lovely and talented Jane Gill, so that is my weekend mapped out.........................playtime and lots of it.

So here are a couple of samples made with one of Jane's stamps from her last release JGS751 Letting Go.

The central panel to this card was made using a combination of acrylic paint and Distress Oxides.

I used the same image as a background to the main card,

and then added some sentiment strips

and a die cut border.

This card was made in the same way, just different colours.

I added some white gell pen to the tops of the floral image,

and some more sentiment strips.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that you have a great weekend, and manage to get in something crafty.

Stay safe.

Hugs Kimx

Die Cut Poinsettias

 Evening All,

I've got another couple of Christmas cards inspired by my friend Gill Till's challenge over on Facebook. She is looking for cards made using die cut flowers.

The beautiful poinsettias are stamped and embossed  onto vellum using versamark ink and crystal embossing powder.

They are then die cut using the corresponding dies.

I added them to a square red panel along with a strip of black embossed card stock, Christmas sentiment and die cut foliage.

A blob of glitter glue for the flower centers and to enhance the foliage.

This card uses the same stamped, embossed and die cut poinsettias only this time using red card stock and gold embossing powder.

I added a large die cut sentiment 

and another dry embossed panel which I highlighted with gilding wax. It's amazing what you can find in your bits box when you start to look through it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and hugs

Kimx

Die Cut Flowers for Gill

 Evening Everyone,

Well our nice bright day, has turned into torrential rain, so I'm going to hide indoors I think. 

Since today is Wednesday it is time for my lovely friend Gill to set her weekly challenge at Christmas Cards and Papercraft Challenge over on Facebook. This week she is looking for Die Cut Flowers.

I delved into my box of cards and came up with a couple that I made in a class at the beginning of the year. I do miss my Saturdays teaching my group of lovely crafty friends.

The background to the card was created by running a stencil through my embossing machine and then sponging it with plenty of ink.

They really are the most fabulously useful things and so very affordable. 

You can use the debossed side as in the first card,

or you can use the embossed side as with this one. I then added the required die cut flowers and foliage, along with a stamped and embossed sentiment.

Same design just a different colour combo. 

I used Distress Oxides for all of them and then added some gilding wax to the finished panel to highlight the dry embossing.

I added some gems or glitter glue to the flower centers. I'm sure that Gill will appreciate the added bling.

This final card uses some die cut and heat embossed snowflakes. 

I die cut the snowflakes and then covered them in versamark ink before adding Frantage Embossing powder.

I hope that these will inspire you to dig our your floral dies and stencils.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Did you catch Jane on the TV?

 Evening All,

Did you catch Jane on Create and Craft this morning? Unfortunately she only had one show, but she still managed to get in some fabulous demos. I really must try out that Crackle Glaze technique that she showed us.

I made these cards using the fabulous JGS749 Clematis stamp set, white embossing powder and Pixie Powders.

This was a variation using slightly paler colours.

And this card used the same stamp but landscape, and in black on an inky background from my stash.

The sentiment is from another of Jane's stamp sets JGS751 Letting Go.

My turn to cook the dinner tonight so I had better get a wiggle on. 

M&S frozen French fries done in the Actifry. The Grandchildren say that they are better than McDonalds so I get a gold star for that lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and hugs

Kimx

A Masked Moon

Afternoon Everyone,

Monday again, and it's nearly time for my good friend Gill Till to post another challenge on The Christmas Card and Papercraft challenge Facebook page. So before this week is over here are a couple of cards using masking which she challenged us with last week.

Now I don't use it very often, so finding a card with it on was a bit of a challenge in itself, but one thing that is always useful is a nice moon in a scene.

I created my scene with plenty of fir trees, and added ground with a torn paper mask and sponged ink.

The moon is created in the same way by added a circle die cut from a post it note or masking sheet to the finished panel. I carefully sponged blue ink around the edge of the circle and once it is removed it looks like a full moon in the background.

This card was created in a similar way using a piece of background from my stash. I also added a fine line of sparkle pen to the outer edge of the moon for a little bit of bling.

I wonder what Gill will come up with this week to challenge us?

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and Craft.

Hugs Kimx

A Spot of Black and White

Evening,

A couple of Black and White cards for you tonight using one of Jane's fabulous new stamp sets.

The Umbrella Grass was stamped embossed onto black cardstock and then a little Silver Chrome Glitter Kiss was used around the edges along with some Distress Oxide ink.

I do love a spotlight card and this one once again uses the Umbrella Grass and several colours of Distress Oxide inks.

BTW don't forget to watch Jane's shows on Create and Craft on Tuesday.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Treasures and Memories

Evening All,

Another late night blog post.

We have spent the day sorting and reorganizing things at my youngest daughters house, and the treasures and long forgotten memories we have uncovered.

There were a couple of boxes full of photos, including photos of cards that I made in those first few years of crafting. I didn't own a photocopier , so a photograph was the only way of recording what I made. 

Oh my goodness me!! I look at them now and wonder how I felt able to give them to anyone, they look so awful and childish.

There were also lots of family photos and it is amazing how alike all the grandchildren are, and how little they have changed really. 

Pictures of the eldest Megan, nearly 21, as a two year old and that look on her face is still the same all these years later.

Of course we have only managed to make a small dent in things today, so there is lots more to do. But at least we have made a start.

Tomorrow we are going to make a den for the kids to play in which will keep them happy while we get on. I wonder what other little pieces of history we uncover?

Night night. Hugs Kimx

Definitely Friday the 13th

Evening All.

Well it is definitely Friday 13th lol.

We have had a cut knee for Emma (after a bump on the head yesterday) and Chloe has fallen over and put her tooth through her bottom lip, so I am quitting while I am ahead and going to bed lol.

Stay safe.

Hugs Kimx

Catch Gwen on the Box

 Evening Everyone,

Just a quick post tonight to remind you that the lovely Gwen Fletcher will be on Create and Craft tomorrow showcasing some new stamps from Designer Boutique.

They are beautiful stamps designed with DL cards in mind.

There is also a sentiment set designed to go with them.

As DT members we were asked if we had any ideas for sentiments that we would like added, so I asked for 'Have a very happy unbirthday' since you know how rubbish I am at getting cards sent out on time. 

Guess what.........they obliged. How cool is that.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

We will Remember Them

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.................we will remember them.

As the poppy has become a symbol of remembrance here are  a few cards that I made using one of Jane Gill's fabulous new designs for Woodware. 

It is a beautiful large design, but I wanted you to know that you don't always have to use the whole thing. Here I turned it into an oval panel with a die.

Here I have created a spotlight of colour on a black and white stamped and embossed panel.

And this one uses the trimmings for the previous card. The pieces were far too nice to throw away so I wove them together and added them to a stamped and embossed image on kraft card.

I hope that you will be able to observe the 2 minutes silence at 11am today. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and Remember Them.

Kimx