Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

I was blown away when I received this award from the uber-talented Marlene the other day....just came at a lovely time too....(after a very stressful coupla weeks).

Here are the rules for this award:
(1) You can only pass this award on to ONE person, not to be put on display for anyone to pick up
(2) Give the reason why you chose the person to pass it on to
(3) Are you lucky enough to receive this award again, rule 1 & 2 apply
(4) Display these rules with your award

So now I must choose...oh, this part is fun girls...NOT!! lol Okay, the person who immediately springs to mind is Natalie...she has always been ever faithful, thoughtful and inspirational and I appreciate that immensely! Enjoy Natalie!!

Then....I received this fab award from the lovely lady herself!!....again I was surprised and delighted!

Now I believe I am to pass this to another 5 peeps, so I choose Ila, Jeanet, Marlene, Paula and Tiets!

And then to top it all off...I received this award from the lovely Juls...relatively "new kid" on the block!! Check her blog for some fab projects...she's already made it into the Top 5 and Top 20 of challenges!!

BTW, I really like this "motif"...very endearing IYKWIM!! I am the one in the red frock, in the middle, but you knew that...right...?!
Again I have the pleasure to share this with another 5, so without further ado it goes to Deb, Leonie, Maria, Natalie and Sharon!

If you're still with me after this super long post I'd like to share this card which I made with one of Tiets sketches that she shared on her blog recently! Made with another Mary Hall image and the gorgeous Basic Grey Lemonade collection! bx

My First Anya!

I did a couple of image swaps recently with Vicky and Sharon and I was lucky enough to receive some lovely Anya's...this is my first time using an Anya so thanks girls!! This image was a pleasure to colour, especially using the Prisma colours!

I'd like to enter this card into A Spoon Full of Sugar as I used a felt "swirl" border...adds lovely texture to the card. The sketch also happens to be last weeks A spoon Full of Sugar challenge!

I'd also like to enter the card for this weeks challenge at Cute Card Thursday which is "Christmas in July".

I used some of last year's Basic Grey christmas paper, fun flock on her boot-tops, a few Jolee's ice-flakes, a few Daisy D flowers and a few "blingy things" from my stash!

I've taken a little break from cardmaking this past few days to get some scrapbooking done...I never seem to dedicate any time to scrapbooking so I did just that!! bx

One for Fun!

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the talented Tiets.....one of the fabulous DT for Sugar Nellie....I always admire the beautiful cards she creates. Quite often she shares the sketches she uses/creates for her craft club - I used one of her sketches recently to create this card.

I used Basic Grey Offbeat......I wanted bright colours to go with this fab Mary Hall image...I also managed to use some more of those fibres I found while sorting out my room recently...the colours matched this paper perfectly! I also used a Making Memories epoxy button, a Prima bloom and a Hero Arts ticket stamp!

Why not give one of Tiets sketches a go yourself...? bx

WOJ Fall Stamp Kit!

It's that time again....to order the next fabulous Whiff of Joy Kit (stamps designed by Elizabeth Bell). You have until 7th August to get the pennies saved and your kit reserved....in the meantime Katharina is very generously offering blog candy of 2 Fall kits...go here to find out all the deets! Good luck everyone! bx

CPS 123 and CPS 124!

First up is a card I made with the current sketch at CPS...using a Sugar Nellie image...I've had this uninked for some time now...'bout time it was used...I love it!

I used more of the Basic Grey Lemonade collection, Paper Cellar raffia, an A Muse sentiment, Prima blooms and a few gems and brads that needed a good home!! Coloured of course with the Prisma pencils.

Next up is a card made using last weeks CPS sketch...just didn't get it posted in time!! This cutie is by C C Designs and part of the fab candy win I had from Nikki's online store!!

More or less the same "ingredients"...this time with some Basic Grey ribbon

Does anyone remember "go-go's"....the hair bobbles...or am I showing my age again?!! lol bx

Little Lady!

Another adorable (and versatile) Sugar Nellie image for this card I made using the fab sketch at Sketch Saturday....thanks girls...I enjoyed this sketch!!

I coloured using the Prisma colours, more yummy Basic Grey Lemonade papers....I just LOVE these colours.....a Prima bloom, Making Memories brad (spotty) and ribbon (i think!!), an A Muse sentiment and a couple lil items from the stash box!! bx

Let's go fly a kite...!

....up to it's highest height...are you singing along now...?!! lol

Another fabulous Mary Hall image...such innocent young faces...! I used Heidi's fab sketch at Friday Sketchers - thanks Heidi!

I've coloured with Prisma pencils, used papers from the new Basic Grey June Bug collection, a Hero Arts sentiment and some "old" Making Memories fibres that I came across when my room got it's little "makeover"!! I thought it kinda resembled the bows on the kite string! bx

The Sweetest Thing!

