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July 30, 2014

Our Beautiful World ~ Time

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today and for your comments, I really do appreciate them and YOU! :)

Today's post is another photographic one and I'm linking up with Our Beautiful World. Their prompt this week is "Time" and immediately I saw it, I knew exactly which clock I'd be featuring...



It's the Eastgate Clock in Chester, England and it is the second most photographed clock in the UK. The most photographed is the clock on the Houses of Parliament in London, often incorrectly referred to as "Big Ben", which is in fact the name of the bell in what is now known as the Queen Elizabeth tower, having been renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Anyway, enough about that one, here's some more about the Eastgate Clock and the gateway on which it stands...

The gate was originally the main entrance into the Roman fortress of Deva Victrix and indeed most of the walls remain to this day. The original gate was guarded by a timber tower which was replaced by a stone one in the second century and that in turn was replaced again around the 14th century.

The gateway in the photo here dates from 1768 and is a three-arched sandstone structure which carries the already mentioned city walls. The clock was added in 1899 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria two years earlier. The frame of the clock is made of iron and there are faces on all four sides. It was designed by the Chester architect John Douglas and the whole structure, gateway and clock, was designated as a Grade 1 Listed Building (giving protective status), in July 1955. 

This photo was taken in 2009 and although I regularly visit the city and have many more recent photos of the clock, none show it off as well as this one. I also have a lot of photos of the city walls and I'll share some of those in another post :)

I'm linking up this post with Our Beautiful World...

Hugs,
Em x

July 29, 2014

Birthday list, RAK & More

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your comments, I really do appreciate them.

Regular readers might recall that I've begun the long process of reorganizing my studio after having work done to replace the heating in the house. Well, now I can reveal that it's not just my studio that will be getting organized, there will be a few changes to the website too, and here's a few highlights...

I'll be starting a regular feature wishing those of you celebrating a very happy birthday.

I'll also be improving the "Links I love" page to include all your blogs, Pinterest and Facebook pages.

I'll be creating my own blog button for you to display, if you'd like to do so, on your own.

Last, for now, but by no means least, I want to start giving back to you and sharing some Random Acts of Kindness (RAK).

I can't do any of these without a little help from you first. All I ask is that you give me a few minutes of your time and fill out the Birthday List, RAK & More form, please, giving as much information as you can.


Hugs,
Em x

July 28, 2014

Another thank you

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your comments. I really do appreciate all of you!

I'm sharing another thank you card with you today that I created in the same style as those in the Thanks guys! post. I'm very happy with this one and even happier that I was even able to get my favorite white on white into the design. Yay! :)

Some of you might recall that back in late March I decided I needed to get back into physical shape, having overcome some health issues that had been around for a few years. I also decided that I'd challenge myself to work up towards a marathon swim later this year and raise funds for a couple of military charities. I wrote about it all in the Battling Back blog.

Unfortunately last week I announced that the challenge itself has had to be postponed, due to an injury that I've been carrying almost since the beginning of my training. I've been supported by so many throughout the journey, and if I could, I'd create cards for them all, but this one is for Sarah, a friend and former international swimmer and coach who became my honorary coach. As soon as I told her of the injury sh tried to get me to rest and then rehab, but I'm stubborn and wasn't ready to give in so soon, knowing that even then I'd risk not being ready for the challenge.

Now I have accepted that it will need postponing and so this is to thank Sarah for being such a great and VERY patient friend.


I will be continuing with the Battling Back blog as I continue to work on my fitness and then rehab the injured arm. Posts there may not be very frequent for the time being, but I'd be honored if you'd perhaps consider following that one too, please?

Challenges...
July linky at DL.ART
#82 AG w/ optional sentiment at 613 Avenue Create
#23 AG at Crafty Girls
#29 AG at Crafting From The Heart

Hugs,
Em x

July 25, 2014

Thanks guys!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today and for your comments, I really appreciate them.

