Lots to Do is Back!

How I have missed the Challenges on this site over Christmas - the people are so friendly and I feel as if I know them personally now.  It was good this morning to see a new challenge posted on Lots to Do - "Winter Wonderland" was the theme - very topical with all the snow that is blanketing the UK at the moment.

Instead of digging out my Christmas stamps again I turned to my stamps from the Far East as I knew I had this stamp (Hiroshima in Snow by Stamp Francisco) which would fit the bill exactly.  I stamped the image in black and embossed it, then I mounted it on black and white thin cardstock and finally on a burgundy card.

The lettering was cut using a Spellbinders die (Playful) and a mammoth search began for my Mizuhiki Cord.  After tidying 50% of my stamp room, looking in every cupboard and drawer, I looked in my concertina file - there it was, filed under "M" - doh!  One knot later and it is ready...

... and appropriately it has started to snow!!!  Drat!  I am fed up now - had enough of the snow - want to see it green again.

Black and White

What about this for a coincidence?  Yesterday I had to do two rather belated Birthday Cards for friends on one of my groups.  I had this image on loan from a friend and so I made two very similar cards with it.

Then I went on Zoe's blog and from that went to Tuesday Taggers where they are having a "black and white" challenge which does not have to be a tag.  Perfect!

Later I saw on one of my groups they are having a "black and white challenge" too.  Is it the snow that is making us all think black and white?  Anyway, here are my two black and white cards - both very very similar but with a slight difference.

and the other one

Both cards are now in the post wishing each friend a belated birthday and I get to enter Tuesday Taggers Challenge.

Second Calendar

I am using this one for the other Gingersnap Creations Challenge - Random Redhead - GC36 Resolutions.  That's two Challenges for Gingersnap Creations in two days - good for me - thanks to the snow.

My resolution is not to save as much as I have done in the past because my stamping room is getting (or has got!) choc-a-bloc with things that I rarely ever use.  Do I really want all those bits of cardstock cut off the ends of things I have made.

Both calendars have now gone in the post but as we haven't seen a postie for days I am not sure when they will arrive.

This one, used Tim Holtz stamps again, one embossed in white and the other in black with a Grungeboard Butterfly painted with two pink Dabbers.

This one, which is the reverse side running from July to December, chose the proverb "a stitch in time saves nine" but without the ending on as I must get into the habit of sewing buttons on when they fall off.  I think images are by Stampattack and I have attached press-studs and a button from Tim Holtz ideology range.

Both calendar recipients like Tim Holtz which is why I have chosen some of his things to be included.  Now I just have to sit back and wait for them to arrive at their desitnations.

Calendar

Think I said the other day that I had been making a couple of calendars but could not get to post them out.  Still not posted - but here goes:

This is the front of one of them.  They are just cards with the fold at the top and I have decorated both sides so they each have a six month calendar on.

For this one I ran some core paper through my Cuttlebug with the Allegro folder then sanded the top off, used a Tim Holtz word and flourish stamp and embossed them in black.  Then I used Grungeboard for the letters painted black with a Dabber.  Oh, and I cut out the shape for the words with my Spellbinders Labels Seven Die.

The other side uses core card again, this time using Diamonds in the Rough, again sanded and cut into a frame which is mounted over the picture via foam sticky things.  Then I used one of my Frieda stamps which I embossed in black for the pictorial context and in the corner I used an Ideology charm.  Now this does not look very straight but I have checked it and it is my scan that makes it look wonky.

Why have I uploaded this before I send it out?  Because I wanted to enter it in the Gingersnap Spicy Supply Challenge which is about using sandpaper - hence my use of core card and sanding it.

Now the recipient will see it before she gets it - but she doesn't know I am sending it so it will still be a surprise when I finally get out of the lane to the postbox.

Woke up to This

"This" being 6.5" of snow.  To prove it I stuck a ruler in the snow outside our door (it had been cleared there yesterday) and took a photograph.  Guess my crafting of yesterday which was due to go in the post will have to wait a day or two.

Had a phone call from my DIL to say my son had made it into work this morning (4.30 AM) but she hadn't as the buses were not running from Bolton and it is one of those she has to catch in Swinton to get her to the University in Manchester.

It's still coming down thick and fast but we both went out to clear some snow so we could get to the bird table.  We moved one nearer to the other so it is sheltered by the magnolia bush and they don't seem to use it much where it was.  I battered the bushes on either side of the bird table so that the poor little things can land on it and gain access to the food.  Two more fat balls went out and two came in to defrost.  This is what the magnolia bush and the bird table looked like this morning.

I have never seen snow on our big tree like this before.

It really is quite thick and I guess it will keep the squirrels away.  Nowhere for the collared doves to sit either. I just hope everyone is remembering the birds at this time - when I put the seed on the cleared off table you should have seen them come flocking.

I checked the hanging seed feeder and it was full of snow where the seed drops so that had to be cleared as well.  Please check your feeders if you have them.

Slipping and Sliding

No, not in the snow - although I guess I would if I went outside (only ventured a toe out to feed the birds this morning).  Just heard it is snowing in Holcombe Brook which is only about 4 miles away from us so I think it must be on its way to Bolton.  When will it end?

Anyway, being housebound I decided to try to make this card.  It is one I got from a friend a couple of years ago for Christmas and it fits in perfectly with my next workshop which is about folds and things.  It took me ages to work out trying to do instructions for others to follow.  Chas didn't like it when I showed it to him, was impressed when he saw it open though.  Whether it is the colour I have chosen or what he does not know.  I am going to make another one using my own stamps (the ones I have used are ones I have to use in my workshop) as I always find it easier to work with my own stash.  I like the stamps and will use them for another card but this will have to do for the moment.  Can't wait for my order to come through from Leandra and then I can finish my other cards off as I need those stamps!

This is the card closed

This is it open

If anyone knows what it is called, has proper instructions for it it would be helpful.  If not, and you are one of my followers I will send you MY instructions (possibly not very clear) via email when I have typed them up if you want to try it.

Oops - nearly forgot in my excitement to get my blog out - my friend Jo has a great giveaway on her blog.  Pay her a visit and give it a go.

Workshop

This is one of the projects I will be taking with me to America shortly.  Originally I did this with Pat (Chezzie) at one of our workshops at Victoria Stampers and I thought it would be nice to show to my friends when I next go to visit.  I will be doing a one day workshop over there so I asked Chezzie if it would be ok for me to do what she had shown me.

I had stamped these images (the ones on white cardstock) when I was last over there so based my project around them.  As you can see it is a kind of box affair with a lid top and bottom to hold it closed and when you open it there are four little box bases in which to put things - ideal for a little gift with stamping goodies (brads, eyelets, charms etc) inside.  I was going to put lids on the boxes but thought it would take them too long to do this but maybe those who work faster can put lids on theirs.

This view shows the front where the box opens (side to left of photograph)

This shows the other sides

And the final one shows the box open with the little box bases - each one has a red insert in the bottom.  I did think of another variation on this but as I have to prep for a workshop over here I have not had time to work on it as yet.

The idea of the workshop in America came about because I took two "never ending cards" over for my friends so I will be doing one of those as well.  At the moment it is just the mechanics of it that has been done because I want to use their stamps.  Similarly I have done a couple of fancy folded ones as well for those amongst them who are quick.

Ah well, now to my prep for my workshop at Paddy's which is coming up.  At least this snow is making me stay in and work.