House Mouse - Get Well Soon...

Hello Friends

Just a quick post today.  My lunch break is nearly over and I had to pop out to buy my Girls a new water butt as their old one had rotted through!! 

I thought I would share some House Mouse cards I made recently for two poorly bunnies I know. I made them almost the same but changed the ribbons and colour of the teddies.  Oh! The buttons are different colours too.

I stamped them with Memento ink and then coloured them with Copics.  Die cut with Spellbinders and stamped the sentiment from Hero Arts.

I added the sentiment "I hope you are on the mend very soon" inside by hand.  I just love the look of concentration on the mouse with the needle!  I wonder if I look like that whilst I am sewing??

Both ribbons came out of the Snippet box so I shall share them over at the Playground.  The buttons I have had for ever so they are VOS - Very Old Schtuff! As well as NBUS - Never Before Used Schtuff being the stamp!

Hugs and have a great Hump Day!!

Hettie

What a Difference...

Hello Friends

Today I thought I would share with you a lesson I have learnt recently in printing photos for a scrapbook layout.

I once had an HP printer which was fabulous at what it did.  It would print good photos no matter what papers were used.  However, the ink cartridges were very costly and we were having issues with the rollers and other niggles,  so it was time we bid it a fond farewell.  It was cheaper to have photos printed either on line or at the local chemist, than use my printer.  I came home from work one day to find a sparkly new Kodak printer which can scan, copy and of course, print photographs.  So we linked it up to the computer and printed off the test photos that came with the start up and yep, they were fine.

A short while later I decided to print some photographs but I could not get good results no matter what I tried and was deeply disappointed and so off to the local chemist I went to get photos processed again.  This was no good at all  So on a Snow day earlier this year I chose a photo, got all the different makes of papers out that I possessed and printed them all with the same photo and this is what transpired....

(Fuji film)

(Lidl)

(Aldi)

(HP)

(Ryman 7 x 5)

(Kodak paper- OK)

(Kodak paper after I calibrated my screen)

 So here is the layout I have made using the final picture....

I used Basic Grey, October Afternoon, We R Memory Keepers and TPC Studios papers.  Martha Stewart punch around the page, Artemio stamps and Spellbinders dies.  I cut the letters on my Cricut and on the word "Chikkin" I used glossy accents adding a little red Hampton Art glitter on there.  The Life card is VOS and includes some handwritten journalling.  

I found some more VOS - very old brads for the centres of the snowflakes and the papers I have had for a long time.  The ribbon was a purchase from last week so a NBUS - I could not resist the barbed wire!  

So moral of today's story, use the right paper in a Kodak machine or you will not get good results!  If anyone has an HP and would like 49 sheets of HP 6x4 paper, Liddle/Aldi paper or Ryman paper let me know!  

Thanks for bearing with me with today's looong post.  

Hettie

First Lavinia Challenge Piece...

Hello Friends

I recently had a birthday and was given a voucher for some Lavinia Stamps - thank you again, you know who you are.  I took some time to choose the stamps I wanted to buy as I wanted to compliment the few I already had, and also build up my collection with some I had on my Wish List.

So today I am showing thee of the (NBUS) stamp sets I bought.  The Small Pixies, Dandelions and Small Stars....

I first inked both the main card and a smaller piece of cardstock with Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey DIs.  I spritzed with some water before drying off ready to ink.  I inked up the Dandelions with Blue Violet, Latte and Vermillion Archival inks.

I stamped the smaller piece with the first stamping but the main card I stamped with both the first and second stampings.  I inked up the Pixies with Latte AI and used sparkly embossing powder to heat emboss.  I also inked up the Blue Violet AI (my new favourite AI) and again used sparkly embossing powder to heat emboss.

Once all this was done I die cut the smaller piece with the largest Spellbinders circle and also took a Snippet of card that was laid in the bottom of my spray box and die cut the largest scalloped Spellbinders and layered them onto the card.  

This is my first entry into the Lavinia Stamps Challenge, which this month asks for die cuts or punched pieces.  There are two die cut pieces here.

I am also entering this into the Playground as there are two Snippets here.  

Thanks for calling by.  I do wish you could see the sparkliness of this card. 

Hettie

xx

Happy Birthday - Yellow Tree

Hello Blogging Buddies

Does anyone know where the sun has gone?  It has rained here since about 11 o'clock this morning and doesn't show any signs of stopping!

A good Blogging Buddy of mine had a birthday this week and now I know she has received her card I can now share it with you.  I know she likes the Sweet Poppy trees and yellow so I just had to tease her by making her card using both.......

