Happy Birthday Dale

Tomorrow it's the lad next door's 16th birthday and I woke up this morning and immediately had inspiration for how his card should be ! Usually I would be racking my brain, especially with men's cards which are so difficult to do.

This card was made using layers of paper from the Dovecraft Black & White paper pack. The birthday is epoxy stickers from 'The Works'. The words have been die cut using a Cuttlebug alphabet Red Tag Sale and the cake is from the most recent Let's Make Cards. (I have to confess this is the very 1st item I have used from these packs and I have been subscribing since issue 2) I embellished the paper with some self adhesive gems from the pound shop.

I really am pleased with how this card came out as i do find masculine ones quite hard to do.

Nice Matters Award !

I have received an award from my lovely friend and fellow crafty blogger Kerrie. Please take a look at her blog as she makes some fantastic cards and has recently started making the most yummy notebooks with her new favourite toy - The Bind It All.

I now have to nominate 5 other crafty peeps who are to display this award proudly on their blog and they in turn nominate a further 5 people. That's a lot of people !






My nominees are :-

Becky Stewart
Mum on The Run
Leigh
Nikki
Pixiedust


Thank you very much to Kerrie for this lovely award. Thank you also to the people I have nominated for the constant inspiration you give me.

Penny Black Hedgie

Needed to make a couple of cards this afternoon and whilst I have been bad I have had a lot of sleepless nights. I have used this time wisely and coloured it stamped images from swaps and decided this one was cutie and needed using.

I made a mat from gold holographic card and wound some pink thread round it to break it up a little bit. The stamped image was matted onto this. It has been coloured in with H20's with Sakura pens adding the black glossy accents and the clear glitter on the hedgie. It is very twinkly IRL, shame the scans don't pick it up all that well.

The backing papers are from DCWV (don't you love how their stack all colour match) and a Papermania ribbon is covering the join.

Di Hickman Sketch August # 3

Another week and another sketch over on Di Hickmans blog.

This card was made using one of my new purchases, DCWV Peeking Posies kit from QVC. The glittered cardstock at the bottom is from that kit as is the orange flower. The purple one is a HOTP, the brad is Dovecraft. The paper at the top is a scrap from DCWV and the purple cardstock is also an offcut which was inked around edges for definition.

The sentiment is Papermania rub-ons matted onto an offcut of the top pattern.

I am really enjoying these sketches and I am grateful I went bloghopping and found Di's site.

Dory's Sketch Challenge

This card was made using a layout from The Crafty Goldfish which I sent to my friend for her birthday.

I used DCWV paper for the background of the gatefold card. The large purple bloom is from a pack of Flowerz that I got at a bargain price of 50p in the Lakeland sale last year. The other blooms are Primas. I embellished the design with purple ric rak, a HOTP brad and purple hear t gems from Poundland. The sentiment is Papermania rub ons.

This is the first time I have used Paisly paper as I absolutely hate the design for some reason. I only used this paper as I knew the recipient would like it and have sent her all the Paisley I had so this will never be repeated.

Added a Counter

My Blog is constantly evolving so I have added a counter to see how many visitors I get. I suppose I should have done that at the start- Ho Hum !

Happy Birthday Grandad - Di Hickman Sketch August #2

It was Paul's Grandad's birthday yesterday and I made this card for him using the latest card Sketch from Di Hickman.

This is the first official card sketch challenge I have done and I am really pleased with it.

The papers are HOTP. The glitter border is a combination of DCVW and some shimmer paper I had. The die cut is a mulberry paper one from Clevercut and the card was embellished with rub ons from Letraset and Papermana.

I edged the diagonal strip to make it stand out from the paper a bit more.

Wonderful RAK card from Pwincess

I have today received the loveliest of cards from Pwincess Becky Stewart

I saw the card on her blog this morning and thought it was lovely and was absolutely gobsmacked when I opened the post and got the very same card from her. It is REALLY lovely and I feel very lucky to have received such a beautiful card from her.

Please take a look at her blog as she is very talented as makes some lovely cards and is a designer for Pink Petticoat too.

Not feeling too clever

Basically have been in tremendous pain since Wednesday 1st August and I don't do pain !!!!

