Rudolph Day June 2013

Hello Peeps

You did not really think I would pass June's Rudolph Day now did you?  Of course not.  Just because I have been a little under the weather, I would not miss my Buddy Sandra's Challenge for the world.  

As I have been feeling a little better over the last two days, I have taken the chance to have a little play with a new Sweet Poppy Stencil I was lucky enough to receive for my recent Birthday from my Buddy Mandy, another stencil which I have had for ages and one that was until this week, still in it's packet. So prepare to be dazzled....

This first card has been made using the Sweet Poppy stencil, pearl paste and Martha Stewart glitter in white.  I simply layered it on to some silver card added some snow balls, popped a SU punched label which had been stamped with Hero Arts stamp and some Spellbinders snowflakes, which I bought courtesy of another birthday gift of vouchers for our local craft shop.  I have been fancying this die set for ages.  I needed a decent snowflake die/punch and so this was perfick for me.

This card is made using an old Country Stencils stencil which until now I have only used with an embossing tool (do you remember that technique?).  The embossing paste has opened up a whole new way of using this stencil and I am loving it.  Again, I used MS glitter in pewter,  and layered using Snippets and punching the opposite corners with a MS punch.  Some brads and another SU punch and hey presto another card.

Now the final one I am showing you today is made using a Dreamweaver stencil I bought in a sale absolutely ages ago, and until now has been sitting in my drawer unused.  Again I used MS glitter in gold, some Stickles in the centre, layered onto a Snippet of velum which was the perfick size, the Merry Christmas was part of a set that had been loitering in a box for ever and a little bit of ribbon tied around to tie the green in. 

I just wish I could capture the shimmer of the glitter on these cards for you to see.  The June sunshine doesn't quite capture it unfortunately.

I have some more pieces which I made using the stencils, but unfortunately I have not yet made them into cards, but will do so very shortly and of course, I will share with you.

Thanks for calling by.  The sun is out today so I shall be over at the Playground if anyone wants to play on the swings with me?  Also, I just want to say thanks to you all for your well wishes.  This chesty infection really was a nasty one but I am getting much better now.

Hugs

Hettie

Friday Funny

Paddy took two stuffed dogs to the Antiques Roadshow.

"Ooh!" said the presenter, "This is a very rare set, produced by the celebrated Johns Brothers' taxidermists who operated in London at the turn of last century. 

Do you have any idea what they would fetch if they were in good condition?" 

"Sticks?" Paddy said.

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse...Old Tag New Card

Hello Peeps

Sorry I haven't been around recently, but I have been a little under the weather this week with a nasty chest infection.  However, a few antibiotics and lots of forced rest and I shall be bouncing along to the Playground very soon. 

I thought I would share a card that I made for a friend recently.  I am trying to create more shelf space in my room to try and reduce the amount of schtuff on my floor in my Crafting Room, so I decided it was high time I used the tags that I made for various challenges in the past.  So here is Emma's card, which she liked...phew!

The background to the card was made using a piece of cardstock from my spray box.  I added more colour by smooshing distress inks on my worktop, spritzed with water and sprinkled some perfect pearls in there and swooshed the card through, drying with a heat gun.  I then stamped and stencilled the background until I was happy with it.  

I used some Washi tape, die cut some more Snippets, added some schparkly spots and hey presto Emma's card was created.

Here I am trying to show you the stencilling and perfect pearls (but they don't seem to show very well!).

Thanks for popping by and I shall be along to your blog very shortly.

Hugs

Hettie

xx

Leaving Card ....

Hello There!!

What a damp and miserable Sunday morning we have today. No surprise there then I s'pose.  A day for venturing into my Craft Room I think seeing as I am feeling a little better.  Don't try and skype me as I may just stay in my PJs and not bother to get dressed!

Before I venture in I thought I would share a card with you that I made for my friend Michelle in work recently.  She has moved to our other office, which is much closer to her home and so is now walkable instead of unreliable busable!

