New Years Eve 2015

Hello there...

It's the last day of the year and before the new one starts I want to just share the last of my Christmas cards...

Much as I loved making them I'm happy to get back to the usual cards ... I've a lot of birthdays to accommodate this time of year and I've already made quite a few cards which I'll share in the next few weeks...

So here we go ...

I've had a lot of fun with sponging and painting this year

And without doubt my favourite colours have been greens and aquas

Whilst splatters have always been my added extra, come Christmas I just cannot pass on the glitter - I love a little sparkle

And animals of various kinds have featured a lot on my cards this year

I also made a boxed set of everyday cards for my Aunt using digital watercolour images that I've had for the longest time, long before watercolour became a trend

Aren't they pretty? They're by Gail Flores

Whatever you are planning for this evening have a wonderful time and be safe... 

Thank you for another wonderful year of creativity, for sharing your creations, your ideas, tips and tricks and most of all for your friendship...

Happy New Year to you all!

Hugs and Love

~ Ros ~

Birthday Boy

Hello and good morning!

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and Santa brought you lots of goodies... The severe weather in Texas and the floods in the UK caused a lot of grief I know, and my heart goes out to all who have suffered...

I still have a few Christmas cards to share but today is a special day ... It's Mike's  birthday, my son is 33 years old today - I can hardly believe it!

This is the card I made for him

I used some Christmas stamps to make this ... They were in the sale and I ordered them ages ago but they didn't arrive in time for Christmas 

Still, I think these little guys are fine for a winter birthday and I had to add the black cat because our black cat Gypsy adores Mike

I used the Gansai Tambi paints for my BG ... They really are lovely to use - even for a non artist like me and the music strip was cut on my Cameo

We had a really quiet Christmas and I relaxed a lot over the past few days so It's taken me awhile to get back into card making and blogging...

Wishing you all a lovely day... Take care

~ Ros ~

Christmas Eve 2015

Hello...

Christmas Eve has arrived ... How I miss the years when my son was a little one with so much excitement that it probably drove me crazy back then... I guess there was never time to think ahead, about the days when he would be a grown man and the magic would be gone...

I can still remember so clearly the day he was born, 4 days after Christmas Day and I am so blessed to have him with me to share this Christmas... 

I have a few more cards to share with you

That little house stamp is one of a set of three that came as a free gift with an order... I just drew in the hillsides with a fineliner

I don't know about you but I've mailed a few cards and gifts that I forgot to photograph first ...

I've a few more things to wrap, some deliveries to make and then apart from the cooking I'm all done...

I hope you all have a beautiful happy and peaceful Christmas... I know there are many who won't have the love and warmth that we do and there are those of you who don't celebrate this event but my wishes are the same...

Thank you for your friendship and the cards and gifts I've been so grateful to receive

Be happy, be safe

Merry Christmas

~ Ros ~

Three Little Cards and A Night to Remember

Hello!! 

Oh my goodness it's nearly Christmas...

I've been baking today, shopping a little and mailing the last of my cards...

 I have 3 little cards to share, each much the same but with different colours, that I made for 3 of my girlfriends who I meet for lunch once a month

The first 2 were done with distress inks and water...

... The last one with dye ink and a mix of white paint and water

The glitter coated wreaths and the deer were cut on my Cameo and the sentiments were computer generated

...

I have to tell you that the night we spent on the cruise ship was AMAZING! I loved it! The food was unbelievable and I'm sure I put on half a stone just that night haha! 

Once we had been shown to our cabin, we went for afternoon tea in the observatory ... Oh my, those little cakes and pastries and beautiful finger sandwiches washed down with Darjeeling tea...

Later we saw the show before going into dinner ... 4 courses and each one perfection ... I couldn't finish everything though... Then it was back to the cabin to sit on the balcony for a short while before we hit the casino ... we were given £100 each in chips to play and came away with £400.

There was so much going on ... Singers, dancing, a piano room, bars and coffee areas where chocolates and huge cream cakes tempted... The temperature was so mild we even sat outside taking in the view of our lovely city with all the lights twinkling. It was a real night to remember....

Have a lovely day my friends

Hugs

~ Ros ~

A Few Things

Hello there ...

Firstly, I wanted to say a big thank you to Kerin at The Card Concept for picking my card as a winner this week ... That's so nice and well done to all the winners

Sorry if I haven't been around your blogs for a few days ... I have a shoulder and wrist problem... Repetitive strain injury from being on the computer too much and it's really painful.

Anyways I wanted to just share a Christmas card and then I have to pack ... I'm off for a party night on a cruise ship... It's berthed here in the port of Liverpool and for one night we will be staying over and enjoying the festivities... Just a little something different...

So here's another one of the many cards I've done lately

I cut a lot of those little wreaths and have made various cards using them so be prepared to see more lol!

I sponged this wreath with ink to match it to my paper and I added a wooden burlap covered stag's head  to which I added some 'snow'

I also used red sequins to pick out the stars in the paper... One thing I love about having the Misti tool is that I can revisit old techniques and get a good finish ... On this card I used a dye ink to stamp the sentiment and using the Misti I could easily stamp over it with Versamark to clear emboss it. I'd never line the stamp up properly otherwise...

...and it means I don't have to buy every colour embossing powder.

Ok... that's it for now ... I have to get this card in the post together with a birthday card and then pack

Have a beautiful day ... I hope to be back with you soon

Hugs

~ Ros ~

City Crafter 292

Hello and good morning!

Well, as the big day approaches and the year is coming to an end, we have our last challenge at 

City Crafter 

until January 2016

For our final challenge of 2015 the lovely Stella is hosting for us

The theme is "The Heat's On"

Stella is asking that use  heat embossing on our cards or project 

Here's my card...

