My first Saturated Canary image... and more Valentine’s over at Dream Valley!! :)

Hey folks!! :)

Sorry I'm a couple of days late with this one- I’ve had a bad week and an even worse last few days... but it’s definitely a case of distraction-therapy rather than waffle-about-it-therapy needed so I’ll do us all a favour and crack straight on with the point of my post...

It’s time for another fab new challenge over at Dream Valley and this fortnight we’d like to see you Valentine’s inspired projects!! :) Another lovely easy one at the moment!! :) We’re sponsored this time by the fabulous Joanna Sheen!! :)

Now, for someone who doesn’t normally do much in the Valentine’s card line I put a rather disproportionate amount of time and effort in to the various digi files I created for the card in my last post and so really wanted to enjoy playing with them while I had the excuse... so this card uses many of the same items along with the rather fabulous addition of one of the (quite a few!!lol) Saturated Canary images I got from the lovely Krista while she had her discount running last weekend!! :)

While not exactly CAS, I did go for a simpler, less busy look to this one as I wanted to see how I could get different looks with the same basic materials... I think the two do have quite different feels to them despite both being suitably masculine... or masculine enough- they are Valentine’s cards after all!!lol

This is by no means the first SC image I have bought or coloured but it is the first that has made onto a completed card so far (Christmas kinda took over!!lol) and I’m pretty happy with how she came out- though I can see massive room for improvement in virtually every area of my colouring... the hair is the *most* glaringly obvious mess-up, but you’ll be kind and not look at that, right!?!!lol Seriously, every time I think I’ve cracked ‘hair’ at last, I prove myself sooo very wrong!! :S I wasn’t sure if I should get this image, if I would get that much use out of it, but I really loved it and I do think I’ll be to use it for plenty of other occasions in different colours :)

I’d cut the circles in alternate colourways and embossed and sanded them as before, then layered them up with some leftover paper. I then had fun with a Fineliner, some gems and a glitter pen!! :) The sentiment stumped me to start with... ‘til I remembered a freebie set of Val’s Day stamps from a mag last year (or maybe the year before!!) and the hearts allowed me to add a pop of red to balance out the gems, too :)

I just took this for my own curiosity regarding the similarities/differences really but thought I may as well add it in!! :)

The List:

• 6” Sq. White card blank
• Fab Saturated Canary Digi ‘Love Letter’ from Krista’s Etsy shop, coloured with FlexMarkers, ProMarkers and Fine Nibs (photo included below to save energy!! FMs- Ice Grey 1, Soft Aqua and Copics- Blender and Warm Grey 1)
• My own design digi paper
• Core’dinations cardstock- red from the vintage selection, grey an All-in-the-Family pack
•  My own design embossing mask and cut files for the heart circle and lacy rectangle, created in my graphics program and cut on my Cricut
• Sanding block for cardstock
• Black Fineliner and Sakura Clear Stardust pen
• Red gems 

I’d like to enter this card in the following challenges: Cards for Men– Seeing Red :) ; Joanna Sheen – Love is in the Air :) ; Sarah Hurley – Love is All Around :) ; OSCC – For the One I Love :) ; Allsorts – Free and Easy :) ; Sweet Stampin’ – The One I Love :) ; MiC – Shading Red :) ; Crafter's Companion - Anything Goes :) ; Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes with optional 'Love' theme :)

Well, thanks for stopping by today and I hope you like my first SC card... I’m off to link that lot up now and then have a much needed rest, I think... or maybe the other way around!! :S Hope you’re all keeping well and warm (what a weekend here n the UK, eh?!)!! And don’t forget to pop over to the Dream Valley blog to have a look at all the wonderful inspiration from the rest of the fab team!! :)

Getting carried away... with Valentine’s at Forever Friends!! :)

Hello lovely Bloggers!! :)

Well, I’ve no clue where January disappeared to- at this rate 2012 will pass me by in even more of a flash than 2011, which I would hardly have thought possible!! :S – but disappear it has and so it is time for our February challenge over at The Forever Friends & Co. Blog!! :)

