Happy New Year everyone!

Well, last post for 2009. No picture to show, I'm afraid. I had hoped to get some crafting done this week before we go back to school. However, my daughter bought me a jigsaw for Christmas, and once I start something like that, I have to get it finished. It's in the shape of a butterfly, all filled in with hundreds of butterflies, and it's proving fiendishly difficult. The main problem is that it's a lot bigger than it said on the box. I had to put it on a board on my desk, and I can't move it until it's done, as the board would only fit through the door on its side! So I haven't got any space left to craft in.

Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone in Blogland a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year, and to say thank you to everyone who has left such wonderful comments during the Stamp Man Blog Hop (which is still ongoing, until Jan 3rd - scroll down to the previous post for details), also thank you and welcome to my lovely new followers. To all of you who have followed, commented on or otherwise supported my blog this year, a huge thanks. It is very much appreciated.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

The Stamp Man Blog Hop, Candy, and Award Event

The Stampman Blog Hop, Candy and Award Event is now open! To join the fun, you need to visit each participating blog in turn, beginning with Jill's at The Stamp Man. You should have come to mine from Christine's (Ladylace's Crafting Space), and the next one to visit is

Pat's (Pats Card Making Passion).

There are lots of fantastic prizes to be won. If you haven't reached mine from Christine's, I'd suggest you go back to Jill's (The Stamp Man Blog) to start from the beginning. Each blog you visit will give you a code letter and tell you about about one of the prizes. You'll need to collect all the letters and at the end email your final answer to Jill. The last port of call will take you back to The Stamp Man blog which will tell you how to do that.

The code letter for my blog is  U

The prize is 400 ASSORTED ROUND BRADS.

To be eligible for a prize you will need to leave a comment on ALL the blogs in the hop.

Now about the Awards! These are to showcase everyone's best project from 2009! This is what it will look like! All the details are on The Stamp Man Blog, so hop over there to find out how to take part.


I think my own favourite project was the one I did back in June, where I made two cards using exactly the same design but with completely different colouring  and style. One was sweet and simple, the other grungy! It was really interesting to compare the effects. Most people seemed to prefer the grungy version. Here are the cards. To see how I made them, check out the post here.

Anyway, I'll let you go off and get started. The Event will end at midnight GMT on Sunday 3rd January. Don't forget to post your link on The Stamp Man Blog to your best project, and hop around all the blogs! I hope you have lots of fun on the way!

Christmas things

Well, I managed to get everything finished in time to catch the last posting date. Phew! Now that I know that some of them have reached their intended recipients, I can post them here. The Inkadinkado Angel has been one of my favourite Christmas stamps this year. I've kept this card quite simple so as not to detract from the image, which I've embossed with kaleidoscope EP. The greeting is by Craftwork Cards

Here's the angel again, stamped over "Silent Night" by Magnolia. The printed picture is from CraftyIndividuals' Christmas Miniatures book.

Next a few cards inspired by one of the beautiful samples on Sue Nelson's HeartPrints gallery. I liked the simplicity of it. (I needed something quick to do!) The one on the left has a Cuttlebug background and Nestabilities frames, and the image is from Woodware. The one on the right uses a background paper from the Elusive Images "Season's Greetings" CD from Graphicus. Nestie frames again. The image is one I've had for years, by PSX.  Same details for the third card, except that the image is from Woodware. The greetings on all three cards are computer generated.

When we went to the Sir Stampalot demo day, I was really taken with Brenda's    little decorated tins. I bought some blank ones to have a go at doing my own. Here's the one I made for my daughter's mum-in-law. It's coloured with alcohol inks, then stamped and embossed on top. The stamp is by Craftwork Cards. Inside I've put little photos of her three grandchildren, two of whom are also mine!

We will be going up to stay with them for Christmas, so no food shopping or cooking for me to do! I'll be on grandma duties so that my daughter can get on with things, and that's just fine by me!

Anyway, this will probably be my last post before Christmas, so to everyone in Blogland, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and a very happy and peaceful New Year.

The Stamp Man Blog Hop, Candy, and Award Event

Jill at The Stamp Man is organising a post-Christmas Blog Hop, Candy and Award Event. It's going to be great fun, with awards and giveaways, and it will run for a week from Sunday 27th December to Sunday 3rd January. Read what Jill has to say about it by clicking on the link in my side bar, and please spread the word by posting the news on your own blogs, because the more people who join in, the better!

