Featured LO of the week

My last LO for Salt on the subject of Mercy has been chosen as the featured LO of the week on A Faith Perspective blog.

This is the second time I've been featured. I feel both honoured and humbled, particularly by the accompanying words written by Anne - thank you so much.

No crafting to show ...

I haven't done any crafting for a couple of days for a variety of reasons, which is a shame really, because I've been stuck indoors because of the snow and I have achieved very little yesterday and today.

Tomorrow I need to get my LO done ready for the new Salt topic on Thursday (which is my choice this week - please come back after 10 am on Thursday to see what it's about).

Then I hope to be able to get on with some other crafting.

Today we have been without broadband and cable TV for quite some hours - it has only recently come back on - and also our landline telephone was out of action for some time.

I upgraded my mobile phone the other day, but couldn't get the settings sorted out to get on the internet. I spent some time this morning doing so (with a phone call to Vodafone to help me sort it). The strange thing is that I succeeded in getting on the internet just about the same time as broadband went down, so I was able to have a sneaky peek on the internet, but I'm not used to doing this with the mobile, so I didn't get very far. I was able to get the internet on my old mobile, but it was so slow. At least this new one is a lot quicker to get access, but I need to play quite a bit more and set up bookmarks etc.

An award

I received this award the other day from one of my blogging and forum friends, GezzyB - it's the lemonade award. It is to recognize someone who shows a great attitude or gratitude. Thank you so much, Gez, for passing it on to me.

I so value so many lovely people who I've met through crafting forums and blogging. I am supposed to choose five people to pass this on to - a very difficult task because I certainly know many, many more who deserve this more than I do.

As Gez said, I hope that all my blogging friends will receive this at some point, but for the time being I'm giving it to:

Lythan

Kim

Janice

Jackie

Kathy

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Well, we've certainly got snow here.

This is the back garden, looking out from the room where I do my crafting:

Just outside the back door to the left:

Just outside the front door - there are empty milk bottles under there somewhere!

Our recycling boxes are waiting out the front for collection - I doubt they will be taken today. (I had to zoom to take the picture - no way I was going out there!):

A tree out the front:

I'm staying in (so it means I won't be able to see mum, but have supplied her with a mobile phone, so am, hopefully, going to talk to her after I've done this).

Mixed Media Monday: art that represents your country

This card for the challenge on Mixed Media Monday started off with the piece of acetate that had the word Seaside on it - I thought that seaside is appropriate for the UK because, wherever you live, you're never that far from the sea in our country.

But the piece of acetate was too large for a normal card (it was originally cut from a 12 x 12) so I folded a blue A4 card in half lengthways and used that as a base, running the acetate through my xyron to stick over the rather stormy picture (perhaps typically British!) and the deckchairs (deserted - equally typically British?). Just the addition of the ribbon and the tag.

I had to scan the card because there was no chance of getting a photo because of reflection on the acetate, but this means that the words top and bottom have been chopped a bit (down by the seashore).

And now I have a problem - I have no envelopes for this card to fit into - and I don't think I can make one because even a 12 x 12 wouldn't be long enough.

Rosie Dee's challenge 19 + Lots to do 5

Last Sunday Rosie set challenge 19 on Rosie Dee - to create 'something borrowed, something blue'. I decided earlier in the week that I would 'borrow' one of John's handkerchiefs and cut a piece to put in the pocket of a shirt card.

It's a pity that I didn't think about lining up the pocket with the background pattern before I stuck the background on, but I didn't! I might make another one that does match up, but I wanted to get this on here because there will be a new challenge on Rosie Dee any minute now!

As there is stitching on the hankie, I'm linking this for challenge 5 this week on Lots to do: 'In stitches' (this is a bit tongue in cheek - will try to do another 'proper' in stitches card later in the week, but thought this would be a bit different anyway).

I just had to make a card

It's been one of those days - well, one of those weeks - mum is now in intermediate care at a local nursing home for rehabilitation and I went to see her again this afternoon - the end of a tiring week.

This is the only opportunity I've had to make anything today, but just thought I'd do a quick card for this week's challenge on Dottie's World (just scraping in with this one). In fact I started to think about this earlier, but it hadn't come together.

I've used downloads of background and 'walkies' from Girl about town and just added the three buttons (but, confession, they really are brads - sorry!), the ribbon on Fifi and three little flowers that weren't exactly handmade (die cut long ago). So all in all, I suppose you could say that I've cheated with this one. I'll leave you to decide. These were the instructions for the recipe:

1 of the downloads
1 ribbon
3 buttons
1 flower, but it has to be handmade (not a shop bought one, oh no!

Sunday Postcard art: cats

A monochrome postcard for Sunday Postcard art: cats, using a favourite Tanda stamp with versafine black - quote generated on computer.

Another card

This is another card using the lovely image from this week's challenge on Art Creations Friday.

This has been mounted within a distressed pink frame, so it's a second card for Lots to Do 4: 'you've been framed'.

The current challenge 16 on Cuttlebug is to add distress as part of textures.

So I ran a piece of BG sultry paper through my die cutter with the Cuttlebug embossing folder - I actually managed this time to overlap and not flatten the rest of it to produce the embossing across the width of the card. I then distressed this using one of my BG files (I'm glad I got these - much better than using sandpaper or emery board), added some Maya Road ribbon and the sentiment is a DCWV Old World sticker.

Today's first card

This is the first card I've made today, using the picture supplied for the 11th challenge on Art creations Friday (but I changed the colour slightly):


I used a frame, which is the theme of challenge 4 on Lots to do this week.