Woke up twice during that night with what I thought was cramp in my thigh and had a really bad nights sleep as a result as it hurt a lot... Following morning got up to go to the loo and the pain was horrendous in the back of my right thigh and had to limp to the bathroom. Still convinced it was cramp I was in 2 minds whether to go to work or not, but Paul needed to go in early for a meeting so that was decided.

As the morning wore on I just couldn't move, the pain was winding me and I felt sick and it was really uncomfortable as I needed to go to the loo, but knew if I went downstairs at work I wouldn't be able to get back up again. Anyway got took home and a colleague drover my car home for me. I got a box of 32 Nurofen Plus and ended up taking them in less than 3 days. Had no sleep, couldn't move, couldn't get comfortable and had a horrible few days.

Managed to get the doctor to see me on Monday 6th and I've got Sciatica. taking pain killers and anti inflammatories and been given Diazepan to help me sleep but those are not working so not taking them. Since last Tuesday I have only had about 2 hours sleep a night, most nights not even that much. Had none at all last night and it's really getting me down.

Got 2 weeks off work sick which has made me feel bad as it is main holiday time and we have got poeple off. Also from 20th I have got a 2 week course which my employer has paid for and at the moment I don't know if I will be able to drive there as I have a lot of alternating pain and numbness in my right leg. I have to see a back pain specialist next Friday to be re-assessed and go from there. I really hope this is something that will ease up with resting it as the pain can be unbearable and makes me cry sometimes.

Melissa's Birthday

Made a card for my friend Melissa's birthday which was last week.

Saw the 3d stickers in Poundland and knew I had to get them as she has recently opened up an Ebay store 'Shoebag Online' and thought they were perfect for her !

The paper is Rob & Bob studio from a 'One Time Only' pack off QVC, the striped cardstock at the side is DCWV glitter card embellished with a line of diamante bling and Papermania peeloffs. The monagram was a chipboard shape from Poundland which was inked in black and then used gold embossing powder on top. It has come out looking really bronze and glimmers really nicely.

Christening Card Exploding Box

This card is the first exploding one that I have made and I really enjoyed making it.

I used different coloured cardstock and layered it so that it gave it more visual image. As this card was from 3 separate households it was good to be able to have a flap each for the sentiment.

I made my own template for it as I couldn't find the magazine article I had read so there was a fair bit of tweaking needed.

Materials used were Rub ons from DCVW, Poundland and Papermania, Peels offs Woodware & Papermania, Flowers were from Prima, a hen night 'lei' and Ebay buys. Ribbon and gems are from Papermania.

Inside the box I used a gift card from the Linda Bernsen QVC TSV and we all put money inside it. This was a perfect way of giving a gift and a card all rolled into one.

Went To A Christening

Very good friends of our John & Lisa invited us to the Christening of their daughter Daisy Jayne on Sunday 29th August in Lichfield. It is the first time Paul and I have seen her since she was born as they both have large families and we felt they would have been inundated and then I was bad with a cold and one thing led to another and a couple of months just dissappeared !

Anyway, Daisy is absolutely gorgeous (she comes from good looking parents so I suppose that helps a bit LOL)

I have never been to a Christening and thought it was a lovely service.

Our friend Phil went with us and I drove. On the way back I went on the A38 which is a very busy stretch of motorway and I joined it at the Weeford Island which a lot of people will vouch for is a very busy stretch of road. Went up to 60 MPH and loved it !!!!

1st Waterfall Card

I have wanted to have a go at this type of card for a long while but they looked too complicated and I didn't think I would be able to do it. This was until a couple of weeks ago when I saw it demonstrated at The Range. The dimensions given were for a much smaller card so I played about until I was happy with the sizing (this is an A5 card)











I used DCWV glittered cardstock for the backing, complementary coloured cardstock for the square panels. Diecut the letters using Cuttlebug red Tag Sale alphabet. The Happy Birthday sentiment is a Papermania peel off as are the little flowers.















The flower brads and ribbon for the pull tag are also Papermania and the inside of the tag is decorated with a Royal & Langnickel rub on sentiment and a peel off birthday cake which was coloured in using Sakura pens.

Rak for Friend

This card was made for a forum RAK.

