Vintage Sarah Kay

Hello all and I hope that you've been enjoying a good weekend. Weather has been a bit mixed here but at least had some lovely Spring sunshine for most of the afternoon yesterday - it would be nice to have some today as well or does that make me a bit greedy lol!  It was a very busy week back at work after the Easter break, exam time is looming at school along with all the usual 'busyness'.

And a big thank you for all your lovely comments and thoughts about Tilly the Dog. We were back at the vets on Wednesday but not very good news sadly. He seems to be pretty sure that something is affecting her mobility probably by pressure on her brain (yes, there is one apparently!) or her spinal nerve, and probably a tumour, but without an MRI scan they can't be sure exactly where. We have decided at this stage that we'll go for palliative care, as an MRI scan is very expensive (4 figures) and even if money was no object it wouldn't alter the fact that we don't want her to undergo aggressive treatments like surgery or chemotherapy at her age. She's not in any obvious pain which is the main thing. She's happily pottering around and eating, etc., so the vet has started her on strong steroid treatment which has helped enormously - she's not staggering around like she's drunk, or falling over anywhere near as often!  So if it all helps to make her comfortable that's all we can ask for. Back to vet this week - I'll keep you updated!

Anyway, apologies for the waffle - and if anyone stumbles across this blog they'll wonder why I'm chattering on about a dog!

I've got a card to share that was made for a special birthday, using a gorgeous Sarah Kay stamp 'Time for apple pie'

I enjoyed doing some colouring - it's definitely a good stress reliever!  I've used copics and promarkers with a little pencil

The scrummy papers are from K&Co - I love their soft vintage colours and patterns. I've added some stitching, flowers from WOC, die cut leaves and swirly corner (Joanna Sheen) and Spellbinders floral oval. 

The lace, ribbon and charm are from stash.

And the inside decorated to match! 

Hope you like it.

Thank you again for all your lovely comments - especially for being so concerned about Tilly! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Inkspirational - pink and green

Wedodoobadoo - embellish it

Sugar Creek Hollow - tic tac toe (sewing, ribbon, flowers)

Wags n Whiskers - lots of layers

Hanna & Friends - favourite colours

Its all about the vintage - lots of layers

A little black and cream

Hello all and hope that you had a lovely Easter weekend - with some sunshine, goodies to eat and plenty of relaxation time too!  We were very lucky with the weather which stayed reasonably good, and a lovely sunny day yesterday. which was good as we ended up having quite a gathering with friends here for an afternoon tea!  At least we could make good use of the new garden furniture lol.  But apart from the usual conveyor belt of cooking and washing up which seems to happen when I've got a house full of people, I've been rather stressed and worried.  Tilly the Dog isn't so good at the moment and is having problems with mobility and keeps stumbling and falling over as if her front left leg keeps giving way.  We had her to the vet on Saturday again, with some blood tests and examinations done. They seem to think it's a neurological problem so we'll see our usual vet tomorrow to discuss options, etc.  So although we're all a bit upset and worried (well, in my case, VERY worried!) we did point out that at least it suggests that Tilly does have a brain because we had questioned the existence of one at times.... lol! So I'll try not to panic too much until we get some results back and talk things over with the vet.

Anyway, just thought I'd share a couple of cards made with a 'black & cream' card collection from Kanban that I was given. I don't normally use kits as I find them harder to use and have a complete inspiration absence. But this was such nice card that I thought I'd have a play and make a couple of simple cards

On this one I've used the card, with a Spellbinders die (cut up!) for the corners and some gold ribbon from stash (which I've a feeling came from a box of chocolates at Christmas - crafters never throw anything away!).

On this one I've added some Spellbinder blossom die cuts with metal brad centres, and some black & gold ribbon from stash.

Hope you like them! 

I hope that you have a good week - I'm back at work today and I've a feeling it'll be a busy week!

I will try to get round to blogs this week - and I would just like to say a big thank you for all the lovely comments that you leave, they really mean so much. 

Take care,

Kim x 

I'm entering the second card into the following challenges:-

Love to create - monochrome + ribbon

Simply Create Too - no stamped or digi images

That's Crafty - B&W + splash of colour (gold)

Birthday sentiment

Hello all and I hope that you are all enjoying some of this lovely spring sunshine that we've been having. We've been lucky here and had a couple of gorgeous days - long may it continue!  One of my friends had said that I'd probably cause weeks of rain by buying new garden furniture (like what usually happens when we wash our car lol!), but she texted me today to apologise and say that it must have been a good omen instead!  And my husband has now finished work for a week over the Easter break so we had a lovely peaceful hour outside this evening, that beautiful twilight time, with a small fire burning and a hot mug of tea - can't think of much nicer really!

Anyway, just thought I'd share a birthday card made recently

The card is from Kanban - when a colleague passed a stack of card to me for crafting there was some Kanban card in there and I just love these teal and brown colours.

