CRAFTING FEVER

An Engagement!

2012-05-26T01:43:00.002-07:00

Feeling a bit gutted this morning as we were planning a lovely family BBQ this afternoon and I have woken up feeling rubbish! I thought I had hayfever (which it still might be) but I have a hacking cough, a runny nose and a lousy headache! So the BBQ is cancelled just incase it is not hayfever and something that the grans can catch :-(

On a nicer note we had some lovely news this week, that some long term friends of ours have finally decided to get married...about time too! They have just had a beautiful little girl together so a wedding is long overdue.

I made this card for them and I think it is one of my favourite cards.

The beautiful round die cut is from Birdy and I just tweaked it a little so that it worked on my Cameo, the sentiments are some vellum ones that came free in a magazine a little while back.

I am going to enter this into the challenge over at MAWTT this week which is 'A Celebration' but NO BIRTHDAYS'

I am also entering it into the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations - Anything goes Ends: Wed 30th May

Love to Create - Song Inspired Ends Monday 28th May - My song inspiration was 'Two Hearts One Love by Shania Twain!

New things for sale!!

2012-05-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

See my 'Things for sale' page...there are a few more bits and bobs :-) Oh and some reductions too :-)

Wedding day blues!

2012-05-19T02:25:00.003-07:00

Well no blues last week when my friend got married! So ok the weather was a bit of a wash out but that couldn't spopil the day. The bride was absolutely stunning!! She arrived in a beautiful horse drawn carriage and she is like a little doll, probably about a size 6/8!

This is the card I made for her and it was one of those cards that I really enjoyed making.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbons Inspiration Challenge Ends: May 24th
This Best of British challenge is made up of 16 days and all winners are drawn on June 3rd. There are some lovely prizes and the DT cards are gorgeous so pop by for some inspiration!

Wild Orchid - Anything Goes Week 50 Ends: Monday 21st May

Creative Craft Challenge - Distressing Ends: Tuesday 22nd May

Can you believe it!

2012-05-17T06:50:00.002-07:00

Just popped over to MAWTT to see what the challenge is and it is 'Keeping it real'. Anything living (but not fairies lol). I was chuffed to bits as the next card I was going to put on my blog is one I made at the weekend with tulips on! How organised am I :-P Ha Ha! Talk about a fluke lol!

This is an image I got from Birdy. I coloured it with Promarkers and then used Glossy Accents on the flower heads.

I will also enter this card into the following challenges:

Divas By Design - Tickled Pink Ends: Tues 22nd May

Papertake Weekly - In The Garden Ends: Tues 22nd May

Truly Scrumptious - Anything goes Ends: Wednesday 23rd May

I love Promarkers challenge - Anything goes Ends: Wednesday 23rd May

A last minute rush...AGAIN!

2012-05-16T06:26:00.001-07:00

Well I got here at last...my usual last minute rush lol! I made this card at the weekend meaning to give it to my son's friend as he has emigrated, but he has left and it is still here!! lol

Story of my life!

I am entering it into the MAWTT challenge which this week is NAUTICAL

Sabic Middlesbrough 5K

2012-05-14T15:32:00.003-07:00

Just thought I would add a photo taken of myself and some friends at this weekends Sabic 5K run at the Riverside Football stadium in Middlesbrough. We decided to do it just for a bit of fun and to raise funds for a local Breathercise group. Julie's husband Scott suffers chronic lung disease and a friend of mine has just lost her husband to it, they both attended the Breathercise Teesside group.

Left to right: Me, Dawn, Julie and Kerry

Julie and I did it in 31:24 and Kerry and Dawn in 36:26 so not too bad considering the wind was a little wild!

Not sure how much we have raised yet but hopefully we didn't do too badly as we only had a week to get sponsors.

This is Julie and I crossing the line together! Can you believe that she has lost 8st in weight? She is such an inspiration. Actually between the four of us we have lost 14st at SW and then all joined the same running club!

As Promised

2012-05-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Some photos of our new Study! They aren't great as it is awkward to get a good angle for taking photos and the light was rubbish but I think you will get the just of it lol.

NEVER AGAIN to decorating though!

Making a start!

Oh Pants...we weren't expecting that!!

A whole new ceiling it is then!

All replastered

8 coats of Emulsion and 11 days later!

This one has my craft things in it :-)

Sun at last!

2012-05-06T11:04:00.003-07:00

Well at last the sun has got his hat on! Doesn't it make you feel good to feel the warmth of the sun on your face?

I spent the morning at the yard today grooming my mare, Fever, and then we had a short ride before some friends came to have a little go on her.

Fever is such a sweet mare, despite all her friends being out in the big summer field for the first time today, she behaved impecably. They are VERY novice riders and she carried them like they were precious cargo :-)

The weather must have known what the challenge is over at MAWTT this week! It is SUMMER SUNSHINE!