This time we have a very seasonal theme for you as we would like to see your Valentine’s cards... should be nice and easy for most people if all the gorgeous Valentine’s creations I’ve been seeing recently are anything to go by!! :) We are sponsored this time by Di’s Digi Downloads!! :)

I got a bit carried away with this one as I made everything on the card myself on my netbook- the digi paper, the cut files for my electronic cutter for the ‘Nestie’ shapes and even a cut file to make my own embossing mask from Doeflex for the first time- I’ve been wanting to try that for ages!! :) Took a while to get it all sorted but, as I don’t normally make many Valentine’s cards, I didn’t have much already in my stash that would work and once I started, I could just see so many other possibilities...  I had a great time doing it, though, and it’s a nice feeling to know I designed and made it all bar the stamp myself!!lol Anyway, here it is:

I knew I had this image, which I had already coloured ages ago, in a box by my desk (somewhere!!lol) and this colour combo is one I love (since I made quite a few V’s Day cards from a kit all in black, white, silver/grey and red a few years ago to fundraise for charity- about the first time I used red on a card and liked it!!) so the first stage of the creative process was all sewn up from the start!!lol The computer aspects took ages (a bit at a time in bed over the last week or so!!lol) but I have the files for future use now and, as all that prep was done, putting the card together once everything was printed and cut actually took no time at all, especially as I decided the graphic look to the papers and made it seem more masculine so kept the embellies to a minimum!! :)

This gorgeous FF bear was coloured in my usual PMs and has just a bit of Stardust pen smudged around the top and base of the heart :) I wish I knew what colours I’d used for the heart as I actually like the patchy effect now... but I didn’t like it at all when I did it, typically, so didn’t bother to note them down!! :(

A couple of close ups of the layers and embossing- this was the best I could do to try and show the embossing... it isn’t the deepest embossing as the Doeflex isn’t that thick but, to be honest, I would have been afraid to put my lacy rectangle through a normal embossing folder as it would have ripped the edges so that’s a good thing really!!lol I did sand everything to add to the more masculine feel in the end, too, and it was more than deep enough for that to work a treat- I particularly love the contrast on the black card!! :) The little hearts in the top of the rectangle are the ‘waste’ from the circle and a border cut file I also created but ended up not using as it made it look just too busy!! :)

And a little close up of my paper :)

The List:

• 6” Sq. White card blank
• Forever Friends wooden stamp by DoCrafts, stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and coloured with PMs (usual colours for the bear- Ivory, Vanilla, Oatmeal and Sunkissed Pink- and not sure on the heart)
• My own design digi paper
• Core’dinations cardstock- red from the vintage selection, grey and black from an All-in-the-Family pack
•  My own design embossing mask and cut files for the heart circle and lacy rectangle, created in my graphics program and cut on my Cricut
• Distressing Tool for the paper edges and sanding thingy (mine is a flower shape!!lol) for all the card
• Black Bakers Twine
• Red Stickles
• Sakura Clear Stardust pen
• Black gems

I’d like to enter this card in the following challenges: Sweet Stampin’ – Animals :) ; Cards for Men – Seeing Red :) ; Pollycraft – My Favourite Things (lots of them- FF bears, creating my own papers and ‘nestie’ shapes, Stickles and my Stardust pen... there are probably more but that’ll do!!lol) :) ; PaperSundaes – Valentine’s :) ; Allsorts – One or More Hearts (think I *might* have this covered!!lol) :) ; Joanna Sheen – Love is in the Air :) ; Ladybug Crafts – Loves Me, Loves Me Not :) ; Craft Your Days Away – Distressing :) ; Bling It On – Love :) ; My Mum’s Craft Shop - Fab & Funky :)

