Really exciting news!!!!!!

Morning! I've got some really exciting news to share with you today.....for those of you that don't know, I had to give up work in 2006 after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer - of course, every cloud has a silver lining because it was through being ill that I discovered my love of crafting!! Before giving up work, I worked for an advertising agency in central London and last week, someone I used to work with (who I've stayed in touch with), sent me an email asking how I was doing and if I would be interested in going back to work. So - I went for an informal chat and realised that despite my ongoing health problems, there was a possibility that I might be able to make it work. Then I had an interview last week with the two Directors of the company and yesterday, I was offered the job!! From next week, I'll be working at Dawson Walker Communications, who are a PR/Marketing/Advertising agency in London. Obviously I won't know until I try whether it really will work out for me, health wise but they've agreed hours to suit me - I'll be working from home, 2 days a week and from 10am to 3pm in the office, 3 days a week. I'm really excited, but a bit nervous so keep your fingers crossed for me!! My first day is on Tuesday!
Anyway, enough waffling about what's going on in my life. It's the second week of the challenge over at the Friday Sketch Challenge, so here's my reminder card:

I've used a Saturated Canary image, coloured with promarkers and spectrum noirs and I've used Docrafts Kraft Note papers. The shape in the middle and the corner, were both cut with my Slice, I used a Memory Box die to cut out the butterfly and a Marianne Design die for the flowers, then added some twine, a charm and buttons from my stash. I hope you like it - I do love the colours in these papers.

If you've made it this far, thanks so much for sharing my good news! Sending hugs............xx

'A creative mess is better than idle tidiness'!!

Hi Everyone! It's Friday which means there's a new sketch over at the Friday Sketch Challenge and this week, it's one by Janine. Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Inky Impressions coloured with spectrum noirs and promarkers.

Papers - Freebies from a magazine by Lilly Bimble.

Die Cuts - Magnolia Doohickey Doily, Marianne Designs Hearts, Spellbinders Nestie Circle.

Other - Sentiment from Elzybells, Glossy Accents (on ruler), WRMK corner chomper and gems from stash.

The papers I've used were free with this month's Quick Cards magazine but were so lush I had to go and check out Lilly Bimble and when I saw that you could get 50% off by using coupon code BIMBLE50, I couldn't help it when a few digi paper downloads slipped into my basket!! Go and have a looksy!

I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Papercrafting Journey - For a Girl.
• Creative Belli - Challenge #162 Rhinestones.
• Nutcrafters - Challenge #35 Cute and Girly.
• Paper Pretties - PWC243 Square Cards.
• Penny's Paper Crafty Challenges - Challenge 112 One for the Girls.
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Use at least one heart on your project.
• Inky Impressions - Challenge #95 Bingo (Pink/Sentiment/Die)
• Creative Card Crew - Challenge #28 Girly.
• Die Cuttin Divas - Challenge #100 Anything Goes.

I think that's about it! I'd love to hear what you think of my card and please hop over and check out my wonderful teamie's creations over at the Friday Sketch Challenge and I hope you'll join in! We've got two wonderful sponsors this week - Inky Impressions (whose image I've worked with) and The Digi Garden (who the other half of the team worked with). I don't know if you've heard the terribly sad news about Jacqui from The Digi Garden - she has passed away this week. Such shocking news as although she'd been ill for some time, she'd still managed to keep the store going and hadn't let it hold her back. It's so hard to find the right words at times like this but my thoughts are with Jacqui's friends and family and she will be missed in the crafting community...............xx

New Year, Fresh Start!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish each and every one of you all the very best for 2013! Now that the new year is here, I've made a few resolutions - mainly crafty ones (!!) - I won't bore you with them all (just yet anyway LOL!)
So - on to my first post for 2013 and I'm excited to say that it was my turn to design the sketch over at the Friday Sketch Challenge this week, here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Stamp Fairy coloured with Spectrum Noirs.

Papers and Butterfly embellishment sticker - Dovecraft 'Garden Party'.

Other - Little Claire's Peel Off sentiment, Bazzill Basics Kraft card, Marianne Designs flower die and Glitter Dots from stash.

