Seymore's sick day

Morning all , well at least it appears to have stopped raining at the mo and the wind has dropped but really who cares about the weather as we can't control it so we just have to get on and never mind the weather eh?

I decided I would challenge myself as yesturday tea time well just before tea as I still had that to cook I found a blog hop with a challenge over at Critter challenges and there is a massive 6 chances of winning some candy providing you comment on each dt's blog and enter a card.The thing is you only had till 10am est to complete it all. I have just popped by and apparently mr Blogger was being daft so they have extended the deadline to tomorrow 31st at 10am, so now you can join in too.

I decided to use one of my mother's day stamps that hubby doesn't realise he paid for and make a get well card for my store for a man. It seems I've never got any of these ready when I need one , that and wedding cards so I am going to remedy that over the next few weeks so please bear with me. It's not that I'm suddenly obsessed with illness and marriage.

Seymore has a bad case of feeling totally sorry for himself as he has a bit of a spotty crisis going on, and I thought this would make a fab mans card, well they are so sorry for themselves when poorly aren't they?

The Critters challenge you also have a fab sketch to follow and have to use some jewels on your card or project, I hope my pearl tablets count as jewels too, otherwise I only have one. I drew lines with white sakura pen across my flat backed pearls to try and make them look like paracetamols or similar and I think it worked quite well(excuse the wet glue please). I rotated the image but I think it could become a favourite as it looks good anyway around.

High hopes have a similar challenge theme , well sort of. They would like to see gems or pearls too so as I used one of my new high hopes stamps I guess I can join in their challenge too.

Finally I am entering this card over at cards for men. Their theme challenge is to make a card with humour, and I think my pills and sentiment give my card some humour , thiugh I don't know if a sick man would?What do you think?

Last of my easter bits

I have got Andrew my son some baby sugar coated eggs for easter despite him telling me he's not bothered about easter eggs and as we still have 1 of the 3 he got last year in the kitchen cupboard I didn't see the point in buting him a big chocolate egg. I thought that at least these little ones would just get nibbled at. I have an inkling I will be right as Max who very kindly sent Andrew a card to spur him on through his post surgery recovery and non weight bearing has gone above and beyond and sent him 6 cream eggs which he keeps hiding from his Dad and couldn't wait to open so thank you so much Max it was a wonderful thing for you to do and so unexpected too and Andrew really did appreciate it. He tells me he has sent you an email to say thank you but just in case I thank you too.

I decided I didn't want to give Andrew loads of packets of eggs and then found this acetate box that had had some ribbon in and decided to make a little box cart around it. I had seen one on someone elses blog sorry can't remember whose and had to make the pattern up as I couldn't find it again. I ended up putting a smaller box underneath as the eggs are so heavy that the card wheels just collapsed under the weight.

I didn't put much decoration on as I was told when diong my nephews flowers for boys are out so it is just a bunny, and blue is Andrew's favourite colour so hopefully it will go down ok.

Hubby drives me nuts when he does poached eggs as he uses our big fry/universal pan that is suppose to be non stick. We use it for everything, it was from the procook shop and supposedly has a lifetime or 10 year guarrentee , but sometimes now things stick. He uses it for poached eggs and puts little rings in so his eggs are a nice shape but never does the washing and it makes a real mess of the pan. I think this is why things now stick. Sorry I'm rambling, but anyway I found some silican poached egg pots at Asda 2 for £1-50 you just float them in water and put your eggs in. No doubt he will tell me that although they have a nice shape the vinegar in the water doesn't get to them, so they don't taste the same. Anyway thats my idea to save my pan and hubby's easter pressie. I also got him some dark chocolate Lindtt  mini eggs , he's a chocoholic given the chance. I thought I'd recycle this little carrier bag to hold his easter gifts, again it's quite plain but hey that's what my boys told me boys like, no frills flowers or cute things, what's a girl to do.

I am going to enter my little box cart and bag into a few challenges , I've listed them below as I've waffled long enough and I would hate for you all to get so bored you never come back. Thanks for listening and popping by.

Paperplay-easter
fussy and fancy-easter
easy crafts projects-easter
cute daisy may-one for the boys
Allsorts- recycle or alter
Klstampin n stampin- boxes and baskets

Candy from Kellie to celebrate

100,000 hits. Pop over and check out what you have to do to be in with a chance to win these sweet images courtesy of All that scraps.Aren't they cute, wouldn't you like them to come live with you and then they could skip long your cards and other craft projects too. Over you go to Kellie's here you have till 23rd April.

