Rubber Stamping - North Wales

Good evening everyone, I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas & that you are looking forward to the New Year. Well - I guess first I will update you with our health problems.  I think the last thing I said was that I had to wait until the Monday before Christmas to see the practice nurse for my vaccination. Midway through Monday morning I had not heard anything so I rang the surgery.  The receptionist said there was no appointment arranged for me - so I told her the story - she then looked at my record & said I wasn't eligible.  I questioned this stressing the visiting doctor saying I had to be vaccinated if not immune & she went off the line to ask a doctor.  She came back apologetic - finally I thought! - oh no ........ vaccinations against shingles can be given to 70 year old & 79 year old ......... but nothing in between.........therefore I was not eligible. Now I could have written a whole page on my response to this - but suffice to say - ...

It is 24 December - & as well as being Christmas Eve - it is the birthday of a Mold II member Happy birthday Dot - have a lovely day

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas

Hello everyone How are your plans going?  I did my last supermarket shop today - which was great fun - the worst part actually was the weather.  Trying to hold on to an umbrella & the trolley.  Going around Asda wasn't so bad really.  I was a bit worried when I got there as they wee queueing to get in the car park, but I had a list - knew where the things were & went for it.  So wasn't there all that long at all. Anyway - I have some photos for you today.  They are of the lovely canvas that Caroline made for Bob & I as part of her wedding present to us.  Part 1 was a lovely memory box. The decoration around our photo is a mask that has had texture paste pushed through it & then the mask lifted Close-ups of the flowers at the top & bottom of the canvas.  They are the left over flowers from the table decorations I made for the wedding.  Isn't it pretty.  The photo was one we had taken about 2 weeks b...

Hi - so here we are - the shortest day of the year.  From today on the days get longer, the evenings get lighter.  But - according to the weather man on TV this morning - he reckons something along the lines of - days longer, winds stronger & he forecasts cold weather. Mind you, it doesn't seem that long ago we were bemoaning the arrival of the longest day & how the dreary dark evenings would soon be with us.  Where does the time go?  Yes, I know - I am constantly asking that question & nobody can answer me. I also noticed that the headlines in one paper - was "Christmas Day weather - Snow".  Ah well, it gives them something to print I guess.  News must be slow. Fingers crossed they are wrong.  I know if it snows around Christmas it does sort of make it magical & everywhere does look pretty in its new white dress - but ............ there are downsides to it. I have had a very domestic, Christmas preparation day today.  Shoppi...

Hello everyone Sorry I didn't write anything last night - but to be honest I was just worn out by the end of the day. Bob is improving slowly & thank you for your messages - but as he can't help out with Christmas preparations as he normally does, especially shopping - it all falls on me - & it takes me just that bit longer now & I get tired. Today I finally managed to get around to making the Christmas card for my brother & family - but in my haste to get it in the post to them I forgot to photograph it.  I used an 8x8 card with scalloped edge & used one of my Tonic dies that had the filigree frame & the tag centre, along with a die cut Merry Christmas.  I dressed it up with some silver snowflake peel-offs.  So continuing to stick with my white & silver theme. With regard to my vaccination against shingles - even though the Doctor saw fit to ring me on the same day as my blood test to tell me I had no immunity - I still haven't had the ...

It is 20 December & a Mold II member has a birthday today Happy Birthday Chris - have a lovely day

Hi everyone OK - so to bring you up to date with what has been happening. Yesterday morning I met with Sue down at Daleside Garden Centre where we had a light lunch & coffee & quite a long natter.  Sue sends her best to everyone who remembers her & wishes you all a Merry Christmas. Then today started with the visit to Deeside Hospital for my blood test. I have to ring the Doctor on Friday afternoon to see if the results are in. This was followed by a trip over to Liverpool to spend a little time with Caroline & exchange our traditional Christmas Stockings. Very pleasant indeed & we visited one of her local garden centres whilst I was there. Wow! what a drive back - it was just as that high wind had started to kick in & it was blowing hard against the car on the motorway. Shortly after I got home I had a phone call .......... from the Doctor.  I do not have any immunity to Shingles.  So, I said to the receptionist - "where do we go fr...

