Barry's birthday

Morning blogging buddies....
Hope you have had a fab weekend, I can't believe it's Monday already, at least I don't have to go to work tho!

Haven't managed any crafting or blogging this weekend as it was Barry's 50th birthday on Saturday, so we spent the day celebrating and yesterday recovering!
We took his parents out for lunch at the Osborne View and had some friends round for a BBQ in the evening, we had a wonderful time, it was early hours before the first people left and time we should have been getting up, not going to bed, by the time the last people left so think it was a success!

Here is the card I planned to make Barry, unfortunately I ran out of time, I got the basics made, as you can see but wanted to add photographs of special occasions we have celebrated together to the inner pages. Never mind I can add some photos of the day now, so not such a bad thing.
the papers are from Basic Grey Archaic paper pad and letters cut using Cricut, George & Basic Shapes. Finally got round to using the Bind It All I was given for Christmas, a craft item I just had to have otherwise my life wouldn't be the same without it - obviously!!



As his proper card wasn't finished, I had to make another one, but as time was in short supply it had to be a quick one, again using the good old Cricut, cartridge as before, and papers are Basic Grey Boxer paper pad.



I'm off now to catch up on some blogging and challenges, have a lovely day whatever you are doing, the sun is shining brightly as I type this, lets hope its here for the day!

Bizzy Becs DT call card

Look what dropped through my letter box yesterday morning..... so I set about making my card for the DT call for the Bizzy Becs Creatalicious challenge, (detailed on the previous post below)well a girl's got to try- I might get picked one day!

I treated myself to 3 of these lil babies the other day, this one is Manga Girl #1, from Funky Kits. I coloured her with copics, am loving these, especially since watching a tut the other day and discovering how to do the shading and blending.
Papers are from DCWV, Nana's Kids and Citrus stack. Blooms are an X Cut punch and SU! 5 petal flower punch. Brads & gems from stash.

Had better run and get my shower, looking forward to having my hair done this morning.

Hope to be back later, if not have a wonderful weekend.

New challenge launches 15 August

There is a great new challenge launching on 15th August and to celebrate there is some wonderful blog candy on offer and there is also a call out for 2 DT members. Why not visit Bizzy Becs Creatalicious Challenges for details.

What a challenge!!

You know when you're making a card and the finishing touches just won't happen? Had that problem with this card. I stamped and coloured the image with copics, thanks Rach, for the tip off, really enjoyed this bit but it just wouldn't come together with the flower in the top left and I couldn't decide on a sentiment so at 1.15am I decided perhaps I should go to bed and revisit it in the morning.



I'm really pleased with how it turned out, love the summery colours which reflect the weather here today, not like 4.00am this morning when I was woken by torrential rain and a thunderstorm!
I am going to enter this card for 4 challenges
Friday Sketchers - sketch
Cupcake Craft Challenges - beach theme
Creative Card Crew - under the sea
Papertake Weekly - 4 seasons, colour scheme reflecting the season



These are the copics I used to colour in this image, love using these pens but need more practice and more pens!

Recipe
Images - Lazy Summer Days Magnolia summer kit
Sentiment - Hero Arts set
Papers - DCWV Citrus stack, mirri card from stash
Colouring - Copic ciao as above photo, Tempting Turquoise SU! ink
Tools - MS border punch, SU! scalloped circle and large oval punches, 1/2" circle punch, Cricut George & Basic shapes cartridge
Am off to get some breakfast now, see you later.

Bargain watercolour paper at WHSmith

Didn't manage to post anything yesterday, couldn't get the laptop off of Barry, we are supposed to share it, but I do have it most of the time!

Just thought I would let you know about a bargain I got hold of today.
I was out shopping with my boys in Portsmouth, had to have a mooch around WHSmith and discovered a right bargain - Daler Rowney Watercolour Aquarelle paper on half price sale. I recently bought a pad of 16 sheets for £6.99 and this pad has 50 sheets 12" x 9" for £4.99. I resisted the urge to buy more than one, how I just don't know!!

