Monday 20th

Just when you thought it was safe, I found a Christmas card that I haven't blogged yet, I've used BG figgy pudding and I've used a sketch but I've forgotten where from, the sentiment is Francoise Read new Christmas words and of course the sweet cow is a Penny Black. The holly is cut using the cricut, christmas cheer and the border is those marvellous inkadinkado stamps.

Saturday 18th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Can you believe it but this photo was taken 30 years ago, wished my figure stayed the same.

Today we are now at Tossa de Mar where Sis has her apartment and plan to celebrate my birthday today and my Hubbys tomorrow. Yes we are both Librans, we both are very indecisive it a wonder anything gets done because neither of us want to make the decision.

Friday 17th

I love this LO I did at the Every Moment Matters crop, it came together so quickly although originally I wasn't going to use pink, so I have to thank my Sis for coming up with the large BG chipboard letters. The paper I'm not sure what they are they came with a kit from Scrapagogo kit but I think it could noteworthy by Making Memories, the lacey ribbon for poppicrafts and the punches for the flowers and the threading water strip.

Typically I've photo this in the morning and I'm not sure why but I can't get a really sharp picture unless I photo in the afternoon, how the camera worked this out I'm not sure unless there's a prob with the camera operator.
Today we leave Madrid on the TVE or is AVE not sure which but its a fast train and we should arrive in Barcelona in two and half hours but BIL wanted to have lunch on the train so we had to go First Class it cost more than the flights!

Thursday 16th

So another entry to my A-z journal, I made this at Scrapbuddies crop and everyone thought I was mad scrapbooking a mug of Tea, but has I explained in the journalling under the corner, that I can't start the day without one or last for more than a couple of hours before I have to put the kettle on. The layout is based on a pagemap but it had flowers on that so wasn't going to work with a mug of tea but the button worked brilliantly and the papers are Scenic Route. When I come back I've two more entries to do U and V and I'm already stuck on U.

Wednesday 15th

Still making Christmas cards, this time with Karin sketch, I've used some papers I brought from the Glitter pot, I think its pebbles but don't hold me to that, stamps Away sentiment and some lace I brought from Hobbycraft. Karin is looking for a DT so if you're interested pop by.
Look at the amazing candy I received, my DD was eyeing up the buttons which are going to be hard to use because they're so fabulous and masses of ribbon especially some glitter organza. I know I have the stamp but my Sis who is always running me here, there and everywhere doesn't so I think she deserves it but the rest of it is MINE. Thanks Gill has you can see its arrived all safe and sound, I'm just disappointed that I don't get to play with till I'm back of my hols, along with some of the pink magnolia collection that also has arrived.

So at some point today we arrive in Madrid.

Tuesday 14th

I had quite a productive day, yesterday and rather than schedule them through the week I thought I'll show them today anyway. The first one is for Sketch Saturday and those wonderful Christmas stamps from Funky Kits. The papers are Papermania and various die cut snowflakes, with the busy paper I've kept it very simple. I'm also trying to make cards that can go through normal post, with all the layers, brads and gems must of my cards have to sent large post. Even with the bow this Christmas Card is normal!
I've used Kazan's sketch 11 on 2 sketchers 4 you, with some figgy pudding BG and the inkadinkado christmas stamps, cuttlebug snowflake and some peel off's, I've managed to make sure this card goes through normal post too.
This card also goes through normal post even though I layered the butterfly, this card I used CPS #86 and Doodlebug papers. The punch is Martha Stewart which was a mistake, I found the lace doily one on e-bay, I was so excited I ordered the wrong one, it wasn't cheap either so I've been good and decided it wasn't too be, well not this month anyway.

This time tomorrow I shall be at Gatwick waiting for a plane to whisk us away to Spain, just got to make sure there's plenty of food in the house for DD, the washing is all done and the post is ready to go to the Post Office. I've schedule some postings, so if Blogger loves me they should work, if not I'll be back in ten days.

Monday 13th

Not sure I've done this Fridaysketchers justice and I've stuck a bit rigidility to the sketch but lucky for this WOJ is beautiful enough to make it work. the papers are new by Pebbles, the sentiment Hero Arts and the flowers Poppicraft.

I've seemed to overdone the joints again and since I'm going away on Wednesday I've promised to be good and take it easy for a couple of days but I'm pretty sure that doesn't include not going into my craft room.

Pink Sunday

Thanks for lovely comments about Matthew, I don't feel quite so bad for clipping his wings. I had a fabulous day at the crop yesterday and managed almost 1 double layout and 3 singles they just need a bit of tweaking and they'll be done but it does mean I've haven't got round to blog hopping and today looks fairly busy too.

