Merry Christmas!

Happy Boxing Day everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that Santa brought you all everything that you hoped for (and maybe some surprises too!)

I'm sorry I didn't get round to posting these before Christmas, but the last week was so busy that I didn't even pick my laptop up!

Whilst we didn't get anymore snow after Monday, it was still pretty treacherous outside and I ended up falling over twice on my way home from work on Wednesday. Unfortunately Jon wasn't with me as he had to stay at home as our boiler had leaked everywhere Tuesday, but that's another story entirely!! Let's just say that we've had BG out again today!!!

I've posted photos here of the cards that I made for my sister, dad and mum. Sorry that I've loaded this post up, put thought everyone might be fed up with seeing Christmas cards by now!

The first up is my sister, Jo's, card. I used the ever so cute Popcorn Bear from the Frosty & Bright set. the image on the front has been decoupaged slightly and sprayed with Silver Spray & Sparkle.
This is a close up of the front of the card. I did include some invertiage on the inside but forgot to photograph this!

Next up is my dad's card. Again I have used the Frosty & Bright Popcorn set and the front has been decoupaged slightly and sprayed. I've decided that I prefer to use silicone glue for decoupaging now, rather than the foam pads.

Now I come to my mum's card. I saw this decoupage set in Hobbycraft and knew instantly I had to get it for my mum. She loves robins, especially as the road they live in is Robin Way! You can't appreciate from the photo how glittery and sparkly it is! My mum couldn't believe that it was handmade to begin with and was convinced that I had brought it from a shop!

I tried to do and "arty" shot her but completely messed it up! More practise required me thinks!

I hope you're still with me after this longish post!!

I should be going to football today with my dad, but unfortunately my mum went down with the norovirus during the early hours of Christmas Day and was very poorly. Because of that, I didn't get to see my mum, dad or sister as they could all be carriers and need to be symptom free for the next 2-3 days before seeing anyone else. I spoke to my mum this morning and she's feeling a bit better now, so hopefully I will get to see her next week. I hope my sister doesn't come down with it as her boyfriend is coming down from Sunderland tomorrow and she can't wait to see him.

Sorry to have rambled even more! Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your Boxing Day.

xx :0)

Let it Snow!

We have had some serious snow here this afternoon! It started about 1pm and stopped about 90 mins ago although according to the BBC Satellite pictures show another band hitting us at about 3am!

Some of my friends have been trapped in town unable to get home because the roads are gridlocked and the buses have been suspended. I know some people have walked home taking between 3-4 hours.

I took these photos about 2 hours ao to show you how bad it has been!

Hope everyone is okay.

xx :0)

Snowman Soup & Treat boxes!

See, I told you I'd be back! It was great walking in the snow this morning, so fresh & crisp under foot! It's when it starts to melt and freeze again that I don't like it so much.

It's certainly helped me feel Christmassy and I'm now sat here watching Love Actually. Such a great film!

Anyway, I said I would show you some photos of the snowman soup and little treat boxes that I've been making to sell at work.

I used one of the fabulous Lauren Meader Timeless Templates called It's on the House. You can get these fantastic templates from Papertry Ink for just $5. Lauren is so amazing that she's now branching out on her own. If you haven't already done so, you must pay her blog a visit.

I made 10 of these to sell and have sold 6 so far! Whilst I love them they took quite a while to cut out and assemble. Each box contains:

• 1 sachet of hot chocolate
• 1 bag of mini marshmallows
• 1 peppermint candy cane
• 2 little Dairy Milk chocolates

I wanted to do something similar for some of my friends at work but instead of cutting out more boxes, I opted for some mugs which were wrapped in acetate! However I'm afraid I didn't have a chance to take any photos of these so I apologies.

Anyway, lastly are some treat boxes that I made to sell as well. I was inspired by the wonderful Steph for these. I already knew I was going to use the Bigz Shaker Box die but wasn't quite sure how to decorate them and then I saw Steph's post with the boxes she made for her children's friends. Thanks Steph!

