Ooooooooooo .........

............. I got an award!!

Thanks Annie - this was just what I needed after weeks of being in the crafty wilderness!!

The rules are that you share 5 things that you are addicted too and pass the award onto 5 other blogs.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm ... IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OK!!

1) - Crafty shopping. No point denying it right??!!
2) - Reading. Can't live without it.
3) - My husband - can't get enough of him. Unfortunately never can due to his job!!
4) - Crisps - my waistline will attest I tell the truth!!
5) - Earl Grey and Vanilla tea - very civilised this one eh??!!

Now for my five peeps:-
1) Leann; 2) Marlou; 3)Terrie; 4)Dawn and 5)Sandy.

I am off upstairs to my desk right now to create something!!

Poorly sick

I've got a sinus and ear infection so will be missing for a few days. Got anti-biotics from the Dr now though so should be sorted in no time. Thanks for all your well wishes peeps - it really means a lot.

Piling it on - and on, and on, and on!!!!

Well it's been a strange week here. We've been car hunting and car buying. Then Ben caught a sniffle and then I caught it too so I've been pretty rough for a few days to be honest.

Managed to make a card tonight without sniffling all over it so that's an improvement anyway!!

Catching up on all the challenges on one card here - in the true spirit of Pile it On who want to see "Round" things. My Basic Grey Indian Summer paper is just circles galore and we've got a button and a round sentiment to cover this bit.

Then A Spoonful of Sugar want to see "Distressing" so I used my Fiskars tool to distress the edge of all the Designer Paper.

The theme from Stamp Something is to use your favourite stamp and also die cuts/punches. I've used my Magnolia Swirl stamp with Versamagic Chalk inks on the Bazzill cardstock, punched out the hearts and die cut the sentiment with Nesties.

Passion for Promarkers want to see something girly and sparkly in any colours of your choice. I've glittered the hearts and used Anita's Glitterations border peel-offs along the edges of this lovely Penny Black Hedgehog (well I think he's girly - I wouldn't send him to a man anyway!!).

Finally (phew!) the team from Penny Black Saturday want to see your "Heart's Desire" on your card and I think I've got that more than covered!!

Thanks for looking.

Helloooooooo!!

Still here. It's been a busy week. DH came home on Thursday. We have been tooing and froing like mad catching up with everyone and having family time also.

BIG news is that my carrots came second in the local Flower Show (well it's big news to me!!). Apparently this is somewhat of a coup in my first year so there are some disgruntled chaps. Oooops!!

Will be back on Thursday with my CCT DT card.

Piling it On!!

This card was made using the great sketch from A Spoonful of Sugar this week. I have used this lovely Belles & Whistles by Elizabeth Bell stamp and coloured her with Promarkers in the colours Lilac, Lavender, Amethyst and Aubergine - the colours set by this week's Passion for Promarkers. As I've also got 3 handmade flowers, 3 Swarovski gems and 3 Card Candies my card also qualifies for this week's theme of "Good Things Come in Threes" from Pile it On. This is the challenge for me - all I seem to do is combine challenges as there are so many fabby ones around!!

I have used a paper pack designed by Vanessa Arbuthnot for the English Paper Company for the backing and the flowers. Leaves are made using Martha Stewart punches. Card is SU, as is the sentiment. I've just added a bit of aubergine coloured satin ribbon to finish the card off.

I am scheduling this post as I hope I am having far too good a time with my husband to be blogging {{WINK}}.

CCT #75 - New Beginnings

Our theme this week over on Cute Card Thursday is "New Beginnings". You could make a card for a new arrival, a new or a new job etc. - and aren't they always handy to have in stock? I actually do have a friend expecting a baby in four weeks' time so this was a perfect one for me!!

This beautiful stamp is from Whiff of Joy and has been coloured with Promarkers and chalks. Papers are from Designer Digital. Velvet ribbon and sequin lace was from Scrapz quite a while ago. Flower are from Wild Orchid and this beautiful sentiment is from Elzybells. I just love their sentiments so much - they are so different and very reasonably priced as well.

Another fabby sponsor this week and as always the rest of the Design Team has created some absolute beauties to pop over to the blog here to have a look and join in with us.

I don't know whether it's because Ben has just stared school but this week's theme has had me all emotional!! The lovely sentiment on my card actually had me welling up with tears. Good job DH is coming home today to keep me occupied!! YEY!!

Tilda & Friends ATC Challenges - Teens

We would like to see your ATC creations for the teens this week on Tilda & Friends ATC Challenges and this is me shamelessly BEGGING you to join in purrrrleeeeease!! This blog needs you!! Caz has announced that every entrant each week will go into a draw for a monthly prize and this month we will have a brand new stamp and lovely embellies and bits - definitely worth a go!!

I have coloured this Sugar Nellie stamp with Promarkers and used Karen Foster paper and my Dymo machine for the sentiment.

Just to demonstrate how handy having a stock of ATC's ready and waiting is - I had to make a quick card for a birthday tomorrow and this became the topper on a card just with some matting of blue, red and black card.

3-in-1

Three challenges on one card here. Firstly I used's Carole's really great sketch from Friday Sketcher, secondly Penny Black Saturday want to see real or faux stiching on your card and thirdly Daring Cardmakers would like an anniversary card.

I've used chalk pencils to colour this Penny Black teddy in and I'm pleased with the soft effect these produced on the little guy!! Going to try them on a hedgehog next. On the heart I used gold crystal lacquer covered with Glamour Dust and I so love the result. Expect many Christmas cards with baubles coloured in this way this year!!

