Friday Sketchers #41

A great and very simple sketch for thie week's Friday Sketchers challenge. I have a feeling there will be LOADS of entries, as it's a fab sketch to work with PLUS the prize is a set of Miss Anya stamps...WOO HOO!!

I've decided to go back to adding extra little challenges into the cards I make, as it makes me work a wee bit harder! For this one I wanted to use: the Henry mouse image I'd coloured ages ago, K&Co 6x6 pad Sparkly Sweet (which I'm finding hard to match with anything), and I wanted to make a Nestie flower following the instructions on ikki's cuttlebug cupboard blog. I added all the glitter (brad included), as the 6x6 Sparkly Sweet pad doesn't have glitter accents like the 12x12 double-sided pad does! Swirls are cut using my Cuttlebug and my QuicKutz Rev-0024 die.

Have a great Saturday peeps! Hubby has taken our darling daughter to the zoo this morning, which leaves me with 2 options: crafting or housework! ... I can hear Penny Black and Sketch Saturday calling......

x Sem x

Magnolia vs Stampavie: *Week 15* Feel the Sketch

It's my dad's birthday tomorrow, so I decided to sit down for a few hours this afternoon to make him a card. I wanted to have a go at this week's sketch challenge over at Magnolia vs Stampavie challenge blog (which I've rotated 90 degrees to the left, btw!) and to use my untouched Basic Grey Boxer papers.

I don't have any 'male' stamps, so I had a hunt through my pile of images I've been sent by crafting buddies, and luckily found this ace Edwin stamped image. Very apt for my dad, as he has always played guitar in a band since the age of 17 (yes, he still plays now!). The only problem with this stamped image is that the person who kindly stamped it for me did it at a bit of a wonky angle, plus the paper/card they used really didn't like my Whisper pens (couldn't blend for toffee!). I think I did an okay job of the image in the end, but don't look too closely peeps! LOL! Also I had to adapt the addition of the ribbon on the sketch, as the image was stamped on such a small piece of paper that the ribbon would have ended up on top of Edwin and that would have looked quite odd!

Anyway, must fly as my darling hubby has made us all pancakes for dessert (we didn't manage to have them yesterday!)....yum!

Hugs, Sem x

New Tilda's & Edwins ... St Patty's Day collection

I was blog hopping earlier this morning and came across the US webstore KL Stampin N Scrappin Store (thanks for the link Sparkle!). Whilst I was browsing their Magnolia stamps section, I happened upon 4 stamps from the 'new' St Patty's Day collection (8 stamps in total - 4 characters, 4 accessories). I didn't even know there was going to be a St Patty's Day collection!!!!!! There's nothing, nada, no mention of this new collection on the official Magnolia website & webshop. But aren't they the cutest? The only other information on the web about them is at Roses on Paper and they say that they won't be released in time for St Patrick's Day (17 March), but I'm sure it won't be long after that! I just hope that one of the UK online stores stock them as I just HAVE to have them when they are released!

(from L to R: Tilda with Umbrella, Tilda with Clover, Lucky Edwin, Edwin with Hat)

If anyone has any further info on this adorable new collection, pop your comment below and I'll incorporate it into this post.


Hugs, Sem x

Whiff of Joy Challenge #19

This week over at the Whiff of Joy Challenge Blog there is an extra special and very exciting challenge - Katharina, the fabulous owner of Whiff of Joy Stamps, has asked the WOJ challenge blog to run a Whiff of Joy Guest Designer Call. Whoever is lucky enough to be chosen will get to guest design for WOJ for a period of 2 months! To enter, all you have to do is make a card using the fantastic sketch Katharina has posted on the WOJ Challenge Blog, and leave a direct link to your card under the post by 5th March. [It's my birthday on 8th March ... what an awesome pressy this would be .....]

I have used one of the darling new Willow stamps from the WOJ Spring Stamp 2009 Kit (which arrived on Thursday!). This one is called 'Kneeling Willow' and you can buy this stamp, along with all the brand new stamps from the Spring Stamp Kit, right now over at Whiff of Joy. The papers are all from my brand new K & Co 12x12 pack - Amy Butler Lotus Faded China double-sided paper pad. I just love the combo of lime, blue and grey! All matting card is from Core'dinations Core Essentials range (you can now buy each colour individually in 12x12!). Blue ribbon and pearls from stash. Large flowers are all Prima. Small cream flowers are Hero Arts (I think!), plus a couple of hand-punched flowers. Image is coloured with my Whisper Pens and my Whisper Blender pen, and the sentiment is a combo of text printed from the PC together with a hand-drawn border and flowers (to co-ordinate with the flowers on Willow's outfit).

As ever, I'd really appreciate any comments you have......!

Have a great Saturday, whatever you're up to!

Hugs, Sem x

Friends Blog Award

My lovely DoCraft buddy, Dei, has given me this beautiful award (that has made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!). Thanks so much, Dei, you are wonderful!

