Stitching and more stitching :D

Hi there,

I wanted to show you the recent cards I made for a couple of members in my Round Robin group. The idea was to make a cross stitched Christmas card that could be used as a decoration, with the theme of Christmas Zoo. So here are the two I made:

I made them both into hanging decorations as you can see, and made the cards using patterned papers and a few Christmas embellishments only. They took just over 9 hours to complete the pair.

I would like to enter them for the following challenges:

LOC Anything Goes

catch the bug Penguin parade (ok second card)

ABC Christmas Z for Zoo

my time to craft #311 Last minute Christmas

I have also got updates for both of my large cross stitch designs:

Height chart @ 39 hours

Fish tank @ 115 hours 20

Thank you for looking,
Hugz Tinz

Christmas Index

H everybody,

Hope you all had a good Christmas? I am back with my first Christmas card ironically enough lol.

I wanted to create a Christmas scene, without using too many Christmas elements. The images were off a CDRom that came with Cardmaking with your PC 25 I think. The image of the girl on the swing was coloured with promarkers before adding to the tree. Two bells were added to the bottom of the swing and a Christmas hat to the top to make the card more festive in appearance. I also added tinsel and baubles to the tree using papermania metallic and glitter markers. A quick CAS card, which certainly cannot be classified as 'Traditional' lol.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:

CASology 178 Merry

PFP 326 Let's Celebrate

mod squad Anything Goes

cute card thursday 405 Anything Goes

craftyhazelnut Anything Goes

glitter n sparkle #168 Glittery, sparkly Christmas
abc Challenge X-Xtreme (bright colours)
my time to craft #311 Last minute Christmas makes
Stamping Boutique Anything Goes
creative card crew 103 Anything Goes
scrapbook stamp society #81 Christmas
country view #34 Create a scene
vs sweet ideas #41 Non-traditional Christmas colours

I also have a book review:

The Fear Index by Robert Harris

A story about developing computers to allow them to use their own initiative without having to be given explicit instructions. When Alex, the president of a very successful hedge fund using his own technology to manage investment trade, is attacked at his high security home, by somebody who has the security codes things start to take a downward slide. He has to find out who is impersonating him, somebody who knows his closest secrets, and why. He also has to stop them before major damage occurs.

This book keeps you on the edge of your seat, and it is quite believable that machines could develop in the way the story implies, if given the right programming initially. It plays on your own fears of artificial intelligence as well as the much more common occurrences of identity theft and fraud. Well written and fast-paced, but the ending could have had a little more information. The story is left quite open. A good overall read.

Thank you for looking

Hugz Tinz

Blind Snow

Hi there,

Sorry it has been a while since I posted. It has been a very busy week with birthdays and visiting people, so I have spent very little time at my computer. However, I have made this snow themed card this evening:

I got these butterflies about a year ago and have not had any inspiration to use them.However for this card I followed the Atlantic Hearts Sketch #139 , and used a snowflake glitter vellum for the centre panel. I then inked two felt snowflakes using pretty colour ink pens in purple and blue. I also added some glitter using papermania glitter pens in purple and blue. Leaves were added, with more glitter, to make the snowflakes into flowers.The butterfly was added to the centre, with the wings folded up to give a 3D effect. Finally snowflakes were punched from silver paper and added as accents to finish. I think this has a real wintry feel with the colours and the sparkle!

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Live and Love Crafts  #42 Sparkle

crafty calendar Let it snow

inkspirational #98 Bah Humbug (not a Christmas card)

alphabet challenge V for Vintage

CCM #154 Snow
SOS #231 Let it snow
modsquad Anything but Christmas
allsorts 342/3 Anything But Christmas

Audiobook review

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

This story is written from the point of view of the main character, Iris, when she is an elderly woman, looking back on her life. The story is based around events that led up to her sister Laura’s untimely death. The girls are brought up by their well-off businessman father, who owns several factories in Canada, but the depression after the first world war causes trouble, and leads to Iris being asked t marry Richard to save the factories. Ultimately Richard and his sister betray all that they have promised, and Iris is writing it all down so her granddaughter can finally know the truth about her family and her real father.

