What a day!!

What makes insignificant little geeks sit in their lonely abodes and spend the days writing viruses? I picked one up, on my lap top, this afternoon and my poor son has been sat for nine hours so far trying to sort it all out for me!

I was having a mooch around the internet this afternoon trying to look for wedding stationery colour trends for  and all of a sudden my lap top went stupid. However, the virus showed itself as a system checker and it was only when I couldn't get rid of it by running task manager and shut down that I realised something was wrong.

I'm up to my eyes in stationery orders at the mo and have the first in a series of wedding fayres starting on Thursday evening and am having to redesign my invitation album all at the same time, so this I can definitely live without, you little grot!!

Of course it goes without saying that I haven't backed up any files and both my C and D drives appear to have been trashed :( Luckily though, hubby did my accounts for me at the end of October and he still has a copy on his machine and when we had my old lap top fixed just before Christmas I never wiped any of the files off it so it is still how it was on the day I knocked it off the arm of the settee and DD2 hasn't wiped anything from it either. DS appears to have managed to save my Party Nights folder which has all of my wedding work, photos etc in it so I think I should be ok once he can sort it for me. He is busy clearing everything off it now ready to reinstall Windows in the morning. I shall make do with working on this one until after Friday and then start sorting out my folders etc.
....and after all that it hasn't worked :( He has run spyware, malaware, and heaven knows what other 'aware and is no further forward than he was when he started. The newest report is that the files appear to be hiding behind whatever the virus has dumped onto my machine. It looks as though it might have to go into the poorly lap top hospital which isn't good really as I have three wedding orders on the go and the files are on that machine.

I think I might just go and sit in a corner, bury my head in my hands and cry *sob*

Anyway, I did manage a couple of quick challenges this morning

These stamps are from the same Seedee set I used the other day for the dress card I made. I don't know what any of the papers are today as they are all from my pink snippet file. The gems, button and ribbon are all from my stock. The challenges I'm entering the card into are as follows
Pollycraft - Warm It Up (as in teapot ;))

DCM - Kitchenalia

Colour Create - pink, green and a handmade flower

Secret Crafter - food and drink

Passion For Promarkers- recycle (the ribbon on the flower is from a blouse)

Delightful Challenges - distress / vintage

Thanks for looking, see you tomorrow :)

Nellie the Elephant

The theme at Passion For Promarkers this week is to be "inspired by a song" so I decided to go with my super cute elephant stamp by Penny Black and as per my title, I thought of Nellie the Elephant.

Image - Embrace 2892K by Penny Black
Paper scraps - Sweet Owl by First Edition
Promarkers
Ribbons and gems from stock
Flower die - Sizzix Flower Daisies #2

My card is also being entered for

Di's Snippet Challenge

Papertake Weekly -Die Cute Special, use a die cut somewhere on your card and also make it cute

Penny Black @ Allsorts - Love and hearts
Delightful Challenge - have a heart
Penny Black's Saturday Challenge - to case the following card

Thanks for looking.

Passion........

..For Promarkers set the theme of "Celebrations" for their last challenge and as we have birthdays on Christmas day and Boxing day in our family it was easy to fit this challenge in with my last minute makes. I did a few different celebratory cards but am only entering the first one into the challenge as none of the others use Promarkers on them.

My first card is for hubby's nephew who was eight on Christmas day.

Image is Skateboard Ian from the Greeting Farm, paper is by Kanban (freebie) and MME, the rub on letters are Doodlebug and the rest is from my craft cupboard.

 Papers are Sweet Love by First Edition, sentiment stamp is from a set of Kids Quotes by Inkadinkadoo, greeting is from Craftwork Cards, flowers are die cut and premade paper roses and the ribbon is from my craft room.

 The guest book was a last minute commission which came in two days before the wedding!

 Quote is from a set by Stampendous (I just love them) and everything else is from my stock. I found the ribbon (it reads Health, wealth, happiness, fertility, long life) and the tiny silver stick on hearts when I was sorting through a drawer a couple of weeks ago...I don't know how long they had been there but I unearthed other stuff too which will make an appearance over the coming weeks :)

The last card was for my dad who was 75 on Boxing Day.

