Oops!

Good morning and hope that your weekend is going well! It's a bright & crisp morning here (for 'crisp' you can translate 'down right freezing'!). There was a good layer of ice on the car this morning as I gave my daughter a lift to work - bbrrrr! But at least the sun is shining and I can cope with the cold a lot better when it's bright - so much better than grey clouds and rain.

Today's card features a gorgeous little cutie stamp from LOTV (do they make any other sort of stamp...?) called 'Ooops'

Oh I recognise that expression so well! 

Any of you that have children will, I am sure, have experienced those "It wasn't me!" moments - or was that just mine..? And I have to say, without fear of discrimination here, that we had (and possibly still have!) more of those moments with my youngest son than the girls.  I remember many incidents so well...., the blocked sink (due to cotton ear buds being put down the plug hole), the mysterious stains that appear on soft furnishings that seem to uncannily match whatever food or drink has just been consumed in the vicinity, coming in to find Tilly the Dog dressed in football shirts, etc. One abiding memory is of finding scratches on a highly polished table that I'd inherited from my late mum when I began to polish it one day. When confronted my son gave the usual "It wasn't me" response - which would have perhaps have carried a little more weight had he not actually scratched his own name into the varnish.... Sigh. Perhaps that's why I love the LOTV and Mo images of little boys! 

I've coloured this little rogue with promarkers and pencils.  The backing papers are from First Edition 'Birdsong' with some added stitching and all edges distressed with 'Antique Linen'.  Then I've added bakers twine and a button.  The ticket was made with a Whimsy die and then letters added with Sizzix rub-ons. 

And the sentiment is printed from the computer

and with a little pocket inside! If it wasn't for reviving cups of tea I would have given up long ago! 

Anyway, apologies once more for the waffling post! And thank you for sticking with me! 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend - and hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

Back soon, Kim x 

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

CraftyMess - anything goes

Craft Your Passion - hip to be square

2SistersChallenge - anything goes

Divas by Design - anything goes

What would we do without a computer...?

Good morning all and hope that your weekend is going well.  An early start for me as I was up to wave husband off as he heads to warmer climes for work for a week!  I thought it was very kind of me to get up to say goodbye at 6.00am on a Sunday morning lol! So I'm hoping that once my son has headed off to his friend's today where he's been invited (and as daughter is still on her hols!) that I can get some relaxing crafting time this afternoon. Mind you, I'll still have Tilly the Dog with me who'll then be forwarding repeated requests for walkies!

As I mentioned a few days ago, last Sunday was our son Jack's 14th birthday - so I thought I'd show you the card I made for him.  Now teenage boys aren't generally interested in pretty flowers, lacy embellishments and cute images - or at least mine isn't!  His main interests are being with his friends, sports, his xbox and his computer! And I have to say he is quite a whizz on the computer and can do things and add special effects that I wouldn't even know where to start with!  So when I saw this image from Mos Digital Pencil it seemed a pretty good start for his birthday card!

This image is called 'Paul Typing' but could just as easily be Jack when he's 'borrowed' my laptop (though why he wants a laptop when he's got a very good computer in his room beats me!). 

I've coloured the image with promarkers and pencils.  I then added black eyelets and bakers twine as a 'frame'.  The sentiment was done on the computer.  The papers are K&Co 'BlueAwning' - great papers, particularly for more 'masculine' cards and scrap layouts.  I used coredinations card for matting, lightly sanded and distressed.  I then distressed all the images and papers with 'tea dye' distress ink. As an extra 'dimension' I thought I'd make a tag with a birthday message on that fits in a pocket behind the main image, again with a black eyelet, faux stitching and seam binding ribbon. The lettering was using Sizzix rub-ons.

Hope you like it! And thank you for all the nice comments about my rather waffling posts! Apologies for yet another rather long post - but I do like to add details about what I've used as I know when I browse around at so many talented crafters' blogs that it's interesting to see what people have used - that's how we get our own ideas! 