I have used some VOS (Very Old Sctuff) which is the DCWV paper as well as some NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) which is the Sweet Poppy Stencil which my best buddy bought me for my birthday.  The glitters used are Hampton Art and I used Sweet Poppy paste.  The envelope was printed using my TH Papillon stamp.

I punched some flutterbies using a Martha Stewart punch, adding a little clear spot on their bodies and a larger Flutterby using my TH die and a Snippet.  The Happy Birthday is made using my trusty Penny Black stamp.  Inks used are TH Distress Inks in Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw and Mustard Seed. The orange card was cut using Spellbinders dies.  

As there are a smattering of Snippets in there I shall be taking it over to the Treehouse to show the others, especially as Miss has mortgaged again in order that we can have the trampoline AND the treehouse.  Yippee!  

I am also going to have a sneeky second entry into Simon Says Stamp Challenge which is Celebrate!  

Have a great - if wet - weekend and thanks for popping by.

Hettie

xx

Friday Funny

A woman was having a daytime affair while her husband was at work.

One rainy day she was in bed with her boyfriend when, to her horror,

she heard her husband's car pull into the driveway. 'Oh my Goodness - Hurry!

Grab your clothes and jump out the window. My husband's home early!'
'I can't jump out the window. It's raining out there!'

'If my husband catches us in here, he'll kill us both!' she replied. 'He's got

a hot temper and a gun, so the rain is the least of your problems!'

So the boyfriend scoots out of bed, grabs his clothes and jumps out the

window! As he ran down the street in the pouring rain, he quickly

discovered he had run right into the middle of the town's annual marathon,

so he started running along beside the others, about 300 of them.

Being naked, with his clothes tucked under his arm, he tried to blend in

as best he could. After a little while a small group of runners who had

been watching him with some curiosity, jogged closer. Do you always

run in the nude?' one asked.

'Oh yes!' he replied, gasping in air. 'It feels so wonderfully free!'
Another runner moved a long side. 'Do you always run carrying your

clothes with you under your arm?'
'Oh, yes' our friend answered breathlessly. 'That way I can get

dressed right at the end of the run and get in my car to go home!'

Then a third runner cast his eyes a little lower and asked,

'Do you always wear a condom when you run’

‘Nope..just when it's raining.'

Rudolph Day July - Painting

Happy Rudolph Day Everyone!!

Yep!  It is 25th July today and that means Rudolph Day with my friend Sandra at Stamping for Pleasure.  Why not get a head start with your Christmas (woops - I used the C word) cards and make one, post it on your blog and link it HERE.  It will be round the corner before you know it.  

Here is mine this month....

(Sorry about the wonky photographing but it was tricky to photograph to get the colours right so Hubby put it on his car bonnet!)

I cut some shapes out with cardstock using Spellbinders dies, inked the background with Distress Inks, stamped a background and then used my Sheena Douglass Christmas Rose stamps and the Paint Fusion technique with Pebeo paints to create the individual pieces.   Once it was all dry I stamped and embossed a swirl stamp using bronze embossing powder.

I then took some Snippets (the brown was left over from Tuesday's scrapbook layout) and then stamped and embossed, using Darkroom Door stamps and the bronze embossing powder again on the top and bottom pieces.  The middle piece I cut out on white and stamped in green DI. I then used ribbon to go through the middle of the panels and adhered using glue.  Once these were adhered I then added the back pieces on to make a hanging.  

I will then write my message on the middle piece, pop it in an envelope and it all folds flat for posting.  This also includes some NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff!) - yeay!  The stamps were desperate to be abused with ink!!

I am also going to pop this into the Playground as there are a few Snippets here, and also because I won the Sheena Douglass stamps at the Playground.

Thanks for calling by.  You have a week to join in so off you go and make a card.  There is also a lovely stamp which you can be in with a chance to win.

Hugs

Hettie

Ahoy There

Ahoy there Folks!

Just a quick posting today to share a card I made for a friend who I was sending some nautical papers to recently.  

I stamped my stamp onto watercolour paper using Momento Memento! ink and then coloured it in using my watercolour pencils and a water brush.

I then layered it onto mounts, all from my Snippets box and adding a Snippet of ribbon.  I assure you it was not "wavy" looking at the bottom IRL.  I was in such a hurry to send it off I had to take the picture in the evening with a flash, hence it not being very straight either. 

I know the card and contents have been received so I am able to show you here now.  Off to the Playground now to see what damage has been caused by the water gun fight!!  I hope it hasn't traumatised the Chooks seeing water guns being fired from trampolining Playmates!!

