The Quest has been published!

Many of you have been sending me your gorgeous poppy cards for the launch of the poppy appeal in Skipton at my Hubbys last night of the proms style concert. The 22nd October is getting nearer and nearer and the box I had set aside for the cards is bursting at the seams. Tim and I have been truly touched by your kindness and want each and everyone of you to know how much your cardmaking is appreciated.

So when Card making and Papercraft were looking for stories about how people help the British Legion it seemed the perfect opportunity to say a huge, massive, public Thank you to you all.

So check out page 30 of this new edition of Card making and Papercraft. Your card may be in the picture!

Alter it week on Try it on Tuesday

This week at Try it on Tuesday as its the last week in the month - we always have altered as our theme sponsored by our good friends at

Who have an amazing selection of alterables to tempt you!

Now I have an affinity with pigs - I love them ,Guinea pigs, farm pigs I just think they are fab. I could think its the rounded shape or the fact they love to trough that makes me bond with them but I am not sure LOL.

Well I have 2 favourite stories from childhood that were pig related My absolute fav was The Peppermint pig by Nina Bawden - I just adored the way the pig captured their hearts at a time when pigs were just a means of food and not in any way a pet.

I struggled with the pint pot bit for this (his first meeting with the family he was popped into a pint pot he was so tiny) hence why I went onto another favourite

Charlottes web.

Now I do know why Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider had such an impact on me - it was the bond of friendship they had which even though it exhausted Charlotte having to take care of Wilbur - she did it anyway - she loved him dearly and he her.

So with my Molly Bloom obsession still in full swing I have recaptured Wilbur and Charlotte onto a cd tin. The farm scene and the pig are both by Molly Blooms (thanks Georgina) the spider is from my stash - a Halloween set I bought from Baker Ross years ago but it wonderful for this time of year!

Kraft card circle and pleated paper around the outside. Ribbons and button also from stash.

My team mates have produced some wonderful pieces this week and we have a fab Guest designer too so do stop by Try it on Tuesday and check them out.

I am also entering this into The paperlane challenge - as its my fourth entry this month I think they will be heartily sick of me however I am trying to get more entries too and hope the talented Barry Phillips has joined in with his gorgeous creation.

It also fits with The Ginger snap creations Red head challenge which is shared moments - Wilbur and Charlotte were full of those x

Don't you just love on line shopping???

Love jelly beans?

Rhubarb and custard ?

Pear drop pips?

Then look no further My pal Charlie owns a sweet shop in Skipton - very retro sweeties and has just gone on line - what a fab name too 110grams of.....

Do have a nosey and maybe take a stroll down memory lane sucking a pineapple chunk :0)

Stampsmith stamps

Michelle and I have been dying to bring the delights of stampsmith stamps to our crafting group for some time and next month we get to play with them. They are utterly stunning in detail and def need a brilliant ink pad such as versafine to work with. This was me playing around making a sample for the class.
Look at the detail in the ladies face - I love them - so skills for this session will include ageing, distressing, layering and going the whole vintage hog. Personally I cant wait for the 7th October so we can share with the group x

I am entering this in the fashionable stamping challenge where they want to see vintage projects - perfect me thinks x

hope your weekend is going brilliantly!

Janet

A perfect pear - the Stampman Challenge

My turn to chose the theme at The Stamp man challenge this week and I have gone for pears/ pairs. The challenge is to include pears or a pair of something. I did this at the retreat last weekend using barn door and peeled paint distress inks and coffee archival ink on both the background and main image.I am really loving Kraft card blanks at the moment and love the colours popping off the card. The sentiment is by hero arts - one you have seen me use many many times a pear-fect finishing touch to the card groan groan!

Do stop by The Stampman challenge where not only do we have a new DT member but some STUNNING samples from the team.

have a great Friday x

A retreat project

Michelle and I like to have a little challenge for folks at the retreat - a little like an ice breaker, the challenge is usually to alter something. This time it was a piece of hanging fencing which we got from poundland! You can see Michelles version here. As I had Molly and George stamps to hand thats what mine had to be!
I did nothing much to the actual gate except remove the metal embelishments that were fastened to it - a few stamped images, some colouring and cutting out and here it is a picnic in the garden scene. This is my 3rd entry to The paperlane challenge this month and perfect for today as I go to The Craft range to see Clare demo again tonight. Its a craft club outing which we are very excited about! Really looking forward to seeing Clares work again. Whats more there is a pie and pea supper - we crafty gals know how to live it up!

