Surprise!

This peeking kitty is a stamp from Crackerbox Palace, I fell in love with it. This is the first version and maybe not the best. I used Papermania papers, and added the ribbon behind to look like it had come untied from a present, and the cat is inside peeking out. The stamps are in sets by Papermania (I think) and Imagination Stamps. The sentiments are heat embossed in purple, purple metallic EP, and die cut with Spellbinders.

I have entered the following challenges:

Pink Gem challenges - use two backing papers (Saturdays) hoping Friday is new enough.

The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge O for Ombrelle

Here is my first letter O page for The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge, O for Ombrelle. I have two more pages in mind but I am so busy I don't think I am likely to get them done, with luck I might get one more done. I had a lot of choice with O, which wasn't the case for everyone, but there are other letters I am dreading like N!

This time I used Stazon (determined to have no ink bleed) and got out the very neglected Marvy Le Plume markers (couldn't find my watercolour paint pallette) and the few Whispers and Dove Craft markers in the same box, I also used my Distress marker set that I won. All was going well until I doodled in fine liner and coloured it in with Marvy's - whoops not good!

I found all my parasol and umbrella stamps for this page, there are several makes of stamp here, Woodware, Little Claire, Whiff of Joy, Azadi Earles, Hero Arts and another make I can't recall.

WOYWW #221

WOYWW? Why it's Bethany with her nose in her stash box! Also a heap of new rubber from Ebay, don't even know what exactly but it is Unity stamp sets, and a new die, ermmm, I just read Julia's last post and am feeling mega sheepish now!

This is going to be a very short post, today we visting the Hawk Conservancy near Andover and it was BRILLIANT! I took over 200 photos, manually focussing every one, and some of them are actually in focus - not that many!
I am so sorry I haven't got round last week's visitors yet, and can't promise I will get to any of you until at least next Monday when Bethany has been taken back to S Wales, and the Quirky Challenge is out of the way, but I wanted to join in anyway. Where is my logo? Not sure, I can't see it!
Anyway to find out all about the strange craze of sharing your messes, and tidynesses and seeing a whole lot more hop on over to The Stamping Ground!

Time for T on Tuesday.

First of all I must apologise to T on Tuesday visitors last week, I have been so busy with family here since Thursday, and so exhausted that I still haven't got round you all and the WOYWW people too. I will try and get round you all but I can't promise how soon that will be!

This is National Trust Tea, we took Bethany to Dyrham Park today. Shaun and Beth walked down the hill to the house, I caught the little shuttle bus! My knees aren't up to walking that far downhill.

There was a real wasp problem, there were traps all over but still loads of them buzzing round the tables and food. I don't thin they like peppermint Tea but I had a tast of Beth's juice in my cup before.

Beth and Shaun while we wait for food. Shaun was glad he chose jacket potato not cream tea with all the wasps, but they were after the chutney!

They did my jacket potato with plain prawns, I didn't want the dressing, yum!

We ate then went round the house, and then walked round the garden.

Beth and Shaun are sat by the lake, they are the furthest away, I went for a wander to get butterfly and swan photos.

Meet Humphrey!

Finally I was so lucky to snap these Long Tailed Tits on my feeder, shame they are a little out of focus.

If you want to join in hop on over to Elizabeth and Bleubeards's place.

Chinese 80th Birthday card

I made this Chinese 80th Birthday card using a Woodware stamp set, image coloured with Promarkers, and die cut with Spellbinders. The papers are by Papermania, and were perfect for the colours I used, I love red and gold together.

I cut out the Filligree Delight largest panel with the oval in the centre to create a frame which I mounted onto red card cut with the A2 card maker set B version, both by Spellbinders.

The numbers were cut with Sizzix Shadow Box die, the ribbon is by Chatterbox. The sentiment is heat embossed in gold and finally I added some red flat backed pearls.

Inside the card, I managed to cover the inside with the same sheet of paper, with a strip of gold card strategically placed over a necessary join! Happy Birthday Granny Tao!

I have entered the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbons challenges - anything goes with ribbon.

Passion for Promarkers - favourite colour combo (Wednesdays)

A Gem of a Challenge - anything with B (birthday, blossoms) (Saturdays)

Papertake weekly - flowers (Tuesdays)

I love Promarkers - bugs - dragonflies (Wednesdays)

Polkadoodles - all things bright and beautiful (Fridays)

Woodware - Girly things

Stamping Sensations - wings and things and a touch of vintage. (August challenge).

Also I finally made a box for the baby word card I made ages ago, and here it is:

The box base is plain and stapled at the corners for strength.

The lid is strengthened by ribbon (from Crafty Ribbons) threaded through punched holes to match the word book (The Cutting Cafe file), and the letters were cut with the same paper used on the word book using Sizzix Shadow Box dies, finally the notches were cut with Sizzix Lollipop die and hammer.

A Quirky Cheesey reminder for Christmas in August.

 This is my reminder example for the Quirky Crafts Challenge, Christmas in August with a cheesey twist.
As well as Christmas you need to use 3 things from Lyn's cheesey triangle chart below.
I used a Bugaboo image, Penguin Star, triangles, and layers, I also used unusual colours if the layers don't count!
I am geometrically challenged, so my triangle might be a little bit wrong, but for me it is good! I created a template then repeated it, then managed to cut pattered papers out (you should see all the ruined bits! The papers were freebies, they are by Serif Craft Daisy, but were printed and given in a magazine, the first one I ruined was of course the only sheet, so I had to go for a different one.
The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, the sentiment is from a HOTP set free with a magazine stamped and heat embossed in purple, then die cut with a Spellbinders ribbon tag die. I meant to add some glitter but if I did it wouldn't have been dry enough to photograph.

