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I know, it's really not like me to be such a slacker on the blogging front.  But I have been helping my hoarding adorable in-laws to move from a 3 bedded house to a 2 bedded (small roomed) bungalow.  Hmmm, well shall we just say, I think that hubby now appreciates my 'chuck it out' tendencies.

So back to crafting......well I managed to make this 'Home is where the heart is' welcome tag for the new bungalow dwellers.  Just a little something to greet them to their new home.

I blended distress inks over the tag before stamping a swirl pattern and then brushing over bronze Perfect Pearls.  I then decorated it with various K & Co embellishments ( a birthday present from my lovely hubby)  and stamped butterflies. 

By the way......it's official, the glittering season has started.  I glittered and glimmered my desk while getting a display ready.......but officially the season isn't in full swing until the children are allowed it and we will all sparkle and shimmer together.  It really is disconcerting when you look like you have been to a 70's disco while in the supermarket......though I would love to roller skate around Morrison's in a bright pink Afro, satin jumpsuit while Donner Summer 'Lost in Music' played.  Now that would be fun....

BTW, come back here on the 2nd of December for some exciting crafty news......

Gathering Dust

My craft stash has been gathering dust of late.  I have been so caught up in decorating bathrooms (wish me luck on the tile paint as that Avocado tiled wall really have to go) and going to post 16 education meetings that by the time I flop onto the sofa I really haven't had the urge to craft.  But I have been inspired by lots of felty offerings and Christmas makes on various blogs recently that I hopefully will make 'something' christmassy with felt this weekend.  Or maybe I might have to watch the paint dry......

Anyhow as the crafty offerings are not forthcoming on this blog recently I thought I would show a couple more cards that I made for the Breast Cancer Coffee Morning.  I am glad to say that a tidy sum of £45 was donated by staff at the school I work at for tea,cake and cards.

I am still loving the promarkers but found some LOLV angel stamps that I had stamped last year but not coloured or used and because I had used Stazon ink for these coloured them with coloured pencils and glitter Sakura pens. 

I used more traditional colours for the bear LOTV stamp and the swinging girl Penny Black stamp.  Both were coloured using Promarkers and a good measure of stickles were added.

Right, going off to try something creative with felt.....

Me and You

It was my turn to choose a sketch for my team, Scraphappens, over on UKS this week.  Luckily I had just been viewing the Scrapbook and Cards e-mag where I had seen a wonderful double layout sketch designed by Becky Fleck.  Her work among with other designers can be seen on her scrapbooking sketch site, Pagemaps.

  

This sketch appealed to me as it was a good way of using up all those tiny pieces of paper we Scrapbookers can't bear to throw away but insist we may use.....one day.

I found some photos taken from your trip to the seaside in the summer of Rob in his 'model' pose, me and Rob together, deckchairs and beach huts.  As they were 'seaside' photos I wanted to go with a blue theme and so used a small patterned deep blue background paper by K&Co and a matching title and pre-cut boarders from the same range.  Then I was able to use up loads of  scraps I had been hanging onto either because I loved the pattern or felt it was too large to throw away.  I even managed to use up the teeniest blue spotted October Afternoon paper you may of spotted on my previous posts.

It was a bit daunting at first, using so many scraps made it difficult to 'lay out' the design but soon I was improvising like the best of them and created my 'own' version of the sketch.

So if you are like me and have stacks of 'teeny' scraps and feel like you are going to drown under the mountain of them all, have a go of piecing together your version.

Difficult Boys

It's always hard to buy or make cards for boys isn't it?  So when I saw these cute 'boy' stamps by Lilli of the Valley, I couldn't resist. 

I coloured both the stamps with Promarker pens and then used offcuts of the October Afternoon paper I had left over from a previous layout (see below).  I really enjoy stamping a few images up and then spending an evening in front of the TV colouring them in and I think my colouring skills are getting better too.

Live Bliss Happy Laugh

Over on UKS my team have organised a weekly scrap lift challenge.  So here is the first weeks challenge based on a sketch by Jana Eubank, her sketch blog is here.  Due to time restraints (dam you work) and still recovering from my trip (folding up my Baywatch swimsuit ready for next year Sandra), it has taken me all week.  I used some October Afternoon papers and journalling cards.  Also a K&Co decorative border for the title.  It features a photo of Rob being cuddled by his mum (yes in broad daylight) and the journalling tells of his fondness for cuddles.....but not in public.

Before I go I must show you something so kitch that I couldn't not buy it today.  I like kitch,  especially Christmas kitch.  Yay for Christmas doggie kitch tree decorations, wearing tutus, ruffs and fluff.

 

If you feel the urge to decorate your tree this year in kitch doggies, head down to Paperchase, they are selling 3 for 2 at the mo.

Slurp!

I survived......and that's just the wetsuit!  Yeah I rocked the look, surfing the waves on the Devon coast, sleek, cool and hip.....*cough*.....ahem......well maybe in my fantasy world!

Anyhow back to reality.....washing, ironing and a little scrapping.  I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY like this one.  I love the photo of Rob slurping his milkshake in an American Style Diner that we stopped for lunch in Gt Yarmouth.  I used Jenni Bowlan papers, polka dot felt, Thickers Alphas and American craft buttons stitched to the page. 

Just off to dream of hot instructors in wetsuits!

I'm keeping my eye on you....

Tomorrow I will be up early and joining forty or so Year 6 children for a six hour drive to Devon.  Then spending the rest of the week surfing, kayaking, climbing, abseiling and jumping from great heights from wobbly telegraph poles.  It's going to be tiring and cold (especially while surfing in a wetsuit) but great fun.  So while I am away I am going to keep my eye on you lot.

See the eye on one of my Zenty Doodle ATC's?  Creepy eh?  But I kind of like it.  I hope who ever receives it in the UKS Zentangle ATC swap likes it too.  It is going to be fun to see all the different styles the ladies at UKS are going to come up with.  Although not on purpose I think mine have defiantly a bold graphic feel to them. 

So behave yourselves while I'm away and I will check in on my return just in case your worried that I may brake something on my adventures.