Hello

 Hi Everyone, you may be wondering why I'm not visiting your blogs, well we have had my SiL pass on and my brother finding it difficult to manage, both 85, I had to step in for a while. We have also had other difficult things going on and it has me stressed to the limit. This had me make a decision of not doing any crafty makes or computer things, however I had to post your comments and they have been so lovely. I really have appreciated your loyalty to my blog, even though I am not visiting you. My DT work, thankfully, is already done for a few weeks, so unless the Good Lord gives me a break, that's all I will be posting for a little while. I will be back visiting hopefully soon, but at the moment it is difficult to do more than I am able. 

Huge Hugs to you all and -

Thank you

Hi Everyone,  my second post today, firstly, I have to thank everyone, for their kind birthday wishes, it wasn't a special one, that was last year, but I have been overwhelmed with wishes, presents and lovely thoughts. I have to also apologise for my lack of visits too, it's been a very busy time here, it actually felt like a special birthday, but as my SiL says to me at our age every birthday is Special!  More to come in later posts! IF you can stand it LOL.

I have to especially thank Hetty for her thoughtfulness in sending me a beautiful Daffodil digi kit, now I wonder where she got that idea mmmmmm. She also sent me a beautiful digi card, I think from the same kit, that she made up herself. I printed it out and it looks 3D and very beautiful, well done Hetty and thank you so much.

This morning I received a parcel from LisaLynne of what can only be described as a craft haul, it is so very generous, I was so surprised and excited to receive a parcel, I didn't know was coming LOL. I can't thank you enough.

I think that I shall be busy using these beautiful gifts.

Thank you again Ladies and for making me feel VERY special.

Bike thanks

Hi Everyone, well I think I am getting back to normal now after all that happened last week! who would think a few days away would cause so much upheaval in time?

My card today is for the Digistamps4joy FB progressive challenge. A really great image, that would have been wonderful for a scrapbook page IF! I had taken photos of all those wonderful wheat fields last week. Anyhow, I decided to make a tag card. I laid it out and coloured it in PS and sent it to the Cameo to cut. Then added a die cut bike free from a magazine last month which I coloured with SN markers, and a Die'sire thank you die. I added the bike, as I could see someone riding through the countryside alongside the fields, I'm such a romantic LOL.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.708703455937618&type=3

http://die-cut-divas.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/august-vacations.html
August Vacations with die (I have 2)

Murder Mystery & thank you card

Hi Everyone, I have so many apologies to give you all, the first the length of this post.

It was supposed to be a weekend, but has spread out, even though we returned on Tuesday. I suppose because we don't go away often, everyone has visited or phoned to checkup on us and find out what happened LOL, We haven't had time to breathe this week. I have only made one card, a thank you, for my SIL's Sister, who put on a real show, with a wonderful story and fabulous food and drink, then a tour around her newly bought and enlarged garden which also has a pond with carp in it, so big, they row a small boat on it!!!!

Anyhow, I shall give you a short version of what went on.

We were all dressed up in costume, mine was a T shirt with the Union Jack on the front, a red and white skirt and a navy blue scarf. Because I had to hide the fact I was actually half Spanish and to try and hide my identity. Hubby had a boiler suit on, as he was a volunteer worker on the "Railway Heritage Museum" site.

We all had names to match Trains, it was so clever the way she wrote it. We did have a laugh, there were GREAT actors amongst us, (including me of course!)

The name of the story was Blood and Custard, because the victim was murdered with a sharp blow to the back of the head and was discovered with his face down in a dish of custard.

We were each given a map of where everyone lived, and told times of when everyone was seen, a real who dun it!

My name was Mon O'Rail, I was married to an Irish man and had lived in Spain. Hubby was Beaux Fey-carr, A distinguished retired RAF Officer. I won't go through all the names but my most favourite was Léval Xing, who had a French mother and Chinese father, so clever don't you think?

Anyhow, it turned out I was the murderer!!! The victim had deceived my husband and made him bankrupt, he was so stressed about it, he killed himself, and I was out for revenge!

If only it had been so simple, out of 9 present, 3 guessed it was me, I thought not too bad, I should have acted better perhaps LOL.  I also won the prize for the best reason to love trains! My reason was I was brought up with trains as my Grandfather was a train driver, 3 of my brothers were firemen on the Steam Trains and the memory of going through the Severn Tunnel (which at the time was the longest train tunnel in the UK) my baby brother and myself, would hang our heads out of the window of the carriage (watching for trains coming so we wouldn't be beheaded!) then my mother spitting on her handkerchief to clean our faces before we met family at the other end.

What would Health and Safety say about that these days? I told a friend and she was shocked that we would hold our heads out of the window and also found it "dirty" that Mum would do such a thing. To us it was natural! Ah! those were the days!

We were coming home on Monday, but my Bruvva and SIL persuaded us to stay another night. We had a wonderful time on Monday my elder brother took us around the Lincolnshire and Leicestershire countryside stopping off in a few places, the only thing was, I forgot my camera, we have taken a couple on our phones, but they are not good modern phones and not made for that. The countryside was full of wheat fields and of farmers with combine harvesters collecting in their harvest, just absolutely wonderful AND perfect weather too. There really were perfect pictures to be taken, I regret so much I didn't have my camera. If I get anything off the phones, I'll try and post some.

