Crafty Ann's Challenge #31 - Same but Different

Crafty Ann has certainly come up with an very interesting challenge to see the old year out and welcome in the new 2011! She has provided us with a free digi image for this challenge, you can get it here. We all have the same image and the challenge is to put your own interpretation on it. Get your thinking caps on and have a go!

My vision is a comfy study with desk and all mod cons and the Tropical Beach Egg is an elegant piece of furniture designed to enhance the room. It stands on a carpet made from Crafty Ann's Abstract Brown paper and the walls are decorated with the Abstract Blue paper. The desk, mirror, telephone and lamp are courtesy of my Cricut "Sentimentals" cartridge. The Egg has been laminated and cut out to give it a lovely shine.

I do hope you will join us on this latest challenge and look forward to seeing all your different creations made with the same image.

DragonsDream TIO #63 - Aspect of Trees

This is my first crafting outing since before Christmas and it took me a long while to get back into it!

I have used a Tattered Angels mask and a few Glimmer Mists to create the background. The stamps along the bottom are by Kodomoinc and the sentiment by Elusive Images. The lovely swallows are by Joanna Sheen. I mark in my diary the date each year when the swallows visit Redmoss. They nest under the apexes of the roof and have two or three families each year.
The ink is Brilliance Victorian Violet and Stampin Up Elegant Eggplant.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you will continue to do so. I love all your comments and thank you all for the lovely and supportive remarks you have left me throughout this year.

Cozy and Warm

A merry Christmas to all my friends in blog world and my best wishes to you all for 2011. At the moment we are in the grip of a mammoth freeze here at Redmoss but as you can see from the photograph, John and I are cozy and warm with our woodburner stove blazing away in the sitting room.

Unfortunately, it has been so cold outside, -20 some nights, that the submerged pump in the bore hole has frozen solid and so we have not had running water in the house for the past week. We always have bottled water for emergencies in the house and have been managing to melt snow and catch drips etc. to water the animals and flush the toilets. Bathing has become rather more of a ceremony - no more jumping in the shower. So much we take for granted.

The good news is that a thaw is on the way and so we hope to be fully functional by next week! The animals are coping well with the very cold conditions, the sheep even seem to prefer it. My horse Finn just stands about outside and waits for his meals to be brought to him twice a day. He has a large shelter with a bed made up for him but he prefers to stand outside and let icicles form on his mane and face whiskers. He is a very hardy boy with few requirements.

Best wishes to you all and thanks so much for all your support over the past year.

Crafty Ann's Challenge #30 - Anything Goes

Come on and join us over at Crafty Ann's Challenge as Anything Goes!

I have made a mini-accordian album. You can get full instructions on how to make it here.

I have used a lovely plaid paper from Ann's Black and White Collection and merely accessorised it with an orange ribbon and button and a couple of Nestie Blossom die cuts in white and silver.

The album is a present for my friend Anna who taught me how to ride my horse. The horses in the photos are her horses, Manny, Teddy Ruxpin, Rocky and Millie.

There is plenty of room in the album as you can use the reverse side as well. It would be great to showcase any art work - not just photographs and it is very portable being the size of a CD case. I had no problem making it so take that as a guarantee because I don't do difficult either!

Thanks for dropping by and I look forward to you joining us at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog.

DragonsDream TIO #62 - Golden Haze

Totally fed up with Christmassy things, I have used this opportunity to get onto my soapbox! Trees (apart from family, friends and pets) are one of the greatest loves of my life. They certainly alter a landscape for the better and I wish more people who have the space for trees would plant them. We have planted a small, native species, 10 hectacre wood 8 years ago at Redmoss and delight every day at the bounty it brings. If you have the space - try it!

My tag has been coloured with Brilliance Galaxy Gold, DI Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo. Stamps are from IBrake for Stamps and Elusive Images. Tree templates from Tattered Angels provide the background.

Thanks for stopping by and do feel free to leave a comment - all are appreciated.

CD Sunday Challenge - Three Of A Kind

How about a bit of sunshine and playing on the beach? My favourite Seraphina mice have an outing this weekend to the seaside.

Backing paper and sentiment are from the CD and the flowers are from FloraDoodles.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment - all are greatly appreciated.

