Tuesday 29 October 2013

Swapping the swaps

 
It's been a really busy month here on my patch, what with all his nibs' appointments & I wasn't able to get round to making any of October's challenge cards till this weekend. The month is almost over, so it was a bit of a mad rush, but I did it, just in time to open November's parcels !! :o)
 
For October's challenge, Liz chose *swap the swaps*, which involved us swapping bits & pieces we'd received from each other, but not used, over the past few months.
 
I must say, it was quite discombobulating opening a parcel from Liz that looked Terri had supplied it & a parcel from Terri that looked like Liz had supplied it :o) I think we each have a style or way of putting certain things together that makes it fairly obvious who supplied the goods :o)
 
I hope that makes sense. It did in my head, but that's no real recommendation !! :o) .
 
Anyhoo. On to the cards. I managed to get 4 out of Liz's parcel & 3 from Terri's.
 
Oh, they were all supposed to have something rectangular on them, I remembered to do six like that, but goodness knows why I forgot the seventh, especially as it wasn't even the first or last, but there you go. These things happen :o)
 
First up was Liz's parcel.
 


I loved this image, it reminded me of when we used to have a helter skelter along the front when I was a kid. It's been gone for many a year, but many happy hours were spent at the amusements in the summer holidays.  Everything except the sentiment, blue star button & silver stars came from the parcel.


This was a very quick card - background paper, image & a stamped sentiment. Other than using my own stamp, everything came from the parcel.
 
 

 
This image was a postcard & as the main colours that stood out for me were pink, cream & purple, I decided to stick to  use just those colours. I die cut the image & a piece of cream card, used a leafy folder to emboss the pink paper & cream die cut & stuck them all together. I used a purple ribbon to cover the join where the pink & purple paper met, added a sentiment & 3 peel off flowers.  Only the flowers & sentiment came from my stash.
 
 
When I saw this image, it just shouted Valentine's Day or Anniversary, but I decided on Valentine's Day simply because the bear had a lovely bunch of red roses :o) I die cut the image, stuck it on to the red mostly square/slightly rectangular card & added hearts & sentiment. I slso put the little red heart on the bear's chest :o)
 
Now onto Terri's parcel.
 
 
All I did here was use Pro-markers to colour the image, stamp small snowflakes with silver grey ink, matt & layer onto silver mirror card & spotty red paper. I added a silver bow & sentiment from my stash & that was it.
 
 
This is one of my favourite stamps - I have a feeling it may well have been one that I included in a swap parcel earlier in the year, but that's all part of swap the swaps. You get a mix of things, including your own bits & bobs :o)
 
Green is my favourite colour & I decided to use all three shades that were included in the parcel & just keep it simple by colouring in the bear & the top of the present. I added silver card candi & a sentiment just to give it a bit of a lift & yyet again, a PeaJayKay special - plain & simple, just like me !! :o)
 
 
Lastly, I needed a card for a little girl who's going to be 2 soon. Everyone loves Eeyore, don't they, whether they're 2 or 92, so I thought he'd be a ideal :o)  He & the flowers, the sentiment & no. 2 all came from my stash, but the card & paper came from the parcel.
 
November's challenge is my choice - Ribbon :o)
 
Oh dear . . . 

Saturday 12 October 2013

Wonderful Webs

 
 
Like many people, I have a fear of spiders. It used to be that if I saw one coming my way, I'd head for the hills, clambering over anything & anyone who got in my way :o) But - life changes & now, unfortunately, I am chief spider catcher in my house. Even if Shaun managed to catch one, he couldn't get rid of it without falling off his Zimmer or out of his wheelchair & either way, I'd end up trying to get him up off the floor & worrying about where the spider had darted off to. Shudder !!!
 
That said, I can't help but appreciate the beauty of an Autumn garden covered in webs - just as long as their owners are nowhere to be seen !! :o)
 
Last Monday, we woke up to fog. Everything was damp & eerie, until the sun managed to break through.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
When I looked out the front, this was the view up the road.
 

Looking over the wall & next door's garage to trees in a garden along the road.
 

 
Then, the sun began to break through.
 
 
 It shone through, between the conifer & the apple tree, lighting up the webs spun during darkness.
 
 
As it grew stronger, the sun hit the webs hanging from the railing at the side of the ramp. You couldn't see them before, they were so fine.
 
 

Those spiders certainly had a field day on my washing line !! :o)
 

 
 I just love this photo - it really shows how busy spiders are at night & how beautiful their webs are when lit with an early morning Autumn sun :o)
 
Although I always say that there is beauty to be found in every season, Autumn is my favourite time of year. Not keen on the bugs & spiders, but the colours & the sharp wintery nip in the air far outweight those. Just as long as I don't walk headlong into a web strung between the bushes !! :o)