It's started! ...........

Happy Monday .........

It's a bit of a chilly one here.  We've had our first frost this morning ......... brrrrrr!  Winter is coming!

Did you have a nice weekend?  It was a bit of a quiet one here so I decided to round up all the Christmas decorations ready to make a start on the trees.

Ooops! It looks like the day we moved in, again ...... there's boxes everywhere!  

Have we really got that many baubles ..........

Apparently ..... yes we have!  

I did make a start ...... the first tree was up in no time and not a bauble in sight

Then Mr Buble arrived, and Lauren joined in, and the first decorated tree is done ...... I think!

Looking at it in the daylight it might just need a few extras here and there.

Anyway, enough of the trees, I've got two cards to share with you for the final challenges this year at CAS Mix Up and CAS Christmas

CAS Mix Up is a Stencil challenge this month with the theme .....Stencil Monoprinting

Here's a really quick and easy card using a stencil monoprint that I found in my stash, along with a pretty frame die from Penny Black

The print was done by applying Distress Inks directly from the ink pad onto the stencil, spritzing with a little water, and then laying the inky stencil down onto a piece of watercolour card.

Mop up any excess ink, gently lift the stencil, and voila!!  One piece of pretty printed cardstock.

I used the Penny Black die to ........ a) cut out the frame from the centre of a square of white card, and b) to cut the frame from the printed card.

I then placed the white die cut frame back into the square card and inlaid the coloured pieces to create the complete square.

  I mounted this on a larger square cardblank, added a simple sentiment and a few sparkly gemstones.

CAS Christmas is all about ...... Christmas Critters

You can't get much more CAS.  The background was an embossing folder with just a touch of added glitter

Stamped and die cut this little guy ......

Added some colour using ZIG Markers ....... stamped my sentiment on the bottom of the card and attached the polar bear off to the side

Another Christmas card done!

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.

It's time to sort through those boxes and get another tree done I think ......... are you ready Mr Buble!? 

Cheerio until next time ........

Products used:

CAS Mix Up

Stencil: Floral Layering Stencil (Tim Holtz)

Inks: Distress Inks - Aged Mahogany, Peeled Paint, Mustard Seed

Other: Framed die (Penny Black); Sentiment Strip (Simon Says Stamp); Self adhesive gems

CAS Christmas

Stamps: Polar Bear Pals (My Favourite Things); Christmas Time 3 (Tim Holtz) - for the sentiment

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Versafine - Crimson Red

Others: Polar Bear Pals Die-namics (My Favourite Things); Quickie Glue Pen; Fine Crystal Glitter; ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers

5 weeks today .........

Happy Friday ........

Yes, 5 weeks today and it will be Christmas Eve.  5 weeks!!!!!!!!!

I'm no where near organised yet ..... how about you?   It's a very slow process this year ...... I've still got all my cards to make!

I am playing along with the last CAS Christmas Card Challenge for 2021 so here's one more at least for the festive box

The theme is Christmas Critters, so out came the Penny Black stamps where I found this little cutie ..... 

His Christmas list looks a little bit like mine!

I stamped the sentiment first, just slightly off centre, using a red ink.  

I do love large Christmas sentiments, and this one is a real favourite ....... I love the different fonts.

I added a touch of sparkle to the word 'Christmas' using a glue pen and fine crystal glitter ..... not sure it comes across well in the photo but trust me, it looks so pretty when the light catches.

 I stamped my little critter off to the side and watercoloured him using Distress inks

I felt it needed a little something extra so, to finish off I added a few gold ink splatters ..... perfect!

I must say I am tempted to start decorating the Christmas trees ......... I helped Lauren with the one where she works yesterday so that kind of got me in the mood! 

We've nothing planned this weekend so maybe I'll start gathering all the boxes together, and then I can make a start.  Now where did I put all those new baubles!!!!!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day and have a lovely weekend.

Cheerio until next time ....... 