I made 20 of these to sell and only have 6 left! They were filled with little chocs including the Cadbury's chocolate elves!

Sorry for the long post! Must go and put my dinner on. Thank you for stopping by and any comments you may leave as they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

It's snowed!!!

Woohoo it's snowed!!! Boo I have to go to work!!

I'm sorry I've been a bad blogger again but I have been working really hard and will upload my photos hopefully this evening.

I've been really busy making Christmas cards for our team at work which has grown to nearly 50! I have also been making my snowman soup boxes and some little treat boxes which I have been selling at work. I do have photos of all so will try and edit them this evening.

I'm sorry I've not been taking part in any challenges or blogging but I've been so busy that this is the first time I've picked my laptop up in over a week!

I have already been making my New Years Resolutions but I won't post them just yet.

So, are you all ready for Christmas?!?!? I think all the presents have been purchased. Just have one last trip up the town tomorrow to make sure but then it's the wrapping! I'll warn now, you may not see me for a while as I have so much to do and I don't want to still be doing it on Christmas Eve!!! I think I've spoilt Jon a bit but he's such a fabulous husband and he did buy me my laptop so he's worth every penny!

Anyhow, I'd best start checking my train times to see if they're all still running and then think about getting ready to tackle the snow!

I hope you all have a good day and thank you stopping by and still supporting me through my lack of blogging. It's is greatly appreciated!

xx :0)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...!

Can you believe it's the first day of Advent already?? Where has this year gone? It doesn't seem 5 minutes since I was thinking about my crafty New Years Resolutions (which I didn't keep!) and now we're almost there again.

So I guess it's no surprise then that I'm showing you another Christmas card! I've used another cute Bear Essentials stamp that I got from Dies to Die For. I've kept the layout simple again so as to not detract from the image. I've used some new Sizzix Textured Impressions Folders for the embossed background.
Doesn't Santa look jolly?!! I'm sat watching my favourite Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street, at the moment (the remake with Richard Attenborough). It always helps me feel festive and wish I was a little girl again!

Supplies:

Stamps: Bear Essentials - Dies to Die For; Inks: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black

CS & Paper : Stampin Up!, Bristol Board ; Tools: Sizziz Textured Impressions Winter set #2 & Christmas Set, Nestabilities,

So, what's your favourite Christmas film?!?!

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

Have a good evening.

xx :0)

Elzybells Advent Calendar Giveaway

It's that time of year again where over at Elzybells Elizabeth is being very generous! Up until 25th December Elizabeth is giving someone the opportunity to win a prize with a daily Advent Draw. All you have to do is a leave a comment on the post saying what it is you love about Christmas. How easy is that?!?! Elizabeth will then draw one winner each day using random.org from all the comments. You could even be lucky enough to win some of the unreleased Valentine's stamps for 2010!!

Go on, pop over and have a go and who knows, you could be one of the lucky winners!

xx :0)

SCSC 60 - Christmas Trees

Well, I was right about the weather being horrible today! Definitely a day for doing some crafting, but not easy to get decent photos so I apologise if this appear a bit dark!

The challenge this week over a SCSC is to have a Christmas Tree somewhere on your card. I, for a change, haven't used a stamp for this card. I decided to use the Lace Tree cuttlebug embossing folder. I was lucky enough to get this last year but am ashamed to admit that this is the first time that I have used it! It creates such a elegant finish for any card.


I have only embellished it with a few gems as I felt that was all it really needed, plus a touch of ribbon on the fold. This was so quick to make which is important when you have lots of Christmas cards to make! I made a a few of these very quickly. I've included a picture of an identical card but this time in green.

These cards are so different from what I'm used to, so I would be really interested to know what you think.

