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Monday 29 October 2012

It's distressing...

and this time not only that Mr Mojo has gone on on his jollies.

Morning Blogworld

Well here we are again, Monday morning - can you believe how quickly the year is going?  Only a couple more months of this year left, then we are looking down the nose of 2013!!!  I'm still wondering where my summer has gone, let alone thinking about digging out that winter clobber.

So, the reason for the post is not to moan (though you'd be hard pressed to believe that!) but to say - yay it's Monday and a new challenge at The Cutie Pies and I wonder if you guessed the theme? No, really?  Well it's 'Distressing' and that should really only apply to your cards not yourselves ;-)

Our sponsors this fortnight are:


and, with a prize of 4 digis:

So here is my distressed card:
Front shot:

close up of image:

Yay - I got away from those kittens and the arty farty is back!!!


I used:
Digi stamp:
MilkCoffee - Lisbeth and balloons
coloured with my Pro and Flexmarkers

Dies:
Nestie ovals and scalloped ovals

Papers:
Glitz Design - Pretty in Pink

Anything else?
Craftwork cards - greeting
Ribbon, buttons (which I'm not sure about now!) and the little gem in her hair - from my stuff

That's me done then - sorry I've not been around much the last few days.  It's the start of the half-term and we have had Grandad visiting so busy, busy, busy!!

Hopefully see you all again soon,
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

In The Pink: Challenge #6 - Buttons and Bows

Sketch Saturday: Week #231 - I know I rotated the sketch but am hoping you can still see it OK?

The Squirrel and The Fox: Challenge #29 - use a ribbon


Thursday 25 October 2012

I think....

I hear my cross-stitch calling, the cards certainly are still not working for me!

Hello blogworld,

Well I'm still in a funk and I'm still not overly pleased with the cards at the mo.  I really don't seem to have recovered since the school holidays.

And as this is how I'm trying to work, I wonder whether it has a lot to do with it?





I'm sorry that there's not going to be a lot of chat right now - I'm in a bit of a rush, got to get SWMbO from school in 20 mins.  She went as Tinkerbell today!  The school is doing a fundraiser for Help the Heroes and they were allowed to dress as their heroes - she chose Tinkerbell.

Anyway, here is card:

Front shot:

Detail of image:

I used:

Stamp:
Stamping Bella - Uptown Girl Ava, loves to celebrate
coloured with my Promarkers and paper pieced (normally another big no, no - I must be feeling peculiar!)
Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Paper:
My Mind's Eye - Lost and Found two

Wot no?
Dies!

Anything else?
Distress ink - spun sugar round the edges

All done,

Bye

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Cupcake Craft Challenges: Cupcake 215 - Pieced off

Monday 22 October 2012

Why

is it so hard to get a card to come together right sometimes?

Hello blogworld,

Want to see a wasted day - here you go:


All day colouring it - ended up don't like it, doesn't look right.  I also ended up going completely off the sketch the challenge it was meant for gave so I can't use it there.

Try again tomorrow.

I used:

Stamp:
Sugar Nellie - Leanne Ellis: Faraway Thoughts
coloured with my Pro and Flexmarkers

Dies:
Memory Box - part of Rivera Corner
and Marshmallow clouds

Papers:
First Edition - Summer Breeze

Anything else?
Craftwork cards - sentiment
pearls from my stuff

Lost while making:
My temper!!

I'll be back when I'm in a better mood and I might or might not pop it in a challenge, lets see if I like it in a couple of hours.

Sarah

Saturday 20 October 2012

And a final....

Booo!

Hello blogworld,

Well haven't I been a busy bee this week - so many posts, when most weeks I post maybe one tops!  It may last till next week, but it won't the week after as She Who Must be Obeyed is off on half-term and we have grandad staying with us.

So it's Saturday and time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin.  This week the theme is 'wooohooo' and we are looking for your Halloween / spookified creations - with stamping on it please!!

Our sponsor this week is Letraset with a set of pens as the prize.



And our regular monthly sponsor Joanna Sheen and a £10 voucher to spend on-line.


This is the second boys birthday card with a Halloween-y touch.  Still practising my colouring with black clothes and I don't think I got it as well this time as the previous two, but love the greens!

Front shot:

Close up of image:

I used:

Digital stamp:
Pink Gem - Halloween Josh
coloured with my Promarkers

Dies / Punches:
Nesties
Marianne Designs - the corner
Martha Stewart - punch

Papers:
echo park - Chillingsworth Manor

Anything else?
Ribbon
Craftwork Cards - Card Candy (made to look like spiders)
Sentiment computer generated

There, I think that's the last Hallowen-y type card, but you never know - I've still got some of this paper pad left!!!!

