Last of February Stamps for the girls

Good morning and a big warm welcome to every one who visits my blog land today, you are so welcome and hope that you will stay long enough to leave a comment.

Today is my last stamp of February, with the 50/6'0s stamps. Where the hell has this month gone.

 I heard today that people were having snow. don't you think we have had enough of winter and just want spring to be just around the corner. Soon I hope.

This is my last DT card for February. This year is galloping by, if anyone knows how to slow life down please leave the formula at the end of this blog.

This is my last Feb card

A close up of the grouting

Products used:-

8X8 Black card
Creative Expressions-  Foundations Aqua card
Creative Expressions- Foundations vintage gold card
Creative Expressions- foundations Black card
Sue Wilson Noble dies- Classic adorned squares
Sue Wilson frames & Tags- Dainty Oval Frame
Creative Expressions- Best Friend stamp
Sue Wilson finishing Touches- Classic Rose
Sue Wilson- Faux Quilled leaves
Butterflies from my butterfly stash
Creative Expressions- Sparkle texture paste- Aurora sparkle

Start with an 8x8 card, matt and layer with Gold and aqua card. I then cut strips of black and gold and made a stripe them with the aqua card I then embossed the Sue Wilson art Deco EF and embossed apiece of card, and then did the new technique sue called grouting the card, but did it on the deboss side not the emboss side. I wish I had made a step by step picture for you, but all you do is put a lot of the paste over your card so that all the grooves are covered. When you are pleased it is all covered use the palette knife and scrape the excess off. Don't go to heavy or you will pull the paste out of the grooves. Set aside to dry for a good 3/4 hour, or best overnight. I Then cut a square from the noble squares, and cut 4 of the dainty ovals and cut the longer length off and attached it on all 4 sides of the square. I then cut out the 2 patterned dies from the nobble squares and the oblong from the dainty oval frames to make the focal point. I made some roses from the finishing touches classic rose dies and leaves from the faux leaf die. I found some butterflies from my stash and high lighted them with the aurora paste.

Grouting the card is a  really fun technique , it's a bit mucky but in real life it looks
fab. I don't know if the photo shows it up too well. Yet another technique Sue has taught us. For even more ideas for cards and techniques visit sue Wilson's blog . just go to, http://particraft.blogspot.co.uk/ . Such a fantastic friendly blog and a beautiful inspirational card everyday.


I hope you like my card today. Have a go at the grouting technique, you really will have fun doing it. Just one tip, don't  scrape over and over the card for too long taking off the excess as it tends to make the card go a bit soft and lose the definition of the embossing. So spread the paste all over and scrape off in a few strokes. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Take care all, Talk soon

Tina XX

" Oldie for Friday "

Morning Everyone. a big warm welcome to all who visit my blog today, feel free to leave a comment as it's always lovely to hear your thoughts about my cards.


I hope Patricia & Hazel won't mind me joining in the Oldie For Friday.This is a card I made early last year and out of all the cards I have made my sister has always  liked this one, so this is the one she had for her birthday yesterday, and I decorated the inside with wooden numbers for her age.( she wasn't impressed with that bit )

I was asked  if I would show my sisters card as Maureen probably didn't see it first time around.

Chicky said I could show it on my blog but was not to show her age that I had put inside, I also told her I had only put one candle on her cake, as I joked at her age she probably hasn't got enough puff to blow ?? out. I am sooo going to get it back big time when I get to her age. We had a really fun time, Paul went to bed about 01.00am and chick and I filled our glasses and reminisced till gone 05.00 am. Really tired today though. Hey Ho!!

Maureen as promised, hope you like it, and I hope everyone that saw it 1st time around doesn't mind it taking a bow for the second time.


Take care all, Talk again soon

Tina XX

Happy Birthday Claire

Good morning everyone. Welcome to my never ending birthday blog land. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has a month of never ending birthday's, but you have to do something a little bit special when they are your own kin. This one I made for Claire. I wanted to do something different for her, it looks lovely in real life, but very difficult to get the right angle to photograph.

Only one more to go this month, and it is my sisters special birthday tomorrow on the 18th.

