Three in one

I did this LO for a number of challenges over on Digital Craft Cottage. Firstly, it was the Members Collaboration Kit Goals to Scrap Challenge, I challenged myself to make 6 LOs this month, this was number 5. Each had to contain an element from one of the MCK kits, for this one it was the little border round the photo.

The next was a Word Art Challenge, where Lisa supplied a quote for us to scrap, this is probably my favourtie photo of DH and I, taken on our 25th Wedding Anniversary while we were on a River cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg in 2006.

The third part of the challenge was really a tutorial on blending technique, I also used the grunge overlay from a previous tutorial.

Potfest in the Park 2008

I went to the Potfest in the Park near Penrith yesterday with my SIL. There were some lovely things, most of them well out of price range. As well as having all the stalls selling pottery, there was a themed competiton and these are some of the entries for 'Clayopolis'.

I liked these cheeky chimney sweeps.

Especially, the fig leaf man!

This wasn't a competition entry, but I thought it was a great idea for displaying succulents.

These little houses are from the Clayopolis competition.

Those of us doing the 'house' swap on BF Forum might want ot have a close look!

This sculpture is made up of rings of clay.

And this one was actually called 'Birdhouse in your soul'

Detail from the birdhouses.

The Potfest is held in the grounds of a large manor house and has a lovely walled garden with a herbacious border which was in full bloom. I took loads of pictures, but here are just a few.

This is my SIL, Isabel, in the garden

Blue Skies

Here's an LO made with the freebie 'Designer Gift A Day' from Digital Craft Cottage. The designers provide registered members with a whole kit, one item per day. This is only the beginning of their generosity as there are lots of extras and special events.

Impressionist

Over on Digital Craft Cottage there was a link to an Impressionist Plug-in for Photoshop Elements. This is my first attempt at creating an Impressionist image. You can see the original photo further down my blog.

Think Pink - Goodbye and Good Cluck

This week's Think Pink challenge was to create two cards for 'leaving' occasions. The Blue Skies card features a photograph I took of the sky last weekend - got to catch those blue moments because let's face it, they don't last long!

The second card was inspired by Angelnorth's bad pun on one of her cards for the challenge. I found these little chooks in the Crafts Beautiful magazine. You can see all the cards on the Think Pink Blog, click on the link on the banner in my side bar.

Paper and bits are Dream Street, from a BF Kit.

DCM - Journalling Spot

The DCM Dare this week was to use a 'journalling spot' like those you use in scrapbooking. I have combined this with one of the cards I made for the Think Pink Challenge over at Bubbly Funk.

Sun Worshipper

Jenny squeezed herself between my basil plant and the jug of flowers to find the sunniest spot. There was a cold north wind blowing outside, but gloriously warm just inside the window, perfect for basking cats.

Edinburgh

I took this photo in June when we were in Edinburgh with our American friends, but I thought I'd post this digi-LO because the hotel I was staying in for the conference this week was right below the castle on the other side from this picture.

Conference Stash!

I was at a conference in Edinburgh from Wednesday to Friday this week. Apart from the working bits, there was plenty of time to socialise and network with colleagues. This included, a trip to George Street for some retail therapy, I never spent a penny but helped my new friend to spend quite a lot in the sales at Jigsaw and Hobbs. We then went to John Lewis looking at Radley bags, but they don't have the one I want for my birthday so I'll have to get it on line. We finished the trip off with a visit to Harvey Nics restaurant for a cocktail and some nibbles, then back to the hotel for a champagne reception and the conference dinner. Hey, you have to have some perks when you are away from home for three days!

However, that does not explain the conference stash. I'm always on the look out for things that might be stashable but there was a decided lack of them. However, I did know that there was a little shoppie in the Grassmarket called 'Helios Fountain' (I've been there before) so I nipped out one lunch time and picked up some A5 card bags that I needed for the Think Pink card sale and some nice black and white buttons and a couple of cards of ribbons fell into my basket. On the way back from Helios Fountain (all of two minutes from the hotel) I saw that there was a lovely embroidery shop which I hadn't seen before.

I went in to have a look and found this lovely space-dyed mulberry bark and the beautiful space dyed thread. I have no idea what I am going to do with them but I really love the colours.

Here is the one bit of true conference stash I managed to aquire, a free muslin bag stamped with a conference sponsors horrible logo, but I thought it would be easy enough to create a panel and sew it over the top of it. It's a nice roomy bag so I just need to get on and do something with it!

Think Pink - Anniversary Cards

This week we were challenged to make two anniversary cards for the Think Pink Card and Craft Sale in aid of Breast Cancer Care.

The one above is quite a traditional card. Stamp is Elusive Images from Graphicus from the Valentine set. The Happy Anniversary is from Anita's, both heat embossed.

The pink hearts cards is more modern and funky. The hearts are from Pink Petticoat.