Is this (Sugar Nellie) image not the "sweetest thing"...? I think it is just adorable.....I happened upon a new site for me called The Sweetest Thing and used Karen's cool sketch. Thanks Karen, I enjoyed using this immensely!!

I'd like to enter this card into this weeks Stamp Something also as their challenge is to use pink, green and yellow!

I dipped into the Basic Grey Lemonade paper pack again...I don't remember ever loving a BG collection quite so much....my 6x6 pack is almost gone already and I love the cards I have made with it!! I think these papers lend themselves to the fresh, summery feel of the image...yep I love this card!! lol

I coloured with the prisma's again, used some pretty Prima blooms, some Martha Stewart Twill, an A Muse sentiment and brads from stash. bx

WOJ Challenge No38

I finally pulled this image out and got her inked up....(thanks Sharon, I needed that little nudge!!)...you would not believe the mountain (no, in case Colin reads this, it's just a wee, tiny, hardly-worth-mentioning molehill love...honest...!)of uninked rubber I have on my desk....I'm making my way through it all...but then I see more gorgeous must-have-it-now stamps and so it goes...have you seen these new sneek peeks...? What is a girl to do (ehhhmmm, just in case...no need to answer this!!) heehee

So my card...made with the beautiful Whiff of Joy image (minus her wings)...I liked how she looked without them...I've coloured with the prismacolours....I'm enjoying using them...but I am struggling with a few things...but I'm gonna keep at it!!

I used the Basic Grey Wisteria paper pack, added a bit of stickles to the lovely Prima bloom, added an A Muse sentiment, some papermania bling et voila...my card using the WOJ Challenge sketch...thanks WOJ Team, I enjoyed using this sketch! bx

PS I've had a look at some of the CHA releases....some yummy stuff coming girlies...are the purses ready...?!

Sweet Child of Mine...!

Sometimes you just fall in love with an image....and that's exactly what happened when I saw this card...so I HAD to buy Little Emmy right there and then.....I love everything about her...her sass, her outfit, oh and I certainly understand that mass of curls....if I had a daughter....this is how she would look....I'm sure of it!!

I teamed her with DCWV paper from the Rock Star collection, although the lil spotty piece was a "scrap" on my desk from the gorgeous, gorgeous Basic Grey Lemonade collection; a Prima flower, a fuzzy brad and when I saw that Melissa Frances rub-on sentiment I knew it was perfect for this card!

I made the card using the current sketch at Stamp with Fun...thank you ladies I enjoyed using it...and because so many elements of this card are "my favourite things" I'm also entering this card into the Papertake Weekly Challenge!

Next up is this card I made using the Mojo Monday sketch....I gotta say that although I loved the sketch, love the sweet Mary Hall image and Kim Hughes sentiment which matches beautifully, the MME papers...I'm just not happy with this card....it's those rub-on stitches....but when they're down, they're down!

Hope you're all having a fab weekend....we're flying through this month faaaar too fast for my liking! bx

A Twofer....!

I just adore this little Tilda with her birdcage...HAD to have her!! This is another card using the Lemonade collection from Basic Grey (must go tell Sharon about this one!!).

I want to enter this one into Just Magnolia as their theme this week is "so charming" and I'd also like to enter it into A Spoon Full of Sugar as their challenge is to add "hearts"!

More colouring with Prisma pencils, some yummy Prima flowers, a Doodlebug sugar coated brad Making Memories ribbon, sentiment by Hero Arts and I'm sorry I can't remember who kindly sent me this heart charm...sorry!! bx

Friday Sketchers No59...

I've really been enjoying my crafts this past few days....I am LOVING this new Basic Grey paper collection "Lemonade"...just love the colours...think I've made 5 cards with it so far...!

I've used this weeks fab Friday Sketchers sketch by Claudia....thanks so much Claudia...I really enjoyed using this sketch!

This is another of my gorgeous stamps that I chose from Nikki's online craft store....I've had soooo many new things this week it feels like christmas!! lol The sentiment is part of the Magnolia summer kit, i've used Prima ribbon and gorgeous velvet brads (can't remember which company makes these particular ones!).

Again I've coloured with the prismacolors and although I'm not any "great shakes" at it yet (gotta love my optimistism ehh?!) I am enjoying this colouring method more than any other! bx

Thank you Miss!

The new challenge at Cute Card Thursday is "Thank you Miss"....a card for all those hardworking teachers! Well our kids are already finished....they finished on the 30th and we celebrated with an "end of year" party!

