Sunday 31 May 2015

OSAAT DT - CHALLENGE NO 238 - ANYTHING GOES WITH FLOWERS


Hi there peeps!  I'm posting another card for the OSAAT challenge today and as our theme is AG with flowers I chose this gorgeous 'Purple Orchid' image from Coosty Creations at Stitchy Bears Digi Outlet.   I thought I would colour this in pink and burgundy ........ could I get it right ....... could I treacle!   I tried three times but it just didn't look right, then I had a brainwave .... use the colour suggested in the title of the image!!!  So I did another purply coloured card - I just couldn't help it .. honest.  I think orchids are truly amazing, so many different varieties and shapes, I hadn't really noticed them until we went on holiday to the Maldives and, on the way, we had a few days in Dubai.  We stayed in a rather posh hotel (fine until I opened me mouth)  - you know the one shaped like a huge sail on a dhow (not wanting to name drop here - so I won't)  and apart from having 27 phones in the suite there were pots of orchids growing everywhere and in sooooo many colours, I was in my element!!  I've loved them ever since and my colouring doesn't do this justice at all - but I tried!  


As you can see, I haven't finished off the inside of the card 'cos I spent so much time doing different colours I literally ran out of time!
I didn't want to put a sentiment on here because I wanted to keep it for my 'box' of cards so I'll put one on when I need it.  I did think it would be nice to depict what an orchid means in the flower world, so I looked it up and found that it has several meanings, amongst them - love, beauty, refinement, flower of magnificence.  Perfect words for such a perfect flower.

Ingredients

7" x 7" White card blank - Anna Marie Designs
Image - 'Purple Orchid' - Coosty Creations at Stitchy Bears Digi Outlet
Eleganza die - Tattered Lace Dies
Beloved Borders die - Tattered Lace Dies
Embossing Folder - I think this could be from Creative Expressions but not sure
Graph'it Markers
Lace - Brenda's Lace and Ribbon Specials on Facebook
Pearls - Lelli-bot Crafts

Let us see what you can do with your flower images or dies etc, you have two weeks to get your creations in and here's an image of the prize you can win - digis and papers!



Thank you for checking out my flowery card this fortnight.  Thanks also for all your lovely comments - especially those about my weight loss - which now stands at 28lbs, as of last Wednesday - woo hoo!  2 flippin' stones - who would have thought it!!!

Big hugs to you all and please take care of yourselves - there's a special huge hug to anyone who might need one just now.


Sue xxx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges -

Sunday 17 May 2015

OSAAT DT - CHALLENGE NO 237 - ANYTHING GOES WITH APPRECIATION


Good afternoon friends and bloggers out there!  Today is the start of another challenge from OSAAT and our theme this fortnight is Anything Goes with Appreciation.    There are quite a few things that I'm thankful for at the moment but I am not going to waffle on about them .. so be grateful for that!!!!

I've been buying loads of lace, ribbon and pearls etc from Brenda's Lace and Ribbon Specials and after stroking them for aaaages I actually have been using them!!  This lace is absolutely the bees knees and once in place on a card you don't need a lot more!!!


 I'm showing you the inside because of the little pearl ribbon slider but I will add a sentiment, probably on a Spellbinder Label die, before I post it.

Once again I hope you can join in with our challenge this fortnight, you could win the following prize.



Ingredients

7" x 7" White Card Blank - Anna Marie Designs
'Ella' digi image - Beary Dust at Stitchy Bears Digital Outlet
Blue Striped paper - ooooold stash
'Art Deco' Collectable die set - Tonic Dies
'Enchanted Escapes' Collection Template die - Couture Dies
'Delicate Daisies' - Creative Expressions - Finishing Touches Complete Petal Dies
'Florentine Flourishes' die - Tattered Lace Dies
Sentiment - Hobby Art Clear Stamps
Graph'it Markers
Guipure Lace, Pearl Slider - Brenda's Lace and Ribbon Specials (Facebook)
Ribbon - Hobby House 

Thank you so much for taking the time to pop over to my blog, if you have left a comment or two I will do my best to get back over to your blogs and reciprocate.  As usual, please take care and enjoy what is left of the weekend.  Sending you all a virtual hug!

Lots of love


Sue xxx

Tuesday 12 May 2015

LAST YEAR'S BIRTHDAY CARD FOR KATIE !!

