Monday 6 August 2018

Monday Sketch Challenge






Good Morning Ladies,

Here we are at the start of another warm week, what have you all got planned this week?

I decided that my brain needed a bit of rest so I went for a Sketch Challenge this week, mainly because the hardest part of the card making process is done for you, it's a bit like 'card making by numbers', you still have a huge input into your actual version of the design though.
Remember that these are just a basic outline of a layout, its open to you adding bits and taking bits away.  For instance my first card will only have one handmade decorative paper,  not two different ones aa shown in the sketch, I will probably change the shape of the circle and have my sentiment its place instead of an embellishment.
Feel free to play with the design and have fun with it.

My card has a Berry Burst base, I made background a while ago and hadn't used it, it has stamps from 'Share What You Love ' stamp set amd I just used a water brush with a little ink from Berry Burst and Old Olive ink pad on and tapped brush on my hand to get fine speckles all over.
I made a border with the the Ribbon Border Punch, punched two strips, placed them on card and put some gorgeous Ruffled Edge Ribbon in Berry Burst, topped with 1/8 Whisper white ribbon on top.  The sentinent is stamped in Berry Burst and die cut with the largest 'Stitched Labels' die. I added a few pearls to finish the card.

I have to be strict with myself this week and get a good few cards made, how do you all motivate yourselves?
My main problem is too much choice, i walk in the craftroom and just cant decide what to make or what to use. So I think it might help if I maybe closed my eyes and picked a stamp set to play with that day, or number a few and get all of you to choose, I'd go with the majority!!
Or if there's anything you would like to see me make just ask, I am happy to try and inspire you.

As I am writing this post I am sat at the allotment watching Paul trot to and fro, fetching barrows full or leaf compost to spread over the allotment to try and keep the weeds down, they added a new drainage system down the side of our plot as the allotments were prone to flooding, well i think that this flippin pipe is doing too good a job as our normally wet sticky clay soil is now a mass of huge cracks, 3,4,5 inches wide and as deep as you can see, I guess it's where the clay has dried out , baked in fact, you couldn't grow anything. It will be interesting to see what happens when we do get rain.
Sadly the approach to the allotment used to be all field and countryside, now its s mass sprawl of houses, all identical, shoe horned in to cram as many houses as possible.
We used to walk through a long arbour of trees, where the road had woodland either side, now your drive past people's doorsteps,  they have  built thousands of new homes over the past couple of years, but they haven't built new schools or Doctors surgery, its  a ridiculous situation and explains the almost one month wait for routine appointments. The developers and councils that give them permission to build should be held to account.
Rant over, soap box back in cupboard, help yourself!

Have a lovely day ladies,

Love and hugs to all

Sandra
xxxxxx

14 comments:

  1. Arrr-just lost a very long comment!

    Morning Ladies

    Gorgeous card & a great challenge. I instantly thought of Autumn then thoughbif you rotated the sketch by 90 degrees it looks like Father Christmas & his belt!! My mind works in mysterious ways-I know!!!

    Michele

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  2. Morning Everyone
    An interesting Challenge this week SANDRA.

    I had a very lazy day yesterday other than cook an evening meal I just sat around and couldn't get myself motivated at all. Hopefully I'll be better today as it's Mr Tesco morning and I have to get a couple of bday cards ready for posting.

    The CAFE doors are open for you all ready and waiting.
    HUGS are winging their way to you all with loads of extras for Dear Friends in need. Stay safe everyone xxxx

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  3. This is a great challenge SANDRA and like you I need these sketches to motivate my mojo I can walk into my craft room and think I don’t know where to start Looking at old photos of cards I’ve made help thinking Oh Yeah I remember that one now! Especially as they’ve been made with dies etc that I have (if that makes sense)
    I need to make a Get Well Soon card this afternoon OH has suggested a theme - another source of inspiration He’ll come up with ideas that spur me on I’ll send you a card SANDRA to show what I mean
    Take care all xxxx

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  4. Good Morning everyone,
    Love this challenge SANDRA. I feel a Christmas card coming on! It sounds as though putting in a water pipe has made more work for you at the allotment. Obviously hasn't been thought through.I bet also you're having problems getting water to use as I guess your water barrels will be dry.x

    Nothing planned for today. I should do some housework and some ironing but whether I can summon up the energy I don't know.

