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 

 

Bright Red Poppies

 Well it's a beautiful sunny morning in our little corner of the world, but still on the chilly side! Roll on summer! I've been out for a quick check round the garden - accompanied by the Beastie Dog of course, who was trying to hoover up any stray bird food! I swear that one day she'll start to grow feathers.

I've been trying to sort personal admin a bit this morning - always a nightmare. I'm not sure why I've got endless patience with any craft or crochet project, but trying to deal with companies/organisations, endless passwords, etc., can drive me potty.  And the irony is that I work as an administrator - but personal and bank admin is a different beast completely! 

Anyway, I'm hoping for a little bit of therapeutic crafting time over the next day or so. 

I'm not sure how it happened (haha!) but the beautiful 'Poppy Garden' stamp set from Altenew sort of fell into my online shopping basket. Well, there's got to be some benefits from working, hasn't there?  I've been playing with watercolours and copics, trying different ways to colour these stunning flower stamps.

This one is coloured with copics and I think it works quite well. I'm not usually one for dramatic colours, but gorgeous red poppies are beautiful

And this was a work in progress with the watercolours, and softer pastel shades. I'm hoping to make this up into a card today

I'd better go and get some more jobs done before I escape to my craft room for a while. I can't believe that my Easter break from school is nearly over and we're back on Monday - how come holiday periods and weekends always speed by so much faster than work days?

Back soon,

Kim x

Girlfriends!

 I hope that you've had chance to enjoy a little crafty time over this Bank Holiday weekend. We've had beautiful blue skies today, but it was SO chilly out there! I had a couple of brief forays into the garden to top up the bird feeders, water things in the greenhouse and deadhead some daffodils - and then stayed in the warm to do a little bit of crafting (before the cooking started!).

I love this stamp from Art Impressions, one of the 'Girlfriends' range of images. This is one I've had for ages - beach babes. Don't they look like they're having a great time? One of my friends and I have said that when we can, we're going to have a very long overdue holiday together (without husbands!). 

One of the most handy things I treated myself too a couple of months ago was a stamping press (a Vaessen one) - and I'm just wondering why I waited so long! It's great to use with larger stamps (like this one), as it's sometimes difficult to get a good 'first image' but impossible to stamp over again - unless you use a stamping press! They're also great for positioning multiple stamps. As I say, I wish I'd bought one earlier! 

Anyway, I've coloured this stamp with copics and promarkers

I love that sentiment stamp from Whimsy too - says it all really! 

And I just thought I'd share a pic of our table for the Easter weekend - complete with an Easter bunny! haha! Even though we didn't have any of the offspring at home over Easter sadly (they all live away and current restrictions make things a bit difficult!), I still like to celebrate different seasons - even if it's just for husband, dog and me! 

Enjoy some crafting time and let's hope that some warmer spring-like weather comes along soon! 

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 

A very long absence

 Well, I'm not sure whether anyone is still out there, but I realised with something of a shock, that it has been SO long since I updated my little corner of Blogland.  Mind you, so many months, but in some ways, we're still in the same position! Nearly a year after the start of the first complete lockdown, we're still in a another lockdown now. It's been a long and difficult time for so many, but still plodding on in our little corner.  But I've also realised that I quite miss adding posts to my little Blog, and it's been like a little diary for me for quite a number of years now - and, looking back, I have found that 'Tilly's Crafts' turned 9 years old last week! 9 years! How did that happen?!*!

However, I'm still crafting and I know many people are either continuing with their crafting or many are new to the joys of making. It's been a saviour for me in stressful times, with chance to focus on something and 'escape' for a while.

One of the new things that I've been trying recently is 'no line' watercolouring and I'm getting very addicted!  I love colouring with the watercolour paints - it's very soothing and relaxing. I treated myself to a Winsor & Newton cotman watercolour half pan set, and it's been great fun playing with the colours and mixing shades. 

The stamps are from Altenew and this set is 'Beautiful Peonies', masked and stamped with Distress Ink 'antique linen' 

My main problem, as always, is finding enough time to do all the crafting things I want to do! When you're still working (especially when it's as busy as it seems to be at the moment!), there never seems to be enough time (or energy) to work on all the projects I'd like to. 

I'm not sure how many are still out there in Blogland but I'm going to try and spend a bit of time exploring. But my Instagram is updated pretty regularly so if you're interested, you can always find me on there (the link is on the side bar!)

Back soon,

Kim x

 

Flowers for you

It has been a relaxed but quite productive week since we finished school for summer. Although I say 'finished', I do actually work some days over the holidays and I'll be back in for a couple of days in a week or so. But after all the disruption and 'weirdness' of school/work over the last few months, it really was nice to switch the work phone and laptop off and determine that I wouldn't keep checking my emails - a break was definitely needed!

I wanted to share a card today made with a cute LOTV digi stamp - these mice are just so sweet!

The image is coloured with copics and pencils

and the papers are from old LOTV stash.

The sentiment stamp is also from LOTV.

I've added a bit of stitching and some die cut flowers - and it makes a cheerful greeting card! 

As I mentioned, I have been quite productive this week! I decided to get busy in tidying up our conservatory - it's probably my favourite room in the house, in use every day, and even if it's grey and rainy (like it has been for most of the day today!), it still seems bright and welcoming in there. And it's nice to look out onto the garden - especially if we can't sit outside! And it's definitely my favourite place for a morning mug of tea, sat with the dog or to relax with my crocheting. But I felt it was looking a bit tired, so I got some chalk paint and revamped a cupboard and storage box in there and then moved some furniture around. It's amazing how a bit of re-jigging and upcycling can perk things up! I love the matt effect of the chalk paint - so I'm looking round for the next project....haha!

Thanks for joining me in my little corner of Blogland! 

