A Gem of a Challenge # 33, Pollycraft Monday # 117, Papertake Weekly, Dream Valley # 19, Simon Says Stamp

Another card to share tonight. 

Took Hollie back to the hospital today for her follow-up appointment and they said that her finger is starting to heal, although it was a very nasty break. Have to take her back again in two weeks and I asked if she could be seen at our local hospital and thankfully they said yes.  An 80 mile round trip just to sit in a waiting room, then get an x-ray and wait a while longer just for a one minute consultation.

Anyway, I am entering my card into five challenges:-

A Gem of a Challenge # 33 - Cold and Frosty (if it doesn't fit the challenge, please delete)
Pollycraft Monday # 117 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes (had followed the sketch from last week's challenge but didn't get it entered in time)
Dream Valley # 19 - Anything Goes (second entry)
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes (second entry)

Carblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Paper - My Minds Eye (free with a magazine)
Image - Pink Gem
Coloured with Distress Inks
Stickles
Martha Stewart Punch
EK Success Corner Punch
Nestabilities

Thanks again for popping by. Your comments are very much appreciated.
Ribbon from local craft shop

Sugar Bowl # 67, Truly Scrumptious # 65, A Gem of a Challenge # 29

Finally got some crafting time. 

I have to apologise for the lack of posts and not being able to visit all your blogs over the past few weeks.  Life has just been really busy, getting the girls ready for school with uniforms, etc., doing hubby's bookwork and vat and then we went to Portugal from 22 Aug - 1 Sep. Then the girls went back to school the next day and it takes a week or two to get used to the routine again and get caught up with bookwork, etc.  Before we went on holiday Shannon got her 'AS' results and had her career appointment at school and this is now her last year. She is doing French, Spanish and English Literature for 'A' level.  She also turned 18 when we were on holidays. Seems like only yesterday she started P1.

Anyway onto my card :-

I am entering my card into three challenges :-

Sugar Bowl # 67 - Follow Sketch
Truly Scrumptious # 65 - Decorate the inside of your card
A Gem of a Challenge # 29 - Picture Inspiration

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock- Bazzill
Patterned Paper - My Minds Eye - Lime Twist
Woodware Flower Punches
Pearls - Mei flower
Doily - Sarah's Cards
Image - Sugar Nellie - Candy Pip
Coloured with Pro Markers - (couldn't get the colours with the distress inks and I had a packet of pro markers which I have never used, so tried them, but not sure.  Never liked colouring with felt tips, always preferred pencils and although it was quicker than inks, think I need to practice a lot more)
Sentiment - Free with magazine

Here are a couple of holiday photographs.  I only got a chance to look at these this evening too.

Went to Zoomarine on the Saturday for Shannon's birthday and then went to the Sand Fiesa, which was amazing, will show you those photos later.

This was taken at the promenade in front of our apartment,

These are our apartments.  They were really nice.  The one we stayed in belongs to a friend of ours and he only took possession at Christmas.  The only downside to the apartments was that there was no communal pool, so the girls didn't get to make friends.  Also as the resort, Olhao, isn't a commercialised resort they had limited wifi connections, so no facebook for the girls.  Eventually found out that the hotel beside us had a computer room and the girls were able to buy internet cards each evening. Problem solved.

Thanks for popping by and your comments are always very much appreciated.  I hope to get round this week to visit everyone and catch up with what is new.

P.S. Forgot to say that Hollie has set up her own blog although she hasn't had much time to craft either.  She had made a card for the Simon Says Stamp summer challenge and wanted to put it on a blog of her own rather than on mine.  Hopefully she will get another card made this weekend. http://holliescraftingblog.blogspot.com/

A Gem of a Challenge # 25, Pollycraft Monday # 101, Simon Says Stamp, Stampavie and More # 147, Allsorts # 112 and Totally Gorjuss # 89

Not much crafting time at the minute as I have decided to do some decorating.  I find when you do one room and it looks so much fresher, you then want to do all the rooms.  Shannon's room was the first to be done and it is now finished.  Then I did her en-suite, which both her and Sophie share and now I am starting the bathroom. Would love to get Sophie and Hollie's rooms done before they go back to school but they still haven't decided on bedding yet. So maybe the kitchen will be next after the bathroom is finished.

I am entering my card into six challenges :-

A Gem of a Challenge # 25 - Lets Hear It For The Boys
Pollycraft Monday # 101  - The Great Outdoors
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Stampavie and More # 147 - Birthday
Allsorts # 112 - Free and Easy
Totally Gorjuss # 89 - All About Boys

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Paper - My Minds Eye
Image - Stampavie
Coloured with Distress Inks
Bunting - Molly Bloom - free with magazine
Martha Stewart Punch
Sentiment - Free with Magazine

Thanks for popping by, your comments are very much appreciated and enjoy your weekend.

