A late Challenge card with a few extra treats !!

 Ciara's Challenge Card

another of Ciara's cards

 Ciara's amazing flowers !

Ciara's Lilli of the Valley card

Val's Gracie

Val's cats, Olive, Harvey & Kit

Good Morning Dear Friends,

Ciara is Brenda Lello's Granddaughter (for those of you that didn't know), if my memory serves me correctly I believe Ciara is 8 (sorry if I got that wrong my brain is other places at the moment)!
Ciara your cards are so amazing, your Challenge card looks just like thge sketch i showed, it must have taken you ages to add all of those tiny roses underneath the ribbon, you even managed to get the little dots around your flowers, exactly like the Sketch card, i can't believe how brilliant your attention to detail is.
Now your second card is just so lovely, I love the image you have used on your card, but the most amazing part of the card is your flowers Ciara, oh my goodness!! They are beautiful, such perfect little roses and arranged so beautifully too, such pretty colours with some lovely leaves and ribbon to finish your card perfectly .
The last card we have today shows some brilliant colouring and very skilled cutting out too, you are better with the scissors than I am Ciara !! The colour of card you have used matches perfectly with the colour of the hand bag in the card too!
Ciara please keep sending me your wonderful cards to share with all of the ladies here on the blog, because they like seeing your cards too.  You have amazing card making skills, as well as making the most beautiful hand made flowers.
Thank you so much for sharing your cards with all of us xxxx

That's all for today ladies, it's going to be a very long day in our house today, should I not get around to posting tomorrow please continue to comment on today's post.

Love and hugs
Sandra
Xxxxx

Card For Josh

Good Morning Ladies,

Today is my daughter's partner Josh's Birthday, he and his Father run their own Painting and Decorating Business.  So I decided that would be the theme of his birthday card this year.

I used the Polkadoodles Work & Play 11 CD ROM, I have a few of these CdRoms and they are very useful for men's card, there are all jobs covered from Hairdresser's to plumbers, leisure activities too, Golf, running, weightlifting, gymnastics, most are covered!  

I printed this same image 3 times so that I could decoupage the image.  The decorative elements are from the CD too, as is the ticket style sentiment.

I am hoping that Josh likes his card ! I really enjoyed making it, something different for a change!

Margaret, I hope that Alan is comfortable and not running you radded! Hugs to you both xxxx

Lovely to read that our Scottish ladies had a lovely get together yesterday xxx

I hope that you all have a lovely day whatever you are up to! Lovely to have the washing blowing on the line, however i did read that the weather is going to be wet and windy over the holiday weekend !

Love and hugs

Sandra xxxx

Monday Sketch Challenge

 My Challenge Card

The Sketch

Morning Ladies,

I thought I would give you a nice simple sketch this week, as I know you will all be busy with your preparations for the Bank Holiday Weekend!

I decided to go pink and girly this week, no other reason than I loved the pink dotty paper!  I embossed the top half of the card with the Daisy Lattice Embossing Folder by Craft's Too, I used Spellbinders Captivating Squares Die to cut the focal element of the card, added a mat of the pink dotty card and then the sentiment.  I ran some pink ribbon through the lace and added that to centre of the card, made a bow out of the same ribbon and added a pearl  centre.  I then used a tiny Impression Obsession flower die to cut some little flowers that I topped with a pearl! 

I hope you like the card, I can't wait to see your version of the Sketch.

Have a lovely day ladies,

Love and hugs

Sandra 

Xxxxxx

PS . Don't forget your Lidl card !!!

Sketch Challenge Cards

 My Challenge Card

The Sketch

Brenda Hopkins Challenge card

 Hazel's Challenge Card

 Janet's Challenge Card

Jess's Challenge card

Karen's Challenge card

 Lilian's Challenge card

 Lynda's Challenge card

Margaret's Challenge card

Maria's Challenge card

Michele's Challenge Card

Michele's 2nd Challenge card

 Myra's Challenge card

 PAT'S CHALLENGE CARD !!!!!

 PAT'S CHALLENGE CARD 2 !!!!!

Sonia's Challenge Card

Val's Challenge Card

Good Morning Ladies,

We have an amazing range of beautiful cards for our Sketch Challenge again this week! 

