Bingo!

Good morning blogworld,

So this is my quiet week!  Only this post for the new challenge at Papertake Weekly and any other cards that I manage to squeeze in.

The challenge this week, as you may have guessed, is 'Bingo'.  This is the bingo card from which you can pick any line - across, up, down or diagonal:

I went in a diagonal line and picked Gems, Free, Lace (with my free being the stamped image).

Front shot:

Her close up:

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm - Twinkle Tots: Madelynn

coloured with my Copics and Distress Ink for the background

Dies:

Nestie

Papers:

BoBunny - Country Garden collection

Anything else?

Lace and gems from my stuff

Craftwork Cards - sentiment

Hope you like,

Fancy hearing a conversation between me and SWMbO from this mornings' school rush?  I found a 20p in a corner in my bedroom so, very generously, gave it to SWMbO and then went downstairs to get shoes, coat, book bag, juice, etc ready to go and shouted for said child to follow me.

Said child then trots downstairs with this 20p in a plastic bowl and said:

'Give me money if you like me'!!!!  

She obviously has a fine career in begging to look forward to!

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Sketch N Stash: Challenge 134 - The stamp is very old, I didn't realise how old until I tried to find out what it's called, and this is it's first inking so that's my old stash - the paper pad is very new.

Stampin' for the Weekend: Sparkle and Shine

Crafty Sentiments Designs: Lots of Green

June - Days 16 and 17

Hello blogworld

I warn you now this is going to be a long post!  Please bear with me, you may find some bits interesting ;-)

Ooops, fell a bit behind there!  Well I don't think you can blame me for missing yesterday - I had a very busy day.  SHMbO woke her daddy up around 7am - she was very excited that to(yester)day is/was Fathers' Day.  As far as she was concerned it was as good as his birthday!

We presented him with the cupcakes we made - made them with faces on!  Great fun!  Then we nipped to the shops and got him a couple of presents - a new T-shirt and some flowers - then in the afternoon we headed over to church.

The church that sits on the edge of our Hamlet held their flower festival over the weekend and as it was Rainbow themed the Leader of the Rainbows group that SHMbO goes was asked if any of the girls would like to do a reading for the Sunday service.  Emily and her friend Jessica were asked, and agreed, to do the reading.  Very excited they were as well - and they did brilliantly!  They loved going to Church and singing the Hymns - couple of my favourites as well.  I sing very badly, but very enthusiastically - oooh you'd wince if you heard me!!! I managed to slightly murder, Give me Joy in My Heart and Amazing Grace!  Not to mention the damage I did to We Plough the Fields and Scatter.

Then we headed home to make Daddy his favourite dinner - home-made Pizza.

Which all left very little time for blogging.

Then today we are back at the usual weekly grind.  Add into the mix that I've got a broken tooth and it's SHMbO's birthday on Saturday so we are winding up the pace getting ready for The Party in The Garden and you've got one busy week.

Anyway - enough waffle for now moving onto the prompts:

Day 16: When you’re not crafting what do you do OR Craft something that celebrates marriage

Umm, what don't I do?  I clean our house, cook our food, take the daughter to and from school - take her to her weekly Rainbows group, her friends houses, trips out.  I go to whatever activity they want us to attend at school - I've also been roped into being a part of the Friends of the school, not so sure about that one!

I also clean the holiday cottage that we let, make up the welcome pack which includes cooking the bread for said pack. I don't do the meet and greet - makes me nervous!

I wash the car, visit with my friends - a once a month ladies who lunch group! - I go swimming (twice a week if I'm being good), I go for a walk on the prom, when I get time.  I don't do the garden (I'm a plant killer!), I don't put the washing in the machine (I'm a washing machine killer as well!), I do do the ironing and put everything away.

To sum up shall we say I'm a ~Wife and Mother; a Domestic Engineer and a Cleaner for a holiday cottage.  I'll let you know another day if I remember another one of my many duties!

Day 17: Tell us how to do something, can be a craft technique that’s as old as the hills but your take on it OR Craft something that has the colour red in it

Oh My Goodness, there's no way I'm going to tell you how to do something!  I haven't got the nerve or the expertise to do that.  Instead I'll show you a card I made earlier in the year, but didn't blog, that's got a touch of red in it.

Front view:

The close up:

The Arty Farty:

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm - Oliver & Amelia: Surprise

coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:

Nesties - circle and scalloped circle

Anything else?