Gift from my wonderful son

My mothers day present from my wonderful son was some Lili of the Valley stamps, he gave me the money and said I could get what I wanted but thought I needed some more boy stamps which he was probably right about. This is one of the 7 I got with the money he gave me, I did put a little too but only a couple of pond, and he said his dad had to match it so I got some high hopes stamps too.

One of my neighbours is 40 in a couple of weeks so thought I'd use this cute stamp for his card. He would so love to be able to do this but his wife and 2 daughters keep him on his toes and no slinking off for snoozes under trees for him. He does escape sometimes as he got an allotment a couple of years ago, and he manages to go fishing once in a while, he must be happy though as I've never heard him complain, well not much anyway.

The layout I used is Lili of the valleys challenge , hope I'm in time as I forgot to write the end date on my notes , I'll find out when I try to enter, but either way it was a fun layout to do.

I have decided to enter my card into a couple ,maybe more challenges so here goes.

Fun fairy friday by Prairie fairy have a challenge to make an easel card. I am so getting into these they somehow just seem bigger than an ordinary square card somehow, though I am still working on getting the stopper thingy on the base in the right place.


Sew many cards has a challenge to use punches and I have used 2, my rounded corner punch and fancy edging, hope thats enough.

The sentiment is from  a set I won from the darkroom on the last world card day, hope he doesn't take it seriously, after all I'm older than he is.

The Pixie cottage have a theme of circles and I'm hoping all my little dots will count as little tiny circles, well a girl can try can't she.

Here's a close up of my button bugs and punched edge, just cos I think they are cute as buttons but not in real life.

Well hope you all have a fab weekend and enjoy the sunshine, we are having hope it's shinning down on you too.

quickie prickie baby card

This was a really quick baby card and only because Imade the card base with all the piercing a while ago, last summer in fact whilst sitting in the garden in sunshine, boy that feels along time ago. I have had these stickers a while too, I got them at JTF last summer as I used some in one of my sons scrapbooks but I think the 2 were made for each other as the size of the sticker was a perfect fit, and I do like clean and simple, a bit like me really, oh that sounds bad doesn't it.

Moving swiftly on... Crafty creations has a baby theme this time wih their #60 challenge. It must be all that spring in the air with all of nature making babies.

Die cut dreams #40 have a similar kinda theme too as theirs is new beginings open to interpretation as to however you like, so my interpretation is new baby. The prize is fab as there's a chance to be a guest desiner and you'll get to make 2 projects and we are told you will be given something lovely to use to make them. I think it sounds so intriguing, oh how I love fun, so I'm off to put my simple card in to try for that.

Hey presto

Well it almost seems like magic, I decided to make a couple of bookmarks for my nephews to but in their easter baskets so its not all naughty stuff when I found these fab freebies over on Dustin Pikes blog. Then my son wanted a new book mark and as he and his Dad are fighting over the same book at the mo, don't know why when we have so many not yet read but that's boys, Andrew said I should make one for each of them especially when dad turns the corner of the pages down to mark his spot and son doesn't like this. To save arguements 2 more book marks.

I had just finished laminating them (so hopefully they will last a while) and then went blog hopping and found A spoonful of sugar challenge has a challenge just for me, well hey presto thats what it felt like. I must admit though I feel a bit of a fraud as Dustin Pike did the design bit I just had the fun of colouring in and messing with the laminater.

I did double sided ones for my nephews but in different colours so hopefully no arguements, monkeys on one side and monster trucks cutting a dust trail on the other. 

 Hissing snakes for my 2 boys backed with plain card, different colours of course. Hope they are all ok to count. I must admit I quite enjoyed doing something different for a change.

I also found that Creative Inspirations challenge have a challenge of anything but a card , wonder if its ok to enter these bookmarks ?

How I would love fairies in my garden

If I had fairies in my garden do you think they would help me keep it weed free, my hubby thinks fairies do the washing up and clearing up after he's been cooking and when my son was little(oh he will cringe at this) he use to point at fairies in one particular spot in the garden quite frequently and above his bed and I could never see anything just open space, so maybe there are fairies in my house and garden.

