Cross Stitched Creations

Well I have finished two cross stitches over the weekend and done some more on my fish tank.

The first of my finishes was a free cover kit from Cross Stitch Crazy in Nov 2012 and is a Margaret Sherry cat. I do so love Margaret Sherry animals and do not often get to stitch them due to the long period of time she spent contracted to Coats (Anchor) - I much prefer DMC!
However, here is the little guy after 6.75 hours.

I want to enter this for two 'Animal Antics' challenges - it is not a card but is hand crafted :) - Open-minded crafting and craftycalendar.

The second finish was this kitty by Dimensions ''. I did not time how long this one took, but it was a Christmas present two years ago and I am glad I have finally got it finished. I already know which kit is my next one! This is going to be made into a cushion eventually for my currently non-existent craft room.

I am going to enter this into a couple of anything goes challenges: SimonSays Monday and Crafty Cats

Finally, my fish progress. Another hour has been added to the progress on this - with a little more blue! This takes the total time to about 39.5 hours.

Thank you for reading

Hugz Tinz

Oh, Christmas Tree

Here is my latest Christmas card make.

A basic red square base card was embossed with Papermania Twelve Days of Christmas embossing folder. A sheet of Papermania Christmas velum in a snowflake design was then placed down the centre of the card. A piece of ribbon from my stash was trimmed to make a pointed edge and placed down the centre of the velum. Using stamps from the Honey and Hugs Festive Frolics, and a green Create-It ink pad, I stamped the image onto cream cardstock. This is the oldest tree stamp I have - having only Christmas trees. The images were coloured in using Promarkers - primarily the Brights collection.. This was then embossed with a present embossing folder, one raised and two depressed images, and attached above the ribbon. Gold metallic promarker was used to write Merry Christmas on green card, and attached above the image, with two snowflake buttons, one to each side.
I wish to enter this card for the following challenges:
Simon Says Monday - Transparant
Passion for Promarkers - embossing
ShoppingOurStash - #144 oldest tree stamp
Papertake Weekly - sketch #88
Ilovepromarkers - #212 Anything Goes
SimonSays Wednesday - Anything Goes with buttons
CraftyHazelnuts Christmas - all wrapped up

As I write this I have just turned to look out of the window and am very glad that my windows are not open as there is a swarm of mossies just outside. It is definitely warming up now (but I still can't convince my two little blue boys (parakeets) to have a bath!).

As the weather has been reasonable today I popped down to the allotment between going to the docs and hairdressers (yes I have had my hair trimmed at last!!) and planted some broad beans - equal numbers of Dreadnought and Bunyards Exhibition. Now I need to get some tomato seeds planted somewhere over the weekend, otherwise I am not going to get any and I have bought lots of seeds!! Also, my peas have started to put up shoots, including the ones saved from last years plants, which I was not 100% sure were going to grow.

My Mizuna is also starting to show some green, and that was only planted last week. Now if I can just get a more suitable job, I might have time and energy to get allotment and gardens looking brilliant - more hours please???

Hugz Tinz

Allotment and Fish

Yippee, we got our first rhubarb crop from off the allotment yesterday! OH made a rhubarb pudding, but unfortunately it was a little bit too heavy for myself. Good job we are going to get plenty more rhubarb lol. I have also got the first half of the asparagus mulched ready for the spring growth to start. Just another half to do now lol. It is the couch grass that is taking the time - it just doesn't want to come up!

Anyway, here is an update on my fish (39hours I think).

Hugz Tinz

In the Wild

Well we can certainly tell Spring is here - it just keeps raining. I thought showers were supposed to be Aprils specialty with March usually being relatively dry?  Oh well, I will just have to craft a little more lol.

I did manage to get down to the allotment and prepare the bed for the Broad Beans, but then it started to rain so I could not sow my seeds, or prepare the potato and asparagus beds!! Grrr. It doesn't help that I am working this weekend, so do not have much time to get everything done.

Very little of the housework was done today, so that means me being very busy with it all tomorrow. However, I have managed to get the next selection of ATC's completed. This time the theme was 'In the Wild' and they all use a tiger stripes backing stamp.

