Tuesday Taggers - Ours is a nice house ours is!

This must be a line from a song as I remember my mum singing it to us when we were young! Over on TT its my turn to choose so here is my theme "Houses"

Now honestly I didnt mean to go all Christmassy again but when rooting through my stamps (I really must have a stamp cull soon) I found this Lily of the Valley one just begging to be shown the light of day!

So here is my house - a bird house - coloured with promarkers, flower soft snow and the pine branch is a Tim Holtz one. Sorry picture is a bit wonky - Ive only just noticed that one!

This week we are sponsored by The Craft Barn so one lucky Tuesday Tagger will have £15 to spend this time next week! Will it be you we ask ourselves????? Hope on over to The Tuesday Taggers blog to check out my team mates and find out more :0)

Challenge one at Keep it Simple!

So you can get up off the floor now and stop laughing that "chuck it all at a card ClarkyJ" is on the design team at Keep it Simple!
Me and simple have found it hard to get along but try we must as I have accepted the challenge of being on the team :0)
Our first challenge was to make a Christmas card with the traditional colours of red and green. I found these fabulous corrugated cards at Kanban at my last visit and loved the texture so much it begs not to be covered up. I have added touches of gold to the ridges so it has a sparkly feel to it. The ribbon has the Merry Christmas sentiment running through it so that took care of that and I have just added some white and gold vellum, the fabulous paperartsy background stamp then an image which I have punched out to finish it off. Took less than the required 30 minutes and it is indeed very simple what do you think?
The Keep it simple team have produced some gorgeous projects so do stop by to check it out - we would love to see you join in too !

Hello Taggers

This week at Tag You're it we want to see you make your own backgrounds. I learned this edging technique many moons ago from Dyan Reavely and use it often (nearly every project of late lol) I also got these fab woodware stamps last year and only recently inked them up but I am loving the detail on them. I thought this tag would be perfect to accompany a bottle of Whisky which I plan to give our good friend Bill for his birthday - being a Scotsman I'm sure he will appreciate the text as well as the whisky!
Supplies are:-
Woodware stamps - Scottish wishes available at The Stamp Man
Promarkers
Library green and black archival ink from ranger also available at The Stamp man

Do stop by the Tag You're it blog where my team mates have done some stunning backgrounds :0)
More posting to come after lunch xx

Look out Tomorrow there is a new challenge blog about!

For all those busy crafters on the go - simple cards every week! Just click the banner to find us x

The Stampman Challenge goes musical

Made this card a while ago to congratulate my son James on his first year results at Uni. He plays guitar so the music sheet from the stampman was the perfect choice. I just stamped the guitar and coloured it with distress inks. The background is made using the music cuttlebug folder which I have scrunched up then swiped the black soot distress ink over it. Simple matting and layering with brown and black card then some black stick on stones to finish and its done. The sentiment - Just a note - is also from the musical instruments sheet designed by Tracey Coates for The Stampman. Some amazing projects from the rest of the team so do stop by for a look :0)

psssssstttttttt

Have you heard the news? A brand new challenge blog has arrived for all those crafters who like to Keep it simple!
Hop on over and check it out as launch day is on Sunday and we are looking for DT members too - do you fancy keeping it simple. If you do go and look :0)

Imagine

Had a fun day yesterday on the last of our journalling sessions with Mums and daughters. It has been lovely to see how they have embraced the whole thing and enjoyed learning the skills which can transfer to other crafting areas. They were presented with their own soft back moleskin to go home and play in as they had been working in an exercise book to learn the different techniques. Its been a lovely session - Thanks Freya, Lisa, Jo and Liz for being so open to the ideas and playing along with us.

I also watched a film last night borrowed from fellow blogger Susie - Thanks so much :0) It was the film "Remember Me" with Robert Pattinson - the ending was so unexpected - I wont spoil it but both Meg and I were shouting at the TV we were so shocked!
I went upstairs to the craft room to play after that - yes it was late but I had bought a black versafine at The Stampman so needed to play :0)

I bought this stampsmith stamp at Elusive images in July and have stamped quite a bit but not been happy with what I have done with it. I also bought the sepia versafine with the stamp but I just have not been inspired at all so I thought I would give the black a go.
Ive used promarkers and distress inks to colour her and am much happier with this result. The metal corners are from The Stampman and Ive just stamped the word Imagine over the top. Some dusting of the edges with distress ink - frayed burlap and simple matting and layering and its now an atc. Looking forward to much more playing with the stamps now - as yes I have more but they are not the right size for atcs.
Have a great Thursday Blogging buddies x Janet

Tuesday Taggers - Inspired by a poem

Now as always when Michelle chooses our challenges there is a bit of thought that has to go into it and this week is no exception. I have racked my brains on this one and finally settled on a poem told to my Mum , then me and my brother and I have passed it on to my own kids - In fact my eldest at 3 used to tell this poem brilliantly full of the expression my Grandad introduced all those years ago. I think we even have embarrassing video footage of it LOL.

