Playing catch up and tidy up

Hi all wow it seems ages since I did a post, but hubby is off on holiday and thogh we aren't away we have had loads going on, what with birthdays and goining out for the odd day and projects for the future in the offing,can't say much about that though, but it's definitely nothing to do with craft.Sorry I don't seem to have been around much though.

Friday (my birthday) we went out for a fab lunch quite relaxed and leisurely at the Mediterranean  near ecclesall road in sheffield, seems ages ago now. Had lots of fab cards from family and am hoping my birthday lasts a bit longer by recieving some cards from the girls in the craft rak club, but as yet haven't recieved any though I know a couple have said they are on their way, so now got to wait for the postie on monday.

Well I have been crafting but not all cards, and as I have been lax in the posting area not even sure if the challenges I made things for are even still up and running, but I'll show you all anyway.

The first is a card, this is a kanban big card decoupage but I decided that I wouldn't mount it onto a big backing but just keep it as is and just round the corners of the card so there's no white showing, if you know what I mean.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges, presuming they are still running of course.

Auds sentiments-anything goes
Pear tree designs- best wishes
cards for men-decoupage
Everybody art-in the garden


My next little project I decided my craft table could do with a little organising and prettying up. I still have some other things I need to pretty up so you may see some other non card projects over the next few weeks.

This is for my pens etc. I use to have all the stuff you will see in the filled pot in just the large poy before I decorated it. It's actually a cut down asda smart price baby wipes container and as you can guess I could never find what I wanted. In good old blue peter style with toilet roll tubes I came up with this.

I love bright colours so covered all the tubes in lime green paper befor sticking them together with good old pva glue. I then followed the layout sketch fromraise the bar to decorate the main pot, minus the sentiment as I couldn't decide what to put, pens, nicknacks or what as I also have paintbrushes , waterpens, screwdrivers , hammer and glue in there too.Apologies for leaving it off and

suggestions welcomed.

I love daisies as many will know and it is one of only 2 dies I have along with my alphabet dies that I have for my bigshot. I just thought they worked well adding intrest to the side tubes but not getting in the way, and tying in with the big pot layout.

I love this gorjuss girl imageand though the dress looks green it is actually coloured in turquoise promarker, but I think the bright green paper does something to make it look more green than blue.

I would like to enter my desk tidy thingy in to the following challenges.

Everybody art-in the garden

Playdate-colour challenge, turquoise,green and lime

Raise the bar-layout sketch

Charisma-use diecuts

Fab n funky-flower power

Prairie fairy friday-use punches(my small daisy is punched)

One stop craft challenge-not a card

Simon says-make a gift (for my craft table and a gift to me)

My last project is also a gift to me to brighten my work area. I decided to cover my cheapo wipes container. I thought this fab lili of the valley image was perfect for the job. Again bright colours , turquoisy blue one of my favourite colours. I added some stickles to the bubbles and water though it doesn't show very well, but it is there honest injun. The letters are die cuts. I made the cover as a tube so I can slip it off if I replace the tub or want to refill it with some other wipes.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges;-

One stop craft challenge-not a card

Papercutz-anything goes

moving along with the times-glitter not much but it is there really

Digi doodles-anything goes

Auds sentiments-anything goes

Charisma-use die cuts

Simon says-make a gift

ABC-b is for blue

A star for our star.

Well it’s a fab sketch layout over at The Sugar Bowl this time and they always have such a great prize on offer ,that I like to try and join in as often as I can, even though up till now it’s been like playing the lottery and I’ve not been the lucky winner. It would be great to win but as I love their stamps that I have it’s just great to use them it would just be a bonus winning, but my time will come.






This card I used sports boy manga, I’ve made it for our son who gets his exam results on the 24th, how it takes you back the anticipation and the nerves about getting exam results. I have said before I know he did the revision as he has been at home since last December, initially as school wouldn’t allow him into school due to the snow and apparently clearing paths was taking too long and it was too dangerous for him to push himself around school and against health and safety rules for a TA to help should he need it. Then in January he had surgery and was totally non weight bearing and then had to learn to walk again with a new shaped foot, and still not allowed back into school until he could get himself from the floor if his chair fell over or he fell out. That as we say is another story and past so we will move on. He being at home I know what hours he put in as I did the work with him when the home educator I arranged had done his hours allowed.