There are certainly a fairy on my card. Well I started this card with the many spring themes in mind and this fairy I had already stamped and coloured a while ago and never gotten around to using so as there is a fairies challenge at Cute Dasiy May I decided to use this cutie.

Quirky crafts have a flowers theme for their challenge and I have daisies in abundance on my backing so I will flower power over to their challenge.

There are several spring  challenges so to me thats flowers ,bright and cheerful colours , and things waking up to buzz and flit around, do fairies hibernate do you know cos I don't, can'tsay I ever thought about it much before.
ABC -spring is full bloom
Crafty cardmakers-spring into spring
Tellens place -spring is in the air
Susie's sassy design challenge-spring garden
charisma cardz-spring has sprung

The layout is from the challenge at Treehouse, must admit I've not yet added the sentiment as I've not decided whether to make it into a birthday card for my friends daughter or an easter card for one of the teenage girls next door. Which also allows me to enter the Tanda teaser which is to make a card for a teenager, what teenage girl doesn't like a bit of sparkle and a fairy.

oops nearly forgot the colour scheme is from Critter sketch challenge #6 to use the colours on the image bet you can't guess which well known character it is in, gold, white red and blue, a clue he so loves Daisy, pop over and see if you are right.

Another easter card

This card I've done for mum and Dad and I have used one of the spring kit cc sugarplum stamps.

The layout is form the Creative Inspirations challenge which I love , another for my inspiration book I think, although in hind site I think I should have stuck my ribbon down, but usually when I do this it seems to go all wonky, advice on how to do this greatfully accepted please.

I'd also like to enter my card into the easter theme at CRAFT#42. Eileen has an added challenge to make a non cut easter card, hope I can enter more than one as i am still thinking about that one, I still have hubbies card to make and I know he's not really into cute so I have a starting point. Well best get on with it I have another couple of posts to do before Andrew's teacher finishes at 10:30.

So many great minds...

...thinking alike!. there are so many challenges around with easter and spring themes and now a couple with glitzy , sparkly shiny challenges too. May be all the craft world vibes are a merging , all this positive fun energy, pity the weather hwere in the uk can't catch on , it's raining again today.

Well this is an easter card for my sister and bro-in-law, thou he hates being called that as they aren't married, can't think why when they've been together so long, not the married bit the bro in law, don't know what else I would call it as he hates common law hubby even more.

my sis's fav colour when little was always lellow and as I couldn't tell you if its changed I still presume that hence the lellow glitter as she loves her sparkle, well what girl doesn't.

The fab image is a Dustin Pike freebie but is now available as a stamp from high hopes as he is now designs for them. I coloured it with promarkers but added some extra sparkle with a sakura glitter pen. The happy easter sentiment is from the cc spring sugarplums kit.

As I said earlier there are loads of challenges with similar themes that I will enter this card into so I will list them below, including the one that I got this fab layout from.

Hope you all have a fun day afterall we are all but half way through the week again,time does seem to fly by so stay positive and enjoy each minute you have.

Doodle dragon Studios-easter
High hopes-anything that hops or springs
Cupcake craft challenges- food or drink, hope eggs count
Stamp with fun-easter
Crafty Ho's-fab layout
Magical crafts-easter
Lexi's doodles-easter
Incy Wincy-easter or spring
Simon says challenge-glimmer, glitter and sparkle
Creative cottage -sparkle

Some fab challenges I'm sure you'll agree so why not join in the fun.

Quick edit pop over to Judes at craft international as she has some fab candy to help raise awareness about Alzheimers and you don't have to domuch to be in with a chance of winning either.

More boy cards

Here are another couple of cards for my nephew who will be 14 in a couple of weeks. I must admit I haven't seen Rhys in ages but keep up to date with things via mum, my step brothers aren't big on family visits and being a teenager Rhys didn't want to go to Chelsea's party a couple of weeks ago and unlike me when Andrew said he didn't want to go and I said he had no choice Rhys's mumsaid he didn't have to. I found on face book that he has a football piccy of a team he either was or is in so decided to do him a footy card using these colours, I thought it makes it a bit more personal.

I love promarkers who's challenge I might manage to scrape into have the challenge of no backing papers and a sketch, I decided to use a word stamp to make the background, a little scary stamping staright onto the card when it has to be in line.

