My daughters the florists!!!

Today after school I had to take Lillie over to my old village church as it's their flower festival this weekend and Lillie has done an arrangement for them the past 3 years!! This years theme is 'childhood memories'. My auntie had chosen the theme snakes and ladders for Lillie to work around, here she is in creative mode!and with the finished arrangement

She normally does her arrangement in a little nook in the porch, so imagine my surprise when we got there and there was a big table set up for her!

So this left the little nook all bare and sad looking, so whilst Hollie and I were waiting in the porch for mum and Lillie to finish looking around we decided to start making a quick arrangement with the leftovers that mum had ready to take to the car!!!

Here is Hollie creating (I let mum help her, so it's not my handy work!)

and here she is with her finished arrangement!

We hadn't banked on her doing one so she didn't have a theme, but bless her on the way back in the car to mum and dads she said she could have put the skipping rope (which we had taken over for another lady and then didn't use) with her arrangement for skipping!! genius!!

Well we have a busy weekend ahead of us in the kitchen, we hope to get it finished (well almost, still waiting for a couple of bits that were messed up with our order).

Chairsma Cardz - Girly card with flowers

Good morning, we have a new challenge at Charisma Cardz and our theme this week is 'girly with flowers'.
We were very lucky to be given images to use for this challenge by our sponsor Sally-Ann, I just adored Polly with handbag straight away, she is sooooo..... my Lillie!!! I used my neglected DCWV Nanna's kids card and went for a nice bright colour scheme for a change! The flower is my first attempt at a handmade flower like this and I just love it! I have one of these flowers on my previous post but that was my 2nd attempt lol!! They are made by cutting 3 different sized petal shapes (several of each, I used 7) putting a little hole at the non pointy petal end, then scrunching up and unscrunching, thread onto a brad starting with smallest petal -> largest, then scrunch around the brad!

a close up of my flowerI cannot believe how similar my flower is to my miniture rose plant, which I had for valentine's day! It was even the same size!!!

As mentioned above our sponsor is Sally-Ann of the :

The lucky winner gets to choose 10 fabulous digi images from the boutique!

Please check out the blog to see the rest of the design teams fab girly cards.

I would like to enter todays card into 4 challenges :

1) Papertake Weekly = 'Do something different' well I made a bright card for a change and my flower was a first attempt so this is my something different!

2) Cute Card Thursday - 'make your own' = flower!

3) Lili of the valley - 'Here comes summer' = bright summery colours and I can shop anytime of the year lol!!!

4) Friday Sketchers = used their sketch.

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Challenge 103

It's new challenge time over at A Spoon Full of Sugar and we are going all '3d'.
So I got out my Ultimate Crafter board and had a little play, in the end I made this little gift box. The image is from the Digi Stamp boutique, the paper (well card) is from a pad I have had for absolutely ages, it's got little patches of glitter glue on it! The base is made from plain purple card, the top is made with lilac glitter card. I used my new x-cut border punch and again used my Big Bite to add the holes.

For details of the prize, which will be fab, because they always are!! Please nip over and check out the blog. Also whilst there why not take a look at the rest of the girls 3d pieces they are all just wonderful!

I would like to enter my little gift box for the Sketch Saturday challenge as, yep you've guessed it, I've used their sketch!

Hey little froggy!

I found a tutorial on making a really pretty flower (will try to find the link) where you just cut 3 different sized petals, thread them onto a brad and then scrunch the petals around it, I just love them and believe you me these will be appearing a lot on my blog from now on!!!
For my card I have used a cute image from Dustin Pike and some paper scraps and of course one of the flowers!a flower close up!

My card covers 2 challenges :

1) Sketch & Stash = sketch (obviously) used new image, the brad in the centre of the flower I've had for years!!

2) Pollycraft = Make your own Flowers!! (done and now addicted lol!)

Rach has sugar free candy!!

Rach is celebrating her new blog by offering the below pictured sugar free candy, oh how I would love a Hanglar & Stanglar stamp of my own and that yummy paper pad oooooo.... delish!! To join in please see here.

St Georges day celebrations + Supporting our troops + 2 cards to boot!!

Happy St George's day. This morning I helped with taking Hollie's class to the town square for the St George celebrations, we all got given a flag and here in this picture is the flag that Hollie made. All of her class had made one and they were attached with wool so they could wear them as a necklace!!Here is the reinactment lol this is our mayor dressed as the dragon!!! They decided not to kill him, just to give him an asbo!!

and here is another piccie from the town hall balcony!

Hollie

Lillie (both had red and white ribbons in their hair, which I had quickly grabbed from my ribbon bag!)