I did have this card waiting in the wings, not really sure about it but its nice a pink for Suzanne's blog candy Pink challenge, I've also used the sketch on Double Dutch challenge I've used BG two scoops and the laughing Tilda.

Update on Mum she's still in hospital, hopefully in the correct ward and it looks like she has a gastric problem.

Saturday 11th October

I love Elizabeth Bell stamps whether it be from Funky Kits or Whiff of Joy, each weekend I pop over to Elizabeth's blog to drool over the wonderful new illustrations and wish each one ends up a stamp. And that is why I feel so guilty over this card

I've clipped Matthew's wings, I so sorry but I prefer him without them.

So now that you've got over the shock, I've used this weeks Whiff of Joy challenge, which is a sketch from Heather, the papers are Chatterbox.

Off to another Crops today at Thatcham with the lovely MJ from Every Moment Matters and I've promised myself to pull myself together and actually scrapbook and less chat.

Friday 10th October

I love this bird stamp that I brought from Ally Pally from Dimension Fourth, I've stamped it on BG boxer and used Laura's sketch #10 on 2 sketches 4 you, I know its fairly simple and its in need of a sentiment but it shows off my swirly bird.
I think now my mojo is suffering although I love the image and the faint colouring, I'm not sure of the patchwork background which is CPS 85 and the card is quite flat apart from the brads, I feel I haven't done this wonderful Kerry Jo stamp justice.
I haven't joined in with Tilda & Friends ATC challenge for a while but this week its an open challenge and if you send your ATC to Shary (address on the challenge blog) she's doing a swap, so this little gem will be popped into the post later today.

Have to say the mojo has walked out for a while hopefully it will be back soon, especially has I've a few new stamps but it may take playing with my old favourites to find it again.

I've won Gill's blog candy, loads of Christmas crafty goodies.

Thursday 9th October

It's Papertake Weekly Ist Birthday so there's two challenges, one of which is no stamping and these fabulous poinsettias arrived from Poppicrafts this week and an idea was hatched. The words were found on a card forum and printed out and then it is was simply matting and layering, the pattern paper is Craftwork cards, the gold ribbon is out of my stash. But it was hard not to do any stamping I so wanted to used the swirling holly stamp to border the words.

Nothing much happening here, Mum is comfortable but for some reason they like moving her to different wards, she going to be moved to her third ward today.

Wednesday 8th

The challenge on Spoonful full of sugar is for pink and green and because the papermania paper pad this was going to be an easy challenge, especially has this Sugar Nellie Snowman was stamped and waiting to be coloured. I used Karin sketch on her new challenge blog although I'm a snowflake short but it just wouldn't fit. Now for Ismaki challenge there's a sketch from Kianel and as soon has I saw the the stitching I knew I would use Kerry Jo's fairy especially has I wanted to use for the CJ that I just completed and she didn't work out. I've also flipped the sketch I knew I wouldn't be happy with the tag upside down and I used the fairy wing instead of part of a circle. I need to hide the glossy accents because if you click on her for a large image you might see that I've used it on the fairy. To be honest I'm not really sure about this card but it certainly is dramatic.

Tuesday 7th

Can you believe it even Penny Black Saturday challenge had a sketch too, not too sure on embossed scallop square and wonder now whether I should have attempted to do something with the bunch on flowers in Elephants hand they look a bit flat. I've used some scraps of Daisy Bucket and a flower punch. I have to confess I made this card a couple of days ago so that I could have a day to complete my CJ, well if my ideas worked the first time I would have been able to make a card but most of my ideas went in the bin. I've now completed it and I'm fairly pleased with it but it still wasn't what I had in mind but you will have to wait till next year to see it.

So off now to check out the challenges and catch up.

Monday 6th October

Isn't she a little darling, she is Lilly spring Fairy from High Hopes and so is the sentiment. I've used her for the sketch on Sketch Saturday. The papers are from my stash so that means I've already cut off the manufacture strip so I don't know whose they are. I've used punches for the flowers and nestabilities and the so useful swiss dots embossing folder for frame.

Had a lovely day yesterday, its always brilliant to catch up with everyone and generally have a good giggle.

Sunday 5th

Thank you for the kind words about my Mum, they've admitted her for some tests, they already discovered she has a kidney infection.

