Acetate.

This is the second card that I made for the recent swap I did with my partner in Australia.
This time A is for Acetate.
I cut a frame from the centre of the card using the largest die in the Spellbinders Majestic Elements  and again from a separate sheet of white card stock (for the backing piece and sandwiched the acetate in-between  being very careful to use gloves so as not to leave any finger prints. (ask me how I know!). The flower was more left overs sat on my desk and the centre  fabric daisy from my stash. The flower design paper was left over from a previous project and just fitted the back of the card perfectly. The sentiment was a freebie from  a magazine. At this point I felt the card needed something else added to it but nothing seemed to work so left it over night .

Looking at the design paper in the morning I realised that I had a Crealies leaf die CLCS11

that was the same shape as the leaves in the print so I cut some out in brown card stock and hey presto it all came together. 

The card ajar showing the back page. It is very difficult to photograph acetate and if you look closer at the top picture you can see a reflection of me taking the shot!

Entering into the following challenges:

The Craft Garden: Choose 4 from list( flowers/patterned paper/pink/white background).

One Crazy Stamper: Flowers.

By The Cute and Girly: Flowers.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #74: Use your snippets up.

Crafting With Dragonflies#3: One for the Girls.

Creative Belli Blog 170: Flowers.

Creative Moments#18: Lots of Layers.

Fab 'n' Funky#173: For the girls.

Rhedd and Rosie Challenge#7: Blooming Lovely.

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything goes.



Lets Shop.

Wednesday again and time for another of Mrs A's Bloomers so pull up a chair and stay a while. 

Today I'm back at the same job as before but 5 yrs down the line and gone through a fair few bosses by now but that is not the main story.

The office I worked in was just a stones throw from the High St so it was very convenient  to use you lunch hour for essential shopping! We had a 'Next' at the other end of the street to the office but if you got your skates on you could get down there and back in the hour.  I had seen a dress the day before that I had my eye on and decided I'd go back for it the following day and try it on before buying (as you do). I had a Finance meeting to go to straight after lunch but reckoned I had plenty of time so off  I sped.  Yep they had the dress in my size so a quick whizz into the changing room to try it on. Hmm, did I didn't I . A twirl this way and that and yes I finally decided I would buy it. Gosh was that the time? A quick change, pay at the desk, grab my carrier and a mad dash back up the high street. Phew, made it just in time. 

The meeting duly over I was back sitting at my desk when one of my colleagues walked past and then came back and stood in front of my desk, gave me a strange look and asked 

"Why are you wearing your dress inside out???" . 

Digi by Bugaboo Digi Stamps

Coloured using Promarkers and Pearlescent chalks.

Red Circles paper free from Simply Cards and  Paper crafts.

Green spotty paper by Nitwit 'Spring Whimsy Collection'.

Ribbon and daisy flower from snippets.

Sentiment created in word.

Entering into the following challenges:

Make it Monday #142: Paper crafts.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #74: Use up your snippets.

Lacy Sunshine Challenge #9: Anything goes.

The Squirrel And The Fox #44: Girls, girls, girls.

Crafty Ribbons Challenge #46: Anything goes +ribbon.

Kaboodle Doodles challenge#173: Anything goes.

Craft RoomChallenge: Use your scraps.

Through The Craftroom Door: Anything goes.

Use It Tuesday #56: Anything goes.

Wags'n' Whiskers #104: Anything goes.



Stickeroos 4us

I needed to make a card quickly the other day to include in a parcel I was sending off asap and it needed to have a lot of blue in it. Stickeroos by Penny Black came  to the rescue. Don't you just love em.

This flower image is from the Sun-kissed sheet (#10-200). I used some of the butterflies from the Paris Je Taime sheet  (10-199) which I over laid on top of the flowers in opposite corners.  Blue backing is cardstock that I picked out to match the flowers  and the sentiment was generated in word and printed off.  Flat pearls from my stash as was the white card.

Job done. Don't you just love it when a plan works!!



Entering into the following challenges:

Natalie and Amy's Challenge: Things with Wings.

Crafty Calendar: May Blooms and Blossoms.

The Cupboard Trilogy: Spring Flowers.

Make It Monday: Paper crafts.

Sarah Hurley Challenge: Shades of Blue.

