Keeping Busy!

 Well, it seems to be busy all the time. I'm not sure that anyone warned me that retirement means that you seem to be occupied all the time - or perhaps that's just me?  I've been working on a variety of design team samples for Hunkydory Crafts, crocheting, etc. And now that we are (gradually) approaching spring, I'm finding more and more to do in my little garden. OH isn't too keen on gardening - but is good at providing mugs of tea ha! Yesterday I was busy painting the little walls of the raised beds, etc., and was definitely aching yesterday evening. 

Anyway, I thought I would come on to share my design team samples for the latest release from Hunkydory Crafts of layering masks.  I really love my layering masks and stencils, and these really are fab. 

The samples I'm sharing today are for the Flowers in Bloom set of layered masks. I've used these in different colourways and they all looked great

They would work great on their own with a sentiment, or as a background for another image. 

The conservatory windowsills and greenhouse are now gradually filling up with seed trays - and I am SO looking forward to the clocks changing next month. We've had a couple of days of dry, cold bright sunshine, but I'm afraid we're forecast yet more rain tomorrow 😞 But I'm just about to start on a cross stitch 'commission' project, so that will keep me occupied. I don't usually take commissions on cross stitch (usually just for cards or crochet), but this was specially requested! 

Back soon with some more layered mask samples,

Take care,

Kim x

Is anyone still out there in Blogland?

Well.  It's been a VERY long time since I last ventured into my little corner of Blogland and I'm not sure who still lives around here! I use my Instagram very regularly, but I've sadly neglected this little blog and now I'm not sure if any people still live in Blogland.  I did ask on Instagram a few weeks ago if anyone still blogs regularly, and had a mixed response, but I thought I'd give it a try for a while and see what happens. 

Thankfully, I now have a little more time available for crafting (& blogging!), since taking early retirement in December.  However, as many people had warned me, my days seem to mysteriously fill with so many things to do! How odd! But I'm loving the sense of freedom - no timetables, deadlines or restrictions - and the opportunity to potter about with all the things I enjoy - or not, as the mood takes me haha! 

But I'm still crafting a lot, and there are always crochet, cross stitch or cardmaking projects on the go. I'm happy to still be on the design team for Hunkydory Crafts and their 'For the Love of Stamps' design team, to help make samples with all their new releases of stamps, etc. 

With this in mind, they have released a new set of stamps and co-ordinating masks and dies today and I had great fun making some samples. In fact, I got a bit carried away and made quite a lot! The Cute & Cuddly Spring collection really is adorably cute and I will share some over the next couple of posts. 

This card was coloured with alcohol pens, and uses the fence stamp that is part of the set

I've masked the lamb and added the two bigger sheep to make a 'new baby' card - coloured with pencils

These little sheep are just so cute! The stencil frame is also part of the new release and works perfectly for all springtime cards.

Right, I'll go for a little browse around Blogland and see who is still around!

If you call by, please leave a comment so that I know who is about.

Back soon, 

Kim x 

 

Just to say

 It's so nice to have some spring sunshine. Yesterday and today have felt so good, and it's just the simple but joyful pleasure of being able to sit outside with a mug of tea! And our daughter Lauren's baby is due in just over 3 weeks, so I'm keeping everything crossed that we can visit them as soon as the little one arrives. It's been so difficult missing the pregnancy with her (they live over 200 miles away), and photos and video chats can only help so much! Let's hope for a more positive spring for all of us - it's been a very long, difficult winter!

I've been busy finishing off all those little jobs that get left 'till later' when I'm busy at work, so it feels nice to tick some boxes that I've done them! I've been finishing off some design team samples for Hunkydory (that have just been collected!),  and some happy post arrived yesterday with some stunning stamps and embossing folders made by Altenew.  Of course, I had to have a little play with one of the small flower stamps (that comes with it's own die) - it's so cute, and perfect for adding to a quick card

The sentiment die is from Hunkydory and the banner die is a Sue Wilson one. 

The flower stamp has been coloured with copics and pencils. The backing paper is from Hunkydory.

So just a quick card, but I think it's quite cute! 

I'm off to get some cards ready for an order - and it's lovely to have the time to play in the craft space (although if the spring sunshine continues, the gardening and dog walking may take priority place!)

Back soon,

Kim x

Design Team makes

 Thank goodness it's Friday tomorrow - and it is the end of term for our Easter break. All staff and pupils are tired and ready for a break and let's hope for some brighter weather. The good news is that the clocks change at the weekend onto BST so at least we can look forward to lighter nights and mornings! 

I've carried on over the last few months making design team samples for new release stamps from Hunkydory. It's always a pleasure to receive a parcel of soon-to-be-launched stamps and decide how best I can make projects with them to help inspire others and encourage more crafting!

A recent launch was for these fantastic 'Pocket Sized Puns' - a whole range of cute little stamps and sentiments for all sorts of occasions. Here's a few of my makes -

I love that little owl! So cute! 

Our very spoilt pooch, Ruby, is still keeping us company, making us laugh and generally being a mix of loveable, mischievious, silly and daft!  She sits in the most bizarre and unusual places and positions - we've decided that this recent one is the 'Lockdown Blues' position...

