Shabby Chic

Suddenly had a thought that these Thank you cards I'm suppose to be making might not all be for women and that maybe I should make them more masculine, so when I checked out CPS#97 it was ideal for these shabby circle like flowers. The papers again BG and I've used the new stamps I brought yesterday, they're Hero Arts clear design Thank you word set.

And when I saw Laura's sketch for 2sketches4you, I knew these type of flowers would work with this sketch too. Then it got a bit spooky because I checked out my blogs and saw that Bev had used this flower and made a little tutorial how they're made, great minds think alike. Mind you Bev has a Tim Holtz distressing tool thingy and I used my scissors blade, definitely need to put one of them on my list.

So Hubby wasn't working yesterday and asked me whether there was anywhere I would like to go has I had been stuck at home while he worked. What a silly thing to ask so thats a trip to The Glitter Pot and all you online shoppers were keeping them very busy and I had no trouble spending a lot of money but its no fun with hubby reminding me there's no room in my room for anything more.

Look what Tracey has sent me, many thanks, I believe I've already had this award so I sending to everyone who hasn't had it yet.

Tonight we're off to Wings to celebrate The New Year, we had an excellent time last year although this year I shall be good and not find myself on You Tube again.

Sketch Saturday

What a brilliant idea over Sketch Saturday to choose a sketch from all the previous ones. My choice was sketch#12 you can see it below, all was going well until I cut the diagonal and realised I had cut it the wrong way. There was no way I was going to scrap it, the paper was BG Urban Prairie, far too nice to bin, so had to accept the diagonal is going the wrong way. Of course had to layer the hat and the sentiment is SU.

I decide to hunt out the card I orginally made for the sketch too, luckily I didn't use paper that had a top and a bottom.

Another two pages finished for the Secret Project and no Ironing done, also still have 6 Thank you cards to make. Maybe I should stick to simple!

Another Card from a Sketch

All my Christmas stamps have been put away and I've been checking out my old favourites and finally cutting into these Daisy Bucket papers. Another Elizabeth Bell stamp from Sugar Nellie, coloured with prismacolours and sansador, I used the sketch on Dutch Dare Card Challenge and now have 4 Thank you cards. The card is square its just the crooked Photographer strikes again.

So yesterday the boys (hubby and BIL) were still working together and Sis rings me with an ultimatum, Sis would pick me up and cook us dinner or I could stay at home and cook hubby's dinner. Of course I choose for Sis to pick me up although she did make me take my scrapbooking stuff so she could help with the secret project. Help she disappeared for a couple of hours looking for photos then spent the rest of the time chatting to Lou and Neil. I did manage to make a couple of layouts and I suppose Sis did help to sort out some photos and helped to divide them into a group for a layout. But now she promised to pop in today to give me a hand for a couple of hours, I tempted to leave the Ironing basket out somewhere for her to find instead!

Thank you

On Everybody-Art-Challenge, there's a sketch this week, so I couldn't resist. Orginally I was going to turn the sketch so it would become a tall card but decided I could use it as a Thank You card, seeing she's holding a pen and a letter. The papers are Daisy Bucket, the word stamp is Hero Arts clear design and Sugar Nellie Pen Pal stamp. Only 8 cards to go now.

Look what the postman delivered yesterday, this fabulous card from Karin beautiful coloured, I so wish I could get on with the pen markers.

Also this gorgeous one from Monika

It has this fabulous surprise inside, isn't it fun seems a shame to open it.

Sketch Saturday

Now this is being efficient, I've made a card ready for my nephew's birthday middle of January, using the Papertake Weekly challenge which is a sketch from Dawn. Ok there's a strip missing but you wouldn't see it anyway cos of the size of the mats. I've used BG cupcake I think its called and its nearly all gone. The stamps I've had for ages, on it the makers name say Diamonds.

We all received loads of DVD's over Christmas so we've been having a film feast over the last couple of days and some of the ones the kids got, you really need to listen and concentrate, so when I certain person rang me asking for 11 Thank you cards, I said Yes. What was I thinking Mum's going to be ringing me everyday to see if they're finished yet and anyone who knows me, will know it does me ages to make a card. So thanks to Kazan's sketch on 2 sketches 4 you, I've made a couple that look like this. The word is cut from the Storybook cricut cartridge and the flowers with punches and of course the MS doily punch, only 9 to go.

CPS 96

So did you get what you wanted for Christmas, craftwise I've a set of nestabilities and an A4 sheet of elusive images and sounds strange but a spice rack which I will fill the empty bottles with embossing powder. Had Christmas lunch at Elstead Mill where my DD had to work, of course ate far too much and will be paying for it next year.

Ok I didn't make this card yesterday but I did make it this week cos its for CPS#96 sketch. Not sure if the butterfly works but I love Daisy from Sugar Nellies and the papers are BG, I also turned the sketch a bit so it would work with Daisy and the word stamp.

I'm sure I will be popping into my craftroom today especially with new stamps that need that awful sticky ez mount stuff. I know I can slab a bit of glue stick on the back but I do find I get a better image with the ez mount stuff.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas

Everyone

Rather than make another Christmas card especially for today I thought I will show you my favourite cards I made this year.

Storm in a Teacup

Thank goodness for Dolly's CD holder because the Penny Black Saturday Challenge was for something Multi Folding and I so wanted to use this PB image, I'm trying to use stamps that haven't seen a inkpad. Have to say I'm really please how they PB stamps have coloured, I find animals really hard to colour but even I'm impressed how my mice turned out. The papers are Chatterbox and I've used nestabilities and an embossing folder for the cuttlebug for frame.

