My first challenge ......

...... and in keeping ... kind of ..... with mu recent Valentine theme.

My friend Karen always makes such beautiful cards and she enters them into challenges. Visit her blog via the link to see what I mean and also for a wee list of challenges to consider.

So, i decided perhaps I should have a go at this. I had, yesterday, the luxury of an hour to myself so I decided on two challenges to enter. Thought I wouold be cheeky and combine them so I could use the same card.

• Clean and Simple
• Simply Stamping

The Clean and Simple challenge was a sketch and the Simply Stamping was a clour combo: Not quite navy, very vanilla, early espresso and river rock. Not bad for my first attempt I suppose, def a masculine card though.

Now I just have to figure out how to link these back to the challenges, think I shall watch the end of this gripping tennis match first though.

Til next time ........ xx

Made in minutes ........

.......... literally minutes!!

see what I mean ........ take a piece of desingner paper, position it and bling it up a bit ............ nice wee quick and simple card. Love when this happens.

I was fiddling through the mountain of DSP that I have, because as you all know Sale-a-Bration is here! I need to make room for new papers. Ok, i know have lots and don't need any more but it's not a case of needing. I WANT THEM. I have a weak spot for DSP ....... there, i,ve said it. I just love them all and have to have them. Sometimes i just take them out and look at them, and then i don't want to cut them up ....... i wonder do DSP's have feelings? lol. Anyway, I came across the Sweet Pea paper stack from a while back and so this card is made from just a portion of one of the sheets. It's also in blue for a different colourway :)

Have you all decided on your fav SAB set? I haven't yet.

Maybe next time ............ xx

Lots more love ........

......... and more Valentines cards even though i will, of course, only be giving one.

Plain and simple again, just basic black, real red and whisper white. Label and word window punches used to full effect and for the first time I used my spritzer with a marker. Not sure if I like doing that, was hard to get used to the positioning but I suppose that will come with practice. Can you imagine the reaction if someone asked me what I was planning on doing for an evening ......... "oh, I'm just going to practice my spritzing" lol.

When I had my Cuttlebug out last week I found a wee box of embossing folders that came free with it. This is one of them. Cute don't you think? I just rubbed over it with real red chalk and layered it up with two punched labels. Now, since I have taken the picture I have realised that there is also a die cut in the box to cut out the postage stamp effect. I will use that next time for sure.

Hope you guys are all geared up for the Sale-a-bration, great opportunity for some new supplies.

'til next time ........... xx

A wee day off .........

......... and this is what I have been up to.

Very rare I have a day off this early in the year, i normally try to save my holidays for later or for when i have something that needs doing. Today however, is just because ......... i felt like having so 'me' time and believe me, that doesn't happen too often.

I haven't made this card with anyone in particular in mind, i was just futtering about. The colours are pool party, melon membo and whisper white. The stamp is from the Easy Events set ........ aren't cupcakes all the rage at the minute. Maybe i'll just send it to myself!

'til next time ................ xx

Love Is In The Air .........

Hey there,

Happy New Year everyone! I trust the festive season passed without too much drama and was enjoyed by all.

I have been speaking to a few people lately who, like myself, have very little free time at the minute. Each day whizzes by and sometimes I really do have to think what I have accomplished in any given day ...... if anything at all!

So, today I shall document just exactly what I have created ....... drum roll please .......

......... clean, simple and no fuss. I even deliberated over adding those wee hearts but I think they work ok. I'm quite proud of getting this done today, seeing I will have to keep it for a month before giving it to anyone. I am NEVER that organised. The heart is from the Polka Dot Punch set. I used real red ink and just used some clear goss embossing powder on it to give it a wee bit more texture. The circle is one of my cuttlebug shapes and although you can't really tell from the picture, I put it through the square lattice embossing folder. The sentiment is from the Occasional greetings set.

So that's that done ........ what else can I achieve today?

Happy Sunday people :) x

Birthday Bliss

Just breezing through on this damp and miserable Sunday evening. The only ones happy in this weather are the ducks!

So, the catalogue has been released and my wish list is already thiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssssssssss size, yes, it is huge! I have already received an order of new goodies but I am holding myself back from playing with them until I try to make some room in my already overcrowded space. This is how I have come to produce this wee card!

I STILL have quite a supply of card from before I started using Stampin' Up products. The red card is very close to cherry cobbler so i have teamed it with soft suede ink. I've used a stamp set from the sale-a-bration :) and then distressed everything. Took about 5 mins to put this together so I now have 6 of them. Would need to make about another hundred to dent my stash lol. Ah well, will keep trying ........ but not right now, time for Spooks!

Have a good week blogland.

Sunshine In The Rain

Now then, now then, what is it with this weather? We just don't know what it is going to do from one day to the next. We have had such a mixed bag this last while. But guess what we have for the weekend ...... rain, Rain, RAIN!

Why am i so concerned about the weather you ask. Well, i've made a decision that I need to get some fitness in. My dance class takes a break during the summer so i haven't really been doing a whole lot of exercise. Last weekend we went up the mountains, the Mourne mountains that is. We spent a good three hours hiking up towards Slieve Bignian, the kids loved it and so did I. We will definitely be going back.

This week I have been out cycling. This is something I did a lot when I was younger and before I had children. I really do love it and i do want to get in a lot more miles so I've treated myself to a new hybrid bike. Pick it up tomorrow so i'll be out on along the river giving it a wee test run.

Back to some craft, on this dreary 'summer' day, i have used some melon mambo and so saffron to brighten the day. It's amazing how many cards you can make from one sheet of designer paper. Some of it I textured using the lattice square. It came up well don't you think?

These are just a few photos, I did make more but I think you get the idea. I have been  inspired lately by the blog Less Is More . I had thought about entering sometime but you have to be able to link back to the blog ....... actually, this is my attempt at a hyperlink lol. Just testing to see if i'm able to do it ...... lets hope it works.

Happy Sunday everyone x