Pay it forward for a good cause

I have noticed there are one or two blogs asking for help for Renata who is asking us caring bloggers to send cards to a wee young man who at 4 years old has a terminal brain tumour. I can't imagine how those parents feel as I have never been that unfortunate, but have unfortunately been with parents when they have recieved that kind of news and helped them try to understand and work through the inital shock and the care of their child as the illness progresses.

A couple of weeks ago my 15 year old had surgery for the umpteenth time and I asked if any kind crafters would send him a card to cheer him along, so far he has recieved 4 and I think there is one more some where in the post from another kind hearted crafter. The cards have really lifted my sons' mood and helped him along when he had alot of pain, so it is without any hesitation that I have made a card for this little man to try and brighten his remaining days, and I would urge anyone reading this post to join in and help bring a smile to this young man face, as it really does make such a difference to know that strangers care and it will help his family too to know that others do care and have a thought or prayer to help them along,it somehow relieves the feeling of total isolation too. Please pay forward some care you never know what's around the corner and when you might need some caring love from a stranger.

My card I thought I would make bright and cheerful with whinnie the pooh and friends. I love the bright colours of these basic grey papers and they seem to fit with pooh bear so well. I did get a little stuck with the sentiment so decided to put 'just because' and then Daan could follow the trail to find the bee inside. I thought it might appeal to a 4 year old mind , is it sad that I found it a fun idea or does that just make me about 4yrs old mentally too, I think I'm totally loosing it this cold is so fuddling my brain today sorry for rambling.

The layout is from the challenge at Create 4 fun , #27 and I think it works really well.

Basic grey have a challenge of animals and I suppose Pooh is an animal even if he doesn't think it so I guess I can enter that challenge too.

 

I think I must be on a roll

I never thought I would complain about the sunshine or shut it out but it's playing havoc with taking piccies and whether its my cold  I've got or the sunshine thats giving me a headache I'm not sure but its not helping. Hubby is being really good today and cooking lunch.Don't know if I'll be ablbe to taste or smell it but I was looking forward to beef wellington, wonder if he'll do the washing up or still expect the fairies to do it?

Can't complain though as he has let me potter and keep disappearing to do some craft and finish cards I've been doing in dribs and drabs, oops sorry had to tell him where the english mustard is. he's also doing something called fondant potatoes and cauliflower, sounds good don't you think?

Well onto my card, I've got 2 so 2 posts to do. This is the first and its a baby card. I thought using the theme from Charisma which was white on white would be good for this one, you could use colour on the image only, well I strayed a little as I can't find my white ribbon, blame my cold, I 've lost a gold ring yesturday, can't find it anywhere. How can you loose a ring you have on upstairs , you get downstairs to make a cup of coffee and its gone. OOps digressing sorry, anyway sorry but I used blue ribbon till the white turns up, hope I can still enter.I tried paper pricking to give a little different texture to the card, there's bootees , feed bottles,hearts and flowers,not sure how well it shows up on the pictures. I used a forever friends stamp and coloured with promrkers and sakura glaze pens, then put it behind acetate in an apature. I quite like the simplicity, and the piecing is quite theraputic.

There's a baby theme at Simon says challenge this week too and stamp with fun, there must be something in the air, do you think it's because we are all yearning for the first inklings of spring. I think the seasons and mother nature is getting confused as I had lobelia and allisum flowering in pots outside my back door on christmas day all self setters and now of course they are nothing but mush. Anyway I will be entering my baby card into these challenges too.

Finally I will be entering my little bear into the challenge at die cut dreams as there theme is bears and my little forever friend will count him self in .

Enjoy your sunday luch or dinner whatever you have and enjoy the rest of your afternoon too.

A quickie red,white and blue

Hi all, this is just a quick post as i am supposedly just upstairs having a shower and getting dressed, not that I'll be missed until my two want something they can't remember where they put it, but still.

This card I made for my son to give to his granddad who's birthday is this week, just hope mum doesn't go on my blog and inadvertantly sho w him before reading the post. Mum and Dad dog sat my brothers dog for the first time last year, she is a westie called Simba and my Dad fell in love. He is absolutely besoted and mum suggested along with my sister in law that they get one, he doesn't want another one he wants Simba. So here's the card for him. He recently got a bit down when my brother was going away for the week , he thought Simba was coming to stay, but my niece was staying home so, so was Simba.I've never known Dad be so soft where a dog is concerned,just so not my Dad.

Anyway my card , I'm entering it into the chalenge over at Sassy Susies#7 which is red,white and blue. The image is unuasually for me a digi ,but off the top of my head I can't remember whose, sorry guys if it's one of yours, if I can find out from my notes I'll edit this post. I thought it makes agreat 3D though, and just adds to an easel card.

Peek a boo!

morning all, hope you are all fit and well and warm. We have a heavy frost this morning but have so far escaped the snow that keeps getting forcast. From my window I can see the birds sat on my garage roof waiting for me to put their breakfast out on the bird table so I best get on withthis post , but might take a break to pop and feed them if it seems to take too long.

My card for this post can be enteredinto a few challenges, which as I am short on craft time with my son needing lots of TLC due to his surgery is just as well, so I hope all the challenge teams understand and let me off.

The layout for my card is from the Klstampin n scrappin challenge and I really loved this layout. It looks complex when its really easy, and was transferable to the inside too.

