Card Crafter's Circle/Challenge #7 FEEL GOOD WITH A FRIEND

Hello, and welcome!

I'm tempted to post a piccie of my feet, but you may be eating as you read this, so maybe not, eh?  They are swollen to the size of  clootie dumplings, and are not a pretty sight....haaaa!

So worth it, though.......I've actually come back from  New York 6 pounds lighter.......result!

Could say the same about my purse..ha!....because I've bought beautiful quilting fabric, stamps, beads and lace, and so much more :D...........

I brought back presents for all 17 grandkiddles, even though I said I wouldn't, but there was just so much that I knew they would love, so how could I resist?

Leigh-Anne dived into my new quilting stash, and chose some beautiful jelly rolls of fabric.....she's got a new quilting frame, so is dying to get to work on her latest creation.

Joanne and Gillian and I had the most wonderful time in New York, and both of them came home laden with gifts for their own kiddles, as well as a few treats for themselves.

New York is a beautiful city....yes, there are the not so pretty places.....but, on the whole, I find it an inspiring place with an old soul.

One of the highlights for me was to wake up, on Saturday morning, to deep, fresh, beautiful SNOW........a walk through Central Park was beckoning.....perfect!!

Anyway, more about our trip, later.......

It's Friday, so it's time for another challenge at Card Crafter's Circle, and this week the challenge is 

FEEL GOOD WITH A FRIEND

sponsored by the wonderful Happyleigh Scrappin'

Our randomly drawn challenge winner will receive the fabulous selection of digital images that our design team created with this week... what a great prize!

To see the rest of the fabby images that could be up for grabs, you need to hop over to the challenge blog, and take a look at what the rest of the Design Team came up with....loads of inspiration for you!

And this is what I came up with........

I made a simple purse card, using paper from my still huge scrap pile, and chose to use this gorgeous Daisy Teapot image....sweet!

I used my usual Promarkers, cut out the pretty image, and put it onto foam dots........

The little paper flower was from my stash, and I cut a leaf and tiny Nestie shape for the sentiment........the finishing touch was the dark blue ribbon handle.

A very quick and simple creation!

It would be lovely to see your creation linked into our challenge, this week.......all you have to do is make something that celebrates FRIENDSHIP, and you're in!

I'm off to try to catch up with everything that got neglected while I was away.....you should see my flippin' list!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:
http://mymumscraftshopchallenges.blogspot.com/2012/01/challenge-41-flowers.html Flowers
http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/ Floral
http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/2012/01/simon-saysanything-goes.html Anything Goes
http://bizzybecsstore.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-challenge.html Anything Goes
http://incywincydesigns.blogspot.com/ Anything BUT a card

Card Crafter's Circle Challenge#6 BEARS/Pink Gem

Hello, and welcome!

If everything has gone according to plan, and Mister Blogger has done his job properly, you should be reading this on Friday, and I should still be in New York...haaa!

Has it been too quiet without me?  Yeah, right!

Today is just as the title says, and our sponsor is definitely one of my all-time favourites.....

Janet, the owner of this wonderful place, is a fantastic digi designer, and I'm already a regular customer. lol.

You'll find all kinds of crafting goodies at her store.....it's where I buy all my Nesties, and Marianne's Creatables, etc.

The theme of the challenge, this week, is BEAR WITH ME....so we want to see a lovely bear, somewhere on your creation.....cuddly, brown, fearsome, big, yellow, pink....doesn't matter, as long as it's a bear...haa!

The randomly chosen winner will get to pick 4 digis from Janet's shop....and I bet it takes ages to choose, 'cos they are all so gorgeous!

I chose to use this.........

The image is called Moon Baby-Girl .....isn't she a sweetie?....fast asleep with her cuddly ickle bear......

I chose to colour up (Promarkers) with pink and a soft yellow....the papers were freebies, and the black and white ribbon was a gift.......I layered the papers on black Bazzil to make 'em "pop"......

What would you call what's in the baby's mouth, where you come from?

Pacifier?  Dummy?  In our house, they've always been "dodies".  We moved to our present home when Jonathan (our youngest) was 12 years old....we found a cache of 7 dodies when we were packing up to move....haaaaa!

Like the little pearls?  They were from Pink Gem, lol.

Finished up with a grograin ribbon and button.
This card is being given as a Blessing Day card to the newest addition to our Church family....she's called Emily and will be blessed on the first Sunday in February......she's her Mummy's third child......the other two are 19 and 16........!!!
I really hope you'll consider joining in with this challenge.

Hugs,
Anne-Marie x

Up, Up and Away!

Hi, and  welcome!

Just thought I'd pop in to say a fond farewell.....I'm finally off to NEW YORK in the morning....ooooo....did I shout?.....sorry......haaaaa!

I have everything packed.....not that I'm takin' a lot of stuff....this is more about what I'm bringin'  back....yaaaay.......and I have a list of fab crafty places to shop at!