Hope you have an exciting day planned too!

Janet

Happy Birthday Matthew

Hard to believe my gorgeous and extremely wonderful Nephew is 8 today! Happy birthday Sweetheart.
Here is a close up of the image - I bought this stamp and the accessories just for making this for him. He goes to tennis coaching so I thought it would be fun. papers are some freebies from a magazine and I think are my minds eye and he is coloured with promarkers.

I am back at work tonight after a wonderful week off so we will be seeing Matthew at tea time before I go on the night shift. His birthday treat is to go see the show Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat, a favourite sing a long in the car, its so sweet as my own kids loved Joseph as do I . My eldest was 8 and the youngest was 6 when we went to see it the first time at Blackpool with the wonderful Phillip Schofield as Joseph. We hung around the stage door to get his signature and he was a lovely chap. He complemented the boys on the attire as both were dressed in waistcoats and dicky bows - they were so proud. I am sure Matthew will love it just as much. His pressie is a crafty one. He has been itching to have a go decoupatching dinosaurs so I have 2 for him and the papers etc for him to have a go with.

I am entering this card into the following challenges

Creative Inspirations - lets celebrate and

Cute Card Thursday which is anything goes

Hope you have a wonderful day ahead of you today

Janet x

Try it on Tuesday - Wonderful world by Louis Armstrong

My first thoughts for this anything goes challenge with a "wonderful world" theme was a nature project - that was until I had a peep at a new born baby over the weekend called George - The Grandson of one of my crafting buddies - in fact one of my oldest crafting buddies, Barbara, this newborn tot was perfect. All curled and furled still in the shape he was in whilst he got ready to see the world. His Mummy looked wonderful and we all marvelled at natures amazing ability to produce such a perfect little human being in such a tiny wee space!

I had made a card just like this one for George - this actual card is for another wonder of nature Dylan - the Grandson of one of my oldest friends who lives in Scotland.

Dylan was born 2 weeks ago and is also a reminder of the wonder of nature. Babies bring lots of love with them and these 2 little fellows have been born to very loving people with very loving families. So this is my Wonderful world project this week. Forever friends bear image - a little nestabilities, distress ink and Sizzix TH alphabet and thats it.

Do stop by the Try it on Tuesday Blog where my team mates share their projects too x

More molly Blooms

I saw clare making one of these fab little decorations at the demo at the paperlane at the beginning of the month so this last weekend was the perfect time to have a go.

Would you believe its the plastic inner from a ds tape roll. I have adapted mine from Clares design using a scalloped nestie diecut for the back and a plain nestie circle from a designer paper pad. Clare also used acetate and made it into a shaker ornament.
I added snowflakes punched from an old xcut punch and added bling to them. Gave this to my lovely pal Joanne this weekend - a fellow Christmas lover I just knew she would give it a ,loving home xx I do plan to make more so just waiting to use up more ds tape!!!

This still fits The paperlane challenge anything but a card - I do hope I am allowed 2 entries! make that 3 as another comes later in the week........

Totally Amazing Crafters!

Words cannot describe this amazingly wonderful group of people - This is the Gals of Lovin' Inks 4th Retreat at Beamsley, Skipton.

Working from the back left to right we have Yvonne, Val, Beryl, Joanne, Pat, Viky, Kerry, Michelle, Sandra, Anne.

Middle row working right to left Linda, Siobhan, Margaret, Emma, Kate.

and the front row from the left Sue, Liz, Georgina, Margaret.

The talent in the room was amazing - each person with their individual style and gift for sharing their crafting passion. These people really are some of life's loveliest folks and I am thrilled to have spent 48 hours with them this weekend.

I cannot thank them enough for all the giving they brought to each other.

As always I have been thrilled, laughed, cried and loved with each one of them. Some of these people are my special life long crafting buddies and some of them I met properly for the first time this weekend. It was fantastic to experience this special time.

To each one of you my heartfelt gratitude for making our retreat so wonderfully friendly, for coming with open arms to hug and hearts to share.

Hugs and Mmmwwwhhhaaass

Janet xx

Rockin my world this Friday

Friday again and another wonderfully busy weekend ahead. You already know about last weekend from my previous post so I will just add a couple of gratefuls in for the week.

DS1 has departed to begin his masters at Manchester Uni - he was away for his birthday yesterday however when i spoke to him last night he was very excited about the course and embarking on a new beginning. He went a week early to take advantage of some of the mini courses on offer - when i asked him how the week went he said "absolutely fantastic". Im not one of these Moms with high expectations of their children - I just want them to have a happy life. Our Tom has had a very up and down start to adulthood so to hear this enthusiasm was so heart warming and has to be a massive grateful for this week.

