Happy Birthday Brother

Good morning all.

Well the wanderer returned yesterday...he'd burned himself out and has come home for a rest!! He'd made it down to Dover but hadn't taken any time out to relax and since he was mostly wild camping he was up and about early every day moving on. Guess who'll be doing the washing today!!

I finally managed to finish a card yesterday which I'd started at the weekend!

This was a commissioned card for my brother's ex wife to give her brother. Image is from Bugaboo, coloured with promarkers. Papers are freebies from Jak Heath. Border punch from Martha Stewart. Brother die from Spellbinders. Happy birthday sentiment and banner die from Clearly Besotted. I've used a Swiss Dots EF on the sentiment (which was computer generated) to make it look like a golf ball. Finished with some charms from Splodgeaway and binders twine.

Inside has been decorated with a similar layout.

Challenges entered:

Crafting by Designs - masculine projects

Little Red Wagon - all tied up

Fan-Tastic Tuesday - anything goes, make it square

Passion for Promarkers - check it out

Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes

That Craft Place - add a charm

Crafting for all Seasons #95 "Have a Heart"

Good morning all.

It's time for our next challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Have a Heart". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by Bugaboo who gave the DT images to work with.

I've used February Word, coloured with promarkers and highlighted with a stardust gelly roll pen. Simply matted and layered on co-ordinating card stock and two heart shaped gems added.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Card Mania - add some red
Crafty Boots - hearts and valentines
Dream Valley - valentines day
Eureka Stamps - pink and red
Love to Scrap - love
OLLC - love
The Crazy Challenge - love
AAA - love, love, love

ABC Challenge - C is for Cupid
I Love Promarkers - lots of love

Crafting for all Seasons #92 "Anything Christmas but a Card"

Good morning all.

Going out this morning to view a property...forecast wet, windy and snow...think I'll need the winter woollies and welly boots!

Not yet heard any further news on my cousin but must try to remember to ring home today. Lora's guinea pig died of old age on Monday so there was a burial yesterday, thus ends the era of small furry pets - we've had rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs over the years. All my Christmas cards are written, a large batch went in the post yesterday, those with letters in will go today and I think the rest will all be hand delivered.

It's time for our final challenge of the year at CFAS and this time the theme is "Anything Christmas but a Card". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. As this is a month long challenge we have three sponsors this time Lacy Sunshine, Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet and Bugaboo who all gave the DT images to work with.

I've chosen to decorate a bag for this challenge.

I've used Scene it - Winter Friends from Bugaboo coloured with promarkers with added stickles then die cut with a Spellbinders rectangle. Papers from Bearly Mine Christmas Wishes which I've layered up digitally. Icicle and scene dies from Marianne Designs. Snowflake die from Memory Box. Sentiment from Stitchy Bear Stamps- Christmas Day Tiny Tickets. Ribbon and gems from my stash.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Scrap it Girl - wrap it up
Bearly Mine - Christmas decoration
Come and Get It - merry Christmas
CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Die Cut Divas - snow and winter holidays
A Gem of a Challenge - anything Christmas
We Do Doobadoo - get festive
Cutie Pie Challenge - anything but a card
Not Just Cards - anything goes

Crafting for all Seasons #89 "Tag It"

Good morning all.

The rain arrived yesterday so the day was a washout. Luckily I'd shopped online so the groceries were delivered to me before lunch. After lunch I set to sorting out my snippet die cuts then I made 36 treat bags which got rid of a few of said snippets....must get them filled and sealed before I eat all the treats!!

Today it's time for our next challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Tag It". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. Our sponsor this time is Bugaboo who gave the DT images to work with.

Image is called Noel Birds and I've coloured with promarkers before adding a little stickles and die cutting and layering up with gold mirri and red card. All dies from Spellbinders. Ribbons are from my stash.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Crafty Bloggers Network - Christmas

Crafty Cardmakers - dies or punches

Stamps & Fun = Creativity - no cards

613 Avenue Create - bags, tags and boxes

Allsorts - Christmas

Hiding in My Craft Room - any holiday

Paper Minutes - Christmas and red

Passion for Promarkers - add some sparkle

Crafting for all Seasons #77 "Things with Wings"

Good morning all.
Still recovering from a brilliant weekend celebrating my sister's 50th birthday. We started with a day at the races last Wednesday, followed by afternoon tea on Thursday then two nights of music at the pub she runs on Friday and Saturday. I slunk off home after lunch on Sunday and left them to a third night of music...just can't take the pace any more!!
Off to Edinburgh today to get hubby kitted out for our holidays at the weekend and buy new suitcases - I'd forgotten we'd thrown ours out after Venice as the wheels had broken.