So this is my entry:

I really enjoyed making this card although gluing the string to the tail of the kite was a little fiddly lol.

I will also enter it into the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin - 4 Legged Friends! Finishes Saturday 12th May

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes! Finishes Tuesday 8th May

I HATE decorating!!!!

2012-04-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

What a nightmare week! My mum will tell you that mention the word decorating to me and I break out in a cold sweat brought on by past experiences! Well this week has only served to ensure that phobia is well and truly cemented.

Hubby decided that when he came home from work for his two weeks home we would make a start on decorating and revamping the study...brilliant as it has drove me mad for ages. The only problem is that, that entails decorating! *Amanda starts to feel a bit wobbly* So I dutifully empty the cupboards of the mountainous amounts of clutter that we have accumulated and get rid of all the unwanted furniture ready for a flying start when he gets home. He arrives Thursday evening at about 6pm and by 6:45pm we are on with it!

All is going swimmingly until Friday evening when the ceiling suddenly falls in!!! A tile on the roof has been broken and it would seem that the furniture was the only thing holding it up. What an absolute mess we were in. The whole house ended up covered in old loft insulation and rubbish. So then the roof needed mending and we needed a WHOLE new study ceiling.

Here I am over a week later and we are finally finished :-) Really pleased with it too, although poor hubby has ended up under the weather because he is so tired :-(

Anyway onto better things! I now have a cupboard especially just for all my crafting stash!! I don't think it was meant just for me but once I got all my stash in it nothing else would fit lol. So I have quickly dashed over to Moving Along With The Times challenge to see what my mum is doing for her very first challenge with them. It is Flowers or Gardening! Well flowers are my absolute favourite so I definitely one for me to join.

This is the card I am entering as I made it on my last crafting day before we started the study and it never got onto my blog, no time like the present! I adore the butterfly which I cut on my Cuttlebug, I think that particular die is going to get lot of use.

I am really pleased with the photos of these cards after I remembered I had bought a white box a couple of years ago...boy what a difference it made to the images :-O I won't take a photo without it now.

My mum, aunty and I also went along to a new Papercraft show at Eston in Middlesbrough and I got some really lovely goodies including a few nice dies so now the study is up and running I think they will be getting an airing very soon :-) xx

Also entering in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes!

More my thing!

2012-04-14T05:41:00.007-07:00

Morning peeps! How organised am I? I have done my card for the Moving along with the times challenge already!! This was much more my kind of card lol.

I am at my mum's 'wasting paper' as my hubby very rudely calls it! sheesh. I have managed to get a couple of times this week so have had a very productive week with my crafting which makes a change. I really needed a few cards in 'stock' as I have been caught out lately. Managed to make a couple of men's cards and a wedding card!

Anyway here is my entry this week for MAWTT challenge: Shabby chic/& or Vintage. I made the flower from some ribbon after being inspired by my mum's bandage flower. The stamp I bought at Harrogate show from www.dimensionfourthltd.co.uk

Also entering it into:

Daring Cardmakers challenge: Hats!

Craft Creations challenge: Flower power

Just keep on Creating: Anything goes

Sweet Stamps challenge: Vintage/Shabby Chic

A little late!

2012-04-11T12:32:00.001-07:00

I am rushing like mad to get this card on the MAWTT challenge which finishes tonight. Boy this card really got me stumped. I bought the stamp thinking it would be easy to make a 'sexy' card with but my lack of imagination really let me down!

Anyway here it is! Apologies for the dreadful photos I really rushed them!

Oh dear I missed it by 4 minutes!! Wasn't really a worthy entry to be honest but I really did find this one a challenge lol. I started it on Saturday and only finishe dit at 8:25pm tonight!

I think I had better start tomorrow's challenge as soon as it pops on the screen...I hope it is one I can do. Honestly it can't be that hard this cardmaking malarky can it???

On a roll lol

2012-04-03T12:51:00.002-07:00

Can you believe the difference in the weather in just a couple of days! Last week I was out riding Fever in a T- Shirt and sunbathing at Richmond by the river in shorts and a bikini top....today I have been hibernating with stew and dumplings for tea!!! Madness!

Nevermind at least it was a good day to stay in and do a little crafting ;-) Not that I achieved a lot really but I really want to try and keep up with the 'Moving Along With The Times' challenges as a way of supporting my mum in her new DT position. Not that anyone will really notice little ole me with my tiny blog but it makes me feel better lol.

This week the challenge is: Cute 'n' Cuddly so I coloured this lovely image from 'Mo's Digital Pencil. Isn't she gorgeous! The papers are First Edition 'Dreamcatcher' and I coloured the image with promarkers.

