A little girl for a big sister

Who says you get too old for cards like this:

My big sister, and I won't give away her age, loved it!  Especially as I parted with some of my most favourite Basic Grey Sultry papers  for her and she knows they are usually just for stroking and not cutting. The Gorjuss girl has been coloured in Promarkers and Flexmarkers and I was really pleased to have got a more washed out/subtle effect this time, much as it would be if she was being exposed to the typical Manchester drizzle that I grew up with.

Glad she liked it and hope you do too!

P.S. Sorry the photos are a bit fuzzy. Will try harder next time ;-) 

Slate Coasters

I was very sad to remove the beautiful snowdrops picture from the top of my blog, but I can't never post again can I?!  This is just a quick post with some more Welsh slate creations.  We've just moved into a new office and it is fabulous - all bright colours and funky designs (I was very happy to get on the design team and certainly got to put my stamp on our working space).  In reception we have a slate grey leather sofa and needed some new coasters.  So I summoned my brother-in-law to the rescue, and he has created these:

I used my large circle nestie die to cut out felt for the backings, and they look great. Perfect fit for the office. Simple but stylish.  He's also created a slate score board for the table tennis table - must remember to take a photo so I can highlight more of his creativity. I think living with my sister has rubbed off on him! Thanks R&R :-)

More of my own designs soon.

Snowdrops and Chocolates - two of my favourite things

I love birthdays for being able to connect with family and friends from all over the world and to indulge in a few of my favourite things.  I've been a very lucky girl again this year, and I never really have favourites but do you know what present I can't stop looking at, or smelling, or touching?  Take a luck at these beauties:

What makes them more special is that they were handpicked for me.  Snowdrops encompass that perfect blend of delicacy and strength, surviving in the freezing cold but looking so pretty.  I can't believe I'm going to get poetic here, but I guess poetry is another (great!) form of creativity, but the words of Ted Hughes still ring in my head about snowdrops "Her pale head heavy as metal" - that little flower pushing up through the icy ground but heralding spring and assuring us that all is not dead in the frozen earth. And look at these little flowers; who'd have thought they could achieve so much:

 

Getting back to craft, instead of Thank You cards this year I decided to make little boxes of suprises.  And coincidentally I ended up keeping the snowdrop colour theme! 

Following along with my usual nature theme, don't you just love the little birdies?  I stamped the images using some Inkadinkado stamps, and a little thank you stamp from a Dawn Bibby set my nephew bought me, both from Topaz Crafts.  The boxes are constructed on my very clever boxer board out of Stampin Up Very Vanilla and Certainly Celery card.  The green is just the scrummiest shade.  And take a quick look at the even scrummier contents...

Like I say, don't you just love birthdays?!  And snowdrops!