A Spoonful of Sugar Challenge 36 - Love is in the Air

It's been ages since I managed to get a card done for a challenge, but I'm in the process of completing quite a few at the moment (I don't know what's come over me!)
This is the first one and is for this week's Spoonful of Sugar challenge which is:
Love is in the Air
We would like you to create a card or a gift for someone special.
I thought that this little girl looked like she may be about to post her valentine card, so I hope that she may fit the bill for the challenge.
I decided to use brown chalk to tone down and distress the white scalloped mat and I think this was definitely a mistake!

Card Details:
* Image - Penpal from Sugar Nellie
* Coloured with Letraset Pro-markers
* Papers - Amy Butler from K & Co.
* Sentiment - 'Amore' sticker from K & Co
* Punch - Lace Doiley from Martha Stewart
* Scalloped oval mat - Nestabilities
* Ribbon from Poppicrafts
* Pearls from Joanna Sheen

I've been tagged!

I was having a browse this morning whilst eating my brekkie and found that I'd been tagged by my fellow Sheenie and blogging friend Lorraine, I've never been tagged before so this is a first for me!
The rules appear to be: Go to where you keep your pictures, pick the 6th picture from the 6th folder and explain it, then choose six more bloggers to tag.
OK, this picture was one of many taken last June, when DH and I were having a day out at a lovely National Trust property called The Vyne. We have been NT members for ages and always visit lots of places if we go away, but had never paid a visit here before and it's only a short way from where we live! I suppose that's always the way, you never visit places on your own doorstep.
Now for the 6 people I have to 'tag' (in no particular order)
Ann, Irene, Beryl, Ann, Wendy Jenny


I've just discovered that Jenny has given me the Kreativ Blogger award, so thank you Jenny. I'll pop this on my blog for any of my visitors to take, as I find so much inspiration from everyone's blogs.

Modern Girl About Town

I felt like making a 'modern' style of card today, so decided to use one of the downloads from Charmed Cards & Crafts - 'Girls about Town' range.
I thought I'd make this into a DL sized card as I haven't made any of this size for ages, I usually stick to square cards these days, but this made a nice change.

Card Details:
* Image from Girls about Town - Charmed cards and crafts
* Image coloured with Pro Markers
* Backing papers, ribbon and gems from stash
* Little ovals - Nestabilities
* Sentiment made on PC

Sorry that I've scanned it a bit lopsided, I hadn't noticed until I just uploaded the image to the blog!

Awards Galore!

I was just browsing this morning while having my porridge and saw that I had received some more awards from blogging friends.
Thank you so much to:
Wendy and Sue - for the 'Beautiful blog' award
Kym - for the 'Your blog is Fabulous' award.
Please take time to visit these ladies' blogs as they make fabulous creations. They are all fellow 'Sheenies' so that should give you an idea of the standard of their work, need I say more?

Oops!! Late again!

I made this card for Basic Grey challenge no. 18, as the very talented Kim had allowed us to download her images to use in the challenge.
I actually finished the card yesterday, but as I was sure that the new challenge started on a Sunday, I thought I'd make the posting today. Well, I've just popped over to get the link, only to find that the challenge actually finished yesterday and I'm now too late to enter!
As I'd already started this posting, I'll just post my card here anyway. I must make sure I enter any future challenges by the deadline date!

Card Details:
* Backing papers by Basic Grey
* Downloaded images by Kim
* Sentiment designed on PC
* Border strips and gems from stash
* Images coloured with Pro Markers

A Brand New Award

I feel very lucky today, I have just received a gorgeous award which is brand new. I've received this from my dear blogging friend Ann, who was one of the original five people to receive it from Ali.
The idea behind this award was explained by Ali like this,
"I've decided that I'm going to present an award of my own. It is the 'Beautiful Blog' Award and it should be passed on to 5 people who have inspired you and helped to make your blog what it is ."
Well the person who initially helped me make my blog what it is, was actually Ann herself, and if it hadn't been for her patience, reassurance and encouragement I'd never even have got as far as my first posting!
In view of this my 5 people are as follows:

Ann - for helping me set up my blog, explaining the whole thing and never getting fed up with my endless cries of woe!
Cynthia - for introducing me to the wonderful world of challenges and giving me a good 'talking to' when it was needed!
Edna - for being a never ending source of inspiration and making sure her tutorials to me were in words of one syllable (or less)!
Wendy - for introducing me to the land of "Cuties" and thereby starting an addiction I never thought I'd have!
and last but by no means least, Becky - for boosting my confidence no end by asking me to become a DT member on her wonderful challenge blog!

To all of you ladies, I am so grateful for your friendship. I'd also like to thank the numerous other bloggers who have helped me along the way, what a great bunch of people you all are!

I've also received this same award from some more blogging friends, Jane and Beryl, thank you so much.

A Sympathy Card

Well, as promised I made it back to post a card today, although not one I wanted to make.
I find sympathy cards so difficult, luckily I don't have to make them very often. However, our best friends have just experienced a very sad loss so I had to make one today.
I wanted to use a tranquil image and decided on this Serendipity stamp called 'Spring in Provence' which I purchased ages ago from Joanna Sheen's website. I love this range of stamps and they look lovely when stamped and left, but I decided to colour this one in earthy tones.

Details:
* 'Spring in Provence' stamp by Serendipity from Joanna Sheen
* Backing papers - Laura Ashley
* Scalloped circle - Nestability
* Sentiment tag - part of a kit from QVC
* Borders - border punch from Ebay
* Image stamped with Distress Inks and coloured using Pro Markers
* Scalloped circle distressed with Dew Drop 'Pearlescent Beige'

I don't often stamp as I'm not very good at it, but I think I may have to buy some more of this range when I get some funds!

