Welcome to my blog

Maisie

2012-02-04T16:44:00.001Z

Good afternoon everyone............. its a very snowy and blowy day here in Cheshire.... and its freezing!

Just had to share this photo of our grand doggy Maisie........ she is just 10 weeks old and a bundle of mischief... she looks like butter wouldnt melt doesnt she..?? She is a little rascal but she makes us laugh with her funny antics. She hasn't quite got the idea of house training at the moment....... there are newspapers and puppy pads all over the place but she always finds a spot thats not protected!!

Thats it from me today... a quickie post but I will be back again soon... meantime keep warm!!

Hugs

XXX

Triple Happiness!!

2012-01-31T18:32:00.000Z

Good evening everyone, hope you are all well and not too cold .... its freezing isnt it!! Had a really unusual request for a card for triplets.......at first I thought of it as a bit of a daunting task but the fabulous Mo's Digital images came to my rescue!! This one is Diaper Crew, there are 6 fab images to choose from and a doddle to colour!

Papers are Nitwits - Grins N Giggles.

Sentiment done on PC

Ribbon and dummies from stash

I forgot to take a photo of the inside but the verse is:

Three to cuddle, three to hold,
three to treasure, good as gold.

Three to watch, what a game,
now what's different, what's the same.

Three in nappies, three in bibs,
three in sleepers, tucked in cribs.

Three to lullaby, not one peep,
three now hush, fall fast asleep.

Congratulations on your triple happiness!

A quickie post as I am just dashing off to my Tuesday evening craft group.... enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for looking!

Hugs XXXX

Exploding Box

2012-01-23T15:33:00.000Z

Hi everyone!!! I am back...... I know I have neglected my blog for ages now...... feel really guilty about it but the last few weeks have been really busy with one thing and another...... Christmas, New Year, illness and life in general.... so much going on in our lives at the moment and my mojo doing a disappearing act didnt help.... but hopefully I am back on track now!!

This exploding box I made for my granddaughter Bethany's 18th birthday earlier this month..... didnt realise until I gave it to her though that I had made a boo-boo with her year of birth..... should have been 1994 and not 93 ..... duh!! Still, I have rectified it since then ...... it had to be right as hopefully it will be a keepsake for a long time to come. I love making exploding boxes..... its such a delight to see the recipients face when they open it! I followed a fab tutorial here http://sazzlecraft.blogspot.com/search/label/Exploding%20Box for the dimensions of the box and the cake........ then I had great fun decorating it ..... the cake was a bit fiddly but worth doing ..........I wanted to make it as girly as possible.......Beth was thrilled with it which made it all worthwhile.

The gorgeous paper is Tilda Papercraft 'Classic'

Flowers are all from Wild Orchid

Sassy stamp is Whimsy Filmstrip Sentiments

Thats it from me today.... a short and sweet post ....... enjoy the rest of your day.... hope your weather if better than we have in Cheshire at the moment, its been a real mixed bag today, rain, sunshine, wind and hailstones!!

Hugs

XXX

Happy Christmas!!

2011-12-24T20:23:00.000Z

Happy Christmas to all my lovely followers and blogging friends, hope Santa is good to you and my very best wishes for 2012!!

XXXX

Little Jumpers and Tilda!!

2011-12-11T20:28:00.002Z

Hello again everyone...... hope you are all well and apologies for my absence for such a long while........ just been so busy, busy busy!! .........but then we all are...... its the time of year and so much going on at home at the moment.... running around like a headless chicken!!! There is still so much to do and only 2 weeks left to Christmas !! eeeek!! Just about managed to finish all my Christmas cards and I will try and post them sometime this week...... and these little jumpers.... well, I am addicted to knitting them.... they knit up really quick and they are so cute, especially with their little matching beanie hats!! If you saw my earlier post (from ages ago!) you will know I am knitting these little jumpers for HIV babies in Africa and I have been overhwelmed by the response I have had with regards to people requesting the pattern and wishing to knit for this very worthy cause ... and it uses up all those oddments of wool you may have lying around! I have the pattern for anyone who would like a copy, just let me know and I will email it to you.

This is one of the cards I did manage to make this week.... I fell in love with this little lady as soon as I saw her, she is so sweet. She is coloured with Promarkers with lots of Star Dust glitter. The papers are also Magnolia, "Sweet Christmas Dreams - Holly Christmas Song" - honestly I was soooo reluctant to cut into this beautiful paper!

The gorgeous glittery ribbon and the lovely twinkly button are from The Ribbon Girl

Sentiment is Lili of the Valley

Snowflake is Marianne

I will try not to leave it so long before my next post ....I have a couple of projects I have been working on to show you so watch this space!!

Thanks for looking and bye for now!

Hugs

Fish and Chip babies

2011-11-14T18:26:00.000Z

Good afternoon everyone, just realised how long its been since my last blogpost! Been really busy with lots of things going on at the mo and cardmaking has been put on the back burner a bit although I have managed to make a few christmas cards....as it will soon be upon us..... 6 weeks to go aarrghhh!!..... will post them sometime this week. Meantime I wanted to show you what has been taking up my time the past couple of weeks....fish and chip baby jumpers!!!! I am a member of a craft group at our local Age UK and the knitters amongst us have decided to make as many of these little jumpers as we can using oddments of double knitting wool. If you have never heard of fish and chip babies......they are for the little HIV babies in Africa, these infants are known as the “fish and chip babies” because of the poverty and Aids that is rife throughout that area. A young mother-to-be goes into the local hospital to have her baby and succumbs to the inevitable, leaving the child with nothing whatsoever in this world. The child, when able or old enough to leave the hospital, is wrapped in newspaper and taken, if lucky enough, to live with relatives or at worst to an orphanage hence the name “fish and chip babies”. The pattern is really easy and only takes a few hours to make, the only stipulation is that they must be knitted in darker colours, not pastels or white as they are unlikely to be washed very often.

I havent knitted for years.... used to love knitting little matinee jackets and bonnets when my girls were babies and then when they were older I always knitted their school jumpers and cardies......sadly no-one seems to like hand knitted garments these days. I am also learning to crochet at the craft group..... and rag rugging!! I remember when my mum used to make rag rugs, she would cut up little squares of old material and pull them through a large piece of hessian with a special tool. We are making them in exactly the same way and I have to say they are really trendy!

Well I will be back again soon with some cards to show you, so enjoy the rest of your evening!

Hugs

XXXX

Lili of the Valley Challenge # 117 - BINGO!

2011-10-24T15:02:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon everyone, hope you are all well on this rather windy day... at least its not raining.... at least here in Cheshire its not! Its a lovely autumnal day here.... the sun is shining and the leaves are blowing around in the strong gusts of wind.

Well my card today is for this weeks Lili of the Valley Challenge # 117 - BINGO!!

I have chosen gems, flowers and ribbon and lace.

The card was inspired by the very talented Bev Rochester.... if you haven't visited Bev's blog please do take a look at her amazing work........ Bev has been my biggest inspiration ever since I started card making..... she is a lovely lady and produces the most amazing creations........I can always rely on Bev's work to inspire me if my mojo goes walkabout ...... which it does.... fairly regularly!!

The image is of course Lili of the Valley, coloured with Copics and Promarkers.

Paper is Kaisercraft - December 25th

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Roses, Poinsettia, brad and Stamens - Wild Orchid Crafts

Snowflake - Marianne Die

Ribbon and lace from my stash

As well as amazing creations Bev also has some fabulous video tutorials... I have used 2 of them on this card..... colouring blonde hair with Copics and covering poinsettia flowers with Twinklets.

I have added little dots of Liquid Pearls White Opal around the little angels to represent snow and you cant see it very clearly from the photo but there is Stickles Gold on the angels wings and around the edges.

Well I am off to peg some washing out to make the most of this lovely sunshine and breeze, enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for your visit today.

Hugs

xxx

Twinkling Star

2011-10-15T20:12:00.000+01:00

Good evening everyone, hope you are all well, just realised how long its been since my last post, I am a naughty blogger!! The days just whizz by so fast, they are gone in the blink of an eye ....... at least the weather has been a bit more decent the latter part of the week but alas its not to last.... apparently its going to get colder and wetter next week....... !!

My card for today and its an easel card.... I really struggle to take photos of easel cards..... do you?? I seem to take hundreds of photos and none of them seem right somehow.... there must be a better way ...... if anyone has any tips I would love to know.

The image is of course Lili of the Valley 'Twinkling Star'

coloured with Promarkers with lots of Star Dust and Silver Stickles.

Delish paper is a digi download from Nitwits - Joyful Hearts

Sentiments are Lili of the Valley

Snowflake and Star are Marianne Dies

Label is Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fancy Tags

I am entering this card for this weeks challenge # 116 at Lili of the Valley where the theme is 'Warm and Cozy' - I think she looks as warm as toast in her little boots, gloves and furry coat, don't you!!

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, thank you so much for dropping by, I really appreciate it!

Hugs

XXX

Let it Snow - LOTV Challenge #115

2011-10-06T15:45:00.000+01:00

Hello again everyone.........hope you are all well and managing to avoid the dreaded cold virus I had over the last few days ......... feeling much better than I was but whenever I have a cold it goes straight to my sinuses... so painful, usually it only clears up with a course of antibiotics..... I want to try and do without them if I possibly can this time... we shall see....and so far OH is clear of it!! Well its blowing a gale here today, we have had wind, rain and sunshine and its freezing! This time last week we were basking in lovely warm sunshine, bizzare british weather!

Onto my card today ....... thought I would try something different using the Martha Stewart Doily punch .... I quite like the effect.

Image is Lili of the Valley Milly Winter Window coloured with Promarkers.... with lots of glitter added.

Paper is from my bits box from last Christmas so dont know the make ... sorry.... it could be Bo Bunny... but not sure!

Snowflake is Marianne and the brad is a pink moonstone from Wild Orchid Crafts.

The ticket sentiment is part of a Christmas set from Whimsy Stamps

I am entering this card for the the new challenge at Lili of the Valley this week which is Let it Snow.

Today is my birthday...... not telling you how old I am today..... but put it this way...... I now dread the birthdays..... time is whizzing by far too fast!! I am being thoroughly spoilt though and the family are meeting us for tea at a local hostelry..... so looking forward to that.

Enjoy the rest of your day and hopefully catch up again very soon!

Hugs,

XXX

Emma and Flowerpot

2011-10-02T16:58:00.002+01:00

Hello everyone, hope you are all well........ hope you all managed to enjoy some of the gorgeous sunshine we have had this week .... looks like its over now though ..... its pouring down here... it was nice while it lasted and so unusual for October. I am feeling a bit poorly today, have a cold virus and its knocked me for six.... it crept up on me very quickly ..... I was fine in the morning but as the day wore on I began to feel really achy and fluey.... sore throat, headache and runny nose...... yesterday I felt so bad I took myself off to bed for a couple of hours...... very reluctantly as it was glorious sunshine and I wanted to make the most of it but my head felt like it was going to explode. Today I dont feel much better ..... but have to get on with it... it will go on its own ..... meantime I am dosing myself up with Day and Night Nurse capsules, just hope hubby doesnt catch it.... a man with man flu ...... groan!!!!

This is my DT card for the Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #75 which is a fab sketch by Maggie.

The gorgeous paper is from Nitwits Affection Collection

Image is Emma with Flower Pot by Lili of the Valley, coloured with Promarkers

Sentiment is a digi download from Lili of the Valley

Raffia is from Wild Orchid Crafts

Doily die is Marianne

Leaves are Martha Stewart Punch

Crochet flower made by me! (my first attempt!)

