Oh woe is me.......

Hi Girls

Firstly thanks for taking the time to look at my posts... it means a great deal to me at the moment......

I'm feeling pretty down, as I have to wait a week till I get this damn MRI scan done to find out what's causing the problem in my mouth.  The consultant said he wanted an 'urgent' scan - but the first they can do is Wed 2nd March.  He IS trying to rule nasty stuff out....  give him credit, but my nerves have taken a good hold and I'm really having a struggle....  So...... if I'm carted off to the funny farm and you don't see me here for a while, you'll know why!  Thanks to all of you who've sent good wishes.......

NOW.... onto my card!  What do you think?  Too much glitter?  She's an LOTV Image called Rosie with Cake and she's a delight to colour.  I seem to often go for lilacs and pinks.... love their muted shades normally, but this is a bit brighter.  I decided to edge the image with Dusty Concord Distress Ink with a piece of cut'n'dry foam.  The DP is Fairy Flora from Prima, and the base lilac cardstock is from my stash.  I've added a bow made from seam binding from the Ribbon Girl, and a charm from ebay on a silver chain.  Some gems and a button finish it off.  Of course, stickles round the distressed edges and prisma glitter on her images.......  couldn't resist.  My nerves are so bad though that my hand was shaking dreadfully when I took the photo.... even with my OTT light, I had to delete more pics than I kept!

Do let me know what you think.....  it may help to brighten my day.......

Bye for now, and big hugs
Maybe will go watch some QVC with Tim Holtz!
Christine x
PS - Entered in Top Tip Tuesday Challenge - Bling, and the Sarah Hurley Food and Drink Challenge

Fabulous new images from a new website..... and a freebie - check it out!

Hi Girls
Just a quickie today to tell you about this fab new website - Wee Stamps by Sylvia Zet.  Isn't this little girl absolutely gorgeous?  And if you want her for free.....  you have to grab her by 12 midday today (16th Feb).  Instructions are on her blog how to claim - brilliant idea for getting her website known.  She's a very talented lady by the look of her images - I wish her good luck!

Sorry I've not been around - I've got a little problem at the back of my mouth (just feels like food is stuck there but it's been like this for 4 weeks now) which I went to the docs about last week - she referred me and the hospital rang THE DAY AFTER to arrange an appt yesterday.  Of course, I went into panic mode (as I do.....).  When I went yesterday, the specialist had to try to see it first through my mouth, and then because he couldn't, he had to put a camera through my nose............... eeek!!  He couldn't manage at first so he used a nasty spray and had to try both nostrils (as he told me one was narrow!)  He STILL couldn't see anything, so now I have to go for an MRI, then possibly he'll have to check it out with a general anaesthetic.  So girls.............. i'm officially TERRIFIED.  I keep on trying to tell myself they're being thorough....   Just to make you smile though, you can't imagine how far my head could go backwards and how quickly when he was approaching me with that camera!!!

Hugs
Christine x

New Hat.......... new card...

Hi Girls

Well, it's been a busy Saturday here .... I've managed to wash the car, trim a shrub, change the bed and wash the sheets, AND make a card!  I've still got to make a lasagne before we eat too!

I've got to say, I'm getting into these LOTV images.... I absolutely adore colouring them.  I sit in my own world....  not aware of anything going on around me....  while I get her dress JUST right!  Anyone identify with that? hehe

Onto the materials used:

• Trusty pens (obviously!)
• Bazzill BP
• Basic Grey Indian Summer DP - distresssed edges with scissors
• LOTV New Hat Image
• Nesties for circle and scalloped circle
• Marianne Creatables corner die (coloured through with brown while die attached)
• Marianne creatables swirl
• Lace from stash
• Pearl Gems
• Pearl Bad
• Seam Binding from Ribbon Girl
• Charm from ebay and chain from stash
• Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts
• MS branch punch
• Sentiment was handwritten - inspired by Pretty Pressings blog

I used a sakura glitter pen for the mirror and glossy accents for the bag..... but otherwise girls........ can you believe it?  NOT a BIT of glitter!!  (Don't think I could have fitted any on there anyway...... )

The inside is decorated with the same Basic Grey paper...
Hope you like - your comments mean a lot to me so please say hello..  and a great big thank you to all that have commented up to now and spurred me on!

Hugs
Christine x

Say it............ with flowers!

Hi Girls

Well, it had to happen...... I've created a card with loads of luscious flowers and lots of other embellies!  I've been wanting to do this for ages and have collected the flowers, but have only just taken the plunge.  And my goodness..... I loved doing this vintage feel - although it took me hours to decide what should go where etc.

I coloured this lovely LOTV image with my trusty pens...... she is 'Hello Cupcake' and is somewhat reminiscent (!) of me with cupcakes...... although I don't introduce myself to them..... I just SCOFF!!