Cheerio
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Alphabet Challenge Blog: S for Skeletons, Spiders and spooky.  Well, I have spiders - albeit Card Candy ones!!

Stampin for the Weekend: Challenge 19 - Something Spooky

Fab 'n' funky Challenges: Challenge #143 - Black, Orange + choice.  My choice would be green!

Sketch n Stash: Challenge 98 - Angie's Sketch.  The image and papers are new - the ribbon and Card Candy are old, old, old!!  So old that I can't even remember when I got them!!!!

Friday 19 October 2012

Do you know what a....

split digraph is?  Well me and hubby didn't until She Who Must be Obeyed told us!!

Hello blogworld

And can I say straight off, how kind you all were about my colouring neurosis!  Thank you for the very kind and constructive comments.  I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't quite know how to use black in their colouring - and Coops I'll be looking out for that tut!!!

You all made me feel much better about my card and colouring.  I suppose it boils down to practising and practising and more practising!!

Anyway here's another offering today - no tricky dark colours and pleats to deal with!  I know it's not the newest stamp from Sugar Nellie, but it's new to me and I love it!!  I have to say though, that I wouldn't have coloured the hair beads that colour if:
a) I realised that I wasn't going to use the corresponding piece of patterned paper
and
2) I had also realised that I was going to colour her belt that colour!!

Here's the card:
Front shot:

Detail of image:

I used:

Stamp:
Sugar Nellie - Ocean's Gift
coloured with my Pro and Flex markers

Dies:
C.C. Designs - Teardrop border
Memory Box - Madera Corner

Papers:
My Mind's Eye - Paris & Co

Anything else?
Glamour dust
gems from my stuff
Craftwork Cards - kraft card

There you go, much happier with the colouring on this - but then was back in my comfort zone!!!

Be back tomorrow with my Sweet Stampin DT card.

Cheerio
Sarah

PS - The Split Digraph?  Try here!  And we never thought she listened at school!!!

A challenge or two:

Cupcake Craft Challenges: Cupcake 214 ... Two's company

Cute Card Thursday: Challenge 239 - Got Glitter!


Wednesday 17 October 2012

Comments / criticism welcome

on this one please!

If you're looking for my Divas by Design post it's the one below - this one is all about not being sure, please skip if you are not into waffle!!! ;-)

Hello blogworld

Well here's the thing - I'm trying to improve my colouring, who isn't!  The things I'm most concentrating on at the mo are trying to get pleats into clothes and finding the combination for colouring clothes and hair black.

The pleats are because I've seen people (mostly Alyce!) doing the most amazing things with pleats. Two things, the most important being that I can't colour like that - though I would like to! - and second that I use Promarkers not Copics.  So I've been wondering is it me or the pens?  I've come to sad conclusion that it's probably me, there are plenty of people out there making mini masterpieces with Promarkers (talking about you here, Coops!!).

The black hair is because I'm frightened to put black on my images, it's just so black!!!  I loose the lines, I can't blend it properly and it basically frightens me when I start colouring with it.

So I took the bull by the horns this morning, ignored the housework and all the other things I should be doing and have coloured an image with pleats and black hair.  Thing is I keep looking at it and thinking how terrible my colouring is.

I can't be objective - can you be for me please?  Don't be kind, be honest - I won't be offended and any advice or constructive criticism is appreciated.

I'm only entering it into one challenge, as that's what it was created for and then I'm going back to staring at it and wondering what I've done!!!  Maybe it's the colour combo?

So mega waffle over - here's the card:

Front shot:

Detail of image:

 Trying to show the glitter of the shoes and gloves:

I used:

Digi stamp:
Emma Canning - Cinders
coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:
Nestie oval and scalloped oval

Paper:
echo park - Be Mine

Anything else?
Glamour Dust
pearls from my stuff
Basic Grey - Two Scoops rub-on

I will now go and eagerly await your comments!!

Sarah

Just the one challenge:

In the Pink: Pink plus one.

A little spooky


Hello blogworld

So after that mild rant about Halloween here I am again with another Halloween-y card!  This time it's for the new challenge over Divas by Design and, guess what!, the challenge this week is 'Something Spooky'.

Our sponsor this week is Whoopsidaisy and there is a fab prize on offer - pop on over to the blog to see the full details and the wonderful cards my Teamies have made.

So this is my card - like I said I don't do Halloween, but there are two little boys who are having a joint birthday party next weekend (school friends of Emily's) and so I thought I'd make birthday cards with a bit of a Halloween theme.

So here we are - a Lil Spook having a monster birthday.

Front shot:

Detail of image:

Bit flat this card, so no arty-farty!

