Aprils Friendship card

Hi,

Today I am bring you my friendship card that I sent to a fellow do crafts member this month.

We had many problems as Do crafts changed the site and its not working very well at the moment, I am still unable to upload any cards onto my gallery. I lost her address and it meant a lot of hard work to try and find her, as she sent her card without putting her do crafts name on it so it made even harder to find her, as there are so many members who belong to the friendship swap. It was Pickle in the end who found her and thank you pickle.

Anyway now that she has received her card I can now show you it. I hope she enjoys the card it gave me pleasure in making it for her. Her card was lovely and is still sitting on my fire place and will be there until the next friendship swap in May.

I tried to do something different for spring, the designed is mounted on gold mirror card with floral pattern paper, two daisy flowers and leaves placed at the bottom, peel off flowers smiling from the daisies, coloured butterflies folded so they look as if they are flying off the card and multi colour ribbon bow at the top.

Hoping you are all keeping well, and thank you for visiting my blog today.

Hugs Margaret

Shepton Mallet Show and Gary's Birthday card

Hi,

Another lovely day here in somerset, I am surprised that the weather has stayed reasonably good for the last month.

On Sunday I went to the show at the Bath and West showground at Shepton Mallet, It was the usual a small show in the showering pavilion, ( showerings was the company who made the Babycham drink, the factory today is still making Babycham, along with cider, which Somerset is well known for). There was some stalls missing this year and of course a few new ones. Every year it seems to get smaller, which is very disappointing seeing this is a local show and a show case for firms to come and sell us craft items. It is great to see new products and new ideas, unfortunately I don't feel there was as many people this year for a Sunday I could walk around very easily with no pushing and shoving.

Vernon my Hubby brought me three sets of pro makers, Spring, Autumn and skin tones. I have never used pro makers, although I have heard so much about them. I saw on pinkgem-janets blog some tutorials about pro makers so I will having a long look at her blog and find out some tips about using pro makers. Vernon also brought me three large stamps, I want to make scenes, these stamps should make some lovely scenes for cards. I already have some ideas which I will be playing with over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes open as I intend to do some new things.

Now for my latest card, it was Gary's birthday (our step son) over the weekend, so this is his birthday card, he was before he started going blind into cars and motor bikes.

It is very hard to make a card for someone who can't see very much, this image I got from the paper-craft-tutor, for a male card I felt it was a great image with matching backing paper. I hope he liked his card.

Thank you for looking at my blog and if you want to leave a comment, all comments are always appreciated.

Have a nice day

Hugs Margaret

Playing with my Tree Stamp

Hi,

Another beautiful day in Somerset, the sun is shinning and its warm. I do hope this lasts for a few more weeks, or even the whole summer, well most of it, after the last few years it would be lovely to have a real summer. It is the type of day that makes you feel alive.

Another day when I can't upload anything onto my gallery which is really annoying me and the moderator got my feelings yesterday, today things are no better as now I have a picture of glitter saying there is bug in the system. I know what the bug is, a total cock up that Do crafts have created, never mind today I am bring you a card that I played with. I am still waiting for the moderator to reply, but after what I said he might even throw me out.

I don't do a lot of stamping, I am really not a stamper although I brought this tree stamp at the show (Bath and west showground at Shepton Mallet last year) so far I have used it for Christmas cards but I saw in the Papercraft Inspirations April issue, a stamp picture with a tree. I never thought I would be able to do it, and after a play these are the results.



The blue ink at the top of the page and then going into violetand then green I don't have many inks so I was limited. Then I used the tree stamp Penny Black 3880K Fantasy stamping first in violet and then in black in the front. and this is a close up.

I mounted it on blue shinny card and then onto a blank white card with gold peel offs in the corners and gold peel off Happy birthday. Plus some blue ribbon down the side and tried with a small bow, which I found in the craft shop at Millets Garden Centre near Abingdon, when we were there over Easter.

I was very happy with my efforts and for my first effort I was so pleased I used it to make this birthday card.

This weekend the show is back at the Bath and West showground, so I will be going over the weekend and looking forward to seeing new things and new ideas.

I hope your are enjoying the lovely weather where ever you are and thank you for visiting my blog today, any comments you wish to leave will be appreciated.

Happy Crafting
Hugs Margaret

A different style of birthday card

Hi,

Well on this lovely day, not a cloud in the sky and wonderful sunshine.

I am thinking of all those who are aboard wondering how and when they are going to get back. We did plan to go with our friends to Grand Canary last weekend, then the Saturday flight was taken off by Thomas Cook so we decided not to go, they were booked out on the Monday flight, The holiday was for our friend who was celebrating her 65Th birthday. (Her card is further down my blog.) Unfortunately they have not been able to go and have changed their plans and have gone to Torquay this week.

Me well yesterday I was in Shepton Mallet Treatment hospital having a camera put down and I am home today feeling a bit sore but not too bad and hoping to catch up on some craft this afternoon.

I thought I would add a new design of card, I must confuse that I saw this design at the Craft shop in Millet's Garden centre in Abingdon when we stayed up there visiting my Father in Law over Easter.

When ever we go up there Vernon (hubby) and my father in law know we are going to the craft shop, I do enjoy the rest of the garden center and they sell fab cakes but its the craft shop I make for first.

Back to the card, enough of my wanderings, I took a blank card and folded in half and then took another piece same size as the front, cut an oval in it and put an acetate to make a window, then placed a bird house peel off over the window. folded each side and double sided tape and then place on the front of the card leaving a gap each side and making it bow, decorated it with peel offs and a happy birthday.

Not very difficult but something slightly different.