So that’s my card- hope you like it!! :) Thanks for stopping by today and for all the comments on my last two cards- I forgot to say in the post for my sis’ card that, when I said I hoped she didn’t mind how simple it was compared with the ones I’ve made her in the past, she said she thought it was her fav of all the one’s I’d made her... well, that’ll save me some time and energy fussing with papers and extra embellies next year then!!lol  :) Please do pop over to the FF blog to have a look at the cards from the rest of the DT and I hope you’ll join in with us, too!! :) I’ll be back with my next Dream Valley DT post at the weekend, if I don’t make it before... which is unlikely as this week has turned out to be incredibly hectic with no sign of a let up yet and so I’m struggling a tad and should probably rest not post again!!lol In the meantime, I hope you are all well and having a good and crafty week!! :)  

Making it (a) Colourful Christmas with Something Old and Something New at Forever Friends :)

Hello there!! :)

{What a garbled post title... all will become clear(er!) soon!!lol}

Well, it's *not* the first Thursday of the month, it's the first Friday... which means I'm a day late with my card for the new  Monthly Challenge over at Forever Friends!! Ooops!! It's been one of those weeks (or months, maybe!!) and time's just run away from me again!! :S Anyway, we have a fab challenge for you this time as we'd like to see you use both 'Something Old and Something New' on you cards (or any other creations you would like to share!!)!! :) You only need to include an animal not necessarily a FF bear- though we'd love it if you did and I really enjoyed seeing so many more of them in the last challenge!! :)- and we are sponsored this time by Stitchy Bears!! :)

I have ended up with two 'Old' and two 'New' items on my card, although I could probably have got away with just using my FF stamp as both as I have had it for at least a year but this is the first time I've used it!! Tut tut... ;) The old are my FF stamp and the gorgeous K & Co. paper and the new are the fence and LOTV Circular Sentiment stamps :) I must just give credit where it's due and say I came across a gorgeous card similar to this (using probably my favourite of my FF stamps :) ) over here on Caroline's lovely blog while I was visiting entrants to our last Forever Friends challenge (one of the best things about being on a DT is the chance to discover so many fab crafter's blogs and so much great inspiration!! :) ) and I knew at once that I had to have the lovely fence stamp she'd used so that I could have a go myself as I've been wanting to get some stamps that would let me try making scenes for while!! :)

I have to say that the proportions of the finished image did stump me a tad on the layout front and I was in a strange mood when I was trying to put this together anyway and just was not going to let the image get stuck on straight... so the odd, slanted layout came about as, while I was fiddling with bits of paper and different shaped/sized card blanks, I knocked this piece of paper to this angle... and just kinda liked it!!lol Gotta love a happy accident... much better than the usual chuck-it-in-the-bin-and-start-again kind!! ;D

I've coloured with ProMarkers and was inspired by the current challenge at Make it Colourful (hence the post title!!) to try 'colouring texture' so the fence is my first attempt at that... have another idea in my head for that challenge, too, but will have to see if I have time/energy enough to try it!!lol I'm none too happy with the sky as it's gone a bit patchy... didn't really think when I chose to use the Santa FF about the fact that the scene would need to be a night-time one... so *slight* panic when that occurred to me when I'd already coloured the fence and was committed!!lol

A close up to show the fence better- I coloured with my normal PM nibs first, starting by laying down a layer of my mid tone (Spice) and then adding the darker colours for shading (Walnut and Cinnamon) and the light (Gold) in short strokes following the direction the grain would run, aiming for a patchy, scratchy look rather than a smooth blend. Then went back in after that was dry with the lightest and darkest colours and my fine nibs for some more definition... I'm fairly pleased for a first attempt and had fun trying which is what it's all about after all!! :) This pic is also the best one to see the stardust pen I used to try to look like snowflakes in the sky- when my attempts to bleach the blue out with my blender didn't work!!lol I was too chicken to use a white gel pen as that always seems to look weird when I try it and I really didn't want to ruin the whole image at the end!! :S