The big numbers are made using Word as I showed in a tutorial a while ago, I have 'misplaced' my large numbers since I put them somewhere where 'I would know straight away where to look!!' Papers are by MME again.

As well as the Passion For Promarkers challenge I am going to enter my cards in the following challenges

Secret Crafter - Anything Goes

Jules Crafty Snippet challenge #51

Thanks for looking. I have a table plan to make today for one of the Holiday Inn, Doncaster for their New Years Eve dinner tomorrow evening so must crack on. I'm hoping to come back later and show case my five favourite Christmas cards, oh, and I have some really good news to share.

Still messy!

I am slowly but surely sorting out the mess which used to be my house! I'm trying to get the contents of an old two bedroomed terrace house (the shop) into a three bed semi or rather one room in a three bed semi :)) I suppose I'm quite luck really as my wonderful mum in law has just taken delivery of a box of jewellery etc in Somerset, my mum is doing a school Christmas fete on 1st December, I have a cabinet in a beauty salon near my home and a cabinet and shelving unit is going into a town centre hairdressers later this week. I have a friend coming tomorrow to sort through some of my stuff for the craft club at school and a pile of stuff which is going for sale on my blog later this week. Without those I think I would really be in the mire as my space is filling up really fast but I am taking this chance to downsize my craft stock! My desk and chair are now in contact with each other for the first time since last Thursday so that's something as I really must work tomorrow as I've some orders which need doing.
I had a busy few days and had a jewellery party on Monday evening. I made the gift wallets on Monday afternoon and they all went!

The papers are all 'snippets' from work done for Anice's appearance on Create and Craft at the launch of her Christmas cd, Twelve Crafters Crafting. I shall head over and add them to the following challenges

 Jules blog 

 Papertake Weekly- Christmas Crackers/anything festive

Passion For Promarkers - Swirls & Sparkles (I have swirly trees and lots of glitter/glamour dust)

Supplies used

Papers - Twelve Crafters Crafting, Funky Hand

Images - Pink Petticoat, Funky Hand, magazine freebie, Cuddly Buddly

Thanks for looking

What started as one....

led to 7...cards that is! I bought a 6 x 6" paper pad ( First Edition - Hideaway) in the Range last week and decided yesterday morning that I would use it. It is so unusual for me to do that for two reasons, one is that it's very rare for me to actually buy papers at the mo (I'm still trying to deplete the paper and card mountain) and the other reason is that I have had it for less than a week and have used it already :) Normally I hang onto papers until they are well past their sell by date and I've stroked all the pattern off, and then I use them :)

I decided that I would use my pretty new papers to make a birthday card the new sketch on Kathy's Sketch File (which doesn't go live until next week). I then thought I would use the scaps to make another card and decided on an engagement card as I was down to the last couple on the rack, and this is what I came up with and it fits the new challenge at the Allsorts Challenge Blog, which is Lemon and Lime and the Papertake Weekly challenge which is "Here Comes the Sun - It was here yesterday but now it’s gone again, so for most of the UK girlies we will really have to use our imagination as we don't see the sun that often lol!!

So quite simply you just need to create a card that reminds you of summer or has a sunny summery feel."

The lace is from Creative Treasures, the ribbon, flowers and gems etc are from my craft stock and the butterfly is a MS punch.
Once I had finished this I thought I would use the remaining paper to make another card while it was on my desk but there wasn't enough so I had to cut into another sheet and I made this one which fits this weeks challenge at Passion For Promarkers which is "set by Andie and she has chosen “park life”.  We want you to dig out all your images that show what you can do in the park, such as play on the swings, walk your dog, ride your bike etc." It also fits the challenge for Penny Black at Allsorts and the remit is to use your favourite Penny Black Stamp. I really struggled with my choice of stamp as although I don't have many PB stamps, I do have a few faves :)

 The Penny Black image was coloured with Promarkers. 

The next card was made from the offcuts from the previous one (notice the pattern emerging?) with a strip from 

 another sheet used to cut the flowers and flourishes which are both Sizzlit dies. This card fits the Secret Crafter challenge of embossing as the brad was triple embossed and then dunked into some Glamour Dust.