Hello there peeps - first of all bad news - the water hyacinths are no more!  Some dratted critter has nobbled the other one!  I wouldn't care but the maestro had tied some twine around it and 'anchored' it to a brick in the middle of the pond and .... just to put the tin lid on it .... not only did he/she knick the plant but the twine and lump of brick have also gone .... nowhere to be found!   The plant that looks like cabbage leaves is still there, hanging on like grim death to it's own bit of brick.    Anyone seen a squirrel with huge 'guns' looking like a cross between Arnie and Rambo???

Oh well c'est la vie!  I thought I would post a card that I made in July last year!  It's one I made for Katie (next door), she's mad about trampolines and spends hours on the one in her garden.  Sorry if this is a little picture heavy!




 This is the box - as you can see I left it quite plain this time although I lined it with co-ordinating paper from the same paper pad.
Ingredients

Digi image - Colouring pages on the internet
'Valentine' card - American Crafts
'Country Meadow' paper pad - LOTV
'Chasing Rainbows' doily die - Cheery Lynn Dies
'Mystical Embrace' die - Spellbinders Card Creator Dies
'Venetian Accent' die - Tattered Lace Dies
'Happy Birthday' die - Memory Box Dies
Alphabet die - Memory Box Dies
Small Sentiment - LOTV Clear Stamps
Lace, Pearls, Charm, Ribbon, 'Spiders' web' - Stash
Flowers - WOC
Flexmarkers and Wink of Stella pen

I hope you like this one, I know that Katie was really pleased with it.   Thanks for popping over and checking my Planet out, I do love reading your comments - and there have been some truly amazing ones.   I've kept my promise and have started commenting on my friends blogs again, you've made some lovely cards etc so I've been really pleased to pop over and see them.  

Take care all of you and I'll be back again soon, oh and just before I leave I thought I would give you an update on the weight 'thing'.  As of this morning I've lost 24.5 lbs and as I've said before this is purely through a change of eating habits and no particular diet.  There's still loads to go before I will ever be slim lol and at my age I don't want to be really slim 'cos I'd have to tie all that excess skin in a knot and bung it somewhere!

Big hugs to you all and if you are feeling a little bit poorly, I hope you are soon on the mend again.


Sue xxx

Monday 4 May 2015

CRAFTY CALENDAR CHALLENGE - MAY - 'THINGS WITH WINGS'


Good afternoon again peeps - this is the final card on this run and is a DT card for Crafty Calendar - the theme being 'Things with Wings'.  I think I went a tad overboard 'cos I chose various critters with wings, not only did the image have butterflies and ladybirds on it, the paper had bees and dragonflies on it and then I attacked my dies and found ... ladybirds, butterflies and bumblebees!!!


Bumblebees really are my favourite insect - the latin word is 'Bombus' - it just rolls off the tongue!  We've had several of them 'nesting' in the garden over the past few years and they are amazing!  Sorry - I'm orf on a waffle again aren't I.  Will get back to my card before I send you all to sleep!  I used a die I've had for a while (please note Sue J) although I've not used it before.  This is a Spellbinder die called 'Dahlia' and I used it to make the card blank.

Ingredients

White Pearlescent card - Crafters Companion
Day Dream Believing - Sassy Cheryl 
Best of 'Susan Wingett' 12 x 12 paper pad - K and Co
Blue/Yellow card - Core'dinations cardstock
Grand Big Scallop Circle die - Spellbinders Dies
Grand Dahlia die - Spellbinders Dies
Small Butterfly die - Elizabeth Dies
Ladybug die - Elizabeth Dies
Pippi Butterfly die - Memory Box Dies
Mini Bumblebee die - Cottage Cuts Dies
Graph'it Markers
Stardust Stickles

It's a bit bright, it's a bit busy but I like this one!  I think it would be great for a little girl's birthday.  You don't have to use insect type images or dies - there are fairies and angels - all with wings - so you can make a card using whatever you prefer!  I would love to see your creations in our challenge this month.

Whilst I'm here on a waffle - has anyone found plants missing from their garden ponds???  Seriously though, we bought a few plants last week for our newly 'refurbished' pond and these included two floating water hyacinths and two floating 'cabbage leaf' type plants, apparently they oxygenate the water.  Yesterday the maestro came charging up to my craftroom to tell me that one of the water hyacinths had disappeared (absolutely no trace at all) and this morning he's just informed me that one of the 'cabbage leaf' types has also disappeared.  We've had to put fishing line around them and attached them to stones in the middle of the pond to stop them floating to the side!!!  My guess is that the squirrels fancy a bit of salad and, when the wind blows the plants to the edge, they are just right for little squirrel paws.  I wouldn't mind, but we pay good money for bloomin' monkey nuts and they've left these ..... for the moment!!!