The colour scheme is blossom and pastal green from passion with promarkers, I must admit I have only ever used blossom as a skin accent but love the colour for colouring in and can see I will now use it more often. I also used the pastal green to create my background paper, using it on the heart stamp which is made up of hearts- a freebie from a magazine last year but can't remember which.

The buuny inside the card I coloured in pastel green just for a little contrast, and I was really pleased with the outcome.

Moving along with the times has a recipe challenge, use at least 3 eyelets, 3 flowers andribbon. Well I've done that so I will enter their challenge too, it seems ages since I've managed to enter their challenge , I just don't know where time disappears too.

Die cuts R us have a ribbon challenge and as my card has ribbon on I will be entering their challenge too. They have some fab DT cards with ribbon ,why not take a look.

Cute card Thursday have a theme of 'Blooming Gorgeous' and as my card is quite springy and has flowers on I think I will enter their challenge too. I'm not sure what kind of flowers mine are suppose to be but they are a bit like a n echinachia or daisy or even a ragged robin, well thats what I imagine them to be.

Paperplay challenges also have a colour challenge of pink, green and white, all the colours on my card, so as I've just found this challenge its obviously meant to be.

Finally and by no means least . There is a new challenge blog called Totally papercrafts , set up by a group of friends and funnily enough there first challenge theme is friends. They have a fab fun blog hop to start you off with loads of inspiration and introducing themselves and there is even candy alongthe way. Why not pop over and join in the fun and help give their new venture a helping hand to get off to a sucessful start.

Something a little different

Thought I'd show you something I did a little while age and have been meaning to post since, and as Quixotic challenges have a theme of 'flutter by' I thought it would be good to enter that as I've not had a lot of time to do any crafting and seem to be squeezing in the odd 5 minutes here and there. I keep having to try and take bits downstairs so I am in the same room as Andrew as he keeps saying he wants me around not usual so it must be that he is feeling vulnerable being stuck in one place all the time, but we now have an appiontment to have his stitches out  the 2nd week of february so he has something to look forward to.

My flutter by entry isn't a card and my pictures only show bits of it, have I got you intrigued yet. It was a total experiment but I was so pleased it worked as there won't be another like it.

I repainted my bedroom in a white with a hint of pink, its called blossom but you wouldn't have known it was pink. It sees to change shade depending on wheter I put pink bedding on or pale blue, the pink being more predominent when the pink bedding is on. My bedding has butterflies on and I realised I had a very similar stamp to the butterflies on my bedding. I got my pink brilliance ink and decided to see if it would stamp on the wall. It did and that was the start. I stamped butterflies all around my room in pink, blue and gold brilliance inks as though a flight of butterflies had flown in through mt window at one side , around the room and out the window at the other. I am lucky I have such a tolerable huisband as he never said a word, apart from oh you redecorated. The piccies don't show it very well but hope it inspires you to experiment too.

Creative inspirations #45 have a feminine theme this week so I thought I might enter my bedroom wall for that too.

On a different note for those who have been following my sons progress, he has so loved recieving the cards you special crafters have sent, there are some really special caring people in craft blog land. He is still getting a bit of pain but managing to do some school work and staying positive but your cards have really helped so hugs and thankyous to you select few.Here he is chillin out!

For those who haven't got a clue what I'm waffling about read this post here.

Pay it forward image swap

I don't know if any of you ever saw or remember seeing the film'pay it forward', well if you haven't seen it its worth a watch, but the idea is that you do something nice for someone else and something nice is likely to happen to you.

Now is your chance to do that in a crafty way, that will just cost you a bit of ink, a few bits of card and about 5 minutes in time excluding a trip to the post office, and in return you will get 10 stamped images back in the post. If you haven't guessed you have to send 10 stamped images, places are limited to 20 this time so pop over to Ruths blog which I think has a brilliant name- won't spoil the suprise for you though you#ll have to go find out yourselves and she will explain a bit more about what you can do to join in the fun.

Sugar plum candy

Over at kellie's bit of blog land she is giving some lucky person the chance to win some delicious new C.C. sugar plum spring time candy.

Aren't these just yummy, why not pop over to play for yourself.

Your cards make such a difference-thankyou(Andrew update)

This is just a quick update on Andrews progress(for those who want to know more read this linked post).

Yesturday Andrew had a much better day, might have been something to do with sleeping until 9:40, sleep is the best medicine isn't it. His concentration is still away with the fairies which is frustrating him as he is trying to get some geography course work done for friday but I contacted his geography teacher and she is going to speak to the head of geography to see about extending the deadline, so hopefully we will have a bit of extra time to get his brain back in gear.

Pain wise Andrew is doing alot better but keeps getting spasms and cramps and he keeps trying to put off taking the diazepam as that really zonks him out but we are getting there slow but sure and having a few laughs along the way, mostly at my expense but I'm not bothered as laughter is another good medicine.

Did take a picture of him yesturday trying to read whilst laid on the sofa, so will post that later, as I left the camera downstair, and as Andrw is sleeping downstairs in the lounge I don't want to disturb him yet.

He recieved a card from Mandy at A sprinkling of Glitter, and a card and small gift from Max at Max's crafty creations yesturday, his face was a picture he beamed from ear to ear and I had to put the cards on the window sill next to him so he could see them. Everytime he looked at them he just beamed so thankyou so much ladies, you made a young mans day, I'm waiting to see if he says anything when he sees the post man today.
I suspect he wants to thank you both personally as he has asked for me to find out your email addresses for him so you may get an email today, but I thankyou form the bottom of my heart.

