In the garden

After we came home this afternoon we blowed up the Fifi and the Flowertots 'thing' we bought for Faith a few weeks back. She saw it for the first time last night. We had to blow it up in the kitchen and open both patio doors to get it outside. It took some blowing up I can tell you, even with an electric pump and a manual pump.


Faith loves it and took her colouring things out there right away.

Grandad had to try it as well!

It's supposed to be a ball pool but we parted with all the balls we had when she was a baby so might put some water in it over the next few days.

Chepstow Castle.

We went up to visit family on Tuesday and yesterday we brought our Grandaughter Faith back to spend a few days with us.

Today we went to Chepstow and went to look round the ruins of Chepstow Castle. It really is a massive place and must have been quite something in it's time. It stands right on the banks of the river Wye overlooking England. The river was used to bring food, wine and ale into the Castle, it all being hoisted up from the boats below.

The weather was beautiful and I think Faith was worn out with walking up and down all the steps before we were. She was a bit unsure of some of the stone spiral stairscases, but it was worth the climbs to see the views.

We sat in the grounds outside the Castle and had our lunch and tried to show Faith how to make daisy chains. Grandad's idea of this was to tie the daisies together!

Anniversary card

Just couldn't wait to try my new stamps so I made this card ready for my parents' Wedding Anniversary next month.

I used a pale pink base card. The image has been stamped in versafine ink in grey and coloured using polychromos and sansodor. I cut round it in a crescent shape and layered it up onto a heart pattern dufex board. The sentiment was done on the computer. The stamp is from Cuddly Buddly and is from the hearts and daisies set.

New stamps

On friday evening I ordered 3 sets of stamps from Cuddly Buddly.

They do the cute sort of stamps that I seem to be collecting at the moment. I have a wish list with them but only ordered 3 to try them out before I commit to more.
Well this morning the postman delivered my stamps - how good is that for quick service.

I've already mounted them onto the backing provided and cut them out now I can have a play later.


I would really recommend that you check out their website as they have lots of things on there, not just stamps. You even get free downloads on some things.

Cute Card Thursday

This week the theme of the challenge is
A card for a child
Ali from Clevercuts is sponsoring the challenge this week and providing lots of
fabulous Polly and Pip stamps to give away to one lucky participant drawn at random next week. Do drop by and check out the Clevercuts shop, there are loads of fabulous stamps and other interesting bits and pieces.

I made this card yesterday for my nephew before this challenge was announced but had not shown it so here it is now.

It is a 3fold card in very pale blue. I cut a section from a paper from a Dovecraft designer pack and layered it at an angle onto a piece of blue card which had been embossed with Cuttlebug number collage folder.

The number and greeting are simple peel-offs.

Blog Candy

Claudia has amazing candy on her blog , Pretty Pressings, a Magnolia stamp and a cute folder with stamped images that she has made herself - and those of you 'in the know' will know how fabulous Claudia's designs are. So what you waiting for? Nip over there now to check it out! You have until July 19th to take part.

Think Pink

Over on the Bubbly Funk Forum we have a weekly challenge going on to make cards for a Think Pink Gift & Card Sale.

These challenges are the build up to 2 fabulous events taking place later this year.
We want to make a difference so why not join us at Bubbly Funk for a the first event in September.......the "Think Pink" Cybercrop
We are so excited to announce that our Cybercrop this year will be a fabulous charity event with proceeds going to Breast Cancer Care (Registered Charity Number 1017658)
The MASSIVE two day crop will be held on the weekend of the
20th and 21st September 2008.
Caroline will have some stunning kits on sale with a percentage of the kit price going to the charity.
The two day crop will be filled with fantastic classes, games and fun!

All we are asking is that you voluntarily donate some of the items you make for our fabulous
"Think Pink Card and Gift Sale"
to be held in West Sussex on 18th October 2008.
The sale is being run by Di O and a friend of hers, Emma whose sister has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
And, wait for it.......there will be between 80 and 100 guests attending this very special sale......how amazing is that!
100% of the proceeds of the sale will go to Breast Cancer Care.
This is an incredible opportunity to raise funds for an amazing and worthy charity that continues to work hard to provide the highest standards of treatment, support and care for Breast Cancer patients.
Read all about their work at www.breastcancercare.org.uk
So why not join in with us with these challenges whether you decide to donate what you make or not, either way it's going to be great fun.
Need to know anything else?
Email Di at di.thinkpink@hotmail.co.uk

More information available on the Think Pink Challenges at the Think Pink Blog
Go along to Bubbly Funk Forum, register and join in the fun.

