Bear and gone

Our son's dog Bear has gone home again now and I just wanted to share a few more photos of this lovely boy taken on the patio on one of the dry days we enjoyed.

He is such a gentle giant. I miss him but I don't miss the wet walks with him and Billy is glad to have his house back!

I have been trying to make some more stock for Dotty's Tea Rooms where my cards are sold and I thought some of my sweet Lili of the Valley digis with critters would be perfect for today's blog post as it is also my sweet daughter's birthday today, Happy Birthday M! The dies are from the Works and the circle is Memory Box. The paper is ancient from my stash.

I wonder if Bear spotted these mice amongst my flower pots?

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

Pixie's snippets playground #348

Simon says stamp Monday miniature/tiny things

Try it on Tuesdays 1/3 say it with flowers

Crafty Hazelnut's patterned paper challenge March

Through the craft room door 1/2 anything goes
Time Out 1/3hugs, kisses and birthday wishes

It is for sale at Dotty's Tea House, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5  2AE

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Festive scenes for the Winter Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice, or the shortest day of the year. It will be dark by about 3.30pm this afternoon but the exciting thing is that tomorrow the days will start to lengthen again. It is also the first day of winter. It's really looking Christmassy here at home. The trees are up, the decorations are hung and the opening of the doors of my vintage advent calendar give me so much joy in the mornings.

Down at my local High Street in Carshalton everything looks so festive. I always love the window at Dotty's Teahouse where my cards are sold, how pretty is this!

If you are in this neck of the woods over the Christmas holiday Dotty's is a lovely place to sit and natter over tea and home made cake or even for a more leisurely lunch. You'll find the shop in the High Street, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 2AE The only days they are closed are Christmas day, Boxing day and New Year's Day. 

There was the return of another of my festive favourites on my door step in the week...

Yes Mo ,my lovely milkman, delivered my milk....with festive foils! Every year I wonder if it will be the last as it must add to cost but I'm delighted to see them here for another year.

One last festive item I bought in the week was for my darling son. He said he was far too busy working to get time to buy and decorate a Christmas tree, he even mentioned the word fake tree. 😲 Well you can imagine my horror at the thought that a) he had no Christmas tree and b) he had contemplated the thought of a non real tree. He works 6 days a week and I know that it really is hard for him to juggle everything at this time of the year. However, like me, he is a huge lover of Christmas.

I could not bear the thought of him having no tree so I hatched a plan and managed to find this when I met up with my daughter and Jack on Tuesday at a nursery near Godalming in Surrey.

yay...a tiny Christmas tree, grown in the UK.

I love the last sentence.

I bought a couple of decs, gave him one off our tree and made a little die cut star for the top

He really loved it and it has pride of place on his breakfast bar. Phew, Mum worry over (we're mad aren't we..my baby boy will be 30 next year!)

Today I wanted to share the card I made for my dearest little grandson Jack who is 20 months old today and loves anything with animals on. It is just right for sharing on the first day of winter...a very wintry scene...with that wonderful thought of "let it snow".

The background is a very treasured sheet of DP which I have had forever and never wanted to cut into but I thought it perfect for Jack. It has sweet little snowmen dancing in a starry sky. He loves The Snowman and I have a very old stamp set of the snowman so I stamped and coloured him up with my Promarkers and fussy cut him out. I also added lots of inks to my robin and holly leaves. The moon was stamped too. It's a large 8X8" card so lots for Jack to see.  Here is it

Here are a couple of close ups. Lots of silver STAMPlorations stars have been stamped onto the deer for some extra interest for Jack.

and of course Santa had to feature. The sentiment is a CUTplorations die from STAMPlorations.

and one last shot

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

I love Promarkers anything goes
Passion for Promarkers hip to be square
Fashionable stamping 3/3 Winter
Double D let it snow
Crimbo crackers anything goes
As you like it 1/3 anything goes
Simon says stamp Wednesday party time I think my snowman is having a great party in the middle to the woods with all his woodland friends!
Time out 1/3 inspired by words I was inspired by the words celebrate, family and life!
Cute card Thursday 1/3 anything goes

My daughter sent me this photo. Jack is a bit blurry, as he is really hard to catch as he is forever on the move, but here they are with their Christmas cards.