I set myself a challenge for this card, in that everything had to come out of my Snippets tin/box.  The only piece that didn't was the background book page which came out of the flower book you may have seen me use before.  It was bought for £1 and I have used it a fair bit since I bought it.

The brown piece of cardstock was out of my Snippets box and was originally in my spray box so I have no idea what colours were used on that!  I ran it through my TH embossing folder and then brushed with purple Treasure Gold wax.  The Butterflies were in the Tin.  The red butterfly is from a Sizzix die that I bought for my friend for Christmas.  Wish I hadn't!!!!

The orange flourish (cut a while ago from a Sizzix die was run through another embossing folder before being placed on the card.  The flower I made ages ago using TH die for another project but didn't use it and I added the turquoise piece which I had used a tiny piece of and TH paper lace before finishing it all off with some lilac glimmery spots.  The sentiment is an Artistic Outpost one, which I was testing out on a piece of cardstock before I used it on a project!  Seemed a shame to bin it!  It is much clearer IRL. 

Right then.  I am off to make a cuppa to take into my Craft Room.  Before I go I shall take this card to the Playground as it is positively brimming with Snippets.  If you are going to the Playground it seems Wellies and Souwesters are the order for the day.

Before I go, I just want to give a shout out to my latest follower Susie! Her comment made me giggle after she declared she was "sooo thankful for Tena ladies" on a comment the other day.  Guess I won't be sitting in her chair in the classroom!  

Hugs

Hettie

Claiming my blog at bloglovin!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

Hettie
xx

Father's Day...

Hello Peeps

I have been a little lapse on my blog this week due to one reason and another but I just wanted to show you my Father's Day cards before the week was out.....

Here is the one I made for my Daddy....

A simple one using my SU stamps that I had a little while ago, with a heart on.  The card was cut from some K&Co card that I have had forever and the blue cardstock was found lurking in my Snippets box.  I stamped the boat on some SU Very Vanilla cardstock and cut it out with my Spellbinders die.  I used Ranger's Archival inks for the stampings.  A little button out of my button pot and some twine which I bought from The Funkie Junkie and hey presto Dad's card was made.   I shall take this round to the Playground before the gates are shut!

And this card was made for Mr Hettie from Dobby and my Feathered Friends!  It came in a kit which my friend bought for me for Christmas.  She knows I am a big fan of Boofle.  I could not resist the sunglasses which I used glossy accents.  All the buttons were also glossy accented and the flowers were stickled.  Boofle was decoupaged using silicone.  I am not sure if you have realised but I don't do decoupage.  Hate it!!  Mr Hettie loved the card though so that is all that matters! 

I hope you all have a good weekend!

Hugs

Hettie

Friday Funny

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.'

'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

(THIS GETS BETTER!)

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador'), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems,

but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

This is for all the smart women I know

...and all the men that have a sense of humour!

Scrapbooking Tuesday - Live in the Moment...

Hello there Friends

I am afraid due to circumstances beyond my control I was unable to share a Layout/scrapbook page with you last Tuesday, but I hope you will forgive me when you see what I have brewed up for you today!  You may want a cuppa as it is a bit of a heavy post.....

I am using my lovely new "the Sweetest Thing" papers and stamps by MME.  Awesome papers and I was sensible enough to buy the 12x12", 6x6" and stamps that all co-ordinate bootifully!  

So I started with a fairly plain sheet which I sprayed with a mix of Colourwash (Cranberry and Plum), Perfect Pearls Mist (Forever red) and Glimmer mist (Gold).  

I took another piece which has a pinky damask background and my honeycomb mask and Distress Inks (Festive Berries and Picked Raspberry) and adhered it to the centre of the background piece.

Then came the fun part..... I die cut, electronic cut and "fiddle-farted" with flowers to my heart's content.  I used some of the pieces left from the centre panel, some of the 6x6" paperstock, plain white card stock and some Snippets to make flowers, leaves and more flowers!  I cut some of the flowers out on the Silhouette using plain white cardstock as well as some print 'n' cut flowers and the pink rose picture.  The flowers I put together with my glue gun and then sprayed them with the same mix of colourwash and glimmer mists that I used on the background.  