Products used:

Stamps: Chrsitmas Time 3 for the sentiment (Tim Holtz); Christmas Critters (Penny Black)

Inks: Versafine ink - Crimson Red; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Distress Inks to watercolour - Vintage Photo, Antique Linen; Delicata - Golden Glitz for the splatters

Other: Quickie Glue Pen; Fine Crystal Glitter

CAS Christmas Challenge ........

Good morning ....... Happy Friday!

How have you all been?  

We're settling into the new place nicely.  there's still a few jobs that need doing ...... hot tub needs connecting and we're STILL waiting for the internet!!!    I mean, how difficult can this be!!! I'm not really sure what the problem is.  Apparently, there's internet already at the property, we've had the necessary tech equipment delivered, all they need to do is flip a switch at their end, which I'm told could take 7 to 10 days, or longer!!!!  It's driving me crazy ........ you don't realise how much you use the internet these days.

Anyway, enough of all that.  We're out in the van for a couple of nights, having a change of scenery ....

We're down in Port Erin again, and guess what ...... the internet here is great so I thought I'd make the most of it!

I wanted to play along with this month's CAS Christmas Challenge ...... yes, the craft room is almost sorted and I managed to spend a little bit of time in there this week.

The theme is Decorations ...... and you all know how I love my Christmas baubles, so I had to play along.

I used the Baubles stamp set from Pink Ink Designs, and simply stamped the images onto my card using a black ink.

I then used a mix of watercolour paints and metallic ink to add just a touch of colour to the baubles

A few gold ink splatters and some dots of glitter here and there give a nice festive sparkle

I added a sentiment ......

And finished with a gel pen to 'hang' the baubles

I think I read somewhere that it's only 19 weeks until Christmas ..... eeek! how did that happen!?

I need to start thinking about where the tree will go in the new house!

No more festive thoughts today though ....... it's a lovely here, and the locals are not too bad

We're off for a stroll in the sunshine now, and an early lunch I think.

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day, and have a lovely weekend.

Cheerio until next time .......

 

Products used:

Stamps:  Baubles (Christmas Series) - Pink Ink Designs; Sentiment from my stash

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Delicata - Golden Glitz

Others: Watercolour paints (Altenew); Quickie Glue Pen; Fine crystal glitter; Clear Stardust Gel Pen

CAS Christmas Challenge ........

Happy Saturday .......

Thank goodness it's the weekend.

I'm going a little festive again today with another card for this month's  CAS Christmas Challenge ...... 

This little guy has been sat patiently all week waiting to be blogged.

I love this JOFY snowman ........ he's simply stamped and heat embossed in white, onto a piece of Kraft cardstock (I do like white on Kraft!)

I used Prismacolor pencils to colour him in, with a few touches of ZIG marker here and there (his carrot nose, arms, the band on his hat, and the tiny holly leaves)

I added a touch of sparkle to the baubles with a sprinkling of fine crystal glitter ...... everyone needs sparkly baubles at Christmas!

The sentiment sits nicely underneath .......

And to finish, I added a few dots of falling snow using a white gel pen, and I also doodled a stitched border around the edge 

 

I must admit I'm not really thinking about Christmas at the moment, not with the week I'm having!  

Now, you know me, I don't mind change ....... but really! ........ this week (sigh!) ........ it's been doing my head in!!!

  

Monday ....... I was getting in the holiday mood,  making plans for our first big adventure in the van. 

 

Tuesday (morning) ......... I get an email from our landlord to say he's putting the house on the market!  Funnily enough we've been looking at property recently and thinking about moving (again!) ..... itchy feet and all that but, suddenly it's become more of a reality. 

 OK, that's not a problem, we've done it before .... time for another clear out!

Tuesday (pm) ........ we had seen a house that we quite liked the look of, so hubby rang and made arrangements to view.

In the meantime I'm making many lists, and starting to prep the van.

Wednesday ....... government press conference is tomorrow with regards to border changes etc.  

The plan was our borders were hopefully being opened fully on June 28th, for both residents and non-residents, with all restrictions being lifted.  

However, because of the new Delta variant being in the UK, and infection numbers on the rise again, we knew that there was a good chance that this would not be happening.  

