Rumbles of Thunder!

Whaaaa! Last night I didn't get a wink of sleep due to the extreme weather. The thunder and lightening here was impressive, it kept me awake to the point where at 4am I was actually watching the storm through the window. It doesn't scare me, I feel safe indoors but the rumbling thunder and lightening strokes were enough to keep me from sleeping. I did think about doing a card but as I had to get up for work at 6am I decided that maybe it wasn't the best idea! However, I managed to do this little card last night...


The close up shows the details better. I've used glossy accents on the WISH and on her hair. The glitter stars are done using a dot of glitter glue then dragging away from the middle with a pricking tool...


I'm entering the card in the Stamp Something challenge, which is "Pink Birthday Somethings". They're also looking for DT members so maybe I'll put myself forward?

Ingredients:
* Stamp by Leanne Ellis from Sugar Nellie (coloured with markers/chalks)
* Sentiment stamp is from Penny Black
* Paper is from Rayher
* Ribbon is from Dovecraft
* Flower is made using Woodware flower punches

Thanks for popping by, better dash as loads to do before I'm off to work again!

In your thoughts

Good morning and hello to all my blogging friends! I have two cards to share with you today, both with a "Thinking of You" theme. The first one is for this week's Just Magnolia challenge "In Stitches" where you have to include stitching, faux or real on your card...


The stitching around the edge is real and took ages to do, and Tilda also has some stitching on her dress. You can see better here...


I've also tried my hand at decorating the inside of the card, not sure about this one, but there is some stitching (faux) on the square message panel and also on the cherries, although it's hard to see from the pic...



Tilda has been watercoloured with brush markers, papers are Doodlebug, sentiment is Penny Black and charms etc are from The Hobby House.

My second card today is also a thinking of you card, although less cheerful. It's for my friend who has recently lost a relative. I'm not good at sympathy cards, but thought this would be ok...



Tilda is coloured with w/c paints, sentiment is Cuddly Buddly, papers are Basic Grey Sugared and ribbon is Doodlebug.

Well, no sunshine here today, hope Mr Sun comes back for the weekend as I've got the full weekend free, no WORK! I'm hoping to get lots of crafting done, and also prepare my blog candy.

Thanks ever so much for popping by, I know how time is scarce so I really appreciate it all your nice comments!

Touchy Feely Card

Good afternoon everyone! The challenge over at a Spoonfull of Sugar is called "Touchy Feely" where you have to make something with texture. So here's my card for this, I kinda struggled at first as I don't have any puffy paint etc, but got there in the end...


I've used an Elizabeth Bell image from Sugar Nellie, coloured with watercolours (haven't used them for ages). The green paper has a velvet texture (not seen on photo) and the stitches are real! I've also added the sentiment which is embossed on the Cuttlebug using the "YOU" embossing folder. I've tried my new spacers from The Hobby House, which I love! I also added a little charm from my stash. Ribbon is Artemio. I've decorated the inside but forgot to photograph it, durghhh!

Happy Mail

Good evening! This week's challnge over at Cute Card Thursday is "Happy Mail" where you have to make a card to cheer someone up or make their day. What a great challenge! We could all do that for someone, I know I for one have just a few cards lying around which could be put to good use. I made this card with my new Cuddly Buddly stamp...


The papers I used were Basic Grey Sugared, flourish stamp is from Autumn Leaves, and the main image and sentiment is Cuddly Buddly, ribbon is Doodlebug.

There is another reason for this challenge, as Vikki who runs Post Pals contacted Cute Card Thursday and said...


Hello, I read that you do card challenges and I wondered if you would consider doing a challenge with a twist.

I run Post Pals, we feature seriously ill children (most have cancer or are going through transplants) and their siblings on our website www.postpals.co.uk and invite members of the public to log on from around the world and send a card to a child. The aim is to make the child smile, but we have found it also helps their self esteem and parents often open them with a child during a procedure to distract them.

At the moment we are helping 120 children but they aren't getting much post.

I was wondering if you would do a challenge, instead of people just scanning in their card for the theme but they actually make one for a Post Pal child and send it off.

I can't begin to tell you how much receiving a card means when your ill and isolated.

Thank you,

Vikki



ps)You can see a video about what we do here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l42sKtdPXrw

I've just been onto the Post Pals website, and read a few of the stories (although unfortunately there are lots of ill children), which brought tears to my eyes. So if you can spare a card, then it might just make someone's day!

Just Magnolia & Penny Black Challenges

Hi everyone! Just a quick post tonight as off to bed, promise I won't go on! Just thought I'd better post my card for the Just Magnolia Challenge, a fab sketch from Bev this week! As usual at the moment, it's last minute for me yet again...


I must apologise for the awful photo, but I have to blame the camera and rubbish lighting...nothing to do with me of course! Tilda is coloured with Distress Inks, papers are Papermania Creative Tones Venetian Skies, buttons are from my hubby's shirt (well it was getting thrown out so I couldn't waste the buttons), wool from stash. I shall put a sentiment on it at a later date.

The second card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, where you have to use 3 shapes on your card. Well I think I have safely covered that what with the Nesties, die-cuts, buttons etc...


Image is of course Penny Black, paper is DCWV, die-cuts are Sissix, sentiment Cuddly Buddly, rest is from stash.

Hope to get time to do a bit of blog hopping soon! Almost the weekend, hope you have a great one.

Charming Butterflies and Bank Holidays!

Hello everyone! Well firstly hope you all had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, especially for those of you who were lucky enough to be off work. Now there's something that gets me on my soap box, why do we call them Bank Holidays? I don't mean literally the meaning of this, but the fact that although the original reason for these days was to have a day's holiday, we seem somehow to have lost this along the way. How many of you end up having to work on a so called "Bank Holiday"? In May there are 3 (French) Bank Holidays, and although I would love to spend them with my o/h, I find myself working 2 out of 3 of these days! The only B/H I didn't work was the 1st of May, but only because it happened to be during my week's holiday. Our employers seem to be getting more demanding, and more of us feel we have little or no choice to say NO! STOP! If you choose to work the B/H then that's different, it was YOUR CHOICE, not an obligation! Work can be hard to come by nowadays, and so those of us who have jobs are like puppets, where the employer pulls the strings and we dance...ok not all employers are like this but I feel the more tolerant ones are in the minority. Sorry to go on about this but I think it's a shame we no longer have a right to a day off! There, that's said, I'll get down off my soap box now!!!

On the subject of lack of time off, I thought I'd do a card for the Stamp Something Challenge this week, which is "Something for a mom", as a mother never seems to get time off!


And a close up of the charm...


I used:
-Image and Sentiment stamp (both Penny Black)
-Brush Markers to colour
-Paper is Daisy & Dandelion "Pumpkin Patch"
-Charm etc from stash

I've not done many cards with charms, but love the effect so I've ordered a few goodies for myself, so hopefully will be back later in the week with another "charming" lol card!

Take care and thanks for popping by!

Anything Goes

Just a very quick post tonight, have been out gardening all afternoon (it's Bank Holiday in France - May Day) and so a relaxing evening is in order! I have planted loads of seeds that my SIL sent me over from UK, so hope they'll germinate ok - I'll keep you posted!

Here is my card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, I'm just in the nick of time as the challenge is due to change tomorrow. The theme is "Anything Goes", so I used a couple of PB stamps I've had for a few months but not used yet...


I used:

-PB "Friendly Surprise" stamp
-PB "Heart & Thoughts" stamp
-Paper and ribbon from Papermania
-Sissix Corner Die
-Flowers from Prima