Thanks Karen

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind blogger’s aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight blogger’s who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
So I'd like to pass this award onto:=

All my crafting friends whose friendship I value immensely and the 'Bloggers" on Imag-e-nation who share their talents with us all.

Thank you Karen for awarding it to me. It is much appreciated.

Trees

I love all the tree stamps that are around at present and used mine with the shadow technique Jak showed us at Easingwold. Still manage to have a real fuss using the stamp placing set - usually get the first image on the wrong place on the plate - will eventually get the idea I'm sure.



Still I do really like this so it was worth the effort.

Where has the time gone

I've had a really strange few weeks with lots happening and much to get my head round - yes I know some people hate that phrase but it really does describe what I've had to do.
First I have had to come to terms with this being my last year as a teacher, I will be retiring at the end of this academic year - a year before I had intended but the alternative would have been to do a lot more teaching and have my SENCo job much changed. Was a really weird feeling for the first week or so but now I am really looking forward to having so much time to myself.

Then my 'baby' decided to go to University, but keep on her full time job in the Inland Revenue - only possible because she works flexi time. Means that I am having to do a lot more Murphy walking and evening meal cooking - perhaps it's just as well I'm retiring.

My son's boys are now both in the rock band 'Electric Nightmares' and have got through to the regional final of the Red Battle- a country wide competition. On Dec 2nd they will perform and then -if they get through - they will be in the finals in Liverpool. The ages of the band members are 13,13,16 and 17 so they are competing against bands who are older and more experienced. It would be amazing if they got through. They are also recording their second album with mainly their own songs.

I had planned to do some card making today but ended up backing stamps, putting Nesties into CD cases on magnetic sheet and clear stamps into CD cases too. My craft room looks much neater and stamps are ready to use but now need to find some more me time.

Sad Morning

I had an email this morning from my dear friend Jak (Crafter's Kitchen) to say that her dear Dad passed away peacefully last night. He had a fall last week and broke his hip, had to have an operation and then developed pneumonia. My thoughts are with her, her mum and her family.

Bits Box Card

I spent a large part of yesterday sorting out my papers and lots of folders and files. Got so many bits and a lot of things that I bought and have never used, or used a little of and then moved on. My tastes have changed so much over the past few years and my ideas and styles have developed so I ended up with a huge sack of 'rubbish' which went in the bin. I also have a large carrier full of stickers and papers and other bits and pieces that my neighbour - new crafter-might use.

At the end of the day I had gathered a few bits that had caught my eye and made up this 'Bitsa' card, just because I thought all the papers went well together.

Cake cards

The cupcake card - very girlie, lots of sparkle too. I've been thinking about getting these stamps for ages and finally succumbed.

This card is my Marks and Sparks Birthday Cake card - yes I know it doesn't look like a cake but it is testament to a crafter seeing materials in all manner of things. The polka dot card is part of the box that James' birthday cake came in and the ribbon was on the cake - washed and ironed. Voila my M&S Cake card!!




Stamps: Impression Obsession

Quilt Card

I received the papers today from QVC - a real bargain that was posted on our forum. As soon as I saw them I thought of this quilting - an idea from one of my blog hops and I can't remember where I saw it, so apologies to the originator.



I cut the squares with my nestabilities, stuck them on a backing card with a tiny dab of glue in the centre- well away from the path of the needle - then zig-zag stitched them along all the joins and the edges. Really love the result.

A Step Ahead

I seem to get so little time for crafting these days that when I had a day to myself I thought I ought to make my eldest grandson's birthday cards, even though it is still a month until the day.
The first one is from me and once again - what do you do for a 16 year old? Well he has just joined the Electric Nightmares Band as guitarist, keyboard player and vocalist so music was an obvious choice. I used the sheet music of 'The Entertainer' and typical 'man' colours.



The second is from Louise and I couldn't resist the cow stamp again - with slightly different wording and colour.



Message inside continues - '.... so just had to wish you a happy one'.

On a Happier Note

Today is my younger son's birthday and these are his cards.
This one is from me - I wanted something a bit different - have done the racing cars, computers, cats etc. so thought that plain and masculine might do the trick...........although I did add a bit of sparkle on the dots.



On Saturday we were in Papermill at York and spotted this stamp that we couldn't resist and it made a great card for Louise to give to James.



..... inside it says 'to wish you a Happy Birthday Brother'.

Stamps: PTI Rustic Branches Penny Black

One I Didn't Want to Make

Just a few weeks ago I posted a card which was for a friend who had had bad news. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer towards the end of August. This week he died, all very sudden and progressed far too quickly for any treatment to help. This card is for her and her two teenage boys.

Something Different

These birthday cards are very different from my recent makings. The first is using PTI Flower Garden and Marvy inks with a little Stickles (thanks Jak) in the flower centres and shadowing around the edges. Nestabilities circles for the sentiment which is from the same set.



The second came about when I was rooting through my 'bit' box and found a piece of printed, embossed vellum. Only small but used in an aperture cut and embossed with my Nestabilities - again.

Manchester and more

When in Manchester for our crafting weekend, seems ages ago now, I made this trinket box using Stampbord and a super lion's head stamp which is apparently out of production. Shame because I would have liked one.



I really liked the effect so used a similar idea to make my teenage grandson a birthday card but with a tiger's head stamp - so difficult to find something they will like.



This card is for a member of my team, a farmer's wife who is 60 this week. Used a watercolour image that was shared on the 'Imag-e-nation' forum, painted by Hilary's mum.



When you undo the ribbon and look underneath you can see how old she is!!

Busy Week.

