Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 87

Another fortnight has whizzed by me and it's time for a new Sugar Bowl challenge...always my mostest favourite day :)

This time we have a sketch to follow by Sweetie Fiona and an optional theme of "Flower Power".

Now I LOVED playing with this sketch! When I first saw it I thought it looked quite complicated...and you all know how easily I get muddled up, but it was a doozy to follow and I really love the finished look with all the layers.

(I desperately need to learn to take better photos, the image really is matted centrally onto kraft, but it looks wonky in the photo, I must've been sat at an odd angle when taking it!)

I chose the older but much loved image Make A Wish, I've inked up this little fairy so many times, for Christmas cards, birthdays or just to send someone some Fairy Best Wishes.

She's coloured with the usual mix of DI re-inkers and markers. The utterly divine papers are The Scrapcake "The bright side of life" from a 6x6 pad from Dies to die for. I was so upset when I had to cut into this pad that I had to speak to Tracy to see if she could possibly supply me with some more...just to stroke. Thank you Tracy, I am at peace once more :)

The sentiment is from a set by Elzybells - sadly no longer trading, and a few pearls are all I added for embellishment as I didn't want to cover up the beautiful flowers on the papers.

As always, there is a prize chosen at random for one lucky winner, their choice of any 4 Sugar Nellie stamps, rising to 6 stamps if we reach 100+ entries.

Please pay a visit to the Sugar Bowl to check out the awesome cards from the other Sweeties.

I have some good news and some bad news to share with you. First the bad news ( I always like to get bad stuff outta the way first!) our Sweetie Pat has stepped down from the Sugar Bowl :(

I luvs Sweetie Pat a lot! She's kind and a hoot, she's sweet and a hoot and then she's a hoot a bit more!

Bye bye Sweetie Pat...sob sniffle...

But the good news is that Pat remains on the Sugar Nellie DT so all is not lost, I can still admire her sweet Sugar cards :)

I hope you will find the time to come and play with us in the Sugar Bowl!

Thanks for looking.

Love

My Favourite Things ~ Candy Winner.

Before I get on to announcing the candy winner, I must say a very BIG THANK YOU for all the lovely emails, phone calls, texts, Facebook messages, cards and gifts I received for my birthday yesterday.
I had a most wonderful day, made all the more special by my lovely friends.

OK, onto what you're here for! Mr Random picked a winning number...

Congratulations Kyllah (Astrid) if you can please EMAIL me with your full postal address and I can get your goodies in the mail.

I always feel a real meanie when the candy ends and there is only one winner...so I made up another little candy, and Hal picked a comment from my last post....

trish21 June 2012 23:02

Love the stamp, and the colourings gorgeous as usual. I have a friend who would appreciate this one, she does like a wee dram.

So Trish, if you can also please EMAIL me and I will get your little candy in the mail too.

Thanks for looking.
Love

My Favourite Things ~ Candy.

This post will stay at the top ~ please scroll down for any newer posts, thank you.


It's that time of year when I need to put a little celebratory candy on here. I tried to get it all on one photograph but it didn't show you clearly enough what the candy is, so there are 3 photographs. It's just one candy made up of my favourite things.
Please read the rules of entry...they are slightly different to the usual ones!

From The Hobby House we have:
A pack of Corner Flourish adhesive pearls, a pack of Ivory Gold 12mm brads, a pack of Ivory Silk 6mm self adhesive pearl hearts, a pack of Heart Pearl pins, and some birdcage charms.
There is also a pack of Prima Fairy Belle flowers and LOTV fancy corner stamps.

A full set of 6 sheets of Pion Design papers "Studio of Memories". Each sheet comprises of four 6x6 papers.
I particularly love this set and have them in both this size and the 12" size.

And finally, a full set of 6 sheets of Pion Design papers "For Mother".
(I may need to cut the papers into quarters to post them unless I get my hands on a 12" box before then!)

Rules of Entry.
Candy is open worldwide, though I am not liable to pay any import/customs duties that some countries impose.
Candy is only open to my existing followers and friends.
Now I know darn well some folks won't like this...new followers are always nice to have! But when there's a candy it attracts a few new followers, which are always welcome, but when the candy ends there are always some folks that then un-follow....until the next time.
Candy is a thank you for those that follow, those that leave a comment (even more so when I am always behind with leaving comments myself) those that lurk, and those that don't have a blog themselves but are still nice enough to visit and leave some love.
And lastly...it is not open to "candy only" blogs....I want it to go to someone who wants it and will use it!

To enter please click on the blue froggy.
Thanks for looking.
Love Elaine xxx

I Love STELLA!

