New Nellie

Up till yesterday I couldn't get into my room simply because it was full of kitchen stuff, doesn't help my room is outside the kitchen door. Every kitchen cupboard has been cleaned and sorted out, but we're still waiting for the sink to be plumbed in. Unfortunately the dust has upset my cough and I'm exhausted but I was thrilled how well this card turned out, I guess though any stamp made with an Elizabeth Bell design you can't go wrong. Many thanks to Bev for the link for the silver snowflake, I've got some gold findings too. I've used the Friday sketchers sketch and the papers are Dovecraft from last year and the little darling is coloured with Prismacolours and Sansador. Apologies for the crooked card, it isn't in real life.

Today is going to turn out a really busy, this morning after putting it off for months I've an appointment for a yearly check with the Blood pressure nurse, shopping and hopefully this evening the plumber to sort out the sink. Thank goodness I made another card yesterday to show tomorrow.

Shattered Sunday

Look at this, you could have knocked me down with a feather when Tamara asked me and then promptly got flu. But I knew I wanted to use my fab bird stamp that I got from Ally Pally from Dimension Fourth (I think thats what they called) I just love play with the feathers to make them pop. Tamara has some fab sketches and not just for cards, I've recently printed of some Scrapbooking sketches for a secret project I'm doing to help me be a faster scrapper.

These two cards were with Tamara's latest card sketch and because Hubby asked for a couple of more Xmas cards and wanted them yesterday so they had to be quick cards.

I was so glad that yesterday I was well enough to go the Every Moment Matters all day crop but I'm feeling shattered this morning but I managed a few scrapbook pages for the secret project that I can't show till well into the New Year.
There's chaos in my house because we've had new worktops put into the kitchen and because of the weather all the cutting had to be done in the house. There's dust everywhere and it all needs a good clean added to the fact the plumber forgot he had to come and fix in the new sink and he's best friend is none too pleased with him and of course it wouldn't be a simple job, not in my house so the chippie couldn't fix the sink himself. But I really pleased with the new counters they look fab.

Pat on the back

Now I'm quite impressed how this photo of this card turned out because it was taken with the ordinary ceiling light on, admittedly I made sure the light was behind me but it worked a treat. I believe that the stamp is High Hopes but I'm not sure and she is a big girl but she worked out really well with Dawn's sketch on Papertake Weekly, add a few punched flowers, leaf and of course I had to use my new Martha Stewart punch for the challenge on Cute Card Thursday. The papers are Crate paper that I've been stroking for months not wanting to cut into them but I must use some of my stash otherwise I won't have any room for any new stuff.
Here's another Christmas sent to me this time from my Sister, I recognise the Craftwork Trees.

I don't envy the many Mum crafters this time of year, school plays, school Christmas Fairs and if you're unlucky to have different schools you can double it, then there's after school activities all putting on fairs and concerts for Parents, add shopping, wrapping presents, writing cards and if you one of the many Mums who have to work too, its a wonder anything gets done. But it does, I know I've been there, which is why I understand how hard this time of year is for Mums. So Mums give yourself a huge pat on the back and hang in there because the faces of the ones you love will make it all worth while.

Friday Already

I love the Ismaki sketch from Bea this week so I finally manage it with the scraps of Imaginesce papers. The snowflake is various dies on some glitter card that doesn't photo that well and the Tilda sisters were already stamped but crying out to be coloured.

The card below is from Annie aka Ink 'n' Rubba isn't it pretty and the colouring, well its fabulous.

Dawn aka PinkPiggy is hitting a milestone Birthday and to celebrate she has this fab candy. While we're talking candy Bea has some too.

I'm starting to feel a bit better 'again' and actually managed to sleep in my own bed last night and not wake the whole street. I've been sleeping downstairs in hope the workers in the house are not disturbed by my continuous coughing. Thanks again for you get well wishes.

Penny Black Thursday

The lovely Beth has made a sketch to use for the Penny Black Challenge and I'm still thinking cards for my Nephew so out came this chap with his friends and some Dovecraft papers I think the packet has long since disappeared. I wish now I hadn't used the glossy accents ontop of the bottletop and left it matt but I think its still OK

Now just in case you're disappointed that there is no Christmas cards, here is couple of gorgeous cards sent to me.

The first is from the lovely Caz and I can tell you, her colouring with those markers is perfect and theres a lovely shimmer highlights which the camera doesn't pick up.