Had a wonderful weekend in Manchester with crafting friends, especially Liz, Jak, Pam, Sue, Joy, Kath and Greta, and it was lovely to meet up again with old friends and some new ones.

Back to school Monday only to discover that Ofsted were coming for an inspection on Wednesday. Stacks of files, policies and paperwork to check and tidy and deliver to the room assigned for the inspectors - late nights Monday and Tuesday. Didn't help that one of the areas noted was Learning Difficulties and Disabilities, so was fully expecting to have everything scrutinised.

Wednesday arrived and by end of day I had had a nodded 'Hello' exchange with one of the inspectors as we passed in the Reception area. Nothing more. Wow - was that a good sign......or not?!?!

Head called a break-time meeting today to give us the results and we were given Grade 1 - Outstanding -for all five areas of inspection with - surprisingly?? - an overall Outstanding. So we can all breathe easily again.
That was my very last Ofsted as I will be retired before we are due another, so not a bad one to go out on.

Now I have developed a really bad sore throat and stuffy head. Just had Lemsip and going to bed with a supply of Strepsils. Hope it goes away. I have the family coming over for Sunday lunch and my son and his wife are bringing all the wedding photos. They have just got 195 proofs and a disc is coming shortly with several hundred more on it, in fact everything the photographer (my ex-daughter-in-law who has now qualified and started her own business) took on the day. Could be the entertainment for several family Sundays!

Perhaps next week I'll get time to make a card,

Remember

These cards are made with the new PTI stamps 'Remember' which I think are going to be amazingly versatile. I'm quite hooked on them.
The first is rather special, it's a Thank You card for parents who have given a generous gift to my department at school as their son has just left. He arrived at eleven, on the Autistic Spectrum, straight from a Speech and Language Unit where he had been since he was four. He didn't speak until he was eight and when he came to us he was quiet and quite tearful most of the day. This July he has left our sixth form, a confident young man, off to University. We are so proud of him.



This second is for a friend who has just received dreadful news. There are no words I can give her, just my love.



The third started as a practise piece. I don't have a Stampa-ma-jig so I stamped on acetate to help me decide on the place for the stamping. I actually liked what I ended up with and it is so completely different from the other cards.



Stamps: PTI Remember
Inks: PTI Poppy and Moss
Ribbons: PTI

Pink and Girlie

Not my usual style at all but this is for one of my teaching assistant's birthday and she is very definitely into pink, shoes and glitz. Think this just about meets the bill.

Stamps: PTI Pond Life

Punch: Martha Stewart

Flower: Prima

Machine stitched cards

I have been wanting to try machine stitching on cards for a while now but with my sewing machine tucked away at the back of the understairs cupboard............ However, having become thoroughly bored as I have had two days lying with my leg elevated - phlebitis - I decided that enough was enough and dragged it out.

The first card has straight stitching

and I got really adventurous with the next card and used zig -sag.

I really like the effect and although the stitching isn't perfect I'm quite pleased with the result.

Papers: Basic Grey on first card, K&Co on second

Stamps: PTI Pond Life  and Mixed Messages

Inks: Clearsnap Chalk Inks

Feel like Chris Hoy!!!

Well, without all the effort.....but......I've been awarded

the Artepico Award three times. Thank you Karen, Joanie and Cazz. 

I have to pass it on so need to do some thinking.

Bonnie Scotland

Have just spent the weekend in Scotland. Angela has lots of family near Glasgow and as many were unable to make the wedding they put on a Scottish reception for the newly weds. We all got to dress up in our wedding finery again and had a really nice evening.

Then on Monday my sister and I met up with Liz - McLiz - who showed us some of the wonderful architecture and squares in the city. We had a lazy lunch and a wander round the shops and finally said our goodbyes on Central Station - not for long though for Liz and I as we will be room sharing in Manchester for the craft weekend in just a couple of weeks.

 

Broke the trip home to stop for coffee at Gretna Green. Having visited Scotland on a number of occasions thought it was time we stopped and had a look at the famous Blacksmith's where so many eloping couples have tied the knot, although I think that most of the weddings there now are planned well in advance with family and friends making the trip too. 

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Thank You Card

Now that I've had time to recover from the wedding I've made the first draft of the 'Thank You' cards. The flowers at the wedding were initially burgundy and ivory but James and Angela added sunflowers - we all love them, real smiley flowers - so the final arrangements looked like this....


As I had used burgundy and ivory for the invites etc., I have used the sunflower with burgundy frame and sentiment for this card.



The bridal pair haven't seen it yet though it is flying off to Las Vegas via Louise's mobile so this may - or may not - be the final design.


The other card I have made today is rather more sombre, my cousin died last Friday and this is for his family. He was in his late eighties so although it is a sad time we do feel that he has had a good life.


Thank You card:

Anna Griffin stamp, Kraft card PTI

Sympathy Card:

PTI stamps

The Wedding

This day has been amazing. After all the wet weather we have had, the day dawned bright and sunny, and stayed that way. The venue was beautiful, Fountains Abbey, and the ceremony, held in the Great Chamber of Fountains Hall, was a delight with friends and family contributing with readings that had significance to the bride and groom.




My two grandsons read 'Us Two' from 'The House at Pooh Corner' and they did a great job.

This is my younger son James and his new wife Angela.

The best man is my elder son Sean.



I'm in the middle with my daughter Louise in red and my son's partner Clare on my other side.



And this is the cake I made and iced.
I was so thrilled as the chef sent a message to 'whoever had made the cake' saying that it was the best wedding cake he had cut in a very long time. Must have been the regular feeding with brandy that did the trick.

I'm so glad that everything went so well for them. What wonderful memories they will have of their wedding day.