Hand Crafted Birthday Cards

I really do appreciate all the lovely hand crafted cards I received for my birthday so I thought I'd share them here and no doubt give you lots of inspiration in the process.

Ann B's is a sewing theme where she makes an excellent result experimenting with her new Pan Pastels. Thanks Ann... I love the colour combo too!

Alison CB chose a Parisien theme for her lovely easel card. Thanks Alison, I love the use of real stamps on it.

Carmel's gorgeous poppy is on acetate and layered over an alcohol ink background. Thanks Carmel, it's gorgeous and I love poppies!

Thanks Dot for your lovely photo image stamped card. Very subtle classy shades

Thanks Enid! Some good ideas here with bunting and the way the bottom "Just for You" message pops out.

Great use of die cuts here from Glenys in black and white. 

Thanks Gill, and as ever you specialise in Asian beauties.

Fabulous alcohol inks frame, in my fave colour purple, houses the die cut cage and bird, and my thanks go to Helen. 

Thanks to Jacqui for this lovely silhouette on a shaded background.

Thanks for a giggle to Janice B... a great fun card! 

Janet W has made an expert job of these TH butterflies with, I think, Distress pens. Thanks Janet!

Joyce coloured this lovely flower on acetate and mounted and layered it so effectively. Thanks Joyce!

A lovely lady from Leo! Very stylish too, Thanks Leo!

Thanks for this classic lavender card with Flower Soft from Linda E.  

This card looks even better for real as it is stamped on soft silky mulberry paper and has a hint of mica. Thanks to Lynne W who made it for me.

Thanks to Mary G in America who kindly remembered my birthday and sent me this wacky toucan tag. The stamp is one of Sue Coccia's amazing Animal Spirit Designs and thanks so much to Mary who also sent me a Woolly Mammoth stamp from the same range.

I must get the Lynne Perrella stamps pretty soon from PaperArtsy and I love this one that Neet used so effectively. Thanks Neet ... I love the tiny details that can'tbe easily seen here.

As I've listed in alphabetical order it's now last but not least with a shabby chic special in shades of white with big thanks to Paul B. 

Paul is an expert in making fabulous paper flowers, and I love it and the butterfly too!

WOYWW 159

I almost forgot to post for WOYWW as I almost got the days mixed up due to just getting home from Germany.

 It has been my birthday this week and we had a super day out at a National Trust property then last night a fabulous meal out with friends. The food was fantastic but we made our own atmosphere as, due to there being an England match on TV, this little gem of a restaurant, (which I'm told by our friends is usually packed out), was empty so we had it entirely to ourselves!

WOYWW 158/9

I couldn't get internet connection last week so here's the work desk I would have shown..... We were in Bar Central so DH could watch the football!!! It was hard work for me sitting there but I managed a stein or two.

Spent quality time with our little fraulein blowing giant bubbles and I just had to show you the delightful playhouse her Papa made for her. My work desk was also their dining table where I made red check curtains for it with trims of ric rac braid.

My other work desk was my lap, this cosy chair, and a view over high stepped German rooftops where I finished off the cotton cardigan I had started in England before we left. 

The inspiration for the pockets and sleeves to be trimmed with crochet flowers came thanks to Lucy of the wonderful blog Attic24. She hooks such beautiful treasures in vibrant colours. It was such good fun to make.

Every button is different and there is a green mouse, a lady bird, a clock, flowers and a butterfly.

Made a hat to match with a special wide brim to shade her neck. I put flowers on clippy hair slides so the brim could be turned up and they can also be changed to match if the hat is worn with different outfits.

A detail on the back

Larger flowers created pockets and I added a butterfly on a cord in one of them which was a novelty for the little'un to hide and pull out.

I took two blankets with me, made especially as gifts for them, but I finished all the ends of this one whilst I was there.

Still playing catch up with unpacking and washing etc., as birthday treats have intervened but I'll get there!.Only a couple of weeks before I'm off again to visit a far off WOYWWer friend with another WOWWer friend ... all will be revealed soon... it's soooo exciting!   

If you wonder why I'm showing my alternative work desks at all then the answer will be revealed courtesy of our lovely leader Julia at stamping ground blog where lots and lots and lots of lovely crafters have fun revealing their "arty all" each week. Pop on over to join the blog hop! I'm on my way!

Germany, Shopping, Spargel & Breakfast

We're back home from our trips to visit our lovely family branches first in Brighton then to Germany and we already miss them so much.

