Such is Life

 Hello friends....

My apologies for not having visited you for a while, life has thrown me a few curveballs lately and I'm trying to deal with it.

All my results are back and the good news is that my spinal fusion is fine albeit that the stenosis has herniated another disc but so far it isn't causing any problems. The other results are not so favourable and I have to undergo surgery again, I don't have a choice.  Five discs in my neck  have succumbed to stenosis and osteoarthritis and are pressing on my spinal cord causing the nerve pains in my arm, eventually they will cause total paralysis so you see why I have no options.

It certainly wasn't the news I was expecting or prepared for and I am still trying to come to terms with it. I have to go to a specialist hospital but I have no idea when this will be as Covid created a huge backlog of patients. In the meantime I am hoping things don't get worse - I feel like I am living on a knife edge.

Anyway, I do have a couple of cards to share - I did do a few paintings but so far I have not been able to make them into cards, my fingers have become less dexterous.

This first card is a birthday card I sent to my lovely blog friend Greta... I hope it arrived and that you enjoyed a wonderful birthday Greta.

Sorry if the photos are a little blurry

And another birthday card for a friend

I painted the plant but the balloons are stenciled and I even use some glitter - I've still got pots of the stuff in all colours

I'm hoping to visit you all today and see waht you've been up to.

Stay well and have a good day

~ Ros ~

Winter Blues

 Hello there...A really quick post

I'm popping in with a card for the  Double D Challenge which is Blue and White (with the option of Winter)... This is their mood board

I didn't exactly follow the mood board... I was just playing with my paints 

Loosley creating a wash with blue paint and then using a wet paintbrush to remove the paint and thus create the Winter tree and fence

I hope you're not tired of seeing my trees, I just enjoy doing them. I've been doing a lot of sewing but I'm plagued by a trapped nerve in my left hand and I had to stop. Fortunately I only need my right hand to paint.

Have a lovely evening

~Ros ~

For a Retirement

 Hello there friends... I hope this finds you well

First off I am sorry that many of you are only just receiving the Christmas cards I sent out - I don't know what is going on with the mail, I sent everything out on time but I guess better late than never.

 I haven't done much in the way of papercrafting but our cousin in Cornwall is retiring at the end of the month so I wanted to make him a card. He has spent most of his life on the sea and is Captain of the ship that services the Scily Isles. Now he has finally been able to purchase his own boat and is looking forward to enjoying sailing with his wife after what has been a very traumatic few years for them both.

 So of course it has to be a nautical card

 

 I used Versamark through a compass stencil onto navy pearlescent cardstock and embossed it in a mix of gold and silver - I missed some parts but I liked it that way and added a script stamp to it

I used distress inks to create a background for the little sailing boat (Wplus9) and added some gold/silver embossed waves using a versamark pen, then covered it with acetate and framed it.

 

 I'm pleased with how it turned out even though I somehow managed to break my Bigshot, then again it has served me well for many years.

In my previous post I shared a photo of a top I made for my friend and I'm happy to say she was thrilled with it... And my husband was thrilled with the jumper she made him!

The photo is a little blurry I'm afraid. It was supposed to be a birthday present but I gave it to him as it's so cold.

Okay that's it for now, stay warm and stay well

Till soon,

~ Ros ~

Birthday Card

Hello there!

I hope you are all doing well...We're halfway through January and a little closer to Spring. There has been a woodpecker visiting my garden this week and they say that's a good sign.

Well I survived my first exercise class of the year thank goodness... I really needed to get back to it. I had a really nice birthday last week and thank you for my lovely cards.

Today my brother will be visiting, tomorrow I am lunching with my 2 GF's and then I will be going for some scans. I've already had my hips X-rayed and I still have to have bloods done on Thursday. So it's a busy week. 

 

I really haven't done any papercrafting except for the card I am sharing today... I did have a big sort out and gave away a lot of my craft stuff, keeping what I use most and making room for a sewing space.

Today's card is for one of the GF's I am meeting up with tomorrow - We both have birthdays in January so we meet 'inbetween".

 

 I'm sorry that the photos aren't that good but I'm sure you can make out the vellum embossed with an Altenew folder layered over a stenciled background

There is a lot of shine that you can't see, I painstakingy went over the lines on the vellum with a gold glitter pen.

My friend is a wonderful knitter and has made me an aran sweater for my husband ( it's his birthday next month) so as a thank you I made a top for her

I hope she likes it and I hope it fits.

My brother has just arrived, so I promise to catch up with you all very soon - 

Till then be safe and have a beautiful day

~ Ros ~

Loose Watercolour

 Hello and welcome to another year of blogging

I hope you are all well and looking forward to a better year, I can't wait for Spring to arrive.

A couple of days ago we celebrated our wedding anniversary and I had to come up with a card for my hubby. I had no inspiration whatsoever so I resorted to loose watercolouring similar to some I have done in the past. Fortunately it is also the theme for this months' challenge at the CAS Mix Up

It turned out just fine and hubby loved it but photographing it was not so easy thanks to the weather we've been having

 I used my Gansai Tambi paints for this and a set of leaf stamps which I think came from AliExpress

The shine is from gold leaf which I randomly added using nuvo glue. I did the same to the word die which was cut from a scrap of painted cardstock and then glossed.

For the little banner, I stamped 'congratulations' and embossed it with my gold/silver mix. 

These are one of my favourite cards to make, they are just so easy and I like the effect.

Well, I should have been seeing my consultant today but it's been re-scheduled for next monday and the following week my exercise class starts again. If I can last the first 20 minutes of class I will be fine Lol!

I'm planning on catching up with you all soon, till then

take care and be safe

~ Ros ~

Good Luck

 Hello there friends...

I hope you all enjoyed Christmas... 

It's not the same as it used to be, not just because of the pandemic but most of us can remember the old fashioned Christmases we enjoyed with loved ones and then times with our children when they were little, sharing in their excitement. It's not the same now but each year is a bonus...

Our Christmas was quiet and thankfully DH had improved enough to enjoy the day. His PCR test was negative so it was a chest infection that knocked him out for almost a week...

I have a card to share with you, though not a lot of crafting has been done here other than some sewing, but DH needed a card for a friend who moved house just before Christmas.

 

I actually drew and painted this months ago and it seemed to me to be perfect for the occasion.  This same friend moved house a few years back and I sent him a card then... It seems he liked it so much that he kept it and took it with him to this new house, How nice is that!

 

I happen to be a lover of windchimes which is why I drew these blowing in the wind, I can just imagine being in that place.

Well I have a new toy to play with and it's not a papercraft toy.. It's an overlocker for my sewing. I hope I can get to grips with it, I tell you this hobby is far more expensive than my papercrafting one haha! I saw a You Tube video of how to make a patternless top with just one metre of fabric and gave it a go... Here's the result

 

It worked and it fits fine too

Well my friends, I'm wishing you all not just a lovely day but a very happy and healthy New Year.

Thank you for your friendships that have not only brought fun, beauty and inspiration into my life but many times kept me sane and comforted me...

Hugs

~ Ros ~