Poinsettia Christmas card.

Hello Folks. Its been a terrible day here and so dark all day too.  However, I'm feeling so much better to-day .  Most of you will know by now that one of my longest blogging friends Redanne has taken a fall and is in hospital a long way from home.  My thoughts are with her and her husband who had just attended a family wedding when this happened.  So please keep Anne in your prayers for a speedy recovery and hopefully maybe will be moved to somewhere nearer home. She is the kindest, sweetest person you'd ever wish to meet and I'm sure most of you have known Anne as one of the most loyal bloggers too ,as she always finds time to comment on so many blogs.  Thinking of You Anne.
My card to-day is a Christmas card for the box. The stamp is from Heartfelt Creations and cut with the Spellbinders poinsettia die.. I,m pleased to have another one finished.  Take Care Everyone.  Hugs Rita xxx

Gift Box ( 2 ) and a Bag

Hello Folks, and I hope that all of you are keeping safe.  Terrible destruction down south and I hope that none of you were involved.  We did have gale force winds last night ,but nothing compared to the pictures on this mornings news. .
Just a quick post to let you see my second gift box that I tweaked in a few places, mainly the lid of the box.  I did enjoy the challenge, even though it took me forever to work it out.  My decoration was made because I rather liked the colour of the netting that was from Garlic ( I think ). So I made some flowers and used Aged Mahogany to colour them and it looked perfect.

This morning I found time to make a little gift bag, perfect size for little treats.  The tutorial was done  by my lovely friend Astrid and worked out so beautifully.   Thank-You Astrid.  I also attended the surgery to-day as the Dr wanted to have some blood tests done and I also had my flu jab at the same time.  Thanks for looking at my projects and listening to my ramblings.  Keep safe and Well and look after yourselves. x

Gift Box

Hello Folks.  I'm sorry for not being able to blog very much this week. I'm struggling with a lung infection thats affecting my breathing.  But I am on antibiotics and still have 2 to take.  However, I managed in to my craft room to-day and produced my first hexagon box.  Not the easiest of boxes to make I have to say, as I wanted mine to have a lid,  so to the drawing board and managed to sort one out.  I will have to make a few more before I'm entirely happy with my design.  If anyone has a full proof way of making this style of box maybe they can help me.  As its my first I'm pleased enough with it, but it took a long time to make. 
60 days to go till the man with the Red suit arrives and I still have lots to do as I am making some craft items for Carolyn's first craft fair.on the 6th December.
Remember to put the clocks back to-night.     Hugs Rita xxxxx

Red Cardinal Christmas card

Hello Folks.  Not long back from a hospital appointment believe it or not it was for 7.10 to-night.  So I am  later than usual with my post.   This is just a regular 5" x 7" card as I felt this Just-Rite stamp was the right size and shape.  I stamped and embossed it with Ranger super fine detail in gold and stamped the bird again so I could decoupage it and I coloured it with promarkers before adding some holly dies and some ribbons.  One for the box I think. 
I hope that everyone going to the Hobbycraft Show in Glasgow enjoy  themselves.  I usually go with my friend Jan, but she is going through chemo at the moment ,so I'll spend some time with her instead.
Take Care.  Hugs to All.  Rita xxxxx

Birthday Card

Hello Folks.  Well my lovely family have now gone home and the house is so quiet without them. In fact Carolyn dropped me off at Annie's yesterday as we were having another Craft Day with our dear friend Astrid.  However, I only managed a few hours, before I had to leave as the painter was coming to stain the wood in the hall before the painting and ceilings get done.  But I had a great few hours with the girls, doing some tags and new techniques. Our next outing will a Christmas lunch in Glasgow at the beginning of December. Where on earth has this year gone.

My card today is the second 21st Birthday card for the same girl as before.  Another 8 X 8 card in a wallet this time. Its one I have used before and I really like it as its decoupaged, but sorry to say it has not shown up very well. I covered the butterfly with coloured gems of different sizes just to add some bling to the card.

  I need to spend to-morrow putting my craft room back in order as Hamish was doing a World War 1 trench project for school.  So lots of mess to clean up.  Molly and Hamish both learned to knit and Molly also learned to crochet a granny square.  It was so nice to see them doing something different instead of the I-Pads getting over used.   They went away still knitting their scarves.   Hope to make a start on my Christmas cards this week too.  Time is running away from me now.   Hugs Rita xxxx

Card Bag and Another Lace Shawl

Hello Again Folks.  I feel I have been running in never ending race to-day.  However, I have caught up with things, and here is the bag to match yesterday's card.  I also made another bag to go with the second 21st card for the same girl.   To-morrow will be a cooking and baking day as the family arrive early on Wednesday morning.  Who knows what I'll get up to in the days they are here, but I'll let you know at some point..   I also finished my second  lace shawl in a Sage colour, but I'd say its khaki really.  I've already started a Shetland fir cone lace shawl for my next project.  I'm only knitting these at night, because I really have to concentrate.   Loving all the posts at the moment and I'm always inspired by the talented people out there.    Please look after yourselves as I may not be able to get in touch till the week-end.
Lots of Hugs Rita xxxx

