A Lilac Christmas

Hello all and I hope that your week has started well? I can't believe that today is the last day of September - I blinked and it vanished! But we've been so lucky with the weather, with some lovely sunny days. It's been so nice that, on most days, my other half and I can still sit and have a cup of tea in the garden when we both get in from work and catch up on the day. I'm just hoping that the weather doesn't turn too bad as we are off to the Lake District for a couple of nights next weekend. We'll have been together for 25 years so decided that we deserved a little mini-break to celebrate putting up with one another for so long lol!

But I had a great girly day last Saturday with a couple of friends and we went to Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales to Yarndale, which for anyone interested in crocheting or knitting, was a delight! It was a yarn festival (it's 2nd year) with a huge number of stalls of different yarn producers, not to mention all the spinning, dyeing, weaving, patchwork, etc. We had a great time and it was only a restricted purse that prevented me getting completely carried away! There were some fantastic local wools and yarns, and all sorts of inspiration. The only problem now is knowing where to start. So many ideas, so little time!  I can't imagine that anyone who likes crafts could ever get bored. My main problem is deciding what to do next and fitting it all in!

Anyway, less waffling! I've got a very girly Christmas card to share with you today, and a very lilac one! I got some of the new papers a little while ago from LOTV, so was inspired to make a purple Christmas card. Now I confess that when it comes to my own Christmas decorations at home I'm a very traditional sort, but I did enjoy getting all the purple colours out for this one!

I've used a gorgeous stamp from LOTV, coloured with copics - and lots of add glamour dust! 

The papers are from LOTV, as are the sentiment tags, with some added stitching. The snowflake is a Tattered Lace die - I borrowed one from a friend to try out! It gives a nice big snowflake but is perhaps a little too swirly and fancy for me - not to mention it was a bit of a pain to get out of the die (even with waxed paper!). The added bling was from stash.

Hope you like it! 

And I hope your week goes well, whatever you're doing.

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Addicted to stamps - white + one other colour

Christmas card challenges - anything goes

Allsorts Challenge - A stitch up

Christmas Stampin' - non-traditional colours

For a very special Birthday!

Hello all - how has your week been?  I hope that it's been a good one, or at least not a bad one! The usual sort of busy routine week here, and looking forward to heading out for the day tomorrow.

Today's post is a very special birthday one - it's the 5th Birthday for the CraftyCatz Challenge! That's some achievement! And I'm so proud to have been one of the DT for nearly 2 and a half years - they are a really lovely team.  And to celebrate such a fab achievement, we have not one, not two.... - but FIVE prize packages on offer for you with this challenge from :-

Marianne Creatables, Crafty Sentiments, Crafty Ribbons, Delicious Doodles and Sami Stamps!

WOW! And to make it extra easy for everyone to take part, it's such an easy challenge this week - Birthday Celebrations! So please go and have a look at the fantastic inspiration from the DT over at CraftyCatz.

I've used a digi stamp from Delicious Doodles called 'Blossom' for my card - and it's not my usual style of digi stamp but I really enjoyed colouring it, so just might well have to do another one!

I've coloured the image with copics and Graph-it markers

The backing paper is from LOTV, as is the sentiment stamp, and I've used a Spellbinders 'blossom' die to add some flowers. The swirl is a Marianne die, and some added pearls from stash.

Hope you like it! 

And I hope you will pop over to the CraftyCatz Challenge and have a look at the DT creations, the great prizes on offer - and then join us with your Birthday crafty creations!

Hope you have a good weekend, whatever you have planned.

Back soon,

Kim x

To wish congratulations!

Hello all and I hope that your week is going well? It definitely feels as though summer is starting to drift off, and I've noticed it's getting darker in the mornings (for those early starts - yuck!) and the evenings are definitely starting to shorten, which I really don't like! And the last couple of evenings there has been a certain chilliness - although no heating on yet lol! But thankfully the sunshine is out this morning, and it looks like being a lovely day - I hope that whatever you have planned you have some sunshine too.

Just a quick card to share with you today, made as a congratulations card for my lovely step-daughter Lucy and her fiance Jon, on their recent engagement (and no, I haven't bought a big hat yet - think it's going to be another year before the big day lol!)

I've used a gorgeous stamp from LOTV, and coloured it with promarkers and pencil

The backing paper was from stash, but I think it's a Prima one! (It was one of those pieces left that was so pretty, it's been sat in my box for ages as I couldn't bear to use it lol!)

I've added some stitching, and a stamped sentiment from LOTV. The flowers were made using a Britannia flower die and some pearlised card, and then I coloured some 'stamens' to match and added those. I thought they looked quite sweet! (and they're just a little easier for when a card needs to be posted!).

Hope you like it.

Thank you for all the lovely comments you've been leaving - and thank you for taking the time to leave one!  They mean so much.