    Have a good day everyone. Hugs to all.
    Love Valx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Val
      I posted back to you yesterday but it disappeared. I also had just one pair of summer shoes and one pair of winter shoes when the children were small. But now I have more money I have a few pairs of summer shoes. Just one pair of winter ones and a couple of pairs of boots.
      Stay cool 😎 out there in the heat.

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    2. I think a few years ago when I could wear 3 inch stilettos I had quite a few pair of shoes but now I have to wear them flat and sensible they just don't interest me.
      Hope all went well at the hospital today and you've got internet at home again.x.

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  5. Good morning Sandra & ladies
    Well I did my ironing at 6 o'clock this morning when it was a little cooler I'm so glad I did as it's now sweltering & without a puff of wind. We have to go Tesco soon as have some cards to post & get some salad stuff.i just don't want a big dinner this weather. I cooked a roast beef dinner yesterday & couldn't eat it all.
    After we get back I'm going in craft room to have a go at Challenge card not sure if it will materialise though.
    Better get ready as CU has a gardening job at 2pm.
    Hug's for everyonexx
    Love Lynda xx

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  6. Hi Sandra and all.
    Really will try to do my best to make a cc this week but no energy and the state of my kitchen top do nothing for making cards any fun. Must make a special one tho for my dad who hopefully be back home this evening and one for step-son who be 40 in a few weeks.
    Like the card you made here Sandra.
    I have a huge problem as my Cutting machine (Spellbinders) sound absolutely awful when running the sandwich and it is quite difficult to run through, I don't know what to do. Anyone ever had this problem ?
    Hot day again but must get some dinner in even if not want to cook so have to pop to Tesco later. Trying not to look at the borders, the flowers are still here because we watering but also the weeds and horrible spiky stuff is loving this weather, so want to dig it all over but we have thick clay so not possible as it is rock hard right now.
    Hope you have a nice day, many hugs to you all , Maria xxx

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  7. Hi Sandra and ladies,
    I tested blogger out yesterday and everything I wrote disappeared.
    Wonderful array of cards yesterday, I even tried to answer Vals blog, but that promptly disappeared as well. We have no internet access at home at the moment so this is being written at the hospital. Awfully funny that we had an automated phone call from BT saying our internet access was being switched off. We don’t get our internet via BT. International call with an American voice as well so you know it’s a scam call. Hope it’s back on when we get home which will be about 7.00 ish.
    Let’s see if this posts. The answer to that is not at the moment. But I’ll keep trying,

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    Replies
    1. It is definitely a scam PAT even though it’s an automated voice making it seem very genuine Don’t even go there I phoned BT who were very grateful as they’re trying to establish areas/age groups these idiots are targeting

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    2. Hi Karen
      I think you can always tell if it’s a scam. Luckily when we got home our internet was back on. I don’t usually even pick up the phone on these calls. However, I can bar them as well for any subsequent calls. Which I always do.

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  8. Margaret Palmer6 August 2018 at 17:45

    Hi Sandra & all in cafe,
    Sandra great challenge this week so I have spent today making a card, & got stung by a wasp, I felt something on my face & brushed it off only to find it was a wasp which objected by stinging me.���� I will send it shortly. Hope you have coped in this heat.xxx
    It has taken me about 5 hrs to DOA simple cardcard, everything seems to take twice as long at the moment & I keep dropping things on the floor just because I cannot bend, typical.
    Sending hugs to all who need them love Margaret.xxx

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    Replies
    1. Hope you alright Margaret after the wasp sting. hugs xx

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  9. Beautiful start to the sketch challenge this week. What a shame it is your allotment is full of cracks from the weather; you are so right about the number of house being squeezed into small spaces but not more doctors or even schools to help with the sheer number of these. In some ways I am glad I am not running a school anymore, I found these sorts of things difficult to handle then and keep my mouth closed. I had planned to go out for lunch with hubby and go to the cinema but I had to go to Oncology clinic first. That saying, I didn't sleep at all well I never do on the night before clinic. So I looked and felt like 'death warmed up'. But the Oncologist said that everything is stable, nothing seems to be going to wrong way at present and if I wanted to take a 2-3 break from chemotherapy then that would be ok! I have been on chemotherapy non-stop since last July; so a break would be lovely! Hubby is looking for somewhere for us to go, with pooch probably in early September when the kids have gone back to school. I will stay on chemo until then, probably stop the week before we go away; to give me time to come around. Thank you for sharing everything :O) xx

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