Holiday Day Six - St Petersburg

Hi Everybody,

St Petersburg sits on the banks of the River Neva and it was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great

It has changed names several times in its history and was once the capital of Russia

This has to be one of the most famous sights  associated with this city and this is the Church of the Spilled Blood and it is beautiful.

The domes are covered in gold leaf and it is truly a spectacular sight to behold

Going inside this church is a must as it is just as beautiful inside as it is out.

This is the inside of this magnificent building and every inch of it is covered









But I must warn you of Pick Pockets here as in any big city and you won't know about it until they are well gone ... with your wallet.

There is so much to see and do here and it is a really busy city with lots of slow moving traffic.

Two days was not nearly long enough to see all the wonderful sights

There is a palace on every street corner and it would take you years to visit them.

But another place to visit is the Winter Palace and I could have spent hours in there looking around the rooms.

The gold is everywhere and as long as you don't use flash you are allowed to take photographs.

The walls here are white and gold and the floor is simply wonderful.

Imagine going dancing to a grand ball dressed in all your finery on a floor like that.

And gold chandeliers are everywhere ... many many of them to each room

This is the throne room and it was huge.

I don't have the space to show you all the pictures I took and they do not do justice to what your eyes can see.

Never the less I hope you have enjoyed just a little glimpse into Russia

This is the Hermitage and holds a vast collection of over four million items.

Our guide told us it would take 12 years to see all the things in here and of course they are not all on display at the same time.

It was wonderful inside and I could have spent hours in there ... but our time was limited

This next one is a painting and NOT a photo.

The reason it is a painting is because the actual building is covered in scaffolding and polythene as the restoration work is carried out in the summer months.

This is Smolny Convent and it was originally built as a church.

But the story our guide told us is that someone committed suicide and so it was never consecrated and therefore it couldn't be used as a church and these days it is used as a convent instead.

 In the afternoon we visited the Peter and Paul Fortress and this was  very busy but worth the wait.

 Once again an abundance of gold and marble and inside are the tombs of all the Russian Tsars and their families throughout history

 But this was the saddest moment for me as this is where the remains of Tsar Nicholas and all his family are interred

The story of Anastasia has been romanticised down the years saying that she survived when the her family where murdered by the Bolsheviks on 1917

But her remains where found with the rest of her family  when they where found in 1998

It was a very sad tribute to them and very beautifully kept in lovely surroundings

Russia is a place that you cannot visit unless you have a visa but if you are on a cruise then the visa is done for you by the cruise company.

It is is so well worth it and the opulence of this city will amaze you.

These pictures do not show the real colors of this wonderful city

Now to bring you back to present day this is to let you know that I will be on Create and Craft at 9am tomorrow the 20th August.  Then later in the day I have a two hour show at 12 noon so please join me if you can 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Labels One Card Front

Hi Everybody,

A really easy card today using Spellbinders Labels One Card Front and the Labels One dies that match it.  I have used some flowery lace to dress up the card a little and it can be for any occasion. The finished card size is approximately 6" Square

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S6-023 Labels One card Front
• S4-161 Labels One
• S4-426 Luscious Labels One
• GC-200 Grand Calibur

Other Supplies:

• Lace from Wild Orchid Crafts
• Ribbon from Mei Flower

Instructions:

With the largest die from Labels One Card front cut two panels in cream and hinge together to create the base and place to one side for now.

From a plain pink card cut another panel slightly smaller and emboss

From some spotty pink card cut another panel slightly smaller again and layer these two together

 With the two dies from the Card front together cut one panel in cream and add this to the two layers from the previous step

Cut enough lace to wrap around these layers and cut some of the flowers from it as extra embellishment. Wrap the ribbon and the lace around the panels from the previous step and add to the base card

Stamp and emboss a sentiment onto some cream card and cut it out with #3 from Labels one

With the #5 die from Labels One cut a panel in cream

From Luscious Labels #3 and #4 cut the panels in pink    

 (Please remember that the smallest die in any set is always #1)

Add all these layers to the centre panel with foam tape to give dimension,  tucking the two largest panels just under the edge of the lace.  Place the extra flowers that you cut from the lace along the side of the sentiment and put some large pearls into the centres of the blooms.