Today it's time for our next challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Things with Wings". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. As it's our third birthday we have two sponsors this time - Bugaboo and Lacy Sunshine who both gave the DT images to work with.

I've used  Penguin Joy from Bugaboo and coloured it with promarkers before adding some stickles and a few gemstones. Backing paper is from Papermania, ribbon from my stash.

Insert completed and another one flat for posting.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Completely Christmas - anything goes

Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes

The Glory of Christmas - anything goes

CHN Patterned Paper - anything goes

Winter Wonderland - winter animals
CHNC - let it shine

Crafting for all Seasons #66 Birthdays

Good morning all.
Sorry I'm being a particularly bad blogger at the moment! I've got the bulk of the wedding stationery out of the way but decided I needed to "sort" Christmas out...so last week I located all the bought stuff and sorted it all out before wrapping and labelling, then I've spent several days doing the rest of my shopping...for those harder to buy for people! I've been making gift bags and boxes in amongst all this activity and will get around to showing them soon but for now my computer time is limited or we won't get Christmas until February!! I need to sort my cards out next...catch up on the insert making and see whether I have enough specials yet.

Today it's time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Birthdays". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by Bugaboo and the DT were given images to use.

I've used Live Laugh Love Flower Fairy and die cut with a labels one die from Spellbinders and layered it onto the corresponding fancy label. Ribbon and gems from my stash. The colours haven't come out too well on this..I've printed in violet and the card and ribbon do match.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Come and Get it - anything goes with a digital stamp

Scribble and Scrap - anything goes

Paper Players - shaped card

The Squirrel and the Fox - use violet

Brown Sugar - anything goes

Delicious Doodles - no designer paper

Digitally Sweet - anything goes

Totally Papercrafts - add a bow

Carol x

Christmas Crafting (with sketches) #100

Good morning all.
Managed to finish the wedding invites last week and got them delivered at the weekend when I went down home for the hen day....a day at Matfen Hall Spa followed by a meal once we arrived back home. A very relaxing day was had with a lovely lunch included. As we had an early start and late finish I spent two nights staying with my sister, hence I'm now trying to play catch up with house work, laundry and card making! Hopefully I'll catch up with everyone's blogs very soon.

It's time for another challenge over at CCWS and we hope you're playing along with us this year and stocking up on those Christmas cards and projects. It's the turn of the Snow Angels to inspire you this week and Miranda designed the sketch. We are being sponsored by Bugaboo who gave the DT images to use.

I've used Little Penguin Winter - winter bench, coloured with promarkers and highlighted with glamour dust. Dies are from Spellbinders, papers are from Dovecraft and sentiment, pearl and cobweb fibre are from my stash. This card was made in a hurry and as I was adding the glamour dust I realised the image was sideways on...luckily it's on small foam pads and lifted off without causing any damage!!

You will have to pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch for yourself, remember to check out

 the inspiration of the other DT members whilst you're there. 

Challenges entered:
Bearly Mine - traditional Christmas with red and green and die cuts
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas
Tuesday Throwdown - snowbirds
Created with Love - anything papercraft goes
There She Goes - winter fun
CHNC Extra - anything goes
Hiding in my Craftroom - diecuts
Little Claire's - Christmas
Bastel-Traum - Christmas
Christmas Cards all Year Round - winter wonderland

Carol x

Crafting for all Seasons #61 Make it Funny

Good morning all.

Today it's time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Make it Funny". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by Bugaboo who gave the DT images to work with. 

Image is called Duct Tape and I've coloured with promarkers. Card has been embossed with the Gun Metal embossilicious folder from Die'sire - I love this folder from Crafter's Companion it's perfect for male cards. Mesh from my stash, duct tape from hubby's stash!