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Deep Ocean Challenge - at least 1 flower

Papertake Weekly - cute

CraftyBloggersNetwork - anything goes

Through the purple haze - stitching real or faux

Childhood Christmas

Hello all and I hope that you've been enjoying your weekend, whatever you've been doing! It's a lovely sunny (if a little chillier!) September morning and I've got plans to get my wellies on and get out into my little garden to get things tidied up before we lose this lovely weather. I've left a lot of the summer flowers as I hate digging them up when there's still some odd blooms coming through, but I think I'm going to have to be a bit more ruthless and clear some of them out and then plant some more daffodil bulbs. I do love to see the daffodils (or daffadowndillys as my mum used to call them lol!) in Spring, they always look so cheerful, so I promised myself that I would plant some more bulbs and hopefully have a good display of them next Spring - unless the slugs, etc., eat them first of course! It still feels odd being out and doing some gardening without my doggy pal Tilly. It's 4 months today since I lost her, doesn't time fly? But I still miss her so much - and I'm sure the garden's not the same without her big fat feet trampling over everything! Poppy the cat comes out to join me, but just tends to sit looking grumpy and glaring at the birds lol! (She never attempts to catch one - that would mean too much effort!).

Anyway, enough waffle for one day! I've got another Christmas card to share with you today, made using a sweet LOTV stamp that I bought last year - but such a cute image

I've coloured the image with copics and promarkers, with a touch of pencil

The backing papers are from LOTV, and I've used LOTV sentiment tags too. The ribbon is from Joanna Sheen and the bell is from stash (yes, the card even jingles lol!)

I've added a Spellbinders 'poinsettia' with a button centre, and some stitching. I thought I'd try a different layout, sort of like a window lol, and I was quite pleased with the effect.

Hope you like it!

Thank you for all the lovely comments you've taken the time to leave for me - I do love reading them and appreciate every one. 

Enjoy your day, and I'll be back soon

Kim  x

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

Sweet Stampin - ribbons and bows

ABC Christmas challenge - something festive

Addicted to stamps - holiday

Crafting by designs - childhood memories

SimonSaysStamp - tag

HollyJollyChristmas challenge - ribbon or lace

Pretty Woman!

Hello all, Friday again already! The days just seem to be flying by at top speed at the moment. It's been very busy at work and lots of crafty projects keeping me busy in any spare time at home, but at least I'm not bored lol!  I'm hoping to go to Yarndale next weekend - for those of you interested in all things woolly, it's a festival of yarns and crafts in North Yorkshire. A couple of friends at work are also keen on crochet, so we're hoping to have a girly/crafty day out - can't think of anything nicer!

But back to today - as it's Friday it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and this week our lovely Nick has given us the challenge of 'Pretty Woman' and I've used a KennyK image who is the sponsor for this week's challenge

I've coloured the digi stamp with copics

The sentiment stamp is from LOTV, and the papers, metal embellishment and ribbon are from stash.

And this week the CraftyCatz team are also looking for a Guest DT member to join us in October for 3 months - so if you fancy joining one of the friendliest Design Teams in Blogland, just add 'GDT' after your name on your entry! 

Do pop over to the CraftyCatz challenge and see all the 'pretty women' that the DT have produced! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

It's a C*****mas card!

Right, apologies first, but if you don't want to be reminded about the forthcoming 'festive season' it's probably best to look away now! However, in my (probably vain) attempt at getting myself a bit organised (lol!), I decided that I'd better shift into gear and start making some Christmas cards. There! I've said it! It seems distinctly weird to be making cards with glittery sparkle, snowflakes and festive bits, when the sun is shining and I'm sat with all the windows open.  I keep thinking that it might be easier if I put a 'Christmassy' cd on but that's perhaps going a step too far (and the neighbours would definitely think I've lost the plot - well, those that don't already think that!).  But I'm trying hard to avoid the late panic that starts to set in about mid-November when I realise that I've probably got one Christmas card made and a list of who (in my own mind) I want to make hand-made cards for.  So when I saw the oh-so-cute new rubber stamps from Lili of the Valley a few weeks ago, I thought that I'd get a couple and then it might inspire me to get the glitter out.

So I've used the gorgeous 'Gifts on the tree' for this one, together with some of the lovely LOTV papers

I've coloured the stamp with copics and added some glamour dust sparkle!

As I said, the papers are from LOTV, as are the sentiment tags. I've added some stitching, some pompom edging and a bow with a snowflake die cut (from Memory Box) and a cute little bell (so the card does actually jingle lol!)

So now I've started, I'd better carry on! So apologies again, but there should be more 'festive offerings' appearing over the next few weeks. I'm just hoping that doesn't mean I'm all "Christmassed out" by December 25th!  (I doubt it though - it is one of my favourite times!).

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Crafting when we can - Christmas come early

LOTV Challenge - LOTV Pretty Papers

CRAFT challenge - Christmas

Keeping it clean and simple!

Hello all and hope that you've had a good week?

It's Friday and that means it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and this week the challenge is to keep it 'Clean and Simple'.  Now this is always a "challenge" for me, I'm not really a CAS sort o' gal! (try though I might lol!). But I used a fabulous image from one of our sponsors Make It Crafty, and came up with this

The image is the fabulous 'Brian' from the 'Healthy Living' collection! So apt for so many people! I've coloured the image with copics and promarkers and some pencil

The backing papers are from K&Co and First Edition, with some added stitching. The tickets are from Whimsy, using their stamps and die. And then just some brads from stash! That's probably about as Clean and Simple as I can manage! 