I have added a pearl floral centre to the bow to cover the knot. Small pearls have been added to each of the cross sections of the card front for an extra touch.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Holiday Day Five - Tallinn

Hi Everybody,

This is now Day Five and on the 4th August we arrived at the most magical place you can imagine

Tallinn is simply beautiful

When we got there the sun was shining and it was hot.

The weather has been so kind to us on this cruise as the area is not renowned for hot sunshine.

But today it is glorious and what a place to be

This Medieval city is full of cobbled streets with glimpses of a lovely church at almost every turn

Some of the streets have tables lining them for you to sit and people watch as you sip some coffee in the warm sunshine

Others have markets along the edge and if you look at this photo you can see a wooden walk way along the top

They sell woollen jackets, beautiful lace and lots of amber made into necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings and  at reasonable prices.

But haggling is not generally accepted in this part of the world.

We have never been here before but it has to be one of the nicest places I have ever been.

This was a bakery and it is so narrow and bursting with goodies inside

My advice to you would be to wear flat shoes though if you go to visit Tallinn as the cobbles on every road can be hard work and tiring if you walk a lot.

We visited St Marys' Cathedral which has more than 100 coats of arms adorning the walls.

And this one is the Nevski Russian Orthodox Cathedral with its onion domes at the top

A truly magical experience and one you will immediately love if you ever get the chance to visit.

The highlight of this Baltic cruise is coming as we head for two wonderful days in St Petersberg

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

International Ambassadors Informal Blog Hop

Hi Everybody,

This is the seventh International Ambassadors Blog Hop and for this month we have chosen Christmas in August as our theme.

It's never too early to start making cards for the jolly season especially if you have lots to make.

So we thought that we would share some of our ideas from around the world so that you can see our different styles.

We love that you hop along with us and it is even better when you leave us a comment.

Take a look at some of the other Ambassadors designs ...

Linda Lucas Australia
Christine Emberson UK 
Yvonne van de Grijp Netherlands
Christina Griffiths (You are here)

For my card I have used the Lattice Ornaments  from the 2015 Christmas Collection and cut them in gold and wine red.

I have added in gold ribbon and twisted some gold wire to sit behind the ornaments.The pearls flourish is called Finesse from Want2Scrap  and I have cut it up into the pieces that I needed.

I hope you enjoy this hop and please look out for the next one.  Thanks for joining in and also for the support you show to me and my blog

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Holiday Day Four - Stockholm

Hi Everybody,

Today we have arrived in Stockholm and again another city steeped in history, and another very beautiful place to visit.

It has another palace that you could get close to but it also had the guards outside to keep their eye on you

We went inside this palace but it was a very dark place with most of the curtains drawn against the sunlight and so it was very difficult to take photos and most of them are blurred.

However these are some scenes that I managed to capture inside

This beautiful chandelier was enormous and was only one of many.

But even with the lighting you can see that it was very dark inside.

This statue was at the bottom of one of the staircases and it was very impressive.

It is two lovers kissing and both of them have open eyes.

It was getting near the time for the changing of the guard as we came back into the sunshine and so we found a strategic position to be able to see the parade.

The band played as they approached the palace and it was quite loud as they passed close by.

We couldn't get into the square to see the actual change as it was time for us to head off for lunch at a nearby restaurant as part of our tour.

We had a typically Swedish lunch overlooking this busting square and it was very tasty too I might add.

All too soon it is time to head back to the ship as we sail again at 5pm. 

The sun is shining and the sea is calm and we head off to the Crows Nest for a sail away drink with some new friends we have made

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Holiday Day Two - Copenhagen

Hi Everybody,

Day Two of the cruise saw us visiting Copenhagen and of course everyone wants to see the Little Mermaid and it is not as big as I imagined it to be.

