Wednesday Again and some Quick Christmas Cards

Can you believe its Wednesday again already, i have to admit its been lovely to have a more relaxed morning, with no school run, but its going far too quickly for my liking.

Hubby has gone back to work this morning, and we have the days ahead planned. Im dropping off Ben at his cousins later this morning and Jasmine and I are popping into town for a bit of lunch and maybe a bit of shopping.

Made these quick cards on Monday evening using up the Basic Grey Figgy papers. I am trying to work my way through my pads of papers, using one pad before moving on to the next. I have recycled some of last years christmas cards and also cheated using some of the gorgeous LOTV die cut images!

Tgus us a recycled christmas card, not clear but the background on the image is glittered.

One of those adorable LOTV images highlighted with stickles.

Another recycled card, with the addition of stickles on the snow. What a cute little bear!

LOTV again, this is the last of the images i have this size, i see another order coming along soon!

and finally, another recycled card using a sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

I am hoping to finish off using the rest of the pad tonight, so may have more cards to show you later. I am intending on doing some iris folding trees later, a very effective technique, and greta i believe with these papers!

Have a wonderful day, heard snow should be on its way today, heres hoping! hugs to you all Linda x

Week 45 at the Creative Card Crew Challenge

Happy Tuesday everyone. This is a scheduled post, but will be back tomorrow with another card and what my weeks been like so far!


Can't believe its week 45 at the Creative Card Crew Challenge and this week the theme is "Get Well Soon".


This is one of my favourite all time funky kit stamp designs, i love this bunny. I hae been trying to use up some of my old papers and this comes from one of the HOTP Sarabooks in Garnet. I do love the colour of these papers, but use i must!! im trying to use as many of my old papers as i can so that i can justify buying some new ones later in the year!



Colured using my pro markers, havn't got the shading right, i dont seem to get the hang of it, i must see about having a copic or pro marker lesson!



Flowers are some i brought from ebay and the leaves are of course punched using the fabulous Martha Steward fern punch! my favourite one.


This week we have for you a fabulous prize from the wonderful Truly Scrumptious Crafts.

Please go over to the Creative Card Crew Challenge for more inspiration from my lovely DT colleagues. Looking forward to visiting your blogs and seeing what you come up with this week.

Enjoy your day, hugs for now Linda x

JCBC Challenge No 56 - Sketch by Me

ITS WEEK 56 at the JUST CHRISTMAS AND BIRTHDAY CARD CHALLENGE. This week is a sketch by myself, i hope you will enjoy using it and join in with our challenge this week.

This weeks prize is a download by my wonderful friend Tracy from the Creative Cottage Designs. If you do not have access to a PC and printer I will have an alternative surprise gift instead.

My card for this weeks challenge, using one of my favourite sugar nellie stamps!

and a Christmas Card using one of my favourite Anya stamps

This card was made by my lovely friend Paula. Thank you for doing this for me hunny i love this image and the colour combination you've used.

For those of you on half term holiday this week i hope you have an enjoyable one. Hubby is off for two days and we are spending time with the children. I have a couple of posts scheduled for this week, but will probably not be about much until after Thursday. Hope you all have a lovely week, and that you enjoyed your weekend.

Hope you had some special time with your loved ones. I spent most of sunday with hubby walking the dog and watching some films on the telly. Very relaxing and must try and do it more often.

Off out today need to desperately buy some new clothes for Jasmines so Primarks here we come! Jasmine loves it there, and thankfullyits very reasonable! Might get chance to make a card later, if im lucky!

Hugs for now Linda x

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY/Basic Grey Challege week 13 and Same Papers different Cards

Happy Valentines Day to you all. Hope you all have a fabulous day my friends. My hubby doesn't actually do Valentines Day, he insists its because he doesn't want to be told when to buy a gift and card. So my flowers always come early and i had a gorgeous bouquet of red carnations and chrysanths on friday. My gift to him was a bottle of whisky, he likes a little tipple in the evenings, to destress.

Well today we are having a quiet day, watching some Dvd's and generally chilling out. Hopefully some colouring in for me, ready to make something on Monday!

These cards i made on Friday with the papers i used for my Totally Craft challenge card.

Trying not to use so many stamped images, thought these might be suitable for my mums older friends.

I just adore these papers so if anyone can throw any light as to their brand, i would be very grateful. Flowers are from stash.

BASIC GREY CHALLENGE 13 A Sketch by Martine

Back tomorrow morning with a card for the JCBC challenge, this week a sketch by me, and the chance to win some lovely downloads. So please pop by.

