A Pink Poinsettia

Hello friends. As it's the last challenge of the year we have an 

Anything Goes for Christmas theme at 

 My long suffering standing followers will know that each Christmas I make a little gift for my colleagues. This year it is the turn of cross stitch and I have been beavering away stitching motifs to go inside a three or four inch hoop. I have found them to be lovely little projects to do in the afternoon light. I found that my daylight lamp gave me migraine so had to give up stitching in the evening.

One of my colleagues LOVES pink so I did a pretty pink one for her.

That's the artistic shot out of the way...the reality is this....six more to press and put in the hoops. Still, I do have a couple of weeks yet so I am sure to get it done in time!!

If you have time it would lovely to see your Anything Goes for Christmas makes at the challenge where you can be sure of a warm welcome!!

Bye for now xx

Silent Night, Holy Night

 Hello, hello!! Lovely to see you and I hope you are in for a good week.

I have such a cutie to share today. It's my DT piece for

We are Anything Goes with an optional theme, which this time is

Silent Night, Holy Night

so if you would like to, share a Nativity scene or perhaps an angel.

Here's mine...

I took inspiration from Sam Calcott again for the card shape. It was quite time consuming cutting out all the mats and I would highly recommend making a paper template first but, as you can see, the end result is well worth it. The image is the rubber version of LotV's Mary & Joseph. I coloured them with Spectrum Noir pens for a change. Apologies for the diabolical photograph, try as I might I just could not get a good one today!! It really is much nicer in real life!!

Thank you for your visit and comments. They are always much appreciated xx

It's all about picking the right tree!!

 I have yet another Christmas cards to share with you today. This time it's in support of the new challenge starting today at

where we are itching to see your Favourite Non-traditional Christmas animals.

I was torn here, horses or dogs? The dogs won!!

I can't say for sure but I don't ever recall border collies being featured on christmas cards depicting the Shepherds watching their flocks by night so here is my Christmas dog!!

I hope it's made you smile, it certainly had me sniggering while I was making it! It's a red rubber stamp from Eat Cake Graphics and that cheecky pooch is called Mr Peedles!! I inked the sky, stickled the snow and coloured the rest with Promarkers. 

Thank you for your visits and continued support.

See you soon xx

Four legged friends

 Hello again. I have another Christmas card to share with you.

 The November Challenge starts today at

and the theme is Four Legged Friends.

I found another lovely Stampfairy digi, Clementine she's called, and I thoroughly enjoyed colouring her with Promarkers to match the snippet of paper.

The string of lights across the top is from a very old Inky Doodles set, The Best Gift, as is the lovely sentiment. 

Thank you for dropping in and I hope you will join in The Cutie Pies Challenge.

See you soon xx

A Blue Christmas

 Hello everyone. Long time, no see, well a couple of weeks!! I am pleased that Flu Clinics are a thing of the past in my working life so I am looking forward to getting some Christmas crafting done. I am cross stitching for my work colleagues this year, which I am enjoying, but find it difficult to do in the evenings now that it's dark so early and my vision is not what it once was!!

We have a new challenge starting today at

we are sharing our cards using our favourite Non-Traditional Christmas colours. I have gone for blues and purples. Blue for the frosty wintry skies and purples just to add a little bit of warmth.

 I have used a favourite Christmas paper pad from long ago, there's not very much of it left now but it's made a lovely background for the sweet LOTV cat. I used my lovely Winter Wishes snowflake die again (another favourite for this time of year). The cute kitty and wreath was coloured with Promarkers and it was the perfect oppurtunity to use some lovely blue pearls to adorn the snowflake frame. 

That's all for now folks and, I think, I am back again on Monday.

Before I go though I wonder if anyone can share any information about the lovely Mary from Carolina Crafts. She has been in my thoughts for the last couple of months while we have been enjoying the final series of Doc Martin. I recall her being a big fan of Martin Clunes. I think her Husband became poorly very quickly and she popped back into blogland once or twice but just wondered of anyone was in touch with her.

xx

 

Christmas Animal at AYLI

 Nearly the weekend and I am looking forward to it. The weather has been rubbish and I've had a stinking cold (not covid!!) that has left me with an irritating dry cough. Anyway less of my moans!! I am actually here to share my latest inspiration for the new challenge at

The theme is favourite Christmas Image or Animal. 

