Pick up a Penguin

Still cross-stitching as I haven't managed to recover my stash from my ex-home yet. I'm so new to it that it's working in the therapy stakes, but nothing beats stroking paper...

I'm now living in a flat in a village (photo) near my ex-family home. I feel like a student in a one-bed flat! I haven't been able to move my stash yet, but I've made a Christmas card from a cross-stitch kit which is much more portable!

Thank you!

I just want to let the "faithful" know that I'm slowly pulling thru & that your (continued) support is very, very much valued.
Warmest to you all,
Sammie xxx

Help!

I've "gone under" after a traumatic summer. You've all been so supportive. If you feel inclined, your messages help me thru'. I hope posting my distress is not inappropriate. Warmest wishes to you all.
Sammie xxx

On the Never-Never

All my recent posts seem to have been, I've never...., well this time I've never coloured a Tilda so here is my very first for my son's girlfriend's birthday next week.

Which Vintage?

I love Lots to Do, but had never made a vintage card. I'm learning stamping & bought this gorgeous stamp to practise. I love the image, but with no idea how to "do" vintage, I'm grateful to my new friend Ros for her advice & encouragement.

Got A Round Tuit Tulate!

Duh -thought the This Thursday challenge ran till Thursday! I got a round tuit tulate! At least I got a round tuit! At last I've tried Iris folding & love the effect, but my stamping obviously needs practice.

Hedging My Bets

This card celebrates the birth of the new Lili of the Valley challenge blog. I'm pleased with the pram & have just realised I always hedge my bets with baby cards & avoid making them gender specific.

Fun and Games!

No crafting -I've been playing mummy! Above, Ben playing rugby for Switzerland U18's v. Germany just after an elbow in the ear & just before the ambulance arrived! Below, Luke who's rehearsed panto all day & we just heard he's been cast in Britten's "Peter Grimes" at the Grand Theatre in Geneva! This is the 1st time I've posted the boys pics -I'm feeling very proud of them this weekend.

Kitschy Kitschy Koo!

Created by Hand left me cold -I didn't think I even had a dragonfly! Remembering these are challenges I finally found an unopened embossing template & an unopened tin of chalks! The result therefore is, unsurprisingly, unlike anything I've ever made before -and tres kitsch!

I got the Blues

The snowflake clip on this card is a magnetic bookmark. This is my blue & white entry for My Time to Craft. I would also like to thank the MTTC team for the fabulous prize I won in their last challenge -thank you!

Two for One

Lots to Do was perfect for me this week as I've been trying to use up bits & pieces. This anniversary card's made entirely from Valentine leftovers. Even the base card is made from two half cards glued together -one white & one red!

Beryl did a sketch as Rainbow Lady's GD. I wanted something "different" & aimed for an Andy Warhol/pop art look. I think I succeeded in that, but don't like the card! I'll definitely use the sketch again tho for something less modern.

Treble to Tenor

I'm sure I wasn't supposed to be pondering the PTW sketch in church! This card was inspired by the Gounod anthem we sang. The BP is a copy of the music & the image, a treble clef stamped 8 times. It's for the birthday of a professional tenor.

Arty Girlz 1st Birthday

Congratulations to Arty Girlz on their 1st Birthday. This is a very simple birthday card that uses up lots of oddz and endz and is fun to make. Bright & breezy enough for a one year old! Happy Birthday!

To Be or Not to Be...

for a boy that is the ? For the Lots to Do numbers challenge I hoped to make a male 18th card. Papers were an issue, but I cut a big pink peone off the blue one & the pink stripe's quite narrow. The bottom corner was bare & I only had shiny gems...

SOS Emma

I've sent these cards to Emma. Please support her collection of cards for overseas troops to send to their families & friends this festive season. For more info check Emma's blog & send an e-mail to the address under her complete profile.

Les Feuilles Mortes

Les Feuilles Mortes is one of my favourite songs. This embossed Autumn Leaf card is for Rainbow Lady's challenge. The double aperture is backed with ivory gauze, the stamped image raised over the top window & in the bottom window I've put glass beads on wire in autumn shades.

