Be Happy Every Day...

This is the sentiment I chose for the card I made for the Cupboard Trilogy This was their first challenge and was a colour palette thus :-

The idea was to use a minimum of 3 of these colours and I chose the Sage Green/Soft Coral/Warm Beige and Raspberry....Unfortunately the Sage Green has photographed more of a turquoise

The sketch I used was #170 from Card Patterns who have now ceased to be :(

Card, Paper, Ink and Seam Binding by SU
Sentiment Stamp by Hero Arts

So my wish for you all is..............Be Happy Every Day.............thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Great Blog & Candy too

Please take a trip toThe Cupboard Trilogy to see the wonderful Candy they have for you.
We all need a little Candy in our lives....ain't that the truth :)

Hugs

One for the weekend...

Only managed to make the 1 card over the weekend as F1 was on and the tennis has now started so am finding it hard to tear myself away from the TV...bad girl!! Anyhooo this card was made for the Craft Cupboard Show & Tell group where we have to interpret another member's card from their album. This weekend it was Denize Halfpenny's turn and here is my take on her card. As usual my scanner has done a good job of chopping the right hand side off. I don't know which is worse my scanning or my photo taking..lol!
Items I used :-
Basic Grey paper 'Nook & Pantry'
SU butterfly punch
Sentiment stamp- Elzybells
White Ink pad- Sugar Candy by Elzybells
Card, lace,white emb. pdr and pearls from stash

I think this card would nicely fit the following challenge....
Challenge 35 'Things with wings' over at Dream Valley Challenges

Hugs

Summertime.........

Still waiting for the real thing but whilst I wait here's a card I made today for a couple of challenges. This image is all about summer to me - in my younger years, my friend and I were always out and about on our bikes. I always wanted one with a basket too! This card is made for the challenge over atUnity Stamp Company Challenge
and also
 'I can do that Challenge' in the Craft Cupboard Show & Tell. so this was a take on Donna's card. Items Used :-
Unity Stamps
Versafine Ink
SU card
Misc. paper off scrap pile Misc. felt trimming and ribbon

Also please excuse blog layout as it is under reconstruction at the moment.

Let's Start Over.....

Let's see now if I can remember how to join in competitions.

This card is one I've made for a competition over at http://thecupboardtrilogychallenges.blogspot.co.uk
It's a song lyric challenge and the choice of the song is from the film Beaches
"The Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler

The background was simply Tim Holtz distress inks smeared across glossy card :)

This post has taken me so long because I have had to completely change my Blog design to accommodate the new system!!!!

2 Days in a row....can't be bad!

Now let's see if I can continue from where I left off  a short while ago, which is to show you a little of what I've been making recently.

The first was a challenge to choose a card from another member of the little crafty community I belong to and to case it and the second is an ATC which I made for a challenge. where we had to use paint of some sort.  Then remembered that I have opted into an ATC swap on a crafting forum with the title of Queen's Jubilee.....aha!! you might say, and yes I will agree...it's wrong!! for it's her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee so gold definitely won't work..lol!..back to the drawing board for that one then.

So time marches on again, but I won't let it beat me!
Keep smiling :)

More than a year...................

.............since I last Blogged.
Yes! I'm still alive but maybe not so well.
I have been making cards, but not so many and because I haven't blogged I have not joined in any challenges, except on Facebook and a Crafting Forum where one can just post a pic without it being linked to a Blog. Is that any excuse I ask myself.
So Here are a few things I've been doing :-

Well I was able to upload 1 of them , don't know what froze it.
So there you are the story of my life....frozen in time.
Watch this space for more interesting......yawn!!!!....developments :-D

St. David's Day and Sweet Remembrance

Today is St. David's Day, the Patron Saint of Wales

and the emblem is the wonderful daffodil which is sprouting up everywhere and in some places is  in the full glory of it's flower.

ALSO

Today would have been my dear Mum's 100th Birthday had she lived.

It's been 4 years now and I miss you more and more each day. God Bless you, and keep you.

What I've been up to

Today was 'The BIG Garden Birdwatch' run by the RSPB, and I have done it for many, many years and it is amazing how the bird count changes from one year to the next. Obviously I've only been in this house for coming up to 4 years so there was a while before my 'feeding station' was established. I think it is even more important this year as we have had such a bad winter, it will be good to see the results.
So, without further ado my count for the hour I chose, which was 9am - 10am, today was :-

Blackbird 1

Blue Tit 2

Chaffinch 1

Collared Dove 1

Dunnock 1

Goldfinch 2

Great Tit 2

House Sparrow 10

Robin 1

Starling 20

Wren 2

I didn't see the wood pigeons or the long-tailed tits during that hour but was especially pleased to see a pair of wrens, they are so beautiful  - so tiny with the most amazingly large song.

and what this blog is supposed to be all about a card I've made.  As you know my scanner is dead and my photography skills are zero.

The image and sentiment are digis from River City Rubber
The card, paper and ribbon are SU
Bling from my stash

And finally I share this I found on a blog today.

Five Finger Prayer

This is so neat. I had never heard this before. This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers..