My Mum had to go live with an Aunt when she was small for a short time whilst her Mum was having her sister and Grandad read this poem or a version of it from a Nursery book on the train journey from Yorkshire to Essex in the 50's. When I was little this is what he could remember so it may have changed a little from the original.


" Three little pigs went out one day,
they said "we are too old to play
with faces washed and tails all curled
we'll seek our fortunes in the world"
The first little pig chose a cosy spot,
the wicked wolf he quite forgot
"I'll build a house of straw" he said,
he finished it and went to bed
The wolf came around in the dead of night,
and blew away that house so bright
and with his teeth so strong and big,
he gobbled up that little pig!
The second little pig built his house of gorse
so the wolf ate him up too of course
But the third little pig built his house of bricks,
and so the wolf was in a fix
He blew until he was cross and hot,
"I'll climb right down your chimney pot
and gobble you all up" he cried,
I do not like to be defied!
But the third little pig in his house of bricks
was up to all the old wolfs tricks
He took the lid off his stewing pot,
The wolf fell in it was boiling hot!
So the pig ate up the wolf instead
a very tasty dish he said!


The poem itself is not that exciting written down but if you say it with lots of expression making the sentances longer by speaking slowly its a fab poem and story for youngsters - well we loved it anyway!

So here is my project - digi image is from Mo Manning and I think it looks perfect for the Pig relaxing after the wolf has been taken care of!

I think this will be a birthday card for my Niece who is 5 in November. I have written the poem out on the back of the card (so my brother will be able to read it to her - he remembers the poem but has not memorised the whole thing as I did but there again he was only 5 when our Grandad died) * I am correcting this as my brother does remember the whole poem and has recitied it to them many times! Sorry Bro!*

Hope you have fun with this weeks theme - as you can see the poetry can be anything at all - just have fun. I really enjoyed revisiting some of my favourite poems especially those from AA Milne in Now we are six and When we were very young. My team mates have come up with some brilliant samples and poems do head on over and check them out!

Tag You're it! Stars of the silver screen

So I chose Fred Astaire for my silver screen star - those musical films are fabulous and give you such a feel good factor they should be on much more to share with our kids :0) I have to say my cherubs are sick of the King and I which is one of my all time favs- I also love My Fair Lady but always watched musicals when they were on whoever starred in them.
The image came from my Mum and is from Kanban - I love the little shoes stamp too which I also borrowed from Mum - great sharing a craft room! My team mates have come up with some fab tags so do hop on over for more inspiration x

still just about Friday Rockettes!

I am late this week - sorry about that but met up with an old friend today and time just ran away with us! So whats my list of being thankful for this week?
1) my pals hubby was taken ill on Wednesday - I cant say how happy I am he is ok but it was still a shock for them both x thinkin of you pals you know who you are xx
2) As always my dear family for being there everyday and making me scream, laugh and cry :0)
3) My sis for bringing me hot chocolate when she thinks Im feeling a little down - Amy you are a treasure x
4)Horses - I know this is a bit strange but my daughter Meg loves them and is tomorrow going on a pony camp! My idea of hell I have to say but she absolutely loves them. Her face is filled with contentment when she is on a horse and I feel so happy for her that she has found something so early in life that gives her that great big buzz. (We wont discuss the expense, smell or the fact the stables is out in the sticks and not easy to get to with me not driving lol)
5)Old pals - Had a lovely time with Jules today. We began as workmates 19 years ago and although she has not worked at the same place as me since 1993 we still fit together so well when we meet up to gossip and catch up. We also share the same love of everything Christmassy :0)

So hope on over to Virginias blog and check out the other Rockettes for Rocking your world Friday - it would be fab to see you there sometime x Janet

This and that........

