Hi Friends!

I hope you all had a great weekend and the sun shone where you are, as it did here! I had every intention to hop on my computer and write a post on Saturday, but it was so lovely outside, that by the time we got back from our shopping 'must do's' Saturday lunchtime, we just went outside and got stuck into some gardening....I have been trying to sketch a revamp of a rather untidy little corner where we have a tiny pond.

To be honest, I agreed with Tom's thinking that the whole thing should be drained and gotten rid of, the plastic is now exposed and it looks bad -  just one problem - it's a really thriving wildlife area and the little pond is home to a heck of a lot of frogs and other little creatures, so at the moment at least Tom's preference wasn't an option really.

I made these sketches for ideas to at least pretty it up and encourage even more butterflies and insects and set to work on it....the hens of course were not a great help! Tilda especially!

 My general idea is to get plants growing around the rim to hide it as much as possible and to plant honeysuckle and other climbers at the back against a trellis to hide the fence - we'll see what it looks like in the Spring..at least then we can collect the frog spawn, replace the pond and put it all back.

After I'd removed all the pots and plants already there

I didn't know Tom had taken this of me hard at work!

Tilda having a break from annoying toads

After I'd planted some herbs and other plants: the trellis goes up next week..Tilda is still looking for the toad!

At one point I turned my back, she suddenly squealed and just managed to take off across the water instead of landing in it (thank goodness - a green weed coloured chicken would not have been a pretty sight!) and ran around the garden clucking. Cara was in the nest box laying her egg and I have noticed has learnt to stay put when Tilda gets agitated about something.

The problem? She had stuck her beak into one of the pots that we leave there as frog and toad 'hotels' and had met a rather large toad holed up in the dark! Once she had calmed down and felt brave, she went straight back and kept tapping on the pot with her beak, so I was telling her off all afternoon. On a more serious note, I think she did actually eat a couple of very tiny frogs.

Yesterday we treated a family member to a trip to Highgrove gardens; the third time for Tom and I, but a first for Sandra and the rest of Tom's family. There were 6 of us, we had lunch after and the weather was perfect. No photos I'm afraid, security there does not permit cameras or phones in the grounds.

CAS cards

We had a super craft evening last week: some of the ladies had asked for CAS cards. I made the four projects below, with the hope that they would finish 3 of them...well I'm thrilled to say, two of the ladies finished all 4, two finished 3 and one finished almost 3, so not bad going. I deliberately made them as CAS as possible and they said they really enjoyed it. I was pleased, I really love CAS! I didn't get any photos, will try to remember this week...

I made a lot of CAS cards as demos, a lot of them using these two sets of stamps from Woodware and will show them over the next few weeks.

That's all for today, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by,

Love and Hugs
Carole X

'O' is for Owl - Wednesday 8th July 2015

Hello Friends,

Well another week has passed and I hope you are still enjoying the fine weather (most of the time) too?

Most of Saturday was spent in the garden, working hard! We were 'helped, by the hens and it was lovely, Sunday we spent with our friends whose daughter's wedding we were at a few weeks ago, catching up on all the post wedding news.

Because I only get certain times for crafting during the week (my choice mostly, I've come to realise there are so many more things to enjoy as well), at least not blogging so much means I have a nice little back log of creations to keep me going for a while!

Today, I want  to share a small project, ahead of a  few bigger ones on the same theme,  which I'll share over the next few  posts.

We only have one craft workshop in July, so Amy and I decided to have a change and get the group to make something other than a card, such as a wall hanging. Tomorrow I will show you my project for them, but for today a little bookmark I made with some left over card.

We've been using the cute owl stamp by Sam Poole this month and I have made quite a few projects with it for ideas, so you will be seeing a lot of him...

I'll explain the stamping technique in my larger project tomorrow, but I drew and cut out the tree free hand. I wanted this project have very much a 'printed' effect, so used block colouring with promarkers and very little inking, just at the edges...more of a 'clean' look.

Mr Owl is paper-pieced.

I placed the bookmark in this book for a reason - other than I'm reading it for the second time - in my last post, I mentioned that I had joined a local volunteer group?

My job is to help people volunteer, I used to volunteer a lot and apart from the occasional one off 'event', always with animals. When I lived close to the centre of Bristol, there was no shortage of animal based volunteering and I spent about 10 years helping at the Riding for the Disabled school, as horses are my big love. Now I live in a small town, surrounded by rural countryside, surprisingly animal groups are virtually zilch. But for a while now I have been thinking about the local Hawk and Owl Trust, goodness knows we've passed quite a few people to them as volunteers.

So last week I put my name down and I'm now waiting for my first trip out... they survey local farmland, working with farmers and local Councils to preserve habitats for mostly kestrels and barn owls. They also take part in local community events, which eventually I'd like to help with. I am so in awe of these beautiful birds and am always reading about them, so I am really looking forward to finding out more.

