Merry Christmas

Hi,

All the alpacas are ready and waiting for a visit from Father Christmas and to see his reindeer.

Merry Christmas to you all.
There is no snow here yet, maybe next year !

Tale of two Shows

Hi, this blog post is alpaca based, by way of a change.

During the summer we took a small team of boys to two shows, Ellingham and Romsey.

Ellingham Show was the inaugral event, it was great fun, three firsts and a second for our team of four boys.

Romsey Show, our boys had got soaked the night before, we considered not taking them, but decided to give them a go at drying out in time, as two of them were white so would go into the ring late on. The Shaman has such a dense fleece he stayed well and truly wet, and could not be judged properly in his class.

Our major triumph at both shows was in the young white class, with Cherwell Leys Charnwood Izaak.

At the Ellingham Show judge Liz Barlow commented that he was the best alpaca fleece there that day, just not grown up enough in stature to be taken further than first place.

At the Romsey Show, judge Nick Harrington-Smith commented that he was head and shoulders above the other boys in his class, another first place. He has excellent fleece characteristics so far and is growing well.

Looking forward to what next year will bring.

Izaak was one of Woody's first offspring, we have had more cria this summer, boys and girls this time.

This is a picture of Izaak shortly after shearing he is such a poppet.

Thanks for visiting

Kathy

Waltzingmouse Fanatics Card Challenge Shades of Heather

Hi,

Still no alpacas, but another Waltzingmouse Fanatics Card Challenge.

This time a sketch card

Using Waltzingmouse Stamps. As soon as I saw the sketch I had the large round Folk Art Stamp in mind.

I took inspiration for the colours from a Scottish Heather Highland Scene

My Card is a Birthday Card using Folk Art Medallion and Folk Art Label 25 stamps
stamped with plum, green and natural shades of ink on a cream card background, with a border of muted gold. Tied with bakers twine. Hope that you like it.

Thank you for visiting.

Hope that you have a craft filled day

Kathy xx

Waltzingmouse Stamps PJ Party Story Book Challenge

Hi,

Another fun Challenge from Waltzingmouse Stamps, this is the Story Book card design from the recent PJ Party, you still have time to enter, just produce a card using the design as inspiration and link up at Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog.

I have used the Ocean Bound Stamp set for the three circles, the Tying the Knot Set for the rope and the Zig Zag Background, in a red, white and blue combo. It is difficult to choose which of the lovely Waltzingmouse Stamps to use, they are brilliant, especially being clear stamps and such good quality, with so many choices in a set, and so many sets to choose from. I have so many on my wish list !!

Thank you for visiting. Something alpaca related soon !!

Kathy xx

Christmas Card Challenge for Waltzingmouse Stamps Fanatics !!

Hi, this is another crafting challenge blog, the Waltzingmouse Stamps Fanatics Christmas Challenge.
Create a Christmas Card but without using Christmas Stamps, other than for the sentiment.

Here is my take on this card. I have used the Funky Feathers Stamp Set and stamped very simply a forest of stylized trees using shades of green and then highlighted with pops of red, for the stars at the top of the trees.
I didn't realise how much I had been influenced by the photograph above, until I have just put both photos together on my blog. My first ideas were for snowflakes using the feathers but they did not work how I imagined and this design came together from there.

Thank you for visiting.

Kathy xx

WMS Christmas Card

Hi, Just had a really busy day and almost missed the Waltzingmouse PJ Party.

Here is my Christmas Card design, using the lovely Nordic Winter Stamps and Nutcracker Sweet Christmas Trees.

Very short post today. I will have an update on my Christmas Fair at Damerham.

Thank you for visiting,
Hope that your weekend is craft filled

Kathy xx

Merry & Bright

Hi, this weekend I am posting a Christmas Card made for the Waltzingmouse Fanatics Challenge No 5 using "Storm Colours" greys and blues.

My design used the Nordic Winter Stamps and for the background the mini crackle design, stamped in the grey shades and the blues. The sentiment is from "Around Christmastime". All stamps are from Waltzingmouse Stamps

I used a favourite Saturday Sketchbook idea as the basis for my design.

And made use of my Spellbinders dies for the reindeer decorated bauble and circular doily.




Thank you for visiting
Hope that you have a craft filled weekend


Kathy x

Waltzingmouse Fanatics Challenge

Hi,

I am starting my week with yet another Waltzingmouse Stamps Challenge. This time the fanatics challenge No 4, a sketch design.

I chose to use a Spellbinder 3D Embossing as the background : Persian Splendour using a milk coloured card. Then the feature of my card, Waltzingmouse Stamps, Cameo Creations for the centre piece, raised up above Spellbinders Noble Rectangle, Edged with Venetian Accents, also used  for the sentiment stamp which is from Country Labels No 4
To produce the swirled band I used a die from the Damask Acents over stamped with the musical backgrounds stamp, As my sentiment was  "You are my Sunshine" I thought musical notes would be appropriate !!