Good evening everyone - how are you all - not too stressed out with Christmas preparations I hope. I can't believe there is little over a week to go. Anyway tonight I have a couple of photos for you - the first one is the new baby card I made over the weekend; I found this set of stamps - which cover congratulations on birth of baby & the Christening. There are 2 main stamps - this one for the birth & another for the Christening then various word stamps & a couple of borders, & they were £3.99.  I cannot remember where I bought them - but the price was still on the packet. I used one of my label dies to cut the image out, added a little blue ink around the edge to lift it & then lightly coloured it with Promarkers.  Haven't done any of that for a while so I took great care. Finally I added the ribbon with faux bow & the little buttons. The second card is this one; In fact it was seven cards - I found I hadn't made enough so ha...

Hi everyone - I hope you have all had a good weekend. Mine has been a bit of all sorts really.  Looking after Bob, getting final cards sorted - but not necessarily finished, putting the Christmas cards up, doing a bit of Christmas shopping - mainly food items. Hopefully early in the week I will be able to put the Christmas tree up.  We have 2 this year, both new.  One is for the lounge & a smaller one for the dining room.  I got the dining room one sorted this afternoon & it was really nice having dinner with the little tree lit.  It is a fibre optic one & I love watching the colours change. Bob is still not too good.  The medication the doctor gave him - & there was loads of it - is working as it should.  The painkillers have removed some of the pain & discomfort, & the antibiotics seem to be making a difference, but I think there is still a way to go. takes longer when you're older. The doctor gave him some pills as well...

Hi everyone - well, I didn't get my me time today after all. My first task this morning was to get a call in to the Doctors surgery to get them to make a home visit to see Bob. I thought I might have to have a verbal fight to get someone out - but no!  Once I had said what I thought was wrong - they agreed.  Now! bless him he has so much medication he will rattle if he falls over.  Doctor was most concerned as he has a really severe bout of shingles. It was also decided that as I have never had chicken pox that I need to get a blood test to see if I have an immunity to it.  If not I need a vaccination - as it is not very nice if people "as old as me" get chicken pox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, in truth those are my words - what the Doctor actually said was "at this age".  Hum!!! not much difference I think! So on Monday I have to pick up a form to go to (possibly) Deeside Hospital & have a blood test. It appears that it is when the blisters burs...

Hi everyone - not a lot to talk about again today. Lunch time saw the last of my monthly lunches for this year where I had my first turkey meal.  I prefer to leave turkey until Christmas Day - but at this lunch we traditionally have turkey - & very nice it was too. At the moment I have a rather poorly husband & I am hoping to get him an emergency appointment with the Doctor in the morning.  Got to get him well for Christmas, haven't I? Tomorrow - later in the day - I hope to give myself a little me time & make some cards.  Birthday & general, not Christmas.  Card wise I am a little Christmassed out at the moment, although I still have some special (family - sh! don't tell anyone) ones to make.  Also over the weekend I am hoping to get our Christmas tree up & providing I know where I have put the Christmas decorations get us looking a little festive.  I did treat myself to a new ornament when I was out yesterday - I do like to get a...

Hi everyone Ooh - I have just had a very frustrating time trying to sign into blogger to add this post.  They keep trying to change things & make you join other elements of Google & you can't see how to get beyond it.  I just wanted to get this far & write a post for you. In the end you have to start thinking differently - like - " I wonder where else I can click on something that takes me to the area I know & love". So using that lateral thinking - here I am. I had a very pleasant day out with Nadine today.  We nipped over to M&S at Cheshire Oaks to get her nut roast & one or two other things for our Christmas meal plus nibbles & took time out to partake of a coffee & delicious fruit cake whilst having a good natter.  Then we popped over to Inspirations in Bromborough - it is the place where I bought all the silk flowers for my wedding (& in fact those for Nadine & Russ's wedding too when I did their flowers).  I b...

Hi everyone Not a lot to report at the moment - yesterday & today have been very domestic days - which are just not interesting enough to write about. Tomorrow I am off out with Nadine (our daughter-in-law) - to do a bit of shopping, & nattering which will probably include popping into M&S over at Cheshire Oaks to pick up some Christmas goodies including Nadine's dinner for Christmas Day.  Nadine is vegetarian & last year we found a really good vegetable & nut roast for her.  So we are hoping they may have something similar this year - or better still - something different. So that is it I am afraid - I hope all your preparations are going well & you are not too stressed out. More tomorrow.

Hi everyone Just popping in with some photos of my canvas fro yesterdays workshop. As usual I am showing you photos but not writing a lot of detail as that is already written out on my rubber stamping blog.  Please click on the link at the top of the page to visit it & see what I had to say. I am ashamedly completely pleased with my efforts; This is what was waiting at the workshop - I had had to send in the photo a few days earlier Here is the finished canvas. I hope you have all had a great weekend.  More tomorrow.  Night night for now.

