A belated card creation

Just a quick one tonight.  Made a lovely card (well, yes I'm biased) for hubby's birthday back in June but thought I'd forgotten to take a pic.............that was until today when I realised it was on my mobile phone all along!

I decided to go with a black & white theme and used an old photo I'd sneakily acquired from mom-in-law.  The photo itself was actually in colour but after copying it I converted it to grayscale to keep with the theme of the card.

Apologies for the quality of the photo!

[caption id="attachment_1045" align="aligncenter" width="377" caption="'P's 40th Birthday Card"][/caption]

A Passion for Promarkers!

For a while now I've been looking at the rubber stamping techniques in my monthly Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine and am often in left awe by the fantastic finish others manage to acquire on their shading. I bought myself a pack of 'Skin Accent' Promarkers by Letraset a while back when Hobbycraft were having a sale. Up till now I'd always used watercolour pencils for any small bits of colour that were needed but I'd heard on the grapevine that Promarkers were the way to go. I decided to buy another pack of Promarkers and went for the 'Muted' Blending pack which I managed to pick up relatively cheaply on Ebay. Since then I've not looked back!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="342" caption="Free stamp with Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine"][/caption]

Learning to blend and shade the colours takes practice but it is certainly much easier than I expected it would be. I've since bought the 'Skin Tones' and 'Cool Grey's' pack to extend my collection a little further and although I've also bought a couple of individual pens (Berry and Holly), I could do with a few more reds and greens to help make my upcoming Christmas stamps look a little more authentic.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="342" caption="Lovely Free Digi Stamp from Sliekje Digi Stamps"][/caption]

 

I have to say that 'A' and I both find colouring with Promarkers thoroughly addictive (yes, we have no life :) ). 'A' actually said to me the other day that she could spend hours just sitting there colouring and me personally I feel about 5 again, getting such a thrill out of 'colouring in' lol.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="343" caption="Stamp from Daisy & Dandelion - Santa's Little Helpers"][/caption]

Although I've made a couple of cards using the stamps I've shaded (new post coming soon), I'm currently just enjoying the moment with my new found Promarker friends! I still feel that my stamps could look a little better, but I guess with practice and more pens to add to my collection it won't take too long.

[slideshow]

Cornish magic and muck for luck!

Last week we returned from a lovely week in North Cornwall, in particular the little hamlet of Rosecare near the village of St.Genny's.  We found the cottage online and were pleased that they accepted dogs and had availability during August.  When we arrived the cottage was actually prettier than it looked in pictures.  'The Granary' was a section of converted farm buildings with a small courtyard outside and a short walk to a village green and several public footpaths.  Rosecare was an ideal base for exploring the local area.  Away from the hustle and bustle of the larger towns, Rosecare was a peaceful haven for relaxation and scenic walks.

[caption id="attachment_980" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Granary Cottage in Rosecare, North Cornwall[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_988" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Local views, Rosecare[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_989" align="aligncenter" width="300"] An evening stroll by the cottage[/caption]

Now, being known as the family to experience an eventful happening on any holiday,  we yet again obliged with a rather smelly but amusing offering on our outward journey.  We decided to stop the car at a little lay-by at Rackenford just after exiting the M5 to let the dog do the business and the rest of us stretch our legs.  Unknown to me there was the largest pile of turd I think I've ever seen, undoubtedly deposited by some kind of Yeti or such like.  In the blink of an eye, Arnold had eyed it up, weighed up the odds of serious discipline, figured what the hell and delved head long straight into it!  I think the actual experience was a little traumatic for him judging by the look of shock on his face, I don't think he was prepared to take on quite such a huge pile of excrement.  To say he was plastered in it was an understatement and we continued to spend the next half an hour, one pack of Johnson's face wipes, half a pack of wet wipes and a squirty bottle of water trying to remove said dung from his fur and collar.  The kids then started a debate over who was to have the pleasure of his company for the remainder of the journey.  Although we all found the whole situation extremely hilarious he still felt he should try to make amends.  He continued to place his chin on 'A's seat periodically giving her the doleful puppy dog eyes, to which she responded by backing even further into the car upholstery.  Needless to say the rest of our journey was rather noxious but much less noteworthy!

During our week we visited our usual North Cornwall hangouts such as the beautiful Duckpool Beach, Atlantic Village (Devon, I know but it still counts), Bude Light, The Pepperpot, Tintagel with a couple of new additions including Padstow and Port Isaac.  Padstow had a lovely charm but unfortunately was overrun with holiday makers making it very difficult to even navigate the narrow streets, especially dog in tow.  It's definitely somewhere I'd love to revisit but maybe mid winter when the hoards have departed.  Port Isaac lived up to all expectations and luckily the sun came out to improve its appeal even more.