The first of the ATC's is on green card, with the image stamped on the left hand edge and heat embossed using 'hi-puff' embossing powder (which seems to have a glitter effect). A tiger stripe backing paper that I received with one of the ATC's was then placed to the right and centre of the card. I drew an image of a lion with a lamb sitting on his head and coloured using pencil crayons. This was then stuck to the left side of the backing paper. A bow was added to the right of the image. (I did originally have a matching ribbon across the bottom, but it was overly obscured and so I removed it). Three little diamantes were then added to the top right of the backing paper.

This is being entered into:
Catch The Bug - Sketch 205
A creative romance - seeing double
Simon Says Wednesday - glitter it
Craftylittlefairies - down on the farm (sorry not stamped but it is an image)
CraftyCatz - bling it up
Cute card Thursday - 313 its a wild world
Catch the bug - Inspiration photo - Lamb and Lion
Sweet Stampin' - doodles

For the second ATC the background was triple embossed using 'candy blue' embossing powder and the background stamp. The idea for this was to create a water-like effect. I found a puffa-fish on google and coloured this in using promarkers in various shades of blue to get a puffed up effect.

This ATC will enter the following challenges:
Simple Create Too - animals
Passion for Promarkers - monochrome
Love to create - 107 clean and simple
CRAFT - Inspiration picture - Jellyfish
Allsorts - About the boy

The final ATC involved using the same background, but with basic heat embossing rather than triple embossing. The same fish image was used but made smaller, and coloured with pink promarkers. A blue ribbon was added to the base card and the fish stuck to the left side. Two polka dot papermania buttons were added in front of the fish, with a small diamante in between the buttons. A blue oval geometric sticker was added behind the fish.

This is being entered into:
Stamping Boutique - Recipe - image, ribbon and 2 buttons
Craftingbydesigns - use a ribbon
C4C228 - Free for all
Craftingbydesigns - anything goes

Hope you enjoyed looking!
Hugz Tinz

Fish update

Well now my shoulder is pretty much back to normal the weather changes, just so I STILL can't get the beds prepared down at the allotment!! Grrr.

But I have had time to do some more of my fish tank! It is now at 38 and half hours!!

Butterfly Wishes

The allotment has not been worked upon this evening due to my having a very sore shoulder - I have no idea what I have done to it but it really hurts when I move it certain ways. However, I did plant pea, broad bean and tomatillo seeds at the weekend, after going and visiting my mummy. I have not previously grown Tomatillo so it will be very interesting to see how they grow and figure out how to use them. (My mummy spoiled me this weekend - I got a crafting compnions CD Rom of Christmas designs and some wool, as well as a few crafting bits that she will not use. Lots to play with lol.)

When I checked the mice this morning the front of the girls cage had fallen off. This wouldn't be too bad, except that this is the area in which they usually sleep, so Jay had to be rescued from the bed area where she had huddled up, and Pico could not be found!  I found her once I got home from work this evening, and she has a lovely scab on her tail from where the cage must have caught it as it fell! I am hoping that it will not become infected and so will be keeping a very close eye on the wound.

Onto crafting - I have made a lovely Spring Birthday card, featuring a butterfly for the main image. A basic green base card was embossed using Papermania 'Butterfly Wings' embossing folder. A dark pink spotty paper was also embossed with this folder and added to the centre of the card blank. A piece of green velum was carefully ripped into a square and layered over the spotty square. Then a butterfly image was stamped onto white card using Whispers 'Moss Stone' ink pad. This was coloured in using Promarkers - Fresh Meadow and Apple Cider for the greens and Budding Rose, Pink Mittens and Pink Lobster for the pinks. The outside of the butterfly was then shaded using the Whispers ink pad, pressed onto acetate and applied using a sponge. This was then scalloped using decorative scissors and layered on top of the velum, with two pink pearls added to the butterfly wings. The final addition was birthday sentiments to the top, bottom and inside of the card.

 This card will be entered into the following challenges:
Make My Monday - Beautiful Butterflies
Promarker - Butterfly kisses
I love promarkers - let's get spotty
Crafting by Designs - things with wings
Suzy Bee - #20 Emboss it
SimonSays Wed - special girl
Allsorts - Pretty in Pink
Catch the bug - BINGO (pearls, colour green and scallops)
aud sentiments - #102 Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy - #109 Happy Birthday
Simplycreatetoo - Animals
Country View - paper chase

Hugz Tinz

Fish Tank @37 hours

Hi there,

Thought I would give you an update on my fish tank. I haven't done much more as I do not get to play very often with everything else I am doing also - knitting, card making, ATC's - and this particular piece being kept upstairs due to the large frame.