The sentiment is from LOTV and the flowers from Wild Orchid. The die cut ivy leaf is from Marianne.  I've added some stitching and some dewdrop embellies.

Hope you like it.  

And I hope that you have some sunshine to enjoy this week - I'm just hoping that we'll be really lucky and it lasts over the Easter weekend, especially as we have everyone here and some friends coming on the Monday! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Lexis Creations - focus on the sentiment

Wild Orchid Challenge - use 3 different flowers

Penny Black at allsorts - blossoms and blooms

Animals

Hello all and I hope that you've had a good week?  Although I've only been in at work 2 days this week (it's Easter break at school!), I don't seem to have stopped!  The garden is getting a (much-needed) makeover, so have been busy with the power washer, paint, gardening tools, etc. - accompanied as ever by Tilly the Dog - although I seem to have spent a lot of time trying to stop my black pudding of a dog either walking across all the plants or turning into a zebra, with jaunty white 'highlights' where she keeps coming too close to the wet white paint!  It's like having a toddler!

But it's Friday already - and so a new challenge has started over at CraftyCatz.  This week our lovely Aunty Sue is hosting the challenge and the theme is 'Animals'.  Now, I'm not altogether sure that birds count as 'animals' - but I've used this lovely image from Joanna Sheen's Jane Netley Mayhew decoupage

The pearlised card and ribbon are from stash.  I've used Joanna Sheen dies for the leaves, and a LOTV sentiment.

Please take a few minutes to have a look at the fabulous inspiration from the DT at CraftyCatz and then join in the challenge! 

This is my last post for CraftyCatz for a little while - I'm taking a break as I have a busy few months ahead of me and feel I will be struggling some weeks to get my DT things done.  I would have been so sorry to leave the DT altogether as they are the friendliest, most supportive DT (and I've been with them nearly 2 years! - Gosh doesn't time fly?), but our lovely Blog owner Carol has offered that I can take a little break and then join back in with them when things have calmed down at bit!  Thank you Carol and the DT!

But I'm not stopping Tillys Crafts and there will still be bits and pieces on my blog - I can't give up crafting altogether as I love it too much! And I love checking up on everyone else's creations!

I'll be back soon!

Kim x 

Looking cute in the rain!

Hello all and I hope that you had a good weekend?  We had a very therapeutic weekend and now feeling lighter and refreshed.  Did we go to a health spa? A country retreat? No - we had a rubbish skip on the drive, delivered on Saturday morning, and have 'enjoyed' clearing out so much rubbish along with our old garden furniture (which had deteriorated to the point where you took your life in your hands when you sat on it!).  And oh, it is good for the soul to get rid of stuff! However, the weather has not been the kindest it could have been and the rain started to arrive as we were bundling things up the garden and out of the garage - and I definitely don't look my best in muddy wellies, a grubby jacket and dripping wet hair!  Such a glamorous vision I must have presented to the world....

And I definitely didn't look as cute as this little one!

I've coloured the image with promarkers. The backing papers are from Kanban. The base card is a lovely copper pearlised card, and I've used pearly card for the die cut flower (DooHickey doily flower) and the fence (DooHickey lovely fence). The sentiment ticket stamp and die are from Whimsy and pearl flower centre from WOC. 

Hope you like it!

Well, I'm hoping that the rain we've got at the moment will move away and then I can get on with doing some power washing on the garden - it's getting it's Spring makeover before everyone is here at Easter and I'm hoping my new garden furniture comes soon and then at least we can sit outside without fear of the seat collapsing lol (if it stops raining!). 

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

OneStitchAtATime - flowers

Stamping Sensations - dies/punches

Alphabet Challenge - D is for diecut

Creative Corner Challenge - April showers

Mo's Digital Challenge - K is for..... kids

Springtime!

Hello all and hope that you've all had a good week?  I can't believe it's Friday already - although it's an extra nice Friday here as school breaks up for 2 weeks today so that means son and I get a break!  Although I'm working an extra couple of days next week, I'll definitely feel as though I have a bit more time to do other jobs (and hopefully fit in a bit of crafting time!).

And as it's Friday it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz - hosted this week by our lovely Janette who has picked the challenge theme of 'Springtime'.  So that could be anything that reminds you of spring - flowers, colours, etc.  We're sponsored by CraftyRibbons and Bugaboo and I've used a Bugaboo image on my card

Definitely bold colours for me too!  I've coloured the image with Graphit pens

The backing papers are from First Edition, I've used Tonic punches for the border and flowers and a Marianne die cut swirl.

The ribbon is from stash and the sentiment tags are from LOTV.

I'm a bit concerned that it looks too 'busy' but at least it's bright and cheery lol! 

So do have a look at the fabulous Springtime inspiration from the DT at CraftyCatz and then join in the challenge. 

Back soon,

Kim x