DCM - Bunnies and chicks

It's Jo's turn to set the dare this week...

"I would like this week to see cards with a chick, a bunny or both!"

I'm late again this week as we're still in the midst of decorating. As we only get 1 day a week off together it is slow going. We have finished wallpapering though and it looks good. Just need to touch up some painting here and there and varnish the new fire surround and then it's a matter of tidying up and a major declutter! I'm running late with all my jobs today already. Need to clean the hamster out next as after I've dropped Maddie off at nursery I'm getting my hair cut. Hopefully next week I will get back into the crafty swing of things....

Anyhow - enough waffle - here is my DCM card freshly knocked out this morning.

It's all Sassafrass apart from the fab little letters which are from Kirsty Wiseman's new Patti Picklicious CD which I believe should be available from today! Yippee!!!

Shoes shoes shoes!

Oh I'm struggling with this blogging malarkey of late. Living in an upside down house and trying to fit decorating in around work is not that much fun. Time doesn't seem to be on my side. Soooo I thought I'd have a mammoth post of a few of this week's happenings.

First of all, Tuesday was Mr Jozza's birthday. Here is the card I made for him.
Mr Jozza is called Keith, but it amuses me to call him Keef. He also goes by the name Keithetta, Keithetta Marietta, Kindred Keith the Destructathor etc etc. I like to call people an array of names. I can't help it! Abigail gets called, Abigail, Abbi, Abs, Abbathina (which incidentally a friend of mine thought was her real name! HAHAHA), Ab fabs and also Fenelia Fadge Bucket. Maddie gets called Maddie, Madeleine, Mads, Maddie the madster, Madge, Madgeroonie and Fenelia Fadgerina. Even the poor cat gets it. He's called Charlie but he more often gets called Chaz, Chaz on the raz and Billy William. When I think about it there is probably a good explanation right here as to why my kids are bananas.

Ab fabs made her daddy a lurvely card....
She doodled faux stitching and everything! Whoop whoop Abs!

She's in the good books this week is my big girl. I had a meeting with her teacher the other day for her report. Oh my goodness, her teacher just raved about her! I was sat mainly stunned to be honest. She usually gets a good report but this was something else. She's no child genius or anything but her teacher said she is doing brilliantly and is super enthusiastic. A pleasure to teach in fact. Abbi sees herself as her teacher's deputy I think as she's always helping apparently and loves to help other children in her class if they are struggling with a task. It was really nice to hear so many positive things about her as at home she can be a stroppy little madam at times.

On Friday, she got star of the week at school and was so excited about it :o)
She also had a daffodil and some other things for me...


So to the shoes shoes shoes bit. Check these babies out...
Abbi (Imelda Marcos in the making) has a thing about shoes. She certainly doesn't get it from me (Radley bags ring my bell), I'm happiest in a pair of ugly old crocs. Poor Abs desperately wanted a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. I spent a great deal of time explaining to her that Father Christmas couldn't possibly get everyone a Wii. She was a tad heartbroken but as her Uncle gave her £10 for Christmas she decided to start a Wii fund. It was doing rather well and a few weeks ago she had well over £20 (I know! slow progress). Then we went into next and she clocked a pair of red shiny sandals. Bang goes £12. I can build the fund up again mummy I was told. Hmmmmm, until today we were in Next (damn that shop and their temptress shoes) and she clocked the above shoes. She was a few pounds shy of the £14 price tag but her Grannie gave her the difference as she has had such a good week. Bang goes the Wii fund but she is a very happy 7 year old.
We were actually in Next to get the madster a new top. She put on her fave t-shirt from last year this morning. A very cute Mickey and Minnie mouse top from Next aged 3-4. It was only when we were in town that I realised said t-shirt more resembled a crop top. Finally found one she liked in Next. What age did she end up getting? Age 6! Yes my 3 year old daughter got an age 6 top today. Ridiculous but she needs the length. It certainly doesn't look too big for her.
I think I've nearly finished now. Hope I've not sent you to sleep! This is what Maddie brought home from nursery for me...

Bless my little chickens. What a great likeness of me that picture is. Hehehe

DCM - cos I'm a woman!

The dare this week is set by Tracie.

"Seeing as this weekend is Mothers Day in the UK, and I am doing the 600 mile round trip home to see my mummy, I want the focus of your cards to be the girls. It can be any style, any theme, and any recipient - as long as she is female"

I'm late this week, mainly due to a hellish week at work and an upside down house as we're in the middle of decorating. I threw together a card for my mum...

I used Basic Grey sugared papers, a chipboard flower left over from last weeks dare, more flowers which are out of my flower box, ribbon and slide from my mate Ruth (who I always want to write as Rooth for some bizarre reason) and letters by papermania. I've a card I made for Mr Joz (his birthday was last Tues) and also some pics of bits and bobs. Will hopefully get chance later. x

PBSC - a sketch

I don't know where time is going just lately. I never seem to have any spare and life just keeps whizzing by. I've not had time to visit any blogs lately and our decorating is a slow process!