Hi everyone - just a quick pop in as it it quite late. Today I went to my canvas / mixed media workshop & had a wonderful time.  I am thrilled to bits how my canvas turned out & remembered to take photos at carious stages along its development. So tomorrow I will load those photos & tell you all about it. I hope you too have had a good day & that tomorrow will be just as good. On my return from the workshop Gareth & Elayne were visiting so the day rounded off with a nice family evening with dinner together. Just love it when family are around.

That is the name of one of the techniques we are going to be doing early in 2014.  It did cause quite a bit of hilarity at the CSNW meeting on Wednesday - but one thing that it did was make me think about the marker pens that are part of the materials list. I do not mean the likes of Promarkers - I am talking about the "old fashioned" (dare I say) brush markers that we used to put ink directcly on the stamps years ago.  They were just very fat felt pens - but of course covered the surface of the stamps quicker. At CSNW we discussed ordinary felt pens & several newbies to the craft did not know about brush markers.  So whilst out shopping today I kept in eye out for felt pens.  I found these They are from Asda & as you can see cost a pound.  It is a pretty good range of colours too. You can see that they are dual tip - but they have been put together differently - the 2 halves of pens are joined together by a double ended clear lid in the middl...

I have been very lucky & have been given some Christmas cards from you at out final meetings of the year. But - just in case - I suddenly thought you may not have my new address - if you were thinking of sending one.  I don't want to put it here on the blog - but if you email me I will send it to you. It was prompted by the arrival of a card this morning from someone who obviously did not have our new address, that had been re-directed by Royal Mail.  But that redirection stops next week, & the old house no longer exists - so there is nowhere for it to be delivered to. Back later I hope.

A great statesman;

Hello again. Now for the photos from the project last night - which was the Ghosting technique.  There are lovely results & they are missing the extra stamping stage - so they would look even more stunning. If you are puzzled by that statement CSNW ladies - then read the instruction notes you were given & see also the highlighted paragraph in last night's post.  Despite my list at the side of me of what to do & when - I missed a step.  You just cannot get the staff these days can you! Don't answer that. Not all of them were made into cards, so when they weren't on a card I grouped the 3 pieces together to photograph. Some great ghosting there & that is just the right sort of stamp for this technique. Great layout on each piece. This will look even better when it has had the second stamping on it - because then there will be more detail & colour. Another good ghost & they have been put on a card. Apart from a great technique...

Good morning - what a miserable one it is too.  Things are being blown around all over the garden & my little greenhouse if shaking about far too much for my liking but it seems to be holding its own.  Now - it has decided to pour with rain too.  This is the sort of day you feel like curling up in a chair, nice fire, warm drink & a good book & letting the rest of the world get on with things. Hmm! that sounds really nice - if only I had the time. The first set of photos from last nights meeting are of the Show & Tell.  Only 2 entries - but it is a busy time now isn't it.  The theme was a sketch. It's a rather nice "card in an envelope card".  Hope that makes sense but here are the cards that were made & you will be able to see what I meant. A pretty lilac design with a butterfly diecut edge & stamped foliage.   Click on the image to read the lovely message.  Natural colour tones for this one ...

Hi everyone I am not long in from the CSNW meeting this evening...  our final meeting of the year. Tonight our project was the Ghosting technique - which I think everyone enjoyed.  It is one of those techniques, I think, that you see it being demonstrated & you know what is being done & said.  Then you sit down to do it yourself & it doesn't quite work.  But a little think about it, some re-organisation of your work area for easier working & bingo! - there it is. I certainly would make sure that you are in a good light & can look down directly over your work when positioning the stamp for the second stamping. Now - here is an example of being organised - by writing that last sentence - I have realised that I didn't tell my ladies to do a second coloured stamping to give a little more depth of colour.  So if they are reading this they will know - & even more importantly if they read the notes I gave them (from Joanna) they will see...

