I bought the new Sherlock Holmes novel today - The House of Silk by Anthony Horowittz.

Mmmmm.

Haven't started it yet...........

UPDATE

Well I read it. And rather good it was too. (sighs of relief)
I nearly stopped reading it as in the beginning, I found  Watsons over 'explaining' Holmes behaviour slighty tiresome, obviously done by the author to introduce the new audience (new??? what do you mean Sherlock who????) to the nuances and foibles that is Sherlock Holmes.
And bless Watson, so on the wrong bus, as usual.
 Would defintiely  read any future Sherlock books by Anthony Horowittz - here's hoping!

I really must tidy the spare room aka the craft room. I decided to move my desk about a foot to the right of where it was. I found soooo much stuff under it - alas, most of its now dumped on top of it!

Another birthday in December, and it was a special one - though I didn't find that out till after I'd give given her the card. Thank goodness I put a bit of bling on it.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

A small card which can be either for christmas, birthday or just as a note to someone.
I made this using off cuts from a design sheet I printed off, intended for a birthday card, but never actually got round to sticking it all down.

This was done for Peel Off Crazy "contemporary chrsitmas" swap
I decided on black and white (in stark contrast to my usual traditional Chrsitmas cards) The design came from Graphics Fairy And I finally used my brother labelling machine! Woohoo!!

a 30th birthday card for a friend, an easel with added bling. I loved how it turned out, must do more easel cards.

a small selection of the 30 cards I made for work and friends, very simple and easy to do.

from 'Rudolph and friends' easel cards by Debbi Moore

and some assorted toppers I got half price last Christmas

A 'fancy' Christmas card, normally I do flat design, traditional images and colours, but decided to do something different this time. As usual the end design was nothing like the card I wanted to make! And again as per usual, I ducked up, forgetting to leave a bit of card not to be twisted.... but I think it ended up ok.

The colour doesn't show up very well on the photo for some reason, I used some free papers from the NitWit - Cookin' Cookies Collection, red and gold glitter, small bit of red card for the base of the toppers and a Do-Craft greeting topper.

Over at ukatc, we did an altered matchbox swap with the theme of either winter or Christmas. Normally I use original matchboxes but decided this time to take one apart and use it as a template, silly me forgot to put tabs on one end (to fold in) so it was probably more fiddley than it ahould have been *g*

Matchbox size is akin to the smaller matches - England Glory not the big ones like Swan Vesta's.

Blog Buddies Fat Page swap

Over the weekend I received this lovely 'Halloween' themed Fat page from Cath

along with some gorgeous Halloween stickers, never seen these before and a few Xmas clear stamps. Thanks for the extra's, they'll come in useful for my atcs. Hopefully we'll be doing the swap again soon.
Becasue I ended up doing two Halloween pages, I'm going to do a fat book to keep alongside the swap one.

Its a slide mount, Jim, but not as we know it.

Here's 7 altered slide mounts I made for UKATC group swap I took part in last month, we all made 6 and got 6 back - made into a wall hanging by the hostess. (Jan put hung them on some gorgeous pale grey ribbon) There wasn't a set theme, so I decided to use old postage stamps as my centre pieces then work round the individual colours/pattern.

Blog Buddies Fat Page

I joined a (Stamped) Fat Book Page swap, over at Cazro's blog. Slightly foolhardy of me, having never done anyhting like this before. The theme was Halloween and I ended up making two, this one was for my swap to Joan. The stamp came from KayCee crafts "Haunted Mansion".

The backround paper was an old paperbook blank page, I satmped the image on, then drew the moon and coloured in using a crayon. Smudged some black and brown ink around using a bunched up tissue, then stamped the floral bits in copper ink, added the embellie's (the two strips are from a rafettea effect table mat one of my cats 'killed') and lastly punched a hole for some ribbon.

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Then I decided I wanted to do another one, stereotypically Halloween for kids ie messy *g* (I got carried away with the whole mess thing and ended up making 2 dozen 'goblin' cakes - fairy cakes with black/green/orange icing splodged on - didn't look too appetising but they were yummy!)

