Award time and digi scrapping

After seeing June's new freebie paper packs (see post below) my fingers got the buzz and for the first time in ages I did some digi scrapping. Love, love, love these colours together and there will be more up for grabs as the week goes on so I may even find that my mojo has come back completely cos I'm feeling very creative right now. The photo is of my niece on a day at the park when it went from a lovely day to freezing cold in just a few hours. I captured her while she was taking a breather and obviously a moment deep in thought... probably wondering when home time would come lol

Credits :- Buttoned flower, papers and jewelled scrolls - Cen's loft

Bevel gem and Pink a Dot Alphas from here

Okay now onto some long awaited awards.... I really must get more organized and start remembering to pass these on... I appreciate each and every one but am just sooooo absent minded...please forgive me for taking so long with them.

Once again I can't remember the rules so I am just going to pass each award on to a couple of people.

This lovely lady is from the very talented Pearl

and I would like to pass this elegant lady on to Linda and Marlou

Next this fab award from the gorgeous Kristen

I shall share this one with Terrie and June

I also received this special friendship award from my buddies Sharon and June

I'd like to pass this on the Kath and Dawn

and this lovely lady from the lovely Karen

I'd like to pass this on to Debbie and Emma

Last but not least are these two fabby awards from the wonderful Dawn
and I want to award these two to some of my new followers... go say hi to them :D Chris and Craftgirl

Okay that's it from me today... or should I say that's it from me tomorrow... cos blogger has been naughty and instead of getting this posted when I should have it's a day late... Mr blogger has a lot to answer for!!

Happy crafting all

Catchya later

hugs

Chris xx

Willow Sketchie and tagged

Well it's been a busy busy week for me hence not much blogging but the good news is my mojo seems to have returned big style...whoooo hoooo even did me some scrap booking which I will share with you later :D I managed to get my card done for Sharon's Willow Sketchie just before another one comes out tomorrow. I turned the sketch around cos it suited me better this way and for a change did a card suitable for a man... helped along by my new Basic grey goodies which I am loving. The instructions were to do a simple card but with a hidden message....
so I'm all ready for someone passing their driving test... cos we all know that men always pass first time round don't we ladies...rofl

I was tagged by Sharon too... to look in the 6th folder on my computer where I keep my pics and share the 6th photo in it with my blogging buddies and then tag some of you to do the same. Thankfully my photo wasn't one of me in a bikini (wipes the wet brow sheeeesh) but it is one of my sis in her swimming cozzy... thing is you can't see it cos I chopped her body off...rofl Just as well cos she'd kill me for exposing her online ;-)

It was taken on holiday at Primrose Valley in their fab swimming pool and as I don't do water!! I was quite happy to sit in the cafe watching and taking photos... loved this contraption that filled up and when someone turned a wheel the unsuspecting person underneath got the lot from all directions.

Ok so I tag :-
Lorraine
Kristen
Chriss
Anesha
Debbie
Shashi


Now then before I go I wanted to share with you that June has got some fab freebies up for grabs this week over at Cen's loft.... lots of digi papers called colour basics. Brilliant for those of you who do digi and just as fab for those who do hands on crafting.

They are gorgeous printed out in 8"x8" size to use in your papercrafting and cardmaking... I'm off to grab mine cos there are lots more to come.... last girl there is a rotten egg :D Okay that's it for me right now but I will be back tomorrow with some looooong overdue awards.... I really do appreciate each and every one I receive but I am notoriously bad at passing them on (blushingly hangs head in shame)

So 'till tomorrow

Have fun

hugs

Chris xx

Gothic Arch Challenge-Gypsies

Just in the nick of time... I managed to create an arch for this weeks Gothic Arch Challenge where the theme is gypsies. I haven't done one for ages so really enjoyed this. I must admit though that this gorgeous image from Art-e-zine had a little help in giving my mojo a boost...isn't she lovely.
The papers are BasicGrey Archaic, stamps are Crafty Individuals and the wording is from Lisa's altered art.
I wonder where my Wandering Gypsies' travels have taken her... through fields of flowers chasing butterflies or maybe she likes to look for fairies to dance with :D
Have a great Sunday
hugs
Chris xx

