a Rocking Candy Christmas

Well, my meal out got cancelled due to the weather, so I find myself in, and a little while ago trying to watch 3 different programmes on tv at the same time - difficult!  Also, trying to work out how to do Tim's Day 6 tag with nothing whatsoever I can use...... even more difficult!!  May have to miss this one out which is a pain, as I really wanted to do them all. Course, I could go shopping!!!

So, instead I turn to my Monday stalwart - Linda's Compendium Challenge - we're on page 47, and the title of this post may have hinted at the subject matter.  It's a great one, and easy, so I have dashed off a Christmas card using some of the seasonal paper stack and Tim's snowflakes.

Hope the "candy" shows up!!

Somehow, I think maybe not! Although I do seem to have managed to get a hair stuck into it.  Thanks to the sponsors, there are some amazing prizes on offer again. Go check the entries out, there are already some great ones up, and it's open for 2 weeks.

Thanks for your kind wishes about the echo cardiogram today - it went fine - I was there early, they started early and - then I had to wait 30 minutes for the bus to work...... cold doesn't begin to describe how I felt by the time I got to the office......  Oh, and it all seems fine - they said my heart looks normal, so that's something else I can stop worrying about! 
Down to one thing at a time on the TV now - and Liverpool are winning, so that is a GOOD end to Monday!   Hope to be here tomorrow with a Tim Tag I can have a crack at.

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 5

I don't know how Tim does it - every day he comes up with more fabulous techniques - some of which I've done before and some new - today's tag is no exception.  Not having access to Tim's own stash store (I wish!!) I had to improvise again. 

My Santa is too big I think, it looked on Tim's as if he used the small version of his! I also didn't have the "sparkly stuff" but did uncover my white fun flock which is I think similar, just not sparkly. Tried to add some glitter but it didn't really stick.
I don't have the die Tim used for the banner, but used the baroque one, on card stock, and cut it apart to fit.
Didn't have any green distress powder so used a prima leaf with the foliage pieces.

No white UTEE so had to do a couple of layers of ordinary white embossing   Finally, didn't have a small enough Tim greeting, so this one is by Paperartsy.
My white dabber resist technique still leaves a lot to be desired - but it kind of worked!

Not really a holly coloured glitter but its under coloured with a green gel pen (glitter glue by Suze from a very old pack..... still gorgeously gluey though!)

I won't be getting tomorrow's done on time because I'll be back at work after the hospital, and am out for a meal with friends in the evening (all weather dependant, of course!) so will be playing catch up for the rest of the week!

Am linking this to Artyjen's splinter group again, and Hels Sunday Stamper "wonderful Christmastime".  I should be finishing my Christmas cards - maybe later!!

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 4

So, today Tim is using facets - not something I've bought (yet!) so I had to use a fragment charm. I did have the alcohol inks though, but I had more trouble than last time I tried this technique, no idea why!

However, here is my tag

I used the same image from the seasonal stack as Tim, but had to improvise with my bling!  I did have some Prima bling which I used part of, but nothing like the bling on a roll Tim used! We don't have shops like that here!  So I raided my jewellery box for an old pearl necklace (not real, obviously!) I no longer wear, and used some of the beads, which I stuck onto a piece of ribbon.  They kept sticking to my fingers rather than the glue, hence the line is a tad wobbly!  I also used an old ear-ring - it is clear crystal, but obviously the light is bouncing off the tag and the background so it looks blue!  I put some glitter round the adage ticket - just because! and some extra bling on the fragment, for the same reason.   I am sure there will be lots more really clever versions over at Artyjen's splinter group - check them out!

I got out this morning to the shops - stocked up on the essentials, the pavements weren't as bad as I had feared, and the high street itself was quite good, so I got back without incident. Hope it doesn't all re-freeze overnight though. I was SOOO hot when I got home, too many layers - and the concentration of not falling, I think!   I have got to get to the hospital on Monday morning for the ECG (to make sure my heart murmur is not going to be a problem,) so I hope it continues to improve underfoot!  I just took some rubbish (garbage for any US readers) downstairs, to find a neighbour clearing my steps of the snow! ahh, makes you all warm and cosy, doesn't it! (Perhaps he thinks I am too old to do it myself, though...... never thought of that before!)

Anyhow, have a good evening - please, please, let Ann W get voted off Strictly tonight...... enough as they say, is enough!

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 3

Today's tag from Tim is a beauty!! (check it out via the link) Mind you I was nearly stumped at the first hurdle, could I find a bare tree stamp to use for the branch?  Could I heck. 

So had to use the Owl Buddies (simply stamps) that I love so much and try hard not to ink anything other than the branches....  distress ink covers a multitude of sins!
I didn't take step by step photos again today, either, (too busy coughing) but following Tim's instructions

I didn't have the seasonal salvage stickers so cut a piece from the seasonal stack which just happen to match! and stuck it to some grungepaper. I thought the next size up would be too big but looking at it now, this one is quite tiny, so maybe my first thought would have been best.  Made a tissue tape flower (great video, Tim!) and a button from my stash matched the colours I've used.

After I took the photos I realised I hadn't coloured the grunge edges of the bird - so now they're grey!  Will have to try and remedy that - carefully!   My snow cap paint dabber is very thick and doesn't flow very well, so I don't think the snow spatters show up very well, will have to try watering it down again!