Do pop over to the CraftyCatz challenge blog and see the fantastic inspiration from the DT - and then join us with your CAS creations! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Aud sentiments - for the men in our life

Delightful challenges - CAS

My heart pieces - use a digi stamp

PennysPaperChallenge - stitching

Jack's Birthday

Hello all and I hope that your week is going well - and that you're also enjoying the lovely weather that we've been having. This morning was just glorious as I pottered outside, pegging out washing and just loitering in the lovely sunshine!

We've had the usual busy week - and on Tuesday it was my son's 16th birthday. I can't believe that my baby is now 16 - where did that time go then? I'm sure I just blinked and then what was a cute, chatty little boy has transformed into a 6 foot tall teenager, one that wanders into the kitchen to raid the fridge and cupboards, is perpetually plugged into some electronic device and communicating with similar beings! Do all teenagers need to be surgically removed from their phones? His communication with us is kept to a minimum lol! - I think he's at that stage where we're more of an embarrassment than anything (except when he needs a lift/food/money/etc!). But despite my moaning, he is a good boy really (although he'd hate me for saying that, it's just not cool!).

This is the card I made for him - I've coloured it to match his usual attire (i.e. pale stonewash jeans, grey jumper and his checked bag - not to mention the electronic devices!)

I've used a fabulous Mo image, coloured with promarkers and pencils. 

The backing paper was printed from a cd but I'm sorry I can't remember which one (I think it was a Polkadoodles one - they have some great papers!). I've added some stitching and seam binding. The 'buckle' was using a Memory Box die. The lettering and numbers were made with AllOccasions dies.

Quite simple but I hope you like it!

I'm sorry I've been absent around Blogland with commenting, but I've been busy making a few orders - and hope I can get around to see what crafty goodies you've been making! 

Back tomorrow with a great new challenge from CraftyCatz.

Kim x 

A pretty birthday - and Lancaster Bombers!

I know, I know, a bizarre title for the post but I'll explain as we go along!  I hope that you've been having a good weekend, and the weather today has been wonderful. We've been getting the garden under control - although I've been supervising my husband with his new hedge trimmers to make sure that I've got some garden left.... If it was left to him, a 'trim and tidy up' could possibly turn into a full scale levelling of the garden lol! I know that it's therapeutic to use them, but I would like some shrubs and plants left....!

And on the theme of gardening, I made the following card for my lovely sister-in-law, whose birthday was last week

I've used the lovely 'April' from Mo Manning and coloured her with copics and Graphit pens

The papers are from LOTV, and I've added some stitching and flowers from WOC (with a touch of Stickles). The die cut leaves are from Poppystamps and there is the DooHickey 'lovely fence'. The sentiment stamps are from LOTV. 

And the inside decorated to match. 

And just to explain the blog title a bit more!  This weekend there has been a Vintage Weekend at Morecambe, with lots of vintage fashions, stalls, cars, etc., but I was more interested in this afternoon when there was to be a fly-past by the two remaining Lancaster Bombers.  We watched these from home, we could hear them approaching (such a deep rumble!) and then they appeared! My son took this photo from our garden

Such a great sight to see! 

And I did mention a couple of posts ago that I'd been relocating all my crafty stash to our little bedroom now that our daughter has moved out (and our son has claimed ownership of her much larger room!). So this is what the crafty space is looking like at the moment

And I must admit it's so nice to have my own little space for playing in! (But you can't see the drawers underneath that are full of papers!)

Anyway, apologies for a rather long and waffling post - but nothing new there really lol!

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

WedoDoobadoo - something feminine

Allsorts challenge - pretty in pink

OneStitchAtATime - anything goes with a die

Grumpy old man!

Hello all and I hope that you've had a good week? It was "back to school" week for us, so back to early starts for my son (not popular!) and busy days - and because I work at school too, it's also very busy as everybody settles back into a new school year!  And my son is starting his final GCSE year so I have warned him that his workload will increase - that should keep him busy. And thank you for all your good wishes and thankfully my ear infection has more or less cleared, and although I'm not 100% better, it's definitely improved a lot!

It's also a special Friday for me as I'm back with the Crafty Catz Design Team for my first challenge for a few months! They were kind enough to let me have a little break as we had such a busy summer ahead of us, but now things are starting to settle down again, I was keen to get back to what must be the friendliest DT in Blogland! And our first challenge after the summer is - 'One for the boys'!  We are sponsored by the fabulous Bugaboo and I've used the fantastic 'Gus' for my card...

I've coloured the image with copics and promarkers and added some glossy accents to his specs but sadly I can never seem to get this to show up on my photos! 

The backing papers are from HunkyDory with some added seam binding ribbon and brads from stash. 

I always think Gus makes a great card for so many men! 

So do pop over to the CraftyCatz challenge - have a look at the fabulous inspiration from the brilliant DT and then join us with your cards and creations for the male of the species! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

CraftyRibbons - birthday with ribbons

My heart pieces - use a digi stamp

Crafting by designs - anything goes