Give An Inch Or Five

Sorry, this was going to be a card but then I didn't have time to finish it and take a picture so....here's a few more Inches I've made for a forum swap. These are my second batch as I've sort of mislaid the first batch, I guess they'll turn up along with some house keys, last years hand made Christmas cards and of course that first plastic finger splint I lost and never found.
They had to be all of one colour, (that's the Inchies and not things I lost) so from the top, 'Feeling Blue' 'Racing Green' 'In The Pink' 'Blue Moon' and 'A Bit Browned Off.'
New Follower! Hi and a Big (((wave))) to Rascals with a new blog, welcome to Blogland!! Thank you for stopping by.

Click the picture to make it bigger

Tesco's Finest* Premium Quality Paper....isn't any more.

I don't know if it's just because they've run out as my local Tesco's hasn't had any for weeks, but their Finest* Premium Quality Paper, is no longer 120gsm. It's gone down to 100gsm, the packet is nearly half the size, still the same 250 sheets and price but because the paper is thinner, the packet is too. I know there are hundreds of crafters out there who, like me, use this paper, so if the Tesco in your area still has the old (and better) paper, I'd get it while you can, but they were very 'crafty' by not having any for ages, probably hoping no one would notice. I asked their customer Service assistant and she told me, that's all they have listed.... I wouldn't be so mad if they called it, 'Not Quite Finest* Premium Quality, But Near Enough....' but they don't...


My FaceBook Group

update... The Tesco Help line were 'unaware' of this change and have put it down to 'environmental savings and costs' but it is still, compared to their other printing paper, their finest*
What a load of crock... I have bought some since posting this .... it's no way near the same, the soft smooth finish it used to have, has gone...I took back the opened packet and was refunded my money.

A Bit of Photo Shopping.

Okay....you can't see the card, not yet anyway...(It's for a GDT spot for a challenge that's coming up Monday 2nd August, as I won one of their challenges) I've been playing in Photo Shop and you know it's no good me reading anything, (see my profile) as it just 'won't go in' but I managed working in three layers...One for the card, one for the first font and one for the second font...ok, so it's not rocket science to most of you and I have done one layer before easily enough but I feel I've at last conquered the ant hill!! Now...I'll try the mountain!! (anyone seen my Three Tors Walking Boots?)
Over on Crafter's Digital Art Centre there's a very good tutorial on how to add watermarks to your cards, so at last I feel I'm on the right page with this, even though I'm not reading the words!
New Followers!! Hi ((wave)) to LizzyBobs!! Who has just become a WOYWW fan and has some fabulous Tags and Hi to Donna Rogers, and I've (at last) found a link. Another WOYWW fan. Pop over to Doings of Doone where here's loads of lovely craftiness to see! Hi to elysia2003 (Julie) sorry at the moment there is no link to an open blog, so press that button Julie! but at least you have a lovely picture!! Thank you for stopping by.

Mason having a Swimming Time with Dad

Haven't posted a picture of Mason and his dad before...and this is a really nice one, so I thought I would. The pool, I believe is at Mason's step-great granny's house...beats my fish pond any day!!

WOYWW??

It's Wednesday!! Freebie and a Snoop! (who could ask for more?) I've been having some weird nightmares just lately. Not night mares that wake you up with an 'ARRGHH!' but nightmares that wake you up and are sooo stupidly impossible, you think just for a second they're real! Perhaps it's my inner voice trying to tell me something?? (Hmm...don't eat cheese)
I've tidied up!! (not) well, it looks like I tidied up, 'specially for What's On Your WorkDesk Wednesday, the brain child of the one and only Julia, found most days over on the Stamping Ground... come and join in!

Seeing I tidied up (scooped everything out of sight you mean) there isn't a lot to see this week (try shooting the camera downwards) My very old green cutting mat, (not self sealing) It's about time I treated myself to a pink one. (I'd like blue)
The pictures you can see I loaded up on to Facebook for my youngest daughter over in The States the other day, mostly her as a baby.
All a bit boring really... so how about I show you my two favourite boxes?? (no, let's not) which are usually out of sight, (or buried!)First the blue one, with some inks and embossing powers in the bottom box and just bits and pieces in the top.(stuff you can never find a home for)
Then the red one that has some of my acrylic. glass, oil, paints in the bottom and hammers and hole punches and things like that in the top. (again, stuff you can never find a home for)
The lid fits both the red and the clear box, so it's handy... (oh yes, very handy, I'd swap it for my handbag any day, just the thing for going shopping. Have you shoes to match?) Well that's it really, as I said, a bit boring this week... (yawn) so .... here's a swing to the right, just to reassure you, it's not really tidy... (told you) and to view a nice cup of tea and a chunky chocolate chip biscuit! (I'm suddenly hungry)
A couple of people have asked me about PaintNet over the week. I got mine through a free Magazine disc but you can go see all about it here it's a free download. There's other places, just Google it! I'm at work (you say that every week) and this is on timer, so I'll be with you as soon as poss!! (quick, Run, hide!!) Can anyone hear voices?? (No, just you) Have a good WOYWW!!

