Phew, what a week! I've been working late every night this week and hadn't time to do anything else!And during the week I received an award and got tagged by the lovely Irene!So the award first:
Isn't it lovely!Now, I have to list 7 things that I'm addicted to:1. Being with my family and my beautiful nephew and niece.2. Crafting (obviously!)3. Buying stash - I really think I have a problem!!4. The MAC forum where I've met some lovely friends!5. Blogger - blogging, but mostly hopping!6. Chocolate. Mmmm!7. TV. There are several new series just started that I love!And now the hard part! List 7 people to pass the award on to. I've tried to make sure I haven't doubled anyone up or given it to anyone who has already recieved it!In Alphabetical order:Alison at Ali's Stamp HeavenAnnie at Ink 'n' RubbaChrissie at Chrissie's Card CreationsDawn at Crafty RamblingsKim at Cards by KimPaula at Tales from PollycraftWendy at Crafty ButterflyNow for the Tag...You have to show the sixth picture from the sixth folder in your pictures folder.From my Flora and Fauna folder...This is Bush and she's our cat. She was born here and we've had her for many years. She's also had a hard time - as we live beside a main road and she's been hit by a car twice. The first time she lost her right eye and her back legs were badly damaged and the second time (just over a year ago) she broke one of her back lags and had to have her tail removed. Even though she's gone through all this, and she's a fair old age, she's still lovely!So, I'm now tagging:Andria at Iona Rose DesignsBernie at Crafty bEdna at Edna's PlaceJak at Crafter's KitchenKym at Kym's Crafty CardsLesley at The Messy Crafter.
About time I had this finished!! I started it last week and didn't get it finished and then I never got back to it until last night! So just managed to squeeze a couple of minutes to stick it onto my blog....phew!!I followed this gorgeous sketch from Anki at Roses on Paper:And I came up with this:Apologies for the terrible pictures I keep showing, I can only craft in the evenings so I never have natural light to take my photo's and this is the best I can get at the moment. I shall have to invest in a decent light.I used my lovely Magnolia stamp which I thought suited for Valentines day. I coloured it with H20's, and stardust pens and highlighted with a glaze pen.I'm afraid I can't remember what brand my papers are and I'm not at home now so can't go and look.The little bells came from The Pier. And the ribbons from stash. I also added a couple of Swarovski crystals to the small hearts on the ovals to the left.Other challenges that it fits are:Daring Cardmakers, who are looking for hearts on your creation - I have loads of them!ABC, are looking for the letter X somewhere on your creation. Now, thanks to my fantastic photographic skills, you can barely see my X's. There is one between the couple where they are a bout to kiss and one in each corner of the sentiment.And Charisma Cardz, who want to see the theme of love! Very fitting for this time of year!Also, if I had've finished it on time, it would've fitted Our Creative Corner's challenge which was embossing resist, but I missed it and you can't really see that bit anyway!!Finally, this is the inside:And I've just realised that I've added a couple of flourish stamps since I took the photo!Oh, to be organised!!!I hope you liked it!
Loads of it!! Several fantastic blogs with equally fantastic candy on offer.Follow the links below to see them all.Pretty pressings has some fab "Alota" stamps to go with your nesties!Katys bloggeroo has a selection of papers, stamps, gems, ribbons, embellishments and...Crafts by Kim has cards and doilies and ribbon and....A Scrap journey has brads and flowers and stamps and...Pinkpuds has papers and pastels and primas and......loads more stuff!!I think I need to go and lie down after looking at all that lovely stash!!
From Paula at Tales from Pollycraft. These are such gorgeous stamps - I can't wait until they're released. I hope I win!!!
I was really chuffed to discover that Andria at Iona Rose Designs has forwarded an award on to me!!It really is just lovely to think that you're being thought of (if you know what I mean!!)So thank you so much Andria - go and check out her blog if you haven't already!So now I have the o-so-difficult job of picking just 5 other people to pass it on to.5.... There are just so many blogs that I LOVE!So after much deliberating and looking and changing my mind and scracthing my head I've come up with the following:In alphabetical orderBev @ All the things I loveDawny P @ Pink PiggyEdna @ Edna's spaceJak @ Crafters KitchenRica @ Rica's HavenI look forward to catching up on all these blogs and I find them so inspirational.I'd also like to thank them for sharing their creativity with all of us.
The very talented and very generous Jak from Crafters Kitchen is giving away some brilliant and very useful candy to celebrate her blog reaching 200'000 hits. Well done Jak, it's well deserved!Why don't you mosey on over and check out her blog.
