Alota Challenges lol xxx

5 to be exact - not sure if this is my personal record lol xxx

Soooo, they are -

Friday Sketchers - a gorgeous sketch by Beatrix

Stamp With Fun - Birthdays (it's for someone but I can't say who xxx

LOTV - So Charming

Colour Create - Blue, Sand Silver & Black

Daring Card Makers - Lacey Days of Summer (hope Martha S's finest counts !!

THINK I ticked all the boxes :)

So here's the result of them all.

I used one of my beloved Alota stamps. I've not used one of these for ages and I do so love them. You can get them over at Dies To Dies For btw :)

And of course, I coloured it with my usual PM / GD combi

You can just see the teeny tiny heart on my dangly charm thing - poor photography Dawny, just for a change!! There's always something lol xxx

The blooms were part of my Simon Says Stamp prize and the brads were from the fantabulous Poppicrafts xxx

The papers are a mix of PP and Polka Doodles


Ohhh there's Martha Stewart's scalloped border punch trying to hide!!! The ribbon is from the US of A and the sentiment of from a Woodware set

Not too much dimension but there is a little bit.


It's only been a few days but I feel like I've not made a card or posted anything for ages!!

Work has been really busy and I've put in a fair few hours this week - needs must sometimes!! And there's been a serious lack of blog hopping, even by my dreadful standards.

But I'm planning a crafty weekend - fingers crossed - cos I feel like I've earned it this week :)

But it hasn't been all bad, oh no sir-eee. I've had some fab news today, cos I only went and won this week's prize over at Just Magnolia - woooohooooo!!!

And I also have to share an award I got but as per usual I've been a bit slow putting it on here. It's this little sausage .....

And I got it from 2 of the fabbiest girlies ever. They are my wonderful Wild Rose teamie, the awesomely exotic Sally B (check out that link and you'll see why she's exotic lol xx) and the sweetness that is the lovely Emma. Thank you chicksies - you are so kind to rhink of me xxxx

I have to leave 5 interesting facts about moi, and tell the truth there aint that many, plus I got tagged once so you know them already probably.

So -
1 - I used to be in band years ago

2 - I met my OH on a tennis court and it was love at first sight (for me, not him, cos it took him a while to catch up, but there again, men are always a bit slower than us)

3 - my sister in law is a prominent MP but I'm not naming parties or names, heeheee!!!

4 - I've got one of those funny encyclopedic memories where music is concerned and I'm always getting phone calls from peeps asking me who sang this or which band was so and so in. So there ya go - I am an anorak lol xxx Sadly in other areas, my memory is dreadful.

5 - I am emetophobic (scared of peeps puking) and have been all my life.

So in gereral, and when you put it like that, I'm an all round weirdie really

I'm supposed to single out 5 peeps to pass this on to but this is hard cos there are so many lovelies in this land of Blog. So what I will say is that if you have been kind enough to visit here, then please consider yourself a friend and have this with my love xxxxx

Well I am off for a nice sit down - I don't do that very often - and I'm going to have a nice glass of something chilled!!! It's Friday and Miss Kyla is never at her finest after a busy week at nursery, so we've been keeping her happy by playing snap and 'pairs'. She is Miss Cheaty McCheat from Cheatsville where snap is concerned but by 'eck that kid can seriously play pairs. She hardly ever loses!!So she has worn me out!!

So one glass of Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand natch) coming up and an evening in with Dog The Bounty Hunter and Jeremy Kyle - not necessarily in that order!!! I am living the dream once again!!

Have the best weekend peeps and hugs to all xxxxx

Happy Bank Holiday & Papertake Weekly xxx

I do love Alota stamps, and this cute donkey is just gorgeous. So I thought I'd use this for our Papertake Weekly challenge which this week is one of me sketcheroonies :)xx

Sometimes I do a sketch and I really like it and this was one - I'm sure I will use it again.

So the image is an Alota - Sweet Little Donkeys #1 which you can get over at Dies To Die For - and this set is one of my all time faves. I mean, look at that little face!!!

I coloured it with the old bad boys and gave it a dusting with the Glamour Dust.

The papers are a mixture of PP and Wild Rose Studio and I've used my new border punch which you can get at Dies To Die For. It's fast becoming my fave, and one of my card club ladies told me tonight that she is desperate to get her mitts on one so it would seem that I am not alone.

And of course there's dimension and doodling :))x

And that, my little chickadees is that for tonight. I've just got in from card club and my back started aching like billy-oh driving home. So I don't know what I've done to it. but it is rather sore. So I'm off to beddy-byes and see how it is in the morning.

