Rudolph Day - April Edition

Hello Peeps

Its the end of April already? Really? How did that happen?

Time I joined in with Mo for this month's Rudolph Day post. Sorry I am a little late, but I was away in Harrogate for a long weekend and unfortunately the WiFi at the hotel we stayed at wasn't up to the job, so I had to leave it til I came home. Great weekend though and Fergus had a great time too!

Right... onto my cards I am sharing ...

 First up is one of my Funkie Junkie Christmas tags, slightly modified so that it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to post, mounted onto a card which was stamped with my Tim Holtz stamp and embossed with WOW embossing powder. I added some Sue Wilson corner flourishes and stars.

 Number two is another FJ tag mounted onto a Snippet of black and white paper and I used another Snippet to cut a MB and Spellbinders die cut which I inked with Versamark and embossed with sparkly embossing powder.

And finally, this Bo Bunny piece was left over from my Christmas Album and I didn't want to cut it. I mounted it onto another piece left over from my C Album and adhered these onto a square card. I cu another MB border from a Snippet.

The piece of lace was taken off another tag, as was the K&Co sentiment and rosette so they all got adhered on this card. I inked the edges of the card, added some sparkly gems and card finished.

Three more cards for the box!

And seeing as I mentioned Fergus...here is a photo of the boy at Bettys Tea Room in Harrogate on Saturday...

Off to join Mo at the Rudolph Day and also my Playmates at the Snippets Playground.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Tea on Tuesday...T Bag Anyone?

Hello there

Happy Tuesday to one and all!  I have missed sharing my tea (other beverages are available) with you and Elizabeth on a regular basis.  I must remedy this.

Today I thought I would share some tongue in cheek t-bags with you....

I was given some lavender by a friend of mine and not wanting to waste it I made some lavender t-bags that I had seen on Pinterest - gotta love Pinterest for ideas!!

I happened to have some Snippets of fabric on my desk as I was in the middle of making a quilt which I need to share with you too, now that the Challenge is finished.

I used a tag and drew round it to get the shape.  cut out fabric with some calico for the backs.  I used some paper string for the string with tiny tabs on the tops with a bow stitched on.   Those bows must be nigh on 30 years old.  I had them long before I was married!  

The T Bags smell divine.  I took them over the water to Kim as she was wanting some goodies to sell at her Mum's craft fayre next month.  

And now for the picture of my cuppa...

Fergus drinking my Snapple at Quincy's Market a couple of weeks ago.  I cannot believe that on Saturday it will be a month since we flew out there.  It still feels like last week.  

Now off to share this with Elizabeth and Bleubeard for the T on Tuesday and the Snippets Playground   Why not join in with us - just share your drink of choice for the Tea on Tuesday and your Snippets for the Playground.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Chatsworth Quilt by Fergus...

Hello there!

I hope you have all had a good weekend.  Hasn't the weather been glorious?   I hope it has been where you are and that you haven't been frazzled by the sun.

Now as you may know, I have been involved recently in my Quilting Group's Quilt Exhibition and I promised I would share some pics of my quilts with you all.  So here is no. 1 done by our very own Fergus...

He is so proud of this, I can tell you!  The Cow's head is taken from a photograph of a tomb at Chatsworth in Derbyshire.  I blew up the picture and converted it to black and white to get the shading and transferred it to paper, from which I made a stencil of the design with freezer paper.  The stencil was then cut up into the individual sections e.g. ears, three pieces for the horns etc, and then I attached the whole stencil to the fabric with only one section removed.  This section was then painted using Markal sticks.  Something I had never tried before and had to learn "on the job" using some instructions kindly sent to me by one of the Quilting group.  

Once applied I then left it 24 hours and reattached the piece of stencil back on the fabric and started another section.  Note, this is not a quick method of designing a quilt!

Once I was happy with all the shading I then removed all the stencil and then set about machine embroidering the quilt front.  After I had carried out some embroidery on the front I then I could let Fergus set about quilting it.  He had difficulty with the painting as Fergus could not paint the front without stepping in sections he had already painted!

See!  I told you Fergus quilted it, with me helping him manage the sewing machine as he could not reach the pedal!

