Sometimes..........

You Just have to do What you Think is Right!

Have you ever been at a place where you have weighed up all the pros and cons of life and finally come to a decision or two?  Well, just recently, after spending a whole year re-evaluating my life.........that's exactly what I have done.

A year ago my life was turned upside down (I am not going to tell you how!) and it left me in a state of confusion, anger, fear, depression and all the other negative emotions one can have.  Now, the thing about going through emotional turmoil is that it affects your physical being.......your body!  Lack of sleep......over-tiredness...........headaches etc  For me, it resulted in hands and feet losing skin............difficulty in eating and keeping food down.......staying indoors and hiding from the world.

That's just a part of it......but here comes the upside........... I have realised that I am loved.........

I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a friend (to those who want me to be a friend).  My abilities are far greater than I have realised...........I love life!

The thing is...........we only get one shot at living.  It's NOT a dress rehearsal, so I am just getting on with life and learning to let go.  

Card making has been one of the ways I have been keeping occupied during the really bad times as well as the good times. Here are some examples of recent makes:

Fancy a cup of tea and a cup-cake?

The cards I am showing you today are all from CraftsUprint sheets, which I have downloaded, cut up and made.  I will include the codes so that if you fancied going into the CraftsUprint website you will be able to search and find them.  This beautiful 8x8" square card is a Birthday card for someone who loves their tea and cake.  It's title is Berry-Liscious Tea, and was designed by Mary Jane Harris. The code for it is: cup344753_99 .   It is so simple to make.  All I did was cut out the pieces and decoupaged the cup-cake and fruit and the round brown button.  It is so very modern and yet quaint, I think.

Here is another one:

This is, of course, completely different.  Again I have used an 8x8" square card, this time a brown one.  I cut out the globe and the circles and butterflies and layered and decoupaged the pieces.  I love steampunk, and I know it is not to everyone's taste but this just shouted out to me to make it, so I did.  I added the sentiment to the side so that I left room around the base of the globe to put a person's name if needed.  The designer's name is Karen Wyeth and the code is: cup314423_1056

And now for something completely different:

A very delicate card that looks like a framed picture on the card.  I loved making this one as I like the scalloped corner, which is built up over a few layers.  I used another 8x8" pink square card (purchased from Craft Creations).  I printed the sheet out onto ultra premium photographic paper (Kodak) and cut all the pieces out.  Before sticking it onto the card I glued white cotton lace down the left hand side and overlaid it with pink spotty silk ribbon and a bow.  I then stuck down the image and layered up the scallops corners.  To finish it off I glued a fabric flower to the top right hand corner of the image. Mary Jane Harris is the designer for this image and the code number is: cup315160_99.

What about Christmas then.........it's not far away, so I thought I would make a start on some Christmas cards:

I like this Christmas card because I love the colours, and again it is really simple to make.  Once I had printed the sheet off, I cut all the pieces out.  This time I used an A5 white card onto which I stuck the blue main image.  I decoupaged the candle and baubles.  Using glossy accents I highlighted the hanging part of the baubles and the wax running down the candle.  I used stickler diamond ice on the church roof, tree and stars.  It may not be clear in the photograph but in real life it is sparkly and beautiful. The graphics are licensed by elena del rosario and nk digital art.  The code number is cup360713_566 .

Another Christmas card:

I have put two photographs of this one up because they both highlight the zigzag build up slightly differently.  This card is an A5 white card with the square image on the top and the sentiment underneath. The first layer is bronze mirri-paper (purchased at Craft Creations) over which I have wrapped white lace and then layered matt silver card on top of it.  Then I stuck down the main image of the robin, after cutting out all the pieces.  I then used double sided sticky pads and layered up the zig zag corners (top left and bottom right) .  The sentiment is also matted on the same mirri-paper and matt card.............and Bob's your uncle (or not as the case may be!!) This sheet was designed by Ann-Marie Vaux and the code number is cup367048_10.

Finally, I just have to share this card, which I made today.  Most of you will know I am a Christian, and I make no apology for that.  It does mean that some of my cards are made using scripture or are for Christians in particular.  This card that I made today, is for someone who has just become a Christian:

I really loved this design when I saw it, but it didn't have the sentiment I wanted, so I sent the designer a message and within 24 hours she had added the sentiment that I wanted.  This is an 8x8" white based card.  After printing out the sheet I stuck the main image onto the card and decoupaged the bows and butterflies.  I added red gemstones to the flower centres, and added the sentiment at the bottom of the card.  The designer for this one is Sandra Carlse and the code number is cup369579_719.

I then thought I would like to make it more special, so I made a tag (you can see it i propped up next to the card) which says "With Love" and used pale pink gingham ribbon to attach it to the main card.  I have shown you how I use embellishments to cover the place where the ribbons are stuck down on a previous blog.  I hope you like this one as much as I do.

So there you have it...................keeping myself busy, keeps my head up and my heart light:

Remember that...................

And:

See you again soon.

Love and hugs

Annie xxx

What can I say?

NOT A LOT REALLY..........

It's Wednesday, and I have spent all morning with a lady from Citizen's Advice who came to my home and helped me fill in a DLA form!   These forms are awful to complete, and I am sure they are designed to make people give up the will to live when they have to complete them!  I'm not really expecting anything but because I have so little mobility I was advised to try.

Anyhow, my brain is now mush.................and the rest of me is following very quickly, so I may need to have a lie-down to recover.

There..............that's better!

So what shall I blog about today?  What about the cards I have made for someone for Christmas.........YES for Christmas!!!!!!!!!

Here we go then:

This card is recycled from a Christmas card I received last year. I think the image is a stamp and it is lovely.  The phrase, "His eyes.....how they twinkled" just makes me smile.  I love people with twinkly eyes..........if you don't know what I mean.......I'm sorry, but there are just some people who's eyes twinkle or sparkle when they look at you and that makes me go weak at the knees!  Okay...enough about my weaknesses.......I printed the base card from a Debbi Moore CD I had and then layered everything on it.  It was that simple.  I think it is very effective and could be given to a man or a woman........

How about this one then?

This is a card made from Debbi Moore Shabby Chic Vintage Christmas CD, which I really love.  I have decoupaged the baubles and the Christmas flower...... can't spell poinsettia lol  I highlighted the flower using platinum stickles.  I hope you like it.

I forgot to say that both the cards are A5 in size.

 For the Creativity Club we were asked to think about what we would say to ourselves if we were 18 and make a card for ourselves at 18.....so here goes:

First of all I would tell myself how young I was to be married............in these days, I would never have rushed into it but I was married at 17 and already had one child and another on the way when I was 18. (Shocking!!) 

 Today, I would tell myself...you are 18 years old....don't rush into anything, don't try to conform into what other people want you to be.....BE YOURSELF:  And, to that end my card would have to be this one:

Or this one:

I love the victorian emphasis and the steampunk look..........I love the softness of flowers and fabrics, lace and hats;  and the whole idea of being outstanding........and I think I would stand out  (did you see what I did there?) if I dressed like this.  I love the cogs etc because I am a petrol-head and love my car and driving...so it would all go very nicely together.

Right:  Back to christmas then:

Here we have a stepper card, which I really love making.  I have used a mixture of images from Debbi Moore (perhaps I should re-title this the Debbi Moore Card blog!)  I covered the front bottom of the card with white cotton lace and layered a strip of golden stars sort of along the middle of the lace.  I then decorated the four little side bits with images of Christmas things like the santa sack, and spotted tree etc etc.

As you can see from the second picture I made a tag and attached it with a flowery ribbon...in keeping with the Christmas flowers and colours.  This means the person giving it can write their message in the tag, which is much easier and straight-forward.

I am showing you the back of the card so you can see how I have hidden where I have stuck down the ribbon.  I used a small gold and white embellishment on the back of the card and a picture of a reindeer's head on the back of the tag.  The other gold thing you can see is just a label with my details on it.

I hope you like what you have seen a read today.............

Here is something to smile about:

I have no idea who this is, but it made me giggle and the horse looks so friendly..........

And for someone who may visit...this is just for you (you know who you are):

See you next time

Love and hugs

Annie xxx

What a week so far......

What a week so far..........

Hello everyone.  I've been in bed for most of the weekend and now I am having a lot of antibiotics..............infection and pain and all sorts!  However I am here, and for that I am grateful.  I am blessed and loved, so what more does a girl need??

Here is something to bring a smile to your faces today:

I made my eldest grandson a Birthday card this year, and here are the bits I used.  After scoring an A4 card to make it into an A5 folded card I stuck some brown newsprint card down the middle leave an edge each side.    Then I cut out the square cogs image and the bits to decoupage the cogs, and a section of fabric with writing on it.  I then looked out some embellishments.....so the picture below shows the pieces I used.  I also found some wooden alphabet pieces which are not in this photo, but will be in the next one.

After putting it all together, this is the card my grandson received on his 16th Birthday:

So the card came from Craft Creations
The wooden embellishments came from Crafty Emblies
I can't remember where I got the image fro, and the rest I had in my stash already.

He loved the card and has kept it as a keepsake.  I hope you like it too.  Some of you will have seen it before, but you can't get too much of a good thing.  I am in the middle of making Christmas cards for someone and they may well get to visit my blog.....if I remember to photograph them!!

See you next time.

Be blessed.

Love and hugs

Annie xxx

Sometimes you need reassurance!

Life and Stuff

Do you have days when you feel that there has to be more than whatever it is you are going through?  Sometimes we all need a little bit of reassurance:

Today I am going out with a school chum.  We have met up off and on over the years, either in England or Scotland as we have both lived in both countries at different stages in our lives.  Sometimes it has been years since we spoke or saw each other........and then a few days apart and we are visiting each other again.  Life has so many twists and turns and I feel really mellow today, so this blog is nothing about cards really.  

Well, the thing about cards is you write messages or verses inside them, which you hope is going to cheer someone up at the very least and encourage them or let them know they are not alone.

Back onto the subject of cards then...here is one of my favourite steam punk cards I made for someone:

Have a great day.... I will be visiting you all later.

Love and hugs

Annie xxx