Has arrived

Love seeing this sight.. Means I've arrived in Musselburgh


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WOYWW

Welcome to yet another WOYWW... yes that's right... we're all another week closer to christmas now and I'm sure it won't be all that long before we start seeing nothing but pile upon pile of new christmas designs lying on everyone's desks... and to be honest, I've kind of started already. This year I'm attempting to make a few mini scrapbooks for friends along with a big one for my mum... so wish me luck. At the moment my desk is looking pretty tidy but that's only because it's in prep mode. My living room at the moment is strewn with samples for Time To Sow and all of my Fiskars products so I can make a start on samples for the SECC... that will be priority as the show is only a week away now.

As for my mini scrapbooks... well who else could I turn to for inspiration but TH himself... oh yeah.. the book is out ready for a flick through... always good to gain some inspiration in advance then onto the grunge paper & chipboards I'll go... even the thought of getting mucky on these is exciting... lol... but right now... there's no time for play as I'm off to visit my friends shop Ashby Designs in Musselburgh where there is hot coffee and cakes waiting for me...

On that note I will bid you all a fond farewell and my apologies for not getting around to visiting a lot of you last week and I'll do my best to make up for it this week.

Toodles for now & happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

One way to make extra cash...

Now we're all aware of this little thing called the credit crunch... yes that's right... the lovely green monster that comes to so many people in their dreams at night and disturbs their sleep...

Well during a flick through Crafts Beautiful, I noticed this wee advert at the very bottom of page 129... titled Work Opportunity..... here's what it says

LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED CRAFTERS to test new products. Knitting, crochet, tapestry, candlemaking, embroidery, patchwork, sewing, soapmaking. All materials provided. We pay an agreed fee for each finished sample. Please email mentioning your skill to: samplecraft@gmail.com

This year has seen rather a bit of a change in the crafting world and a lot more of you are doing things like knitting, crochet and embroidery so this may well be a little opportunity for you to make some extra cash using your talents.

Right... off to get the housework done now before sitting down to tackle a pile of samples... I'll try and stop by later with another little crafty find for you all.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Mr Postie delivery for the SECC......

Woohoo.... Mr Postie arrived with a big bag of goodies for me this morning from Fiskars... oh what do I have to add to my collection to play with at the SECC in 10 days time.... hhhmmmmm well let's see.... oh yeah... and the best is at the bottom of this post... lol

This is my new portable A4 paper trimmer... nothing exciting I know but definately an essential piece of kit....

Then there are a few scrapboss templates... including a winter one just in perfect timing for christmas

A few shapecutter templates... again a christmas one so perfect timing...

Ohhh... some yummy wee christmas stamps...




Now this is one of the new squeeze punches... and I'm sure the owl will be in great demand...

Here is another.. this time a little bird and not sure if this will be even more popular than the owl... well... it could be a wee robin red breast on the christmas cards couldn't it... then he's also perfect for all year round

Now this is where things get really quite interesting... if you're a fan of QVC you may already have seen these in action... if not... here's a quick run down of what they do... what's it called...

EVERYWHERE WINDOW PUNCH

This piece of equipment comes as 3 pieces as pictured above.

This section here is part of what holds your page in place with the use of some magnets... this ensures that you page does not move during the punching process... smart thinking eh...

This is your base section which you place underneath your paper or card

Then you connect your additional plastic magnetic holder on top... your page is now secured in position and this is the time that you want to ensure your placement is correctly ligned up before punching.

Next up you add the punch itself which simply slots into place on the top

Then push....

Here's a simple piece of photocopy paper that I used to punch out the shapes just to give you an idea of what they are like....

Hopefully you'll be able to see them in action for yourself at either the SECC or the NEC....

In the meantime... I think I best get myself in motion.. got lots of samples to make now that my goodies have arrived... any excuse.... lol...

Catch you all later

Love 'n' hugs

Lorraine xxx

Just Magnolia challenge

Well it's time to tackle another fab sketch over at this weeks Just Magnolia challenge blog and I decided to go a little bright on this one.. think it's due to it being so dull & dreary over the last week I needed to cheer myself up a little.

