Sunday 29 March 2015

Easter Treats

Hello everybody,

I am very disappointed with the weather this morning! It has done nothing but rain, so no allotmenting for me! However I have created this Easter card:
The Smirk bunnies were stamped directly onto a patterned card blank and coloured using promarkers. The Tatty Teddy topper and sentiment finish the card with a pearlescent sheen. A quick and easy card to make.

I wish to enter this card for the following challenges:
The Stamping Boutique Easter challenge
Hanna and Friends #218 Easter
alphabet challenge C for Cute and Cuddly
Deep Ocean #100 Easter/Spring
aud sentiments 128 Anything Goes
glitter n sparkle #130 Easter
C4C279 Think Spring
modsquad Easter challenge
allsorts feature a creature
cute card Thursday #366 Easter
ilovepromarkers 262 Easter/Springtime

Thank you for stopping by to look at my creation.

Hugz Tinz

Saturday 28 March 2015

Colour Twist

OK so I decided to make a Christmas card but taking inspiration from TPE291 photo challenge: . Therefore I chose to use the colours from this cookie basket to create an unusual Christmas card.

I dry embossed a piece of orange coredinations card, but did not rub the raised areas. A floral embossing folder was used as I could not find my snowflake folder, but I think that it works quite well as a snowflake idea. This panel was wrapped with snowflake ribbon from papermania and added to a pastel green card blank. The image is an Anita's christmas stamp which I had been struggling to use, but I thought it would look good with the colour scheme, so used a pretty colour pink inkpen. Finally I spelt out YULE on separate pieces of Papermania 12 days of Christmas music themed paper (music scale and drummers) and attached these over the join. Two felt snowflake finish the card off nicely.
The other challenges that inspired this card are:
Winter Wonderland Embossing challenge
craftyhazelnut 222 Stick it anyway you like
abc christmas F is for Frosty challenge (snowflakes)
AI Spring Colour challenge
jingle belles Fa-la-la-la-la (musical paper for sentiment)
simply create too #82 Anything Goes

I did manage to get down the allotment during my week off, although we did also visit relatives. So here are some allotment pictures:
Frog Spawn in pond

Gooseberry bushes

Non-existent Garlic
 The Garlic was planted back in Autumn and so should have fresh growth coming through now - but as you can see from the picture there are only a few weeds!!
Fruiting area

Potato Bed after planting

Thank you for looking.
Hugz Tinz

Monday 23 March 2015

Bugs in Turquoise

Well the weather has deteriorated again today. I did manage to get to the allotment for a little bit though and planted a new redcurrant bush, whilst getting the grass out from around some of the existing fruit bushes. Couch grass is a nightmare to get up when it is that close to plants!!

I have made a card for my monthly themes for crafting Facebook group, which is themed Turquoise and one other colour.

This was a simple card to create, but I like the affect the two colours have on one another along with the geometric backing paper used. The paper was layered onto mirror card straight onto a white base. Nested dies were used to cut the sentiment layer using mirror card and plain white card. The sentiment was stamped onto the white layer using papermania ink (to which I had to add water to get it to ink the stamp!). Quickcutz dies were used to cut the bug parts first out of turquoise card and then out of tin foil, which were swapped to create the contrast.

This was made in accordance with the following challenge themes:

Here is also an update for my fish tank - 84 hours:

I will hopefully be doing some more on this later today - but first I have to do some work in the front garden!!! I thought holidays were for doing what I wanted to do :(.  Ok I may have wanted to do the front garden if the sun was shining nicely - but it is not  *sulking*.

Oh and another update - here is the start of the bathroom make-over!
I know it is not perfectly straight, but as it is sea-themed I do not think it really has to be. There will be some sea horses added in between, but I want a darker and more turquoise paint before I do those. Unfortunately it would seem that this paint is not water-proof so I also need to 'seal' these shells. But it is a start!

Thank you for looking.

Hugz Tinz

Sunday 22 March 2015

Sweet Tattoo

Hi there,

I am now on holiday from work for a week - yippee. Even better - the sun has been out and it has been a lovely day. I did some work on the allotment once I finished work and then made a couple of cards. This card is called Sweet Birthday:

I used a patterned base card and then fussy cut round the design of a turquoise patterned paper to make a patterned edge. The image was a free stamp with a magazine, which I stamped using Whispers 'soft moss' ink pad. I coloured this with watercolour pencils and blended with a paintbrush. The image was die-cut in a floral circle and layered onto the card. The sentiment and cupcake bubble stickers finish the card off.

