Spooky Christmas

So here are the other two crafty bis I was working on yesterday. However first of all let me show you the completed autopsy lab rat!!

The mouse itself is knitted, and the organs are felted. I wish yo show this at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Now onto the papercrafting - first up is a glass decoration for halloween (it could also be turned into a hanging decoration). I do not send cards for halloween but still like to create for the occasion.

The image is 'Just an Apple' from The Stamping Chef. This was printed onto plain white card and cut into a scalloped circle. The two edges were torn and then this was layered onto another scalloped circle in dark mahogany card. The image was coloured using promarkers. Finally a ribbon was added to allow the decoration to be tied to a glass.

This is being entered for:

Artistic inspirations #115 Spooky

crafting by designs Halloween

SOS #175 Rollin'

Sweet stampin' Anything but a card

Glitter n Sparkle #108 Halloween
ooh-la-la #168 The Witching Hour
scrapbook stamp society #53 Halloween
Creative Moments #54 Halloween
Hanna and friends #208 Halloween
open-minded crafting #22 Halloween

And finally the second of this weeks Christmas makes:

This is a very golden christmas card. The image is from Honey and Hugs Festive Frolics clear stamp set and was stamped using pretty colour black ink and heat embossed with gold Heat it up powder. He was then coloured using watercolour pencils (which were blended with the aqua marker blender). A thick gold ribbon was added to the centre of the card with the image layered over the top. Stars and the sentiment were stamped and heat embossed in gold.

This card is being entered for:

Winter Wonderland Gold Christmas

Allsorts Christmas

completely christmas #35 Add a sentiment

craftyhazelnuts #200 If you want to get ahead get a hat
aud sentiments #118 two or three word
Jingle belles Not a CREATURE was stirring...
polkadoodle Christmas fun

Thank you for looking,
Hugz Tinz

Vintage Christmas

I am making Christmas cards and a Halloween decoration today - as well as getting my background cards all ready to return to their owners. I have finished one Christmas card, which is a vintage themed one. I really struggle with the vintage look, but I received the main image through the post with an ATC delivery and it got me thinking.

So here is the card:

A vintage gold ribbon was used to edge the card before the main image was layered over it. Gold glitter sentiment finished this quick and easy card.

This is being entered into the following challenges:
Craft Room Challenge - Vintage Christmas
Winter Wonderland - Gold Christmas
crafting by designs Christmas
Completely Christmas - add a sentiment
polkadoodle Christmas fun
crafty hazelnuts christmas - If you want to get ahead get a hat.


Thank you for looking
Hugz Tinz

Fizzy Moon for Three

I have made another set of ATC's to go out with my backgrounds. These three are based around some Fizzy Moon toppers I got free with a magazine and never seem to use for anything! I also made them a bit at a time so they were not made with any challenges in mind, but I have still managed to slot them in to some. I just have to make sure I am careful and follow the challenge rules properly - otherwise people may start falling out with me :(.

So here is the Fizzy for You ATC collection:

In shades of blue to match the Fizzy Moon with star topper, I used a fluffy ribbon I have had in my stash for ages, tatty teddy paper, two blue gems and a Forever Friends sentiment. The sparkle on the topper is complimented by that in the sentiment, and they really bring out the sheen in the ribbon too.

Simply Create Too #73 Shop in your craft room (Topper free with magazine ages ago, ribbon found in stash box - didn't know I had it, paper from an old 12x12 paper stack, sentiment from Forever Friends birthday set received last Christmas and two blue dots that were some of the first stash I even got).

Country View October Challenge Sparkle and Shine

This time I used a multicoloured bouquet bearing Fizzy Moon, and to compliment this I chose a bright pink ribbon, a patterned paper bow that I received in one of the ATC packages and a patterned paper from the Henbury Lane collection. The glitter in the bouquet and the flowers on the bow compliment each other perfectly. I then added an L and W to personalise the piece for the receiver.

A Creative Romance Pink Challenge

Live and Love Crafts #28 Pink (re-entry as the last one did not sit within the rules of the challenge).

For the final ATC in the collection I used a sunflower backing paper with a Fizzy Moon holding white flowers. To compliment the topper I added a self-adhesive ribbon strip and then added a rub-on sentiment to finish.

Deep Ocean Challenge #89 Just one layer

Card Concept #21 Sunflowers (Using the Clean and Graphic Style - I think)

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Dinner for Two by Mike Gayle.

