Stars And Stripes and Spicy Browns xxx

What gorgeous colours in the new December kit from Raspberry Ribbons which is now on sale. Check it out here

These are some of my cards made with the new kit xxx
I used my new Pollycrafts stamp again cos I just love that little face. I must do another one but colour it as a girl. The card blank is Craftwork Cards and the DP is Tinker & Co. I coloured the image with PMs and used a Sakura Glaze pen to highlight.

DP is from the extremely lovely and kind lady that is Summer Driggs - this is from her Vintage Oreos set. Again, Tilda is coloured with PMs. You probably can't tell from this picture but that ribbon is the most beautiful colour - like a rusty rich coppery brown. Delish xx

And that's a Martha Stewart punch, you're right, but it's not the usual suspect.

Thanks to one of my very good blog buds who will remain nameless cos I dont want her to get inundated (but she knows who she is and she knows I am truly thankful for all her help of late xxx), my MSBP has a new pal to keep it company.

This little beauty not only cuts a fine zig zag border but it embosses and punches little dinky holes at the same time. It's fab and at the mo, they are on offer at MS - although when I went to the site to put the link on, there didn't seem to be any of this type there. That's the bad news. The good news is that all the punches are reduced from $14.99 to $11.24 including my beloved doily punch, which you know I just lubs a lot xxxx

So, will this one replace the doily punch in my affections???

NOT a cat's chance in hell, although I think it is quite fetching and I do rather like it.

A lot.
And talking of liking a lot, this is one of my gorge Alota stamps coloured with PMs - just for a change. I used the PP Really Big Dots download again which I love so much (no doubt cos I am a bit dotty meself lol xx).

So all in all, I think this one has to be my personal fave.

I'll be back with some more tomorrow but for now I am going to get my heavy duty sex kitten pjs on, compelete with bed socks (I've given you that particular picture before and can't bring myself to inflict it on you lovely peeps again). Then it's a fab night of telly for the Phillips-May household.

Stricly Come Dancing First - ohhhh Bruce gets more and more toe-curlingly embarrasing as the weeks go on, but I LOVE Bruno and Craig - fab-you-lous!!.

Then X Factor - Alexandra to win, she's awesome and I'm sort of glad that gobby Rachel went. What an appalling flippin attituide!!!.

Then to top it all off, IACGMOOH.

Can I just ask, nobody in Blogland is voting for the arrogant, smug, self satisfied, hair gelled to within an inch if its life, half wit that is DVD are they ????

Oh please don't lovlies - it's just encouraging him. I think he is starting to think that someone likes him lol xxx. Sorry if you are a Dollar fan (that really is shameful, and that's coming from a Shakin Stevens fan as well lol xx) but I have an overwhelming urge to give him a fistful of the beggars every time I look at him!!!!

Harsh but true. But have a great evening and see ya manana xxxxx

2 More From A Lovely Lady xxxx

Oh my - it doesn't get any better than this xxx

Both of these came from the wonderfully talented Kathy. If you haven't checked out her work, then you are missing out big time cos this girl can COLOUR.

Kathy hunny, thank you soo much for these. It's always nice to get them and especially when they come from people whose work you just admire so much. Congratulations as well to you for getting them in the first place. You are a very nice and verrry sweet lady, and sorry I was so late putting them on here xxxxx

Lovely Friends xxx

Ohh look what I got :))

I feel very honoured to have been given this, but to have been given it by some many wonderful girlies, well I feel especially honoured. So I have to say huge thank yous to the following top chicks. It goes without saying that I appreciate their thoughtfullness and admire (and envy !!) all their creative talents.

Thanks girls - mmmmwwwwaaaaahhhh & {{{hugs}}} xxxx

Dawn, Rach, Tracie, Marcea, Pauline C, Sally-Ann, Steph, Jill, Beth and Debs

This is a nice award because it stands for the following -

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind blogger's aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight blogger's who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I think that's so nice and verrrrry sweet. But who to choose for my eight then? Oh how hard is this, cos all the girls above would have been on my list, plus gazillions more. So I am going to pass this on to everyone who visits the pink pig sty regularly. Thank you for stopping by and brightening my otherwise dull and dreary day :))))) xxxxx

And if that wasn't enough to smile about, then look at this baby xx

I was truly touched to be given this by my very very dear and lovely friend Jacqui. Not only is she one of the nicest, sweetest people in Blogland, she is amazingly talented. Thank you Jacqui - this is very special xxxx

So, the RULES for presenting this, hopefully soon sought after award are as follows -

Pick 5 bloggers that you consider as your best blogging buddies and deserves this award for their contribution towards the blogging community, no matter what language. State the name of the author of each blog as well as a link to each one's blogs. Each blogger (upon acceptance) of this award should do a post and show the award on their blog and put the name and link to the blog that has given her/him the award.

This really is a toughie and I can't wimp out again. The problem is that I can only pick 5 and I could pass this on to so many wonderful peeps.
But I have to chose, so my 5 are

Kath, Claudia, Enfys, Mich and Cheryl.