Valentine challenge

If you love stamping just look at these lovelies up for grabs over at Karen's blog I meant to let you know about it earlier but better late than never. All you have to do for a chance to win is create a Valentines card/atc but NO red or pink and email it to Karen before midnight tomorrow... Sunday 29th... check out Karen's blog for where to send your entry :DGood luck :D

hugs

Chris xx

The Papergirls Challenge - Alter a photo

It is Chriss's turn to set this month's challenge over at The Papergirls blog and she decided we would alter a photograph artistically... boy was I having palpitations over this one... especially as my mojo has been hiding under the bed...lol I have never created artwork with a photograph as the base but I must admit that once I got started I found it to be quite addictive and will probably use my finished pieces to create a couple of layouts very different from my usual style. I would recommend however that you scan the original before you start... even if it's not one of the best you've ever taken because you may find you wish you had kept a copy.

Ok my first photo to get the treatment was one of DD and DG and I had a few headaches with this one but I got there in the end :D I firstly covered a large part of the photo with gesso before colouring with distress inks and stamping with a squirl stamp from The Artistic Stamper. I covered part of the clothing too, so that I could trace part of the bodies and hand colour them to give a cartoony effect. Some hand cut head wear and lettering along with some doodling and a bit of bling completed my first attempt.

My second photograph of DG on his own had a very clear background so this meant I could alter it quite differently as I didn't have to cover up any dark shapes.

I had lots of fun with this one... I masked off DG and re-coloured the background with distress ink before using the tree stamp from Lost Coast Designs. I then added Dinosaur stickers from BasicGrey Archaic scrapbooking goodies (from my recent spend...tee hee...naughty naughty) and hand cut a speech bubble to add the wording (which took me all night to come up with by the way...lol) I was happier with this one and think it will look well cool on a layout with DG favourite Dinosaur jokes... don't you :D

Now here is a sneaky peak of the photograph that Chriss has altered but you have to pop over to the Papergirls blog to see the finished creation and to find out the rules for entering. The challenge has been sponsored by Caroline at Bubbly Funk and there are some fab chalk inks up for grabs which again you can see over at The Papergirls blog.

I hope you will join in with the challenge which runs until 30Th January... it really is fun and you gotta be in it to win it right :D

Happy creating

hugs

Chris xx

There's something under the bed.... whatever can it be...

well it ain't dust for sure cos after a week of moving and sorting... puffing and panting... sighing and tutting my crafty space is almost shining like a new pin. I say almost because it could do with a lick of paint and some new floor covering but that's a job for another day.

After removing EIGHT bin bags full of hoarded rubbish and re-sorting everything that was left...I haven't got the energy to tackle any more. I've still got far more craft stuff than is decent for a girl to possess and I had to resort to filling under bed storage containers to allow me to have somewhere to walk cos I had boxes piled up everywhere.

I did have some help though... from the fairies that you girlie's sent me...lol However it was hard work getting them into action to begin with... they sat on my window sill like a gaggle of naughty school girls pointing and giggling at my meagre attempts to fight my way through the piled up crafty bits. Suddenly I heard the tinkling of a bell and this lovely lady below appeared and in the gentlest way encouraged them to help...she promised them toffee apples dipped in chocolate... hey even I would've worked hard for that...lol Unfortunately because my tummy is still hanging over my trousers I had to resist and do my bit just for the pleasure of it ;-) To thank that special lady for her help I did a portrait of her so that she could take it home and hang it on her fairy wall...t'was the least I could do eh :D

Despite getting everything done I haven't been around much because my mojo seemed to desert me ... I haven't been able to create anything in over a week... isn't it the strangest thing that sometimes you can sit down with your stash and your mind just seems to have a major block. It was beginning to really get to me so I needed some time out to recharge my batteries and after a get together with my pal Chriss my mojo seems to have returned. Just in time too cos it's time for the monthly Papergirls challenge so I will be back later today to show you my offering for that :D

See you soon

hugs

Chris xx

Alcohol inks postcard

I am jumping in now before I get lost.... yep I did say lost!! I HAVE to clear out my craft room because I am getting workmen in to do some work soon and so far it's taken me almost two days and at this rate another two months won't see it clear because I keep finding things and having to stop...lol

How I have the nerve to buy ANY new goodies is beyond me and if you could see my room you would understand what I mean... I can't walk...I have to climb over boxes, tubs and the stash destined to fill them and OMG what a chore it is turning out to be. I'm not getting any time to play and I want to...especially since I found some papers I had forgotten about and a Basic Grey notch tool (now how on earth did I forget that I had that...I haven't even used it!!!)