I am entering this card for the Lili of the Valley Challenge # 114 - Button it!

Enjoy the rest of your evening and thanks for dropping by

Hugs

XXXX

Three Little Angels Easel Card

2011-09-25T21:02:00.003+01:00

Hello my lovely friends... hope you all had a good weekend, did you do anything exciting......they go far too quick though don't they? At least the weather wasn't too bad.... and we are said to be in for a heatwave this week......... have you noticed we have had some lovely Indian Summers the last few years?

Well onto my card today and its the adorable three little angels image from Lili of the Valley... coloured with Promarkers and Prisma pencils, I think this stamp is my fave of this years Christmas releases.

The shape cut with Go Create XL Frames Frilly #3

The paper - Kaisercraft December 25th

Star and snowflakes - Marianne Dies

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Anyways this is a very quick post as I am off to watch Downton Abbey .... so catch up again soon and thank you so much for your visit.

Hugs

xxx

Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #73 and a pass!

2011-09-21T20:13:00.000+01:00

Good evening everyone, hope you are all well ..... I am thrilled to tell you all that Katie has PASSED her maths exam!! woop woop!! Cant tell you how relieved we all are and as you can imagine, Katie is over the moon, she got 58%!! She also took 3 skills exams today and passed those as well!! We didnt expect to hear so quickly, she was told it could take up to 4 weeks so to hear after 4 days.... we can now eat and sleep again!! LOL!

This card is my DT for Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #73which is a fab sketch by Gry ......

The prize offered this week is from Robyn's Fetish so pop across to Sunday Sketch and Stamp, we would love to see you there!

The image is Lili of the Valley Chrsitmas Angels Praying coloured with Promarkers

Lush paper is December 25th by Kaisercraft

Thanks for dropping by, see you all again soon!

Hugs

XXX

Christmas Angels

2011-09-19T16:21:00.001+01:00

Hello there everyone, hope you are all well and enjoyed a good weekend, they go far too quickly though don't they?? On Saturday I took my youngest daughter Katie to Ormskirk, which is about an hour's drive away, to take a Maths exam as part of her (GTP) Graduate Teacher Programme training, she was very nervous as she struggles with her maths plus she only had 4 days notice for taking the exam!........ and if she doesnt pass she will lose her place on the teacher training course which seems totally unfair to us. She has been a TA in a Resource base for special needs children at the local school but has always wanted to teach so when the opportunity came along she applied and was successful, she was delighted as you can imagine. She left the Resource base at the end of July and started her teacher training when the new term started in September, she was only in the job a week when the GTP dropped the bombshell that she needed the maths, despite the fact she had the required qualifications at interview........!!! She gets just the one chance and if she fails thats it, she is off the course!! ... she is worried sick she will fail and lose her job and she has up to 4 weeks before she gets her results..... seems so unfair that the GTP can move the goalposts to suit.... anyway... rant over .... we can only wait and hope she gets the 50% pass she needs... so fingers and toes crossed! Will let you know when she gets her results!!

Onto my card for today and its another christmas card.... I am really into the chrissy cards at the moment, dont know how long it will last though.... so while the mojo is there I will make the most of it! This is of course one of the new LOTV Christmas releases and I think its one of my favourite ones ..... just love the angels little faces! Coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers with lots of Star Dust Stickles on the wings.

Paper is Dovecraft Christmas Fancy

The poinsettia is from Wild Orchid Crafts..... I followed a brilliant tutorial by Bev Rochester here that shows how to cover these lovely little flowers with Twinklets.

Leaves are a Martha Stewart punch

Dies are Spellbinders and Marianne.

The cute sentiment I thought was perfect for this image, I did this on the PC ... I saw this on a card on Bev's lovely blog and really liked it.

Thanks for your visit to my blog today, enjoy the rest of your day!!

Hugs

XXXX

LOTV Challenge #112 Red, Green and White

2011-09-15T15:01:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon everyone, how are we all on the gorgeous September day..... the sun is shining and I actually managed to get a bit of gardening done this morning .... sweeping all those leaves away after the high winds we have had recently.

A quickie post today as I have loads to do and so little time to do it .... my card for today is for the LOTV Challenge #112 which is Red, Green and White.... perfect traditional Christmas colours!!

This cute little miss is coloured with Promarkers with lots of stickles and liquid pearls.

Paper is Pepper Christmas

Sentiment - Whimsy Stamps

Fab Holly Punch - X-Cut

Right ho I am off to get some more work done and outa the way, then I can do some crafting without feeling guilty!!

Enjoy the rest of your day whatever you are up to.

Hugs

XXX

Milly and her cat

2011-09-14T11:34:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone, hope you are all well and weren't too badly affected by the storms we have had for the past few days....... its been very blowy here but not much rain fortunately .... you watch now I said that it will pickle down for the rest of the week!

Well onto my card for today and yay its another Chrissy card... not a fan of the festive season myself but I do love making Christmas cards! Isn't she just sooo cute .....sat waiting for Santa to fly by! I have coloured her with Prismas and Copics with sprinklings of Glamour Dust. Image is of course Lili of the Valley.....Papers are Dovecraft Christmas Fancy.... ribbon is from Wild Orchid.......... snowflake is a Marianne Die....... punch is Martha Stewart.

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for dropping by, I have more to show you so call in again soon!

Hugs

xxx

Baubles on Kraft Card

2011-09-11T17:14:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone..... hope you are all well and not been affected too badly by the forecasted 'tropical storm Katia' ........ so far we are okay, in fact today has been beautiful sunshine and quite warm..... a bit blowy but nothing too drastic... maybe the quiet before the storm??

Just realised how long its been since my last post ... been so busy..... still trying to sort stuff in drawers and cupboards .......... made a few trips to the charity shop and the rubbish dump this week and managed to sell a few bits on Ebay too so quite a productive week.... love selling stuff on Ebay but hate the packaging and posting ... the lady at the post office positvely groans when she sees me with my arms full of little packets!!

Surprisingly though I managed to make a few Christmas cards this week and this is one of them and the inspiration for this one came from the very talented Bev Rochester..... I tell you Bev's cards are soooo gorgeous and inspirational and she has some fab tutorials...........she makes them so easy to follow too. The video tutorials are on the Ideas to Inspire blog by Lili of the Valley. This one shows how to colour on Kraft card and how to do highlighting on the baubles with a white prisma pencil.... so very easy but effective.... if you have never seen Bev's work do pop across to her blog...... I can guarantee you won't be disappointed!!

Image is Lili of the Valley

Coloured with Promarkers and white Prisma pencil

Fiskars Holly border punch

Ribbon and red dots from stash.

Thats it from me for today, thanks for dropping by and enjoy the

rest of your evening

XXX

A card and a clear out!!

2011-08-31T22:03:00.000+01:00

Hello again everyone...........hope you are all well.... I know its been a while since I last posted but had a really busy but very productive one..... not craftwise but sorting out wise! We will possibly have to move house within the next few months.... its a long story but basically because of the injuries hubby suffered in the accident almost 3 years ago now he is struggling with the stairs and the shower, so we have to move into a bungalow. We have lived here in this house for 42 years so you can imagine the stuff we have accumulated over those years!! I have been putting it off for as long as I can..... but it needs to be done and once I got going I was like a woman possessed!! Had to be really ruthless though, bags of stuff to take to the charity shop and the tip! Its amazing what you keep and find, cards made by the girls when they were little, can't bring myself to throw them away so put them all in a little memory box.... they will have to go with us, wherever we go! One place I am really dreading going into is the attic, OMG!! ...... I have no idea whats up there and what I will do with it!! I dont like going up there, I have a terrible fear of spiders and I imagine them lurking in dark corners waiting to jump out at me............ ewwww..... I would have a heart attack I can tell you! We had a nest of squirrels up there a few years ago and we had to get the pest control in to get rid of them, there was a nest of babies, I felt really bad that they had to be destroyed but we had no choice.

Anyhows, onto my card for tonight and its my 2nd Christmas card for this year I amd really behind with them, I usually try to get started them in July but with one thing an another just not had the time. The image, music and sentiment are Lili of the Valley, image coloured with Promarkers. The star border is a Marianne die which I have had for a while but could never manage to actually get the card out from the die once it had been through the bug. I tried everything, every time I ended up ripping the card into pieces, then I tried rubbing the die over with a tea light candle, then burnished with a soft cloth, viola!! success, it works, peels out no problem, so if you are having the same problem give the candle tip a try.

Poinsettia is Wild Orchid Crafts and paper not sure, will have a look and repost when I find it!

I am off the the Creative Crafts and Stitch show at Eventcity tomorrow, lots of dosh will be spent I am sure but I am so excited, will be back tomorrow to show you my spoils!!

Thanks for your visit and enjoy the rest of your evening and if you are going to the show during the next 3 days, enjoy!! oh and if you see me there, say hello!

Hugs,

Easel Wedding Card

2011-08-18T21:35:00.002+01:00

This is the matching box for the card

Hello everyone, hope you are all well and not missed me too much, its been a while since my last post...............just realised how long its been........... but I do have a good excuse (a few actually lol!) ... pull up a chair and grab a coffee...... well we had a wonderful break in Blackpool, lovely hotel, delicious food, fabulous entertainment and good company, what more could you ask for? We needed that break for the challenges of the week ahead ........... Tuesday we travelled to Wrightington Hospital near Wigan........ Don had to have an injection into his shoulder ............ Wednesday and Thursday morning I spent at car dealerships trying to organise a new car...... doesnt half take some time with all the flippin paperwork!..... but worth it, I now have a lovely 1 year old Peugot 207!! Thursday afternoon Don had an appointment at Manchester Royal Infiirmary, Friday I was working and Saturday Don had an appointment with a Neuropsychologist in Liverpool, we left at 9am and didnt get home until 5pm..... shattered!!!! Walked through the door, Don needed the loo desperately and on his way up the stairs he tripped and fell!! I ran upstairs fearing the worst, he was okay, said he hadn't hurt himself, just shaken up. 4.30am he woke me to say he didnt feel very well, he had pains in his chest and as he has had two heart attacks in the past and suffers with angina I phoned for an ambulance............ he was taken into hospital within minutes, Morphine, ECG's, X-Rays, Blood tests and then waiting for 5 hours in A&E for a bed. Luckily all the tests came back negative, it wasn't a heart attack........ such a relief! He was kept in for the day for observation and discharged at 8pm on Sunday evening...... they think it was bruising from the fall on the stairs. So that was my week, where did it go????? This week has been a little less hectic....... are you losing the will to live now.............?? ..... LOL, nearly finished!!!

Amongst all this mayhem I managed to make this card for my daughter for her friends wedding last Saturday...............I love this Marianne Die........... flowers are Wild Orchid, sentiments done on PC.

That's it from me for tonight, hopefully I will be back over the weekend with my DT card for Sunday Sketch and Stamp............... thanks for dropping by!

xxxx

Lili of the Valley Challenge 108 - Roses

2011-08-04T20:47:00.001+01:00

+
Hello everone, just a quick post to say I haven't gone AWOL..... just had a few things to catch up on and we are off to Blackpool tomorrow for a few days break.... so been trying to get stuff organised before we go. The dog is going to our granddaughters, hope he will be okay, we have never left him before......... he is an old man now at 14......... and then theres Honey the parrot..... daughter is coming in to see to her so hope they both behave!!

