Sincere apologies!

Where does the time go! I am soo sorry that I have not been about to post this month. Hubby and I were away for a long weekend , all expenses paid to Thorseby Hall in Nottingham. It was his 'works do' and what a fab time we had!
The Friday evening was a murder Mystery night with A la carte dinner and 1920's theme.

Then Saturday the ladies had a spa session (including ice cave, aromatherapy room, spa, Sauna, etc etc) and then men went dirt biking. Hubby came first and won £100 and a trophy, talk about chuffed, it has taken pride of place in the living room cabinet.
Then it was a lovely dinner and entertainment (Frankie Valli and the four seasons tribute band).
Sunday was a local market and a trip to Sherwood forest, then dinner and entertainment again. All with a FREE bar for the full weekend! Hard life eh?
Then we came home and I got the flu and have been in bed for a week :-( Never mind I managed to get up today and go to the Harrogate Papercraft show :-))
I shall put a photo of  my goodies on as soon as I get one. It was lovely to meet some of the DC ladies there too, although I was sad not to be able to greet them properly with a hug. I just didn't want to share my germs with them all!
So unfortunately with such a busy time I haven't got round to making many cards. I have made one for a friend who got married last week but that has been it. Never mind I have lots of lovely stash to play with now so hopefully normal service will resume soon!
Tom and Staceys wedding card!

How fab is that!

I was chosen as one of the top three over at Send a smile 4 kids challenge! I am so pleased they liked my card enough to chose it and it is the first thing I have ever won! *Add a large cheesy grin here!*

Why not pop over and have a look at their super blog and if you can why not send a donation of cards for kids in hospital! http://sendasmile4kidschallenge.blogspot.com/

While the cats away :-))

And all that!
My mum and dad have gone for a few days away and boy have I missed them. Saturday is the day my mum and I 'waste paper' as my husband calls it (darn cheek!) and instead I had to iron cause I had no one to play with :-( Ususally we spend the first half an hour arguing over who has more of the table than the other and then the tape measure comes out and we eventually settle down to play...I mean...work!
Today I thought I know I'll go and get them a few bits of groceries to come home to and check the house....and take some craft things ;-)
So there I was in  their empty house with the whole table to myself!!! ooops I think me may be going to get into bother (tee hee) Well only if you lot tell her of course!

Me with the Whole table all to myself! lol

Mum's things neatly 'dumped' on the floor :-)))

As Promised

Unfortunately we had a sad loss on our lovely DoCrafts forum when one of our members, LizG, died very suddenly. It really brought it home that you never know your moment :-(

However I was pleased with the card that I made for her hubby and daughter. I hope it brought them some comfort knowing how much we would all miss Liz.

I think I will have to get hubby to look at the whitebalance on my camera as the colours on these photos don't really do it justice. It was a lovely grey/blue and lilac card.

Apologies!

Just thought I had better pop by and apologise for the lack of posts recently. Life seems to have got in my way and before I realised it has been ages since I posted. I will try my very best to get on later and post a card or two. My mum has gone on holiday for  few days so I shall be playing on my own :-( I hope I have some inspiration as it's not the same without my playmate. Saying that they so deserve a holiday so I hope they have fun. She will soon be back to fight over the table again lol.
Anyway off to feed the horse and I promise to be back later. xx

Dressing up!

This week I have spent more time than enough taking my clothes off and trying on dresses! We have a family wedding next Monday (1st) and then at the end of August hubby and I are off to a stately home for the weekend with his work. So of course I NEED new frocks :-))

The little LOTV image on this card reminded me of myself looking this way and that in the mirror, thinking 'does my bum look big in this!' lol

I am entering this card into the LOTV challenge 'Fun and Games' as I used to love dressing up in my grannies clothes and shoes when I was little. The challenge finishes on Wed 28th July so hurry and get you entry in too!

Mini Mania

What lousy weather! Can you believe this in July, I am sat in a jumper with the lights on :-( Seems like the perfect day for some crafting but my house is full of lads so probably not much chance of any peace lol.

