Happy Birthday Tracey....

Hello My Lovely Friends

I do hope you are all coping with this terrible weather we are having right now!  I drove down to Cardiff today with my friend (needed to do a reccy on my new place of work - did I tell you I have a new job?, and we popped to Ikea too!!) and the car did have a few scary moments when the wind buffeted it.  In the days when the old rear engined Skodas were the car of choice in our family, my MIL used to carry a bag of coal in the boot on days like this.  I wished I had one in my boot today!!

Anyway, enough chat, I know you wanna see what I have been up to recently!!  This card wasn't done too recently, but it is one I have not shared before.  Hope you like it...

I used my lully Penny Black poppy stamp, inked with Ranger Archival ink and then coloured in using my watercolour pencils.  Then using my TH text stamp, I made a mask of the poppy and then stamped using DI and inked around the image before mounting it onto some red card. 

This was then layered onto some left over hessian (or burlap to my US friends),  then some Papermania pp and some more red card before putting it onto the kraft card.  

Some buttons along the top and ribbon and hey presto a card was born.  

The hessian and red card were from the vast Snippets collection so I am running with my lead boots over to the Snippets Playground ready to take part in the cookery lesson and subsequent pancake race tomorrow!!  There is talk of chocolate spread, but I am an old fashioned gal who likes the lemon juice, currants and sprinkled sugar with cinnamon.  Who is with me?

Thanks for calling by.  

Hettie 

One for my Great Niece...

Hello Friends

My Nephew and his wife recently had a beautiful little girl who they named Autumn Rose. So here is my little card I made to celebrate..... 

I cut the onesies and washing line with my Silhouette.  Background stripey paper was from the Snippets drawer.  The white background is plain card which I punched on both edges with my EK Success punch and I added a strip of washi tape, which is actually pink, I could not resist adding a little teddy button to the bottom corner and instead of the little flowers that were included in the Silhouette cut I added some little heart embellies.  I also added the little wooden pegs.

Off to the Snippets Playground with this one after I have put it in a plastic bag as it is still very wet here.  Got my wellies and souwester on too!!  At least the ducks will be happy!

Now what time is the rehearsal for the Nativity Play again?  Where is my tea towel......

Hettie

Scrapbook Tuesday...WaTer on Tuesday...

Hello

 

Yikes!  I better get a shuffle on while it is still Tuesday!  As we had a Bank Holiday last weekend, I planned to catch up on some sleep and have a play in my room.

 

I am not showing you the evidence of my sleep catch up but I will show you what I made in my room....

It has been ages since I did a scrapbook layout and I really enjoyed this one...

 

Aren't these die cut flowers darling?  This is a NBUS  Poppystamps die and was bought for me by a Special Friend.  You know who you are.  Now you know for sure that I love it.  I coloured them with Picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn, Abandoned Coral (NBUS), Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint, and Pine Needles DIs.  I also cut some MB flowers used with the gutted piece of background.  Some of the flowers to the left of the photo are Prima, some punched card and manipulated and one is layered paper flowers, spritzed, scrunched over a brad and prayed with Brushos when dry.  Things I do for a layout ey!!

These pink flowers are ancient.  Heidi Swapp bought from a craft show many moons ago.  The corner is a Susan Wilson die.

The papers are MME and ...oh darn I forgot.  There are also lots of Snippets used.  This butterfly was "borrowed!" at a retreat several years ago and has been nestling in my Tin of Shame. 

The letters were cut on the Cricut.  I glossy accented them and sprinkled some micro beads on them, as well as the centres of my die cut flowers.

This red flower is a brad by Tilda (NBUS again) which I bought when I saw them in a shop in Prague.  I really didn't expect to see brads in a fabric shop in Prague!!!!

 

 

Right, it is still Tuesday so I am joining Elizabeth for her T on Tuesday, though I am upping my water intake for May as I am conscious I don't drink enough.  Joining the Girlies on the swings at the Snippets Playground too.