Lots of you kind people have enquired about hubby and the little procedure he had last week..... he is okay... he had a colonoscopy and everything looked fine, they took some biopsies the results of which will take a few weeks but nothing to worry about. He was very nervous of having it done but he was sedated and when I collected him he said he didnt know whey he was worried and he was thrilled to bits because they gave him toast and jam with his coffee, he's easily pleased!! lol!

Well onto my card....... the challenge at Lili of the Valley this week is 'Roses' - an easel card made with a Marianne die......... I love this die, I think its my fave one .... at the moment anyway! The image has been coloured with Prismas........ lace is from stash, image and sentiment both Lili of the Valley. Flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, of course! Apologies for the quality of my photos, I think I need a new camera, they look a bit fuzzy to me but then the light wasnt too good today, it was grey and drizzling.

Thats if from me for now, will be back after our well earned weekend break! Thanks for looking and enjoy your weekend whatever you are up to.

Hugs,

Love is in the little things

2011-07-25T13:32:00.001+01:00

Good afternoon everyone, hope you all had a good weekend and still enjoying some nice sunny weather. Hubby is off to hospital very shortly for a little procedure to be done, so I thought I would post this before I take him as I could be there for hours (groan!!!) ....... but it has to be done and I think he will be glad to get it over with............ he will be sedated so shouldnt be too bad for him.

My card for today is intended as an anniversary card for my daughter and SIL and as soon as I saw this gorgeous new die from Marianne I just had to have it (as you do!!).

The flowers are Wild Orchid and the sentiments are both Lili of the Valley.

Well better dash as its almost time, thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your day

Hugs,

Sunday Sketch and Stamp #65

2011-07-24T16:56:00.001+01:00

Happy Sunday everyone, its a lovely day here in Cheshire..... been sat in the garden, could feel myself starting to burn so thought I better come inside...... and as promised here is my DT card for todays Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #65 which is a fab sketch by Uma. First time ever I have used bunting on a card!! I am also entering this card into the Lili of the Valley Challenge 106 this week which is 'Fun and Games' so it fits perfectly.

The papers are Masculine by Dovecraft

Image - Lili of the Valley No 7 Bear coloured with Prismas

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Well thats it from me for today, I will be back tomorrow with another creation!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hugs,

Easel Drawer Card

2011-07-23T21:56:00.002+01:00

Hello there everyone, hope you are all well this fab sunny weekend, hope wherever you live you have had some sunshine. Sorry about the lack of posts this week, had a couple of family problems, its been a bit difficult to concentrate and my mojo went AWOL. Things are a little better but still not resolved but I won't bore you any longer...... onto my card today and its yet another easel drawer card, really loving this style at the moment! For this card I used 300gsm watercolour card....... its a bit sturdier than normal card and I quite like the effect of it. I have used a Martha Stewart punch around the page..... sorry, forgot the name of it! ........ The edges have been distressed with Frayed Burlap DI........ The papers are Nitwits Thimbles n Threads..... Image is Lili of the Valley coloured using Distress Inks................. Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts as is the small metal corner which has been painted and embossed to give it a shabby vintage look............ sentiment is Lili of the Valley and tag is Spellbinders.... little leaves are Marianne.

I will be back tomorrow to show you my DT card for this weeks Challenge #65 over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp which is a fab sketch by Uma.

Hugs

Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #63

2011-07-11T20:10:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone, hope you are all well this lovely sunny evening, its been a glorious warm sunny day here in Cheshire today, hope it lasts, can't believe we are already into July ........you know its true what they say... the older you get the faster the time flies.............before we know it Christmas will be upon us, oops.... I mentioned the dreaded 'C' word!!!! I keep thinking I should really be making a start on the old 'C' cards but somehow it just doesnt seem right to be looking at snowflakes and snowmen when the sun is beating down!

This is my DT card for this weeks challenge #63 at Sunday Sketch and Stamp - a fab sketch by Marie.

The gorgeous paper is Nitwits Thimblesnthreads

The beautiful image is from Tina46Kreativeblog

Stamping around image and edges of card - Stampelgede Grunge Collection

Flowers, metal corner, pearl button and seam binding ribbon - Wild Orchid Crafts

Film strip ribbon by Tim Holtz

Sentiment - Whimsy Stamps

Butterfly - Martha Stewart punch

Lace, pearls and charm from stash

Just noticed ... oops ... the charm is hiding behind the ribbon! I sent this card to my granddaughter for her birthday so I can't take another photo of it..... note to self ... make sure all embellishments are visible before taking photo .... duh!!

Thats it from me for today, thanks for dropping by and enjoy the rest of your evening.

xxxxxx

Barbara

Easel card with Drawer

2011-07-08T15:29:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon my lovelies, hope you are all well and ready for the weekend. I really hope this weather improves very soon, don't know about you but I am soooo fed up with all this rain. It should have been sports day today for my grandson and it had to be cancelled as its too wet, hopefully it will take place next week when it might just be a bit better, we can live in hope eh!!

Onto my card for today, I fancied making an easel card with a difference so hence this little card with a pull out drawer. I followed a really easy tutorial here by Missmagic 1975. It was great fun putting this together and one I will definately be making again only next time I think I will try and make it a bit larger. This one measures 4" x 4" excluding the punched borders.

The papers I used are Prima - Sparkling Spring

Punch is Martha Stewart Punch around the page

Image - Lili of the Valley coloured with Promarkers

Sentiment - Film Strip Sentiments by Whimsy Stamps

Lace and crochet flowers from stash.

Well thats it from me today, thanks for dropping by

Hugs

xxx

My Sewing Bargain!

2011-06-30T15:38:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon everyone .......... hope you are all well and enjoying some sunshine today. Just had to share my bargain with you all.......... I was so excited when I saw this as I have been looking for ages for a small sewing machine to use exclusively for my cards ............. the ones I have seen have been around the £50 mark which I couldnt justify paying for a machine to just sew card. I found this little beauty at our local £stretcher and it was reduced from £50 to £24.99!! Its a really sturdy little machine, ideal for sitting on your craft bench, its got 8 stitch styles and its electric, not battery operated!

I am away to have a play! Enjoy the rest of your day.

Katies Book Card

2011-06-27T19:59:00.000+01:00

Good evening everyone, hope you all enjoyed the lovely hot weather today but I have to admit it was too hotfor me, just nice now its cooled down a bit. I know some parts of the UK didnt have any nice sunshine today, the weather map showed it 32 degrees in Kent and only 11 degrees in Lerwick! How strange and unpredictable our weather is!!

Well onto my card for today and its a very special card I made for Katie for her 30th birthday at the weekend. I followed a fab tutorial here by Tina and believe me its not as complicated as it looks ...... I really enjoyed this project, if you haven't already done so, please visit Tina's blog, her work is amazing.

Tilda and butterflies coloured with Distress Inks, edges all distressed with Frayed Burlap

Stempelgede Grunge Collection around image with Versamark Vintage Sepia

Prima 'Sweet Fairy' paper pack

Martha Stewart Punch

Flowers and seam binding by Wild Orchid

Lace and ribbon from stash

Vintage Alphabet by Tim Holtz

Birthday verse found on internet

Apologies for the hundreds of photos but I wanted to capture every angle of the card so you can see it from all sides.

Thats it for me for today, I am off to walk the dog before it chucks it down!! Thanks for dropping by, enjoy the rest of your evening.

Cinderella and Captain America

2011-06-26T22:08:00.000+01:00

Hello my lovelies, hope you are all well and had a fab weekend, the weather has been gorgeous today, so hot, hope it lasts, its about time the sun made an appearance!

Well its our youngest daughter Katie's 30th birthday today ...... OMG where did those years go!!! She had a big celebration party last night which was fancy dress and the theme was Disney or film..... she had to be Cinderella....... naturally!! and this is the dress I made for her. I am quite pleased with the end result, I had a few nail biting moments with it I can tell you! I havent done any dressmaking for years, when the girls were little I made all their little dresses and fancy dress outfits for school and the last dressmaking session I had was 13 years ago when my daughter Alison was married and she had 9 bridesmaids!! So when Katie asked me to make this one I thought it would be a doddle...... how wrong was I !!! The dress material is satin and the sleeves and 'puffs' are a chiffon type material, well it was slipping and sliding all over the place!! Then I had a problem with the measurements and couldn't get the bodice to sit right...... however after a few nips and tucks it was ready to attach the skirt, no probs there until I came to attach the zip and discovered I didnt have a zipper foot for my machine...... arrgh!!! Anyway, I managed to finish it on time and Katie was very pleased with it and everyone at the party was very impressed with it, so I was happy and secretly very proud of myself!! The photo is Katie with her hubby Gaz.... aka Captain America!! A good time was had by all with some fab outfits, everyone made a real effort to make Katies birthday a huge success.

I have made a very special card for Katie's birthday but with all the hustle and bustle of the celebrations I didnt get chance to take any photos of it ........... duhh, bird brain I am!! So I shall take some photos tomorrow hopefully and post as soon as I can.

xxxxxx

A card for Nana Nell

2011-06-20T16:00:00.001+01:00

Flowers close up

Good afternoon my lovelies, hope you are all well and enjoyed the sunny weekend. We had a lovely day yesterday with our family for Father's Day, hubby was totally spoilt as he deserves to be after all he has been through. The weather here in Cheshire today is glorious sunshine, hope it stays awhile, it was good to get out in the garden this morning to mow the lawn and wash the patio furniture, those birdies don't half leave a mess!

Onto my card today and its a commissioned card for an 85 year old lady, when I was asked to make this card I immediately thought 'vintage' and 'shabby chic' and knew exactly how I wanted the card to look, I have to say its not far off how I envisaged it to be, in fact I am quite pleased with the end result. Tricky bit was taking photos of it, I really struggle to take photos of easel cards, does anyone else have this problem? I really need to invest in a decent camera too, I always think my photos look a little 'hazy' and not as clear as I would like them to be, so apologies for the poor quality.

The gorgeous image is from Tina's Kreative Blog - Tina has some of the best vintage images I have ever seen, do have a look at Tina's blog if you get the chance. If you like Shabby Chic, loads of inspiration there.

The papers are from Raspberry Road - Shabby Chic 1 and 2

The tag is Marianne die LR0154

Flowers, pearls and Filigree corner are Wild Orchid

Martha Stewart Butterfly punch

Seam binding by The Ribbon Girl

Alphabet letters - Tim Holtz Vintage Market

Sentiment - A Day to Remember (Whiff of Joy - I think!)

Lace and net from stash

Hope Nana Nell likes her card as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thats it from me for today, I have another creation to share with you very soon! Thanks for dropping by today and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Ballerina Bea

2011-06-13T09:25:00.003+01:00

Good morning everyone, hope you are all well this drab Monday morning!! I dont give a hoot what the weather throws out today, my daughter and family are home from holiday today, have missed them so much.

I made this card for the Wild Orchid Challenge 25 this week, a fab sketch by the uber talented Bev Rochester I have been an avid fan of Bev's blog ever since I started blogging, her work has been a wonderful inspiration to me and her many followers. If you haven't visited Bev's blog then I suggest you pay her a visit, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed!!

The sweet image is of course Teddy Bea Ballerina, isnt she just so gorgeous!! Pink and girly and just right up my street! One thing I do like about these images is that they look just as good with no colour added. I have printed a matching image for the insert of this card, it just finishes it off nicely. Another first for me with this card is the stitching! I had a real fear of sewing on card and paper and as my machine is fairly new I was nervous I would damage the thing! However I bit the bullet and practised on scrap card first, I was quite surprised at how simple but effective it was, now I am hooked! Made a bit of a mess at the start off corner, but mistakes can usually be covered up so it was a happy accident! Next I want to try zig-zag stitch, how ambitious am I ...........LOL!!

