I'm back!

Hi guys! How you all doing? I'm back after my enforced crafty break. I've had my surgery. I actually had it less than a week after finding out there was something wrong!! I had keyhole surgery and, like when my Mum had it done, I'm amazed at how they flipping well do it!!!!! The cuts are SO small!!! How?????? Anyhow, the worry is over as there was a chance it was cancer (which would just be the icing on the cake for us right now) but it's not. I'm recovering well. Pain is loads better and I'm just exhausted really. But as soon as I could, I was sitting on the sofa colouring images on a tray!! I'm pottering about now though no housework or lifting so I'm a little limited in what I can do but of course that doesn't rule out crafting!! Yay!!

Mum went into hospital the day I came out. In typical fashion, there have been problems with her procedure and she was in terrible pain. She was supposed to be in there 3-4 days, it's now been 2 weeks. The drain from her liver is STILL flipping leaking but much reduced. The problem with this is that she is on a deadline for when she can have chemo for it to be effective. We are now fast approaching that deadline but they won't start the chemo til the drain is empty, out and the wound has healed. It's a very worrying time.

Anyway, enough of the personal stuff and onto the cardmaking...

So onto my first card. This is a card I've made for one of my dearest friends who's been in New Zealand for the past 18 months. I've missed her heaps but she is coming back to the UK permanently now so I'm very excited. The image is Huggabellas from Stamping Bella and the sentiment is an Elzybells one from their farmyard clear stamp sheet. I coloured the Bellas with watercolour pencils and did some paper piecing on their clothes to match the background papers. I outlined them with a warm grey copic. The papers are all by American Crafts.

I'd like to enter this into:

Crafty Pad- something girly

Secret Crafter- use 2 characters

Alphabet- ladies

Paperplay Challenges- layer it up

Here is a close up. I love their funky outfits!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stamping Bella, Elzybells); Watercolour pencils; Copics; Papers (American Crafts); Ribbon (?); Bowmaker; Buttons (Walmart); Stickles

My other card for today is using another Stamping Bella stamp (one of my new Christmas ones) called Addy Tude loves her tinis. It's such a brilliant stamp and I love the sentiment that comes with it. Again I coloured using watercolour pencils and outlined in a warm copic to make her pop. The green paper is by Heidi Grace Designs and the pink is by Scrapworks.

I'd like to enter this into:

Sunday Sketch and Stamp

Cutie Sunday- anything goes

Pals Paper Arts- simple card and a bow

A close up! I'm quite pleased with the colouring on this if I do say so myself!!!!! There's a bit of glitter on the 'tinis and I've put Glossy Accents on her sunnies. She looks very glam!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stamping Bella); Watercolour pencils; Copics; Papers (Heidi Grace, Scrapworks); Assorted cardstock; Corner rounder punch; Stickles; Glossy Accents; Ribbon (Poppicrafts); Button (Walmart); Sentiment (Craftwork Cards)

So that's all for now. I'm hoping to do some non-card projects fairly soon to show you. Also my craft room is very nearly finished so I will be teasing you with sneak peek photos!! Have a fun crafty week x

Never rains but it pours...

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well and have had a fun crafty week! I couldn't wait to get stuck back in to some crafting after the Christmas break. I have 2 cards to show you today but I've been colouring some images in preparation of other cards to make which, as you know, I love! Sometimes I find the colouring more enjoyable than actually putting the card together, am I the only one?

Mum is doing well recovering from her setback. We had some annoying news that her operation has been postponed a week which means she will be going in on the anniversary of my Dad's passing away which is something we could've done without. Plus I have had a bit of a health scare myself this week. I don't want to say anything more as yet as I don't know how serious it is but what I do know is that I'm going to be having surgery in the next couple of weeks so Mum and I will both be recovering at the same time- see what I mean about it pouring?!! To be honest, nowadays, if we got any GOOD news, I'd be shocked.

Anyway, onto some cards...

My first card is for one of my friend's little boys. I used this cute Elzybells' image which I coloured with copics and watercolour pencils. The papers are Making Memories and I used my star Die-namics die for the border and Sizzix alphabet for the lettering.

I'd like to enter this into:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday- sketch

Stampin Royalty- birthday

Charisma Cardz- birthday

One Stop- card for a child

Here is a little close-up.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Elzybells); Watercolour pencils; Copics; Papers (Making Memories); Assorted cardstock; Lettering (Sizzix); Star border (Die-namics); Sentiment (Craftwork Cards)

Next up is a card for my Aunt. The papers are ones I've had for yonks from a Papermania scrapbooking kit, they're just perfect for more vintage style cards. The centre piece is from a Laura Ashley decoupage kit I bought in the sale last year. I've used my new Die-namics dies to do the scalloped edges- this is the first time I've used the double scalloped one, I think they look great together.