We had the best, hottest, only dry day of the week...so the BBQ and the ice-lollies went down a treat! i had booked a bouncy castle....but they let us down (and had a terrible "could-care-less" attitude)...but thankfully we had a pinata (which all the kids had been secretly hoping for!!) and other party games which kept the kids entertained! The bouncy castle was a surprise for them......so the only people disappointed were us bigguns!!

So, I have a head start on this challenge as my card was handed over last week....I used the little Stampendous image, Scenic Route paper, A muse sentiment and ribbon and buttons from stash! bx

Miss Bumble Bee

Oh how I love this new Gorjuss Girl...Miss Bumble Bee...think she might be my fav!! I used her for the current challenge at the Sugar Bowl....which is this fab sketch, and the "option" is to include "sparkle".......weelll, you should see this card in real life...it twinkles and sparkles beautifully with the stickles on her wings and the Heidi Swapp flower jewels (the top 3 aren't exactly in the right place but they wouldn't fit downwards...hope that's allowed!!!

I used MME papers, Prima flowers, a Making Memories brad, Heidi Swapp jewel flowers, a piece of basic Grey ribbon and a Kim Hughes sentiment. I've coloured again with the prismacolor pencils...i am enjoying the technique and am sure I will improve with practice (she says very optimistically!!). bx

Introducing......Tosse!

Look at this cute cute guy....how couldn't you help but fall in love with that cheeky yet innocent lil face? He is one of the stamps i chose from Nikki's online store in the candy prize I won! The papers are from the new 6x6 My Mind's Eye, Asparagus paper pack.....I would thoroughly recommend trying these out...perfect size for cardmaking and you can't beat that price!! Again I chose these in my super candy win...did I tell you I was thrilled with this...?!! lol

I used my prismacolors to colour the image....what do you think...?

Thanks to Sketch Saturday for the fabulous sketch...really liked it and will use it again! bx

Under the Weather...?

Yaaayyy...i finally got to make a card again after that mammoth task in my craft room!! I cleaned, got new flooring, new furniture (which is fantastic) rearranged things and phew...I'm glad it's finally finished!! The best bit is I have a new desk which leaves me lots of room to work on even though my "toys" are all around!!


Anyway, my card....a couple of firsts for me with this one! Thanks to Karen for the cute Tattered Teddy image....and....it's my first attempt at colouring with my very own Prismacolor pencils! I have tried this method of colouring briefly before...but now I have my own set of pencils I want to try and improve my skills...we'll see.....I'm not thrilled with this but I will keep trying!!


I used the sketch by Dawn at Papertake Weekly...thanks Dawn, I enjoyed this sketch! I'd also like to enter this card into Cute Card Thursday's "Stitch in time" challenge as I've stitched around the yellow panel!



And just look at these fabulous goodies my postie arrived with this morning!! It's my candy choices from Nikki's online store that I won recently!! i LOVE these new images and paper packs and can't wait to get "stuck in"! I have to say that I was "over the moon" to win this candy...thank you so much Nikki for your very personal and attentive service and your generosity! bx

Natalie's Popcorn Candy!

Look at the fabulous candy being offered by Natalie in celebration of reaching 500 posts! I looove Popcorn the Bear and his mate Souffle ..... so to be in with a chance of winning pop to Natalie's fab and friendly blog and join in - you have until 15th July to do so!! bx

Motivet Blog Candy!

This is the 9 must-have new stamps by Motivet! They are the cutest lil bunch of characters!! For your chance to win, pop across to the blog and join in the fun and to see some fab samples created with these images! bx

The Happy Couple!

Another fab sketch from Friday Sketchers this week...I used it to make this wedding card....together with the fab Magnolia image, more MM Paperie Rouge papers and flowers (love this collection), Melissa Frances rub-on and a few embellies (I am not sure of the makers!) bx

For My Groom...

Had a busy coupla days.....including a trip to Ikea to buy new furniture for the most important room in the house.....you know its the craft room!! It's gonna take a good bitta work to get it built and the whole room re-arranged...but it will be worth it!

There's a fab sketch by Bev this week at "Just Magnolia" which I used to make this card....although I had to switch sides for my embellishments because of the amount of "white space" on that side...hope that's allowed!!

I used some MM Paperie Mocha, a couple of vintage brads (to symbolise his cuff links!) and debated about the Prima flowers for a male card, but men wear button-holes and flowers are such a big part of a wedding so I used them in the end!!

Off now to get ready for the big end of year kids party tomorrow...there's a lotta excited kids out there tonight looking forward to all the surprises I have lined up for them! bx

Roses on Paper challenge - Buddies!

I came across a new challenge site "Roses on Paper" and decided to join in the fun! The "challenge" is to seek another challenge site, enter that challenge and to fulfil the ROP challenge you have to make sure to add flowers....simple!!