There she goes also have a minimalist challenge of only using 1 layer and 1 kind of embellishments, why I decided to combine these 2 challenges and a male card I just don't know talk about taxing the brain.I decided my 1 kind of embellishment would be some clear dome stickers over my footballs.

 Maybe it is becacuse it was a day for challenges yesturday as Andrew tried to walk out of the house down 2 steps for the first time so we could go get his new boots form the hospital.He hasn't been managing more than getting up into his walking frame and turning around( his frame fits behind him not infront) and walking 3 steps before struggling to turn and sit exhausted in his words in his wheelchair. Hubby took day off work as we weren't exactly confident he would manage and I can't lift his wheelchair out of the house. We used his frame backwards and he managed with suprising ease one of us behind and one infront but we had wheelchair ready for him to sit. He was quite pleased initially and his new boots give him loads of support and he managed back into the house even easier, so no we just have to build up his strength and stamina and confidence. All the positive vibes didn't last long as he got in a strop when I said he had to do an hours school work , he took himself to bed and slept for 4 hours. maybe it did exhaust him all that adrenaline and didn't wake in a very good mood as now thinks he should beable to walk everywhere and was cross he got so tired. Hopefully he will be in a better mood this morning.

My second card for Rhys is from Andrew and I followed the layout from moving along with the times. I substituted the flower for a button hope they don't mind and just used some bright papers most of which I think were freebies from some magazine. The stamped little boy sitting so sweet and innocent is from the CCdesigns sugarplums spring kit, which I got from funky kits, it was the cheapest I'd seen it at only £33 for 9 images and a sheet of sentiments , I think a real bargin, my mothers day present to me.

I think I will also enter these cards into cards for men as they have a birthday theme, I've already entered 2 cards but they didn't seem to mind and while I'm on a role, why not. I still have yet another male card to make for a neighbour and of course easter cards so will be back to pretty and cute soon. Thanks for popping by and enjoy your day.

A first use of a stamp

I am so sad to say I have had this stamp for ages, and never used it. How sad is that, I bought it as I love the fun element but have never made a card with it and never been able to use it for the house mouse challenge, to the extent that I have lost the habbit of checking the challenge. For some reason I did this morning and just as well as the deadline is this evening. How lucky is that as their challenge theme is a sketch so for the first time I have actually checlked I can play. The sketch I quite like  though my image does seem a bit bigger than in the sketch so it sort of looses the proportions set but hope you can still see the layout design. I have tried to keep it fairly simple as it will be going airmail to my in-laws in Tenerife. I can't get the posting time right. The first time I posted something it took 2 weeks so last time thats how far in advance I posted it, and it got there in 4 days. Think I will try a week this time and keep my fingers crossed.

Allsorts have a spring is in the air challenge theme this time and I think my card sums that up perfectly. The sun is shining and the sky is clear blue at the moment here, the frost actually looks as if the sun is starting to melt it and the frogs have been busy for the last 2 hours , that I could see anyway. Hope you all have a wonderful spring day.

A different take...

...on ribbon and stitching. Well this card I did for a couple of challenges but fancied doing something a little different to stamping for a change, hope its still ok for the challenges though. The first challenge is the colour challenge  at Playdate cafe who want you to use medium pink, pale pink and yellow. Well my ribbons I used are definitely medium pink and 2 pale pinks in different shades and the button and card have yellow hues though neither are bright yellow, hope it's still ok for my challenge entry to count.

Totally gorjuss have a challenge to use ribbon, I did think about entering the last card I posted for their challenge but thought its easy to put ribbon and a bow across a card so wanted to make my entry for the challenge a little different, sorry there is no gorjuss girl, or other stamped image I'll have to try sewing these roses on paper next time, but hope my entry still counts. Maybe I ought to change the post title to 'hope it still counts'.

My third challenge I've just seen I can enter if the challenge rules are a little loose is over at KL SNS who want stitching and flowers. I was so amazed at how easy these flowers are to sew. First you sew a 5 pointed spoke wheel can't think how to describe it really ,apart from 5 spokes coming out of  a central point, this you do in cotton. Then bring the ribbon up near the centre and simply weave alternate over and under the spokes till you get to the outside then go back through to the back. The ribbon naturally twists and forms the petals, I love these as they are so effective. The question I have to ask is does my entry count, there stitching and flowers but not probably in the way you hoped.