I know shirley from Squirrels world has also sent him a card, even though she is suffering herself from a trip to the dentist , so take care of yourself and hope you feel better real soon, and a special hug to help you along the way and all my thanks too.

There really are some special people still in this world they just don't realise its the little kindnesses that make them those special people.Thankyou

Pixie cottage candy

This is a real treat all you have to do is make the hard decision of which of these stamps is your favourite. I think mine would have to be athe lion, I just think he's so cute with all that curly mane, my star sign is leo so I have a soft spot for lions, and in reallity I think they are so majestic, that and I grew up watching daktari with clarence the cross eyed lion so the loin would be my favourite.which one would be yours, pop along to the pixie cottage and let them know.

Something pink for Simply create

Well I saw this request before my son went in hospital ( see the 2 posts below) and have been making it all week 5 or 10 mins each morning and although I haven't got a clue what CLAN is I'm sure its a good cause so wanted to pass on some kindness.(edit) Wendy M has kindly told me what CLAN is and it is a worthy cause here is their link http://clanhouse.org/cms/


  if you want to know more. Thanks Wendy. All you have to do is make a pink card , send an email with a picture of it to Jacqui  and then send her the actual card so it can be passed on to someone whose day it will brighten. The card can be for anything and any style as long as its pink!

pop across here to simply create and see for yourself there's a box of blog candy in it too, so join in and do your good deed for the day , pass it on as they say, what goes around comes around and all that. Here's what I will be sending

I am also entering this card for a couple of other challenges I have found whilst catching up with the last week of blogland. Magnolicious has or had not sure which hopefully has a pretty in pink blog hop where to join in you have to create a pink magnolia card , so after posting this time and son permitting that's my next stop.

The layout I used for this card is one at Magnolia stamp lovers, I am new to magnolia and only have 4 stamps so far but I do love the cute images. They layout I turned on its side so hope its still recognisable.

Lexi has a valentines challenge and I think this card would make a lovely valentine without being too soppy so I think I'll enter that challenge too.

Last but not least The pink elephant has a challenge for polka dots , a bow and pink, a challenge made just for my card, oh I do love that when challenges appear for cards you've made.

Hope you are all safe and warm have a great day and thanks for dropping by, and if you fancy making a card for my son as you do one for simply create see the posts below, many thanks.

Update on Andrew

Thank you all so much for all your kind wishes they are much appreciated, I pass them on to Andrew and he smiles and grins , I don't think he believes there are so many wonderful caring people in this world, you really are doing him the world of good.
Andrew is now at home though still on pian killers ,paracetamol, ibrufen, diclofenac and diazepam so a bit spaced out and getting frustrated that he tires quickly and is less mobile than he usually is. He is trying to keep occupied with school work though his concentration is rubbish which is also frustrating him, but all your kind wishes are jollying him along and I can't wait to see his  reaction when he recieves cards from you wonderful caring people.

For those of you who haven't got a clue what I am talking about please see the post below and your participation will be greatfully recieved. I might even get around to posting a card later if Andre falls asllep after lunch who know, if not thankyou all so much for your kindness from the bottom of my heart.

Help my son to a speedy recovery please

Hi to all my wonderful craft blog land friends, will creaping and flattery help me ask for your assistance, I hope so.
I am going to try and put this on automatic post as I won't be around later to do it as today my 15 year old son goes into hospital for a repeat of some surgery on his right ankle that failed. to say he is anxious is an understatement and in his words he can't understand why he is so nervous when he has had so many operations in the teens that he can remember . Many of those operations have lasted more than 6 hours in surgery too.

Andrew my wonderful caring and loving and considerate (most of the time) was born prematurely at 27 weeks and 3 days, we were told if he weighed 2lb he would be a good size but he weighed more 2lb 13oz which stunned everyone. I think I would have had an e4lephant had I gone to term. He is now a strapping 6 foot + I don't know his exact height as when he got to 5ft 10 in 2 years ago I stopped measuring but as he keeps needing new trousers as they are too short I suspect 6ft+. he was initially given a 1-2 % survival rate so we prepared ourselves for the worst and cherished each of those early days as if they were his last. He went through the book of neonatal problems as well as doing daft things like pulling out stitched in chest drains for collapsed lungs despite the drain being only slightly smaller than hai arm. If anyone in intrested I will find a picture of him in the neonatal unit.

Well to cut a long story short at 18months old I noticed he was walking on the inside of his foot and suspected we hadn't got away with his early arrival scott free and took him to his paediatrician and suggested he may have some form of cerebral palsy. Unfortunately I was agreed with and the long road began. He has had his thigh bones cut and rotated so has plates in them, his hips dislocated and the sockets shaved to make them deeper, bone grafts and pins put in his feet to try and straighten them and his ankles fused, as well as minor operatons along the way.

All this as well as pain when things aren't right along with being a teenager would be enough but Andrew has been bullied at school too throughout his whole secondary school life on and off consequently his self esteem and confidence don't take much to knock it.

I know many other crafters have and are asking for cards to be made and sent for much more worthy causes but I would love my son to have a boost of confidence to help him recover speedily and help him though this stressful time as until he knows the surgery this time has been successful I'm sure he will be worrying and that means at least 6 to 8 weeks of him getting worried.

Will have to go now to get his breakfast as he can't have anything after 7:30 will let you all know how things go later.

Sorry for the delay in posting but time at the hospital doesn't leave much time for anything else.

