Oooh...

... such a cuty image from the $1 bargain bin at Sassy Cheryls, just couldnt resist her:

I've coloured her with my trusty promarkers and matted onto spotty K&Co papers as well as  shades of orange papers/card, with flowers, lace & pearl from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:

Sassy Cheryls Challenge : Polka dots everywhere (I know they are not everywhere but hope there is enough - not to worry if not just let me know and I can remove her from the challenge :-) )

Secret Crafter - Bright & cheerful
Poodles parlour - anything goes

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Helloooo...

....ooh I think this is a record number of posts for a month this year!!!  Just here with a really quick post before I pop out to my brothers to deliver his birthday card - but shock horror I bought his :-(, ah but only 'cos it was quite cheeky but v.funny that I know he will like and I really couldnt resist :-).


Anyhoo,  heres my card its a new home card for Ians aunt and uncle:

I have used a  Crafty catz image that I have coloured with promarkers and decoupaged the bird house:

I have used I think MME papers and used a freebie sentiment from Nettys blog - that I have actually managed to change the colour of - yay!!!  Then punched some butterflies with my MS punch and added little pearls to the centre.

I'm going to be making another New Home card soon and am going to use a fab freebie from Spyders blog that she has at the moment - I do hope I'm not cursing these sales going through by posting my makes lol.

I would like to enter this into:

Simon Says Challenge - anything goes.
Sisterhood of Crafters - Diamonds, pearls or lace - any one of those to appear on the card - mine is pearls.
Nutcrafters - butterflies or bows

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

At last...

... I've finally bitten the bullet and had a go at monochrome colouring!!!!  I've admired this sort of colouring for ages but not been brave enough to attempt it but with a couple of challenges tempting me I had a go and quite pleased with my first attempt:

I have coloured a sugar nellie image with warm greys 1-5 with a touch of aqua, then used aqua paper with ribbons, grey pearls and charm from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:

Sweet Stamping - monochrome
CYDA - shades of grey and one other.
Crafty Catz - monochromatic.
Crafting when we can - monochrome


On Friday, we went to see some football - Team GB v Brazil:

Well all I can say is the pre-match excitement was wasted on the match - very poor performance from Team GB I dont think we'll get any medals from this lot :-(.  Brazil might though!

Right best get some tea sorter   - what to do, what to do!!

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

July Tusal...

... oops almost forgot:

Pop to Daffycats to see whats happening.

Ali
xx

Another sketch...

...  ooh this is going to be short and sweet before I head out the door for the school run/work.

You know when you are blog hopping and you see a challenge, well thats what happened here I saw a post for a challenge at Sketch & Stash and thought it would be ideal for a boy card I needed to make for my friends son.

The image is from Digi stamp boutique coloured with promarkers, matted onto Kraft paper and I think possibly smirk papers - or papermania hmmmm not sure.

I have then added hessian from my stash and then squashed a bottle cap in my Big Shot and added a no.9.

I would like to enter this into:

Sketch N Stash - Challenge 92 - Sues Sketch.
Digistamp boutique - anthing goes using one of their images
Dude time doodles - anything goes
Nutcrafters - One for the boys
Sisterhood of crafters - lets hear it for the boys 

Right must dash.

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

On a roll...

... I know, more cards!!!  (think it's 'cos I am waiting for some more cottons for my gnome alphabet - lol).  Anyhoo, hope you are all well - cant believe we have got heavy rain here AGAIN!!!!  Will it ever stop.

Right enough waffling onto my little makes.

I saw this sketch challenge over on Loopy Lou's Loopy Thoughts and thought I would give it a bash seemed nice and easy:

I have coloured one of Kristas images (where she also has a gorgeous freebie up for grabs at the moment!!) with promarkers and distressed the edge of the circle.  Not sure why but I always find her images tricky to colour - but I am quite pleased with how this has turned out.  I have used basic grey sweet threads papers matted onto pink card and added pearls from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:

Fetch a sketch challenge - sketch.


Now for my next card:

I love this image - it is from Bee Crafty,  and a bargalicious 99p - again she has been coloured with promarkers with more basic grey papers with lace and pearls from my stash and a freebie sentiment from Nettys cards .

I would like to enter this into:

I love promarkers - circles.

Right have to dash hubby needs the pooter - see you soon.

Thanks for looking.

Ali
xx

My card making mojo...

...seems to be back with a vengance hmmm is that two words or one???? anyhoo, I digress, its Ians neices birthday on Wednesday and wanted to get her card made, loving the bright colours of this:

The image is a Pollycraft (shop now closed) image coloured with pro-markers.  I have used papers that were free with a magazine - ribbon and flowers from my stash and a ticket sentiment that was a freebie download from A load of old blogocks.


I would like to enter this into:
My Sheri crafts - picture this (picture inspiration).
Dis digi designs - pile on the flowers


Oh, did anyone notice my deliberate mistake with the French Card - as my eldest kindly pointed out the other night - "Do you know mum, you would have been better putting the red, white and blue left to right  'cos then it would have looked like the French Flag instead of the Dutch flag" as he wanders off - and I'm left thinking - god I'm such an eejit!!! lol

Right off to text hubby to find out where he is - he went looking at cars about 3 hours ago - I bet he's bought one - lol!!!

Take care lovelies and thanks for looking.

Ali
xx

A little bit of...