Today I have been out at the allotment in the sunshine enjoying my day off (although getting a couple of phone calls from work lol). I have also discovered my little man mouse running around the mouse room floor, rather than sitting nicely in his cage, where he should be. First thought - OH must not have put him back, so back in his cage he goes (a very thirsty little mousey). Then I check back in a few hours later, just to be sure he is still in his cage, and I find him in the bin bag where he had found an old tube to hide in!!! He is now in a different cage lol.

Also today Chucky had a stint out of his cage, and although he did panic (as anticipated) I do not have any new scars!!! He did throw everything off the fireplace though (glass candle holders included) and used a coaster to make sure there was nothing left in his way (like a snow shovel lol).

Hugz Tinz

Glass Painting!

Well finally I managed to get some bits done - after managing to split a new 20l bag of cat litter!!! All over the kitchen floor - the poor cats wondered what the hell had gotten into me! The front garden has also been tidied a little, although there is still more to do in out.

Once I finished the boring jobs I decided to revamp my fireplace - in theme with a few challenges of course :). The fireplace is quite an old fashioned design and has lovely glass fronted (leaded) doors on each side. I found some diamond shaped bird scene peel offs which were just the right size to fit inside one of the diamonds on the doors, so I decided to give it a go!

I used a variety of glass paints, Anita's Aqua glass paints and Gallery Glass  This was very enjoyable as I haven't played with them for a while as they have been hiding in the utility room! This is being entered for - Love to create anything goes - Crafting by designs things with wings - Craftycardmakers Winter anything but a card - SimplyCreateToo shop in your stash

Christmas was the theme for the card that I made today - I have determined to make one Christmas orientated project each month at least! I used 'First Noel' backing paper, a general gold ribbon, Anita's peel off's angel and poinsettia. The poinsettia was stuck to a die-cut circle and coloured using Letraset Aqua markers.

I am entering this card into -
CraftyHazelnuts - spread your wings
JingleBells - sketching through the snow
Craftingbydesigns - anything goes

Oh and Chucky says hi, with his little selfie taken whilst cleaning him out this morning!.

Hugz Tinz

Roses for Mother's Day

It is nearly Mother's Day and I found a lovely bookmark kit that I had hidden in my Cross Stitch box. I have recently finished it but my mum does not really read books much, and OH's mum has a Kindle so I am not sure what to do with it now!

I wish to enter this creation into the following challenges:
Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes
aud sentiments - sentiment for a girl
Polkadoodles - Mums the word
Papertakeweekly - make your own flowers  (I think these are own made  :) )
CRAFT - Mother's Day/female

Hugz Tinz

Spring Time

Well it is certainly a lovely day this morning. I actually got down onto the allotment and planted my first Garlic bulb out - after re-weeding the onion bed that it was to be planted into. It was absolutely lovely and I wish I had more time to spend down on the allotment - but unfortunately I have things to do around the house today (and these lovely ATC creations to finish making for the competitions).

So here are my recent ATC makes - all based on 'Spring Time' and using peel-offs for the main part of the card.
#1

A floral peel off and a clock peel off were lightly stuck onto white card. Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Forest Moss was stamped onto acetate and then, using water and a paintbrush, the peel offs were painted over - creating a watercolour like effect. Once the ink had dried the peel offs were removed from the card, leaving a white outline of the image within the inked area. These were trimmed down separately and stuck to a pink card base from papermania cardstock. SPRING was written in biro above the clock to finish the ATC.

#2

This time the clock peel off was stuck to the bottom edge of a cream card base. Using the acetate to create a straight line the ink was painted over the peel off. The peel off was moved and this was repeated, and then moved and repeated again. This left three clock outlines in the ink, as a border along the bottom of the card. Then a green glitter ribbon was added along the bottom, and the bottom edge trimmed with fancy scissors. Another piece of the ribbon was added above the clocks, but with the reverse side showing for a different effect. The flower peel off was again placed gently onto white cardstock, and painted with the ink, before being removed. This was trimmed into a rectangle and layered onto a rectangle of pink card, and then placed on the card base. A 'Just for you' sentiment was added and a pearl stuck to the centre of the sentiment flower to finish off the card.