This week was my youngest sons' birthday (19) and also mine (46!) so we had a really busy but fun week. He is into Mini's and has restored and built his own as a first car. It really is lovely. He has totally rebuilt the engine himself , done all the welding and a total respray. I am very proud of him.
So when I recently bought the John Byers Classic car stamps I was over the moon with the Mini one. I decided it had to be a slider card and it was great fun to make.

I am pleased to report that he was dead chuffed with it :-)

I am going to enter it into the following challenges:

Stampin Sisters in Christ #98 - A card with something that moves on it (Ends Sunday 24th)

Send a smile 4 Kids - A card for a teenage boy (Ends 5th August)

Sweet stampin - One for the boys (ends 23rd July)

Simon says Stamp - Anything goes (ends 20th July)

Love is in the air!

Sorry for the lack of posts folks. What a week we have had. I swear I have put half a stone on...I really dare not go to SW tomorrow! It was my youngest sons 19th birthday last Thursday and I was 46 on Friday so we have done nothing but celebrate all week! We certainly know how to party...we just don't know how to stop lol. I was sooo spoilt too as I got a new car and a really good exercise bike (I should really be on it now but you know...tee hee!)

Amongst our birthdays we also had a friend's 40th wedding anniversary celebrations. What a lovely family they have and we really enjoyed a lovely night with them all.

I actually loved making this card for them and even liked the card once it was made, which as many of you will appreciate we are seldom that happy with our creations...I wonder why?

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Whatever works for you! Ends Sunday 17th July (No 52)

Stamp N Doodle - Love &/or Romance Ends Sunday 17th July (No 6)

Thank you for popping over and I hope life is being kind to you.

Amanda

xx

Oooo I had a little sale!

Yesterday we had my husband's sister and all her little ones come to visit. They live in Scotland so we don't get to see them very often. It was lovely to catch up with them and my husbands aunty came along too.

After tea his aunty asked me if I still did cards and if so did I have an anniversary card? So of course I grabbed my box of cards and showed her what I had. She bought FIVE and gave me £10! I was so pleased she felt them worth buying, although I did put one on the side which I had made for my MIL's anniversary and she picked it up and bought it. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was one I wanted :-O Shame...now I will have to make more cards to replace them all!

Where does the time go?

I can't believe that I haven't posted since the 17th June....where did the time go? I don't think I have done anything exciting either lol. My days are taken up with looking after Fever at the moment. The poor thing is going stir crazy having to stay in her stable all the time. What a nightmare it is.

Never mind the weather has improved so I have been out in the garden potting up my vertical herb garden. I shall try and take some photos later for you all to see. My clever hubby designed it and it is fab. Now I just have to keep them alive...I am reknowned for killing plants :( So I will try my very best!

This is a card I made at the weekend just to add to my collection of everyday cards. The stamp is a Stampavie one. I am afraid I am not sure of the name of it as it says Wedding squirrels on the back of the packet but this little image looks like a sleeping mouse to me lol! Maybe I need my specs on!

I am entering it into the follwoing challenge:
PollyCraft Monday Challenge - Make a Splash! Ends 3rd July

The dreaded men's cards!

Well things have settled down with Fever a little this week and I am getting back into the swing of mucking out twice a day again :-( Her wound is going in the right direction so we just plod on and hope for the best.

In between looking after her it's been a busy week as usual and today I took my MIL shopping for clothes which was nice. Of course we had to stop off at M&S for an obligatory peice of Lemon Drizzle cake :-P oh the hardships I have to endure lol.

Crafting wise, I have a number of men's birthdays coming up soon so this week has been spent doing those...not so bad when you get the first one out of the way but boy that first one is always a nightmare! So here it is...

