For Mum

Hello all and I hope that you've been having a good weekend. And I hope that all the mums out there in Blogland have had a good Mothering Sunday and been suitably spoilt!  I sadly no longer have my lovely mum or mum-in-law to make a fuss of - although I make a special wish for them! - but my offspring have been lovely with me, including some new slippers (well received as the old ones were something of a tragic case lol!) and some chocolates which my daughter said she chose specially because they wouldn't be very popular with anyone else so wouldn't magically 'evaporate' like so many other choccies in this house!  And I'm having tea made for me as I sit and type this - which is a wonderful treat!  The weather has also been kind to us today, with lovely spring sunshine so we've been out in the garden making the most of it!

Although as I mentioned, I don't have a mum to make a card for, a colleague had asked if I could make her a card for her mum - and she loves dogs and used to have two Yorkshire terriers that she adored - so I came up with this

The cute image is from Joanna Sheen's 'Furry Friends' cd, the backing paper from K&Co, with some added stitching. The flowers are from Wild Orchid, with Marianne swirl die cuts and leaves using Joanna Sheen dies. The ribbon and pearls are from stash and the sentiment from a Hunkydory kit. 

Hope you like it - and I hope my colleague's mum does! 

Before I go, just thought I'd share a couple of photos of my other babies with you - the furry ones. 

I recently made Tilly the Dog a new 'slouching' cushion with an old dressing gown and a couple of old pillows - I think she likes it!

She has such a hard life....

And my husband caught a great image of Grumpy Poppy - and she just looks like she's complaining about the dog, life, the universe and everything! 

(She wasn't really - I think she was actually mid-yawn being as she seems to do nothing but sleep!)

Anyway, enjoy what's left of your weekend, and I hope that the week ahead is a good one for you.

Back soon,

Kim  x

Everyone's Favourite!

Hello again - and it's already Friday again!  I hope you've had a good week?  It seemed to be the usual busy one for us. Parents evening for my son went well - although it's obviously a completely different teenager that attends school than the one we have loitering round the house!  But it's a relief that if he's going to be well-behaved and working hard that he does it at school and then has his 'teenage' moments at home! And I don't think there were too many 'cringe' moments for him even though I know quite a lot of his teachers well now!

Anyway, it's time for everyone's favourite challenge over at CraftyCatz - this week it's 'Anything Goes'!  We have two sponsors this week - Crimson Cloud and Paper Nest - and I've used a cute Paper Nest image for my card

I've coloured the image with copics and promarkers

The papers are from Dovecraft, and I've used the LalaLand banner die, Joanna Sheen lacy edge die and a Marianne flower die with a button from stash. The sentiment is from LOTV.

And I decided to make an easel card for a change! 

So I hope you'll have a look at the fabulous creations from the DT at CraftyCatz and then you will join us with your craft makes - and remember, Anything Goes! 

Back soon,

Kim  x

Just Relax!

Hello all and I hope that your week has started well?  And that you had a good weekend?  Yesterday and today have been bright and sunny, and oh it does make a difference to how we feel!  Or at least it does for me lol!  We collected my youngest, back from his cross channel adventures, at about midnight last night.  It seems that he had a good time - but when dealing with a 15 year old boy I've learnt to wait to be told things, as if I ask too many questions I don't find out anything! But he's shown us a few photos, and shared some croissants with us that he brought back (along with a bag full of laundry)!  And I'm sure he's pleased to be home - although not quite as pleased about being woken up at 7am this morning to get ready for school.  However, I know he's home now as I keep hearing the guitar being strummed upstairs and he's obviously back in contact with the mothership (i.e. back on the internet).  We've got his parents' evening at school this week so that should be interesting - especially as I now work there as well lol!  I'm sure I'll get the usual briefing beforehand about not chatting too much with teachers and other parents, etc.  Sigh. It's such fun having teenagers.

Anyway, I'm sharing a card with you that I was asked to make for the friend of a colleague at work

I've used a great image from Mo Manning, coloured with copics and Graphits

The backing card and embellishment is from HunkyDory card, and the sentiment done on the computer. 

The gems and brads are from stash.

Hope you like it!  Men's cards are always a bit of a challenge, but I find them a bit easier with Mo images! 

Back soon,

Kim  x

Let's see the bling!

Hello all and I hope that you've had a good week?  It has felt slightly strange for me not having my youngest here for the week but from what bits I've heard (mostly via messages to his sister!), he seems to be having a good time, had warm sunshine, and is starting to understand and speak more French!  It's strange how when one member of the household isn't here then it all feels slightly out of balance - or maybe that's just me! I might complain about the offspring and the work involved now and again, but I do miss them when they're not here. And it's going to feel even stranger when my daughter moves out in the summer - I'll definitely be feeling 'out of balance' for a while!

Anyway, I won't waffle on too much (for once). As it's Friday again already (where do the weeks fly by to?) it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and this week it's 'Yours Truly' who's hosting!  I've picked a nice easy one for everyone - 'Bling It Up' - so we want to see all your gems, pearls, glitter, etc., to add a bit of 'bling' to your creations.  There are some fantastic inspirations from the DT so please go and take a look.  We are sponsored this week by Marianne's Creatables.

I've used a gorgeous sunflower image from the LOTV sketch pads which I've coloured with copics and promarkers.  The backing papers are from K&Co with some Marianne die cut flowers. The sheer ribbon is from Joanna Sheen and the gems and pearls are from stash. The sentiment is also from LOTV.

Hope you like it. And I hope you'll join us over at CraftyCatz with your 'bling' creations! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

A very Pink Birthday!