Sorry you've missed this freebie, next one on the latest Wednesday's post!

My Once Upon A Time ATC's

Just a quickie to add my ATC's, which I made for the swap over on CardMaking and PaperCraft forum. There were five, but one went walk about just when I wanted to take the pictures... Not having anything Fairytale-ish, I decided to make a little 'Once Upon A Time' Story book instead. Coloured with ProMarkers and some swirls of gold embossing power. You'll find the other ATC's in the swap Here
Of course, if I'd hunted through my files on my computer I would've found all sorts of fairies... Maybe I'll add some fairies to the lost one when it turns up... or even some 'Lost Boys' and a Peter Pan. WOYWW tomorrow, and a new Freebie Teddy...

Forest Ponies.

Here's me, living near The New Forest and I hardly never show you any of the country side. Went out for a picnic and saw this lovely little mare and her foal. I'm not normally one for taking pictures of them, we leave that to the Grockles, who stop their cars without warning, fling open their doors and invade the pony's space with tip bits (not allowed) and the offering of their children... I just can't believe that anyone in their right mind would put a child on a wild pony just to take a picture! But they do! These two weren't on the road but out of sight of the holiday makers, who very rarely venture very far from their cars. Can you see why I took this picture?? There's about 3,000 ponies roaming the Forest, and I just happen to find this little mare and her foal.

Double click the picture of the mare
and then you'll see what I mean!

Once Upon A Time ATC's Swap

Here's a the "Once upon A Time ATC's I've received this month for the swap I run over on the Card Making and Paper Craft Forum. I love showing them off, they're always fabulous but this month I think every one's gone all out! It's a little harder to chose a winner this time so I set them all out and Hubby John has chosen two winners and a runner up!! Not letting on who...The winners will receive a little prize posted back with their swaps!! In no particular order...

Aqualeiga
(SpringShowers is a RAK for me)

Caro

Piglet

Lucy (Our Junior entry) and Nora Batty

Kerrmiya
The Egyptian is a RAK for me)

NantyLornar
(The Haggis is for me!)

Where's your's Lyn??? I'll show you mine later in the week! Now, which one would you pick?! Hard choice. Anyone can come and join in, either through this blog or on the forum. August ATC Swap will be.... My Favourite Things... that's your Favourite things not my.. well, you know what I mean...So, who's guessing mine will have a picture of grandson Mason, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and Promakers, all stuck together will Nutella??

New Followers!! Hi and a big (((wave))) to Chrissyxxx.... with a fabulous Pink and Black Blog, a WOYWW and a Tilda Fan!! Kelly Smith, No link, yet and julyeb, with some fabulous cards, I love the way you've done the donkey for Michelle Then, all the way from sunny Florida, we have Shelly from Inky Hugs and out the back and in the dark, also with no links, Hi to Lynne Lewis ( Mad About Cards Forum) , Patty Chapman, and Dawn Lancaster! who's a new blogger and Aqualeiga, also a new blogger and who made those lovely ATC's at the top there! Welcome to Blogland!
Thank you for stopping by..

It's Not All Black and White

One Stitch At A Time's New Challenge has started over on the challenge blog and for those of you who aren't still humming the tune to The A Team, (because it's their turn tis week!!) pop over and have a look at all the fabulous cards the DT have come up with... the challenge for this week is...

Black and White and One Other Colour...

I've used Stitchy's Image, that gorgeous fairy, 'Just Relex', which you can find over on the...

Stitchy Bear Stamps Shop.

The purple background on the first card was in my download stash and I put the image, paper and the over lay of branches and balcony, actually made to print onto acetate (from My Craft Studio) all into the My Craft Studio programme (first addition, which was originally a freebie from Create and Craft's newsletter) and printed it all out together and then attached it to some of Susan's swirly papers.
As you can see by the first two pictures the top card didn't at first have a black back ground, but after taking a few pictures I felt that 'something' was missing...did you notice?