I've used a v. cute girly digital image from the Stamp Fairy, who are sponsoring this fortnight's challenge - I hope it looks like she's sitting on the edge of the circle? That was the plan anyway!!
I'm also going to enter my card into the following challenges:

• My Heart Pieces Digital Stamp Challenge - Gettin' Girly.
• Simply Create - Anything Goes.
• By the Cute and Girly - Cute and Girly.
• The Kraft Journal - Anything Goes with Kraft.
• The Pink Elephant Challenge - TPE180 Anything Goes.

And I think that's about it! I hope you like my card and don't forget to hop over and have a look at my teamie's creations and join in with the challenge at the Friday Sketch Challenge, I'd love to see what you do with my sketch. Bye for now............xx

One of the Pips

Evening! I've not posted for a few days - I've been busy doing all sorts of things. Firstly, thanks if you crossed your fingers for my little Ka - it passed it's MOT!!! I've been to the opticians for an eye test and am waiting to pick up my new specs, can't wait! My little fur baby has finally had a fur cut and looks like a little baldie (no offence baby xx) And last but not least, I was busy packing for my son, Sam over the weekend (and attending meetings) cos he went away on an outward bound trip to treejumpers in Kent on Tuesday with his new school. He's back tomorrow, so I can't wait to hear what he's been up to and if he's made some new friends. Phew! I think that's just about covered it! What have you all been up to? I'll be round to visit you all to find out in a bit. Here's the card I wanted to share with you:

Ingredients:

Image - Sugar Nellie (it's one of the 'Pips' but I can't remember which one - hence the post title!) coloured with Spectrum Noirs.

Papers and Buttons - Papermania Capsule Collection.

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards.

Raffia Ribbon - Bunny Zoe's.

Flourish - Marianne Designs die.

Such a cute image - they're nice and big too - I've had her for a while but only just got round to using her (like so many of my stamps, slapped wrists all round!!). I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• City Crafter Challenge - Week 126 Polka Dot Palooza.
• Shopping Our Stash - Challenge 68 3, 2, 1 (3 buttons, 2 DPs, 1 image).
• Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes.
• The Crafty Bloggers Network - Challenge #3 Purple.
• Make It Monday - Anything Goes.
• My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges - Challenge #74 Buttons.

Right, I think that's it for now! Thanks for visiting me and any comments you might leave. Bye for now............xx
 

You Give Me Wings....

Evening! Sorry that I'm posting this a wee bit late - when I was typing it up last night, I thought I'd scheduled it but I don't know what I did! I must've been more tired than I thought LOL!! Anyways, there's a new challenge over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp today and this week, it's been designed by Uma. Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Magnolia Tilda coloured with Spectrum Noirs and stickles on the wings!

Papers - Echo Park 'Victoria Garden'

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Sentiment - Kraftin' Kimmie.

Other - Square frame cut using Slice machine, Scalloped Border MFT Die-namics, Marianne Designs Flourish, Pearls from stash.

I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Craft Your Days Away - Challenge #52 'Farewell Challenge, Anything Goes'. (I'm gutted this challenge is closing down, I've entered it lots of times while it's been running).
• The Poodles Parlour - Winged Things.
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Challenge #16 Pearls and Swirls.
• In The Pink - Challenge #2 Lots of Pink and Winged Things.
• Inspire Me Fridays - Always Anything Goes.

After moaning about the holidays in my last post, we've had a great last few days - on Thursday, we had to go and get Sam's new school uniform cos he goes up to Secondary school in September and he's starting at a brand new school that's just opening. He looked so smart and grown up in his blazer - it nearly brought a tear to me eye...sniff, sniff. And then on Friday, I took Sam and a couple of his friends to Smyths toy shop near us because The Miz (a WWE Superstar for those of you like me who aren't fans!), was making a personal appearance and my son is THE biggest wrestling fan!! He couldn't believe he was holding the actual championship belt and meeting a wrestling star, bless him, he was soooo excited. And that's my news! Back down to earth now - it's a bank holiday here in the UK tomorrow, so we'll probably have a family outing somewhere. Hope you've had a good weekend, wherever you are. Bye for now...................xx

Walking the dog...

