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

Winging it

Hello blogworld

Aha double meaning there to the post - one as this is my DT card for the latest challenge over at Dream Valley and also as when this post appears (as I've scheduled this so am typing on Sat) I'll be winging it over at Emily's birthday party!

I think a party of 25 boys and girls from less than a year to 9yrs old calls for winging it from the parents!  Luckily the entertainer could do the full 2 hours - so a plus there!!

Anyway the theme this week is Things with wings over at Dream Valley - so anything with wings please.

The sponsor this time is:

and the prize is a $10 voucher

So what did I create?  (Lots of pictures here)  This!
Front shot:

Detail of image:

Side view:

 Opening up so you can see the surprise:

Internal gift box:

Phew! Pictures over.

I used:

Stamp:

Lili of the Valley - Little Dot 'Birthday Wish', coloured with my Pro and Flexmarkers

Dies:

Nesties

Shapeabilties

Paper:

Die Cuts with a View - The Garden Party

Anything else? Oooh yes!!

Ribbon and paper flowers from my stuff

Resin flower - My Crafty Heart

little heart - a free gift from Teresa at My Crafty Heart
stickles on her wings

I'm hoping that this has reached it's recipient in time so this post is not a surprise to her (but I'm not sure she'll be reading this today anyway).

I won't tell you what was put inside the little gift box, it was a bit silly (and I'm sure you'd laugh at me - hubby did) and I hope it got there OK without melting!!

So there you go - are you going to find some wings to enter the challenge, I do hope so!!

Cheerio

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

The Squirrel and The Fox: Challenge #20 - Make it Sparkle - Stickles on her wings / glitter on the paper.

Anyone still there?

Hellooooo is anyone left out there?

I wouldn't be surprised if I'm calling out in an empty hall here - been ages hasn't it!  Don't think it's been the longest gap between my posts, but it's getting pretty close!

All I can say is that life has been hectic at home the last few days, quieter as Emily has gone back to school but house was a bit of a state and I've been running around trying to generally catch up with myself.  Add onto that our internet connection broke down and for a few days we only had a very minimal connection and you can see why I've not been very active on the internet just lately.

I've also not made any cards for over a week and, to be honest, I feel that I've lost a bit of my inspiration.  It's taking me awhile to get back into the swing of things.  I think tomorrow I might just sit and colour for a bit, see where it takes me.

Anyway - waffle, waffle, as per usual!  One thing not as per usual though, another card made for a purpose and sent today.  Made this for my friends' little girl who will be 10 tomorrow.  I wasn't really quite sure what sort of card to make for her, I mean when I was 10 I was still pretty much a babyish sort of kid, but they aren't now are they?  More like teenagers, from what I can see of the kids I know of that age.

So this is what I came up with:
Front shot:

 Detail shot of image:

Ahh, and I wonder if anyone will spot the deliberate mistake?

I used:
Lili of the Valley stamp: Cake Glorious Cake, coloured with my Promarkers and highlighted with Glamour Dust and Stickles.
Cut out with a nestie and chalked while still in the die.
The papers are all First Edition: Up, Up and Away
Flourish is a Memory Box Die: Valerian Flourish
Silver corner from my stuff (only one left now!).
Cardblank and sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

Will be around all your blogs in the next few days, trying to catch up.

See you soon.

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

My Time To Craft: Challenge 173 - Bring on the cake

Aud Sentiments Challenge: A sentiment with the word 'happy' on it

and just for fun;
Linking up with Lisa at Wishcraft - this stamp is relatively new (probably less than 6 mths), but still inking it up for the first time.

Trying something new

Hi everyone

Sorry for the absence, which can be put down 100% to the half-term holiday and therefore lack of time to craft. We've had a busy time so far - and it doesn't look likely to change.

Yesterday I think I had a personality change as I decided to clean!  We had the chimney sweep over to clear the pots ready for winter and while he was here I decided to clean the oven, change the filter in the extractor fan and then wash the blinds in Emily's room.

Today we went out for a ride on a bus - now I know this probably isn't a treat for a lot of you, but for us it's a very rare happening.  We drive everywhere, it's just easier with where we live and more reliable!  Today though we took a trip out to Spilsby and spent a couple of hours there, had a drink and little snack in a cafe then got the bus home again.  Emily loved it!

Enough waffle, onto card.  I'm not sure about the colouring on this one - I've taken a leaf out of Vicky's book and have base coloured with my Promarkers then added shading with my Prisma pencils.  It's nowhere near as good as Vicky's colouring, but I quite enjoyed working this way so you may well see it again!

So here's me card.
Front shot:

Detail of image:

It looks a little wishy, washy here - in real life the colour is deeper.

Anyway, enough of my waffle.  I'm off now to try and catch up with you all.

Hope you are having a good week, whatever you are up to.

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Challenge #3, A Recipe.  Ladies - I hope my card is lilac enough for you - I hope it hasn't gone too far into purple!

And these are two of the birthday cards I had to do.

Here I am two posts in two days - are you shocked, I am!

A couple of cards to post today, no challenges for them just posting to share.  Am right out of joining in with challenges - am sure I will get back into when I have more time but at the mo I don't have the time to make a card to a theme I'm doing them as and when I need them.  If they fit a challenge blog that I follow I will post, but I just don't have time to go looking for challenges.