On the second card I did the same thing, the purple paper was in my 'Stitchy ' folder, so that's where that must have come from ages ago! but then I also added some of Susan's (Crafty Chaos) lovely spotty paper and printed it all out as one sheet and then fixed that over the black card. You'll also find Crafty Chaos here
I added a bow, paper-clips, two Woodware Brads and some micro glitter from stash to the first card, but kept the second card plain. So, even though the cards look like there's loads of layers, there isn't. Bit of a cheat really! Before I confuse you any more, pop over and join in the Challenge! As easy as Black and White...with one other colour of course!

Challenges
The Secret Crafter_Fairy Tales
Scrapping with i did it creations- Your fantasy
(I'd love to be able to fly..and be that thin again!!)
SSDS - digi
Mami Doodles (every three weeks) - anything goes
Penny's Challenges - (fortnightly) 1 Ribbon, 2 Design Papers & 3 Embellishments
Papers: Purple and the Black & white papers. Embellishments: Glitter, Brads, & Paper Clips
+ one Spotty Ribbon if the glitter doesn't count!

A Peek At One Stitch

Here you go. One Stitch At A Time has a new Challenge starting tomorrow at noon.

It's The A Team's turn...dah de dah, da de-da-da-da!!
(Who now has that music in their heads?? Aw, just me then...) and here's my sneak peek of my card/s (because they're near enough the same) for the OSAAT Design Team, using of course, goodies from the Stitchy Bear Shop, where, there's still 30% off most goodies
It's quite a good clue this time but that's all you're going to get until tomorrow!
Ok Face, you can turn the music off now!

A Short Post

Ants!! We have millions of them!! Hubby, at this very moment (almost midnight) is armed with the vacuum cleaner, (and ant killer) reminding me a little of the story by Jasper Carrot, told about him sitting in his garden, in the early hours of the morning, with a twelve bore shot gun, waiting for ...a mole. Short post today... I forgot to recharge my camera!! So... here's a picture of a short post!! Yay!!! It's Friday!! ATC's tomorrow.

Two Tilda's and Maybe a Stickeroo

For those of you who aren't Tilda fans, look away now. Not one of the speeches lasses but two. I'm so indecisive. I couldn't make up my mind whether to have a standing Tilda or a sitting one, or even a Penny Black Stickeroo, so I chose both, or maybe all three? Some would say you can't have enough of a good thing, other's would say, this is no way a good thing!

Ok, over did the glitter on the flowers. Or more like, I spilt the glitter on the flowers. And the glitter wording?? It would've been better if my glitter had been finer. It's double-side sort of sticky stuff from Papermania, you rub it on, peel off the top cover and then cover it in whatever, the glitter in this case wasn't such a good idea. Foil might've been better, or maybe that fluffy stuff, but I quite like the shadow affect it makes. (effect? I'll look it up later)

This card was going to have the cute puppy dog on it, (Saturday's post, same style card) so in reality, it could've been a whole lot worse! Definitely not a cute doggy card! and speaking of cute dogs, Shell has made a lovely card with her Doggy 'Charlie' digi I made for her. She has my Digi store, Spyder's Other Corner, banner on her side bar and every month I'm giving a little prize to a banner holder. Your own Digi. (Or something from the store!)
Back to the card...(I'm easily side tracked.) All Pink Petticoat Papers, of course (look out for Vintage Rose, on offer until the 1st August) and if you look closely, dresses, socks, shoes, bow, and parcel, (which was green) have all been paper pieced. And, I took pictures to prove it. The pocket has even been 3D-ed. Well, it was either make a card tonight or tidy up or paint ... so I made a card... Maybe I should've tidied up!
The freebie font inside the card, already been mentioned, but for those of you who missed it... (Whisper) it's on Saturday's post.
Now I did have some challenges in mind when making this card... Two images, buttons, ribbon, paper piecing ... acetate... flowers... I even wrote them down... somewhere.
The little Stickeroo, you will be pleased to know, isn't stuck in, he's fixed with some white blu-tac...(A little trick I've learnt. If you're not sure what image you want to use, fix them on with blu-tac, in fact, you can stick anything on with blu-tac and then take it off again... and change it all...well, why not!

