Monday 28 August 2017

Michele's Monday Sketch Challenge







Good Morning Ladies,

Michele has been an absolute sweetheart and Chosen a Sketch Challenge for this week, it looks a fantastic one too, perfect for so many different occasions including those Christmas cards, there are 17 more weeks until December 25th so we need to make a conscious effort to get the started, having said that I'm usually the one panic card making on the second week of December, working in absolute chaos as I try to find a style I like, I don't tend to batch make Christmas cards, I like doing different cards for different people (which does make extra work) but I love it!

Anyway back to this weeks Challenge, a lovely simple sketch, you could have a row of pretty Snowflakes across the bottom and a pretty Christmas paper on top with a lovely festive ribbon in the centre!  I really miss making the challenge cards each week, I have been sat sketching out ideas for my designs, I think I might use the Challenges to inspire me when I get back, as they have been fantastic challenges.

Michele has made two lovely cards to inspire you, the first is a gorgeous Christmas card, Michele has used the sketch the other way up, which is perfectly acceptable, you could turn it sideways too!  Three pretty Christmas toppers and a sentiment fill the circles of the sketch, the border has been made using  printed ribbon and some stunning Paper gives that touch of luxury at the bottom, I love the colours you have used Michele, pretty soft links, beautiful.
Michele's second card has a row of pretty potted herbs,  on a beautiful green decorative paper background, the images remind me of a "Jane Shasky" CDROM I bought from Joanna Sheen a few years ago, it has gorgeous herbs and pretty flowers with some stunning background papers too. 
Two absolutely fantastic Challenge cards Michele, thank you so very much for all the time you have put into both choosing the challenge (which takes hours) and making the cards to inspire you us all too. 

When I get back and get myself sorted (we get back late Tuesday night 5/9), I thought I would offer you all the chance to choose a our Challenge each week, I know Michele has said she enjoys it, I do too.  It isn't compulsory or anything like that but if any of you fancy choosing a sketch or 'Tic Tac Toe' grid from Pinterest and making a sample card to go with it just let me know.

I'm not sure what our plans are today, I just can't decide where to go for dinner tonight, I know it's supposed to be a 'Big deal' reaching 50, I can't justify spending too much money on dinner out, so watch this space, I will let you know, there are a few reasonably priced restaurants around, I'll have a look in some reviews, we went to a supposedly 'fantastic' restaurant on the beach not far from here a few years back and had what we thought was a traditional paella, when it came out I was instantly disappointed in the amount of seafood and when we started to eat it it was just a lot of rice with diced squid, that could easily have been mushrooms, they had little taste and a very odd texture, my girls adore any seafood so they were hugely disappointed, we had I large prawn and a couple of mussels each, the meal for the 4 of us was well over £100 (I think it was about 5 years ago), since then I have bought fresh local seafood and cooked it myself in a traditional paella pan we bought a few years back.
Paul and I are going to London to celebrate my birthday when we get back so I can wait until then for a special night out.

Have a fantastic day, however you are spending it,

Love and hugs,

Sandra 
(Feeling 50 and Fabulous) 😉😉😉
XxxxxxxxxxX





30 comments:

  1. Sandra Happy 50th Birthday to you, have a lovely day & hope you are spoilt as you deserve. Love. & hugs Margaret xxx����

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  2. SANDRA.
    HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY. May your day be everything you wish for.
    Lots of Love Valxxx

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  3. MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY SANDRA, have a wonderful birthday,
    Best wishes and birthday hugs, Lilian

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  4. Morning Ladies

    Happy Birthday Sandra, I hope you have a lovely day today and enjoy the rest of your holiday.

    I'm not sure who unlocked the Cafe this morning but it seems someone came back & decorated it specially for your birthday Sandra. I am a little concerned about the already deflated helium balloons though-think there might have a bit of a party going on, unless it was Herman??!!!

    Michele

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    Replies
    1. Oh no, Herman high on helium, that's a worrying combination!!