See I'm so impressed that I had to show this one a bit closer, I've used glossy accents on the bee.

Yes still more Christmas cards this one is from Maria, isn't he a little darling.

This little gem is from FairyKaren, I watched her make it, she has amazing collection of gems all organised by colour.

Thank you for you kind remarks about my Parents, now that they've got over the shock my Mum's in her element, she's been ringing everyone to tell them the shocking news, thank goodness I don't pay her telephone bill.

Cross Monday

First of all my photos seemed to be all leaning to the right, afraid you will have to blame the photographer, haven't worked out why yet. The second I was so cross with the card above, I stamped and coloured Tilda, layered the patterned paper which is crate paper by the way and went to stick Tilda on the card and I've seem to mislaid my silcone glue but its OK I've a new one but not the same make. Well I knew something was wrong when I was using it it had air bubbles, smelt strongly and seemed very wet, and when you use it, it soaks the card and leaves a very nasty stain when dry. I moaned and complain to my Sis and lucky for me she has some silcone of the usual stuff I used. So when we arrived home yesterday and DH was watching Match of the day I repaired her with a new face and apron. The card was for Saturday Sketchers and cross-stitch Tilda.
Still receiving lovely handmade cards through the post, this one is from Nikki.

And these little darlings are from Debbie.

Whilst writing my blog my sis has rang me to tell me that blasted YOBS about 5 am this morning threw a lump of concrete threw the bedroom window of my Mum and Dad's sheltered accomodation flat and only just missed my Dad's bed. Both very shaken but OK really what kind of world do we live in.

Flutterby Sunday

I've been wanting to do the Ismaki sketch but thought it wouldn't work so well for the last Christmas cards I wanted to do. So has soon as I finished the last one, I started thinking about this sketch and add Butterfly for an extra option, well you knew there would be one somewhere. So I used my favorites templates which I made myself, they're my favourite butterfly shaped, copied on photocopy at different sizes, unfortunately I don't have that copier any more and my new one doesn't do different size so the templates are getting tatty. I used Prarie Urban BG but I'm not sure now of the aqua coloured card, I used it to match the touch of green in the papers but its not very obvious.

More fantastic cards, this time from Jo, with a lovely glittered Tilda and sparkly snowflake.

And this beauty from Leanne, not only a fabulous cardmaker but her stories about her little horrors are so funny.

I managed four more layouts for the Secret Project which I quite pleased with still several to go but I feel I've made good headway into the project.

Last Christmas Card

This is it the final Christmas card of 2008 using one of my new Sugar Nellies. I've used the latest Friday Sketchers sketch this is from Jacqueline and some Dovecraft papers from last year. I can now put my various dies for snowflakes away now that I've used them on this card.

I must get on with the secret project especially as I've now got even more photos to use, I'm trying to keep it clean and simple since time is a element here, it also means that I've still got XYZ of my A-z journal to finish but I can't see me doing that until this project is finished.


Now just because I'm not making Christmas cards doesn't mean I haven't been receiving them this time the wonderful Jacqi has sent me this cutie, isn't it fab.

Blue Friday too

I know, I apologise for yet another Snowman card but this Snowman is my favourite and when you need a card thats reasonable quick and still looks fab then this is the stamp to use. I used Laura's sketch on 2sketches4you this week, the papers are the same from yesterday and of course the stamp is a Sugar Nellie from Funky kits and probably one of my best buys of the year, its been used so much.

Another wonderful card arrived in the post this time from Heather. Heather's colouring is amazing Charlie and his dog really pop from the card.

Another amazing blog candy this time from Linda of Linanna Designs. Now if I win all these blog candy's I've mentioned lately I would have so much stash I wouldn't need to go shopping ever again. OK that an exaggeration maybe a couple weeks!!!!!!!!

Blue Thursday

I know its another Christmas card but I've at least two more to do, don't you just hate it when you received a card from someone you forgot. So with the help of Papertake Weekly whose challenge is monochrome, I made this snowfamily card using blue and white, the paper is so old and probably brought when I first started cardmaking. The Sugar Nellie Snowfamily are glued to a piece of glitter card and the snowflakes are also glitter card and I also had to use my MS doiliy punch. I've also used Sketch Saturdays sketch again, well it had to be a quick card cos today is the last posting for second class.

This card is from the lovely Lynn and the award is from Michelle, thank you both very much.

"The rules are to give it to five others, who shall give it to five others.. You shall link the one you got it from, and also the ones you give it to:) And let them know. And there is more... You have to write down five things you are addicted to...."
Ok I can manage that

1. Cardmaking and Scrapbooking

2. Craft Shopping

3. Blogging

4. Red Wine

5. Love Strictly and X factor (can't wait till next year)

Now cos everyone is so busy I'm sending this award to anyone who has the time to do it.

Check out Torill blog for some blog candy but check out her awesome creations, she's a brilliant scrapbooker as well as cardmaker.

There's also a Mega Blog candy from Karen from Charmed crafts too.

Wednesday Wish

Another new Nellie this time from Leanne Ellis, I have to honest I wasn't to sure on these stamps but I thought I'll get some just to test the water and I'm really pleased how she works out although if I use it again, I will avoid the pink wings cos I'm not sure of the pink. The sketch is Sketch Saturday #29 and the patterned paper is BG.Not sure about this card, first I stamped a word stamp with white embossing powder but it doesn't show up well and I'm not sure what I was thinking using gold brads but I love my flower and the paper is BG that I brought on Saturdays crop. This was for the CPS #95 sketch.
I've a lovely bruise thanks to the Nurse yesterday but the blood pressure is fine and we finally have water in the kitchen, its been quite strange to wash up in the bathroom!