21st Birthday Card

Hello my dear blogging friends.   I hope you are getting some sun where ever you are, as we in the West of Scotland  don't have any today.  Its dry, so that is something I suppose.  To-day, my card was a commission for a 21st Birthday card.  Its another 8 X 8  as I feel they look more special done in this size. My theme was pink and white as you can see. I used black card for the background and then layered it with pink paper from my stash, the white card was put through and embossing folder.  I then added a strip of black to highlight, before adding the die cuts.  To that I added a 21 that I blinged up with some gems and pearls before adding the black memory box swirls.
 My bow was made using crushed silk ribbon and a diamante heart.   It actually looks much better in situ so to speak as the light was too bright  and it looks a bit ' skee wiff' I  think. But it really is straight.  Still got the Bag/Box to make.
I hope you are all having a nice Sunday whatever your'e doing.   Hugs Rita xxxx

Wedding Card and Wallet

Hello Folks. Hope you are all doing fine, and those of you a bit under the weather I hope you all feel better soon.  My vertigo has returned this week, so I'm back on my medication for that, and thankfully today has been a lot better.
This was a commission card and wallet for a Wedding next week.  Its White on White and definately not easy to photograph. However, it was very much loved by the Aunt who asked for the card.
  Carolyn ,Hamish and Molly are coming through for a few days next week as the schools are on holiday. So we are both looking forward to that.  Children seem to have a magic about them that cheers everyone up a bit.   I managed to do my Friday chores to-day as to-morrow I'm off to visit my best friend Jan before she has her next chemo session at the beginning of next week.  3 more to go and that will at least be that part finished with.  She is doing well and being very positive about it all.    Hope you all have a super week-end and I'll get round all the blogs over the weekend.  Hugs Rita xxxx

Finnabair Workshop - Part Two

Hello Again Folks.  Thank-You so much for All the lovely comments left on my previous post, it gives me such a lift when others like what youv'e done.
Today I'd like to show you my second piece that was done in the afternoon ( 4hours).  It was a page showing all the different techniques that we learned, with Anna as our tutor ,we could not go wrong.  I chose a photograph of my dear mother when she was a young woman and had just left her island home in Islay to come to the mainland and work in service as they did in those days.  I'm sure she would love what I've done and hopefully I did her justice too.  She loved her pearls and really was rarely seen without them, so that is why I chose them to enhance my mixed media page.  I know I will be doing more of this work in the future as I enjoyed it so much.   Very Inky and Very messy to say the least, but we had eaten a lovely lunch provided by Anni and Yvonne at the Damselfy and Queen Bee where the workshop took place.   We all hope that Anna will return as everyone wanted to learn more.   Off to finish a wedding order. 

My Wonderful Day with Finnabair

Hello again Folks.   After looking forward to my day spent at a workshop by Finnabair, aka Anna Dabrowska,. it's now been and gone as if it was all a dream.  This was Anna's first time in Scotland.   The class itself was fabulous, from 9.00 am till after 6.30 at night, but what a day it was.   Anni and Yvonne at Damselfly Crafts could not have done it better.  They provided us with lots of Tea, Coffee and cakes and a really tasty lunch as well.  Thank-You ladies.  We started in the morning with a canvas collage and I learned so much from this very talented young woman.  Lots of techniques that I heard about ,but had never used. She made it such fun and actually created a canvas along with us, taking us through every step as she went along.   I could not believe I could create anything like this.  Just goes to show how wrong we can be about our own work.  I would definately recommend a class with Anna, if ever you get the chance.

We had an hour for lunch, and that also gave us time to browse at Anna;s wonderful creations and have a look around the shop itself.  Then we had the afternoon class to look forward to too, and it was really more intense than the morning one as it was a mixed-media page.   I loved every minute of my day and Annie and I went home ,very tired ,but very happy, with the result I have only done the neccessary chores today as I felt really tired.  

The first picture is my Canvas Collage using a photograph

 

 This is Anna and I showing our Mixed Media work.

 I still have some bits to complete on my second piece ,so I'm sorry it will have to wait till another day.,  Thank-you for looking

Autumn Leaves

Well, the last few days have been so miserable here in my liitle part of the world.   But at least it has let me get on with some of my family Christmas makes.  My younger daughter is doing her first craft fair on the 7th December and Annie and I are helping her out.  So life is really busy just now in one way or another. 
However, I did find time to make a size 10 tag in an Autumn theme,  as I love the beautiful gold and rust coloured leaves at this time of year, I decided I'd like to make my tag. 
I used some structure paste and stencils to give it some texture before I coloured with paint. The deer at the foot of the tag was done using a napkin ( a tip from my lovely friend Astrid  )   The flowers were part of my stash that I had forgotten about, but I added a swirl and gave it some gilding wax treatment and I liked the display of colours.  The little twig at the top I found whilst out for a walk, and added the wooden bird from Artistic Stamper.  I inked up some ribbon and crushed it a bit to tie on to my tag.
On Saturday Annie and I are off to Glasgow for a workshop with Finnabair  (Anna Dabrowska )  so we are looking forward to that very much.
 Please all keep well and take good care of yourselves.   Hugs Rita xxxx