Thinking of you ...

 I'm popping by to share a quick card ... 

I was inspired by the new TIME OUT challenge:

I chose to create a card quickly ... I love to challenge myself to great cards without too much faffing, as quickly as possible.  This card came together like a dream ... I used two dies, one to cut the panels and one to cut the leaves using a piece of a left over gelli print and kraft card. Then adhered the panels to the card base with foam tape to add dimension and interest.  Finally, I stamped the sentiment - all was going smoothly until this point and I smudged the sentiment  and made a right mess!!  So I stamped the sentiment on to a slim piece of card and heat embossed it before adhering it to hide the mess.  It took about 10 minutes to create the card ... it would have been less if I hadn't messed up the sentiment!!  The speed was only possible as the dies and card were already resting on my desk!

Stay Safe!

Begin again ... 2020 Furniture Projects

In my quest to look at the positives of this year I thought I would begin with furniture projects. I enjoy updating and renewing furniture - in the past I have made new covers for sofas, reupholstered chairs and other small projects. This year I have completed a number of projects primarily for my daughter - taking battered pieces of furniture adding a lick of paint and some new fabric.

The first two projects were small storage stools:

I didn't think to take a before photograph!

The brass handles were covered in layers of paint which I managed to remove back to the brass

Next up (before the UK lockdown) I picked up a rather old tatty footstool from a charity shop, This was a big transformation for such a small piece of furniture as it required stripping completely and re-webbing!

This project was for me!

 Next up:

This very brown cupboard belonged to my parents and had been in my garage for over two years waiting for someone to need it!!  Finally it has a new home looking very different:

It now resides in the hall of my daughter's new house.

The final furniture project (with photographs) is a blanket box, as I stripped it back ready to start it became clear that I wasn't the first to recover the top!

The changes were quite dramatic -

I've also refurbished my dining room table  - removing all of the old varnish and then waxing it; stripped and painted the door and drawer fronts in my kitchen and redecorated the kitchen; and decorated the downstairs cloakroom!

On reflection I seem to have completed a few projects ... and that's not all!  I'll be back soon to tell you all about my gardening adventure!

Stay Safe.

Begin again ...

 It is almost a year since I retired and what a year it has been!   It would be fair to say that I didn't cope well with retirement to begin with and then add on top the current pandemic restrictions on life and I have not been in the best of places for much of the year.  So with the New Year looming I've decided I need to begin again ... 

I created this tag to act as a reminder to me!!!

I thought that to begin with I would reflect on the year and look at what I have been doing rather than what I haven't been able to do!  I hope to write a series of blog posts to share the projects that haven't featured on my blog so far ... to act as a record and a starting point for 2021.

Stay safe!

Although I created the tag as a reminder for myself I am going to enter in the current challenge at Country View Challenges - November 2020 - Anything but a Card.

STAMPlorations November Theme and Photo Reminder ...

 This year seems to be disappearing so fast ... here we are at the midway point of November, not much left of 2020 - I for one will not be sad to see the end of it.  It is time to remind you about this month's Theme and Photo Challenge at STAMPlorations - have you joined in with it yet or are you in need of further inspiration?

This design lends itself to making multiples of quite easily and quickly - a die cut image plus a stamped sentiment.  These cover plates from STAMPlorations work so well.

I used:

CUTplorations; Doodled Christmas Candles and Doodled Christmas Bells Cover Plates

STAMPlorations: Christmas Baubles Stamp set

(This post contains affiliate links. When you click on them and place an order, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you)

Stay safe!

Holly ...

If you've seen my earlier post from this evening you will no doubt spot the similarity between this card and the earlier card!

 

I stamped and masked the holly and then stamped the sentiments around the image.  

I used:

Distress inks - Festive Berries, Pine Needles, Lucky clover and Crushed Olive

Sheena Douglas Stamp Set - A Little Bit Festive

I'm going to enter the following challenges:

TIME OUT Challenge #174

Christmas Card Throwdown November Colour Challenge:

Stay safe!

Red and Black ...

Another card for the Christmas card collection ...

 

Lots of stamping and just a pop of red.  I stamped and masked the robin before using two border stamps across the card.  I then masked the border along with a strip down the length of the card before stamping the words.  The robin was water coloured with distress inks.

I used:

Distress Inks - Festive berries and squeezed lemonade

Sheena Douglas Stamp set - A Little Bit Festive

Sentiments from numerous stamp sets.

I'm going to enter the current TIME OUT Challenge #174

Keep Crafting!

Missing you ...

 ... I miss seeing family and friends ...

Inspired by the challenge at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge:

I used a brand new stamp set ... it only arrived this week so I'm impressed to be using it so quickly!!  So I'm going to enter the NBUS challenge a term coined by the lovely Darnell to cover all the crafty stuff that we all have sat waiting to be used!!

I used:

Visible Image - Creative Chaos

UNIKO - Simply Said II

Distress Inks for the water colouring - Chipped Sapphire, Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean

Lawn Fawn - Stitched Rectangle nesting dies

Take care!