Here's the start of some tasters of German life in a really pretty, reasonably small, bustling town. 

Off shopping today to my favourite supermarket which opens out extensively behind this ancient facade and is bursting with so many items that I'd never find in England.

Always bikes! 

Side view with the supermarket to my right and even more bikes!

Market day in the main square with the Rathaus (town hall) overseeing procedures.

Spargel, spargel, spargel, everywhere. Sold seasonally in the market and served in every form in every cafe and restaurant. Shame I can't stand it!

This is the machine which prepares it, stripping and washing it ready for use. All the shredded peelings in racks at the front.

It is fed into one side and caught at the other 

The little children line up to have a go feeding in the Asparagus. I bet "Health & Safety" wouldn't allow this in England without a safety guard!

Going out for breakfast is a pastime I really enjoy when I visit Germany. Here is a basic breakfast of boiled eggs, bread, cheese, salami, coffee and juice which we were lucky enough to eat outside in lovely sunshine.

If men aren't married by the age of 30 it is customary that their friends drag them around the town where they are made to brush the streets and push a barrow (usually full of beer).

Back to some crafting.... that's the main compensation of being home!

Waddeston Visit

En route home from Brighton we stopped off for a birthday lunch for DH at Waddesdon Manor in Aylesbury.

 Classed as one of the jewels in the crown of the National Trust it really is a place for a full day's visit as there is so much to see. Built in the 1870s to house the  many treasures of the Rothschild family and to entertain their many aristocratic friends.

What looks like a chandelier above the main entrance door is an interesting artwork.  

Close up view reveals thousands of interlocked, tiny, acrylic figures.

The sculpture trail in the gardens was so interesting......

this piece I have seen somewhere before....

Here it is in situ....

Love is all you need!

I thought this was a sculpture  but it was only a contemporary garden seat

Snapped this lady mimicking the pose of Anthony Gormley's iron man. Arms outstretched but still similar to the 100 of his figures situated on the beach near my home.

Moon Dog by Tony Smith... Interesting, but I didn't get this one at all..........

This was a favourite as I found the reflected images in the polished, concave, scooped out, circles of granite just fascinating. It shimmered and constantly changed with the movement of people, the light, the skies etc.

This filigree rusted truck was a great crowd puller and in front was a colourful formal flower bed planted with a Union Flag and messages, especially for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. 

These "dollops" of bronze amazingly almost took on characters as they each seemed to have expressions of their own!

The giant teapot "Pavillon de The" by Joana Vasconcelos was well situated on the front lawn and there was a honeysuckle plant growing inside which would eventually intertwine the filigree pot.

Nobody had a good word about this huge packet of cigarettes which bisected a giant wooden chair, entitled "Bad Timing and Lamb Chop". Title and subject really need to be explained!

This is one I prepared earlier but I'll be home from Germany Sunday, i.e., tomorrow.

Sat  31st Agust 2013!!! Hello Mountain Ash , I hope I've caught you in time to thank you for popping by my blog so often and I'd love you to leave me a comment. your visitsa are a mystery but appreciated just the same!

Jo

WOYWW 157

I've just returned from Brighton so things are hectic as I try to catch up. I've received some lovely ATCs and cards in honour of WOYWW's 3rd Birthday and I've sent off 15 ATCs to those picked in my draw (but I did send one to Julia too). Thanks to Annie, Jo, Donna and Trish who sent these fabulous ATCs to me as it was such a joy to open the mail when I arrived home. It's great to have an extra birthday even if it isn't mine! 

Thanks also to those who have written after receipt of mine.

Message to Vicky... your atc will be in the post asap as I now have your address thanks to Julia! 

All this came about thanks to the weekly expose of our work spaces, the brainchild of our illustrious Julia of the stamping ground, where our numbers have reached around a staggering 200.... call in and spot the messy ones, (like me), and marvel at the tidiness of the special few.

My desk this week is in the midst of making a special 60th Birthday card for a friend of one of my DDs. The birthday lady is a patchworker so I am trying to make it special for her.

not quite finished as I'm still thinking whether I should add scrolls ....

or not!!??

This pic has been added Weds as I took WOYWWers advice (thanks folks!)  and whilst most suggested no scrolls, Rita advised coloured scrolls so I tried some cut out of some of my patchwork paper and I also changed the top edge. I think it works well, so this is it! Fini!

Here's the paper patchwork which hangs inside

and a special message is hidden underneath....

A few more tweaks and it will be ready.

Have a great WOYWW and I look forward to spying on as many of you as possible!