Pots of Flowers! -Saturday 23rd February

Hello Friends,

I hope this chilly Saturday finds you bright and breezy! I don't think I've got to that point just yet this morning!! Yesterday I'd planned some fairly quick makes for a forthcoming craft fair, then I used a new stamp I've got from Crafty Individuals and ended up spending a lot of time on two little cards (was really pleased with them though and will reveal one day next week), plus with Linelle Harlow being on C&C whilst I was working, I was prompted to get my stencil out...oh dear.

Finally I got the promarkers out as well, to work on the card for our next workshop!  At about 10pm, after my fix of Mastermind and NCIS, Tom was watching a TV programme I don't like and not being tired, I was back in the craft room for another few hours. We finally got to bed at gone midnight and then were awoken at 1.30am by the doorbell! We live in a quiet neighbourhood, nothing ever happens, so as you can imagine it was a bit startling and scary..we sleep at the back of the house, so we tiptoed to a front bedroom (why tiptoe I ask myself??) and peered out - down below we could see torches in the front garden and the bell kept ringing. I watch way too much CSI type shows, I can't even begin to explain what was going on in my creative little mind :)

Anyway, having thrown on trousers and sweats, we went downstairs and opened the door to be confronted by..no not the police... but two men from the electricity company (we did ask for ID). Apparently a house in the next street had been without electricity for hours and they wanted to tap into our power source to give them power through the night! I was biting my lip...at 1.30am, you get us up? What about nearer neighbours? Do you know what the reply was? "You are the only ones who answered the door" (apart from one lady who slammed the door in their face). I was angry! Tom wanted to see for himself, so off he went to the next street..yes they were without power, had been trying to get it sorted all day, but had gone to bed when they were awoken themselves a few hours before! So there wasn't any desperate need to lay a cable across gardens and plug into our power source before morning,these people just wanted to get back to bed too -  so Tom politely told the guys, sorry no!

And that my friends is why, despite having to get up at dawn for the hens, which usually wakes me up, I am writing a rambling post, barely to do with craft...but if you didn't give up two paragraphs ago, here are the cards I made as a basis for our ladies on craft night....

The card we chose this time was based on a project from a recent DoCrafts magazine and is a flower pot with the opening at the top for a matching tag and a stand on the back. I did have an idea to make it a hanging basket by tying ribbon each side, but didn't get time to make it. I also think it would make a nice basket filled with Easter eggs (card, not real!) and you can easily put a gift card inside. When thinking about the egg idea, I was wondering if any of the 'die' companies like Spellbinders, Sissix, Marianne etc do actually make Easter egg dies? They seem to make them for every other Holiday, but I've never seen any Easter eggs..please let me inform me if you know otherwise!

The papers used are from DoCrafts Capsule collection and the flowers all Spellbinders die cuts..just something bright and cheerful to look forward to the Spring! The groups were all given paper selections and the choice of dies to 'do their own thing' and all came up with lovely cards.

Before I go, can I say a big thanks to those of you who commented on my post on Fantastic Ribbons blog, very grateful to you.

Since I mentioned the Cosmic Shimmer problem, so many people have said to me they've had the same! I was told that the lids from the old bottles fit the new ones, but I tried that and couldn't get it to screw on..but I will persevere! However what I did do, was cut across the opening a bit further down and now it seems to flow much more freely. But thanks for your advice.

I'm hoping to get some crafting in today between shopping and other chores..hope you do too, thanks for visiting!

Love,

Carole X

Vintage Christmas - Sunday 16th December

Good morning friends in Blogland!

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend! I am feeling happy at the thought that I have three more days at work and am then on holiday for two weeks..can't wait! 

Yesterday was so warm here compared to what it has been this week...we went into Bristol and I didn't need a hat or gloves! Tom and I decided to spend the day in our favourite part of the City: Clifton Village. It is a lovely shopping quarter, with boutique shops, delis, coffee houses and restaurants and is just so relaxing to stroll around. We bought some wonderful sandwiches in our favourite deli and then walked up on to Durdham Downs to eat them overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge..unfortunately I forgot my camera (that is always in my bag)and I'm never happy with photos taken on m my phone!

As we drove through the Bristol shopping area we noticed how quiet it was - we were expecting queues on the motorway, but we sailed through. Clifton was just right, the students have all gone home, so it was mostly local people..but I guess the lack of people shopping is a reflection of the times...less spending and more spending online...

Today's card is another LOTV stamped image..they are all so adorable aren't they?

I coloured the image in muted browns and pinks using Promakers and die cut on Spellbinders labels one small, inking the edges with a little Antique Linen distress ink. I die cut a large snowflake and placed it behind the labels die, just peeking out.

The card is  a 6x6 Kraft card blank covered with some paper from Dovecrafts Back to Basics Vintage Christmas 12x12 paper pad. I stamped the greeting and cut out in a banner shaper, inking the edges with tea dye distress ink, I also inked around the edge of the card. To finish off I added more die cur snow flakes and some brown gingham ribbon.

Thanks for stopping and taking a look at my blog, I really do appreciate it!

Carole Z X