New Baby...and another new stamp!! :D

Hello!! :)

Well, it did snow...an inch or so the night of my last post and then another several throughout the day Wednesday with more expected tomorrow!! Not nearly as much as a lot of places but enough to cause problems- not that that takes much in this country!! :/ My biggest problem has been trying to resist wanting to get outside and touch it as I’m really not well enough- just standing up a few minutes taking a few pics through my window on Wednesday has made me feel worse enough but I just love the way it looks like a whole different world out there when it snows so I couldn’t resist trying to do that much at least!! Paying for it big time now though, I’m afraid, not much chance of crafting since, bar a bit of colouring, and this post has taken me since then to sort out in tiny stages while in bed... But I did get some good shots of a blackbird on our shed roof trying to eat/take a bath in the snow...not sure which!!lol

I’ve also hit the panic stage on the Christmas prep front this week as I’ve really got hardly any cards made still and not that many of my gifts either, so I’m going to try a different style of post, too, as if I don’t make them quicker I’ll never get anything posted between now and Xmas!! :S

So, here are a couple of cards from a week or so ago which would’ve been going into a couple of challenges if I’d managed to post them at the time but never mind!! :) They were in readiness for the same baby as the last FF set I posted but this time for the Grandma- one of my mum’s best friends- and Grandad :)

So here goes me trying to be brief- wish me luck!! ;D

I used:

My new (sooo adorable and, I think timeless!) LOTV baby stamp with PMs to colour: Ivory, Satin, Blush and Dusky Rose for the skin; Ivory and Satin for the blanket and hat band; Pastel Blue and Denim or Rose Pink for the clothes

Nesties Labels One- I drew around the outside of the same size and cut by hand to get a mat layer just a bit bigger, Ivory PM and Blue/Pink Chalk ink pad to edge

Core’dinations Whitewash, C’bug ‘Spots and Dots’ folder, Paper Scuffer, TH Distressing Tool

White paper coloured with Ivory PM for matting

White Ribbon coloured with Ivory PM

Baby Feet Charm and jump from my jewellery stash - I found out I'd need the pink one before I'd got round to putting the charms on so just did that one!! :)

Woodware Clear Magic Wedding Words for greeting and border stamp (small section) from Lakeland years ago, chalk ink pads

Plus beige, blue and pink thread from my ever-helpful mum’s sewing box!! :D And also a little help from my mum to finish the sewing as my hands gave out half way through- knew there was a reason I'd resisted trying hand-stitching for so long!!- but she quite liked that that meant she'd had a hand in making her friend's card so it was all good in the end!! :)

Some closer shots :)

Well, I’m not sure I like that way of doing things- I like words and the flow of good sentences too much!!- but it was certainly quicker!! Sorry if it’s not so easy to read!! :S

I'm not really managing to keep up very well with what challenges are around at the mo' and don't have the energy to go looking but these have made it through the haze of my brain somehow so I’d like to enter this in Craft Your Days Away’s Challenge – Texture  for the embossed and sanded card, stitching, ribbon and charm :); and Lili of the Valley - A Few of My Favourite Things which are: one of my many new LOTV stamps which are all my favs at the mo', PMs, Ribbon coloured with a PM and my Cuttlebug for embossing and  cutting my Nesties, which I'd be totally lost without!! :)

Thanks for reading and for the lovely comments on my last post- I’ll be trying my hardest not to disappear for so long again!!lol It probably seems mad to some that I’m spending my energy on this while complaining that I’m feeling so ill but, aside from the fact that I can do this from my bed when I can’t do anything more ‘active’, blogging my cards and blogs in general have so quickly become such an integral part of crafting for me that I really do miss it all if I’m away too long- I’d never have believed how quickly and thoroughly I’d come to love it and I think that has a lot to do with what a lovely, friendly and welcoming bunch of people crafty bloggers are!! :)

Oh, and here are a couple of my snow pics!! :) They're not the best shots ever having been taken through the glass but, after all that effort, someone else should see them!!lol

The mad Blackbird :D

This one's the wider view from my window (with our extension showing at the bottom) while the snow was coming down fairly fast- my fav time to take pics :)

Hope you’re all keeping warm and well!! :)

hugs,