The main thing to remember for now is that it will all begin next Sunday, the 27th December  on The Stamp Man Blog, so make sure you check in there then to get all the instructions. Hope to see you all there!

My first stamp

Sally's post earlier today about her St. Nick stamp got me thinking about the first stamp I ever bought, back in 1992. It was the "Santa with toy sack" from Hero Arts. I was at a local Christmas craft fair and someone was demonstrating stamping and embossing. I thought the embossing was magic, and my passion for stamping was born at that moment. It was the time when art stamping was just beginning to filter over here from the USA. Basically, it was just stamp (and maybe emboss) on plain white card, colour in with pencils or felt pens and add a greeting. My very first stamped card was just that, using a toaster to heat the embossing powder! I've tried to reproduce it here, complete with wonky greeting (I never did get round to straightening the rubber on the mount). I cringe now when I think about it and compare it to the sophisticated techniques that we are now able to employ, but I was proud of it back then!

As you can see, I still have the stamp, still use it and it's still as good as new. But who would have envisaged then that stamping would take off in the way that it has, that we would have the mind-boggling wealth of tools, materials, equipment and inspiration that we enjoy today? I certainly had no idea at the time how stamping and things related were going to take over so much of my life. Not to mention my house!

Anyone else got a "My first stamp" story? If so, please share it, or better still, post it on your blog, if you have one, and leave a comment here with a link to it so that we can all come and read it!

Thrilled to bits!

I have been given a lovely new blog award by the Crafticious ladies, Elaine and Janet. I am extremely pleased to receive it and it means a lot to me to know that people appreciate my blogging. So thank you very much, Janet and Elaine.

The award comes with 35 questions, each to be answered with a single word. Not easy but I'll have a go. Then I have to nominate 5 other people to receive the award. So, here goes with the questions.

1. Where is your cellphone?......................Desk
2. Your hair?...........................................Straight
3. Your Mother?.....................................Passed
4. Your Father?......................................Inspiring
5. Your favourite food?..........................Chocolateofcourse
6. Your dream last night?........................Unrecalled
7. Your favourite drink?..........................Tea
8. Your dream/goal?...............................Survival!
9. What room are you in?.........................Study
10.Your hobby?.....................................Craft
11.Your fear?..........................................Drowning
12.Where do you want to be in 6 years?...Scotland
13.Where were you last night?..................Home
14.Something that you aren't?..................Thin
15.Muffins?............................................Chocolate
16.Wish list item?................................. .Time
17.Where did you grow up?...................Yorkshire
18.Last thing you did?............................Phoned
19.What are you wearing?.....................Clothes
20.Your TV?.........................................Neglected
21.Your pets?........................................None
22.Friends?...........................................Treasures
23.Your life?.........................................Good
24.Your mood?....................................Calm
25.Missing someone?............................Yes
26.Vehicle?..........................................Yes
27.Something you're not wearing............Hat
28.Your favourite store?.........................Craft
29.Your favourite colour?........................Blue
30.When was the last time you laughed?.....Today
31.Last time you cried?............................Forgotten
32.Your best friend?................................Wonderful
33.One place that I go to over and over?.....Scotland
34.Facebook?...........................................Yes
35.Favourite place to eat?..........................Italian


And the five people I'd like to nominate to receive the award are

SALLY (Crafty Salutations)
BRENDA (Floral Fantasies)
LISA (Lisa's Craft Garden)
SUE (Paper Paradise)
JILL (The Stamp Man)

All of your blogs are truly inspirational. If you feel able to play along and pass it on, well and good. I know how busy everyone is at this time of year so please don't feel obliged to, but accept the award anyway for being such wonderful bloggers.

The winner is announced!

Ok, it's time to reveal the winner of my Bloggerversary Candy! Random.org has selected
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JUDITH (at Poppy Cottage)

Congratulations, Judith! If you'd like to email me (via my profile) with your address, I'll get your candy off to you straightaway.

I'd like to give a warm welcome to my new followers, and a big thank you to all of you who entered my candy draw, also to everyone who has supported my blog over the past year (and a bit!) with your comments and encouragement. Little did I know when I began this what a wonderful world it would open up, and what lovely people I'd meet along the way. Long may it continue for us all.