I had already made a card using the Friday Sketchers sketch...and as I liked it so much I used it again to make this card! But as you cannot combine challenges with Friday Sketchers, I've made the card using this weeks theme at Cute Card Thursday which is "Wheely Good Fun"...as soon as I read this challenge the cogs started turning and I dusted down this fab Sarah Kay image...et voila!

I've used some pretty MME papers, a Melissa Frances rub-on sentiment, some yummy Prima flowers and lace trim, and for extra texture a couple of Creative Memories fuzzy brads!!

The other exciting thing about Roses on Paper is that they are launching a new online store Belles 'n Whistles and are looking for 3 new Design Team Members....but you gotta enter to win the prize gals!! Good luck everyone!! bx

Sugar Nellie challenge 13...

Isn't this little lady a doll...? She is so innocent and content looking...love her!! Both she and her lil friend were a dream to colour. I used the current Sugar Bowl sketch (challenge 13...and I'm feeling luuucky...ok maybe it's just hopeful!!)lol

To be entered for the fabulous prize the "option" is to use "kraft"....so...I made myself 2 little cubes from some Prima packaging which was on my desk for using somehow in a project...the swirls and dots were already on the package...and the perfect opportunity arose with this challenge!

I dug out some Basic Grey for a wee change....and some yummy trim! bx

Here comes the Bride...

Gosh it's definitely that time of year isn't it....I got this Magnolia couple christened at last....kept it quite simple....(that's me I guess)!! And "Weddings" is the theme this week at a Spoon Full of Sugar...so fits nicely in! i coloured using my distress inks mainly, but on her gown I used irisdescent paint (can't just remember the name at the mo...all this heat must be getting to me!!) so she twinkles nicely! bx

Friday Sketchers No57!

Made this card using the sketch at Friday Sketchers....must say I liked this sketch also and will use it again!!

The Sugar Nellie image is so cute and easy to work with...there'll be no surprises to hear that the papers are by MME...the flowers and that gorgeous lace is by Prima - all firm favourites in my crafty book! bx

Nikki's Craft Store!

Congratulations to Nikki on opening her new online craft store! Lots of crafty goodies continually being added to her inventory...so go take a peek...and...she is looking for some DT members to help out...fancy it...? bx

PS She also happens to have a fabulous candy offer too...you have until 26th June to join in!! bx

Papertake Weekly Challenge - sketch no 17

I finally got around to inking up this Magnolia stamp - love her!! Think her lil spotty paper pieced dress turned out alright!! Love these gorgeous MME papers too. I used the current sketch over at Papertake Weekly....really liked this sketch and will use it again!! bx

Happy Father's Day!

A big "Happy Father's Day" to all the Dad's out there today!! My Dad requested a BBQ...bit of a risk with our weather...but it has actually dried and brightened up....so I've taken a break from the preps to post this card...made with this week's "Stamp with Fun" theme of Dots!

Ok...back to the choppin' I go...and that jugga sangria!! Yum-E!! bx

The Sugar Bowl - Lia's Sketch

The Sugar Bowl's 12th challenge is to make a card using their latest fab sketch; and to be entered for their prize you must use "green and blue" - this is my intepretation of it all!

I love this MME paper and wanted to keep the "designer edge", so I just used this paper as my base! I also used some Prima flowers and ribbon, a sentiment by Memory Box, green ribbon by Making Memories, a punch by Stampin' Up and of course the star of the show is one of the Gorjuss girls!

Haven't been able to craft this past few days as I've had laser eye surgery - with a great result, but my close up vision is still "settling" - I hope to get back asap!! bx

ETA: Told you I was having a little difficulty with my eyes, I had comments from Kathy, Lilian and Natalie and instead of publishing...I hit the "reject" button! Oops...sorry ladies!! bx

New "Whiff of Joy" Release!

Oh have you seen the new "Whiff of Joy" release - Women's Delight? It is a stunning bridal and baby collection, complete with cake and carriage!! You must take a peek!!

To celebrate the launch, Katharina is offering 2 lucky crafters the chance to win some stamps from this collection....here's hoping! bx

Sugar Bowl Sketch with Pearls!

Yeeeaaayyyy...finally I got to make a card...seems like forever since I've been creating! I was desperate to enter the Sugar Bowl sketch challenge (option to use pearls) so here it is...just in the nick of time too!!

Recipe:

Stamps: Main image - Leanne Ellis image Fly Free, sentiment Hero Arts,flourish Memory Box
Paper: Basic Grey Urban Prairie, Basill Basics cardstock
Embellishments: Prima Flowers, Making Memories Brad and lace, Papermania pearls

I scalloped, distressed, corner rounded, inked edges and sewed a little and hey presto!!

I'm feeling much better now thank goodness, if I could just shift this lingering infection I'd be laughing!! bx