I can't draw... but I can do this!

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge - Mothers Day

2012-03-07T12:00:00.000Z

Hello!

As it's nearly Mothers Day here in the UK, this week's challenge at Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is Mothers Day! Congratulations to the winners from last weeks Spring Flowers challenge - so sorry I didn't get round to visit many people last week, the good news is that the PC is back, but I am waiting on HB to get it all set up - until then it's just sitting there looking pretty :-D

Anyway, onto my card today I have been admiring the inchie cards that I have seen in a few magazines recently, and then there have been the lovely creations made in a recent Tim Holtz class - I SOOO need to do one of these classes!

Anyway, enough of my chit chat, onto my card

In fairness I think that I spaced out the squares a but too much, but what an excellent way to use up all the bits and bobs of MME papers and lace that I just couldn't throw away as they were a bit too big for the bin, but a bit too small to make a card with!!

I stamped this Crafty Individals stamp onto some Bo Bunny Double Dot with Timber Brown Stazon and then coloured it up with some Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, which has also been used to ink the edges of the squares. The lovely ruffled organza is from LCI, and the sentiment is a Paula Pascaul set.

And have you seen the 1000 followers giveaway on the main blog, and there is a new giveaway too - much generosity at the moment!! Oooh, and there are some brand new buttons for the challenge too - if you are a previous challenge winner feel free to grab one and display it on your blog with pride!!

Please may I enter these challenges

That's it from me today, thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Oooh, just when I was in a slump, something nice happens

2012-03-02T23:49:00.003Z

Hello

So glad it's Friday!! It's been another torrid week at work... I seem to remember days in the dim and increasingly distant past when work was a pleasure, but all so stressful now there are so few of us left to do more and more. I know things will get better eventually (like, I might win the lottery!!) but right now it's horrid!!

Never mind, I've got the weekend to look forward to - tomorrow we are going out to with the kids as it's James' 10th birthday in the week... I know, how is it possible that I am the mother of a 10 year, old I hear you ask!! When I'm not even 25 :-D Yeah, right, I wish!!! Following that logic, I got married when I was 10... hmmm not going to wash anymore is it, LOL!

Ah well, despite a huge bag of mixed emotions at my baby getting into double-digits, I'm looking forward to having a good weekend with him. Tomorrow we are going out to get his pressie - he wants more Skylanders and Lego. I am considering encouraging him in the direction of a craft shop to ease my pain at being dragged around Toys R Us, while trying to persuade the small one that it's not his birthday, and therefore he can't have anything (can you see an epic fail in the making here???). Other than that his plans are to go somewhere for lunch (I have vetoed KFC and Maccie D's). No party this year, my nerves can't cope with a horde of 9 and 10 year olds in my house, and my wallet can't cope with taking same number to the cinema, especially as you look like a right tight moo when you don't let them get drinks and sweets from the concessions and smuggle in store bought stuff in your biggest possible handbag... and guaranteed a lid has come loose on one of the drinks and you have to act all nonchalant walking past the ticket person while knowing that your handbag is dripping and your phone now needs putting in a dehumidifier :-D. Not that anything like that has ever happened to me... oh no :-D

We've settled on him having people over in the Easter holidays for sleepovers (one at a time mind!) instead!!

Anyway, that's my weekend, somewhere in there I've got to make him a card, without him seeing it, probably easier said than done

I said in my title that there was something nice that happened this week, actually there's two nice things

Firstly, two of my cards appeared in The Complete Guide to Digital Crafting, which is a Bookazine published by Practical Publishing, but seems to be out of stock on their website at the moment but apparently is available in WH Smith, and some bigger supermarkets etc. Strange, after 17 years of being out of the whole journalism thing, my name should end up in print!! A massive thanks to Kerry for being bribable enough to let me send her some cards to appear :-D Be sure to check out all the Ladybug Crafts Ink cards that are in the issue (and the digi's that you get on the CD) as they are great fun! If you can't get the magazine then all the images are available in te digi section of the shop, and there is massive amounts of inspiration on the Challenge blog too!

All I can say is wow, the pictures look amazing - much better than mine (thankfully!!) if you want to check out my original posts you can read them here and here, HB hasn't said a lot, but I think he was quite proud of me (bet it doesn't stop him moaning about my crafty habit though!!)

Then, I was picked at My Mums Craft Shop

as a top three for this card

I really appreciate getting picked for top spots, much cause for the happy dance... I know, that's not an image you needed, but I do!!

Right, that's it from me for today, have a great weekend, thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Southern Girls Challenge - Show Me a Secret

2012-03-01T22:34:00.000Z

Hello!!

This weeks Southern Girls Challenge is Show Me A Secret and we are sponsored this fortnight by Delicious Doodles and The Paper Shelter, now the challenge is live, but the girls have a few issues with posting the challenge at the moment due to internet connection issues in NZ, but they thought to announce the challenge while they are trying to get on line to do the challenge post proper so you can get cracking with making your cards...

Onto my card... Hmmm, from first impressions the secret is pretty well hidden!! Keep reading and all will be revealed!!

I used Steampunk Fairy from Delicious Doodles, I wanted to colour her simply, but wanted to distress the the card using a variety of techniques. The cog flourish in the corners was a complete nightmare as I had the bright idea (at the time!) to stamp the image then to carry it over onto the central panel. It seemed like a good idea to emboss it with bronze embossing powder too - I like the effect but it was also quite stressful getting there!! I then got busy with my collection of distress inks, blending and spritzing until I was happy and then over stamped with a variety of stamps.

I wanted to give her wings the look as if they were once all sparkly, but that some of the sparkle has worn off over time. I did this randomly streaking a glue pen over the wings, shaking over some Hunkydory bronze glitter, shaking off the excess then buffing off anything loose with a cloth. I've never tried this before but I really like the effect!

As always, I coloured my image with Copics, then added gold pen to the wings, her earrings, and the armlet. I squirted some gold stickles onto a scrap of paper, then painted it onto the gold parts so it catches the light, but isn't too obviously blingy. I don't think I've explained that well, so hope it makes sense!

OK, so the secret is a panel behind the main image, I printed this off on the computer then cut it out with a nestie, distressed it and the panel - by this time my fingers resembled those of either a career criminal or someone with a 100-a-day habit! - and stamped all over with another stamp from my collection, twisting and turning to give a bit of depth.

I decorated the inside in a similar way, but added butterflies which I gilded with gilding flakes, each time I do a distressed card I think they get better, and I can certainly see how it can become addictive!!

Supplies: Main Image - Steampunk Fairy- Delicious Doodles

Supplimentary stamps - Inkadinkadoo, Stampendous, Indigo Blue, Crafty Individuals, PTI
Mediums: Copics, Distress Inks, Gilding Flakes, Kanban
Other - Glitter, Embossing Powder, Stickles, Ribbon, Flitter Glu, Versamark

Oh, and cos it's me and I like ribbon, the hidden panel is tied up with a big bronze bow!!

That's it from me today, hope you like my cad!

Before I go, please may I enter these challenges
Flutterby Wednesdays - Open Challenge
Everybody Art Challenge - Monochrome
Ribbon Carousel Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Mondays - Anything Goes
Truly Madly Crafty Challenge - Ribbon and Bling
2 Sisters - Anything Goes
Do You Stack Up - Things with Wings

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge - Spring Flowers

2012-02-29T12:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

This weeks Scrapbook Sisters Challenge is Spring Flowers and I decided to go all our with some bright and bold blooms using one of the Floral Delight digi images by Ladybug Crafts Ink that went down a storm at Saturday's crop

I used some Echo Park Valentines papers, and my Memory Box die. I love this image it's so usable for birthdays, weddings, thank you's, sympathy or anything really!! Gotta love images that are multi-use :-D

I added some stickles in the centre of the flowers for a touch of bling

Hope you like it!

Please may I enter these challenges

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Flower Power

Partytime Tuesday's - Anything Goes

Sassy Cheryl's Challenge - Seeing Spots

Thanks for stopping by

Sue

Pink and Girly at LCI

2012-02-28T09:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

This weeks challenge over at Ladybug Crafts Ink has been set by the lovely Catherine who has set the challenge of Pink and Girly

Now I'm not much of a pink person, and actually, not that girly either, but I do love a fab shoe so the choice of image this week was pretty obvious for me :-D

Aren't they fab! I picked The Gina from the Shoes 'n' Bags collection - I've coloured this image in a few times now and it looks fab in every colour! But I just had to add glitter, and lots of it!!

The sentiment is part of the set, and I've done something fabby on the inside too, but will add a pic of that later!!

The papers are part of the Echo Park Valentines collection, and the ribbon was on a set of PJ's my SIL got me for Christmas, can't beat a bit of recycling!!

I couldn't resist decorating the inside with a piece of off cut paper and a single shoe

Please may I enter these challenges

Cards and More - Glitter and Sparkle

Celebrate the Occasion - Birthday with Bling

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes - Circles

Delicious Doodles - Pink

Thanks for looking

Sue xx

LCI meets SBS

2012-02-26T23:08:00.002Z

Hello!! Hope you had a good weekend

No card from me today as I am still working on projects that I will post later in the week, but I have pics to share from Saturday's Scrapbook Sisters crop.

A good range of the LCI stamps were on sale as was a CD of the new Floral Delights digi images, and myself and Pam, (one of my LCI DT teamies!) were available to explain the images and share the many samples we had, and they looked fabby and were much admired :-D It was also lovely to meet Pam and put a person to the blog!!

Oops, just noticed that there are gaps in the display - we were whipping cards on and off the boards all day to show them to people and it looks like a few didn't go back in the right spot :-D I have to say this pic was taken at the end of the day, should have taken a picture at the begining... duh!!

I think everyone had a great day, certainly the hall looked busy with everyone creating away

If you want to see more pics of the day, check out the Scrapbook Sisters facebook page

Thanks to everyone that came and spoke to Pam and I, it was fabulous to hear the really positive comments on the images and the samples - I think plans are afoot to get as many Ladybugs to one of the crops later in the year - can Scrapbook Sisters cope with an swarm of Ladybugs :-D

Thanks for stopping by, more during the week - and I should be getting my PC back this week, so will be able to visit your blogs a bit easier...whoo hoo!!

Sue xx

Thank Goodness It's the Weekend!!

2012-02-24T22:26:00.001Z

Oh my, anyone else grateful it's the weekend, I don't seem to have stopped at all in the last few weeks, but at least I have two days off, and at last my PC is nearly fixed and I should be getting it back on Monday... whoo hoo!!

Tomorrow I am off to the Scrapbook Sisters crop and am meeting up with my blogging buddy Pam for a crafty day... omg what if she doesn't like me in real life!! :-D

I'm pretty much packed and ready to go, I just want to print a couple of images and I'm good... the kitchen sink was a bit of squeeze but I got it in eventually :-D As usual I know I have over packed but the worrying thing is that if you look at my craft area you'd hardly know that there was anything missing... hmm, not that it will stop me stocking up on a few must haves tomorrow you understand, jsut shhh, don't tell HB... I'm thinking I might try the "oh that, I've had it ages" line, not that he'll believe me :-D

Anyway, enough of my blah, blah, blah, I actually have a card to share, after days of nothing I got off my backside and made something

And I did an easel card, something I've not done in ages, should do more they are really effective, and are really popular with my regulars at work!!

Love these MME papers... so much I made a box to go with it too...

I'd love to say the decoration on the box is my own work, but no it's all on the papers, nothing much else needed!!

The sentiment panel is tucked away

And I used a Magnum sentiment on one of my new Memory Box Dies

Along with my favourite cat... Magnum... just love him, sooo usable!! I love doing him stripey!! I used the tuna can from the add on set, which turn this puddy into an all occaion cat :-D

Right, that's it from me, as I have SOOO much to get on with before I go to bed... have a great weekend

Sue xx

P.S. Please may I enter these challenges
Crafty Ribbons - Paws for thought
iCopic Challenge - Animals
My Mums Craft Shop - Buttons and Ribbons

Getting Sketchy at Scrapbook Sisters!

2012-02-22T12:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

This weeks Scrapbook Sisters Challenge is one of my favourites - a Sketch!!

This is the rather fabulous sketch

I love sketches like this as they are so versatile!

Here's what I did with it

I hadn't coloured up this gorgeous mask - available from Scrapbook Sisters for an absolute steal, can you believe this gorgeous image for just 95p - wow!!

You can't see too well in the picture but there are stickles here there and everywhere on this card... hmmm why is glitter such a nightmare to photograph!!

