Baby Boy Christening and Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Hi folks, not blogged for a few days, hubby off work so doing other things. Shrewsbury Folk festival was great, we where so lucky with the weather . Sunday was warm and sunny, went cooler in the evening though.We went with our friends Trevor and Rose (pictured together at the show grounds ) and our friend Nick (pictured with my hubby Bob, Bob is the taller of the 2 on the left) . I'm not on any pictures because I'm always behind the camera plus I look naff in pictures lol..
The atmosphere at the festival was super, relaxed but so well organised. There where 4 venues, the mainstage was a giant big black top, with a big stage and 2 huge video screens either side, so you always had a good view.
We never stayed at the show ground, plenty did though in tents ,campers and caravans. Lots of people brought their dogs, all wearing bandannas and very well behaved, we left ours at home with Sam, but came back to lots of wee on the floor.
Shrewsbury is a gorgeous place, I think it puts Chester to shame.The buildings are very Tudor and everthing is in keeping, no pound shops, very upmarket. The streets are so clean, no rubbish, I loved that even though the bin men followed by the road sweeper woke us at 6.30 am. That was 2 hours after the rowdy young people at the nearby bar went to bed.
The next day after a hearty breakfast we walked round Shrewsbury taking in the river and the beautiful gardens, Percy Thrower was once head gardener. They are very Victorian , bright and very well maintained, in fact the whole of Shrewsbury is filled with flowers, row opon row of hanging baskets and troughs.

Onto my card , a comision for a friend of my mums, hope she likes it. Lili of the valley Christening baby, coloured with promarkers and adorned with stickles and perfect pearls. The paper is more of that pretty vellum , floral glitter, from Do craft. I had to order 20 sheets from the internet, still its in now.

challenges entered:
Lilis little fairies : anything but a square.
I love promarkers : anything goes
sweet stamping : out of the frame
creative impressions : Bingo, pearls, flowers, blue

Off to Llangollen today, it looks a beautiful day, sunny with blue skies.
Enjoy your day. janex

Happily Ever After

Morning crafters, weather here not bad, hope it's good tomorrow as we are going to the Shrewsbury Folk festival and staying over night. I'm really looking forward to it ,hope it's not muddy though, I can't do the Kate Moss in mini denim shorts and a pair of Hunter Wellies!

Another Wedding card to show you today. It features a Sugar Nellie stamp called "happily ever after", what a lovely image,love the back view a bit different. The pretty rose papers are papermania , blueberry hill. The ribbons hobby craft, wedding boquet ,the works and the peel offs and pearl my local craft shop.
I've coloured with copic markers and added glamour dust and stickles for lots of glam.

challenges entered :

The sweet stop : followed the sketch
My Mums craftshop : weddings/anniversaries
stamping for the weekend: pearls and swirls


have a great (long weekend if in the UK) . janex

Lots of Memory Box Dies and some punches

This card is rather special, not what you'd call a quick card, but it was a labour of love, but it's for a lot of people that have meant a lot to me for many years. It's a thank you card to all at Little Sutton Methodist Church' where I have worked for the past 12 years. I'm sad to leave but can still worship there as long as it remains open, which in the present times seems not long. Our Minister and 2 stewards came round yesterday and brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and they prayed for my future success in a new job.
My card was cased from this wonderful card by a very talented card maker and blogger found here .
I have used : memory box dies, small window, window box , twig with berries and brand new bicycle.
2 wood ware leaf punches
cream leaf lace
Darling Dear 6x6 paper by my minds eye.




challenges entered :
Bunny Zoe crafts : Summer
The Paper shelter : anything goes
Totally Papercraft : zesty summer colours
Fairy Tale challenge : song inspired (riding along on my push bike honey )
card mania :anything goes (second entry)








have a great day and happy crafting . janex

Gruffies go shopping and Floral pins and needles

I've got a bit of catching up to do in blogland, so 2 cards to show today.


My first card features a stampendous cling stamp called flower fields ,coloured with promarkers and the edges inked with mustard seed Tim Holtz distress inks. The papers prima botanical collection,free gift with simply cards and papercraft.Inspired by Brenda I've made my own fancy pins with pearls and beads (watch out for the glue gun ,it's hot!). Ribbon, roses and a few feathers complete the look.

challenges entered :

Papertake weekly : pins and needles
2 sisters : in the garden
Divas by design : anything goes
lets craft and create : stamp it

The second card features a Christmas Gruffies stamp, from the Bearlytastic set by Joanna Sheen.I've coloured with promarkers and the super bliny snow is German glass glitter from the hobby house.The paper is my minds eye, winter papers and the berry branch my new memory box die.