Plans falling into place is another biggie. I love planning and get a buzz out of getting organized so i love it when my planning comes together - this weeks final plans have been for the craft retreat beginning today. The very fact I am here typing means my plans have gone well and I have no last minute hitches (they were all earlier in the week). Roll on 2pm when we move into Beamsley for the weekend. We have a few newbies to the retreat this time so getting to know new folks is always exciting. Everyone starts arriving from 4pm so an exciting weekend ahead.

I am grateful for the little fine weather we had yesterday which allowed the washing to blow.

For my quiches turning out ok which are for tonights tea!

For the Christmas smell of fruit cake which is wafting around the house after the first cake of the season was made yesterday.

For OH who has gone to work on the bus so I can have the car today.

And as always I am grateful to those family and friends who surround me with their love and support.

So what rocks your world this week? Join Virginia on the quest to find the small things that rock your world x

Busy busy Mmmwwwwaaaahhhh

Wow what a busy weekend. Friday was the stampin club where we explored brushless watercolour using watercolour pens and water spritzers. As always we led them through the technique then let them loose to play and play they did - I hope its a technique they return to many times as they really did make some glorious cards. immediately after I was picked up by my docrafts buddy Liz for our next exciting adventure a trip further North to Geordieland. We had a little Rendezvous at Scotch corner with Liz's boss and his partner for a coffee - fab to meet them and see why Liz loves her new job so much - as well as working in a craft shop her boss is so personable and friendly and certainly knows his way around the craft world it was fab to hear what he is so enthusiastic about at the moment.

Then onto our next destination - a toby carvery where we met up with 9 other docraft buddies and our hosts for the next days events. A wonderful meal with amazing people - as usual my deafness meant I was not quite as far in the conversation as i would have usually been as the pub was quite noisy but I don't think folk noticed too much.

Onto to check in to our Travel lodge for the night Liz and I were excited to chat and find out more of what we had in common, our past, our kids, our understanding and supportive hubbies. A restless sleep for us both as we were excited about the meet on Saturday but once up we set off in good time - only to go wrong at the first turning and have one of a few detours which led us to be an hour and a half late. Thats where mmmwwwhhhhaaa comes in initially the frustration of being lost came to some choice words being said when we realised again we had gone wrong however ever positive Liz turned each expletive into a mmmwwwwhhhhaaa which made us laugh out loud.

Once we arrived we sang happy birthday to Yvonne after a stern telling off from Caz who was worried sick. I got stuck into my make and take for the day which was promarkers - yes you read correctly my docraft pals thought I could teach them about promarkers - I was very flattered but did wonder about their eyesight LOL

Here is a little close up of my sample. We used papermania card stock and papers and a Molly Blooms stamped image from the new winter collection.
I think she is such a cutie! Well most folks seemed to agree as I had very little of anything left by the time I finished. Fish and chips for lunch then all the presentations in the afternoon. A little atc swapping, chatting with docraft buddies then it was time to tidy up.

After this we went back to Caz's house to celebrate Caz and Keith's 45th wedding anniversary which is sapphire. Keith had done a wonderful buffet which we all tucked into and made a big dent in - Thanks Keith you are a gem. After a tour of the room of caz and the dolls houses we made our way back to our travel lodge room ( and yes of course we got lost again (Mmwwhhaa) to make plans to meet up with more buddies at the Harrogate show. Another long get to know you better chat whilst Liz marked off her promarker list then a much more relaxed nights sleep.

We arrived at the show at around 10-45 in time to meet Georgina and Joanne for a coffee and a cake and whilst there was greeted by Jan Williams and Margaret Hall who both join the RWS atc swap just as I do - it was lovely to see Margaret again and meet Jan for the first time both ladies are very talented crafters and I am proud to have their atcs in my collection. I met a few more amazing folks too Susan Powell, Tracey and of course the gorgeous Rita aka Rhubarb fairy. The Scottish Posse were there too so lunch with Lyndee, June and Purplemad Alison was mighty fine as we tucked into all sorts of junk which of course the gals washed down with Iron brew - made in Scotland from girders! LOL. at 3pm we left the show to head over to Art from the Hearts Birthday Bash and boy things had gone very well - Sandy was busy teaching, Dy was busy busy but always had time to stop and give hugs. Bessie Sue was demoing and Ben was busy checking out the emails from the blog hop - that will keep him busy then! a lovely wander around the paradise that is the shop and then it was time to go. The lovely Liz dived into a mini workshop and my hubby picked me up to go home.