Hugs for now Linda x

Sleeping Beauty or Not? and Totally Papercrafts Challenge #3

Happy weekend to you all, and yippee to the half term week ahead! Lots of nice lazy mornings with hopefully extra time to craft. Today has been busy so far, a trip to Sainsburys for my sons to buy their valentine presents, a trip to pick up my nephew for a sleepover and then s bit of tidying so i feel like i've at least done a bit of housework this week!

Thought this morning i would share with you some photos of my baby Rocky Bear whilst alseep yesterday morning! apart from the body hair doesn't look unlike my hubby!

This is his daytime bed, no room for anyone else i might add, not that you would want to sit next to him on this muddy cover! he creates more washing than the children, and thats saying something!

I did manage a bit of crafting last night, and made 3 cards, im showing you today the card i made for the Totally Papercrafts challenge. I will show the other 2 tomorrow, with any others i get done today.

Totally Papercrafts #3 - Buttons and Bows and a Wags and Whiskers Blog Hop

Its the first time i actually inked up this little wags and whiskers beauty, isn't she just darling? have coloured her delicately, so unfortunately does not show too well in these pictures.

Found these papers in my oddments, not actually sure what brand they are so if anyone can enlighten me that would be great. Have completely used them up now, im so far keeping to my new years resolution, and using those papers that i have until now kept sacred!

Shall be doing a bit of blog hopping again later today to see what you've all been up to, hope you have an enjoyable day, and hope you will all have a lovely Valentines Day tomorrow.

Hugs for now Linda x

Friday Morning another Card and another week over

Its raining outside, and cold in here! the snow has disappeared and im sitting on top of the electric heater! Have had a fairly busy week, busy doing nothing my husband says, and i have to admit, im not really sure what ive been busy with either, but i havn't had mucy to craft since the beginning of the week.

I hope you have had a good week with lots of lovely crafting, will be catching up with some blog hopping later today, fingers crossed.

Thought i would show you a card i made last night with some of my favourite pink papers! not sure where the sentiment came from but isn't it sooooo true!


This card has been made for a friend who is always such a great support to me. Have stickled the leaves, how i love that stuff! and the frame is made using the fabulous nestabilities labels 4 one of my very favourites!

A special friend of mine also celebrated her birthday on Thursday and this is the card i made for her. I love that cupcake stamps and of course had to use pink again, as its my favourite colour! The papers are from SU and i have sprayed the image with the crafters companion spray and shine. Not sure you can see the effect, but it does leave a lovely shimmer to the card.

Cherries and strawberries have been glazed, not with sugar and water in this instance but glossy accents!

I hope you all have a wonderful day, im thrilled that next week is half term. Looking forward to some lazy mornings and some time to craft. Back later with more cards I hope!

Hugs Linda x

An Award thank you Patti

I was absolutely thrilled to receive this award from Patti, thank you hunny. Will be back to pass it on later.

Hope you've had a good day, who got snow? Hugs Linda x

Friday Sketchers Week 88

Happy Monday morning my lovelies. I am sitting here in the conservatory with the heater on. The central heating is on already but barely touches this room. SSSSShhh just dont tell hubby. I am sitting looking out the window where it is blowing a small snow blizzard - it looks soooo gorgeous. of course its not settling, which i suspect is probably just as well as i can't possibly not take Jasmine to school this week because i can't drive in it. Not as its the last few days before half term. Yeahhhhhh! looking forward to a relaxing week, and it appears hubby might even take some days off too so we can have a couple of days out. That would be nice, seeings as we are not having a holiday this year.

I trust you are all well, and relaxed after the weekend, hope you fit in plenty of crafting this week.

This week at Friday Sketchers is a fabulous sketch by Tanja. What an absolute joy to work with. Love all the layers and getting to use all those yummy papers.

Still loving these sweet pea images, as you can see im still loving the same colours too!!!! have pratically coloured this in the same colours as the last image i used, albeit they are different images. In my defence i had to use the colours to blend with the papers by K & Co - Smitten. The heart accents were a RAk from the lovely Janell, thank you hunny.

I must say i think i should have allowed the watercolours to dry before added the darker colours as you can see i have some smudging!!! (dont look too close).

I have amazed myself how many challenge ive actually entered in the last week, its taken me a long time to get motivated, but im finally there. Long may it last!

This is the sketch for this weeks Friday Sketchers Challenge #88. What a dream!

Have a great day off to do a bit of blog hopping, hugs for now Linda x

Creatalicious Challenge wk 6

Its week 6 at the Creatalicious Challenge blog. This months challenge is to make a card or project without using a stamped or digi image. This was quite taxing for me, i tend to use one or the other these days! After alot of staring into empty space, i came up with this card.



Used lots of white layers with various embossing folders to add texture, and then coloured some of the stems of the flowers and accented the flowers with some handmade flowers finished with a rose.

