Life is hard sometimes

I have not posted for such a long time but the light is almost there, not quite but almost.

Things have been pretty hectic around me for a while now but hopefully I will be able to start crafting in the very near future.

I went away for a few weeks and hopefully I have recharged, we went from coast to coast across Canada by train. 

The first photo is Vancouver as seen from our bedroom window, the second is the Aberbathsca Glacier, the third is Niagara falls, the fourth a street in Quebec and lastly Peggys Cove. We saw so much more that I could post over 500 photos but I think it would be too much LOL.

Life is so Hectic

I can't believe the last few weeks they have been so hectic I have not had time to blog or to craft.

Family and other matters have been so pressing it has taken my concentration and inspiration away oh and don't forget time - that seems to be flying past at such a rate that I can't keep up.

Hopefully I can see a light at the end of a tunnel and will soon be back to blogging, surfing the many blogs I follow and of course crafting.

Time Flies

I can't believe how time seems to be flying, I had intended to post all my projects this week but here we are on Thursday and I still have not photographed all that I have made. Not only that but I was 60 last week now where did all those years go?


I still can't believe what my son bought me - an ipad.


I love it and have already bought 8 e books ready for my holiday in September.


I really will post some photos,  just as soon as the battery is charged.

Blog Candy

Wonderful blog candy up for grabs over at Craft Barn, just click here.

Friendship

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.  ~Douglas Pagels True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable.  ~Dave Tyson Gentry Friendship is a sheltering tree.  ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Shaped Card

The Craft Barn are have a great prize for this weeks challenge, a £30 GOODY BAG. Well here is my entry and the message is 'Just For You'.

Life has its up and downs

It has been a while since I blogged, lots of reasons but the main one being life itself.
Anyway time to get busy and complete all the projects I have started, also start taking part in the challenges that I love.

Well I have had great fun playing with alcohol inks.

I have managed to make two projects using the backgrounds, I hope you like them.
One I made into a card for a friend of mine and the other is an ATC for a swap with the theme Summer.

Time is flying

I can't believe how time is flying by, life just gets faster. I have not blogged for ages and so much has been happening - I have been asked and agreed to be a swap organiser on the Paper Wishes Message Board. I have taken part in the swaps (I love swaps) and have found so much inspiration from very talented people.

This is one of the cards I made recently using PaperWishes Supplies, I love the vintage look and the colour combination.

Why don't you come over and take a look  http://forum.paperwishes.com/ .

I won...

A lovely collection of ribbons and flower charms on the C.R.A.F.T birthday blog hop last week. My camera is in need of a charge so I will post a photo ASP.

Colourful...

As part of a project on foreign lands this is a fat page for Spain. It also fits the challenge over at Crafty Ann's challenge Blog  and is my entry.

Mad Hatter...

Chloe (as in granddaughter and who the blog is named after) had to make a hat for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party at school. This is what we came up with, modelled of course by Chloe herself.

The hat itself is made from white and brown pearlised card.

Brown ribbon with white polka dots going round the brim and over the hat.

Not Craft but...

I am so proud of my son that I had to post a photo, he took part in the Manchester 10K run on Sunday and raised about £800 for the Salford Deaf Children's Society. A Charity very dear to our hearts because our Granddaughter Chloe was left profoundly deaf after a serious illness when she was just 2 1/2 years old.

So time consuming....

BUT I love it. I have been taken back in time with my new found addiction of scrapbooking. I now have a 4litre box full of old photographs which I have organised and need to start scanning.

This is a page I did recently for a friendship swap that I belong to. The theme of the the page was favourite "Tell us about an important person or pet in your life." 

Here is another with the theme "What do you like to do besides papercrafting?"

I am also loving making scrapbooks for my grandchildren, unfortunately there just are not enough hours in a day.

Artylicious Blog Candy

You really must go over to Glenda's blog and look at the blog candy she has on offer. This is just one of the A5 sets that she is giving away. Click Here to be taken to her blog.

I love Glenda's stamps and here is a Christmas card made using one of her stamps and copic markers.

Mini Book

This week I have been busy playing, and loving every minute. The outcome is another mini album for one of my other sisters, I hope she likes it.

 

Birthday Cards

April is a busy week for birthdays in the Fairclough family, here are just two of the cards made and sent this month.

Male cards are often quite difficult to make especially when the male involved is not keen on sport, that is why I like HOTP  papers as they have quite a few that have a definite masculine feel.

 I really like distressing at the moment as you have probably noticed. Tim Holz Old Paper has been used on this card

This card is completely different and very feminine.

I love butterflies and think the sentiment is very appropriate for my sister's birthday.

I have also made another mini album, I love the vintage look, and had a really wonderful time making it. I will post a photo of it as soon as it is completely finished.

Mini Album

I have had great fun this week making my first mini album using Tim Holz distressing inks. It has been so relaxing and de stressing.