Rainbow Lady's Challenge # 130 - Christmas Food/or Drink

My 4 x 4 page shows a delicious and lip-smacking roast turkey, accompanied by obligatory roast potatoes and a bottle of red. The digi stamp is by anonymous and the image has been coloured with crayons and then covered with Glossy Accents.

The holly stamps are by Elusive Images and have been embossed with dark green ep and the berries are red Pearlidoodles. The tree stamp is by Crafty Individuals and has been stamped in DI Scattered Straw, the same colour as the background.

Thanks for visiting and please feel free to leave a comment, all are appreciated greatly.

DragonsDream TIO #61 - Sir Tim Inspired Embellishment

I'm dreaming Northern Lights this week, watching them dance and shimmer over the forest in the frosty night sky. We see them quite often, when the conditions are right, in my neck of the woods.

Trees are courtesy of Sir Tim's embossing folder, the calendar is from I know not where and the sentiment stamp is by Graphicus. My flower has been bugged, folded and scrunched, coloured with DI Barn Door and covered in Fired Brick Distress Stickles as has the button in the middle.

A scrap of music paper and a word charm and my tribute to Sir Tim is complete!

Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to leave a comment - all are appreciated very much.

CD Sunday Challenge - Christmas Sparkle

I just don't believe how easy this card was to make! The image is a background scene from Card Creations Art Deco which I printed out onto the thickest card my printer would take. I used lots of Glitter Glass for the snow on the bridge and ballustrade and crystal glitter for the overhanging branches in the trees. The sentiment is computer generated.

I took 20 photos to try and depict the sparkliness and winter frostiness that the original card conveys. This was the best one and only shows a little of the sparkle. The real life one has turned out magnificently and did not involve any skill other than cutting out, glueing and glittering. It is so good, I shall be making some more! The added advantage is that it will travel by ordinary stamp as the card is not more than 5mm thick!!

Thanks for dropping by and please feel free to leave a comment - I appreciate them all.

Hungry Mouths to Feed

Here are just a few of my regular bird visitors enjoying a meal. Unfortunately we have now run out of bird seed and my supplier has none in stock either because all her deliveries have been held over due to the freezing conditions.

At the moment they are being fed on soaked lentils and barley and also boiled potatoes - as that is all I have. Let's hope the supply wagon rolls in next week!

Is Mine Bigger Than Yours?

This icicle is around the back of our house, outside the guest ensuite.

Are there any bigger ones out there?

Rainbow Lady's Challenge #129 - Christmas Animals

This is one of my favourite stamps as it shows a deer in a natural setting. The landscape gives you plenty of opportunity to experiment with colour and depending on what you do with it, you can get quite different looks. It was one of the first stamps I bought from Stampin' USA in those heady days when we got $1.80 to the £1. For this card I have used coloured pencils and OMS.

The backing paper is a freebie from Bearly Mine and the paper mount is from Graphicus. The sentiment is computer generated and the ribbon a gift from my friend Gladys.

Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog #29 - Sketch

We have another sketch challenge over at Crafty Ann's and I decided to make a Christmas card with some of the lovely tartan papers she has in her shop. The digi image is the Snowman Bauble decoration which I have coloured with crayons and OMS and then clear embossed. This has been matted onto a circle cut with nesties and then onto the green and navy tartan paper. The red card has been cuttlebugged with the Argyll embossing folder and a border of dots added to the bottom. Two die cut stars have been added for embellishments.

I do hope you will take part in the challenge at Crafty Ann's. It is so refreshing to be given a challenge that gets your mind thinking over the possibilities!

DragonsDream TIO #60 - Time Flying for Christmas

Time is certainly galloping along towards Christmas! For my tag this week I have taken inspiration from Clarity's Barbara Gray and made a picture inside a stamp. The large clock stamp is by Stampin Up and I just know it will become one of my favourites. The clock outline has been stamped and embossed in black and the pictures inside have been created by masking and sponging colour onto the card. The tag has been coloured with DI Barn Door - thank you Sir Tim for finally making a decent red!

Thanks for dropping by and please leave a comment as I do enjoy reading them all.