Thanks for popping by...I really appreciate it xxx

Two weeks running!

2012-03-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

I am on a roll! I have made a card for the second week running for The Moving Along With The Times challenge!

How clever am I?

Well I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather. We have been out on our new motorbike a couple of times and poor Fever is wishing I had a job to go to lol. I can't believe it was this time last year that we were motorbiking across America! Where did the time go?

Anyway onto my card for this weeks 'Easter Wishes' challenge over at MAWTT

I coloured the digi image from Digistampboutique in Paint and after printing it I used Glossy Accents to make the flowers 3D. I printed and cut the sentiment on y new Silhouette Cameo and also designed and cut the little flowers on it too.

Unfortunately the photograph doesn't do the cards lovely bright colours justice. I never seem to take good photos even with a descent camera :-( Never mind you get the juist of it.

off to my bed now ready for another busy day tomorrow....off out for a picnic ride on the bike :-)
Take care
xx

Busy day!

2012-03-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Evening peeps! What a busy day I have had today....my poor back and legs are killing me!
Our eldest son has moved home today after his house sale fell through and he was left having handed his notice in at his apartment. So he has come home until he finds another house! Today was spent back and forth to a storage lockup with all his furniture and cleaning his apartment.

I have to say I was most impressed with how clean it was considering he is a young lad on his own. Nonetheless it was hard work, but he is home now and snuggled up in his bed! Strange having all the boys home again!

I am desperate to get my crafting things out though...seems ages since I got to play! :-( I haven't even taken my goodies from Harrogate out of the bag yet!! Sheeesh!

This is a card I made a couple of weeks ago though that I have yet to show you:

It was a Ruby anniversary card for the Yard owner where I keep my horse.

Well off to my bed as I am pooped and need my beauty sleep. Happy crafting to you all...I hope I get a chance to play tomorrow!
xx

Moving house...Not!

2012-03-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

I thought I had better be true to my word and blog today :-)
I have been so busy the past couple of days, creosoting the decking in the garden and painting our two huge sheds, then I decided the garage door needed a freshen up and under the kitchen window too. In amongst all that I have had my horse to sort out and I cleaned all my UPVC, washed the patio windows in and out, shopped, cooked and put a picture up. Then tonight I went dancing, talk about bushed lol. My poor craft things from Harrogate are still in the bag :-( Tomorrow I am going to have to iron as I have a three baskets full! Oh yuk! Anyone fancy popping by to do it for me? No.... thought not :-P

Never mind, as soon as I can get my jobs out of the way I will be hitting that bag of goodies and not coming up for air. Woe betide anyone that disturbs me to make tea or any other such mundane job!

I was rather annoyed and saddened yesterday when my eldest son came to say that his house sale had fallen through exactly one week to his moving in date! How can they do that? He has handed his notice in at his rented apartment, meaning he has to move out at the weekend and paid nearly £800 in fees, searches etc and they pull out one week to the day that they are suppoed to be moving out! Scandulous! So he is coming home for a while :-) Which will be lovely...although he had better not think I am moving any crafty items to make room for him! The gym yes but not the crafts! lol

So anyway here is my Mother's day card, made with lots of love for my wonderful mum. I have been hugely blessed to have her in my life.

What a disgrace!

2012-03-19T17:02:00.002-07:00

I hardly dare show my face in here *blushes* after all this time! How do the months go by so fast? I have to say that I have still been crafting but life has been so busy and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to keep up with blogging. I shall try my very best though to get back into it and not be so lapse in the future!

So what have I been up to in all that time! We have had a couple of winter holidays to Cyprus and Egypt! Both were absolutely lovely and of course there was Christmas.

Then on Saturday I went to Harrogate with my lovely parents (Mau and Den) to the GNPE craftfair. What a righteous day we had and I am so dying to use my new goodies.

Talking of my mum, she has made me very proud by being asked onto the DT for Moving Along With The Times ! So I decided to get back to this blogging lark and join in the challenge over there. It is a lovely blog and their new team have really done them proud this week with their cards I think. Why not pop over and have a look!

This is the project that I am entering into this weeks challenge. It is a 'box of scriptures' made it for my MIL's 71st Birthday because I knew she would love it as she really loves her scriptures. I had seen one on another blog and I apologise as I can't remember whose it was, so I decided to make my own. It took me ages to find the eighty or so scriptures but I have to say that they really lifted my spirits with their promises of God's love and forgiveness. She was overwhelmed when I gave it to her which was very moving.

The box lid

The inside of the box

I am entering this into the MAWTT 'Special lady' challenge as that is certainly what my MIL is!

Sincere apologies!

2011-09-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-08-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

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 :-))

2011-08-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-08-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-07-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-07-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

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

Oooo I had a little sale!

2011-07-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

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!