I used black acrylic paint for the background, tore a piece of orange caed so the edges were rough, stamped image on (again from KayCee crafts) then cut up a spiderweb felt coaster (from a Pound shop) glittered it slightly round the edges, then stuck the cat on (again a Pound shop)

Ya can't use one of these with a Kindle!

I finished these three bookmarks last night, the swap theme was open, just one stipulation of having a Peel Off somewhere on the bookmark. I decided to use the wonderful resources that can be found over at the GraphicsFairy. The top two are vinatge labels, and the lady - well I'm not sure where e3xactly I found her......I laminated the bookmarks for ease and extra stability whilst postal, but if I was going to hand delivery it I would have made it more of a pretty gift - inking it up, embellishing and blinging.

over the weekend I baked the first Christmas Cake of the year, noramlly I do two, one for me and one for my friend. Its still naked but I tarted it up for the photo, now its gone to sleep wrapped up tightly in greaseproof paper and silver foil, ready for its big day....

Its a 'Bero' Christmas Cake, with the fruit soaked in brandy for two days, occasionally stirred. One year I tried the fruit soaked in warm cider but din't like the result, its much more moist with brandy, even though most of the alcohol gets baked away.

A simple card made using off cuts from another project, with a sentiment printed off the internet, a gorgeous black and white Butterfly (from a pack which I got from the '7 day present' swap on cardexchangeuk, my swap partner was Helen) and of course a little bling in the corner.

Sniffles away! Did a quick card for my oldest friends wedding anniversary, from the Debbi Moore craft inspriation magazine I got last week, didn't even glitter it....... must have been ill!

normal crafting service will resume once I get rid of this extremely tiresome cold which thinks its the flu.....

I made this for a monthly partner swap on cardexchangeuk, the stamp was in a set I got free with Lets Go Stamp (or something similiar) - a magazine which covers a different craft each issue. I'd just got my first promarker set (Pastel) - hopefully the first of many *g* . I love the pink cardstock which always tears beautifully. Blinged it up slightly with a few pastel gems.

Yesterday I received my Debbi Moore package and the one from Kaycee crafts. It was like Christmas *g*

another atc, I have about 10 sheets of these 'sentiment/greeting' tags which I got free in the Lets Make Cards magazine I used to get, have only used the odd tag so I decided to use a full one as my background with a wistful looking lady having a cup of coffee and a good think about what she could celebrate that night, plenty of lovely cocktails will be had, of course.

*lol* second post today to make up for me missing a day.



another atc from this week, from a vintage topper set I got from somewhere, I think the bride isn't particularly happy that she is getting married, but is resigned to the fact, so I picked a pretty pastel pink background paper to convey every girls dream of a wedding but then covered it with ripped black paper, and embellished, to show the contrast with her private thoughts that she is now trapped in a loveless marriage, never to be true to herself again. Phew! Bit deep there!!



An atc I made this week, the background is an advertising label from the wonderful Graphics Fairy inked round the edge; the stacker is off of Joanna Sheens ATC cd; a postage stamp from my huge stash and finally I stuck some bronze coloured peel offs on to fill it up a bit.

I made this card for R, whose celebrating her 60th this month, I still think the pattern is a little too big - even when I put in the random diagonal of gold gems to break it up. Me thinks I don't need to tell you whose CD it was off of? *lol*

I'v been on a mini spending spree today - essential craft supplies (of course!); a Christmas cd, magazine and chameleon glitter from Debbi Moore, I did want a print magic pot but it had sold out :( , a couple of unmounted stamps from Kaycee crafts and some finger lift tape.
And being a kind and generous soul I ordered a book for my nextdoor neighbour - Carrie 'donates' her cheap paperbook buys to me to take into work for our charity bookstall we do, normally I don't share her reading style but she knew that I liked detective stories and she introduced me to the murky Victorian world of Inspector Faro via the first trilogy, the 1st  was okay but the 2nd  "BloodLine" was amazing! One of those stories you just can't put down, haven't started the 3rd novel yet, so I ordered her the next in the series. when it pops through her letter box I will get a right telling off! *lol*