Cheryl, for those of you who don't know, is Mich's mum and her blog is a truly inspirational place for me, as she is a wildlife gardner. Her photographs are extraordinary and her affinity with the natural world is something quite special. I felt a connection with her from the very first time I visited her blog.

Anyway, Each person will know why I have chosen them and all have been the best and most helpful blog buds I could have wished for. Girls, I am so happy I met up with you in Blogland. You are all very special to me and I thank you for your friendship and hope it will continue.

As usual, I am having to apologise for being a tad on the slow side getting these on here.

This yukky virus thing is sitting on my chest like a great sumo wrestling demon and can I shift it??? Not a chance. Plus yesterday, due to changes at work, I was without my computer

all day :(

Oh the shock to my system. I could log in and get comments published via my phone, but that was about it. I think I went through some kind of withdrawal syndrome cos by 2pm, I was getting twitchy (oh how sad to admit that, even to myself!!)

Then last night was the open evening. I sort of croaked my way through it but by the time I got home last night, I was sounding a lot like Phyllis Pearce (her with the purple rinse from Corrie - alright Percy luv lol xx).
But on the plus side, I got to meet up with lovely Shell again. It was nice to see you again chick xx Hope the PMs are behaving for you, and hope you can make Monday xxxx And also 2 of my lovely Saughall girls, Pam and Jane, came to say hi.

But there was some sad news....

Old Santa didnt turn up, bless him - he wasn't there. I'm unsure whether he had to postpone his visit, no doubt due to his very heavy work schedule at the mo, until, Saturday. Or if it was because I had got it wrong and he was never meant to be there until Saturday in the first place.

I would like to say here and now though that it had nothing at all to do with the fact that I called him the fat lad in the red suit.

I hope xxxxx

Papertake Weekly xx

It soon comes round doesn't it!!

This weeks PTW challenge is based on one of my sketches and here it is ....I am sooo loving doing these sketches.

And here's my card ....
Papers are all PP and the image is Pollycrafts. I saw this on my friend and fellow PTW DT mate Kim's fabulous blog and I just had to get me one. I think this little elf is soo sweet. I wasnt sure if it was a boy elf or a girl elf (!!!!) - I dont suppose it really matters lol xx

The ric rac was in my stash and I coloured it with PMs and Glamour Dust. The snowflakes were done on the Cricut - Christmas Cheer I think!!

This Thursday, it is the Christmas Open Evening at Sycamore Garden Centre in Ellesmere Port, where Creative Pastimes is, and I am demo-ing the fabulous PMs, along with Nestabilities and Elzybells stamps. The last open evening was really good so if you are in the area, pop in :)). There will be food and drinkies and the fat lad in the red suit will be there as well. Maybe we can get him making a card or 2!! I hope I am feeling better by then cos I have been really grotty this last week - aching all over and feeling like lead - very strange. I have had a bit of a bad run recently - not sure why. Think it's probably a viral thing.

Never mind - hope you are all well and see you tomorrow if Mr Mojo sorts himself out - grrrrrr xxxx

A Challenge or 4 xx

I am so loving that pale green PP washed solid at the mo - I can't stop using it lol xx
Now I have to say that I haven't got the balance and LO quite right on this card, but on the plus side, I love the colour palette. Even if it doesn't look exactly right here due to bad light!!

But not to worry. This is my card for 2 challenges. Firstly this week's Spoonful of Sugar challenge 26, Bloomin Marvellous which is to use flowers or floral paper. And the other one is The Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge 7 - Cute As A Button.

There are 2 blooms and 1 button so I think it qualifies for both lol xxx
The ribbon, brad and blooms are Poppicrafts, the paper is PP and Tilda has been coloured with Pro Markers.

But wait, I hear you cry, there is not a scrap of Glamour Dust in sight!!!! Ahhh, but the old punch is there again, bless it.

Another Tilda, this time she's giggling - must be something in
that bauble lol xxx

This one is for the Magnolia Vs Stampavie week 3, tie that sketch. As before, paper is PP, ribbons are Raspberry Ribbons (sheer and satin) and Poppicrafts (spotty) and the sentiment is Woodware.

You know the rest hee hee xxx

3 down, 1 to go.

At the NEC, I bought some Penny Black stamps, including this one, so natch I did this weeks Penny Black Saturday Challenge which is Monocromatic. I'm not a 'brown' person as a rule, but I love the PP leopardy paper. The spotty paper is Dinky Dots - can't find the link now, sorry peeps.

I used my American Crafts Thickers for the first time. I coloured them with PMs and they seem to have gone a bit streaky - I think it looks ok and it sort of goes under these circumstances, but I can see that there will be times when I don't want it to happen. Any tips anyone that's used them??

Or perhaps Tilda is giggling at this .....

I just have to share this with you cos it really REALLY made me laugh.

Kyla is going to be in her first 'play' at nursery - she is a star. Not THE star, just A star, but hey, if it hadn't been for a star, who knows where the wise men and the shepherds would have ended up. Although they would have to go some to beat me - I set off for Abersoch once and ended up on Anglesey (it's so true xx ). It was in the day before Sat Nav, although not in the days before maps!!!

But I digress.

She has been practising her Christmas songs, bless her, at full pelt, and usually when she is in the bath (maybe she knows more about echoes and acoustics than we give her credit for!!).

