Pink and Brown

There are day's when you just want to rewind the clock and start again and yesterday was one for me. First of all I woke up with cramp in my calf, now I've had this before but never quite so bad, I have trouble walking anyway add this to do was something I could do well without.
Added to this last night there was noises in our chimney which scared the life out of us, don't hear it in the day just at night. In front of it is a standalone gas fire so to access it, it had to be disconnected. So I rang the Gas Homecare line to see if we was covered, bearing in mine the gas fire is off and hasn't been used in months but apparently its dangerous and all the gas needed to be shut off immediately, obviously a standard procedure but a bit OTT. Anyway a chap came in 40 minutes turned off the gas disconnected the gas fire, got out the pigeon for us, capped the fire because he wasn't allowed to reconnect it and turned back on the gas.
The pigeon must have been down there for days cos it was subdued and wouldn't fly away, so after a phone call to the RSPCA we then had to take it down the Vets where my DD thought they're make it better didn't have the heart to tell her they would probably humanely put it to sleep.
By the time this was done I couldn't settle in my craft room but I did have this card that I had made for Simon Says Challenge, I couldn't make one for the DT before I went away but it seemed right to join in the challenge although I won't be eligible for the prize. The challenge is for Pink and Brown and it gave me a chance to use up the last of these doodlebug papers and the used Simon Says stamps We are Family but I just used the girls.
Have you seen that Nikki has a new shop and she is offering a £25 voucher, the link to her shop is here .

Fishy Saturday

I really don't like making Men's card but this month I need quite a few not only for Father's day but for birthdays too. This card is for Feliu our friend in Spain and if I was really organise I would have had it made and taken with me to Spain.
I've used this weeks sketch on Friday Sketchers and used BG Lime Rickey perfect mens colours. The fisherman is a Sugar Nellie and I've coloured the grass to look like sand and I put some glitter on the fish. Google translated Happy Birthday which I then printed from the PC.

Just a Tilda

The crooked Photographer returns and I hope Tilda doesn't slide off her perch, thank goodness for strong glue! I've paper pieced Tilda for today's challenge on Just Magnolia, the papers are the last bits of some Imaginisce baby powder and I used Rachel's sketch from last weeks challenge. It feels so good to play with punches and papers and the sentiment is Simon Say Stamps, I love how it fits in the stampin up oval punches.
I apologise for the bad grammer and spelling mistakes on the schedule posts while on holiday, my sis reckons they're were really bad and this is coming from someone who can't spell!
I'm busy catching up and I know there's a few awards I've received too, but I'm trying to catch up with other things too and I have to pace myself.

I'm back

Yes I'm back and two of my favourite challenge blogs have stunning challenges. A spoonful of Sugar is for butterflies which means I can use my first ever stamp I brought. I love this stamp I've used it so many times and usually with parchment paper and a brilliance white inkpad, I embossed the white lines from the back to give them more depth but true to form the camera doesn't show it up that well. Cute Card Thursday wanted a quote somewhere on your card, the one I've used is a Penny Black and a neglected Sarah Kay image, the papers are Bo Bunny, now that I've used the ribbon, I'm not sure I like it but its stuck now.

We had a fabulous time in Tossa de Mar, the weather was lovely and hot and the festival for Fishermen went ahead so hubby got his sardines on the beach. We brought some raffle tickets, the prizes were a meal in one of the various restaurants who had donated a prize and we won. The restaurant we won at was Casa Andreas which is run by the father of model whose dating a rather famous singer. They also make the best Champagne Sangria in Tossa but back to the winning ticket we gave it to our friend Feliu who was over the moon.
Remember I was taking a cross stitch kit to do while there, next time I'm taking a packet of needles cos you can't sew without a needle, it must have dropped out when I swopped the aida inside the kit for larger piece.

How I made them

Just a quick blog to show how I made the bookmarks, this is not my idea but shows I how made them. The size of card is 10cm by 5cm and you simply bring the two corners across to the middle.

I stick one side to the shape I want to use.
I then cut out approx 7cm square and cut diagonally across the middle to make two triangles, I only need one because I then do the same with a 6.5cm square to make layers in the pic. I then stick on the the bookmark triangle.
Decorate how you like, its brilliant for using scraps.

Miss Anya

Whatever you do if you make yourself a bookmark, make you DD one too, so I had to make this quick before we left. Once I realise you only have the make the triangle corner you can make you bookmark whatever shape you like. I use this Miss Anya cos she looks like DD now her hair is short, I first saw her with short hair on Julie's blog and thought she was perfect. I added some plum coloured streaks to match the ones in my DD hair.
This is the back.