Materials used:

• Bazzil basic cardstock
• DP - Kaisercraft Enlgish Rose Collection - Estelle (bought at Embsay with Lisa-Jane last week)
• Marianne Creatables flower circle die
• Doo Hickey designs scroll die
• Square and scalloped square nesties
• Roses from Wild Orchid Crafts
• Seam binding and fine string from The Ribbon Girl
• Lace from stash
• Charm from Ebay
• Crackle glazed heart made by my fair hand! (from a tutorial by Bev Rochester)
• Pearls from stash
• And............ of course..........  GLITTER!

Now I THINK that was all I used...... I kept having to check back upward to see what was there! lol!  By the way - do you see a theme running through my cards with the exception of the previous one to this?  well, for the less sharp-eyed........ it's glitter!  I just can't resist the stuff!  I think I have an addiction............. it's serious....... h-e-l-p........... (whispered very quietly.....)

Hope you're all having a good week - I've had a lovely couple of days just pottering and playing.  I LOVE those days!

Hugs and Happy Crafting
Christine x

Award time..

Hi Girls

I have to say a big thank you to Lisa-Jane  at Mess2Magic (who I spent a fab time with at Embsay on Friday), and Laurie over at DesignerDiva for this lovely award which I received a couple of days back.  I've been a tad lazy at getting around to putting this up on my blog - but better late than never!  So here goes:

Now the rules are that I have to give this to 8 more blogs - but to be quite honest - every blog I follow is special to me and gives me inspiration, so I'd be happy for you all to have it - please help yourself!

And I am supposed to tell you 8 things about myself.....  that's the difficult bit, but I'll try...

1. As Lisa-Jane knows - I LOVE pink
2. As Lisa-Jane ALSO knows...... I LOVE glitter
3. I am a true Leo - all GRRRR but like my mane stroked...... a pussy cat really
4. I am from Lancashire, but I love Yorkshire!
5. I would love to do a course in graphic design
6. I have photoshop but haven't mastered it properly yet
7. I would love to visit California and watch the sun set over the Pacific
8. I'm trying to meet as many fellow bloggers as I can - what a lovely community to belong to!

Lisa and I spent a lovely few hours on Friday chatting over a cuppa, then shopping for our stashes!  It was a very windy day to drive over the Pennines, but we both managed (I'm the wuss - not Lisa), and it was really worth it!

I've spent a busy weekend - my brother and his wife visited last minute, so I haven't had a lot of card-making/blogging time.  But..... I did find Annette's blog - Netty's Cards - and she has been kind enough to give me lots of help trying to make circular sentiments..... and I THINK I've mastered it!  I've got to say, Annette has been patience personified when I've bombarded her with emails asking 'how do I..........'  It became an obsession....... I just HAD to know how to do it!

Soooooo tomorrow I may have a card for you!  Here's hoping...
Hugs
Christine x

No glitter!!

Hi Girls

Well.......... no glitter on a card of mine?  Can you believe it????  But I so loved this image which is called Lollipop Ella by Lori Boyd Designs... and of course, she had to be done in beautiful bright colour.  She really cheered me up!

The red card is from my stash......  then I printed out some red on white dotty BP (download from Pink Petticoat)...I think Dotty should be my nickname as I am MAD on dots!  I then cut some nestie shapes and ran the square through an embossing folder too.  I coloured the image with my trusty pens (5 different reds in that dress! lol), and then fussy cut the image and adhered with foam tape.  The sentiment is one of my own cut again with nesties, the lace heart is an Martha Stewart punch, the heart pin is from The Ribbon Girl, the loose hearts are (I think) a small sizzix die... but had it so long I have no idea!  Then finished it all off with an organza ribbon bow!  Think thats all....

I tried and tried to find somewhere to put some glitter...... but sadly failed....  I think she just 'doesn't need' any!

Right....... onto my playing around with circular sentiments!  Yayyyyyyyyyy I'm getting there after spending hours in front of the monitor with eye ache!  I knew this machine would do it if I stuck at it long enough..... and sure enough... I produced this one.... along with a few others.  

It's my OH's day off today, but I don't think we're going anywhere - just getting a few jobs done around the house that are on the 'to do' list!  We have a problematic tap in the bath...... and he has to replace the 'bits'.  Hmmmmmm his DIY prowess isn't the world's best - but I have faith and I'm thinking positive! But if my tomorrow's post looks soggy, you'll know why........ 

Hugs

Christine x

PS.... Entering this card for CES - Bold and Bright, Totally Gorguss - As YOU like it, also Simon Says Stamp - Love is in the Air,  Moving Along with the Times - Red,  I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes, and Wild Orchid Crafts - Love Is..

