An Award!

Lorraine has given me this lovely award. Thank you, Lorraine. I appreciate you thinking of me very much. I think I should be passing this on to some other people - this is the bit I have difficulty with because I don't know that many people so for now I'm just going to enjoy it. I hope that's ok.

Lynne.x

Chasing Snowflakes - Another Combi

Well, we've had a lovely day out at Blackness Castle. For once, the weather held up - a bit blowy but a nice day nonetheless. I feel so blessed!!! I'm into old castles and churches in a big way and our Jack is fast following suit, I'm glad to say. Mind you, I have to admit to feeling a bit like an old ruin myself at the moment. Women of my age will understand, the dreaded hot flushes have struck. Now, these I can contend with but all of a sudden my legs appear to want to go walk about just when I go to bed at night. I've just settled down and all I want to do is sleep but my legs and feet have other ideas. They behave as if they would rather be out and about with someone else - preferably at a disco, I think. I believe it's referred to as "restless leg syndrome". It's driving me blooming bananas, I can tell you. Is there a cure apart from chopping them off?

These images are part of my new stash from my outing to my fav craft place on Saturday. I think they are dead cute. This is my entry for the Passion for Promarkers Challenge this week which is Pastel Pink and Cool Aqua. You have also to use the sketch and a very nice sketch it was too. I am also entering this card for the Little Yellow Challenge which is Lace and Pearls. You can have a punched edge for the lace bit so I've got that and I've got pearls on their wee coats. I coloured the wee boy's coat with my cocoa promarker. I've been taking note of the tutorials! Stamp with Fun is also pearls this week so it qualifies for that as well and Creative Inspirations is bling. I've stamped lots of little snowflakes and "stickled" each oned individually - took me ages! I also put Glamour Dust on their pompoms. I think that should qualify for a bit of bling. Last but certainly not least, One Stop Craft is Christmas in July. Since Christmas is my favourite time of year and this is a Christmas card, we qualify for that one as well.

This is my recipe:

Images: Kars - Cold Christmas by Nellie Snellen
DP: Crafts House - Winter Wonderland Winter Words
Pink, Aqua and Cocoa Cardstock - Coredinations
Coloured with Promarkers:
Pastel Pink
Cool Aqua
Satin
Blush
Cocoa
Ice Grey 1 & 2
Saffron and Gold
Stickles: Frosted Lace
Pearls - Kanban
Tools: Fiskars Snowflake Punch
RicRac (how do you spell that?) from stash

If I had to choose a name for this card, I'd call it "Chasing Snowflakes". Don't they look happy?

Thanks for looking.

Lynne.x

My Sweet Lili

Oh my, am I late with this card. I've managed to squeeze a combi in here but I haven't been feeling too good at all so I'm very late meeting the deadline for the Passion for Promarkers Challenge and A Spoonful of Sugar this week. I love doing the PfP Challenge and the colours are so nice - Rose Pink and Lime - I didn't want to miss it. Also, I can enter this for Papertake Weekly which is a colour combi. I really like their sketches, but this week the challenge is colours. You can use any colours you like from pink, green, black, white, yellow, grey and lilac. The C.R.A.F.T. Challenge is also pink and green this week - handy, eh? A Spoonful of Sugar is swirls and since the paper has swirls on it, I think it meets that challenge as well. That's 4 challenges so that's not bad for one card, I think. I didn't have time to rummage around for a sketch by the time I surfaced from the couch yesterday so I just made up one of my own. Hope it's ok.

This is My Sweet Lili by Sarah Kay. She belongs to Suzanne. I haven't used her before but I think she's absolutely lovely and I've just been waiting for the right time. She's so nice, it's a shame to put ink on her! The card was a doddle to make, the colours just go so well together but it must have taken me about 2 hours to get these ruddy flowers to stick to the paper. To coin a Scottish colloquialism, they were absolutely daeing ma heid in. I eventually got them cemented down with diamond glaze of all things. I'll be scared to give the thing to anyone now in case they come off in the envelope.

