Feeling Distressed this week.....

Well.....Emma has asked the sassy crafts design team to come up with distressed ideas this week.Here is my first offering.
To make this card I've used the Fleuriste papers from Cosmo Cricket and also one the little tags that is in the 8x8 pad. I've distressed the edges by rubbing along the blade of my metal scissors, inking and using white paint. The large flower is from Junkitz and the ribbons from 3 bugs in a rug. I've also frayed the ends of the ribbons to give another distressed look. All bought from Sassy Crafts.
I haven't actually felt stressed at all this week, but really enjoying the kids summer hols so far. It's just a struggle to craft when they are home...but not complaining : )

I did actually use a recipe on Just Bex(http://justbex.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3165)
to make up this card. Nicky set a challenge last week to use 2 scalloped edges, a length of ribbon and 3 buttons.

My little sis is expecting baby number 3 in September, so I though I would give her this card when baby is born with some gift vouchers just for her (not for baby) xx

This Month Last Month...

Not bad, blogged twice today already and it's not quite half noon.

I've just thrown this LO together, it kind of just happened on the way to making the family breakfast earlier. Louis was sat on my lap at the pc and we were looking at photos, printed this one off. Just as we were leaving the room together I opened this months scrapagogos kit box and remembered the new challenge. ' This Month, Last Month'. Basically make a LO with this months kits using a few left overs from last months kit.
So I quickly laid the photo on a 12x12 piece from last month, laid various pieces from each kit over the top and then made breakie.........then after it was all cleared up, I've quickly stuck it all down and added the journaling.....if only they were all that quick and easy : ) xx

Sunny Sunday????

I think that's wishful thinking here in the UK.....Dull and overcast more like...hey-ho, at least it's not raining yet. (positive thinking 'n' all that)

I went to bed in a foul mood last night. I'm hoping having gotten up early before everyone this morning, had a latte in peace and a play on my blog (do you like the new look?) and a spot of blog hopping too has helped get me off to a good start today.
The kids drove me potty yesterday and the sad thing is, I barely saw them : (
It started off with messing at the breakfast table, which saw Hollie's rice crispies all over the kitchen table, floor and her...not a good start!!!!
They were out all day as Saturdays are work days for me, so Ade and I planned we'd go for a walk with Poppy-dog when they got home and then we'd have afamily wii night.
Louis felt sick when he got in, so just Ade ended up walking Poppy and the wii night turned into upset, whinging and crying from Hollie each time she didn't win !!!!!! : (

Anyway today a new day, I hope they wake up feeling happier.
To remind me of them being happy, here's a LO I made at mine and Nicky's recent crop weekend.

A bit of yummy scenice route going on here .
Have a happy Sunday xxxx

My First Cocoa Daisy Kit

Yay.....my first Cocoa Daisy kit arrived yesterday, really chuffed !!! There are some fabby bits and pieces in there : ) I've been thinking about getting this kit for a while. Nicky is always saying how great it is and I saw her's when we were visiting a couple of months ago and was very impressed, so I've finally decided to subscribe.

Whilst blog hopping last night for a bit, I was on this blog that Nicky recently introduced me to: http://onelittleword.typepad.com/
I decided to join in on the challenge 'What If'......put the word 'If' into your title.
Seeing as Nicky introduced both the new kit and this blog to me and after spending a fabby weekend crop with Nicky earlier this month, I decided my LO was going to be about being friends with Nicky.


