Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog and thank you for visiting today, I hope you will stay a while. Check my blog candy alert section to the left.

I have taken the Christmas cards out of my main slide show, now I have recovered all the photos from my old hard drive I could do that and add them to the Christmas slide show further down the side bar. This means you see more of my recent work.



Friday, 3 July 2009

Butter wouldn't melt in their mouths










You just wouldn't believe these are very naughty dogs. Not only in the vet's waiting room, where Alfie (the pepper and salt one) tried to go for every size dog in the vets surgery, having beaten me to it to the car so he couldn't be left behind, and Sooty who had an eye infection managed to pee inside while I was distracted by Alfie escaping from his collar and lead! Then on the second visit Sooty managed to pee on the toy stand and get a toy duck, while I was trying to stop Alfie from menacing a dog several times his size and get to the counter to pay lots (but not for the toy, thought I am sure I paid enough to cover it).

But that is not the worst they have done, last week Alfie was excitedly running up and down outside the greenhouse, and then I realised there was a Wood Pigeon inside, then even worse Sooty was inside too and by the time I got there Sooty was coming out with said bird in his mouth, and the poor youngster just lay there with legs stiff and wings, the dogs with mouth full of feathers were banished indoors but the poor bird expired soon afterwards.

Today I was having a nap after a hard day and not sleeping, and I heard a commotion, barking and noise and I thought it was hubby arriving but no - there was an adult Wood Pigeon in the greenhouse, Alfie went in despite me shouting and came out with mouthful of feathers, I got him indoors but Sooty went in and also came out with feathers, I shouted so much I now have a sore throat but I did get the dogs inside, and managed to catch the Wood Pigeon and set it down on the grass where it wobbled over to the flower border and sat there looking shocked for ages.

The bird eventually flew away, so all is well I hope.

Wednesday, 1 July 2009

Sugar Bowl sketch


I hope I get this loaded in time. Photo is a little wonky but I didn't have time to change it, tried once for a better one and just made it to join in the Sugar Bowl challenge.

Who needs a prince?



Here is my next green and red card. I used a Sugar Nellie stamp designed by Diana Dude, they are so good.

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Spotty stash collector


Lookie what arrived today (along with another goody bag and Fairy Doodle stamps from Madaboutcards ordered Saturday - great service Madabout, also two bargain Sizzix dies from Ellison also arrived very quickly and all on the same day!). Isn't this great? Just need a craft show to go to now stash collecting! Also it may come in handy for heavy shopping, and it has a cool bag pocket, is really light (unlike my last disaster buy from a health site), and I think the polka dots are cooool.

Also got it £5 cheaper, free postage from The Mirror, don't read the paper, but a well known kitchen shop catalogue had them £5 more, not sure about postage but the designs weren't to my taste either.

Sunday, 28 June 2009

Quirky Crafts Card Challenge 6


Challenge 6 over on the card making challenges on Quirky Crafts forum was make a card using red and green. I immediately thought of Christmas, but this card was totally jinxed. First I was too lazy to unbung the Diamond Glaze, wish they would invent a clog free nozzle for these products, so I used odour free silicone glue, haven't used it much before but it was in a syringe ready so ------tried to make small dots to affix small red gems, and it took forever to dry, spread round where it shouldn't, got on the card blank... So had to cover the edge of the card in ribbon to hide glue marks, then change the bow to match. When setting the card up to take the photo I knocked the tiny gems all over the floor, yes the gem wheel was open. I still have to pick them up! I have new glasses too, my first varifocals and I may have trouble with the gems. I have a confession - they said don't put your old glasses on, give it a week to get used to them but I cannot use them on the computer, they are awful. My home screen is very close to me, but I can only see 8 words of a row, the rest are blurry. If I look across to my small TV next to the monitor (well same size as monitor) I can see that perfectly. I am having trouble finding the right place to look through them.

So back to the card, looked at it sat on the easel a short while after the photo and the bow had fallen off! It is now firmly attached again. My first Christmas card this year, this is early for me but green and red just called out Christmas tree to me.

The tree is embossed using Cuttlebug tree folder and Cordinations Black Magic paper sanded afterwards. Papermania gems, Crafty Ribbons lovely red ribbon, and holly eyelets on red vellum, folded a green card blank from card stock.

I had it in mind to make two different cards, the second one is not any better jinx wise that the one above, so maybe I will skip right on to number 3.

It sounds like our new DT member Gez has also had a few problems (hop on over and see), maybe red and green are an unlucky combination!

Saturday, 27 June 2009

Blog candy winners

Sorry this has taken a week longer than it should, but I wasn't at all well last weekend.

