Just A Little Candy Winner and an Award.

Firstly today, a big Thank You to everyone who entered my little candy. Sadly there can be only one winner for this candy and Mr Random.Org did his job this morning and picked.....

Congratulations Mandy, if you can please EMAIL ME with your postal address and I'll get these popped in the mail on Monday.

Last week I received a very sweet award off the sweetest lady in blogland - Shirley. More commonly known as Nannieflash. I know that Shirley knows lots of lovely bloggers so it's an extra special treat that Shirley chose to pass this on to me.

Now I have to tell you 3 sweet things that have happened to me. Now this is hard to do as I have lots of sweet things that have happened to me.

1. The very sweetest thing has to be my lovely boy. I loves him to the moon and back, and as I type this I am eagerly awaiting his return from the school skiing trip to Austria. There will be big hugs this afternoon, like it or not. Yes I will like it and Hal will probably not! But I WILL be having big hugs - or else there will be NO special meal for him! It's called blackmail, but I'm fine with it.

2. I have the sweetest husband ever. I loves him to the moon and back too. Oh he can be a grumpy old man sometimes, but he's MY grumpy old man, and I shall be forever in debt to my old friend Vicky who introduced us to each other more than 20 years ago. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry, occasionally he makes me want to throttle him! But most of all he makes me happy, comfortable and content.

(And he does give me nice, fat wads of cash for the craft show ha!)

3.Lastly, sweet things happen to me regularly from the lots of lovely friends I've made in blogland. These things vary from a phone call, a text, an email, a card in the post, a crafty parcel in the post, and lots of lovely comments. All these things are sweet and all are appreciated and brighten my day....thank you to all my friends and visitors.

Now the hardest part of this is to pass it on to three other sweet bloggers. But I know so many sweet people!

So in no particular order I would like to pass this on to:

Amanda from Cards,cats and copics. Amanda is the sweetest gal ever (if a little nutty around the edges!) She always makes me laugh and she also makes the most beautiful cards...go pay her a visit!

Maria from Me, myself and scrapping. Maria is a Sugar Bowl Sweetie and loves sweets too!

Donalda from Enjoying the journey. Donalda is one of life's sweet souls.. She always has a kind word for everyone.

Ok, now I'm off to get ready for the return of my boy yippee!! And then I'll be loading and re-loading the washing machine booooo!

Ooops nearly forgot to say...the Pay-it-forward challenge, if Kim and Sharra aka Sharrahug could please EMAIL ME with your address's so I can post off your handmade something - when I've made it!

Thanks for looking

Love Elaine xxx

Just A Little Candy....

This post will stay at the top, please scroll down for any newer posts.
Did you miss me then? What do you mean NO!
I've not been near my laptop in a week, all thanks to my darling boy and his generosity when it comes to sharing...bugs! Yep, I've had Hals viral infection with the additional extras of tonsilitis, sinusitis and stomach cramps. Now I know why Hal felt so poorly, I went to bed last Thursday and apart from toilet breaks, I didn't venture out of bed until Sunday evening. I'm starting to feel a little better now but the light from the laptop screen still hurts my eyes and makes them water so I'll keep this relatively short and sweet.

OK, onto the candy, just a little candy this month for you. I asked last month if you had a choice between three brands of rubber (Sugar Nellie, LOTV or hAnglar) which you would prefer. The answer seems to be that the lovely bloggers I know are quite happy with any of the brands. Since January saw LOTV stamps on offer then this month will see.....

Two little hAnglar lovelies, all dressed up ready for Winter and the cold weather and.....

 Simply Sassy Bad Hare Day.

Simply Sassy Best Witches.

Simply Sassy Call me.

All stamps are brand spanking new and unmounted. In order to enter all I ask is that you are a follower. The candy is open worldwide but I am not responsible for any customs/duties that some countries impose.

Candy will end on Saturday 26th February at 9am UK time. To enter please click on the blue froggy.

Thanks for looking, love Elaine xxx

Pay it Forward.

I have been so busy again these last few weeks that I've not had much spare time to keep on top of my blog, and I have some things I really should have posted sooner!
Back in January  SuzieQ posted these little dudes...