Well....I have a stamp and paper shop, and a quilting shop (both recommended by the wonderful Anne in Denmark...thanks, sweetie!), and have to be fair to Gillian, who wants to go see some famous bakery places, and Joanne, who wants to shop at Walmart........eh?.....yep, Walmart....don't ask.

Can you tell I'm excited?....can ya?....can ya?

Have to be up at 4.30am to get to the airport for 6.00am......flight leaves at 9.00am.....8 hours and we'll be there........so no sleep for me tonight, then......too excited!!

I've scheduled my Friday post,  so you should see my DT card for this week's challenge at Card Crafter's Circle (if Mr. Blogger plays nicely!), but there's still time to enter into this week's challenge which is HAPPY BIRTHDAY....so pop a creation into Mr. Linky....there's great prizes!

Okay....off I jolly well go......so, see you next Thursday....woohoo!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Card Crafter's Circle/Challenge #5-HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hi, and welcome!

What a beautiful day we've had here, in England....cold and frosty, with long periods of bright sunshine.....luvvverly!

I've been looking at next week's forecast for Manhattan, and there's a  good chance of S.N.O.W. on several days while we're there......yaaaaaay!

The lovely Doreen ( doreensdream.blogspot.com ) commented last night that I had kept quiet about visiting New York.............have I?

I thought I'd been shouting it from the rooftops....haaaa!

In case you missed it, this is my birthday treat for reaching the grand old age of 35..........errr.........41..........oh flippin' 'eck........60 then!  I'm sure I missed my fifties....where did they go, then?

This will be my third trip to the Big Apple.....my first was with my little sister, Roseanne, 6 years ago.....we had an absolute ball.....although she wouldn't go up the Empire State, or the Statue of Liberty, or The Rock.......don't know why she bothered going somewhere where everything is a million miles up in the sky!!!

My second trip was 4 years ago....went with Joanne and Gillian (daughters #1 & 2) to celebrate the end of my cancer treatment.  At least I made it up the Empire State....what an experience!

Both girls are coming on this next trip, and we are all sooooo excited!!!!

Leigh-Anne (daughter #3) was invited both times, but was pregnant the first time and didn't want to risk anything, and this time she and her husband are saving like mad for their first family trip abroad, this summer, with their four children.....and she's still breastfeeding Millie, so our trip to NY was a no-no for her.

She's expecting lots of gifts, though....haaaa!

Well, it's Friday, so that means another wonderful challenge at 

Card Crafter's Circle

and this week we want to see your creations featuring 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

We have an awesome sponsor this week.........ta-daaaaa.......

http://shop.meljensdesigns.com/

Our random winner will get a fabby prize of 4 black/white digis of  their choice.......and there is a  lot  of  choice!

Here's my creation using the very cute
Birthday Cup Mouse


Thought I'd have a play with a circle card, just for a change..........
The sweet little image is coloured up with my trusty Promarkers and cut with a Nestie......
I also cut a circle of green tissue paper, which I then cut into fringes....popped a doily on top (which was coloured with a pink Promarker), and then did a little sprinkling of glitter.......
Spotty ribbon, sparkly flourish, and a little candi finished it off!

Have to apologise for the one and only photo......Blogger is refusing to let me upload any more piccies....I don't think he likes this creation, much.....haaaa!

Okay, so now it's your turn.....pop over to Card Crafter's Circle and take a look at what the other DT members have created....lots of great inspiration, honestly.........and get makin' and linkin'......

Hugs,
Anne-Marie x
Challenges:
http://www.charismacardz.blogspot.com/ Birthdays
http://christmasblogchallenge.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-wishes.html Birthday Wishes

Another from the scrap pile

Hello, and welcome!

Hope you are all well, and blooming!  I'm still shifting things around in my craft room, but it looks so much brighter.....and bigger!....since I got rid of the old shelving unit, and drawers....but I keep getting distracted when I find something I'd forgotten about, and want to sit down and make something with it...haa!  At least Mr. Mojo seems to be on his way back. ;D

I couldn't wait any longer to go get my money changed for our trip to New York....we fly on Tuesday...whheeeee!....but, boy, you don't get much for your £ these days!

Here's another recycled make........

The pretty tree is the recycled element.....it already had the red gems and the bow........so all it needed was a white card base, an embossed white panel (Cuttlebug swiss dots), and a piece of red glittery card............

Voila!

Took 6 minutes, start to finish......and some of that was taken up trying to figure out which new drawer I'd put me embossin' folders in....haaaa!

It's Challenge day, tomorrow, at Card Crafter's Circle, so don't forget to pop in to see what I've been up to, lol.

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://abcchristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything goes (#2)

http://www.southerngirlschallenge.blogspot.com/ Sparkle

http://unstampabelleschallenges.blogspot.com/2011/12/challenge-7-anything-goes-no-stamps.html Anything goes

Recycling or Upcycling?

Hello, and welcome!

Seems an age since I blogged, but that's only because I've been tied up with rearranging, cleaning, and getting rid recycling everything in my craft room.  I've been blessed by my lovely hubby, who has installed new storage drawers and shelves, and my room, although still not finished, is looking a whole  lot better!