Papers are from Venaissance pad by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and I've used a Martha Stewart punch on the middle border strip. A Cuddly Buddly sentiment and some flowers from Wild Orchid finish it off.


Here's what happened when Ben got hold of my acrylic blocks and some Christmas embellishments and mixed them with his own!! At least he had huge fun but it took AGES to tidy up!!

Passion for Promarkers #13 - Prussian & Pumpkin + Hallow'een

Hmmmmmm - not feeling the love for these colours I'm afraid but I like to step out of my comfort zone once in a while so I took up the challenge from this week's Passion for Promarkers to use Pumpkin and Prussian as your main colours and a Hallow'een theme to boot!!

Tilda with Pumpkin has been coloured with Promarkers and Ranger Inksentials white pen. The paper is from Crafty Individuals "Travels in Italy" book and I covered up the gondalas and left the street light. I've used a sentiment from a Serendipity Cling set, some Karen Foster brads and flowers from Wild Orchid to finish it off.

So excited about the new Promarker colours coming in a couple of weeks - it will give those of us who actually PREFER Promarkers to any other alcohol pen to now achieve the variations in colour and shading that other manufacturers offer. YEY!!


Have, have, have to share with you my new ink pad shelves that I just put up yesterday. I cannot believe that I now finally have all my ink pads in one blessed place and can now see and use them really easily. This is like the holy grail of crafting storage products!! You can see the fabbiness for yourself here - they are perfect, very reasonably priced, easy to fit AND they've got a sale on!! I know what I want for Christmas - some of their paper storage units!!

Spoonful of Sugar #65 - Travel

Great challenge this week of "Travel" from Spoonful of Sugar - especially seeing as how I've been holding on to this Magnolia Edwin on Bicyle stamp for such a theme!!

I've gone back to the Polychromos pencils and Sansodor for this one and used Basic Grey Archaic papers and SU card. I used Nesties to cut out a frame and popped Edwin inside. Sentiment is SU, as it the oval punch. Some card candy, a button and some pins finish it off. Think I was channelling Leann on this one and got out the twine!!

Most horrendously cold and wet here today. YUK.

Stamp Something - Birthday Somethings

I spotted this glass perfume bottle in our local Pound shop today and couldn't wait to get home to alter it!!

I have used a butterfly Aqua Glass outline sticker and coloured it with pearlescent glass paints. I have stamped leaves, swirls and flowers from the Stampman Flitters and Flutters set in different colours of Stazon and stuck little gems and flowers onto the bottle, before finishing it off with some ribbon and a tassel. I have filled it with Bath Caviar and it will be going to my mum for her birthday.

Sugar Bowl Challenge 17 - Sketch by Judy

Another fabby sketch by Judy for this challenge over on The Sugar Bowl with the added extra of "handmade flowers".

I have flipped the sketch over and used this gorgeous Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl coloured with Promarkers, Sakura pens and shimmer chalks. Papers are MME Bloom & Grow with matching Bazzill cardstock and fibres. Sentiment is from a Joanna Sheen set. I've used EK Success punches and a Swarovski crystal to make my flowers.

Cute Card Thursday # 74 - Summer

Is it summer??!! I hadn't noticed. We seem to be living in perpetual October here ........

Anyhow this is the theme this week on Cute Card Thursday is "Lazy Dayz" and we are looking for summer inspired cards.

Another older Magnolia Tilda stamp - coloured with Promarkers and Sakura pens. Papers are Basic Grey Euphoria and card is SU. Sentiment is from Stampman and is stamped in Cranberry Adirondack. I've used EK Success swirl punches and the flowers are from my stash (which is code for I can't remember where I got them!!). The little dragonfly is homemade with some wings and beads on a long head pin.

Another great prize, Guest Designer and yet again amazing inspiration from the Design Team so it's really worth checking it all out here.

Tilda & Friends ATC Challenges - Cheers!

This week on Tilda & Friends ATC Challenges the theme is "Cheers" - we want to see a drinks/cocktail thing going on on your ATC!! The Design Team have created some really lovely examples this week and we are very excited to have two new DT member so do check please them out!!

This is Snookie from Kars. He fell in the champagne glass and got squiffy. He even led his friend Mrs Mouse into disrepute - see her lying at the foot of the glass?? Naughty Snookie :-}

I've coloured him with Promarkers and some Glamour Dust. Paper is Basic Grey Dune Bug and I've used flowers from Orchid Crafts and Prima with some Karen Foster Scrap Floss. A Woodware giant staple finishes it off.

Penny Black Saturday #62 - Blue, Tan & Cream and DCM - Lace

YEY - another card made!! I am really starting to enjoy crafting again.

This is for the colour challenge of Blue, Tan and Cream on Penny Black Saturday and the lace also qualifies it for this week's theme on Daring Cardmakers.

I got the Polychromos pencils out for this Penny Black dog - wow it's been a while!! As much as I love my Promarkers and seem to reach for them every time these days I really don't feel that they ever colour animal hair/fur as well as the pencils. I really must reach for them more often I think!!

I've used paper from K&Co Cut & Paste and a Papermania pad. Sentiment is from Elzybells (I so love their words and phrases) and I've used a Martha Stewart border punch and Craftwork Cards Card Candy to finish it off.

Thanks for looking.