More Awards!

There are lots of lovely awards going around at the moment and I've been lucky enough to receive a couple more, so thank you very much.
I received the One Lovely Blog award from Irene and Ann, I'm very honoured that you thought of me ladies.
The cute Hugs award was also from Ann, The award is given in appreciation of lovely and witty comments and for always knowing the right thing to say at the right time....thanks Ann, there's nothing nicer than receiving hugs from your crafting friends!

Please pay a visit to these ladies' blogs as they are fabulous! They both make such wonderful creations, with lots of embossing from Irene and lots of cuttlebug gorgeousness from Ann, just make sure that you're comfortably settled with a cup of coffee before you start as you'll be there for ages!

I'm hoping that I'll be back later today or tomorrow to actually share a card! I know......don't faint!
I've actually got a few ideas swimming through all that treacle in my brain at the moment, so if I can remember what they are by the time I get into my craftroom I may be in with a chance ha ha!

Two Awards!

I have been given awards by some wonderful fellow bloggers and I'd like to say a huge 'Thank You' to them all. I really appreciate this gesture, especially as they are such talented people. I've listed the details below, so if you haven't been lucky enough to have already found their blogs for yourselves please take a look, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Kreativ Award - thank you Edna, Gail and Wendy
Encouraged Award - thank you Rica

I hope these ladies don't mind if I offer these awards to other visitors to my blog who may not have already received them.
I'm afraid my favourite blog lists are now so long that it's impossible to choose just a few people to receive the awards. I love all of the blogs I try to visit regularly (which may be why I seem to have less and less time left for crafting these days! LOL!)

Sketch and Stash Challenge #2

Hi everyone, well it's time for Becky's second sketch over at the Sketch and Stash Challenge Blog, and it's another fabulous one!

Please pop over and take a look at the DT cards from Becky and Lisa and try to find time to enter if you can. We had a fabulous response to our first challenge and it would be lovely to get a similar response again this time.

For Challenge 2 we have a Guest Designer spot available for Challenge 3 and Challenge 4. If you would like to be considered please add GD to your comment. And don't worry about "not being good enough" that doesn't apply at Sketch and Stash!! The GD call will close at Midnight on Friday as this will give the Guest Designer a full week to create their card, but you can continue to enter the challenge for fun until our next challenge on 2nd Feb.

As I've been totally out of ideas for a while, I decided to use the sketch as the basis for my nephew's 6th birthday card and so 'kill two birds with one stone' so to speak, hence the sentiment and name on my card. As little Robert has recently started wearing glasses I thought 'Back to School' Edwin might be the perfect choice for him.
Edwin, along with the fab swing, are both Magnolia images that I hadn't managed to use yet, but as Rob is 'all boy' I wanted to keep the card as plain and simple as possible.

Card Details:
* Backing papers and border strips from my stash
* Magnolia Edwin and Tree from an image swap
* Images coloured with Pro Markers
* Sentiment produced on PC

I'm feeling a little brighter lately, (I'm sure this probably has something to do with all the messages of support and encouragement that I've been receiving from you all) so I'm hoping that I'll be posting and blogging regularly again very soon. I've managed to visit all my favourite blogs in the last couple of days (my you've all been busy!) and gained some much needed inspiration, in fact I think I might hear my little Mojo knocking at the door now! (Thanks to my friend Rica who sent him home to me after she found him wandering around her local park eating a hot dog)

Thank you all

When I posted my 'apology' message yesterday I never for one minute expected to get so many wonderful messages of encouragement!
It never ceases to amaze me how many caring and supportive friends I've made since starting to blog and I'd like to thank all of you.

I have also received the Encouraged award from Ann and Gail, thank you so much both of you. Please take a moment to pop over and take a look at their wonderful blogs.
I'd like to pass this award on to all the people who visit my blog, I really appreciate your taking the time to leave such lovely comments and I especially appreciate your friendship.

Apologies!

I'm so sorry that I've been such a bad blogger lately, I've also been a very bad crafter as I haven't been doing any!
No real reasons, except that I have been a bit 'down in the dumps' which means I don't get any motivation or ideas. I get like this every now and again, especially at this gloomy time of year, but I'm sure I'll be back to normal soon and then you'll be sick of my postings and cards LOL!
I've also missed visiting my favourite blogs, and I'll be putting that right very soon as I'm sure you'll have all been busily making gorgeous things and it will take me hours to catch up with everything.
I will be posting next week as it will be my second DT challenge over at Sketch and Stash, I hope I can come up with an idea before then!

My First DT card

I hope you will all be able to take part in the Sketch and Stash Challenge which starts today. You have two weeks to come up with a creation based on Becky's wonderful sketch, so not too much of a rush for you.

This is my first DT card and to say that I was nervous about making it is definitely an understatement! I think this was about my third attempt at something for the occasion, and although I still wasn't that happy with it, I had to make do as that naughty little Mojo still hasn't made an appearance following the Christmas festivities!

Card Details:
* Image and borders - Card Creations 'Strictly Card Dancers'
* Swirly stamp for cardstock - part of a Dawn Bibby QVC kit
* Backing paper - Hot off the Press
* Embellishments - K & Co
The embellishments haven't scanned very well and IRL they are the same colour green as the borders and the female dancer's dress.

Don't forget you can use any medium you like for this challenge, it can be CDs, downloads, whatever you like. It doesn't have to be stamping, it just has to be fun!