Sweet Pea - Lace and pearls

Hi all

Wow who nicked the week?? Is it me getting old or are these Mondays zooming round super quick?

This week over on Sweet Pea Stampers we have another gorgeous challenge for you, I love this one as it is to use "lace and pearls" on your Sweet Pea creation.

As always the DT have come up with some amazing projects to whet your appetite so pop over to the challenge blog and take a look. Don't forget for every challenge you enter in August you have one extra chance to win that amazing August candy (secretly I really want it).



I have coloured the image in using Promarkers and used some Suze Weinbergs Bedazzles in Cha Cha on her sash. The papers are Basic Grey Lemonade and the lace and pearls are from my stash.

I am entering this into the very first challenge over on Lets Ink it Up which is anything goes with a twist of lemon - use some yellow on your project!

Basic Grey are asking for fabric to be on your creations and Crafts and Me are wanting petals and pearls!

Buttons and Bows at Incy Wincy

Hi all

This weeks challenge over on Incy Wincy Designs is "Buttons and Bows". We have a FAB sponsor, Robyns Fetish Designs, who is offering the winner 3 images from their store.



All the design team got to work with some of the gorgeous and cute images, have a look at the challenge blog for more inspiration! I chose to use the "A little bird told me" image which I coloured with promarkers. Papers are a combination of Papermania and MME, ribbon and button from my stash. The ribbon started off as white so I coloured it with Colrbox pigment ink in Chianti, got in a right mess doing it too LOL, really inky fingers... again!

My turn to set the challenge, lets CELEBRATE!

Hi all

Hi all, it is my turn to host this fortnights challenge over on Creative Craft World and I have been cooking up a little recipe for this challenge and would like to see the ingredients listed below in the form of a "CELEBRATION". Myself and my family along with millions of Muslims around the world will be celebrating Eid ul-Fitr on or about September 9th as soon as the new moon is sighted. Eid ul-fitr marks the end of the month-long fast of Ramadhan and the start of three day celebration.

We all have things to celebrate be it births, new jobs, birthdays, Christmas, new homes etc. I would like to see either a card or a layout to celebrate a special event for you, I would also like you to explain in your post what is special about it and what it means to you!

The ingredients for your creation are:
1 x image (stamped, digi or photograph)
3 x flowers/embellishments
1 x ribbon
2 x different papers
and of course it has to be a CELEBRATION (don't forget to let me know why it is special to you).

To help with the celebrations don't forget the Creative Craft World special For every order placed from now until Monday 23rd August there is a 10% discount and a FREE Christmas present!

We have TWO amazing sponsors for this challenge and WOW what FAB prizes are on offer for the winners!!! Nip over to the blog and check out the amazing prizes which could be yours and also the rest of the Design Teams amazing creations!

For my DT creation I made a layout of a trip we made to Disneyland a couple of years ago to celebrate Eid. We went in December a couple of days before Christmas and the whole place was a beautiful wonderland with sparkling Christmas trees, lights and even snow - just magical but blooming FREEZING!!!



I am entering this into the following challenge:

Practical Scrapper - Sketch

Thank you Doreen for this lovely award!

Hi all

I received this lovely award from Doreen who is just one of the bestest and most creative people around blogland, she is never too busy to post a little love around blogland. Thanks again Doreen (((HUGS))), I am lucky enough to be on not 1 but 2 DT's with Doreen ;-) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY by the way!!

Of course there are some rules to accepting this award, so here goes:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award - mission accomplished!
2. Put the award on your blog - mission accomplished!
3. List 3 things about yourself:

I grew up on the edge of a tiny village in Oxfordshire called Ewelme

It was love at first sight when I met my husband

I cried at Tarzan (the cartoon) movie - in fact I can cry at anything lol

4. Post a picture you love: Yaseen and Safiyyah at Blackpool zoo last year after having wild cat face painting done:

5. Now is the tough bit, tag 5 people you want to pass the award onto

Cath Wilson who is not only amazingly creative and inspirational she also makes time to leave such wonderful comments!
Anita who again is a beautiful and lovely lady (yes I called you a lady) and oozes creative inspiration with every post!
Pascale who can equal me in the giddiness stakes and we can have a cyber workout buzzing off eachothers enthusiasm LOL!!
Gina who is another of the sweetest people around and always makes time to leave some love
Lisa Jane who just makes me chuckle at her blog with her infectious humour

Refreshing break in the Play Date Cafe

Hi all

My first card of the day is for the current challenge over on The Play Date Cafe, I have a half made one which I had started for last weeks challenge but never got chance to finish. So this week I got my card made nice and early ;-)

This week there is another gorgeous photo inspiration, how refreshing does this look? I could just have one right now, except I am fasting lol.





The stamp I used is one which I won from the Pixie Cottage, I stamped it onto watercolour card and coloured it with distress inks and watercolour paint. Matted onto Bazzill Bling card from Creative Craft World. This stamp is also perfect for the theme over on Tuesday Taggers this week which is Sea, Water or Boats.

I'm back!!

I have had an unplanned blogging break! Why is it that life is going along so steadily one minute then the next it seems to be trauma after trauma?? What with the recent accident involving Zaid I thought that was enough to be dealing with, BUT on no, life has other ideas - my mother in law was rushed into hospital with a suspected heart attack at the weekend. After running some tests it was not a heart attack but severe unstable angina. She has had to go through an angiogram and angioplasty this week. Thankfully she is back home now so I can get back to crafting!!!

Anyway this week over on Simon Says Stamp and Show their theme is for you to create something "inspired by Wendy Vecchi". Daunting? YES, have you seen her stuff?? I am not the proud owner of any Wendy Vecchi stamps (yet) so had to make do with what I had! Most of the stuff I used is Tim Holtz (stamps, distress inks, grunge paper, embossing powder). The really genuinely rusty key is one which my kids found whilst digging in some mud, they came running in shouting "Mum we found a rusty key for your crafting" LOL, they are well trained. The watch parts are a mixture of some I bought off ebay and some from a local flea market, this is definitely a something old and something new project which fits in with The Artistic Stampers challenge.



This weeks Gingersnap Creations challenge is to go 3-dimensional and this is certainly that! I really enjoyed making this even though I have been wandering around all week with rainbow fingers and having to hide them when at work LOL.

I am also entering into the following challenge:

Little Red Wagon who want to see an altered item.

Swirls and flourishes over on Sweet Pea Stampers

Hi all

Another week has flown by, more kiddy entertainment and work been done than crafting unfortunately! Roll on September when the kids are back at school!

This week over on Sweet Pea Stampers we have a "swirls and flourish" theme. There are also 2 amazing prizes on offer for this weeks winner and don't forget whoever joins in the challenges during August they have the chance to win some FAB prizes by entering into the August entrants candy!!!!



For the layout of the card I followed the sketch over on Friday Sketchers

I haven't ever really used these papers before, don't know why they were one of those impulse buys!! I have of course coloured the Ching-Chou Kuik's Dark Royalty rubber stamp in using Promarkers and the flowers are Prima e-line which are both available from Creative Craft World at great prices.

I am also entering this into the following challenges:

Totally Gorjuss - Aqua (thanks for the prompt Lisa!)

Steampunk Journal

Hi all

A couple of weeks ago I attended a Steampunk journalling workshop over at Paddy's quirky and amazing stamping place in Prestwich. The workshop was taught by the amazing Sarah Anderson and I totally had a FAB inky and messy full day of crafting!

We altered a book each, mine started it's life off as an algebra book, we cut out the page - that was hard for me to do, not physically but since being a kid my parents drummed into me to respect books and here I was being egged on by Sarah to cut out the pages!! Good job my Dad couldn't see me LOL!













I have still got a lot of the inside pages to complete but the main work is now done, will share more when it is finished. The book started off as air force blue and I stained it with Walnut stain and loads of distress inks. The large butterfly was using a stamp and distress inks, the lace butterfly was also coloured in the same way. The spine was watercolour card and embossed using the Cuttlebug Clockworks folder. The metal findings were from Paddy's stash and some of my own bits and bobs.

Simon Says Stamp and Show are running their first challenge and the theme is "things with wings" so I am entering into that challenge. Also Gingersnap Creations theme this week is to use paint - there are loads of different paints on this altered book LOL - more of it was on my hands though haha!!

I am also entering this into the challenge on The Artistic Stamper whose August challenge is something old (book) and something new (courage to cut the heary out a book, the cog die and ruler embossing folder)

The Playdate Cafe - Italian Style

Hi all

Like a numpty I atarted making this the other day and completely forgot to finish it or post it, duh, I put it down to the sleep deprivation of looking after Zaid and then getting up for work LOL!

There is another stunning inspirational photo over on the Playdate Cafe this week using a gorgeous colour palette to follow.

Check this out, wouldn't it be just wonderful to meander through the streets of Tuscany??



