Bluebell woods

Last week my Hb and I managed to get up to the local woods to see if the bluebells were out....and yes they were. We had such a lovely walk and it was so relaxing listening to the birds in the trees and admiring the wonders of the annual bluebell show.

The sun was shining as we entered the woods

and we didn't have to walk too far until the blankets of bluebells were revealed to us

These are the true native English bluebells...such gorgeous flowers and their scent wafted throughout the woods as we walked.......

How clever is Mother Nature putting on this annual spectacle for us.

and what a wonderful afternoon walk we enjoyed.

For my card today I thought I would share a "blue" card, a baby boy card. I used my distress inks to make the focal and then coloured on top with my Promarkers. I rather liked the effect. This is another for my stock for the tea rooms. I used another of my Ladybug Craft inks stamps. The paper is an ancient one and the die cuts are all Memory box other than the spellbinders frame. The sentiment is Lili of the Valley. 

With a sweet little teddy bear charm ;0)

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Simon Says stamp Monday show us your metal I have used a metal charm

Noor UK anything goes

Little Claire's 3/3 spring colours

Creative Card Crew wet or dry embosssing I have used both. I wet embossed the baby stamp and I dry embossed the baby toys.

Crafty Hazelnut's paper challenge April

I love Promarkers pastel colours

Simon Says stamp Wednesday anything goes

I blinked and found that April has nearly ended...how did that happen? I cannot believe how busy I have been this month and I now wonder how I ever had the time to work!

I will be back on Sunday to  share my May design team inspiration for the next Country View Crafts Challenge. It would be lovely if you could stop by and take a peep. I so appreciate all your support.

Thanks for visiting me today and a very warm welcome to my newest follower.

Back on Sunday,

Bye for now,

Jane x

She sells sea shells on the seashore

Although we have had a rather chilly weekend the weather has been warming up slowly. It is that time of year when I have a grand clear out and spring clean of my studio. It was time to open the blinds and get cleaning. I haven't worked out here since late November.

Check out my freshly oiled desk..you will not see it this clear again this year.

My radio was plugged in and I was ready to go. 

Everything got a sort out and a dust.

My Rascog trolley is now installed in his rightful place.

It is always a good chance to look at stash which has been forgotten and as I cleared things up I found some long forgotten scrapboard size papers.

 Sadly a couple had got their edges creased. I also found some lovely retro seaside Nicecrane images and decided that I would use a sweet girl for my art journal pages for the dictionary challenge over at the Craft Barn plus some other challenges. This fortnight the dictionary challenge is to use the letter S with a little twist to have a shell somewhere too.
I looked through my dictionary and chose the word "she" to use under my vintage girl. I didn't know how to link her to the shells with a quote or verse. I asked my Hb and he came up with the fun suggestion of "She sells sea shells on the seashore.  Once I had this tongue twister in my head I could see my finished piece in  my head.  Isn't it great when that happens.

I added a wash of gesso to my bottom layer and I started stamping some Crafty Individuals and Rubber dance seaside themed stamps around the edge.

 I used my dymo to create the quote as I felt this fitted my retro theme. I used lots of snippets of papers to die cut some Memory Box shells and crabs.

 I also found a snippet of textured "sea" I created using acrylics for an old project. I then put my ideas into place and worked to put my page together.

Here is my finsihed art journal page

I tore the the top page so that my girl appeared to be bursting into the scene and also to let the lovely sea card peep  through.

She certainly has plenty of sea shells to sell....! ;0)

I would like to enter my art journal page into the following challenges;

The craft barn S with a shell my s is for she.
Pixie's snippets playground #226
Noor UK anything goes
The Ribbon Girl 3/3 any image goes
As you like it favourite animal I love all but my favourite here is the dog. We "Bear sit" our son's gorgeous dog and I love him because he is such fun company and gets me out walking, which I also love.
We love to create anything mixed goes mixed media 1/2 #9
Mod squad water
Frilly and Funkie It's not easy being green my whole piece has been made from scraps I found whilst spring cleaning and the backing piece might have been binned had I not rescued it as it was so creased.
Memory Box anything but a card I have created an art journal page.
That's crafty faces


Thanks for visiting, I'm keeping really busy in my studio at the moment building up my card stock for the tea rooms which are going to stock my cards. I have made some using this gorgeous beach girl too as I think they will sell well.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

New life in the park

We had a lovely weekend looking after my son's dog Bear. He is such a lovely boy and loves long walks (as I do too). On Sunday I decided to walk to a park a little further than our local ones to see what Mother Nature was up to. The weather was sunny if a little chilly, but perfect for a long walk.

