It's too quiet!

Blimey it's quiet in my house. I really miss my hubby and I can't wait for him to come home on Monday. Does that make me sad, mad or downright insane?
Of course by Monday evening when I've emptied his suitcase and sorted through all his dirty washing I'll be trying to remember why I missed him in the first place!
But the upside to no hubby is I've had much less washing and ironing - until he comes home of course - less cleaning and less cooking, which mean more playtime yay!
Unfortunately I can't show these cards just now, but here's one I made last week to send to my buddy Gayle for her wedding anniversary.

The image is of course a LOTV, a really useful one I think, I've used it for birthdays and thank you cards as well as anniversaries, I just stamp a different sentiment on the envelope.
DP is one of my favourite pads, Basic Grey Wisteria, I just wish I hadn't used the really dark purple one, far too dark in my opinion. A few pearls and nowt else.
I probably won't have the time to do any commenting tomorrow as I'm going to see my friend Linda after work, which also means I'll no doubt be feeling fragile on Thursday!

Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xx

Sugar Bowl Challenge 42

Yep it's Thursday and I'm back with another sweet  Sugar Bowl Challenge. The sketch for this challenge has been provided by the very lovely Lilian and it's a beautiful sketch , the option is pearls - one of my favourite embellishments - so I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge, thank you Lils!

We've another amazing prize - as always - to offer the lucky winner, 4 new Country Cousins for Christmas stamps, letraset markers and a new snowflake embosssing folder and die. We do have the best prizes around!

For my card I rotated the sketch again, I think I always end up rotating the sketch! Because I wanted to use this particular stamp. Yes, it's another one that's never seen any ink, I buy them and hoard them lovingly away! She's a very pretty little girl called Elise from the Home Grown range and available Here, the DP is from Memory Box available from Quixotic Paperie, the flower is made with a woodware punch and Nellie Snellen punch. She's been coloured with the usual DI's, and there's a liberal sprinkling of pearls added to the Martha Stewart punched border. Voila, done!
(I have been to the doctors about my suspected case of "lackofembellishmentitis" and he says there's no cure, so it looks like it will be with me for a while. I'm defintely liking the less-is-more thing.)

All the details are on the Challenge Blog and I hope you'll pay a visit to all the other sweeties.
Before I go I have some rather exciting news, Gayle (aka Sugar Mama) will be holding a little competition to add some new sweeties to our little family. All details on how to enter will be posted on the blog next week, so keep checking back!
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xx

My First Christmas Card......

......and probably my last! I'm sure I will make some more Christmas cards, but I never make half as many as I actually need. I always start with the best of intentions but simply run out of time.

The stamp is from Elzybells, sadly the business is closing, so if you're looking for a bargain there's a sale on with a massive 50% off. The DP is from the Spiceberry pack from Memory Box available from Elaine at Quixotic Paperie.  I've used the darker Kraft cardstock on this card for a change. The flower is a Prima, I've coloured with DI's as usual and I paper pieced her dress because I didn't like the colour I'd painted it. Her wings are very glittery, not that you can see it with my photo taking skills!

Right, I'm off to get ready for bed. We've had a jam packed weekend and I'm absolutely shattered!
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xx

Blog Award

I've got my laptop back tonight. Yey, I'm so happy! I didn't realise how much I could miss a piece of metal.
I just need to catch up on emails now, I've read them all but I still need to reply to a dozen or so.

I received this lovely, sweet award today from my very talented buddy Vicky. Please do bob over and take a look at all her gorgeous cards. Vicky creates the most beautiful and stylish cards and I love her work.

Now for the rules bit:
1. I need to thank the person that gave me the award- Thank you Vicky, very much appreciated x
2. Post the award on my blog.
3.Post 3 things I love about myself.
4.Post a picture I love.
5.Pass the award on to 5 other people.

That's the first two done. So 3 things I love about myself?
1. I love my family and my friends, and they are all a part of what makes me ME.
2. I love to make things, which in turn led me to start my blog (eventually) which opened up a whole new world to me, added lots of new friends and new opportunities.
3. I love my strength!  I've never thought of myself as being a strong person, but I have learned that at the times in my life when I have needed to be strong (or brave?) I have reserves I never realised I possessed

The photograph is when Hal took his black belt at Ju-Juitsu.

Now the very hard bit of listing 5 people to give it to, I know so many sweet ladies!
1.Trish
2.Paula
3.Sarah
4.Christine
5.Suzanne

Thank you again Vicky X
Right, I'm off to bed.
Thanks for looking.
Love Elaine xx

Just another Quicky!

I have been having some problems with my laptop for the past month or so. It keeps displaying a CPU fault and then it turns itself off. Which is very inconsiderate when I'm halfway through typing something! So my trusty computer guy is picking up my laptop tomorrow and will do a full strip down and clean and any necessary repairs. What that means of course is that I will be out of action for a couple of days (he says that all being well he will return it to me on Thursday). I can still read my emails on the computer at work, but for some strange reason my boss won't let me go a-blogging on company time? Big, old meanie!