I've embossed the centre panel with a script/butterfly background stamp, but didn't want to do too much as the paper is quite busy :-D

That's it from me today, sorry it's short and sweet but my head is fit to burst!! Work getting in the way of crafting again... boo!!

Before I do, please may I enter these challenges
Digital Tuesday Challenge - Make It Sparkle
Lexi's Creations - Monochromatic
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Sue xx

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge - Spring is in the Air, New Release and a Blog Hop

2012-02-14T09:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

Welcome to my first post in ohhhh... ages!! Apologies for that but I have a stinking cold and just cannot stop sneezing - yuck!! That and the streaming eyes have seriously set me behind on my crafting :-(

Never mind, no time for that as it's Tuesday and that means this weeks LCI challenge, which has been set by Lisa and she has chosen the theme of

Spring is in the Air

but before I get to my card, there is a new release this week of the new collection - Floral Delights and we are having a blog hop to celebrate!! I just love a good hop and there are prizes to be won as always - one lucky person will win all of the new release and 5 more will win 2 digis of their choice from the new collection

If you are already hopping, you should have arrived from the fabulous Laurie - aka Designer Diva, and you should have already collected 6 letters along the way, if you are lost and need to start over, then head on back to the challenge blog

Just for housekeeping you need to

a) Visit each of the DT members in order and leave a comment on each of their blog hop posts.

b) Note the letter from each of the DT's blogs and email the word these spell to us at lcichallengeblog@aol.com

c) Display the blog hop banner on your blog

Simples!!

Right, I think I've covered everything, onto my card

As you can see, my card isn't mega springy - BUT in my defence I wanted to do blue flowers, cos they along with yellows are always the first to arrive, and these MME papers and May Arts Ribbon were the best match for them. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!

These images are perfect for all those feminine birthdays, mothers day, get well, thank you's and all the other cards when flowers are perfect - now I will admit I'm not a normlly flower girl, but I really like these images - they are just fab, slightly whimsical but not too sugary sweet (if that makes any kind of sense - if not just ignore me, LOL!!) - I coloured my image with copics, then added a bit of bling here and there before tucking my image behind a TH fence die cut - I wanted to give the impression that the wheelbarrow was behind the garden gate

Now before I go, have you got my letter? No? Got it yet?? LOL :-D.

Your next stop on the blog hop is the very talented Sally

That's it from me today - before I go please may I enter these challenges

Paper Pretties - Use Flowers

Robyn's Fetish - Square Cards

Stampalot Challenge - In the Garden

Crafty Emma's Store - Lot's of Layers

Stampin for the Weekend - Photo Inspiration

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Whoo Hoo!!!

2012-02-13T22:47:00.000Z

I was just having a little look round blog land tonight and OH MY WORD!!! look what I spotted!!

LOOK!!!! There's little old me, bottom right!!! - for this card here - I often play along with Card Patterns but the standard is so high, I do it for fun, never would I think that I'd get picked for their top 6... eeek!!!!

So that has made little old sneezy here, with the eyes all red and sore looking (nothing serious, just a horrid cold!!) a very happy person :-D

More tomorrow morning

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge - Anything Goes

2012-02-08T07:56:00.000Z

AHHHH!!!

I'm sorry that this post originally went live with no pictures and no text, I had typed it up early Wednesday morning, and all was well, and posted it just fine - or so I thought, but when I looked later it was ALL gone. By then HB had taken the laptop with him, so I thought I could redo it from work, but typically the internet was down and HB was away last night, so there was nothing I could do but wait until tonight to get on and sort it all out :-D

The sooner my PC gets fixed the better!!

Anyway, enough with the drama, onto the card!

The challenge over at Scrapbook Sisters this week is

Anything Goes

And I know all the DT are really looking forward to seeing whatever you have been up to this week :-D

I decided to do another Valentines/Love card and decided to go with non-traditional colours and use my new IndigoBlu stamp and gilding flakes, charm and part of the Memory Box die I got the other day.

I'm getting quite into this gilding thing, I like how you could do the same stamp again and again but each one would look different due to the mix of the flakes.

I'm also getting quite into the distressing of seam binding, and I like how this one looks against the brown and kraft CS

The sentiment was stamped on a Memory Box die cut, and the heart button was from a recent trip to John Lewis.

This card is quite different for me as it's quite simple, but I like it :-D

Please may I enter these challenges

Crafting for all Seasons - Love is in the air

Crafty Creations - Swirly Whirly

My Mums Craft Shop - Love is in the air

Simon Says Stamp - Love is in the air

Truly Scrumptious - Love and Hearts

Party Time Tuesday - Valentines

Crafy Boots - Valentines

Hooked on Craft - Hearts

One Stitch at a Time - Love

Card Patterns - Sketch

Crafty Cardmakers - Monochrome

Craft Your Days Away - Get Stitchy With It

Thanks for stopping by

Sue

Sneeky peek, snow, and a video (not crafty, but thought I'd share!!)

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000Z

Hello!! I've got so much to share today I don't know where to start!!

OK, first up, a little teaser of some gorgeous new images from LCI, and it's just a teeny weeny peak, if you want to see the image in it's entirety then you'll just have to wait until next week!! There are more peeks on some of the other DT's blogs and on the challenge blog too - links in the sidebar...

In the meantime the current "Loves Me, Love's Me Not" Challenge is still going but next week the LCI team are having a blog hop to celebrate the launch of the new images along with a brand new challenge

and as always there are lots of fabby inspiration and gorgeous images with the added bonus of prizes!! Whoo hoo!! Why not grab the banner for above for your sidebar as a reminder?

Well it's been snowing here in the UK and I am seriously aching from having to dig ourselves out - whoever thought of putting a house on a top of a hill with a long drive!! Uhhh, muscles I didn't know I had ache after sweeping and shovelling this lot out of the way!!

At least the kids enjoyed themselves on their personal sledging hill :-D Although Sam did discover snow isn't as much fun when you wander into a bit that is deeper than your wellies are high :-D LOL, such a bad mummy for finding that amusing :-D

The other thing we have been doing this week is following the progress of some friends as they competed in the Historic Monte Carlo rally in their 1965 Mini, they had a few issues along the way, not least dodgy time penalties for missing a time check when the stage was blocked by a fallen tree, and then by a recovery vehicle, but they came 117 overall, second in class and were the second highest placed UK team - they posted a short video of them in a transit section - here - and oh my word those mountain walls look scary!! We know they wanted to do better, as they were hoping for a class win, but at least they and the car have come home unscathed :-D

Gosh, that was a bit of an ecelctic post!! Little bit of everything :-D

Back tomorrow with a card, so normal service will resume, and hopefully the PC is being fixed as we speak so I should be able to post a bit more often and visit your blogs a bit more regularly!! It only took HB 2 months to admit defeat and take it to the professionals, something that I would have done the day after it went wrong, but no, he was determined to get it sorted!!

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Goodies!!

2012-02-03T23:19:00.000Z

Hello!

I’ve had alovely day today, mainly because I wasn’t at work :-D I went to a new Craft show at Bluewatershopping centre, and had a nice time wandering about, umming and ahhing overwhat to get. I have figured out thatwithout my usual cohorts to this sort of thing (two of my work colleagues) thatI am a lot more restrained, they are obviously a VERY bad influence!!

Not that you’d know it by what I came homewith though!!

One purchase I did makethat was unplanned though was this bracelet...

hmmm, looks expensive no?

I do really like Pandora bracelets but theyare very expensive, and I know what I am like for loosing things, so this lookylikey that I put together in the upstairs hall for £7 is a good compromise, andI’ll take the risk that it breaks, I lose it, or it goes out of fashion beforeyou can blink, or that the metal makes me break out in a nasty rash!!

Anyway, here’s a quick run through of myother purchases, first up the boring bits, tools,

but I needed these and theywere a good price, then embellishments...

hmmm still not sure about those yellow flowers, it wasthe black, blue and red ones that I really liked!! Then some pins, bakers twine and charms

And papers

MME (again... I'm nothing if not predictable!!)

And onto the exciting stuff - dies

Copics (I've had a count up on how many I've got now, I'm not sharing, its too big a number!)

Then the really exciting bits

Some Indigo Blu Stamps

And a bit of a surprise buy for me... gilding flakes and glue

Hmmm, you can't see the colours from the top, let me turn it upside down :-D

I really wasn't sure I'd like this, but OMG I stamped the heart in the glue stuff, and used a teeny amount of the guilding flakes and they are stunning!! Wish I'd got some of other colours of the guilding flakes now!! And for a first go it was really easy too, you know how you look at some of the demos and think, yeah, but you know what you are doing I'll never get it, but it was really easy. I'll make something up over the weekend with the image I've done and share it with you later

Edit - what an idiot, I'll show you my first attempt with this stuff. I think I was a bit harsh brushing off the excess, I'm quite heavy handed really!!

Right, that's it from me today - if you are going over the weekend, let me know what you thought and what you got!!

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Southern Girls Challenge #37 - Magic and Mystery

2012-02-01T21:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

This fortnights challenge over at Southern Girls is Magic and Mystery and we are being very generously sponsored by The Paper Shelter and XXX

I used this fabulous image from the Paper Shelter - love this guy blowing up his balloon bubbles :-D. One of my resolutions this year is to actually use my papers, and these are some that I got last year by Bo Bunny, I think they are Peacock Lane, and I thought the bubbly looking background went well with this image, and of course I just had to add some glossy accents to the bubbles!

Of course I had to use the new Doily Die that I treated myself to the other day - it's by Cheery Lyn designs but I was a bit worried how it would cut as it's quite an intricate design, as it turned out it took a couple of passes rotating the image but went through just fine, phew, always a bit of a worry when you try a new brand on your die cutter!!

Anyway, hope you like my card

Please may I enter these challenges

Diva's by Design - Anything Goes
My Mum's Craft Shop - Fab n Funky
Paper Pretties - Ribbon or Twine
Creative Card Crew - Fantasy
Fab n Funky - Use a Digi
There's Magic in the Air - Photo Inspiration
Card Mad Fairy's - Ribbons and Bows
Crafty Ann's Challenge - What's New Pussycat

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge -

2012-02-01T12:08:00.000Z

Hello!!

Wow, an on time post from me, whatever next!! LOL, don't panic, I've managed to blag the laptop for a bit so I can get this posted, fingers crossed no problems today :-D

Right, less waffle, onto todays card, which is for this weeks Scrapbook Sisters challenge, which is to make a number card

I decided to make a grown up card, but as long as your card has a number on it then it's all good!! So why not take the opportunity to make a numbered birthday or anniversary card?

Here's my card

I used some lovely green toned MME papers that I got from Scrapbook Sisters the other day, and combined them with an LCI Dancing Nikki stamp and numbers from the sentimental numbers set, an oversized bow and another flower made for me by my very talented blogging buddy Lee - at this rate I'm going to be pestering her to make some more for me!!

Isn't she glam!! But don't ya just hate trying to take pictures of glitter!!

Gem of a Challenge - Sketch

Fussy and Fancy - Polka Dots

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Diamonds and Pearls

Partytime Tuesdays - Anything Goes

Die Cutting Divas - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge #53 - Loves Me, Loves Me Not

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

Sorry I am a bit late posting this week’s card for Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge, as you may know my PC has gone wrong and I am relying on HB’s laptop, which is OK except for when he forgets to bring the charger with him and hands it over with only 20 minutes battery remaining and it goes flat halfway through me trying to post my card and upload my pictures!! Ahhhh!!!! No problem I thought, I'll use my phone, but no, blogger and apple appear to have fallen out cos I could post nothing, and then I tried at work during my lunchbreak but couldn't get on there either (darn firewalls!!)

Anyway, I'm here at last!! The challenge this week has been set by Julie and she has set the theme of

Love Me, Love Me Not

I just had to use Magnum, one of the Add On’s that go with him and one of theMagnum sentiments - LOVE this one, just purrfect for this image :-) The papers are by Echo Park, and are quite busy, but Magnum’s a big cat, so I think he can take it :-D

Isn't he a cutie and he is so usable with the add ons for all sorts of occasions

I added a touch of glossy accents to his nose, eyes and the heart in the box, just for a bit of sheen. I just love colouring him as a Tabby by swishing in from the outer edge with a darker pen

Please may I enter these challenges
The Stamping Boutique - Valentines
Anything Goes Challenge - To the one I love
Top Tip Tuesday - Valentines
House of Gilli - Love is in the Air
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Paper Pretties - Love
Stamps R Us - Valentine/Love
The Shabby Tearoom - Love is in the Air + photo inspiration
Paper Sundaes - Valentines
Sweet Stampin - Animals

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Sale at Ladybug Crafts Ink

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

Just a quick post to let you know that the New Years Sale has started over at Ladybug Crafts Ink with all stamps (not digi's!) at 50% off!! What better way to stock up on these lovely images

I'm leaving this as a sticky post at the top of my blog for the rest of the month, so please scroll down to see what I've been creating!!