Once all that was done we worked on binding the whole quilt with two colours, a new technique to both of us which we learnt whilst at the AGM in Portsmouth earlier this year.

And here is the Boy looking so proud of his new quilt...

Before I go, I wanted to share a photo which I took the other evening.  I have seen this owl fly over the patio several times recently but on this occasion I looked out to find him sitting on the bird table which is only a few feet from the bay window!  He sat there for some time whilst I watched, took photos and even ran to get my camera, as opposed to using my phone.  He knew I was watching as he turned his head several times.  Once he realised I was just gawking at him, as opposed to photographing him, he looked at me one more time and flew off into the night.  A beautiful bird and I felt very honoured that he sat there fore me.

Rightio then.  Time to sign off as I have work tomorrow and need to get some sleep!  Just to say thank you all for popping over.  I am entering this quilt into the Snippets Playground as the darker of the two binding fabrics is a Snippet and the back of the quilt was made using a fat quarter I won at a Raffle at Quilting.  Besides which Fergus is a mate of Parsnip so he can sneak in the back gate!

I am likewise entering it into my Mate's NBUS Challenge as the fabrics were new and also it the painting is a Never Before Used Skill!  Tee Hee! 

Have a great week y'all!

Hettie and Fergus!

Scrapbook Tuesday - Fergus' Mini Album

Hello There!

It is Tuesday after a Bank Holiday here in the UK - so off to work, but at least it is a short week this week! 

I haven't done a layout to show you this week.  Nope!  I have 16 to show you!  

I have been playing catch up with Fergus' mini album, as I am waaaay behind with it.  Now those of you who know me, know I take a little Highland Coo called Fergus with me on my travels, and usually try to get his photograph taken at the destination or with whoever I am visiting.  So here are the first 16 pages of his album which was started PBD, so I don't think you have seen these before.  If you have then I apologise for showing you again....

Here is Fergus as he was when we bought him on the top road of Scotland in September 2008, when we were on our little Highland Tour.  The top right and bottom left were taken on Skye.  The bottom right was taken in Mevagissy, Cornwall, when we went on our first Scrapbooking retreat with Linda of Just Scrapbooking.

Fergus does like to look at pretty papers.  He also loves to travel - just as well really, and here he is in Paris and Prague, though he did not have his photo taken on these occasions.  And the bottom right is in St Ives on another scrapbooking retreat.

Top left he is in the Classrom with my tin I had altered - must remember to share that with you, top right he is at Claverton with some of the gang from my Quilting group and bottom left he is in the garden of Claverton.  Bottom right he is sitting on the wing of an old car at the Black Country Museum.

Oops!  I have these the wrong way round....Bottom left is the Black Country Museum again, he enjoyed that trip as he got to go on a very old bus, down a mine and on a canal boat all in one day! Top left is in Rome, bottom right is with his buddies on the settee at Christmas and the top right is with someone I am sure a lot of you will recognise - yep Mr Tim Holtz!!

I do love doing these mini albums as you get chance to use up lots of little Snippets and have a smile to yourself whilst making them.  If anyone knows where I may get another 4" scrapbook by AMM, please let me know as there will not be much left of this one once I have caught up. I am not fussy as to colour - nor is Fergus!  Keep an eye out for some more famous peeps next time wont you!

Thanks for peeking and leave me a comment so I know you have been here.  I shall be popping this into the Playhouse so you can have a peep there too.

Hugs

Hettie and Fergus.

WOYWW 176 - Carry on from Saturday..

Hello Friends 

Don't feint but yes I am joining in the WOYWW fun for the third week on the trott!  THE weekly blog hopping, desk hopping, officially being a nosey parker event organised by the Lovely Julia.    

Following on from Saturday's Crop of the Year I thought I would try and master the beading project that Janet of Fairy Thoughts started me on.  I was not too happy with my piece as it did not seem to be the right tension so I cut the thread and started again before I could have a chance to forget what we did.  Here is my desk.....

As you can see I have been rummaging through the beads I have to make the dangley bits to hang from the central column (which has now had a tube inserted).  

And here you can see some of the danglies I have put on.

All my work being supervised by the Green Kitty aka the Glitter Puss (certain readers may be giggling at this comment...Morti!).  You may notice I am on the "other" desk.  This is because I am currently working on the project that I had on the go on Saturday and I am waiting until I have more done before sharing it with you!  It is my blog so I can do what I want to!!  Hee Hee.