We are proud of the time he put in despite all the teenage winging and I really hope he gets the results he deserves, with really good marks. I know the highest he can get is C as this was the highest level achievable from the exams he has been entered in (school decided that as he was missing lessons he wouldn’t really be learning, and the input from school was quite pitiful really from some subjects more than others, and getting information as to what he ought to be studying like pulling teeth. I would so love him to have done well just to show them that we have done it in spite of them rather than with them, but either way we are proud of him doing his best. I do know he went to pieces in a couple of the exams and Spanish we are going to totally disregard as we didn’t know anyone who speaks the language and sorry but being given a book to work through that is mostly Spanish text and instructions to me isn’t teaching .


I am so sorry about waffling and moaning don’t quite know where all that came from, but thanks for listening I feel much better now.

My card, as I said fab layout and love these manga stamps can’t wait for the Christmas ones, hubby has said I can buy some stamps for my birthday on Friday and spend ‘within reason’ so am trying to hold out till I have even a harder choice of all those yummies out there. I am stuck for choice at the mo, between waiting to see the new manga’s, the last manga’s, released or some of the other sugar nellies on my wish list, some of the Christmas lotv and the girlie one and a couple of the Tildas I love the fairy dust and bubbles Tilda and the loving couple and so many of the others but I don’t think within reason would be several hundred pound. I know I got a car costing thousands a couple of years ago but that was partly necessity too and had been planned for, for a while.

My card, you might need sun glasses, I would like to enter into the following challenges:-


The Sugar bowl-fab layout something old /something new( old have had the papers and stickles for ages and don’t think I’ve used this stamp more than once since I got it a wee while ago so this could be new)


Sweet stampin'-use your favourite stamp (well one of them)


The Corrosive challenge –faux something mine is stitching


Pollycraft-stitching


Critter sketch challenge-for a boy and glitter hope stickles counts.

Think Ink-bling it on baby

Your next stamp-bold,bright summery colours

Fast or slow, which would you prefer?

 I mean transport of course. Which do you prefer good old 2 feet totally your control, 2 wheels pedal power or with a motor, a speedy little 4 wheel job or a slower one like a tractor or soar through the air on metalic wings?

Well now I have you thinking why not find out your transport stamps and join us again over at Creative Craft challenges for our latest challenge with the fab sponser of the crafty pad with this great stamp as a prize.

We had a great response to our last challenge , lets see if we can top it, after all transport isn't just for boys as we girls are after all scientifically proven well by insurance companies to be safer drivers. Now it could be a birthday card for a biker or a little boy who loves his diggers or someone passing their driving test. I myself couldn't decide so I made 2. My first is a card with a safe 2 wheels well if I were on it maybe not as my sense of balance isn't always that brilliant on 2 feet and that's when I'm sober! I love the sentiment on this card and thought it would make a great encouragement card, just not sure who is in need of it just yet, but time will tell as we all sometimes need an encouraging word. The stamps are from the darkroom and make fab toppers. I sprayed the background with moonglow tawny turquiose for extra shimmer but unfortunately it doesn't show up very well. The little flowers are from M&S party glitter I just love the colours.

I would like to enter this card into te following challenges;-

Colour create-ivory,duck egg blue and one other, optional shabby chic

The 2nd project is for my son who recently took over responsibility for his own finances with a little supervision, we all have to start sometime. He saw my cheque book cover and asked if I'd make him one. He is mad about the film 'Top Gun' and a couple of years ago asked if I could have a stamp made of 2 fighter planes in a dog fight, he found me the picture and I found someone who could make it for me. Sadly they nolonger do this and as yet I haven't found anyone else who does , so now when he asks for a specific image I just have to try and find a stamp , not always easy.

So now he has a bank activity book and is as happy as larry as the saying goes for now anyway. The fighters I stamped on acetate with stazon and filled with crystal laquere and then just glued them down. The cover itself is easy to make but if anyone wants to know how I'll try and explain, just let me know.

This project I would like to enter into the following challenges;-

Polka Doodles-use acetate or vellum
Paperplay-Bon Voyage(planes, holidays? or even bin voyage to money does it work?)
Papertake weekly- something old my stamp, something new the cheque book holder, something borrowed the design from the original from the bank and something blue the paper.




So come on hop on over and be inspired by our talented design team and then show us all your fabulous entries and you could win a prize.

All pink and green

Good morning all, wow what a response we had to our last Penny's challenge, lets keep up the good work ladies and gents, I love visiting all these new blogs.