 Thanks for 3 fab challenges without the colours I don't think I would have ventured down this path so thanks Playdate cafe.

A die cut Tilda from Jude

Hi , first I must say thanks to Jude over at crafts international, she very kindly sent me some fab images and this one was on a die cut which meant I could join in with the challenge over at Magnolia stamp lovers who have a challenge to use a die cut. I do have a big shot but so far the only dies I have are 2 small alphabets for doing scrapbook titles,so this arrived just at the right time, so thanks again so much.

Creative card crew have a going dotty challenge this time and my dotty paper must count for that. I am so trying to use colours from my nornm hence the pink and scraps from my scraps folder so this is really not my comfort zone , so hope I've done ok.

Just magnolia have a challenge this time to make an easel card and this card design is really growing on me though I still have problems working out where to position the stopper to form the easel, i seem to put it somewhere different every time.

The layout is from Totally papercrafts #8, and I love this sketch thanks Joanne, I think it could become a favourite for my little book of inspiration if thats ok, I thought it would be hard to do but I really love the results.

Finally and I'm not sure how far their boundary rules can be pushed but over at CRAFT they have a challenge to use a nursery rhyme as inspiration. Well to me my card reminds me of 2 of my sons favourites pat-a-cake pat -a-cake and hey diddle diddle , he use to giggle at the dish and spoon running away, probably as the actions mean you run your fingers up the childs arm and tickle. Hope it's not too far an imagination stretch, his other favourite was puff the magic dragon song, for some reason he would fall about laughing at it, but loved it so much he had a dragon birthday cake for his 3rd birthday for playgroup.

Friday skeches #94

What a down pour of rain we have just had , hard to believe our changable weather at the mo. The frogs are still at it quite madly and yesturday it was uite amusing watching them elbow each other out of the way in hopes of getting to the nearest female, lots of splashing going on and some must have been sucessful as there is alot of frogspawn now, and the rain justdoesn't seem to slow them down either.

Well onto my card. I recently got my first greeting farm stamp, partly as he was on my wish list and partly to wind Andrew up. Having been off his feet and still not everso mobile his hair has grown over the last 2 months and he refused to have it cut. (sorry been off his feet didn't make his hair grow, that sounded real daft). I kept calling him Edward as his hair sort of fell into the middle all stuck up and he wouldn't gel it so it just looked a mess. I really don't like it when he has it cut as he likes it really short but it was just something to tease him about and a good retort for all his tormenting. Well the day after I got the stamp and showed him the image he requested a hair cut, so I spoilt my own fun, but I did get a new stamp so thats not too bad.

I decided I would use it on a card for my nephew, and as I am trying to make a concerted effort to use some of my paper scraps on every card Friday sketches seemed like the ideal layout. I haven't yet added a sentiment as I will make a few cards and then mum and son can choose which they like and I will add cousin or grandson or nephew as appropriate.

Whilst I'm on a roll with male cards I thought I'd enter another over at cards for men. They have a theme of birthdays this time, hope I'm ok entering more than one in a challege and that my entries don't get disqualified.

Enjoy the rest of the day and weekend tomorrow the weather might be better who knows?

Something for the kiddies

 I decided a little while ago to have a play with some teddy stamps that my son chose when he was about 5 as stamps for his party invitations and thankyou cards, and although its nearly 11 years ago I can honestly say I don't think I've used them since, perhaps on the odd scrapbook page but nothing else. I determined as they are so cute I ought to try and decided clean and simple would be best. I stamped and coloured a couple of the images and then cut them out. I then went over them with versamark and clear embossing powder to give them a glazed effect , then simply mounted them on white and gold. The insides of each card has a stamped and coloured image on the inlay. I remember how when my son was little he and his friends would all be fascinated with the smallest of things, I suppose its because to them relatively speaking they aren't small are they. 

Over at Charisma they have a challenge to create something for the kiddies, so I thought I might enter these cards into their challenge.

Just cute bears also have a challenge I might be able to scrape into, it's called all white, you are allowed to use colour on your image only the rest of your card is to be white, do you think they'll count my image mount as my image and let me off with the little bit of gold, well I can try can't I. Hope you all have a fab weekend, its miserable here at the mo butit's suppose to be sunny again tomorrow.Thanks for popping by.