I used Papermania paper, some silk blossoms from a recent swop and HOTP, a HOTP big brad with a flower rub on, and the sentiment is a chipboard shape from THAT QVC TSV. I have loads left but I am going to be gutted when I've used it up as I love it so much :)

New Home

This is a card I have made for a friend who has just moved into a new home.

The house and tree dies cuts are a Doodlebug designs Sissix die, the smily face on the sunshine was from a kids necklace which I took apart from Claire's Accessories and the ikkle flowers are Jolee's Boutique ones that I got as freebies from an Ebay seller in the USA. The sentiment is a rubber stamp and I have used Sakura Souffle pens for the the accents.

Got a Visitor

One of our friends Phil is stopping over at our house for the next 2 weeks, and as the computer room is also the spare room this means I may not be able to get on as much as I would like to.

However I have made 2 cards today which is great as they are the first I have made since I got back from my holidays.

I've Been Tagged

Leigh has tagged me, that has never happened to me before so I hope I do this right !

Here goes , 7 things to know about me are :-

1. I met my husband by sitting next to him at a Pet Shop Boys Concert in 1989 and believe me love at 1st sight does exist :)

2. I played keyboards at a music workshop with Orbital before they were famous.

3. I used to go out with a trainspotter and he WAS really boring.

4. I adore music and hate cooking or housework without it. Satellite music channels are a godsend.

5. I got a 3 AAA's athletic association badge for being the school shotput champion when I was 10

6. I have a phobia of woodlice since watching a Hammer House of Horror film called Firebugs when I was far too young to watch scary movies. Gradually over the years I am learning to overcome this......

7. I have a butterfly tattoo on my right shoulder which was done in Amsterdam last year.

Right I am going to tag the following people

Cheryl

Looby

Jo Wardle

Sam

Paula

Lime Green Bogie Girl

Sonya

Got some new stash

Yesterday was a small milestone for me driving wise as I was able to go to a Docrafts demonstration at a garden centre in Walsall. I went to Craft Central and I would not have been able to get there without the car. It felt absolutely brilliant and I was talking to a lady there who said it will make a huge difference to my life, and open up so many more choices for me. It was a great confidence boost for me as I went on my own and didn't really know where I was going so felt very proud of myself.

I was very impressed with Craft Central. They had a huge choice of manufacturers and their prices were pretty good. I got a Docrafts Goody bag, 2 packs of Papermania 6 x 6 paper in warm tones and black & white, and a Christmas messages rubber stamp. I only spent £29 but could have spent sooo much more :)

I'm back off my Holidays :(

Came back off my holidays on Tuesday 10th but only got on my computer yesterday after a bit of drama at home and doing the washing !

Crete was absolutely gorgeous. The sun rose at about 6.15am and set at 8.30pm and in between it was clear blue skies, no clouds at all and very very hot. Paul has burnt his back swimming in the sea but that is now healing up fairly well. I have gone a nice shade of brown even wearing factor 30 and 40 which I am most surprised about. The photos are still on the camera but I will get some put on here asap.

So I think it is fair to say I have holiday blues as the weather is awful here, Paul's not been well, the neighbours are causing problems with parking the car and I just want to be back in Crete !

The last of the 30th Birthdays !!!

At last I have come to the end of the list of 30th Birthdays.

It has been a challenge to come up with completely different designs for all the cards, and the person who commissioned them has been delighted with them.

This card was made using paper from the scrapbooking box TSV from QVC. It is the first time I have used the papers and this was great as the border is part of the paper. There was another border strip about 1.5 cm wide which I cut off and I will use for another card.

I edged the card with a Brilliance pearlescent inkpad to stop it looking too stark.

The ribbon is a velvet one that I got from Paperchase, I love going in there as they have some beautiful papers and accessories. The chipboard frame and square are from the same TSV kit. The sentiment was a clear sticker from the pink cardmaking box which was a Linda Beirnstein TSV a short while ago. It is the first time I have used anything from that box.

The stamped image is from a forum swap and was coloured in unsing Marvy Le Plume pen. The lettering is die cut using Ellison Designs Curlie Girlie Alphabet, the numbers are Scrapbooking House rub ons and the flowers are embellished with clear stick on gems from Poundland.

This is officially the last card I am making before I go on my holiday on Friday.