Less is More # 65 Sketch

Good Morning All!

This might be a very quick post from me `cos I`m in the loft and it` flippin` freezing up here. What has happened to spring?

This weeks challenge at Simply Less is More is a nice simple sketch. We have a choiceof two,

 

Since things have settled down with Ruby now that her operation is out of the way, my mojo seems to have done a bunk. This is the best I could come up with I`m afraid.

6x6 white card base. I cut a circle frame using two nestie circle dies, then cut another circle from a scrap of  rose pattered paper ( Papermania, Blueberry Hill). I placed the frame over the paper using foam pads.

I stamped a butterfly (Chocolate Baroque) and coloured it with markers then curled the wings with a bone folder and stuck it onto the paper with a tiny foam pad so the the wings just touched the sides of the frame.

The sentiment is from Flourishes Tag Lines.

Right that`s it from me. I`m off for a coffee before hypothermia sets in.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Ruby`s Get well Card.

Good Evening All!

I made this card for Ruby a while ago but, although we knew she was seriously ill, she wasn`t poorly, so I decided to wait until she had her operation to give it to her.

I wanted something bright and cheerful for her and I chose this stamp from Sugar Nellie specially for the watering can. Ruby has an obsession with my watering can. Every time she visits, she insists on going out to look at the fish in the pond and then has to water everything, including the dogs if I don`t get there quick enough.
As all the papers and matted card are from my scrap box I`m entering this one into Pixies Crafty Snippets # 17.

As most of you know Ruby finally had her operation last friday. Now that was a day I don`t want to go through again. After over 5 hours in theatre she was taken to the High Dependancy Unit with an epidural for pain relief, a catheter and feeding tubes fitted. On saturday her dad Darren posted a pic on Facebook and, although she looked ok, you could tell she was still out of it.
But by sunday you could see a massive difference. She was a lot more alert and was chatting away.
On sunday evening the staff decided that the remaining kidney was functioning perfectly and the catheter was removed along with the epidural and yesterday (monday) the feeding tubes were taken out. She was allowed out of bed to walk to the play room and has been amazingly well.
You cannot imagine my surprise when I got home from work today to find a text on my ( not very mobile) mobile phone to say Ruby was coming home.
I`m sure it`s an age thing but I expected her to be in for at least another week but I`m sure the doctors know best. And just to prove it, I rang to see how she was and Cheryl told me that Ruby had been dancing around the living room and insisted on popping to Tesco`s with her dad ( quiet time across tea time). I suppose being so young has it`s advantages. If it doesn`t hurt, then it doesn`t bother her. I know full well that if I`d had an operation 4 days ago, I would have cotton wool wrapped around me lol.
She has been such a little star throughout this and I just hope that things carry on getting better.

Once again thank you so much for all your kind words and prayers. By the way I`m bringing smarties and marbles to the playground this week :)

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More #64 How Charming.

Good Evening to you All!

I must admit to being a bit stumped at this weeks challenge on Less is More. It`s theme week and we have been asked to use a charm on our CaS cards. I`ve come to the conclusion that I`m the only person in the whole of the crafting world that has never put a charm on her cards. I keep looking at them and thinking I ought to buy some but never get round to it. So...what to do...
I did have one thing that could have passed for a charm but it is a bit vintage-y  and won`t really go with CaS.
Then I had a flash of inspiration ( that doesn`t happen very often). A couple of Christmases ago, Alan bought me a bracelet and some charms to put on it and I`ve never got around to taking them to the jewellers to get put on. I`m not really a jewelry person so they`ve been put away in the depths of a cupboard. Anyway I raked them out to see if there was anything I could use and...Eureka!
As soon as I saw this charm a sentiment popped into my head, all I had to do was match it up with a stamp and I was off. This is what I came up with...

and a close up of the charm,

This took all of 15 minutes to make once I knew what I was doing.
The sentiment is computer generated.
The stamp is Inkadinkado Beside the sea (I think) stamped in Versacolor Brown.
I threaded the charm onto some gold cord and thats it, Simples!
I`m really chuffed with this one but I think I`ll be dismantling it and keeping the charm. And I will get round to having them all fitted one day.