Bunny Zoe's Crafts # 13, Flutter By Wednesday # 160, Simon Says Stamp, Truly Scrumptious # 60, Lily of the Valley # 103 and A Gem of a Challenge # 24

Got a chance to make a card last night and I am entering it into six challenges :-

Bunny Zoe's Crafts Monthly # 13 - Fairies
Flutter By Wednesday # 160 - Open theme with fairy, angel or butterfly
Simon Says Stamp - Lemon and Lavender
Truly Scrumptious # 60 - Things with Wings
Lily of the Valley # 103 - Celebrate (hope Birthdays are ok)
A Gem of a Challenge # 24 - Sketch

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Paper - Dovecraft 
Image - LOTV
Coloured with Distress Inks
Stickles
Woodware Flower Punch
Nestabilities
Gems - Mei Flower
Sentiment - Elzybells
Ribbon - Making Memories

Thought I would share a few photographs that I took at Belfast Zoo on Sunday.

Sophie with a bearded dragon lizard.  She was scared when it started to walk up her arms.

Shannon holding the same lizard

Hollie sitting on the wooden carved spider. 

They were also letting you hold a tarantula spider and a snake but the girls or us weren't brave enought for that.

Couldn't believe how quickly they ate their lettuce, definitely put my girls to shame as they are very slow and picky eaters. 

Thanks for popping by, it is much appreciated and sorry for the long post. 

Pollycraft Monday # 97, A Gem of a Challenge # 23, Totally Gorjuss # 84, Sugar Bowl # 62, Flutter By Wednesday # 159, Stampavie # 145

Can't believe how long it is since I last made a card.  With Hollie being off at the start of the month for a week, we had a few nice days so we spent it doing some gardening.  Then I decided to sort out my craft shelves and then stamp onto white card every image that I have.  Didn't get it all finished but got most of it done apart from my wooden stamps and the freebie stamps.  Thought it would make it easier when looking for an image as I forget sometimes what I have.  Have spent the last week sorting out hall cupboards and doing more bookwork, so then this week the house can get a good cleaning before school finishes on the 30th.  Shannon finishes today as this is her last AS exam - French. Fngers crossed it goes well.

I am entering my card into six challenges :-

Pollycraft Monday # 97 - Ribbon and Flowers
A Gem of a Challenge # 23 - Bloomin Charmin (flowers and charms)
Totally Gorjuss # 84 - Flower Power
Sugar Bowl # 62 - Sketch and optional theme of summer
Flutter By Wednesday # 159 - Pink, Orange and Green plus fairy, butterfly or angel
Stampavie and More # 145 - Butterflies

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Patterned Paper - Fancy Pants - Beach Babe
Image - Sugar Nellie
Coloured with Distress Inks
Nestabilites - Lacey Ovals
Woodware Flower Punch
Tonic Butterfly Punch
Martha Stewart - Fence and Icicle Punch (turned the incicle punch the other way to look like grass, don't know if it worked)
Gems and Ribbon - Mei Flower
Butterfly Charm - The Works
Sentiment - Free with magazine

Went to my primary school reunion on Saturday night.  It covered those leaving in 1979/1980 as six people were in P7 for two years. I went with five others from my year.  We were given stickers to write our names on when we arrived and we laughed as we thought we would recognise most people.  After a while we were looking for the stickers to help us out.  Was a good night and ended up asking Shannon on Sunday to set me up on Facebook as everyone else was on it and then we could stay in touch.

Thanks for popping by, hope you all have a good weekend.

A Gem of a Challenge # 21, A Spoonfull of Sugar # 152, Craft Us Crazy # 8, Dream Valley # 7, Moving Along With The Times # 99, Papertake Weekly

Got a chance to make a card this morning as I didn't see much point starting housework, etc when Shannon was only in school for 2 hours or so for her AS English Literature exam. She had her Spanish and French orals last week and her Spanish AS written exam is this Wednesday.

I am entering my card into six challenges:-

A Gem of a Challenge # 21 - Aqua, Lemon and Pink
A Spoonfull of Sugar # 152 - Anything Goes (too late)
Craft Us Crazy # 8 - Something New or Favourite Embellishments - Papers are one of my most recent set and the woodware punches are my favourite flowers
Dream Valley # 7 - Dig out the old to use with the new - Papers - New - Image Old
Moving Along With The Times # 99 - Sketch
Papertake Weekly - Bloom & Grow - Use flowers or Molly Bloom image - Flowers
Hope my card is suitable for these challenges

Have put in these two photos as wasn't sure which one was better

Inside of card

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Dovecraft
Image - Pink Gem
Coloured with Distress Inks
Sentiment - Pink Gem
Pearls - Mei Flower
Woodware Punches

Tried to distress the edges again with my blender sponge but smudged the flowers by accident.  Not really happy with this card but at least its a start at making them again.

