Sweet As Candy

Well I'm back.....almost!
My laptop is alive and well. Saint Phil has loaded the majority of my files back on it, he still needs to load the software for the printers, Microsoft Word and I-Tunes needs loading as a matter of urgency! I use my I-pod on a daily basis, I'm always plugged into to it when I'm in my craft room. Singing merrily (badly) away at full volume.
The only problem I've found so far, is that I can't get on about half of the blogs I follow. I've always used Internet Explorer simply because it's what I'm used to but I think I need to change browser.
Oh My Oh My, you know what happened last time I pressed a button. So I thought I'd better post this first!

Although I made this card weeks ago I couldn't post it at the time because I'd followed a Sugar Bowl sketch, the current sketch to be exact. I'd made my card for the challenge and loved the sketch and so made another card with it, so I had to wait until the current sketch was posted. Then I'd had the problems with my laptop.

The image is from the Home Grown Country Cousins range and called 'Sweet as Candy' available to buy HERE, the gorgeous DP is from Norway and a gift from the lovely Maria Therese (who's blog I also cannot get on!) *Thank you Sweetie, I love these papers* She's coloured with DI's. A few pearls, a bit of twine and 2 snowflakes that were a gift last year from Katy which I've been hoarding ever since.

A little question: Does anyone know a good place to buy Distress Re-inkers cheaply in the UK? I've got all the ink pads, but I now need to buy the re-inkers. I've seen them at roughly £4 each, but I need all 36 of them.
Right, I'm going to get off and TRY to change my browser. Wish me luck!

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

Saint Phil the Patient has Prevailed.....almost!

Thank you to all of you who asked if I'm still alive, or if there's a large "Elaine" size mound in the back garden. I'm still here and almost back in action.
My DH can have the patience of a saint. This trait is most evident when in the presence of small children and troublesome wives! This week has been a true test of his patience. The short version of the laptop story is that Phil ended up copying the files down to his hard drive and completely wiping all the data off my laptop.
At last my laptop is functioning and Phil just needs to re-load all the programmes and my files back onto it, which I hope he will do over the weekend.
Then I can get back to blogging and commenting and replying to all the emails sitting in my inbox!
I have still got my Simply Sassy candy to post, but the photos are......yes, on my laptop.
Thanks for looking and I'll be back with the candy.
Love Elaine xx

PEBCAK Fault

I'm frantically tapping away on hubby's work laptop whilst he's in the shower. Actually, he's probably trying to drown himself as I type! I thought I'd better explain my MIA status, and my total lack of blogging since last week.
My laptop is poorly. Very, very poorly. My husband is slowly losing patience with said laptop and wife!
"All I did".....that's how I started to explain to hubby what I'd done, he's rolling his eyes and praying for strength already, and I've not even got to the good bit! All I did was to click on the 'Download Now' button for the latest AVG anti-virus software. Now in my defense, I have done this before and it worked a treat. Not this time. My laptop is completely, utterly bug****d and won't do a blasted thing! This started on Friday night, so I've been 'puterless all weekend.
Saint Phil had to work over the weekend, then couldn't wait to come home to his adoring wife and her dead laptop. He's uninstalled AVG, tried re-installing, uninstalled, re-installed, you get the picture? He's restored the data to last Thursday before I even pressed that fatal button. He's restored to factory settings.
But the good news is we know what the fault is. Apparently it's fault code PEBCAK.
So if you're as dumb as me, which I seriously doubt that anyone could be, that means Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard, that would be me then huh?

There's been a lot of sighing, a fair bit of swearing, and a "If you touch one more bl***y button without my express written permission, I shall chop your chubby fingers off !" Charming, but in this instance justified.

The biggest problem I have is that all my photos and such are on......yep, my laptop.
Note to self : Remember to back up laptop to external hard drive. That is, after all, the reason you have one!

Saint Phil is working relentlessly to try and rectify the problem and repair the havoc I've caused. I will be back as soon as is possible.
If I shouldn't come back, please can someone call around to my house and check that Saint Phil hasn't buried me in the back garden?

My little blog will be 6 months old tomorrow, and I was thinking how I was starting to really get into the swing of things and feeling relatively confident HA! Serves me right I guess.
I'll be back.......

Love Elaine AKA The Technophobe and general trouble maker extraordinaire xx

Sugar Bowl Challenge ~ 46

The sketch for challenge 46 has been provided by the multi-talented Marlene and it's another fabulous sketch. The option, should you choose to follow it, is 'One for the Boys'.
Now I ALWAYS like to include the option.

