A ribbon topped recipe for Amelia!

Well I eventually managed to finish Amelia's birthday card just before leaving for the school run this afternoon..left my glossy accents drying as I shut the door!! Thank you to the Daring Card Makers for such great inspiration.

If you've already done your "Wrap it in Ribbon for Christmas" card and you're ready for a new challenge how about trying our Little Extra for this week. We're still playing with those wonderful Ribbon Oasis ribbons but this time we've got a Ribbony Recipe for you to play with.
The ingredients you need to use on your cards are:
4 brads/eyelets
3 circles
2 rectangles
and lashings of ribbon!
What sort of card you make is up to you this time - as long as you've got all those ingredients on there the choice is yours.

Here's how I made use of the "ingredients!"

4 Brads- x3 off-centred for flower centres, x1 to hold those scrummy ribbons!!

3 circles- cheated with these. I started off as just circles then I had the idea of using them as oversized centres of flowers!

2 rectangles-the backing papers and card

Lashings of ribbon!!Broke my heart using this lot, but at least I get to keep it in a way! Ribbon bunched with a brad in the corner, the stems and leaves of the flowers, used as a divider between the 2 rectangles, a little dash of ribbon on the greeting and lastly the little cat's collar!!!

We have carpet!!!!

Whoo hoo.....yes, carpet in our new bedroom, and curtains (thank goodness say the neighbours!) It wasn't fitted 'til gone 3pm this afternoon so we have rushed around this evening dismantling our bed and setting it back up in our new room. It's been a great day to have a bit of a "spring clean" too so all the bedding has been blowing around on the line and I have attacked everything in our new room with dusters and the hoover..again and again to try to make a start on getting rid of all this plaster dust!!! We even managed to give the bathroom another coat of paint today as Chris has had a days holiday!!! Shattered now though and it's Amelia's birthday tomorrow and I still haven't made her a card!!! Such a bad mummy!!

Seeing as I haven't a crafty installment from today I thought I'd share a card which I made for one of the girls in the Birthday group on Just Bex. It was a bit of a mad rush because of the postal strikes earlier this month but I have taken quite a liking to my new sizzix die!!

Watch the birdie!

Here is a Robin that I made up a while back for a competition. Seeing the quality of the winning entry I was quite embarrassed of my likkle birdie but thought it was a shame not to put him to good use!!! So here he is proudly fluffing his feathers on a Christmas card!!!

Feelling low!!

The weekend is over, we haven't stopped and there is still so much to do. The kiddies were tired and grumpy and are now fast asleep, I feel that I don't want to be too far behind them but we still need to get things ready for tomorrow.
We have almost finished our new bedroom ready for carpeting on Tuesday. The curtain pole needs to be put up and the door has been taken off it's hinges for me to stain and we have left that off until after the carpet is down. Hopefully we will start "moving in" on Tuesday so the slow process of decorating our old room & splitting the kiddies up again can take place!! There is clutter and dust absolutely everywhere!
Big progress was made over the weekend, most of the electrics are now in and functioning and the ceiling in the upstairs hallway has been plastered so the house smells of dampness. Tomorrow we have the plumbers back and hopefully tomorrow evening we will have our shower working and the downstairs toilet installed!!! I am just soo drained and need to keep focused on the positives of WHY we did this extension in the first place...but the mess is really getting to me as we are starting week 17 ( I think...I have lost count now!!)
Right my dinner is ready now, might pour myself a nice glass of wine too!!

DCM-Ribbons Galore!!!

After a miserable attempt at shoppiung this morning where I couldn't get hardly anything I needed for the kiddies, I resorted to shutting myself away from the builders and crafting. And what better excuse could I have than a ribbon challenge!!! I dithered around with so many ribbons and so many ideas I might need to do a few more attempts at this dare!!! Thank you once again for such inspiration!!

It's sooooo quiet!!!!

I have the house to myself, the kiddies have just gone to stay with Nanny & Grandad for a few days and there is not a builder in sight...what an ideal opportunity to craft you might say! BUT NO....instead I am painting.......















....woodwork!!! Hmmm!!!

Hope to find some crafty time later though, I've manged to knit a teddies leg over lunch but I have loads of cards I need to and want to make!!! Fingers crossed.

All there in Black and white!!