The Little Mermaid was made famous in the story by Hans Christian Anderson. She meets the prince and falls in love and she asks to be made human so that she can marry him.

But the deal is that she loses her tail and her voice. and if the prince doesn't marry her she will become the white tops to the waves.

Well she finds her prince and of course without the tail he does not recognise her ... and without the voice she cannot tell him who she really is and he marries someone else

So fickle these princes and she poor girl ... becomes the white foam on the waves.

From there we went into the city and there are bicycles everywhere and there are designated cycle routes for them to get about.

A really healthy way to go about your daily life

 We passed the entrance to the Tivoli Gardens but this was not on the guided tour we had chosen and so we did not go inside.

Our guide told us that there are big wind turbines in the harbour that create the electricity to power the lights and rides in this huge pleasure park

It was opened in 1843 and covers a huge area and is used for concerts and theatre shows as well as the rides and the gardens that are lit up at night.

This is the entrance to the Carlsberg Brewery and we went on a tour here  and this is the place that we where staying for lunch ...along with a free glass of Carlsberg larger

Sorry Mr Carlsberg ... not a fan ... rather have a glass of red wine any day !!

These elephants are life size and very impressive as you drive through them.

Later we walked around a very old part of the city with these wonderful quaint houses and the Hollyhocks where everywhere


This is another beautiful fountain and we saw many on out trip.

The sound of the water on a hot day is very refreshing and we sat and listened for a little while.

We walked in to a large square and our guide told us that the buildings around us are the Royal Palaces

It was amazing to see that you are so close to them  as you would never get that close to Buckingham Palace.

And the palace guards will talk to you and have their photos taken too.

One lady got a little to close to the windows of the palace and the guard shouted "Hey" at her and gestured for her to get away ... which she did very quickly.

Each of the palaces is situated in this square and if they wish to go from one to the other then Royalty have to walk across the square to get there.

We had a very pleasant canal cruise in the sunshine and then it was time to head back for the ship.

On the way we passed this beautiful church and the spire is covered in gold leaf.

The staircase on the outside of the spire is there for you to walk up and many people are on the way up to the top.

So Day Three is a sea day and we have the chance to relax.

We are off to the Spa on board for a little pampering time for both of us.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Holiday Day One - Oslo

Hi Everybody,

So here we are back at home and trying hard to catch up with everything that has piled up while I have been away.

We have had the most wonderful holiday and now it's time to get back to work.

But first I would like to share with you some of the photos that we took as we visited eight different countries.

We sailed from Southampton on the 29th July aboard Arcadia bound for the Baltics and although it was cloudy it was relatively calm.

We had a good look around the ship before it got too busy and altogether there were about 2900 passengers and 660 crew.

The next day it was fine all morning but in the afternoon it became windy and rougher and I spent about 18 hours in my cabin ... horizontal and so seasick.  I didn't have the inclination to go the formal evening and I certainly couldn't face eating and the travel sickness pills didn't work either.

But the next morning I was fine and ready for breakfast.  Please don't let that put you off cruising ... just buy stronger travel sick pills! Griff was fine and no sickness at all it's just me ... I am a wimp !!

The first stop was in Norway and we went on a trip to Oslo.  This is the huge Ski Jump at a place called Holmenkollen and obviously in the winter it is covered in snow.

But the day we visited people where coming down from the top on zip wires and it looked really scary

This is the top most section of the jump that you can see sticking up on the top photo and it was along way down.

The view from the top of the mountain was lovely though and worth the journey up and our guide told us that the price of the houses up there is astronomical.

Winter for them is from about the end of September until the following May so a long time to be cold.

Luckily for us the day was fine, warm and sunny and Oslo is quite a pretty, bustling place to visit

Would you want to launch yourself off the top of that and then literally fly through the air on skis ?? No .. me neither!!

This is a statue of Gustav Vigeland who created the most beautiful Sculpture park for you to wander through.

There are flowers everywhere and the smell of roses filled the air. It was a very warm and of course that accentuated the aroma even more

In the centre of the park there is a tall statue that represents the stages of life from birth to death.