I used:

Digi stamp:
Pollycraft - Lil Spook
coloured with my Promarkers
Sentiment - combination of 'monster' from Pollycraft then I added the rest

Dies / Punches:
Nestie circles and scalloped circles
Die-namics - Stacking Stars
Martha Stewart punch for the zig-zag border

Papers:
Echo Park - Chillingsworth Manor

Anything else?
Ribbon from a local craft shop

So there you go, hope everyone is well.

Ah and we had a bit of surprise with those kittens.  The three of them went off to be neutered on Monday - vets called to tell us they were just about to operate on Ewok when they realised she had 'extra bits' and wasn't a she but a he!!!  Good job the name is pretty much non-gender specific!

Also it looks like 'Worried' might not be 'Belle', Emily and I prefer 'Holly' but hubby doesn't, the matter is currently under debate with further updates to follow.

See you soon,
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Sketch Saturday: Week #229 - I've just realised I've moved the sentiment!  Hope that's OK.

I love Promarkers: Challenge #139 - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly: Fright Night!!

Monday 15 October 2012

Booo

Hello blogworld

Well here I am with a card for the new challenge over at The Cutie Pies and the theme this time is Halloween.

There is a $10 prize on offer by our sponsor:



Halloween is not really a time that I celebrate, being a grumpy old so and so.  I don't let Emily go trick and treating (not that she could anyway seeing as how we live in splendid isolation) as I'm not really that keen on trick and treating - it's just not me.  I'm not entirely sure either where this fuss over Halloween has come from anyway, I don't remember any trick and treating or big thing made of Halloween when I was little.

But, and here is a big but!, some of the images out there are just tooo sweet to pass up and I'm sure I can get other occasions out of them - so I've had a leetle splurge.  A really leeeetle one, but still a splurge.


This card has the result of one of my splurges on it!
So my card.
Front shot:

Detail of image:

Still no arty-farty as I'm still fighting those kittens every time I get my lightbox out!!

I used:

Digi stamp:
Tiddly Inks - Witchy Wryn
coloured with my Pro and Flexmarkers

Dies:
None!!

Papers:
Echo Park - Chillingsworth Manor

Anything else?
Chipboard letters - very, very, very old from my stuff
Ribbon from a local craft shop
bat shape - freebie die from Tracy at Dies to Die For


D'you know, for once, I quite like this card!  Was very pleased with my colouring - first time I've tried a lot of black!  The only bobo I made is that the image is supposed to have a little cat next to her.  Hmmm, well when cutting out the little cat became a Manx cat (due to a cutting accident!) and so she is now hiding out of sight altogether!!!

See you soon,
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Stamptacular Sunday: Challenge #185: BOO-tacular

allsorts challenge: Week 176 - Too cute to spook!

I love Promarkers: Challenge #138 - Halloween

Without Words: October Challenge - Things that go bump!  Hi ladies, not sure that this has dark enough colours for you?  If it doesn't feel free to delete and I'll try again!

Saturday 13 October 2012

and then there were two

kittens that is!

Hello blogworld

So this is an unusual time for me to be posting isn't it!  It's because I'm taking an unscheduled break from the housework.  She Who Must be Obeyed is feeling poorly with a cold - she's had a couple of disturbed nights and is now asleep on her daddy's lap.  So what does mummy do?  Carry on with the hoovering and cleaning - oh nope!  She takes the opportunity of a bit of peace and quiet to surf and finish off a card!  I'm like that you know, no housework gene at all!!!!

Oh and the kitten dilemma, well it would appear that no-one wants an all black short hair female kitten.  The second b/w boy is going off to a new home next week and we will be left with the two all black girls.  They are all going off to be neutered on Monday (bit young I know but the vets are happy to do it) and I wonder if that will make a difference in getting her re-homed, but hubby is getting keener and keener on keeping her!  Hmmm, that takes us back up to 4 cats and I can see any holidays getting further and further in the distance.

Oh and my poor toes will never be the same again - they seem to think my toes are a great thing to chew while I'm sitting colouring!!

Anyhows, all waffled out now so here's the card:

Front shot:

Close up of image:

No arty-farty - instead here are those two pesky kittens:

Ewok and (currently) Worried, but (probably) Belle.  As in Tinkers' Belle (Tinker being the mother, and hubby being the the sharpwitted name giver)!

So for the card I used:

Stamp:
Sugar Nellie - Pippi Longsocks
coloured with my Pro and Flexmarkers
Sentiment - Elzybells

Dies:
Nestie
Cheery Lynn - Flourish
Go-Kreate - the circles

Papers:
A combination of two First Edition packs - New Leaf and Desert Bloom

Anything else?
Butterfly from my stuff
Craftwork cards - the kraft card

So you won't see me again this weekend, but I'll be back on Monday with my card for The Cutie Pies.