 

If you think you may have seen this photo before, you are right.  I scrapped the same some time ago.  However, last year I entered it into my work's Wildlife Photography Competition and it won!! Well, I had to scrap it again as it was a shame to waste the photograph. 

 

Thanks for calling by.

 

Hugs

xx

Choo Choo

Hello there

Not long now until the Jolly Fella in a red suit pays a visit to all of the good Girls and Boys in the World.  Guess I am getting coal again!  Yippee!!

I am so sorry I have not been around much the last few days.  I have been a little under the weather with a sinus infection and a little problem with my war wound so spent most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday in bed or on the settee in front of the fire!  Before you ask, yes Hubby was with me, but NO as he had flu also!  I also managed to burst a blood vessel in my eye which was a little irritating so was not wishing to look at laptop. 

Anyhoo we are both on the road to recovery helped by Mr Jack Daniels, antibiotics and good old paracetamol and rest!  I am finding that after finishing work I am only fit to collapse and my poor craft room is feeling a little cold and neglected right now.  Not to worry...Hubby's card hasn't been thought of yet alone made so it wont be long until I am back in there.

I thought I would share a few cards I made to send to family and friends...

All roughly the same but different.  Can you believe I bought that Stampenduous stamp in US for ....wait for it....$1.50!!!!!!  I had thought about buying the same one to take to my host Kim but figured she might have it as I knew she had a previous one.  It was in my basket at £13.50!!!  Bargain ey and I love it as it is great for men through the year if you don't colour the holly in!  BTW I used my green wink of stella pen, which I bought as an error....loving it now!  The red is stickles.  The little Santa and Snowman clay charms I have had for ever so are VOS.  I hope they have survived the post.

Right then.  Off to catch up in the antics of the Playground with these.  Hopefully my understudy in the Nativity play has not run away with the idea that she has my part for good. I shall just sneeze on her if she won't give it back!

Let me know if you want to know how or what I did to create these cards.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Scrapbook Tuesday...Tea on Tuesday...T is for CwTch!

Hello there!

We have another bootiful day here in South Wales with temperatures very warm and sticky.  I spent a few hours this morning at the hospital where it was too hot in that waiting room.  Never mind ey!

Today is Tuesday and today I have a scrapbook layout to share with you along with my cuppa.  It is Elizabeth and Bleubeard's Tea on Tuesday today too.  I now have good 'ole Glengettie!  Our local Waitrose hasn't had any for a week or so and I had to revert to some alternative tea but yesterday Hubby managed to snaffle some Glengettie.  Phew!  The last stuff was not good!

It has been a little while since I have shared a scrapbook page mainly as I have been doing some sewing as well as making a journal for our upcoming trip later this year.  I will share that with you just as soon as I finish it.  I decided after spending most of Saturday at my friend's playing with the journal that I could have a change and do a layout...

I just love this photo.  It is my nephew and his wife and their lovely little boy...my first Great-Nephew who was born earlier this year.  The photo was taken by my nephew's other God Mother who is a photographer and when he shared it on Facebook I just couldn't resist downloading it.  

Here is my cup and some close ups of the elements on my page.  The papers are a mix of Kaisercraft (one of my favourites), Cordinations, K&Co and some Snippets.  Snippets being the tag above the photo, the rosette, the tag to the right of the photo and the tag behind the photo.  The creamy piece at the bottom of the photo with the sentiment on is the last of a well used and well loved K&Co pad.  Doubt I will be able to replace that one!

That rosette has been sat in my Tin of Shame for a little while.  I wanted to pick some of the yellow in the paper so I masked the photo with some, a yellow button and the rosette.    The written sentiment was typed and printed on my puter.

I used a mix of Tim Holtz and Hero Arts stamps and Brushed Corduroy DI.  You may just see two small pins in the tag and the buttons are from a mix of pots.  I just rummaged through until I found what I wanted.  The brad is ancient too and I no longer remember where it came from.