Blog Candy

More Candy!
Jennifer over at Phoenix Crafts has some amazing blog candy Just pop over and take a look!
It consists of lots of stamped images (including the new Magnolias and Sarah Kay), some Sue Dreamer charms and DCWV ribbon.
To enter the draw please leave a comment on her post and leave a comment and link on your own blog to spread the word.The draw closes at 3pm Sunday, 13th July and the winner will be announced at 5pm that day.

Karen's Blog Candy

Karen's Blog Candy!
Karen over at Karen's Creation is offering some yummy candy including some of her own designed stamped images! She is celebrating going self employed as a designer and crafter and I wish her lots of luck. Please go and check out her blog, you have until 15th July to enter the draw for the candy. Karen's Creation

Cute card Thursday

On Cute Card Thursday we were told........

This week we have another fabulous sponsor, Maggie at Banyan Crafts.

Maggie is donating a pack of gorgeous tear shaped cards with envelopes, there are 20 cards in the pack!

To be in with a chance of winning these next week all you have to do is create a card without using patterned paper.


I have had this angel type stamp for quite some time now but have not used her before. It is from Anita's stamps but does not appear to have a name. I stamped her onto white card with Versafine ink in grey and coloured her using shimmery watercolour paints.
She is layered up onto a piece of peach cardstock which has been embossed using the D'vine Swirls folder from Cuttlebug. This has been layered onto a piece of white card leaving just a small border and finally onto a pale pink card. All layers have had the corners rounded off with a punch.

Race for Life

Our ex Daughter in Law, Emma, is doing the Race for Life somewhere in the Leicestershire area on Sunday so I made a card to wish her well.
I used a cream square card and overlaid it with a piece of lilac paper on which I printed the words 'Put Those Party Shoes Away' on the computer.
On the left I put a piece of purple cardstock which had been through the Cuttlebug with the D'vine Swirls folder.
I used gold peel-offs on a pink die cut square and mounted this with a foam pad on top of some skeleton leaves. A purple star gem completes the card.
The gem, die cut and skeleton leaves are all from Papermania.

Water everywhere!

I haven't blogged for over a week now because of feeling very ill with an allergic reaction to my daughter's kittens. These pictures, though nothing to do with crafting, I wanted to share.

They were taken yesterday morning on Mick's phone camera after a large water pipe burst under the car park at his workplace.The red and silver vehicles in the foreground had been parked next to the silver one on the left of the picture.

These 3 slid a little further as the day went on, not surprising the way the road surface has buckled and given way.These had all been squarely parked. The bikes are still standing despite having been almost covered in water!Our car is the black one on the left after the water had subsided. Security cameras show a wave of water reaching knee high up the side of it as the incident occured. Luckily it was not damaged and Mick drove home in it later.

I've been Tagged.

I've been tagged by Karen who I 'met' through the Bubbly Funk forum.
I have to answer 5 questions about myself and then tag 5 or 6 others by leaving a message on their blog to do the same about themselves.

What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was doing casual work in the creche at the local Leisure Centre. My children were all living at home and my Sister gave birth to her son.

5 Things on my to do list.
Get over this 'kitten' allergy and start to feel normal again.
Catch up on the forums i've neglected this week.
Catch up on the blogs i've neglected this week.
Get all the washing done.
Go shopping for food.

Snacks I enjoy.
Bombay mix.
Chocolate (when i'm in the mood)
Ice cream.
Liquorice.

If I were a Millionaire.
I would buy houses for my children and take a good long holiday in the sun while I thought of how to spend what was left.

Places i've lived.
Leigh ( little village in Staffs)
Checkley (another smaller village in Staffs.)
Penkhull (Stoke on Trent)
Burton on Trent.
Newhall, Stretton, Stapenhill - all parts of Burton on Trent.
Newport (Gwent)

Who i'm tagging.
Lynn, Kaz, Annie, Keren, Janice.

May swaps

I've had my swaps for May back from Lynn today. On the Stamping Mad forum we swap 2 ATCs and 2 Moos each month. I don't post pictures of what i've done until I know these have been received by the other people in the swap. Most people seemed to get theirs yesterday so I think i'm safe in showing now.