I hope you like my new card and look forward to seeing you visiting my blog again, if you wish to make a comment you are very welcome, all comments are always gratefully received.

Have a nice day and Happy crafting

Hugs Margaret

Parchment cards

Hi,

Today I thought I show you my latest parchment cards.

I am still learning Parchment and although it is difficult to learn and there are no tutors near to me, I am having to learn from books or the magazine. It can look lovely and there are so many things you can make in parchment. One thing it is expensive to buy the tools and although some designs need only a few tools the more you learn the more tools you need. I take the parchment magazine every month. Its a lovely magazine with some great designs some of which are quite hard and some are for the beginners like me. There is also a workshop on how to do every month on different techniques.

This design has come from the magazine. Its looks hard but actually it was not as hard as it looks. On the red card it looks striking and I have attached it to the card with four gold simple brads one in each corner and added two gold peel off butterflies, I put them on red card and cut around them and attached them with silicone glue. I am very pleased with this design and looks lovely even it I do say so myself............or perhaps I should not say that.

These two simple designs are on coloured parchment with a peel off design and embossed in the design, attached with the same colour brads in each corner in the shape of a flower.

I saw this technique at the show last year at the Craft show at the Bath and West showground. This years show is in a few weeks time so I wonder what I will see that is new and what new ideas there are on the market.

On this second card again on coloured parchment and used a punch around the edge with a peel off design in the middle with embossing in the design, and attached with brads in the same colour as the parchment and in a flower design.

Both these simple designs are sympathy cards for my craft table, I do like to have a selection of cards for every occasion.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope that the lovely sunshine we have again tonight here in Somerset, continues for a few more days, even better if it lasted the whole summer, It would also be nice if it would warm up as its still quite chilly today.

Have a nice day

Hugs Margaret

Commission 80thBirthday card

Hi,

Another beautiful day although I little chilly here in Somerset, I had my day made for me yesterday when I received a lovely e-mail from my pen Friend in the US,

Lou works in the Pentagon and has been there for nearly two years again, Last time she was in the Pentagon it was on 9/11 day I knew when I heard them say on the news that the Pentagon was hit that she was in there, but she was fine and not hurt, I say again as since I have meet her she has been in there working at least three times and then sent to other bases around the US. She was due to come over to our wedding but her leave was cancelled and she never made it, I was upset but the Navy is her job and who can argue with the US Navy. Shes on the move again and had a look at my blog last night, I hope her move will go well and that this move will be her last as I am sure she must be getting fed up of moving every two years.



Now to my commissioned card, I was asked to make an 80th Birthday. He has family and often goes to the US and I was asked to give it an American theme.



I have done a swing card with images of Salt Lake City where he visits. One is a view of Salt Lake City from a distance and the other is a tram in the city, not sure where in the city. I use blue pearlescent card and cut the shape out myself with silver peel offs to finish off the corners and sides.



I hope he likes his card.



Many thanks for visiting my blog and hope you will come and see me again.



Enjoy the lovely weather while we have it and have a nice day.

Hugs Margaret

Tatted and Knitted Picture

Hi,

Today is a lovely here in somerset, the sun is shinning and the blue sky, it feels like summer, and for the first time this year it feel warm.


Today I decided to show you a picture which I made sometime ago and is hanging in my bedroom,


These pictures show up some close up parts of the picture.



The original picture was from a woman magazine that was published some years ago, the little bits around the flower was crochet, well I am sorry I cant crochet so I designed the bits and did them in tatting, and tatted small flowers. They are then sewn on net.


.
The large flower is knitted with embroidery thread of three strands on no 14 knitting needles, yes it takes a little time but is worth it, the buds at the top are just a few rows and then gathered up and stuffed which makes a bud.

The tatted flowers have small beads in the middle and there is a small butterfly done in two strands of embroidery thread, it is not easy doing tatting in embroidery thread and two stands have to done very carefully as the thread can break very easily.


I hope you have enjoyed looking at this picture, its amazing just how many things can be so simply in tatting.


Have a lovely weekend , thanks for visiting my blog and I hope to see you again on my blog.
Hugs Margaret

Easter Tatted Cross

Hi,

I hope you had a lovely Easter, although the weather was a lot better than they forcasted it would have been nice to see more sun and be a little warmer, still we can't complain winter has been long this year and at least we have not had anymore snow.

Today has been lovely and I did manage some gardening but I am now suffering for it now. Things are beginning to start growing and the spring flowers are looking lovely, it wont be long before my bluebells will be out. In my garden I also have pink bluebells and I am always pleased to see them, as they are unusual.

I made this tatted cross while away at Vernon's Dad's near Oxford, Its in old gold mercer crochet thread in number 20.

The pattern came from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Knoior

Its like all her patterns they are so easy to follow and do.

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog today and I have some others tatting pieces to put on my blog in the next few days.

Have a lovely day and enjoy the lovely weather while we have it.

Take care

Hugs Margaret

Easter cards

Hi

With Easter now upon us, I wish you a very Happy Easter,

With the weather we have been having in the last few days, its not spring like and more like November rather than March/April, even today we have rain/sleet/snow during the day, winter does not seem to have left yet,

My one daffodil in the garden is being joined by a couple of others even if the weather is not spring like, the garden is beginning to look as if there is life in the air.

It is strange that my mojo never works with Easter cards, I don't know why or what it is but Easter is not my favourite time of year. I love spring and all the new life that is coming from the trees and plants, but Easter cards are just not my thing.

I have put three of then on here today so you can have a look at them.

I hope you like them I have tried to make something different rather than a few Easter eggs and a chick,

Have a lovely Easter, and hope you will be back to see my blog after Easter

Hugs Margaret