Some news over at DewDrop Craftz!

Yesterday saw the launch of another challenge over a DewDrop Craftz. It was Sarah's turn to challenge us and here is what she came up with.

'Anything but a card'So.. we'd like to see all your creations that aren't a card..
You do not have to use anything from DewDrop Craftz.. but would be great to see them if you do..The winner of this fortnights challenge will win a selection of 6 x 6 papers..

Pop over to see what the rest of the DT came up with and also check out the first releases of the fabby stamp designs by Sally-Ann Hancock more are being released soon so make sure you keep popping back to check them out.

Talking of the new designs Lilly & Flowers dropped through my letter box last week so how could I resist using her for the challenge!

With my confidence and mojo in tatters and no time or energy, I am struggling at the moment, quickly spending a few minutes to blog when I need to be studying for an NVQ assessment for tomorrow that I haven't even touched!!!! I threw this little Post-it note holder together yesterday!

Very quick and easy, nothing fancy. I simply measured for a square, roughly 1cm bigger than the post-it note pad, doubled it to form a rectangle and creased down the middle. Decorated the front and simply tied up with a pretty ribbon. I might pop some sort of hook onto it to hang as I am always losing them on my desk!

Dottie Digi Downloads- Shaped cards!

The challenge over on Dottie's World this week was set by the lovely Lou and this week the challenge is to Shape up!!!! Here's what she had to say!

"You might have spotted that I'm a bit addicted to making shaped cards so I've decided to go with what I love and challenge you all to make a shaped card using one of the Charmed digi stamps. When I say shaped I mean it can be any shape except the usual square or rectangle."

Lou is offering some candy this week so be sure to join in the fun!

Now I will be completely honest here...I have had very little time, very little mojo and what little confidence I had has completely vanished! I struggled with ideas yesterday and just had to go with something at the last minute as my life these last few weeks just hasn't allowed much crafting time.

Not at all happy with it but hey ho! Make sure you pop over and see the wonderful creations the rest of the Design Team have to show-you will not be dissappointed.

I need life to slow down a bit!

I am just not getting 5 minutes to myself at the moment and getting very little sleep I am just constantly shattered. I do however have some very good news....Amelia got a placement at the special needs school and starts in Juniors in September. Some of you may know that there were over 50 children applying for a place and only 6 slots available. We had geared ourselves up for another tribunal but thank goodness the letters and phone calls I made before the panel met where taken into consideration and it didn't come to that.


The bad news is that I really don't know how I am going to survive until September. Her current school have absolutely nothing in place after 4 and a half years so they are hardly likely to make any effort between now and July. She has had no therapy since the beginning of the month as the only member of staff with any training (who has a 25 minute daily slot with Amelia) is off sick. Amelia's behaviour is deteriorating as no-one has had any real training, the TA who has worked with her for a while now has reduced her hours and there is absolutely no structure or strategies in place, lessons are not being broken down to her level and the school are wondering why she is hiding under the table!!! LOL...if only they had the opportunity to read the statement I fought so many years to get...it would tell them all about avoidance strategies!

It's laughable really, the LEA are prepared to pay out all that money to send my daughter to a MLD school and provide transport....but they couldn't specify funding for training and resources at her mainstream school who are struggling financially so badly that they had to make all but 2 TAs in KS1 redundant last year. They only kept those two on because they had 2 statemented children!

I am being pushed to my very limit that I am once again considering pulling her out of school, writing to MPs, governors........and then they wonder why inclusion isn't working!

Sorry for my rant...I have to let off steam before I go to work this afternoon!


Lets get on with a bit of crafty catch up!



Yesterday saw the latest challenge released on the Copics Colour Challenge.

This week the colours are:

I was naughty and ordered R20 and RV04 in especially...well a girl can never have too many pinks now can she!!! I hadn't got E31 so I used E33 and E35 instead.

If you are very familiar with this image you may notice that I gave the girl a bit of a haircut...LOL...I was a bit heavy handed with my craft knife!!!

A Dottie Challenge on Mother's Day!

Hope all you mums out there are having a lovely day, I've had tea and breakfast in bed and just about to jump in the shower now! The sun is starting to burn through the mist and it looks like another lovely day ahead of us!

It is my turn again over on Dottie's World to set the challenge and here is what I went for!

Twice as nice.....

I would like you to use two or more charmed downloads on your creations this week. You can mix and match, duplicate an image, resize, whatever you fancy but I need to see two or more images!

Not at all my usual style...if I have one... and I am not at al sure of this card but it was fun to make anyway.

Make sure you pop over to Dottie's World to see the rest of the Design Teams stunning creations.

Copics Colour Challenge #5- Inspiration!

Today sees the launch of our fifth challenge over at Copics Colour Challenge - how quickly it has gone. This week we had a photo for inspiration.

I struggled deciding what image to use and eventually decided on Hamish and his tractor by Sugar Nellie. Not quite sure you wiull be able to see the inspitation but here is what I ended up with. LOL.

