Surprise!!

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Hello, hello!!  Are you still there?  Here I am – it’s only been four months and a couple or so weeks ….. Life got in the way of blogging, things happened, we got through it all and now I’m even back making again. 

Siddy is visiting his second favourite place today. He’s up at MudPuppy for his monthly beauty treatment and play date with his girls. My car is in the hospital having its own spa treatment and I have a whole day to myself.  So I thought I’d pop by and get this show on the road again.

While I’ve been gone I spent a couple of weeks sifting and sorting through my makings room.  I found stuff tucked away in drawers and cupboards and boxes that I never used because I couldn’t see them.  When you are a crafter it’s important to have the supplies out where you can see them isn’t it.  I discovered I have so much stuff it was overwhelming and I scarce knew where to begin.  I decided to start slow, to work my way through my stamp collection and to use as many supplies as humanly possible while I did so…….

Starting slow.  

A card for a friend who is plagued by lagomorphs in her garden plot.  I have a wicked and mean sense of humour and just wanted to send her something cute to alleviate her garden angst ……  She may not appreciate it, but I think it’s hilarious.  If you follow Lisa over at  https://arlingwords.wordpress.com you’ll know what I’m referring to.   (Good heavens, what’s happened to my ability to link to blogs?)

I’m still making starry night sky backgrounds – they are satisfying way of playing with all kinds of inks and sparkly stuff, there are bunny dies and word dies and that leafy surround is also a die.  Finished off with some faux grass I found tucked away in a drawer

Not a card, a pen and ink and glitter making for an old client who needs some cheering. It measures 24 x 21 cm.

Llamas have replaced owls as my new fad for fun cards. I started with plain Llamas and dressed them up. One stamp, two cards ……….

This first one is an A4 card, Ms Llama sports a jaunty turban, stylish neckwear and a begemmed blanket and the card is strewn with gold leaf flakes and various sparkly facets that add to the necessary gorgeousness of it all.

The second, a smaller A5 card utilised some of the shiny cardstock in the stash, a larger turban and just as much bling

I think 2020 is going to be a year of sparkle and bling…….

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did.

64 thoughts on “Surprise!!”

  1. Reading in reverse here (though apparently I read and liked but never commented). For shame, Alys. Well, at least you managed a few creative endeavors before all hell broke loose in the floorboards. I hope you get a spiffy flat with never flooring throughout when all is said and done. What a hassle. Big hug flying your way.

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  2. May 2020 be a fabulous and crafty year for us all.
    I love your cards, they are stunning, and have so much dainty details.
    Hope Siddy is doing well, and have enjoyed his day with the girls, and of course, the car too, all done for the new year now.
    Have a fabulous February, and enjoy everything you get up to.
    xxx

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    • Jeepers Joey, I missed you again! thank you for your good thoughts. I hope you are managing okay and life is looking a little cheerier for you with some good crafting coming – and also that memorial book for the much loved and lovely Mieke ❤

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  3. Yay! lovely to have you back! January is over and we can get on with creating while (here at least) the garden is beginning to come alive. I always forget how much gardening restores my spirit, and I have a new painting on the go. I love your style and talent with your crafts/painting, you are so versatile with a great sense of design. Cheers, Pauline :>)

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  4. Always so good to hear from you, Pauline. Glad Siddy and Orlando are well – and you, too! I guessed what lagomorph meant by the context, but looked it up anyway. That is EXACTLY my sense of humor – that and potty mouth.

    Your cards are wonderful – doesn’t it feel great to be creating again? xoxo

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  6. I too have been remiss with my blogging of late… some health issues at the end of last year completely threw me and I haven’t got back into the habit yet. I lost my creative mojo for a while, but it’s back now and I’m very busy making all sorts of things.
    I love your cards, but especially the lamas in turbans.

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    • I just tossed a half written letter to you that was begun before last Christmas and so was terribly out of date ….. the weather suddenly summered up and indoor things are taking a back seat. I understand the health issues, I had a rocky time last spring and I haven’t completely got my mojo back – I still have to be careful with my energy it seems. There’s nothing wrong with slowing down – I like the time it gives me to stop and smell the roses…… there will be a letter but not immediately 🙂

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  7. Ohhhh sparkle and bling !! I do like your plan for 2020, I shall join with 😀 I’ve returned from a fab visit with our Alys. One travel day takes you from palm tree’s to snow piles in north America. Bit of a snowstorm the day before I travelled home, so that was a nice bit to miss, LOL.
    How nice to be finding your way back to the ‘making room’ 😀 Such a quaint name for your happy spot too. The Llama’s turned out so sweet and of course I adore the colours. I’m looking forward to getting back into my craft room too, aren’t we just too lucky?! xo Love and Hugs K

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    • A year of sparkle and bling sounds just the thing……. 🙂 We are so fortunate to have our play rooms to spend time in! I’m slowly getting back in and aiming to spend a couple of hours every day as my energy rises. You Canadians have had some harshly cold temps this winter haven’t you – I simply can’t imagine that much cold! (I follow some fellows on YouTube who hail from your neck of the woods that’s how I know) I’m just know you and Alys had a ball on your get together too – I’m so glad you get to spend some quality time together regularly.

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  9. You do have fun, and flair, with your card making.

    We have an alpaca who is looking in the window, breathing moistly on the window, hoping I will takt the hint and bring out some carrots for him.