On Tuesday we travelled one and a half hours to Bury St Edmunds an historic town to see my Niece who broke her elbow, she can't move it or straighten it and it is still swollen and bruised after all this time. Poor woman.  We stayed a few hours and made our way home, it took 5 hours, but so worth seeing her and enjoying our longer than anticipated weekend.

I did get a few of the sunset on our journey home, they also include all the insects on the car window!

I suspect you are thinking is she EVER going to shut up and show us what we came here for! I know another apology hang head in shame!

 If you are still with me - on to the card.

I searched for detective etc in my files and found these beauties I had used them here, they are paper pieced and coloured in PS. I fussy cut the images, 3D'd them, added 3D gloss to the binoculars and magnifying glass and followed the Outlawz Challenge sketch for this week.

Images My Cute Graphics 
Background brick paper Bearly Mine Designs,
Magnifying glass KAagard
Grass  Snickerdoodle
Note pad and pencil My Cute Graphics
Cat Nibbles Scribbles
The main background paper I made myself, to represent the murder mystery. 

Outlawz Sketch Challenge

http://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/challenge-114-winners-112.html Anything Goes

http://jwscrapshack.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/ffc-152-anything-goes.html Anything Goes

Thank you & layout

Hi Everyone, a quick thank you card today, VERY CAS. It's the sentiment printed in a gold colour and a champagne glass die cut out of mirror card added, I hope my words inside conveyed how we felt with the gifts we had for our anniversary.

I thought I would add a few photos from our celebration weekend away. We had a wonderful time and thankfully the only rain we saw, was whilst we were travelling or before we went out in the day, otherwise it was hot and sunny. On to some photos you can leave now if you like LOL.

The first is a scrapbook layout, with freebie papers from the Sunday Showcase at Dragon's Lair Designs FB page they suited the bus perfectly :) I'll have to look at more tutorials to learn how to layout elements and papers better. Although I did add a grunge element to the background layer.

My first sight of live traditional Morris Dancers, what characters they were.

It was the Queen's Birthday Celebration weekend too, although we
 said the flags were out because we were there LOL. 

This and the following photo are a couple of the tables in the street party in Sidmouth.
Thank you Sidmouth there was a great atmosphere and it added to our holiday experience.

This was one of the views we had from the Hotel which had
wonderful gardens and a working farm surrounding it.

This is part of what is known as the Jurassic Coast, I'm afraid there had been a landslide and in a closer shot, it is possible to see fences that came down with the cliff. They don't look it in this photo, but they are very high cliffs.

CAS Thank you

Hi Everyone, I expect you are wondering what happened from yesterdays story, you will have to wait until later today 1500 BST. Hope you can wait! 

 I seem to be doing a few CAS of late and this is another one. I followed the challenge sketch from Scrapbooking.com.

I laid all the shapes out in PS, saves SO much paper, printed them, embossed them and added mini die cut flowers that I had recently, which were freebies, pay postage only (piccie below.) their choice of dies. I added Crystal Drops to the flowers. Card done.

A nice change to do quick cards sometimes, instead of the hours I usually make them.

close up of embossing

Yep! had a good selection, very pleased.

                                                    

DP's are Paper Garden Projects

Dies are Tattered Lace
Sentiment Paper Garden Projects.
Crystal Drops Tonic.

Gratitude

Hi Everyone, a card I made just because I wanted to use the image.

I had this beautiful girl as a freebie from the A Day For Daisies blog. I didn't know what to do with her, I thought she needed a natural background, then realised I had taken a landscape playing field photo last week, which would do if I altered it! I added it into Photoshop added a blending mode and colour overlay and there was my background, I think it looks quite good and so very different?

I coloured her in PS, however when I printed it out, her skin was so pale, it didn't look like I had coloured her, (tip - stay with colours you know for skin!) so I took my Spectrum Noirs and coloured her skin. I have a lot to learn with them, but I hope I haven't spoilt the whole result. I layered the image on black then a punched yellow layer added some gold bling - voila!  The inside was done to match and I added the sentiment "and I Thank You with all my heart", I wish you could see how it glitters.

Digi stamp A Day for Daisies
background layer my photo
punch Tonic Diamond Swing

http://heartwarmingvintage.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/give-thanks-with-grateful-heart-october.html Give Thanks - Yep!

Thank you card

Hi Everyone, I have a thank you card for you today, a work colleague asked me to make a card for her neighbour who she likened to "Neighbourhood Watch", she had given them her keys and they kept an eye on her dogs and her house while she was in work, no one could approach without them knowing. She asked if I could do something, as they were like Columbo and Miss Marple. This is what I came up with, I had to include her 2 Yorkie dogs didn't I?

The Detectives are coloured in PS and I paper pieced their coats in PS with camouflage DP, (I changed the saturation for the man.) The path is DP which I changed the perspective of, printed it all out with the Detectives twice. 3D'd the images, added a tag with twine, layered onto matching card. Added 3D gloss to the binoculars and the magnifying glass.

Detectives My Cute Graphics
Camouflage DP HugWare
Dogs Meljens Designs
Path stones I have had the DP for years, don't know who by.
Sky by Gina Jane
Key on tag by Numb Bumm