That Love is ancient but yet NBUS. 

So there you have it.  I text this layout over to my nephew and got a thumbs up, so I know he approves. Now I am going to link up with Tea on Tuesday and the Snippets Playground.  Feel free to join us with your cuppa or snippets.  Thank you for calling by.

Hettie

Tea on Tuesday...Shhhh! Don't tell Bleubeard I am laTe!!

Hello there!

I hope you are all having a lovely day today.  I am late joining in on Tea on Tuesday with Elizabeth tonight but never mine ey!  I have a special new cup tonight too...

Don't you just love that cup?  I know I do.  It has a "lock" facility on it so that if you knock it over it doesn't spill and also as it has a lid on it I don't get any more of those little squares floating in the top of my tea.  You know exactly what I mean don't you?!!

For any of you who have visited my blog round about now in previous years, you will know that I usually make some sort of sewing/quilting gift for our Quilting Group's Annual Summer Lunch.  This year I decided I would upcycle a Christmas gift box which I bought some time ago but have never got round to using (on account that I usually forget where they are at the crucial time!). 

A little close up to show you what I have done.  The mannekin, button and spools are TH die cuts which I used some chipboard from the back of a book, inked with Walnut Stain DI and then smooshed over with Treasure Gold Wax. I die cut some honeycomb and adhered that on to the mannekin.  Whilst that was drying I cut a piece of cream cardstock and stamped it with TH, Papermania, and two unknown stamps (some of them NBUS!).  I then took some Snippets of cream cardstock and inked the tiny scissors and spool stamp that you can see.     I then gathered up some embellies including the Rosette (from the Snippets tin), peg, buttons, tatted lace (my Mum) a bit of lace, an old tape measure, the last snippet of the netting and some buttons.  I just basically fiddled with them until I was happy.

And here is the inside of the lid.  Again I stamped a piece of cream card to make a background and then added a stamping of a House Mouse and some embellies.  The "Hand Stitched" label was from a label on a journal I received at Christmas.  I just tucked it in to hide the word "journal"!  All the paper lace was retrieved from my Snippets tin and all ribbon used other than the tape ribbon round the outside was all from the Snippets basket.  

And here is round the outside.  I hate to think how long I have had some of the bits I have used for this box.  Some are VVOS!   I have stamped around the top of the box.  I was a bit worried because the ink wasn't drying particularly quickly and it had smudged and I was thinking of covering it, but actually I like it like that.

Right that is enough waffle from me tonight.  Off to see Elizabeth and the other Tea on Tuesday group to see what is occuring.  I am also taking this down to the Snippets Playground. Not sure I could have made this box without using Snippets!

Edit:  Elizabeth asked us last week to go back to our favourite post. I have chosen THIS one as it was one whereby I shared a glass of vino!  Somehow Elizabeth seemed to know I would be the first to share wine!   It also shares the poem that was written at a journal class I had attended...

So Cheers everyone!

Before I go I just want to say Hi and Thanks to my new followers.  It is lovely to see you.

See ya round and thanks for visiting.

Hettie

T stands for ..... My Dad Scrapbook Tuesday

Hello there Peeps

OK!  Who stole the big round yellow shiny thing that was in the sky yesterday?  It IS still dry but it is a tad chillier here today.  

So today is Tuesday.  Day 4 of no-rain-since-October-phenomonon!  That means it is time for me to share a layout and a cuppa with my friend Elizabeth and Bleubeard.  

So here goes.....

This photo was taken on Christmas Eve.  Yes it is my Dad!  The cup one of my favourites which portrays a picture of a poster that was around on railways in times gone past.  Hubby bought it for me on one of our trips to York Railway Museum.  It was not the last trip so must be around 7 1/2 years old now.  And no chips!  I cannot bear chips in cups and if I find one the cup has to go!  No sentimentalities about it - out it goes.  If a handle goes I move them upstairs in my craft room for water or brushes, if it is a special one! No chips though!  Got that?  The tea is good ole' Glengettie - a Welsh brew!

