I'm Back!!!!

Hello everyone, I've missed you all & I've missed crafting so much BUT I've had my hip replacement op & I feel like a new woman :o) It's amazing to be pain free & I'm walking everywhere (making up for lost time). I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of blogging hopefully once a week (or at least every couple of weeks) & visiting all your fab blogs.

I thought I'd start with a card I made for a very dear friend :o) It's made using a Lili of the Valley topper (from eBay), various papers from my stash, heart charm, flowers & ribbon (oooh & Glamour Dust) & I made the beaded butterfly to finish it off. 

The challenges:

Creatalicious - Anything Goes (option of inspired by a song - "Happy Birthday")

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (option of ribbon & pearls)

Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Things With Wings

Crafty Ribbons - Sweet Treats

Moving Along With the Times - Birthday Cake

  

I hope you're having a fantastic weekend & thanks for looking :o) xx

Check Out These Gorgeous New Images

All Dressed Up have some gorgeous new images showcasing today :o) for my card I used Fairy Flowers which I coloured with chalks & Sakura pens.  Wendy always brings us such beautiful designs.  Don't forget the All Dressed Up challenge too if you have the time to enter.  

The challenges:

Our Crafty Corner - Anything Goes

Eureka Stamps - Things with Wings

Crafting From the Heart - Anything Goes

Bunny Zoe - Lovely Layers 

Crafty Catz - Add a Butterfly

Ching-Chou Kuik - Pearls & Lace 

Paper Creator - All About Flowers 

Little Claire's - Butterflies

Crazy 4 Challenges - Make it Floral

Dragonfly Dreams - Say it With Flowers 
Simon Says Stamp - Summer Garden

I hope you've had a lovely start to the week.  We're on holiday from work.  Yesterday we looked for curtains, lampshades, paint...etc as we're redoing our bedroom & today we went out for afternoon tea which was a Christmas pressie from our son & DIL.  It was absolutely wonderful, especially as the weather is summery at last :D - there's nothing much better than tea & cake (I think it is the answer to everything lol).

Wear With Style!

It's All Dressed Up Team A's time for a new Anything Goes challenge.  I chose to use one of the gorgeous Wear With Style girls, I coloured her with Prismacolor pencils & paper pieced her dress and headband.  I hope you can join us, there are so many gorgeous images to choose from :D

The challenges:

Seize the Birthday - Birthday! 

Creatalicious - Add a Charm

Polkadoodles - Tic Tac Toe (sentiment, lace, flower)

Dragonfly Journeys - Flower Power

The Stamping Boutique - Ribbon &/or Lace

QKR Stampede - Birthday Cards

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Celebrate (with Ribbon or Trim)

Crafty Friends - Floral
Deep Ocean - Lovely Lace 
Inky Chicks - Ribbon &/or Lace
Try it on Tuesdays - Feminine & Fancy
Craft-Dee BowZ - Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow

Card Recipe:

All Dressed Up Wear With Style image (includes 4 images) 

Prismacolor Pencils

Paper Flowers

Broiderie Anglaise Lace

Handbag Sentiment from Craftwork Cards

Charm made using a stamp (can't remember which one) & Shrink Plastic

Jump Ring

Gem

DP from my stash

Edges inked with Brilliance Pearlescent Coral Ink Pad (as usual)

Have a wonderful week everyone! X

Where Did That Week Go!?

I can't believe it's a week since I last posted, that really was a quick one!  At least it is the weekend & so I have some time to myself & to catch up with crafty stuff :o)   Today's card was made with a Lili of the Valley art pad (I'm not sure if they're still doing them as I couldn't see them on their site).  

The challenges:

Allsorts - Birthday Wishes

Crafting With Dragonflies - Birthday Card

Crafty Friends - Girly

Di's Digi Designs - Birthday

Morgan's Art World - For the Ladies

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Celebrate with Ribbon or Trim 

Pile It On - Homemade Embellishments

Simply Create Too - Use Pink or Red Only

Aud Sentiments - Cute + a Sentiment

Southern Girls - Add a Little Sparkle to Your Life 

Dream Factory - Pretty Woman

Scrapbook Cardmaking - Birthday 

 Hope you're all having a fab weekend whatever you're up to :o)

Card Recipe:

Dovecraft Kraft 5" x 7" Card Blank

Lili of the Valley  Party & Cake! art pad 

Docrafts Papermania Madame Payraud's Mixed Trims

Pink Petticoat Sentiment

Sizzix Tim Holtz Alteration Tattered Florals Die (flowers made by inking edges, spritzing with water & scrunching up)

Creative Expressions Finishing Touches Self Adhesive Pearls

All Night Media Liquid Embossing

Glamour Dust

Fresh Color Premium Dye Inkpad (red)

