And back...

Hello blogland,

Well that has been awhile hasn't it!  Happy to report am well on way to recovery - still coughing like a 40 a-day smoker, but at least I'm washed and dressed now. And lets just draw a veil there on that horrible image shall we!!

So it's Thursday and it's Team B's turn over at Moving Along With The Times and this week our fab Teamie Valou has made a sketch for everyone to follow.

The sponsor is:

with a prize of a gift voucher for the shop.

The DT were very kindly allowed to pick an image to play with and this is my creation, with apologies as I was still feeling rather rough when I made it and it's not my best ever!

The Front shot:

The Close Up:

The Arty Farty:

I used:

Digi image:

The Stamp Fairy - Molly Balloons2

coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:

Le'anne Creatables frame

Papers:

First Edition - Up, Up and Away

Anything else?

Hobby House - self-adhesive pearls and brad

wooden flower from my stuff

Craftwork Cards - card blank

So I hope you find time to pop over to the challenge have a look at the wonderful creations my Teamies have produced - much, much better than mine!

Sarah

PS - I just wanted to add a very big thank you for all the lovely comments y'all have left on the bullying problem that SHMbO has had to deal with - thankfully, so far, they have kept the boy away from her and she seems much happier.  We are also off on Easter hols now - so two and half weeks of no school will, I hope, make her back to her old self.

PPS - Many thanks also for the kind get well soon wishes for me, they were, and are, appreciated.

PPPS - I'll tell you all about my week last week, once I can sit at the 'puter for longer than 10 mins without coughing!!!  It's been a 'fun' week, again!

cough, sneeze, cough

Hello blogworld

There will be temporary interruption to services whilst I cough like a good 'un, shiver under a blanket, find out how I unblock my ears and generally feel sorry for myself with the worst cold I've had in a long time.

Hoping to be back to normal next week.

Sarah

Oh what a week!

What day of the week is it?  Wednesday, only Wednesday really??

Hello blogworld,

Well what a week we've had!  I've had some time to craft, but apart from that it's all been about SHMbO and school this week.  Firstly I do the card, and then do the waffle underneath so feel free to skip the waffle if you like - I won't be offended, wish I could've skipped the waffle this week!!

So the card:
Front shot:

The close up:

The arty farty:

 I used:

Digi stamp:

Tiddly Inks - Wryn and Emmy BFF

coloured with Promarkers and Copics

Dies:

Memory Box - heart border

Nestie - circle

Go-Kreate - scalloped circle

Papers:

my mind's eye - Paris & Co

Anything else?

Hobby House - lace

sentiment - no idea it's been in my box for donkeys!

A challenge or two:

Sketch Saturday: Week #250

Totally Gorjuss: Challenge 175 - Something old.  The sentiment is my 'old' it's got to be at least 3 years old.  Hope that counts.

Deep Ocean Challenge : #47 - Cute and Cuddly

So the waffle, you regular readers of my waffle will know that we've had problems getting Emily, who is nearly 6, (aka SHMbO: She Who Must be Obeyed for my new followers) off to school just recently.  We've been in and seen the Head and things seemed to be going better.  They say she is a very bright girl academically (takes after me there then!!) but lacking in self-confidence (exactly me!!!) so they were going to work on her self confidence hoping that she'll feel happier in class.

Well the class teacher has gone temporarily, we aren't entirely sure why but there are rumours!, and a new temp teacher come in.  SHMbO changed completely and was so much happier to go to school - result!  Maybe, along with the extra attention, that was the problem?

Nope it would appear not.  We're back to tears and not wanting to go in, being 'poorly' again.  End of tether time on Monday - she was allowed off school as she had a cold, within 2 hrs she was bouncing - literally bouncing - on the sofa.  Said enough you are well enough to go to school, off you go.  Cue tears, 'don't want to go's, you can't make me's'.  Well half way up the stairs with mummy at her back 'helping' her up the stairs - it turns out she doesn't want to go to school as there is a boy in her class who has been being rude, pushing her, kicking her, and threatening to steal her morning snack! 

Once she told us this she was much happier to go to school, so off we trot and drop her off - briefly speak to head who said they will make sure SHMbO not bothered today. Monday - happy at school.

Tuesday - spoke to class teacher when I drop her off.  She says nothing seen of boy picking on SHMbO, but they would keep an eye on her.  When I go to collect at chuck out time - I can see SHMbO hanging back from this boy, who was in the line in front of her, get her and she wants to go straight home - now!  I asked what's the matter - she said this boy has just said he's going to kill her!  Oh My Word - well it takes a lot for me to get annoyed, but my God I was sparking at this.  Spoke to the teacher for her to point out this boys' mum and she said the mum wasn't there yet.  They took us back into school - teacher and head spoke to Em and I calmed down a bit!!  Seems boy and mum were in office 'to be spoken' to! Went home and spoke to Em more, he also told her that he 'would pull my brains out with a coconut', now I know that upset her but I had to smile!!

Wednesday (only today, really??) - off we trot to school again.  Big fuss made of Em, and promised that she'll be watched, he'll be watched and he'll not be allowed to speak to her.