Scrap of patterned paper

Embossing folder

Chipboard word - ages old

Bit of yarn

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow - we've got an appt with the Head of SHMbO school, again, to see if we can do anything about this boy who keeps bullying her - tho it will probably be late in the evening again.

Cheerio

Sarah

All about the boys (or men!)

Hi blogworld,

Well here ends another era - this is the last Saturday that I'll be posting a card for the fabulous challenge that is Sweet Stampin.  I felt that I wasn't giving 100% to my wonderful DT buddies - lack of Mojo being the main culprit!  Then with the work that is going to be going on on our house in the next couple of months I'm just not going to be able to give the time that is needed to the challenge in the future either.  I've therefore taken the sad decision to step down.

So, boss ladies, thank you for picking me to be on the Team all that time ago - and my fellow DT buddies, have loved working with you.  If you can call this much fun working!!

Back to work! This challenge it's all about the boys - so we'd like to see your masculine cards please.

Our monthly sponsor, with a prize of a £10 voucher is:

Our weekly sponsor, with a prize of a £10 voucher is:

My card:
Front shot:

Detail of image:

The arty farty:

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm - My Guy Ian

coloured with me Promarkers

Dies:

Stacking Stars

Nestie circles

Papers:

K&Co - Hopscotch

Anything else?

Hobby House - Pearls

The Ribbon Girl - Hessian Mesh

I do honestly feel that it's the end of an era for me - stepping down from two of my oldest DT positions, and leaving some fabulous Teamies, but I feel it is the right decision for me right now and I'm happy (sorta anyway!!) with the decision.

One thing thing this does mean, now then is this good or bad?, is that I should have some time to come visit all your blogs!  Be afraid, oooh yes be very afraid, this girl waffles and isn't afraid to share!!

Have a good weekend!

Sarah

Sunglasses anyone?

Good morning blogworld

And how are we all today - well I hope!

I'm here today with my DT card for the new challenge at Divas by Design.  This week the theme is 'Cute' - so c'mon then lets all dig out those cutsey stamps, find your sweetest papers and channel cute!

Our sponsor this week is the wonderfulness that is:

I'm not sure what you are going to make of my card this time!  She's certainly cute, but she also might have had a bad hair day and you definitely need your sunglasses to view!!

Here we go:
Front shot:

Close up of image:

The arty farty:

So what do we think then?

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm - Anya Celebrates

coloured with my Promarkers

Papers:

echo park - Splash

Dies:

Wot no!

Anything else?

buttons from my stuff

Craftwork Cards - Kraft card blank

Still getting back into the swing of school - early mornings do not allow for late nights.

Pop on over to the challenge blog and see all the wonderful cuteness that my teamies have created and show us how cute you can be!!

See you soon,

Sarah

A challenge or two:

Totally Gorjuss: Challenge 156 - Anything goes.....with a button

Cupcake Craft Challenges: Cupcake 217 - Get Krafty (and thank you ladies for picking my card as a Cupcake Cutie the other week - made my day!!)

Without Words: November - Whizz bang (bright colours)

Full on glitter!

Hi blogworld,

Firstly can I say thanks for the comments on my paper flowers - suggestions taken on board and I will post the revised bouquet when finished.  You might be interested to know as well that even though Emily got all huffy over what I'd made, she has appropriated the bouquet and not put it down yet!  I do hope I didn't give the impression that what she made wasn't any good.  It's perfect because she made it, it's just I had something completely different in my head.

Anyway - the glitter (and bling, should have been more of that!) is as it's a new challenge over at The Cutie Pies and this time we would love to see your cute creations with glitter and bling on them.

Our sponsor this time is the wonderful Dig Darla Designs, pop over to the blog to get the full details on the prize!

So, my cute glittery blingy card is this effort:

Front shot:

Detail of image:

The arty farty side shot:

Sideways trying to show the glittered bubbles and candle flame:

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm - Me Time Anya

coloured with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers

then the background chalked 

Dies:
Go-Kreate

Papers:

My Mind's Eye - miss caroline: the backing paper

Craftwork Cards: the spotty paper

Anything else?

Flowers and faux pearls - stash

My Crafty Heart - resin flower (seriously get yourself some - they are just beautiful!)

Wild Orchid Crafts - the silver corner

Craftwork cards - card blank and sentiment

Glamour Dust

So does anyone out there have a cute image and lots of glitter in their stash - the get yourself off to The Cutie Pies!