This is my recipe:
Image: Sarah Kay - My Sweet Lili (doesn't she just love that teddy?)
DP: Imaginisce - Loves Me (just one DP this time - the last card broke my heart!)
Coloured with ProMarkers:
Rose Pink
Lime and Apple
Spice, Cocoa and Coral
Satin and Blush Pink
The dreaded flowers and ribbon: Hobbycraft - I'm starting to loathe that shop
Green Glimmer Mist
Charm from my stash

That's it - no tools or anything else. Just a simple card.

Next time I'll try to make something with my new Martha Stewart punch (ooooh, fancy!) that I bought on Saturday at my favourite shop, Craft at Home. We had a lovely time, ladies. It's like visiting a long-lost family.

Thanks for dropping by.

Lynne.x

Simon Says and Little Yellow Challenge

Bet you all thought I was joking when I said every time I'm off work we get the monsoon season. Well, true to form we've had thunder and lightning and torrential rain here again. It's been nice today but it's to rain again tomorrow. You could almost put a month's wages on it. Never mind, it's nice not to have to think about work for a couple of weeks, isn't it.

I've used a new Dawny P sketch for this card. She's a guest designer for Simon Says Stamp and this sketch is really nice. I can also enter it for the Little Yellow Challenge this week. I saw this one on Lorraine's blog. You don't have to use their images this week and the challenge is to make a male card so it qualifies for that as well. I had to cut three new 12 x 12 papers for this - I came out in a cold sweat, I can tell you!

Inside:

I love pirates and knights and boy's stuff in general so I had a lot of fun making this card. I might keep it for our Jack for his birthday in August if he doesn't spot it first. He's going to be 10 and he loves pirates and adventure stories so I don't think he's too old for it. He doesn't mind a bit of ribbon; he sticks plenty of mine on when he's making a card himself so I'm assuming he's not averse to it!

This is my recipe:
Images: Sugar Nellie Pirate; Dimension Fourth Treasure Map and Treasure Chest
Pirate coloured with Distress Inks
Map on inside washed with Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Treasure Chest on inside coloured with Water Colour Pencils
DP: Karen Foster - Buried Treasure, Treasure Map and Pirate Scarf
Images mounted on Gold Mirri Card
Ribbon - Hobbycraft
Skull and Crossbones and Treasure Chest Embellies: Jolee's Boutique
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Tools: Fiskars Punch - Threading Water

Thanks for looking.

Lynne.x

Winter Wonderland Altered Paper Bag

Hi folks.

Hope you are all doing ok. I've got my entry for Winter Wonderland all lined up for this week because I've been waiting for Santa to come up! I knew they wouldn't be able to wait long to spotlight the old boy (who would?) so I've been thinking about this project for a while. It's an altered paper bag which I'm going to use to fill with little bits and pieces for a Christmas present when the time comes. It's the first time I've done anything like this and I really enjoyed making it.

I'm absolutely crazy for Christmas, it's my favourite time of year - much better than holidays and even birthdays when you're just another year older! All those gorgeous Christmas cards and beautifully wrapped presents, lovely smells and different things to eat. I start preparing in about September! As you can imagine, it's never a problem to make a Christmas project.

I thought a paper bag would make a wee change and you can do anything you want for this challenge, it doesn't have to be a card.

Inside:

Back:

This is my recipe:

Image: Santa with tree by Sugar Nellie
Coloured with Promarker Pens and Glamour Dust
A paper bag which I cut to size and left a bit on the side for the clip
A clip such as you would find on an office file (they are called 2 piece filing clips)
DP: Paper Adventures Holiday Joy Multi Stripes
Cardstock: QVC from a Christmas pack
Green, red and white velvet paper for the flowers
Various stamps, brads, snowflake charm, stickers and ribbons from stash
Silver Stickles
Christmas stickers from PSX
Computer generated sentiments on back
Verse inside "borrowed" from a piece of scrapbooking paper with no name on it, sorry
Tools: Cuttlebug; Oval Nesties; Leone Em Branch Punch; Small and Medium retro flower punches (they've disappeared from my Wish List!)

The stamping inside isn't the best because of the glitter paper but I think it adds to the distressed look and I quite like it.

Thanks for looking- hope you like it.

Lynne.

