Thankful For.

It's been another busy old week and it's only Wednesday! So as you have probably guessed I have no card to show yet. There is one half coloured so at my usual snails pace it should be ready in a week or so.On a positive note I have booked some time off work in April, and I plan to play all day in my Jammie's.
I have also organised all the crafty stuff for my 1 year anniversary, I just need to plan out how to do it yet.

So what am I thankful for? Lots of things. My lubberly hubbly, my son - whom I do actually worship on the days I'm not threatening to throttle him, and my family. My friends are precious, they are my friends because they choose to be rather than my family that inherited me through birth or marriage and really had no choice in the matter. That's why I am always extra thankful for my friends, I know what a pain I can be!

The weekend was spent doing the usual cleaning, washing, ironing and grocery shopping, plus a trip to the cemetery to place flowers on the headstone. I spent the remainder of the weekend trying very hard to smile and not be a miserable sod, didn't work though. But what it does always do is remind of everything I do have to be grateful for.

I thought I'd post a more recent picture of Poppy.

Don't they grow so quickly - too quickly! She is just 8 months old now and doing fine for the most part, doing all the normal things that an 8 month old does. Poppy does still have regular scans to do with the valve that didn't close at birth. The hospital had told Jon and Sam that by the time Poppy was 6 months old it would've closed on it's own, but the last scan revealed otherwise. Another scan is due in a couple of months and if there's been no change then it looks like she will have to have an operation to close the valve. Naturally, they are worried, but things can change in a couple of months so I think we'll all just have to wait and see.

Right, I'd best get off to Jujitsu with the boy.
Thanks for looking
Love Elaine xxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 56

Hey Hey! It's a Sugar Bowl day! The sketch for this challenge has been provided by Sweetie Kiki and it's another fabulous sketch. The option if you choose to follow it is 'PINK'. Now who doesn't love a bit of pink?
I just love this colour but I have very little in the way of pink papers, so if anyone knows where I can buy some scrummy pink DP then please let me know. I was a good girl again - 3rd time in a row here - with no chopping or hacking off bits of the image. This little lady is so sweet and needs to be displayed in all her glory!

This adorable girl is called 'Little light of mine' and available to purchase HERE, she been coloured with a mixture this time, the usual DI's and some Nick Bantock inks which I received in a parcel off a dear friend of mine. They are fabulous as they work in the same way as DI's but give me some different colours. *Thank you hunny* The papers are Memory Box Gossamer, the sentiment is a Pink Petticoat, a string of pearls and some punched flowers. I must admit those flowers caused me some trouble, only because I would've preferred to stop 4 flowers earlier, you know me and my simple cards!

As you can see I rotated the sketch to accommodate my chosen image.
So now you want to know what the prize is for the lucky winner of this challenge? Since the theme is 'PINK' then the prize is a goodie box filled with pink themed card making goodies.....I really wish I could enter this one!

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

Harrogate and Blog Candy Winner.

Yesterday was my trip to Harrogate and what a fabulous day I had! My lovely hubbly usually drives me there and then disappears for the day, returning to collect me later. But yesterday he actually came in the show with me. I think any man that goes in these shows must be very brave, facing the hoards of 'women-on-a-mission-to-spend-spend-spend!' And he was a Godsend, carrying my bags, supplying me with coffee etc. What did I buy? Not a lot actually! I got some card blanks, some ink, a few 12x12 papers. I did buy some pearls too, I thought I'd try them on my cards for a change ha! The majority of my cash usually gets spent on MS punches and rubber. But I didn't see any punches that took my fancy, and I do have loads of them already and still only use a select few. As for rubber, I bought the new LOTV sentiments, which I must say are fabulous, but no other rubber at all. I totally blame Karen - Mrs Sugar Nellie herself - for spoiling me with the Sassy stamps. I just couldn't find any stamps at the show that I really liked! I did manage to buy a few bits'n'bobs for next months candy, but I'd have to kill you if I told you what I got.

My lovely hubbly did buy me a gift to be delivered next month, a rather large gift which I can't wait to get my hands on.

The best part of the show was meeting up with some other bloggers. I met the lovely and sweet Christine aka Nanaseaside who is delightful as well as hysterically funny, had a lovely chat with Christine L - Handmade by Christine, and met some ladies I didn't know until yesterday, Lisa Jane aka Mess2magic who came with her lovely daughter, and Sylvia Anne aka Poppys Papercraft Patch. It was so lovely to meet them all and I really wish there'd been more time to chat....but we all had shopping to do!

I also had a good natter with Jacqui who is delightful, and I went for a coffee with Jill from The Hobby House. 

OK, on to the main reason I'm here today, and apologies for the lateness. The winner of the LOTV candy is....

Congratulations to Mo. If you can please EMAIL ME with your full postal address and I will get them in the post.

Thanks for looking and I hope you've all had a lovely weekend.

Love Elaine xxx

Just A Little Candy....