Would you like this Circle Sentiment Freebie?

Hi Girls

After a lot of playing and fiddling about - I'm please to say I think I've mastered the art of making circle sentiments.....  at least on MY level which isn't very high!! lol

I was inspired by Lisa-Jane who shared one yesterday, and Kerry who always does nice ones - to have a go so I sat and fiddled and fiddled and FINALLY came up with this!  What do you think?  If you'd like to help yourself to it (if it's worth having..) - right click to open the image, then save on your computer.  

Anyway - here you are......

Happy Crafting!
Hugs
Christine x

No card today

Hi there

No card from me today but I'd just like to thank Lisa-Jane from Mess 2 Magic and also Sarah over at Stressed Stamper who've both given me this lovely award which I'm thrilled to accept.  Thank you both.

Now the difficult bit, I have to find blogsthat I love  that haven't been given this award by someone already!  Here are the rules (copied from Lisa's blog.... thanks Lisa!)

Here are the conditions for the 'Love Blog' award.

You have been TAGGED and want to participate?

Create a post where you post the 'LOVE BLOG' image.

You should also blog the person's link that gave you the award and inform her/him that you accept the award.

You can then choose 3 - 5 favourite blogs which you also link in your post, then each blogger will inform you that they have been tagged.

So here goes with my picks:

Kerry - A Load of Old Pickle

Peri - Stuff 

Mags - Madcap Manor

Have a wander over to their blogs....  they have some stunning creations and are often an inspiration to me!

Hugs

Christine x

Oh So Sweet and Sassy.....

Hi Girls

At last, another card!  Seems I've been doing everything but card-making this week - somehow even though I don't work, I have all sorts to do that gets in the way!  Not fair!!

We spent a lovely few days last weekend with Barry's daughter and grandson who is a whole FIVE years old! We took them to the Cow and Calf rocks at Ilkley for a walk (after a lovely pub lunch with a roaring log fire of course), then the next day we did York!  We don't get to see them very often, so it was really nice to spend some time with them....  and that little man is really special and gave me hugs and kisses whenever I asked!  I've put a pic lower down.  But he did leave us with a little pressie - his cold!  We've been sniffing and sneezing all week since they went!!  Ah well, totally worth it!

Now... onto my card!  I've used a fab image called Sweet & Sassy (Elisabeth Bell) from Sugar Nellie Stamps. I bought this at the craft shop at Embsay in Skipton, but not sure if she's still available.  She was a dream to colour.... I remember wearing those denim flares and the halter neck tops..... even the big hat! Those were the days! I coloured her with my copics as usual, trying to get lots of shading into that hat.  Then I used a nestie to cut her out - but did lots of shading around the edge with my Tim Holtz blending tool first using a pale blue shadow ink.  I used a DP from fancypantsdesigns.com (which I love!) onto white cardstock, then a MS punched border on both sides of a bit of pink card (you can't see it much but it's there!)...  I ran that through an embossing folder with flowers on which helped with the 'flower power' feeling.  I added some lovely seam binding from The Ribbon Girl, and a butterfly charm from a stash that I bought on ebay.   I distressed the edge of the DP and added stickles and glitter, and of course (!) glittered the image!  Some little MS Hydrangea punched flowers finished it off, with diamantes in the centre (of course!)

Here's the little man in question - it was a week after his 5th birthday, but we had to have a little cake and put a sparkly 5 in it!  He was tickled pink!

OK.......  Better go and do some washing up now!  Hope you like the card - do say hello and let me know - your comments mean so much - and I'm thrilled to see that I now have 34 followers!  Yayyyyyyy!!  One day I'll hit the big time and maybe get to 100....... hehe!

Hugs and Happy Crafting
Christine x
PS - I'm entering it in The Craft Pad Challenge - Girlie, and Let's Ink It Up - Anything Goes, also Sarah Hurley - Birthday Girl, and Moving Along with the Times (Spring), (both of which Lisa Jane told me about - thanks!), then Totally Papercrafts (One for the Kiddies) thanks to Sarah for telling me about that one!   I'm going to have to find out more about where to look for challenges....... at the mo, I have no idea!

LOTV Fairies on Tiptoe

Hi Girls.... well while I'm on a roll......

I decided to get stuck in today as my darling OH was at work!  So I did a bit more tidying of my goodies - then got on with a card!

Using Fairies on Tiptoe from LOTV, I coloured with my copics, then cut with my nestabilities - doing the 'outside of the box' technique again to accomodate her lovely wings.  I added plenty of sparkle with my prisma glitter, my DP was Prisma Marketing Fairy Flora mounted onto Bazzil Bling card, then I used the seam binding I bought from The Ribbon Girl this week to create a lovely bow!  I decided she also needed a diamante scroll - which I bought from the Harrogate show last Sept... one of those 'just because' purchases!  I added a few little flowers using my MS hydrangea punch (which I seem to be using a lot), oh and there was a MS border punch behind the seam binding!