 The next card was made for the DCM challenge from yesterday. It's Lythan's turn to set the Dare this week and her remit was to make a wedding card but I forgot my something blue, sorry Lythan. My card also fits the challenge at Moving Along With The Times which is "A card with clean lines, minimal elements, areas of white space and few or no embellishments." I haven't seen this challenge before but I love CAS cards.

I couldn't find a 'congrats' rub on so used a tiny peel off *sharp intake of breath* lol and the final card is made up of the tiny pieces left over from all of the above cards (Jules would be so proud of me :))

The image is from Pink Petticoat and the sentiment is a Papermania sticker. The gems are from my stash.


Well that's it from me for now. I am so pleased that I managed to do some challenges at long last and I'm off to bed now.


Night x

Inspirational Card Sketch

#81 and the last sketch for August sponsored again by Paper Romance.

Just how fab is this gorgeous little mermaid? She is new to me but I can see me using her quite a bit, thanks Nikki. If you would like to adopt her, she can be found at DewDrop Craftz
Papers are all from my scrap box so not sure what they are
Promarkers
Shells - magazine freebie, years ago
Sentiment - Craftwork Cards
Bucket - Sizzix
Martha Stewart punch

Please join us and let us know so that we can come and comment on your work. Don't forget to take a peep at the fabulous inspiration provided by my team mates on the ICS blog.
Back soon.

Allsorts Challenge

Here is the challenge as set by the Allsorts Dt at the weekend.

I love July! It's warm, it's lazy, it's vacation. I love it!

So, for this week's challenge, show your love by having a heart on your project. And not a teeny, tiny piece in a corner, let the heart be the focus point. Let your love show!

 

and I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday

Image is a download from The Greeting Farm which I have coloured with Promarkers before I flooded the heart with glue and chucked on a load of Glamour Dust. The papers are from Stampin Up and Brenda Pinnick, the sentiment is from Daisy & Dandelion. Everything else is from my stash.

Take care :)

Secret Crafter

"This week's challenge has been set by the lovely Victoria and she has chosen her challenge with Wimbledon  in mind. She has chosen a theme of:-

STRAWBERRIES & CREAM

Now this can be actual strawberries or just a colour combo for inspiration - it's up to you."

 

I chose to go with the fruit instead of just the colour....far tastier :)

I can't find where the image is from. On my old lap top I had all my digi images in folders under the name of the artist. When I started reloading all my data onto this machine, half of the names seem to have disappeared for some strange reason, so if it is your image, I am truly sorry. The image was coloured with Promarkers, the large piece of pink paper is from Stampin Up and everything else is from my stash.

Thanks for looking x

Rosie's reveal

We are still with Mervi's super challenge at Rosie D's and you have until next Sunday to show us your projects. I'm DT Mervi from Finland and I'm hosting the challenge for this Month, June. Hope you all can join us, as I have set some very summery challenges! This fortnight I would like to see something blue and options are fish or fishing. There is also a lovely prize up for grabs offered by Mervi herself.

My card

The image is one of Sally-Ann's from The Digistamp Boutique, (Jim fishing) and it was coloured with Promarkers, I think the papers were from Lakeland a few years ago but I'm not 100% sure and they no longer sell craft stuff so I can't check! The sentiment is another freebie from The Creative Cottage and the card candy is from Craftwork Cards

Don't forget to leave us your link so we can come and take a peep at your work.

Tfl

Passion

For Promarkers have 'pink birthdays' as their theme for this week and it just so happened that yesterday was the birthday of a very special friend of mine and I made her a pink card. I bought a kit from Create and Craft a couple of months ago, this being the first I've ever bought and is probably be the last. The quality of the card is lovely, as are the colours but I just can't get my head round using a kit...I feel a bit of a fraud lol This is what was in the kit, note that there are no envelopes!!!

 and this is what I did with it

My chocolate and strawberry cake image is from Sassy Cheryl and is coloured with Promarkers, the verse is one I've had for ages, the flowers are Prima, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the ribbon and gems are from my stash. I used a Martha Stewart punch to edge the 'support bar' at the bottom. Annette liked it and the little gift card with her prezzie :)

Thanks for looking, back soon.