Bookmark it

Just before I left for my Holiday, Stamp with fun's challenge was for anything but a card and I had seen one of these book marks on a blog and thought this would be perfect for hols but do you think I could find the blog, in the back of my mind I think it was Bev but I couldn't find it so I manage to find something similar on StampingMathida blog. It was made with scraps which were left over from the printed downloads last week.
This is the back.
Remember the last photo I took of my Indian Maiden.
Well this is how far I got just before we left last week.
I decide not to take the Indian Maiden on holiday with me I was pretty certain I would spill or damage it so I brought this kit to do and when its finished I'll send it off to Love Quilts but I'm also trying to slip in a couple of books into the hubby's hand luggage just hoped their not discovered till we get there.

Wedding cake

I have to apologise for the quality of photo for some strange reason the white looked blue and I tried inside and out of house to photo it so in the end I pushed the icon to colour correct and the white went really bright.
This is the new cake stamp from dream2stamp it shouted wedding cake. The pearly icing is actually liquid pearls white opal that I didn't realised I had but it worked brilliantly the trick is to use it the night before and walk away, do not touch it to see if it dry else you have to do it again, trust me this tip is from my own experience.
As you can see I only partial embossed one side of the card and the score lines I used the scoring board I use to make cards with, the sentiment is PC genearated and the I used the stampin' up oval punches.

Pretty in Pink

There's is a fabulous sketch for the challenge on Penny Black Saturday challenge from Domi and I had to use it. I've had this stamp for ages, its the wooden one so she is a big girl as you can see and none of my nestablilities fit her so I used the scallops ovals to highlight her. My hubby thought I had lost my mind when I started stamping her on the Papermania Blueberry Hill papers but you can see that her dress and hat are paper pieced. Haven't used my MS doiliy punch for a while and the flowers again a mixture of different flowers topped with roses. When hubby finally saw the finished card he was impressed.

Sweet Angel

This little darling was the WOJ angel that was going on my frame on the Tim Holtz card but she wouldn't fit as well as the butterflies. So I turned the sketch on Sketch Saturday and of course I had to use BG Wisteria so glad that I accidently brought two packs. The flowers are a mixture of primas and the roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The ribbon was from my Sis local craft shop FairyKaren showed us the ribbon at MJ crop and Sis went to pick some up but all the pretty colours like pink and lilac had gone. Just noticed I've left out some embellishment down the side but they're not going to work cos I put the ribbon to near the edge..

Tim Holtz Butterflies

Simon Says Challenge says Tim Holtz, you need to create anything you want using at least one Tim Holtz product. We on the DT were lucky to have some products sent to us from Heidi and I so wanted to do something really arty, big mistake. I love arty, I love it watching it demo-ed, I love admiring it but I just can't create it. So with several things not working and the rubbish bin overflowing, I kept to my cute roots, which is what I should've done in the first place.
First the paper is BG Wisteria, the spray of flowers are from Wild Orchid you can blame Bev for them she had a link on her blog but lucky for me they were on desk waiting, for somewhere to put them.
The butterflies and the frame are Grunge board, the butterflies have be painted with Ranger Paint dabbers, I gave them two coats and them embossed them with the cuttlebug and finally very gently sponged some distress ink over them, almost forgot some stickles on the tips of their wings.
The frame was cut out of a piece of Grunge board, added some cut out corners to give some depth but it didn't work that well but I love the crackle paint its such fun to watch it crackle and I just sponged some ink again over the crackle pain to give it a bit of definition.
Phew that was bit long winded but if you are like me and can't do arty, do cute.

Moo-dy Tuesday

I've been loving the black and white cards that are about at the moment so I thought I would give it a go using the fabulous sketch from Friday sketches. I've used Daisy Bucket papers and a touch of pink and I love this cow from High Hopes which I brought from DiestoDiefor. The main shape was cut from the cricut and the sentiment are Peel off letters. I think I might be making more of these cards cos they're so striking.
No crafting today, back to tidy my room can't leave it in a mess while I go on my hols (yes I know I tidy it the other day but its back to being a mess) and I've lots of posts to schedule if Mr Blogger behaves. Also a trip to the hairdressers my roots are showing and unfortunately they're mainly white so need to get rid of them.
Prepare yourself for the screams when my DD discovers that 15kg on Ryanair means packing half her wardrobe isn't an option.

Magnolia Monday

Animals are the challenge on Just Magnolia, that meant I could use this cute Tilda holding a puppy, and I was wondering how she would fit on the WOJ chairs has you can see she doesn't look too bad. The papers are downloads from Sweet Shoppe Designs again they're Zoe Pearn but they called Sugar and Spice.
To print I insert a design page into word alter the size to 13.7cm with the margins set 1cm, I can them insert another design so that on A4 I can get two squares of different designs. I make my own cards and trim the square ones to 14.5cm, this makes matting and layering easier to work out, so on this card the first coloured layer is 14cm and the printed pattern layer is 13.5cm. There may be a easier way but this way works for me.
The sentiment is Simon Says Stamps, love how so many of them can be used with punches, one of the reasons I keep using them.

