Pics from last Saturday

Here's me with the gorgeous and oh so cheeky Georgina. She has just presented me with a tag book containing tags from everyone at the meet. its sooo gorgeous I am sooo lucky to know such fab people x

Flowers is here looking at her tag :0)




Heres are some pics of the atc meet last Saturday. I have waited so long because as I had fallen last Friday I was not on form and forgot my camera! Anyway some fab pics from others who attended to give you a flavour of what went on. The morning was filled with swapping and chatting. After lunch we had 6 mini make and takes. A loo roll atc holder (very popular!)a slider atc, a cutsie atc, backgrounds with distress inks, an acetate atc and encaustic wax! Then we had afternoon tea and drew the raffle. We made £135 from donations on the day through entrance money, lucky dips and a star studded raffle. Cant remember who chose what (I was aching all over by this point!)But the lovely Karen AKA Flowers won the Tim Holtz tag. Everyone brought a crafty donation to the raffle and we had super donations from Dyan Reavley Jill and Kay at The stampman Dyan also donated papers and embossing powders from all her paper ranges - very generous and the stampman gave a £20 voucher for the shop. The winner was so keen to spend she went as soon as the meet had ended (The stamp man stayed open an extra hour to accomodate the atc goers!).
A wonderful day Thanks so much to each and every person who contributed to the day in any way whatsoever. the money goes to the place I work, The Ghyll which is a respite centre for young people who are learning disabled. This will be used to improve the outdoor space which is need of updating.

My day at Art from the Heart

As always had a fab day with the other ladies at Art from the heart and of course my gorgeous daughter meghan.
This is Meghans canvas - you may recognise it as one I have done too! She had lots of fun and got very messy but completed it with half an hour to go!!! Just needs the head of her teacher adding and some arms!












Below is the memories frame I made - Dy changed the colour scheme to match my photo so it looks gorgeous. This pic is from 1998 when life was simple and I knew where all the kids were all the time! Tom and James were at primary school and Meghan at Nursery.













Will be back later to post pics of the atc meet.

Well I have just

managed my 2 days at work this week without falling over and doing something daft! My black eyes are fading - just looks like ive been up half the night lol. Only my wrist thats still bothering me.
Meghan (my daughter) and I are going for a half term girly treat tomorrow. Massage? makeover? shopping trip? well maybe some of the latter but we are off to Art from the Heart for the craft day. Im making a memories frame and Meghan is doing the canvas that i did earlier in the month or was it last month? She wants to do it for her teacher - some teacher pressie ehh? We girlies decided we would do something special just the two of us. Our first thought was the pottery painting place in town but that wouldnt last all day so we decided it would be more fun at Dys and last all day! Trouble is that was before I fell last week and now cant drive - whoops. So Tim is taking us there - we will be an hour early so hope it doesnt rain - and then coming back by train changing at Leeds before getting back to Skipton. So in the end we are quite right we will be busy all day LOL! Ill fill you in tomorrow!
Have a great day I know we will :0)

Winter Wonderland

Are you like me and just adore Christmas? I love the planning of cards and pressies, what food to eat and special stuff to make - I just love it! But when the day arrives its one day and gone! But I still get a huge buzz from the planning! Well this new challenge blog will make that buzz last from next sunday till Christmas. Im glad my stamps and papers are in easy reach so I can get to it straight away on Sunday. Hop over to the blog by clicking the title post. It may seem early but at one card a week from now till then you will be well ahead of the game. I intend to make more pressies this year too so hopefully the DT will have some fabby ideas to get my pressie juices flowing LOL.