I've known Nicky from Craft Forums for a couple of years now and we finally met last year at legoland with our families and since then we've managed to meet up a few times, with families and also a couple of times just us for crafty (scrapping) get togethers. Eventhough we really do live miles and miles apart, Nicky is a really good friend. xx

A Sassy Starbucks Card

I've just set this card as a challenge over on the Just Bex forum.
It's all about finding inspiration for a project in a place you wouldn't usually even think about making cards.
Mine came from whilst standing in a very long queue in Starbucks. There were loads of shelves of bags of coffee, all in different colours, but the same design...so I went back, scribbled a sketch and have now made this card.
All the stash to make this card comes from Sassy Crafts.....the big blooms are by Junkitz
( http://sassycrafts.co.uk/category_37/Flowers-Blooms.htm)
the papers, cosmo cricket
(http://sassycrafts.co.uk/item_527/Cosmo-Cricket--Fleuriste-8x8-pad.htm)
stickers from Basic Grey (http://sassycrafts.co.uk/item_511/Basicgrey--Sultry-Collection-Pack.htm)
and the stamp is here (http://sassycrafts.co.uk/category_84/Catslife-Press-Stamps.htm)
xx

My Girl

This is my girl....she's abit bonkers most of the time, but in a nice way.
These photos were taken at a farm a couple of years ago. She got very attached to this little bike and just didn't want to get off. I finally got around to scrapping these at the weekend crop I went to earlier this month.

The papers and stickers are Basic Grey - Sugared. My fave papers at the moment, so much so I own 2 packs : )
Sassy Crafts have them discounted at the moment, take a look :


http://sassycrafts.co.uk/item_509/Basicgrey--Sugared-Collection-Pack.htm

Blooming Gorgeous !!!!!

I missed my first sketch last week from the 2 sketches 4 u : ( Just could not find the time, so this week I've made sure I've managed to get it done. http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/

I've used Scenic route papers and small flower stamp, Autumn Leaves large flower stamp and Cosmo Cricket background paper and berisfords spotty ribbon xx

What a busy week !!!!

Wow, it's been a busy week !!!
I haven't even photographed the rest of my stuff from the crop yet : (
We had Hollie's 9th birthday on wednesday, so were busy then and then she had a sleepover party Friday night followed by a crop on Saturday and a cheerleading exam yesterday. She passed with honours, bless her : )

Anyway.....this week it's me behind the challenges on Just Bex. I feel so sad that I haven't been taking part this last couple of weeks as much as usual. I have such a list to catch up with now.
So this is my challenge today...........quite simple.......Right now, I'm loving lace, so use some lace somewhere on your cards or LO's this week. xx

My Crop Weekend

What a weekend !!!!!!! It was the Runways End weekend crop. My first ever weekend crop.
My favourite scrap buddie Nicky Noo joined me and we got there Saturday 9am and left Sunday 4pm with only 3 hours sleep .....lets just say I'm still recovering. I fell asleep at 8pm last night and slept through til 7am this morning. We had such a laugh though.
I can't wait to crop with Nicky again. I really feel like I've found the perfect scrap partner, someone who I feel so comfortable and myself with, someone who I can have a good laugh with and someone who inspires me so much and we really do seem to bounce off each other, the ideas just keep coming, it's fab !!!
And after all that I produced 7 LO's and 3 mini books, not bad eh?!!
I won't blog them all at once, simply as I don't have the time right night. But here is one that I had in mind for Est's 'Green' challenge on Just Bex.

This is using Love Elsie's Forest collection, some MM noteworthy and some Scenic route. Along with rusty pickle buttons, American Crafts Thickers and my new Stamps away butterfly.
And this one was a scraplift that both Nicky and I did. We worked from the same LO in a magazine. I wanted to do a special LO about my special Nanny, because I love her so much.
I've used my favourite papers right now, Basic Grey Sugared. A touch of MM noteworthy, primas , rusty pickle buttons and the corrigated card was torn from a 12x12 pizza boxm stripped and inked : ) rather chuffed with that result.
And to finish tonight off, before another early night, here are my prizes I won at the competition....how lucky am I??????????????????? xx

Julie & Dunc's Xmas Card (warning Julie....do not look!!!)