Good evening everyone This morning I had my last workshop for 2013 - & of course it was a crochet one.  I am actually really enjoying these crochet workshops.  After all it is a craft I learnt a long time ago & the workshops mean I am still using it & that is important.  Don't lose the things you learn. This afternoon was a bit hectic with various things to go running around about.  Then back home I wrapped the last of the goody bags for tomorrow's meeting of the CSNW club. I am into a week or so of lasts.  Today - the last workshop, tomorrow the last rubber stamping club night & next week the last monthly lunch. It really shows that this year is coming to a close.  But of course before that is the lovely season of Christmas, the preparation for it, the cooking, the present wrapping & buying - I love it when it gets to this stage, then the family get together.  Wonderful! I hope your plans for Christmas are going well too. ...

Hi everyone - how are you all? Last night after making that sheet of mixed media altered paper I couldn't wait to start another one. So I started it last night & finished it off this morning. Again, if you are interested in how I did it, then please pop over to my rubber stamping blog where I have described the different stages. I also made a card for this weeks CD Sunday challenge - where the theme was Home Sweet Home  There is a full description on my digital blog - but the main thing is the faded black & white image has had a hole cut in it & the coloured image placed behind the hole.  You will probably, as always, see the paler side of the image if you click on the photo & get a larger view. I have also been reasonably busy making sure I have everything in order for Wednesday evening which will be the last 2013 meeting for the CSNW club. Right! I must off & do something more domestic.  'Bye for now.

It is 2 December & a Mold II member has a birthday today Happy Birthday Elizabeth - have a lovely day

.... oh yes, tonight I did just that. Please, please - to save me writing it all out again - pop over to my "Ink on my Fingers" blog & see what I have been up to do. Just click on the link at the side of the page of this blog. This is what it is about; More tomorrow.

....... with one of my digital creations.  I have today found out that my entry for the 17 November over at CD Sunday challenge was chosen for the top 3 & also chosen as number 1.  I get a little prize.  The theme was Simply Square & this was my entry - Although these images are digital - because they are off CD's I do have to chose, print & then cut them out like hybrid cards.  Someone thought it meant that they were produced flat digitally & then shown.  Although when leaving it to the last minute I have done that just so that i can enter the challenge.  But normally everything is printed off, cut up, added to a card & embellished. I was talking to Joanna of Mold club last week & we were discussing these challenges & how in some of them the winner is chosen by random number generator.  It is nice to have your work chosen but it is nicer when it is actually judged by someone - & that is how they are judged ov...

Good morning Just thought I would pop in quickly with those photos of the extra things I made for tomorrow; These are the 3 mini canvases I made - I punched 3 snowflakes & 3 holly sprays for each canvas, glued them together & then glued them to the canvas.  I then painted the canvases red & when they were dry sprayed them with Radiant Rain Shimmering Mist which gave them a slight shiny sparkly coat.  I then added ribbon to hang them & the little wooden baubles which were glittery silver on one side.  They looked nicer with the glitter side up & I also added silver pearls in the 2 opposite corners.  Some red card on the back finished them. The design on the bookmarks were from a CD & I just trimmed them to shape, punched a hole, added some thread.  I took a DL card & cut it up to make pockets to go on the front of each DL card.  Slipped the bookmark in the pocket & added a peel-off that said "A gift for yo...

Good evening everyone I have been busy today getting my boxes of things ready for the fund-raising event on Saturday - I'm sure I have too much.  But then if the Christmas cards don't go I will use them for myself. I also made some bookmark "gift" cards & 3 little Christmas canvas hangings.  I will photograph them tomorrow to show you. The other cards I have been putting the finishing touches to are the ones for Bob's work colleagues & staff.  They are basically all the same design I just changed the greeting outside & the message inside. I am showing you 3 cards - one of each of the different greetings; I haven't got the light quite right - I can assure you the greetings show up better in real life than they do in the photo.  Unfortunately because of the mirri card you do get a reflection of something behind me. I really enjoyed making these - gave my e-bosser a lot of work. All my cards this year are mainly white with silve...

OK - this is as fast as I can be getting back again.  I have to write the words & add the photographs, then spell check it & publish it. So, the project last night was "ghosting" technique & as I said in my quick post last night - Joanna from Mold club came along to show the technique to the ladies. Here are the photos.  Not everyone got to make a card completely - but at least all the pieces were stamped ready; This is looking good - very delicate flowers & leaves & a nice ghosting effect.  I am assuming the single flower on the side was a practice run. Wow - look at those pearls - they frame that top photo beautifully.  I don't know what flower it is - but here in the photo it almost looks like a dandelion "fairy" that is about to blow away. This card was done by the lady who did the Catherine Wheel in the show & tell. I think that is great seeing as she cannot see too well at the moment. This is very del...