Recipe for this card:

Image - Teddy Bea Ballerina coloured with Prisma Pencils

Wings and star glittered with Glamour Dust Crystal

Papers - Prima Sparkling Spring & Jack and Jill Celebrations

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts

Leaves - Marianne LR0106

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Butterfly from stash

Enjoy the rest of your day, apparently the weather is improving by mid-week and thanks for dropping by.

Hugs,

XXXXXX

It's Summer!!

2011-06-12T19:08:00.004+01:00

What a horrible, wet and miserable day! Who would think it was June......... and to top it all its cold as well, I have had to put my heating on today... I was frozen! My daughters have gone to Manchester today to the 'Take That' gig!! They will be soaked wet through, its an open air concert!! Rather them than me, I will wait until its televised and watch it in comfort!!

My card today is my DT contribution for this weeks challenge over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp which is a fab sketch by Lisa. The gorgeous image is Sugar Nellie 'Summer' from Funky Kits. She is coloured with Promarkers, I just adore these images, they are a breeze to colour. Don't know if you can see very clearly on this photo but I followed a fab sky tutorial by Bev Rochester here using Distress Inks. Its my first attempt with this technique and definately something I would try again.

Papers - Sparkling Spring by Prima.

Roses -Wild Orchid Crafts

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Seam Binding is Pink Tulip - The Ribbon Girl

Bakers Twine - The Ribbon Girl

Charm and Gypsophilia from stash

I am entering this card into the Addicted to Stamping Challenge, the theme this week is 'Summertime'

Enjoy the rest of your evening and lets hope the weather improves for the coming week. Thanks for taking the time to drop by!

Hugs,

xxxxxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge #61

2011-06-07T14:17:00.001+01:00

Close up of gorgeous Wild Orchid Crafts - Poppies

Good afternoon everyone, hope are all well and had an enjoyable weekend. Its a pity the hot weather didn't stay around for very long but the gardens are in need of some drenching, in an ideal world it would rain all night and sunshine all day, but we don't live in an ideal world......... ahh well!

My card for today is one of the gorgeous Sugar Nellie digi's from Funky Kits and this cute little miss is Sybil. Isnt she just adorable? love those curls and the dolly shoes!! She is coloured with Copics and Promarkers, I only have a few Copics, I would love more, I much prefer them to Promarkers but they are a bit pricier so I buy one now and again when I am feeling indulgent!

The paper is Classic K McKenna Pink Swirls, the scalloped one I have no idea, it was in my stash, but it just matched perfectly.

The flowers are Poppies from Wild Orchid Crafts as is the seam binding, Light Beige

Sentiment is Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear Tickets

I am entering this card into the Sugar Bowl Challenge #61, a fab sketch by Kiki with the optional theme of Love/Weddings.

Well thats it for me for today, thank you so much for your visit and enjoy the rest of your day!

Hugs

Barbara

xxx

Teddy Bo Challenge # 11

2011-05-31T15:29:00.001+01:00

Good afternoon everyone on this very fine and sunny day, although this morning it was pouring down with hailstones thrown in, but now its a beautiful day, fingers crossed it will last!

The challenge at Teddy Bo this week is 'Shaped Cards' which I am really pleased about as it gives me chance to use my latest purchase from Which Craft, these fabulous Elegant Step Cards and at £6.99 for a pack of 10 they are really good value. They are a dream to use and so much choice of different shapes of cards, make sure you have a peek, you won't be disappointed!

For this card I used 'Strawberry Picking' Teddy Bea,

she is coloured using Prisma pencils.

The lush papers are a freebie from Raspberry Road - Wild Strawberries

The gorgeous flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts

The strawberry sentiment is Magnolia

'For you' sentiment and tag - Lili of the Valley

Leaves are Marianne Die LR0156

Ribbon from stash

Hope you enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for dropping by!

Hugs,

Christening Card

2011-05-30T18:47:00.000+01:00

Good evening everyone and gosh I can't believe I am here again so soon, 2 cards in as many days, I must be on a roll..

... lol!!

My card today is a commissioned Christening card and again I have used the delicious Girl's Paperie Vintage Whimsy...........I must try and find some more of this lovely paper.

The image is of course Lili of the Valley coloured with Promarkers.

Flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts

Beautiful filigree corner is again Wild Orchid Crafts

Martha Stewart border punch

Ribbon and lace from stash

Sentiment created on PC

Another miserable day weatherwise but ................ it's going to warm up by weekend, yayy!!

Thanks for calling by today, enjoy the rest of your day

Hugs,

Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge # 57

2011-05-29T19:07:00.000+01:00

Hello again everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend and fitting lots of crafting in!! At least the weather has improved a little, the rain seems to have stopped and we have seen some sun in Cheshire but its its still a wee bit chilly!

Well it's challenge time again at Sunday Sketch and Stamp and this week we have a fabulous sketch by Gry and this is my DT contribution for the challenge. Make sure you hop on over and take a look at the fab DT entries.

The fabby papers are Echo Park Springtime

Image - Lili of the Valley Dandelion Clock

Image coloured with Promarkers

Sentiment - Kaisercraft, Mini Clear Stamps - Birthday

I am also entering this card for challenge # 98 over at Lili of the Valley this week which is I Believe in Fairies

That's it for now, thanks for dropping by, your visit is very much appreciated!

Hugs

Barbara xx

Challenge #107 Magnolia and Hanglar and Stanglar

2011-05-26T11:40:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone, hope you are all well and not too wet with the miserable weather we are having, where has our summer gone??

Well onto this card and its my entry for the Magnolia and Hanglar & Stanglar Challenge #107 this week which is a fab sketch by Donalda. I have wanted this stamp for ages, I think she is so beautiful, she is Hawaiian Flower Tilda. I have coloured her with Prisma pencils and although you can't see it very well on the photo she is covered in Star Dust glitter (the light isnt brilliant for taking good photos today).

The gorgeous paper is Vintage Whimsy by the girls paperie

Flowers from Wild Orchid

Butterfly punch by Martha Stewart

Kraft card from Tracey at Dies to Die for

Lace and rhinestones from stash (oops, just noticed 2 little stones missing from butterfly body!)

I am also entering this card in the following challenge:

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Thats it for today folks, thanks for dropping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Hugs,

Step Card for Jack

2011-05-18T19:59:00.000+01:00

Good evening everyone, hope you are all well and not too wet after all the rain we have had. Hopefully it's going to brighten up a bit towards weekend, so the forecasters say .............. hmm........ well we shall see!

Seems ages since I last blogged, probably because it is ... lol.... !!! So much going on at home at the moment, time just slips away and before you know it the weekend is creeping up again.

Well onto this card I made for a friend of ours who has just given birth to a baby boy. I have been itching to use these scallop step cards since I got them from Which Crafts and boy did I have fun making this one! The cute images are Elines Babies Itty Bitty Nursery from Cuddly Buddly. The paper is from my stash, sentiment done on PC and letters done on Cuttlebug.

I am entering this card in the Fun with Shapes and More Challenge #83 and the theme this week is 'Congratulations'

Apologies for the poor quality of photos, not much sunshine here in Cheshire today! Well thats all from me for today, thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

xxxxx

Ooops nearly forgot this one!!

2011-05-09T19:28:00.000+01:00

Hello there everyone, hope you are all well. What a strange day its been today weatherwise, Don had an appointment at a hospital near Leek today. It was beautiful when we left home this morning, we had a nice pub lunch before going to the appointment and as we left the hospital the sun was still beating down. As we headed towards home we could see really heavy dark clouds ahead of us, looked in my rear view mirror and all I could see was sun and blue sky! As we got nearer to home the sky was getting darker and darker, then the heavens opened, torrential rain and hailstones, then forked lightning and thunder. We reached home and had to sit in the car for about 20 minutes, we couldnt get out of the car, we would have been soaked to the skin! As I am sat here now though, the sun is shining again with a cloudless blue sky! I know we needed some rain but I think this is a case of be careful what you wish for!!

Anyway, enough waffling from me, onto this card which I made weeks ago and forgot all about it! I think I made it for a challenge but I missed the deadline..... duh!! so it was put on one side and abandoned. Not for long though as it was granddaughter Jessica's birthday in April and this card was ideal for her.

The image is of course one of the fab Teddy Bea digi stamps and as a change from Promarkers I used Prisma pencils to colour her. I just adore these little bears, there are oodles to choose from and they are a dream to colour. The papers are Eline's Huis Roses are Red and the lovely postcard, which has been distressed with Tim Holtz Antique Linen, is from Lili of the Valley new Additions stamp collection. The sentiment I did on PC.

Well that's it for me for today, enjoy the rest of your evening and thanks for dropping by!

Hugs,

Christmas in May!

2011-05-07T15:10:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying at least a little sunshine this weekend. Its lovely and sunny here in Cheshire at the moment but there are some dark clouds lingering around so I am sure we will have some more rain before the day is through. We needed a bit of rain... well the plants and gardens certainly do, just hope it doesnt last for weeks like it usually does..... !!

Well onto this card, I know ....... Christmas cards already, but its never too soon to start cos it soon creeps up! The challenge over at Lili of the Valley is 'Animal Antics' and I straight away thought about this cute James bear 'Deck the Halls' image, I think he's trying to be a christmas tree don't you??

The paper is from Pepper's Christmas Party paper pack.

Image coloured with Prisma pencils and Sansador.

I am also entering this card into Sketch n Stash Challenge #60 which this week is 'Free Choice'. They have a fabulous selection of sketches and you just choose from the catalogue the sketch you fancy using.

This one is sketch # 30.

Apologies for the poor photo quality, the light wasn't brilliant when I took this photo yesterday.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for your visit,

I really do appreciate it!

Hugs,

Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #53

2011-05-01T19:39:00.000+01:00

Well it's Sunday again (where does the week go?) and its time for another fabulous challenge over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp. This week its my turn to provide a sketch (yayyy!! ) and this is what I came up with. This was my first ever attempt at creating a sketch and to be honest I didn't have a clue but with a bit of playing about here and there in Word I managed to cobble this one together, it's not bad for a first time effort is it?

Onto my card and I used one of the fabulous Teddy Bo images and this one is Teddy Bea on a swing. I love these images, they are so easy to colour. This one I have coloured with Prisma's for a change, I love my Promarkers but sometimes I just like the softer finish that can be achieved with the Prisma pencils. The paper is Prima Sparkling Spring, the punched border is Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page Vintage Floral. The flowers are the beautiful new Sweetheart Blossom from Wild Orchid Crafts and the ribbon is Tulip Pink seam binding from The Ribbon Girl. Sentiment I have had ages, don't know the make, sorry! Buttons and pearl brad from stash.

Make sure you pop across to Sunday Sketch and Stamp and see the beautiful creations from the DT and there are some fab prizes to be had, so why not give my sketch a whirl?

Thats it for now, hope you all enjoy the rest of the long weekend, the weather has been glorious but its a tad breezy, hope tomorrow is a little calmer.

Hugs,

Passion for Promarker Challenge 97

2011-04-29T17:10:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone, have you been watching the Royal Wedding? .... wasn't it fabulous, I blubbed most of the way through! Weddings make me emotional anyway but today I was thinking of how proud Diana would have been of her sons........ I just love Royal occasions, the pomp and pageantry...... makes me proud to be British!

The weather was perfect too, so pleased the forecasted rain stayed away.

And didn't Kate look beautiful, that dress was stunning, classy and elegant and William so smart in his uniform, they make a lovely couple and hope they will be very happy together.