It really was a wonderful time so thanks to each person I met this weekend I had a ball and especially my lovely companion Liz xx

The Stamp man challenge monochrome

Just a quickie for this post as I am off to Geordieland for the weekend to meet up with docraft buddies, go to Harrogate show and visit Art from the hearts birthday celebrations!

This card was a simple design but I love those Hero Arts big spotty flowers. the sentiment is a favourite too! all stamped in black archival ink then some eyelets and ribbon as embelishments. Black and white is so classy don't you think?

Do stop by The Stampman challenges where my team mates have played with other monochrome combinations which have some stunning results x have a great weekend x

Janet

The Paperlane Challenge - Anything but a card

If you are here for the Art from the heart blog hop then please scroll down 2 posts

I have so enjoyed playing with the challenge this month which is anything but a card. I was inspired by winning last months prize which included some shrink plastic and also attending the paperlane shop meeting up with my pal Georgina who was trying to pursuade Clare, Molly Blooms creator to do Mini Mollys!.

I had bought some bracelet blanks for my daughter to make gifts for her pals so thought I would give it a whirl. The shrink plastic I had in was translucent but it would have been better to be clear so I could use my promarkers on the back of the image - as it is I used watercolour markers which have gone a little blotchy in places.

I borrowed mums donkey again and the George with the kite.

The buttons are from Art from the heart - they are from the festive feast range which is now discontinued but I loved it :0)

I made this for someone special so I do hope she likes it !If you love Molly Blooms do stop by at The Paperlane Challenge

This also works for Crafty Creations challenge too

Try it on Tuesday A Monochrome card

Over on Try it on Tuesday we are having a Monochrome fest for our card week. I chose to go Pink and white as I had a get well card to make for Babs at work. I have used this lush paper from a new 6x6 paper pad - can't remember the name of it though.

The stamp and punch are stampin up and ribbon from my stash.

We are sponsored by our friends at

So check out your stash and see what Monochrome projects you can come up with. For more inspiration stop by Try it on Tuesday where my team mates have made some stunning samples to share with you all.

Happy Crafting

Janet

Ok so technically its Monday!

However I was a little tied up with the blog hop - scroll down if you are still playing along - you have until Sunday 11th at 6pm to email the answers to Ben - If you are having trouble with unscrambling the letters then just visit the page in the shop of the hop you are doing it may just help LOL! and if something just happens to slip into your basket then so be it :0)

So a quick post as I am feeling a very happy gal today. A trip to Northallerton on Saturday and I treated myself to these!
a snip at £4 for the pair :0)
and this which was slightly more but great for my scrapbooking :0)
and my prize winnings from the Paperlane challenge. More from them later in the week as Ihave been playing with this months theme of anything but a card!

My biggest grateful this week is that I can drive. I know I got my license back a month ago but I have not driven any distance till this weekend. The trip to Northallerton was my first out of town drive then today I have been to meet a friend for lunch at Shipley. It was wonderful having the car to myself and listening along to one of my fav Cds from Shania Twain. I was thinking how much the menieres disease has taken from me with the deafness and before now the vertigo. Being partially deaf means I hardly ever listen to music at home. If I do I cannot hear anything else but alone in the car with no reason not to listen I loved singing along - I do love singing and I so much took it all for granted before. Today was a biggy - I recaptured, if only for a short while, my freedom and I am sooo grateful to have tasted it again - I feel very blessed x

Hope your day was special in some way too xx

Have you seen this?

A delicious bundle of awesome gorgeousness!

Where you might ask can this limited edition kit be purchased?

Click here to whizz straight there!

A massive birthday celebration!

Welcome to a very exciting blog hop in Celebration of 10 years of Art from the Heart!

Lots of exciting things happening at Art from the Heart next weekend where the big birthday bash is happening. Want to know more then do click here

So in Celebration we are having 5 birthday blog hops.

You should have reached my blog from here Dyan and are on the Tim Holtz hop

here is my project

The hearts and wings sissix die, adirondack inks sunshine orange and citrus, stampers anonymous stamps, crackle paint, grungepaper and some ribbon from dys shop.

Before you move on - you will need to collect a letter from me which is S

This is part of an anagram of a Tim Holtz product

Once you get back to Dys blog please email your answer to Ben.

So after leaving me a comment you need to move on to

Linda

Have fun hopping!