Zigzag cards

The last couple of days I've been sorting out what I've got ready for the sale tomorrow. I found that I'd got more unfinished symphonies than Schubert - many more! I had lots of tags that I'd prepared ready to put on cards, but never had - so I've now got 32 more cards, having made these up.

I found up these little zigzag cards and thought I'd do something with them, so, a few blooms and bits and here they are (photos are terrible, it's so dull and rainy, which doesn't account for me chopping the tops of some of the cards - they do all go to a point at the top):













I'm having to be very careful today because I was in severe pain again last night with my back - there seems to be another area that's caved in a bit more, so I think there's possibly another vertebra fractured - there's not much I can do about preventing them, other than wrap myself in cottonwool! I even have to ask John to pick things up from the floor if I drop them - he's so good, bless him.

HS:MS cushion

Soft furnishing to adorn a chair. Show us cushion in your space.

It was quite hard to take a photo of one of my favourite cushions on my armchair, because it's raining and the light is terrible, but I suppose it was good for me to try and get it right (not that I succeeded). The material of the cusion has a sheen to it and the circles are different materials, including velvet - the light has reflected on some of the circles:

HS:MS stamp

To make an impression.
A small token that ensures carriage of mail
To make a noise with ones foot.
Show us what Stamp is to you, in your space.

This was an easy one today - just as well, because I'm trying to get everything ready for Saturday and we're also going out to lunch today with Mum and my brother and SIL.

These stamps were still on my work surface from yesterday, having done the cards on display below. You can now all see that I'm a 'norty' girl 'cause I didn't clean my stamps.

New Salt Challenge: Joy

It was my turn to choose the topic for this fortnight's challenge. This is what I wrote:

We have been pleased to see folks joining in our challenges, including the wonderful creations for 'God's Promises'.

It's Hazel here; it's my turn to set the challenge this time and I've chosen

'Joy'

When things are going well in life we feel happy and joyful, but sometimes circumstances of life may cause us to feel sad, but even at those times we can still experience the joy of the Lord. I'm reminded of the verse in Nehemiah 8:10b: 'for the joy of the Lord is my strength'.

We'd love to see your take on this challenge

so please leave us a comment when you are finished your piece,

so that we and others may see your work.

To get you inspired the Design Team have come up with some beautiful pieces.

Please take a look at Salt

This what I did, which started me off making the other stamped cards using the lovely English Paper Company Christmas angels papers that you saw yesterday. The circular stamp and wording are from Rubbadubbadoo and the tiny angel and dove stamps are part of a Hero Arts set.

Angel Christmas cards

I got some lovely 12 x 12 Christmas papers from English Paper Company and particularly like the angel ones. I cut each paper into 4 6 x 6 squares so that the printed angel was in one corner. I then used stamps with Brilliance moonlight white and embossed with fine detail white. I did 4 of each, so that's given me another 16 Christmas cards.

I can only show three of the designs - the other one will have to wait till tomorrow (it might have something to do with my Salt challenge effort to be launched in the morning - watch this space!)

The photos don't really do them justice - it's a better blue irl.

HS:MS jug

A container from which eases the pouring of liquid. Show us your jugs! A-hem.

When I first had my own home in 1977, I bought a couple of sturdy, heavy brown jugs. I hardly ever use them now (although they often come out at Christmas time as an extra to hold custard or whatever). They remind me of the song:

Ha, ha, ha, you and me,
Little brown jug, don't I love thee!
Ha, ha, ha, you and me,
Little brown jug, don't I love thee!

So here is one of them:

CBC September swap

I started my swap cards last night, stamping the swirly pattern randomly on the cards using a bright pink inkpad and embossing with clear (you only get hints of the shine on the photos). I then stamped and embossed some flowers to use with the cards, but didn't like the result, so will save those for another time. This morning I've added some flowers layered up (I think they came originally from Lakeland) and some Poundland bling in the centres:

HS:MS sponge

A natural (often man made!) material to soak up liquids. Show us a sponge in your space.

Before joining in HS:MS every day, I would never have thought of taking a photo of sponges! But here they are. They are a selection of cosmetic sponges - but I use them with inks and chalks in crafting:

A diversion from Christmas cards

Thought I'd have a change this morning from Christmas cards. The flowers on these cards are rub ons that are raised, embossed - and they went on sooooo easily! The wording on the cards are rub ons too - I received them quite a while ago from a crafty friend as part of a RAK and thought they went well with the flowers:















I must discipline myself now not to make any more cards until I've labelled and bagged the ones I've got (and quite a few need inserts in) - the bits of cardmaking that are boring, but necessary - I wish Santa would send me some of his elves to do these bits! Somehow I think they're too busy at the North pole!