[caption id="attachment_981" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Port Isaac, home to 'Doc Martin'[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_982" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Port Isaac[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_983" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Beautiful Duckpool Beach, nr Bude[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_984" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Kids at Duckpool Beach[/caption]

As this was Arnold's first visit to Cornwall we thought it only right to let him experience the fantastic rock pools on Summerleaze beach.  'P' threw numerous stones into the little pools and Arnold delighted in splashing and eventually submerging his whole head to grab them and drag them out onto the sand.  He had a whale of a time although I think his initial fascination with the sea has now worn off as he certainly didn't seem as keen to get wet this time around.  Considering this was his first real 'beach' holiday and due to the fact that he's only 14 months old we did wonder how he'd behave, but he really was a complete star.

[caption id="attachment_990" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Fun in the rock pools![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_991" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A bit wet behind the ears![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_992" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Relaxing on Duckpool Beach[/caption]

We left the cottage after a super week in Cornwall but had one more treat in store - Hartland Carnival.  After attending on many occasions as the children were growing up we decided we couldn't head back to the Midlands without stopping by for a visit.  Hartland Carnival is the most politically incorrect source of opinion you will ever see.  This year's floats were tame by previous years attempts but none the less entertaining.  There was a terrific 'double-decker' Harry Potter effort complete with revolving tree transporting wannabe wizards and witches around on broomsticks and also a fantastic 'Inbetweeners' float complete with yellow fiat precariously balancing on the edge of a lake.  Other great efforts included 'Chilean Miners', 'Smurfs', 'The Lynx Effect Comes to Hartland' (brave chap taking an outdoor shower) and 'Hartland Senior Citizens do Fame'.  All in all what better way to end a lovely week.  Oh yes, and no poo related incidents on the return journey to report either!

[caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Harry Potter Float[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hartland Performing Farts do 'Fame'[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_987" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Inbetweeners Float[/caption]

[slideshow]

The end of an era

Well here we are, about to begin the second week of the summer holidays and already primary school is a distant memory. For those of you not in the know, 'A' finished her final year of primary school on Friday 22^nd July and will be off to much scarier (well, to me anyway) High School come September. The last few weeks of term went by in a blur. We performed our usual summer concert with the school choir back in June and as ever this was a hit with the kids and the parents and even took our ladies choir in for an impromptu assembly performance. 'A' and the rest of year 6 shortly after, started work on their final school show which this year was to be 'Gel'. They performed the show over two nights and 'A' played Mrs Fletcher, a bit of a busy body come tea lady! She had to wear rollers in her hair and her Grandma's slippers but she loved every minute of it. The show was a roaring success and really showcased some new talents that we'd not had a chance to see before.

Last day of term came and went and surprisingly, not a tear was shed in the Griffiths household by Mother or Daughter. The usual traumatic leavers' assembly had been replaced by a more upbeat celebration of the children's time at primary school and although there were a few weepy souls there was not the usual flood of tears that has a kind of domino effect. Even the end of school bell went by without too much trauma. 'A' came out of school with a shirt full of signatures and couldn't wait to put her new found independence into action by heading off to the chip shop with friends (an essential trip that had been planned by the year 6's for a few day's and which we had no choice but to agree to!).

I did wonder if the fact that she'd actually left primary school and a whole chapter of her life behind, would kick in sometime during the first weeks of the holiday, but I can honestly it hasn't. I think the fact of the matter is, she's just ready to move on. If you'd have asked me this time last year I would have said, "she's still my little girl and will never be ready for high school in a years' time". However, she is and I can't believe the change in her over 12 months. Yes, she's still incredibly half soaked at times and has the memory capacity of a tea strainer but she has matured no end and I feel is really ready for the challenge of 'big' school. Whether I'll still be saying that in the Autumn when she's having friendship issues, detention for being late and not handing her homework in on time, remains to be seen! ;) Personally,  think the whole process was easier for me, knowing that I would be returning to the school again in September to continue with school choir.  It won't be quite the same though without my own lovely girl being there each week.  I'm sure she'll drop in from time to time though, should her busy extra curricular school life allow!

[caption id="attachment_971" align="alignleft" width="189" caption="First day at primary school"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_972" align="alignright" width="97" caption="Last day at primary school"][/caption]

Where did those 6 years go?