The theme for the ATC was Distressed, something i've not tried before and i'm not sure I will again as I think mine look positively miserable. For the background I used my embossed loo roll paper with shimmery watercolour paint. Onto this I layered torn mulberry paper and a scrap of card which I put through the Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes folder. I used card from the Neutrals stack by DCWV and sanded it afterwards to show the white core. A piece of ribbon was held down by a brad which had been sanded.






Now my Moos are a different thing entirely and I love them. The theme was Pink & Purple.
I brushed the background card with a Brilliance inkpad to give a soft look. I then used my Cuttlebug Paisley die and cut paint charts from Dulux. I layered these by swapping the cut out bits for the contrasting colour. The spaces that were too small to fit the pieces back in were filled with glitter glue but it doesn't show up on the pic.

Given up

I've admitted defeat with this jigsaw puzzle that Mum lent me. It's been out for weeks now and in really good light this morning I tried and failed to get any of the blue pieces in. I'm sick of seeing the case around the place so I gave in and took it all apart. I've only done that with 1 other jigsaw before but this one's really got me beaten. The blues all have a slightly different tone to them but I can't even distinguish between them well enough to do the top edge let alone all the rest of it. I've decided Mum can have it back! She probably won't even attempt it though if I can't manage it.

This is as far as i've managed.

This is what it should look like.

Doiley stamp card

Today i've been trying out my new stamps from Joanna Sheen.

I've done an A5 sized card and layered onto it a piece of blue background paper from Joanna Sheen's Oriental Dreams Cd.

Onto this is layered an oval of white glitter card. The stamps are from Joanna's new Victorian Doiley range and I have used the oval and diamond shapes from the Happiness Oval set. I stamped them with versamark and embossed them in blue onto vellum. Both shapes were cut out and the diamond layered onto the oval. 3 fabric flowers with bead centres were attached with silicon glue.

A stamped sentiment from the same set was embossed in blue onto a piece of the backing paper and layered onto a mat of white glitter card.

New stamps

The postie has just delivered my new stamps from Joanna Sheen. After watching a crafting programme on Tv the other day I just knew I had to order a set of these stamps, they look so delicate on vellum. What are they? They are Joanna's new Victorian Doiley unmounted stamps, the set I have is the Happiness Oval.
Won't have chance to play with them today but hope to find some time tomorow after I have mounted them onto EZ mount and cut them out.
I can highly recommend Joanna's website, these were ordered on Saturday evening and there is no postage to pay! www.joannasheen.com

New Home card

I had an e-mail message yesterday from a friend in Ireland giving me her new address so I just had to make her a card.


This is a lovely stamp and I have used it lots of times. I bought it originally to use when I sent out details of our new address but ended up using a different one. It is Thatched Cottage by Funstamps.
I stamped with grey Versafine onto white card and coloured using polychromos and sansodor. The edge of the card was cut with a deckle edge and then layered onto a sheet from a Dovecraft designer paper pad by Kate Knight.
A vellum greeting sticker was layered onto white card and placed in the corner.

Cute Card Thursday

The challenge this week is to make a Christmas card!! We thought we'd give you a helping hand to get your cards started early this year and we have a fabulous CD of Christmas designs which Wendy of OOh La La Creations has kindly donated as a prize to be given to one randomly chosen winner.
It seems very strange to be making Christmas cards when the weather outside is so warm and sunny but I bought this stamp from Magnolia stamps only a couple of weeks ago so it seemed only right to use it for this challenge.
Tilda with Christmas wreath has been stamped onto an oval of white card using a grey Versafine inkpad. She has been coloured with Polychromos and sansodor. A strip of snowflake paper from Lilli of the Valley has been layered down one side of a pale blue A5 card and the stamped image offset onto this. A peel-off greeting in silver has been added at the bottom. Crystal ultra fine glitter has been added to Tilda's wings, hat and cuffs as well as the centre of all the snowflakes on the backer.

Dad's birthday card

It's my Dad's birthday on 23rd June so I always get his card ready to send along with his Father's Day card.


This is a nice big A5 lightly textured card in a very dark red colour. The map is from the area where my parents live, it was taken from the internet. The image is Car Couple from Paper Nation and has been stamped in grey with a Versafine inkpad and then coloured using Polychromos and sansodor. I stamped the image twice and cut out the second one and raised it using foam pads. The base image is on white card which has been tinted with chalks to soften the colour.
The greeting is a ready made one in gold on cream pearlescent card.
All the elements have been layered onto a gold textured paper leaving a small border.