ABC - Easy as 1-2-3

Over on Something Completely Different this is the last week of Moos and the theme is A B C. I made this one from a lot of little bits and pieces so can't tell you what they are I'm afraid.

Never Mind the....Daring Card Makers!

This week's dare on Daring Card Makers was to use Tartan (Plaid) on our cards. As a Scottish card maker, you might expect some sort of kilty-stylee card and I have to say that if I had had the 'Hamish in his Kilt' stamp from Sugar Nellie, I might have been tempted to do just that. But, in fact, I have no Scottish themed stamps (note to self: must get some) so I had to be a wee bit more creative.

I rummaged in my fabric stash and found this tartan that I used to make my Christmas tablecloth (edged with holly print fabric) about 8 years ago. Looking at the fabric, I began to think... Vivienne Westwood, leading me straight to Punk, safety pins and union flags lol!

Graffitti background and the Flag image were Google images and I hand wrote the greeting with a Sharpie marker and highlighted with white gel pen.

I had a lot of fun making this, no idea who I might send it to, hope you enjoy seeing it too.

Dutch Apple Cake

Full details over on Farmersgirl Kitchen

Bubbly Scrumptious Monthly Challenge - Houses

As well as the weekly challenge on Bubbly Scrumptious crafty blog, there is a monthly challenge with prizes! This month the challenge was Houses.
I had various ideas, including trying to make up a chipboard house that I bought ages ago, but he instructions were not good so I thought I would do my own. I used an box that contained tea bags the kind that come in their own little packets, so there wasn't a pile of tea dust in the box.

I looked for inspiration in the Somerset Studio magazine I'd bought ages ago and found this vintage theatre programme image in one of their freebie pages of images and backgrounds. They are on good quality card so easy to use. That gave me the idea of making my 'house' a theatre and a chance to use my Dimension Fourth Comedy and Tragedy Mask stamps.

I also used some of those vintage stamps I got in the charity grab bag and the lovely new stamp, also from Dimension Fourth that I got from Karen for my birthday (thanks Karen, I love it). I used the tissue paper technique from Craft Stamper again.

Music stamp is also Dimension Fourth.

Papers are Basic Grey Sublime and there is quite a lot of gesso on there and a bit of Red Velvet Glimmer mists too. Yes, I did throw everything at it lol!

Friday Photo Flashback

This is a picture of my Mum and Dad's wedding. It was unusual to have colour pics in the 50s but this one was actually a slide and it was only about 10 years ago that we had it converted to a print. I love how my mum chose to have all the bridesmaids in different colours. The one in the green is my Aunt Hilda who sadly died last year, and my Aunt Carolyn is in the coral coloured dress, she is only 9 years older than I am and her son is between my two in age!

Bubbly Scrumptious Weekly Challenge - Vintage

I thought I'd do something slightly different for this week's Bubbly Scrumptious challenge. There have been a lot of vintage challenges and I've done quite a few cards, so I thought I'd make something from my vintage textile stash! This little heart is made from the whitework border on an old cotton underskirt, there are several layers of this embroidery so you may see it again! The pearl necklace is not vintage but the bracelet is gold and pearls and belonged to my grandmother, I wore it on my wedding day.

Muffin!

Here are a couple of photos of my son's 3 month old chocolate labrador puppy.
This was Muffin's first visit to our home, we had to shut Jenny (cat) in the other room as she is not keen on dogs!

Something Completely Different - Metal Moo!

We are still making Moos for Something completely different, the theme for this week is to put something metal on your Moo. I wasn't sure what I was going to use, but started looking through the DH's nuts & bolts and screws. The ones at the back door were too new looking, so I went out to the garage where the accumulated junk of about 100 years (I joke not!) are piled up on the work bench, I found this metal button and the little nut in one of the old drawers which were made by DH's grandfather who was a master joiner. I'd been reading the Claudine Helmuth tutorial in Craft Stamper, so the background has acrylics and masking, I also stamped onto tissue paper (another tutorial in CS!) but it is difficult to see that. There seemed to be something missing - Words! I turned to my 'cheap as chips' dictionary, I was going to use 'Metal' but I liked the sound of metallurgy better.



I went back out the the garage (or cart shed, as was it's original purpose) to take the photograph.

Daring Card Makers - Shabby Chic

Here is my Shabby Chic card for this week's Daring Card Makers challenge. It is a bit more Chic than shabby, but gave me a chance to use the Papermania Touch of Teal kit that I won as blog candy and also some of the vintage lace that my mum passed on to me last time I visited. Frame stamp is My Mind's Eye, Wild Asparagus, the couple stamp is one I got in a grab bag bought for charity so I don't know who made it.

Farm Photos

I've posted some photos from the farm over on Farmersgirl Kitchen click HERE if you want to see them.