Well onto todays card, there is a challenge over at Passion for Promarker and the theme this week is pre-historic, I thought this card fitted perfectly. The image I found on the internet, coloured with Promarkers and the background papers are a free download from Create with TLC, the sentiment done on PC so a very cheap card to make!

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of the long weekend!

Hugs,

An announcement, a sketch and a blog hop!

2011-04-24T12:30:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone! Finally I can tell you my exciting news!! I have been chosen to be a DT member at Sunday Sketch & Stamp, the challenge blog is celebrating it's second birthday and there are a few surprises, first the blog is going to be a WEEKLY challenge blog and second there is not just me who is a new DT, pop over to Sunday Sketch and Stamp and see for yourselves who the rest of the DT-newbies are!

I am so thrilled to be part of the team and looking forward to lots of exciting challenges.

We have a fabulous prize for the winning card and as part of our huge celebrations, we are also having a blog hop. Simply visit each DT member's blog (the links are below along with their cards) and make a note of their birthday (which will be included in their post for this challenge). Then email a list of all the names and birthdays to the challenge email (see the sidebar), and you could be in with a chance of winning a fabulous prize.

Also, while you are visiting the blogs keep an eye out - some of the girls are offering some delicious candy!

For those of you taking part in the blog hop, my birthday is 6th October, make sure you visit everyone's blog and send the full list of birthdays to the challenge email adress (sundaysketchandstamp@gmail.com), with the title 2nd Birthday Blog Hop!

The Sunday Sketch and Stamp DT-Ladies:

Maggie's Sketch

Here is my card for this weeks challenge

Card Recipe

Image - Teddy Bea Digi from Teddy Bo

Paper - Prima Sparkling Spring

Sentiment done on PC

Border Punch - Martha Stewart

Lace and buttons from stash

Thanks for dropping by, hope you all had a fabulous Easter break and not eaten too much chocolate,I have, can't resist it!!

Hugs, Barbara xx

I won the Lili of the Valley Challenge!!

2011-04-22T09:45:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone and a beautiful morning it is. I am really excited to share with you that I am the winner of the Lili of the Valley Challenge 92 with my entry which was 'Happy Birthday'. How brilliant is that? First time I ever won a challenge and my fab prize is a gorgeous set of ribbons from The Ribbon Girl, I am really thrilled cos as you have all probably figured out by now that I am a huge LOTV fan!!

I also have some other exciting news to share with you very soon, at the moment its under wraps, but watch this space!!

Enjoy your Easter break, enjoy the sunshine and enjoy lots of choccie!!

Hugs, Barbara xx

Lili of the Valley Dandelion Clock

2011-04-16T14:38:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon everyone, hope you all have sunshine wherever you are. It was lovely here in Cheshire this morning, the sun was shining and I even ventured out in t-shirt and flip flops but now its clouded over and its a wee bit chilly, but mustn't complain, summers on its way, yay!!!!

Still, we managed to mow the lawn and do a bit of tidying up in the garden, it lovely to see the trees in bud and the birds twitterpating! The entire side of our house is covered in ivy and its home to hundreds of sparrows and a family of wood pigeons, so its a little bit noisy at times but its fascinating to watch them fly in and out making nests for their little (and big!) babies!

This card is for my granddaughter Abbie's birthday next week......... and it fits a couple of challenges which is good. The image is Dandelion Clock by LOTV, coloured with Copics and Promarkers. The digi sentiment is also LOTV, the papers are Fizzy Moon by Dovecraft. Pearls, ribbon and lace from stash.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Lily of the Valley Challenge 92 - Happy Birthday

Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge # 51 - which is a fab sketch by Arianne

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs,

Lili of the Valley Easter Bunny

2011-04-13T16:26:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon peeps!

Can't believe how long its been since I last blogged, where does the time go?? !! Hope you are all well out there in blogland and where has the sun disappeared to?? .......At the weekend I was basking in the sunshine in vest top and shorts and then Monday.......... back to duvet jacket, boots and gloves, weird!! How extreme is our British weather, but then its still early Spring so hopefully the sunshine will return and stay around.

This card I made a few weeks back and forgotten about it if I am honest! I was just playing around and made this basket type holder for the little bunny and the choccy eggs.

The paper is Prima ~ Jack & Jill Celebrate, the image is of course Lili of the Valley, coloured with Promarkers. The lovely flower is also Prima ~ Pearl Penache Ice Castle. Sentiment done on PC.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly ~ Truly Dimensional

Creative Inspirations ~ Easter

Well thats it for now, thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your day!

Hugs

Barbara xx

LOTV Girl with Flowers

2011-04-04T13:48:00.000+01:00

Hello there again everyone, hope you are all well and had a lovely Mothers Day yesterday. I had a wonderful day, I was thoroughly spoilt, loads of flowers, choccies and pressies and taken out for lunch,

but of course I sooo deserve it, lol!!

Well it's a miserable cold and wet day here in Cheshire, so ideal for staying in and crafting, which is what I intend to do, whether in reality that will happen, we will have to wait and see! Can you believe I have been trying to upload these photos for a almost a week, its so frustrating! Had problems with my internet connection and after countless calls and hours on the phone to my internet provider it was finally established that there was a problem with my router. So off I went to PC World to find another one, explained to the salesman I needed one that was easy to install, cos I'm not brilliant with techno stuff. He assured me the one I purchased was easy to install, so took it home. Well nearly 3 hours later I was nearly throwing the darned thing through the window, I couldnt understand the instructions now matter how many times I read through them. My daughter came to my rescue, even she struggled with the instructions and she is much more techno orientated than I! Anyway, after a lot of trial and errror she got it working, eureka!

Well now thats sorted hopefully there will be no more problems. Onto these 2 little cards,the images are of course Lili of the Valley coloured with Promarkers. The turquoise and pink paper is Eline's Huis - In the Meadow. The punch is Martha Stewart.

The pink and lemon card, not sure about this paper, I had it in my stash for a while so don't know who makes it, sorry. I am trying to use up my bits of paper and card that seem to be taking over my craft room at the moment! This size card - 12.5cm square, is ideal for using them up.

Well thats it for today, I do have a few more cards to add to my blog so drop by again soon and thanks calling in today!

Hugs, Barbara xx

Happy Mother's Day

2011-04-03T10:00:00.000+01:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you mums and grandma's out there and if you don't have a mum anymore like myself, hugs to you too. Hope you all have a lovely day being spoiled, we deserve it!! Will try to be back later today with maybe a card or two.

Hugs,

Birthday Bumps ~ Lili of the Valley Challenge #88

2011-03-21T15:46:00.000Z

Well it's Monday again, where do the days go?? Hope you all had a fab weekend, we had a great night on Saturday as it was my brother's 70th birthday and his family had organised a surprise party for him. His face was a picture when he walked into the room and saw us all waiting there! His wife had told him they were going to a friends wedding reception so he had no idea that the party was for him!

Isn't this image just so cute? This card is my entry for Lili of the Valley Challenge #88 this week which is a fab sketch by Bev.

The papers are Prima Jack & Jill. The image I coloured with Prisma pencils, not used these for a while, I usually stick to Promarkers, mainly for quickness but if I have the time I like to use Prismas now and again, they give a much softer finish and I find easier to blend.

The sentiment is Lili of the Valley and the large flower is Marianne LR0129

Ribbon is from my stash.

Well thats it for today, thanks for dropping by and enjoy the rest of your evening!

Hugs,

Christening Card and Matching Box

2011-03-17T18:03:00.000Z

Matching Box

I made this card ages ago and forgot to post it, duh!!

Pink and girly, just up my street!

The image is of course Lili of the Valley, coloured with Promarkers.

The papers, sorry have no idea, its so long ago I can't remember.

Flowers are Wild Orchid, lace and ribbon from stash, border punch is Martha Stewart.

Thanks for dropping by, enjoy the rest of your day,

sorry this is a rushed post today!

hugs,

Just Magnolia and Hanglar and Stanglar Challenge 97

2011-03-16T17:07:00.000Z

Hello there peeps, hope you are all well. The challenge over at Magnolia and Hanglar and Stanglar this week is a fab sketch by Bev and this is my entry.

This cute little lady has been coloured with Promarkers, the little tulips and butterfly are a magazine freebie, I thought they matched the lovely paper perfectly. The paper is Prima Sweet Fairy collection. Sentiment is a digi from Lili of the Valley and the flowers are Wild Orchid.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo, the light wasn't ideal for taking photos today.

Well that's it from me for today, thanks for dropping by!

Hugs,

Mint Aero Cheesecake

2011-03-15T16:05:00.000Z

Mint Aero Cheesecake

Look what I made today!! Looks delish doesn't it, loaded with calories and Slimming World it aint!! The recipe is below if you want to give it a go, you know you want to!!!

You need:

10 Digestive biscuits

2oz margarine

1tablespoon golden syrup

1 tub of Philadelphia cheese (200g)

250ml whipping cream

4oz Icing sugar (sieved)

2 bars Mint Aero (broken into small pieces)

1 Chocolate flake (broken into pieces)

Melt the margarine and syrup over a very low heat until melted, take off the heat and stir in the crushed digestive biscuits. Stir until well mixed and press this mixture into an 8" flan tin. Beat the cheese and gradually add the sieved icing sugar and cream. Beat until the mixture thickens, fold in the broken aero bars and then pour into the biscuit base, add the flake and leave to set.

Enjoy!!

Evie

2011-03-14T21:11:00.000Z

Just had to add this lovely photo of Evie taken at the weekend, isnt she just so cute?

I am biased of course!!

Sunday Stamp and Sketch Challenge #49 & LOTV Challenge 84 ~ Say it with Flowers

2011-03-14T19:34:00.000Z

Hello again everyone, hope you are all well. Its been a lovely Spring day here, I even managed to do a little bit of tidying up in the garden, it was quite warm and pleasant in the sunshine, lets hope its here to stay!

Well onto this card, its my entry for Challenge 49 at Sunday Stamp & Sketch and this week its a fab sketch by Marie. The image is one of the new Lili of the Valley stamps, they are just sooooo adorable and a breeze to colour. The sentiment is also one of the new releases from LOTV, there are a few more to come yet and I for one can't wait! I have also entered this card for Lili of the Valley Challenge #84 ~ Say it with Flowers. I have used Promarkers to colour the image and the gorgeous paper is Prima Sparkling Spring collection. The pretty tag shape is Marianne RL1054 and the flowers are made with an X-Cut flower punch. The edges of the tag and the image have been lightly distressed with Tim Holtz DI Spun Sugar.

Thank you so much for all your kind comments regarding Evie, my little granddaughter, who I am pleased to tell you is much improved, not 100% but certainly better than she was last week. Poor little lamb was so poorly, she lost quite a bit of weight, luckily she has a really good appetite so I am sure she will soon be back to her happy little self.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your week.

Hugs, Barbara

Christening Card

2011-03-07T18:41:00.000Z

Hi there everyone hope you are all well and enjoying the lovely sunshine, a bit chilly but it's nice to see some sun. This card I made for my great-nephews Christening Day yesterday. The lovely cute image is from Di's Digi Downloads Christening Boy ~ coloured with Promarkers and Prismas. The sentiment I did on the PC, a nice quick and simple card, I hope they liked it.