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Passion for Promarkers - embossing

Craft-Dee BowZ - anything goes

Created with Love - anything goes

My Craft Creations - stamped/digi images

OLLCB - cards for men

Tammy's Scrapin Corner - anything goes

Crafter's Companion - embossing

Carol x

CHNC Extra September

Good morning all. Hope you're enjoying the weekend whatever your plans.

Well yesterday didn't go quite according to plan!! Several phone calls from the intrepid traveller in the early hours resulted in me having to pay to change their flights home from Tuesday to yesterday...by the time I'd done it was lunch time!! I then had an unscheduled trip to the airport at teatime which took up another 2 hours of my day!!! Grrr kids, who'd have em!!

I'm off out today to meet my brother and nephew for lunch, as I haven't seen them since the wedding it will be lovely to catch up again.

I was very lucky to be asked by Hazel to guest design this month over at CHNC Extra.  This is a monthly challenge where anything Christmas goes.

I've used Christmas SB Candycane from Bugaboo the challenge sponsor for my card. Coloured with promarkers, die cut and mounted onto a fancy die cut mat. Dies are all Spellbinders. Backing paper and bow are from DoCrafts. Tag, lace and gems are from my stash.

I do hope you will come and join us this month....remember "Anything Christmas Goes".

Challenges entered:

Aud Sentiments - any sentiment

Delightful Challenges - make the cut

Digistamps4Joy - anything goes

Bearly Mine - digi days

Stamp with Fun - squared

Carol x

Crafting for all Seasons #56 Bingo

Good morning all.
I've finally caught up with the washing and at least I got most of it dried outdoors. I'm off out wedding outfit shopping today with my sister...I saw something nice a while ago so I'm going to try it on if they still have it in stock....if not I'll just have to scour the rails!

Today it's time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Bingo". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by Bugaboo who gave the DT images to work with. 

Image is Kidz Girl Hot Air Balloon which I've coloured with promarkers. Dies are from Spellbinders. Papers are a magazine freebie which I've had for ages. The dark blue base card is from Anne Marie Designs and I've used the same card for matting the layers. Gems are from my stash....I have straightened the top left ones!!

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Creative Card Crew - the great outdoors

Paper Minutes - anything goes

Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes

Use it Tuesday - birthday (hoarded item - papers)

Digi Makeover - anything goes

Make My Monday - balloons

Carol x

Crafting for all Seasons #54 One for the Guys

Good morning all.

Sorry for the lack of blogging, the lure of the sunshine proved greater than that of the craft room and now I'm chasing my tail trying to get all the wedding stuff finished, a pile of birthday cards made along with getting ahead with my DT work before we go on holiday next month!

Hubby was supposed to organise the holiday as he wanted to do Land's End to John O Groats or vice versa...guess who ended up doing it! I decided we'd only do Land's End this time so we're spending a few days in Wales at a lovely converted water mill before heading down to St Ives for a week. On the way home we're having a weekend in Devon and a few days south of Manchester. We'll probably have a night in the Lakes each way too. I've also ended up organising a few days away for our Silver Wedding in September...gave up waiting for hubby to do anything so we're going to Venice for a Monday to Friday break the week of our anniversary. 

So it hasn't all been sitting in the garden doing nothing!!

Today it's time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "One for the Guys". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by Bugaboo who gave the DT images to work with.

Today is my younger son's 21st birthday so this is the card I made him......can't believe how quickly the years have flown! We off out for a meal tonight to celebrate at our local Chez Roux restaurant.

My image is Monster Birthday Sign which has been part digitally paper pieced and part coloured with promarkers. The papers are from Template Dreams "Hey There" kit. I've printed everything several times and layered up the image. Border punch is from Martha Stewart.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

City Crafter Challenge - all about him

Crafty Sentiments - male

LEJ Designs - something for the boys

Our Daily Bread - masculine

Papertake Weekly - hello boys

Top Tip Tuesday - masculine

Ladybug Crafts - for the men in your life

The Crafter's Cafe - for a male

The Crafting Cafe - here come the boys

Cards for Men - boys will be boys

Craft your Passion - masculine

Get Inky - for boys/men

Kaboodle Doodles - favourite guy

Lexi's Creations - special male birthday

Carol x

Christmas Crafting (with sketches) #74

Good morning all. I think it actually stayed dry all day yesterday!!
Managed to finish all the place cards by teatime, then cook a roast dinner and make three cards and still had time to go for a late walk with hubby and the dog! So I'm off down home today to deliver them to my sister and pick up my shoes and handbag which were left to be dyed to match my dress for the wedding.