 When she came over at Christmas she looked at all my cards that are taking up space in my work room, and haven't a clue what to do with them. Anyway we noted that she said to Claire that one I had put on the blog earlier in the year was her favourite, and she thought it was really special, so that one is the one I am going to adapt it for her special day, I probably won't put it up on the blog as I have already displayed it. I might stick it on the oldy for Friday That Hazel & Patricia do. Luckily the words are special, I just have to add the number. Ohhhhh, she will hate me for it, but it has to be done, and I know she will do the same for me or worse, when I get there, but that's another day.Today is Claire's day.

This not the easiest card to photograph, and looks much nicer in real life.

I hope you like it.

Talk soon, Take care all

Tina XX

DT card GRUMPY

Hi my regular blog friends and to those just pass through, please feel free to stay and leave a message.

I was so upset about my friends 40th afternoon tea. On Saturday ( Valentines day ), Paul cooked me a wonderful brunch before he had to go to London to work on some blooming computers. He said we would have a drink together when he gets home. Paul didn't get home till 1.55am due to an announcement after he had been on the train home for half an hour, that there were works on the rails and he had to join the line for a bus home. Not long after Paul had left that day I felt a little bit under the weather, by 6pm I had the full blown tummy bug that is doing the rounds ( No Paul didn't try to poison me ) I hope!. I was up all night, and Sunday. I was gutted that I couldn't go to celebrate with my bestie & hubby. Paul went and and gave her the card I had made her and her flowers and he said it was a beautiful day. Ann rang me later that evening and we had a chat about the day, it sounded like she had a fantastic afternoon.

Another day now, feeling a lot better, not 100% but too scared to eat. Hey ho!

This is another card made with the Sassy Creative Expressions stamps, Luckily for Paul I'm not grumpy in the mornings. Hope you like this one.

Products used :-

Dimensions 8X8 card
Creative Expressions- foundations card- Gold & Mauve
Sue Wilson- Filigree 3d bow
Spellbinders- Matting Basics B
Sue Wilson- Scandinavian collection- Corner, border & tag die
Creative Expressions- Grumpy stamp
Sparkles- from my stash
Creative Expressions- piercing Ruler
Sue Wilson- Frames & tags- Dainty Rectangular frame
Sue Wilson- Rambling Rose Embossing folder
Creative Expressions- Cosmic Shimmer- Black
Tim Holtz distress Ink- Wild Honey


I started by matt and layering the gold and the mauve card and using the piercing ruler to give a decorative edge. I then did a smaller dimension of matt and layering with white and gold foundation card with an embossed layer using the rambling rose EF as a decorative background. I used the basic matting 3d dies and cut two different sizes, one for the main stamp and another for the sentiment. Then I cut 2 of the dainty frames and framed the lady and also the top and side of the lady and the sentiment. I scored the bottom of the mauve card and added the border die and folded into a ruffle and added glitz. Finally I added a bow from the 3d collection.

I hope you like this one.

I will put Claire's card up late tomorrow after she has seen it . I didn't get to see Claire  on her birthday 16th Feb ( Mon ) as she was spending her 1st married birthday with Toby and they were going out for meals all day.

Today when this blog goes out, Claire will be coming over to have lunch with me, she fancies a steak, saute potatoes and whatever else she wants to go with it. It's a shame Paul won't get to have lunch too, and cut her cake but even more for her to take home.

I hope you all have a lovely Tuesday, Talk soon, take care all

Tina XX

40th Wedding Anniversary

Hi to everyone Lovely of you all to pop by and look at my blog. I really do enjoy when you stay long enough to leave a comment, and I thank you all very much.

This card is for my dear friend Ann and her husband Steve. I met Ann for the first time outside the infants school gates the very first 1st day our girls started their long road through education. we were both fighting back tears and trying so hard to tell them that they are going to have such fun. I'm afraid I hated school and couldn't wait to leave. Every school I went to had nuns, and finally in my senior school I went to a convent school, and I have to say ( God forgive me ) but some of the nuns were so nasty.

Anyway I diversify, Ann & Steve married 40 years ago today, a St Valentine bride, and we are having a celebration with them tomorrow. We are going out for afternoon tea, really looking forward to it.

This is the card I have made them both, I hope they like it.

I don't know if you would have seen the difference if I hadn't mentioned it but I sneakily added another leaf at the top. I just kept looking at the card and it just didn't seem quite right. I'm happy with it now. I hope you think so too.

