Thursday 28 January 2016

Bring me Aliciabel

Hello again,

A second card this week:
The image is an Aliciabel image as I wanted to enter their challenge. I layered it over a background star from a CD-Rom package that came free with a Cardmaking with your PC magazine. The image is coloured with promarkers and the wording was just written in glitter gel pen.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
PFP 330 CAS
Aliciabel 14 Don't be a square

Here are some pictures of my baby mice to make you squeal :)















Finally an audio book review

Bring me home by Alan Titchmarsh

The story starts at the end, with a party and a confession about to occur. Then we go back in time and travel through the main characters past – Charlie Stuart – who owns a Scottish castle in the highlands. With plenty of ups and downs and lots of obstacles to overcome, this is a very interesting story, and you are constantly wondering what the confession that will change the lives of his grown children is going to be. The cause does not become evident until the last disc of the book, but the history is required to understand why it is such a big deal. Unfortunately I think Alan Titchmarsh is too well known and I didn’t find that his voice portrayed the emotions of the story very well, but the story itself is very captivating. A man of many talents.

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Candle, dino and dies

Hello everybody,

I was looking through my CDRoms yesterday and found this lovely image.
 As it is my mums 50th birthday later this year, I thought this would make a sweet birthday card. The pearlescent cardstock was pre-embossed, and the image was from a Crafters Inspiration CDRom, which I coloured with promarkers and then die-cut in the shape of a heart. I finished the card with a birthday cupcake, however I do not own a cake die of any sort - so I used a plant pot and ice cream top from my Quick Cutz dies and layered the elements into a cupcake with candle :) The patterned background is a Dreemees background.
I wouldlike to enter this card into the following challenges:
Simon says monday Love is in the air (love hearts)
CASology 182 Adore (love hearts)
Die Cuttin' Divas #250 Chocolate cake day
CCM #156 Punches or dies
Digi Chooseday #4 In Bloom
Hanna and Friends #240 Die-cuts
The Stamping Boutique Die-cuts or punches


Th technique in focus over on my facebook group is Candle Making this month - so I gave it a go. I did try to use food colouring to colour the candle as I forgot to get wax crayons, but it didn't work, so I have a white Ylang-Ylang candle lol. The instruction video can be found in the group.

I also need to decorate the jar, but I am going to try this one out and then maybe make some for my wedding if they work well :)

At the weekend I did manage to get down to the allotment briefly and edge one of my beds - this one has rock salts incorporated into it, and I will also add a layer of compost to raise the level of the bed.

Finally here is an update on my dino height chart - now at 52 hours:

Thank you for looking
Hugz Tinz

Saturday 23 January 2016

Legendary Engagement Card

Hello everybody,

This card has taken me a couple of days to make as I wanted an interactive card, but was also following a sketch, which meant that I ad to think about how I wanted to make the card work.
So I started off with these bits:
 Pink base card - patterned paper from a Forever Friends paper pad - sentiment from ATC exchange - die-cut toppers from Hunkydory - glitter ribbon and yellow twine.

I knew how the base would look, so this was quite quick to produce.
 But then I had to add the moveable piece. This part took the time, and I used a spare piece of Kraft card, about 1cm wide and 5cm long, and concertinaed it at 1cm intervals. This was attached behind the top image, and the top of the concertina above the 'with love' topper.
 So when you pull the twine, gently, you get this:
It does not work quite as well as I would have liked, but I will play around to make it smoother (currently it tries to lift the top image, rather than slide, initially).


The sketch that I was following is from Atlantic Hearts Sketch #143
Mod Squad love is in the air
C4C320 Add some pop
CCM #155 New
Aud Sentiment #147 Anything Goes
abc challange Z for Zero (no embellishments)
open-minded crafting #1 Something New (new beginning)
crafty calendar Something New
crafting by designs Anything Goes


Much of today was spent looking around for wedding cake options and lalcohlol prices for the reception, so I haven't managed to get much completed. However I did edge the bed that I dug over last week:
(PIC to FOLLOW).