Belated Bloggerversary - and blog candy!

(This candy is now closed)

This past year has been quite an eventful one for me, for various reasons, and it seems to have flown by. Thus the anniversary of the starting of my blog, in October 2008, passed unnoticed! Not to worry, though, I can celebrate it now! To do so, and to say a huge thank you to all the lovely people who have followed the blog, left supportive comments, and generally made life in Blogland such a pleasure, I'm giving away some blog candy.



It includes unmounted stamps from Crafty Individuals and Joanna Sheen, a Crafty Individuals "Christmas" Miniatures book, Christmas stickers, paper flowers, Craftwork Cards button messages, Woodware Tag Board Book, a Memento Tuxedo Black Dew Drop inkpad, a photo frame (to alter??) and a hand made notebook.

To win all of those, just leave me a comment. If you also become (or are already) a follower, that will give you a second entry. Linking to this post from your own blog, if you have one, will gain you a third entry. (ie. Comment = 1 chance, comment+follower = 2 chances, comment+follower+link= 3 chances.) I will post the candy to anywhere in the world. The closing date will be Monday the 7th December, and a winner will be drawn randomly soon after then, so don't forget to check back & see if it's you!

Thanks again to everyone for your support and friendship, it is much appreciated.

Paper Roses

Yes, I know, I should be making Christmas cards, but after seeing Brenda demonstrate her beautiful paper roses at the Sir Stampalot Demo Day on Saturday, I just had to have a go at making some for myself. I bought the required 1" flower punch at the demo, and made a couple with that. Then I remembered that I already had the matching tiny one, so I made a tiny rose too.

I couldn't resist buying another Sarah Kay stamp, and thought that she and the roses would go well together. The tiny rose became a perfect decoration for her hat. She seemed to be looking for something, and just then a butterfly alighted close by. I coloured Sarah and the butterfly with Promarkers. A few leaves and star flowers completed the picture. The background paper is by Papermania, and the butterfly is from Craftwork Cards.

Anyway, must go. Got an owl to shrink......

A great day out

Well, Sally and I had a brilliant time at the Sir Stampalot Demo Day. There were seven very talented ladies demonstrating various techniques, including our dear blog friend Brenda. It was so lovely to meet her face to face and have a chat. Brenda was showing us how to make the most beautiful paper roses, using punches. Have a look at the gorgeous samples on her blog, though I have to say the photos most certainly don't do them justice.

After watching the demos, we went round the shop for some much needed retail therapy. Twice. I'm sure we can't be the only ones who, having paid for our purchases, can't leave a shop without just one more look round! Talking on the way home, Sally and I agreed that we had come away with more inspiration from that one event than from all of the past few big shows we've been to put together. So I'd just like to say to Brenda, thanks so much for the warm welcome you gave us, and we'll definitely be back again for the next Demo Day.

Oldie but Goodie

It's great to learn new techniques, and I am always on the lookout for new things to try, but sometimes it's good to revisit the old ones. I quite often go back to shaving foam marbling, simply because the results are good, and it's such fun to do. I like shaving foam particularly as a marbling medium because it is possible to have some control over your finished pattern. What you see in the tray is what you will get on your paper.

Thus, in the easel card shown here, I was able to make a landscape effect with more blue at the top and more brown at the bottom. The larger trees are from Clarity Stamp, and the deer and tiny trees in the background are by Stampscapes. The greeting is Inkadinkado. On the angel card I used a panel of marbled paper as a feature, stamped with  a Stampington stamp. The sentiment is also by Stampington. The angel is from the "Christmas" miniatures book by Crafty Individuals.

For the holly card, I revisited not only an old technique, but also an old stamp! It's from The Stamp Man. Having stamped it on the marbled paper, I embossed it with sparkle embossing powder & then coloured the leaves and berries with Promarkers to make them stand out more. I mounted it at an angle over a piece of printed paper. The message button is from Craftwork Cards.

The final card is very simple, just four squares of card, three stamped with a snowflake (Stampington), the other holding a Craftwork Cards message button, and strips of silver ribbon to finish it off.


Well, it was fun to go back to the marbling, but tomorrow Sally and I are off to the Open Day at Sir Stampalot, looking forward to seeing what's new, & also meeting Brenda. Can't wait....