Take care all

Talk soon

Tina XX

Another Male B'day Card

Hi everyone thank you for visiting my blog again and leaving such lovely messages, I really love reading them.

I will start with an apology first by not responding to the messages left on my last blog, as I was running after the invalid hubby also preparing a meal for his birthday yesterday and making him a card. I had to make another DT card ahead of time and get it sent to CE Towers by today. I was/am in the process of making a 40th anniversary card for my friend on Sunday also my daughters birthday card for Monday and my sisters birthday card for Wednesday.

Paul had to go back to the hospital today for them to check his shoulder. He was told he has to have an operation to stabilize his shoulder as he's in the high risk group dislocation on a regular basis, and they don't want any more damage done after his major op 6 yrs ago.

Thank you for all the lovely tips about taming my robin, and also the fantastic stories about your lovely feathered friends.

Maureen, this is Paul's card, you know the one he's going to get every year from now on. Thanks again for the tip.

Hope you like this one.

Hopefully I will post my friends anniversary late Saturday. Take care all. See you soon.

Tina XX

A Little bit Retro

Good Tuesday morning to everyone who visits my blog. I thank you very much, and feel free to stay a while and leave a comment. It will more than welcomed.

I hope you all had a good weekend, and has not been too cold for you . One of our fish in our pond died a couple of days ago but couldn't get it out because the ice was so thick.  We only managed today to break a small corner of the ice to get it out. The ice was at least 1" thick and it has thawed a little compared with last week, to enable to get it out to bury the fish in the garden.

Today I went to fill the bird feeders, a job I find I have to do several times a day at the moment,  and I have become very friendly with a little Robin, as I was filling the feeder the robin came and sat on the handrail to the decking. As you do I made silly birdie noises and held out the container to him/her, and blow me, it flew onto the container and ate a few nuts. It was literally inches from me. I thought how wonderful to have something so beautiful  so close. Now I am working towards it landing on my hand, Any tips?

Today's card I have used The shoes stamp by Creative Expressions, and the sentiment is a phrase from Marilyn Monroe. I've tried to use the more 50's/60's flower power vibe with more vibrant colours.

Wasn't Sue'S weekend show's fantastic. She makes everything so do-able and want-able.

 Products used :-

8X8 Black Card
Creative Expressions- Milk card
Creative Expression- Holographic card
Creative Expression- Doodle daisies mask
Creative Expression- Adirondack Ink pads- Raspberry, Citrus and Purple Twilight
Creative Expression- Shoes Ink pad
Creative Expressions- Iced Snow
Sue Wilson- Radiant Rectangles
Sue Wilson- Finishing touches- Camellia- Complete petals die
Sue Wilson- Embossing folder
Sue Wilson- Caribbean Island collection- St Barts
Gems- from my stash
Creative Expressions- Bow- Bias ribbon and hand coloured with above ink pads.

Another very different one for me,  I hope you like it.



I Started with an 8X8 black card, and matt and layered it with CE holographic card and another layer of foundations card embossed with Sue Wilson's folder, and did the same on a smaller scale for the focal point. I then used the daisy mask and inked it with the 3 Adirondack ink pads. I then covered it with a sticky sheet and covered it with beautiful iced snow glitter. For the focal point I cut a centre of thr Spellbinders Radiant rectangles and edged it with Sue Wilson's new Caribbean collection- St Barts. I used the Creative expressions shoes stamp and did stripes of Adirondack ink over the stamp. i stamped the sentiment on to white foundation card and cut it out with the oval die from the radiant rectangles die set.I cut some flowers from Sue Wilson's camellia die set and coloured with the same Adirondack stamps, and finished it with the seam binding ribbon also coloured with the Adirondack stamp pads. I tied a messy bow and attached it to the side of the card.

I hope you like this card.