Small Doily 

Brads

DP free with magazine 

All Dressed Up...New Challenge

I hope you've all had a great start to the week.  I was determined to start the new week feeling better but unfortunately not - I'm getting fed up now, it's over a week & that's just not on!  I have so much stuff I want to do but my craft room looks like a bomb site & I just haven't had the energy to sort it & I really want to play.  Luckily I made my card for the new All Dressed Up Anything Goes challenge a lil while ago :o)  I used Birthday Monkey, I love this cute image.  If you haven't seen Wendy's gorgeous images you can check them out HERE & if you want to "try before you buy" there are some fab freebies HERE :D

The challenges:

Crafty Friends - Animals/Birds

Lacy Sunshine - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

QKR Stampede - One for the Kids

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Suzy Bee's - Anything Goes (twist add an animal)
Ellibelle's Creative Moments - Critters & Creatures

ABC - A is for Animals
Passion for ProMarkers - Show us Your Favourites

Card Recipe:

All Dressed Up Birthday Monkey Image

ProMarkers & Chalk 

Circle & Small Scalloped Circle Dies (Spellbinders)

Memory Box (Poppy Stamps) Meadow Leaf die

First Edition Animal Antics Paper Pad

Kraft Card Blank

Wednesday Again!???

Yes it really is Wednesday again & I don't know where that week went.  Today I'm sharing a couple of male cards, they are similar & I kept them CAS, most guys don't like a lot of sparkle & bling (I did say most! lol I know some do :o).  I hope you've all had a good week so far, on Saturday I went for a singing taster workshop which was great fun - I love singing! I'm always singing while I'm at work, crafting etc... not at the moment though cos I'm not feeling well :o( with head/ear/throat ache - it is that time of year unfortunately (roll on Spring!) but I'm dosing myself up, drinking lots & thinking positive so hopefully I will soon feel better.   

The Challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Just Boys

Crafter's Cafe - I've got the January Blue

Crafting From the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafting When We Can - Celebrating any Occasion  

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes 
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes 
Mod Squad - Masculine Birthday 
Simon Says - Anything Goes 
Karleigh Sue - Anything Goes 
Little Red Wagon - They Say It's Your Birthday
 

Items used:

Docrafts Digital Designer Wellington Past Times collection

Craftwork Cards Sentiments  

Kraft Card

Bakers Twine

Brad

Clock charm from First Edition Silent Night Embellishment kit

Papers from stash

Favourite Christmas Present :o)

If like me you were lucky enough to get some crafty goodies for Christmas I wonder what your favourite was?  Mine was my huge glass cutting mat which is fab, not only for cutting but you can put your inks on it & blend them & everything just wipes off :o)  At the moment it has 2 part started cards on (& a few other bits & pieces that really need tidying lol).

While I'm here I'd like to share a card that I made for another friend using another pre-coloured Lili of the Valley topper, a heart doily, some die cut hearts & a mini envelope & I am proud to say I made the crochet flower myself (I'm proud cos I've wanted to be able to make these for ages & now I can!).

The challenges: 

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes

QKR Stampede - Lots of Layers

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Crafting With An Attitude - Anything Goes

DRS - Heart to Heart

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Bunny Zoe - Hearts

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes

The Crazy Challenge - Celebrations
Craft Rocket - Happy Anything

I hope you're enjoying your weekend.  It freezing here, hubby's game of football was called off so we're now going to watch a movie, drink tea & eat cake :o)

Birthday Celebrations

Happy Weekend everyone! The sun is shining & it feels like summer again here - hooray.  Today I'm blogging a card I made for my MIL's birthday which was last week (actually the same day as my eldest son's 30th birthday! - & in July we celebrated my other son's 28th birthday & my FIL's which are also on the same day!) so lots of celebrating going on :o)  For this card I used a pre-coloured image from Lili of the Valley (for quickness, not much free time lately), papers from my stash, lace, flowers & a die cut cupcake border.  

The challenges:

Crafty Catz - Flowers 

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes 

Fussy and Fancy - Birthdays

Creative Knockouts - Celebration Time 

Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Lace
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Use a Sentiment  
Crafty Boots - Fair & Square

Thanks for looking (sorry about the rubbish photos) xx

A Little Birdie Told Me...

We're on holiday from work this week & are doing lots of sorting in the house  but we are making time for a bit of fun too though - today we played Foot Golf with our youngest son Stuart which was definitely fun! (It is what it says it is - you have a football & kick it into the (big) hole).  Then we went for a meal out & watched a movie at home after :o)

You get the idea

I've found a little time to blog this card I made for a close friends birthday recently.  I used an image that I've had for ages from Pink Cat Studio (& is one that I love using for birthdays) which I coloured with ProMarkers.  I used a punched cupcake border & die cut cupcake. I finished off with a doily, some pearls & stamped greeting.