I've spent a lot of the day trying to figure out how to blur the edges of my pics - and I've ended up banging my head against the monitor over and over as I'm really struggling with it!  If any of you out there know an easy way....... please let me know!!

Oh - I distressed the DP and added Stickles in Diamond - I love the look of the distressed edges.  Anyway - hope you like!

Now...... I've got to go and make a meal for my OH to come into at 8.30!  Chicken Supreme I think....... mmmmmmm I'm hungry!

Hugs
Christine

At last........ a card!

Hi Girls -
Well, this has been like laying an egg!  I wanted to do an 'outside of the box' card - and after following my friend and fellow blogger Christine's instructions - coloured and cut the images over a week ago.  Then came the re-organisation of my crafting space!  Poor little fairy sat on the desk waiting and waiting.......  and I seemed to be finding every excuse not to do the card!  Very unlike me, but I was tidying and organising, rather than just getting on with it!  Something about mojo etc... 

Anyway, this afternoon I had an appointment cancelled - so an unexpected hour with nothing to do.  Hmmm I could avoid it no longer!!  So... I got out my OTT light to brighten the day and came up with this! What do you think?

The image I've used is Fairy Bouquet from LOTV and I've used my trusty copics to colour, with loads of prisma glitter on her wings, tiara and flowers.  I sponged around the edge of the oval - and made a hash, so I decided to put some little loose flowers (MS Hydrangea punch) to cover my darker ink patch!  A happy accident?

I used Bazzil as my background card - then used some paper I made (!) loads of last year using Starburst Stains.  It's so easy but very messy to make and starts off with only copier paper.  It has such a gleam though and was just right for this card I think.  I edged it with Crystal Stickles glitter glue to give added bling!

I also used an MS punch for the lacy effect under the ribbon, and a Mariannes Creatable scroll punch for the flourishes.  I finished it with a heart charm that I had in my stash from a few years back.

Question is - am I getting too free and easy with my bling button on Photoshop?  I LOVE THAT BUTTON!! Someone will have to take it away from me i'm getting seriously addicted!

OK....... that's all for now - and Christine, I promise to do more now that I have that space!!

Hugs

Christine xx
PS - I'm entering this card into the LOTV Things with Wings Challenge this week and the Stampavie Challenge, also http://ceschallenges.blogspot.com/

Guess what i've been up to....

Hi Girls.... did you miss me? (is that a no I hear?) lol! Well, this is what I've been up to! Well, actually, first, my darling OH had a few days off work, so we did a bit of going out etc as I didn't want him to feel neglected..... THEN, my craft room was calling! I used to have a small desk and a single bed in the room, with cupboards holding my stash along one wall. But the bed was only used once a year when we had a full house (we have two double spare rooms for when my girls come to stay), sooooooo I decided it should go, and we should visit Ikea to find me something nice! Yes????

Here's my old desk!



Guillotines too!

So, the last couple of days has been spent sorting the room, and then moving all the stuff that had decamped to my dining room and finding just 'the right' places for it! What do you think?

If you look at the other photos - you'll see what my other small desk looks like (still!) It had so much stuff on it, there was no room to actually MAKE a card.

Anyway, one of the photos of my new desk shows a journal my daughter gave me at Christmas. It is so beautiful, and shows a woman with a couple of tears escaping her eye. Inside it reads 'an eye without a tear is a soul without a rainbow...' How beautiful. And how apt for me - as some of you know for the last few months I've been having a bit of a stuggle, but hopefully now I've turned a corner and I'm feeling more positive! 

Sooooo I better get on with more tidying.....

Hugs to all that have battled on through my ramblings..

Christine x

Happy Feet???

Well, after watching Kirstie & Phil's perfect Christmas, my eldest daughter Emma and I decided to have a go at making these little penguins out of marzipan (instead of the usual marzipan fruits... ) The ones pictured are Emma's - which turned out so much better than mine! That's because she has 'more patience' she told me... But I taught her all she knows!! hehe! We made a whole army of them, but are now finding them difficult to eat... something about their little personalities.... the one in the middle at the back looks really worried in case it's his turn next! Anyway, just thought I'd share...

Hope you are all having/had a special holiday time - my youngest daughter flies back to Bermuda tomorrrow..... yeah yeah yeah, to the sunshine.... but we'll miss her!

Bye for now
Hugs to all
Christine xx

Happy Christmas one and all!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas - thank you for your help and encouragement into the world of blogging... what a warm welcome you all gave me!

And may I just raise a glass and say 'Here's to 2011!!'

Hugs
Christine x