Tuesday Taggers challenge No. 2

Hi fellow bloggers - wow what a response to our first weeks challenge - we have sooo enjoyed visiting you all and have become followers of new blogs ourselves this week. What stunning work is out there in this fantastic land of blog!
Well heres my entry for this week. Ive gone for Bright pink, yellow and orange as my main colours - certainly on the bright side! The image is a leanne Ellis stamp from sugar nellie. Backing paper from Junkitz pop rock range, ribbon from my local shop and buttons from stash. I have coloured in the image using promarkers and added glossy accents to the hearts and flowers. This is for a pals birthday which is actually today but I am meeting her for lunch on Thursday. Shes not crafty these days as she is a college lecturer and in the middle of her masters degree so is somewhat tied up just now! Hope she likes her gift too I have made a birthday book (one of my earliest posts) and filled it with 12 cards I have made. Have also got a mini bottle of Gin and cranberry so she can have a drink on me!
Cant wait to see your creations over the coming week and dont forget to check back on the Tuesday Taggers blog for last weeks winner and first guest designer for week 3.

China blue

The trouble with leaving challenges to the last minute is my pics are never as good as they would have been first thing in the morning. This is a challenge over at dragons den tag it on and I do like tags! For this one I have used distress ink pads broken china and tea dye. Applied the ink with cut and dry foam then faux bleached it with water before spritzing with distress reinker faded jeans, water and pewter perfect pearls. I have then over stamped with broken china from 2 sets of habico oriental stamps. The first being a flower border, the second sqiggly lines and then the third chinese writing. You cant see this very well in the picture at all. I have then edges the whole tag with gold krylon pen. The flowers and vase have been stamped on to white card then coloured with the distress inks and cut out - that took ages! I have done the same with the birds. I then embossed a coin image in gold and threaded gold ribbon to it as an embelishment. On reflection I would use black ink rather than brown if doing it again but no time to repeatit so here it is!
Have felt a bit washed out today so had a nap this afternoon. The house has been soo quiet even though everyone is home now - Tom came back from Bangor yesterday along with huge bags of washing which my mum has lovingly washed and dried today - Thanks mum xx
Hope you had a great Bank holiday monday :0)

Colour create Lemon, pink sorbet and chocolate

Well Im sitting here with 2 swollen and bruised eyes from the fall on Friday! Thought my eyes were swelling last night and got up today to some shiners! Good job only Emma, Andy and Michelle are seeing me today then! Had a lovely morning and early afternoon chilling with these fab folk and made my colour create entry.

The lovely image from sugar nellie again - she is soooo cute!. All papers/ card from stash, ribbon, flower and charm too. The candy buttons are from craftwork cards and the safety pin from poundland! The card blank is from papermania. Love the fab colour combo chosen by the lovely Katy
The colour create day is changing so click on the blinkie page on the right to find out the details x
Have a fab day x
Janet

Thanks so much

For your lovely messages of support after yesterdays dizzy spell and fall. Thankfully today has been fine which I am seriously glad about as it was the ATC meet in Skipton I was hosting.
We have had a fantastic day meeting old friends from the docrafts forum and sharing ideas, talents and of course atcs. I really must give huge thanks to Michelle for demonstrating encaustic wax, Liz for fabulous things with a loo roll, Emma for the kinetic atcs, Katy for the cusie arty demo and Joyce for the fab acetate atc demo. Everyone was kept busy and time just flew!
We have raised in excess of £100 I know but am not sure about the final figure. The raffle was very well supported with everyone attending bringing a prize but also Paper collections and embossing powders and a mini book from the fabulous Dyan Reavely shop here Vouchers, mini books and cards from the Stampmans team shop here And the Amazingly talented Mr Tim Holtz for a fabulous tag won by Karen (Flowers) on the docraft forum.
These ladies travelled from all over to chat, swap and learn new techniques whilst also raisimg money for a great cause. All the money goes to the place I work, The Ghyll, Children's Resource Centre in Skipton. We have been raising money to revamp the outdoor area making it more friendly and appealing to the learning disabled young people who use this repite service. We plan not only to have play equipment but raised flower beds and gardening areas that the young people can get involved with.
So massive thanks to all who came, gave, shared and had fun to help with raising this money. ((((((((applause)))))))))