I also have had a horrible chest cold (still coughin'...can ya hear me?), and have had no real desire to create anything..........until I saw how nice my desk looks when it's cleared....haaaaa!

So, in the midst of emptying drawers, moving stuff around, and generally being in a bit of a tip, I suddenly wanted to create something, and as I've seen a few bloggers showing off recycled bits from Christmas cards, I decided to grab an hour, and actually used some bits I'd saved from my received cards (certainly not from the handcrafted ones!), and did a little upcycling....is that the word I need?........should it be recycling or upcycling?....doesn't really matter.....I made cards for the first time for ages, except for my Design Team cards, for Card Crafter's Circle!

If you're wondering what's happened to all the stuff I've got rid of recycled, a whole lot of my grandkiddles have now been dumped blessed with boxes and bags of crafty stash....haaaaa!

Here's my card......

Can you guess which is the recycled bit?  Yep, it's the birdie.......too cute to throw away, dont y'think?

I used kraft card for the card base....inked the edges of a scrap of Nitwits DP..........I popped the birdie onto a journal card, then added a sentiment onto a red diecut label....done!

Doesn't show up too well in the photo, but the little bird has glitter on its chest and on the berries.......sweet!

Would love to know what you think........just sayin'......

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://abcchristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything goes

http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything goes

http://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.com/ Anything goes

http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.com/ Glitter, Sparkle or Shine

http://stampsruschallenges.blogspot.com/ What you got for Christmas OR Anything goes (well, I did get the birdie on a Christmas card, but this could also be Anything goes...haaa!)

http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ Things with wings

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ Use a diecut and make it cute!

http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2012/01/challenge-103-recycle-it.html Recycle something

http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/ Hand in Hand (Robin & Holly Berries) Hope this qualifies :)

CCC Challenge #4 - MAKE IT COLOURFUL

Hello, and welcome!

You already know that I LOVE  a challenge, and I especially love it when our new challenge goes up at Card Crafter's Circle, and this week our challenge is a really fun one......not that we ever have one that isn't fun. lol, but this one will let you soar because it's 

MAKE  IT  COLOURFUL!

We are again being sponsored by the wonderful 

Whoohoo!!

I just know that I'm gonna have fun when I use one of their fabulous digi stamps....heehee.

The winner drawn randomly will get to choose 7 .....yes 7....digi stamps from www.bugaboostamps.com, but you have to be in it to win it......so get out the markers, pencils, paints....whatever.....as long as the result is 

COLOURFUL 

Our Design Team was spoilt for choice with all the fun images that were on offer to play with, this week, and I chose this little madam........

She's called Mildred Exercise - More Than You Can Lift 

She's a gal after my own heart....haaa!  I don't know what the name of this cut of card is, but it's really easy to do, once you figure it out.....maybe it counts as an easel  card....what d'you think?

Have to say that it's easier to do a piece of patterned cardstock, rather than trying to add papers, later .....and believe me.....I know! HAAAA!  You should see some of the experiments I did, before this, lol......

Isn't Mildred fun?  I coloured her with Promarkers, and added some white dots with a Sakura Glaze pen.....I layered up the image on some Nesties, and popped up with foam dots.......

I found  these sparkly flowers in my stash.....not got a clue where they came from, heehee.....have you noticed I do that a lot? :D ......

The sentiment came with the image....deal, or what!......and I think this should be my life's motto....words to live by, in my opinion.....haaa!

Now, it's your turn.....make something colourful, and link it up on cardcrafterscircle.blogspot.com for a chance to win those 7 fabby digis!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

papertakeweekly.blogspot.com Anything Goes

cupcakecraftroom.blogspot.com Anything Goes

creativecraftchallenges2.blogspot.com Resolutions

bearlymine-challenges.blogspot.com Anything Goes

I've been abandoned!

Hello, and welcome!

Yes, I have been abandoned......by my crafting mojo!  To be fair, Mr. Mojo probably got really fed-up with me because I've not been good company for the past few days.......my lovely grandkiddles decided it was time to share a few bugs and nasties with their Grandma, and I've been trying to get said bugs and nasties to hit the road, but they just keep gettin' as far as the front door, then turn right back around, and jump all over me again....sigh......

I really haven't been feeling well enough to do anything in my craft room.....except .......plan a new room layout, and new storage cabinets....woohooo!

I've already had a huge clear-it-all-out session, before I got poorly, and my grandkids have been given lots of crafty goodies to play with.....and how do they repay me?.........cough....splutter.....splutter....cough.....sneeze............

I'll be back tomorrow with this week's Challenge from Card Crafter's Circle, but in the meantime I thought I would show you what I made to hang in my living room, over Christmas.........

I love popping in to see what Penny over at http://highlandsockies.blogspot.com has created, and she's renewed my interest in cross-stitch.....do yourself a favour, and take a look at what she gets up to, (it's not always cross-stitch, ha).....

How d'you like the ickle cookie button?....cute or what?

Well, off to suck a Lemsip.......sigh......

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x