This is the guitar card I made as part of Sues order. The card has been run through the music cuttlebug folder then denim ink swiped all over it. The Guitar image is a papermania one and I have embossed it with PM blue glass embossing powder then added ink over the top. The little guitar embelishment just finished it nicely :0)

This is a really poor picture I am afraid but its already in the post so i cant retake it LOL. This is for my friendship swap partner for August over on the docrafts forum and I have played with my new Tim Holtz stamps I got for my birthday. Ink applied with brushes - my fav technique of the moment, denim and fired brick ,then heart sequin waste inked through. The saying stamped in black and some over stamping with a swirl then dried off with the heat gun before embossing the chandilier again in blue glass. All matted and layered to complete. Hope she likes it x

Been feeling pretty yuck these last few days and so tired but hopefully it will pass quickly. Work has been a little stressful too which has not helped - school hols brings out all sorts of problems in my job as the young people struggle with being out of routine and can cause mayhem at home meaning respite is needed all the more - we are full to capacity and have been since the holidays began so staff are also running on full capacity and are now feeling the strain - Only 2 more weeks then we should be back to normality!

Hope your holidays are proving refreshing :0)

Tuesday Taggers - sea, boats, water

Following on from Michelle's Sunshine week my lovely team mate Sally has chosen boats, sea and water for this weeks theme. There is a theme running in the themes me thinks that we are all longing for the summer sunshine and by the sea relaxation! I have made a little atc - using canvas, which I have played a lot with since our canvas challenge a month ago - thanks Zoe x These stamps are by woodware and I do love the images but rarely seem to get chance to use them. The background is made using 2 shades of blue applied with brushes then I have used the stamps to create the scene. The boat is coloured with promarkers which dont seem the best medium for canvas as there has been a little bleeding so the light house is stamped on card, cut out and added at the end. All mounted onto a black atc blank and ready to send off to Cindy the Rak attack player for this month on docrafts. Hope she likes it :0)
Do hop on over to visit Tuesday Taggers where my team mates have made a stunning job with this weeks theme - thanks for a great challenge Sally x Janet

Sssssssshhhhhh

Folks at work are always asking me to make cards - some of them with the most bizarre themes but they love the personalised touch. This one is for Sue whose son is going travelling so she wanted one along that theme. As you can see I had the image stamps but I could not find a text stamp that matched the theme so sssshhhhhhh its the peel offs again lol

The Map and postcard stamp is from The Stampman - there is a bigger version of the postcard too. Not sure about the suitcase and passport though as I have had those for ages! I have taken the colours from the background paper which is by blonde moments - I thought all the arrows were perfect for this theme so I used adirondack citrus green and distress ink broken china and applied them to the card with a shaving brush - love this way of applying ink. Matted onto SU card and thats it. Hope Sue likes it - got another card to make for her today for her guitar loving son!

Now some of you have been asking how I have been faring with the hearing aids. Well to be honest its not as easy as I had first hoped. I get eczema in my ears and the silicone plug that goes into my ears is irritating it - whilst I am wearing them my inner ears itch like mad a little like hayfever irritation so to be honest I am wearing them for work but not really at other times. The good news is I have had no attacks since my last specialist appointment so keep your fingers crossed for me that continues to be the case.

Hope your Monday is going well xx

J x

Tag You're It! No stamping

Now what a challenge this has been - firstly because I got my DT themes mixed up and thought No stamping was for Winter Wonderland - Telling me I cannot stamp for a Christmas card was like saying dont use your hands! Still after a lot of thought and some playing I managed a Christmas card I was happy with - then when I came back to the computer realised it was a tag I should have made LOL. As I had a trip to Kanban this week I had picked up a few die cut sheets I thought may come in and really liked this guitar - !) its a Union Jack Fab! 2) Son plays Guitar too! So this is what I came up with. Very little actual skill involved I feel but I do like how it has turned out.

and yes there are peel offs on there - shock horror.

My team mates have been far more imaginative than I so do pop over to Tag You're it and take a look- It would be great to see what you can come up with too x Janet

The Stampman Challenge - Easel card - anything goes

So here is my DT entry - a simple easel card using cream and blue cardstock. I made this at The Claxby weekend and borrowed my pal Bees stamp and embossed the hero arts elegant weeds with fine detail clear embossing powder. This really is a lovely stamp set. Teamed with the cream ribbon I think it looks quite elegant - as you know I love these colours together and have played with them a lot lately.
Stop by The Stampman Challenge - the design team have come up with some gorgeous creations to insire your creativity!