Tonight I have adapted one of my snow cards to meet a challenge set on Crafts by Carolyn.

CBC-Crew Challenge All there in Black and White.

"I know it's still September but October is only a few days away and then Christmas will be here before you know it... here's a chance to tick a Christmas card off your 'must make' list. We all sit down to enjoy the good old Black & White movies at Christmas so your challenge is to make a B&W Christmas card. You can use a metallic (gold or silver) to accent it if you want but no sneaking other colours in, OK? "

I was soooo tempted to add a dash of this or that but all I used was a few metallic rub ons and a metallic ink on the edges. I added some sparkle with a little irridescent glitter glue!!!

PS the red in the background is just the sheet of card I used as a backdrop...although I was tempted to stick the topper onto it!!LOL.

Goodness, this weeks goals!!

As another week has passed us by on the run up to Christmas I have looked at last weeks aims and failed miserably. I went off on a rather large Xmas tangent and pushed other priorities out of the way. MUST get back on track this week bgut it is nice to see my Xmas stock box growing!! I am still threatening myself with trying to organise a Fundraiser event for Kent Wide Down Syndrome Group...but I don't think I will ever have enough stock or the confidence to do anything about it!!

THis weeks goals are;
1 possibly 2 Birthday Club cards Birthday
card for DD (goodness she will be 6 at end of the month)
Birthday card for SIL
at least 2 Xmas cards
more knitting ongoing
MUST paint woodwork in bedroom-carpet being fitted next week!!!
Paint walls in dining room

Got a lot to do there, but if I don't try I'll never get there...where "there"is!!

Have a heart!!

This embellishment started life as a tree decoration but I wasn't happy with it so I salvaged it and stuck it on a card!!! Fits in nicely with one of the old Friday night challenges from JB challenges that I am trying to work through.

"We are being kind to you this weekend with this challenge. A nice easy one ......Please make a card using hearts."

And for today.....

...well not much actually. I am so drained with the kiddies being off of school, another round of bugs lurking around and the builders still coming and going!!!! Trying to deal with too many things and not making enough progress in any of them at the moment!!! But Rome wasn't built in a day was it!!!

My first "installment" is for the Just Bex, Big challenge 2- Hang it on the tree. I cheated a bit for this one as I dug out a Bucilla kit I ordered from QVC many moons ago, in fact I think it was before I had even got into card making. I have several more little felt shape all in various stages, some just cut, others have a few sequins on, and some like the little mitten were almost finished. Not really sure they are my cup of tea now but Jack and Amelia took an instant liking to them anyway!

Update pics!!

Sorry, cannot delete the pics of my SNOW cards for some reason..will try again later but for now I have taken a few pictures that are hopefully a bit better!!!

Let it SNOW!

Oh I have been a good girl (well ol' lady) today. Managed to make another 3 Xmas cards. This time it was for Challenge 14 ;

make a card using the word SNOW. so yup another Christmas card and anyone who makes 3 cards will get an extra loyalty point - remember YOU have LOADS to make

Sorry, pics are awful. Colours washed out under articificial light!!

Meet Frosty!!!

Just Bex Big Challenge 11- A Christmas Carol:

Your next Christmas challenge is to create a card with a Christmas Carol or song on.

Here is my attempt-meet Frosty the Snowman!!

Just Bex- Big Challenge 7- Polka dot spots

Considering the children are off school this week I am counting mysaelf lucky that I have finished even one card...and here it is. Might be the only one I do make mind you!!

I should be painting now!!!

Slap my wrist, left poor Chris to it for a while to finish off another challenge. This time I have completed the Just Bex Friday night challenge -Santa Baby.

"Your challenge is to make another five cards featuring Mr Claus himself ."

I really struggled with this as I have no Santa dies...and I am really not a stamper. All I can say is thank goodness for my CB embossing folders as I still haven't found my Chrissy papers in all the chaos!!!

Been sidetracked by Just Bex!!!

So much for my "to do list" for this week. I just can't resist some of the challenges on Just Bex BIG CHAALENGE. Here are my first attmpt at challenge 6- Tagged - say no more really!!

Blooming Xmas!!!

Just finished my attempt at BIG Challenge 3-Blooming Xmas over on Just Bex- had great fun with this one, might make a few more of these!!!

Mess but progress!

