Back at last!!!

Where's a good witch when you need one!!
The girls say that I am obviously old as I've been calling for Samantha from Bewitched to wiggle her nose, while they thought of Harry Potter. Either way their presence has been seriously lacking in our house.
You may have wondered why I have been absent from blogland for quite a while, well that is why we require a little help from sorcery. Merlin, Gandalf, Mary Poppins, I'm not fussy. Anyone who can come in and wave a magic wand, or snap their fingers and sort out the chaos that we have currently been living in and I would be eternally grateful..... No offers? Oh well I guess we will just have to resort to more human endeavours and put our backs into it - again!!
It has been all change in our little Tardis over the last few weeks. I have now officially lived in every room in the house except the bathroom and kitchen - but who knows what the future may hold.
I have been having definite withdrawal symptoms from my lack of crafting, but it has been impossible to get to anything let alone be inspired.
I finally got my room back at the weekend - just in time for my birthday!!
I was bought breakfast in bed, handmade cards and 3 seasons of House to watch on DVD. How lucky am I.
I then spent the day prepping for last nights Pearlex class - crafting heaven lol. You really can't beat painting with Pearlex.
I decided to be like the Queen and have two birthdays. It is traditional in our house to choose dinner on your birthday. My choice was Roast lamb and six different vegetables. That has to be eaten at the table I think you will agree and as we still couldn't manage that on Sunday I have decided to celebrate again on another day when we can all sit down and enjoy it.
It's my youngest daughter Becki's birthday today so we will be having two celebratory meals - so much for the diet lol.

So now to some crafting. I had a fabulous , if small class at Davina's last night. There is so much that can be done with Pearlex that I decided that rather than confuse them, I would start with Part 1 - Watercolour Pearlex, and move onto Part 2 - Dry powder Pearlex and all its uses in a fortnight.
So I guess I ought to share at least one of the cards with you after you have patiently sat through my ramblings.   
                                
This card uses the Poinsettias from the new Hobby Art Christmas set.
Hope you like it. I really must get to bed now as there have also been some changes at work. I now have to start at 5am !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will try and get back into the blogging groove I've missed it.
Love and Hugs
Kimx

Happy Birthday Bro - better late than never!!!

Evening Everyone
Well that's an end to yet another week. Actually yesterday marked the end of the week for me cause I've been out to play at the Craft Show at Sandown.
It's quite a nice little show with a mix of stands including Cross Stitch which I think we have all done at one time or another.

It's quite a local show for me really. So local in fact that I even had a lady come up to me and say 'Don't I know you from somewhere?' We established that she is actually a customer from the garage where I work and I had served her yesterday - small world isn't it!
My lovely daughter is taking me to Stoneleigh each day to meet Paul and Jane as Gill's guest bedroom is already occupied. I mustn't complain since the current occupant did transport a large pile of Stampin Up catalogues for me , all the way from Canada.
The other alternative would have been to chuck Paul and Jane's son out of his room, so this works much better. I think Jane did get him to give his room a really good clear up in anticipation of my arrival, before she told him that actually I won't be using it - Good plan Jane lol.
The card that I am sharing tonight actually has nothing to do with what I have been demoing today but was made for my little brother for his birthday. It was of course very late in arriving, in fact I was in danger of sharing it with the blogging world before he even got to see it himself, but I resisted.
So Happy Birthday little Bro, better late than never don't you know. Hope you liked the card and that you had a great day.
Night, night and don't forget to pop along and say Hi if you are the show over the weekend.
Love and hugs
Kimx

More Black and White

Hi Guys
Had a brilliant day at Lavender Lane as expected.
The ladies all seemed to have a great time and really enjoyed themselves, and there was plenty of coffee lol.
As promised here are the other two cards that we made in the Black and White Christmas card class.

This first one is very simple but effective. I stamped Inca 5018g Warm Winter Wishes in black, onto white card stock and embossed with crystal embossing powder. After I cut it out using a square nestie I drew a stitched line around the edge.
This was mounted onto a black glossy scalloped panel, again cut with a nestie, and then onto white card. Finally mount onto a black square card which has had a versamark ink pad tapped around the edge. This is then embossed with crystal embossing power.