Rocking my world Friday

So you already know most of what rocked my world this week from my previous posts so I won't go on too long. This is scheduled as I am at work so I hope it does actually publish!
1) My family - for being so cool, spoiling me on my birthday and generally being there - Love you all.
2) Sis Amy - as an extra for making me the best birthday cake ever!
3) My pals - for sharing my birthday, being chauffeurs and making me laugh.
4)Work??? for giving me the day off - I would have hated to be at work on my birthday!
5) My oven! What I hear you ask??? Well the fruit cakes were made on Tuesday for that certain young mans wedding a 10, 12 and 14 inch cake - boy am I glad my oven works so well.
So just a quickie this week but lots of rockin :0) I have not been able to link to Virginias post as I am scheduling but do hop on over to The Celtic house and visit the rest of the Rockettes. Maybe you would like to become one? What are you waiting for??

Who was a lucky gal?

Well yesterday was a wonderful day filled with the most gorgeous people I know. First we met at 10am with Michelle, Glynis, Elaine, Bee, Dee, Mum and Sis Amy for a wetherspoons breakfast we chatted and laughed and I opened the most gorgeous pressies and being from crafters there were some fabulous home made gifts too I loved them!
At 12 we set off to Kanban in Shipley where I stocked up on card and card blanks then we had a cuppa in the waiting room - they are sooo friendly there.
After that we went to the Range in Bradford I had never been so did not know what to expect but I loved wandering and browsing not particularly the craft bits but I did buy some alterables from the gifty area.
Then we went back to Elaines house for coffee and choccy biscuits (this was not a healthy eating day!). Then as I arrived home my Bro, his wife and my Nephew and Niece arrived to sing happy birthday and I was presented with the cake by my Sis Amy. Our Amy has downs syndrome, she came to live with us at 3 weeks old, a tiny crap of a thing, but we fell in love with her so she was adopted into our family when she was 8. Amy had turned down a night out at a disco to be with me on my birthday - she has a strong sense of family- and she made this cake for me. How cool is that? It was gorgeous too so light and fluffy.
Then at 8pm we all sat down to a chinese banquet - It was gorgeous but far too much it will feed another 4 LOL and 2 bottles of red wine. I had a wonderful day - the people who shared it with me are very special to me - Thank you folks x
I also received some gorgeous work via internet buddies so thanks to crafty Vonx, Meggymay, Julye, Mels, Ali, Emma, Sally, Zoe, and Sue. Hubby is picking up a parcel from the PO later from the gorgeous Bobs so I have another surprise yet to come x Huge thanks for thinking of me I am so touched x
Janet

Tuesday Taggers - a litle ray of sunshine :0)

My crafty Pal Michelle has chosen this weeks theme - I think she thought we would be basking in the rays of the glorious August sunshine not dodging the raindrops or cowering under canapy's whilst the heavy showers pass!

Still as always the team come up with an ar"ray" of ideas which are stunning check them out here.

Mine is very simple - a small tag with a frame stamped and coloured with promarkers. The wording is taken from a few stamps then the sunshine stamp is a craft stamper freebie, coloured with promarkers and a button added to the centre. Ribbon from stash and its all complete. Wonder if I am finally getting the whole less is more thing???

Now I have had an incredibly busy weekend I worked fri, sat, sun and mon and some of you know I work with children with learning difficulties - well I needed 3 weetabix and 3 shredded wheat to get through this weekend thats for sure.
However on Saturday look what appeared at the door

Some yummy fresh rhubarb which today will become a crumble for my ever hungry lot! Do you have a rhubarb fairy? Mine makes me giggle and is called Rita :0) Thanks chuck its brilliant!

And what else is on todays agenda? Hmmm let me see could that be 3 wedding cakes for a certain young Man getting married in September? A tricky task as I am combining 2 family recipes one from my family and one from hubbys so hope they turn out ok - Lisa you did say you could work miracles with the icing didnt you????? No?????? better be ultra careful them LOL
And tomorrow I will be a year older yep birthday Number 44 so today is my last day at 43! The festivities will begin at 10am with breakfast at Weatherspoons with my crafty pals then we will decide a crafty adventure for the day. I know the best folks for crafty adventures so I am really looking forward to it. I already know one of my pressies is a workshop at The Stampman on Saturday some folks know me all too well! The evening will be spent having a chinese takeaway banquet and a few bottles of veno collapso - though not too much as I am working again on Thursday afternoon lol.