challenges entered :
house mouse and friends : double trouble (to feature either 2 mice or their friends)
The crafty pad : to die for
Fab N Funky : use leaves somewhere
card mania :anything goes

have a great day, very dull here, but dry so far. janex

A Wedding card commission

I've not blogged for nearly a week,so I thought I'd better stick something on least you forget me!
I have been crafting, but all commissions and none to suit challenges , plus I've had a big craftroom tidy up,although I still have way too much stuff for my little box room.Our house is a fair size for 3 people and 2 toy poodles and yet,because the pc is in the craftroom , it's the most used room and the smallest.
On to my card, my neighbour over the road bought a wedding acceptance card from me then asked me to make a wedding card . She doesn't like people or animal images so I had to turn to something away from my usual.
The wedding cake is a sticker I bought from the works, ever so cheep. The white vellum paper is from do craft, I've layered over pink card. I love the effet it reminds me of Wedgewood, I shall try it with blue next time, to look like blue Jasper Wedgewood. The vellum circle was cut from a maireanne design die and the corner pealoffs are pinflair. I've added pink pearls and gold pealoff wording.
She was thrilled when she saw it, hugging and kissing me and saying it was perfect, isn't it a lovely feeling to make someone happy with one of your creations, guess it's why we do it.

happy crafting janex

Woodware clear pansy

Haven't blog since Saturday,I've been stripping wall paper and typing cv's. I'm applying for a display job at the local garden centre. The job is full time but I know I would really love it. They have amazing Christmas displays ,that I would be in charge of creating. It would be great to actually do a job I'm trained for.
My son Sam got the part time job at Pro Cook he applied for,starts next week and his girlfriend has got a job at a top men's wear shop in Chester. They say things coming in threes ,so hopefully I'll join them.
It's results day for A S and A levels today, so big fingers crossed for the two of them.
Now to my card,I'm getting in to my florals, although you all seemed to love my BBQ Teddy. The stamp is pansy, a clear woodwre stamp. It does have a lovely verse too, that's for the inside. I've coloured with promarkers,added yellow stickles to the centre and blobs of glossy accents.The bp is hunkydory and the leaves bazil green paper punched with a L-Em.com fern punch.I added some gems, these where originally clear,coloured with promarkers for a perfect colour match.


challenges entered:

Divas by design : followed the sketch
I love promarkers : gardens
paper pretties : square card

The weather is still playing silly buggers , pardon my language, here in the uk, not bad here this morning but yesterday was so humid I got another bad headache and then the biggest rain I have ever seen. It came right over the gutters, pouring down the windows , the extension door leaked again soaking the carpet and wall paper because the rain pelted down in a side ways direction.

happy crafting. janex

Top Chef at the BBQ

The weather is hot at last, mind it's too hot in our bedroom at night, and I don't mean in a sexy way. So nice Summer weather means Summery cards and my thoughts turned to BBQ's.
My stamped image is, Top Chef by Lili of the valley, great for men's cards, for some reason men that never ever cook in the kitchen are always the chef when it comes to barbies!!!strange hey...
I've coloured in citrus coloured promarkers and inked all the paper edges in mustard seed distress ink.The papers are a mixed bunch of old stash. The sentiment and fruity kebab stickers are by create & craft (not the tv show ), fab aren't they. The green spotty ribbon ,hobby craft.


challenges entered:

sweet stop : followed the above sketch.
crafty catz : anything goes
fussy and fancy : orange ,lime, citrus
ready teddy go : anything goes but with a teddy
allsorts :going round in circles (use a circle some where )

enjoy your weekend,I've got a blinding headache and shouldn't be on the pc. Looking forward to the last of the Olympics. janex

coming up roses

Morning crafters, not blogged in a few days, I've been crafting flowers not cards , show you at a later date. Also enjoying the nicer weather and my craftroom is too hot in the afternoon and my tummy has been bad for days. Still enjoying the Olympics,team GB excellent and the Jamaican runners wow, Bolt is a legend.
On to my card, don't make many floral cards,and then 2 on the run!
If you click on the card you will get a better veiw of the details, my camera is not the best, or maybe it's me!
My card features a new stamp ,bought at Hobby Craft, it's a Kanban clear stamp, rose set. Under £6 and stamps beautifully.
I've coloured with promarkers, soften the edges with distress inks and blender tool, colours worn lipstick and mustard seed, then spattered with water for that early morning look. I've added blobs of glossy acccents to look like dew drops.
The papers are from wildrose studio, butterfly garden 6x6 pad. The lovely beaded pin was part of a prize the very talented Brenda from Floral Fantasies sent me, I was thrilled to receive a set of handmade pins and lovely paper roses as a runner up prize in her poppy card competition. That poppy card was a real lucky one for me, it also won a penny black Christmas stamp and the allsorts ribbon prize.I punched 2 holes in my card and tied a ribbon knot bow , pocking the pin through it.
The sentiment is a lili of the valley ,stamped and coloured , the shapes are woodware punches. All the edges are inked with brown chalk ink to give a vintage feel.