scary stuff

Just had an awful experience at the supermarket. Got out of the car then got my bags out went round the side to my mum and promptly fell over - straight flat like a stone! Think my belly cushioned me but I have a large egg size lump on my head a bruised and grazed arm and leg, scratched glasses and a dented pride. Another of the sudden dizzy spells I get sometimes with the menieres disease. Ive made an appointment to see the doc this afternoon as I need more emergency pills and its really shaken me up! Of course people ran to my aid, bless there hearts, trying to get this big lump up off the floor it was totally embarrassing but more seriously I can not drive now today. I really hate this condition - it takes me unawares and I have no way of stopping what is happening. It was so sudden I did not even put out my arms to cushion my fall it was wham straight on the deck. Any body out there got any advice? I gave up caffine a year ago and dont eat much salt. I try not to do sudden movements and didnt today yet it still happened. I feel in shock and quite useless. Yep scary stuff alright! So sorry stampman wont make it today after all x

So heres the other stamp

Isnt she just the sweetest little girl you have ever seen??? I have been taunted by lots of cards with this little girl on for far too long I just had to have her. Made this using the same materials as the card for colour create but was able to use brown instead of tan. I coloured the image with distress inks again - think Im getting better! Paper from Hot off the press. Lace coloured, buttons and ribbon from stash. Added a little metal swirl to one corner with a knot on it. This is for Bobs who is coming to stay over tonight as its the atc meet tomorrow. Ive got to go shopping this morning for it so better get a shimmy on. Ive no idea what Im cooking for tea tonight either!!! Probably wont get to post tomorrow as its going to be a long day - the meet in the daytime and a Ruby wedding in the evening! Have a great day :0)

Colour create Sky blue, ecru and tan

Fab colours this week however I found I had quite a few shades of the different colours and when put together it looks a bit browny rather than tanny if you get my drift but on checking the DT entries I found similar colours anyway so never mind :0)
This is a brand new stamp (yes Katy I gave in!)one of Leanne Ellis' new designs at Sugar Nellie. I decided I could only afford one of the new ones (I bought one that has been out a while too more of that tomorrow) so this was it. I have stamped her onto ecru then coloured her with distress inks - never done this before and found I got the brush too wet! I have a Koi brush too but it still seems to flood in my hands! I wanted a sepia sort of feel to it so stuck to the weathered wood and various shades of brown/tans. The sky blue card I bought at local craft shop and is already embossed with dots so i ran a sponge with antique linen over it to tone it a little. Card I think is from Embsay Crafts, background paper Hot off the press vintage collection which i have stitched around it and distressed the edges with the Tim Holtz paper distresser. Ribbon from Dovecraft, charm and buttons from stash. The flower is one I bought ages ago - the same flowers I used on the tea bag projects on an earlier post - its now un recognisables as Ive dyed it with weathered wood and tinted the edges with vintage photo.. Lace again from stash was cream but coloured with tea dye distress ink. Ive made this with a special lady in mind - she saw the end result last night but I needed its picture so she doesnt yet know its for her! Hope you have a great day :0)

Showcase

Ive no work of my own to show today so thought i would showcase some of the fab atcs I have received in recent months. I dont make as many atcs as I once did but it sure is nice having those lovely envelopes pop through the post to water down the junkmail and bills!

This first one is a Rak from Crafty Critter on the docrafts forum. I really like the colours in this atc and the way she has layered it up twisiting the mounts slightly. What you cant see well is the texture in this too. I have a Favourites album and these 4 def qualify for the space in there!
This fab atc is from Wyvernsian on the docrafts forum. She has called it extraordinary mind. This is a Rak from the Leather swap I host back in March/ April to mark my 3rd anniversary on the docrafts site. Sians work is fab - her blog is on my blog list under bits and pieces if you want to see more!
This is another from the leather swap From Helly Belly on the docrafts site. I really like how she has used the slide with musical notes inside and use of the hearts and ribbon to accent -gorgeous colours too!

The Fabulous atc below is from Jaybe63 on the docrafts forum. The swap is called PIF or pass it forward. The names are put into a vertical list then you send an atc to the person below you. The theme for this one is smile.