I hope you are all having a lovely day aside from the abysmal weather. Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Season's Tweetings

I was up at 7:30am this morning and made a couple of cards before going Christmas shopping with my mum and dad. Just chilling now with the football. I'll probably make a couple more cards later, before watching the X Factor. Who are you voting for?? I'm routing for Danyl as he's from my home town but I also love little Joe and also Stacey!

Well, I told you that I loved this weeks Mojo Monday sketch and I have to warn you that you may be seeing it a few more times yet! I've adapted slightly for this card. I've used another of my favourite Elzybells stamps featuring that cute reindeer! I thought that I had the "Seasons Tweetings" sentiment to go with it but have not been able to find it, so I'll probably have to generate it on my PC. I'm sorry about the photo quality, the light still wasn't that great this morning and I didn't want to overdo it with the software.

I've used my two favourite shades of Bazzill blue. I love these colours and always have to make sure I've got some in stock as they're great for Xmas, men and baby cards.

Supplies:

Stamps: Reindeer & Robin - Elzybells; Inks: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black

CS & Paper : Bazzil Basics, Bristol Board ; Tools: Snow Dots CB Folder, Nestabilities, MS Doily Lace Punch, X-Cut Snowflake punch

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. Tomorrow looks to be a pretty miserable day, perfect excuse to spend the day making cards (before the Arsenal - Chelsea match)!

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Mojo Monday 114

Boy, am I glad it's Friday tomorrow! Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong? Well that was me today at work. I hate making mistakes in anything I do, but especially in my work. Here's hoping tomorrow's a better day.

To de-stress I decided to have a go at this weeks Mojo Monday Challenge. It's a fabulous sketch and one I can definitely see me using again. It also gave me the opportunity to use one of my "new" Forever Friends stamps. I've put new in quotation marks as it's the first time I've used it even though I've had it a few months so, technically, it's new! It's one of the stamps that are exclusive to The Glitter Pot. I think they have a good deal on at the moment with some of these stamps so why not check them out.

As with a few of my Christmas cards already, I've stuck with the red and white as my contrasting colours. I think these work so well together and appear very striking. I'm a very simplistic girl at heart!


I know the sketch shows a bow in the top left hand corner, but I'm not always that good with bows, even with a bow maker, so I opted to embellish it with a punched snowflake. I hope that it's acceptable!

Supplies:

Stamps: Christmas Gift - Forever Friends; Inks: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black

CS & Paper : Stampin Up! & CWC ; Tools: Snow Dots CB Folder, Nestabilities

Sentiment: Cyrstalline Penny Black Transparent

I do love how this has turned out, I hope you do too.

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

It's such a Purrfect Day...!!

I wish it was a perfect day! That wind has been howling around most of the night and kept waking me up. Is this crazy weather ever going to end??

I apologise that this is a short post today, but I'm racing against time to get this posted before I leave for work as I forgot to schedule the post last night! I will try and add the details later on this evening but I've got some new toys arrive hopefully so might be having a bit of a play!!

This card was for a fellow cat lover in my team at work. There was never any doubt which set of my PB's was going to come out and play! I seem to use the same layouts for a lot of my cards, but I think it is what I am comfortable with. I apologise if I'm being boring! As I'd already used the Bazzill Dots card, I chose to leave the white panel plain which I am regretting now but hey, it's too late to do anything about it now.

I'm really pleased with how the text went around the oval, sort of framing the image.

I hope the photos are looking okay with this software. If anyone thinks they could be improved slightly, please let me know and I will play some more. I had been tinkering with the saturation, brightness and contrast on some of the earlier posts but was concerned that I had overdone it so I'm now doing very little. I just hope I'm not going too far back the other way!

Anyway, enough jabbering, I'd best go and get some breakfast before it's time to get the hubby up and make our way once more to that place that funds my hobby! I hope everyone has a good day and thank you for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Have Yourself a Beary Little Christmas...

This weeks Challenge over on Allsorts is a Christmas Carol or a Song Title.