Once, i had decided what i was going to do, it was a surprisingly quick and simple card to make, will definitely re-make!

Sketch Saturday wk 89 and some photos

Good evening, back as promised! Its week 89 at the Sketch Saturday challenge blog and what a fabulous sketch it is too by the lovely Ria.

I am loving blue at the moment and gingham has been a favourite of mine forever! sequins used to surround the circle mat.

Sentiments printed on the PC

Roses have been stickled

Ria's Sketch




As promised, some photos of my eldest son Dean, who despite having caused my rapid increase in grey hairs and wrinkles, is my lovely son of whom i am very proud of.

He has been asked to be god father to his friends daugher, and i believe this could be the making of him. He is absolutely besotted by this little angel and wants to be a good role model!

These are 3 of the 9 special people in my family! Rocky Bear was at this time behaving himself, but he was a little too interested in her little face which as you can imagine scared her and her bottom lip would quiver, we did have to move Rocky into the kitchen!



Totally besotted by this little beauty!







So i think ive bored you enough today with my blabberings and ramblings, so will leave you in peace to enjoy the rest of your evening, you never know might be back tomorrow with another challenge card , hugs Linda x

Happy Sunday ! Create 4 fun challenge No 6 and Week 3 at the Colour Challenge

Good morning and happy Sunday! hope you are enjoying your weekend so far. I've been up since 7.00pm and whilst the house is quiet decided to get a quick card made. I love this gorgeous new Magnolia tilda, isn't she just adorable. These papers are from the gorgeous Papermania Colour Capsule range which i am just loving and a bargain at just £2.99 a pack!

Whilst a bit of blog hopping this morning i came across the Create 4 fun challenge week 4 which a fabulous sketch but also entering into Week 3 at the Colour Challenge where this weeks title is monochromatic blue.

Using the fiskars treading water border punch and the Martha Stewart fond leaf punch which i just adore.

Coloured (not very well!) with my pro-markers. Wanted to use my watercolours but didn't have the colours i need, note to myself, i need some more faber aquarelle water colours 24 shades just isn't enough!

This weeks sketch at Create 4 fun was by the wonderful Bev. I'm sure everyone is aware of this fabulous crafters talent, if not go take a look here you are sure to be inspired!

Last night Jasmine slept over a friends, so it has been very quiet here. We are collecting her at eleven and heading to my mums for sunday lunch. I am happy not to have to cook today, that means, more time to craft and blog hop.

For those of you who have been following my unfortunate chain of events you will be glad that i have nothing new to moan about!!!! (thank you for sticking with me and not totally abandoning this mad woman!) In fact i am feeling rather positive today as we have been informed the building work is possibly not as bad as first informed, and we are currently waiting for the estimate to put it right. Fingers crossed it is less than the money allocated to us by the insurance company!

Will be back later this afternoon hopefully with another challenge entry and some photos of my eldest son and his forthcoming god daughter. He is taking this role very seriously and i am thrilled that the responsibility may actually make him take stock of his life and maybe make some responsible changes in months to come. My son has always loved babies even from the age of 5! and watching him with his god daughter makes me feel quite confident that in years to come he will be the perfect father!!! obviously not quite yet though, i dont feel ready to be a grandmother - ooooohhhh that sounds too old for me just now!

Now im rambling , so sorry , off for another coffee before walking the dog! See you xxx

Rosettes Blog Candy

This has been taken from Rosettes Blog here.


Sweet Stuff or You

Here is the promised candy up for grabs, to celbrate my entering Mo's Dream Team and celebrating also Elisabeth Bell's second Digital stamp :)


Go take a look for yourself. You will love Rosettes creations too, she is a very talented crafter!

Back later x

Sugar Bowl Challenge - Marlenes Sketch blog candy alert

Its week 28 at the Sugar bowl and this week there is a fabulous sketch from the wonderful Marlene. This is my interpretation of it. Using one of the manga boys called "Pets Corner"

Coloured with watercolours and prisma pencils and distressed background with my ranger distress inks. Hasn't turned out quite as i had envisaged, but nothing new there!

Sentiment "you are not alone" from an Anna Griffin set.

Hope you are all having a fabulous day, horray for the weekend. Its been bright and sunny this afternoon, giving us the false hope of Spring has arrived!!!!! even had the back door open.

The insurance company came out this morning and has given us an amount in which to repair the wall. Unfortunately its £1800 less than the quote we've been given. Have to get some more quotes now, why can't things ever run smoothly?????

Never mind we will get there in the end. Back later with another card i hope. Enjoy your evening x

BLOG CANDY ALERT

Also my lovely friend Simone has some fabulous blog candy up for grabs. The closing date for entry is the 12th February. Please go over and take a look .