Pixie's Crafty workshop#74: Use your snippets (white card)

Bearly Mine Challenges: Anything goes. 

Everybody Art: Flowers.

613 Avenue Create: Anything goes.

Challenges 4 Everybody:  Anything goes.



Goosey Goosey.

I have used a Kanban topper for this christmas card called Festive Friends. The colour does not show up very well but is a lovely navy blue with silver on top.  I have matched the backing craft card to his beak which sets the topper off nicely I think. I tried several  different colours for the ribbon but this scrap of white chiffon looked best. Pearls are from my stash. 

Entering into the following challenges:
Crimbo Crackers: #42. Cute.
Christmas Stampin All Year Long: #17. Use non traditional colours. 
Crafty Hazlnuts: #126. Show some white on your card ( goosey is white).
Creative Craftworld: # 25th May. Beat the rush.
Stamping For Pleasure: #Rudolph day May:  Anything goes.
Crafty Hazelnuts Extra: #May. Anything goes.

K is for Knots.

The current letter over at the Craft Barn is K.  Not a lot of pages in the dictionary for that letter  to choose from  but I have finally settled on  Knots as my word.

Page has been given a wash of match pot paint Willow Tree.

The rope paper was a freebie in a magazine.

Letter k is a freebie and can be found here.

Cord from my stash.

 

I learnt how to tie the different knots from here.

Entering into the following Challenge:

The Craft Barn: Alpha challenge letter K.

 

 

 



For Gerry.

This card is for my work buddy Gerry. The digi is her to a T. Hair is exactly the same and this dress is exactly like Gerry would go and choose for a Works party. In black of course.

Gerry nearly always came to work in black or black/white and on the few occasions that she did wear colour she would trip in (on high stilettos) and announce that she was wearing  it especially for me. So this is especially for you today Gerry. Happy Birthday twinne! The added black/white trimming is the only non colour you can have today and I shall be checking up on you later to make sure.

 



 

 



Yellow spotty design paper is by Papermania 'Chatsworth Vintage Collection'

Digi is by A Day For Daisies

Coloured in using Promarkers and Embossing powder.

Black and white card is a snippet that I have punched the edge using a Tonic punch.

Sentiment frame is by Cheery Lynn Designs B190 #2

Sentiment created in word.

Butterflies cut using tonic mini punch from  the  snippets of left over paper

Black pearl from stash.

 



 I pondered on how to show the netting as I did not want to colour over her arms and legs

so hit on the idea of running over the image with a Versa Marker pen and using silver metalic  'Wow' embossing powder . I am pleased with the shimmery effect. Below is the inside of the card showing more mini butterflies flitting across the pages.

 

 

Entering into the following challenges:
Make It Monday: Paper crafts.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets.
Joanna Sheen challenges: Girls, Girls, Girls.
Heck Of A Challenge: Fashion.
The Squirrel and the Fox: Here come the girls.
Ginger Loft: Happy Birthday.
Card Mania: Spots and or stripes.
Kaboodle Doodles: Stripes and or circles.

And Baby Makes Three.

Time for another of Mrs A's Bloomers so grab a coffee and have a chuckle at my expense.
I'm going way back in time for this  tale to when Fluff was just a  baby about 9mths old(Not so long ago then I hear Fluff say). 
This particular day was cold but bright and I decided to walk with the pram to the shops about 2miles away as I needed to do a supermarket shop. So I loaded the tray on under the pram to stack the shopping on and away we went. We duly arrived at the shop (starts with S and ends in ys you know the one I mean) parked up outside grabbed a trolley and did the shopping. Fluff was being very good by the way. Got back home just in time for lunch and a nap for Fluff. Unpacked the shopping and spent the afternoon ironing. Time for tea and to cook the evening meal as The Doc would be home shortly. Fluff bathed, fed and ready for bed  and dinner cooking nicely and The doc gets in.  After about half an hour he asks if I went shopping  and I said yes. At this The Doc looks at me and says
Well where's the pram then!!!!!
Do you ever get that sinking feeling when you realise what you have just done?
Yep I had come out of the supermarket with Fluff tucked under one arm two loaded up bags of shopping on the other, promptly walked round the corner and caught the bus home!
My wail of 'At least I didn't forget the baby  'went on deaf ears as we all bundled into the car and raced back to the  supermarket and do you know what? The pram was exactly where I had left it 7 hours before! Phew.

