Just Thinking of You

Good afternoon and welcome to the blog today.

I've been posting scheduled posts for the past few days as I've managed to put my back out good and proper but glad to say I'm able to get back into the craft room for short spells before caving in and heading back to bed. 😳

I recently bought a selection of Woodware stamps from the lovely Paula at the Stamp Hut and I couldn't wait to pop some ink on them.

This one is called Going to Seed (JGS300) and I loved the airy feel to it that allows colour to pop through or gives the option of adding your own colours. It comes with two sentiments one of which I've used on my card and another that says 'Especially for you' so it covers a wide range of occasions. 

I hunted out some of my older acrylic paints and got to work creating various backgrounds and using whatever came to hand to give depth and dimension without actually adding anything else if you know what I mean.

I've used DoCrafts Artiste Rouge and Dusty Rose with Anita's Lemon Yellow for this one. 

I stamped the images with Versafine Onyx Black which gives great coverage and really pops against the background.

Some black card to back the piece, a narrow black ribbon and a couple of black pearls completes it. 

I hope you enjoy this change of pace and materials today.

Have a good weekend whatever your plans and catch you soon!

A Calendar - at last!

Hi and good morning. Hope you are looking forward to a super weekend and that the awful high winds have settled down a wee bit.
The window in my craft room and lately my front bedroom have started wailing like banshees and this weather has really shown up the fact that they need resealed.
Our 'door and window' man came out on Thursday morning and started work to sort them out. It turned out that we needed new hinges on the front window as well as we could feel a draft and hear traffic noise to boot. Graeme was quick in getting us back to peace and quiet once more thank goodness.
Just in case you live in N. Ireland and need UPVC repairs here's the details. I have Graeme's permission to share them with you.

Graeme's UPVC Window Repairs - Graeme Hill 02893 355617

I'm not able to sit too long in one spot as my fibro has hit my lower back again. I am sick and tired of these episodes but they're showing no sign of a let up, so I'll just have to ride them out for now.
Great big hugs to fellow sufferers out there. The pain we all experience is not visible, we can't wear a plaster and there's nothing to see and therefore we look perfectly ok on the surface but as we know it can be a totally life-limiting condition. At the moment I look like a stick of candy cane, though sadly not as slim so I'm a real picture. It'll pass - it always does, but my heart goes out to those with similar problems. Thank God for crafting. If I didn't have something to take my mind off it I don't know what I would do.

Here's my latest project. I have at last managed to make a super quick calendar for my craft room.

As you know I'm always rabbitting on about not wasting anything, so I have used the 'Ladies in Scarlet' image left over from my printing session the other day. I cut it with a large square Spellbinder die and matted it onto plain coral cardstock. It's almost completely hidden but I've used a piece of white cs stamped with my Hero Arts 'Delicate Blossoms' stamps in slate grey Adironack die ink as a base for the calendar.

I've cut several layers with my Go Kreate XXL Frilly #2 dies, popped on the printed image and glued an easel to the back. It doesn't look very glamorous but it works a treat. It's one of the Tim Holtz alteration dies that I just couldn't be without now.

I've used Marianne design dies and an X-Cut birch leaf embossing punch for the foliage. The plain cs is from DCWV and I found a rich teal and coral combo that worked well with the image. The flowers are from my stash - sadly I didn't have any poppies but used a red gardenia instead. 

I've entered this into the Ooh La La Challenge #95 which is Anything but a card.

Sorry for the long post, I did get a bit side tracked. Hope you have a great weekend and see you soon