I have to pass it onto 5 friends, so here goes....

1. Joey
2. Tab
3. Debbie
4. Debra
5. Mel

Enjoy, girlies!

I'm absolutely beat, so it's off to bed ... night, night!

Sem x

Sketch Saturday #38 & Pollycraft Monday Challenge #9

Well, hello again everyone! After 9 long days without a sniff of a broadband connection, we are finally back online...woo hoo! Last week's house move went really well. Snow was forecast for the night before we moved, but thankfully it never happened, and moving day was dry and sunny. Yay!

So I carefully unpacked my crafty stash the other night and got busy. I wanted to use one of the fabulous new PollyCraft stamps from the Sharing Sherbert range (the one I've used is called 'Secrets'), so I took Sketch #38 from this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge and combined it with the Think Pink themed challenge #9 over at Pollycraft Monday Challenge this week. I know, I know, my pink is actually a purpley-pink, but hey, it's still pink!

Hope everyone is well. I know I've only been away for just over a week, but my goodness it feels like months! I'm off for a very long blog hop now to see what you guys have been up to!

Hugs, Sem x

So long, farewell, Auf Weidersehen, goodbye...

Well folks, that's almost it! The house is packed and ready to go, and the boxes transporting my precious crafty stash were sealed this morning! All that remains is to pack up the PC, the TV and the kettle and we're good to go! Unfortunately, due to a right royal muck up by BT (I was talking to them for half-an-hour this morning!), our Tiscali broadband won't be transferred to our new house and up and running for another 10-15 days!!!! ARGHHHHHHH! How will I cope without the internet for 2 weeks? I'll just have to be content with accessing emails from either the library (a pain, but free!) or my parents house (with their extremely slow computer!). Still, at least it gives me heaps of time to make a whole new pile of cards with my new stamps!

So, please, please don't think I've vanished or forgotten you all! I won't be uploading pics or new comments very regularly during the next fortnight, but I promise that I will have lots of new stuff to show you very soon. And I will be popping by everyone's blogs as often as I can.

Take care, stay warm, be happy, and keep crafting - 'see' you all again very soon!

Hugs, Sem x

Whiff of Joy stamps...

[Sorry about the 'dark' photos - it's a very grey day here!]

Thought I'd take a 20 minute break to have a go at colouring a couple of WOF images that fellow DoCrafter buddies have sent me (these are the 2 stamps that I have ordered in the hope that my sister will buy them for me for my birthday...I just can't WAIT to ink them up! LOL!). I think my Whisper Pens suit Henry Mouse really, really well, but I'm not happy with the colour of Melinda's top. I wanted it to be more of a beige colour, but my Whisper Pen Set only has a dark chocolate brown, a medium warmer brown (used to colour her hair), a yellow-brown (that I used to colour her top) and then a very pale cream. I've tried mixing whisper pens on an acrylic block before, and then applying them with a little water and a paintbrush, but I find I'm too impatient to let each colour dry, and so end up with "bleeding" LOL! I think I may have to invest in some copics or promarkers.... Anyway, I can't wait to make these into cards (I'm going to use BG Bittersweet papers).

Have a great Sunday, peeps! We're off to my parents now for a scrummy Sunday roast with all the trimmings!

Hugs, Sem

Sketch Saturday #37 & One Stop Craft Challenge #15

Well, we're basically all packed up and ready to move! Yippee! So I unboxed some crafty stash late this afternoon to make this card (...I hadn't actually sealed the box yet, LOL!), and followed this week's fab sketch over at Sketch Saturday. I had already coloured this fab Tilda image a week ago, and had received my order of some orange/yellow Doodlebug 12x12 paper from The Glitter Pot, so it didn't take long to pop it together. It's actually for someone, but just in case she's reading this blog, I'm not going to give any clues as to who it is! After a bit of blog-hopping, I was delighted to find a challenge blog that I'd never come across before, One Stop Craft Challenge, and as this week's challenge is 'circles', I thought I'd join in and enter this card!

Hugs, Sem x (only 3 nights left in this house....yay!)

Recipe:

- Standard 6" square white card

- Doodlebug Bumblebee 12x12 papers: Swiss Dots, La Fleur, Boutique Stripe

- Core'dinations cardstock: 6x6 Super Assortments 'So Mod' - Harvest Yellows 'Honey' (HY020)

- Magnolia Stamp: Tilda with Sunflower (coloured with Whisper Pens)
- Wizard Spellbinders Nestabilities: Standard Circle Small (S4-116) and Petite Scallop Circle Small (S4-117)

- Ranger Inkessentials White Opaque Pen

- Prima Flowers: Daisy Crazy (Hailey)

- White flowers punched from standard card using Woodware Craft Punch: Daisy 1"

- Just Pots Funky Flowers: Yellow (AC8300Y)

- Small white pearls

Caz's watermark...