One of my favourite Christmas songs is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sung by Vanessa Williams. I love this song! I know she's not the original singer, but hers was the 1st version I heard growing up and it's stuck!

I have tweaked the words a little for my card to say "Beary" instead of "Merry", however I think the image I've used could come up with a couple more songs, like Frosty the Snowman or Winter Wonderland!

This stamp is so sweet, in fact I love all the Bear Essential stamp sets but I was very restrained and limited myself to just one! You can get these from the wonderful Tracey at Dies to Die For.

Supplies:

Stamps: Bear Essentials set 435-Dies to Dies For; Inks: Copics,Spica Glitter Pen Memento Tuxedo Black

CS & Paper : Stampin Up! & CWC ; Tools: Argyle CB Folder, Nestabilities

Sentiment: CWC oval

It's a shame you can't tell from the images, but the shadows around the snowman and the fur trim of the hat have all been glittered using the clear Spica Glitter pen. I have also glittered around the embossed shapes too. I think the sentiment I have used, whilst not being christmassy, is just perfect for the meaning of the image.

I hope everyone is having a good day. This weather has been atrocious recently and my heart and sympathies are with all those that have been affected by the devastating floods in Cumbria over the weekend. I can't imagine what they are going through. It puts things into perspective.

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Sweet Seventeen

Okay, I know the saying is usually "Sweet Sixteen" but I thought it could apply to this card as it's sweet, like candy!

I was asked to make a 17th birthday card and the only things that really came to mind were my Miss Anya stamps. I don't use these enough, so it was a good excuse to get them out and ink them up! I was really pleased with how the colouring came out. I would show you a close up, but it was too dark and ended up blurred.

I'd forgotten that I'd got these papers. They were from the Clare Curd The Big One pad which I had got at the NEC in March! Just shows you how often I use decorative papers in my card making!

Supplies:

Stamps: Miss Anya - The Greeting Farm; Inks: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black

CS & Paper : Stampin Up!, Papermania & CWC ; Tools: D'vine Swirls CB Folder, Nestabilities

Sentiment: PC Generated - Peach Fuzz Font

As I've made this for a teenager, I'm also going to enter this into this weeks Cute Card Thursday Challenge which is for Teen Terrors!

I'm having difficulty adding my supplies under my photos like I did before. I don't know if this is something to do with being on Vista and the lastest version of IE. I'm having to do the HTML coding from other post and adapt it. If anyone can let me know it would be much appreciated. I hope everyone has a good day and thank you for stopping by, it is greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Elzybells Challenge 32 - Seeing Stars

Well, my software arrived early and I've had a bit of a play so I hope the photos look ok. I'd like to put a watermark on my photos but don't really know how, so if someone could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.

I've made this card for this fortnights Elzybells Challenge which is Seeing Stars. My image has a star, the saying mentions stars and I've added a silver star border with some peel-offs so I hope I've covered everything!

This is one of my favourite Elzybells Christmas stamps, it's so sweet! I've sprayed the embossed panel with Silver Spray and Sparkle which is from Crafters Companion. You might be able to see if a bit better on the close-up photo below.

I got the idea for the word circle from the wonderful Sue Nelson! If you've not visited her gallery before, you don't know what your missing! This lady is a genius!

Apologies for no supplies details. I'm posting this quickly before my roast is dished up!

Which one...??

Whilst I'm waiting to be able to post crafty photos, I've been thinking about getting one of these coffee machines for hubby for Christmas. My Kenwood Frothie packed up so he can no longer have a frothy cappucino, or me a frothy hot chocolate!

I've been looking at either a Tassimo or a Dulco Gusto. I've seen good and bad things said about both but would love to hear from anyone that has either to let me know what they think (especially if they taste good!). I have heard the Tassimo doesn't froth well (or last) so have seen a mily frother on Amazon that I can get should I go down that route.

