My Re-Vamped Craft Room!

Hello!  Thank you so much for visiting me, I really appreciate it.  Yesterday I did my first post for several months showing the terrible state my craft room had got into, you can see it here if you missed it.  Below are the photos showing the result - my re-vamped craft room and I absolutely adore it!  I am such a lucky girl (ok, old lady!).

I can't believe how cool it is and am fanatical about keeping it tidy.  You can't see from my photos, but there is so much space and the floor is completely clear, Yay!  Its so easy to find everything which makes crafting so enjoyable again.

Thank you again for visiting.  Take care.  Christine xxx

What I Have Been Doing While I Have Been Away!

Hello at last!  Sorry I have been away from Blogland for so very long.  We have been giving my craft room a complete revamp.  As you can see by the photos below, it had got to the state where I didn't even like going in there and was losing my love of crafting.  Even the floor was covered with stuff, and all my stamps, dies etc were all over the place and I couldn't get to a lot of them!  I was tripping over stuff, a lot of it rubbish and really couldn't cope anymore.  Because of our health problems, it has taken us (I could not have achieved it without my husband, Darren) so long. 

Today I am just showing 'before' pictures - as ashamed of them as I am! So here goes!

There it is, nothing hidden - I know how shocked you must be about the state of it all!  I hope you will come back tomorrow and see the change.

Thank you so much for sticking with me and for the comments and emails of concern  I have received while I have been away, I can't believe what a lovely place the crafting world is.  It really makes such a difference to me and means a lot!

Thank you for visiting me. Take care.  Christine xxx

Thank You Di!

This post is part of a special Linky Party hosted by the fabulous Darnell to say a huge 'thank you' to the lovely Di from Pixies Crafty Workshop who hosts the wonderful Pixie's Snippets Playground and has done for the last seven years encouraging us to use all our snippets.  Not only that, Di offers us the chance to win fabulous prizes and also  gives us oodles of support and is such a fantastic friend to have!  I have met Di and she is just as lovely in person as in the virtual world, we are lucky to have her!  Thank you too to Darnell for hosting the thank you party - you are lovely too!

My cards use a fabulous sentiment die set I was super lucky enough to win from Di after participating in her mammoth Christmas giveaway.  Thank you so much Di.

I made four Christmas cards, two in the red and two from Brusho backgrounds using the fabulous die and some Sizzix/Tim Toltz snowflakes and a few stones from my stash.

I wanted to show Di how I used my awesome prize!  I will be using it lots more too I am sure and I am so happy I have made a start on this years Christmas cards.

As well as the Thank You Di Hop I would, of course, like to enter:

Pixie's Snippets Playground! - All the snowflakes and sentiments are snippets.

Thank you again Di!

Take care and thank you for visiting me.  Christine xxx

Twofer Challenge - Birds!

I am rushing to join in with the fabulous Darnell's Twofer Challenge. 

I haven't managed to join in with this challenge for ages and I was determined to this time - the theme is 'Birds'.  Here are my two cards using the same bird die on both cards with different designs for two different occasions.  Such a fun idea for a challenge!  Sorry its not the best photo.

The thank you card is winging (excuse the pun!) to the recipient as we speak! 

The background is made with Distress Oxides and water on my glass mat - I made two A4 sheets of these colours so I can use them on future projects.  I cut a square then stamped the Clarity Thank You stamp with my Misti to make sure it was straight and in a perfect square.  The Apple Blossom die (I have no record of the name) was cut from snippets of black card as were the four flowers in the corners which were from a die that was free with a magazine and matched the flowers on the bird die perfectly.  I made a square card base, added the main panel and it was finished. 

For the birthday card I cut the die three times from snippets of card, two in the black and one in the white - actually I cut an extra  one in white and tried both ways  round and went for the white in the centre in the end.  I chose pink for the panel so the die cuts would really pop and made a DL card base.  The sentiment is by HobbyArt stamped in Versafine Claire Nocturne on a snippet of white card, cut up then edged with black marker.  The little white butterflies are cut from Sizzix Butterfly Frenzy.  To make sure all my black and white snippets match and also match the base card, I store any snippets with the matching sheets of white or black card so I never mix the different whites and black as it really shows if you use mixed up shades of either.  I have several drawers of different white card and a couple of black.  I am totally disorganised in most things but do manage to keep those organised.  I may have mentioned it before but I think its a really good tip.