Water Hyacinth on the left 

Oh well - if anyone has had this happen to them and can confirm that it is squirrels the maestro would love to know!!

Big hugs to you all and thank you for your comments on my earlier cards - you are all stars and I really don't deserve such good blog friends.


Sue xxx

I would like to enter my card into the following 10 challenges -


Sunday 3 May 2015

OSAAT DT - CHALLENGE NO 236 - ANYTHING GOES WITH SOMETHING FOR A SPECIAL LADY



Good afternoon peeps, here again with another DT card for the OSAAT Challenge.  Our theme is 'Anything Goes with Something for a Special Lady' so you can make anything you like for a special lady in your life, friend, mother, grandmother, sister, niece ... loads to choose from.  My digi is from 'Digi Blessings' at Stitchy Bear's Digi Outlet - it's a really cute image and great to colour.  

I loved the little verse by Emilie Barnes that came with the digi, it's so apt to go with this Special Friend card.

Ingredients

7" x 7" White Card blank - Anna Marie Designs
'Friendship and Tea' digi - 'Digi Blessings' from Stitchy Bear's Digi Outlet
Paper - Best of Brenda Walton at K and Co (12" x 12" stack)
Stitched Square die - Lil'inkers Dies
Border die - free with Tattered Lace magazine
Cornflower die - Sue Wilson at Creative Expressions
'Special Friend' sentiment - Hobby Art Clear Stamps
Graph'it Markers
Pearls - Brenda's Lace and Ribbon (sold on Facebook)

Sorry peeps, just had a 'short' break while I chatted with Sue J (Olliesmam) on the telephone - well I say chat - it was more like a giggle session to be honest and I now feel exhausted.  She makes me laugh, especially when she starts doing her 'grasshopper' bit - she jumps from topic to topic and I have to keep up!  It's all such good fun, I can tell you.

Ooops, back to the cards again - I'm certain there are many special ladies in your lives so I'm sure you can make a card for one or two of them and link them to our challenge.  You have two weeks to enter, so get going!!!  We've a lovely prize pack - just take a look below :



That's all from me at the moment - check back tomorrow for my next post - I'm like a 'bus, you wait for ages and then 5 come along at the same time (or almost)!!!

Take care all of you and don't forget I'm sending you a big hug as usual.  Even though I'm dreadful at commenting on your cards, I am sooo good at sending hugs!

Hugs to you all

Sue xxx

I would like to enter my card into the following 10 challenges -

Saturday 2 May 2015

CHRISTMAS CARDS ALL YEAR ROUND - MAY CHALLENGE - 'VINTAGE CHRISTMAS'



Afternoon everyone - here I am with another DT card for the Christmas Cards All Year Round challenge.  I have a little confession here - Christmas cards are my absolute favourites, I just lurve making them.   It must be the glitter, the snow, the snowflakes, robins, holly, poinsettias ...... etc etc.  What's not to like??

Anyway our theme this month is 'vintage', which is another great pick .. and it's never, ever too early to start on your Christmas creations!




I used a rubber stamp from La Blanche for this card - I've had it for years and it's a great one for this type of theme.  My papers are from My Minds Eye and they are truly gorgeous, quite vintage looking and distressed too!!!  I chose three papers and put one of the three inside the card.  I piled a few 'flakes on top of each other for the embellishments, I cut these out of white coated Core'dinations card then sanded off the white to reveal the core colour underneath.  I inked the edges of the image and them popped some embossing ink around the edge before dipping in gold embossing powder - love this effect.

Ingredients

7" x 7" White Card blank - Anna Marie Designs
Vintage Sleigh - La Blanche White rubber stamps
Signature Christmas by Jen Wilson - 12" x 12" My Minds Eye card pad
Bristol Snowflake die - Memory Box Dies
Snowflake die ref DIE024X - IO Dies
Happy Christmas die - Cheery Lynn Dies
Pearls - Brenda's Lace and Ribbon (sold on Facebook)
Stardust Stickles
Tea Dye Distress Ink

I hope you can join in our challenge this month, pop over to CCAYR to check out the cards made by my teamies.

Watch out for another post tomorrow!  Take care of yourselves and I'm sending another big hug to you all, thanks loads for stopping by and having a read of my waffles.

Hugs to everyone


Friday 1 May 2015

CRAFTY TIME CHALLENGES - USE SOMETHING NEW!