Challenge combo

Well, I hope your week's been as good as mine. I don't think we've ever had a time when we've been so lucky - I even won £10.00 on the lottery on Wednesday! Now I know it's not exactly the jackpot - won't pay many mortgages off with that - but it's better than a smack in the face with a wet fish, agreed? It's always nice when something unexpected and pleasant comes your way so I was pleased. I don't think it matters what you win, it's always a nice feeling.

I thought I'd try my hand at combining a couple of challenges, after what I thought was a bit of a disaster last time. The colour combination for Passion for Promarkers this week is Helen's choice of Ruby and Gold with the option of jewels and gems. Very opulent, I thought to myself - these are my favourite Christmas colours, so this Christmas card is my attempt at the challenge. I was really looking forward to doing this card, especially since the weather here is frightful (no pun intended!) but I always seem to have a right palava with this particular Tilda's tights. This was my fourth attempt so I'm afraid it will have to do as it is now. I had a good look around for a sketch; I always work better to a nice sketch and I thought this one was just the ticket. It's the new one this week for Stamp Something and it was perfect. At first I thought I might rotate it but actually it was just right as it was so I left well alone. Stamp with Fun this week is Shapes or Punches and since I've used my Nestie Labels I think I qualify for this challenge as well. Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is Spots and Dots and Tilda is sitting on a background of Swiss Dots run through the Cuttlebug. I hoped it looked like snow. Finally, Cute Card Thursday is Christmas in July and this is definitely for Christmas so in it goes.

I can't quite believe I've managed 5 challenges in 1 (I hope I'm sticking to the rules for all these) but it all just kind of came together this morning when I was looking at the challenge blogs.

This is my recipe:

Image: Christmas Tilda by Magnolia
Coloured with Promarkers:
Ruby; Gold; Ice Grey 1,2 and 3; Moss Green; Ivory; Satin; Blush Pink
Papers: Imaginesce - it's called Snowy Joe and Cup o' Cheer (I used both sides)
Cardstock: Gold - Coredinations; Red - Bazzil
Stickles: Gold and Red
Gems: Paper Adventures Jewels
Ribbon: Hobbycraft
Sentiment: Hero Arts

Hope you like it.

Thanks for dropping by.

Lynne.

What a time!

What a time I'm having. Not content with winning my very cute little Quentin - it's the first time he's been on a card and he won first prize on last week's Passion for Promarkers Challenge. I'm so pleased, I'm grinning like a Cheshire cat and really getting up everyone's nose! I can't believe I was chosen for the top 5 last week and I've won top slot this week - maybe my cards aren't so bad after all! Thank you so much for choosing me, girls. It's been such fun to see my card on the side of your blog.

We went to see the new Harry Potter film last night. Magical or what. I find myself living in that world, I absolutely love it. They've changed things a bit from the book which I don't really like but the film's still great and the special effects are amazing. Suzanne wept buckets! If you're a Harry P fan like us, you've got a real treat in store.

Well, I'm working on an altered paper bag at the moment but I'll have to save it for when there's a Christmas challenge to fit. Then the next PfP challenge is the lovely Helen's colours of Ruby and Gold. They speak to me of Christmas....

See you all soon.

Lynne.x

Passion for Promparkers Challenge

Good evening everyone

Hope you've all spotted my wee blinkie on the sidebar! I was awarded this for having my card chosen by Caryn as one of her top 5 in last week's PfP Challenge. I was so chuffed, I can tell you. I've never shut up. This is just as good as winning the prize!

I know I'm a bit like the coo's tail - always last, hence I'm rather late with this challenge again. This is my entry for this week's Passion for Promarkers Challenge, which is cocoa and cornflower blue with the added option of using the sketch. It was a bit hard fitting the image on because he's quite big but I've managed it. I've been waiting all week for this wee chap to come through my letterbox - I thought he would be ideal for this week's colours. He is my prize from the Charisma Cards Craft Challenge. He's a little cutie and he arrived just in time for me to get the card made. I can see we are going to get along together very well!

Enough blethering then - here's my card before it's too late:

And my recipe:

Image - Quentin by Little Lovins (Rubber Necker Stamp Company)

Papers: Basic Grey - I liked the paper at the back because it looked like little lassoos!