This picture below is a better representation of the colours.  The background piece is a VOS sheet of Kaisercraft I bought a while ago and have not used.  Tut Tut!  I just love Nutcrackers.  I had a rummage in my Snippets box as well as the box with my Guernsey album in and found lots of long strips of plain cardstock, as well as the cream piece (second from left) which was left on my desk from the mini ATC album I shared last week.

I stamped the background sheet with two Crafty Individuals stamps and inked around the edge.  I punched the purple/red TH strip with my EK Success punch and sanded it to show the core, likewise I sanded the orange and green strips too.  

The tiny rosettes are VOS from K&Company bought many MANY moons ago and the little stars are off the same sheet too.  The wooden DAD is from a pack bought in The Works a long time ago.  There is something new on here though - the die I cut the star from.  The star paper is a Snippet though, and once attached I stickled around the star using a black stickle.

I added the string on the photo 'cos my Dad always has string in his pocket, as well as some rubber bands.  A star, well, that is my Dad! and a tag with the date on.  The "Full of Joy" is from Cosmo Cricket.

Dobby insisted on standing still (for once) and having his photo taken so he could say "Hi" to my friends and especially Bleubeard!

Thank you for popping in.  I hope you like my layout.  I shall find out if Dad does on the weekend!  Off to join my friends over at Elizabeth's with my cuppa.  I am also taking the layout over to the Snippets Playground as there was a plethora of Snippets used on this layout, including the string which came from a the tag on my new shopping bag!

Hugs

Hettie

Butterflies, Bows and Buttons - WOYWW3 ATC book

Hello There

You know I mentioned yesterday that I had had a fun day with my Buddy Mandy on Saturday?  Wanna see what I made?  Course you do - silly me!

Ta dah..........!

I dug out some VOS K&Company papers that I liked.  Cut them to 9" square and folded, refolded, flipped, glued, adhered, inked, doodled and turned it into a little book to put my WOYWW 3 ATCs in!!  I had plans to create a picture to include them on but decided actually, a mini book would be better as I am running out of walls!

On the front cover is TH edge die of butterflies.  Some MB butterflies.  Lace. Buttons. Ribbon, Bow and the star is a beautiful flower that was in a box that my friend Mrs A sent to me back last year.  I am hoarding these flowers and only using them on special projects.  A little book of other people's art is special right?

And here are some of the pages and ATCs from inside....

Mary and Karen.

Lisa and Annie.

Belinda and Ann.

I didn't photograph the back cover doh!  It had the (NBUS - yet bought ages ago) TH edge die of scissors and thread to show the stitched ones from Annie and Jo!

On the tags I used the Prima stamp that I used last week for Mandy's Anniversary with Archival and then added more lace and ribbon bows.

As I have the essential ingredients for the Butterfly Challenge, Butterflies, Buttons and Bows, I am joining in nice and early.  There is still over a week left to join in so why don't you?

I have used Snippets so am taking this over to the Snippets Playground.  It may remind a certain someone, you know who you are, that I am still waiting for last year's ATC to finish the WOYWW4 other album I made!  

Thanks for calling by.

Hugs

Hettie

Scrapbooking Tuesday - T on Tuesday

Hello There

I am unusually late today with my Scrapbooking Tuesday and T for Tuesday post.  But it is still Tuesday so here I am. 

Today's T is for Two Boys - the subject matter for today's layout......

I try to be good and drink lots of water every day and here you see me being a good girl!  My glass is not special.  Just a run of the mill glass from Ikea.  And here you can see my layout of My Two Boys.  Mr Hettie and Dobby acting like a baby!

Do you see what I see?  Sunshine!  Normally I would try to avoid sunshine across my photographs but as we haven't seen much of it around I thought I would share some. I cut around the bottom of the flourish with birdie on the top left corner and tucked a piece of dark brown bazzill and the top of one photo so as not to cut the birdie off. 