Then from Tricia, this fabulous snowman isn't he cute.

I try not to moan too much on my blog, who wants to listen to my tales of woe but I'm so fed up with lurgy, on Monday I thought I had finally turned the corner but by Tuesday I was feeling yuck again and I'm not convinced its the same lurgy.

Couple of Cards

I have a nephew's birthday and he's a teenager as well, so I'm trying to make a suitable card. I've use Sketch Saturdays sketch, Offbeat BG and a car stamp that I've had a long while and no idea who made it. I put the strips on because I didn't like all that space and looking at now, it needs some brads on them especially has the buttons have already made the card large post.

As soon as I saw the sketch for CPS #94 I know I would be able to use my new punch. After my mistake buying the wrong one, I tried not to want it but I couldn't resist any longer. The papers are BG Euphoria and the words are Whisper stamps.

Not another Snowman

So I haven't been crafting for a while and I always found it hard to get back to it, so I decided to use this Snowman again because he always looks fab. You can tell I don't tidy up much because these papers Imaginesce were left out from last week. I used the fabulous sketch that Claudia has done for Friday sketchers, it should of been on the long card but I didn't have a piece of PP that was the right size and I had already coloured the snowman to the colours to match. I don't have the new nestabilities but I found this frame shape on the Storybook cartridge on the Cricut. I've now done four of the six cards I needed to make but can someone tell who the other two are for because I've forgotten, this could be a problem because I seemed to remember telling myself I had plenty of time till the 18th December so they obviously need posting.

All the scrapbuddies received this cute little present of Snowman Soup, isn't it cute not sure how long the candy cane will survive.

It's two week today I got the dreaded lurgy and I'm still suffering, I'm sure I wake the whole street when I start coughing but my main worry is my good ear, talk about noisy and now certain sounds echo!

Scrapbuddies Elf

Sorry I've been missing, we came back Saturday and yesterday was Scrapbuddies last crop before Christmas. So no time to join in the challenges. But I leave you with the Scrapbuddies Elf.

Magnolia Post

This card was made for my Niece's friend, you know how much I like doing these but she wanted it the same as another card I made so that made life easier. She needed it for today so I thought it would be OK to show it. I'm quite proud of the colouring of the horse, I do find animals really difficult.
Should be back from MIL sometime today and hopefully feeling back to normal.

CPS#93

First of all I like to apologise for not getting round to everyone I usually visit, time and feeling unwell is not helping at all. I did manage to make a card the other day for the CPS #93 went cute with Sugar Nellies fabulous Snowman. The papers are imaginesce and the snowflake is made with various dies.

We have to visit MIL the next few days so I've packed most of the medicine cabinet with me, trust me I rather we left it for another time but hubby's diary won't let us.

Tilda's bells

So there's a sketch on Magnolia Vs Stampavie and this Tilda was partially coloured so it would be a shame not to use her and I used the stamped heart and holly but changed the heart to a bell to match Tilda. The papers are Doodlebug and the corners are a cuttlebug die and nestabilities for the oval. Sorry about the crooked photo, it is straight in real life. So with this card and another Fantasy tree card that makes only four to go.
Many Thanks to Annie for this award and if you haven't received this one yet then accept this one.

Card of the Week

What a amazing news my little Owl card won Card of the Week on 2sketches 4 you, I'm absolutely over the moon. Especially when I've been really struggling the last couple of days to even make a card.

But I have caught up with some Christmas jobs, all my cards are written and ready to go and I only have to make 6 cards, which I don't think thats too bad. Also I've made all my present tags too and a few presents have been wrapped. Now for this little cutie I've used sketch Saturday sketch, slightly altered it to fit that I've used only two colours, the papers are My Minds Eye.

And this pretty Award is from Poppy, many thanks and hope your lurgy is gets better soon and doesn't last as long as mine. Yes I'm still struggle with the lurgy and good night sleep would be nice, it is getting better but its so slow. Thank you all the get well wishes, really do appreciate them.

First Kiss

What a great sketch from Carole on Friday Sketchers to kick start my crafting and thanks to Claudia and Kristine for using large bows which I think works great. The papers are Chatterbox and I've kept it very simple so not to outshine the fab image. Have realised though I don't have many large chocolate box ribbons, so will have to recified that soon.


Blasted lurgy is still hanging on with a throat that feels like I've swallowed a bag of nails but hopefully I will be able to catch up today with most of blogs and challenges.