TTFN

Hettie

Scrapbooking Tuesday - Rome - Valentine

Hello Blogging Friends

Before I start, I would just like to say Congratulations to Prince William and Catherine on the safe delivery of a Baby Boy! I am sure his cute little face will be plastered all over the news very soon.  I just hope the press will give them some space to be a family.

Right, onto today's post.  I have used a kit which I bought many many years ago, but as per me I have "tweaked" it to my liking.  

All the papers are My Minds Eye, Lost and Found, with a few Snippets added.  These photos were taken in Rome in February 2011.  We managed to tie the break in with Valentine's Day so were able to celebrate it in sunshine.  The larger photo being at the Forum and the smaller one was taken at the Spanish Steps.

I added some music under the title, which was cut out of one of the sheets that were in the kit.  I used a Snippet and then ribbed some Treasured Gold wax over.  I also took a piece of C Snippets and punched some corners, again rubbing with wax.

On the edge of the brown paper stock I stamped my Tim Holtz flourish stamp and then embossed with gold embossing powder (see I told you I tweak things!).  I cut a tag from Snippet left over from my C album and stamped it with a NBUS (Never Before Used Stash), a Wendy Vecchi stamp and embossed it with red embossing powder and then went around the edges using the same powder.  I then decided to echo the TH stamping and went over the top with Brushed Corduroy DI (as I used on all my edges).  I added a piece of ribbon and a small Snippet of hemp string that has been hanging around on my desk for ages.

In order to add a little journalling, I cut a TH label, inked the edge and drew around the edge before writing my journalling on there.

Simon Says Stamp are asking this week for Celebration projects, well we were celebrating Valentine's Day. 

 I am also taking this down to the Playground as there are Snippets included.  I wonder if the Treehouse is still standing. There is a rumbling in the jungle that it was being removed and being replaced with a trampoline!  How we are going to keep dry and warm when the cooler weather comes? That parrot isn't going to want to stay outside either!!

TTFN and thanks for calling by.

Hugs

Hettie

Jumping for joy.....House Mouse

Hello Friends

Happy Weekend to y'all in whatever you are up to.  I shall be hard at the windows again.  Feel free to join in to help me out. Pleeeeeeeease!

Our friends over at the House Mouse & Friends Challenge have asked to add some schparkle.  A friend of mine asked me if I could make her a card for a sewing friend and I remembered a set of stamps I bought at Ally Pally that were crying out to be used so out it came.  I think this little fella is jumping for joy that he has been stamped!!

The image was stamped with Momento and coloured in with Copics. Each pin head has been stickled with corresponding spots on the Snippet of ribbon.

The background paper is some Boofle paper and the pale green is the last Snippety piece that was in one of the first layouts I ever did at a workshop!  The purple ribbons came out of my Snippets ribbon basket too.

This lickle mouse is soo tired.  I had better look in my thimbles to see if there are any House Mouses in them!

Thanks for calling by.  Have a great weekend whatever you are doing.  I shall be popping over to the Playground to see how the water pistol practice firing is going!

Hugs

Hettie

Friday Funny

Should children witness childbirth? 

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. 

The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-yr. old girl to hold a torch high over her mummy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby.

Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked. 

Heidi pushed and pushed and after a little while, Connor was born. 

The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry. 

The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-yr. old what she thought about what she had just witnessed. 

Kathleen quickly responded,"He shouldn't have crawled in there in the first place.... smack his arse again!" 

What's On Your Workdesk 215? Err....Where is the Workdesk more to the point?

Hello Friends and fellow Blog Hoppers

Today is Wednesday and in blogging circles that means WOYWW or What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday hosted by the Lovely Julia.  

Now ordinarily I would show you a photograph of my desk which is usually covered with all the paraphonalia of papercrafting, however today I am showing you my current work place.  

With these beautiful warm and dry summer evenings I feel it is criminal to sit inside my craft room, besides the fact that being south facing my room is like an oven come the latter part of the day.  So I have been bringing little jobs out and sitting on my bench whilst I let my Girls have an hour or so out of their run.

I also have a project that I have been working on since Sunday and I am tackling it in bite sized chunks....

                                                              

Yep.  All the windows are badly in need of a good sanding and painting, not being able to have done it for the last few summers on account of the damp summers!  Downstairs alone there are 140 of these little perishers which I will have to sand, paint, paint again, paint the sills, (again probably twice) and then move indoors.  I don't really want to know how many there are upstairs as they are Hubby's to do!  If anyone wishes to bring a brush and/or bottle of vino, they will be most welcome as I feel this is going to take me some time!!  Let's hope the weather stays fine!

