Handyman Bear

In my last post I mentioned that July is a busy month for me as far as birthdays go...

Well, today is yet another friend's birthday. He is another guide at the Fort where I

volunteer. Last Monday, I posted a card for another fellow-guide, and you may

notice that I used almost virtually the same design, albeit with a different image 

and papers. Each did not see the other's card, and they don't look at my blog,

so I did not feel guilty about not designing a different sketch.

I was on duty at the Fort yesterday, so I needed to have the card finished by Saturday.

However, there was a slight "incident" on Friday, whereby I didn't start the card until

Saturday evening....Now don't any of you laugh, as most people have done, but after

a routine checkup with my doctor late on Friday morning, John and I decided to drive

to a nearby small beachside village to have lunch by the water. While I was enjoying

my lunch, 2 pelicans stood right in front of us, with the most soulful eyes. Being the

softie I am about animals, I went to give them a chip each. Before I could blink, one

snatched at my hand, engulfing it past my wrist. As I pulled my hand away, the razor-

sharp hook on its beak tore a deep gash in my thumb, and a smaller one on my hand.

 I went to the little ambulance station nearby, where they patched me up, and advised

me to go to our hospital's E.D. for a tetanus injection...I'm not sure which hurts 

more...the wounds, my injected arm, or my pride.

STOP LAUGHING!!!!!

The 'birthday boy', Carl, is a bit of a handyman at home, and at the Fort,

so I used one of my favourite 'male card' images, Mr. Fix-it, by Stampavie.

A closer look at Mr. Fix-it, coloured with Promarkers.

Inside the card.

(Sorry for the poor lighting on the photos-I took them very early before I left home

for the Fort yesterday morning).

Challenges

Brown Sugar #104 - 'For The Boys'

Crafter's Cafe #73 - 'Anything Goes'

Fab 'n' Funky #224 - 'Walk On The Wildside'

Milk Coffee - 'Birthdays'

Penny's Paper Crafty #187 - 'Anything Goes'

Pile It On #30 - 'Embossing'

Simon Says Stamp - 'Emboss It'

Image - Stampavie (Laurence Collection)  Mr. Fix-it 

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - 3 Bugs In A Rug Tool Time

Embossing - Crafts Too Tools

Hammer Brad, plastic Drill and Nails, peel-off stickers from my junk stash.

I must go and start preparing dinner...any 'wet' tasks take longer because of my hand. 

John has music students until 9pm, otherwise he would have cooked. He had a lovely 

dinner waiting for me last evening, when I returned home from the Fort

(he cooks most Sunday nights).

Thank you for visiting,

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Another Parchment Rose

July is the busiest month for me for birthdays, and yesterday another friend, Janise,

celebrated hers. Last year, she saw, and fell in love with the parchment roses and

their colours on a card I had made for my spot on a GDT, so keeping with

my policy of never creating 2 cards the same, I made her a card that is

slightly similar, with one of my parchment roses as a feature.

Although I have used this design before, I think this time I may have been influenced 

by a lovely Chistmas card by Debby, that she posted recently. Are you impressed

by how clever I am, managing to 'blend out' the embossing on the lower layer.....

DON'T BE.....my darling Cuttlebug finally 'gave up the ghost'. After many years

of faithful service, she actually exploded!!!, with one of the side panels flying off,

and hitting a wall about a metre away. She has needed some coaxing for about

18 months, so I did buy a Big Shot then, 'just in case', but that has remained 

in its packaging until this week. I have not used it yet, so will have 

some adjusting to do (which plates for different dies, etc).

A closer look at my handmade parchment rose.

I left the inside of my card quite plain, just sponging the

edges, and adding a gold peel-off sticker.

Challenges :-

Crafty Catz #240 - Hot Summer and/or Hot Colours'

Ladybug Crafts - 'Summer Flowers'

Penny's Paper Crafty #187 - 'Anything Goes'

Sweet Stamps - 'Parchment' WINNER

Tok Bobok #14 - 'Monochrome'

Tuesday Throwdown #205 - 'Handmade Flowers'

Dies - Spellbinders Rose Creations; Marianne Branch LR 0150 and Leaves LR 0192

Embossing - Fiskars plate Swirls

Inks - Sponging layers-unnamed (have had it for yonks); sponging on leaves-Versacube 

          Sage; on rose-Tim Holtz DIs (a mixture of Spiced Marigold and Fired Brick)

Peel-off stickers and Flowersoft from my junk stash  

It is so cold here this morning, I am off to do some housework (Urgggg) in an effort to warm myself. Moving is so painful though, as I have once again done some damage to my back (lower back this time).