Yesterday evening we had a big homecoming ceremony for our troops from RAF Marham, they had just returned from Afganistan (some literally hours before the ceremony). They were led by the band

Here are some of the service men and women in their desert combat uniforms. It was quite emotional seeing them marching past, I'm a big softie, and I'll admit to shedding a little tear or two!

They marched through the town to the town hall where each was given an operational service medal. Then after all medals were handed out and the speaches over, the service men and women got to hug their waiting families (you normally only get to see that on the news)! It was a lovely evening, and a first for the town.

Now onto the two cards that I have made for challenges, for this first card I've used what has to be my all time favourite image (SJ's Little Musings) Finn, he is just fab for boys cards!! I have used the sketch from Cute Card Thursday just flipped it on it's head!

and for my second card I have yet again used one of SJ's Little Musings, this is Lilli (I think), I created the decorative edge using a new border stamp and my Crop-o-dile for the holes! I have drooled over my friend Becky's cards with this kind of edging and just love them! The backing paper is one I downloaded ages ago, the strip is a scrap and the tag was sent to me from Becky along with a lot of other gorgeous goodies! I would like to enter this card for the Creative Cottage challenge which is 'going green'.

Well that's all from me today, just picked the children up from school one of whom is extremely grumpy, oh the joy!!

Chairsma Cardz - Quote me!

Thursday morning again and time for a new Charisma Cardz challenge, this weeks theme is 'quote me' and we would like to see a quote on your card or project.

At first my initial thought was arghhh.. but as soon as I received my Whimsy image and sentiments (kindly given to us for our ASFoS challenge), that was it job done! Papers are My Minds Eye - pretty please spring papers, oh boy do I love these, the 2 flowers were cut from one of the sheet.

We have 2 prizes this week - Sunshine Stamps have kindly donated 3 images of the winners choice, and the second prize is from Charisma Cardz (Carlyann's very own store) Carly has very generously donated a super sweet Hanglar & Stanglar stamp (I so want this myself!).

Things with wings

Todays cards covers 3 challenges :
1) One Stop Crafts - Things with wings.
2) Papertake Weekly - sketch.
3) Simon Says Stamp - Things with wings.
Apologies for the awful picture the light just wasn't playing ball this morning!! I have used this weeks Pollycraft freebie image, this is Fern isn't she cute with her ringlets!?! The sentiment again is from Hobby Paleis .

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Challenge 100

Wow I can't believe we are on challenge 100 over at A Spoon Full of Sugar, and if memory serves me correctly I've not missed a week of dt comitments! This weeks challenge is 'birthday's'. We were very lucky to be given the chance to work with the new release images from Whimsy Stamps, I choice this fabby turtle image, the sentiment is available from the store to, we were lucky enough to be given the matching sentiments to play with to. I've used my new My Minds Eye - wild asparagus papers, oooo..... these are lovely, 1/2 of the pad is embossed the other 1/2 double sided (which I really didn't want to put tape on and cover up!).We are sponsored by Whimsy Stamps who have very kindly donate a $15 gift certificate for the lucky winner.
Please go over to the blog and check out the wonderful cards the rest of the dt have made with these fabby images.

I would like to enter my card for the Friday Sketchers challenge as I have used their sketch.

A card made with only circles

A little late in the day, but here is a card! The challenge over at Create 4 Fun is to make a card only with circles. Today I tried my first circular easel card, and I really like the way it turned out. I used my compass cutter which I've had for years, the image is a past freebie from SJ's Little Musings, instead of making a circle rosette flower thingy I decided to spread it out a little! The sentiment is a past freebie from the Hobby Paleis blog.Well we had a super busy weekend, Saturday I took Hollie to one of her friends birthday parties, took Lillie and their step sister along to, it was that or go gardening with daddy! Then we met hubby in town and got our tiles, flooring, a new bin and paint for the kitchen! Yesterday I slapped the first coat of 'spearmint' paint around the kitchen, I like it hubby isn't sure, the kids love it! I know it will look great once the new table and chairs are in and the new flooring and tiling is done. This task is scheduled for the bank holiday weekend, can't wait. I have started to fill the cupboards which is great as I am now getting a little fed up with going through boxes trying to find things lol!!
The children are back to school tomorrow which means I am back to work, would really have liked another week really!!!