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president no matter how you voted, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger- the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

xxx

It's all about good things........

What a wonderful time I had at my dear Granddaughter Lily's 1st birthday tea a short while ago. She is so precious and such a good child words fail me.
It sure was a cupcake fest and I had a sugar hangover the next day.

A good time was had by all and I went hope fair pooped!

Still making the effort

2 cards I have made this week.
I am still struggling to get a decent photo when it's either night or the sun isn't shining. Bear with me on this, it can only get better. :-)

The second card I made as an RSVP to my darling Granddaughter's 1st Birthday tea party which is on Saturday. Hopefully I'll take a couple of decent pics to show you.
Please ignore the awful strip of ribbon across the top of it, that is hiding a booboo! as my scoring tool slipped when I was marking across that piece and scored down into the piece on show....don't you just hate it when it does that.....doh!!
The weather here today is really cold and frosty...Brrrr!!!! Roll on Spring I say.
Take care out there!

Where has the time gone................

...........I don't believe how long it is since I last posted.
Today is my darling Granddaughter Lily's first birthday :-O and yesterday was the anniversary of my dear Mum's passing.  I still miss her dreadfully, so bought a bouquet of flowers and placed her lovely picture with them in her remembrance.
On the crafting front I have made a few cards, not many since the mountain I made for Christmas, but am trying to make 1 Christmas card a week so it won't be such a mountain to climb this year.
I still have no scanner and the old rubbish camera doesn't do my cards any favours.  I would love to either sort out my scanner or have the means to get a new one, failing that a new camera and a decent light box and spotlight to take decent pics.....not much to ask...surely? :-D
Let's see if I can show you something or other.......................

The snow we had this year, very, very cold weather and snow and ice that lasted weeks

 The problems I have taking pics of cards :-/ this is Lily's birthday card as you probably have worked out for yourself. ..lol!!

 An even worse pic of the inside...under the fairy which is encrusted with pink gems which you can't see  are the words 'Sugar and Spice' and under the butterfly is an oval embossed nestie for me to write  on

 This is a card I made for the forum's first comp of the year, the theme of  which was 'New'...we had to use something from our stash which was either new for Christmas or something we hadn't used yet.  I used 2 Clarity stamps which I've had for ages and never shown an inkpad to.  The tailor's dummy by Clarity had a stand but instead of inking that part I used the 2nd Clarity stamp which says 'Feminine' and mirrored 2 imaged together to form the stand if you know what I mean!  The sentiment is an old SU stamp

 Now this boy has adopted me.....he is one of the local strays, but the weather was so bad this winter that he decided he like me and my house and my 2 boys tolerate him quite well.....and now we are 3..lol!!  I call him 'Splot' :-D

Let's see if I can keep this up.
Watch this space...or not....as is your fancy.
Bye for now
 xxxx

Summer has arrived...........

.............and a certain zest for life may not be far off.
I have made a few cards over the past few weeks, but my computer was out of action and being repaired for 10 days. Since I have had it back my printer and scanner do not work and I can't for the life of me get it running again.
As you know from previous post my camera technique is rather less than perfect, having a very old 1.3mp camera!!!
The garden has sprung to life and a blackbird has decided my overgrown climbing rose around my back door is the ideal spot to make her nest...it's only about 4 feet from the ground so am on tenterhooks and trying not to worry too much about the amount of stray cats that wander through the garden. My own 2 are definitely past it, especially Dexter who has one front leg and most of his useful teeth missing ..lol!!
I am not joining in any card blog comps as my artistic bent is definitely that....bent!!
I miss all my blog hopping and camaraderie but my mind can't handle it at the moment. I am waiting for a hospital appointment to come around which will, more than likely, end in surgery...........wimmins' things :-/
So until I venture this way again I will leave you with a couple of 'photos' taken over the past few weeks.
I love you and leave you 'til then....xx

3-legged Dexter loving the sun....notice box of finished cards behind him...:-)

Good ol' Murphy, oblivious to most things!

Me (bottom right) and the cousins in April celebrating one of their birthdays.  We always have lovely lunches out.  Seems so mad that we are all the top tier of the family tree now with all the parents, aunts and uncles passed on.

These narcissi are called 'Jenny' and are so beautiful. 

More very pleasing spring bulbs. Narcissi 'Tete a Tete' - I'm not sure of the tulips though.

Mother blackbird was away for a while so I stretched my arm into the thicket of rose and managed to take this....you can just see 2 eggs....how wonderful nature is.

Trying Soooooooooooooo Hard..............

...........to find my crafting head again after such a long while out of the loop. I should have been a bear then I could legitimately hide away in my cave until warmer weather raises me from my tauper.
I will just post a few pics of things I have managed to do during my self-induced hibernation.
I need no comments as I just need to do this to get the juices flowing again, hopefully in the right direction.

The last card is a total CASE of a card by this wonderfully talented and ever so funny lady over at 'The Crooked Stamper' her blog has kept me sane throughout the winter months and I haven't laughed so much in ages at some of the things she says, she sure has a way with words. Please check her out, you won't be disappointed.