I die cut lots of the flowers and leaves using printed papers from the collection and also my Snippets box.  Dies used ranged from Tim Holtz, Spellbinders, Sizzix and Paperartsy.  The cream doily pieces were cut from Snippets which my friend Kim thought would be funny to send to me at Christmas with a whole pile of other Snippets!  See! They do get used!!

I used very few bought embellishments other than four teeny tiny paper flowers by Hero Arts, the metal TH embellishment, two TH buttons (very stingy with those buttons!) and the pearl brads.  

The bees were stamped using the stamps from this range with Momento ink, embossed with clear embossing powder, coloured yellow with a Copic pen and then washed with pearl PP.  I then cut them out and added them on to the layout with foam pads to (hopefully) make them look like they had just landed.

Here you can see the depth of the flowers.  This one at the bottom right was made with a die I bartered for at the Crop with Debs!!  It is my newest die and I Love it!!!

Here is another view so you can see the depth of the layout.  Let me tell you, I will not be crushing this into an album!  I shall be taking a trek to a well known Hobby shop to buy a frame.  The colours match our bedroom and this is one of my favourite Photographer photos (scanned and converted into black and white).  Megan broke free from the Bridesmaids and wanted Uncle Simon to pick her up!!  Of course he obliged!  (She is 25 this year!!  Scary!!)

The centres of the flowers were glued and then red and gold micro beads were sprinkled liberally inside.  

And isn't this lace divine?  I bought it a little while ago from HERE and I have not used it until now as it is soo gorgeous!  I don't want to use it all up too quickly now do I?

Well, sorry this is a bit of a long post and thanks for staying with me thus far.  I hope you have enjoyed it and if you wish to know anything about what I have done, please feel free to ask.

I am going to enter this into the following challenges.....

Pixie's Crafty Workshop - Snippets

Frilly and Funkie - Sunday Share - Lace (go check out the shop - I dare you not to buy anything!)

Fashionable Stamping - Something new

Hugs

Hettie

xxx

Honey for the Honeymoon....

Hello There Friends

And a special Helloooo to Debra and welcome to my little blog.  Thank you for following me.

Sorry I have been absent, but things have been a little hectic in the Hettie household of late.  Mum is still in hospital.  Unfortunately during her stay some nasty kind so and so sat between Mum and the next patient, whilst visiting the next patient with a bad case of Flu and has passed it on to Mum, who like me is susceptible to these kinda things and now has a chest infection on top of the kidney infection she went in with.  As you may imagine, this has upset her just a tiny bit!  NOT!  This also means that I am not able to go visit now in case I pick anything up.  Honestly some people ey!!

On top of that I have been visiting our local hospital too, but I shall maybe tell you about that another time!

Right then.  On to today's post.

As you will know from previous posts recently, we have had a family Wedding recently whereby my Nephew got married.  Well, as Bee Keeper of the family we had to give some Honey to the Honeymooners.  However, I could not find a honey jar locally that I liked so I got to do my own jar instead.

I took a standard Kilner jar and decorated it.  Why not?  The papers used are the MME The Sweetest Thing range in 6x6".  Dies used are Memory Box which I bought at Ally Pally.  Let me just tell you, those Bees are little buggers blighters to make!!!

Any excuse to get the alcohol inks out to make a tag for the jar using memory glass and the stamps that came with the papers.  Well, it would have been rude not to buy them too (and the 12x12" papers of course!)

Here is the top of the jar, which I used some Spellbinders dies.

Don't you just love this ribbon?  My Buddy brought that back from USA for me, though I have since found a source fairly locally.

I raided the Snippets Box for some white pieces of cardstock for the Bee wings and also raided my ribbon and fibre basket so I shall take this to the Playground to share around.  Knowing my Nephew the honey is all gone by now.  I know Miss is a little partial to our Honey too so I may be forgiven for missing class this week!!