These Boots are Made for Walking

Here are two cards for the PTW Autumn Challenge.

I bought the hair slides last Autumn not quite knowing what to do with them.

But this was the opportunity & here are two cards with the present included.

Rock-a-by-Baby

I love recipe challenges. They make me root through boxes to find pieces that hang together & en route I find many bits & bobs I'd forgotten. So here are: 1 ribbon, 1 brad, 2 buttons, 1 stamped image & striped paper for the "Lots to Do" challenge. 

Bloomin' Bright!

This is actually a copy of a card I have posted before, but I am always intrigued by the effect of a different colour way on a design. I prefer this version. My Time to Craft asked for "Bright and Bold" this week. Isn't there a saying that goes something like "Be careful what you ask for -you might get it!"?!?!?

Wet and Watery

I think I took the easy option for the Arty Girlz altered anything challenge. I have spent a very rainy afternoon therapeutically glueing on glass tiles in a wonderfully rhythmic pattern & watery colours on a plain photo frame. The picture is of us on our boat on Lake Geneva.

Queen of Hearts

I haven't started my Christmas cards yet -but here's a Valentine's card ready for next year! I may try the same with the King of Clubs in monochrome for a male card. This is my entry for Rainbow Lady's playing card challenge & is loosely based on the sketch used for the PTW card below.

Neapolitan Cupcake!

My mouth began watering as I made this pink & brown card for the Created by Hand challenge. Then I realised the strawberry, vanilla & chocolate backing paper was inducing thoughts of Neapolitan ice-cream! I thoroughly enjoyed following a sketch for the first time & am proud to say it's made almost entirely of recycled bits & bobs. The sketch is Katharina's for PTW.

A Heart of Gold

Just a quickie from me as I was in the theatre last night & will be again all today & tomorrow. That means mum's over here helping out & this time it's a Golden Wedding card she needs for a "do" on her return to the UK. La voila -shaker cards have to be my favourite makes.

The One and Only

Dawny my generous helpful blog buddy awarded me this. I award it to Rainbow Lady for my favourite challenge blog; Ana Baird for mouthwatering jewelry; Dawne for her encouragement; Ann for her fascinating style so different from my own & Fiona for introducing me to inchies! Please peep!

Well I Never...

tried to colour a stamp! So I grabbed the kids' school watercolour crayons then scoured the house for... a brush! Now a brush is well outside my comfort zone & it was just as tricky as I thought it would be! But I now have a card for my son's birthday & have completed the Created by Hand challenge.

A Stitch in Time......

could have saved 900! My duvet began to split & I didn't mend it for yonks till... the whole seam came undone! I hadn't used my machine for years -sew before I began I fiddled around on a piece of card for fun to ease me into the chore-bore! This card is the result & is for the PTW challenge.

Knot Again!!

Thanks Dawny P for teaching me to knot ribbons. Knot to put too fine a point on it, it is exactly the same as on the glitzy post below. I could knot make the train I saw in my mind's eye for Rainbow Lady's Transport Challenge, so here is a boat instead!

Too Much can be, well... Too Much!

My U.S niece is 13. I'm crafting with difficulty just now so thought I'd do unlike me things -like use glitter! Well I certainly did that & gave myself a laugh in the process! I'll send it her anyway, for what it is -& hope you'll laugh along with me!  

Play it Again, Sammie!!!

Thanks for encouraging me to blog. I'll try & post a few times a week. Please leave a "coucou" & I'll pop by your blog. This card is for Rainbow Lady's Music Challenge. It's the most requested one in my musical circles by the girlz for their men.

Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside!

I'm from Cromer & it's known for its crabs. Try spotting my well camouflaged inchie! It's for the Inchy by Inch places challenge.

Funky Fairy says... "Stamp!"

... so I did! I avoid stamping. I buy stamps to make myself learn & still don't! I kept it simple & was still challenged outside my comfort zone. Guess that's why they're called challenges!

