Easter Baskets

Hello Everyone.  Another week-end gone and the next one is Easter.   Hope the weather improves as its really cold and windy today.
Here are the four baskets I made for an order that I got last week after giving one to my hairdresser so they could share in a chocolate treat.   These four I did with different papers again to the first one.  Easy to make and I used Craftwork cards paper for all of them.  Off to the sewing machine now as I have quite a few birthday presents to make this month.   I feel as if I'm chasing my tail all the time.   Hope you all have a pleasant day.   Hugs Rita xxx

Christmas Card Club. Challenge 7: Critter or Critters

Hello again,  well  another 2 weeks have passed since our last CCC,  and now we are at challenge 7 and our dear Maureen has chosen Critter or Critters.   Years ago now I fell in love with all things House Mouse and so it was only right that my card for this challenge was to be a Christmas house mouse card.   I used a 6 X 6 recycled card for my base and added some matching paper.   The dies were cut from recycled card and a jolly red card to give it some colour.   My stamp was from House Mouse designs and I coloured it using promarkers.    I used treasured gold to highlight the candlestick,  but sadly it doesn't show up very well.   I added a double gingham bow to the finished card.     Aren't the months just passing so fast, but at least my Christmas card box is filling quickly.   Speak to you all soon.      Hugs Rita xxxx

Wedding Card

Good Afternoon to my friends and followers,  hopefully you have enjoyed a nice day with lots of spring sunshine.   If not I hope you feel better soon.
My card today was a commission for a wedding card and this is what I created.   It was 8 X 8 white hammered card and I layered it with white centura pearl that I embossed before I added one of Sue Wilsons dies and finished it off with pearls.   Thankfully once again it was just what was required,   it is always nice to get good feedback . 
Today, I took along my basket to the hairdressers and low and behold I came home with an order for 4 , so that will keep me busy for a while,  it certainly gave my confidence a lovely boost too.    My Shetland Cobweb wool scarf is growing quite quickly now too,  as I only do it in the evening and as I chose a very intricate pattern and of course reading from a chart slows you down quite a lot.    Enjoy your evening whatever your doing.    Hugs Rita xxxx

An Easter Basket

Hi to all my favourite people.   Hope you are enjoying a nice relaxing Sunday.   I have Dinner prepared and washing done , so hopefully I can have some Me time this afternoon.    This was my first attempt at this basket and I think it will be a favourite for any season of the year.   Easy to construct from a Dutch Doobadoo template.  I bought mine from Tracy at Noor design.    I filled it with sweets and I will give this one to my hairdresser and they can all get share.   I used cream hammered card 350 gsm for the main design,  and Teresa Collins papers that I distressed for the finish,  added to this some Ivy flourish by Sue Wilson and some sweet roses that I distressed a little with ripe persimmon DI.      Lots of Hugs to All of you for bearing with me .   Hugs Rita xxxx

A Knitted Cowl and A Lovely Day Out

Hi Folks,   Hope you are all well and enjoying the last few sunny days.   As you know Annie took me out to lunch yesterday as part of my Mother's Day gift,  and of course I did not know where I was going,  even all my guesses were wrong.  However,  staying in Ayrshire we visited the village where our national bard was born, yes, the wonderful Robert Burns,  known in Ayrshire as Rabbie Burns.  We had lunch in the Brig O' Doon Hotel and after some fabulous food and wine,  we went for a walk about in the stunning gardens.   It certainly brought back lots of memories for me as young woman I sang lots of his songs at concerts and suppers.    A most Wonderful day and we both enjoyed some precious time together.   I have added some pictures  along with the second cowl I knitted for Carolyn,  Annie got the first one and had it on before I took a picture,  it was knitted in Sublime Tweed wool and Llama mix.  Both wools were from  Love Knitting.    Hope you enjoy seeing the area that we are lucky enough to call home.   Hugs Rita xxxx

