Hazel - Girl Spy

Hazel - Girl Spy
Hazel - Girl Spy

Saturday 30 October 2010

Christmas Lanterns

If there is one card-maker that I seek to emulate it is Sally Atkins. Her crafting is pure elegance. I just like to have a go and so I made a Christmas lantern using her template and the Pink Cat Studio digi stamps. I will be doing at least one more as the pre-printed card I had was too thick to go through the printer, to take the template of the lid, so I fell back on my white card and coloured it red! Anyway, not quite as elegant as Sally's but I like it.


It is great when lit, with LED night lights (£1.99 for 4 at Hobbycraft) but my photo of it was not good!

It was very theraputic to make after I got back from lunch with my Mum. We go to the same place every Friday because she loves it. Seasons Cafe at Fir Tree Farm in Kings Moss, in case you live locally. The food is good and fresh and there is an added opportunity to shop for locally sourced produce. You can also buy wool from their two alpacas! They also have a monthly farmers market and at November's farmers market ( 20 th) they are running the World Pheasant Plucking Championships - try saying that fast - you'll shock your mum, take my word for it! Personally I am going just for the comedy value of pheasant pluckers and pheasant pluckers mates. John and Lucy do a lovely breakfast barm and hot drink ; wonderful if the early morning is nippy.

My cold was not served well by going out and I was sweaty and achy by the time I got home so making the lantern was just a nice way to get comfy again. Mr H was full of "I told you not to go with that cold" when I got home but shut up very quickly when he realised that I had treated him to some of Alan's home reared beef for Sunday - rib eye steak, and some sultana loaf, specially made for Fir Tree farm. Food, the way to stop a man's nagging!

I'm off to look for a suitable black and white fillum to watch while snuggling into a woolly throw - whatever happened to Film Matinees on a Saturday afternoon on BBC2? What man though sport was a better alternative?

Cheery-bye, Hazel x

Thursday 28 October 2010

Hallowe'en

All Hallows Eve is nearly upon us and I have bought a big tub of Haribo's and am hoping I get no takers! Growing up in Scotland meant that we celebrated Halloween with kids parties; dooking for apples and nuts, trying to get a bite out of a dangling, dripping treacle scone and being blindfolded and having your fingers touch eyeballs (peeled grapes) and guts (cold, cooked, spaghetti). There were even cakes in the shops with marshmallow noses covered in icing. We went guising round the neighbours houses carrying turnip lanterns; no softy pumpkins in them days, we scooped out a big turnip, which was painful for wee hands, (swede, to the Sassenachs) and cut scary face out the front and threaded string through it and the lid which had a hole for a chimney. Night lights lit it up and all night there would be the comforting smell of burning turnip as you went from house to house, manhandling giddy sisters.
"A penny for the guisers, the guisers, the guisers, a penny for the guisers and we'll sing you a bonnie wee song"
There was no trick but treats, for us, sweeties or nuts or even a penny after you performed - "Tonight is the night of Hallowe'en when all the witches are to be seen, some in red and some in green and some dressed like a Turkey Queen!" We capered like wee monkeys and it was innocent fun.
Once we moved to England, there was no celebrating - Mum would throw the odd party but most of our new pals were bemused by the ritual. We were definately not allowed to go guising, in case the neighbours thought we were begging! I have thrown Hallowe'en parties for my own children and we dress up even now on occasion and send cards or favours. I dislike the American intensity about Hallowe'en and how it has crept into our nations conciousness with no fun attached and just retail revenue. I don't mind the wee kids coming to the door but the bigger ones are more menacing when they demand money with "Trick or Treat" - they don't make the effort to entertain like we did.
These are the cards I made this year from digital stamps - I don't know if they now mass market cards for the occasion but I wouldn't buy one in any case.