One more thing before I go.
Ruby had her operation yesterday. Cheryl was told to ring the hospital on wednesday if they hadn`t heard anything, which she did,and was told to take Ruby in on thursday. She was to have her blood checked again and if it was still low she would have to have another bout of chemo but if it was ok they would operate at lunch time on friday.
Ruby`s blood test came back normal so the op went ahead a little later than planned. Five hours later she was back on the ward and, although a bit groggy, was talking away.
They have removed one of her kidneys and the tumour and the scan she had last week shows that the ones she has in her lungs and stomach have shrunk so the chemo is working. You cannot imagine the relief we all feel right now. We know she has a long way to go and has to endure lots more chemo but she`s getting there.
I knew what was happening when I last posted but decided not to say anything so as not to tempt fate. Now I want to shout from the roof tops. YIPPEE!
Once again thank you all for your positive comments and prayers. I`m convinced they`ve made a massive difference:)

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Daisy, Daisy...

Good Afternoon All!
I hope the weather is better where you are than it is here. Now I know it`s April and it`s supposed to rain in April, but I expect showers, not constant downpours. Still I suppose we do need it and maybe it`s just getting it all out of the way ready for a long hot summer. Yeah, right...
Anyway enough grumbling, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time last week in the playground when I joined in at Pixies crafty snippets, so much so that I`m joining in again. This time I`m taking a bat and ball and some Dolly Mixtures to share. Maybe that`ll lure Mrs A from the bushes where she was seen lurking last week.

These are a great way of using up even the smallest of snippets. The card base is A5 and I scored the pattern using a score board.
The daisies are punched from small bits of coloured paper that I insist on saving. I`ve doubled each flower to give it some dimension and added a middle using a spring loaded hole punch and some scraps of white card.
The sentiment is made from the strip of card you get left with when you make a 6x6 card from an A4 sheet.

The sentiment itself is by Layers of Color inside a frame by Waltzing Mouse cut out with a nestie labels 4 die.
Altogether a bit calmer than last weeks entry lol.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Some more for the fundraising box

Good Afternoon All!

Last week,whilst browsing the shades of green challenge at Less is More, I came across THIS card by the very talented Rosemary and decided to CASE it. Naturally I had to do more than one so here are my versions,

I love the cleaness of this design. The flowers are made from tissue paper (lots of layers) and I love the bright colours you get from it.
The leaves are cut out with Marianne Designs Leaf die from the English Rose set from Pearlised green card.
All the sentiments are from Flourishes Tag Lines and the tags are simply cut out with a paper trimmer but the inverted `V` is done with the corner of a square nestie.

Edited to add, the flowers were cut using a Spellbinders Scallop circle die in two sizes. I added a brad to the centres then scrunched them up and fiddled about with them a bit to get the shape I wanted.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More # 63 and Angies Close Shave

Good Eving All!
 Well Mandi and Chrissie have excelled themselves today with this weeks Less is More challenge. Not only is it a one layer card but they want us to add some DOODLING. This could be faux stitching, hand written or drawn elements on your card.
 Argghh, that`s worse than acetate.
On the odd occasion that I do doodle, mine look like scribble. I can`t draw to save my life and my handwriting is atrocious.My fingers simply won`t do what my brain tells them to. Which is why I stamp...
I finally came up with this card...a total cop out but better than nowt.

The car stamp is by Hero Arts stamped in Memento Black and coloured with Spectrum Noir pens.
The sentiment is computer generated.
My feeble attempt at a doodle is the little puff of smoke from the back of the car. Sorry.
Maybe I`ll have a brainwave and come up with something else later.

It was Angie`s day for her head shave today. We have over £100 in pledges from sponsors so I`m chuffed to bits with that. All the money raised is for The Candlelighters Trust. This charity supports children with cancer and their families living in Yorkshire.
There are quite a lot of pics so here goes,

 My Dad was doing the honours with the clippers and he really got into the spirit of things with a handmade barbers pole ( fixed at a very proper angle) and some rather large name tags.
Angie had biked the 5 miles from work so her hair wasn`t in the best of styles to start with hee hee.