Andrew is now on his second day post op and doing well, still on stong pain relief but otherwise happy. The unfortunate news is he has to be non weight bearing for at least 6 weeks till he's reviewed but has to have a pop change and sutures out in 3 weeks. That means home schooling as school won't take him good old health and safety gone mad again so have spent ages on the phone and away from my baby( oh how he would cringe) sorting out that and putting in the requests and begging for school to sort out some work etc hope all the info and messages are relayed by those I spoke to so I don't have to chase it all up again.

Well got to dash just got some more requests from my son via text message as to what else he wants me to take in later today, its nice in one way that he is so comfortable being there and with the staff but not in another as it just shows how much time he's spent in hospital to feel that way.

Well thankyou if you have stuck with all my ramblings so far and now for my begging request. If anyone fancies making a card and sending it to my son to help break the monotomy of the weeks that are to follow and make him see that people care and give him some contact with the outside world could you would you any of you like to send him a card to cheer him along the way. The only thing I request is that you don't put boys running around on 2 good legs on it as I think that might add insult to injury so to speak but I'm sure anything else would be appreciated. He has already set himself the long term goal that he would like to be walking without a frame or with a stick by the time he is 18 only just over 2 years away and he's only 2 days post op!

Thankyou for taking the time if you've stuck with me so far it is so much appreciated and if you drop me an email I will send you a snail mail address thankyou all so very much .

Friday - Andrew my son, can't remember if I told you his name , has been up and down yesturday wasn't a good day as the nerve blocks wore off and he was having alot of pain and pins and needles in his leg that was in pot. He had his pot split last night to relieve the pressure and thankfully the pins and needles subsided over night and he had a much better night. Today he has stopped his IV drugs and has managed to cope with only a low pain on oral drugs and is looking forward to coming home , hopefully over the weekend. Many thanks for all your kind comments and support and for those intrested will keep you posted on his progress and reaction to your cards as I haven't told him anyone will be sending them as I thought that would add to the suprise. Thankyou all again you are all such kind and wonderful people.

Monotone but not blue

This is my card for the challenge at Totally Gorjuss which has a monotone challenge. I am really trying to up my game and improve my cards but I've still not got it right yet. I have made this card with a neighbours daughter in mind as she will 13 I think, not 100% sure but I'm sure she'll appreciate it anyway 12 or 13, well I hope so anyway.

Saturday secret crafter challenge has a musical theme and as I kept having There must be an angel by Ann Lenox popping into my head whilst making this card I will enter their challenge too.

Stamp something has a blue and white theme challenge, I know I haven't much white but there is a little bit so hopefully enough to count.

One stop craft challenge has a theme of fancy borders and corners and I have a few of those so hopefully I can enter that challenge too.

Last but by no means least the layout is from the challenge over at Stampin for the weekend. I really liked this sketch and found it quite easy to work with, maybe there's hope for me yet and I am improving , well a little bit anyway. Hope you like my card. Constructive critism always welcome anything to help me improve is welcomed with open ears and a willing heart, though I might not be able to comply without a little practice, but thankyou in advance.

High hopes

High hopes have some new stamps to reease with a bang and a hop on the 20th plus by spreading the word you can be in with the chance to win a couple of the new stamps too. Why not pop over to High hopes and join in the fun.

Sweet and simple

I really can't decide on a sentiment for this card which makes my following of the sketch from  I love promarkers incomplete as it should have text at the bottm left corner. I am toying with the idea of  making it into a mothers day card or just a card to send to my mum, so could just put 'mum' or 'with love' what do you think?

I love the simplicity of this card and I added diamond glaze to my Demure sugar nellie stamp which just makes it shine as though enammelled. The basic grey card and doilie strip add a lovely look of dimension and texture and the pearl backing paper is actually part of an envelope which I am recycling.
The colour scheme is also for the challenge at basic grey #11 though I didn't use all the inspirational colours.

Passion for promarkers #34 also have a colour challenge of aqua and coca so as these are the main colours I used on my image I shall be entering that challenge too.

Monochromatic coffee and cream

I do love monochromatic cards , black and white is very striking and often classy but its fun to use other colours monochromatically too , like this coffee and cream challenge at Die cut dreams #30 . Browns and creams work beautifully together and look so warm.

The monochromatic theme is also the challenge at Artful Inkables well unless I've missed the deadline which this week is soooo possible. It's really throwing my routine and cutting into my craft time him not being allowed into school for the health and safety reasons. Don't get me wrong he would be quite happy me being out of site and his hair so he can skip away from school work and revision and onto Sims or some other game, so I am spending alot of time pottering around doing nothing just to keep him on track.

Craftworks has a challenge to use some of heir candy on a project and that was so easy, I love their candy for flower centres and just on its own too.

sunday sketch and stamp #19 has or had a challenge sketch to follow and it worked really well for this card might be one to make a note of for future refence, me thinks.

Cup cake craft challenges #73 has a challenge to make something girly so hopefully my card will count, well I think its girly anyway, but I'm not a pink kinda girl.

The Pink elephant challenge has an easy theme this week of a birthday so I will be entering that challenge too.

Sophisticatz has a theme 'doth the north wind blow' well I didn't fancy a snow card and I haven't got a robin stamp so just thought I'd use wrapped up to keep warm against the north wind even when its been a north easterly thats brought us snow.

Cute Daisy May has a ribbon and flowers theme, this would normally make me think of spring but I have ribbon and lots of flowers on my card so hope the printed type count too. This blog seems to have dissappeared so will have to try and link late.