The batcat and Patrick in the pumkin patch are from Mo's Digital Two and Ginger is from Pollycraft,Witch Hazel( my name for her - original, eh?) was a freebie but I can't remember from where and I got the pumpkin way back in September and can't remember from where. If anyone knows, please let me know and I can acknowledge properly. All coloured with promarkers and I just love the autumn colours. October nights;  the smell of cold and damp leaves, gunpowder and burnt turnip. Nostalgia is grand and I'm glad that my thoughts turned this way 'cos I nearly forgot to send the cards - I made them weeks ago and put them away. They are all addressed and stamped ready to go. See, I have a vivid memory of the past and nearly forget the present.

My flamin' cold lingers on but my hubby ran my errands yesterday and made my tea so I was indeed a successful blagger. My ma is back from Lanzarote and hopefully we can go out for lunch if she feels like it and doesn't mind a snottery daughter. We go to a lovely place but this blog is going on a bit so I'll leave off now and go and make one of Sally Atkins' lanterns.

Make yourselves wonderful, love Hazel x

Feeling Flumpy

I am full to the brim with a cold (thanks to my hubby for sharing - damn you, wedding vows!) However, I did have a nice surprise when I started up my computer; I had won a gift from Brenda at the Stamping-fantasies blog. I've just been blogging for a few days too so I count myself very lucky indeed. Well they say that fools and idiots are touched by luck! I have added a link for Novembers candy at the site so if you drop by, enter, it can happen for you too. If that implies that you are fools then it wasn't meant to -I am editing this blod!

I am uploading two card I made for Christmas.


I used my Sizzix Texture Boutique, a bit of sticky and a bit of red glittery fabric and I'm ridiculously pleased with the result. I have entered it in this weeks Clares Challenge on the Docrafts site but I am hopeless at photography, especially anything shiny and the card really does look better in real life.



New ways to fold cards really float my boat and I am always trying new folds when I see them. This one, and the free papers come courtesy of the latest edition of Creative Card making. I love this mag and not only for the papers but because it shows you 'how to' and uses a selection of different crafting products.

Although this is not a blog for advertisments or endorsements I would like to say a bit about Hobbycrafts. Me and my sister Morag went there on Tuesday (Warrington branch) and Morag, who had never been before, was enthralled by the number of hobbies covered and the sheer amount of stuff. I bought some bits, mainly from the clearance lines admittedly, but they have missed a trick. Who goes to craft shops mostly - women and mostly women who have had children or are more mature? What do those women need - toilets! For two mature women with bladder related weakness me and Morag exited the shop doing the 'needing a wee desperately' dance. And before you even think it, we had gone before we left the house - Chrissie Murchison trained her girls well - but we went on a prolonged mooch in a huge shop, what can you expect but the bladder fairy comes a-tapping. So come on Hobbycraft, provide some relief for us gals! I can't afford to buy a pizza  every time just 'cos I need the toilet. (it was either the Hut or the Colonel & I'd had chicken for tea the night before))

Rant over and I am away to nurse my cold and persuade Typhoid Mary (hubby) that I am too sick to go down town with him so he'll have to collect my prescription, post a parcel to Fairysue and do the shopping on his lonesome. I'll be so weak by the end of that he might even have to cook tea!

Have a fun day, love  Hazel x

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Two Chocolate Coloured Cards

Over on Docrafts, Susie is running a Tilda card challenge where the brief is chocolate in any form- card, paper, ribbon etc. I didn't have much in my stash of that description so it was an excuse to shop. Ever since my friend Bernadette sent me my first Tilda stamp, I have been taken with Tilda.
This is Tilda with bundle, coloured with Promarkers and matted onto three layers of card; plain, milk and white chocolate. The buttons pick up the same theme. Used the wide blue ribbon to compliment the jeans and the sentiment border and looped ribbon at the back of the sentiment to make the rosette. This was very fiddly but it jazzed up a rather dull sentiment.