I'm always popping by Caz's blog (she does wonderful things with Anya!). A few days ago she put a plea on her blog asking for help making a watermark. Well, being the awesome person that I am (LOL!!!) I replied and have spent some time creating the above for her. The cool thing is that she really likes it, and you can see it in action on her blog here.

...Caz.....didn't you say you'd maybe put together some fab candy for the person who helped you?......... LOL! ;o) *wink wink*

Hugs, Sem x

We have snow ... finally!

*UPDATE*

Well, it's now almost 7pm and most of the snow has literally melted away! Still, we managed to build 'Fred' (who is still standing right now ... well, sort of...LOL!). We live in a Close, and so we ended up building him outside our house in the street (hence the lovely rubbish bins in the background - sorry!) as all our lovely neighbours said we could use the snow on their cars (I think it was an easy way for them to get them cleared!!).

...it's finally arrived in my little part of the South West! Woo-hoo! I know it's not much, but it's exciting all the same! Daughter and hubby's schools are both closed, so family time today. Children to the back of us were out at 7am this morning building snowmen...we'll be out too later on. Stuff the packing up of the house, this kind of snow comes around once every 10 years in this part of the country, so we can't stay inside! LOL!

Keep warm and have fun everyone!

Hugs, Sem x

New Stamps ... New House

Well, today I reluctantly (but carefully and lovingly) packed away my ever expanding crafty stash in readiness for our impending house move. There's so much to organise at the moment, that I'm finding my creative juices aren't flowing fully, so I've succumbed to the task at hand ... packing, not crafting! LOL! I'm looking forward to when we've moved and settled, as I already have my crafty storage planned out for the dining room (which will also be known as Sem's Crafty Haven henceforth!). We only have 9 more nights in this house, which is pretty scary as there is still so much left to do. But I know it'll all be fine.

On a lighter note, I don't feel so bad about crafty spending at the moment, as we popped out to order some new furniture today and spent a hefty wedge of our savings! For the past so many years, our house has been a bit of an Ikea showroom. We're kind of tired of it now and think that in our mid-30s we should own furniture that we like not because it's within budget. We've gone for solid Oak furniture in the living room and dining room, a massive Pine wardrobe for our bedroom (current house has fitted wardrobes - new house doesn't!), and new Alstons three and two seater sofas. We did try to "do a Dom" and haggle down the price, but to be perfectly honest, we were awful at it! Still, we managed to get free delivery for all the furniture (which will be coming in 4 deliveries, because of arrival times) plus £35 off the sofas....Actually, that sounds laughable!!! LOL! But you try haggling with a sweet old gentleman who keeps calling you sir and madam - I guess we're just too soft!!

Finally, I am chomping at the bit to order some new stamps. I have already added a load of Magnolia stamps from the new Love range to my basket at SirStampAlot (although I haven't actually ordered them yet!). And I am impatiently waiting for the new Sugar Nellie's to arrive at FunkyKits - does anyone know the exact release date for these? I will certainly be placing an order at PollyCraft Designs - their new clear stamp range 'Sharing Sherbert' is released tomorrow! Plus I have ordered a couple of Stamping Bella HuggaBugg stamps from The Craft Barn (although I have to wait a couple of weeks for these). I also can't wait until the Whiff of Joy Spring stamp set turns up, which should be just in time for my birthday!

So, thanks, as ever, for reading. I will continue to blog hop and look at all your wonderful crafty creations, but I won't be crafting myself for a couple of weeks now. Hopefully by then I will have a new crop of stamps to play with ....

Night, night, one and all!

Sem x

Tagged... and heaps of Candy!

Heaps of Candy in Blogland

Before I post about being tagged, I just want to let you know that there is loads of scrummy blog candy out there in blogland at the moment. I've added every bloggy diva who is offering candy as a link-list in my Candy Bar (scroll down a bit on my side bar), as there are too many to post as piccies. But be sure to visit them all, as you won't be disappointed!

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Photo Tagging!

Woo-hoo! I've been tagged by Sue and Debra (thanks girlies!).

The rules of the tag are...

1. Go to the 6th folder, in your picture folder and select the 6th picture.
2. Post the Picture and an explanation on your blog about it.
3. Select 6 others to do the same and let them know.

Here's my piccie:

This photo was taken during our summer hols last year (2008). We went to Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire in mid-August....and it rained almost all day everyday!! One moderately-dry day we went to Folly Farm which was a fab day out. During the afternoon, we got to hand-feed these wonderful goats with bottles of milk. Suffice to say, they were a lot more excited than in this piccie! (and yes, we all got covered with milk ... yuck!).

So, the 6 people I'm going to select are...

Maria, Sparkle, Mel, Zoe, Jo, and Kirsten.

I don't think any of you have been tagged...yet!

Sem x