Dave is a music journalist and his wife, Izzy, also works for a magazine, as a senior writer. Their friends are all having babies and while Dave wants a child, Izzy has always been adamant she does not want to go through pregnancy - yet. However, Izzy ends up having a miscarriage, and after Dave's magazine folds and he goes to work for a teen mag, things start to get a little complicated. He receives a letter from his daughter, whom he knew nothing about before this moment, but who knows too much, and looks too much like Dave, to be making the whole story up. Dave has to decide what his next steps are.

This story looks at how decisions can change the course of a life, but in a light-hearted and humourous way. I am not usually kept interested in light-hearted stories like this one, but it was well-written and well read also. The story does not take itself too seriously, even though it is dealing with a serious topic and it makes for an easy listen in the car. The miles fly by, and traffic becomes less of a problem whilst listening to this story.

I do not think I would have got on with this book in the written form as the style of writing does not focus your attention and it seems to have lots of mini paragraphs, or possibly even chapters. As an audio book this is not noticed too much, but in the written word I think it would be too broken up to allow me to get into the story. However it would be perfect for those who prefer light-reads.

Hugz Tinz

A bit of vintage...

Well autumn is definitely closing in - no going down to the allotment after work for me anymore!! However, the temperatures are still lovely, so maybe the frosts will hold off long enough for me to rescue my crops lol.

Anyway, todays crafting was another ATC collection. I am nearly at the number I need to send the background cards for the exchange. This is a Vintage Flowers collection. A Tim Holtz border die was used to cut strips from a lincoln linen patterned paper. The vintage floral designs were in an ATC kit I got at a craft fair. All three of these ATC's follow the sketch (below #45) from Sketch and Stash
 and also the BINGO challenge from Craft your passion (using flowers, gems and die-cuts).

ATC #1

 A cream base card was used for this ATC. The florish border strip was used along the bottom of the card, with a peak from a separate strip for the corner decoration. A strip of lace was layered with a papermania Lincoln Linen ribbon. The image was layered over these strips and round diamantes added as shown. A 'With Love' sentiment finishes the card.

Entered into the following challenges:

aud sentiments #118 two or three word sentiment

crafting by designs Anything Goes

crafty little fairies - one designer paper

ATC #2

The second card base was a silver with glitter spots. Again a peak from a die-cut strip was used as the corner decoration, but this time the bottom strip was done with a very soft lace. The side strip was made by layering a thin bronze ribbon over a jagged border strip. A butterfly with roses image was chosen for the main focus of the card, and again the diamantes were added - but slightly smaller this time.

Entered into the following challenges:

Simon Says, Monday - Anything Goes

Country View - Sparkle and shine

ATC #3

This final ATC for the collection used a base card that was sent to me by a lady in my ATC exchange group. This time I used a gold peel-off for the border flourish, and a large diamante to embellish it. The flourish border strip was again used for the bottom, but this time pointing upwards. The vertical strip was made by layering a thin metallic green ribbon over red gingham ribbon. A sentiment panel was used for the main image, and purple gems added along the strip. (Oh and my cat wanted to get in on the action too lol).

Entered into the following challenges:

abc challenge - V for Vibrant

love to create #138 Fall colours

CCM&M #125 It's only words

Thank you for taking the time to look at my creations. Please feel free to check out my themed groups on facebook - monthly themes for crafting - and - Crafting Techniques.

Hugz Tinz

Fallen Leaves

Hi guys,

An extra post here, because I have joined a background ATC exchange and so am having to do some extra ATC's to go out with the background cards. It does mean I have less time for the other crafts though :(

So here is my Fallen Leaves collection.
#1

For this card I used a patterned base card and attached a pale pink ribbon on the left side. Over this I layered a shiny purple ribbon and tied a bow (which for a wonder actually look half decent!). I then used some dyed feathers to make a leaf litter look and added a floral 'best wishes' tag to finish.

To be entered into: Simon Says Stamp monday challenge Anything Goes; Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge #51 Add some pink and Crafty Calender BINGO challenge - Pink, flowers and sparkle (from the ribbon)

#2

On a white base card I layered a gold and then red ribbon down the left side. A knot rather than a bow was tied into the red ribbon. A gold leaf peel-off coloured with promarker pens and blended to create an autumn colour palette was used as the main image, and a gold sentiment added to finish.