Another card and probably the last for a few days.I followed this sketch from Friday SketchersAnd the theme is from One Stop Craft Challenge which is called "Craft like an Egyptian or other countries in general!" So I picked China.Here's my card:The stamp is from Debbi Moore Designs which I coloured with water colour pencils. The backing paper is from DCWV Far East and some stardream card.The blooms are from Colour Connection. The coin is from a set I bought ages ago from Joanna Sheen - but this is the first time I used them! The With Love stamp is another old faithful from Anita's and the florish stamp is from Papermania. It was cut using a label nestie and outlined with a pentouch pen - also from Joanna Sheen.Here's the inside:It's funny, I used to moan at the thought of just putting a plain insert into a card - but I'm loving decorating them and it's like a wee surprise waiting for the recipient!I hope you like it! Thanks for looking!
Yet another challenge card - I'm loving these!This time I followed the gorgeous sketch from Sketch Saturday.Here it is:I think I'll use that one again as it's so lovely!And to fit another challenge in I went for Arty Girlz challenge which is called "Button It!" - speaks for itself really!So here my try..I was much happier with the finished card this time than I was with my last card - although I think it looks better IRL - always the way!I used backing papers from Glitz Design and Rayher and Core'dinations - all bought at a local craft shop.I ran the punched circle of core'dinations through my cuttlebug and then sanded the embossed bits slightly.I also added a floradoodle bought from Joanna Sheen's shop and added a button (from stash - probably off a coat or something!) and a little dress charm from MAC.I finished it off with a few brads from stash - (I don't know where I got them, I just emptied them into my brad box!) and my very-much-used "Happy Birthday" stamp by Anita's.I thinks that's that all covered. I almost made a card using no stamps at all, but then I added the Happy Birthday!Here's the inside:I hope you like it!
This weeks challenge from The Sugar Bowl is to use 3 different design papers, 3 embellishments and if you can, 3 Sugar Nellie stamps.It's funny, cos when I got these stamps I had thought of doing a card with all three of them together, but I hadn't done it yet. So I thought I'd try it for this challenge.It didn't quite turn out how I wanted and I don't think I like it :/ but I thought I'd enter it anyway!Here's the card:I thought those three characters could be at a fancy dress party! I stamped them onto Label nestie cut card and coloured with H20's and distress ink.The 3 backing papers are all from the Retro Floral Papermania paper pack. And I added 3 flora doodles attched with brads. I hand wrote the sentiment.The third backing paper is almost covered on the front so I carried it through to the inside:I can't quite put my finger on what I don't like about it, but I hope it at least fits the challenge!Thanks for looking.... Hopefully I'll have a better one tomorrow! ;)
In a creative way of course!!I wanted to make a card for the Sketch and Stash debut challenge and I thought I could fit some other challenges in around it too.This is the sketch from Sketch and Stash:You also need to use new or unused stash for this challenge - no problems there then!I used the colour challenge on Our Creative Corner which was to use 2 blues and 1 neutral.I also tried the Spoonful of Sugar challenge which is paper piecing. I've never done this before so I hope what I've done is correct.So here's my cardI've turned the sketch by 90 degrees. My new stash is my "Reflection" stamp from Pollycraft. Also the flower which is papermania that I bought in the MAC pound shop. Also the label nestibilities set which I used is new. The clothes on the elf are paper pieced using DCWV paper from the "Rockstar" and "Once Upon a Time" stacks. And the rest is coloured with H2O's and distress inks (one of which is also new!)I embossed the strip down the card with my floral fantasy embossing folder which I have since discovered makes the card fit 2 other challenges!! High Hopes challenge is dry embossing and the Cuttlebug challenge is to use your favourite folder - which this is!That must be a record!! 5 challenges in one!Here's the inside of the cardAnother card that I thoroughly enjoyed making!I hope you liked it too.
I've made another card for a challenge. This time it's for The Sugar Bowl and their first challenge - Sketch by Tiets. What a fab sketch and as my second ever sketch it was a challenge! But I thoroughly enjoyed it.Here's the sketch:A couple of other requirements are that you must use a Sugar Nellie stamp and it must not be combined with any other challenge.So here's my card:It includes the gorgeous pinking apples Sugar Nellie from Funky Kits which I coloured with H2O's and distress inks. The backing papers are DCWV from the Nana's Kids stack. I edged around the mats with a pink ink pad using them wee dauber yokes.I stamped the Anita's Happy Birthday and clear embossed it and added it along with an eyelet. All mounted onto an A5 pale green stardream card.I've been totally inspired by Rach and Bev as they decorate the inside of their cards so well. I've tried to do the same but it's not quite as good as theirs.Here it is:I used the same DCWV card for the inside and stamped the main image onto a mat and cut with my nesties. The sentiment is my wee Sugar Nellie freebie again!I hope you like it!
Finally! It feels so good to get back into card making - this is my first card of 2009!And it's my first ever challenge card!And, it's a double whammy - it fits 2 challenges!!!I picked this challenge to do as the time runs out for it tomorrow!! It's the Spoonful Of Sugar challenge which is a sketch - my first sketch to follow, and do you know what.... I really like sketches! I always find it hard to build a card - knowing where to put things, and this does all the hard work for you!