Thank you for visiting, and until next time,

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

FORE!!!

Good morning to my crafting friends. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Many of you in the Northern Hemisphere are just beginning your summer

holidays, so please keep safe, and have a wonderful holiday.

Last Wednesday, one of my fellow guides at the Fort celebrated his birthday,

 and as he is 'golf-mad', a golf-themed card seemed the obvious choice.

I absolutely love QKR Stampede's bears, and this rather rotund 

guy is no exception.

This was the best I could do for a 'golf ball' - I cut a circle with a Spellbinder

die, then embossed it, to create dimples. When I planned the card in my head,

I had intended to just use a large 'FORE' as a sentiment, then I remembered

it was our friend's 64th birthday.........!

Inside the card co-ordinates with the front.

Challenges
Penny's Paper Crafty #186 - 'Anything Goes'
QKR Stampede #97 - 'Vacation' (card recipient often goes on golfing vacations) WINNER

Image - QKR Stampede Digi 3401 Day On The Course
Colouring - Promarkers
Paper - Papermania It's A Man's World
Embossing - Mini Dots (magazine freebie), Cuttlebug Argyle, 
Sentiment - computer generated (Balsam and Forte fonts)
Border peel-off sticker from my junk stash

That's all for now, so I must go and morph into a domestic goddess. Thank you for visiting, and until next time "happy crafting".

Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Birthday Boy

Today is a rather special day...why?..because it is my darling John's birthday!

(Actually, two friends also celebrate their birthdays today).

I made John's card using this Lili of the Valley image, not only because it is so

cute, but for two other reasons...recently John bought himself a beautiful 

classical guitar, and also because many years ago we were owned by 

the most lovable dog, Hector, who would sit beside us when we 

were rehearsing and join in singing with great enthusiasm! 

(See photo at the end of this post)

A closer look at the adorable duo.

Inside the card matches the front.

I had forgotten I had this die which I bought last year, but discovered it

when I catalogued my dies recently. It cut and embossed like a dream.

John and Hector, in the mid 1980s. I wish we had owned a video camera then,

so we could have recorded the full 'performance'. Dear Hector had his own

chair beside the piano, and would watch John closely while he played the

introduction, then as we began to sing, he would join in. Rehearsals were

often longer than planned, because we would be doubled over with

laughter at the amount of 'drama' and 'expression' that Hector

 would put into his 'Oscar-winning performance'.

Challenges

Animal Friends #16 - 'Dog or Cat'

Crafter's Cafe #72 - 'Birthday'

Lili of the Valley - 'Take Two' (use at least 2 LOTV products)

Penny's Paper Crafty #186 - 'Anything Goes'

Image - Lili of the Valley Playing Guitar

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - First Edition Hideaway, and Spring Feast

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Dies - Spellbinder Classic Rectangle;  Joy! Crafts

Card Candi - Craftwork Cards

It is after 11.30pm, so I am off to bed...I have to be up very early tomorrow morning, as I am on duty at the Fort all day. We are apparently in for a VERY cold day, with gale force, westerly winds. I don't mind the cold, but the winds make life rather miserble.

Thank you for visiting, and until next time, "happy crafting".

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

42nd Anniversary

On Tuesday, my darling John and I celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary.

Our lovely neighbours offered to look after our pets so we could have a few

days away. We went to a beachside town about 2 hours drive away, and 

stayed 3 nights at a motel right on the shore. This was our 4th stay there, 

and it is wonderful to go to sleep, then wake in the morning, to the sound

of the waves crashing on the beach just metres away from our room.

This is the card I made for my beautiful man. It is A5 size.

I fell in love with this adorable image when I first saw it several years ago, as it

is so relevant to our careers. John and I have performed professionally as a 

piano and vocal duo for most of our marriage. While I have never actually 

found myself lying on top of the piano, I have often 'draped myself' over 

part of it, while singing 'torch songs', or jazz standards. Mind you,

 unlike these cuties, John has always worn trousers, and I have

worn a little more than a bow and gem in my hair!!