Got back from the school run (Jack in tow as it's his turn to be poorly now!!) To find this mess in my upstairs hall, don't think my Dyson is going to like that much!!!

BUT just to show you there is progress I have popped up a few pics of our new bathroom and bedroom. Still need radiators and electrics but it IS getting there slowly but surely!!!

Thank you, I need a smile!!!

Thank you Anne!!!!!! I'll set to compiling my list later!!! I have several that come to mind!

Trying to get organised!!!

My little "craft room" has suddenly turned into an office now the PC, printer/scanner, speakers have somehow found themselves at home on my workspace!!! I cannot complain, I use the PC a lot while I craft, mainly for inspiration,challenges or loading on pics. So it is very handy being so close by BUT I have no-where to work now!!! On top of that it now makes sense to keep all our personal paperwork and the Down Syndrome charity paperwork here too!! Arghhh, but where?

This is my current state......I have piled it high and struggled with a very heavy blanket box and a deep worktop....later hopefully I can show you what,if anything, I have achieved.

One down.......Paisley Crazy!!

Sat myself down today to make my dad's birthday card and despite having chosen the papers yesterday, it has taken me aaaaaages!!! I decided to attmept the Paisley Crazy challenge on Just Bex but I have ended up with a rather odd, abstract and a rather muddle of a card. Godness knows what my dad will think of it!!!LOL

Despite that I love the colours and I have another card off my to do list!!!

CBC Crew Challenge-Beary Special

I suppose my next priority SHOULD be my Dad's card but I fancied doing the Beary Special Challenge on CBC and and really getting into my Xmas cards at the mo!!! So this afternoon I have made this!!! I wanted to take piccie before the school run / light goes completely but if you look closely you can see I wasn't patient enough to wait for the Glossy Accents to dry!!!

Xmas Countdown Weekly Challenge!!

Now I am back up and "running" I thought it high time I set myself a few more goals for this week, especially as the children break up from school on Friday!!!

SO, this week I aim to; (and I will say, it is only an AIM!!)

1,possibly 2 November Birthday Group cards
Birthday card for my Dad
Birthday card for Amelia (OMG she will be 6 at the end of the month!)
Birthday card for SIL
at least 2 Xmas cards
more knitting
finish painting our bedroom
finish painting our dining room

oooo...better stop there!!!!

Been hiding out in my craft room

It's still rather hectic here, had 7 builders here yesterday and loads of "odd jobs" to finish off all over the house!! We are slowly getting there now and even our bathroom has tiles!!!!Yipppeee....I cannot wait for the builders to go so that we can start making it our home again.

With all the activity going on around the house I have locked myself away in my little craft room and tried to play catch up a bit with all the crafting I have missed out on. I finished off my "October cards" for the Birthday club on Just Bex and made a start on some Xmas toppers.

Here there are! 5 Xmas cards for the Just Bex Friday Night Challenge-Alternative Xmas.

This time, we'd like you to make 5 Christmas cards using patterned paper - but NOT Christmas-themed paper.

A few more!!

I have been using scraps of the spotty BG Oh Boy paper for some of my Xmas toppers so I thought it about time I tried some spotty dotty pink paper too!!

I am dreaming of a pink Christmas....

Here's a few I made earlier!

Most of my piccies are sitting on a disc and still not loaded but there are a few cards I have made recently that are still on my camera. I will try to load a few of them to prove I have not just been sitting twiddling my thumbs!

I have made 3 of these so far to use as Thank you cards for our local Down Syndrome Charity. I want to make another batch up so I am prepared for future fundraising!!! Yeah..ok...but I can pretend to be organised can't I!

Whoooo hooo....I am back!!!

I have missed this soooo much!!! Weeks ago we had a bit of a flood during the building works- no real damage to our lovely new extension, but our electrics took a bit of a battering. Basically the fuse tripped, I got back home from work desperate for a cuppa, flicked the switch back on and everything seemed OK...well until I tried to use the PC!!! Have been lost without it so yesterday we managed to get a replacement and very slowly we are struggling by to try to get it all set up again. It is so lovely to be back!!!
I have manged some crafting during the chaos, will re-load my camera software later and try to put some piccies on. I am aiming to play catch up on some of the wonderful challenges I have missed out on and set myself a little target on Tuesday.