This time we have a fab sponser KAH-Wink-E-Dink who very generously gave us a digi image from their vast collection of our choice to use, hopefully we all on the DT picked something different so we can show you a variety, I can't wait to see what the other girls chose and did with their images. I chose a rag doll called Aimee Josephine. I just thought she would look good in our challenge colours of pink and green.I made her big enought to be a stand alone card and just made the back a big triangle so she looks like she is just sitting all by herself. I coloured her with my wonderful promarkers and had quite a varitety of shades to choose from and I love how they blend together.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:-

Just scraps- anything goes

Secret saturday crafter-what are little girls made of?

I Did it creations-anything goes

Why not pop over to Penny's and join in, we had a fab response to our last challenge let see if we can top it this time and you could win a fab prize too.

Ring a ring of daisies

Morning all, well not sure how far I'll get with this post before everyone is up and about but here goes.

My card isn't for anything in particular at all I just made it for fun and a few challenges. I decided it was time I inked up one of my last purchases and with all the rain we have been having it just seemed so appropriate, but I wanted to make it cheerful. The card base is one I decided I didn't really like so took to pieces and it just seemed perfect for this image with its fancy punched edge. The image i coloured with promarkers and sakura pens love how they gloss and shine for water. The layout I used was based on the last challenge at totally gorjuss which I sadly didn't get around to entering, and the flowers are from my stash form some scrapbooking kit I think from Costco, the centres are stickles.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:-

Easy craft projects-girly( I know it's not pink but I'm a girl and I made this how I'd like it for me so hope that counts)
One stitch at a time-use a punch
Lili of the valley-seasons well you could take a pick as rain falls all the time so it could be any season especially summer
Totally gorjuss-Aqua
Speedy the cat and friends-think flowers -daisies are one of my 2 favourites the other is gladioli
Simon says-summer card with blue-well we are having alot of rain here
Alphabet challenge-p is for punch
Papertake weekly-something old(my card base), something new(stamp), something borrowed(totally gorjuss layout from last challenge) and something blue (my colour scheme)

Hoo's not well

My neighbours son had to be rushed to hospital a couple of days ago due to an exacebation of a medical condition he has, so thought I would make him a card. I asked my son to choose the image as James is only a couple of years younger than Andrew so thought he'd have a better idea of a suitable image. He chose this fab Dustin Pike image that was a freebie some time ago and it's really easy to colour.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:-

Doodle dragon studios-buttons, stitching and a decorative edge
Crafty Catz-animals
Sew many challenges- stitching
The stampman-an easel card
Charisma-an easel card
Moving along with the times-sketch layout which I rotated

Not sure who the papers are by DovecoatI think but as they are out of my scrap bag can't really be sure.the candy is craftworks and the buttons are from my stash, the stitching is faux done with sakura glaze pen- really will have to get my sewing machine out.

I finally managed to...

...work out the T slide card. It took me a couple of attempts to get all the measurements right, but I finally sorted it out, and it's real fun.
Make a T slide card was this months challenge over at magnolicious and there is a link to splitcoast stampers but the card dimensions were totally different to what I was trying to do, asnd I was making it so complicated. I was doing daft things like tring to divide all the measurements and then multiply them up and getting in a real muddle. I finally decided to make a mock one so I could work out how to make one using the measurements given, once I did that the rest was easy to recalculate the measurements to fit the card I wanted. Next time I decide to try a new design I'll do this first.

My card, for some strange reason it's pink again, Susie perhaps you were right! It could just be it was the first card I put my hands on in my scrap pile, yes I've decide to try and use my scraps up again. The image is of course magnolia, I love dogs even though we don't have one as a family member at the moment I  grew up with german shepherds ,poodles and heinz 57, and they were all so special.

I tried to keep the card simple due to the design,maybe the next will be more complicted in design, but thisa time just some metalic pink backing and simple roses edged with stickles. On the flap just a peel off for with love. My son says it's a bit girly for me so perhaps there is a girlie girl somewhere inside me after all. Thanks for the fun challenge and chance to learn something new.