We will see.  I go to get her at 3.30 today - they'd better have kept their word - otherwise I will be seriously p'd off.

And breathe!!

If you are even vaguely interested in this saga, I will be doing updates no doubt!

Sarah

It's Easter,

or nearly anyway!

Hello there blogworld,

So here we are again, another Monday morning and a good weekend was had by all, I hope?  Ours was hit and miss - SHMbO has a cold and slept for a lot of Saturday but then perked up enough to go to her two best friends joint birthday party.

Anyway, you're not here to hear my waffle are you - you're here to see the card and for me to tell you all about the new challenge over at The Cutie Pies and this fortnight it's 'Easter' - so all your cutest projects for Easter please.

We are sponsored this time by the super cuteness that is:

The DT were very kindly allowed to pick an image to use and this is my card with the image I picked.

If, however, you go follow the link to find it, you may not quite recognise it!  I decided to try and use an Easter card this year (one I made last year is still sitting in the box!) so I slightly changed a part of the image to make it more relevant - you'll have to follow the link if you want to know what I did.  But I bet you can probably guess - the card is for SHMbO, and most of you know what she looks like!

So front shot:

The close up:

 The arty farty:

I used:

Digi stamp:

Pink Gem - Jodie with Easter Egg

coloured with my Promarkers

Die:

Nestie

Papers:

Freebie from years ago: Pretty Please - Spring Papers

Anything else?

Ribbon from my stuff

HobbyHouse - pearls

Wild Orchid Crafts - flowers and leaves

There we go my little offering for this challenge - why not pop on over to the challenge blog and see the super cuteness that my teamies have made?

See you again soon,
Sarah

A challenge, or two:

I love Promarkers: #159 - Ribbons and Bows

Stampin for the Weekend: Child's Play (both for a child and an image of a child - bingo!!)

My Mum's Craft Shop: Challenge 3 - Spring has Sprung

Spring is in the air?

Is it?  I wish it was!  Someone can take away the snow - even I've had enough now!!!

Good morning blogworld,

It's time for a new challenge over at MAWTT and, you might have guessed!, the theme this week is 'Spring is in the air'.  So anything spring related creation would be lovely - spring papers, image, sentiment, etc.

We are sponsored this week, with a $10 voucher for one lucky person, by:

We were very kindly given images to use and this is the one I chose and the card I made:

The front shot:

The close up:

The arty farty:

The list:

Digi stamp:

Prairie Fairy Designs - Gilly's Bike

coloured with my Promarkers

Dies:

Go-Kreate

Nesties - circle and scalloped circle

Papers:

Prima - Sparkling Spring

Anything else?

Craftwork Cards - sentiment

Hobby House - crochet flower, pearl swirls, hair embellishment and dragonflies

So, I wonder can you tell what bit of my Mother's Day presents I've been using??  You'll never guess really you won't! No can you tell, really tell?  Bet not!

Please pop on over to the blog and take a look at my Teamies creations and pop in an entry while you're there, why not?

Cheerio

Sarah

A card for no reason!

Good afternoon blogland,

Not sure I believe this myself, but I've just made a card for the fun of it - no DT, nobody to give it to, just for fun!  Not sure the last time I did that.

Not my usual style but I figure why not try something a bit different (and I stress a bit here) - love the colours, not sure about the flowers.

Let me know what you think.

Front shot:

The arty farty:

I used:

Digi sentiment

Pollycraft 

Dies:

Memory Box - scalloped posies and fresh foilage

Nestie - for the senitment

Papers:

Dreamcatcher

Anything else?

Pearls from The Hobby House

Inked with a Distress Ink

Well that's about it folks - it's snowing and blooming cold and we're off to see the Headteacher at SHMbO's school again.  It's a follow up from a previous appt, just to see how things are now.

Hope everyone is OK, and see you soon,

Sarah

And look - I'm entering a challenge!!  Can't remember the last time I did that!!

Cupcake Craft Challenges: Cupcake 233 - It's only words

Mummy got....

stuff for Mother's Day!!!!

Hello blogworld

Well here we are again - another year turns and brings another Mother's Day.  Again it is a day I look forward to but dread at the same time.

Dread as there are long term problems with my family (haven't spoken to my mum for over a year now) but look forward to for my the joy that my little munchkin brings!  Not that she's without her problems - we were supposed to go to Lincoln yesterday but that was cancelled due to bad behaviour.  I wonder if I were like this when I were little?  Peter swears he was an ideal child, hmmm I'll hold judgement on that one.

However she's been 100% perfect today - and I got stuff (officially stuff!) today for Mother's Day.

Wanna see?

Here then:

Flowers and cards, don't think you can see on this but she's already very modern - the cards are addressed to Sarah not mum or mummy!!:

Craft things (got those myself yesterday on a much shorter trip than we were going to have!).  I actually have more than this, but the dies are put away already and the pre-printed toppers (£1 a pack!) were for herself, I were told that!:

And finally - my official stuff:

She really, really, really, didn't like the idea of giving me an empty box.  So she changed what she didn't like on the poem and put craft 'stuff' inside the box!!!  I just asked her why she did that and she said that it was a silly idea that the teacher had and it's not nice to give someone an empty box!