3 challenge cards

Unfortunately I didn't have time to do any crafting today, which I was a bit disappointed about as I have been on a bit of a roll the past few days. Anyhow these are a few of those!
First up is my card for The Sugar Bowl using their sketch and the floral theme.My next card is for the Cute Card Thursday challenge which is 'touchy feely' I have used sticky ribbon which is quite textured and a felt flower which has stitching on it.

and my fave card of the past few days is this one! This covers 2 challenges, Papertake Weekly's theme is 'cutey pie' and this freebie image from Meljen's Design's certainly fits the bill!! The 2nd challenge is for Lili of the Valley who's sketch I have followed.

Busy weekend coming up, Hollie has a party tomorrow lunchtime, then meeting hubby in town to shop for kitchen flooring and tiles!!

Charisma Cardz - Monochrome

Thursday means a new challenge over at Charisma Cardz and this week we would like to see 'monochromatic cards' all shades of the same colour!
I normally stick to black/grey when doing monochrome work but this week thought I would try a different colour so went for blues! I've used one of my Sugar Nellie stamps, I just love this little girls attitude and have seen it many times especially with my youngest lol!!! I have used blue glitter glue on her dress and hair slides, also on the flower strip and panel.We have 2 fantastic sponsors this week Donna's Den have kindly donated a 12x12 designer paper pack, I have this one it's lovely!!! and All That Scraps have donated 4 stamps or 1 stamp set, how fabby is that?
Have fun! I'll be back later with some challenge cards, got to hoover out the new kitchen cupboards ready for the shelves and then we can start unpacking the boxes from the living room!

Things with wings

I still can't believe I managed to make a whopping 8 cards yesterday!! I had a few images that I had coloured and went through my papers matching them up and the cards started flowing!! Certainly doesn't happen often. Just sharing the one in this post, saving the rest for challenges just hope they fit some of them or they'll be hanging around for a while lol!!
The Creative Cottage challenge is 'things with wings' these Pollycraft duckies have wings!! Pretty simple card, freebie paper and sentiment die cut from an old magazine and a bit of sticky ribbon and job done!!Went shopping today, a trip to the Range was in order as I am running out of card blanks, my 50 packs seem to disappear so quickly lol! I was pretty good and didn't spend too much, only got a mag, 1 paper pack, and some ribbons! I also spotted some lime green coloured bits for the kitchen as this is the colour I think I'm painting it, although hubby is very reluctant!!! Cream cupboards, black worktops and possibly floor, cream tiles (or black as the lime ones I would really love are £5.99 each, which is waaaaayyy too expensive!) so stuck for a wall colour I'm thinking that's where the lime green can come in! I'll get my way too lol!!!
Back tomorrow with a new Charisma challenge.

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Challenge 99

Good morning, it's time for a new A Spoon Full of Sugar challenge, and we have the following fabby sketch this week which has been designed by Nikki.the design team were lucky enough to be sent one of the new release Wags n Whiskers stamps to play with. Here is the super 'Home Run' I was kind of clueless as to colours so went with the papers! The little button was part of a set that I bought a long while ago and was nice to actually use it!

we are lucky to be sponsored by :

Please check out the blog for prize details and to see the fabulous Wags n Whiskers new release cards that the rest of the girls have made.

A good day crafting and a kitchen update!

I can't believe it I actually made 4 cards today woo hoo that hasn't happened for a while!!
First up is actually a card I haven't made today lol!! It covers 2 challenges :
1) Papertake Weekly - sketch
2) Simon Says Stamp = A card for a child.
I have used a fab image from Mo's Digital Pencil, although she is in school clothes I wanted to make it look like she's in a skirt and blouse and just happy that's it's someone's birthday, a couple of strips of scrap papers from my folder and some co-ordinating buttons.This is my favourite make of today! For this card I have used a freebie image from Motivet more paper scraps and I have managed to combine another 3 challenges.
1) Sketch and Stash - Becky's sketch
2) Cupcake Crafts - Childhood Memories (my auntie used to have a cat that I used to love playing with when I was a youngster!).
3) Pollycraft - Pink + Brown + either yellow or green (I chose green!) This is where we are at with the kitchen. Today we had a really lovely chap come round and fitted our worktops, so now with the cupboard doors on, with handles and the worktops we are really taking shape, and can now visualize the end result. Mind you saying that, I still can't decide on a wall colour and that's not the norm for me as it's the only room that has got me stumped!! The worktops have flecks of glitter in them, this picks up a really electric blue but that's not a colour I want for my walls lol!!

about a month ago the door on the right wasn't there and our fridge freezer was in this part of the room, we've opted to move the fridge freezer to the garage and have an intigrated (think that's what it's called) fridge which is yet to have to door put on! I have no idea how I'm going to cope with it it's tiny!! Can you spot the red bowl on the right, yep that's what I've been having to wash up in! My new sink is underneathe the breeze blocks and dog!!