   

The challenges:

Crafty Time - Punches or Dies

Cute Card Thursday - We Love Cake

House of Cards - Food &/or Colour Inspiration

Crafting Desert Diva's - Birthday

Crafty Sentiments - Sweet

Scrapbook Cardmaking - Birthday

Little Red Wagon - Birthday

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthday

Simon Says - Furry Friends (some DT members used birds so I guess its okay :o)

I hope you're having a great week xx

Everyone's Favourite Challenge...

Yes this week the challenge at Sentimental Sundays is "Anything Goes" (+ a sentiment) & we have a fab sponsor - Sweet Pea Stamps & the DT were lucky enough to chose an image to work with, it was a hard choice but I decided (eventually) on Conie Fong's Spring Flowers digi which I watercoloured using Sakura Tiara (sparkle) pens & a water brush (the skin, hair & basket were coloured using ProMarkers).  It was a bit hit & miss but on the whole I'm quite pleased with the result :o)  The paper is Riverbank Revels by Helz Cuppleditch (Trimcraft) which has a lovely texture to it, I punched, inked & glittered a butterfly & finished off with lace, flowers, greeting & pearls.

The challenges:

Emerald Faeries - It's All About Bling

CCC Digi Creations - Digi/Flowers

Crafty Boots - Butterflies 

Just Inspirational - Sparkle

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Crafting For All Seasons - Things With Wings

Ladybug Crafts - Say It With Flowers

Fussy & Fancy - Things With Wings

Allsorts - Lace & Pearls

Country View Crafts - Use Something New To You (flowers, paper, lace)
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Use Your New Stash (as above) 
Freshly Brewed - Favourites (butterflies, flowers, lace pearls)

I hope you're having a lovely weekend & can find some time to craft & join our challenge :o) xx

Catching Up...

I am really going to try & get back to regular blogging cos I do love my lil blog :o)  

This is a card I made a while ago for my son's birthday but haven't got round to posting it yet.  It is very simple but I do like these monkey images from Bugaboo which I coloured with ProMarkers.  I've been lucky enough to have a couple of my cards published in magazines in the last few months & will (hopefully) get them posted soon too.  We're away for the weekend so I won't get any crafting done then & I've just gotta hope my mojo has returned next week so I can get back to creating.

Challenges:

Crafting for all Seasons - Feature a Creature

Kitty Bee - Birthday Boy

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Z is for Zoo

Scrap-Creations - Animals

Perfectly Rustics - Masculine Card

I Love ProMarkers - Anything Goes
Corrosive - Birthdays
Inky Impressions - Animal Friends 

Keeping it CAS!

Gotta love CAS cards when you haven't got a lot of time (& for me that is most of the time lately lol) & this week's Sentimental Sundays challenge is Clean and Simple (+ a sentiment) & we are sponsored by 2 Cute Ink & I used this cute Balloon Birdie digital stamp which I coloured with ProMarkers.  I found my tool that corrugates card & used that on some Kraft card.  The background is done with chalk & using a die cut cloud as a stencil  I finished of with a Lili of the Valley stamped sentiment & some gems.  I'm sure you can all fit in time to make a CAS card so I really hope you can join us ;o)

The challenges:

Simon Says - Keep It Clean & Simple

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Things With Wings

Color Me Creative - Birthdays

Simply Create Too - Stack Em Up

Fairytale - Cute Only

Alphabet - F for Feathers

Suzy Bee's - Wings

Have a fabulous Sunday!

Cute & Cuddly at Sentimental Sundays

Yes this week's challenge at Sentimental Sundays is cute & cuddly (+ a sentiment).  We are sponsored by MilkCoffee & I used this cute "Charlotte with Flower& Bird" digi which I coloured with ProMarkers, the papers are MME Howdy Doody (I love these) & I finished the card with flowers, pearls, doily & sentiment.  I'm back to work normal hours from today (I was on phased return for the last 2 weeks after breaking my wrist) & went on my bike for the first time, I was a bit apprehensive but it was fine (actually I felt better than I thought it would).  Please check out the other DT members creations for more inspiration & I hope you can join us :o)

The challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Girls, Girls, Girls

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes/option of 2d or 3d flowers

Oddball Art - Use a Digi

Crafts Galore - Use a Stamp or Digi

Bearly Mine - One for the Girls

Gem of a Challenge - Mother's Day/Female Birthday/Special Lady

Kitty B Designs - Things With Wings

One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

 Have a great week xx

I'm Getting There :o)

Well it's six weeks today since my op (to have metal plate put in my wrist) & I can manage to type with 2 hands for a few minutes :o)  I'm seeing the Doc today (who is also my boss!) about going back to work next week (phased return), so things are slowly getting back to normal.  