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 

Tilda in pink!

Thank goodness it's Friday! It's been a busy week, lots of work and prep before the end of term and getting ready for a full school reopening in September - albeit with a very different feel to how things will be!

Anyway, it's now chance to share another card with you, and another made with one of my old rubber stamps

I've stamped up one of my old Tilda stamps from Magnolia, and coloured her with my favourite combination of copics and pencils - but with a bit of extra sparkle (Stickles!) for her crown, wand and stars!

The papers are from Kanban and LOTV. I've added a die cut banner, cut twice to add the 'shadow' 

The sentiment is from LOTV on a banner die cut (from Hunkydory)

Hope you like it! 

After all the rain over the last week or so (when does it stop being good for the garden?), I'm hoping it's a bit brighter this weekend so that I can potter in the garden. Everything is growing like triffids, so I really feel that I need to try and get control a bit! 

And also perhaps add in a bit of cardmaking! 

Back soon,

Kim x

Gathering apples

In an effort to get out some of my older rubber stamps, I decided to stamp and colour up this gorgeous Sarah Kay stamp. Like all the images in the range, she is so cute!

I've coloured the stamped image with my favourite combination of copics and pencils

  

The papers are a few from my stash of LOTV papers. I do wish they would start selling these again! I miss them so much! 

I've added a DooHickey die cut tag, the sentiment stamp is from Hunkydory, and some punched flowers. 

Hope you like it! 

And I hope you're having a relaxing weekend. We've just been doing the usual pottering at home - I know that pubs and restaurants have opened but I'm afraid that we'll still be staying at home for a little bit longer! 

Take care,

Kim x

Tilda in Green

Hello all and I hope that your week has been going well. A bit grey, damp and overcast for a June/July week here really, but I suppose it's good for the garden! But at least it's good for some afternoon time spent with the colouring and papers.

I decided to dig out some rubber stamps for a change. If I use stamps these days it tends to be digi stamps, but there is something rather satisfying about getting rubber stamps and ink pads out. So today's card features one of my old Magnolia stamps (I've only got a few!). I think it's supposed to be a Christmas one but I think it's quite a nice one for any time of year.

I've coloured the stamped image with copics and pencils

The papers are from LOTV (my dwindling stash!) and the sentiment stamp is also from LOTV. I've used a Spellbinders die for the frame and a Memory box die set for the hanging hearts

She's quite a cutie! It's unusual for me to use green, but I think it works quite well.

And talking of green and the garden, we had a busy few days painting trellis (what a godawful job that is!) and putting it up, and then OH made an arch for the little path down to the pond - I'm really pleased with it. I think he's done a great job! 

Back soon,

Kim x

Two Bunnies - double the joy!

Well, I shouldn't have said anything about hot weather. Today has been a complete wash-out, with very heavy showers, constant drizzle and very gusty winds. My little garden has been taking a battering and is looking a bit bruised! Ah well, I suppose at least it saves me a watering job later.

But it's been a good excuse to take a mug of tea up to my crafty space and settle down with some music on in the background, and a selection of stamps, pretty papers and lots of copics, pens and pencils.  I've even had the 'proper' rubber stamps and ink pads out! haha!

Today's gatefold card is using a cute pair of bunny digi stamps from LOTV.

I've coloured the stamps with copics and pencils, and a touch of Prism ink pads around the edge

The papers are from LOTV and my stash, with some die cut flowers (Moonstone dies from Hunkydory) and leaves (Joanna Sheen) and a stamped sentiment (LOTV)

The inside sentiment is a stamp from Hunkydory, with a heart die and some added lace.

I added a ribbon tie - and I'm quite pleased with the finished result. I wanted a fairly "flat" card as it needs to be posted and I didn't want any squashed incidents! 

Hope you like it! 

Back soon,

Kim 

A bit of LOTV cardmaking

Well, a very warm start to the week - although it definitely feels as though a thunderstorm is brewing! We heard some thunder earlier but it seems to have moved off. The garden would quite like a downpour though (and it would save me some watering jobs!).

I thought I'd share a card that I made a little while ago (but didn't put on my blog) using one of my old LOTV digi stamps

She's such a sweet little fairy! I've coloured the image with copics and some add glittery Stickles on the wings 

The backing papers are from Hunkydory and the die cut flower are using Hunkydory Moonstone dies. I've added a Tonic punched edge and a DooHickey fence die

Hope you like it! 

And I thought I'd share a couple of pics of the rather green visitors that were sat in and around our little pond this afternoon - obviously keeping cool! I know not everyone likes frogs, but we love them!  (And the pond gets full of tadpoles every year!)

Hope your week goes well

Stay safe,

Kim x 

Busy Cardmaking - A special anniversary and a new arrival!

Alongside all the crocheting, learning felting, gardening and other activities, there has still been some cardmaking going on!  A little while ago, I made a cute baby card using one of the delightful digi stamps from LOTV 

I've coloured the image with copics. The sentiment stamp is also from LOTV. I've used a card shape die (which I think is from Tattered Lace!), together with some of my remaining stash of LOTV papers.

Baby cards are always really sweet to make.

And last week, it was the Silver Wedding Anniversary of two of our good friends & very special people - and I was asked by Mrs T if I would make a card for her husband! She sent me a couple of photos from their wedding and so I made a large card (A4 size), with a sort of 'scrapbook page' layout, adding various sentiments and flowers (to reflect the bouquet). 

The cute sentiment ticket stamps and dies are from Whimsy and a couple of LOTV stamps added in.  The dies for the leaves and photo 'frames' are from Hunkydory, as is the card background.

I think they liked it! 

Anyway, I'm heading back to the craft room soon to try a bit more felting.... I'm determined to get the hang of it! 

Back soon,

Kim x