Check out Bev's blog she has some great candy not only WOJ stamp, one that I don't have she has also added some of her fab crochet snowflakes.
Also Ila's blog has had 100,000 hits and celebrating with some candy too

Spoonful of Friday

Thanks for all your best wishes still feeling yuck but don't have the chills anymore. I don't advise to try and make cards though, I had this little lady ready and just needed some embellishments. So for quickness I punched some funky flowers out but now wish I had taken a bit more time to make them for fancy. The peel off sentiment was for quickness too but would they go straight, the air was blue. And I wish I hadn't bothered with the swirls round the image and someone stuck it on crooked the grass is going downhill. But I love this Sarah Kay stamp isn't she gorgeous and with that big hat you know she was meant for me. The sketch I used is from Spoonful of Sugar sketch from Michelle O.

Best Wishes

Ok own up whose given me the lurgy, in true John Travolta style I have "chills that are mulitplying" a sore throat and its TMI whats in my nose, yuck.
Lucky for me this little chap was already loaded on my PC its for Kazan sketch #14 on 2sketches4you. I've used my Stamps Away Owl on some BG I think its Offbeat and cut him out and layered him. The sentiment is Whisper Stamps and the lovely lace is from a Scrapagogo kit, not forgetting the Quickutz swirls.
Sorry Folks going back to bed.

Wednesday's delivery

So I'm on my travels through cyberspace when I find Tracey at diestodiefor has the new SK stamps, so off I went and had a look. I also found while there this fabulous stamp from Alota so it sort of fell in my basket with one or two SK and blow me down they were here the very next morning, so I couldn't resist so the planned card for Jake's Birthday changed completely.

My little nephew is totally potty about Bob the Builder, now I know this chap isn't Bob he is cute and I thought he would be more useful than Bob. The papers are K & Co and I've used Ismaki #41 sketch but I had to flip it and the number 2 is instead of the half circle. The number was cut out on the cricut. Hopefully Jake's parents don't check my blog but I know Granny does.

Lorraine from Malta sent me this tag for seven interest facts about me, it might take me a while to think of seven, I'm pretty boring.

Many thanks to Karin for this fabulous award and if you like sketches check out www.christmasandbirthdaycards.blogspot.com/

And many thanks to Anne too for this great Award.

Now if there is anyone that hasn't received these yet, well I'm sending them to you too.

Tuesday's Sisters

I love how these two look like sisters and I've used them for the Sketch Saturday #26, the papers from Craftwork cards, which are very pealescent, the lovely brads are from Poppicrafts. My images although 3D they are not technically decoupage because I don't really layer completely. I apologise for the colour of pics but I took them in my craftroom and there is no natural light. But you can see how I cut out the bits I want and using a grey pen I ink the edges to hide my terrible cutting out. The gloves were cut out cos I missed the stripe so I just stuck them on with the zig pen.

These are the tools of trade, the most important is the cocktail stick which I use with the silcone glue.

I used the embossing tool and pergamano blue mat to emboss the back of all the pieces.

Typically you can't see how I glue the coat, but basically I use the zig glue under the top of the coat so it would stick flat and put a couple of blobs of silcone under the bottom of the coats because all I want is a bit of dimension. The head is stuck with another blob of silcone and because its embossed it lays well.

So I do the same for Lizzie too except I put zig glue on the ends of hair so it lays flat too. Usually I make the card and layering the images on the actually card but this way I could photo as I'm going along so I had to wait for these lovelies to dry.

Before putting them a card that I made while I was waiting.

Doing it this way I avoid all the different layers you do in decoupage.

Monday Morning catch up

Amongst other things yesterday I did manage this card for Whiff Of Joy challenge which of course is a sketch. I didn't buy the chair the first time round then saw how fabulous she looks sitting on it and I knew I had to have it. The papers are BG but I've lost the front page and not sure what they are. The flowers have large centres to try and match the ones in the papers. Not sure what happened to her face she looks a bit poorly in the photo.

Just catching up with my journal, the wine is a bit obvious and the umbrella one is a bit boring but it manages to get all my brothers and sisters in one place, along with their families.

And a big Thank you to Joey, Carol and Michele because they sent me this fab award, so sending it Annie, Suzanne, Beth, Louise, Gill, Nessy, Debbie and Nikki

So the CJ is ready to go and I've another project on the boil but is going to take a while to do but I still have some more Christmas cards to do too.