Other challenges I would like to enter my card in :-

Magnolicious monthly for august- T slide card
Craft your days away- favourite things
Pocket full of posies-all that glitters(do the sparkly bits on my flowers and metalic pink count as enough bling?)
Just scraps-anything goes (am I allowed more than one entry?)
Rosie-d's- more than one fold
Wild orchid-say it with flowers

Sugar plum limited edition candy

Hope on over here to see how to get your hands on the soon to be released limited edition sugarplums fromm cc designs! Hurry to see more pop over to All that scraps too.

I've been playing

I recently found the fab site of really reasonable ribbons. It has all things and ideas ribbon and challenges too, and at the moment there is a chance to win some fab candy.

Now many of you will know I have to work hard at embellishment as I'm a clean and simple girl at heart but on one of their posts they had some ribbon flowers and just had to have a go, they were such fun to make and I made most of them whilst watching tv, over a couple of days I hasten to add, not all in one go. This is the post that insired me and here are my flowers.

All blue Edwin

Morning all, well meant to post this yesturday but never quite got there as little things like getting the car mot came up, but all things sorted and so far today nothing to rush for , although I still seem to have a leak in the stream, which I thought I'd sorted, so it's going to be a long job of moving all the plants and finding it, which may take all summer, and I don't just mean the odd nice day we have and count as summer.

Any way Edwin, I coloured him in ages ago and made him into a topper with the intention of making up a card, but found him still sat cardless the other day, so rectified that. I'm not sure what the card will be for so no sentiment as yet, but if my son does ok in his exams or even if it all went terribly wrong it will be suitable for that, just whether to add congratulations or we are proud you worked hard, as I know he worked really hard with revising, but did go a bit to pieces when the exams arrived.

I used sakura glaze pen on the balloon , I love the shine and promarkers for Edwin himself. I really ought to get more Edwin images having so many boys in the family  and they are on my list but it just never seems to shorten and when I do get the oppourtunity to get new stamps I never know which to pick from my list for the best.

I  would like to enter my card for the following challenges;-

Magnolia stamp lovers- use Edwin
ABC-A is for august birthday party season and exam results in our house hopefully loads to celebrate
Cute card thursday-whateva
Secret saturday crafter-it's a mans world
TPE-summer fun (as I said loads of birthdays and party's)
Pear tree-male theme


Can't believe it fits so many challenges.

Shop all things girlie

Morning all and for a change it's not raining yet.

Quickie post as have to take son for hospital follow-up appointment and parking is a nightmare. 


My card today is for a neighbour who has a birthday on the 23rd never quite sure what to do as I don't know her that well as she never seems to be in, didn't even know she and her hubby had split last summer till another neighbour who is friends with her hubby told me when I said I'd not seen him around for a while, some nosey neighbour I am or what, not! Anyway I know it's her birthday as it's near mine so I always make her a card.

I used a stamp I bought a couple of years ago just cos I liked it not sure of the make, sorry. I coloured with promarkers and sakura pens and added some diamond glaze. The stickers I've had for ages so much so that they were hard to separate from the backing, but thought they went ok with the girly theme. The papers, the gingham is forever friends the other i'm not sure about ,sorry again. Please don't tell me off for saying sorry as it must be a bad habit I have as I'm forever getting told off for saying it.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Colour create- hot pink,orange and saffron
Fussy and fancy-pink and black
Simon says-sing it baby(my song Pretty woman)
Blackleaf-sketch layout well my version
Just scraps-anything goes

Cheating with black and white

Morning all on this not so wonderful but wet day where I am anyway, but guess the garden and pond could do with topping up, the pond level keeps dropping and I can't find a leak in the stream so I have to presume it's just evaporation, but hopefully the rain will top it up.

Onto crafty things, a black and white card, but I cheated a little as I used moonglow embossing powder midnight violet obsidian. It means it looks black until you catch just the right angle then it reflects purple, clever or what , I love these it's like extra magic.

I used a 1920's stamp set that I got from the stamp man a few years ago although I have since seen some of the images used by Debbie Moore as different sized stamps and Kanban made into card toppers. I made a background with the smaller stamps and embossed my lady. I decided her bottom didn't look big enough so I emphasised it with a big bow!

The layout is fab like clean lines, and is by sweet stapin.

The challenges I would like to enter this card into are;-

The stampman -take 2 colour

Sweet Stampin-layout design

Really Reasonable Ribbons- black and white

Tuesday taggers -black

Allsorts-dressing up

Anything goes

Anything, anything, anything goes. No excuses you can enter the challenge over at Penny's . The theme is anything goes so come on what have you got to loose.