Spring is sprung

The real question is for how long though. The flowers seem to think it's arrived and so do the frogs as I have my first frog spawn in the pond this morning and they are still at it, making lots of splashes in the pond if you know what I mean.

Well my card this morning I made for a friend, best not say too much as I am trying to encourage her daughters to enter blog land and craft land too so she might pop onto my blog you never know.

I am entering it into a couple of challenges listed below and of course the penny black challenge. A couple have similar colour themes and a couple are springy themed but that will be clearer form the list. Sorry I know I don't normally just list but thought I'd do a quicker post before I check how Andrew is doing with his Spanish.

Crafty Ann's#10-want liliac,pink and lemon

Crafty sentiments#9- sketch layout and to use 2 different papers

Penny Black#92-spring colours

Daring cardmakers -use daffodils and/or spring flowers

Papertake weekly-liliac and lemon

Cute card thursday-anniversary /birthday/annual celebration

Crafty catz-spring

It's never black and white for teenagers...

...especially boys. Well it sounded good as a title, and I suppose it might be true although it might be more that they would argue black is white, but enough of that waffle.

My card as you may gather is for a teenage boy, I have another nephews birthday at the begining of April and my son will be 16 on st Georges day, where does time go , it only seems like minutes since hubby was showing me a photo of a little pink blob to me whilst I was groggy from anaesthetic in ITU and him baming this is our son, and he's a really good weight they say he's 2lb 13oz. Boy has he made up for that now!

Well digressing again , naughty me, my card ,I've made using one of my new stamps from woj and they have an easel challenge this week. I must admit these are growing on me but I still have problems knowing where to position the brads , buttons or raiaed card to stop the easel falling, and how to decorate the base, but I'll get there if I make enough of them I suppose.

The layout is for this weeks challenge at passion for promarkers and it took me a while to work out what papers to use but I finally got there and am quite happy with the result, although one or two of my layers might not be perfectly positioned, I can't decide if it's my positioning or the pattern of the papers beneath that makes me think I've gone wonky, the papers not me for real lol.

Creative craft challenges want you to use a number 2 on your project this time, and as most teenagers seem to use text language everyday this sentiment seemed to be perfect for my teenage card.

Die cuts R us have an unusal challenge in that you have a choice of colours to use this week. You can use white with a choice of blue, black, brown, green, pink or red. I decided to go with black and white as I love these together and the drama is perfect for any young male who thinks he's knocking on the door of being a man.

Cards for men just want a birthday card this time so that is that challenge completed.

Artful Inkables are celebrating their 2nd birthday so they too have a happy birthday theme for their challenge this week so thatsanother challenge done, oh how I love it when they all are so nice sharing. I think its just they are all such great minds that they think alike.

Finally a more unusual challenge from ABC, this week it's Q for Quote. My quote is from a set by the Darkroom and so apt I think for someone bordering on adulthood making decisions that will mould their future and how easy for their dreams to fall to the wayside when told you can't do that by someone who left their dreams behind. If  we don't have our dreams to aspire to when young when can we strive to achieve . sorry waffling again.

Well the sun is trying to shine and the thermometer says it's getting warmer so who knows we might be able to enjoy the rest of our day in a springtime haze, or we could dream ?

Why are boys so hard...

... to make things for? I have 2 males in my household so as i have a couple of things to make for my nephews I thought I would pick their brains, I so wish I hadn't then I could pleed ignorance. I was making , well trying to make a couple of easter baskets for my nephews, mum is going to see them at easter so she said she would take down thier easter pressies so that meant I could do somethin alittle different to posting a gift voucher or similar. I have yet to buy the goodies to fill them but that will be the easy bit . I asked both son and hubby what kind of things boys would like on them, are things like flowers butterflies, bunnies and eggs acceptable. Although I asked separately I got the same look and response from both, just rabbits and eggs , flowers and butterflies and cute little chicks are so girly and not boy things. Boy did that scupper my ott plans so my bakets are plain and simple and I personalised with a name well saves arguments doesn't it.

I am entering these wee baskets into the challenges for eater at Sassy Designs who have an easter theme.