... pink, well actually quite a lot - lol.  I've got a few girlie birthdays coming up in July and saw the challenge over at Lilis little fairies and that insipred me to make this card:

The image is LOTV coloured with promarkers and some stickles added to her wings, antennae and wand.  The papers are echo park with ribbon and flowers from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:

Lilis little fairies - pretty in pink.
Fashionista challenge - winged things


Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Bonjour....

.... ah oui, I've come over all continental - lol, however, that is as far as my french goes oh I can ask for a latte as well yup no end to my talents ;-) .  Finally got round to making a card for the French Teacher at Toms school who is leaving to live in Turkey - she has taught both of my boys and she is a lovely lady:

I have used a magnolia image that I have had for ages - I think one of the lovely ladies at MSE sent me it, I have coloured her with promarkers and added glossy accents to her shoes.  The papers are freebies from a magazine, I have added my own sentiment and added ribbon from my stash.

I am hoping it is ok for these challenge:

Magnolia-licious challenge blog - colour challenge
Papers & Such - red, white and blue
Kaboodle doodles - anything french (sentiment and colours of the flag - but will remove if the link is too tenuous x)
Lovely hAnglar or sweet magnolia - anything goes
Crafty Creations challenges - free for all 

Right best get a wiggle on to get Tom - thanks for looking

Ali
xx

And another one...

... lol two posts in the matter of minutes!!!   - It's only 'cos I've spotted a challenge and have a card suitable if I dont post it now I'll forget about it - my hubby is starting to call me Dory after the fish from Finding Nemo - due to my short term memory loss - its getting scary!!!

Anyhoo, here's the card:

The image is LOTV that was a freebie with a magazine - coloured with promarkers, paper and card from my stash as is the flower.

I would like to enter this into:

Lilies little fairies - anything goes

Thanks for looking (again!)

Ali
xx

Oooh check...

.... me out!!! lol - two posts in a week, that hasnt happened for a long time!!  Well I managed to get the card made for my eldests friend.  After checking back last years posts I realised I wasnt going to send him the same image, so here is a fab Mo image coloured with promarkers and using freebie papers from a magazine:

I would like to enter this into:

Bronte & Bellas challenge - anything goes with  a Mo image
Divas by Design - red white & blue
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Sassy Cheryl - anything goes


I really need to get my finger out - realising not got long left before the school breaks up - in addition to a Thank you card to Toms teacher - two other lovely teachers are leaving, one is retiring and the other is moving to Turkey and Toms wants cards for them both - no pressure then - best get my thinking cap on!!

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Busy, Busy...

...hello lovelies, hope you are all well and not letting the lousy weather get you down.  We had a big thunderstorm last week followed by torrential rain - however, nowhere near as bad as Newcastle - cant believe the photo's - so hope you are all safe and well.

To be honest not too much crafting going on here - busy at work and then had a couple of things planned - first off we went to Croft motor circuit to see the touring cars - we were all ready for lousy weather and wow!! it was gorgeous - Jack and Ian actually got a bit of sunburn - shock!!  We had a great day and the boys loved it:

Tom & Jack posing with one of  my favourite drivers car.

My favourite drivers :-).


Look at this:

oooooh I want it - a fabby little coffee bar in a camper van - the boys just looked at me and shook their heads when I said I wanted to take a photo of it - lol.

We've also been away in the caravan again just to Helmsley this time I am so not a good passenger though when Ian is towing it. Oh but its such an improvement on the tent - especially with the dodgy weather - we had just got parked up and the heavens opened I had visions of us of when we had the tent - we would have still been trying to put it up in the rain!!

We took advantage of the vouchers in The Times for the free visit into an English Heritage properties and went to look round Helmsley Castle:

 A bit of fun with the statues.  Before we went to Ampleforth for a lovely Sunday lunch.  Mind you my eldest had a moan when we went to have a look round Ampleforth college/Abbey - a strop was building with 'what???? I've already walked round the castle and now you want more walking - oh its boring!!'   A proper Kevin & Perry moment - lol.

My cross-stitch alphabet has been on hold as I needed to get some more threads and rather than keep paying HobbyCraft prices I had ordered a bundle of 5 from ebay so waiting for those to be delived - they arrived today - so guess what I'll be doing tonight.  If I can put down 50 Shade of Grey - cough!! ('fess up - how many of you are reading it).

My card making has slowed down as well - although, Jack came in tonight asking for a card for a friend as he had been invited for tea as it was his friends birthday - looking through my stash - a couple of cards for younger kids but nothing suitable for a 12 year old :-(.  I couldnt even rustle one up as he was going straight out - hopefully we wont have to go to the card shop though as this lad is also having a sleepover on Saturday so he can take his card then.

I did get to make this one last week:

I have used some MME papers and used my new Little Claire stamp that I got for £1 at a recent car boot sale - result!!  I have coloured her with promarkers and added flowers from my stash.  I have also used my Martha Stewart Butterfly punch - that I so desperately wanted and then didnt use - oops and just added pearls again from my stash.


I am really pleased with how she has turned out - I dont know why, but I see cards with lots of embellishments and they look great but when I try to add lots to my cards I am never pleased with them???

I would like to enter this into:
I love promarkers - anything goes.


Right I think thats me all updated for this week :-).

Thanks for looking

Ali
xxx