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Monday 30 May 2011

I'm a bad bloggie owner!

Hello blog world,

At the moment I am a really bad blog owner!  I've neglected her something rotten - my excuse is that I have a life!  Not a good excuse I know, but there it is.

I've got a list of cards to do coming out of my ears - and no time to do them in!  Oh, well I'll just do like all women do, and make time I suppose.  Anyway at least my design team card for Divas by Design is done - will post that on Weds when the next challenge starts.

I've also finished the invites to my daughters fourth birthday party - thought I'd share them here.  Please excuse the poor colouring, I've not used my Promarkers for a few weeks (if not months) and I'm a bit rusty.  They aren't exactly the most inventive of invites - but then they are going to a bunch of 3 and 4 yr olds.  I don't think they'll mind, do you?  There is a party looming for 11 (if they all come) 3 and 4 year olds - I'm so looking forward to the chaos, not (only joking, last years party although hectic was great fun!).

Boys ones

Girls ones

All of 'em!

The images are C.C. Designs - Kiki La Rue: Cupcake Kiki and Sugarplums: Balloon Trevor.  As said coloured with Promarkers.  The sentiment is from a Papermania set and the papers are Dovecraft Piece of Cake paper pack.

I challenge you to spot the invite that Emily helped with!

Got to go now, a nice hot bath and book is calling.  Will be back on Weds and hopefully after that with my Less is More card.

Hope you are all keeping well,
Cheerio,
Sarah

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Two posts in one evening!

And another thing with blogger - why does it keep putting a blank line in when I'm typing my posts?  Its so annoying having to go back and delete the lines.
Anyway another first for me - two challenges in one post!  So I'll do what I've seen others doing - put a list (a whole two challenges!) at the bottom of post of the challenges I'm entering this card into.

 Detail shot to try and show the glitter on wings and star:

Lili of the Valley stamp - Garden of Wishes, coloured with Prisma pencils.  Die-cut with nesties.
Freebie paper stack My Minds Eye
Flowers from Joanna Sheen and Wild Orchid Crafts
Ribbon from my stuff

So now for the ramble - most of these rambles are about the little one, most of the stuff I do at the moment is all about her.  I spent 35 years of my life on me - so I suppose I can give the next 35 to her!  At the moment it's all about moving up into big school, I'm really hoping that she copes OK and that we've picked the right school for her.  It's so difficult to know what to do, we don't have many friends around here with children the same age (am getting more tho, from the groups I've been to) - so it went on a recommendation for the nursery from my friend with the little boy who is Ems best friend and had started at the nursery a few months before.  Em has been really happy in nursery and I'm so hoping that she stays as happy in the school.  I hated school, really hated it!  Was bullied something rotten and bunked off the last two periods on a Friday for the last year of school.  Not something I am particularly proud of, but it didn't do me much harm.  Was Physics after all and I'm not exactly a whizz when it comes to the sciences!

Anyhow, we were at our regular group this afternoon and this terms subject is moving up into big school, of course me being me - I tell the world everything - said that I hated school and am worried that Em won't like it.  The response was to hide that, as I don't want to pass on my hang-ups to her, now I know that - rationally I know that, but boy it's difficult.  I so hope she turns out like her dad - he knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go for it.  He isn't afraid to talk to people, or put his opinion forward, things which I find extremely difficult.  I think if you met me in real life, you'd think I was really stuck up - which I have been accused of - but it's really a case of severe shyness!  I can hide it quite well, but do have these serious wobbles when I'm alone.

I suppose this is something that all parents go through, one of the reasons I put off having children until later wasn't sure I could cope with the responsibility of it.  Seems so strange to put so many hopes and dreams into one little parcel who asks, quite innocently, do elephants lay eggs like chickens?  Or, is there another world in the sky, mummy?  Only so and so, went to Disney World and he had to go in the sky to get there!

Anyhow, it's getting late and I've rambled enough.

Hope you like the cards, and don't mind the ramble. 

Cheerio

Sarah



Challenges:
Lili of the Valley - Challenge 97–Here comes Summer
Sketch Saturday - Week #156

Less is more - week 16 Theme Butterfly/Butterflies

Before I say anything I need to ..........arrggghhhh!  What is up with Blogger?  I can't comment tonight.   I've managed one comment and now I seem to be in a repeating loop of being asked to sign in. 