Awwww, ain't they cute, sharing the love around? Well I entered Suzie's Pay-it-Forward challenge so here I am today posting it on my blog. The first five people to leave a comment will receive something in the mail off me. The rules state is has to be handmade by my own fair hand and I have to send them out anytime before the end of 2011 - that's a good job with me being sooooo slow! If you are one of the first five names then you have to promise to post this on your blog and send something to 5 people and so it continues onwards.
If you fancy joining in then please leave a little comment after this post, though be warned, whatever I make will not be half as elaborate as the gorgeous gift I received from Suzie!

I'll be back sometime tomorrow with the candy winner.
Thanks for looking
Love Elaine xxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 54

Aaaahhhhh....I just love Thursdays when it's a Sugar Bowl sort of Thursday.
The sketch for challenge 54 has been provided by the most Sweetest gal ever, the lovely Lilian, and it's a fabby sketch as always, and you can place your image wherever you like. The option should you wish to use it, is a nice and easy one - Clean and Simple.
This card did NOT turn out how I'd planned. I saw the three central boxes and decided to stamp out 3 different images and use one in each of the boxes. But then I was poorly and although the images where all stamped I had only coloured one of them. So with the deadline looming, I either used the single image or didn't get my card made in time. Sorry Lilian, I didn't do justice to your lovely sketch!

Poor little love, she looks lost on this card! And again I chopped bits of her off. Last time Miss Fashionista was cropped at the legs, this time she's been chopped off at the waist...next time there'll be nothing left but the bow on her head! I promise faithfully that the next Sugar Bowl card will be a full, non-mutilated image but I needed to use this little lady. This beauty is called Spread Your Wings and available to buy HERE.
She's been coloured with DI's, not much colouring I know but it still took me a couple of hours! The DP is SU's Elegant Soiree. I got to use my new MS Cherish punch too. Punched flowers and a few pearls complete the card.

The fabulous prizes for the lucky winners...yes that's TWO prizes again, are their choice of 6 of the new Sugar Nellie stamps for each winner from the Simply Sassy, Mary Hall or Country Cousins ranges. How's that for a wowzer of a prize eh?

All the details can be found over on the Sugar Bowl blog along with plenty of ideas and inspiration from the other sweeties.
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 53

I'm not quite sure where the last two weeks have disappeared to. They seem to have vanished in the blink of an eye, but the good news is that the next Sugar Bowl challenge came around quickly too. The sketch for this challenge has been provided by the multi-talented loveliness that is Marlene and it's a fabulous sketch! Love it hunny, you're a genius! The option, should you wish to join in with it, is a colour combo - see photo further down.

I came back to this image again, Fashionista, available to buy HERE. I adore this little lady, she's just so pretty, although she may not like me very much seeing as I chopped half her legs off! But I really wanted to colour her again and she wouldn't have fitted in the sketch if I'd used all of her. Coloured with DI's as always.
The DP is Tilda Frosted Bluegreen.....Oh my, I love this pad of papers too, very delish. Sentiment from LOTV, a few of the obligatory pearls and a scalloped card blank from craftwork cards. Very simple but I like how this one turned out.

I flipped the sketch to accommodate my image.

Marlene's chosen photograph for the colour option, off-white, blue, brown and a little green.
The prizes for this weeks lucky winners, again there will be TWO lucky winners, each winning their choice of 6 Sugar Nellie stamps. 
All the details can be found on the Sugar Bowl Blog along with plenty of inspiration from all the other Sweeties.
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xxx

Yet More Recycling....Again.

My boy has done his name picking job but first I just want to say a couple of things. Jenny you are more than welcome to enter as a silent visitor. I made no restrictions except for UK and Ireland and for no other reason than the postage costs. Those of you that felt cheeky to stick your name down if you'd already got a parcel before, please don't feel cheeky at all. Feel free to enter your name on anything you like, I simply want to get rid of them. I always try my best to makes things as fair as possible, I wrote everyones names on separate slips of papers and put down which of the stamps they were after, then I picked out the 1st stamp and Hal picked out a name, checked to see if they did want the particular stamp and if so they get the stamp, if not then Hal picked again. It's as fair as I can make it and down to the luck of the draw.
So I need some ladies to please EMAIL ME with their postal address's then I can get the stamps in the mail.