Just for a change a mans card!!

2012-01-26T22:15:00.001Z

Hello!!

Today I am sharing a card one of my colleagues asked me to make for another of our colleagues, but OMG he's a man!! I have the usual cardmakers block when it comes to making cards for men but I know he has a dry sense of humour, so this Bugaboo image was just the ticket :-D

Here's what I came up with

I took it in today and she gave it to him and he really liked it - she said she was a bit worried but he saw the humour... phew!!

I used some MME papers, and ran the checked piece through my ribbler for a but of texture. I wanted to use ribbon, but that can look a bit feminine so used an olive grosgrain and looped it through a couple of holes . A button from my stash tied with a bit of floss added a bit of interest, but kept it masculine :-D

Gotta love this Bugaboo image though, check out his slippers

I added glossy accents to his glasses, for a bit of a goggly look to his eyes

Please may I enter these challenges

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Digi, Ribbon, Buttons

Fab n' Funky - Eyes

Celebrate the Occasion - Masculine Birthday

Make It Monday with Kraft Outlet - Tie it Up (I hope the floss through the button and the ribbon counts!)

The Ribbon Reel Challenge - New Years Resolution (mine is to make more Men's cards!!_, Ribbon/Twine, Button

The Crafty Pad - Something for the Boys

Thats it from me today, I'm trying to create a bit more this week, in the vague hope my mojo comes back with a bit of cajoling!! Have a great weekend

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 68 - Sketch

2012-01-25T12:51:00.000Z

Hello!!

This week I am on time for the Scrapbook Sisters Challenge and this week we have a great sketch for you - flip it, fiddle with it a bit, it's up to you as long as we can see the original sketch in your work it's fine :-D

I had a bit of a tinker with the proportions, as you can see...

...mainly because I wanted the lovely pattern on the paper and the embossed section at the bottom right to be showing!!

I still love this sassy minx by Kenny K, I just wish my waist looked like that, let alone her other assets :-D

Supplies:
Card - Woodware card blank; Bitter Chocolate Bazzill; Bo Bunny Timepiece 6x6 papers; Corrogated Kraft c/s (origin unknown!!)

Images/Sentiments - Megan Foxy, Kenny K; Whimsy Digi Ticket; Inkadinkadoo "Steam Punk" Stamps;

Tools - MS Iron Fence Punch; Circle Nestabilities; Tim Holtz Brick Embossing Folder

Mediums - Copics; Tea Dye, Antique Linen and Pumice Stone Distress Inks; Glossy Accents: Flower from My Blogging Buddy, Lee

Right, that's it from me today - sorry about the lack of comments and visits to your blogs, the PC is still not working but I have got everything off that was critical, so if it can't be done then at least nothing is lost, but I can only use HB's laptop and prising it from his hands is easier said than done!! I am trying to get round to everyone on my phone, but it takes AGES and I just can't type properly on a touchscreen so you may get a very peculiar message from me!!

Please may I enter these challenges?

Crafty Boots - Song Title (These Boots Were Made for Walking, Nancy Sinatra)

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Song Title (These Boots Were Made for Walking, Nancy Sinatra)

2 Sisters - Embossing

Thanks for looking, hugs,

Sue xx

Soooooo late!!

2012-01-23T00:11:00.000Z

I am sooo late with my post for this weeks Scrapbook Sisters challenge this week!!

I don't know why but I hated everything I was making and decided to cut myself some slack and took a step away from the crafting table for a few days, although I'm not sure that there is mojo about to appear, but at least I like what I have created :-D. Hopefully the pressures I have been under at work will ease up a bit this week as I sure that is bleeding my brain dry of any creativity!!

The theme is My Sweet Valentine and I used one of the gorgeous dancer images by Gayle - I was torn between this one and this one, but since we were at a black tie do last night and I was wearing a shorter frock this one seemed more approproate. Not that we did any dancing though, although oh my, there were some real sights to be seen on the dancefloor!!

Anyway, enough with the waffle, here's my card

Hmmm, what else to say about this card - the papers are from a recent scrapbook class and are by Echo Park, the heart die cut was a pressie from my secret santa, and the sentiment is a combination of a Whimsey ticket and a fancy Love text stamp but I have no idea who it is by!

Better late than never huh? Actually feel really awful as I've never missed a challenge posting going live, ever!! Just couldn't create for the life of me!! Before I go, did you know there is a Scrapbook Sisters DT call at the moment - if you are interested head on over to the blog for more information

Please may I enter these challenges?

One Stitch at a Time #97 - Round and Round

Robyn's Fetish #91 - Love

Sentimental Sundays - Die Cuts

Card Patterns - Sketch

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have had a good weekend :-D

Sue xx

Bow tied at LCI

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

This week's challenge at LCI is set by little ol' me :-D And seeing as most of my cards seem to have a bow or another on them it seemed appropriate to set

Bows

for the challenge

Here's my card

I used The Gina from the Shoes n Bags collection.

I did the out-of-the-frame technique with this image and I think it looks pretty good :-D

I used some of the flowers...

and pins...

my blogging buddy Lee aka CraftyLoops made for me, aren't they stunning!!

I decorated the inside too

Don't you just love these sentiments!! Don't forget the LCI sale is ongoing which means you can pick up this little beauty for 50% off along with all the other cling stamps that the DT have used :-D

Please can I enter these challenges?
City Crafter Challenge - Pretty Inside and Out
My Time To Craft- Favourite Embellishment (ribbon!!)
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sunday's - Ribbon
Sir Stampalot - Monochromatic

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Flowers and Pins

2012-01-16T07:34:00.000Z

Good morning!!

Can you believe we are into the third week of the year already - nope me neither :-( and I hate Mondays at the best of times and it looks flippin cold out of my window this morning, so I'm going to have to scrape the car windows off before heading out to drop the kids to school before going on work, so this is going to have to be a short post, but I just wanted to share these lovely pins and flowers that my lovely blogging friend Lee (aka Crafty Loops) has sent me.

My shocking photo's do not do these gorgeous pins and flowers any justice!! If you haven't seen Lee's gorgeous work, and fabby tutorials then make sure you stop by her blog and say hi!! She also has a giveaway running until the end of the week that you just have to enter!!

The flowers that she sent are just stunning too - really unique and I'm sure you will be seeing both the pins and the flowers in a creation soon :-D

Thanks for stopping by, more tomorrow

Sue xx

By the Cute and Girly GDT 2nd Card

2012-01-15T22:37:00.000Z

Hello!!

Sorry for not posting a lot in the last few days, life is hectic at the moment and I've got little time to craft, let alone post... hmmm... not good :-(

Anyway, today I'm sharing a card I made for my next door neighbour who has moved to a new house - we are really sad to see him go as we got on with him really well and will miss him hugely, although fingers crossed we will keep in touch. It was opportune that the challenge at By The Cute and Girly, who asked me to be GDT for January, is New Beginnings, and there isn't a much bigger new beginning that you can get as a new house!!

Here's my card

As it's for a guy I kept it simple, with papers from MME, corrogated Kraft paper and the screw head brads. The Make It Crafty image was a quirky choice, but I like it!!

I coloured the image with Copics and as I don't have a New Home stamp (I know, I couldn't believe it either!!) created one in the five minutes that I am getting on the laptop a day, and printed it out

I guess I'm going to have to make a welcome to your new home card for the new neighbours for when they move in at the end of the month too!!

Please may I enter these challenges

Annabelle Stamps Blog - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes

One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, more tomorrow!!

Sue xx

Snow Shake at Scrapbook Sisters

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

Today at Scrapbook Sisters the challenge is snow... yes I know that it is just past Christmas but how many of us vowed that we would now leave it to last minute this year! Then again snow isn't just for Christmas so any of your winter themed cards are just fine :-D

I decided to make a shaker card, as I haven't made one in a bit :-D

I haven't used Christmas papers but they are wintery in feel.

I used another of the fabulous Saturated Canary images, gotta love this sassy cutie

I cut some circles with my new circle nesties, and then used some diamond dust to make the shaker bit, gosh though all this bling and the reflection of the acetate made it quite difficult to take a good picture!

Before I go, have you seen the DT call on the blog, applying is simple - just send three pictures of your recent work and email them to scrapbooksisters@live.co.uk, good luck!!

The first giveaway of the year is also ongoing, so why not enter!

Wow, that's a lot going on :-D

Please may I enter these challenges

Anything Goes Challenge - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Die Cuts

Shopping Our Stash - All that Glitters, Sparkles or Shines

Cupcake Craft - Something New (image, nesties)

Christmas Card Challenges - Lace

Sketchy Colours - Purple and Grey

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Sketch

Thanks for stopping by :-D

Sue xx

She's going to get cold feet!!

2012-01-09T23:14:00.000Z

LOL, at least I think she will with no socks or slippers or shoes on :-D More of that in a minute :-D

Anyway... hello!!! Sorry I've not been about lately, I've been manic since going back to work and I've been too shattered to craft, amazing that two weeks off work can play such havoc with your system, such that going back leaves you knackered!! Still I know I was lucky to have time off, so I'm not really complaining :-D.

This weekend we went shopping for a tux for HB to wear to a black tie do we are going to in a couple of weeks. Honestly he complains about me shopping!! We went through goodness alone knows how many styles of jacket - shawl collar, notched collar, one button, two button; shirts with wing collars, turn down collars; then cumberbunds, pre-tied ties, self tied ones, waistcoat or not... the list went on... Anyway after an absolute age we got one and I think he is happy. Just got to get him to make his mind up on the 3 pairs of shoes he tried and we are sorted... me I hear you ask??? Dress sorted, shoes sorted, wrap sorted, handbag... choice of two :-D LOL!!

Anyway, enough with the rambling, here's my card which I made for my friends birthday, and then promptly left it at home today... duh!!

I used some papers from a MME pad, part of my New Years Resolution to use up some of my massive hoard of papers... and the lovely velvet lace is from LCI - I have a horrible feeling that this lovely pink shade is out of stock (I'm not surprised it's lovely), but there is some gorgeous antique gold lace colour, which I just have to have!!

Isn't this image by Saturated Canary gorgeous!! Although I still think that she will get cold tootsies, personally I love my fluffy lounge socks they are fabulous and fluffy, and much better than slippers as I have a few pairs so can wash them each time so they don't get yucky!!

Please may I enter these challenges

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Cutie Pie Challenge - Ribbon and Lace

Birthday Sundaes - Birthday Card

CES Challenge - Anything Goes

I {heart} 2 Stamp - Sketch

Fashionista Friday - Use your Stash

Thanks for looking - hopefully my mojo will soon be back and I'll be crafting more often :-D

Sue xx

Sparkle sparkle at Southern Girls

2012-01-04T23:29:00.002Z

Hello!!

This fortnights challenge at Southern Girls is to Show us your Sparkle!!

The challenge is being very generously sponsored by Pink Gem Designs and Delicious Doodles for Australia and New Zealand and Little Claire Designs for international entries

I used the Digi Lambretta image from Little Claire's, which I think is really fab and funky! Now you know I love my glitter and sparkle, so no worries you'd have thought, trouble was I went all blue and red, then worried that my card was too masculine for a bit of bling, but hey it's a bit 70's inspired which ~~I seem to remember~~ I've been told it was a decade of glam rock and therefore I think the blingy scooter is fine :-D

Anyway, here's my card

I promise there is bling on there!! Darn camera, why do I have trouble in taking pics when there is lots of sparkle!!

There is sparkle on the flag, the footplate and the wheel arch, and glossy accents on the lights :-D I found the rather fabby ribbon in John Lewis the other day, gems are from my stash, various Bazzill c/s and the blue circle is embossed with a Tim Holtz brick embossing folder

I decided to make a greeting into a little flag and attach it to the scooter with some craft wire, which I think looks pretty cool!!

