Grandad's Garden

 Morning all.  We have a new challenge for you today over at Cardz4guyz.  We would like to see 'Gingham, Checks or Plaid' on your project.  I had a dig through my scrap box and this is what I came up with.

Now, anyone who reads my blog will know that I'm no gardener - but my Grandad was.  When we were growing up we lived on the same street as my Mamma and Grandad and also my Aunty Carol, Uncle Dave and two cousins, Paul and Mark.  Our houses all backed onto the local allotments and Grandad had one.  To be fair, it's a good job he did as it kept most of us fed all week - especially on a Sunday. Me, my two sisters and my cousins would be despatched to fetch the veg for Sunday lunch.  The place was just packed with home grown fruit and veg.  Gusgogs (gooseberries) and blackcurrants when you first went in.  A patch of strawberries covered in Mamma's old net curtains to keep the birds off.  Several apple and pear trees.  Blackberries trailed over a frame and a patch of rhubarb (but we had to take that home to prepare as it needed a twist of sugar in a paper bag). Our favourite wasn't a fruit at all.  It was a framework of peas.  We would eat them straight from the pod.  In all honesty, we probably ate just as much produce as we took home to cook - accept the peas.  We got so greedy with them that we were banned from picking any more pea pods.  The following week grandad went to harvest the peas and, guess what he found?  A frame full of empty pods still on the plant.  We were all lined up for questioning but Mark couldn't keep his face straight.  He'd eaten the lot.  I wish I'd thought of it, lol.

This card reminded me of how lucky we were to have all that fresh fruit and veg.  We never went hungry and we ate everything in it's season.  The smell of home grown tomatoes takes me straight back to the allotment, watching dad and grandad and our Paul working together.  You don't realise until you are older what would be important to you.  Veg just doesn't taste the same from the shop.

OK, before I start sobbing, please pop over and join in the challenge.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Teeny Tiny Tags

 Morning all.  We have a small challenge - literally - starting today over at Sparkles Monthly Challenge.  We would like you to 'Make it Small'. Think bookmarks, inchies, ATCs, tags etc.  I chose to go with tags. To be fair my little snowmen are even tinier than they should be.  My new Windows 10 computer is printing an A4 sheet as A5 on half the page!  Anyone got any ideas?  Anyway, I'd printed them so I wasn't wasting them.  The images are from The Lovely Studio - their website was down when I tried it so I can't link it. I adore their little Christmas images.  They are perfect for tags as well as cards.

I'm trying to use my light box to photograph my projects but my camera isn't very good either.  Sorry about the quality.  I cut the tags out of some sparkly green paper and also some scraps of backing paper.  The backing paper ones I cut in half with a fancy border die.  I then layered them loosely together with an eyelet and added the images and the ribbon.  I've got a full set of twelve altogether.  

OK, off you go to make teeny tiny projects please.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

A very shabby vintage

 Morning all.  Today we have a new challenge over at Make My Monday.  We are looking for 'shabby chic or vintage' projects please.  This is not something I'm very comfortable with.  It's not really my style.  However, I found some old papers (which I didn't think I'd ever get around to using) and got to work with my distress tool.

I cut some leaves from the same set of papers and raided my flower box.  The lace is some sticky stuff I'd got a roll of.  I must have has an idea in my head when I bought it but I never got around to it.  I have a room full of stuff that I must have liked when I bought it then couldn't think what to do with it. I'm glad I finally found a project for the lace and papers.  I feel justified in my purchases now. You just never know when you might need something do you.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Pretty Patterned Paper

 Morning all.  We have a new letter for you over at The Alphabet Challenge this morning. We are at P for 'patterned paper'.  And the good news is that Cazro has recovered enough so we will have the linky tool for this one.  I'm so glad she chose patterned paper as I absolutely loved the sheet I've used.  I just needed an excuse to let is shine.

I totally fell in love with the humming birds.  I fussy cut a couple of them and layered them onto the paper.  I'm really really pleased with this one.  Can you tell I like how it turned out 😀

OK, over to you.  Please pop over and show us your patterned paper.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It's so simple

 Morning all.  We have a lovely new challenge today over at Cardz4galz.  We would like 'Clean and Simple' projects please.  If you do join us - and I hope that you will - you will need to link your project in the comments section on the blog.  Unfortunately our blog organiser is ill at the moment.  Helen is doing a fabulous job of posting the blog but doesn't have enough access to the Linky tool.  Please bear with us and don't let it put you off joining. 

I love this card.  I got to use some scrap paper and that's always a bonus.  The butterfly is a stamp from Laurel Burch.  I was so pleased with it I made a couple more for my Church and Charity boxes.  Right, I'm off to work.  Please remember Cazro in your prayers.  We need her back on the blogs.

Thanks for reading. 

Love Dawn x

Leaf it out!

 Morning all.  I'm happy to report progress on my wrists.  The injections do seem to have worked.  I am still getting pain in my thumbs but the doctor did think that was another issue.  It's so nice to be able to craft after a days work instead of watching videos of other people doing it because your hands are so painful.  Thank you all for your lovely wishes and I particularly hope Sherri can get some relief for her wrists too.

Anyway, on to business.  We have a new challenge over at Cardz4guyz.  We are hanging onto Autumn and would love to see leaves on your projects please.

I cracked out a very old freebie stamp from a magazine and heat embossed the image onto some textured card that I had blended some distress ink onto.  I fussy cut them out and arranged them onto some pearlised card.  I did mat my panel on some metallic card I had in my scrap box before sticking it to my pre-embossed card blank.  I used some metallic dots to finish it off.  My hubby isn't keen on it but it did turn out similar to what I had in my head so I have to be fairly happy myself.

Please pop over to the blog and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

All Present and Correct - but just a bit late

 Evening all.  I've only just realised that it's the first of November.  Time for a new challenge over at Sparkle's Christmas Challenge. And what's even worse...it's my challenge.  Please can we see 'Presents' on your projects this month.  I used a very old See D's stamp set that I inherited from a friend when she moved house. I keep forgetting I've got it as I keep all the See D's sets in a separate drawer.

Because I've added foam dimension behind some of my presents it's gone a bit out of focus up one end.  I promise it looks so much better in real life.  You can't see it on my picture but my presents also have extra sparkle.  Well, if you can't sparkle at Christmas when can you?

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x