I was watering my garden last night and I just loved the silhouette of these teasels in the evening light.  They are about 9' tall now.  Not bad for some seeds I just threw in in the hope they would take.  I got four teasles last year and this year there must be around 30!!

Right.  This is the end of my drivel today.  Now it is time for you leave me a comment, if you wish, then hop HERE and then join in with the Blog Hop that is WOYWW!

Hugs

Hettie

xx

Scrapbook Tuesday - Laugh

Hello Friends

Isn't this weather just glorious!!  Long may it reign (not mentioning the other similar word!)

I am sharing my layout I was intending to share with you last Tuesday, which the Blogging Gremlin stole once I had loaded it last week.  Do you remember this one........

Well, it was too 3D to get into a scrapbook album, as well as not fitting in colourwise to our Scrapbook Wedding Album that I have been working on so I used the rough outline and made one more in keeping with the blue theme.....

Only fing is that the blue of this photo does not quite match the colours of the papers but the below one does.  I don't know if it is me, but with shades of blue I often get difficulty reproducing them from the camera? Can you see that lovely blue carnation in the bottom right?  A very schpeshial blogging buddy may that for me, as well as some others which all came in a handmade box a little while ago.  I told her I would be using them sparingly and this is the first one!  They were all "real" flowers.  Super aren't they!

More flowers which I have shaped using my super dupler moulding mat and tools from McGill.  I can see me using those a lot in the near future!   All the inking was done using Faded Jeans, Black Soot and Barn Door Distress Inks.

Some TH cut flowers and some cut on my Silhouette and then sprayed with Colourwash inks. I also used Spellbinders and Paperartsy flowers on this.  The papers came from the set which came with the album and my Snippets boxes.  I shall be skipping over the Playground very soon for a paddle in the pool.

I just love to layer and "fiddlefart" with my flowers, in case you did not realise by now!  I hope my CAS friends can cope with all the layers!  That brad on the right is a Laura Ashley one.  How long was that all around?  I am still using the papers too....slowly!

More Sizzix flowers with an embellishment I think I bought when Noah was still in shorts!

Right, off to go outside to play now in the sunshine.  Spare a thought for me as I have a slight change of direction in my painting.  I "volunteered" to paint the downstairs windows outside which are 6" or thereabouts - so far I have done 38 and I have 102 to go.  Then I will have to do a second coat and the sils and after that, move inside!!!  I must be mad!  But they have to be done.  Please pray for this fine weather to continue.  We have wanted them to be done for the last two years but haven't been able to!

Thanks for popping by.  

Hugs

Hettie

Didn't we have a Wonderful Time....

....The Day we went to Cardiff Bay!

Yes we did thanks!

Yesterday saw Mr Hettie and I on a little excursion to Cardiff Bay after a little stop in Cardiff to do a little business.  

Due to Mr Hettie's working shifts and my often being out on a Saturday, we don't get many weekends where we are together, so we planned this little trip out a few weeks ago when we realised we were both around at the same time.

Weren't we in for a jolly surprise.  It was their Food Festival and the whole area was a buzzing with people, food, drink, sunshine and live music!  Perfick!!  We couldn't have timed it better if we had tried.  I shall leave you with some photos of our day....

We will definitely go down to Cardiff Bay again as it is a lovely walk and the Norwegian Church is a lovely place to eat and drink too.  Talking about eating, we came across THIS stall.  If you get a chance you just have to try a pie or two.  We bought two, hock and pea and spicy lamb.  We could not wait until we got home and had a picnic by the fountain (yes that is my feet in there).  They were absolutely fantastic!!

Hugs and if you have been in the sun, don't forget the aftersun! 

Hettie

Friday Funny

The following are all replies that xxxxx (I am not wishing to cause a rift in international relations here so have deleted the name of the city, I will only say that it is in an English speaking country across the water from the UK) women have written on Child Support Agency Forms in the section for listing 'Father's Details,' or putting it another way...

Who's your baby's Daddy? 

These are genuine excerpts from the forms. 

1. Regarding the identity of the father of my twins, Makeeshia was fathered by Maclearndon McKinley I am unsure as to the identity of the father of Marlinda, but I believe that she was conceived on the same night. 

2. I am unsure, as to the identity of the father of my child as I was being sick out of a window when taken unexpectedly from behind. I can provide you with a list of names of men that I think were at the party if this helps. 

3. I do not know the name of the father of my little girl. She was conceived at a party at 3600 East Grand Boulevard where I had sex with a man I met that night. I do remember that the sex was so good that I fainted. If you do manage to track down the father, can you please send me his phone number? Thanks... (The runner-up).