The main paper is MME with Bazzill for the plain papers, some of which are Snippets. The Buddies piece is Cosmo Cricket cut from the same piece as the layout I shared last week.  Some Maya twine tied with a MME button (NBUS that I paid a lot for and just hoarded until now!), and a tag cut from TH die and the strip from the edge of the paper aka a Snippet.

The text was cut from TH die and then I went over them with TH Distress Stickles in Antique Linen.

I punched some bunting with my SU punch in tan and dark brown Bazzilll and also added some paper ribbon cut using TH die.  I also did some stamping on the background colour with my TH flourish stamp and Gathered Twigs DI.

Another little strip of the edge strip with a row of hearts cut using an EK Success punch topped with a Love ticket from TH.  I thought I would share my coaster with you.  This is one of the first Honiton lace pieces I made some 18 years or so ago.  The coaster itself now pretty scratched and marked from constant use but Teddy still looks good inside. 

Right, that is me done for today.  Thanks for popping by.  Don't forget to take your drink over to Elizabeth.  As I have used Snippets I shall take this over to the Snippets Playground, but as it is so late I had better be quiet so as not to wake anyone!

TTFN

Hettie

Jumping for Joy...

Hello Friends

Just popping by to share a card I made a little while ago but not posted it yet.  Well, I posted it to the recipient but didn't post it on here.  You know what I mean!

I just love this stamp and get it out to use any time I can.  I love to spend a happy hour colouring in with my Copics - reminds me of old times!  Snippets galore have been used as well as some VOS being the flowers and buttons.  The buttons were given to me by someone I work with in a very old tin just like my Grandmother used to have.  

I am taking this down to the Snippets Playground.  Hopefully the weather has dried up enough to have a play on the twampoline before it gets packed away for winter!

Have a good day!

Hettie

Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas - Tag 5

Hello There!

What a perfect weekend to sit in your craft rooms and craft.  Yesterday it was pouring with rain and not very warm!  I spent the day in my craft room with my friend having a Christmas Crafting session.  My Christmas Album is now well underway and I may just share some sneak peeks with you shortly!

I want to share with you my number 5 Tag for the Funkie Junkie Challenge sponsored by Funkie Junkie Boutique.  Don't try going back to look for number 4 - I haven't done it yet, though I may today.  I just had an idea for this one and wanted to create it there and then!

So here it is......

I started with a box that had been delivered and I cut a tag using y TH die.  I tore off the top layer and I got my Ferro past and a NBUS Ivy stencil which I bought some time ago.

I heated the Ferro to dry it and also to make it bubble a little for extra texture and once dry I added layers of Paperartsy fresco paints and Pebeo paints in various shades until I was happy with the overall effect.

I brushed over the tag using Treasured Gold waxes.  I just wish you could see the sheen in real life.  I raided my Snippets draw for some papers and I managed to find some that had come from the bottom  of my spray box so they are multcoloured and have lots of shimmer to them!

A stamping of my Santa stamp by Inkadinkadoo with Archival ink and cut with Spellbinders and layered onto a cut piece which I embossed with a NBUS embossing folder.  The poinsettia button was bought in a very expensive shop in Hay on Wye!  

Some scrummy laces and two bows made from Thermomorph - a plastic that you melt in hot water mould into any shape or mould and let cool to harden.  Great stuff and you can put what you don't use back in the pot so no waste.  I painted them with some accrylic paint and brushed some more Treasured Gold wax over the top.  Layered onto some red hessian from Funkie junkie Boutique, some ribbon and I was happy with my tag.  

Thanks for popping over and have a great week y'all.  Don't forget to call by HERE at Funkie Junkie to see all the rules and inspiration pieces.  You still have time to join in before the Big Day!!

As there are Snippets in this I shall be taking it along to the Snippets Playground.

Hettie

xx