And here is the Lady Julia and myself at The Crop on Saturday.  We were in the middle of putting the tables away, hence the table leaning up behind us!! Thank you Julia sooo much for organising The Event with the Lovely LLJ.  It was great to meet you all and looking forward to the next one!!

Oh!  And as for Fergus.  He had a great day.  Cuddling with lots of lovely ladies!!

Right, off to work and I shall join you later.  If you leave a comment I will pop over to see you but it may be later on in the week!  

TTFN

Hettie

WOYWW 166 - When Fergus met LLJ!

Hello Peeps

Happy WOYWW day!  Today I am taking part in the biggest Blog Hop in the World! Probably!  In case you don't know what that is (where have you been) this is where you take a photo of your desk, floor, settee, kitchen table....put it on your blog and link it up with the lovely Julia.  So without further ado here is my desk.....

In the middle of a project here so you will have to pop back later this week if you want to see the project completed.  And if you look below you can see something hanging of my desk from the Lovely Lunch Lady Jan!

Yes.  A pink desk bag.  No Di - you cannot have it because it is pink!  I do rather like it as it is so posh with the lovely beading.  How did I get it I hear you ask?  Well.  On Saturday Jan and I, after several failed attempts, finally met.  And Fergus came too!

Well, he does like to have his photo taken with famous people.  Tim Holtz, Leandra and Lin of Paperartsy, Hels and now Jan!  Another photo for his special album!  He will be wanting his own blog shortly! 

Can you believe that 10 minutes after this photo was taken (note the WOYWW badge Julia!) we were like a pair of drowned rats having been caught in the most torrential rain.  We had to make a run for cover for a while and every item of clothing I had on was soaked through!  Never mind.  We had just enjoyed a good natter over a coffee which was fun!  Thanks Jan. Atishoo!

Right.  That is enough from me.  Once you have left a comment why not pop over to Julia's and join in the Wednesday fun and frolics!

TTFN

Hettie

WOYWW 148

Hello There Peeps

Happy Hump Day.  Happy Easter to you in advance of Sunday.  And of course....  Happy WOYWW Day!

For those of you who still don't know what this means it is where we crafters take a picture of our desk, post it on our blog and then link up to the lovely Desk Jockey Julia and then take part in the biggest Blog Hop in the world....probably!

So here is my desk.....

I know.... you are impressed!  It is tidy!!   You see I have been taking part (and still am) in the Creative Chemistry 101 and have been very good and cleaned and tidied after I have finished so as not to contaminate the next piece!   Don't worry it won't last. 

Look what arrived last week.  My WOYWW badge from the lovely Julia - thank you!  Fergus wanted to each try it on so Fergus went first (have you ever seen a Highland Cow cry?  Not pretty!).  And then Monkey had it on.

Of course, he gets to keep it on as he sits on my desk!!

Just in case you are concerned, no stuffed animal was hurt in the obtaining of these photos and they wore the badge entirely voluntarily!

So, you know what to do now don't you?  Leave a comment, with your desk number if possible and then hope over to Julia's desk and join in the fun!!  I will be round to see your desk later once work and dancing are over.  Apologies if I take a day or two, but I will pop over!

TTFN

Hettie

WOYWW 145 - Hey Peeps I am back and with a tidy desk to boot!

Hey Guys and Gals

I know, I know.  I have been kinda missing in action recently from the WOYWW scene.  I could say that I have been poorly (which is true), I have been on holiday (again true), no time (hmmmn!) but I am not going to.  Just going to say Honey I am back!!

And if it is not a shock that I am back, I am back with a tidy desk.  Be warned! Sit down! And be prepared for some tidiness!!  

See! Told ya!  Just a lickle WIP - a "manly" book in readiness for my next craft fair!  In the event you are wondering why on earth I am showing you a photo of my desk on Wednesday it is all part of the biggest blog hop of the world....probably.  Click HERE or on the WOYWW button on my sidebar to be whizzed over to the desk of Julia the wonderful host of this event.