Brenda, thank you for making the time for taking part as well as looking after Scarlett, I hope she is feeling better, your card is lovely xxx

Hazel, wow, I really do love this card, gorgeous papers, I just love that ribbon you have used across the centre, it is beautiful, I think this is my favourite card of yours so far, thank you so much for taking part!  Let me know if you get one from Beth, I will add it on xxx

Janet, gorgeous card from you too, I like the base card you have used and the pretty border across the centre, one of your beautiful butterflies is sitting on top of that woven ribbon strip, it looks as though your beautiful flower arrangement is sat upon a little doily, such a lot of work, it shows too, gorgeous card, thank you Janet xxx

Jess, such a pretty card from you once again, lovely mix of colours, that pretty place just peeking out from under the ribbon makes the seam binding look so much prettier!  What are those flowers you have added? Are they handmade?? I would love to know which die if you have made it. Thank you for taking part Jess xxx

Karen, I was so touched that you had taken the time to make  Sketch challenge card,it was such a surprise to see it, it looks as though you have made a box card, what an amazing idea, giving a gift and card all in one!  I would love to know how you made it, if you have time !! Thanks again Karen xxx

Lilian, I didn't realise you had this much sought after embossing folder too!! It just makes the perfect card doesn't it ?!  I love the little lace flower trim you have run across the centre of the card, your flowers are the perfect finishing touch, thank yoiu so much for taking part xxx

Lynda, lovely card from you again Lynda, I love how you have created the centre border, fantastic idea, your arrangement of Sue's Rose die cuts finishes the card beautifully, I can't believe you managed a card after your fall last week, you are amazingly determined, I will have to be careful how I hug you at Ally Pally this time,

Thanks again Lynda xxx

Margaret, what beautiful spring paper you have used on your card this week, is this a new pad? It matches perfectly with the ribbon you have used for your border, perfectly stamped sentiment too! Thank you Margaret xxx

Maria, like Hazel, I think that this is one of your most beautiful cards ever, I love everything about it, the card/paper you have used, that lace border is stunning!!!

Your flowers are amazing and the colour of your foliage die works perfectly, thank you so much, your card is amazing xxx

Michele, wow you managed  two cards, both fabulous, love the embossing folder on the top card, the flowers on both work perfectly, see what you can manage under pressure (he he)!! Thank you so much for taking part xxx

Myra, I spy your new paper pad??!, its beautiful Myra, so nice to have the matching papers all in one place, I nlove how you have added the lovely stiletto shoe to the card too, having the flowers in different colours in opposite corners really balances the card well, thank you so much for taking part xxx

🎉🎉 PAT, a bit like the buses, you wait forever and two come along at once!!🎉🎉

Two lovely cards, in love your punched centre border, the flowers are beautiful too Pat, both lovely colour combinations too !  Thank you so much for taking part xxx

Sonia, I have recently bought this paper pad, it is so pretty, i love the colours yoiu have teamed if with too, lovely border and really pretty flower too, thank you son much for taking part each week, I hope you are enjoying it xxx

Val, I just love your 'love' themed card, so pretty, now please tell me about that gorgeous border!! The perfect Anniversary card, thank you so much for taking part after your busy week of arriving home and unpacking, must have taken a day to put away your new craft haul !! Xxx

Absolutely blown away by this weeks stunning cards, thank you all once again, I'm off to p!an tomorrow's sketch !!

Have a lovely Sunday ladies,

Love and hugs

Sandra xxxx

Lidl voucher 

Mixed Craft Saturday

 Angela's Tissue Box Covers

 More of Angela's Tissue Box Covers

 Jess's Amazing  'Scrapbook Layout' Birthday Cake 

Amanda's handmade flower

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,

I am so happy to be able to squeeze in another Mixed Craft Saturday, I do love to be able to share your amazing crafts.

First up today we have Angela's fabulous Tissue Box Covers, such a range of colours and styles, each one is pretty and perfectly finished, there are Christmas ones, gorgeous girly ones, something for every style of room!  I hope Angela has time to pop in and tell us all about how she makes them.