This card used the SSW2 sketch 48
papertake weekly Happy Anything
allsorts 303 cakes and cupcakes
audsentiments 127 Two word sentiment
The Card Concept #31 Cupcakes - using the Classy and Elegant style - rich colours, sophisticated sentiment, shiny and layered.
fussy and fancy #135 Girly
polkadoodle Birthdays
addicted to stamps #100 Celebration
Country View Anything Goes
vs sweet ideas #32 Watercolour

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This book was originally written in Swedish and translates to ‘Men who hate Women’ which I think is a more apt title for the book, as the girl with the dragon tattoo is not the main character, although she is a major character – nor is she the focus of the book, and the emphasis is never put upon a single tattoo.
The main part of the story is about a reporter who is prosecuted for libel and because of this he ends up taking on a freelance project. The task is to try and find out what happened to a girl who went missing over 30 years previous. The story jumps between the reporter and Salander (the girl with the tattoo) who is an investigator for a security firm, and seems to have a subtle form of autism. Eventually the two meet up and work on the case together, leading to threats and danger from somebody within the family, and stumbling upon a completely different mystery. Needless to say they manage to solve both mysteries. Throughout the book there  are many men encountered who feel that it is their right to abuse women, one way or another, and this is a prominent part of the story, hence my belief that the original title is more fitting.

This is a very good book and it is well read. I would love to have the Swedish version re-translated though as apparently the English version has been ‘prettied up’. The book is rather graphic in some places, but this helps the reader to understand the extent of the crimes committed. I was a little disappointed in the ending as it seems to have changed Salander slightly and it seems a little harsh! However, I will now have to read the remaining two books in the series. A very interesting and captivating read.


Hugz Tinz

Tuesday 17 March 2015

Feminine Blood

I have an ATC collection and a cross stitch Christmas cake band that I have finished.

First the 'Butterfly Words' ATC collection:

This collection is so called because of the butterfly made of words stamp used on two of the cards. The background images are from FrouFrou and were perfect bases for a feminine ATC collection. Then the butterflies were stamped using sizzix butterfly stamps, and the sentiment added according to the base.
This collection was inspired by several challenges - the main five being:
Simply Less is Moore OLC Add an animal.
CASology 138 Blossom
CCM #134 For a special Woman
Art Impressions #155 Vintage Vibe
Live and Love Crafts #33 Photo Inspiration (pink blossoms)






And here is the cake band:
I wish to enter this crafted item into the following challenges:
crafting by designs Get Ready For Christmas
CRAFT 302 Christmas
abc-challenge F for Festive
crafting by designs Anything Goes


Finally a book review - Blood Sport by Dick Francis
Gene Hawkins is about to start his holiday when he gets an invite out by his boss, which means that something is amiss. Gene is asked to investigate a stolen horse, the second from the same owner, that the authorities can find no clue about. Initially Gene does not want to take the assignment however, when somebody tries to kill the man in question he changes his mind. If anybody can find the horses it is Gene.
This is a fast paced story with a good storyline. The characters are very strong and work well together making for a very interesting read. I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a non-murder, crime story.

Thank you for looking
Hugz Tinz

Saturday 14 March 2015

Poodles and Bows

I have another 'kiss-stamping' attempt today - I think I need some larger bold stamps for this technique to work properly!

This is another CAS birthday card:
The green base card has an embossed border. I used an outline 'Happy Birthday' stamp in a dark green pretty colour ink across the centre of the card. I then added a sentiment verse underneath in a metallic ink (it is difficult to read in this picture unfortunately but does read 'when you care enough..you make it yourself'). I inked a bold flower stamp in the dark green pretty colour ink, and then inked a crackle effect stamp in the green metallic and kissed the two together before stamping the flower twice onto the cardstock. Finally a green bow was added above the sentiment.
This is being entered into:
Simon Says Monday B is for...Bows and Birthday
modsquad Flowers
polkadoodle Birthdays
creative moments 63 Spring Greens
creative card crew 82 Green
artistic inspirations #126 Greens
card mania #66 Spring

I have also just finished the fourth cross stitch of the year - a loving poodle:
This took 17 hours to complete!!! I now have to decide what to do with this little guy. But he definitely fits the following themes:
catch the bug Spring into Spring
country view #26 Anything Goes

Thanks for looking.

Hugz Tinz

Thursday 12 March 2015

Typing Birthday

I have made a CAS, one layer, Birthday card tonight using the Kiss Stamping Technique, for my crafting techniques facebook group.
I used a pre-embossed base card, and inked over the embossing using a green metallic versa mark ink pad. I then inked up a 'Happy Birthday' sentiment and kissed it with a crackle glaze background stamp, to give a crackle effect to the sentiment. It would probably have worked better with a darker ink. Finally I added a silver bow (as I found out I do not own a green one!).
So this card is going to be entered for:
OLS 14 Words, words, words
Creative Moments 63 Spring Greens
aud sentiments 127 Two Word Sentiment
sweet stampin' Green
C4C276 Put a bow on
simon says monday B is for....Birthday (and Bow)


Update on my fish tank stitching:



Finally - this weeks audio book review is:
The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
This is apparently book number 4 in a series about the No1 ladies detective agency, however it is the first one I have listened to. The title of the story has very little to do with the plot itself, only lending itself to a third of the storyline, however the title probably relates to the one thing that is different in the layout of the story.
The story is based around the No1 ladies detective agency in Botswana, which has recently moved premises to the main detective’s fiancés garage grounds, whilst he was ill. This has been very well received by both businesses and so continues through the book. The detective agency is called upon to work two different cases through this story, one for a man who wishes to right some wrongs he committed as a young boy, and one to track a wayward husband (who happens to be flirting with the assistant detective). The assistant detective is trying to figure out a way to make more money, due to having a disabled brother to look after, and about halfway through the book comes up with a typing school for men, as she is a graduate herself. It is through this typing school that she meets the man in question. Also throughout the book the problems of foster kids, and an amusing side story with the garage apprentices are played out.
The storyline is quite good, however I found the writing style to be very young and frustrating. I am not sure if it was the way it was being read, or actually the way it was written, as correct English and grammar was used throughout. Also, full names are used all the time, which is a little long in the tooth. It may just be that this is a little more old fashioned than the books I am used to reading/listening to, but I do think that without the amusing and interesting storyline I would have found this book difficult to keep listening to.

Sunday 8 March 2015

Turquoise Christmas

I have made another Christmas card this weekend, along with planting seeds and preparing allotment beds. So here is my card:
I wanted to enter this into a 'Make your own background' challenge, but did not want to use stamps or inks as is typical (and as I usually do if I am making my own background). So instead I used a metallic purple base card, embossed and trimmed the opening edge, and die cut a snowflake and poinsettia. Then I added turquoise glitter card behind to emphasise the effects, and used a Sizzix edging die to create a patterned glitter edge. Finally I used a decoupage sheet for the Christmas Tree topper, which I had in my stash for a few years.
Here is the background on its own:
This was created for the mod squad Make a Background challenge.

I also decorated the inside of the card in the Turquoise and Purple card:
For this I covered the inner flap with an aquamarine/turquoise paper, and added the die-cut snowflake from the card base. Then the sentiment was layered onto purple swirl patterned paper on glitter turquoise.

This card is being entered into:
Papertake Weekly Anything Goes
completely christmas Suitable for a male
613 Avenue Create #114 Aquamarine
Glitter n Sparkle 127 Decorate inside and outside of card
jingle belles A very vibrant christmas - picture

abc christmas E for edging die
crafting by designs Anything Goes

Tuesday 3 March 2015

Have I been drinking?????

Hi guys,

I have made a new ATC collection for you all this time. Firstly I need to apologise for the pictures as my memory card for the camera has gone funny and so I had to use the faulty camera on my phone!! I think the camera may have had a few too many.

Anyway, here is the collection:
 These are all based around the SSW2 sketch and use this months free 2 cute ink image for their Spring challenge #124.  The sketch has been rotated and adapted for each ATC. The image was coloured using Promarkers, and the Kraft card was embossed using various floral embossing folders, and then die-cut into appropriate shapes.

The collection is also being entered into the following challenges:
craft your passion Anything Goes
ilovepromarkers #258 Animals
suzy bee #69 embossing
glitter n sparkle 126 Anything Goes
Digi Choosday Anything Goes
card mania #66 Spring



 These two bright ATC;s can be entered into quirky crafts challenge 5, Pretty in Pink.


These two pale versions of the ATC fit the challenge at Fussy and Fancy, #133 Tic Tac Toe - embossing, ribbon and pearls

Sunday 1 March 2015

Man and Loom

On my crafting techniques facebook page, February's technique in focus was Loom Weaving. Unfortunately my loom is missing pieces and so does not work very well, and I could not find my wire-work loom, so this took me quite a while to accomplish. However, here at last, is my bracelet, with the centre-piece being woven on a loom.

I am going to enter this into the following Anything Goes challenges:
This is a close-up of the woven section:

Audiobook Review
Man and Wife by Tony Parsons
This story focuses on the life of a TV producer. He has a son with his ex-wife and a step-daughter with his current wife. His wife is focusing on her career and so is spending a lot of time out of the house, his step-daughters father is very unpredictable, his ex-wife wants to move their son to America, his mother gets breast cancer and his main career focus hits the rocks. Then he meets a lovely lady, who seems to be everything that he ever wanted.

This is a humorous story with true to life events and it makes you reassess how you look at your own relationships. It is quite in-depth with how it shows what he is feeling and informs you of his thoughts also. It is very easy to see the situations happening in real life, which makes it a very good book to listen to on long journeys. I am not sure if it would be as interesting to read, but it is certainly interesting to listen to. My only issue is that it is a UK based story but there seems to be a few Americanisms dotted throughout which are a little off-putting.