As it's time for a new challenge at Jellypark Friends I managed to make a card, well actually the card was already made I just changed the image & added some doilies which I cut on my Silhouette Portrait (a pressie to cheer me up lol).  The link to the cut file is HERE if you're interested.  I used one of my very favourite Jellypark images "Fairy Sitting in Grass" & coloured it with chalks, using Glamour Dust on the wings.  Jellypark has brand new shiny website & I hope you'll take a look & also join us for our challenge which is "Things With Wings".

The challenges:

Creatalicious - Pearls & Glitter

Simon Says - Anything Goes with Pearls

The Corrosive Challenge - In Stitches

Robyns Fetish - Fairies, Elves, Sprite or Pixies

Everybody Art - Ribbon or Lace

The Paper Nest Dolls - Use a Punch or Die
Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes 
Digistamps4Joy - Dies or Punches

Thank you for looking & have a fabulous weekend xx

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

The title of this post is something that I try to do (or not to do lol).  I always have tried to look on the bright side (the song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" could have been written for me hehe) & appreciate what I have (I think having lost my precious Mum just before I got married has made me treasure my family & friends & try to enjoy every day as you never know what is around the corner). I tell my family all the time how much I love them.  I was told some devastating news by an old friend (she was my best friend in my teens & though we are not so close now she is very dear to me) that she has bowel cancer (she is only 49) & she is distraught as you can imagine, especially because she lives alone & has no children.  This has made me re-evaluate everything again - biking to work in the rain I felt so blessed, instead of being cheesed off lol.

So now you know how I'm feeling lol I'll tell you about my latest creation which is a card for my wonderful DIL Zoe who's birthday was yesterday.  I used DCWV papers & distressed the edges, the image, which looks just like her :D is from DigiStamp Boutique & coloured with ProMarkers.  I finished the card with some a flower (with glittered petals, though it's hard to see in the photo), button, ribbon, gems & a greeting.

I'd like to enter these challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge - Gems Gems Gems

DigiStamp Boutique

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Pattie's Creations - Birthdays

Totally Papercrafts - Use Glitter

Sister Act - Anything Goes

Charisma Cardz - Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments - Feminine

Divas by Design - Use a Digi

Penny's - Lots of Layers

Paper Makeup - Lots of Layers

Lexi's Creations - Birthday Celebrations

Bearly Mine - Anything Goes

I Love ProMarkers - All That Glitters

Crafting & all my crafty blogging friends make me happy too :o)  I hope you're having a wonderful weekend & doing something that makes you happy ;o) xxx

Monochrome Happy Birthday

This week's challenge at Sentimental Sundays is "Monochrome" & as it's the last challenge in our Happy Birthday month it is Monochrome Happy Birthday :D (with a sentiment).  For my card I did some distressing, the paper was from a pad from Create & Craft, the image was free from The Graphics Fairy & I made a little ribbon flower, finishing off with a couple of stamped images (the bodice & corner), greeting & pearls.We are so lucky to have not 1 but 4, yes 4! wonderful sponsors:  From the Heart Stamps, Inspired by Stamping, Pollycraft & Silly Dilly :o) I hope you can join us.

The challenges:

Fab 'n' Funky - Distress

Whimsy Stamps - Shabby Chic/Vintage

Papercrafting Journey - Anything Goes

Creative Moments - Anything Goes/Use Some Lace

Crafty Little Fairies - Anything Goes

Craftin' Boutique - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls - Anything Goes

Craftitude - Anything Goes

Crafty Hands - Anything Goes

I hope you're having a good weekend.  We're supposed to have gales & horrible weather here today so it will perfect for staying in & crafting (I'm soo enjoying my lovely tidy & organised craft room).  Hubby & I are just gonna pop out for some lunch when he's finished footy :o)

Sentimental Sundays Month of Birthday Challenges...

 

& it is week 2 of our month long celebrations for our wonderful leader Calypso & this time the challenge at Sentimental Sundays is "Happy Birthday - Sentiments Only".  I do like to have a focal image so this challenge was tricky for me.  The sentiment I used is from TLC & the papers are digi from the Sweet Shoppe.  I used my MFT loopy bloom die with felt & finished off with a few gems.  We have 6 wonderful sponsors this week - YES 6! how cool is that!  I hope you can join in our birthday celebrations.  

The challenges:

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes 

Papertake - Two by Two

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

My Heart Pieces - Anything Goes 

Stampin' for the Weekend - Anything Goes
Paper Creator - Dies & Punches
2 Sisters - Anything Goes 
Inkspirational - Anything Goes
All Dressed Up - Anything Goes

I hope you're all having a fab weekend.  I'm still in the process of sorting my craft room, I haven't had time since last weekend & there is still LOTS to do (hopefully I will be finished by Christmas lol).  I did sort out my winter woollies & put my summer stuff away as summer is definitely over :o( here.