The Blind Assassin part of the book is a story within the story, and is one that Alex, who has won both girls hearts, tells to his mysterious lover, and which is then published in Laura’s name by Iris, several years after Laura has committed suicide.

Parts of the story are interesting, and the inner story is very intriguing, but it does tend to meander through certain parts of the story. Also the description on the back of the book made me think they were looking into Laura’s death in the story, which obviously was not the case. However, most of the story keeps you interested, and so is good to listen to.

Thank you for looking

Hugz Tinz

Unusual colours for Christmas

Hi there,

I have been making more Christmas cards. First up is a purple Santa card:

I used a papermania cling stamp for the image, and coloured with Promarkes. The base is just a cheap patterned card base, with a blue Christmas paper across the middle, and the sentiment came free about three years ago with a Christmas magazine.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
The Challenge - APWP Sketch

i love promarkers #298 Anything Goes
crafting by designs Here come the holidays
CRAFT 341 Christmas
crafty hazelnuts christmas 259 Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin' Christmas presents (in Santas sack!)
Artistic Inspirations #146 Christmas
scrapbook stamp society #81 Christmas
creative card crew 102 Holiday season
deep ocean #118 Santa Claus is coming to town
ABC Christmas Y for Youngsters (colour scheme)
Hanna and friends #237 christmas in unusual colours
jingle belles Christmas
addicted to stamps #115 Christmas
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Father Christmas
Card Mania #75 Christmas

Thank you for looking - some Cross Stitched projects coming soon!

Hugz Tinz

Planted kitty

Hi there,

I have made a card using one of my cross stitches that I made up earlier in the year, of a little kitty in a plant pot. I just added the stitched design behind a pre-printed aperture card.

I hope you like this cutie as much as I do :)

I would like to enter him for the following challenges:

SOS #230 UFO's - stitching and base card

papertake weekly FUN FUN FUN

glitter n sparkle #166 Anything Goes

crafting by designs Anything Goes

Here is an update on my fish tank @ 114hrs 10.

Thank you for looking - up next - Christmas lol.

Thanks for looking,
Hugz Tinz

Wyrd Elephant

Hi there,

Here is my second creation for the week of Chaos over at Catch the Bug, which was a sketch:

And here is my card:

I covered a plain white base card with a pearlescent holly paper from Papermania. I then used glitter strips to add the definition to the base. The doily-like die-cut came with an ATC and I stamped the elephant image (which is a Crafter's Companion image) and holly onto plain white card using Papermania metallic markers, which actually worked quite well. I then coloured them using promarkers - metallic red gold, cool grey 2&3, Plum Preserve, Antique Pink, Mint Green and Poppy. Finally the sentiment was stamped using the purple matallic Papermania pen and purple glitter, and a deep purple bow added to finish.

I would also like to enter this card for these challenges:

PFP325 Christmas Tree

Winter Wonderland Holly/Ivy

Crafty Hazelnuts 258 Time to decorate

C4C315 Oh Christmas Tree

artistic inspirations #146 Christmas
CCM #153 'Twas the night before Christmas (Not a creature was stirring)
scrapbook stamp society #81 Christmas

jingle belles Christmas
my time to craft #310 Christmas Animals
addicted to stamps #115 Christmas
card mania #75 Christmas

Audio Book Review

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Prachett

This is a story about Witches and Kings. If you know these books then this story is based around the three witches – Magrat, Nanny Og and Granny Weatherwax (not sure if these are spelt correctly lol). When the King of Lancrah is murdered, the witches help to spirit his baby son away from the castle and keep him safe. They will not meddle in the affairs of kings however, until the kingdom lets it be known that it is not happy with the current ruler and wants the crown to change hands. Then the witches must use some inventive magic to bring the rightful heir to the thrown back, to claim his crown.

I cannot read the Discworld novels but find them to be very entertaining in audio book form. It is the style of writing that stops me from becoming engrossed in the story, but this is bypassed when somebody else is reading. This was a very amusing book that turns many ideas about witchcraft and kings on their heads.

