Christmas is approaching Beware of cute animals

 How fast has this year gone?!?!? I know time is supposed to pass faster as you get older but DAMN!!! An entire year in 5 minutes......I want a recount!!

Well on the plus side we are still preparing for Christmas over at Fab'n'Funky challenges. Our latest challenge is.....

Christmas Animals

Yes cute little Christmas creatures, the cuter the better 😉

 Of course this meant digging out and brushing off a firm favourite stamp set of mine, For the Love of Stamps - Furry & Bright

 Aren't they just the cutest little guys

 

 

 

 I have definitely gotten into CAS (Clean And Simple) card-making this year, although I'm not sure how strictly CAS they are.

This little set of Christmas card had multiple masking layers.

I always start with my main character (creating a mask on a sticky note), once that's stamped and the amsk is on I work out what & where. In this case it was the presents next as I wanted them to be in front of the tree, these then needed masks. Finally I stamped the tree.

So this is why I'm not 100% sure these are full CAS, technically they aren't that simple. For seasoned card-makers it would be so simple, but if you're new to card-making is it?

 Hmmm, maybe a video tutorial is in order.........I've not done a youtube one in some time.......

Oh alright you twisted my arm, I'll make one this afternoon, edit it tomorrow morning and hopefully have a link up here by tomorrow afternoon. 

You're so demanding........😁

Back tomorrow

Hugs & Happy thoughts

Buffy xx

Feeling Blue but maybe not

 I know a bit of a confusing title, but you know me, never really fitted with convention 😉

So the challenge at Fab'n'Funky challenges is

"Shades of Blue"

 You may use any colour of blue you wish...from pastel to navy...and even turquoise blues.

Seasons Greetings

So we are getting into the swing over at Fab'n'Funky challenges.............

 

Our challenge this fortnight is 

Seasons Greetings

So it can be Christmassy or Thanks giving-ish but it has 

to be obvious

 (but if you are feeling a little ghoulish....go for it)

 

I've gone with a winter scene

I used the centre of the stencil and white shimmer ink, once done I stamped inside the leaf to create my winter scene. I then used a white marker to add snow.

I wanted to stamp te sentiment in white butafter several practise tries on a scrap of card which kept smudging, I relented and just used a momento tuxedo black inkpad.

 

Since we are talking seasons greetings, Hubby and I went for a walk round our neighbourhood the other day and this was definitely the nicest example of the new season we came across

Such wonderful golden tones, really brings a smile when you can see what nature can do.

Hugs & Happy thoughts

Buffy xx

Your head is where the Hapiness is (or coping with Adulting)

I mentioned on wednesday that I was out of sorts and was going to enter 2 competions next year, to prove to myself that I can go out into the big wide world too.

For those of you that don't know me you are probably thinking, aah she's a stay-at-home mum. Well, NO, I've worked most of my adult life and only gave up a few years ago to improve my health and help my eldest daughter with my granddaughter.(Bundle of joy and mischeif, slightly old photo, she's nearly 3 now)

I just find more and more that I'm not me anymore, so this is now my new journey of discovery, and you are welcome to join me.

I have had real troubles with being creative recently and that is definitely NOT normal for me. And that is when I heard the alarm bell ring "NOT normal for me".

Most of us go about our lives with the odd alarm bell going off but we carry on and ignore it, and that is a thing I have done in the past to. When we're younger life is hectic and busy and full of all sorts of things that don't always allow us to stop and take note of ourselves. 

The big question is "Do you hear yourself sometimes?" 

Now I don't mean a comment you have made to someone that maybe you shouldn't, I mean YOU do you hear YOU?

 Because if we listen every now and then, we will hear ourselves say "this isn't normal for you". 

And it's not talking about you doing some extreme activity or streaking through the cricket match with your top off 

(no, sorry to disappoint but I've never done that, I'm affraid an over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder is required at all times 🙈),

 it's talking about all the little things you love but you're not doing. The things that normally bring you joy.

SO.....challenges were needed......hence

Quilt & Stitch Village contest

&

Foundations Revealed competion

 

I entered the Quilt & Stitch village last year ( this post ) but I don't think I put my whole heart into it, but this time it has to be. I would so love to win a ribbon (a third place would be fabulous, I'm not greedy).

The hardest part of any challenge is where to start, for those of you who follow my blog you'll know I  have a little design book where I make scratchy sketches of what I want to make. Show you those next friday.

OUT IN THE BIG WORLD part I - Then comes the "finding fabric" part of it, I was hoping to go to Abakhan in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday with my sister-in-law (she's nutty-as-a-fruitcake and I love her to bits), unfotunately she got all her times muddled and we couldn't go.  

If you've never been to an Abakhan and there is one nearish to you I highly recommend you go. They have bins of off-cuts that you purchase by weight and I can honestly say, I've found some fabulous bargains.

So I trotted along to The Sewing Barn, just off the A52 near Ashborne. It was a lovely little shop

Daughters room is Kiwi Crush and Javan Dawn 3 (blue and green for us lesser mortals). I had a colour swatch with me and the lovely lady helped me find these. 

So I'm going to work on my design sketch of how I hope this will look.

BUT REMEMBER - if you aren't doing the little thing that brings you joy then try getting back into it, the world won't stop because you decided to spend an hour doing something that bring calmness and joy into your day/week.

And if motivation to do that thing is the problem then enter a challenge/contest/competion. Maybe it's just the motivation you need. Plus doing something that scares you is highly liberating and deeply satisfying.

If you like the idea of making this a regular sharing post then leave a comment below. Together we can achieve anything.

Hugs & Happy thoughts

Buffy xx