My card today is another using the December 25th Cricut cartridge. I have also used a Tim Holtz embossing folder, a Martha Stewart punch and a Paper Shapers punch.
I'm a bit later blogging today as I had housey jobs and shopping to do today. Not that I was much in the mood for either after a day with Miss Doodle poorly yesterday. The poor little mite had a bad tummy. She cried all day long and wouldn't let me out of her sight even to cook the tea so we had to have an' open the cupboard and see what falls out' kind of tea.
Today she is absolutely fine came for a flying visit at lunchtime, left a mess and went again.......lol..........that's our Ruby.
My new Cricut cartridge arrived today along with a Sizzix die and some Distress Stains. Tomorrow I am expecting a delivery of cardstock and there are a few other things on order that should arrive next week. I shall be all set then for cracking on with the Valentine's, Mother's Day, Easter cards and everyday cards.
Rightio.......I am off for a shower and then I shall snuggle up in my new dressing gown and carry on with a bit more preparation work while I watch something on the computer.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
For my card today I have used the I Love Cocoa and Be Merry collections from Sweet Shoppe.
The papers, mug and tag are from I Love Cocoa and the candy cane is from Be Merry.
Snowflakes are Marianne.
The cream on the cocoa has been embellished with Puffy Stuff sprinkled with glitter.
The lady I made it for was thrilled with it.
Miss Doodle is napping so I have just been doing a bit of online crafty shopping. Another Cricut cartridge, a Sizzix die and a couple of Distress Stains and maybe more to come.....depending on how long she sleeps for. She arrived in a bit of a mood this morning so I think she may nap for a while.
Thanks for your visit.
Sheila-x-
This card is one of the special orders I had in.
I've used the Tim Holtz Caged Bird die, a Marianne Pine Branch die and a McGill foliage punch.
Sentiment is Woodware and the paper is Kanban.
Well we have sunshine today and I can see quite a bit of blue sky out there. It's still pretty chilly though so I think I'll light the fire when I have done my house jobs and then I can be all snuggly in my workroom later on.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
My card for today is made using up more bits so that they don't have to be stored until next year.
The snowflakes have been punched out for about 3 years but they are all used up now.
The papers are offcuts from a My Minds Eye stack and the deer of course is a Tim Holtz one.
The circle I stamped the greeting on is a Paintbox Poppets one and the greeting itself is from a Woodware set.
Miss Doodle has gone for the day and dinner is over and done with as I had to cook early so that DS had meals to take home. There's just me to feed when I feel like it......I don't like Toad In The Hole which is what everyone else has had so I shall have egg on toast or something later.
Ruby isn't here tomorrow so now I have lots of playtime to rack up some cards for the shop.....yay!!!
Bye for now.....and thanks for your visit.
Sheila-x-
A quick and easy card to use up some leftover bits of black glitter card and the beautiful silver card.
The paper is Pink Petticoat.
Snowflakes are Marianne and an unknown punch.
I have a few more Christmas cards to post but I am now officially done with Christmas for this year. Tonight I need to start a major cardmaking spree to build up stocks of everyday cards ready for when the Christmas cards come out of the shop at the end of next month.
So much for the upstairs playroom....lol!!! We've been up there for all of five minutes this morning and dragged down half the stuff that was up there as Doodle wanted to be downstairs. The kitchen and lounge look like a hurricane has blown through so I still get to have an hour cleaning up after she has gone tonight.
Ah well I suppose it keeps me out of mischief.
I'm off for a well earned cuppa before she wakes up from her nap.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
One more for the Cricut Winter Woodland folder.
Super cute snowman done in sort of folky type colours.
I think the snowflake I used to stamp with was a Papermania one...not 100% sure on that though.
Paper is Dovecraft.
I've not got on in the craft room as much as I would have liked to today as I had to spend the morning tidying up bags and boxes of stuff we'd bought down from the spare room to be distibuted to it's rightful place. Boy did that take an age or what? This house is not overblessed with storage space but I think I nailed it in the end.....I just daren't open certain cupboards.......lol!!!
The big tidy up was in honour of Miss Doodle and her mummy who popped round for dinner. They didn't stay too long though as Ruby is going through a bit of a phase at the moment of being frightened of things. It started off with fireworks when we had a little bonfire party on November 5th. She was terrified and I had to bring her inside and put a film on so that she couldn't hear them. Now, as well fireworks, she is frightened of puddles, spiders, Christmas trees and the initial lighting of the fire when the sticks crackle. I didn't know about that and lit the fire after lunch and she started crying and wanted to go home. Poor little sausage. I hope it's a phase that passes quickly.