The cards I'm sharing with you today are a couple of the ones I created yesterday, but didn't get chance to photograph. Guys are always a challenge to design for so these took a bit of thought and indeed a browse around Pinterest for inspiration. I love that site! :)

It's been a long time since I've created gate fold cards and when I saw one, I knew that would be the style I'd use. I had so much fun with these and they didn't take long to design. It also felt great to get something done after this week!


All the panels on the front have been lifted with foam tape for dimension and you can just see the matching layers peeking through from the inside; those layers were added with super sticky tape. The punched stars were adhered with wet glue.


Challenges...
July linky at DL.ART
Emboss it at Simon Says
#23 AG at Scribble and Scrap
AG at Through The Craft Room Door
#28 AG at Crafting From The Heart
Die cuts/ punches at Sisterhood of Crafters

Have a great weekend everyone!
Hugs,
Em x

July 24, 2014

A note of thanks

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today and for all your comments, I'm honored to have you here.

If you follow my Facebook page, you might be aware that earlier this week I had workmen in to renew my heating. They were in until Tuesday afternoon and you can imagine the mess they left! Ugh! I'm still trying to get my studio back to how I want it, but I have managed to get some crafty time. One project is still very much a work in progress and I've also gotten a few cards created, I've just not had time to photograph them yet. Boo!

I promise I'll get a creative post up tomorrow and will get back to your blogs too. I miss my bloggy friends! Thanks again for everything, including your patience during what has been a crazy, upside down week for me.


When the studio is FINALLY organized I might be brave enough to share some pix of it. Perhaps we should do a "Creative space" link up? If you'd be interested in sharing pix of yours, let me know in the comments.

Hugs,
Em x

July 16, 2014

W-o-w Butterfly

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today, it's an honor to have you here and I really do appreciate all your comments.

The card I'm sharing today is created using another of my favorite styles, a waterfall and the w-o-w in the post title refers to another of my favorites, white-on-white. Did you guess?


The card is a personal gift from me to someone who doesn't necessarily know how much I'm thankful for everything she does.

Challenges...
July Linky at DL.ART
TT #136 Thank you at DL.ART
#80 AG w/ optional shaped card at 613 Avenue Create
#78 AG at Pumpkin Spice
#27 AG at Crafting From The Heart

Hugs,
Em

July 14, 2014

Woodland Wander

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by, it's an honor to have you here. Today's post is another pictorial one because I'm joining this week's link up over at Our Beautiful World, Week 55 ~ Woodland.

I took the photos back on May 31, and the nature reserve where they were taken is right on the coast, about an hour away from where I live. It was a very relaxed and very hot early summers day :)


Can you spot the tail of the red squirrel in the feeding station in the pic below?


I loved the way the sun caught in the spider's web within this seed...

Having strolled through the woodland, I was by now barefoot on the hot sand and moments after the pic below was taken I was on the beach and that's where I stayed for several hours.

It really was a blissful day, even if I did get some minor sunburn, oops! I'm hoping to get back there before the end of the summer and if I do, I'll of course share some of the day with you too.

I'm linking up this post with


Hugs,
Em

July 10, 2014

Fancy Flowers

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today, it's an honor to have you here. It's been a long time since I've shared any of my non-crafty photos with you. It's a gorgeous summer day here, and most of the windows in the house are open. There's a gentle breeze blowing through, so it really feels as if I've brought the outside in. I hope the weather is just as good wherever you are!

The first two photos were taken in my Gram's front yard last weekend. I love how the upper hydrangea bloom in the first is in the sun while the others are shaded. The color is so delicate...


The rose below was quite heavy and cast downward a little, I tried to get as low as possible to take the shot, but short of laying down on the lawn, which I have been known to do before, this was the best I could do. Even so, I'm still really happy with the image...

Last but by no means least is this peachy rose that I captured while on my way to a meeting a week ago. It was taken in the grounds of the city cathedral and the garden is full of them. I walked through there this morning while on my way to another meeting and they are all still looking amazing. This is my favorite of the three.