Have been really busy this last week or so as it had been our local road races - North West 200 - and we are either out at the practice racing sessions or at the pitts during the week.  Race day was on Saturday and was a disaster. Weather played a large part in it as it was really wet and isn't safe for the riders.  We were on one of the grandstands at the paddocks and got soaked.  First race went very well and Hollie was cheering her favourite rider on - Cameron Donald - he finished second and she was really chuffed.  Wasn't able to see him this year as everytime she went round to his paddock stand he wasn't there, so she was disappointed.  What happened next you couldn't have predicted - an announcement to say due to circumstances beyond their control, could everyone please leave the paddocks - security alert.  This was at 12.15pm and they said racing would commence again at 1pm.  You couldn't really check and make a large area safe in 45 mins.  Racing was held up indefinitely and it just got wetter and wetter.  Time for home.  Watched the rest on the red button on the tv.  No more racing, when they had a practice lap, a bike was leaking oil and it wasn't safe.  They tried to clean it up but it was just made worse as it was only resurfaced recently.  Should have been called off long before 5.30pm.  Felt sorry for the riders as they sat on the grid all afternoon wanting to race.  Spectators waited but ended up going home after  seeing no more racing.  Really disappointed in the whole event this year. Even before race day it lacked atmosphere, etc. Here are a couple of photographs which I got on Friday night.

William Dunlop and Hollie

Michael Dunlop and Hollie.  Both brothers but race for different teams

Gary Johnston and Hollie

Adrian Archibald and his son with Hollie

Apart from the racing, this is one of our favourite things to do, spot the riders and get photographs and autographs.

Anyway, sorry for the long post and if you are not interested in road racing.  Thanks for popping by and I hope you have escaped the weather we are having.  Today showery with very strong gales.

A Gem of a Challenge # 20, Lily of the Valley # 95, Winter Wonderland

Finally got a chance to make a card.  With Hollie getting an extra two days off last week and then my niece Lydia got christened on Sunday, it has just been quite busy.

I am entering my card into three challenges:-

A Gem of a Challenge # 20 - Sketch
Lily of the Valley # 95 - Animal Antics (playing in the snow)
Winter Wonderland - Colours of Christmas (Red)

Liked how the card turned out so made another.

Don't think Mr Blogger likes my card as I had trouble getting it uploaded.

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Coredinations
Patterned Paper - Echo Park
Sentiment - Lily of the Valley
Image - Lily of the Valley
Coloured with Distress Inks
Stickles
Gems and Ribbon - Mei Flower
Martha Stewart Punch
Woodware Punch
Nestabilities



Thanks for popping by.  Your comments are very much appreciated. 

Sketch Saturday # 152, Simon Says Stamp, Stampavie and More # 139, A Gem of a Challenge # 19, Craft Us Crazy # 6

Just a quick post from me today.  Isn't the weather beautiful.  Not often the girls are off school and have good weather.  Lets just hope this is not our summer. 

Got a chance to make a card last night while watching Holby and between taxi runs for my daughter Sophie who was watching a football match for U16's.  More likely the boys she was watching and not the game.

I am entering my card into five challenges :-

Sketch Saturday # 152 - Follow Sketch - (left off sentiment and put it inside instead)
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Stampavie and More # 13 - Pearls
A Gem of a Challenge # 19 - Pearls and Swirls
Craft Us Crazy # 6 - Thinking of You with sentiment and/or animals (didn't use animals)

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Paper - Echo Park
Woodware Punch
Swirl - Marianne Design
Pearls - Mei Flower
Image - Stamapvie - Sarah Kay
Coloured with Distress Inks

Off now to make Shannon some tea before she goes to work.  She is not getting to enjoy much of the sunshine between working and revising for her AS levels.

Thanks for popping by and your comments are very much appreciated.

A Gem of a Challenge # 14

Thought I would post a card that I made yesterday.  My brothers wife had a baby girl on Tuesday morning at 3.36am weighing 11 lb 4 oz.  A baby sister for Eva who is 3 next month.

Has been an up and down sort of couple of days.  Good news on the safe arrival of my new niece who I am going to visit this weekend as children aren't allowed in to visit at the hospital and I didn't want to go and the girls not get to see her but then sad news when I later heard two little girls that I know at GB and Sunday School, their mum ended her life on Monday night.  Hard to get your head around something like that.