What you don't see are the chocs that have already been eaten.  She does like early morning chocolate my little munchkin!

So that's me done - and for all of those out there who don't do Mother's day, for whatever reason, I'm thinking of you.

Sarah

PS - I have 149 comments in my email - some of them are multiples from one person - I will be going through them all next week and visiting all your blogs.  I promise, cross my heart!  It might just be the end of the week before I get round to you!!!

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

End of an era

Hello blogworld,

Bit of a sad post for me here, in that this is my last challenge as part of the DT at Divas by Design, it was the very first DT post I had and I will always be grateful to Rebekah for giving me the chance, even though I was a new blogger, of getting on a Design Team.

Unfortunately I don't feel I'm giving them enough of my time at the moment and instead someone else should be given the chance to bring something new to the team.  So I'm stepping down with this challenge.

Ladies - it's been a blast and I will always think fondly of the Design Team at The Divas and I hope the challenge goes from strength to strength.

So details for this challenge are - the theme is 'buttons and bows' and we are sponsored by:

My card, with one of the cute images that the DT were given to play with:

Front shot:

Detail of image:

The arty farty:

 

I used:

Digi image:

2cuteink - Birthday Dino 

coloured with my Promarkers

sentiment - is a cheepo one again that I've taken the labels off

Die:

Go-Kreate

Papers:

Basic Grey - Archaic 

Anything else?

Buttons, Distress Ink and twine

Right OK, I'm off now - before I start sniffing.

Sarah

It's a kind of magic

Hello blogworld

Well how we all doing then?  Looking at a lovely Monday morning I hope and to make it even lovelier we have a new challenge over at The Cutie Pies.  The theme this fortnight is 'Magical' - so any magic related projects please.  I think you'll find that us Cuties went with magicians and fairies but there are so many magical things out there that I think this could be a great fortnight!

We are sponsored by:

And onto my magical card - it's for SHMbO's best friend who will be six this week but so far hasn't met with the stamp of approval.  In fact, she told me she could do better!  Ho hum, this is life as a female persons' mother is it?  Being told that you aren't good enough?  Is it any better with boys I have to wonder.

I actually quite liked this one - can I hear a good deal of blogworld falling over in surprise there?  Yes, I did just say I liked a card I made, well apart from the teddy, it seems to sink into the book from what I can see, should've done him a different colour.

Now that I've got you completely dying to see what my sub-standard card looks like - I will reveal (the card, not me - now that would give you nightmares!!).

Front shot:

Detail of image:

The arty farty:

I used:

Stamps:

Lili of the Valley - Abracadabra + sentiment

image coloured with me Pros and background chalked.

Dies:

Memory Box - swirly corner thingy (I really will have to remember the name of that one day, I use it enough!)

Papers:

Oh My Word - now whose are these?  No idea, they've been around that long!

Anything else?

Bit of ribbon and some Stickles (that smudged, begger it!)

So you'll have to let me know what the verdict is - are you Team SHMbO or Team Sarah then???

See's ya

Sarah

For my friend....

really that should read 'friends' and have 'in blogworld' after it!

Hello blogworld

So the reason for the title - well it's twofold actually.  One it's the 1st of March so a new challenge for a new month over at Flatfriends and this challenge the theme is 'friendship'.  So we'd like to see your Emma Canning - Flatfriend digi and your project celebrating friendships.

On the other hand - I'd really like to say hello to my new follower (are you sure you know what you signed up for?) and thank to you to all my bloggy friends who have been putting up with my waffle just recently.  I'm also sooo sorry that I'm rubbish at commenting right now.  I will pull my socks up - as dear old mama used to say - very soon and get round everyone's blogs. Cross my heart, promise!!

So want to see the card that's dedicated to all you lovely peeps out there?  Here you go - but be prepared, put your sunglasses on!!!  And that sentiment could be aimed at me - I promised myself last year I'd be a glass half-full person, hmmm well that didn't last long ;-)

Front shot:

Detail of image:

The arty farty:

I used:

Stamps:

Image: Emma Canning - Rainy Day

coloured with my Promarkers

Sentitment - Hero Arts (I think, I've taken it out of the packet!) - inked while in the die

Dies:

Nestie for the sentiment

Memory Box - flourish (chopped up to within an inch of it's life!)

Papers:

Cosmo Cricket - Mini Deck: Pixi-Licious

Anything else?:

Flowers and brad from my stuff

So why not pop on over to the blog and show your friends how much you appreciate them!

Sarah

PS - For those of you holding your breath about The Tooth - it had fallen out by the time SHMbO woke up on Tuesday morning.  She very proudly went off to school showing everyone her not gappy smile - the new tooth is soo big it's just taken over the gap!  And, even better, on Wednesday morning she had had a visit from the tooth fairy - who left a chocolate coin and a shiny £2 coin - hmmm bit better than the 10p I got when I was little!!!  She also has orders from her friends for tooth fairy boxes - ooh yes my daughter knows how to drum up business!!!!