This post will stay at the top, please scroll down for any newer posts thank you.
Ok, onto the candy. Just a little candy for you this month. Most months I like to put a bit of something on here, and this will be the last one until towards the end of April when my little blog will be having a birthday party! Ok, so it will have to be a cyber birthday party, but a party non the less to celebrate it's first birthday.
I've been squirreling stuff away ready for the event, but you'll have to wait until next month to see what it is.
So onto this months candy:

LOTV - Mix It And Make It.

LOTV - Recipe Sentiments.

LOTV - Gift Wrapped.

LOTV - Toadstool For Two.

LOTV - Messy Messages.

LOTV - Teddy Bears Picnic.

All stamps are brand new and unmounted. In order to enter all I ask is that you are a follower - and I do check! The candy is open worldwide but I am not responsible for any customs/duties that some countries impose.
Candy will end on Sunday 20th March at 9am UK time. To enter please click on the blue froggy.
Thanks for looking, love Elaine xxx.

Simply Sassy Spotlight

When Maria who runs the Simply Sassy blog asked me if I would like to be in the 'Spotlight' I could hardly refuse, now could I? Maria knows very well that I absolutely adore the Sassy range of stamps and I eagerly await each new release. I have boxes full of other stamps but these little girlie's keep shouting out to me to ink them up!
I think the Sassy stamps are after rubber world domination and they'll get my vote -I just loves them!
So, this is the card I sent to Maria:

This little sweetie is called Bella Bunting and available to buy HERE, she been coloured as usual with DI's.
Recently I've made quite a few cards with a green/blue/brown colour scheme so I thought it was about time I tried something a little brighter. I'm not really used to using such brightly coloured papers but hey a change is good.
The papers are Prima Annalee and I kept the layout very simple so as not to cover up too much of the lovely designs. A Doo Hickey swirl, a flower and some pearls complete the card. You know by now I like to keep things pretty simple.
Thank you Maria, I really enjoyed making this card.
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 55

Hey Hey! Thursday has come around again and it's a Sugar Bowl Thursday. The sketch for challenge 55 has been by provided by the very lovely Erika and it's a fab sketch which I thoroughly enjoyed following.
The option, should you wish to use it, is 'Spring'.
I do usually like to follow the option, but I was so desperate to use the scrummy new papers that I totally lost the plot and Spring disappeared out of the window! But I was a very good girl and as promised there has been no chopping body parts off the image this time.

This gorgeous little gal is called My Friend Kitty and is from the first set of Simply Sassy stamps, available to buy HERE. She's been coloured with DI's, the yummy scrummy papers are K and Company Julianne which I received in a surprise parcel of my good buddy Amanda and the colours and designs are simply gorgeous. *Thank you Amanda*  Just a few pearls for embellishment and that's it. I think if I was a painter I would be classed as a 'minimalist'. I do solemnly swear to try harder with the embellies and add a little bit more to my cards...couldn't really add any less!

Now the prize for the winner of this challenge is.....well, it's sort of a surprise, but a fabulous surprise.
It's something a little different that Karen found at the trade fair, and you all know Karen has exceptionally good taste, after all she did bring us all the wonderful Sugar Nellie stamps! So the winner will receive a goody box full of  fabby stuff to enable them to make 'something other than a card' with their rubber stamps.


All the details can be found on the Sugar Bowl blog along with the gorgeous cards and projects from the other sweeties.
Thanks for looking and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xxx

Almost The Last Of My Recycling.

ETA Thank you, everything has now gone.
I've still got a few bits and pieces left in the cupboard that need a good home so I'm making a concerted effort to get them on here.

Crafters Companion SWALK 'After the Rain' - Brand new and unmounted.
*This stamp has now gone*

Crafters Companion SWALK 'Sunshine' - Brand new and unmounted.
*This stamp has now gone*

Crafters Companion SWALK 'Thinking of You' - Brand new and unmounted. 

*This stamp has now gone*

Stampendous Grasshopper Fluffles - Used.

*This stamp has now gone*

Stampendous Snail Fluffles - Used.

*This stamp has now gone*

Stampendous Bee Buddies - Used.

*This stamp has now gone*

October Afternoon 8x8 pad - two sheets missing :)

*This pad has now gone*

GCD Studios Melody Ross Lydia 8x8 - Brand new.

*This pad has now gone*

Basic Grey Green at Heart 6x6 - New

*This pad has now gone*

Pink Paislee Old School 6x6 -New.

*This pad has now gone*

I've also got some liquid pearls. Now I've had these for ages but they appear to be as good as when I bought them, but please do check them out before using them. Some have been used and some are new. There's 5 bottles: White Opal, Lavender Lace, Petal Pink, Mint Green and Baby Blue.*These have now gone*
If anyone wants anything then please me a comment after this post stating what you want. UK and Ireland only please simply because of the postage costs.
Thank for looking.
Love Elaine xxx

hAnglar Candy...

...but not from me!
Just a little heads up in case you've not already seen this, but the delicious and multi-talented RACH has some sweet little hAnglars up for grabs on her blog.

Rach's candy is open until 10pm March 6th, and if there's anyone in blogland who hasn't visited Rach, then why not? You're missing a right old treat...when I grow up I want to be just like Rach lol!

Love Elaine xxx