Alexander Palace and Creative Card Crew Challenge Week 4 - Texture

Week 4 over at the Creative Crew Challenge already, can you believe it? We are all so impressed with the entries that we get every week. In my book every one is a winner, unfortunately we don't have enough prizes for everyone! This weeks prize is a gift certificate for $20 at the Bella website.

The challenge this week is to add texture to your cards. I used this christmas bella image, its one of my favourites, and i have used snow writer to highlight the fur around her coat and on her boots. I have also embossed the background using my snowflakes embossing folder, with sequin icicles with gem centres.

I hope many of you will join us again this week, and i look forward to visiting your blogs to see your fabulous creations.

ALEXANDER PALACE

Over the weekend i did mention that i might be going to Ally Pally this month with Anna-Marie Designs. Well yesterday i got the confirmation that its all going ahead. My friend who runs Anna-Marie designs will be doing another craft event in Belfast that weekend, so myself and my lovely friend Katy will be doing Ally Pally by ourselves. I have to say i am very excited, as well as nervous!!! We will be selling Anna's own design templates and packs of both A4 and A3 double sided pearlescent card and a felt finish card. All of these cards are excellent quality and excellent value.

So if any of you lovely blogging friends are going to Ally Pally it would be lovely to say hi to you ! maybe you could drop me an email or leave a comment and i will be sure to look out for you.

This sunday there is a craft show at Thetford, my friend Katy and i are going for a look, Anna-Marie designs will be there but we are not working. If anyone else is going and would like to meet up for a cuppa please drop me a line, it would be good to meet you!

Not much else been happening my end, oooh other than i got my new Clio this afternoon. As some of you, i hadn't been particularly excited, but now its here im loving it. It is a dream to drive, although i am nervous too, as im scared of damaging it. You all know about my accidents in October, so understandably i am a little nervous.

I have nearly finished my easter cards thank goodness, just a couple more to work on which should be done by this evening, fingers crossed, will post them at the weekend.

I hope you are all having a good weekend, and look forward to catching up again later in the week, when i will also get round to visiting all your beautiful blogs.

Hugs for now Linda x

Birthday/Xmas Card Challenge week

Monday morning again and another week at the Birthday/christmas card Challenge. This week we have a wonderful sketch from my good friend Simone. Hope you enjoy working with it as much as i did.

I have used some of the Papermania christmas papers and one of the adorable home grown snowmen images from Sugar Nellie. These snowman are just adorable.

I'm also posting a couple of cards i made last week.

This card was made using some free papers from the making cards magazine and one of the fabulous TAC images. I adore this fairies.

This is one of Sally-anns fabulous digi-downloads. I love her gorgeous cupcakes and now she has one of her cup cakes in the form of a stamp.

Finally one of the fabulous images available from Pink Petticoat, Lola Rose is sure glamorous!

Have a good day and see you again on Tuesday. Hugs Linda x

Crafty Pad Challenge Week 15 - something Bright

Its Sunday again and another weekend over already. I think i've almost caught up with my blogging for this week, if i didn't get chance to visit you im sorry, i will see you next week.

Well what a lovely day it has turned out to be, the sun is shining and it really does feel like a spring day. Thank you to everyone who left me such a lovely comment on my last post, i so appreciate it and its good to know you all understand where im coming from!

We had Jasmines school easter egg hunt yesterday and it turned out to be a fun morning. Lots of yummy cakes and chocolate, what else can you ask for??

Well the day just got better as my hubby took me to look at a new Renault Clio and we collect it on Tuesday! i can still not believe it, we hadn't even discussed replacing my car, so its been a lovely surprise.

This morning i visited my friend who runs a local craft shop Anna-Marie Designs. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but i may very well be going to Alexander Palace in April taking her templates and card to sell. I can not tell you how excited i am about it. It will be confirmed tomorrow, if it does happen it would be so lovely to see some of my blogging friends there!

Anyway enough waffling from me, here is this weeks Crafty Pad card, the only stipulation this week is to make it bright.

I have used the teddy with flower, which im absolutely loving. The papers are from a HOTP kit that i brought from QVC several years ago! Flowers are imaginese.

We have this lovely brads as a prize to this weeks challenge. It is always a pleasure to see what you ladies have made using Debbies fabulous images.

Unfortunately because we have been out most of today im behind with my dt cards, so now i have to go and make them so i can schedule them for this week. Looking forward to seeing you all again next weekend. Hope you all have a fabulous week , big hugs Linda x

40th Birthday wishes and Sorry!

Its raining and cold, so much for the first day of spring tomorrow!!! this weather is making me feel really miserable, i hope the sun and warmth returns soon and especially for the children's easter holidays starting next saturday!