I decided to have some fun and do a scrap page, as I am way behind and my son keeps nagging me to get on with it. I did the photos a while ago when I went on a digital photography course , it looks complicated but all I did was change the colour tint and resize, then mount on textured black paper. It doesn't seem 2 minutes ago since we were on Marco polo beach in Florida, not long after Hurricaine Andrew , and our Andrew was but a couple of years old. Now he towers above me and is awaiting his exam results to see how his future is to be shaped.

Anyway, come on over to our place , that's Penny's of course and join in our party with Anything goes!.


I would like to enter my project into the following challenges;-

CRAFT- hot and spicy colours
Incy wincy- summer fun
cards for men-off on an adventure( my son thought he was)

Animal magic

Morning all. Wow do we have a fun theme over at Creative Craft challenges this morning. Animal antics!

Now I have been playing with some bits I had forgotten I had, see I've been tidying up and found these that I bought at a fair last year. I've not done invertage before and I love the rich colours of this tiger. The kit came all printed, even the insert was done , all I had to do was cut it out , make the box to fit it and stick it together. I do like the result and think it makes a fab man or ladies card, if they like big cats that is. I'm sorry to say it's a bit like decoupage for me , alot of effort without doing much to achieve it if you know what I mean. Please all of you who love decoupage , don't be offended, but it's just not me, I just don't get enough pleasure from creating in this way, but each to their own and it's good that we are all so different.

I'm sure you will all come up with fab animals doing all kinds of things , so please pop over and join in with the fun.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:-

Rosie-D's- all creatures great and small
Creative inspirations-anything goes
Charisma-something with a tail
Polka doodles- a generic card
By the cute and girlie- animal antics
Cowgirl challenges-animals and bugs

Pick and mix set yourself challenge

Told you I'd be back, card in the post with an explanation so my little sis doesn't try and get me put away. This one is for hubby's sister, just one more to do though I'm not going to get that in the post and there for monday for his other sister never mind it can arrive late , it's the thought that counts and he will see this sister tomorrow as she and her hubby are coming for lunch as it's her birthday, so he can give her her card. If I make a flatish card for his other sister it might get in the post will have to see how time goes.

Well for those who pop into my wierd gabbling s regularly, you will know the other day I had a whim to bake , which I did and then ended up feeding half to the birds as I threw them on the floor. The others I decorated in pinks and gave to my neighbours daughter as it was her birthday, I did give her a card and gift too.She informed me about an hour later about 9:30 that they were lovely so I guess they quickly followed breakfast. Sad to say I forgot to take a piccy, I will try and take a piccy of the cake I've made for Kelly hubby's sis, nothing spectacular just a lemon drizzle cake but I've added some pink and lemon edible glitter and I do think it adds a little something.

Oops, gabbling on again ,my card. This is for the latest challenge over at the sugar bowl where you get to do it yourself, in the choosing of which past sketch to use and what theme and of course making your project. There is even a do it yourself element to thefab prize too you get to pick which 6 stamps you want and choose from 2 letraset pen sets, promarkers or the new aquamarkers.

My card is based on sketch 18 and I used this fab cute teddy teaparty stamp not sure of its proper name but I do think it's just so cute. The papers are freebies and the flowers I think were from some scrapbooking kit from way back not sure of the make sorry.

Sisters have a special day.

Well I didn't know that but I suppose I didn't go looking either, I found out last year there is a grandparents day ,only by chance and that they had actually changed the date from the previous year so it coinsided with something for age concern or something like that, I think it's sometime in october but if anyone knows the exact date could they let me know please. I'd also like to know if there is a special day for brothers too.

You may well be asking what I'm on about and what started this odd train of thought , well over at Daring cardmakers they have a theme of making a card for special girlfriend as it's girlfriend day on the 1st of august , I presume it's just special friend who is a girl , girlfriend or maybe it could be boy's girlfriends girlfriends too I'm not sure. It is also sister day on the 2nd of august so you can make a card for either. Well I have just finished making my catrd for my baby sis and will endevour to get it in the post for her so it arrives by the 2nd, if I'm lucky. I think I best put a note in it about sisters day though otherwise she will think I've totally lost it as her birthday is in January, and as she is a phychiatric nurse totally loosing it might be a bad thing.

The layout is from craftwork cards and I thought it lent itself well to the thought behind the card, I only have a few craftwork bits, candy and some chocolate related sentiments that were bought with my sis who is a chocoholic in mind.

