Sunday 28 September 2008

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.




Saturday 27 September 2008

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!!



Thursday 18 September 2008

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,

Sunday 7 September 2008

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

Monday 1 September 2008

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