Back soon, Kim x 

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

Alphabet challenge - P is for Pocket Card

Fresh Brewed - distressing

Creative Craft Challenge - all about the boys

Our Craft Lounge - use twine

My heart pieces digital stamp challenge - anything goes

Whimsy Inspires - anything goes

Lighthouse

Hello all and hope that your week is going well?  A reasonably quick post from me today ("Thank goodness for that" I hear the cry!).  I've got a demanding dog waiting for a walk - but I've a feeling that I may need to wrap up a bit warmer as it definitely feels as though autumn has arrived!  I've had one of those frustrating days today phoning companies, waiting to be called back, waiting for deliveries (which the incredibly silly delivery driver tried to deliver next door - and they were out! - when the address was clearly written on the parcel and our house number is clearly displayed - ggrrr!).  And then finding when the parcel is delivered that it's not what you ordered - ggrrr!  Kim - breathe!  I did explain to the company on the phone that they should speak to my son and explain why they'd sent the wrong skateboard wheels - let them deal with a grumpy 14 year old!  Sigh.

Sorry to have a moan!  So, to today's card!  I made this for my brother-in-law for his recent birthday.  He's definitely not the pink and fluffy sort, and so I thought this one might fit the bill

I love the simplicity of this Lindsay Mason stamp, such a tranquil image - and I definitely need a touch of tranquility today lol! 

I've coloured the stamp with promarkers and then used chalks to soften the colouring and create the sky effect.  I must treat myself to some pan pastels and have a go with them at doing skies as I've seen some fantastic effects with them on people's blogs! 

I've lightly sanded some coredinations card, used a freebie sentiment stamp and some bakers twine and some buttons from stash. 

This is about as 'clean and simple' as my cards get! 

Hope you like it!   Back soon, Kim x 

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

Creative Craft Challenges - all about the boys

Sweet Stamps - for the guys

Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes

Skater Boy!

Good morning all and hope that your week is going well? It's another lovely morning here - typical that the sun shines more now that the schools have all started back! My youngest has soon got back into routine - sort of! - although turfing him out of his pit at 7am is a bit of a challenge.  Despite his moans though, I'm sure he's enjoying being back at school. He goes to an all boys school and after being at home for such a long summer break (not to mention having 3 older sisters!), I'm sure he enjoys all the male company!

And speaking of teenage boys, that's what the theme of today's card is!  One of my son Jack's closest friends celebrated his 14th Birthday on Tuesday (and it's Jack's 14th on Sunday!).  Jack and Niall have been best friends since they started school at 4 years old, and although they now go to different senior schools they have remained best friends and spend most holidays and weekends at one another's houses.  In fact, we call Niall our 'other son'! They seem to spend a lot of their time together either on the computer, playing football or on skateboards (and building ramps, etc., down the drive! sigh!) - hence this card!

When I saw this image on Mo's digital stamps it just seemed a great idea! 

I coloured the digi with promarkers, and distressed the edges of all the papers.  As these teenage boys are definitely NOT pink & fluffy, I've kept the layout fairly simple, with just basic embellishments and a bit of a grungy look.  The backing papers are from Basic Grey and American Crafts, with some added stitching.  The sentiment stamp was a freebie with a magazine (and has proved quite useful!), stamped onto kraft card. I added a couple of brown brads, some larger pewter coloured brads and some bakers twine and decided to restrain myself from adding anything else! 

I was quite pleased with the effect - this is about as CAS as I think I can be lol!

and the inside decorated to match! 

Thanks for visiting - hope you like the 'boy' card! 

And I'll be back tomorrow with some great new challenges from CraftyCatz and Totally Papercrafts, so do pop in while you're surfing through Blogland! 

Back soon, Kim x 

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

Creative Craft Challenges2 - all about the boys

Crafty Sentiments - male card

Our Daily Bread Designs - you leave me in stitches

Through the craft door - anything goes

Hooked on Craft - male card