Hope you all had a fab day and big hugs xxxxx

Pink, Green & Cute Card Thursday xxx

I love this stamp alotta lol xx

I was lucky enough and very honoured to be a guest team member over at Cute Card Thursday. When I heard that the theme was Metallica, I had visions of Tilda and Edwin Magnolia head banging - now there's a thought!!! Or maybe Daisy Sugar Nellie crowd surfing lol xxx

But no, the challenge this week is to use some metal on your card, so wire, charm, eyelets etc.

So I used a little heart charm and some funky green wire which I bought the other day cos I just lubs that colour so much. Now I've put it on the card, I'm not sure about it, but on it went so there ya go!!!

I used one of my Alota stamps - these are a couple of sweetie little sausages aren't they!! And the bad boy PMs were frogmarched back to the craft room and lovingly used, and I reunited them with the old Glamour Dust as well. The ribbon is just fabulous and I got it from a local wholesaler - same place I got the red and white gingham on the hedgie card.

The papers were PP, except for the pink spotty one which I got from Sharon at Willow Designs


Love that pretty green, I really do.

I don't often do a card for challenges with someone in mind, but this time I did.
I couldn't post it cos it it won't get there in time, but this card is for my friend, the very wonderful Donalda, just to say good luck on Saturday - she will know what for - cos she likes a bit of heavy metal!! You go girl lol xxxx

That's it for now, but I may well be back later with more stuff of the cardy type. But in case I don't, I just wanted to share this with you. I came across a website yesterday that has FREE papers and things. Check it out here - there's some awesome flippin stuff there.

If I don't see ya later, have the fabbiest of fab days and I hope the snow is behaving itself where you are. We don't have any and I feel a bit cheated. What little bit we did have has gone, cry cry!!!

Never mind eh!!!

BFN xxxx

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

PTW and My First Sketch xx

It's Monday (well it was yesterday when I should've posted this lolxx) so that can only mean one thing!!

Time for another PTW challenge.

Our lovely Katharina unfortunately isn't able to do our sketches any more so I offered to do them instead. Ohhh she is such a hard act to follow, as her sketches are just fabulous.

Thank you Katharina - I will miss your sketches for sure and if I am half as good at them as you, well then I will be happy xxx.

I have been having a dabble with sketches for a while but have never gone public with them, so this was a bit scary, seeing one of them 'out there' lol xxx

So here is the first one - hope ya likeeee :)

The fabulous DT girls have produced some stunning work and I just want to thank them for their encouragement and support - mmmmwwaaahhh xxxx

So, this is what I did with it.

Richard said he preferred this card to the pink pop up one from the last post which I was going to give to his Mum for her birthday, so this is the one she got instead.


I also did another one this week ...........

It looks so different using a square base card.

Papers: Nitwits Homespun Holiday collection and PP
Stamps: Alota (image, oh they are such nice stamps to work with), Hobby Art Stamps & Borders set (sentiment) and Tilda (Fall collection)
Beautiful Blooms: The ever so fabulous Poppicrafts.
Ribbon: was from the very depths of my stash, so I don't know where it came from (sorry).
Brads: Papermania and Kars
Bracket: Cricut George & Basic Shapes

The usual suspects are in there as well ie the MSBP and Glamour Dust
and all coloured with PMs.

Right, I am off for a blog hop - serious catching up to do. Sorry for being a bad blogger again, but there is this flippin credit crunch / recession / financial meltdown thingie going on - you may have heard lol xxx - so work is a bit mad at the mo.

Hope everyone is ok and I will try and do a bit better re my blog visits.

Love and hugs xxxxx

Here's a couple for ya. Not sure what I've done with my pics here but they dont look quite right, so please excuse the not- fab photography!!! Dreadful lighting - grrrr !!

This one is for this weeks Papertake Weekly challenge which is based on a sketch by the very talented Katharina. I used an Alota stamp - I so love these stamps - and coloured it in using Prismas. NOT happy with the colouring in, but there ya go!! The pink papers are Andrea's Kaboodle Doodles Pink & Blue paper pack, the grey stripey paper is PP, the ribbon is Poppicrafts and the cute lil button brads are Making Memories.

And just when you were thinking I had been surgically removed from my Martha Stewart border punch ..........

oooohhh no. Here is it again lolxx

This is a card I did for my niece Samantha and her partner Jim who have just had the most gorgeous baby boy. Welcome to the world, Haydn James.

The papers are PP and the frothy organza ribbon is from the very depths of my ribbon box and the ric rac is from Creative Pastimes. Button brads are Making Memories.

TFS and have a nice day xxxx