Why I have been so quiet!!!!

I thought I'd better explain why I've been so quiet in the blogging world of late.  Yes, I've been away for a week recently to Rhyl but I also had a card stall at Knuston Hall yesterday so I had lots of things to make for this over the last few months.  I can't do a lot at once so it's been a little bit here-and-there.  I'm not sure for definite, but I think there might have been more visitors than last year to the Knuston Hall Open Day (they hold some wonderful talks and courses and include many wonderful tutors like Pauline Loweth who we get to see on Ideal World/Create and Craft with her wonderful parchment).  The weather was kind to us.  I sold £40.50 worth of cards and as per my norm 50% of all my sales go to charity so I gave £20.50 back to Knuston Hall to go towards the Help for Heroes charity.

Here are a few pictures of the stall:

There were many visitors to my stall yesterday which meant a lot and my cards, those of a family friend and also cards that have been donated to me for my charity work all went on the stall and sold.  Thankfully I do have some left as my regular monthly stall at a business complex starts again this Friday.  I had a special visitor to my stall yesterday.  Irene who I met via the internet lives nearby and came and paid a visit which meant more than words can say.

I would just like to say a personal thank you to those with websites and those in the blogging world/forums that donate items for me to use for my cardmaking, donate cards and those that give me "freebies" all your help has helped me to do this stall and will continue to help me in my charity work.  THANK YOU TO YOU ALL!!!!

Commissioned Birthday Card

A customer wanted a card for her grand-daughter and as we used the topic of Goth for her daughter's card to her niece the thinking cap had to come on.  In the end she said she liked football so as I had no images of girls playing football off I went to Crafts U Print and found this lovely bright and cheerful image by Gordon Fraser.  I didn't have any suitable backing paper so I made by own by using a little football See D's stamp and stamping with black Versafine onto pink card.  The card is simply finished off with some faux ribbon with stitching, some spotty ribbon, an insert, a sentiment off the computer, stamped the word "footie" which also came in the See D's stamp set and some gingham ribbon.

This card fits the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Dieing for a punch
Pixie Dust - Stitch it up
Crafty Emma - Anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - Girlie or colour scheme or both
A Crafty Little Place - Anything goes.

Commissioned Birthday Card

A customer wanted a birthday card for her niece who is into Goth-style things.  Yikes that's something I know nothing about!!!  As I had nothing suitable off I trotted to Crafts U Print and found the image by the designer Mishara Armenia and I hope I have done the image justice.  I just backed the image onto pink and black card and then decoupaged the image up one layer.  I then went around the hearts with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  The card is finished off with a sentiment off the computer, insert, fibres, fabric hearts and finally some gems.

This card fits the following challenges:

Crafty Emma - Anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - Girlie or Colour Scheme or Both
Craft Your Passion - Pink and black
A Crafty Little Place - Anything goes.

Commissioned Wedding Anniversary Card

A mother and daughter both wanted various cards for various people so here is the start of them.  The first one is for a wedding anniversary for the customer's brother and sister-in-law.  I've used all my suitable images I had so off I went to Crafts U Print and got this lovely image from the designer Sandie Burchell.  I loved the different style of the pyromage ie being oval and three in a row.  All the pieces I have edged with a dark moss chalk ink pad along with the main sheet.  The card is finished off with an organza ribbon, Joy Craft die-cut silver butterflies, sentiment off the computer and I used my My Craft Studio Tattered Lace CD to make the 8x8 insert to go inside along with using a Crafty Ann's Digi Shop backing paper.

This card fits the following challenges:

Flutter by Wednesday - Anything goes
Alphabet Challenge - R is for roses
Crafty Emma - Anything goes
Allsorts - park inspiration
A Crafty Place - Anything goes.

Commissioned 60th Birthday Card

I was asked by someone at work to make her friend a 60th birthday card with the following requirements:  bagpipes, camping, Scottish highlands and tennis but NO really girlie things like feathers etc.  Yikes!!!