Thank you teacher

The Passion For Promarkers' challenge this week is "books" which has been chosen by the new DT member, Andie.
The theme can beinterpreted by using an image that has a book on it, an image inspired by a book title, pages from a book as backing paper etc, just make sure you use your promarkers to be included in our prize draw.

As it's getting near to that time of year again, the end of the school year, I thought I would make a start on Thank you cards for the teachers!

 Papers are K & Co, the image is from Some Odd Girl coloured with Promarkers, I don't know where the book pile is from (I found it on a memory stick!!), flowers are Prima e line and ribbon roses are part of my PE magazine prize. The beautiful frilled lace is from my stash and the sentiment was done on the lap top.

Thanks for looking. Will be back tomorrow with a couple more cards but not before I've been for a pedicure in the morning :))

Passion..

For Promarkers are celebrating their first anniversary this week with some fabulous prizes on offer.

"The challenge this week is an easy peasy one for you “anything goes”, so you can make absolutely anything you like as long as you use your promarkers."

I had to make a birthday card last night for DH's niece's birthday this weekend and this is what I came up with

I decided to make her an easel card as I haven't made her one yet and I used a butterfly image is from DewDrop Digiz shop, she has been coloured with Promarkers and 'Glamour Dusted@ to within an inch of her life lol Her wings really sparkle but the camera hasn't picked it up very well! Everything else is from my stash.

I hope you have sunshine wherever you are. Back soon, tfl.

Strawberries & cream!

The Passion For Promarkers this week say "Our challenge this week has been set by Sue and she has chosen ‘strawberries & cream’, which can be interpreted either by using images that include strawberries or just the colour scheme, it’s entirely up to you.  Of course don’t forget you must use your promarkers to be eligible for our prize."

And this is what I came up with

 I googled Strawberry Shortcake and came up with dozens of colouring images. I chose this one and coloured her with Promarkers. The strawberry paper was a freebie in a magazine, flowers are Prima and the ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis (where else)

I'm having half an hour out now to update my blog fully before I go back to my dt work for the weekend :)

Perfect timing

Sarah from Passion For Promarkers has set this week's challenge and she has chose the theme of "Gratitude" which can be interpreted any way as long as you use Promarkers. I had a "thanks for being our bridesmaid" card to make and decided that I would use the Mojo Monday sketch too as I haven't joined in any challenges for a while (what with my lousy April and busy working life!!) So onto the sketch

This beautiful little image is a new release from DewDrop Digiz and are by a fabulous artist called Jade. The image is actually a bride but I thought she would look lovely as a bridesmaid as the card is for a teenage bm. She has been coloured with Promarkers (what else) and her wings and bouquet have been glittered using Glamour Dust. The papers used are from the gorgeous Sugar Dumpling range by Blonde Moments I've had these papers forever and came across them this morning whilst looking for something else :) the flowers are Prima, the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards border punch and the gems are from my work box. I used my latest MS to punch the border....I've got a few MS punches now but this one has to be my favourite and it cuts like a dream!

Thanks again for looking, take care

Passion for Promarkers

The laptop saga continues....I ordered one yesterday from Amazon and paid for the guaranteed next day delivery which meant it would have been here by one o'clock today....Wrong! It could now be here between tomorrow and 3rd May! I do, however have my hard drive as an external drive so at least I have all my work, accounts etc which is a huge relief. I appear to have lost my fonts though, which I've spent a fortune on! It's not the end of the world...I can start collecting again ;)

Today has also seen mum and dad moving into the bungalow so I have been dad sitting :) He would have been sat on his own all morning and got in the way all afternoon so yesterday he decided he was coming over here lol.

So onto the challenge on the PfP challenge blog. It's Michelle's turn to set the challenge and she gave us a lovely sketch to work with. I've made two cards to this sketch but the first one doesn't count as I had forgotten that the flowers had to be handmade lol

Card no 1 (for my mum and dad)

Pink Petticoat image coloured with Promarkers, paper is from an old Papermania pad, flowers are Prima and everything else is from my stash.

The real card lol

Another Pink Petticoat image coloured with Promarkers, papers from scrap stash but include K & Co and everything else is from my stash again.
Thanks for looking, have a good evening.

Passion for...