I seem to keep moving things from one place to another and making more mess than I started with... even though I have filled 3 huge bin bags with rubbish....eeeeeek how bad is that.

Well sitting here isn't going to get the job done... I guess I'm just putting off the inevitable so just a postcard today that I made a while ago... says it all really :D

I am dreaming of a lovely tidy (know where I can find things) room...
I am wishing that I had half a dozen fairies to help me get it that way...
and I believe when it's all done I will be a happier bunny...lol
So if you've got any fairies that you'd like to send along to help me with my mission... now's the time to do it ;-)
hugs
Chris xx

I've been a naughty girl,,,,

despite telling myself that I wasn't going to spend any more money on crafting goodies until at least January was out and my bank balance was looking a bit more sunny. Docrafts are having a sale and oh boy they have got some fabby Basic Grey stuff up for grabs and even though I tried to sit on my hands... they just kept nipping my bum till I got up and grabbed my plastic so I could get my hands on some of the lovelies!!! Shame on me :D Made me feel really good though... much better than chocolate which I have managed to deny myself since the New Year (aren't I a good lassie...lol)
I have to patiently wait until my stash is delivered though so in the meantime I had a play with another of my all time favourites... Cosmo Cricket :D (like you didn't know that eh!!) So for the first time in an age I made a Thank you card... don't know why I don't make more because there are always occasions to say it to fabby people IYKWIM.
I had a lot of fun inking the edges and adding my little bit of bling

and hand cutting and assembling the half paper flower. The background papers and thank you strip are from the Chemistry range and the paper I used for the flower is from Mr Campy.

So it seems my addiction to paper play is salved a little while I await my parcel and now I have to just dream about opening it when it arrives :D

Have a great day all

hugs

Chris xx

Artygirlz challenge #67-anything but a card

ooooh I AM becoming a naughty blogger but life just seems to be getting in the way right now... I don't mean to be awol... but things just keep cropping up to keep me off the 'puter ;)

My Artygirlz challenge piece is a reversible concertina book...the first one I've ever made... seems to be a year of firsts and change for me so far but I am enjoying doing different things it's really fun and stops my crafting sessions from being boring and stale... well for me at least... maybe not always exciting for YOU to look at... but a lot of satisfaction for me doing something new. I know you know what I mean :D

The outer cover and hand cut flower embellishment is my fab velvet paper from Scrapz cos I just lurvve stroking it...it's so lush The outline paper was just some scraps I wanted to use up.

The inner pages were made with 7gypsies paper again from Scrapz allowing plain white pages on one side to decorate and the lovely flourishes pages to decorate on the other. I was hoping to do some of the pages to show you but didn't manage to get around to it so will have to show you at a later date. Now then the main reason I have been awol is because it was DG Birthday at the weekend and as Nanna's usually do I got roped in to helping with the planning and helping out with his Birthday fun. As he is a lover of all things nautical right now we paid a visit to HMS Trincomalee at the Hartlepool Maritime Experience. He has been before and absolutely loved it but not with friends... so he was well excited that he could take his pals and Lord it over them by showing them how knowledgeable he was... knowing where everything was and how it worked...lol

The boys were whooping with excitement the minute we got through the doors even though it wasn't the nicest day and it took DD and I all our time to rein them in a little bit... cor three boys together are a handful.... they were buzzing!!

Clowning around the minute we got there AND posing for pics as often as possible...lol (the boys don't really have butterfly masks...heh heh... but in the interests of anonymity I thought I had better provide them for DG's pals)

They were all for climbing up on the ship and up to here to face the dizzy heights... thankfully though that isn't allowed so I didn't have to put a brave face on while my heart thudded in my chest at the thought of peering down at the decks below....phew!!

They contented themselves with walking the plank and perching precariously 2 feet from the soft play mat below :D

A sailors' lunch in the decks below didn't look toooooo appetizing... pleased I didn't have to eat THAT even salad leaves look more appealing!