To the rescue came an image I had coloured in for a Crafty Ann's Challenge some weeks ago - The Lazy Hazy Days of Summer.  I coloured the image in and then thought the water and stones looked too dark for a summer picture.  I had also added some heather (or plants like that) to add some detail between the grass but then wasn't sure it was around in the summer so I "saved" all that hard work and thought I might use it sometime.  Thankfully I had a second copy of the Papernation camping couple but no backing paper so I couldn't use that.  I used my Promarkers again to colour the image and chalk ink pads to distress the edges.  I added different tiny flower to this image and also put some in the pot in the caravan.

For the rest of the card I used some backing papers I downloaded from Cardmaking Downloads and I used them in conjunction with some Crafty Ann's Digi Shop digital papers.  I think they all worked well together.  The bagpipe image I got from Crafts U Print and is by the designer Gordon Fraser.  I decoupaged this image to get it more height.  The 60 today and flower on the front of the card was done with my Cricut machine.  I've read the instructions better this time and managed to do the shadowing of the numbers properly this time.  The overall card is finished off with a verse, flowers (lots and lots and lots of them), ribbon, Papermania glitterations  and a ticket sentiment from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop.

This card fits the following challenges:

Lili of the Valley - Dotty about circles
CRAFT - Milestone birthday
Meljen's Designs - Happy Birthday
Digi Doodles - So distressing
Sew many Challenges - Happy Birthday
Crafty Emma - Anything goes
Sweet Stampin' - Distressed birthdays
Allsorts - Park inspiration
Cupcake Craft - Let's go digital
Daisy Doodles - Anything goes
A Crafty Little Place - Anything goes
Stampin' for the Week-end - Anything goes.

Card for Monday's Stall

Here is another card I have put together for the stall on Monday.  The image is from a My Craft Studio CD but as I've printed out so many and mixed them all up when cutting them out, I am at a loss as to which CD it is from now.  I have used various pieces on the element sheet for the front of the card (main image, ribbon, backing paper) but the rest I have used on the inside and the back of the card so there is no waste whatsoever.  I have distressed the edges of the backing paper with a dark brown chalk ink pad whereas the topper mount and sentiment has been edged with a Copic.  The image and backing paper I have highlighted in various areas with Sakura clear Stardust pen.  I have made the flower with a Stamp I got earlier in the year in the Stamp Addicts sale - it's a bit fiddly to cut out but very effective.  The card is finished off with the sentiment off the computer, epoxy yellow dots and a bronze pearl.

This card fits the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Make your own flower
Ooh-la-la Creations - Elegant ladies
Fab n Funky - 3 papers, 2 embellishments and 1 image
Cute Card Thursday - Dieing for a punch
Crafty Emma Challenge - Anything goes
Allsorts - gain inspiration from a garden or park
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Get well or good luck
Stamping Vacation - Name that card - Even sugar doesn't have you beat when it comes to being sweet!!! - my interpretation is a lovely sweet cocktail!!

Jak Heath's Blog Candy

Jak Heath has some AMAZING blog candy up for grabs to celebrate over a million hits on her blog - yes I did type right a million!!!  That's a wonderful achievement but if you are a regular visitor to Jak's blog you'll see why.  She's also celebrating over 1000 followers.  Click here and go and have a look at her candy which ends on 3/9/10.

Dezinaworld Spot Prize

I have only just come across Dezina World's Spot Prize for a Thursday so I have entered a card I have made for the stall on Monday.  The topic this week is "black and white and a splash of colour".  It's using some black and white decoupage I bought from Joanna Sheen's website some time ago and is mounted onto silver (as my other splash of colour) and a mixture of papers I had to use up in my bits and bobs basket.  The card is simply finished off with a die-cut sentiment from Red Hot Bed and some card candy.