This is the back of the card, yes there is an error but I decided to leave it. The card blank is the same mustard colour as the sentiment is stamped on but due to a couple of inky mistakes I needed to cover the whole thing in paper or start all over again!

So in case you haven't worked it out our two sponsors are Bugaboo and Crafty Ribbons, hop on over to the Quirky Crafts Blog to see some more lovely examples and to join in (and to leave us a little Christmas love too).

I have entered the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbons challenges - anything goes with ribbon.

WOYWW #220

As I type it is only just still Wednesday, so I am going for last place!

I'm in the middle of a HUGE tidy up and move round, why - I have lots of visitors coming! My eldest son will be working in here Friday so I pretty much won't be able to get in here to do a lot. Then we have little Kenny because he and his Mum are coming too, and they are staying until Monday. They will be out a couple of times, but we will get to see lots of Kenny. Then when they leave Bethany (my 13 year old Niece) is coming to stay for the rest of the week. She is around already at my parents, and will be here Friday for the day. Anyway last time she stayed I set up her own workspace and box of stash. I am doing that again! You don't normally see this side of the desk, this is her space. 

This is one of your normal views, there is still a pile of stuff to sort out, and my space and the other cutting mat are at the far end with the dictionary on it and some other stuff, including Lyn's cheesey wheel. I have moved the Stuff Bucket and crates of sticky stuff and inks down that end too. This end there are cards to put away, some need inserts doing, and there are all sorts of things to put away, dies, punches (was debating if I should keep them), ink pads, and stamped images. This is after I have worked on it pretty much all evening, and some of the afternoon too. In fact I started on the office space yesterday, sorting, recording, shredding or retaining as appropriate. It is the tip of the iceberg, and could take me weeks, but it is a start. I have a bag full of shredding to go.

If you can't see it on the desk it is either on the floor or over here! I put the magazine holder with the dies here, I haven't decorated it yet. I also put a basket with overflow embossing folders, and embossing folders that go with stamps. I have a heap of TH Sizzix dies that don't have a box, they are all full. I either need to sell some or get another box, or find somewhere for them, and there is no room for another box, they stack and I would have to start another stack, maybe I should sell  some of the older ones.

I could be very late visiting, I haven't gone round the T for Tuesday people yet, given all I have to do and the imminent arrival of visitors! I apologise, I will get there in the end.

A walk in the fields.

This took place last week.

First we met Beth who was lovely.

The boys going to met Beth.

Alfie lost interest, probably because she wasn't scared of him, but Sooty was besotted, so much so that I had to go and retrieve him from going home with Beth!

Alfie shouts first just in case, then if the dog is scared he will chase it, if not he settles down.

These were friendly dogs too.

This one apparenly loves having his photo taken.....

 .....so does their master methinks! What a poser, but very well behaved dogs sitting waiting for the tractor to pass.

I think this was Penny, she has a pink collar and was very friendly again, they all come to me for a cuddle.

I don't know the name of her companion. Penny was besotted with Sooty this time and was coming home with us! I don't know, go out with two dogs and come home with four! (We didn't).

I'm late for T on Tuesday!

 It's Tuesday so it is time for T at Elizabeth and Bleubeard's place!

Great Tits on my bird feeding station, I am so lucky to get these.

 This is my bird mug, I use it for hot chocolate when the ewe mug is not available, and this is my favourite glass Teapot, I bought both of them in Covent Garden in the Bodum shop. I just looked online and you can still buy this exact one, and a similar one to the one I showed you before. They are good (but not cheap) because they have a strainer in the centre so you can put fresh herb leaves or dried loose tea in and it keeps the bits in the middle. This one has a stainless steel centre, the bigger one has a plastic centre but they could have changed the design. I wonder if I bought them in a sale, I can't imagine paying what they cost now.

 This is the dog grooming Table, I decided it was time to trim the hairy beasts!

 This was the aftermath, all that grey is hair! I tried to eat my dinner on the Table outside, and I found a hair, then another and when I got to hair 3 I realised it was the dog hair blowing about so I had to go inside to finish eating!

Monster Tomato's little brother.

Underneath looks awful, it is deformed and looks like someone stitched a few Tomatoes together. More are starting to Turn red, and loads of them are splitting. I will have to look up what causes splitting. This one weights just 7oz.

Alfie posing after his Trim.

 This is my dining room, and my mini photo studio which folds down flat. This is where I take photos of my cards. Shaun gets mad becuase I leave it up until I have to take it down! He wants to keep the table laid all the time so he can eat there, I hate that, I want it laid when it is going to be used only! The ironing board is also up, I have a heap of ironing to do, it seems to be never ending, you just do a pile and more is ready to do. I need to do it tomorrow and put the board away ready for our visitors at the weekend and next week. Chris, Vanessa and Kenny are coming to stay, and when they go my Niece Bethany is coming for the est of next week.
You see the desk behind, covered in stuff, well that was where I used to have my computer, and craft and I studied at the round table for my accountancy exams for many years, this was before we built the extension and I got my own study/craft room.

Alfie and Sooty playing bookends, featuring fluffy goose toy in the middle. I realised I missed one of Sooty's ears so he has one nice trimmed one and a fluffy one in this photo.

I was going to post up about the walk we had last week where we met lots of dogs, I will do it later.