I am entering it into the following challenges:

Splendiferous Creations - 'It's manly baby' ending Friday 24th June

Papertake Weekly Challenge - 'Dads & Lads' ending Tuesday 21st June

Simon says Stamp and Show - 'Distressed/Torn edges' ending Sunday 19th June

Thanks to those who leave comments..it is lovely to know that people do pop by occasionally :-) Thank you! x

Windmills of your mind!

Recently I was looking through some of my mum's old magazines for inspiration and I came across some windmills in issue 56 of 'Papercraft Essentials'. I think it was an issue from last summer. So today after deciding to make a card for my neice's 7th birthday we looked the issue out again.

I perhaps got a little carried away with this card lol. It has cost a fortune in brads and flowers :-) and had my mum in stitches when she saw the back of the card and all the brads showing through!

So here it is...

I used Paper Cellar Easter/Spring collection papers. Flowers are some that I bought at Hobbeycraft but I am afraid I can't remember the name of them and then lots of brads!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Prairie Fairy Fridays 'Summer Fun' challenge finishes on Friday 17th June

A Spoon Full Of Sugar 'Here comes Summer' challenge finishes on Tues 14th June

Totally Papercrafts challenge 'Summer' finishes on Friday 17th June

Time out!

Sorry for the week without posts but I have had a rather busy week with one thing and another. On Saturday I went to Bramham Horse trials. My friend and I go every year but to be honest this was my last as it is proving to be too traumatic!
I have only been six times and out of those, three times I have had to dash home for an emergency :-(
This time my horse was found 'bleeding profusely' from her foot in the field. The vet was called and I flew home to find she had sliced her heel off down to the bone, leaving a huge and very nasty wound. So she was at the vets for 5 days! She is home now but on 8 weeks box rest which means she is not allowed out of her stable in all that time. I am not sure who will crack first to be honest...her or me! That's horses for you though...never a dull moment!
On Sunday hubby and I drove over the the Lake District and enjoyed a day of kayaking and a day of shopping. It was nice just to chill together although Fever was never far from my thoughts.
This weekend the boys and their dad are all off for a boys adventure weekend so I think I shall be going to play with my mum...so watch this space lol!
I hope everyone else is managing some crafting and that life is being kind to you all xx

New baby!

Sorry for the delay in showing you my latest card but I have been busy decorating three rooms! I am so tired I could sleep on a washing line lol. However we had some lovely news this week. My best friend from school has become a Grandma, so I really enjoyed making this card for her.

I bet you can't guess what her daughter had? ;-))

I absolutely adore this Princess Tilda stamp and she is so versatile. I coloured her with Promarkers and punched a lovely insert for the card using my Martha Stewart around the Page punch 'Loops heart'.

I am really looking forward to seeing my friend for lunch and taking her a little pressy to celebrate. It will be good to catch up with all her news and if she doesn't bring little 'Libby-rose' in person then I am sure she will bring some photos :-))

I am entering this card into the Crafts and Me challenges 'Punch it out'

also the Simon says stamp and show challenge 'favourite stamp'

So organised!

This is a card for my cousin's wedding. He is getting married in August and I have a card made already! How good am I? ;-) Shame I don't have one for my friends birthday in June! Lol
I really enjoyed making this card....I could let all my girly influences go!



I used: Papermania - Henbury lane papers 'Perfect Summer Days'
Papermania - Birdsong sentiment
Brads/Charms/Spacers and Flowers from my stash
Lace from Boyes Stores
Martha Stewart Punch around the page 'Loops heart'

I am entering it into the following challenges:

Bunny Zoes Crafts - Lace

Crafty Emma's - Embellish it!

Sew Many Challenges - Flowers and Lace

Get well soon Bill

This is a card I made for my uncle who recently had a nasty fall.



I used the following products:

Oval Scallop Nesty

Rachelle Anne Miller - Lilly and Milo 'Rainy days' stamp

Distress inks - Victorian Velvet/Faded jeans/Antique Linen/Wild honey to watercolour the image

Anita's 3D Clear Gloss finish - for the wellingtons/puddle and Umbrella Papermania 'Perfect summer days' paper

Cuttlebug 'Get Well Soon' sentiment

Martha Stewart around the page cutter 'Loops Heart' for the insert

Ribbon from my stash

I am entering this card into some challenges! Truly Scrumptious - Anything goes!