Hello all and I hope that your weekend has been going well - and that the weather has been kind to you. A bit of a grey start to the day here - but I'm hoping for a relaxing day whatever the weather! We finally got my son packed and off for his exchange week in Lyon in France, and deposited him (together with about 40 odd others!) at the coach pick up point at 6am this morning! They all looked a bit bleary-eyed but excited - so I'm just hoping that he has a good week! As my daughter is away this weekend too, my hubby and I are on our own for the day - which is a very rare occurrence!  Of course, we've still got Tilly the Dog and Grumpy Poppy to torment us.  Tilly's feeling a bit sulky today - partly because son and daughter aren't here (and they always fuss and play with her a lot) and partly because I got her a new 'doggy deodorant' yesterday, so she now smells faintly of baby powder.  Now this is a definite improvement as far as I'm concerned, but for a dog who loves bouncing about in the beck in the field at the back of our house, or gets so excited if she finds some fox poo to roll in, I've a feeling that smelling of baby powder just isn't hitting the mark for her lol! I'm sorely tempted to try it on the cat too, but I've a feeling that I may end up with some nasty scratches rather than just a sulky look!

Anyway, Sunday morning waffle over!  I was asked to make a birthday card for a little girl - and I think this cute LOTV stamp just fitted the bill!

I've coloured the stamp with copics and promarkers and added a little Stickles as well although I'm not sure it shows up on my pics! 

The backing paper is from LOTV and I've embossed some pearly pink card with a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The banner die is from LaLaLand and the ticket stamp and die are from Whimsy. The ribbon is from stash with some pearly hearts from WOC. 

A big thank you to all of you for leaving such lovely comments on my blog - they really do mean so much, especially on the days when I'm feeling over-worked and under-appreciated! And it's so nice to browse around everyone's blogs and see what fabulous creations you come up with! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Allsorts challenge - pretty in pink

Suzy Bees challenge - emboss it

Jellypark Challenge - pastel colours

A Creative Need - colour challenge

Simply Create Too - animals

Charisma Cardz - birthday girls

Boys and their toys!

Hello all and a quick post from me - and apologies for the late arrival of it!  Meant to schedule it for this morning but time seems to be running away from me at the moment.  It's been a busy week at work and very busy at home, and trying to get my boy sorted for going to France (very early!) on Sunday morning!  Really, I think it should be me going away for a week (preferably without children, work and pets!).

Anyway, less waffling!  It's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and this week our lovely Nick has given us the challenge of 'Boys and Their Toys' (this can be either the small boy variety, or the older ones who never really grow up!).
For my card I've used this sweet stamp from LOTV

I've coloured this cute boy with copics and promarkers

The backing papers are from K&Co and the sentiment is from Whimsy.  The buttons are from stash.

So do pop over and see the fantastic inspiration from the CraftyCatz DT and then join us with your 'boys' creation - and we also have a Guest DT call on this week!

Back soon,

Kim x 

All pink and girly - again!

Hello all and I hope that you've been having a good weekend? Thankfully the weather has been kind to us - with dry days, some sunshine, and not too cold! Yippee!  And yesterday morning I managed to plant up two young trees that I'd bought and had delivered which cheered me up - even though my son looked at them later on and said that they looked like two big twigs....! I admit they don't look too impressive at the moment - and possibly do bear a passing resemblance to two 6 foot twigs!  But I'm hoping that in a few weeks time they'll look a bit more like trees!  Sadly though I started with a migraine in the afternoon which then lasted until this afternoon - and made me feel thoroughly grotty. I'm starting to feel a bit more human again now, but they always leave me a bit washed out. But I'm hoping if I get a good night's sleep tonight then I'll be back on form tomorrow.  As my daughter pointed out to me, it wasn't a good house to have a migraine in today, what with Jack on his guitar and my hubby pulling carpet up and hammering floorboards (we're getting some new carpet tomorrow!). Sigh.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share a card with you that I was asked to make for a colleague for her sister

I've used a Wee Stamps digi and coloured her with copics

The backing paper is from LOTV, with some pearly card. The sentiment was done on the computer and mounted on a floral ovals Spellbinders die cut. The flowers are Spellbinders blooms together with a Joanna Sheen leaf die cut, with added pearls, ribbon and lace from stash.

I hope you like it.

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

ABC Challenge - G is for Girls

A & T Emerald Faeries - girly pretty in pink

Bearly Mine - one for the girls

Totally Papercrafts - female birthday

A Creative Romance - bingo (pink/lace/ribbon)

Fussy and Fancy - birthdays

A bit of paper piecing!

Hello all and I apologise for being MIA this week!  I usually try to post a couple of times a week - but this week has definitely been 'one of those weeks' lol!  Husband is now back at base camp - he'd been off to France working this week (alright for some!) and we just seem to have been so busy. And I can't believe it's now March - but oh, I'm so looking forward to lighter mornings and evenings! But anyway, less waffle (and another promise to try and "do better next time" - i.e. visit everyones blogs over the weekend!).

As it's Friday (Yippee!) it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and this week our lovely Jac is hosting the challenge and it's "Paper Piecing".  Now this isn't something I've done really before - so a challenge for me too!  And I've used an image from our sponsor this week - the fabulous Bugaboo

Apologies for the photo being a bit dark!  I coloured the image with copics - and then paper pieced the cup! 

The papers and ribbon are from stash and I've used a Tonic border punch on the edge.  And I just love that sentiment (although in my case, it's tea rather than coffee!).

So I hope you'll have a look at the fantastic inspiration from the DT - and then join us at CraftyCatz with your paper piecing! 

Back soon,

Kim x