Tina XX
 

HELLO to ALL

Well what a  way to spend a Sunday afternoon, in Salisbury Hospital A&E. I was sat Watching Sue's programs that I had recorded and making this card, when I look out at our drive and saw Paul coming up the drive after a walk holding his arm and covered in mud. I thought this doesn't look good and his face was creased with pain. About 6 years ago we were on holiday in Keswick, and Paul wanted to do an all day climb. so off he went I stayed back at the caravan with my dog Berkeley, ( who as a lot of you know is no longer with us ) I was enjoying  making some cards. About 7.30pm Paul rang and said, Don't worry but I've had an accident, He had fallen and dislocated his shoulder. He managed  the rest of the climb down. and called for help. He rang me while being blue lighted to Carlisle Hospital as his arm was hanging and he had no feeling all down his left arm right to the tips of his fingers. We cut the holiday short and Luckily I had learned how to tow the caravan . He had to go to London to have a major op and it took nearly a year for him to use his arm fully and still has no feeling in the tip of his forefinger and thumb.

Today I put Paul in the car and took him to A&E, yes it was confirmed he had dislocated the same shoulder but luckily didn't do any more damage, by god is he going to milk it, again!!

Anyway just poured him a strong whiskey, put the tv on and he looks quite comfortable.

I really enjoyed making the flowers on this card and when you glued them together you could just watch them change shapes, and they might appear again on another card, well not these ones I'll make fresh ones.

Products used :-

Anna Marie- 8X8 White card
Creative Expression- Vintage card- Silver
Satin finish Mirror card- Pink
Creative Expressions - foundation Milk card
Pink Vellum
Spellbinders- delicate Asters
Couture Creations- The Van Roe Collection-Beautiful Butterfly
Sue Wilson- Classic rose for leaves
spellbinders- White Sprigs
Tattered Lace Embossing Folder- Lacy Rose
Sue Wilson- Caribbean Collection-St Kitts
Sue Wilson- Greek Island- Rhodes.


I hope you like this one

See you soon

Tina XX

30th Birthday card

Good afternoon lovely blog visitors


This is the card I made for Craig for his Big  3  0  today. I find it difficult to make man cards, and I don't think he would appreciate some flowers and butterflies. What do you reckon?

Oh well here goes. I hope he likes it!

Feel free to leave a comment

See You Soon, Take care all.

Tina XX

Design Team Card for February

Good Tuesday morning everyone and thank you for visiting my blog

Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope you all have managed to stay safe and warm in this awful weather. Luckily we have got away with just heavy frosts and strong winds, but further up North you've had the lot, poor you.

We have a very important day here on Wednesday. It's my son's birthday and I can't believe Craig will be 30. He's coming over with his girlfriend for dinner, he hasn't given me a menu yet.

Do you remember when we had a party it was sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps and jelly and ice cream with bread and butter, what was that all about! and finally a home made cake. Wasn't it good fun though.

I have just unpacked my new replacement Cut n Boss machine. I first  placed an order back in September 2014, it arrived End of October , used it for a day or so and it went wrong. It made an horrendous noise when taking the folders, it would turn itself off mid stream and it wouldn't take Sue's heart folder at all. I contacted JGD crafts and they were fantastic. It was collected the next day, Janet from JGD crafts kept me informed every step of the way. Anyway my new one as I said arrived today ( Monday ). I unwrapped it quickly as I wanted to have a play. I got the  mentioned extras Like an A4 embossing folder, a set of dies and an added extra of a hair statically stuck between the 2 clear cutting plates, and it wasn't from the head. I didn't know whether to scream, laugh, or gag. I know I had to wait a long time for my machine, but that was one free gift I could have foregone. Everything has been cleaned and sterilised and I am happy to report is working well. Yay!!


Today's card I've used a stamp called Chocolate by Creative Expressions.

Products used:-

8X8 card
Creative Expressions stamp- Chocolate
Creative Expression Vintage card- Silver
Foundation card- Black
Foundation card- White
Ranger Adirondack light- Snow cap
Couture Creations- Large Retro flowers embossing folder
Sue Wilson- Austrian Collection-Innsbruck
Sue Wilson- Frames & Tags- Dainty rectangular frame
Creative Expressions- Dazzlers
Creative Expressions- White Tulle
Black ribbon- Stash
Gems- Stash

I hope you like this one. Please feel free to leave a comment, and see you again soon

Take care and stay safe.

Tina XX

PS. Tuesday morning , 6.45 ish. Just opened the curtains to find a couple of inches of snow. That will teach me not say how lucky we are to have got away with not having any.