Papercraftingjourney - Get well soon!

Totally Gorjuss - Challenge 81 Water Water

Not quite a card lol

On the Royal wedding I had a last minute invite from my friend to a farm dance. Brilliant I thought until she mentioned that you needed a facinator!

I bombed down to the shops to try and get one and they were all shut for the wedding! Arrrgghh!

So where does a girl go when she needs help? Her mum's of course!

Here is what my clever mum came up with for me ...she really is fab.

Wedding acceptance

How lovely to have a wedding to look forward to this year after that wonderful Royal wedding! It was lovely to come back off my holiday in America to an invite to my cousins wedding in August. He lost his mum (my aunty Dot) last year so the moment will be a little bittersweet as she waitied a long time for him to get married. However she knew he was planning it and they got engaged at her bedside which was lovely. She was so excited and I know she will be there in spirit on the day.

So this is my acceptance card:

New Neighbours

The house next door to us has been pretty much empty for the past two years although the old owners visit it every week to do the garden etc. So when we came back off holiday it was nice to see someone working on it in preparation for moving in. This is the card that I have made to welcome them...oh and a box of Celebrations too :-))

Back to reality!

I am home from my five week trip across America. What an adventure!

We hired a Harley Davidson on rode from Daytona Beach to Los Angeles, California. It was out of this world and we had some wonderful adventures.

If you would like to read about them then please visit my other blog http://www.transusaroadtrip.blogspot.com/

Yesterday was my first day crafting at my mum's since we got back and it was Docrafts 1st birthday so we spent the day making a hat and a birthday card and doing numerous quizzes. We had a lovely party tea and really enjoyed being back together 'wasting paper'.

Hubby's Birthday Card

How strange! I have just noticed that although I only did this post this morning it is dated yesterday! Anyone any ideas how that happened?

Just a quick post this morning folks as I have a busy day. Need to start some cleaning ready for our holidays and my mare in the vets today. Well she went yesterday for an operation but it didn't happen so hopefully it's today! My poor nerves are shot to bits lol

This is the card I made for my hubby's birthday.

The image is two stamps from Hero Arts and is called Artistic Grapes. The papers are Hampstead 'A warm welcome'.

The card s a 6*6" square with the front side shortened. The card was then covered in papers and layered. I coloured the image using Promarkers. Dusted the edge of it with Shabby shutters distress ink and added buttons from my stash which I then threaded ribbons through. I fastened, using a brad, a motorbike charm from my stash as he is all into motorbikes and a sentiment which originally came from Lakeland Plastics many moons ago!

Well I hope that whatever you get to do today the day is good to you and hopefully if it's crafting then you will think of me as I do housework :-( Have fun!

Something New!

Sorry I have been missing for a little while. Life has been a bit mad lately. We are preparing to go across America on Harley Davidsons in two weeks time. Travelling from Orlando to Daytona and then across southern USA to LA, California! The trip of a lifetime, I think you will agree!

Amongst all this my horse has gone lame and further to investigation now has to have an operation on Monday for a torn Collatoral ligament :-(

So crafting has taken a bit of a back seat. However I thought I would share these that I made for my neices. I filled them with crafting bits which they loved. Unfortunately as usual I forgot to take photos of them and so had to rely on my sister in law to do it for me when she recieved them. They are a little dark but you get the just I think.

Lauren's box is the biggest as she is the oldest!

It also had lots of little Ladybirds and flowers etc around the sides not shown.

Rhianna's box is a bit smaller as she is the middle child.

The teddy was decoupage and the box had lots of teddies and cuddly things around the unshown sides.

