Even Silence Speaks

After receiving Jo's card this morning - I gave myself a good talking to and spent the afternoon in my garden craft shed - Mr Lottie insists I call it a studio - but I do feel a bit silly as that conjures up an artist!

I am in a swap and had a large-ish jigsaw piece to alter and a small one - so I had a go with Jasmin in her 'flaky chocolate mood'

It's not very easy doing a jigsaw puzzle piece I found - and the colours on here are much more vibrant by the way.

On Jo's 'Imagine' card - she created a lovely white misty edging.  I have had a go at it, but I wasn't as bold as I was too scared of messing up the puzzle piece!

Jasmin has just finished all her exams and is just laying in a meadow dreaming of what to do during the summer hols. 

She's doesn't like the sun, so is lying in the misty shade.

(Excuse the mark over her eye - it's not a mark but a bit of stray paper!)

All she can hear is the whisper of the long grasses and the only breeze is that from the butterfly wings as they dance around her head.

Hmmm- sounds like heaven!

I am including this is the Lots to Do Challenge this week.

The other little puzzle piece couldn't have been more different if I had tried

Black and white.

Painted  the puzzle white - making  sure that it was textured, then tranferred the image to it, masked it and stamped on the script.

There is a big size difference isn't there!

Stamps used - Jo Capper Sandon's for Stampotique available from Happy Daze - link in side bar.

Jasmin, butterfly, tall grass stem, and 'Even silence speaks' which I have stamped and cut into segments.

Imagine..............

Do you sometimes  get those days when you feel the 'world's' against you, nothing goes right, and you wish you hadn't bothered to get up in the morning?

Well today was one of those days

I walked into the village to post some 'things' (dressed and looking like Miss Havisham!) and had a 'funny turn' in the Post Office - I am sure those in the queue must have thought me the local drunk as I lost my balance and grabbed hold of a card stand - which happened to be a swivel one!  Still a gentleman (yes there are a few about) held it upright or else I would be spinning around now!  I just said that I was a bit dodgy on me feet today - well I was!

The village greens of which we have a few - have benches to sit upon - and they were being sat upon by folks in shorts, and tee shirts soaking up the sun and watching the world go by!  Grrrr - jealously is not a flattering trait to have!

I decided to march home the longer way around - not a good idea when you are carrying a bag with 4 frozen lamb shanks, some frozen bacon bits, and some tenderloin chops - they weighed a bit heavy!

It didn't do me any good - I still felt fed up - until that is, I unlocked the porch door and saw an envelope on my mat!  I dumped the bag, threw off my hat, shawl, long sleeved waterfall cardi, sunglasses, switched on the fan, and flopped down to try and guess who had sent me something.

Do you do that?  Or is it only something old people do cos they don't have anything better to waste their time on?

I didn't recognize the post mark - nor the hand writing - hmm - baffled.

I opened the envelope - and there was another inside - curiouser and curiouser. 

Then I gently prized it open and look what was inside

Well that really lifted my spirits and made my day.  How on earth did that famous lady get my address?

What a treasure and it looks even better in my hand than it does on the blog - can you believe that, as it looks gorgeous on the blog.    I haven't a clue what I have done to deserve it - but I really don't care as it shook me out of my grouch, the sun has gone in - pure bliss - and all's right with the world!

Thank  you so very much Jo for the wonderful surprise - it made my day and I will treasure the card and try and have a go at your brilliant colouring technique.

And another nice surprise - a little dickie bird has told me that a new consignment of Jo' stamps for Stampotique, will be winging their way to Happy Daze  very soon (this week with a bit of luck I hope)

They are selling like hot cakes so if there is one you fancy, I would hot foot it over to the site and reserve it before they sell out!

I am off to sit and gaze some more at my 'Imagine being able to fly' surprise.

Hmmm,  How did she find out my address?

Buzzy Bee

I have been so busy in my garden, up the allotment , and house-wifey things that this is the first time I have had to spend a bit of time in my studio - getting inky

Wild honey distress ink - stamped and painted on with a brush. front and back of card

Flicked water all over it - artistically of course and shaded.

Stamped and painted the queen bee, and did the same with her worker bees.

Dustings of golden pollen here and there and a gold crown (gold stickles)- shame it doesn't show up in the photos.

I interfaced the inside of the card with paper for the message and will add a yellow ribbon to keep it in place.  I will probably stamp a  bee or two inside too.