I also used three different patterned papers as detailed by Lythan in her great challenge 'patterned paper passion' this week on DCM's 'prints charming'. I find it no hardship whatsoever to work with three patterned papers, and the idea this time was to try to use three different manufacturers. The base paper is a DCWV (I think it's from ' although it wasn't on the back of the piece I used, so I'm not sure. The frame was from K & Co Hannah range and the torn strip across the bottom was from BG sultry. The sentiment on the side is from K & Co Brookfield.

As soon as I'd finished it I realised that this card also fits the challenge 24 this week on Cupcake Craft '3-2-1' to use three papers/card, 2 embellishments and 1 piece of ribbon.

The ribbon is Maya Road.

Secret Crafter Saturday challenge 16: 1, 2, 3

Challenge 16 on Secret Crafter is 1, 2, 3: 1 image, 2 papers and 3 embellishments.

I've used card from the QVC kit I mentioned in an earlier post, with one of the images (the image and the white strip across the bottom have glitter on, but doesn't show up in the photo. The brad embellishments on the right aren't that apparent on the photo - much better irl.

Sketch Saturday 35 + BG 19: recipe

This is a card using the sketch this week on Sketch Saturday:

I've used the ingredients specified for the recipe on BG challenge 19: 2 patterned papers, 1 button, 1 ribbon and bow and 3 brads.

The papers are BG Lilykate, the brads are Doodlkebug Design boutique lily white assortment.

Quick card to relax!

I've just made a quick card that fits in with three challenges.

I have followed the sketch on this week's Crafty Muse:

It's a thank you card, so that's today's challenge 33 on Dutch Dare.

The card also fits challenge 4 on Charisma Cardz to make a card using black and white and one other colour.

The cards used for this were in a kit that arrived today from QVC (yes, I know, I gave in and bought something else - for bumping up my stock ready for my sale for Tearfund). The flower was coloured with copics.

Lubbly Bubbly ATCs

Although I've belonged to BF forum for some time now and joined in quite a few activities, I only joined in my first ATC swap on there this month.

The topic was 'bubbles' (I showed mine here) and these are the fab ATCs I received from the rest of the group.

'You are in my thoughts' card

This card uses sketch 36 on Friday Sketchers:


I've used the lovely picture provided on Art Creations Friday for their 10th challenge.

As the card contains a charm, I'm also linking for this week's One Stop Craft Challenge 13 'charmed'.

Papers are from my offcuts box, swirls outlined with stickles, a few primas etc, Anna Griffin ribbon and swirls created on my cricut with home accents cartridge.

Dutch Dare 31 + 32

I wanted to do challenge 31 on Dutch Dare, which was to use green, brown and blue, but I didn't get round to doing it. Challenge 32 is 'card with mosaic', so I've combined the two challenges in this card.

The paper is an old DCWV and the mosaic background behind the sentiment was cuttlebug embossed and then swiped with green and brown inks.

Inspire me Thursday: peeling paint

A week or two ago I came across the challenge blog Inspire me Thursday where there are some unusual themes - I had intended to do something for last week's Breakfast, but didn't get round to doing anything.

The subject this week is 'peeling paint'. We had a little cupboard outside that houses a tap that can be accessed for hosing the garden and one or two other bits. Sadly, the door has become weathered recently and the paint is peeling. So I took a picture of a section of the door, then played around with filters in Picture It until I got this effect that I was happy with - then printed the wording, stuck on a piece of Papermania ribbon, a few flowers and here it is:

It's good to do something unusual sometimes.

My Time to Craft challenge 45: you're having a laugh

I'm not convinced that this will make you laugh, but I thought it's quite a fun card, so perhaps it will be accepted for challenge 45 on My Time to Craft!

The candles are part of a Whispers stamp and the variety of cakes are from SeeDs Birthday Bash and Celebration Pictures. I used Whispers and Marvy pens to colour (haven't used these for a long time). The text was printed on clear tape with my dymo letratag. The card used for the stamping was an off-white colour, so I chalked it pink to tone with the pink card blank.

A little crafting therapy

After quite a tiring day, including visiting mum in hospital and my back not feeling good, I'm having a little crafting therapy.

Quite some time ago I bought a set of four stamps, one of which is the lace one I've used for this card (can't remember what make they are or where I got them).

I followed sketch 79 on Sketches by Tamara:

I decided to do this card to join in the Wednesday Stamper challenge of 'lace' as well.

Apart from stamping the lace stamp with versamark and embossing with white detail on a sparkly black card, I just used rub ons on to a simple pale pink card. I was a bit concerned, because the rub ons were cheap ones from Poundland (had them ages) and these don't usually take on textured card, but I used my new BG rub on tool and it worked fine, so I even managed to get one on to the stamped image of the lace.

Moonwalk Monday

Paula, from Ayup Me Duck, is raising money for her Moonwalk. Every week she is giving away something to the person who is picked from comments left on her blog. This week's give-away is a paper crimper and Paula says: 'If you would like to win this paper crimper, then please leave a comment on this post and be prepared to leave a minimum £2 donation at my Justgiving site if you win it.'

For more information and to join in leaving a comment and/or giving, please visit Paula's blogs.

I was fortunate to win these stamps from week two - they arrived today:

Thank you, Paula - and hope that you are successful in raising lots and lots of money for this worthy cause.

Bee-lated birthday card

Oh dear! I forgot someone's birthday. I wasn't going to do any crafting atm (going to see mum this afternoon), but I've taken a bit of time out to make a bee-lated card. I used the sketch on Our Creative Corner this week:


The bee was in my 'animals' box, the sentiment was created on computer; the papers are all BG sugared.

And I used one of my rare peel offs (a legacy of times past!), so this qualifies for challenge 44 on Rainbow Lady this week - to use peel offs (I know, I've only used one small one). I coloured in the peel off with Sakura gelly roll glaze pens (haven't used any of those for a while).