I coloured the bear in my usual way (PMs: – Ivory, Oatmeal, and Vanilla with Sunkissed Pink for ears and cheeks) though he looks paler to me... don’t know if this is 'cos it's the first time I've coloured a FF on this cardstock or just because the rest of the image is so much darker than usual and is making more of a contrast...I'm learning fast how important the card is for colouring!!lol I also used my Glamour Dust for the first time, so another 'New' thing, and it is sooo pretty and much more sparkly than glitters I've used before (though you were right, Carole- it has already got everywhere and I didn't even spill it!!lol)!! :)

A couple more close ups- the lovely sentiment (I have been singing 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...' to myself since the Crafter's Companion challenge went live this week ...only, after I get that far, I get stuck as all that comes into my head is 'Wake up, it's a beautiful morning...' - damn that BBC Weather trailer!!lol) and some more of my pre-prepared Cricut Snowflakes, which are sat on my desk, ready glimmer-misted, and just waiting to be added to any Christmas card that needs a little something!! :)

The List:

• 5"x7" white card blank
• Forever Friends wooden stamp
• Snow Fence stamp by Alota Stamps
• Stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and coloured with ProMarkers (picture below to save time and energy again :) )
• Corner Punch
• Beautiful DP from a K & Co. Tim Coffey pad I was given years ago :)
• MS Cherish border punch
• Glamour Dust
• Sakura Clear Stardust and Clear Glaze pens
• LOTV Circular Christmas Sentiment (stamped in Brilliance Starlite Black)
• Snowflakes- larger ones cut on Cricut from When It's Cold Outside' cartridge and spritzed with Perfect Pearls Pearl shimmer mist, smaller ones were the 'waste' saved from a MS border punch
• Assorted gems 

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges: Crafter’s Companion – Let it snow, let it snow. Let it snow... :) ; Crafts & Me – Let the music move you (song as above!!) :) ; I ♥ Promarkers – Glitter and Glitz :) ; Dream Valley – Anything Goes :) ; Pollycraft Monday –Anything Goes :) ; Charisma Cardz – Cutesy :) ; Papertake Weekly – Anything Goes plus optional (is it ever optional really?!lol) Bling :) ; Pink Gem - Cold and Frosty :) ; Little Claire’s – Christmas :)

Well, thank you for stopping by and sticking with me through another long post- I really must try harder to write less, I just like to share and have a record of not just the basics but the thought processes behind my cards as I forget things so quickly with my hopeless foggy brain but apologies if it bores people!! :S Thanks for the comments on my last few posts!! :) Do pop over to the Forever Friends and Co. blog to see the lovely cards from the rest of the team!! :) Hope to be back soon- have a great weekend folks and enjoy the fireworks if you’re lucky enough to see any!! :)

The Sweetest Snowpeople and time to be inspired at My Partner in Crafting Crime :)

Hello there!! :)

Well, it’s the start of another week- and what a wet, windy and miserable start it’s been!!- and time for our next challenge at My Partner inCrafting Crime!! :) This time we have a fab Inspiration Photo to get your creative juices flowing:

Photo from Pinterest

There are so many ways you could go from this picture- just go and have a look at the variety created by the rest of the fab DT on the PCC blog to see what I mean!! :) You could take the house, colours, the distressed look, wood/bricks, trees,  the autumnal feeling... or so many other possibilities and I can’t wait to see all the different interpretations you come up with!! :) I kind of proved my own point with all the ideas I had for this card- I wanted to go ‘Haunted House-y’ for Hallowe’en but the image I had was a digi and I’m having an ongoing argument with my printer at the mo’ (ink keeps smearing when I try to colour :( ) so that couldn’t happen, then I thought I’d try a new home card, but it just wasn’t working out... so I wasn’t sure where to go next- until I happened across some gorgeous MME papers buried on my desk which had all the colours in the pic and a fab sketch from the Sugar Bowl... and idea number three took hold!! :) We are sponsored by the fab Bows & Berries again this time and the winner will get to chose three of their gorgeous images!! :)