The final finishing touch is a small crystal at the centre of each snowflake.
The second card uses one of the new embossing folders from Crafts Too.
I have used just one of the greetings from the panel (there are six messages in total) and having trimmed round it I have gently rubbed a black ink pad across it to make the greeting stand out. I have mounted this onto black glossy card and trimmed to leave a narrow border.

The main card is white with a piece of black card mounted onto it which has first been run through the Cuttle bug using a snowflake embossing folder. I have transferred ink from my favourite Stardust pen (no 700) on to the embossing with my finger. I'm afraid it doesn't show up terribly well in the photo.
The card has been finished off with a few flowers made from black and white pattered paper and one of the multiple flower punches from Woodware.

We had to improvise a little with this card in class as I had one of those moments which all of us dread. You know the one where all of your cuttle bug folders are sitting at home on your work bench!!!
Fortunately Jane had several folders available for use in the workroom so we managed, even if they weren't the ones that I had used here.
I think that everyone had a good time and I can see quite a few black and white Christmas cards being sent this year lol.
I also appear to have become responsible for yet another addict. Welcome to the wonderful world of Crafting, you will have an amazing time and meet lots of lovely people along the way. Enjoy.
I'm in the mood for some card making so I am going to close now and try and finish a couple of the bits that I made today.
You never know I might share them with you tomorrow.
Have a good evening, what's left of it.
Love and hugs
Kimx

A Black and White Cristmas.

Afternoon Everyone.
I can't believe that we are at the end of yet another week, where are they all disappearing to this year. Would you believe that in 16 weeks Christmas will be all over, how scary is that!!
I'm sorry that I have been missing for so long, I just can't seem to get motivated at the moment.
I am teaching at Lavender Lane tomorrow, A Black and White Christmas in the morning, and Acetates and Inks in the afternoon.

I always have a wonderful time teaching there, so I am sure that I will return to full motivation tomorrow.
My good friend Gill comes to the classes and can always be counted on for a laugh. I have to make sure that there is plenty of milk as the kettle is permanently on. She does like her coffee does our Gilly. I think she can even out drink me and that takes some doing :)
I thought that I would give you a sneak peek of a couple of the cards that we will be making tomorrow, and then try and share the others with you tomorrow evening, although I can't promise that that bit will happen. I always intend to blog when I get back after a class but some how the time just seems to get away from me, but I will try.

I have made the background for this card using acetate, inks and crumpled paper. I decided that I would use a peel-off and permanent marker pens just in case some of the ladies found stamping onto acetate a little daunting. Don't panic Shaz I did stamp and emboss on the other cards from the class lol.
I had better go now, its my night to cook, and I have to go back and do the cigarette count at work later, no rest for the wicked hey.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Thank you for all your kind thoughts.

Afternoon Everyone.
Firstly I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left messages for me on my last post, 'Inspired by a Poem.'
This last week has been unbelievably hard, not easier as you might have expected. Anyway Thank you again for all the lovely thoughts.
That, as you may understand is why I have been absent from blogland for the last couple of days.
However life must go on and so I thought it was time to share some more cards with you.
These were made for Barbara's TV show in August and so as she is on the box again tomorrow with a new show it seems the perfect opportunity to share them with you. (Create and Craft channel 671 Sunday at 11am. Repeated at 10pm and 5am Monday 6th Sept)

With this first card I have stamped and embossed the church window onto watercolour card and then painted it with my kaleidacolor ink pad Creole Spice. This is my favourite kaleidacolor pad.

I stamped the verse sideways on a piece of Bazzill card stock. The edges of all the panels have been distressed with ink and then a stitched border has been drawn on using a fine Zig Millennium pen.

The second card uses the same two stamps but this time I have stamped the verse repeatedly down the right hand side of my main card.
The Shepherd Window has been stamped and embossed onto cream card and then ink has been sponged around the edges of the trimmed window. The shepherds and star have been painted afterwards.
A peel-off border completes the card.
I am entering this into the challenge over at Paper Sundaes where it is Christmas in August.
Hope you are having a great weekend. I really must get back to some crafting as I have got really behind with everything again.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Inspired by a poem.