Well I love to see a bear on a Christmas card and had two favourites in mind, good old James from LOTV or Barry from The Stamp Fairy. Well, on this occasion Barry won and it was a treat to trawl through my old digi folders to choose one of my many Barry images.

Here he is...

I coloured him with Promarkers and glittered the little stars. I had a bit of an issue recently with a few items jumping into my basket over at Craft Stash!! The layered hexagon base was made using these, they cut brilliantly and honestly, the largest one is HUGE, great value for money too. 

I will love you and leave you now and hope that you will join us.

Thank you for your continued support and visits xx

Christmas Food

 Welcome friends and visitors. Thank you for dropping in and I hope you have a good week in store.

In just two months it will be Christmas Eve so it's time to increase your Christmas card numbers!!

is now an Anything Goes (Cute & Christmas) Challenge now but we do give an optional theme. This time it's O' bring us some figgy pudding which means we would love it if you shared a card featuring some festive food.

 LOTV had 60% off so I had to support them and bought a couple of new images. Plum Pudding is the one that I have chosen to share today.

I coloured the sweet couple with Promarkers to match the Christmas Pud paper which was from an old Craftwork Cards pad. My paper trimmer blade is due to be replaced and leaving a feathery edge so I used my distressing tool and added some shabby chic touches by way of mesh and co-ordinating seam binding.

I am planning a "slow" week. Work has been rather busy with Flu Clinics for the last month. It's quite an event in the village and I really love being involved but smiling for ten hours straight is exhausting!! 

Mother Nature really is putting on a lovely Autumn show here although the rain and wind we've had is battering the poor trees somewhat. As much as I love being able to get up and enjoy the early morning peace during the Summer I much prefer the Autumn colours and temperatures that she brings. 

I shall leave you now andhope to see you join us with your Christmas Pudding and Turkey Stamps!!

See you later in the week xx

Traditional or Modern Christmas

 Well autumn has finally arrived here in Dorset. We've had frosty, cold and crisp days and also  warm and blustery wet days. The Summer clothes have been packed away and my Christmas Shopping list has one or two gifts ticked off already. Once again I am trying really hard to buy local, at the very least within Dorset and so far, so good!

On the subject of Christmas over at

we are itching to see your Traditional or Modern Christmas cards, with an explanation too.

My blogging buddies will know that I love nothing more than a cute image, bright colours and some snazzy paper so it's a Modern type card from me, featuring the aforementioned.

It's a dinky 4x4 card base, covered in a Doodlebug Design scrap. The penguin is part of an MFT set, Sweet Holiday Penguins , as is the sentiment that was stamped on to a Lawn Fawn, Wavy Banners. Oh and the penguin was coloured with Promarkers.

Lovely to have your company here today. Keep well everyone and stay safe, in our part of the country the Covid cases are rising steeply again.

See you soon xx

Think Pink!!

 I've got a real cutie to share with you today. She is to (hopefully) inspire you to join us at

where we are championing Think Pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I used the most adorable Dainty Dancing in rubber form. She was coloured with Promarkers to match the pretty pink papers. The sentiment is from a Woodware set.

That's it. I hope very much to see you join in.

See you soon xx

Snow

 Hello friends and visitors, thank you for stopping by.

Another Christmas card to add to my festive pile. This one is to encourage you to join us at 

The prompt this time is How do you add snow to a Festive project?

My absolute "go to" is Star Dust Stickles, I wouldn't like to guess how many bottles of this sparkle I have bought over the years!! 

Amazingly it actually shows up on the piccie!! I used a rubber LOTV stamp that I coloured with Promarkers then fussy cut and sat in front of torn paper. The background is, I think, a Craft Creations paper. And to finish off a generous squirt of Stickles for the all important snowy sparkle. A stamped "Merry" and die cut "Christmas" sentiment.

Well, September came and went in a flash and I am sure October will do just the same. Flu Clinics will be featuring largely for me, as we have four planned in the coming weeks. 

Take Care everyone and see you soon xx

I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus!

 Happy Monday everyone and I hope the new week finds you well.

 I had an enjoyable weeks' holiday last week. Walking, riding and eating!