Does this sort of problem happen a lot?  I've only been blogging a couple of months, but have got totally addicted and if this happens a lot I will also get totally frustrated!

So no comments from me tonight, I will try again tomorrow.

Rant over!  Deep breath, calm thoughts and post!

Less is More this week Mandi and Chrissie have set a theme of Butterfly or Butterflies.  I thought at first easy - but I'm not so sure now.  That does seem to be a recurring theme for these LiM posts doesn't it?   First thought, oh easy - second thought, hmmm not so easy!  As I've said before I'm not really an 'image' sort of stamp person, I'm a character (a right one, hubby says!) and I've been using my few butterflies for the last couple of LiM and DoCrafts challenges - so I was a bit stuck for what to do this time.

I've managed three cards, the first one I actually like!  The other two I'm not so sure about.  Here they are:

 Stamp is: Paper Pretties - FlutterBy (sentiment and image), coloured with prismas.  The butterfly punch I've had for ages and don't know where I got it.

 This one was inspired by Mandi.  I don't do black cards very often, don't really know why - just force of habit I suppose.  I saw Mandi's wonderful card this week though and was completely stunned.  So I thought I'd try a black card blank.  The image is a PSX stamp, heat embossed with gold powder then die cut with a circular nestie.  The background stamp is from Stamping Bella : 'I AM' script heat embossed with red sparkle powder.

This card has got to be the simplest one I've ever made.  I just inked the same stamp as before in blue stamped in the middle of the card blank, then stamped again without inking to the right of the original image.  Then re-inked, stamped on scrap card and stamped again without inking to the left.  I think the side butterflies could've gone off the page a bit more, but on the whole not too bad.

I didn't know what sentiment to put with these two cards, so left them without.  I'm off to the Sincerely Yours papercraft show in Lincoln on Sunday - hopefully I'll come back with some sentiment stamps.

We've got my father-in-law staying with us for the weekend and first half of next week and it's also  half-term here so if I do get to join in with next weeks' challenge (and I'll do my best) it will be late in the week.

Thanks to all for any comment and or suggestions on these cards - as always I welcome suggestions on how to improve.

Cheerio for now

Sarah

Friday 20 May 2011

The Sugar Bowl: Challenge 60 - Maria Therese's Sketch

Well this is a new one for me.  Have watched the Sugar Nellie blog for ages, then watched the Sugar Nellie challenge blog - The Sugar Bowl, as well but never entered a card before.

Today I figured I'd take the plunge, not in any way figuring that I'll ever get a sniff of winning one of their challenges, have you seen the cards that are submitted - fantastic!  But I am quietly pleased with this card and as I've said before, I do like a sketch to follow.

So here we go with the pics and card details:

 Second picture is to try and show the glitter on the flower in hair and ring, hmm don't know if it's worked.
So the stamp is a Leanne Ellis one - Tell Me Something, coloured with my Prisma pencils.  The papers are all Craftwork cards and the flower from my stuff.  I put a tiny bit of glitter on the flower and ring.  The strip is a Martha Stewart deep punch.

So for my meanderings. Today little one does a long day at Nursery (8.30 - 2.40), what a mood she was in when I got her! She is suddenly becoming little Miss Independent, she would not have me open the car door for her but she didn't have the strength to open it herself.  There we are at an impasse! So she has a temper tantrum because I open the door and get her into the car seat, she calmed down on the way home!  Oh the joys of motherhood - wouldn't change it (or her) for the world though.


I'm entering this card into

The Sugar Bowl - challenge 60: Marie Therese's Sketch

Thursday 19 May 2011

Little Claires, Challenge 7 - sparkle

Hello all

Firstly can I say hello and a very big thank you to all you wonderful people out there who have decided that my meanderings and sometimes not very good cards are worth following.  I'm very flattered that so many of you decided to follow boring old me, just hope I don't disappoint!

Well I am getting a bit more regular with my postings aren't I?  Don't get your hopes up though it could all change again!  Just now things are quieter, little one has started going to nursery for two full days, getting her ready for starting school in September (she got into the school that her nursery is attached to by the way, :-) ) as well as her regular morning sessions so I have two full days to do what I like.  Which generally does not include housework!  We also don't have many bookings for the holiday cottage at the moment, so that takes some pressure off me, tho not such good news for the old wages coming in.