This will be going to Japan with a jar of Norfolk Honey and Honeycomb.

Bumble bees and honeycomb stamps by Jo Capper Sandon for Stampotique and available from Happy Daze - see side bar for links

Briefcase card

The latest issue of the Time for Crafting magazine is online now.

There are projects, templates, a competition to win a Cricut, and lots more.

They even have a free 'Taster' magazine on the home page!

One of the projects is for a briefcase card - so I had a go at it.

It was a fun project to create.  

I thought I would make something different than you'd expect.

This is the front - I have used Websters lovely paper and cut out some images and collaged them onto the briefcase to give it depth and texture

And this is it with the flap of the briefcase down.   I have dyed the lace on the handle to co-ordinate with the chinese lanterns - and of course I coloured the handle to match

It makes a lovely little card - here is the inside with room for a message and you can see the underside of the front flap with a co-ordinating pattern of chinese lanterns

 I thought that next time I would add a pocket to hold perhaps a £10 note, or a gift token or a little piece of jewellery.

This is the back of it.

The little girl with the butterfly is printed onto material - I thought her colouring just matched perfectly.

This little brief case is so versatile you could adapt it for all sorts of occassions.

It would, of course, be ideal for a male card with money or tokens or vouchers inside.

The template comes with straps and buckles - to make it look like a real briefcase - I just chose to omit them on mine.

Topiary Tree Flower Arrangement

I so enjoyed the workshop I attended earlier in the month when I made the topiary tree design, that on impulse this afternoon I made another.

We had to go into town today, so popped into the small supermarket where I bought the lovely Sweet Williams and a bunch of roses.

I used sprigs of bay from a tree in my garden, and for a filler I used variegated pittosporum.

It took me half an hour to make

And only cost £6 for the flowers.

It actually looked nice without the flowers in it, so I might make a smaller one with just foliage from the garden.

It makes the lounge smell wonderful

Daydreaming and busy buzzing bees

It's been so very very hot and I had to stay indoors out of the sun.  Instead I sat in the conservatory and looked out of the windows onto the garden.

Little bantams chasing butterflies and insects, hiding in amongst all the flowers and shrubs laying eggs that I can never find - and just running around full of joy.
In the flowerbed near the window, there were bees buzzing in and out of the orange calendula, and alstromeria, and very soon they had a 'coat' of orange dust on their backs as they collected pollen.

I thought I saw a little fairy amongst the flowers - but I must have been day-dreaming.  Or was I?

Well there's a little bee - whizzing around so fast it's a bit blurry

I wasn't dreaming - there is a little fairy nestled in the flowers

There is gold fairy dust on her wings and crown but it is hard to see, it did look so lovely in the sunshine though

She's a fairy princess called Jasmin, with her magical bumble bees

And she is hiding a surprise for little Kerys on her birthday

It's a magic wallet!  Keep watching that money

You blinked and missed it!

It's jumped from one side to the other!

Open it one way and the money is on one side - close it and open it again - and its jumped to the other!

These days children seem to want money instead of presents, but I do miss the 'old days'. 

We will be adding a cheque too of course for Mum and Dad to put into her savings account.

I do think it is nice to have something that no-one else will have, their very own magical fairy wallet!

Slim enough to pop into an envelope - and can be used for all sorts of occassions other than a birthday.  And something that will last longer than a birthday card - hopefully! 

Stamps used:  Stampotique designed by Jo Capper Sandon are:  Jasmin, tiny bee, crown, and bow heart.  Available as before from Happy Daze -  and a link in my side bar.

The fabulous template for the magic wallet is a download from Time For Crafting  -  and a link in side bar.

It's called 'Jacob's Wallet'. 

The great thing about the templates on Time For Crafting is that you can use your own imagination and turn them into anything you like - as I have done here to create something a little bit different.

I am entering this in the Lots to do Challenge

What's on the menu today then?

I have used Jo Capper Sandon's  Stampotique giant 'shroom, daisy, and bow heart stamps (available from Happy Daze see link on sidebar) to create this tag for a 'Cuisine' tag swap.

Can you guess what is on the menu?

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It's chicken and mushroom pie

The Pi symbol I have drawn on the little heart.

And the chicken is a rare breed - so won't end up in a pie really!

Math's was one of my favourite subjects at school!

I hear a mass groan!