So now you're thinking hmmmmm, it's a Christmas card, it's pink and sparkly, but is it 'One for the Boys'?
I can assure you it is! I've made this Christmas card for........my hairdresser Damian, and I can assure you that it's right up his street and he will love it! Maybe I'm pushing the boundaries here, but I do not like making men's/boys cards. I like pink and glitter and flowers!
This gorgeous image is from the Home Grown Country Cousins range and she's called Make a Wish, available to buy HERE. She's perfect not just for Christmas cards, I've got this little fairy earmarked for my nieces birthday too. DP's are Dream Street Wonderland, a Nellie Snellen punched flower, a few pearls and a charm. As always she's coloured with DI's.

Another fabulous prize is on offer for the lucky winner of this challenge, a set of Nestabilities dies and a pick 'n mix set of 6 Sugar Nellie stamps of the winners choosing.
All the details are available on the Sugar Bowl Blog, and please pop by the other sweeties blogs for some inspiration, and don't forget we have all the new Sweeties taking part now, I can't wait to see what they've all made!

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

Sugar Nellie Latest Release.

Good morning everyone and welcome to a little fun blog hop that the lovely Dena asked me if I'd like to take part in along with some of the other Sugar Nellie DT ladies.
Sarah sadly couldn't join in the little hop as she'd been whisked away by her husband for the weekend. Hope you had a fantastic time away Sarah and were thoroughly spoiled xx

We are going to showcase some stamps from the latest release from Sugar Nellie.

This little beauty is Goosey Gander from the Country Cousins range of Home Grown stamps, available to buy HERE.  Another very simple card from me, seems to be what I enjoy making the most. DP is MME I Believe range and she's coloured with Distress Inks.
Have a little hop by the rest of the DT and check out what these extremely talented ladies have made with their Sugar Nellie images.

* DENA *

* DONALDA *

* JUDY *

Thanks for stopping by this morning, and for any comments you may leave.
Love Elaine xx

Simply Sassy High School Student.

I'm back with my sixth Simply Sassy card. You can now purchase these little beauties HERE. I've thoroughly enjoyed playing with all these images and I still can't decide which one is my favourite.

I've kept it very simple using MME So Sophie DP, two flowers and a few pearls. She coloured with distress inks. Do you like her tinted 'Reactolite Rapide' glasses? Very clever huh? Ha! I coloured her eyes perfectly, then I wanted to make the glasses glossy like real glasses. I tend to get in such a mess with Glossy accents and the like, so I used a clear Sakura glaze pen and added a few layers to get some depth.
All looked fine until it had completely dried when I realised the glaze pen had mixed with the DI's making the whites of her eyes very creamy coloured Grrrrrrrr!

My hubby is now back from his travels along with all his dirty clothes, thank you darling! He's had the most wonderful time away and will definitely go back to the Isle of Skye. I've seen some of his photos and I must say that the scenery is breathtaking.

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

Simply Sassy Pillow Talk

I can now post the remainder of the cards I made with the gorgeous Simply Sassy stamps from Sugar Nellie. I can't decide which one I like the most. Today I will say it's this stamp, but every time I use a different image I change my mind.
I simply adore the eyes and their faces, such beautiful faces and they colour so nicely too.

I wanted to colour this little lady in softer shades to match with the papers. The stripey one reminded me of PJ's I used to have as a child. As always she's coloured with Distress Inks, the DP is Prima Jack and Jill, a few pearls and a........what?? Since I always use punched flowers I thought I'd try something different and use a butterfly instead. Bad idea Elaine!
Miss Sassy would be terrified if a butterfly that big was fluttering around her head. Even worse, because of my stupid placement of the butterfly in relation to her hand, it looks like the butterfly has just flown off her finger! Blimey, I'm dumb some days.
I can't wait to see all the amazing cards that everyone in blogland will make with these little beauties.
I believe Funky kits will be sending out the pre-orders soon. I did order a set myself, thought they'd make a nice little candy for someone.

On the husband front, he is somewhere unpronounceable, begins with the letter Q, but I can't for the life of me remember where. His view on the Isle of Skye is that a lifetime wouldn't be enough time to spend there.
I can see he's missing me badly - not! But after the ear hole bashing he got on Sunday he has phoned me at least once a day!

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