I made this card last night just before I made tea and this is the first chance I've had to blog it. It's a fab sketch this week. My card was a bit of a rush job and I'm not sure about it really. Not so keen on the colours I used which are not ones I commonly use. Hey ho.
Paper - DCWV
Card - core-dinations
Swiss dots embossing folder
Flowers/brads from stash
Stamp - Penny Black
Rub ons - Doodlebug

DCM - Ready steady cook!

This week the dare is set by Kathy.

So this dare is my take on that theme - I'll tell you the ingredients you have to use, then all you have to do is make the card.

Here are your ingredients:

3 different papers

At least one piece of chipboard

At least 1 button

At least 1 piece of ribbon

optional: 1 extra item/element of your choice

What a fab dare! The twist for the design team was that Kathy assembled an envelope full of ingredients for each of us so that we were more limited. I loved everything that Kathy sent. I have no idea who made the papers but I want some more! They are lush. I had no idea what I was going to make when I sat down with all my bits and this card took forever to make as I seem to have spent a fair amount of time just staring at everything and wondering what the devil I was going to make. In the end I used about 5 different patterns (the papers were double sided), the 2 ribbons, 1 button, the chipboard owl and my extra was some of the new Stackies from Fat Freddies Craft Shed.
These are fab A4 sheets with funky flowers on them that you cut out and layer up as you please. I'm very fortunate in that Nikky who designed these is a mate and she brought a whole load of them round for me to play with. I LOVES them! They come in packs of 6 sheets and retail at £3.99. There are loads of flowers on each sheet. Yum yum.


I'm not sure who the papers are by or the chipboard either I'm afraid
The stackies are from Fat Freddie's Craft Shed
The stamp is a studio g one I think.

Penny Black Saturday recipe 3,2,1

Blimey I actually made a challenge card tonight too! It's a recipe challenge to use 3 brads, 2 ribbons and 1 flower.

It's my hubby's birthday next week so I've made him a card from the kids (still need to make one from me!). I love these DCWV papers. I need to craft more with them!

Paper and chipboard shapes - DCWV
Ribbons, flower and brads from stash
Image - Penny Black
Dad sticker - Sue Dreamer
Rub ons - Doodlebug

OMG I actually made a card!!!

I've been quiet. Sorry about that. Have had a week off work and me and Monsieur Jozza have been decorating. The house is completely upside down - it has to be seen to be believed! We're nowhere near finished either! Mind you it has been fun. I love painting - I find it really therapeutic and we've learnt how to hang wallpaper! Go us! We're not doing too bad a job with it either...shame we're both back at work now so it's evenings and days off put aside for decorating. We'll get there in the end I'm sure.

Tonight I found some of my craft bits and assembled a card for one of my bessie mates Susie. I've known Soose since we were little. We're both from Scarborough and our parents used to be drinking buddies back in the 70's. We lost touch in our teens but who'd have thought that we would both train to be Radiographers and end up working in the same hossie? Anyhow it was Susie's birthday at the end of Feb and whoops naughty Jozza is late again! I have got her a huge slab of chocolate from Hotel Chocolat to compensate her for my crapness! Everyone should have a Susie in their life. She is hilarious and a great mate!

I made her card with a quote from one of our very fave TV progs The League of Gentlemen. It's a quote from one of the lads who are always in the video shop and judge the quality of a film by how many "killings" are in it. I wanted to put a video clip on my blog but I couldn't find it :o(
Just knew it would make Soose laugh to see it on her card and I thought it suited the image (I may have to buy this stamp as it is sooo fab) :o)

The stamped image is from an image swap and was provided by Lythan. The papers are Dream Street and the other bits and bobs are from my stash.

An award! Plus a couple of cards to share

I've been given an award by the lovely and talented Lulu! It's so cute - thanks so much Lou :o)













I'm not 100% sure what the rules are for passing this on so I would like to pass it on to anyone reading this who hasn't yet received it. There are so many blogs full of stunning work that I couldn't possibly choose just a few.

I've got the week off work this week to try and tart the house up a little bit. I'm afraid it's all the tedious prep work at the moment. Words cannot express how much I loathe sanding! Painting starts tomorrow so I'll be covered from head to toe by the end of the day (that's what usually happens anyhow!). I do enjoy painting so I'll be cranking the music volume up and having a sing song as I paint.

I thought I would share a couple of cards that I made on Friday. I was playing with the fabby Patti Picklicious cd again :o) These cherry papers are good enough to eat! The shaped card is made using a template that is on the CD. I printed it onto the cherry paper and it was very easy to cut it out. I mounted it onto black card and cut it again leaving a black border to make the pattern pop that little bit more then I added some little felt cherries :o)
I don't know what I had just eaten when I made this card! lol It's a little bit wacky. I keep small photos that I have printed out in a box with all my blooms ready for mini books and the like. I was flicking through them and thought this pic of Abigail would be quite funny on a card. Everything used is from the Very Cherry collection on the Patti CD apart from the head, arms and legs.