Well while the chilli is for tea tomorrow is bubbling away I am off for a shower and then I won't be long out of bed as Ruby will be here all day tomorrow so I shall need to be up early.
Thanks for dropping by.
Sheila-x-
Another simple card today. I must admit that I am running out of patience with Christmas cards now. Just have a couple more to make.
Anyhoo this one is made using the card feature on Winter Wonderland but I removed the back panel of the card and layered the front onto silver card with a circle die cut from the middle then a bit of a Blue Peter moment with some sticky backed glittery plastic for the background.
I've done quite a few of these in various colours as they were just so quick and easy.......and since taking the pics I did decide to add a greeting.
Well the spare room is now mucked out and extremely tidy. DD and I had just about finished up there when DDIL arrived for a visit with Doodle Bird who fetched all the toys out and made a right old mess. We had to set to and tidy up again after she had gone.
Just need to get some curtains up in there now and switch the radiator back on and it will be all nice and toasty for our play times.
The weather has turned very nasty here.....very windy and thrashing down with rain......so after tea it will be a hot shower and snuggly pj's I think.
Hope you're keeping warm where you are.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
Just a very simple card using the Tim Holtz wreath die and die cut letters.
I'm nearly done with Christmas cards now thank goodness and am looking forward to a change in colours. Mind you with Valentine's Day not far off the red will be staying where I can get at it.
The workroom is a bit of a disaster area tonight so I shall go and get it tidied up before I start on anything else.
Tara for now.....thanks for dropping by.
Sheila-x-
Today I copped out of doing the spare room as DD was in bed after her night shift and by the time she gets up it's hardly worth starting anything. Instead I have been crafting away on some filling up Christmas cards for the shop stand for next week. Unfortunately I have missed the light now for taking pics so I'll do those tomorrow when I get back from shopping.
It's been pretty grim outside today so I'm glad I didn't have to go anywhere. We've had rain and quite scary wind going on.
Inside is now all twinkly and festive as DD has put up the Christmas tree. I love the silver we have changed to this year but the teal is a little bit lost against the green of the tree. Nice but not quite the impact I had hoped for so I think next year it be all silver with some splashes of white.
Well Mr Manic will be home in an hour or so and I had best go and sort out something for tea. I haven't even given it a thought until now as to what we will have so whatever it is it will have to be quick and easy.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
Another Cricut card. This time using the Theresa Collins December 25th cartridge.
Holly berries are Papermania and I used a fern punch for the foliage.
Gawd I am aching today. Yesterday I got the ceiling done. Our lounge isn't huge but it felt like acres. Once that was done I went straight into laying the new flooring in the kitchen which Mr Manic went and picked up while I was painting. The cooker and washing machine had to be taken out while I laid the floor so they couldn't go back without a good scrub round the sides and back. A quick tea from the chip shop and then I had to clean up the kitchen. I think I finally managed to sit down at about 9pm. I did have helpers during the day but it's funny how quickly they disappear when the word cleaning is mentioned.....lol!!!
Today I am taking it easy and doing some crafting. There are other jobs want doing but if I start chucking myself about for a second full day I just know I will struggle to walk tomorrow.
DD has been called in to work tonight and then when she gets up tomorrow we are going to tackle the pit that is called the spare bedroom, get it all organised and then I can get a bed to put in it for Miss Doodle and then she can also play up there which will hopefully keep my lounge, kitchen and back room a bit tidier when she is here.
Right......I will love you and leave you.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
Just a quickie post this morning as I must get the ceiling done today.
Today my card has been made using a vintage image from my Vintage Christmas cards collection by Dover Pictura.
Simply layered onto silver card and embellished with snowflakes (Cricut) and large blue pearls.
The border of the teal card has been punched with an EK punch called Swiss Cheese.
Right.....I had best go and get my painting clothes on.....oh joy....lol!!!
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
My card for today is another one using the Winter Woodland Cricut cartridge.
The background has been simply stamped using the Papermania Home For Christmas six inch background stamp and Black Cherry StaZon.
The snowflake is a Marianne die embellished with a large red gem.
I think this is my favourite card this year.
Thanks for your visit.
Sheila-x-
I love this Stampendous stamp so much!!!
Here I have stamped it onto smooth white card then used a very nifty trick to get the centre coloured without masking or having to stamp two images.
......and here is how I did it.......