Please may I enter these challenges

Anabelle Stamps Challenge - Sketch

Fab n Funky - Something New (Ribbon, and the circle nesties)

My Mum's Craft Shop - Something New

Simon Says Stamp - New Something

Paperminutes - Flag colours (UK)

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Sparkle and Ribbon

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, hope you like my card :-D

Sue xx

Show us your stuff at LCI!!

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

This week at LCI the challenge is to show us your stuff, as we are pretty sure either Santa left you some crafty things, or your have been shopping in the sales :-D Speaking of which, have you checked out the sale at the LCI store - 50% off - so why not fill your basket!!

There's quite a few new bits and bobs making an appearance on my card - Santa left me three new Nesties, two of which I've used on my card, I also got a whole host of Distress Inks, and I've used Tattered rose on my otherwise WOW card.

The ribbon is new too, but this was a resupply rather than a new purchase!!

The heart die cut was from my Secret Santa - it was perfect for this card with the tiny flecks of pink. Thank you who-ever she is! If anyone knows who this die is by (without giving yourself away!) I'd love to know!!

I used one of my favourite stamps from the Baby Baby stamp set, usually I do baby boys cards (which is odd, cos I have a big aversion to male cards nornally!!)

Please can I enter these challenges

Elke Kaart Een Feestje - New baby
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes / New
Partytime Tuesday - Anything Goes
Sassy Cheryl's challenge - New Beginnings
Bling It On - New Beginnings
Card and Scrap - New Baby
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Paper Creations Ink - Punches/Die Cuts

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Guest designer at By The Cute and Girly

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000Z

Hello!!

First things first... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Can you believe we are now into 2012! Where did 2011 go? Maybe it's me getting older but time just seems to fly by now :-D

Anyway, my first post of the year is quite a nice one as I was asked to be a guest designer over at By The Cute and Girly, now I don't know about you but I really do like doing GDT slots, and I regularly play along with this challenge so I was delighted to have been asked :-D

The theme is

New Beginnings

So I thought I'd do a New Years card for starters

I used some of my favourite images from the last year to make a classy and elegant New Years card. 2011 was the year in which I started getting into distressing, so it seemed really appropriate, and I think my colouring has come on over the past year too :-D

I hope you have time to play along in the challenge this month :-D

Thanks to all at BTCG for asking me to GD for them, especially Lora for being so supportive :-D

Please may I enter these challenges

Come and Get It Challenge - Happy New Year
Paper Sundaes - Out With the Old, In with the New (old - script and clock stamps, lace, ribbon, image; new - harlequin and Parisian stamps, distress inks)
Pile It On - Anything Goes
Stamptacular Challenge - Photo Inspiration
The Squirrel and the Fox - Something New (distress inks, stamps)
Hiding In My Craft Room - Freestyle
Just Some Lines - New Year
Catch the Bug - Photo Inspiration

Thanks for looking!

Sue xx

It's Christmas!!

2011-12-25T10:08:00.000Z

Hello!! Just a quick post to wish you everyone a very Merry Christmas...

Santa has been and the kids are happy as larry. I don't think they thought they had been THAT good!!

Anyway, last Christmas card of the year, one I made for a friends Daughter - using a Kraftin Kimmie image as she loves fairies and I needed to use a non-Christmas image at this point!!

Have a great day!!

Sue xx

Nearly there!!

2011-12-24T22:03:00.000Z

Hmmm, I am still several cards missing, but they are all for family members who are quite chilled about such things, so I think I'll be OK :-D

All the food is bought and in the fridge ready to go, and Santa's visit is imminent :-D Both kids have trees in their rooms decorated to their tastes (in Sam's case this means that not a hint of green remains!!) I've finally put mine up and cleared away all my craft stuff so we can eat at the table tomorrow cos I refuse point blank to have Christmas dinner at the kitchen table!! I'm hoping that Santa will leave some pressies under each of the kids trees but leave the most under the tree downstairs

Tonight I'm sharing a card a made for a friends child. He thought it was hilarious :-D

This one is Robyn and Jack Gotcha!!

LOL, I don't think Jack was expecting that!! Apologies for the shocking pics - yet more from HB's camera and I don't think I've worked out the settings yet and nothing I do in photoshop will fix it!!

Hope you have a great holiday - enjoy it whatever you are up to

Before I go, can I wish all of my friends, followers and visitors a very Merry Christmas!

Sue xx

Please may I enter these challenges

2 Sisters - Snowflakes

Crafty Calender - Cold and Frosty

One Stop Craft Challenge - Winter Wishes

So many cards to make, so little time

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000Z

Hello!

Today is a day off for me - well I say day off, but I actually mean HB and I are off Christmas shopping today. We are getting there and know exactly what we are looking for and from where, so just a case of getting it!! Today is also MIL's birthday, and I haven't made a new card (I know, bad DIL!!) as I'm still up to my ears in Christmas cards so she's getting one from my box! We are intending on taking her out for dinner later, then we will be doing the supermarket run later on tonight.

So not much of a day off then!!

Back to work tomorrow :-( then Saturday I've got a new hob coming as mine blew up the other day and I'm kind of going to need it for Christmas dinner!! I didn't add that to my list of disasters did I... I turned the hob on the other day, and a bright blue flash, and then all the electric tripped. Two of the hobs now don't work, I think I should be banned from using anything electical!!

Then Sunday... woo hoo!! I am really looking forward to a good holiday with my favourite people!!

Anyway, enough rambling and onto todays card. This one is for a friend who is a notorious bah humbug... but it's all an act... he's such a softy!!

Unfortunately the glossy accent's I added to the glasses of this Bugaboo image bled out again (might need a new bottle as I'm sure it didn't use to do this!) Still it gives Santa (for the sake of arguement we'll call him Stu...) bloodshot eyes, which with two small children, a busy job, and the festive season upon us is probably fairly close to reality!!

Thanks for stopping by, more later

Sue xx

She's a bit cheeky, so thankfully it's Anything Goes at Scrapbook Sisters!!

2011-12-21T12:30:00.000Z

Hello!!

This week at Scrapbook Sisters the challenge is

Anything Goes

and it is running for two weeks over the Christmas break :-D

Today I am sharing another Christmas card that I have made for one of our friends. He just LOVES the Kenny K images... I can't see why!! LOL :-D

We are seeing all our friends tonight for our annual get together - HB and I are collecting the kids after work and are heading up there after work, then are off to do our Christmas shopping tomorrow. I know, I know, last minute Annie once again! Anyway, we will find out soon enough if he appriciates it!!

She is a little minx isn't she!! The papers are by Making Memories Paper Reverie collection (I used this, this and this one!!) , I have to say that I quite often like the MM collections but that they are quite hard to come by!

The image is by Kenny K, and she's called Toy Soldier. Border punch is MS Iron Gate; Berrisfords Ribbon; Kraft and black Bazzill; Marianne Snowflake

Please may I enter these challenges

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Kenny K Krafty Girls - Anything Goes
Smudgy Antics - Wicked Christmas

Might be back later with another card to share

Sue xx

A quick card for Max

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000Z

Hello!

Can you tell I'm panicking! This is the last card I made for our friends gathering this evening. They started out all elaborate a few weeks ago and have got more and more simple as time has slipped away!!

Anyway, Max is 7, so is at that akward age between being still being a little kid and thinking he is a big boy! I think he'll like this card though as he is a bit of a cheeky monkey and I'm sure his big sister has so much over him that this scene isn't impossible :-D

The picture is really bad - HB's camera is NOT as good as mine!! Sorry :-(

I used another of the Jack and Robyn Chistmas images - this one is Sledding Fun, although it looks as if Ruby is having a far better time of it than Jack :-D

The papers are MME, Cardblank by Woodware, some wide Red grosgrain, white ricrac and buttons from my stash.

Hey, he's a boy, he's so unlikely to even notice it's a bit bare :-/ (fingers crossed!!)

Please may I enter these challenges

My Time to Craft Challenge - Winter Pals

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

More later,thanks for looking

Sue xx

An LCI card, better late than never

2011-12-20T23:31:00.000Z

Hello!

Finally I managed to get some pics taken of the cards I have been making on HB's camera, as my camera card doesn't fit his laptop, and my PC is still showing the blue screen that is ominous! We think that everything (photo's, documents, digi stamps) is salvageable, but I daren't turn it on at all just in case now!!

So, no new challenge at LCI this week as the bingo challenge is ongoing until 2nd January, but I have been using my LCI stamps to full advantage to make loads of Christmas cards. Just 7 or so left to go, so no pressure then!! The real annoyance of the PC not working is that I'm stuggling to print any digi's out and I really want to use Magnum and the Christmas add ons for my parents Christmas card, as they have a very pampered cat, and my Dad just loves Magnum!!

This one is for my friend's daughter Molly. She's such a cutie, and very much a girl! Although so quiet you rarely hear her talk, although that could be that all the other kids are so noisy!!

Anyway, I used some papers from an old DCWV stack to give this card a real pink punch! The stamp is Bless this Tree from the Robyn and Jack Christmas collection, isn't she cute!

I'll be back in the morning with another card, now I can post pictures again, you try and stop me!!

Please can I enter these challenges

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - I'm dreaming of a Pink Christmas

2 Sisters - Kid's Christmas

Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Scrappy Frogs - Stitching

Sue xx

Bad computer...

2011-12-19T23:00:00.001Z

Hello!

I was going to share another card I've made using an LCI image today, as the current Bingo challenge over on the challenge blog is running until the second of January and I just can't get out of the habit of making a card for Tuesdays!!

But alas, I have taken the pics on my big camera with the big CF card... which does not fit in the laptop... DUH!!!

Ah well, I managed to get some pics on the laptop the other day, so I will have to share another CAS card instead :-D

I've masked a square on a 8cm square woodware card, stamped a tree with my Kanban tree, embossed it and then used various blue distress inks and finished with a spritz of Tattered Angels Glimmer mists. It's not a brilliant picture what with all the glimmer mists getting the camera confused!! I was going to simples... but actually there was quite a bit of work going on!!

So there you go, not what I was intending, but I hope you like it anyway!

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Please may I enter these challenges

Colour Create Challenge - Blue, Silver and White plus Embossing

Crimbo Crackers - Embossing

Simply Create Too - Embossing

Weekend warmer

2011-12-19T00:46:00.000Z

Hello!!

Well it is now that two lurvely heating engineers turned up the morning, courtesy of the home insurance thing I get with my bank account, and had the boiler leak repaired in about 5 minutes, and that included clambering into the under stairs cupboard... hurrah, so we are warm again :-D

The kids have been packed off to Nanny and Granddads this afternoon as school has finished but I am still working until Friday (groan!) although HB finishes on Wednesday so I have a day off to go Christmas shopping on Thursday with him, nothing like leaving it to the last minute huh :-D He doesn't know it yet but he is being sent to the supermarket on Friday (with two kids in tow!) to get the last of the food shopping - just the veg and stuff though as I've ordered all the meat from a local butcher, as has SIL and she will be picking it all up in one go for me :-D

Anyway, quick (ish) post, and I am sharing another card made using this lovely image by Ticked Pink and yes, I know I have used her before, but I really like colouring her in, and so many of my friends will just "get" her!!

Anyway, this time I deviated from the reds and used papers from the MME Lost and Found Portobello Road collection, not Christmas papers at all, but I'm nearly Christmas'd out and still have a whole heap of cards to make, including ALL the family ones.... groan!!

Can you tell I'm getting a bit stressed... look how little there is on this card... you never know, it might just fit in an envelope, rather than me having to make a box as well!! No idea why she looks a bit green (well, not her, jsut her frock!) she's quite blue IRL!!

Anywho, there you go. Fingers crossed I'll be posting more throughout the week, thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Please can I enter these challenges

Christmas Card Challenges - Non traditional Christmas colours

One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Brown and Blue

Christmas Cards all Year Round - Anything Goes

Take one, take six... and I am NOT having a good week!

2011-12-17T19:20:00.000Z

Hello!

I tried to have a crafty day today, and I did to an extent, with a whole heap of cards made and written (yes I'm still on the Christmas cards. Then HB turned up with a my youngest's new bed (well I say new, it has been passed to us by friends who had it for a year and then changed their children's room about, so who was I to turn down a quite expensive cabin bed thing, with bookcase, drawers and wardrobe all in one!!)

So HB took the kids to his work and collected the work van to transport it home and BIL came over to help put the bed together. They rang me when they were on their way and I finished clearing small son's bedroom out all ready. His new bed was up in no time and the new mattress unwrapped and the bed made... he is so happy!!