Card #2 was a bit more frilly; Tilda with Shopping where I introduced a touch of orange - who doesn't love a Chocolate Orange! I matted the image onto card which had already been embossed with a rose design and then onto chocolate shimmer card. The image is coloured with Promarkers and the box of chocs is highlighted with Glossy Accents and has ribbon threaded though the back so that it can slide up and down. Added a wee touch of bling to the flower centres and at the four corners of the sentiment panel. I love using shiny card but I just cannot seem to photograph it well.

I have entered Ginny's digi challenge on Docrafts where the brief is simple; use a cat digi stamp. I don't do cats, not because I dislike them but because they make me sneeze and wheeze but I should be okay with the digi sort. I shall be checking out some sites later on.

Had a nice long chat with Uncle Bill yesterday evening; he had been receiving visitors and condolences all afternoon but still had time for a chat. He has support aplenty from his family and neighbours - he cast his kindness into the community and when he needed it, it was returned without question. I think that says it all really.

My sister Morag and I are going to take a jaunt to Hobbycraft in Warrington today and then of to M&S at Gemini so I'm off to get ready.

Love, Hazel x

Monday 25 October 2010

Covered in Confusion

Not untypical for a Monday morning! I was on a new blogsite yesterday, Bizzy Becs (http://bizzybecsstore) and joined in a blog candy giveaway or so I though,t but my wireless router crashed before I had the chance to complete the instructions and now I cannot log in to be a follower! It's not the end of the world but it is very frustrating for the novice blogger. Especially when you are a mature blogger; number -of -years -lived -mature rather than gravitas mature!

Talking about mature, I seem to have reached the age where I keep finding myself breaking news of death of relatives to other relatives and it's weird. Last night my cousin Moira phoned me and I had to tell her about Auntie Agnes and Uncle Bill and she was naturally upset. I had previously told my sister Susan in Lanzarote and she had texted Moira telling her to phone me. How odd is that ? Have I become the receiver and distributor of sad news in our family branch just because I'm the oldest sib? I do not strike myself as being emotionally suited to this role as my feelings are never well-contained and I cry very easily. I'm sure it can't be good and a stoic would be far better. I should advertise; "Stoic required on an ad-hoc basis to break sad news - no weepers need apply"

There is something cathartic about this process of writing; you get to ask questions, answer them and amuse yourself at the same time! Genius. The only drawback is that I am so slow, I keep missing breakfast and I have become annal about punctuation and spelling because if my children ever find this blog and my punctuation and spelling are off, they will be measuring me up for a spot in the Happy Valley Retirement Community well before I'm ready for it!

Microwaved porridge for me then. Got lots to do so cheerio for now!

Hazel x

Seeing as how I have no cards to show today I have posted a picture of the sunset at Oban because it's lovely and I miss it - Oban, not the picture!!

Sunday 24 October 2010

Sunny Sunday morning.

I have now got a follower and I am very touched so thank-you Kimmi for your help and support. I made a sympathy card for my uncle Bill even though I don't think it's a very Scottish thing to do. He lives in Alness in Ross-shire. I would have consulted with aged parent but she's sunning herself in Lanzarote so I'll go with my instinct and send it.



Forgive my shock but I managed to upload the card first time. I am a person with limited technical ability although I will have a go at everything, all the while expecting a b***s up. Enough about my failings.

The card is very simple; this weeks free digi stamp of a peony from e-maginations coloured with Promarkers and matted onto green vellum and a free downloaded  pink background paper. The sentiment is computer generated and I used a minimum of bling. It's spare which is, in my opinion, suitable for purpose. I did a nice wee verse on the inside but did not have the foresight to photograph it. I'm not going to type it here because I will cry and it would not be at all dignified.

Outside the sun is shining which means only one thing - put a washing on and get it hung out! Life will go on and life is lived in the detail, the really small detail. So I'm off to sort my laundry and make porridge (in the micro - I'm a disgrace to my race, I know and my head is momentarily hanging in shame!)
Byeeee,
Hazel .