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    2. I agree Herman without it can be deadly.

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  5. Good Morning Ladies,
    I am pleased to report that after a few cloudy starts this week, this morning is wall to wall sunshine! We are off to the beach!!
    Thank you so much for your lovely birthday messages xxxx

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    1. Hi Sandra
      Have a lovely day at the beach. After yesterday Olivia and Amber want inflatable canoes. I though they'd convinced their dad to get them and we were going to Port Meadow in Oxford. He though yesterday they should get proper ones but seeing as they don't have storage for them and the girls wouldn't be able to carry them down to the river, they hoped not. But that's not stopped him before. Hence buying a double garage for the horse parafanalia 15 years ago, still not put up in the field and covered in weeds and nettles. A very large greenhouse 5 years ago still in the back garden not out up. No room for it anyway. I could go on and on.

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  6. Morning Everyone
    First of all A BIG BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR WONDERFUL LEADER/HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS.LOL
    Thank you goes nowhere to say how much you're appreciated giving us this wonderful blog every day. Have the most FAB U LOUS day whatever Paul and the Girls have planned for you.

    Thank you to whoever decorated and opened the CAFE this morning it looks wonderful and very very festive. We definitely will have to keep a close watch on Herman today is he's that high already on helium. We don't want him 'flying' off to Maria on her R&R hehehe

    This week's sketch looks interesting and I've already got one or two ideas whether they stay with me is another matter.

    Mr Tesco morning today and then I have a couple of cards which need finishing.
    My trip to the Range was fruitful and I'll try and remember to photograph my purchases.

    Have a good day everyone. HUGS are winging their way to you all with extras of course for our BIRTHDAY GIRL.xxxx

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the lovely birthday wishes!
      My blog would be nothing without all of you, you are the ones that make it so special.
      We have such a lovely Blog Family!
      Special thanks to you Janet for making the place look so special every day xxxxx

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  7. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 🎂 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
    HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY SANDRA
    Wishing you a wonderful day my lovely dearest friend. Whatever you end up doing you deserve to be thoroughly spoilt on this special day. Sending you the biggest birthday hugs from me, Chris and Gem xxxxxxxxxxxx
    🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 💐 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

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  8. Are you ready ladies
    ONE
    TWO
    THREE
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SANDRA
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

    Gosh you were all in good voice.

    Sandra have a lovely day. Sending special birthday hugs Love Brenda xxx🎂

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  9. Good Morning Sandra and ladies.

    I have already wished you a Happy Birthday before I took Gracie out this morning but it's definitely worth saying again. HAPPY BIRTHDAY have a wonderful day. I'd also like to thank you for this wonderful blog you've created. Lovely caring people with a friendly welcome every day. It's my first stop every morning and my last at night. Thank you Sandra.

    It's gone back to being really humid the last couple of day. Don't like it at all.

    Michele, lovely sketch this week and great cards. The plant one is really cute. I also have the Jane Shasky cdrom. I never think of using my cds nowadays. Mind you our printer isn't working so well . It's so hot the ink keeps drying up and the nozzles get blocked. So I have to use it every day just to keep it running. I've been printing a dozen Christmas inserts every day so I've got a nice stack now.

    Have a good day everyone. Hugs to poorly friends.

    Love Valxxx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Cal
      Do you type your own inserts and then print them. I've never got the hang of inserts. I seem to get them the wrong way round for folding.

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    2. Hi Pat,
      I just print verses for the shop from a Crafters Companion cd. I tend to type my personal ones.
      Good luck with Pete and his wobbles tomorrow. Xxx

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  10. SANDRA HAVE A FABULOUS 50th BIRTHDAY
    HOPE YOU ARE SPOILED.
    Thank you for your lovely blog & sharing all your Amazing cards with us & Your inspiration
    You're an amazing friend. Lot's of love & HUG'S.XXXXX

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  11. Happy Birthday SANDRAI hope you have a fantastic day You deserve it
    Today's sketch looks great and thank you MICHELE for helping out and choosing them over the past few weeks
    Had a lovely day with family yesterday and of course Oscar was the star of the show
    OH working today So after a bit of shopping I think I'll craft I have a couple of cards to make and maybe do the cc
    Have a lovely day all of you

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    Replies
    1. Hi Karen
      We also spent the day with family. Give Oscar a hug from me when you next see him.