You will  have probably realised by now that I do a card to go with  the story  so here it is.

Digi by DigiStamp boutique.

Pink card blank.

Backing paper from The NitWit Collection 'Thimbles 'n' Threads a freebie in magazine.

Coloured in using Promarkers  and Papermania gold pen for edging.

Sentiment generated in Word.

Ribbon and itsy bitsy embroidered flower from stash .



Entering into the following challenges:
Make It Monday: Paper Crafts.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use up your snippets (itsy bitsy flower)
Sparkles: Monochromatic.
Southern Girls: Going spotty.
In The Pink: Baby Girl.
Crafting For All Seasons: Think Pink.
613 Avenue Create: Anything goes.
Electric Ellapu: Anything goes.
Alota Rubber Stamps: Childhood.
The Crazy Challenge: Baby card.

Mini Crisis.

Many thanks for all your visits and comments that you leave. Having a  slight mini crisis at the moment but I will get  around to all your blogs and comment back. I know who you all are!

Hugs Mrs A.

Friends.

This is a card I made for a swap back  in April. I have heard from my partner in New Zealand that it has been received so am safe to show as I know that Dawn has a blog too. You  had 4 different themes to choose from and you could incorporate them all into your card or just use some. I went with the colour palette of pink/light blue/yellow, an umbrella  and the sentiment Friends. This card came together largely from stash sat on my desk. The lady with the umbrella was the fourth tap transfer design that I made for the tag swap which I have already shown. I only needed 3 tags to send so this one was a spare. I cut the tag down by using a Sizzix Framelits 657905 which in turn left me with a picture frame shape to be used at a later date. The lady is a freebie digi from here. The backing paper is a freebie from here and has the corner swirl incorporated already into the design.

The printed paper that I did the transfer onto is a freebie from a magazine. The flower has been in my stash for ages and matched the ribbon perfectly. A flat pearl to the centre finished it off.



 

 

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use up your snippets.

Tuesday Taggers: Feminine and Fancy.

Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything goes.

Shopping Our Stash: Scrap attack.

One Stitch At A Time: Use a digi + anything goes.

Wags and Whiskers: Anything goes.

Sister Act: Anything goes.

One Stop Craft Challenge: Anything goes.

Country View Crafts: How does your garden grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 



First Aid.

Gosh is it Wednesday again already! Are you ready for another Mrs A's Bloomers?
Okay it's fess up time .Grab a coffee and stay a while.
So last week you know that I got the job and this little escapade happened about 18months into the job.

It was decided by the powers that be that each department should have a First Aid Officer to deal with minor accidents so a volunteer was needed to step forward for the post. Now I wasn't particularly interested but  before I knew it my name was put up and seconded before I had time to draw breath!  We all had to be duly trained by the Red Cross and a training day was scheduled to be held at another of our buildings.  

The day arrived and about 20 of us from various departments turned up for the three day course.(I did not go anywhere near the coffee machine just in case your wondering even though this was a different location). We started off by learning to do resuscitation  and before the boys (we were a mixed bunch) could get excited about it we were  told it would be on the standard plastic dummy and not on us girls. Well managed to get through that alright and we stopped for a break. Next up was learning how to put someone into the recovery position and we were paired up for this. I was  with J.C. from Engineering and he volunteered to go first. So he is lying on the floor and (cross my heart I barely touched him) I flipped him over as we had been shown and he let out the most awful howl of pain and clutched his knee.  The instructor came running over and examined his knee and said 'We need to call an ambulance I think you have dislocated your knee cap!!' In my defence he was a rugby player and this was an old recurring injury but he was off work for two weeks and I went down in history as the only person to ever put her partner in Hospital on a First Aid Course!!!!

Now I know you all want to know the answer so yes I did pass and  got my certificate but you know the funny thing ? No one was ever ill on my watch!

 

Image by Bugaboo Stamps

Coloured using Promarkers, Distress Markers and Pearlescent chalks.

Blue spotty paper freebie in Simply Homemade magazine.

Snippet of red cardstock

Sentiment generated in word.