I could also enter this into the stamp man challenge, I did have something else in mind so if I'm allowed I might be entering twice . Their challenge is to take 2 colours, mine here are yellow, varying shades and use to be my sisters fav childhood colour not sure if her taste has changed though and brown , my candy dots.

My cute little daisies I love making and over at Craftilicious they have a make your own flowers challenge, so I'm in. There DT have some fab examples too and all very different.

Alphabet challenges are N for nature so I guess flowers count as nature.

Cute card thursday have an intresting challenge called 'text', make your words a focal piont, I really wondered how I could do this and whilst makiong this card it dawned on me that I had actually done it.

Anyway hope you all have a great weekend and I have another card to upload later but for now I'm off to the post office.

Practical Tilda

Thought I'd do something a little different to a card, basically as I seem to be getting snowed under again with them, I can feel another bluebell wood hospice charity shop visit coming on, well at least they go to a good cause even if it doesn't save me money or replenish the coffers to reduce my wish list any.

I use to have a cheque book holder, I got it when I first opened my bank account with the Midland bank many moons ago, it nolonger exists as is part of HSBC now and it was really usefull as it kept the book straight and somehow made it easier to find. I decided it was time I had another as that one departed itself quite a while ago and I really enjoyed working out how to make it,never mind enjoying the decoration bits.

I decided I really couldn't make it too fancy as it would just get wrecked inmy handbag with everything bar the kitchen sink in there, I have all kinds of wierd stuff including allen keys so I can do running repairs on my son's wheelchair and things don't know if this is normal as I don't usually go rumaging in other girls handbags.

Well my little project, I used Tilda and coloured her blue , my colour of choice, and daisy paper another favourite and of course there has to be a bit of ribbon and sparklies too. It looks quite simple really bu8t I'm not sure if it would count as a clean and simple project if you include making the holder from scratch, though saying that I think the whole thing took me about an hour including the stickles on Tilda drying, maybe I could go into production?

I would like to enter my blue Tilda for the following challenges:-

Die cut dreams- Tilda in blue
Paperplay-open theme
Sarah Hurley-anything goes(optional sketch which I didn't use, sorry)
CAS-tastic-bling it up

A little bit of painting

All these posts make it look like I've been super busy crafting today, but have to admit , it's more that they have all been in the pipeline so to speak and either I've just finished them off or am just getting around to posting them. I would love to do crafting all day but alas it was supermarket shopping and cleaning up for most of the day. I then decided I fanciedbaking, not eating as we are all in need of loosing some excess pounds so I had it plannede that as it is our neighbours daughters birthday tomorrow , she will be the grand age of 10, I thought I could take some cute glittered cupcake round for her, as her mum rarely has time to bake as she is a student midwife. Shall we say things went to plan up to me getting them out of the oven , when for some reason I decided to throw the tin on the floor. Fortunately it landed right side up and only 4 landed on the floor but some that were still in the tin looked a little cracked from the shock. The birds will enjoy the floor 4 and when cooled I will see what I can salvage. Good job I didn't say I would bake them and it was an extra suprise. If they are a total disaster I may bake some more or depending how the mood takes me just forget the whole idea.

Well this card not my usual thing, but like the baking when I get a bee in my bonnet I have to dabble. I'm not the world's best artist by any stretch of the imagination but I love how different watercolours look and they don't have to be wishy washy colours.

I intend entering this for the watercolour challenge at Polka doodles as they have some of the new letraset aquamarker pens up for grabs and I figured I might be a better artist with those. Not sure if it's a random thingy or choice winner so I'll just have to keep my fingers and toes crossed.

Congratulations,it's a girl

Well I'm prepared if it is. Not made this for anyone in particular , but my sister in laws inlaws are having another baby so might as well be prepared, and I love these cute little booties and just had to make them. I found the pattern in a pile of papers I'd torn from a magazine  ages ago when I was having a  sort out as some of the shelves promised ages ago finally arrived, so I'm a little more organised.