How well organised am I this year eh????????!!!!
Well, do not be fooled, this is just down to the DCM dare this week, I promise you, no more Christmas cards will be following in the very near future.
This weeks challenge, incase you didn't guess is to make a crimbo card.

http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/

To be honest, I was going to skip this weeks challenge, I don't like making these cards even in the correct season, but during a bedtime reading session I got the complete inspiration from my Autumn Leaves 'Freestyle' book and lifted this idea.
It's just perfect for my lovely friend Julie and her hubby Dunc who is in the army. They've got to be one of the nuttiest couples I know.
To top it off, Nicky has a challenge using arrows on Just Bex this week, so this one will fit in nicely now. xx

Laura's Sketch 3

It's that time of week again when the girls at '2 sketches 4 you' launch their sketch.
The cards shown on that blog are amazing, I love looking through them.
I'm usually done by the end of the week, but made this one on the first day.

Ade's mum wanted a card mkade for her neighbours her are getting married on Saturday.
But I don't think Ade likes it : ( he said it's the background......how cam anyone not like basic grey sugared????!!! xx

Poppy - Dog

I can't believe we have a pup !!!
Although having grown up with dogs (and goodness knows how many other pets) and both my parents have dogs, until recently I could never see us with one.
I don't know how we came to talk about it, but it's been something we've been thinking about for a few months now. Having read up loads and chatted to other dog owners we decided a king charles was perfect for our family.
With all the chatting that was as far as it got, so I rang a breeder on Saturday morning, we drove up to Oxford in the evening and bought little poppy-dog home.
She's 12 weeks today and very sweet. Her sweet and calm nature really shone out over the rest and see her chasing after the kids in the garden was a help to choose too.
Anway....so far so good is all I will say. I don't want to tempt fate : )
xx

More piccies.....and the chipboard swap

This post should have gone before my previous post really. Bad plaaning Lisa !! So feel free to scroll down read and then come back to this one. This are just extra piccies of the sports day mini book.
I also wanted to show off my not so naked chipboard from our challenge swap over on Just Bex
http://justbex.co.uk/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=41
We paired up and sent each other naked chipboard to tart up and show.

Sue sent me my little bundle...I received some stars..... a large arrow......


and a big curly arrow.

I really enjoyed the swap and hope everyone else did too. Thanks Sue xx

My Dream Street Mini Book

Now although it's been a busy week (as I was going on about before in my previos post this morning) I did manage to squeeze in this mini book in between everything else...grabbing 10 here and 15 mins there. (one of those projects).
I received a lovely box of goodies from Emma at Sassy crafts earlier on in the week. It contained the gorgeous Dream Street papers - Day Dreamer and some ribbons from 3 Bugs in a Rug.
Take a look at the papers here : http://sassycrafts.co.uk/category_89/Dream-Street-Papers.htm
It was Louis's Sports Day last Friday and these papers seemed perfect. So I thought I'd make a mini book using them.
The book started off as some black 6x6 card blanks. Then they get holed and tied together to make this accordian style book. So easy : )

Thanks for looking : ) lis xx

3 Challenges in 1

3 challenges in 1 just about sums this week up.
I love keeping up with all my fave challenge blogs, but it's been a very busy week in our household and we have a very busy weekend planned too. So this card started off as the loveliest challenge blog : http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/ It's sketch number 3 from Kazan this week.
I've had the sketch in my head all week and knew what I wanted to do, so whilst the kids had their tea last night and before the hairdresser arrived, I quickly made this card for our little friend Ethan who is 6 today.
In the back of my mind I then knew that this would also qualify for the DCM challenge this week, which is to make a card in under 30mins. As I knew exactly what I was going to do, managed to knock this one out rather speedily. http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/

And earlier on in the week I received the most gorgeous pack from Emma at Sassy Crafts.
http://www.sassycrafts.co.uk/ to play and display with.
It included scrummy Dreamstreet papers, 3 bugs ribbons and blooms. I've used some of the papers and ribbons on this card. Very easy to use these papers. xx

This weeks 2 Sketches for You......

The sketch this week is Laura's sketch 2: http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/
I think you can still see the sketch on my card.....