For my card I used some bazzill cardstock along with some old K&Co 'Sparkly Sweet' papers for the matting & layering process... sentiment is from Craftwork Cards, lace is from my Duck Pond monthly card kit, flowers are from my stash and image is from a stamp I have on loan at the moment... lucky me... the image and sentiment have also been foam mounted for some added dimension... along with a little inking around the edges just to soften the look of the card.

This was a really nice sketch to work with and one I'll definately use again in the future.

However, time is of the essence today as I've got a few chores to do before visiting mum.. so on that note, I'll bid you all a fond farewell for the moment being and I'll catch up with you all again soon.

Toodles for now & happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

CANDY GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

WOW...... look at this gorgeous candy giveaway.... lots of yummy goodies to get your hands on if you happy to be the lucky winner... contents include.

8 x 12x12 Echo Park 'Everybody Loves Christmas' papers

1 x 6x6 Jack and Jill Prima paper pack

1 x adorable 'Mistletoe and Mice' stamp by Stampavie

2 x card candy by Craftwork Cards

1 x In Bloom embossing folder...

2 x assorted bags of punched shapes

a metre of yummy pom pom ribbon

1 x cute 'Swinging Emmylou' stamp by Kraftin Kimmie

A pack of doilies

Now who wouldn't want to add any of those gorgeous goodies to their collection.... So... what do you need to do to be in with a chance to win... simply pop over to Samuel Taylors new blog and follow the entry rules... good luck to everyone...

Now that was a pretty good find for a Saturday morning I think... lol... right I'm off now to get on with some work so I'll catch up with you all later.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Cute Card Thursday

Well the theme this time around at Cute Card Thursday is 'What's Buggin' You'... and seeing as I've gotten a loan of some Magnolia's just now... thought I'd use this little cutie with her ladybird. Also used my new Marianne die for my butterfly... think this will be used a lot as it's adorable... and I see lots of pinks and lemons ahead... lol. The cream background card & lace are from my current monthly kit from Duck Pond Crafts, the red paper is from an old K&Co pad, butterfly is cut from some DCWV cardstock, sentiment tag is from a 'me & my big ideas' paper pad, rhinestones & pearls from stash... oh... and sentiment was written using a red gelly roll pen.

So... now I've done this post I guess it's about time I headed off to the kitchen to get some tea on the go as hubby should be home shortly.

Hope you've all got a fun filled weekend ahead.. toodles for now and I'll be back soon.

Love 'n' hugs

Lorraine xxx

Freebie to copy to your computer...

Now I can't show you a picture as it would be fair to Fiona... but you really should stop by her site Fee J Designs and have a good old nosey around... there are some freebies up for grabs just now and one of them is an amazing sheet to save to your computer of a little scarecrow complete with pumpkin... perfect for halloween time and not too scary for the little ones... in addition to that there are a couple of project sheets which you can copy for free.... why not stop by and have a look, I'm sure you will find something you'll like.

Right off back to work now as tea break is almost over... catch you all soon as I'm currently working on a challenge card.

Love 'n' hugs

Lorraine xxx

Today's lucky find

Morning all.... now I like to try and see if I can find a new and exciting bargain for you everday whenever possible... and here is today's.... I know it's not a massive 50% off sale or anything but to be honest... I think it's a much better deal than that even... and it's brought to you by the mega talented Barbara Gray of Clarity Stamp who has also been nominated for this years BEST STAMP RANGE AWARD.... so what am I excited about.. check this out...

A monthly pack to launch a brand new Claritystamp design by Barbara Gray.... Each pack includes a multiple project sheet and an unmounted stamp.... all this for only £48 per year (annual subscription) .... yes you read that right... each month you can get a new stamp to add to your collection along with a project sheet giving you ideas of what to do for only £4 per month.... now how many other stamp ranges can you build upon on a monthly basis for that kind of price.... oh and you can also follow Barbara on facebook too.

Well I hope you like today's little treasure find and if you visit Barbara's site please do take time to browse through all of her gorgeous collections as there really is something for everyone. As for me... I'm off to get some work done now and I'll catch up with you all again later.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

I'm so happy...

Just saw an advert saying that the new series of Desperate Housewives is back on our screens as of 10pm on Sunday night... Oh I can't wait...