There she goes has a challenge to use 3 different embellishments , well I have used flower, craftwork candy brads, peel off and ribbon so thats at least 3 so hopefully I won't get penalised for the extra one.

Distressing is so not my thing I just like my clean lines and don't like tatty so for me to make a card look tatty is so hard, so as 3 challenges wanted distressing or shabby chic whic sounds so less hurtful to the paper I had to combine in one challenge as there was no way I could do more than one in a week.

The challenges for shabby chic / distressing are  Simon says - shabby chic, Creative Inspirations #24 distressing and The corrosive challenge # 46 also want us to distress our projects.

Crafty cardmakers have a theme of whats new? well my stamp is new and the technique I used to distress my paper is something I've not tried before scrapping it with the scissors whereas I tear my card, so thats 2 things new to me.

A Valentine ... they aren't just for your true love.

Each year I have been sending a non gushing valentine to my son, un signed and to this day he hasn't worked out who its from. One year he did ask if I had sent it and truethfully I said yes. He didn't believe me as he said I wouldn't waste my money on a shop bought card which I have to confess on these occassions I do just to throw him off the scent, but I thought I would be more confusing this year and tell him I'm sending him a card and so this is the purpose of this creation, along with entering some challenges of course. I just hope he doesn't look at my blog and catch me out.

Here is my creation, last year he sent simple cards to a couple of friends, the girls next door, they are both a little younger than him and the older one had had a terriffic injury to her face when at a new years eve party of a family friend was attacked by their rottweiler dog and left with a huge scar where her face was torn apart. my son just wanted her to fel special as she was going through a bad patch and you can't send one sister a card without the other, and it made him feel good too.So tell your friends and others close to you how much you care , not those you admire from a distance.

My card layout is from the challenge at sketch and stash #26 assuming I've not been too slow and missed any of the challenges I've used deadlines, things have been slipping having my son off school for health and safety reasons, its apparently too dangerous for him to push himself and his TA's to help push him around school in this weather , its something to do with there being no wheelchair access indoors around school. Still its stopping him catch cold before his surgery next week, but if they say he can go back now its so close I just know he's not going to want to.

The Valentine challenge is over at Lili-boo too and the colour scheme which lends itself so well is from the challenge at Kl stampin and scrappin challenge.

Both magnolicious and Just magnolia have technique challenges. Just magnolia has paper pleating which is quite theraputic and I dare say addictive. Magnolicious have a challenge to make a frame card . Both have fab tutorials and I experimented with my frame so it wasn't the full card, suprisingly easy and both techniquies very effective, why not try yourself.

Your next stamp blog hop relese and my fav holiday destination

This is real hard to decide. YNS have some candy for grabs for the new releases and blog hop later this month, and as part of being in with a chance to win some fab stamps you have to do a post with picture of your fav rock band or holiday destination. Now I don't have a fav rock band as I'm one of those odd people who just like the songs and can't say there is any group that I like all the songs of so not really got a fav band.

Holiday destinations thats hard too as all the places I've been home and abroad have been special for different reasons , I loved the lake district but it was my honeymoon, and scotland is so beautiful, and I do love the sunshine and have had some fab holidays in Greece and the greek islands as well as touring Florida. I think my most enjoyable and memorable holiday so far was 3 weeks touring Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. We had some fab experiences that weren't as funny as they now seem and saw some breathe-taking landscapes and places. The people were so friendly and genuine and helpful too, We set out to make it a holiday of a lifetime and it was, we had one or two hiccoughs with accessibility for our son in his wheelchair but generally all went smoothly and my son must have been impressed as both he and his dad were talking about where they would live if they moved there. They couldn't agree, one liked Calgary and the other couldn't decide on Vancouver, Banff or Jasper. If you ever get the chance to visit it really is a beautiful part of the world and I'm sure we only skimmed the surface with our 2,500 mile trip, driving which I did all of was a pleasure and the Saltlick diner ( sorry if I spelt it wrong) in Banff was a fab place to celebrate my birthday but the one in Calgery sorry folks wasn't quite as good.

Now all I have to do is find a picture so I'll have to save this as a draft and go on the other computer as thats where they all are. I think I'll find the one of Bear river sorry can't remember the indian name but I have it as 3 pictures  above my fireplace so we can wander down the river bank every day, though I'm sure it doesn't look like it did at this moment in time.

Monochromatic sugar sweet and totally gorjuss

Please don't be mistaken , there are no stamp designers in any danger of being challenge , but I wanted a little boy to go with my gorgeous girl and I'd drawn my nephew for his birthday in hisarms crossed I dont care huff and wondered if I could make him look sweet and caring, in drawn form. I think I made a passable effort but won't be a worry to any stamp designer. I tried to draw him in a similar style to the gorjuss girl which as most toddlers have large oval heads that bit was quite easy I was the rest that was hard.

The card layout is from the Totally gorjuss challenge where they have a fab sketch and hence my feeble drawing, hope no one takes offence.

Spoonful of sugar have a theme of heartys and as per usual I seem to be on my last legs scraping into entering their challenge.

Crafty creations #49 has a theme of black and white with a splash of colour so Ithought that would lend itself wonderfully.

I again haven't added text yet as I haven't yet decided what kind of card to make this into, Valentine, anniversary, engagement or open to suggestions . I was quite pleased with the inside of my card, they are getting better, a little I think.

best hurry as dinner will be ready in 10 mins .

