Saturday - time for chat and crafting!

Morning readers, 

I've a make to share with you today .......

My C6 card

And a closer view of "the bling"!!

Materials used:

• White, 250gs, C6/A2 card and matching envelope
• White and deep purple card, for my card front, insert and matting
• Creative Expressions images (from CEC897) stamped using Versafine Clair charming pink and purple delight inks
• Clearly Besotted sentiment (from "mini calligraphy") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• And, for some bling ... Faber Castell glass bead glitter gel applied through my Memory Box stencil (88568) using a palette knife and set aside to dry

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 460 - A BIT OF BLING
2. Lil Red Wagon - challenge No. 644 - CAS (Clean And Simple)
3. Pattie's Creations - challenge No. 192 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Alphabet Challenge - March 11th - "Y" is for YOUR FAVE COLOUR COMBINATION - I love purple and pink, especially with a bit of bling
5. Polkadoodles - challenge No. 11 - ANYTHING GOES

For my next make ....... boy, it felt GOOD to get some seriously old stash out and inky again! Still making cards with a more masculine twist to them, but .. that's OK - in any given year I do send out quite a few "guy" cards so they always come in handy.

My C6 card

This (hopefully) shows the detail a little better

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6/A2 card and matching envelope
• Card in white, grey and black, for my card front, insert and matting
• Paper Artsy harlequin image (from Letters plate #5 - 2009) stamped (2nd gen) using Memento gray flannel ink
• Close To My Heart numbers image (from D-1271 "Make it count" - pre 2012) stamped (2nd gen impressions) using Memento London fog ink
• Art Impressions quill image (M-2068 - pre 2009) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Paper Artsy splatter (from HPXT01 - 2011) stamped using Adirondack cranberry ink
• Clearly Besotted sentiment (from brushed sentiments - 2021) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Use Your Stuff - challenge No. 443 - MASCULINE
2. Creative Knockouts - challenge No. 443 - BIRTHDAY WISHES
3. Seize The Birthday - challenge No. 233 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) SEA CREATURES
4. Sisterhood of Crafters - March 9th challenge - USE AN OLD STAMP .. dates are 2009, 2011, pre 2012 and 2021
5. Addicted to Stamps - challenge No. 424 - ANY OCCASION

I'm sure you all know how frustrating junk mail can be ... I (for one) didn't miss it during the pandemic .. when we got virtually NONE! However, it seems to be creeping up again. Recently, we got a store "free magazine" which contained soup recipes ... now, those who know me will know that I don't like to cook!! My signature dishes are chilli and SOUP! So, this leaflet did actually peak my interest and I picked two recipes that I thought we'd like to try. So, I read through the list of ingredients and the only items we didn't have were squash, rice noodles and fresh red chillies so .. next "shop" we acquired those items and, earlier this week, set to making the first soup ... a red Thai butternut squash soup - it proclaimed to take just "15 minutes" ...... not sure in which alternate reality it only takes 15 minutes but .... I enlisted hubby to peel and cube the butternut squash and I set about peeling the broad beans - yes, peeling the broad beans! Never done this before and quickly found out that I probably won't be doing it again in this lifetime, best part of half an hour of my life I won't get back!

My peeled broad beans

Still, the completed soup WAS absolutely delicious and we've three portions left - recipe said "serves 4" ... only if they're seriously hungry as we'll have made it serve 5 with generous portions at that!