Card: Coredinations which I've distressed a bit
Promarkers:
Cocoa and Cinnamon
Cornflower Blue and Blue Pearl
Moss Green
Satin, Blush and Dusky Pink
Gold and Saffron
Brown ribbon: Hobbycraft

Sentiment: computer generated
Tools: Cuttlebug and Tiny Bubbles embossing folder.

I tried very hard to get a little cowboy hat - even visited Hobbycraft - but to no avail. Plenty of bags, tutus and sparkly shoes but very little boys' stuff. Never mind, hope you like it.

Thanks for dropping by.

Lynne.

Winter Wonderland

Hi folks

Just been watching the Michael Jackson Memorial Service on tele. Oh my, how sad was that? I don't know why I put myself through these things - I've been weeping buckets. I can't bear watching people being upset. How brave was Jermaine? And that poor wee Paris obviously loved her dad to bits. He was the same age as me - I feel like I've grown up with people like him and Donny Osmond and David Cassidy. I can't get my head around the fact that he's actually dead. I know we still have his music but there was much more to him than that, although he made fabulous music and I loved it. Most people don't know about all the other things he did. I feel so sad and boy, am I going to miss that smile.

Goodness only knows what happened to my last challenge - I thought I could enter it for three challenges but where I got the idea I could enter it for A Spoonful of Sugar I don't know. I thought it was summer but it turned out to be something like ribbons and bows! I think I've got a void where there's supposed to be a brain. Never mind, I enjoyed making the card and my mother liked it well enough.

This is my entry for this week's Winter Wonderland which is Christmas Past - I know 'cos I've double checked. I love this image; my daughter bought me it a couple of years ago and it's exactly my idea of what Santa should look like - all olde worlde, kind and smiley. I love the way he peers over his glasses and his eyes twinkle. This challenge is your own idea of Christmas Past or nostaliga, so I can't really go wrong this time, can I? I know I'm definitely a more is more kind of person when it comes to embellishments but I've kept this card quite plain because I wanted Santa to stand out. I've put some diamond glaze on his specs to make them look real - I think you might just be able to see it in the photo.

Hope you like him.

Card Recipe:

Image: Rubber Stampede (I don't think it has a name)
Coloured with Water colour pencils and loads of stickles
Paper: Crafts House Plum Pudding - Marzipan
Card: QVC Christmas pack
Gold mirri card: Tesco, kids section
Brad: Dovecraft
Ribbon, Gems and Charm: Stash
Stickles: Frosted lace and red
Diamond glaze
Tools: Cuttlebug, Swiss dots embossing folder

Off to watch some more Michael. Thanks for dropping by.

Lynne.

Challenge combo

Well, I've had quite a quiet weekend. Had to have a sickie on Friday - had an awful headache all night, didn't get much sleep and wasn't worth a sook in the morning. I'm feeling better now but just took it easy for a couple of days. We went to Dunfermline on Saturday but it was very hot which doesn't help the old head so we didn't stay long. It's such a beautiful town. If you ever get the chance to visit do try the Abbot's House for tea and cakes. It's near the Abbey (obviously - being the Abbot's House!), a wee pink house at the back of the high street. It's a suntrap and when you have your tea outside in the gardens all the wee birds come down and hop around. It's absolutely gorgeous. We didn't go yesterday, I was so disappointed so we'll go back just for the cakes.

I've made this card for my mum's birthday on Monday. I can enter it for 3 challenges:
A Spoonful of Sugar which is "summer" and I've got my Sugar Nellie image on there. Passion for Promarkers which is Poppy and Moss Green this week and the optional is something yummy. I've got apples here so I think that qualifies for the optional bit as well. I hope I'm not too late for this one - it changes tomorrow. I've used the sketch from Truly Scrumptious this time. It was a lovely sketch, all the elements fitted together really well. I added an extra flower; hope that's ok! I've done the optional bit here as well which is to use your neglected stash. I've got so much of this, it's not a problem. My papers are so old I can't remember where they came from. I seem to think they might be from a QVC Christmas pack but there is no clue on the back so my mind's a bit of a blank (nothing new there!) Suzanne got the flowers last Christmas; they are by Bo Bunny and she didn't like them so she shared them with me. I think now she sees them on a card she might like them more. Also, I used my little label Nesties for the sentiment which I've had for a while but never used. Finally, the cardstock is from a QVC pack from almost 3 years ago. I think that all qualifies for neglected stash.