Can you just say a prayer for our bees right now?  They are not having a good time of late and what with the recent weather  they are really struggling.  

I hope you are having a good weekend so far.  I understand the weather in the UK is great for scrapbooking/quilting/sewing/card making so off you go!  

Hugs

Hettie

Friday Funny - well kinda!

Murder Mystery (true story) 

For those who have served on a jury...this one is something to think about. Just when you think you have heard everything. Do you like to read a good murder mystery? Not even Law and Order would attempt to capture this mess. This is an unbelievable twist of fate!!!! 

At the 1994 annual awards dinner given for Forensic Science, (AAFS) President, Dr. Don Harper Mills astounded his audience with the legal complications of a bizarre death. Here is the story: 

On March 23,1994, the medical examiner viewed the body of Ronald Opus and concluded that he died from a shotgun wound to the head. Mr. Opus had jumped from the top of a ten-story building intending to commit suicide. 

He left a note to the effect indicating his despondency. As he fell past the ninth floor, his life was interrupted by a shotgun blast passing through a window, which killed him instantly. 

Neither the shooter nor the deceased was aware that a safety net had been installed just below the eighth floor level to protect some building workers and that Ronald Opus would not have been able to complete his suicide the way he had planned. 

The room on the ninth floor, where the shotgun blast emanated, was occupied by an elderly man and his wife. They were arguing vigorously and he was threatening her with a shotgun! The man was so upset that when he pulled the trigger, he completely missed his wife, and the pellets went through the window, striking Mr. Opus. 

When one intends to kill subject 'A' but kills subject 'B' in the attempt, one is guilty of the murder of subject 'B.' 

When confronted with the murder charge, the old man and his wife were both adamant, and both said that they thought the shotgun was not loaded. The old man said it was a long-standing habit to threaten his wife with the unloaded shotgun. He had no intention to murder her. Therefore the killing of Mr. Opus appeared to be an accident; that is, assuming the gun had been accidentally loaded. 

The continuing investigation turned up a witness who saw the old couple's son loading the shotgun about six weeks prior to the fatal accident. It transpired that the old lady had cut off her son's financial support and the son, knowing the propensity of his father to use the shotgun threateningly, loaded the gun with the expectation that his father would shoot his mother. 

Since the loader of the gun was aware of this, he was guilty of the murder even though he didn't actually pull the trigger. The case now becomes one of murder on the part of the son for the death of Ronald Opus. 

Now comes the exquisite twist.... 

Further investigation revealed that the son was, in fact, Ronald Opus. 

He had become increasingly despondent over the failure of his attempt to engineer his mother's murder. This led him to jump off the ten-story building on March 23rd, only to be killed by a shotgun blast passing through the ninth story window. 

The son, Ronald Opus, had actually murdered himself. So the medical examiner closed the case as a suicide. 

A true story from Associated Press. 

Been Playing Again!!

Hello Friends

Sorry I have not been around much this last few days, but between you and me I have a bit of a topsy turvy few days!!

My weekend started with my friend cancelling our scrappy day on Saturday. I had a nice day weeding and felt pretty darned chuffed with my efforts (three large green bags to go to the tip).  I was happily making my latest quilting project only to receive a phone call from my Dad telling me that my Mum had been rushed in to hospital with a suspected heart attack!  

I don't mind telling you that sent me all of a quiver!!  Before you fret, Mum is a little better!  Still in hospital with a kidney infection and undergoing more tests to find out why her chest is painful.  It might just be something to do with the moving of heavy sewing machines last week that my Dad told me about this morning!  Tut Tut!  Not that I would do such a thing at 82!!!  Dad also told me that Mum was a little more perky this morning and he managed to speak to her which settled my mind a little.

So today I thought I would share a couple of cards I made recently when I took delivery of some Spellbinders dies that were going on Ebay very cheap (£10 inc post and brand new never-been-out-of-the-box).  I rummaged in both my Snippets tin for stampings and my Snippets boxes and managed to pull these papers together.  Just love House Mouse Stamps!