Had a worrying couple of days as my 13th month granddaughter Evie is really poorly with gastro-enteritis. She started with it on Saturday afternoon, poor little mite can't keep anything down. Yesterday she was so sick we had to take her to Primary Care, they just said to give her plenty of fuids and try to keep the temperature down. Today she was no better so she was taken to A&E, we were worried that she may be dehydrated, thankfully not the case. They checked her over really thoroughly and sent her home, hopefully she will be her happy little self very soon, she loves her food so when she starts to eat again we will know she is feeling better! Kids eh, they don't half cause some scares and grey hairs!!

I am entering this card in the Everybody Art Challenge which this week is 'Baby'.
Thank you for looking, see you all again soon!!

Hugs

Barbara xx

Magnolia & Hanglar + Sketchy Colours Challenges

2011-03-02T20:33:00.000Z

Good evening folks, hope you are all well and enjoying the same lovely weather we have had in Cheshire today. This card I really enjoyed creating, its for the Magnolia and Hanglar Challenge number 95, which is a fab sketch by Mina. Unfortunately I dont possess any of these gorgeous and much sought after stamps, this one I received through a stamp swap.

The lovely papers are K&Co Classic McKenna, image I coloured with Promarkers and Prisma pencils. When I first started stamping I used just Prismas, then moved on to Promarkers and Copics, now I seem to have reverted back to my Prismas, even better I have discovered they work beautifully together, especially using a dark Prisma pencil for shadows.

The flowers are all Wild Orchid Crafts, the smaller roses I sprayed with Old Lace Glimmer Mist and added lots of sparkle with Stickles 'Tiara'. The lace is from my stash, the ribbon is seam binding Siam Pink, again from Wild Orchid. The sentiment is a digital download from Cuddly Buddly ~ Bits of Ivory Garden Vignettes.

I am also entering this card into Sketchy Colours Challenge # 60 ~ Pink & Biege.

Thanks for dropping by, hope to see you again real soon!!

Lili of the Valley Challenge 85 ~ Circles

2011-02-28T19:53:00.000Z

Good evening everyone, hope you all had a good weekend, Monday soon comes around, where does the time go, I think it's true what they say, the older you get, the faster the time goes!

This is my entry for the Lili of The Valley Challenge 85 ~ Circles. Its my sister and BIL anniversary in a couple of weeks so this is ideal for the occasion. The image I coloured with Promarkers, the paper is 'K&Co Classic K McKenna', the Circular shape is Marianne LR0112 and the flower I made using the new Marianne flower die LR0145 and the little rose is Wild Orchid Crafts.

Quick post from me tonight, loads to do and Corrie is on the box!!

Thanks for looking, enjoy the rest of your evening.

Carmen Electrafying ~ aka Katie!!

2011-02-26T17:05:00.000Z

Hi there everyone, hope you are all having a good weekend and the weather hasn't been too cold for you, we had a mixture of sunshine and showers today but it was a bit chilly too!! A good day to stay in and craft which is exactly what I did.

This card I made a few days ago as it was my son-in-law's 30th birthday yesterday and this image by Kenny K I thought suited him to a T! She is called Carmen Electrafying, isn't she just so beautiful and sexy ........... !! My daughter Katie (his wife) asked when she saw it, 'is that supposed to be me '............. ?? LOL!! Well she is beautiful, she has a lovely figure and she does have long blonde hair, oh and she has a similar tattoo on her back, so she could be!

Carmen is coloured with Promarkers, I have put Glossy Accents on her glasses although you can't see that on the photo.

Thanks for dropping by today, hopefully I will post the card I made today sometime very soon.

Another side stepper!

2011-02-24T13:27:00.000Z

Hello my lovelies, hope the sun is shining for you today, its lovely here in Cheshire, makes you feel so much better to see a bit of sunshine! I think at last we can say Spring is definately on its way!

Today's card is another side stepper, I like these they are so simple yet look so effective when embellished. This one is for a friend's grandson's 1st birthday next week. The cute little images are from Cuddly Buddly Itty Bitty Nursery. I feel a bit of a cheat as the images were ready coloured but it did make the card a tad quicker to make!

I used white linen card for the base, the paper is Prima Jack & Jill (love this paperpad!), sentiment done on PC, the scalloped edge is Fiskars Treading Water punch.

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for dropping by, I really do appreciate it!

Twisted Easel Wedding Card

2011-02-14T13:07:00.000Z

Front view with card closed

Hello again everyone, what a beautiful day it is here in Cheshire, the sun is shining, the birds are twitterpating and the spring bulbs are poking their little heads through. Yesterday was a washout, a wet and miserable day, I think the whole of the UK was the same so it's nice to see some sunshine today, makes you feel so much better and looking forward to Spring and what follows Spring........... Summer!! Yay!!

Well today's card is a twisted easel, been itching to have a bash at one of these for ages and as its almost Spring/Summer weddings come to mind.

There are lots of tutorials out there for this shape of card but the very talented Bev has an excellent one on her blog right now if you want to give it a whirl!

Image is LOTV, coloured with Promarkers, with lashings of Stickles Star Dust and Platinum for a bit of bling.

The paper is Papermania Confetti

The sentiment is Katie & Co ~ Happily Ever After.

Flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts.

Lace border is Martha Stewart.

Ribbon is Siam Pink Seam Binding from Wild Orchid Crafts

That's all from me today, so enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for dropping by.

Barbara xx

Rosie with Presents

2011-02-12T21:30:00.000Z

I intended to post this card last night, but I started fiddling around with my blog background and got myself in a right old pickle!! I decided to have a change so browsed around, as you do, I won't bore you with the details but the upshot was I lost my fonts, colours, everything, it looked a right mess!! Anyway, I just kept pressing buttons and hoping for the best and by some sort of miracle managed to get where I wanted to!! Everything looked fine and dandy except my fonts, there were all sorts of a mixture! I have to give a great big 'thank you' to Marie (Cardmaking Bird) ~ she very kidnly left me a comment and easy instructions and it all worked perfectly, phew!! Blogging buddies really are the best!!

Well onto this card, I love side steppers, it just takes me ages to figure em out! I always do a practice run with scrap paper first, otherwise I waste such a lot of my precious card, does anyone else do this?

The recipient of this card is a friend's daughter who is very girly and I know she will be thrilled with it, especially with her name on it, I think kids always like to see their name on a card, don't you? The image is of course Lili of the Valley ~ Rosie with Presents, she is coloured with Promarkers. Sentiment is also LOTV, the lovely paper is Eline's Huis 'In The Meadow' and the swirls are a Sizzix die. Lots of glitz with Stickles Star Dust.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for dropping by!

Barbara xx

Done that bit.. now the fonts changed!!

2011-02-11T20:46:00.000Z

Please bear with me, I have managed to remove the Cutest Blog background and re-install the LeeLou background, phew!! Now if anyone can help me with the font, its awful!! I haven't a clue how to change fonts.

Please, can anyone help me !!!!???

xxx

Please excuse my blog!

2011-02-11T20:08:00.000Z

No card from me today, I am trying to tart up my blog ..... not very successfully and it's driving me potty!! If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it, as you can see I have a LeeLou blog background and a Cutest Blog on the blog background, how do I delete the Cutest blog one, I removed it from the HTML gadget menu but its still there, arrgh!!! I want to keep the LeeLou one, I get really mixed up with the templates thingy's but I will keep fiddling about, have a nice weekend! x

I am a lucky girl!!

2011-02-07T20:30:00.000Z

Hi everyone, no card from me today, just had to share my news with you!

I entered a lucky draw to celebrate Natalie of NGCards reaching 300 followers and guess what, I won all the scrummy candy pictured here!

I am soooo thrilled, can't wait for the postman to bring me my goodies!

Thank you Natalie (and Mr Linky!)

xxx

A Blog Award!!

2011-02-05T21:43:00.000Z

Wow, I have been passed this award by 2 of my lovely blogging buddies, Tilly and Jacee, thank you so much girls!!

The award is aimed at bringing unknown good blogs to light, I am honoured to think that someone thinks my blog is good enough for this award and happily accept it.

There are a couple of conditions to follow in accepting, and they are:

If you have been tagged, do you want to accept, then you have to create a post on your blog and post the love blog photo.
Choose 3-5 of your favourite blogs to tag, link these in your blog too and tell the lucky people they have been tagged.

There are lots of lovely blogs out there and its very difficult to choose, every blog deserves an award and I would love to pass this on to every blog I visit, but the aim is bringing unknown blogs to light and these 5 fab blogs are my choice.

Please pop by and have a peek at these lovely ladies blogs, become followers and give them the recognition they deserve, you won't be disappointed!!

Thank you my blogging friends!!

The Sugar Bowl Challenge # 52

2011-02-02T13:10:00.000Z

Here I am again with those gorgeous Simply Adorables images, I just love them, can you tell lol!!

This is my entry for the Sugar Bowl Challenge # 52, a sketch by Marie Therese and as I have rarely used this lovely Marianne Creatable Butterfly die I thought it was ideal for this sketch.

Two lucky winners will recieve their choice of 6 super sweet Sugar Nellie rubber stamps. To be in with a chance to win this fabulous prize just follow the sketch and perhaps add the optional theme of ...... LOVE!!

This lovely little lady, her name is Verity, has been coloured with a combination of Promarkers and Prisma's, the paper is Prima Jack & Jill Collection, loving these gorgeous papers. Edges are all distressed with Bundled Sage DI and lashings of Star Dust Stickles. The butterfly wings are also covered in Star Dust, lace and bling are from my stash.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your day!

LOTV Challenge 82 ~ Anything but a Square

2011-01-31T16:01:00.000Z

Ooooh sorry this is a little late, I intended to post this last night but you know how good intentions tend to fall by the wayside..... life gets in the way, lol! The LOTV challenge this week is 'Anything but a square' and this is my creation using a Marianne Creatables die, the papers are Country Companions ~ Lovers Lane and the gorgeous LOTV image I coloured with Promarkers. Sentiment is again LOTV and that heart button I made myself following the fab tutorial by Bev. Its nowhere near as good as Bev's but its not bad for a first attempt, I'm fairly happy with it and I am sure I will improve with practice!! The heart I drew onto a piece of card, punched 2 holes then added 3 coats of UTEE, if you want to know how its done just pop across to Bev's blog and see how you can do it following Bev's excellent tutorial.

Well better dash off and start the tea, enjoy the rest of your day!

Sketch Saturday Week # 140

2011-01-30T11:06:00.000Z

It's my final week as GDT for Sketch Saturday and I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as GDT and would like to thank Jilli and the rest of the fab Design Team for inviting me. This weeks challenge is sponsored by The Craft Barn and the fabulous prize is a set of Crafty Secrets Cherub Clear Arts Stamps, they really are gorgeous, wouldn't mind that set myself! Do go take a peek at the fabulous entries from the Design Team.

Onto this card and the image is Grace, one of the beautiful Simply Adorables Digi's from Funky Kits. She is coloured with Promarkers with a touch of Prisma black pencil just to accentuate the shadows a little. The papers I think are Papermania Jack & Jill, edged with Walnut DI and Star Dust Stickles. Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. Sentiment is Lili of the Valley.

Well it's Sunday again which means a busy day with family and sunday roast...... roast beef and yorkshire puds with lashings of delicious gravy, roast honey parsnips, buttered carrots, juicy broccoli, yummy, yummy, making you hungry LOL ???!!

Will be back later with a card for the LOTV Challenge, have a nice day!

Penny Black Birthday and Nitwits Papers

2011-01-28T20:08:00.000Z

Hello there all, hope you are all well and not too cold, at least it's not raining....... don't like rain, would much rather have cold and bright than wet and miserable .... and, Spring is just around the corner!! Well onto this card, it was made a few weeks ago for a friend for her mum's 80th birthday. The stipulation was that there was no mention of 80 on the card so in the verse on the inside I made reference to her double 40th!!