Are you sure about this?

             Too late now!!!

Definitely too late now.
Angie looks like she`s impersonating a pineapple and dads really got into the swing of things

   Just a bit ( a lot) of tidying to do.

Almost done.
Did you want to keep the tufts around your ears?

            

A quick trim with the scissors by me to finish and we`re all done.
I have a sneaky suspicion that that smile is a little forced ha ha.
Never mind love, it`ll grow back in no time.
A big shout out for my dad for being such a good sport and very good with the trimmers for a first attempt :)



Ruby is home from the hospital now. She`s absolutely fine and they`re hoping to reschedule her op for next week.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Pixie`s Crafty Snippets # 15

Good Evening All!

I enjoyed myself so much playing in the playground over at Pixies Crafty Snippets last week so I`m back with another batch of snippet cards for the fundraising box. This time I`m hoping someone will partner me on the see saw but if not I`ve got a very long rope for a group skip. I`ve also got sweets, half price mini eggs but who cares? I`m just hoping these pesky showers go away.

Terrible photographs I`m afraid and I`ve made them worse trying to edit them. The Brocade panels are left overs from my previous bright cards ( Yellow & Black and Pink & Pistachio)
The flowers are all made from snippets.
I made two more for the box but as the panels are not snippets ( but what is left over is so watch this space lol) I can`t enter them.

These two are both done with Pink Petticoat Quatrofoil.
All sentiments are computer generated.

I think I`m moving out of my bright phase for now and going a bit more CaS but I`ll see how the mood takes me lol.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

A Ruby update & an Easter Bonnet

Good Evening All!
Ruby should be recovering from her surgery right now but unfortunately things didn`t go according to plan. When Ruby was admitted yesterday she had some blood tests done and her red blood count was very low. They decided to keep an eye on her overnight and see how things went but, as it was still low this morning it was thought to be too risky and she was being sent home. Mum & dad had all the bags packed ready for off when Ruby, who has had a bit of a runny nose for a couple of days decided to run a high temperature. She was readmitted to an isolation room where she is to stay for a couple of days until the antibiotics kick in and then she will be sent home until another date can be scheduled for her op.
I really feel for her Mum and dad. Cheryl was in a bit of a state yesterday and now has to go through it all again next week. I woke up at 3 o`clock this morning and couldn`t get back to sleep properly and have had stomach ache all day but Ruby seems oblivious to it, which I suppose is a good thing.
Anyway, watch this space, as they say and I`ll let you know as soon as anything happens. In the meantime here are some pics of the Easter Bonnet I decorated for her.

This is how it started out.
Bonnet and decorations from Poundland (where else)
Aqua Ribbon from stash.

And this how it finished up.

Posing with the Easter Bunny.

And a very unflattering photo of Ruby wearing it just before she set off for hospital. Looking very springlike in her winter coat and squinting at the camera flash.
I can assure you she is much prettier than this really, put it down to terrible photography.


Daughter Angie is having her head shaved this saturday. Her Grand dad is doing the honors and I`ve promised to do any tidying up thats needed ( of the head). She`s not going completely bald but it will be a close shave lol. Photo`s will be posted.









Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Sunshine and Daisies

Good Evening All!
I hope you all had a lovely Easter and are full to the brim with choccies.

It`s Grand daughter Charlottes 16th birthday today and as Ruby has gone back to hospital ready for her op tomorrow, both Charlotte and Nathan are staying with us.
Charlottes favourite colour is yellow so I had to go with it and, because it`s spring Daisies seemed appropriate. Here is the card I made for her,

 I thought that at 16 she`d want something a bit more grownup but still pretty and girly.
The paper are Pink Petticoat Daisy in Sunshine Yellow, positive and negative.
The daisies are punched and doubled to give them some dimension. The middles are done with the largest of my spring loaded hole punches exept the larger ones in the corners and they are done with a two hole paper punch.
The sentiment is computer generated with the `16` glittered with Glamour Dust.
Now all I need to do is work out how to keep 2 teenagers entertained for the next few days lol.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

An `in your face` card, a ramble and some advice please...