It was getting late and the heating had just fired up when BIL said he could smell something funny coming from the boiler, and he and HB decided to clamber into the cupboard to check where it was coming from. Now, cos we live in the middle of nowhere we have oil fired heating, not gas and the boiler was serviced a couple of weeks ago so all should be fine. Anyway, what they found was that a pipe was leaking and that the fuel was leaking all over the place. This stuff is effectively diesel, so is horrible, thick and gloopy and foul smelling!! The only option was to turn the heating off to stop the leak, I have tried ringing the people who serviced the boiler, but their numbers are all unobtainable, so I have had to ring the home help number I get as part of my bank account package, and I'm waiting for them to arrange to come out to us. Until then we freeze!! Thankfully the fuel oil isn't flammable just stinks, and we have ripped up the ruined carpet and thrown it outside, and i have chucked washing up liquid all over the floor and scrubbed it as best I could to get rid of as much as I could. Oh I needed this like a hole in the head after the PC going wrong and mice waging war on the car electrics!! The only plus side is that most of the things I store in there were in plastic boxes so the contents are OK!

Anyway, so the short version is that my hopes of a crafty day/evening/weekend are all but wrecked :-(

Ah well, at least I got a few cards done this morning, including a few more for my friends kids, two more kids cards to go and a few grown up ones and that's my lot! I needed something quick for my male work colleagues (the girls have all got a "proper" card from me, 'cos I think they appreciate them more!!), and I got these little Woodware cards which are 8cm square from the Scrapbook Sisters cropped the other week, and then I used my Kanban flourish Christmas tree to stamp on each with Versamark and then emboss with various colour embossing powders. I've done them in gold, silver, bronze, green, black and green. I love them, they are so simple but so effective!

Here they all are

I think my favourites are the black

and silver

Gotta love simple designs!!

That's it from me, wish me luck... I think I'll be tipped over the edge if anything else goes wrong!!

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Please may I enter these challenges

Di's Digital Designs - Show Us Christmas
Hiding in My Craftroom - Embossing
Annabelle Stamps - Last Minute Christmas
Stampin for the Weekend - Christmas
Cupcake Craftroom - Christmas Tradition (trees, and more than just a touch of panic setting in that I've left it all too late!!)
Christmas Cards all year round - anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters - Two Colour Challenge

2011-12-14T12:30:00.000Z

Hello!!

Disaster Annie here... honestly I'm a one woman disaster zone this week! Yesterday I told you about my PC packing up, and now I can add the car to the list. First up I get a flat tyre. Luckily we are still waiting to send another one back (yep, we are a 4 car family at the moment - but that is going in the next week or so, so it doesn't count!) Then the thing won't start. Turns out a mouse had made the engine bay it's home. And got hungry. And nibbled. The mouse is no more as it fried itself (ewww...) but in so doing has knackered the electrics. Oh joy... all I ever wanted for Christmas was to have the car re-wired... seriously no crafty stuff was on my list, car re-wiring all the way!!

Humf... hopefully I've been good enough all year and Santa will still get me the odd crafty thing :-D

Never mind, enough moaning already, and onto todays card!

This week at Scrapbook Sisters the challenge is to use only

Two Colours

Hmm... well my card uses Red and Green... and a touch of white... but white isn't a colour right!

Here it is

I used one of the images I won from Saturated Canary (isn't she cool!!) to make a Christmas card for my friends nearly-teenage daughter.

I really like how this image coloured up for a first time colour I think she looks OK, and that she is quite funky but not too much for a young lady (if you know what I mean!). The papers are ones I found in my drawer by Adornit - and I think they work really well with this image

Please may I enter these challenges

Party Time Tuesdays - Red and Green Christmas
Make My Monday - Seasonal plus red ribbon
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Come and Get It - Red, Green and Your Choice (white)
Papertake Weekly - Christmas using your favourite colour (red is most definately mine at the moment!)
2 Sisters - Christmas
One Stop Craft Challenge - Traditional Christmas Colours (mine is a bit brighter green, hope that is ok!)
One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

Have a great day... if I can prize the laptop off of HB tomorrow, I might have something more to share :-D

Sue xx

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Bingo time

2011-12-13T09:00:00.000Z

Hi!

This week at LCI challenge has been kinda set by me, but Lisa had to be my knightress in shining armour and help get the challenge post up as my PC decided to throw a major wobbly and keep generating a blue screen... eeek!!!HB has been working on it to try and fix it, but I fear the worst. Thanks Lisa, you are a star!! I'm desparately trying to backup everything, photos and a new complication of all my digi images. I've got such a selection of things I have bought and some I have won and they must add up to a fair few pennies worth!! So maybe all of this just goes to show the total benefit of stamping proper, and this little cutie - Dear Santa from the Christmas Jack and Robyn collection - is just gorgeous :-D And with the added bonus that you don't need to rely on a computer, printer or anything really!!

OK, so the challenge is a bingo challenge - you know the idea right - pick a line up and down, left to right, or diagonally. However some of the team have gone for the kitchen sink and have included all 9 elements onto their card! We thought this challenge would give you plenty of options for your creativity, and it is the last challenge of 2011, so plenty of time to get your cards in!

This card is for my friend's son, Ed, for Christmas, and I think it is a great image, not just for kids either!

I went for felt, spots and buttons. (I know, it was so hard doing a card with NO ribbon, but I decided twine was good too!)

The papers are Bo Bunny Double Dot in Kiwi and some MME papers, the buttons are from a Basic Grey set, and the image/sentiments are LCI (you get this sentiment with the Dear Santa stamp, plus another which reads Making a List and Checking It Twice), as is the neutral Jute/Twine, which you can get here

I love using felt for snowflakes, even when they are as bright as this one :-D I've used white and You've Been Tango'd felt, available here

Please can I enter these challenges

Ribbon Carousel - Twine
Crafty Boots - Christmas
Hooked on Craft Challenge- Christmas
Creative Stamp Friends - Christmas
Pollycraft - Christmas Fun
Dream Valley Challenge - Christmas
Paper Sundaes - Anything Christmas
The Squirrel and the Fox - Christmas
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Looking forward to seeing your creations, I've got more to share - computer allowing - but in case I don't "see" you again before the New Year, thanks for looking, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Sue xx

Computer problems!

2011-12-12T01:29:00.000Z

Hi I just thought I'd stop by and let you know that I can't post anything as the pc has decided to go wrong and that means I can't post anything :-(.

I wouldn't mind but I've done loads this weekend which I now can't share including things I have made specifically for some challenges plus my dt cards for later in the week!!

More worryingly is some recent pics that I just know I haven't backed up and quite a few digi's that I also have a sneaking suspicion aren't anywhere safe. Fingers crossed we get it up and running long enough to get these off as they are top priority and then I'll work on sharing my creations and get commenting again as doing it on my phone is darn difficult :-)

Hope you are all ok and have a great week

Sue xx

Happy Birthday Kerry!

2011-12-09T10:00:00.006Z

Hello!

Today is a special day over at Ladybug Towers as it's head Ladybug Kerry's birthday today, and I made a card for her, although fingers crossed it has made it from bottom right of the UK to Scotland OK though the snow and high winds we have had over the last couple of days. So sorry if it hasn't :-?

This is similar to tag cards I have done in the past, but this one is different images all over! I have to say though I really do like distressing with ink pads these days, it is SO calming!! And it really helps when you love all the stamps you are working with - links should be below if I've done it all correctly!

I used some of my new Stampendous Eiffel Tower stamps that I got at the Scrapbook Sisters Crop along with various Bo Bunny and Crafty Individuals stamps. Various bits were embossed before I got busy with distress inks and then overstamped the background with more stamps.

Nikki was coloured with copics, glittered up and cut out, and popped onto some wired ribbon and lace.
I've been wanting to do a flower like this for ages but not been able to get it right. I figured out that I was not using enough layers!! An old book had started to fall apart so helped it on it's way and cut 18 flowers out and spritzed them with assorted Tattered Angels mists and layered them up with a Making Memories brad from my stash. I also spritzed some seam binding with the same mists - I'm getting to grips with my mists again and it is great for using to colour up plain seam binding which is SO versatile!!

So as I say, fingers crossed it arrived on time !!

Please may I enter these challenges

Stamps R Us - Emboss It
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes + Glitter
Crafty Cardmakers - Heat Embossing
Cupcake Craft Challenges - DIY (create your own backing paper)
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Inky Impressions - Ribbon
2 Sisters - Punches/Dies

Thanks for stopping by, more tomorrow... hopefully!!

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 63 - Sketch

2011-12-07T12:00:00.003Z

Hello!

This weeks Scrapbook Sisters Challenge is a sketch designed by me and it's quite an easy one so I really hope you have time to play along :-D. I couldn't help myself though and used more of the MME papers. Actually I need to use them ALL up on my Christmas cards, I'm a right shocker for loving papers one year and then when next years come out getting thouse as well, so I end up with all manner of bits and bobs!! So apologies, there may be a few more cards with these papers appearing!

This is the sketch - you can add bits as you wish, just as long as the basic elements are there!

I used one of the Christmas Kenny K images which I won (eek!) the other week :-D

She's such a sauce pot, but I am giving this card to one of our (male) friends for Christmas and I just KNOW he'll appriciate it :-D. The Tim Holtz ticket seemed made for this image, and I've distressed it, the image, and the papers with my new TH distressing tool and assorted ink pads

Please may I enter these challenges
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Kenny K - Add some texture
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge - Colours of Christmas
Lexi's Creations - One for the Lads
Here come the boy's - for the men in your life

Thanks for stopping by

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 49 - Sparkle and Snowflakes

2011-12-06T09:00:00.040Z

Hello!

Right, I'm going to try to make this a really quick post, 'cos if you are anything like me at the moment I need 30 hours in a day, and 10 days in a week! So if I start chatting then tell me to shhh ok!

So this weeks challenge at Ladybug Crafts Ink has been set by the lovely Lisa, and she is getting all festive and wants to see Sparkle and Snowflakes, which is quite apt as it's definately getting colder here in the UK and snow is on it's way and I'm praying we don't get a heavy dose while Santa is trying to get to the shops!

Still I suppose if we do get snowed in as badly as last year then we can go and play in the snow... which brings me nicely onto my card which uses December's Stamp of the Month which is the super cute Tom and Snowman

Now I promised no chit chat, and there I am chit chatting!, so onto my card

I'm so addicted to big ribbons and even bigger bows!

Don't you just love the expression on the reindeers face! I'm not sure he is that happy to be used as a stepladder!

Please may I enter these challenges
Cards und More - Snowflakes
Crafty Sentiments - Snowflakes
Creative Card Crew - Tis the Season
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Ribbon Carousel Challenge - Peppermint Twist
One Stitch at a Time - Be Square
Top Tip Tuesday - Let It Snow
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes + Glitter
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Pollycraft - Christmas Fun
Truly Madly Crafty - Christmas Images and Colours
Come and Get It - Anything Christmas

That's it from me today, thanks for looking!

Southern Girls Challenge - Ribbon Madness

2011-11-30T21:00:00.006Z

Hello!

Before I get chatting and forget I must apologise for my pictures. I don't know what I have done but I seemed to be completely incapable of taking a decent picture of my card, this is definately one where the pictures do NOT do it justice. I tried and tried but ended up getting all cross and stressed, but I think you can see what you need to! This wasn't the only thing that happened when I was making this card, but I'll get to that in a but :-D

Right excuses over... this week it's Lou's team's turn over at Southern Girls and the theme is

Ribbon Madness

I was lucky enough to be given one of the stunning Tickled Pink images to use who are sponsoring this fortnights challenge along with Joanna Sheen and Stamp Fairy

This image is from the Lil Victorian Christmas range and she's called Lolita Christina and you can get her as a digi or as a stamp from the store... gorgeous!!

To my horror I coloured my image, put her aside to dry and assembled my card... then I decided to pop a touch of glossy accents on her glasses. It's NEVER done this before but when I looked at the card the following morning somehow she'd got rose tinted specs! I've used glossy accents on glasses before and it has never picked and bled the colour out like this!! I was gutted as I really loved the card and had spent hours on it :-( After a lot of umming and ahhing and wondering what to do I decided to leave it - she looks kinda cool with her shades on! Did I get away with it?