I'd like to enter this for:

Creative Inspiration- use something new

Moving Along with the Times- use old and new stash

Papertake Weekly- anything goes!

Crafty stash used: Image (Laura Ashley); Papers (Papermania); Assorted cardstock; Ribbon (recycled); Buttons (Walmart); Die-namics dies; Lace (freebie)

Have a happy crafting week! xxx

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all out there in craftland! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a fun New Year's Eve and that Santa brought you all your crafty heart desired! It's a long post today. I've got a couple of makes left over from Christmas to show you and then lots of pics of my birthday and Christmas crafty stash!! Yay! Sometimes I feel like I might have too much stash but then the moment passes!! Lol.

My Christmas, as ever, was an eventful one. You didn't actually think the holiday would pass without some drama did you??!!! We took Mum to Basingstoke Hospital on the Tuesday before Christmas where they told us they would have to do another operation as the drain had not stopped like it should have and then did a procedure to change the existing drain. We were told they would try and get her in the first week in January but we haven't heard anything yet- so yet again, we are playing the waiting game. Anyhow, Mum seemed to have picked up a cold that day and as Christmas approached steadily seemed to be getting more and more run down. This all came to a head on Christmas Eve when I had to call out an emergency doctor as she was running a ridiculously high temperature and was struggling to breathe properly. The doctor came out and diagnosed a chest infection and pneumonia, gave me a stash of antibiotics and said if she wasn't better by the morning to get her into hospital!! Well you can imagine how much sleep I had Christmas Eve!!!! Thank god, she was no worse but we postponed Christmas Day and I spent the afternoon trying to get a couple of hours sleep so a bit of a wash-out all round really. She is finally now doing a bit better so fingers crossed she is finally on the mend...

So onto the last of my Christmas makes....

First up is this handbag charm I made for my Mum to go with a handbag she has that is dark pink. Some of you will remember the beads from the stash I got on hols in the US earlier this year. I really like the colours on this one. I really want to do a little bit more jewellery making this year as I have a couple of kits which I've been meaning to do for ages so I'm determined to do them this year.

Onto a couple of cards. This image is Elzybells coloured with copics and her dress is paper pieced. The paper is Doodlebug stitched onto some card. The curved scalloped was done using a Die-namics. The sentiment and snowflake are Sizzix dies.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Elzybells); Copics; Paper (Doodlebug); Assorted cardstock; Sentiment (Sizzix); Snowflake (Sizzix); Nesties; Die-namic scallop die; Gem (Lakeland);

My final make for Christmas was using my gorgeous Penny Black stamp. Just a really simple card this one, didn't want to gild the lily. I coloured her using Glossy Accents and Glamour Dust and added some silver gems. Sentiment was a K&Co rub on.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Penny Black); Glossy Accents; Glamour Dust; Ribbon (recycled); Sentiment (K&Co); Gems (Wild Orchid Crafts)

Now onto birthday and Christmas crafty stash...yay! This little lot I got in the States at bargain prices. These were from Michaels, JoAnns and Walmart. I really love those flowery buttons!

I also got a variety of books. The Joy of Card Making I got cos I read a review which said it was full of sketches. It looks like a really nice book. The 3 books in the back row are all fabric-type books which is a totally new thing to me cos as you know I can't sew for toffee but I really wanted to try to make some simple sewn gifts this year. The 2 on the right were surprises from my sis so I must have been wittering on about doing it at some point!! All these books are so gorgeous to look at and really inspirational. Watch this space for (hopefully!) some new crafty items other than cards this year. See how hopeful I'm being that I might actually have the time this year??!!!

ooooooh! Loooooook at my gorgeous Stamping Bellas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And finally I succumbed to a Bind it All. Been thinking about it for ages and wondered whether I'd use it enough but my in-laws didn't know what to get me so I thought this would be perfect. Again fitting in with my attempt to make pretty gifts this year.

oooooh and preeeetty papers! This little lot I also got in the US- you remember me telling you about the scrapbooking shop that was closing down and had everything half price?! Well this is my gorgeous stash!

And finally some more copics and watercolour pencils.

Am hoping to visit you and see all your lovely Christmas stash! Am at least going to try and colour some images over the next few days and hopefully do some challenges next week. Hope to see you all soon xxx