Good morning to you all again - I am really chuffed to tell you that I am a DT member on a brand new Challenge blog called Crafty Time Challenges!  I've never been a DT member at the beginning of a Challenge blog before so I am particularly excited.  I don't want you to think that my other DT places are any less important because they aren't and I enjoy them all to bits - we have loads of fun and everyone is so friendly - and there is the added bonus that I am learning all about Facebook!!

This is a monthly challenge and we are being sponsored by Sherri Baldy's 'My Besties Digi and Rubber Stamps'. The prizes are as follows

First Place - 3 digi images
Second Place - 2 digi images
Third Place - 1 digi image



Well here is my first card for Crafty Time, my digi is called 'House Blessings' and both my Tattered Lace die and Tonic punch are brand spanking new (this will be a huuuuge surprise for my bestie Sue J - lol).  

Ingredients

7" x 7" White Card blank - Anna Marie Designs
Digi - 'House Blessings' from Sherri Baldy 'My Besties'
Tattered Lace Die - Decorative Rectangles (NEW)
Lil'inkers Dies - Stitched Rectangle 
Tonic Punch - Voile Valance Border (NEW)
Sentiment - Hobby Art Clear Stamps
Purple card - QVC
Dotty Paper - 'Promises' paper pad from LOTV
Ribbon - Create and Craft
Flowers - WOC
Small 'Pastille' cabochons - Hobby House
Pearl Flourish - Creative Expressions
Lace - Brenda's Lace and Ribbons on Facebook
Flexmarkers

I hope you will enter our new monthly Challenge and if would be absolutely wonderful if you became a follower at the same time - there are some fabulous themes and sponsors coming up ..... and some gorgeous prizes!!!

Thanks once again for popping over and checking out my card - I said on my last post that I would bore tell you about my weight loss ... well, since I was diagnosed with diabetes in mid February I have changed my eating habits totally - no extra sugar (I have honey on my porage), no chocolate (boo hoo), no cakes, no cheese, no bread, no biscuits and smaller portions all round and I have lost 22lbs (as at 2 weeks ago).  I don't weigh myself every week 'cos it's more of a surprise then!

Anyway 'nuff of that - I'll catch you all very soon.  Take good care of yourselves and I am sending you a big hug with this post!!!

Hugs to you all

THROUGH THE PURPLE HAZE - MAY - SPRING COLOURS


Good morning peeps - well there's more than one post happening today!  I am a member of a new DT which is also 'live' on the first of the month - more of that later.  Here is my first card which is for the TTPH Challenge and our theme is 'Spring Colours'.

I've used a digi from Scrapper's Delights as they are sponsoring the challenge for us.  



Here's my card 




I fussy cut my image and then put her onto this gorgeous oval - it's a Spellbinder die called 'Oval Majesty'.  I went around the edges with a very light blue ink pad to tone in with the rest of my spring colours.  That amazing pearl strip is from Brenda Exeter of Brenda's Lace and Ribbon Specials.  She has her little 'shop' on Facebook and her lace, ribbon, buttons etc are absolutely wow!!!  Pay her a visit if you dare, her stuff is sooooo addictive!!!!   

Ingredients

7" x 7" White card blank - Anna Marie Designs
Digi - 'Honey 1' from Scrapper's Delights
Oval Majesty die - Spellbinders Dies
Royal Circle die - Spellbinders Dies
'Spring' Embossing Folder - Tattered Lace
Bonnets and Bowties - paper pad from LOTV
Sentiment - Clear Stamps from LOTV
Flowers - WOC
Pearl Strip and Pearls - Brenda's Lace and Ribbons (on Facebook)
Graph'it Markers

We're really looking forward to seeing your creations in spring colours - remember you have a month to make up to three entries for our challenge.

This theme has really cheered me up after a grotty few weeks with Blossom and her pawly (sorry) operation scars.  She is loads better now and even though her two little lumps were malignant our fingers are crossed that it hasn't spread.  Must admit she has become a real mummy's girl and doesn't like to leave my side for long - bless her.

Thanks loads for dropping in and checking out my cards, I find that my DT work is taking up a lot of time where commenting is concerned and I am forgetting my blog friends and followers so I am going to put by some time every week (fingers, legs and eyes crossed!!) to pop over to your blogs to check out your cards, I might not be able to comment on each and every one you make but I am determined to make more effort.  I do realise I have been neglecting you - I'm sure you know who you are!!!  

Take care and I'll be back in a little while!  Will bore you with my weight loss - woo hoo!!!

Big hugs to you all