I couldn't decide if she was wrapping the pressie, opening it, or had been caught having a sneeky peek :-D, so I decided to print out a sentiment on the PC and distress it with some Distress Inks

All the edges of the CS and papers have been distressed with my scissors (I must put a distressing tool on my Christmas list!) and with Victorian Velvet distress inks, and I tied the deep red wired organza into a lovely big bow (sorry I am SO into big bows at the moment!) and added a spacer flower and gem to the middle. She's hiding behind a TH fence die cut for a bit more of a gothic feel :-D

I really am chuffed with this card - I'm so sorry the pics don't show you what it really looks like!!

Please may I enter this card into these challenges
Make It Monday with The Kraft Outlet - Christmas Cards
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Merry Christmas but no mouse in my house!
Diva's by Design - Anything Goes
Fab n Funky - Anything Goes
I Brake for Challenges - Vintage
The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 62 - Anything Goes

2011-11-30T12:00:00.003Z

Hello!

This week it's a really easy challenge at Scrapbook Sisters, as it's Anything Goes!

I decided to get the embossing powders and distress inks out to make a lovely Christmas card with the Kanban Christmas Tree stamp I picked up the other day when I was supposed to be just getting white organza and ended up with some burgundy as well, the stamp set and this rather lovely satin which is a gorgeous toffee colour... and a few other bits and bobs that just happened to fall in my basket on the way to the till... ahem :-D

I stamped and embossed it with white embossing ink, then added distress inks all over, then popped a few more flourishes on and a sentiment.

I can't find a link anywhere to this stamp set - sorry!! All the rest of the links are at the bottom of the post. Anyway, I popped some gems here and there on the tree just for a bit of sparkle, cos you can't have a Christmas card with no bling whatsoever... It's just not allowed!!

Please may I enter these challenges
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes
Cards and Things - Sketch
Craft Your Passion - Tis the Season
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Make It Monday with Kraft Outlet - Christmas Cards
Stamps and Fun = Creativity - Distressing
Stamps R Us - Emboss It
Addicted to Stamps - Christmas Card
Lollipop Crafts - B is for... (Bow, Button, Bling, Brown tones)
Di's Digi Downloads - Fall Colours
Our Creative Corner - O Christmas Tree
Incy Wincy Designs - Trees
The Spotted Chick - That's Krafty Thursday #56

Hope you like it, thanks for stopping by

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 48 - White on White

2011-11-29T09:00:00.032Z

Hello!

Can you believe we are nearly into December! Only 4 weeks to Christmas... eek! I've not got any shopping done, and I'm still loads of cards short! Of course doing a Christmas fair at the weekend and selling a whole load of the ones I actually had done hasn't helped... still there's always good old M and S if time runs away with me :-D.

If you entered the Guest DT call from last weeks challenge, make sure you head on over to the challenge blog - it was a tough decision to make and I loved all of the entries! Right enough waffle, and onto the card!! I needed a break from making Christmas cards, so as the lovely Pam has set this weeks Ladybug Crafts Challenge and has chosen

White on White

I went for a wedding card using one of the new digi's from the Love and Marriage collection - this one is the Bride and Groom

I went embossing mad on here using three embossing folders and a Stampendous Heart Vine background stamp with some clear embossing powder too. Actually this last bit turned out better than I was expecting, must use that one more!! I went for a pop of red on his tie and waistcoat and her bouquet, and I used some white satin ribbon flowers from my stash over two MS Heart Lace borders.

An organza ribbon tied with a sparkly button and some die cut butterflies embossed with holographic embossing powder along with some of my much neglected Sizzix flourishes finished this card off perfectly :-D. There should be a linky thing at the bottom of this post with all the links to the bits and bobs! If not I'll head on back later and fix it :-D

The sentiment is from the Baby Baby collection, as I still have no idea where my wedding sentiments have disappeared to and my printer decided to print in navy and not black, which just looked odd!!

I hope you like it :-D Please may I enter these challenges

Whoopsi Daisy - White on White
The Ribbon Reel - Anything Goes
Victorine Stamps Challenge - Ribbon
Crafty Cardmakers - Heat Embossing
Get Hippity with Ippity - Embossing
Papercrafting Journey - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by

Southern Girls Challenge - Bingo week 2

2011-11-23T21:00:00.002Z

Hello!!

Just a quick reminder for this weeks Bingo challenge at Southern Girls - you know how this works right? Pick any three items that are in a row, column or diagonal and use 'em on your card.

Now it's only as I write this that I realise my uh-oh moment as I have got myself all confused, and have leapfrogged around the board but hey ho, nothing I can do about that now, so I'm showing you anyway, because I REALLY like this card! I guess that's what happens when you get a creative urge!!

Anyway, here's my card - links to all the ingredients are at the bottom of the post

I adore this image!

Please may I enter these challenges

Divas by Design - Monochromatic

Truly Scrumptious - Christmas Pearls/Vintage

Papertake Weekly - Christmas Crackers

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

The Crafty Pad -Festive Cheer in traditional colours:Red/Green/Gold or Silver

Bearly Mine Challenge - All My Favourite Things (MME papers, flowers, ribbon, lace, pearls, pins and kraft c/s!)

Papercraft Star - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by - hopefully there will be more tomorrow, asuming I'm not all stressed about the Christmas Fair that I have agreed to take a table at on Saturday!

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 61 - Winter Wonderland

2011-11-23T12:00:00.018Z

Hello!!

This week at Scrapbook Sisters the challenge is Winter Wonderland, and I went for an unusual colour scheme for a Christmas card, but I like it as it's quite striking and different!

All the details of the materials I've used for this card are in the linky thing below

I just love this image - Shopping Girl - which is available as a digi from Scrapbook Sisters. I've coloured her simply in greys and added glamour dust and black glitter here and there, with a bow on one of her bags.

Please may I enter these challenges
Christmas Card Challenges - Black and White
Digital Tuesday Challenge - Sparkle and Shine
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge - Baby It's Cold Outside
Paper Sundaes - Beautiful Bows
Crazy 4 Challenges - Black, White and wow - hope the grey tones count?
Just Some Lines - Tic Tac Toe (I've used glitter-digi-die cut)
Crafty Ann's - Monochromatic
Glitter Geeks - Christmas Shopping
Totally Papercrafts - Black and White
Creative Card Crew - Monochromatic

Thanks for looking

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 47 - Winter Blues and a GDT call!

2011-11-22T09:00:00.036Z

Hello!!

This week at LCI the challenge has been set by Laurie and she has asked us to share our Winter Blues... well seeing as I'm one of those people that would quite happily be snuggled under a duvet from now until April that could take some time... so I'd best just get on and share the card I made :-) Actually, I think that is where Laurie is as I think she is poorly at the moment - get well soon hunny!

I used this months Stamp Of the Month, Nikki and Buttercup building a Snowman which you can get for the bargain price of £3.50 until the end of the month. I think it is really cute, and isn't just for Christmas either, as it looks fabby for any wintery occasion!

As another early Christmas pressie to everyone that has played along with us over the past year we are looking for some Guest Designers this challenge - interested? Then add GD after your name in your entry!!

I used some American Traditional Designs papers from a couple of years ago with some MME Portobello Road, I think it looks OK, and tones in quite well

One thing I love about this image is that it's really quick for those last minute Christmas makes, not too much colouring, loadsa glitter!!

The lace is also from LCI and you can get it here - or check out the new thingy below (fingers crossed it works!)

Please may I enter these challenges

Forever Friends - Christmas is Coming (inc an animal)
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Paper Creations Ink - Christmas
Pollycraft - Christmas Fun
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
Winter Wonderland - Awwwww what a cutie
Crafts 4 Eternity - Embellishment Bingo (Snowflake- Button-Ribbon)
Glitter Fairies - Non Traditional Christmas
Cupcake Craftroom - Sweet Christmas
Heidi's Hobbystuggu - Christmas with Bling and Sparkle

Thanks for looking

It's Going to be a Bright Christmas

2011-11-20T18:53:00.000Z

Hello!

I hope you've had a good weekend! I have had one of those days where I have been busy all day, but don't seem to have done much! Still both kids are bathed, fed and watered, the fire is going nicely and I can settle down to a nice evening of colouring and creating :-D

Before I do, just time to share another of the cards I made for one of the Scrapbook Sisters Card Classes. Apologies for the quality (or lack of it!) of the pictures - HB had nicked my camera and I was left with the point and shoot and I just can't get the hang of something simple anymore!!

Anyway, Julie gave me these papers which are from a Trimcraft stack, and I think they had been left to last as the colour was quite difficult! I have to admit orange is not one of my favourite colours, but I was really pleased with how this one turned out. I decided that the design needed to be kept quite simple, and the papers needed a young, fun image to go with them, and one of the Christmas Nikki range was perfect - this one is Nikki and Buttercup Snow Angels from Ladybug Crafts Ink:-D.

This is one of those cards where the front is folded back on itself... nope no idea what it is called, but you'll excuse me 'cos it's a Sunday and my brain is fried right!! Here's a picture of the inside and you'll hopefully get what I'm waffling on about!!

The sentiment is by Penny Black (I think!), and is one of my favourites and works really well with this happy image :-D

Please can I enter these challenges

2 Sisters - Let it Sparkle

Crafty Purple Frog - Orange

Moving Along With the Times - Let It Snow

Creatalicious Challenges - Christmas and Make Sure It Sparkles

Sunday's with Chrissy - Christmas using Non-Traditional Colours

Paper Pretties - Christmas with Non-Traditional Colours

Right, no more procrastinating... must get on!

Thanks for stopping by

CAS Snowflakes

2011-11-19T23:45:00.001Z

Hello!

Tusk, I've been a bad blogger again, and not posted anything for a couple of days, it's not like I have any excuse because I have been creating, especially since I have been asked to do a Christmas fair at my friends son's school but eek!, it's next weekend!! I'm going to take whatever is in my box already done and what I manage to make this week. If I don't sell anything then it was worth a go, if I do then it's more towards the Christmas fund :-D

Today's card is one I designed for this weeks card class at Scrapbook Sisters, I think the ladies liked it :-D

As you may know, CAS really isn't my style... it freaks me out to be honest! I was intending on using a large snowflake in the middle of the card, but it has been borrowed by the pixies and it is NOT where I left it. At least that's my excuse, I can't possibly have misplaced it can I?! Anyway, I used some snowflake stamps that I got from Lakeland Plastics a couple of years ago when they used to do craft stuff, embossed them with white glittery embossing powder, then rubbed distress inks over. I quick spritz of Moonlight Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist to give a bit of a sheen. I then cut the panel into three and matted it onto dark blue CS and attached it straight onto the card. The sentiment is from another Lakeland set. Quick and simple, but quite effective I think!

Please can I enter these challenges

Stamp. Scrap and Doodle - Embossing

Paper Crafting Journey - Embossing

One Stop Craft Challenge - Blue

Crafty Catz - Snowflakes

Paper Shelter Challenge - Snowflakes

Oldie but a Goodie - Let it Snow

Thanks for looking - I'll try and post something tomorrow!!

Southern Girls Challenge - Bingo!

2011-11-16T22:50:00.007Z

Hello!

Not my teams week this week over at Southern Girls, but I couldn't resist doing a card :-D This week is a Bingo Challenge, and you can pick to go up and down, left to right or diagonally - but check the challenge blog for the full details! I really don't want to be responsible if I don't explain it properly!!

I love the Paper Shelter images who are one of this fortnights sponsors, they are fabulous to colour, but I decided to use Victorian Morticia to make a Christmas Card, going across the middle line of the bingo board - Die Cuts, Gems and Ribbon (and yes I know my papers have glitter on them, but it's on there already, I didn't add it, so I have not counted glitter as one of my items!!)

I used both my MME Lost and Found Christmas pad and the 12x12 papers from the same range to create my card, and I noticed an off cut had a perfect image so I die cut a tag and shaped the paper to fit - I've tucked it away though :-D. Unusually for me there is very little matting of the paper, but I distressed the edges of the papers with some Antique Linen Distress Ink.

This is quite a busy card, but I think the strong image can take it!

There's a gem in the centre of her necklace and on the pin heads, and more in the corners of the card. I guess you can't help but notice the big ribbon!

Recipe:
Papers - MME
Colours - Black, Cream, Red
Images - The Paper Shelter
Inks - Copics, Distress Ink
Tools - Marianne Die Cuts
Misc - Ribbons, Flowers, Pinks, Pearls, Gems

Please may I enter these challenges
Daisy Doodles - Anything Goes with a Digi
Bunny Zoe's - Anything Christmas with Pearls
Hooked on Crafts - Punches/Die Cuts
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
The Catered Crop - Follow the Recipe (my recipe above!)
Paper Sundaes - Digi Images
Crafty Emma's Store - Roses and Ribbons
Digital Tuesday Challenge - Christmas Time
By The Cute and Girly - Christmas Girls

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Southern Girls Challenge - Bingo!