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Penny Black challenge

Finally I'm getting round to joining in with a challenge... seems like forever since I last managed to achieve that... lol.. anyway, this one here is for the challenge over at Penny Black Saturday where we have been challenged to use 2 PB stamps on the one project...

My papers & dew drops are from my latest Duck Pond Craft kit, flowers are by Prima and images are from the PB Micey Day set.

I'd love to stay and chat a while but have another mammoth project that I have to complete for a presentation tomorrow... might even have to rope hubby into helping me later... lol..

Toodles for now and catch you all again soon.

Love 'n' hugs

Lorraine xxx

Craft Superstore sale....

Thought I'd let you all know that Craft Superstore have some wonderful deals on at the moment... for example... these Grime Rub On's by Basic Grey were priced at £2.99... now they are a staggering.... £0.69..... they also have BOGOF offers on Stix2 products and much of their storage solutions also have their prices slashed... certainly worth a visit to see if you can get yourself a bargain or two...

Happy shopping !!!!!

Lorraine xxx

Chile rescue mission

What an amazing day it has been watching the rescue unfold as one after another of the miners has been raised to safety. Only another 3 to go... How amazing and miraculous.

Hopefully the miners and their families will be able to return to normality sooner rather than later.

Huge praise must go also to all those involved in the rescue for their dedication in ensuring the safe return of these miners to the surface.

Xxx
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Mr postie brought me goodies today...

Woohoo.... Mr Postie arrived today with my order from Craft Obsessions... I'm so excited and can't wait to get started... I'm blaming it all on Karen Gallacher as I now have to build my own collection... here's some close up pictures for you...

Couldn't resist the seahorse as it's so like my tattoo... it was a must have...

Right gotta dash as I've got a meeting at 6pm and need to throw a bit of makeup on my face.

Toodles for now

Love 'n' hugs

Lorraine xxx

WOYWW

Morning all and who would believe that it's that time of week again for WOYWW... and we're all left wondering what everyone else's desk is looking like after the last week of crafting... well.. mine has been a bit stagnant but I'm working hard to resolve that and create another bit of mess as quickly as possible... lol...

In the evenings I've been stamping my lovely Magnolia's which I kindly have on loan and doing a bit of colouring in whilst sitting watching tv... very relaxing :-)

I also had to find a storage container for my small collection of Pro Markers and then.... I had a bright idea that my old Bold tub might just do the trick... oh yes... perfect size to store them in... shame I've not managed to decorate the tub yet... lol... just have to keep the box in my craft room incase I accidentally end up with pro markers in the washing machine...

Now we all have a clutter section and this is mine at the moment... a collection of scraps, on going projects trapped underneath it all, stamping blocks etc...

This part here is my current on going project... hhhmmmmm wonder what challenge that could be for... lol... hopefully I'll get it finished and posted on my blog later today.

Finally I thought I'd share my little pussy cat with you... this is something my mum brought me back from her Mexican cruise earlier this year.... it's made from metal and has been dye burnished... always adds a bit of heat to the room with the colours and inspiration to create some colourful projects.

Well that's what my unorganised desk is looking like this morning.. wonder what yours is like... I'll do my best over the coming days to visit as many of the other fun loving entrants as possible so please bear with me if it takes me a while to get to you.

Right, off to get the housework done and animals tended to before making a start on finishing my challenge card, oh yeah... I also need to stick a dye in my hair as the greys are starting to show through a little too much!!!!

Catch you all later and happy crafting wishes to all.

Love 'n' hugs

Lorraine xxx

Honest I was working yesterday...

Morning all... well after almost 11 hours sleep last night... currently on my 2nd cup of coffee of the day and still not got my eyes open properly and have the dentist in just over an hour... so thought I'd better prove to you that I was infact working away yesterday.

Managed to complete and deliver most of my commission cards seeing as they are the most important and made a start on some more of the christmas stuff... this one here is not yet complete, needs a little more sparkle to it but thought it would prove that I have infact been back in the craft room and that's exactly where I'll be again when I get back from the dentist. Might tackle a wee challenge or two today as I've been missing joining in the fun and it's a good excuse to create a dirty desk for tomorrow's WOYWW...

Guess I best wave bye bye for the moment being and go jump in the shower... hope you're all having a fun filled week so far.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Back in work mode....