Well another week has passed, firstly i have some apologies to make. I have had to re-assess things here at home. I have had to put my blogging on the back boiler for a while. I love my blogging but with my naturally addictive nature, it was ruling my whole life. After much deliberation, i have deciding that i will schedule all my posts for the week at the weekend, i will also catch up with my blog hopping and comments at the weekend too. This means i can spend more time doing things here at home, including more cooking and dare i say it, cleaning!!! I hate those domestic duties, but needs must!! all of these things have been neglected over the last few months, and although no-one here has complained im feeling guilty about it.

I promise that i will visit you all weekly and try to leave comments too. I always enjoy visiting your lovely blogs and seeing what you've been creating.

As many of you know i have had problems here at home on a personal front, and although for the time being things have settled down, i need to concentrate on getting my family back on the right tracks and i shall be dedicating all my spare time in doing this. Family has always been the most important thing in my life and i love my children and husband to pieces, but i have i know let my crafting get in the way. I need to rectify that.

This morning Jasmine has her school Easter Egg hunt at school, its pouring of rain! how typical. I assume the teddies will be taking refuge indoors instead of outside on the field!

I'm hoping to make my DT cards this morning and then schedule them for the rest of the week, i hope you all have some wonderful things planned for the weekend.

On Wednesday my lovely friend Donna, celebrated her 40th Birthday. This is the card that i made for her special day. Im loving the Leanne Ellis images and the pink and brown combo is one of my favourite colour combinations. Hope you liked in Donna, happy birthday hunny, you are a special person and i hope you were treated like one!!!

Mothers Day seems ages ago already, but here is a photo of what my lovely children brought me. I have to say i was taken back this year, as my children really did spoil me. I am usually totally disappointed, as i have spoken about previously. But not this year, i think maybe it has something to do with the fact that Jasmine is getting older and knows exactly what i like instead of relying on Dads choice!! and also that the boys now have girlfriends!!! i think maybe the present buying was delegated. Im not complaining though, and thursday i received my new whiff of joy stamps that my middle son Jamie brought me. Can't wait to have a play with them. My hubby cooked a delicious beef wellington lunch for us all and my mum joined us for lunch. So it was a lovely enjoyable day. Thank you to my hubby and lovely children.

I trust you all had a great day too and i shall catch up with what you got up to when i visit your blogs.

I will see you all again tomorrow with another Crafty Pad challenge. Enjoy your weekend however you are spending it.

Big hugs Linda x

Donaldas blog candy

The very talented Donalda has some fabulous blog candy up for grabs. It is open till the 1st april, go take a look at her wonderful creations here.

Creative Card Crew Challenge Week 3 - Warm Colours and some Quick Birthday Card

Tuesday again and another week at the Creative Card Crew Challenge. We are thrilled with the number of people participating in our challenges and the cards you are making are just wonderful and full of inspiration.

This weeks challenge is warm colours. So for my card i decided to go with orange tones and to use this sugar nellie image.

I have used this gorgeous glitter paper that i brought from Ideal world in one of their clear outs. It was a bargain at £5.99!! and perfect for this weeks challenge. I have backed it with mirri card .

The swirls are the sizzix die that i use so often these days again with stickle dots.

The flowers are sequins with diamante centres.

So ladies how many of you gave in and brought the new whiff of Joy stamps on sunday? i could not resist and can not wait for their arrival.

Im sure sugar nellie will be releasing some more sugar soon, all this temptation is more than i can stand! i have no willpower as you know!

A few more quick cards that i made for my MIL as part of her mothers day present.

Enjoy your tuesday and i will see you again on Friday.

Hugs Linda x

Just Birthday/Christmas card challenge wk 24 - TANJA's sketch

Monday morning again, i hope you all had a wonderful Mothering Sunday, and were treated like the Queen!

I can hardly believe another week has passed, it will soon be christmas ladies. So with another week gone, its time for another challenge over at the Birthday/Christmas Card challenge. This week is such a fabulous sketch by our Tanja.

I have made a card for Mum. Hope you like it. This is one of my favourite sugar nellie stamps ever, coloured as per usual with my pro-markers. I have used papers from the DCWV Nursery stack.

The flowers are from the prima espirit range with rose bud centres. Swirls are a sizzix bigz die highlighted with stickles.

The border is another one of the Martha Stewart punches. This is the lattice arch, one of my favourites.

It would be good to have as many of you join our challenge this week as possible.

We have this fabulous Magnolia stamp up for grabs. Isn't tilda looking gorgeous here? As they say you have to be in it to win it, so come on join our challenge this week.

I had a very productive Friday afternoon of crafting, and these are some of the quick cards i made, hope you will enjoy them.


