It's in the Mail

This week on the Daring Cardmakers our challenge is about all things postage:

It`s Rein here this week and my dare for you is

"postable" people

Please use things with a postage/mail theme such as postmen, postage stamps, parcel delivery or perhaps postage-inspired greetings on you card.

First port of call for me was the box stuffed with what I like to call Ephemera - but is really where I stash away all manner of "things that might come in useful one day".  Ephemera is a lovely word and makes it sound less like I'm just hoarding stuff that should be thrown away 

I knew there was a stash of interesting stamps and suchlike in there but before I got to them I found a bag of gorgeous reproduction postcards in miniature sizes - among them was this lovely wedding image which I couldn't resist using.

Can you believe that until this week I'd not ordered any new crafty stash THIS YEAR?  I well and truly broke that record though by ordering 4 new MME 6x6 pads, a Marianne Hearts die and replenishing the black and white Bazzill card stash, plus the Echo Park 6x6 pad and some 12x12 sheets from the same collection which I'd forgotten were in my stored basket since before Christmas - hmmm, maybe I should pay more attention to the contents before I hit the pay button, oops.  They are lovely though and I think I might get some non-Christmas use out of them.

Anyway, the MME papers are "Howdy Doody" from the Miss Caroline collection and I don't know why they have such a rough and ready name for what is quite a romantic/chintzy set

 Materials:

Cream 14cm sq card blank edged with Tattered Rose DI

Papers all MME Miss Caroline collection, "Howdy Doody" 6x6 pad

Miniature postcards from The Fruit Pixie

I went a bit mad with the ribbons, lace and flowers, but sometimes that happens!  Most of my supplies for these came from Creative Treasures

The Flowers (vaguely left to right):

off-white gardenia petals with wired "daisy double" in centre

Peach organza flower with pearl centre

Peachy-pink organza circle (edges curled by candle "method"), wired rose centre

Rosette flower created from folded silky crush ribbon, narrow ivory lace and a large pearl brad,

creamy brown wired Cherry Blossom

white rose bud and small white rose, large white rose

The peachy-pink flower above the white ones is made using 3or 4 "flat" Prima blossoms, formed around a flower stamen centre (I can't remember where they came from!)

There is a length of wide lace across the card and gathered up at the left side, plus a length of ruffled up seam binding

flat backed pearls, home made rub-on stickers

Tools:

Dies - Spellbinders Floral Doily, Marianne Hearts (3 die set)

Tim Holtz Distresser

Please visit the Daring Cardmakers Blog to see the lovely projects made by our fab team - we'd love you to join in with us this week too.  Don't forget our new Facebook page is up and running so if you use FB you can leave a message and a link there too.

Building work/Kitchen Update:

We're at the end of week 6 and nearly all the paintwork in the various areas is done.  Mark has been here most of the week wielding his trusty rollers and brushes - it's amazing the difference a coat or two of paint makes - especially the gleaming gloss on the woodwork.

The tilers came during the week and the kitchen floor is now finished.  Unfortunately, they couldn't finish the cloakroom too as the feature tiles didn't arrive in time, and we're short of a few of the Travertine tiles too - knock on effect is that the new loo looks lovely sitting in the hall and the washstand is still in the lounge.  hey ho!

Ben the kitchen fitter is also here today fitting the drawer fronts and doors so it's all going to look a bit different by the end of today.  No word yet on the work tops though - I was hoping they'd be here today too.  

The skip was collected yesterday - now that's always a good sign that the end of any building work is getting close, isn't it? 

So, we're still camping out really, most appliances aren't fully fitted yet and some not even in the room yet, but bit by bit it's all taking shape.

I'll try to remember to add some photos over the weekend.

That's me for now though, I have crafty stuff to be getting on with so I really should make a start on that.  

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