Here is my take on the colour scheme:



The theme this week on Tuesday Taggers is "Sunshine" so I am also entering this into this weeks challenge, this was actually the prompt that made me remember to post this card!

I have used wild honey, rusty hinge and fired brick distress inks on the tag, stamps are Count my Blessings by Personal Impression stamped with Versamark and clear embossed. The flowers are from Prima (except the red one which I can't remember) and I bought them from Creative Craft World

Tomorrow is the first day of Ramadhan so I will be fasting for about 30 days, of course we are able to eat in the evening and early morning! My kids are getting mega excited as at the end of Ramadhan we have a massive celebration with loads of pressies for the kids and we decorate the house - very much like Christmas but without the turkey or booze LOL!

Carnival time at Sweet Pea Stampers!!!!

Hi all

It's carnival time over on Sweet Pea Stampers this week, we want to see all the lovely vibrant and rich colours of the carnival on your Sweet Pea cards. Besides having not 1 but 2 prize giveaways for this weeks challenge winners there is also the August's challenge entrants FABBY candy of 20$ SHOPPING SPREE in the Sweet Pea Stamps store (oh I am soooo jealous of the winner of this prize)!!!!

For some reason the light in the house this morning didn't pick up the brightness of my card, I will try and take another photo tomorrow if the sky is any less grey than it was today!



For my card this week I followed the sketch over on Sketch Saturday and have used Basic Grey "Lemonade" papers. The image is coloured with promarkers and the flowers are Prima eline both of which are from Creative Craft World.

It's a bugs life

Over on Incy Wincy this week we have a theme of "a bugs life"



We are being sponsored by sponsored by Digi Doodle Shop and have a FAB prize of $10 GC (anything in the store except custom blog work)



I am on my way out to work so will have to add details later!!!!

Sketch over at Cowgirls

Well I am a day late with my card this week for our sketch challenge over on Cowgirls Sunday Stampen' Challenge!

The lovely Andrea made this sketch for us to follow:



This week we are being sponsored by The prize will be a collection of cutting files chosen by KANDREW Designs.

The "Top 3" will receive 1 Image of choice from CJ and CowGirl Up Images
and the "Top 3 Winner's Badge"

Black, green and white at the Play Date Cafe

Hi all

Thanks for all your lovely messages and emails about Zaids accident. He is doing much better now after having his wrist in plaster. The police came to see us and let us know that the driver of the van which knocked him over was driving his companies van but he doesn't have a license grrr!!! He will be getting prosecuted for driving without a license, no insurance and driving without due care and attention (doesn't matter that he knocked anyone over though and caused them injury as that won't come into it) - that's the messed up thing about the justice system though!

Anyway, I made this card last week for the Play Date Cafes current challenge which is a Colour Splash of Black & White with a hint of colour and this week's colour is Green. This weeks colour splash was set by the lovely and super talented Sarah Anderson who I had the pleasure of meeting last week when she had me as a willing student in her Journalling Workshop.

There is another gorgeous inspiration photo this week:



Here is my take on the colour splash:



The background paper is made using a flower stamp which was free with the Craft Stamper magazine. The dress and dummy stamp is from my recent candy win from Cath over at Inky Fingers so I don't know the make, it was paper pieced. Lace and ric rac from my stash.

**Editted to add the stamp is from Time to Stamp, now owned by I Brake for Stamps (thans for the info Cath ;-)

A sketch over at Creative Craft World!

Hi all

Today is the beginning of another FAB challenge over on Creative Craft World, the lovely Sue has given us a gorgeous sketch to work from. There is no specific theme as long as you follow the sketch, you can flip it, rotate it do what you want as long as we can see the sketch on your card or layout! There is a chance to win a GDT spot for our next challenge.

Such a good job I was nice and prepared for this challenge as on Wednesday my 14 year old son Zaid got knocked over by a van!! He is so lucky to have escaped with only cuts and bruises and a broken wrist!!

He was very sensibly crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing and waited for the lights to turn red. Once the green man appeared he started to cross but some idiot in a white transit van decided to use the bus lane to under take all the stationary cars and went through the light on red and hit Zaid!!! Don't know how he managed not to get worse injuries (but thank God) as he was thrown about 8 - 10 metres from the crossing!

He is still shook up, as are we all, my 8 year old witnessed it and won't stop crying poor little thing!

Anyhow, here is a travel journal I made from paper bags for a family we are friends with who are emigrating to New Zealand after spending 4 months travelling around Europe!