 Promarkers and Mrs B's sketches :))

So, the challenge on the PfP blog this week is “in the garden - i.e. things you may see in the garden - flowers, vegetables or even a garden shed, it’s entirely up to you, as long as you colour your image with promarkers you will be in with a chance of winning our prize."

Kathy's sketch for April looks like this

Materials : image - Fred She Said freebie coloured with Promarkers, paper - Bloom and Grow, My Mind's Eye,

rub on sentiment - MSE, Gems - Papermania, grosgrain ribbon - Ribbon Oasis

TFL

Rosie Dee's

I know this is terribly late but Rosie sent me the instructions on how to schedule a post for last Sunday and I deleted the email by mistake and I have been so busy since we got back that it slipped my mind. However, I think I am now back on track :)

This week was the last of Brenda's challenges for a while (as Lyn takes over for April) and for this challenge she chose another Spring theme, but this time using the colour combo of Green, YellowWhite, which are perfect Spring colours. And so to my reveal

The image is from The Digistamp Boutique and is coloured with Promarkers, papers are magazine freebies and everything else is from my stash. You still have a couple of days to join in with this challenge before the new one goes live on Sunday.

TFL x

Friday Sketchers

on Wednesday! And yes, I've made a challenge card that isn't for any of my DT work, yay me :) It seems ages since I took part in a challenge but unfortunately, earning the pennies comes first. Any how, I did manage this card yesterday for both Friday Sketchers and Passion For Promarkers (this has to me my favourite challenge :))

While the sketch is self explanatory, the Promarkers challenge states

"Our challenge this week is a theme and has been chosen by Caryn. She has given us the theme of ‘back to nature’, it’s entirely up to you how you interpret this i.e. colour scheme, image etc. You can use any colour promarkers this week but you must follow the theme to be entered into the prize draw"

and so onto my card 

 I really like the colours on this card so have used muted colours for the lovely image from Pink Cat Studio
I've had the stamp for a long time now and still like it (which can't be said for a lot of my stamps lol) The gorgeous earthy paper is from the 6" x 6" Wild Asparagus pad by My Mind's Eye -still my favourite papers at the mo.

I've used "back to nature elements" on this card too. These are my lovely sunflower image by DewDrop Digiz
and the muted earthy colours in the My Mind's Eye papers and although I'm too late to submit it for the challenge I wanted to show it cos I like it :).
tfl

Papertake Weekly

I did quite well at ploughing through the challenges yesterday.......it has certainly helped me bring my Valentines stock up to date. I'm very late this year as I'm fitting them in with the wedding work. I need to finish them this weekend for definite as I need to get some Mother's Day cards made as I've got none whatsoever in stock!

Materials: papers - We R Memory Keepers and Pink Petticoat (I think!), image - Digi Stamp Boutique and coloured with 

Promarkers, MS punch and everything else from my stash

Dolly Mama

I made a couple of Valentine and a birthday card yesterday and managed to tie in some more challenges. It doesn't sound much does it? I did also knit the front of a baby cardi, made a quiche for tea and some butterfly buns and cleaned my kitchen (sorry for swearing)!!!

Anyway let's talk about something a bit more interesting :) Using the sketch from the Friday Sketchers I made a card without a proper sentiment so it could be used for many occasions.

Materials: papers - K & Co and Bazzill Bling, image - Dolly Mama coloured with Promarkers, flowers - Prima,

gems - Papermaia, sentiment - Craftwork Cards, ribbon - Ribbon Oasis, MS punch

I really like this stamp but haven't used her for a long time. So my card also fits the following challenges

Papertake Weekly

"So our challenge this week is a colour challenge and it is Pretty Pink Papertake. So pretty straightforward really, you can use other colours as well if you want, and as long as your card is predominantly pink, then that's fine :)"

Passion For Promarkers

"Our challenge this week is ‘girls, girls, girls’ but you can use any colour promarkers you like *yay*. We want to see all your girlie images used this week."

Stamp Something

"We'd like you to make us giggle! Just create a project with something funny....a funny image, sentiment, whatever....we're just looking for a fun little chuckle!"

It's a fair while since I made a card which incorporates more than one challenge and I'm quite chuffed with my little self!
Tfl