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