Crafty Ann's Challenge No 22 - Friday 27/8/10

Well another fortnight is up and it's time for another Crafty Ann's Challenge but the start of its new home on Blogger.  Click here to go and have a look.  The challenge this fortnight is the following sketch:

For my card I had printed off all the papers and took away on holiday but didn't manage to make and then noticed Crafty Ann had designed some gorgeous tartan papers so I had to change one paper for the blue/green tartan.  I have used two of the polished stone backing papers as well as one of the pre-coloured digital images.  The card is finished off with some shapes cut out with my Cricut and some card candy.

I shall look forward to seeing the creations everyone comes up with and please remember to go to the Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog new home.  See you there.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Stamping Vacation - Just Picture This  - what an amazing picture Denise has taken.  I have taken the colours as my inspiration
Totally Papercrafts - Keep it clean and simple
Christmas Stampin' - A non-Christmas card.

Card for Craft Stall

Hello everyone.  I have been away for a week to Rhyl in Wales and the area is fab.  The weather was kind to us most of the time which helped.  I took my cardmaking stuff away with me as I have a Card Stall on Bank Holiday Monday and need to get a bit more stock made up.  This is one card I have made using a My Craft Studio Walk in Wonderland image.  I have used some backing papers that I was given in a magazine which are pink and brown spots.  It's taken me a while to use them up but I have reluctantly done so now.  The lace I have pleated at the side which took me a while to do as it kept unfolding.  The card is finished off simply with a sentiment off the computer, a circle image off the My Craft Studio sheet and some gorgeous gems from America which it has taken me a while to open the packet and use!!!

This card fits the following challenges:

Craft Your Days Away - With wings
Karber's Challenge - Birthday
Ooh-la-la-Creations - Elegant ladies
Flourishes - Lace
Flutter by Wednesday - Anything goes
Lili of the Valley - Dotty about circles
Cute Card Thursday - Dieing for a punch
Charisma Cardz - Hot, hot, hot.

Die Cuts R Us

Just to let all Copic lovers know that Die Cuts R Us are having a huge sale on all of their Copics which you can find here and if you can help spread the word Claudia is offering one lucky winner a signed Tim Holtz embossing folder set (well who wouldn't want to win this????) plus a T-shirt from Spellbinders.  Click here to go and have a look at this offer .

My Eldest Son is 18 Today!!!!

Well, my eldest son is 18 today.  We bought him a joint present with his Nan and Aunt of a special driving experience of driving a Ferrari and an Aston Martin.  He's got a year to use it but already wants to work out when to go.

Both boys, their Nan, their Aunt and myself went into town to a restaurant for a cooked breakfast for an 18th birthday treat.  Then it was onto the mobile phone shop so he could get his contract Blackberry.  Lunchtime was a cream cake before he had to go into work - not good for the digestion after a cooked breakfast but thankfully it doesn't happen that often!!!

I took some hours making Kevin's card and used a wonderful digital image from CraftsUPrint by Gordon Fraser.  To be honest you would have thought he knew Kevin, even down to the bare feet!!!  I used my Cricut to cut out the "18" and "today" and used My Craft Studio to design the verse/backing sheet.  Please note:  the mirri card is as clean as anything but no matter what the camera didn't like it!!!

This card fits the following challenges:

Stamping Vacation - No brads or eyelets
Party Time Tuesday - Anything goes birthday
Pear Tree Designs - Male theme.

Annoyed ..............

I had a package delivered last Friday but I was at work.  On Monday I went to the Sorting Office only to be told a lady delivered it, it wasn't written in the book and it was lost.  They said they'd investigate and get back to me.  Needless to say I called in again on Wednesday to be told that it was still missing and that they'd get the Manager to give me a call.  Today I saw our usual postman and went and had a word with him.  He mentioned he'd been told it was a largeish box but that he had looked and looked and not found it.  I said that I'd been told that it was a lady that delivered it and hadn't written anything in the book.

When I got home I called the Manager, who at the start said he knew nothing, and then everything seemed to fall into place.  I said that I'd been told on Monday and Wednesday that a lady had delivered it and hadn't written it in the book.  He said it was my normal postman and that he'd asked him to check his van and everywhere in the Post Office but nothing was found.  I said I wasn't at all happy.  He said he'd have another look and get back to me.