See you soon,

Sarah

PS - You may notice I've stitched, I had another go at my mini sewing machine but there is a technical phrase for what's wrong with it - the clean version is it's broke!!  The needle puts the holes in, but no thread.  So I then hand stitched, me stitching - I should've taken a picture to prove it, my hubby almost had a fit when he saw me with a needle and thread in hand!!!!!

A challenge, or two:

Sketch n Stash: Challenge 91 - Gemma's Sketch

Oldie But A Goodie Challenge: Flower Power - the oldie could be the stamp or the flowers - both at least a year old (the flowers at least 2 yrs!) and it's the first time I've used the stamp!

And Lisa's Waste not Wednesday - Hi Lisa, same explanation as above - stamp/s or flowers.  

Not square?

Hi blogworld,

How unusual, eh!  A card that isn't a square and it's all because for the new challenge over at Dream Valley we're looking for your anything but square creations.

We're sponsored this fortnight by these two fab companies:

and

where the winner will 4 images as their prize.

My not square, well this is it - whatd'ya think then?

Front shot:

Detail shot of image:

Arty farty side shot - really needed this time I think!

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm - Miss Anya collection

coloured, as always, with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers

Dies:

Nesties - circle and label

Go-Kreate

Memory Box die - Elegant Scrollwork

Paper:

Unknown - it's from my scrap pile

Anything else:

Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts

Sentiment from Lili of the Valley

Martha Stewart punch and stamp for the butterfly

I don't know if you noticed the bo-bo, but I tried using Viva Decor Pearl pen on the butterflies and it didn't work!!  All splodgie instead, but by that time the glue had dried and I couldn't pull them off. Blogger it!!!

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for your not square - see you at the valley.

Cheerio

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Di's DigiDesigns Challenges: Pile on the flowers

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge: Fancy Folds

The Paper Shelter: Flower Power

21 again!

Oh how I wish!  Tho, maybe not I had a lot going on when I was 21 - I think 28 was a better year for me.

Hello blogworld

So what's 21 got to do with anything?  Well it is the new challenge number over at The Cutie Pies and this time we'd like to see your boys cards as the challenge is 'One for the Boys'.

Our sponsor is:

And there is also a fab stamp prize up for grabs - pop over and check it out!

This is the card I made:

Front shot:

Detail of image:

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm: Oliver and Amelia - Surprise, coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:

Nestie

Papers:

K & Co: Hopscotch Boy

Anything else:

Craftwork Cards - sentiment

twine and eyelets - from my stuff

I'm sure that you'll all be pleased to know the party went off well, I'll be back later in the week with a full news bulletin!

Oh and I've noticed I appear to have lost a follower - obviously my waffle has put someone off!!!

Cheerio for now,

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Sketch n Stash: Challenge 90 - free choice, I chose sketch 52

Here come the boys: Metal and/or embossing - now feel free to remove me if you need to, as I'm not sure if I completely stuck to the spirit of the challenge.  The only metal I've used is in the eyelets - is that OK?  If not, strike me off - and don't worry about it!!

And another!

Hello blogworld

I've gone from not posting cards to posting one a day, it won't last I promise.  I've been super good today as in actual fact I've made two cards!  I'm posting this one today and will put the other up one day during the week when I don't get time to make anything.

So how are we blogland?   We are all well at our house, back in the swing of normal school routine - Emily is very happy!  I've got a treat tomorrow and so has she - I'm going out to meet my friends, we are going to be 'ladies who lunch' and Emily's latest club starts.  It's Gym club this time, hmmm wonder what they do with a group of 4 / 5 yr olds for gym?  Get them on treadmills, the weights or rowing machines!!  What a picture eh!!

So now that I've suitably numbed your brains with the waffle - here's the card!

Front shot:

Detail shot of image:

But no 'arty farty' side shot tonight - didn't feel there was enough depth to do one of those!

I used:

Stamp:

The Greeting Farm - Miss Anya collection (can't find them!  Does anyone know which set it was?) Coloured with my Promarkers.

Papers:

Blonde Moments: Sugar Dumpling

Dies / punches:

Nestie - ovals for cutting and matting

Memory Box - Prim Poppy (got mine from My Crafty Heart here - great service!)

Heart - punch (not sure of the make, had it for years)

Others:

Lace from a boot fair that we went to recently - it was a bargain!

Pearls are from Kort & Godt at Joanna Sheen, but I couldn't find them on the website.  Hah and I glued them all on myself they are not sticky backed - blooming fiddly, awkward little blighters they were too!

Card blank - Craftwork Cards

I'm not entirely sure that I like it, and was just about to say it's not my normal style but then what is!  Don't think that you could look at one of my cards and say, yep that's Queen of Waffle Sarah!!!