When doing a spot of housekeeping in my favourite room (craft room of course!) I spied the box containing all the Stamping Bella rubber. I still love these images even though I don't have the time to ink them up very often, and I particularly love Stella. She's such a fun loving gal, and she always, always has to have bright red lips! If Stella was a walking, talking real gal then I think she would really be called Pat!!

I needed an image for Jules birthday card and as Jules is also a fun lovin' gal I thought Stella would suit the occasion perfectly.

The only problem I have with Stella is she's a teeny weeny image and I find it hard to add the shading.

Since it was for such a special occasion (not every day you turn 50 Jules!!) I even got out the last of my beloved Maja Design "Fika" papers..sob sob.

She's coloured with a mix of DI re-inkers and markers with lots of glossy accents on the olive and on her luscious red lips!

I've got a really busy weekend ahead of me...though hopefully it will be fun! So I will be back on Sunday after the candy ends to announce the winner.

Thanks for looking.

Love

Happy Fathers Day ♥♥♥

Here in the UK today is Fathers Day. The day we celebrate and give thanks for all the amazing Dads out there, and a day to remember those Dads that are sadly no longer with us.

Now I have to tell you something, I have the BEST Dad in the whole wide world! He's kind, loving and generous and I am blessed that he's my Dad. It was his 84th birthday last Monday and every day I am thankful that he's mine. *Love you to the moon and back Dad*

And this is Ern, my father-in-law. Ern is sadly no longer with us, almost 5 years now, but he's always here in our hearts, always loved.

I hope all the Dads have a lovely day today, and I hope that all those missing their Dads can find some happiness in their precious memories.

Today I also want to wish a very Happy 50th Birthday to Jules...Happy Birthday Chick..you don't look a day over 49 lol!!

I'll be back in a bit with my candy, just going upstairs now to take a photo or two :)
Love

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 86

Where does the time go to? I turn my back and suddenly it's my favourite day again... Sugar Bowl day.

As always, we have a sketch to follow, this time from Sweetie Maria with an optional them of "One for the Boys".

Where do I start? I have but 3 simple rules for crafting.

(I do not wish to offend anyone here, this is simply my personal opinion)

1) No grunge. I hate grunge in all forms.

2) No distressing the edges of papers with those scraper things...why buy pretty papers just to ruin them?

3) Finally...No BOYS! I hate making boy cards!

So I groaned, then I re-read the email a dozen times just in case the theme might magically change the more times I opened the email, I moaned and whined, and then I pulled up my big knickers and got stuck in.

I have to admit, I own very few boy images since I don't use them and I was struggling to find anything that would be suitable until the lovely Pat suggested a baby stamp...aha...I'm sure I have one somewhere!

The image is Vintage Baby and he's coloured with a mix of DI re-inkers and markers. The papers are a really old set by Cloud 9. The sentiment was cut out with a Whimsy die, the star was cut with a Spellbinder die, a little gingham button tied with cord and a few pearls.

It's a little on the plain side (even for me!) but it did turn out much better than I expected.

I did a bit of sketch flipping just because I liked it better this way around :)

As always, there is a fantastic prize for one lucky winner chosen at random, their choice of any 4 Sugar Nellie stamps, rising to 6 stamps if we reach 100+ entries.

Now if I can do it and break out a boy stamp then I'm darn sure anyone can do it! So I hope you'll rise to the challenge and show us your fantastic boy cards :)

Please pop over to the Sugar Bowl to see all the other Sweeties fabulous cards.

Next...have you seen this?

The DT call for Sugar Nellie. There's still a few days left to get your entry in!

Thanks for looking

Love

Thank You!

Thank you for your lovely comments on my last post. I'm relieved to discover that I'm not really totally bonkers and  there are plenty of other parents just like me, that worry incessantly.

Hal arrived home safe and sound..though very pale and tired....at just before 4am on Monday morning. Yes, I was still sitting here waiting up for him. The lad that drove them all home - Jamie - doesn't know how close he came to getting a big sloppy kiss off me just for bringing my boy back in one piece!

Once Hal got out of bed on Monday afternoon - by which time this golden oldie had done all his mud encrusted laundry! - he had a very long, hot shower, and then we sat down while he filled me in on the festival. He said it was totally awesome and he's going again next year! Yes it was wet, windy and muddy for the first 3 days but much better weather over the weekend. The food stalls were plentiful but expensive, and the worse thing about the site were the toilets which were filthy! So being his Mothers son he visited the aptly named "Comfy Crappers" privately run facilities for £2 a visit!!

Lord help me...tickets go on sale this Friday for the 2013 festival!

This week is turning out to be more chaotic than last week! Of course it doesn't help that one night with no sleep has left me looking and feeling like a zombie! Tuesday morning when I turned my phone on all these emails poured in, all written in German, all from Amazon DE, and all order confirmations for the many gift certificates I had apparently ordered between 4 and 4.30am that morning!