 Autumn feels are in the air now and it's less than three months until Christmas so I hope you will join us this month at

We are Anything Goes now but give an optional theme which, this time, is Father Christmas.

I think I've mentioned before that I am a little bit "funny" about Father Christmas stamps and find some of them a little bit sinister! This Tomte-ish one is the only Father Christmas like rubber stamp I have in my collection. It's from Gummiapan and is suitably cute and was coloured with my Promarkers. The heat embossed background is a lovely WOW stamp. I actually made four of this design using different coloured embossing powders, gold, silver, copper and a lovely brown shade.

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you will find time to join us with your cute Christmas cards.

See you soon x

Glittery or Metallic at AYLI

 I have a very grown up kind of  Christmas card to share with you today.

Over at As You Like It Challenge the new theme is Glitter or Metallic Card?

I love nothing more than a bit of metal to snazz up a card and what better than gold matt metallic for these lovely layers.

The die cut set was a "new to me" gift so I've no idea where it came from. It was five or six layers that I alternated gold and white and just added some berry red glitter drops for a little bit of contrast. I will be making more of these in different colours as it's a nice flat one for posting.

Toodle pip for now xx

Birthday Bears

 Hello Friends. I hope today finds you well. 

I've got a Cutie Pie Challenge DT card to share today. The new challenge here is

BIRTHDAY BEARS

I used a  LOTV rubber stamp and coloured the adorable pair with Promarkers. I used an old Craftwork Cards stamp set for the sentiment. I can tell you, it was SOOOO hard not to add "stuff" to the CAS design!! There is a touch of sparkle on the daisy though!!

Thank you for dropping in, your company is much appreciated xx

Hello and Goodbye

 Hello September and hello to rain. Honestly, our paddocks look like the Sahara and a couple of our oak trees have already started to shed their leaves and acorns due to stress. We drove Connor and Amelia to Bristol Airport on Friday and it was shocking to see how green the fields are just an hour from home. Hopefully the much needed rain will do the trick and we can enjoy the usual Autumn "flush" of grass.

So that's the hellos over and done with now the saddest Goodbye. It was with a heavy heart that we said Goodbye to my Darling Surprise a week or so ago. She brought me such joy over the 25 years that she employed me(!!) and I have such happy memories. She didn't do so well last winter and despite piling food into her she continued to look poor so we made the decision to let her enjoy the sumer and take her final journey on a bright and sunny morning. She's not gone far away though, just beyond the garden with Mog and Suzy where, come the spring, we enjoy masses of spring bulb colour.

I loved her for most of her life and will miss her for the rest of mine.

This was us ten years ago when Surprise was about 25 years old. 

Wills has settled down now but was a little bit "shouty" for the first few days. We didn't think that they were actually very fond of each other judging by the faces they used to pull!! Surprise was very much the yard "Matriarch", hugely independent and evidence suggested that Wills was merely her subject!!

Anyway, thank you for hearing me out and I shall see you soon with something crafty xx

What's your favourite shape then?

 Hello friends. How did it get to be September? The leaves are turning and there are so many acorns on our oak trees already. Sloes and blackberries in abundance so I think some of those might just find their way into some gin and/or vodka ready for the season of goodwill.

With those festivities in mind I have a Christmas card to share with you today. It's the start of a new challenge at 

where we are looking forward to see ing your favourite card shape.

Now I like an ordered life and like symmetry so, for me, it had to be a 6x6 square card. Easy to get a symmetrical layout and they work well as a tent sytle too. 

Here is my square, complete with belly band...

...and then when you open it....BOOM!!...an explosion!!

I took inspiration from Sam Calcott here. It looks impressive but was actually really quick to assemble (once all the mats were cut). I used a Nitwits digital paper matted on to kraft card for the panels. The adorable digi is from the long ago closed (and much missed) Digistamp Boutique and was coloured with Promarkers. I think the Christmas is from Crafters Companion, but there are lots of similar dies available and the pine cones (which are actually embossed!!) from Joanna Sheen (also now closed).

It's a bit fat when folded so this will be hand delivered to someone special, come December.

I hope that I have whetted your appetite and look forward to seeing your favourite card shapes. If you are looking for more inspiration please go and visit my teamies here.