Pop over to the Copics Colour Challenge see what fabby example the rest of the DT have come up with and join in the fun this week to be in with a chance of yet another great prize-this time from Charmed Cards and Crafts!

DewDrop Craftz Challenge card!

A new challenge has been launched over at DewDrop Craftz blog. I set it this time, so please come along, join in the fun and be in with a change of some goodies too!

"This challenge has been set by DT member Adele.. and is a 'Layer By Layer' challenge..
This can be interpreted in many ways including matting and layering and even decoupage..
So as long as you have layers on your card.. you can enter it in this challenge. You do not have to use a DewDrop Craftz image although would love to see any of them if you do.

The winner chosen at random on the 29th March will win a selection of Zoomz and Flowers...."

Here is the card I made for the challenge using "Fairy Love" stamp, coloured with my Copics of course!LOL.

DewDrop Craftz Challenge card!

Dottie's World challenge and MAJOR blog candy!

This week over at Dottie's World it's the lovely Karen who chose the challenge and she has gone for a wonderful sketch. I am always very unsure of sketches- I think I try too hard to be exact...but I did stretch this one a bit with the three stitched kisses!

As well as having to use a Charmed Download here's what Karen had to say:

"The scalloped edge merely depict some sort of fancy edge. It doesn't have to be scallops but you MUST provide a fancy edge of some description, this is not an element that can be changed."

And here'e my effort:

I made the scalloped edged strip of card by cutting at up a square cut with my Nestabilities and seeing as Karen wasn't taking any messing about with the scalloped egde I decided to make a bit more of a feature with it by sewing on a few tiny little seed beeds.....well I had the needle and thread out for my kisses! I dithered around with this so much, wondering whether the large expanse of plain white card worked, or whether I needed to replace it with another patterened paper or even emboss it on the Cuttllebug, but eventually I decided to stick with it!

Paper by BasicGrey and coloured with my Copics.

Now not only is Karen generously giving away a prize for this week's blog challenge....and you do not want to miss out on a chance to win that.....she is also doing another fabby, fabby competition for a few Copics! Now when I say a few, I don't mean 5 or 10...I mean.....

72 Copic ciao markers!!!!!!

pop over to her blog to get details!!!!

Playing catch up again!

It's a been another long and stressful week in the Dingle household. I have only done a few sessions at work, but been playing catch up on my NVQ again as well as updating and typing out ALL our policies and procedures at work. It's been a slow process but bit by bit I am getting there.

Not much time for crafting at all this week although I have just finished a last minute order from a friend, will take pic and blog that later hopefully.

For now I wanted to share a few beautiful cards I received for my birthday last Saturday. I have blogged the "Charmed" cards on Dotties world today, but just couldn't miss out the card from Juliet! Thank you ladies they are beautiful!

Got so much to do in the way of crafting, I so want to get ahead of myself for some of the Design Team work. I also have Mother's Day coming up AND my mum's birthday next week. I have all these idea's in my head but just no time to do them!

I have been thinking of doing the cards for Mother's Day with a flap/pocket to enclose a voucher. I have seen some lovely designs doing this but I just haven't had the time YET! I have been looking at some of the vouchers over at Red letter Day, wouldn't it be great to receive something like that on Mother's Day....CHRIS....are you reading this? Hint, hint! LOL

Best get on, still have so much to do.

Copics Colour Challenge

Today the latest challenge has been set over on Copics Colour Challenge and this week the colours to play with are........

Panic set in at first as I only had one colour and they I spent ages dithering ...as I do...over what colours I should use as alternatives!LOL. I got there eventually and played with my new card for using my Copics on...and my new Label 1 Nesties...I've had them on order since the end of January so I was rather impatient to try them out!

I used Yo8,Y15, y17 for the yellows. V17 and BV04 for the violets and BG09, BG10 and BG15 for the blue/greens.

Pop over to see the stunning creations from the rest of the Design Team, you won't be dissapointed!

Another 18th card!

Just completed the card for the other 18yr old twin, I wanted to keep them along the same lines but still keep them unique to each of their interests. This time I went for a footie fans team colours and a George download!

and here are the two cards together.....still not really sure of them but hopefully they will like them.

Sunny Monday News and a card!

News...well more waffle probably but there is some news as well!




Firstly, you MUST pop over to Dottie's World for news of another great download collection just released. Holly and Madison - The World Tour, we have been seeing a few teasers for the last week and I have a few images prepared and all ready for the Copic attack!!! Fantastic collection.

Don't forget about the sketch challenge over on DewDrop Craftz, there's a £5 voucher up for grabs so don't miss out.

Also for you Copic fan, don't forget to join in this week's Copics Colour Challenge, it's a sketch challenge over there too with another prize up for grabs.....you have to be in it to win it.

Right, that my news/waffle and here's the card. This is one of a two card order for twin 18yr old boys....I am so unsure of cards for boys/men. I had to revert back to my prismacolor pencils for this one as the image was from a rubber stamped image swap and was stamped in Versafine....felt really funny NOT using my Copics...how quickly things change.