I'm blathering on here, and I'm not really sure how many people actually want to read all my meanderings, so I think what I will do in future is put the card details up first and if anyone wants to read the rambles of a getting towards middle age slightly dippy woman, you can do so after the important card stuff!

So I'll do that card stuff now.

This is my entry for Little Claire's challenge, which is sparkle this time.  I haven't gone overboard on the sparkle but kept it subtle.  Maybe some of the LiM style is starting to rub off on my general cardmarking?  I don't know, but the sparkle is there even if understated.

So this is the main pic.

 Some detail shots, in case you can't see the glitter (which is on her bags, earrings, T-shirt and belt buckle) and patterned paper:

 On the embellishments:
 On the sentiment:

The card details are:  Little Claire freebie digi stamp: Lydia goes shopping - coloured with Prisma pencils and glitter.  The paper is from DCWV Glitter Stack, embellishments are K&Co (I think, my habit of chucking packaging again!) and ribbon from stuff.

So my meanderings.  We went swimming today and Sarah being Sarah forgot to take little one's armbands so for the first time ever she went in the pool minus any flotation device.  I thought at first that she would refuse to go in, but we'd gone with her best friend and his mum so she couldn't miss that!  We asked one of the lifeguards if we could borrow a float and got one of those stick things and a square float.  Am so proud of her, she managed to swim with just them - in the leisure and main pool!  Or big girl pool as it's known in our house!  There was a moment of panic just before we left as she tried to drown herself, but she is a brave girl and got over it very quickly.  Was more annoyed at her best friend for laughing at her!

Her reward?  A glass of milk and large slice of chocolate cake in the cafe afterwards.  What a life, eh?

Maybe more cards tomorrow, maybe next week - but probably nothing at the weekend.

Cheerio all

Sarah

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Divas by Design, Challenge 2 - For the girls

Hello blogland

Can't believe it's the second challenge at Divas by Design already, and look how many entries we had this time - totally amazing!  Wonder how many will join us for this challenge?

Really I'm not supposed to be doing this, as this isn't my Teams turn but I couldn't resist!  I do like making girly cards and I've also been watching Sketch Saturdays blog for a long time but not entered before.

This time I loved the sketch and the Divas were doing a For the girls theme, so I've jumped on the bandwagon and here I am!

Our sponsor for this challenge is Crafty Sentiments, who have some adorable images one of which I have used on my card a lovely image called Violet - isn't she just the cutest?

So this is my card:

 With a detail shot for the glitter I added to her headband.



I've used Basic Grey Sugared papers and coloured Violet with my Prisma pencils with Tim Holtz Distress Ink for edging.  I've die-cut the image and backing cardstock with my nesties and the border was punched with a Martha Stewart punch.  The buttons and fringe are from my stuff. Sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

This is the first time I've scheduled a post, so am fingers crossed it works.  Will link to the Sketch Saturday challenge on Weds morning (if the post appears!).

Bye for now,
Sarah

Edited to add- it worked!  Well I am pleased with myself!

So I'm entering this into

Monday 16 May 2011

Less is more - week 15 OLC / embossing

Hello all

So it's embossing this week at Less is More on a one layer card (OLC).  Now I actually really like embossing, dry or heat, I love my Bug and what it can do with embossing folders.  However what I don't like is that I can't emboss directly onto a card base on the size of card I prefer to use, 6x6 square.  So I have been rather frustrated with the attempts to do what I had in my mind with this weeks challenge.

Does anyone know how to get a standard Cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss half a card (6x6) without leaving an edge from the folder?  I would be so grateful if anyone could give some advice.

I still managed to produce a few cards none of them stunning like the ones I have already looked at on the blog, but still serviceable cards that will go to someone eventually.

They are all a combination of dry and heat embossing, with varying degrees of success. I am out of practice with heat embossing (haven't done any for ages) so had a few little mishaps - didn't get all the powder to heat and sometimes the card warped.

Heigh ho, I've tried and that's what matters.  Still wish though that I could do what you others ladies do, and produce a card that just makes you go Wow!  Maybe next week I will do quality rather than quantity ;-)

Cards now:


 Something I learned with this card, don't stamp all the butterflies and then try to cover them in different colour embossing powder!  Do each in turn!




These are the ones where I was trying to emboss directly onto the card blank with my folders - I think you can see where it hasn't worked.

The big butterfly stamp is the base from the Papermania 'Build a Butterfly' stamp, I think the medium sized one might be  PSX stamp (but I'm not sure) the small ones are from my Martha Stewart stamp and punch butterfly punch.

Various sentiment stamps, embossing powders and Cuttlebug embossing folders.  I used a very old brass stencil for the final card.  Boy was I into dry embossing about 5 years ago, every card I produced had some element of embossing on it!  How times change!

Sarah

Wednesday 11 May 2011

Lili of the Valley Challenge 95 - Animal Antics

I haven't played along with Lili of the Valleys' challenges for a few weeks, just haven't had time what with nursery holidays, bank holidays and life in general getting in the way.  I have still watched the blog (was one of the very first blogs I ever looked at) and this week I am back!

I was asked to make a card for a friends' mother-in-law, all I knew was her age and that she likes baking.  So I thought perfect opportunity to get out my new animal stamps and have a play (of course that this fitted in with the theme is just a bonus and had no bearing on my decision ;-) ).

I decided to keep the card fairly simple as I don't know the lady and I didn't want to put her age on it, some people can be a bit touchy about their ages - I know I am!

So this is my finished card, and I have to say it's simple but I'm really quite pleased with it.


All the papers are from Papermania 'Sweet Nothing' paper stack, the image is 'Cherry on Top' which I have coloured with my Prisma pencils and highlighted with some glitter and chalked the edges for definition.  The sentiment is computer generated and both image and sentiment have been cut with a nestie shape.  The ribbon is from my stuff and the border is an X-cut one.

Thanks for looking,

Sarah

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Less is more week 14 - Colour challenge - white on white

Well white on white for this weeks Less is More eh!  Only done a card like this once some time ago, but have always liked the concept.  The card I'd made I'd inked for definition as well, and I didn't want to either post that (it's never been on my blog, just on my DoCrafts gallery) and didn't want to just re-make it without the inking, so have gone for something different.

Not so much blathering this week, as I am in a bit of a rush to get little one from nursery, but really wanted to get this posted.  I'm pretty sure I've kept to the rules, as even tho there is a stamped image (I finally got to use one of my character stamps - yay!) I have only embossed it.  Admittedly there are shades of white - is that OK Mandi / Chrissie?

I will get round to everyones blogs tonight, or tomorrow I hope.  My house is really suffering with all this blogging I've been doing and I really must do some housework.  You can't see the shelves for the dust!

Enjoy!

PS. Tell you what tho, my dining room (where I craft) looks like it's snowed with all the white card I've got through!!
Card one:

 A detail shot:

 Card two:


Card one is: stamped image; Gossmere by Christie Coll for Stamping Bella; stamped background 'I AM' script by Stamping Bella.  Both embossed with pearl white embossing powder.  The frame is from the Pampered Pets range by DoCrafts and I just cut out the middle and 3d mounted it around the embossed image.

Card two is:  the same frame again this time cut out and mounted around a piece of white pearl card embossed with the Cuttlebug 'Texture' embossing folder and the sentiment is from the 'With Love' set.  The die is one Marianne Creatables Style two butterfly.  I also embossed two lines around the sentiment to hide the folder marks.

Monday 9 May 2011

Little Claire's Challenge 6 - a sketch

Here I am again with my entry for challenge number 6 at Little Claire's - a sketch.

Oooh, I love sketches!  They seem, for me anyway, to take away a lot of the indecision that I have over the positioning of images and embelishments on the card - but still allow a lot of freedom with regards which image, paper, embelishment.

I'm still very boring tho when it comes to using a sketch, I follow it to the letter - or with very minimal changes.  Can't get my head around being given something to follow and then changing it!  The only change I made to this one is that I turned it into an easel card.

So onto my card, this one is for a friend's father-in-law.  I wasn't sure about what image to use and then suddenly remembered that I could make the card with a Little Claire image and enter it into the challenge.  At least that would be one less card in the box - this time tho it will be two less cards as I also did one for her mother-in-law, but that is with a Lili of the Valley image so that will be going into the LoTV challenge.

Here's my card.  I used Little Claire's 'Oh Man!' stamps for the main image which is coloured with my Prismas (loving these by the way, am using them over my Promarkers - poor promarkers, so neglected!) and also for the shrink plastic embelishment.  The sentiment is a combination of various word sets; the papers are all from Papermania 'Hampstead' pack; image die-cut with a nestie.:


I don't do easel cards very often, partly becuase they are so blooming difficult to photograph.  Apologies for the boring shot, I think tho you get the idea of what an easel card is.  I always seem to be behind the times when it comes to cardmaking, a trend a year ago is new to me!