The image is of course Penny Black coloured with Promarkers, you can't see it very well on the photo but the edges have been distressed with Spun Sugar DI and stickled with Star Dust. The papers are Nitwits - Tickled Pink, love these papers, so much choice. Punch is Martha Stewart and the fabulous ribbon is white seam binding from The Ribbon Girl. Butterfly is an X-Cut punch, distressed with Spun Sugar DI and covered with Stickles Star Dust.

I have a few more cards to show you so drop by again soon and thanks for looking!

The Sugar Bowl Challenge # 51

2011-01-25T15:24:00.000Z

Well I have been itching to colour this little beauty and the Sugar Bowl Challenge this week gave me the perfect opportunity. As soon as I saw these beautiful digi stamps I just fell in love with them, they remind me so much of my collection of porcelain dolls. This one is Joy and she is aptly named as she was a joy to colour, as they all are, as the shading is already done for you. I used Promarkers to colour her with just a touch of black Prisma pencil where the shadows fall. Pop on over to Funky Kits and drool over these wonderful images!!

Challenge 51 this week over at the Sugar Bowl is this lovely sketch with the optional theme of Happy Birthday. There is an amazing mystery prize worth over £40 from Funky Kits

and that's got be worth having!!

For this card I used:

Background papers ~ Country Companions Lovers Lane (Roses)

Papermania Hampstead (green)

Image ~ Joy by Sugar Nellie from Funky Kits

Siam Pink Seam Binding ~ The Ribbon Girl

Flowers ~ Wild Orchid Crafts

Punch ~ Martha Stewart

Pearls from stash

Run around the edges with Tim Holtz DI Bundled Sage and Star Dust Stickles

The light hasn't been ideal conditions today for taking photos but it's not too bad is it?

Thanks for looking, will be back soon with more of these beautiful images.

Sketch Saturday # 139 and Pink Gem Challenge # 13

2011-01-22T18:36:00.000Z

Well this is my fourth week this month as Guest DT for Sketch Saturday # 139 and this little cutie image is from Pink Gem, I love Janet's stamps they are so well defined and a dream to colour. This week the sponsors at Sketch Saturday are Bugaboo Stamps and the winner of this weeks challenge gets to choose 7 free digi images, how cool is that!! The background paper is from the 'Tickled Pink' collection from Nitwits, adore their papers. Lace, ribbon, pearls and flower are all from stash and the image is coloured with Promarkers.

I am also entering this card in the Pink Gem Challenge No 13 - Ribbon and Lace.

Its been a damp, cold and miserable day today so myself and a couple of friends took ourselves off to a card making demo at a local craft shop and of course it was compulsary to spend loads of dosh to cheer us up! We had a nice lunch and a good old catch up, nothing like some retail therapy, especially when its crafty!

Will be back again soon, thanks for visiting my blog today!

Just Magnolia & Hanglar Stanglar Challenge # 89

2011-01-19T18:05:00.000Z

The challenge over at Magnolia and Hanglar & Stanglar this week is 'My Favourite Things' a chance to go a bit mad and use all your favourite crafty stuff! I just adore these beautiful Hanoverian V&A papers by Docrafts, they have a lovely rich linen texture and victorian look.

Sorry I don't know the name of this little lady but she is so sweet. I have coloured her with Promarkers, stamped around the image with a swirl stamp and added lashings of Platinum Stickles. The border punch and the heart punch are Martha Stewart and the sentiment is one of the new releases from Lili of the Valley.

Thanks for dropping by and hope you can join in!

Happy Crafting!! xx

LOTV Challenge 80 ~ Things with Wings

2011-01-18T17:13:00.000Z

Hello again everyone, hope you are all well and the sun is shining wherever you are. It was very foggy in Cheshire this morning but then the sun came out to play and it was lovely to see it, hope it stays around!!

Well the LOTV challenge this week is 'Things with Wings' and as I was itching to use my new LOTV stamps it was a perfect opportunity to colour up this beautiful lady. She is coloured with Promarkers, her wings I have covered with Glossy Accents and Glamour Dust. The sentiment is one of the new ones from LOTV too, I was really spoilt for choice with the new releases and I did spend a little more than I intended but no regrets, they are all so fab. I am off to Manchester to the Craft show in February and I just know I will gravitate to the LOTV stand!

The background paper is Basic Grey Kioshi Lily Child, punches are Martha Stewart and there are lashings of Stickles Star Dust but doesn't show up very well on the photo, the day I took this photo the light was very poor (well that's my excuse!).

Well my beloved little dog Lolly has gone to doggie heaven and even though it was a heartbreaking decision I know it was the right one. She was so frail and she really had enough, she was very calm (I wasn't!) and she passed very peacefully. Her 'hubby' Toby is pining for her, he keeps looking for her around the house and garden, I expected him to whine a bit through the night but he never made a sound. I am sure in a few days we will have forgotten all about her but we miss her too, its so strange not having her here. Thank you to everyone for your messages of support, it means a lot.

Thank you so much for your visit today.

Sketch Saturday # 138 - January 15th

2011-01-16T20:12:00.000Z

Hi peeps, well we are halfway through January and as GDT for Sketch Saturday for this month this is my card. This weeks sponsor is Bunny Zoe's Crafts and the lucky winner of the challenge will recieve £10 to spend in the store, how cool is that!!

To make my card I used:

CS - fom stash

Background Paper - Fancy Pants ~ First date

Image - Kenny K

Sentiment ticket - freebie from SgtStamper

Buttons, ribbon and flower - fom stash

Coloured with Promarkers

Stickles - Star Dust

It's my granddaughter Olivia's 13th birthday today and this is her card, this image is just perfect for her, you know what I mean, teenager with attitude, lol!!

Dreading tomorrow as I have to take my dog Lolly to the vets and I doubt very much I will be bringing her home again. We got her as a rescue and she was estimated to be about 3 or 4 years of age, we have had her 12 years, which makes her about 15 or 16, so she is a good age. A couple of years ago the vet diagnosed slipped discs which would eventually paralyse her legs, which has inevidently happened. This is a common thing to happen to these breed of dogs, they have long backs and short stubby legs. I am sure she isn't in any pain, she never cries with pain, if she was I would have no hesitation, she just has difficulty moving around and she is an old lady so she tends to sleep a lot. My heart is ruling my head, I know its the best thing for her but it's such a horrible decision to make, every time I look at her she wags her tail and looks at me with her milky brown eyes, makes me feel so guilty!! Her 'hubby' Toby will miss her too, he is also a Shih Tzu, another rescue but a couple of years younger and fit as a fiddle.

Anyway, I will keep you posted, thanks for dropping by. xxx

LOTV Challenge - Too late!!

2011-01-12T19:34:00.000Z

Hi folks, can you believe I made this card for this week's LOTV challenge and missed the 6pm deadline!! LOL, I am such a scatterbrain, not the first time this has happened, I have all good intentions, get the card made and them miss the challenge..... oh well, never mind. Its my daughter Donna's birthday today and she makes delicious cupcakes as a business so she was thrilled to bits with this card.

I loved the sketch for this challenge, the papers are Papermania Confetti, the image is of course LOTV, coloured with Promarkers. The corner die is Marianne and the sentiment is also LOTV. You can't really see it very clearly on the photo but the edges have all been stickled with Star Dust. Flowers are from Wild Orchid which have been sprayed with Pearl Glimmermist.

After my nasty bout of flu I developed Sinusitis which I have been trying to clear with OTC medication and steam inhalation but it wasn't making any difference and I was in so much pain and discomfort so I reluctantly made a visit to GP and now have a weeks course of antibiotics. Not keen on taking antibiotics but sometimes can't be avoided.

Well thanks for dropping by, I really appreciate your visit and your comments.

GDT Sketch Saturday Week 2

2011-01-08T21:44:00.001Z

Well hello again everyone, hope you are all well and managed to avoid the dreaded flu lurgy. I am feeling much better apart from a touch of sinusitis which will go in its own time (I hope!!).

It's my second week as GDT for Sketch Saturday and this is my take on this week's sketch. The papers I have used are 'Buds n Blossoms' by Nitwit Collections, I love their papers and can always find a paper to match my needs, they have some beautiful designs, trouble is, I want them all! Apologies for the poor quality of the photo, I am pants at taking photos and the light has been very poor, which doesn't help! Maybe I need to invest in a light tent?

The lovely fairy image is Lili of the Valley, coloured with Promarkers with lashings of Star Dust Stickles. Sentiment is again LOTV, one of their digital downloads, I like them because I can adjust them to any size I want to. Looking forward to 11th January when LOTV release their new stamps, from the sneak peeks I have seen I'm sure we will all be spoilt for choice and spending cash!!

Thanks for looking and don't forget to head over to Sketch Saturday and have a peek at the fabulous creations by the Design Team.

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-02T20:03:00.000Z

Hi everyone, hope you all had a good Christmas, we had a very busy Christmas Day & Boxing Day with family, it's lovely to have everyone all together, even though we all live within close proximity its rare we all gather at any one time. Anyhow, just beginning to get my breath back after the festivities when I was pole axed by flu!! Took to my bed on Thursday and I am still there! Its really knocked me for six, never felt so ill, but I think I am on the better side of it now. Whatever it is thats doing the rounds, its nasty, makes you feel so weak and exhausted, don't know if it was swine flu but I certainly had all the symptoms. I hate being ill and very rarely am so for me to take to my bed for this long is so frustrating, but I had no choice. Hubby has been a very good nurse bless him, I have spent the last 2 years looking after him following his car accident and I always worried about how he would cope if I was taken ill but he has managed brilliantly. I just hope he doesnt catch it from me, eek a man with flu, lol!!!

So New Year passed me by in a blur but I would like to wish everyone a very Happy, Peaceful and HEALTHY New Year and look forward to another year of fabulous creations.

I am very honoured to be invited by Jill (Jilli's Paiges) to be Guest Designer for Sketch Saturday for January and this is my card for week 1. The challenge is a fabulous sketch by Jill and the DT have made some lovely creations with it, so hop on over to Sketch Saturday and join in!

For this card I used the lovely Lil of the Valley Hello Cupcake image, coloured with Promarkers with lots of Star Dust Stickles. The paper is BoBunny Gift of Love. Sentiment is LOTV.

Thanks for looking, stay healthy and warm!

Happy Christmas All!!

2010-12-22T19:40:00.001Z

No card from me today, I am all Christmassed out!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year to everyone!!

xxx

Just Magnolia Challenge 84 - Anything goes with Sparkle

2010-12-03T18:35:00.000Z

Wow, 2 challenges within a week! Anyone would think I was well organised, lol! This little lady is my entry for the Just Magnolia Challenge 84 - 'Anything Goes plus the option of sparkle' and seeing as I love a bit of sparkle and bling I just couldnt resist!

Image is coloured with Promarkers, the backing paper is Papermania Festive Frolics. The yummy 'glittery snow' at Tilda's feet is Diamond Sparkle Soft Snowdrift. The snowflakes and poinsettia are Marianne dies and the sentiment is Lili of the Valley.

Hope you are all keeping well and warm and not too snowed in. It was very cold here in Cheshire last night, -15c!!

Thanks for dropping by and your very kind comments, I love reading them and they are very much appreciated.

LOTV Challenge 76 - A few of my favourite things

2010-12-02T18:47:00.000Z

The challenge over on LOTV this week is 'A few of my favourite things' and this card is chock full of my favourite things. Its not very often I manage to make challenges on time so I am really chuffed with this one, it covers the challenge and my friend's birthday, result!!!