Audio Book Review
My Legendary Girlfriend by Mike Gayle

I think this book would fall into the genre of comedy, which would explain why I found it quite difficult to listen to a lot of the time. It is about an English teacher called Will Kelly, who is still in love with his first proper girlfriend. Because he has been unable to move on, his only connection with the outside world, besides work, is the telephone, on which he speaks to his friend Alice, best mate Simon, previous tennent of his flat, Kate and Martina, his one night stand, as well as the ex-girlfriend. This story takes place over his birthday weekend, and is very over-the-top. Will is the sort of person that really winds me up and so a lot of the time I just wanted to smack some sense into him. However, if you are a comedy fan I think this story has a lot of twists and turns to keep you interested.

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Let It Snow

Hi there,

Here is a card suitable for the weather we had this weekend:

The rabbits loved it - they refused to come back in until I persuaded them with some veggies!! Unfortunately it did not last long enough for me to build an animal. I made an ant last year lol:

Anyway - here is my card for this fortnights challenge over at Creative Moments (always anything goes - optional theme of let it snow), using an image from Rick St Dennis:
I thought this image made a perfect snow queen. I coloured the image using promarkers and made an easel card for the base. Pearlescent card gives the sheen associated with snow, and so I used it for the top of the card, and the main snowflake. The centre of the felt snowflakes, used as the prop for the easel, were coloured with Papermania glitter markers in the same colour as the sentiment.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Quirky Crafts #1 Let's Celebrate
Card Mania #76 Winter Fun
scrapbook stamp society #83 Add three of something (Snowflakes)
Digi Chooseday #2 Cool Blues
Fussy and Fancy #155 Fashion -
Winner with sponsor 
polkadoodle Winter Birthday
stamping boutique Winter theme
ilovepromarkers #300 use something new (image)
artimpressions 175 Winter Wonderland

This is also inspiration for my facebook monthly theme group, which this month is Use three materials - This card uses paper/card, ribbon and felt.

I also have a fish tank update for you all:
Approximately 117 hours in!

Thank you for taking the time to look and I hope to see you over at the Creative Moments blog.

Hugz Tinz

Saturday 16 January 2016

Decoration Oblivion

Hello on another cold day - ut at least it is wintry now instead of being extra damp!


We have spent the day over in Leicester trying to organise bits for the wedding - provisional date of 19th March. Need to check with registry office etc before confirming though.

I have made a little glass bottle decoration today - not sure what t do with the bottle now though. Do I use it as a vase, or do something else with it?

Anyway - here it is:

I used a navy blue ribbon with white metallic thread running through it as the wrap for the bottle. The bottom flower was created with a sizzix die on orange patterned paper (stuck over Kraft card for stability), and the outer petals coloured with a navy papermania glitter marker. The second flower is a Marianne Creatables die and was cut from navy and white floral paper. A teal button was added to the centre of the flower to finish.

This decoration is to be entered into the following challenges:
CRAFT 346 Not a card
craftyribbons #141 Anything but a card
crafting by designs Jan- Anything Goes
country view #35 Inspired by bottles

And once again I have an AUDIO BOOK REVIEW
Oblivion by Arnaldur Indridason

This story is set in Iceland, near an American military base. When a body is found in a hot spring used for healing by several people the clues lead to the military base. However, being American land the Icelandic police find their investigation being blocked at the highest level. With no information being given as to the why, or if the base even considers the murder as anything to with itself, the Icelandic police are forced to use devious measures to find out the truth about what happened. At the same time, one of the newly recruited officers is looking into a cold case of a missing girl, and some hidden papers turn up a new route of enquiry. After all this time, the murderer will not wish to be brought to the light and so care is needed. A captivating book to listen to, with some very strong characters. It emphasises the restrictions caused by having foreign entities within an area, but also highlights co-operation to some degree. A worthwhile book to try.

Hugz Tinz

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Stitched up Bear

Here is another update for my cross stitching. The Dinosaur height chart is now at about 43 hours:

He is getting there slowly lol.

The final design from my Desk Calendar has finally been completed:
 This last design took 19 hours 45 minutes to complete! But she does look good :)


Here is the completed piece - now to decide what to do with it???


Thank you for looking
Hugz Tinz

Sunday 10 January 2016

Nancy's Heart

Hello again guys,

I have made my second Christmas card of the year. The only problem is I am going to end up with more cards than I will use. I obviously need more crafting friends. I do not like to give my cards to people that do not appreciate them, so end up giving hardly any away - I probably only used about 20 homemade cards this year lol.