Phew what a title, I hope it hasn`t made you run for the hills lol.

Happy Easter Sunday to you all anyway.
I`ll start with my ramble and then you`ll see why I need some advice.
While I`m making cards to raise funds for the Candlelighters Trust (see sidebar) I seem to be on a mission to make the brightest cards on the planet. My reasoning behind this is that I want to produce something a bit different. Something you can`t get in the shops or even at craft stalls.
We have a lady sells her handmade cards in the shopping centre that I work in and, although they are lovely and appear to sell well, they are a little on the plain side. I decided that there may be a market for bright, colourful but slightly CaS cards. I am making some " normal" cards too but the confidence, or lack of, is starting to kick in and now I`m not sure I`m doing the right thing.
After making my bright yellow and black card the other day, I`ve followed the same basic design and made this one. Would you take a look and tell me what you think and whether it`s worth making a few more?

With hindsight I think I maybe should have used an EF on the Magenta card base.
The panel is Pink Petticoat Brocade in Pistachio printed onto white card, with rounded corners.
I made the banner using a square die and reducing the size and a smaller square die at an angle to make the inverted `V`.Sentiment is by Flourishes and I`ve made a rolled rose using a Marianne Designs rose die.

Is that bright enough for you? What do you think and if you do like it, can you think of any other colour combo`s I could use?
I have ready to make up, orange and pistachio, pale green and pale pink, brown and pistachio, red and black,
pale green and lavender.
Thank you for sticking with me if you`ve got this far.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More #62 Colour Challenge

Good Afternoon All!
Yes it`s still saturday and I`m here already with my card for Less is More which, being the first saturday of the month is a colour challenge. This week the challenge is to make a clean and simple card using Three Shades Of Green.
Not too difficult but not as easy as I`d hoped lol.

  I started with an A5 white tent fold card. I cut a circle with a nestie into a post it and stamped my leaf (Papertrey Turning a New Leaf) through it to get the sizing right.Leaf stamped with Versacolor Lime green.
I then used the same circle nestie and one size larger to make my hoop with some bright green card and placed it using foam pads.
The sentiment is There She Goes stamped in Versacolor Evergreen.
And there you have it, quick, clean and simple.

Not much to report on Ruby. She has her op this week so I`ll update you as soon as I know anything.

I`d like to say a very big welcome to my new followers, thank you for choosing my little blog to follow, it`s very much appreciated.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Yellow & Black

Good Morning All!

I`ve had this idea for a card floating about inmy head for a while and finally got around to making it yesterday.
I love yellow and black together and I seem to have a thing for bright colours at the moment so I just went with it. What do you think?

 Really quick and simple make.
Bright yellow card from Papermill Direct,
Black panel is Pink Petticoat Brocade printed onto white card, cut to size and the corners rounded. Raised with foam pads.
The sentiment is from Layers of Color Happy Wishes set stamped in Versafine Onyx and cut out with a nestie labels 4 die.
Rolled rose from yellow paper using Marianne Designs Rose die.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Pixie`s crafty snippets #14

Good afternoon all.
I`ve been hanging around the perimeter of the playground at Pixies crafty snippets for while now and thought it was time I joined in again. They seem like a friendly bunch and I`m sure there`ll be enough skipping ropes to go round. Not sure about the pogo sticks yet though.
What started out as a few quick makes for the fundraising box took me over a week to finish but they are ready now, (phew).

All very similar and all exept card bases are from snippet box.
Not 100% sure about these ones, I think theres a bit too much white space on the circles but hey ho, when am I ever satisfied ha ha.

I`ve had a day off work today. Yesterday was freezing with heavy rain and strong winds but today has been wonderful. Wall to wall sunshine. Got loads of washing on the line, all my cleaning up done and the windows washed inside. What more could a girl want? I am so easily pleased.
 Back tomorrow with another very bright card. You have been warned.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Resistance is futile...

in more ways than one.

Hi All, I`m back with my second entry for this weeks Less is More Challenge. I just couldn`t resist having another go and this time I just had to use my Flourishes Gerbera daisy stamp.