One of the projects  I made using the  Mr Owl stamp, also features the photos I took at the falconry centre a few weeks ago, I'll be posting that soon.

Many thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate your comments,

Love and Hugs

Carole X

Merry Tweetmas! - Monday 15th December 2014

Hello Friends!

A card for you today...this was made using a reindeer head stamp by Woodware. I coloured it using Chameleon pens and then added  gold cosmic shimmer PVA. I used a DL card because the stamp is so long and matted and layers on to red and gold card.

Please excuse the mega quick post, I am off to work this morning so just got this in quick before flying out the door...!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Love and Hugs
Carole X

Gone Fishin' - Monday 21st July 2014

Hello Friends,

I hope you all had good weekends! We had a lovely day on Saturday once the storm had cleared in the afternoon: lunch in Bristol, a wander round the Harbour Festival, off to see the Rat Pack and out just in time to watch the fabulous Festival Firework display from the roof of the car park - wonderful view!

The Rat Pack was a very enjoyable evening, but whilst the 'cast' had superb voices, with the exception of the guy playing Sammy Davis, who was superb, they didn't really 'get into character' as they have done when we have seen this type of show previously. Still it was a packed house and such a mixture of ages in the audience, including some very young people, which was nice. My Mum was a big Sinatra fan (she saw his concert in Bristol in the 50's), Dad preferred Dino, so I grew up listening to the Rat Pack and always liked it(I may not have admitted that until much later in life though!)...when I think of the totally eclectic music tasted I 'inflicted' on them!!! Really, I had and still have so many musical likes it's quite confusing!!!

Anyway, yesterday I woke up with an attack of  Prickly Heat, so boy was I suffering with that yesterday...I just had to keep the skin cool and moisturised all day and it's not anywhere as near as bad today...it was all over my arms, throat, back.... I have only ever had it about three times and never as bad..horrible!

Now to today's card, which I made for one of our friends who loves fishing...

 The Fisherman and background stamps are by Woodware. I stamped the background stamp using Versafine ink on to green card and then heat embossed with clear powder, just  to make a 'raised background paper, which I matted and layered on to a kraft card blank. Sorry it doesn't show up so well in the photo.

Then I stamped the background again on to white card, using Versafine Sepia ink. I stamped the fisherman and greeting over this using Versafine black ink, then I inked the edges slightly using Vintage Photo distress ink. I matted and layered on to green card and kraft card.

I finished off with a piece of string tied in a bow and topped it with a litre fish, which was one of the off cuts from the images I had stamped - I coated it with glossy accents to finish.

 This above photos shows the inside of the card...I love tent fold cards, but they are so hard to photograph inside! I stamped the background again and but a strip to fit across the centre of the card. I stamped the greeting, which comes with the fisherman set and matted and layered on to kraft card.

Just a simple card for a guy!

Thank you so much for stopping by, I always appreciate your visits and comments..tomorrow is Tuesday so I will be back with another DT post for Sam Poole.

Love and Hugs,
Carole  Z X

Sunday Stampers week 264; Home - Wednesday 3rd July

Good evening Friends!

A late posting for me today - I had one of those days where I seemed to be working on so many projects in my craft room that I didn't  feel as if I was getting anywhere very quickly! However, I did complete a commission (I'm getting near the end of them, then I can relax a while - though I do already have Christmas orders!); I think I have decided on my group's card for our next workshop; I made my bro-in-law's birthday card and I made my Sunday Stamper project - so looking back, I guess it was a productive day afteralll!

This week, Hels Sheridan gave us the theme of 'Home' and I discovered that amongst all my stamps I don't have one with any quote or sentiment with this word! I set out to make a card, but last week when I was having a rummage in Bristol, I found a plain wooden little birdhouse ornament for just a few ££'s - of course I bought it just so I could alter it in some way!

It really was a blank canvas and half way through painting it I realised I should have photographed it in its 'naked' state! Hey-ho :)

I gave it a coat of  Wild Honey distress paint and after making a pattern for the measurements, especially as there is a heart 'hole' in the front and a little step, I cut some  pretty Teresa Collins paper to cover each side. After sticking in down I inked all the edges with Wild Honey distress ink.

The owl stamp is by Woodware; I stamped the image several times on different scraps of patterned paper and then paper-pieced them. The sentiment is a digital stamp by Pink Petticoat. I cut the sentiment into a banner shape and attached it at a slight angle to the front of the bird house. The owls and sign were also given a coat of glossy accents (or actually in this case Modge Podge). To finish, I die cut some little flowers in felt.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting - I have a busy day at work tomorrow and we are out in the evening, so I may not get around my next blog hop until Friday,

Love and Hugs,

Carole X