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  12. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANDRA. I hope you have a fabulous day. Even if it's lazing around with the family. As you said your going to London when you come back and that also will be a lovely day for you both.

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  13. Hello Sandra & Ladies
    Sorry I didn't get in yesterday I woke up with a horrible Migraine. I have Just looked at the amazing show of Challenge cards brilliant each & everyone of them. Nothing planed for today Terry's got a couple of lawns to cut today.
    So might try & get in craft room hopefully my head will have left by then.
    MICHELE thank you for choosing this week's challenge for us looks interesting
    Hope your enjoying your break from work.Take care.xx
    MARIA hope your enjoying your time in Colchester & the sun is shining on you.
    How's the knee & shoulder hope your not in any pain with either of them.
    Hope you all have a lovely day
    My breakfast is ready so I'm going to eat it. Will pop in later
    Love & Hug's Lynda XX

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    1. Hi Lynda
      I hope your migraine has cleared up by now. Where is your head going to. I hope the weather keeps fine for it wherever it is. Sorry Lynda couldn't resist.

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    2. Hope the migraine has disappeared by now Lynda and you managed to get in your Craft room.xxx

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  14. Hi Sandra & all in cafe,
    Sandra forgot to say earlier we have a big lemon coconut cake with candles on waiting for you to blow them out this afternoon.xxx
    Michele thank you for challenge hope to have a go later.xxx
    Hope you all have the lively sun we have, sending hugs to all who are poorly love Margaret.xxx

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  15. Hello Sandra and Ladies,

    I hope our special Birthday Girl is enjoying her very special birthday. xx

    Michele THANK YOU for setting another challenge, I'm sure Sandra breathed a sigh of relief when you kindly set it for a second week. xx

    We had a lovely day yesterday with the family, oldest granddaughter wasn't there, she was with friends at the Reading Festival (I don't want to think about it!!! I'm sure she is sensible) Also a grandson was missing he was with a friends family at Centre Parks. But we still had a great day. Today my Sister is on her way over to have a meal with us. Where we thought we would have a quiet weekend it's turned out to be quite busy. Just the way I like it.

    Hope everyone is having a lovely bank holiday, sending hugs to all our poorly friends. Take care, Love Brenda xxx


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    1. Hi Brenda
      We also had a lovely day with family down at the canal. I expect your granddaughter is sensible as mine was when she went to Amsterdam.

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  16. Hi Sandra and ladies
    Lovely challenge cards yesterday. I did look in first thing but we all went out for the day so didn't have the will or the will power to look in at 12.00.
    Will go back in and look later. Hospital tomorrow and Pete really needs to talk to the dr re his wobbles. It might be due to his medication. He's also quite lethargic and has a low pulse rate. As his pulse rate is between 47-53 each week it could be that his pacemaker is out of sinck. He's not to to go up for it to be checked until November.

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    1. I hope Pete gets his mess sorted tomorrow
      How's your hand and back

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  17. Michele thanks for keeping the challenges going while Sandra is away. Hope your having a lovely Bank Holiday.

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  18. Hello All, wow it's a real scorcher of a day today, am sitting with feet up high as they tend to swell in the heat. Watching the tennis at the moment.

    Sandra hope your having a great day, with the family on the beach.

    Michele thanks for sorting another challenge and your cards are lovely, I also have that cd with the plants on, but my stupid printer will not take card, only paper.

    My pet is away for the night to a meeting in Leicester tomorrow, three of them, hope the traffic is not too bad for them.

    Pat hope Pete gets his problems sorted, Lynda hope the migraine has left.

    Have a good rest of the day, hugs to all Lilian

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