Back soon,

Kim x 

Birthday - in stitches!

Thank goodness we've reached this afternoon - the end of the weirdest of school years for me! It's our end of term today and it's been a frantically busy few weeks preparing everything ready for a start of term in September when we have all students back in school - although with all sorts of restrictions and guidelines in place.  With quite a large sigh of relief this afternoon, I turned off my work phone and laptop and closed the door on my 'home office' (i.e. the desk in my son's room as he is still in Glasgow where he is at Uni!). 

A slightly different sort of card to share with you today - made for my daughter's fiance's birthday. Male cards can sometimes be a bit tricky, but I'm hoping this worked ok!

I've used a variety of scrapbook papers, cut at random angles. I don't really 'do' random - it's harder than it looks haha!  I then added some zigzag stitching with the sewing machine, using a thicker top stitch thread.

I used the Hunkydory Moonstone 'Birthday' die - cut twice to give a shadow effect - and added a cute wooden star button for the "dot" on the i 

Quite simple, but I was pleased with the finished effect. 

Well, I'm hoping for a couple of weeks of chill time before I head back into the office.

Back soon,

Kim x 

Sunshine summertime!

Phew, it's definitely been warm and sunny weather the last couple of days! I don't mind the heat, but the humidity is a bit much - and my hayfever has been horrible. It doesn't usually get too bad these days (even though I was plagued with it when I was younger), but I think the pollen count is soaring at the moment. It doesn't put me off gardening and growing things though!

Just sharing another birthday card today

I used one of my old Cuttlebug embossing folders for this one. The pretty, flowery paper is from 'Window to the Heart' paper pad from Hunkydory and it has a lovely shimmer to the paper (which sadly doesn't show up on the pics!)

The sentiment die is from the fabulous 'on the edge' set of Moonstone dies from Hunkydory - and I've used these so much! I've added some pearl drops to the flower centres and a ribbon & bow.  Simple but quite pretty.

I'm hoping it's a bit cooler tomorrow and then I can get back in the crafty space - it's been a bit too warm in there over the last few days! 

Back soon,

Kim 

Lots of birthdays arriving...!

It's strange how we seem to have certain months of the year when there are a lot of birthdays - and other months are a lot quieter. I'm not quite sure why, but I do know that July is quite a busy Birthday month for us, with family, friends and colleagues at work.

I decided that my little craft space needed a tidy up and a sort out, and then of course, I had to stop and do a bit of crafting!  

This pad of 12x12 paper has been sat for a while, with only one or two sheets used. I'm not sure why, as it has lovely patterns and colours - quite muted shades, but very pretty. It's by The Paper Boutique, with a coordinating pack of plain colours, that I bought a while ago from Hunkydory Crafts. 

I decided on a gatefold style card, with the fabulous 'birthday' word die from Moonstone dies at Hunkydory.  I was lucky enough to work with these dies as part of a new launch of stamps and dies quite a few months ago, and these sets are just fabulous and I've used them so much!  

Inside the card is also decorated with the same paper, with a plain panel for the greeting.

Quite a simple card design, but I think the papers and word die work pretty well. So another card completed for the box - ready for all the upcoming birthdays! 

Hope you like it,

Back soon,

Kim 

A new 'normal'...

Well, it's been a strange few months since my last post - which I can't quite believe was FOUR months ago!  From the beginning of March, things started to get very hectic at work with the encroaching pandemic, and then our school - along with all others in the UK - closed for most pupils (apart from key workers' children). Setting up and then working from home has been quite a surreal experience in many ways, but not quite as strange as the world at large has seemed at times.  And with the start of the lockdown, I (probably like many others) had some vague ideas about using extra time to start new hobbies/clear out/read more/etc..... *sigh*  haha! But, the main thing is that we have stayed well, abided by the lockdown and carried on as best we could.

Part of the 'vague ideas' was that I would be more proactive with my little corner of Blogland and use some extra time to visit many blogs, keeping in touch with the crafting world. That doesn't seem to have happened quite as I thought! But I have tried to keep busy with the crafting - although with the wonderful spring weather we've had, the garden has featured heavily in most of our spare time, taking the opportunity to get some long-standing jobs done (paint walls, powerwash patios, etc.). The garden has definitely had a concentrated dose of TLC - but it's been a blessing to have an outside space to enjoy and we've been so thankful for it.

Anyway, less of the wordy waffle and I thought I'd share a couple of my Design Team makes for Hunkydory when they launched their new range of Prism brush marker colours back in March. The pens were so lovely to work with (along with the fabulous flower/blossom images). The papers, dies and stamps are also from Hunkydory

Until the lockdown eases and we return to some sense of 'normal', the design team have been 'on leave' from Hunkydory - but I can't wait to start using their products again as soon as we can get back up and running! 

Well, I will try to make sure that my little blog keeps a bit more up to date (and not leave it so long!), and also that I visit some of your lovely blogs to catch up with everyone's crafting. My Instagram page keeps pretty well updated (as it's easier to do a quick post!) so you can always find me on there if you use it. 

And a quick pic of our little garden, during the 'tidying up' process! 

Back soon,

Kim xx