Dottie's World Challenge.

Before I tell you about this week's challenge I just want to say what a fabby, fabby birthday I had yesterday. I got a beautiful bunch of red roses, choccies, wine, socks, toiletries, a scarf, a CD, a DVD, money.....but the biggest surprise of them all was my very naughty hubby Chris who got me a fantastic ipod nano!!! (and some little speaker dock...sorry don't know the right termonology. Spent a bit chunk of the day yesterday playing with iTunes and organising my music. Yesterday evening my mum and dad looked after the children for a few hours and we went for a quick meal before mum got on her dialysis machine. A perfect day, feeling very relaxed now, just hope it can last a few days before the pressures of schooling crops up again!

Right that enough waffle I will come back later to show you some of the fantastic cards I received but for now,, lets get on with Dottie's Challenge!

This week it was Nicola's turn to set the challenge on Dottie's World!

Get the Feeling!

I would like to see some kind of fabric incorperated in the card or item, it could be felt,ribbon,lace,cotton etc and ofcourse a Charmed Cards and crafts download.

Loved this, despite having no mojo with the draining effects of the week, I love felt so I decided to dig out the bag from the depths of the cupboard and make up some simple little flowers. I really enjoyed the basic sewing on them too! Thank you for the challenge Nicola!

I used papers from Basic Grey, Sugared, lace from a RAK from the lovely Carole, hearm charm from Charmed Cards and Crafts, my new Nesties -label 1, and the wonderful Lady Pusskins Download from the Animal Magic Collection.

Coloured with my Copics of course: E33 sand, E35 chamois, E53 raw silk, E47 Dark brown, Y17 golden yellow, YR23 yellow ochre, YG95 pale olive and G99 Olive.

Rotten day!

Yesterday afternoon the school rang asking me to collect Amelia from her after school club as she "wasn't settling!" Well with no trained staff in place for most of the day and no strategies in place to support her it's just going from bad to worse.





I really struggled to take her in this morning but as we approached the school we were advised her support worker wasn't in, so in a moment of madness I just turned around and brought her back home with me. Then I had a 40 minute conversation with the LEA SEN advisor who wanted to tell me that they cannot promise Amelia a placement at the SN Junior School in September. I am not quite sure what to do but I just know that it cannot carry on the way it is. They have had her in the school for 4 and a half years and still nothing is in place-they just want to wash their hands of her now. Let's face it they are hardly likely to put anthing in place when she is leaving in July. Am I mad to even consider Home Ed, I don't think it will be right for either me or Amelia but do we really have any choice...what with that, supporting Jack towards his 11+, work, NVQ.........yes I am mad to even consider but I feel backed into a corner with no way out.





On a much lighter note Mr Postie arrived with the Nesties I had ordered back in January and some beautiful images that Maddy had stamped for me to use with my Copics! Thank you Maddy-you are a little darling! It's funny how I seem to have little guardian angels there to boost me when I am struggling. Thank you. xx

Copic Colour Challenge #3!

Over on Copics Colour Challenge today is the launch of Challenge #3 and this week it's a sketch.

Now I was quite apprehensive about this as I do tend to take sketches quite literally and panic if they are not exact (really must "loosen up!"LOL) what with that and it being my first card as part of the Design Team I was really unsure of myself and my little effort.

Despite that and trying to not be one who let's thing get me down, I took the bull by the horns and tried something different again! EEEK, not cutie...what ME!!

I took some Crafty Individual stamps, mixed in with a few primas, a bit of acetate and some K &Co paper and ended up with this! The lighting really wasn't very good but I had such fun using my Copics on these images.

Now don't forget to join us for Challenge #3 as we have another great sponsor prize up for grabs.

DewDrop Craftz Blog Challenge!

With the new site starting to take shape over at DewDrop Craftz we have decided to start doing a fortnightly challenge on the DewDrop Craftz Blog.

Yesterday saw the launch of our first challenge, a sketch challenge and here is my interpretation!

I used Gerdy, coloured with my Copics and paper pieced her little dress. You have until 15th March to submit your work and a £5 voucher is up for grabs to the randomly selected winner. There are some fantastic new designs about to be launched so get in quick!

Dottie's World- Inspire Me!

This week it's Juliet's turn to set the challenge and what a fabby challenge it is too!

Inspire Me!

"I don't know about you, but when my mojo has beggared off I often find inspiration from browsing photographs, so I decided to use this photograph of yummy looking cupcakes for the challenge this week.

You can take whatever you like from the photograph: you could focus on the colours, use a cupcake on your work or make a cupcake shaped card - it's up to you. You must include one of the Charmed downloads on your project and please tell us how the photo inspired you."

Now I just could resist the colour combination and set to work with mixture of pink tones mixed in with a few chocolately browns. YUM!

I loved this challenge thank you Juliet, I used Holly Pamper time from the Holly and Madison Download collection, coloured with my gorgeous Copics of course!!