Found some red tinsel which I twisted to form a double strand and used some of the lace that I got in the goody bag from Lynn Stevens recently, coloured using the method outlined by Tim. Knew it would come in handy, Lynn!

I had real fun doing today's tag, I wonder what tomorrow will bring?!

The cold itself is a bit better today, but the cough is as bad, and so I didn't want to go out in the cold again today, so have stayed home. I will have to go out tomorrow, though as I am running out of milk and need some other basics from the shops, so I hope the pavements improve a bit overnight - we still have several inches of snow outside my flat, (and my icicles are growing nicely!!) but they are talking about black ice overnight and I don't want to fall over (like last year!)

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 2

Couldn't go to work today, my cold is worse, but I had to get out of bed - not only was I keen to see Day 2 of the tags, but it's worse lying down.

So, today, Tim gave us a much simpler tag to create - fortunately! Whilst I didn't copy his method exactly I used similar stamps -

 I don't have the cut'n'dry felt that Tim used to make his custom stamp, so instead I inked the pine cone stamp (it is one of Tim's) with clear distress embossing ink, then used a combination of brush markers and the pine needles distress ink on top, before embossing it with clear powder. I think it worked ok!  

This one is a bit fuzzy, sorry!  (or it could be because I'm not wearing my glasses!)

I probably shouldn't have used the flourish stamp as well as the music - the only music stamp I could find is this wavy one, I think there are too many wavy things going on!! It needs something straighter.... hey ho, hndsight!!
I don't have the cute little bird that Tim added, so used a snowflake, but did have the black glossy accents. I like that effect.

 This is the view from my kitchen window this morning! (I live in a first floor maisonette) - pretty impressive icicles.

And this is from my bedroom window! These cars in the street haven't moved since it snowed on Monday, although I have seen one trying to get out earlier - he made it in the end!

Hope you are all keeping warm and safe - I haven't opened the front door, don't want the shock! I hope to be better to go to work tomorrow, I hate having time off sick (and feel guilty for making this tag today!) but we'll see - they say we'll have some more snow in Surrey today - had a few flakes earlier, but nothing significant. The pavements were so slippery last night on my way home, even in my wellingtons I slid a bit.

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 1

Well, Tim certainly packed in some techniques to his first tag! When I saw it at work, when it posted around 8 o'clock, I was stumped - I mean, I don't have any of the major items he used!

So, when I got home (early, because I have a stinking cold, - honest I do, it isn't an excuse - if you will pardon me saying, I am dripping everywhere!!) I couldn't wait to get started.

This is what I came up with.  It is a very wonky photo, sorry!

 I don't have the rickety house or the picket fence die, so I used a Paperartsy castle stamp which I coloured with distress inks and put through a cuttlebug folder "branches" I think it's called - to create some texture.  I found my mica tiles - I knew I had some and suddenly knew which drawer they'd be in - so that was the "window" created - Leandra's castle doesn't have a window but I cut out one of the "walls" to improvise!   I used a white Inkessentials pen in the embossed grooves, as I forgot to paint the grunge white before inking it.  The fence is an Art Impressions stamp, I should have used grungepaper but used card so it's a bit fragile!  I cut the holes with a craft knife and covered it in picket fence distress.  Improvised the wreath with a stamp, used Tim's pine trees stamp instead of his fab branches. There is meant to be fluffy stuff along the fence and the top of the roof,  for snow, but I forgot, till it was all assembled!  Blame the cold.

  

The background is made more or less as Tim did, although I used marshmallow glimmer mist on the inks on the craft mat as I don't have any perfect pearl sprays (yet...) and his small snowflakes stamp

Here's the "house" stuck to the tag, with the ticket in the backgrouund, ready for attaching.

I hope I do better with tomorrow's (if my cold is better, as at the moment I feel rotten, so will be going to bed early and hope I get a decent night's sleep, unlike last night)

WOYWW - 1st December AND 12 Tags are here!

Hurray, it's December 1st - a Wednesday - that can only mean one thing. Actually, today it means two. Firstly, it's the day of the "big snoop" round craft desks of the world linking from Julia's - here for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday. BUT, also today, being 1st December - it's the first day of Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas..... I am sure you all know your way to HIS blog! (but just in case check it here)  I have been waiting all year for this!!

So, what is on my desk today? Well, some tags, ready to use, when I get home, natch - I'll need one of them for sure!

and a "spare" birdcage and bird just in case!

This was the view from my living room come craft room at 8.20 pm on Tuesday. It's been snowing most of the day here in Sutton - took me 2 and a half hours to get home from work on Tuesday - including 45 minutes waiting for a bus.... I just missed one when I left (early due to the weather) at 4 - drat...... Couldn't run, pavements were too slippy in the melting snow.  Had I known how long I'd be waiting, I would have started walking - though as it happens, the buses were put on diversion before they got into Sutton and I ended up walking the last 2 miles anyway.... finally got home at 6.30. Sutton was gridlocked with traffic going nowhere.  I expect there are some people still out there (as I write at 8.30!) So, go check out the rest of the desks - I apologise now, I know I won't get round to you all this week! and also Tim's tags - if you're a Tim fan, we are in for a treat, I know...

EDITED. 7.23 AM I am in the office!!! Yes, the journey to work was lots better this morning - left at the normal time - buses no longer on diversion so I could catch it from my usual stop - and one arrived there as I did!!  What I am really editing this to say, is to thank Bleubeard and Elizabeth for nominating me as her blog of the day. Thank you!!