So without further ado: Drumroll please:

Drawn in the following order:

1. Wulfwen Paula wanted any stamps - Stampendous for you - on the way soon

2. Linda Linanna - didn't specify but won the ribbon rose buds

3. Dee -didn't specify but won the pink kit

4. Debbie requested Studio G stamps and blocks - on the way soon

5. Jennyv requested Tim Holtz EP - please comment with your address and I won't post that comment then I can send your prize

6. Danemi - Wanted Tim Holtz or Stampendous but as they are gone won blue kit - please comment with your address seperately and I will not publish it

7. Rozzy requested Stampedous but Debbie won that, so Rozzy gets yellow kit - Rozzy, same as above comment with address please

8 Fe requested the wood stamps - on the way to you soon

9. Dawn - didn't specify but won the mixed colour kit I have your address from the fat page swap, if you haven't moved.


Well done everyone, sorry if you didn't win this time but try again next time.


Whoo Hooo I won a challenge

I WON, I WON!

I won a weekly challenge over on The Crafty Pad I entered my Race for Life card. As a prize the winner can pick any stamp they like from the ranges for sale on the blog, so I picked out a great stamp called Albert Snoozing who will be wonderful for a male card. He also has the sentiment stamp with him which is amusing to put on a man's card. He arrived today so thanks very much Debbie.

There are further new ranges of stamps at The Crafty Pad being revealed now and they look good. I love the sheep, the mice are cute too.

Wanted.

In May I attended a DoCrafts Demo at our local arts and craft shop with Mum. It was mid morning so hadn't been going for long and they had already sold out of the goody bag and the butterfly punch. I was told I could order both from the shop so I did. A few days later I saw both for sale online, but didn't order as I had ordered from the shop. Weeks went by, I went in and asked three weekends running, and finaly they rang me to say both were discontinued and they couldn't get them.

I have since managed to find the goody bag from Madaboutcards, but I paid postage for that and the black and white kit by Papermania though the latter was a very good price. Of course the day I received my order, which was very quickly, Madaboutcards announced a 10% off everything, isn't that just typical!

I cannot find the butterfly punch. I have read that although it was a limited edition DoCrafts are trying to find a new manufacturer to make more. I have been pointed towards one at Studio Cards, which is the same price but yellow in colour, and with £5 postage is £13 nearly for the punch which was £7.99 in the shop - if they had one! The Studio Cards one looks the same but is the wrong way round, the X cut one cut from the right so you could use it on the edge of a card blank, if you do this with the Studio Cards version the butterfly will be upside down. I have found one on Ebay from China that is the right way round and will cost £14. Do I go for that or wait I wonder? I have heard that people have seen the X Cut one on Ebay for £35 - no way!

Blog Candy.

I am going to go for it and draw out blog candy winners today, so check back later to see who won.

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Suggestion for drawing candy winners

I had a suggestion from Fe, I should put all the followers names in the pot and draw them out as they come and give them their choice until I run out of choices/members then everyone goes in the pot for the rest - does that sound feasible to you all?

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Trying to sort out blog candy winners

You would never believe how complex this has become. I have a grid with the 14 people who left comments down one side. Then going across are 9 columns for the 9 prizes, and where the commenter told me what they would like best (as all were requested to do) I have entered the name of the perferred prize.

Then there is a column to say if the person was a follower at the time I posted.

Now there are some prizes that a few people want, and some that none said they wanted, then some where only one person said they wanted it, but then there are a few people who didn't say what they wanted and one comment doesn't even look like a response to the blog candy post!


So now what I think I have to do is where more than one person wants something I will need to do a draw. If they are all followers they all go in, if not only the followers go in as I said they get preference. Does that sound right so far?

So where there is only one person saying that they want a prize, do I just give it to them I wonder? Or do I do a draw of the people who weren't followers next for something not requested with the people who didn't say what they wanted?

Well go figure, 13 people and 9 prizes, not everyone can win this, unless I add a few bits.

So I will try and draw some names and if you end up with something you really don't like you must let me know. If you have a better idea for drawing names with this messy arrangement also let me know - quick please!

Sunday, 21 June 2009

Quirky Crafts Card Challenge 5


This is my DT card for Quirky Crafts Forum Card Challenge 5. I cut the blank with my new Nestabilities scalloped octogon, used some papers that were free with a magazine with numbers on, and DCWV paper with Happy Birthday on it, some ribbon charm letters from Lakeland (when they did craft stuff) and a Papermania letter charm.

Inside more DCWV papers.



Also inside I used Papermania chipboard letter and number 2 and U.

Inside the card