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    • You are lucky!! I really like alpacas, I think they are prettier than llamas (but don’t tell a llama I said that) and gentler too. Once upon a time my eldest daughter really, really, really wanted to have an elephant as a pet and thought it could live quite happily in the back garden, tied to the plum tree during the day so it wouldn’t get lost and sleep in her old playhouse in the evenings…. Nowadays I think she would feel the same way about an alpaca 🙂

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  10. Hello, Pauline! Great to see you again! Your cards are wonderful, as always. I think 2020 is going to need some sparkle and bling. We should add as much as we can to the world. 🙂

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  11. Apparently the time off has not dimmed your creative spirit, Pauline! It’s all so beautiful!! I don’t know much about lagomorphs and llamas, but I do know the Conented Crafter is back in action! xox

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  12. AAiieeee! Arlingwoman screams! She runs at the bunnies or just mourns her lost lettuces. Still, she plots fencing and other ways to keep out the evil lagomorphs, who do not love her at all, just her garden plants… Glad you’re back, Pauline! I do like all the cards and they show such a range of imagination. Talk to you soon!

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  13. Welcome back, Pauline :). MudPuppy! What a cute name. haha, I hope he enjoyed himself. How is Orlando BTW? Beautiful work! My daughter would really love the one with the lady–the colors and intricacy of it. I say that because it reminds me so much of something she would choose. My favorite is the bunny one–so cute and cheerful!!! And I’m paying much more attention to bunnies now because my friend who provided the hospice for the dear street cat Dexter has is now into bunnies, as well as cats, and I get to hear about the antics of her adorable bunny Charlie.

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    • MudPuppy – it’s a great name isn’t it 🙂 Siddy loves going there and I get a little space to do my own thing without many games of fetch or regular treats being required……. I have always quite fancied having a bunny as a pet but never have. I think they are adorable and full of personality.

      I’m tickled to think your daughter would like that card – it is very textured and sparkly, the camera doesn’t quite pick it all up. I like making intricate multi layered pieces, it is most satisfying.

      Thank you for inquiring about Orlando too. He is very well. Well as well as an elderly Maine Coon can be. He has trouble jumping now and I need to help lift him up onto the high places he likes to be, but he can get down easy enough. He still comes on our evening walk with us if we wait til it’s dark and Siddy is used to that now so he doesn’t set off for home at a fast trot in order to get his kitty back to safety. They amuse me greatly and several neighbours have mentioned they enjoy to see us go by too. Just doing our bit to share the love 😀

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  15. So nice to see you again, Pauline! And lovely to see your new creations. So cute and pretty. In the Northwest US we are overrun with bunnies. The experts are saying that it’s a result of climate change and milder winters, more bunny babies surviving. They’re everywhere! The fairy card is gorgeous, and your llamas with bling made me laugh. Can’t wait to see what other art 2020 inspires. Have a great weekend, my friend. ❤

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    • We had that problem too Diana – way before the climate change kicked in – as our winters tended to be mild anyway. And I do understand poor Lisa’s angst at her vegetable patch being constantly raided. But bunnies are so cute 🙂 I wish you a happy weekend too x

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  18. Lovely to hear from you again. I hope Siddy and the car are both safely home and looking fabulous. Love your cards, especially the sparkly fairy. llamas are very in vogue at the moment and yours are very glamourous.

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    • Yes Cathy, both Siddy and the car returned safely – all white and fluffy in one case and humming along splendidly in the other. Glad to hear you like the sparkly fairy, She is very sparkly, it’s a shame the camera doesn’t pick that aspect up.

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  20. Welcome back lovely lady. Your cards are looking even better than ever.
    Apart from being glad to see you back blogging, I had to look up ‘lagomorph’ otherwise your bunny card didn’t make sense, so I’ve learnt something new today too.

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  21. Glad to see you found the creativity ‘Start’ button for 2020, because you’ve been missed 🙂 A year on from moving into this house, I still have three huge 80L tubs of general stuff to unpack, amongst which I know there are things I’ve missed and needed throughout the year. It’s just too hard right now, and finding homes for everything is tricky; my work room is much bigger than before, but has more doors and windows and consequently less storage space!

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  22. Hi Pauline! Glad to see you back and making:) I love the llamas. It is important to have my crafting supplies out where I can get to them. Otherwise I won’t pick them up. I recently took a wool felting class and made a kitty and now I’m hooked! I forgot how much fun making with my hands is. May 2020 sparkle a bit for all of us. Take care. xoxo

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  23. We have been doing the same thing, Sorting and finding the bottom and starting to work our way through. I LOVE your cards, especially the fairy with her gold and glitz. The are just so sweet and thoughtful of you. You’ve made so many happy with those beautiful works of art. I look at mine every day of the week and think of you.

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  25. Oh, Pauline, I’ve missed you. I do hope you are okay and I look forward to 2020’s year of sparkle and bling. I love all these cards you have shared today. The bunnies are very cute and the card is hilarious. I do hope your friend appreciates it. I do. I also love your wishes card, and the llamas are stunning. But, tell me, what is it with llamas? Llamas seem to be the flavour of the month, or year. There are numerous picture books about llamas and I’ve seen lots of inspirational llama products in the shops too. I’ve only noticed them recently. Was I missing them before, or are they the latest ‘thing’? Yours are very cute anyway.
    Have an amazing year, my friend. It’s so good to have you back. 🙂

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    • Helloo Norah, it’s good to be back 🙂 Llamas are indeed a thing and have been for a while now – you can pretty much guarantee that if I’ve caught up with the bandwagon it’s starting to slow down. I happened to find a set of Llama stamps and an alpaca stamp – I particularly like real alpacas – and it seems you can play around with the names to make slightly humorous little greetings and sentiments which quite appeals to me also. So I’m going to play for a while, but don’t expect the fad to last for too much longer.

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