And here is Fergus and yours truly taking a pew at the Zoo in Prague in one of the hot houses. This is the first time Hubby and I have ever been to a Zoo and the first time for me since about....a long time ago!  It was kinda eerie to think that during 2002 a lot of it was severely flooded and they managed to get all but 4 animals to safety with only the minimum of notice!  (Can you believe my hair was all spikey in the morning before I left the hotel?  Then I put the hat on!! Lethal hats are, lethal!!  But at -18 I needed that hat so c'est la vie ey!)

And again, in Prague.  This time at the Technika Museum. I did not quite expect to see a Spitfire here but boy did this make me happy to be soooo close to one.  Next stop - I want to be in one!  One day.....hopefully!!

Right then.  Happy Hump Day to y'all and see ya later!  

TTFN 

Hettie (and Fergus)

Happy Valentine's Day - Snippets

Good Evening Peeps from, a very snowy Praha

Hubby and I have taken a short breaks to wonderful Praha to spend Valentine's Day.  So I thought I would show you the Valentine Day card which I made for my lovely man......

As you can see it has the theme of Praha, the medieval manuscript and illuminations were from a book which I bought some time ago, second hand for £1, as I knew it would come in handy for some Praha scrapbooking in the future, the cogs were to represent the clock tower in Old Town Hall (plus it also justified me spending money on the die!!), the hearts are kinda obvious and the heart punch border I actually borrowed from my friend Penny, and the image stamped on the bottom is Karlov most aka Charles Bridge, one of the most significant monuments of Praha after the castle of course.

All the pieces were from scraps which entitles me to entry into the Snippets Playground of the lovely Di.

And, just because I cannot get enough of Praha at the moment, here is a picture I took earlier today - please bear in mind that I have not yet edited this photo and we are on our way UP this hill with further to go til we get to the Monastery! 

 And as for Fergus - he has been a bit of a naughty boy not that he needed much encouragement from Simon!!!

TTFN

Hettie

Fergus meets Hels at The Stamp Attic

Good Evening Peeps

I hope this posting finds you well on a Monday evening and that you had a good weekend.

I can tell you Fergus and I did!!   

Saturday was brilliant with lots of craftiness in the kitchen.  I made these...

Then I bottled up these......... (hic!!)

Our wonderful Chookies laid these.... (or at least two of them did!!)



(And very nice they tasted too!)

But the highlight of the weekend was on Sunday. 

I had to get up at the crack of dawn (before Tony had started his singing in fact - if you can call it that!).  Then drive to Wantage to a lickle shop called The Stamp Attic with the lovely lady in residence Wendy!  Talk about a jaw dropper!  Would you believe I was speechless - well, not for long though!  I literally did not know where to start looking in the shop.  I have never seen so many stamps, papers and other goodies in one place before. 

Across the alleyway was the room where we were to undertake our lickle workshop and was where I found the lovely Hels setting up the room.  She was as lovely in the flesh as she is on Facebook and Blogging. 

The workshop started and we set about making our own versions of this.....(this is mine!)

As usual mine is a little different.  The piece on the right hand side in the middle is a little larger than possibly should have been but I did not have the heart to cut it down!  So I wiggled everything around until I was happy with it.  The square piece bottom left will have a dangly on it when I decide what it will be!

I have to say that Hels is a brilliant teacher.  You can tell that she has sat down and tried different ways of doing things and willingly gave us lots of hints and tips which you would not get from a book and certainly not from a teacher who had only learnt by copying out of a book!  I would definately recommend anyone to go to one of her classes and indeedly go to The Stamp Attic. 

Would you believe I actually came away from there not only with some fab goodies and a piece of work all but finished but I managed to not burn myself or get any utee on my new top I was wearing!!  I had even taken some Winnie-the-Pooh plasters with me!! Brilliant or what?!!

Just so I don't get any strange requests to show my booty here it is...

The sharp eyed amongst you may notice I have bought the large Jo Capper-Sandon Bee stamp to go with the smaller ones I already have.  And that cutie Chicken stamp at the bottom is uber-cute.  I have also taken the prices off most of the goodies!!!  I wonder why!!

Well, I had better find new homes for all this stash and get on with some craftiness tonight or I will have achieved nothing other than a chocolate cake for my Dad and the startings of Spiced Plum Jelly!

TTFN

Hettie