The trees are coming into leaf and I noticed several nests on the lake

I captured this sweet moment as a daddy coot brought food to his mate who is obviously sitting on her eggs.

I then spotted over on the island that there are some babies already hatched. I call these dino birds...I have no idea of their real name but they fly to our area every year and to me they look just like dinosaurs! They had 3 sweet chicks and the father was very protective to them.

Bear loved watching them.

There were also lots of young swans, these are not babies from this year but they still have their young feathers. We had such a pleasant few hours enjoying all the wildlife.

There is lots of new life in the park so I thought my card today should be a new baby card.  There is also a real baby boom around me, lots of little ones due. I also need to get my stock up of baby cards as there are exciting crafty plans ahead for me; more news about that in May. I was commissioned to make the card below for a baby girl and used a fun digi image from Ladybug Craft Inks (remember dear Kerry, I was her GD several times before she sold up, fond memories). Sorry but these images are no longer available, I treasure mine. This sheep is called Eunice.

I coloured my image with Promarkers and and added some fun flock for texture. 

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges.

Noor UK anything goes

Card mania 5/5  spring

The Ribbon Girl 2/3 any image goes

Little Claire's 2/3 spring colours

Crafty Boots 2/3 use a sentiment

Paper Creator 1/3 polka dots or gingham my paper has polka dots on it

As you like it favourite animal I love all animals but my favourite spring animal is sheep and  their lambs as they really symbolise new life for me. 

The weather for the last 2 days has been beautiful and yesterday my Hb and I managed to get up to the woods to see if the bluebells were out....oh my yes they were and I will share some photos soon.

Thanks as always for your kind visits and comments.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Rules rules in London

I know this post is a little overdue but I hadn't forgotten to share some photos from my amazing birthday meal. My darling Hb booked a table for us to have lunch at Rules in London.
 Rules is the oldest restaurant in London and opened way back in 1798. It is in a side street just off Covent Garden...we had a little walk around as we arrived quite early.

If you haven't been to Covent Garden it's a fun place to visit any time of the year. When our children were young we used to drive up on a Sunday morning and have lunch and visit the craft market.

We walked round to Maiden Lane to Rules

and found there is still a lovely uniformed door man to greet you at the door. 

The inside of the restaurant is fabulous. It's like stepping back in time. Every inch of every wall is covered with memorabilia from the last 200 years.

 This is the entrance hall.

and inside a fire was blazing.

We were shown to our table and enjoyed a gin and tonic

This is just some of the artwork surrounding us.

The food is very traditional; roast meat, pies etc and it is first class.

I had dressed crab for starter

 For main course we shared a whole rib of beef. This is possibly the best roast dinner I have ever eaten.

Lemon meringue was my choice for pudding.

And the staff even brought me out a candle in ice cream.

After our lovely lunch we went shopping in Oxford Street and stopped for a cup of tea in John Lewis. We certainly didn't need any more food that day! An afternoon cuppa was just perfect.

It was a really wonderful birthday. Thanks M you are my star.  You spoil me and I love it ;0)


My card today was inspired by spring, cups of tea and my birthday meal at Rules.
I white embossed several of my Crafty Individual's  daisy stamps onto card and then used this as a resist to my inks for my background.

I used my CI time for tea stamp and embossed it in black and then started to colour it up with my distress inks.

I then put together a little afternoon tea scene and used the windows of Rules for inspiration too ;0)

We did indeed take a little time for tea.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

                                                    A Vintage Journey spring is in the air
                                                                    Paperartsy resists

Noor UK anything goes

Card mania 4/5  spring

The Ribbon Girl 1/3 any image goes

Creative inspirations favourite things 3/3 mine are embossing powder, inks, crackle paste, dies and stamping. 

Simon Says stamp Monday April showers brings forth May flowers

Stamping Sensations 3/3 one for the girls

Happy Little Stamper mixed media wings

Little Claires spring colours

Pixie's snippets playground #225 I used a snippet of lace and a snippet of card for my music die cut.

Thanks for visiting me today and for the lovely comments you take the time to leave. The sunshine is back today after a very rainy Friday and dull yesterday. We are Bear sitting and hope to enjoy a lovely long walk later on...I will be taking my camera to see what Mother Nature has been up to.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x