Cheerio
Sarah

PS - Off to finish of the housework, if I must!!!

A challenge, or two:

The Sugar Bowl: Challenge 93 - Marie Theresa's Sketch

Totally Gorjuss: Challenge 152 - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly: All Creatures Great and Small

Wednesday 10 October 2012

See me I can be a right....

numpty at times!

Hello blogworld

There I was scratching my head over what to do for the 'windows' theme this week over at Sweet Stampin - I even went and brought a digi that windows in the image - when, hiding there on my old PC, was a image with windows!  I even needed to make a new home card - which I completely forgot about!

Ach well, at least I got a couple new digis out of it!!!

This would probably have been the card I would've made for the DT - if I had even half a brain!


I used:

Digi stamp:
Pink Petticoat - Home Sweet Home (no idea how long I've had it!  It was one of the first digis I ever got!)
coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:
Nestie square

Anything else?
D'vine swirls embossing folder
Distress Ink - Spun Sugar
gems from my stuff
Craftwork cards - card blank

Simple or what, but, I hope, pretty?  Who knows, I can't tell with my cards anymore!!!

So anyone want to do some serious, ahh and ooh-ing - well I did anyway.  Look what She Who Must be Obeyed did for her daddy and me:

Pre-printed card - left over from before I made my own!


All in her own fair hand!!

I wonder if you can make out what she's written?  It reads - To daddy and mummy.  I love you so much it is hard to believe you're real. - C'mon then, who is 'ahh-ing'??

Anyway am off now to watch 'Who Do you think you are'.

Back soon,
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Oldie But a Goodie: Inspired by a song - Our House; Madness (brilliant song, brilliant group - the lyrics all mean something!) The old stuff is pretty much everything, apart from the gems - they are probably a year or so old and as such the newest of the things I've used.

D'you know I can never work out how people get so many challenges listed - I can only ever find one or two!!  And, today, only the one.

Monday 8 October 2012

Just a little inspiration, maybe....

Hello blogworld

I popped over to the Flatfriends Challenge blog, earlier today and saw that there was only one lonely entry - now c'mon folks there's got to be someone out there who would want to win 4 of Emma's fab digis?

There has just been a new release as well - go on to Polkadoodles to have a little peek.  They are really gorgeous.

We lucky ladies on the DT get these images to have a play with and this is a make of mine.  It's only taken me about 4 days to get together!  Those kittens and the weekend have a lot to answer for!!!


I used:

Digi stamp:
Emma Canning: Fairytale - Li'l Red
coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:
Memory Box for the flourishes
Nesties for the square

Papers:
My Mind's Eye: miss caroline - all dolled up

Anything else?
Velvet ribbon and gems from my stuff

Hope you all had good weekends, and hopefully I will be back sooner rather than later - if I could only shake these darn kittens off my foot and out of my craft stuff!!!

Oh and I hope my Mr Mojo comes back to me soon, he's still off on his jollies!

Cheerio
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Sketch Saturday: Week #228

Make it Monday: #110 - anything goes linky party

Papertake Weekly: Anything goes

Saturday 6 October 2012

Windows....

Hello blogworld

Well that's been a few days since I was here hasn't it!  I wanted to say thank you for all the kind comments you left both about my last poor offering of a card and the fug I find myself in.

I think a lot of my dissatisfaction is down to state of my dining room (which is my crafting area), the fact we still have one kitten un-homed (and looking likely to stay un-homed for a long time!) and that there are lots of decisions to be made on the house front.  Not least of which is where do we start!  I do hope we are not the only people out there who have many more possessions than they ever thought they would have!  I think I can see a major, and by that I mean drastic, culling of my possessions (to include books and craft stuff!).

Anyway waffle, waffle, waffle!  Not the reason I'm here.

The proper reason is that there is a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin and this week the theme is 'through the window'.  Now you should've heard all the scratching of heads that went on over this theme!  My teamies have nailed it with wonderful examples - mine? Well, I'm still scratching.

So this week our sponsor is:
 

And our regular monthly sponsor is:



You want to scratch your heads too?  Well here it is:

Front view:

Arty farty - trying to show how I 3d'd the outer paper, trying to make a windowey type thingy - as at that point I was panicking that it wasn't windowey enough!


Do y'know I can't find the close up I took of the image.  I know I took one, but I just can't find it, I've probably deleted it!!