2011-11-16T22:00:00.005Z

Please see here for reloaded post - blogger issues again!

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 60 - Winter Wedding

2011-11-16T12:00:00.000Z

Hello!! I hope you are enjoying the week! Just a quick post from me today, I'm sharing my DT card from this weeks Scrapbook Sisters card challenge - this week the theme is Winter Weddings

Now I got married in January, and my Mum organised the local farmers to be on standby in case it snowed to get me to the register office, honestly anyone would think she was trying to get rid of me!! Anyway, I think that winter weddings suit a more muted or icy colour palete, so that's what I went for

I used my Bride Nikki from Ladybug Crafts Ink and mounted her simply on a lovely Marianne Die - I love this stamp, she is so classy, and how her dress flows, just gorgeous!!

I'm desparately short of wedding sentiments though, so I didn't put one on the front! I know I have one somewhere but I have no idea where!! I stamped the inside with a congratulations stamp though!

Please may I enter these challenges

Thanks for stopping by

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 46 - Fairy Magic

2011-11-15T09:00:00.026Z

Hello!

Before I get started on today's post, a quick thank you to everyone who left such lovely comments on my blog following the new release and our blog hop/blog candy - it was great that the new images went down so well, and I'm not surprised as they are so unique! If you missed them last week, you can take a peek here

I'd also like to say a huge congratulations to Sue who won my celebration Blog Candy - well done hun! If you pop an email to the email addy on the challenge blog with Sue's Candy Winner in the title I will get your goodies out to you quick smart :-D

It's the head ladybug, Kerry's turn to set the challenge over at Ladybug Crafts Ink this week, so no slacking allowed :-D

I used Letter to Santa Ruby, and teamed her with some MME Christmas Lost and Found Papers

Oddly, despite not having inked this stamp in a little while, she was picked by at least 2 other members of the DT this week! She is so sweet, standing on her tippy toes to reach the postbox

She's glittered to within an inch, and I used Frosted Lace stickles to build up the layers of the snow. I found an ancient snowflake border stamp and decided to give the edges a bit of glitz too. The Personal Impressions sentiment has been embossed with black sparkle embossing powder.

I found a set of Crafty Individuals stamps the other day that included an air mail stamp and some postmarks etc, so there are little stamps all over this card, hiding amongst the text background :-D

Please may I enter these challenges
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Stamps R Us - Bling It On
Incy Wincy Designs - Tic Tac Toe (Red, Christmas Sentiment, Ribbons)
2 Sisters - Anything Goes
One Stop Craft - Ribbons and Lace

Thanks for stopping by - more tomorrow

Monday Monday

2011-11-14T07:16:00.006Z

Hello!

I hope you had a good weekend, I was intending on blogging all weekend, but I was bitten by the creative urge and made 9 (count 'em 9!!) cards.

Today's card is one of them, although the photo does NOT do this one justice as I was using HB's little camera, not my one which he had borrowed to take pictures of buildings (I kid you not!!) - but it was for his work for a job they have coming up and my camera has a better zoom on it. Anyway, as I said it looks better IRL than the picture!!

I'm really sorry but I have no idea who the paper is by, but I love the colours. I teamed it with Teal CS to make a Just Because card, with some East of India Ribbon, Papermania sentiment stamps, Joy butterfly die and a butterfly stamp. Quite simple, but I like it!

Please may I enter my card into these challenges
Ribbon Reel - Photo Inspirations + Butterflies
Flutterby Wednesday - Friendship

I am quite amazed that I managed to get so much done as I was quite busy really - what with taking big son to the opticians on Saturday, and then to the Rememberance Day parade yesterday, getting the boiler serviced (not by me I hasten to add!!) plus the housework, washing and ironing

I'll be sharing some more of the weekends endeavours over the next few days, thanks for stopping by

Just Elfing around

2011-11-09T20:00:00.022Z

Hello!

I had time to make a quick card using one of the images from this fortnights Southern Girls Challenge international sponsor Sassy Design Studio - this little cutie is Emily the Elf. If you haven't entered the challenge yet, you have a week to go to enter the Inspired by a Song challenge - this one is inspired by Santa Baby

Iused some MME Jolly Holly papers which I like, although it's more traditional than I would normally buy, maybe it's my age! :-D.

There's glitter all over her tunic, which was a *nightmare* to photograph (!) and she's dressed in traditional elf attire colours :-DAnd check me out, getting down with the blond hair! I'm trying to be brave as my natural tendancy is to colour hair brunette!

When I was routing through my craft box the other day I found some shrink plastic which I haven't used in ages, so stamped the sentiment on it, and cut and got shrinking - so satisfying!!

Supplies:

Image - Sassy Design Studios; Sentiment - Penny Black;

MME Jolly Holly 6x6 pad; Kraft and Green Bazzill;

Olive Sheer Striped Ribbon; Charm, Button and Pearls all from stash

Copics; Glamour Dust; Marianne D die; Spellbinders Labels 4 die

Please may I enter these challenges

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes Christmas
I Did It Creations - Christmas / Winter
Sweet n Sassy - Christmas/Holiday
Christmas Inspirations - Bows

Thanks for looking!

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 59 - Baby Baby

2011-11-09T12:00:00.031Z

Hello!

Wow, I just couldn't believe the number of entries there were for the last Scrapbook Sisters Card challenge - I think 304 is the record, even though this was a two week challenge, so a huge thank you to everyone who entered. I tried to get to have a close look at as many as I could, but apologies if I didn't get to visit you! Lovely to see such a wide variety of projects too :-D

However, it is a new week and there's a new challenge for you, and this week the theme is

Baby Baby

I decided to use one of the first stamps I ever got, a little sweetie fresh and fragrant from the bath by Stampendous, with some papers from my stash by Paper Adventures

The tag is my new Marianne die, and I have lined the centre with some more of the main paper. The ribbon is by Bo Bunny, sentiment by PTI, and the ribbon, charm and button are from my stash

I added a touch of glossy accents to the water drops on his head and foot, and to his duck, which was nearly my undoing as dizzy here stood her card up before the GA was dry and it dripped down the card, but I fixed it, what with that and the image-stuck-stuck-to-a-cat incident from earlier in the week I am a one-woman disaster zone!

Hope you can join in the fun this week!

Please can I enter my card into these challenges

Crafty Sentiments- New Baby

Stampacular Sunday Challenge - Sketch
Forever Friends - Something Old, Something New + include an animal (Old - Stamp, papers; New - Die; Animal - Duck!)
Oldie But a Goodie - Buttons and Bows
Marianne Design Diva's - Dying to Die Cut

Thanks for looking

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 45 - Getting Hitched, an Anniversary and a huge celebration

2011-11-08T09:00:00.159Z

Hello!!

Today is a VERY special day at Ladybug Crafts Ink as it is the first blogaversary since the challenge blog was started!!

To celebrate we have a whole host of fun for you to get involved with, with lots and lots of prizes along the way, so why not grab yourself a cuppa and get involved

First up we have a new release of Digi stamps - from the Love and Marriage Collection, and the DT have used the new images for their cards. The images are a steal at £1.75 each or £9 for all six!

We are having a blog hop to celebrate - if you are hopping already you should have arrived from the lovely Tams if not and you want to take part pop on back to the Challenge blog, and I'll see you again in a little while!!

If you are hopping, I'm sure you know all the rules by heart by now, but just in case

Display the blog hop badge somewhere on your blog, leaving a comment on each of the DT's blogs, and then heading on back to the challenge blog (your last stop after me!) to leave us a comment letting us know what your favourite image is

The prizes for the hop are all six images in the new release for the overall winner, and one image for 5 lucky runners up!!

But that's not your only chance to win, as some of the DT have raided their own stash and will be picking winners from the people who have commented on their personal blogs. Just as a little bit of temptation for you here's mine

I've included a length of gold satin ribbon, a Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink pad, and the rather lovely Lost and Found Christmas pad, which I believe is getting pretty impossible to find!!

And... as always there will be one winner and a top three picked from those who enter the challenge, which, naturally, is

Love and Marriage / Anything Goes

I made two cards, so there are quite a lot of photos!

This one combines one of the new digis - The Bride and Groom with MME Lost and Found Portabello Road papers, the bottom panel has been overstamped and embossed with a Prima background stamp, MS border punch, Berrisford "Orchid" wide satin ribbon, lace, pins, WOC flowers, and some gems from my stash

I love this image, it's so sweet and I just love how I got his suit, my colouring almost looks professional!! There's just a touch of sparkle on her flowers, tiara and necklace. The sentiment is from the Baby Baby set which you can get here

I decorated the inside using some left over papers

Do you like it? I have to admit I was having a bit of a panic attack over the colour scheme, but I think it works OK now!!

Now I'm going to tell you that I had a complete nightmare with my second card, you see I had one of those really brilliant ideas, that when you do it you wonder what on earth you were thinking about! Seriously I emailed a pic of it to the boss lady and she thought it was hilarious - I'd had this brilliant idea to do something with some black feather things behind the image. But OMG, it looked like i'd stuck this lovely image to someones wig!! Or Cat!! Needless to say it all came apart pretty quickly (but not before Kerry had had a jolly good giggle at my expense!!

But in so doing I ripped one of the legs of the cake stand, and as I really liked how I'd coloured this image had to get a bit choppy with the scissors - so sorry!! Anyway, this image is called The Cake

I actually wanted this to be a CAS card, and let the image do the talking, and I think I got there in the end... and no actual cats (or wigs) were harmed in the process!

Please can I enter these challenges

Bride and Groom card

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Daisy Doodles - Anything Goes with a Digi

Kraftin Kimmie - Pin It Down

Secret Crafter - Flowers, Ribbon and Lace

Sketch Saturday - Sketch (I flipped the sketch 90 degrees - hope that is OK!)

Cake card

Bows and Berries - CAS

2 Sisters - Ribbon

Before I go, as much as today is a celebration, it is bittersweet as it is the last LCI challenge for two of the DT - I shall miss you Mary and Amanda, your friendship has been incredible and I have been so inspired by your creations, and it has been a real honour to have worked alongside you.

Right, better go now before I get all over-emotional and have to do the hand flappy thing!! Hope you like my cards and the new images, and have fun entering the challenge and on the blog hop!!

Life's hectic, football crazy, and news!!

2011-11-07T07:36:00.001Z

Hello!!

Once again I find myself apologising for being a really bad blogger and not posting anything for a couple of days - I wouldn't mind but I actually do have things to share, I just have struggled to get my eldest off of the PC so I can post something!!

The only time I have been able to get him off was when we went to a birthday party Saturday evening, and when he was doing his homework yesterday - and I was busy creating at that point and it was going well, so didn't want to get distracted!

Anyway, the efforts of his endeavours are before me as I type, as he has been researching his Christmas list, which looks worryingly long and expensive, and consisting mostly of Lego sets, something else that I have no idea what it is, and some sort of a Wii extension pack or other! The youngest has been hacking various store Christmas catalogues with a pair of kiddy friendly scissors!

Anyway, so Saturday was my friends son's birthday. He'd had a birthday party with his school friends during the day, and we were all invited to the house a couple of hours later for an evening get together. We normally get fireworks as it was the 5th of November, so fireworks a plenty here in the UK, but we didn't as they have a puppy this year and didn't know how he'd be. As it turned out he wasn't in the least bit bothered, but I think everyone could think of better things to do with the money that we would have previously spent on setting light to, watching it go 50 feet into the air, and have a 10 second, "ooh, pretty!" moment - in my case craft stash!! Either that or we were having a collective humbug moment :-D. Not that it mattered because all of their neighbours appeared to be trying to outdo each other and so we stood and watched theirs, LOL!

Anyway, Max has got into football in a huge way, so a football card was the only way to go. Now I had no idea what colour his team play in, or what professional team he might support, so I went with what matched my papers! As it turned out I was spot on!

I can only apologise for the poor quality of the pictures - of course now I've given the card away it's too late to retake them and I've got no idea why they were blurry! Possibly I was trying to hurry and mucked up :-(

I hope you can get the idea anyway! I combined some MME papers from the Lime Tiwst - Out of the Blue pad with some old Papermania ones I had lurking. The football die cut is a sizzix die leant by Julie and the sentiment is from the Oliva stamp set by LCI.