My Favourite Things:

Lili of the Valley stamps, love em all, this one is Coffee Break
Digi sentiment is also LOTV.
Papermania Henbury Lane paper.
The colours pink and brown together.
Martha Stewart punch.
Leon Em punch for leaves.
Wild Orchid roses.
Promarkers for colouring.
Tim Holtz Distress ink Spun Sugar around image and sentiment.
Nestabilities.
Stickles Star Dust for bling.

Well I wish this snow would disappear, had enough of it now, mind you I admit I do prefer it to rain but it's so cold!! Still, 3 weeks to Christmas and the shortest day, then we can look forward to Spring!!

Thanks for dropping by my blog, keep warm and well.

Lhasa Apso

2010-11-29T17:24:00.000Z

Brrrrr!! Hello everyone, isnt it cold? Ive had enough of it already and we have only just started with Winter! Its been one of those days today, if anything could go wrong it has, first all the pond in the garden was absolutely frozen solid and I could see the poor fish gasping for air under the ice. I was backward and forwards with kettles and pots full of boiling water until eventually there was a small hole, just big enough to float a ball on I thought. Then realised i didnt have a ball so set off for town to buy one (or 2!). The car was also frozen solid, took me ages to de-ice and finally set off when suddenly my windscreen wipers stopped working!! Anyway reached town and could I find a shop that sold non-leather footballs, noooo!! My last try was a small toy shop, whooopee they had them so I bought 2. By the time I reached home I couldnt see at all through the windscreen, so I cleaned it as best I could and headed back into town to find a garage that could sort it out for me. Luckily I found a really nice man and he fixed it for me, for free! Phew, I was so relieved I can tell ya! When I got home again I thought right go put the footballs in the pond and guess what one of them had started to deflate, Couldnt believe it but thought what the heck its going in! I don't know if it will work but Ive done my best, I hope those fish appreciate my efforts! My day just got gradually worse, I decided to turn some trousers up for hubby and my sewing machine wouldnt work, grrrrr!!

Well onto my card, isnt he cute?? He is the image of my nieces dog Alfie so this is her Christmas card. He is of course an image from Mo Manning, coloured with Promarkers. The paper and ribbon is from my stash, the punch I have no idea of the make, sorry. The sentiment is a freebie from Janet (Pink Gem).

Well keep warm everyone and thanks for dropping by.

Hello Cupcake

2010-11-24T18:09:00.000Z

Hello cupcake, hello everyone! hope you are all well and not too cold, looks like we have snow and ice on the way, brr, nice to look at but I just don't like driving in it.

Isn't this image just gorgeous? This card is for my niece Angela, its her birthday at the weekend. I have coloured her with Promarkers, the paper is Henbury Lane and the sentiment is a digi download from

Lili of the Valley.

Well I finally conceded and started my christmas shopping today, quite surprised myself as I managed to do about a quarter of it. I hate wandering around shops waiting for inspiration to jump out at me, not knowing what to buy but today I did quite well.

Hope you like my Christmassy blog layout, thanks for your visit!

Tealight Card

2010-11-22T16:15:00.000Z

Good afternoon everyone, hope you are all well this freezing cold day!! I have been so cold today, just cannot get warm and its supposed to be getting colder by the end of the week, brrrrrr!!

Well onto today's card and its a tealight card, Ive been itching to make one of these for ages, I followed a brilliant tutorial by Stampartic. It was great fun and easy to make, I love cards that are different from the usual trend. If I make another one of these I will add a piece of acetate to the little window but it looks okay without it.

The little pocket on the left side of the card holds a little tag, not sure the make of the paper, had it ages, the circular sentiment is Catslife Press and the image is Lili of the Valley Candle Girl , coloured with Distress Inks. The edges of the card and flower are distressed with Frayed Burlap.

Thanks for dropping by, hope to see you again soon and keep warm!!

House Mouse Opening Presents

2010-11-10T19:22:00.000Z

I think these little mice are soo cute don't you? The stamp is from a set called 'Opening Presents' from Joanna Sheen. Coloured with Promarkers with lots of Stickles Star Dust. The paper I have no idea, its a piece Iv'e had for ages. The snowflake embossing folder is by Crafts Too and the snowflake is a Marianne die cut. The sentiment is also part of the stamp set.

Hope you are all well and not too cold!

Thanks for dropping by

Barbara x

James in Pink

2010-11-08T19:10:00.000Z

Hi everyone, thanks for dropping by this bitter cold, wet and miserable day. We live not far away from Buxton and believe it or not the road between Macclesfield and Buxton was closed today because of SNOW!! Brrrrr, doesnt bear thinking about! Still a good excuse to stay in and craft and this is a card made today. The image is Lili of the Valley 'James' - he is coloured with Promarkers and lashings of Stickles Silver. The flowers are Marianne small poinsettia with leaves cut with Leon Em Ash branch punch. The sentiment is from Cuddly Buddly and the gorgeous backing paper is a download from Nitwits Collection Mooey Christmas.

Right off to watch Corrie, it's a tear jerker tonight so better get the tissues handy!!

Thanks for looking, stay warm!

Barbara xx

Christmas Tilda

2010-11-03T13:38:00.000Z

Well here I am again with another Christmas card, can't believe how well I am doing with them, I'm making the most of this inspirational period I seem to be experiencing at the moment, don't know how long it will last!! Another grey and miserable day in Cheshire today, although it was beautiful sunshine this morning and now its raining. Ah well, thats British weather for you!

This lovely Tilda image has been coloured with Promarkers, the flowers are Marianne small Poinsettia die cuts which have been covered with Glossy Accents and Twinklets Diamond Dust. The snowflake is also a Marianne die and the sentiment is a freebie from http://onehappylittlecrafter.blogspot.com/

The background paper is Dovecraft 'Jolly Happy Christmas'.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your day.

Hugs
Barbara

Snowy Kiss

2010-10-31T20:51:00.000Z

Good evening folks, hope you all had a good weekend and a spooky halloween!! We had lots of little skeletons, ghosts and ghoulies visit us this evening, they looked really spooktacular!

I am posting this card later than I intended to, I couldn't get near my laptop as my granddaughter has hogged it all day!! Another card to add to my slowly growing collection of christmas cards. The stamp is Penny Black 'Snowy Kiss' isnt it sweet? Coloured with Promarkers and lots of Star Dust Stickles. I embossed the outer frame with Crafts Too Snowflake folder, the ticket sentiment is a freebie from One Happy Little Crafter

Thanks for dropping by!

Hugs

Barbara x

Toby Tumble

2010-10-25T14:28:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon everyone and what a glorious afternoon it here in Cheshire, hope the sun is shining for you wherever you are.

Today's card is a little different from my usual method, it's a digital download from Cuddly Buddly - 'Toby Tumble' - isnt he sweet? The papers are also from Cuddly Buddly and they match perfectly with this fab image. He is coloured with Promarkers with lots of Stardust Stickles and the sentiment is also a Cuddly Buddly download, good value at £1.99 for a sheet of various sentiments.

Thanks for dropping by my blog, hope you like what you see, I really appreciate your visit and your comments.

Hugs
Barbarax

James the bear with baubles

2010-10-23T10:36:00.000+01:00

Mornin all, hope you are all well this wet and miserable morning, its pouring down here in Cheshire but never mind a good excuse to stay in and do some crafting!!

Well onto my card for today and its another of my fave images from Lili of the Valley and this is James with baubles, ain't he cute?? He is coloured with Promarkers with lots of Stickles gold and his baubles have some Glossy Accents added to make them shine! The die cut and the poinsettia are Marianne Createables and the paper I don't have a clue, its a piece left over from last years christmas crafting. The sentiment is Catslife Press, sorry cant remember where I got that one from!

I was hoping for a lie in this morning but no my beauty sleep was disturbed at 7.45am with roadworks right outside the house, diggers, rollers, drills, you name it. The house is vibrating with the noise of it and my poor parrot Honey is wondering that the heck is going on!! I cant listen to this all day so I am off to my friend Anne's house for a coffee, a natter and some cutting and colouring, heaven!!

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs

Barbaraxx

Skater Girl

2010-10-20T18:35:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone, thanks for visiting, I hope you are well and not suffering with the various bugs that seem to be doing the rounds at the moment!

This is another easel card, I am really enjoying experimenting with these shapes, not just circular ones either, made a few different ones and I will try and add them to my blog very soon.

This image is one of my faves at the moment, Lili of the Valley Skater girl, the dog is soooo cute, he looks like he is doing his best to keep his mistress on her feet!

Image is coloured with Promarkers, with lots Stickles Star Dust, the 'ice' is Twinklets Diamond Dust, fabulous stuff, really crunchy and chunky. The poinsettia flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts which again has been sparkled with Star Dust. Sentiment is Lili of the Valley and of course the shapes are cut from Nesties.

What a change in the weather eh? Couldnt believe how iced up my car was this morning and of course I couldnt find the de-icer anywhere! I think our Indian Summer is finally over don't you? The clocks go back next weekend, then its Halloween and before we know it Christmas is upon us. Don't know about you but I'm not a winter person, hate being cold and long dark winter days, give me spring and summer light and sun anyday!

Thanks again for your visit, I will try my best to post some more very soon!

Take care

Hugs

Barbara

Baubles and Tinsel James

2010-10-11T18:27:00.000+01:00

Hi peeps, I did promise more cards and this is one of them. Another fab Lili of the Valley image, 'James' - he is coloured with Promarkers with lashings of glitter and the baubles have been glossed with Glossy Accents. The sentiment is also Lili of the Valley, the background paper is Dovecraft Jolly Happy Christmas, the strip at the side I have no idea, its just a piece I found in my scraps box. The poinsettia is from Wild Orchid, sprayed with Pearl Shimmer Mist.

Hope you are enjoying the lovely late summer sun, let's hope it lasts, it makes the winter seem shorter, although its been forecast that we may have a winter like last year, lets hope not!! I am prepared though, I have invested in a pair of wellies, something I havent worn since I was a child!!

Thanks for looking and your kind comments, I do appreciate them so much.

Angel Friend

2010-10-10T20:43:00.000+01:00

Hi folks, its been a long time since my last post, where does time go I ask myself?? Life just seems to get in the way, theres always something needs doing, like boring housework!! I'd much rather be crafting but I dont have a fairy godmother unfortunately! Never mind, at least I have managed to make a few Christmas cards and this is one of them.

The stamp is a Lili of the Valley angel, she is coloured with Promarkers with lots of Stickles Star Dust. The sentiment I am not sure of as a friend stamped a few for me.

I have quite a few more cards to add to my blog, I will try and add one a day over the next week so check back often. Thanks for dropping by!!

Lili of the Valley Thomas

2010-09-22T18:55:00.000+01:00

Another fab image from Lili of the Valley - Thomas, he has been coloured with Promarkers with lots of sparkly champagne bubbles!

I am really enjoying these circular easel cards, they are so quick and simple to make, which is always good as I am still trying to get going with my christmas cards!

We have had a lovely start to the week weatherwise so I made the most of it today and managed to get lots of itty-bitty jobs done in the garden. The forecast is for cooler days and rain so it was good to get those jobs out of the way. All my summer baskets and pots are looking straggly and past their best now so they will be going in the green bin sometime very soon but there are some lovely colourful cyclamen and sweet pansies ready to replace them .

I have another couple of easel cards almost ready so watch this space and thanks for looking!