Purple Poppies

Hello all, and it's Friday again - sometimes the weeks just seem to fly by!  It was a cold and frosty morning here, but at least that means we've now got lots of bright crisp sunshine - so much better for the spirits than grey clouds and rain.  And it's nearly the weekend! Yippee!  So that means, weather permitting, that 'Operation Garden' will carry on, and I'll try to get it all looking a bit happier out there!  My daughter has offered to cook dinner on Sunday as she wants to try a new recipe she's found - that's just fine by me!  I'm all for encouraging them to try new things - especially if it means it saves me a job lol!  So hopefully I can get on with other jobs - and then when the usual shouts of 'What's for tea?' start, I can just point them in her direction....

Anyway, it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz - and it's our monthly 'Anything Goes' which is always such a favourite with everyone!  We're sponsored by Bunny Zoe's and The Stamping Boutique this week, and I've used a Stamping Boutique digi for my card

I thought I'd try a colour I don't often use - purple!  And I think it looks ok!  The image was coloured with copics

A lovely lady at work had offered me some card as she had given up crafting - so naturally I'd said "Yes, please!".  Then she turned up with a HUGE bag of all sorts of gorgeous card and paper, with glitter card, embossed card, pearl card and some lovely foiled Hunkydory card - which you can see on here!  So, a very big Thank You to Carole - it should keep me going for a long while.....! 

The ribbon and pearl are from stash and the sentiment is from LOTV, and I've used a Martha Stewart border punch on the edge.

So do have a look at the fantastic inspiration from the DT over at CraftyCatz and then join us with your contribution - and remember, ANYTHING GOES!!!

Back soon,

Kim x 

Baby - all pink and cute!

Hello all and I hope that everyone had a good weekend - and that your week has started well?  Well, half term is over and it was back to normal routine yesterday (i.e. crawling out of bed at some ungodly hour and drinking hot tea and waiting for my brain and face to all fall into place, trying to crowbar teenage son out of bed, clearing up and then heading off to work, etc.).  But at least it's starting to get lighter in the mornings - and a super-cute little squirrel was playing on the path outside my office yesterday as I headed in which made me smile!

Just thought I'd share a card with you that a colleague had asked me for - for a new baby girl. So I got carried away with the pinks!

I've used the adorable 'Spit Happens' from Mo Manning, coloured with a mix of copics and Graph-it markers. 

The backing papers are from LOTV, as are the sentiment and tags. The spotty ribbon is from Joanna Sheen, and there is a Memory Box 'precious heart' die. Pearls and buttons are from stash. 

Not sure about my colouring on this one - thought maybe the skin was a bit too 'orangey'! But it's still a cutie image! 

I'll try and get round to everyone's blogs shortly and I must try and get some pics of the crocheting I've been doing. At least I managed some sewing while I was off, so Tilly the Dog has a new slouching cushion (made from my old dressing gown and a couple of old pillows!), and I found some fabric I'd bought ages ago and made some new cushion covers (which Tilly is also sprawled across lol!).

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

The Pink Elephant - pink

Fitztown Challenge - stitching

Party Time Tuesday - anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday - stitching

Mo's Digital Challenge - add a ribbon

All greens and creams

Good morning all and hope that you've been having a good week?  It's been a half term week for us so at least I've not had the usual schedule and had some welcome time off work - but it's amazing how I still seem to have been so busy!  But I suppose it was a good chance to catch up on all the jobs that I've been meaning to do!

But Friday has swept round at a superfast speed - and that means that it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz.  This week our lovely Christine is hosting the challenge and it is 'Green, Cream and one other colour'.  I wasn't too sure about this at first, but once I'd sat down with stamps and papers, I enjoyed doing it - and to see the fantastic inspiration from the DT, you'll see so many variations on that colour theme!

I've used a Tilda image, coloured with copics and Graphit pens - and you can probably guess that my 'other colour' was brown! 

I've used cream pearl card and embossed a side panel. The patterned papers are from K&Co and First Edition, with some ribbon from stash. The sentiment stamp is from LOTV. 

So do have a look at the gorgeous inspiration from my lovely teamies at Crafty Catz and then join us with your greeny/creamy creations! 

Back soon,

Kim x  

Special Friends

Hello all and I hope that you're all surviving this long winter! But Spring is just around the corner - I promise! I keep finding odd snowdrops out and all the little daffodils in the garden are not far from making an appearance and when I see their sunny yellow heads then that definitely makes me feel better. I'm sure sometimes that I'd be better hibernating and then just emerging as Spring starts to arrive!  Thankfully we had a bright sunny day on Sunday so we were able to embark on 'Operation Greenhouse' and clear up broken glass, scattered flower pots, etc. Some new panels have been ordered to get it straight again so hopefully it won't look as sad as it does at the moment! But ours is only trivial damage compared to how some people have been struggling - we've been incredibly lucky I think, just to lose some roof felt and greenhouse glass!

I think I must have been having a reaction to the grey and gloom when I made this card - and decided to throw myself fully into pinks, spring greens, flowers, etc.!

One of my close friends has a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks - and although we live about an hour apart, it's so good when we can meet up and catch up over a coffee! 

I've used a gorgeous stamp from LOTV, coloured with copics and promarkers. The backing papers are from LOTV, as are the sentiment tags.

I've added some stitching and some gorgeous flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts

The lacy corner die cut is from Joanna Sheen's signature dies, the ribbon is also from WOC, and the pearls are from stash.

Apologies for the overload of pics - but hope the spring-like colours have brightened the day lol! 