Well I did get a bit of painting done today. Hubby has a week or so off, so he's painting the house...He hates painting. I've promised to do the inside. Meanwhile, I, myself and me, repainted the front door, in a nice mahogany and it doesn't look half bad either.

Calvin Klein's??? Still pink... Give them up as a lost cause?? I hate being beaten by a pair of pink Y fronts, specially posh ones...

New Followers!! Hi and a big (((wave)))to Gemma Rathbone who is a Stamping Up Demonstrator over on Make do and gem...(very clever blog name) pop over and see the fabulous paper cake!! And ((Wave))) hi to Patti with Crafty Patti's Card Crafts great cards to go and spy,
oh and Tracy is no longer out the back and in the dark, she now has a picture...that's so much nicer! And I've now found a link for Pallavi (who I mentioned a few posts ago) so popover and say hi!!
This is either going to be a very late Thursday Post or a very early Friday one...depending on how fast I can type...
Hopefully, ATC's tomorrow or maybe not! Thanks for stopping by.

Challenges
Die cut dreams-acetate *WINNER!!*
(I was invited to be a Guess designer
and made this card for their Gingham Challenge!)
The Stampman -anything goes
Mamidoodles-anything goes (til Thurday 5th August)
Hedgehogs and ladybirds -buttons
K L Stampinnscrappin-ribbon
Polly craft challenge -happy birthday
Crafty creations- challenge77- Happy or Sweet

This card...went all the way to America and then came back again. Evidently, they don't take post to where my daughter lives!

It's Wednesday Again...

Freebie Unicorn this week ... hope you like him, grab him while he's there, he'll be gone by this time next week. And my Craft room this Wednesday?? Very messy, and so, as usual, I've moved into the living room again. Sorry about the pictures, not much light. There's the making of the Unicorn, all my digi's start off as a scribble. Sorry about the legs, they just wouldn't go right. But at least now, I can take it into PaintNet, (which is a free program that you can download HERE) and play with it, tidy it up and darken the image a little. Still haven't mastered Photo shop ... but I will!! (and cheese will fall as rain) There's also a card I started last weekend, still haven't finished. Not sure if it needs a sitting or a standing Tilda, a Penny Black Stickeroo or something completely different. The folder is one of about eight, filled with mostly download papers, magazine freebie papers, card, acetate, shrink plastic and bits and pieces, because I never throw anything away! The other smaller folder holds decoupage and Stickeroo's and older downloads, back in the time when I had time to put all the same company's papers together. (ie Canon Download, MadAbout Cards, Scrap Girls...)

I'm typing this round about midnight (this is on timer and I'm not here! or I am and I'm very late for work)
The one place in my craft room not too messy to see are my Nutella Jars filled with flowers, seeing Tesco's has now put their £1 storage jars up to £1.75!!! Meanies! And yes, I buy Photo glue by the box! and I'm getting very low!!
Up date on the pink Calvin Klieins... they've been soaking for a week and they're still pink. (and for those who wanted to know...no they weren't hubbies!)
So... This is my Work Space this week. What's On Your WorkDesk this Wednesday??? Want to join in with well over a hundred crafty bloggers?? Pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground and join in, it's that easy...but be warned...it's very addictive!!!
Be seeing you!

Sorry you missed this weeks Freebie, another one will appear on the latest Wednesday post!

Just Swinging By....

Sorry I scared so many of you yesterday with the words, 'washing windows and painting'! I do hope you've all recovered!! Hubby's home, he has a couple of weeks off so that means.... yes... well, you can guess!! (Tidy up!) My house isn't called 'Spiderwebs' coz it's pretty!! There were quite a few dead things living in it when we moved in all those years ago...

Anyway!!! Quickie post just to remind you all Stitchy Bear Store has a 30% sale on throughout July and this weeks challenge over on OSAAT is to use a digi image...easy peasy!! The B Team have done a brilliant job!
So, I've used one of my little Digi images ~ (Only made him last night, not sure if he's keeping that belly button though!) ~along with some download paper's from Pink Petticoat.
Every month I have a little prize for anyone who displays my little Digi Store banner on their sidebar. The prize is to have a little digi of your choice. Last month it was Shell and a did a little digi of Charlie her greyhound. (popover and see what Shell has done with Robbie The Robot!) and this month it was Jackies Crafts, and Jackie said she'd love a hedgehog on a swing. So here he is. He still doesn't have a name, so any ideas???