Take a sheet of white fun foam and stamp two images in black StaZon. Allow to dry for a couple of minutes and then cut out the centre ovals around the second line in. Glue the two ovals together, printed sides facing and voila......the perfect stamp to add colour to the centre of the image.
The poinsettia is Tim Holtz Tattered Poinsettia.
Paper is Basic Grey.
I added a bit of twinkle with a blue glue pen and loose glitter.
It's been a fab day today here at Manic Towers although a tad cold.
I woke up to quite a heavy frost this morning which was very pretty but a bit nipsy on my toes.
The laundry is under control and I have done crafting and tidying so I am a happy bunny today.
Tomorrow I have a ceiling to paint which is one of the week off jobs I had forgotten about. Not looking forward to that with Mr Manic under my feet.....lol!!!
For now though I have to go and cook a meal. Having forgotten to eat lunch.....I shall be ready for it when it's done.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
Today I have used my new Winter Woodland Cricut cartridge to cut the skates and the snowflakes.
The paper is Basic Grey and the image.....sorry I can't remember where it came from and it looks like I have lost it now after an over enthusiastic deleting session. If anyone knows where I can get hold of it again I'd love to know.
Sentiment is Papermania.
Today I have spent an obscene amount of time making embellishments for just one card. It is a special order but blimey it ain't going to make me rich that's for sure.
The order for seventy cards is done, dusted and delivered and now I just have to finish off the eight specials for the same customer. I was waiting until I had been to the NEC and bought some new stuff as I was really low on stocks of everything Christmas.
Tomorrow I have housey jobs to do but luckily it's mostly laundry so while it's swishing around I can be crafting and I'm not cooking a proper Sunday lunch as it's a pain up the proverbial with DD needing feeding at 5pm and then Mr Manic at 7pm who doesn't like roast potatoes warmed up so they have to be done fresh. I'm not in the mood for being stuck in the kitchen 'til nearly bedtime so I put me foot down and said that we will have our roast on Monday when we are all here to eat at the same time.
I'm going to have to fetch my Winter Solstice down to read I think. These new Christmas books just aren't doing it for me at all I'm afraid.
Right well I am in the mood for a milky coffee......naughty....but very nice.....so I will go and make myself one.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
Well I have been putting my new Cricut Expression through it's paces over the last couple of days. I am mightily chuffed with it I must say. Not that I haven't used one before as I had a half share in one with Deb when I was at Monks Den but I am really getting to grips with it now.
Doodle Bird and I made some giant snowmen today and we had a whale of a time.
Can't wait for the weekend to get some of this cut stuff assembled and made into cards.
The housey list for next week has grown somewhat as there were one or two jobs that need doing which I forgot all about. Luckily DD is off with me so we should soon get them done.
Trying to get in the mood for Christmas with some festive books we picked up at Tesco over the last couple of weeks. They are not working yet.....lol!!! I think a lot of my total disinterest in the whole thing is due to the fact that DD, DS and some of DDIL's family will be working over Christmas so we don't have a family gathering to look forward to on the day itself. We are getting together the week before but it won't be the same as Mr Manic will be at work then.
My December highlight will be a visit to Shugborough Hall with DDIL to take Ruby to see Santa. I can't wait.
Ooooh look at the time. I had best go and get some sleep. Doodle Bird won't be here until later on today but having the morning free will mean I can get some crafting done before she comes.
Tara for now....and thanks for your visit.
Sheila-x-
........for the long break in blogging.
I just got to the point where I was sick of the sight of my blog and didn't feel like I had much to say about anything. I was even sick of crafting although I think that maybe had more to do with lack of time to do what I would like to do rather than had to do.
There was also a bit of stash hatred going on as I have been trying for months to use stuff up.......but no more....lol!!! For the last couple of weeks I have been spending like I won the lottery (I wish) and have so much new stuff I now don't know where to start.
There is a new Cricut machine and cartridges, lots of new dies (and more to come), masses of new cardstock, stamps, ink pads and sparkly stuff and I have spent the last couple of days tidying the workroom which had got in a bit of a state and now I am raring to go.
Next week should see me crafting to my hearts content as Ruby is off for week with mummy and daddy. No major jobs booked in apart from a clean up in the kitchen ready for the festive cooking and baking. I shall be one happy bunny.
DD and I had a day at the NEC on Friday. Oh my life it was mad. We managed to stick it out until 2pm and then we'd had enough of being elbowed and battered. I did manage to get near enough early on to buy some stuff though and did get most of the things on my list.
So onwards and upwards. Hopefully I shall have things to post by the weekend.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-