Freya had a tiny box as she is the youngest

Princess Tilda just sums her up...she is a princess...with attitude! lol

I was so pleased that they enjoyed them so much but very upset that I forgot to take some nice photos of all the sides of them :-( I must try harder to remember!

Feeling lemon :-)

Well I have just gone to take some photos of the cards that I made this week, only to find I have sent three of them to their recipients without photographing them! So typical of me!

Anyway here are two that I still have:

Feeling under the weather:

A Rachel ann Miller stamp. I really love this stamp and have added Silver stickles to add sparkle to the puddle and brolly.

Make a wish:

Daisy and dandelion papers and the beautiful Lili of the Valley 'Dandelion' stamp. Stickles on her wings and gems on her daisy chain head peice.

I have also made a man's card for my hubby's birthday but more of that later!

I haven't forgotten you!

Sorry haven't had a minute lately to post anything. Hopefully I will get some photos taken this afternoon and get them posted too :-) before I am off to the cinema with friends.

I hope everyone is managing some crafting and blogging time, there just doesn't seem enough hours in the day at the moment. Speak soon xxx

Simplicity

Morning bloggers! It is wild and windy here on the North York Moors so I thought before I venture out I would show you one of my latest efforts.
I made this card for an acknowledgment. My sons best friend got married last year in America but has come home to celebrate with family and friends.
The card is 6*6" square, the papers are Papermania Capsule Aqua collection. I used my mum's Cricut to cut the green branch and the aqua 'forever' sentiment. I then punched the flowers and added brads to fix them. A ribbon, pearl gems, charm and hearts from stash completed this very simple card.
I took the inspiration from Apricot Sal's card in last months Docraft Magazine. You can find her blog here, although I think she is on a break from it at the moment. http://cardsforallreasons.blogspot.com/

Well I had better get ready to face the weather. Have a great day everyone and if you are fortunate enough to be crafting then think of me and have fun!

Two challenge cards in a day!

This card is also for two challenges :-) I feel like a pro now lol.

The first is the Lili of the Valley challenge 'Anything but square' quite a challenge for me that was for sure as I have been rather stuck on square cards for a while!

The second is Passion for promarkers challenge 'Let it shine'. You had to include gems and sparkle etc and of course use Promarkers.

The papers are Papermania Hampsted 'A warm welcome'. The stamp is LOTV 'glamorous gardening' and the sentiment is from the Papermania Birdsong collection.

The stamp was coloured using the following Promarkers:

Caramel, Spice, Terracotta, Meadow green, Pear green, Lime zest, Olive green, Oatmeal, China blue, Powder blue, Pastel pink, Dusky pink and Blush.

The edges of the stamp coloured with Spiced Marmalade Distress ink.

I added pearls and flowers from my stash and coloured her necklace with glitter pen.

First challenges!

Afternoon folks...I have decided to be really brave and have a go at some challenges! It is rather exciting and I thoroughly enjoyed making this card. It is going into two challenges (get me eh!), The Colour Create challenge which ends on february 10th. The challenge was to be in Lemon, Green and White with the option of using a charm.

It is also going into The Sketch n Stash challenge. This finishes tomorrow evening so I hope I am just in time. There was a sketch to follow and you had to use some new or neglected stash (I used both!).

It is on a 6*6" card. The papers are by Dovecrafts Back to Basics & Daisy and Dandelion Picnic Patch, both of which are rather neglected stash :-(

The stamp and sentiment are my new Papermania birdsong stamps. I love them already!

I used a Martha Stewart Doily edger punch and cut cirles on my mum's Cuttlebug ;-)

The stamp was coloured with the following Promarkers: Buttercup, Lemon, Lime Zest, Tulip Yellow, Vanilla, Meadow green, Lemon, Ivory, Satin, Leaf green and Pear green. I added gems from my stash to the tree flowers.

I also added flowers, button, ribbon, brad and charm from my stash.