Now, I must say, it didn’t really come out the way I’d imagined and I’m not altogether sure if I like it- I think that may be because the colour combo is so far out of my usual comfort-zone (I only tend to use red with black and white for a start!!lol) but that’s the fun of challenges, isn’t it- to push yourself a bit?!! :)

I just had to have this fab image from Sugar Nellie’s recent Christmas release- it makes me smile every time I see it... think it’s the snowman’s twiggy hair that does it but the whole image is just so sweet!! :) I coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers- the Flexs made it so much easier to get a paler shade on the snowmen, too :) I find it tricky to use so many colours in an image as I find it hard to get a balance of colour but I tried to think before I coloured a lot more this time and, while I don’t love it and it took a lot longer, I do think it’s worth trying it this way again!! :) I of course added plenty of Stickles and Clear Stardust to it to get a real snowy sparkle!!  Have ordered some Glamour Dust, too, as I keep seeing it used and, if it can look so good in people’s pics, it should be amazing in real life!! Hope so- and hope the postie gets a wriggle on so I can use it on my next snowy card!!lol

All the papers came from the same MME Snowed in pad- free with a mag last month and it’s utterly gorgeous!! :) - and this greeting is also cut from one of the sheets with a teeny gem and some glitter to add interest :) The snowflake were cut on my Cricut and spritzed with shimmer mist :)

This pic is just to show the Stardust pen better on the snowmen's bodies- I drew on a line of pen then quickly smudged it out with my finger for a more subtle effect :)

The List:

• 6” Sq. cream card blank
• Christmas Garland image from Sugar Nellie’s Home Grown range, stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa
• ProMarkers and Flexmarkers: (there were a lot of them and I don’t remember which colours were for which areas in some cases but I’ll list the combos I do remember!!lol) Snowmen- Soft Aqua (FM), Tea Green and Powder Blue and a Copic Blender then Antique White FM all over to tone down the white a bit; Leaves- Pear Green, Moss Forest Green and Gold (in different orders/amounts for the holly and the mistletoe); Decorations and hat- Berry Red, Cardinal Red, Burgundy and Honeycomb, Tulip Yellow, Gold and Honeycomb, Cinnamon and Cocoa. I have a few others in my box but don’t know what I used them for!! :S
• Distress Inks: Weathered Wood, Tumbled Glass and Antique Linen around the image and more AL on all the paper edges, snowflakes and ribbon
• My Mind’s Eye Snowed In paper pad
• Lables One Nesties
• Scissors to distress the papers
• Cream Seam Binding
• Snowflakes cut on my Cricut from the ‘When It’s Cold Outside’ cartridge
• Perfect Pearls Pearl shimmer mist
• Stardust and Frosted Lace Stickles, Clear Stardust and Clear Glaze Sakura pens
• Pearls and gems

I’d like to enter this card in the following challenges: The SugarBowl - great sketch by Gayle :) ; Stamptacular Sunday – So Distressing! :) ; AGem of a Challenge – With Love at Christmas (with a heart) :) ; CES – Seeing Red (I hope there’s enough red here- it’s a lot for me!!lol- but if not then please delete me!! :) ) :) ; Little Claire’s – Christmas :) ; OSCC – Anything Goes :) ; Secret Crafter – Anything Goes as long as it Sparkles!! :) ; Winter Wonderland – Autumn Colours :)

Thanks for popping by today and for all the lovely comments on my last cards!! :) Hope the rotten weather didn’t spoil anybody’s weekends too badly!! :S Certainly ‘Monday’ kind of weather today, isn’t it!?!lol Let’s hope the sun comes back soon!! :) Will hopefully be back again soon with another couple of the cards I’ve been wanting to post but this week’s shaping up to be as hectic as last so we’ll see!! :S Please do pop over to PCC to check out all the inspirational ideas from that one photo!! :)

Happy Mother’s Day... a wee bit late!! ;)

Hello Bloggers!! :)