What is your favorite flower? If you have any flower photos you've taken, that you'd like to share, add the link in the comments and I'll feature them in a future post :)

Hugs,
Em

July 9, 2014

Helpful hint ~ Comment Signature

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today, it's an honor to have you here! I've not got a card for you today, but have a helpful hint instead. I always add my website link, or what I call my "comment signature" when I add a comment to other websites and some of you might wonder how I do it? Here's the html code I use...

<a href="http://www.creative-em.com/">Creative Em</a>

To adapt it for your own use, replace the website address with your own and then Creative Em with whatever you'd like the link to display. 

If you have any difficulty, leave a comment to this post with your blog link and the words you'd like and wording you'd like to use and I'll adapt it for you and leave it as a comment on your latest blog post. 

Alternatively you can contact me via the Creative Em Facebook page or my Google+ page and I'll help you. 

I'll be back tomorrow with a pictorial post, so hope you'll stop back then. 

Hugs,
Em 

July 7, 2014

New arrival

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by, it's an honor to have you here and indeed to read your comments too. The card I'm sharing today has previously been shown, looking almost complete, in my National PINK day post. My client was really happy with it, but with baby Eva having not been born at that time, she asked me to keep hold of the card until the little lady had arrived, and then add her birth date to it. Of course I was happy to oblige and when the little one made her entrance last Wednesday, I added the date and today is the first chance I've had to share it with you...


The details about how I designed the card can be seen in the original post.

Challenges...
July linky at DL.ART
#26 ATG at Crafting From The Heart
ATG at Through The Craft Room Door
ATG at Papertake Weekly
#54 Lets Get Kiddish at Beyond Grey

Hugs,
Em x

July 3, 2014

July 4th Decorations

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today, I'm honored to have you here. I've just put the decorations up ahead of America's birthday tomorrow and as well as the Patriotic candy cups I shared with you earlier in the week I've created a coordinating banner and have also added in some adorable cupcakes I made from card for last year.

Here's the overall view, the pics are of my two youngest kiddos :)


The banner was created using the Crafter's Companion embossing board, Special Treat, with the stars again punched from metallic sticker sheets and scraps of white card. The letters this time are silver peel-offs and I've added Fiskars eyelets and red spotty ribbon from my stash to complete the banner. Here's a close up...


The cupcakes were also embossed using another Crafter's Companion board, Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats. The stars were punched from more scraps of card. Here's a close up of those too, which show the embossing...



Challenges...
July linky at DL.ART
Thankful Thursday #135 Patriotic at DL.ART
#78 AG at 613 Avenue Create
#25 AG at Crafting From The Heart
#98 AG/ Patriotic at Artistic Inspirations

If you're celebrating tomorrow I hope you have a very happy and safe holiday, especially those of you on the east coast while Hurricane Arthur roars by. God bless America and God bless all of us!

Thanks for all your comments. I love reading them :)

Hugs,
Em

July 1, 2014

Starry birthday

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today, please do make yourself at home :)

The card I'm sharing is one of two that are identical and was inspired by my first July 4th themed creation, the Patriotic candy cup I shared with you yesterday (although there's no red used in this one) and also a recent Thank you card.

I've used textured navy card for the mats and stars, and sponged copper ink over the embossing to highlight it and give a distressed look. The embossing folder I've used is a Sizzix one that came as part of the bundle with my BigShot, so unfortunately I can't remember the name, sorry! The design was completed with a gold peel off sentiment.


I'm really hoping that both guys like their cards, and that you do too. I'd love you to leave me a comment :)

Challenges...
#98 Anything Goes/ Patriotic at Artistic Inspirations
#25 Anything Goes at Crafting From The Heart
#78 Anything Goes at 613 Avenue Create
July Anything Goes at Sisters of Craft
Anything Goes at Papertake Weekly
July Anything Goes at Just Keep On Creating
#1 Anything Goes at Just for Fun

I'll be back later in the week with another patriotic project, so I hope you'll join me then.

Hugs,
Em