Hope you are having a brilliant week x Janet

Tag You're It! Monogram

Challenges are great for pushing you out of your comfort zone - I have seen some fabulous collage work around blogland and so thought I would have a go this week with the theme Monogram. I began with the letter J as my name begins with it but its actually going to be for someone else whose name begins with J.
The colours came from the the letter so I grabbed what was to hand and took it to craft club on Thursday to have a fiddle. The Music sheet is some I got from freecycle a while ago and its great for this sort of thing.
The flower is a freebie stamp from craft stamper, the leaf stamp is from a papermania build a rose set. The paper is from DCWV , the ribbons and buttons from stash and the gorgeous diamante buckle is from Bits and bats. Teamed with a miniature doily I think it looks ok for my first efforts at this style. Hope J likes it!
Do stop by the Tag You're it blog and check out everyone elses mongram projects - My teamies are sooo talented x
I am also entering this into Hels Sunday Stamper challenge
Which this week must include music and stamping - my flowers and leaves are stamped and of course I have used original music score sheet on my tag x

Whats rockin your world Friday!

Well folks here we are at Friday again - can you believe week 2 of the holidays has gone so fast???

I am again joining Virginias recruits over at The Celtic house So whats been rocking my world this week?

1) The biggest success of the week has to be the Parent and Young Person Art Journalling class Michelle and I have hosted for the last 2 weeks. The folks attending have literally run away with the concept and produced the most stunning of pages. Last week we did painting, this week we did inky backgrounds and used lots of stamps as well as doodling it was fabulous to see them throwing themselves into the creativity. I received a text from one of the Mums later in the day to say they had both felt so inspired - Her daughter had rushed home to do some more pages and she was planning to do the same all evening what better compliment could we have? We have been buzzing all week - its a tremendous feeling inspiring someone to go away and play :0)

2) My middle son made me brunch yesterday - egg, bacon and beans on toast - it was delicious and so unexpected!

3) Rita at my craft club - boy she made us giggle last night - Rita I love your sense of humour and your clever wit - thanks for the giggles xx

4) My DT buddies - Now I play along with some of the best crafty people with the blogs I am part of - every week these ladies make the most stunning works of art - I dont always have time to visit them and let them know how much I love their work and being part of the design team with them . I want them all to know they give me a huge buzz every week so thank you Tuesday Taggers team, Tag You're It team, Winter Wonderland team and The Stampman team YOU ARE FABULOUS!

5) Now where would I be without my family and friends? Without a doubt they get me through each week in one piece and relatively sane - so they do rock every minute of my life not just my Fridays xxx

So on to a bit of crafting

My Bro asked me to make a card for a relative of his wife's who has come over from Australia to get married at Gretna Green. Now I am not sure they like the card (Bro and wife) as the noises were oh thats nice - in an un convincing voice but there again they didnt give me any clue about what they wanted so I ran with the whole Scotland theme (they are an older couple too). I have a set of Scotland stamps I bought last year - I had to have them - couldnt live another minute without them and this is the first stamping i have done with them LOL. The paper is by Basic Grey, cant remember the stamp company but the thistle, stag and flag are from the set. I have just tied 2 rings together with ribbon and added to the flag as I thought that was quite representative of what they are doing. Before I gave it to him I did add the bride and grooms names and congratulations and I dont know if I dare admit it but it was using peel offs (she whispers).
Now after all my positives I will go hide until you stop laughing............

J x

Tuesday Taggers - Lots of lovely black!

Well our Teamie Lyn threw a real challenge our way this week to use lots of lovely black in our projects. At the Claxby weekend I really had fun playing with these Alice in Wonderland papers which I bought from Art from the Heart.

So I made this gatefold card which I think will be for my Sister in Laws birthday next month.

There is not one bit of stamping on here as I've used the papers for every element just inked the edges with peeled paint distress ink. I've never really been a fan of the Alice in wonderland story its all a bit weird but I think I've mellowed a bit and so have really enjoyed playing with The Alice theme.

Seriously I must insist you visit the Tuesday Taggers blog this week as My Teamies have pulled out all the stops some truely stunning pieces on there all with lots of lovely black!

Have a really Happy Tuesday x Janet

The Stampman Atc Swap - Time

The first atc swap was brilliantly successful - I cant wait to get those swaps sorted but that will have to wait until later in the week LOL. The box is overflowing at The Stampman full of your lovely miniature works of art.

The swap theme for August is "Time" which celebrates perfectly Jills gorgeous project in the Craft Stamper! This first atc I have used adirondack inks lettuce and denim, paperartsy stamps and a clock charm available at The Stampman.

For the second atc I have used the same inks but this time used a script stamp by seven gypsies, some wings from crafty individuals and a clock face wax seal again by seven gypsies.

This third atc is also using stamps from the same sets as before - I love how the layering works by using the colours of the background with the stamps I want in the background too.

So there you have it - theme number 2! Your Wings atcs should be winging their way to you by the end of next week and dont forget to check out the Stampmans atc blog to find out who is the winner! It could be YOU!