One of my groups swaps is to make a card with a teddy bear featured on it, I started one off with a stamp I have, then remembered I had this stamped image from a bits and bobs swap hoarded away somewhere. It took ages to find it! (and this is after I 'tidied' my craft up *g*)

I love how it turned out, a simple and elegant card perfect for a work colleague or accquaintance you might know who is getting married or celebrating an anniversary.



A Liitle princess card I made for my next door neighbours little girls 3rd birthday. The background scene came from the 'Evergreen' cd by Debbi Moore, with a little castle in the background, the sticker is actually one of those wall stickesr from a Disney pack I bought from work. Luckliy I found matching gift wrap to give Zoe the proper Princess treatment.
Quite a plain card craft wise but it was received with wide eyes and a big smile.

25th of September resolution  - will blog on here much more - I have posted 22  times and thet span over a year. ;(

This is my dads card for this year, its a photo we took while we were staying at the Stonehenge campsite a couple of years ago, just one of those totally random but unique things you come across when taking your dogs for a walk. I did visit Stonehenge by myself as doggies are not allowed in so Andrew sat in the car with them whilst I wandered round the stone circle taking in the calmness and purity of the stones themselves.

hurrah!! can now comment on other bogs *does happy dance*

I tried changing to the new layout thingymebob but that didn't work. So then I signed out and back in without checking the little 'remember me' box and SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!

testing testing

okay..... this is a test post to see if I can post, have tried commentating on my friends posts and nada.

For my friends birthday in July and also her husbands the same week (and they also got married in the same week as well - no excuse for anyone to forget either celebration *lol*). I made her the card on the left - hubbies is on the right, so when joined up they make quite a romantic scene.

although from the angle of the photo it looks like I'd had a wee drinkeepoo when I took it! (I hadn't!!!!)

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This card was made for a work colleagues wedding:

when closed

I love this backing paper, I printed it on normal printer paper as I wanted it to retain its 'worn' look, I slightly frayed the gold ribbon to add to the look.

when open

BLING!!!! amd stick on gems! I loved how it turned out.

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I also had lots of fun making these atcs for a swap on UKATC - victorian nudes/risque.

(BUSTY) BERTHA - this one is my favourite, it just makes me smile, I accidently ripped her leg off but decided it loked good as it was and left it.

LOLA (SHE WAS A SHOWGIRL) -

PATRICIA (THE STRIPPER)

The birthday card images are off of Debbi Moore's Evergreen cd, the Wedding card off of Glitter & Glitz cd also from Debbi Moore and Bertha, Lola and Patricia are from the art-e-zine website.

Yesterday I had quite a productive day (for me). I ended up doing two birthday cards and three birthday atcs.

this one is for a friend at work who has one of those 0's birthdays this week. I actually intended to do a completely different style of card but didn't like how it was turning out - I was following a project design - so I butchered it and this was the end result. Its from Debbi Moore Desings and from the Evergreen cd.

and this one is for a friend on one of my groups, again from Evergeen. Using offcuts.

I am in love with this cd and the other one I got at the same time - Glitter and Glitz Paris Glamour although I haven't used that one yet as I got some sample papers/toppers in the magazine which I'm going to use first. I have a wedding anniversary coming up so thats going to be perfect for the Paris set.

Bad me watched DM on Create and Craft and now have a list of cd's I want....... christmas presents methinks or though I'm not sure I can wait that long *g*

Here's a Birthday card I made using cardstock and embellies from Lets Make Cards and the gorgeous background paper (it was a shame too use it, as its so pretty) was from a craft goody swap, from Helen.

oh its been forever.....

since I posted on here! Wonder if there's a record for non-posting?? Here's two cards I made for a friends birthday. Decided to go with the red one.