The pink elephant has a spring theme and they like things other than cards so I'll enter these there, hope easter comes under the spring umberella.

Cute Daisy May have an anything goes challenge theme so thats the third challenge for my little bunny baskets.

I have also made the boys an easter card each, and decided this cute little dragon a freebie from Dustin Pike would fit the bill of not girly. I have done them both slightly different so the boys don't squabble at seeing double. The first I originally coloured in bright green and mango for the challenge at passion for promarkers but yet again have missed the deadline . I haven't followed a set layout but instead much to my distress as I really feel guilty when I do distress have roughed up the edges so I can enter the challenge at YNS, which is distressing, if you get what I mean.

A spoonful of sugar has an easter theme challenge this week too so my little dragons can fly over there to enter their challenge.

Simon says has a challenge in honour of St. Patricks day and as my dragon's green I think he might join in the celebrations over there, and don't forget if you enter their challenge there are Lorraines, and Catt candies you can enter weekly and Domi's every month too thats loads of chances to win, just for entering a card.

Sophisticats has a theme of new beginnings and thats what easter is partly about and why all these new babies are associated with it, as flowers burst into life and spring wanders in, well usually unless mother nature plays tricks of course or you're in the southern hemisphere.Not sure about between the tropics oh I best stop before I tie myself in knots.I am entering my card as it has a newly hatched chick on it and easter is about new beginings.

Cup cake craft challenges have a green theme too St. Pat again and I think I will wind up my challenges with the citrus theme form CRAFT providing I've not missed their deadline. Have a fab day although its gone cloudy here now, not that that will bother the frogs I'm sure, thanks for popping by.

Bright colours for Swanage memories

My card this post is for the challenge over at the sugar bowl. It is a fab sketch layout with an extra of stars, which I managed to use one, unless the spots and stars you see after my bright colours count.

I managed to make this whilst my son has the home tutor, not that I've sorted my craft room move, my craft stuff is spread over 3 rooms at present, until I get the bookcases and units I need, hopefully this weekend fingers crossed, but had to find a way to craft. Before Andrews teacher arrived we somehow got to talking about geography and field trips which as I brought my coffee upstairs to play for an hour reminded me of my A level geography field trip to Swanage. Nothing to do with the geopgraphy but the fun memories like going on a hike to find different land features and we 3 girls read the map wrong and ended up in a farm yard, we decided we must have taken a wrong turn especially when we found ourselves face to face with a load of cows.

Another memory is our cliff top walk where we were suppose to be doing stacks and cliff erosion, we were all more fascinated with the piece of road that started in the middle of a field and ended on the cliff edge, white lines and everything. The best bit was being able to say we stood on that road when it was on TV as as advert for a car driving fast to the edge and stopping. The card though was inspired by our wanderings into Swanage to the one cafe that was still open and obviously patronised by the locals. We all got very strange looks and how boring and straight laced we must all have seemed with our yorkshire accents and practical clothes. We looked on at the locals with amazment as they were all punk rockers with bright fluroescent coloured hair black torn and pinned clothes and chains. Punk rock seemed to have died out a coulpe of years earlier at home , it was a bit like time warping but nevertheless it inspired my card today and has made me smile thinking back. Many of my friends from that trip now have influential jobs  or are married to people in high places, civil servants , lawyers, chemists and even the odd lowly teacher. strange how we grow up and I suspect non of us ever dreamt of being what we become, its almost as if our paths are mapped out before us and we just play the game.

Well spring is here the frogs are multiplying in the pond and the sun is out, get out your glasses as here's my card. I haven't yet added the sentiment as not decided yet what to put, hope sugar nellie don't mind.

Missed deadline yet again...

... but good for one challenge still.

I decided to make something a little different to a card for a change and as I tend to write my shopping list in a little note book( I loose it less easily) I decided to give my new one a face lift, I'll definitely not loose it now.

The sketch layout is for the magnolicious march sketch and it was quite fun to use.

The colour scheme of pink and chocolate was for another magnolia challenge- magnolia stamp lovers but i missed that deadline, but never mind the colours look good anyway, even though I'm not a pink girl but I do love sparklies. Hope you like them too.

Why did I start?

I suppopse I should explain. Well my craft room was, is not sure now well it was the box room bedroom and I just use to put anything else in there that I wasn't sure where to put. It got very cosy to say the least but I could sit in my chair and with an outstretched arm get virtually anything I wanted.