HS:MS dog

Man's best friend. Have you got a lil pooch in your space?

An easy one for me today - there's always a dog in our space. Here she is ready for work (perhaps I should explain that Josey is my husband's guide dog:

Simple but profound

These are cards I made yesterday - made them in batches, ready for putting into packs of 5 for Saturday. They are very simple but both carry the profound message of what Christmas is about. The photos are terrible and don't show the cards as they are irl. The ones in gold have been embossed with fine detail gold and so the writing looks shiny, which doesn't show at all in the photos.









I'm feeling rough today - a cold developed Friday night (thanks to John for being so generous!). We would normally be out at church now, but just not fit enough to be there.

And since Thursday we've had no buses either into Bromley or Orpington, because there was a burst water main on our main road, very close to where we live, and the road has been closed since. They're still working there, but we have no idea when everything will be back to normal. Our water was cut off for about four hours, so hardly any inconvenience, but for public transport we are stranded.

HS:MS S.O.S. 5

Let's see your best pic's everyone!

I've chosen two photos I took while strolling along by the beach when we were in Bognor Regis earlier this year:

HS:MS SPS 5

Another chance to show off your Self Portrait skills!!!

Well, I just couldn't think about facing the camera today, so I've taken the lead from one or two others and taken a shot of my feet, complete with mock crocs (£5 - good value - and comfy!). The carpet usually looks quite pinky until you see the bright colour of the crocs on it:

HS:MS stare

To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something. Find ' stare' in your space today.

Here she is again (she loves staring at the camera!):

Today's efforts

Thank you for all the kind comments I've received, particularly about the 'let it snow' robo card. All credit must go to Erika on UKScrappers who provides such wonderful templates. All I did was get to grips with learning how to manipulate the robo to cope with the various layers.

I've been using the robo again today and have adapted a couple of Erika's templates:

The template for the next four cards was provided on UKS by Lin (Eui22). Now that I look at them again, I'm not sure whether perhaps they should have something in the middle - a flower or something - or whether to leave them plain. The photos aren't good because I've had to take them with flash by artificial light and some of the papers used are irridescent:









The following cards have been adapted from Erika's templates:

I've had fun doing them, in between crying with back pain - but, thank goodness, painkillers are kicking in better now.

'Let it snow' card

I've been trying to work out how to do different layers on my craft robo (using different coloured cutting lines) and last night I had success, using a template kindly given by Erika on UKScrappers. The small snowflakes along the rounded edge were a bit of a pain, because the little bits had to be teased out, but they cut well, and I've learned now how to select and cut the various bits of a template:

HS:MS break

To seperate into pieces. Show us 'break' in your space today.

First thing this morning (before 8 o'clock, which is early for me) I was still in bed, although I was awake. I was aware that John had got up much earlier as he has an appointment at Guy's this morning and always takes a long while to get ready. Suddenly I heard a crash and I just knew what had happened! John is registered blind (has some residual sight in one eye). In our kitchen we have a table that can be let down to be flush with the wall. John had left an empty milk bottle on the table and then had released the flap and ... crash! (This is not the first time ... and probably won't be the last).

So I hopped out of bed to go and clear up the mess (there is no way he can clear it himself). When all the bits were safely gathered up I put my computer on and looked at the HS:MS word for today - break!!!! Huh!!! specially for me!!

So here are two of the larger pieces (the rest shattered into tiny bits):

Today's Christmas cards

Last night I stamped up a few pieces of card and have now managed to colour and mount 15 of them (will be used 5 in a pack):



Being relatively new to using the craft robo, I haven't ventured yet into making my own templates (although I've achieved quite a few welded words). So I used a template kindly contributed by Sally on UKScrappers of Mary and Joseph on a donkey. I think it works quite well as a silhouette against a dark blue mounted on a card for the sky and some brown card torn to give a ragged edge for the ground. I've had to resort to using up some old 'Seasons Greetings' peel offs (and stars, because I didn't have enough of anything else and haven't got time or inclination to make any). This is the result (I've made 20 of them):

HS:MS quirky

Something characterised by the peculiar or unexpected. Find something 'quirky' today in your space.

At first I wondered what on earth I could use today, but then I remembered a birthday present I had recently. As I unwrapped and found the box inside the paper, there was a delicious chocolaty aroma and a faint coffee smell as well. On taking the 'cakes' out of the box I discovered that they were candles! Aren't they fun (and definitely quirky!):