Updates from the dray

December was pretty much craft-free. Christmas was a busy but lovely time with the family coming to visit, DH having quite a bit of time off, and lots of church work to do. I've been playing catch-up ever since, but the last week or two I've had time to play. The house looks a mess; I had to reduce my ironing pile to almost nothing before I could start, and I couldn't have done it without not being required for quite a lot of church work. It's been such fun to get back into making things again.

Scrap Whispers had a mandatory hiatus over December and January too, and the new game starts this Saturday. We have some great challenges and a wonderful starting LO.

I've also had a bit of a rethink on my blog and challenges, and things are going to change. This is despite my new year's resolution not to have any new year's resolutions - typical eh? A facelift will be next on the list, but for now I want to get back to entering challenges. And actually remembering to check back on them.

Here is today's creation first. It is for Less Is More's sketch challenge, and CASology's purple cue card. DH ordered some card-making packs for me for Christmas and they contained several of these enormous butterflies. They're all glitter-embossed, although that doesn't show up in this photo. The stars are random punches, die-cuts and old embellishments.

This is for Cute Card Thursday's "new" challenge, and Stampin' for the Weekend's "birthday" theme. The new is that precious toadstool paper from the My Mind's Eye "Gnome Sweet Gnome" pad that I got on clearance after Christmas. I just love it!

The Simon Says Stamp team is requesting string or twine for this week's challenge. That needs no explanation! I couldn't wait to use the Darice wood grain embossing folder that I got in my Secret Santa pack - thanks Darla! The tags were in a pack of dies in a goodie bag from the craft retreat I went on last year.

All of today's cards are also for Pixie's Craft Workshop's snippets challenges, because thanks to my punches, my scraps are gradually reducing. I can actually close the lid on my punched leaves box now. Hehee.

A few photos

The last few weeks in pictures.

Deer on the critter-cam. Aaaaah!

The annual Victorian Fair, in aid of our town's Christmas lights. It has got less and less Victorian, with only a few costumes around now. Still quite good fun though.

Somebody has been on the thieve. And so have all his little furry friends.

 

A tube of squirrel.

Early morning ablutions in the apple tree before all that church bell cacophony started.

Our tree.

Christmas shaker card

I had enough Christmas cards for this year months ago, due to a bit of a surplus last year and some over-enthusiastic scraps-using-up sessions, so I haven't needed any. But a card-maker can't get through November and December without making ANY Christmas cards, really, don't you agree? It goes against the grain!

I satisfied my craving by making this shaker card for a bunch of challenges. It doesn't show up very well on the photo - I couldn't get the stars to shake down properly.

Charisma Cardz: Christmas
Cute Card Thursday: anything
Simon Says Stamp: anything
Stampin' for the Weekend: Festive

Scrap Whispers new game!

The new game on Scrap Whispers is now on!

The first challenge is "minimalist" and the inspiration for it is this little page that I put together after DH's and my afternoon at Westonbirt Arboretum last weekend. It was the first break he has had for such a long time, and we really needed it. These leaves are just stunning in the sunlight.

Do you want to play along with this? Hop over to Scrap Whispers and join in!

Didn't it rain

DH and I went to see Hugh Laurie earlier this year on his "Didn't it rain" blues tour, his second one.

What a gifted man. Seriously. I grew up with a crush on him as a comedian on Fry and Laurie, Jeeves and Wooster and Blackadder, before falling in love with him all over again as House 20 years later. And now to see him singing and playing - and dancing - live on stage was the icing on the cake.

His manner was unexpected quiet. But the self-deprecating, apologetic awkwardness in real life only reinforces the talent behind his portrayal of the brilliant and broken American doctor. And that's another thing, that accent. I have American friends who have been gobsmacked when I proudly claimed him as a fellow Brit. "You mean he's not American?" I can't do accents. I'm in awe of people who can, and he's got it quite perfect.

OK, enough of the hero-worship. Let me show you the LO I did of the show. It was for umpteen challenges: 2 pieces of die-cut paper (SJ CoW), tickets (SJ), autumn colours, misting, book title, sketch (UKS and SoW).

Blowing him away

That gorgeous tree stamp belongs to Sue and she generously let me use it at this month's crop. The rest of the card was paper-pieced and put together using most of the stamps I brought with me, and some of Carroll's too. Thank you Sue and Carroll!

This is for Pixie's Crafty Workshop's "snippets" and Stampin' for the Weekend's "anything goes" challenges.

Old chair, new chair

It has been pointed out to me, quite correctly, that I'm slacking in updating my blog. A huge thank you to Darnell for the kick up the backside that I needed! Mwah!

Let me show you my latest project. I've been on an Annie Sloan painting class to update our furniture. Amongst other things, we learned on the course how to "age" furniture by crackling the paint and rubbing with dark wax. We also painted two layers of different coloured paints and sanded some of the top layer off so that the older colour showed through. Not that I wanted any of that, I just wanted some pretty chalky coloured paint that you can use without sanding first. 'Cos I'm lazy that way. And they taught us how to use it for that too.

I began with an old kitchen chair that was in my bedroom when I was a child, and which my Mum last painted with a colour called Frascati (I remember the colour, not the manufacturer) to match my wardrobe when I was about 8. I chose that chair because it wouldn't matter much if I got things wrong. Well ironically, when I looked at it, it was already showing two colours of paint, and had genuine dirty age crackles - I couldn't help wondering whether Juliet would actually let me paint it if she saw it!

See? Poor, tatty, grubby chair. Destined to go in our new conservatory. With its bare skirting boards. See where this is going? ;-)

Yup, I did the skirting boards too.

Pretty isn't it? It's called Duck Egg Blue. I have a chest of drawers and a wardrobe to do too, but don't hold your breath. I need a serious amount of courage to tackle those. I think the scariest part is the thought of emptying them out, finding new homes for the contents, and getting them upstairs.

Meanwhile, back to the paper-crafting. That's a lot quicker and cleaner.