I've also followed the recipe over on Totally Paper Crafts to use, one image, one ribbon, two papers and three embellishments, and there was another challenge somewhere that was doing the same...but I've forgotten where...anyway, I hope my two flowers and a photo brad will count as the three embellishments. The font I used for the sentiment is called Spidershank and can be downloaded for free HERE. There was a couple more challenges, which I'd like to enter this card into..but of course I've forgotten who and where, so I'm off to find them! Welcome to two new followers! Hi and a big ((WaVe))) to Dorcas who has a fabulous blog, Dorcas Designs and brilliant Tutorials on how to colour with Crayons and baby oil! And Hi to Rhonda and her lovely Blog, Rhonda's Place to Share with loads of cards to give you some inspiration!! That's it for now. WOYWW tomorrow and a new freebie digi... Thank you for stopping by.

Double click the pictures to make them bigger!

Challenges
Totally Paper Craft- Recipe
Papertakeweekly- cutie patootie
Ellephantastic Challenges-stitching
Dareu2digistamp-stitching.
Lexiscreations-Stitching
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays- animals
Penny's Challenges-Recipe
Digital Tuesday-happy-birthday
Pollycraftchallenge-happy birthday
Promarker Challenge- animals (Ooops, might be a bit late for that one!)

Latest Pictures of Mason

Sorry, no cards...busy cleaning windows... and painting... bored with that, sooo you're just going to have to put up with me showing off my lovely Grandson. He's growing sooo fast! Here's a couple of pictures I nabbed from Face Book a few minutes ago. He's just toooo cute for words. Just wish he wasn't so far away!

A Little Puppy Love

I've just got back from Chicken and cat sitting again...and if I hadn't watched 'The Private Life of Chickens' the other night, I'd be very worried indeed about Sidney, and the umm, extra 'bits' she appears to have grown! But the story about Sidney can wait for another day...when I've got pictures!
Thought I'd make a quick card with one of my own little digi's for a change. I chose this little puppy dog, seeing he appears to be (so far) the favourite! He started life off carrying a slipper and then a chewed newspaper, but I swapped those for a birthday card. Of course this card didn't start off looking like it does now either. It started off with flowery paper, loads more flowers, some ribbons, glitter and a charm. But, well... they just didn't look right, not for a dog!
The paw print papers are a freebie from Pixie Paw Print Papers. Link on my side bar. The dog collar and 'woof' disc are also freebies from Canon Creative Park HERE you'll find other papers there too. here
The font is also a freebie, already mentioned in posts below and on side bar. (Oh!! tell us Lyn, you know how lazy we are!!) Pea's Lesley's Happy Font, download it for free HERE
The acetate was cut out from a huge Easter egg box, which I saved just for this very moment. Sorry, I ate the chocolate egg some months ago. (And very nice it was too!)
I've still got the flowery version of this card (and with an acetate window) I'll probably stick a Tilda on it later and post it tomorrow, when I come back from another bout of cat and chicken sitting!!
The paper you can see through the acetate window is a Christmas Pink Petticoat one, but i don't think that matters!
No D.T. cards this weekend as it's the B Teams turn. If you want to know what the next challenge is over on One Stitch At A Time, you'll jolly well have to pop over and have a look.....oh...I'll tell you, it's Use Your Digi's!!! (and I did!)
Right, what's next? Ah new followers!! Hi to (oh my goodness!)
Tracy, a WOYWW fan, with a fabulous blog and a shop Barn life
Jeanette and Michelle from Krafty Kows fabulous cards, and some even with cows! Pallavi (no link yet...) and Tracey, another WOYWW fan, with Handmade-Cards-with-Love and out the back and in the dark, with no links are Carrie Richmond and Lynne Lewis. Thank you for following!


Challenges. I think the two I made this card for are already over, (bother) but there is a couple more I found. All I have to do now, is remember who and where! Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges
Promarker Challenge-animals
Ann's Creativenook-anything goes
The Town Scrapper-Anything goes
Having a bit of a summer holiday, so this is their last post til September the 10th!
Totally Stampalicious - splash of red (The collar?)
Gingersnapcreations-markers
Craftaliciouschallenge-birthdays
Crazy challenge-it's hip to be square. (square card)
Stampwithsarahkay-anything goes
For fun challenges.-'Favourite Colouring Technique' (Promakers)
Stamp challenges-something digital (everything except the flowers!)