See you soon xx

Passion for Markers #656 - Christmas

Frosty the Snowman...

 Hello peeps, less than five months until Christmas now so it's time to get a wriggle on with your Christmas cards. No better fellow to put on a card than a jolly snowman and that's what the theme is over at

where we are inviting you to share your cards featuring dear old Frosty the Snowman (or any other person of the snowy type will do!!). Here's mine...

He is a lovely decoupaged piece that fits that six inch card nicely. I picked out the purply tones by using a sheet from my (precious) Snow Princess pad. One of my very last oval Craftwork Cards sentiments was just the right size for the top corner.

You can see the layers more clearly here.

I hope you'll find time to join in.

See you there xx

Favourite Domestic Animal

 Phew...the heatwave is finally over, here in sunny Dorset, and we've even had some much needed  rain that will hopefully perk up the grass a bit. 

Today's post is to share some inspiration for our new challenge at

where we would like to see your favourite domestic animal.

A tough choice for me but having had dogs in our family since I was on maternity leave awaiting Declan's arrival 33 years ago, so I have chosen dogs. There's nothing quite like their loyalty and they are the best comfort when you are feeling below par. 

I chose a pooch from a Whimsy stamp set and coloured him with my Promarkers. The spotty green mat went really well with the bottle green card base and it also quenched my thirst to see some green as the lawn has been brown for so long!!

I'll leave you with a snap of my lovely boys, Bowie and Bumble.

Looking forward to seeing your makes.

See you soon xx

Rubber Stamp & Ribbon

 Hello and welcome everyone. I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. 

I'm kicking off the week with a cutie...this one

The theme, this time at

is Rubber Stamp and Ribbon, CUTE of course!!

I really enjoyed making this card. I had a lovely rummage through my stamps, made a huge pile of "possibles" and whittled them down until I was left with this one, a once before inked stamp from Your Next Stamp. It was super quick to colour with my Promarkers. I glossed her coffee mug and added a touch of Star Dust stickles to her flower and the tip of the cat's tail. The sentiment is one from a set that I was lucky enough to win over at The Snippets Playground, honestly, it's such a great set and makes me smile every time I use it, there are some great messages/sentiments. The little piece of ribbon is from my stash, just a tiny bit to add some interest and a button to finish!!

I do hope you will join us.

See you soon xx

African or Australian?

 Hello everyone!!

It's a first for me today. Never have I ever shared a koala here!! I have seen real ones at Longleat Safari park and, as a child of the 70's,  used to love watching Skippy (the bush kangaroo) on TV during the summer holidays but colouring one has been a first!!

He is my DT piece for As You Like It Challenge where we are inviting you to share your favourite African or Australian animal, with your reason, of course.

On thorough inspection of my stash looking for either type, I didn't find any "safari" type animals but did find this cutie that, I think, I bought in support of an appeal when Australia was suffering horrendous drought and bush fires a few years ago. He looks a bit washed out in the picture but he was coloured with my Warm Grey Promarkers so looks much more colourful in real life. Try as I might I cannot seem to get a good photograph when it's sunny!! 

So, that's it for now. See you soon xx

Summer

 Evening All!! I know, it's unusual for me to be here a) on a Wednesday and b) in the evening. But, as we are currently enjoying Summer, here in the UK, it would be rude not to join in with the current Summer challenge over on the Allsorts Challenge blog. 

I made this...

I just knew that I had the perfect stamp set for this card. It was a Clearly Besotted magazine freebie from waaaay back. The leaves were stamped in two shades of ink and then clear embossed and the flower heads coloured with my Promarkers. I have quite a lot of fuschias in the garden, they seem to be one plant that Bowie doesn't lie on or dig up!

 The one that I used as a backdrop to this card has special significance. When we opened as a livery yard back in 2001 one of our first clients was a formidable lady called Jenny who was as tall as she was wide and was the typical Pony Club Instructor type. Sit up and kick on...B you will know the type I mean!!  Anyway, despite her loud voice and firm opinions she was a darling and when she split plants in her garden always gave us some. This Fuschia being one of them. 