This is to be entered into: Love to create challenge #138 Fall Colours; Delightful Challenges colour my world (favourite colours - for autumn); Aud Sentiments #117 Anything Goes and Country View challenge #20 Sparkle and shine

#3

A leaf patterned paper was layered onto card to make an autumnal background for this ATC. Green and gold ribbons were added to the left, keeping the natural woody feel to the card. Two wooden leaves were added for the main focus of the card. The 'with love' sentiment and heart border stickers finish the card off neatly, blending nicely into the background.

To be entered for: cute card Thursday One layer card; ooh-la-la #167 Inspired by nature; crafty little fairies One designer paper and crafting by designs Anything Goes challenges.

Audiobook Review - Spitfire Girl by Lily Baxter. This book is read by Penelope Freeman. The story revolves around an orphaned girl who is initially working for a wealthy family, but a chance meeting in war torn London puts her life on a different path completely. At the start of the book Susan has just gotten a puppy from the vets and is having to hide it from the family she works for, whilst doing their cleaning, shopping and cooking. The dog is very quickly her best friend. A chance meeting in the town centre, after falling off her bike, allows her to get to know the young RAF soldier and his dad (who runs the local bike repair shop), and a friendship blossoms between Susan and the dad (Dave). Upon being kicked out of her home due to a situation with the fiance of one of the daughters, Susan goes to stay with Dave for a while, Unfortunately circumstances do not go her way and she soon finds herself without a home again.
Remembering the RAF soldiers offer of help she heads down to the village of Hambledon to find employment and lodging at the local pub. She soon becomes one of the family and her fortune changes for the better after she meets a rather trying and spoilt rich lady. This lady allows her to live her dream of flying, while she still manages to make a relationship with the RAF soldier.
I do enjoy period dramas and this one was very well written and well read. The accents were brilliant and it was always easy to recognise who was speaking. The story was humourous and serious, giving a glimpse into life during the war. A very good book to listen to on long journeys, and one I also think would be good in print.


Thank you for reading.
Hugz Tinz

Black and sweet birthday

I have to say that it has turned out to be a rather nice day today, even though the rain didn't seem like it was ever going to stop in the early hours! I managed to have a play in the front garden and get rid of the new set of weeds that are coming through! I have a new Gladioli starting to flower - a lovely rich purple it is. However, I did not get down to the allotment even though the weather was good enough, as the garden and shopping took longer than expected (and Chucky was refusing to go back into his cage!).

However, I did manage to make a birthday card. I noticed that I was running low in my stash, and as I do not tend to send Halloween cards I decided to use the Halloween colours for a birthday card instead.

A piece of black and white paper was cut to size, and inked over with orange before placing in the centre of an orange card blank. Two scalloped circles were die cut using the X-cut nesting dies and Bigshot - one on black card and one from orange papermania patterned paper (from the Sunshine collection). A scalloped circle two sizes smaller was cut inside the orange circle. A slightly large circle was then cut from packaging acetate, using a Sizzix thinlets die, to fit inside the aperture of the patterned circle. A cake image was stamped onto the black circle using versa mark ink and a free stamp, and heat embossed with a cosmic orange embossing powder. This came out slightly dark on the black card and with a green shimmer, so I used orange ink to add the orange sheen to the image. I layered the aperture circle over the image, using foam pads and filling with black thick glitter and orange seed beads, before layering onto the base card. To finish three orange flowers were added, according to the sketch below (from C4C258) and a sentiment.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:

Simon Says - Monday Challenge - O is for Orange

CASology - 117 Candy

Shopping Our Stash #173 Hello, Sweetie

craftycatz #251 Black and one other colour

allsorts - Embossing (heat)

613 Avenuecreate #93 CAS

scrapbook stamp society #52 Use Orange
alphabet challenge R for Round
Fussy and fancy #125 Orange and Black
Simply Create Too #72 Lots of orange
crafting by designs - anything goes
crafty calendar - BINGO (embossing, sparkle and sentiment)

Book Review - Black Gold by Frank Palmer. The main character is this mini crime novel is a complaints department policeman. Phil used to be an investigative officer until an assignment caused permanent damage to his leg and he feels lucky to have been able to get a desk job, although it is rather boring. However when two deaths that initially seem to be standard assignments, turn out to not only be linked to each other, but also to a murder investigation, 

Phil decides to drag his feet with the complaints investigations so that he can help out with the murder investigation. It is suspected that a religious charity is being used as a cover for smuggling and the original deaths are in connection with this. But Phil has to work hard to both keep himself on the case, and find out what has actually happened - and he hates using guns! 