A Mechanical Card

Rainbow Lady's challenge this week is "Gardens". I've been wanting to try a mechanical card for ages so this was my chance! 

Work in progress, I think, to improve the cutting out & the exact placing of the greeting, but it was fun having a go. 

In the Jungle

Here's my second DCM challenge  -animals & this is for the Leo in my life, but I'll have to camouflage him until August!

Recycling -DCM Challenge

My first DCM challenge -recycling.  The "merci" & ribbon are from a card I received. I often recycle but don't dare give the cards in case I accidentally offend whoever gave it to me!

A Bird in the Hand...

Not sure what came over me here - I am NOT a Sesame Street fan! But there does seem to be a Big Bird influence happening here! Rainbow Lady & her Bird Challenge may never recover! 

Bloomin' Bright!

My Time to Craft ribbons challenge and fiddling, a ribbon frame took shape. This resulted: a playschooler's riot of delight -ribbon, mesh, felt, wooden flowers, lots of fun, but probably OTT for most of my friends! Keep changing my mind as to what I think...

Three Dee

I enjoyed making a frame card earlier this year so I tried a different take on the Arty Girlz 3D challenge: the image going into the card rather than coming out. I love the effect of framing.

Funky Fairy's Dotty!

Funky Fairy is totally dotty! So am I cos I should be getting lunch ready! Looks like it's frozen pizza again -teeheehee!

So-so!

The Inch by Inch challenge is to use a word starting with the initial of your first name -sew here's mine! Well that's what I thought the challenge was -duh! I had sew much fun creating this inchy -but the result is only sew-sew: I didn't see you were supposed to include things starting with the initial too! But hey -we all know that the old fashioned word "button" has been replaced by the much more user friendly expression "Sew-able/on-able/fastener" which quite obviously starts with S -sew I'm not as stupid as I seem. Then there's stitching & strands - and obviously I'm clutching at straws!!!

Gift Box

Buttons & a punched buckle to hold a ribbon bow et voila a gift box for the Funky Fairy recipe challenge & a moment of therapy after the theft of my mobile & purse today. Oh, and thanks to Inchy by Inch for cheering up my day too -my "hot" inchy (below) picked up the blog candy prize! Thank you, Fiona!

Pink and Black plus One

Thanks to Rainbow Lady for having pink in her challenge! To be combined with black & 1 other colour. Two firsts here -for ages I've wanted to give a spiral jotter a new lease of life & I've been wondering how to make those cheery ribbon flowers. This was great fun to create!

Monochrome Violet? Not!

I love Rainbow Lady's challenges! Imaginative & with oodles of space for creativity. But this week I have failed & should be disqualified! I post my card nonetheless with a sense of arrogant pride: I tried, did not make the grade, but still have a card which is perfect for my nearly 30 year old step-daughter! 

The First Inch!!!

There's an awesome new challenge blog  -Inch by Inch. Inspired by beautiful posts I thought I'd try it -how difficult & how much fun?!? One inch by one inch & to include any word is all -hah!!! Anyway here's mine which I dedicate to all the "Kiss Me Kate" cast & crew. We were indeed "Too Darn Hot"!!! 

Christmas Beads

 This is cheeky! My Christmas angel card was an excuse to wrap silver & red beads round the repeatedly stamped angel which disguises the fact I still can't stamp! So Rainbow Lady thank you for another versatile challenge which I am also posting for Fab's Big Christmas Challenge. 

Fairy Godmothers

The Fairy Godmothers granting the baby's wishes -& so much acetate, iridescent hearts & glitter that it's too difficult to get a decent shot. Sorry everyone! This is for Rainbow Lady's challenge which this week is fairies.

Here is yet another commissioned baby card. I guess it will soon be the wedding season instead lol! This one was also designed to suit the DCM midweek challenge to use folds on the card -here the envelope is folded. I wish I had some gadget to emboss my card blanks and add interest..... but I haven't.