This ATC will be entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says - Tick Tock
SOS - 3-2-1  (3 colours - 2 images - 1 pearl)
CRAFT - Female
aud senitments - For A Girl
A Creative Romance - BINGO  (Pink, Flowers, Pearls)
Catch the Bug - Sketch

#3

This slightly more complex card used a white card base, which was covered with a patterned paper (free with Homemade magazine). A square was cut from this same paper, and added to the centre of the card - reversed to show the dotty side of the paper. The original peel offs were stuck firmly onto white card and trimmed. This was layered onto pink cardstock. The peel offs were coloured in using Aqua Promarkers in Rose Carmine, Fern Green, Celery, Straw Yellow and Flame Red. Spots of Flame Red and Royal Purple were placed in the corners, and blended to create a watercolour border. This layer was added over the centre of the spotty diamond. A Blitter flower was added to the top right, and a layered paper flower with two pale Blitter flowers were added to the bottom left to finish the card.

This ATC is being entered into the following challenges:
Country View - Paper Chase
SweetSketchWed - Daisy Sketch
CraftingbyDesigns - Anything Goes
Papertake Challenge - Make your own Flowers
Promarker - Flowers

Hugz Tinz

Tiled cards

Today has not been great weather wise, but I still made sure I got out and did something down on the allotment. This only consisted of transferring the composting pile from one bin to another to aerate and turn, to enable faster composting. This took a lot longer than it seems, and it was very heavy going with the top layer all sticking together making it difficult to get out of the first bin. However, I now have a small pile of almost created garden compost, which I can use to mulch around the plants currently in, and bulk out the soil when planting potatoes and beans! I also stripped the front raised bed as the new bulbs are starting to come through. Again this was more difficult than it should have been as some of the annuals are still putting out flowers due to the mild and wet winter! However, all dead plants have been removed and those still flowering tidied up a little. I just need to try and work out what is snowdrops and what is grass, so that I can remove the grass as this should not be in the raised bed. The next task is to trim back the bushes next to the wall, and pull up the weeds coming through the gravel AGAIN!!!

This evening I have made two cards, using the same basic technique. The first is a Christmas themed card to enter some Christmas challenges, and the second is just a general card that can be used for a variety of occasions.

So here is 'Christmas in Spring'. A basic green base card was used, with a gold sheer ribbon added down the centre. The a piece of 'Minds Eye' Christmas paper was trimmed vertically using decorative scissors and stuck over the ribbon, slightly to the left. Gold mirror card was used to create 'tiles' along with basic shape punches - snowflake and star. There were alternated down the patterned paper. Using the Papermania Honey and Hugs 'Festive Frolics' stamp set I created an image on a scalloped circle. I then coloured this image in using watercolour pencils. This was stuck to the bottom right of the card. Finally a line was drawn underneath the paper in purple watercolour pencil and blended with water.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnuts Christmas - ribbon, twine etc

Papertake Weekly - Sketch (I have offset the circle)

Crafting by designs - Colours of Spring (for a different take on the theme)

Card Mania - Use a Sentiment

Jingle Belles Rock - Sketch

Crafting Techniques - Watercolours

This next one is 'Dragonfly Tiles' and uses only one double sided paper for the entire card. The paper came free with Homemade magazine. A basic card blank was covered with the floral side of the paper. Then a smaller panel was cut, using the decorative scissors for the vertical edges, and stuck in the centre of the card, after being reversed. Using a dragonfly punch five tiles were created from the paper, and stuck to the centre panel, floral side up, alternating between the tile and the punched image.

This card is being entered for these challenges:

Love to Create - Anything goes

CraftyCatz - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Spring is coming

Polkadoodles - Sugar and Spice

Abc challenge - G is for Girls

Country View - Paper Chase

Monthly Themes for Crafting - One Paper

Hugz Tinz

Service day!

I am now £155 lighter thanks to my car having its first service! And it turns out that all they did was change the oil and filter!! grrrrrr. However, I did manage to get a little more of my Wizard cross stitch done whilst waiting for the car. No pictures though I am afraid, this one will wait until it is fully completed before taking a picture.

However, here is an update picture for my fish - now at 36 hours almost.

Added some green and some red now so progress can be seen :)

Also got another 250L of compost for the allotment, and will be venturing out tomorrow to work on the wildlife attracting bed and transfer my compost into the next bin (if I can find where its door has gotten to). I also got two herb trees - a rosemary and a thyme - from the local garden centre which has just changed hands and has had a sale on to reduce old stock. Unfortunately after having the service I could not get as much as I would have liked :(

Hugz Tinz