So posted just for sharing:

Card 1:

Lili of the Valley stamp, coloured with Prisma pencils, highlighted with chalks (and stickles!), die-cut onto a nestie.
Craftwork cards paper and card blank.
Papermania felt trim

Card 2:

Stampavie stamp - Sarah Kay image, coloured with Prisma pencils.  Lili of the Valley clear additions curls (stamped border around image).
Martha Stewart border punch.
Craftwork cards blank and backing paper (which is really shiny in real life).
The patterned paper is not Craftwork cards, but I can't be bothered to get off my bum and go find out whose it is - sorry!

Both sentiments computer generated and die-cut with nesties.

Do you ever feel disloyal to a colouring medium?  I used to use watercolour pencils or ordinary artists pencils, then moved onto Promarkers about 18 mths ago and have been steadily building up my pens.  Now I've discovered Prismas and hardly use the Promakers (let alone the watercolours pencils, Sakura pens, H2os, artists pencils!).  I'm starting to feel like I'm a Prisma girl not a Promarker one.  I just love the shading I can get with the Prismas, I never really felt that I got the blending right with the Promarkers and thought I could fix it by getting more pens, oh and practice of course.  Whereas with the Prismas I know I'm not brilliant but they are starting to feel comfortable - out of recent cards I've made only a couple have been with Promarkers.  Am I treading on the dark side do you think ;-)

Any tips that could get be back to trying Promarkers again, or combing the two would be welcome!

And finally, see I told you I could talk, I'm a Dr Who fan.  Just watched this evenings episode and WOW loved it!  Am getting used to Matt Smith as The Doctor, still think he's too young, but thats' probably just me getting old - you know how all Police officers seem about 20 now?!  That sort of thing.  But my goodness, DW had me glued tonight.

So off I toddle to bed - hope you all have a good bank holiday and you never know you might see me again before the weekend is out.

Sarah

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

Lili of the Valley - Challenge 90 Spring

Hello me again!

So here I am again with my entry for this weeks Lili of the Valley challenge which, as you may have guessed from the title of the post, has a Spring theme.

Again I don't really know how to stop at one card, so I ended up making a couple.  In the end though I plumped for this one, I may well post the others seperately - so keep an eye on the blog!  I am still trying out simpler cards so this one, though it has flowers, is (I think) less fusy than my other cards. 

Anyway, enough waffle!  Details on the card.  I used Fairies - On Tiptoe and coloured in with my promarkers then highlighted with stickles.  I cut it out with a nestie shape, then layered onto patterned paper, and pink card, both of which I embossed a border around.  The sentiment is from a very old set  from Pink Petticoat and cut out on a nestie circle, the punched strip was made with a Martha Stewart border punch.  Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Joanna Sheen.

Hope you like,

Cheerio,
Sarah

Lili of the Valley - Challenge 89 Punch It!

This is my entry for this weeks Lili of the Valley challenge - the theme is Punch It, so out came the punches of which I have a few!  That actually could have been a name for this blog - of which I have a few.  I seem to have a few of everything - that should be imagined being said with either a wink or a snigger.  I don't have a few of anything, I have loads! 

It actually made me a bit worried recently, I was looking for some patterned paper and by the time I'd got through boxes, plastic folders, pads on my table and things put away in drawers - I realised I have far too much paper.  In fact, I have loads of everything - apart from occasionally inspiration and never confidence.

Anyway on with the card.  I have used Fairies Thistledown stamp, coloured with Promarkers and highlighted with Stickles glitter.  The paper came from a free pack with one of my mags quite awhile ago now.  I made the flowers by punching out, shaping and layering two sizes of daisy punch then adding a gem in the middle.  The leaves are made with a die from Little Claire's, the border on the coloured card was using an EK success punch and the border going across was using one of my Martha Stewart deep edge punches.  The sentiment is one of Craftwork Cards.

I'm not entirely sure about the card, I think it might be the punched flowers.  I used to do this all the time and then moved onto brought flowers, so now I look at them and aren't sure, but there you go it's done now and will disappear into my box of cards.

To anyone who has read all this waffle - you deserve a prize and hope you are all having a lovely day.

Sarah

Now for a challenge

Ok so I've posted a post, I've posted a picture - now I wonder if I can join in a challenge?  Of course, me being me, only looked at Lili of the Valleys challenge blog 10mins ago while I was doing dinner and realised that the theme this time was 'Say it with flowers' and it closes in 30mins, and I would have to upload a card, and I've never joined in a challenge before!  Not one for half measures me!

Ok so lets see if I can do it.  The card was one that I entered into a Docrafts LoTV challenge, the theme being pink and girlify it.  I went rather over the top!  Want to see for yourselves? This is the card:

LoTV card made for Docrafts challenge

The stamp is Lili of the Valley: Fairies - Bouquet coloured with promarkers. 
Papers are Basic Grey, Papermania, Blonde Moments.  Felt and sparkles are Papermania.  Flowers are combination from my stock and Joanna Sheens website.

The competion is this  Lili of the Valley Thursday Challenge

Now can I do it? Lets see.

Edited to add: I did it, with 10mins to spare!  Wheyhay, wot a clever little thing I is!

Sarah