I really like all the layers she has added to the background before adding the main image. Lovely addition of flowers and the word smile and the whole atc in the most gorgous dusky pink this is def one of my fav atcs :0)
So theres my fab 4 showcase - Am I not a lucky Clarky J having these in my collection?
Have a great day x

Tuesday Taggers challenge No 1 New beginnings

The day is finally here when Tuesday Taggers launches! The excitement has been brewing for weeks now between the design team and the blog has had a makeover which we are sooo thrilled with so hope you can hop over and have a look at their Fantastic work!
The first theme is quite apt and called new beginnings - this could be new baby, new love, new house, new job or a fresh start at anything! Lots of scope for you to explore and come up with something personal to you! Heres my take on it!
A cute new baby girl tag x One of my colleagues leaves on Maternity leave soon and knows she is having a little girl so it seemed the perfect opportunity to go for baby pink!
The white tag is made from pearlised card from Kanban which i have overstamped with coffee archival ink and a dovecraft mini stamp. The pink paper strip across the middle is another Kanban paper with cute little buttons on you cant really see, edged with tattered rose distress ink. The edges are my new martha stewart punch - this is its first project!. The main image is a forever friends stamp - love how you can make it into girl or boy by just colouring in the blanket!
Punched out with a woodware super douper punch then nested on a scalloped circle nestability. The baby letters are a dovecraft mini stamp which was in a square pattern so i cut the letters out to make them individual and mounted on white card. Faux stitching and baby pink gingham ribbon finished it off. Hope you like it :0)

Check out TUESDAY TAGGERS

Candy Bar news

Wow check out debbies amazing candy!



Last day so be quick Jacqui has this candy on offer above (Im no 393)



You cant get much newer than just launched stamps! hop over to Kaysblog and see what you have to do to win these lovely stamps!

Stamp with us challenge - Thanks

This could well be the colour create entry too as Ive used the same boxer papers from Basic Grey. Got the little charm from bits and bats last week - it was actually a choker and in packs of 12 for £3-50 - I thought that was a good price! the stamp set is Pocket Silhouettes, ribbon from stash circle punch and small nestabilty scallop circle. Ink is ranger Archival cobalt. Its a DL card too which i have not done for ages!
Right am off to the stampman to pick up the bits Ive ordered - wonder if anything else will take my fancy too!! Have a great day xx

Just playing

Had a mess around with some templates yesterday at the local embsay craft session. Any excuse to play with the gorjuss girls eh? Thought this just begged for the tea pouring as its a tea bag gift bag! Saw this a while ago on a blog and had a play with the instructions and revised it for my own use. I think its looks cute x



This is like the one we all made at the stampin up party with Anne a couple of weeks ago.


and a card to match

Papers I bought in the sale - could be K& Co but im not sure. Bazzil cardstock, Stamp by sugar nellie coloured with promarkers. flowers - a stem i pulled apart from B&M bargains! Hope you like it x

On Countdown 1 week to go!

Heres a sneaky peek of something I have made for the Tuesday Taggers Challenge starting next week. Wow we have some fantastic plans ahead to keep your creative juices flowing. The Tuesday Taggers team is bursting with ideas so hope you hop on over and follow from the beginning. The blog is having its first makeover this week curtesy of Michelle So keep checking back to see the changes she has made!

Colour create blue and green

The atc meet is a little over a week away so i really needed to get some atcs done! So my challenges this week may all involve atcs LOL!
For this challenge i have used Basic Grey Boxer papers, Stampin up scallop punch and round scallop punch, Stampin up stamps from the pocket silhouettes set and faded jeans distress ink. Played at colouring lace again- a different one this time - this was originally baby blue . Its a messy job but I think its worth the inky fingers!

Blog Doctor

Had a visit from a blog doctor today who has helped me revamp my blog. Ive been struggling to change the background for some while now so I was in need of help!

Huge hugs and thanks to Katy

Janet xx

Sketch saturday

I needed to make a card for hubbys uncle so looked for a sketch I liked - well might as well do a challenge! Found sketch saturday so had a go. Image from Calre Curds fellas range, coloured with promarkers. Card blank papermania and papers stampin up. Large button from stash and the smaller ones are stampin up too. Great Sketch I really enjoyed it.