Aqua and red love

Two colours I wouldn't normally put together are aqua or as I would call it pale turquoise and red , I would normally team it with coffee, but I was suprised how well they worked, shows how much I know, definitely not as much as all those clever crafters at whiff of joy, as the colour combo is their challenge#61.

Saturday spotlight with hidden potential have a theme of love without using hearts, so either  Valentine, wedding or just plain love.This is the kind of card i would give my hubby, gone are the days when my hair was this long and I was sweet and pretty but you can dream can't you and I might send him this just to say I love him and thank him for all the lovely things he does for me, well spoils me really, nice holidays and letting me spend money on craft stuff and buying me some wonderful jewellery. I an't remember the last time I asked if I could buy something and he said no, I am so lucky and to appreciate it send him soppy cards. Might send this to him at work, not done that for a while.Hope it counts for the challenge, not sure what text yet, maybe just 'Love you' or 'Hugs', I'll have to have a think, maybe I'll come up with something really soppy but then my card might just sit in his drawer so will have to definitely think about the text.

The layout is from the challenge at Allsorts who said you could add embellishments and text where you want.I got my scribbled layout a bit wrong and only used 3 bars across not 4 hope they don't mind too much but I did believe I was following their sketch, sorry. My text I think I will add at the bottom right and I really didn't think it needed any embellishment.

Crafty catz #14 wanted bright and sparkly and the colours are certainly bright and hope my mirri card backing adds enough sparkly for them.

Sending happy thoughts

This card is for a couple of challenges , I must say I am tending to make cards using a theme from one challenge , a colour scheme from another and then a layout from another, unless of course one challenge has more than one element to it.

The layout for this card is from ISB #16 and thats the reason I used a magnola stamp too, also as the stamp lends itself so well to the layout.

The colour scheme is blue and brown for the challenge at my time to craft #73. I love turquoise so that is my choice of blue but I do love blue and brown together.

 

Your next stamp  #7 has a theme of embossing and though I haven't got alot of embossing on my card my sentiment is embossed and I think it just ties in so well, so I hope its enough for their challenge.

Valentine candy

You can have the chance to win some fab magnolia valentine candy over at inked inspirations why not pop along and jopin in the fun.

Sharing high hopes and good wishes.

This time at high hopes they have a sketch challenge which worked out quite well for me as I had planned to use one of my 3 high hopes stamps to make a good luck and kind wishes cards for my son to give to one of his T.A's who will be having a hip replacement the day before my son goes in to hopefully have his  joint fused, he laughed when she told him and said they could compare anaesthetic and pain relief notes, I don't envy either of them as I'm sure they must be both daunted at the prospect of the surgery and doubtless pain they will go through but can see the anticipation of being in less pain when both their operations are completed and they are recovered. I hope they are both sucessful in particular my sons , not just because he's my son but because I have seen what he has gone through over the last 18 months when the left ankle bone graft didn't take and the fusing failed and he had to have the screws removed , the first as it started to work its own way out and poked up to his skin surface and secondly the pain he went through saying it wasn't right before being referred to another specialist who suspected the grat and fusion had failed and removed the other screws and staples and suggested we tried again, which is the point that we have now reached. For those of you who have read before in nvember my son was due to have surgery but had scratched his scar line and as the surgeon was going back through that scar cancelled the surgery. I have never known a scratch take so long to heal, and now I have to hope my son doesn't catch a cold at school so from my point of view if the snow wants to continue and keep him away from school as its closed thats fine, just until he has had his surgery and I know he feels the same. I couldn't believe it took his head master 3 hours to decide whether to close school or not. OOps sorry digressing again, back to my card.

High hopes sketch is where I was and I've used my nurse stamp, there's no sentiment yet as I don't know what my son wants , good luck, thinking of you who knows what he will come up with, probably something like break a leg not a hip, as he has a wickedly dry sense of humour even though he doesn't realise it.

My buttons aren't conventional buttons but they are buttons and I decorated the inside of my card too, I love this paper its so bright and cheerful ,it as a freebie from a magazine ages ago but I think it works well. Hope his TA likes it.

A little thankyou

Always handy to have and when I need one I never have one to hand so now I will have well until I use it but I think I now have a couple in stock.
For the challenge at Totally gorjuss they have a theme of thankyou and my little goth girl just sits so sweetly in the appature of this card.

The layout is from Create 4 fun and with a little adaptation works well on my apature card, well I like it, see what you think.

I'm going to be extra nice to my hubby this evening as sugar nellie have a sale on 10 of their stamps and I would really like some more gorgeous girls and there are 2 in the sale, but that doesn't mean that if hubby says yes they will e the only thying I buy, but don't tell as he is really generous and I don't want him to think I'm taking advantage.

Say no word verification candy...

...over at ABC  they have some candy as an incentive to turn off your word verification and switch to owner approval on your comments. You may be like me and didn't even realise it was on as that is the default. why not pop over to ABC christmas challenge for more info and join in, if they get 50 comments there will be 2 lots of candy and it closes midnight on the 13th jan.

Keeping warm with a hot la mumba

A la mumba is simply a hot chocolate with brandy, but its so warming, I first had one when I went up mount Teidi in tenerife with my then hubby to be and he bought us one after we came back down. We wondered why everyone was looking at us as though we were mad stood there in our shorts and me in sandles but my hubby as is now told me I didn't need my trainers and shorts would be fine, he'd been up Teidi before when younger with his parents. Whilst queing for the cable car with heavy coated and booted others we read the notice that told you the temperatureat the top and advised footwear, it wasn't sandles. I didn't make it quite to the top as I got quite breathless the last 20 feet and the ground was quite slippy underfoot with lots of loose sand type stuff but the la mumba when we got back down was very welcome and it is an experience I won't forget.