This is a fast paced book with lots of twists and keeps you guessing. I enjoyed reading this book, and it is written so that you can put it down and be able to pick it up without having to go over what you previously read. This is a well written investigative crime book.

Thanks for reading

Hugz Tinz

Pink Christmas

I have gone for a vintage style Christmas card this time, all in pink just for October. I was going to put a snowflake circle around the poinsettia, but it turned out to be slightly too big to fit comfortably, so I used the slightly circler centre from the die-cut instead.

I made a backing paper using a 'Season's Greetings' stamp with red versa mark ink and stamping multiple times.This was layered onto red mirror card. A small lace strip was added across the centre (which is difficult to see in the photo) and the die-cut paper layered over this. A poinsettia was cut from pink and cream fabric using Brittania dies Large poinsettia die twice. This was added to the centre of the paper and a pearl added to the centre and pearls added to the bottom of the panel. Self-adhesive Christmas edges the panel with a pink glitter ribbon on the inner edge. The sentiment was stamped onto a scalloped circle and heat embossed with silver embossing powder and layered onto the panel.
I am entering this card for the following challenges:
live and love crafts #28 - Pink
Crafty Calender - BINGO (pearls, sentiment and die cuts; or Flowers, pink and sparkle; or embossing, sentiment and sparkle)
addicted to stamps #89 Anything Goes
jinglebelles Pink Christmas
fussy and fancy #124 Lots of pink
craftyribbons #104 Christmas past
deep ocean Christmas in October
crafty hazelnut Something Round
Winter Wonderland Lace and Pearls
CRAFT Christmas
artistic inspirations #113 Make your own background
Completely Christmas Poinsettia

And this sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday



Audio Book - Addition by Toni Jordan - Grace uses numbers to determine her life and has done since she was young, but then something went wrong and she lost her job and became classified as disabled. At the start of the book you see how important numbers are to Grace, who has to have certain times to do things, certain numbers of each item in her grocery shopping and set strokes to brush her teeth and hair. She also has a set routine for her daily outings and gets very stuck and begins to have panic attacks if the routine cannot be carried out correctly. She meets Seamus after stealing a banana from his basket one day and then bumps into him again later that week, when her routine threatens to fall apart. She becomes hooked on Seamus and stops relying on counting so much, and then Seamus suggests therapy. This is a very humourous story with a note of seriousness in it. It takes you from one extreme to the other before finally finding a middle ground, and it is a fun journey along the way. A brilliant, light-hearted listen for long commutes and a nice break from the more in-depth crime stories.

Last Man In Tower

I have another ATC collection for you this time. This is a Halloween themed collection, all using the same image from All Dressed Up, on a clean and simple base with a splatter pattern somewhere in the design. The collection is being entered into All Dressed Up Anything Goes and CASology Splatter challenges.

Boo #1 - One layer card (not the best I know and couldn't get a good picture of the image!!).

This was designed for the OLS #10 Turning to fall challenge. I got a splatter pattern background and added three stars to the centre. Circles were added to the centre of the stars and the ADU images separated into three sections - Boo!, the characters and 'did we scare you?' which were put into the circles. This was then printed onto white card stock. The characters were coloured with various shades of brown promarkers, and a splatter edge of orange ink down the left side. To finish a handmade by sticker was added.

This will be entered for:

SOS #172 Most Colourful Time of the Year

craft-room - Seasonal colours

Stella Says Sketch #215  (although I moved the strip to the centre).

Boo #2

A better capture of the image for this one! Watercolour pencils were rubbed onto white card in purple, orange and brown, and blended with water on a brush. Then a few red splatters of watercolour paint were flicked onto this area. A Halloween ribbon was added to the top (over the purple patch). Green, red, orange and purple inks were dabbed onto acetate and splattered with water, to which a square of card was pressed into. This gave a more intense splatter effect. The image, coloured with promarkers, was then layered onto this card, and all were added to the base.

This ATC is being entered for:

craftingbydesigns - Boo you scared me!

ilovepromarkers #240 Autumn colours.

audsentiments #117 Anything Goes

ALBC - BOO

sweetstampin' - Autumn

Catch the Bug Anything Goes

allsorts - Autumn

papertake weekly Anything Goes

Boo #3 - Lots of white space

For this ATC I used a pearlescent base card. To the left I drew lines of brown, orange and green with watercolour pencils and blended them together. Then I splattered red watercolour onto this and blended this in slightly also. The top monster fro the image was used, along with the 'boo' and was coloured using watercolour pencils. The brighter colours were done by applying water directly to the pencil nib, rather than blending afterwards. Finally two bat sequins were used to soften the edges of the image panel.