Would love to hear from you either way!

xx :0)

Software update

Just to let you know that I've ordered my new photo software, but it may not be with me until 23/25 Nov! Grrr!! The basic bits on my laptop aren't really up to the task of what I would like when posting photos so I'm afraid you'll have to bear with me a little longer.

I promise I will be back though!

Apologies for the lack of blogging too. I seem to have become addicted to Farmville and have been somewhat neglecting everything and everyone else. That will change, I promise!

xx :0)

Software Woe's!

I am still here and on my new laptop that my lovely hubby got me as my early Christmas present.

I'm unable to show anything at present as the software that I used on my old laptop won't install on my new one (prob cos it wasn't quite legit, if you know what I mean!). I'm now in the process of purchasing some new software so I can show you what I have been up to in my absence.

I'm currently making some little gift boxes with Snowman Soup goodies inside! After the success of the halloween treat bags that sold at work, I've been inspired to try some new things to try and sell. Having already made a proto-type which I showed a very good friend, she's said that she would take 3 boxes as stocking fillers.

It's helping to keep me occupied as my mum isn't too well again at the moment. Those of you who have followed me for a while will know what we went through last year. We're all praying that we don't go down that road again.

I hope you're all well and not forgotten me.

xx :0)

Just a quickie!

I'm being really cheeky and doing this from work before I leave! I am still here but, as I said in my previous post, having probs with my laptop where the screen has virtually come away from the hinges. I've been giving myself a neck ache the way that I've been trying to use it, so have had to relent and virtually leave it to save myself any further injury.

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm really happy today too as I sold all my halloween treat bags I made!! I brought them in to work, not thinking they would sell, so was very surprised that they had gone before lunch! I was probably selling them a bit cheap at £1 each but hey ho, it's helped boost my confidence!

Hope to see you all again really soon.

xx :0)

Popcorn Bear Birthday Card

Apologies for not having been round much. I'm having trouble with my laptop at the moment. My hinges are breaking off and my monitor will no longer stay up on its own so it's very difficult to use. I'm looking at getting a new one but not sure whether to go with Windows 7 or get a Vista one (I'm still on XP). I've got an HP laptop at the present so also wondering to stay with them or change to a different model. What makes would you recommend?

Aside from laptop troubles, its my MIL's 70th birthday today and we've just come back from a lovely surprise lunch that we threw where her daughter came up from Cornwall and her granddaughters came from Uni to celebrate with her. No birthday would be complete without a birthday card and I'm afraid to say that good ole Popcorn came out again!

I decoupaged Popcorn and the flowers around the window. I know you can't see it very well in these photos, but the card has also been sprayed with silver sparkle for that finishing touch.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend and remembered that the clocks go back tonight! Enjoy your extra hour in bed tomorrow morning! Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

A Warm Cup of Cocoa on a Winters Morning....

I had better post this card tonight as I have been told that I can go back to work tomorrow providing I take it easy and call the docs should I get into any difficulties!

This is one of the Christmas Forever Friends stamps that I got a couple of months ago and thought I'd better ink him up. What better excuse that this weeks Forever Friends Challenge which is to make a Christmas card or gift. I also couldn't resist creating the greeting to go with it!

Supplies:

Stamps: Cup of Cocoa - Forever Friends; Inks: Copics, Memento Tuxedo Black

CS: Stampin Up! & CWC ; Tools: Snow Dots CB Folder, Nestabilities

Sentiment: PC Generated - Peach Fuzz Font

A close up of the image. Sorry about the photo, the lights not been that great today and even working on in it Photoshop hasn't helped that much!

I do love this image as I love nothing more that having a cup of hot chocolate on cold day and it makes me feel sort of Christmassy too!

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable day. Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Wishing You a "Beary" Christmas....!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I have to admit to not getting as much done as I'd hoped, but that's just the way things go. Jon wasn't feeling his best so we just relaxed and took things easy.

I did however finish a card! GASP I hear you all say!!