Had a visit from sister in law and her hubby last night and Grandad too. We had a takeaway curry which was lovely mmmmmm. A lovely sociable evening although what was the nicest thing was how much they fussed both James and Meghan encouraging them to play the piano and generally showing lots of interest in them and their lives. Both of them shone at the attention and it was lovely to see James laughing and smiling again after the disappointment from Goldsmiths. They chatted to him about his options and provided him with a good sounding board. This sounds like we dont but im sure every parent recognises that their kids take more notice of advice from others after all we are only mum and dad and what do we know! I think this evening provided James with a good perspective on what to do next and he is able to move on to the next hurdle with his confidence restored if still a little dented. I thanked them all as they left - they just behaved so naturally but their love and care meant even more than usual last night. Thanks Linda, Stu and Harry you are my heros today :0)

Colour create meets card patterns challenge

Last minute again with my colour create entry of red cream and brown with the optional use of ribbon. I have combined this with another challenge I have found card patterns . I have used the lace again but this time coloured it red - stampin up rose red to be precise! Card blank from papermania, papers stampin up, sentiment clare curd. flower - not sure and sticky ribbon from kanban again coloured with the dye ink! This is going to a lady at work who asked me to make a card for her sisters 60th. first time she has asked me to do one so hope she likes it!

Flower garden canvas

Here is a mini version of the canvas I did at Dyans last week. I picked up the canvas for 85p at bits and bats on Tuesday and couldnt wait to have another go with the flower garden theme. This is for my Team leader - who was the one who got me crafting in the first place! Papers by K&Co, flower stamps - Blonde moments, paints - adirondack paint dabbers, inks peeled paint and black archival. Dress blonde moments - Hand drawn --- YES hand drawn vines (thanks Dy your lessons in vine drawing were fab) glossy accents as glue and to highlight leaves etc and buttons from stash to finish off the flowers. Hope she likes it! My pics have come so i can now finish the canvas I did at the class! Watch this space!

Gutted

James checked his uni status on Ucas last night and he has not been offered a place. He is Gutted and so are we as he wanted it so badly. Hes going to try for another course there but cant do anything until Monday. He said they told them they were looking for interesting people not necessarily already qualified in music. Hes worked hard this year to get his grade 8s in Piano and Guitar paying for all his lessons and exams (they are NOT cheap) so is devastated this has not made a difference to his application and ontop of that hes feeling he must be "Dull and Crap". Just to add insult to injury every audition for music courses costs £60 and it cost roughly £250 to go to London from here with the flights, extra insurance for his guitar etc add this to the other 3 x £60 auditions he has had elsewhere its not been a cheap exercise. So we are all feeling flat here today.
Hope your day begins much better x

A lovely award

From my fabby buddy Michelle. Thanks pal xx
Id like to pass this award onto everyone who has joined following my blog x I hope we can become blogging buddies and of course some of you already are xxx

Kanban meets bits and bats

Had a little play this morning with some of my new stuff. The image came on a sheet which looked like it was piramage - not really my thing so I played with the base image on its own. Inked the edges and matted onto choc chip stampin up paper. the spotty background is from Kanban too. The sentiment and stripey strip were also from the image sheet. Ive added some of the lace i got from Bits and Bats which I have coloured with brushed corderoy distress ink. Stampin up punch and ribbon from my stash. Have made this for another work collegue - 3 birthdays this month! She is cat mad so hope so likes it x
GOLDSMITHS UPDATE
They got back very late last night and its probably going to be about 2 weeks before he hears anything. He liked the university though and the course was just what he wants so keep your fingers crossed that he is offered a place x My toes are crossed too LOL x
Have a great day x
Janet

Friends I have the best kind :0)