Thank you so much so much for allowing me to share your lovely boxes xxxx

Jess, Wow your "Scrapbook Layout" 70th Birthday cake is just a genius idea and perfectly executed,

all the details are what makes it so special, the photographs of you at memoral events, the extra details too like the scissors, glue stick and ruler around the outside, the cute buttons and flowers framing the photos all build the perfect scrapbook page! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing birthday cake with us xxxx

Now onto our last item, created by our latest blog member, Amanda's gorgeous handmade flower,

Amanda has used a piece of lace, an Applique, a hand rolled ribbon rose, some silk leaves, lilies and a few pretty little resin flowers.  Amanda has a YouTube tutorial for this gorgeous flower, if you want to learn how to make one, there are many other beautiful handmade flowers on her channel too, but be warned you could lose and hour or too!! Thank you so much Amanda for taking part in your first Mixed Craft Saturday (first of many I Hope) xxxx

Well I hope you are feeling inspired ladies. I certainly am x

Don't forget your challenge cards ladies x

Cheryl just a quick message to say you are in our thoughts on your day of reflection xxxx

Hugs to our absent friends xxxx

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra
xxxxxx

Pretty Scrimpy shabby lace flower tutorial  

Something New & News

Good Morning ladies,

I have been playing with something new over the last week or so, and really enjoying it too!  What you see above is my first attempt at decorating MDF, I ordered a kit of beautiful lace, that I showed on last weeks 'Guilty Secrets ' feature, I bought some MDF shapes from Farnborough and thee two go perfectly well together.
I used a piece of my favourite Bella Rose (First Edition ) paper to cover thee MDF heart, I adhered it with Cosmic Shimmer Glue,  I sanded the edges, to smooth off the edge of the paper, I then used hot glue to attach the heart trim and then thee pretty pink pearl string on top of that.  I then attached some green natural grass and muslin cloth to the heart, I topped that with some of my pink flowers  and some coloured stamens, with a little foliage too.
I then decided to add a word, so I covered a Laser Cut word with Gesso and then painted it pink and sprinkled it with glitter!
I hope you like it xx

Now my inspiration for wanting to 'alter' and make things pretty came from watching You Tube, one of the Channels I found really inspirational was
Scrimping Mommy
Here are a couple of her pieces of work........

 A Beautiful Wall hanging 

Amanda (Scrimpy's) Own Lace Caddy

I have got 2 of these Lace Caddy's , I am part way through decorating one,

They would be good for carrying anything around, craft tools or embellishments, you can buy the spools to wind your lace on too, Fernli Designs sells Amanda's caddy its just £3 and you can decorate to your on taste.

There are so many more beautiful things to see on Amanda's YouTube channel 

Or her Facebook group 

Scrimpy's Craft Boutique.

Now for the news,.,,, Amanda has asked me to be on her Design Team as a Guest Designer, how exciting is that??? I was so over the moon when she asked me, i only hope that i can do her gorgeous laces and trims justice! 

I can't promise anything as elaborate as Amanda's but i will give it a go!

Go check out Amanda's work, Cheryl has been and she is hooked already!

I hope you all have a good day,

Love and hugs

Sandra xxxx

This weeks "Guilty Secrets" and Beth's cards !!

 Beth's Beautiful Butterfly card

 Beth's 'Just to say' card

 Beth's Dragonfly card

 My Trimcraft Set

Michele's Bargain Dies

Val's amazing Crafty Haul

More of Val's craft shopping

The last of Val's shopping

Good Morning Ladies,

Today i thought we would have a look at some of Beth's fantastic cards.  As you can see Beth has really got the card making bug, she is clearly very talented too, making these cards as well as her Challenge card this week, all these fantastic cards made with only the very basic of craft supplies!  

Beth you should be hugely proud of what you have managed to create, all three of your cards are fantastic, I really love the butterfly card, its such a brilliant design, I also love the way you have put that cute little bird on the 'Just to say' sentiment!

I am really looking forward to seeing your challenge card this week Beth, thank you so much for sharing your cards with us xxx

My Trimcraft Pack was bought at the Range, it was only £9.99 and you got an 8 X 8 paper pad, a die set, an embossing folder, a set of heart top pins, 30 doilies, some vintage wooden buttons and some adhesive pearls !! The papers are lovely too x

Michele's BARGAIN Spellbinder Alphabet......a Amazon bargain find for sure £12.80 !!!  well done Michele,I think you should be the bargain spotter for the blog!  Thank you for sharing your bargain with us xxxx

Val, wow, what a fantastic array of dies, stamps, embossing folders, gorgeous paper pads too! You obviously do a bit of sewing too!  Did you end up paying excess 

Baggage ? You managed to get plenty to keep you busy until your next visit!

I am really looking forward to seeing all the amazing things you are going to

Be able to create with your new craft stash, thank you so much for sharing 

Your new craft goodies with all of us, its nice to see what everyone chooses

To craft with. Xxx

Thank you ladies, for all of your input each day and week, you really do make this blog a special place. Xxx

Love and hugs

Sandra xxxx