It's all about the Big Guy

.... Santa that is ... 

I finally found a space in my head to think about a Christmas card for this week's challenge at Jingle Belles Rock ... the theme being Inhabitants of the North Pole .. Santa ... Mrs Claus ... reindeer etc., 

I confess I didn't read it properly at first ... thought it was just Santa ... But no matter ... I'd have picked him anyway ... 

He always makes for "good times" ... ok so I've had some rotten Christmases but it wasn't Santa's fault

He makes me think of glitter and bows and has so much charm about him

Only fair that I should embellish him with these things

And the Ribbon Girl has a bingo card challenge ... 

Think my card qualifies for both diagonal lines ...

Ribbon, Bow, Twine ....... Image, Bow, Charm ... see the little wooden house charm?

It's my first time playing at the Ribbon Girl too

And yes I am still playing with Butterflies ... I'll share some more creations in the week ... 

In the mean time why don't you check out these two challenges  

Have a beautiful Sunday 

Thanks for stopping by

~ Ros ~

More butterflies ...

A card can say so many things .... and sometimes it's all we can do to show that we are thinking of someone and that we care.

One of my family members is going through a rough time ... She's beautiful and funny and brave and I know she will survive what the last few months have thrown at her ... I know she will make a new life and one day look back on these days ... a stronger, happier lady. In the meantime all I can do is let her know I am here and I care and how better than a card ... Butterflies and all

I am using beautiful papers - free from Astrids Artistic Efforts together with a sentiment generated on my computer

The butterflies I found on the web and using Photoshop I was able to change them into png files (transparencies) so I could first print them on my card and then print them again to fussy cut and layer  .. adding some black rhinestones

N.B. A little TIP ... if you want the butterflies to stay flicked up like this ... put some little foam pads just beneath the wings and then they won't flatten down

The birdcage is from The Graphics Fairy ... again I made it into a transparency and printed it onto the patterned paper

Of course there was just one other thing I needed to send with this card ... 

A girlie survival kit

Lip gloss and chocolate ... Well, it always helps!

......................

And I had a sweet little surprise myself  today ... this pretty little tag and envelope arrived in my mailbox from my friend Kirsty

Thank you my friend ... they are so pretty!

Thanks for stopping by ... Enjoy your weekend and keep safe

~ Ros ~

Butterflies .....

I've rekindle my love of butterflies and have been using them quite a lot lately ...

This is a card I made for my hubby's friend who celebrates his birthday today ...

I keep promising that I will make a stack of cards suitable for men ... I never seem to have one on hand and when it comes to having to do one ... my mind goes blank!

I guess butterflies are good for anyone right? And I do love this postcard stamp and wanted to use it ... I sponged a little Old Paper distress ink onto the leaves and found some butterflies on the internet ... I do have butterfly dies but I liked these and just did some fussy cutting

... added some pretty beads and a little thread of burlap too

You'll be seeing more butterfly cards ... Trust me

Other news ... Well my hubby's cousin who lives in Cornwall rang yesterday sooo excited! We'd just won a Gold medal in the Olympic rowing event and one of the lady rowers is a friend of our Cornwall family ... to think she'd only been rowing for a few years is indeed a huge accomplishment. 

And just so you know ... her family own a lovely ice cream shop in Cornwall ... so by my reckoning ice cream is very good for you!

Now aren't you glad I told you that?

The sun is shining here at the moment and I really hope it stays .. at least for today ... Ross and Sophia are coming and I am really really looking forward to seeing them .. It's been ages!

Have a wonderful day 

Till soon

~ Ros ~

Papercraft Star ... Maps

Hi ... I'm back with you today to share my DT project for this week's challenge at Papercraft Star

Our challenge this week is "Maps"

I love this inspiration photo ... it reminds me of the fabric my sweet friend Linda sent me and I was going to cut into it and make something for this challenge ... but somehow I ended up going down a different route 

I had this thing in my head ... like no matter where you are ... you are always in my heart

Well I just had to follow it through and raided my odds and ends and came up with this card

I downloaded a map from the internet for one layer of the heart but the map paper on my background is from my supplies ... I have no idea where it came from ... I have unused papers from years ago!

The blue dot paper is by Grace Taylor ... the beige dot paper is by Chrissy W ... Tag is  K&Co

I have a huge box of chipboard pieces that I bought in a charity shop ... they had been donated by QVC and only cost about £1.50 so I used a frame and cut a heart from another colour co ordinating piece and computer generated the sentiment ... everything else is from my left over bits and pieces

The DT have some lovely projects over on the Papercraft Star blog and Anitra is the Featured designer this week showcasing papers from our sponsor THATB ... 

We'd love to see your creations ... so I hope you'll come and join us

Have a beautiful day

Till soon

~ Ros ~

CCCB Solid as a Rock

Hi there!

I hope you had a good weekend ... Are you enjoying the Olympics? 

I'm not really into sport ... I'd rather be crafting ... but I did love the opening ceremony ...

Anyway ...  I hope those of you who are watching enjoy it and I wish everyone the best of luck!

Tuesday means another new challenge at City Crafter Challenge Blog and this week our hostess is Kirsty!

Kirsty is asking that we use solid colours only ... NO patterned paper, patterned card or DP of any sort ... Just card stock .. and of course any embellishments that you may want to add

Some of theses themes really challenge me ... but it's a fun way to discover different looks and techniques ... I used one I have used before and that is splashing paint onto plain card stock

I had some paint that was almost a perfect match for the PTI Ocean tides cardstock ... just paint from one of those tester pots ... nothing fancy ... but I do add water and then just flick a brush over the white card ... 

I cut out a space big enough to stamp the sentiment with a SB die and added a little SB frame

... a few embellishments and it's done!

This is Lauren's last week Guesting for us at CCCB and I'm sure you have loved seeing her creations as much as me ... 

For your chance of Guesting with us all you have to do is link up your creation in the next 7days and check back to see our winner ... 

Have fun and I'll be back tomorrow

~ Ros ~

Southern Ireland

Hello ... Are you well?

Fancy a little jaunt to Southern Ireland? Cobh and Cork to be exact ...

Ireland was our last cruise stop - then it was a short hop across the Irish sea back to Liverpool

I have never been to Ireland and the few hours we spent there was certainly not long enough to take in everything that this beautiful Island has to offer ...

Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic before making her fateful voyage ... then it was known as Queenstown 

There is a fabulous museum and heritage centre just on the quayside 

Here is a link should any of you wish to check it out ... 

Around 6 million people emigrated from Ireland between 1848 and 1950 ... the majority settled in the USA and this statue commemorates the first ever emigrants to be processed at the newly opened Ellis Island ... Annie Moore and her two little brothers ...She was just 15 years old.

and right next door is the train station to Cork ...  We opted to spend the few hours we had both in Cork and looking around the heritage centre

By coincidence ... my sweet friend Kirsty sent me this postcard from San Francisco

Beautiful pretty coloured houses ... never did I expect to see a similar thing in Ireland ... but just take a look

Looks more like Italy!

... And never did I expect to see the steep roads like San Francisco ... but I saw this in Cork

Wouldn't like to walk up and down there too often!

Cork is alive with shops and bars ... 

I would like to go back and spend a weekend here just looking around

Of course Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle ... and it is easy to see why ... the land is so green and lush ... this last photo was taken on a moving train and I had to zoom right in to get this ... but it is probably my favourite because it is so ethereal ... and so Ireland!

I hope you enjoyed your trip with me today... 

Till soon be safe

~ Ros ~