Make a scene

Yes it's another Quirky challenge and this time you need to build a scene. My scene is from Squigglefly (one of our two sponsors for this challenge, the other sponsor is Limited Runs) and I used the Japanese scene with the Japanese pack, and screen. I coloured the images with Promarkers and Trias. I cut out the bonsai, lady, fan, sandals and lamp that the lady is holding, and added them to the scene. I also decoupaged the two red garden lamps/fires to make them stand out more. I used some card with oriental characters on and die cut the scene with a Nestabilities large label 9(No 8 I think). I added some yin yang ribbon from my stash and mounted the whole thing on a red C5 card blank I folded myself. Finally I stamped the Celebration fan image and cut it out and added it to the top corner.

I will make another card using the Limited Runs image soon.

If you join in at Quirky Crafts Challenge blog and provided you follow the rules, you could win one of two prizes on offer for this challenge.

Hooked

I did it, I got back to crochet after an absence of 16 plus years! I used to crochet all the time, I made clothes, novelty and decorative items, but when I started working full time it took so long to finish anything that I gave up. Now look what I did yesterday:

I am pleased that I can still do it, and though my hands ached it was remarkably calming and relaxing.

Busy doing nothing....... working the whole day through....

This is the second week that actually feels like I have REALLY left my job, I left just before Christmas (on early release) and the holidays just felt like normal holidays, then just as I was trying to get used to the idea I got the flu, and was in bed for a most of a week and a half.

There are benefits, I have more time to craft, so where is it then? Not finished a lot yet but my craft room is messier than ever! I did make a card that I didn't photograph but I am working on some more versions of it so will photograph them when they are finished.

I have had a life laundry moment and found a whole bag of clothes to get rid of, and there are more where that came from.

I have gone up into the garage loft and found my old crochet patterns, and intend to start crocheting again, well I am going to be a Granny in May so I better get a shift on. I have some white yarn, need blue too.

Because I am home when Himself gets in and it is still light enough I have been dog walking over the fields most nights, that has got to be good for us all.

I have been doing a lot more cooking of dinners, and we have been both eating the same thing. Example below, swordfish steak, with stir fried finely sliced leeks with mushrooms, garlic and baby plum tomatoes and new potatoes.

Also I have more energy and less headaches at the weekends to go dog walking, we went to a farm to get a bag of organic potatoes (saving a lot compared to the price of supermarket potatoes) and eggs. When we were there we looked for somewhere to walk the dogs, and found this. Massive gates and a very long tree lined avenue to South Wraxall Manor. We have had two walks there, and they were very long walks. We only went half way up the "drive" to a fence, then turned round. The first time the dogs didn't notice all the trees, the second time they did and tried to visit every one, and there were about 60!

These are the gates. View of the drive from the gates, our dogs found all other dogs very interesting so enjoyed the walk. We think it might be very busy in warmer weather!

The fence where we turned round.

My excitement of the day today was trying out the new carpet shampooer, sad or what!

Now I may look for a part time job after I have had a few weeks off, I think I deserve it and I worked very hard for the last 6 months without a lot of time off. What I would really like to do is work for a craft magazine publisher, maybe in an assistant editor type role.  That would be doing a job to do with one of my favourite hobbies, papercrafts! What I don't want to do is work a 37 hour week with commuting on top. Less hours and travel would be fine though.

Quirky Silhouettes

Yes it is challenge time again at Quirky Crafts Challenge Blog. I had hoped to post before this, but I have been ill all week with flu so have been in bed a lot of the time. The Nurse Practitioner told me that I will start to experience coughing all night for a couple of weeks, so far this hasn't happened and I hope it doesn't!

Here is my card. The sponsor is Stitchy Bear and I used Sewing which is one of the many lovely silhouette digital stamps available from them. I decided to make it into a background pattern by copying it all over the page and changing the colour on all but one per row. I printed it on parchment and stitched it to some striped card. I cut out a dressmaker's dummy, reels and buttons using a Tim Holtz Sizzix die. I added thread to the reels and buttons, and a piece of pretty fabric tied round the dummy with a piece of ribbon. Finally I cut a Spellbinders Nestabilities label and stamped Birthday Wishes from a Debbi Moore set. All ink is Memento, which I used to distress the paper and card and different die cuts. As soon as I uploaded the photo I realised I had forgotten to use some special ribbon that I had been going to use, so I will have to make another version! I also want to decorate this inside. It reminds me of when I was at home with young children and I used to make their clothes and toys, and even did a City and Guilds Fashion course but only the first year. I had my own dressmaker's dummy then.

So hop on over and see what the others have done, and enter your make to win a Stitchy Bear voucher.

I have entered this in the following challenge(s):

ABC H is for Happy Birthday closing 5th Jan I think.

Ist Quirky Challenge of 2012 and Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone, I hope you have less troubles and more joys this year.

The first challenge of the New Year is here over at Quirky Crafts, and was set by Diane, it is Food Glorious Food!

We have two sponsors so two chances to win a prize, and the image is by our exciting new sponsor Bugaboo, the other sponsor being our favourite ribbon sponsor Crafty Ribbons.
I used Bugaboo image JJ Housework Eat Out with her sentiment. I coloured the image with Promarkers and Trias, and die cut them with Nestabilties. I used a Martha Stewart punch to punch the English Paper Company paper. and finally added a white on black chiffon polka dot ribbon by Crafty Ribbons.

What a great image for a non cook, or someone very houseproud.

I also picked up a great free image from the Bugaboo site today, which I hope to use soon.

I have entered this in:
Daring Card Makers challenge Spots and Stripes.
I Love Promarkers anything goes.
Pollycraft - Punch It