The inside of my card required very little embellishment due to the

design on the DP. I wrote my 'love message' to John in the

white area in the bottom RH corner.

In place of my usual contact details sticker on the back of the card

(after all John knows how to contact me, te he), I used this 

fabulous grand piano die that I bought last month.

Challenges

4 Crafty Chicks #202 - 'Inspired By A Song' (Makin' Whooppee from The Fabulous Baker Boys)

Craft Room - 'Wedding or Anniversary'

Die Cuttin' Divas #173 - 'Wedding or Anniversary'

Penny's Paper Crafty #185 - 'Anything Goes'

Image - Stampavie (Penny Johnson) Love Song 

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Stampin' Up

Paper - Cre8ive Move To The Beat

Dies - Spellbinder Classic Rectangle, Cuttlebug Music Note #1 and #2, Die-Versions Piano

Stickles and gems are from my junk stash

I'm off to prepare dinner, so thank you for visiting, and until next time, "happy crafting".

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Summer Fun

I know I have been a bad blogger lately...it is a month since I have had a card to show

you. There have been lots of happenings in my personal life, including a short stay in

hospital. I thought I may have yet another fractured vertabrae (4 previous ones due

to osteoporosis), but I just tore a rib off my spine. I shouldn't say "just", as the pain

was excruciating, even when only trying to take a deep breath. 

Enough of my miseries, and onto happier things!!!

It is the first Thursday of the month, and that means we have a new challenge for you

at Crafty Little Fairies. Here in Australia, it is bitterly cold, mid-winter, but where

many of you live it is mid-summer, so our theme is

'SUMMER FUN'

We once again have five lovely generous sponsors, so a big "thank you"

to each of them, who are -

Please remember that to be eligible for one of these wonderful prizes you 

MUST use a stamped or digi image, not a pre-coloured topper 

or a printed image from a CD.

I really enjoyed making this card, as it brought back childhood memories of days

spent at the beach, collecting seashells and sending messages in bottles. Yes, 

if I knew in advance a trip to the coast was planned, I would write a little

note, seal it in a bottle, and when we arrived, I would 'launch' it into the 

waves, and dream of someone in a faraway land receiving it.

The white embossed layer was created using my old Fiskars Waves Texture Plate. 

If I spritz the cardstock before using the Texture Plates in my Cuttlebug, 

the result is a very deep, crisp embossing effect.

The sweet image is a digi stamp which I won in a challange in May. 

This lovely button has been in my button jar for more than 3 years, waiting for

the 'right' card. I bought it at a craft show at Farnborough, during my 

last trip to London. Unfortunately, I only bought one.

Inside my card is fairly simple, with a large die-cut area on which

a personal message can be written.

CHALLENGES

4 Crafty Chicks #201 - 'Nautical'

CCC Digi Creations #4 - 'Digi/Embossing Wet or Dry'

CCEE1427 - 'Red, White and Blue'

City Crafter #218 - 'Let's Go To The Beach'

Corrosive #202 - 'Favourite Colouring Medium' (Promarkers)

Crazy 4 Challenges - 'Summer/Winter'

Di's Digi Designs - 'Lots of Layers'

Fussy and Fancy #117 - 'Summertime'

Open Minded #13 - 'Patriotic Colours'

Party Time Tuesdays #179 - 'Red, White and Blue'

Penny's Paper Crafty #184 - 'Buttons, Butterflies or Bows'

Polka Doodles #26 - 'Red, White or Blue'

Pumpkin Spice #77 - 'Red, White and Blue'

Sentimental Sundays #213 - 'Summer'

Sparkles Monthly #57 - 'At The Beach/Summer Fun'

Sweet Stampin' - 'Summer Fun'

Time Out #9 - 'Fun In The Sun'

Image - Sparkle 'N' Sprinkle Time In A Bottle

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiments - Lili of the Valley

Dies - Spellbinders Scalloped Square

Embossing - Fiskars Texture Plate Waves

Button - Meiflower

Twine - Papermania

Shell from my junk stash

For a chance to win a lovely prize, and see some wonderful projects by my fellow teamies, why not visit us at Crafty Little Fairies, then enter our 'Summer Fun' challenge. We would love to see your creations.

Hopefully I will have another card to show you soon, so until then, "thank you" for visiting.

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x