This is the sketch:The second challenge is a colour challenge from Roses on Paper.They want you incorporate white, evergreen and grape into your creation. They also have a selection of stamps that you must use.So 2 fab challenges that I couldn't wait to get stuck into!And here's my effort...I think the sketch is covered. The base card is white and the mounting is green and grape so I think that bit is covered too.I love this magnolia stamp (it's actually one of only two magnolia stamps that I own - I must get some more, 'cos I love them!) I coloured it with H20's. I can't remember where the blossom stamp and Thank You stamp were from - I haven't got the packaging for them anymore so if anyone else knows tell me for future reference! I also went over the sentiment with clear stardust pen and doodled some stitches with a black pen.The flowers are flora doodles that I got from Joanna Sheen. The fibres were bought at a local shop and I got the bells in The Pier's closing down sale in Victoria Square in Belfast - it didn't last long :(This is the inside:I stamped the unknown blossom stamp along the top and bottom and coloured with watercolour pencils - the first time I've used them also! The sentiment is a freebie that I got from Funky Kits with some Sugar Nellies that I got - a brilliant freebie that'll be used over and over again!! Love it!!I think I'm gonna give it to my parents to thank them for having me over Christmas and for all the lovely pressies they gave me too. Aren't I good!!!So, a whole lotta first's for me in this one and I really enjoyed making it.I hope you like it too!
I know I seem to be posting nothing but other people's blog candy lately but the people of blogland are just so generous and I couldn't not share with all you other lovely people!So the latest scrummy candy comes from Bev at All The Things I Love and it's absolutely gorgeous - just to fit in nicely with the rest of her blog - go and check it out. It's open until the 17th.Update on my own crafting is that I finished tidying and sorting my craft room on saturday night (I have no social life!!) but I had other work to do yesterday so I'm hoping to do some cards tonight (cards is maybe ambitious - maybe 1 card!)
Hya, Just so you know, I haven't forgotten about my blog, I just haven't made any cards lately, but I'm hoping to get back to it very soon. Part of the reason for me going cardless is because I'm trying to sort out my craft room - a big task!! I'm slowly but surely sorting through all my christmas stuff and trying to find my desk! Plus I've got invitations to do for 2 weddings so I'd better get my skates on!!In the meantime, skoot over to Queen Kat Designs and see if you can win the surprise candy that's on offer - if you're not in, you can't win!!Hopefully I'll have something to show you soon.XX
This time from Emma at Something Sweet.She's got some really gorgeous cards and stuff on there so make sure you have a look!
Go and check out papercrafts by Rach, she has some fabulous blog candy on offer to see in the new year. She's so talented, her cards are simply gorgeous - well worth a visit just to see those!
I saw on Becky's blog that she got an idea from someone of showing all your own favourite cards of 2008 - I too thought that it was a great idea, so here's mine!I thought I'd start with this one as I made it from Ryan for his mummy and daddy's wedding anniversary and I just love it - although probably not because of the quality of card making!Next is the one I made for mummy to give to daddy for his birthday - there's just something about it that I really liked - and of course it looks much better irl!Another one with a pic of Ryan on it. This was the invitation for his 1st birthday party.A bookatrix that I made for Rachael for her confirmation.This one for Holly, from her grandparents.Another one which looks much better IRL - I made this for Rachael when she received a music award, and as she plays the harp I thought this image was beautiful.I quite liked this card and the way it shows off the effect of shrink plastic!I loved the way this card turned out - although I was nervous that my customer might not like it! I was so relieved when she loved it as much as I did! And a box always adds so much more to a card.I had to make 3 very last minute RSVP cards and I was pleased with how they all turned out.Another card that I was pleased with the result - especially as I cut out the ghost free hand! And as it's attached to acetate, it floats in front of the card!When I was commissioned to make a special money wallet by Santa including a letter from the man himself, I was so excited and made this!And lastly, my favourite christmas card was for Ryan!My card making has changed so much over the past year - and it can only get better!
I hope you enjoyed looking at them as much as I enjoyed making them! And may there be much more creativity and fabulous cards and more in 2009!Happy New Year!
Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse. The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste At the holiday parties had gone to my waist. When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber). I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared; The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared, The punch and the candy, the bread and the cheese And the way I'd not said, 'No thank you, please.' As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt And prepared once again to do battle with dirt--- I said to myself, as I only can 'You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!' So--away with the last of the sour cream dip, Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip Every last bit of food that I like must be banished 'Till all the additional ounces have vanished. I won't have a cookie--not even a lick. I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick. I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry. I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore--- But isn't that what January is for? Unable to giggle, no longer a riot. Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