I had lots of fun thinking of this design, although I need to improve my photographs, you can just see that there is embossing in the background but it is not too easy to make out the detail of the Noble Rectangle & Venetian Accents Dies. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, it is much clearer !!

Thank you for visiting.

Kathy x

A Thank You Card - Waltzingmouse Stamps

Hi,

Enjoyed the Waltzingmouse PJ Party Card challenges so much I have made a card for the Sketch Challenge, using the Folk Art Medallion Stamp Set. It is a very simple and straightforward card using the sketch design below.

My card is greys, lilacs and plum colours, although in the photograph the grey looks more of a green shade.

Again I made use of my Spellbinders dies for the background to the flower.

I am currently busy crafting, as usual,  using our own alpaca fleece that has been mill spun for me to crochet shawls for a Christmas Fair that I will be attending locally in Damerham on 23rd November.

Thank you for visiting,
I love to read all your comments and thank you for them.

Kathy x

WMS Part Two : Art Deco

Hi,

This is Waltzingmouse PJ Party part two, Art Deco design in black and white with a "pop" of colour.

More Spellbinders dies to add interest over the great Waltzingmouse Stamps Art Deco background stamp and Putting on the Ritz stamp set.

Thank you for visiting

Kathy

Halloween Card

Hi,

I have just purchased these lovely stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps, they are brilliant. All Hallows Eve, I just had to create a card for their PJ Party, Halloween and Green theme.

I used the Spooky Tree Stamp as well for the black background on the green card. I love my Spellbinders dies too.

Looking forward to more card crafting at the weekend, if the weather is wet.

Thank you for visiting

Christine's Charity Tag & Raffle

Well, summer has arrived since I last put pen to paper. All the alpacas are enjoying the weather.
I have been papercrafting in my spare moments and I have some pictures of "Christine's Tag" from Hope and Chances, Christine Emberson is raising money for Ronald McDonald House in Camberwell and is having an event at her shop on saturday, well worth a visit if you can. Tag kits and raffle tickets are on sale from her blog hope and chances

Christine's Charity Tag Kit

Spread out showing my photographs of the alpacas

That is all for now, back with some pictures of the new alpaca babies soon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Card

I had a little time papercrafting this afternoon, and inspired by Christine's Card from sunday I have used the 3D Daisy and coloured with distress inks. cut and added the butterflies, then as I do not have the shaped edges, yet, I have added the asian border and tag, which is awaiting a sentiment, I am thinking "Happy Easter" or "Happy Mother's Day" would suit. Love the Spring time colours.

I am also thinking that I should mat this onto a complimentary coloured card, and maybe a jewel for the butterfly. Thank you to Christine at hope and chances blog   I love your ideas.

Scrapbook Skippy

This is one of my favourite alpacas. I call her Skippy, because that is just what she does when she runs up for her bottle. I had to resort to bottle feeding her as her mum did not want to. This is new, her mum has fed previous cria fine, but this one was born in the wet of last year and just never got started.

I am a keen papercrafter and love my Spellbinders dies. I wanted to try Scrapbooking and Skippy seemed to be the perfect place to start. However, when I got out a piece of 12x12 paper, I thought I would never do it justice, so decided to start with a smaller piece. I needn't have worried a few trusty Spellbinders later and I had more than enough to make a design. Now I am waiting for a 12x12 piece of paper to re-assemble my die cuts on to. But for today it is my lovely Skippy that is centre stage. Her dam is Bashful and her sire is Rufus, Skippy, or Highland Ruffle to give her her sunday name, is his first offspring.

Skippy on her scrapbook page

Pancake's Birthday

Firstly, it is Happy Birthday to Pancake. Not Shrove Tuesday this year, but it was the day she was born !
What a lovely day it has been, loads of sunshine and a real feel of spring in the air.

Busy working on some spinning of natural dyed alpaca fleece in some gorgeous berry shades of pinks and lilacs, with the hope that once spun I shall knit a lace work shawl with light shades blending down to darker.

Just off to check on the girls.

Leave you with a picture of the Birthday Girl enjoying the sunshine.

Yes, it's your birthday today !!

 

 

 

Snow at East Martin

Well, we still have snow here. Just some pictures of the pacas.
First, our bottle fed baby, running up to see me. Then a group pose.

Skippy running up to see if I have her bottle with me, no it's the camera !!

Hello from all the snowy alpacas.

Happy Birthday Woody

Hi, it is Woody's birthday today. When he was born the weather was very similar, bright but oh so cold, he did not get the best of starts to his life. But he has put all that behind him and now he is the proud father to two adorable little boys born last summer, Shakespeare and Izaak. Shakespeare is Misty's first cria and Izaak has our Supreme Champion Tango as his illustious brother.

Above is a Woody baby picture, have a lovely day Woody.