A couple of weeks ago I was complaining yet again about all the board games hubby buys and the remote control cars he and my son have and things generally getting dumped and just generally having a big winge. For some reason my son suggested we could swap my craft room to the big bedroom that is the board game etc room and dvd storage with my craft room , I could then have my computer and craft all in one room and it wouldn't look such a mess if all the other stuff was in a different room. What he really meant was I wouldn't see it as often and complain as much, but I did like the idea of a bigger craft room, more room for stash.
I ran it by hubby saying we could get some shelves and he'd beable to find games etc easier , he just said whatever. Well today don't know why maybe its cos all the frogs are descending on the pond to spawn and it means spring is here but I decided to make a start. What a mistake it feels like. I am so glad that my son is still having to sleep downstairs post surgery as it means I can use his room as a weigh station. My sister in law has moved into her mums house as they have bought it as her parents have moved to tenerife and she has some book cases and units she said I could have , but am waiting on them arriving as they are too big for my car, and now I could really do with them but I so don't want to hassle her as I'm sure she has enough on swapping houses and getting hers ready to sell, but I so don't know where to put things and consequently I'm not sure when I'll be able to craft.

Good job it was mothers day yesturday and I managed a couple of projects. Here is the first. I printed this fab fun image a while ago it was a bugaboo freebie and I think it makes such a fun get well card especially for a man.Catch the bug have a fab sketch this week and so I thought I'd have a go at entering their challenge. I must admit they have some real fun images but I'm not really a digi girl even though I can see all the positive virtues of digi's, so once in a while I try to make the effort and use a digi.

There are alot of green challenges around this week on account of St.Patricks day, and as I don't know of anyone who really celebrates for the right reason and not just the excuse of a booze up I thought I would just use green on my card with a touch of cream to satisfy some of the challenges too.

The challenges I will enter this card for under the green theme are:-
Incy wincy-green
stamp something-green and cream
fussy and fancy-green
cupcake craft challenge-going green

I am also entering into the crazy for challenges who have a theme of for a male. I think this would make a fab man get well card , hope they agree.

Talk about last minute...

...well I finally got around to finishing my nieces birthday box and more importantly made her a card for her 21st birthday, just as well as she celebrates with a party tonight, couldn't go empty handed could I. I got her a cute pair of earings , platinum of course.

With the help of Jude I got some whiff of joy stamps and I figured this image would be perfect for a young lady, hope she likes the colours.The layout is actually from the whiff of joy challenge, must say I did find it a little hard but I quite like the end product.

Crafty creations have a challenge to make your own flowers and as I didn't have one in the right colour I decided to have a  go with a daisy punch and a small heart punch, one on the card which is more elaborate and then some on the box.

Creative cottage has a new theme as they are a new challenge blog, open to interpretation. Well hope they don't mind I just used my new stamp and little gems I bought last week. They are also looking for new DT members so why not pop across and see for yourself.

Cute card thursday have a celebration as they are celebrating their 2nd birthday ,there theme is celebrations,so my card can join in as its to celebrate Chelsea's 21st birthday.

Polka doodles have a challenge for a special birthday or milestone and my card could fit into both of those so I can't believe another entry.

Papercutz has an anything goes challenge as does Secret saturday crafter, well as I have 2 bits to my birthday project hopefully neither challenge will mind sharing, but no fighting over the card and box please.

Totally papercrafts has a things with wings theme this time so my little flutterbys, sorry butterflies will cover that challenge.

Magical crafts challenge #10 has a things with wings theme too, so thats another.

Charisma have a more specific challenge of beautiful buuterflies so hopefully my duel layer with the fantasy film will make them beautiful enough for their challenge. Its worth poppin over as there is the chance of 3 prizes and they have a DT call too.

Paperplay have a theme of seeing double, using the same image twice on your project, hope I don't get penalised for seeing triple!

Finally Totally gorjuss have a challenge of sweet, again open to interpretation. Well I think my little gift box is sweet as well as my little butterflies so hopefully they will too.

Have a great weekend and to all those mummies and other special ladies have a special weekend not just tomorrow and get spoilt and pampered by your loved ones.Thanks for popping by and hopefully I'll be back soon.