I saw these gorgeous teddy stamps by Lili of the Valley on a few peoples blogs a while ago and finally managed to get my hands on them the other week. They are just the cutest and I couldn't wait to colour them in I don't know why, but when I'm colouring bears in (except Forever Friends), I always use the same 3 colours (E31, E33 & E35). I think they are just a great combination and I seem to get through these 3 quicker than any others!

Supplies:

Stamps: Christmas Teddy Little Star - Lili of The Valley; Inks: Copics & Memento Tuxedo Black;

CS: Stampin Up!; Tools: Snowflake CB Folder, Nestabilities, Snowflake Border Punch - Fiskars

Sentiment: Computer Generated - Peach Fuzz Font

I've included a close-up of the image as he's so cuddly! Yes, I'm a sucker when it comes to teddy bears!

I'm also entering this card in this fortnights Lili of the Valley challenge which is to make a Christmas card for a child.

Have a good Monday. Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

What Girl Doesn't Enjoy A Lil' Bit of Retail Therapy..??

I have to admit that I made this card whilst I was going through my doubting period and I didn't think it was that great. It was a rush job for a friend at works birthday (one of those night before cards!). However, having looked at it again, I have decided that I do like it and felt that it deserved to be shown on here!

I used the Elzybells dinkie Retail Therapy set for this card. I think this set is a must for any girly cards that we need to make! I think the cardstock is from Stamping Up!, but I'm not entirely sure, so don't quote me on that! If it is, then you can get some from the lovely Jules.

I hope to have some new cards to show really soon as I was contentedly sat colouring images in last night whilst I was watching the telly.

I hope everyone is having a good day. Thank you for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

And there's more..!!

Good Morning all!

I've made up some more little treat bags for Halloween using the really cute Spooky, Spooky Spooky CC designs set which I got from Dies to Die For.

Those of you that know me really well will know that I'm not very confident with my colouring, but I have to admit that I'm very pleased with how well these have turned out with the shading and everything else.

Apologies about the bows! Why is it when you tie a bow of something, it never stays straight, but goes at an angle?!?!

I hope everyone has a lovely Saturday and thank you for any comments you may leave, they are much appreciated.

xx :0)

Elzybells Challenge 29

I hope that there are still some people out there who are following my blog! I know it's been a while, but I've been really poorly with my asthma and have been on steroids to try and help my breathing improve.

This fortnights challenge over at Elzybells is to create a 3d object. Well, with Halloween fast approaching I thought I would make some little treat bags. The template for these bags can be found here. I used the Happy Hauntings mini set for these as I think they are just perfect. I've also been trying out the new Inky Dinks that Elizabeth has released for the white stamping, but think I put too much on, so still a bit of practising required there.

If you click on the photos it should enlarge them for you in a separate window, should you wish to do so.

I really hope you like them and thank you for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

I promise I will start getting round to everyone's blogs again really soon to see what you been up to in my absence.

xx :0)

I am here....

I just thought I should apologise for my absence on my return from my holiday. I've gone straight back to work at our busiest time (even more busy than normal!) so have been working my little socks off and have been really tired when I get home to feel like doing anything else. However, I have managed to colour some images in so I hope to be able to make some cards at the weekend and show them.

Thank you all for your continuing support. I will try and get back to normal asap!

xx :0)

Break Away

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. Thank you for all the lovely supportive messages I have received with regards to my last post. I'm still not feeling overly inspired, although I have made a few cards since that post.

I have a week away with Jon to look forward to this week. We're off to one of my favourite places as a child, Shanklin on the Isle of Wight tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully this break away will be just what I need and I'll come back raring to go.

I hope you'll all come back once I start posting again.

xx :0)

Has anyone seen my mojo....??

It seems to have deserted me this past week and no matter what I put in front of me, I don't seem to feel inspired. I want to make all these lovely gifts to possibly try and sell but I don't seem to be able to come up with anything as amazing as some fantastic crafters out there. A few of our fellow crafters never seem to stop amazing me with the ideas they come up with, but I don't think I will ever be able to come up with anything anywhere near as good. I feel like I lack imagination.