Entering in the following challenges:
Pixie's Crafty Workshop. Use your snippets. (red card stock).
Scrappy Frogs: Free Choice.
Through The Craft Room: Anything goes.
Crafts and Me Challenges: Use a Digi.
Stamp 'n' Doodle: Anything goes.
The Paper Shelter: Anything goes.
Make It Monday: Paper crafts.

Lets Get Ringing

This is the second card for the challenge this month over at Lady Anne's  which is  to use this digi image by Priscilla Styles. Details of her site can be found here.

 

I suppose I did this the wrong way round really as I coloured the digi in first with  my Distress Markers and then went in search of papers to go with the colours I had chosen.

The red glitter card came from my star buy at NEC . £1 for a pad of 3 different colours.

The bell paper was a freebie from  Quick cards Magazine and is by Raspberry Road. The green another freebie from a magazine Forever Christmas Cards Paper Stack by Hot Off The Press. Sentiment was part of the same recycled  Christmas card that I used on the post below. Flat pearls from my stash and the card design is the current sketch over at Merry Monday 's Christmas Challenge.



 

Entering into the following challenges:

Lady Anne's #4: Use image by Priscilla Styles.

Merry Monday Christmas Challenge: Use sketch provided.

Jingle Belles: Merry & Bright.

Creative Craft World: Beat the Christmas Rush.

Crafty Hazel Nuts Extra: Anything goes.

Sparkles Christmas Challenge: Favourite festive Colours (Red/Green/Gold).

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets (sentiment).

 



 

Get your Skates On.

This is my first card for the challenge this month over at Lady Anne's  which is to use this digi by Priscilla Styles. Details of her site can be found here.

As soon as I saw this image I knew I wanted to put her onto a skating ring outside in the woods. I have coloured her up using Promarkers and then fussy cut round the edge and mounted on 3d pads for a raised effect. The card base is a ready made shaped one  which I added a border to using the same red Promarker. The skating ring is made from an oval Xcut Nestie. Trees are a stamp from Stampscapes which I inked up with a Versamark watermark stamp pad and then coated with white  Wow Embossing powder. The edge of the ring has embossing powder on too. (Her blades have been silver embossed).  A quick blast with my heat gun and I have a lovely snow scene. The sentiment is cut from an old Christmas card which was already covered in glitter so I just cut a smaller Nestie. Gems are from my stash.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Lady Anne's #4: Use image by Priscilla Styles.

Crimbo Crackers: Kids.

52 Christmas Card Throwdown: Use Red & White.

Sweet Stampin Christmas: Winter Sports.

Anything Goes: Shaped not  square.

Alphabet Challenge: Glitter & Gems.

Jelly Park  Friends: Girly theme.

All Sorts: Any sport.

One Stop Craft Challenge:  Add some glitter.

613 Avenue Create: Shaped Card.

Dream Valley: No squares allowed.

Lacy Sunshine: Anything but Square. I(mage must be hand coloured).

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets. (sentiment).

 

 

 



 

The Doc.

It was 'The Docs' Birthday at the Weekend and this is the card I made for him and as he likes the colour green that is the colour I have gone with. Likes beer too!!

 

Digi and sentiment from Bugaboo Stamps

Coloured using Promarkers/Distress Markers/ Pearlescent chalks.

Check paper by Raspberry Road

Flat Pearls and green card stock from stash.

 

 

Entering into the following challenges:

That Craft Place: Makes for Men.

Make It Monday: Paper Crafts.

Divas By Design: Anything Goes.

Sister Act: Anything Goes:

Simply Create Too: Anything Goes.

Crafty Catz: Anything Goes.

 



A is for Aliens.

The current letter over at the Craft Barn is A. Given what the name of my blog is called I really couldn't choose any other word now could I !!!  As A is the start of my little alphabet book I have  given it a two page spread. I trawled the web and found this cute little Alien space ship digital.

Pages have been given  a wash of match pot paint  Willow Tree.

Digi and sentiment are by Hambo Stamps.

Images coloured with Distress Markers & Pearlescent chalks

Letter A is a freebie and can be found here.

 

Anyone spot anything Else?

Which just leaves me with one thing  left to say

Beam me up Scottie!!

 

Entering into the following challenge:

The Craft Barn: Alpha challenge letter A.

 



Interview Techniques.

It's fess up time again. Are you ready for another of Mrs A's Bloomers? Then grab a coffee and stop a while.
I had occasion to go for a job interview. I really wanted this job so left no stone unturned in brushing up on my Interview skills. The Doc gave me his golden book on interview tips which I read from cover to cover  so on the day of the interview I was fairly calm and collected  and felt I was ready for anything.  I presented myself early at the Personnel office (now known as HR) and was duly signed in and asked to wait in the  reception area. I declined a coffee as one of the little tips in my book said that if you were nervous not to  accept  any refreshments as a shaking hand would show in trying to hold a cup still. (Sound advice!)
I had been waiting for about 5mins when a Gentleman came rushing in through the front doors and gave his apologies' for being a tad late as he had trouble parking. He was shown the seat next to me and sank down into it looking decidedly flustered. I asked if he  was there for an interview too and he said yes. To help put him at ease I told him the little trick of not accepting any coffee  as it would show he was nervous but he just gave me a rather blank look and studied the floor instead. Each to his own I thought.  Another 5 mins  passed and then a lady popped her head round a door at the back of the room and said  "Wer'e ready for you now Bill come through" and to me that I wouldn't be kept waiting much longer for my interview. I called out Good Luck as he went out the door. Nice touch to call us by our first names I thought. Few minutes later another lady popped her round the same door and said would I come this way and led me down a long corridor. At the end was the interview room and she  stepped aside to let me enter first. Here goes I thought. In I went and as the  door clunked shut behind me a voice said "Let me introduce you to your prospective boss" and there sat BILL!!
Now the burning question on everyone's lips is going to be Did I get the job?

 

Yes I did and I was there for 10yrs!  The same job as the incident with the coffee machine!

Stay tuned for another instalment next week.



 

Digi image by Bugaboo

Spotty paper by Nancy Watt

Xcut Nestie 'Ornate Frame'

Coloured using Promarkers/Distress Markers/ Pearlescent chalks

Edging made with a snippet of paper and Tonic Punch

Sentiments generated in word.

Entering into the following challenges:
Sister Act: Anything goes.
Fuss and Fancy: Anything goes.
Catch The Bug: Anything goes.
One Stitch at a Time: Anything goes.
Electric Ellapu: Anything goes.
Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything goes.
Make it Monday: Paper crafts.
Papertake Weekly: Anything goes.
Through the Craft Room: Anything goes.
Pin and Tack: Anything goes.
Great Impressions: Celebrations.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets.

Ally Pally Reveal.

So what did I make with those snippets that I retrieved from the Ally Pally . Remember these bits?

I immediately  saw  little Antlers. Did you!  So I dug deep into my snippet pile and pulled out bits and pieces that I thought would all go together and came up with the following card. No sentiment as the design is fussy enough on its own and you can all see its a Christmas Card (to add to my ever expanding pile of 27 at the last count).

Papers used were all freebies from magazines at some point layered up.

White  card is the left overs from a card made using Spellbinders Majestic Elements.

When cut it leaves a ready made series of holes around the edge perfect for stitching with.

Red card is the left over after cutting an aperture out using Xcut Ornate frame.

White oval is cut using Xcut  standard die.

Rudolph the smallest oval further trimmed down to size.

Googly eyes and pearl (for nose) from stash.

Antlers are the off cuts from a Tonic pattern punch.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Whoopsi Daisy: Spots and stripes.

Artistic Inspirations: Lots of layers.

Tammy's Scrappin Corner: Lots of layers.

Cutie Pie Challenges: Lots of Layers.

LEJ Designs: Anything goes.

Rhedd and Rosie's: Stitching real or faux.

Crafting For All Seasons: Monochromatic.

Crimbo Crackers: Anything goes.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra: Anything goes.

Our Creative Corner: Anything goes.

 

 Special Request by Di of Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

 

 





Stash from Trash.

Thought I would just do a  feature post on the items I have saved from the trash this week.

 

The yellow/red spotty cardboard is from a box of egg custard tarts from a well known super market beginning with C and ending in P. Whilst the green/white spotty cardboard again cut from a box of custard tarts from a super market beginning with W this time and ending in E.

The Doc  does like his Cakes.( Well wasn't going to put the other word. )

The clear Perspex is from the front packaging of  a Tonic punch.  Can you see what I see?



There! I have turned it on its side for you. Watch this space for  further developments.