MIAM

MIAM

Tuesday 29 January 2013

The Ace of Hearts

I've got the misog's today. Outside it's grey, wet and windy so after a morning of fruitless chazzing (five shops failed to produce any delights!)  I thought I'd cheer myself up with a spot of crafting.  Here is a card for CASology's challenge GAMES, which took no time at all once the idea came to me. 




All cardstock came from my stash of scraps and the hearts were punched and die cut.  The letter A was stamped with an ancient alphabet set and the sentiment was computer generated.  I'm also linking this to Lakota's Ta Dah Tuesday,
and Addicted to CAS where the theme is HEARTS.



I'm not going to ramble on 'cos I feel that my posts are rather boring at the mo'.  I'm going out to a gig tonight so hopefully a bit of bopping around The Rising Sun will cheer me up. Unfortunately I don't think they'll be playing this tho'.  (have you heard Joe Brown's version on the ukelele ?)



Saturday 26 January 2013

Foliage

Saturday means Less Is More day and for the challenge this week the girls have provided a sketch for us to follow.



I masked my card and used Distress Inks in Old Paper and Milled Lavender for the sponged background.  The foliage image which I stamped several times, is a new purchase by Hobby Art and was stamped in Spanish Moss Versafine, the sentiment from Penny Black was stamped in Imperial Purple, also Versafine.



I'm really enjoying my 'carding' at the moment and after tonight's night shift have eight days off when I'm hoping to do lots more.

I never got around to chazzing last week as just as I was about to go out it started to snow again so I gave it a miss.  As the sun has made an appearance today I'm hoping we've seen the last of the snow and I'll be able to bargain hunt in the week.
Must get on, I've got an apple crumble to make now, ttfn.
x

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Dumplings a Go-Go

Last night I knocked up a quick card for this week's LIM challenge, the theme is FRIENDSAfter some consideration I came up with this having remembered an old brass stencil in my stash. 



I embossed the image twice, the sentiment is part of a stamp by SU that was judiciously inked.


Earlier this week my new slow cooker made it's inaugural meal, Vegetable Casserole with Herb Dumplings. the recipe came from an inexpensive slow cooker cookbook I found in The Works for £1.99.

 
This recipe is the easiest thing ever and so very tasty, comfort food at it's best and just the ticket on a freezing cold snowy day.  Can you believe I had got to the ripe old age of fifty without ever having made a dumpling before? I'll be certainly making more of them now though.


Did any of you smell that awful pong yesterday ?  On leaving the house I asked NM if he could smell gas, as the cat was relieving herself about six inches away on the only snow-free patch of garden, he said 'it must be cat pee.'  Ten minutes later we learned from the car radio that British Gas had been inundated with calls from the public about a strong smell of gas which apparently had originated in France and had wafted across the channel.    Quelle whiff!



Hoping to get some chazzin in later today, if I find any bargains I'll be back soon to show you.




ttfn. xx

Sunday 20 January 2013

True Blue

I'm posting this in haste after my night shift in order to beat the challenge deadline for my latest card, this one's for CASology's current BLUE theme. 

 

 I was inspired by some wonderful sponging effects seen on Heather's blog here, to come up with this effort. It falls a long way short of her beautiful work but I was pleased with it nonetheless.

I used Faded Jeans Distress Ink for the masked panel, I then stamped script by Hero Arts before stamping the main image by Papermania.  The sentiment is from a set by Penny Black.  I made a deckle edged insert and stamped part of the  flower in a paler blue in the bottom right corner but stupidly forgot to photo it before wrting the card.  I've sent this to my very kind friend Eunice who celebrates her birthday today.

I'm off to bed now but before I go I must announce the winner of my giveaway which is ....Kath, please email me with your address Kath. 

More snow is forecast here today so I won't be venturing far, keep warm wherever you are.
x



Saturday 12 January 2013

Gone Fishing......and extended Giveaway

It's been a while since I posted as on my last days off I went down to the New Forest to stay with one of my 'flying' friends Linz.  En route I stoppped in Brockenhurst to visit Pineapple Retro which had been recommended here and did not disappoint.  It was like a walk through my childhood, ... a Seventies sensation.  I didn't buy much, just a groovetastic greetings card and a few vintage badges before driving on to my destination at Milford-on-Sea.


  The weather was damp and dismal all weekend which was such a pity as Linz has a stunning view of The Needles from her seafront home, but really what did I expect in January ??  We went out for a mooch about in Lymington where I very excitedly found a pair of felt slippers, (so hard to find, but nothing else will keep my feet warm)  sad, I know!  We also had a massive roast dinner in the High St. pub, and over the road I saw my first gold 'Olympic' post box which honours Ben Ainslie who lives in Lymington.  I didn't realise at the time that it was not a genuine one!


Now on to matters crafty, in my last post I offered a giveaway and I was due to announce the winner today but perhaps my offerings were too meagre, or I offered it too soon after Christmas and New Year but there was little interest.

 

 Therefore I am extending the draw until next week, so for a chance to win please leave a comment expressing interest.

I've been in the mood for crafting this afternoon and came up with a card for the current challenges over at CASe This Sketch,




  and LIM where the theme is one layer, Sports or Exercise (not sure that fishing qualifies for exercise but as the only other stamp I had that would vaguely fit was a rider-less bike, I plumped for this one. 


 
 
I used a Lily of the Valley image (purchased at the NEC two years ago, which had never seen ink) stamped in Vintage Sepia Versafine and coloured with watercolour pencils. I'm not really keen on these 'cutesy' images which require colouring as I am rubbish at it generally, but unusually was fairly satisfied with this effort until I noticed after positioning my sentiment (SU) that I'd got a smudge on the top right corner !  Bloody typical eh, but fortunately I found some co-ordinating ribbon to disguise my cock-up.


Many thanks to the ladies of LIM for featuring my last card in their ShowCASe.

I've got a busy week ahead with two days of refresher exams at work so gotta get my head in my books now.

ttfn. x  



   

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Let's Drink To 2013 ...and a giveaway!

I hope everyone is in fine fettle after the Xmas and New Year celebrations and now hangover free.  I was quite abstemious this year as I was working most of Christmas and very early on New Year's Day.  Even so I have participated in LIM's current challenge, DRINKS, my first card of 2013. 





I used a freebie stamp that came with a craft mag, which was stamped in Vintage Sepia Versafine and heat embossed. I cut around the cup and saucer separately and mounted with silicone glue to give dimension. I added an embossed border to 'ground' the image and the dreadful pun was computer generated!

In this first post of the year I'd like to thank my faithful crafty followers for all their kind comments and support by offering a small giveaway, something I meant to do last year but never got around to. 



Up for grabs are several stamps, a packet of brads, two rolls of ribbon, one roll of raffia lace, a bag of unused embellies from my stash and a roll of double sided tape.  To be in with a chance of winning just leave me a comment below and I will announce the winner on Sat 13th January.   

Happy Crafting.
x