I can't wait to spend Christmas with them.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your lovely comments, I so appreciate them.
I'm back again on Monday with my Christmas Eve post..the last before the Big Day...just 4 more sleeps....are you ready? Have a fab weekend.

Bye for now,

Jane x

Blossoming well

I do love seeing the wonderful blossom growing at this time of the year. It really is quite spectacular especially when seen with a background of clear blue skies.

 I have taken snaps of some of the local blossom around me...it's like confetti on trees!

My card today takes uses the inspiration of this beautiful confetti blossom and is one of a series of wedding cards I have made recently for Dotty's Teahouse.  They have proved very popular indeed and have been flying out.

I have found that it does not pay me to sell cards where I hand colour intricate stamps. I love my Lili of the Valley rubber stamps and I still do colour some in for special family cards but as they can take me over an hour to colour a single image it is not practical for making these as cards to sell. However I recently noticed that Lili of the Valley are selling lots of their designs in a format called Simply Print. They are coloured digital images which you "Simply print at home".  I decided to buy one of their gorgeous wedding images. They are brilliant.

Here is one of my white on white creations using one. I embossed a white background and added lots of gorgeous white die cuts. I finished off with a hand stamped sentiment and some sequins. This one sold with a day of me taking it into the shop!

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

The ribbon girl 3/3 use any image
Artistic Inspirations 3/3 anything goes
Lil patch of crafty friends 3/3 anything goes
Noor UK  flowers
Card Mania April showers brings May flowers

I hope that you are enjoying the gorgeous blossom too...it's everywhere...just remember to look up when you are outside! It's turned very chilly again for the last few days too so don't be tempted to put any tender plants out just yet.
Thanks for all your kind wishes re our darling little Jack...he's doing well. Here he is this morning as we stayed last night.

He's blossoming too 😍

 I will be back with some more photos very soon...and his card I have made for his Birthday 😊


Bye for now,

Jane x

Spring 2017 at Dotty's Teahouse

Last Thursday I took my parents down to Dotty's where we enjoyed a lovely lunch. They loved the tearooms and its wonderful vintage feel.
The window was dressed all ready for Easter.

Inside was busy and there is always such a great atmosphere. Rebecca and her staff were busting around serving everyone with a smile.

After my sandwiches I just had to try a piece of delicious moist carrot cake...

well it would be rude not to wouldn't it 😉

I could see from our table that my cards I sell there were neat and tidy. There has been a rush on my wedding and new baby boy cards recently so I stocked those up with a couple of new designs.

 If you are ever near Carshalton in Surrey do pop in. Dotty's is at 108 High Street, SM5 3AE and is open most days.

So my card for challenges today is a new baby one. Our own new grandbaby is due very soon now. We do not know the sex and today's card is for a new baby boy from the shelves of Dotty's Tea House.

I have used a digi from Lili of the Valley. The backing paper is First Edition. Dies are by Memory Box , The Works and Cheery Lynn.

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

The ribbon girl 1/3 use any image
Simon Says stamp Wednesday 3/5 spring colour inspiration
Crafty calendar April showers/ spring
Crafty friends animals or birds
The Cutie Pies challenge bunnies or chicks
Artistic Inspirations 1/3 anything goes
Crafting from the heart 1/3 anything goes
Lil patch of crafty friends 1/3 anything goes
Sparkles Monthly 1/3 fave colour combo I use blues and green so much!
Noor flowers

Thanks for stopping by today and for the kind comments you take the time to leave me. They are much appreciated.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Snowdrops and daffodils....

Yes I have seen my first snowdrops in flower as I walked to Dotty's Teahouse earlier this week. The ones in my front garden are still not quite in flower so I squealed inside when I spied these.

There are lots of clumps under the trees in park .

Someone else was watching me looking at them too.

They were a little rain damaged and muddy but they always such beautiful sweet delicate flowers.

On the home front I have a constant blooming of my favourite daffodils

and the pot I only bought last week is almost sending up its flower stalks.

So with all these snowdrops and daffodils the only thing we are still  waiting for is of course..................................butterflies and bees. Now to understand that you would need to be a least my age and remember the song Dana sang for the 1970 euro-vision song contest....😉
And if you are not that old...check out the link below

1970...just check out the fashions!! and yes I used to have a hair slide just like hers. The song is only 3 minutes long and I guarantee it will make you smile all day.

and if you want to see how Dana fares 40 years on check out this version.

