Science weekend!

We have had a lovely weekend with some time spent at Sheffield's festival of the mind, in particular the Museum of curiosities and Fish for science.  The museum was the Alfred Denny zoological museum stuffed full of interesting specimens including this 'double specimen' of a porpoise.

Alex was fascinated by the museum, listening closely to our guide and asking lots of questions about the various artifacts and curiosities there.

We then went to the fish for science exhibition where he really liked looking at the fluorescent zebrafish down the microscope and extracting DNA from strawberries.  He was amazed and so excited to watch the fluffy white DNA strands emerge and float to the top.  As a result he asked loads of questions about DNA and how God made us, and took his questions to sunday school this morning!

Crafting wise I made this tag/bookmark using distress inks, Hero Art, JustRite, and Woodware stamps, gold embossing powder and promarkers.  As this captures the autumn colours perfectly I am entering it into Tuesday Throwdown's 'Fall colours', Crafty creations 'Autumn', Simon says stamp 'anything goes', DYSU 'scallops', Delicious Doodles 'Autumn' and Crazy4challenges 'leaves' challenges.  That is all from me for now.  I hope you all have a great week.
Good Bless,
Love,
Caro
x

Lovely time.

It has been a great weekend, despite the mixed weather.  Yesterday started with Alex's street dance lesson followed by shopping, and then in the afternoon we went to Chatsworth Farm and adventure playground, making the most of the brilliant sunshine.

Alex had a great time on the playground, climbing round the fort, then playing with the water and sand.  Today we had a lovely church service (wonderful worship and great message) followed by family lunch before heading out to an indoor playarea to let Alex let off some steam.

I have even had some time for crafting which is just as well as it is time for another Quirky challenge!  Cazzy set the challenge this time which was 'monsters'. We have two sponsors this week, Dustin and Bugaboo.  I was given two stamps from Bugaboo to use and so combined them into one card for a little boy.  I coloured both images with promarkers and then cut out the second image (and the lone balloon from the first image) and decoupaged them with sticky pads. I used Nana's kids papers for the striped background and then embellished with gold peel offs.  I am therefore going to enter this card into Delicious Doodles 'use metal' and All sorts 'inspired by a song' (what's that coming over the hill? is it a monster?).

I also made this card for Less is More's challenge (choose any 3 of their past challenges: #41:leaves, #15:embossing, #6:off the edge) and will also be entering it into Simon Says stamp 'embossing' (one of the leaves is embossed), Penny's challenge 'shaped card', CCT 'different shape', DCM 'thank you'. That is all from me for now.  Have a great week everyone.
Love,
Caro
x

WOYWW

I can't believe it is Wednesday already!  This week turned out more stressful than anticipated as I found out on Monday afternoon that I was supposed to be examining a PhD thesis on Thursday (i.e. tomorrow) in Leicester!  Not much notice then!  Needless to say I have since been reading through the 200+ page tome ready to quiz the student in his viva.  However I did need some light relief in the evenings so my desk, as part of WOYWW, is covered in distress inks, a toilet roll (doubles as tissues as I still have that cold!), my craft mat, some Tim Holtz tissue tape and scissors.  You can also see my trusty mug of lovely warm tea - the milky tea really soothes my throat and helps prevent the coughing which is good. Not that I need an excuse to drink bucket loads of tea mind you.

Here is the tag that I was working on.  It was a complete experiment as I had never worked with the Tim Holtz tissue tape before and didn't know if you would be able to see anything through it.  I first coloured the tag with distress inks in Autumnal colours and then stamped leaves on it in different autumnal colours, then covered the whole thing with tissue tape and then heat embossed gold round the edge before adding the twine, butterflies (Tim Holtz) and ribbon.  I am entering this tag into CCC 'script and gold' (lots of text here!), SSSS 'tape' (Tim Holtz tissue tape), PTW 'Hazy shades of autumn' (the autumn colours look hazy through the tissue tape!), Crazy4challenges 'anything goes with an autumn twist' and Delightful challenges 'Anything but a card'.  That is all from me for now.  Have a great week everyone.
Love,
Caro
x

Attitude!

Alex started street dance this weekend, which by all accounts he loved.  They were taught a mini routine and told to give it lots of 'attitude' - this is his impression of attitude in the first pose of the routine!  It has been a nice weekend despite me being full of cold. Yesterday we were able to enjoy the sun in one of our local parks and then this morning Alex had a birthday party which was great fun.  Although it was raining this afternoon we had a mini rain walk before settling down for a rare 'movie' afternoon.

Crafting wise I had to make this card for the birthday boy.  I used a cute whiff of Joy stamp coloured with promarkers, cut out and edge embossed using an oval die and mounted on swiss dots embossed blue card followed by dark blue card.  The sentiment was from Speedy Fox.  I am entering this card into Less is More 'ovals', CCCB 'polka dots', and Speedy Fox 'favourite technique' (colouring with promarkers).