I decided to keep the card simple, so didn't do much to it other than add a few buttons for a bit of intrest and balance,oh and I added some fabric for a softer background for the booties.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:-

Totally gorjuss- congratulations
Allsorts-card for a child or baby

Just a note-book

I don't know how the rest of you decide on which challenges you enter your cards/projects into but I'm a list person, and I have to write things down. I seem to have gotten into a routine now where after I've got up to make hubby's packed lunch at around 5:30am give or take and made a cup of coffee, I plonk myself in front of the computer, check my emails and then go onto blogger and check all the new posts that have arrived since the previous morning from all the blogs I follow. I then make a note of any challenges that have been posted, so when I make a card etc I have something to help me remember the themes and who's challenge it was.

I have note books to write the challenges in, it use to be scraps of paper but I found I kept loosing these, dilitary as I am and I like to decorate my books , makes them easier to find. Have I lost you all yet? there is a point to this. I have tied this last note book into the theme they have over at forever friends, as their challenge is to decorate or make a notebook, see I told you there was a point.

The cute bear I painted with H2O's paints and the letters I drew and cut out freehand from some dotty forever friends papers and just stuck it all on pink backing paper. I seem to be using an awful lot of pink lately!

Other challenges I would like to enter my notebook in are:-

 Just cute bears- clean and simple

Simon says- going dotty

Treehouse thursday - seeing dots

Forever friends- decorate or make a notebook

Lazy summer days in black and tan...

...shale and white too. A fab colour combination for the challenge at Playdate cafe.

This card will be winging it's way to tenerife for my father in law in a wee while as it's his birthday in august. A bad time for our family re birthdays as it starts with one of my nieces on wednesday and ends in september with my hubbies, we have 7 birthdays and 4 wedding anniversaries just for family and then there are 2 or 3 friends mixed in for good measure too.

For this card I used one of the fab lili of the valley male images, I coloured with promarkers on glossy card, it gives a sort of waterdamaged look, wonder if this counts as ditressing? maybe I've invented a new kind of distressed look.Love these colours together sort of strong sepia tones and thought it would be suitable for my aging F-I-L. Just an anniversarry card and one from my son now unless I can convince him to have another dabble at card making himself.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:-

Catch the bug-sweet sweet summertime
Cowgirl challenges- anything goes
Crafty Ho's-photo inspiration
Peartree designs-birthday
Meljens-easel card
Stamp with fun-man or boy card
Ooh la la- birthday
Alphabet challenge- m is for men
Playdate cafe- colour challenge
There she goes- an easel card

Emma wants a new design team

Emma is looking for a new design team and you don't have to make anything to apply just pop on over and add a link to your blog on the Mr Linky she has. She has opened her new store and is starting a new challenge blog, you will get a chance to post the challenges , visit and comment on all those clever crafters who enter the challenges and make some cards along the way whilst having fun. What do you have to loose pop on over here NOW!

Lotv candy

There is some fab new christmas candy up for grabs at Jacqui, Dawns and lotv ideas to inspire blogs but you'll have to be quick as they aer very near to the closing date.

Little Donkey for Michelle

What a beautiful morning , bit cloudy but no rain, that's 2 in a row on a weekend and the schools broke up on friday how unusual for the weather to stay fine, best not say too much.

My card, is  for Michele who has had the misfortune to loose the sight in one eye and the kindly folk at A spoonful of sugar have this fab meljen design digi donkey in return for making and SENDING a card to Michelle.I plan dropping mine in the post tommorrow along with a pile of family birthday cards. I don''t tend to do many digi images though I seem to be doing more as we have had some for the DT's projects over at Creative craft challenges but I'm still a rubber girl at heart. I decided to make a stand alone card with the image and coloured it in lavender and liliac promarkers like Eyore. Not much else to say really apart from here are the challenges I'd like to enter my cutie for:-

A spoonful of sugar-good wishes for Michelle
Crafty creations-happy or sweet
Papertake weekly-cutie patootie
CAS-tastic-summer(donkey rides at the beach)
Charisma- anything but square
Saturday crafter-fairytales (Donkey from Shrek)
Creative inspirations-anything goes

Now for my donkey.

Card for Mary

Morning all, got to make this quick as this morning I've got someone coming to insulate the loft and they could be here anytime between 8 and 12:30 and teenage son is still in bed , and the way things go if he doesn't get up soon they will arrive at 8 and he will be stuck in his room as he won't be sneaking around the ladder with his walking frame.

This morning I have made a card for Mary. Mary is Mandy's (a sprinkling of glitter) mum in law and has just under gone surgery which was a bit touch and go, so they are celebrating her survival, and Janette suggested it would be a nice idea to inundate Mary with cards. Mandy agreed and has offered some candy as an incentive, more details on her blog here.