There were plenty of photo opportunities on the inside and outside games to chase off the cobwebs and wear the boys out a little... even if me and his Mum almost froze to death despite the thickest of scarves and gloves... why is it kids NEVER seem to feel the cold?

We moved into the free museum afterwards and my little man became a monk for a short while...he sooooo loves to dress up

and then took a well earned rest at the old school desk.... heh heh... I remember desks like those :D Wonder if that's how he sits after a hard day at school normally.

Anyway a good time was had by all and afterwards they all had MacDonald's followed by a sleepover and I think this is one birthday he will certainly remember :D

I've got some more goodies to share this week so promise I won't be a stranger.

'Till next time :D

hugs

Chris xx

Big Art Adventure Challenge- Charms

Well my absence from blogging this week has had a lot to do with the fact that my body has been working the night shift. I've been awake all night and slept all day for most of the week because the little men working my brain are having a laugh at my expense...either that or they've been having parties and stopped working due to hangover induced coma's...lol

While being awake all night would be welcome... if I would have creative boosts and be as happy as the proverbial pig in muck.... it just doesn't happen that way... especially when you wake up and it's dark and you feel like you should be getting into bed and not out of it. A certain fog descends and somehow no amount of turning lights on helps to illuminate the hours ahead.

Sitting without noise for fear of waking everyone else ain't much fun either cos even if you fancy having a disco so you can prance around the room like a marionette on strings... you ain't gonna have one... unless you are ready to face the wrath of the neighbourhood the following day and I'm not THAT brave..lol

Anyway I think I've got it licked cos I am up and it's a little after 8....and DAYLIGHT whoooohooooo. After sleeping all day yesterday and grabbing a kip in the early hours I have hopefully got myself back on track... oh the little things that keep me happy :D

So onward we go and for this weeks Big Art Adventure Challenge we have Charms. This is completely new to me as I have never even thought of making a charm never mind put one together and I thought of giving it a miss as I didn't think it was my thing... but I'm so glad I didn't cos I have found me a new talent and another forthcoming addiction I think :D


So thanks to Linda and Rosie for encouraging me to think out of the box and also thanks to my good bud Chriss for sharing some fabby bits of old jewellery with me to help me in my creating when we spent some quality (chocolate free) crafting time together on Monday evening.

As usual once I got started they just kept coming so I have a little collection starting :D The images are all Artchix and the starting point for each one apart from the wings charm was chipboard shapes. I lurve chipboard it is soooo versatile :D
This one was covered with a piece of previously alcohol inked card which had been stamped with Crafty Individuals crackle stamp before adding the image and... ooooh look BLING...lol
Next piece was covered with a part image and a sentiment... the edges inked with black stazon and I gave her a bling ring and a crown sent to me by my buddy Karen (I got some cooool friends) lol You can also get the crown from Scrapz (see my fab places to visit).
My favourite piece of them all is this one thanks to this gorgeous butterfly and heart from a piece of Chriss' jewellery...oooooh I just love it. The chipboard was covered in coloured card again stamped with Crafty Individuals crackle stamp... the image was cut out and mounted onto a piece from an earring before attaching it to the chipboard with the other bits.

Finally my bottle cap charm has the addition of some ea ring pieces and wings hand cut from cardboard and then covered in some lush velvet paper that I purchased from Scrapz. It is soooo strokeable but unfortunately the texture doesn't show up well in the photo... you just have to take my word for it :D

Okay I hope I haven't interrupted YOUR sleep pattern by making you nod off with the length of this post...lol

I'm off to grab me a coffee and blog hop :D I'm having withdrawal symptoms now.

Have a great day

hugs

Chris xx

The joke's on me...lol

I think I mentioned that my cup this year was going to remain half full.... but that was before it developed a crack in it!!! I don't know if it started as an old wives tale but things certainly have a tendency to happen in three's don't they.