Sarah - Sarah's Little Creations.
Christine - Nanaseaside.
Dazie - Dazie Delights.
Jules - Jules Craft Blog.
Janette - Little Bo's.

Thanks for looking and I'll be back with some more stuff asap.
Love Elaine xxx

Yet More Recycling....

Thanks everyone - They've all got a home to go to now, my boy will pick names out when he gets home from school and I'll be back later to ask for the address's.


Mmmmmm I notice there was only one taker for yesterdays re-homing. Auntie Sue, I shall slap a postage label on hubby's ass and send him off to you tomorrow!
In the absence of my phone - and therefore camera - I have trawled the Internet for photos instead.

Penny Black -  Bees and Bunny - Used

Penny Black - Bunny Bath - New

Penny Black - A Whisker Away - Used

Penny Black - With This Ring - New

Penny Black - Rain or Shine Friends - New

If you want anything please leave a comment after this post stating what you're after. UK and Ireland only simply because of the postage costs to me.

Thanks for looking

Love Elaine xx

Ho Hum....

This week I have been extremely unproductive in the crafting department - even more so than usual. I've had a steady stream of visitors, in addition to the Police and CSI guys, I've had the Crime Prevention Officer who really couldn't offer any advice except to change the locks, which we'd already arranged, and to fit an auto-dialer to the alarm system. The locksmith has returned and fitted the new locks and additional security to the patio doors, and left us with the stern warning to NOT get locked out, as it'll be a 'bugger' to get back in again!
Victim support also called to see if I required anything. I said that I require the little sod to be caught and his testicles hooking up to a car battery, but they couldn't help me with that.
Carl has also been to measure up for wrought iron railings and a gate. We wanted the high railings with nice, big, sharp spikes on top but, as Carl informed us, these types of railing are not exactly to standards because if an intruder were to climb the railings, slip and impale themselves on the spikes that would be a big problem.
Not for me it wouldn't.
Then we had the delight of dealing with the insurance company. I thought the trouble would be with the i-pod and docking station. They were both bought at the same time and more than 4 years ago, and I tend to throw out the receipts when the manufacturers warranty has expired. But they were no problem at all, it was my phone that's caused the headache. The insurance company required proof that I did indeed once have that phone. The original box the phone came in is not proof that the phone was mine. The monthly bill is also not proof as the bill doesn't state the make and model of phone. After much searching I found the delivery note which had on the make and model number, thank goodness I kept it. They also argued over Phil's laptop. He's spent many hours on the phone trying to sort it all out, then yesterday we got the insurance renewal quote and despite having no claims for 15 years until now, they have more than doubled the premiums - Thanks very much Churchill!
Hal is now feeling much better - thank you for all your good wishes - he spent a full 3 days and nights in bed asleep and without food! I was beginning to think he'd get bed sores, but he eventually surfaced on Thursday and started rummaging through the fridge, that's when I knew he was feeling better.
Blimey I was glad to see the back of last week, and then this happened....

Errrr....excuse me, this was my nice and clean and tidy ( if small ) craft room, and now just look at it, stuff moved out and left in a mess. Now he's REALLY crossed the line!! I went stomping downstairs ready to commence battle with my face like a bulldog chewing a wasp. His answer was that he needed to run another cable in so the alarm guy can do the auto-dialer thing and I knew this was his job for today.
Yes I did know but he did not explain it entailed moving my crafty stuff about! I was not best pleased.
In the last post I did say that I would get the rest of the clearout stuff photographed and I got all the stuff out ready and went to get my.....phone, which is what I always use, but I've got no phone until the new one arrives next week. I had to borrow Phils phone to take the above photo. So tomorrow I will search the internet and find the manufacturers photos and use those instead.
In the meantime though I do have one item ready to be re-homed. One husband, well used but in relatively good condition, showing the usual signs of wear and tear, slightly threadbare in places.
One last thing before I go, does anyone know of a Stampin' Up rep in the Oldham area?

Thanks for looking, I'll be back tomorrow with some clearout stuff.
Love Elaine xxx