Upcycled Christmas Seal

Another card using an image and greeting from an old card that would otherwise all have gone to landfill. These cards are so much fun!

Stars are not just for Christmas!

Fresh from my craft desk this morning! It will be my sister's birthday on Monday, and this is my offering for the day. Hope she likes it!

 Apart from general stash, I have used two Sizzix Thinlits dies... Snowy Stars and Delicate Letters.

Upcycled Robin

Today's Christmas card from yesteryear... probably about eight or nine years yester. Upcycled image from a card I've saved from the recycling bin, with some festive embellishments.

Mother's Day Daffofil

I have a plan. I do. I have decided. The thing is that after all this time, and several hundred posts, I haven't a hope of remembering which cards I have posted before, and which I haven't, but I figure that anyone viewing this blog going forward is unlikely to have seen them before, so I'm going to more or less start again! So (I know you shouldn't start a sentence with 'So', but it's convenient... so there)… So here's a Mother's Day card. Unseasonal, I know, but I'm just blogging as I come across the files - one Christmas and one Non-Christmas every day - unless I have a fresh one to show you.

I should maybe also mention that I moved house a while ago, and much of my stash is still in boxes in the spare room which will become my craft studio, IF I can ever get it sorted. If you ask me what stash I used on a particular card, therefore - particularly if it's an old one - the chances are the answer will be, "It's in a box somewhere. I'll let you know if I find it."

Here's a slightly different version..

Almost there!

I have been slaving over a hot blog, and I'm happy to report that I'm almost there! Have finished checking links and organising my sidebar, and I just have my GDPR/Cookies/Privacy page to sort out. Then it will be business as usual, including probably daily changes and regular new cards! Woohoo! I am looking forward to that.

See you again soon. x

EDIT:  Yes! Done! Ready to go...

Blogroll Update

Done up to J now. K to O next. This list is going to be MUCH shorter by the time I'm through checking the links! I'm finding that most blogs have been closed down, or changed in purpose, so a lot are coming off the list. Onward and upward...

You really wanted to know all this, didn't you?

EDIT:  Yayyy! Done. List of Challenge blogs to check next.

Snowman joke..

I saw a video on Facebook today that made me chuckle. I would love to share it with you, but couldn't find a way, so I'll attempt to describe it. You'll have to use your imagination, but it will be worth it, I promise! OK...

A snowman is standing on another snowman's shoulders so he can peer in through the window of a house where a family inside are at the table for their Christmas dinner, passing around the vegetables and beginning their meal. The snowman sees they are tucking into the carrots... "Oh my GOD!" he screams to his mate below. "They're eating NOSES!!"

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Haha!! Good, right? (snicker)

So.. no pictures today. No new cards to show. Busy still getting my blog back to being fully serviceable. Have started working through my VERY long blogroll, checking that links are still current and that there is pretty (mainly) crafting content still visible. I've decided to tackle it by working through the alphabetised list in blocks of five letters at a time. I've done A to E today. Hey, it's a start..

Outlander-inspired

I am a huge fan of Outlander.. the TV series, and the books by Diana Gabaldon. My mother introduced me to the books many years ago, and she talked endlessly about them, and the characters, what they were doing, etc. The main characters share my surname, Fraser, so I was inspired to make this card, using a page from an old paperback copy of 'Cross Stitch', which is the UK title for the first book in the series (called Outlander in the US). What I am most thrilled about was that I tweeted a pic of the card to Diana Gabaldon herself, never thinking for one second that she would even 'like' it, let alone reply as she did, with 'Very nice'. I was so star-struck! For someone with 300,000 followers to be so attentive to her fan-base really impressed me. I'm sure she won't see this, but - just in case - thank you, Diana! x

Garden Thank You

Another recent card for a neighbour and his wife who very kindly did some weeding and shrub-trimming for me - including a holly bush - when I wasn't able to do it myself. It's not the best card I've ever produced, but it was attached to a bottle of Famous Grouse when I gave it to them, so I don't think it will matter much! lol x

A Recent Recycled Birthday Card

This one was made in a hurry for a friend's mum, posted 1st class on a Tuesday to arrive in plenty of time for the big day on Saturday. Didn't arrive until the following Wednesday! The image is from a card I received, and only the top half, at that, so watch out for the bottom half coming to a card near you! The rest is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll leave it there. Feels good to be back! Home, again. x

Did you miss me?