She stayed with us a few years and it was her mare that bore the first foal at Mallows Farm, Delboy Trotter he was called!! She left us when she found a field closer to home but we still kept in touch. As well as her horses and garden, she loved her dogs and had three, Juniper, Gingham and Pumpkin. She was walking her lovely girls one morning when she had a sudden, fatal, heart attack and was found, by a gentleman, with her beloved pooches beside her. I think of her throughout the year when her primoroses appear in the garden, when the snowdrops that she gave us pop up in the lane and when this old fashioned fushcia shows off.

If you are still with me, thank you for your visit and I shall see you when I do xx

Some Challenges

Allsorts Challenge #686 - Summer

Christmoose

After last weeks' heat it's Christmas on my blog today. 

This time I am sharing some inspiration for the new challenge at 

We are always anything goes these days but there is an optional theme of 

Not just Rockin' Robin...so any Christmas animal.

Here's mine...

 That wonderful moose is from a Sugar Pea Designs set that is sooooo old it's yellow!! I bought it years ago and never inked until now. I was amazed to find that it's still available. I coloured him with Promarkers and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment from the same set. I also found a whole collection of Couture Creations snowflake dies that I'd never opened, so used them too, making the most of snippets of smooth card that I'd printed digis on to. Oh and the paper was another from The Range last year. I liked this design so much that I made another that I will share another time.

My Christmas prep is coming along nicely, the card pile is growing and I was gifted the 2021 Christmas kit from Cotton and Twine last year that I am currently cross stitching (it's still available if you're interested...just saying!!). I always make my work colleagues a little gift so I am also cross stitching snowflakes in a 3" hoop. 

Anyway, thank you for stopping by and letting me chat!! Looking forward to seeing your Christmas animals.

See you soon xx

Some Challenges

NBUS Challenge #40 - Stamp set and dies...shame on me!!

Creative Moments #236 - AG +/- Cute

Snippets Playground #433 - Christmas in July

(Snowflakes cut from snippets of alcohol marker cardstock)

Feathers, Fur or Scales?

 Good Morning peeps. Well what a scorcher it has been here in the UK. Thank goodness it's cooled down a bit, I was panicking that my HRT patch might slide down my leg and out of my sandal while I was in Aldi!! 😄 Our poor animals weren't very impressed either. Martin was hosing down the ponies on Monday while I was in an air conditioned office (small mercies!!) and Bowie and Bumble just didn't know what to do with themselves. Anyway, it's passed and, lets be honest, us Brits do love to chat about the weather!!

I have a furry squirrel to share with you today. It's my  AYLI DT inspiration for you.

Our theme is Feathers, fur or scales? I am not a big fan of the former. I think I might have mentioned before that my Grandma used to let her budgies fly free around her living room. They used to scare the life out of me so feathers is definitely out. Scales.....Yuk!! So something warm and furry suits me just fine. I love my Sprollies' silky ears and there is nothing quite like the smell and feel of the velvet muzzle of a horse. I have never been in close proximity to a squirrel but I imagine that tail is soft and furry!! The cute image was from our Sponsor, Lee Holland Illustrations, and I coloured him with my Promarkers. The ombre pad jumped into my basket while I was wandering around in The Range looking for something else!!

That's all for today. 

See you soon xx

Little Cuties

Hello everyone, it's Cutie Pie time again and the theme is 

Cards for a child

I absolutely LOVE Hetty Clare images, especially her wonderful ponies so I am delighted that she is our sponsor this time. It was also a pleasure to colour up the gorgeous Pony Plait .

These pony digis are wonderfully detailed with well defined shaded areas so I tend to avoid alcohol markers because they smudge a bit. I dusted off my Spectrum Noir pencils to colour. the papers are from a Marianne Designs block Hello Sweet Baby and all the dies from Tonic's Cherish the moment set. I ran with the pink and brown-ish colourway and finished off with brown and pink pearls.

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope that I have encouraged you to join in.

See you soon xx

Some Challenges

Allsorts Challenge #684 - Allsorts of animals

Cool or Warm at AYLI

Hello everyone. I hope you are well this fine Thursday and looking forward to the coming weekend. I am hoping to finally get back on board the pony. It's been a long six weeks since my fall but I am happy to report that all appears well in the butt cheek department!! I was eventually referred to Fracture Clinic because of a  non-reducing large haematoma. The Orthopaedic Surgeon that I saw had me whisked to Ultrasound to have the lump drained and since then my recovery has, thankfully, been swift. 