Over the last few days I've been ready for tearing my hair out on more than one occasion... thanks to my car battery going flat and needing nothing short of a bolt of lightening to get it going again. Being without wheels is not much fun when you are looking after an 8yr old with the attention span of a gnat for four days (much as I love DG patience has NEVER been his middle name...lol)

So that was my first hiccup...then my washing machine started to play the fool and with a finished load of washing stuck inside with a door that refused point blank to open... the steam began to build up in my ears, the final straw came when the bottom fell off the cooker.... sweary words came thick and fast and in sheer frustration I kicked it... like that would help eh...rofl

Anyway all's well that end's well... temper tantrums over (and me such a mild mannered person usually). DD managed successfully to jump start my car (after other attempts had failed and I had FORGOTTEN!! I had AA membership...lol) After re-running the washing cycle the door opened without so much as a sorry I upset you and I found the spring which had removed itself from the cooker bottom and all is right with the world again :D

This week I have finally managed to get myself into the mindset that chocolate will NOT help me lose weight... well that and the fact that I can't just eat one square... I'm a kind of all or nothing gal if you catch my drift. So I have emptied the cupboard and fridge of all things naughty and unhealthy and filled them with wholesome goodness to help me reduce the double chin I seem to have grown without blinking!! I do not see myself as being on a diet because staying power doesn't come easy to me and where food is concerned my willpower is sparse.... so I am going to eat healthily like a good girl and hopefully regain at least a little bit of the figure I know is hiding under the Michelin man guise it holds now...lol The deciding factor being that the scales groaned under me as I recently stood on them and screamed "GIRL YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN' ME... !!"

So just to give me a little bit more of an incentive to keep the chocolate bars where they should be (IN THE SHOP) I am telling the world and his aunt and any one else who probably isn't tickled by knowing that I am now 14 st 12lb and am going to keep a running countdown for myself in my sidebar... just in case you are wondering what the heck it's all about.... wish me luck :D
Ok you had enough of me rattling on...heh heh
Anyone in the mood for Valentine's. Well I didn't think I was in that mode yet but couldn't stop myself from making this card...
More from the Cosmo Cricket Chemistry range... OMG I just luuuuurve the red!!! and the pop out die cut flower shape.
The flourishes on this paper just screamed to me for a bit of delicate bling
and no-one wants to be forgotten on Valentines day so the sentiment just fit so wonderfully along with more tearing from me and little flower bling (though it's not shining in the pic) added to the centre of the flowers on the paper too just because I could :D My apologies for the fact that I haven't managed to get round to commenting much on your blogs this week too.... I will pop by as soon as I can.
Have a great week
hugs
Chris xx

A little bird told me....

...it's 2009!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU MY BLOGGING BUDDIES !!

Thank you for your continued support... for the friendships I have shared with you and for the inspiration that I have gained in abundance from such wonderfully artistic people...

May it be a happy fun filled, healthy, prosperous New Year for you all xxx

I for one am looking forward to a year filled with all good things... my cup I hope will always be at least half full and I am thankful for all of the highs AND lows that last year brought... I believe the things that happen in our lives make us the people we are and for the most part I am happy being me... I am thankful for the fact that I have a healthy loving family, wonderful friends and all the little things that bring joy to my life... the things that money just can't buy.

oooooh turning into a slush attack now.... got me started and I better stop or I'll have you groaning...lol... sentimental fool I am :D

Okay now for my first card of the year... sorry for the pants photography... do not adjust your screen...the pics ARE blurry...lol Really need to practice my skills at the moment because a lot of my photos are ending up out of focus and I can't seem to stop it... not that I need to tell you that right :D Any tips gratefully received!!

Anyway this one is using the new Cosmo Cricket Chemistry papers and as my favourite colour is Red (you didn't know that right..lol) I am loving them, a combination of deep reds pinks, brown and a few other colours thrown in...yummy A bit unusual for me this one...
I went a bit overboard with my inking, tearing and layering on this card but I guess I just indulge in how the mood takes me at the time...

the image is a download from Pink Petticoat which is totally cute and I added some buttons ribbon and the inevitable bling (which I obviously didn't stick on too well as some fell off when I moved it to photograph it...lesson learned... be less frugal with the glue!!)

A little bit of news to share too... Clare Curd is launching her new Signature range on Feb 9th (well done Clare) and has started a new blog for news about it... I will be keeping my eyes peeled to see what fun things are in store :D

Have a great start to the New Year all and will be looking forward to popping by and seeing what you are all up to :D Well those who don't have a hangover that is...lol

hugs

Chris xx