The figures on the column are all intertwined and it is really very moving to see.

The central column is surrounded by more figures, kneeling, lying, standing and they are huge and carved from stone.

They show babies, children, parenthood, some are sorrowful,
one shows old people in various stages of their lives

As you walk down this wide stone stairway it leads you to a large fountain that is again surround by carved figures.

Our guide told us that each of the figures tells the story of of the sculptures life and the stages he went through as he grew old.

Altogether a very pleasant day in a lovely city and then it was back on board for the sail away and headed for Denmark and the second city on our cruise.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Tuesday Tutorial - Mystical Embrace

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is a 5x7 size and there are lots of layers to it.

It has been created with the several dies from Spellbinders and they will be listed below.

I have used a vibrant shade of blue and dotted it with sequins

You could miss off the frilly bits and have a lovely male card to send out for any occasion.

Spellbinders Supplies:

• S6-012 5x7 Mystical Embrace
• S6-001 5x7 Matting Basics A
• S6-002 5x7 Matting Basics B
• S4-541 Majestic Oval
• Garden Lattice A4 embossing folder (Retired)
• Labels Twenty Three (Retired)

Other Supplies:

• Ribbon from Mei Flower
• Pearl flower from Wild Orchid Crafts

Instructions:

With  die #7 from Matting Basics A cut two pieces in white and hinge together to form the base card and leave to one side for the moment.  (Please remember that #1 is always the smallest die)

With #7 from Matting Basics B cut a colored layer. With #6 from Matting Basics A cut another white layer and emboss with any folder that you have.  Glue these two pieces together

From Mystical Embrace #3 cut one panel and ink  lightly through the die before removing the card

Add foam tape to the back so that it doesn't show through from the front and layer it onto the embossed panel from the previous step. Wrap some ribbon around these layers and add them to the base card

With dies #2 cut one panel in white and with #3 cut another in blue. Stamp and emboss a sentiment and then cut with Labels Twenty Three to fit the words you have used.

Use foam pads to stack these on top of each other and then add them to the base card

Glue in your tied bow and dot with sequins for a glittery effect and add the pearl flower to the bow to cover the knot.

Lining the inside of the card to compliment the front will give it a really neat professional finish

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

The Journey so Far ...

Hi Everybody,

I have managed to find another of those WiFi hotspots and so I am letting you know where we are in the world today.

I have so many lovely photos to show you once I get home again.  Early yesterday morning we sailed into Warnemunde in Germany and the view from our balcony was beautiful. I am not able to add the photos to a blog post from my iPad but they are collecting so that I can show you later.

This has been a lovely holiday and we have seen some wonderful scenery. We chose to dine on a table for six and so we have also met some very pleasant people.

If you have been a reader for sometime you may remember that we cruised a couple of years ago on a really enormous ship. This one is about half the size of that one .... but still quite big at about 87,000 tons.

I will give you all the details once I can add the photos so until then I hope you will stay with me and enjoy the Tuesday Tutorial I have scheduled for you for tomorrow.

Hugs xx

We Are Special ...

Hi Everybody,

This is another scheduled post for you to see and it is one I colored with Spectrum Noir pens

The image is one I have had for sometime and it is off the CD "The Next Big Thing"  ... which sadly is no longer available

For this I have the simply folded A4 card in half with the card fold at the top

I have matted and layered it with a pale blue stripe card from AnnaMarie Designs  This card comes in lots of other lovely colors and there is a Spotty variety too  

The satin ribbon is from Mei Flower  and it ties into a beautiful bow.  The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley and is one of several on the sheet. The flowers are sparkled with glitter from Glitter Magic

If you visit regularly you will know that my flowers and the bow centre are always from Wild Orchid Crafts and I know that many of you have become WOC converts. I choose these because I love the variety and quality of the blooms.

These are quality UK companies that I use on a regular basis.  I like their goods and I like to tell you about their services. Click their links to view the products for yourself.

Hugs xx