Anyway off to make a card or two, will be back later.

Miss Anya at Passion for Promarkers

Here's my card for the challenge at Passion for Promarkers this week. The colours are Pastel Pink and Cool Aqua and there is a great sketch to follow.



I struggled to find papers to go with the pastel pink, but finally found one in a Kay & Co paper stack which I thought went quite well, discovered some gorgeous mulberry paper which had traces of the 2 colours of the week running through it, how lucky was that and some aqua coloured bazzil type card. I really love the Miss Anya stamps, can't wait to get my hands on the new set!
I was quite pleased with this card, it looks much better IRL, my photography skills are up to much and it looks quite plain in the picture. I will probably stamp the sentiment again in an aqua colour as the pastel pink doesn't show up very well.

What's a girl to do when there's no electricity!

More plastering today, but its finished now thank goodness, just need to wait for it to dry out, then the painting, the woodwork, new bannisters and new carpet. Confined to barracks again but without electricity!! Just managed to persuade myself that I really did need the new Sugar Nellie Manga Kids stamps, that are back in stock, went to go online to buy them only to find there was no internet connection :-(.
Was told it would be off for about an hour, 4 hours later I was chomping at the bit to buy new rubba, fortunately by the time I got online there were still some in stock so guess I'll be stalking the postman later on this week!

In the meantime I had to amuse myself crafting - such a shame ;-)



I am entering this card for 2 challenges,
- Copic Colour Challenge - which is to use BG02, RV02 & YG03. I had to use BG01 has I haven't got BG02 yet!
- Secret Crafter sketch challenge, a great one to work with.

The papers are from a Kay & Co pad I bought recently, coloured with copics with a bit of glamour dust for that little bling. The snowflakes were punched using a Martha Stewart punch, sentiment, large oval and scalloped oval punches from SU!

Quite funny really, made a summery card yesterday (for a DT call, so can't post it yet!) when the weather was drab and a Christmas card today when the sun was shining!

Looking forward to house to myself tomorrow, need to catch up on some chores and got 4 birthday cards to make for this week, August is always a busy birthday month in the Sinclair family!

Anyone for Anya - DT Call

I've just discovered there's a new challenge blog to be launched on 25 August, see below for further details.

Do you love The Greetings Farms's Anya and her friends?

Well if you do, how do you fancy being part of our design team?

We have a fabulous team in place, but we are currently on the lookout for some talented girlies to join us, so if you are able to commit to one card a week, and have a blog which you update regularly, then why not get in touch!! If you are NOT yet on a design team, please DON'T let that put you off.

Visit the Anyone for Anya blog for further info.

Trapped in my craft room!

I've been confined to barracks today as the plasterer was in skimming the walls and ceiling in the hall, stairs and landing, so I took advantage of this and shut myself in my craft room.
I managed some blog hopping, caught up on a few challenges, made a few cards and made some inroads into the pile of half finished projects!



This card has been designed with 2 challenges in mind, using the sketch this week on Papertake Weekly, and the theme of 'Floral Frenzy' at My Time To Craft.

I coloured Daisy using my distress inks, mounted onto various offcuts of card that were on my desk and Basic Grey papers as the base layer. I added a little bit of bling on either side of the main image and to the flower centres. The sentiment is from the Oval All set stamped onto shapes cut with the large oval and scalloped oval punches.

Another early start tomorrow as the plasterer is back, let's hope the weather is a bit better, with a bit of luck the plaster will dry out a bit quicker, I hate that horrible damp smell of new plaster.

Get Sketchy launches 14 August

There is a brand new challenge blog launching on 14th August. To celebrate the launch there is some lovely stash up for grabs - Cosmo Cricket papers - now who wouldn't like some of those? Why not visit Get Sketchy to check out the deets?