Enid's 21st

Actually Enid is a bit older than that - that is just me trying to be funny as this was her third party (Sunday) for her birthday and that night she was having more family going to see her so no doubt there would be a party atmosphere in the house.

This is the card I made for her:

This third party (I blogged one at Victoria Stampers and she had had one at the camping club which she belongs to) was at Padgate Crafters to which we both belong.  Here are a few photographs from this event - quite a few of us belong to both groups.

Blowing out the candles

Striking a Pose

and

the cake that tells a tale

and a good time was had by all.

Inch War

Not really, but I have been producing a good few inchies.  Hip was bothering me so I got up and did a bit of stamping to while away the time and take my mind off things.  Decided to join in an inchie swap on one of my groups and needed to produce twelve of the little blighters.

I always use mountboard for my inchies.  I just think it gives them a bit more substance - but if you do it always always remember to colour the sides as it looks unfinished if you leave a white edge to them.  You can't see it on these scans but some of them have Gold Dabber on the edges.  This comes out quite bubbly from my applicator (none of the others do) so when you heat it it sets lumpy and looks quite nice in this instance.

Off to a bad start with these (blame the ink):

Oops! Hadn't realised that last one was balancing on one knee but am leaving it there as there is another one coming up in a mo. Wasn't happy with these and so I did a couple more and eventually had twelve to send off:

Top one is just stamped in black and embossed, second one is coloured with Spun Sugar then butterfly is coloured with Twinkling H2o's, third one is Wild Honey and Tumbled Glass as is the fourth one.  All stamped in  black and embossed in clear.  I had used my Momento Black on the first lot but these were done in Archival Black which came out much better.

First one is coloured with Twinkling H2o's, second is Wild Honey and Tumbled Glass again third one Spun Sugar with Victorian Velvet on the edges and the last one is just Twinkling H2o's.

Last ones - all except third one coloured with Twinkling H2o's - that again, is Wild Honey and Tumbled Glass.

You will recognise two of them as coming from these images which I went on to use for cards:

Bonjour!

Material Girls Say "Metal" and Mine Is a Quickie

This week the Challenge over on Just for Fun is "Metal" and as I have been so busy this past couple of weeks I was kind of dreading having to get one of the many things I have to cover and getting my metal tools out (not that I don't "love" working with metal).  I kept staring around my craft room and putting it off and then when I was doing something else suddenly the 'lightbulb' went on and this is what I ended up with - using lots of my Timmy things.

I used one of those large round bezels with a loop at the top that I had not used and so I decided to put a watch face inside it and add some other bits of Ideology.  Then I wondered why I was using the front and not the back so it got stuck on the back with a cog and a clock hand.  Glued a keyhole on, dangled two whatsits (can't remember what they are called) from each loop and a key on the end - which is really the loop at the top.  Cannot decide what to put in the two "whatsit's names" yet but they don't look bad as they are for the time being.

Because the back is indented (remember I did mine back to front) it takes a pin back quite easily and there is no sticky out bit.  I am now hoping to get an attachment so I can also wear it as a pendant.  have some in gold but not in silver - trust my luck!

Anyway, hope you like my DT piece for JFF and look forward to seeing what you all come up with - do check out the great things the others on the Design Team have done, you will get inspired.

In the meantime Tuesday Throwdown are challenging you to use metal so am sending this over there too.

WOYWW 111

Gosh oh Golly - is it 111 already - doesn't seem like two minutes ago we were all Pif'ing over on The Stamping Ground..  Obviously if you don't know what I am on about by WOYWW or Pif'ing you need to pop over now to Julia's blog and back track to find out what Pif'ing is all about.

Thanks to all you lovely lovely folks out there who took the time to comment on my desk last week, sorry there is nothing really to show you this week.  A quite empty desk with just a bit of paper from which I have been cutting out photographs.

Yesterday, I went to a wedding (yes, Monday) where I spent most of the day with my lovely friend Jo, who most of you will know, and my other friends (equally lovely) - Jayne, Lynne and Enid.  The wedding was for the daughter of another friend, Mo (which is why we were all there).