Am off now, trying to catch up on my commenting before heading off to bed to rest well in anticipation of my exciting day tomorrow ;-) 

Cheerio

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Passion for Promarkers: Week 145 - Theme (pink, pearls and lace)

I love Promarkers: Challenge #113 - Let's go shopping

Paper Sundeas: #117 - Let's get cute

What is it about Jaffa Cakes.....

that once I start I just can't stop!

I absolutely love 'em, I have to restrict myself to an occasional packet otherwise I think I'd turn orange as well!!  I have demolished half a packet this evening and thankfully I feel slightly sick now, otherwise I'd be onto the other half already.

So now I've got that little confession off my chest - how are we all doing today then?

We took Peters dad off to Skeg this afternoon so he could catch his train home, and everything has run late since that.  Also am rather stuffed 'cause not only did I finish off half a pack of Jaffa Cakes but we also had homemade pizzas and now I can hardly move!  Diet, what diet?

So onto my card, this is the companion stamp to the one I used yesterday - which by the way I have to say a great big thank you for all the lovely compliments, they are very appreciated.

The card, it's for my friend's little boy - the one who is Emily's best friend.  When I asked if she thought he looked like Ryan, she gave the card careful consideration and said 'no - he's too short'.

Front shot:

  Detail shot of image:

I used:

The Greeting Farm stamp: Happy Days - coloured with my Promarkers.  The die-cut out with and mounted onto nestie shapes.
The papers are all Basic Grey Archaic, and I've used my last bit of the dinosaur papers from it!
Ribbons and number 5 from my stuff
Sentiment is Craftwork cards

Oh and do you want to see the state making that card yesterday left my dining room in?  Look at this:

Off now to try and digest this pizza and Jaffa Cakes and wander around lots of blogs!

See you soon.
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Sketch Saturday: week #196 ( I rotated the sketch - hope you can still see it)

Cupcake Craft Challenges: Boys and their toys

Aud Sentiments Challenge: Challenge 49 - Happy Birthday

How frilly is this!

Hello blogworld,

Hasn't it been a gorgeous day - not that I've seen much of it mind!  Have spent most of the day indoors creating this little frilly, fussy card.  I think I have to ask - those of you who make heavily embellished cards, how long does it take you?  This one has taken me all day - from stamping it last night to finishing it off this afternoon, it's been blooming aggggeesss!!!!

I am also going to make a little promise here that I'm not going to whinge and whine anymore about my cards, I know I'm not perfect but neither am I totally unhappy with what I produce.  I know I can, and do, improve and I'll just keep making my cards as (apart from the odd blip) it is a hobby I enjoy and makes me happy.

So - thank you to everyone who left me such kind comments yesterday, it really brought a lump to my throat to see so many of you telling me to stop being such an idiot!!!  Love ya's - mwahhh!!

And so, moving swiftly on to my card. Firstly have to say a big thank you to Kat for the inspiration and template for this card.  She very kindly sent me one of her cards to use as a template, as I'm totally useless at measuring.  Altho I've made one before from her template, this is the first time I've blogged - I forgot last time to take a pic before I sent it, me idiot!

Heavy on the old pictures here - only way to get a good idea of what it looks like:

What d'ya think?  I decided to go with the spirit of Using It Up and chucked loads of embellies and die-cuts at it (hoping that if I stick loads of stuff on it no-one will notice the terrible cutting and measuring!!!).

So I used:

The Greeting Farm - Happy Day set (got the boy image to share tomorrow), coloured with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers. Die-cut with a nestie and chalked while in the die.

Paper is a scrap from my scraps box - sorry no idea whose.

Cheery Lynn - Fanciful Flourish

Marianne Creatable - butterfly die (twice and layered for more effect)

Prima flowers (the big blooms) and Wild Orchid Crafts for the paper roses (are they roses?)

Ribbon and flower middles from my stuff.

Craftwork cards card blank (chopped and re-folded) and sentiment

Phew, that's a list - innit!  And absolutely nothing new was brought to use on this card - infact most of it is over 2 years old, am I good or what.

Hoping that everyone else has had a chance to get out and enjoy the sunshine, and that it lasts for tomorrow too - not that I'm going to get out in it.  I've got to sort Emily's old clothes out for a NCT sale that I'm doing on Saturday.