2010 version I think she has aged really well.

In its time this was just a sweet innocent song and I adored it. I can never see snowdrops and daffodils without that little tune playing in my head.

Today's card is not floral as I just wanted to share the Valentine's card I made for my Hb....he doesn't often read my blog but just in case he did I had to keep it a secret until today.

 The ticket stamps are Tim Holtz which I embossed with black.  The die cuts are all MB and the Valentine sentiment stamp, which I embossed in red, is ancient from my stash. 

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

                                                                      Noor have a heart
                                                               

Ribbon Girl  2/3 any card

                                   Uniko anything goes I have also gone for the optional love twist.


                                                             
   

Paper creator love is in the air  

A Vintage journey words that are special I think that the definition of Valentine on my heart is perfect for this occasion....a person chosen as one's sweetheart on Valentine's day; one who is loved. My Hb certainly is.

Creative Moments anything goes

Craft stamper take it make it anything stamped goes

Emerald Creek Dares rock the red

Deep Ocean hearts

Happy Little stampers anything goes with a die

Allsorts 1/3 hearts and/or flowers

Pile it On 1/3 Hearts on fire

Let's Craft and Create 2/3 love is in the air

Penny Black and More favourite stamp the sentiment stamp I used in the centre of my card is my absolute favourite Valentine stamp. I've had it for years, I have no idea of the maker and I use it every Valentine's  day.

I hope I brought a smile to your Thursday or brought back fond and very innocent memories of the 1970s to you with Dana's song. Enjoy the end of the week and the snowdrops..... and daffodils.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

The countdown to Christmas begins

Wahooo it's the first of December today and the real count down to Christmas can begin. I have one of my vintage advent calendars up and I am ready to open the first window. I chose this one for 2016

 I just adore the illustrations.........

so much nostalgia, I am transported right back to my early childhood in the 1960s.

As it is the first of the month it is also my DT post for Country View Crafts so today I will be sharing my card I made for this months challenge. It's an easy peesy theme this month............Christmas. You can share any handmade craft, it doesn't have to be cards or tags it could even be a handmade ornament as long as it is Christmas themed. There are no limitations to the number of other challenges or the number times you can enter. You can win a £20 voucher too so it's win win in my books! All the details can be seen here

I decided to take one of my favourite ever Christmas stamps and show 2 completely different colourways and designs for Christmas carda. My first is today and the second will be in my follow up DT post which falls on 21 December.

I adore this Stampendous stamp and it has been used on many of my Christmas cards.

For my first colourway I wanted a really "Let it snow" card. I stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured a few areas with distress inks and used a ruler to rip the edges

I embossed a snowy background

 and die cut a selection of festive images. To the corrugated tree I added some bling

 It was them time to put my card together.

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

That's Crafty 2/2 All grungy
An inky mess2/3 anything mixed media
Time out 3/3Christmas with an optional twist of glitter/shimmer I added the twist with my shimmery tree and mirror card sentiment.
Winter Wonderland 2/3poinsettia or snow is falling I have gone for snow is falling
Christmas card challenge 2/3anything goes #50
Moving along with the times 2/3 anything goes with Christmas
Simon Says stamp Monday O christmas tree
Simon Says Wednesday anything goes
Simons Says Work it Wednesday 1/3 use dies
Mod Squad 1/3 dimension
The Artistic Stamper 1/3 Christmas

I have lots to get done today as tomorrow I will be selling my cards and jewellery at Dotty's Teahouse Christmas market in Carshalton... and yes the card above is up for sale there.
I will be there from 11am - 9pm. Please tell any friends and family who might be in the local area and if you are around do pop in and say hi. It would be so lovely to see you there.

I also have one last very exciting piece of news...I have been published again. Yes I am in the current edition of Craft Stamper. It's a very special edition as it's their 200th

and here is a sneak peek of my published card

I might have to pop into WH Smith to take a peep whilst I wait for my copy to arrive ;0)

Must dash, lots of last minute things to pack.  I really hope to have lots of eager customers at Dotty's tomorrow. I will be back with a report and hopefully photos, if I get a chance, very soon.
The window down there is just perfect.....

I'm checking that list......................
Happy December everyone.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x