We had a lovely day, despite all the rain (it bucketed down) and it was one of the best weddings I have been to in a long time.  A truly joyous occasion with a radiant bride.  I'll show you a couple of photographs but won't include the three pageboys and the little bridesmaid as I am always wary of putting kiddie photographs on my blog without the permission of the parents.

Steve & Ellie cutting the cake

Beautiful Bridesmaids

and to sign off

Radiant

Mrs Moyles ...

... is 90.

Actually that is Chas's Aunty Kay who will be 90 on Monday.  As she lives in Ireland we won't be helping her celebrate her birthday but plans are in place, so I believe, for her to have a 'bit of a knees up' with the family who live over there.

This is the card I made for her:

I decided I wanted it pink and brown and wanted to put things in its makeup which meant something to her.  The background is a map showing Castlerea, in the county of Rhoscommon, where she was born and brought up as a child, edged in gold mirror card to match the number ninety.  The three playing cards are to represent the game of Bridge which she used to play, along with her husband Joe, and later with her daughter Catherine, to a very high level.  

At the bottom the dictionary shows the word "Bridge" and there are two other dictionary pieces one to show "Shamrock" to wish her well and one to show "Nurse" because that was what she did before retiring.  In fact she did some of her nursing in the town where we live - at the hospital where I was admitted to in April.  I think she might find it has changed somewhat if she could see it now.

The flowers have tiny gold leaves attached to them and the wires that I cut off the leaves have been formed into loops and placed underneath the flowers.  It is a bit difficult to see them in the scan but there are three sets of them in total.  I thought this was a good way to recycle and one which I will use again as it does look quite nice.

Hopefully now, this card, in its hand-made box, is winging its way across the sea to Ireland (guess who is singing that song now) and will be with Aunty Kay on Monday in time for her birthday.

Happy Birthday!

And before I forget - thank you for following me to my new followers - and to my old ones for remaining with me.  It means a lot.

It's a Bit of a Ribby Week

Well here we are again, another Thursday and another Challenge, this time from Zoe who says we are "The Material Girls".  Last week's challenge "Using Plastic/Acrylic" seemed to be a bit of a teaser for a lot of you and I thought Shrink Plastic would be the order of the day for most of you with Tim Holtz Fragments coming a close second but this was not the case.  If you have a look at the entries you will see they came up with some super ideas.

Let's see what you come up with this week using Corrugated Card. This is my entry for the DT:

I was a bit stuck with this in the first place but then remembered how we had torn CC at an ArtsyCrafty weekend and so began my plan of action.  I had some houses left over (Paperartsy) from a journalling class yonks ago so just cut them out and tucked them behind my corrugated "hills" to make my little picture.  Stuck it onto a piece of mountboard it was complete - perhaps I should have added a shiny moon top right?

I checked with Zoe that this was not "cute" as sometimes I do wander over (and I never did cute) but put that down to having a three year old as one of the loves of my life.  Guess my submission is what you might call recycling as I used all old stuff!

Looking forward to seeing some of your creations over on Just for Fun.  Dashing off now to have my hair cut as I need new glasses and something to wear for a wedding on Monday - can't do either until my hair is tidier.

WOYWW 110 and It's a Mess Again

Two weeks ago I had the tidiest workdesk ever, last week it was a bit messed up but this week - Calamity!  I've been looking for something and one thing led to another and before I knew this was it.

I refuse to take a closeup of my green mat (working area) as it is piled quite high with papers and all manner of things.  You can see my little handmade pots (http://hickydorums.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-set-of-pots.html) are hanging over the edge, although the area around my pasta machine (yes, it is for Polymer Clay) seems pretty tidy.

Oh Dear!  So many of you got it wrong last week - I have not been good and started my "C" cards.  Just two I did at the Club on that Saturday because I had that brass stencil.  I can assure you I am always last minute and tempted to buy for some people who don't appreciate handmade cards.

Been working on things for the Design Team so nothing to show you until they can be revealed so its "Toodle Pip" from me for today and a reminder for you to pop over to see Julia, and read all about her holiday, at The Stamping Ground and link in to some fab desks and work.