So here is the card:
I went for a CAS design for this card. The stamped image came free with a magazine and I have heat embossed with red embossing powder. The centre is supposed to say 'With Love' but I chose to leave it blank so that the card can be personalised nearer the time. To finish I simply added a sentiment peel-off.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
simply less is moore #258 One Layer Flourish (the heart is made of flourishes)
jingle belles Something old, Something new (old stamp; new card blanks)
the card concept #46 A warm heart - CAS inspired by heart and red
abc christmas A for Anything Goes

I also popped down to the allotment today - I took some pics of how it looks now, and will take some each month so you can see how it changes through the year.
 Garlic crop

 Plot side 1
 Plot from top
 Plot side two
Today's work done

AUDIO BOOK REVIEW
Nancy’s War by Anne Baker
Nancy is married to an RAF pilot, but when he is killed in a silly accident her life turns upside down. Firstly she has to compete with her mother-in-law who has never liked her, seeing her as being below their standing socially, and harbouring a deep resentment. Secondly she has to cope with World War II, which leaves her on edge due to bombing close to home. She also has to deal with her father’s failing health and keeping her daughter Caro safe and educated. The more her father-in-law and his twin help her and her immediate family, the more the mother-in-law’s resentment grows, and Nancy has no idea how deep the hatred goes.

A good historical fiction, which is captivating and keeps you on the edge of your seat. With many sorrowful events throughout the book a happy ending is well received.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

Hugz Tinz

Friday 8 January 2016

Blue Nose Bear Birthday

Hello again everybody,

I have created a birthday card this time, as I have decided I actually need to make more birthday cards this year lol.

So here is my first birthday card of the year:
I went for a blue base card as everybody knows this little guy and his friends all have blue noses :) Plus blue felt perfect for the way I am feeling after falling down the stairs - not just once but twice in one week! Massive bruise on my backside, but I will spare you the picture :D

The teddy is a foiled peel-off, which was adhered inside a die-cut frame (using scalloped and plain oval dies. I used papermania glitter markers to add some sparkle to the frame. The ribbon was from my stash and over this I added a parchment butterfly, created using the free stencil from Papercraft Essentials 81, and the new parchment tools my mum got me for Christmas. I coloured the butterfly with papermania watercolour brush markers. Finally I added the sentiment, layering part of it onto the ribbon. This card used the sketch from catch the bug SSS#401


I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
SOS #233 Colour me monochromatic
winter wonderland Spring is in the air
abc-challenge Y-Your Choice
OLL #195 Girlie
artistic inspirations #147 Winter Blues
Quirky crafts #1 Let's quirky celebrate

This card also fits the theme for my Monthly Themes for Crafting facebook group - three different materials used (any craft counts). It would be great to see some of you joining in also!

And here is an update for my fish tank cross stitch - just over 116 hours


Thank you for looking
Hugz Tinz

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Nurse Mouse

Hello everybody,

The new year has started properly now, and we have lost a good colleague at work. When I saw this image at QKR stampede I knew it would make a perfect new job card. This is also my first challenge as a DT member over at Creative Moments where the twist for the next two weeks is (always anything goes) New Beginnings.



I added glitter strips in the traditional nursing colours of red and white, and also added a computer generated sentiment and some four-leaved clover sequins, as a sign of good luck. Unfortunately I think if it was not for the fun image and sentiment on this card it would be quite disappointing, but I am not sure if I am being over-critical, as we can be of our own work, or if there is actually something missing?

It is certainly a fun CAS card that was reasonably quick to make - the colouring took the longest (which was done using Promarkers).

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges also:
Digi Chooseday Week 1 CAS
crafty calendar Something new (digi stamp)
Simon Says Monday Something new
CASology 179 Simple
LOC #111 All things new
allsorts What's new?

Thank you for looking
Hugz Tinz

Monday 4 January 2016

Height chart update

Hi guys,

Thought I would pop on quickly with an update of my height chart. It is now at 41.5 hours!


Check back on Wednesday for my first DT post :D

Hugz Tinz