It's time for another challenge over at CCWS and we hope you're playing along with us this year and stocking up on those Christmas cards and projects. It's the turn of the Snow Angels to inspire you this week and I have designed the sketch. We are being sponsored by Bugaboo and the DT were given images to use. We also have a twist this time of "swirls and pearls".

I choose to use FanSBChriststuff and coloured with promarkers before die cutting with a labels one die and mounting onto a decorative die (my swirls). Papers are from Wild Rose Studio. Pearls, sentiment and mesh fibre from my stash.

You will have to pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch for yourself, remember to check out

 the inspiration of the other DT members whilst you're there. 

Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra - anything goes
Great Impressions - celebrations
Joanna Sheen - girls, girls, girls
The Squirrel and the Fox - here come the girls
My Time to Craft - Christmas in May
Sparkles Forum Christmas - favourite festive colours (lilac and aqua)
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Passion for Promarkers - anything goes
Card Mania - spots and/or stripes

Carol x

Crafting for all Seasons #48 Anything but a Card

Good afternoon. Gosh it's so nice to see the sun shining for a change!

Today it's time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Anything but a Card". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by our Bugaboo and the DT were given images to use. I choose to make a gift tag.

I've used "Snowman Pocket" and I've coloured him with promarkers before fussy cutting. The tag has been dry embossed with a snowflake embossing folder then inked with DI in various shades of blue. The snowflake is a Spellbinders die cut. Ribbon, button and gems are from my stash. Small snowflakes are punch waste. Cord is recycled off a clothing tag.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra - anything goes
By the Cute and Girly - favourite things (Christmas and Snowmen)
Hotshot Crafts - anything but a card
Stampin for the Weekend - child's play
Craft Us Crazy - anything but a card

Carol x

Crafting for all Seasons #44 Buttons and Bows

Good afternoon. 
Yesterday passed me by in a veil of paracetamol and hot honey and lemon as I've come down with a stinking cold so no crafting was done - and I really need to get these wedding invites finished! All the snow here had completely disappeared by the time I got up, we did have another dusting this morning but that soon disappeared too. I do feel a little better today but I hate having a "muggy head".
Today it's time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is "Buttons and Bows". We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by Bugaboo and the DT were given images to use.

I've used Sew Sun Button, coloured with promarkers then fussy cut and tied some Inkylicious fibres in a bow through the button. Backing paper is from Webster's Pages; dies from Spellbinders; doily and sentiment from my stash.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Moving along with the Times - happy birthday

Simply Create - #18

Anything Goes - buttons and bows

Can you Digi it - girly

Creative Card Crew - girly

Papertake Weekly - tie up your loose ends

Passion for Promarkers - favourite colour combo (peachy pink and green)

Cheerful Stamp Pad - tickled pink

Use your Stuff - birthdays (doily and fibres)

I Love Promarkers - anything goes

Carol x

Christmas Challenges (with sketches) #56

It's time for our first challenge of the year over at CCWS and we hope you're going to play along with us this year and stocking up on those Christmas cards and projects. It's the Snow Angels turn this week and it was Angelique's turn to design the sketch this time. We are being sponsored by Bugaboo who supplied images for the DT to use. We have a twist this week of "Use a Doiley".

Image is FANSB Christmas from Bugaboo which I've coloured with promarkers. Papers, pearls and sentiment from my stash. Dies from Spellbinders. My white doiley was sent by a friend so I don't know where the die is from.

You will have to pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch for yourself, remember to check out

 the inspiration of the other DT members whilst you're there. 

Challenges entered:
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Can you Digi it - getting girly
City Crafter Challenge - winter blues
Clear it out - circles (stash used - paper)
Card Makin Mamas - anything goes
Squigglefly - blue/winter theme
CHNC - Rudolph is resting
CHNC extra - anything goes
Crafts 4 Eternity - moody blues
Pixie Dust Studio - winter
The Paper Shelter - winter blues
I Love Promarkers - layer it up

Carol x