I've wanted to be on a DT but, for the reason last mentioned, I've never gone for anything as I just don't think I would ever be good enough.

Am I really cut out for this...?

Another Popcorn Card.....

Sorry, had to use this gorgeous little bear again. I hope you're not getting sick of him as I've a feeling I'm not done yet!!

It's a very good friend of mines birthday on Wednesday and I wanted to make her a special card as she's been having a bit of a tough time at the moment. I couldn't think of anything better to use than my Popcorn Bear cd from Crafters Companion. This card is another large one, measuring 8" x 8".
All products, with the exception of the ribbon and roses, are from Crafters Companion.

I've not put a sentiment on the front as I thought it looked fine on its own, but I would really like to know your opinions.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend, I can't believe it's almost Monday again! Thank you for stopping by and please feel free to leave a comment as they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

What do you think...???

I fancied a change for my blog and have wanted a 3 column layout for a while. I had to play around a bit with the coding to get everything to fit properly and that was a challenge as I've not done HTML in a while!!

I would love to know what you think....

XX :0)

Hearts and Flowers - SCSC #48 & PBSC #65

It's mine and Jon's 2nd wedding anniversary next Tuesday and I can't believe how quickly the time has gone! Anyway, I made this card a couple of days ago for Jon but hadn't got round to posting it. After checking out the challenge for this weeks Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge I couldn't believe my luck - it's to include Hearts and Flowers! It also fits the Penny Black Challenge which is Hearts Desire.

The hearts on the card are on the embossed panel, the MS valentines punch, die cut hearts and heart gems. The flowers are part of the stamped image (I hope that's ok) either side at the top of the swing.

Supplies:

Stamp: Furry Embrace - Penny Black; Inks: Memento TB, Copics;

CS: Core'dinations, white CS; Tools: Love Language Comb - CB, MS Valentine Lace Punch;

Embellishments: Papermania Heart Gems

I know he will love it as he loves every card I make, although sometimes I wonder if he's a little biased! He takes an interest in my hobby, wanting to see all my creations and he likes coming to the NEC every year to me and points things out that he thinks might be useful. I'm so lucky to have someone as wonderful as him.

Okay, that's enough soppy stuff, don't want to make you feel ill! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend whatever you're doing. Thank you for stopping by and please feel free to leave a comment as they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

PBSC - Christmas

I couldn't resist entering this weeks Penny Black Challenge which is to make anything to do with Christmas. It was Penny Black's cute Christmas stamps that first got me into stamping and I have a fair few of them, so no excuse not to enter!

This lil mouse is so sweet and a delight to colour in. I've stuck with traditional colours for this card. I have used some stickles glitter glue on bobble and fur trim of the hat, but I don't think it shows in this photo. The ribbon is actually from a Benedicts chocolate box that was enjoyed last Christmas and I thought it would be perfect for Christmas cards this year! It's true what they say, us crafters never throw anything away!

Supplies:

Stamps: Thinking of You - Penny Black; Inks: Memento TB, Copics & Rangers Inkessential;

CS: Core'dinations & Papermania; Tools: Circle Nesties, Snowflake CB Folder;

Embellishments: Ribbon - Stasj, Oval Sentiment - CWC, Icicle Stickles

It's another Christmas card in the box, which is good, but I do need to step up a gear and start making a few more so I don't end up in a mad panic come November and December!

I hope you like the card and please feel free to leave any comments as they are greatly appreciated. I hope you are all having a good Sunday.

xx :0)

PWC/Stamp Something

I've managed to make a card today that meets two challenges, woohoo! It doesn't happen very often. I've used Dawny's sketch for this weeks Papertake Weekly Challenge and the cute cat makes the card eligible for Stamp Somethings challenge - Animal Somethings.