Friday Photo Flashback

I found this blog More than Words via the Imperfect Housewife blog and thought I'd join in the Friday Photo Flashback, showcasing photos from before we all had digital cameras. I've been scanning photos every time I visit my mum because my Dad took lots and lots of them. This photo shows my sister and I with my Granny and Grandpa (Dad's mum & dad) outside the front door of their house in Dundee. I'm the one sitting on my Granny's knee. I remember those awful tartan trousers, they were made of the itchiest wool ever and they made me miserable, I'm betting that Granny knitted the cardigans too as we always had hand-knitted jumpers and cardigans.

Incy Wincy Spider!

Last weekend we had some lovely weather, but at this time of year the nice days are accompanied by chilly, misty mornings. I love how the spider webs stand out on the garden shrubs with the little droplets of water clinging to each strand of the web.

Have you got a glut of apples?

This is a really easy 'no-cook' pickle and you can find out how to make it over on Farmersgirl Kitchen

Daring Card Makers - Seaside

The Daring Card Makers are daring us to make cards with a seaside theme. I don't have any seaside stamps or papers, but I remembered this image on Art Freebies, I love the stripy deck chair and the muted colours.

Background papers are from Funky Hand, Shabby Saturday, Enjoy stamp is Studio G.

Baby David

Now you can see why my Moo is made from SEI Doodley-Doo Boy papers lol! One of my colleagues had a baby boy last week and as I don't possess such a thing as 'baby' papers this was as near as I could get. I had a lot of fun making this card.

Something Completely Different - Moo, Circles

More Moos for SCD, this time the theme is circles. Papers are SEI doodley-doo Boy.

Bubbly Scrumptious Weekly Challenge - Vehicles

I was just soooo pleased when I checked out this week's Bubbly Scrumptious challenge because I made this card last week for another challenge but when I read it again, I realised it wasn't going to fit the criteria after all! I knew that something would come up soon that was just right for this card but I didn't expect it to be so soon :D

The background has been distress inked over some Tim Holtz stencilly things, printed papers are digital downloads from Funky Hand, vintage accounts paper is from Stampington and the vintage image is from Art Freebies. The 'One Way' stamp is from Paper Artsy and the key came from a freebie stamp on Craft Stamper. The wooden car was a present from one of my boys, don't remember which, to his dad.

Gammon with Parsley Sauce - sneaky peek!

You can find out about this recipe over on Farmersgirl Kitchen.

Baked Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage

Delicious risotto recipe over on Farmersgirl Kitchen.

Something Completely Different - Moo, Black & Gold

Over at Something Completely Different there is a new challenge
and its:-

MOO CARDS

for those of you who haven't seen any of these lovely little pieces they are 2.8cm x 7cm

the theme for this week, chosen by Dawn, is Black and Gold

My Moo uses some black paper from the Papermania Touch of Teal kit (Blog Candy from Sue H), I painted it with a bit of gesso and some ochre acrylic paint, then stamped with Versamark and gold embossing powder. The stamp is Tim Holtz 'Fairy Garden'. Finished with a bit of black ribbon and a beaded hat pin.

DCM - Sunflowers

This week at Daring Card Makers, Rein has dared us to use Sunflowers on our cards. I love sunflowers so it was a real pleasure to take part in this challenge.
The image is one supplied by Artarazzi (sadly not longer running), papers are K&Co Verbena and the 'Enjoy' label is from a digital freebie kit from Scraporchard, oh and that is a bit of garden twine! I used sketch 36 from PageMaps card maps.

Dessert time at Farmersgirl Kitchen

It's dessert time over at Farmersgirl Kitchen.

Birthday Album

You may remember that my great-aunt took me to The Seafood Restaurant for my birthday and I took pictures of all the food as well as of us at the restaurant. Before we left, she asked me if she could have copies of the photos. I decided that I should make her a little album, it's not a scrapbook just a little 5 x 7 photo album, but I did decorate the cover! I used sketch 36 from PageMaps Card Maps the papers are 'Madeleine' by K&Co and the letters were part of the candy I got from Anne of 'Pretty'.
Excuse the 'not deliberate' error! TraceyR pointed out that I have a letter missing :o and, do you know, I looked at that and thought there was something wrong, but I just couldn't spot it. No doubt, I will find the missing 'h' lurking somewhere under my craft desk!

Pea, mint and goat's cheese quiche

Step-by-Step photos and recipe on Farmersgirl Kitchen

Bubbly Scrumptious - Spotty & Dotty Challenge

Here is my take on the Spotty/Dotty Challenge over on Bubbly Scrumptious Blog. I used some of the last pieces of 'Hippie Chick' papers and grunged them up a bit. Just as well as I made a bit of a grungy mess of the stamping! The card is based on Sketch 9 on Kathy's Waffle Sketch File