Inside:

Here's my card recipe:

Image: Sugar Nellie - Picking Apples
Coloured with Pro Markers:
Skin: blush/satin;
Clothes, apples, hat, grass/moss/apple/poppy;
Flowers: blue pearl/cornflower;
Hair: gold/pastel yellow
Basket: spice/coral
Papers: Sorry - they are so neglected I've no idea where they are from
Cardstock: QVC
Flowers: Bo Bunny and from stash
Charm/Spacer/Brads/Chain: From stash
Ribbon: Dovecraft
Sentiment: Computer generated
Tools: Cuttlebug and Swiss dots folder
That horrible Fiskars punch that's supposed to emboss as well.

That's about it, I think.

Thanks for looking.

Lynne.

Guess what? I've won!

I couldn't believe it yesterday when I was looking at the comments on my blog. The girls at Charisma Cards had left me a message to let me know I was a winner on their last challenge. Just after I wrote in my last post that the only thing I've ever won is a bottle of vodka, the very next day I get a message to say I've won something else. How cool is that? I knew those little elephants were going to be lucky!

My prize is any stamp or stamp set from the Rubbernecker stamp company. Of course, I couldn't make my mind up - I was on the website for about 3 hours before I finally decided on a little cowboy - Quentin. We don't have many boy stamps so I'm looking forward to him coming to live at our house.

Thanks to the Charisma girls for running the challenge and to Rubbernecker for the prize.

See you all soon with a card, got a bit more time now that I'm not watching so much tennis - boo hoo.

Lynne.

Two Firsts

Hello, all you good people. I expect you have all got sunshine whereveryou are. In true Scottish style, we've had thunder and torrential rain here today. Mind, it's got to be better than the damp, hangy, foggy stuff we've had for about the last week. Didn't seem to be able to make up it's mind what it wanted to do at all until it poured down but we've had a bit of everything, except sunshine that is!

I think I've just about recovered from 8 hours on my feet at the Take That concert last week and then another 6 hours tramping about at the Royal Highland Show on Sunday. I have to say, I'd stand for 80 hours for Gary and the boys but I'm definitely getting a bit old for this lark. Next time, I'm sitting! The Highland Show was good but it's a bit of a tramp. By the time we got back to the car, I had to ask if someone would like to drag my other leg in for me. I didn't think it was going to make it - it was dead on the end of my body!

I've done this card for a friend at work who's in-laws are celebrating 40 years of marriage. It's a bit weddingy (if there's such a word) but I quite like it. If she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to give them it. It can go in for Papertake Weekly which is Dawny P's sketch. I love her blog, she's dead funny and so down to earth and her sketches are absolutely fab. I've been using them a lot but this is the first time I've entered the challenge. It can also go in for Stamp Something which is embellishments this week. I quite like embellies, in case you hadn't noticed. This card has ribbon, lace, flowers and pearls on it and just for good measure I used glittered paper as well. I've never entered Stamp Something before, either so 2 new challenges for me this time.

Suzanne gave me the image. She won it in a challenge and I had my eye on it. Since I've never won anything in my life apart from a bottle of vodka (which went down very well), I think she took pity on me and gave me it.

Inside:

The other side is just an oval nestie cut with green and cream cardstock with Happy Anniversary on it.

Here's my recipe:
The image is a Miss Anya but I don't know which one, sorry
Coloured with Watercolour pencils
Kay and Company Wedding Romance Glitter Paper
Coredinations Cardstock
Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen Renaissance Collection Lace
Kanban Pearls
Flowers and ribbon from Hobbycraft - I curled the wee stalk thingies around a pencil

Tools: Cuttlebug; Swirls Embossing Folder
Computer generated sentiment - French Script font
Fiskars Threading Water Punch

I hope it's not too weddingy.

Will try to get something done tomorrow because I definitely won't get much done on Friday since I will be watching the tennis. C'mon Andy!!!

Lynne.