I used the resist embossing technique on this one for a change.
I started out with a 6x6 card base.
Cut out a square with a nestie and stamped the image in clear embossing ink but used white EP.
Then I simply inked over the image and surrounding card with versacolor Orchid and Mint Green inks.
I stuck the square onto the card base because I didn`t want to risk making a mess with masking.
The sentiment is another from the set Tara sent me from There She Goes. It`s the first time I`ve used this brand of stamp but they are fabulous to use, I`ll have to check them out I think.

Right gotta go, I`m supposed to be cooking the sunday roast lol.
Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More # 61...Lucky Dip

Good Morning All and a Happy Sunday to you!

As yesterday was the 5th saturday in the month, we have a Lucky Dip at Less is More. This time it`s a fabulous inspiration piccy,

My first reaction was to go literal and use my Gerbera daisy stamps but I seem to have used them such a lot just lately. Then I thought, seeing as Easter is only next week I`d use the Lenten Rose set from Flourishes.
This is what I`vecome up with;

I started with a sheet of A4 white card and downloaded a Pink Petticoat Quatrofoil DP in Smoke on the PC.
After cropping the DP and choosing the position of it onto my card I printed it off then cut it to make an A5 tent fold card.
I stamped my image onto another piece of white card and coloured it with markers then cut it out.
The image is raised with foam pads.
The sentiment is a new one for me that I recieved from my lovely friend and blog buddy Tara  
to celebrate our 1st anniversary at St Lukes Charity Card Challenge. It`s from a sentiment set from There She Goes, stamped in versafine Onyx

We have finally set a date for daughter Angie to have her head shaved, 14th April, so only a couple of weeks.
She isn`t going completely bald ha ha, but is having a very short buzz cut ( no 2).
Photographs will be posted before, during and after.
Ruby continues to do well although she had a triple dose of chemo on Monday and was a bit off colour on tuesday. Next week she has another dose of chemo on monday followed by a scan on wedneday so we all have everything crossed in anticipation. And then the following week is her operation to remove the kidney and tumour.
We are all still feeling very positive about the outcome but ofcourse there`s always that element of doubt at the back of your mind. Thank you all once again for the lovely comments, Ruby`s mum and dad read them all and take great comfort from them.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

 

St Lukes Charity Card Challenge...April and

it`s our 1st Anniversary yippee!

Thank you to all of you that have joined in with us over the last year. We have seen our little challenge grow and grow and we have seen some fantastic cards entered. Here`s to the next 12 months!


Because it`s our anniversary, and because you`re all so special, this month we want you to,
                                                     Bling it on!
Add some sparkle to your creations with gems, glitter, beads or anything shiny.
 
 We have a fabulous prize for the winner of the april challenge,

A rainbow pack of felt sheets

A ribbon girl kit (yellow)

2 packs of antique gold effect embossed stickers

2 packs of assorted flowers

2 sheets of unmounted fairy and flower rubber stamps

a set of Papermania Christmas cling stamps

a Ladybug Crafts Ink Magnum cling stamp

4 packs of seed beads

a bunch of gold pearl sprays

a bunch of iridescent flower sprays

a bunch of gold leaf sprays

and a perfect Bow Maker MkII

 

And here`s my card,

 Not the best piccy I`m afraid, after all the glorious sunshine of the past week we have cloud here in Hull, typical.

I started with a 6x6 card base and used a MS Doily punch along the side edges.

The DP is Papermania Blueberry Hill in beige and blue matted onto some pale blue card.

Now I`ve tried using those stick on swirly gem thingies in the past and I get into all sorts of a mess with them so this time I stamped a swirl from Papertreys Fancy Flourishes set in baby blue onto the DP and stuck individual gems on top of that. I`m rather pleased with this effect.

I finished off with some lace and a piece of blue ribbon. The sentiment is a mix of Layers of Color Happy Wishes and Flourishes Tag Lines stamped in Versafine Onyx and cut out with a nestie labels 4 die matted onto another label 4 in pale blue then added a blue bow to top it off.

Before I go I must apologise for my lack of commenting last month. I have looked at all your entries but there has been so much going on here these last few weeks I have simply run out of time. I promise to do better this month. Thank you.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx