Hi everyone. I hope you're all well and happy.

As I'm having serious problems with my laptop I'll won't be able to post or visit your blogs for a while as it needs to be sent away (sob, sob) to get fixed. Don't you just love technology :(.  I would do it on my phone but it would take forever to write anything as my eyesight isn't good enough.  As a reward for patiently waiting for me to return I'll have a Candy Giveaway when I'm back. I've got my fingers crossed that it won't be for too long as I'll really miss you all. 

Take care and I'll see you soon (hopefully). Hugs to you all,

Debra x

A Reminder for Lexi

Hi everyone. I hope you're all keeping yourselves busy crafting. I've been away for a few days so I'm just trying to catch up on your posts.

Sorry if I upset anyone with my post last week but I just needed to share my thoughts with someone. I only really see my hubby and son to chat to so it's great to have my blog friends to talk to as well.

Today's card is the card I made for Lexi's Birthday to remind her off her time in Australia with the fantastic beaches. Another go at a different kind of card for me. Hope you like it.

The outside.....

The lower layer of grass is a 'belly band' that keeps the card closed. This slides off for opening.

The inside.....

And a close up of the sparkly flip flops...

Card Ingredients.

Card Blank- 5" x 5" Craft UK Limited.
Stamps- Lawn Fawn 'Life is good', 'Year Six Shellfish'.
Papers- Lawn Fawn 'Watercolour Wishes '.
Freebie paper in magazine for the 'Sea'.
Cardstock- Tattered Lace 'Shades Card'.
Dies- Lawn Fawn 'Life is good', 'Year Six Shellfish', 'Grassy Hillside Borders', 'Stitched Hillside Pop-Ups' & 'Ocean Wave Borders'.
Medium- Copic Marker Pens 'Ciao and Sketch'.
Ink- Memento 'Tuxedo Black'.
Distress Ink 'Mowed Lawn (for grass on front of card).
Other Stuff- Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen in 'Clear'.
Sakura Gelly Roll Pen in 'White'.

I'd like to enter the following challenge:-
Lawn Fawnatics Challenge 9-Color Inspiration Board

I'm enjoying having a change from making my shabby chic cards but I'll have to get back to them soon as the shop stock is very low and I need more spending money for the next craft show I go too :D!

Have a great rest of the week and take care.

Debra x

Be grateful for what you've got

Hi everyone. Hope you're all doing okay. I know I've been missing for a few weeks but I'm back now :).

I wrote a draft of a post a few weeks ago when things were going wrong and I wasn't feeling my best either but that was before other people I knew were going through such awful things in their lives and this put my problems into perspective so I've deleted it.

My blog friend Alice very sadly lost her beloved father, another friend is having a personal crisis in her life and my eldest son Chris' University flat mate died very suddenly aged only 27yrs. What his parents and sister are going through can't even be imagined when you lose a son and brother so young. These things really make you feel grateful for what you have that's wonderful in your life. For me that's my caring and loving hubby and children.

I decided to make a interactive card using Lawn Fawn circle slider dies. I watched the videos on how to do it and felt very confident I could make one, silly me :D. This is how far I got and it stayed this way for a week.

My mistake was not leaving enough room around the groove cut for the penny to go round as the mounting foam was stopping it so I found a €10 cent coin, too big, a 5 pence coin, too big, (is this starting to sound like a Goldilocks tale? :D) and finally I die cut 5 circles and glued them together.  Too big :-O!! I've just made another 'coin' with the smallest circle die I own and I'm waiting for it to dry. I would have thrown it all away but I hadn't another piece of galaxy paper big enough

Well that was then. The smaller 'coin' worked, YAY! So here's my finished card.

I'm so happy with it as it's the first slider card I've made and my first go at painting a galaxy too.

Card Ingredients.

Card Blank- 6" x 6" Craftwork Cards.

Watercolour Paper- Fabriano Artistico 'Extra White Smooth 140lb/300gsm'

Mediums- Gansai Tambi watercolour paints '36 colour set from Amazon'.

Copic Marker Pens 'Ciao and Sketch'

Cardstock- Creative Expressions 'Vintage Silver'.

Stamps- My Favourite Things 'Space Explorer'.

Dies- MFT Die-namics 'Space Explorer '.

Tattered Lace Essentials 'Pin Dot Squares' & 'Pin Dot Circles (for the spinner 'coin').

Lawn Fawn 'Slide On Over Circles' & 'Starry Skies (for little stars)'.

Embossing Powder- Cosmic Shimmer 'Detail True White'.

Other Stuff- 1mm Double Sided Foam Tape (doubled over) from a craft show.

Sakura Gelli Roll Pen 'white'.

Wink of Stella in 'Clear'.

Glossy Accents.

MFT 'Spin and Slide Discs'.

My wandering son and fiancée have returned home after their five month adventure. I've a couple of photos to share with you. 

Three big softies :D.

Chris taking Lexi for a ride.

 Seemingly they got some very funny looks from people though I can't think why, lol! They've had a fantastic time and Kieran enjoyed his time in Japan with them too. 

Well that's all from me today. Hug the people you love a little harder and try to find joy in the littlest things for even though you may be in pain or things are not going right there are some people having the worst time of their lives right now.

Take care my dear blog friends.

Debra x

Valerija's card

Hi everyone. Hope you're all having a great week so far.

My mojo is still off on it's hols so I've decided to change tact and try other styles of cards so watch this space. Today's card is the one I made for the birth of my follower Valerija's baby. You may remember that she won the last Candy Giveaway and contacted me from the hospital. 

Card Ingredients.

Card Blank- 6" x 6" Craftwork Cards.

Topper- LOTV 'Little Ones' Art Pad (retired).

Papers- Maja Designs 'Vintage Baby' & 'Shades of Sofiero Monochrome'.

Cardstock- Create and Craft 'White Linen card (for butterflies)'.

Tattered Lace 'Shades Card (for hanger and mat)'.

Dies- Tattered Lace Essentials 'Pin Dot Rectangles'.

Magnolia Doohickey Box Magazine 'Volume 13'.

Tim Holtz Alterations 'Butterfly Frenzy'.

Ribbon- from stash.

Lace- from stash.

Cheesecloth- Anna Marie Designs 'White Voile'.

Ink- Distress Ink 'Walnut Stain'.

Stampin Up 'Chocolate Chip (for baby feet)'.

Other Stuff- Stickles in 'Stardust'. Pearls from stash.

I just love the blue and brown for baby boy cards which is why this week's card and last week's are in the same colours despite being made a year apart.

Chris and Lexi have now moved on to Japan where there're meeting up my youngest son, Kieran, and Lexi's friend for the last leg of their trip but not before Lexi had a makeover....

Doesn't she look gorgeous! I wish she'd bought the dress but you just hire it and have your hair styled for photos. I asked my son why he hadn't done the same with the men's traditional clothes but he decided not to. Maybe they do a similar thing in Japan so I'll have to work on him :D

Okay, that's enough from me for today. Happy crafting and I'll see you next week.

Debra x

Where's my mojo gone?

Hi everyone. We've been having a little heatwave here in the UK so out came the suntan lotion, shorts and hats except mine has been thrown about the car covered in who knows what which I very much doubt will wash out. Now I have this problem with hats in that they don't suit me although Stuart tells me this isn't true but while at our holiday apartment last weekend we trailed round all the shops trying to find one. What did I end up with but a man's trilby! I keep telling Stuart that the men's stuff is usually better than the women's. Thanks to the lady on a makeup counter for suggesting it as she had just bought one and it was in the sale too, Yay!

I'm having a real mojo problem in that I just haven't been motivated to make any cards and the few I have aren't very good. I've got a song going round in my head where I've changed the lyrics to 'where's my mojo gone, where's my mojo gone' instead. If you know which song I'm talking about it will now drive you mad all day, sorry :D! 

Anyway, today's card is from last year again made for my hairdresser which she's framed and put on her son's nursery wall.

A close up of the little cutie...

and the inside edge...

Card Ingredients.

Card Blank- 6" x 6" Craftwork Cards.
Stamps- LOTV 'Heaven Sent'.
Sentiment- Marianne Design 'CS0923' (& footprints).
Papers- Maja Designs 'Vintage Baby'.
Inks- Memento 'Tuxedo Black' & 'Toffee Crunch'.
Distress Inks 'Faded Jeans' & 'Walnut Stain'.
Medium- Copic Marker Pens 'Ciao and Sketch'.
Dies- Spellbinders 'Labels Eight' & 'Classic Scalloped Heart'.
Paper Smooches 'Stars'
La La Land Crafts 'Flag Banner'.
Joy Crafts 'Alphabet & Numbers 6002/0141'.
Magnolia Doohickey Box 'Volume 10 (white filigree heart).
Ribbon- docrafts Papermania 'Craft Collection'.
Other Stuff- 'Pearl hearts' from Chloe Creative Cards.
Stickles in 'Stardust'.

Chris and Lexi have now decided that Seoul in South Korea is their favourite city so far as there is so much to do and lots more themed cafés :D. They also love the really friendly people non of whom have asked Chris for a photo, just looked at him interestingly.

Lexi with a plant pot dessert, Banana Tiramisu.

Chris and Lexi in the tiniest bathroom ever in their hostel. Lexi is about 5'6" so you can see what it's like for Chris' 6'9" height! 

Right off to give my mojo a good talking to when I find it of course. Keep well and happy :).

Debra x

Happy Anniversary

Hi everyone. I didn't have a card to show  today as the ones I've made either haven't reached their recipients yet or I didn't like them enough to show you so I've gone through my cards to see which haven't been posted and found this one.

I made this for Stuart's mum and dad for their Wedding Anniversary last year. I'd fallen in love with Leonie Pujol's Entwined Collection heart die. Looking at the card now it looks at bit sparse for me but I'd probably left it to the last minute to make. Anyway, I hope you like it.

Card Ingredients.

Card Blank- 7" x 7" Anna Marie Designs.

Papers- Anna Marie Designs 'Blissful Peach', 'Blissful Pink' & 'Blissful Cotton'.

Cardstock- Creative Expressions Foundation Card 'Vintage Silver'.

Dies- Leonie Pujol 'Entwined Collection Funky Heart Base'.

Spellbinders 'Bitty Blossoms' & 'Delicate Fronds (made from 'Bundled Sage' distress inked card).

Die-namics (MFT) 'Mini Rolled Roses'.

Inks- Distress Ink 'Victorian Velvet', 'Bundled Sage' & 'Aged Mahogany'.

VersaMark.

Medium- Copic Marker Pens 'Ciao and Sketch' (for entwined flowers)

Stamps- Phil Martin's 'Elegant Family Collection', 'Elegant Alphabet & Numbers' & 'Scribbled Sentiments Collection'.

Other Stuff - Cosmic Shimmer Embossing Powder 'Silver Detail'.

Stickles in 'Stardust'.

Dutch Doobadoo 'Butterfly'.

MeiFlower 'Pearl'.

Wink of Stella in 'Clear' on entwined flowers.

Chris and Lexi have now moved on to South Korea where they visited a themed café.

Can you believe it's a Poo themed Café? As you can see their drinks came in toilet shaped cups and Lexi is wearing a Poo hat! I'm pleased to say she didn't buy the hat :D. Seemingly visits to more themed cafés are planned. I dread to think what the other ones are like.

That's this post coming to an end. I've just got to say thank you for your continuing support and friendship. Hugs to you all especially Valerija and her little boy.

Debra x

More Card-io cards

Hi everyone. I hope you're all okay and having a great week.

The winner of my Candy Giveaway, Valerija, contacted me to give her address from hospital where she'd just had a little boy! Huge Congratulations to her and her partner on the safe arrival of their baby!!! I was so pleased she'd won  the Candy as she definitely deserved a prize for that :). Hugs to you all, Valerija.

Today's cards are some more of my Card-io cards still using the Up, Up and Away stamps. 

They're similar to the last ones but I think more suited to a man with their colour combinations, different doodling and sentiment.

Card Ingredients.

Card Blank- 6" x 6" Craftwork Cards.
Stamping Card- Sheena Douglass.
Stamps- Card-io 'Up, Up and Away' and some tree stamps but I couldn't see these on their site.
Inks- VersaColor and ColorBox 'Cats Eyes' in various colours.
Other Stuff-
Craftwork Cards 'Candi in white' coloured with matching inks to the balloons. 
Pen doodling with Sakura 'Pigma Micron Fineliner'.

Chris and Lexi, still in NZ, wanted to see a kiwi so joined a night time hunt, as they are nocturnal, to see them but didn't see any disappointingly. The next day they travelled to Stewart's Island and whilst walking down a path a Kiwi walked right up close to them in the daytime! Seemingly only on Stewart's Island they aren't nocturnal which is something which baffles the scientists. They'll be moving on to South Korea next (Chris and Lexi that is not the Kiwis :D).

That's it from me today. I hope the weather is better tomorrow when you're reading this as it's blustery rain here at the moment.

Take care everyone and happy crafting.

Debra x