Birthday Princess

Well I am on a roll and very pleased to be managing to post regularly, long may it last! It is a bit of a shame that I don't get many visitors but I am extremely grateful to those that do pop by and leave me comments, Thank you!

This card is for my box, so not for anyone in particular but for 'just incase' .

It is a 6"*6" card covered in paper from my stash (I really MUST leave the covers on them so I know what make they are!) I think it was Daisy and Dandelion paper.

I then added a layer of another pale blue paper, Birthday ribbon (bought from Hobbycraft) and some lace.

I coloured my Tilda Princess with Promarkers:
Sandstone, Cocoa and caramel
Pastel pink, Dusky pink and Blush
Powder blue and Blender
I brushed the edge with Denim blue distress ink
Added some gems and layered on blue card.

The sentiment is from my Debbi Moore Birthday collection which I again brushed with distress ink and layered on card.

These were added to the card and some little flowers from my stash, all bought from The Works.

Crafty Fox blog Candy

Crafty Fox is offering this lovely ribbon candy until the 24th January! Check out her lovely blog, especially her baby cards.

Looking ahead!

I made this card for my sister's birthday in March, how organised am I?? We are off to America for four and a bit weeks and we go on her birthday so I thought I had better get myself sorted.
I used my mum's Cricut to cut out the letters for sister. I would really love a Cricut but unfortunately it is just a dream :-(



I then used my new LOTV stamp 'Best friends' and coloured it with Promarkers:
Cocoa
Sandstone
Caramel
Blossom
Blender
Pale pink
Blush
Rose pink
Leaf green
Grass
Dusky pink

I added ribbon, pearls, brads from my stash and the papers are K&Company Amy Butler Designer paper.
I dusted the edge of the stamp with Shabby Shutters Distress ink.

A 70's theme

A friend has recently invited me to her 70's themed 50th birthday party. Unfortunately I can't go but I made this card as a Thank you/ Birthday card for her.

I used the free stamp that I got with my DoCrafts magazine this month and a stamped image from my Debbi Moore Birthday collection. The papers are from my stash so I am afraid I am not sure what make they are. I cut the 'Thank You' on my mum's Cricut. Then added a flower and brad from my stash.

Busy Bee!

Well I had a productive day at my mum's last Saturday and as promised I am here blogging :-))

This is my first offering:

Pretty Princess!

This is a 6" * 6" card

I then used Basics Pastel papers, ribbons, lace, brad, gems and flowers from my stash.

The sentiment is from the Debbi Moore Birthday set which I mounted on card and then dusted the edge with Victorian Velvet distress ink.

The Stamp is Princess Tilda. I used the following Promarkers to colour her:

Hair: Chestnut, Sandstone and cocoa

Skin: Pastel Pink, Dusky pink and Blush

Dress: Blossom, antique pink and blender

Petticoat: Blender and Dusky pink

Shoes: Powder blue

Distressed around the edges with Victorian Velvet

A super Promarker tutorial!

This tutorial is really easy to follow and the lady is very talented at shading etc. Pop over to her blog and take a look, simply click on the image below.

A Happy New Year

Wishing you all a happy new year and may it be a healthy one. Over the past few years I have come to realise that good health is a real treasure and not something to be taken for granted.

My hubby is poorly at the moment with flu and has been in bed for three days, which anyone who knows him will tell you is totally unheard of! He has even told work he is not well enough to travel back tomorrow and as a contractor it is never known for him to call in sick. So here is hoping he is soon on the mend and that all those that are under the weather at the moment are soon feeling brighter.

I am looking forward to getting back to a bit of normality after all those festivities so tonight is my first night back at running club. Then I am hoping once everyone is back at work that I will be able to get some crafting done.

I promise to try much harder at keeping up with your blogs and keeping mine a little more interesting too.

Happy 2011 to you all!

Christmas Cards

Although really rather too late to post these I thought I would show a few of the Christmas cards I made. I apologise for my tardiness in posting them. It seems this blog lark keeps escaping me. So I promise to try harder this year to post more regularly.