This is using one of the fabulous downloads from Sally-Ann. I love her images, they are all fabulous and available from her Grab-a-doodle website.

One of the fabulous Pollycraft stamps. I love this adorable images by the fabulously talented Paula. Papers were freebies in one of the Making Cards magazine.

I adore the downloads available from Pink Petticoat too. This is one of the fabulous dinosaurs. Coloured again with my pro-markers. I love their cute faces! Papers are Basic Grey and the core-dinations. Ribbon and gems from stash.

Crafty Pad Challenge Wk 14/Happy Mothers Day

Good morning ladies, i trust you are having the best Mothers Day ever. Im pre-scheduling this post, so will update you on mine later.

Can not believe its week 14 at the Crafty Pad Challenge already. This week the theme is a card for someone else in your life who is special other than your mum.

I decided not to name anyone, but made a special love card. I have someone in mind to send it to, but will be keeping it a secret incase she reads my blog!

This lovely bear stamp is suitable for a new born card too. Im going to make one of those this week. The hearts are a cuttlebug die cut and again flowers are prima. The gorgeous papers are from SU sent to me by Katrina. Thank you hunny.

This is my favourite Martha Stewart punch. Now available in the UK through Personal Impressions distributors.

Leanne Ellis Card

I love this Leanne Ellis Image, i have used some free papers from the Making Cards magazine and a bit of silver miri card.

Ribbon is from my own stash, double faced satin. The flower is the retro whate of a punch with a jewellery bead cap centre ands atin rose bud.

The hearts have been glazed to give a 3d appearance, not sure you can see from this photo. Also stickles on the flower.

Creative Card Crew Challenge Week 2/Birthday Card

I trust you all had a very enjoyable weekend, i suspect many of you have some lovely new stash to play with this week after visiting the NEC show in Birmingham. I am so jealous of you all, as i would have loved to have gone, but unfortunately it wasn't to be. I will look forward to visiting your blogs and seeing what you brought and more importantly what you do with it! We are enjoying some fabulous weather here this week, sunshine and warm temperatures. Im trying not to get too used to it as the weather man said it was changing towards the end of the week, typical, i suspect it will be a cold wet Mothers Day! What plans do you all have for Sunday? I'm having my mum to lunch which my hubby will cook. Other than that i have no expectations, i find its best this way, then i can't be disappointed!!!!! I don't want to sound ungrateful but my sons are pretty bad at picking gifts for me! i think ill leave a few hints of the funky kits webshop, although even with that, im sure ill end up with anything BUT crafty stash! Thank goodness for Jasmine, who has much better taste and with each year she gets older, i find my birthdays and christmas's are a little more cheerful, as she actually buys gifts that id like (even if they are just pretty and have no use!), instead of something that will be "useful", like a saucepan or hoover!!!!! She has a strong character, and will argue with her father over what she wants to buy! i had a lovely Build a Bear Bunny for Christmas. My hubby was beside himself, as he thought it was a total waste of money, me i was ecstatic with it! Anyway ladies you probably have hubbys and sons who are a little more thoughtful. Im waffling so ill get on!

CREATIVE CARD CREW CHALLENGE WEEK 2

Tuesday morning again and time for another challenge over at the Creative Card Crew Challenge. This week you are to make a card using no patterned papers. This i have to admit was a challenge for me. However it can be done, maybe not well, but done none the less. My card for this week is using the fabulous whiff of joy mouse and cupcake image, one of my favourites!

I've stickled the flame and icing on the cupcake. Flowers are from imaginese with some white flowers cut from lace trimming. Diamante centres from stash.


This week we have a set of Claire Curds sentiments stamps up for grabs, so we would love to see your designs. Please join us again. Last weeks entries were all gorgeous, and we would like to thank each and every one of you who joined us.





Yesterday was my friend Sallys birthday, as always i'd left making her card to the last minute. I used this lovely Lola Rose image from Pink Petticoat. I so love the downloads available from this site, as they are a real pleasure to colour in.



Papers are from a HOTP pad and the die cute is a Sizzix Bigz die, flowers again imaginese.

Just birthday/Christmas Card Challenge Week 24

I am totally disorganized as most of you know by now. For some reason i managed to lose the card that i made for this weeks challenge. I thought i had posted it on the challenge blog already and was surprised not to see it on this weeks post. So i have to make another one!!! I will be back to post it later this morning.

This week we have this wonderful whiff of joy stamp up for grabs, and a wonderful sketch from very talented Kirstin. So please join us in this weeks challenge, we always enjoy visiting your blogs and seeing what you come up with.

Hope you have a good day back later with my card. Hugs Linda x