Maja Design, Magnolia and Waffle ♥

Yaaaayyyyyyy FREEDOM!!!

I've now officially finished work for a weeks holiday, along with my hubby and much to the annoyance of a certain boy who still has to go to college ha!

I am so looking forward to not having to get up while it's still dark, but we do have rather a lot of stuff planned for the week. There won't be any lounging in bed days, as we still have to get the lazy boy out of his pit in the morning...he sets his alarm which is very effective at waking me and Phil but then Hal just sleeps straight through it!

Plan of action for the week.

Monday morning blood tests for me and opticians for Phil.

The new boiler is being fitted one day, but not sure when, though it will be a day when I'm out... being home with no heating on is not my idea of a fun day!

Another day we will be going over to Bolton to see my Mum and Dad and have lunch out with them.

Wednesday we are travelling over the border into Yorkshire to meet up with the lovely Christine and Barry for a spot of lunch...looking forward to that honey :)

There will also be Christmas shopping trips though a certain someone isn't thrilled by the idea!

I have a few jobs planned to keep Phil occupied...I'm good like that :)

A new toilet to be fitted in Hals bathroom, the TV in my craft room to be connected up rather than just sitting there gathering dust, outside twinkly lights to be reinstated, and Christmas decorations to be put up.

Phil enjoys decorating the tree, I do not and so this is Phil's contribution towards the festivities. But before anyone starts to feel too sorry for him, my jobs are the endless writing of Christmas 'to-do' lists, the majority of the gift buying, all the wrapping and the unenviable task of writing out 120 cards :)

I would much rather spend the week in my craft room playing but I need to pull my finger out and get organised for Christmas.

And with Christmas in mind (better late than never)

A little candy...

Maja Design It's Christmas Time 6x6 pad. These papers are absolutely gorgeous!

I used them for This card.

And a Magnolia stamp..Santa Lucia. I think this is a special release stamp (I think??)

If you are a regular, then you know my very simple rules by now.

Candy is open worldwide, though I am not liable for customs duty that some countries impose, and I always mark it as a gift.

Candy is open to my existing followers only...I appreciate my followers and those that take the time to leave a comment, especially when I'm so far behind in returning the gesture!

(you do not need to have your own blog to enter, I know who follows and who comments)

Thanks for looking 

Love Elaine ♥

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 97.

....and I'm back again :)

Today sees a new challenge over on the Sugar Bowl. We have another fab sketch, this time from Sweetie Wendy and with the optional theme of 'A Winters Tale'.

Of course you can interpret the theme however you wish but with Christmas looming on the horizon (and having made just two cards so far!) then I was definitely making the most of this challenge and going with a festive card ha!

This stamp was a limited edition one, only available when you purchased the set of stamps at the release date. She is from the Simply Sassy range and I totally adore her but she's never been inked before...I was so scared of colouring all that hair! But I was feeling brave that day and I am so glad I did...she is so beautiful.

As always, she's coloured with DI re-inkers and markers.

The skin shades: Tattered Rose and Tea Dye.

The hair: Antique Linen and Walnut Stain.

Lips and Berries: Barn Door and Aged Mahogany.

Holly Leaves: Shabby Shutters and Forest Moss.

The papers..oh but I LOVE this set of papers!! Maya Design Vintage Winter.

A simple sentiment and a few pearls complete the card - for me anyways lol.
Edited: They are not Vintage Winter papers at all!! My apologies..the papers are from the "It's Chrismast Time" pad!

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

But you know you've got to be in it to win it!

You can find lots of inspiration on the Sugar Bowl blog with all the fabulous cards from the other sweeties.

Thanks for looking.

Love

Birthdays Galore!!

Lots of friends and family celebrate their birthdays this week, but I have concentrated on the two people that also have blogs...since you wouldn't know the others ha!

Yesterday was a very special birthday for my lovely friend and cyber Mummy Shirley.

Anyone that knows Shirley knows what a lovely, sweet and kind lady she is, as well as a very talented crafter, and she deserves the most special of special birthdays.

Today is the birthday of my Sweetie sister Maria.

I hope you also have the bestest of birthdays...I'm sure there will be cake as there are two little girls that would love some too, and lots of lovely gifts to open.

I sent Maria a puppy!

OK, a puppy on her card since a puppy wouldn't travel well all the way to Norway.

The stamp is of course a Magnolia Tilda which came free with the latest magazine.

As always, she's coloured with DI re-inkers and markers.

The gorgeous papers are Pion Design, an older set but I still love these so much, Studio Of Memories.

The sentiment, banner die and butterfly die are all from PTI.

Not much going on with embellies...I think they're getting less and less! 

Didn't think it could be possible really, but hey ho, I likes 'em CAS :)

Happy Birthdays to my two lovely friends.

Big hugs

Love

Tag.....

Oh dear..my brain is fuddled! I thought I had posted this but it was still sitting in drafts.

Without any more waffle..I counted the comments and got Hal to pick a number and...

 Sinikka 

If you can please EMAIL me with your full postal address and I can get your parcel in the mail.

I have a few little candy's sitting in my craft room cupboard, and I'd better move my butt and get them on here quickly or they won't reach their destinations in time for Christmas!
I just need to take photo's....but maybe I'll just 'lift' some stock photo's off t'internet and save myself the time and misery!
Back soon.

Love

Tag..You're It!!

