ENGAGED

Dear Reader

Last night was my friend Nina's engagement party. Here she is with her lovely man John having a cuddle in the kitchen. Kitchen's always the best place at party's right? And above is the card I made for them. It's a gatefold card and inside, apart from our love and best wishes to Nina and John, is a short quote from Leo Tolstoy:

"He felt now that he was not simply close to her but that he did not know where he ended and she began."

Stop filling up Lynda!!! But if you can't have a romantic saying in an engagement card then as granny would say 'it's a poor show'. I wanted the card to be like one of those soft focus romantic moments that you get in films - all gooey and heart-melting, to make you feel all warm inside. I love a bit of romance! Anyways, I stamped everywhere with an Anna Griffin stamp (she does romantic really well I think in her papers and products), used lots of tattered rose distress ink, some soft pink Martha Stewart card and some embellisments from RWS and my stash. Just to complete the whole romance of it all I made the card for them on Valentines Day. Oh! no - you're filling up again Lynda !!!

All the ingredients were in place for a cracking party - lots of bubbly, food, people and a mood for celebration so you'll not be surprised to hear that it turned out really well and was a great night. John's family had come from all over the place and I had a long chat with a lady called Sue from Darlington who used to do sugar craft and was stopping in her caravan outside in Nina's garden with her two dogs who'd come with her, a jolly motorbiker from t'other side of the Humber with lots of biking stories, and masses of other folk including Nina's neighbours. Turned out that Nina's neighbour was called John too and apparently there'd been a bit of embarrassment when they first moved in. Nina had shouted loudly for 'John' to bring her some loo roll up and got an answer through the open bathroom window from a surprised neighbour John next door to say he would try and help! Oooops - bet she remembers to check Mr B Ogroll is in place from now on!! And thank goodness she's now 'Engaged'!!

POST IT NOTE

Dear Reader I know I said I wouldn't be back for a while with any cards but I thought this one was so lovely that I'd just have to post it on my blog. It was a big surprise when it arrived in the post today. I opened it wondering who on earth it was from and guess what, it was from Nurse Tammy! If you've been with me from the start you'll remember that on a visit to the docs, Nurse Tammy and I started off talking low fat diets, moved to cupcakes and then on to crafting cupcakes which was all far more interesting than limp lettuce! It's really cute with beautiful decoupage which my photo doesn't do justice to and lots of sparkle.

Isn't it lovely when you get a nice surprise in the post. I fear with all things going 'e' that the days of the posted card may be drawing to an end (terrible for us crafters and I don't know if I should even be voicing this fear in case it makes some of you faint!). I truly hope not as an 'e' card, appropriate in some circumstances I give you, just isn't the same as a card sent in the post. Even the post office seem to be conspiring to get rid of handcrafted cards by, as Jane has recently pointed out, making it impossibly expensive to send them. I suggest that when the politicans start lobbying us for our votes this May we ask them where they stand on the issue of a reasonably priced posted handcrafted card! Ha! That'll put them on the spot and sort the men from the boys as granny would say. In the meantime though thanks Nurse Tammy for the card - it's beautiful.

FIRST OF FIVE !

Dear Reader
As promised I'm back with my challenge cards for this week. I've crafted all weekend (it kept my mind off other things) and the following five cards are the result. As granny would say 'No point in sitting about moping, best keep busy'. So no moping for me - instead lots of crafting and hence lots of challenge cards! Out of adversity etc etc. Although looking at the state of the house I probably ought to have been busy hoovering lol. Crafting - hoovering..... no contest!!!

I really think this week's going to be a better one. First appointment of the week was with a caterer (what could be better than talking food and yes there are cupcakes on the menu!) and the second with a magician. He came in today to discuss our Awards 'magical evening' but we spent the first half an hour rolling around laughing at his jokes and Tommy Cooper impersonations. "Two fish in a tank - one says to the other you drive and I'll man the guns!" .... etc etc he he he I just love Tommy Cooper jokes. Anyway, he's going to get the evening off to a good start with an illusion. The choise was making someone disappear 'just like that!' or sawing someone in half. What a choice! Good job he didn't come in last week I could have give him a list of names for both lol.....

Anyway, here's the first card which is for the Sketch Saturday challenge. It somehow felt right to rotate the sketch 90 degrees so I did. Papers are by Martha Stewart and I've used a Whiff of Joy stamp coloured in with distress inks. I made some paper flowers and used pearls to give a soft look, which is also helped by all corners on the card being rounded off. The tag I also made and fixed in place with a large pearl brad to keep the pearl and rounded theme going. I've used a Woodware sentiment stamped with grey ink, again for a softer look. Hope you enjoy this card and the ones that follow it. I'm now crafted out so you probably won't see any more cards from me for quite a while! Although I might be back with another Tommy Cooper joke!!!

JUST FOR YOU NELLIE

Dear Reader

This is a card I've made for a challenge Jane at Jane's Lovely Cards told me about. Thank you Jane. It's the Sugar Nellie Challenge - hence the Sugar Nellie stamp (thanks Lady Janet). For this challenge you had to follow a sketch and use three flowers, two brads and a button. Such a lot to remember I nearly got a headache! I wanted to do a card for a teenager and so no K & Co papers folks (Nicki will be cheering!). Instead I've used some Martha Stewart papers. The flower one in particular is lovely - all shiny and glittery and I love diamonds almost as much as I love spots! Although you can see I managed to get spots in with the ribbon lol. Image is coloured in distress inks and everything else is from my stash or RWS.

SWIRLS AND PEARLS

Dear Reader

Here's another entry. This time for the Whiff of Joy Challenge. I used, surprise surprise, K & Co papers. Even the butterfly is K & Co! The image is coloured in green and brown distress inks as I wanted to give a woodland feel. I liked the green swirly grasses on the paper so I thought we'd continue with the nature theme with a butterfly embellishment which has been distressed with old paper distress ink (come in useful already Nicky - thanks so much), stickles and a pearl swirl. I guess Harry Potter is on my mind - I wanted to give an 'old book' look to the card so I made some tabs which I'm quite liking. I also wanted to offset all the 'swirliness' with some nice rectangles and echo them with some other straight pearls to give some form. Hope you like it!

FRUITY FRIDAY

Dear Reader
Here's my entry for Friday Sketchers. I've used reds and sage greens for this card. I've kept it fairly simply to give emphasis to the thick red ribbon and strawberry charm, which adds to the fruity theme. I used, wait for it, K & Co papers, nesties for the sentiment and my new scallop punch on the backing card. The image was coloured in distress inks.

TILDA - WITH LOVE

Dear Reader

Here's my entry for the Magnolia Challenge. I enjoyed this sketch and tried to get a different look to each of the layers going across using different scallop borders and mediums, including my favourite lace in the whole wide world. Papers are, as if you didn't know, K & CO. I used an Anna Griffin swirl stamp and embellishments from my stash decorated with stickles. Not too sure about the stamp in retrospect but I like to try different things. I think this Tilda has a slightly wistful and apprehensive air so I wanted to colour her in muted shades to give a calm peaceful look. But I think I've overdone it and now she looks as though she's on valium! Forgive me Tilda!