Hope everyone is enjoying the continued good weather.  We were promised rain over the weekend, it didn't materialise (apart from some tiny spit spots) and we are still waiting now!

Sarah

Saturday 7 May 2011

All about a boy

Hi there blogland

Well here is an unusual card for me, it's for a boy!  I'm not very good with boys cards, I've only ever had to make very few male cards - don't have that many male relatives or male friends if it comes to it (I'm much more a girly girl!).

However since having my daughter I've made more friends who have little boys and therefore my cardmaking has had to improve on the boys cards.  I am also hosting the Lili of the Valley challenge on Docrafts this time round so thought why not be adventurous and set a boys theme - thus killing two birds with one stone.  A challenge and a birthday card.

So here is my card - a Lili of the Valley image coloured with promarkers and die-cut onto a nestie shape.  Backing paper is Die Cuts with a View and sayings paper is from Dovecraft, I punched the stars and they are meant to be at an angle!


A friend on Docrafts (Teresa - you should check out her blog here she makes the most amazing cards) is also one of the Design Team on a challenge blog called Here Come the Boys and has been saying how this challenge is for purely male cards.  So I thought why not pop in an entry.

Hope you are all having a lovely day - we've been threatened with rain here but none so far.  The three of us have had a lovely day just pottering around and I'm off soon to call hubby and daughter in for their dinner so that Emily can watch Don't Scare the Hare, a gameshow on telly.

Best wishes all

Sarah

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Divas by Design - first challenge


Here we are 4th May and the Divas by Design challenge blog is open!  My first ever Design Team posting, I am just so pleased that I made the Design Team and a huge thank you to Rebekah and Jo for picking me to be part of their Team.  Thank you so much.

This first challenge is Anything Goes and is sponsored by Di's Digi Downloads

So without any further ado, my card:


The image is Mo Manning, for Stamping Bella - Diva (appropriate I thought) and coloured with Prismacolour pencils.  The papers are all Basic Grey - Stella Ruby collection and the punch is a Martha Stewart one.  The sentiment I printed off the computer.  Unfortunately I can't remember where the flower came from, I have a few (hmm, more like a dozen!) boxes of flowers and this came out of one of them!

Hope you like and would love you to take a look at the challenge, even better why not enter it - you really have to be in it to win it!

Sarah

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Less is more week 13 - Lucky Dip

This week at Less is More Mandi and Chrissie have a Lucky Dip challenge of either Thank You or Congratulations as the theme for the entries.

I plumped for Thank You as my pick, with just one Congratulations card thrown in.  I'm not sure about the congratulations card, so I'll leave that one to last.

I just wanted to say two thank yous - one to Mandi and Chrissie for running such an inspirational challenge blog, I'm really getting into Clean and Simple cards since trying all the different challenges they have been setting.  My card making now has two distinct styles - my layered and flowery cards (my fall back point as I'm just so comfortable with them) and the Less is More style.  Hopefully, in time, I will be as comfortable with Less is More as with my Fussy and Flowery!  It does mean however that I have to buy more stamps to accommodate the new style!  How terrible! 

Secondly I wanted to say thank you to everyone who comments on my blog, every comment is welcome.  An even bigger thank you goes to the lovely ladies who have taken the time to answer my queries and pleas for help.  Thank you so much, you have helped this newcomer to blogland and the Less is More card immensely.  The suggestions and help you all gave last week I think you will see I have listened to and tried to apply.  I also wanted to say a very big sorry if I didn't get back to comment on your blogs, I get busy with home life and don't always make as many blogs as I would like, but I have your comments on my email account and I will get round to you all.

So, without anymore of my waffle, onto my cards.  Hope you like!









The shaped cards are all Craftwork Cards blanks, the first stamps are Lili of the Valley Additions range.  The three little flower stamps, I've no idea whose they are - I've had them for ages, same applies to the Thank You and Congrats stamps.  The single flower on the 5th card is a Hero Arts one and the wedding couple are an Anita's stamp.  I'm not so sure about the pink Thank You or Congrats card, but I'm very pleased with the first Thank You card, that is my favourite.

And a final Thank you for reading all my meanderings - again if you got this far you deserve a medal!

Sarah