It was announced that government were proposing that our borders would remain as they are at the moment except that people who had had both of their vaccinations (both IOM residents and non- residents) would be allowed to travel freely to and from the island, assuming they had had their vaccines at least two weeks before arriving here ...... they're calling it the 2+2 stage!

OK that's fine ..... hubby and I are having our second vaccine on Monday next week,  only a week before we are due to travel I know,  but we checked and that's fine, it just means that we would still have to isolate when we came back, and get a test on day 2.  Not a problem. we could do that.

So at this point we're still going on our trip (yeah!), viewing a possible new house and, something else we've been looking forward to ......... we had a table booked in the evening at the new Japanese restaurant in Castletown

I say new, it's been open a while now you just can't get a table is so busy!  And after eating there I can understand why ....... the food is amazing!

We had a lovely meal ........ the little man tried everything ....... even the sashimi!

He was braver than me ...... I like my food cooked!  Sushi I can eat, but not sashimi.  I did try the eel though ....... still deciding about that one

We will definitely be back ..... when we can get a table!

So, we get to Thursday and we go to view this property we've found ........... it's perfect! 

Now the current property market on the island is moving very quickly so we decided to put the wheels in motion with a view to moving sooner rather that later.  But hey!  aren't we're going off island for two weeks soon?  When would I pack up the current house!!!!???  And then, there's the possibility of having to isolate when we come back, I could pack up everything then I suppose.  But of course there's a worse case scenario ....... what if we test positive!!!!  OMG!!! More isolation.  

Now we have many decisions to make .......... I don't know if I'm coming or going. 

Friday was just a blur ..... I can't think straight anymore! 

I do think the sensible thing to do is put off the van trip, and concentrate on the move, assuming everything goes according to plan of course!

There's going to be a few of these over this weekend ...... well it is Fathers' Day on Sunday

Thanks for popping by ..... sorry about the long post!  Enjoy your weekend

Cheerio until next time ......

Products used:

Stamps: JOFY 58 (PaperArtsy)

Inks: Versamark ink; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Other: White fine detail Embossing Powder (WOW!); Prismacolor pencils; ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers; Fine Crystal Glitter; Quickie Glue Pen; White Gel Pen 

May's CAS Christmas Challenge .....

Happy Thursday .......

At least I think it's Thursday ........ it's one of those strange weeks again when I'm never quite sure what day it is.  Bank Holidays at the beginning of the week always confuse me!!!

The festive stamps are back on my desk, which means I'm playing along with this month's CAS Christmas Challenge

Foliage and berries ..... very festive, and I found the perfect little stamp just waiting in my stash to be inked.

I was feeling brave so I stamped the image directly onto my card blank ...... one layer cards great for posting, not always the easiest, or the quickest cards to create! (this was my third attempt .... and I used my MISTI!!!! ...... sigh!  It seems my crafty mojo is still not up to scratch!)

It looks black in the photo but, I did stamp using a dark brown ink

I then used a small brush and Distress Ink to add the colour over the foliage, and a ZIG marker to colour the berries.

I stamped the ribbon on the top using a gold ink ......

and added my sentiment underneath, all of which came in the same little stamp set

To finish off, I added some Christmas sparkle with a little bit of fine crystal glitter

I think it felt like Christmas in parts of the island over the weekend, some places had snow and hailstone, and it was a little bit on the chilly side.  Luckily we didn't get any of that whilst we were out in the van. We had a nice few days, although it did get a little cold towards the end of the weekend and it was raining on the Monday but we were heading home so that was fine.

Since then we've started to book our first trip this year, across to the UK, in the van.  

We've decided to head south, to somewhere we're familiar with as it's our first long trip ........ we're off to the Cotswolds at the end of June. We've sort of planned a route, spending a few days with family first and then we're off!! It's going to be an adventure!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time ....... 

Products used:

Stamps: nature's decor (Penny Black)

Inks: Versafine Clair - Fallen Leaves; Distress Ink - Rustic Wilderness; Delicata - Golden Glitz

Other: ZIG Clean Color Brush Marker (red shade); Quickie Glue Pen; Fine Crystal glitter