Well it's a new day... and a new week... here's hoping it's a better one than last week.

Getting my housework done just now and I've got the spinach and parsnip on for the soup.. washing in the machine but hey it's almost lunch time... where oh where does the day go.

Due to the events of last week I've not got a large list of cards to catch up with as well as my challenges to tackle, so I think I may well be locked away for most of the week working my wee bum off... well that is with the exception of my dental appointment tomorrow... and hopefully Mr Postie will be chapping on the door over the next few days with my delivery from Craft Obsessions... yummy... that's me made a start on my Magnolia collection.

Right, time to bid you a fond farewell for an hour or two so I can get finished up here and back into work mode... hopefully my mojo hasn't wandered too far.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Hungry...

Oh I was sat here watching tv, colouring some images when I realised I was hungry... Hhhhmmmm what to have... I know... A lovely fruit scone topped with clotted cream and a piping hot coffee.

Sorry you're not all here to share so thought I'd post a picture instead... Lol

Love 'n' hugs
Lorraine xxx


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Joys of Magnolia....

Hello... it's me... I'm back again... lol... sorry I didn't make it back yesterday but I was completely shattered and by the time we got the shopping done, dinner etc I found myself slumped upon the sofa not feeling like doing anything... not quite sure that today's very much different right enough. Had a lie in till 10.30, a bite of breakfast, took some pics that I'm finally managing to post then I'm off for a shower, a walk in the park and up to visit Mum & Eric.

Before all that though I just had to share this wonderful collection of Magnolia stamps with you... sadly they do not belong to me but my wonderful buddy Karen Gallacher kindly brought them along when we met up the other day and has left them with me so I can have a wee play.... now how very kind and generous is that....

I so love the Magnolia images yet I've never quite gotten around to purchasing any more than one of them... now there really is no excuse for that is there..... but... I'm sure you can all guess just how much stamping is going to be taking place in my house over the next few days... hope I don't run out of cardstock...

By the time I'm finished I'll have loads of images to colour at my leisure and I'll be able to join in the magnolia challenge more often too... oh I can't wait... on top of that... I'll be able to make a list of all the stamps that I MUST have and then I just need to make a proper effort to start my own collection.... hubby's gonna hate me... lol.

Sometimes in life these things just have to be done and I'm almost positive that I got an email from Craft Obsessions the other day saying that they had some on sale so may well have to pop by there today and make my first purchase... then just need to keep momentum going to my collection is as varied as Karen's.

Can you believe just how many stamps she has in her collection.... she shocked me when she arrived with it all and I must admit it was rather difficult to stop the drool from dripping off of my chin... thankfully I had a box of tissues to hand.... worst part is going to be when I'm waving a fond farewell to them all... then again... it will make me all the more determined to build my own as quick as possible.

Can you believe that they are still going on... and on.... and on.... that's what I call a true friend... one who trusts you with their much beloved stamp collection... whilst not even being here to keep an eye on me... oh no... I think the drool may well be starting all over again... lol

Karen's so organised too with all her stamps in lovely clear boxes so she can see at a glance what all she has and what she wants to get her hands on for her current project... think it would probably take me more time to decide what to use than it would to actually complete the project.

Now once I've done all my stamping and stamping and stamping.... now you can just imagine the smile on my face as I'm doing so.... what a shame that I will then need to spend hours just sitting there colouring them all in... and needing to find excuses to make so many cards... then again they may very well sell every bit as quickly as I make them as they're just so gosh darn cute.

It's one thing I never complain about is card sales... that is up until I need an emergency one for myself and I don't flaming have any... we all know that feeling don't we... the mad dash to the craft room and thinking what to use, what's quick to stick... what's luscious enough to carry off a card on it's own with very little else... now ... do you have all christmas cards made... lol....

Well... that's today's preview of all the stamps that I have to play with this week so guess my bum has been at the computer for way too long already so into the shower I will go... then I think it will be a jumper for me today as I'm feeling it a little nippy and need some fresh air in the park... still got the scent of hospital wards stuck up my nose so a nice leisurely stroll should clear that away... and by that time I'll be in need of a caffeine fix and a bit of warmth so I'll toddle off to my mummy's....

Catch you all again later.

Love 'n' hugs

Lorraine xxx