So I've been a bit naughty and combined another couple of challenges the first a cute Christmas animal for Cute Card Thursday, this Penny Black hedgehog is so useful, its actually a stamp with one hedgehog but I could have a huge choir using just him. The second one is Friday sketchers, the main image on the sketch I've had to alter to fit the hedgehogs and the BG card I used so that the white swirly strips are two of the strips on the sketch.
Look what I received from Sharon, although I've already received this award its a pleasure to received it again, thank you.

So this post is a timed one because I'm off to the Scrapbuddies crop at Mychett tomorrow.

Saturday 4th October

I try not to combine challenges but I wanted to join in with Whiff of Joy challenge which is stitching and the fabulous sketch on Spoonful of Sugar. Then all said and done not really sure if I'm totally happy with this card, the aqua cardstock is actually glitter card and I paper pieced Charlotte's dress with christmas papers from last year, was going to use them for the card too but they overshadowed Charlotte. Thats when I settled on the snowflake embossing folder to use for the background.

So who worked out that most of Europe is an hour in front of us in the UK, very handy if you want to get the new releases from Whiff of Joy.

I didn't sleep well last night so planned to have a lay in but my Brother rang to say Mum was taken into Hospital early hours of this morning. Only saw her yesterday and thought how well she looked, she's not a particularly well lady and in her eighties, at the moment she is comfortable.

Friday 3rd Oct

High Hopes stamps now has a challenge blog and to celebrate there's one huge prize for the first challenge, which is a Birthday card and brads. I wasn't going to miss joining this challenge so I got out the few HH stamps and decided on this huge stamp called Aunt Marge's Garden that I brought from Silly Monkeys. I stole back my watercolours pencils from my DD and throughly enjoyed using them again to colour in this image.
Here you can see the layers, all cut out with a pair of scissors and then using a grey marvy pen I colour the edges to hide what a terrible cutter I am, the only time I use a craft knife is for fiddly or awkward bits. I use silcone glue and cocktail sticks to stick the layers, this allows me to lift one side and flatten the other, for example the ribbon in the hat, the bow part was flatten till I put the last bow on. The papers are DCWV from ages ago, poppicraft flower, cuddlybuddly sentiment and Hobbycraft ribbon.
Many thanks to Karen for this Award, I've already received it so I send it to everyone who hasn't received it yet.

Another marvellous candy this time its Marlene's birthday candy

Also Lea has a lovely RAK to celebrate World card making day.

Thursday

The Ismaki #33 sketch from Beatrix was giving me a hard time till I turned the sketch and I used swirls for one of the strips. The camper van is a Little Claire design, I've paper pieced the van and used acetate for the windows not obvious by the photo, some gel pens for the flowers and while the glossy accents was out it was used on the lights and wheel hubs. Sentiment printed on the PC and the flowers from Prima. So the cards for hubby from the kids are done.
So Papertake Weekly challenge was another brilliant sketch from Katharina, I used my new stamp from Ally Pally and while I was in the paper piecing mood and I love doing it especially on stamps like her. The papers I think are two scoops from BG, the sentiment stamp is from Butterfly kisses and the two strips of ribbon and brads out of my stash.

Gill's christmas blog candy

Jeanette's candy too

Later today I might be able to colour better inside the stamped lines with my new glasses that I pick up today.

Wednesday

The sketch for CPS#84 looks like envelope or a purse on a card, I wanted to do one of those criss cross cards but couldn't find the tutorial but on SCS I found this trifold pocket tutorial instead. I found some double sided card and because of the black and red, the whole thing developed into an Oriental style. The papers are college press Grayson, the Chinese lady is from Hobby Art, the words are shock, horror Peel offs and so are the borders. So I made the pocket and I wanted it to be display so I made a very simple black card, more peel off borders and use BG magnets so you can take the pocket on and off.
The tag again is very simple just stamped and coloured the dragon, more peel off borders and a bit of cardstock . If the light was better I would have another try and photo the dragon because I very careful used glossy accents on him and he's looks fabulous all shiny and slighty raised. Try clicking on the pic to see if a larger pic makes him look better.

Of course going back to SCS to get the link for the tutorial I've now found the one on a criss-cross card, typical.


So since I've mentioned there's too many challenges and I'm giving the ones with sketches priority, this week it seems they're all doing sketches. Tilda & co is one of them and its such a cute sketch too and nice and easy, so why did this card take so long. I knew that Edwin and Tilda were going to sit within the oval, I love the swiss dots background but when I tried to put on embellishments or sentiments it just didn't look right. I spent ages moving things around, I made punched flowers, stamped sentiments and in the end I gave up and left it nice and simple.