I love the way you can alternate and layer these dies to get different effects with the points, and the strip dies are the ones I showed you the other week.

One of these cards is a Thank You card and the other is a Get Well card, which I made just to go in my collection when I had need of it.  Looks like I will be using the Get Well card a little quicker I had planned.

I have also spied a new follower, Lucy and thank you for following me!  

Just going to rush off to the Playground with these little cards, but better throw my hat in first as I have not been in there for a few days! 

Hugs

Hettie

Friday Funny

SMART ASS

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him.. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.  With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

Live simply and appreciate what you have.

Give more.

Expect less.

NOW ...........

Enough of that crap . . The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock..

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

You have two choices...smile and leave no comment, or leave me a comment and pass this along to someone else to spread the fun.

Happy Friday!

WOYWW 209 - ATC Reveal

Hello Friends

Well!  What a week it has been in the world of WOYWW.  First the 4th Anniversary on Wednesday and then the WOYWW Crop II on Saturday!!  Who would have know ey that this would happen?  Thanks Julia for this little madness in the world!

Right then first off is my desk......

Not too bad for me....again!  I had just finished making two birthday cards for my friend and her son!  How inconsiderate is that!  The die cut on the left is one I cut but it didn't quite look right.  Washi tapes still need putting away.  Wedding photo still waiting to be scrapped, but alas no time this week.  The coloured piece of card is a Snippet which I dipped into the inky loveliness that was left on my mat which I didn't want to waste!  Scissors and brayer need putting away, as does the pot of Distress Stains.  My mat is nice and clean though!!

Next is to reveal the ATC card which I have gave to Janet of FairyThoughts on Saturday, seeing as I was seeing her.  

I have yet to receive my "official" ATC but I have received some from friends though.....

(Annie, Twiglet, Lisa, Zoe, Shaz, Helen, Cardarian, LLJ, Sandra, Jan, Kyla) 

The little pegs that are on the top two are usually on my lamp next to my chair downstairs, and were made by my Buddy Mrs A.  When I opened my first two ATCs I popped them into the pegs and now I am thinking I may just make some more pegs and put the ATCs on them!!  They look kinda cute I think.

If you want to see my post about the mayhem that happened on Saturday at The Crop III, please click HERE. 

Wish me luck as I am going for more physio this  morning and then into work.  I will catch up with you later as I have promised myself a glass of something, a film and sit down to visit you!

Right, now you know what to do.  Please leave me a comment and the click HERE to go to the lovely desk of Julia's to join in the other WOYWW desks!

TTFN

Hugs

Hettie

Scrapbooking Tuesday - Well nearly....WOYWW

Hello Friends

I have not got a layout to share with you today, but I though I might share some pictures that WILL be going in to a layout/mini very soon!

As some of you may by now know, I and 17 WOYWW friends had a gathering on Saturday in Sunny - yes I did say SUNNY, Burbage with the lovely Hostess Julia and her (equally lovely) co-Hostess Jan (aka LLJ).  So here is the gang photo, taken by the Gorgeous Gordon....

I have to say that not an awful lot of scrapbooking, quilting, painting, lacemaking, quilting, stamping actually took place, but an awful lot of nattering, "taking inspiration" walks (aka being nosey - but isn't that what WOYWW is all about!), hugging and making friends did take place.  

I even managed to catch a rare photo of Julia sitting down, not fretting, and managing the Big Shot die cutting!!  Oh yes!  Julia did manage to trim her nails on the guillotine too!

I took time to stop on the way out of Burbage to take some photos of the chocolate box houses including this one.....I need to rename my Cottage!

And who could resist taking a picture of these guys!!   Obviously feeling quite smug that they are now safe as a certain advert has now been banned!

The food was fantastic, the company was great and we are ALL looking forward to Crop III.  I am sure Julia will announce the date of the next Crop early so be sure to make a note in your diary when it happens! 

Now then.....what papers shall I use and will it be a mini album or layout?.........last seen on the floor looking through papers in her craft room!

TTFN

Hettie