Evening peeps! It's my turn for the mid-way reminder post for the current challenge over at the Cupcake Craftroom - this month's challenge is 'Lilac and Lime' and the winner gets the gorgeous papers that we all worked with (you really should go and check out my teamie's cards!!) Anyway, here's mine:

Ingredients:

Image - LOTV coloured with Spectrum Noirs.

Papers - Lilac and Lime Spring Collection from Cupcake Cards and Crafts.

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards.

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Dies/Punches - Marianne Design swirls, Tonic Butterfly punch.

Other - Ribbon (doodlebug, I think), Pearls from stash.

I'm entering my card over in Lili's Little Fairies 'Oh So Girly' challenge and that's it from now - might have a nose on Feline Playful in a bit!
How are the summer holidays working out in your household? My son, Sam is getting a bit bored, but - I have offered to have any of his friend's round (and if it was up to me, he could have someone every day!) but he just says 'Nahhhh', so I've told him it's his own fault he's bored then!! He doesn't go back to school until the 11th September, when he starts his new school cos he's going up to secondary - it's a long time to be off really - I'm sure it's worked out to be about 7 weeks this time!!! Although he's only 11, he's definitely turning into a teenager already!!!
Right, I'm off to link up my card and to hop round and visit some of you! Bye for now my lovelies............xx

Let's Hang Out!

Phew - I can't believe how hot it is!!! Such a British thing to always be going on about the weather - we moan when it's too cold and we moan when it's too hot - there's just no pleasing us LOL!!!
Here's a card I made to enter into the 'Seems a Little Sketchy' Challenge #19 -

Ingredients:

Image - Lili of the Valley watercoloured with DIs and DI markers.

Papers - October Afternoon 'Campfire'.

Dies - Marianne Design Tree.

Other - Sentiment (freebie from internet), Buttons from stash.

I've been doing loads of practice watercolouring with Distress Inks and the new DI Markers - not so sure you can tell with this image though. And I must be honest, I went a bit crazy colouring blue all around the image and then felt that it really didn't look right at the bottom (it looked like there was 'sky' under the 'tree leaves'!!!!) but rather than bin it, I've tried to salvage the situation by covering it with some tree die cuts - what do you think? Has it worked??
I love to read your comments - thanks to everyone who is kind enough to leave them for me xx And on that note, I'm off to try and get a wink of sleep in the sauna. TTFN............xx

Celebrate!!

Hi Everyone. There's a new challenge starting today over at My Mum's Craft Shop Challenge and this week we want to see your creations celebrating something!! My aunt had asked me to make her a card for an old friend who was celebrating her 60th birthday and being as she'd just been to Iceland to see the Aurora Borealis and loves Angels and Fairies, etc. I decided to use an LOTV image to make this card (lots of pics, sorry!):

Ingredients:

Images - Lili of the Valley coloured with Spectrum Noirs and Stickles.

Papers - MME Lost and Found 'Blush'.

Dies and Punches - Nestibilities Labels, Cottage Cutz 'Floral Doily', MS Butterfly punch, Marianne Designs.

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Sentiment - Whimsy.

Other - Lace, Pin, Pearls and Gems from stash, all Edges distressed with TH Vintage Photo DI, Numbers cut with Slice machine.

I'm also entering my card into the challenge over at The Sketchy Challenge cos I've followed their sketch (Challenge #20 - Chantal's Sketch)and Wild Orchid Challenges Week 46 - Things with Wings.
OK, I think that's it from me for today - I keep trying to catch up with everyone but with Sam being on Easter holidays at the moment, I keep getting waylaid. I'm hoping to get one day in front of the computer. BTW - Is anyone going to Ally Pally on Sunday?? Don't forget to pop over and check out my talented teamies cards over at My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges and make sure you join in, it's a pretty open challenge, so I'm sure you can come up with something!! Bye for now.................xx

Red, Yellow and Blue

Good Morning! There's a new challenge starting today over at Southern Girls and this fortnight, it's a new one for me over at SG - a colour challenge! This time around, we'd like to see your projects using the colours 'Red, Yellow and Blue'. Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Pollycraft coloured with Spectrum Noirs (and a bit of Glossy Accents on her apple!)

Papers - My Mind's Eye.

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics and DCWV.

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards.

Ribbon - Papermania capsule collection.