Well, it's been too long since my last post again! :S There's been a lot to deal with here lately- and most of it far too stressful and unpleasant to tell you about here- and I'm still struggling healthwise, too... I've managed to make a few cards as I've needed them but had no chance to get the photos edited or write a post! :( Anyway, I'm really missing blogland and don't like how neglected my blog is looking so have dug out some already edited pics if my mum's Mother's Day card which I never got round to sharing and I'll attempt to keep my explanation brief... 'fat chance!' I hear you cry!!lol

I know at the time I had a bit of a nightmare with making this, but I can't really remember why now... which probably means it was more to do with my brain malfunctioning than anything else!lol Anyway, I always try to do something different or use something new for my Mum's cards as she sees- and often helps with, due to my mobility/strength issues- almost all my cards and this time I decided to try a Centre Stepper Card. I made a Side Stepper last year and was not enamoured with it at all- it just looked and felt very awkward and unbalanced to me! :S lol - but I really like this version and think it's a great way to frame an image :)

The adorable image is, if course, from Lili of the Valley and I coloured with PMs as well as copious quantities of Stardust pen!! :) I also used the Mica Powders I got in the Xmas sales for the first time on the scalloped circle... so pretty!! :)

The flowers were cut on my Cricut and were another first- the first cut file I designed myself in my graphics program after getting the cutting software for my Cricut... the software paid for itself in this card alone as I'd been contemplating the set of punches in this shape for ages and now I can have them in as many sizes as I like- and with no wrist pain from punching either!! :D :D I stamped a swirl on these and dusted Mica on to it but it mostly came off when I embossed them from the back (who’d have guessed- told you my brain was useless at the time!!lol) to get the shape and depth :S Still, they do shimmer prettily at least!!lol

The list:

• A5 Scalloped white card blank
• Lotv image, stamped in Memento London Fog and coloured with PMs
• Sakura Clear Stardust pen
• Nesties - Circles and Petite Scalloped Circles Large
• Perfect Pearls 'Interference' Mica Powders and Versamark pad
• Memory Box Gossamer papers
• Cricut to cut flowers- from 100gsm office paper- and 'Mum'
• Crystal Stickles
• White Pearls

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges: Allsorts – Free and Easy :), Totally Papercrafts - Bling It Up :) ; I ♥ Promarkers - Anything Goes :) ; Stamp Something - Summer :)


Well, thanks for stopping by!! :) I don’t when I’ll be back as the stuff that’s draining my energy will be doing so for a while yet I think... but I’ll be back if I can as the odd bits of card making and blog reading I’m managing are about all that’s keeping me sane!! Thank you for all the comments on my last couple of cards so long ago-it always means alot!! :) Hopefully I will catch a break before *too* long and have a chance to recharge and feel able to leave some comments myself!! :S Hope you’re all having a good summer so far- we even had a fair bit of sun this week... maybe it really is summer!?! Wow!! lol

   

A trip to the beach with My Partner in Crafting Crime :)

Hello folks!! :)

Well, what a couple of days it’s been with this sudden heat... perfect timing really as we have a new challenge for you over at My Partner in CraftingCrime and this time we’d like to see you create something with a ‘Beach Theme’ :) :) We're sponsored by the fab Bows & Berries Digital Stamps Shop who have some gorgoeus new releases out this week as well as the lovely sun digi I've used on my card!! :) And here’s what I came up with:

I’ve had this Gorjuss image coloured and just waiting to be used since it arrived on my doormat from a lovely friend a couple of months or so ago and this seemed the perfect opportunity!! :) I’ve seen lots of people using sandpaper to great effect to create beachy scenes and thought I’d have a play myself- originally the scene was going to be the full size of the card but when this idea of a Polaroid style scene popped into my head at the last minute I just had to run with it- the smaller scale meaning less energy needed was actually just a bonus this time!!lol 

