Sugar Bowl # 71, Simon Says Stamp, Stampavie and More # 155 and Moving Along With The Times # 123

Got some crafting time last night and really enjoyed making this card.  The sketch was great and definitely one I will use again.

I am entering my card into four challenges:-

Sugar Bowl # 71 - Sketch with optional theme of patchwork (although I have left off the sentiment, hope that is ok)
Simon Says Stamp - Buttons
Stampavie and More # 155 - Anything Goes
Moving Along With The Times # 123 - Food and Drink (if this doesn't suit the challenge, sorry)

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Papers - Papermania
Image - Sugar Nellie
Coloured with Distress Inks
Nestabilities
Marianne Design Button Flower Die
Twine
Buttons

These are some of Shannon's formal photographs from Wednesday night.  She looked beautiful and Matthew scrubbed up well too. He is our neighbour and is like a brother to the girls.  They had a great night. Thank goodness the formals are now over, can now relax and start to think about Christmas.

Thanks for popping by, your comments are always appreciated.  Off to Belfast shopping today with the girls, although not sure if we are wise as the MTV Music Awards are on Sunday night and it will be very busy.  Then again, you never know who we might spot out shopping.  Hollie has her camera with her just in case. Enjoy your weekend.

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

Simon Says Stamp, Sugar Bowl # 70 and Dream Valley # 19

Back with another Christmas card and photographs of Sophie at her own school formal on the 20th of this month. 

I am entering my card into three challenges:-

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Sugar Bowl # 70 - Follow Sketch - optional theme - clean and simple
Dream Valley # 19 - Anything Goes

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Paper - Echo Park
Gems - Mei Flower
Image - Sugar Nellie
Coloured with Distress Inks
Sentiment - Hero Arts
Stickles

Here are photographs from Sophie's second school formal. Definitely a costly night out and she had TWO of them.  Her other formal photographs are on my previous post. Shannon's formal is on Wednesday night, so will show these hopefully over the weekend.

Had a busy house that night as all the other parents were there as well as both sets of grandparents.  The limo driver had fun trying to get to our house with so many cars parked in the street. Anyway she had a great night and she looked beautiful.

Thanks for popping by, as your comments are always appreciated.  Think I got caught up last night with all my commenting. Apologies again for not being around recently.

Two Christmas Cards

Back tonight with a couple of Christmas cards that I made but never got posted.

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Paper Mill
Patterned Paper - Echo Park
Image - Stampavie
Coloured with Distress Inks
Gems - Mei Flower
Woodware Snowflake Punch
Sentiment - Hero Arts

Cardblank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock - Bazzill
Patterned Paper - Echo Park
Image - Stampavie
Coloured with Distress Inks
Gems - Mei Flower
Sentiment - Hero Arts

Went to Altnagelvin Hospital with Hollie on Tuesday. Sat for about an hour, then was called to see the doctor, only to be told Hollie needed an x-ray.  Another half hour later and three more x-rays, the doctor said her finger was definitely broken.  They strapped two of her fingers together and gave her a review appointment in another week.  Basically they only did what our local hospital had done on Sunday.  Hollie was not happy that she missed a day off school.

Here are a couple of photographs of my second daughter, Sophie, going to her friend Andrew Crawford's formal - St Joseph's on 13th October.

You may recognise this dress as it was the one Shannon wore last year to her formal. Lucky it fitted Sophie too as I wasn't for buying her two formal dresses. Will show you Sophie's own formal photographs which was last Thursday night on my next post.

Thanks for popping by and hope to get caught up with the rest of my commenting tonight or tomorrow.

Second Post Tonight

While my internet is keeping working tonight, here is another card that I made for the Sugar Bowl challenge but never got entered.

Image - Sugar Nellie

Cardstock - Paper Mill

Patterned Paper - My Minds Eye

Woodware Flower Punch

Pearls - Mei Flower

Coloured with Distress Inks

Got a very stressful day ahead tomorrow.  About two weeks ago Hollie hurt her finger playing at school.  As she caught a ball her finger bent backwards.  When she came home it was slightly swollen and bruised.  We took her to our local casualty department but it was queued out the door, so we thought it best to wait as the bruising, if an x-ray was taken, might not show anything anyway. The bruising has went down and so has most of the swelling so we thought it was getting better.  However, yesterday she said is was sore again so we went back to casualty and got it x-rayed.  Her finger is broken diagonally and is not knitting together properly.  They contacted another hospital as our local one doesn't have a bone department and we have to go there tomorrow morning and possibly get her finger reset or maybe surgery. Not looking forward to it and Hollie is nervous and worried, although we haven't told her what might be happening.

Have another couple of cards to show but will post them later this week along with photos of Sophie at her two formals.  One she was invited to and then her own.

Thanks for popping by again and hope to catch up this week with everyone, internet permitting.

Updated:  Forgot to share link for Hollie's cards - http://holliescraftingblog.blogspot.com/

Sherbert Pip

Apologies for not being around recently but I have been at the decorating again.  Have decorated Sophie's room, the Kitchen and Utility, Living Room, Hall, Stairs and Landing.  Definitely going to have a break, just two rooms left to do now.

I had made this card for a sketch by Cute Card Thursday with the colours for a Colour Create challenge but never got round to entering it as my internet has been playing up over the last month or so and either wouldn't connect or kept cutting off.

Cardstock - Bazzill

Patterned Paper - My Minds Eye (I think)

Ribbon - American Crafts

Image - Sugar Nellie

Coloured with Distress Inks

Woodware Flower Punch

Gems - Mei Flower

On the 29th September, (our 21st wedding anniversary) hubby did taxi for Sophie and her friend as they went to see Rihanna in concert in Belfast.  What a night that turned out to be for them.  Although

 the concert didn't start until after ten due to something technical, they had an amazing night. They had got very good seats, but Rihanna had built part of the stage in front of them so they wouldn't have been able to see all the concert.  Our neighbour is one of the head security men and Sophie asked him if he could get them moved to other seats.  They got into the VIP area at the front of the stage and then Sophie was picked to go on stage and had to join in a dance routine with Rihanna's dancers.  Don't think any concert will ever match up to this.  She is away tonight to see Katy Perry.  She got these tickets for her friends birthday on Friday for a surprise for her friend.

Anyway thank you for popping by as I know I haven't been the best blogger at the moment but do hope to get some more crafting done over the Halloween holidays.

P.S. Hollie has put some cards on her blog tonight as well. http://holliescraftingblog.blogspot.com/

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/