I also made this card following this weeks Unscripted sketch for my friends little girl who turns 5 later this week. I am also entering this into Simon Says stamp 'on trend' (hexagons), Penny's challenge 'pink and brown' (there are several shades of pink and brown used here - apologies for the photo colour reproduction), and PTW 'cute' challenges. That is all from me for now.  Have a great week everyone.
Love,
Caro
x

Typical! (WOYWW)

Isn't it typical?  Alex goes back to school and gets a stinking cold then passes it round the rest of the household...I am just starting to go down with it - unimpressed!  Not what I need at the moment with life so busy.  Please pray that Alex settles into Y1 as he is struggling with it at the moment, not helped by his cold. Thank you.

As it is Wednesday it is time for another WOYWW.  Shhh, don't tell anyone (especially not Tim!), but this is my desk ready to make a - looks around furtively to make sure no-one is looking and whispers - Christmas card! I don't usually start until November so this is really early for me!  That pile of stamps to the left of the desk is all my Christmas stamps - mostly freebies collected from Magazines over the years.  The collection has somewhat outgrown the little plastic take away tub that used to house them LOL!  At the back of the desk you can see my Kindle (bright red), my smart leather wallet (thanks Mum!), and my trusty mug of tea (nearly empty). The space on the desk is waiting for me to do some actual crafting.

Here is the Christmas card I made in the end, following the Less Is More One layer card challenge which is to use Foliage.  I used the JustRite Christmas Foliage stamp in the corners, and then the Noel tapestry stamp set for the centre.  I finished the card off with two gems. I am also entering this card into Stamping for the Weekend 'Start Christmas Early', Aud Sentiments 'Christmas is coming', and Tuesday Throwdown 'You're a gem' challenges.

I am also entering this card into Flourishes Timeless Tuesday 'Pinterest Christmas challenge' and here is the Pinterest photo that I used as inspiration for the card.  That is all from me for now.  I hope you all have a good week. 
Love,
Caro
x

Sunny September weekend

 We have certainly been enjoying the sun here in Sheffield this weekend.  Yesterday Alex and I spent time in Rivelin valley park splashing and waterfighting in the river (the paddling pools are still being upgraded) before Alex went to a school friend's birthday party.

Today we went to church in the morning, for a wonderful service where the sense of God's presence was palpable, and then out to Millhouses park in the afternoon where we met up with friends.  The kids enjoyed all aspects of the park, but especially the boats.

Crafting wise it is time for another Quirky Crafts challenge, this time set by Lyn (Spyder) who chose numbers.  We have a sponsor, The Stamping Boutique, who gave me this digital stamp to use, called AJ Race Car Driver. I followed the sketch from Flourishes Timeless Tuesday, and I am also entering this card into DYSU 'Birthdays', All Sorts 'layers' and Delicious Doodles 'celebrations' challenges.  That is all from me for now.  Have a great week everyone.
Love,
Caro
x

Ending in style! ( and WOYWW)

I have had another extended weekend thanks to Alex's school having two staff inset days.  This has meant that we were able to celebrate the end of the summer holidays in style.  On Saturday we went to Art in the Gardens...a big art festival in Sheffield Botanical Gardens.  It was wonderful to see so many styles of art and crafts and some wonderful creations including this amazing spiderweb sculpture that Alex thought was a chair!

On Sunday we met up with some friends at Conkers where Alex and I dared to do the barefoot walk... an amazing experience wading through peat bog, squelching through clay and over all sorts of surfaces in your bare feet...it took forever to get my feet clean again!

On Monday it was such a gorgeous day that Alex and I went over to Magna where there is a fantastic outside play area including this wonderful splash play space called Aqua Tec.  Needless to say my little man was in seventh heaven!

On Tuesday we went to Castleton and Speedwell cavern. The steps were a huge challenge but overall we had a great time...Alex loved the boat trip in the dark and being able to flash his torch around the place.

In the afternoon we went to the Bole Hills and then Alex had his first swimming lesson which he loved. All in all it was the perfect end to the summer holidays, and it is back to school and work today.

Here is my workdesk as it was at some point yesterday for my entry to WOYWW (it hasn't changed much today except that it has a few more things on it and my computer is at work!). To the left of my desk is my notepad, phone, wallet and some gold peel off stars.  At the back, just in front of my wooden tray is a box full of stamps that still need filing away, and my trusty mug (sadly nearly empty).  The open drawer is full of promarker pens, several of which are out as I have been colouring in various images for children's birthday cards. The pink pieces of card are for a project that I am currently working on which is mostly hidden by the glare from the window (sat on the craft mat).  The stamp on the acrylic block is for that project (see below).

Here is the card in question. A birthday card for one of Alex's school friends (party next weekend). The image is a Whiff of Joy stamp coloured with promarkers in various shades of pink and brown and layered on pink and brown card, hence this fits with the Less is More 'pink and brown' colour scheme this week.  I have added a gold peel off to look like a crown and turn her into a princess. Therefore I am also entering this into Pile it on 'For a princess', PTW 'anything goes' and Cupcake inspirations (pink and gold crown). That is all from me for now.  Not sure when I will get to upload this post as I am running various vivas today.  Have a great week everyone.
Love,
Caro
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