Anyway onto my card : - 

I am entering into just the one challenge :-

A Gem of A Challenge # 14 - Follow sketch

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock- Bazzill
Patterned Papers - K & Co
Nestabilities
Gems - Mei Flower
Image - Pink Gem Digi
Computer Generated Sentiment
Verse from Internet

I didn't have any baby images and was going to buy a card when I remembered I had this digi image from Pink Gem so thought I would try a digi again.  Still think I prefer stamps or maybe I just need more practice.

Going out now to collect Shannon from work and then I think I will have an early night as hubby is out at a meeting and won't be back til late.

Thanks for popping by and hope you all have a good weekend.

Sketch Saturday # 139, A Gem of a Challenge # 13 and Totally Gorjuss # 64

Thought I would take a little time this morning and make a card. My little niece Eva is three in March, so thought I would make her a birthday card.  She watches angelina ballerina and this image should be perfect for her. 

Have been busy the last few days getting everything finalized for the assessors. Finally got it all posted this morning and e-mailed as well.  Shop still not opened but might be allowed to start painting our new premises by the end of the week, so hopefully will get opened shortly, otherwise we will have lost all our customers. 

I am entering my card into three challenges this time:-

Sketch Saturday # 139 - Follow Sketch
A Gem of a Challenge # 13 - Debby's theme - Ribbon and Lace
Totally Gorjuss # 64 - Hot hot hot - Use hot colours

Have used ribbon and raffia lace (which I won on Bev's candy) and thought pink and orange were nice hot colours. Hopefully it will suit these challenges.

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards

Cardstock and Patterned Papers - Doodlebug

Image (Melly's candy) - LOTV

Coloured with Distress Inks

Stickles

Gems - Mei flower

Ribbon from stash

Raffia Lace - Bev's Candy - Paper Cellar

Sentiment - Molly Blooms (free with magazine)

Nestabilities

Sissix - Cherish Alphabet

Had tried using my circle cutter again but it just seems to tear the paper and the circles don't cut properly.  Going to give it a miss from now on and maybe get a few more Nestabilites.  Was surprised when these two fitted perfectly together. 

Thanks for popping by, hope everyone is well and getting a little bit of craft time.  Any comments are very much appreciated.

A Gem of A challenge # 12

First of all I would like to thank everyone for all their comments on my last card.  I was totally blown away and also would like to say hello to Fleur another new follower.  Wow, I have 24 followers.  Ok I know its not many compared to the rest of you, but for me, I think it is fantastic, that you have taken an interest in my cards and have decided to leave a comment or become a follower.  THANK YOU.


Last night I got an e-mail from Mieke, one of my recent new followers, to let me know that I had won the raffia lace that was candy on Bev's blog. Thank you Mieke. Was very happy last night going to bed, hubby kind of just looked at me and laughed.  Thank you to Bev for the candy as well.


Anyway onto my card.  I am entering this into A Gem of a Challenge # 12.    This was to follow a sketch by Debby.  Although the image was supposed to be on a circle shape, my cutter just wouldn't cut today and kept tearing the paper, so I hope i can still enter with this.

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Patterned Paper - My Minds Eye (free with a magazine)
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Gems and Ribbon - Mei Flower
Image - Pink Gem
Coloured with Distress Inks
Woodware Punch
Martha Stewart Punch




Thanks again for popping by and hope you have a good weekend.

A Gem of a Challenge # 10

I said last night I would be back today with another card and here I am.  I am really late with this card and hope it is still in time to enter the challenge. With not getting as much time as I would like to craft, I am missing a lot of challenges.


I am entering this card into A Gem of a Challenge # 10 -  Follow Sketch with the theme of a Christmas card but with no red or green.


Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Bazzill and Paper Mill
Patterned Paper - Echo Park and Doodlebug
Image - Pink Gem
Sentiment - Personal Impressions
Stickles
Woodware Punch
Martha Stewart Icicle Punch (again, lol)

Also as promised in my post last night, I have a few more photographs to share with you.  If you missed those photos, scroll down if you have time. The first are on my journey yesterday to collect the girls from school early.  Fun in the snow last night and one of the icicle that was hanging from our front door this morning when it was -8.5.

This photograph is when you pass the White Rocks beach on the way into Portrush, a seaside town by the way. Not today though.

This photograph is normally a golf course on the main road to Porstewart.

I love watching the girls play in the snow.  although we have never got as much as this before.

Think my hubby felt safer in the back with Cleo, our cairn terrier, than he did out the front with all the snowballs that were flying about.