Well on the subject of hot chocolate there are a few challenges that seem to have similar ideas probably due to all the cold weather and snow the world seems to be experiencing in cetain places, well it has to be bad weather somewhere doesn't it.

Simon says has a theme of 'Hot chocolate' as does Quixotic challenges  #8. They say great minds think alike so there must be some great minds at work here in these places.

Colour throwdown has not suprisingly a colour challenge and their colours tie in quite well so I used them for my project. The colours are , dusky rose, chocolate chip and durango orange which I interpreted as a muted burnt orange hope thats  right.

Klstampinscrappin have a fab sketch that just worked so well with my idea so I'll be entering my card over at their challenge, hope I've done it right as I often miss bits when I'm scribbling down the sketches and its not till I upload them that I find I've done them wrong.

Crafty calender #4 must have been inspired by the cold weather too as their theme is keeping warm with an optional extra of texture and I found this lovely embossed paper I bought from a craft fair and thought it was about time I took the plunge and used some of it. I must admit I buy papers I love and then don't want to use them, maybe I will have to be a little more strict with myself, oh I don't mean not buy them just try harder to use them.

Where's my pond gone?

We had snow for most of the day yesturday from about 6:30am till late evening, enough to cause chaos , my son sent home from school and school closed today as well , hubby came home early and is at home today too as temperatures dropped last night and our road being a side road and no cul de sac doesn't get gritted ever so its like an ice rink. Fortunately hubby can work from  home so thats not too bad. There was a little more snow over night but only a sprinkling, but our garden looks as if its been draped in white. We have a pond and stream and the stream is still running but my pond seems to have disappeared under the snow, hopefully my fish will survive. I keep feeding the birds but they are having to dig for the food under the snow thats covered it on the table. Thought I'd share our snow as it seems to be a trend in blog land and thought I'd join in. Happy days keep warm and thanks for dropping by.

Peacocks swimming?

This card started off following the colour scheme at Tandastamps 129 who have a theme of peacocks or peacocks colors. I don't have any peacock stamps so I puzzled over how I could do this challenge. I wondered about a lady glammed up with a peacock feathered hat and then realised I don't have any feathers that small , let alone small peacock feathers, so I started to look for stamps that would lend themselves to the colour of a peacock and decided on this YNS mermaid.

The layout I follwed was for sketch saturday#84 which I decided on after colouring my mermaid, coincidentally YNS shpper Fihona is the prize, quite strange really. I found this funny textured plasticy don't know what to call it, I bought it at a craft fair a couple of years ago simply as it fascinated me as it appears fluid when you tilt it, so I decided it was perhaps time to use some of it, particularly as it made such a fab background when overlaid on the emerald green card, and my mermaid Fihona looks so at home. The strips and the stamped shells are photograph paper which has a glossy finish and I'm not sure where the image came from as its one I printed absolutely yonks ago, I think its some kind of crystal magnified but I'm a bit of a magpie and loved all the shiny colours of the blues and purples and I just thought it went with the colour scheme.

I'm not sure what occassion I will use this card for so haven't added any text yet, but I do think its quite a cute card if I say so myself, hope you agree.

Fun welcome for a baby boy.

This card is for several challenges, the obvious themes are forever friends and baby card.

Forever friends has a theme for 'a cheerful /happy card but with a twist' the twist is it must have at least 2 layers, a ribbon and some sparkle.

For some reason even though I've adjusted the lighting the card colour looks purple when its really a bluebell colour and the ribbon is proper baby blue, these artificial lights are so colour distorting but I'm sure you get the idea. Sorry I digress as usual .

My card has ribbon and bows and I used gold mirri card to add some spakle and used it to add my layer. Hope they all think it a fun card?

The other obvious theme is that of a card for a baby which is the challenge set by cupcake craft challenge#72. Well I hope it looks like a baby card to welcome a new little boy into the world.

The corrosive challenge have a challenge to make a project using 2 of your favourite embellishments. I did wonder at this as I don't consciously have any favourites, so I decided on the embellishments I first started using and I guess that would have to be buttons, ribbons and or peel-off do they count as embellishments. I have lots of buttons ,but lots of them don't look like buttons as they are flowers, stars, snowmen, snowflakes, scissors, gifts etc and alot of my stash finish up in my sons scrapbooks as opposed to on my cards. Ribbons , I love bows and peeloff , well I don't like my writing and I can't always be bothered to print some thing on the computer along with the fact that the printer is linked to the computer my son uses for school work and games so I can't always get to print so they would be my favourite 2 or 3 as the case may be.

One stop craft challenge have an unusual theme, they want you to use something beginning with 'B'. I have used several things , Bear, Balloon, Buttons, Bows, legless Brads and at a push a bit of Bling in my sparkly mirri card., oh and its a Baby card for a Boy. Do you think thats enough 'Bs' to count? They also have a DT call and all you have to do is say your intrested when you enter if I remember correctly, (sorry if I got it wrong).

Finally the layout of my card is for the challenge at moving along with the times. They have a challenge to use one of their previous sketches, I had great fun popping back through their blog to refresh my memory of their sketches and choosing one, no simple task really as I narrowed my choice to 5 , maybe the others will get used in the near future.The sketch I finally chose was from their challenge #4 thought I best say so they can check.Thanks for some fab challenges folks and to all my visitors thanks for stopping by.