So, I used:
Digi stamp:
Milk n Coffee - Lisbeth and Mushroom house
coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:
Nestie

Paper:
Cosmo Cricket - Mini Deck: Pixie-Licious

Anything else?
3d gloss on the mushroom
fence die - freebie from Tracy at Dies to Die for

There we go, I'm sure once you see the examples from my teamies I'm sure you'll get the theme better. Then when you are there looking, why not pop in an entry - but please remember to stamp somewhere.

See you soon,
Sarah

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Again?

Oh no, more moaning!

Hi blogworld,

I'm so frustrated right now, I'm almost about to do some craft shopping!!  Either that or I need someone to give me a swift kick up the posterior.  I wonder which one I'll decide on.

I am soooo struggling right now with even being bothered to make a card.  Then when I can be bothered, I'm getting it wrong. Doesn't help that my dining room table looks like a whirlwind hit it and I'm crafting in a space only as big as my craft mat.

Reason being we've still got 3 kittens here.  One waiting for someone to come claim him and then we only have one left to re-home - so for now it's still chaos (tho less chaotic than it was).

Add on top of this one serious bout of where am I going with my life (bah hitting 41 is not good!), are we going to live here until they cart us off to an old people's home, what is the meaning of life and death - oh I had one serious headache that evening!!!  All this angst means that I might be getting the kitchen moved and the dining room turned into a craft room.  All that storage took up more space in the computer room than hubby liked or realised so I offered up some drastic alternatives and he took them!

I think I will stop moaning now and go get She Who Must be Obeyed - in the meantime I leave you with this poor offering.

Front shot:

Detail of image:

Arty farty:

Arty farty two - for the glitter:

I used:

Stamp:
Lili of the Valley - Never too old for a hug
coloured with my Flexmarkers

Dies / Punches:
Nestie circle
Whiff of Joy - heart banner
corner edger punch

Anything else?
Wild Orchid Crafts / Joanna Sheen - flowers
Glamour Dust
D'vine Swirls embossing folder

Really have got to go get her now - I'll be back to enter challenges in a bit.

Sarah

Back again, for those challenges:

Lili's Little Fairies: White with a hint of colour.  Hmmm, don't know if there is more pink than white - feel free to delete if you want to.

Cupcake Craft Challenges: Cupcake 212 - Think Pink



Monday 1 October 2012

Happy Birthday

ahem, no not me!

Hello blogworld

It's the The Cutie Pies - it's our first birthday!  I wonder where that year went!!

I remember joining in with the first challenge, and then being really chuffed when I got a DT post there.  They are a lovely bunch of ladies and I feel really chuffed to be working with them.

The challenge this time is 'Use a Digi' and we have two wonderful sponsors - plus some extra birthday candy.

So our Sponsors are:
with a prize of three digis of your choice
and:


The Design Team were very kindly allowed to pick a digi from Bugaboo and this is the card I made with my digi:
Front shot:


 Detail of image:

I used:

Digi:
Bugaboo - Ava - Flower Patch
coloured with my Flex and Promarkers

Dies:
Nesties - Square and Scalloped square

Papers:
Basic Grey - Marrakech collection

Anything else?
Chipboard stickers from the same collection.

It's a bit brighter than I was planning, but that's the joys of colouring before you pick the papers - you never know what you'll find!!!

See you at The Cutie Pies!

Sarah

It's here!!

Hello blogworld

The  new challenge at Flat Friends Challenge Blog goes live today and boy I'm excited!!

It's so nice working with the lovely Emma, who draws the digis, and a fab talented team of ladies for the Design Team who have created wonderful cards for the first challenge.

So the theme for the first challenge is 'Bingo' and check out this really swish graphic that Emma drew!


The prize for the challenge is your choice of 4 of Emma's digis.  The challenge runs for a month and there are some wonderful cards for inspiration over on the blog.

So, without further ado, here is my contribution:
Oh and I went across the bottom line - so you should see: A Sentiment - Distressing - Rectangles.  Although I cheated slightly and there is only one rectangle!!!

Front shot:

Detail of image:
 Arty farty:

I used:

Digi / stamps:
Emma Canning - Angel (she's technically for Christmas, but I thought she'd look great as a birthday image)
coloured with my Pro and Flexmarkers
sentiment - Whimsey Celebration Circle Pennants Sentiments set

Dies:
Nestie - circle
Whimsey - Circle Pennants Die Set

Papers:
First Edition - Boho Chic

Anything else?
MDF flower, pearls - from my stuff
Glamour Dust on wings

See you over at the blog and I'm looking forward to seeing what you all make with these fab digis!

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Bunny Zoe's: Challenge 28 - Distressing

The Squirrel and The Fox: Challenge #27 - Celebrate the Occasion