Thank you for looking,

Hugz Tinz

Here comes Santa Claus

Hi there,

I noticed that Catch the Bug have their week of chaos again this year, and while I never have enough time to do an entry for each day, I thought I would at least try to do today's and tomorrows themed cards. So here is today's card:

I received this image of Santa with one of the ATC's from the group I am in. I decided this was a perfect image for a Santa Claus is coming to town theme. I layered him onto gold mirri card and some poinsettia patterned paper, that were die-cut with X-cut nesting dies -large ornate frames. I also followed the rule of thirds for this card - as the technique in focus over at Crafting Techniques - by placing the image in the top third of the card, and the sentiment in the bottom and left third. The image is also compiled according to the rule of thirds.

The sentiment is three peel-off's stuck onto a circle die-cut from the poinsettia paper, and three red diamantes were added to finish the card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Card Mania #75 Christmas

polkadoodle Traditional Christmas

jingle belles Happy, Happy Holidays (not actually a challenge this time)

Deep Ocean #118 Santa Claus is coming to town

Artistic Inspirations #146 Christmas
Catch the Bug Here comes Santa Claus
Suzy Bee #109 An outdoor scene
Creative Corner Challenges Sparkle and Shine
allsorts 340 CAS

Thank you for looking,

Hugz Tinz

The Last Creature

Good evening,

As promised here are a couple of new - non-card - creations and an update on my height chart cross stitch.

Firstly here is my amigarumi bluebird:

This is my first crochet animal and I am very pleased how he has turned out! I would have preferred black eyes, but these were all the local wool shop had. I would like to add this little guy into the crafting by designs Anything Goes December challenge.

Next is the completed cross stitch for November - a leaf sweeping doggie:

This little guy will be made into a card at some point.

And here is the Dino update at 25 hours

I tried a Western story from the library this time - as an actual paperback book - and here is my review:

The Last Ride by Thomas Eidson

This is a western, which is not my usual genre. The storyline is about a dying man who left Western ways to join with the Indians, but now as he is nearing his time of death, he has gone back home to his daughter, to try to explain and die with a clear conscience. Unfortunately his daughter wants nothing to do with him. That is until her oldest daughter gets kidnapped by some Apache Indians, and it seems that this old man is the only one who is able to track them successfully.

This was a very good book, which looks at a lot of different problems that can arise between people, because of culture, religion and belief. The twists and turns of the story keep you guessing, and the author really allows you to get to know the main characters, while keeping the kidnappers at a distance, ensuring that they are seen as completely bad throughout the story, while others go from a bad to a good perspective. If you like Western style adventure stories then this is a good one.

Thank you for looking,

Hugz Tinz

Vintage Winter Birthday - PLUS great news!

Hi there,

It is the beginning of December (just in case you had not figured that out for yourselves), and I have a new challenge and a new technique in focus over on facebook. I have made a card that incorporates both the challenge and the technique. So here is my card:

There are two pictures because I couldn't get the picture steady without the flash, but you cannot see the butterfly properly with the flash. The image was found on google and can be found here - http://freevintagedigistamps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/free-digital-stamp-umbrella-hat-lady.html. I coloured the image with Promarkers - Polar Blue, Winter Berry and Icicle from the Winter Ltd Ed. and Cobalt Blue, Fuschia Pink, Arctic Blue, Pale Pink, Primrose and Lemon from Set 2. I used these colours to give a vintage, winter feel to the summery image. I then added peel-off's from the me-to-you range for the snowflakes on the image, and from my general stash for the sentiment and butterfly.

The Technique in Focus that this card uses is - THE RULE OF THIRDS. Please find more details at crafting techniques.

The challenge at Monthly Themes for Crafting is an inspiration photo this month:

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

addicted to stamps #114 Anything Goes

alphabet challenge U-Under the weather

digi chooseday Winter Birthday

creative card crew 101 Cold Outside

CRAFT 339 Winter
LOC #106 Nothing square (image is rectangular)


GREAT NEWS
I have been accepted to become a DT member over at Creative Moments. This will be my first actual DT position and I am really looking forward to it :)

I will post later in the week with stitching updates and my finished Amigarumi bluebird - watch this space lol.

Hugz Tinz