It seems that there has been a breakdown on the Christmas card production line...just 3 made so far and it will soon be December...oh deary me :(

The only thing I'm producing in abundance is snot...my nose is running like a tap! Eeeeeeuuuwwww way too much information Elaine!

It's certainly getting darker much earlier, which means trying to take a decent photograph is harder than usual, my photography skills are non-existent at the best of times.

And so all the following photographs are pretty dire..you'll just have to use your imagination about how they really look :)

(You can click on the photos to enlarge them)

And as you can see, I've been making a few tags. Very quick and easy tags, which is perfect when you need to make a lot of them. These are so easy to put together that (once all the die cutting is done) you can get the children involved too.

One of my crafty buddies had seen the tags, along with some birthday ones, and asked if I could send her some of the die cut tag shapes, which made me think that maybe other crafters would like the tag shapes?

I've put together a little starter bundle.

Everything as shown above, in more detail below.

There are 5 different shapes of tags, and I have included 3 of each tag (15 tags in total)

Plus the bottom shape is a gift card holder x 3.

Waxed cord in red and brown, Divine twine in red/white and brown/white, and button twice.

Some lace and some gingham ribbon.

Various sizes of felt snowflakes in kraft and vintage white.

Various sizes of felt flowers in kraft and poppy.

And the blurry fuzzy die cut poinstettias..I think there are 8 of each size.

Wooden buttons, resin flowers, pearl centres, an assortment of gold and silver jingle bells, and a pearl/diamante thingymybob.

If you fancy the tag package just leave a comment.

Love

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 96

Eeeee but I'm like a bus! You wait around for a bus for ages then two come trundling along at the same time!

No posts in 10 days then two posts (almost) together :)

It's Sugar Bowl day..always a good reason for me to smile, and believe me, smiling is not coming easy to me this week. I'm full of cold, thanks to my darling husband and his generosity!

For this challenge we have a fab sketch from Sweetie Maria, and an optional theme of 'Sparkle and Shine'.

I chose to make a Christmas card with the gorgeous stamp Wish Upon A Star.

As always, she's coloured with DI re-inkers and markers.

The papers are Maja Design Vintage Winter from Creashop Duymelot, the sentiment is from Whimsy and there's not much else going on here but a MFT snowflake, a little rose and a doily.

It's a super sparkly card full of glamour dust, but you'll just have to take my word for it since the photo doesn't catch the sparkle.

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 bob on over to the Sugar Bowl and check out the gorgeous cards from my Sweetie Sisters.

Thanks for looking.

Love

It's A Girl - And Other Stuff.

Yep, it's a girl, though thankfully not mine! I do adore snuggly buggly babies but I'm far too old to live through any more sleepless nights.

One of the lads (that works in the same building as I do, but he works for a different company) is now the proud Daddy to a gorgeous baby girl.

It's a terrible photo! The colours are all way off, but I sent the card two weeks ago and I've only just checked the photos and this was the best of a bad bunch.

Image is of course a Tilda, coloured with DI re-inkers and markers, and the papers are Prima Tea Thyme.

Other news...feel free to skip this waffle...Phil has been working away on and off for the past few weeks.

Last week he was up in Edinburgh again and he didn't get back home until 6pm on Saturday night. He did come bearing gifts...in the form of dirty washing and a cold! If I start with a cold this week then he's going to be in BIG trouble! He was home for exactly 36 hours then 6am Monday morning he set off to spend this week working in Wales. I've got my fingers crossed that this will be his last trip away this year.

Hal is going to Manchester Crown Court next Saturday.

 It's something he's doing with College and he will be acting as a Barrister in front of a real judge. He has been given notes to read about a fictional Court case and on Saturday when he arrives at the Court he will be told whether he is prosecuting or defending the accused and the challenge is to win the court case. 

So last weeks job was to take Hal shopping for a suit since this is how they have to dress for Court.

(Yes I have taken the tags off the jacket now!)

He just needs a trip to the barbers yet.

We are skint.com again!

Christmas is fast approaching. I know I must be getting old as I'm very sure it was only a couple of months ago that I was running around like a headless chicken buying gifts for Christmas 2011. Where has this year gone to? I'm not any more organised this year than I was last year. I have made 2 Christmas cards (whoopdidoo!) so far, but not bought any gifts yet. We have a lot of family birthdays in November and December and I like to get all those gifts bought first before tackling Christmas.
Every year I plan on making a whole pile of amazing stuff for the festivities and every year I fail miserably.
Martha Stewart can stop shaking in her boots.

And what does everyone want in their stocking at Christmas? Why candy of course!
Though calorie free candy is my preferred type..I am a little chubbylicious!
So I have been thinking what to offer as candy. I like to give stuff that I love and use which is fine if you share the same taste as me, but not so good if you don't!
I have thunk and thunk and thunk some more and come up with a few ideas. So I will start posting them soon :)

Thanks for looking.

Love

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 95.

I'm back with a card for the new Sugar Bowl challenge, and this time we have a fabby sketch from the lovely  and multi-talented Sweetie Erika.

I have used another of my favourite Leanne Ellis stamps, Cup Of tea.

As always, she's coloured with DI re-inkers and markers. 

The papers are MME Stella and Rose - Hattie.

The flutterby's are MFT dies, the flowers are made from PTI dies, felt and buttons, and the sentiment is from WMS.

And this time the optional theme is a colour inspired one.

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 pop on over to the Sugar Bowl to see the beautiful cards off my Sweetie sisters.

Thanks for looking.

Love