Art Journal Card

I've been really stuck with my Art Journal Journey recently as the next card was to be 'Surprise' and I really hadn't had any surprises. I had just decided to miss that one out for now, when I got a lovely surprise at work. Under the photograph of the flowers is a piece of the cellophane that they were wrapped in.

DCM - Peel Offs

First DCM I've done for a while, what with holidays etc. This time the challenge is to use peel offs, I think I got these butterflies free with something else I bought and they have been in my drawer for a couple of years. I put them on rainbow card and coloured some of the spaces with Sakura pens.

As it was a sunny day today I took the card outside so my butterflies could nestle amongst the flowers in my tubs.

Two lovely surprises

First I received my bookmark from Hazel (craftyhazelnut) from the Bubbly Funk Bookmark Swap. It is very lovely, with little quilled bees on it. I have displayed it on the BF book of the month from our book club.

I got even more of a surprise on Friday at work. I have recently been promoted and will be working at another site on two days each week, but it has all been fairly low-key as it is an extension of my role rather than a new job. We were going out for lunch as another member of staff was leaving and there was a card and a bouquet for me too! I was really not expecting that at all and it was lovely.

Graduation

It was graduation day today for one of the universities where I work. Here I am with two of my colleagues in our gowns, I really love that we get to wear our gowns once a year, there are few other jobs where you get to wear it other than on the day your graduate.

Think Pink Cybercrop, Card and Gift Sale

This is my 'six pack' for the first challenge in the Think Pink Challenge - read more below

"Think Pink" Cybercrop

and Grand "Think Pink Card and Gift Sale"

in aid of

Breast Cancer Care(Registered Charity Number 1017658)______________________________
The Bubblyfunk Cybercrop this year

will be a fabulous charity event with proceeds going to Breast Cancer Care ______________________________
The MASSIVE two day crop will be held on the weekend of the
20th and 21st September 2008.
Caroline will have some stunning kits on sale with a percentage of the kit price going to the charity.
We will be having weekly "Think Pink" challenges from now right up until the cybercrop.
The two day crop will be filled with fantastic classes, games and fun!____________________________
All we are asking is that you voluntarily donatesome of the items you make for our fabulous
"Think Pink Card and Gift Sale"
to be held in West Sussex on
18th October 2008.
The sale is being run by Di O and a friend of hers, Emma whose sister has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
And .......there will be between

80 and 100 guestsattending this very special sale......how amazing is that!
100% of the proceeds of the sale will go to Breast Cancer Care.__________________________
This is an incredible opportunity to raise funds for an amazing and worthy charitythat continues to work hard to provide the highest standards of treatment, support and care for Breast Cancer patients.
Read all about their work at http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/

More information available on the Think Pink Challenges at the Think Pink Blog

Come along to Bubbly Funk Forum, register and join in the fun.

70th Birthday Card

I had a card to make for our neighbour's 70th birthday, they have been neighbours here for about 30 years so are almost family. I used one of the images I got from Joanne (Angelnorth) in the rubber stamped image swap on Bubbly Funk Forum. Nick is a keen gardener and I wanted to use something plant like. The 'leafy' ribbon thing came with one of the BF kits. I know that the sentiment is slightly squint, that stripey paper really put me off! In the end I decided to leave it - well it is hand made lol.

Mother of the American Navy

I thought I'd share this silly LO with you. Over on Digital Craft Cottage there are celebrations going on for 4th July, one of the challenges was to make a layout with yourself featuring as a figure from American history. We had been to visit John Paul Jones birthplace, which is only about 20 miles from where I live, when my visitors were here, so I just had to be JPJ. Kit is Lisa's Independence Day and Patriot Alpha both for Digital Craft Cottage.

Here's the card I made for Steven's girlfriend's 21st Birthday. It has been a fairly low key kind of birthday because they were moving into their new house on her birthday, I think there may be more celebrations this weekend.
Papers are Daisy Bucket Designs: Charming Claire, Delightfully Delia and Enchanting Emery; jewelled brads by Dovecraft, fabric flowers from Lakeland.

I've won an award!!

I've received this lovely award twice! Hazel (Craftyhazelnut) and Joanne (Angelnorth) both nominated me for the award, I have to say it is an honour to have received this award from such talented crafters, thank you.

The rules of this are:

1.the winner can put the logo on their website/blog

2. put in a link to the person who gave you the award.

3.send the award to at least 7 other blogs that inspire you with their layout-creations-themes

4.put a link to these sites on your blog

5. notify the people you nominate for the award.

Now a lot of the people I would have nominated have already have been sent this award by Hazel and Joanne, so I am digging deep into my favourite blogs and sending it to the following inspirational bloggers:

Carol Clasper (A stitch in time)

Priss

Trish Bee

Rosie

Traci

Carolyn

Anice (Funky Hand)

Flowers at Threave

This is the start of my digi-scrapping of my holiday, these flowers were growing in the greenhouses at Threave Gardens. The kit is Patience by Laura Boetta at Digital Craft Cottage.