Crossed wires and bad communication.

My son had a thought this morning whilst finishing his first hypothesis for his geography course work, he said out of the blue 'Can you make me 2 thankyou cards for my geography teacher and T.A. to say thanks for all the help they've given me with my course work mum please?' I was a little taken back by the request when he was in mid chunter to himself, but any excuse to have a reason to do a few challenges so off I set.

Here is the first I came up with and I was really pleased with myself.

The layout was done from the sketch over at cute card thursday #93 and I think it worked really well , although I perhaps should have made my first layer the brown striped daisy paper slightly wider but theres always room for improvement next time. It transfered really lovely to the inside of the card too.

The colour scheme is for the challenge at Play date cafe #10 who have a theme of turquoise, brown and dusky pink hope my pink is the right shade!?

Stamp something have a theme of use new somethings, well I didn't get any craft stuff for christmas as my lovely hubby got me a computer all for me just so I can blog whenever I want so I couldn't say I wanted more, but just before christmas I did buy some new stamps from funky kits and this is one I haven't yet used so I think it will count as new something.

Crazy for challenges have a theme of polka dot fun, so as I used dotty paper hopefully this will count for their challenge.

I took the card to show my son and see if he approved and just like a man said ' Oh yeh thats really good, whats it for?' I suggested it was what he'd asked for and he looked quizically and said 'What?' , I replied a thankyou card for your geography teacher. He looked at me and said 'I wanted them to be geography themed and I don't need them till next month when the coursework is done.'

My son is 15 nearly 16 and yet he already has the expectation that all women can mind read and know what he is thinking. He wasn't like that 6 months ago but does seem to have grown up alot over the last 6 months but I never realised that the man thing happened despite what you try to do to prevent it. I suppose he did at least try to be nice and told me its a really good card but... so something might have sunk in over the years...but how long will it last?

Have a good evening and hope you don't get too much snow, hopefully the weather forcast will be wrong.

More adventurous on the inside

Hi all, thought I'd try and fit another post in before my two decide they want to eat. We are out at the in-laws today as they go back to Tenerife this week and as they are selling their house it will probably be one of the last times we all get together at their home, I think it would be hard for all 11 of us to fit into their one room studio appartment and even harder logistically to get everyone to Tenerife together.

This card is for a challenge at Sassy designs #5 who have a theme of old and new friends. The text is from some stickers in a set I got from qvc, its a scrapbook box set and has papers and mini albums in but not sure of the make....sorry.

The layout is for the sugar bowl with the option of new and as this stamp is new and the first time I've used it I think I can say I fulfill their challenge. I was a little daunted at first by the layout but actually found it quite easy and a nice oe to be the first full decoration of the inside of my card. The papers are kay and co and I think they give a lovely spring feel to the card.

The colour scheme of lemon and lime is the theme over at Colour create #35 , they have an option of spring flowers but I just used spring flower type paper instead, unless you count my stamped tulips, after all they are spring flowers aren't they?

Short  number of challenge entries for me on this one so maybe I'm back to my normal of a couple per project who knows. Thanks for dropping by and hope you all have a lovely day.

A thankyou snowman

Morning all and still we have snow, yesturday it didn't know what it wanted to do but we are fortunate as most of the main roads are clearish just the side roads that are a nightmare but more snow is forcast,but never mind.
My little card also has a snowman on I somehow thought it approriate for the layout and as a thankyou not sure why though. The stamps both happen to be ones I wonon whimsy's advent calender event maybe thats why?? and although the thankyou circle has a butterfly in its centre it was easily diguised by a snowflake brad.

The layout is for the challenge at Stampavie who have the sketch layout and the theme of anything goes so I will be entering my thankyou card.

Magical crafts fortnight challenge also have a thankyou theme and I think I'm still in time for that, can you tell I'm guessing now so again I will enter that challenge if I'm in time. I really will have to get my brain into gear somehow.

The little paper shop have a theme of anything and a colour theme too of navy blue, silver and light blue and other than that anything. Now I know their deadline is nearing as its this afternoon so I am cutting this one close , but as yet haven't missed it so I can say I will enter this one with my jolly snowman. I did emboss the silver mirri card backgound with snowflakes but it doesn't show up very well in the atrifical light but it has snowflakes on , really it does.

Creative inspirations also have a thankyou theme so I can enter that one too.

Stamping around have a theme to use a snowman so as I have my little jolly snowman I can enter their challenge also.

Lily of the Valley are another challenge with a thankyou theme, I'm sure the challenges must all have telepathic links as they quite often all have similar themes , and when time is short from family commitments I think its wonderful as I can enter multiple challenges from one card, though I'm not sure the challenge setters will be thinking its wonderful, but Thankyou all the same.


Paper Makeup have a colour theme of blue and silver or black and silver so I think I will enter my wee snowman into their challenge too as he is predominantly blue and silver.

I think that is plenty for such a sweet little card and its time it was sent on its way. Thankyou for all your co-orsinating challenges and an even bigger thankyou for letting me share all these challenges for my one card , it means I am now nearly up to date well half way there anyway , but thanks you and happy new year once again.

For some reason the challenges at Stampavie #76 and Lily of the Valley #44 seem to have disappeared so I was either dreaming them or the links were added too early so I will have to check them later.