The Kenny K image has been coloured with Copics. Look how I managed to make a teeny bit of red bleed into the white bit of his football shirt - uncanny, because that's exactly what his mum has managed to do with his real life kit too - how did I know! :-D.

Anyway, not too bad for a quick make while HB was at work, and I was trying to deal with both of the monsters at the time!

Please may I enter these challenges

Kenny K - Celebration Time

One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

My Sheri Crafts Challenge - All About Sports

Poodles Parlour - Lets Hear it for the Boys

Quixotic Inspirations - Sketch

And the news... well would you believe Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge is one year old this week! As a celebration of the Blogaversary we have a new line of Digi's being released, lot's of prizes, a blog hop, and some candy to be won along the way too... phew!! Check back tomorrow to see all the fun :-D

That's it from me today - looking forward to seeing you tomorrow :-D

Southern Girls Challenge - Song Title

2011-11-02T20:00:00.010Z

Hello! This is my first week as a Southern Girl... whoo hoo!! I am truely honoured to be have been asked to join such a talented design team!

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Sassy Studios, Meljens, and Joanna Sheen, and we would like to see your

Projects with a Song Theme

I chose the cutie Over the Moon image from Meljens to make a New Baby card, using the classic song Blue Moon as inspiration and as always these images are a joy to colour!

Supplies - Blue and Kraft Bazzill; Nitwit Papers; Buttons and Charm; Ribbon; Sewing Machine and Thread; Embroidery floss

Please may I enter these challenges
Digital Tuesday Challenge - Cute and Cuddly
Anything Goes - Stitching Real or Faux
Ooh La La - Stitching (faux or real)

Really hoping you enjoy playing along this fortnight

Scrapbook Sisters mid-way reminder, and a card for a special friend

2011-11-02T08:00:00.002Z

Hello!

There's no new challenge at Scrapbook Sisters this week as the Anything Goes challenge is running for two weeks while the girls take a well earned holiday!

Anyway, I thought I'd post a card anyway, I guess I've just got into the habit and it seems strange to me not to post anything on a Wednesday morning!

I made this card for a friend, who has had a tough week and used some Bo Bunny Timepiece papers, and stamped the butterflies on some Bo Bunny Chiffon Double Dot papers. The ribbon is some bias binding I picked up at the weekend at a little stall in a nearby shopping centre, the picture doesn't do it justice but it is quite lovely and I think I need to get some more! Another of the Jenni Bowlin pins makes an appearance, at this rate I think I'm going to need to buy some more!

The sentiment in the middle is one that means a lot to me as I find the words have brought great comfort at difficult times. They were found in the prayer book kept at a local church after one of the elderly parishioners passed away. Tucked in amongst the pages were bits of paper, all with lovely thoughts and this is one of them - as you can't read them very well in the picture, here's the words

For each valley there’s a hilltop,

For each raindrop there is sun,

For each twilight there’s a dawning,

When dark hours of night are done.

For each thistle there’s a flower,

For each tear there is a smile,

Your sorrow will give way to joy,

In just a little while

Aren't they lovely? Such a pretty way of saying things will get better in time

Please may I enter these challenges

Paper Pretties - Use a Sentiment

Scrappy Frogs - Something that flies (I'm hoping the butterflies count!)

Karen's Doodles - Quote Inspiration

That's it from me today! Thanks for looking

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 44 - My challenge!!

2011-11-01T09:00:00.003Z

Hello!! Hope you have had a good week, can you believe it's only 7 weeks to Christmas...eek!!!

So good timing for this weeks Ladybug Crafts Ink challenge which this week has been set by ME!!!I would like to see your Christmas cards, but I would like to see them in non-traditional colours and/or you can distress them. Which should (hopefully!) give you plenty of scope!

I have to say the rest of the Ladybugs have really excelled themselves this week, so if you have time why not stop on by their blogs and have a closer look?

Whithout further ado, here's my card...

Not Christmas papers at all I got a new 6x6 MME Lost and Found Portobello Road pad the other day, and fell in love with these designs. The glorious lace is from LCI, just love this as it's in such a neutral shade that looks stunning with pretty much everything. The charm, velvet ric rac, and buttons are from my stash, and the Jenni Bowlin pin is adorable - so blingy!

I just love this image, it's a dream to colour and takes a great bit of sparkle so well!! And this is the stamp of the month for November, Nikki andButtercup Building a Snowman and that means that it is half price, so don't delay on getting yours really quick for 50% off - that's £3.50!! What an absolute bargain!!

Please may I enter these challenges

Bunny Zoes - Lace It Up

Cutie Pie - Use a Charm

Heart Song Inspirations - embossing/three or more layers

Lexi's Creations - Charming

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Pollycraft Monday - Anything Goes

Meljens Designs - Christmas

The Ribbon Girl - Jingle all the way to Christmas

One Stitch at a Time - Christmas

Jingle Belles - Creatures

Craft Your Passion - Bingo (Distress, Ribbon, Bling)

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes

Gingerloft - Bingo (buttons, DP, Glitter)

I really hope you are able to play along this week, thanks for stopping by

Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 58 - Anything Goes

2011-10-26T12:00:00.033+01:00

Hello!! This weeks Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is peach of a challenge, as it is

Anything Goes

Due to the girls being on holiday this week will run for 2 weeks, so plenty of time to get your entries in :-D

I LOVE the look on the little polar bears face :-D

Please may I enter these challenges

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Sparkly

One Stitch At A Time - Emboss It

Christmas Inspirations - Die Cuts/Punches

Little Claires - Christmas

Crafting When We Can - Christmas

Charisma Cardz Challenge - Embossing

Karen's Doodles - Emboss It

Thanks for stopping by, fingers crossed, more tomorrow!

Sue xx

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 42 - Hey Baby!!

2011-10-25T09:00:00.009+01:00

Hello!!

This week at Ladybug Crafts Ink the challenge has been sent by Tams and she would like to see your Baby inspired cards!

I used one of the oh-so-cute images from the Baby Baby set - if you haven't seen this set before, check it out here, as for £8.99 you get 4 images and 7 sentiments, so they are the bestest value EVER!! (and, shhh, I use the sentiments for non-baby stuff too, just don't tell anyone, it's our secret... OK?!?!)

Dunno why, but I'm sooooooo into neutrals right now, so I used some odds and ends of Bo Bunny Chiffon double dot and journal papers (don't fret, I have more on it's way!!), kraft and Chocolate CS. I also LOVE this East of India Ribbon, and the gingham ribbon, and the dotty button, and I ADORE the little wooden tag that is hanging off a Tim Holtz hitch fastener!! Monty Mushroom felt is in the middle of the Prima flower, with a taupe brad in the centre.... can you tell, just a little bit that I really, really like this card :-D

Little cutie here has been coloured with copics, and there is a touch of Glamour Dust on the blankie... did you spot the tootsies peeking out the bottom?? All together now... awwwww.... Actually it was a really touch choice which of the four images to use, as they are all so sweet!

OK, that's it from me today, hope you are having a great week, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of your baby cards!

Please may I enter these challenges

Make I t Monday - Anything Goes

Make It Monday with Kraft Outlet - Anything Goes

Sue xx

Reflecting

2011-10-23T17:01:00.000+01:00

Hello! I hope you are having a good weekend!

We had a great day yesterday, although we were both quite tired as we got home at 1.30 and were up again at 6.30, as we were helping our friends who were racing yesterday. All went well, and we had a good day, getting home at about 7, so not too bad!

Today we have had a PJ day, both of us have been chilling, HB has been watching films on the telly, and I have been doing a spot of crafting :-D, we have decided to pop out for dinner and are heading to La Tasca for some yummy tapas shortly :-D

Before we go out just time to share another completed page with you - getting a bit of a habit this isn't it!

This is another of the pictures that were taken at SIL's wedding, love pictures like this that show a reflection, so clever, although when I take them you can usually see me lurking in the background :-D Fortunately, this was taken by the photographer so no such error!!

Hope you like it, more tomorrow (I hope!)

Beautiful Bouquet

2011-10-22T06:49:00.001+01:00

A real quick post from me this morning as we are leaving in about 5 minutes to go out for the day, I do NOT do early starts, especially as we didn't get home until 1.30 this morning

Yawns at the ready then!!

Today I'm sharing another completed Scrapbook page... and there is more to share too, of my bouquet from my SIL's wedding as I was her ~~serf~~ bridesmaid, and it was too lovely a picture not to do something with.

Again it is quite simple, with the focus totally on the picture, and the papers acting as accents. This is another one that originated from one of the class kits at Scrapbook Sisters, and I am slowly working my way through getting a few finished off!

Right, gotta dash!

Have a great weekend

Witchy Boo...

2011-10-21T07:41:00.008+01:00

Hello!!!!

It's a boo on the card front today, with another Halloween card

I really admire images when they have been completely coloured monochrome, but I didn't think the face of this little cutie would look right, but eased up on the cheek colour a bit, and stuck the greyscale to her clothes.

Without more waffle from me, here's today's card

I've used some more of the gorgeous MME papers, some ribbon and fibres, gems and my lovely Paper Shelter image... sorry for using her so much at the moment!

The fence is cut with a Tim Holtz die, and ~~by pure luck~~ I placed it so that the cat on the paper was sitting ontop of the fence, :-D, LOL don't you just love it when something happens that you weren't intending but just adds to the design!

Anyway, I've got a busy day ahead of me as we are taking the kids to Dorset, which will be about a 4 hour drive minimum after work, where they will be spending their half term holiday, we'll have dinner and then head home as we are going racing again on Saturday, Sunday will be a PJ day I feel!!

Please can I enter my card into these challenges
Delightful Challenges - Halloween
Crafting for all Seasons - Halloween
I Brake for Challenges - Halloween
Inky Impressions - Halloween
Stampavie and More - Halloween
Digital Tuesday - Happy Halloween

Thanks for stopping by

P.S. Thanks to the lovely Lisa for my new signature!!

Are you sitting down?

2011-10-20T07:16:00.009+01:00

Hello!!

How are you? OK I hope!! Thank goodness it is nearly the end of the week, it's been interesting on the work front this week, and I'm waiting to see what happens next :-D Tonight big son is off to cubs and then tomorrow we are taking them both down to Lyme Regis, on the Dorset/Devon border where my in-laws (MIL, FIL, SIL, BIL and neice!) have rented a house for two weeks. They went last Friday, so are into their second week, and as it is half term my two are going to join them. I will miss them immensely, but HB and I are looking forward to some "us" time. Actually I'm looking forward to being able to get some crafting done without having to referee the antics of two small boys, but shhhh, don't tell HB!! Hopefully the weather holds out as they have been saying it might snow soon... yuck, snow, horrid cold nasty stuff!!

Anyway, enough of my blah blah blah, and onto todays card... except, nope it's not a card!! I KNOW!!! I actually finished a layout!! In fact I finished about 6 of them, and am still going. Nope not sure what happened there either, as I am truely shocking for finishing layouts, so I'll be sharing them on and off for a little while :-D Most of them have been started in class, and have been waiting for me to find the right picture to go on them, and a few bits and bobs have been appropriated out of the bags for card making... naughty!!

First up, a page on James, from photos I took on his ninth birthday earlier in the year

Aren't I good I even put journalling on this one!! I know the current trend is to really embellish scrapbook pages with all sorts of stuff, but I like it when the photos are this lovely and remain the main focus. Which is odd, because I don't do CAS cards very often!!

That's it from me today, more tomorrow

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 57 - Circles

2011-10-19T18:41:00.000+01:00

Hello!!

I'm a bit later than I would have liked with today's post, so I'll get cracking

This week's Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is

Circles

You can interpret this challenge in so many ways - maybe a circle shaped card, or just have some circles on your card.

Regular readers of my blog will know that my 4 year old decided to stick my Cricut cutting mat to the carpet, so now not only is it not stickly anymore, it's covered in carpet strands, so all of the circles on my card are either cut with a compass cutter or with a nestie, but I got there in the end :-D

I decided to keep it fairly simple, and used a Lili of the Valley Images along with some Echo Park papers

I used some of my Diamond Dust at the bottom, but note to self, do this after die cutting!! I seriously feared for my nesties as it cracked and crunched it's way through the Diamond Dust, which is actually glass, but it seems OK :-D

I think that Christmas cards really lend themselves to simplier designs!

Please may I enter these challenges

Crafty Sentiments - Snowmen

Ooh La La - Let It Snow

Thanks for stopping by, more tomorrow

Sue xx