Had a fabulous day today with 2 entirely seperate sets of friends. But before we even set off I did 2 hours at work 7-9 and at 8-50am had an awful vertigo attack. I suffer from Menieres disease so need to be really careful bending down stretching up etc that I dont move suddenly - well this morning I forgot and did both which launched me into a sudden and extreme vertigo spin - I was in the laundry at work hanging onto the sink like mad as I felt like I was going to fall over! Thankfully it passed after 20/30 sec but it left me feeling really shaken. Finally got home at 9-30 just in time for the girlies to pick me up.
Picked up the stampin up order from last weeks party then set off to Kanban. Some new stuff in and lots we could not touch (presumably from last weeks tsv)but I got some fabby stuff for the atc meet so Im well pleased!
Then to the bacon butty van! We crafty girls like to live in style and so we have found a couple of bacon butty vans near our fav crafty shops. the ladies in this one are always soooo cheerful and chatty - we love stopping there!
Then on to Bits and Bats. I wasnt sure what to expect but this was like a very untidy aldi/lidl for haberdashery! I got some amazing buys - 25 metres of cream lace £2-50. 20m of pale blue lace £2-00 - some fab 8"by8" canvases for 85p each - and buttons and embelishments galore for pennies. A real Alladins cave! We all bought different things then shared them out - as the quanities were large in the first place. We have all got some fabby buttons, buckles and dangly embelishments now not to mention ribbon, threads and bead boxes!
After that we decided we couldnt face the next shop as we would have been in sensory overload so Bombay Stores has yet to be explored. After getting lost a few times we found the Costa coffee shop (which was rather busy)and paid a visit to the huge Tesco in Bradford to buy A5 folders for stamp sheets. Bargain price of 57p per folder, 75p for 50 plastic sleeves and 35p for the dividers. Wow what a brill day with lots of bargains and great company x Thanks gals xx
Then this evening I have been out with Shan, Janet, Sue and Cynthia - old friends from my childcare days not so long ago. Had a lovely time catching up (we last went out in May last year!)gorgeous meal at the narrowboat in Skipton a lovely end to the day.
Tomorrow my youngest son has an audition at Goldsmiths in London - scary stuff that he may get a place there - its been hard enough with the eldest in Bangor but James in london too! How I wish for the sleepless nights, the painting all day and building train layouts with Brio - at least I knew where they were! So I will be on pins all day tomorrow hoping it all goes well for him as its what he wants - not easy being a Mummy is it?
Im off to bed now as am up again for another early shift - lets hope I dont go all in a spin again!
Just before I go Jenni a little bit of me - your blog candy was posted first class today hope you enjoy it x
Janet

Happy May Day!

Hello fellow bloggers! Dont think we will be dancing around they maypole today in Skipton its far too soggy!

Well heres news of a little project being put together over the last few weeks. A few of my blogging pals and I were gutted that Tag your it ended on April the 10th. I love making tags and had only found the site in January so hadnt been with it long. After lots of chatting we have formed our own tag challenge blog called the Tuesday Taggers. Not much on the blog just now but launch is in 2 weeks time. I do hope you can join us. Check out the design teams work by clicking on their names. As you can see we are widespread and varied crafters - Michelle and Katy are already on other design teams. We hope to inspire you to make tags you will be able to use for lots of things. Hop on over for a peep and follow the blog to keep up to date with the plans x Janet

Colour create green, brown and orange

Well I actually made this card on Wednesday but thought id save it till the blog candy had finished. This is the first time ive used the clare curds fellas set and I like it - more than the ladies one in fact! Ive used basic grey papers and brads but not sure which collections as they just came out of my oddments drawer! The golf trolley is paper pieced - quite like it on that. Chap is coloured in with promarkers. Thought id save this for Darren at work as he is a mad golfer but must put it somewhere safe as his birthday is not till September!
Blog candy
Comeon Jenni - Little bit of me - Im excited for you with the win so please get in touch :0)

BLOG CANDY WINNER!

Hello everyone and thank you for entering my blog candy draw. All the bits of paper with your names on have been shaken about in a bag and here is the winner!




Drum roll please









A little bit of Me - Jenni!

Congratulations Jenni if you would like to get in touch I will post off the candy as soon as possible.
See you later for my colour create entry this week x
Janet