I hope all my buddies up in Scotland have had a nice day, and probably child free? Aren't the schools open again now? Hal doesn't go back until September 8th!
Thank you for all your good wishes and comments about his arm, which is fine and now missing 2 stitches, they fell out last week!
Take care and I'll be back soon - hopefully.
Love Elaine xx

Sugar Bowl Challenge 41

Good morning everyone.
It's Thursday again and time for a new Sugar Bowl Challenge.The sketch has been provided by the lovely Marlene and the option is "Something Old/Something New".

 

The image is called Moonbeams by Leanne Ellis available here,she's been coloured with the usual DI's. The papers are Kaisercraft Peek-a-boo from The Hobby House, the sentiment is from an Elzybells clear stamp set. No flowers again! I think I'm ailing something? Just a few adhesive pearls.
I thought I would go with the "Something Old" option as I'd had this stamp and the papers quite a while, but maybe it should be "Something New" as I've never inked the stamp before (shame on me again) or used the papers either.

Another amazing prize again for this challenge. A set of 4 new Christmas Manga stamps and a set of Nestabilities dies of your choosing.
As always, all the details will be available on the challenge blog and don't forget to visit all the sweeties for some inspiration.
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xx

Just a Quicky!

Evening everyone, just a quick post. Thank you ladies for sending me your address's so quickly.
If you sent your address yesterday then your parcel was posted today, if I got your address today then your parcel will be posted tomorrow.
I've now got some space again in my craft room, just in time for the GNPE at Harrogate, Oh I can't wait!
I haven't had a chance to wander in blogland tonight, been busy packing parcels, and I didn't get a chance last night either, so please don't be cross if I've not been to visit you.
Last night Hal came home from being out with his friends, they'd been making a "Human Pyramid", until Hal fell over and cut his arm on a rock. So we cleaned it up, and it didn't look too deep but it was quite wide. You couldn't get the edges of the wound to meet up, so after a bit of thought we decided a trip to A&E was on the cards. 3 hours later, 6 stitches, 1 tetanus jab and a course of antibiotics and we were back home again.

The cut is on Hals forearm, just under his elbow. Silly Boy!
Right, I'm off to get ready for bed, I'll be back in the morning with a new Sugar Bowl Challenge card.
Thanks for looking.
Love Elaine xx

Craft Room Clearout.

ETA.Thank you everybody, everything has now gone.
Sorry I'm so late, it's been one-of-those-days, again!
After my craft room clearout, these are the bits that need new homes. If anyone wants them, then please leave me a comment or email stating what you want and your email address if you don't have a blog so I can contact you. UK residents only please as they are free and I'm paying the postage. Stamps first:

Changito Bouquet. ETA This has gone.

Changito Chef. ETA This has gone.

Changito Golfer. ETA This has gone.

Changito B-day ETA This has gone

Changito Amigos. ETA This has gone.

Penny Black Rumble in the Jungle. ETA This has gone.

Penny Black Stressed. ETA This has gone now.

Penny Black Got Love ETA This has now gone.

Penny Black greetings. ETA This has now gone.

Penny Black This and Every Year.ETA This has now gone.

6 x 6 DP Pads.
Basic Grey June Bug. ETA This has gone
Basic Grey Indian Summer. ETA This has gone
Basic Grey Nook & Pantry. ETA This has gone.
Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride. ETA This has now gone.
Cosmo Cricket Material Girl. ETA This has gone.
Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety. ETA This has gone.
Memory Box Glitterati. ETA This has now gone.
I'm 90% sure all these pads are new and unused.

I've also got 2 tins of Maya Road naked chipboard, Blossoms and Blossoms 3. ETA These have gone.
Lastly, I bought the SWALK stamps off Crafters Companion and it also came with a CDROM with backing papers etc, I know I will never use the CD, so if anyone wants that. ETA The CD Rom has gone.

Thanks for looking.
Love Elaine xx

I'm Back!

Hello Hello Hello I'm back!
I've had a lovely week off work and I've been nowhere. Just pottering about in my jammies for a whole week! I made a big effort not to turn my laptop on, as I go wandering off in blogland and before you know it the whole day has simply vanished before my very (square) eyes, and I had a large pile of jobs I wanted to work my way through. I have managed to get most of them done, the main one was my craft room. I started a clear out back in May and I wanted to finish the rest of the room off. I've got a nice little pile of DP pads and some stamps that need putting up for adoption, I just need to list/photograph them and I'll post them either tomorrow or Tuesday.
I did manage to make a couple of cards too, always a bonus when I get a little playtime.

I made this card for my sister-in-laws special birthday which was yesterday.
Happy 60th Birthday Lorna!! I just love Stella stamps, she's such a fun lovin' girl. I bet you must be fed up of seeing this paper line, but thankfully I'm getting down to the last bits of it now. I did intend to use BG Wisteria pad but I was too heavy handed with the purple inks so it didn't really match.
Image is Stamping Bella Stella with an Olive, DP is BoBunny Jasmyne, she's coloured with DI's, and I've thoroughly glossed her big, fat red lips and the olive.
Another card with no flowers, I think I must be ailing something!
I'm off to have a good old nosey at what you've all been up to in my absence.
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xx

Jolly Hols

Just popped on quickly as I forgot to mention I'm on my jollies this week. I didn't want anyone to think I'm being rude by not commenting!
I should be back in action tomorrow or Saturday.
Hope you're all having fun in blogland.
Love Elaine xx