Welcome to Iris Folding

In one of my recent magazines there was a great article on the papercraft technique called 'Iris Folding'. Although rather time consuming the actual technique itself was fairly simple and I think the overall effect was really effective. My first attempt was for my friend Jo's birthday. We've spent many a morning chatting over a nice cuppa or three so I had a look round for an idea that would incorporate this. I found a super example on The Little Paper Studio which included a teapot design. I tried to create something similar and came up with my own little phrase – 'Always time for tea with friends' for the teapot tag. The only problem I came across was when trying to stick my finished design to the card face due to the thickness of the folded paper I had real difficulty with this. I think next time I would make my design a little smaller to allow more free space around the edge for sticking down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had another attempt at iris folding for my brother's birthday last week. This time I went for a slightly more appropriate theme for my brother of a hot air balloon. I managed to find a template online for the hot air balloon shape and used some left over papers for the iris folding. If you fancy having a go at iris folding have a look at Handcrafted Crafted Greetings for further instructions. They also have iris folding templates available here.

A couple of other events to make for saw me creating a 'Brownie' themed card for our Niece who was 7 back at the start of June and yesterday 'A' sang at the wedding of her Youth On Stage choreographer. I looked around for a little wedding card inspiration as I've not made one until now but I was quite pleased with the result. The idea came from Card Making Corner.





 

 

 

 

 

 

IBS......be gone!

Ok, I don't want to jinx things but............the IBS is gone, well, for now at least.

After following the instructions of the Colonic Hydrotherapist (see Colonic Hydrotherapy - what's good for Madonna's good for me!), for the entire duration of last week I cut wheat from my diet, ate sack loads of veg, salad and fresh produce and drank plenty of water.  OMG how hard was that!  Well I'm here to tell you, it was extremely hard, but nevertheless I stuck with it.  After the initial rough start with wheat withdrawal symptoms galore, by Thursday I gradually started to feel a little better.  I woke up headache free and for the first time in about 2 weeks, no niggly stomach pain developed as the day wore on.  Each day since then my stomach has gradually felt better and better and I haven't had a headache since last Wednesday which is a massive thing for me.

I decided after reading various articles online and a great product review over at 'A Mother's Ramblings' that I would give wheat or more so gluten free bread a try.  Even though I don't believe I have a wheat intolerance, I do believe that reducing it as part of my diet as helped dramatically and therefore would like to keep things that way.  I dashed down to Asda on Saturday morning to buy some of Warburtons new Gluten and Wheat Free bread and was surprised at how nice it was (and also some of Asda's Freefrom Lemon Shortbread Biscuits.......OMG heaven on earth!).  The good thing I've noticed though, is that I've not gone back to shovelling bread down my neck with every possible meal and snack, in fact I've only eaten around 4 or 5 slices in total since Saturday which basically means I've broken the wheat/carb addiction!

All things salad, veg and now fruit too are foremost in my mind.  'P' has helped loads by joining me on the healthy eating plan and bringing me some great things home from the supermarket to try.  We're slowly getting the kids onboard but at least they're eating more veg and fruit now.  Although not 100%, I can honestly say, *touches wood* that I've not felt this well in ages and I just hope it lasts.

For anyone out there who suffers with IBS, please take a good look at your diet before rushing off to the Docs for yet more useless medication.  I know it's not the same for everyone and some people really do have particular food allergies and intolerances that they need to get sorted, but there are also many people out there like I was, who live on a daily diet of stress and convenience food.  I'd highly recommend Colonic Hydrotherapy as a starting point but I really believe that it's the information and advice that the therapist gave me rather than the actual treatment, that's proved invaluable.

Hats off!

Updated my Florida scrapbook about a month ago and completely forgot that I'd not posted the new pics.  I did a couple of new pages, one based on Disney's Animal Kingdom - Kilimanjaro Safari's and another based around our addiction for trying on hats at the various parks.

[caption id="attachment_951" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Wild Things"][/caption]

I managed to get some super animal print cardstock from Ebay and used my newly bought Craft Robo to cut out the elephant and giraffe templates and also the 'Wild Thing' lettering (although I have sold this now as it did get to be a bit of a faff continually setting the pc up with it).   I wrote a short section of script from the tour onto the elephant.

[caption id="attachment_952" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Hats Off!"][/caption]

I had a rather random selection of backing papers already, from various packs I've bought on Ebay so decided to use some of these to make the page colourful and fun.  I managed to download a superb 'Willy Wonka' font which I used for the title and once again used the Craft Robo for this.  This was then attached using sticky pads to give a 3D effect.  I'd seen an article in Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine on crinkled paper flowers so had a go at this as an embellishment, using a flower shaped brad from WHSmith to finish off.  A Martha Stewart Deep Edge 'Flower Bed' punch was used for the edges of the spotted paper which I purchased from Secretcrafter recently.  A fantastic buy as I've used it loads!

Here's a close up of the 'Hats Off!' piccies: