a couple of cards

Had a bit of fun making this one for my old boss!  Men's cards are so difficult at the best of times, particularly the older we get!  This card however, just sort of fell together.  I created a background and transformed it, and searching for embellishments came across the brackets, which I decided I would use as a hinge.  Then I found the keyhole, and added some effects to it - and suddenly the card came together - and then I thought of the sentiment, which just popped into my head, and was just what I needed.

Considering I had absolutely no idea what I was going to create when I started, am pretty pleased with the result!

and had to do another sympathy card this week.  As I already had a design I quite liked created in CAP for an earlier card in purple,  I just altered it to black and white, and mounted it on silver card.

Paverpol Canvas

Followers of my blog may remember that last year I went on a Paverpol workshop and created a canvas.  Well I finally got around to creating a "partner" for it.

Bare Bones!

What the heck you are thinking what is that black creation?  Well it is a canvas covered in T-shirt material soaked in black paverpol liquid.  Butterflies and some of the flowers created from Cloud Clay, but there are some bought artificial paper and silk flowers there too.   The branch is created from some ribbon with a metallic edge, wrapped around silver foil, and then covered with some old dishcloth cotton

Finished Canvas

 The black canvas was then painted with acrylics and other mediums, and gilded with Pebeo Gilding Wax.  I didn't quite get the colours to match the original canvas, but they were never meant to be identical, just compliment each other.

Last year's original canvas on the left

New picture in situ on wall

Old picture on wall

Difficult to get picture of both of them together on the wall

Pretty pleased with my efforts, and glad I now have the pair up, as I had this in mind for the lounge, and the original canvas has been living in the hall waiting for its mate!

Another afternoon with the two year old

We had a little play with Cloud Clay, but then we played with some pompoms that I took with me.   This is little T's creation - all her own work, (except for the Cloud Clay base that I created for it to sit on to save it falling over.)   I can see she is going to become quite the little crafter, and she is quite adept at using the bottle of glue.

and this is my paltry effort!

I also attempted a little experiment with some card and fabric and some padding, whilst T was playing with Cloud Clay.

Googly Eyes!

Another afternoon of  childminding yesterday, and I went armed with googly eyes, gems, and mosaic foam, and buttons!

It was just the 2 year old, as the older ones were at school.

We had such fun for a couple of hours, my granddaughter was singing away as she played.  I was asked to make some animals (in the colours requested by her) so we have a blue elephant and a blue frog, a monkey and a chicken (well it was supposed to be duck, but I can't make ducks!

We then decided to make some selfies!  Hers is on the right, and apparently she is really proud of it. The one on the left is supposed to me, and T helped me with this!  lol!  She also made the abstract piece with googly eyes and gems.

She then proceeded to make a card sticking on buttons, gems, small mosaic foam bits, and more googly eyes!

Yes we had fun!

I have got her again on Friday - and must put my thinking cap on as to what we can do.  If it is fine, it will probably be another day in the garden with the cloud clay!

Farewell to an old friend

It was a sad day today, as I said farewell to an old school friend (and fellow blogger) who died at the end of last month,  We had been friends for nearly 60 years.   We lost touch for a while, but a few years ago found each other again.

I have fond memories of our teenage years.  Our parents were friends, and I spent a holiday with her family camping one year, and another time she accompanied me for a stay at my Nan's in north London - oh we thought we were so grown up, and had such fun.

We spent many days in the village, wandering the footpaths, climbing trees and all sorts.  Her father was a great influence in my life too, and taught me a lot about the history of Sussex, and I have never forgotten those things.

My brother and the eldest of her two brothers were also best buddies, and we both lost them in their mid thirties within a few months of each other.

More recently we both loved family tree research .

My favourite picture of us taken in January 2014

I love this photo of us, and many friends said we looked like two naughty schoolgirls.  My only regrets are that although she managed to reach her 70th birthday this year, she wasn't well enough to join me for my 70th birthday a few weeks earlier; and I had promised to make her a cake for her birthday, but regretfully she was in the hospice, fading fast, so I was never able to fulfill my promise to her.  She also wanted me to make her a butterfly mobile. (I had this made, but had not put it together - so it will go in my Den as a permanent reminder of her).

It was a lovely simple service this afternoon, led by her half brother; and her daughter Clare gave the most beautiful eulogy.   The final music was from the 60s and it so reminded me of the two of us at a dance in  a marquee on the village green, where we jived away the night.  

Farewell my friend.  You may have gained your angel wings too early, but now you can fly free with the butterflies that you loved so much.  RIP Paula. xxx

Good Luck Card

Just a quick card for my son-in-law who started a new job today.   I wanted something with a bit of humour, so I chose Bagpuss.   I started off with one of the layouts, and then changed some of the elements, and added some overlays, faux ribbon, etc.

60th Birthday Cake

I thought I would share a cake I have just made for a friend's mother..  The cake is rich fruit, coated with white almond paste and ivory sugarpaste, Decorated with a garrett frill, and a carnation spray, and a little bit of embroidery piping.

It is about 20 years since I made carnations!  I made them white and then airbrushed them with a heather colour.  I also did a Garrett frill on the sides - a while since I did one of those, but do love the effect of them.

 Here are a few more views:

Carnation Spray

Top of cake

side view

carnations before airbrushing

A Fun Afternoon with the Granddaughters

I spent a lovely afternoon minding my three youngest granddaughters yesterday.  I went prepared armed with jam jars and Cloud Clay, as well as a my rubber band loom.   Well we never got to the loom, We spent two and a half hours sitting at the garden table playing with the clay,

They had loads of fun, and were so quiet for the whole time!  (two and a half hours - being so well behaved and no bickering!)  this must be a record!

From left to right the jar tops were made by the 5 year old, the 2 year old and the 8 year old, with the 8 year old also creating the piece at the front.

They had a little help from me - mainly showing them how to do something and then guiding them through it, although I did help out on occasion.   The 2 year old obviously wanted to try all the colours and all the cutters - lol!   In fact she created the marble effect piece of clay on the right.  Her big sister liked it so much, that she took off the pink she had placed on her jam jar, and used the marbled piece on her jar instead!   I also have some rather nice marbled pieces to use at a later date, when I get to do some playing!

Golden Wedding Card

It is a friend's Golden Wedding this week, and I couldn't resist making a fun card in CAP2 with the Bagpuss CD.

Hope she likes it.

Keeping it simple

I have had two friends gain their angel's wings this week, having lost their battle with cancer on the same day.  I created this topper for both cards, albeit the inserts were different.

Fly with the angels and the butterflies Paula and Tess.  You are both out of pain now and at peace.