This is being entered to:

Simon Says -W ednesday - Use Watercolours

Simply less is moore Colour Combo - Autumns Bounty

AUDIO BOOK REVIEW - Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga.

This is set in a tower block in Mumbai and shows how people can change when the prospect of lots of money is involved. A builder offers to pay a large sum of money for the tower, as he has an image of what the area will look like in coming years and wants to be ahead of the game. Originally four occupants do not agree to sell, one out of mistrust of builders, one because she is blind and the building is well known to her, ad the other two because they want her to remain comfortable. Gradually three of these are convinced to agree to the sale, however misterji has had time to think and has also been threatened and determines that he will not be weak. The story looks at the lives of the main characters and this helps the reader to understand their perspective. There are some parts of the story that are not very nice and these show what people can do when pushed to it.

I started out thinking that the book was slightly boring, however it got going by the fourth or fifth cd as the story started to show the changes and how things interacted. Some things are not explained very well, and I was a little disappointed with the ending, as justice was not met, but all-in-all a reasonable story to listen to on long journeys.

Thank you for looking

Tinz

Boat on the Pond

Hi there,

It definitely felt like Autumn was here this morning. The temperature reading had gone from double figures at 6am (15 degrees) to less than 3 degrees, with slippery road warning, this morning!! Brrrr. However, the sun has come out again and I got a couple of hours digging in down on the allotment once I got back from work. I hate working weekends :( - 12 days on just sucks lol. (Too little crafting time).

Anyway, I managed to make a card yesterday thanks to the rain, and here it is:

I stamped the image onto plain card and coloured with promarkers. A pale orange, flowery paper (Papermania Capsule Collection - Summer) was layered onto green mirror card and then the image was layered onto this, using foam pads to make it stand out a little. This was then layered onto a floral patterned paper in blue (Country Diary free paper stack). A thin purple ribbon was wrapped around the top of this panel before attaching to a plain orange base card. 3D sparkly butterfly stickers were added above the image and sentiment underneath. To finish two pastel butterflies were placed to either side of the sentiment.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:

craft your passion - colour combination - purple, orange, green and blue

Passion for Promarkers - Make It Feminine

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Transport

C4C256 - Orange, purple and green

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Glitter n Sparkle - Beginning with B (Boat, Butterfly and Balloons)

CCM&M #124 Triple B (Butterfly, Blue and Birthday)

ooh-la-la #166 Use a Bow

alphabet challenge Q for Quadruple (4 butterflies and 4 b's (boat, balloon, butterfly, basket))

Hanna and Friends #206 Butterflies

Crafting by designs - Anything Goes

Thank you for looking

Hugz Tinz

Little 31

Hi guys,

I finally got round to trying out my Bigz Die that I ordered from the Sizzix website a while ago. I was very impressed with how well it cuts - both card and paper. I decided to make a hanging decoration with it and so cut two scalloped circles from double sided red/black card - one large and one small. I then die-cut the sentiment from green mirror card and again from Papermania Capsule collection Sunshine paper in orange and polka dot. I affixed the individual parts of the sentiment to the circles using spray adhesive and then added a Halloween ribbon to connect the two circles and allow the decoration to be hung from the ceiling. The ribbon was received in my ATC exchange.

This decoration is being added to the following challenges:
Crafty Little Fairies One designer paper
ALBC Boo!
Country View #20 Sparkle and shine (no glitter but lots of shine)
Delightful Sketches - What did you say?
crafty catz #249 All Sentimental
Divas by design Spooky
MIM Die-cuts and Punches
2cuteink #116 Halloween

             Aud Sentiments #116 Halloween

Polkadoodle Anything but square                           

AUDIO BOOK - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Although this was a very well written and read book it was not the sort of book I would choose to read for myself. As an audio book this was amusing as well as serious and was easy to listen to along the miles. The story is based around four sisters in the 1800's, one who is just approaching 'coming out' age, one who acts like a boy, one who is extremely generous and always thinking of others and the youngest who always tries to appear better than she is. The story goes through their lives detailing their everyday trials and also how they react in crises and how this helps them to develop.


Thanks for reading - hugz Tinz