The card is for my fave Uncle....Dave and my little cousins Hattie and Issie. Their new home is the most beautiful home. Built in the gorgeous Oxford stone and is just perfect. It's set back off the road facing the entrance gates to Blenhem Palace in Woodstock.
I've used MM noteworthy papers and some BG Blush too, along with bazzill, primas, Rusty Pickle buttons, ribbon from stash, pink ink and a white sakura pen xx

Kits Glorious Kits - PART 2 - Sue's Recipe Challenge

I love my kits soooooooooooooooooooo much and get so excited when they are due to arrive.
(I do hope the little old man from Royal Mail realises that it's my pizza boxes I'm so pleased to see and doesn't think it's him!!)
Anyway, I do have a gripe about my kits......they all arrive at the same time. I had Scrapagoo and Bubbly Funk on one day and then my Little Red Scraphouse on another. I wish I could spread them out...and NO I don't have the discipline to not open them and save for the next week.
So, this LO is using the Bubbly Funk Kit. I am really in love with this one. I took these pics of the kids Saturday night in Louis' bed. They do love their books.
This has been made using Sue's Recipe challenge on Just bex last week;
http://justbex.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2983

The recipe is : a window a pearl - or 2 -some letters -some flowers .
I very nearly didn't bother with the pearls, really not my thing. Then last minute, I added some 3d pearl paint spots to the frames.

One last thing...It's Louis' sports day today. Weather forecast wasn't good, but so far it looks promising. We shall see : ) xx

Kits Glorious Kits - PART 1 - THE COMPETITION

My Little Red Scraphouse kit arrived yesterday and was full of very pastely colours. Not usually my thing, I don't go for pastels. They are Crate papers though and they are beautiful, so I am pleased. (and they smell so lovely too). I've had this pic of Hollie on my desk for a while and thought they would go perfect with it. I've also used them for a competition on 'Just Bex'. The competition is hosted by Emma from Sassy Crafts. The competition is to lift a project from the Sassy Crafts blog. I've chosen a card from Jules. Take a look here:

http://sassy-crafts.blogspot.com/2008/06/magnolia-stamp-cards-and-atc.html

(it's the 2nd card down)


Just one more thing.....look what a delivery man bought me yesterday : )
From Adi because he loves me.
The peonies are my absolute fave and they smell devine. Thanks Ade xx

Springwatch

I'm setting this weeks challenges over on Just Bex. If you enjoy taking part in crafty challenges and a good gossip come and have a nose. It's the nicest, friendliest forum I've ever known.
http://justbex.co.uk/phpBB2/index.php

So my challenge today is called 'Springwatch'. I decided this was a challenge I would set last week and knew it was going to be a free challenge to make whatever you choose as long as your creation fits that title....colours.....animals...flowers etc....
but until yesterday I hadn't made my sample card....UNTIL...my lovely Bubbly Funk kit arrived : ) and this is the end result. http://www.bubblyfunk.co.uk/

The papers are lush and from Sassafraslass. The kit came with loads of goodies and a fair few owls too (Sue you would love it!!) It came with a little owl stamp and I forgot that and when I placed 2 further orders (kept going back for a further nose) I ordered a larger owl stamp....so now I have Mummy and baby owl in my stamp collection : ) The chipboard branches are from a Maya Road collection, one of those that comes in those gorgeous tins. That came in my last US kit, buttons and ribbon from stash.

Thanks for looking xx

Nan's Cookies

It was Nanny's birthday on Sunday and everyone went over for a buffet lunch at hers. Luckily the weather held off so we were able to go in the garden and the kids could run around. It was a difficult one for Nanny with Bamps not here anymore. It really hits home that he isn't with us when I go there and just seams 'odd'.
I made Nanny this cookie jar which she loved. We also framed a piccie of the 4 of us and I made her a special 6x12 mini book of her and Bamp's 50th wedding anniversary.xx