See ya soon,

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Passion for Promarkers: Week 138 - Colour challenge: pastel colours

Crafting when we can: Big Birthdays

Ladybug Crafts Ink: Pink and Girly

Crafting for all Seasons: Shaped cards

My Mum's Craft Shop challenge: Shaped cards

and just for fun:

Lisa's Waste not Wednesdays - week 9 already, my goodness where have the weeks gone!

Sweet Stampin Saturday

Hello blogworld,

And how are we all on this chilly Saturday then?  Our snow has mostly melted, but the weather reports reckon that there is a Northerly on it's way and we are due more next week!

Reason for this post is it's Saturday and so a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin'.  This week we would like to see your Clean and Simple cards - but still with stamping on please!

Our monthly sponsor this time is:

Who are offering a £10 voucher (free postage don't forget!)

and weekly sponsor is:

£10 voucher to one lucky person.

And here is my little contribution to get the ideas flowing:
Front shot:

Detail shot of image:

I used:

The Greeting Farm: Princess Ava, coloured with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers.  The tiara has been highlighted with a little Stickles.  Die cut with a Nestie and again I chalked the image after colouring, but before taking it out of the Nestie.
The sentiment is from a Fiskars set.
Scrap of paper from my pile of scraps and a few pearls from my stuff.

Hey presto, one Clean and Simple card.

I'm having a little roll of CaS at the mo - you may have noticed - and I did make another one for the challenge, but I wasn't entirely happy with it and have ditched it!!

Why not pop over to the challenge, check out my teamies beautiful cards and while you're there join with us!   Looking forward to seeing you.

Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Paper Sundaes: Challenge #106 - Clean and Simple

Allsorts Challenge: Week 141 - Free and Easy February

Snowing again!

Hi blogworld

Gotta be quick want to get in at Totally Gorjuss, but guess what it's snowing and it's been snowing since before 3pm this evening!!

I did want to tell you all about Emily being off school as she has conjunctivitis, her chopping a chunk out of her hair and leggings, about me getting rather irate and hubby having to come in and soothe us all down - but I ain't got time!  So will leave that for another day, tomorrow probably.

But am joining in with Lisa again at Wishcraft and her Waste not Wednesday (one day I may well post this on the Wednesday!).

So double quick time card:

I used:

The Greeting Farm - Miss Anya (Dressy Collection), coloured with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers.
Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye, Bloom & Grow.
Cheery Lynn die: Fancy Flourish.
Ribbon from my stuff.
Card blank and sentiment from Craftwork cards.

Hope everyone is keeping safe and warm and will be back later to chat properly!

Cheerio
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

Totally Gorjuss; Challenge 117 - its a sketch

Crafty Sentiments; Lets get girly

Papertake Weekly; Anything Goes

A thank you, an apology and finally a card

Hello blogworld

Firstly the thank you, well two thank you's really!  The first one is for the congrats I got for getting the Top 5 at Passion for Promarkers.  You are all very kind and the lovely comments are really appreciated, especially when I sometimes feel a bit my colour lacks something special.

The second thank you is for the comments on my previous cards (the new baby ones) I think it's the most comments I've ever had.  I obviously got something right!!  Or is it that Mo's images are just perfect and a joy to colour.  Oh and some news - my friend had her baby yesterday, a little boy!  So now she has three children under 6 - girls of 5, 3 and a new baby boy!  Doesn't it just sound a perfect little family - I am so pleased for her.

The apology is tied in with the second thank you for my previous cards - I've not managed to get back to any of you yet and for that I am sorry.  Things have been a bit hectic at home with my Father-in-Law staying but he has gone home today, so I've got my comfy chair back and 'puter time in the evenings.  Hopefully I will have caught up by the end of tomorrow.

And finally, (I'm sure by now you must be thinking phew, she has finally stopped wittering on!) a card.  This is for my daughters' friend who has also come down with Chicken Pox.

Front shot:

Detail shot of image:

Still not entirely sure about the blending on the skin tones, will have to try harder!

Details of card:

Image is The Greeting Farm - Anya; snuggle.
Coloured with my Promarkers and die-cut out with nesties.
Sentiment is a Lili of the Valley stamp, also die-cut out with nesties.
Martha Stewart deep edge punch.
Papers are all First Edition - Birdsong
Pearls from another one of my many boxes
Craftwork Cards card blank

Argggh, went and hit publish before I'd finished!!

So thanks for reading this long post and I will get round and reply to all your comments, promise!

Cheerio
Sarah

P.S. Faye - next card will be the Teddy Bea one - promise!

I'd like to enter this into:

Anyone for Anya - Sketch (great sketch!)