Resurfacing

Well, it's been a week since we stepped off the plane and we are both fully stuck fighting jet lag! We have never had it this long and we are both completely fed up with it.
We have been keeping busy with the kids, grandkids, family dinners, catching up in the garden and of course dealing with the mountain of laundry and ironing! We do feel truly home, but are still falling asleep watching TV right after supper and then waking up at silly o'clock!

I did manage to make a card while catching up the laundry. My laundry room is right beside my craft room so I am usually more productive when I have a mountain of laundry!  lol
This is a fairly simple Christmas card but keep in mind I could have fallen asleep at any point when making it...

I used a piece of green cardstock in between the DP and the red mirri card. It matched the dull sort of green on the bottom edge of the bird sticker. Once the card was finished, I knew it was too insipid. I dug out some stickles and carefully painted it on the slim frame of that green cardstock. I used a mixture of 2 shades of green stickles and finally some Stardust. It seems to stand out a bit more now but is certainly hard to photograph!
I did two layers of the Spellbinders Fancy Tag 2. The bottom layer has been painted with cream paint...yes...a leftover painted edge tag from my August cards...Waste not, Want not, I say!

Recipe
Kraft scalloped card base - cut at my LSS on their Accucut system
Red mirri card = American Crafts snippet from my stash
Green glitter card - snippet of cardstock from my stash that I covered with green stickles
DP - red flocked brocade, snippet from my stash, originally from the dollar store
Dies - Spellbinders Fancy Tags 2
Sticker - red foiled edge script sticker from my stash, source unknown
3D Sticker - K and Co oval bird sticker
Bling - from my stash
Stickles - Stardust, and two shades of green mixed together.

I am entering this card is in the following challenges
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. CHNC Extra - must be Christmas
3. Marks Finest Papers, Speedy TV Christmas Card Club - must be Christmas
4. Sister Act Card Challenge - anything goes
Finally ready to start sharing some of my trip photos...
Here are some of the lovely gifts I received when I met up with some of my bloggy friends IRL.

This is the gorgeous Welsh wooden spoon (and handmade gift bag) I received from Sam at Hettiecraft . The carved spoons are a centuries old, Welsh tradition. It was so nice to receive something so unique to Welsh culture.
I will always treasure this!  Sam drove for hours from Wales just to meet me and then drove again to Flutterby's craft shop where we had some crafty fun.

She even did without a proper lunch so we could get over to our afternoon outing. What a trooper! Hope you will check out her blog as she is a really talented lady!  She is very versatile...from Tim Holtz grungy style, to vintage, to pretty...she does them all so well.
 
Di from Pixies Crafty Workshop drove over as well and formed the key element to our trio!

 I say key element, as Di lives in the area and was our SatNav to Flutterby's. lol

 Di runs a weekly challenge to encourage you to use up your scraps or snippets! Pop on over to visit...Di is funny, very talented and so supportive and kind. She made me the sweetest card and an assortment of magnet bookmarks...many have already been claimed by my family members! Here are the sweet bookmarks I have left...can you guess where we went in the afternoon???

Yep...here we are...Mr Scrappymo, Sam and Di walking just ahead of me...all eyes on Highclere! Looks like DH is taking a photo too.

 Di remembered that I once posted how pricey charms are in Canada and how they are impossible to find in any of the big chain stores or even on the fairly large LSS's in my area...so she surprised me with an assortment of charms.

When I was in Filey, I took the train into Scarborough and met up with Sue J of Olliesmam and her lovely husband Paul. It was such a joy to meet them as Sue and I have been chatting both through comments and emails. Sue also remembered I was looking forward to getting some charms in England and she brought me a fabulous assortment of charms as well. I hope you will check out her blog as Sue, Ollie and Paul are fun to follow. Sue does gorgeous colouring!

I am on the left, Sue P in the middle and Sue J on the left. They met me at the train station in Scarborough.

I mixed Di's and Sue's charms all together in a lovely little chiffon bag to stow them more easily in my suitcase...not stopping to think about photo taking later. So this total, gorgeous assortment I have been showing you is actually from Sue J and Di. Of course I think Ollie had a say in which pretty charms I received! After all, there are some wee doggies and even a bone!  Here are a few more of this shared present!

Sue P of  Planet Susie and her lovely husband Graham joined us in Scarborough. They drove up and stayed in a hotel in Scarborough for a couple of nights. I was really touched that my bloggy friends (and their lovely husbands) drove so far and took time out of their busy schedules to meet with me! 

I was truly blessed! Here we are having Fish and Chips at Winking Willy's...I swear I did not make up the name. Left to right: Me, Sue J, Sue P and then her husband Graham and rounding out the group Paul J.

We all headed up to Alonzi's Harbour Bar for an ice cream...it would not be a day at the seaside without ice cream. Alonzi's has been serving fabulous icecream there for over 45 years.

Sue P surprised me with these gorgeous stick pins. They are superbly made...she brought a set for Sue J as well...we were lucky ladies! If you check out her blog you will see that not only is she talented, she is really funny too!

Here is a closeup of these beauties...

Sue P. even made the beautiful presentation boxes!