A sad time

Hello folks

I have been absent from my blog for a while now but after Monday nights events crafting has been very low on my list of priorities. I live in South Manchester and watched in horror as events unfolded on Monday night at one of my favourite venues in the city. It is a place that I have always felt is a safe place to visit and would have no reservations about allowing any of my children to attend events there. Indeed I would have been waiting in the exact spot where some of the parents who passed away were if my children had attended the concert. It shakes me to my core that friends were at the concert but were lucky to leave the MEN without injury.

Manchester has always welcomed everybody into its community and hearts whatever their beliefs or values and we have one of the most vibrant and diverse city centres in the world. I cannot believe that someone who has been welcomed into this community would cause it's people so much pain.

But to those who would try to bring us to our knees please know this......... Manchester and its fabulous, warm and welcoming people will not be beaten. We will continue, as we always have, to welcome the lost and the lonely, the persecuted and the frightened with open arms, love and understanding. Manchester will not bow down to terrorism...... not now not ever.

60th birthday wishes

Good morning folks

Yesterday the sun put in an appearance so I was able to tackle my garden although the grass still needs cutting (the handle fell off my lawn mower but that is another story). I glad I did go into the garden as the rain has arrived with a vengence today. The garden does need it though. I was surprised yesterday, after all the rain on Saturday, just how dry everything still was.

Today's card is one I made for a colleagues 60th birthday. Once again I turn to Hunkydory for inspiration - 

I have used - 

• Love blooms card kit - thanks a bunch from Hunkydory
• gold mirri card
• gold gems

Another short and sweet post from me. Enjoy your Monday.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Love and lace

Good morning

Our beautiful sunny weather has broken and I have woken up to a very damp and dismal day. Well that puts paid to my day in the garden......... I'll have to stay in my craftroom instead (life is tough sometimes!)

Last week one of my work colleagues celebrated a special birthday and this is the card I made for all the staff to sign - 

This is a large 8 inch square card so that there was plenty of room for everyone to sign their names.

I have used - 

• Lace in bloom - love and lace card kit from Hunkydory
• gem swirls from the Hobby House
• purple satin ribbon from my stash
• lace from my stash

Short and sweet from me today. Have a lovely weekend whatever the weather.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

E for ..........

Good morning folks

Today it is my turn to host the new challenge at Alphabet Challenge. This fortnight we have reached the letter E and I have chosen Enchanted Creatures, This can be anything from fairies to dragons, pixies and spirits to unicorns and phoenix. This is my DT card for the challenge - 

I have used Woodware's unicorn stamp which I coloured with my Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens - 

• sterling silver, peony, macaroon and crystal clear

I also used - 

• white/hint of silver centura pearl
• pink and dark pink core'dinations
• Sara's signature collection - Love and Romance heart trellis embossing folder
• Tattered Lace tag die (from issue 40 of the Tattered Lace magazine
• ribbon from the Hobby House
• clear glitter
• Woodware's fantasy land sentiments

I do hope you are able to join our challenge this fortnight. You can see my fellow teamies inspirational makes here.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Time machine

Good morning everyone

Today I am sharing another male card made for my 

brother-in-law - 

Once again I have used my Sheena Time traveller stamps and dies. This time I have used Time machine stamp and die sets which I have coloured with my Spectrum Noir Illustrator pens -

• henna, leather, russet, gold, mimosa, moonlight, brown grey 2, true black, forest green, camo green and bamboo

I have also used - 

• Sheena's stamping card
• green core'dinations
• matt black card
• spiced marmalade, rusty hinge and moved lawn distress ink
• Sheena's time traveller geared up stamp

To create the background I applied rusty hinge, spiced marmalade and moved lawn distress inks to a piece of Sheena's stamping card and then stamped cogs from the geared up stamp set with rusty hinge distress ink.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Pipe line

Hello folks

The sun is still shining here in the north west of the UK and the weather people are already talking of a drought this summer. It is always seems to be famine or feast with rain in the UK. Floods one year and a drought the next year. I am sure the rain will prove them wrong.
Back to something crafty.......

Another male card for you today and once again I have taken inspiration from Pinterest. 

This is my version of a combination of two cards from Sheena's Inkoids design team - Jacquie Jacobs and Julie Stafford.

For my card I have used - 

• Sheena's stamping card
• matt black card
• white/hint of silver centura pearl (for the card base)
• walnut stain, rusty hinge, tea dye and antique linen distress ink
• Sheena's create-a-flower another brick stencil
• Sheena's time traveller In the pipeline stamp and die set
• Pebeo gilding wax - silver and king gold

I used matt black card to cut the pipes and dials and then added the gilding wax to make them look rusty.

I make the background using the distress inks on a piece of Sheena's stamping card. I then embossed the card using the brick stencil and inked through it with the walnut stain distress ink to add more depth.

Thank you for stopping by today

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Time waits for nobody

Good Sunday morning folks

How are you? I have been enjoying this lovely weather we are having in the UK by spending time in my garden. All my bedding plants are in their pots (hopefully there will be no more frosts) and the grass has been cut. It is looking good even though I say so myself.

Consequently my blog has suffered....... but I have been crafting.

I have a lot of male birthdays over the next couple of months, not something I enjoy making so once again I have sort inspiration from Pinterest - 

This is my version of a card by Jacquie  who is a member of Sheena's Inkoids design team.

I have used - 

• Sheena's stamping card
• matt black card
• platinium centura pearl
• blue print and faded jeans distress ink
• Sheena's time traveller geared up stamp and die sets
• silver pigment ink
• Sheena's time traveller make time die
• brads from Do-crafts

I made the background paper by inking a piece of Sheena's stamping card with blue print and faded jeans distress inks and then stamped the cogs from Sheena's geared up stamp set with silver pigment ink.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley

Celebrating with Edna

Hello folks

I do hope those of you who get bank holidays to themselves are having fun. I am off to the cinema with my youngest two in about an hour which should be fun.

This is a card I made recently to celebrate my friend's birthday - 

The image is Stamping Bella's Edna loves chocolate which I coloured with my Spectrum Noir pens and Sparkle pens - 

• skin - FS2, FS4, FS9, TN2 and CR2
• lips - CR7
• dress - BT4, BT5, BT6 and CG3
• mat - OR1, OR2 and OR3
• hair - BO2, BO4, TN7 and TN9
• box of chocolates - CG2, CG3, DG2, BT4, BT5, BT6, EB4, EB8, OR1 and OR3
• wings - moonstone and crystal clear Sparkle pens
• sky  - IB1
• ground - BG1

I have also used - 

• black centura pearl
• My Mind's Eye happier paper pad
• Tattered Lace peach sorbet squares die set
• Tattered Lace Happy Birthday die (from issue 40 of the Tattered Lace magazine)
• Tattered Lace pearl flourish 8
• black soot and tumbled glass distress ink

Thank you for stopping by today.

Crafty hugs

Lesley