This is the front cover and I just need to use my cricut machine and put my sisters name on the cover.

Followed by several of the inside pages. I have used HOTP  Vintage Lady and Delicate Patterns stamps.

As the challenge at Crafty Creations is anything goes I have entered it for challenge 61.

Challenge 60

This is a card for a new baby and I am entering it for the Crafty Creations Challenge Number 60. There is a link to the blog in my sidebar to the right. The theme is Babies and I have used papers and embellishments from Paper wishes.

I Won

Today I received part of my prize for winning the Ooh LA LA CHALLENGE.
It is a cd that I have wanted for an age, Shoes in Bloom.
As soon as I have made some projects using it (probably tonight) I will  post some photos.

I have been busy making some cards from the HOTP products. I love their papers and templates.

This is a Mother's Day card,  using the pop up template for the heart inside the card. It looked complicated but was quite easy once I realized that the folds were mountain and valley.

Busy Busy Busy!! Challenges too!!

I have had a great time this week being on various workshops as well as looking after my two grandchildren a couple of days.

What can you do with one rubber stamp, well here are four samples of cards I made this week just using the one rubber stamp and although they are very different from each other I love them all.

This first card I made is for my Mum, the flowers are coloured using water colour pencils.


The second I have used inks and cotton buds to colour the flowers. I think that both these cards have a contemporary look.


The third card is an easel card and I have used versamark and white embossing powder for the image and a brayer with Big and Juicy ink pad for the background. This was then mounted onto card that had been inked and distressed using a colour box ink pad.

The final card I think has a very classic and elegant look and has been done in Black and White.

As Ooh La La and Paper Cutz challenge this week is any thing goes I have entered the cards.

Spring is in the air

I have made this card for three challenges

C.R.A.F.T                      Flowers

One Stop Challenge       Sew Simple

Rosie D's Challenge       Spring    

Links to all the challenges can be found to the right in my sidebar.

Feeling Blue...

I have had a lovely morning in my craft room, here are the results and I certainly don't feel blue anymore.
I have entered it for the challenge over at Crafty Creations which is to make a project using one colour. You can find a link to their web site on the right in my sidebar.

Recipe

HOTP paper

Paper Wishes Vintage Ladies Stamp

Paper Wishes Expressions Stamp

Paper Wishes Silk Flower

Flower stamp 

Versamark

Clear embossing powder

Copics Caio Markers

Glossy Accents

Blog Candy

Here at Terri Bailey's you will find some fabulous blog candy.

Have you ever seen...

A card for a special little girl who loves dolphins and mermaids. The image has been put onto acetate which has dolphins printed all over it, the base card also has the background paper of dolphins  so that it looks as though she is under water.

The card opens to show a dolphin riding on the back of a dolphin.

I have aslo entered the card in the Ooh la la Challenge which was to use acetate somewhere on the card.

ABC Christmas

I know it's early but over at Paper Wishes and Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge we are 'challenged' to make a card a week for christmas. Mary on the PW forum is giving us a letter a week not in the correct order, so far we have had
A for angels

P for peace      
F for friends
W for wisemen
C for children

Fab's Challenge Blog can be found here. 

Materials used:

Backing papers from PW

Wisemen stamps from Artylicious

Dazzles fromPW

Copic Ciao Markers

Glamour Dust

Optimist

This week the challenge over at One Stop Challenge want you to be.....

Optimistically Pink

Friends

Friends are very important and it is great when for no reason we receive a gift or card from them. I made this card for such an occasion.
I have also entered it for three challenges.
Incy Wincy's challenge was one for touchy feely so I used the ribbons and coin to give added texture. 
Rosie D's was for a  Friendship card or other papercraft project.
C.R.A.F.T  which wanted ribbons and sparkle


All the papers and embellishments were from Paper Wishes.
Links to all the challenges can be found in the sidebar just to the right.

Congratulations Spyder!!!

Spyder ia a year old blogger and is giving away lots of goodies and the more that enter the more there will be so just pop over HERE and take part it is that easy.

Wall Hanging

I have just made this wall hanging for a swap I take part in and as I was surfing I found a fabulous web site
for challenges, http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ and as I love challenges I have put them in my sidebar.
The challenge this week is to create  a wall hanging so here it is and I hope you like it.

Second Card

I had to make a get well card for an elderly friend who loves flowers so I thought I would make one with a contemporary look.

As it also qualifies for the Paper Cutz challengeI have entered it as a second card.

Get Well soon....

 A lovely cheeky chappie is sure to put a smile on your face, so I hope this will cheer you and help convey the message of Get well soon.


It is a get well card and I have coloured the stamped image using copic caio markers 
C3 R17 and G02.


I have entered the card for
   PaperCutz Challenge
   Copic Challenge
   Cricut Cardz Challenge


Links can be found in my sidebar.