Evening Everyone
It is very rare, in fact virtually unheard of for me to make a card just because I want to. Everything seems always to be destined for a particular class or demo, or is made to send to a specific person.
Well all that changed as soon as I saw the challenge over at Tuesday Taggers - Inspired by a poem.

The poem I have used is very special to me. It was read by a very dear friend at my son Adam's funeral in January 2002.
When some years later I saw it as a stamp I just had to have it.

I think it is a beautiful poem anyway and have used it on several occasions, even once in a magazine article on Sympathy cards (Craft Stamper)

As it would have been Adam's 29th birthday tomorrow it seems strangely appropriate to make this my post this evening.
I would also like to enter the Stampin for the Weekend challenge where Anything Goes.
I have made the main panel with Penny Black 4102K Snow Dust available over at Sir Stampalot.
I stamped it with versamark ink and then sponged distress inks over it. The poem has been stamped onto vellum which has been attached to the card using Woodware Miracle Adhesive film. This stuff really is magic. It is absolutely the best thing I have found for using with vellum.
The main card has also had Snow Dust stamped onto it only this time I embossed it with white powder.
Sponging distress inks onto it makes the images 'Pop'.

I have to admit that I actually made two cards, so I will share the second one with you as well.
The main panel was made in the same way, only this time I stamped and embossed the poem directly on to it.

I will actually let you into a little secret. The vellum on the first card was actually used to hide the fact that I didn't stamp very well but didn't want to waste the panel.
Remember 'It's never a mistake it's always an opportunity', you taught me well Julie Hickey lol.

I used one of my Nesties and then 'stitched' around the edge with a fine black pen. This seems to be my favourite finishing touch at the moment.
On this card I mounted the main panel onto some Bazzill Swiss Dots card and strips of background paper.

The final touches were some Magnolia flowers, and a couple that I made myself, and some punched leaves.
I think the first card is my favourite of the two, but as it was difficult to choose I decided that I wouldn't even try.
Tomorrow will be difficult, as it always has been over the last few years, but I will keep busy and remember all the good times.
I hope you have All had a good Bank Holiday. Ours has been spent washing. The family are back from their holidays and so the house resembles a Chinese laundry at the moment with washing hanging from any available place. Where is all the sunshine when you want it.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love and hugs
Kimx

I had a wonderful time......

Hi All
Sorry I haven't blogged for a couple of days but I've been trying to catch up on some things, sleep being one of them lol.
I had a fabulous time in Peterboro, but I have to admit that it was quite nice that my daughter had to collect me on Saturday not Sunday as it did at least mean that I could get a nice lie in this morning.
It has also given me the day to catch up on some DT work for Barbara, but as usual I can't share until the show airs next week.

As you can see I was a busy bunny while I was at Sir Stampalot - the cards in the display stand were all made whilst I was there. I will try and share them in more detail over the next couple of days.

If the table looks a little too tidy it is probably because I had started to pack everything away when I suddenly realized that I hadn't taken any pictures - it was way more messy than that for most of the time!!

This card was made using a couple of the lovely new Penny Black stamps (4105J Starlit and 4116H A Wonderful Christmas) available from Sir Stampalot.
The main panel has been made using the resist technique (versamark, glossy card stock and distress inks) and has then been cut out using a Nestie. I embellished the edge of the panel with my paper pricker.

I also used a Cuttlebug folder on one of the pieces of background paper.
I think that this was Janice's favourite card from the ones that I made, I hope you like it too.
Better get to bed now, unlike most of the rest of you I will still have to be at work at 6am even though it's a Bank Holiday. The BP petrol station that I work at is like the Windmill, "We never close", we just don't have the naked ladies, thank goodness.
Nite, nite.
Have a great day tomorrow and thanks for stopping by.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Christmas Launch at Sir Stampalot

Evening Everyone.
Thanks for stopping by. This is a very quick post as it has been another long day, but fun, as it always is when I'm on holiday at Sir Stampalot.
I think I might need a holiday to get over this one, and a payment plan for all my stash lol.