Isn't this the most beautiful icicle. Makes you cold looking at it though.


Anyway , sorry for the long post again, just thought I would share these photographs.  Back to crafting again, trying to make a set of four more cards today.  Take care and hope the weather isn't too bad where you are.

A Gem of a Challenge # 9 and Bunny Zoe's Crafts Monthly challenge # 5

Another quick post from me tonight.  Feeling slightly better.  Didn't do very much last night,  watched Emmerdale and Bones and then had an early night.


I am entering my card into two challenges : -
A Gem of a Challenge - Autumn Colours  (red, orange and brown)
Bunny Zoe's Crafts Monthly Challenge - Autumn Love


Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Paper and Sentiments - Free with a magazine (Spring Fling)
Flowers from stash
Gems - American Crafts
Image - Pink Gem Designs
Coloured with Distress Inks
Stickles

Apologies for the photograph.  Taken this evening, light not so good.  Makes the paper look gold and not orange. 


Thanks for popping by.  I also want to say thanks for the comments last night when I wasn't feeling great, they were much appreciated.

Pink Gem, Flutter By Wednesday , Pollycraft Monday Challenge and Papertake Weekly

I have made this card for the challenge at Pink Gem # 8 - to follow sketch with added theme of 'Lots of Sparkle.' It hopefully fits the challenges at Flutter By Wednesday # 124 - Angel Fairy or Butterfly with sparkle and shimmer and Pollycraft Monday Challenge # 64 - Anything Goes and Papertake Weekly - Theme or Sketch from the past 3 years. I have chosen - 11th May 2010 - shiny and sparkly - although the glitter isn't showing up to well.


Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Patterned Paper - Cosmo Cricket - Mitten Weather  (I think that is what it is called)
Image - Pink Gem
Coloured with Distress Inks
Stickles
Woodware Punches
Sentiment - Pink Gem
Flower Brads from stash


I had  forgotten about the Pink Gem challenge and nearly missed the deadline this month.  Not as much crafting as I would like but at least I get to do some.

The photograph isn't great and doesn't really show up the stickles  very well.

Thanks for popping by and any comments are very much appreciated.

Pink Gem, Totally Gorjuss, Paper take Weekly and Flutterby Wednesday

Finally got round to making a card.  Have had a busy few days and not much time for crafting.  My other half took a few days off at the end of last week and we took the girls to The Ulster Folk Museum in Bangor and Ice Skating at Dundonald on Friday.  Saturday we went to go to Belfast Zoo, only it was very wet when we arrived, so instead went out the coast road to Portaferry, across on the ferry boat to Strangford and then home in time for the X-Factor. Sunday was not to bad a day, so decided to get a little more fence painting, etc done in the back garden, so that it is ready for the winter. Then on Monday I started to get uniforms, etc labelled for going back to school as my youngest daughter Hollie started back today (Thursday) and is in P5.  Seems like only yesterday she started P1 and cried for the whole year as she didn't want to stay.  Tuesday was a big day for my eldest daughter as she got her GCSE results.  She got 4A's, 2B's and 4C's.  Although one of the C's is being checked as she had got a 'B' in her maths in January and the mark is shown as her re-sit in June, which was lower.  Anyway, I was over the moon at these results, but she was not happy as she thought she wouldn't get back to do AS/A levels, as you need B's in the subjects you want to do and she got a C in Home Economics.  Had an interview in the afternoon and she got back into Lower Sixth and she was really happy and said that meant more to her than getting the results.  She is for doing Spanish, French, English Literature and hopefully Home Economics.  Will know later today about that subject.  Tomorrow will also be my eldest daughter Shannon's birthday and she will be seventeen, so I suppose it will be driving lessons for her.  So onto my card eventually.  Sorry for all the waffle, but it keeps like a little diary for me, you know with old age and all that forgetfulness you get.
As I have missed a few challenges and am doing a little bit off catch-up, I am entering this card into four challenges.
Pink Gem - Follow Sketch
Totally Gorjuss - A Star - (hope the star on the little fairy/sentiment is ok for this challenge)
Papertake Weekly - 3,2,1 Recipe - 3 Layers, 2 Designer Papers and 1 piece of Ribbon
Flutterby Wednesday - Open Challenge - Just use a fairy, butterfly or angel - used a fairy
Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill and Doodlebug
Patterned Paper - Doodlebug
Martha Stewart Punch
Sentiment - Elzybells
Image - Pink Gem
Ribbon and Gems - Doodlebug
Coloured with Distress Inks
Stickles
Thanks for popping by, it is very much appreciated, as are all your comments.  Hopefully will get a bit more crafting done again after the girls are all back at school on Tuesday.