The Other Side Of Me

Hello all, just to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the planet!  As you know, I've started my new job, so I am juggling housework and horse riding with that, but I've also had to enrol on a distance learning course as part of my job.  The first essay has to be in by June 7th and the second one by July 5th, so every spare moment is taken up with this at the moment, leaving no real time for card making.  I am still hopping round looking at your blogs though, and can promise you that normal service will be resumed asap, so don't go away! Thanks guys Jane xx

Hello all, what a hectic week I'm having.  I'm just getting used to my new job and trying to see how much time that leaves me for crafting, by the time I've done the housework as well - phew! So I'm very pleased to have got a card ready for this week's Dynamic Duos. Here are the colours for this week: Yes it's Pool Party again, but let's face it, we can't get enough of this gorgeous colour, can we?  And of course it's partnered with So Saffron, which I love. My dear friend Priscilla came to lunch on Saturday and asked me for a special card for her sister, who's baby is due in June.  They already know it's a girl and have decided to call her Eva, so when someone asks you for a special card and can supply you with all that information, you have to use it, don't you?  Oh, one more thing:  Although the card is for a baby girl, her mum doesn't like pink.  Great.  Cue Dynamic Duos!  Anyway, here's my card: Sorry the phot

Hello there everyone, hope you've had a good Monday.  I have, despite the pain in my hand.  I'm pleased to say it hasn't stopped me crafting one bit. I'm really pleased to have made a card that I can enter at The Paper Players blog challenge .  Here are their colours for this week: Such great colours, but it took quite a bit of experimenting before I was happy with my card: It looks a bit light in the photograph, but it's lovely in real life.  I've just received my order of card stock, including a pack of Baja Breeze, so that was my jumping off point.  I tried several different stamps before deciding on the Posy Punch set, as a lot of stamps didn't have enough impact in these colours, and I wanted to make a statement.  I've substituted Real Red for Poppy Parade as I don't have any ink in that colour. The base card is 5"x7", with a layer of Baja Breeze on top.  Then the bit that frustrates me:  I really, really need a 5"x7&quo

Hello everyone, I hope you've had a good weekend.  I've been out for a wonderful ride on my horsey, which came to an abrupt end when he stumbled and my hand flipped over.  I've ruptured my wedding ring finger, and it's absolute agony.  Oh boy, this had better not stop me crafting! Anyway, thankyou so much to everyone who entered the prize draw to win my little candy giveaway.  I wrote everyone's names down on pieces of paper, folded them up tightly and got hubby to draw one out.  And so, without further ado, the winner is... (drumroll please!) Vicky Hayes Congratulations Vicky, can you please email your address to me at jane.orson@btinternet.com and I'll get it sent off to you asap. Back soon with a card, have a great week, everyone, Jane xx

And the colour is... Yellow! Fortunately for me, yellow is a colour I am more than happy to footle around with (footle - technical term meaning to play, to experiement!) And so, this is my card for this week's Less Is More challenge: This is another of those cards that came to me in the middle of the night.  I decided to make it on scrap card at first to see if I liked it and to see if what was in my head actually worked on paper (not always the case) and was so pleased with it, I kept it. The stamps are from various sets, the birds are by Hobby Arts and the bird house is fairly recent and was free with a magazine.  The colours are Daffodil Delight and More Mustard. So, I stamped the bird house first and coloured it, then stamped out the birds and punched them out with my postage stamp punch.  They are the perfect size for this.  I stamped the greeting at the bottom first, then embossed a horizontal line directly above it, positioned one of the 'stamps' and emboss

I am trying, at least once a month, to make a 3D item.  This is something I should actually have made a while ago and have only just got round to it. We had the instructions on how to make this at the workshop, but I didn't have time to do it on the day.  But finally, this week, I've been able to make it.  Take a look: Has this got your curiosity?  Have another look: Yes, something that's even closer to my heart than crafting - chocolate! Here's a close up of the case: I've made the case out of Chocolate Chip cardstock, which I ran through the Bigshot in a swirly embossing folder.  I scored and folded it to fit the bar of chocolate inside.  I cut the tag by hand, and ran the top part through the Bigshot with a scalloped die at the top.  I ran it through half way, then wound it back again, so it made the scalloped top of the die.  I was very excited by this, I can tell you! I stamped the lovely image in Chocolate Chip from the Simply Soft stamp set

Hello everyone, I hope you're having a great Bank Holiday weekend (here in the UK), even if it is raining! Now, many of you probably already know Lesley Croghan, owner of the wonderful Always Playing With Paper blog, who runs her Merry Monday challenge from there.  If you don't, you certainly should pop over when you get time. Anyway, she's now hosting a new challenge, called Dynamic Duos, which you can find here : Her first colour choice is Pool Party and Lucky Limeade, and I couldn't resist having a go.  This is what I've made: The base is 5x7" in Very Vanilla.  (Neutrals are allowed, thank goodness!)  Then I've taken a piece of watercolour card, which is very similar to the vanilla, with the addition of a lovely texture.  I've punched out a flower using my Posy Punch, very close to the edge, so it leaves a gap.  I've put dimensionals on the back of the water colour paper and stuck it onto one of the sheets from the Everyday Enchantment

Hello, everyone, are you as fed up with this wet weather as I am?  Every time I step outside it's pouring.  Last Saturday  we went through a river and the water was up over my ankles.  I wouldn't mind, but I was riding Barnaby at the time! Still, the wet weather gives us an excuse to get some crafting done, doesn't it? I've come across another couple of cards that we made at the workshop a little while ago which I thought I'd share with you today.  So, here's one I made earlier: The 12"x12" papers are so lovely, so many interesting bits to use.  The colour scheme is: Pink Pirouette Early Espresso Lucky Limeade Some of the items use Pool Party too, like on this card: As before, I prepped as much as possible during the workshop, then put everything together at home, but the 'Just for you' sentiment stamp is my own.  You may have realised that I take very little urging to put a tag on a card, so these two were perfect for me. I had