Christmas starts tomorrow here in Peterboro with three days of fabulous demonstrations. There has had to be a bit of juggling done with the demos as unfortunately the new Molly Blooms Christmas stamps weren't ready in time, so I am now going to be playing tomorrow instead of Sunday.
I always have a great time when I am here, and it's always a bit of a challenge over what I'm going to be doing as I don't usually find out until I get here. But I hope people will like what I've done.
I have been playing with some of the new Penny Black and Hero Arts Christmas stamps, and there certainly are some lovely ones there.

The major trouble with being in the shop for all these hours is that I keep seeing more and more things that I just have to have!!! It's all about the ownership girls. Sorry, bit of an in joke between me and Janice.
The card I am sharing with you tonight has been made with a stamp from one of the new Hero Arts cling sets CG209 Four Framed Snowflakes. The greeting is actually from a very useful clear stamp set CL343 Holiday Sayings.
I have stamped the snowflake using versamark ink and then have applied Decorating chalks using a cotton wool ball.

The greeting has been stamped and embossed afterwards and as you can see the embossing powder sticks to some of the snowflake image as well. I rather like this slightly patchy effect, but if you don't then you might be better off stamping the greeting with a Stazon pad and not embossing it.
I have made the card using a Nestabilities set. It makes for a nice small card and would have fitted very nicely in to the challenge over at Allsorts. I see that I'm too late to enter this time but I will leave you the link anyway as they have some good challenges.
Hope to see some of you tomorrow - well in a few hours actually.
Nite, nite
Love and hugs
Kimx

Lots of Birthday greetings

Evening Everyone
This last week seems to have been particularly full of Birthdays for me, and most of them male.
I decided that it would be easier for me to share the cards with you in one Hit.
I have come to a stop with my crafting for today as I have just packed my things ready to go up to stay at Janice and Andy's - that's Sir Stampalot for those of you not in the know.
I have soooo been looking forward to these few days away.
It's long days and early starts but it is such fun.
There has been a slight change of plan to the Demo shedule though as I will now be demonstrating on the Saturday and not the Sunday. Not quite sure what I will be doing yet, I will sort it out when I get up there tomorrow, but it will be something Christmassy.
Don't forget to pop along and say Hi if you are in the area. It is always lovely to see everyone.
Anyway back to Birthday cards.

This one was made for my Nephew Callum who was 20 on the 20th. I thought the booze seemed quite appropriate although I expect he would prefer beer. Actually now I have sent it I seem to remember him saying that he is like his Dad and doesn't drink, Oh well never mind.

This next card was made for one of the Guys at work whose birthday is also on the 20th. I have made it using a Hobby Art tree stamp and some inked background paper. The greeting is from a Hobby Art clear stamp set.

Card no three was made for Rupert our local policeman. He has been on paternity leave but is due back this week. He had better have loads of photos with him of the new baby. He conducts a surgery at the garage every week listening to any local issues and offering help and advise where possible. I have a feeling the next few are going to be rather popular as people come to see him and pass on their congratulations on his new addition.

This card has gone to France to a young lad that my daughter and I used to Child mind. Cameron and his family moved out to France a few years ago to run a guest house.

His birthday was on 22nd which was also his parents Wedding Anniversary so I have sneaked in a picture of their card as well.
Hope you like them. All fairly different I think which might help out if you need some ideas for Men's cards.
Better go now I have to finish packing.
Love and hugs
Kimx

I made the Top 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Evening Ladies
Well let this be a lesson to you All. If you enter a challenge, don't forget to go and check out whether you won lol.
I had a wonderful surprise yesterday when I was looking around Blogland. The card that I entered in to the Allsorts Challenge  (Primary Colours) had been chosen for the Top 5. How fantastic is that!!
The moral of this tale though is that you should go back and check out the winners, because had I won the first prize I would have been too late to claim it.

The card I have for you tonight was made for the birthday of an old friend.
 I know that she loves Clarice Cliff and so this stamp from a Woodware set Winding Paths FRCL165 available to order from Sir Stampalot fitted the bill perfectly.

I am entering it into the challenge over at Inspirational Card Sketches.
I had better go now, I have to check out a few more blogs. How do you ladies manage to keep up to date with everything??
Anyway have a great evening, whats left of it lol.
Love and hugs
Kimx

It's a Spotty, Dotty Christmas

Afternoon Ladies,
Sorry I've been missing for a few days.
Well Christmas has finally arrived!!!
Every year my Mum makes us up a little box for Christmas. It's filled with homemade goodies like flapjacks and preserves. So far this year every time I have seen Mum either she has forgotton to give it to us or we have left it behind when we leave!!
So Christmas finally arrived last Saturday at Mum's birthday party. She has obviously given up on her usual flapjacks - she probably got fed up and ate them herself - the kids will be disappointed. Still maybe next time we can get her over for the day she will bake some with them. I know they would love it, and she really does make the most amazing flapjacks. May be it's no bad thing that she left them out this time - better for the hips lol.
Anyway all my rambling links me to the card that I am sharing with you.

It was one of the cards that I made for Barbara for her August TV show. It features a very traditional stamp combo, but I think that the layout is a little less so.
I thought that it might fit with the challenge over at Ooh La La Creations where they are looking for Spots and Dots.
I have stamped the text onto a piece of handmade background paper which has been punched at the corners.

The Nativity is stamped and embossed on blue card and then cut out using a circular Nestie, as are all the other circles.
They have been embossed on the back over a pergamano mat and then added to the card using silcone glue to keep the dimension.
This may not be particularly traditional Christmas colours but I rather liked it, hope you do too.
Hope you are having a good weekend.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Something Old, Something New...........

Afternoon Everyone
Well it had to happen didn't it, with all the Birth Congrats cards that I have had to make lately, I now have a couple of Wedding cards to share.
Perhaps it's the wrong order of things, but hey lol.

This first card is made for the challenge over at OCC Weekly Sketch.
The sentiment is an old Anita's stamp that I last used some years ago for a magazine article.

I have stamped and embossed in gold on some pale gold card stock. I have then cut it out using a Nestie.
I've added some stitching and pearls. This has been mounted onto a cream panel that has been put through the Cuttlebug.

The gold punched panel is from my stash as are the ribbon and flowers.
The second card has been made for one of the Guys at work who is getting married tomorrow in Paris. Everyone at work was invited, but unfortunately I don't think BP or M & S would take too kindly to us shutting up shop for the day to attend a traditional Sri Lankan wedding, mores the pity. I would love to have been able to attend, but it was just not possible.
I hope he will have plenty of photos to show us when he gets back to work in a couple of weeks.

This card has been made using another very old stamp, this time its a Penny Black one which I bought when I first got into stamping.

I have again stamped and embossed it in gold and then I painted it with several colours of Pearlex. I chose Interference colours which show up at their best as the card catches the light.
The panel has been layered on to a piece of gold card cut out with a Nestie. I added some stitching and pearls.
I hope you like them.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Birthday Butterflies

Evening Everyone
Just a quick post to share a card that I have made for one of the guys at work to send to his fiance for her birthday.

He asked for butterflies and flowers so I think this fits the bill.
As it also has some lace on it I decided to enter it in to the Cupcake Crafts Challenge where the order of the day is Lace.

The stamps are by Penny Black and Hero Arts and the greeting at the bottom is part of a Hobby Art background stamp.
I have also decided to enter it at Craftalicious where the challenge is Pearls and Swirls.

Of course I have had to make a box for it Gilly since there are lots of flowers. I think it will need a padded envelope as well since it has to go all the way to Pakistan!!
Have a good evening
Love and hugs
Kimx

Happy Birthday Ma, here's to many more......

Evening Everyone,
This week has been full of major milestones. As well as my Aunt and Uncles 60th Wedding Anniversary, my wonderful Mum is 80 on Sunday.
She may be an Older Lady, but she has certainly grasped technology better than her daughter.
She is always the first one to text me on any special occasion, my birthday, Christmas, New Year, much to the amazement of my work colleagues.
She also checks out my blog every morning.

This card was supposed to have been posted on Friday morning, at which point I would have had to get her to look away lol.
The reason for the early post was because I had made it to enter in the challenge over at The Stamp Man, where the challenge was Take Two Colours. Unfortunately I didn't get the post done in time so I decided that I would let Mum see the card in the flesh before I popped it on the blog.
I made it using a fabulous sketch that I found over at Inspirational Card Sketches.

I am also entering it at Stamp and Create where the challenge is flowers.

I think it qualifies on two counts given that it has handmade and shop bought flowers on it, as well as the main image being floral.

The main panel has been created using a Penny Black stamp and pigment inks. I have stamped and embossed the image using the little Cats Eye pigment ink pads and clear embossing powder. Once this has been heated I have 'huffed' on the stamp without reinking it and then I have stamped this repeatedly onto the panel to give this lovely multiple stamped effect.
I have used a couple of other Penny Black Butterfly, and mini Dragonfly stamps to finish the panel.
I am also entering this in to the challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, where the order of the day is Birthdays.
Today has ended up being a rather hectic one. I spent most of the day at Lavender Lane where I was demoing Brayers and Big and Juicy ink pads.
Thank you to all the lovely ladies who braved the lousy weather to come and spend time with us. It was wonderful to see you all, I hope you picked up plenty of tips and that you are happily playing with all your goodies.
After the Demo my daughter whisked me off to my Mum's birthday party. Unfortunately most of the guests had had to go home but it was great to catch up with family - it's one of the few times when we all manage to get together. It's a shame that the sun didn't shine as well earlier in the afternoon when my Bro was cooking the BBQ.
Must close now or I will be too tired to link the card to the relevant challenges.
Hope you have had a great day. thanks for stopping by.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Say Happy Birthday to Francis for me.

Hi
One very late post, just to wish Janice's Mum a very Happy Birthday today.
I'm not sure if she has been up at Sir Stampalot recently, but I'm sure that Janice can forward my card for me if not. If she has been in Peterboro she might even have got it on time - now that would be a first lol.

I used some metal sheet and my Walnut Hollow metal embossing tools that I bought at Sir Stampalot a while ago. I filled the back of the metal with silicone once I had embossed it, so hopefully it should have kept its shape in the post.

The image has been stamped onto the metal using Stazon.
The Best Wishes stamp is by Hobby Art and finishes off the background of the card just nicely.
I would like to enter the card into the challenge over at Paper Sundaes.
Nite nite
Love Kimx

Dazzling Diamonds

Evening Everyone
Today had been a very special day for two lovely people, and it's a milestone day which not many people make it to in this day and age.
My Aunt and Uncle celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversary. 60 years of marriage, I think that definitely deserves Congratulations. Of course given the nature of the milestone reached I felt the card just had to have plenty of bling - eat your heart out Liz Taylor.

I'm afraid real diamonds were seriously out of the question but I managed a few of the next best thing, hot fix crystals.
I've used a sketch over at Sketch Saturday. I'm afraid that I couldn't afford to add crystals all around the circle so I did cheat a little bit and use tiny holographic peel-off dots to which I have added a small drop of Glossy Accents and voila excellent fake diamonds.

Perhaps the post title should actually be Cubic Zirconium but it doesn't have quite the same ring does it lol.
The stamps are by Penny Black and as the Challenge over at Penny Black and Allsorts is Glitter and Glitz I just had to enter.

I see that they are also looking for new DT members so maybe I will try out for it, you never know.
Anyway, I must go now as I have another special card to finish, but more of that tomorrow.
It's really quite here as Jenni and the children are away on holiday. Unfortunately Jason can't join them until next week so he is trying to get on with some of those little jobs around the house that are difficult to do with little people around.
We thought we might have a curry tonight so we don't have to cook, but don't tell everyone :)
By the way while we are talking diamonds I have once again been asked to join the Dazzling Diamonds team at their Stamperama in October. Check out the poster at the side of the blog. Well you could check it out if I could work out how to put it there. HELP Shaz!!!!!!!!!!!!.
The last one was fantastic and I am sure that this one will be even better, for starters you get a copy of the new Stampin Up catalogue which launches that week.
I look forward to seeing some of you there maybe.
Have a good evening.
Love Kimx