Hello, you lot! Not sure if anyone will be left following my blog, as there hasn't been anything to follow for so many years! I'm not going to apologise, as you've heard all the excuses before.

For the time being, I have more time on my hands, as I am now kind of retired, for reasons I won't go into. It took me a while to remember my login details for this blog, but now I'm here, I have some tidying up to do, link-checking, etc, so bear with me. I'll be back properly soon.

Missed you.

xxx

Christmas Revival #3

Pretty poinsettias and Christmas roses on this one, matt and layered on red, pale green and gold mirror card, and decorated with punched holly and pine leaves, a gold bow and red gem.

Christmas Revival #2

These were all recycled from one card. The cards in the top photo are very tiny, though, ie - half of A6, whatever size that is.. A7? I mounted the pictures on mirror card, deckled three of them, and added a clear crystal gem in the centre of the star. I also used a 2001 Serendipity stamp for the text on the star card. The text 'Prince of Peace' below is computer-generated.

Christmas Revival!

I have been upcycling and reviving some 'pre-loved' Christmas cards! That is to say, salvaging elements from old cards that have been rescued from the recycling bin, or donated by relatives, and jazzed up in various ways.

The festive border on this one was painstakingly snipped and mounted on black card, which was also snipped to leave a smart border around the frame, on a 6" x 6" square card blank. The lovely greeting in the middle is a stamp from Inkylicious: 'Christmas Wishes' #3170.

Red gems from stash decorate the 'I's in the greeting and the bows in the corners of the frame.

Christian Mother's Day card

Mother's Day card for a Christian friend. And the same card with matching box, below..

Third time lucky...

Third post in four days.. Must be a record! ;-)

Have been making some more of my 'upcycled' Christmas cards. Will post some fresh pics when I've taken them, but in the meantime.. here's something else you won't have seen before. This was a special birthday commission for someone who loves violas..

Two posts in two days!! Can you believe it? ;-)

Catching up with cards made but not blogged in the past couple of years. Here are a couple of Mother's Day cards. (The one above has a matching box.)

Is there anybody there?

Hello, you lovely lot.. That's if there is anyone out there in blogland!

My last post on here was over two years ago. Unbelievable! It is my intention to pay a bit more attention and I hereby make a new resolution to post at LEAST once a week! That feels scary to type out loud! ;-)

Old friends may notice some changes to the blog.. name, etc. Wanting to attempt to tie-up all my craft-related 'bits' on the net. I will be working on things over the coming weeks, like checking that all the links in my sidebar are still current, so please bear with me.

Quick personal update:

Once again, the hazards of working on a contract basis is that they can end without the next contract being secured, and I am again 'between contracts'. After several months looking for jobs and not getting interviews, I asked the Jobcentre about selling cards, and they said as long as I don't exceed 16 hours work a week, and declare my sales, it will be OK. We'll see. I'm going to just put a toe in the water and see if anything sells, but the jobsearch will remain my biggest focus.

Yorkshireman and I did not manage to recover things, so single again, but HAPPY that way! ;-)

Lost my lovely mum last year in February, and my precious Tigger in November.

Moved to Nottinghamshire end of March this year.

That's it in a nutshell.

Hope you are all OK and doing well. I look forward to catching up with you, bit by bit. I'm glad to be back. :-)

I hope to have some fresh cards to share with you soon. Meanwhile, here's one you won't have seen before on here...

Vintage..

.. Sorry, not a card!! ;o)
Now this really IS treasure.. I am heartbroken to be selling THIS baby, but needs must..
I call it my Cruella De Ville coat.. It's beautiful faux fur and it has a print of 101 Dalmatians on it! 1986 vintage, beautifully made in France under license to Walt Disney. In mint condition.

Trouble int'Paradise..

Eee, pet.. t'path of true love never runs smooth, does it, girlz? (sigh) Having a few issues with my Yorkshireman, but I'm hoping we'll be sorted yet.

Any road up, you'll never guess what? I have a couple of cards to show you! Wahey!! Both CAS.

This one is from just over a month ago to mark the anniversary of Eric and I getting together...

And this one was for Eric's eldest daughter's birthday, Amanda. One of her main obsessions is Northallerton Football Club, so this was easy.

That's it for now. I will try to get back here more often. Hopefully, it won't be another four months!! Yeh.. I know..

Love to all
xxx