A short while ago I can had a call from the Post Office to say after another thorough search the package is still missing.  Their only conclusion is that whilst writing in the book of everything to go on the shelves awaiting collection, my package has fallen into the trolleys for items to be "returned to sender".  They have since changed the location of these trolleys so this can't happen again.  If there is no "return to sender" address on the back the parcel will go to Belfast and within the month be opened up to see if there is address on the inside of the parcel.

I have checked my E-bay buys and other buys and I am not waiting for anything.

Therefore what concerns me is that someone has either sent some crafty items to me or cards for my charity stall.  I am hoping that there is a return address on the back and the sender will get it back BUT I don't want them to think I've sent it back.  Over the years I have been sent a great deal of crafty items and cards for my charity work and I am eternally grateful and would never send anything back and if it is received back from the sender it is just through an error by the Post Office.

If you are the person that has sent me a package please could you get in touch. 

Crafty Ann's Challenge No 21- Friday 13/8/10

Another fortnight has flown by and it is time for yet another Crafty Ann's Challenge.  The challenge this fortnight is "Christmas in August".

Crafty Ann has a number of Christmas digital images in her shop here.  I chose to use the baubles and the holly frame.  The baubles I have printed onto some gold mottled stone backing paper and then coloured the bauble image and holly frame image with Promarkers and some Sakura Stardust pens.  I have mounted this onto two pieces of green holographic card which one piece I have put through the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and the other I have put through the Cuttlebug Devine Swirls embossing folder.  I used some wide organza ribbon and a poinsettia flower that I received in some blog candy last year - well I've had them for a while to stroke and love - and now it's time for them to be put to good use.  I thought the card looked a bit bare down the bottom with the flower so I did some artwork with wire and seed beeds (the seed beads are from a necklace I broke some time ago so time to recycle).

Please have a look at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog to see the other Design Team members cards as they are all fab and we will all look forward to seeing your lovely creations.

This card also fits the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Embossing
Digi Doodle Challenge - Flowers
Craft Your Days Away - Favourite things (digital images, ribbon, flowers for me!!)
Creative Inspirations - Recycle element on project (mine is my seed beads from a broken necklace)
Paper Sundaes - Metal
Stamping Vacation - Say no to brads and eyelets
Fab n Funky - Your favourite colours - for Christmas my favourites colours are red and green - boring I know.

Commissioned Birthday Card

I had to make another large card for my son's workplace.  This time I used an image from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew CD which is absolutely gorgeous.  I simply decoupaged the image and layered it up.  Embellishments included some cherry blossoms, peel off, ribbon and card candy.  When I first made a card for his workplace I decorated an envelope so I have to do that for every card now as well!!!

This card fits the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge - O is for ovals
By the Cute and Girly - Animal Antics
Craft Your Days Away - Favourite things (mine include card candy, ribbon and flowers)
Practical Scrappers - Summer theme
Crazy Challenge - Back to nature
Party Time Tuesday - Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - Ain't no cure for the summertime blues
Cute Card Thursday - Tree-mendous.

Flutterby Wishes

I have used a newish Papermania set of stamps to make this card.  I didn't want too much on the card to detract from the gorgeous die-cut sheet I was given from a friend which has little shapes like leaves and butterflies cut out of it.  I edged this along with the DCWV backing paper with Tim Holtz's Peeled Paint Distress Ink pad to give it a vintage and distressed look.  The butterfly was coloured in with Promarkers and the antennae were made out of some wire that I have had for years and years.  This card just screams out SUMMER and SUNSHINE.

This card fits the following challenges:

Wee Memories - Butterflies
Paper Sundaes - Metal
Stamping Vacation - Say no to brads or eyelets
Crazy Challenge - Back to nature
Bunny Zoe's - Vintage
Incy Wincy - A bug's life
Tuesday Taggers - Sunshine
Flutter by Wednesday - Open theme
Little Red Wagon - Summer theme
CRAFT - Mini beasts
Cute Card Thursday - Tree-mendous.