4. I don't know the identity of the father of my daughter. He drives a BMW that now has a hole made by my stiletto in one of the door panels. Perhaps you can contact BMW service stations in this area and see if he's had it replaced.

5. I have never had sex with a man. I am still a Virginian. I am awaiting a letter from the Pope confirming that my son's conception was ejaculate and that he is the Saver risen again. 

6. I cannot tell you the name of Alleshia's dad as he informs me that to do so would blow his cover and that would have cataclysmic implications for the economy I am torn between doing right by you and right by the country.. Please advise. 

7. I do not know who the father of my child was as they all look the same to me. 

8. Tyrone Hairston is the father of child A. If you do catch up with him, can you axe him what he did with my AC/DC CDs? Child B who was also borned at the same time..... well, I don't have clue. 

9. From the dates it seems that my daughter was conceived at Disney World. Maybe it really is the Magic Kingdom . 

10. So much about that night is a blur. The only thing that I remember for sure is Delia Smith did a program about eggs earlier in the evening. If I had stayed in and watched more TV rather than going to the party at 8956 Miller Ave, mine might have remained unfertilized. 

11. I am unsure as to the identity of the father of my baby, after all, like when you eat a can of beans you can't be sure which one made you fart. (This made number #1).

WHEN THE WEALTH IS REDISTRIBUTED THESE PEOPLE WILL BE THE MAJOR RECIPIENTS. 

Always room for cake...

Hello Friends

I don't want to sound like I am moaning or nuffink, but I am finding my craft room too hot to work in when it has been shut up all day so crafting has resorted to little bits that I can do on the patio when I come in from work. Hubby has also been working on days and so by the time he gets home, we have tea it really is too late to go up.  

Here is a card I made for my friend's little girl at the end of last month.  She is very much a girly girl and loves pink so I had to comply....

Who can resist a House Mouse image and cupcakes?  I coloured the image in with Copics and schparkly embossed part of the icing.  I cut out some Sizzix cupcakes on the B/S and added a little ribbon and pearls mounting them all on to some pink paper I have had forever! 

The image kinda looks like I must have late yesterday afternoon.  I sat on the patio in the hazy sun intending to do a little painting and the next thing I knew it was nearly time for Mr Hettie to arrive home and I had lost an hour!!  Oops!  I am telling you this in confidence so no telling anyone ok?

I am entering this into the House Mouse Challenge as this week is Food!  How fortuitous is that?  Thanks Di!

Off to the Playground now to see if anyone is on the hammock.  If that blinkin' parrot will stay quiet enough and away from me I can hopefully have another snooze before I have to head back to the office. 

Have a great day.  Friday is so close now I can smell it!

Hugs

xx 

My love for mini albums...

Hello Friends

I am supposed to sharing my Tuesday Layout today, it being Tuesday an'all however, it would appear that the piggin' t'internet problems last night lost it!  Unfortunately I am now typing this in my lunch break in work so cannot reload the pics! Grrr!  

Never mind.  I will share the other piccies I loaded up last night which could become scrapbooks if the recipients so wish. 

I recently needed to make a Thank You gift and Birthday gift for two special people and so decided to make them similar and at the same time.  As most of you will be aware I do like making mini books so that is what I did.

Here is number one.....

Chipboard covers covered in hessian (or Burlap if you are from over the water) and Bo Bunny paper from a 6x6 pad I bought a while ago.

All bound with my BIA and then decorated with ribbons, some from my Snippets tin.  I personalised the charms that went on them.

The flowers were a mix of paper and fabric which were all dipped in my cauldron err melting pot, which had wax in there.  It was surprising how much wax they all took.  Especially as I got a little carried away and made enough for four!  I brushed all the flowers over with two shades of Perfect Pearls, Kiwi and Rust.

I used my Seeds of Friendship Artistic Outpost stamp on the front with Spiced Marmalade DI and embossed it before distressing the edges.  Those blue flowers I have had forever!  

Here are the dividers I made, each stamped with a background and a sentiment added.

And some music as one recipient is a musical gal!

So here is number one....

Number two...

Number three.....

Number four....!  Err, You know I said I got carried away with the flowers!  Well I made two more books too.  One for the Raffle prize for our Annual Summer Lunch at Quilters and I actually made one for myself.  This orange flower was the last of the set my friend brought me back from France!  Love orange.

I used acid free watercolour paper inside so that they can be used for a variety of purposes.  The two original recipients are both artistic and so may wish to sketch in them.  Mine might end up with photos in.  

I shall pop these down the Playground later as they contain Snippets.  Why not join us?  I must also find out how the Aussie parrot is doing!

Hugs

Hettie