I began by getting a rough idea of the size I wanted my ‘Polaroid’ to be and printing out the gorgeous ‘Sun Love’ digi from Bows and Berries, which is just such a happy image :) I then masked the digi, placed clouds cut from my Cricut onto the sky (all attached with 2-way glue) and then inked in a similar way to Bev’s Tutorial with a cheap shaving brush form Wilkos and Tumbled Glass DI- think I went a bit heavier with my ink than you would for the softer look Bev gets but I wanted a real bright summer sky so I’m happy :) Then I crumpled and sanded some Core’dinations Whitewash for the sea and stuck that and the sandpaper onto the inked piece, which I mounted onto another layer of white for the frame :)

 

The sun has a second layer on foam pads and some glitter and glaze to add dimension :)

All the little Sea Life embellishments are cut from white card on my Cricut- they’ve been sitting on my desk since I coloured the image, too!!lol- and coloured with Promarkers. Before I coloured the shells I used several sizes of embossing tool to score and shape the card- a small thing but I’m glad I thought of it on the last minute as I think (in reality at least- not sure it shows too well in my pics) that it makes a big difference. I shaped the starfish and seahorse slightly, too, and they all have Clear Stardust and Clear Glaze for extra pretty-ness!! :)

A little bit of sandpaper and a white doodled border to frame the whole arrangement and I was done :) I know I took too amny photos but I kind of like this one!! ;D

The List:

·    

• 6x6” Aqua card blank from stash
• Images: Gorjuss Girl stamp from Sugar Nellie and ‘Sun Love’ Digi from Bows & BerriesDigital Stamp Shop
• Promarkers to colour images and embellies – no idea of colours, I’m afraid :(
• White card, Blue Core’dinations Whitewash card and sandpaper
• Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and shaving brush for sky
• Antique Linen DI for 'photo' edges
• Cricut to cut Sea Life embellies and embossing styluses to shape them
• Sakura Clear Stardust and Clear Glaze pens
• Inksentials White pen
• Brown and Green fineliners for the sentiment and detail on the seahorse
• Stickles in Frosted Lace, Stardust and Diamond

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges: Pollycraft – Make a Splash! :) ; Papertake Weekly – Here Comes the Sun :) ; Fab ‘n’ Funky – Summer Loving :) ; I ♥ Promarkers – Anything Goes :) ; Sparkles Forum – At the Beach :) ; The Secret Crafter – Embossing (my shells) :) ; Sweet Stampin’ – Something Old, Something New (my new is my digi and sandpaper, my old is the card blank discovered when rooting through a box I thought was all junk!!lol) :)

So, I hope you enjoyed my little trip to the beach as much as I did- I have no idea what I’ll ever be able to do with this card but I so enjoyed making it that I really don’t care!!lol :) I rarely let myself make cards that I don’t think I’ll have any way to use as it just doesn’t seem a justifiable use of my energy but every so often I let myself play and it’s so much fun!! :) Please do pop over to the PCC blog and check out the fab creations from the rest of the DT- we’re all going on a summer holiday of sorts as we’re taking a little DT break after this challenge... but we’ll be back in September with more fun challenges to get stuck into!! :)

Sorry I’m a bit late in the day with this one, by the way, but I spent all the energy I had yesterday on getting my new drawers in situ opposite my desk, and swapping things around between the old set, the new set and my desk drawers etc. in an attempt to make it easier to get hold of what I want while I’m working... I think the new drawers (six shallower ones in the place of three I had to dig through to find things) will help a lot but there’s still more to do as I never have the energy to just keep going ‘til things are all sorted so I’m still not sure quite what’s been left where atm... :S Good job I don’t have anything I need to make in a huge hurry right now, then!!lol Anyway, I didn’t get round to getting my post ready the day before, as I try to do with DT posts in case my brain won’t work on the day... and sure enough, my brain hasn’t wanted to play nice at all today so apologies if this has been even more rambly and incoherent than usual!!lol

I hope you’re all well and had a great weekend enjoying the sun- or found a nice cool place to avoid it if that’s what you prefer!!- it’s cooled off a bit here in the last few hours thankfully as it was pretty unbearable earlier!! :S