Dies - Marianne Doily die (under image), Marianne flourishes and MFT Rolled Roses dies.

I'm also entering my card into the Pollycraft Monday Challenge cos I followed their fabby sketch over there, The Poodles Parlour 'Anything Goes' challenge and Cardmadfairy's Digi Days challenge 29 'Add a Sentiment'.
When I first saw the colours for this challenge, I first thought boy's cards but then I noticed that the gorgeous new MME papers were predominantly those colours, so I can't wait to see what you come up with! Make sure you join in over at Southern Girls........xx

Confidence is Sexy

Hi there everyone! Is it as cold in your part of the world as it is here in London?? Oh my goodness, it is
fffffff-reezing!! They're forecasting snow by the end of the week, so it remains to be seen whether we get some of the white stuff!! Anyhoo - this week's challenge over at My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges is 'Fab n' Funky' and here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Simply Sassy by Sugar Nellie coloured with Spectrum Noirs.

Papers - Cosmo Cricket 'Togetherness'.

Sentiment - Inkadinkadoo (think that's how you spell it!)

Dies - Marianne Designs.

Other - Versamagic Ink Pad and Gems from stash.

I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Divas by Design - Challenge 20 Anything Goes.
• Die Cuttin Divas - Challenge #50 Anything Goes.
• Make It Monday - Anything Goes.

And I think that's about it - don't forget to hop over and join in with the challenge, there's also a DT call running at the moment 'cos we need another couple of peeps, so put your name down!! Gotta be in it to win it (or so they say!) Bye for now..........xx

What's your favourite colour?

The reason I ask is because there's a new challenge starting today over at My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges and we want to see your creations in your fave colour combo. Now I must admit, I have more than one fave colour combo, so I just had to run with one of them! Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Hanglar & Stanglar coloured with Spectrum Noirs.

Papers - Nitwits.

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards.

Flowers - Woodware and Wild Orchid Crafts.

Seam Binding - WOC.

Dies - Heart Border-Magnolia Doohickey, Butterflies-Marianne Designs.

Other - Pearls and Button from stash.

Does anyone know what's going on with Hanglar at the moment? Their shop is empty and the challenges haven't run since last year and no-one on the facebook group seems to know what's going on!?! It'll be a real shame if they have closed down because I know lots of people who love their images (me included obviously!)
I might be back later to add in some challenges but my son's off school today because he came down this morning all poorly - and as I said to him, he never says he's ill or tries to get off school so when he says he is, I do believe him!
Don't forget to hop over and check out my teamie's fab creations and of course, join in with the challenge!! TTFN...........xx

Christmas Traditions

It's the 1st of December and as well as only being another 10 days until my Birthday and 24 days until Christmas, today there's a new challenge over at the Cupcake Craftroom. This month, we'd like to see your creations showing 'Christmas Traditions' - that can mean whatever you want it to mean! Here's some of the cards I made:

Ingredients: Image - Crafters Companion coloured with SNs, Papers - Cupcake Cards and Crafts, Blue and Red card - Bazzill Basics, Other - Craftwork Cards Card Candy, Woodware Corner Rounder punch and Cuttlebug 'Spots and Dots' embossing folder and machine, Stickles.

Ingredients: Image - CC Designs coloured with SNs, Papers - Cupcake Cards and Crafts, Card Blank - Papermania, Other - Craftwork Cards sentiment, Snowflake punch, DCWV Glitter card and Viva Decor gold glitter pen.

Ingredients: Image - Pink Gem Designs (coloured ages ago with promarkers I think), Papers - Cupcake Cards and Crafts, Red Card - Papermania, Other - Craftwork Cards sentiment, Marianne Designs swirl die, Nesties, Cuttlebug and DCWV glitter card, Stickles.

Ingredients: Images and Sentiment - Magazine freebie coloured with SNs, Papers - Cupcake Cards and Crafts, Red/Green card - Bazzill Basics, Card Blanks - Anita's 4 x 4, Others - Nesties and Cuttlebug.

The papers that I've used on every card are part of the 'Christmas Traditions' collection that will be the prize for whoever wins this month's challenge.
Hope you like my cards - a few more to add to the collection that's growing far too slowly for my liking what with Christmas so fast approaching!! Well, bye for now........................xxx