Izzy Gift Bag

Hello Again,   I decided I needed to finish my first Izzy Bag.   The instructions for this is given on Sue Wilson's Blog.   It was freely given by Izzy herself and I first saw them on my friend Patricias Blog ,  well worth a look as she makes the most beautiful things.   Not hard to make at all once you have made the first one.   I really enjoyed making this bag,  but again it was left on the shelf whilst Mr Mojo went into hibernation.   Today I am putting the finishing touches to a wedding card and feel a lot better than I have done in ages.   Not that I ever stop crafting,  I am knitting a cobweb lace Shetland scarf and its taking a while,  I also knitted 2 cowl scarves after seeing them on my friend  Kates blog.   I am off out for a special lunch tomorrow with my lovely daughter Annie as part of my Mother's day treat.  I was thoroughly spoiled on Sunday by all three children and I feel so grateful to all of them.    Better go and prepare the dinner now and I'm off to the hairdresser tomorrow as well, badly needing a trim.    Take Care everyone and Thank You all for geeing me along when I needed it most.    Hugs Rita xxxx

CCC Challenge 6: Anything Goes

Good Morning Everyone.  Happy Mothers Day to All you lovely people.  Even if you are not a Mother, I'm sure you will have played the mother role in some way or another too.  So I hope you enjoy your day.
You will have noticed that I have not been posting recently and the truth be told I just don't have what it takes at the moment to make any cards etc.  I did think about taking a rest from blogging , but I think maybe that would be the wrong thing to do.  So please bear with me till I find my missing mojo again.
I have spent about 5 hours in my craft room , thinking what to do and this is the best I could come up with. 
Our lovely member and friend Sylvie chose the the theme for this fortnight and luckily for me it was " Anything Goes ".    It is an 8 x 8 card made from cream linen card that I matted and layered with a deep red paper. so my colours were set at least.   I do love this stamp, so I decided to emboss it with Versamark ink and gold embossed it.  My favourite Poinsettias are from Ribbon Girl and I used some card candy to finish it.    I 'd like to think that the next challenge sees me back to creating again.   Thank You again for All the lovely comments you leave on my Blog as every one is so much appreciated.    Hugs Rita xxxx

Altered Bottles

Hello Everyone.   Here we are into another month and the sun is shining in between snow showers,   but now we are officially in to Spring.    
Well,  today I am showing you my first Altered Bottles that I started whilst spending a crafty day with Annie & Astrid just over a week ago,   Now to them this comes easily as they are both very much in to mixed media art and to me,  well, I hadn't a clue.   The only bottles I could find were a Maple Syrup bottle and a very tall slim Olive Oil bottle, so I took them along and hoped that maybe I could alter them in some way.   I really should have taken before and after pictures and then you could see the changes take place.   I coated both bottles with gesso and after it dried,  I used some texture paste and crackle medium to give my bottles some texture.   Allow it to dry and paint with your chosen paint etc.   The rest I did at home after leaving them to dry overnight.   The fun part was adding my decorative features and of course I just couldn't stop.  The top of the smaller one was made from a large wooden ball from my stash and the top for the tall one was made from metal flowers.    I really enjoyed do this and now look forward to doing some arty things as a change from cards.   Lots of pictures on this post too.    Hope you like what I've done.   My time in the next few days will be taken up with hospital visits, so I may not get on again this week.   Waiting for my PC guy to arrive and hopefully get me working again at full speed.      Take Care.    Hugs Rita xxxx

Christmas Clard Club. Challenge 5: Poinsettias

Hello Folks,  Another 2 weeks have gone and it's time for challenge 5 at the CCC.   Our Darling Dutchess chose this one and a lovely choice it was too.   My stamp is one I have had for many years and it is from Elusive Images that is now Chocolate Baroque.   I embossed it on to silk card with versamark and embossed it with gold EP.    I then coloured it with Promarkers in three shades of red and fininshed them off with a random coat of glossy accents.   It is matted and layered with dark red and gold card.    I added a few gemstones to the snowflakes along with some corners.    Finished it off with a lovely gold bow.    My main computer needs attention, so my lovely young man who sees to it when things go wrong is coming on Monday.    Guess What,  we got a phone call from the hospital late yesterday to tell us that Andrew will have his first knee done on Wednesday.  He has to be in hospital for 7 am,  so an early start to our day.   Hopefully this is it as my patience is begging to run out. 
  Enjoy your week end and I'll be back on Tuesday with something different to share.    Thank You again for all your lovely comments as that is what it makes it all worthwhile.  Hugs Rita xxxxx