I stamped and embossed a lovely Penny Black wreath and also embossed the word 'joy'

Some pretty liquid pearls were randomly added and a glittered wooden reindeer

Our Guest Designer this week is Susie Witter - winner of week 284 ... Click on her name to go visit her blog and see her lovely creations!

As always the team have more inspiration for you up on the City Crafter Blog ... I do hope you can find time to join us this week...

I'd also like to enter my card at the Penny Black Challenge where the theme is Christmas/Holidays

Have a beautiful week

~ Ros ~

Connect

Hello!

This is the last word prompt of 2015 at

Our Beautiful World

 This week Wen has picked the word Connect

So many option for this prompt don't you think?

Connect ...People and places

This is the Runcorn Bridge that connects the Wirral to Liverpool ... My brother to me

How they connected those old fire engine water pipes

Instant connection between a mother and her offspring

Ducklings will imprint on the first person or animal they see when they hatch

Then there are those sports were you just have to connect with the ball to get a result

Or connect could simply be things that join to one another as in this palm tree and it's fruit

Or a pretty wind chime

Hop over to see what my friends are sharing this week...

Our Beautiful World will be back in the new year....

Enjoy!

~ Ros ~

Another Christmas Card

Hello

Just popping in to share another Christmas card using the Pinkfresh Studio papers ...

I'm determined to use all these papers and not hoard them like I tend to with pretty papers and I my Memory Box deer dies have been well used ...

 I haven't bought any new Christmas dies this year other than the dies to match my Wplus9 Winter Pals stamps.

Having recently replaced my craft room furniture, I have had to reorganise my stamps, dies and tools amongst other things... It made me realise how many stamps/dies I used only once and really shouldn't have bought. Then there are many like those stag dies which are a few years old but I use a lot - same with the  Lil'Inkers stitched rectangles. 

As far as tools go, my best buys this year has been the Misti ... I love it! It's really been worth the investment.

What's been your best buy this year?

Enjoy the upcoming weekend...

Till soon

~ Ros ~

Having Faith

Hello there

We've all been there right? When you know you have to get a card out that day and it's the same day your inspiration has taken a holiday...

I had one of those days on Monday .. I needed to make a card for a friend's birthday (a special friend needs a special card right?) But my head was empty of ideas. I searched my files for inspiration, trawled Pinterest, visited loads of my favourite bloggers, fiddled and faffed with things on my desk and NOTHING sparked my brain....sigh

When I get those days I whisper to myself that I WILL get this done and it WILL be just right... I have faith, if not in me, in some other power... It worked

She loves green and I was amazed to see a new addition to her beautiful collection of ornaments.. a pair of silver and black elephant candle holders...

And she loved her card that took virtually a whole day to come up with haha!

The wreath was cut on my Cameo and I used distress inks, water and Vibez snow storm for the BG

All in all I was pretty pleased with the result ...Now I have to have faith that I get everything done that needs to be done for Christmas

Enjoy your day!

~ Ros ~

City Crafter 291

Hello there!

It's my turn to host the challenge at City Crafter this week

I know you are all very busy this time of year and probably making lots of christmas projects...

Well, this week the challenge is all about Winter

Photo Credit

We want you to create a card or project that depicts Winter and to make it a challenge 

NO christmas cards please!!

Here's my card

My sweet friend Pat gave me this Winter quote stamp which I used on acetate then cut around it to attach to my card- you can see better on this next photo...

I cut the details of this card on my Cameo and used distress inks to sponge a BG before adding some water droplets... There's a sprinkling of glitter around too

We've a talented Guest Designer this week - winner of week 286

Daget Art - Click the link to visit her blog and check out her beautiful creations

Our team also has some more inspiration for you over at CCCB - go take a look and

link up your creations with us this week for a chance to Guest Design with us too.

I'd also like to enter this card over at The Card Concept under the Clean and Layered category, where the theme is "Let It Snow"

And Try It On Tuesday

Where the theme is snowflakes or winter whites

Wishing you a wonderful day

~ Ros ~

Thinking of you

Hello ... 

I hope you had a good weekend ... 

Yesterday my friend and neighbour Helen popped over with tears in her eyes... Her Dad had passed away suddenly ... No matter how many friends and family you have, it still feels like a lonely journey you're on in those early days... We chatted and hugged for awhile and later I made a little card for her

Though you can't really see ... I stamped the grasses first in Frayed Burlap distress ink and stamped again, slightly offset, with Versamark and embossed in clear powder

I also gave it a light spray with Vibez 'snow storm' which leaves a lovely soft sheen - and yes, she's a cat lover

Helen's dad was a keen gardener who every year made her magnificent hanging baskets... So DH and I  took a trip out and when I saw this I thought this would make a fitting gift 

... which she can then plant in her garden.

I hope you are having a good start to your week ... Be safe

Till soon

~ Ros ~

Decorations

Hello ...

The lovely Mandy has picked our prompt at

Our Beautiful World

The word is Decorations

It could be any type of Decorations but I'm sharing some Christmas ones that I photographed on my phone whilst out and about this week ... I used Picmonkey to help me out here as my photos were not that good

Don't these happy guys just make you smile?

I love this sparkly reindeer and I just may buy this next one- he was magnificent! Not sure where I'd put him though - He was quite big!

I saw some cute advent calendars in drawer form

I love the house one ... Of course you couldn't get these when my son was little

And my final photo is one from my home ... taken last year and again enhanced with Picmonkey

If you get a moment hop on over to the blog to see what the rest of the team are sharing and link up your photos of Decorations too... We'd love to see them

Enjoy your day my friends

~ Ros ~