Need a smile? I do.

 This Grinning Pug from Squigglefly makes me smile, how could you not smile looking at this! There is a pet advert, for doggie dental chews, where all the dogs end up with off with false teeth - unless they get the dental chews of course, it is really funny (not that I often watch adverts), these grinning dogs remind me of that advert! Maybe I should add a gemstone twinkle. I might have to purchase the other two dogs in the set, I hope there will be more, Schauzers would be good! I printed the image then coloured it with Promarkers, the fur is pastel beige, which just subtly changes it from white. I need to study pug colours! It didn't need much colouring.
I die cut the pug, and a piece of Gelli Print ghost print from the other day, and scalloped squares in glittery steel, the sentiment is made up by me using Page Plus, then die cut and mounted on the sparkly steel. Both of those are mounted on a piece of woodgrained gold card, bone eyelets added to the corners and mounted on a pale blue leather effect card blank that I cut and scored myself.
Not had a good day today, some of my cards were accused of not being handmade, and looking "assembled", maybe I should have told the people concerned to read my blog where every card is described in detail. I'm afraid I took it very personally, and as I have been under a lot of stress for the past few weeks, and this week hasn't been great so far I got upset, stupid stupid me.

Today was Slimming World day, and at least there we had such a good laugh because one of our members is a natural born comedian, she should be on the stage! Laughter is good for you, it must have helped - right?

Inside this card, panels of doggy print card, I have a lot of this stuff. I kept it to the palest colour so it can be written over.

I have entered the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - anything goes.

That Craft Place - anything goes (April)

Cards Galore Encore - anything goes (May)

I have recently bought a whole load of yarn at bargain prices from a lady who sells on Facebook under the name Knitting Mad. I have a load of balls of DK cotton in various colours, and while I try to decide what to do with that I decided to start on this shrug. I love this sequined yarn which is sort of dip dyed in shades of purple. I have a little bolero I normally wear over dresses or tops for formal occasions and for dinner in the hotel when we go away, but I have lost so much weight it is too big. So I need a replacement and I searched for and found this shrug pattern and thought it would be perfect. I had a dilemma over size, do I go for the size range that I am at the bottom of right now, or the one below that I plan to be in soon? I started on the larger size, then changed my mind. A shrug is just a pair of sleeves joined across the back, so does the bust measurement make a huge difference here, it doesn't fasten in any way or have a front. 

Well since starting this we have had a wedding invite, so I could need it for that - I also need to find a dress or outfit to wear with it!

These are the colours of cotton I have, the darkest blue at the top is intended for something for Kenny, I have two balls of that. I have 4 in the palest pink, which isn't in the photo. I was thinking of a seperate little top from that. So the rest is what I have to work with for a striped jumper. 

The first pattern I found was this one in Inside Crochet magazine, and I thought I would make it but looking again I am not sure I like the back view, I still might make this, and I might have to get some red cotton to go with it, or I could keep it to more muted colours that I have.

I found another pattern in a hard back book I have had for years, it is similar but skinnier and longer and with a much deeper welt. I tried a tension piece and found that it must be for Aran not DK. Sportsweight can be either apparently - it is an American book so needed translating to European terms before I found the yarn was too thin to do it.

 Or I could make this cardigan, but more stripes, there isn't enough of any one colour to make this exactly, and I am not sure I really like it.

This is a cardigan from an extremely old hard back crochet book from the 70s, I have always loved this, I think I attempted it once, can't remember what happened. I would love to do this one, but is it too dated? and is it long enough, I wanted long, maybe could alter it but that might not work out.

Another oldish book, and a Tunisian crochet sweater, I quite like it, I don't have the sizes in the Tunisian hooks needed. 

So I need to decide what to make, or find another pattern that suits the yarn that I like.

Oh and I have a bag full of bamboo and cotton yarn in 4 ply, and on order I have recycled cotton aran yarn for a specific pattern that I fell in love with from Inside crochet, and I bought some chunky yarn to make a scarf........

Christmas is coming.....

I had a call to work in the shop, and did I have anything Christmassy? So I had to get into gear, and get making or finishing previously part done cards. I have been suffering with extreme pain in my arm, neck and shoulder and drugged up on very strong painkillers so haven't been able to think straight for weeks, but this gave me the incentive. First card, or batch of Penny Black Christmas sheep, (should that be a flock of cards?) I had made these up but not added an insert, so I die cut the inserts to match the cards I die cut with a scalloped card Sizzix die, and the ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. Colouring with Promarkers and Papermania glitter irridescent glitter glue. Rectangle and scalloped rectangle are Nestabilities dies.

I just received this really lovely Baby's First Christmas ribbon, and I bought Santa Baby from Tiddly Inks. I coloured baby with Promarkers, there will be a few version of this one soon! This great paper is from a book of free papers which I may have had for years, I would love to get more, it is children's letters to Santa. Shapes die cut with Nestabilities.

 Not such a great photo, but the card is already in the shop so it will have to do. Penny Black stamp, coloured with Promarkers, die cut with Nestabilities, paper free with magazine, lovely Merry Christmas ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, foiled greeting, and I made a matching tag from leftover scraps.

Penny Black froggies, coloured with Promarkers, die cut with Nestabilities die, card and insert die cut with Sizzix Scalloped card die, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, Papermania glitter glue.

I have entered this card in the Penny Black Saturday December challenge - glitter and sparkle

This great snowperson with robin is a Spyder Lyn image, I love it! Coloured with Promarkers, and glitter glue added. Die cut with Nestabilities, more freebie paper, and ribbon by Crafty Ribbons, Christmas tree brads....

and this is another easel card, a style that I becoming very fond of. The card used for the card blank and mats is from Papermill by the way, I love the colours. Some of my new tree ribbon inside the card from Crafty Ribbons of course, and a glittered wooden tree ornament. Tag from leftover bits.

I have entered this card in:

The Papermill Christmas challenge.

Crafty Ribbons Challenge - use at least two ribbons ends 5th December

Snow boots

You can see how miserable Alfie looks with the snow on his legs, he also hates wearing his coat, different to the happy photo above taken last year!

 Sooty is much more laid back in the last photo, he loves the snow.