I will try and catch up with all my blogland visiting over the next day or so. I must confess that I'm loving playing with wool at the moment and doing a lot of knitting and crocheting - and it's quite addictive in an evening! But I'll have a blog-surfing session and see what gorgeous crafty creations everyone's been up to! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Craft Your Passion - girly girl

Created with Love - friends

WOC Challenge - stitching

Lady in Red

Hello all and I hope that you've had a good week and survived the awful weather? My thoughts are with those who are struggling against the forces of nature at the moment!  We had the most horrendous gales on Wednesday night - we live in north west UK - and at times it felt like the house was shaking. In the cold light of day we could see that we've lost quite a bit of the greenhouse and the felting on the garage roof - but thankfully we didn't lose power like so many. And at least we've not been flooded like so many others. I'm just hoping that it all gradually settles down soon and some sense of normality can return for people.

Anyway, it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz - and this week our lovely DT Boss Carol has chosen the theme of 'Lady in Red' so we want to see female images and plenty of red!  Our sponsor this week is Rick St Dennis and I've used one of their images for my card

Now I'm not suggesting that I look like this in the morning - but there's probably something of a resemblance.... Just need to add a large black dog standing round my feet too.....

I've coloured the image with copics 

The papers were from stash - freebies with a magazine I think - and the sentiment is from LOTV. 

So let's see your 'red' creations - and have a look at the fabulous inspiration from the DT over at CraftyCatz. 

Back soon,

Kim x 

Make a wish!

Hello all and I hope that your week has started well - and that you're not one of the poor people affected by the terrible floods we've been having in the UK.  I can't imagine how awful it must be for these poor people and my heart goes out to them. We've just lots of rain here but thankfully no flooding - although yesterday was a lovely cold crisp day with blue skies!  Sadly, it didn't last, and we're back to grey clouds, rain, hail and sleet this morning. Sigh.

Our French exchange student has returned home to Lyon safely - we waved him off at 3.30am on Saturday!  And via the wonders of t'internet, my son has heard from him and he's back home, tired, but had a great time here - thank goodness!  I'm just hoping my son has a good time when he goes to stay in France with him and his family in a few weeks time!

But in between doing the laundry and getting the house back to normal (whatever that is!) I managed to make a card on Sunday. I recently bought some sentiment stamps from LOTV when they had an offer on and used one of them for this card

The papers are from K&Co and I've also used LOTV background stamps on the panels, together with some distress inks. I've added stitching, some lace and the die cuts are a Marianne heart and the LalaLand banner.  So quite simple, but I like the effect of the layers and 'shabby' look.  Mind you, with a scrummy combination of gorgeous papers and wonderful stamps, it doesn't take much effort on my part to make a card lol! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

CraftyBoots - Bingo (pink/stamp/die cut)

Addicted to Stamps - hearts

The Ribbon Girl - LOTV

Sweet Stampin - sentiment only

Totally Gorjuss challenge - sentiment as main focus

Love is in the air

Hello all and I hope that you've had a good week - and not been too badly affected by some of the awful weather that seems to be battering so many of us! Roll on Spring!
I'm just hoping for a quiet and relaxing weekend - we seem to have had so much going on the last few weeks that I'm really in need of a 'do nothing' sort of weekend.  Our French exchange student leaves us in the early hours of tomorrow - and thankfully it all seems to have gone quite well.  He's a lovely boy, very polite and always smiling! (Quite nice to have a teenage boy that chats and smiles a lot - ours doesn't do a lot of that at the moment!  Although he's had to be nice and polite and chat to us this week - ALL week! - as he's had his visitor here.  I think the strain is starting to show.....).
Anyway, less of my waffle! As it's Friday, it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and this week - as it's fast approaching Feb 14th! - our lovely Nina has chosen the theme of 'Love is in the air'.  This doesn't have to be a Valentine card - but just one that shares the LOVE so it could be anniversary, wedding, engagement, etc. The DT have definitely got into the romantic mood - don't forget to have a look at their fantastic creations!
I've used some Kanban papers for mine

I love that black and cream combination, and decided to add a splash of rich, shiny red!  I've tried making some rolled roses for the first time - so apologies if they're a bit skew!  The sentiment stamp is from LOTV, the large die cut heart is from Marianne and I've also used the precious hearts dies from Memory Box, with a few red dew drops.

So quite a simple one.  But I should confess that my brain is really not functioning at full speed at the moment and I'd made a card for a different challenge so had to quickly put one together for this one - oops!  I hope my DT friends will forgive me! 

Please have a look at the inspiration on the CraftyCatz challenge - and join us with your 'LOVE' creations.

Back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Aud Sentiments - loving inspiration

CraftyLittleFairies - love

milk coffee challenge - valentine/love

crafting for all seasons - romance

A Tartan Birthday!

Hello all and I hope that everyone is having a good week? It's been a lovely day today, but it's gone really cold again and there's more rain on the way - again!
Our French exchange student arrived safely on Saturday to spend the week with us (before my son heads to Lyon to spend a week with him and his family in March). He's a lovely boy, very easy to look after - and thankfully with good English! He and my son seem to be getting on very well - lots of football, computer games, etc. We had 11 here for tea on Saturday (why do I do these things?) with another family and their French student - but we had a good evening (along with the England v France rugby match on!).  Then all out on Sunday!  I'll need a holiday myself by the end of this week lol!
Anyway, the result is I don't seem to have had much time for crafting or anything else!  But I did have a request for an 80th birthday card for a colleague's father-in-law and she wanted tartan or a Scottish theme so I came up with this!

The papers are from LOTV, as are the stamps. I've added some stitching and die cuts leaves. The '80' was made with a die cut circle and some peel-offs, not something I use very often but they are useful occasionally!

So quite a simple card - but she seemed to like it! 

I will try to visit everyone in Blogland soon - but my free time seems to be at a bit of a premium this week lol!  Hey ho! But I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your lovely comments - they really mean so much.

Back soon,

Kim x