challenges entered :

Divas by design : for a female
I love promarkers : vintage
simon says stamp : bingo, I choose , ribbon /gems/punches
fab n funky : pearls or rhinestones

getting warm here already, looks like a nice day in the offering. My son Sam and his girlfriend are spending a few nights in the lovely Welsh seaside town of Llandudno,home of the Great Urm and a beautiful Victorian Pier.They are going to the big theatre there on Saturday to see Grease. Bet they have a super time. Sam has been doing lots of gardening work for various folks to earn some spend. He has a job interview on Monday so fingers crossed.
Hope you all have a great weekend. janex

Flowers ,Swirls and Lace

I could hear my Hubby cheering on team GB last night, didn't they do marvellous, as I lay in bed. A really bad head ache turned into a bad tummy too, a little better today ,but feeling a bit fragile. Still I've been pretty good health wise lately so it was about due.
My card, my attempt at some kind of shabby chic, not my strong point really ,but God loves a trier!The stamp I don't have any info on, I think Beryl sent a print of it awhile ago, she will probably tell me. Very pretty isn't it!
I've coloured with promarkers,adding a few dots of modge podge, trick gleaned from Brenda. I've distressed my papers,rasberry road digi and over stamped with a lace border stamp from personal impressions. I then added a piece of real lace , some roses from wild orchid, gold thread pieces from the ribbon box and some chipboard swirls, basic grey.The lady bird is a sticker from a Jolees Boutique set.

challenges entered:
Bunny Zoe Crafts : swirls and lace
Allsorts : recipe : 3 flowers, 2 stamps, 1 paper.
cupcake inspiration : pic ( sunflowers with ladybirds).

the weather here has been worse than ever,big storm yesterday, garages flooded and drains blocked, it was so humid ,think that started my headache. Sorry if I've not visited you, I will try to soon.
Enjoy your Sunday, hoping to nip up to Rosemerry Merry's craft shop later. janex

Deliciously Pink and some garden pics

Well you couldn't get more girly than this card, pink,tea party and fluffy pets. My 2 boy poodles would fall in love with the pretty pink poodle, but Huddy ,the brown one would soon turn his attention to the food and munch all the cakes, Alfie ,the white one, would go for the dainty ham sandwiches.
I've used this stamp quite a few times , its by Do Craft, the London Line,Tea, but every card made with this has sold quickly before my Mum, a poodle lover and owner of 2, has had a chance to buy one. I shall save this one for her.
The papers , I got yesterday, free gift booklet of A4 Summertime papers with cardmaking and papercraft. Good buy as they are lovely.
I've used 2 nestie die cuts and added a spotty pink ribbon and a pink heart button by dress it up , Hobby Craft. Coloured with marker pens.

challenges entered :

creative inspiration : in the garden ( I thought high tea on the lawn )
Totally papercrafts : monochrome
craft punked : at the movies (my choice "cats and dogs")
crafty catz : pink





Not a bad day weather wise, well it's dry anyway,I know some countries are baking hot at the moment, folks in the USA ,North ,are melting with the heat. The climate we have in Britain is so good for growing plants and creating lovely gardens but not so good for enjoying being in them.
The anenemies and lilies in my garden were a real bargin,a jute bag full of mixed bulbs 99p from Asda. They were on the sell by date and needed planting straight away,no problem for me. There are gladioli bulbs too,just waiting for them to flower.

happy gardening and happy crafting. janex

clean and simple,cased card

I saw this card here as I was surfing, and thought wow, simple yet stunning,so cased it.
It is very simple and uses up scrap paper. All you need is 2 circle punches or 2 nesties, some small punches for the embellishments and a few gems, plus brown chalk ink for the edges. Vary the card shapes and add a sticker or sentiment...simple.

challenges entered :

cute card Thursday : clean and simple

my internet has been a bit dodgy lately, a nice man from Virgin has just payed a visit, upped my speed to 30 mb and put a new router in, a free of charged. Hopefully all fine now, apart from the ad sense things popping up all the time..what a pain they are.
have fun. janex

Go Team GB

Didn't think I'd be getting in to the Olympics, but I am . Britain seems to be doing well, so come on team GB.
My card is a tribute to the games. I've used a House Mouse stamp, from a Joanna Sheen set called " weight lifting". The little mouse is lifting sweets attached to a cotton bud stick as weights, now that is cute! I've used red,white and blue colours to match the portobello road paper,by Do Craft. The glitter letter stickers are from hobby craft.I coloured with promarkers and added highlights with a white gel pen.

challenges entered :

House Mouse and friends : It's all about the olympics
Joanna Sheen : animal crackers
Paper Play : sports/olympics

rubbish weather here again, given up on Summer, I had the gas fire on last night,mind I am a bit nesh (northern for soft and hates the cold ).
happy crafting . janex