Supplies:

Stamp: Purrfect Day set - Penny Black; Inks: Memento TB, Copics & Inkessentials

CS: Core'dinations, Bristol Board; DP: Clare Curd's Signature Range

Tools: MS Lace Doily Punch, Swiss Dots CB Folder, Rectangle Nesties

Embellishments: Ribbon - Meiflower, Oval Sentiment - CWC. Gems - Papermania

I've had this paper pack since April and I think it is the first time that I've used it. I get so used to making cards using just coloured CS, I often forget that I've got a huge stash of patterned paper!

This card has been made for someone who sometimes looks at my blog, but I need to post it now for PWC, so I hope they don't look for a few days!

It's been a fairly nice day, weather wise and I guess that's pleasing all the people in town for the annual pop festival. As always, I avoid the town centre like the plague over this weekend! I hope everyone else is having a nice weekend. Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Catch a Falling Star

I am seriously in love with my Christmas Popcorn Bear CD! The images are just adorable.

Over on the Crafters Companion forum they have a live crafting session on a Friday evening. I didn't take part last week as I didn't have all the supplies needed. However, I finally got round to attempting it today and I am really proud. All image sheets and cardstock, with the exception of the mirri card, are from Crafters Companion.

I apologise if the photos look a bit poor. The backing papers have all been sprayed with silver Spray & Sparkle but you won't be able to see this in the photos. This is another large card. They are easier to make with the CD's than with stamps but don't worry, I've not giving up on my stamps, I just have a new addiction!

I hope you are all looking forward to your long weekend. Thanks for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

An Award...and MIA

Apologies for lack of action again but I'm suffering with tonsillitis at the moment. Even though I've been told it's only mild and doesn't need any medication, it still hurts something rotten and has left me generally feeling bleurgh!

Anyway, I received this lovely award from Stacey a couple of weeks ago, but have only just got round to putting it on here. Thanks Stacey, it's really sweet of you!

It's never easy trying to decide who to pass awards on to, but I have chosen Michelle, Nikola, Amanda, Natalie and Claire.

I hope you are all having a loving evening.

xx :0)

Popcorn Bear Birthday

I'm sorry I've not posted much recently but I've been working on this card for a few days now and it's finally ready to show!

All the elements have been taken from the Popcorn Bear Floral/Birthday CD's and the cardstock I've used has all come from Crafters Companion bumper kits.

I apologise now for the number of photos!

This is the first large card that I have ever made and I'm really proud of it! It's for my sister-in-laws birthday which is the middle of September.

I'm also going to enter this into this weeks Cute Card Thursday Challenge which is Lazy Days and using summery inspired products.

I hope everyone is keeping well. I promise to try and get round everyone's blogs soon. Thanks for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Happy Birthday Dad

I can't believe that Jon and I are going back to work tomorrow ! Where did those two weeks go?!? I guess it didn't help that I spent a lot of the first week feeling off colour. Oh well, 5 weeks today Jon and I will be on our way to the Isle of Wight for a weeks break to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary!

Anyway, I apologies for not having made many cards during my break and also for my lack of blogging. I do however have a little something to show for you today! It's my dad's birthday on Tuesday and I've made his this adorable card (in my opinion!) using Popcorn Bear from Crafters Companion.
I've also included a photo of the inside of the card as I think it deserves to be shown.

I am also including the card in this weeks ABC Challenge which is A for Anything Goes

I was feeling inspired after watching Sara on C&C with the Popcorn Christmas cd's. I have to admit that I've ordered the bumper kit and a few other bits from the Crafters Companion website. I can't wait for it to arrive so that I can start making some more Christmas Cards. There were some amazing samples being shown, especially at 8x8 size, which I think deserve to be recreated for my parents and in-laws. Jacqui over at Cats Whiskers is part of this fantastic design team and has had a large part to play in the creation of this cute little bear!

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)