As well as the Twofer Challenge I would like to enter the following:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - use Snippets!  Another wonderful challenge, thank you Di!

I hope you are having a fab week - I apologise for my lack of visits - haven't been too well lately!  I keep having to apologise - soooooo sorry!

Take care. Christine xxxxxxxxxx

First Post For 2019!

Happy New Year!  I can hardly believe its 2019 already.  I hope it will be a fabulous one for everybody. 

My last post for 2018 was a unicorn card, you can see it here if you missed it, and I am starting 2019 with another unicorn card using the same fab unicorn die!  This card is for a 60th birthday.

The background is a piece of watercolour card that I had previously used to mop up ink left on my glass mat - I just can't waste any ink!  I cut it down to a little smaller than the black card base and die cut the stars into it using the main die from Sizzix Thinlets Swirling Stars by Tim Holtz.  I had several scraps of cream glitter card and one fitted nicely behind the star appertures.  I then cut a few of the larger  individual stars from the same set from more scraps of the glitter card and also the unicorn from Sizzix Intricate Unicorn in scraps of both the glitter and black card to give a shadow effect and to help it stand out from the background.  A little black pearl gives the unicorn its eye.  The number '60' is from a letter and number die set from The Works, again cut from scraps, and the Happy Birthday is stamped using the Label Maker Sentiments  clear stamp set from My Favorite Things.  The glitter card is so sparkly in real life, I wish you could see it!

I have used this unicorn die lots, both the positive and negative, I am sure I will be showing you more cards I make with it in the future - I just love it!  It comes with stars and butterflies too, a very versatile set. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Pixies Snippets Playground - Use snippets.
Cropstop - Anything Goes.

Thank you very much for visiting me and I hope you are having a fabulous week!
Take care.  Christine xxx

Unicorn Birthday!

Hello and its nice to be back after 2 months of not blogging!  Sorry I have been missing again for so long from blogland - I really miss seeing what you have been creating and apologise for my lack of comments and visits.

I made this card a while ago for my Granddaughter Freya's birthday - she loved it I am pleased to say!

Freya loves Unicorns so this Sizzix die was perfect!  I cut it out with my Big Shot from a snippet of white card and coloured it with Ranger Distress Inks. The stars, butterflies and banners were also cut from scraps of white card and coloured with Distress Inks  The star and butterfly dies are from the same Sizzix die set as the unicorn and the banner die is from The Works.  The corners of the white panel are punched using a very old Fiskers punch and the letters, hearts and number are from a Craftwork cards stamp set stamped in black Versafine ink.  Ranger Stickles is added to the unicorn for sparkle and a dark pearl from my stash for the unicorn's eye.  The card base is purple.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Pixies's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets.
That's Crafty - Anything Goes.
Time Out - Joyful  (What is more joyful than to be able to make a birthday card for your gorgeous Granddaughter!)
Cropstop - Anything Goes.

Its so good to be blogging again!  Hopefully I will be back very soon. Most likely with a Christmas card! 

Thank you so much for visiting me, have a fabulous weekend and take care!  Christine xxx

Autumn Fairy

Hello and thank you for visiting me - sorry, yet again, that I haven't been around for ages.  I have a quick post today as I am getting ready to visit my daughter tomorrow for a few days so have to try and take it easy in between packing.   I used the lovely orange and yellow colours of autumn for this card - my photography skills (or lack of them) have let me down again - the colours are much richer in real life.

 I began with an inky background with Distress Inks and water then stamped with second and third generation Distress Ink with an IndigoBlu script stamp in the background.  The large images are also IndigoBlu and the fairy, stars, danging leaves and sentiment are Crafters Companion.  Sorry no details - I have to be quick - if you need any  specifics, please ask in a comment and  I will be pleased to get back to you.  They are all stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Loads of  sparkle from Stickles too.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Penny Black and More - Autumn Splendour.
Stamping Sensations - Shades of Autumn.
Allsorts - Trees and/or Leaves.
Craft Stamper - Take It Make It Challenge - Anything Goes.
Country View Challenges - Plant-tastic.

Thank you again for visiting me  - I know I have been completely rubbish  at my visits lately - so sorry!

Have a fabulous week.  Take care.  Christine xxx