Anyway, less about me and more about my card. It's to hopefully encourage you to join in at 

As You Like It Challenge

where the DT are sharing their favourite colours Warm or Cool and there is even a fabulous colour wheel for you to take inspiration from too!!

On inspection, I found that the tally of my makes favours the cooler spectrum, I suspect the reason for this is that I was a Winter baby so go for the cooler shades.

My lovely Friend and colleague  (Practice Vampire/Phlebotomist) has just retired so I hunted out this lovely House Mouse decoupage sheet and made this for her.

Oh I did enjoy cutting out those sweet little mice. I had forgotten what a huge topper they actually make so the card base itself was 7 x 7. The spotty paper was from a LOTV Snow Princess paper pad and the ombre stripe was the absolute perfect match for the topper, although it was actually greener rather than yellow, as in the picture. It's not often I add flowers but this special card called for it and I found some perfect blooms in my flower box.

So I look forward to seeing what you share with us.

Thanks, as always, for your continued visits. See you soon xx

Christmas Cutie

Good gracious me, another month has rolled around and has brought the new challenge at

This months' optional theme is a card for a child.

Here's mine...

...and I used a kit that came with a magazine a very long time ago. Everything was included, even the acetate. It was really easy to put together and looks perfect for a little one.

I hope you will join in, after all it's less than six months' away now...just saying!!

It looks like Blogger is playing up again. I have been asked to type characters while visiting the following ladies, Julie, Claire, Sarah, Jane and Liz , I really wanted to say a massive Well Done to your courageous Daughter, what a terrific achievement!!  Unfortunately it would not let me leave a comment on any of your blogs. I am such a technophobe I couldn't see if it was my settings or not...grrrrrr!!

See you soon xx

 

AYLI Masculine or Feminine?

It's a battle of the sexes at As You Like It Challenge today.

 I try, I really do, to enjoy making cards for boys and men but I struggle!! Even living in a house full of men has not helped over the years. So feminine it is, after all, I do have oodles of girly stamps, papers, dies and embellishments to use up!!

Our sponsor is Polkadoodles and I just happened to have a freebie waiting to be coloured so I used her. I am really not happy with how this card looks on the screen, it really does look better in real life, the paper doesn't seem quite so overbearing...honestly. She was coloured with Promarkers and I fussy cut her, leaving a white border so that she wouldn't disappear into the paper. I added some sparkle and glossy accents for some interest and raised her up on foam pads for some dimension. The sentiment stamp is one of those unknown ones that I happened to find and will probably become a favourite!!

I am really feeling right sorry for myself. Although the bruising to my derriere has disappeared, I have been left with a large, painful fluid filled lump so asked one of the Partners at work to take a look. He suspects a gluteal tear that might take up to six weeks to repair so no riding for a while yet. I did wonder if moving more might help but it just made it worse so I am having to take it easy, which I find difficult!! I simply cannot understand why these media stars want to have bigger butts, it's no fun at all!! 

Anyway, moan over, I hope you will share your masculine or feminine makes with us.

See you soon xx

Add aTag

 Hello lovely people of blogland. I hope that you had an enjoyable weekend and are fully refreshed for the week ahead and whatever it may bring.

I had such an enjoyable time colouring the little fellow I am sharing with you today. He is Pig with Butterfly by Lee Holland who is kindly sponsoring our latest challenge at

Tags are the order of the day and I decided to make a tag shaped card blank using a nesting set from Crafters Companion which actually doesn't appear to be available any more.

The blank was cut in kraft card and then I used the smaller dies to make a lovely layered topper. I love to use chocolate brown with pink and while rummaging in my stash found some gorgeous brown glittered card that, if memory serves me, came with plain and embossed dots too in ten different colours. I am sure it came from Create and Craft many years ago...hmmm...must hunt out the other colours they must be somewhere!! Anyway, I digress, the little piggy was coloured with Promarkers and I found some complimentary ribbons and pearls to made an embellishment bundle. It won't stand up because it's top heavy but never mind, it looks so pretty and once I add the insert it should balance. 

I hope you will play along.

Have a good day xx