I also decided that I might enter myself for the dt team at die cut dreams, the theme is pink and girly. Now as many of you will know I find pink a real challenge but I must be getting better as I've made another pink card I actually like , that brings the count to 2.

I used a Tilda image that I won in a truth or lies competition Susie runs along with one of her die cuts the papers are some freebies and some checked from stash. The flower is from k and co I think. I coloured the image in promarkers and added a bit of sparkle with some stickles.

Hope Mary likes it and makes a speedy trouble free recovery.

Cooking up a recipe

Morning all, time for some fun over at Penny's paper crafty challenges. Please come and join in as we have a fab sponser and a fun recipe that have given some very varied results form the design team, and we can't wait to see how all you talented crafters interpret it. This is my first challenge with the team at Penny's as I was away for the last one which should have been my first and I am so looking forweard to seeing all the fab entries, so please come and join us at Penny's.

See if you can guess the recipe from my card and then pop along and see what the other DT members came up with to see if you were right, 2 challenges in one but mine is just for fun.
Here's my card:-

I used Rory such a cutie waiting for his plant to grow from sugar nellie, I love their stamps. The papers are a mix from papermainia and some freebies from a magazine way back. The ribbon and buttons are also by Papermania. I coloured Rory in with promakers on glossy card, it tends to dry funny but gives a texture so sometimes this is useful.Not at all how I thought this would turn out as it's far cleaner than I had in mind but I really like how it turned out and will make a fab birthday card for my sister inlaw next month, her mum always says she has a green finger and she is a leo so perfect.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:-

Pollycrafts-happy birthday
Cupcake craft - cats and/or dogs (Rory is a big cat)
The Sugar bowl-fab sketch and use blue
Craftilicious-birthdays
Crazy for challenges-use buttons
ISB-clean and simple

Slowly back to normallity

Well back from my holiday in Ireland, very enjoyable with loads of beautiful country side and very windey roads with lots of hairpin bends and very wet. Washing not quite done but all sorted and the cases are packed away till next time and back to normality of things not going to plan.

Yesturday had everything planned for a trip out when my son came to coming down stairs on his stair lift and it did nothing. We had to bum shuffle him downstairs, all the while I'm planning in my head where I can put the blow up bed when I can't get it fixed before bedtime. I rang the company and she said no problem , are you going out today, my reply, well I'm not now. All well though engineer came late afternoon and chair is fixed and service done that should have been done in April, but they were behind with servicing after the bad snow in january.

Well to more fun things, how about joining in with our new challenge over at Creative Craft challenges. We have a fab theme that really epitomises summer. I know it does happen all year but you just think of it more in summer, I do, as I here the church bells when I'm in the garden. I'm sure you have all guessed but hop on over to our blog site here and join in, we have another fab sponser. What have you got to loose.

For my card I decided to make an easel card, I love the extra dimension you get. The image is a stamp I won from Michelle at the pixie cottage, I love how they are hugging or are they dancing, not sure but I think they are cute. The roses are from hobbycraft, I'm getting better with my flowers and am actually quite pleased at how these turned out. They remind me of the sugar roses I made for my wedding cake.The papers are some I got ages ago from a stall at a computer fair my hubby went to and I tagged along, I love their texture. The sentiments are cc designs, I think.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:-
Allsorts-summer day
For fun challenges-something coloured by you in your fav medium (for me promarkers)
The stampman-anything goes
Charisma-wedding card for Carlyann

Mother Nature's fairies

I seem to have had this card made for ages and just not got around to posting it, maybe as I'm not overly sure about my flwer, there's something not quite right. Might have to dismantle and start again , will update with a new piccy if I do.

I love this fun Tilda image in suit,it just so epitimises summer bumble bees , butterflies and bugs of all kinds flitting from plant to plant, I always think of them as Mother Natures fairies helping her out around her house. Probably as hubby thinks he has fairies who tidy his mess and washup after he's been cooking.

I decided to have another experiment with another ladder card, I still think I've not quite got the measurement of my folds right but it's not bad, better than the flower.

The sentiment I made up again and printed on the computer.

I would like to enter this for the following challenges:-
By the cute and girly-summer
The craft garden-fairy


Why not enter the challenges over at creative craft challenges and Penny's paper crafty challenges. Our challenges is still running and you still have time to enter.