I checked my bank and there'd been no payments to Amazon, so I tried to log in to my Amazon account and couldn't. I phoned them to be told that my account had been suspended. Hmmmm so there was some fraudulent purchases then from Amazon Germany? No.

Sorry Amazon, but lying to your customers is not a good idea. I then phoned my bank who confirmed that they were multiple amounts due out of my account the next day, and all from Amazon.

Amazon didn't phone me back yesterday, so I contacted them again today to be told it is under investigation.

My bank has cancelled my cards as a precautionary measure, so there'll be no spending here until my new card arrives.

Next rant....my Dad wanted M&S vouchers for his birthday, which I ordered last week and arranged for them to be delivered on Monday. I paid the extra charges for nominated day delivery and...yes, he's still waiting. Apparently they are still at Bolton sorting office. Dad is optimistic they might arrive tomorrow, just 3 days late, and M&S customer services did say "all we can offer is our apologies". 

Not good enough M&S!

So I have spent the last two evenings on the phone or firing off strongly worded emails to both Amazon and M&S. Which has left me with little time to do anything on blogger or leave comments.

I always feel bad when I don't get on blogger, even more so because I still get lovely comments off my friends and followers...my thanks to you all.

I'll be back tomorrow with my Sugar Bowl card, and I have a "friends and followers" candy to put on here when I've taken a photo, so that will no doubt be at the weekend.

Love

Did Y'all Miss Me??

This is gonna be a long one and with no card to show, so either make a cuppa or skip to another much more interesting blog :)
I've been off work this last week, and I had so many jobs I wanted to work my way through that I haven't turned my laptop on much, and I haven't been on blogger at all. Once I start on facebook and blogger the days just disappear and I get nothing done.

Did I ever tell you what a worrier I am? Sheesh but this week has seen me a total wreck!
Hal was going away on Wednesday morning to his first festival..Download at Donington. Now I wasn't overly happy about him being away for 5-6 days but he bought the ticket with all of his Christmas money and he will be 18 in October so off he went at 6am on Wednesday, armed with all the required camping equipment, food, money and a set of rules that Mummy had been drumming into him all week.
1) Ring or text me once EACH day so I know you are OK.
2) Don't drink so much alcohol that you vomit in your sleep and die - Yes, he will be drinking, I am not so naive as to think he'll stick to cola!
3) Watch your drinks, don't give anyone the opportunity to spike it...drugs kill.
4) Don't leave your BBQ in the tent at night...carbon monoxide poisoning kills.
5) Don't leave the campsite with anyone other than those you are going to the festival with, and always tell your friends where you are going.
6) If you're going to get jiggy and do the 'horizontal' dance then be careful, I don't want next years Easter Bunny bringing a baby!
See, told you I am a worrier!
So he sets off and rings me when he gets there but off someone else's phone as his phone won't work!
In the meantime, Phil loaded up the motorhome with his camera and headed off to Scarborough for a few days, so by Wednesday lunchtime I am home alone.
Thursday...no phone call, Friday no phone call and by now I can't sleep and my stomachs churning with worrying about Hal. I keep telling myself he'll be fine but the doubt creeps back in! I lay in bed on Friday night listening to the rain lashing down and thinking about my baby in a tent!
Thankfully Phil came home safe and sound on Saturday afternoon so that was one less thing to fret about plus I have someone to share my worry with...poor Phil!
Just before midnight on Saturday Hal phones home!! Oh yeah, he's having the time of his life! His phone still isn't working and they are going to travel home Sunday night/Monday morning after the festival finishes.
Now that opens up a whole new barrow full of worry! The festival should finish at 10.45pm but last night it was 11.30pm, then they have to get all their stuff from the campsite to the car park, then wait in the queue to get out of the car park and that's if they can even get the car out...the weather has been so bad that cars were stuck in the mud, and drive the 2+ hours home. All this after 5 days with little sleep and probably 4 days with too much alcohol. I shall be staying up until he's safely back home again..sometime between 2 and 4am!

Some pictures from the Download Festival 2012....

Yep...it's been muddy alright! 

Friday nights headliner...The Prodigy.

Saturday nights top attraction...Metallica. 

Sunday is the night everyone is waiting for...Black Sabbath, but there's no photos of them yet.
There have been many bands in between, from new bands I've certainly never heard of to the golden oldies of rock.

Anthrax.

Kids In Glass Houses.

Saxon

Slash

Tenacious D

And Black Veil Brides.

Now I'm just sitting here waiting for the boy to come home again. After reading on FB that folks are still sitting in the car parks queueing to get out I could well be in for a long night!

Love