So tonight she was singing her version of 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'. What she actually sings is 'We Miss You A Merry Christmas', but we get the jist. But it's the middle bit that gets me. Did you know, it actually goes 'tidy up your things for you and your kings?'

No, me neither (snigger snigger, naughty grandma for laughing).

Now I have to admit that I am a big softie and I always cry when I hear kids singing - even on the telly. I cried at every one of my kids' play - yeah very embarrassing for them I know, especially when they were 16 (joke lol xxx). Maybe this time though, they may be tears of laugher!!!!

Oh do e-mail me your funny stories re the dinks and their songs. I'll gather them all together and do a special post near Christmas if we get enough.

Off for a long over due blog hop now.

See ya soon xxxxx

The Weather Outside Is Frightful, But The Fire Is Sooooo Delighful lol xxx

Ohh I just 'heart' this image xxx

Over at Papertake Weekly it's time for another challenge and this week it's

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

The background was made using Cuttlebug snowflake die cuts which were given a generous dusting of Glamour Dust and stuck randomly onto a piece of card. Tilda was a RAK (thank you sooo much to the lovely girlie who did it for me xxx) and I coloured her with??? Yes you are right, although I am not sure how you knew it was PMs. The chunky snow is Cosmic Shimmer Glitter Jewels (Ice Crystals) which I just love. Ric-rac and lace were both from Hobbycraft (or Hobbycrap as my girls call it - probably told you that one already but it does make me larff a bit). The sentiment was part of a Snag'em Stamps snowman stamp, but I just inked the words. So get the glitter out girls and pop over and check it out :))

So why is the fire so delightful????

Well, tonight, we lit our kitchen stove for the first time this year and oh how nice to sit in front of it after our dinner, watching the logs burning (love that smell!!) with a wee glass of mulled wine, complete with a stick of cinnamon. I could almost hear Bing crooning in the background - ba ba ba boom lol xxx When I've decorated it, ready for when the fat lad in the red suit comes a-calling, I'll take a pic and show you. It's not posh or anything, it's just cosy!!! Sitting there gazing at the flames almost made us forget that our bathroom tap has broken and we have just been told that it will cost about £200 to replace!!

Almost, but not quite!!!!!

Just as well I was very good on Friday then - grrrr!!!

Right I am off to finish me 'vin chaud' as they say in France (or vin warm as it is now lol xx) See you tomorrow maybe, if I can tear myself away from the fire to do a card or 2.

Hugs xxxx

Red & Green On These Cards Is Seen lol xxxx

I didn't plan it to be such a colour co-ordinated post...

But as it happens, these sort of match!!!!

Not only because they are the same colours, but also cos they match in the -truly awful photograph stakes :(

Ohh the light has been dreadful tonight and as it happens, the old camera doesn't much care for red and green at the best of times, so these are not so much Norman Parkinson, but more Norman Wisdom lol xxx.

This one is for Cute Card Thursday which is Red & Green.
I got this Sugar Nellies image last week and I just loves it - soooo sweet :) I used my new nesties labels set which I got from the NEC and also the sentiment which was from Butterfly Kisses.

The papers are PP's Really Big Dots and it was coloured with my dynamic duo of PMs and Glamour Dust highlights. Creature of habit that I clearly am lolxxx Ribbon is Poppicrafts

'Scuse the skew-wifty-ness of the ribbon btw - I should have straightened it before taking the pic (doh!!)This one is my first card for my awesomely talented and very lovely DT bud Kim's sketch challenge. This is #2 - a fantabulous little number - pop over and check it out here. Love this sketch Kim - thank you chicken xxxx

Dontcha just love the expression on the pengies face!! A bit like mine when I realised the ribbon on the other card wasn't straight lol xxx

Both image and sentiment are Butterfly Kisses, the papers are PP (I am so loving those washed solids at the mo), the holly is Making Hand Made Cards and the ribbon set at an ever so jaunty angle is Poppicrafts :))

We (my eldest Nikkie and I) had a great day on Friday at the NEC. I was ever so good and did not bankrupt us. In fact, I was well under budget!!! Tis indeed a first. High spot was meeting up with Marlene (she is fab!!) and low spot was getting stuck in a horrible traffic jam and not getting home until well past 8pm.

Had a very weird thing happen this afternoon. My niece came round to see us and as she was leaving, I walked to her car with her and waited as she was strapping her little boy into his car seat. I felt something nudging my foot (I had no shoes on, just my thick fleecy sex kitten socks) and thinking it was our cat, carried on gabbing to my niece and not taking too much notice. The nudging got more persistant so I looked down and I could not believe my eyes. It was a ruddy ferret!!! From whence it came I do not know, and if the stories of stuffing them down yer trewsers are true then I really don't want to know either (what an unsavoury pastime lol xxx) but I tell you, I have never run so fast into the house.

Cheeky little beggar!!!!

And finally ....

Arthur is back.

Woohoo, Mrs Wonka's errant boy has returned, thin, thirsty and hungry but in one piece. I do so love a happy ending lol xxx

See ya tomorrow for another fabulous Papertake Weekly xxxxx