Delicate Sugar Nellie

Sometimes you make a card and think it's OK but sometimes you make a card and it works beyond your expectation and thats the case with this one. Have to say the camera hasn't done it any favours and washed out some of the delicate colours. I made this for the Bling challenge on Cute Card Thursday, I was going to be cheeky and just have the gem on the envelope and her necklace but I felt it need something in the corner and three little matching gems were ideal. I used BG Wisteria, no surprise there and I've used Nessy's sketch on Just Christmas and Birthday Cards.
I love my grown up kids but gosh when they in the house its like a hurricane and all my plans to have crafty day was hindered and of course in the evening it was Britain's Got Talent and I believe the British Public got it right Diversity was absolutely brilliant, the whole programme was wonderful not sure the variety show can ever be as good.

Bloom and Grow

I can see a pattern happening here with all these red themed cards and today's is no exception. I used the Bloom and Grow download from Zoe Pearn at Sweet Shoppe Designs, love that I can print them when I want them. The sketch is from Kathy for the Sugar Bowl and for the challenge you have to incorporate pearls, so I think the pearl buckle covers that in fact its very lacking with flowers etc but sometimes the papers and image speak for themselves.
Not much happening here Sis and her hubby go on their cruise today, their first stop is Falmouth!
A word of warning we are thinking of having a BBQ tomorrow and even though the weathermen say is going to be Hot and Sunny as soon as the barbie is lit it will rain.

High Hopes on Friday

There's a brilliant sketch on Tracy's DietoDiefor blog and there's a great prize of the Rain and Shine Miss Anya girls, the sketch is from Dawn who sketches for Papertake Weekly but I made it more difficult by deciding to use very busy paper and on a man's card too. It looks a bit plain without loads of flowers etc but my Dad will be happy with it. The tractor is High Hopes and I've 3d some of it, I was asked how I 3d whether I used sticky pads or glue, I first emboss the back of all the 3d elements, so they don't look flat and I use silcone glue so that I can alter the height. Papers are BG cupcake and yes I know that sentiment is Simon Says Stamps but I love how it fits inside the punches.
I love the sketch on CPS 117 but I couldn't get anything to work, so used the sentiment I wanted to use and worked backwards till I was happy. I made the flat bow so it would fit in the small slot for normal post. The papers are scraps of Daisy Bucket so I can enter it into the Papertake Weekly challenge.
There's some fabulous blog candy arounded at the moment, here's a couple, one from Sue


Another from Nikki

Bea's sketch

I was having a hard job yesterday to get motivated to actually make a card not sure why so first I made a couple of simple cards. One of them is the one below I used BG Wisteria and 2 sketches 4 you sketch for this week but I couldn't cover the paper so just made a frame and used a butterfly for one of the circles. The sentiment is Simon Says Stamps again I'm sorry but they're on my desk and they are a perfect size for cards. Then I decided to use Bea's fabulous sketch on her blog at the moment, this time I couldn't find a contrasting paper I liked so again used a frame for the mat which I now realise she be bigger. The papers are K&Company, sentiment again Simon Says Stamps with the Stampin up oval punches, punched flowers and I threaded ribbon in the lace so I could use the card for the challenge on A Spoonful of Sugar. I could be cheeky and say this card is for Everybody Art too because the challenge is for 3d but most of my cards are 3d so it wouldn't be a challenge!

Simon Says Trio of Cards

There's a new challenge on Simon Says Challenge this time its for animals and I'm using the new stamps that were recently sent to me. The papers are K& Company and the sentiment dare I say it but are peel offs. I you want to join in its not necessary to have Simon Says Stamps we welcome any makes.
Its a coincidence that the other cards are both Simon Says Stamps, the one above was for Sketch and Stash, the deers were sitting on my desk waiting to made into a card and I thought they would work for this sketch. The papers are Chatterbox, corners are a Quickutz die and the sentiment is another Simon Says Stamps.
When I opened my DT package and these stamps were in it and it did make me chuckle that you could work out the whole family and I so wanted to use them all in one go. I had to make a large card to fit them all on. The papers are BG Wisteria and I highlighter their clothes with some gel pens.
I downloaded firefox yesterday after yet again I kept getting operation aborted and closing the page down. Thanks Kelly for letting me know that you had downloaded it too, it made it easier for me to take a chance. I still have IE on the PC if I wanted to go back to it and the jargon on firefox it slightly different for instance favourites-bookmarks but I didn't get an aborted message all day yesterday.
It will be a evening of crafting tonight the telly has been booked by Hubby for the football.